Rival boss thrilled key club figure isn't joining Rangers in big role amid failed talks after 'fear' lingered

He was in the frame for a key Rangers role.He was in the frame for a key Rangers role.
He was in the frame for a key Rangers role. | SNS Group
A man at a Premiership rival won’t be moving to Rangers.

St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson has been left relieved that Jim Gillespie won’t be taking up office as Rangers CEO.

The experienced businessman was in the frame to take up the chief executive post at Ibrox but he has since pulled out of the race and will remain in situ as vice-chairman at the Buddies. It was claimed by the Daily Mail earlier this week talks had hit an ‘advanced’ stage but Rangers are now assessing other candidates.

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Gillespie is a key figure behind the scenes at one of Rangers’ league rivals and now boss Robinson has admitted he had feared how they could go about replacing him if he did move to Govan. He said: "It's massive news for us and I'm absolutely delighted.

"At every football club, you've got somebody that drives, somebody that's got vision, somebody that's got the ideas, somebody that challenges everything within the four walls; Jim's that person. So there was obviously a fear in my mind of how that would be replaced.

"Previously people may have been quite happy to bounce up and down divisions and finishing third from bottom to stay alive. That whole mindset has changed because of Jim. He's been the driving force behind it. There's no two ways about that.

"He's driven the board and he's driven the ambitions of the football club and every day he's challenging everybody. So, from my point of view, delighted. I don't speak to Jim about anything other than St Mirren.

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“We've continued to have that dialogue all throughout this year. Jim's never wavered from St Mirren with me. All we spoke about his signings and the next window and the next piece of the jigsaw we can put at the training ground or the academy. So yes, superb news for me."

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