Online gambling firm sponsors historic football club

Rangers, a Scottish Football League club founded in 1872, are the latest soccer company to benefit from a 32Red shirt sponsorship deal, the Daily Mail reported over the weekend.

The online casino company will give the club a much-needed financial boost, replacing Blackthorn Cider on the home and away shirts of the League One champions from the start of next season.

The multi-year deal will be in force when Ally McCoist’s men play in the Championship next season, a platform that will generate maximum publicity for sponsors due to the presence of both Rangers and Hearts.

The Gibraltar-based firm is already an established backer of English club football. Barclays Premier League clubs Aston Villa and Swansea have previously worn 32Red’s logo on their jerseys and they are currently sponsors of League One Crawley Town and Newport County of League Two.

The reportedly financially troubled club is currently mired in a ferocious dispute between South African businessman Dave King, who is reportedly prepared to invest GBP 30 million in the enterprise, and the club’s board fronted by CEO Graham Wallace.

At the centre of the row is the timing of the club’s 120-day business review. The board has angered King, allegedly by breaking an agreement not to issue season ticket sales notifications until the review has been published.

That prompted KIng, supported by eight-time club captain and legend Richard Gough, to call on fans to instead put their season-ticket cash into a trust fund and to boycott club merchandise sales.

The Rangers board has furiously denied King’s accusations.