Douglas Park (businessman)

Last updated

Douglas Park
Born (1950-06-23) 23 June 1950 (age 74)
Nationality Scottish
Occupation Coach hire

Douglas Ireland Park (born 23 June 1950) is a Scottish businessman. He was the chairman of Rangers Football Club before stepping down in April 2023. He is still a director of the club.

Contents

Business career

Park is the founder of Park's Motor Group, one of the largest privately owned motor dealership groups in Scotland. Park founded the company in 1971, aged 21. [1]

Football career

Heart of Midlothian

Park bought a £75,000 share in Heart of Midlothian Football Club in 1982 after a chance meeting with the clubs then chairman Wallace Mercer at the 1982 FIFA World Cup. He increased his stake to be the second largest shareholder and was briefly appointed a director on the board in 1988. [1] Park quit the club in November 1988 after assistant manager Sandy Jardine was sacked and sold his shareholding shortly thereafter. [2]

Rangers

Park was one of the so-called Three Bears who, along with fellow fans George Taylor and George Letham, purchased a 19.5 per cent stake in Rangers Football Club in January 2015. He became director of the club for the first time on 6 March 2015, during an AGM takeover led by Dave King. [3] Park resigned after just five months on 4 August to concentrate on business commitments and his son, Graeme, replaced him as a director. [4] Park rejoined the board later the same year on 16 November [5] and was elected to the position of deputy chairman on 12 April 2018. [6] He became chairman after the departure of King on 27 March 2020, initially on an interim basis, before taking the position permanently. [7] He stepped down on 4 April 2023 after three years in the role. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queens Park Rangers F.C.</span> Association football club in London, England

Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional association football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England. The team competes in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system.

Rangers Football Club, formed in 1872, is the fourth-oldest association football club in Scotland, and the first club in the world to win more than fifty national league titles. It is the second-most successful club in world football in terms of trophies won, behind Egyptian club Al Ahly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Ashley (businessman)</span> British entrepreneur (born 1964)

Michael James Wallace Ashley is a British retail entrepreneur who is the founder and former chief executive of Frasers Group plc. He owned the Newcastle United football club between 2007 and 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Wilson (footballer, born 1991)</span> Scottish footballer

Daniel John Wilson is a Scottish footballer who plays as a centre-back for Scottish Championship club Queen's Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murdoch MacLennan</span> British senior media executive (born 1949)

Murdoch MacLennan is a British senior media executive. He is chairman of the Press Association Group, Independent News & Media, and also of the Scottish Professional Football League.

Charles Alexander Green is a British businessman and was the Chief Executive of Rangers Football Club. Born in Mexborough in South Yorkshire he started his career as a professional footballer but failed to make a first-team appearance at either Sheffield United or Doncaster Rovers before drifting into non-league. Following a switch to business he has since held a number of positions before taking over at Rangers, including a period as Chief Executive of Sheffield United.

The 2012–13 season was the 133rd season of competitive football by Rangers.

Rangers is a professional football club in Scotland founded in 1872. The club entered financial difficulties during the late 2000s, and the club entered administration in February 2012. It owed substantial amounts to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), who subsequently refused to allow Rangers to exit administration via a company voluntary arrangement (CVA). The Rangers Football Club plc entered liquidation on 31 October 2012.

Rangers is a Scottish football club based in Glasgow and founded in 1872. The club's corporate entity was created in 1899 when The Rangers Football Club Ltd was formed as a privately held company. In 2000, the then chairman and owner David Murray floated the club on the stock market which subsequently converted the private company into a public limited company (PLC).

The 2013–14 season was the 134th season of competitive football by Rangers

David Cunningham King is a Scottish-born, South African based former chairman of Rangers Football Club.

David Somers is a chartered accountant and Pension Fund manager. From 2013 to 2015 he was the Chairman of Rangers Football Club.

The 2014–15 season was the 135th season of competitive football by Rangers.

Matt Davidson Rider Crooks is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Major League Soccer club Real Salt Lake.

Paul Murray is a Scottish businessman. He is a former director of Rangers Football Club.

The 2015–16 season was the 136th season of competitive football by Rangers.

The 2016–17 season was the 137th season of competitive football by Rangers.

Melvyn Morris CBE is an English businessman and former football club chairman.

John Bennett is the chairman of Rangers, having been a director at the club since 2015.

References

  1. 1 2 Mair, Steven (28 March 2020). "Who is Douglas Park? Rangers' acting chairman profiled as he takes over from Dave King". Daily Record. Trinity Mirror.
  2. Ralston, Gary (15 January 2015). "Give Douglas Park the keys to Ibrox.. just hide the one for the ref's room: Ex-Hearts director reveals astonishing lock-in". Daily Record. Trinity Mirror.
  3. McLaughlin, Chris (6 March 2015). "Dave King's consortium wins control of Rangers board room". BBC Sport. BBC.
  4. "Douglas Park steps down from Rangers board". BBC Sport. BBC. 4 August 2015.
  5. Jack, Christopher (15 November 2015). "Douglas Park joins Rangers board for a second time". The Herald. Glasgow: Time & Herald Group.
  6. "Club Statement". Rangers.co.uk. Rangers Football Club. 12 April 2018.
  7. "Rangers: Dave King steps down after five years as chairman". BBC Sport. BBC. 27 March 2020.
  8. "Rangers: Douglas Park stands down as club chairman". BBC Sport. BBC. 4 April 2023.