New Rangers chief executive Derek Llambias promised to get the club "back on its feet" when he addressed a turbulent annual general meeting -- but the board were defeated on a key resolution relating to the issue of more shares.
And Llambias revealed talks were planned with the Scottish Football Association on Tuesday despite Rangers and key Ibrox shareholder Mike Ashley facing five disciplinary charges in a Jan. 27 hearing into the Newcastle owner's dual interests.
The club lost an attempt to disapply pre-emptive rights for the second year running. The resolution, which would have given the board authority to issue shares to individuals without offering the same terms to existing shareholders, was defeated by a 55-45 majority. The board needed a 75 percent share.
The Rangers board, chairman David Somers, Llambias and the Easdale brothers James and Sandy were met with widespread booing, abuse and derision when they faced shareholders from a tent on the Ibrox pitch, hours after the departure of Ally McCoist on garden leave was announced.
But the meeting did present fans with their first chance to hear Llambias since he was appointed chief executive.
There were cries of disbelief when Somers claimed he had interviewed "many" candidates for the chief executive's role, made vacant when Graham Wallace quit in the wake of Ashley strengthening his grip on power at Ibrox with an interest-free loan of three million pounds.
Llambias, who stepped down as Newcastle managing director in June 2013, denied he had been on Ashley's payroll immediately before taking the role at Ibrox.
He claimed he had helped the St James' Park club "stand on its own two feet" and would roll up his sleeves to stabilise Rangers.
Llambias added: "Not everything I do will be popular but everything I do will be in the club's long-term interests.
"We need financial stability off the pitch and great football on the pitch. We want to get Rangers back into the top flight and the Champions League. That is our aim and hopefully next year I will give a much better speech."
Talks with the SFA will be held on the backdrop of Somers' claim that a "great deal of anti-Rangers feeling" exists within Scottish football, "perhaps, although I hope not, even in the football establishment."
This attempt at populism was accompanied by an attack on the media's reporting of Ibrox issues but it failed to deflect the fans' anger towards those in power.
The four directors were roundly booed as they walked towards the stage amid cries such as "out, out, out" and "scumbags."