Sacked Rangers sporting director Kevin Thelwell faces fresh criticism after reports of a surprising snub surfaced.
Tensions behind the scenes at Ibrox have intensified amid claims that Thelwell turned his back on support offered by a former colleague and long-time ally shortly after taking up the Rangers post.
Fans have expressed renewed frustration as suggestions grow that several of the issues Thelwell encountered during his short tenure might have been avoided had he listened to advice provided to him back in the summer.
The offer reportedly arrived before Rangers’ chaotic slide down the Premiership table under Russell Martin following a disastrous summer window—one in which the club failed to secure high-priority managerial targets Steven Gerrard and Kevin Muscat, ultimately appointing Danny Rohl in late October. Thelwell was later dismissed, along with ex-chief executive Patrick Stewart, in a decisive move from chairman Andrew Cavenagh, who declared both men unfit to continue in their roles.
Former Rangers midfielder and current Greenock Morton interim boss Billy Davies has now revealed that he attempted to reach out to Thelwell when he first arrived at Ibrox, only for his efforts to be ignored. Davies, who gave Thelwell his first break in football as Preston North End’s director of youth development two decades ago, believes his insight into Rangers and Scottish football could have spared the sporting director several early missteps.
Speaking on the SNN Sports podcast, Davies said he was disappointed that his attempts to connect—made through his agent—were not acknowledged.
“It was very disappointing, considering what we did for his career,” Davies said. “We put him on the map. He was always well looked after, financially and professionally. I could have helped him with advice on Rangers, the competition, the media—everything that comes with working in this goldfish bowl.”
He added that a simple meeting could have made a significant difference.
“When he came to Glasgow, he never made contact—not even for a coffee or a quick chat. He would have received good advice and real support from me and my team. We could have made things far easier for him.”
The revelation adds another layer to the fallout from Thelwell’s short-lived six-month stint at Rangers, fuelling supporters’ anger and further highlighting the internal turmoil that marked his time at the club.
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