Regan: King faces "challenge" to prove he's fit and proper

Scottish FA chief executive Stewart Regan says Dave King faces a "challenge'' if he is to prove himself fit and proper to run Rangers.

The 60-year-old millionaire wants to become the next Ibrox chairman after sweeping out the previous Gers regime last month.

But King has voluntarily delayed his boardroom coronation while he tries to convince the SFA of his suitability for the role.

The Court of Session has already passed his bid to become a director but Regan acknowledged King must now show the governing body why it should view him "positively''.

The Johannesburg-based businessman must explain why he was convicted of more than 40 counts of income-tax breaches in a South African court two years ago, while he also faces questions about his role as a club director when Craig Whyte sank the oldco Ibrox outfit into liquidation in the summer of 2012.

Regan refused to give a hint when as to when a decision would be made but did warn the process will not be easy.

Speaking at the launch of the Football Memories project at Hampden, the SFA boss said: "We're in discussions with Rangers and their advisers,'' he said.

"We are gathering information from the club and Mr King. When we have all of that information the board will consider it and then decide whether or not we are prepared to accept Dave King as a fit and proper person to be the chairman of Rangers Football Club.

"We're not in a position to put a time scale on it, when we've got the information we'll decide.

"Any evidence from Mr King that would support why he believes that he is fit and proper in consideration to the list of criteria in our article 10, which covers all of the areas regarding track record, background, insolvencies, any convictions etc. We're seeking evidence and when we've got that evidence we'll deal with it.

"It's obviously a challenge for him and the club to try and present a case whereby the board can view it positively.

"But that's what the club are seeking to do, they are providing evidence and when we've got that evidence we'll be in a position to comment more fully.''

King has left it to Paul Murray to act as interim chairman while he sets about passing the SFA tests.

But Regan revealed that the former Deutsche Bank high-flyer - another ex-oldco director who served under Whyte - must also satisfy their concerns on fit and proper.

Regan said: "Paul Murray is equally being considered given that he was a director of a football club in an insolvency event in the previous five years.''

King has always claimed he stayed on the Rangers board under Whyte to keep check on the controversial Motherwell-born businessman's activities, while Murray launched a last-ditch effort to buy the club from Sir David Murray before Whyte took control after handing over a token £1 fee back in May, 2011.

He was axed as an oldco director just three weeks later.