DAVE KING has warned supporters have no way of challenging the Rangers board after a complete breakdown in the relationship between Club 1872 and the Ibrox hierarchy.

And the former Light Blues chairman has accused Gers chiefs of behaviour that is 'unbecoming' of the club after raising concerns over how the champions are being run behind the scenes.

Herald and Times Sport revealed last week that King had used his major shareholding in RIFC plc to vote against the reappointment of Graeme Park - the son of Ibrox chairman Douglas Park - to the board at the Annual General Meeting.

Park Jnr retained his boardroom seat despite losing the support of King's 15.4 per cent stake as deputy chairman John Bennett and Alistair Johnston were also re-elected with overwhelming majorities.

King has insisted that he had a 'fiduciary duty' and 'continuing moral obligation' to vote against Park and Resolution Eight - which deals with the issue of new share capital - ahead of the AGM last Tuesday.

And he would later express his concern at what he views as the 'disconnect' between Rangers and member organisation Club 1872 as relations have soured even further in recent times.

"Club 1872 had been instrumental in supporting me to achieve regime change and deserved ongoing recognition and loyalty from the Club in return," King said.

"However, after I stepped down from the board there was an immediate reversal by the Club of the strong, frank and transparent relationship that I had built with Club 1872.

"At regime change, the relationship between supporters and the Club was at an all-time low. I promised to change that - and it was changed.

"Club 1872 was a big part of that because it represented thousands of shareholders and, in turn, communicated with tens of thousands more.

"The Club’s unwarranted unilateral withdrawal from its relationship with Club 1872 has left supporters with no effective avenue to challenge the Club in situations where challenge is warranted."

King and Club 1872 agreed a potential £13million share deal last year that could see supporters become the largest shareholders in Rangers and give them a significant say in the running of their club.

The South Africa-based businessman also raised hope that Club 1872 could one day have a representative around the Ibrox top table to ensure fans have a voice at boardroom level.

But that prospect now appears forlorn as links between Rangers and the supporter organisation have deteriorated almost beyond repair after questions were raised over the champions’ relationship with Sports Direct last season.

"That was always my intention, but it is not something the present leadership supports," King said when asked if that possibility was now as far away as ever and probably never likely under the current board. "So, it won’t happen any time soon."

Club 1872 control a 4.71 per cent stake in Rangers but have come in for criticism during what King labelled as a 'coordinated attack' earlier this season following friction with key figures at Ibrox.

The ongoing dispute with Club 1872 is one of several battles that Rangers are involved in off the park as new boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst seeks to defend their Premiership title this term.

The champions became embroiled in a legal challenge with the SPFL over their multi-million pound sponsorship deal with cinch earlier this season.

Rangers have also moved to alter their working relationship with sections of the Press and have twice denied Chris Sutton, the former Celtic striker, access to Ibrox to cover Europa League fixtures for BT Sport.

"All it needs is for Stewart and Douglas to start giving supporters and Club 1872 the respect they deserve and reopening constructive dialogue with them," King said when asked what needs to happen for the relationship between Club 1872 and Rangers to be repaired.

"The idea that the Club can silence challenging supporters, reporters and regulatory authorities is not only wrong, it is completely unbecoming of Rangers.

"Rangers should be a leader in standing up for individual rights and opinions - even if they don’t agree with them.

"I have not been the beneficiary of kind comment from Chris Sutton but I would never even remotely consider the possibility of banishing him from our stadium and using untenable health and safety arguments as justification. We should be bigger than that."

Herald and Times Sport approached Rangers for comment on Monday evening.