RANGERS were locked in an astonishing fan zone row earlier tonight with a council leader who branded Ibrox staff “reprehensible”.

Local authority boss Susan Aitken suggested the club risked fuelling sectarianism over claims its plans for the matchday area were unfairly denied.

5 There was anger after plans for an Ibrox fanzone had to be scrapped Credit: Reuters

But Rangers immediately hit back and branded the Glasgow SNP leader’s allegations “irresponsible” ahead of Sunday's Old Firm clash.

In an explosive letter to managing director Stewart Robertson, Ms Aitken said the club was “conjuring up notions of conspiracy and bias” over the rejected plan for 2,000 fans at council-owned pitches outside Ibrox.

Ms Aitken wrote: “To suggest so in a city where football allegiance carries such baggage is reprehensible.”

And she accused Rangers staff of “amplifying” allegations on social media after the rejection sparked online criticism from fans’ groups — echoed by rival parties’ MSPs who demanded “transparency”.

Ms Aitken is understood to be angry that ex-Labour MSP Alasdair Morrison — working with the club on its plans — retweeted a post saying she and her No2 David McDonald “hijacked” a licensing board process to overrule the fan zone.

And she insisted the plan was rejected after Ibrox and Cessnock community council voted against it in July amid fears it would take kids’ pitches out of use.

Rangers sources last week claimed the plug was pulled on August 2 — on Mr McDonald’s instructions.

As Ms Aitken denied that, she also told of being “dismayed” by the tone of a letter from the club last weekend — which remains confidential — and said the spat risked souring its relationship with the council.

Ms Aitken added: “What I will not do is ride roughshod over a decision taken by a community about a community asset for any football club in this city, regardless of whether you consider them ‘ill-informed pawns’.”

5 Council boss Susan Aitken sent the explosive letter Credit: Alan MacGregor Ewing - The Sun Glasgow

And she suggested the club could avoid community objections by putting the fan zone in their car park as she downplayed SNP councillor Stephen Dornan’s role in the snub, who’d objected to the set-up over fears for kids’ football.

She wrote: “Perhaps conjuring up notions of conspiracy and bias are easier to understand or base a convenient narrative around than issues of community empowerment, engagement and representation.”

5

5 The lengthy letter branded Rangers staff “reprehensible”

5 Ms Aitken hit back at Rangers staff

Her letter came after city MSPs — Tory Adam Tomkins and Labour pair Anas Sarwar and Pauline McNeill — publicly questioned the knockback after club criticism.

A senior council source suggested they’d been backing Mr Morrison, understood to be working for the club as a consultant.

The insider said: “Labour and Tories are riding roughshod over community concerns in their rush to do favours for old cronies and indulge in the worst kind of divisive dog whistle politics.”

Rangers blasted Ms Aitken’s letter.

A spokesman said: “Not only is it wrong because no member of staff has tweeted about this issue, it is irresponsible for someone in that position to use language like that — especially ahead of an Old Firm match.

"Perhaps she should have thought better.”

He added that Mr Morrison does some work for Rangers but is not a staff member and said Ms Aitken had failed to answer a raft of questions on the issue after the SFA hosted a fan zone there in 2014.

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He added: “Was due process followed? We still don’t know.

“The facilities’ main tenant is Rangers. Rangers pays a hefty rate each year. It keeps the facility alive for the community, especially kids. Why on earth would Rangers want to jeopardise that? The community council didn’t receive this information.”

chris.musson@the-sun.co.uk

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