Imran Ahmad (left) and Charles Green (right) are two of the men Rangers have launched legal proceedings against

Rangers have launched legal proceedings against their former chief executive Charles Green and Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley.

The Ibrox outfit have also notified the Court of Session in Edinburgh they plan to take action against former club directors Imran Ahmad, Brian Stockbridge and Derek Llambias, as well as Ashley's SportsDirect.com Retail Ltd business.

It is not yet clear what the action relates to, or when it will call in court.

The details of the six defendants are revealed in an advertisement placed in Monday's edition of The Times.

Green and former commercial director Ahmad are among several men facing charges over the alleged fraudulent acquisition of Rangers.

Ashley owns a 8.92 per cent stake in the club, while his SportsDirect firm also holds a 49 per cent shareholding in Rangers Retail, the company set up with the club to sell Rangers kits and merchandise.

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley and his Sports Direct firm have also been targeted

The Rangers board announced last week they had served notice on RRL to terminate intellectual property agreements held with the company - meaning the joint venture would no longer have the right to sell goods bearing the club's world-famous badge.

Ahmad - currently believed to be overseas - and Stockbridge were appointed to Green's board when the Yorkshire businessman took charge of the Ibrox club by purchasing Rangers' assets and business after they went into administration and liquidation in the summer of 2012.

Green stepped down as chief executive in 2013, while Ahmad served between June 2012 and April of the following year.

Finance director Stockbridge resigned from his post in January 2014.

Rangers' former financial director Brian Stockbridge left Ibrox in January 2014

Llambias, a close ally of Ashley, was appointed to the Rangers board in November of that year, but was removed from his position five months later when Dave King's new regime took over the club.

The advertisement in The Times adds: "If Imran Ahmad wishes to challenge the jurisdiction of the court or to defend the action, he should contact the Deputy Principal Clerk of Session, Edinburgh, EH1 1RQ immediately and in any event by not later than 21 days from the date of publication of this advertisement."