HE has been embroiled in controversy since taking over as chief executive of struggling Scottish football giants Glasgow Rangers.

But many fans may be unaware of Charles Green’s past role as star striker at a rather less glamorous club in East Yorkshire - Goole Town FC.

While he is now in charge of the 50,000-plus capacity Ibrox Stadium, he once played at the Victoria Pleasure Grounds in front of, at best, hundreds of supporters.

Mr Green was there in the late 1970s, scoring 70 goals in 140 appearances, before being signed at the age of 27 for just £500 by Cheltenham Town.

He scored 21 goals in 35 games for them before retiring at 28, moving into the hotel trade and becoming a successful businessman.

Current Goole manager John Reed said he could not believe it when he heard about Mr Green’s Goole connections, having been playing football at the same time as him in the 1970s. “It’s incredible,” he said. “He was just Charlie Green to us in those days.”

He revealed that Goole had now written to Rangers to ask them to come and play a friendly in the town. “But I’m not holding my breath.”

Glasgow Rangers have gone into liquidation and Green’s Sevco consortium bought the old club’s assets last month. The new club has been refused entry to the Scottish Premier League, and it is currently unclear in what division they will place next season.

Mr Green aims to oversee a recovery from the old club’s financial meltdown but some fans have been unhappy with his arrival, with some delaying the renewal of their season tickets in a bid to force him out, and 3,000 supporters demonstrating outside Ibrox last week.

Goole could perhaps give Rangers a few tips in adapting to a new world of austerity.

Goole supporters are being urged to spare a few hours on Saturday mornings to help get their ground ready for the new season, starting last Saturday with a project to repaint the perimeter wall.