Kieran Maguire makes ‘huge’ Rangers legal claim after probe launched
Rangers and several affiliated retail partners are under investigation because of an alleged plot to hike the price of official merchandise.
That is the view of finance expert Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the Competition and Markets Authority’s inquiry.
The Scottish Sun reported on 24 October that the watchdog will proceed with the investigation into Rangers, Hummel, Greaves Sports and JD Sports.
The allegations date back to when Hummel supplied Rangers’ kit between 2018 and 2020.
The Scottish champions have since signed with Liverpool-based sportswear brand Castore, who are not involved in the investigation.
Maguire explained the intricacies of anti-competition laws and what the implications might be for Rangers.
He told Football Insider correspondent Adam Williams: “The issue tends to be between the manufacturer and the distributor or retailer.
“By restricting who can sell products, it allows the parties to effectively dictate price.
“In theory, John Lewis could sell iPhones for £200 cheaper than the Apple Store, but they choose not to.
“Effectively, the more choice you have, the more flexibility you have in terms of price.
“The accusation being made is that there are implicit or explicit agreements on who can sell the football kit.
“This allows the price to be kept up at a high level. That’s a huge deal in the eyes of these competition watchdogs.
“That is the key issue, it’s to do with retailers not being allowed to sell Rangers products.”
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