Rangers FC chief executive quits after less than six months

LONDON, Oct 16 (Reuters) - The chief executive of former Scottish soccer champions Rangers quit on Wednesday after less than six months in the job, deepening the off-field problems facing the club as it tries to recover from financial collapse. Rangers said that CEO Craig Mather had left by mutual consent, giving no reason for his departure. He appears to be the victim of a struggle for boardroom control of the Glasgow club which listed on the AIM stock exchange last December. The club was this week forced to postpone its annual meeting, due to be held next week, after legal action brought by minority shareholders seeking changes to the board. "The company, working with its advisers, will now seek to strengthen the board, both to meet the standards required for an AIM company, and to achieve stability through a consensus amongst major shareholders," Rangers said in a statement. National champions a record 54 times, Rangers had to relaunch from the fourth tier of Scottish soccer last year after collapsing under a pile of debt. They won promotion earlier this year but ran up an operating loss of 14 million pounds in the process. Mather took over as acting chief executive when Charles Green, the English businessman who led the club's rescue, resigned in April. Mather was confirmed in the role in July.