Angry Ryan throws down the gauntlet as he quits Rovers helm

Ryan, who dramatically announced his resignation as Rovers chairman immediately prior to the kick-off of Saturday’s Championship derby at Barnsley, admits to being “very, very annoyed” at not being privy to discussions about the club’s future.

Ryan, at the Rovers helm for 15 years, says he set up a revised deal with Sequentia to take over – with the money being paid up front after their initial bid to take control was rejected on the eve of the season.

But he claims some of his fellow shareholders have subsequently attempted to do their own deal with the Irish-based consortium without his knowledge, which, he says, has forced him to step down.

Ryan, who has also resigned as a director, has thrown down the gauntlet to Terry Bramall, one of three majority shareholders at Rovers along with himself and Dick Watson, challenging him to steer the club as successfully as he has.

Ryan – who sat in the away end in the second half on Saturday and was given a rapturous reception by Rovers’ travelling supporters – and Bramall have been at loggerheads regarding the future direction of Rovers for several months.

Ryan said: “I brought a package to the shareholders which I thought was unbelievably good. I even got the money up front in the end. But they (some fellow shareholders) went behind my back to do a deal themselves.

“When these sorts of things happen, you feel very very annoyed, so I think it’s time for my fellow major shareholders, particularly Terry Bramall, to stand up. Let’s see what he’s made of.

“I’ve made my contribution for the last 15 years, let him have a go now.

“He’s got a lot more money than me and, having turned down tens of millions from Sequentia, maybe he’d like to put a few quid of his own up. He’s got plenty, let’s be honest.”

Bramall, when contacted by the Yorkshire Post yesterday, says that Ryan’s decision to stand down was “unnecessary”.

He denied accusations that he has cut Ryan out of the loop regarding negotiations surrounding the club’s future.

On Ryan’s decision, Bramall said: “It was obviously a surprise and I regret it. I don’t see that it was necessarily justified without conversation. But I wish him all the best and we’re obviously grateful for what he has done for the club.

“I’m sorry it’s happened and it’s unnecessary. He has been just as informed as I have. So if he’s in the dark, I’m in the dark.”

Ryan says he has been unhappy with the direction of the club for several months with the Yorkshire Post revealing last Thursday that the popular chairman’s future was in doubt.

He has been particularly scathing of the decision to purchase Doncaster RLFC – expected to be officially announced at a press conference tomorrow.

The 63-year-old, based in Cheshire, says he will remain a supporter of the club and will retain his shares.

But he confirmed he will not be investing any more money into Rovers. Ryan said: “I’m quite happy to come along as a fan, but it’s the end of the road for me. Let’s hope someone else can take up the cudgels.

“I’ve been considering this (resigning) for several weeks. It’s not been going in a direction I felt was right for the club.

“I felt very sorry for Paul Dickov (manager) whose hands were tied. I was also annoyed this week, to be honest, that we shelled out nearly £100,000 to buy the rugby club. Really? Rugby in Doncaster, no-one’s interested... Paul Dickov should have been given that money.”

While holding onto his shares, Ryan, who claims the club owe him £4m, says he will consider selling them to a prospective purchaser if they convince him they are the right ones to push the club forward.

He said: “I have still got all my shares. If I feel that somebody competent would do a better job, I would certainly sell my shares and loans to someone else.

“The problem I have, is that I was owner of the club for many years. I brought in two directors (Bramall and Watson) who I sold two-thirds of my shares to at 37p. It was a considerable loss because I thought they would add a lot of value – and they did, in all fairness.

“I’m not criticising them in that respect, but it meant those two could outvote me and that really put me in a minority situation, when I had to go along with things I didn’t necessarily agree with, especially in the last two or three months.”