Former Hibs chief Leeann Dempster 'sets record straight on Rangers claim'
Leeann Dempster has set the record straight on claims she is a Rangers fan during an appearance on BBC Radio Scotland’s Off the Ball programme.
The newly-appointed Queen's Park chief executive started her career with Motherwell before taking up the same role at Hibs and overseeing the top-to-bottom rebuild that culminated in the historic Scottish Cup win in 2016 and Championship title win the following year.
Now at the ambitious Spiders, Dempster took issue to being labelled a fan of the Ibrox side during her appearance on the radio – but did concede she had supported the Gers in her younger days.
"This keeps coming up. I'm not a Rangers fan. I'm not. Folk keep saying to me, 'you’re a Rangers fan'. My brothers are, and my family is, but I'm not.
"I was a Rangers fan. I know folk will say you can’t change your team but I can tell you, when I went to Motherwell something happened.
"I walked through the door and realised what it was like to be part of a club where you weren’t winning things and things were difficult.
"I just changed. It switched in my head. The club absolutely grabbed me. Football was distant in my life at that point.
"I had been going to games over the years but it was very much part of my history and I had found other things in life.
"From that moment onwards I couldn't care about the Old Firm.”
Despite her affection for the Steelmen, Dempster conceded that she had a soft spot for the Capital club as well – understandably.
"I’ve got three teams. I’m a Motherwell fan and I always want them to do really well but when I went to Hibs, I wanted to beat [Motherwell] every time we played them. I just wanted us to win the three points.
"Hibs are the team that I left most recently and I have a deep connection to both clubs.
"I would be delighted if Hibs were at Hampden for a final, or could get to the final given we haven't managed it the last two times.
"But it’s Queen's Park now.”