Jump to content

 

 

Search the Community

Showing results for tags 'opinions'.

  • Search By Tags

    Type tags separated by commas.
  • Search By Author

Content Type


Forums

  • Main Forums
    • Rangers Chat
    • General Football Chat
    • Bluenose Lounge
    • Forum Support and Feedback

Calendars

  • Community Calendar

Find results in...

Find results that contain...


Date Created

  • Start

    End


Last Updated

  • Start

    End


Filter by number of...

Joined

  • Start

    End


Group


Location


Interests


Occupation


Favourite Rangers Player


Twitter


Facebook


Skype

  1. Hi there, first post, great site. I read lots of blogs etc and this is the best one in Scotland by a distance. If Rangers FC cannot continue as a going concern, in the event of the Dave King faction starving the board out, what happens? How does Rangers International deal with this?
  2. “We note the latest attempt by this board to mislead and hold Rangers fans to ransom. Their latest “give us your money or the seat gets it” ultimatum is just another in a long line of misjudgements this board has made about the mood amongst the support in general. The fact that those now in the crosshairs of this board are a lifelong Rangers fan who has ploughed millions of his own money into the club with no return, an iconic captain from one of the club’s most successful ever periods and a group of Rangers fans attempting to secure the home of our football club, says more about this board than we ever could. There is no attempt to deprive the club of funds. This is made very clear in the security proposal and the board’s ham fisted attempt to misrepresent this is one of the few transparent things they have done since coming to power. No money will be taken from fans unless security is granted and we are of the opinion that the board’s reluctance to discuss granting security may well rapidly change. Our public comments about Mr Wallace are not personal but have been based on his binding pronouncements on matters of huge importance which have been at best misleading, broken promises for engagement with fans, attempts to blame fans for the current precarious position of the club and a complete lack of any progress in bringing much needed investment into the club. We welcome the fact that the entire board have now publicly taken responsibility for all of these actions. Once again we see meaningless sound bites with absolutely no substance to back them up. The result, no doubt, of the expensive PR man hired by this board with more urgency than a Chief Scout. What “significant progress” has been made? How will this “bright future” we are promised come about when the investment committee have failed to secure a single pound of investment? Rangers is certainly “dear to all of us”, the Rangers support. We have no idea why this board would attempt to claim the same when there is not a single fan amongst them. We do not believe that Rangers fans will fall for this again. We’ve seen it far too many times in the past two years. “ - See more at: https://www.ibrox1972.co.uk/statements/#sthash.5zQnzija.oJfk0OFG.dpuf
  3. Sunday Herald is first paper to back Scottish independence Saturday 3 May 2014 The Sunday Herald has become the first Scottish newspaper to support independence The paper declares its editorial position this weekend with a front page designed by Alasdair Gray, the famous artist, author and advocate of a Yes vote. In its editorial, the Sunday Herald states: ''Scotland is an ancient nation and a modern society. We understand the past, as best we can, and guess at the future. But history is as nothing to the lives of the children being born now, this morning, in the cities, towns and villages of this country. "On their behalf, we assert a claim to a better, more decent, more just future in which a country's governments will be ruled always by the decisions of its citizens.'' The paper supported the SNP in the 2007 and 2011 Scottish Parliament elections, but has said it will not automatically favour the SNP or other parties in its news reporting of the Yes campaign during the referendum, and will remain independent and balanced in its reports. The Herald & Times Group, publisher of the Sunday Herald, The Herald and the Evening Times, is giving the titles' editors freedom to take their own editorial position on the constitution. The company is non-political and neutral. The Herald has not declared an opinion on the referendum question. It will be up to its editor to decide when and if to do so. HeraldScotland incorporates content from both print titles and also publishes a balanced range of online-only articles relating to the referendum. Our readers' forum is a neutral commenting facility and our moderating team will remain impartial in the independence debate. To read the Sunday Herald editorial in full, buy tomorrow's print edition or come back to HeraldScotland from early on Sunday
  4. On Twitter that Dave King's ST Trust goes live tomorrow. Also Gough gave interview to Sun stating this. Anyone confirm this?
  5. Really! Worried about Hibs! A team Pat Fenlon destroyed who have been awful this season.
  6. Chaps, I'm not looking to troll or create tension here, but for the life of me I can't work out why any bear can trust or support the current board. I've seen nothing from the board that can help balance up my own feelings and each passing week sees more shit rolled at supporters. So, in the spirit of good debate, what are the good points of the board which gets them support, albeit a small minority, but support all the same from fellow Bears. What are the positives from board.
  7. DAVE KING tonight fired another attack on the Rangers board. The South African businessman has declared war on the current Ibrox regime and has issued a strongly-worded statement again urging Rangers fans not to renew season tickets. The statement reads: I must respond to the Rangers board’s criticism of my appeal to withhold season ticket advances. This board continues its habit of evading issues by attacking the integrity of any individual or group that speaks out against them. I am happy to engage the board on our comparative integrity. Unlike this board, I do not regard integrity as a character attribute that comes with an ON/OFF switch. When I met with the board the Chairman requested that, other than the two public statements that we made, the balance of our discussions would remain private. I agreed to that and, despite requests from fan groups to disclose the full details of my discussions, I steadfastly honoured my undertaking. This board did not do likewise. In an ill-judged attempt to discredit me, they have now disclosed my comment to them that I preferred not to put money into Rangers if it could be found from other sources. In this instance they demonstrated their lack of integrity for no advantage as I had already, as part of my frank discussions with the fan groups, advised them that I had no prime ambition to invest further in the club but will do so if no other investors come forward. I would be delighted if the club could thrive without any investment from me. This attempt at a “juicy” leak by the board merely proves that it is impossible to engage this board on a basis of confidentiality and integrity. The board has now stated that it was always its intention to only provide the business review after season ticket advances had largely been paid. It has denied that it agreed that the business review would be made available prior to fans committing to season ticket advances even though I referred to this agreement in my public statement immediately after our meeting. At the time the board allowed my public statement, in toto, to go unchallenged. Presumably it had no concern with what I stated. Again, we have an integrity issue but fortunately have common sense as a referee. We know that the board did not challenge my public statement of last month. It is also common cause that the vital issue for the fans is to be told what ambition the owners have for the club and how this is going to be funded. It must be obvious that the fans need this information prior to investing - not after. The board’s new version lacks integrity even if it was believable. Given that the board is quick to raise integrity and trust as key issues I would like to pose simple questions that are easy to reply to with a simple yes or no. a) Does the board agree it is unfair to ask fans to buy season tickets before they consider the business review? b) Does the board agree that, given the present financial position of the club, it is appropriate to provide Ibrox Park and Murray Park as security against season ticket advances? c) Does the board agree that in the latter half of December 2013 it was in discussions to obtain finance that would be needed prior to the end of the current season? d) Does the board agree that in the latter half of December 2013 it provided public assurances to the fans that the club had sufficient cash to last until the end of the current season? Without satisfactory answers to these questions fans should not be expected to invest in season tickets.
  8. This should be interesting, renewals before the 120 days. Rangers will launch their season ticket renewal campaign at Ibrox tomorrow. As reported in the Herald today, prices expected to rise by 18%.
  9. Tonight has possibly shown once and for all how divided our support (online) actually is , FF ( even though I am banned ) is nearly 100% behind DK , Rangers media want DK hung as does the VB guys , so much so I wont be going on either site ever again such is the level of hatred currently being expressed , the same goes towards the support of this current board , I dont think I have ever felt as low .
  10. http://dartagnanthe4thmusketeer.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/consistent-inconsistency.html My tweet announcing my retiral from online forums came as a surprise to some but not to others. What was once a rich and abundant land of views, debate, humour and Rangers related stories never to be found in any book, have at times become little more than “gang huts” where you hang out according to your take on all things Rangers. Either that or the same tired arguments are done to death in every thread, as opposing factions slog it out, exchanging profanity and insults to fellow bears who happen to hold a different perspective on things. I’m an ex-Marine, a bit of profanity doesn’t bother me, watching a community I care deeply for, tear itself apart from within, does however. The Rangers online community is fragmented, divided and marginalised. I often wonder if those who appear to have an appetite for such a status quo remaining, realise that such fragmentation and division makes us something else – ineffective. As we expel energy and effort into trumping one another at 7 card insult, how are we faring at defending our club from those who would seek to cause her fatal injury ? With the various technologies available to us via social media, forums, e-mail, blogs etc did we manage to mobilise and ensure the 100,000 signatures required for the E-Petition into HMRC confidential leaks were attained ? Brace yourself – we didn’t even reach half the desired number of signatories. We appear to struggle with the concept of consistency. Outwardly we take umbrage at inflammatory language used by other club’s officials, supporter’s trusts spokespersons and journalists yet inwardly, we are guilty of much worse towards one another. As we not only strive, but demand equality, parity and respect from others, how debilitating to our case is it that we seem incapable of exercising these qualities to one another ? But I do consistency something of an injustice, for it is far more than just a standard we need to aspire to in order to establish credibility. It also serves as a compass in determining motivation. I’ve realised Twitter with its limitations, is not the ideal platform for engaging in the kind of debate we as a support need to have. And have as a matter of urgency. But I find it a valuable tool for gauging the motivation of others. Yesterday, demands were made of Rangers Media to exercise responsible and appropriate moderation on their site – I would concur with such sentiment but only with an additional caveat. Should we not be making similar demands of all forums ? Why single out one when others are equally as guilty of allowing the unacceptable to remain unchecked ? RST members had to suffer the unedifying sight recently on Follow Follow, of former board members engaging in accusation and counter accusation, a tit for tat exchange involving allegations of serious criminality, along with what has almost become the “obligatory” character assassination. A support demanding equality and parity from others need to be consistent in the demands we make of ourselves if we are to be taken seriously. Bill McMurdo and I had a very public disagreement recently on Rangers Media. Bill’s proposal recently that we as supporters have no right to question the board, to me smacks of a dis-empowerment of our support. The club we love only continues in existence due to one of the few things we manage as a support to get collectively right – our ability to support the team no matter what. But I would like to continue the theme of consistency by asking you a hypothetical question. What would your feelings be if an e-mail was produced from the Easdales or Jack Irvine on which Bill McMurdo was an addressee, asking him to ready himself for one final push around the time of the AGM ? Martin Luther said “Peace if possible, truth at all costs” My dance of peace is over. Whatever the cost, its time truth prevailed. In delivering that truth I can offer you no “inside info” from Ibrox nor an exclusive from an “unnamed source”. The only agenda I offer is putting our club and support first. But I guess you already knew that, it’s probably why you got this far in the first place. Yours in Rangers D'Artagnan
  11. Saturday, 05 April 2014 10:00 Only Focused On Ourselves Written by Andrew Dickson RICHARD FOSTER doesn’t expect Rangers to get any credit if they win the Ramsdens Cup tomorrow and is focused only on claiming the trophy rather than on what people think. The full-back has made Ally McCoist’s starting line-up in each of the last eight games and is therefore likely to retain his position against Raith Rovers at Easter Road. He’ll go into the game looking to make a positive impact in what will be his first final appearance as a senior player. And he’ll savour the moment if he is able to add a winner’s medal to the SPL and League One titles he has won in two spells at Ibrox. Foster knows the Ramsdens Cup isn’t as prestigious as the Scottish Cups and League Cups Gers have played for in the past. In that sense, he appreciates many will have expected the Light Blues to deliver this prize since the start of the season and they’re more likely to bat an eyelid if they don’t. But the 28-year-old isn’t taking any notice of other people’s opinions and is concentrating only on getting the better of Grant Murray’s Fifers. Foster said: “It’s one of those where we won’t get any plaudits if we win and all we can do is try our utmost to come out on top. “It’s a massive game for us. These are the games you want to play in as a football player and we’re really looking forward to it. “We can only win the competitions we’re in and we’ve played four games in this competition already. “The whole point was to try to get to the final and win it so now we’ve got a chance to do that this weekend. “It would be an amazing feeling for us to win and we’ll celebrate it if we do. Everyone expects us to do that but it’ll be a really tough game. “It’s not one of the major tournaments so if we’re successful people will say we should have won it anyway and if we’re not people will say we’re not good enough. “That’s what comes from playing at a club of this stature. The fans expect certain things as we do as players and that’s something we’ll just need to deal with.” Statistically, Rangers go into this match in terrific form having won their last five games and gone on an unbeaten run which now stretches to 39 games. But McCoist’s men have only scored three times in one of their last eight fixtures and they haven’t always played as well as they are capable of. In turn, that has made for some tighter encounters than many would have liked and Foster is hoping for an improvement on that front at Easter Road. He added: “Our performances in the league have maybe dipped a bit in the last couple of games and we’re looking to put that right against Raith. “We want to give a good performance and get a victory to keep our momentum going ahead of the game the following week with Dundee United in the Scottish Cup.” http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/6683-only-focused-on-ourselves
  12. When is the 120th day or has it passed? Not sure if we're counting from Wallace's appointment or the AGM. Also, what's the chances of hearing "the review is over and proposals will be out in 4 week" just to keep us hanging on? It's clear the majority of fans don't trust the board so I'm not sure how they can win hearts and minds without making a magnificent gesture which is tangible to us. Even then it'd be viewed with suspicion but our fans are easily led from the Blue Room. Obviously there's talk of a new share issue but is that realistic when they know King might walk in and scoop up the shares, assume control, and go about clearing the decks for his own people? Wallace might welcome this but I highly doubt Easdales and Laxey will. The small matter of BPH and Margerita most likely objecting to their holding and future earnings dwindling is another factor to count in which could scupper any new share issue. Negative loyal!
  13. Wednesday, 02 April 2014 13:00 Ready To Listen: Phase 1 Results Written by RANGERS FOOTBALL CLUB THE results of the Rangers Ready To Listen fan engagement survey which was launched in February have now been analysed, evaluated and reviewed. An overwhelming 35,265 of our core support took part in the first step of the fan engagement programme which will help shape the future direction of the Club. Participants in the Fan engagement survey included: 50% of adult season ticket holders 83% were matchday attendees 5% from existing supporter groups 10% from overseas With 84% of supporters seeking a review of how the Club engages with fans and 68% feeling the supporters do not have a loud enough voice, it is clear the need for enhanced engagement with the Club should be a priority. One of the key findings and recommendations from the survey is the development of a fan representation board voted for by supporters and representing the interests of all fans including season ticket holders, overseas fans shareholders and families. Indeed, 84% of the fanbase supported the progression of this concept and this is an area we now need to explore further with the wider Rangers support. Fans were also asked for their thoughts on the potential for a membership scheme and 80% were in favour of developing such an initiative. We have listened to the response from fans and are now working on the development of Rangers membership with further fan input for launch over the summer and in advance of the 14/15 season. Supporters identified the top five best performing areas of the business as: Community/Charity Work Club Social Media Club website Safe Matchday Environment Hospitality The five most important aspects of the Club according to fans are: On-pitch performance Youth Development programme Overall direction and management of the Business Fan Engagement Matchday Experience The five most important statements relating to the Club from the list identified are: Proud of its rich history and tradition Open and effective relationship with its supporters Continually strives for sporting success Youth development is key to on-pitch success High standards of integrity and professionalism The most important issues for fans right now are a need for Honesty, Integrity and Transparency going forward, this was made clear in the majority of surveys completed. However, this is not surprising given events at the Club in recent years and the Board is ready to act on that feedback. Graham Wallace commented: "The Club wants to be open about the key issues highlighted in the Ready to Listen fan engagement survey and realises areas of concern like trust, transparency and honesty will not be improved overnight. We understand that trust must be earned and certainly appreciate supporters have had a difficult few years. "There are undoubtedly areas we can improve on and it is clear fans value a greater voice and involvement with the Club. We are listening to these views and will act accordingly. The Club values the feedback received as it will help us shape and ensure a sustainable future for Rangers. "We said at the outset that we wanted to engage with the 44,000 core supporters who attend matches regularly and we were therefore delighted that over 50% of adult season ticket holders took part and 83% of respondents attend games. "We believe that with the Club and fans working together we can impact positively on Rangers future performance and will now move forward into a more detailed phase in a number of areas that were identified." NEXT STEPS More than half of the survey participants advised that they would be keen to participate further in future supporter engagement initiatives to help shape the programme. Supporters were asked if they would be willing to engage with the Club to aid the development of certain areas within the business and the response was again overwhelming. Volunteers for each area are as follows: Ticketing; 6,567 Matchday Experience; 7,876 Hospitality; 3,132 Catering; 4,477 Retail/Merchandise; 6,088 Fan Engagement; 12,289 Club Media; 6,589 Customer Service; 5,409 Membership; 8,723 This next phase of follow-up research will help to define and create a formal fan engagement programme driven by the fans with the support of the Club via a specific fan engagement survey which will be issued next week. Specific communications on other areas of importance to the fans, including those listed above, will also start to be issued from next week and over the coming weeks. Thereafter, more focused face-to-face meetings with fans will be held to engage them on their opinions and insights across these areas with a view to having key initiatives and developments in place for the start of Season 14/15. The Club would like to thank all those who took part in this initial step in the Ready To Listen campaign. Your feedback is invaluable and we look forward to working together on the next steps to help shape the future direction of the Club. To view an infographic of the survey results click here http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/6663-ready-to-listen-phase-1-results
  14. Written by: Admin Saturday, 29th March 2014 It is with utter disbelief that once again our Club and it's support have been dragged into a series of incidents which has resulted in Vanguard Bears deciding to release a statement to outline where we stand with this RFFF mess. The recent legal action carried out by Sandy Easdale against Craig Houston is well documented, what has enraged the vast majority of donators to the RFFF is that certain factions, for reasons only they can explain, saw fit to first release their intentions on Mark Dingwall's FollowFollow forum, a forum which any supporter of any club can join and have a say, to put to a vote for acceptance of monies being taken from said fund to shore up Craig Houston's Legal Defence against Sandy Easdale, should this have made the courts. This action went against the vast majority of donators wishes, despite certain parties assuring everyone they spoke for the majority of the support. The RFFF was set up to fight our Club's corner against our detractors out there, of which there are many, sadly there are just as many from within the ranks of our support these days who are equally as damaging. Many put their hard earned cash into this fund in good faith, sadly thanks to certain individuals with nothing more than self-promotion and mischief on their minds have sought to put this at risk. The anger among the many donators has resonated around the globe, and no one can blame them for their anger thanks to this latest stunt. The seven committee members who voted to accept this should now find their positions in the RFFF untenable. If they had any dignity and feelings for the way in which their latest stunt has left the support enraged and suitably angered, they would resign with immediate effect. Knowing the background of some of them and their past antics, this would seem highly unlikely. It will now be down to the majority of enraged supporters who donated to the RFFF to demand their resignation, and with this in mind a decision must also be taken regards the next move to protect this money falling into the direction of self-promoters, with their own not-so-hidden agendas, to use as they see fit. It should be noted that the VB representative on this committee voted totally against any funds being utilised for anyone's legal defence funds against Sandy Easdale. We also vow to ensure that this cash will never fall into the hands of any self-appointed fans group leaders or hastily nailed together 'new age' fans groups either. We note also that Mark Dingwall in a recently released post on his own forum is once again imploring the support not to renew their season tickets for next season. We find this utterly astonishing that somone who relies on handouts from other supporters to attend matches - whenever he feels like turning up - should ask of many who hold season tickets, and have done so throughout their lives, to give up theirs so he can further destabilise our club and cause further harm to pursue his own and others agendas. VB once again will urge all of its members and beyond to ignore the rants of this troublemaker and self-promoter and to get fully behind the club in its time of need. Dingwall along with Chris Graham and other self-appointed and opinionated 'fans' speak only for a handful of rabble rousers and charlatans, we are sure the decent and vast majority of the Rangers support will see through their desperation to disrupt and destabilise our club and renew their season tickets when the time comes. This group of Charlatans will NEVER speak for the vast majority of our support, make no mistake about this. The Rangers Board now must act firmly and address those that would seek to harm both our Club's finances and reputation immediately, until that large boil is lanced and removed, the uncertainty and divisions will remain. http://www.vanguardbears.co.uk/statement-on-the-rfff-committee.html
  15. Robert Marshall and his son, Greg, have been heavily involved in the formation of Rangers First. Rangers First is a fan-led membership vehicle that aims to buy shares and achieve greater supporter involvement in the running of the Ibrox club. Matthew Lindsay of SportTimes met the lifelong Rangers fans and season ticket holders to speak about the ambitious project and their hopes for the future. How did you get involved in Rangers First? RM: I was invited up to the Supporters' Direct Scotland offices in Stirling. So I went and listened to two lads speak and I liked what they had to say. I thought: "If it can help Rangers I will give it a go." It was just about helping the club. As a fan, I was in. Then we had a meeting here (The Louden Tavern, Ibrox Stadium) to see if the body of the kirk, if you like, wanted to take the idea further. Richard Atkinson, a volunteer with Supporters' Direct who has been involved at quite a few clubs over the years, spoke to us. We had around 50 people here. And not one voice was dissenting. I think it is important to state that this is not anti-board or pro-board. It is pro-Rangers and pro- Rangers fans. At the first meeting we said: "Leave your egos at the door. Leave the politics at the door. Let's just see if we can do this." GM: We have people who attend our meetings who are at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to their attitude to the club board. If it is about individuals then it will fail. It is a vehicle that should be analysed on its own merits. What are the objectives of Rangers First? RM: The first target that Rangers First has is to obtain 5% of shares in the club. GM: That gives you powers in terms of calling a general meeting and getting answers to questions. It is all about getting what is called ACT - authoritative consultative transparency. That basically means the fans having a voice and the club having to listen to and engage with us. This is about the board engaging with the fans so that we know what the situation at the club is and we can all move forward together. It is not about getting a fan on the board. Our members would have to vote on having a representative on the board down the line. It has still to be decided. But, personally speaking, I think we would want a professional representing us. GM: The money the Community Interest Company spends must be to the benefit of the Rangers community. We can't just spend money willy-nilly. Initially, we just want to get shares until we can get the ACT. Once we get that then it will be up to the members to decide what we do with the money after that. We can fund specific projects that are and are to the benefit of the club. BuyRangers already exists. Why is Rangers First necessary? RM: By law we (BuyRangers and Rangers First) have to work together publicly because the schemes have the same principles and the same goals. We want to work together. But I think this vehicle could unite fans. GM: The key point about Rangers First is that it is not partisan. It is trying to unite the small groups into a bigger group. We are saying to them: "You are still allowed to have your differences. This is beyond that." There have been lads at the meetings we have had so far whose personal opinions I do not agree with. But their ethos is right. They genuinely want to put Rangers first. We need to engage with a wider fan base - and especially with fans abroad in countries like Australia and the United States. That is one of the advantages of Rangers First - we can accept payments from abroad. A CIC is to the benefit of the Rangers community and the Rangers community isn't defined by geography. It is what we decide the Rangers community is. And the Rangers community is global. It is basically anybody who considers themselves to be a supporter. They can contribute to it from abroad. The main strength of the CIC is its flexibility. For example, my father and I are going to donate our shares to it. We bought £1,000-worth of shares at the IPO. As well as money you can put shares in. A few of us are going to do that. RM: One of our representatives is going to Hong Kong this week to do a presentation to the Rangers Supporters' Club out there. Richard (Atkinson) also did a presentation with Orsa (Oceania Rangers Supporters Association) recently. We are really trying to engage with the ex-pat fans because it must be really hard for them looking in and not being able to do anything. What has the response to the scheme from Rangers fans been? GM: It is still in the process of being put together. But we have 1,000 members already. That is not bad after two weeks. We are due an update on that any day now. We were at a pub in Lanarkshire a couple of weeks ago at which 10 Rangers Supporters' Clubs were represented. Three of them joined up on the spot and seven took it back to their members. Nobody was against it. When people engage with it they say: "This is a good idea." It genuinely is a good idea. But we do need the support of the fans to make it work. At a small level, we could build up a small shareholding. But if we get larger numbers we will get the transparency the fans want. Has the ongoing financial uncertainty at Ibrox increased the interest in Rangers First? RM: I think it does increase enthusiasm for what we are doing. But I am keen for this not to be seen as a criticism of the board. I am not against them. I know they should not have spent the £22million that was raised at the IPO. But, as far as Rangers First is concerned, we are simply for the club. We are there to help the Rangers support. How many members do you hope to attract? RM: We would like to get to 20,000 to start with. Personally speaking, I think we can get 50,000. Now, I know people may laugh at that. But you had 200,000 at the Uefa Cup final in Manchester in 2008. You also have however many thousand abroad who are all desperate to help the club. I think we can have a worldwide membership of 50,000 within two years. How much does it cost fans to join Rangers First? RM: There are three boxes on the website - http://www.rangersfirst.org - you can join for £5 a month, £10 a month or £18.72 a month. There is also a life membership, Club 1872. That entails a £500 one-off payment. You get nothing out of it other than the satisfaction you have helped Rangers. Plus, as a member you get a vote. GM: If we can get 1,872 signing up for a life membership it will give us enough money to buy circa 5% of the club. Dave King has stated he is prepared to put money into Rangers "along with the fans". Could that funding come from Rangers First? GM: It could. Buying shares as individuals has not given us any dividend so far. Individual fans have roughly 12% of the shares. But we don't have anything to show for that. Buying as a collective, through Rangers First, would. RM: There is also a vehicle you can use. Say, for example, Laxey Partners were prepared to sell their 12% stake in the club, but Rangers First did not, at that time, have the money to buy it. We could say to them: "We will pay you for 4% a year." GM: We could provide them with a dividend and take the proxy for their shares and subsequently buy them a few years down the line. That is not something that necessarily is going to happen. But the CIC is flexible and you can do that. The other thing is we can approach the Rangers fans who currently own 12% of the club and ask them to proxy their votes to us. We would need to collect the signatures of the 4,500 fans who have shares before a general meeting. One of our committees is looking at shareholder engagement. Community ownership failed at St Mirren. How can it work at Rangers? GM: Amongst the clubs where this has been tried it has never been exactly the same. There are technical elements which are similar. St Mirren was a wholly-owned club. They had, for some reason, to buy 52% to make it work. They put in a legitimate bid and Stewart Gilmour, as was his perogative, decided not to accept it. There are successes. Dunfermline got over 1,000 members after they had already been saved. Hearts got over 8,000 fans paying in £15.50 a month. We want to achieve ACT at Rangers. The members will decide where we go from there. How optimistic are you about the future? GM: If this kind of vehicle had been about prior to administration I think it could have had a significant influence on the club. Maybe we wouldn't be in the position we are in now. Having said that, I think it will take off now. It may be a slow burner, but I think it will take off. Whoever puts money in can be assured that it will go towards the betterment of Rangers. I think we are getting there as a result of the meetings. We are starting to unite. Very few people want actual fan ownership. They want fan participation. What we are saying to the club is: "Be accountable to us." That is all we want, accountability. RM: We get nothing other than the satisfaction of helping Rangers and the Rangers community. I am not negative at all. I think Rangers are a sleeping giant. A good analogy would be they are a bear in hibernation. It is time the bear woke up. Get Rangers News Alerts by Email http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/it-is-time-to-unite-the-small-groups-and-waken-the-sleeping-giant-157872n.23841953
  16. https://twitter.com/gerrymcculloch1/status/450025504805257216 Gerry McCulloch ‏@gerrymcculloch1 @bjm1979 @Eddiek62 ebt's undoubtedly gave sporting advantage in my opinion. We'll see what result appeal brings.
  17. My gran wasn't too impressed with Colin Stein. Nothing to do with the player himself of course, but everything to do with the grandson who muddied himself on her back green in Anniesland trying to emulate the great man's latest goal every Saturday. The following day being Sunday, there was no way she would take her grandson to church looking anything less than respectful and appropriate for The Lord's House. So the breeks were hand washed in the big kitchen sink, scrubbed at the knees with a scrubbing brush before being rinsed, and then wrung out on the huge brass taps. Depending on the weather they were either then hung out on the verandah, allowing the employees of Barr and Stroud, the factory directly across from my grandmother's tenement, to know that Colin Stein's young protégée was in residence. In the event of inclement weather, an extra lump of coal was placed on the fire and the trousers placed on a screen nearby. Nowadays of course they would be straight into the washing machine and then the tumble dryer - Sorted. Often we take for granted the things which makes life's journey far more comfortable or enjoyable. Having them taken away for whatever reason can leave us with the prospect of having to do things as in days gone by, a fact I was reminded of that recently. Rumour reached me that our supporters bus, The Monifieth Loyal, had folded leaving me facing the prospect of a long solitary drive, to and from Ibrox drive every other week. (The fact that it would also mean an abstention from alcohol on match days was a minor matter. Honestly) It was not something I relished having discovered the considerable benefits of the local supporters bus. It was relief to read a few days later on Twitter that the rumours were totally unfounded and it was business as usual. Whilst supporter's buses may be an alternative form of transport for those of us who can drive, for others they are the only form of transport available. For those in our community who are less than firm, less than able, the supporters bus with it's unique and personalised stops and pick ups is often the margin of success in them overcoming insurmountable difficulties. The sight of the infirm and disabled overcoming the cruel hand life has dealt them to watch their beloved Rangers, is one which is truly inspiring. Then of course there is the “social” aspect of the bus. Yesterday at Gayfield I bumped into and old friend of mine I hadn’t seen for years who promptly introduced me to members and organisers of his bus. Let's just say every one of them were in particularly high spirits, I would imagine the crack on the bus home would have been worth the admission money alone. But it goes further than this. For those of who through work or other commitments have been forced to leave the mother nest of Glasgow for pastures new, the supporter's bus brings together a network of exiles who otherwise may have been strangers to one another, and the many considerable benefits which that brings. The local supporter's bus offers many benefits, financial, friendship, social networking, information, opinions and convenience to name but a few. If you currently don’t travel via one I would encourage you to try it. You will soon find it is not one of life's luxuries, after a few experience you place it in the “essentials” category - and there will be no going back to “the old ways”.
  18. MARCH 25, 2014 UNION OF FANS STATEMENT 25TH MARCH 2014 by Union of Fans The Union of Fans (UoF) is delighted that Dave King has publicly stated his impressive plans for Rangers via a number of newspaper interviews. His vision for the club is extremely welcome as is the personal financial commitment he is willing to make. Like all Rangers fans, Dave King and UoF want to see the club back operating to high standards on and off the pitch and in the boardroom. We firmly believe that the involvement of Dave King is the best chance of those standards being attained in the short, medium and long term. It was clear from our discussions with him last week that the £30m+ Mr King is willing to invest is crucial to take the club back to a competitive level and improve the infrastructure and facilities. The club has been neglected, that cannot continue. Only once this investment has been made will Rangers be able to live within its means, something we all want for the longer term future. Until then Dave King has made it clear he will do what is necessary to get Rangers back to where we belong and where we can be self-sustainable. It is also important that Dave King chose to make his views public to the widest possible range of Rangers supporters by conducting interviews with four different newspapers with a combined readership of over 2M people. There can no longer be any criticism of him only speaking privately to supporters groups, though he has pledged to continue that important dialogue in order that the Union of Fans can keep people updated on events. We would now ask the board to indicate publicly, as a matter of urgency, whether they are prepared to accept Dave King’s offer of massive investment. The ball is firmly with the Rangers PLC board, in particular with Chief Executive Officer, Graham Wallace and Chairman, David Somers. Dave King has put a figure on what Rangers need and has shown his commitment to, and ambition for, the club he has supported all his life. Do Mr Wallace and Mr Somers agree with his figures and if they do, how do they propose to raise this large sum of money without Dave King? These are extremely serious corporate matters, therefore they are matters for the PLC board and not for any small, minority shareholder who is not a member of that board and who has no such high level corporate experience. The corporate reputations of Mr Wallace and Mr Somers now rest on their next move. We also note with dismay that Rangers director Sandy Easdale is continuing to pursue what we consider to be a confrontational and frivolous course of legal action against Sons of Struth. We would ask him to remember what it means to be a Rangers director and act accordingly if he wishes to enjoy the privileges of that position.
  19. Copied from FF. I am always amazed at fans who are so supportive of me and SoS, It takes my breath away as I dont consider myself any different from thousands of bears who feel the same as me, for some reason our wee facebook page has grown arms and legs in 6 months and many have the same thoughts and opinions as us. I never thought for 1 minute that so much could have been achieved in our time but none of it could have been achieved without the help of hundreds of bears. I feel uncomfortable with the current situation and fans willing to put their own money on the table for my benefit. I really dont know what to say as no words can describe how proud i feel that so many bears are willing to stand beside me and support me during the last few days. I cant thank you all enough for the words of encouragement I have received recently and it does feel as if you are talking about someone else as I honestly feel like this is not me who has done these things that you all talk of but Im watching over the shoulder of this other guy, The whole thing has snowballed over time and most things we have done have been reactive and we never thought our efforts would have been as great over the last few months. If others had not joined us and helped along the way then no one would have known who sons of struth were. I am no superfan Im just a bear that found a voice and to my amazement so many liked what they heard and joined us, Thank you again for your support and encouragement Craig
  20. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/keith-jackson-its-check-mate-3286265#.UzKOhg6Tggg.twitter
  21. .......but I'll be happier sitting among our fans, says Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson. THOMPSON talks to HUGH KEEVINS as he stands firm in the face of the latest controversy over Scottish Cup semi-final tickets. DUNDEE UNITED chairman Stephen Thompson has paid a heavy personal price for holding strong opinions. Assailants have done community service for their threatening behaviour. His mobile phone number is changed as soon as it falls into the wrong hands. And even the salubrious surroundings of the Old Course Hotel at St Andrews were recently unable to provide him with a sanctuary from the problems connected with being the high-profile chairman of a successful football club. The glib summary of anti-social behaviour as it relates to people in the public eye is that abuse “goes with the territory”. Thompson sees it as the cost of defending his club’s position, which is why he was again thrust into the limelight with his protests over the choice of Ibrox as the venue for Dundee United’s Scottish Cup semi-final with Rangers on April 12. It’s not that the man who succeeded his late father Eddie as Tannadice chairman six years ago, having been a board member for five years before that, goes out of his way to look for trouble. When you’re in charge of a club that’s eaten up £6million of your family’s money, you don’t look for a show of gratitude that will never arrive. However, you do feel entitled to have your say if you feel aggrieved about something relating to the object of your highly expensive affection. As we sat in the boardroom at Tannadice, Thompson said: “I would have had a different, less stressful life if the club hadn’t been my dad’s passion, which I have inherited. “The money devoted to Dundee United could have set my family up for generations to come after the sale of the Morning, Noon and Night business we ran. “Now it’s millions of pounds that will never be seen again. But that was years ago and I don’t even think about it any more. “I know I’ll never get gratitude because that’s not how football works and I’m not in the game for gratitude in any case. “But I do love the club and I still go to the game with my scarf on, the way my father did.” But when United go to Ibrox for their cup tie, Thompson will sit in the Broomloan Stand housing the bulk of the club’s travelling support. It’s what you might term a strategic withdrawal in the interests of good order since Thompson is still, wrongly, held up to be a leading protagonist in the move to have the Ibrox club relocated in Scottish football’s bottom tier after they went into liquidation. He said: “I didn’t put Rangers in that position. I wasn’t even the first person from another club to speak out about what should happen when the newco asked to be allowed to stay in what was then the SPL. “I think Vladimir Romanov at Hearts was the first one to do that but he lived in Lithuania and I lived in Dundee. And people need to take their anger out on someone. “It hasn’t been funny over the past couple of years and when I got verbal abuse at the Old Course Hotel recently I did find myself wondering again why I’m in this business. “There’s been a price to be paid on a personal level but when Rangers’ situation was being discussed by the SPL clubs I had to listen to my team’s fans. “They were telling us they wouldn’t buy season tickets for Tannadice if United voted to let Rangers stay in the SPL. And pre-season sales that would normally have been around 4000-strong were reduced to 1500 tickets sold. The fans had made their intentions clear. “But that was two years ago and we have to move on. “I’m not snubbing the directors’ box at Ibrox on April 12. There will be a representative of the club in the boardroom before and after the match. “I’ll be in with the United fans because it’s something I do from time to time. I think I’m a down to earth man in that respect. I’ll be happier there on the day.” Winning the Scottish Cup is something Thompson experienced against Ross County at Hampden in 2010. And his memory of that time allows the listener to understand why the chairman this week campaigned to give his team the best venue and the most substantial backing he could in order to help them reach another final. He said: “My father saved this club. When he took over in 2002 we were shedding money at a frightening rate. “At our agm on Thursday night I was able to stand up and announce a profit for the third time in the past four years. We had a debt that peaked at £7m and now stands at £2.1m. Dundee United are in control of our own destiny and one of my ambitions is to be in charge here when we owe nothing to anyone. “For the first time in my 11 years as a board member I’m not worried about money but the game isn’t just about the club’s accounts. “When we brought the Cup back to Tannadice after beating Ross County my wife and I were the last two people to leave the ground following the open-topped bus drive through the city. “We put the Cup in the front seat of a taxi and the driver happened to be a devoted Dundee supporter. He asked me if he could touch the trophy and I said, ‘Yes, of course.’ “The Cup went to every primary and secondary school in the city. It was in every ward of Ninewells Hospital because just seeing it had this effect of making people happy. “You can forget the way football does that to people.” But even if United win access to another final at Rangers’ expense it won’t allow the chairman to exit the consequences which are attached to success. For the first time, Thompson has spoken about the possibility of losing his much talked-about youngsters and his manager, Jackie McNamara. He said: “My father would have loved watching this team with Andrew Robertson, Gary Mackay-Steven, John Souttar and Ryan Gauld. “We sold 650 half-season tickets because they were so good in the first part of the championship and people wanted to see them. That’s unheard of for us. “We’re not under any pressure to sell players because there’s no bank debt at the club any more and therefore no need to reduce borrowings on an annual basis. “But if the right offers come in then players will inevitably go because they’ll want to broaden their horizons and we’ll have a responsibility to the United fans who gave the club ‘friendly’ loans to see they get their money back in a percentage of the transfer fees. “Jackie’s a managerial talent and he’ll move on one day as well, although hopefully not for a few years yet. “We’ve never talked about it between us but if Jackie does move it will be because he has continued to be successful with Dundee United.” And what about the chairman who freely admits to having been turned into an insomniac by the demands of high office? The man who went to see Manchester United play Liverpool last Sunday with a ticket bought in a charity auction and suddenly realised he was enjoying himself because the final score didn’t matter to him. He said: “I don’t sleep properly because I’m always thinking about the future of the club. Uptight is the norm for me. “At the end of my father’s first season in charge we had to avoid defeat to Inverness to stay in the top flight while knowing relegation would have cost the club £2m. That’s the pressure you live under. “My belief is there will be some form of regionalised European league within the next five years and I want United to be ready if that opportunity arises. “There’s no given right to be anywhere and no rightful place for any club. You have to earn whatever you get. “I’ll keep going until we are debt free and have money in the bank. “I’m like my dad because I’m all or nothing and I stick to what I believe in. “I could keep schtum about certain things but I won’t because I need to be true to myself when I’m the majority shareholder at Tannadice.” That’s 53 per cent of the action and 100 per cent of the hassle when it comes to the events of this week.
  22. Hi, I'm an open and avid proponent of Rangers First - I really believe this can be great for the club and the support. I have been sending this out to my contacts list and thought it could be worth an airing on here: As all Rangers Supporters know it has been a turbulent few years. We seem to move from one crisis to another and I think we are all getting to the stage where the common consensus is that something must be done. The average fan is seeking to have a more open relationship with the club, people who previously had no interest in the on goings behind the scenes at the club are now demanding transparency and openness. There is a swell of support for increased fan involvement at Rangers Football Club – and something that has previously not received a great deal of wide support is now become a possibility. Rangers First is a fan led membership vehicle, backed by Supporters Direct – a government funded organisation, for fan ownership that is seeking to purchase shares in Rangers in order to achieve the goal of the fans having transparent authoritative consultation with the club. The goal is to ensure that every Rangers fan knows exactly where the club are and where we are going – the advantages of which will lead to greater fan engagement of the club ensuring our illustrious history continues into the future. Once that initial goal has been achieved Rangers First has the capability of increasing the revenue potential of the club in order to help us regain our position as the dominant club of Scottish Football. Rangers First is a CIC (community interest company) that is set up to benefit the Rangers Community. There are currently over 900 members who have signed up to Rangers First within two weeks of the launch and have already donated various levels of finance with membership starting from as little as £5 per month in order to allow as many fans as possible to have a say in the club. It was agreed at the initial meetings that Rangers First is not interested in getting involved with the internal politics at the club (who is on the board does not matter) – we are only interested in getting the fans a voice to ensure that they stay engaged with the club and to help ensure that Rangers stays the greatest and most successful club in the country. We are focused on community involvement and fan governance - you will not see any controversial statements coming from us. We are a democratic organisation that seeks to give the fans a voice. No fan involved will receive any financial reward or payment – we are all volunteers trying to make a difference at the club. Ideally we are looking for 1872 people to buy a life membership at £500 which will give us enough cash to buy circa 5% of the club. 5% being an important number in a plc allowing Rangers First several capabilities including the ability to call an EGM. For the good of Rangers, and The Rangers Support, I would ask of you as a supporter of the club to consider becoming a member of Rangers First. If you could take the time to look at http://www.rangersfirst.org it would be greatly appreciated. I myself, and my family are all taking out life memberships in Rangers First as well as a monthly contribution. We are also donating our shares bought at the IPO to Rangers First. This is something I believe can be the vehicle that ensures we get back to where we should be. Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to ask me. I’m sure we can make a difference. We Are The People - Any constructive feedback?
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.