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  1. I would encourage anyone not already a member to join now The below will be being emailed to all members shortly. We encourage all Rangers Fans world wide to now participate in at http://www.rangersfirst.org'>http://www.rangersfirst.org We are the People and this is our time. Dear members > > As you will have gathered the Club issued an Open Offer today regarding the issue of 19,864,918 new Ordinary Shares in Rangers International Football Club PLC. > > The full details of that issue can be found here: > > http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exch ... d=12066370 > > We would ask that you have a read of it all. > > Rangers First was set up to collectively buy as many shares in the PLC as it could, with the hope of at least reaching 5% ownership which in a PLC is significant as it would allow Rangers First to hold any PLC board to account via the calling of a General meeting. > > Rangers First can confirm that it has already written to both Graham Wallace and the NOMAD (Daniel Stewart & Company PLC, who has confirmed reciept) that it is in a position to “invest beyond our pro-rated pre-emption rights” and that Rangers First would “wish to be added to any Excess Application Facility for the purchase of additional shares” > > Upon reflection on todays statement the Rangers First steering group has concluded that it is most appropriate to continue on our policy of buying shares and will as we indicated in our letter seek to take up as many as possible. > > However as is made clear in the Clubs own statement there are severe risks if this share issue is not taken up and this will not be the last share issue and so we presume these same risks will also attach as concerns to the further share offers to follow. Rangers First is set up as a democratic organisation and so the Steering Group wish to put the democratic process into action and have our members confirm by vote that they are happy for Rangers First Steering Group to continue its share purchase policy and take up as many shares as it can in this share issue. > > All members will be sent a vote in the next few hours which will be open over the weekend. > > This is another chance for Rangers Fans to take a significant stake and have significantly more influence at our Club. From the statement this will be the first of a number of equity raises so now is the time to sign up, get you family, home and abroad signed up, get those you go to and watch the game with signed…..get every Bear you have ever known to sign up to Rangers First > > http://www.rangersfirst.org Please consider taking out a Life membership of Rangers First for £500 (this can be passed to your children one day) or joining for a monthly fee of as little as £5 per month (U16 free) Selling all the 1872 life membership would raise enough for Rangers First to buy over 5% of the Club and reach our Stage 1 > > > We are the People and this is our Time!
  2. Born Under a Union Flag: Rangers, Britain and Scottish Independence (Luath Press) will be an interesting read for those yet to open its cover, and I would strongly suggest you do. It allows the reader access at times, to the mindset of the authors of the various chapters, some of which will challenge you, some may even alarm you, but having drawn me in, it was one of those books I had to read from start to finish without interruption. It may seem strange for an avid Unionist to highlight a chapter written by a pro-independence author, Gail Richardson, but I do so for 2 reasons : (1) Gail asks questions relating to the motto of a group of which I am a member – Vanguard Bears (2) Of all the pro-independence chapters within the book, Gail’s was unique in that it offered a cohesive, rational and positive argument for independence which was free from negative subjective experience often cited by her peers, nor did it seek to demonise Britain as a justification for exercising a yes vote, in short it offered vision rather than vilification. I use the word “demonise” deliberately. When Alan Bissett argues that Britain is responsible for, amongst other things, “the mass slaughter of World War 1” you can perhaps begin to understand why I suggested in the opening paragraph that you may be challenged, even alarmed by its contents. Gail opens her chapter with a question : Do the Loving Cup ceremony or the portraits of Her Majesty the Queen hanging in the home dressing room at Ibrox not qualify as traditions ? Both are long standing practices at our club, with club historian David Mason, opening this year’s Loving Cup toast describing it as “A very important tradition in the history of Rangers Football Club since 1937”. Furthermore are they merely traditions or, additionally, a powerful statement of identity i.e. this is a club which values the traditions of monarchy ? The foregoing example serves as welcome introduction for another area of such debate which is often overlooked by many. Gail asserts : It is madness. But what about the flip side of that coin ? What about the instances where the beliefs and values come from within the club itself ? Are they in themselves not statements of identity ? If the historical commentators such as Graham Walker and Bill Murray are to be believed, and there is no good reason not to, then Protestant identity evolved due to a number of factors, primarily though that the Protestant indigenous Scot sought a football club which reflected their faith and culture in the same way that the newly formed club, Celtic, reflected the faith and culture of the Irish immigrant population. If Gail is guilty of overlooking symbolisms and traditions which emanate from within the club, perhaps because they don’t quite fit with her assertions and beliefs, I confess, I could be equally as guilty of reading something into symbolisms from within the club because they do happen to fit with my particular assertions and beliefs. I have difficulty accepting however that Church and Boys Brigade Parades, the holding of the Orange Order Annual Divine Service at Ibrox, our refusal to play football on the Sabbath, the welcoming of Kings at Ibrox, Armed Forces Days, amongst other things, are not statements of identity. Furthermore these take no account of the erroneous, which again have their formation from within the club itself. Gail makes reference to Rangers signing policy, I would add to that the comments of Rangers vice chairman Matt Taylor in 1967 when he stated in interview relating to it, “part of our tradition....we were formed in 1873 as a Protestant boys club. To change now would lose us considerable support.” However mis-guided, however ham-fisted, however opposed to true Protestant ideals and values the foregoing examples are, I would suggest they are a clear attempt to attach a Protestant identity to our club from within the club itself. I cite these examples not to usurp Gail’s questioning of their relevance today in an increasingly secular Scotland, but to demonstrate that the club itself over the years has actively encouraged an identity with which it is often associated, therefore to suggest that it’s our supporters who have projected their beliefs onto the club and asked them to uphold them is incorrect. When Gail states : “I’ve said that I don’t believe Rangers Football Club is a Protestant club or a Unionist club.” how does such a statement equate to a football club who have just released their 3rd strip which has as its centrepiece, the flag of the Union itself ? Particularly in view of the current political climate in Scotland. Strangely, the answer to Gail’s original question comes from an unlikely source, in chapter 3 of the book. Harry Reid, an Aberdeen supporter speaking of the demise of Rangers identity under Sir David Murray: And later in the chapter : Harry continues: Later in the chapter Harry emphasises the importance of any football club seeking to expand its aspirations, remaining true to its core fan base. There is really not a lot I can add to Harry’s quotes. The values, traditions and people Harry alludes to are very much at the core of what we at Vanguard Bears, seek to defend. I hope this article not only answers Gail’s questions, but also challenges her to examine her own vision of our club, as much as her chapter from the book caused me to examine my own.
  3. This mantra is in stark contrast to the axiom stated about boxers but it holds true at Ibrox, whether it is turmoil, on and off the field, Charles Green or Dave King. It was just another Sunday at Ibrox with normal levels of turbulence and uncertainty. There was a stark contrast to the dignified and fitting tribute to the late Sandy Jardine in the lurid headlines that screamed in the morning newspapers. Basically, they read: Chuck is back and this time it is business, not personal. Affairs at Ibrox must be investigated in two sections: the business and the playing. The former is the more urgent. As one Rangers supporter told me yesterday: "There are more pressing issues to address than whether Lewis Macleod should be playing wide right." The return of Mr Green is more than an amusement, though. The tales of George Soros may be as tall as Peter Crouch on stilts but the backstory to the former chief executive's latest foray into the media contains an element of truth that points to what is going on at Ibrox. It is this: there are significant developments unfolding at the club. The financial situation is acute with the board seeking investment and Green wants to be near at hand when that deal is brokered. More interesting is the relative silence of King. He, too, though has not gone away. Much of the action from Graham Wallace, the chief executive of Rangers, and King, the man who would be sovereign at Rangers, is taking place in London, with mixed results. A City source, who invested in Rangers in the initial public offering, told Herald Sport last night that Wallace has been active in trying to arrange support for another share issue. However, he added: "He has not met with conspicuous success." This was said wryly. The message, though, was deeply serious. "There is no way I would advise further investment at Rangers under the present circumstances and under the present board. It is that simple," he said. King has been working the City since at least March. His initial strategy was to canvass support for his plan to take the proxy vote for significant shareholdings and force change. This, increasingly, has been seen to be impractical, perhaps even unworkable, as long as the major players remain united within the Ibrox boardroom. The pressure must be applied to the Beaufort Group that holds the majority of shares. This has been applied effectively by the strategy of some fans to withhold season ticket money. There has been much argument over whether this constitutes a boycott but it would be much more instructive to investigate the action's consequences. It has brought King back into play, despite the reluctance of some on the Ibrox board to deal with the South African businessman. King's patience was criticised over the summer but he may just have played his cards astutely. Rangers are searching for money and King claims he has it. This seemingly straightforward case of demand and supply, however, founders on the rocks of implacable politics at Rangers. King, though, has improved his position quietly over the summer and may in the position to make his move. The re-emergence of Green at this crucial juncture is not coincidental. The Yorkshireman, who has the copyright of the terms bluff and plain-speaking, has again caused considerable annoyance to those inside Ibrox, not least Ally McCoist. The Rangers manager was understandably frustrated at Green's latest intervention at the weekend when he stated that he could raise money to extricate the club from the deep financial hole. McCoist described all of this as "a sideshow" and it is, but it is one with a purpose. The former chief executive was reminding everyone that he will have a say, even if his influence may be limited, in what happens at Ibrox. With this financial game playing out in the media, it is almost crass to discuss a football match but what happened at Ibrox in front of 43,683 deserves consideration. First, Hearts deserve enormous credit for a gameplan and for the willingness of their players to carry it out. Craig Levein and his football department have recruited wisely. Robbie Neilson set the team up cleverly and there were particularly outstanding contributions from Danny Wilson, in central defence, and Osman Sow, in attack. Success for Hearts was ensured by increasing fecklessness in Rangers ranks. After they had missed early chances, Rangers defended awfully. Wilson made the most of a free header and Sow capitalised on disarray in the Rangers backline to score emphatically, seconds after McCoist's side equalised. This frustration - and the very fact that he was asked a question he had to answer - probably accounted for McCoist's relative sharpness as regards Green. He will, though, be more concerned about solving the matters he has influence over, including finding the ideal wide man who can produce opportunities for Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller. The latter had to come back to midfield on Sunday to find a touch and he was insistent afterwards that the side had to create more chances. The team faces an interesting challenge at Falkirk on Friday. The board confronts more difficult problems with every day that passes. http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/king-still-in-play-as-financial-chess-game-rumbles-on.25024715?
  4. Vincent has departed, he hopes to be invited to approach the Bar. Thus, a new Sellik supporting Compliance Officer is required. Peter identified one, told Regan to appoint Anthony McGlennan. I know there's a helluva lot going on within and outwith our club at the moment, but I suppose we should note the next Yahoo waiting in line to avail himself of the opportunity to sink the boot.
  5. I've seen it at Ibrox for a couple of seasons now. I don't think it's appropriate. Please desist.
  6. http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/258-book-review-born-under-a-union-flag-rangers-the-union-scottish-independence
  7. teams: Germany: Neuer, Howedes, Hummels, Khedira, Schweinsteiger, Ozil, Klose, Muller, Lahm ©, Kroos, Boateng Argentina: Romero, Garay, Zabaleta, Biglia, Perez, Higuain, Messi ©, Mascherano, Demichelis, Rojo, Lavezzi Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (Italy) 2-0 Germany for me. Klose and Muller. point on referees, I think they have generally been good and let play flow, except the European referees who I thought have been very picky. PS I'm watching BBC coverage as I cannot stand Adrain Chiles
  8. Looking forward to reading and reviewing this book in the coming few weeks: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Born-Under-Union-Flag-Bissett/dp/1910021121/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404410171&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=Born+Under+a+Union+Flag%3A+Rangers%2C+Britain+and+Scottish+Independence I know Ally and Alan (and the other contributors) have worked hard on this so it should be an interesting read and useful accompaniment to the Referendum debate.
  9. Well, it seems that just about anybody from anywhere has an opinion on Scotland`s upcoming referendum ... http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/480420/Scottish-independence-Barack-Obama-backs-united-UK Barack Obama says Scotland should stay in UK BARACK Obama has urged Scots to reject independence, saying the United Kingdom is better off remaining together. By: Kerry Gill Published: Thu, June 5, 2014 Scottish indepdence, US, President, Barack Obama, G7, David Cameron, Prime Minister, First Minister, Alex Salmond, Better Together, SNP Barack Obama hailed the UK as 'an extraordinary partner'[REUTERS] Britain works "pretty well" as a "united" nation, the US President said in major intervention in the debate over Scotland's future. He also stressed that it was in the interests of the United States that the UK remained a strong and effective ally. Mr Obama's comments will come as a blow to Alex Salmond who has made several trips to America to advance the separatist cause. The First Minister tonight attempted to limit the damage insisting Scotland wanted its independence like the US, adding: "Yes, we can." But the President's statement marks the first time any world leader has effectively asked voters to reject secession. Speaking at a joint press conference with David Cameron at the G7 summit in Brussels Mr Obama said: "With respect to the future of the United Kingdom, obviously, ultimately this is up to the people of Great Britain. "In the case of Scotland, there is a referendum process in place and it's up to the people of Scotland. "But I would to say the United Kingdom has been an extraordinary partner to us. From the outside at least, it looks like things have worked pretty well. "We obviously have a deep interest in making sure one of the closest allies we will ever remains a strong, robust, united and effective partner." Until now American diplomats have said their country would remain neutral over the independence issue. Related articles ‘Balkanisation’ of Britain would be a disaster, says top Swedish minister Alex Salmond ‘talks like Kim Jong-il’ says Better Together leader Alistair Darling The United Kingdom has been an extraordinary partner to us. From the outside at least, it looks like things have worked pretty well Barack Obama However, former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has previously warned Scots not to back independence as it would bad for Europe. The senior democrat told an industry awards ceremony in Glasgow two years ago voters should settle for devolution rather than breaking away. Mr Obama's remarks - clearly thrashed out well before the Brussels conference - will infuriate Mr Salmond and his Yes Scotland campaign. As soon as news of Mr Obama's comments started to spread, some Nationalists took to social media sites attacking US foreign policy. The remarks follow a warning Carl Bildt, the Swedish foreign minister who said a Yes vote would lead to the "Balkanisation" of the UK. And pro-Union campaigners were delighted with President Obama's "important contribution". Labour Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander said: "His clear statement of support for the UK staying together will resonate with many of us here in Scotland. "As a global statesman President Obama understands that interdependence is a defining feature of our modern world, and that building bridges, not putting up new barriers, is the challenge of our generation." A Better Together spokesman said: "As President of the United States, Barack Obama knows more than anyone how important it is for people to work together. "No doubt the nationalists will dismiss President Obama as scaremongering." Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson said: "President Obama has every right to explain to people how the break-up of Britain would affect our relationship with America. "He clearly recognises the strong and effective partnership his country has with the UK and our many shared achievements through the years. Ms Davidson added: "People in other countries can't understand why you would want to break up one of the strongest, wealthiest and most successful nations on the planet." Burt Mr Salmond borrowed the President's famous election slogan to declare "Yes we can" have independence. He added: aid: "As President Obama rightly observes, the decision on Scotland's future is up to the people of Scotland. "We are deeply fortunate as a nation that we have the opportunity to gain our nation's independence in such a profoundly democratic way, as Mr Obama himself previously acknowledged - and not through conflict as has been the case with so many nations, including the United States itself. "An independent Scotland will mean that America has two great friends and allies here rather than one."
  10. Rangers has been many things to many people for nearly a century and a half and over much of this time, excellence and aspiration have ranked high in the club's priorities. To be a Rangers supporter was to be a part of a family that had high expectations, an intolerance of mediocrity, an insistence on elite standards and an undying ambition to be the best. The last few years, though, have been a uniquely testing time. Experiencing the team in the lower reaches of Scottish football has been a ghastly experience. After 120 years of winning or coming close to winning the Scottish League, being dumped in the wasteland of the national sport has been more than just humbling: it has been surreal. Finishing top of the third and fourth tiers may have secured promotion, but it went against the grain that these achievements were deemed worthy of celebration. They might be for small clubs, but for a club like Rangers, promotion was a minimum expectation. There's something unsettling about seeing Rangers celebrating the acquisition of minor trophies. Some will argue that every success should be lauded, especially after flirting with finality, but it feels inappropriate: it feels wrong. The nature of the way the team has performed is a sorry tale. Watching Rangers is about as aesthetically pleasing as a long and lingering gaze at the urban monstrosity that is Celtic Park. An uncultured approach to football is now endemic within the club's football department: it knows no other way. Somehow, and it started before Ally McCoist settled in the manager's chair, Rangers has become the epitome of ugly. The vital matter of club ownership is impossible to ignore. Fans have lost trust in the current regime; its plans are vague and unconvincing, it is out of touch with those who fund it and it can't even convince supporters that it genuinely cares. It is in a hole, a very large hole, and it keeps on digging. Rangers is a shadow of what it used to be. In every single area, there are failings, but most worryingly of all, there appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel. The club's financial predicament could mean a slow and painful demise, or perhaps a sudden and quick one. The spectre of doom hovers over Rangers like dark clouds over Arran, and even if the club survives, it may never recover to become a domestic powerhouse again. Fans debate the corporate side endlessly, but expertise in this argument rarely offers hope, a way out or a workable solution. Learned fans offer little more than those who know as much about bean-counting as they do about rocket science. A glaring absence of the means, imagination and knowhow to lead Rangers out of this mess has been the most notable aspect of this entire debacle. The vast Rangers family has been found to be badly wanting. It is staggering that a pillar of the Scottish sporting community could be so easily shaken and undermined, but the collective naivete of the Rangers support never dared to entertain the possibility that the club's existence could one day be threatened. From the fanatical element within the Celtic support to provincial club detestation of Rangers and an ever-open door on Edmiston Drive to rogue ownership, the inevitable consequence was hard times ahead for Rangers, but few saw it coming. In this hostile new era, winning a title or two was only going to be half the battle. There are no heroes in this debacle. From millionaires to ex-players and from ex-directors to ordinary fans, the combined wisdom of the lot of them has amounted to failure after failure and blunder after blunder. The air of immortality that once enveloped Rangers has evaporated. The club has been outed as a zone of incompetence and its cheap talk and soft underbelly have made it an easy target for detractors. There are times, when the mood is dark, when one wonders if Rangers has reached the end of the road. Society has changed, but maybe Rangers has never really changed at all. It gives the appearance of being an anachronism, clinging to a past that it can't let go instead of embracing a future that it never foresaw. Regrettably, there is a hateful and sinister element within the Rangers support. For many years, our press and media told us it was there, but we denied the accusations outright. Now, with many contentious issues to deal with, the vitriol that spews forth from one fan to another is beyond the pale. Anyone trying to lead us out of this mess automatically becomes a hate figure for fundamentalists who believe that they and only they are the true carriers of the Rangers torch. Maybe they are, and maybe that's why the torch is in danger of being extinguished - permanently. Two words have sold a million Scottish newspapers over the years: 'Rangers' and 'crisis'. Finally, we have a crisis worthy of such a dramatic description and we have reacted exactly as our enemies would have wanted. There is too much hate in our hearts to provide constructive solutions to the problems that beset us. Until this is successfully addressed, we will get the club we deserve - if we have a club at all.
  11. Yesterday, BBC Radio Scotland sport was broadcasting whilst thinking aloud. Throughout the morning and early afternoon, the struggle for comfort was obvious and ease of mind did not arrive until Newsdrive, after 4 O'clock. The sport headline on the hour, every hour was the release of next season's fixture list, the strap line being, 'the most attractive opening day fixture'. The morning was all about ra Sellik; well, they are Scottish champions and they deserve their due. The green'n'grey hooped horrors were opening at Perth on a Wednesday night. At lunchtime, we received an explanation that Sellik should open against the Harry Wraggs, but remedial Commonwealth Games work has postponed the match. One O'clock bulletin continued the refrain and informed the listenership that Rangers were opening against Hearts. Afternoon saw Aberdeen's opener against Dundee United as the most attractive opening fixture, 3 O'clock announced Rangers/Hearts was "ARGUABLY" the most attractive opening day fixture, and Newsdrive delivered the unequivocally verdict, no mention of us at all and Aberdeen/Dundee United was THE most attractive opening day fixture. I know news is a dynamic, but it seemed to me the politics between BBC Scotland and our club became the overriding factor. Ra Sellik were out of the equation and the commentary team must go somewhere, the hill of dung is that venue. You see, they cannot talk up Rangers/Hearts because they would then have to explain why they won't cover it by commentary. What a pickle? Other than the usual last two season's two minute match report by one of BBC Radio Scotland's usual suspects, do you think BBC Scotland want to cover Rangers matches? Cosgrove banged on for a decade that the Scottish First Division(now the championship) was the most attractive, most difficult, and most competitive league in the country, do you think he will continue this line between oral consumption of Anusol? I suspect they might wait to see how we start the season. Yesterday was a microcosm of the season long problem BBC Radio Scotland will have dealing with the football matters of our club.
  12. “You’ve only got two years of history.” Dundee United have pushed relations with Rangers to breaking point. They have declared: “You’ve only got two years of history.” Tannadice chairman Stephen Thompson delivered the incendiary put-down to Light Blues Chief Executive Graham Wallace in negotiations over youngster Charlie Telfer. Rangers wanted £175,000 to £200,000 in compensation for the development of the player from the age 12 to 18. But United countered with £50,000, arguing only the time since the 2012 liquidation of the Ibrox club is relevant. That’s infuriated the Govan outfit, who squashed talks to await the verdict of an independent panel early next season. It is the latest in a series of conflicts between the clubs, stretching back to United’s involvement in the decision not to allow Rangers to play in the SPL in 2012-13. In deciding to reject an offer from Rangers in order to switch to Dundee United as a free agent this summer, the Scotland Under-19 cap raised more than a few eyebrows. Seen as one of the brightest products of the Murray Park youth system, he was tipped as a future Ibrox first team star. Yet if the failure to hold onto the midfielder irked some Rangers fans, it should be nothing to the reaction to news of United’s inflammatory stance in subsequent compensation talks. Under Scottish regulations, clubs who lose a player under the age of 23 through freedom of contract are entitled to payment for his development and training. The scheme protects those who invest heavily in youth development, only to see their best prospects snapped up by bigger clubs. In exploratory talks about Telfer, Rangers — using the ready reckoner for such cases — asked for a payment of between £175,000 and £200,000 for bringing Telfer through from the age of 12. Tangerines chairman Stephen Thompson, though, offered just £50,000. He dismissed all but the last two years as irrelevant — because in his eyes Rangers only came into existence in 2012. That stance has infuriated the club and will provoke a similar reaction from the Light Blues support. The liquidation of two years ago is not disputed. But, they assert, the purchase of business and assets by the new company covered Rangers’ illustrious history, including the world record 54 titles and seven domestic Trebles. Now, with no agreement reached, the validity of United’s argument — centring on the successful departures of stars such as Steven Davis, Steven Naismith, and Steven Whittaker in 2012 for nothing — is set to be decided by an independent panel. Likely to include a law lord, it should take place early in the new season. The news will do nothing for already strained relations between the two clubs. Many Light Blues fans blamed Thompson for the fact the newco was not allowed to join the SPL two years ago. He was involved in the move to open up the vote to all clubs, the catalyst for the so called “Arab Spring” of fan opposition. With many Rangers fans already annoyed at the Tangerines’ failure to honour tickets for an abandoned league fixture four years ago, the Scottish Cup tie between the pair at Tannadice was subject to a fan boycott. Since then, there has been the rancour over this season’s Scottish Cup semi-final. http://www.sundaypost.com/sport/football/dundee-utd-blast-for-rangers-in-tranfer-row-1.410939
  13. GRAHAM WALLACE believes Rangers are now moving closer to the successful establishment of their first fan board as the club activates in its biggest supporter engagement initiative. The Ibrox chief executive will tonight return to the UK from Toronto, where he has spent a couple of days talking to Light Blues followers at the 2014 NARSA convention. More than 1,000 of them have been in attendance and Wallace feels it has been important to reach out to them as he seeks to build bridges and create a better, sustainable future at Gers. He addressed around 900 attendees at the gathering’s Grand Banquet yesterday and hopes his visit there can help develop a stronger relationship going forward. Wallace said: “We have recognised right from day one we had a big job to do in terms of trying to improve engagement with the club’s fans. “Several months ago we launched our Ready To Listen fan engagement survey and that was really just the first step. “We’ve now gone through another two subsequent steps in terms of narrowing down areas of interest to the fans so we can fully understand what matters to them. “We are currently moving into the third phase which is a set of detailed focus groups that involve people sitting round the table and looking at specific issues. “It’s all designed to move us forward to the creation of our first Rangers fan board, which will be an official board that will act as the body to represent the fans with the club. “We’re looking at the constitution and composition of that because we want to get a wide spread of Rangers fans engaged in talking to the club. “Like anything else, these things take time to work their way through and particularly at a level where what we’re dealing with is not just a simple scenario. “There are many issues dear to Rangers fans’ hearts. We’re trying to engage with them in a way they’ll say they can see progress and I think we have made a number of steps forward.” http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headli...edging-closer? There must be fans who actually swallow this bullshit.
  14. LEE McCULLOCH would love Rangers fans to carry on their journey back to the top of Scottish football next season with the team in a league he thinks will be the best in Scotland. The Light Blues will contest the Championship with a host of clubs including Hearts and Hibernian, both of whom will drop down from the Premiership. An intriguing campaign is shaping up and while Gers will be favourites to claim the title, it’s clear they will be pushed far more than they have in the last two year if that’s to happen. The public sale of season tickets starts tomorrow and McCulloch hopes supporters snap them up to ensure Ally McCoist’s men are given every chance possible of winning the crown. McCulloch was speaking in Toronto at the 2014 NARSA convention, where more than 1,000 fans came together over the weekend. He was joined in Canada by his team-mates Stevie Smith, Lewis Macleod, Luca Gasparotto, Nicky Clark and Fraser Aird as well as chief executive Graham Wallace. Season tickets can be purchased in person at the Rangers Ticket Centre, online at rangers.co.uk or by phone on 0871 702 1972. Calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras. Club captain McCulloch said: “The fans have been brilliant. They’ve kept us going and whether it’s the home support or the away support, they’ve filled stadiums to cheer us on. “The way they get behind the team is fantastic and for us as players, it can give us such a push forward. “We’ve got some young kids in our team and it’s great for them as much as it is for the likes of myself. “We need the fans and everybody knows that. Without them there won’t be a Rangers so hopefully they can keep coming to support us. “They’ve been great so far with us but now things are getting harder and we’ll really need them there by our side. “If they do that, we’ll do everything we can to do the business on the pitch and it’ll make it a bit easier for us in what looks like being a very interesting season. “It’s going to be a great league and with Hibs and Hearts in there as well as the pull of Rangers, it’s a division a lot of people will see as being the most exciting in Scotland.” http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/7032-join-us-on-the-journey
  15. by Andy McGowan | Contributor I don’t consider myself a brave man, nor am I a seeker or justice or truth like so many of my counterparts on other side of the Old Firm. But I can no longer stand by and watch the club I love be ruined by hate and bigotry. As a responsible law abiding Rangers fan who supports his club through thick and thin I feel it is my duty to expose the secret truths of Rangers Football Club in a bid to cleanse it forever of its toxic elements. Although this may be hard and shocking for some of you to read, I am going to lay bare the truth behind some of the songs, statements and style of Rangers. Let’s start with one you will all be familiar with but may be unaware of its secret meaning: We Are the People. It sounds harmless right? Wrong. "We are the People" of course refers to Unionist leader and first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, James Craig, who in 1921 declared that NI would be "a Protestant State for a Protestant People." He made this declaration after a conversation with Bill Struth, who of course had taken over as Rangers manager the previous year. A little known fact is that James Craig was a keen footballer before entering politics and almost became Bill Struth’s assistant at Ibrox. When the two friends met up in secret they often discussed their proud Catholic hating Protestant roots and had regular meetings of a secret club known as “We Are the Protestants” (WATP) preceded by many a secret handshake. Struth decided this was too contentious a name and We are the People was born and exists as an anti-Catholic masonic organisation run from within the corridors of Ibrox to this day. The Club logo fills us all with pride. The colours, the words, the lion – they all hold a special meaning to Rangers fans worldwide. But it also holds more sinister secrets you might not be aware of. It should also come as no surprise that the WATP Organisation were behind a plot named the “Ready to Destroy Ireland” movement of 1973, or simply, “Ready,” which is why it now appears on the club crest. Rangers new boy Nicky Clark this week declared “I'm ready for round two.” This was a sickening secret anti-Irish comment from Clark who was inducted into the WATP Organisation just six days earlier. Not only that, but the lion which stands so proudly on the badge that is printed on your child’s shirts and t-shirts every year, covering their now vile and twisted bigoted little hearts, is a nod to the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169, and more specifically Henry II, who in 1171 took Dublin and accepted the fealty of the Irish kings and bishops and was known simply as The Red Lion in Ireland from then on. Some of our unacceptables you may be more aware of are found in the song book. Our love of the song “Penny Arcade” is again sadly attributed to religious hatred and due to the death of a Catholic man in Belfast in 1986 in an amusement arcade. I can’t confirm this but my source tells me Gazza may have been the main culprit. As many of you are aware the Beach boys hit “Sloop John B” has been taken on by Rangers fans as Carl Wilson and cousin Mike Love were fierce bigots and good Rangers men. The "Blue Sea of Ibrox" as we all know is about drowning Catholics in the Irish Sea, not at any specific time or anything; we just pure love doing that. Our traditional red and black socks are perhaps the most secret and disgusting vile act of Sevco-hun-bigotry in the Club’s history. First worn in 1904, they were the work of Moses McNeil, who wanted a way to express his feelings toward the people he hated the most: Blacks and ******s, thus the black sock with the red trim. The black symbolised that there were too many African Americans in the USA (McNeil of course was a founding member of the second Ku Klux Klan in 1915) and the red to show that we were up to our knees in ****** blood, which to this day is where we and our socks remain. Now that the light has been shined on just a few of the many, many shameful practises at Rangers Football Club I hope you will join me in our progress, and that us good law abiding fans can move forward in peace. http://www.thecoplandroad.org/2013/06/rangers-exposed.html
  16. I posted this in the footie section, but thought it would be better in here?,admin can delete if they think different. COUNTY chairman MacGregor is leading the way in re-engaging with Scottish football fans by making his club's relationship with their supporters a priority. HE owns and runs a business worth half a billion pounds a year and a community football club worth its weight in gold. In the fragmented new landscape of Scottish football, strewn with the detritus of mismanagement, Roy MacGregor should be a guiding light. A man who believes in customer and fan first, everything else a distant second. Who invests in the people of Dingwall and Inverness and reaps the rewards. Who lives within his means despite their limitations. Two hundred miles away from the game’s traditional epicentre, though, his voice remains relatively unheard. A whisper of common sense drowned out by the eternal bickering of the incompetent. As the chairman of both Ross County and the Global Energy Group he doesn’t take it personally. He has enough on his plate. That doesn’t mean what he has to say isn’t worth hearing, though. So when a man of his substance tells you a Scottish game which sees three of its biggest clubs languishing outside the top tier is ripe for reinvention, for re-engagement, someone in the hierarchy should be asking him not why but how. “Scottish football is still getting an awakening,” said MacGregor. “It’s not so much the sport – I see fledgling shoots all over the place, with young players getting an opportunity but the game is still unable to enthuse the broadcasters and the public. “I see it in all areas of our game that we have forgotten either our brand or our customer. “Clubs have to examine their customer, their fan. If you take your eye off that you have questions to answer. It comes back to boards of directors understanding fans. “Clubs have forgotten their fans and in any business you do that at your peril. “It’s not finance. Nothing to do with it. Hibs’ budget was five times mine – it’s about your relationship with your customer. “Football clubs used to have really good relationships but they took it for granted. Now we need to reinvent it – and everything negative that’s happening can have a positive outcome but only if boards and fans groups get their eye back on the right values. “Hearts have done it, Hibs are doing it as we speak. Rangers still have to find whatever it is they’re looking for. Their directors don’t have their eye on their fans.” As we talk in his Inverness HQ MacGregor has spent the morning at his club’s ground, throwing ideas at his admin staff on how to improve the matchday experience for their fans, and, uniquely, the away support as well. He talks free pies, free transport, entertainment, value for kids – anything that is the opposite of standing still. He knows half the ideas might not fly but it won’t stop him stretching his people to try. He sighed: “We don’t market the game in this country. The league body should be 90 per cent PR and marketing and 10 per cent rules and administration – we’re the other way round. “Yet I look at what Man City are doing around their stadium and I want to do it. You’re not just going to a game. You’re going to the Man City Experience. You’re there from lunchtime, eating, drinking, being entertained, engaging with the community around the club. “Today’s pay-as-you-go generation have choices to make. The people are still there, just in a different culture. When we first came in the league we went down to Morton – I’d never been there before and the ground had held 35,000 people at one point. “And you look out and see the shipyards and decay and you imagine the people who worked there and went for a pie and a pint and then went to the football. “Yet there were only 1200 people there that day. “If you fight your fanbase like, say, Rangers are doing, your club will never be right. It’s a dysfunctional relationship. The hierarchy in football is changing for the better but it’s the clubs who need to change. Get real with where they are with their fans, with their stakeholders, with the Press. “I see it happening because of finance but it needs to be in your soul. “I’m here with Ross County because I believe in an area which didn’t get an opportunity in a football sense, a talent sense or a business sense to express themselves as part of the UK or Scotland. “My role is to give people opportunity. I do it with my business and with my football club. And we don’t live beyond our means.” MacGregor is rightly proud of his club finishing fifth then seventh in their first two seasons of top-flight football, less than 20 years on from becoming a senior club and on one of the smallest budgets and fanbases in the country. But you’ll never catch him thinking they’ve become something they’re not. He said: “What’s success for us? To stay in the top division and do well in a Cup. Anything beyond that is aspirational. “Plug your club into that aspiration. Don’t think you can be a top-six club. It’s not possible. It’s a bonus and you have to be exceptional to do it. “So just be real and don’t let your supporters get expectations beyond reality. The biggest thing is for the fans to believe you can be better than what you are. You always try to outperform what you are and the fans will come with you.” MacGregor also refuses to fall into the trap many wealthy football benefactors have. He’s watched Stewart Milne and David Murray make decisions in the game they’d never in a million years have made in business but he said: “I find the discipline of it easy because I worry, if I get expectation beyond reality, I’ll let my community down. “I go through the wringer the same as every other fan. I’ve been watching my team since 1966 but I’m not on an ego trip. “I’m in it for an area which has two Premiership teams and is being recognised at last that it’s part of the framework of Scotland.” Yet not so much part of the framework that he’s ever held office in a game you’d think would be crying out for its best business minds to participate. “I’ve never been asked,” he deadpans. “But then this part of the world is still trying to come to terms with being part of football and being accepted. “We’ve never been accepted as part of the football hierarchy and it’s 20 years on. I’m not complaining. We’re 200 miles away from the mass of football supposedly but this season we’re playing five teams who are nearly home games for us, all north of the Tay. “So it HAS changed. Where the heartland of football was has been rocked. “It’s getting better though. We’ve had some revolution in the SFA, we have the leagues together again and I believe the structure is better. “But selling the game is still a difficult job, especially with three of our biggest clubs out of the top division. “So you need to sell the brand on 42 clubs, not 12, and you need to sell it on the whole nation. You need someone who buys into that. “It’s difficult because we have a devolution debate – are UK wide companies wanting to get into that debate by getting into football? “You have issues with tarnished goods – clubs who can’t manage themselves. That effect is still there. The product is not good. But there’s a lot more sense being talked and it’s out of necessity. Setbacks are opportunities. “The SPFL will have to adjust their TV policy, for example, and if that’s what the fan wants? You’ll have to give them Hearts v Rangers not St Johnstone v Ross County. “Do what the customer wants.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/f...gregor-3632540
  17. We are currently in the process of gathering together names of individuals and representatives of fans groups, RSCs, websites, etc who are willing to come along and help find a solution to the infighting amongst our fans. If you are interested in attending the meeting could you please email info@thelouden.co.uk (or you could dm/pm us) with your name and any group that you wish to represent or are a part of. To be clear, any individual who wishes to attend to try and help our support is more than welcome but we would appreciate an email so as to know the numbers. Regarding the format of the meeting, we are looking for suggestions on what specifically the meeting should cover. We are not discussing the politics at the club, we are only focusing on the way fans communicate with each other. This is not about which side is right or wrong. We do not need everyone to agree about everything but at all times we should be civil to one another. The meeting will be held in the lounge area of the pub and no alcohol will be served for the duration of the meeting. If anyone wants any other information, please ask. Thanks We Are The People God Bless The Rangers The Louden Tavern: Ibrox Stadium - More than a Pub Official Partner of The Rangers Football Club *We are responsible for The Louden Tavern: Ibrox Stadium, 111 Copland Road, Ibrox, G51 2SL solely and are not involved in the operation of any other premises
  18. Being said on FF and Twitter that VB met with the board the day after the UOF meeting. Somers and James Easdale also attended. Why would the board meet with such a small unrepresentative group? As is being said on Twitter most supporters clubs have more members.
  19. Give written legally binding assurances to fans that Ibrox stadium will not be sold or used as security for any loans Ibrox stadium has been the home of our club for over 100 years and due to mistrust of the board of directors, many fans are unhappy that no legally binding assurances have been forthcoming from the board and a recent club statement declared that the board are unwilling to provide such assurances. The board agree that the stadium is sacrosanct and state they will not sell or use as security. The word of the board can not and will not be accepted by many fans due to a number of recent statements that have since proven innacurate and untrue. Fans also wish to be protected if the current board should be replaced in the future. They have also declared they wish to build trust with the fan base and this action would go some way in improving any relationship https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/graham-wallace-give-written-legally-binding-assurances-to-fans-that-ibrox-stadium-will-not-be-sold-or-used-as-security-for-any-loans?recruiter=97305010&utm_campaign=mailto_link&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition
  20. I'm staunchly Conservative and detest the left wing but Farage will be getting my vote. I agree with every single thing he says.
  21. Well said, Our Queen. p.s. The bolded parts are for those who believe that they apply to them !!! http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/476597/QUEEN-FEARS-SCOTS-DIVIDE-Monarch-enters-referendum-debate-as-Sunday-Express-poll-reveals QUEEN FEARS SCOTS DIVIDE: Monarch enters referendum debate as Sunday Express poll reveals THE Queen is so concerned at the bad-tempered tone of the independence debate she yesterday made a rare intervention into politics to appeal for calm. By: Paula Murray Published: Sun, May 18, 2014 queen, scottish independance, monarch, royalty, prince edward, letterPrince Edward delivers the Queen’s letter[ANDY O'BRIAN] In a hugely significant step, Her Majesty called on Scots to stay united “whatever the outcome” of September’s referendum on breaking up Britain. Her letter to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland comes as an exclusive poll for today’s Sunday Express reveals fears that Scottish society could become permanently fractured. The content of the Queen’s letter, which is traditionally read out at the opening of the General Assembly, appeared to take First Minister Alex Salmond by surprise. He was in attendance at The Mound in Edinburgh, sitting alongside Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, Countess of Wessex. Her Majesty said: “Throughout the history of Scotland, the Church of Scotland has played a key part in shaping the governance of Scotland and Scottish society. “So in this important year of referendum we pray that whatever the outcome, people of faith and people of goodwill will work together for the social good of Scotland. “We recognise too the important role that the church can play in holding the people of Scotland together, in healing divisions and in safeguarding the interests of the most vulnerable.” Mr Salmond later praised the Queen, who rarely intervenes in national politics, for her “gracious remarks”. Meanwhile, our poll today reveals that the referendum is creating new divisions between family and friends, with three in five young people concerned at the impact it is having in their lives. The Survation survey of 1,003 people found the majority of people aged 16 to 24 (60.3 per cent) feel the impending vote is creating new “tension and antagonism” throughout society. It also found that more than half of those planning to vote No in September (53.5 per cent) fear that Scotland will become “irrevocably divided along Nationalist/Unionist lines”. A number of people from all walks of life have appealed for calm in recent weeks, including SNP donors and EuroMillions winners Colin and Chris Weir who complained of receiving “downright nasty” abuse online. So in this important year of referendum we pray that whatever the outcome, people of faith and people of goodwill will work together for the social good of Scotland Her Majesty However, much of the ill will has come from the so-called cybernats – independence supporters who use the Internet to attack anybody who is perceived to be opposed to separation. Scottish Secretary  Alistair Carmichael said: “Some of the debate, particularly online has been ill-tempered to be kind to it, and there’s a lot of ill will in the debate. “I think some of that is inevitable, but if there’s too much of it then we could risk poisoning the well, and I just think that we can’t allow that to happen – myself, Alex Salmond, Nicola Sturgeon, Alistair Darling, Patrick Harvie, whoever has a leading role in the debate.” However, he insisted that he had no fears the ill-feeling would spill over into civil unrest. The Queen’s message also touched on two of the other big events to take place in 2014 – the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. She said: “In this year in which Scotland will host the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, we commend to you those who will come from around the world as competitors and spectators. “We are confident that the church will play its full part in welcoming, supporting and extending the hand of friendship to the diverse peoples of the Commonwealth. “This year the First World War will be remembered, when people around the world are called to commemorate the valour, courage and sacrifice of so many who gave their lives in the many battles that scarred Europe from 1914 to 1918. “As well as being a time of commemoration, we believe that it is a time to pray for the peacemakers of the world, and for a day when nations shall live at peace with one another.” Mr Salmond said he “fully endorsed” Her Majesty’s words and added: “These are typically gracious and considered remarks from Her Majesty the Queen in which she extends a warm welcome to people from around the world to come and enjoy the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. “Her Majesty is also right to highlight the importance of everyone working together for the social good of Scotland, regardless of the outcome of the referendum, which is something I heartily endorse and should be welcomed across the political spectrum. “Her remarks on the First  World War commemoration as a time for rededication to peace were well chosen, as indeed was her praise of the interfaith initiative on credit unions – a practical initiative in which the Church of Scotland is fulfilling its mission to the vulnerable in society.” A spokesman for  Better Together  said: “The Queen is absolutely right that regardless of the outcome of the referendum we all need to come together. “Too often those who get involved in the debate are shouted down and abused because of their views, creating divisions. That isn’t acceptable. “No matter how people vote, we all want what is best for Scotland.”
  22. The Union - an umbrella group comprising six supporters' organisations - had been urging Gers followers to withhold season ticket cash. A company, Ibrox 1972 Ltd, has been set up with South Africa-based businessman Dave King and legendary captain Richard Gough as directors. The Union wanted the club to grant them security over both Ibrox Stadium and Murray Park training ground in return for the money. Wallace admitted last Friday that season ticket renewals had been slow and fears have also been expressed by some about the future of the club. But representatives from the organisation met with Wallace, non-executive director Norman Crighton and major shareholder Sandy Easdale. And Wallace, who has stated in the past that security will not be granted, told them the club could be prepared to give them a legally binding guarantee over Ibrox. However, the Union asked for an identical agreement over the club training ground at Murray Park and the club officials agreed to look into that possibility. But the talks were a huge step towards the bitter stand-off between fans and the club being brought to an end. A Union of Fans statement released on Wednesday night read: "Following a number of attempts for several weeks to arrange a meeting with chief executive Graham Wallace to discuss our proposals for security over Ibrox and Murray Park, the Union of Fans were invited by Mr Wallace to discuss this and other issues at a meeting at Ibrox. "Representatives of the Union of Fans met with Mr Wallace, non-executive director Norman Crighton and Sandy Easdale. "A proposal was made by Mr Wallace that, whilst the board would not grant a security, they could consider giving a legally binding undertaking which would protect Ibrox from sale, sale and leaseback or as any form of security for a loan or other finance. "We made it clear to Mr Wallace that we felt it was also appropriate that they provide the same undertaking for Murray Park. "Mr Wallace and Mr Crighton agreed to discuss this with the rest of the PLC board as a matter or urgency and further discussions between the PLC board and the Union of Fans will continue once this board meeting has taken place. "We believe we accurately conveyed the fears of supporters that either or both of these club assets could be lost to the club in a scenario where they were used for any sale and leaseback or other loan security. "Any proposal by the board will be evaluated by our lawyers and a decision will then be taken on how to move forward. We will keep fans full informed as discussions continue." Rangers did not comment on the meeting. GET RANGERS NEWS ALERTS BY EMAIL
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