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Monday, 21 November 2011 11:21 At a meeting between senior civil servants, police, government department officials and representatives of various supporters trusts it was made clear fans can still change the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications ( Scotland) Bill. Time is running out but the RST urges itâ??s members and supporters to make the effort to contact your MSP (particularly SNP ones) and lobby them to oppose the Bill. You can find your local MSP here - http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msps.aspx Action and debate by fans has already seen all the opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament come out to vote against the Bill due to itâ??s potentially harmful effects on civil liberties. This coming Tuesday the Justice Committee of the parliament will undertake a line-by-line analysis of the Bill and a discussion on the amendments. If you email the members there is still a chance they can include amendments to particular clauses. You can find the members of the Justice Committee here - http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/29845.aspx. This session will be streamed live on the web. The proposed Stage 3 session of the full Parliament is expected to be in December where there will be a substantive vote and the Bill can pass into law and possibly be active by February next year. At the meeting with supporters trust it was clear that the opposition to the Bill has had some effect with the government, for example, offering some concessions to religious groups with amendments to make clear there would be no interference with freedom of expression, robust criticism and the ability to proselytise for converts. However, all the trusts represented remained opposed to the Bill in itâ??s entirety as we regard it as injurious to the civil right of football fans and given the now highly politicised atmosphere around football matches almost any boisterous behaviour inside a football ground will be liable to prosecution on the basis of not just sectarianism but of offensiveness. Allied to that the Bill seeks to lower the level of proof needed with regard to Breach Of The Peace style offenses from a potential of actual public disorder to one merely of the potential to cause â??fear and alarm.â? http://www.rangerssupporterstrust.co.uk/rstsite/latest-rst-news/406-fans-can-still-influence-the-football-bill

MINUTE OF MEETING WITH MR CRAIG WHYTE AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF THE RANGERS SUPPORTERS TRUST. IBROX STADIUM. WEDNESDAY 19TH OCTOBER 2011. SEDERUNT - Craig Whyte, Rangers FC Chairman; Jim Hannah, Rangers FC Liaison Officer. RST - Gordon Dinnie, Acting Chairman, Alison MacLeod, Treasurer; Simon Leslie, Board Member. Mark Dingwall, Board member. FAN REPRESENTATION - As fans are the major investors in RFC the Trust favours looking at mechanisms to give them a real say in the affairs of the club. Chairman is very open to such moves but stressed the club finances are very much subject to the result of the tax case. GERSAVE AND RANGERS CREDIT UNION - Gersave remains a vehicle for investing in the club - subject to the tax case result. The RST intimated that we have been discussing the formation of a Rangers Credit Union and would supply the club with finer details in due course to maximise the benefit to the support as a whole. The chairman was interested in these schemes and would be open to further discussions to the benefit of the support. BLUE ORDER AND UNION BEARS - The Chairman described himself as â??a big supporterâ? of both groups, described them as great for atmosphere and is keen to see their area expanded and to work to improve the atmosphere in all areas of the ground. He takes a personal interest in the groups and has directed staff to work with the groups to resolve any outstanding issues, subject to Health and Safety regulations. ADMINISTRATION OF THE CLUB - The Chairman is 100% committed to protecting the rights of small shareholders in the event of the club going into administration. He does not consider that insolvency is inevitable, but in any case it will be manageable. He stated â??as a Rangers fan it would be as uncomfortable and unpleasantâ? for him as for everyone else but he was confident we would see it through. There is no doubt the club would continue. INWARD INVESTMENT - The Chairman reiterated that he will underwrite the investment of £20m by 2016 - however, he is open to other investment from other major investors and the fans. RESIGNATIONS OF DIRECTORS - The Chairman stated he considered he got on well with both John Greig and John McClelland and he first heard of their resignations when they were reported in the media. He felt that he had not excluded them from decision-making. BBC PROGRAMME - The Chairman considered that allegations put to him so far by the BBC were unfounded and unfair. He is not aware of all of the content of the programme but after viewing he will respond accordingly. He views the BBC Investigates propgramme as part of a pattern of behaviour on behalf of the BBC towards Rangers FC and Rangers fans. Heâ??s astonished that the BBC would produce a programme largely based on internet chitchat and bloggers. MEDIA HANDLING - The Chairman spends more time than he would like defending the clubâ??s reputation but regards it as a very necessary part of his role as it has such a negative effect on the club. He engages with PR advisors, Mediahouse, regularly. Heâ??s very ready to defend both the club and fans from scurrilous attacks. FINANCE - The Chairman regards it as necessary to pursue a twin-track approach in the current climate with both cost cutting and income generation being the keys to financial health. He used the example of Manchester United operations base in London where they engage with major corporations to exploit commercial value. He is actively seeking to establish an office for Rangers in the city of London - he regards the club as a big one and thinks itâ??s time we started acting in a manner befitting one. He also believes Rangers has vast untapped potential. FREEZING OF CASH DUE TO LEGAL PROCEEDINGS - The Chairman conceded this makes life difficult with regard to cash-flow but it will not affect the clubâ??s ability to, for instance, make signings in the January window. THE TAX CASE - The Chairman expects the case to come to a head before Christmas but any outcome would still be subject to appeal. CLUB ACCOUNTS AND CLUB AGM - Chairman reports both on target. CULTURAL ISSUES - The Chairman regards engaging with the fans a priority. In the past many opportunities lost or misfired because of the clubâ??s internal culture being unwelcoming to fans initiatives on both cultural issues and improving the atmosphere inside the ground. He is taking a personal interest in these areas. He stated he would be delighted to consider ideas from fans. LEARNING FROM OTHER CLUBS - The Chairman hopes to visit Hamburg and see for himself how a large fan-owned club like HSV operates. He also believe that the membership system of Portuguese clubs could be worth exploring and which parts of them might be applicable to Scotland. The meeting closed with the Chairman emphasising his commitment to continuing dialogue with fans organsations.

I take it whatever is the subject of discussion and any answers will be available for all fans?,or will it be a need to know basis?.

Wednesday, 12 October 2011 14:09 Earlier this week members of the RST Board met with James Kelly MSP. Mr Kelly is the deputy convener of the Scottish Parliamentâ??s Justice Committee which is considering the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Bill. Mr Kelly and all the non-SNP members of the Justice Committee voted against the Bill citing concerns over free expression being curtailed. The RST put forward the view that the Bill should be voted down in itâ??s entirety as it is flawed and in any case every offence raised in it already exists under Scots Law and the sentencing provisions are draconian but already available to the courts. Mr Kelly is continuing to consult other fans groups and interested parties to help formulate Labour Party policy with regard to the progress of the Bill through the Parliament. The Rangers Supporter Trust asks that itâ??s members and football fans in general oppose the Bill and make their feeling known to their MSPs. If youâ??d like to contribute your thoughts to the Trust please email us - rstinfo@rangerssupporterstrust.co.uk You can find details of your local MSPs on this website - http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msps/177.aspx The Take A Liberty Scotland website has a great range of information about the campaign against the Bill on their website - http://takealiberty.blogspot.com/ http://www.rangerssupporterstrust.co.uk/rstsite/latest-rst-news/397-rst-meet-with-james-kelly-msp

Remember they had one last season. I remember thinking this is what we need, no RST, Assembly etc. Anyone know what happened ??

Whatever people think of the RST or Stephen Smith, and I do not know the lad. this is not on. A piece by Phil MacGobblygook. The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) reacted with horror when they learned that Stephen Smith their Principal Official for ââ?¬Å?Equality and Trainingââ?¬Â Stephen Smith has tried to defend racist chanting by Rangers fans. When I spoke to an NASUWT press officer he had no idea that Smith is currently the public face of the Rangers Supporters Trust (RST). In 2008, at the height of the ââ?¬Å?Famine Songââ?¬Â controversy Stephen Smith, speaking as a representative of the RST, said in an interview with the Sun Newspaper that the reaction to fans singing The ââ?¬Å?Famine Songââ?¬Â was ââ?¬Å?completely over the top.ââ?¬Â http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scot...cle1699672.ece The following year Lord Justice Carloway ruled in the High Court of Justiciary that the ââ?¬Å?Famine songââ?¬Â was indeed racist and aimed at people of Irish heritage in Scotland to go home to Ireland. http://news.stv.tv/scotland/103580-j...ong-is-racist/ In 2009 the union nominated Smith as a judge on the prestigious Anne Frank Awards. When this journalist spoke to Gillian Wallness the charityââ?¬â?¢s CEO she was horrified to find out that the NASUWT nominated judge was defending something like the ââ?¬Å?Famine Songââ?¬Â in his spare time. Mr.Smith is well known to the inhabitants of the planet Scottish Football where he is often the public face of the Rangers Supporters Trust. Only last night (14/04/2011) he was on Sky Sports News discussing with Jim White Rangers most recent bit of European bother. On that interview the Equality Officer posed the question to Jim White: ââ?¬Å?What is racism? What is sectarian? What is offensive?ââ?¬Â I hope Mr.Smith was more confident of these issues when on Thursday 9 July 2009 at the Holiday Inn, Bromsgrove an internal NASUWT document states: "Organising for equalities" Stephen Smith, Principal Official, Equality and Training, ran an interactive session looking at how to organise for equalities using the Equalities Calendar. Delegates were asked to identify a month and come up with ideas and identify the resources they would use and develop an action plan. The feedback discussion included: ââ?¬Â¢ the need to ensure the anti-violence material and events covered all sections of members; ââ?¬Â¢ young membersââ?¬â?¢ engagement in equality; ââ?¬Â¢ younger membersââ?¬â?¢ engagement with the Union; ââ?¬Â¢ broadening the categories of members to ââ?¬Ë?new to teachingââ?¬â?¢; ââ?¬Â¢ anti-semitism and antifascism to include Islamophobia; ââ?¬Â¢ using the Stonewall Spell it out DVD for tackling all forms of bullying. Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT said: ââ?¬Å?The Union has a record second to none in promoting anti-racist policies, defending members against all forms of discrimination and campaigning against racist and fascist organisations. The NASUWT condemns unequivocally any form of racist behaviour. The Unionââ?¬â?¢s rules make clear our anti-racist stance. The Unionââ?¬â?¢s contract of employment and codes of conduct for staff are equally clear on these matters. The NASUWT disassociates itself fully from the ââ?¬Ë?Famine Songââ?¬â?¢ and recognises the judiciaryââ?¬â?¢s view that this song is racist. In light of these reports, the Union will be conducting a thorough investigation into the allegations that have been made.ââ?¬Â Sources inside the union informed me that NASUWT due process should be completed within two weeks. A spokesperson for the NASUWT further added: ââ?¬Å?In response to media interest, Stephen Smith would like to make it clear that he recognises and accepts the judicial findings that what is known as ââ?¬Å?The Famine Songââ?¬Â is illegal and racist. He neither condones nor encourages anyone to sing 'The Famine Song'; and would like to make it clear that he is committed fully to opposing racism in all forms.ââ?¬Â

RANGERS supporters chief Stephen Smith believes being forced to play European matches behind closed doors would be a massive turning point in the Ibrox club's fight against sectarianism. Smith, the secretary of the influential Rangers Supporters Trust, was stunned to learn last night that Uefa have charged the Scottish champions for a second time as a result of their fans' conduct this season. He is deeply unhappy that Football Against Racism Europe - instead of Uefa's official match delegate at the Europa League game against PSV Eindhoven in Glasgow ââ?¬â?? appear to be responsible for this latest action being taken. But he thinks if the Gers are found guilty and do have to play money-spinning European games in empty stadiums it could finally force some supporters to think seriously about their actions. He said: "I think this is a watershed moment. We have got to sort our own act out. Not having done so yet is allowing people who are hostile to Rangers, who have their own agenda, to do things like this. "We have to sit down and reflect on our standing as a 21st century sporting institution. We have to talk to people who think bellowing abuse at the Pope on a match day is an expression of their Protestant faith and is acceptable "I don't think you would find any Protestant clergymen who would agree. They would tell you their faith is about positive aspects of Christianity, not about abusing some German guy who lives in the middle of Rome. "Rangers is a multi-racial, multi-ethnic club now on and off the park. Look at guys like Bobby and Satti Singh (the prominent Glasgow businessmen and diehard Rangers fans). They aren't Protestants, but they are just as passionate about Rangers as I am." Smith feels that for Uefa to punish Rangers for the actions of some of their fans would be excessive and unfair given the great lengths the Ibrox club has gone to stamp out the scourge of sectarianism in recent years. He said: "What more can Rangers reasonably be expected to do? They have done so much to address this problem. Personally, I am now in favour of people being lifted, charged, fined and banned from games. "Uefa punishing Rangers for this would be like pubs being punished for people fighting in the streets or drinks companies like Tennent's and Carling being punished for domestic violence. "Being punished for the actions of away supporters in Europe would be especially harsh. With budget airlines and the internet anybody can travel to watch Rangers. I myself have travelled independently to games on a number of occasions. "Many of the people who are attending away games in Europe purporting to be Rangers fans have no association with the club and patently don't care about it. So it would be hard to ask them to think about their actions no matter what, if any, punishment Uefa deliver." Smith questioned the impartiality of Fare ââ?¬â?? who he revealed have ignored communication from the RST about the racist abuse suffered by El Hadji Diouf at the hands of Celtic fans since he moved to Scotland on loan in January. He said: "We have written to that organisation twice over the last month and a half. "The first time we sent them You Tube footage of the Celtic support collectively abusing El Hadji Diouf. Then we sent them a report into the Celtic fan who made monkey chants at Diouf. "We asked them to comment on that and have not received any reply. They know who we are and where to get us. The fact they haven't been anywhere near us indicates they are working to a different agenda and are being manipulated." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/editor-s-picks/watershed-fans-chief-calls-for-end-to-chants-that-have-gers-in-uefa-dock-1.1096560

The RST finally says something worthwhile ..... has there been another night of the long knives and real Rangers supporters have taken over.... Copied from post on VB The Board of the Rangers Supporters’ Trust offers unequivocal backing for Martin Bain, the Rangers Chief Executive, in his attempt to bring some sanity and balance to hysterical nonsense around the Scottish Cup tie on 2 March at Celtic Park. We also have serious concerns about Neil Ginger-toothed Bigot’s actions in the first half of this game* and cannot understand why no action was taken against Ginger-toothed Bigot either by match officials or the SFA for i) leaving his own technical area; ii) for intruding on the Rangers technical area, or; iii) for deliberate provocation. If the alleged contact between Diouf and the Celtic physiotherapist was such an issue for Mr Ginger-toothed Bigot, why did he not raise this with the 4th official standing about four feet away from him? We consider that the management team at Celtic FC are out of control and in our view this is evidenced by Mr Ginger-toothed Bigot’s previous behaviour at Tannadice and at Tynecastle, for which he received a four match ban. What we consider to be premeditated provocation and incitement of Rangers players and staff was continued last Wednesday evening in the tunnel in Celtic Park after the half time whistle in scenes captured on Sky television. We are also in possession of documentary evidence from Strathclyde Police Chief Superintendent Andrew Bates, referring to Neil Ginger-toothed Bigot’s provocative gestures towards the West Enclosure and Main Stand during the game at Ibrox on 6 February, stating that: “The alleged conduct of the Celtic manager, Neil Ginger-toothed Bigot, was noted by my ground commander and highlighted to the match referee at half time and at the conclusion of the match. In my view as match commander it was entirely appropriate for the match referee to include the circumstances of the alleged incident to the Scottish Football Association for their consideration as part of this match report.” If the referee and the SFA had acted on this, perhaps the Celtic management team would have behaved more responsibly? This incident was immediately followed by an alleged incident between the Celtic manager and El Hadji Diouf, Steven Naismith and Vladimir Weiss in the tunnel after half time, an incident which had a direct bearing on what happened on 2 March. We are now asking Rangers to reveal precisely what took place and why this had such a major effect on subsequent events. All the incidents cited above are at the very least cause for concern and we therefore call on the SFA to conduct a meaningful and thorough investigation into these issues as soon as practicable. Stephen Smith Chairman, Rangers Supporters' Trust

Good to see the boys at RST have found something to occupy themselves while the club falls apart. "The heart of the club"? And some people say irony is dead.

RST Chairman "Boycott of Lloyds can't be ruled out" 07 January by therabbitt Speaking to the BBC on the subject of Walter Smith's comments regarding the controlling influence of the bank on Rangers, RST chairman Stephen Smith was pointed in his criticism of Lloyds. Rangers are currently being held at gunpoint by Lloyds and Smith intimated that the sooner the clubs hands are untied, the better. "The sooner Lloyds are disentangled from the running of Rangers Football Club the better. I'm as worried now as I was last year when the manager felt strongly enough to publicly criticise the bank's role. Echoing the managers sentiments, the RST chairman discussed the fact that with successes in the Champions League, it would be expected that Lloyds wouldnt be holding such a stern view on the finances of the club, "We've had a successful Champions League campaign, we're guaranteed at least two more European games, yet there has still been no change in attitude from Lloyds. We're challenging for four competitions and that's why the size of the squad is a concern." In a more barbed comment, Smith backed up his managerial namesake, chosing to brand the banks treatment of the club as being 'vindictive', "If the manager's saying we need help, why are Lloyds behaving in such a vindictive way towards Rangers?" Signalling the RST's intent, Smith then refused to rule out that if the situation isn't improved, then the RST would consider finding a way to take action against the bank, "If that begins to materially affect Rangers on the park, we will certainly look to take action to try to change that. "Getting the Rangers family involved in a boycott of Lloyds Bank can't be ruled out." http://www.rangersmedia.co.uk/homepage/index.php/component/content/article/41-finances/895-rst-qboycott-of-lloyds-cant-be-ruled-outq.html

http://www.rangerssupporterstrust.co.uk/rstsite/

Martin Bain says "supporters groups" have "flagged up worries over the conduct of some fans". This appears to refer to certain songs being sung but our Chief Exec doesn't seem able to add facts to vague accusations. Which songs and .... more importantly, which supporters groups. Take your pick, is the Assembly admonishing it's own members or is the team that brought you Andrew Messiah Ellis now exacting revenge by grassing up the hard core fan? Or does "supporters group" now include any sanctimonious twat with a pen and a stamp? Why on earth did Martin ?Bain feel compelled to raise this particular issue at this time? Every cheap tabloid arse wipe is focussing on this today and deflecting from everything the team is achieving. Thanks Bain, you muppet.

Is there any truth that the new Treasurer elect for the trust , Alison Mueller , is in fact a very old friend of a certain Mark Dingwall .And if this is in fact the case doesn't this seem a wee it too close to home considering the recent debacle over his "forgetful" episode .

I would like to thank everyone who has taken the trouble to post comments on the two statements that I published here on Sunday night, whether you have agreed with me or not. The purpose of publishing the statements on here was to have the informed debate that did not take place at the AGM and I believe that that has now been achieved. I have made my reasons for not signing the accounts and resigning as Secretary absolutely clear and I have done my best to answer the relevant questions that have arisen. However, in the light of the RST statement I will not be answering any more questions on these threads. I will make a further statement on the RST statement before the end of the week.

I have spent the greater part of the past two ââ?¬â?? maybe three days in an attempt to understand thepolitics of the whole RST / FF / RM/ GNF / VB issue. I must admit that throughout my lifetime I have been a distant (geographically) but very enthusiastic supporter, and never in touch with the mainstream supporters groups, although I was instrumental in the formation and early organisation of one such SC in my local area. I have been a member of FF since 2006, joining because I had time on my hands in my camp rooms, and it was the one forum that I knew about ââ?¬â?? and for no other reason. I may just as easily have joined any other forum and enjoyed it as muchââ?¬Â¦.itââ?¬â?¢s just the way I went. My 700 odd messages in that period have mostly been in the last year. I will state that I know personally only one other FF poster, and we have never discussed FF in conversation, so I cannot be regarded as part of any clique, and I have no similar aims to anyone as far as I am aware ââ?¬â?? Iââ?¬â?¢m just me. No-one set me up to this ââ?¬â?? Iââ?¬â?¢m just getting frustrated with the lack of progress the RST are making with their agenda. I wholly support the visions of the RST and have been a member for the past two years, building up a humble monthly sum for the RST to invest on my behalf when the opportunity looks a bit brighter. So, thatââ?¬â?¢s me in a nutshell ââ?¬â?? Iââ?¬â?¢m not brave enough yet to give my name away, and I donââ?¬â?¢t intend writing a book . In the past three days, just to try to get a view from outside of FF I have joined Rangers Media and GersNetForums and have read their threads regarding the subject and yes, at times I do detect a feeling of animosity toward FF and their close relationship with the RST ââ?¬â?? and possibly because of their closer relationship with the RST. In the heat of the day, it was a struggle to reach the end of any thread, the comments were coming in as fast as I could read them, but I persevered in the hope that I would reach some conclusion as to where we, as the Rangers Support could go in the hope that some day, somehow, we can set our differences regarding Football Forums aside and really concentrate on what should be a common issue for all to concentrate on ââ?¬â?? HOW CAN WE BEST ACHIEVE OUR COMMON GOAL OF DELIVERING RANGERS FOOTBALL CLUB INTO THE HANDS OF THE REAL ââ?¬Ë?OWNERSââ?¬â?¢ THE SUPPORTERS! I believe that the start has already been made, by the formation of the Rangers Supporters Trust. Before anyone gets upset, I will agree that some work needs to be done to get the RST into a position where it will achieve exactly what it needs, the wholehearted support of the majority of supporters to go forward and to achieve itââ?¬â?¢s already well structured plan of deliverance. So how can we go about this? Firstly, we need to put to bed the present quarrels and bitching. I believe that the RST have answered the recent questions regarding the accounts adequately, (to which the Auditors have agreed) although even they have admitted that bad practices had been allowed to go on. Although not illegal, these have encouraged this recent feeding frenzy to overindulge in claim and counterclaim simply because of slack management of the financial day to day running of the club. It has done nothing for the reputation of the RST, and it must go down as a lesson learned for all future financial dealings, both inward and outward. They must be seen to be absolutely squeaky clean, otherwise they will never earn our trust. Hopefully the recently recruited CA will add the professionalism that is required to well and truly close that door. Next, we need to build bridges between the completely unnecessary divides between the various supporters / internet forum groups. I understand that this will be the most difficult task, but I donââ?¬â?¢t believe that the RST can function from a position of strength whithout a coming together of the mindsets of all of these groups. The present divisions seem to be the restriction that has held the RST back now for too many years, they all know it, but they will just not let go of their own little empires to allow the RST to flourish. Who can do this? In my opinion, there is no other choice, this has to be driven forward by the RST themselves. First they need to break down any barrier which may be seen to deter individuals (or groups) from giving them their support, and by this I mean that the RST should not be seen to favour one group more than the other, i.e. it should not make use of FF any more than it makes use of any other forum. A strong RST should be able to create a forum of its own, and Iââ?¬â?¢m sure that, in a new position of strength, volunteer moderators could be found to support itââ?¬â?¢s running, and it should turn out to be the most used Rangers Forum bar none. That is not to say that the other forums will die, they will be just as necessary as they are now. As a side issue, why do these forum groups not form a forum users group to encourage regular communication in trying to resolve the cross forum sniping, and to set up rules to disencourage members in participating in such activity. Do it ââ?¬â?? you are holding us all back! In my brief encounter in another forum I was astounded by the vicious attack on one FF regular who owned up to being such ââ?¬â?? it was a disgrace coming from not only a fellow supporter, but also several others who decided to jump on the bandwagon. So what next? Once this has been seen to be achieved, under the present committee the RST should relaunch its objectives and invite members and non members to an open meeting to discuss a way forward with a spirit of unity ââ?¬â?? and this point should be stressed. This would need a strong, independent and respected chairperson (would Donald Finlay?) and strict rules to be followed by all in attendanceââ?¬Â¦.the opening of the meeting could be used to insist on a code of conduct so that everyone can understand the limitations of involvement. The RST should plan an agenda to discuss targets that they want to achieve at the meeting, but also allow discussion from the floor, from individuals who may see other avenues of approach and perhaps be able to forward new ideas. Bitching about past issues should be quickly stepped onââ?¬Â¦.future, future, future should be the only topic ââ?¬â?? bar none. The committee structure should be included in discussion, perhaps allowing willing enthusiasts to be co-opted for a certain unity building period, settling back to a more manageable committee number once their troublesome period has well and truly been put to rest ââ?¬â?? say two years. So, in theory, if handled properly this should inject a new sense of enthusiasm into the supporters, a new united RST, still under the stewardship of the old committee, but with the next AGM not too far away to give any potential future committee members the opportunity to shine. They should have more willing helpers wanting to get involved in organising information events throughout the country to build again and again on the stronger foundation than existed previously. Perhaps this is an over simplistic view from someone who does not really understand the politics that goes on in the real world of Rangers Supporters. In my view, it is the logical way to go forward, and I for one am desperate for that to happen before another Mr Ellis appears. Sometimes I wish I lived in or near Glasgow so that I could get involved in things like the RST, I have a lot of energy for things that I love. However I can now reflect on Mr Edgars experiences and be thankful that I live somewhere safe from threats of death or injuryââ?¬Â¦.the Middle East!

I believe it is time that someone clarified exactly what has been going on with the financial affairs of Rangers Supporters Trust (RST). The Board of RST had an opportunity to make full disclosure of the matters that I will explain below in the Accounts or at the AGM last Sunday, 19 September 2010. They failed to take either of these opportunities. I was elected to the Board of RST at the 2009 AGM and appointed as Secretary on 13 February 2010. I resigned as Secretary on 12 August 2010. I remain a member of the Board. It is the Secretaryââ?¬â?¢s duty to sign the Accounts on behalf of the Board. I refused to sign the Accounts for the year ended 5 April 2010. I had prepared a statement to read at the AGM but the Acting Chair refused to let me read it out. I asked RST to publish that statement on Thursday of this past week but they refused because the final version of the auditorââ?¬â?¢s management letter differs from the one quoted in my statement. I have kept my own counsel on these matters since the AGM but now feel compelled to make these matters known because I consider it my duty as a Director: 1. To explain to the members what happened to their money. 2. To clarify and correct some ambiguous and inaccurate comments that the current Treasurer, Christine Somerville (plgsarmy) has made on this web site. 3. To explain why I resigned as Secretary. Other than Christine I do not know the identity of anyone on this site. The only reason that I am posting this statement on this site is that last Tuesday a friend drew my attention to the thread about the RST AGM. Since then I have become increasingly frustrated by the speculation surrounding these events and my role in them. As RST have refused to publish my statement I will publish it on a separate thread. This will explain the reason for my resignation as Secretary. However you may be interested in the background to these events. At a meeting with the auditors that I attended on 4 August 2010 along with the Treasurer, Christine Somerville and the Treasurer elect, Alison Mueller, Christine stated that sometime between September and November 2008, two cheques were issued to RST by followfollow.com totalling Ã?£2,690. These cheques bounced. The monies were not fully repaid (bar Ã?£30 still outstanding at the financial year end) until March 2010. This means that followfollow.com had a free loan of Trust monies for the best part of 18 months. Christine has stated in a post on this web site ââ?¬Å?it was paid off, the majority a few months laterââ?¬Â. This would depend on your definition of ââ?¬Å?a few monthsââ?¬Â. In fact none of the debt had been paid off by 5 April 2009. Christine has also stated in another post on this web site ââ?¬Å?However, to be clear, this was not a loan, interest free or otherwise. Knowing the circumstances, our auditors were very clear about that.ââ?¬Â Christine is mistaken. The auditors categorised the debt as a loan in their management letter of 10 August 2010 and did so again (twice) when RST put my AGM statement to them this week. The auditors are correct. In fact the first draft of the Auditorââ?¬â?¢s management letter issued on 9 August 2010 referred only to: ââ?¬Â¢ Losses on functions. ââ?¬Â¢ Lack of control over expenditure. ââ?¬Â¢ Failure to maintain an up to date share register. In my opinion as Secretary the debt gave rise to breaches of Rule 6 regarding the application of our profits and Rules 74 & 75 which refer to conflicts of material financial interest. In the circumstances, I was very surprised that the auditors had not even mentioned the debt and other important matters in their letter so I sent them an email on 9 August 2010 in which I reminded them of: "ââ?¬Â¢ Income & Expenditure being received and paid by outside organisations e.g. Erskine Appeal, Sam English Committee, Follow Follow. ââ?¬Â¢ The high number of cash transactions and instances where cash income is not banked at all but used to make payments. ââ?¬Â¢ The difficulty of allocating income from incomplete records - all income should be banked by the Treasurer in my opinion. ââ?¬Â¢ The debt from unpaid cheques last year, which as far as I can understand arose from some combination of the first two factors mentioned above, which means that there were breaches of Rule 6, 74 & 75 at least until the debt(s) were cleared this year." I copied this email to Christine and Alison and neither responded to me. The auditors stated that they were happy to include the additional points and revised their draft to include comments on all these matters as set out in the Statement that I was not allowed to read at the AGM. I attached a copy of the auditorââ?¬â?¢s revised draft to the resignation email that I sent to all members of the Board on 12 August 2010. On Thursday last, the Interim Secretary advised me that subsequently the auditors dropped the reference to the loan in the final version of their letter based on the legal advice received by the Board. I have asked for sight of the legal advice but this has not been forthcoming. They also dropped all references to the cash transactions; no explanation has been given for that, so one can only speculate as to the reasons for the auditors actions in that respect. It should be noted that the Auditorââ?¬â?¢s Report issued with the Accounts states that in their opinion the financial statements give a true and fair view of the Societyââ?¬â?¢s affairs as at 5 April 2010. I hope I have clarified these matters but I will do my best to answer any further questions that arise. There are some other inaccuracies and questions posed in the RST AGM thread that I will try to answer as well. Alan S Harris 26 September 2010.

I have slightly abridged my AGM statement [where indicated] below for the sake of brevity since some of the matters are covered in greater detail on the other thread I have just posted about the financial affairs of RST. RANGERS SUPPORTERS TRUST AGM 19 SEPTEMBER 2010 STATEMENT BY ALAN S HARRIS As Secretary of the Trust at the Financial Year end and at the time of the audit it was my responsibility to sign the accounts on behalf of the Board. I am an Independent Financial Adviser by profession and both I and my business are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). I am also a Director of Supporters Direct (SD) which is the umbrella organisation for Supporters Trusts. The auditors of RST drew attention to a debt of �£2,690 arising from bounced cheques issued by followfollow.com. This means that the Trustâ��s money, your money from your contributions and events, effectively was lent to followfollow.com. That loan was outstanding in whole or in part during most of our last two financial years. This was known to the Chair, the Vice Chair and the Treasurer but the Board were never informed. The auditors pointed out that our Rules, which determine our objectives, do not allow for making loans to third parties and that as a result there were breaches of various Rules. The auditors stated furthermore that breaching these Rules could lead to action being taken by the FSA or our taxable status being challenged by the Revenue. In other words by making the loan we could become taxable on our income. In addition to followfollow.com, the Trust received and paid income on behalf of other third parties such as the Erskine Appeal, Sam English Committee and for some reason that I donâ��t understand we also had monies owing to the Student Loan Company. The auditors [abridged] (stated) there was no documented reconciliation to ensure that only income received was in fact repaid to third parties; [abridged] this could lead to wrong amounts being paid and expenses not being recouped from third parties; the possibility of inaccurate accounts; and an increased likelihood of errors or misappropriations. My professional standing and integrity are very important to me. Indeed it was as a result of my standing in the financial services community that earlier this year I was able to introduce the solicitors who were (said to be) acting for the richest man in Scotland who was considering underwriting our bid for the Club. I took the view that if I had signed the Accounts I would be putting my professional standing at risk by condoning the mismanagement and irregularities disclosed in the audit. Furthermore, I was not prepared to jeopardise my own business authorisation by being associated with breaches of Rules that the auditors said could result in action being taken by the FSA. Therefore I was not prepared to sign the Accounts and in the circumstances concluded that I should resign as Secretary which I did on 12 August. Some people have asked why I did not resign from the Board at the same time. Certainly that was my original intention. There were two reasons why I did not do so: 1. Several Board members urged me to remain on the Board arguing that they would then be well placed to ensure that the Board acted responsibly by implementing my financial management proposals and ensuring that others stood down; but more importantly, 2. I wanted to ensure that if necessary I was in a position to make these facts known to the members especially all of you have taken the time to be here today. Of course it is for you the members to decide the best way forward for the Trust. For my part I am glad to have had the opportunity to serve as Secretary of RST and I am proud of my contribution. During my time on the Board and six months as secretary I re-wrote the Rules of Gersave and wrote a set of Financial Management Proposals including requirements to have budgets and controls over income and expenditure. I made a significant contribution to the Acquisition Proposal for the Club that we drew up in March. Lastly I introduced an election procedure based on SD best practice. At all times I have acted in the best interests of the Trust and the wider trust movement which I now serve as Director of Supporters Direct. SD are aware of my resignation and the reasons for it and have indicated that they feel I have acted with propriety. Alan S Harris

David Edgar on death threats A RANGERS fan club boss told last night how he quit his post after receiving terrifying death threats - from GERS supporters. David Edgar revealed that after he criticised the club's board last year he was warned he'd be attacked if he was seen at Ibrox. One sick fan even posted a package of maggot-covered rotting meat to his home. Shaken Edgar, 32, spoke frankly about his ordeal only days after he resigned as spokesman for Rangers Supporters Trust (RST). And the Gers diehard admitted he suffered a nervous breakdown after leading calls for a fans' takeover at Ibrox. He also hit the bottle as his marriage to wife Lisa, 32, fell apart. Edgar became the public face of the We Deserve Better Campaign, which the RST launched in January 2009 after a string of poor on-the-pitch results and dire financial predictions at Ibrox. Now, in his new book 21st Century Blue, Edgar tells how he was singled out by raging fans. He said: "I received some death threats. Worst of all, they were from fellow Gers. "Stuff arrived in the post graphically depicting what would happen to me if I didn't shut my mouth." Edgar said the threats started after he took up his RST post. He said: "I'd be sent letters threatening to kill me, with cut- up newspaper headlines spelling out the words. "Another time someone sent a package of meat and maggots to my house - with a note saying, 'Next time you see this, it will be your insides'. "And when we started the We Deserve Better campaign things stepped up again and became more sinister. I would get verbal attacks whenever I went to Ibrox - and a text message said that if I was spotted around the club, I would be attacked." Edgar claims Rangers chiefs also turned on him. He said: "The club went on the attack, launching a full-on assault on me personally. I was called a glory hunter and was cited as the reason for things being wrong with the club." The football fanatic, from Ayrshire, admits he turned to drink to cope with the pressure and his crumbling marriage. He said: "My life fell apart. I split up from my wife and suffered a breakdown. The constant stress definitely had an effect. "I was drinking to excess every day. Wine, whisky and lager - I got caught up in binge boozing. "I told a doctor how much I was guzzling and he just shook his head. I realised I had to give up or I was going to DIE." Now, after losing three stone in weight and resigning from the RST, the dad-of-one has a new partner and says: "I am sober, happy and settled." But memories of that turbulent time will stay with him. He told how Rangers owner Sir David Murray summoned him to a face- to-face meeting at his plush Edinburgh HQ last year. The showdown came after he attacked the tycoon in a radio interview. Edgar recalled: "As I walked in, Murray was on a telephone barking commands, but he motioned for me to sit down. "When he'd finished, he said, 'That's me just concluded a �£25million deal. That's the kind of thing I do in a day.' I'd like to say I was nonchalant but this was a new world to me. "I just wanted us to be a bit better at set-pieces, for crying out loud." Edgar also uses his book to defend Paul Gascoigne, 43, over an incident at an Old Firm match in 1998 when the Gers legend pretended to play a flute. Gazza was fined by Rangers at the time and widely criticised for stirring up sectarianism. But Edgar says: "He mimicked an Orange Order flautist. "As far as I know, the Orange Order is not an illegal organisation. So what's the problem?" Edgar also slags off the home grounds of Gers' biggest rivals, referring to Celtic Park as "The Potato Bowl" and "Girodome". And turning to Aberdeen FC's stadium, he states: "Going to Pittodrie just isn't a pleasant experience in a, 'I hope I don't have to touch anything in this place and get home without contracting rabies' kind of fashion. It's an absolute s***hole." Last night a source close to Edgar said: "His book will get under the skin of a lot of people - that's what David intended. He feels he was treated badly by people at his beloved Rangers." 21st Century Blue: Being A Bear In The Modern World, will be published next month by DB Publishing, priced �£12.99 http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/scot...x-torment.html

The number of people it would take to gain control of the RST (assuming the high end estimate of approx 1500 members) 993 gives you a minimum of 51% of the vote. If people actually care about the RST but dont see it getting better, why not put our ten spots together and join as a group. we can elect the board we want and take it from there. The jump in membership would be a great help to the trust and if you complain that you wont join because it doesnt suit you, you can change it. it is easy for us to sit here bitching and doing nothing about it.

What momentous new achievements will be mulled over, what great goals embarked upon, as our leaders and betters gather tomorrow? Which chums will be co-opted this time? Squeezed as it is between the papal visit and the Lib Dem conference, I nearly forgot all about it. Breath duly bated in anticipation.

Taken from the Manchester Evening News - more idiocy from the RST, whose 'retiring' spokesperson apparently hasn't yet heard of that famous Rangers phrase "No Surrender". Why don't these people just go away quietly. Fears of a mass invasion of Rangers fans for next weekââ?¬â?¢s clash with United look to be wide of the mark ââ?¬â?? with the Glasgow club failing to sell all its tickets. The Scottish outfit were given 3,700 seats for the high-profile encounter at Old Trafford. But the M.E.N can reveal that HUNDREDS remained unsold yesterday, with just three days until Tuesdayââ?¬â?¢s Champions League clash. That news will come as a shock because tickets for the so-called ââ?¬Ë?Battle of Britainââ?¬â?¢ were expected to sell quickly north of the border. Greater Manchester Police launched a massive security operation ahead of the match after Rangers fans rioted on their last visit to the city in 2008 for the Uefa Cup Final. Piccadilly Gardens was turned into a battleground as hundreds went on the rampage when a screen showing the match broke down before kick- off. On that occasion more than 100,000 ticket-less fans flocked to Manchester for the match. Rangers officials admitted they had failed to sell their ticket allocation for Tuesdayââ?¬â?¢s tie ââ?¬â?? but would not confirm how many were still going spare. However, a source told the M.E.N a ââ?¬Ë?substantial percentageââ?¬â?¢ were unsold. David Edgar, of the Rangers Supporters Trust, said many fans had not bought tickets because they feared they might be ââ?¬Ë?a target for retributionââ?¬â?¢. He said: ââ?¬Å?Itââ?¬â?¢s nothing to do with the people of Manchester who were nothing but friendly. ââ?¬Å?There is a lot of resentment up here towards GMP, who we think fibbed their way out of what happened in 2008. And to get on a long bus journey to be corralled, surrounded by stewards and police, to have to watch what you are saying, itââ?¬â?¢s just not an attractive proposition. ââ?¬Å?Rangers fans are realists. Weââ?¬â?¢re not going to win so we would be better off spending our money on going to the Valencia game.ââ?¬Â Police have so far received no intelligence to suggest thousands of fans will travel down from Scotland without tickets. Rangers supporters who do come to Manchester will be subject to a large-scale security operation. Tickets will only be given to supporters when they board coaches from a holding area at Wiganââ?¬â?¢s DW Stadium on the day of the match. And some 250 extra police officers have been drafted in to ensure there is no trouble. Alcohol exclusion zones will be set up and a record number of staff will be monitoring events on city centre CCTV cameras.

Rangers Supporters Trust and Newcastle United Trust -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This weekend sees a series of events to tie in with the game against Newcastle United this coming Saturday. SUPPORTERS MATCH This weekend will see the Trusts play one another at football, jointly welcome a group of Royal Marines to Ibrox and have a NUST Board member describe their experiences at a meeting on Sunday. The Newcastle United Supporters Trust (NUST) has accepted an invitation from the Rangers Supporters Trust (RST) to join them in a members football kick-about of our own at the Ibrox Complex prior to the friendly match on August 7th followed by hospitality in the Wee Rangers Club. The supporters match kicks off at 9am. The ââ?¬Å?bigââ?¬Â Rangers/NUFC game is a 1pm kick off. The Training complex is situated adjacent to the main stand at Ibrox and the Wee Rangers Club can be located just next to the stadium at the end given over to away supporters and in the words of RST "is a fantastic venue for pre and post match drinks, they serve food and kids are welcome and downstairs they have a Rangers /party DJ on entertaining the crowds". The game is kindly sponsored by The Captainââ?¬â?¢s Armband memorabilia shop at 261 High Street, Glasgow - http://www.thecaptainsarmband.com ROYAL MARINES TO BE GUEST OF THE TRUST 20 Royal Marines from 45 Commando will be guests of the Trust in the Wee Rangers Club before and after the match. Learning of the visit Rangers Football Club stepped in and has made available 20 free tickets for the troops from the True Colours scheme. The lads - including a contingent of Geordies! - will be housed in the Broomloan Road stand for the game. NEWCASTLE TRUST MEETING IN GLASGOW On Sunday morning Steve Hastie from NUST will address a meeting in the Wee Rangers Club at 11am before heading down the road. Steve will explain the background to the formation of NUST, how it operates and how it has managed to sign up 33,000 members on the net. Like Rangers, Newcastle have a major shareholder willing to sell but unable to move on ownership so there are a lot of lessons Bears can learn from the Geordies. Admittance is free and open to all interested Rangers and Newcastle fans whether they are signed-up Trust members or not.

Hope it's okay to post this. This is a way to bring some much needed income into the club as well as ensure that as many of our Armed Forces as possible get the opportunity to watch the Rangers. http://www.rangerssupporterstrust.co.uk/rstsite/ The Rangers Supporters� Trust fully supports the Club and the Rangers Supporters Assembly in this wonderful new scheme which will help not only bring additional revenue to the Club but will reward the brave men and women in our Armed Forces. To this end, we are delighted to announce that the RST will pledge two of our season tickets to support it. We would, however, like to go further than that. We are aware that many people can�t afford a full season ticket but might want to make a gesture to show support for the initiative. We have set up a Paypal link to collect contributions from individuals and the total collected will be spent on buying season tickets for the True Colours Initiative. The names of all contributors will be passed onto the Club and the Assembly, or you can remain anonymous if you wish. Please donate as little or as much as you can afford and help show that we truly are the people.

Eight vacancies available if anyone is interested in joining the Trust board. Pretty certain a few of these 'Rule 64' resignations will be re-applying but with David Edgar definitely resigning, there will be a few places available for those who fancy a stint on the Trust board.

Felt it was unfair to blame only the Trust in the other thread so have expanded upon my thoughts here... The Failure of the Fans Groups In light of the ownership debacle at Rangers and the continuing supporter frustration over our finances and long term planning, is it about time we, the supporters, examined our own representative vehicles and ask ourselves if they're doing the job they were set-up to do? Before I begin, undoubtedly some people will see elements of this article as unfair criticism or as some sort of attack on individuals/other websites but I'd like to refute that immediately as the criticisms within also apply to my own time as a board member of the RST and, thus, my own failings. I'd like to also make clear these complaints don't just apply to one specific organisation but all the groups that purport to represent us. First of all, I find it astounding that in the last year or two the profile and active membership of these groups has not increased when one examines the various ongoing issues surrounding the club. Unfortunately, these groups don't seem to accept this or, if they do, lack the humility and vision to take steps to address it. For every excellent initiative they do have (e.g. GersPride, NARSA conventions, fan forums and the recent Trust family day), there are many more opportunities that seem to be ignored. It is clear the bulk of Rangers fans are not interested in becoming active members and there must be various reasons why. We can speculate and, while apathy is the main valid argument, there must also be a reason for this apathy when there remains a clear and present danger to our club's future. Of course two titles on the trot will be enough for many fans to gloss over our financial challenges. But most bears I speak to - and certainly large amounts online - are frustrated enough with the situation and are exasperated with the club's attitude towards the fans. They demand improvement. Therefore, there does appear enough people interested in supporters representation to make an independent group such as the Trust especially viable. But the groups themselves seem to lack the ability to turn interest into members and/or projects for everyone to place their weight behind. As such, it is all too easy for the club to ignore very fair statements such as the one the RST made yesterday. At GersPride last year, I believe the Trust board members talked about unity and leadership. Sure, they may have a reasonable working relationship with the Assembly and Association but what is coming from this other than the prevarication that there is no fan division when challenged about this unfortunate byproduct of past arguments? Not much unfortunately. I remain a huge supporter of fan involvement in the club - especially from an independent viewpoint, free from official constraints. After all a strong Trust would mean a stronger fan-base and, despite my own past problems with the organisation, I believe there remains enough talent within it to find improvement and deliver genuine representation to our support. Unfortunately, it is also clear that it is being held back from doing the proper outreach work it needs to achieve its goals. I certainly don't envy the work required to address that - after all, some of the criticism we see is unfair, overly strong and far too personal - but if the Trust really wants to grow, then brave faces must be put and true leadership must occur. The same applies to the other organisations who struggle to even gain the profile of the shareholder-based group. The Trust and the Assembly certainly have a solid base from which to build from. They have easily accessible websites, reasonable finance, plenty of interest and tens of thousands of fans to aim for online and offline. They even have a captive audience of 50,000 people at Ibrox every other week. Add in NARSA, ORSA and all the RSCs then the market is huge - even if I appreciate not always easy (or cheap) to tap into. Why then do we not see them step beyond the confines of Follow Follow (in the case of the Trust) often enough or the BlueNose.co.uk (in the case of the Assembly)? I don't just mean reps visiting other sites and collating information/floating ideas but regular offline meetings to share information and explore strategies together. I'd pay a tenner to help fund either of the organisations willing to go to their members for input. I'd pay more if some sort of socios project can be explored. Almost one year on since I submitted the STS project (itself far from perfect obviously) to the club and fan groups, the Assembly have had one such meeting at Ibrox for selected fans. The Trust have had GersPride which was open to all. Both were interesting and welcome events which had the potential to be repeated regularly - even on a smaller scale to reduce costs. Such meetings need to be more often, more accessible and debate opened up on their own websites (and beyond) to really involve their members. Even better if they could involve credible people within the support - such as club figures, former players, successful businessmen and celebrities. Only then will fans find the transparency and pro-activeness that may catalyse their own interest and make them feel like they're actually members of something instead of just numbers attempting to justify their existence and/or club budget. Indeed, for no large, public fans meeting to have been organised in light of recent events this year is nothing short of negligence by all the fan organisations. Imagine the momentum and pressure that could have been built up if a few of these had happened? Imagine the divisions that could have been healed by olive branches being offered by those elected to lead? Imagine the genuine information that could have been shared to avoid rumours and scaremongering that has blighted our recent title win? This was the ideal opportunity to build and improve. Has this open goal been missed? It is clear that supporters representation remains a key component of any club improvement in the coming years. Our unmatched annual investment is recognised by the club and yet we can't seem to formalise it - despite the promises of the esrtwhile chairman a few years back. That is a promise the supporters groups have not pressured on him to deliver. Probably because they realise deep down, they lack the ability to do so because they are so flawed themselves in so much that they don't have the clear backing of enough fans. Therefore, the current outreach activities of a few (often overly defensive) reps posting conflicting information on one chosen forum and the official reps of another group not even contributing to their online community, is hardly conductive to increasing memberships and influence therein. Sure, some websites may not make themselves attractive for constructive debate giving such reps convenient excuses not to take part, so the critics themselves are not free of blame. But when one suggests they can represent and lead, such challenges should be overcome when looking at the bigger picture. Yet still, the participation in our supporters groups appears to be at an all-time low despite the obvious problems at our club. That doesn't make sense and must be examined - no matter if the answers aren't easy to admit. Unfortunately, as it stands, I see little evidence of supporters led change outwith the usual soundbites in the media. I want to be proved wrong. To that end, one must ask do these organisations even want an active membership? Or are our supporters groups as inaccessible and unrepresentative as the club they regularly complain about? We deserve better.