Then. Now. Forever.

[Steve1872 4]

RANGERS then, Rangers now, Rangers forever. Six simple words which currently roar across the Copland Stand and make it very clear and easy for people to understand.

 

 

When the club’s official Twitter account issued a message late yesterday afternoon saying there had been an alteration within Ibrox, it sparked much speculation about what it could be.

 

As fans poured into the ground and took in the image above, it’s fair to say it hit the spot and now the hope is it gets the message across to others who seemingly refuse to believe it.

 

If the last six months have shown us anything, it is how agenda-driven the opinions of some of those involved in Scottish football are.

 

That’s stating the obvious to an extent, of course, but the way many have put their thoughts across has still been eye-opening at times.

 

On one hand you’ve had Light Blues supporters preaching to anyone who will listen that their club remains the same one which has won a world record 115 major honours.

 

On the other, there have been several bashing Gers with whatever proverbial stick they can find and maintaining they will effectively die when the old company is liquidated.

 

The reasons for each argument have been obvious. Rangers fans want the club to retain its glorious history and keep adding to it while followers of others lust for it to be ripped away.

 

It’s a sad reflection of where we are in this day and age that the country’s most successful sporting institution has so many desperate to bring it to its knees in times of strife.

 

We never saw such venom in England when the likes of Leeds United, Middlesbrough, Rotherham United and Bournemouth hit financial difficulties. Instead, people wanted to help.

 

Factually, it’s the Rangers supporters who are correct in the debate over whether it is a new club or not. It’s not, even if it is owned by a new company.

 

That was confirmed when the Light Blues’ assets – the stadium, training ground, car park, staff and players - were transferred from the old business in June.

 

Also moving from one to the other was Gers’ history, thus ensuring it continues seamlessly under the latest parent firm and doesn’t grind to an abrupt halt.

 

The SFA’s granting of a transfer of membership to the new company – rather than the issuing of a new one entirely – highlights too that the club itself carries on as before.

 

With all of that in mind, it was most disappointing to see yesterday’s Reporting Scotland sport bulletin claim it was a ‘New Rangers’ playing for the very first time at Ibrox.

 

It was a surprise too, given BBC Scotland’s policy is to keep referring to the team purely as ‘Rangers’ in all of its reporting.

 

That comes from their director Ken McQuarrie himself, who recognises a continuation of the club formed in 1872 and differentiates between that and past and present parent companies.

 

As a journalist, I’ve never been one to buy into the view taken by certain parties that the media is out to ‘get’ Rangers. For me, that’s just not true.

 

What I believe to be fair, however, is to claim some have allowed misinformation to evolve into ‘facts’, thus the constant repetition of the ‘new club’ phrase.

 

Claims and counter-claims have led to such confusion and that’s understandable but now that we are where we are, we should all be on the same page going forward. I hope so anyway.

 

The rousing 4-0 victory against East Fife may very well have kicked off a new era at Ibrox but nothing more than that.

 

Last night’s wonderful, vociferous support of 38,160 – mostly Gers fans - will agree. They were there to cheer on the side they’ve always backed, not a new entity yet to win something.

 

Nowadays, in corporate terms at least, the team you all know and love is called The Rangers Football Club thanks to its parent company’s recent name change from Sevco Scotland Ltd.

 

On a day-to-day basis, and especially when it plays, it is known simply as Rangers, just as Heart of Midlothian plc is known as Hearts, should you require an alternative example.

 

The team still plays at the home it has occupied for more than 110 years with Ally McCoist carrying on as manager like he has done for the last 13 months or so.

 

It has the same club crest and even the same strip as the one worn in last season’s friendly at Linfield, when Rangers Football Club was owned by The Rangers Football Club plc.

 

Plain and simple, it is the same club.

 

I recently posted a response on an internet forum which was debating the situation regarding the new company and whether it was a new club or not to provide clarification.

 

Using an analogy I sadly can’t claim as my own, I said a Kit Kat was still a Kit Kat when Rowntree’s was bought over by Nestle and production of the chocolate bar continued.

 

It used the same ingredients and tasted exactly the same, thus nobody talked of it as a new product. In effect, the same thought process applies to the Rangers case.

 

I still enjoy Kit Kats the way I did when I first tasted one as a child and they were made by Rowntree’s.

 

In the months ahead, you’ll still enjoy supporting Rangers as you always have done too. Then. Now. Forever.

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT RANGERS' PROUD 140-YEAR HISTORY BY CLICKING HERE NOW!

http://www.rangers.co.uk/index.php/news/headlines/item/1684-then-now-forever

 

fantastic photo

Edited August 8, 2012 by Steve1872