'Unified Supporters Platform'

[GovanAllan 0]

I guess you've got that with the RFWG. This new USP may be similar if they dropped the preconditions before certain groups can join.

 

What's the preconditions?

[Zappa 0]

What's the preconditions?

 

I was under the impression that they had told the RST that Mark Dingwall would need to resign from the Trust Board before the RST could join the party.

 

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong!

[chilledbear 16]

I was under the impression that they had told the RST that Mark Dingwall would need to resign from the Trust Board before the RST could join the party.

 

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong!

 

Was that not Rangers 'Unite', when they issued the last statement??

 

Or was it the statement before that, or the one before that??

 

What did we do before the internet?

[Bluedell 5,348]

What's the preconditions?

 

Here is their statement outlining the preconditions.

 

RangersUnite Statement 23rd September

Written by Admin

Sunday, 23 September 2012 21:18

Statement to the Rangers Supporter’s Trust – 23rd September, 2012

 

A meeting was held by various Supporters’ Groups and Websites in Glasgow on Saturday afternoon (22nd of September). Those invited were deemed as fit and proper to represent the majority Support; and are perceived as committed to Rangers Football Club’s wellbeing; and have consistently demonstrated this in both the short and long term.

 

There were significant representations from the following Groups:

 

The Rangers Supporters Assembly;

 

The Rangers Supporters Association;

 

The Rangers Fans Fighting Fund;

 

Rangers Till I Die N.I.;

 

Vanguard Bears

 

Rangers Media Forum;

 

Copland Road.org.

 

RangersUnite invited these Groups with the sole purpose of uniting all Rangers’ Supporters under one Unified Supporter’s Platform; and considered them to have a shared purpose, that is, to have the best interests of Rangers FC and its Supporters at the forefront of everything they do. A Platform those Fans can both believe in and trust.

 

There was a unanimous agreement by ‘all’ representatives that Rangers ‘will’ be stronger with both a ‘unified’ and ‘fully democratic’ Support. Therefore, we agreed that a Unified Supporters Platform (USP) is best placed to represent the support as a cohesive voice to help serve them with both ‘integrity’ and ‘transparency’ at all times.

 

To this end, the meeting was an overwhelming success, and a further meeting is planned to clarify the joint strategy of the Groups. We will then be in a position to ballot the worldwide Rangers Support for their endorsement of this union via a fully ‘democratic’ vote.

 

Rangers Supporter’s Trust (RST) was not invited to today’s meeting. The reasons for this are as follows:

 

It has been deemed that RST are pursuing a ‘convenient’ plan for buying ‘stock’ in Rangers FC. They are pursuing this avenue with the assistance of Supporters Direct.

 

In our opinion, the RST, at the present time, lack the credibility to be leading a fan’s takeover of the Club. The main problem with their ‘proposal’ is the caveat that, to buy Shares in the Club, ‘all’ Fans would ‘need’ to become members of the RST. We consider this to be both unwanted and unnecessary. We also feel that this ‘plan’ has elements of self interest attached to it. We, therefore, cannot endorse it.

 

Certain RST Board members are also perceived as divisive within the Rangers Support – most notably, Mr.Dingwall.

 

A number of groups also made it clear that they would not engage in the USP process if Mr. Dingwall was a part of the USP process.

 

There was also a unanimous view that this antipathy was reserved to only some members of the RST Board (not to its Members). This ‘minority’ are perceived to have a self-serving agenda that is not in line with the vast majority of Rangers Fans. This assertion was unanimously agreed by all Groups who attended Saturday’s meeting.

 

For the avoidance of any doubt, when we use the phrase ‘Unified Supporter’s Platform’, we mean ALL Rangers’ Supporters Groups, Websites, Blogs, Forums and Funding Groups who have the wellbeing of Rangers FC and its Supporters as core to its purpose. This is without exception, and to this end, RST will be welcomed into the fold ‘as fully participating equals’ at a time which is deemed appropriate by the ‘majority’ of the Supporter’s Groups who attended Saturday’s meeting.

 

It is essential that all parties in the USP are happy to cooperate positively with each other.

 

It was also made clear, by every Group in attendance, that all motives and actions of the USP should always be based on the welfare of the Club and its Supporters.

 

We believe there are steps that the RST could make and apply in order to satisfy the requirements of the USP Group and be involved in the project moving forward. However, such was the strength of the sentiment throughout Saturday’s meeting that we feel concerned that failure to make the necessary changes could lead to the permanent exclusion of their Group from the USP. We sincerely hope that this can be avoided.

 

In order to prevent the occurrence of this scenario, we would recommend RST to open dialogue with RangersUnite in order to clarify the ‘minimum’ standards that RST would need to fulfill in order to be integrated into the Unified Supporters Platform.

 

We sincerely hope that the RST take up our offer of engaging in a positive dialogue with RangersUnite and would respectfully ask them to initiate this contact by email to our Executive Administrative Assistant at: eaa@rangersunite.com

RangersUnite are asking that RST begins a new chapter in its history and attempts a ‘clean slate’ with the Fans.

 

This is a vital opportunity to initiate that change.

 

Whilst we realise this will be challenging and will require some tough decisions to be made, in addition to significant structural reform, we hope that, for the greater good of our Supporters, it takes these valiant steps.

 

We look forward to your response.

 

United WE Stand, Divided WE Fall

[Zappa 0]

Was that not Rangers 'Unite', when they issued the last statement??

 

Yes it was a Rangers Unite statement, but it's them who appear to be spearheading the "Unified Supporters Platform". This is the statement I had in mind, but it's worth noting that they had put certain fan groups down as signatories of this without having permission to do so (or so it seemed).

 

Edit - Bluedell beat me to it.

[Zappa 0]

Then with regards to that statement on the 23rd came the following:

 

Ulster_Bears ‏@RTID_NI

@RangersUnite Kindly remove our name from your impending statement. Thanks.

Retweeted by Alasdair McKillop

 

"RangersMedia would like to make some things clear about the statement released under the banner of "United Supporters Platform":

 

We were invited to attend the meeting, and a junior member of our Admin team was in attendance;

We did not agree to anything at that meeting, we were there on a fact-finding mission to see if it was something we could get behind;

Following Admin discussion, we decided we couldn't lend our support to RangersUnite in this venture;

We received the draft statement, and replied asking them to remove our name from it prior to issue;

They failed to do that, and the statement was issued with our name on it.

 

RangersMedia would like to make it clear that we do not lend our support to that statement, and do not wish to be associated with it. The aim of fan unification is a noble one and one we support, but we do not feel this statement accurately reflects the views of the Admin team of RangersMedia."

[Bluedell 5,348]

It's bizarre that the Association in particular can put their name to that statement while having 2 representatives on the the RST board.

 

Was it an RST board member than actually chaired the meeting that the statement came from?

 

Perhaps one of the RST board members who post on here can explain?

[Zappa 0]

It's bizarre that the Association in particular can put their name to that statement while having 2 representatives on the the RST board.

 

Was it an RST board member than actually chaired the meeting that the statement came from?

 

Perhaps one of the RST board members who post on here can explain?

 

What about the Assembly Bluedell? Are there not Assembly people on the RST board too?

[alexscottislegend 2,084]

If we were to draw them, we would be severe underdogs, so a loss however painful would not be unexpected; but if we were to win as an SFL3 side..........

Exactly!You're not going to tell me that you would pass up the chance to pull off a giant-killing act. Imagine - them losing to not only a Div 3 team but one that according to them doesn't actually exist? And I'm not convinced that we would get a doing; a Motherwell-type performance where the pressure is all on them could be enough...

[Stimpy 0]

It's bizarre that the Association in particular can put their name to that statement while having 2 representatives on the the RST board.

 

Was it an RST board member than actually chaired the meeting that the statement came from?

 

Perhaps one of the RST board members who post on here can explain?

 

The two current members of the Association that sit on the RST board are stepping down with another coming on board as their replacement. Not sure who chaired the meeting but I've been told from two very different people the statement is not a reflection of what was said or agreed. Further to that, I was also told all reps present have asked for minutes of the meeting without any success.

 

Being friends with the RTID NI chairman, I talked today with him over this. He agrees with unity, as does everyone, but won't be getting involved in favouring any group. It's all about Rangers for RTID NI.