That Friday Feeling: The Rangers Circus Continues

[Frankie 8,148]

http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/184-that-friday-feeling-the-rangers-circus-continues

 

I was looking forward to today. Last day of my working week, a home match at Ibrox and, of course, the chance for a few beers over the weekend while watching the Formula One. What wasn’t to like?

 

Unfortunately, my good mood has been somewhat slighted by the news that Dave King’s much anticipated efforts at organising some sort of boardroom compromise have been rejected by key (unnamed) shareholders. His further comments about administration being ‘a distinct possibility’ was a further blow to confidence; even if this was tempered to a degree by his re-confirmation of his eagerness to invest in the short-to-medium term.

 

Of course, there’s no doubt King’s comments are speculative and his own position remains uncertain which, all things considered, isn’t actually all that helpful despite many bears falling over themselves to prematurely crown him as our new owner. However, he’s just another side-show in what now seems to be a permanent circus situated on Edmiston Drive. All that seems to be missing is the bearded woman because we definitely have our fair share of clowns amidst a long line of short-stay chancers looking for our money. The situation really has gone beyond parody.

 

What’s clear though is that the status quo where the club only has two directors is completely unacceptable and these people’s clear reluctance to confirm the date of a (properly-constituted) AGM merely makes them look unfit for purpose. Add in their retention of a clearly toxic PR group then is it any wonder some investors (led and represented by McColl and Murray) remain active in lobbying for change?

 

The problem is exactly what change are they offering? Better corporate governance – check; shareholder investment – check; Rangers minded directors – check; higher calibre of staff/director – check; reduced costs – check; all the buzzwords and phrases are there but the detail remains thin. After all, couldn’t anyone make similar claims to obtain our backing? Not sure – well ask Craig Whyte and Charles Green what’s possible with the correct PR.

 

What the fans want (or this fan anyway) is genuine clarity. For example, for every fan that has attended a meeting with McCollco (or the club); there are hundreds of thousands more that haven’t. This means, the huge majority are unaware of the juicy stuff that couldn’t be mentioned in the diluted minutes. Sure, Jim McColl has an impressive reputation but that alone should never be enough to guarantee wholesale supporter/shareholder backing. And, if he had that, we’d have had an EGM weeks ago anyway. The fact they weren’t confident enough to press ahead with their previous requisition says a lot.

 

Meanwhile, the Rangers support remains frustrated and disenfranchised with much of those who are involved, never mind the complicated processes ahead of us. AGM votes, new share issues and effectively starting from scratch in the boardroom (again) aren’t issues that should be discussed lightly. These are serious challenges which demand serious strategies. Sky Sports News sound-bites, nudges, winks and coffee-shop confabs don’t convince. Surely, with everything that has happened in recent years, our fans want more than the chance to tug our forelocks?

 

Tonight will see many of our supporters return to Ibrox for the first time in several weeks. It’s unlikely there will be a huge crowd but I’d expect that within the 25,000 or so that can make the game most will be interested in how the team plays rather than how many anti-boardroom banners are in the Bill Struth Stand. That ‘political’ apathy is nothing new and not every fan wants to spend hours online arguing over minutiae about who is good or bad for the club. That’s their right but at what point do the many thousands of bears who do want a voice actually stand up and say enough is enough?

 

Indeed, it doesn’t matter if you’re a critic of the boardroom incumbents (and their continually poor decision-making) or their supposedly new, improved replacements (and their continual failure to convince) there has to come a point where we all say stop the bus. Not to get off but to actually have a shot at driving it. Because if we don’t get our act together, then the only certainty in the weeks, months and years ahead will be more uncertainty. Is that what we really want?

 

To conclude, I think it’s fair to say most of us just want to see an end to all the division and party politics. That’s all well and good but to avoid the same problems happening again we need to take – no, demand ¬– a much more active role in the decision-making going forward. Only then can we really be in charge of our own destiny and stop allowing people to besmirch the heritage of our great club.

[Davie P 4]

Are you suggesting fan ownership Frankie?

[MikeN63 0]

I don't know for certain if Jim McColl and his associated board is or will be the right answer for Rangers and the people that will stop us talking about board room politics and focussing on games and team selections, which is, I am sure, where we all want to channel our conversations, but he has a much clearer and cleaner public profile, has strong evidence of historical relevance to the job requirement, does not need to extract cash from the Club, has promised transparency and is a fan.

 

For those reasons I have more confidence in McColl than previous incumbents. Would McColl and his team appoint a fan representative to their Board to better guarantee that transparency, would certainly be a popular move for us and maybe help us all sleep a little easier?

[Frankie 8,148]

Are you suggesting fan ownership Frankie?

 

Not necessarily mate but I think long term that could be the aim.

 

I just think we need to press for meaningful representation on the board and via a fully constituted group as well.

[sannybear 0]

I don't know for certain if Jim McColl and his associated board is or will be the right answer for Rangers and the people that will stop us talking about board room politics and focussing on games and team selections, which is, I am sure, where we all want to channel our conversations, but he has a much clearer and cleaner public profile, has strong evidence of historical relevance to the job requirement, does not need to extract cash from the Club, has promised transparency and is a fan.

 

For those reasons I have more confidence in McColl than previous incumbents. Would McColl and his team appoint a fan representative to their Board to better guarantee that transparency, would certainly be a popular move for us and maybe help us all sleep a little easier?

 

Agree wholeheartedly with all you say but as for fan representation , they would have to be carefully chosen . The last thing needed is another divisive character on the board .

[54andcounting 0]

McColl is a fan, he could represent us

[D'Artagnan 173]

Not necessarily mate but I think long term that could be the aim.

 

I just think we need to press for meaningful representation on the board and via a fully constituted group as well.

 

This a hundered thousand zillion times.

[bossy 0]

Not necessarily mate but I think long term that could be the aim.

 

I just think we need to press for meaningful representation on the board and via a fully constituted group as well.

 

I agree.

 

But to get there a few things need to happen.

 

First we need to support a single group which has the structure to make this happen. Right now, the only group that has that structure is the RST. That means, for many, accepting that the greater good is more important than their like or dislike of the RST.

 

Second, the leadership of the RST needs to grow a set of balls and start getting aggressive about pushing their agenda.

 

Third, the RST needs to work on its transparency, voting structures and quality of leadership.

 

Fourth, the support needs to come up with some serious financial backing to underpin the demand for representation. We did it for the RFFF but, lets be honest, that has proved to be something of a dead-end when it comes to moving the club forward.

 

Fifth, Bears who own shares need to start giving their proxies to the RST.

[sannybear 0]

A bit like herding cats at the moment , sorry to say .

[der Berliner 3,240]

McColl is a fan, he could represent us

 

King is a fan too, the Easdales are said to be fans as well. At the end of the day, most are businessmen first and foremost ... but businessmen who could easily agree to have fan representation on the board too. Now, looking at our support these days, who do you think the Bears would agree on to be this person?