buster. 4,808 Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 I don't agree with the direction of travel in society. I don't think a politically correct society is healthy and I certainly don't want people criminalised for being tasteless and uncouth, but we have to exist and flourish in society as it is - not as we wish it would be. Rangers is on the back foot in society, partly because of rogue ownership and incompetence, but also because it has lost influence within the sport; within government both locally and nationally, and because its large fanbase has minimum influence in high places - and when it takes centre stage for televised football, it tends not to present itself in a way that is attractive or endearing. When a football club sinks as low as we have, it really has to address negative issues constructively, because if it doesn't, a full recovery becomes harder to achieve. When the club is in disarray on and off the park to the extent that we are, it will lose people that it simply cannot afford to lose, and in my experience, this process is already well under way. As a club we are in the midst of a very Long 'Perfect Storm' that encompasses not only the societal issues you talk about, but long term neglect to the football operation and the consequences of being within a process controlled by various incarnations of corporate sharks (executive boards) who suck the marrow from distressed companies. It's a combination that put alongside the marginalisation of the smaller leagues (including Scotland) and the wider european footballing offer to new generations, paints a very bleak picture. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangersitis 0 Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 That's a bizarre reply. It's nothing to do with being shunned for a sunday fourball and everything to do with not been seen as a bigoted, one-eyed, ranting dinosaur with no grasp of modern Scotland. Still, as the club becomes ever more isolated and friendless you can comfort yourself with the knowledge that you're still getting your 90 minutes of rough once a week. There's an interesting parallel with Espanyol at play here, or Queens Park. Football is littered with sides who used to be important but didn't move with the times. There are bigoted, one-eyed, ranting dinosaurs within the support, with some of them coming from this middle-class, but then again the same can be said for most clubs in one way or another. It's called society. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Moon 1,113 Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 While I agree that some of the damage done to the club has been self inflicted, much of it has not. When I was a student in the early 70's, I was made to feel inferior and classed as a bigot simply for being a Rangers fan. The process of demonising Rangers has been going on since then. The club did nothing to defend itself and highlight the "normality" of the bulk of rangers fans. To me that is what needs to be done by the PR men, go on the attack and restore pride to the club and supporters. As it stands, we are marginalized in the wider Scottish society. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangersitis 0 Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 I don't agree with the direction of travel in society. I don't think a politically correct society is healthy and I certainly don't want people criminalised for being tasteless and uncouth, but we have to exist and flourish in society as it is - not as we wish it would be. Rangers is on the back foot in society, partly because of rogue ownership and incompetence, but also because it has lost influence within the sport; within government both locally and nationally, and because its large fanbase has minimum influence in high places - and when it takes centre stage for televised football, it tends not to present itself in a way that is attractive or endearing. When a football club sinks as low as we have, it really has to address negative issues constructively, because if it doesn't, a full recovery becomes harder to achieve. When the club is in disarray on and off the park to the extent that we are, it will lose people that it simply cannot afford to lose, and in my experience, this process is already well under way. Sir David Murray was the man who recruited the middle-class money to the club by marginalising the traditional core support, let's call them bigoted, one-eyed dinosaurs , by pricing them out and through the mass introduction of season tickets. Look how that turned out. The middle-class will return once they have a leisure activity which is expensive enough to make it exclusive. One only needs to look to the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea or West Ham to see that in action. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilledbear 16 Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Whether we like it or not, to many in Scotland we look like the right wing of the BNP. Parents just do not want their kids wearing our colours or going to our games. I wonder how many going to the games actually hide their colours until they leave home. To my mind this happened in the early seventies with the troubles in NI, we changed from being a Scottish Club to a 'British' Club. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
buster. 4,808 Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Sir David Murray was the man who recruited the middle-class money to the club by marginalising the traditional core support, let's call them bigoted, one-eyed dinosaurs , by pricing them out and through the mass introduction of season tickets. Look how that turned out. The middle-class will return once they have a leisure activity which is expensive enough to make it exclusive. One only needs to look to the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea or West Ham to see that in action. Much of todays 'middle class' seek bargains. London ("Arsenal, Chelsea or West Ham") is another economic world. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zappa 0 Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Anyone from Gersnet planning to attend? We're looking to gather a list of any regular posters here who plan to attend, so please post here or send me a PM to say if you're going. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hildy 0 Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Sir David Murray was the man who recruited the middle-class money to the club by marginalising the traditional core support, let's call them bigoted, one-eyed dinosaurs , by pricing them out and through the mass introduction of season tickets. Look how that turned out. The middle-class will return once they have a leisure activity which is expensive enough to make it exclusive. One only needs to look to the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea or West Ham to see that in action. Don't bank on it. The middle classes are increasingly reluctant to have their children following a club whose reputation is so poor. Rangers fans who have been 'inconvenienced' by their football allegiance start to wonder if they should encourage their children to take the same path - and neutrals generally see Rangers as a no-go area. Parents want their children to be advantaged in life; to attend good schools, to live in nice neighbourhoods, to have high standards, to behave well and to steer clear of areas that could be troublesome. These days, Rangers is not generally thought to be an enlightened place to be. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplythebest 0 Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Whether we like it or not, to many in Scotland we look like the right wing of the BNP. Parents just do not want their kids wearing our colours or going to our games. I wonder how many going to the games actually hide their colours until they leave home. To my mind this happened in the early seventies with the troubles in NI, we changed from being a Scottish Club to a 'British' Club. We're both, trouble is with the rise of nationalism you sort of have to choose between the two 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilledbear 16 Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 (edited) Nothing to do with subject. Edited May 23, 2014 by chilledbear 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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