Sons of Struth public meeting

[compo 6,141]

as I have always said its good to talk lets hope they come up with some good ideas and suggestions anyone throw some light on who the guest speaker will be , lets hope its a constructive event .

[Hildy 0]

Tannadice was the high watermark for Rangers fans boycotting. All the fan groups and the club itself backed the boycott, and while it was reasonably successful, there was still a visible Rangers fan presence. We'll struggle to come close to that again.

 

Some fans would not boycott Rangers even if every penny of their cash was being used to buy a castle for Mr Charles Green. They're out.

 

Some fans who choose to boycott could get used to the idea of staying away from Ibrox - permanently. This is a risk.

 

Season ticket holders will be less likely to join in having already paid to be there. Nothing is going to change their minds. Ibrox is both a habit and a social experience for many of them.

 

The SOS, like just about every other fan group, has at least as many people who are suspicious of it as approve of it. If the SOS wants a boycott, plenty will make a point of opposing it - just because.

 

One other thing - there are times when protesting begins to fall on deaf ears. It's the easiest thing in the world to say no to the way something is done. It is so much harder to offer an alternative that is both constructive and useful.

 

Marching and card displays haven't really done much good so far. We need practical solutions more than protests that are often doomed to fail before they even get off the ground.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

Over 10k are already boycotting.

[D'Artagnan 173]

I am not going to this (in London tomorrow), but got the jist of it from CH at the RST AGM last Friday night. It is clear they are going to call for a boycott, but unclear how many games they are going to call it for. It was ironic that of the two or three who indicated they were in agreement with a boycott, they had indicated that they had already stopped going anyway. Dont know why they voted then but hey-ho.

 

I believe the boycott is wrong, and I told CH that on Friday. He is clearly a very frustrated Bear, like a lot of us, who is trying to do something he hopes will force more pressure on the board/shareholders to sell up and leave. On one hand he believes that the board will put us into Admin ONLY if it suits their (unknown to us) agenda, and if Admin is not in their interests then it wont happen. I had to ask why in that case call for a boycott when even an empty ground wont put us into admin or get rid of them unless it suits them? Better than doing nothing was pretty much the reply and it was turned round to ask what I was doing instead. While I wasn't the one calling for the boycott, I believe the only way to get our club back is to buy it back, paying them whatever is necessary to get rid of them.

 

If only we had a share scheme or two where Rangers supporters could go and buy shares in the club and therefore increase our shareholding, clout and potentially get enough to get a veto on ground sale/leaseback.

 

It seems like a long way away given the current shareholding, but the ordinary fans already hold about 12% of the club individually, with the share schemes are now at around 1% each I think. If there are 80M issued shares at a current price of around 20p, that is around £16M for the lot. We dont need the lot, we need around 25% collectively and we are halfway there already. If every fan who has not gone back this season (around 20,000) were to pay their ticket money (£20) into a share scheme instead for every home game this season so far, we would already have £2.8M in a bank account which could buy us 14M shares.

 

And that is without any overseas bears or bears who have gone to the games contributing at all.

 

We could buy our club in a matter of months if we had the right marketing, motivation, unity and personalities involved. We should have done it in administration but we all waited on the Millionaire of choice turning up with a suitcase and we got Chuck instead. We cant go back and have our time again, but there is absolutely nothing to stop us doing it now. Nothing other than apathy, amatuerism, and a lack of cohesion.

 

 

Amen to that.

 

Thats where our energies should be getting directed - a united support driving towards a single purpose - I dont care if we suffer for a few seasons on the park, if we have control of the destiny of our club I know it will still be here for my grandchildren

[buster. 4,808]

Amen to that.

 

Thats where our energies should be getting directed - a united support driving towards a single purpose - I dont care if we suffer for a few seasons on the park' date=' if we have control of the destiny of our club I know it will still be here for my grandchildren[/quote']

 

A fine sentiment but what is the most realistic and viable route towards it ?

[buster. 4,808]

I am not going to this (in London tomorrow), but got the jist of it from CH at the RST AGM last Friday night. It is clear they are going to call for a boycott, but unclear how many games they are going to call it for. It was ironic that of the two or three who indicated they were in agreement with a boycott, they had indicated that they had already stopped going anyway. Dont know why they voted then but hey-ho.

 

I believe the boycott is wrong, and I told CH that on Friday. He is clearly a very frustrated Bear, like a lot of us, who is trying to do something he hopes will force more pressure on the board/shareholders to sell up and leave. On one hand he believes that the board will put us into Admin ONLY if it suits their (unknown to us) agenda, and if Admin is not in their interests then it wont happen. I had to ask why in that case call for a boycott when even an empty ground wont put us into admin or get rid of them unless it suits them? Better than doing nothing was pretty much the reply and it was turned round to ask what I was doing instead. While I wasn't the one calling for the boycott, I believe the only way to get our club back is to buy it back, paying them whatever is necessary to get rid of them.

 

If only we had a share scheme or two where Rangers supporters could go and buy shares in the club and therefore increase our shareholding, clout and potentially get enough to get a veto on ground sale/leaseback.

 

It seems like a long way away given the current shareholding, but the ordinary fans already hold about 12% of the club individually, with the share schemes are now at around 1% each I think. If there are 80M issued shares at a current price of around 20p, that is around £16M for the lot. We dont need the lot, we need around 25% collectively and we are halfway there already. If every fan who has not gone back this season (around 20,000) were to pay their ticket money (£20) into a share scheme instead for every home game this season so far, we would already have £2.8M in a bank account which could buy us 14M shares.

 

And that is without any overseas bears or bears who have gone to the games contributing at all.

 

We could buy our club in a matter of months if we had the right marketing, motivation, unity and personalities involved. We should have done it in administration but we all waited on the Millionaire of choice turning up with a suitcase and we got Chuck instead. We cant go back and have our time again, but there is absolutely nothing to stop us doing it now. Nothing other than apathy, amatuerism, and a lack of cohesion.

 

You say, if it doesn't suit their interests (even in the event of an empty ground)...the spi.vs might not put us into administration or liquidation,.........but they certainly won't sell a controlling stake at anywhere near 20p a share. Tbh I don't buy that they wouldn't go for or be forced to go for insolvency proceeding in the case of a significant with-holding of 'custom' or simply a large fall-off in numbers. However I do accept that they will have various contingencies set-up to ensure 'large or on-going pay-day' one way or another.

 

What's gone is gone regards opportunities that passed us by and we can only look forward. They basically have us by the short and curlies due to the emotional blackmail, integral to their strategy where effectivelly we'll be paying a % in the Blue Pound as a spi.v tax needed to keep the lights on.

 

As for buying shares, fine but it will take time to build significant influence and if the AGM passes a resolution to allow the spi.vs to award more penny shares to themselves or associates then that 12% plus (2 x 1%) will be diluted and they keep us further away.

These guys are Great Whites in the City, they are playing with us and when you look at Ashely and his recently set-up company for our trademark, it makes your spirits sink.

 

They now hope that on top of a controlling interest & executive control.....that the support get weary with the ongoing circus, kind of accept the situation, roll-up and pay the spi.v tax.

 

Personally I'd look to cut off the money supply and take our chances because there is as much doubt about the longer game, where we might end up fading away/going down without a fight.

 

I know and accept that as it stands, there isn't enough appetite amongst the support for effective radical action (choosing not to finance spi.vs/club).

 

So in the absence of XXM sterling, what will happen is we'll continue to be the scud book and pretend it isn't happening.

Edited October 6, 2014 by buster.

[D'Artagnan 173]

A fine sentiment but what is the most realistic and viable route towards it ?

 

Its a subject which has been discussed many times on various forums - the reluctance of our fans to exercise self determination is confounding.

 

Whilst many would be rightly depressed with the situation our club finds itself in - nonetheless the poverty of choice, the lack of trust, the lack of certainty and the fears should be held up in comparison to what fan ownership would give us. Whatever are the obstacles to fans believing fan ownership is the best way forward for our club need to be explored and addressed.

 

I remember the inaugural meeting of the RST at Partick Burgh Halls - there was a real buzz about the place, a real sense of the begining of a journey to a better place. We need to recapture that sense of controling our own destiny, we need to share that vision with others and address the fears of those who are not so convinced.

 

It would require groups working together who have in the past not seen eye to eye and that will present considerable challenges. But the choice is up to us - do we want to safeguard our club for the future or leave it susceptible to those who dont share our passion, vision and concern for it ?

[buster. 4,808]

Its a subject which has been discussed many times on various forums - the reluctance of our fans to exercise self determination is confounding.

 

Whilst many would be rightly depressed with the situation our club finds itself in - nonetheless the poverty of choice' date=' the lack of trust, the lack of certainty and the fears should be held up in comparison to what fan ownership would give us. Whatever are the obstacles to fans believing fan ownership is the best way forward for our club need to be explored and addressed.

 

I remember the inaugural meeting of the RST at Partick Burgh Halls - there was a real buzz about the place, a real sense of the begining of a journey to a better place. We need to recapture that sense of controling our own destiny, we need to share that vision with others and address the fears of those who are not so convinced.

 

It would require groups working together who have in the past not seen eye to eye and that will present considerable challenges. But the choice is up to us - do we want to safeguard our club for the future or leave it susceptible to those who dont share our passion, vision and concern for it ?[/quote']

 

Again, fine words but how does this actually begin to happen ?

 

Let's leave the numbers and possible further 'dilution' in stakeholdings for now.

 

What is the first step to bring all of the groups together and push them to unite ?

Who would take the initiative ?

[D'Artagnan 173]

Again, fine words but how does this actually begin to happen ?

 

Let's leave the numbers and possible further 'dilution' in stakeholdings for now.

 

What is the first step to bring all of the groups together and push them to unite ?

Who would take the initiative ?

 

I would see it happening in one of 2 ways - either someone from the 3 FO mechanisms makes an initiating move ..or the fans and members themselves bring pressure to bear for such an initiative.

 

Who knows perhaps one of those bloggers might even write an article suggesting something similar to get the ball rolling

[buster. 4,808]

I would see it happening in one of 2 ways - either someone from the 3 FO mechanisms makes an initiating move ..or the fans and members themselves bring pressure to bear for such an initiative.

 

Who knows perhaps one of those bloggers might even write an article suggesting something similar to get the ball rolling

 

A few thoughts.

 

- I think you need a couple of people from each group to all sit down and get the ball rolling.

- There also needs to be a will and a recognition that Rangers FC is the common cause and that self interests be left at the door.

- Anyone who has had previous issues might want to step back from frontline in the general interest (this should be self-policed from within groups and not become a matter for any joint meeting)

- No-one from or with connections to the club should be involved.