History Will Decide

[Hildy 0]

As usual, the news isn't good. A rich guy whose money talks more than his mouth is now the most influential figure at Rangers, and having already acquired certain rights with regard to merchandise and the stadium itself, what does he do? He lends the club money. He doesn't gift it to the club - he lends it.

 

Make no mistake, this money will have to be paid back and so will any future loans from the same source. Mike Ashley isn't a sugar daddy. He will want a return on every penny that he puts in to Rangers.

 

Dave King and his backers have tried to land the club, but so far, without success. A seeming reluctance to buy up shares in Rangers hasn't helped, but it's pointless getting angry at those who have tried and failed. We are where we are.

 

The support is split. Thousands will not pay another cent towards a club that they believe has been hijacked by people who only care for it while it suits their commercial purpose. I have no problem with this view. It is entirely understandable.

 

Others will follow on as per usual. That's fine too. We are football fans. We know only too well that allegiance usually triumphs over ownership details and boardroom personnel.

 

We are likely then to have a weakened club in terms of strength of support, and the likely renaming of Ibrox is likely to turn more people away. While this is a move that I could live with in more normal circumstances, I can fully understand why people will be angry if Ibrox becomes sponsored when the sponsor has apparently paid mere shekels for the privilege while lending - yes lending - money to the club.

 

What do we do then? Those who approve of the new owner or don't care who he is will carry on attending and buying merchandise. It is those who find themselves unable to support Rangers who have to ask themselves what they should do next.

 

Protest marches? What have they achieved so far? Answer: nothing.

 

Boycotts? Organised boycotts fade and die and are perceived to have faded and died. They could be counter-productive.

 

Walk-outs? About as useful as marches.

 

Travelling to Ibrox and hanging around outside while the game is on? Plain daft.

 

Card displays and banner messages? They won't change a thing.

 

If you can't accept what has happened to the club, and if you will not support it any more, you already have your answer. Privately, as an individual, you will make your point by not attending. Those who feel as you do will reinforce the message, but do not harass others into joining you.

 

Equally, to those who will follow on as normal, understand one thing: thousands of your fellow fans feel they have a good reason to stop going to Ibrox - as good as yours is for continuing to go. Do not harass them.

 

History will decide if this is a bump in the road or the edge of a cliff.

[Stimpy 0]

Sounds like you've given in, Hildy?

[Hildy 0]

I haven't given in.

 

I have no wish to see supporters embarking on campaigns that will achieve nothing other than the satisfaction of doing something while annoying and angering fellow fans.

 

The answer to our troubles has always been for the support to own the club, but I've already made this point repeatedly. If people think that marching is a cure for our ills, I pity them.

 

The answer today is the same as the answer was yesterday and will be tomorrow: fan ownership.

 

Right now, Mike Ashley is about to become the new Ibrox puppetmaster. Intelligence stands a chance of winning the club back from him, but marching back and forth never will.

 

It's best that we realise this: right now.

[Stimpy 0]

Not much there to disagree with. In the bigger picture protests etc are futile, even ridiculed in many quarters. Fan ownership will never happen without the gift from the club or wealthy benefactor but we can get to 25% which would help enormously. Two things prevent that IMO: 1. Ashley starts buying up every available share and acquires institutions shares. 2. Supporters willingness to get involved.

 

Weird thing is, which the Easdales or Green could never achieve, if Ashley actually wanted, he could fill Ibrox through his wealth in investing enough for us to win titles and get us regular European footy. Drop in the ocean for him but highly unlikely he cares for us, the media or anyone for that matter.

[Hildy 0]

Not much there to disagree with. In the bigger picture protests etc are futile, even ridiculed in many quarters. Fan ownership will never happen without the gift from the club or wealthy benefactor but we can get to 25% which would help enormously. Two things prevent that IMO: 1. Ashley starts buying up every available share and acquires institutions shares. 2. Supporters willingness to get involved.

 

Weird thing is, which the Easdales or Green could never achieve, if Ashley actually wanted, he could fill Ibrox through his wealth in investing enough for us to win titles and get us regular European footy. Drop in the ocean for him but highly unlikely he cares for us, the media or anyone for that matter.

I would hope that fans who stop going turn their attention to doing something constructive like putting a few quid towards BuyRangers.

 

I have no quibble with people chucking it, but I would urge them to do what they can to make things better at some point in the future.

 

Ashley may be in a position to do a power of good at Rangers, but he has other priorities, and his legacy could be to leave Rangers with a mountain of debt that could cripple or even destroy it.

 

One thing is certain, Rangers' problems are not over. Future crises are inevitable.

[aweebluesoandso 290]

I agree Hildy, no one is saying the SOS or the UOF should let their guard down, but i think we should open up some dialogue with Ashley or his representatives., what have we got to lose?

 

At least if we give Ashley some little time to show his hand, we can say at least we tried to jaw jaw before we went to war war on him.

 

I wanted king to prevail but it looks like it's not to be? we can all boycott and stop buying merchandise till the club is back in administration again, but you just know when we have been put through the Wringer again, the same faces will still be there.

 

Time for a new strategy imo, we didn't win the war so let's win the peace.

[Hildy 0]

I agree Hildy, no one is saying the SOS or the UOF should let their guard down, but i think we should open up some dialogue with Ashley or his representatives., what have we got to lose?

 

At least if we give Ashley some little time to show his hand, we can say at least we tried to jaw jaw before we went to war war on him.

 

I wanted king to prevail but it looks like it's not to be? we can all boycott and stop buying merchandise till the club is back in administration again, but you just know when we have been put through the Wringer again, the same faces will still be there.

 

Time for a new strategy imo, we didn't win the war so let's win the peace.

There's nothing to be lost by talking to Ashley, but a number of Rangers fans think that the club has already been lost - that it has changed so much from the club they knew that their allegiance to it has been seriously undermined.

 

When a football club is a community of people, those who belong to it are committed and motivated. When the club becomes a soulless commercial venture ruled by one or more persons who have no connection or affinity to it, it does not automatically command allegiance from the community that once eagerly flocked to it.

 

It is easier to walk away from Rangers than it has ever been - and harder to be drawn to it than ever before. In the hearts of many, the club has already died.

[SteveC 150]

There's nothing to be lost by talking to Ashley, but a number of Rangers fans think that the club has already been lost - that it has changed so much from the club they knew that their allegiance to it has been seriously undermined.

 

When a football club is a community of people, those who belong to it are committed and motivated. When the club becomes a soulless commercial venture ruled by one or more persons who have no connection or affinity to it, it does not automatically command allegiance from the community that once eagerly flocked to it.

 

It is easier to walk away from Rangers than it has ever been - and harder to be drawn to it than ever before. In the hearts of many, the club has already died.

 

I want badly to argue against this, but there's nothing to argue against in it.

 

it does indeed feel like we're "not Rangers anymore" as our many haters sing. I guess the only thing left is that all my family and most of my long standing friends have supported Rangers with memories of going to games in some cases even longer than my 49 years worth - and talking to them about the past evokes that community feeling still, That is about all I have left of my Rangers - and it is always tainted by the fact we are wallowing in the past and avoiding the horrors of the present.

[aweebluesoandso 290]

We are in the hands of Mike Ashley, what he does now will go down in history. He can either run us prudently and stabilize the club, then make us a force again. Or rape the fook out the club, Legend or villain, history awaits him.