Anyone Attending the Club AGM?

[the gunslinger 3,366]

16 hours ago, 26th of foot said:

Club AGM Report.

 

I attended my first Rangers AGM in 1967. I was a Primary 7 schoolboy accompanying both my Father and Grandfather. The location was the Kenilworth Hotel(now demolished) at the bottom of Queen Street. The Chairman was John Lawrence and the Manager, Scot Symon suffered some strong advice. I remember the big talking points were the Dividend and Wembley tickets. My Gran's Co-op Divi' number was 10422, I could not work out how it impacted on Rangers? I suspect there were no more than a couple of hundred folks in the room.

 

Yesterday, the Clyde Auditorium was struggling to seat the numbers trapping; the attendance was in excess of two thousand. Certainly, the most I have seen. The Club Chairman, Douglas Park opened the meeting and welcomed Michael Beale back to Rangers as our newly appointed Manager. Proceedings were then handed over to the Anderson Strathern Chair, Bruce Farquhar. He introduced the top table as : Kenny Barclay, Graham Park, Alastair Johnston, Ross Wilson, Michael Beale, Douglas Park, John Bennet, Stewart Robertson, James Bisgrove, Andrew Dickson and, Greig McKnight(Auditor).

 

Farquhar then explained the voting card and it's use, he emphasised Resolution eight noting the special status and as such required 75% of the vote to be accepted. The resolution provided the necessary flexibility to the Board in terms of raising and spending the capital required to implement the Club's plans for Disabled supporters going forwards. a short video was shown and Andrew Dickson was asked to present Rangers prescribed plans for Disability?

 

Dickson stood with an impressive sequence of visual aides, explaining :

 

1. the historical demand. 

2. the desire to create the best provision in the Uk, an exemplar for the Disabled supporter.

3. the development deemed necessary for the wheelchair bound supporter.

4. a project team consisting of architects, engineers and, Disabled supporters grouping has been assembled to oversee the development.

5. some existing season ticket holders will be moved to accommodate the newly created wheelchair spaces.

6. over 1,000 seats will be cleared to create 162 wheelchair spaces(and attendants).

7. 1,800 new seats will be realised by extending the lips of both the upper tiers of both the Sandy Jardine(900) and Main Stands(900).

8. the Ibrox capacity will increase by 727.

9. the necessary disabled friendly kiosks, toilets and, lifts will also be installed.

10. resolution 8 is required to raise the capital to fund the project. 

 

At the conclusion of the presentation the audience applauded enthusiastically.

 

The next presentation was the Financial Results, relevant until 300622.

 

1. There was considerable growth in every revenue stream.

2. The biggest growth was in the Commercial stream.

3. There has been a 82% increase in revenue - club generated £87 million.

4. Club made an operating profit of £5.8 million.

5. Flexibility of capital is most important if progress is to continue(another resolution 8 hint).

6. Auditors now most comfortable with the club going forward - sustainability and stability has been shown.

7. A visual aide of Cashflow Summary was utilised to highlight the considerable investment in the playing squad - in the last five years, £61 million has gone on transfers in whereas £13 million has come in.

8. As the Accounts culminate on 300622, the figures do NOT include the transfer fees accrued for Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey. Further, Champions League qualification and CL Group takings NOT included either.

9. There is £13.1 million in the bank.

 

Next up was James Beale, he sat at a coffee table with a Rangers TV Journo for a tete-a-tete. Beale admitted to a comfortable familiarity at being back at Rangers. He had conducted six training sessions and his feeling was fantastic! He intends to continue to work daily with both players and recruitment. He has added four additions to the managerial staff? He is determined to establish a strong club identity, based on our style of play. Rangers will play attacking football, will not take a backward step, others will have to worry about us. He credited GVB for the Europa Cup final, winning the Scottish Cup and, CL qualification. He acknowledged Gio as a man of class, behaved impeccably in every situation.

 

Stewart Robertson then Chaired the Q and A session that concludes the AGM. There were 16 questions taken from the floor in the just over 30 minutes allocated. It was the usual mix of expected and inane :

 

1. Why didn't we sign any Dutch players?

Apparently, we did agree to sign a Dutch player(no name) during close season. The player then signed for another club(no name).

 

2. A Club 1872 Rep' asked Douglas Park to explain his intention?

The Club Chairman answered - to provide the best team playing the best football, winning all they compete for ........ etc. He ended by stating, "Club 1872 is always welcome but must always be mindful of the NDA".

 

3. Ten first team players are currently injured, why are we suffering so many long term injuries?

Robertson talked of our players playing continual Euro football, then playing international football too, a recipe for injuries in constant intense competitive situations. Interestingly, Michael Beal interrupted to state, "between leaving and returning, the players changed the way they trained and perhaps were not fully prepared". I would have liked more detail on that interruption.

 

4. Another Club 1872 rep' wanted to know how many loans had been repaid particularly, to John Bennet?

John Bennet stated he was committed to the club to the tune of £23 million. He explained he had received £5 million back on last year's £13 million owed. Currently, the club owed him £8 million and last month he established a further £10 million facility for the club to draw on, if needed throughout this season.

 

5. Question on player trading - new players not playing enough games. Take Colak and Tillman out of the equation and the rest of the close season signings were averaging six games each out of a total of 27 played. Are we receiving value for money?

Ross Wilson did not accept the equation.

 

6. MyGers - explain the allocation of tickets?

Stewart Robertson got into an explanation of Gold, Silver and, Bronze. Resolved to meet questioner to resolve matter.

 

7. Is the Rangers store a Rangers store or a Carstore store?

James Bisgrove was anxious supporters should look ahead to the opening of the multi tiered super store within the newly constructed Edmiston House. Apparently, it is due to open in January.

The supplementary question made decent points, customer relations remain poor, there's nothing in the store for under a tenner, there are no Christmas stocking fillers and, who sanctioned a poster commemorating a record home defeat to Liverpool?

 

8. Can we establish a sustained player trading mode?

Apparently, we have done so.

 

9. CL Group match pricing, why were we at the highest end?

The Board decided to maximise the revenue stream, they were correct because Rangers sold every ticket available?

 

10. Is Ross Wilson the right man to develop the playing squad?

 

11. A political polemic against, "the Scottish Nasty Party"?

 

12. My Gers should be abolished?

 

13. Albion car park parking policy?

 

These four questions were in turn given short shift, urged to withdraw the mike, ignored and, decided private consultation would be more beneficial.

 

14. Why have Kent and Morelos been allowed to run their contracts down?

Douglas Park explained the Board had intervened in negotiations with both players but no progress had been achieved. Not hopeful of either signing extensions.

 

15. Is there opportunity for external investment?

Yes.

 

16. When does the work start for the new state of the art Disabled facility begin?

Summer of 2023.

 

End of AGM.

 

 

In conclusion, we have demanded our fellow Disabled supporters receive equitable treatment? I believe this proposal goes a long way to fulfil our demands. However, it is up to our fellow Bears to look at and decide it is what they want? Can nearby parking be achieved, will Disabled fans be able to view the games from elevated positions and remain warm and dry and, will the accompanying kiosks, lifts and, toilets be deemed acceptable to those provided? It is their decision and we should support it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The presentations were very good i thought. The questions predictably awful. 

[Blue Moon 1,118]

Is Alan Harris a former poster on Gersnet?

[Bill 13,717]

3 minutes ago, Blue Moon said:

Is Alan Harris a former poster on Gersnet?

I think he's worked his way through every Rangers site at one time or another.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

Just now, Bill said:

I think he's worked his way through every Rangers site at one time or another.

he has. 

 

He tried to stop John Bennet from investing in ranger. Where would be be without his 30 plus million

[Gonzo79 13,764]

2 minutes ago, the gunslinger said:

He tried to stop John Bennet from investing in ranger.

He sounds like the sort of Scot responsible for the Darien Scheme.  

[CammyF 6,891]

18 hours ago, craig said:

So the club should willingly let a group of people who havent actually operated at senior management in any company, let alone a public one, to just go out and get information about the club (what other information would they be looking for ?) and disseminate it, potentially hurting the club, its reputation and its finances ?

 

The Club, IMO, are absolutely spot on in this instance.  Particularly knowing that C1872 have overstepped their authority in the past and basically pissed all over generally accepted business practices.  They tried to circumvent the club FFS

You have misunderstood what I said. I have no issues with the club insisting that Club1872 sign a NDA. What I have an issue with is part of that NDA stopping Club1872 (or however) informing their members/ contributors of any news / information they get from outwith Rangers FC without having it agreed by Rangers. 

[CammyF 6,891]

18 hours ago, craig said:

C1872 were absolutely NOT within their rights to ask the questions to the people they asked them to.  They had a right to ask the club, as shareholders of the club, but C1872 have absolutely zero direct reason to be asking that of Hummel, Elite or Castore.  What right do they have to ask commercially sensitive questions of entities where they have no direct involvement ?

They are free to ask whoever whatever they want but knowing and understanding that they will not get any information.

 

I could email Castore tomorrow and ask them anything I want. Nothing stopping me. If they could find the "reply" button (which they seem incapable of doing) they would no doubt (and rightly) tell me to bugger off.

[Bill 13,717]

9 minutes ago, CammyF said:

You have misunderstood what I said. I have no issues with the club insisting that Club1872 sign a NDA. What I have an issue with is part of that NDA stopping Club1872 (or however) informing their members/ contributors of any news / information they get from outwith Rangers FC without having it agreed by Rangers. 

Are Club1872 members also going to be personally bound by the same NDA? Otherwise what's the point.

[Bill 13,717]

8 minutes ago, CammyF said:

They are free to ask whoever whatever they want but knowing and understanding that they will not get any information.

 

I could email Castore tomorrow and ask them anything I want. Nothing stopping me. If they could find the "reply" button (which they seem incapable of doing) they would no doubt (and rightly) tell me to bugger off.

[CammyF 6,891]

4 minutes ago, Bill said:

Are Club1872 members also going to be personally bound by the same NDA? Otherwise what's the point.

I don't know - I am not part of Club1872. However, I'm sure the Club1872 rep who asked the question(s) at the AGM mentioned that they would publish the emails / conversations they had with Rangers regarding the NDA.