Gers fans seek clout for buy-out

[Union City Blue 0]

Some excellent discussion this thread, nice one gersnet!

 

When you think this through, it is indeed complicated to work out but the great thing is the amount of ideas coming from us, the grass-roots of the support.

 

It is full of dilemmas like OMOV vs some peoples' expectations that in return for, say, �£100k they get more of a say. We've already had people say they would invest such sums but would like proportionate voting rights. Should Rangers turn down this kond of money on the basis of OMOV or should Rangers find a way to accomodate all principals? Difficult one I think. Personally, I prefer OMOV if a way could be found.

 

There are so many variables though - so now's the time to keep, listening, thinking and talking. Saturday is a perfect opportunity to do all three and more IMHO.

 

Ok so here's a special offer I will buy and donate 2 tickets to gersnet posters for Saturday. Only condition is that you don't normally come along to supporters things i. e. RST, Assembly things etc. I say his because I know for a fact that the COLLECTIVE talent on-line is far greater than the sum of all those good people in various groups who currently volunteer to do whatever it is they do. The Rangers support, collectively, contains everything we could ever need. Either way - with talent or simply interest - anybody who's thought about, but never gotten round to, joining in 'for real' would be especially welcome.

 

If you are lucky I will also buy you a coffee or a beer, but not both ;D

 

Just shout!

 

WATP

[andy steel 0]

A positive post UCB, and I agree strongly. I think that if we keep organisations out of it for just now, and everyone simply classed themselves as 'a Rangers fan' and did what they could when they could, we'd avoid any infighting.

[gisabeer 409]

It's a great idea and if it can work for Barcelona etc then why not Rangers ??. The obvious questions are how much would Rangers fans have to pay ?, and as has already been said who would lead it ?. It is certainly worth looking at but a lot of work would be required to get it up and running.

 

 

 

Looking at the state of the clubs in EPL it is certainly a far better option for the club and the fans in the long term. As for the cost, to use the hamburg model as an example, it is certainly within the price range of the ordinary fan and i would certainly be willing to invest in such a scheme.

 

It is certainly an avenue to be explored.

[andy steel 0]

Not to mention anyone wanting to invest, say $10m wouldn't have to spend an equal or more amount trying to buy the club in the first place. Although atm, anyone wanting to invest $10 would be welcomed with enough grovelling, bowing and scraping to satisfy and Arab.

 

I know anyone can offer the club money as it stands, but people usually want something for their wedge. Under the ownership scheme, there would be no need for fuss about takeovers or whatever. It would be fans investing for all the right reasons.

[Tannochsidebear 2,464]

I really believe it has to be OMOV here. We can create other avenues for corporate sponsorship, but our voting rights should be untouchable to the corporate world, this ensures our supporter driven identity going forward, and we cannot become disenfranchised by big corporates buying up the voting rights.

 

It is exactly this scenario, where Murray had all the power and was untouchable, that got us into this mess, and we must ensure that our future blueprint, as much as we can, avoids any chance of a corporate takeover.

 

OMOV, the same membership fee for everyone all over the world, and democratic elections every3-4 years to appoint the chairman. Potential chairmen have to spell out their manifesto to the fans, and we vote for the one we like the best, and as we have all had an equal say, we can have no complaints about the victor.

[biggordy 0]

Anyone can go as long as they pay their fiver...

 

Babysitting today so not been online properly but will work my way through some of these very interesting posts tomorrow.

 

 

Frankie

This could be the greatest thing that has ever happened to Rangers.

Get lobbying now. please.

[pete 2,511]

No one person should ever have so much power of Rangers ever again,so i agree omov is the best model. I would think that we would have to use the current board of directors working with a supporters group to get things under way. I would also say getting in investors willing to put up sizeable amounts of money would need to be one of the first jobs so we could get some room with the bank and reduce crippling interest payments which could suck away any money as quick as it comes in. Is the debt 30mill including interest or is it 30mill plus interest on top? In other words are we looking at 30mill to clear the debt or nearer 40mill?

One other small thing. Surely free Rangers TV could be used as a lollypop to entice people to participate. That would give you an actual benefit and i think the income would match the cost.

[maineflyer 0]

I am a member of the RST and would like to see this happen , all supporters groups should join together as one to make 1 super supporters group to unite all Rangers fans worlwide.

 

I personally would be willing to put in an extra �£200 a season on top of my season ticket as thats all i can spare just now but i would add more through out the season if possible.

 

I think this is a real possibility , how can we go to this meeting then ?

 

can anyone turn up ? i am an RST Member and Season Ticket Holder surley i am allowed in ...alright maybe not.

 

I honestly think Mr Zappa summed it up perfectly in an earlier post. This is not about what the RST or the RSA or the RSanything want to do. It will only happen if it is fostered by the club itself and in that case, there really is no role remaining for these supporters organisations.

 

We need to change the way we look at this problem, we can't have individual supporter membership and still want supporters organisations representing us. That just makes no sense at all.

 

Neither can there be any special status because someone has a season ticket, that's just a way some people choose to pay for their seat.

 

Think club, think individual membership. Think of the board as a committee elected by and operating for the members. Forget shareholders, forget supporters trusts.

[Frankie 8,825]

Some excellent points made which I think cover my own opinions fairly accurately...

 

Unfortunately the one staple for me - one man, one vote - is perhaps the biggest hurdle to achieve given high net worth fans will want more say for their 5/6/7 figure sum investments than you or I with our 3/4 figures. I'm not altogether sure how to find common ground there.

 

To be positive, I obviously think the Rangers fans can own and run our club successfully. I also think we do have the talent amongst us to find an appropriate method to do that. However, those that suggest having the club help us are also right. Without their involvement, any scheme (no matter who runs it) lacks credibility amongst those that won't get involved unless they know who they're dealing with. For example, rightly or wrongly, too many supporters retain a distrust of the RST while the Assembly/Association lack the public profile that the Trust does have.

 

As such, what I'd be looking to do here is put together some sort of PR friendly group to firstly gauge interest then try and realise some funds. I know this has been explored in recent years but perhaps the timing wasn't right then and is now. All the better if well-kent figures can get involved (and invest). I'm thinking fans in the members' lounge, ex-players, media personalities, former directors and even current club staff.

 

Do that and you may attract the attention and imagination of the apathetic majority. Because these are the people that are important to the success of any scheme even if, conversely, they may be the least interested/active in the 'political' side of the machine.

 

Of course many questions still remain:

 

1. Is Dave King still interested? We still need money men to back the scheme if we're talking �£30-50million is required to buy and run the club until next summer.

 

2. What part does Lloyds play? Can they be persuaded to reduce their price?

 

3. Just how much finance can we achieve? Enough to buy the club and stay afloat or enough to buy the club and retain success?

 

4. Can a scheme and ownership be in place before January? What happens if it isn't and we have to sell players? How will that affect fan interest?

 

Lots of questions and challenges to overcome then. There is a gap in the market for a new genuine leader of our club and its incredibly loyal fans. Can that gap be filled and by whom?

[maineflyer 0]

It's a severe culture change right enough. When investing six figures wouldn't get you any more voting rights than the guy who invested two or three hundred in his annual membership. That seems hard to fathom when you've spent the last twenty years watching share ownership dictate influence at the club. But, really, what's so strange or impractical about it? Once you adjust your mindset it's not so difficult.

 

Very few indeed were rushing to invest significant sums in the club under the old regime and those who did have got pretty much squat in return. They didn't even get the influence they might have been after, only the majority shareholder had that privilege. Generally speaking, investments of tens of millions by the likes of Dave King gained neither return nor control, more or less the same as they would have achieved under a club membership scheme. The club was poorly run, disunited and has been in decline for over a decade. When you really think about it, any damn structure other than the present one would be preferable - and I mean that for both the club and the supporters.