Frankie 8,665 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 MINUTE OF MEETING WITH MR CRAIG WHYTE AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF THE RANGERS SUPPORTERS TRUST. IBROX STADIUM. WEDNESDAY 19TH OCTOBER 2011. SEDERUNT - Craig Whyte, Rangers FC Chairman; Jim Hannah, Rangers FC Liaison Officer. RST - Gordon Dinnie, Acting Chairman, Alison MacLeod, Treasurer; Simon Leslie, Board Member. Mark Dingwall, Board member. FAN REPRESENTATION - As fans are the major investors in RFC the Trust favours looking at mechanisms to give them a real say in the affairs of the club. Chairman is very open to such moves but stressed the club finances are very much subject to the result of the tax case. GERSAVE AND RANGERS CREDIT UNION - Gersave remains a vehicle for investing in the club - subject to the tax case result. The RST intimated that we have been discussing the formation of a Rangers Credit Union and would supply the club with finer details in due course to maximise the benefit to the support as a whole. The chairman was interested in these schemes and would be open to further discussions to the benefit of the support. BLUE ORDER AND UNION BEARS - The Chairman described himself as â??a big supporterâ? of both groups, described them as great for atmosphere and is keen to see their area expanded and to work to improve the atmosphere in all areas of the ground. He takes a personal interest in the groups and has directed staff to work with the groups to resolve any outstanding issues, subject to Health and Safety regulations. ADMINISTRATION OF THE CLUB - The Chairman is 100% committed to protecting the rights of small shareholders in the event of the club going into administration. He does not consider that insolvency is inevitable, but in any case it will be manageable. He stated â??as a Rangers fan it would be as uncomfortable and unpleasantâ? for him as for everyone else but he was confident we would see it through. There is no doubt the club would continue. INWARD INVESTMENT - The Chairman reiterated that he will underwrite the investment of £20m by 2016 - however, he is open to other investment from other major investors and the fans. RESIGNATIONS OF DIRECTORS - The Chairman stated he considered he got on well with both John Greig and John McClelland and he first heard of their resignations when they were reported in the media. He felt that he had not excluded them from decision-making. BBC PROGRAMME - The Chairman considered that allegations put to him so far by the BBC were unfounded and unfair. He is not aware of all of the content of the programme but after viewing he will respond accordingly. He views the BBC Investigates propgramme as part of a pattern of behaviour on behalf of the BBC towards Rangers FC and Rangers fans. Heâ??s astonished that the BBC would produce a programme largely based on internet chitchat and bloggers. MEDIA HANDLING - The Chairman spends more time than he would like defending the clubâ??s reputation but regards it as a very necessary part of his role as it has such a negative effect on the club. He engages with PR advisors, Mediahouse, regularly. Heâ??s very ready to defend both the club and fans from scurrilous attacks. FINANCE - The Chairman regards it as necessary to pursue a twin-track approach in the current climate with both cost cutting and income generation being the keys to financial health. He used the example of Manchester United operations base in London where they engage with major corporations to exploit commercial value. He is actively seeking to establish an office for Rangers in the city of London - he regards the club as a big one and thinks itâ??s time we started acting in a manner befitting one. He also believes Rangers has vast untapped potential. FREEZING OF CASH DUE TO LEGAL PROCEEDINGS - The Chairman conceded this makes life difficult with regard to cash-flow but it will not affect the clubâ??s ability to, for instance, make signings in the January window. THE TAX CASE - The Chairman expects the case to come to a head before Christmas but any outcome would still be subject to appeal. CLUB ACCOUNTS AND CLUB AGM - Chairman reports both on target. CULTURAL ISSUES - The Chairman regards engaging with the fans a priority. In the past many opportunities lost or misfired because of the clubâ??s internal culture being unwelcoming to fans initiatives on both cultural issues and improving the atmosphere inside the ground. He is taking a personal interest in these areas. He stated he would be delighted to consider ideas from fans. LEARNING FROM OTHER CLUBS - The Chairman hopes to visit Hamburg and see for himself how a large fan-owned club like HSV operates. He also believe that the membership system of Portuguese clubs could be worth exploring and which parts of them might be applicable to Scotland. The meeting closed with the Chairman emphasising his commitment to continuing dialogue with fans organsations. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewarty 2,060 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Seems to have been a very positive meeting. The Chairman is making the right noises from the minute (which I assume has been agreed by both parties in advance of it being published), so the proof will be in the pudding. I am particularly encouraged by him taking a personal interest in some of the fans initiatives, and the fact he is directing the club to work with fans across a variety of issues. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankie 8,665 Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 All seems very positive but the proof will be in the pudding. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewarty 2,060 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 All seems very positive but the proof will be in the pudding. Is there an echo in here? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankie 8,665 Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Haha, I'd wrote the response before I read yours! Honest guv! 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluedell 5,679 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Sounds promising. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GovanAllan 0 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Proofs in the pudding. Somebody shoot that bloody parrot. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewarty 2,060 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Think we're all gonna have to become pastry chefs or something. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GovanAllan 0 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Wonder if they all got a cup of tea and the prawn sandwiches. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1964 10,761 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 It all sounds positive.We can only give CW our full support,as well as Ally & the team,and see what developes,we have no choice but to trust him. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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