a good article from Jim traynor.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

indeed he's been pretty spot on of late.

 

By James Traynor

CHARLES GREEN'S speeches and interviews have won over the Ibrox support - now he must deliver the goods.

 

 

IF you should happen across someone weeping quietly while slumped against the red-brick facade of Ibrox, spare a kind word.

 

It wonâ??t be Ian Black feeling sorry for himself after that Easter Road reception, or some down-at-heel Govanite, whose bottle has just crashed â?? literally â?? right through a hole in his carry-out bag.

 

Most likely it will be an employee from Rangersâ?? media department. Trying to persuade someone like Charles Green to tone it down must be the toughest job in the game

these days.

 

Yet you would think that working for a club that can attract 49,000 supporters to a Third Division match would be a joy. It should be but it isnâ??t.

 

While we might have grown weary of the back story, Rangersâ?? media people are run off their feet trying to cope with interview requests from around the world. Others are just catching up and that was why the Ibrox clubâ??s first home match in the Third Division attracted attention from various countries including Italy, France and Brazil.

 

Even the New York Times wanted to know how a club in the lowest league of a tiny country â?? which struggles to produce mediocre, never mind decent players â?? can command such a massive support.

 

How can a club in that situation issue a plea to fans to stop applying for season books because the ticketing system canâ??t cope with the demand?

 

And so they all came, demanding access and one-to-ones. But it isnâ??t the increased workload which is causing fear and panic among Rangersâ?? media people, itâ??s the thought of another microphone being thrust under the nose of Green, who just might be the new Wallace Mercer.

 

You must remember him, the late former owner of Hearts. He certainly knew how to work a crowd and so fond of a public platform was he that it was said he had a card in his wallet which read: â??In the event of accident or injury, call a press conference.â??

 

Hibernianâ??s fans didnâ??t think much of him when he tried to merge their club with his own but the Great Waldo, whoâ??d speak his mind even when he knew the authorities wouldnâ??t approve, is sadly missed. He could be arrogant and loud but there was always the hint of mischief about Wallace, and although he was passionate about his club you suspected his entire life didnâ??t revolve around the Hearts or the game.

 

Did he take it all seriously, or was he just having a laugh?

 

The same question can be asked of Green, who has his ashen-faced media people sweating and worried every time he opens his mouth. They just know that no matter how long they spend advising and preparing him, all of it will be forgotten as soon as their man gets into his flow.

 

Trying to get Green to remain on message is impossible. Easier to herd a swarm of angry wasps or lasso steam but although Green often sounds as though words are just teaming out in no particular order, he is aware of what heâ??s doing. He knows exactly what heâ??s saying and the reaction his words will bring.

 

Of course he knew that by jabbing a finger at the authorities, and â??them over thereâ?? heâ??d finally connect with Rangersâ?? fans. It can be argued he is tapping deliberately into the more extreme element of that support but the fact is he struck a chord with a whole lot of others.

 

There are many fair-minded and reasonable Rangers fans who also believe they have been badly treated by the authorities and some clubs.

 

They accept punishment was merited but they also believe fans and one or two influential club people couldnâ??t wait to sink the boot from behind the cloak of sporting integrity.

 

And I must admit to a degree of sympathy for Rangers. Not at all for their FTP brigade, of course, but for the many decent folk who follow this club.

 

There is little doubt in my mind a blind hatred of Rangers clouded and also extended this story of crime and punishment but letâ??s try to remember this club are responsible for their own collapse, although Saturdayâ??s impressive show of strength suggests anything but a downfall.

 

Only a month ago Rangers had sold no more than 500 season tickets and now theyâ??re asking for customers to form an orderly queue and be patient. They have taken in about £10m in sales already and Green is preparing to press ahead with a shares issue.

 

The clubâ??s wage bill must be down to about £7million and money should be piling up in the account. Any more generated by further investors and the issue will, as they say in this business, be a bonus. Unless, of course, there are people, as yet unnamed, to be paid off for having backed the purchase of Rangers.

 

But the fans, for the moment, arenâ??t thinking about the possibility of hidden agendas. Theyâ??ve been flooding back since the day Ally McCoist said it was time to buy into the new regime.

 

Ally gave his seal of approval and that was good enough for the masses. If their hero of the past year was ready to back Green then so, too, would they but just to make sure the chief executive himself pitched in with a couple of sound bites.

 

As soon as he said decisions against Rangers had been taken out of bigotry the rush to the ticket window became a stampede.

 

The chief executive might sound like a Yorkshire stereotype but heâ??s probably playing to the crowd. Heâ??s hamming it up, I suspect, because away from it all he speaks in more measured tones but challenging the authorities pressed all the right buttons with a support convinced they have been wronged by the game.

 

They squeezed into Ibrox on Saturday to make it clear they and their club remain a force. In fact, there is a sense this support have taken just about enough and are ready now to challenge the gameâ??s governing bodies as others have done in the past.

 

They are right behind Green and McCoist who face disrepute charges but even so, the man at the helm would be unwise to play games with this lot.

 

Just the other day he said he wouldnâ??t stand back with a hand over his mouth and allow his club to be abused, yet another line for the supporters, but now that heâ??s won them over heâ??d better deliver.

 

Rangers fans have given him their trust and a further misuse of that belief would be the biggest abuse of all.

[simplythebest 0]

Green has already saved the club and backed Ally with quality signings, it's a good start point.

[Thinker 887]

As soon as he said decisions against Rangers had been taken out of bigotry the rush to the ticket window became a stampede.

 

I disagree with that statement. I didn't buy my season ticket because of, or despite, anything Green said. The uptake of STs increased simply because it became clear which league we were going to play in and what the price would be.

 

I bought my ticket because the Club needs our support now more than ever. At the end of the day your choice is support the club, or starve the club. I like Green - he's thoroughly entertaining - but I still don't 100% trust him. His consortium may well end up taking a bigger chunk of what I've paid than I'd like - but to my mind that's better than me holding on to my money and the club getting nothing at all.

[der Berliner 3,834]

IMHO, this is usual Traynor stuff.

[Max Rebo's Big Blue Nose 0]

I disagree with that statement. I didn't buy my season ticket because of, or despite, anything Green said. The uptake of STs increased simply because it became clear which league we were going to play in and what the price would be.

 

I bought my ticket because the Club needs our support now more than ever. At the end of the day your choice is support the club, or starve the club. I like Green - he's thoroughly entertaining - but I still don't 100% trust him. His consortium may well end up taking a bigger chunk of what I've paid than I'd like - but to my mind that's better than me holding on to my money and the club getting nothing at all.

 

Agree. It's typical of the press and their mhanks followers to promote this notion but as you said, most fans that have bought ST will have done so on the basis that they now know where we are playing. The idea that 30,000+ people shelled out good hard cash on the basis of one statement is sheer stupidity

[Blue Moon 1,370]

I decided to get a season ticket after a 3 year gap long before Green was appointed because my club was in trouble and I would have been devastated if it had gone to the wall. Thankfully Ally stayed to see us through it but my decision had nothing to do with his endorsement of Green or Green's statements, welcome though they may be.

 

The press don't understand the concept of the Rangers family because they have never been part of it.

 

At least this article from Traynor is not condemnatory of Green. Some of the articles he wrote in the dark days were very hurtful.

[Waltersgotstyle 307]

I decided to get a season ticket after a 3 year gap long before Green was appointed because my club was in trouble and I would have been devastated if it had gone to the wall. Thankfully Ally stayed to see us through it but my decision had nothing to do with his endorsement of Green or Green's statements, welcome though they may be.

 

The press don't understand the concept of the Rangers family because they have never been part of it.

 

At least this article from Traynor is not condemnatory of Green. Some of the articles he wrote in the dark days were very hurtful.

 

Only hurtful if you care what he thinks

[Guest stfu]

Traynor is a cock end of story.

It does not surprise me that GS is hanging on his every word.