Supporters Direct chief calls on Rangers fans to unite...

[BrahimHemdani 1]

Aye shut-up Dave, everything is hunky dory.

 

I don't think anyone is suggesting that everything in the garden is rosy; just how many weeds there are will soon be revealed no doubt.

 

But running to the press every few weeks with stories about us running out of cash, isn't exactly helping and no doubt part of the reason why the Board (like them or not) don't want to engage with him.

[chilledbear 16]

I don't think anyone is suggesting that everything in the garden is rosy; just how many weeds there are will soon be revealed no doubt.

 

But running to the press every few weeks with stories about us running out of cash, isn't exactly helping and no doubt part of the reason why the Board (like them or not) don't want to engage with him.

 

It's obviously the way he wants to go, whether we think it is the right way or not.

 

Some would say there is investment waiting in the wings, King is trying to say show us it before the shit hits the fan.

[BrahimHemdani 1]

It's obviously the way he wants to go, whether we think it is the right way or not.

 

Some would say there is investment waiting in the wings, King is trying to say show us it before the shit hits the fan.

 

Seems an odd strategy to me, unless he's just trying to get the price down (for existing or new shares) but then I'd concede that apparently he has megabucks to invest, I don't.

[Zappa 0]

Odd paragraph. Is it OK for successful fans to criticise King?

 

No-one is forcing DK to invest. What he does with his money is his business. But if he's not a shareholder and if he has no intention of becoming one until he's happy that he can dictate terms to the board, it might be an idea for him to desist from making contributions to damaging, scaremongering stories about our finances in the gutter press.

 

We obviously don't know whether Dave King is a shareholder yet or not, but I'd be a lot more surprised to hear that he hasn't bought any shares than I'd be if we heard he had indeed been buying some.

 

Regarding him speaking to the press, I don't see why we should have a problem with it because most of the time it will be someone he already knows (or knows of) in the Scottish press getting in touch to ask him for an interview or asking for a Q&A via email which they then portray as an interview in their published article.

 

Dave King has also never been very far off the mark with his predictions. He said he thought we would go into administration and we did. He said he thought we would end up with a failed CVA and the company being put into liquidation and that's what happened.

 

He predicted last year that we could be in administration by Xmas and in fairness to the guy he wasn't really a million miles away. Despite being ridiculed by some of our fans for getting that one wrong, we've actually seen reports both this month and last month that cash was running out very quickly indeed.

 

Folk can ridicule Dave King and the stories about our finances in the press until their hearts are content, but it will never change the fact that they might not actually be very far from the uncomfortable truth. Players being asked to take wage cuts was played down by the Club, but we don't all zip up the back.

[andy steel 0]

This is the full text of an invitation that I have received to the meeting.

 

I will be attending although I must say that the date and time seem a bit odd to me. I would have thought that an evening meeting would have given more people a chance to attend although that would rule out a bar and Ibrox itself would be ruled out for obvious reasons. However, there must have been alternative evening venues. No doubt there is a reason for it being on the 14th as well and perhaps it was thought that the morning rather than the evening of the 14th might reduce the chances of a St Valentine's Day Massacre?

 

Any others who are going and want to meet up can PM me.

 

Is it by invitation only? I can make that, and would like at least to hear what the SDS side of things is. Sceptical, but not closed, mind.

[BrahimHemdani 1]

Is it by invitation only?

 

Apparently so.

[chilledbear 16]

Seems an odd strategy to me, unless he's just trying to get the price down (for existing or new shares) but then I'd concede that apparently he has megabucks to invest, I don't.

 

To me, King is a better option than we have at the moment, far from ideal but just the better option. Whatever way he goes about it, I hope it works and soon.

 

I thought you were a man of means.

[ranger_syntax 4,422]

I'm struck by the dichotomy between the fans' stance on FO (eagerness to buy shares in the club) and the standpoint of Dave King (complete reluctance to buy shares). Despite this, King remains the favoured option of many fans to "invest" in the club via a new share issue, as opposed to buying existing shares and insodoing "lining spivs' pockets".

 

I'm not sure why fans should feel so warmly disposed to another would-be hero who, like McColl before him, talks a good game but refuses to join them in coughing up.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Firstly I think we all assume that Dave King is not completely reluctant to buy shares and neither that he refuses to cough up. If you accept that Dave King only wants to buy shares via a new share issue then it's not too difficult to see why fans are warmly disposed to him. The club can use the money if he buys shares through a share issue whereas they can't if he just purchases shares from the market. I'm quite sure you know all this though so I'm not sure why you ask.

[BEARGER 1,830]

This is the full text of an invitation that I have received to the meeting.

 

Supporters Direct Scotland (SDS) would like to invite you to a meeting on the Community Interest Company (CIC) model of fan-ownership and how this model could be of interest to Rangers supporters who are keen on taking a greater stake in Rangers Football Club.

 

SDS has agreed to host a small presentation regarding fan-ownership and Rangers FC on the 14th of Feb at 10:30am in the Louden Tavern at Ibrox - SDS would like to express our thanks the Louden Tavern for hosting this event. For directions, please visit;

 

http://www.thelouden.co.uk/directions.html

 

The meeting follows an approach to SDS by a group of Rangers Fans expressing an interest in this model which has been increasing in popularity within the Scottish Fans community.

 

This first presentation is designed to share information on the model and how this could work for Rangers supporters. At this stage we are extending the invite to a range of supporters organisations, supporters clubs and fan lead publications and websites that SDS have contact with.

 

Should there be sufficient demand and encouragement that fan-ownership is something Rangers fans would like to work towards then further meetings will be held to allow more supporters the chance to have a say and shape further developments.

 

This meeting really is about engaging with Rangers supporters - assessing the options, getting feedback and building the group of people required to get things moving. This new approach is in its early stages but we hope to progress quickly over the next number of weeks.

.

 

Couple of questions.

Is the RST affiliated to SDS? Does the RST pay a memebrship fee to SDS?

Did SDS not have a moral responsibility to speak to the RST and other Trusts regarding the CIC model first, assuming they (SDS) believe this scheme worth of merit.

[BrahimHemdani 1]

Couple of questions.

Is the RST affiliated to SDS? Does the RST pay a memebrship fee to SDS?

Did SDS not have a moral responsibility to speak to the RST and other Trusts regarding the CIC model first, assuming they (SDS) believe this scheme worth of merit.

 

You raise an important issue, Mr Bearger.

 

Obviously these are issues for the RST & SDS but based on my past experience with both organisations:

 

SD is the umbrella organisation for all Trusts in the UK with SDS being the Scottish arm. It is important but not mandatory for RST to be members of SD because it gives them a form of legitimacy if they follow the rules and procedures. It is not mandatory because SD is not a regulator but if you don't follow its rules and guidelines you will be disciplined or expelled (or more likely membership not renewed). That is why the RST had to withdraw comments about the Famine Song from their web site. The membership fee is £50 /£100 year.

 

If I was still the Secretary of the RST I would not be happy about what is taking place because as you rightly say if the RST scheme is a good one and even if it is not, then in my opinion SDS definitely have a moral or even stronger responsibility (can't think of the word right now but it is somewhere between legal and moral) to explore all the options with them first. On the other hand there were a lot of difficulties with RST's membership in the past and if I was still Chair of SDS then I might consider it perfectly legitimate for my staff to explore alternative options especially if they considered that there was a better way to go. The reason why I say that is that from the SG perspective (£140,000/year funding) SDS exists on a far wider remit to be the voice of the fans rather than just looking after the Trusts e.g. the Scottish Football Supporters Network (SFSN) as we termed it originally orThe Fans Parliament as I believe it is now called.

 

However, please note that there can be only one RST at any one time; so it is not entirely clear to me how SDS might support a non RST CIC going forward. I may be mistaken but so far as I know all the CIC's up to now have been borne out of the respective Trusts.

 

Hope this helps. This is a difficult area but I'll try to answer any other questions.