Rangers: This New Era

[Hildy 0]

In a relatively short time the changes that have taken place in our country, and at our club, have taken the breath away. Our club has survived after a prolonged and unforeseen crisis but it belongs to strangers now and is almost as remote from supporters as London is from Glasgow.

 

Scotland is on the brink of fundamental and irreversible change and whether it remains within the UK or goes it alone, things will never be the same again. Those who grew up thinking that Rangers and the Union were forever must have been visibly shaken by this cataclysmic turn of events.

 

Identity is important to us, and having already endured a period where our football club almost died, we are now seeing Britishness at the cliff-edge. Coming on top of the shocking collapse of our banking institutions, this is a bizarre period in our lives. It seems that nothing is forever any more, and much of what is dear to us is under threat.

 

Even the Church of Scotland is languishing. It seems to have slipped back in the country's pecking order behind another strand of Christianity, the Catholic Church. Like Rangers, this cornerstone of society has seen better days.

 

When the 21st century chimed in, who expected this? Inside a relatively short time, our world has been turned upside-down. The Church always had a fight on its hands to retain flock, but the Scottish parliament, which was specifically designed to stop nationalism in its tracks, has completely failed to do it.

 

Within the Rangers family, the widespread belief that the club was immortal has been smashed, and the idea that two 300 year-old banks could fail was thought to be too outlandish to be seriously contemplated.

 

Here we stand, days before a vital referendum, and much of what, historically, has been important to us, has either changed, is presently changing, or could change in the not too distant future.

 

The iconic Union Flag, perhaps under a new name, could be redesigned if Scotland becomes independent, and no-one can be sure what currency we are going to use or even if the Queen will still be our monarch in another ten years.

 

The times, they are a changing - and much faster then we ever thought possible. If Rangers gets through this period, I wonder, how much will it have to change to be at ease in this new era?

Edited September 15, 2014 by Hildy

[neutralscot 0]

Yes, The union, RBS, Rangers….it's quite incredible.

 

The behaviour of the RBS board as they bought ABN AMRO- they believed they were masters of the universe. The RBS conference used to be hilarious; Greek themed stage sets, slides showing billions of profits, Fred descending from his cloud…

 

The No campaign has been ever so complacent. Should still win.

[Hildy 0]

Yes, The union, RBS, Rangers….it's quite incredible.

 

The behaviour of the RBS board as they bought ABN AMRO- they believed they were masters of the universe. The RBS conference used to be hilarious; Greek themed stage sets, slides showing billions of profits, Fred descending from his cloud…

 

The No campaign has been ever so complacent. Should still win.

When we live through change, we sometimes don't fully grasp it until much later when we reflect on it.

 

About six months before the situation got out of hand back in 2008, someone on a business forum said that the Bank of Scotland was in poor heath and that anyone with money invested in it should get out. The abuse the guy got for his trouble was unbelievable. 'The bank had been around for three hundred years', they said. 'It will never fail'.

 

We should know by now that change happens even in the most unexpected places. We should prepare for unlikely scenarios as best we can but people sometimes get carried away with mindless optimism, and consequently, become careless, and that's when things come crashing down.

[Zappa 0]

Football, religion, politics, banking & the Monarchy all rolled into one post? Are you trying to create the perfect storm Hildy?

 

Good read mate.

[Doc 280]

Thanks Hildy,

 

Sums things up perfectly for me. I am a disenfranchised anglo-Scot watching on helplessly this week. Hope the right decision is made and we stick together. Not as confident as neutralScot though.

[The Real PapaBear 0]

and if you look at the basic reason for each and all of them getting into the state they are in it comes down to the same thing: arrogance and lack of accountability.

 

The arrogance of the Labour Party, who used to joke about weighing the vote rather than counting it, in taking its Scottish vote for granted has resulted in two SNP administrations and the brink of electoral armageddon.

The arrogance of the banks, the masters of the universe, resulted in the economic meltdown - a disaster for which nobody has ever been held accountable.

The arrogance of the establishment parties at Westminster, for whom the city and City of London is all that matters, has seen the rise of a reactionary, regressive far right and a working class disassociation with society in England and the potential extinction of the UK

The arrogance of various board rooms at Ibrox, the sun around which the diddy teams revolved, has seen a liquidation of the company and an emasculation of the club.

The arrogance of Murray who allowed his attitude to business to permeate the club. He was never held accountable, hence the £12m wasted on Flo and the millions wasted on journeymen and the disaster that followed.

The arrogance of the present board and their predecessors, consorting with and appointing convicted criminals, have been allowed to ruin the club because, once again, they haven't until recently begun to be held accountable.

 

The old saying ain't so old after all: power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

[Hildy 0]

and if you look at the basic reason for each and all of them getting into the state they are in it comes down to the same thing: arrogance and lack of accountability.

 

The arrogance of the Labour Party, who used to joke about weighing the vote rather than counting it, in taking its Scottish vote for granted has resulted in two SNP administrations and the brink of electoral armageddon.

The arrogance of the banks, the masters of the universe, resulted in the economic meltdown - a disaster for which nobody has ever been held accountable.

The arrogance of the establishment parties at Westminster, for whom the city and City of London is all that matters, has seen the rise of a reactionary, regressive far right and a working class disassociation with society in England and the potential extinction of the UK

The arrogance of various board rooms at Ibrox, the sun around which the diddy teams revolved, has seen a liquidation of the company and an emasculation of the club.

The arrogance of Murray who allowed his attitude to business to permeate the club. He was never held accountable, hence the £12m wasted on Flo and the millions wasted on journeymen and the disaster that followed.

The arrogance of the present board and their predecessors, consorting with and appointing convicted criminals, have been allowed to ruin the club because, once again, they haven't until recently begun to be held accountable.

 

The old saying ain't so old after all: power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

And dare I say it, our own arrogance for believing that we would always be the best and never falter.

 

The finger of blame can be pointed at many of the above and more, but we, as Rangers fans, cannot blame everyone but ourselves for our own plight.

 

I just hope that NO wins the day on Thursday.