aweebluesoandso 290 Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Big clubs have different categories of fan. Not everyone is a dyed in the wool Sash-singing Bluenose. If Rangers are successful and believed to be on the right path, people will be tempted to come along. Public image is more important than ever before. Our away fans droning on about Bobby Sands does not endear the club to anyone. It's one thing having the freedom to sing certain songs and chants, but when it is used in a way that is perceived to be distasteful, it repels people. What parent wants to introduce his child to this? In the past, dubious songs were no big deal - but they are now. The day out is expensive and dull. The singing sections provide a cabaret more than an atmosphere. They are well-intentioned, but atmosphere can't be created artificially. It needs to be organic. Cost is a factor too. People are generally quite bored with what they are witnessing. Handing over good money to watch poor fare which has been tolerated by the club for far too long leads to disillusionment, and eventually, disinterest. Can Scotland's biggest club afford to play a brand of football that is about as appealing as Morris dancing? For some fans, the spirit has been broken. From being fanatics who followed the team everywhere, they have become golfers, fishers, ramblers, shoppers and day trippers. From living Rangers every day they have become detached and distant. This group will not easily return. Not even success will win them back. We do have gloryhunters in the support, though, and God bless them. If we didn't, I'd be even more depressed about the future than I already am. This new board has a hard task on its hands. It needs to understand that a full Ibrox is no longer going to be an automatic occurrence. It is going to have to make Rangers an attractive and appealing club - far more attractive and appealing than it has been for some considerable time. i very much agree with your summation here H, The club has a hard task on it's hands. Keeping what we have in numbers is a must, increasing the numbers will be harder. All you suggest is very much needed, along with my old fashioned emotional blackmail. I was there on Saturday with my two young nephews and was amazed by the numbers of families in the Broomloan. So the demographics are out there we just need the winning product. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Barristan Selmy 222 Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 LOL we're not exactly going to get that calibre of player are we?And whilst it was necessary to remove the previous board the new board still have to prove themselves Did we not just cover this? I'm providing examples of players that prove being a free transfer doesn't mean there is any limit on that player's quality. There are all sorts of reasons for players leaving clubs out of contract. You are correct with the second part, that should go without saying. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragonfly Trumpeter 50 Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I am just a bit concerned that I do not have a busy schedule this week and I think I will actually give up another 12 hours of my life tomorrow and attend the game. I expect to be one of less than 20k in the ground if I do go. Not sure if I need the Samaritans, a shrink or possibly both. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete 2,511 Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Big clubs have different categories of fan. Not everyone is a dyed in the wool Sash-singing Bluenose. If Rangers are successful and believed to be on the right path, people will be tempted to come along. Public image is more important than ever before. Our away fans droning on about Bobby Sands does not endear the club to anyone. It's one thing having the freedom to sing certain songs and chants, but when it is used in a way that is perceived to be distasteful, it repels people. What parent wants to introduce his child to this? In the past, dubious songs were no big deal - but they are now. The day out is expensive and dull. The singing sections provide a cabaret more than an atmosphere. They are well-intentioned, but atmosphere can't be created artificially. It needs to be organic. Cost is a factor too. People are generally quite bored with what they are witnessing. Handing over good money to watch poor fare which has been tolerated by the club for far too long leads to disillusionment, and eventually, disinterest. Can Scotland's biggest club afford to play a brand of football that is about as appealing as Morris dancing? For some fans, the spirit has been broken. From being fanatics who followed the team everywhere, they have become golfers, fishers, ramblers, shoppers and day trippers. From living Rangers every day they have become detached and distant. This group will not easily return. Not even success will win them back. We do have gloryhunters in the support, though, and God bless them. If we didn't, I'd be even more depressed about the future than I already am. This new board has a hard task on its hands. It needs to understand that a full Ibrox is no longer going to be an automatic occurrence. It is going to have to make Rangers an attractive and appealing club - far more attractive and appealing than it has been for some considerable time. Ever since I got the video from Frankie, Craig, Zappa and Bluedell I find Morris dancing quite amusing. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplythebest 0 Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I called this a while ago barring a real instant improvement in the product. A good number of people seemed to seriously be anticipating full houses immediately after King took over but I never thought that was possible overnight, we didn't lose all the people we have from games because of the boardroom and nothing else. Even with a relatively modest increase in numbers the atmosphere hasn't improved the last two matches one jot either, there is a lot of serious work to do. The honeymoon period is over if there ever really was one. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
calscot 0 Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I think while many have come back, there are those that will not only need some time change the momentum of their current habits of a weekend, but also who really need a feel-good factor on the pitch. Despite appointing a manager, we're not even close to that yet. We have a 27% win rate since McCoist left, and we're obviously used to far, far better. I'm not sure we need some kind of lovely football to get them back, what I think we need is some thumping wins and consistently dominating games while always looking destined to win. Oh yeah, and an actual good, long run of wins. The fans need not only hope that we can achieve promotion, more so that it looks almost inevitable. Maybe that's glory hunting or whatever, but the change of momentum of fans coming back will probably reflect the change of momentum for our results and chances of winning. Our current first time doesn't look very capable of re-igniting the cold ashes of their previously barely luke-warm spirit resembling glowing embers. If McCall can't do that despite several changes to the team, then he may be "forced" to start to put his faith in some of the more promising young players. No matter the off-field issues which seem to be affecting the seasoned players, the kids will normally be massively motivated to show what they can do for the first team. Normally that's a big risk, but there is little risk if those you depend on for constancy are in fact consistently inept. Of course it's not a panacea - and ironically there are many who argue it is one minute while lambasting the likes of Hutton the next. There also seems to be a lack of leadership on the pitch or at least someone who can do something to prevent the catastrophic slide, so although it may just be an impossible job, we don't know that without changing the captaincy, and I don't think Jig can be too surprised or aggrieved if that happens. The biggest problem is that we don't really have anyone in the squad that deserves the responsibility. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tannochsidebear 2,463 Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 The new board needs to get it's marketing department to get working on driving numbers back to the matches, but a lot of it is to do with those of us who have been going to the games (or returned since boardroom/management change) telling our mates that the football is much better now than before, and that in itself will attract more bears back to the matches. Obviously the product served up needs to actually be better than the current fare before we can say that, and that is down to the manager and players to entertain those of us who will turn up anyway to get us excited and tell our mates and encourage those who have not returned to come back. The marketing, perhaps with some special ticket prices/offers, has to be right also. Getting a player to hold up a cardboard poster with the match details on it is terribly lame, but it is all I saw for Saturday's game. We know and understand that the apathy and discontent was not confined to the playing staff at our club, but was spread throughout all the departments, and work has to be done to revitalize all our departments into believing in ourselves again. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
limeburner 0 Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 35000 to watch that dross is fecking incredible. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RANGERRAB 3,994 Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 35000 to watch that dross is fecking incredible. The best marketing in the world won't get more people to attend unless the product on the park is drastically improved. The squad needs improved by getting better quality players. Does the new board have the funds for this? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyk 158 Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Like many on here I have been going for years and this is the first season I can remember that I have missed a decent amount of games in. We have all seen poor football week in week out for a long time but still kept coming back. It's the lack of effort in virtually all the players that is really annoying me especially for the wages they have been and are still getting and some have the audacity to call themselves Rangers fans 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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