ian1964 10,761 Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Chairman's Statement • 2022 vision • Fan representation remains a key part of the forward strategy • Rebuild a modern football Club based on the traditional values and traditions of Rangers Football Club When I resolved to do everything within my power to make sure the correct people would regain control of Rangers I had no idea how long it would take. I just knew that this fantastic Club and its history had to be protected and even in those moments when it felt as though the fates themselves were conspiring against our efforts, there were no thoughts of retreat. Rangers and the task of setting the Club back on the correct path were too important but I must say I never imagined I would become Chairman of one of our country's great institutions. I may be in the Chair only in the interim but the honour is no less great. Sadly, those who have held this post in recent times have failed to recognise the profound significance of being Chairman of Rangers but there is no possibility of the new Board ever under-valuing Rangers' position. The new Directors have been in place only a matter of weeks but have already started to repair the damage caused through recent years of neglect and disrespect for this Club, its people and its history. The mismanagement of the Club in recent years has been simply staggering. The new Board is well advanced on funding plans, especially short to medium term which will ensure the Club has a firm foundation from which to drive on into the future. We have moved quickly to secure the short term funding position by agreeing a £1.5m unsecured interest-free loan from key shareholders. In the very near future we will present a medium - long term funding plan for the Club. This funding will be provided by existing and new investors who now want to invest in the Club. Thereafter, the Club must quickly become self-sustaining and absolutely free from the kind of funding crises which have plagued Rangers in recent years. As the Interim Accounts prove, the new Board has inherited major problems but while campaigning for change we all knew the Club would be in need of major restructuring and repair on all fronts. We can and we will return this Club to a strong and profitable footing through strategic planning, investment and re-engagement with all of our stakeholders. Too many of them have been lost or disenfranchised because of successive failings by a series of Directors over the last four years in particular. But they are gone now and this is a new era for this great and special Club which must be regenerated, not only for its own good but for the greater good of Scottish football. With the fans returning to support the Club we believe that there is significant potential to grow our commercial income. Let's never forget just how important Rangers is to the domestic game. This Club's fans have filled the grounds of many smaller clubs throughout the country and given them income to improve their own facilities. Many of these other clubs have expressed their gratitude but we must also thank them for the warmth of their welcome. We won't forget that. Neither will we forget that Rangers' fans are the Club's most significant stakeholder and they must never again be taken for granted or treated with contempt. They have demonstrated the depth of feeling and belief in their Club and having played such a crucial part in achieving boardroom change it would be wrong, never mind foolish, to ignore them now. So I would like to take this opportunity to reinforce the new Board's commitment to them. They will have full and meaningful boardroom representation and their voice will be heard. Of course a large number of others also helped in the struggle to achieve change and they, too, have our gratitude but the supporters are the real heroes. Without them nothing would have changed and there would have been no way of recovery from the set of figures in this report. However, that is not to say the Club cannot begin to thrive again. Of course it can. We have access to significant new funding and with intelligent investment at Murray Park and at Ibrox we can all be confident of a bright future for this remarkable Club. It is clear to everyone what can be achieved when there is a strong connection between the Club's Directors and the support and this is a link which we must ensure remains strong. So the simple truth is Rangers needs every fan to invest in the future. It is only by remaining united that we will begin to prosper and regain our traditional standing in Scotland's top flight as well as re-entering the European arenas. This is what we, the Board, are working towards but achieving this will be impossible if our fans do not buy into that vision. Buying season books and match-day tickets is not just about today, it is also very much about where we want to be in a year, five years, ten years and beyond. The Board is working towards a plan which sees Rangers at the top and every single one of us has to buy into that vision. New Board members and the highly-skilled individuals required to get the Club functioning at optimum levels in the various departments are being considered and they will help find the correct balance between football, commercial, financial and fan engagement. The vision I mentioned earlier is to focus on the next seven years so that by 2022, the Club's 150th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of Barcelona we, Rangers, will be back at the very top. This means that over the next few years the finance we are putting in place now will provide the infrastructure and personnel at Murray Park to make sure Rangers are competing and winning in Scotland's top flight as well as stepping back into the European arenas again. Then for the three or four years after that all our efforts will be directed towards making Rangers stronger and European regulars as our 150th year approaches. That year should be one of celebration. It is not unreasonable to expect this because Rangers have been there before so the message is that by purchasing a new season ticket you are investing in Rangers' future. Winning the boardroom back was Part One of the recovery and now we face Part Two. A massive rebuild is required at every level and in every department of this huge Club of ours and we cannot and will not shy away from those tasks. Together we will regenerate every aspect of the Club and make certain Rangers will be a force again on and off the field of play. After years of mismanagement we need patience and support. We must never forget what has happened to our Club in the last four years. The new board will ensure that it never happens again Although we are looking to the future we will also examine and act upon any evidence of past impropriety by former Directors and executives We are all aware of the problems on the field but I would like to offer my thanks to Ally McCoist and Kenny McDowall who did all they could to give Rangers a winning team and we should take into consideration the difficulties they both faced. They had to operate against a backdrop of constant boardroom upheaval and turmoil. No one felt secure and the life was being sucked out of Ibrox and Murray Park. We have brought in Stuart McCall as Interim Manager to help get the team into the Premiership and although he faces a difficult task we believe he will do it. Stuart jumped at the challenge without fear or hesitation and that tells us a lot about the calibre of the man but even so, we cannot rush into making a final decision on the permanent position because the success of everything we are planning behind the scenes will depend almost entirely on the team's ability to compete at the very top. Only 13 men have held the position of Rangers Manager so we have a duty to take whatever time is necessary to find the right man. We would expect Stuart to be a strong candidate in that process. We will also find the right people to restructure player development and unearth talent in all corners of the football world. Sufficient amounts of money will be set aside for this vital purpose but everything we do will be to help make Rangers a premium brand again and to shape the vision. We will ensure that particular emphasis is placed on player identification and development. For too long this has been neglected at the Club. Our vision is to build a football club fit for the 21st Century but one that is founded on the traditional values and traditions of Rangers which we all hold dear. No matter what functions we perform within the Club all of us must believe in this vision and already the new Directors are engaging with staff to spread the message we are in this together. Together we are the Rangers Family and we will face our challenges and celebrate our successes together. Our focus must be on doing everything necessary to guarantee an exciting, vibrant and much more successful future and we will also be working towards creating better working relationships with all our commercial partners, including Sports Direct. We are in the process of engaging with them because they are a large shareholder as well as being our key commercial partner. Finally, I would also like to thank the staff for their efforts and commitment in difficult times when various individuals and Directors seemed to come and go without any obvious long-term strategy. The views of staff and their contributions will be recognised and appreciated by this new Board. Remember, this is our Club, we have taken ownership of it and with our 2022 vision we will not fail. Paul Murray Interim Chairman 30 March 2015 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aweebluesoandso 290 Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Great statement from Mr Murray, I'm in and up for the challenge. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankie 8,651 Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Easy to overlook this fine statement due to other issues in the financials. As always though we need actions over words. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete 2,499 Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 (edited) Easy to overlook this fine statement due to other issues in the financials. As always though we need actions over words. Yes we have had enough hot air to fill the Hindenburg these last few years. We knew we were Haemorrhaging money but on the scale that is now coming to light is crazy. People keep talking about a director has to do what is in the best interest of the business or he can be face criminal charges. if Rangers are anything to go on then it would seem to be a law that is only for show rather than action. Rangers and the law seem to be a bendy toy. Edited March 31, 2015 by pete 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
der Berliner 3,803 Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 At least we know that the people now in charge do not drain the club of any money and while it is still "hot air", we'll only see their real influence on things with the next interim report, as the annual one will still have three months of wigswork included. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real PapaBear 0 Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 fantastic statement. No flannel; no moonbeams and my favourite part is this: Although we are looking to the future we will also examine and act upon any evidence of past impropriety by former Directors and executives 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinstein 294 Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 think the Hindenburg wes filled with Hydrogen 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siam69 0 Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 It just sticks in my throat a bit, this thanking McCoist, what with him still taking a wage for nothing, while knowing the financial situation. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Barristan Selmy 222 Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Our problems extend a lot further back than 4 years. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the gunslinger 3,366 Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 4 years ago we were champions with minimal debt of 14 million. Around double the debt just now but with 3 times the income. The debt was long term and at a good rate and the squad was worth 25 million easily. 4 years ago is about right. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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