Rangers Refuse To Wear New Strip In Scottish Cup Final?

[ian1964 10,723]

[MacK1950 2,376]

Quite right too nothing should be worn to glorify fatman as sales would probably made to those who do not follow what is happening.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

Must admit I'd rather they didn't get Rodgers

[gisabeer 409]

Will we be doing our own strips then?

[Bluedell 5,624]

I don't agree with changing strips before the end of the season. A strip should be for the full season.

[Frankie 8,562]

I don't agree with changing strips before the end of the season. A strip should be for the full season.

 

I agree but I think we've done this a few times in the past.

[Bluedell 5,624]

I agree but I think we've done this a few times in the past.

 

Yeah, we have, and I've never liked it. I think once we even changed supplier with our previous deal running out around middle of May.

[alexscottislegend 2,320]

Must admit I'd rather they didn't get Rodgers

 

Why? Let them get the best manager they can. I want them to give us a stiff challenge to prepare us for the otgher games we will get in Europe. A weak Keltic - or anyone else - does nothing to steel us for tougher times ahead. I'm comfident we will prevail in any event.

[ian1964 10,723]

Defiant Rangers chiefs spark fresh war with Mike Ashley by refusing to wear new strip in Scottish Cup Final

 

06:00, 19 May 2016

By Keith Jackson

 

THE snub is designed to stop fans buying up thousands of next season’s replica tops which are thought to be gathering dust in Ashley’s Shirebrook lock-up.

 

RANGERS plan to stick two fingers up at Mike Ashley from Hampden on Saturday by refusing to wear the new kit he’s produced for their big Premiership return.

 

The Scottish Cup Final snub – which comes after yesterday’s bombshell news that Dave King plans to rip up all commercial contracts between the club and Sports Direct – is designed to stop fans buying up thousands of next season’s replica tops which are thought to be gathering dust in Ashley’s Shirebrook lock-up.

 

Traditionally, Rangers have used the end of season finale as a shop window to launch their next home shirt when in the final.

 

But King’s regime don’t want fans even to see next season’s Puma strips, never mind buy them. They have no intention of helping Ashley rake in cash from sales over the summer as the feud between the billionaire and the chairman intensifies.

 

Yesterday, all Sports Direct advertising was deleted from the official Rangers website while the home page of Ashley’s company advertised Celtic’s new strip alongside with kits from Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Manchester United.

 

Rangers chiefs will attend an operational meeting at Hampden today with the SFA and Hibs where both clubs will bring the kit they plan to wear. The Ibrox club are expected to bring along this season’s kit.

 

Record Sport revealed last week how Newcastle’s relegation from England’s top flight could lead to Ashley having to loosen his iron grip on the Ibrox club’s retail wing to abide by the Football League’s strict rules on dual interest.

 

But King has now called Ashley’s bluff by shutting down the joint venture created with former chief executive Charles Green four years ago.

 

In a statement yesterday, Rangers announced their intention to claim back all intellectual property, including their crests and badges from the Rangers Retail operation – effectively rendering it worthless and leaving Ashley frozen out.

 

The statement continued: “The club will endeavour to communicate further with its supporters and customers for Rangers kit and other Rangers products as soon as it is in a position to do so.”

 

The controversial terms of the tie-up between Sports Direct and Rangers are believed to have been hammered out in private between Ashley, Green and former commercial director Imran Ahmad. It is unclear if this deal was presented to the club’s board for official approval.

 

The Ibrox outfit own 51 per cent of Rangers Retail, with Ashley’s company in control of the rest of the shares.

 

Over the last 12 months, Ashley has repeatedly refused King’s pleas for a renegotiation of the tie-up terms that Rangers believe to be grossly one-sided in Sports Direct’s favour. It’s understood the club pockets just 4p from every £1 spent in its own superstore.

 

Angry fans have responded by boycotting their club’s merchandise and Ashley’s high street stores. Craig Houston, founder of the Sons of Struth protest group, said: “While I welcome the club’s move to shut down Rangers Retail this should not be misinterpreted as a green light for fans to start buying jerseys again unless they’re happy giving their money to Ashley.”

 

Sports Direct made no comment yesterday as Ashley considered his next move.

 

Read more at http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/defiant-rangers-chiefs-spark-fresh-8002675#xt31YmBKhG0C03vy.99

[der Berliner 3,744]

Well, perhaps I'm somewhat slow today, but the jerseys and replica strips are provided by Puma? You would assume that Puma won't like what is happening just now, as they probably have produced a few thousand new shirts by now. I assume that what is in the statement relates to us talking to Puma as well?

 

So how does this work then? Rangers Retails orders the new shirts from Puma and sell them via the Sports Direct outlets? If we remove the IP rights from Rangers Retail, there are still a few thousand Puma shirts in stock and Rangers Retail can't (assumingly) pay Puma because they have no rights to sell them? As I said in the other thread, one hope we have sound legal advice here. Would be some smashing developement in various meanings of that word.

Edited May 19, 2016 by der Berliner