The Gersnet Interview with David Edgar

[Frankie 8,552]

For our second Gersnet Interview, we�re delighted to welcome Rangers Supporters Trust media spokesman, David Edgar to the chair.

 

David joined the Trust board 3 years ago and has done a fantastic job in his position. From radio and TV interviews to verbal jousts with broadsheet journalists, many Rangers fans will be more than aware of his combative ââ?¬â?? yet accurate and honest ââ?¬â?? style.

 

Anyway enough of the compliments and onto the questions!

 

David, obviously you�re heavily involved in supporters� representation. Just how important do you think an independent organisation such as the Trust is for the fans?

 

It�s a vital organisation because as football grows more and more corporate, the fans are treated more like customers and their views are not taken into account the way they should be. Indeed, one of the main reasons for the RST�s rapid growth has been the feeling of disconnection the fans have from the club. We aim to have two seats on the board of Rangers because we know then that supporters� views would be represented in a clear, determined and erudite fashion.

 

 

What would you say has been the most important Trust contribution since it was founded?

 

It would be difficult for me to pinpoint that ââ?¬â?? it is like asking a parent to name their favourite child! Obviously, as someone on the media team Iââ?¬â?¢m proud that weââ?¬â?¢ve helped attack the negative, often vitriolic coverage of the club and the support. Iââ?¬â?¢m proud that weââ?¬â?¢ve represented our membersââ?¬â?¢ concerns direct to the Chairman and Iââ?¬â?¢m proud that the Board listen to us (which is not to say they always agree with us!) Iââ?¬â?¢m also proud that we are so heavily involved as our support modernise.

 

Overall I�m happy that the RST is a place where Gers fans can unite in their love of a wonderful institution.

 

 

Some fans would suggest that it�s impossible for a support to own and run a football club. How would you counter that?

 

Barcelona seem to do okay! I think there is a misconception that if the RST gained control of the board, weââ?¬â?¢d all give up our jobs and take cushy positions at the club! We arenââ?¬â?¢t naÃ?¯ve ââ?¬â?? I donââ?¬â?¢t know how to run a business with a turnover of Ã?£60m and I wouldnââ?¬â?¢t even attempt to. We would have in place qualified personnel from both the business and football community and charge them with the day-to-day running of the club. The board would be made up of elected officials who would have to answer to the members. If they did a bad job, theyââ?¬â?¢d be out! The main difference is that every fan would have a vote in the overall direction of the club.

 

 

Many Rangers supporters continue to be annoyed with what they feel is a media witch-hunt towards our club. If this is the case, how would you recommend we deal with it?

 

Well, the stock answer is to say ââ?¬Ë?do not buy/read/listenââ?¬â?¢ to that which offends you. But Iââ?¬â?¢m afraid that turning the other cheek is what brought us to this position in the first place. My suggestion has always been direct action. Write to the journalist, write to the editor, and stop your friends from buying these products. Let them know you are not prepared to put up with it. Itââ?¬â?¢s a lot better than it was in 2002/2003 when halfwit journalists were allowed to espouse their own bigotry under the cover of crusading against sectarianism. (I vividly recall a drunk who worked for a broadsheet newspaper at the time having the gall to lecture Rangers fans on morality!) Itââ?¬â?¢s still a hard fight ahead, but I believe that these constant attacks against us ââ?¬â?? especially the more hysterical ones (Nuremburg, anyone?) ââ?¬â?? have brought us closer together as a support and helped re-establish the community element of the support. Itââ?¬â?¢s blatantly obvious that we are treated differently from the other half of the Old Firm, but I like the fact that our support donââ?¬â?¢t just sit and moan about it, they get in the ribs of the people behind it.

 

 

Recently, the Trust has been working with other fans� groups to show unity in how we approach certain issues. How important is such teamwork?

 

Vital. Many groups, one consistent message Thereââ?¬â?¢s plenty of room for debate on how we go forward, but the one constant is clear ââ?¬â?? we all love the Rangers and we all want to help shield it from things which could damage it.

 

 

Onto less political matters now. Domestic success in recent years has been minimal for our great club. Do you think Walter Smith can turn this around and regain the title?

 

I certainly do. Walter is a better manager now than he was when he left, and his organisational skills and ability to motivate players have been evident since his return. If you are my age, Ally McCoist is your hero, so it is terrific to see him back at the club. Itââ?¬â?¢s also great to see guys in charge who have blue blood running through their veins. As I said earlier, there is a gap between the players and the fans at ALL clubs in modern football ââ?¬â?? itââ?¬â?¢s hard for us to see a guy going through the motions when his wage packet is bigger in a week than ours is in a year AND when weââ?¬â?¢d gladly play for the club for free! Walter and Ally wear their hearts on their sleeves and that resonates with the support. However, whilst both these guys are clearly very talented, they canââ?¬â?¢t work miracles; the Chairman MUST give them adequate resources to bring in the level of player required to gain success, not just domestically, but in Europe too (where Walterââ?¬â?¢s record in his first spell was patchy.) Weââ?¬â?¢ve messed around in the bargain basement Bosman bucket for too long now.

 

 

What are your thoughts on the unsuccessful PLG era?

 

These things happen. He is clearly an intelligent coach, but he looked at the end like he didnââ?¬â?¢t know what had hit him. The SPL is a strange wee league ââ?¬â?? good players have flopped here then done well in what youââ?¬â?¢d say were superior leagues. I think he felt it would be easier than it was and in the end, he simply didnââ?¬â?¢t want to be here. He made some very poor signings and some equally bad decisions, but he did some good things too ââ?¬â??I donââ?¬â?¢t think Charlie Adam would have had such a good season if PLG hadnââ?¬â?¢t been here.

 

 

Do we need a large transfer budget to ensure we don�t fail again this year? How much do you think we can afford to spend?

 

Weâ��ve got to spend �£8-10m minimum. That shouldnâ��t be out of the budget of a club our size, and if it is, we should be looking at the financial management of the club and asking questions.

[Frankie 8,552]

Any players you have in mind yourself?

 

Oh, I could give you a laundry list right now! Realistically, I�d love to see a box-to-box midfielder, a wide man and a striker.

 

 

What current player(s) do you think make the most valued contribution to the team?

 

If you look up ââ?¬Ë?consistencyââ?¬â?¢ in the dictionary, you see a picture of Davie Weir. I also believe that Ferguson and Thomson have a lot to offer. Alan Hutton has been immense lately and you can never fault wee Nacho for his effort (especially against that lot.) And I do like Boyd, even if he drives me to distraction sometimes!

 

 

Similarly, who are your all-time Rangers and football heroes?

 

Gazza ââ?¬â?? he just made you feel happy. Ally McCoist ââ?¬â?? the Roy Race of Scottish football. Brian Laudrup ââ?¬â?? the greatest foreigner to ever play in this country. Graeme Souness ââ?¬â?? he just oozed class. Alex MacDonald and Gordon Smith are not only great Rangers men, they are simply great men. All time favourite non-Rangers player? Van Basten ââ?¬â?? the guy was immense.

 

 

Conversely, which players give you nightmares?

 

Recently, Olivier Bernard looked like every match was the first heââ?¬â?¢d ever played. Egil Ostenstad re-defined ââ?¬Ë?uselessââ?¬â?¢. In the early 80ââ?¬â?¢s, we had a fair few who were, shall we say, ââ?¬Ë?alternatively talentedââ?¬â?¢.

 

 

We all have our favourite personal Rangers moments ââ?¬â?? whatââ?¬â?¢s yours?

 

Helicopter Sunday. It�s obvious, but come on, it had EVERYTHING. Every Bear had a cheesey grin the size of the Clyde and every Celtic fan had a haunted, Thousand Yard Stare. The 3-1 Neerday NIAR win was my favourite Old Firm game. We had half a team missing with illness, their fans had that misplaced confidence that Celtic fans do better than anyone. Then up pops Erik Bo to make it Nine in a Row! My favourite European game was Kiev in 87-88. The noise�..

 

 

I�ve been hearing rumours about expansions to Ibrox lately. Do you think a bigger, better Ibrox is achievable or do you feel a move to a new stadium is a better solution?

 

I�m a traditionalist. You move us from Ibrox and you take away a lot of what makes us great. Quite frankly, the only two things which are keeping us as a big club are our traditions and our supporters. Nothing should be done which damages either. Stadium expansion would be the way forward, but if I�m honest, I don�t see it happening in the near future.

 

 

We�ve been hearing rumours about expansions to Ibrox lately. Do you think a bigger, better Ibrox is achievable or do you feel a move to a new stadium is a better solution?

 

I�m a traditionalist. You move us from Ibrox and you take away a lot of what makes us great. Quite frankly, the only two things which are keeping us as a big club are our traditions and our supporters. Nothing should be done which damages either. Stadium expansion would be the way forward, but if I�m honest, I don�t see it happening in the near future.

 

 

Similarly, what workable avenues could the club explore in terms of competing at the highest level? Is joining the EPL an unobtainable dream or perhaps an Atlantic League may be more realistic? Or should Rangers remain in Scotland via an improved domestic set-up?

 

The EPL dream is exactly that ââ?¬â?? they donââ?¬â?¢t need us and UEFA donââ?¬â?¢t want us to do it. Of course the Old Firm wants it to happen, but thatââ?¬â?¢s not enough. An Atlantic league my come into play in the near future, but weââ?¬â?¢ve been hearing talk like this since 1990 and nothing has come of it. I think we may just have to accept that our future, certainly our immediate future, lies in the SPL.

 

 

Appropriate to your media position, who (or what media platform) do you think represents the best value for the average Scottish football fan? Do you have a favourite journalist/broadcaster?

 

It�s difficult for me to comment, because if I praise any particular journalist then they�ll immediately be outed on certain websites as Bears! There are some really genuine guys in the media and some really arrogant, self-serving morons as well. I think Jim Spence�s show on Radio Scotland is always worth a listen, Real Radio�s phone in lets a number of disparate views on and doesn�t shout over callers or patronise them and there are a few decent newspapers out there. There are also the usual coteries of clowns who pollute our pages daily, but we all know who they are!

 

 

Finally, in an era where just supporting a club can provide many problems can you sum up what being a Rangers fan means to you?

 

Itââ?¬â?¢s an identity, itââ?¬â?¢s a creed, itââ?¬â?¢s a virtue. It isnââ?¬â?¢t easy ââ?¬â?? in fact, itââ?¬â?¢s never been harder ââ?¬â?? but at the end of the day, weââ?¬â?¢re in this forever, and Iââ?¬â?¢ll tell you what, Iââ?¬â?¢m proud to say Iââ?¬â?¢m a Bear. Never forget ââ?¬â?? We Are the People!

 

 

Thanks so much for you time David and may you continue to represent us all in the media so honestly and articulately.

 

�© GersnetOnline.net 2007

[bmck 117]

excellent stuff.

[alanmidd 0]

great read. The trust do a great job and long may it continue.

 

On a pedantic note, the question on stadium expansion is on twice

[Laudbertz 0]

Sounds like a good interview, i liked his summing up of Bernard and Ostenstad, lol.

 

Cant disagree with any of his answers though.

[Guest Sutton_Blows_Goats]

Mr edgar on the money as always. Very happy to have him speeking as a Rangers fan.

[bmck 117]

Mr edgar on the money as always. Very happy to have him speeking as a Rangers fan.

 

agreed. sensibleness (a word?) just seems to guide his words giving them a sense of level-headed authority. he, like frankie in recent articles, asseses murray without sensation: he is neither reactionary or revolutionary, he just says "this is good" or "this is bad". i think people can trust that.

[Trailio 0]

That was a good read. If only our current board had the same feelings towards the club.

[stewarty 2,010]

I'm annoyed when I miss him any time he's on the radion. Is there any chance of getting a heads up on when he will be doing any radio/tv interviews? (I guess the RST would probably be a good starting point)

[ascender 352]

Good read. The guy always speaks sense and is a credit to the RST.