Rangers Supporters' Trust
| Founded | 5 April 2003 |
|---|---|
| Founder |
Mark Dingwall Colin Glass Gordon Semple |
| Type | Not-for-profit |
| Focus | To encourage and facilitate supporters of Rangers FC to buy and hold shares in the club |
| Location |
|
Key people | Gordon Dinnie (Chairman) |
| Website |
www |
The Rangers Supporters' Trust is a pressure group made up of supporters of Rangers Football Club.
Formed in 2003, it aims to pursue the club's interests robustly, monitor media output relating to the club and to project the views of ordinary supporters to the club's board and executives.[1]
History
In January 2003, three of the trust's founders, Mark Dingwall (then the editor of the Rangers fanzine Follow Follow), Colin Glass and Gordon Semple, later joined by Stevie Tyrie, decided to form a trust, after attending an open day held by Supporters Direct, an umbrella body for supporters' groups. Glass, the Trust's first chairman, met officials of Rangers in March 2003, and although the club declined the Trust's requests for help, a launch meeting was held on 5 April 2003, with former Rangers player Mark Walters as a guest of honour.[1]
In the Summer of 2008, seven members of the twenty-strong Trust Board resigned over the issue of supporter representation on the Rangers FC plc board. These included the chair and vice-chair who had led negotiations with the chairman of Rangers FC, Sir David Murray. A majority of Trust board members were unhappy at the lack of progress and the lack of feedback and accountability shown. On 31 May 2008 Stephen Smith and Derek Howie (acting Chair and Secretary) assumed joint responsibility for conducting the Trust's business.[1] Smith was subsequently elected as the Trust's chair, and media spokesperson David Edgar as vice-chair.[1] A year later, the trust were involved in a war of words with the then Rangers chairman David Murray over its "We Deserve Better" campaign. Murray accused the trust of "whipping up hysteria" regarding the clubs perceived lack of transparency and fan involvement whilst the trust hit back telling the chairman to not "shoot the messenger"[2]
Controversy
In 2008, the Trust was involved in the controversy surrounding Rangers fans' singing of The Famine Song. Despite widespread condemnation of the song from politicians, pressure groups and the media, the Trust rejected claims that it was racist, saying : "Racism is not a wind-up, however distasteful, aimed at Scottish Celtic fans and in rejecting these specious accusations the Trust restates our opposition to racism and sectarianism, which stands comparison to any other similar body."[3] The Trust's position is clear enough, the vast majority of the Rangers support do not regard Celtic FC as Irish in any shape or form. Therefore, sentimental songs about how these British/Scottish people at Celtic suffered because of the Irish famine are bogus and degrading to the real Irish people. It is hardly surprising there is constant mockery of those at Celtic Park's permanent confusion about their own identity.
Shareholding in The Rangers Football Club
As of February 2015, the Rangers Supporters Trust now own 2.12% of The Rangers International Football Club PLC, amounting to approximately 1,725,009 shares.[4] The Trust formed a company, Flesher Haugh, to promote a range of fanwear and used the cash raised to purchase shares in the club.[5]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "About The Rangers Supporters Trust". Rangers Supporters Trust. as accessed. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ "Rangers' fans hit back as Murray feud escalates". The Guardian (The Guardian). 15 January 2009.
- ↑ "Position statement on the Famine Song".
- ↑ "Rangers Supporters Trust purchase another 450,000 shares as Dave King continues bid for power at Ibrox". Andy Newport (Daily Mail). 24 February 2015.
- ↑ "Rangers Supporters Trust to take on Mike Ashley at his own merchandising game as they form firm to sell sports clothing". Gary Ralston (Daily Record). 31 October 2014.
External links
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