MORE than 8000 people have backed a fans campaign calling for a boycott of official Rangers merchandise until Sports Direct supremo Mike Ashley agrees a fairer retail contract with the club.
And a poll of over 200 registered members of the RangersMedia fans forum has showed that around two in three said they would stop boycotting and start buying if Rangers got a better deal with Sports Direct.
But just over one in four in the poll started in July have said they were not going to boycott official merchandise and will still continue to purchase regardless.
Concern about the deal Rangers has with Mr Ashley has been heightened amongst some fans by new revelations that Sports Direct has sold nearly £4 million of goods to club outlets in the last year.
It means that the sports firm headed by Mr Ashley, who owns 8.9% of the club plc, has taken nearly £8 million in two years of sales to the Rangers Retail joint venture, which runs the club's entire retail and merchandise operation, including the club's Rangers Megastore.
The majority of that money has gone as Rangers Retail which is controlled by Mr Ashley is buying Rangers merchandise, including replica kits, gifts, polo shirts and track suits from Sports Direct for use in club outlets.
Sports Direct insist the sales of goods to Rangers Retail are at "cost plus a small handling fee" and that Rangers sells on the stock to its customers in its shops “and keeps all of the sales proceeds
Two years ago Rangers announced a five-year kit deal with sports brand Puma, who were according to the club the "official supplier and licensee of replica mechandise for the club". They are described by Sports Direct as a "key strategic partner" for their business.
The sales, which have caused concern amongst fans, has resulted in apparent hit in potential profits which might benefit the cash-strapped club.
The Rangers Retail deal is a persistent area of controversy and at the end of last year, Rangers Supporters Trust launched an alternative shirt for fans as they took on Mr Ashley in the war over Rangers retail - and said all profits would be ploughed back into an increased shareholding in their club.
A petition launched by the Sons of Struth fans group as Rangers chairman Dave King move to try and shift Mr Ashley's influence at the club has now received over 8000 signatures.
Comments posted in the online campaign were to be sent to Mr Ashley and Puma.
Dave King claimed in June that Rangers had gone from selling 500,000 replica shirts to selling about 50,000.
From January 27, Mr Ashley, who is also Newcastle United owner has been the "ultimate controlling party" of Rangers Retail. Papers confirmed the switch has been made from the previous controllers, RIFC plc as one of the conditions of the £5 million loan.
Rangers Retail remains under the control of billionaire Mr Ashley even though club chairman Dave King has now been appointed as a director.
The latest annual return newly posted for Rangers Retail Limited confirms that the Sports Direct founder and owner remains the ultimate controlling party - despite ongoing efforts to renegotiate the deal.
When Rangers Retail, a joint venture between the club and Sports Direct, was confirmed by the club under then chief executive Charles Green in August 2012, it was promoted as enabling Rangers "to once again control its retail operation and give supporters the chance to buy direct from the club and in doing so, continue to invest in its future".
Latest accounts show that while Rangers Retail sales quadrupled from £1.2 million in the year to April 2013 to £4.8m in the year to April 2014, profits only doubled from £434,312 to £877,662.
The previous 10-year licence agreement with sports retailer JJB Sports rubber stamped in 2006, was worth a minimum of £48 million to the club.
The club got an initial payment of £18 million when they launched an Umbro home kit and were guaranteed a minimum annual royalty of £3million in each year of the licence.
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