THE three recognised organised Rangers' supporter groups have warned that fans may "disengage" with the club if shareholders do not appoint a board of directors who can "take the club forward effectively, both commercially and on the pitch".
The statement on behalf of The Rangers Supporters Trust, The Rangers Assembly and The Rangers Supporters Association outlined their backing for the group of requisitioners seeking election to the board at the club's annual general meeting on December 19, believing the group has "some critical matches in their vision to ours".
"It is evident that significant portions of the support want as a matter of urgency to see a RIFC [Rangers International Football Club] Board working efficiently as a unit to take the Club forward effectively both commercially and on the pitch", read the statement. "Failure to achieve this will potentially result in fans disengaging with the Club and the effect this would have on income streams would be disastrous."
The supporters groups' comments were attached to a statement to shareholders released by the requisitioners that criticised the incumbent directors, while forwarding the case for election of their four nominees Paul Murray, Malcolm Murray, Scott Murdoch and Alex Wilson. "There are not many businesses who can choose to ignore their customers", read the requisitioners' statement. "This is what the past and current Board have done and are still doing. All shareholders should be worried about the impact this may have on future season ticket sales and other commercial revenues. Against this backdrop we would ask shareholders to support further Board changes."
That in turn prompted a response from David Somers, the Rangers chairman, who accused the requisitioners of making "all sorts of wild and spurious allegations" that were "being used just like bogey men were used when I was a child."
Somers also admitted that until he joined the board last month he had never heard of Charles Green, the former Rangers chief executive, or Craig Whyte, the club's erstwhile owner. "I read wild accusations that I may not be independent," he said. "Let me say categorically, that until I joined the Board a mere four weeks ago yesterday, I had never heard of Charles Green, Imran Ahmad [the former commercial director], Craig Whyte, or any of the other characters in Rangers' history. To my knowledge, I have never met them, nor had business dealings with them. Nor would I recognise them if I passed them on a street."
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