THE Rangers Supporters Trust have repeated their call for a total boycott of official club merchandise in the wake of Sports Direct's Court victory today.
The company, owned by controversial Ibrox investor Mike Ashley, was successful in its bid to gain an injunction that prevents the Rangers board disclosing confidential contractual information about the retail deal in place between the two parties.
A General Meeting will be held at Ibrox tomorrow as Ashley seeks clarity over a range of issues, including the delisting of Rangers International Football Club plc from the AIM stock exchange.
But the Gers board will now not be able to make public the details of their relationship with Sports Direct and the contracts that have seen many fans refuse to buy merchandise from the club and boycott Ashley-owned outlets.
The Trust have described the court action as an 'absurd spectacle' and once again urged supporters not to hand over their cash as the row over Ashley's influence at Ibrox continues to escalate.
An RST spokesman said: "In his panic to stop Rangers fans from knowing definitively about his questionable dealings with our club, Mr Ashley has done them a valuable service.
"There can now be absolutely no doubt that the Sports Direct contracts with Rangers are of benefit to one party and one party only.
"We call on the hundreds of thousands of Rangers fans who have already stopped purchasing official merchandise to continue to abstain from an arrangement which benefits only Mr Ashley.
"We also ask them to spread the word to their friends and family and those remaining few who may as yet not be aware of the disgraceful retail arrangements which are holding our club to ransom.
"Figures published many months ago showed that Rangers received only 70p per £10 spent on merchandise by fans. In the last accounts reported the club received nothing from the retail agreement with Sports Direct.
"We also now have confirmation from the court that new contracts and undertakings were put in place by Mr Ashley's lieutenants in the days leading up the last EGM whilst they were acting as directors of Rangers Football Club PLC.
"Mr Ashley, with his call for an EGM and the cost of today's hearing has, by conservative estimate, cost the club the wages of a first team player for 6 months. The judge in the latest case called the expenses claim by SD "shocking".
"Mr Ashley must think the Rangers support are suffering from some sort of mass delusion if he expects us to buy merchandise despite his continuing attacks on our club.
"Our message is simple. Unless the current contracts with Sports Direct are negotiated to the satisfaction of the Rangers board, and that satisfaction is clearly communicated to fans, then we urge Rangers fans not to buy any official merchandise from club shops, Sports Direct or any other outlet. Purchasing from other shops does not solve the problem."
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