Rangers Supporters Trust
Encyclopedia
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 management.
In January 2003 three of the trust's founders (Mark Dingwall - 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.
Since then the Trust has issued regular media releases, developed a Sharesave scheme (investing money in the Club in exchange for previously unissued shares), and maintained regular dialogue with the club’s directors. However, it has not yet been successful in its attempts to have a representative invited on to the Rangers board. Each Trust member has also been given a share in Rangers FC plc in their own name, thus allowing their attendance at the Club’s own AGM, and access to the Club’s annual accounts.
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. Smith was subsequently elected as the Trust's chair, and media spokesperson David Edgar as vice-chair.
has labeled the Trust "paranoid" and described their output as "empty bluster". Since its inception the Trust has campaigned on a number of occasions for Rangers fans to boycott several national newspapers deemed to have written articles critical of the club or the Trust itself.
In 2002, Rangers banned Follow Follow, the fanzine edited by Dingwall, from its stadium "due to its sectarian content". The club stated "Due to the sectarian elements within Follow Follow, Rangers Football Club do not wish to be associated with it."
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."
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
. 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 management.
In January 2003 three of the trust's founders (Mark Dingwall - editor of the Rangers fanzine Follow Follow
Follow Follow (fanzine)
Follow Follow is a fanzine devoted to Rangers F.C. It is edited by Mark Dingwall. The name comes from the Rangers fans' song of the same name.- History and content :Rangers banned the fanzine from its stadium in 2002 "due to its sectarian content"...
, Colin Glass and Gordon Semple, later joined by Stevie Tyrie) decided to form a trust, after attending an open day held by Supporters Direct
Supporters Direct
Supporters Direct are an umbrella organisation set up originally by the United Kingdom government to provide support and assistance for its member trusts to secure a greater level of accountability and deliver democratic representation within football clubs and within football's governing structures...
, 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
Mark Walters
Mark Everton Walters is a retired professional footballer from Birmingham, England.-Aston Villa:Walters began his career as an apprentice at Aston Villa on leaving school in the summer of 1980, turning the professional a year later - just after Villa's Football League First Division title triumph...
as a guest of honour.
Since then the Trust has issued regular media releases, developed a Sharesave scheme (investing money in the Club in exchange for previously unissued shares), and maintained regular dialogue with the club’s directors. However, it has not yet been successful in its attempts to have a representative invited on to the Rangers board. Each Trust member has also been given a share in Rangers FC plc in their own name, thus allowing their attendance at the Club’s own AGM, and access to the Club’s annual accounts.
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
David Murray (Scottish businessman)
Sir David Edward Murray is a Scottish entrepreneur, businessman and former owner and chairman of Rangers Football Club....
. 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. Smith was subsequently elected as the Trust's chair, and media spokesperson David Edgar as vice-chair.
Criticism and controversy
There has been some criticism of the Trust and their methods. The journalist Graham SpiersGraham Spiers
Graham Spiers is a Scottish sports journalist who writes for the Scottish edition of The Times newspaper. He has won Scotland's Sports Journalist of the Year award four times....
has labeled the Trust "paranoid" and described their output as "empty bluster". Since its inception the Trust has campaigned on a number of occasions for Rangers fans to boycott several national newspapers deemed to have written articles critical of the club or the Trust itself.
In 2002, Rangers banned Follow Follow, the fanzine edited by Dingwall, from its stadium "due to its sectarian content". The club stated "Due to the sectarian elements within Follow Follow, Rangers Football Club do not wish to be associated with it."
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."