THE RANGERS FANS FIGHTING FUND states on its website in a post dated 10th February 2016 that it has raised £488,774.61. Here is the exact wording:
“As of the 10th of February 2016 the Rangers Fans Fighting Fund holds funds of £488,774.61 which is located in the Rangers Assembly Bank Account.”
When you visit the site this is the message you will see on the home page:
On the 14th of February 2012 our proud football club found themselves in a dire situation, we had entered the dreaded administration feared by all connected to Rangers…
In the following days it became clear that our 140 year history was at serious risk via the potential of liquidation….
The Fund has been set up for supporters to make cash donations that will directly affect the Club now and will go a long way towards helping secure its future. Be assured, it has been agreed, with all parties, that not one penny of this fund will go to the current owners or the administrators, every single penny will go to the daily running costs of Rangers Football Club.
The committee that had been put in place headed by Sandy Jardine and a number of chosen individuals who represent the fan base chosen by the supporters groups present at the meeting at the Ibrox Suite on Saturday 10th March 2012 .
The Fund (fully endorsed by the three major fan groups – the Association, the Assembly and the Trust) is working with others to ensure that the club is put back on its feet with stable finances.
Without immediate help the club were at a far higher risk of going into liquidation. Our one and only goal was the ongoing survival of our beloved club ensuring the 140 year timeline is maintained.
With great thanks to the rangers family fanbase we achieved our goals in safeguarding many aspects important to us all.
Here is the link to the website if you want to check:
http://www.rangersfansfightingfund.uk
So what do we learn from this information?
1. The Rangers Fans Fighting Fund has been successful in raising almost £500,000 up to 10th February 2016. That is impressive.
2. The money has been collected from Rangers supporters, starting back in March 2012 after Rangers had entered Administration on Valentines Day 2012, under the premise that the club’s 140 year history “was at serious risk via the potential of liquidation.”
3. Clubs can go into liquidation after all! That will be a bit of a shock to the the likes of Neil Doncaster and Darryl Broadfoot (I am the SFA). “Without immediate help the club were at a far higher risk of going into liquidation. Our one and only goal was the ongoing survival of our beloved club ensuring the 140 year timeline is maintained.”
4. Read that again – without immediate help (i.e. cough up cash please, £500k in the bank job done), the ‘CLUB’ (not the Holding Company thingy), ‘were at a far higher risk of going into liquidation’ – yes, that’s right clubs can get liquidated, even in Scottish football!
5. Well given that liquidation happened, holding company, club, whatever, it happened what were the consequences, asserted by the Rangers Fans Fighting Fund, as their one and only goal: ‘Our one and only goal was the ongoing survival of our beloved club ensuring the 140 year timeline is maintained.’ So avoid liquidation and you achieve ‘ONGOING SURVIVAL’. Conversely if you fail to avoid liquidation the, what was that term again? CLUB fails to SURVIVE. i.e. it dies!
6. What do you achieve if you achieve ‘ongoing survival’? That one is easy, you ensure that your beloved club’s 140 year timeline is maintained.
That is, ‘the ongoing survival of our beloved club ensuring the 140 year timeline is maintained.’
Just to clear that up. Pay up to make sure the club avoids liquidation and therefore the club maintains its 140 year timeline.
Well Rangers fans did pay up. They coughed up £488,774.61.
But the club (thanks again to Rangers Fans Fighting Fund for clearing that up) did NOT avoid liquidation.
And so, as a consequence of the premise outlined by The Rangers Fans Fighting Fund, the club’s 140 year timeline, has NOT been maintained.
The Replacement Rangers, formed in 2012, whose team first kicked a ball at Brechin, have a new and distinct timeline of their own.
Maybe that’s why ex Rangers manager Walter Smith said this:
“WE WISH THE NEW RANGERS FOOTBALL CLUB EVERY GOOD FORTUNE.”
(Always wondered why Walter never said “We wish the new Holding Company that now operates Rangers Football Club every good fortune.”
If you are confused, don’t worry. At least you never coughed up almost £500,000 only to see the goalposts move so dramatically!
*Celtic supporters had their say last January, placing this factual summary in the Sunday Herald newspaper.
