Rangers fans' group defend protest campaign

Published on Thursday 15 January 2009 15:20

SIR David Murray was today accused of "shooting the messenger" by disgruntled Rangers fans demanding an immediate change of direction at Ibrox.

Chairman Murray hit out at the Rangers Supporters Trust for whipping up "hysteria" about perceived problems at the club and insisted he would continue to run the Light Blues how he saw fit.

The RST yesterday helped launch a campaign called 'We Deserve Better', which is backed by their board and other fans' groups.

However, the Rangers Supporters Assembly – which represents all fans' groups around the world and is generally more favoured by the club – distanced themselves from the move and called for unity during a period of turmoil at Ibrox.

Murray dismissed his critics, saying they did not understand business and claiming they had no alternative proposals in place.

But RST spokesman David Edgar, who insists Murray is ignoring the concerns of supporters, said today: "For years now, Rangers have had a policy of shooting the messenger, rather than dealing with the issues.

"The chairman may say no-one has offered solutions.

"The Trust and various other supporters' groups have constantly offered solutions as we see them to the problems at the club and the club have rejected them.

"We had a committee formed by the club to look at fan interaction. That committee met three times over the period of six months and hasn't met since September 2006 – and that was at the club's behest."

Lack of communication with supporters was just one of 17 areas of concern the campaign raised yesterday.

Also highlighted was the club's relative lack of success on the field and a transfer policy that has left Rangers needing to sell at least one prize asset this month in order to balance the books.

Edgar agrees with Murray that fans are not experts in business but argues it is the job of the board to come up with an alternative approach to one he claims has failed.

"We're fans and we're amateurs and we've never stated we know more about football than the football people," Edgar said.

"But what is apparent is that the transfer policy hasn't worked; what is apparent is that the current financial situation has been exacerbated by it."

He added: "If the chairman feels he's got the best people in situ for the job, that's fine. But what is apparent is the people in those jobs have to improve.

"Perhaps they could look for an injection of fresh blood to assist the current team.

"What they should certainly do is interact with fans' groups."

He added: "At the end of the day, Rangers FC is a business. There's no other business in the world that would receive such a high level of complaints from their customers and then ignore them."

Edgar also questioned the Rangers Supporters Assembly's response to the campaign, saying: "The Trust is a member of the Assembly and the Assembly hasn't met to vote on this yet.

"So the Assembly is in no position to say whether it does or doesn't back the campaign."

Edgar claims to have received "thousands" of messages of support since the campaign was announced.

"I can't believe it, if I'm being totally honest," he said, adding that last night had seen an unprecedented number of applications to the RST.

"We hoped this campaign would capture the imagination of the fans but it's resonated to a degree I haven't seen before.

"This has struck a chord with ordinary Rangers fans who are fed up with the club accepting second best all the time. It's not the way Rangers fans were brought up."

Murray was in the directors' box when a section of fans unfurled a banner reading 'David Murray Must Go' during Tuesday night's Homecoming Scottish Cup win at St Johnstone.

Edgar insists he has no desire to force Murray out, although the 'We Deserve Better' campaign are planning a demonstration at Ibrox during the January 31 Clydesdale Bank Premier League game against Dundee United.

Edgar added: "Can I absolutely stress this will not affect the support of the team. This is not aimed at the team."

Former Rangers striker John MacDonald does not believe the players will be affected by any demonstration but still urged supporters to get behind Murray.

"Rangers have just been hit by the credit crunch like anybody else," he said.

"David Murray has already told everybody if he can find a buyer to take the club, he'll sell it to them.

"He has not done them wrong before so they should stand by him and hopefully he'll turn it around.

"If David Murray just upped and left, Rangers would be in dire straits."

MacDonald believes the players can help their under-fire chairman, saying: "If Rangers win the league this year, it takes the pressure off again."