Fan base in Scotland.

[Carsons Dog 9,878]

21 hours ago, .Williamson. said:

Outside of Scotland our support is shrinking quite significantly 

Not in England it's not

[Carsons Dog 9,878]

14 hours ago, .Williamson. said:

Where have you experienced a growth in support recently mate?

Thats a genuine question btw

All the English RSC's are thriving with lots of new ones springing up

[loyalfollower 1,543]

We only lose the support of young kids- simply because kids get all excited of Man City or whoever splashing out 50 odd million on players.  They all want to support or watch winning teams and when we turn in some dreadful performances it can be hard to keep them interested.  My boy always had Rangers kits and has been up a few times with me but only ever seemed a fleeting interest.  Now after seeing the fans reaction to that semi final win and big clints equaliser does he know what Rangers actually means.    The demotion and bad propaganda did make us unappealing for kids but I’d expect the next 5 years will get us more inherited fans back from watching premier league football

[The Scunner 82]

Friends boy is a Rangers supporter, but mother refuses to let him wear a Rangers top when he's out playing because she's shit scared he's going to getting attacked by celtic fans. So he wears a Barca top or a Man Utd top instead. I'm sure there are probably loads of other parents out there who think the same, especially mothers.

 

[DrLaudrup 4,592]

23 hours ago, Chineseboy said:

Do we have a bigger fan base in Scotland now than before we went to the lower leagues? The crowds certainly seem bigger. 

Not sure I agree. I don't remember us ever struggling to fill Ibrox before we were demoted, nor do we struggle to fill it now. 

We certainly didn't fill it during 'the journey' and I know plenty that gave up season tickets then. Partly due to being demoted and not wanting to watch games in those leagues, partly due to being 'fair weather fans' and partly due to being unhappy with the direction and football being played under McCoist. Some of those have bought season books again now we are in the Premier league and some have stayed away. Of more concern is keeping youngsters interested in the Club when we are not winning leagues and playing indifferently. Parents have to push the Rangers hard and talk about the history. It is slightly alarming to see youngsters constantly watching EPL and Spanish games instead of us. OK  the football might be better but we will never grow again if those fans don't watch us and pay into us going forward. 

[BLUEDIGNITY 33,647]

Most British people support Rangers!

[MurrayWilson 3,381]

22 minutes ago, DrLaudrup said:

Not sure I agree. I don't remember us ever struggling to fill Ibrox before we were demoted, nor do we struggle to fill it now. 

We certainly didn't fill it during 'the journey' and I know plenty that gave up season tickets then. Partly due to being demoted and not wanting to watch games in those leagues, partly due to being 'fair weather fans' and partly due to being unhappy with the direction and football being played under McCoist. Some of those have bought season books again now we are in the Premier league and some have stayed away. Of more concern is keeping youngsters interested in the Club when we are not winning leagues and playing indifferently. Parents have to push the Rangers hard and talk about the history. It is slightly alarming to see youngsters constantly watching EPL and Spanish games instead of us. OK  the football might be better but we will never grow again if those fans don't watch us and pay into us going forward. 

We certainly struggled to fill the place pre souness, same as every single football club in the world success brings in the fans. Even clubs who like to claim to be the most loyal don't fill a stadium when they are struggling. Newcastle have a reputation for supporting through thick and thin but when they were down 2 divisions the place was half full. The only ones who have always filled their stadium even when they were pish I have to admit was Man utd.

[PolarBear1972 180]

Lots of old people at Ibrox and I worry if these people will be replaced by loyal fans in 20-30 years

[.Williamson. 82,132]

2 hours ago, Carsons Dog said:

All the English RSC's are thriving with lots of new ones springing up

Fair play. For the life of me I can’t see why they’d take an interest in us over an English club these days

[.Williamson. 82,132]

2 hours ago, The Scunner said:

Friends boy is a Rangers supporter, but mother refuses to let him wear a Rangers top when he's out playing because she's shit scared he's going to getting attacked by celtic fans. So he wears a Barca top or a Man Utd top instead. I'm sure there are probably loads of other parents out there who think the same, especially mothers.

 

Sound like utter fannys

[The Scunner 82]

10 minutes ago, .Williamson. said:

Sound like utter fannys

Living in Glasgow it's a legitimate fear I suppose. All it takes is some wee arsehole to lash out at your wean.

[ForeverAndEver 71,450]

Barca and Man U

 

[The Scunner 82]

Kids want heroes to follow, put their posters on the wall, emulate their skills down at the local park. Can't think of a single player in our team who fits that description. Can't imagine kids playing down the park, one shouts "I'm Messi" and the other one shouts "I'm Windass".

[BLUEDIGNITY 33,647]

2 hours ago, PolarBear1972 said:

Lots of old people at Ibrox and I worry if these people will be replaced by loyal fans in 20-30 years

The old folk are all Diehards at Ibrox and are instilling the traditions and heritage into their families which will carry on through the generations, you don't need to worry about things like that !

[ForeverAndEver 71,450]

9 minutes ago, The Scunner said:

Kids want heroes to follow, put their posters on the wall, emulate their skills down at the local park. Can't think of a single player in our team who fits that description. Can't imagine kids playing down the park, one shouts "I'm Messi" and the other one shouts "I'm Windass".

Lee Wallace.

[The Scunner 82]

Just now, ForeverAndEver said:

Lee Wallace.

Kids don't want to be defenders.

[Blue Avenger 22,567]

On 9 February 2018 at 12:11, Thornliebanktrueblue said:

They have built their brand well.  

I note the comments about football being perceived as tacky by the middle classes but this is where many of our potential future followers are.  

The problem is that fan base is important but our insistence e.g. On the Billy Boys narrows our appeal.

We need to recognise that society is moving like a train in relation to equality and diversity and tolerance. 

 

And them turning up the volume in singing about the glorification of terrorists and the easter uprising is narrowing their appeal? Not!  They built up their brand and won the PR war, but they took their traditions with them

Not singing the TBB and many from the traditional song sheet, amongst our many other traditions, is exactly the fucking problem as we appease the haters and ditch tradition and lose our identity. If you dont know who and wtf you are anymore how do convince others to follow you? WTF are they to be buying into? A mediocre team on the park? 

The taigs are more taig now than they were 30 years ago. Rebel societies springing up everywhere. The tricolour flown everywhere. Their politics now the acceptable norm of the majority in this shitehole. 

Whilst we go about sanitising our traditions to appease the bigotry levelled against us by the haters. Tut tutting at our own. Then there's the shite the UB drone out every other week. Most of it is absolute boring meaningless pish and far from fucking rousing. I suppose they try their best. Whilst over on the other side of the city, they're banging out their songs of hate and oppression and killing Brits to rousing applause and passed off as being just the jolly craicsters of course. You know, them nice St plastic paddy's day people and they must be ok, aren't they? 

Desert your values and traditions at  you peril, as you no longer have an identity and a rallying call and in our unique backwater, that unique identity is everything. No one is going to be excited and energised en mass to follow something that is as white as the driven  snow and characterless. What is now our unique selling point? Melting like fucking snow flakes?

The young love rallying to a cause whatever the message, right or wrong, matters not. Part of them finding their identity. We are never going to be a Barca, but something  that is sanitised is the last place they will be going. I get the impression that too many are now ashamed of our values and traditions as the taig campaign mounted against us took hold and we bowed to it. The light blue jersey, the Union Jack, the Ulster Banner are no longer in public view, having become a rarity and the pride is gone.

We are simply no longer loud and proud. We have become "grey" dull and boring as the rustling of sweetie papers take pride of place, whilst the rebel cause across the city continues unabated and relentlessly to deny , ridicule and sully us, as we continue to deny and sully ourselves. We are no loneger what we were in many ways, but many fantasise that we are and the rest just disown what we were.

We may continue to fill the stadium every other other week, but it is more in hope than expectation in craving for our return to be the dominating force in football, but if we continue to faill in that, those numbers will quickly dwindle. Lose on the football front, there is little that is now left. It used to be said that we are more than a club, well that "more" has left the building and if we want the "more" back we need to stop rustling the sweetie papers and pay attention to the snow job being heaped upon us and restore all that we are.

We are not the English, where it is all about the football and football rivalry. As we all know, ours has that added dimension of religion and very much now politics. It should be all about the football and to the victor the spoils, but that is not where we live.

We remain unjustifiably tarred with the sectarian brush and society at large turns against us, as the taig propaganda machine works it magic. We remain silent at the charges levelled against us and sanitise ourselves, but the hatred and demonisation just continues to pour in and the scum remain the populist club in recent times and will do for the foreseeble as the great con is now so ingrained.. 

Scum fc have capitalised and benefited in exploiting every angle in religion and politics, far less their good fortune in actual football in having us out the road for five years. They now report a half yearly of 70 mil. Now even taking say away 30 mil from that in CL money it still leaves them siginficantly in front of our full annual return. Ever think we are getting something wrong and ffs don't someone say retail!

This game up here is not just about the football, but a way of life and the taigs have hijacked it, winning the PR war in their all inclusive club and Scotland have bought it, whilst we rustle the sweetie papers in denial.

For us, the more we go forward, the more we go back, suchis the deck stacked ahainst us.We became the victims of our own success and forgot who we were.

 A large dose of coffee needed.

Well that's my take on it for what it's worth.

[Redwhiteandblue 3,330]

14 hours ago, .Williamson. said:

It’s shrinking in N.Ireland

Think a few tours, at least once a year over to your end would help?

[Redwhiteandblue 3,330]

19 minutes ago, Blue Avenger said:

And them turning up the volume in singing about the glorification of terrorists and the easter uprising is narrowing their appeal? Not!  They built up their brand and won the PR war, but they took their traditions with them

Not singing the TBB and many from the traditional song sheet, amongst our many other traditions, is exactly the fucking problem as we appease the haters and ditch tradition and lose our identity. If you dont know who and wtf you are anymore how do convince others to follow you? WTF are they to be buying into? A mediocre team on the park? 

The taigs are more taig now than they were 30 years ago. Rebel societies springing up everywhere. The tricolour flown everywhere. Their politics now the acceptable norm of the majority in this shitehole. 

Whilst we go about sanitising our traditions to appease the bigotry levelled against us by the haters. Tut tutting at our own. Then there's the shite the UB drone out every other week. Most of it is absolute boring meaningless pish and far from fucking rousing. I suppose they try their best. Whilst over on the other side of the city, they're banging out their songs of hate and oppression and killing Brits to rousing applause and passed off as being just the jolly craicsters of course. You know, them nice St plastic paddy's day people and they must be ok, aren't they? 

Desert your values and traditions at  you peril, as you no longer have an identity and a rallying call and in our unique backwater, that unique identity is everything. No one is going to be excited and energised en mass to follow something that is as white as the driven  snow and characterless. What is now our unique selling point? Melting like fucking snow flakes?

The young love rallying to a cause whatever the message, right or wrong, matters not. Part of them finding their identity. We are never going to be a Barca, but something  that is sanitised is the last place they will be going. I get the impression that too many are now ashamed of our values and traditions as the taig campaign mounted against us took hold and we bowed to it. The light blue jersey, the Union Jack, the Ulster Banner are no longer in public view, having become a rarity and the pride is gone.

We are simply no longer loud and proud. We have become "grey" dull and boring as the rustling of sweetie papers take pride of place, whilst the rebel cause across the city continues unabated and relentlessly to deny , ridicule and sully us, as we continue to deny and sully ourselves. We are no loneger what we were in many ways, but many fantasise that we are and the rest just disown what we were.

We may continue to fill the stadium every other other week, but it is more in hope than expectation in craving for our return to be the dominating force in football, but if we continue to faill in that, those numbers will quickly dwindle. Lose on the football front, there is little that is now left. It used to be said that we are more than a club, well that "more" has left the building and if we want the "more" back we need to stop rustling the sweetie papers and pay attention to the snow job being heaped upon us and restore all that we are.

We are not the English, where it is all about the football and football rivalry. As we all know, ours has that added dimension of religion and very much now politics. It should be all about the football and to the victor the spoils, but that is not where we live.

We remain unjustifiably tarred with the sectarian brush and society at large turns against us, as the taig propaganda machine works it magic. We remain silent at the charges levelled against us and sanitise ourselves, but the hatred and demonisation just continues to pour in and the scum remain the populist club in recent times and will do for the foreseeble as the great con is now so ingrained.. 

Scum fc have capitalised and benefited in exploiting every angle in religion and politics, far less their good fortune in actual football in having us out the road for five years. They now report a half yearly of 70 mil. Now even taking say away 30 mil from that in CL money it still leaves them siginficantly in front of our full annual return. Ever think we are getting something wrong and ffs don't someone say retail!

This game up here is not just about the football, but a way of life and the taigs have hijacked it, winning the PR war in their all inclusive club and Scotland have bought it, whilst we rustle the sweetie papers in denial.

For us, the more we go forward, the more we go back, suchis the deck stacked ahainst us.We became the victims of our own success and forgot who we were.

 A large dose of coffee needed.

Well that's my take on it for what it's worth.

I couldn't read all of that. I read the first few paragraphs though and agreed with every word. The Tims haven't dropped the iraoke, they have just been more successful. We should NEVER drop our song sheet, especially the billy boys. Its who we are. Once we start winning again, you will see the blue tops more and more. We sell out just about every home game and all away games. Our fan base has just been quiet, that is all. When we start winning again, everything will go back to "normal". 

[Redwhiteandblue 3,330]

PS the emptihad is living up to its name. 

[.Williamson. 82,132]

4 minutes ago, Redwhiteandblue said:

Think a few tours, at least once a year over to your end would help?

I’ve no idea mate, possibly. 

Its the younger generation we need to appeal to more. Obviously we’ll always gain younger fans here through their families guiding them in that direction but nowadays they tend to just see us as a second club that they only watch when we play the taigs. Unless they’re seeing us live regularly then it’s hard to convince them to watch us on the telly every week instead of your Chelsea’s etc

[Blue Avenger 22,567]

1 minute ago, Redwhiteandblue said:

I couldn't read all of that. I read the first few paragraphs though and agreed with every word. The Tims haven't dropped the iraoke, they have just been more successful. We should NEVER drop our song sheet, especially the billy boys. Its who we are. Once we start winning again, you will see the blue tops more and more. We sell out just about every home game and all away games. Our fan base has just been quiet, that is all. When we start winning again, everything will go back to "normal". 

I seriously fucking hope so.

Hopefully in getting back there, we haven't totally lost who we are.

[Inigo 32,526]

It's a parent's responsibility.

'Mum, I want a Barca top for Christmas.'

'Tough shit. There's your Rangers home and away tops, though. And you don't even have to wait til Christmas.'

The 'you'll be a Rangers fan or you'll go to the orphanage' kind of thing.

[The Scunner 82]

16 minutes ago, Redwhiteandblue said:

I couldn't read all of that. I read the first few paragraphs though and agreed with every word. The Tims haven't dropped the iraoke, they have just been more successful. We should NEVER drop our song sheet, especially the billy boys. Its who we are. Once we start winning again, you will see the blue tops more and more. We sell out just about every home game and all away games. Our fan base has just been quiet, that is all. When we start winning again, everything will go back to "normal". 

In a society that is becoming increasingly non-religious and more diverse, kids don't really want to be singing songs about religious battles from the 17th century.

[BridgeIsBlue 66,606]

4 hours ago, The Scunner said:

Friends boy is a Rangers supporter, but mother refuses to let him wear a Rangers top when he's out playing because she's shit scared he's going to getting attacked by celtic fans. So he wears a Barca top or a Man Utd top instead. I'm sure there are probably loads of other parents out there who think the same, especially mothers.

 

Didn't happen. 

2 minutes ago, The Scunner said:

In a society that is becoming increasingly non-religious and more diverse, kids don't really want to be singing songs about religious battles from the 17th century.

Just outed yourself.