RST in meltdown ............

[JTP 221]

http://www.<No links to this website>/sport/footbal...86908-20604164/

Rangers Trust In Meltdown

Jun 12 2008 By Alan Marshall

CIVIL war has broken out among Rangers fans fighting over a prestigious place on the Ibrox board.

The Rangers Supporters Trust has been plunged into meltdown after all six of their directors resigned after a bitter internal dispute.

Ibrox chairman Sir David Murray had earmarked two associate director positions with full voting rights for leaders of the club's two main supporters' associations - The Trust and the Rangers Assembly.

The Light Blues' supremo was hoping to make the appointments ahead of this summer's agm, however, that plan has temporarily been put on hold.

Trust chairman Malcolm McNiven, vicechairman Scott McMillan and fellow board members Callum Renton, Derek Howie, Stuart Franklin and Andy McGowan have all stepped down from their positions in recent weeks.

They decided to resign following a dispute with fellow Trust member Mark Dingwall, editor of the Follow Follow website and Rangers fanzine of the same name.

It's understood Dingwall, a candidate for the Scottish Unionist party whose motto is Proudly Scottish, Proudly British, was feeling increasingly marginalised within the Trust while the board were unhappy at the militant direction he wanted to take the supporters' group.

A Trust source said: "David Murray had offered us a place on the Rangers board but there was no way we could accept it while people like Mark Dingwall were still part of the organisation.

"If he wasn't going to step down then the entire board thought they would resign and leave him and his cohorts to go it alone.

"Dingwall wanted the place on the Ibrox board for himself but that's never going to happen because Murray and him don't have a working relationship. He thrives on negativity and militancy when the best way for the fans to have a proper say in how the club is run is to change things from within."

Ding wall refused to comment other than to refer us to Trust spokesman David Edgar, who said: "The resignations are true. Over the past month six have resigned from a board of 20.

"Various reasons have been given for doing so. Initially, some felt the Trust was going in a direction they weren't comfortable with.

"But we've had people leave with differences of opinion before and the people left amicably. They are still Trust members. They just felt where it should go wasn't necessarily where it was going.

"We understand that, thank the guys and it is up to us to get in new blood."

[Bluepeter9 5,167]

It seems a shame - they get to represent fans and it looks like they have made an hash of it internally. Over the last 6 months the 'announcements' from the RST have been pretty extreme and while I admired their goals (Share ownersship, fans voice etc. ) thier handling of the press and associated statements made me hold off joining and now I am glad I did. I must take a closer look at the Rangers Assembly now.

[TheFlyingPig 0]

A rather negative press story which will unfortunately further alienate the majority of the support from the Trust. Whether the Trust informing their membership to exactly why the first lot of Board resignations came about would have prevented this story running would be hard to say but it certainly would have done no harm.

[GrandSuckMaster 1,775]

The trust would never speak for me in any case so hey ho.

[Briton 394]

A rather negative press story which will unfortunately further alienate the majority of the support from the Trust. Whether the Trust informing their membership to exactly why the first lot of Board resignations came about would have prevented this story running would be hard to say but it certainly would have done no harm.

Dead right. I popped into FF to see if there was any reaction and Dingwall is quick enough to write a long piece whining about how the press are misrepresenting the situation. The RST have asked for this kind of speculation (if that's what it is) by being silent on the goings on with the board.

If it is true that the members that resigned did so because of Dingwall, and any 'militant direction he wanted to take the supporters' group', then I for one salute them.

[Boab 73]

Well when you hear, at times, the stories of how FF is (badly) run. It doesn't surprise me tbh that Mr Dingwall is treated with trepidition. A shame.

Andy (andypendek) said the other day that maybe the guys who had left could organise a coup of some sort but I don't knoe. Seems sad to me.

[Boab 73]

If it is true that the members that resigned did so because of Dingwall, and any 'militant direction he wanted to take the supporters' group', then I for one salute them.

Aye, me too

[californiadreamin52 339]

Sad at the resignations as surely the only way to change things are from within

[JTP 221]

Sad at the resignations as surely the only way to change things are from within

Agree. You can't rid the cancer without removing the lump so to speak! Its the way I see it anyway.

[BLUEDIGNITY 33,638]

Auld Murray must be pissin himself laughin. Easy meat throw them 1 job and they'll all fall out. toffee.

[OlegKuznetsov 10,816]

Dingwall at it again. The guy's a total muppet. Good on the guys standing up to him. Time to ditch Dingwall before the clown drags the rest of the RST down with him.

[Frankie 505]

Before people get too excited, I think they need to remember this is the Daily Record here - hardly a publication of note for accurate articles.

Certainly parts of it are untrue so I would suggest people refrain from making personal comments until the real story is made available to members.

As for the suggestions that the resignations were perhaps not the way to challenge any issues within the organisation, I understand that train of thought. However, I can assure you, I (and the others) did not resign without considering all the options available to us.

Remember, we remain members and we can still air our grievances via the options available to us in that way.

[BlueIsTheColour 35]

I guess we now know who was responsible for those idiotic proposals last week then. The guy has always looked to extremes rather than be positive, i had little respect for him before due to the way Follow Follow was run but the chickens have well and truly come home to roost now.

I am actually a little dissapointed with the guys who resigned, if he was their reason for doing so, as men like Frankie were always telling us that the best way to change things is from the inside. Why then did they let Dingwall win and walk away from a cause they really believed in? Did he have mare sway over the other Board members than them?

I can see things really go down hill from here, Dingwall is not the kind of man you want in charge of the RST. This has been proved from FF, he is far too extreme to hold such a position.

[Davy 68]

This has been wrote on FF...

Firstly the article was not in fact written by “Alan Marshall†- he does not exist. Alan Marshall is a “house name†used by journalists to hide behind. The article was in fact written by Jim ‘Rangers fans deserved a beating in Spain’ Traynor at the behest of Daily Record editor Bruce Waddell who is a lapdog of David Murray.

I may be being a little over-conspiratorial but such a story does take a little of the light away from real stories such as the one published on Tuesday by this website - http://www.followfollow.com/news/loa...TMNW&id=394704 - asking who exactly will profit from any proposed redevelopment of Ibrox.

Traynor got his sidekick Celtic supporter Craig Swan to phone me asking for a quote - I properly refused as only the media spokesmen can speak for the Trust. The article is riddled with inaccuracies - the claim that ‘all six of the RST’s directors have resigned’ is somewhat at odds with the membership of nineteen.

When I reported to Davie Edgar to expect a call from the Record Davie texted back with the surprising news that at that very moment he was being asked by the Record’s sister paper the Sunday Mail for an interview about fans in football. Some coincidence eh?

The main thrust of the Record story is simply a lie. The claim that the six Rangers Trust board members who have left in recent weeks have done so over a dispute concerning who would be a supporters representative is a straightforward lie. Malcolm McNiven was the sole and unanimously endorsed Trust candidate. Only two other Board members had allowed their names to go forward last year for consideration before withdrawing in favour of Malcolm alone - Scott McMillan and John Gilligan - and I believe the record will show that I backed Malcolm and John before we decided to only put forward one rather than two names. At no time have I canvassed in any way, shape or form to be a candidate for such office.

Far from feeling marginalised on the Trust Board I felt and feel entirely comfortable on it. Indeed - at the Board meeting the night before Malcolm resigned those present - 12 out of a total membership of 19 - voted UNANIMOUSLY to have a written report on dealings with the club presented to us. Five of the six who have subsequently resigned did not attend that meeting.

At no point have any RST Board members - resigned or continuing - asked me to resign from the Trust or to change in any way the operation of the website or the content of the fanzine.

A complaint will be made to the Press Complaints Council and the National Union of Journalists regarding the lies contained in the article as well as the abuse of press power exemplified by two major national newspapers having their resources used at the behest of a powerful individual. The retentive memory resident within the Daily Record’s content management system will no doubt contain interesting evidence.

[BLUEDIGNITY 33,638]

I guess we now know who was responsible for those idiotic proposals last week then. The guy has always looked to extremes rather than be positive, i had little respect for him before due to the way Follow Follow was run but the chickens have well and truly come home to roost now.

I am actually a little dissapointed with the guys who resigned, if he was their reason for doing so, as men like Frankie were always telling us that the best way to change things is from the inside. Why then did they let Dingwall win and walk away from a cause they really believed in? Did he have mare sway over the other Board members than the other?

I can see things really go down hill from here, Dingwall is not the kind of man you want in charge of the RST. This has been proved from FF, he is far too extreme to hold such a position.

Extreme in what way ? Just wonderin?

[minstral 5,375]

good post davy, and its amazing how many of our fans are willing to believe this story,when they know that fat cunt traynor and his paper love to try and cause trouble, and split our fans in two.

[BLUEDIGNITY 33,638]

good post davy, and its amazing how many of our fans are willing to believe this story,when they know that fat cunt traynor and his paper love to try and cause trouble, and split our fans in two.

Murray probably fed them this shit !

[BlueIsTheColour 35]

I guess we now know who was responsible for those idiotic proposals last week then. The guy has always looked to extremes rather than be positive, i had little respect for him before due to the way Follow Follow was run but the chickens have well and truly come home to roost now.

I am actually a little dissapointed with the guys who resigned, if he was their reason for doing so, as men like Frankie were always telling us that the best way to change things is from the inside. Why then did they let Dingwall win and walk away from a cause they really believed in? Did he have mare sway over the other Board members than the other?

I can see things really go down hill from here, Dingwall is not the kind of man you want in charge of the RST. This has been proved from FF, he is far too extreme to hold such a position.

Extreme in what way ? Just wonderin?

Extreme in the way that he rules FF with an iron fist, banning people without explanation at the most a one word answer in "Taig". He also organised the protest against Murray outside the Main Stand a few seasons go which was shot down in flames by other supporters. I have absolutely no doubts that he too would have been at the forefront of the announced proposals last week which are about as extreme as one could concoct.

He certainly isn't a man who thinks rationally on any situation that's for sure. He is as anti-Murray as they come which isn't exactly a great criteria for leading an organisation supposed to be working WITH Murray and the club for the benefit of the fans.

[Frankie 505]

I am actually a little dissapointed with the guys who resigned, if he was their reason for doing so, as men like Frankie were always telling us that the best way to change things is from the inside. Why then did they let Dingwall win and walk away from a cause they really believed in? Did he have mare sway over the other Board members than them?

See my post above mate.

Just because we have resigned doesn't mean we can't change things from within.

[BlueIsTheColour 35]

I am actually a little dissapointed with the guys who resigned, if he was their reason for doing so, as men like Frankie were always telling us that the best way to change things is from the inside. Why then did they let Dingwall win and walk away from a cause they really believed in? Did he have mare sway over the other Board members than them?

See my post above mate.

Just because we have resigned doesn't mean we can't change things from within.

True, but surely you would have been better placed to do so on the Board rather than just among the membership?

[Frankie 505]

True, but surely you would have been better placed to do so on the Board rather than just among the membership?

When you find out why we resigned you'll realise why our board positions were untenable.

[ScotBear 144]

Not surprised in the slightest at the suggestion that Dingwall had a part to play in all of this. The guy is a muppet and the RST would be well rid of him. The thought of someone like him having any sort of influence with our club sends shivers through me.

[BLUEDIGNITY 33,638]

I guess we now know who was responsible for those idiotic proposals last week then. The guy has always looked to extremes rather than be positive, i had little respect for him before due to the way Follow Follow was run but the chickens have well and truly come home to roost now.

I am actually a little dissapointed with the guys who resigned, if he was their reason for doing so, as men like Frankie were always telling us that the best way to change things is from the inside. Why then did they let Dingwall win and walk away from a cause they really believed in? Did he have mare sway over the other Board members than the other?

I can see things really go down hill from here, Dingwall is not the kind of man you want in charge of the RST. This has been proved from FF, he is far too extreme to hold such a position.

Extreme in what way ? Just wonderin?

Extreme in the way that he rules FF with an iron fist, banning people without explanation at the most a one word answer in "Taig". He also organised the protest against Murray outside the Main Stand a few seasons go which was shot down in flames by other supporters. I have absolutely no doubts that he too would have been at the forefront of the announced proposals last week which are about as extreme as one could concoct.

He certainly isn't a man who thinks rationally on any situation that's for sure. He is as anti-Murray as they come which isn't exactly a great criteria for leading an organisation supposed to be working WITH Murray and the club for the benefit of the fans.

FF is pretty piss, thats the site and the mag I'm talkin about no arguments there but the whereas I do not like protests agin the team I think he was maybe justyfied on this one Murray was takin us up a one way street with plg at the time I believe and as for gettin shot down in flames by other supporters na I saw those other supporters and they weren't Rangers ones, they looked like junkies hired for a few £10 bags. Clapped in jaws, trackies, wearin no colours. Murray must have got them from his home town of Embra they looked like trainspotters.

[BlueIsTheColour 35]

True, but surely you would have been better placed to do so on the Board rather than just among the membership?

When you find out why we resigned you'll realise why our board positions were untenable.

That is the problem Frankie, i fear we never will find out. Clearly those Board members left, or certainly the majority don't want us to find out. I would usually discard anything written about the Trust in newspapers as bollocks but so far the Record has provided more of an explanation to us members os our own organisation has. That, in itself is a disgrace.

[TheFlyingPig 0]

Before people get too excited, I think they need to remember this is the Daily Record here - hardly a publication of note for accurate articles.

Certainly parts of it are untrue so I would suggest people refrain from making personal comments until the real story is made available to members.

As for the suggestions that the resignations were perhaps not the way to challenge any issues within the organisation, I understand that train of thought. However, I can assure you, I (and the others) did not resign without considering all the options available to us.

Remember, we remain members and we can still air our grievances via the options available to us in that way.

The Trust appear in no rush to inform their members. Im quite astonished that they havent held an EGM. They may spring into action on the back of this article though but I foresee a significant drop in membership and damage which may be irreversible.