maineflyer

It's amazing what a new database can do. Can it tell you how many current members you have? Care to share that information or is it still a mega-secret?

For me it would be the Sash.

Completely agree. It's a club-funded organisation pushing an agenda. The only difficulty is knowing who's agenda it really is.

They can make as many statements as they like, do you think ITV gives a damn No I don't think ITV will care but are these not the sort of issues the RST were created for ? Are the RST not interested in the thousands who will be unable to see these games ? No, probably not.

The RST isn't about taking on anyone. It's about giving a dozen or so people an excuse to think they're 'special'.

I was really surprised by Miller yesterday. For some reason he appeared to be able to receive and control a pass - something I've not seen him do before. It might be that he's not completely useless ater all.

Apart from life members who cannot now escape the count, I understand the RST membership currently stands at only 147. Once you've taken board members into account this is hardly a platform from which to say anything really. I can't of course confirm this number but the RST seems unwilling to dispute it when asked.

I'm afraid that's just not true. The only deal to be done will be Murray selling HIS shareholding. He'll choose who he sells to, on what terms, when and at what price. The bank may well put pressure on but fundamentally, the bank cannot sell what it doesn't own. It's not a case of selling the club but of Murray selling all or only part of his shareholding.

I think Murray has got good value out of Rangers over the years and it would be best all round if he now left quietly and was never spoken of again.

I don't think it's incompetence. I think they achieve exactly what they set out to achieve.

If that's the case you have then to accept that RM and all the other websites (combined) mentioned represents a significantly lower percentage. Face facts. And what are those facts - unless it's still top secret and not to be disclosed at any price, how many current members does the RST have? And how many current members use FF - as opposed to the thousands of dead accounts that haven't been active for years? Representation is important and the STS project will depend upon it. The unwillingness of the RST to disclose accurate membership numbers only undermines the whole basis of credible representation.

My mate told me that you are a 'member' too. Albeit not of the Trust. Christine, Now that you've sorted out your policies, how many currently-paid-up members does the RST have?

I close my eyes and see the lid off the shoebox and the fivers getting counted. Did I hear an "Oh shit"?

Burley won't be there much longer so Boyd will be back in a Scotland shirt soon enough.

To be fair, it was probably the best £100 they have ever spent. You might well think that but I couldn't possibly comment. To be fair to them though, they paid it all back in one go.... which can't have been easy. The RST membership information must be a precious secret indeed.

It's not a policy. It was simply a misuse of the word 'refund'. Wicked man I'd be delighted to provide details of the deal if anyone finds that the RST can't find it in their records. However, I'm sure they'll take an even handed approach and extend the same refund to anyone who ask - at least to anyone who asks to know how many members they have.

I think that is rather short-sighted Boab. I've not had a chance to listen to the interview yet but I'm sure what David is saying reflects much of the concerns the STS report published. As such, publicising these concerns and debating them (constructively of course) is something we all need to buy in to - irrespective of the people/organisations involved. To that end, I'm hoping I'll have a full STS update over the next few days (or possibly early next week) regarding progress of what we're trying to achieve regarding the issues in the report. I'm hoping the majority of people will be interested in that - no matter who or where the project originates. I agree, but, I also feel thats where the trust falls down. Without having a pop at them, I cant fully support them, because I dont fully trust them. They may come up with some good ideas, however, their implimentation is generally poor. There is also the secretive side of things, where, as mentioned before, I believe someones membership was refunded rather than a simple question answered. Once things like this are no more, maybe a lot more people will buy into them again That was MY life membership. Rather than reveal how many members the RST has, Cooperonthewing, in her RST capacity, invited me to accept a refund of my membership fee rather than answer my question about RST membership. That my friends is the true nature of this opaque group trying and failing to run OUR Supporters Trust. Which is why I accepted and received £100 refunded life membership. Now that the RST has set this precedent, perhaps other life members can assume they have the same right to withdraw their membership if they wish - and receive their fees back as I did.

Still the quest for a seat on the board goes on I see, why? You have supporter representation, it's called voting with your feet. Amass a membership large enough to follow your campaign then act on it. Simples. Are you suggesting we stop following the team? Not at all, what I am saying is the RST is now unviable for any board seat when it can't amass a membership enough to be interested in what it has to say anymore. To prove me wrong, quote your most recent membership figure, you are the Treasurer you should have that at hand. We are an organisation that primarily wants the Club to be owned by the fans and helps facilitate this by increasing share ownership amongst the wider support our via membership and our Gersave scheme. I'd be the first to concede that the vast majority of our fans don't really care who owns Rangers as long as we are successful on the pitch. However, we believe that any fan elected to the Board should represent the people who regularly invest in the club ie season ticket holders and shareholders, on a one man (or woman) one vote process. The club disagree and that is the sticking point. Over the last few years we have taken on the mantle of defending the Club and the support in the media because nobody at the Club is willing to do so. As for our membership numbers, we have changed policy on this. Under the previous regime, we used to count everyone who had ever joined the Trust in our membership figures. Now we start at zero on 6th April every year and people are still joining and renewing so I don't have a figure to hand. We do have about 400 lifetime members plus those who join on a year to year basis. Isn't it truly amazing how much these RST people are prepared to challenge our intelligence? Year after year we ask them how many members they have. Now we find out that the number of 5000 previously quoted on national radio by David Edgar were bullshit incorrect. Some sort of innocent oversight means they managed to ignore every time someone resigned or failed to renew. Oh yes, an oversight has been found and explains everything, such a relief. So now that the RST has fixed its membership numbers, will Cooperonthewing simply tell us how many members the RST has and reveal the credentials for David Edgar to speak as a representative of the Rangers support. Or arte there still some "oversights" in the RST system?

And is your admiration of Murray based on facts or is it by purely listening to what others have to say and tagging along? When attacking the views of others it's always best to do so based upon facts. In the absence of facts, it's usually best just to state you own opinions and leave it at that. For me, after a few good years early on, Murray has been a complete disaster for the club.

Sorry to see him go. He clearly had some talent but if Smith can't see it won't play him, we're as well saving the money.