Union Bears Statement

[blackmagic23 1]

As you will know, the group took the very difficult decision back in May not to renew our season tickets due to the selfish, malicious and borderline illegal actions of our club’s current and previous incumbents. This was a decision echoed by nearly 15000 season ticket holders and the crowds at Ibrox so far this season have reflected the feeling of many Rangers supporters.

We watched with hope and expectation as Dave King submitted his £16 million offer of funding in exchange for a majority stake in the club. We then watched with resignation but not shock as Mike Ashley and his friends within the Board room blocked this move and instead pushed through Ashley’s £2 million emergency loan secured against Rangers assets and on the premise of complete Board control. Like all other supporters, we wanted a clean break from people like Charles Green and his murky investors, but it is clear this isn't going to happen.

It therefore brings us to a crossroads, as a group and as individuals. Mike Ashley has his grip firmly on the throat of our beloved club and nothing and nobody will make him remove it, as has been demonstrated in his time in charge of Newcastle Utd. It has thrown up a pertinent question which must be answered by not only us but every Rangers fan.

Do we maintain our boycott for potentially years in the hope that someone saves us? Or do we elect to support the team on the park and explore other ways of enforcing change at Rangers?

After much discussion we have elected to follow the latter path. As of 03/01/2015 we will be returning to the stands on a permanent basis. This is not a gesture of support for those now in charge of our club, nor is it an admission of defeat. It is simply a change of tactic.

As a passionate group of supporters whose best attributes lie in what we achieve in and around the stadium on a matchday, we feel hamstrung by our absence and therefore the group needs to go back to being present within Ibrox.

We have tried to boycott, to fall in line with other fan groups who have done their level best to encourage change within the club. But in reality all that has taken place over these past few months is a strengthening of Mike Ashley, Sandy and James Easdale, David Somers and many others’ positions within Rangers. It’s the sorry truth.

We would like to make it clear that we will not be attending the League Cup semi final as a group, and feel it would be wrong to take tickets ahead of fans who have been attending games on a weekly basis. As we won't be attending as a group, it will make it impossible for us to pull off a display. We would therefore ask all Rangers fans to do their bit by making our end as colourful as possible, with flags, banners, streamers and anything else they can. We will however be planning more displays between now and the end of the season, and look forward to bringing some noise and colour back to Ibrox.

Although we return to Ibrox on a permanent basis we won’t be doing so as supporters of the regime. Yes our money will be going towards their bonuses and onerous contracts in the short term, but the Union Bears will throw our weight behind another path towards long term change and that is fan ownership, and more specifically Rangers First.

Rangers First is a Community Interest Company which was established at the beginning of this year with very simple goals; to gather together the financial clout of the Rangers support, purchase shares in the club and ultimately put it back in the hands of those who matter. Rangers First already owns over 500’000 shares in RIFC (roughly 0.6%) without any real offline publicising. As a group we hope to support them in the ways that we do best as they move forward towards greater awareness and support for fan representation and ownership.

Of course we urge all those who stood with us in BF1 over the years to ask themselves the same question we did and decide what the future holds for you with regards to match attendance. But we will not try and influence your decision in any way. It’s an individual’s choice to make.

What we do urge every singly Rangers supporter to do is visit http://www.rangersfirst.org, learn about the initiative and sign up. Put the money you used to spend on Rangers merchandise and funding Ashley's empire of zero hour contracts into something worthwhile. The strength of our support should not be measured or remembered by how many of us turn up at Ibrox or elect to stay away in protest, but rather by the lengths we will go to right the wrongs of those before us and stand shoulder to shoulder with one common goal; delivering the Rangers we all deserve. We owe it our children and grandchildren.

If you would like to join the group in BF1 for the second half of the season then please send the following details to transfers@unionbears.co.uk or as a message to the Union Bears Facebook page:

Full Name:

Address:

Date Of Birth:

Contact Number (Mobile & Landline):

Rangers Number:

Do you have a season ticket already? (Yes/No):

Union Bears

[Brian Fantana 28,894]

Whoop ti doo......

[Prso's headband 35,951]

Big game coming up anyone?

Clearly most of them will be at the semi.

[cr3_bear 15,075]

As long as yous get back to chanting about rangers and not a 90 minute anti - boardathon

[Teamgers 1,214]

pass

[Agoram1 42]

Big game coming up anyone?

Clearly most of them will be at the semi.

Haha my thots exactly

[Carsons Dog 9,878]

Never realised they were missing

Can we buy chocolate watches anywhere on Black Friday?

[Courtyard Bear 41,357]

I take it they will be boycotting the NHS and their pesky zero hour contracts.

As for them getting behind RF not sure how that will work, because RF doesn't do mob rule.

[Teamgers 1,214]

Never realised they were missing

Can we buy chocolate watches anywhere on Black Friday?

You've took that too far Mr B............

[Corky True Legend 2,682]

So the UB are backing RF. It would be interesting to see how influential they will become. An attempt to get more "on side" for the next boycott?

[CaptainofIndustry 921]

We have tried to boycott, to fall in line with other fan groups who have done their level best to encourage change within the club.

Eh? I thought there was no boycott from fan groups?

[CaptainofIndustry 921]

Although we return to Ibrox on a permanent basis we won’t be doing so as supporters of the regime. Yes our money will be going towards their bonuses and onerous contracts in the short term, but the Union Bears will throw our weight behind another path towards long term change and that is fan ownership, and more specifically Rangers First.

Rangers First is a Community Interest Company which was established at the beginning of this year with very simple goals; to gather together the financial clout of the Rangers support, purchase shares in the club and ultimately put it back in the hands of those who matter. Rangers First already owns over 500’000 shares in RIFC (roughly 0.6%) without any real offline publicising. As a group we hope to support them in the ways that we do best as they move forward towards greater awareness and support for fan representation and ownership.

UB supporting RF? I'm guessing this post will not last more than 30 seconds on a Rangers fans' site which rhymes with hollow swallow.

[tannerall 25,935]

I've summarised that:

Attention seeking hissy fits having little effect on other supporters, so we've come back. Expect more attention seeking hissy fits in near future.

[BEE 4,880]

Real fans don't turn their back on the team, won't be welcomed back from me.

Know fine well most will be at tarriers game too due to the TO.

[Getstiffed 8,863]

Fucken hell

See yeez at Hampden.

[BF2 winston 123]

Taken them long enough. Hopefully more will follow.

[Bears r us 31,000]

I feel sorry for these bairns (well not really) for being led up the garden path by Dave King and the u of f..................

[Blueshoff 12,042]

Well done. Whatever anyone thinks more people through the turnstiles is good for the club.

Also hopefully a first step to a more united support (and there is room in there for people with differing opinions)

[Blumhoilann 6,712]

Obviously they miss chanting Super Ally,F them.

[Ballochger 36]

Only wanting back so you can see celtic in the semi glory grabbing bastards

[Inigo 32,719]

Motives and all of that aside, this is good news. The boycotts have done us a lot of damage, but we need to look forward. At least they're doing the right thing now. Continued bitterness between factions will get us nowhere.

We have to come together at some point or we're fucked. Hopefully this is the start of that.

[Corky True Legend 2,682]

And they're still pushing the mythical £16M. When will the truth permeate their simple minds?

[Straight-Edge-Loyal 6,698]

After the mick game they will be back on the boycott trail again

[TheQueensEleven 1,355]

Shouldn't have boycotted in the first place.

[hummington 52]

A welcome decision and, as they say, a recognition that paying to watch Rangers doesn't mean that you are supportive of the board.