RST launch 'We Deserve Better' campaign

[GeneralCartmanLee 313]

Disgruntled Rangers' supporters groups today launched a stinging attack on the

club's board and demanded an immediate change of direction at Ibrox.

Backed by the board of the Rangers Supporters Trust, as well as involving other

fan organisations, the 'We deserve better' campaign challenged the club's

hierarchy to announce measures designed to improve Rangers' lot both on and off

the field.

Today's move comes in the wake of a month of turmoil at Ibrox, in which

chairman Sir David Murray admitted the club would be forced to sell at least one

of their star players to balance the books.

Last night's Homecoming Scottish Cup tie at St Johnstone saw visiting fans

unfurl a large banner reading "David Murray must go" as the Ibrox owner sat in

the directors' box.

Today's attack focuses on the club's activity in the last decade and the

relative lack of success on and off the field.

A wide-ranging list of complaints - one of which was that there was "no

discernible strategic vision, either on or off the pitch" - begins by

highlighting the club's two Scottish Premier League title wins in the last eight

seasons, which is set against a backdrop of dominance by arch-rivals Celtic.

The garnering of only two trophies in the last three full campaigns and this

season's embarrassing Champions League qualifying defeat to Lithuanian minnows

Kaunas is also pointed out.

The statement complains that the club's Murray Park training facility, opened

in 2001, had failed either to improve the technique of first-team players or

help in the nurturing of youth players.

As Rangers look to offload up to 10 fringe men in January, the Ibrox club's

record in the transfer market is questioned.

Furthermore, the perceived breakdown between the fans and the club - for years

a hot topic among a section of the Ibrox support - is highlighted.

It is claimed there has been a "failure to engage with or interact with the

support in any meaningful way".

The statement goes on to claim supporters have been treated with "disdain"

and have been reduced to "almost 'social pariah' status through a failure to

challenge those seeking to link Rangers with sectarianism".

The attack concludes with an appeal for all Rangers fans to unite behind the

campaign, while stressing "the people at the top of the club must realise that

we will no longer accept the avoidable situation we currently find ourselves

in".

[GeneralCartmanLee 313]

here is a bit more detail

RANGERS fans groups today launched a "We Deserve Better" campaign to try and pile the pressure on the club's board.

Chairman Sir David Murray's decision to sell off one of his leading players this month to balance the books has been met with a furious reaction from some Gers fans - who held a banner during last night's win over St Johnstone asking him to quit the club.

The agreed sale of striker Kris Boyd to Birmingham City in a £3.8m deal was the final straw for many and various groups such as the Rangers Supporters Trust and the Blue Order have now issued a statement urging supporters clubs and fans to unite and let the club know their feelings.

advertisementTrust chief David Edgar said today: "This isn't a campaign to get the chairman out or anything like that.

"We know he is in a situation where he hasn't been able to find a buyer for the club but we want to know what direction the club is moving in and we're looking for improvements."

The statement lists areas in which he says supporters are concerned with and want explanations and they are as follows;

- Only 2 league titles in 8 seasons

- Only 2 cups won in last 3 full seasons

- Losing to the worst European opponents faced since Valletta in 1983

- A state of the art training facility, yet no advancements in technique or set plays

- No discernible strategic vision, either on or off the pitch

- No long-term transfer or team-building plan

- Only two youth players (McGregor and Hutton) of genuine quality produced in the last decade

- Selling first team players to cover losses previously made on fringe players

- Consistent failure to move fringe players on for reasonable transfer fees

- Lucrative pay-offs for failed players - Failure to profit from our most lucrative ever season

- Failure to engage with or interact with the support in any meaningful way

- Treating Rangers fans with disdain as customers instead of valuing and working with them as supporters and part of the Rangers family

- Inability to either attract inward investment, or to convince fans to invest in any meaningful way

- Reduction in the status of our club from leading football force in the land, to almost social pariah status through a failure to challenge those seeking to link Rangers with sectarianism

- A PR operation which only acts when senior club figures are personally criticised and all too often fails to defend the Rangers support

- Fan morale lower than at any time in the past 24 years

[nvager 498]

Must say that all these points have substance and will be amazed if the RFC Board can respond in any meaningful way.

Both league titles won were last day affairs too.

[GeneralCartmanLee 313]

This is far more constructive than bedsheets at games and this is what the rst should actually be there for, they seem to have sidetracked themselves in recent times and have made a few bad decisions….

As for dialogue I doubt the chairman will talk to them after recent arguments but that is only a guess……

[Emerson 2]

We cannot do anything until SDM sells up. No-one is forthcoming with their interest so what are to do? Do people want SDM to just chuck the keys on the desk and walk away from the club? Where would that leave us? While I understand the frustrations of many fans, you have to look at the bigger picture and see that its not as easy as all that. Questions need to be asked about Murray Park etc, but what are the answers going to give us? Im not backing the management here, Im just having a reality check as Im beginning to accept that until a new owner comes in , we are stuck with the Devil we know.

[nvager 498]

It may go nowhere, but at least the management may see that we are generally unhappy with the present situation and want answers.

[vasily09 0]

here is a bit more detail

RANGERS fans groups today launched a "We Deserve Better" campaign to try and pile the pressure on the club's board.

Chairman Sir David Murray's decision to sell off one of his leading players this month to balance the books has been met with a furious reaction from some Gers fans - who held a banner during last night's win over St Johnstone asking him to quit the club.

The agreed sale of striker Kris Boyd to Birmingham City in a £3.8m deal was the final straw for many and various groups such as the Rangers Supporters Trust and the Blue Order have now issued a statement urging supporters clubs and fans to unite and let the club know their feelings.

advertisementTrust chief David Edgar said today: "This isn't a campaign to get the chairman out or anything like that.

"We know he is in a situation where he hasn't been able to find a buyer for the club but we want to know what direction the club is moving in and we're looking for improvements."

The statement lists areas in which he says supporters are concerned with and want explanations and they are as follows;

- Only 2 league titles in 8 seasons

- Only 2 cups won in last 3 full seasons

- Losing to the worst European opponents faced since Valletta in 1983 - not true, we have faced and beaten far worse than kaunas

- A state of the art training facility, yet no advancements in technique or set plays - You need good players to deliver at set plays - this is a more damning endictment of our transfer activity I would say

- No discernible strategic vision, either on or off the pitch - there is strategy on the pitch, just a really boring one

- No long-term transfer or team-building plan - what about the sell all our best players and replace them with duds plan?

- Only two youth players (McGregor and Hutton) of genuine quality produced in the last decade - I would argue that mcCormack, Fleck, Robson, Smith, Adam, Burke etc are all quality players

- Selling first team players to cover losses previously made on fringe players

- Consistent failure to move fringe players on for reasonable transfer fees

- Lucrative pay-offs for failed players - Failure to profit from our most lucrative ever season

- Failure to engage with or interact with the support in any meaningful way

- Treating Rangers fans with disdain as customers instead of valuing and working with them as supporters and part of the Rangers family

- Inability to either attract inward investment, or to convince fans to invest in any meaningful way

- Reduction in the status of our club from leading football force in the land, to almost social pariah status through a failure to challenge those seeking to link Rangers with sectarianism

- A PR operation which only acts when senior club figures are personally criticised and all too often fails to defend the Rangers support

- Fan morale lower than at any time in the past 24 years

[Canadaready 9,437]

Fact is, something needs to change. Decisions need to start making sense.

[Fiogh 178]

We cannot do anything until SDM sells up. No-one is forthcoming with their interest so what are to do? Do people want SDM to just chuck the keys on the desk and walk away from the club? Where would that leave us? While I understand the frustrations of many fans, you have to look at the bigger picture and see that its not as easy as all that. Questions need to be asked about Murray Park etc, but what are the answers going to give us? Im not backing the management here, Im just having a reality check as Im beginning to accept that until a new owner comes in , we are stuck with the Devil we know.

Alot of the greivences brought up by the RST could and maybe still can be addressed with murray in charge. I think most fans with an understanding of the club understand murray is looking to sell in a difficult environment, but there are things which, money or not, murray has failed badly to address.

[joeli 27]

Some good points in this statement, and nothing to do with a 'Murray Out' campaign.

[DavidRST 0]

Hi all. First time poster, so please go easy.

Firstly, this isn't solely an RST Campaign. It's a campaign backed by other fans groups and is inclusive of everyone who agrees with the sentiment.

Secondly, as someone pointed out, this is NOT a Murray Out campaign. This recognises he is here for the forseeable future and people have to accept this. What this is for is to make the people who run the club do it better.

We hope you will feel you can support it, be it through banners, songs, writing to the club etc. The people in situ can influence things immediately - let's get on to them!

[The Hammer 11 2,575]

Hi all. First time poster, so please go easy.

Firstly, this isn't solely an RST Campaign. It's a campaign backed by other fans groups and is inclusive of everyone who agrees with the sentiment.

Secondly, as someone pointed out, this is NOT a Murray Out campaign. This recognises he is here for the forseeable future and people have to accept this. What this is for is to make the people who run the club do it better.

We hope you will feel you can support it, be it through banners, songs, writing to the club etc. The people in situ can influence things immediately - let's get on to them!

Davie edgar?

[Poetry_In_Blue 1,043]

Some interesting points, and has been said it isn't a "Get Murray Out Campaign", it is questions that need to be answered in the here and now.

One thing I would like to point out, and it's something I've said before and other members have said, regarding Murray Park, it is a training facility NOT a youth programme, and with regards to the youth, about a year to two ago I said it would be at least another two to three years minimum before we started seeing some potential stars of the future, well we are now starting to see them in guys like Fleck, Wilson, Perry, for example but the problem we have now is that the current manager is in a no win situation, if he played them and they didn't perform and got stage fright some of us would just get onto their backs and possibly undermine their confidence.

We demand success and we deserve success, now last season we won two trophies, the first time in a long period of time, as for this season, the league isn't over yet and we are still in three competitions, if we don't win the league, then I've said this before and I'll say it again, the current management team should leave, the question will then be "Who do we bring in?", "Who will actually want the job as it is slowly becoming a poisoned chalice?"

We know there is planning permission for the re-development of Ibrox and the surrounding area but where on earth are we going to find the money for that in the current financial climate?

There is a divide between the heirachy of Rangers and the fans who attend matches, there are issues regarding how we are perceived, and Rangers heirachy should be defending us more BUT as has been proven even if they do speak out the Mhedia twist whatever is said.

[Chef 436]

fuck me, i forgot we had a supporters trust, maybe as they are always a non involvement group,

[Muff 245]

We all need to get behind this. It's time the supporters stopped settling for 2nd best - whether you still support/love Sir David Murray or not, 'We Deserve Better'

A fantastic statement from the RST

[Briton 394]

We know Murray won't sell until the correct buyer is found. I am happy about this.

We know Murray has said that.

[nvager 498]

Hi all. First time poster, so please go easy.

Firstly, this isn't solely an RST Campaign. It's a campaign backed by other fans groups and is inclusive of everyone who agrees with the sentiment.

Secondly, as someone pointed out, this is NOT a Murray Out campaign. This recognises he is here for the forseeable future and people have to accept this. What this is for is to make the people who run the club do it better.

We hope you will feel you can support it, be it through banners, songs, writing to the club etc. The people in situ can influence things immediately - let's get on to them!

WELCOME to RM - may this be the first of many visits.

Yes as I said above, a lot of very good points here. I just wonder what kind of response RFC will give it. They will defend their actions no doubt.

[eastcoastbear 122]

A report on this is coming up on STV.

[BLUEDIGNITY 33,647]

A report on this is coming up on STV.

Just been on, think it was a Fraser Martin character that spoke ? Bit fcukin wet lookin ?

[samNewton 0]

We cannot do anything until SDM sells up. No-one is forthcoming with their interest so what are to do? Do people want SDM to just chuck the keys on the desk and walk away from the club? Where would that leave us? While I understand the frustrations of many fans, you have to look at the bigger picture and see that its not as easy as all that. Questions need to be asked about Murray Park etc, but what are the answers going to give us? Im not backing the management here, Im just having a reality check as Im beginning to accept that until a new owner comes in , we are stuck with the Devil we know.

I believe that David Murray first hinted at selling Rangers in 2005.

It is now 2009. It may not be possible for him to find a buyer for Rangers for quite some time.

Should we simply accept appalling mismanagement because he has put the club up for sale?

And let this situation continue for years?

We might very well be stuck with the 'Devil we know' - that is reason enough to support this campaign.

[nvager 498]

I agree with all the points raised, but wonder just what do the RST expect from SDM and Walter? They will NOT change anything in my opinion but just look down at the fans as people who just dont get it. They KNOW better. They are professionals - in their eyes anyway.

Was it not SDM who once said that this is a results driven business. Well the results have been poor, but SDM and WS will throw back last years famous quad season at us and tell us we just do not appreciate what was done.

That however does not excuse the farce of Kaunas and the 10 unwanted first team players and all the rest.

This recent calamity can be blamed on Walter's mis-spent millions, but not the past ten year struggle.

[MARK92GERS 807]

I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THIS CAMPAIGN 110% WHO EVER AGREES WITH THIS PUT A WE DESERVE BETTER AT THE BOTTOM OF UR REPLY...................................

WE DESERVE BETTER 100%

[Jimenez 1]

Wan we not just have a 'Murray you're a cunt' campaign ?

[Emerson 2]

We cannot do anything until SDM sells up. No-one is forthcoming with their interest so what are to do? Do people want SDM to just chuck the keys on the desk and walk away from the club? Where would that leave us? While I understand the frustrations of many fans, you have to look at the bigger picture and see that its not as easy as all that. Questions need to be asked about Murray Park etc, but what are the answers going to give us? Im not backing the management here, Im just having a reality check as Im beginning to accept that until a new owner comes in , we are stuck with the Devil we know.

I believe that David Murray first hinted at selling Rangers in 2005.

It is now 2009. It may not be possible for him to find a buyer for Rangers for quite some time.

Should we simply accept appalling mismanagement because he has put the club up for sale?

And let this situation continue for years?

We might very well be stuck with the 'Devil we know' - that is reason enough to support this campaign.

Is what Murray doing now not rectifying some of these mistakes? He is trying to get books balanced. Its not his fault Walter mis-spent in the summer. Has he not had a good look around Murray park recently and asked Walter to get rid of the dead wood?

I think he is getting the club more self reliant. And that means spending what it can afford. We cannot afford to spend £6M on a player anymore and perhaps we never could. When Murray does go and the new guy comes in and sees what income we are getting, Im sure they will not believe we were spending the millions on transfers that we are. You look at Celtic and although they have dominated the past Decade and had plenty of Euro money coming in, they have never really spent above what they could afford.

I look at the trusts points, but perhaps supporters of every single club in the land could ask the same things.

[outlaw69uk 123]

We all need to get behind this. It's time the supporters stopped settling for 2nd best - whether you still support/love Sir David Murray or not, 'We Deserve Better'

A fantastic statement from the RST

I disagree, quite a lot in fact. I think its quite a poor statement, and, the reasons are simple. Its just a moan. There isn't anything constructive in it. A fantastic statement would perhaps have had some opinions from these people as to how everyone could work together to improve things, the club AND the fans. It should have made some kind of suggestions as to how to improve things, ad drive the club on. There is nothing productive in it that I can see, it just pretty much says, we dontlike murray, we think the team is shit, and, we want to win more.

I can see that there is a Catch 22 situation, but, for me, the AWAY fans deserve better, but, the majority of the home support dont. The away fans act like true fan, and generally sing throughout the game, attempting to drive on our less than talented current squad, whereas at Ibrox, people sit on their hands, and, many claim its purely because we "cant" sing the billy boys any more, which, is pish, for want of a better word, because the away lads manage to sing. I dont feel overly proud of our support (rremember I am generalising) and, its nothing to do with bigot/sectarian gash, but, how we conduct ourselves these days. As a support (at Ibrox) a lot of the times we ARE second best, we get outsung by our opponents, which for me is unacceptable

If we were turning up in numbers, singing all game, and, staying til the end, then, I think there would be a point and we WOULD deserve better.

It would also be niaive to even consider the possibility that the club dont realise the fans are unhappy.