Rangers’ imminent announcement recently pertaining to banning any fans entering the field of play on Sunday is just yet another faux-pas shoot in the foot moment from the board who appear determined to distance themselves as much as possible from the support and install themselves firmly in their ivory towers.
“Rangers would like to remind fans that entering the field of play at any time is unacceptable and forbidden. The club have now been informed by UEFA that they have opened disciplinary proceedings after Thursday’s game v Borussia Dortmund due to children entering the pitch area. We have a zero-tolerance approach to those invading the pitch. In particular, any parent found to assist their child in entering the pitch area will be subject to club disciplinary policy. Our players have been advised that they should not provide a shirt to any spectator entering the pitch area.”
This was produced after Dortmund and is set to be repeated before Sunday as a matter of fact, and unfortunately all this message is doing is pushing fans and board further apart, in a tone akin to Bourgoisie.
We understand that some Rangers fans have slightly damaged their own reputations recently as well as that of the club, but the message the board appears to be sending out is struggling with wording.
Look at the lexicon itself regarding the difference in address from fans to players:
Zero tolerance. Remind fans. Unacceptable. Disciplinary.
But the tone to players? ‘Been advised’.
In other words, the players can more or less do what they like, but fans will be hammered for the same thing.
The board appears to distancing itself more and more from this support, and a lack of any statements pertaining to olive branches or mending broken bridges doesn’t help.
All the board appears to be hinting is ‘silence scum, you will behave yourselves. Peasants…’.
The board and club has a huge PR problem right now, and while we aren’t big fans of some supporters groups ourselves, the lack of bond between board and supporter these days is an issue of considerable concern.
I’m as blue can be as are many like me, however if the board continues with this approach even strong stalwarts will tire of this and will act using the vote with feet blue pound withdrawal/protest. Mr King still has a lot of following , even as he seeks to liquidate or sell his shares, his voice is almost always listened to. We need to seek an even stronger presence on the board in Mr Kings Place or he needs back on the board where he can influence.
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