Source: Team_Talk
Gers trust wants fan ownership
The Rangers Supporters Trust believe there is an appetite for fan ownership of the club, despite the reservations of director Dave King.[LNB] The South Africa-based businessman claimed "only about seven per cent" of the support would be in favour of the Scottish champions being owned by its fans.[LNB]King was speaking in a newspaper article where, among other issues, he dismissed such an idea as a non-starter, insisting the club's supporters already invest enough of their hard-earned cash in Rangers.[LNB]But RST chairman Stephen Smith says feedback the organisation has received over the course of several years suggests fans are interested in having a bigger role to play at boardroom level.[LNB]"What needs to be done is a major opinion-forming exercise among the support," he said.[LNB]"If you just ask people if they are in favour of something...it's a very broad concept at this stage and everybody has got a valid opinion on it.[LNB]"What we'd say, having been at this for seven-and-a-half years now, is that we believe there is an appetite for it."[LNB]The RST say they would also welcome talks with King regarding joint ownership of the club.[LNB]They submitted an "exploratory document" to the club with the aim of taking over Sir David Murray's majority shareholding back in March, but the plan never got off the ground.[LNB]However, the organisation believe joining forces with King - or someone else - could be a viable option in the future.[LNB]"What we are looking for is partnership," said Smith.[LNB]"Although the Trust is in favour of supporter ownership of the football club - that's our mission statement - we are entirely happy to work in partnership with anybody who sees the fans as a major stakeholder and wants the fans more involved.[LNB]"We will settle for a halfway house, or fans taking 20% or 25% or 30% of the football club, that will give us a greater stake and a greater involvement and diversify share ownership.[LNB]"If Dave King, or anyone else, wants to engage with the support on that basis, we are still willing to do that.[LNB]"Our position is, and always has been, that we are prepared to work with anybody who has the best interests of the club.[LNB]"We are happy to have discussions with anybody, from David Murray downwards, about the future of Rangers and the role the organised fans can play in that, in terms of taking a major stake and making the phrase 'the Rangers family' mean something.[LNB]"If Dave King is happy to do that, then we are happy to meet him and I'll meet him any time he wants."
