Source: FOOTYMAD
I Should Be So Lucky v Better the Devil You Know.
You can forgive those whose heads are spinning around, as the word is out on a new deal to change ownership of our beloved Club. As details begin to emerge concerning the proposed sale of Rangers Football Club, it is instructive to compare the tone and the content of the many reports and to consider how the fans are reacting. Often when big deals happen - whether in terms of players or ownership - the most frustrating aspect is the waiting game: details emerge at a very early stage and it can be weeks (sometimes months) before the move is finalised. Nobody predicted the Craig Whyte move. Late last night some sources from the RST/FF got wind of something and the morning newspapers were filled with the story, including, significantly, the fact that Murray friend and confidant James Traynor felt he could put his name to it. Today the necessary announcements have been made on behalf of Whyte and the board of directors of Rangers FC PLC. Some will argue we've been here before - and the suggested minority involvement of Andrew Ellis may cause those naturally cautious to retreat even further from the notion of an easy, quick and positive end to proceedings. For all that certain sections of the support - a vocal minority - have long hoped and imagined Murray exiting the Club, the mere act of him selling his shares and going off into the night is alone not a cause for wild celebration. Raging dreams of things changing beyond all recognition may need to be put on hold until we can grasp the plans of any new owners. Even allowing for moves to remove large elements (or indeed all) of the debt, there seems little likelihood of a mass capital investment to capture players of a markedly different quality or to transform the club into the plaything of a truly rich man. The Club has to be changed, but it would seem likely that with this comes a more honest realisation of the problems facing clubs such as ours: those with large followings but (comparatively) limited means of revenue production. Some will call for greater investment in youth football, with the idea of nurturing talent until they show first signs of readiness and then habitually packing them off to 'richer' clients. Others will no doubt see this as a chance to impress upon any potential new man at the helm of the importance of changing the culture of Rangers, and moving toward a more proactive approach to the image of the Club and the way it interacts with supporters' groups. But, ultimately, we face changing one owner who holds all the power for another. A simple dynastic succession, handing over the keys to the kingdom from one to the next. It's doubtful that in present economic circumstances there exists the appetite for a broadening of the shareholder base or any sort of rights issue, but there should be room within any vision of the long-term to incorporate as wide a base within the support as can be reasonably managed. As yet, we do, of course, have no fixed idea what this plan for Rangers will entail. Information on Whyte is limited at present, although, as with anyone who has reached a certain point within the industry, he has certainly trod on a few toes and will be subject so some intense scrutiny; not just by our fans and supporters' groups but by others. The days ahead should bring more information and it is to be hoped that any deal if it is to be completed will not be allowed to drag. It is worth noting, however, that more than one source has indicated that these talks have been going on for a while and that broad agreement has been reached between Messrs. Murray and Whyte. We shall see. But in the meantime it is important that the euphoria some will experience does not blind all of us to the realities of this proposed deal and the serious questions we must all be considering and be prepared to ask.
