The Rangers Supporters Trust believe there is an appetite within the Ibrox faithful for fan ownership of the club, despite the reservations of Rangers director Dave King.
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. 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.
"What needs to be done is a major opinion-forming exercise among the support," he said.
"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.
"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."
The RST say they would also welcome talks with King regarding joint ownership of the club. 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.
"What we are looking for is partnership," said Smith.
"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.
"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.
"If Dave King, or anyone else, wants to engage with the support on that basis, we are still willing to do that. Our position is, and always has been, that we are prepared to work with anybody who has the best interests of the club."
Source: PA
