Yesterday the support was given the news we had all collectively craved for eight years. The final remaining legacy issue removed from around our clubs neck and the real possibility to move forward with a fresh clean slate. Rangers statement released to the support ( here 👉🏻 https://rng.rs/2VTt9RK ) brought a massive sense of relief and excitement. The return of the mega store, a fresh start and a new era beginning was words every supporter needed.
For years we have been left trying to unravel a legal minefield many had flung in out faces that we would ‘never’ be able to be free of. Court cases, penny in the pound deals and years of litigation an insufferable weight the club had to drag along.
With one statement yesterday the club brought the news we had all waited for.
Merchandise to Rangers now has the potential to furnish the club with anything around an additional £5 million per season.
Take that figure in context of when you think of our current operating figures, that is a huge amount and helps offset loses immediately. Rangers have long since strived to become self sufficient. Put it a simpler way and to show figures, our board had to supply around £5m at the turn of the year with potential to supplement more. Figures of £10m in total were needed but chuck the £5m in, with player trading, European games and that total is no longer such a deficit. That’s based on a £10m spend last year which obviously won’t happen every summer.
So if we now have instant potential funds of £5m this club is on the right road to that financial self sufficiency it has craved. Ross Wilson has shown, through early January deals, that he is able to operate in the transfer market in terms of player sales and his remit will be around providing club further funds every summer. Between merchandise and player trading this club will aim to no longer need the backing of it’s share holders.
That is the aim of the club in simple terms.
( MYGERS 👉🏻 http://www.rangers.co.uk/mygers )
So to answer some questions from yesterday’s announcement that even had me wondering.
Why didn’t the club say quite clearly Sports direct, Elite or Hummel had gone?
They said as much as they could legally, those contracts still run until the end of July so until August they will be unable to clarify this further. The use of the phrase ‘Clean slate’ was as much clarity as possible to give
Why has Sports Direct suddenly just walked away?
Quite simply the terms of our agreement meant they had to be offered the chance of matching any potential deal that came to the table. They could not do that and when the deadline passed it meant they no longer had an agreement with the club going forward.
Why has Hummel and Elite ended the partnership early? The club will clarify that at the earliest opportunity they are allowed to legally. Rangers have however stated we are owed a seven figure sum. Any money spent right now is not coming back to Rangers. It’s fair to say that is the exact reason this deal has ended
Are we free to shop Rangers goods at the moment?
It is well known the reason Rangers current deals have ended is because we were owed around £3m. So any money spent is better kept until August when all money will go straight to the club. Spending now will not benefit Rangers in any way. That is a crucial point in all this. Yesterday’s news doesn’t change that in the short term
What about shops and new retail premises?
I can reveal that beyond the new Megastore at the stadium, the club and the new retail partner are looking at various new outlets such as pop up shops around the stadium and new premises in Glasgow and beyond. This is extremely exciting for everyone, especially the support, with the aim we will soon be able to shop locally for our Rangers goods. Rangers are also planning the new Edmiston house project which could potentially add several floors of retail space.
150th anniversary merchandising opportunities?
The club will aim for a significant uplift on targeted commercial income of around £5m. Deals have been structured towards hugely benefitting the club and the potential to make huge commercial profits is possible
What does this mean for ongoing legal cases?
It was fellow fan media, the brilliant Heart & Hand podcast, that broke the news that all litigation past, present and future is done. That’s not something I have been told but certainly is huge news and I suppose the devil will be in the detail when the club are able to tell us. Until then we can only hope that’s true
There is claims this has cost us millions of pounds to get out of?
Factually it has cost Rangers absolutely nothing. The new offer on the table wasn’t matched so we were able to go ahead with new deals legally.
So who is the new retail and kit providers?
That’s something that the club should confirm, what I will say is just a month ago other names flung about were quickly denied on this blog.
What if new retail and kit providers can’t keep up with demand?
Well that will be the proof in the pudding so to speak. James Bisgrove has outstanding experience in the commercial department. Any new deal will come with legal stipulations and assurances demand can be met. If that demand isn’t met then any deal will be a brief one. What I would say is I think the club now have the right people in place to identify that demand
What if these legacy deals really aren’t gone and once again they come back, we’ve been here before.
Well that’s another one we have to sit and trust the club on. It will be August before we hear the finer details but I would be astonished if lessons hadn’t been learned and anything came back to us. The club seem sure that is behind us
What this means is simpler form is the megastore and retail operations are back in the clubs hands. Retail and merchandise deals are now completely on Rangers terms. The return of the superstore is a huge boost and Rangers are actively pursuing new commercial deals. An excellent web seminar by the club can be found here where Ross Wilson and James Bisgrove update the fans on the vision of both in their roles at the club, a must watch in my opinion –
( Here 👉🏻 https://youtu.be/tiBFSO6lpcI )
( Here 👉🏻 http://www.rangers.co.uk/renew )
Yesterday’s news is positive for all the supporters and the club. A new era with unlimited commercial potential is now upon us and able to navigate.
The legacy of the 2012 ‘stitch up’ is finally gone. It has been a long road which at every turn we have refused to be bullied. It’s worth remembering that board members have been threatened with jail in their attempts to do what’s best for our club. Was it perfect? Did it take too long? Should we have done things differently? Hindsight is a wonderful thing. What we had to unpick was a stitch up of epic proportions and it understandably took years to do.
The facts are that this era is now a positive one for Rangers and the supporters. We are free to do what we can for our club, knowing that money will be going to the correct places and will benefit our club directly. We can now head into that era positively and look forward to the commercial growth of the club.
Now we can focus on getting it right where it really matters, on the football pitch and all our focus can be on that.
After all, no matter who it turns out will be the retail partners of the club, no name or company is bigger than the badge it represents on our shirts.
This is Rangers, we are Rangers and as the season ticket advertising say – ‘Ready is fearing no Foe’
Ignore the nonsense, the irrelevant and the noise
🔴⚪️🔵
Four Lads Had A Dream 