High-Profile Knighted Rangers Fan Expresses Major Concerns About Ibrox Owners | OneFootball

There’s been a very interesting story quietly making the press today regarding Rangers’ new ownership and the views of a former MP, Sir Brian Donohoe.

When Rangers first got linked to a takeover, the majority of fans, if not 99%, were thrilled with the idea of getting rid of the current board, getting ownership, getting money. Ibrox Noise was one of the few organisations who remained extremely sceptical, especially when the origin of the takeover was going to be Americans. Americans are very cynical in football. Generally, unless they are individuals taking over entire colossi such as Liverpool or Arsenal, they are there to make money. Look at the Glazers at Manchester United, the quintessential example.

And this, of course, isn’t a family, it’s not an individual, it’s an entire consortium. These are businessmen there to make cash, and that’s always been the remit of Americans when it comes to football and ownership. And with Brian Donohoe now coming out in criticism of the new terms of the documentation which now pertains to their ownership, there have to be a few concerns.

Donohoe is one of us, he is a Rangers fan and he is a shareholder. The fact that he is publicly denouncing the new ownership and the terms that they have added to essentially take away AGMs and accountability on their part is words for concern for all fans.

Of course, there are those who will back anything this club and its ownership or any regime does, and will always speak in defence regardless of what may happen. And that’s been the case here too, where some fans have come out in defence of this new system and have criticised the old system as being ineffective, that there wasn’t much point in AGMs because ‘nothing got done anyway’.

This is how fans behave regarding change and things that they wish to back up. They overlook the fact that previously fans were aching for AGMs so that they could hold the board to account. Now that they can’t, they justify that by saying oh well they didn’t work anyway.

Nevertheless, Donohoe’s comments are definitely worth listening to, they are the same concerns Ibrox Noise have had about this ownership. The fact that we no longer as shareholders have any right to vote, to have a say, regardless of the fact that the new ownership say that they will still engage with fans, is only lip service and there is no legal requirement.

That is essentially a huge problem. Ibrox Noise, like any other organisation worth its salt, are shareholders, we hold shares, we now have no say with them, none whatsoever. We cannot vote on directors, we cannot vote on anything else or any resolutions either. That’s a big difference and it was what we had before.

So Donohoe’s comments are worth listening to and taking seriously. Rangers fans should be cautious. We’ve had too many snake oil salesmen promising the earth and delivering nothing. There is no reason necessarily that these guys are not the same. Even though we know fine well the usual give them time crowd will be out in force explaining why you can’t judge and you must give them a chance

That patter is getting old.