49ers deliver on their promise of pain for Rangers fans | OneFootball

When the 49ers took over at Ibrox, we were promised pain. Whatever you say about the new regime, they have definitely delivered on that promise. Since the euphoric early days of the takeover, it has been very bleak days for Rangers fans.

At first we assumed the pain was due to the process of re-purposing the football operations at the club, with a medium term objective of building a squad that could first challenge, then dominate, the domestic landscape.

Harsh Reality

Several months in and the harsh reality is, as Ibrox Noise and some others have pointed out, footballing glory is way behind business considerations for our new American owners.

This is what supporters need to understand. Success on the pitch features nowhere  on the 49ers list of priorities. In fact, it would only heighten fan expectations, which would arguably be troublesome for them. This is the new reality. It’s not about them being spivs, just cold business reasoning.

The Rangers we knew is gone. At best we are a feeder club but we are just a cog in the business machine. As long as they are in profit financially, the new owners will be satisfied. Football success in terms of domestic dominance and European progression is not their prime objective.

Stability

The cold, hard truth is that the 49ers regime at Ibrox guarantees financial stability. It does not equal football glory. For Rangers fans who grew up basking in such glory, and for those younger bears who never really experienced it, this is a hard pill to swallow.

This new paradigm applies across the city. The business model for both Rangers and Celtic is not reliant on chasing Champions League riches by splurging big on the player pool.

The new business models being adopted by clubs involve minimising dependency on fan revenue. So developing players and selling them on, sponsorships, partnerships etc are far more of a priority in the 21st century. Also, realistically, at Ibrox the board knows that for every fan who gives up their season ticket, there are several waiting to snap it up.

Boycott

People won’t like me saying this but your boycott of the burger stand will not have any effect on the 49ers.

At present I would say there is a standoff between the fan base and our American owners. I genuinely think they wanted this test of their authority. Only a nuclear level boycott will budge them. They are betting the supporters will not go there.

Will Rangers fans accept the unvarnished truth that our new owners care more about banking profits than  pursuing silverware and that this means the man in the dugout is only a placeman appointment to them? Time will tell.

For Rangers supporters, business and financial success is a means to football glory. For our new American owners, business and financial success is an end in itself. Unless we convince the 49ers to adopt our vision for the club, the promised pain will go on and on.