Rangers are pressing ahead with season ticket rises even though they know the move could potentially swell Dave King’s fighting fund by over £1 million!
The Light Blues, who will battle for the Ramsdens Cup with Raith Rovers at Easter Road today, froze their prices for the League One campaign. Over the past few days, however, a number of fans logging onto their official accounts discovered notification of a pending 15% rise for the step up to the Championship.
Multiplied across the 36,000 who commit to the outlay on an annual basis, it should add up to a significant seven-figure increase in revenue for the Ibrox club.
But this year is different.
King, the South African-based businessman who is a former Rangers investor and non-executive director, called for supporters to withhold their season-ticket money until they were satisfied about the direction in which the current Board were taking the club.
That proposal was met with an enthusiastic response. Some 20,000 fans held up blue cards at Ibrox during the 2-0 win over Dunfermline to show their support.
More worryingly for the men in charge, the umbrella group “The Union of Fans” drew up plans to set up a Trust to hold the money.
The supporters’ leaders have since agreed to King’s request for a period of calm to allow Rangers Chief Executive Graham Wallace to complete and publish his internal business review.
The 120-day process, scheduled to finish later this month, is aimed at identifying potential savings in costs throughout the club.
However, “The Union of Fans” has also pledged to continue with their plans to set up the account as an option, if required.
Rangers, for their part, hope as many supporters choose to buy season books and buy early.
With the League One title already tied up, Ally McCoist’s side have the opportunity to move one step closer to what would be a historic Treble by adding the Ramsdens Cup to their haul this afternoon.
Last up is the Scottish Cup, with Ibrox playing host to an eagerly awaited semi-final clash with Dundee United on Saturday.
The Govan ground is standing in as a “neutral” venue because Hampden is out of commission for the Commonwealth Games.
This afternoon’s showpiece is Rangers’ first Final under McCoist’s charge, with Rangers having suffered knock-out defeats against Forfar, Falkirk and Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the League Cup, Dundee United in the Scottish Cup, as well as Queen of the South in the Ramsdens.
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