Merlin’s Thoughts On Charles Green Situation

Here at the RSL we have obtained a reputation for being supporters of what could loosely be termed the “Green Regime” at Ibrox. In light of today’s news – that Charles Green is likely to face charges over his running of the club –  this might appear to be a black mark against our name as a fan group.

People who think so should perhaps re-examine their viewpoint – for very good reasons.

Firstly, there was a time when Sir David Murray could do very little wrong in the eyes of the Ibrox support. To say during the SDM glory years that he would ruin the club was to invite derision and even the threat of violence from fellow fans.

Then he sold to Craig Whyte, claiming he was “duped” by the man with wealth off the radar. After involving the club in an EBT fiasco which is still rumbling on to this day.

Whyte was given unqualified support from the vast part of the Rangers fan base before he plunged the club into its darkest days.

Then there is Big Chuck himself. It is ironic that many of those who are crying out for his crucifixion were the same ones hailing him as the messiah when he lifted Rangers from the ashes of the SDM/Whyte aftermath. He was famously given life membership of the Rangers Supporters Trust and was so popular in the bluenose-supporting sector of the media (yes, there is one!) that one very prominent football journalist was so enthused he moonlighted as a cheerleader for the IPO. Another, of course, joined the Green Revolution as media czar at Ibrox.

My own reputation as a supporter of Charles Green is not one I will deny but I would like to point out that I came very late to the game. In fact. I was seen as a sourpuss because I didn’t buy in amidst all the euphoria. Truth is, I was sceptical of Green and his consortium for quite some time and was engaged in serious activity trying to find evidence to incriminate them. I found nothing and through time came to believe that it was time to get behind the regime.

Now I am a Rangers supporter which for me includes being loyal and committed. so when eventually I accepted that my own conspiratorial suspicions wrre just that, I resolved to plunge in and help support the Green regime.

Then the boardroom wars happened and the rest is history. I am on the record for saying that I opposed those who sought to oust the previous regime begun under Charles Green because I didn’t approve of the underhand way they went about things. For me – and many others – it wasn’t and isn’t the Rangers way. I stand by that.

Of course, myself and my colleagues here at the RSL have been abused, vilified and lied about in a carefully orchestrated PR campaign. This only proves the validity of what we have been saying. If people need to resort to such underhand and unpresbyterian methods, there is something far wrong. Nonetheless, we remain Rangers supporters – certainly of the team which right now is an absolute delight to behold – and even of the regime, albeit with the right to criticise what we see as its shortcomings.

Those shortcomings are many, even if picking Mark Warburton was a genius stroke. In fact, Warburton’s blazing success so far has only helped to put those shortcomings very much in the background.

The simple truth is that football is a murky business. I have first-hand experience and knowledge of this. It doesn’t attract a lot of choirboys in terms of the people who run clubs as a business. That is part of life and one I can live with. Nevertheless, it is important to have ideals, even if you are aware that they won’t materialise overnight. And also there is the realistic side of things to be dealt with. For example, fans say they want complete transparency but few could handle this. And some things that could be made public would only harm clubs, including share prices. Some things should be kept private and even secret so full transparency is a big red herring and not one you would want to eat.

Boardroom shenanigans have always gone on at football clubs, Rangers being no exception. The plight of Rangers in recent years has helped to develop an obsession in some fans who feel it is their duty to scrutinise and micro-manage the minutiae of all the club’s business dealings. This desire to forensically pore over every aspect of the fiscals has also been cynically inculcated in supporters by those seeking power. Funnily enough, the amateur accountancy craze is now discouraged, having been replaced with a “Trust us, we’re Rangers men” mantra.

As I write, it is unknown what Charles Green will actually be charged with. The actual charges may be a matter of not following legal protocols in relation to corporate law or something far more serious. It may even imperil the corporate status of the newco Green set up, which would have very obvious and extremely serious repercussions for the present board. We can only speculate at this point and that holds its own dangers.

The situation with Charles Green at present actually vindicates us here in the RSL because our desire at all times was to have a club where the highest possible standards of integrity were maintained. Our dislike of and opposition to what could now broadly be called the Kingco coalition was because we did not think these people were acting in a way that befitted the club and fell far short of the required standards. The conduct of some associated with the Kingco cause was frankly disgraceful and brought shame upon the club, including their treatment of fans who disagreed with them.

This is not to say that the Green Regime which could then be called the Easdale Regime in the chronology of events was without fault. Far from it. But our thinking in the RSL was very simple – we support the club as it is. Honest readers of our blogs will see that there was no small amount of criticism directed at the board at this time on these pages, especially from Ninjaman. Our opinion is still that Sandy Easdale made some mistakes while at the club but in general did a great job under very trying circumstances. His treatment by some is disgraceful. But to say that the RSL blindly supported the previous board is to take giant steps away from reality.

There is no point going over old ground. We are where we are. That is our outlook here at the RSL. Our thinking has not changed in that we reserve the right to be committed supporters but to be able to voice concerns and criticise. An honest regime will not be fazed by this. Only people with something to hide would wage smear campaigns and engage in dirty PR to safeguard their interests.

If today’s events teach us anything, it is the need for vigilance AND the ability to question. Taking Rangers’ directors word for things is no longer acceptable. For this reason we at the RSL strongly believe in a fully independent fan board which can question and probe the board – with real teeth. This should not be a fan group but an independent body – something akin to the ill-fated RFB but with more firepower at its disposal and not susceptible to fan group control.

The bottom line is that this latest twist to the Rangers saga highlights more than ever the need for transparency and accountability in the running of our football club. Blind faith and trust in those who steward Rangers is crazy, given what is transpiring before our eyes.

As for Charles Green, I count him as a friend. I hope he proves himself innocent of all and any charges. Should he be found guilty, he will have to pay the piper. But the lesson is clear: if you are not squeaky clean running Rangers, then you should have a squeaky bum. If, of course, the authorities are doing their job.

One other thing. Unlike others who will be reading this most avidly, I have never been employed by Charles Green or received shares to write for the club or propagate its views.

You can buy my opinion but you cannot pay me to write yours and pretend it’s mine. Charles Green knew this as did everybody else in the previous regime. And that is why everyone who knows me – including my own father contrary to some deliberately misleading reports – finds the notion of me being paid to prostitute my pen for any Rangers board laughable.

If you read my blogs here on RSL you will get the views of a Rangers supporter. You might not like or agree with them but they are honestly held. That is what the RSL is all about.

So – if you want reasonable transparency from any Rangers board…

Join the RSL.