Dave King looking for fans to financially back Rangers
Wednesday 22 July 2015 16:31, UK
Dave King has paid tribute to the Rangers supporters and says it is essential to re-negotiate retail contracts with Sports Direct to allow fans to financially back the club.
The Ibrox chairman is keen to restructure the retail deal the club currently has with Mike Ashley's sports retail company, in a bid to allow many supporters to drop a boycott on buying merchandise.
Sports Direct currently has a 75 percent stake in all Rangers' retail income which has led to a backlash from supporters. However, King believes that has to be changed so that Gers fans can get back to supporting their club in every sense.
He claims Rangers owe their rich history to the backing of the Ibrox faithful and is adamant they can only begin to challenge Celtic again in the future with the supporters behind them.
"What we're trying to do here is look at it from a business perspective and trying to get Rangers Football Club back on track," he told Sky Sports News HQ. "I think that is the single most vital challenge I and the rest of the board have over the coming years.
"If one looks at Rangers Football Club, we have been the leading football club in terms of trophies won in the world - not just in Scotland, but in the world. There is no professional club in the world which has won 50 championships - Rangers are unique.
"It happened, not because of the owners of the club and there has been many owners over a century and more, but because Rangers supporters have consistently, for over a century, spent more money in supporting their club than any other team in Scotland. They outspent Celtic.
"That's why Rangers have been the number one club over time, because Rangers supporters spent more on tickets, they spent more on kit, and more on memorabilia.
"And if we can't get the supporters back to outspending Celtic supporters, if I can put that simply, Rangers will be the second biggest club in Scotland.
"If we are going to take over Celtic as number one, we have got to get back to the supporters believing in the club and supporting the club and wanting to support the club."
