Luckily, in recent years the club who have always been registered directly with the Ticket Office have been organising themselves but the manner in which the Supporters Association was treated does not bode well for the future and is sadly indicative of the contempt with which the support is held by very senior functionaries at Ibrox.
A few misguided twerps in some of the 'official' clubs were almost ecstatic about the way in which the Association were treated because of grudges they have harboured for years. Fools. They have gone for the Association first - they will be coming after you shortly.
'Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for you also.'
USING TICKETS AS A WEAPON
Next season will be worse. They plan to up the percentage of tickets given on continuous credit to season ticket holders rather than supporters clubs. But of course the club would rather have us fighting amongst ourselves than asking hard questions about where stacks of briefs go for the big games - Cup Finals and Celtic games in particular.
LACK OF FORESIGHT
We have a network of supporters clubs other teams would die for. Terry Butcher was freaked by it - we had 500 clubs while Ipswich had one! By their short-term approach the club is killing off a vital cog in what should be a machine to generate new supporters all over the country and the world) in an effort to 'make things easier in the Ticket Office'.
WHAT? I'M NOT AN RSC MEMBER
You might be daft enough to think this doesnt bother you - or daft enough to believe that by strangling the RSCs the club will increase your chance of getting tickets if you travel by car. Nonsense.
Virtually everyone at some time in their career as a Bear uses an RSC - for travel in Europe or around the country when you car is off the road or you cant get a lift. What are you going to do if your circumstances change and you cant afford a car one day - what will happen if your local RSC has gon=e down the tubes? Come crying to FF? It'll be too late then.
THEY JUST CANT HELP THEMSELVES
Whilst the club functionaries continue on their merry way cutting the throats of the RSCs they have the cheek to send out letters to club secretaries asking us to become unpaid salesmen for various schemes to sign up our members for shirts, credit cards, pay-per-view, Rangers Lotto, etc.
THE TRAVEL CLUB
Will they be able to behave themselves with this one either? Again, theyve made something like =A380,000 charging for membership for away travel. The first trip to Prague had all the usual hassles and uncertainties but the cost of flying was decent enough. However, we know from long experience that once they have finally choked the RSCs and stopped them from running buses the prices will start to rise - rather than running a decent service at a price which means all Bears would use it - and hence make them more controllable abroad - you just know they'll hike the prices when the opportunity arises and damn the consequences.
RANGERS CONVENTION?
As part of the 'deal' for the formation of the Supporters Alliance clubs have been promised a Worldwide Convention where we can all meet the players. This is not genuine - you can bet your bottom dollar theyll want you to pay through the nose to meet the players, contrast this with NARSA Conventions where amongst all the drink and enjoyment they do a lot of Association business. Rangers are certain to utilise the American football or basketball model which will see it run as a marketing ploy rather than a genuine meet the fans. Its just another money-making venture.
Instead we need to see the players at RSC functions every weekend - that would be a start.