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Below are some of the most frequently asked questions about the Trust and it's activities. If you have a question that isn't listed here, then please contact us using the "Contact Us" link in the top menu and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
To view our ShareSave FAQs, click here .
1: What does a Supporters Trust do?
2: Do you have to be a shareholder of Rangers to join the Trust?
3: What does the Rangers Supporters Trust do? Just buy shares?
4: What price range is one share?
5: What is PLUS Markets Group (formerly OFEX)?
6: Who is Rangers' current main shareholder?
7: Selling shares? What happens if people wish to withdraw?
8: How did the Trust founders meet? Did you belong to the same club or live in the same area, and if not, how did this come about?
9: How long does my membership fee last?
10: Can junior members vote?
11: What is the Trust's stance on racism and sectarianism?
12: What do I do if I am not getting shareholder information from the Club, or if I have moved house since becoming a shareholder?
13: For how long will Supporters Trust Board Members serve?
1: What does a Supporters Trust do?
The basic definition of a Trust is a democratic, not-for-profit organisation of supporters, committed to strengthening the voice for supporters in the decision making process at a club, and strengthening the links between the club and the community it serves (Source: Supporters Direct).
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2: Do you have to be a shareholder of Rangers to join the Trust?
No. The beauty of a Trust is that you get the best of both worlds. Fans who have a small number of shares can proxy them to the trust so they are voted en bloc and make a bigger difference. But fans who aren't shareholders can just join, and any shares the Trust buys or gets are owned collectively by all the members. So this is a way for people to become shareholders, along with other fans. You bring together the fans with shares and the fans without shares, and pool the power of both groups to everyone's benefit (Source: Supporters Direct).
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3: What does the Rangers Supporters Trust do? Just buy shares?
Essentially the organisation has a simple aim - to encourage and facilitate supporters of Rangers to buy and hold shares in the club in order to influence future decisions. We believe that Rangers is safest in the hands of people who care about the Football Club rather than just seeing it as a financial investment. Therefore the long term aim is to deliver ownership of the club (through Rangers Football Club plc) to its loyal supporters.
It is not our aim to provide a mechanism by which individuals can invest in order to sell their shares at a profit (although you can of course sell your shares if you wish to) as there are plenty of commercial operators offering such a service which may be more suitable, if more expensive, in terms of flexibility.
Many supporters have already bought shares themselves but the idea of the share scheme is to make it easy and cheap to buy regular amounts particularly in small quantities. A further advantage of buying shares through the share scheme is that the voting rights are automatically pooled into a larger group. It should be emphasised that any shares you purchase through the Rangers Supporters trust remain your property and can be sold if you wish to do so or if you wish to discontinue your membership. Obviously we don't want to encourage sales.
In the end though the Rangers Supporters Trust is a not for profit organisation run by a committee elected democratically from the membership. Therefore what the organisation does depends on the wishes of the membership within the constraints of the constitution which sets out the basic aims. Is there a minimum share purchase - either up front or monthly?
Other than your annual membership fee, there is no requirement to buy additional shares although obviously we would encourage members to do so as it is the aim of the organisation to increase the number of shares held by supporters.
All members receive a free share in Rangers Football Club plc as part of their Rangers Supporters Trust membership. This ensures that all of our members become Rangers shareholders, even if they were not already.
Additionally we encourage members who wish to purchase shares, to join the monthly share scheme or to make additional purchases. This is optional and the recommended minimum purchase is £10.
Currently the monthly share scheme (which is our recommended option as it allows even small amounts to be invested on a regular basis) is only available by 'Standing Order' through a UK bank account. However we have plans to introduce an equivalent service using credit/debit cards shortly. In the meantime members may elect to make an additional share purchase on joining/renewal or at any time by requesting a share purchase application form.
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4: What price range is one share?
You can check the current share price on the PLUS Markets Group web site:
http://www.plusmarketsgroup.com/
Please Note: you must register with PMG (for free) in order to access this data.
You get a free share when you join, and of course become the part beneficial owner of the Trust's shares. (As at 5/4/04, the Trust owned approx 9 shares for each current member, on top of the ones each individual member had been allocated.). We set a minimum investment of 10 pounds for additional purchases recommend perhaps 500 pounds maximum. However, if you only wish to pay your annual membership and nothing more then that is okay too. Membership costs 12 pounds per year in Europe (outside UK).
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5: What is PLUS Markets Group (PMG)?
Rangers shares are listed on the PMG market, the share-trading platform for small companies. Founded in 1995, PMG (formerly OFEX) is now established as Europe's premier small companies' market. It has been used by over 450 companies from 26 different industrial sectors and has seen these companies raise a total of over GBP1bn in the process. The PMG market provides a share-trading platform for the securities of unlisted and unquoted companies.
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6: Who is the Rangers' current main shareholder?
The current main shareholder of Rangers Football Club plc is: Sir David E. Murray (91.8%)
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7: Selling shares? What happens if people wish to withdraw?
Shares can be sold by completing a sale application form and the member will receive the cash value of the shares, less any fees, at the time of the next monthly batch purchase or at a sooner time if they do not mind paying the broker fees for a direct sale through the broker. However, the share scheme is not designed to encourage people to sell their holding - those who wish to do that can buy shares through any broker - it's about building a long term large collective holding which will deliver a significant influence to supporters directly through a share holding.
Because the sale of an individual share holding involves a greater degree of admin (and possibly additional broker fees) than the bulk purchases we do monthly for the Rangers Supporters Trust there is a fee payable before you will receive the proceeds of the sale of your shares. This may vary from time but it is currently set at 1% with a minimum fee of £5. On payment of this fee a cheque will be sent to the last registered address of the lapsed member. Alternative methods of payment may be arranged where necessary.
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8: How did the Trust Founders meet? Did you belong to the same club or live in the same area, and if not, how did this come about?
Most of us met via the Internet. Only 2 of the original 8 founders actually live in Glasgow, whilst the others come from Ayr, Bearsden, Bothwell, East Kilbride and London. We are all season ticket holders though. We all hope that at least one member is elected from both Northern Ireland and North America in ths summer's elections, but that is up to the Trust membership, as a whole. In addition, we expect some of the more active members of the Rangers Supporters Alliance, despite tempting offers elsewhere, to become heavily involved, as Supporters Clubs should be encouraged to grow and prosper. The Rangers family is a broad church, and we wish our Board to reflect this.
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9: How long does my membership fee last?
Until the following 5 April, irrespective of when you join.
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10: Can junior members vote?
No, but they can attend and speak at Trust Meetings.
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11: What is the Trust's stance on racism and sectarianism?
It is up to the Trust as a whole to define and refine Trust policy as time moves on, but initially, our stance is that we are vehemently opposed to both. As far as Racism is concerned, it has no place in football, sport or society and we endorse a slogan coined by a fanzine "Blue - the only colour that matters!"
As far as sectarianism is concerned, again this is not just a football problem, and of course we oppose it, although do not support allegations that waving the flags of any of our four home countries should be deemed sectarian, and will always defend the rights of Rangers fans to wave these flags. We take the view that denying this right is in itself sectarian. We support full and equal employment opportunities everywhere, with due respect given to all races, colours and creeds.
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12: What do I do if I am not getting shareholder information from the Club, or if I have moved house since becoming a shareholder?
Write giving details to:-
Computershare Services plc
Owen House
PO Box 435
8 Bankhead Crossway North
Edinburgh
EH11 4BR
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13: For how long will Supporters Trust Board Members serve?
The full Rangers Supporters Trust board will be in place in time for the first Annual General Meeting (AGM), due to be held on Saturday 23 August 2003. Members of the elected Trust Board will normally serve for a period of three years.
At the third and fourth AGM's one third of the elected Board, selected by lots, will resign from the Board. Each year at the date of each AGM thereafter, one third of the longest serving elected Board Members will resign from the Board. Outgoing Board Members may stand for re-election by the Trust Members.
These guidelines are registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts 1965-78.
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