|
Overview:- "Fans buying into the Club - We are the People"
"The aim of the Rangers Supporters Trust, since inception, has been the long-term goal for supporters to invest and have influence at the highest level of the club. The most vital ingredient in any club is the fans. Players, owners and the club managers increasingly come and go, but the supporters are the one constant - theirs is a lifetime commitment."
This aim is shared by the Supporters Direct* movement as a whole.
- The Rangers Supporters Trust
The Trust has one main aim, or is it a dream, that one day the fans will own our club. For complete clarity the Trust has worked closely with the current Board of Rangers Football Club to introduce our "Share Save Scheme". Our members are always motivated by doing what we believe is best for Rangers FC. For information, meetings have been held in preparation of the scheme with David Murray - Chairman, Martin Bain - CEO and David Joliffe - Finance Director.
The Share Save scheme will enable supporters, who must first be a member of the Trust, the opportunity to save a monthly amount that shall be used to purchase ordinary shares in Rangers PLC. The amount of shares purchased is the sum of all your monthly contributions less costs and this becomes your "entitlement". At anytime throughout this scheme you can exercise this entitlement and have the shares, or cash, returned to you in your own name. Alternatively, once you exercise this entitlement you could opt to sell your shares to the scheme and receive the cash equivalent.
It is important we look at the individual "entitlement" and explain this further. The supporter who saves is ALWAYS the beneficial owner to the cash he/she saves and to the shares, once this transaction takes place. At anytime this cash (if still not invested) or the shares you are entitled to, can be withdrawn.
To join the scheme, the supporters must first be a member of the Trust (although you can join the Trust and the scheme at the same time).
Each supporter shall be given the opportunity to save a monthly or annual amount. These funds, less a small administration fee, go entirely to share acquisition and directly to the club.
For their money, the fans receive an "entitlement" to ordinary shares in Rangers PLC. This gives the fans the ability to own shares in their club at cost effective rates. For example, if a fan saves £10 per month, over a 5 year period they will have acquired £600 of Rangers PLC shares, less minimal costs, over the period.
This scheme does NOT lock anyone in. Whilst the shares are bought and maintained in the name of the Trust they can be taken back by the supporter at any time. Using the example above, if the fan left after a year he/ she would receive a certificate for £120 worth of Rangers PLC shares, after 3 years £360 worth and after 5 years £600 worth. For clarity - the supporter chooses the time they remain in the scheme.
In addition, there is also a facility for individuals to become involved in the scheme through a one-off or annual contribution.
Security is a key aspect of the scheme. The Trust can only ensure the security of the supporters cash until it is invested in shares. However, once the share purchase is made, as with any investment in stocks and shares, the price could fall as well as rise. The idea is to have an annual investment in shares of Rangers PLC and as such each participant in the scheme will accumulate shares on this basis. Rangers are currently listed on Ofex, therefore fans can see the value of the shares at anytime.
TO BE CLEAR THIS SCHEME IS NOT GEARED FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSES, IT IS TO CREATE A VEHICLE THAT WILL RESULT IN WIDER AND INCREASED OWNERSHIP OF THE CLUB BY THE FANS.
There are a number of key drivers in our desire to launch the Share Save scheme:
1. It is our aim for supporters to own or have significant influence in our club - this is a mechanism that allows fans to stand together and make a greater impact - and importantly it is cost effective and allows fans, no matter their personal circumstances, the chance to be part of the scheme and make a real difference.
2. In a time when football clubs have increasing financial constraints, this would inject some much needed fresh capital into our club, which we hope will be for our own enjoyment. Clearly to achieve this we need the club to support this initiative - which it has.
3. We have all seen what happened at Manchester Utd. We must ensure this NEVER happens to our club. Action now will give fans the opportunity to gain a stake in the club and have wider ownership. This would put the future of the club in the hands of the fans.
To find out more about the scheme and/or download an application form (pdf file - 450k) please see the "GerSave menu" at the top of the page or register your interest via our online contact form.
We also have a FAQ section of the site where the most common questions are answered. Visit that by clicking here.
Please note that the application form must be completed then posted to our mailing address.
* About Supporters Direct - the movement
Supporters Direct is a publicly funded government initiative with offices in London and Glasgow. Their aim is to help people "who wish to play a responsible part in the life of the football club they support". They offer support, advice and information to groups of football supporters.
Supporters Direct exists to:
· Promote and support the concept of democratic supporter ownership and representation through mutual, not-for-profit structures.
· Promote football clubs as civic and community institutions.
· Work to preserve the competitive values of league football in the United Kingdom and promoting the health of the game as a whole.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: The contents of this website in relation to the Rangers Supporters Trust Share Save Scheme are the responsibility of the Trust and have been approved solely for the purposes of Section 21 of the Financial Services Market Act 2000 by Direct Sharedeal Ltd, 2nd Floor, 4 West Regent Street, Glasgow G2 1RW. Direct Sharedeal Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (No.188753).
RISK DISCLAIMER: Supporters should be aware the value of the shares can go down as well as up and that past performance is no guide to future performance. Your shares in Rangers PLC may not be readily realisable and may be difficult to sell or to obtain reliable information on their value.
|
