Club 1872 yesterday declared their support for the Dave King con-job by saying they will support each and every one of the club’s 11 resolutions at Friday’s AGM.
Whatever the feelings of individual members might be, that’s now irrelevant. All 6% of the vote will go towards backing the King’s plans and that removes any choice from the matter.
This was always going to be the problem with the fan organisations grouping together under one umbrella; if you have your point men in there, running the show, then you can neuter the voices of the entire support. As long as this organisation is seen as being the main one representing the fans you can virtually eliminate dissent.
It’s the oldest trick there is.
Many Sevco fans were wholly opposed to the establishment of Club 1872 for this very reason. Their voices have been drowned out by this announcement.
It’s not that they’ve been disenfranchised or ignored; their opinions might as well not exist at all. They’ve been airbrushed out of the narrative completely. Just as Dave King intended.
His critics within the support will have to take a backseat for the time being; his allies are in the ascendant. The AGM will go off without a hitch. The vote will be passed. They will look unified, as if nobody has questions at all.
As a neutral, and someone who spent a long time in politics, I have to admire the artistry of it. If I were a Sevco fan who had serious concerns about the King operation I would be utterly despondent.
The primary function of the independent fan organisations which merged to become Club 1872 was that they hold the club to account, that they avoid too close a relationship with Sevco itself, all the better to properly scrutinise what was being done. These people see their club as being a direct continuation of Rangers; with that in mind, isn’t astonishing how cavalier they are in standing up for it and looking out for its best interests?
In deciding to support all eleven resolutions, and in making that public before the meeting, they are abrogating that responsibility completely. They are saying that they stand four-square with the current board. They are sending a message to their fellow fans that the club is in good hands, that all is well, that there are no concerns at all.
Sevco fans have been so badly served by everyone that it’s especially shocking that now, so close to the point where hard choices will have to be made, that the final using comes from their own.
Because Club 1872 is clearly run by people who’ve made the decision to think about the next rung on the ladder, whether that’s fans on the board or running the whole show.
King’s ultimate plan is probably one where he sells to the supporter’s organisation for a big profit, not particularly caring what happens next or about what he leaves behind.
And on Friday the fan organisation that is supposed to look out for the interests of ordinary supporters and keep an eye on what King and others are up to will pledge its support for the con. I am not surprised, but I am appalled at how short-sighted they are.