When he was the deputy Chairman John Bennett once released a wide ranging interview where he famously claimed he wanted to see Rangers as best in class. Whilst there is nothing unusual about that statement in of itself it came against a backdrop of financial tightening and a downturn in onfield success. This led to much scorn and rather than being seen as positive the phrase “best in class” began to be used with a sense of scorn by many fans who had run out of patience playing second fiddle to Celtic domestically.
The Chairman at Ibrox
Now the best in class interview is old news these days so why are we discussing it again? Well now John Bennett has moved up the ladder and is the Chairman of the Board there has been a lot of work being done, quietly, in the background to help drive this claim and turn it from a catchphrase used in scorn to fact.
Perhaps the most obvious example of this is in the recruitment business done by the club so far. We’ve not spent record fees and we have utilised the free transfer market but we’ve not focussed solely on free or low cost transfers. This time out we’ve used the free transfers to complement other business, such as the €3.5m fee for Lammers or the €5m before add-ons paid for our new striker, Cyriel Dessers. It remains to be seen how all these new signings fit into the team but nobody is going to be able to say Beale wasn’t backed in this window if they don’t work out. I would venture, with further business still to be done, he has received far more backing than GvB did. What also shouldn’t be overlooked is the scale of business done for Gerrard, post 55. He was left to scratch around for frees and minimal fees whilst our rivals strengthened. Beale can not fall back on this if he doesn’t deliver 56.
Now paying out for players on the pitch is not only necessary but it’s also a goodwill generator as it’s something tangible the board can point to and say they’ve done. What was sadly overlooked, prior to Kings tenure was the stuff that isn’t as obvious, such as the training ground, stadium and infrastructure, disabled facilities and additional seating to start closing the revenue gap with our neighbours. Bennett has continued the work done by King and Park here, recently announcing an extensive overhaul of the facilities for disabled match goers. This may not grab the headlines in the same way as a €5m signing will but it’s just as important, if not more so for the fans who make use of said facilities.
Cyriel Dessers represented a €5m plus outlay
Bennett has also taken a step forward in staffing around the building. In a move that will have delighted many Robertson and WIlson have now been moved on. We can sit and debate the respective successes or failures of these two board members but I don’t think anyone would disagree it was time to go our separate ways. Bennett recognised this and almost immediately started that process swiftly moving on Wilson to Forrest, closely followed by announcing Roberston was standing down. We’ve seen a man I genuinely admire in a business sense move up a role to Chief Executive and I think this is an inspired promotion. The man used to run UEFAs commercial department so that should tell you all about his credentials. He may have set-up the aborted Sydney Super Cup but from a purely financial point of view that was very clever business. The downfall was none of the “Rangers Men” on the board pointed out this wasn’t going to fly with the rank and file support. EIther way I suspect he has now learnt his lesson.
Robertson and WIlson were swiftly shown the door as Bennett took over
He has also appointed highly rated Zeb Jacobs as Academy Director. Jacobs is widely acknowledged as one of the “best in class” in his area and has worked for performance and scouting agencies as a consultant, around the world. Alongside Jacobs we’ve seen Dr Waller return as Performance Director, this was the man responsible for keeping the team fighting fit in that 55 season and famously playing extra time twice in four days, winning both times. After last seasons injury adventures having someone like Waller to provide stability to the team is a game changer. No more will we have to suffer Sands and King playing as our CB pairing in the Champions League!
Bennett has also stolen a march on his predecessors with a very simple but impactful move. This was fronted up by Bisgrove and involved a fans forum, supposedly the first of more to come. Fan engagement is massive for our supporters and for a long time we’ve felt like we don’t really have an avenue into the club. Although only the first one the signs are promising and if this does continue it could be one of the new boards best moves. Happy fans makes every ones life easier, so long as we are also winning on the pitch.
We’ve also seen resolutions to various ongoing struggles recently. It’s surely no coincidence that since Bennett got the top job we’ve seen the litigation between ourselves and TEG, the organisers of the previously mentioned Sydney Super Cup. Not only have we closed down that litigation but we’ve also gained another partner. The proof will be in the pudding with this one and we will likely need to wait for future accounts being published to really understand the potential benefits, however I would caution against believing demented bloggers from the other side of town who claim we will be working for free for the next three years! I suspect the truth will be very different in this case.
We’ve also seen the ongoing dispute with the SPFL over the Cinch sponsorship resolved over the last few days. Here, again, many are keen to paint us as the villains, causing trouble for the sake of it, but there is absolutely no chance Doncaster and McLennan apologise publicly (no matter how feeble an apology it was) unless they have conceeded they are in the wrong. This public climbdown shows we were in the right from the start and perhaps better still, it’s resulted in the independent enquiry we first sought in 2020.
It also paved the way for Bisgrove to assume his place on the SPFL board for the coming year. As much as the moto may be “no one likes us, we don’t care” it’s easier to get stuff done and drive improvements if we work with the other clubs in the game. With past disputes being settled this clears the way for us to try and drive genuine change, for the better of the league. Suddenly we aren’t the bad guys and perhaps people will be more willing to discuss the size of the league, B-Teams within the league pyramid and many other issues currently blighting our game.
After a rough few years with little to cheer apart the stars seem to be aligning now with off pitch issues being settled, the club truly engaging with the fan base and optimism for the team on the field. It’s early days in Bennett’s tenure but judging by what has come so far I’m confident in the man to deliver for the fans, perhaps more so than I’ve been in a long time!
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