There are always two sides to an AGM, the one where the board talks about finances and where money has been spent and what the plans are for the future and the questions from shareholders that can range from complaints about ticket allocations to not being able to get a space in the Albion Car Park.
They might not be perfect, but one complaint that can’t really be thrown at the current board is that they haven’t put their hands in their pockets over the last seven years to pay for repairs and upgrades to Ibrox and the Auchenhowie training centres as well as building a squad capable of competing on multiple fronts – how well it has been spent is up for debate and another story entirely.
What you do get out of an AGM is a few soundbites or nuggets of information that can sometimes be missed given the sheer volume of information but, after the announcement that all of the resolutions were successfully voted through, a single line on the club’s website was enough to get excited about.
“The Board of Rangers International Football Club PLC is pleased to confirm that all resolutions presented at today’s Annual General Meeting were approved by shareholder vote.
“This successful outcome will assist the club with its ambitious investment plans, on and off the field of play.”
We know that money will be needed to upgrade the disabled facilities and for Edmiston House, plus, there is a gradual upgrading of the facilities at Ibrox that has been ongoing since 2015 but, for all that a top-class stadium is something to be proud of, it’s not really what is at the top of the list for fans in terms of where they’d like to see their money going.
Michael Beale needs to be backed and with “ambitious” plans this has to be a suggestion that he is going to be given significant money to spend in both January and next summer. Ambitious isn’t signing players on loan or taking punts, it’s signing established players who can make an impact and be sold further down the line at a profit.
Beale’s arrival has added a freshness and renewed hope for the rest of the season, let’s hope that the squad gets the same treatment and that the board, once again, put their money where their mouths are.