The Ibrox klanbase had a few tense hours yesterday.
They fretfully fidgeted as they awaited Statement O’clock.
The poor dears.
Then with military precision redolent of the heroes of Walmington-on-Sea, it arrived.
You can read it here.
However, just in case it mysteriously disappears one day here is the entire text:
Wednesday, 01 July 2020, 21:04
by Rangers Football Club
Rangers & Castore are delighted to confirm the new Ibrox Retail Store will officially open on 1st August 2020, which will be operated by Castore as the clubs official retail partner.
The new Rangers Ibrox Retail Store will be complimented with a number of other key retail sites in Glasgow and further afield, now identified by Castore and Rangers and close to agreement. The Ibrox Retail Store will undergo a £250,000 renovation and become a key venue for all Rangers supporters and on matchdays will be supported with further pop up stores within the Stadium.
Following the today’s unveiling of the 2020/21 home jersey, Rangers continues to look forward to their long term exclusive partnership with Castore, which, for the avoidance of doubt, is a direct agreement between those two companies with no other persons party to the deal.
As previously stated, it offers a fresh start for the Club and a chance to purchase high quality clothing and other products that directly benefit Rangers.
As is common practice in teamwear retail, Castore will form a number of wholesale supply arrangements with high street retailers in the UK and overseas because that is key to the global aspirations of both Castore and Rangers but the purpose of these arrangements will always be to maximise the availability and sales channels for Rangers products.
Rangers exclusive partnership with Castore ensures that Rangers always directly benefits with a royalty from the sale of all of the Rangers products manufactured, distributed and retailed by Castore. This includes all products distributed by Castore to high street retailers.
I have re-produced the Sevco statement without correcting the typos and grammatical errors.
Perhaps these occurred in the translation from Ulstur Scatch.
There is no doubt that the underlying message was unmistakably shrill.
However, it would appear that this communiqué from the Blue Room has sufficiently reassured Sevco’s credulous klanbase.
Of course, a more discerning clientele would have required a simple, clear and unambiguous repudiation of the Sports Direct claim to “exclusivity”.
That would not appear to be in the gift of the Sevco High Command, and it was not forthcoming.
The Sevco statement was of the classic “non-denial denial” variety.
This is a standard technique in the PR world of firefighting.
Here is what the Stenography Corps should have been asking yesterday:
Is the Sports Direct claim of “exclusivity” false?
If it is erroneous, then the Shirebrook based outfit should be asked to publish a retraction and an apology.
For the avoidance of doubt, the devil is still very much in the retail.
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Sevco The Rangers have an exclusive deal with Castore to manufacture their kit. Nothing to see here. Good luck to the plucky Castore lads.
Sports Direct will exclusively sell it. Wow ! Exclusively sell it. Wow x 2 ! Lots and lots to see here.
If one is exclusively selling something, one is calling the shots (again). If one calls the shots one is like the cat with the cream. Yum.
Oh……..
And who really owns Castore…………….
The MSSM are doling out balm for the bams and the Rankers board dishing out liberal does of deludamol. Usual.
Big Mike must be thinking “Dinners in the retail”
More to follow…follow I’ll bet
Love how the deal is between *Rangers and Castore with no other persons party to the deal. Well, that’s that then.
But what if Mike Ashley is the majority owner of Castore? That’s another question those daring chaps in the media will never ask.
You are very critical, Phil, and I think you need to cut the Stenography Corps some slack here.
The various reports of Rangers ‘blasting back’ to ‘clarify the position’, ‘set the record straight’ and ‘put Ashley in his place’ while confirming ‘jaw dropping’ sales and reaffirming the ‘£25m’ value of the deal is multi-tasking on a level that journalism undergraduates dare not aspire to for fear they will face nothing other than disappointment throughout their careers.
With so much rectal refuse to regurgitate the Laptop Loyal don’t have time to stop and ask a single question. Not only would it be over-extending on their part, they would miss their deadlines and, as any writer knows, comedy is all about timing!
It’s not as if these Rangers fanzines are published monthly – this egregious excrement needs to be discharged seven days a week and it’s not an easy job – although such effluence does appear to be ‘exclusive’ to Scotland, alas!
Let’s for the sake of argument permit “rangers/castore” to work from a blank canvas. In that event, the sevco kit will be sold in the clumpany shop at the Desperation Den, and at the Harrods store in St Enoch Square.
“Exclusivity” kicks in for Sports Direct because Celtic have done a deal with JD Sports, and “der hun” would not want to be associated with JD. Theconly other sports shop of any significance is Greaves Sports – a small operator. The sevco shop was closed down at Glasgow airport, probably because the turnover there did not generate enough money to pay BAA the ground rent.
Logically, the only place on the High Street that can shift their tat in any significant volumes, therefore, is Sports Direct. Maybe in the strictest sense of the word, SDI do not have “exclusivity”, but in the scenario I have just outlined, it is mere semantics.
Dont forget, sevco still have to generate enough money to offset the various litigants loitering closy by!
If Ashley still has a lease on the mega-klan shop. Then is he subletting to Castore or will it be Sports Direct in disguise. Big Mugs at the Till and Big mugs shopping there
@ Phil,
You could maybe enquire on behalf of the Klan, and ask Shirebrook to estimate – what percentage of said proceeds from the Sports Direct sales the Bank of Fantasy can expect to see? Just to put their mind at ease of course
Also, I’m pretty certain Hummel/Elite, must be thinking……Have they actually just printed conscious evidence on a Club Statement whilst this year’s contract is still to be settled?
AnyCash Anyone
Hey Phil,
Yesterday’s news of the “exclusive deal” with Sports Direct to sell the new Ran*ers replica kit was met with 1.1k comments on the SD Facebook Page.
This equates to:
35 x ❤️
140 x LIKES
868 x “Ha-Ha, Ha-Ha, Ha-Ha, Ha-Ha-Ha Ha’s”
50,000 strips my arse!
Hail and Hail again
Is another court case on the horizon then? If so how can they not learn the lessons?
If they just substituted “Big Mike” for “High Street retailers” then this statement would be totally clear. I wonder why they didn’t do that!