I think it is fair to say that the relationship between the Amazing Castore Brothers and the Ibrox klanbase is rapidly unravelling.
Merchandise on the same clothes rack in the Ibrox store clearly has different origins.
So who is making this overpriced tat?
Clearly, it is everyone, anyone.
Interestingly, there does not seem to be any complaints about the quality of Sevco merchandise in the Sports Direct outlets.
Curious.
Now, let’s walk this back and establish want we DO know.
On July 1st Sports Direct made a bold statement on their Facebook page.
They stated that they had exclusive rights to sell the new Sevco Castore merchandise.
The response of the Sevco PR superhero DUPman was to deliver up one of the Amazing Castore Brothers to the Four Lads Had a Dream blog.
It was obviously a firefighting operation to soothe the Ibrox klanbase.
Given the amounts of orders that were placed, it appears to have worked.
Then there was this on August 14th from the same site.
Here is the text in full just in case it is taken down one day:
Castore launch has been poor. We have a lot to be happy about but thousands of supporters with no pre-ordered tops and no correspondence is not good enough. Fans being ignored, issued refunds or simply no sign of any tops should never happen.
Castore were given a platform by many fan media sites, my own included, and were made well aware of the demands of the support. To have these failings isn’t good enough and this must be rectified immediately.
Certain items being available in store only and not online is also extremely poor. We were told online digital sales were going to be at the forefront of the operations.
People are asking me online what I am doing about this but I’m not sure I can do much. The club are aware, Castore are aware and club1872 have spoken out also. There is no loyalty issues because Castore were guests, let’s be clear my loyalty is towards my fellow supporters. It’s not good enough, the club and Castore have a duty to rectify this immediately.
Castore have to ensure this doesn’t happen going forward, lessons have to be learned and fans must be sorted as a matter of urgency.
So on to Sunday and Livingston, another chance to kick on and keep up our good run so far. Three points always a must and on that surface a performance not a priority as long as we win.
We have been given an early unexpected opportunity to pile on some pressure, no matter how big or small, any initiative offered we must ensure we take it. On the pitch we have a lot to be optimistic about and hopefully Sunday is another strong showing of that.
Good luck to the players and management, the support are ‘Ready’ and with you.
Five days after this on the 19th, it got even worse.
“Lie after lie”.
Oh dear.
Then this today on a dignified messageboard.
Here is the post on Rangers Media although it might not last the day.
Throughout this PR train wreck, I spoke several times to my Shirebrook Guy.
He remained quietly confident throughout that General Ashley was still in the game at Ibrox.
In June 2017 the dirigibles on the sports desks regurgitated the PR pish about King’s great victory over Big Mike.
Members of the Hot Air Brigade on terminally ill titles were willing to tell their dwindling readership that Ashley had been vanquished.
Of course, back then, your humble correspondent was something of a contrarian.
I didn’t have a Sevco Press Release in my inbox.
However, I did have excellent sources who were briefing me that Ashley’s’ defat was actually a very lucrative victory.
You know the rest.
Then it there as the Hummel/Elite car boot sale including p[op up shops at the Louden Tavern.
The above is an image that is redolent of Espanyol Glasgow.
It also was brought up in court proceedings where King and Sevco were trounced by Sports Direct.
Hummell did walking away and now the Castore Catastrophe.
The Ibrox klanbase are clearly unhappy with the workmanship from the lads in the Shanghai Emerald CSC.
As for Big Mike, I suspect that he just might still be raking it in from the most credulous customer base in the UK.
This site is fully searchable and free to view.
My coverage of Sevco’s store wars with Ashley has, at all times, been evidence-based and gleaned from excellent sources.
The chaps on the sports desks cannot make that claim and remain truthful.
Stay safe.
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Phil, I’m confused! The Rankers have allegedly knock back offers for More-or-less and Kent to the tune of £26m.
The EBC has said Slippy G knocked an offer for Kent from Leeds which was way short of the valuation. £10m which seems plausible from an EPL club.
Then Lille’s president said that Lille offered £16m for Morelos (not the €6m or so claimed) and that The Rankers wanted £20m and they probably won’t go back.
Question? If they are that broke how can they knock that back? Accounts show that they’re shipping money faster than they can earn it.
Liewell would have bitten your arm for £26m for the loss of two players so long as one wasn’t Eddie.
Yes, you’re confused.
I think some folks are being a bit hard on Castore – and very short-sighted!
This is their first season in the football business, unlike the Ibrox outfit who are now embarking on their ninth season. This partnership would have been perfect at the onset of ‘The Journey’ and perhaps after winning so many friends along the way, Castore would now be the second biggest kit supplier in Scotland!
Let’s wait and see what the picture looks like in 2029, by which time it might even be cheaper to manufacture kits in Scotland rather than the Far East.
The last two financial years for the Ibrox Club with year’s ending 30th June 2018 and 2019 , have reported losses of £14m and £11m respectively, losses which Dave King in the annual reports described as strong financial results.
One wonders what hyperbole would accompany a profit announcement for a business which has never made one in it’s 8 year span!
Will the financial year to 30/6/20 also report an 8 figure loss or will King and his board have steered the good ship Rangers into calmer waters?
It’s no coincidence that with the 19/20 results due soon that Kent is now at the front of the large bid headlines, pushing Morelos, Barasic and Kamara off the back pages.
Off topic but I see the Daily Wrecked are at it again. “Lille President Confirms £16M Morelos Bid But Gers Hold Out For £20M”. Except of course he doesn’t. At no point in the interview does he mention a quantum, merely that a bid was made. The churnalist “helpfully” added the putative figure in brackets. Sevco might want to use this ploy to get themselves out of their current PR farrago. Eg – “Castore confirm that many (500M) fans worldwide are delighted with the quality of their purchases.”
Erzi Castorry Taps……. 2 furra pounda 2 furra pounda!
I’ve got this picture in my head of the Ibrox hordes on match day getting caught in a shower and their new Castore tops shrinking.
They actually remind me of the Gullible population who think there is a deadly virus about at the minute. 😁😁
I suppose it is to be expected of opportunist. I found Cadstore’s response to this all very amusing, professional tops sent out by accident…what a whopper that is… Let’s just hope the supporters don’t google AWD, and find the site I found, with the prices these tops can change hands for at industry level… Advertising as “AWD Cool Tech Performance T-Shirts” sounds familiar here, thinking back to promises of space age textiles by some liverpudlians…
Well worth a look,
https://www.totalmerchandise.co.uk/branded-products/branded-clothing/awd-cool-tech-performance-t-shirts
We buy our workwear from AWDis, polo tops and hoodies for our engineers then we get them branded in Paisley. Total cost all in is £9 for a polo and £14 for a hoodie……..anything does for your work !!
Is anybody surprised at the kit shambles?
Castore just didn’t – and quite clearly doesn’t – have the scale or experience to partner with a football team.
These 2 young lads have served their purpose: useful patsies. Can’t imagine that they will be involved with TRFC past this season.
What does the expensive, new Commercial & Marketing Director Bisgrove have to say about this Ibrox mess?
…and the obvious, follow on question: which kit producer comes after Puma, Hummel, Castore…? 🙂
George?
Pure vintage Phil Mac. As stated previously…..wisdom, erudition, biting satire…..and a mutual loathing of The Klan…what’s not to like????? HH
Great article and have enjoyed others on Celtic news as well. Who will they get next – Hugo Dross…..
Also Phil, any chance you could drop Mr David Leask (Chief Reporter) at the Herald a wee note and educate him on company law…….apparently he believes there was no liquidation of a certain club.
Ah! Our beloved Scottish MSM……the soothing liars for the gullibears.
Brian, chief reporter at the Herald doesn’t carry the weight and prestige that it once did.
Without spell check many of these so called ‘ reporters’ would be a laughing stock as they tried and failed to compose a sentence.
They and Ian Maxwell must have gone to the same school, with Maxwell the bottom of the class.
Bear in mind that the Herald also employed Jim Traynor, once the voice of Rangers.
He got his big money move to the Daily Radar and his never to be forgotten, forgiving?, article heralding Craig Whyte as a Billionaire With Wealth Off The Radar when he took over at Ibrox.
That will be the same Airdrie Academy glory hunter Traynor who was nor averse, with his cousin John, to jump on a Phil Cole bus out of Coatbridge and head to Parkhead or Hampden for the next big game.
Not second hand info, I was on some of those buses!
Phil castore have cleared all this up
Castore Rangers Supporter Update
“It has been brought to our attention that a small number of the Pro Home Shirts have been dispatched early and in error through the Rangers online Store (these being different to the replica shirts, which are made in Turkey). This shirt was released in error as the Pro shirt (made in China) is not due for general release until 24th August. It is heartening to see that the comments are positive about both variants, however, we apologise for the confusion caused.
We would also like to address concerns highlighted regarding the Junior Lifestyle sweatshirts, which were sold in limited numbers in the Rangers Store. In order to meet both the high demand and short timescales required for an August release, the decision was taken to outsource the manufacture of this product to a third party, which is not common practice for CASTORE. This has caused some upset amongst fans, for which we apologise unreservedly. This item has now been withdrawn from sale and, should a refund be required, please speak to the security staff at the Rangers Store and they will allow you straight into store. Our staff will then be on hand and will of course be happy to action this for you.
Castoffy?
Shanghai Emerald CSC, brilliant can’t stop laughing, keep at them phil
I applaud the Beahon brothers hard grift on the due diligence they did on the bears:
Gullible support – check
Buy overpriced tat – check
Complain but still buy – check
The latest ‘catastrophe’ is school sweaters for under £5 having Castore and Rangers logos ironed on and retailing for over £50. Kerching!
What’s the Castore, Morning Glory?
Brilliant,
Ive just seen the school jumpers online – original labels plus the kids name tags. All that was needed was a pre-printed ‘Rodney age 13 1/2 o the lables.
nice one Delboy!
Surely RIFC will have some sort of legal claim if Castore are producing sub-standard goods? Unless of course they have been complicit in a plan to pump out high volumes of units, regardless of quality.
,
When your club’s 8 years old and your kits full of holes that’s Castore.
When your strikers too fat and yer goalies a twat that’s just life.
When your trophy room’s bare, no cups or glory.
When big Mike kicks your ass then comes back for your cash that’s Castore.
It’s the gift that just keeps on giving.
The next set of Accounts are going to be spectacular if they don’t start punting players soon.
Meanwhile in the East quality reinforcements make their way in.
Duffy,Turnbull and Melling fae Rosenberg should just about cover all the bases methinks.
Melling now at Nimes in France.
Just over £1m?
Missed out on a good player on the cheap.
“So who is making this overpriced tat?
Clearly it is everyone, anyone.”
I just about died at that one … brilliant!
Liked that wan masell….:0)
And next year, if sevco are still on the go, the daft bastards will queue up to buy the next pile of shite produced for them. If my memory serves me correctly Castore have a four year deal. Oh great joy!
5 years Timmy 🤣🤣
Rule Brittania
I just think when is this mentality gonna end . If a didn’t know beter I would be try and help them but to be truthfull nothing changes in that shitty culture i left 35 years ago and nuthin changes except they seem to be more infected with their culture i think its sad pissed off it still happens but fuck them win on the field be above their bigotry 10 in a row is going to happen
Never said it before but a luv this site
Big rab from the louden thinks the new gear is great but then again he backed Whyte, green and anyone else the msm told the hard of thinking was good for servo. Of course his boy is slo there as well 🍀🇮🇪