Just been emailed out, candidates below.
George Hoggan
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
I have been a Rangers fan all my life and have attended matches both home and away for over 50 years.
I have held various positions in Supporters Clubs. For the past 20 years I have been the Club Treasurer of the Denny and District RSC and during this period our club has grown dramatically.
I am a retired Production Manager, having worked for the one company for over 50 years. I would bring my professional experience to the Club 1872 board to build on the already positive relationships I have with other Club 1872 volunteers.
I have been active in Club 1872 working groups as a volunteer for three years and during the campaign to raise and invest £1m into Rangers I took on the role of visiting and encouraging other RSCs to join Club 1872, as well as encouraging individual members to join. At present I am involved in preparing for the next stage of the legacy campaign, with specific focus on RSC engagement which will launch when pandemic restrictions are lifted.
My hobbies are Rangers (although that’s a bit unfair as it’s a way of life) and gardening, and I am active in my local Church of Scotland. I also Volunteer with the NHS, so I have a good understanding of the commitment that is required in voluntary roles. As a retired person I have time to dedicate to Club 1872 and having done so as a working group member for some time now, I believe I am well placed to progress to the board with a good understanding of how the organisation functions and how crucial it is to keep building on its foundations.
PERSONAL STATEMENT
We all remember what happened to the Rangers Football Club in 2012 and we, as a Rangers Supporters Club, contributed to the fighting fund. In 2014 our RSC decided that we had to do what we could to counteract the gross mismanagement that our football club was subjected to. I was very vocal at this time and led a move to stop both our RSC and our members from renewing their season tickets. Denny and District RSC also joined the RST at this time. We renewed our individual and club season tickets as soon as Dave King ousted the dysfunctional board .
I think we all feel the hurt when we listen to opposing fans sing “You let your club die”. It hurts because it was almost true. We must never again be caught in this position where we as supporters could only stand and watch as our club that we love was pillaged.
Our present board may be acceptable to most of us but who is to say this will always be the case and history will not repeat itself? The only way we can prevent this from happening is to ensure that we, as supporters have a say in the crucial decisions that our football club makes.
Success on the field should not mean a complacent support. In my opinion, the only way to avoid this is to build up our shareholding through Club 1872. We owe this to our children and grandchildren. I see Club 1872 as the way forward. We have a voice which no can longer be ignored.
James Irvine
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
After qualifying in Scotland I moved to London in 1991, qualified as an English solicitor and became a partner in one of the leading City of London litigation practices specialising in complex international litigation and arbitration. Acting solely for a corporate client base from 1991 to 2017 I litigated cases around the world in over 20 jurisdictions, principally in the United States but also in various European countries as well as Asia and parts of Africa. Initially I specialised in Intellectual Property litigation involving patents, copyrights and trademarks but later my practise broadened to include anti-trust litigation and disputes related to corporate transactions including fund management, securities and financial services as well as complex international fraud.
I was regularly listed in the industry magazines as a Leading Individual in both Intellectual Property litigation and complex corporate and trust disputes. During this period I was involved in many seminal legal cases and a list of such cases is available if required.
Having retired from private practise in 2017, I now operate a consultancy business, head the Investment Committee for a leading international litigation funder and, in my capacity as a consultant, act as General Counsel for a high tech company which operates mostly in the United States.
I believe that the skills and experience I have built up during my career can be of great assistance to Club 1872 at a pivotal time, where it is looking to grow into the largest shareholder in Rangers. The current board has done an incredible job of putting the organisation in a position to achieve this milestone which, in my opinion, is vital to securing the long-term future of Rangers Football Club. My hope would be that I can assist them in taking the next steps in that process.
PERSONAL STATEMENT
From a Rangers supporting family. My great uncle, Neil McKinnon, played for the club in the post war years and was I believe understudy to Willie Waddell. I have supported the club since a boy and first attended a match at Ibrox in 1967 against Hearts when Alex Ferguson was on the scoresheet.
Played at Ibrox in 1976 for Queen of the South reserves in a 7-1 defeat and was lucky enough to score their only goal.
My oldest school friend from my time at Irvine Royal Academy is Dr Paul Jackson who was for many years the club doctor and still retains an association with the club.
In a more professional capacity, in recent times I had the privilege to advise, pro bono, the Rangers Supporters Trust in relation to its legal fight to prevent Ibrox Stadium being used as a security in return for loans from Mike Ashley. Also I advised the RST generally in relation to other matters arising out of the administration of the club and am a life member of Club 1872. During this time I met and worked with Dave King and Walter Smith.
Having been part of the efforts to protect the club at that time, I am convinced of the need for supporters to retain a major shareholding in Rangers. It is essential for the long-term stability and prosperity of Rangers that supporters are never again in a position where they have no meaningful say in the key decisions affecting the club. Club 1872 has a wonderful opportunity to secure the club for generations to come and I believe I can assist the current board in making that a reality.
Malcolm Murray
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
I have skills, knowledge and experience of over 35 years in finance, investment, marketing, football, corporate governance and boardrooms. I was one of the biggest and most successful investors in the UK and an early pioneer of institutional corporate governance. I have been a constructive and innovative shareholder in many recovery and turnaround situations (examples on request). In 1991 I bought 26% of Manchester United for £7 million and worked closely with the board to build the brand and stadium, and fans were invited to invest. As chairman, I led the floatation of Rangers on the LSE (AIM), bringing in blue chip institutions and fans. I fought a lone battle against people who did not have the clubs’ best interest at heart. I was also chairman of MWB business exchange, and successfully led it to be taken over by IWG, making all shareholders happy with significant returns.
PERSONAL STATEMENT
I believe I can help grow the membership, cashflow and install high levels of corporate governance and transparency, which will be a beacon for other clubs to follow and for FAs to admire. I have spent a lot of the last nine years trying to bring the people that hurt Rangers to justice. This has been both costly and dangerous. I have the highest level of referees available and influential contacts in finance, football, media and politics- which will be used to Club 72’s advantage.