It’s time for the MyGers subscription to renew for another season, but what exactly are we contributing to and how does it help Rangers?
Anyone else get the notification that their MyGers membership had been renewed for 2021/2022? I must admit it took me a little by surprise, especially seeing as we haven’t finished the 2020/2021 season yet. Ok, it’s true, this dearth of football known as the international break does indeed feel akin to the close season/summer break, but certainly there’s a lot more football to be played when our suffering finally ends and the game returns properly.
I suppose it’s testament to just how ridiculously overwhelming Rangers really were, and are, this season that not only are we champions but the rest is all largely an afterthought when there’s financial gain to be had.
Whatever the reason, MyGers is back for another year and there’s apparently going to be more benefits than ever. You can customise your welcome pack this time round, which to be honest doesn’t appear to change an awful lot but it’s a nice thought. The club have also expressed interest in allowing MrGers subscribers to attend an “open training” event at Ibrox, some time when COVID-19 restrictions are fully relaxed – I wouldn’t necessarily hold my breath on that happening within the year of subscription though.
Ultimately, it’s all a bit of fun and a fantastic way to give back to the club. There’s a waiting list as big as the points gap between Rangers and Celtic for season tickets, but apparently anyone can join MyGers at any time and feel part of it all, even in a small way. Small definitely, but significant nonetheless. As Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson explains on the official club website;
"“MyGers has been very, very important for us. It is about a year ago now I first remember discussing this as a board when James Bisgrove was ready to launch the MyGers campaign.The support it has had has been absolutely fantastic from fans both domestically and internationally all over the world with Rangers fans joining the membership.For us, and I think I said at the time as well, it is not only about the team. Of course, the contributions help us to strengthen the team and help us to make the team better all the time in the market both at first-team level and below, but I think I used the phrase before that we are striving here to create a real, elite, modern football operation.”"
Here’s the thing, Rangers have been lumbered with financial difficulties for well north of a decade. As recently as just last year were pundits predicting our fiscal doom over alledged debts, compounded of course by lockdowns, that have been spiralling out of control for years. Once we cut the blood cord from Sports Direct owner and professional wally Mike Ashley, it’s been season after season of loans, toxic board meetings and question marks over the future. The results were pretty poor then too.
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But as we’ve stated many times here on Inside Ibrox, things have changed, and changed definitively, for the light blues both off the pitch and on it. Success breeds success, so certainly winning the title at a canter, flying the banner for Scotland in Europe and going undefeated at home and abroad for so long has caused a massive windfall to head in our direction – but that doesn’t account for financial stability being achieved before the season even began.
Personally, I believe MyGers has been the driving force behind it all – literally an entire scheme that exists for no other reason than to give Rangers free money as a gift from it’s legion of fans worldwide. Don’t believe me? Last years figures showed over 30 thousand people had signed up to MyGers, meaning the club are raking in £1 million in revenue, out of nothing, every year at a minimum. Consider that Ianis Hagi is costing the club £1 million per year for 3 years as part of his deal and you can see MyGers is directly involved in helping bring the title home to Ibrox.
Once you start thinking about it like that, it’s a small price to pay for the 55 isn’t it? And, certainly, I’d pay the same again at a chance for the 56 and beyond. So the initial surprise of seeing the subscription auto-renew gives way to satisfaction, it’s pricey but people give up way more day-to-day to experience things in life far less satisfying than the Gers. The only difficult choice is working out what colour welcome pack teddy to choose.