The Superbowl may have come and gone, however, some Rangers fans have been showing an increased attention in the NFL in recent days.
With news that the San Francisco 49ers are in ‘advanced talks’ over an Ibrox takeover, the dark clouds that have hovered over the hallowed turf have been showing signs of lifting in the hours since the story first broke.
Aside from an elite level of structure and organisation, there is an obvious financial benefit from clearing loans due to the current shareholders and board of directors, although Head of Football Finance and Governance Content for GRV Media, Adam Williams, has identified another potential boost to the Rangers coffers.
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Rangers to get commercial boost with 49ers link up
Speaking to Rangers News, Williams reckons that the 2024 Superbowl runners-up could bring new markets and customers to the club:
“I think where the real value lies is in the 49ers’ commercial expertise. The Rangers “brand” is international and an institution like the 49ers are going to be able to leverage that better than the existing regime,” said Williams.
“There is a trade-off here, of course. Some fans will rightly be wary of investors from US franchise sport, where there is a fixation on commercial income.
“You get into questions about identity and the soul of the club there, especially if they are going to be part of a multi-club structure. But in terms of the business, 49ers would be salvation for Rangers.”
Why are 49ers Enterprises trying to buy Rangers?
The group currently has a stake in Leeds United, however, given the current state of the SPFL, Rangers have almost guaranteed access to, at least, the Europa League every season.
“They know what they’re doing, and a brand with regular access to the Champions League is going to deliver regular surpluses.
“I think the question fans need to consider is this: What is the 49ers’ long-term play? Do they intend to skim off the top of profits, or is it a capital growth plan whereby they flip the club for a huge markup further down the line?
“It’s one of the two – they aren’t going into this altruistically. That is going to define how they run the club and their political approach in Scottish and European football.”
Rangers biggest problem hasn’t been a shortage of money or that it needs to be rebuilt.
That work has been done since 2016 at Auchenhowie and Ibrox, but behind the scenes, in the boardroom, there needs to be individuals capable of taking the club to the next level to maximise its potential.
