Rangers chief Patrick Stewart praises Union Bears for ‘meltdown' statement that hailed infamous Souness tifo
He aims to improve the communication between the board and fans
PATRICK STEWART has been tasked with trying to raise the standards both on and off the pitch at Rangers.
But the Rangers chief executive isn't the only one who is doing his bit to take the club from one level to another.
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Rangers chief Patrick Stewart
Credit: PA
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The controversial banner which was unfurled by Rangers fans
Credit: PA
Stewart is delighted fans' group the Union Bears share the same ambition in their attempts to improve the atmosphere at Ibrox on matchdays.
Last week the ultras group expressed their regret at failing to produce banner displays that "meet the standard expected at Ibrox".
That's despite them hailing their recent controversial Old Firm tifo which depicted Graeme Souness holding a shotgun with the words 'take aim against the rebel scum'.
They claim that particular display sent Scottish football into "meltdown".
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Rangers issued a statement in the aftermath of the 1-1 draw with Celtic, which stated that the tifo "crossed a line" and was "unacceptable".
Despite the club's stance, Stewart has praised the Union Bears for trying to raise their own standards from the stands.
He also plans more talks to strengthen the relationship between the board and fans following the recent statement.
Stewart said: 'There's lots of aspects about Rangers which are a cause for celebration.
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'There's some aspects that we think standards are important all across the club in every aspect.
'The Union Bears did a really interesting statement last week where they talked about standards and their TIFOs being befitting of the standards of Ibrox.
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'I think all aspects of the club - supporters, employees, management, ownership - want to drive the best standards and that can mean different things to different people.
'I thought it was a really interesting statement from the UB and actually a really positive statement.'
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The statement from the Union Bears read:
"As one season ends, work is already underway for the next.
"But first, we must admit that not every tifo this season has met the standard expected at Ibrox, home to the best tifos in the UK.
"While there were some memorable efforts, including one that sent the country into meltdown, overall consistency has fallen short.
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"Issues with certain members of club staff haven't helped us but we also take responsibility.
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"We're committed to raising the bar with new ideas, methods and plans are already in place to achieve this.
"We also aim to have the pulley system moved to the Copland stand by the start of next season.
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"After recent displays you may have seen cost breakdowns from us; endless days of work put in to each tifo can be expected, but the financial demands can go unnoticed.
"These tifos are fully fan funded and we would like to thank you for your continued support whether that be buying sticker packs, tifo memberships or cash donations, without this they simply would not happen.
"To gain momentum for a crucial start to next season, we've launched a crowdfunder."
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