Glasgow Times

Rangers fans right to ask for better from Castore

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AT CASTORE they say that better never stops. When it comes to their dealings with Rangers, better must start. If the customer is always right, then the Ibrox board and their new retail partner have some explaining to do. The answers will determine if this marriage between Liverpool and Glasgow can last because, as it stands, the honeymoon is very much over for brothers Tom and Phil Beahon.

When the deal between Castore and Rangers was signed in May, it was billed as a fresh start and a clean slate for the club. That is undoubtedl­y the main positive.

After years of being mired in legal disputes with Sports Direct, this was a chance to forget about the dark days – those of pence- in- the- pound deals, boycotts and protests – as Mike Ashley held a vice- like grip on every blue pound.

Ashley’s placemen no longer run the board, his shareholdi­ng has gone and his name doesn’t adorn the front of the revamped Rangers Store.

As Ashley’s share of the pie has been cut to a sliver, Castore had the chance to have their cake and eat it as the support returned and re- engaged with Rangers in incredible numbers.

The sales pitch from the Beahon brothers was smooth and releases of smart, classy, modern kit and lifestyle clothing designs promised much. Yes, the gear was expensive, but with the money going directly into Rangers it was a price the punters were willing to pay.

When it comes to Rangers, there is always a “but”. And this one can’t be allowed to undo all the good work and ruin Castore’s reputation with fans.

Complaints about the quality of the home shirts quickly emerged. Images of shirts with sub- standard material and stitching or with the logos peeling off were shared on social media and forums as the situation escalated.

This wasn’t just the odd faulty strip, this was a serious lack of quality control and issues with a junior jersey were equally as embarrassi­ng for all concerned.

In a statement released by Greg Marshall, the Rangers SLO, late last week, Castore said: “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.”

It is perhaps unrealisti­c to expect all 100,000 tops sold in the first couple of days of business to be stitch perfect and on time. But there cannot be the variances in quality that have become apparent when fans are parting with £ 60 for a garment they were told would be worth every penny.

Sympathy has been in

short supply in some quarters. But to go from scratch to a fully functionin­g operation with a club the size of Rangers in just a couple of months is no mean feat, especially in the midst of the coronaviru­s pandemic and the chaos it has caused.

There is no need to overreact and demand that heads roll or contracts be ripped up but the current issues cannot continue if faith is to be kept in Castore.

Rangers and their biggest off- field partners now find themselves coming under fire from a support that will not, and should not, be taken for granted. No matter the percentage of customers who are happy, those who are not will rightly continue to be vocal in their condemnati­on.

That update last Friday is the only public communicat­ion from either party to date as the club and Castore have kept their cards close to their chests.

On Monday, Club 1872 released a strongly worded update to members and a response has yet to be forthcomin­g from either

Rangers or Castore.

The criticisms, on several points, from the fifth largest shareholde­rs at Ibrox must be taken seriously by managing director Stewart Robertson and James Bisgrove, the Commercial and Marketing Director.

“However, those challenges do not fully explain or excuse the poor customer service or lack of reliable communicat­ion around the quality and delivery issues that have occurred,” Club 1872 said as they expressed sympathy over the operating environmen­t Castore and Rangers found themselves in this summer.

“It also appears that these issues have been considerab­ly more widespread than has so far been acknowledg­ed by Castore or Rangers.

“They cannot and should not be dismissed by trying to focus solely on the volume of sales which have been achieved. Those sales are a testament to the incredible loyalty of the Rangers support but they cannot be taken for granted.”

At the time of writing, Club 1872 had received no further correspond­ence from Castore or Rangers and issues have still to be addressed. If they are not, it is hard to see how Castore can retain the confidence of customers going forward.

To go from a position of such strength to be facing that harsh reality in just a few weeks is startling but the cause far from lost here. Fans want this deal to work as much as those in both boardrooms and there is still the chance for redemption if mistakes are admitted and rectified.

While there are undoubted problems, anyone who says the situation now is comparable to that of Ashley’s involvemen­t has a very short memory. But simply not being Sports Direct isn’t good enough for Castore.

Better must start from now if this partnershi­p is to fulfil its potential.

The current issues cannot continue

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 ??  ?? Brothers Tom Beahon and Phil Beahon, the Castore brand founders
Brothers Tom Beahon and Phil Beahon, the Castore brand founders

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