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The concept of marginal gains was made fashionable by the Sky cycling team and much of their recent success has been attributed to it. It had its roots in a revolution in British cycling about 20 years ago with a view to winning Olympic medals on the track. The theory was simple, to look at an event and break it down into every possible element that could influence the outcome, then improve them. Many of the improvements may seem insignificant, or arduous, but sum them together and by the end of the exercise you have a measurable and hopefully insurmountable advantage. The principle is nothing new as refinement and ingenuity form part of everything in the world around you. The difference was the systematic thoroughness of it. Cycling was a very conservative sport at that time and was relatively ripe pickings for that type of programme. It would be hard to argue that others haven’t been making marginal gains in the environment around Rangers FC in recent years. Whether by design and planning or by fortunate opportunism is inconsequential once that gain has been realised. New tactics been have adopted which Rangers have yet to counter and perhaps many that haven’t even fully recognised. One notable gain from last season appears to be the decision to cut the Celtic allocation at Ibrox. The previous agreement had been in place for as long as most can remember and from a time when both clubs would benefit from the arrangement (and were on talking terms). This was from a time when any negatives were outweighed by the positives and perhaps when Rangers were strong enough that any disadvantages were negligible or surmountable. Over the years, positions, people and attitudes changed and it had been formed into something else. As PR and marketing become more and more cynical, especially in the Scottish media landscape, then so the imbalance in the arrangement came to mean something more. An entire Broomloan stand of Celtic fans had a greater prominence in its placement than its return counterpart - closer to the pitch and better positioned to affect the acoustics of the stadium, it was tangible to the support, it would be tangible to the players. Furthermore, it was used as a media tool to focus and highlight that support and the feeling was this was never reciprocated - and couldn’t be even if they’d wanted to due to the positioning of the away support at Celtic Park. On top of which, the behaviour of the Celtic support (and team) had started to make it a bone of contention amongst fans for several years. Perhaps it was because the Rangers teams were limited in ability and results not as good as demanded, but then with that lower level (and even longer odds) the need to seek out any advantage multiplies. The reaction to the news of the allocation cut told its own story. Many in our press were upset and, with hindsight, it seems they knew a good thing was coming to an end. Rangers were accused of all sorts but ultimately the position of looking after our own best interests was paramount and justified. The sample size is small but two home wins against them this season suggests it may have been a quantifiable factor, it certainly hasn’t hurt. Perhaps through unsettling Celtic and perhaps through inspiring and re-invigorating Rangers, either way, a gain appears to have been realised. For minimum cost and effort. A rather obvious fact about Team GBs innovations, or any step change in sport, is that they don’t stay secret for long. First the technology is imagined, then tried and tested, then practised and trained, and finally at the competition it’s revealed to the world. You gain advantage in the arms race, but only until your opponent’s figure out what has happened and then develop their own tools or an effective counter. At that moment of revelation, it’s too late for competitors to react but if they want to compete next time around then they had better start learning – to not do that is to knowingly hand your opponent the same advantage. And this is where an obligation comes back to the club and the stakeholders. If we know an opponent is deriving an advantage through a tactic then its negligent to fail to recognise that or allow it to continue without attempting to neutralise it or adopt it yourself. This week has seen several items of direct interest to Rangers. The SFA announcing Rod Petrie, Hibs chairman, as the new president of the SFA, with Alloa chairmen Mike Mulraney, as the vice-president. Rangers supporters will be rightfully wary of these names from their performance and comments regarding us and our troubles in recent years. Fast on the back of this, the SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell brought us news on an ongoing investigation into Rangers UEFA license from 2011. He also declared the existing disciplinary system to be fit for purpose. Both were somewhat left-field and antagonistic messages. The new senior faces at the SFA join the likes of Neil Doncaster, Murdoch MacLennan and Peter Lawwell (2018/2019) at the SPFL. Rangers have previously voiced concerns over MacLennan’s suitability for that position and have questioned conflicts of interest on both him and his ongoing business roles. What is stark is the lack of any Rangers influence in any of the governing bodies and things have been that way for a while now. For Scotland’s biggest and most successful club to be under-represented in this manner is unacceptable and, although easier said than done, it is something the club has to attempt to resolve at some point. As a club and support we need to ask questions of ourselves too - why are we as a group failing to get people to fill these roles and how do we get more politically astute and motivated, generally? If we’re not represented, then we’re not having our best interests serviced. Somebody else is. And that is somebody else’s gain. Of a more clear and present danger is Maxwell’s defence of the Compliance Officer. The performance and statistics from the Clare Whyte led system last season are questionable to say the least. Both through the selecting, censoring and punishment of our players and through the system’s myopia with respect to Celtic players and incidents. As a team on the pitch Steven Gerrard’s players had enough ill-discipline, mistakes and missed opportunities to not lay blame on the compliance system this season. But underneath that, there exists the suspicion that it did have an influence at times through the campaign. Those being times when we stumbled and struggled and ultimately lost ground and dropped out of the title challenge. My hope was the Compliance Officer charade would be scraped going into 2019/2020 and if it had then I’d see this as a marginal gain for Rangers. It’s a system of universal ridicule (amongst fans of many clubs) and it adds nothing to the game - it certainly doesn’t add the few things it’s supposed deliver i.e. transparency, justice and fairness. The fact it could be adversely affecting the outcome of a title challenge would be laughable if it wasn’t so serious. If it continues in the same vein as last season then Rangers really need to nip it in the bud, before season-changing damage is done. At this point it’s worth considering what Rangers FC actually is – at the most basic, season to season, it’s a business which exists to win football competitions. That annual £50m turnover (and all the surrounding fuss) is ultimately pointed towards winning the league (and cups) that year, that season. Alongside that longer-term, ongoing work like marketing, infrastructure, growth, reputation etc, all play their part towards that season's goals. Now, if that challenge is being undermined in anyway by a third party off the pitch, by attempted damage or interference, then it’s in the stakeholder’s interests to correct the situation. They then need to treat it like they would someone walking out the front door with that year’s revenue. From chairman to investors, to shareholders, to the paying fans, we are all stakeholders in this and we should all be asking questions and ensuring the playing field is level and not slanted against us. Which leads to BBC Scotland. It’s quite a shocking allegation to even suggest that employees of the BBC are in cahoots with the compliance system or a favoured team to undermine a title challenge and/or undermine a football team. But that’s where we are. Part of Sportscene’s strategy last year was the targeting of our key players: to make Morelos a marked man – that much was clear from match day one, to attempt to spoil his reputation, to edit and present matches in such a way to prompt the compliance system to charge him over trivial incidents, right through to devaluing him as an asset. Michael Stewart, Tom English and others fixated on Morelos – and frequently tied themselves in knots to do so. Opposing views should be welcome, where verifiable and as part of a balanced discussion, but when that balance never self corrects then they really should stop themselves. How strange does it sound that we have pundits and staff, repeatedly given a platform on the BBC, who are either wilfully or have been instructed to attempt to damage a football club on the pitch and financially? And for what, pettiness over an ongoing dispute with the club? For their own amusement or benefit? Tribal allegiances (if their editing segments are anything to go by)? Mr Stewart's political wishes? Or for someone else’s benefit? That doesn’t quite sound right – so here’s some excerpts from the BBCs own code on the subject. - Don’t do anything that looks or feels like bribery or corruption – even if technically it isn’t. - Everyone who works for, or with us, will know we have zero tolerance for bribery and corruption. - Proper checks before starting any relationships with people outside the BBC (even if we’re not paying them) will be carried out. - The BBC will keep checking to make sure our non-BBC partners live up to our own standard. It all sounds very dramatic and serious but at its most basic, to the season of a football club, it is. Interference on some level is corruption. Interference on someone else’s behalf, be it from hospitality or prawn sandwiches or postal votes, is corruption. If the BBC cannot provide Rangers with a level playing field, then perhaps Rangers should insist on it through the BBC's own code of conduct. As things stand we are losing out across the board due to the behaviour of the BBC so there’s nothing more to lose on that front - of course, they could behave even worse and issue more retractions and apologies but then London would surely have to get involved (or maybe not). The levelling of the playing field, reinstatement of a fair editorial policy, neutralisation of trial by Sportscene, would all seem like welcome big gains compared to the current situation. We’ll never recoup the years of mistreatment from the BBC but that would be a start, as a minimum. An argument is that Rangers should ignore the sensationalists and detractors, be pro-active and fill the void in the Scottish press with their own stories. And without personally knowing the level of effort expended by Rangers on this it does appear on the surface that more could and should be done. But then the club are confronted by a level of mischief and pettiness that makes the environment in Scotland all but impossible. Logic then follows why not look outside Scotland? We have a bigger and friendlier press across the border so why not use what’s available to us? Get the fans to buy in and make it a commercially attractive option. More than that, once links are established, use the system to play the game –give some back for a change and have rivals spend their time and energy fighting fires, the kind that have been set under us for decades. One of our biggest attributes is the size of our support, a huge diverse collection of people with one shared love. We need to be better at using this to our advantage. This is perhaps where I’d be expecting more from the bigger fan groups and investors. It’s surely not enough to simply accrue shares? There has to be more - something more pro-active and more affirmative – flexing our collective muscle. There has to a studied view of the bigger picture and a realisation of the environment. Do we know our own strengths and weaknesses? Do we know our rivals strengths and weaknesses? These represent just a few examples where our overall fitness and efficiency can be improved, and where lost ground can be won back. Even if you don’t buy into any grand conspiracy then these simply represent areas where we can and need to improve. There are dozens more; every reflex quickened, every breath drawn that bit deeper, every profile swept to cut through the air that bit swifter. Admittedly, it’s easier said than done but in a race that is getting very close, every gain matters.

I agree with your premise and if truth be told that goal was the raison d'etre for my own involvement in the pods. However I would argue that in order for what you suggest to come to fruition there has to first be open dialogue within the support that isn't simply, 'well I put into whichever fan group of choice so I've done my bit' while sitting in the boozer before a game. In some cases folk simply cant manage anything else either through time constraints, illness or disability and that's OK however, from other able bodied elements of the support, its a bit of a cop out. Its a post and forget action! Fan groups should be taking more affirmative actions leading discussions etc but if they are reluctant to put their head above the parapet then the fans themselves need to voice those concerns where they can be heard. Youtube, Twitch-TV, Podcasts and other media are the modern equivalent of radio/TV/Dead Tree Press. I'm a strong supporter of a holistic approach, the more Rangers focused pods and shows the better as far as I'm concerned. Unfortunately David Edgar has set himself up a bit of a walled garden and so it would be difficult to establish a voice in his echo chamber but I'd encourage any Rangers fan with an opinion to put themselves forward to join the discussion on any one of the other emerging new Rangers medias. Perhaps then when fan groups and their reps have a clear message from their members and supporters we will hear them. When I met the lads for the pod hook up at the Livi game in November I specifically expressed to Frankie that, since they attempted to kill us off, as a Rangers supporter I felt continually marginalized and repressed in my own country. I didn't say it to him because I was looking for sympathy or pity I was telling him so he would know why I was there. Of course I want to see The Rangers win but this isn't just about football teams for me. I'm no shrinking violet and for me that's NOT happening, Fuck that... No Chance!

As mentioned on twitter, might be worth having a list of live topics on website for folk to address, as a kind of prompt? Would even be good if several people tackled same subjects and different points of view could be read. One thing i'd like to hear is more from the different fan groups. How'd they form, whats their goals etc. That way more fans may find something relevant to them to get involved with, and the groups might find some common ground or projects to work on.

The BBC rally convinced me the same old territorial flaws still permeate our main supporters group, which still seems isolated from the main issues facing Rangers. Sadly, the same could be seen here, with some members immediately rubbishing the initiative because it came from VB. it’s beyond frustrating.

That shouldn't have been a surprise for them. Stevie G is here for 55 and then he'll take the Liverpool job at the next available opportunity. That's the plan and I thought everyone knew that. He won't be interested in being distracted by this nonsense, irrelevance and noise (see what I did there @Stevie - 4lads Blog)

You make a good point on the pods, and probably one i've overlooked and underplayed. There's plenty positives there. And good interaction between members 4lads, club1872 and then narsa etc on H&H. There's also a lot of common themes occurring and shared views. Would be great to see that continue and other big hitters brought in. And then see it somehow punch through to the mainstream. Where the biggest positive appears to be Ewen Cameron (who's great) but which is damning on our PR thus far.

Absolute farce it ended up in Qatar in the first place. Hopefully it might get shifted before the event

Lots of good and interesting points in the article for discussion among the members of gersnet let's have your views on it , with no arguing with each other ,please .

I was discussing this with a mate last night. What worries me is I don't see any signs of strategy or change anywhere (on the ground, amongst the support - there's plenty good work ongoing at the club and football wise). An example i had used previously was of the rally at the BBC. I contacted club1872 and got a slightly non-committal response. It shouldn't be like that, personalities/history/agendas have to be put aside. Both Frankie and David Edgar had no problem promoting event. It eventually got rained away but that's a different story, if anything fails it shouldn't be from lack of effort or cooperation. Without wanting to pick on club1872 its purely because they are the most prominent and influential, and i contribute to them.

Thanks to @Rick Roberts for this excellent contribution. Hopefully we can see more articles again this season. With social media taking more and more prominence, long reads such as this one become harder to find so please support them when they are published. Remember, we'll be needing match previews and more as the new campaign gets underway. I'd also welcome other regular contributions for the forum and main site such as match reviews and/or player ratings. Such stuff is the bed rock of wee forums like this so please, please consider helping us out a few times through the year.

Given how many options we have on the left, instead of trying to add Kent, I think we'd be better using the cash for other positions. You could argue that Kent can play in the middle but I'm not convinced his game is conducive to the number 10 role.

As most of us played football, not necessarily to any great level, but even if just as kids, then we've probably all looked at professional players and imagined what we could have done if we'd had their ability. We of course view that opportunity through the prism of our own lives which have been largely untouched by adulation, great wealth and expectation. I saw the new film about Maradona at the weekend, and it's fantastic. Now, it might not be for everyone, firstly it's a documentary and secondly it's largely in Italian and Spanish so subtitled, so if that's not your thing quit reading now. For me, as a football fan rapidly approaching my the end of my fifth decade one this earth, Maradona was the greatest player of my generation. This film focuses on his time at Napoli, the peak of his career. He took a side that had never troubled the honours in Italian football and usually fought relegation, from the poorest and most unfashionable city in the country and turned them into one of the best sides in the world. During that period he also won the World Cup and reached the final again four years later, both as captain. The film is much more than football though, it's an insight into the utter madness that was his life. He was treated like a God in Naples and eventually that drove him mad. It's made by the same director who made Amy and Senna, both of which are stunning films. This is no different. It truly gives you an insight into how his life in Naples was and how no one is really equipped to deal with that. If you can, go see it, I'm not sure what kind of release it's getting, I saw it at the GFT in Glasgow if that helps. If nothing else you'll see footage of the greatest player ever on the big screen, it's almost worth it for that alone.

According to the Times SG was approached by Derby County and knocked it back. Has Lampard gone?

I love it went people quote that ? I get Mrs 4lads to shout it at the start of our passion, haven’t heard past ignore....

I entered a draw at work today and pulled out number 55. I didn't win the draw but I couldn't give a toss because now I know we're gonnae win the league!

Ojo has signed, official

It's unbelievable that we have to play these sorts of teams. I suppose it's a decent pre-season workout but really, neither Gibraltar or Kosovo are even actual countries.

Unfortunately you're absolutely correct there. Our PR seems to be non existent at the club. I don't read any rags and don't listen to what you'd consider mainstream radio stations so perhaps I'm missing it, but I am not aware of anything the club is doing to address the negative PR sourrounding our club. Have they delegated this responsibility to the supporters' groups? I suppose at some stage what is regarded as mainstream media will change, afterall I'd imagine that more people now listen to YouTube, podcasts and read blogs rather than listen to radio or watch the BBC? Perhaps this is already the new mainstream media?!? Certainly the new generation wouldn't even contemplate looking to the BBC or radio stations for their information or entertainment, but there's still a need for the club to address the negativity, especially when it can have a direct impact on our chances of winning the league. You're article talks about the trial by sportscene and that's definitely something worthy of some time and attention by our board. I don think see anything obvious being done. That's a worry.

ID 10 is Stevie and Fourlads I am pretty sure.

Rangers reopen talks with Josh McPake over new deal as Liverpool and AS Roma track winger https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-transfer-news/rangers-reopen-talks-josh-mcpake-16536624 ------------ We really need to keep a hold of our better prospects.

If either of those two are on I'll be expecting a live phone in from you mate.

2019/20 league cup odds Celtic 5/4 Rangers 7/2 Aberdeen 14/1 Kilmarnock 16/1 Hearts 16/1 Hibs 16/1 English championship Leeds 5/1 Fulham 8/1 Cardiff 10/1 West Bromwich 10/1 Stoke 12/1 Middlesbrough 14/1 Huddersfield 16/1 African cup of nations Egypt 4/1 Ghana 6/1 Senegal 6/1 Ivory coast 8/1 Nigeria 8/1 Morocco 10/1 Algeria 12/1 Cameron 14/1 Under 21 England 11/8 France 13/8 Draw 21/10 Jolly good luck if you have a wager .

It is time the BBC had to earn their own money. They have a free hand to do what they want without any financial consequences now.

is the 2nd round draw tomorrow? Presuming we progress of course - pun intended!

To be honest, this article says very little new but it does say it in a way that focusses on the breadth of our challenges, which is a very valuable contribution. Perhaps the part that most caught my attention is quoted above. We've wasted years now, fretting away our energies over share ownership and seats on boards, while paying little more than lip service to the powerful contribution our supporters groups could be making with respect to the media and the SFA/SPFL. Perhaps it's just a coincidence but while the Club1872 website proudly announces the number of shares it owns, nowhere could I see a mention of how many members it has.

I was thinking more of the fans reps (and forum leaders) having articles (mission statements) on gersnet. Or better still an interview format on gersnet pod cast? Of course, easier said than done and some may not be interested. But i think if a few started then others would see it as the thing to do.

I think the forum (and to a lesser extent the Twitter account) serves as that to be honest. People are always welcome to add to or counter any contributions. In my experience though you can only lead the horse to water... In terms of the fan groups, Club 1872 do occasionally step into media issues but perhaps need to be more vocal when doing so - i.e. get themselves onto phone-ins and/or news shows such as Scotland Tonight for the bigger items of note.

What?! Outstanding design (at the time) and purpose-suited! No rust to be seen and you could almost do any repairs by yourself! Meanwhile ... https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/48665453

I watched his Youtube compilation so I similarly consider myself a bit of an Ojo expert. For me he has more ability than Kent. Better at dribbling and just as fast but the same question marks over end product. The bigger question will be application and attitude. If he can match Kent's then I think he could have a great season.

Four Lads was clearly reading @Govan Rear Bear 's blog at the weekend. That's a horrible looking car, he might as well have been driving a Trabant. I knew almost nothing about this player until yesterday. A quick read up of course now makes me an expert on him and suggests this is his make or break season. He seems to have been some sort of boy wonder, playing for MK Dons under 18s when he was only 13 and costing Liverpool £2million to sign as a 14 year old. After a fairly bright start things seem to have tailed off although not every 20 year old is capable of moving abroad and settling well. Let's hope Govan is more to his liking than the Champagne region of France.

Barriers in Scotland to any Independent Inquiry by the Scottish football authorities and the Police. https://footballtaxhavens.wordpress.com/2019/06/14/barriers-in-scotland-to-any-independent-inquiry-by-the-scottish-football-authorities-and-the-police/

It’s a Mercedes G-Class

When routine bites hardAnd ambitions are lowAnd resentment rides highBut emotions won't growAnd we're changing our waysTaking different roads......

Nothing official just yet.

Received this although I’m not on the waiting list. 2019/20 Season Ticket OfferWe are pleased to offer the chance of purchasing a 2019/20 Season Ticket to supporters on our Season Ticket Waiting List.As maximum capacity of the Stadium is imminent, the availability of seats at this time is extremely limited; most seats available are to be found in Club Deck.To book your seat for next Season (subject to availability), either call our Hotline on 0871 702 1972(calls cost 13ppm plus network extras), go online by logging in here or visit the Rangers Ticket Centre. Please note that proof of age must be provided (photocopy of passport, birth certificate) for any Junior or Concession tickets purchased prior to the release of the Smartcards. Available methods of payment are as follows: • Credit/Debit Card Payment in full• Rangers 4 Instalments – Payment by 4 Instalments is available. Please note the 1st instalment will be taken at the point of sale with subsequent instalments due from Friday 28 June, Wednesday 31 July & Friday 30 August. Payment by this method is subject to a £10 fee and is only available by calling the Hotline (calls cost 13ppm plus network extras) or in person at the Ticket Centre.• Premium Credit – Instalments via Premium Credit are available online only. Loan agreements via Premium Credit are subject to interest.If you decline this particular offer but wish to remain on the Waiting List, please let us know by email, including your Rangers number, to ticketcentre@rangers.co.uk.Best regards Rangers Ticket Centre