stewarty

Rangers Official Websit confirms Lafferty to have talks with Bain today... http://www.rangers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,5~1329707,00.html

I take your point about this seasons budget as I said the same myself last night. The other option is that it's a precursor to a big money move for Cuellar or McGregor to the Premiership.

The other option is that Wattie genuinely has the �£12-�£15million transfer budget that we hoped he would have, and that this weeks signing activity is only the start... Stewarty :Blindly Optimistic Smiley:

More rumours http://www.clarets-mad.co.uk/news/loadnews.asp?cid=TMNW&id=395282 Kyle Lafferty's departure from Burnley to Rangers is imminent if it hasn't gone through already, and if the news tonight is correct then it will smash Burnley's record sale previously set when Ade Akinbiyi was sold to Sheffield United in January 2006. Details are filtering through that a deal has been done and that Lafferty is now a Rangers player although this has not as yet been confirmed by either club. There's been wild speculation as to how much the deal is worth and until such time as there is any confirmation then it can be nothing but speculation. However I've been led to believe that the Clarets will receive a guaranteed fee of �£3.25 million from Rangers with a further �£500,000 in add ons whilst it also looks as though Alan Gow will become Owen Coyle's first Burnley signing as part of the deal. It has all been a whirlwind 24 hours. It looked as though Rangers, thought to be Lafferty's preference, were out of the running but they've come back with a vengeance and given the Clarets an acceptable offer. There is sure to be more on this tomorrow - but it is looking increasingly likely that Kyle Lafferty, who was discussing personal terms with Rangers, is no longer a Burnley player.

The SPL got some Canadian mob to do the fixtures this year. Read it in the Sunday Herald this week...

Totally agree with Pete's comments. Whilst I can appreciate why Frankie and some others are keeping your counsel, the RST has to make public what has happened. One of the key messages from the RST to David Murray, and the club in general, is that they want a more effective and proactive PR presence to counteract some of the innaccuracies published about Rangers? It seems to me that the RST are in crisis, and that inner wranglings are only going to give rise to further rumour and speculation until the RST take some of their own advice. As a body which has campaigned succussfully for Rangers fans to invest in them, they have a duty to be honest and transparent. ** PS - I have been away for a few days so may have missed something so apologies if this is the case **

I cant believe the FA are courting such a corrupt official as Jack Warner. By playing a friendly over in Trinidad it's a blatant attempt to curry his favour and secure votes for the 2018 World Cup bid. Did nobody see the Panorama documentary? Here's some background for those who missed it... http://www.sundayherald.com/sport/shfootball/display.var.2310512.0.flying_circus.php http://www.sundayherald.com/sport/shfootball/display.var.1775342.0.warner_asked_me_to_make_a_cheque_out_to_his_personal_account_i_said_we_dont_do_that.php

If 'the shape of things to come' turns out to be similar to the sweden and west ham strips then I think it could be quite good.

Interesting. I would imagine the Portuguese FA will nominate the next team in their league though.

Got to agree with Juffery on this one. Celtic are only a small part of the Commonwealth Games and if it proves to be a catalyst for regeneration and improved transport links for anywhere in Scotland then I would back it. I just think it's sad that it takes something like the Commonwealth Games or the Olympics in London to get some real investment and regeneration of run down areas. Also, because of the way these things are financed, i.e. big money corprorate investments, sponsorships and the like, the ordinary man will be priced out of taking advantage of much of it.

Right or wrong, it's just football. Happens all the time. He's just playing the game since Shinawatra was only playing a game with him. In times like that you need to look out for yourself first and foremost because sure as hell, Shinawatra wont.

It's silly season mate. Treat everything with a pinch of salt until you see him paraded at Ibrox/Murray Park

What we really need is a pyramid system so that the best Junior and Senior teams can gain promotion to the SFL and so that clubs who stagnate at the bottom of the 3rd Division drop down and find their own level.

That's funny because when I heard it I told you and Dave about it. Clean out yer ears old man!

I heard it a couple of times - made me laugh!

Thank god this farce is over. Spartans to get into the 3rd Division for me. They've got an academy in place and seem to be soundly managed.

In cricket terms, it's only players from countries with a trade agreement with Great Britain that can do a Kolpak which currently means South African and West Indian players can take advantage of it. Why this doesn't apply to other countries such as India, Pakistan, Australia etc, I do not know. As you say - it's very strange but fundamentally it seems that other sports get round this by sticking two fingers up to bodies like the EU so I can see football doing the same.

They are only allowed one overseas player at any one time. The Kolpak ruling only applies to certain countries but theoretically it could apply everyone.

I agree with Juffery and Craig here. Defensively we are solid, could do with freshening things up with Weir surely on his way but the full back areas depend hugely on whether we have natural full backs playing there. That said, Smith and Whittaker playing their respsective positions is the number one choice. The problem is, what if they cant or dont? With the transfer windowsyou dont have the option to sign someone to solve an injury crisis and therefore, if Smith and Whittaker get injured or dont turn out to be good enough, we are severley hampered in what are crucial positions to the fluidity of the team.

Perhaps - but the point is, why is employment legislation different for other sports as opposed to football?

Another thought. In English County Cricket, when the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) pays out monies from TV, sponsors and the like, it does so based on the number of England qualified players play in each match. In effect, a County is fined each time a non English qualified player plays in a game. Also, each team is only allowed one 'overseas' player. How can this be? Why are there different rules for cricket as opposed to football? This situation is not without it's problems as there are a number of players who are not English qualified but are not classed as overseas players under the Kolpak ruling. If memory serves me, the Kolpak ruling arose from a Slovakian Handball player who challenged EU employment legislation to allow him to play professionally in Germany without being classed as an overseas player. In reality, any player from a country which has a formal trading relationship with Britain could utilise this ruling. In cricket terms, this means that players from the West Indies and South Africa are able to play domestic cricket in England without being classed as overseas players and it's causing a lot of problems and discussion at the moment.

As far as I can see they are not proposing a cap on the number of players a team signs, rather that they limit the number who start any given game. How this sits with EU employment law I dont know but for the long term future of the game I think it's necessary.

Whether he wants away or not I'm none too pleased to hear he may be going on a free! Considering he's still got a year left on his contract we could get a couple of million from him at least...

Stuck in work and prob gonna miss at least the first half. Any team news? Not that there's much to choose from...

I got that once but I just refreshed and it went away.