ian1964

Paul Murray will be on Talk Sport tomorrow morning Richard Keys‏@TSKeysandGrayReply Rangers Director Paul Murray will be speaking to me and Andy tomorrow. Be interesting to hear his plans to save the club

I see the game is still not a sell out!

STEWART REGANâ??S Scottish Football Associationâ??s so-called Independent Panel to look into the Craig Whyte-Rangers fiasco has links to Celtic. In fact one member of the Regan appointed SFA Panel has a link right to the very heart of the Parkhead boardroom. Bob Downes is the man with the Celtic connection! Downes is described by the SFA as being a former director of BT Scotland who is now chairman of the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency. But I can reveal that when Downes was director of BT Scotland he shared the boardroom with Ian Livingstonâ?¦. And that this is the same 47-year-old Kelvinside Academy educated Livingston who declares his main passion is Celtic and whoâ?¦ â?¦IS A CELTIC plc DIRECTOR. Itâ??s another astonishing blunder by SFA chief executive, Regan, who of course sits on the SFA professional board with fellow SFA director Peter Lawwell, the Celtic chief executive, who also sits on the Celtic plc board alongside Downesâ?? former fellow BT Scotland director, Livingston. Which raises the question as to just who it was inside the SFA who recommended Bob Downes to Regan? Regan has only been at the SFA for 18 months and still spends much of his time in his north of England family home, as his Twitter account clearly shows. So, just how has he managed to become acquainted with all the movers and shakers of Scottish business life in such a short time? My view is that it is impossible for him to know all the highways and byways. Regan must therefore be leaning heavily on advice from those who are at the heart of the Scottish business community and who have his ear. There are a number of people who fall into this category, but few are as close to Regan as Celtic chief executive, Lawwell, who shares the SFA boardroom with Regan and the Celtic boardroom with Livingston, who in turn sat around the same BT Scotland boardroom table as Bob Downes, appointed by Regan to sit on the Independent Panel which is probing Rangers. Let me make this clear. There is no suggestion of any impropriety on Regan's part. Like his other pal, Henry McLeish, Regan is involved in a muddle, not a fiddle. But for the benefit of all concerned, particularly Regan, but not forgetting Mâ??Lord Nimmo Smith who could see his position compromised, Bob Downes should stand downâ?¦.. NOW! .........AND STRUGGLING Scottish Premier League clubs could have their Sky Television millions slashed if Rangers are still in administration NEXT season. Thatâ??s the bombshell news for hard up outfits such as Rod Petrieâ??s Hibernian, Steven Thomsonâ??s Dundee United and Stewart Milneâ??s Aberdeen where managing director, Duncan Fraser is the hands-on day-to-day man who runs the Dons. Sky signed a new deal with the SPL last autumn which is worth £80M over five seasons. That is £16M a season, a £3M a season increase on the old deal. But the contract is detailed and involved and there are plenty of clauses, sub-clauses and paragraphs of fine print to safeguard the Sky involvement and interests. And SPL bosses may well find that the devil is in the detail. For my information from London is that Sky have a team of lawyers going through each of those clauses, sub clauses and paragraphs to find just where they will stand if next seasonâ??s SPL title race is OVER before it even BEGINS. Conman Craig Whyte continues to insist he will not walk away from Rangers without a massive pay-off, effectively holding Rangers to ransom and increasing the fear that Rangers will NOT be able to escape from administration before the start of next season, meaning there would be another SPL TEN point PENALTY heading for Ibrox. That is what I have been told has set off alarm bells inside Sky. However, I have also been told, there is no chance of Sky pulling the plug completely on SPL coverage. But the headline figure of £16M a season in the new contract between Sky and the SPL, which is divided between the 12 SPL teams, could be reduced by anything up to HALF! That would see strugglers such as Kilmarnock, Hearts and St Mirren put under severe pressure. Celtic would be hit too, but their bigger budget would not feel the same strain as those other clubs. It is believed Celtic have been trying to form an anti Rangers cabal, thought to include, Hibs, Dundee United and Aberdeen. The so called Celtic cabalâ??s strategy is believed to be to try and bulldoze the rest of the SPL clubs into forcing a long term punishment plan on the Ibrox club, to ensure Rangers are hit with MORE than the statuary ten point penalty they have incurred this season. But with Skyâ??s lawyers at work and the threat of a huge cut to the clubsâ?? lifeline television cash, Hibs, Dundee United and Aberdeen may pause for thought, while other clubs, such as Kilmarnock, Hearts and Kilmarnock, will want the SPL to provide a united front in helping Rangers to escape their problems. Money talks! And this time it may be telling Peter Lawwell to back off, or it is Celtic who could end up isolated and reviled. â?¦â?¦. PLUSâ?¦â?¦ THE Scottish press pack were amazed yesterday morning when nobody from the once mighty Herald checked in to board Scotlandâ??s flight to Solvenia. Just as the Scottish Football Association were bewildered when no booking was made by the ailing Herald Group. At first they thought it was an oversight and contacted the sports desk, only to be toldâ?¦. WEâ??RE SKINT! But not so skint as not to be able to afford to cough up £500 to pay Odious Creep for his pisspoor column in last Sundayâ??s Sunday Heraldâ?¦circulation 29,000 andâ?¦. FALLING! Co-incidentally £500 was the cost of the Press package to send a reporter with Scotland for this vital Word Cup Finals qualifying campaign warm up match. So just whose decision inside the Herald Group was it to employ Odious Creep? I have my suspicions, questions are being asked and I can promise him thisâ?¦ You WILL be named. HERE! The Herald and Sunday Herald share a budget, along with the third member of the group, the Evening Times and it isnâ??t all that long ago that the readers of any or all of those titles could read exclusive stories in each title, as a reporter from each title travelled with Scotland. Now the Herald, which regards itself as a NATIONAL newspaper , cannot afford to send even one hack to report on the fortunes of the NATIONAL team. But one barmy boss â?? maybe a pal and colleague of Creepâ??s - can still find £500 to lavish on Odious Creep, a man whose presence in the Herald up to 2006, caused untold damage to the paperâ??s reputation, advertising revenue and ability to even invite advertisers to enjoy corporate hospitality as the paperâ??s guests at Ibrox. Plus, of course, the desperate damage Odious Creep caused to the Heraldâ??s circulation. Now the same is about to happen to the Sunday Herald, whose pages self confessed paedophile sympathiser, Odious Creep now pollutes. If that happens , pretty soon the Herald Group wonâ??t even be able to afford to send anyone to cover a Scotland match at Hampden.

Link to above article:- http://scotslawthoughts.wordpress.com/2012/02/28/charity-begins-at-home-but-is-the-rangers-charity-foundation-in-breach-of-the-law/

The Rangers Charity Foundation (RCF), established in 2002, has since then a proud record of helping many charitable causes. The charityâ??s own website details many of these admirable activities. The Scottish Charity Register entry for the RCF records the object and purposes of the charity. Its object is as follows:- â??The Trustees shall hold the Trust Fund and the income of it to pay and apply the same to or for the benefit of or in furtherance of such purposes, objects or institutions charitable in law and in such proportions and manner as the Trustees shall think fit. In exercising their discretion in terms of this Clause the Trustees shall give primary consideration to the wishes of those persons who gift or lend funds to the Foundation but this proviso shall impose no binding obligation on the Trustees.â? According to the RCF website, the Trustees are Craig Whyte, Martin Bain, John Greig and Jacqueline Gourlay. The website may not be up to date. Mr Bain is of course suing Rangers for breach of contract caused by Mr Whyteâ??s ill-guarded public comments. Mr Greig resigned as a Director of the football club, complaining about a lack of involvement and transparency. Any meetings of the Trustees might have had just a touch of an unpleasant atmosphere, although I am sure the professionals round the table would put personal differences aside for the goals of the charity. These issues have not stopped the RCF continuing to support its purposes, which are, as recorded in the Register and on the RCF website:- ■Prevention or Relief of Poverty ■Advancement of Education ■Advancement of Health ■Advancement of Citizenship or Community Development ■Promotion of Equality and Diversity ■Relief of Those in Need By Reason of Age, Ill Health, Disability, Financial Hardship or Other Disadvantage Over the last seven years, the RCFâ??s income has totalled in excess of £1.9 million, much of which has gone out to support a whole range of worthy and deserving projects, both in the local area surrounding Ibrox, and wider afield too. As the RCF website records:- â??The Rangers Charity Foundation (Scottish Charity Number SC033287) exists to bring Club, supporters, staff and players together in a unique way to help make the world of difference to thousands of lives through a range of charitable work. Being a champion of charitable giving is our goal, and since our creation in 2002 we have donated over £910,000 in cash awards and over £1,423,000 of in-kind support to hundreds of groups and individuals, making a combined total of over £2.3 million.â? For this season the RCFâ??s focus is as follows:- â??For Season 2011/12 the Rangers Charity Foundation worked with Community Partner Erskine, National Charity Partner The Prostate Cancer Charity and International Partner, UNICEF to deliver significant projects that provide a lasting legacy and make a real difference where support is needed most. For the Foundation, working with each organisation to really understand and support their key aims and objectives is as important as fundraising and handing over a cheque at the end of the relationship.â? The Rangers Charity Foundation is a very good thing, which has done many good works.The charity, whilst clearly being very closely linked to the football club is a distinct and separate entity. Even amidst the troubles at Rangers FC, the RCF continues, and a glamour friendly match had been arranged to take place on 30th March at Ibrox between the Rangers Legends and the AC Milan Glorie. As the RCF website reported previously:- â??THE RANGERS CHARITY FOUNDATION can confirm that Paul Gascoigne will pull on a light blue jersey again to face AC Milan Glorie at Ibrox Stadiumâ?¦But Gazzaâ??s decision to pull on his boots again is a massive coup for the Rangers Charity Foundation and the AC Milan Foundation as both will benefit from the funds raised from the Legends game and dinnerâ?¦Adult tickets cost £10 each, with concession / childrenâ??s tickets costing £5 each.â? The header on that piece is as shown below. INSERT RANGERS LEGENDS Matters seem to have changed since Rangers entered administration however. The RCF website and the official Rangers website both contain the same statement now regarding the match. The RCF page with that story on it has the following picture. You can see what has disappeared, as is made clear in the text. INSERT RANGERS LEGENDS 2 This states as follows (extracts only):- â??Rangers Football Club has confirmed the glamour legends friendly with AC Milan Glorie at Ibrox Stadium on Friday 30 March 2012 will go ahead with revenue from the match being split between the Club, the Rangers Charity Foundation and the AC Milan Foundation. The Rangers Charity Foundation has offered to forego the majority of its share of the proceeds following the crucial support the charity has received from the Club over the last 10 years and funds raised will help secure the future of the Rangers, which is vital at this time. Tickets go on sale to season ticket holders from Tuesday, 28 February with a public sale the following Monday and can be purchased on-line by clicking here. Tickets are priced £12 for adults, £8 for concessions and £6 for childrenâ?¦ Rangers Manager Ally McCoist commented: â??It is a tremendous gesture by the Rangers Charity Foundation to forego the majority of the proceeds of the legends match to benefit the Clubâ?¦â? Connal Cochrane, Manager of the Rangers Charity Foundation, said: â??The Club and the Rangers fans have been tremendous to the Foundation over the last 10 years and now it is our turn to stand alongside them and Step Up For Rangers. â??The Rangers Charity Foundation suggested the Club should now benefit from the match and we were delighted that the AC Milan Foundation agreed. â??The Foundation has received unparalleled support from Rangers over the last 10 years and many thousands of lives have been improved in Scotland and beyond because of the Clubâ??s support for our work.â? Legendary Manager Walter Smith commented: â??The most important thing about the game is it will bring in money for the Club, the Rangers Charity Foundation and the AC Milan Foundationâ?¦ Paul Clark, joint administrator at Duff & Phelps, said: â??The fans have been absolutely tremendous and we are encouraged by their reaction to the Clubâ??s current situation. â??It goes without saying, it is absolutely vital to the administration process that fans continue to support the Club directly by coming to Ibrox. Right now, it is quite simple â?? income generated now will help secure the future of Rangers.â? (All emphases added) Now I may be wrong, but it looks to me as if the RCF has decided to give a lot of money back to Rangers â?? â??the majority of the proceedsâ? being the phrase used. That looks to be very admirable, but is, I think, unlawful. Letâ??s go back to the Object of the Trust. It is to use funds â??for the benefit of or in furtherance of such purposes, objects or institutions charitable in lawâ?. (Emphases added) Is it a matter deemed by law to be charitable to give the proceeds of a charity match to a commercial organisation as, effectively, a donation! I do not think that the RCF is acting in accordance with its purposes, unless a very broad brush is applied as regards â??Relief of Those in Need By Reason of â?¦ Financial Hardshipâ?. There is no doubt from all of the quotes above that, effectively, this match has now turned into a fundraiser for Rangers Football Club PLC (In Administration). I am not surprised that Messrs McCoist and Smith are singing the praises of the match, and the idea that this will assist Rangers. After all, they are not experts in the rules of charities, I suspect. However, the fact that both the manager of RCF and the joint administrator are in favour seems to me to be rather odd. Surely both of them would have the requisite knowledge, or at worst access to advice. It is also of interest how the RCF Trustees arrived at their decision to change the purpose of the funds collected at this game. One assumes that the effect of this decision is to reduce the sums payable to the three charitable partners of RCF for this season â?? Erskine Hospital, The Prostate Cancer Charity and UNESCO. It is for others to argue the morality of a charity, even one as closely connected to Rangers as RCF, deciding to donate some of its funds to assist a private business which is in administration, caused by years of over spending, alleged financial mismanagement, and facing an enormous tax bill, as a result of what may well be ruled an illegal tax reduction scheme. As far as the legality of the move goes, it seems entirely wrong (a) that the Trustees of RCF have decided to do this and (b) that the administrator is welcoming the move. One wonders of the administrators have already told RCF that the charge for using Ibrox for the game has increased. When first announced, tickets were to be £10 for adults and £5 for children and concessions. Now they are stated to be £12 for adults, £8 for concessions and £6 for children. It may well be that the previous rates would have resulted in a loss for Rangers in staging the game for RCF, and therefore an increase in the ticket price is justified to avoid the administrators incurring net debt, but on top of that to be sharing in the proceeds? The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) publishes guidance for Trustees, as they are the people liable for failures to follow the rules. That guidance states, at page 11:- â??Charity trustees should carry out their duties in accordance with the specific terms of their charityâ??s constitution or governing document. The constitution or governing document will set out the aims of the charity and the powers it has to act, and will include provisions for how the charity is to be run. Charity trustees must ensure that: â?¢ all the activities of the charity fall within the objects, aims or purposes as stated in the constitution or governing document of the charity â?¢ the charity adheres to the terms of its constitution or governing document â?¢ the charityâ??s assets are only used for the charitable purposes set out in the constitution or governing documentâ? At page 25 the guidance states that:- â??If there is evidence of misconduct, OSCR has a statutory duty to act, and will do so according to the principles of good regulatory practice. Quite what happens will depend on the seriousness of the circumstances. OSCR will be proportionate in its approach and offer, where appropriate, compliance support to charity trustees who have difficulties with understanding or fulfilling their obligations.â? It can be a criminal offence for a Trustee to act inappropriately as regards their legal duties. I am sure that the Trustees of RCF have simply been caught up by the desire to help the body which, after public support, has been its main source of funds since it was founded. The problem is that it appears very suspicious, even if M<r Whyte had no hand in the decision, that the charity of which he is Chairman has agreed to make over a substantial sum, not to a charity but to the business owned 85% by one of Mr Whyteâ??s companies, and which is presently in administration! One hopes that no one feels the need to report the matter to the OSCR. Especially where the mistake will have come about through a genuine desire to help Rangers .

You are indeed correct,Forrest on the right wing,Wylde on the left

Scotland v The Netherlands Wednesday 29 February 2012, kick-off 5.30pm St Mirren Park, Paisley Advance sale: £6 adults/£2 kids Group offer: £30 for 5 adults and 20 kids Cash gate: £8 adults/£2 kids Buy tickets here... Billy Stark has named a 21-man squad to face the Netherlands in a UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifier at St Mirren Park next week. Scotland defeated the Dutch in Nijmegen in November last year and can move to the top of Group 10 with another win on 29 February. Tickets for the match are still on sale. Details of how to buy here... Goalkeepers Jordan Archer (Tottenham Hotspur)* Marc McCallum (Dundee United)** Mark Ridgers (Heart of Midlothian) Defenders Darren Cole (Rangers)*** Paul Hanlon (Hibernian) Ryan Jack (Aberdeen) Ross Perry (Rangers) Lewis Toshney (Celtic)**** - withdrawn due to injury Graeme Shinnie (Inverness Caledonian Thistle) Daniel Wilson (Liverpool)***** Midfielders Scott Allan (West Bromwich Albion)****** Stuart Armstrong (Dundee United) Thomas Cairney (Hull City) Liam Kelly (Kilmarnock) Liam Palmer (Sheffield Wednesday) David Wotherspoon (Hibernian) Forwards Gary Mackay-Steven (Dundee United) Michael Oâ??Halloran (Bolton Wanderers) Peter Pawlett (Aberdeen) Jordan Rhodes (Huddersfield Town) Johnathon Russell (Dundee United) Gregg Wylde (Rangers) * on loan to Bishopâ??s Stortford ** on loan to Forfar Athletic *** on loan to Partick Thistle **** on loan Kilmarnock ***** on loan to Blackpool ****** on loan to Portsmouth Squad last updated: 27 February 2012 http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=128&newsCategoryID=6&newsID=9351

Call from Jim Hannah This is a plea all Rangers fans out there who love the Club and want to help them through this disastrous horrendous time. We need to buy tickets for this Saturdayâ??s game against Hearts we need the game to sell out. The ticket sales have slowed right down only 300 sold today and still over 4.400 to sell. The club needs the income urgently to keep us going and the money generated by the sale of tickets is the quickest way to get money into the Club. Hopefully over the next few days there will be a vehicle available which will allow the fans to help our Club by donating money, I have personally been inundated with requests from fans pleading to help the Club out NOW by giving money to the Club and hopefully this will be the way. I cannot stress how vital it is to be able to raise money for the Club during this difficult time, we are currently awaiting assurances from the Administrators that any monies raised and passed to the Club will be used for the running of the Club ONLY and will not used to pay creditors, and so far the talks have been really encouraging. PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW, SHARE IT, PUT IT ON FORUMS, EMAIL AND TEXT IT. LETS HOPE EVERY RANGERS FAN AROUND THE WORLD READS THIS AND REALISES THAT RANGERS NEEDS THEM NOW AS THEY WILL DO AFTER THE ADMINISTRATION PERIOD ENDS!!!!

CRAIG WHYTE may now be set to hold Rangers to ransom and gift the Scottish Premier League title to Celtic on a plateâ?¦.NEXT SEASON. For it is now beginning to look as though conman Whyte will refuse to hand over his 85per cent shareholding to someone who really DOES have the good of the Ibrox club at heartâ?¦. Unless he gets a huge pay off! And with the clock ticking and the mess Whyte has left, before bolting to his harbour side apartment in the tax exile paradise of Monaco, as murky as ever, it is becoming harder and harder for the administrators to unravel the tangled weave of lies, deceit and dodgy deals left behind by conman Whyte. Forget getting things sorted and Rangers out of administration in time for the March 31 deadline for the Scottish Football Association to grant Rangers a UEFA licence to play in Europe. There is almost no chance of that happening, as Whyte and his lawyers Collyer Bristow have made it near impossible. The big time legal eagles may now face having to answer some tough questions from the Law Society. So far they have been hiding behind the weasel words of customer confidentiality, even when approached by the administrators. And that is adding to the real danger that Rangers will not be out of administration in time for the NEXT SPL season. That would see them go into the 2012-13 campaign with at LEAST another TEN point penalty. Possibly more! In fact, certainly more, if Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwellâ??s £220,000 a year Parkhead finance director and member of the SPL Board, Eric Riley obeys his masterâ??s voice. As he always does. Which means that if Whyte does not get a pay off and hand over his Rangersâ?? shareholding and the so called secured assets too, he will be the man who will be responsible for Celtic winning a second consecutive title. If he really does hang on in there and holds Rangers to ransom, then Craig Whyte will be doing Celtic chief executive, Peter Lawwell and manager, Neil Lennonâ??s jobs for them. And not just on the home front either. For a Celtic side which goes into the domestic campaign knowing there can be no challenge to them here, will be able to husband playing resources and plot their path carefully into and through the Champions League group to the last 16 of the competition winning glory and earning an extra £30m to invest in the squad ahead of season 2013-14. Then chances are they will be so well established by that time theyâ??ll make it three-in-a-row. Courtesy of Craig Whyte! Does he really believe he can get away with that? And sleep in his bed? Without a horseâ??s head on the next pillow? If he does, heâ??s a horseâ??s ass! His £4m apartment in Monaco, where he is holed up with a lady friend, is already being staked out by the press pack. Trickster Whyteâ??s lack of a grip on reality goes beyond mere audacity and is breathtaking and only matched by the lackies who are still working hand in glove with him and for him. One of them, described as an associate, gave a briefing to the Herald. In the story which appeared on Monday, this unnamed associate claimed that Whyte had not lied when he said he did not do the £24.4m deal with Ticketus to raise the money to pay off Lloyds, but had only â??massaged the truth.â? Beyond breathtaking and into the realm of insanity! If what Whyte said was not a lie it will do until a lie comes along. Which will be the next time this on-the-run confidence trickster opens his mouth. The trouble seems to be that Whyte appears incapable of telling the truth. He is in a hole and wonâ??t stop digging. Perhaps, instead of asking someone to take the shovel away from him, we should be calling for the men in white coats for Whyte. He canâ??t be entirely sane? Can he? Indeed, there may be a case to be made for challenging his legal sanity. Was he competent, from the point of view of being legally sane, when he signed the deal with David Murray? Was David dealing with a madman, as well as a conman, and just didnâ??t notice? Certainly, given the damage Craig Whyte has already caused Rangers, only a madman would try to inflict even more by holding Rangers to ransom and gifting Celtic the SPL crownâ?¦.NEXT season! ......AND....... CELTIC supporters could be locked out of their team's visit to Ibrox next month... Thanks to Parkhead chief executive, Peter Lawwell allegedly breaking his word to Rangers. Lawwell demanded that Rangers pay up for their tickets for the December Old Firm match at Ibrox. That was seen as a deliberate attempt to weaken the already tottering finances of conman Whyte's regime. Rangers agreed, but claim they struck a deal that Celtic would do the same for the |March game. Now, with Rangers in administration and living hand to mouth, Lawwell has been accused, in a another cracking Daily Record story, of going back on his word. The Record says Celtic won't cough up the £300,000. Rangers are now set to deny Celtic supporters the chance to celebrate their team clinching the title at Ibrox last month by refusing to hand over any tickets to the Parkhead club. If that happens, Celtic supporters may see it all as Peter Lawwell's fault.

Although my season ticket covers this game I would buy another ticket if it meant a BHEAST free Ibrox,in fact I'd pay double the price.

Are we allowed to do that under SFA rules?.

I would sell all the tickets to Rangers fans,if true?. THE Old Firm are locked in a cash feud after it emerged Celtic have reneged on a deal to hand over a £300,000 advance on tickets for next month's derby clash. And Record Sport understands anxious Ibrox staff fear the move may force more job cuts at their stricken club at a time when administrators are trying to unearth enough money to keep the business running. We revealed on December 6 how Celtic were breaking with tradition by demanding Rangers pay up front for their fans' tickets for the derby match at Parkhead at Christmas. With the Ibrox finances unravelling under the disgraced Craig Whyte regime, Celtic feared they might be left out of pocket if Rangers went into administration. Whyte reluctantly cobbled together the cash to avoid having an 8000-strong travelling support locked out of the biggest fixture of the festive period. And according to sources, a verbal agreement was reached between the clubs that Celtic would also pay up front before their second visit of the season to Ibrox on March 25. But last night that deal appeared to have broken down, just as Rangers' need for cash was becoming even more desperate. The Parkhead club are due to receive 7300 tickets for Ibrox with their fans set to stump up £42-a-head for the pleasure of celebrating this season's title cakewalk at the home of their bitter rivals. That adds up to a sum of just over £300,000 and it's money Rangers need to get their hands on as quickly as possible. Administrators Duff and Phelps are still trying to track down the missing millions from Whyte's £24.4m deal with Ticketus as they attempt to find enough money to cover next month's wage bill. And, as if the financial carnage at Ibrox was not already chaotic enough, the club was yesterday hit with a £50,000 fine from the PLUS Market due to Whyte's failure to disclose his seven-year directorship ban. Head administrator Paul Clark is expected to hold a further round of crisis talks with manager Ally McCoist today as the club braces itself for even more bad news. The fear among players and staff is that the axe is likely to fall tomorrow unless more funds are found immediately to cover the running costs. McCoist, though, despite the latest in a long line of misinformed reports in Whyte's pet paper, the Scottish Sun, will refuse to select which players stay and which go. Instead, the manager will attempt to broker a deal to save jobs by slashing his own salary and asking his first-team squad to do the same to help the club survive without the need for job losses. Rangers had hoped the £300,000 from Celtic would help tide them over but the administrators will have to find cash from elsewhere if swingeing cuts are to be avoided.

Scots businessman Brian Kennedy has stepped up his interest in taking control of Rangers by meeting administrators for the troubled Ibrox club. But the multi-millionaire has told Sportsmail he is not interested in being part of any future consortium and would step aside if Paul Murrayâ??s Blue Knights group is the best option to secure the future of the SPL champions. The Ibrox players and staff are anxiously awaiting an announcement from the administrator in relation to job losses as part of the massive cost-cutting process necessary to save the club. And last night controversial owner Craig Whyte broke cover from his Monaco base to predict â??more painâ?? ahead for Rangers â?? on the day the PLUS stock exchange fined the club £50,000 for failing to disclose his previous disqualification as a director when he completed his takeover of the club last May. As former Rangers director Murray puts together a consortium of businessmen, believed to involve Dave King and businessman Douglas Park, Kennedy said: â??Iâ??ve had a meeting with the administrators. â??But they have to work out exactly what the position is before they can talk to anybody in earnest. â??Ideally, a consortium will be put together to buy Rangers. I would not be interested in joining a consortium because itâ??s not the way I work. But that might be best for Rangers if it came off. â??The Blue Knights seem to be a good bunch of guys and, if they can get the funding to save Rangers, then good luck to them. I am not competing with them. â??I would stand back if they showed they were the best option for Rangers. But if they are not able to do so, then that is possibly where we might have an interest. As always, there is an â??ifâ? in there.â?? The Edinburgh-born 51-year-old, who is regularly listed in the top 200 of Britainâ??s richest men, is a friend of Graeme Souness and refused yesterday to rule out bringing the former Rangers boss back to the club. Sportsmail understands Kennedy has already called Souness for his advice on a bid. As yet, however, he has not asked his friend to become involved in a takeover. Asked if he might in future, he added: â??Absolutely, but Iâ??m not telling you any more on that. No comment.â?? Players are prepared to take a 25-per-cent wage cut to try to save jobs at the club â?? and administrators could announce their decision within the next 24 hours. Those worried about the future of Rangers will not have been heartened by Whyteâ??s comments from Monaco last night. Speaking on Sky Sports News, Whyte told fans: â??Stick with it. We are going through some changes right now. Get behind the team, get to Ibrox on Saturday. Everyone has to stick together. â??Like every other Rangers fan, I would hope redundancies are kept to a minimum. What I will say is that there will be more pain and the administrators are acting in the best long-term interests of the club. â??I am in regular contact with the administrators. I am working as hard as I can to help resolve the issues and ensure Rangers come out the other side of this. â??Iâ??m not going to get into private conversations I have with the administrators. â??They have a job to do and they are working hard to get through the many issues that have to be resolved. â??I said a couple of weeks ago that this was the beginning of the end of the uncertainty hanging over Rangers for years now. We are still in that process and itâ??s painful.â?? When asked about the lack of clarity over missing club funds, Whyte said: â??There will be clarity from the administrators. There are no missing millions. I can assure Rangers fans that every penny has been accounted for and will be accounted for. â??Iâ??m getting on with the job and I hope to be in Glasgow very soon.â??

Senior Rangers players have held discussions over taking a minimum 25% pay cut in a bid to stave off redundancies, STV has learned. The clubâ??s administrators, Duff and Phelps, are expected to make an announcement by Wednesday over the future of players and staff at Ibrox. With a cash shortfall at the club, it is understood more drastic measures may have to be taken by removing a number of players from the wage bill immediately. Director of football, Gordon Smith, and chief operations officer, Ali Russell, have already agreed to leave the club and will come to the end of their contracts on Wednesday. Rangers owner Craig Whyte, who is currently in Monaco, stated on Monday he expected further job cuts to be made but said the administrators would be â??acting in the best long-term interests of the football club.â? Speaking on Sunday, manager Ally McCoist said he knew a decision was looming over which players and staff may be asked to leave. "My understanding is that I will meet with Paul Clark, from the administrators Duff and Phelps, whenever he wants," he said. "I imagine it will be early on in the week about what he thinks is the way ahead for Rangers. "Morally, I should not and will not be judge and jury over anyone's future. Having said that, I will help the administrators 100% in any way I can. "Every conversation I have had with Paul Clark and Simon Shipley of Duff and Phelps has been positive. They seem to be knowledgeable and respectful of the size and sensitivity of the job. "Hopefully we will sit down in the next day or two and things will become clearer."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPzkys9GYmU&feature=player_embedded

RANGERS have today confirmed the glamour legends friendly with AC Milan Glorie at Ibrox on Friday 30 March 2012 will go ahead with revenue from the match being split between the club, the Rangers Charity Foundation and the AC Milan Foundation. The Rangers Charity Foundation has offered to forego the majority of its share of the proceeds following the crucial support the charity has received from the club over the last 10 years and funds raised will help secure the future of the Rangers, which is vital at this time. Tickets go on sale to season ticket holders from tomorrow with a public sale to follow next Monday. Tickets are priced £12 for adults, £8 for concessions and £6 for children and supporters will be able to see a host of Rangers and AC Milan legends in action on the hallowed turf. Hospitality packages are also available from £99 plus VAT by contacting the Sales Team on 0871 702 1972 or emailing hospitality@rangers.co.uk. The Rangers Legends side will be managed by Walter Smith and captained by Richard Gough while Italian defensive legend Franco Baresi captains AC Milan Glorie in what is sure to be a night to remember at Ibrox. Ally McCoist, Brian Laudrup, Paul Gascoigne, Andy Goram, Lorenzo Amoruso, Jorg Albertz, Michael Mols, Arthur Numan will all pull their boots on once again. And Baresi's squad boasts world-class talent like Paolo Maldini, Jean-Pierre Papin, Christian Panucci, Gianluigi Lentini and Zvonimir Boban. Rangers boss Ally McCoist said: "Over the last few weeks our fans around the world have shown how much this great club means to them and the numbers who turned out at Ibrox for the recent Kilmarnock game and at Inverness yesterday is testament to their depth of feeling for Rangers. "It is a tremendous gesture by the Rangers Charity Foundation to forego the majority of the proceeds of the legends match to benefit the club and it is going to be an evening of nostalgia for all the fans, players and supporters." Connal Cochrane, Manager of the Rangers Charity Foundation, said: "The club and the Rangers fans have been tremendous to the Foundation over the last 10 years and now it is our turn to stand alongside them and Step Up For Rangers. "The Rangers Charity Foundation suggested the club should now benefit from the match and we were delighted that the AC Milan Foundation agreed. "The Foundation has received unparalleled support from Rangers over the last 10 years and many thousands of lives have been improved in Scotland and beyond because of the club's support for our work." Legendary Manager Walter Smith said: "The most important thing about the game is it will bring in money for the club, the Rangers Charity Foundation and the AC Milan Foundation and when I was asked to manage our side I had no hesitation in accepting. "It should be a fantastic occasion and for every Rangers fan it is one to get excited about. When you look at the Milan squad we are talking about some of the greatest footballers of all time. "Over the period they have had so many great players and it will be fantastic to welcome them all to Ibrox." AC Milan Glorie captain Franco Baresi said: "I wish to offer my support to Rangers Football Club and the Rangers Charity Foundation in my capacity as Captain of AC Milan Glorie. "We are all looking forward to attending the official dinner on Thursday 29 March and can't wait to play in front of what I hope will be a capacity crowd inside Ibrox Stadium on Friday 30 March to help raise funds but also to play in a friendly, competitive game at the highest level." Paul Clark, joint administrator at Duff & Phelps, said: "The fans have been absolutely tremendous and we are encouraged by their reaction to the club's current situation. "It goes without saying, it is absolutely vital to the administration process that fans continue to support the club directly by coming to Ibrox. Right now, it is quite simple - income generated now will help secure the future of Rangers." Tickets for the Legends Dinner at the Radisson Blu on Thursday 29 March 2012 are also on sale for £100 each, or £1,000 for a table of ten, and can be booked by contacting the Rangers Charity Foundation on 0141 580 8775 or by e-mailing rangerscharity@rangers.co.uk. The dinner, hosted by Jim White, will provide an opportunity to meet some of the stars taking part in the game and hear interviews and anecdotes, as well as enjoying a sumptuous 3 course meal and wine. The Club, the Rangers Charity Foundation and the AC Milan Foundation will also benefit from this event.

According this article yes mate http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/football-news/article/2625922

I will be home for this match,I think I might just go to this,after all it is going to benefit Rangers if Ibrox is full,not only this game but Ibrox should be full for the remaining home games of this season.

LLOYDS BANK may have been behind the sale of Rangers season tickets by Craig Whyte to Ticketus for £24.4m BEFORE he owned Rangers. And that could lead to seriously hard questions being raised in the House of Commons. David Murray has issued a statement which categorically denies that he had any knowledge of the Whyte deal with Ticketus. And a source close to Murray and with impeccable contacts in the City of London and the wider business world, has hinted that it was Lloyds who may have facilitated the deal between Ticketus and Whyte. That would make sense. For without the now controversial Ticketus millions Whyte could not have paid off the £18m Rangers owed Lloyds. And getting that money in May was the only priority for Lloydsâ?¦ with Lloyds seemingly giving no thought to what damage any new owner may wreck on Rangers. If true it once again shows just how David Murray was â??markedâ? by conman Whyte, but calls into question the Lloyds banking practice. And as Lloyds is 43 per cent owned by the taxpayer it opens the way for Westminster MPs to call Lloyds chief executive, Antonio Horta-Osorio to the Bar of the House of Commons to be questioned by Parliament, under oath. Failure to attend would be treated as contempt of court and lead to the embattled Lloyds chief being arrested. Lloyds are now in hock to the British Government to the tune of £3.8BILLION. There have always been concerns about the way Lloyds treated Rangers after they took over the Halifax Bank of Scotland. It was just about that time, in 2008, David Murray stood down as chairman of Rangers and resigned as a director. Common currency in financial circles was that his hand was forced by Lloyds who had also taken over the banking arrangements for the Murray Group, which was then experiencing hard times. But two men with Murray connections, Mike McGill and Donald Muir, then joined the Rangers board. McGill was said to be there to represent Murrayâ??s interests, for David, though no longer a director, was still the owner. The popular perception of Muir was that he was the Lloyd Bankâ??s hatchet man on the Ibrox board, put there to push through the cuts which saw the debt to Lloyds slashed. Through the shrewd work of chairman Alastair Johnston and director Paul Murray, despite the debt being halved, sufficient resources were still provided to enable Walter Smith to build a team which won three-in-a-row, plus four cups. It was as Rangers closed in on that third title that Lloyds are believed to have turned up the heat on David Murray whose Murray Groupâ??s recovery plan was thought to be dependent on Lloyds backing. It has never been denied by Lloyds that they put pressure on David to sell and impose a condition of sale that the £18m was paid off to Lloyds right away. Paul Murray offered £20m plus a plan to continue with what was his proven ability to reduce the debt in stages while still making sure the companyâ??s product, in this case the Rangers team, was successful. Lloyds would not accept this offer from Paul Murray, a man who has an impeccable business history as a good corporate citizen. Instead, they preferred to see David get just a quid for his 85per cent Rangers shareholding from Craig Whyte, a man whose business history even then was murky and who we now know to be a conman who has wrecked havoc on Rangers and driven them to the brink of extinction. If you believed in conspiracies you would wonder at just what motivated Lloyds to act in such a way. Had Dermot Desmond, Peter Lawwell and the Green Brigade been making the decisions for Lloyds they could not have come up with a better plan to ruin Rangers. Not that I am suggesting for a moment that Dermot Desmond, Peter Lawwell and the Green Brigade were in any way involved. For the moment, the immediate priority for Paul Murray and his associates is to save Rangers. However, there are others, notably MPs and members of the House of Lords from both major British political parties at the REAL centre of power, Westminster, who are now starting to take an interest in the role Lloyds have played in all of this. David Murray has already been grilled by the administrators, along with his man on the board from 2008 until 2011, Mike McGill. Donald Muir, seen as representing Lloyds interests in the Ibrox boardroom over the same period, may be next on the list to be questioned by the men from administrators, Duff and Phelps. Now, with a powerful, influential and well connected source in the City, believed to be close to David Murray, in touch with politicians, financiers and other senior bankers, Lloyds could soon be forced to explain themselves to the House of Commons. David Murray, as I pointed out yesterday, has been turned over by Craig Whyte. He has been conned rotten. Knowing him, I do not believe it is a matter he will allow to rest, despite the continued Lloyds Bank involvement with his now resurgent Murray Group. Questions in The House, indeed!

It's good to have the Gibz back:thup:

By TOM ENGLISH Published on Sunday 26 February 2012 00:00 FORMER Rangers director Paul Murray says he will have assembled a team of â??like-mindedâ? businessmen by the end of this week to form a consortium to take over crisis-hit Rangers football club. Murray, who is heading the buyout consortium, insisted that he will also know how much money they are prepared to inject to try to convince administrators that they rescue the Premier League club. â??By the end of next week I will have a clear view of not just the members of the consortium but how much money we think we can raise,â? said Murray, who held an initial meeting with the club administrators, Duff & Phelps, on Friday. â??The people Iâ??m talking to have been there a long time, people who were looking at the club this time last year so the interest has always been there. Itâ??s not like people are starting from absolute scratch. â??The people who are expressing interest at the moment are not doing it for profit-making reasons, theyâ??re doing it to try and rescue the club and put it on a solid foundation.â? Murray said controversial businessman Dave King may be involved, despite his personal tax problems in South Africa. â??Heâ??s a former colleague of mine and a friend. Iâ??d like him to be involved.â? â? Rangers went into administration earlier this month over an unpaid £9.5 million owed to HMRC. Owner Craig Whyte took over the club last May but his financial affairs are currently the subject of a police investigation and his takeover is also being probed by the Scottish FA for potential breach of league rules.

THE Scottish Sun today reveals details of the controversial player payments made by Rangers â?? which have dragged the club to the brink of extinction. Fans want talks over cash gifts A bombshell letter sent to one former ace â?? who joined the club in the mid-2000s â?? tells him that on top of his salary he is entitled to a £122,000 payment spread out over two years, plus additional four-figure appearance bonuses. It is believed these payments may fall under an Employee Benefit Trusts scheme which is likely to have sparked Her Majesty Revenue and Customs' £75million tax battle with the SPL giants. EBTs are NOT illegal and are usually used for pensions, charities and families. But last night three experts told The Scottish Sun the letter to the player â?? who we are not naming â?? may have broken strict financial rules by not paying revenue on what is effectively wages. It is in draft form but shows the nature of the arrangements. Last night a financial advisor told us: "If a client showed the letter to me, I would tell them to rip it up. The killer points are one and two. "Number one, you are going to get £122,000 and number two you get £1,200 for a first-team game. "It equates to salary as far as I am concerned. I would say this sort of letter will be a central thread in the big tax case. "This would be manna from heaven for HMRC if they have this. If there are 10 like these and there are matching payments, I'd find it difficult for the courts to do anything other than find in favour of HMRC." Meanwhile a jobs lawyer also warned that the bonuses offered look "a hell of a lot like employment". He said: "What we have here is a fairly basic contract between Rangers and a player â?? it is not very different from ones I have seen in the past for other clubs. "What makes it very different is this letter appears to introduce all sorts of other provisions. "What I understand is Rangers are trying to say there was money paid to the people, but it was not wages â?? it was something else. "If you look at the back letter it says you will get this money for each competitive first-team match for which you're selected. "It seems they are getting paid for the job Rangers employ them to do so the likelihood is that that is employment income." An accountant who we showed the letter to also hinted the payments offered to the player were "illegal". He added: "This appears to be a contractual obligation to put money into an Employee Benefit Trust. The implication is that there is a pot of money going to an individual. "I have been shown a contract of employment showing how much money players were going to get but also a back letter which I presume that individual has assumed is part of his salary. It seems like a contract. "If the two documents are handed to someone together, is that seen as being his overall package? If the answer to that is yes then there is a problem because the money that goes into the trust really should be getting taxed because it is his salary. "The fact it is there as a back letter at all suggests it is dodgy." During Gers' big spending days top players like Arthur Numan and Ronald De Boer starred for the club â?? but it's not known if they were offered EBT deals. It's been reported that a total of £47million was contributed by Gers to the EBT fund. At its height in 2005/06, the club gave out £9.2million â?? and used EBTs right up until the HMRC probe kicked off over a year ago. HMRC have tried to call in a bill for the payments. Rangers contested the tax tab and when Motherwell tycoon Craig Whyte took over the club from Sir David Murray last May he insisted he was confident of beating it. The case has been heard in Edinburgh and a result is understood to be due at the end of next month â?? with many predicting a bloody nose for the Light Blues. Letters like the one we've seen are likely to have been used as evidence. Administrator Duff and Phelps is trying to save Rangers but it's feared a massive tax bill could tip them into insolvency Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scot...#ixzz1nRTbVovD

The Rangers manager does not blame the former chairman David Murray for the club's present malaise It was far from the most audible chant at Ibrox last Saturday, but it was probably the most notable. Rangers fans who enjoyed the success – and excesses – of David Murray's ownership would never have envisaged a day where they were urged to clap their hands if they hate the tycoon. Those leading the singing were youngsters, a generation with no direct knowledge of what it was like to follow Rangers in the barren years immediately before the arrivals of Graeme Souness and later Murray at Ibrox. Ally McCoist is a better-placed witness. The Rangers manager was a key part of the team that claimed nine titles in a row and had aspirations of competing meaningfully in European competition. That is the positive Murray legacy. The obvious flipside was the reckless spending which left Rangers in the firm grip of the Lloyds Banking Group. From there, Craig Whyte picked up the club and presided over the recent slip into administration. An element of the Rangers support hold Murray responsible for this almighty mess but McCoist still chooses to back his former chairman. "One thing that's guaranteed with being involved with this club, no matter at what level, is that you're going to get stick somewhere along the line – whether as a player, manager, coach or on the board," says McCoist. "It's guaranteed. I know David Murray as well as a lot of people and better than most. He'll admit he made mistakes and, of course, he made mistakes but I am of the opinion that when he was in charge of the club he always did his best for the club. "People will have their own views on the whole situation, Mine? I'll always remember David Murray for being good for the club and for doing his best for the club. Like any ownership, it's peaks and troughs but as the person I am, I always like to look at the peaks." The quest of Rangers' administrators to secure the Uefa licence that would allow them to compete in European competition next season also highlights a parallel. On the final day of the 1985‑86 season – best remembered for Celtic pipping Hearts to the championship – McCoist scored a penalty to seal his team's European place. "That was the day Celtic scored five at St Mirren. Graeme Souness came in and was surprised at the state of our dressing room – we had just qualified for Europe and we were devastated," says McCoist with a smile. He would be more morose if European entry is denied this time around. "It [not to qualify] would be a massive blow but you'd have to say it's a distinct possibility at the moment. The administrators are doing their best and while there's a chance you've always got to remain optimistic. But you'd have to say there's a danger of us not having European football next season." McCoist has been circumspect about Whyte's running of Rangers. The manager admitted, though, that the fact funds from future season ticket income were used by the club owner to pay off a debt to the Lloyds Banking Group riled him. "If that's the case I would have to say I would find it unacceptable," McCoist adds. Somehow Rangers' record-scoring striker must maintain a strong degree of on-field focus. Motherwell's form has left Rangers in a battle to secure second place in the Scottish Premier League, a stark contrast to the title challenge McCoist hoped to preside over when the campaign opened. "I've pointed out the benefits of finishing higher up the league to the administrators," he says. "I've pointed out the importance of finishing second. The financial rewards are there for everyone to see. There's a big difference between finishing second and third. "The job of the football club is to provide a team that goes on to the park and hopefully gets a result on matchdays. That's the one thing we can never get away from because the fans turn up to watch their football team and the administrators are aware of that, as indeed we are. "They haven't taken the approach of saying: 'Ach, the league's over,' which is really encouraging. If you don't put the best quality on the park that you can then fans won't come and watch you, which generates finance as well." http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...coist-rangers?

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