ian1964

RANGERS chief executive Martin Bain and Donald McIntyre, who holds the positions of finance director, secretary and executive director, were suspended yesterday after what was described as "irregularities" were discovered at the club. An Ibrox insider confirmed some of the alleged irregularities were financial, but said this was not the main or sole thrust of an inquiry that is now under way at the Glasgow club. On Bain - understood currently to be in the United States - and McIntyre, he added: "They remain on the board for now as they are only suspended." The club, he explained, had to act immediately to satisfy stock market rules: "As soon as the irregularities were uncovered, they were duty bound to make the suspensions." Alastair Johnston and Paul Murray were removed as directors of Rangers late yesterday with the news being announced to the Stock Exchange this morning. An Ibrox insider said: "Johnston was in America and spoken to by conference call from a board meeting in Ibrox. He was offered the chance to resign but refused, so he has been removed." It was not clear what lies ahead for other high-profile directors. Dave King was not in the meeting and was not contacted during the conference call. The Ibrox source said: "Like John Greig, he remains on the board as well as John McClelland." Former player and manager Greig is a non-exective director, while McClelland is the board's executive vice-chairman. This morning's statement to the Stock Exchange read: "The board announces that on 23 May 2011 Alastair Johnston and Paul Murray were removed as directors of The Rangers Football Club P.L.C. The Directors of The Rangers Football Club P.L.C. accept responsibility for this announcement." Johnston joined the Ibrox board in 2004 and assumed the role of chairman in 2009. Murray was leading a rival bid for Sir David Murray's majority shareholding and, together with Johnston and the independent board committee, had expressed doubts with Whyte's ability to invest significantly in the football-side of affairs at Ibrox.

Beat me to it mate,I was just about to post that

http://leggoland2.blogspot.com/

RANGERS and Celtic are both weighing up shock moves for out-of-contract Scotland star James McFadden. Express Sport has learnt that the Old Firm have both been alerted to ‘Faddy’s’ contract situation after Birmingham City’s shock relegation from the English Premier League. McFadden has been offered two new deals by the Blues – one if they remained in the top-flight and a vastly-reduced deal if they were relegated to the Championship. The former Motherwell and Everton player, who is now fully-fit after missing most of the season with a cruciate injury, is now considering his options but is reluctant to re-sign on the terms that are currently on offer. Rangers and Celtic are both aware of the 28-year-old’s situation and could both beat what Birmingham City have currently tabled. Blues boss Alex McLeish is keen to keep McFadden but Hoops manager Neil Lennon has been a long-term admirer of him and would welcome the chance to land a player of his quality for nothing for a player who cost Birmingham paid Ã?£5 million to land. Also new Rangers boss Ally McCoist is also keen on the striker having worked with him in the Scotland set-up. He also feels he would strengthen the Ibrox side’s attacking options. McFadden was a boyhood Celtic fan but would have no qualms about returning to Scotland to play for the SPL champions. Read more: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/248498/Old-firm-target-James-McFadden-for-summer-transfer-swoopOld-firm-target-James-McFadden-for-summer-transfer-swoop#ixzz1NFrazkMq

TIDMRFC Rangers Football Club P.L.C. (the "Company") Director change The board announces that on 23 May 2011 Alastair Johnston and Paul Murray were removed as directors of The Rangers Football Club P.L.C. The Directors of The Rangers Football Club P.L.C. accept responsibility for this announcement. END (END) Dow Jones Newswires May 24, 2011 02:00 ET (06:00 GMT) http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/dow-jones/news-detail.html?newsId=20110524SN000521

Link from kiddyfiddlerstreet Do you want know a secret? A few people have been asking similar questions over the structure of Rangers’ takeover. It is more productive to write a post about this rather than answer the same question many times. The interesting part about this comes from the obsessive secrecy surrounding this transaction. The secrecy is a bit of a surprise given that one of the few logical reasons for buying a football team is to get a lot of free publicity (David Murray got to go gambling with a billion pounds of HBOS’ cash due to his ability to cultivate an image through his ownership of Rangers. He was not keeping it a secret). Murray International Holdings Ltd sold its 85% shareholding to a company that was then called Wavetower. Wavetower also purchased Rangers’ Ã?£18m bank debt from Lloyds. They did not clear that debt. Rangers FC now owes its parent company this money. (An additional Ã?£10m or so is also owed to other creditors. This has also not been cleared). Wavetower changed its name to The Rangers FC Group Ltd. on 12th May. The directors of The Rangers FC Group Ltd. are: Craig Whyte Andrew Ellis Phillip Betts The single share issued in the company that owns Rangers is held by: Jordan Nominees (Scotland) Ltd. Nominee shareholdings are used to hide the identity of the shareholders in a company. There are legitimate reasons why you might do this e.g. if Shell had just developed a new type of fuel and did not want its competitors or partners on other ventures to know that it was behind the new invention. They would register the patent under a company that uses a nominee shareholder to disguise the true owner. The nominee shareholder is obliged by contract to act on behalf of the real “beneficial owners”. So, if you did not want your name in the papers as being an owner of Rangers FC, then you can hide behind a nominee shareholder while still having legal authority over your investment. Given that Craig Whyte, Andrew Ellis, and Phillip Betts are listed with Companies House as directors, they do not get much benefit from secrecy. Presumably there is someone else behind the scenes who would like to keep a low profile. The secret of who really owns Rangers would be of interest to virtually the entire population of Scotland and many people beyond. Do not expect anyone in the Scottish media to even dare raise this issue. http://rangerstaxcase.com/2011/05/23/do-you-want-to-know-a-secret/

Poster on kiddyfiddlerstreet letter of complaint to the BBC For what its worth this was my complaint letter to the BBC, would also advise anyone complaining to follow up with Ofcom. Dear Sir Having attended yesterday’s Scottish Cup Final at Hampden, Saturday 21st May 2011 I decided to watch the match the following morning from a recording of your live broadcast on BBC1 Scotland. Whilst viewing the half time analysis I was shocked and saddened by the inaccurate, careless and uneducated statements made by your match analysts Rob McLean and Pat Nevin, in relation to the alleged sectarian singing by the Celtic support. At this stage I would also like to point out the comments were both slanderous and in breach of Ofcom’s ‘Programme Standards Agreement’ as outlined in Section 319’, standards which the BBC are required to observe and maintain to the highest degree. Ofcom Programme Standards “Refraining from the use of techniques which exploit the possibility of conveying a message to viewers or listeners, or of otherwise influencing their minds, without their being aware ,or fully aware, of what has occurred; http://www.ofcom.org.uk/files/2010/06/Memorandum-of-Understanding-between-The-Office-of-Communications-Ofcom-and-the-BBC-Trust.pdf I would now like to refer you to the inaccurate statement as made by Rob McLean during the live broadcast of the half time analysis "I'd love to go through a football show without mentioning the word "sectarian" but I feel we are going to have to at half-time because those outside that can hear the songs being sung, tell me that the Celtic supporters have been singing some sectarian songs during the first half despite Celtic going very public with their intimation that they wanted it completely stamped out. Lots of publicity for Rangers, punishment for Rangers from UEFA as well, it seems as if it is happening outside from the Celtic supporters". On the basis of the above statement I would like to formally issue a complaint to the BBC, a complaint which I will be following up with Ofcom. I would like clarification on the following points in relation to the inaccurate and misleading comments made by Rob McLean live on air 1.Why were the presenters allowed to broadcast uncorroborated information whilst simultaneously admitting the 2nd hand information came ‘from those outside’ the studio, and not hearing the alleged singing themselves? Is this standard BBC reporting practice for live broadcasting? 2.Who within the BBC decided what Songs are Sectarian and those that are not? 3.If the lawmakers of the land and Strathclyde police during their recent anti sectarian summit were unable to add to already banned sectarian songs can you please clarify who within the BBC drew up your own list of Sectarian songs and what measures were taken to ensure accuracy and impartially? 4.Mr McLean alleges that ‘some sectarian songs’ were sung by the Celtic Support and not mere ‘chants’. Can someone within the BBC please provide the titles of these songs or at the very least the lyrics to the sectarian songs in question? 5.Mr McLean in his statement claimed that ‘Celtic going very public with their intimation that they wanted it completely stamped out’. I can only assume that Mr McLean was inaccurately referring to Neil Lennon’s statement on ‘offensive chanting’ as reported on your very own BBC website (Link below). Again Mr McLean’s statement was inaccurate and misleading as at no point in the Celtic Manager’s interview did the he refer to songs of a ‘Sectarian’ nature only those that were offensive and unacceptable. As Mr Lennon was not forthcoming with a list of ‘sectarian songs’ can the BBC advise where they drew their conclusions from? http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13430517.stm ‘It’ being sectarian singing. 6.Mr McLean finishes his statement with the following, “Lots of publicity for Rangers, punishment for Rangers from UEFA as well, it seems as if it is happening outside from the Celtic supporters". Can someone please explain why Mr McLean felt the need to discuss Rangers Football Club and their well-publicised punishments despite Rangers not playing? I would now like to refer you back to Ofcom’s Programme Standard statement. “Refraining from the use of techniques which exploit the possibility of conveying a message to viewers or listeners, or of otherwise influencing their minds, without their being aware ,or fully aware, of what has occurred” As the BBC has yet to issue or communicate what the corporation deems as ‘sectarian’ in relation to football songs sung in Scotland one can only assume that the statement made by Rob McLean is one of a personal opinion and not one based on fact or law. Considering Mr McLean never heard the songs in question he could not be ‘fully aware of what had occurred’ and as a consequence neither could the viewing public, yet the impression he gave was both misleading and inaccurate and as a consequence in breach of BBC/Ofcom programme standards. As outlined above if lawmakers and politicians were unable to draw up a comprehensive list of ‘sectarian’ songs then one can only assume that the songs sung by the Celtic support at the very worst could be deemed as offensive but most importantly were of a ‘non-sectarian’ nature. By attempting to draw perceived parallels in the reprimanded and sanctioned Rangers Support to that of the Celtic support on Saturday Mr Mclean and the BBC were also guilty of “conveying a message’ to influence the minds’ of the viewing public, once more breaching Ofcom’s Programme Standards and the impartiality of the BBC as a whole. Having attended football matches in Scotland for over 20 years I have experienced the failures in Scottish society at first hand and strongly believe sectarianism is not being addressed in an appropriate or adequate manner. The Celtic support does have its issues but the misleading, inaccurate and uneducated reporting I witnessed on the BBC fell far short of what I have come to expect from the broadcaster. What I saw and heard yesterday was the attempted sectarianisation of the entire Celtic support by one man’s statement, this is abhorrent and wholly unacceptable. I would like to finish by asking that my complaint and points are fully addressed and handled with the respect and severity it deserves and not in the same fashion as that of a disgruntled football fan. Sectarianism is not a football problem it’s society’s problem. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future. Kind Regards SeanBonJovi

GIOVANNI Trapattoni is infuriated by Celtic striker Anthony Stokes' decision to withdraw from the Republic of Ireland squad because of tiredness. The Italian expressed bemusement yesterday when asked why Stokes had made himself unavailable for all four forthcoming international fixtures, including Sunday's match against Scotland in the Carling Nations Cup. The Republic also play Northern Ireland tonight in Dublin in the same competition, before a Euro 2012 qualifying match against Macedonia and a friendly with Italy. Stokes, 22, played 22 minutes of the Scottish Cup final on Saturday as a substitute. Prior to that, his most recent first-team appearance was 17 days earlier, playing 58 minutes of the 3-2 defeat at Inverness. But after the final at Hampden, he informed the Football Association of Ireland he would not be reporting for international duty. Trapattoni said yesterday: "I spoke with our doctor this morning about this. "Young players have a fun job. It is not a job like the working man's. It is not a difficult job. For me it is an 11-month holiday. I played 70 games every season -national, championship, Europe. "It is unbelievable, so we must educate our players. We are lucky and we have to enjoy playing football. It is a fine life. "It is a new generation. Sometimes there is more pressure now but players should understand how beautiful our job is. Injuries are injuries, but they should visit our doctor. That is the rule. If they are asked by the national team they must go. If they are in hospital or they are dead, that is okay, but if there is an injury they should see our doctor." Trapattoni insisted, however, that he would still consider former Sunderland and Hibs player Stokes for selection in future. "I don't forget any players, ever," he said. Meanwhhile, Stokes' club-mate Mark Wilson turned down a place in the Scotland squad - also because of fatigue. He had explained his decision to an "understanding" Levein. "He was good enough to call me and ask if I thought I needed a rest," said the defender, who has played 34 games this season. "As much as I would love to play for Scotland and play in every game, it just wasn't possible. "It was maybe two games too far and another four or five training sessions cuts your rest down in the summer to three weeks. "He was fairly understanding of that and I'm grateful that he does understand and hopefully he will keep me in his mind for future internationals." http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/Anthony-Stokes-savaged-by-Trapattoni.6773335.jp

STUART McCALL has slammed Scott Brown after he branded Motherwell a bunch of Cup Final cloggers. And the Well boss says the Celtic captain should be ASHAMED of himself. McCall is furious after Brown said he had sent his stars out to rough up the Hoops at Hampden. He hit back at the midfielder and insists he should be embarrassed by his rant. The Fir Park boss said: "I think he'll be embarrassed by his comments, or at least he should be. If he watches the game again, as I'm sure he will, he'll be embarrassed. "The comment or suggestion that I send my team out to go over the ball in tackles is quite ridiculous. "I want my players to be competitive, of course I do. But there's a fine line. "As much as losing the Cup Final hurt us we were dignified in defeat. "You've got to take your medicine and we wished Celtic all the best after the game. "To read that this morning was quite sad to be honest. He should be enjoying his moment because he hasn't had many this season. "To come out with comments regarding my players and how I send out my team is sad. "I'm never going to be worried by what Scott Brown says but he should be concentrating on himself." Brown branded Well midfielder Keith Lasley's challenge on Glenn Loovens disgusting. But McCall says Daniel Majstorovic's tackle on Well striker John Sutton was WORSE. Five players, three from Celtic and two from Well, were booked as Neil Lennon's men swept to a 3-0 win. McCall said: "If you watch the tackle Daniel Majstorovic makes on John Sutton then there's no doubt in my mind that it could quite easily have been a red card. "If he watches Keith's tackle on Loovens again he'll see Lasley goes in to block the ball. His trailing leg, almost his backside, catches Loovens. "I didn't realise how bad the Majstorovic tackle was until I saw it again but I'm not going to have a go at Neil Lennon for the way the game was played. "Keith is a totally committed player, like Brown, but he's never gone out to hurt someone. It's sad." McCall revealed he's offered new deals to skipper Stephen Craigan and back-up keeper Lee Hollis. He is waiting to hear from Sutton and Steve Jennings, who've also been offered improved contracts in a bid to keep them at Fir Park. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3597065/Shameful.html#ixzz1NDl8M6AH

A BRAVE ball boy has vowed to defy the thugs who pelted him with coins and landed him in hospital. Hearts fan Jack Waddell, 14, was targeted by rival fans during his team's clash with Celtic on May 11. He suffered concussion after yobs hurled 2p coins at him - just after Celtic manager Neil Lennon was assaulted by a Hearts fan. But Jack said: "I love helping Hearts and this won't stop me." Jack, of Loanhead, Midlothian, was covering the away end of the SPL match at Tynecastle as he was one of the Edinburgh club's most experienced ball boys. He added: "After the Celtic manager was attacked, the crowd went mental. They were shouting and jeering. "I was hit in the head. I looked down and saw a 2p lying next to me. Then another coin was lobbed and I was hit in the head again." Jack's mum Linda, 39, drove him to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary after he fell ill the next day. Tests showed he had sustained a brain injury but he has now fully recovered. A Hearts spokesman said last night: "A thorough investigation into events on that night is ongoing." http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2011/05/23/hearts-ball-boy-pelted-by-coins-from-celtic-fans-says-i-won-t-let-thugs-stop-me-86908-23150864/?sms_ss=twitter&at_xt=4dda4de4da0a2e22,0

Depuis qu’il a annoncÃ?© son dÃ?©part des Glasgow Rangers, Madjid Bougherra ne compte plus les prÃ?©tendants. AprÃ?¨s Kayserispor, Liverpool, Lekhwiya ou Arsenal, c’est au tour de Sunderland de s’intÃ?©resser au dÃ?©fenseur international algÃ?©rien. Le maintien assurÃ?©, les Black Cats prÃ?©parent dÃ?©jÃ? la saison prochaine. Le GhanÃ?©en John Mensah vraisemblablement renvoyÃ?© Ã? Lyon, c’est dÃ?©sormais Bougherra qui fait figure de favori dans la short list du club anglais. D’ailleurs, Ã? en croire News of the World, Sunderland aurait dÃ?©jÃ? formulÃ?© une offre de 3,5 M€, refusÃ?©e par les champions d’Ecosse. According to Goodle Translate: Quote Since he announced his departure from Glasgow Rangers, Madjid Bougherra are countless suitors. After Kayserispor, Liverpool, Arsenal or Lekhwiya, it's time to look at Sunderland Algerian international defender. Insured retention, the Black Cats are already preparing for next season. Ghana's John Mensah presumably returned to Lyons, who is now Bougherra became a favorite in the short list of English club. Moreover, according to News of the World, Sunderland have already made ​​an offer of € 3.5 million, rejected by the Scottish champions. http://www.afrik.com/breve31223.html

Also if he developes to his full potential I'm sure he would sell for a bigger fee than �£4

PFA transfer list enables you to search through all the football players currently in the market. You can specify your search by the position, weight, height, date of birth or class of player. The "Next" button at the bottom of the table will allow you to flick through the pages and view more players who match your requirements. http://www.givemefootball.com/pfa-transfer-list

I think we should look at making an offer for Weiss,I know I know,but why not?. I have no idea how much he would cost or how much he would want as a salary,but it must be woth looking into,no?.

Scotland will have four clubs competing in European competition next season, with Rangers leading the way in the lucrative Champions League. The Ibrox side will be seeded for the third qualifying round, starting on 26 July, and will face a further play-off round to reach the group stages. Celtic enter the Europa League at the fourth and final qualifying round while Hearts drop in at the preceding round. Dundee United will face three Europa League qualifying rounds. The Tannadice side will discover their opponents when the draw for the first two qualifying rounds of the Europa League takes place on 20 June. Rangers will find out who they will play when the draw for the Champions League third qualifying round is held on 15 July, the same day as the draw for the Europa League third qualifying round. The Champions League and Europa League play-off draws are scheduled for 5 August. Rangers were automatically entered into the lucrative group stages of the Champions League for the season just ended, while Celtic stumbled at the third qualifying round against the eventual Europa League finalists Braga. Under Walter Smith, the Ibrox club finished third in a group that included Bursaspor, Valencia and finalists Manchester United before beating Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League round of 32, and eventually losing out to PSV Eindhoven in the last 16. Motherwell, Hibernian and Dundee United also competed in last season's Europa League qualifiers, with Hibs slipping up at the third round against Maribor. Celtic, United and Motherwell all failed to reach the group stages after defeats by Utrecht, AEK Athens and Odense respectively in the play-off round. Champions League qualifying will begin on the 26/27 July, while the second qualifying round of the Europa League will begin on 14 July. European qualifying schedule in full:RangersChampions League third round of qualifying on 26/27 July (second leg on 2/3 August) CelticEuropa League fourth and final round of qualifying on 18 August (second leg on 25 August) HeartsEuropa League third round of qualifying on 28 July (second leg on 4 August) Dundee UnitedEuropa League second round of qualifying on 14 July (second leg on 21 July) http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13491741.stm

Rangers could be set for a money-spinning friendly against Anzhi Makhachkala. The Russian club, who are captained by Brazil legend Roberto Carlos, are preparing to celebrate their 20th anniversary and are lining up Rangers for a glamour friendly, with the Ibrox club collecting a sizeable windfall for travelling over at some stage this summer. The sides met in the Uefa Cup in 2001, with the game played in Warsaw due to Rangers� refusal to travel to troubled Dagestan. Meanwhile, Ally McCoist will return from America this week and open talks with Steven Whittaker and Steven Davis about extending their stay at Ibrox. The pair�s contracts are due to expire next summer, but the new Gers boss is keen to tie down two of his most influential stars. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/editor-s-picks/rangers-offered-russia-cash-dash-1.1103026

You reap what you sow BHEASTS

I hope our new manager brings in a couple of CB

Why don't you just go Bougherra,if you don't to be here then just go,we will replace you

http://leggoland2.blogspot.com/2011/05/celtic-fans-blast-nevin-exclusive.html

7 Minutes We Will Never Forget http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_gXLKE2800&feature=player_embedded

Celtic's Scottish Cup win against Motherwell on Saturday means they will go straight into the fourth and final round of qualifying for the Europa League group stages. (Scotland on Sunday) UEFA Champions League theme song :robbo:

You know me mate I'm always looking for that. It would need to be well organised though. I'm off to Kazakhstan tomorrow for a month so maybe we could organise a pre-season piss up? :spl::cheers:

Just to remind the BHEASTS we are the Champions. Feckin sick of seeing their faces all over the on line papers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gVHiicSOLw :spl::spl::spl:

HA!HA!,what happened to the '' younger,faster,fitter '' players ya fanny. Weir has played 57 games:whistle: KNACKERED Kris Commons last night pulled out of Scotland's Carling Nations Cup doubleheader after a hamstring injury added to his exhaustion. The Celtic winger has been ruled out of Craig Levein's squad for this week's matches against Wales and the Irish Republic at the Aviva Stadium. Attacking ace Commons won't travel to Ireland tomorrow after a punishing season with Derby County and Celtic that has pushed his body to the limit. Parkhead doctors contacted their Scotland counterparts to outline their concerns over the player. And the 27-year-old was also diagnosed with a hamstring problem after reporting to the international medical staff at Mar Hall yesterday. Commons will now start his summer break earlier than planned and will not be available for Levein. His final act of the campaign was to help his club defeat Motherwell and win the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden. Afterwards, Neil Lennon's bargain �£300,000 buy from Pride Park confessed he was feeling immense strain after the rigours of a tough campaign. Commons admitted then he was struggling for national duty and said: "I'm looking to try to withdraw if possible. "I've played 49 games. I picked up a cold in the last two weeks and was cramping up after 55 minutes [of the Final]. "It has been a whirlwind season and my boy William was born eight weeks ago, which was a joy. For me, this has just been the longest season. "I've never played so many games or scored as many goals, so it would be nice to relax on the beach and reflect on what's happened." The hamstring problem has compounded the tiredness situation and Commons added: "There's no operation needed. I'm not struggling in that sense. I am just knackered." Levein will be frustrated at missing such a key weapon of his attack having already lost Peterborough United's Craig Mackai l-Smit h f rom his frontline. The London Road striker, who was called up for the f irst t ime for the Brazil game at the Emirates in March, will stay at his club to take part in the League One Play-off Final against Huddersfield Town. Skipper Darren Fletcher, of Manchester United, was also an absentee from the or iginal squad due to his participation in Saturday's Champions League Final against Barcelona. Levein will also receive a full dossier this morning on his Premiership stars as the squad begins to gather at their Renfrewshire base before jetting across the Irish Sea. Several of his stalwarts took part in a bruising and emotional Survival Sunday south of the border and the national coach will learn of any more fitness doubts this morning. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/scotland/2011/05/23/carling-nations-cup-injury-blow-for-scotland-as-kris-commons-is-out-of-double-header-86908-23150260/