Frankie

I think we're all hoping he's some sort of exiled super-fan only interested in a short spell of multi-million pound philanthropy to turn the club's fortunes around. Unfortunately, usually such stories begin with "Once upon a time...." I'm not saying Whyte is the big bad wolf - far from it actually. However, the chance he's doing this out of the good of his own heart are pretty far-fetched.

If I told you, I'd have to kill you...

Apparently the purchase price money above is in escrow with LBG... As such, once the deal is complete, the bank will get their cut as will Murray and then the club into their respective accounts. The escrow account will then be empty. It will then be up to Whyte to change or close existing club bank accounts which are currently with HBOS/Lloyds.

We've had terms and conditions on our main site now for several years but fortunately our membership is sensible enough to ensure what they post is relevant and, erm, legal. http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=110&Itemid=85

It's not being negative to ask relevant questions of our club's future. It's the very least Whyte should expect when buying a club that their fans may want to know of his plans. If that prospect frightens him, then that is truly worrying.

Actually, I propose that he organises a Rangers Constitution for the future and impeaches Sir David Murray retrospectively...

The Union Bears and The Blue Order have been allocated their own section at Hampden for the forthcoming Youth Cup Final. Both groups would like to invite all Bears who are up for creating an atmosphere to join us. We will be meeting up outside the Rangers end of Hampden 30 mins prior to kick off. We will be in sections A2 & A3 of the Rangers end (west stand) similar to where the UB were last year, but we'd suggest that anyone looking to join us waits outside the Rangers end until both groups appear and then we can all go in to the right area of the stadium together as last year a lot of folk who wanted to join in with the colour and noise were left isolated in the South Stand. We would be appreciative if everyone who wants to be part of this section contributes vocally on the night. There are other parts of the ground for those wishing to simply watch the game. It is also vital that everyone follows the lead of the Capo(s) to avoid 3 different songs being sung at the same time. The more co-ordination the better it will sound. Heres to another trophy. UB & TBO No Surrender

Improved/tougher media interaction is just one detail of this but it's arguably an open goal for him given many fans are so disappointed with the current regime's policy. Whyte's initial words will be grasped upon by hundreds of thousands of people - bears or not. It is imperative that he begins his Rangers tenure in a manner that shows us our future is safe in his hands.

Probably no more than a publicity stunt but with the kind of traffic FF has it must be very difficult (almost impossible in fact) to moderate such a forum effectively. This means we all need to take responsibility for what we post. *Goes to consult lawyer*

Yes, every single obstacle that could have been placed in front of him he has hurdled. However, one he's over the finish line the race isn't over - he just has more laps to go. The HMRC issue, UEFA censure issues and much more still exist and may in fact become harder to jump depending on his approach.

With most media sources now suggesting the takeover of Rangers is likely to be announced to the Stock Exchange later this week, it seems the question is no longer if this deal will happen but when. On the surface the price and stipulations agreed by Whyte look to be a good for the club and supporters alike. The vast majority of the long term bank loan will be eradicated and other existing debt removed while 'new' money made available to invest into the club - around �£30million over 5 years if the 'sources' are to be believed. Given our existing owner (and his directors) have struggled to provide anything similar without selling players or relying on Champions League money it will be fascinating to see how Whyte et al intend supplying their investment. Will we be exchanging old debt for new debt and one nosey bank for another? After all, surely Whyte won't be putting in �£30million of his own money - if indeed he does have the net-worth as to afford such a sum? It is obvious then that at this stage we have more questions than answers. So much so, that we're reliant on Sir David Murray, Lloyds Bank and the 'independent bid oversight sub-committee' to conduct due-diligence on the buyer on our behalf. We can only hope they do so without prejudice given all these parties will have their own self-interest to look after. Will Rangers FC and its loyal support really be high on their list of priorities though? The very fact we're basing our concerns on hope rather than expectation is perhaps as damning as any in-depth post-mortem on the Murray era. Much better then to look to the future and while our questions to Craig Whyte may occur after the fact they're still worth asking. It is probable that he'll be eager to meet with the Rangers Assembly quickly after buying so I'm sure they'll be ready to represent us all in asking the difficult questions that need to be answered. A bland interview with a salivating Chic Young just won't do. As a shareholder and season-ticket holder (though not yet renewed) I'll be expecting the Assembly to concentrate on the following few key areas - though I'm sure we'll all have our own equally important questions and concerns as well. - Who is Craig Whyte? Simplistic Google searches notwithstanding the lack of information on Whyte really is quite incredible. Other than a few failed UK businesses and questions about just how long his visas in Monaco lasted, we know next to nothing about this 'successful businessman'. Obviously he must have some sort of proof of what he offers - both strategically and financially. We need to know more about his past, his future and who his partners are. This should be the easiest question for him to answer. - Where is the investment coming from? �£5million of 'new' money for 5 seasons irrespective of player sales and European participation is a fair sum given the club struggles to make a profit otherwise in the stagnant SPL market. To that end, where is this money coming from, who is providing it and what guarantees are placed on the club as a result? This question is less easy to answer and the new regime may not want to reveal vital tactical information but given the club's current situation our concerns are valid so need to be addressed. - Where do you see the club in 5 years time? It may seem daft to ask questions about 2016 before the guy has sat behind his new desk in 2011 but despite the initial successes of the Murray era, Rangers have struggled with anything other than short-term fixes in the last 10 years especially. Furthermore Whyte is promising investment for 5 years but what happens after that? Do he and/or his backers pull out? Will the club be for sale again? What position will it be in? A long-term vision is something we all need and want to buy into. That may be literal if rumours are to be believed about share issues. Of course we could go on all day with a variety of specific questions. I'm sure transfer policy, supporters representation, board make-up, media/PR work, asset protection and youth systems are equally important dependent on our own personal bug-bears. But without answers to the big questions above, any promises on the individual elements have no foundation. To that end, we must concentrate on the wider issues initially. Now, common sense tells us we may not obtain all the answers we want and, of those we do get, we may not like them all. That's fair enough but, at the very least, any welcome for Craig Whyte and his backers should also mean putting him through the wringer as soon as we shake his hand. With �£20million of season ticket money still in reserve he should be equally as keen to answer. Will the grip match the smile?

That will be the first of many articles painting SDM as a hero for this deal over the coming weeks...

All signals in the media are that this will be completed next week...

Yeah, I remember being linked with him but I've not seen anything of either player. How does the RSA league compare with ours? Not that that is always a great indicator given both Jelavic and Sebo came from the same league...

Can't say I know a thing about him!

As you know lots of stuff has leaked out since Whyte's interest became strong - yet we've heard next to nothing about Whyte's background or his backers (if they do exist). Russian Vladimir Antonov was involved at some point as far as I'm led to believe but he's now buying Portsmouth so is definitely ruled out. To be honest it could be anyone. And I'm still of the belief King et al may be (or end up) the same as Whyte et al.

Lynch denied his involvement.

I think we all would. Unfortunately, that's unlikely to happen.

I'd fancy the bid oversight committee would be pretty scathing if there will ill-advised plans of selling either Ibrox or Murray Park. However, neither should they (or us) be of a closed mind if redevelopment is possible to the benefit of all. It should be a good thing for Whyte and his backers can make money from owning Rangers. If they do that, then chances are our club should benefit as well. It's up to us to ensure that is the case.

Ellis obviously brings a property angle to the deal and people are worried for a few reasons: 1. He wanted to move stadiums when involved with another club. 2. His property businesses are hardly huge successes. 3. He'll want to sell/leaseback Ibrox Stadium and/or sell Murray Park to develop that land. 4. MIH/PPG didn't do any of this despite having similar interests. Obviously, none of us know what his intentions are but it seems clear that Whyte values his input given he's offering him a share of the purchase to be paid back in the future. To be honest, I'm not overly fussy about Murray Park being redeveloped as long as we build an alternative (and make it bigger and better) first.

Nothing new to add mate. I'm just hoping that one of the reasons the Whyte deal may be progressing is because he and the other interested parties may be working closer together.

Missed chances prove important as Rangers now become second favourites for the SPL title with disappointing draw at home to Celtic. http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=404:rangers-0-0-celtic-player-ratings-and-mom-poll&catid=35:analysis&Itemid=67 Keeper didn't put a foot wrong so gets a 10 which doesn't happen often! Kyle Lafferty also had a fine match while our defence played pretty well over the piece.

Are you fishing? Laudrup had a poor final season granted but before that he was a fine, fine player - though perhaps not as good as we'd have liked in Europe. Jelavic has a long way to go before bettering the Dane's contribution.

Nah, Collum was the referee that day mate.

Hahahahahahhaha! What an utter joke!