Frankie

Can't say I'd be disappointed if he left. Particularly if we could get ~£500K for him.

Guys: I now have a number of tickets for the Bastille Night. Can everyone who wants to go pm me so I can arrange you to receive yours? Everyone is invited and the evening shall be totally informal, so a great chance to meet a few of the guys on here and meet a few Rangers legends who will all be available for questions and photo opportunities. All in the splendid surroundings of the centrally-located Thistle Hotel supplemented by a first class Mr Singh's Indian Buffet. �£20 is real value here.

http://www.gersnet.info/fmrangers/newmain/280606.html Recently, there has been a lot of talk on the online community about club finances and where it stands in this regard. Firstly, Iââ?¬â?¢d like to make clear that I am in no way a financial expert but the claim in the title is simply from reading between the lines regarding various stories and issues over the last year or so. My main evidence submission, curiously missed by many, is a Sunday Times business article from 2 months ago by John Penman (link available below). Seems to me Mr Murray is trying to tell us something which makes this subject so interesting worth while discussing. Last year we made, conservatively, around Ã?£12million from our exciting Championsââ?¬â?¢ league campaign. A few months back the chairman also announced the ââ?¬Ë?selling of the jerseysââ?¬â?¢ (literally) by outsourcing our successful retail operations to JJB Sports for Ã?£18million. Thatââ?¬â?¢s around Ã?£30million of investment which should bring our ongoing debt to around the -Ã?£10million mark ââ?¬â?? probably less. In other words, the club is on its most secure financial footing for a good number of years. Looking at the ever-decreasing share price you might find that contradicts this somewhat. However, that could be explained by a falling market (which is partly true) and/or someone selling shares at a fair rate. Who owns 91.8% of the shares again so has a few spare to sell? Indeed, further evidence, from Murray himself, indicates the club is available. Interviewed recently in the ââ?¬Ë?Sunday Timesââ?¬â?¢, regarding his biography; Murray says he has his ââ?¬Ë?sights on leaving the club in someone elseââ?¬â?¢s handsââ?¬â?¢. That may not be imminent but that shows his ââ?¬Ë?ambitionsââ?¬â?¢. Several other aspects of Murrayââ?¬â?¢s current business strategy and his personal life point towards a man changing his goals and his way of life. He recently sold his Murray International Metals group for Ã?£120million and has moved aggressively into the property scene. His Premier Property Group owns shopping centres and office buildings all over the UK. It has just embarked on a Ã?£50m speculative office development in the heart of Glasgow and its MIH parent group has borrowed nearly Ã?£500million to fund more ventures. Murray also announced his engagement this year and his intention to buy at least one more vineyard to the one he owns in France. A man making many changes then and important ones at that. Some may argue that the exciting appointment of Paul Le Guen, one of the finest young managers in World football, is a signal that he intends to take Rangers back to the forefront of the UK game. Iââ?¬â?¢d counter that this appointment and the other staff changes made within the club recently are only to attract a potential buyer. Certainly the minimal (but fiscally prudent) alleged transfer budget afforded to Le Guen doesnââ?¬â?¢t indicate a chairman prepared to go out on a limb to achieve his footballing ambitions. It shows a chairman keeping finances tight while having the club on a sound footing at every level (financial and staff), and importantly for this article, ready for sale. So who would take over the club? That is the main question here, since it appears to be a case of not if Murray will move on but when, who will take over? It wonââ?¬â?¢t be any of his sons as Murray doesnââ?¬â?¢t want them to have the same emotional and time rollercoaster he has had during his tenure. Although a Russian billionaire (Vladimir Lisin) has moved into an estate next door to Murrayââ?¬â?¢s in Perthsire such a buyer also seems unlikely. Murray rightly questions the hunger and attachment such a buyer would feel so perhaps the eternal links to Tom Hunter may be more likely. However, Hunter himself recently sold his stake in JJB Sports for Ã?£72million and his West Coast Capital investment company is also currently working with other such vehicles to move into other corporate areas. As such, an investment in Rangers by Hunter also looks off the mark. Perhaps we could look towards the background of Donald McIntyre, the new Rangers finance director for clues. McIntyre, a Chartered Accountant, has held senior financial positions within Stakis plc, Hilton Group plc, Hewden Stuart plc and latterly as Group Financial Controller at Macdonald Hotels Limited. Maybe one of these companies might be interested in a football investment particularly when you consider the ongoing RFC casino project. Vegas Sands who are in partnership with RFC for this leisure expansion may provide the biggest clue yet but are they a red herring? Also in the frame is the Rangers Supportersââ?¬â?¢ Trust. Their recent ShareSave initiative enables all fans to buy a stake in the club while proxying their holding to the Trust. Itââ?¬â?¢s only the initial stages of the project but already it seems successful and interest is high. Itââ?¬â?¢s also backed by the club and high net worth investors are taking part. Thus, while the RST may not be a buying contender per se, their increasing holding and undoubted increasing say of late means the may form a large part of any future boardroom changes. No matter the names suggested its all speculation at this stage but interesting nonetheless. Certainly, from the fansââ?¬â?¢ point of view, any new owner would still have over 90% of the shares. This has to be addressed in order for us to be able to influence the clubââ?¬â?¢s eventual new owner and avoid some of the problems weââ?¬â?¢ve had with the current one. Many fans are fed up with David Murray and have advocated an ownership change for several years. It seems that change is coming then ââ?¬â?? maybe not today, maybe not next year but it will happen sooner rather than later. Only then, will we know just how good a chairman and owner David Murray really is. Sources: ââ?¬Å?Reaping rewards from life's touchlineââ?¬Â http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9070-2157688.html Rangers Supportersââ?¬â?¢ Trust ShareSave scheme http://www.rangerssupporterstrust.co.uk/ss.html

Some nasty person took the gersnet.info off that mock up done by me a few months back. Seemingly it is to be like that but the diagonal will run the other way if you know what I mean.

Davide Tesotti at Murray Park Makhtar NDiaye Cyril Chapuis

Certainly good value... Perhaps he has a minimum fee releae clause or his contract is up soon. Would imagine there will be a few clubs interested at that rather low price.

Clement bid is ongoing... Rangers don't want to pay £1million so at the moment there's a bit of a stalemate.

Plenty time left for signings mate. The media don't have a clue what our budget is and/or what players we're interested in.

You wouldn't have got it mate. You're a Rangers fan. Martin Bain doesn't allow Rangers fans in any job over £20K per year.

A guy called Donald McIntyre has taken the position...

Yeah, the club say Bomber chose to leave. Not sure how accurate that is as it's a different story from the one I've heard. I'm sure we'll hear more shortly about it but I'd imagine Bomber; like Peel, Adams, Ogilvie and Joliffe before him will be bound by the 'official' story.

Not my info but the Telegraph's.... IIRC, the rule is more complicated than that quote I posted makes it sound.

Despite objections from the Football Association, UEFA have ruled that by the 2008 season, clubs playing in European competitions must field at least eight home-grown players in their 25-man squad. Of the eight, four will have had to be trained by the club's own academy and a further four trained within the same national association. UEFA are also pressing for the ruling to be enforced in domestic competitions, although that is yet to be agreed by national associations. The new rule will be introduced from the 2006-07 season with clubs needing to include a minimum of four home-grown players in a squad. That number will be increased to six the following season and eight in 2008-09. Of the 32 sides in last season's Champions League, five clubs would not have had enough home-grown players to satisfy UEFA's new rule. They were Arsenal, Chelsea, Celtic, Rangers and Ajax.

Left the club yesterday.... All the best Bomber.

I reckon we'll only sign one from the 3... PLG has already said he only wants a first team squad of around 24, so unless we going to drastically move on players very soon, I'd be very surprised if all 3 made a good enough impact to be signed. Can't say I know anything about any of them but it's only the young Italian that stands out for me.

I think Webster is a far better player than Pressley... Quite a few of my mates are Jambos and feel the same way. They do compliment each other but they all prefer Webster. For the £200K or so quoted, he'd be a good signing, provide able cover and also go some way to ensuring we are covered for the new UEFA 'homegrown' rules which start 07/08 IIRC.

PAUL LE GUEN will invite three players to Ibrox on trial this week as he continues his Rangers revolution. Record Sport understands former Marseille striker Cyril Chapuis, Senegal's World Cup 2002 midfield player Makhtar N'Diaye, right, and Juventus youngster Davide Tesotti are expected to check in at Murray Park over the next 24 hours. All three will be given the chance to win a place in the Frenchman's rebuilding programme. The offer will come as a lifeline to both Chapuis and N'Diaye who were key men in Le Guen's Rennes team but whose careers have been in decline almost ever since. Chapuis was tipped for big things when Le Guen sold him on to Marseille in January 2002 but his career at the Velodrome failed to take off. He was loaned to Leeds United two years ago but played just one top-team game then had spells at Strasbourg and Ajaccio. He has spent the last six months out of football after a proposed move to Belgian topflight outfit FC Brussels fell through. Le Guen knows enough about the player, who was born in Lyon, to offer him this chance to resurrect his career. The same can be said of freekick specialist N'Diaye. Still only 24, he has spent the past 12 months in relative obscurity in the Swiss League with minnows Yverdon-Sport. But perhaps the most intriguing of the trio is Davide Tosetti, who has been plucked from the Juventus youth ranks. Tosetti, also a midfield player, is only 18 but has been a big part of the Turin giants' successful youth team. However, all the scandal-hit club's youngsters were asked to report for crisis talks last week amid growing fears Juventus could face relegation this summer as part of a probe into match-fixing. Tosetti and his colleagues were advised to seek out options and now the teenager could be set to follow in the footsteps of Rino Gattuso who cut his teeth at Ibrox before going on to star for AC Milan and the Italian national side. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/tm_objectid=17296489%26method=full%26siteid=66633%26headline=three%2dto%2djet%2din%2dfor%2dgers%2dtrial%2d-name_page.html

Perhaps mate, but there are a few issues surrounding Webster. He can have his contracted terminated for a certain fee, but this isn't so clear when it comes to Scottish teams. I hope we're interested in Webster as he's a player I rate. I feel his pace and marking would compliment J-Rod quite nicely and give us more options at the back. Maybe we need to move on one of both of Fanfan and Andrews first. It wouldn't make financial sense signing another centre half when these guys are still here.

Interesting and very positive post mate. I agree the outlook is bright and although the fans are having to accept various percieved negative things, such as ongoing prudent finances and issues surrounding our songs, we have to keep the chins up. There is so much good to be had from this new tenure. But PLG and the new players will need our support more than ever. I can't wait to give it. Roll on July 29th!

New to Gersnet for Season 06/07... Click the thumbnail to enlarge, then right click on image and select as background.

Agree with ian. Hopefully the improvement in discipline, training techniques, fitness and tactics will mean every player (even ones who failed badly last season) can regain their form and contribute in some way. I can't wait!

Ignore it gersgal... Utter jealousy. In 2002/03 before his move to Blackburn (and after generally accepted as his best season for Rangers) he was Opta's 4th best midfielder in Europe in terms of passing. Now stats can be twisted for any situation but for the most part, most of Ferguson's critics don't have a real argument for not rating him other than the fact he's a Rangers player. A lot of people (and the media) do over-rate him and there's no doubt he'll have to improve on his inconsistent displays of last season if he wants to remain in the Rangers first team under PLG.

User CP Edit Options Then you can set up notifications in there.

They can have him and I'll throw in Bernard and Fanfan for free...

Will miss the first Ibrox OF game due to be on my honeymoon...