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To be in the position to call the shots over one football club is the stuff of many football fans' dreams. To potentially exert control over three, however, is a matter for concern. That's the accusation that the Scottish Football Association is levelling at Neil Rankine, a 62-year-old businessman who has a long association with game in the country. Mr Rankine owns 50 per cent of the shares in the company which owns Livingston Football Club, who play in the Scottish Championship. But the Scottish FA feel they have evidence which proves he has undue influence over League Two side East Fife Football Club as well. They also allege he can affect matters at Dumbarton Football Club, through a £200,000 loan owed by the company's owners. Scottish football's governing body have called for an independent panel to rule on its evidence on October 22. But as even Mr Rankine's involvement with Livingston is, on paper, at arm's length, the Scottish FA charge is levied against the club, rather than the individual. Their compliance officer Tony McGlennan has taken on a case initiated by his predecessor Vincent Lunny in which it is accused four separate rules have been broken through Mr Rankine's alleged link to the other two clubs. If found guilty, the punishment for Livingston could range from a financial penalty, through to a suspension from the Scottish Cup, or even a ban or expulsion from fielding teams in this country altogether. There is also an alleged rule breach relating to Mr Rankine's eligibility as a fit and proper person after Livingston named him on a document sent to the Scottish FA last year which was subsequently withdrawn. This relates again to his alleged interest in more than one club but it is also unclear whether it also relates to his bankruptcy in 1989 and whether it was declared to the governing body. So who is Neil Rankine and what is his interest in Scottish football? Mr Rankine was part of the group who rescued Livingston from liquidation in 2009 from the Italian businessman Angelo Massone. He owns 50 per cent of the shares in Livingston 5 Limited, which in turn holds just under 91 per cent of the shares in Livingston Football Club Limited. Previously he was the owner of Dumbarton, but crucially he left over £200,000 when he sold up in 2008, agreeing for the money to be repaid within five years. His link to East Fife, it is alleged, comes through his links to Lorraine Twigg, their biggest shareholder, and her daughter Samantha. Neil Rankine's role at Livingston In addition to his shareholding, Mr Rankine also claims he is owed around £500,000 from the club in loans he has paid to cover running costs. These loans are not currently repayable as part of an agreement struck by all directors at the time of the club's purchase. Rankine also claims he paid an emergency loan of £150,000 in September 2013 after being called in to evaluate the club's spiraling running costs, £100,000 of which has been repaid. He also states that other directors - namely Carolyn Sumner and Robert Wilson - have had their combined loan of approximately £75,000 returned. Allegations of involvement in East Fife Lorraine Twigg and her daughter Samantha currently own between them 58% of the total shares in East Fife. Mr Rankine says he advised Mrs Twigg to purchase the shares in the early 2000s as an "investment". Speaking of his advice to Ms Twigg, Mr Rankine said: "They had no money. They were going to go out of business. There was a bill from the Anglian Water Group, who owned Morrison Construction. They were going to foreclose on them for £280,000. That was a long time, so bear with me if the figures are a bit out. "I encouraged Mrs Twigg and her father that would be a sensible investment because at the time, I was sitting on a large offer for Dumbarton Football Club, which fortunately I didn't take because I sold it for three times more in 2008 to the current owners. "It's purely an investment. Mrs Twigg and myself have never been at any board meetings or had anything to do with the running of East Fife Football Club." Mr Rankine does not deny having a personal relationship with Mrs Twigg during a period of time when she was the biggest shareholder in East Fife. He does deny having any "involvement or shares" in the club but says he loaned the club £5,000 in 2003. In a follow-up interview with Mr Rankine, he stated he is now an advisor to Mrs Twigg. He stated he recommended the installation of Sid Columbine as chairman several years ago. He also outlined how he acted as an advisor for Mrs Twigg when a potential bidder for her shares came to the table. Mr Rankine didn't outline the date of the talks but the group in question are on public record as having given sponsorship money to the club from 2011 onwards. Mr Rankine made clear how he held discussions with the group over a £1.2m offer for the shares, advising Mrs Twigg he was unconvinced by their long-term plans. He also advised East Fife, on behalf of Mrs Twigg, to put £100,000 earned from a cup match with Rangers into a bond "for rainy days". We spoke to Jim Stevenson, the current interim chairman at East Fife FC. "He's certainly not running East Fife nor knows what's happening at East Fife," he said of Mr Rankine. "I've known Neil for a long time. I know a lot about him. But I've been in football a long time. Any dealings have been through football at Livingston and Dumbarton." East Fife's alleged financial assistance to Livingston Mr Rankine has alleged to STV that he facilitated a loan to be paid by Mrs Twigg to Livingston Football Club to help them urgently meet their running costs. "Ged Nixon sourced [a loan] directly from Mrs Twigg for £40,000 in 2012. The loan was directly sourced by Mr Nixon from Mrs Twigg. "He was desperate at that time and the person who was paying the bills at that time. I told him then I was giving him no more money. "If he needed money, Mrs Twigg is a wealthy woman. Mrs Twigg may have some money but he would need to pay any penalties she had for lifting that money and he would need to pay any interest on that money. He sourced that money directly from Mrs Twigg." Mr Nixon does not deny sourcing the loan. "Both Gordon McDougall [Livingston chairman] and myself collectively contacted Neil Rankine regarding a loan to the club," he told STV. "[Rankine] was on holiday at the time and couldn't access funds. "He suggested and arranged the loan through Mrs Twigg and we agreed to meet the penalty she incurred for lifting the funds from her account. That penalty was paid in cash to Mrs Twigg and Mr Rankine together on a subsequent visit to the club. "The agreed repayment of the loan was met whilst I was still at the club although one installment had still to be met after my departure. I can only assume it has since been met. "The loan was added to Neil Rankine's director loan account as lodged in SAGE and subsequently reduced on SAGE as repayments met and fully audited. "Mr Rankine signed his director's loan account at every subsequent year end as being an accurate reflection of his outstanding loan figure and Mr Rankine, at no time up until my departure, questioned it being overstated as a result of the loan in question not being attributable to him." Allegations of involvement in Dumbarton Mr Rankine by his own admission is still owed £200,000 by Brabco 736 Limited, who through a myriad of similarly named accounts, own Dumbarton Football Club. The money was loaned at the time he sold his interest in the club in 2008. "There's no question I got lucky at Dumbarton," he said of his time there. "I made a lot of money at Dumbarton. I've made money nearly everywhere I've gone. I've had a couple that have went wrong but in general terms when I put money into something, it usually succeeds. "When I bought Livingston Football Club, it was all over the papers. Every newspaper. I was on the telly sitting beside Gordon McDougall. At that time, Dumbarton Football Club owed me, and still owe me, £200,000. I didn't see that as a conflict of interest. "Dumbarton have been asked if I have had any influence on them. I have not called up that loan. The five years have elapsed. I could have sued in April of last year. I could sue in April of this year." Gilbert Lawrie, Dumbarton's chief executive, clarified the position from his club's perspective. "He is owed £200,000 by Brabco. There was a legal agreement until March 2015 for that to be repaid. "He could have have sued one person within Brabco. I am not willing to say who. It's a personal security between that individual and Mr Rankine. "It definitely has nothing to do with the football club. It's a private transaction between Mr Rankine and a private individual." Asked if he rejected the allegation that Mr Rankine could exert control over Dumbarton, Mr Lawrie responded: "Absolutely". What links the three clubs? There are three things in common between Dumbarton, East Fife and Livingston. All have stadiums which are on expanses of land potentially ripe for sale and development by another party. So is that what attracts Neil Rankine to football? In summary The Scottish FA will present their case to a judicial panel, after various delays, on October 22. A guilty verdict on any count will see a punishment meted to Livingston, rather than Mr Rankine himself. Whatever the outcome it will signal only part one in what is likely to be an unravelling of affairs at the club. The next big date will come in the Court of Session next year when their former chief executive Ged Nixon attempts to sue for the immediate repayment of £311,000 he says he put in to the company through director's loans. If he's successful, it could potentially lead to other directors calling in their debts. Either way, it's likely to lead to a ugly public battle as both sides lodge accusations about each other's conduct. The club are also facing sanctions from the Scottish Professional Football League over allegations they themselves have made against Mr Nixon over cash payments made to players which were not declared to the league or HM Revenue and Customs. http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/livingston/294837-neil-rankine-his-dealings-with-dumbarton-east-fife-and-livingston/

THE Rangers fans have been absolutely magnificent in their backing of the Ibrox club since they dropped down to the bottom division two years ago. So it was desperately sad to see a small number of individuals involved in some ugly scenes in the stands in the SPFL Championship game through in Livingston. I couldn't see what happened from my position in the commentary box. But it has been claimed police attempted to arrest a supporter who was clearly the worse for wear and scuffles broke out. There were thousands of travelling supporters at the Energy Assets Arena who behaved impeccably. But the unfortunate incident reflects badly on Gers fans as a whole. If anybody is prosecuted as a result of what happened then Rangers should definitely come down hard on them and issue banning orders. They have to send out a clear message that such actions will not be tolerated. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/rangerscomment/dj-ban-rangers-troublemakers-as-deterrent-183989n.25553620

NOBODY is denying that Rangers need money from somewhere - and soon. Despite the share offering last month raising over £3million, there is not enough in the bank to see the Ibrox club beyond the end of the year. But are Rangers going to fall into the same trap as they have on so many occasions in the last few years? Are they going to turn to somebody who is, at the end of the day, primarily concerned with making money? Personally, I want people in charge who have the best interests of Rangers at heart and are not simply hoping to make a fast buck. For me, Dave King, George Letham and Paul Murray all fall into that category. Their priority isn't making a profit on any investment. No, they want to see the club flourish. They would, too, be there for the long haul if they got in. Dave King, who has previously invested £20m of his personal fortune, has shown in the past that his prime concern is the club he grew up supporting as a boy in Glasgow. I know George Letham. His love of Rangers was obvious when he stepped in and loaned them £1m of his own money to keep them afloat last season. Paul Murray could easily have walked away two years ago after the Blue Knights consortium he was a part of was scuppered in its bid to buy the club. But he hasn't. Along with many other fans, I want people involved at Ibrox who have reasons to be involved apart from money. King, Letham and Murray are all Rangers men through and through. I would like to see individuals with a passion for the club having a say in its future instead of those whose main concern is making money. King, Letham and Murray have been in negotiations with chief executive Graham Wallace about a multi-million pound package that would sustain the club to the end of the season and beyond. I would be happy if something could be agreed and they could work together with the current board to return Rangers to the forefront of Scottish football and take them back into Europe. But now, of course, shareholder Mike Ashley has called a extraordinary general meeting of the club in a bid to oust Wallace and director Philip Nash. If he is successful - and I would not bet against a clever operator like the Sports Direct owner getting what he wants - then what happens then? Some Rangers fans are very unhappy about the prospect of Ashley taking a greater role in the running of the club. Others would like to see the billionaire businessman involved. But Article 13 of the SFA Articles of Association prevents somebody having stakes of more than 10% in two clubs without their "prior written consent". Also, if Wallace and Nash are removed then it is going to take over £500,000 to pay up their contracts and honour any bonuses which are due to them. But the funds are running out. So where is the cash going to come from? There is a lot of talk about Ashley being prepared to lend the club money. But if that is the case, no matter what the terms are, then the club is immediately in debt. Is that really what we want? Especially when a man like King, who has said he is prepared to plough in tens of millions without a return, is waiting in the wings. However, Ashley hasn't got where he is today - and the Cockney is apparently the 250th richest man in the world - without being a cunning customer. He has ploughed tens of millions of pounds into Newcastle United. He certainly wouldn't have to invest anything like that to resurrect the fortunes of Rangers. In the last two years nobody appeared interested in the club. Now, all of a sudden, we have two rival camps fighting over it. That in itself has to augur well for the future. Whether the billionaire businessman or three people with the best interests of the club at heart takes control, at long last something is happening. But as I say, my preference, along with a lot of other supporters, would be for guys who love Rangers and want to see it do well coming on board. I WAS looking forward to meeting up with my old mate Andy Gray next week when I head out to Dubai. So I was sad to hear he has returned to Glasgow after his mother passed away. My thoughts are with him and his family. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/rangerscomment/dj-cash-allied-to-passion-is-key-for-rangers-184026n.25554712

keith jackson @tedermeatballs · 9s 10 seconds ago OK bed time. Back page will be up soon. Suffice to say a multi million pound bailout offer has been made by a three man consortium. https://twitter.com/tedermeatballs/with_replies

Here's the latest from McMurdo.........

Start of a thread on a Celtic forum from 2006: Not ****ing Happy- I want somebody at Celtic sacked -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Like many other fans I was glued to the CL draw and then waited patiently for celtic to post the official match days so I could book all our flights me and two others for all 6 games, I spent a 2 hours solid booking flights to, liverpool, edinburgh, glasgow, lisbon, malmo, hamburg only to find out some ****ing idiot at celtic got every ****ing date wrong. I've spent close on €2000 for all flights and now there not worth a shite, not only that I've now got to book again at more inflated prices. Me and my mates have gone from a great high with new signings and draw to disbelief. Does anyone have a clue how I can rectify this?' Thread 2 again from 2006 Originally Posted by paulleger aerlingus cheap flights to lisbon -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- from dublin leaving the 6th dec at 6.20am returning the 7th at 12.40pm all in e108 euro return not bad imo Originally Posted by dublad Re: aerlingus cheap flights to lisbon -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- where you going to watch the game as we're playing fc copenhagen that nite?? :D

The old man shuffled in the large leather chair, one of those traditional ones designed to encourage good seating posture rather than slouching, pushing his steel rimmed glasses onto his forehead he took what he hoped would be another sip of inspiration from the lukewarm tea on the table, just for a brief moment he thought about undoing his top shirt button and loosening his tie to provide relief from the late afternoon sun beaming through the office window and which was taking its toll – but that would just not do, “standards, standards, standards” he muttered to himself, the presentation was tomorrow and the speech had to be finished, so reaching for his trusty pencil and notepad he collected his thoughts and began scribbling… “I have been lucky — lucky in those who were around me from the boardroom to the dressing-room. In time of stress, their unstinted support, unbroken devotion to our club and calmness in adversity eased the task of making Rangers FC the premier club in this country. To be a Ranger is to sense the sacred trust of upholding all that such a name means in this shrine of football. They must be true in their conception of what the Ibrox tradition seeks from them. No true Ranger has ever failed in the tradition set him.” Our very success, gained you will agree by skill, will draw more people than ever to see it. And that will benefit many more clubs than Rangers. Let the others come after us. We welcome the chase. It is healthy for us. We will never hide from it. Never fear, inevitably we shall have our years of failure, and when they arrive, we must reveal tolerance and sanity. No matter the days of anxiety that come our way, we shall emerge stronger because of the trials to be overcome. That has been the philosophy of the Rangers since the days of the gallant pioneers.” I have spent my whole life in awe of that speech. The utter selflessness at the heart of it, the appreciation and acknowledgement of the work and dedication of others, the dismissal of the importance of the individual and the emphasis and focus on the dedication of others around him merely serve to underline why this man has left such an indelible stamp on our club. It speaks of a football club with a sense of direction, where the people at the very heart of it share not only a common vision but realise the necessity of working together with shared values to deliver that vision. We have fallen, fallen a long way from that sacred trust, taken there by men with little concept of what the Ibrox tradition seeks from them, men whose importance of self, of ego, was the very antithesis of everything Mr Struth stood for. It has opened a revolving door of charlatans, of profiteers, with no interest in preserving the shrine other than seeking to exploit the faithful who still come to worship. In these days of anxiety, amidst the clamour of boardroom battles, of money men and PR gurus, of percentage shareholdings and damaging headlines, one group, to the exclusion of all others, has sought to uphold that sacred trust and remain true to the concept of the Ibrox tradition. Disengaged and disempowered from the powers and processes which govern our club, and in the face of considerable, or as some hoped, insurmountable adversity, we have strived and endeavoured to keep the flames of that sacred trust burning. We conquered the insurmountable, breaking attendance records along the way, we laid waste to the false accusations of “glory hunters” at the Gayfields and Station Parks of this world. Borough Briggs and Ochilview had to be postponed as the manifestation of “unstinted support” and “unbroken devotion” descended upon them. Who are these people ? Go look in the mirror you will see them there, staring right back at you – we are the people. We are the people and this is our time. It’s time for those who have proven themselves in the face of adversity to no longer be disempowered or disengaged. We are the rightful sentinels of that sacred trust, do we honestly believe that anyone else could protect it better ? If you do then stop reading now. Rangers First, Buy Rangers and Vanguard Bears all offer a means of achieving that goal via their various fan ownership models. The choices we face are simple but critical nonetheless. Who do we trust most to decide the destiny of our football club, to safeguard all that we cherish and value ? To run the club in a way which upholds the traditions spoken of by Mr Struth all those years ago ? Who would ensure that every single decision which is made, is done so solely in the best interests of Rangers ? Or should we continue to fracture as a support, tearing ourselves apart doing the bidding of masters who offer no guarantees, in the hope of some scraps off the table ? Isn’t it about time we either sat at that table ourselves or had a considerable say in who does and the decisions they make concerning our club ? I am under no illusions – it will not be easy. There will be considerable challenges ahead, without doubt considerable adversity as well, but only a fool would bet against a Rangers support united in purpose and vision – it’s probably what those who wish ill will against our club fear most. Our club is once again in need of “gallant pioneers”, men and women who will remain true to the concept the Ibrox tradition seeks from them, and the reward is ensuring that sacred trust is preserved for generations yet to come. “No true Ranger has ever failed in the tradition set him.”

Article submitted to Gersnet by Dan Teelsey http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/282-the-world-turn-d-upside-down The World Turn’d Upside Down written by Dan Teelsey Listen to me and you shall hear, news hath not been this thousand year: Since Herod, Caesar, and many more, you never heard the like before. Holy-dayes are despis'd, new fashions are devis'd. Old Christmas is kicked out of Town Yet let's be content, and the times lament, you see the world turn'd upside down. What’s known as the English Civil War produced, like all wars, many odd and unexpected results. Wars are often the mothers of strange children: we hardly associate Hitler and his motley collection of unimaginative halfwits with Neil Armstrong and ‘one small step for man’, but without the V2 technology, which went to the States with Nazi scientist Werner Von Braun, it would certainly have taken the USA longer to get to the moon. Few would link the Falklands War to Scottish independence, but without that conflict Mrs Thatcher may not have gained her second victory, and the excesses of monetarist economics which pushed so many to vote ‘Yes’ could have been avoided. One aspect of the English Civil War – which was fought in all corners of the soon-to-be-Union, but let that pass – which seems a little quaint today is the struggle over whether Christmas should be celebrated in a sombre, ‘respectful’ fashion, as was suggested by Parliament, or in the traditional, carousing, festive spirit familiar for centuries. Parliament’s position was mocked in a folk ballad of the times, ‘The World Turn’d Upside Down’, which noted that what was good enough for the Magi – ‘The wise men did rejoyce to see our Saviour’ – ought to be good enough for the people of England, and that if celebrating wars – ‘Kill a thousand men, or a Town regain, we will give thanks and praise’ – was acceptable, so to was celebrating Christ. The song’s mix of sardonic satire and brilliant title have seen it remembered, even if the rationale behind it is increasingly lost in the mists of time. In Scotland, the echoes have been heard until recently, with workers right up until the 1950’s working on Christmas morning – here the day was not that far removed from Parliament’s idea. Only recently has Christmas taken a place alongside Hogmanay, the traditional Bacchanalia of the North, although since nowadays so many people are slaughtered on a regular basis the one-off appeal of a blow out at Ne’er Day is somewhat diminished. Diminished, too, is another icon of that Presbyterian settlement which obtained over Scotland for so long. The Rangers are a pale shadow of what they once were, on the pitch, in the boardroom and in the stands. Replace the word ‘Christmas’ in that quote above with ‘Rangers’ and you get the picture: the convulsions which have racked the club since they entered into dispute with HMRC are reaching ridiculous proportions. Many organisations come into conflict with HMRC over one thing or another, but surely few can have reacted to it with quite such incompetence and drawn out sickness. Maybe it’s the shock at being kicked in the balls by bodies which, perhaps, Rangers fondly imagined were on the same side as them; maybe it’s surprise at finding themselves quite so isolated when the chips were down; maybe it’s merely impotence as the entrepreneur culture which so many lauded comes home to roost with a vengeance. Whatever the reason, there are people in West Africa who have shaken off Ebola quicker than Rangers have gotten over their fever: their world turn’d upside down, right enough. Some, it is true, are taking the fight to the club, with what they would doubtless be horrified to read as an enthusiasm comparable to the activism of the ‘Yes’ campaign in Scotland’s recent referendum. When online fans who are also shareholders email board members to innocently enquire about standard procedures, the replies (or lack thereof) have revealed quite a lot about those wearing the blazers. Only this week, internet poster ‘Govan Derriere’ revealed that, after several weeks of trying, he had finally obtained a response as to when the AGM would be held this year. Hardly the most explosive of questions, you might feel. Before 31st December, in line with the law, came the terse response from Mr David Somers, apparently Chairman of Rangers. One wonders if he treats shareholders in his other companies with quite such disdain and one concludes that, no, he probably doesn’t but considers football fans so much dirt on his shoes. An odd attitude for a Chairman of a football club, you might think. However that may be, ‘Govan Derriere’s’ questioning landed quite a few blows on Mr Somers’ credibility, a rare case of a fan hitting the shit. What strange days these are, indeed. As a lapsed Rangers fan with more to worry about than a football club falling to bits I should really be getting on with other things, but the fascinating freak show which unfolds almost daily on Edmiston Drive is hideously addictive. Adding yet another group to the notoriously splintered Rangers fan base – that of pissed off former attendee who can’t quite seem to shake off the habit of 30 years and who keeps returning to pick over the bones – is probably not helpful, but then again I can’t see how it can makes things any worse. I suppose Rangers fans can only hope that their club will still be around in 300 years, and that someone will have come up with songs which reflect this period, to be sung in the stands of Ibrox. Maybe this civil war will result in unforeseen results, one of which at present would be the sight of a healthy Rangers. The titles and the music are unlikely to be very uplifting, though. Perhaps they could nick this old one off Jim Morrison: it seems very apt. Strange days have found us / Strange days have tracked us down / They're going to destroy Our casual joys / We shall go on playing / Or find a new town [video=youtube;-NSz-9qqgKE] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NSz-9qqgKE

Tuesday 7th October 7pm. Grovsner Hotel Gt Western Rd Glasgow. Public meeting for all fans concerned with recent events at our club and who wish to explore possible actions available to the fans. We have one guest speaker confirmed so far and the meeting will include a Q&A session Much better from Craig here. Hope it goes well.

...and turn down Cowdenbeath's bid to get league match back on the fixture list. THE Blue Brazil had argued that the criteria for the postponement had changed - with Rangers missing just TWO players due to international call-ups. THE SPFL have rejected a final bid by Cowdenbeath to get their postponed Championship clash with Rangers back on. The match had been scheduled for Saturday because Ibrox players – Marius Zaliukas, Bilel Mohsni and Dean Shiels – have been selected for international duty. But Cowden say the criteria for the call-off has now changed because of a two-match ban given to Mohsni that would have ruled him out of the weekend game. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/spfl-back-rangers-postponement-plea-4387751?

RANGERS today demanded an apology from Livingston over "outrageous and unacceptable" content in their match programme at the weekend. And the Ibrox club will also report their SPFL Championship rivals to the governing body over the "erroneous material". Gers supporters were incensed at two articles which appeared in the programme at the Energy Assets Arena. One story referred to "the club then known as Rangers" playing a game against Hibernian three years ago. It went on to state that "a brand new club" had been established after the old parent company was liquidated back in 2012. Another story in the Livingston programme mentioned the West Lothian club's record against the "now-defunct outfit" and "the newly-formed Rangers". However, High Court judge Lord Nimmo Smith ruled that Rangers was a "recognisable entity which continued in existence notwithstanding the change in ownership" two years ago. Livingston officials are believed to be horrified by the comments that appeared in the official publication which is edited by supporter Andy Crawford. However, Rangers still want their rivals, who they defeated 1-0 at the weekend, to apologise over the offence caused to the 54-times Scottish champions. A club statement read: "The content written about the football club and our players was outrageous and entirely unacceptable. "We will be raising the issue with the SPFL and seeking an apology from Livingston FC, who had a duty to prevent such erroneous material from appearing in their programme." Meanwhile, Rangers are set to escape any sanction from the SPFL over the crowd trouble that flared in the stands and outside the stadium in Livingston on Saturday. However, the League One champions are set to issue anyone who is convicted following the unrest at the weekend with banning orders from their matches. There were violent scuffles between Gers fans and police and stewards in one section of the stands during the first half of the second-tier game. Livingston safety officer Alan Scott confirmed: "There were five people arrested. The stewards and police assisted each other in dealing with the matter and no police or stewards were injured." And after the match mounted police reportedly had to break up an altercation between Rangers and Livingston supporters in the car park of nearby supermarket Lidl. The incidents are set to be mentioned in the official report to the SPFL by match delegate Alan Dick that should arrive at the Hampden offices of the governing body tomorrow. However, Rangers are confident their preparations for the match were professional and in accordance with strict guidelines laid down by the SPFL. They should, therefore, escape any official censure. After the match, Rangers manager Ally McCoist commented: "I did see it and it looked pretty unsavoury, but until I get a report on it I would be loath to comment other than to say we can do without incidents like that." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/rangers-demand-apology-over-livi-programme-article-183240n.25506990

New direction from the Union of Fans. The replies will be interesting. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/11147293/Rangers-fans-complain-to-companies-associated-with-plc-chairman-David-Somers.html

Worth a read by John McIntosh http://www.thecoplandroad.org/2014/10/a-club-missing-footballing-philosophy.html?m=1 The Rangers Football Club of today is a club who plan as far ahead as the next game. Ally McCoist has told us many times there are reasons he doesn’t feel he can plan ahead for the future but nothing should be halting the much needed development of our once great club. Ally said in an interview that he wishes us to follow Ajax or Porto’s model, which I agree with, I just don’t believe he ever believed what he was saying as his actions in his tenure prove he doesn’t trust youth enough whilst we have no scouts - which is a disgrace. In the backwaters of Scottish football we simply can’t compete with the extravagant spending that happens at the top clubs in Europe’s top leagues due to TV rights and prize money. Ajax, Porto and Benfica have all realised the need to be “smart” to have any chance of being successful domestically while posing a threat in the premier European competition due to the league they are in and the lack of money. These clubs either; concentrate on implementing the most innovative training routines in some of the best facilities in football, alongside quality coaches who nurture their youth sides with seamless transitions to their first team - or they have some of the best scouts available in every continent scouring the world for the next exciting young talent. The philosophy is buy low, sell high. Very simple, but something we very rarely do. It’s simple business sense. Meanwhile these clubs never rest, they know they can’t keep hold of their best players. They accept they are now a selling club to Europe’s giants but they are already nurturing the next big thing from their academy or extensively scouting the player who will be next to feature for them usually for very small fees. Since 2003, Porto have won 18 trophies and have cashed over £550m in player sales. Yes, you read that right. This is no pipe dream. Can Rangers adopt and implement one of these models? Absolutely. The whole attitude at our football club needs changed and quick but we can implement one of these models definitely. Perhaps you think setting up a scouting network would cost too much? It wouldn’t, we are paying mediocre past it players £6k a week and more in some cases. Don’t sign 30-year-old+ past it players and instead adopt a youth development or worldwide scouting model. I know which one fans want. Promotion of our many talented u20 youngsters costs us nothing while hiring scouts and implementing an impressive scouting network may cost a small amount, but if we get rid of a few duds on extravagant wages you easily have money to bring in the next big thing through top quality extensive scouting. Ironically being in a poor financial state means implementing one of these models and planning years ahead is of major importance, massive money can be made on a yearly basis through high player sales within the Ajax model (youth development) or Porto/Benfica model (world class scouting networks). Another thing that I am a massive fan of is the Barcelona model that every single team from first team to their youngest age group all play the same formation and tactics, thus enabling seamless transition as youngsters move up each year and I fully feel we need to do this. Our u20 manager Gordon Durie at the end of last season said: “We look to only be losing one young lad for next season which is great.” This attitude stinks. Durie’s job is to have players playing well and to develop them with his success being that several of his young lads make it as first team picks through seamless integration to the first team. No longer should we, as David Murray famously said, “spend £10 for every £5 Celtic spend”. We should be innovative and look to the models of Porto, Benfica and Ajax raking in massive profits from player sales. As for McCoist it’s well known none of these models will be used while he is in charge, removing and replacing him is for another time but might I make a very ambitious possible replacement in a restructuring job – Ian Cathro working as head coach with a Director of Football overseeing all football matters. Would he come? Debatable. He has stated an ambition to manage but he is working at a very high level currently. We desperately need a footballing philosophy and a young hungry manager to take us back where we belong.

Should they not have been published by now? Not that I'm expecting good news, however getting it out of the way and having the AGM where we vote through the share issue is quite important? Another example of poor corporate governance or am I too impatient?

...but it won't be long before Kris Boyd hits the target. by Jonathan​McFarlane​ BOYD might still be looking for his first league goal of the season but JONNY says there is a very good reason why the Rangers fans are not writing him off. THE biggest shock of the season so far has been seeing Kris Boyd, the top goalscorer in SPL history, struggle to get off the mark in the Championship. Eight games and zero goals is a dreadful statistic that few would have considered possible at the start of the campaign. To most of us it looked like a top signing. Here was a club legend, a striker of undoubted repute, leading the Kilmarnock line like a man reborn and scoring goal after goal at the top level for a struggling team. Surely, with his confidence back and a new appreciation for hard graft forged in his years abroad, this was the quintessential no brainer signing. So far it’s not worked out that way and Boyd cuts a frustrated figure at Rangers with his eagerness to please the support seeming to have affected his killer instinct. He looks like a player who wants the goals to come so much that his goal radar has been knocked slightly out of sync. Against Livingston on Saturday, he had the sort of game where he couldn’t hit a barn door. It didn’t matter if it was a header, volley or open goal, he just couldn’t find the calm precision with which he made his name. This assassin is currently firing blanks. To be fair, at times he’s not been helped by the style of play of the team and this has seen him feeding off scraps in the bigger games. He is much more likely to get back to his best when he has creative players like Aird, Templeton and McLeod buzzing about him creating chances. Ally McCoist must do his bit by giving Boyd the platform to succeed. Perhaps this is why few are writing off the striker just yet. He has shown that he is a better all-round player than in his last spell and is more involved in the team’s patterns of play. While he has been enduring a frustrating spell he is still getting himself in great positions and history has taught us this will inevitably lead to Boyd goals. Thankfully, confidence, the main stumbling block for strikers in this kind of fallow period, is never going to be an issue for such an experienced and self-assured guy. You always get the impression that no-one believes in Kris Boyd’s ability to hit the net more than Kris Boyd. That is exactly the reason he will soon be back with a flurry of goals, I’m predicting 20 before the season is out. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/opinion/sport/record-fc-rangers-assassin-might-4393960?

With a vital period in the club's ongoing challenges coming up I'd like to make a few points of order. 1. Abuse and insults While I don't expect everyone to get on like a house on fire and I'm more than aware a few people like to be loose in their interpretation of debate, please keep it civil and avoid insulting anyone. 2. Discussing other fan groups/forums Once again, while I don't expect everyone to be a fan of other websites or all fan groups, I think it's important to note we are all Rangers fans and I don't want people on here to add to the division we see elsewhere. 3. Trolling Yes, it's easy to circle round to underlying issues from time to time. However, parroting the same stuff can quickly become tedious - as can refusing to answer points in relation to this. Either take an constructive part in discussion here or do your baiting elsewhere. A few people have already been warned in relation to the above. I don't care if you have 1 post or 10,000; you're not immune from censure, temporary and permanent bans if you consistently refuse to adhere to the above simple requests. No excuses folks.

RANGERS are set to learn who their opponents will be as they enter this season's Scottish Cup at today's Third Round draw. The Light Blues made it to the semi final stage of last season's competition before losing out to Dundee Utd. They will hope for another solid cup run after making progress already this season in both the League Cup and Challenge Cup. Ally McCoist's side are joined in the draw by Championship rivals Dumbarton, Livingston, Raith Rovers Alloa Athletic and Cowdenbeath. Also in the pot for today's draw are League One sides Airdrieonians, Ayr United, Brechin City, Dunfermline Athletic, Forfar Athletic, Greenock Morton, Peterhead, Stenhousemuir, Stirling Albion and Stranraer. Second round winners will also be in the draw to be made in Edinburgh at 2pm today. Successful in the weekend's second round ties were Linlithgow Rose, Clyde, Queen’s Park, Hurlford United, East Stirlingshire, Annan Athletic, Brora Rangers, Berwick Rangers, Bo’ness United, East Fife, Nairn County, Edinburgh City and Albion Rovers. Three ties remain unsettled after draws between Elgin City and Forres Mechanics, Spartans and East Kilbride, Arbroath and Montrose. THIRD ROUND CLUBS Linlithgow Rose Clyde Queen’s Park Hurlford United East Stirlingshire Elgin City OR Forres Mechanics Annan Athletic Brora Rangers Berwick Rangers Bo’ness United Spartans OR East Kilbride East Fife Arbroath OR Montrose Nairn County Edinburgh City Albion Rovers Airdrieonians Ayr United Brechin City Dunfermline Athletic Forfar Athletic Greenock Morton Peterhead Stenhousemuir Stirling Albion Stranraer Dumbarton Livingston Raith Rovers Alloa Athletic Cowdenbeath RANGERS http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/7805-gers-set-for-scottish-cup-draw

Not that we're interested or anything.

WE look at some of the memorable moments that have happened on this day in the long history of Rangers. Today we remember a remarkable 13:0 win in the Scottish Cup, Eric Caldow turning down a move to Manchester United and amazing games against Kilmarnock and Celtic. In 1959, Eric Caldow announced that he would be knocking back a move to English giants Manchester United in order to stay at Rangers. Caldow had travelled to Manchester and was expected to sign, however in a dramatic turn of events, the Scotland international full back phoned United manager Matt Busby to inform him of his decision. Busby said at the time: “The deal has fallen through. Caldow will not sign. It is something neither club can understand.” Caldow would go on to play for Rangers for another seven years, leaving in 1966 for Stirling Albion, you can read his hall of fame profile here. Epic is the only way to describe the events in the East End of Glasgow in 2002 as Alex McLeish continued his unbeaten run against Celtic and Rangers stayed top of the SPL table in an astonishing contest that finished 3:3. Rangers twice led, they were behind once and in the end they hung on for a crucial point in a remarkable match. It was a nightmare, for one man - Robert Douglas. The Celtic keeper was culpable for two of Rangers' goals and might never really have recovered from a disastrous day. He threw in Mikel Arteta's shot in six minutes and he spilled Arthur Numan's less than powerful effort in 76 minutes to allow Shota Arveladze to squeeze Rangers 3-2 ahead. However, Douglas was partially saved by Chris Sutton who equalised for Celtic with 12 minutes remaining. You can read a match report of the game here. In 1965, Rangers won an amazing League Cup semi-final against Kilmarnock 6:4. The Light Blues had swept to a 6:1 lead, with the fans joining in choruses of “easy easy”, before a hatrick in the closing stages from Tommy McLean gave the Gers legions a scare. In 1877, only five years after being founded, the club beat Possil Park by an astonishing thirteen goals to nil in the Scottish Cup first round at Kinning Park. Peter Campbell bagged a hatrick and there were doubles for David Hill, James Campbell, Alex Marshall and James Watson. Moses McNeil and Sam Ricketts were also on the scoresheet in the match. http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/on-this-day/item/2378-on-this-day-october-6

RFC Good to see that some of our "more vocal" fans is helping the Rangers Family along.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...n-Rangers.html MIKE ASHLEY has doubled his stake in Rangers. The Newcastle owner now owns around nine per cent of the Scottish Championship club. Investment group Hargreave Hale confirmed it was behind the sale of £853,000 worth of shares in the fallen Glaswegian giants. Ashley’s purchase came hours after Gers fans threatened to boycott his Sports Direct stores over the cut-price deal he struck for the Ibrox naming rights. A spokesman for fans’ group Sons of Struth said: “We call on Mike Ashley to cancel his contract before the October 11. “If he still retains the naming rights after this point, we will instigate an immediate series of actions aimed at his Sports Direct stores.”

Just about to start if anyone is interested?, watch it live here

Game put back at the behest of Sky after the Chelsea v Arsenal match was delayed by fifteen minutes. No thought for the fans attending the game. A step too far.

Rangers fans group Sons of Struth threaten boycott of Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct shops Ashley has been targeted after purchasing the naming rights to Ibrox for £1. The threat of a boycott of Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct retail group along with the business interests of other Rangers directors has been made by dissident fans’ group, the Sons of Struth, following a ballot of supporters. The group, named after Rangers’ longest serving manager, Bill Struth, staged a demonstration behind the directors’ box at Ibrox during the team’s recent meeting with Inverness in the Scottish Communities League Cup, but have now raised the possibility of direct action against McGills Buses, a transport group owned by the Rangers football board chairman, Sandy Easdale, and his brother James, who serves on the plc board. Ashley has been targeted because Sandy Easdale recently revealed that the naming rights to Ibrox had been sold to the Newcastle United owner for £1. Easdale himself has been the subject of condemnation from the Rangers support - whose boycott of season tickets has reduced the club’s income from that source by half - because he has been seen in the company of Rafat Rizvi, who was sentenced to 15 years in absentia when convicted of fraud in an Indonesian court. Rizvi, a UK citizen, is the subject of an Interpol international arrest warrant but cannot be extradited because the UK has no treaty with Indonesia. He was pictured recently in Glasgow along with Easdale and Malyasian businessman, Datuk Faizoull Bin Ahmad, who was named as a potential investor in the troubled club, although he subsequently denied any intent to take a stake or any knowledge of Rizvi. The Sons of Struth issued a statement detailing the results of their poll, which did not specify how many fans’ opinions had been sampled, although it is thought that they have around 3000 members. The statement read: "Due to recent events, such as Sandy Easdale's meeting with convicted fraudster Rafat Rizvi, his broken promises of having investors lined up and the selling of our stadium’s naming rights to Mike Ashley for £1.00, Sons of Struth have received an increased level of calls for tougher action against the board, Sports Direct and, Easdale-owned McGills Buses. “Recent polling of our members resulted in 99.35% calling for the removal of Sandy Easdale as a Rangers director and 97.19% wishing Mike Ashley to cancel his 7 year contract for the naming rights to Ibrox, 92.87% want to boycott McGills buses and 87.47% want to boycott Sports Direct in attempt to achieve the removal of Sandy Easdale and cancellation of Mike Ashley's naming rights agreement. “89.64% of those polled want to see some sort of boycott at matches with an aim of removing Sandy Easdale. The general feeling amongst our members is that he lies to fans and shows no respect to his position through his close association with Jack Irvine and his meeting with a man on Interpol's most wanted list. His words and actions are disrespectful to the position he holds as a director of Rangers Football Club. “Our firm belief is that Sandy Easdale is an obstacle to future outside investment and, despite his recent outlandish claims that the fans' actions may put the club's future in danger, we firmly believe that after 100,000 season ticket sales in three seasons the blame for the clubs perilous financial position lies squarely in the boardroom. “The club operate a "football board" which is viewed in the eyes of the fans as nothing more than a vehicle to allow Sandy Easdale a directorship as he may not be eligible for a seat on the PLC board. Does this "football board" have any other purpose? “We shall release our intentions for further protests and boycott action in the very near future and in the meantime would encourage the board to immediately remove Sandy Easdale if they wish to avoid this. “Sandy Easdale has been heard in the past to claim that if the Rangers support do not want him at Ibrox he would leave. We would ask him to take the hint and go before his association with our club causes more damage. “Sons of Struth also call on Mike Ashley to cancel his naming rights contract before the 11th of October. If he still retains the naming rights after this point we will instigate an immediate series of actions aimed at his Sports Direct stores. “We would ask all Rangers supporters in the meantime to use discretion when deciding to give either Sports Direct or McGills Buses their custom. We will hold a public meeting of Rangers fans in October at at a venue to be announced." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/11131196/Rangers-fans-group-Sons-of-Struth-threaten-boycott-of-Mike-Ashleys-Sports-Direct-shops.html

I apologise if this has already been covered. I didn't mind the jibes and slagging that we got at the time of admin because it was what it was and I would probably have stuck the knife in if our main rivals went through "a time of difficulty" to put it politely but as it went on and with no figurehead in the public eye to take the blame, we as fans were the aim for the blame. Pay your taxes, don't spend outwith your budget and so on.....we don't have control over that, we pay our money and assume the powers at be were there to look after our money. Does anyone have any hope that SDM will act upon Whytes latest court date? Is there any chance that a ruling will be made for shareholders to be compensated? (I realise Whyte can't pay). I dislike using the word victim but I would get some comfort if everybody outside of the Rangers family knew that that's what we were.