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RANGERS and Celtic are planning to launch their own TV channel and bid for the rights to Scottish football. The Old Firm are furious over the cut-price TV deal being offered to the SPL by Sky and ESPN in the wake of the collapse of Setanta. And they held secret talks at the weekend to discuss a bid of their own. Rangers chief executive Martin Bain said last night: "I can confirm that the Old Firm have had talks regarding the current broadcasting arrangements. "We are deeply disappointed at the proposals on the table and are exploring other avenues. At this stage I don't want to comment further." Bain and Rangers chairman Sir David Murray met their Parkhead counterparts, Peter Lawwell and Dr John Reid, to find a way forward on the TV issue. Both Old Firm clubs are furious that most other SPL teams seem willing to accept the "derisory" �£65million, five-year deal on offer from ESPN and Sky. The rest of the clubs look certain to rubberstamp the bid this week. The offer is worth roughly half the �£130million the SPL would have banked from Setanta over four years. But the Old Firm were always cynical about the Irish broadcasters' ability to actually pay the cash it had promised. Rangers and Celtic are preparing to offer more than �£25million to buy the rights for two years. They claim that the other 10 clubs will each earn more cash if they accept their deal. The Old Firm would stand to make more money by either selling the rights on to a new bidder or launching their own pay-per-view channels. The Record understands that Sir David Murray and Celtic's majority shareholder Dermot Desmond held urgent talks after last week's Hampden meeting with SPL executive chairman Lex Gold. The two tycoons discussed some sort of breakaway TV deal and agreed to hold a further round of talks. Any move to gazump Sky and ESPN will have to be tabled within the next 48 hours. A source close to the discussions said last night:"The Old Firm are very clear and united on this. "There is a feeling that the offer on the table right now is tantamount to these broadcasters holding our game to ransom. "In effect, Scottish football has been asked to drop its standards and accept whatever they offer. It is ludicrous to agree to these conditions for the next four or five years. "It would make far more sense for Rangers and Celtic to find the money to buy the rights for the next couple of years with an offer in excess of the terms on the table. "That way, the other clubs will share a bigger guaranteed income. And the Old Firm would be in a position either to sell the rights on to a broadcaster themselves, or, more appealingly, to create their own Old Firm TV channels. "Both clubs are well aware how lucrative the Old Firm derbies would be if launched on a pay-per-view platform. "As it stands, because of the collapse of Setanta and some botched negotiations, their own TV income is dropping like a stone. "It has gone down from �£ 5million a year when the new deal with Setanta was agreed, to �£4million a year when that deal was restructured, and now to a sum closer to �£ 1.9million a year. "The Old Firm are no longer willing to allow the tail to wag the dog." http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2009/07/14/rangers-and-celtic-get-together-to-buy-up-tv-rights-for-scotish-football-86908-21518563/

BIG-SPENDING Real Madrid chief Florentino Perez is plotting to set up a European Super League and could invite the Old Firm to join. The president of the Spanish giants threatens to lead a revolt against UEFA if they don't do more to support bigger clubs. Last night he said: "We have to agree a new European Super League that guarantees the best always play the best - something that doesn't happen in the Champions League." Celtic and Rangers would have to prove they deserve a place among the elite. Ibrox chief executive Martin Bain backed the Real plan and said: "The time is right for it to be looked at in detail. "It is also important to emphasise that it would not necessarily involve us leaving Scottish football behind." Perez also stressed he does not want to abandon domestic football - only to guarantee clubs such as Real, Manchester United, Barcelona and AC Milan participate every season in a big-money competition. He is brassed off by UEFA president Michel Platini who tried to make the Champions League more open to clubs outside the elite by bringing in an unseeded third qualifying round that puts the big guns at risk. Platini dismissed the idea of a breakaway when he said: "I don't think it's a threat." http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/spl/2009/07/06/old-firm-considered-for-euro-super-league-86908-21498224/

Most will probably be paid off at 23.30 on August 31.

SPL champions! Made possible by Carlos Cuellar? Yes. I believe that Carlos Cuellar was one of the major reasons why we won the league this season. The money from his transfer funded the purchases of Mendes, Davis and Edu, and without them we would not have won the league. There are three questions to look at. 1. Would Rangers have won the league without Mendes, Davis and Edu? The answer has to be a resounding NO. Bougherra had joined us before we played Kaunus and with him and Weir in the team, we had the best defenive record in the league. Cuellar and Bougherra would have improved this, but I don't believe it would have made a significant difference. However Mendes and Davis were mainstays throughout the whole season, and Edu came in and played a major part in our unbeaten run which propelled us to the title. Yes, there were periods during the season that Davis and Mendes didn't play that well, but who else would we have used? Adam? McCulloch? Without the three of them, we would not have won the league, and would have struggled in the midfield area, particularly when you look at the two old firm games that we won, and which were vital in us winning the league. 2. Would the club been able to buy these players if Cuellar had not been sold? Again the answer has to be a NO. If the club was looking to sell Boyd in January because it was going to be very close to its facility at the bank, then how could it possibly afford to buy these 3 players? there is no way that the club could afford to buy anyone else despite their protestations at the time. 3. Did Cuellar leave the club on his own volition? The evidence on this is inconclusive. Would he have left had we qualified for the Champions League? I believe that the answer to this is no. He was in the directors box for the Kaunus game, and that isn't the actions of a player who has decided to leave. After the Kaunus game, he may have looked around the club, and seen a team that had played its opening 2 European games with McCulloch and Adam in the midfield for the first match and McCulloch and Dailly in the midfield for the second and seen a team that was going absolutely nowhere. He would have seen a club that was in disarray, with no money to spend to improve the team, and felt that the club had badly let him down and decided to leave, and who could blame him for that? I certainly wouldn't and believe that he was badly let down. Alternatively he could have been encouraged to go by Murray and Bain. They would have highlighted the financial plight of the club and explained that there was no cash left to buy a midfield, and did he want to play in team where the midfield mainstays were going to be Dailly, Adam and McCulloch, and that they needed him to leave, but they were going to say that he was invoking a clause in his contract for the good of the club's image. I believe that he was encouraged to go but he would not have taken much persuasion as he could see the mess that the club was in. We wil probably never know the exact reasons for Cuellar leaving but it remains that we would not have won the league with not having Mendes, Davis and Edu in the team during the season. So to Carlos Cuellar - a big thanks for last season, and as big a thanks for help making this season so successful! :spl:

RANGERS chief executive Martin Bain is delighted at the take up of season tickets so far for the coming campaign and has praised the Rangers fans for their continued commitment to the club. Supporters have once again shown great passion and dedication to the team, with a record 43,500 season ticket holders this year. Rangers FansSeason ticket renewals are ahead of expectations for next season and there is already a substantial waiting list with new supporters ready to be part of the action. Praising the fans for their unwavering support, Bain said: "Yet again the Rangers fans have shown their commitment to supporting the team year in year out. "Last season saw a record number of season ticket holders and we are on target again for the next campaign. "Despite the current economic climate, the Rangers fans have committed to their season tickets again for next season and we already have a considerable waiting list. "The club was determined to continue the strategy of making football more affordable for fans and providing value added benefits to supporters. "This was recognised with the recent Clydesdale Bank 'Best Fan Marketing Initiative' award which commended the club for its innovative ticketing and communications strategy. "Bringing the fans closer to the club and improving direct communications with the supporters has been a top priority and will continue to be next season. Martin Bain"The fans backing of the team directly contributes to its success and this has never been more true than in the current season." Season ticket holders benefit from Old Firm games and priority for European ties, free entry to Old Firm reserve and under 19 games, free entry to SFA Youth Cup ties plus free seat transfers for one-off games at Ibrox. Juvenile season ticket holders also enjoy an exclusive Q&A session with the management team and players and have the chance to take part in matchday flag processions and guards of honour on the Ibrox pitch in season 2009/10. Season ticket prices have been frozen for the third consecutive season and children will continue to benefit from the third off juvenile season ticket prices introduced at the beginning of this season. Prices for 2009/10 start from as little as �£96 for juveniles and �£298 for adults in the Broomloan Road Stand Family Section. Fans can join the season ticket waiting list in the following ways: * Online at rangers.co.uk * Via the hotline on 0871 702 1972 * By visiting the Rangers Ticket Centre

PREMIERSHIP heavyweights Arsenal have invited Rangers to take part in the prestigious Emirates Cup at the Gunners' breathtaking stadium in August, with French Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid from Spain completing the four-team line up. Walter Smith's men will open the tournament with a mouth-watering clash against PSG at 2pm on Saturday, August 1 then close the competition with a glamour tie against Arsenal's all-stars at 4.15pm on Sunday, August 2. Former Rangers midfielder Jeremy ClementRangers will receive 9,000 tickets for both matches but there will be no reunion with former manager Paul Le Guen as the French club have announced he will leave at the end of the current season. However, ex-midfielder Jeremy Clement could feature while top-drawer talent like Robin Van Persie, Andrey Arshavin, Cesc Fabregas, Gael Clichy and Theo Walcott should be on show for Arsenal at the Emirates. Rangers Chief Executive Martin Bain commented: "We are delighted to be playing Arsenal and PSG in the Emirates Cup this summer. It was an honour to be invited by Arsenal, who like us have a rich history and proud traditions, and we look forward to renewing our friendship in London this August. Our fans will give the team great support in these two high-profile matches and there is little doubt it will be an entertaining tournament." Rangers Manager Walter Smith commented: "The Emirates Cup will capture the imagination of our supporters and everyone at the Club is looking forward to competing against Arsenal and PSG. Arsene Wenger's side are one of the best in Europe and their young team will provide a stiff test for our players. However, it is a challenge they will all relish and our fans will enjoy both matches at the state-of-the-art Emirates Stadium." Arsenal Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis commented: "We are delighted to be once again hosting the Emirates Cup in August 2009. Rangers, Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain all have great pedigree and will contribute to an exciting weekend of pre-season football.Arsena star Robin van Persie "The tournament will provide a very competitive level of preparation for all the teams ahead of the 2009/2010 season." TICKET INFORMATION Tickets will go on sale to season ticket holders on Monday, May 25 from the sales channels below. Season ticket holders can buy one ticket per season ticket for each day, and up to a maximum of four tickets for each day in one purchase - all with a valid Rangers number. Subject to demand, season ticket holders will then have an option to purchase a second ticket for each day - details will be communicated following initial season ticket holder uptake. Every ticket purchased will require an individual name and unique Rangers number along with a contact telephone number and address. At this stage, supporters clubs are invited to apply for tickets before June 12 but the allocation will be subject to season ticket holder uptake. Please note that club applications will only be accepted where each ticket applied for is attributed to a named member with a unique Rangers Number. SALES CHANNELS HERE�· 0871 702 1972 Rangers ticket centre Prices: Adults from �£25 - �£40 per day / ticket Concessions from �£15 - �£25 per day / ticket (under 16 or over 65) Emirates Cup 2009 Match Schedule Saturday August 1, 2009 Rangers v Paris Saint-Germain (2pm Kick-off) Arsenal v Atletico Madrid (4.15pm Kick-off) Sunday August 2, 2009 Atletico Madrid v Paris Saint-Germain (2pm kick-off) Arsenal v Rangers (4.15pm kick-off)

May 6 2009 By Keith Jackson RANGERS are set to go to war with SPL bosses over a fixture row for the second season on the trot as the race for the title goes down to the wire. Record Sport understands the Ibrox club's hierarchy are seething over what they regard as the "grossly unfair" rescheduling of the third and fourth rounds of post-split matches - switches which will give Celtic's players an extra TWO DAYS resting time between games. And their anger was intensified yesterday when it was announced that manager Walter Smith's 'favourite' linesman Tom Murphy will be running the line for referee Craig Thomson at this Saturday's Judgment Day Old Firm derby. Smith launched an astonishing attack on Murphy in November after the official's offside decision denied Kris Boyd a late winner in a 0-0 draw at Fir Park. The Rangers boss was asked to explain his comments to the SFA after saying on the night: "It was a poor decision by the linesman. I think the TV replays show quite clearly that Kris was onside. "Mr Murphy was quick to allow a Scott McDonald goal at Celtic Park last season. And he was quick to disallow that one tonight. "And people always say we are the club who never get any decisions against us! "But that's two goals we have scored this season at Aberdeen and Motherwell that the linesmen have got wrong." Now Murphy will be under the spotlight again for the match which might decide the destiny of this year's title fight. But while Rangers are in no position to complain about Murphy's appointment, they HAVE contacted the league's top brass to demand an explanation as to why they have been forced into playing two crucial matches in the space of two and a half days next week. The simmering resentment comes 12 months after Smith blamed the SPL for wrecking his chances of a historic UEFA Cup triumph AND domestic title glory by forcing his men to play four games in eight days in an exhausting season finale. Now Rangers are furious again as they slug it out with Celtic once more. An SPL source confirmed to Record Sport last night that the Ibrox club's chief executive Martin Bain has expressed his outrage over the decision to make Rangers travel to face Hibs next Wednesday night - then have them back in action against Aberdeen little more than 60 hours later on Saturday lunchtime. Celtic, meanwhile, take on Dundee United at Parkhead on Tuesday night - but the champions will then have over 100 hours rest before they are next in action at Easter Road. Our source said: "Rangers are clearly unhappy about the way the games have been rescheduled for TV. "They feel aggrieved because Celtic have an extra couple of days off between these matches but it's been explained that this is simply down to an oversight."

RANGERS Chief Executive Martin Bain and Manager Walter Smith joined members of the Rangers Assembly at Murray Park last night for the fans' quarterly Assembly meeting. The Assembly was well represented with members of the Worldwide Alliance - including delegates from Northern Ireland, England and Scotland, the Rangers Supporters Association, Rangers Blind Party, Rangers Disabled Club and Rangers Trust - and they enjoyed a positive and productive get-together with the Chief Executive, Manager and staff. Assembly MeetingA wide range of topics were covered as supporters took the opportunity to put their points across and a worthwhile debate took place. Assembly President Andy Kerr reiterated the supporters desire to get behind the team for the remainder of the season, particularly in the Club's SPL games at Ibrox. In order to boost the atmosphere at Ibrox on matchdays, the Club welcomed a supporters' initiative and is encouraging fans to take up the mechanism already in place allowing them to move seats next to the signing section in the Broomloan Front Stand. Season ticket holders wishing to do so for the forthcoming Hearts and Aberdeen games should call 0871 702 1972 before Saturday 25 April. Walter highlighted the importance of the fans at this crucial stage of the campaign and the key role they can play as the team works towards SPL and Scottish Cup success. Off the pitch, the Assembly enquired about season ticket strategy and overall ticket pricing. Fans at the Scottish Cup Final Martin Bain confirmed the Club is continuing its strategy of affordable pricing and added value benefits for fans. Season Ticket prices are frozen for the third successive season and juveniles are continuing to benefit from the third off discount which was introduced last year. The Season Ticket price - which has always been quoted inclusive of VAT - has been frozen, giving a slight financial benefit to the Club with no increase to the fans. Further discussions took place on the allocation of away tickets for supporters clubs which the Assembly and the Club have been working on through regular working group meetings. A new policy has now been agreed and will be in place for next season which should result in a fairer allocation for all concerned. Other topics covered last night included the Club's new home kit and how Rangers could work with supporters clubs in Northern Ireland next season for midweek games which they cannot attend. The fans concluded by wishing Walter and the team success for the remaining games of the season and agreed it was a productive meeting for all concerned with a number of key issues being debated.

NJOI bears they hate us ....watp "[The Muses] are all of one mind, their hearts are set upon song and their spirit is free from care. He is happy whom the Muses love. For though a man has sorrow and grief in his soul, yet when the servant of the Muses sings, at once he forgets his dark thoughts and remembers not his troubles. Such is the holy gift of the Muses to men." ~Hesiod~ As the final few stragglers exited the now deserted and hushed terraces of Rugby Park, the occasional smack of a seat springing upright echoed across the grass, the pie-stall shutters rattled and crashed down for another week or two, ââ?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦AND Martin Bain obviously learning from his new found role model, Peter Lawell, issued a statement congratulating the Rangersââ?¬â?¢ supporters upon their behaviour. As they slapped themselves on the back and merrily marched their way back to cars, buses, trains, planes and boats, the happy throng linked their limbs and broke into a resounding reprise of their new anthemââ?¬Â¦. ââ?¬Å?Big Jock Knewââ?¬Â. The promise of a new inspiring and imaginative aria had been in the air for a season or more, and now after months of ââ?¬Ë?Lodge Idolââ?¬â?¢ selection shows and intense deliberation by selection committees, the choice had been made. Clandestine practice sessions had been conducted in large white buildings up and down the less salubrious areas of some of Scotlandââ?¬â?¢s most historic landmarks including Airdrie, Larkhall, and Bridgeton! Places that will forever be remembered for having their twinning applications rejected by Baghdad, Carstairs, and ââ?¬Ë?Somewhere in the Afghan Mountainsââ?¬â?¢! Their efforts now had paid off; and having memorised all three words and the correct sequence, the massed marching nation of Billyââ?¬â?¢s Bands of Brithers were now able to belt it out with guttural gusto. They still had a problem with the melody, but surely the listening world would agree that the inventiveness, talent, enthusiasm and ambition of this musical masterpiece truly encapsulated the core of everything that Rangers Football Club was founded around and still stood for in the twenty-first century. But this commemoration to Big Jockââ?¬â?¢s Knowledge didnââ?¬â?¢t just stop with their adulatory acclaim. The campaign to recognise the great manââ?¬â?¢s mental prowess was accompanied by stickers on lamp-posts, banners hung over motorway gantries and bridges, and even the statement being promoted through the Steven McKenna Real Radio programme. (This last one was an obvious aberration as the remainder of the Scottish media knitted their own chunky woollen jumpers, pulled them down over their eyes, stuck their earphones in and once more ignored the toxic bile that sprung from the rancid well in Copeland Road). And so with an open mind to the boundless limits of avant-garde theatre, the infinite scope of alternative comedy, and the stains on Tracy Eminââ?¬â?¢s mattress protector, I thought I might objectively and dispassionately offer a critique on this new offering to the vision of the muses! There is so much to agree with in the sentiments and accuracy of the title ââ?¬Å?Big Jock Knewââ?¬Â. For a start Big Jock obviously Knew that a club mired in sectarianism (and lets be clear what that means ââ?¬â?? the approval and encouragement of baseless hatred) was a curse on civilisation and he wanted nothing to do with their organisation, their supremacist spine, and the insidious establishment support structure. Big Jock also Knew about people and the innate virtues that fashion strong characters, champion progressive principles, and ensure that even in the most hostile of environments, those values flourish! Then there was his unique and total grasp of football and what makes it the marvellous sport that it is. Simply winning was not enough! Winning while playing in with speed, skill, imagination and verve was the non-negotiable contract he made with himself, the team and with the support. Undoubtedly Jock also knew from the moment he returned from Llanelli to Celtic, exactly where his destiny lay and with whom his ambitions would be realised. With an insight and vision often referred to, but still to be fully appreciated, he revolutionised Celticââ?¬â?¢s reserve structure and culture during the 1950s. He recruited lads with talent and turned them into men who lived, played, and carried themselves in the way that he knew men should live, play, and carry themselves. When he returned to Celtic, many of those men were still there and the lessons that they had learned all those years previously, bloomed again in colours and freshness magnificently culminating on that match but also matchless day of 25th May 1967. I think Big Jock Knew just how much that day would have meant to Brother Walfrid and his dream. Even in the face of ââ?¬Å?youââ?¬â?¢re one of usââ?¬Â overtures from John Lawrence who tried to entice him across the city, Big Jock adhered with a passion to beliefs and standards hewn from the coalface and sculpted into a way of life. Suddenly it had dawned on Rangers that as much as they liked to think they knew so much, Big Jock simply knew far more and was even cleverer in his use of that knowledge. But what probably came as the most damning of shocks to the Govan Gentry, was that here was a man who realised that philosophy of honour and egalitarianism found no welcome, no respect, and no comprehension in the bowels of Edmiston Drive. While probably he wouldnââ?¬â?¢t have shouted out his reasons in detail, Big Jock Knew that he would never have fitted into an environment where he couldnââ?¬â?¢t scout never mind pick the players he wanted; where he couldnââ?¬â?¢t associate openly with lifelong friends; and unacceptably where he would have to live a lie! Big Jock Knew that Ibrox and its custodians, under the pernicious guise of institutional tradition, harboured a sickness and that anyone who took the road to that place paid a non-refundable toll that sustained, aided and abetted that illness. Big Jock Knew that in being part of that cult, a man would no longer be able to look in his shaving mirror and see an honest and honourable face staring back. But most of all Big Jock Knew, to the dumfounded chagrin and amazement of RFC that he was not, never had been, and never would be ââ?¬Å?one of themââ?¬Â. After all, having been ostracised by one community of closed minds in Burnbank, it would have been an anathema to even contemplate returning to such a shadowy and Stygian environment. I donââ?¬â?¢t know what John Lawrence thought, but surely as he looked down from the apex, at the pyramid of bile beneath, he could see more than the reflection in his shiny brown brogues! Not only had a genius of the stature of Jock Stein dismissively rejected his dishonest bait, but to those who were not deaf, dumb and blind Big Jock had made it clear that Rangers feared and denied that the world had moved on from the dark days when witches were burned at the stake, young boys climbed chimneys, and your given or chosen faith was an indelible ââ?¬Ë?stainââ?¬â?¢ on a your character that could impact the ability to play football, work in a bank, or hold out to those with faith, hope for entry into heaven! Yes WATP ruled then and just how appropriately close is that acronym to the even sadder twin brand of WASP! And now we have all this knowledge being so carefully and skilfully packaged into one simple song and one simple phrase, as at last nearly 40 years later we have a mass ââ?¬Ë?mea culpaââ?¬â?¢ being performed as the reactionary legions of bigots. Not only have they lain down their rusting swords of prejudice, but with an almost Paulian enlightenment they have recognised Big Jockââ?¬â?¢s skill, humanity, honesty and honour, and for all posterity have writ it in the annals. I humbly spread my arms as I welcome you all, with no rancour or triumphalism, into the sunlight of magnificence that nourishes the countless varieties of flora and fauna that co-exist, cooperate, and share lifeââ?¬â?¢s ups and downs on our journey from the sudden ââ?¬Ë?slapped-arseââ?¬â?¢ wakening at our birth to the dimming of the lights as our earthly eyes close for the last time. From beyond that earthly veil, the big man has indeed worked his magic once more and opened the door to the resurrection that accompanies the realisation that indeed ......... ââ?¬Å?Big Jock Knewââ?¬ÂÃ¢â?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦..!!! But that damned grave-walker has just stood on my spine and the shiver suggests that this might not be a hymn of praise after all! What the mighty masses of Mordor are all REALLY singing is a demeaning and slanderous attempt to destroy the memory, achievements and character of the single greatest manager to ever arise in Scotland. What they are attempting to say is that Big Jock not only Knew about what was happening during the dark days of Jim Torbettââ?¬â?¢s perverted actions at Celtic Bhoys Club, but that in some way through his actions he did nothing about it and either covered it up or turned a blind eye to what was happening. I wonââ?¬â?¢t really deal with that in detail, for anyone with the ability to read or listen will know the true facts behind that terrible and terrifying corruption that was visited upon the young boys in Torbettââ?¬â?¢s charge. They will know that Celtic Boys club was not part of Celtic Football Club. They will know that when the rumours started Big Jock was THE ONLY MAN in Scotland who took any action when, irrespective of the lack of evidence, he summarily kicked Torbett out and banned him from Celtic Park. They will know that many people, from the police to business associates of Torbett and acquaintances, did nothing to investigate or corroborate the rumours. They will most importantly know that one of these people was most certainly NOT Jock Stein. And the saddest thing is that even knowing all of this, there are thousands upon thousands who chant this putrefaction as their need to hate drags them back into their swamp of ignorance.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE Martin Bain has said that tonight's punishment of wayward stars Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor should act as a warning for others. Ferguson and McGregoMartin Bainr have both been fined two weeks' wages and banned for the same period for the behaviour while on international duty this week. Speaking exclusively to Rangers World, the Rangers chief executive said: "I don't think anyone has won out of the last week. However, we now look forward and must ensure that we maintain standards. "I think it is a signal to anybody else that these actions that the club has taken shows that the actions that the players have taken will not be tolerated "This football club expects standard, the Rangers supporters expect standards and the behaviour of these two players was unacceptable. "We don't condone the behaviour, especially that of our captain, and we felt this was the best way forward. "Both players have been willing to accept that their actions are not befitting Rangers Football Club and they have offered their profuse apologies. "They are very important players in the squad but this football club is bigger than anyone and I think that we owe it to our supporters to maintain standards at the football club. "There is no doubt about that these players will be missed in the run-in to the Championship but the decisions has been taken and I believe it is the right one."

Glasgow Rangers are to buy a controlling stake in Charlton Athletic, in a move that will not only completely change the structure of Charlton in its current format, but also impact on the face of British football in general. Following five months of talks and negotiations, the revolutionary deal will be announced at a joint press conference on Friday 3rd April at The Valley after the move was given the go-ahead by the various football authorities on Tuesday. Glasgow Rangers are to pay Ã?£24.2m for a 64.5% stake in Charlton, and will transfer a number of senior and junior players, both in permanant deals and season-long loans during the summer. Discussions between the clubs date back to November, in the aftermath of Charltonââ?¬â?¢s perilous financial position highlighted by the need to pay previous manager Alan Pardewââ?¬â?¢s compensation package. On the 24th February, a Charlton delegation consisting of Richard Murray, Derek Chappell, Bob Whitehand, Steve Waggott and Nigel Capelin met with Sir David Murray, Rangers Chief Executive Martin Bain and Finance Director Donald McIntyre at Londonââ?¬â?¢s Dorchester Hotel to finalise the agreement. Former Chief Executive Peter Varney was also present, and has been working as an intermediary on the deal. ââ?¬Å?The original concept was the idea of Sir David Murrayââ?¬Â revealed a senior Charlton employee. ââ?¬Å?Rangers are acutely aware that unless they absorb some of the Premiership money within the next few years, they are unlikely to ever compete at the highest level in Europe again. They see it as essential to their heritage that some form of presence remains in Scotland, and they believe they can continue to do that to a lesser degree long-term by balancing their squad and remaining competitive in the SPL. But they desperately need the money that is generated by English football, and it is no secret that we desperately need fresh financial impetus to remain a viable entity. The bulk of Rangers resources will be devoted to getting Charlton back to the Premiership as quickly as possibleââ?¬Â. The deal will instantly clear all Charltonââ?¬â?¢s outstanding debts, including the early repayment of both the Ã?£6m on Charltonââ?¬â?¢s mortgage and the Ã?£15m convertible bond issue key directors undertook in 2008. ââ?¬Å?I would be lying if i said that this is the ideal scenario we envisaged for the future of Charlton. But the financial situation is crippling, and the board fell that they are backed into a corner. There are no more funds, there is no overdraft facility and next year we are facing third-tier football. There are no other options on the table, and as it stands the future of Charlton Athletic shows no sign of recovery in its current format. At least this way there is a chance of Premiership football returning to The Valley and the ââ?¬Ë?Charltonââ?¬â?¢ name to be attached to it, albeit looselyââ?¬Â. Since the February meeting, representatives of both Rangers and Charlton have been in continued negotiations with the SPL, Football League and the Premiership. ââ?¬Å?Talks have been intense. The SPL were originally strongly opposed to the move, but are realistic enough to know that financially the big-two in Scotland cannot compete with other leading European clubs, so need to seek unique initiatives. They also now see this as an ideal opportunity for Scottish clubs to continue to benefit from the strong support and finance Rangers and Celtic provide by playing other SPL clubs, but equally by fielding potentially weaker sides it will make the SPL as a league more even and competitive. Rangers believe Celtic will quickly set up a similar arrangement with another English club. The Football League have been very supportive of the move, as it will provide a greater focus and benefit to its member clubs. However, the Premier League were rigid on the legalities, and this is largely what has taken the past month to resolveââ?¬Â. ââ?¬Å?Charltonââ?¬â?¢s imminent relegation to League One was not ideal, but has meant the deal could be agreed at the levelââ?¬â?¢s Rangers could realistically afford. Sir David Murray has made clear that Charltonââ?¬â?¢s location, availability, current structure and potential for development far outweigh long-term the negatives. They believe they can develop a model that will take Charlton Rangers to compete with Arsenal and Chelsea within seven yearsââ?¬Â. Ironically, the name of the amalgamated club has also provided a delaying problem. ââ?¬Å?Rangers see it as essential that ââ?¬Ë?Rangersââ?¬â?¢ is represented in the name. However, there is already an amateur football club registered with the London F.A as Charlton Rangers. Greenwich Rangers and Rangers Charlton were being considered, but its now been agreed that the club can register next season as Charlton Rangers through the Kent F.Aââ?¬Â. The move will see the near-total replacement of both the Charlton Football Club board, and the Charlton PLC board. Richard Murray however, will remain a non-executive director for a minimum 12-month period. ââ?¬Å?There are real concerns on how the Charlton fanbase will react. I have my own strong views, but i am also a fan. Having Richard Murray on board is seen by Rangers as essential to not just providing a smooth transition, but also winning the acceptance of Charlton supporters. I think theyââ?¬â?¢ve underestimated just how this will be taken by the Charlton fans to be honestââ?¬Â. Members of Charltonââ?¬â?¢s Fans Forum were uncontactable late last night, but Bromley Supporters Group representative Ben Hayes said ââ?¬Å?Iââ?¬â?¢m shocked. I know the board are also Charlton fans, and would not undertake such a deal without having the best intentions of the club at heart, and i think on this one we are just going to have to trust them and wait and hear what they have to say. But i can understand not all Charlton fans will be happy with this and i encourage them to contact Fans Forum representatives with their views. It makes sense now why the club have delayed announcing season ticket prices for next season. Charlton Rangers is something i am going to have to think long and hard about though, particularly as i am a lifelong Celtic follower. Iââ?¬â?¢m sure i wonââ?¬â?¢t be the only one with this dilemnaââ?¬Â. http://www.charltonlife.com/blog/?p=218

RANGERS Charity Foundation manager Connal Cochrane has scooped his second award of the last six months thanks to his personal commitment to charity and the community. Connal picked up the prize in the individual contribution category at the Evening Times Community Champion Awards for his work in the Govan and Craigton area via the Rangers Charity Foundation and for the personal fundraising challenges he has undertaken. Connal CochraneIn 2008 he climbed 100 Munros over the course of the year, each one sponsored by a Foundation supporter, and raised �£7,000 personally. In addition, a group of Rangers fans and Foundation supporters climbed Ben Lomond with Connal in May 2008 and raised over �£8,000 collectively. This event was so successful that the Rangers Charity Foundation is running it again this May. If you are interested in participating click HERE for further details. In February 2009, Connal and eight other Rangers staff and supporters completed a 200km dog sled challenge across the frozen wilds of Norway, north of the Arctic Circle, to raise funds for the Rangers Charity Foundation. The challenge was an arduous test of endurance and team work, with the participants facing ice, snow, extreme weather conditions and temperatures as low as minus 30�ºC. Connal's work has impacted hugely on the immediate community, particularly via the launch of a Community Grants scheme for the local Govan area. Connal's successful fundraising resulted in the Foundation being able to extend its grant making activities to create this new scheme in 2008. Connal Cochrane, Martin Bain, Alex Rae, Jacqui Gourlay and Debbie McRae on the Rangers Arctic ChallengeConnal developed the blueprint for and launched the initiative which saw local charities and community groups in the Govan and Craigton area benefit from grants of between �£500 and �£3,000. In 2008, 15 groups benefited to the tune of �£28,000 in total and the scheme has recently opened its doors for application for 2009, with a view to granting a further �£25,000 this season. Applications will be accepted until Friday 17th April and anyone interested can contact Connal at the Foundation for further information on 0141 580 8776. Connal Cochrane also won the prestigious Institute of Fundraising Scotland's Fundraiser of the Year Award 2008. He was again singled out from a record number of entries for his personal commitment. For further information on the work of the Foundation, visit our website at http://www.rangerscharity.org.uk.

It was one thing recently for the Old Firm to drop out of the Deloitte Top-20 List for Europeââ?¬â?¢s richest football clubs: when you consider the Milans, Real Madrids and Manchester Uniteds of this world, what right do either Rangers or Celtic have to be permanently hobnobbing with the elite? Within the Scottish context, though, I was still shocked by the poor financial health of Rangers, given their most recent set of accounts issued in recent days. It was alarming, even given their Champions League exit in August, to note that Rangersââ?¬â?¢ turnover amounted to a feeble Ã?£21 million ââ?¬â?? almost Ã?£13 million down on the previous year and just 44 per cent of Celticââ?¬â?¢s equivalent figure. Even worse were the ancillary figures in their interim report. Rangers made a pretax loss of Ã?£2.7 million, down Ã?£6 million on 2007, and their retained loss was Ã?£4 million, a decline of Ã?£6.2 million on the previous year. It appears that Rangers are on course this season for a total income-from-trading of around Ã?£42 million to Ã?£43 million, way below the target the Ibrox hierarchy should be hitting in this day and age. Or, put it another way, the amount of business that Rangers will generate in the present financial year will be less than Celtic posted for their first six months. Sir David Murray recently rebuked ââ?¬Å?the amateur economistsââ?¬Â who had been poring over Rangersââ?¬â?¢ figures and picking holes. In one sense he is on sure ground: his business track record stands as a testament to his financial bravado and risk-taking. But Murray, surely, will deplore the fact that Rangers are falling so far behind Celtic in almost every area off the park. Compared with Rangersââ?¬â?¢ six-month Ã?£4 million loss, Celtic have just posted an Ã?£8 million profit, and are making millions more than Rangers from their commercial affairs. The Old Firm were never meant to be as unequal as this. Even worse now is that old, dreaded subject of Murray and Rangers: debt. Four years ago, Murray, scolded by coverage of Rangersââ?¬â?¢ near Ã?£80 million net debt, vowed to wipe out the Ibrox overload and proceeded to chip away at it. Ultimately, it took the absorption of the Rangers debt by Murrayââ?¬â?¢s umbrella company, Murray International Holdings, to fix the problem, but, nonetheless, fixed in that sense it was. But look at it now. Rangers tried and failed to sell a principal playing asset during January, and now we know why. Their figures to December 31 have set alarm bells ringing again, and the Ibrox debt is once more estimated to be somewhere between Ã?£25 million and Ã?£30 million and rising. Again, the contrast with Celtic will pain those Rangers fans who crave the day when their club are back on a healthy footing. Celtic have just announced that their debt is less than Ã?£1 million, which means that, over the next two years, they will be in a far healthier position to enhance their team. Given all this, when you recall the August day that Rangers sold Carlos CuÃ?©llar to Aston Villa for Ã?£8 million, it all makes more sense now. Rangers will not have received all of that money up front, but their loss-making would have looked even worse had CuÃ?©llar not been sacrificed. It is putting it too strongly to say that Rangers are back in a financial mess, but their financial performance is deeply unimpressive. The question is, who is to blame? Many Rangers fans are asking: why is their club being run so much worse than Celtic? Is Murray to blame? Is Martin Bain, the clubââ?¬â?¢s chief executive, at fault? Is it Andrew Dickson, Rangersââ?¬â?¢ head of football administration and Bainââ?¬â?¢s right-hand man? Someone is certainly falling below standards inside Ibrox. Murray cites the Champions League as if it is a cureall. He was at it again on Friday, claiming that ââ?¬Å?the importance of qualifying for the Champions Leagueââ?¬Â was underpinned by Rangersââ?¬â?¢ poor financial figures. The Champions League, however, should not be the be-all and end-all of their commercial worth. Given that qualifying for Europeââ?¬â?¢s elite club tournament has been an erratic business in recent years, Rangers should have a business formula in place that preserves them when they are not in Europe. Right now, evidently, that formula has escaped the clubââ?¬â?¢s boardroom. And another thing... Undermining of Strachan so difficult to fathom These days some of the most embittered and aggrieved football supporters I come across are those of Celtic. There is a vocal rump of them who dislike Gordon Strachan, dislike the football his team play, and have constantly disliked his signing policy. ââ?¬Å?Strachan demeans Celtic,ââ?¬Â one of them told me recently, while another fan I spoke to actually said: ââ?¬Å?He is not a manager worthy of Celticââ?¬â?¢s name.ââ?¬Â And just to stem the conspiracy theorists, both of these people were of my own faith-tradition, which is to say, of the Reformed tradition. And they donââ?¬â?¢t seem to be alone among Celtic fans in their views. It leaves me wondering . . . if Strachan does go on to make it four championships in a row with Celtic, just how the heck are these people going to explain their position? It would be indefensible, wouldnââ?¬â?¢t it? Refreshing attitude One of the most refreshing parts of my tasks from last week was hearing out James McCarthy on the subject of bigotry. The young Hamilton Academical star has a right to feel as vehement as anyone on the subject, given the abuse he takes from the terraces, yet McCarthy was utterly refreshing when asked about the anticipated singing of The Famine Song by Rangers supporters at New Douglas Park on Saturday. ââ?¬Å?It doesnââ?¬â?¢t bother me in the slightest,ââ?¬Â McCarthy said. ââ?¬Å?These people are just idiots. There are always people in a crowd who want to abuse me, but it just goes in one ear and out the other. Like I say, itââ?¬â?¢s a bunch of idiots shouting.ââ?¬Â With an attitude like this, sometimes I wonder why the rest of us bother about such chants. If McCarthy can bring himself to laugh it off, and believes that it just makes the choristers seem slightly thick, why should the rest of us care about it? Laborious process So Henry McLeish, Scotlandââ?¬â?¢s former first minister, is to chair a coalition committee wherein a procedure for streamlining between Scotlandââ?¬â?¢s three football governing bodies ââ?¬â?? the SFA, the SPL and the SFL ââ?¬â?? is to be established. Would someone wake me up once they have their findings? Young guns misfire It was billed as the John Fleck v James McCarthy show at New Douglas Park on Saturday, but neither showed up in the Hamilton-Rangers game. Fleck was dropped by Rangers, while McCarthy, who did play, failed to ââ?¬Å?turn upââ?¬Â in the old, disparaging phrase for footballers who donââ?¬â?¢t perform. May it serve as a lesson to those ââ?¬â?? and Iââ?¬â?¢ve been counted among them myself ââ?¬â?? who have tended to speak of these two young players as if young Diego Maradonas have appeared among us in Scotland. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/scotland/article5828321.ece

SIR DAVID MURRAY knows no one can escape the brutal impact of the global credit crunch. Not the High Street chains who have crumbled in the face of multi-million pound debts. Not the highly-paid bankers who are now shouldering the blame for much of this desperate crisis. Not even the superstar footballers whose sky-high salaries are about to hit a downward spiral. Rangersââ?¬â?¢ newly-published club accounts paint a gloomy picture of the finances. But the chairman insists the big spending stops now as Gers seek to cope with these unprecedented times. No fewer than EIGHT first-team stars will be cut adrift this summer. David Weir, Christian Dailly and high-earner Brahim Hemdani are out of contract at the end of the season. The likes of Charlie Adam, Steven Smith and DaMarcus Beasley are likely to be moved on. Andrius Velicka and Graeme Smith are also expected to be casualties of the cash cutbacks. Murray has warned the stars who stay the days of bumper wages may be gone FOREVER. He said: ââ?¬Å?We had far too many players, too big a squad and no safety net in Europe this season. ââ?¬Å?The absence of European competition, together with the economic downturn, has confirmed the size of the squad was neither sustainable from a financial nor football point of view. ââ?¬Å?It is our aim to rationalise the squad to a more manageable level going forward, and integrate the young talent now emerging from Murray Park. ââ?¬Å?Next season our wage bill will be down by between Ã?£4-5million. ââ?¬Å?I would say that within a couple of years it will be a rare commodity in Scotland to have a player on wages beginning with a two. ââ?¬Å?And the vast majority might not even be beginning with a one.ââ?¬Â That is an ominous warning to Ibrox mainstays like Kris Boyd and skipper Barry Ferguson. Both are closing on the final year of their contracts and will soon be due to open negotiations with chief executive Martin Bain. Boyd is unlikely to receive an offer to match the Ã?£17,000-a-week he rejected from Birmingham. Ferguson can expect to be asked to take a mammoth cut on his Ã?£25,000-a-week-plus contract. Murray wants the first-team squad slashed from 28 to 20. The big names will be supplemented by home-grown kids like John Fleck, Jamie Ness and Danny Wilson. After the crushing blow of Kaunas, the chairman has vowed to never again rely so heavily on Euro cash. He added: ââ?¬Å?The situation is unfortunate but we knew this was coming. ââ?¬Å?We have to bring down costs and this financial downturn is a reality check for everyone. ââ?¬Å?If we stick with the business model I talked about in January, which we will, then we will be fine.ââ?¬Â Advertisement Click here Gersââ?¬â?¢ increasing debt levels are in stark contrast to the upbeat financial figures unveiled by Celtic last week. The crucial income stream from the Champions League has been vital to the Hoops. So as the Old Firm again battle for the SPL title, the price of success and the cost of failure has never been higher. The golden ticket of direct entry to next seasonââ?¬â?¢s Champions League is worth up to Ã?£15m. He said: ââ?¬Å?We are competing well again in both domestic cups, we are in the final of the Co-op Cup and the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup. ââ?¬Å?Savings in operating costs through efficiencies and reduced European expenditure have been partly offset by higher player wage costs and other charges due to last summerââ?¬â?¢s signings. ââ?¬Å?Incorporating the effect of these additions to the squad, less the gain on sale of players, results in an overall decrease of Ã?£5.8m in profit before interest and tax to a net loss of Ã?£2.7m. ââ?¬Å?Due to the increase in the average debt, the interest charge of Ã?£1.4m was Ã?£0.6m higher than the same period last year, resulting in a retained loss after tax of Ã?£3.9m compared to a retained profit of Ã?£2.3m last year.ââ?¬Â The figures, while hardly unexpected, make worrying reading for Gers fans. Itââ?¬â?¢s not quite a case of win-or-bust for Gers in the SPL title chase. But the clock is ticking on some very high-profile stars. http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/article2280715.ece

This from today's Times. How desperate and bitter is this man becoming? He really only has one story to tell, over and over and over again. His fellow journalists have cold shouldered him completely and he remains an isolated embarrassment to his profession. I don't know whether to laugh or cry when I read the latest grasping attempt to be noticed. Pathetic, he has finally done to himself what all of us would like to do to him in a darkened alley. See for yourselves...... Bigoted chants? Will the SPL have courage to act? Following the cringe-making repertoire of the travelling Rangers support at Celtic Park last weekend, we can only await to see if the Scottish Premier League has the guts to do anything about this ongoing blight. I have to say, I very much doubt it. At this point, a few simple facts around this latest Rangers embarrassment can be clarified. First, the bigoted anthems were at full cry once more last Sunday. Second, the SPL observer, Alan Dick, made reference to it in his report, having been in no doubt about what he heard. And, third, the Rangers hierarchy are once more in a jam over what to do about their education-starved poison within. Last week at Celtic Park was most amazing of all for this reason: it was almost like going back five years, to the dark days of 2003-04, when Rangers began the task of ââ?¬Å?putting to restââ?¬Â their bigotry problem. For some unknown reason, all the work that the club has done in that time ââ?¬â?? all the antibigotry campaigns it has aimed at its own support ââ?¬â?? appeared not to have happened. Will the SPL have the nerve to intervene? In recent years it has specifically adjusted its articles, making it legally permissible for the SPL board to dock points for bigoted chanting. Before you hold your breath, though, remember that Scotlandââ?¬â?¢s football governing bodies have a timorous track record when it comes to such action. In 2006, frankly, the SFA was embarrassed when Uefa suddenly came marching in to Scotland and said, ââ?¬Å?Right, well if you wonââ?¬â?¢t, we will fix Rangers.ââ?¬Â In the wake of last Sundayââ?¬â?¢s embarrassment, there has been the now familiar outbreak of ââ?¬Å?whatabouteryââ?¬Â from the usual apologists around Rangers. It has become the classic stalling tactic for those who are in denial of the problem... ââ?¬Å?But what about Celtic, what about Aberdeen, what about Hearts?ââ?¬Â I keep saying it: if only the Rangers Supporters Trust, for one, could be politically radical, rather than prevaricating, on this subject. The pathetic truth is, some of those who indulge in this fudging of the issue actually quite like these songs. They quite enjoyed The Billy Boys before we got it binned, and now they donââ?¬â?¢t really mind a wee drop of racism like The Famine Song, despite all Rangersââ?¬â?¢ pleas to their supporters to drop it. Now wonder Sir David Murray and Martin Bain donââ?¬â?¢t really know which supporters to turn to for help with this problem. And the wider Rangers support must feel thoroughly embarrassed and fed up. Celtic have the edge over Rangers in the kitchen Having enjoyed the excellent grub of the Rangers boardroom in my time, I can now say for certain that the culinary skills of its Celtic counterpart are just as good ââ?¬â?? perhaps even a tad more exotic ââ?¬â?? after an enjoyable experience last Thursday evening. On the eve of Celticââ?¬â?¢s half-year figures, a group of the nationââ?¬â?¢s most eminent hacks ââ?¬â?? thatââ?¬â?¢s meant as a joke ââ?¬â?? were invited to chew and quaff with Peter Lawwell, the Celtic chief executive, and John Reid, the clubââ?¬â?¢s chairman. And, while the conversation was highly intriguing, what a night of juicy fayre it was. For the record ââ?¬â?? given that both me and my good friend, Jim Traynor, were at the table ââ?¬â?? I have to sadly record that on this occasion there were no ââ?¬Å?marvellous chunks of the chairmanââ?¬â?¢s succulent lambââ?¬Â for our knives to carve through (copyright Jimbo, May 1998, Sir Daveââ?¬â?¢s pad in Jersey).

Are this current Rangers team (squad) and management team skilful enough and tactically aware to continue to squander glorious opportunities presented to us to leave (at this time) ordinary and laborious Celtc team in our wake? After the debacle of transfer window and the ââ?¬Ë?who will leaveââ?¬â?¢ and ââ?¬Ë?whoââ?¬â?¢ll be left at Ibroxââ?¬â?¢ soap-opera, we were left with (almost) a full squad to pick from, and more importantly hadnââ?¬â?¢t lost any players who could be counted as crucial in regaining the SPL title from our most bitterest of foes. This could have been portrayed as a slight advantage as Celtc failed to boost their meagre resources, Wilo Flood being their only signing. Any slight advantage we have this season, weââ?¬â?¢ll need to grab on to and maximise to its full advantage, as as the credit crunch starts to bite, and with no signs of it abating (in fact, itââ?¬â?¢ll get worse and could hit season ticket sales, advertising etc) the refusal of some players to be whored out of Ibrox, and the fact that Martin Bain has made it impossible for us to move on fringe players (salaries and length of contract, thatââ?¬â?¢s his domain), weââ?¬â?¢ll probably lose anything between eight and ten players in the summer. Anyway, that argument is a discussion for another day / time. Presently, we have somehow found ourselves alive and kicking in a title race that appeared over at the tale end of the year. Celtc has stuttered dramatically since defeating us at Ibrox but yet, we have still contrived to pass up the opportunity to overtake them and leave them in our wake. To refuse such a gift once (Pittodrie) was criminal, to have refused such a gift twice is incompetence. When Walter went 4-1-4-1 at Pittodrie and included Lee McCulloch in place of Kris Boyd, he showed his hand to the entire SPL. His cowardly tactics showed that The Rangers now donââ?¬â?¢t have the ambition to travel to Pittodrie and back their talent to take care of a very average Aberdeen team. The tactics that day were a direct result of Celtc losing four goals from set-pieces at the same venue the previous week. Putting simply, Walter shat himself. Never mind some fans said, a draw at Pittodrie was an ââ?¬Ë?OKââ?¬â?¢ result and kept us in the title race. Sorry, that draw didnââ?¬â?¢t keep us in the title race, Celtcââ?¬â?¢s inability to see of the likes of Dundee United, Hearts and ICT has kept us in this title race. Never mind, an OF game is on the horizon, time for Walter and Rangers to redeem themselves. In the build up to this game, every Rangers fan KNEW that Walter would once again shit himself and go to nullify Celtc, even though there was very little, if anything to nullify. Once again, we refused to take the initiative and passed up the opportunity to overtake a stale looking Celtc team. Now, how many other chances will we be presented with? And if we are presented with them, will be capitalise on them? Will our manager find a backbone and realises that this is the opportunity of all opportunities? The latest instalment of OF mania was a dire affair, with Rangers not displaying any real ambition until the second half. Perversely, we actually played well in the second half and had sufficient chances to win the game. Nevertheless, it was hardly a sparkling performance. The only upside, it showed how ordinary our opponents really are. We are in a position where our form against the other SPL teams could lead to us gaining a points advantage before the split and the concluding OF game of the season at Ibrox. We have three home games in the next four, whereas Celtc travel to Fir Park and Tannidice, where we know to our cost, results are never easy to obtain. So, hopefully Walters negativity will go into hiding over the next month and we can do what Rangers should be doing. Installing a belief in our players and trust and back their ability to defeat opponents. Never mind worrying about them, let them worry about facing the Rangers. Recently, I was watching some old Rangers DVDââ?¬â?¢s and something noticeable jumped out. In our two previous SPL triumphs, we were always scoring goals early in matches. We set an exhilarating pace to the games, especially at Ibrox, that didnââ?¬â?¢t allow teams to settle. This meant that by the time 30 minutes had surpassed, we were well in control of the games. There were very few games that werenââ?¬â?¢t ââ?¬Ë?in the bagââ?¬â?¢ by early in the second half. Recently, we have been the exact opposite as we havenââ?¬â?¢t been imposing ourselves on opponents until the second half. The aftermath of the game has hardly been surprising either. Dubbed the worst OF game in history (it was far from that) and we are blamed for that ââ?¬Ë?factââ?¬â?¢. The referee making mistakes right, left and centre and the only controversy in the media is that Vinegar Of Castlemilk was ââ?¬Ë?harshly bookedââ?¬â?¢. Oh, and guess what, Celtc failed to win an OF game and the old ââ?¬Ë?sectarian cardââ?¬â?¢ is played by the ââ?¬Ë?impartialââ?¬â?¢ delegate at the game (Dick by name,ââ?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦..). However, we can actually take solace in the fact that the media are more then happy to criticise our performance (on and off the field) as it is a sure fire indication that they are worried and are trying every vile trick in the book to deflect any attention being given to Celtcââ?¬â?¢s terrible current form. Cammy F -

The Old Firm matches may no longer decide the title, but winning them certainly won't do either side any harm. The inconsistent form of Rangers and Celtic this season, and the ease with which the lesser lights in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League have pinched points from both, mean Sunday's high-noon duel between the Glasgow rivals will, in all likelihood, not prove decisive. And yet, there are benefits to be obtained from victory this weekend that stretch beyond mere bragging rights and adding another three points to the total. Recent history tells us as much. Rangers went to Celtic Park four years ago, just as they do this weekend, looking to get their noses in front in a championship chase that threatened to go to the wire. They travelled in hope rather than expectation having failed to win in the East End for five years, but found in Gregory Vignal an unlikely hero. The Frenchman, on a season-long loan from Liverpool, gave Rangers a second-half lead after a glaring error by Rab Douglas, before Nacho Novo confirmed the victory with a second late in the game. advertisement It took a final-day loss by Celtic at Fir Park for Rangers to ultimately win the title in the most extraordinary of circumstances, but it was that Old Firm win that imbued them with the confidence that they could go on to sustain a serious challenge for the championship. "After the game we went top of the league and then everything was open," Vignal told The Herald. "It made us more confident that maybe we could do something because we had not won there for so long. It was very close all the way that season, but everybody in our dressing room knew when we won away from home against Celtic that we had everything we needed to be champions. "It gave us a big lift. Not just because we went to the top of the table but because if you can beat Celtic in their stadium, then you feel you can beat everybody else. "We believed we could win every week and could be champions. Of course, it was not that easy and we lost games we should not have, but in the end we became champions on the last day. Big Marvin Andrews used to always say, Keep believing' and he was right." Vignal's wandering career has seen him make stops at Montpellier, Liverpool, Rennes, Espanyol, Portsmouth, Southampton, and Lens - where he is currently stationed - but it is his time in Glasgow, and the Old Firm match in particular, that he recalls most fondly. "These games are so important for both teams, for the city, for the fans, and for the players, too. It's not just about the match, but what it means to everyone going forward. I still talk about the Old Firm game with my mates here in France, as it was unbelievable. Liverpool versus Everton is a big derby but Rangers versus Celtic is even bigger. The stadiums are bigger and the atmosphere is better. It was an incredible experience to play in these games." Rangers were keen to secure Vignal's services on a permanent basis once his loan deal had expired but the player elected instead to sign for Portsmouth. It is a decision he still regrets four years on. "It was a big mistake for me to leave Glasgow Rangers. When you play for a British team, the spirit and passion is unbelievable and I would love to come back again and play in Scotland or England one day. "I should have stayed. I spoke with Alex McLeish and the chairman about coming back to play in the Champions League in season 2005/06 because I really enjoyed working with McLeish, the chairman, and Martin Bain Rangers' chief executive. If the Rangers chairman wants to call me and bring me back to Ibrox that would be amazing." Before then, however, the 27 year-old Vignal has some unfinished business to attend to, namely helping Lens back into the top flight of French football. "We are top of Ligue 2 so it's going well. When I came back, I told the chairman I would stay to help them get promoted back to Ligue 1 and when you say something like that you have to keep your promise. "I have one more year on my contract with Lens and if the chairman says I can go, I will try to come back to England - or maybe Rangers - this summer or the one after. I spoke to Newcastle and Middlesbrough in the transfer window and was very close to coming back, but I made my promise to Lens, so for now I will stay. But one day I hope I will be back." http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/headlines/display.var.2488906.0.Vignal_away_victory_can_inspire_Rangers_to_title.php

A splendid 4-part in-depth article from 'therabbit' which discusses the obvious problems at Rangers with regard to player contracts. Well worth a read along with your sandwich over lunch... Part 1 "Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains” Life is good if you have the abilities to become a modern professional footballer. The Bentleys, the broads, the bank accounts, the buffed up egos and the bumper contracts. Such short footballing careers are nowadays followed by long forays into the media circus, property, showbusiness, modelling or literally anything that takes their whim. They have the capital to do as they please. Gone are the days when players had to accentuate their meagre pay packets with second jobs and 'retire' only to start their lives again as a member of the workforce at large. Nowadays distinctly average players can retire to a better and more comfortable life than a large percentage of the population could ever dream of. From the onset of professional football, the players gracing the hallowed turf across the land quickly realised that they were being paid more than the loyal fans who came to watch as their escape from the rigours of their weekly grind. With the rise of unionism (in the workforce) players began to seek employment rights and players' associations were born. With these rights came contracts. Stories of players now agreeing contracts readily with clubs without some form of barter, agent provocation or underhand tactics are tough to come by. This paucity is broken by some commendable examples including Paul Scholes, who notoriously turns up for contract talks with his dad and calmly thumbs through the pages in front of him before uttering the words, “that’ll do” and putting pen to paper or Lee Evans lookalike James Milner, representing himself with only some advice and representation from the English PFA. Perhaps the strangest story recently is that of England striker Jermaine Defoe, who ended up in a contract dispute as he was being represented by his mother who wasn’t a registered agent. However, sadly the trend is much more obtuse, sometimes sinister and more money hungry than these three pro’s. Wranglings over player ownership, image rights, agent fees, relocation bonuses and sponsorship, are far more common than anything else – especially with a figure of around 90% of the UK’s professional players represented by some form of football agent. But I suppose that in these times of multi-million pound contracts, Arab sheiks, Israeli super agents and Willie McKay; that kind of contract pontificating is to be expected. No one needs to be told about the recession that we find ourselves in, both individually and in this case, as a collective support and football team; but the issue of the football contract is a multi-faceted one. A football club's financial stability is largely dictated by payment to the members of staff that it has on its wage bill, as it is one of its main expenditures year on year. All football clubs are facing uncertain times financially, even some of the richest clubs in the world are feeling the pinch relative to years gone by. It is simply untenable for them to maintain payment of large contracts and bonuses to large squads of players. This is the quandary that Rangers have found themselves in of late and the topic for this discourse into 'Setting The Standard'. In actuality, it is a quandary that Rangers have been in for a while; too many players on the books with bloated wage packets that were never justified. It seems to run in cycles too. All too often have we seemed to have been lumbered with the contracts of a Capucho or a Lovenkrands or a Burke. As soon as we manage to trim one squad down, it is again swollen with players that do not deserve the wage packets they are on. Yes, getting players via the Bosman ruling is going to mean they are on slightly better wages than they would usually be, but the players we have signed using this method have not been of the required standard – perhaps with the exceptions of Boumsong and Prso. Does this lay the blame at the door of the manager, Martin Bain or is it the scouting system (or lack thereof)? The situation regarding contracts in contemporary football is an interesting one. The playing field was changed for good when the European Court of Justice ruled in the favour of the then unknown Belgian player Jean-Marc Bosman and another sweeping change seems imminent as the case of Article 17 of FIFA’s transfer regulations (‘Webster Rule’) filters into the transfer system. The Bosman ruling means that players over 23 can move freely between employers once their contract runs its course and the Webster ruling means that players who sign contracts when aged under 28 are able to unilaterally break those contracts after three years. If the player is 28 or over, he can break his contract after two years. Compensation is payable, but crucially, a player's destiny lies in his own hands. Still with me? With that in mind, a key point of note is that the balance of power in terms of football contract negotiation has shifted in the favour of the player and not the club. Players now have the same rights as employees in every other sphere. Something that is not lost on Sepp Blatter at FIFA, who is still battling to convince the EU that football is an ‘exceptional’ industry in which ordinary labour laws should not apply. Nevertheless, the best employees (footballers) have full control over their own career and can move to whichever club offers them the best wage and they can demand a pay packet that they feel is befitting of their talent. This has several implications for football contracts. [CONTINUED]

by Lindsay Herron RANGERS have slammed the SFA for failing to postpone today's Homecoming Scottish Cup tie with Forfar earlier when it was patently obvious there was no chance of the game going ahead. They are furious that thousands of fans have been inconvenienced after the fifth round tie at Station Park was called off this morning just hours before the 12.15pm kick-off. And the Club's anger has been compounded by the fact that they told the SFA last week about the extreme weather conditions which have forced the game off. Chief Executive Martin Bain said: "We wrote to the SFA on Thursday afternoon highlighting the long-range weather forecast and we sent them a copy of it which indicated that temperatures on Saturday Martin Bainnight would drop to -7. "We asked for a pitch inspection as early as possible in order that no fans would be inconvenienced by travelling to Forfar on a Sunday morning only to be sent home again. "All the SFA said was that the earliest a pitch inspection could take place was 24 hours before kick off but that they would take cognisance of our comments. "Clearly they have not taken cognisance our comments." A pitch inspection did take place yesterday in milder conditions and the game was given the green light, but the severe overnight temperatures meant that there was no chance of the match taking place. The Rangers Chief Executive added: "It's all very well having a cover over the pitch but when the temperature drops to the level it did last night it simply freezes the moisture underneath the covers. "We have made the point to the football authorities on numerous occasions that our fans come from far and wide, especially those who go to away matches. "So to call the game off just three or four hours before kick-off is hugely disruptive for them. "The very reason we wrote to the SFA on Thursday was to avoid this exact scenario. "The point is that the whole nation is in the midst of a cold snap right now and there was no indication that the weather was going to clear. "We are really disappointed by all of this and we feel sorry for those fans who had already set out on their journeys only to learn that the match was off." The tie has now been rescheduled for Wednesday, February 18

by Thomas Jordan FORFAR will have to invest in additional floodlights if they want to cash in on their rearranged Homecoming Scottish Cup clash with Rangers on February 18. The Third Division minnows are still desperate to land an �£82,500 windfall from Sky TV for their fifth round showdown with Walter Smith's men that was postponed yesterday. Rangers are furious with the SFA for leaving it as late as the morning of the game to carry out a final pitch inspection - despite making concerns known last Thursday that forecasts of minus seven would put the match in jeopardy. Smith and his players travelled to Dundee on Saturday to prepare, and many supporters were already well on their way when the match was finally postponed at around 9am. advertisement Forfar now have just over a week to make arrangements to improve their floodlights to enhance the quality of pictures should Sky - who have agreed to show the St Mirren v Motherwell replay live the night before - agree to screen the fixture. Forfar secretary David MacGregor said: "We're hoping Sky will stick with us. There will be an issue with floodlights. I think we'd need to get extra ones in to enhance the quality of the pictures. But that's something we'll talk to them about if they are still showing the game." Rangers chief executive Martin Bain accused the SFA of incompetence following the last-minute postponement. He blasted: "We wrote to the SFA on Thursday afternoon highlighting the long-range weather forecast and we sent them a copy of it, which indicated temperatures on Saturday would drop to minus seven. "All the SFA said was the earliest a pitch inspection could take place was 24 hours before kick-off and they'd take cognisance of our comments. Clearly they have not." Station Park did pass an inspection by a local referee on Saturday morning and, while the club had three separate plastic covers on the pitch overnight, arctic temperatures meant there was never any realistic chance of the game going ahead. The SFA, however, have hit-back. A spokesman said: "We have every sympathy for fans who had begun their journey when the game was called off. "We were working on information that the temperatures were going to be consistently low over the weekend - that's why we called for a pitch inspection yesterday morning and why we kept the referee up there overnight. "The pitch was perfectly playable yesterday. It wasn't even touch and go. But there was a dramatic drop in temperature on Saturday night that wasn't forecast. "The Forfar groundsman said it was minus nine at one point. I don't know what more we could have done." Refree Eddie Smith made the decision to call the game off and said: "A lot of areas on the park were solid and covered in ice and for the safety of everyone involved I had no hesitation in calling it off." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2488025.0.0.php

Anyone like chestnuts, especially old ones? I've got one here and I think it's about time it was dealt with properly. It's called The Billy Boys. I recently wrote elsewhere........ For me, the so-called banning of TBB will always be symbolic of two things... 1. The contrived witch hunt against the Rangers community. 2. The disgraceful capitulation of a weak and misguided club leadership. Until and unless it returns, there will continue to be a wrong that needs to be righted. This is a truly seminal issue and must be addressed. I believe this to be true and that there are more important issues involved than will ever be resolved by a purely semantic analysis. I'd like to raise some with the rest of our Gersnet members. It's my opinion that we need to get over this hurdle and be able to sing this song again, even if it is with slightly modified words. However, rather than regurgitate what I've said many times already, I thought I would share the thoughts of another very commited bear who made a project of trying to uncover the well-concealed truth of this matter. He posted the following on another site some time ago ............ apologies, it seems this will cover about three different posts. Right folks, I'll give you my views on things and also feed you some info that I have received so far, I would have preferred to held this info back until further down the line but on second thoughts, given the growing unrest among the support re banned songs/banners etc, i think some of it should be known now so that people can use it as basic facts in the matter. At this point I'd advise you to put the kettle as you are in for a long read ;D Firstly, my views on the (alleged) banning of TBB in all shape and form...... In the aftermath of the Osasuna farce, a meeting was held at Ibrox, in attendance were RST, RSA, and other various bears including GMS. The only person I know of that was there representing the club was Martin Bain. In the course of this meeting (and this info came from GMS), Martin Bain (allegedly) held up and waved about a sheet of paper saying that he had received a letter from UEFA stating that TBB has been banned in all forms including the tune at any game that Rangers are involved in (including games under the jurisdiction of the SFA/SPL). I asked GMS if any of the others at that meeting got to read the contents of the letter and the answer was NO. I also asked if any of the others present had requested or received a copy of this letter, again the answer was NO. Now letââ?¬â?¢s just think about this for a minute and ask some questions. Did the above actually happen as described by GMS? Or Did the club come out with a 'You scratch my back, and I'll scratch your back' attitude and in doing so, ask those present to spread it about that things have happened as described above? Not long after this, all the stuff started appearing about the new SPL/SFA regulations regarding 'Unacceptable Behaviour' that were soon going to be published. It was also being touted that there was going to be a 'banned' list of songs published. I then contacted GMS asking him if he knew of any Rangers friendly solicitors that would be prepared to start asking the club questions with regards to the way the fans were being treated by the club in general on the grounds of Human Rights. My request was completely ignored, he didn't even bother replying. It was at this point that the penny started dropping for me, I began to realise that certain people or certain organisations, despite what they claim, did not have the best interests of the Rangers support at heart. Certain people and groups were only out to feather their own nest or were only doing things for the kudos. At this point I'd like to state that at no point during my subsequent continued correspondence with the club have I challenged TBB (as we knew it) being banned. I know, like the majority of bears that the problem has only arisen through peoples ignorance / lack of knowledge / determination to twist historical facts to suit their own agenda, i.e. giving the perception to the general public that when Rangers fans sing the word '******' they actually mean 'Catholics'. However, I am one of the ones that are prepared to move with the times a bit and accept that there is no longer any place for singing the line 'Up to our knees in ****** blood'. What I have been challenging the club on is the alleged banning in all forms. I am currently trying to get the club to state that the original song (We are the people), which was later ba*tardised to become TBB, is not banned at Ibrox or considered offensive by Rangers and as such shouldn't be sung anywhere. I am also challenging the club on the general welfare of the paying customers (lets face it thatââ?¬â?¢s what we are) being neglected by Rangers as they continually allow customers to be harassed and bullied by Rock Steady or Strathclyde Police without any avenue of recourse. Whilst in the confines of Ibrox, as paying customers, Rangers have a 'Duty of care' towards our welfare but it would seem that they are not interested. -------------------- So moving onto my correspondence with the club and the SFA. I shall post the relevant questions that I have put forward, list the response and analyse. The following snippets are excerpts from the letters received by me as I have not yet scanned these letters onto my computer (scanner is fu*ked). I will at some point in the future scan all documentation for viewing, in the meantime you are just going to have to trust me, if in doubt Sentry and PB can vouch for me just now. I sent off a letter to both Rangers and the SFA at the same time way back in August 07. In my letter to the SFA I asked them to clarify if TBB has been banned by UEFA in all forms in Scotland (as being suggested by Rangers), pointing out that others Scottish teams regularly sing their own versions, some even more offensive than ours. I also asked them if the SFA find the original song (We are the people) which does not contain any offensive lyrics to be offensive, stating that Rangers are claiming that it is the responsibility of the SFA to determine this. In my first letter to Kenny Scott my initial questions were as follows...... 1. Please state clearly (including justification) which songs / chants, normally sung by Rangers fans, are now deemed unacceptable at football stadia throughout Scotland under the SFA / SPL regulations? 2. Please state clearly (including justification) which flags / banners, normally displayed by Rangers fans are now deemed unacceptable at football stadia throughout Scotland under the SFA / SPL regulations? His response was...... ââ?¬Å?1. Rangers Football Club appreciate the difficulties encountered by supporters in trying to understand what is and what is not acceptable under the new guidelines. Despite this however the club is not in a position to state unequivocally which songs and chants are acceptable and which are unacceptable. What we would like to point out is that the Club policy is and will remain that we prefer supporters to sing songs about Rangers Football Club and about football in general. It is not only what the Club thinks is acceptable or unacceptable that matters anymore. Given the interest of UEFA and the SPL in the behaviour of our supporters at games both at Ibrox Stadium and away from home it is the view point of these and other objective observers which can bring the Club into difficulties. What Rangers Football Club would ask supporters is to think about what they are singing and what others may thing of particular songs. Where some people may consider it regrettable it is now the opinion of others which matters on the issue. 2. You also ask me to state clearly which flags and banners normally displayed by Rangers fans are now deemed unacceptable at football stadia throughout Scotland under the SFA/SPL regulations. There is nothing contained in these regulations which specifically relates to any particular type of flag or banner. It has long been the position that flags of any nationality which do not contain any added words or slogans which others may find offensive are allowed in stadia across Scotland. I see no reason why this should change in the future. If you have any difficulties regarding particular flags please do not hesitate to address your concerns to me in order that I am able to discuss the issue with you.ââ?¬Â He also went on to stateââ?¬Â¦.. ââ?¬Å?My final point relates to the final paragraph of your letter in which you indicate that Rangers Football Club have a duty to fully inform yourself and all other season ticket holders of said SPL Regulations. What I can tell you is thei Club more so than any other in Scotland I believe has fulfilled its obligation under the SPL Regulations regarding the issuing of statements and publication of such statements in all match day programmes and similar Club publications indicating that it will not tolerate any form of unacceptable conduct. In addition there has been widespread coverage of the new Regulations in the wider media and the subsequent discussion has been well documented. I do not believe the Club has anything further which it is required to do in regard to notification of supporters in respect of the new SPL Regulations.ââ?¬Â

AC MILAN star David Beckham accepted a �£100,000 cheque on behalf of UNICEF from the Rangers Charity Foundation's Charity Champion Barry Ferguson at tonight's friendly with the Serie A superstars at Ibrox Stadium. David Beckham accepts a cheque on behalf of UNICEF from Barry Ferguson from the Rangers Charity FoundationFormer Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder Beckham is currently on loan at Milan from LA Galaxy and has been a supporter of UNICEF since his days at Old Trafford, when he first witnessed the work of the children's charity in Thailand in 2001. He became a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF in 2005 when he launched a global appeal for the children affected by the tsunami in South Asia. Last year he travelled to Sierra Leone, the country with the highest under-five mortality figures, to draw attention to the issue of child survival. Last October, the Rangers Charity Foundation announced a ground-breaking collaboration with UNICEF which sees Rangers become the charity's only Scottish football partner, joining other partner clubs on the world stage such as Barcelona, Manchester United and AC Milan. David Beckham, AC MilanFormer England captain Beckham was delighted to learn the Rangers Charity Foundation has pledged to raise �£300,000 for UNICEF in the next three years and that will help fund an education project in India across 15 states, reaching over 45,000 children in over 200 schools. Beckham said: "It's great to be able to accept this cheque from the Rangers Charity Foundation on behalf of UNICEF. As an Ambassador I've seen the impact of UNICEF's work with children worldwide. "The �£300,000 pledged by the Rangers Charity Foundation will make a real difference to the lives of thousands of children across India, giving many the chance to go to school for the first time. This money will help to transform children's lives." Rangers Chief Executive Martin Bain, a Trustee of the Charity Foundation, added: "The club is delighted that UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham is backing our efforts to make a difference and recognises the fantastic work of the Rangers Charity Foundation through this partnership with UNICEF. "Today's �£100,000 cheque represents funding for the first phase of the Indian education project and will undoubtedly make a positive difference to the lives of thousands of children. "Both UNICEF UK and Rangers Football Club have strong ambitions for this partnership and will be working closely together during the years ahead to ensure the project's success whilst at the same time promoting our shared humanitarian values." Barry FergusonUNICEF UK Director of Fundraising Fiona Hesselden said: "UNICEF thanks Rangers fans for their generosity and support. "With their continued commitment, our partnership will give thousands of children the chance of a brighter future." Charity Champion Barry Ferguson and Foundation Manager Connal Cochrane will be visiting communities in India who will benefit from the project during the summer. Ferguson said: "The work of the Rangers Charity Foundation benefits thousands of people in Glasgow, across Scotland and throughout the world, showing what a great charitable spirit we have at Rangers. "We are very proud to be associated with UNICEF and I am looking forward to visiting the project in India later this year to see first hand the work being done to help children in local communities." The Rangers Charity Foundation also aims to donate �£100,000 per year to local projects via its National and Community Charity Partners which this season are RNIB Scotland and Fairbridge in Glasgow and through the Foundation's ongoing Rangers Community Grants Scheme

The 'Setting the Standard' project continues with another fine article by CammyF. http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=739&Itemid=2 "When the routine bites hard And ambitions are low And the resentment rides high But emotions wont grow And were changing our ways, Taking different roads Then love, love will tear us apart again" Writing an article on the merits, success (or failure) and ambitions of Murray Park (and any Youth Development programme), it would probably be more apt opening with the lyrics from say Teenage Kicks rather than the poetic prose of Ian Curtis and Joy Division. However, the ââ?¬Ë?Setting The Standardââ?¬â?¢ project covers every facet of Rangers Football Club and will touch on every aspect of ensuring that The Rangers are the standard bearers, the example that is used when case-studying a football club. Rangers should be innovators, Rangers should be leaders, Rangers should be ââ?¬Ë?first classââ?¬â?¢, exemplary. The opening lines to 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' are very apt at the moment in relation to supporting The Rangers. Rangersââ?¬â?¢ routine is biting hard, and is hard to stomach as second best appears to be acceptable to the current regime. Our board or directors and our custodian have set their ambitions low and arguably, this has led to a rise in resentment for growing section of supporters. As for changing our ways, hopefully, the ââ?¬Ë?Setting The Standardââ?¬â?¢ project is a tiny step in that direction. Hopefully we wonââ?¬â?¢t take different roads, as to ensure that we set the standards and are successful (in the long-term) we require all of the fans to be united and to push for the improvement that is required. Love of Rangers tearing us apart? Well, weââ?¬â?¢re all well versed at having our emotional strings tugged and our hearts torn-apart by follow, following The Rangers! Of course the difficulty with offering criticism of the club is that you often have the present Ibrox incumbents informing anyone that willlisten, that those behind such criticism are 'faceless and clueless'. However, the twist to this accusation was that those of us who were termed 'faceless and clueless' were then offered the platform to reveal ourselves and to offer solutions for the identified problems. Firstly, Iââ?¬â?¢d like to introduce myself as I was one of those deemed as ââ?¬Ë?facelessââ?¬â?¢ (Iââ?¬â?¢ll cover clueless later - it may not be as easy to argue as faceless is!). I, like every Rangers fan requesting positive change at the club, am simply that: a Rangers fan. Therefore, I am not faceless, I am present wherever and whenever Rangers play. Rightly or wrongly there are those within our support who put supporting Rangers as their main priority ââ?¬â?? it is what they live for and it is what they spend the majority of their income on. I do not fall into that category, I spend the majority of my disposable income on supporting Rangers, I suppose I am lucky (at the moment) to be able to do this but like many others, this may change due to the current economic climate. Anyway, I am digressing. Given that the above covers the ââ?¬Ë?facelessââ?¬â?¢ part of the accusation, lets tackle the more important and less clear cut, clueless part. I will agree with Sir David Murray, I am no 'captain of industry'. I will also admit to the fact that I am not a football manager nor am I a tactical genius. However, I do have and am entitled to an opinion on any matter relating to, or directly affecting Rangers Football Club. I appreciate sometimes criticism maybe overly aggressive or pointless without solutions so I'm glad Gersnet (and RangersMedia) are tackling this via constructive suggestions for improvement. As such, I would like to offer a solution regarding youth development which would also benefit first team players due to what I believe is the failure to completely utilise the facilities at our disposal at Murray Park. Dick Advocaat encouraged Sir David Murray to invest in a training facility that was in all honesty long over due. This training facility was to serve as a state of the art venue that would supplement and improve our players skills and be used to groom the best young talent so we wouldnââ?¬â?¢t have to rely on huge transfer fees to ensure that we remained as the top domestic club. At the same time, we wanted to use such a facility to make inroads into the European Elite (before going any further, this is where Rangers should be, end of story). Can any of us claim that Murray Park has delivered on these worthy aims? Of course it hasnââ?¬â?¢t (John Fleck, Alan Hutton and Alan McGregor arguably being the exceptions rather than the rule). Coaching wise, we are still witnessing the inability to retain possession at a throw-in. We struggle to effectively defend nor attack at a set-piece. Our ââ?¬Ë?shootingââ?¬â?¢ is nothing short of awful. Yet, we have the perfect setting for addressing all of the above, and if nothing else, Murray Park should ensure that we can get the basics right. All of the above is just systematic of our overall problems. Unable to get the basics correct, our problems snowball from there. This issue is easy to rectify and is something that shouldnââ?¬â?¢t have to be discussed. All our players should be coached in these skills and made to practice them time after time until they can deliver on a consistent basis. If this requires extra and/or longer training sessions, then so be it. Our wingers and full backs should be able to (9 times out of ten) deliver a ball into the box that doesnââ?¬â?¢t strike the first defender. All outfield players should be able to consistently hit the target from distances up to 30 yards from goal. All our players should be able to take an effective set piece. None of this is rocket science, just something that has to be coached into players and continually worked at. The issue of Youth Development is something that I have written about on websites and fanzines since the inception of Murray Park and before. If the custodians had utilised and set in place a true youth development model (say modelled on clubs like Ajax or Auxerre) we would be reaping the rewards already (both financially and player wise). However, once again, we were undone by our Board's continued short-termism. The good news is, this can be address and rectified. This will require funding (hence the reason it should have been addressed during the days the custodian was throwing money at managers and players), logistics, administration and, most of all, time to work and a determination for it to work. The fans would need to play their part by being patient as well. Such a youth redevelopment strategy is an essential part of our future. This goes beyond having the cream of Scottish youth players at Murray Park. This is about having youth teams, scouts, coaches etc entrenched in every footballing region in the world. This would require having ex-players working on our behalf in their region. These players would set-up / utilise a network of contacts to identify and sign the best talent from their region. These players could be brought to and schooled at Murray Park, or we could leave them to flourish were they are. Imagine someone like Jorg Albertz covering Germany, Arthur Numan covering the Netherlands, Craig Moore covering Australia, Claudio Canigga covering South America and Brian Laudrup covering Scandinavia. All these ex-players were internationals who served their countries with distinction, who embraced being a Ranger and whose opinion would matter to a kid deciding on where his future lay. As far as I am aware this idea has never been considered within the corridors of power at Ibrox. If tackled correctly, it would ensure that we had a steady conveyer belt of talent not only to take Rangers to the next level, but to sell on when and if required. Again, this isnââ?¬â?¢t rocket science and has been done to varying levels of success on the continent. We have close links to Dutch Football so getting an insight, report, feasibility study et al shouldnââ?¬â?¢t take that much effort or resource. The hard work would be implementing, managing and ensuring that this project was the success that it could be. Again that would take time but the benefits would surely be worth it? Another possible money-making idea relating to the Youth Development is insisting on a sell-on clause to be inserted into any Youth players we sell. As an example, Motherwell sold Ross McCormack to Cardiff and we, as developers of McCormackââ?¬â?¢s talents went unrewarded. Martin Bain should ensure that any young player leaving Ibrox for pastures new has a sell-on clause inserted into their contract allowing Rangers to benefit from any sale of these players. Any money raised from this should be ring-fenced and used and reinvested into Murray Park / Youth Development. Of course, all of these ideas and suggestions can't be successful overnight. They would take years to bear fruit and problems would occur throughout. But would we be any worse off? Challenges are not insurmountable and the risk surely smaller than our short-term high player turnover strategy? Over to you Rangers.

Bain and Murray couldn;t force any of the star men out the door. Boyd, Boogie, Mendes still here. They haven't be able to weaken the squad like we worried. Title race is on big time then?