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It has been announced that a group of Rangers fans - backed by all official fan groups and all unofficial fansites in the online community (including Gersnet) - are to hold a peaceful protest within Ibrox Stadium this Sunday. You can read the statement released by the group below.

CHIEF Executive reveals key points at Assembly meeting More...

Unless you've been on Mars, the Rangers ownership debate will have been everywhere in your supporting life of the last six months in particular. From the 'official' newspapers and media, to the 'unofficial' forums and fanzines; from the 'official' fan groups, to the 'unofficial' singing sections; the apparent dispute between Lloyds Bank/MIH and those interested in buying the club has been a hot topic for months now. I say apparent because real, genuine facts are thin on the ground so it is extremely difficult for the average bear to decide what is and isn't authentic when examining the ownership issue. On one hand we hear rumours that Lloyds Bank - via the introduction of director Donald Muir - are in control of the club and attempting to regain their �£31million debt by manners that could cost the club its short, medium and long term competitiveness. On the other we have club chairman Alistair Johnston telling us at the club AGM that these rumours are untrue while the bank say they remain committed to the club's future success. The battle-lines are drawn then but the lines are somewhat unclear. Who is in what army and who is fighting who. And, most importantly, what is the prize and how much will it cost? All confusing stuff for supporters who look at the SPL table and see a six point cushion (in real terms) between us and Celtic. Therefore, as a starting point for those of us without the source with the inside info, what are the facts of the situation? Well, as reported late last year the club is �£31million in debt (as of June 2009) although our participation in the Champions' League group stage will likely have reduced that figure by a few million in the interim. To that end, the debt is owed primarily to Lloyds Bank who are involved in the club via long term loans as well as their shareholding in MIH. Nevertheless, Sir David Murray remains the majority owner of both Rangers and the MIH parent company and people under-estimate his influence at their peril. However, MIH do have alleged serious financial problems and, much in the same way the Rangers board had to renegotiate their loan terms with the bank in 2009, it is believed that Murray has had to do the same with the huge debts MIH have. This much is unclear as the company have delayed the reporting of their accounts until April this year - lending weight to claims he is having difficulty appeasing the bank in terms of restructuring. Back to Rangers and once again dealing with what 'official' information is publicly available we examine the club AGM where the shareholders were told the club did not need to sell any players and could, if necessary, 'trade' their way through transfer windows. Obviously this statement is open to interpretation but given we've not sold anyone (yet!) and contract talks have taken place with several players, Johnston appeared to be correct when speaking in December. The club also strenuously denied that Lloyds are 'running Rangers' as some suggest. Unfortunately this is where the waters become muddied - perhaps deliberately so and certainly by a range of parties - including the club, including the media and including 'in-the-know' fans. Read any Rangers forum (and indeed most newspapers - be it Jim Traynor in the Daily Record or Darrell King at the Herald) then the 'official' lines above are challenged. The rumours and innuendo are rife: Donald Muir is an agent of the bank; the bank want to reduce the playing squad to 14 senior players; contract offers have been taken off the table by the bank; Muir has held meetings with his friend Alex McLeish to sell key players; key club staff members (Martin Bain and the head Groundsman) have been 'sacked' then reinstated; the club is allegedly for sale at �£31million with SDM happy to accept a nominal sum for his 91% shareholding; Dave King is the man the fans must throw their weight behind; Graham Duffy is the only show in town; why are the bank rejecting good offers for the club; the fan groups will unite the support; Murray Park is to be sold to realise funds; paint banners and place pressure on the bank; the fans can run the club; etc etc etc. I'm sure there are more I've missed. To be clear, I don't know if these rumours are true. They may well be and, in fact, I believe some are but I certainly urge all Rangers supporters to be cautious in what they read - no matter the source. I don't under-estimate the intelligence or passion of our fans and to that end we shouldn't be patronised by any side of the argument. Therefore, what is certainly the case and the reason for this article, is that once again we're the ones being treated unfairly. I don't doubt people want to buy Rangers FC and I certainly don't blame them for wanting the best deal possible. After all, the cheaper they buy the club (or the bank debt); the more money they'll have to invest in the parts of the club that desperately require it. Be it an essential improved contract for Kris Boyd or repairs to a stadium built in memory of the 66; tens of millions of pounds are required to take our club forward. Again, anyone under-estimating the scale of the job needed to keep our club as a successful going concern, could be even more fatal than allowing the bank to sell off our assets. Consequently, more than ever, what we need is clarity and leadership from those that are buying (and those that are selling) the club. Of course, Stock Market rules may determine what information can be made available but, while the current method of drip-feeding unsubstantiated rumours to people via the media and unofficial fan forums may help apply pressure to a degree, we need more credible ways of reaching the support than that. After all, the online community may know and trust a few otherwise anonymous user-names, but how on earth do the vast majority of off-line fans - the often apathetic preponderance of the Rangers support; get access to the debate? These are the people any potential buyer (and fan group) need to reach if they want a successful subscription to any ownership model and so far the efforts to do so are below par. Across the community and at recent games I see Rangers fans challenged to open their eyes and be aware of 'the enemy within' our great club. Fair enough, I understand that mantra and, given I'm lucky enough to be in contact with a few interesting people, I also share in it to a degree. However, how can I possibly pass this message onto others without looking somewhat irresponsible? Despite the proclamations from some on the other side of the debate, there's no doubt there are problems at Rangers football club. There is also no doubt people are concerned about that enough to want to spend a lot of money during a difficult financial period to buy the club. For that I'm thankful. However, if these people are truly serious and want their efforts to be respected and supported, I expect to see more. If the situation is as dire as their plants in the media and their associated fan groups suggest by proxy for them, then the odd post on a forum and the odd banner at a game is not enough. We've heard the declarations of unity but there has been little evidence of it when requested. More is required. Meetings are needed. Credibility must be sought. Unification is paramount. Egos need not be massaged. Communication must be used. The fans should be trusted. What cannot be denied is that to be the owner of Rangers FC one must be a true leader of men. We want and need this leader. If you are serious in your intentions, then you must step forward. Are you Ready?

http://www.sundaypost.com/postindex.htm By Danny Stewart DANNY WILSON and John Fleck have been left stunned by suggestions they have set their sights on England. Rangersââ?¬â?¢ teenage stars, who still have 18 months to run on their contracts, have been unable to agree on new deals. Repeated attempts by Chief Executive Martin Bain to broker pay packages have stalled. And on Friday manager Walter Smith said it appeared the pair saw their futures elsewhere and were putting contracts ahead of their careers. That has shocked Wilson and Fleck, both of whom have been Rangers supporters since boyhood. Baulked Wilson has baulked at accepting a new four-year deal. It is understood that was in response to an offer heavily weighted towards appearances. And while there is interest in the young central defender from Manchester United and Spurs, his desire is to stay at Ibrox, albeit on his terms. Fleck is like-minded. Mainly used off the substitutesââ?¬â?¢ bench this season, he helped set up Nacho Novoââ?¬â?¢s winner at Hamilton yesterday. His only wish is to do so with Rangers. In any case, there are no clubs currently queuing up to try and lure him south. The playersââ?¬â?¢ advisors, the Stellar Group, were last night tight-lipped on the situation. All a spokesman would say was, ââ?¬Å?Our clients are fully committed to Rangers Football Club.ââ?¬Â great news give them a 5 year contract worth 5 grand a week and if they keep playing better give them a pay rise bain :spl:

Published on 13 Jan 2010 For 12 months, the picture has been painted of a club laid bare. A world-famous institution where every meagre pound has become a prisoner. Fed-up Rangers fans havenââ?¬â?¢t sniffed an A-list signing for a year and a half. And Ibrox manager Walter Smith has claimed the men in suits from Lloyds Banking Group have tightened their fingers round the purse strings in a bid to ease debts totalling Ã?£31million. The only light to pierce the gloom has been the form of Kris Boyd, whose goals have made him the hero of the Ibrox terracings ââ?¬â?? and helped Rangers open up a seven- point gap over Celtic in the SPL title race. But now even Boydââ?¬â?¢s Rangers future has been thrown back into the financial melting pot. For we can exclusively reveal today the Ã?£18,000-a-week deal Boyd is keen to sign has still to be agreed by the clubââ?¬â?¢s financial controllers. That means the bid to keep the SPLââ?¬â?¢s record goalscorer at his boyhood idols could yet be scuppered. Chief executive Martin Bain met Boydââ?¬â?¢s representative at the end of last week and extended an offer which would bring the 26-year-old into line with the top earners at Ibrox and out of the clutches of English raiders. Smith has urged Bain to do everything possible in his power to keep the player, who yesterday underwent a double hernia operation in Manchester, at the club. However, the terms on offer have not been given the green light by certain individuals on the board. And it now remains to be seen whether the offer will stand if, as expected, Boyd confirms he wants to put pen to paper on the deal. Business turnaround specialist Donald Muir, who was appointed in October with a remit to remedy the financial fortunes of the Scottish champions, has been handed the task of trying to reduce the clubââ?¬â?¢s debts. Cost-cutting measures have bitten so deep that, it is understood, even the number of groundstaff at Ibrox and Murray Park was looked at before Christmas. When this was raised as a possible area to save cash, the idea was met with swift resistance from the football operation who realise the groundstaffââ?¬â?¢s crucial role. This time last year, it emerged the club might be forced to sell a leading player to help ease the financial burden. Owner and majority shareholder Sir David Murray stepped down as chairman in August and was replaced by Alastair Johnston who has spent the last three months trying to find a new owner. The financial crisis that has engulfed Rangers came to a head shortly after Muirââ?¬â?¢s appointment to the board when Smith claimed after a home match against Hibs the bank were running the club. This was denied by the bank, much to Smithââ?¬â?¢s fury. Lloyds have consistently denied Muir is their man and insist he is a paid employee of the Murray Group, and was not placed on Rangers board at their behest. But, as we exclusively revealed in October two days after Smithââ?¬â?¢s startling statement, the bank threatened Rangers with administration if the club didnââ?¬â?¢t sign up for a business plan based upon swingeing cuts, many of which will only take full effect in the summer if a new buyer is not found. And it is the architects of this plan ââ?¬â?? the same plan that has frozen Rangersââ?¬â?¢ spending for three transfer windows ââ?¬â?? who hold the key to Boydââ?¬â?¢s Ibrox future. The pressure was only slightly lifted when the loan move for PSGââ?¬â?¢s Jerome Rothen was signed off. Rangers, however, are only picking up part of his wages and that deal will be torn up if the Frenchman can fix up another club for the rest of the season. But this is the first time the cash cuts could hold the key to whether a player is offered a new contract. Boyd is the first player to be offered a new deal since Muir was appointed to the board. Other players, such as Nacho Novo and Kirk Broadfoot, are nearing the end of their current deals, but the sums involved to keep them are not even close to the Boyd figures. Novo is believed to be on around Ã?£5000 a week, with Broadfoot on Ã?£3000 a week. Neither is likely to stay if their offers donââ?¬â?¢t show a decent increase, but itââ?¬â?¢s believed the current business plan does not have much flexibility. But Boyd, who will be in line for a Ã?£8,000-a-week increase, has sparked a major stand-off as the offer made to him could force the bank to honour a deal that they would prefer not to ââ?¬â?? or face the wrath of the clubââ?¬â?¢s support, sections of which have already threatened to boycott Lloyds Banking Group services. Questions that remain unanswered Comment by Thomas Jordan It used to be as straightforward as the manager inviting the player into his office, telling him what he would be earning and waving him on his way. That was the way new contracts and transfers were conducted in the past. Nowadays, agents and chief executives are involved. It is a far more complex business now than it was then. But even by present-day standards, the background to Kris Boydââ?¬â?¢s contract negotiations with Rangers could take things to a new level entirely. On the instruction of Rangers manager Walter Smith, the clubââ?¬â?¢s chief executive Martin Bain met with the strikerââ?¬â?¢s representative at the end of last week and tabled a new contract offer in a bid to retain the services of their leading goalscorer. Normally, that would have been the end of the matter. The player would either say he was taking them up on their offer or reject it in favour of an opportunity elsewhere. There would usually be some room for negotiation. But SportTimesââ?¬â?¢ revelation that the Lloyds Banking Group are yet to approve the new deal and will have the final say on whether it will go through or not brings a host of questions Rangers fans will want answered as the true extent of the bankââ?¬â?¢s role is revealed. * Once again, on a point that has never been satisfactorily answered, they want to know who really is calling the shots at Rangers? * Why have the bank said they are not running Rangers when they have approval on contracts? * The man appointed to the board by the Murray Group in October, Donald Muir, has said he has no influence on football matters. Does he still maintain that is the case? * When will the chairman Alastair Johnston tell everyone what is really happening within the constraints of a business plan that he himself has said is not good for the club? * What would the consequences have been had the Rangers board NOT agreed to the bankââ?¬â?¢s business plans? * And what exactly will happen in the summer when the full extent of the financial cuts are expected to be implemented if a new buyer is not found? These are questions the Rangers supporters would like answered. And it is probably the same for Walter Smith. How many managers would be willing to work for a club without any sort of contract in place? It would be unlikely many, if any at all, would agree to such a situation. But the Rangers manager appears to be on a mission to do everything within his power to save the club. When Smith came out and publicly announced the bank were running the club, it was immediately denied. He is now fighting tooth and nail, it would seem, to prevent his current squad of players from being ripped apart. By managing to win the SPL title last season, the Rangers manager secured some much- needed funds for the cash-strapped club. His team are now seven points clear in the title race again, despite the fact they squad is basically down to the bare bones. But at what point will he decide enough is enough? At what point will he decide he is fighting a losing battle against the moneymen? That, without doubt, is something that really would bring this situation to a head. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/editor-s-picks-ignore/moneymen-hold-the-key-to-kris-boyd-deal-and-they-haven-t-said-yes-1.998370

KRIS BOYD will turn his back on a mega-bucks Premiership move to STAY at Rangers - provided the SPL champions pay him �£20,000-a-week. Sport of the World can reveal Boyd will reject massive offers from Birmingham and Middlesbrough to sign a new contract at Ibrox. However to make the deal happen Gers chief executive Martin Bain will have to find another �£2,000-a-week, after offering goal machine Boyd, right, �£18,000-a-week to stay. That would mean a �£1million per year deal for Boyd - yet that's significantly less than is already on the table down South. As we exclusively revealed last week, Boro boss Strachan wanted Boyd to team up with Celtic's Scott McDonald at the Riverside and was prepared to offer the SPL's record scorer �£25,000-a- week to move to the Championship. Yet even that �£1.25m deal was dwarfed by Alex McLeish who has offered Boyd an incentive-based deal worth more than �£1.5m-a-year to join him in the Premiership with Birmingham. That would net Boyd a cool �£30,000-a-week if he hits his targets and is way more than he is asking from Rangers. However the 26-year-old believes he is currently in the form of his life and if Rangers can raise the bar to offer him a �£1m-a-year contract he would be happy to sign on for the next four years with his boyhood heroes. It remains to be seen if cash-strapped Gers can cough up the extra money too keep Boyd which amounts to more than �£100,000-a-year on top of their original offer. But having come this close to fighting off Boro and Birmingham, Gers may go the extra mile to tie their man up on a new long-term deal rather than risk losing him for nothing this summer. Meanwhile, Lee McCulloch urged Boyd to think carefully before being tempted to quit Ibrox. McCulloch said: "For Kris it's a choice of money or trophies. Any player wants to win things and his chances of doing that elsewhere obviously depends on where he goes. "What I do know is if he stays here he's going to be worshipped even more by the Rangers fans and will be playing for a fantastic club that's going to be challenging to win things every season. "But it's up to the club to do everything they can to keep him. "That should be their priority because when you have someone scoring that amount of goals every season and playing as well as Kris is just now, he becomes one of the most important players in the squad. "Everyone's fingers are crossed in the dressing room they can come to some sort of deal. "I don't know what he is thinking, but I just hope he stays and I know all the other players feel the same way. "It's up to the club to meet his demands, as long as he is not being greedy, and get the contract signed - because he proves every year that he is the best in Scotland at scoring goals." http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/scottish/scottish_sport/668984/Kris-Boyd-is-set-to-snub-the-Premiership-and-sign-on-at-Ibrox.html

WALTER Smith has warned of dire consequences for Rangers if they do not resist selling any players during the current transfer window and also retain the bulk of their squad whose contracts are due to expire in the summer. The frustration Smith has experienced for the last 18 months as the Ibrox club grapple with their financial problems resurfaced yesterday as he responded to speculation linking Pedro Mendes with a move to Sporting Lisbon. Rangers, who have not been able to buy a new player since August 2008, remain under pressure from the Lloyds Banking Group to restructure their finances and reduce their �£31 million debt. But manager Smith is adamant Rangers cannot afford any further cuts to the first-team squad for the second half of a season which currently sees them seven points clear of Celtic at the top of the SPL and still involved in both domestic cup competitions. While top scorer Kris Boyd has now been offered a new contract, Smith is keen to see the future of other players tied up. Among those whose existing deals also run out at the end of the season are Kirk Broadfoot, Nacho Novo, DaMarcus Beasley and Stevie Smith. "If we don't start to offer some of them the opportunity to stay with the club, then we will cease to operate, never mind anything else," said Smith. "We have been in negotiations with a few others as well as Kris. We have started talking to Kirk Broadfoot and Nacho Novo. It is something that has to happen." With his resources further limited by injuries and unavailability, Smith was forced to fill out his substitutes' bench with four youngsters in Andrew Little, John Fleck, Gregg Wylde and Jamie Ness. He regards it as a clear indication of why Rangers should not be looking to offload senior players such as Mendes. "Who says we are going to get rid of Pedro?" added Smith. "I've not heard anything about getting rid of Pedro, apart from what I read in newspapers. Last week, we only had two senior professionals in Maurice Edu and Stevie Smith on the bench at Celtic Park. We will only have a couple available to us again this weekend. With suspensions set to kick in for the second half of the season, we will need all of our players between now and the end of the season." Smith is still waiting to learn if Boyd will accept the club's offer of a new three-year contract reported to be worth around �£18,000 a week. "His agent spoke with (chief executive) Martin Bain yesterday and he has gone off to think over the offer being made," said Smith. "We've still not heard anything back." One player Smith would be prepared to lose is French winger Jerome Rothen, 31, who has failed to make the desired impact during his season-long loan from Paris St Germain. He is no longer in the manager's first team plans and hopes to return home this month. Rangers begin their defence of the Active Nation Scottish Cup tomorrow and Smith is able to welcome Kenny Miller and Kevin Thomson back from suspension and injury respectively for the lunchtime kick-off against Hamilton Accies at New Douglas Park. http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/Walter-Smith--warns-.5968866.jp

Alastair Johnston has flown in I know we're all sick of rumour and speculation but noted a couple of low key reports this week saying our Chairman has unexpectedly flown back to Scotland from his Florida base. He seems to make a personal appearance (at least as far as I can see) whenever something is going on regarding the Club's financial status. Assuming Bain is handling transfer business - is it possible he is indeed here to oversee something much larger?

GERS launch Apple app and dedicated web browser More... RANGERS have today become the first Scottish club to launch its own official app for Apple's iPhone and iPod touch. And the launch comes along with a custom internet browser theme featuring branding from Walter Smith's Double winners - a first in British football. The SPL Champions are ahead of the game in this area and fans can stay in touch with the club 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, wherever they are through the new and exclusive application plus enjoy the benefits of a dedicated Rangers themed internet browser. A wealth of information and pictures are available at the touch of a button on the Apple App and supporters can find out the latest news, up-to-date fixture lists, results of previously played fixtures, in-depth match reports and other key information direct from Rangers. Key features on the Rangers Apple App, which costs �£2.99 and is available to download from http://www.rangers.co.uk'>http://www.rangers.co.uk and iTunes, include: - The latest news from Rangers - Historical information about the club, including past managers and Rangers' home, Ibrox Stadium - Squad details including pictures and stats - Fixture list with upcoming match dates and comprehensive match reports from previous games - Support for posting to Facebook. The SPL Champions and Homecoming Scottish Cup Winners have also teamed up with custom browser specialists Brand Thunder to create a unique themed browser experience that offers supporters the chance to update their Firefox and Internet Explorer browsers with distinctive club branding. The new Rangers browser theme will utilise exclusive pictures and video content from the recently revamped http://www.rangers.co.uk and is delivered through a small download called a Boom! which does much more than provide a visual takeover of the browser. Booms! feature breaking news in the integrated toolbar, multimedia in the sidebar, easy access to all things Rangers and is available to download from http://www.rangers.co.uk. Rangers Chief Executive Martin Bain said: "We are delighted to announce the launch of the Rangers Apple App and the Rangers web browser. The club recently unveiled a pioneering online TV station - RangersTV.tv - and we are leading the way once again in this field. "Our supporters have a huge appetite for news and these two new ventures, allied to our existing club media platforms, allow them to stay in touch with the club night and day."

HE'S the little Spaniard with the big heart. But Nacho Novo's heart will shatter into a thousand tiny pieces the day he's forced to walk out of Ibrox for the final time. Novo knows the clock's ticking on his Rangers career. Out of favour and out of contract in the summer, the fans' hero may have to look elsewhere for first-team football. It's a chilling thought which sends a shiver down his spine - a fear he hoped he'd never have to face. Speaking at the launch of his DVD yesterday, Novo admitted: "You always have it in the back of your mind to go back to Spain at some point. "I was born there and there will always be a connection as I have a lot of family there. "People talk very well about me in Spain and they know me because of the platform Rangers have given me. "The day will eventually come when I need to leave Rangers and that will be really hard. "It's hard to say if I will play in Spain before I finish my career although I'm 30 now and only have a few years left." Novo could yet be offered a new deal by Gers. The Spaniard is one of three players chief executive Martin Bain is keen to talk to in the coming weeks. But the 'supersub' tag hangs heavy around his neck. He knows he only has a few more years left at the top before the sun sets on a career that's taken him from his homeland to Kirkcaldy, Dundee and Glasgow. Novo insisted: "I don't know what will happen in the future. "I'm just happy to be here and doing something for the fans who have been behind me 100 per cent. "The club will deal with my agent, but I just want to focus on playing now. If it happens, it happens. "Everybody knows I love this club - it has been like a family to me. "I've enjoyed every training session and every game I've played since coming to Rangers. "It would be better if everything was sorted out, but there is still a long way to go." It's almost ten years since Novo landed on these shores. Signed by Raith Rovers in the summer of 2000 he has gone on to carve a great career at Ibrox. Advertisement He revealed: "I have a lot friends in this country and I've been here so long I now start to think in English rather than in Spanish. "I love Scotland and I have loved my time with Raith, Dundee and now Rangers. "There are some unpleasant aspects, but that can happen in football. You expect that. "I think the Scots are nice people. "The climate does not bother me either because I'm from Galicia in northern Spain and the weather is similar. "They say the toughest Spaniards always come from the north." If this is to be Novo's last season at Gers, he's determined to sign off with another SPL title. Europe has gone and Novo insists it's time for Walter Smith's men to regroup starting with the visit of St Johnstone today. He insisted: "We need to think about winning the SPL now. "This is an important month with a lot of hard games. "At the moment Kris Boyd is on fire and we are playing well. "We need to do the same things as last year if we want to win the title again. "We've so many tough games in December, but I honestly think we can win them all. "Everybody should be hungry to win the league again and I'm positive about our chances. "You need to have players who are all desperate to win in your team. "If you don't have that kind of mentality you won't succeed, but I'm confident we have that here. "We have a lot of good players and we have come back well after disappointing results in Europe." Meanwhile, Gers boss Smith has confirmed he will make no new signings in January. He said: "The only way we will be able to sign a player is if we sell one, otherwise we won't. "There is no leeway for that in the transfer window, that's quite categorical. "We don't need to sell a player in this transfer window - but neither will we be bringing anyone in. "The challenge now of winning the league is more straightforward when you lose out on European football. "Of course, it would be normal for a team to stagnate if they go through three transfer windows without bringing a new player in. "But this year is better than last in the sense we haven't been told we need to lose a player." http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/2768916/I-fear-the-end.html

From David Edgar Hello folks, Here's the latest info as I have it; Ian Tudhope is effectively the Bain of MIH - he has quit. Despite the denials, it's strongly rumoured by people close to the situation that this is because of Muir. Essentially, Muir is running MIH now and, you can safely assume, is having the same impact that he is having at Rangers. http://www.heraldscotland.com/busine...mpire-1.988277 This is absolutely criticial and flies in the face of what Murray and the bank have been saying about his role as an 'advisor'. There will be more from Graham Duffy in the papers over the next few days which should answer questions on his credentials. However, he may or may not be involved as one of the main players in the most likely consortium. This consortium is made up of names you would know, and is very close to making its move. The exact model of fans representation has not been agreed as there will need to be feasability studies done etc. For example, would Duffy's plan be unworkable? Is there more desire for a membership scheme etc. Supporters representation is however a key component to all members of the prospective consortium. The plan is, as it always has been, to get the bank and the failed owner out of Ibrox officially and then instigate the major changes required, including fan ownership. I know it is frustrating, waiting around for things to happen, but things ARE moving and it WILL happen. If you can, get to the AGM, speak out against Lloyds and the previous regime and vote against Muir becoming a Director. The next few days are crucial to the future of our club. If it all goes to plan, we'll start this new decade in style.

If any of you had told me I would head up a thread with the above title 6 months ago I would have thought you were barking. However, the brave decision taken by our CEO, (Now starting to talk and act like one since Murray left incidentally) to take a full allocation of tickets for such a powderkeg match after the problems in Bucharest has been totally vindicated. And the work put in by Kenny Scott during his two visits to Seville, as well as numerous discussions with them, also is worthy of high praise. This could so easily have backfired on them, leaving them looking silly and probably in untenable positions, but they had faith in the Rangers support originating from the belief that we are not what our gutter press would have you believe we are. The measures they put in place for ticket uplift was a sure-fire winner which I hope is repeated in future, and the co-operation received from the Spanish authorities who held up their side of the bargain was also commendable.

CHIEF exec's appreciation of fans organisations' efforts in Seville More...

Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson has been angered by comments made by Rangers' Martin Bain in the row over admission for a rearranged fixture. United are charging half-price on 15 December following the abandonment of the clubs' meeting on 1 November. The Ibrox chief executive was quoted saying he was "disgusted and angry at the attitude of Dundee United". And a furious Thompson told BBC Scotland: "I think Martin's behaviour has been disgraceful." The visitors were leading the Premier League match 1-0 at half-time when referee Mike Tumelty called a halt to proceedings due to a waterlogged pitch. Thompson insisted fans were never told their original ticket stubs would be valid for the replay and reduced pricing for the rescheduled match was a fair reflection of the operational costs incurred by the Tayside club. MY SPORT: DEBATE Give your reaction to this story In response, Rangers released a statement expressing their disappointment at the decision. At Rangers annual meeting on Monday, Bain was quizzed by shareholders about the on-going squabble. "We did take up the fight because I was disgusted and angry at the attitude of Dundee United," was his reported response. "The game was called off at half-time and I was standing beside the chief executive of the Scottish Premier League (Neil Doncaster) and the chairman of Dundee United (Thompson) and I said to them at that time, 'I hope that you will see sense and make sure that our supporters retain their ticket stubs and get back in for nothing'." However, Thompson denies that Bain ever said this in his company. "It is interesting that Martin Bain was disgusted and annoyed with Dundee United over tickets but never used such strong language after Manchester or Bucharest about his own fans," added the United chairman in reference to crowd disturbances involving followers of Rangers. The guy is a Knob

BAIN responds to Dundee United Chairman's comments More...

It seems every time I travel through to Ibrox this season, the weather is dreadful. Heavy rain, low cloud and an atmosphere of foreboding seem the norm no matter the time of year. Add in the less than positive mood of the Rangers support then we could change the club colours to grey, bring in John Major as manager and sell boiled rice at the kiosks and it would probably reflect the general feeling at the club well enough. Yet, conversely, the chat online has been a bit more interesting of late: potential new owners interviewed by in-the-know journalists; fan groups releasing statements about ownership schemes; strong arguments between bears who share the same goals and objectives; and general excitement about a new era sans Sir David Murray. Unfortunately all the (largely positive and interesting) debate surrounding the ownership of the club was turned on its head for the time being with yesterday's damp squib of an AGM. With new chairman Alistair Johnston in charge, the format was changed from recent years with an in-depth statement from him and Martin Bain (available in full from PLUS Markets) pre-empting much of the more difficult questions from the 3000 strong shareholder crowd. Amid farcical scenes early in the meeting, the token (but important) gesture of the majority present voting against the re-election of Donald Muir was as interesting as it got. Sure, the huge proxy shareholding of Sir David Murray meant any such vote was always going to be futile but Rangers, MIH and Lloyds bank (delete as applicable for Muir's real employer) will have taken on board the opinions of these active supporters. This shows even widespread media coverage surrounding Muir's appointment didn't sway the opinions of many bears giving an increased realisation that even David Murray can't spin as well as he could do in the past. Alistair Johnston's comments added to that rather bluntly at times. Moving onto the new chairman's speech, Johnston spoke rather well and held the attention of the crowd despite the 20mins he spoke for. An undoubtedly clever man, his awkward appearance in front of the media cameras a few months back was forgotten about here in this confident performance. Most interesting were his comments that he'd lead a Rangers Board that will become increasingly independent of the Murray Group - qualifying this by discontinuing all reimbursements to Murray Group for management services and refusing to take on four directors instead of two (Muir and McGill recently replacing SDM and Wilson) as representatives from MIH. It will be interesting to see how much further the board can go in this respect as SDM (or Lloyds depending on your opinion) still owns >91% of Rangers FC. The chairman also made regular references to a business plan that he had reluctantly agreed with Lloyds in recent months. Obviously, every Rangers fan is aware of the financial restrictions placed upon us, so the likelihood of no future transfers and the importance of winning the SPL was nothing new. The fact he did go until to express 'scepticism' and 'caution' for any new owner in terms of not only raising the initial capital to buy the club but, more importantly, being able to prove they can retain a working finance to maintain the business moving forward was a stark reminder to those who think buying then running Rangers is simple. I wouldn't go as far as some to say he has outright dismissed the aspect of supporter ownership (wholly or in part) but he quite rightly brought everyone back into the real world by way of showing the difficulties therein. In summary, Johnson concluded rather blandly that the club's commitment to the fans would remain a priority and touched on youth and scouting as two specific ways in which we could improve our operations. Martin Bain then took to the stage and was also given the same courtesy by the fans for his slightly shorter but more empirical speech. Concentrating on the individual issues that would inevitably have cropped up during open questions, Bain was clever to address these beforehand and also maintained an eloquent realism while again not really saying anything we didn't know. Despite the drop in season ticket sales it was comforting to know our percentage capacity in the UK remains something to be proud of. All the more reason then for he and his chairman not dismiss our opinions lightly in future months one would hope. By concentrating on the Dundee Utd ticket fiasco and JJB merchandising improvements Bain gave the impression the club did share our opinion on such matters though. Further comment on the importance of youth football and the mention of a new structure in domestic and European football were contributions we'd also heard before. No concrete plans were outlined on how were were addressing all the above which was somewhat disappointing. Nonetheless most major talking points were covered empirically before he opened up the meeting to the shareholders for questions. Pleasingly the time given for such questions was agreeable enough when compared to recent years. Perhaps it was the cold, cramped nature of the Bill Struth Stand or perhaps it was because the preceding speeches were delivered confidently but the quality of questions were by and large disappointing. The Jumbotron screens' condition, the discipline of players on international duty, and kick-off times dictated by TV monies didn't really add anything to the event and those that were a bit more interesting such as the contract status of players (including Boyd) and further media representation complaints were easily answered by Bain who was well briefed for these expected queries. Meanwhile Donald Muir again denied he was employed by the bank and/or that he was preparing the club for administration. Thus, two hours after it started, the always ill-at-ease and unimpressive John McLelland brought the meeting to a close. As everyone bustled their way to the exit (and the incessant rain) the media sat in wait to try and catch shareholders off-guard with their own questions. But the truth was nothing exciting really happened. Sure, the stadium re-naming rebuttal; the no-contract status of the management team; and the guarded nature of the discussion with regard to the ownership of the club kept people awake but all-in-all the debate isn't really all that further forward. Thus, the status-quo remains. We know the club is in financial difficulty. We know the current board appear to be in conflict with each other. We know Lloyds/MIH retain a key involvement in the running of the club. We know all the board lack the innovation required for obvious improvement. We know the ongoing financial underpinning of the club is dependent on our success. We know that club are wary of increased supporter involvement. We know the club is for sale. We know there are a few interested buyers. We know they lack the model or the backing to capture the imagination of the support at large. All the above was information we had at our disposal before yesterday's meeting - hence the title of this equally morose article on it. As such, I urge everyone involved to take a breather and stand back for the moment until such time where we do have more precise information on the club's ownership future. In the short-term the most important thing is that the team remain successful on the pitch so it is vital we continue to support them as vocally as we can. Winning the SPL is imperative no matter who owns the club. That is something we can all agree on. Let's build for the future on that positive note.

Part 1 CHAIRMAN'S ADDRESS "I want to thank you for participating in the formal agenda of the AGM, and we now move onto the segment of our meeting which does not deal with the specific governance of the club as dictated by the regulatory authorities. I am going to ask you for your forbearance as I break with recent precedent in that prior to the traditional question and answer session, I would like to take this opportunity to present my inaugural chairman's address to the shareholders of Rangers Football Club. As I have now held this position for just over three months, I feel it is appropriate for me to give you some direct insight into some of the strategic issues in which your Board has been engaged during this time. In so doing, I will focus on matters that I believe will be of particular relevance to you, many of which have been the subject of media interest and speculation. After my presentation, Martin Bain will follow me to the podium to address several pertinent issues of topical importance to the Rangers constituency and outline our activities and views on these subjects. I have no intention of reciting information that you already have available to you included in the annual report that you would have received several weeks ago. If, of course, you have any questions arising from the information contained therein, you can address your questions to the Board during the traditional question and answer session that will follow. At the outset, I believe it is beholden on me to relate to you activities with which the Board has been engaged that deal specifically with the relationship between Rangers Football Club and the Murray Group and, by extension, Lloyds Bank. As you all know, Sir David Murray stepped down as Chairman of the Club in August. One of the primary reasons that precipitated his decision was to focus more of his executive skills on the Murray Group of companies which he has built up so successfully over the last 30 years. The depression that the world economy has experienced over the last 18 months or so was particularly onerous on several of the mainstays of the Murray Group's business, i.e. steel and property. While this would not ordinarily have had a direct impact on Rangers Football Club, because of the business model that had been pursued since David assumed ownership he had taken it upon himself on behalf of his holding company to underpin the working capital of the Club's operations and ambitions. As most of you know, the Club's debt several years ago exceeded �£70 million and this was only reduced to a more manageable level by the Murray Group essentially underwriting and taking up a rights issue to fund a significant repayment, i.e. David Murray, to his everlasting credit, took the responsibility of salvaging any potential financial exposure that his oversight of the trading activity may have precipitated. Given the aforementioned economic circumstances about a year ago, David's well-intentioned, personal ambitions for the Club came into conflict with the business exigencies of his company. Given these extenuating circumstances and following on from the takeover of HBOS by Lloyds Bank, there was a particular focus on the credit facilities historically provided by HBOS. However, the specific debt to Rangers Football Club had been structured as a non-recourse credit facility which meant that the bank had to rely solely on the Club both as security for its debt and to pay the interest costs as well as fulfil the repayment terms. I was aware of these circumstances having had intensive discussions with the Bank prior to me accepting the invitation to become Chairman, but I made it clear that I would act entirely with the best interests of Rangers Football Club in mind and obviously not have the same empathy towards the Club's patron, i.e. the Murray Group. My agenda was to lead a Rangers Board that became increasingly independent of the Murray Group, which of course still owns the vast majority of the equity in the Club. However, I felt that maintaining both the tangible and intrinsic value of Rangers by performance and image would serve the best interests of all parties with a vested financial interest in the Club's business. This was not an easy thing to do given the fact that Rangers Football Club, as I have said on several occasions, is not a business that is run by the Bank, but to the extent we rely on it for external financing, Lloyds is naturally a party to approval of the business plan which its credit facility fuels. This did not stop us addressing some very thorny issues. For example, we agreed to discontinue all reimbursements to Murray Group for management services. Also, the Rangers Board denied Murray's request to increase its slate of Directors on this Board to four nominees as opposed to the two that heretofore had been in place. Therefore pursuant to David himself and Donald Wilson resigning from the Board, we voted the two replacement Murray nominees, Mike McGill and Donald Muir, on as new Directors. While the selection of Donald Muir may have been somewhat controversial, given the fact that he had been an active liaison between Murray Group and Lloyds Bank with respect to other elements of the conglomerates business, it was not out of context that he became a designated non-executive Director of Rangers. As we moved forward, I was of the opinion that the Rangers Board should be active participants in any process that involves the sale of the controlling interest in the Club by the majority shareholder. An independent view of how any transaction would impact the Club's operation and performance was vital, given the Chairman and Directors' obligations to act in the best ongoing interests of this institution. When I undertook my own due diligence with respect to the challenges that we would have in managing our relationship with the bank, the most immediate issue that we had to confront was renewing our committed credit facilities to give the Club the financial wherewithal to continue to operate its business. In turn this allowed our auditors to confirm the company as a going concern in their report. Any form of qualification in this regard would have caused us to be in breach of UEFA regulations which would have extinguished any European ambitions that we all have for the Club. The process of reaching a resolution with respect to the extension of the bank's credit facility involved the merging of two distinctly different business plans, one promoted by Murray and acceptable to Lloyds Bank and the other prepared by the Rangers Board and senior management team. As every businessman would know in dealing with banks, one has to present a "sustainable business plan" but the devil in this regard is the view one takes on the ambitions of the Club as compared to the objectives of the bank in protecting its credit exposure. As you would suspect, there was rigorous debate that ensued as to the ingredients that would be incorporated into the financial plan on which, given the circumstances, we all eventually agreed. For example, the Board requested tolerance for payments that we still owed on players that we acquired one or two years ago, which amounted to about �£9 million at the end of June 2009. There was no flexibility on that issue although we have indeed paid off �£7 million against that debt in the last five months. On the other hand, the bank agreed to make no demand, despite media speculation to the contrary, for Rangers to manage its business plan to allow for any expedited repayment of the Club's debt. In fact, as set out in our financial statements at June 30 the bank has agreed that the Club's only obligation is to operate within a credit facility that reduces by �£1 million per year. Any business plan no matter what the motivation for the integral provisions must make assumptions about the performance of the Club. We eventually reached a consensus on the fact that any quick requirement to pay off debt could cause the Club's value to collapse, and we needed a much more programmed outlook. There was no way we could continue to expect the continued commitment of our supporters if there was any sense that they were expending their hard earned money by following Rangers merely to pay back the bank. As far as the bulk of the Rangers support is concerned, the relevant news is that the plan does not oblige us to sell any players in the January window and that if any players do depart, it will be at the volition of the Rangers executive and management team. If the Rangers management team believes that we can beneficially trade players in January, we will have the freedom to do so provided we meet the constraints of the plan that we have agreed to adopt. On the other hand, our trading flexibility in the summer of 2010 will depend on SPL performance, European qualification, etc., through the end of this season. In summary, we reached an agreement with the bank that extends through the end of 2010 with facilities at the same margin and at no additional cost and which allowed the auditors to provide a clean opinion on our financial statements.

Many statements have been made from various quarters all claiming to have a factual basis, none have. The bank tried to strong arm Murray, he informed them that would not be neccessary, he would file under his own terms, result bank have had their bluff called big time. Murray is controling the situation as he usually does, he will not sell Rangers, for he sees himself and the club as inseparable. Muir dances to Murray's tune make no mistake, Bain may well be the next casualty, but the problems overblown by media and fans alike are being and will be solved by the present incumbent and his advisors, no one else. I know I work for the company. I will not post again, make of this what you will, or hang your hat on press fairytales.

Ibrox Suite, Sunday 29th November, 1.30pm As most will know, there was a meeting held at Murray Park last Monday before the club issued their decision that they were going to take a full allocation of Seville tickets. That meeting consisted of representatives of the Rangers Assembly, Flight Options, Nithsdale and Kinning Park RSC's together with Martin Bain, Kenny Scott and other officals from the club. The meeting was to discuss ways to allow our true fans to travel to the game, and have an official ticket for the Rangers area of the ground, what security measures are in place for us, where buses will be dropping off before the game etc, and obviously how we can try to ensure that there is no trouble from within our support, as it is clear UEFA will take a very firm stance with us should be have to go before them again. As a follow-up to that meeting, there is another open meeting to all supporters who are intending travelling to Seville, and also for anyone organising transport in Spain to the stadium from holiday resorts etc. This meeting is essentially to discuss what we can do as individual supporters to ensure we get fair treatment, to pass on all the information we have regarding what will happen when we get there, ticket distribution, stewarding, policing, and transport. The meeting is in the Ibrox Suite, located between the Copland and Govan stands at Ibrox at 1.30 this coming Sunday, the 29th November, and will be chaired by Billy Montgomery. This is not an official meeting arranged by the club, but has the backing of the club as they try to ensure we have the best information possible, and to allow us to ensure we can look out for each other, and make the trip a memorable one. There are some special links between the two clubs, with our legendary manager Jock Wallace also having been manager of Seville, and not forgetting the tin man himself, Ted McMinn, who played there for a spell also. I look forward to seeing as many of you at Ibrox on Sunday as possible.

SPURS fans last night warned Rangers to beware the batonhappy cops in Seville. The new self-policing policy of the Light Blue legions will be put to the test when they travel for their Champions League crunch in Spain next month. Rangers supporters have vowed never again after their club were hit with an �£18,000 fine byUEFA for half-time crowd trouble in Romania 10 days ago. The SPL champions have yet to announce formally how many tickets, if any, they will take for the game against Sevilla, with the application date for briefs just passed. Spurs fans clashed with cops inside the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium two years ago during their side's 2-1 defeat in the first leg of a UEFA Cup quarter-final. Supporters Trust chairman Daniel Wynne has warned Rangers fans to be careful as he revealed police were so heavy-handed they even battered a disabled supporter in his wheelchair. It's a warning Rangers fans would do well to heed after they were hit by fines from UEFA for previous acts of disorder in Villarreal and Pamplona. Wynne said: "The atmosphere before the game was fantastic and it got even better for us when Robbie Keane scored early on to give us a 1-0 lead. "However, they were awarded a dodgy penalty soon afterwards and there were the inevitable shouts in protest at the ref. "That was enough for the Spanish police, who emerged from nowhere with batons wielding and set about our fans. I'll never forget what I saw that night, including one of our own disabled supporters being hit by truncheons as he sat in his wheelchair. "Quite simply, police over-reacted and Spurs stewards in the ground were forced to act as a barrier between us. "Our message to Rangers fans is go over there, enjoy the game, have a laugh and a few drinks but, please, be careful with the police. I'm sure they will take their own delegation of stewards and police and they must also be at the top of their game." Romanians Unirea Urziceni were also fined �£7000 for poor organisation in the Ghencea Stadium that Rangers chief executive Martin Bain claimed contributed to the violence. Wynne was among 4000 Spurs fans in Seville in April 2007 and he couldn't fault the warmth and hospitality of the Sevilla fans,only the cops. He would hate to see the majority of travelling Rangers fans penalised for the violence of a minority if their club refuses to take a ticket allocation. Wynne added: "As a football follower I could never support the decision by any club to deny a fan the chance to see his team. We live for these moments - the travel, new grounds, playing different teams. It's all part of the fan experience. "Sevilla fans were absolutely fantastic and the week after we played they unfurled a banner at the stadium apologising for the actions of their police." Record

In the aftermath of Bucharest, Spiers, Gibbons and Smith in particular used their columns to vent their disgust of the Rangers support. Since Speirs friendship with Matt McGlone flourished a number of years ago, you could find it easy to conclude it has affected Britneyââ?¬â?¢s utterings, and he is reduced at times to write his articles as if he was a contributor to a Celtic fanzine. You canââ?¬â?¢t help wonder during their flat share if Matt was injecting him with somethingââ?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦ for instance Spiers in todayââ?¬â?¢s article trots out his fairly new slur on us calling our fans ââ?¬Å?a white underclass ââ?¬Å? Gibbons meanwhile penned an article entitled ââ?¬Å?An open letter to Martin Bain, excuser of Rangers serial troublemakersââ?¬Â in which he mentions incidents going back to Newcastle in 1969! and comments ââ?¬Å?are succeeding generations of your travelling supporters afflicted with a congenital disorder that compels them, at semi-regular intervals, to inflict mayhem on stadiums and towns they visit throughout Europe?ââ?¬Â As for Smith, despite no reports of sectarian behaviour at Wednesdays match she brings the sectarian slur into her column in todayââ?¬â?¢s News of the World, ââ?¬Å?Could it be that the sectarian element fosters a mentality that will always be hell-bent on trouble? We know that where you have sectarianism, you will find thuggery.ââ?¬Â Having spoken to 4 individuals (including a member of Rangers security) who were at the game, the scenes whilst disturbing could not be described as the battle of Bucharest or a riot in any shape or form. Still hyperbole of the negative sort from these 3 journos when discussing the behaviour of Rangers fans is not unusual. With their opinions there for all to see in this weeks papers, what will the three amigos report regarding todayââ?¬â?¢s pre-meditated disruption of the minutes silence at Falkirk? Will Spiers berate Celtics grey green and white underclass/ their trailer trash republicans? Will Gibbons write an open letter to Peter Lawell reminding him of decades of anti-British hatred from their support?(going back longer than 1969 Mr Gibbons if you know your history) and will Anna Smith explore the racist and sectarian elements of her beloved hoops fans? Lets wait and see but be prepared for a long waitââ?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦.

Graham Spiers Another away trip, another bout of trouble. Cue feeble excuses ââ?¬â?? yet again. Maybe this time they will face the music. If you are one of the legions of decent, fair-minded Rangers supporters then maybe you shouldnââ?¬â?¢t read on: you will only find the subject wearying, aggravating, a further embarrassment for your club. In fact, your only conclusion might be this: the humiliations that sections of Rangers supporters continue to heap upon their club appear to be limitless. Villarreal, Pamplona, Manchester, now Bucharest. Why is it that, when Rangers FC and their spineless supportersââ?¬â?¢ spokesmen start groping around for excuses, the common themes of ââ?¬Å?heavy-handed policingââ?¬Â or ââ?¬Å?these are not real Rangers fansââ?¬Â are forever trotted out? Canââ?¬â?¢t any club official, or any supportersââ?¬â?¢ representative, ever come clean on this? Will someone at Rangers finally find the guts to say: ââ?¬Å?We have a major problem with our support and it is ruining this clubââ?¬Â? The scenes in Bucharest last Wednesday night at Rangersââ?¬â?¢ Champions League tie against Unirea were tediously familiar. But almost as bad, in the context of accountability, was Rangersââ?¬â?¢ feeble response to it. It was Manchester and the Uefa Cup final riots of 2008 all over again. Do you remember what happened there? The big TV screens in town went blank so the Rangers fans started rioting. The very next morning, amid some of the quickest gathering of intelligence I have ever come across, Martin Bain and Rangers hosted a press conference at which it was established that this was just ââ?¬Å?a small minorityââ?¬Â of fans who had been involved, and that the miscreants were people who ââ?¬Å?donââ?¬â?¢t normally attach themselves to our supportââ?¬Â. This was about 30 minutes before Sky TV began to broadcast gruesome footage of hundreds of ââ?¬Å?not real Rangers fansââ?¬Â drunkenly setting about anything in sight in Manchester. And it was about 10 months before ââ?¬Å?not real Rangers fansââ?¬Â were humiliatingly strung up like felons on the BBCââ?¬â?¢s Crimewatch programme, as the quest to track them down went on. After the Manchester riots, just like after Bucharest four nights ago, Mr Bain and Rangers revealed an uncanny habit of placing more emphasis on defending, rather than condemning. Literally within half an hour of the aggro in Bucharest, Bain was issuing a 78-word statement, the first 21 of which said this: ââ?¬Å?Obviously, the behaviour of some of our fans in the stadium tonight is not acceptable ââ?¬â? no one likes to see that.ââ?¬Â And the rest of it? Well, wasnââ?¬â?¢t it simply dreadful the way the Rangers fans were treated. I mean, come on, four turnstiles should have been operating, but instead there were only two. And all that CS gas being used on our poor fans. Note the different tone in Bainââ?¬â?¢s statement. The fact that Rangers fans rioted ââ?¬Å?was unacceptableââ?¬Â and ââ?¬Å?no-one likes to see thatââ?¬Â. But the fact the Romanian police used CS gas to subdue them? Why, this was ââ?¬Å?totally unacceptableââ?¬Â. The response of Andy Kerr, of the Rangers Supporters Assembly, was even worse. Kerr actually had the temerity to state: ââ?¬Å?I wouldnââ?¬â?¢t say the Rangers fans did anything wrong. The organisation was very poor.ââ?¬Â And on the very same night we had the official Rangers website stating that ââ?¬Å?our fans suffered heavyhanded treatment by the police.ââ?¬Â Ah, yes, the old ââ?¬Å?heavy-handedââ?¬Â policing line. This is an old Rangers favourite. There is almost an indecent haste, as there was in Bucharest, to soft-soap some of this Rangers loutishness with anodyne utterances about policing, stewarding, whatever. I do not doubt for a moment that the situation in that Steaua stadium was unsatisfactory. One supporter I spoke to who was there testified to crumbling terraces and a bottleneck at the turnstiles, where Rangers fans were attempting to gain access to the ground. But is this a licence for thuggishness? Do decent human beings, in finding themselves in such a situation, start fist-fights, throw seats around, and brawl with stewards, as Rangers fans did the other night? Denial, denial, denial. It does Rangers FC no good. And it assumes that the rest of us are too dim-witted to recognise the cold, hard evidence that is staring us ââ?¬â? and the governing body of European football ââ?¬â? in the face. In the expansive canon of excuse-making for Rangers and their fansââ?¬â?¢ antics, one of the great farragoes that is used is this ââ?¬Å?heavy-handed policingââ?¬Â line. In Villarreal in 2006, when the bigoted chanting by Rangers fans and the attack on the Spanish clubââ?¬â?¢s team bus occurred, there was, if you were prepared to believe certain Rangers supporters groups, ââ?¬Å?heavy-handed policingââ?¬Â which only served to worsen the situation. Then we moved on to Pamplona a year later where ââ?¬â? how unusual ââ?¬â? some Rangers fans chanted bigoted anthems and fought with stewards. The Rangers supporters bodiesââ?¬â?¢ reponse? ââ?¬Å?Really, we cannot condone some of the heavy-handed policing that we saw ... ââ?¬Å? Then we got to Manchester in May 2008. Now, before I go any further here, can I just confirm one thing? The Greater Manchester Police ââ?¬â? have they a reputation for aggression or heavy-handedness? No, I thought not. So we had these garish TV images of hundreds of Rangers supporters fighting, rioting, overturning cars. And what was the supporters clubsââ?¬â?¢ response? ââ?¬Å?While we cannot condone some of the antics of our supporters, we really believe that heavy-handed policing ...ââ?¬Â Yes, yes. I think weââ?¬â?¢ve heard enough. Rangers are the sick man of British football. They cannot gouge out the bigots and the undesirables from their support. There is something of the white underclass about a section of this clubââ?¬â?¢s support which only guarantees intermittent but perennial embarrassment for Ibrox. It is as if a previously arrogant attitude around Rangers FC, now being overwhelmed by a more modern, multi-ethnic, ecumenical society around it, cannot cope with these changes and feels threatened by them. On Thursday Uefa quite rightly stepped in, cut through all the obfuscation around the events in Bucharest, and opened yet another prosecution case against Rangers. For the long-term good of Rangers, I hope Uefa throw the book at them, and I believe they will.

THESE Rangers thugs just don't get it, do they? Knuckle-trailing morons who attach themselves like scum to decent footie fans are too thick to understand. So I'll explain it simply, just in case any of them can read: If you are a thug and you follow Rangers for a European football clash, the cops are lying in wait. Because your reputation goes before you, in a shameful catalogue of yobbery that few other football clubs have ever been able to surpass. So, the baton-wielding cops are armed and ready with CS gas, and anything they need to beat the s**t out of you. That's how it is. It's not up for debate. It's up to you to deal with it. If you so much as step off the pavement, chances are you will be bludgeoned by some burly policeman who has already made up his mind that you're a waster. What part of that little scenario is difficult to understand? Honest to God. I watched these scenes unfold during the match in Bucharest and I could not believe what I was seeing. The neds who rampaged through Manchester in 2008, tearing up the city, haven't even been dealt with in court yet, and here we go again. Could it be that the sectarian element fosters a mentality that will always be hell-bent on trouble? And I'm sure all the true Rangers fans watching at home, and the decent supporters standing terrified in case they were drawn into a full- scale riot, must be wondering what the hell they can do to shake off these eejits. Every proper Rangers fan I know, who wants to be able to go along to a match and support their team, must be pig sick of the mindless animals who are dragging them into the gutter. Because make no mistake about it. The image of Rangers abroad is in tatters because of these cave dwellers. Long before the Battle of Bucharest, true Rangers fans were treated like lepers when they travelled because of numbskulls latching onto them. They are not fans. You and I know that. Anyone who goes to a football match anywhere in the world looking for a fight is not a fan, he is a thug. But maybe someone can tell me this: Why do there seem to be more thugs attached to Rangers than many other football clubs? Every time I criticise Rangers I get hate mail. The truth is, I have plenty of Gers friends, and I was willing them on to win against Unirea. But it's time Rangers looked inside themselves and asked just why trouble follows them everywhere they go. Because either Rangers are the most persecuted club in the world, or they just attract a bigger hooligan element than anyone else. The sickening scenes we have witnessed in recent years from Spain to Manchester would suggest this is not about persecution. It is about sheer thuggery. So instead of Rangers supremo Martin Bain prattling on about too few turnstiles being open, he should look at why his club is plagued by this despicable baggage. Could it be that the sectarian element fosters a mentality that will always be hell-bent on trouble? We know that where you have sectarianism, you will find thuggery. At Celtic you have morons who still insist on singing IRA songs, when the fact is you could probably write their knowledge of Irish history on the back of a fag packet. They are thugs, not fans. And it's the same for the idiots singing No Surrender - as we could clearly hear during the match in Bucharest. If Rangers are trying to find the yobs dragging them down, then they will find them among these rancid ranks. It's time everyone attached to Rangers stopped blaming everyone else and asked themselves if they are doing enough. That includes supporters' clubs who run buses and deal with tickets, up to the bosses in the Rangers boardroom. Because this great club means a lot to many good people, and it is in a big enough mess without UEFA banning them from Euro tournaments. Agree? Disagree? Scroll down to leave your comments Sadly, for the club and genuine fans, if UEFA decided to do that tomorrow, Rangers wouldn't have a leg to stand on. ANNA SMITH http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/vb/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=3

RFE group have asked me to post this statement on their behalf. I'm sure most of would agree with most of the sentiments in it and hope the club are strong under pressure from all sides regarding Bucharest incidents.

Rangers have been charged with the improper conduct of their supporters following the disturbances during their Champions League tie in Romania. The Glasgow club's supporters were involved in half-time scuffles at the match against Unirea Urziceni at Ghencea Stadium in Bucharest. Fans were seen on TV destroying seats and challenging match stewards during the 1-1 draw on Wednesday. Uefa's control and disciplinary body will deal with the case next Thursday. European football's governing body had waited on its delegate's report into the Champions League Group G game before deciding whether to launch an investigation into the trouble. Responding to the charge, chief executive Martin Bain said: "We have been informed by Uefa that disciplinary proceedings have been instigated in relation to the throwing of missiles and crowd disturbances. "As already stated, I am not for a moment condoning the action of some supporters to the unfolding of events within the stadium. Obviously the behaviour of some of the fans inside the stadium was unacceptable Rangers chief executive Martin Bain "But, as a club, the preparations which were agreed and insisted upon in advance were not adhered to and this, in turn, we feel jeopardised the safety of our supporters. "We are fully aware of the indiscriminate use of CS gas and the difficulties experienced by our fans accessing the stadium. "All these factors will be presented fully by the club to Uefa in our submission." The trouble in the stands has overshadowed the game itself, Unirea Urziceni's Marius Onofras scoring in the 88th-minute to force a 1-1 draw in the match after Lee McCulloch's shot had put the visitors ahead 11 minutes from time. In a statement the previous evening, Bain, describing the behaviour of some fans as "unacceptable", had been critical of the shortage of entry access for spectators at the stadium, which is the home of Steaua Bucharest. "Rangers came to this stadium with representatives from Uefa and Unirea a number of weeks ago and arranged for the four turnstiles to be open to give access to our supporters," said the chief executive. "When they arrived this evening, there were only two turnstiles open, which caused difficulty gaining access, and for fans then to be sprayed with CS gas is totally unacceptable." MY SPORT: DEBATE "I'm thoroughly disgusted this morning after watching the shameful scenes of crowd trouble in the stadium last night. I despair of this minority of mindless thugs that has infested our support." PaisleyBlueNose A half-time announcement threatened an abandonment of the match and Uefa head of communications Rob Faulkner insisted this was made at the request of the match delegate in a bid to quieten down the atmosphere. "We take any incident like this seriously, but we have to get all the facts," he said of something described by Rangers Supporters Assembly chief Andy Kerr as a "minor incident". "As far as we can establish at the moment, it seems there were a number of Rangers supporters who came late into the stadium and we need to find out why. "Then there was an issue about where they were going to sit as apparently there were banners already placed there, which resulted in the request to remove some banners, which seems to have ended in a clash between stewards and some supporters. "If we need to discuss with people who were there on site, we will do that and obviously we'll take action after that." The game had been moved to Steaua's stadium as Unirea's own ground, 25km away and with a 7,000 capacity, had been deemed unfit to host a Champions League tie. However, problems arose before the match as Rangers fans tried to enter the ground. It is as yet unclear exactly what triggered the clash between a section of the visiting support and stewards at half-time. Seats and punches were thrown by fans and television pictures showed stewards spraying tear gas at close range. At one point, the fans surged forward to recover a supporter who had been grabbed by the Romanian stewards. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/8343684.stm