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I never thought he really wanted to sell Newcastle? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/11295462/Mike-Ashley-could-control-Rangers-and-Newcastle-United-within-weeks.html
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Notices of Complaint: Rangers FC and Michael Ashley Monday, 15 December 2014 The Compliance Officer has issued the following Notices of Complaint: Alleged Party in Breach: Rangers FC Disciplinary Rule(s) allegedly breached: Disciplinary Rule 1: All members shall: (b) be subject to and comply with (i) the Articles (ii) this protocol. (f) behave towards the Scottish FA and other members with the utmost good faith. Disciplinary Rule 19: Except with the prior written consent of the Board: (a) no club or nominee of a club; and (b) no person, whether absolutely or as a trustee, either alone or in conjunction with one or more associates or solely through an associate or associates (even where such person has no formal interest), who: (i) is a member of a club; or (ii) is involved in any capacity whatsoever in the management or administration of a club, or (iii) has any power whatsoever to influence the management or administration or a club, may at the same time either directly or indirectly:- (a) be a member of another club; or (b) be involved in any capacity whatsoever in the management or administration of another club; or © have any power whatsoever to influence the management or administration of another club. Disciplinary Rule 77: A recognised football body, club, official, Team Official, other member of Team Staff, player, match official or other person under the jurisdiction of the Scottish FA shall, at all times, act in the best interests of Association Football. Principal Hearing date: Tuesday, 27th January 2015 Alleged Party in Breach: Michael Ashley Disciplinary Rule(s) allegedly breached: Disciplinary Rule 19: Except with the prior written consent of the Board: (a) no club or nominee of a club; and (b) no person, whether absolutely or as a trustee, either alone or in conjunction with one or more associates or solely through an associate or associates (even where such person has no formal interest), who: (i) is a member of a club; or (ii) is involved in any capacity whatsoever in the management or administration of a club, or (iii) has any power whatsoever to influence the management or administration or a club, may at the same time either directly or indirectly:- (a) be a member of another club; or (b) be involved in any capacity whatsoever in the management or administration of another club; or © have any power whatsoever to influence the management or administration of another club. Disciplinary Rule 77: A recognised football body, club, official, Team Official, other member of Team Staff, player, match official or other person under the jurisdiction of the Scottish FA shall, at all times, act in the best interests of Association Football. Principal Hearing date: Tuesday, 27th January 2015 http://scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=2566&newsCategoryID=1&newsID=14110 -
Right he is going and as a manager the record books may show two titles but on the whole in my opinion he has been a dud totally inept when it comes to tactics if he ever had any . But what about him as a player he went to England never happened maybe to young well never know because he came to rangers had a sticky start but was luck to be in at the start of the souness revolution were he played at the top end of a very good team he was very fortunate to be playing in front of some great half backs , good wingers giving him first class service and I am not knocking him in this aspect but I often wonder how many goals lets say jimmy millar , jim forrest , ralph brand or even big dandy would have scored playing in front of the souness/smith players .
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Rangers Supporters @rangersfctrust · 2h2 hours ago The RST has tonight released the following statement:Read: http://tl.gd/n_1sj12bm The RST has tonight released the following statement: The Rangers Supporters Trust is disgusted to learn that a group of Celtic fans daubed offensive, sectarian graffiti, mocking the Ibrox disaster, on the walls of Tynecastle stadium during a recent visit there. We are even more disgusted by the attitude of Celtic Football Club towards this incident, which is to try to distance themselves from the behaviour of their fans rather than taking responsibility for it. We welcome Ann Budge's recent statement and fully support her attempts to highlight the disgraceful behaviour of a sizeable minority of the Celtic support. The group responsible for this are affiliated with The Green Brigade, who have been encouraged and tolerated by Celtic Football Club officials. This despite outward shows of support for the IRA and various offensive banners including one protesting against Remembrance Sunday. In the past few years we have seen riots in Dundee, wide-scale vandalism and disorder at Fir Park and Tynecastle and various acts of public disorder in Glasgow centred around Celtic fans. Throughout all this, Celtic's PR machine, has sought to quell reporting of these incidents and no substantive action has been taken against the perpetrators by the Celtic Chief Executive, Peter Lawwell. Celtic Football Club has a major, ongoing issue with their fans which their constant denial of facts will not solve. Their official fan groups, including the Celtic Trust, seek to legitimise this behaviour by, for instance, campaigning for the right to display public support for terrorism without penalty. We hope that belatedly, with their fans' disgraceful mocking of the Ibrox disaster, Celtic will start to take their hooliganism problem seriously and the SPFL and SFA will do likewise, despite the strong influence wielded by Celtic in their boardrooms
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Some unnamed reporter from the Telegraph tells it how it is ... or rather, how he sees it: Telegraph While we all know who is pulling the strings, nigh everything that the Telegraph claims can be shot down in flames by the Ashley crew. As for their previous article, methinks they claimed a bit more than UEFA are not allowing "dual-ownership", which caused certain replies from Newcastle et al. Be that as it may, you'd wish that our club / board would have even a tenth of the balls that Ashley shows when dealing with the media.
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THE fans group has hit out after details of the retail deal appeared to show the bulk of money generated would not go to the club but to Ashley's Sports Direct. RANGERS fans have taken a look at the annual accounts and ridiculed claims Mike Ashley is an Ibrox saviour. The Union of Fans have rounded on the board for trumpeting a 375 per cent rise in retail revenues from £1.6million to £7.6m. They told supporters not to be fooled as only around £1.5m will go directly to the club with the bulk of the cash heading to Sports Direct. And they even claim the club have been forced to buy more than £410,000 of club kit at recommended retail prices because they did not hit Sports Direct sales targets. The Rangers board admitted they’ll be forced to seek a fresh share issue after announcing an operating loss of £8.3m for the year to June 30. They’ll need a further bail-out as soon as January and have announced plans for a share issue aimed at raising £8m to keep the club operational in the medium term. Former Rangers owner Craig Whyte released on bail after appearing in court over his purchase of Ibrox club Union of Fans spokesman Chris Graham said: “The statement around retail revenues is disingenuous, to say the least. “The true picture is £7.6m was the total sum of money made from all merchandise sales through Rangers Retail. However, inventory costs are listed at more than £4m – effectively, the cost to Sports Direct of supply and distribution. “Under the terms of the deal between Sports Direct and Rangers Retail, the club receives only 50 per cent of profits, so that leaves only around £1.5m. This is approximately a third of the sum the club were making under the JJB deal. “A section of the accounts, provision of liabilities, even lists £411,000 payable by Rangers Retail to purchase stock at a higher cost than its resale value. “It appears Rangers had to purchase the stock at retail prices and sell it cheaper, presumably because they didn’t hit targets. Rangers are losing money from the sale of the shirts, yet Sports Direct are still being paid the full retail price. “The whole commercial deal with Ashley appears a shambles. Many fans will see the headline figure and conclude the commercial deal with Ashley isn’t bad at all. “Ashley’s plan is to make money for himself and he’s clearly a very successful businessman. However, he is no saviour of Rangers.” Auditors Deloitte again signed off on the accounts with the conclusion there is “material uncertainty” over the club as a going concern and “key assumptions” are being made by the board on future finance streams. Season ticket sales are down 15,000 and attendances are on the wane but chairman David Somers insists everyone is working together for the club’s long-term future. Graham added: “It’s complete rubbish to suggest this board have moved closer to the fan base. “The distance has grown even wider since last year’s agm. “They have appointed a completely pointless fan board. “Their relationship with supporters should be judged on the numbers turning their back on this regime and no longer going through the turnstiles. “Auditors Deloitte have again confirmed they cannot verify what directors are saying is accurate and the future of the club even in the short-term is bleak. “The accounts are only to the end of June, so the drop in attendances and season ticket sales has not yet fully hit the balance sheet.” Graham remains astonished the board turned down Dave King’s £16m investment offer for a £2m Ashley loan, upped by another £1m. He added: “The £8m sought is simply to keep the lights on for the next few months. It’s incredible to think they’re looking for £8m when they were offered twice that amount only a month ago by King.” Rangers declined to comment. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-union-fans-ridicule-claims-4716246 -
A few of our members and subscribers over the last year or so will remember that an English production company were aiming to put together a feature-length documentary into the experiences of the fans over the last few years coupled with help from various supporters, players and RSCs. I'm pleased to say that after around nine month's work, these efforts are about to be published by way of a 90minute cinema film (and DVD release) over the next month or so. SDMC Productions kindly gave me an opportunity to put together a short review of an early edit of the documentary ahead of the final release which now follows. At the outset I think it's important to note that the budget for this film was partially crowd-funded and, thus, quite small so I certainly didn't expect a Hollywood standard production. As such, if the viewer can tune their expectations to that level then they'll get more out of the experience. With that in mind, it's fair to say I enjoyed some aspects of the film whilst being slightly disappointed in others. Basically, the documentary follows and interviews a number of fans in their Rangers supporting rituals and experiences - some related to events since 2011/12, some of a more general nature. While it can be said that a few of the interviews are perhaps somewhat repetitive and occasionally bland, the viewer can't fail to feel the love these fans have for their club. As much as every Rangers fan supports/views the club in a different way, I could definitely feel an affinity in which the passion these guys follow follow. That passion is certainly aided by some of the (apparently expensive) archive footage contained in the video. Whether it's the goals from our Cup Winners' Cup win in Barcelona '72 or Lee McCulloch grabbing another winner against lower league opposition, I'll never tire of cheering them in. That glimpse of our continuing history should evoke pride in all of us. In addition to the footage, interviews with Dave Smith and Dave McPherson show just what the club means to former players as well. My edit didn't have the interviews with Gordon Smith and Alex Rae but I'm sure the final version will emphasise that player/fan relationship. Unfortunately, where the producers missed a trick was perhaps not concentrating a little bit more on not only where the club is now but why. In that sense, some of the fan interviews only very lightly touched on the events of 2-3 years ago and I feel a more in-depth examination of Rangers troubles may have been appreciated. However, on our forum, the film director did say they weren't overly interested in an exposé of what happened but I do believe more should have been made of why we are where we are now. Similarly, while the untimely death of Sandy Jardine and the Ibrox Disaster of 1971 are understandably juxtaposed later in the film, this felt rather clumsy. Taking these comments on board, while I certainly enjoyed parts of the documentary, for some, the content may be seen as superficial or overly sentimental. However, that's not necessarily a major criticism as supporting Rangers nowadays - be it the daily financial or legal analysis - can be a complicated and stressful process so perhaps a more simple study will provide a welcome antidote to the constant headache many bears have nowadays. All things considered SDMC have clearly worked hard to independently produce something our fans will appreciate and I thank them and all involved for their efforts. You can judge for yourselves when the DVD is released and you can pre-order this below on Amazon. Furthermore, we'll have an opportunity on this site to win a copy of the full-length release next month. Glasgow Rangers FC - The Blue Bear Rises (SDMC Productions) £14 - Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Glasgow-Rangers-FC-Blue-Rises/dp/B00O7QL29G
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STEVEN NAISMITH reckons Rangers fans have been treated 'appallingly' as they have been put through the wringer in recent years. The Light Blue legions have had to contend with a mixture of emotions as their club has fallen from grace, but they have backed Ally McCoist's side in huge numbers throughout their recovery from financial meltdown. Naismith joined the likes of Steven Whittaker, Allan McGregor and Kyle Lafferty in quitting Ibrox two years ago. He has never been forgiven by many supporters for his controversial Ibrox departure. But the Scotland star still has sympathy with the plight of his former club as they look to complete the last stage of their journey back to Scotland's top tier this term. Naismith said: "Looking back, I would definitely have done some things differently. None of us wanted to leave that way. It wasn't nice at all. We did all we could. "It wasn't deferred wages (we had). It was wage cuts, in the hope that we came out of administration and could move on. It didn't happen. "It got to the point where there was not much else the players could do. "People would have liked us to have stayed and transferred over, but it wasn't just as easy as doing that. "In years to come people will understand it a bit more and understand it from the players' point of view a bit more. "The fans always have their opinion and they are right to because they pay good money to come and watch. They are the backbone, especially of a club like Rangers. "Over the last two or three years they have been treated appallingly. "For everyone's sake, hopefully it gets better and they can get back in the division they deserve to be in challenging for trophies." It is almost three years since financial problems hit home at Ibrox during Craig Whyte's disastrous reign, but Rangers remain in the money mire. Cash problems continue to hold the club back and 10 members of staff were last week made redundant as huge losses look to be stemmed once again. Fans are still furious at the state the Light Blues are in and have launched a series of attacks against the under-fire board as attendances have plummeted this term. And Naismith is upset at the devastating series of events at his boyhood heroes. He said: "It is disappointing and sad because it is the club I grew up supporting. I had some of my best memories in football there, but a situation arose that was out of everybody's hands. "I think the fans and the good people at the club are still suffering. I hope they will come out of this situation they are in soon. "It was a horrible decision for everyone involved to make. The biggest thing for us, as players, was that no-one was made redundant and we did that part of it. Over time, I am sure the truth will come out." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/naismith-rangers-fans-have-been-treated-appallingly-189852n.25960234
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I note from Bill McMurdo that the fans group he's involved with are now asking for up to £15 from Rangers fans to be members of the Rangers Supporters Loyal: http://www.rangerssupportersloyal.co.uk/membership/ Other than the difficult to understand McMurdo, who else is involved with this group and handling our fans money?
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https://twitter.com/Herald_Editor/status/535213375333359618/photo/1
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30106866
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There was an interesting footnote to the Daily Record’s coverage of Ed Miliband’s attack on Mike Ashley over the latter’s penchant for zero hour contracts; commenting on the recent flurry of Police activity regarding the acquisition of Rangers by Craig Whyte, it read : “The warrant was issued on the day four men – David Grier, Paul Clark and David Whitehouse, who worked for Rangers administrators Duff & Phelps, and Gary Withey, who represented Whyte – were all detained by police in England acting on behalf of Police Scotland. They are due to appear in court tomorrow. Police Scotland, who are leading a joint operation with HMRC, said “inquires are ongoing” in to the whereabouts of Whyte.” What makes that footnote particularly interesting is that Police Scotland’s Specialist Economic Crime Unit are once again working jointly with HMRC. Some will remember that until recently the former were investigating the latter with regard to leaks of confidential information in the Rangers Tax Case although “they found no evidence that the leaks came from within HMRC”. Perhaps it’s unavoidable given the scope of the enquiry and the limitations on resources but does it not strike anyone else as peculiar that we now have a former suspect at the forefront of an investigation into our club? An agency which itself has been open to considerable criticism over their handling of the whole sorry mess, with serious questions being asked about their professional competency. We don’t need to do “conspiracy theories” when it comes to HMRC – the facts themselves suggest that there are considerable grounds for a government enquiry into their handling of the matter. The latest criminal developments only serve to add fuel to an already highly flammable topic. This after all is the same government agency whom:- 1. As per Keith Jackson’s Daily record expose` allowed Craig Whyte, a man they were already pursuing for tax related matters to the tune of £4 million, to assume control of a company and then fail to contribute PAYE for a period of 9 months and as a consequence forced the company into administration. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/ex-rangers-owner-craig-whyte-being-3992415 2. Treated complaints from Rangers shareholders regarding breaches of confidentiality in the Rangers Tax Case as “speculation about alleged breaches of confidentiality” whilst the platforms for the foregoing breaches, The Rangers Tax Case Blog and the BBC Scotland documentary – “The Men Who Sold The Jerseys” were picking up various awards courtesy of the confidential information they had broadcast. 3. Despite the investigation aforementioned by Police Scotland, have failed to explain how evidence in the Rangers Tax case, of which they were custodians, ended up in the hands of BBC Scotland. The remarks and summation by Lord Nimmo Smith in his SPL Commission Report have not been forgotten by the Rangers support, nor will the matter be allowed to rest until a sufficient explanation is provided as to how or who was responsible for such leaks. The Rangers support will welcome the latest flexing of the long arm of the law, not only from the sense of seeing some modicum of justice, but also a means of providing answers, long overdue answers to some of the questions this particularly dark period has caused. I doubt all will welcome such developments. The latest actions by the law enforcement agencies confirm what many of us have suspected for a considerable time – that our club has been used as the vehicle for a fairly elaborate and complex fraudulent scheme and in every sense is itself the victim of the perpetrators. It will be interesting to see whether there is a determination within our club to seek recompense, financial or otherwise, in respect of those who sought to punish the crime’s victim. The tale which will unfold if only half the story however. The decision making process at HMRC and their conduct into the investigation of our club is the untold story. The latter is a story which needs to be told and only a full public enquiry will suffice.
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I don't always agree with the UoF but this statement is well worth sharing.
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Ally McCoist will be given a £10 million January transfer budget, courtesy of controversial Mike Ashley. Ashley has all but confirmed he will front the funds, with an Ibrox source telling us the board have been told to "use the funds effectively to push the team through to a cup final and back to the Premier League." The source said the decision was highly influenced by Ashley's close friend & Ibrox adviser Derek Llambias, who believes committing these funds to the club will not only strengthen the team, but strengthen Ashley's position with Rangers supporters.
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Rangers draw Killie at home... Live on SSN at 2pm... Conducted by Campbell Ogilivie (SFA), David Coakley (William Hill) and former Metalurh Donetsk defender and Ireland internationalist Darren O'Dea. Another glamour event!
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http://www.rangers.co.uk/images/FansBoard/Minutes/RFB_Minutes_061014.pdf -
Jane Lewis @BBCJaneLewis 36s36 seconds ago #Ranger appoint Derek Llambias as non-executive director. The stock exchange made announcement morning.
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woooooooooooooo
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For clarification the offer has been made by Brian Kennedy. Unlike King's package it doesn't need shareholder support. Board approval enough Board were meeting this afternoon to discuss both options. As yet no word of decision being made. I understand Brian Kennedy has travelled to Glasgow this afternoon. RFC board meeting still on going....
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Mike Ashley has been energised by the battle for Ibrox in a way that he never has by challenge of making Newcastle United competitive. On Saturday afternoon Newcastle United have their eighth crack at winning a Premier League match this season. If they swing and miss, it will be their longest winless run in the Premier League era: worse than the ill-starred 2008/9 relegation season and more desperate than the year that brought Sir Bobby Robson to Tyneside. Throw into the mix an undercooked team light on experience of a relegation battle and there can be little doubt that this is a time for minds to be focused. Even at this early stage survival appears the priority, but that cannot be taken for granted. And where is Mike Ashley? The owner’s scrutiny is not trained on the lame duck manager who is only ever one defeat away from losing further ground with a sceptical support but instead it is in a messy, protracted and potentially long-running takeover of Rangers. The Newcastle owner blew his own cover on Ibrox weeks, months or even a year or so ago. By dodging the share issue and banning a journalist who had speculated on his intentions towards Rangers, he tried the owner’s equivalent of an Ali shuffle – but the knockout punch has not yet been delivered. Rangers is going to be a slow burner for Ashley. Unlike Newcastle – where he found an owner willing to make a quick sale – there are messy and protracted battles to be fought at Ibrox with groups who are not going to relinquish their grip on a potential goldmine anytime soon. The motivation for investing in a fallen club that needs plenty of work is the promise of a potential route into the Champions League. Ashley’s mistakes have made that path impossible for Newcastle for a generation or so, but Rangers’ size and the impoverished standard of the competition give him a chance north of the border. And the Champions League gives him even greater profile than the Premier League in a sportswear market that he fancies a crack at: Europe. There are obstacles to be vaulted, of course: not least rules that state he cannot own majority stakes in clubs in both Scotland and England. But that is a hurdle to be clambered over when the time comes: the important thing is to elbow out the other prospectors sifting through the wreckage at Ibrox. Rangers is time-consuming for Ashley. It has caused him to take his eye off the ball at Newcastle and the consequences of that could yet be catastrophic for a club that appears rudderless, leaderless and entirely without hope at the moment. Ashley gutted Newcastle of people who would answer back to him. Managing director Lee Charnley owes his career to Ashley, and is hardly likely to stand up to him. We all know that Pardew will acquiesce if required. That is the way the owner wanted it – him dipping in and out of Newcastle when it suited him. Ever since Rangers became a serious interest for him, the dynamic has changed. Ashley may be more visible at Newcastle – naming himself as chairman over the course of this year – but he has not been as involved as he was before. A source I spoke to said his greatest hope was that people would run it for him, keeping it ticking along for a while. He simply doesn’t have time for Newcastle anymore. There is a shiny new toy north of the border and the fight for control at Ibrox has energised him much more than the battle to make Newcastle United competitive has. And what is unfolding north of the border is very, very messy indeed. For those still in any doubt, it is worth taking a quick journey through the coverage of Ashley’s actions north of the border. Festering worry about his intentions has given way to outright disgust at the way he has operated in the last couple of months. Just like he has with Tesco and Debenhams, Ashley has struck at a moment of weakness. That is savvy strategy from a sharp businessman, but it doesn’t mean that Rangers fans should be happy about what is happening. Not that many are, despite claims from a couple of Old Firm icons this week that Ashley might be the man to return the club to its perch. The Daily Record’s Michael Gannon wrote a withering editorial two weeks ago challenging that belief: capturing the scorched earth policy of Ashley and his unquestioning acolytes perfectly. Warning that sometimes the devil you know can be worse than the devil you don’t, he wrote: “He is simply out to bag a quick buck at Rangers.” It is a familiar theme when the subject of Ashley and the Ibrox club are brought up: money is the reason he is hanging around. Not necessarily money that will be made directly off the club’s success but more the reflected perks of owning an institution that can reasonably challenge for the Champions League in a couple of seasons with pretty minimal investment. Gannon summed up his latest power play in a couple of damning sentences. “He could have sunk in money at last month’s share issue and it would have gone to the club,” he wrote. “Instead he waited and bought out Hargreave Hale. It strengthened his position and rubbed the board’s face in it after they refused to cave in to strict demands in return for a loan.” It is Ashley to a tee. Stubborn, obstinate and looking entirely after number one. The worry is that Newcastle United’s Premier League status will become collateral in the battle for Newcastle United. http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-united-become-collateral-damage-7943767
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Tuesday 7th October 7pm. Grovsner Hotel Gt Western Rd Glasgow. Public meeting for all fans concerned with recent events at our club and who wish to explore possible actions available to the fans. We have one guest speaker confirmed so far and the meeting will include a Q&A session Much better from Craig here. Hope it goes well.
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http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...n-Rangers.html MIKE ASHLEY has doubled his stake in Rangers. The Newcastle owner now owns around nine per cent of the Scottish Championship club. Investment group Hargreave Hale confirmed it was behind the sale of £853,000 worth of shares in the fallen Glaswegian giants. Ashley’s purchase came hours after Gers fans threatened to boycott his Sports Direct stores over the cut-price deal he struck for the Ibrox naming rights. A spokesman for fans’ group Sons of Struth said: “We call on Mike Ashley to cancel his contract before the October 11. “If he still retains the naming rights after this point, we will instigate an immediate series of actions aimed at his Sports Direct stores.”
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It’s been quite an exercise in the art of survival. A board who have misled shareholders at AGM, hidden the identity of investors, stand accused by a section of the press of lying over the withdrawal of credit/debit card facilities for season tickets, who, in their “comprehensive” 120 day review hid/omitted to divulge details of “the sale of the century” regarding stadium naming rights, have failed to answer satisfactorily structured questions from fans groups pertaining to the long term plans for the club, who have by unethical and unedifying association with known fugitives embarrassed the name of the club, the aforesaid which sees them, again, accused of misleading supporters regarding the nature of that meeting, have found in the last few days that there is one aspect of the club that even the most resourceful or duplicitous cannot hide from the fans – the state of the product on the park. There is even perhaps a warped sense of irony, that in the battle for our football club the ammunition or language is no longer anonymous investors, percentages or proxied shares but rather tactical ineptitude, poor performance, ill-discipline and unexplainable team selection. The current board cannot on this occasion use the convenient “get out clause” of laying the blame on previous regimes – this time it’s their call, and as thousands of bears demonstrated on Monday night as our team capitulated to Hibs, they will be held to account. In fact they already have been by thousands, the empty seats providing ample supporting evidence on that one. I fear it will get worse, much worse before it gets better. There is nowhere, nowhere the board can hide from this one. Monday night was a culmination rather than a knee jerk, perhaps the saddest aspect of it all was that it came as no great surprise to anyone. The failings of management, signing policy, tactics and team selection have been the subject of message board forums, supporter’s bus conversations and pre-match blethers for months. It is not a time for emotive and unhelpful descriptive language, either positive or negative regarding Ally, but rather a regrettable acceptance and emotion free analysis that in the most important area – on the park – Ally is not capable of taking us to where we not only want, but also need to be. There was a moment on Monday night when the cacophony of anger from the Copland Road, directed towards Ally, saw him withdraw to the dugout. It was notable that Durranty was tasked with the verbal coaching from the touchline second half. The board should be thankful there was such a volume of noise, if they prevaricate any longer over what needs to be done, then perhaps next time we fail, it will be akin to the tree falling in the empty forest – there will only be an empty silence from the empty stands.
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Wednesday 1 October 2014 IS ALLY McCOIST'S POSITION UNTENABLE? No, not yet, but we appear to be trundling progressively closer to that state of affairs. Six points behind in the SPFL Championship is a surprising position for him to be in after seven fixtures and the situation is worsened by the fact his side have already lost at home to both Hearts and Hibernian, generally regarded as their two main rivals for promotion. The question is: how far behind must they fall before something dramatic has to happen? Eight points? Nine points? What will tip things over the edge? Will it be defeat at Tynecastle on November 22, or the latest in a long line of losses in knockout competition when St Johnstone pay a visit to Ibrox in the League Cup? So far, McCoist's players have done just enough to keep him away from the noose. They scraped an ill-deserved win at Falkirk thanks to a late, deflected mis-hit from Lewis Macleod in their second league match of the campaign and beating Inverness Caledonian Thistle to maintain interest in the League Cup was a big result. The team showed promise when winning 4-0 at Raith Rovers, but that has been shown to be a one-off and belief that McCoist can turn them into a side capable of providing entertaining football every week is dwindling. Supporters are not yet calling in significant numbers for McCoist's resignation or removal, but performances are nowhere near the standards expected. A number of bookmakers have already installed Hearts as favourites for the Championship and that is only sensible on current form. McCoist did agree a pay-cut, understood to amount to 50%, on the £825,000-a-year wage he enjoyed until January 2014, but his earnings are going to continue to prompt questions when his team plays as it did in the process of losing 3-1 at home to Hibernian. Open revolt in the stands, if it happens, would force the issue. SHOULD HE CONSIDER WALKING AWAY IF THINGS DO NOT IMPROVE? Tough one. Would you walk away for less than to what you are entitled when you had witnessed a number of others from the boardroom - all accountable, in part, for almost £70m being squandered in two years - receive pay-offs? HOW MUCH OF THIS CAN BE BLAMED ON THE ONGOING UNCERTAINTY CREATED BY THOSE ABOVE HIM AT BOARDROOM LEVEL? None of it. The players state ad infinitum, after all, that they do not focus on financial concerns. McCoist knows the pressures at Ibrox. Whatever is going on in the background, asking Rangers to set the pace in the Championship with a budget that dwarves anything available to other clubs in the division is not unreasonable. The money being spent on Rangers' football department means they should beat everyone in the game other than Celtic. IS SPECULATION OVER McCOIST'S FUTURE NOT A KNEE-JERK REACTION AT AN EARLY STAGE IN THE SEASON? Not really. Rangers fans have, generally, been scathing over the standard of football they have watched for the last 2½ seasons. The team did win the Third Division and then SPFL League 1 by a street, but they regularly struggled to dispatch teams of part-timers. McCoist's record in cup competitions cannot be allowed to pass either. Rangers did not, whatever he may say, spend the money they did purely to win Scotland's bottom two divisions. If they did, they spent way over the odds. Losses to top-flight sides such as Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Dundee United were dressed up as understandable and acceptable; questions over Rangers having a Premiership wage bill were glossed over. Defeats in the Ramsdens Cup to Queen of the South and Raith Rovers, who humiliated them in the final at Easter Road, were shameful in the extreme. WHAT WILL HAPPEN, THEN, SHOULD RANGERS FAIL TO WIN AT LIVINGSTON ON SATURDAY? McCoist will have to answer questions on whether or not he believes his time is up. ARE THE GROWING QUESTIONS OVER HIS TACTICAL APPROACH FAIR? Yes. Too many games have resulted in an over-reliance on long balls and there is a distinct lack of variation about the play. His team selections continue to raise eyebrows as well with players continually being played out of position. The side has been letting in goals too easily, but Darren McGregor, a centre-half, continues to be fielded at right-back while Bilel Mohsni remains a starter. McGregor admitted in the match programme for the Hibernian game that he had only played on the right "a couple of times with St Mirren". Wouldn't Richard Foster be a better bet there with McGregor in the middle? Lewis Macleod is a central midfielder who was being used on the left before injury. Rather than use attacking players with pace in the wide midfield positions against Hibernian, McCoist used Steven Smith, a full-back, and Arnold Peralta, a central midfielder. So much emphasis seems to be placed on sending Lee Wallace powering down the left flank, but Rangers are not getting behind opposition defences often enough and that is contributing to Kris Boyd's clear problems. He is a natural predator, but has failed to score in the league and has only hit the net in two of 12 appearances. There have to be greater signs of an established style of playing at Rangers. Regular supporters also note the absence of a Plan B. BOYD SCORED 22 TIMES FOR A POOR KILMARNOCK TEAM IN THE PREMIERSHIP LAST SEASON. WHY HAVE THE GOALS DRIED UP? He missed a number of chances at Raith Rovers and Alloa and looks a shadow of his former self, but he is not receiving adequate service. Rangers have lacked invention, variation and creativity. Boyd admits that he has been forced to feed off scraps at times. WHY HAVE SO MANY ESTABLISHED TOP-FLIGHT PLAYERS STRUGGLED AT RANGERS? Great question. Dean Shiels, Ian Black and Nicky Law all arrived in great form. David Templeton had just scored for Hearts against Liverpool at Anfield in the Europa League qualifiers. Marius Zaliukas, signed this summer, is not even deemed worthy of a start in a defence leaking goals left, right and centre. All these players are going backwards. Are they simply incapable of handling life in the goldfish bowl or are their collective troubles a reflection of wider failings within the team as a whole? Probably a bit of both. WILL THINGS CHANGE WHEN KENNY MILLER IS FIT AGAIN? Will Kenny Miller be fully fit again? He is three months from his 35th birthday. His career has been built on relentless workrate and selfless running. That catches up with you eventually. We are a month into the season and he has already been laid up with hamstring and calf problems. A NUMBER OF OLDER PLAYERS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT IN AND REMAIN. SHOULDN'T RANGERS HAVE USED THEIR TIME IN THE LOWER LEAGUES TO CONSTRUCT A STRATEGY BASED ON YOUTH? Of course they should. Jon Daly, for example, admitted earlier this week that he can no longer train two days in a row because of knee trouble. McCoist is not entirely to blame for the way Rangers have frittered away their millions, but they missed a trick. Two years in the bottom divisions could have been used to build a young, fit squad that could grow together. If those in the existing youth set-up were not good enough, a more structured, long-term and cost-effective transfer policy could have been employed. Instead, Charles Green was struggling to sell season tickets following his takeover and permitted McCoist to lure established top-flight players to the club. He needed quick results and could be understood in having gone for a quick fix. In the meantime, Rangers' footballing department was allowed to continue without a recognised scouting network. Rangers' development squad, for the record, currently sits close to the bottom of the SPFL Development League with three points from four games. EVEN IF HEARTS DO WIN THE LEAGUE, WON'T RANGERS STILL ACHIEVE THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF GETTING BACK TO THE SPFL PREMIERSHIP THROUGH THE PLAY-OFFS? Let's just say that anyone who has watched Rangers' two meetings with Hibernian so far would be reluctant to place money on that. http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/...=email%2Balert
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Posted Today, 07:02 PM SEPTEMBER 26, 2014 / BILLMCMURDO The boardroom saga rumbles on at Ibrox with the news that Rangers CEO Graham Wallace has had talks with representatives of Dave King. My understanding is that these representatives were Paul Murray and George Letham. No big surprises there but this is where we enter into the Twilight Zone once more. When contacted by a prominent daily newspaper, I am told that Dave King denied that these men were his representatives. Which begs two questions: 1) Why are these men purporting to represent Dave King? 2) Or is Dave King being economical with the truth? We could also ask why he is, if he is., Given that Rangers fans want transparency and that this requirement for transparency is often spoken of by Messrs Murray and King, surely it would be very much in the interests of both these men to clear matters up for the fans. In a nutshell, is Paul Murray representing Dave King in talks with Graham Wallace? This opens up a whole raft of other questions. Why is Graham Wallace speaking to Paul Murray? Is he doing so with the backing of fellow board members or has he “gone rogue” and if this is the case, what can be done to stop him? It is no secret that there is a rift in the boardroom and this is not something Rangers fans want to be reading about, especially in anti-Rangers outlets. I personally am fed up of all the cloak and dagger, which is playground stuff. We need men leading us, not boys. Yes, confidentiality is often necessary in business dealings but you can’t call for transparency to score points while being furtive and even deceitful. If Paul Murray is representing Dave King, fans should be told and not lied to. The whole matter hinges around Dave King’s now legendary £30 million to invest. Is the £30 million for real or a mythical figure that keeps Dave King in the limelight while deceiving the Rangers support? Even if Kings’ 30 mil is real and in place for investment, other questions need answering. These include a very important one i.e. Is that it? Is the 30 million all there is or is there more to follow? Not as a possible but something far more concrete? I mean, are there other investors lined up or does King himself have more in reserve? Just as vital is the question: What role does King want for his investment and can he get it? There are huge question marks over King’s suitability as a director of RIFC PLC both from the stock market perspective and from that of the SFA and SPFL. King needs to answer those for his own sake and others. Should King fail to get a directorship, is he happy to take a back seat and does this also mean there is a very real prospect that he will fall foul of AIM regulations concerning “shadow directors” who hold no office but exercise inappropriate clout? Can King’s ego handle being just a good guy investor with no hands-on power? I see the papers are waging a campaign against Sandy Easdale attempting to pressure him not to block this mooted Dave King investment. Easdale may be crazy to try and block this investment if it saves the club but he would be crazier still to rely on it given how precarious it appears to be. The fact that he is active in seeking alternatives is indicative, not of a churlish anti-King prejudice but of commendable business prudence and responsibility. As I wrote previously, Rangers require a custodian. Both Dave King and Sandy Easdale may have a lot to do to convince fans they can fill that role. Being more honest with the Rangers fans would be a good start. http://billmcmurdo.w....the-kings-men/
