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I wont document the fiasco involved in picking up public sale tickets etc at Ibrox, port-a-cabin queues a mile long etc (which I have to do when I want to take my son) as we are all fully aware. But just a few weeks ago before I went to Madrid I decided to see if I could get tickets for Athletico at home. I went online and was astounded when it gave me the option to buy online and print the 'ticket' off on my home printer. All I had to do was go to the turnstyle and get the barcode read. As easy as you like. What the hell is stopping Rangers from adopting a similar setup and saving quite a few quid in admin at the same time I would imagine?

FRUSTRATED Rangers supporters and shareholders will have to wait another month before the make-or-break Ibrox AGM. Club bosses have revealed the shareholder summit is expected to be held next month, but remained tight-lipped about an exact date. Supporters have voiced their disgust over the board's rejection of a £16million investment offer in favour of a £2m emergency loan from Sports Direct tycoon Mike Ashley. Rangers directors are expected to face a grilling from shareholders and fans at the stormy AGM. Sons of Struth chief Craig Houston said: "We've come to expect it - history tells us the AGM will be continue to be put off. I actually wouldn't be surprised if it was left until the last possible moment. "A lot of people say they would like to see a Rangers fan on the board, but I wouldn't. I want to see a board full of Rangers fans." The comments come after Rangers announced the appointment of Derek Llambias as a non-executive director, as reported in later editions of yesterday's Evening Times. The 57-year-old former Newcastle United managing director arrived in Glasgow last week after the Ibrox board accepted Ashley's £2m loan. Llambias, who was Ashley's right hand man at Newcastle United, has since been acting as a consultant to the Rangers board. It is the latest move by Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley to increase his influence in the running of the Ibrox club. An announcement about his new appointment was made to the London Stock Exchange yesterday morning. It read: "The board of Rangers announces that it has appointed Derek Llambias as a non-executive director. "Mr Llambias will be subject to re-election by ordinary resolution of the shareholders of the company at the upcoming Annual General Meeting which is expected to be held in December." Sports Direct tycoon Ashley owns 8.92% of Rangers, but he has signed an agreement with the SFA that limits him to having no more than a 10% stake, while he is in command at St James' Park. Sandy Easdale recently increased his stake in RIFC plc 5.21% and has control over another 20.94% of secret proxy shares. Fangs groups recently urged Easdale to come clean over fears about the delayed AGM. Union of Fans spokesman Chris Graham said: "We are concerned at newspaper reports that the annual accounts and therefore the AGM may be delayed. "We would ask the PLC board to clarify if this is the case and to explain why, after what they described as a successful fundraising, there would be any reason to delay accounts publication." Calls for the AGM come after a months of turmoil at Ibrox. Phillip Nash - a former Arsenal and Liverpool executive - quit, and chief executive Graham Wallace followed in leaving the club. Rangers have a regulatory requirement to hold the AGM by December 31. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/fans-facing-wait-before-make-or-break-meeting-187092n.25758971

http://www.rangers.co.uk/images/FansBoard/Minutes/RFB_Minutes_061014.pdf

...Hibs and Hearts back to the top. GORDON STRACHAN claims Scottish football might need to engineer change to get Rangers, Hearts and Hibs back into the top flight. Speaking on Sky’s ‘Goals on Sunday’ programme, the Scotland boss said getting all three promoted is for the good of the game. This season only one team is certain of climbing up from the Championship. One other team could gain promotion via the play-offs but one club is guaranteed to spend another term in the second tier. Strachan reckons the hype at the impending Old Firm League Cup semi-final shows how much the game has missed the Glasgow derby. And he reckons finding a way to “manipulate” the leagues to get all the big guns back in double-quick time would be a good move. He said: “Somehow we have to get these three teams back. People say you can’t manipulate it, but I think you must to get them back in the Premiership. “Then the game will grow again, with the crowds and money and excitement.” On the Old Firm cup-tie, he said: “The top league has missed Hearts, Hibs and Rangers, so to get that fixture back is fantastic, as all the talk is administration and all the rest of it. “The phone-ins are filled with all these kind of things. We need Rangers back. They were punished and something had to happen but it’s left Scottish football short.” Rangers started again in the bottom tier while Hearts dropped out of the top flight after administration and a 15-point penalty. Hibs’ abject failure last season saw them relegated via the play-offs. SFA and SPFL chiefs may secretly agree with Strachan, but finding a fair way to do it would be hard to do. http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/530715/Gordon-Strachan-league-engineering-Rangers-Hibs-Hearts

Jane Lewis ‏@BBCJaneLewis 36s36 seconds ago #Ranger appoint Derek Llambias as non-executive director. The stock exchange made announcement morning.

Lad in work approached me today saying the fans who have renewed have a cheek to consider attending the semi v the soap dodgers. His comments got me wondering about the situation many bears face the now from fellow fans: Is it okay to say you have no right to go despite following for over 10/20/30/40 years but made the heartbreaking decision in the summer not to fund the ****s ? These guys renewed when Green came in, bought into the IPO and usual merchandise and were duly let down.....again. After sitting back and having to deal with what is genuine change in their footballing calendar, upheaval in many cases, the one game that captures the mood of the nation and beyond comes along, surely these guys have every right to attend and even rate their chances of procuring a ticket quite high?

... for the handover from tyranny to terraces. Gordon Waddell discusses the relationship football has with its fans and how Ann Budge's statement to Hearts support is a masterpiece. Football is an imperfect world. One man’s satisfaction is always another’s rage. But imagine a club with a functional relationship with its fans. A club who respect their support for the money they spend and the loyalty they show. Who communicate regularly and honestly, who pay fairly and on time, whose charitable wing is strong, 
whose academy and its philosophy is treasured, and whose leadership is a byword for trust and integrity. Pie in the sky? An impossibility to tick every box in a cruel environment plagued by too many who are in it to 
see what they can get out of it? Or just a template for Hearts’ story of redemption? Honestly, take a look at Ann Budge’s statement to the Hearts support this week if you haven’t already seen it. An absolute masterpiece. And a marker of faith that, if you really want to, you CAN run a football club with values and with decency. Back in February I said that the deal to take Hearts out of administration and onwards was the result of months of good leadership, good governance, good PR, good organisation but, 
most of all, good intentions. And 
what the Jambos have emerged with 
from their post-Romanov apocalypse 
appears to be progressing as the 
perfect template for the handover from tyranny to the terraces. Thanks, in the main, to one woman. When Budge put her money up as the backstop to the Foundation of Hearts’ ultimate dream of fan ownership, and then said she’d steer the ship towards safety on a pro-bono basis, it was always going to be the best thing that ever 
happened to the club. But even in the most far-flung reaches of their support’s imagination, they couldn’t have dreamed she would do as well by them as this. Never mind 
what’s happening on the 
park. It’s not an irrelevance but nor 
in the grand scheme of them redeeming themselves from 
an era of financial abuse is 
it the main thing they must get right. What she’s achieving off it is. And when you look at the latest update, it’s clear Hearts are running to a set of principles that all but a few in our game can only dream about matching. She covered everything from hot water in the toilets to kids’ clubs, to improved websites, to finally getting shareholders issued with the evidence of their investment which the 
previous incumbent happily took from 
them and then flushed down the pan. She promised audited accounts on time, an agm before the year’s out and even an explanation of why it costs so much to post them out and how they tried to save 10 grand in the process. A step up from that though, she committed the club to paying the Living Wage. Which, when it comes to the likes of catering staff and security, will make a significant difference. It will cost the club but it will be worth it because they can look themselves in the mirror in the morning. Finally, a kick-in-the-teeth threat of a lifetime ban for the zoomers setting off flares in the midst of their support, lest anyone thought she was some kind of soft touch as a 66-year-old grandmother. Budge didn’t put a foot wrong. She hasn’t yet. You can say what you like about how Hearts got there, about the immorality of skipping your debts through 
administration, but you can’t question what they’ve done since. And it all got me thinking... Who else could be doing with that calibre of 
leadership and foresight? Which other organisations need 
more clarity, better communication, more respect for the fans, shrewder 
judgment? Anyone? Anyone? It’s a bit like the interview I did back in the summer with Roy MacGregor. Arguably the best businessman in 
Scottish football, a man whose empire turns over half a billion a year, yet who has never been asked to participate in the administration of our sport. Not even for an opinion. Amongst all the macho posturing going on between the hierarchies of the SPFL and SFA, why wouldn’t you ask someone of Budge’s obvious qualities to share her expertise? Are the league’s executive 
leadership scared to be shown up? Are the SFA’s old guard fearful of change and new ideas? We all know the answer to that. It should be a no-brainer that the cream of the game’s business talent should be contributing to its future wellbeing. Then again, the chances are they might face some stiff competition from a Hearts support who may never want Budge to leave, despite her well-defined exit strategy. Who could blame them for trying? ** You can’t blame FAI chief John Delaney for trying to get Irish fans a bigger slice of Celtic Park for the Euro qualifier. But his outburst at the SFA’s refusal is a bit rich and probably a deflection from him diverting a chunk of their ticket allocation away from the rank-and-file fans. Parkhead was chosen due to its segregation arrangements that could minimise the presence of the Irish. They get 3000 briefs and the rest is a mass of Scotland fans. Exactly how Gordon Strachan will want it. ** The Aleksandar Tonev racism
 row will rumble on. Lawyers will have a field day with a Judicial Panel 
protocol that at its core only has a “balance of probability” as its burden of proof. Shay Logan is a credible guy who you would never expect to fabricate something. Sad thing is he’s the 
victim again, on the 
receiving end of an abhorrent 
attitude, and he’ll be 
forgotten in the fight to ensue between Celtic and the SFA. ** Interesting stats from the States. MLS crowds for 2014 averaged 19,151 across their 19 clubs, up nearly a third in a decade. Next season’s reshuffle will see it go even higher. Sawker is definitely getting there. ** In the next hilarious episode of ‘Rangers’... Derek Llambias whacks Sandy Easdale with a swinging ladder as he washes the Ibrox windows to cut costs and Dave King walks in at an inopportune moment – again! Comedy Central. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/jambos-find-perfect-template-handover-4552636

all done with the test............

woooooooooooooo

http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/289-is-donald-findlay-right-discussing-our-rangers-addiction Waking up to another Rangers controversy is nothing new. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Monday, a Thursday or a match-day, there’s always another Rangers related story to keep this ongoing farce alive. From the boardroom to the dressing room; from the small grounds in Scotland to the businessmen of Singapore; the bizarre nature of what has happened to one of Scotland’s proudest institutions continues to make waves wherever and whenever you care to cast a sideways glance. It’s impossible to hide from. Now, I’ve not read all of what Donald Findlay has said to journalist Stephen McGowan in today’s Daily Mail. The ‘debate’ surrounding about whether or not Rangers are a new club isn’t something which particularly attracts me. For me, the opinion of the law lords and football authorities is enough – Rangers is the same club with their history and successes intact from one company vehicle to the next. In many ways though, does it really matter what they or Donald Findlay think? I still follow follow Rangers with the same excitement and love I’ve always done. I always will. Many hundreds of thousands agree. However, and here’s the rub, some do feel differently and I can empathise with that. Why? Well, there can be various reasons. For one, the club’s reputation has taken a huge hit – doesn’t matter how fraudulent Craig Whyte and his associates' actions are proven to be, our club almost died. It doesn’t matter with how much disdain the Scottish football authorities, fellow clubs and fans and the Scottish media approached this fall from grace; we had to start again in Division Three. In that sense, of course the club’s reputation has changed forever. No Rangers fan alive has had to experience such a dramatic change in fortunes so it’s inevitable our mind-set has as well. Moreover, since administration, the situation has hardly improved. The Rangers brand (and tradition as well perhaps) is no longer associated with success and pride and honesty and hard work. Instead, embarrassment, dishonesty, manipulation, excess and fraud are now bywords for our club. Yes the team on the park may still be the team we love but unlike our fathers and their fathers before them, we’ll now forever have to associate on-field displays with the performance of the boardroom. Some may find it easy to refrain from such, but many others cannot. Not as long as the money we pay into the club can be withheld by companies with a somewhat different relationship. That particular landscape has changed forever; it’s undeniable. Moving on, and even within our fan-base things have altered for the worse. Small minorities they may be but the division amongst some fans is bordering on the obscene at times. Bear antagonising bear is not only counter-productive but downright bizarre. Disagreement can and should be healthy but some supporters have taken that to all new levels. In the modern era of online debate that may well be inevitable but it’s a change from previous times and it’s not a good one. These aren’t arguments in private RSC cubby-holes but very public fall outs which can be seen by all. They help no-one. Considering all the above, it’s perhaps more surprising to suggest anyone doesn’t approach supporting the club differently. To be clear, it’s not that our love has decreased or that our history and success has somehow been removed (such arguments are ludicrous) but that what has happened in recent years has changed us all forever. Indeed, it has to – we have to learn from our mistakes and ensure it doesn’t happen again. That’s not to say we can do so easily – we can’t – but if we try to hide from it then we’re no worse than an addict glossing over their dependence. To sum up, while I fundamentally and strongly disagree with Findlay in terms of Rangers still being the same Rangers, he is right to an extent. Of course the club is the same one we've all supported but there are elements of recent events which will have affected us all in different ways. Perhaps it's the divided fans taking each other for granted, perhaps it's the club's total disdain for our opinion, perhaps it's the media apportioning blame to the wrong people, perhaps it's the manager refusing to learn from his mistakes, perhaps it's the constant stress amidst the whole farce but no matter the issue, it has become very difficult to support Rangers nowadays. It should be fun, it should be a release from the everyday hum-drum but it's not - in fact I'd say supporting Rangers is just another daily stress and only our fans will understand just how bad it's been. For some, even someone like Donald Findlay, the challenge may be too much but shirking from his opinion won't help. To that end, if anyone has found the last few years hard then we should be working together to talk through our worries - not hide from or belittle them. Supporting Rangers isn't something you can turn on or off. It's an addiction which infects the soul. Thus, I'd say anyone who hasn't had their heart broken and their faith challenged is in the minority. However, broken hearts can be repaired and reputations restored. My name is Frankie and I'm an addict.

Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whelan says Rangers fans should be wary of Mike Ashley because the owner of a club should always be a supporter. Ashley has a 10% stake in the Ibrox club but is widely regarded as being the most influential shareholder, having loaned the club £2m last week. "If I was [a Rangers fan] and a stranger from England started buying my club I'd be worried," said Whelan. "I'd ask myself 'Has he got Rangers Football Club at heart'?" Whelan had business dealings with Rangers in the past through JJB Sports. Ashley now has a retail deal of his own at Rangers through his Sports Direct brand. Whelan says any investment in football should be welcomed, but questions why the Newcastle owner is getting involved with the Ibrox side. "It's like me and Wigan Athletic, I am Wigan through and through and I'll do anything I can for them," he added. "It's that kind of owner that supporters want. Is Mike going to be like that? He's not been like that at Newcastle United and the Newcastle supporters are similar in a lot of ways to the Rangers supporters. I'm at a little bit of a loss and only time can answer it. "He got involved in Newcastle United and I was a bit surprised when I saw he had a big interest in Rangers. It's not for football, it's obviously something commercial. "Rangers are a massive club and have massive retail sales and the supporters really do buy the Rangers kit and they support that club through and through. Could it be something to do with that? It's a very strange one. "The one thing you've got to remember is Mike Ashley's a very very shrewd gentleman. He's not a real football man, he's the first to admit when I talk to Mike that he doesn't really understand the game." Whelan has no doubts about Ashley's abilities as a businessman, but remains bemused by the Englishman's desire to get involved in Scottish football. "[Mike Ashley] is a very nice guy, he's strictly honest," Whelan added. "I have dealt with him because he bought JJB from me. He's ruthless, yes, and you've got to be ruthless when you're in business like he is. "At Rangers I don't know what the big pull is because he can only own 10% I think. Can you run a club with only 10%? I don't think so. "Do the Rangers fans want him to buy that club and do they want him to be chairman? I have my doubts on that." There has been speculation that Ashley has increased his interest in Rangers in the hope of the club one day moving to the English Premier League, and that is a move Whelan would welcome. "It would great for the Premier League if they extended the league, don't put anybody out, and bring Celtic and Rangers in," he said. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29856804

http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12135507.html In the name of George Alexander Taylor who seems to be a Morgan Stanley employee. I would assume this purchase is being made on behalf of a Morgan Stanley customer what do our financial experts think? Is this likely to be something significant?

The Rangers Supporters Trust today announced that it has formed Fleshers Haugh Limited to produce a range of merchandise whose profits will be used to purchase shares in the club. Trust Chairman Gordon Dinnie said – “For a number of months now we have been selling red and black shirts but it’s obvious from the demand that fans also want other forms of merchandise. We set up Flesher Haugh to develop a range of quality merchandise which will be a credit to the club’s traditions and generate funds which will enable fans to buy more shares and make the club stable.” “I’m asking for fans with experience and skills in merchandising, design and manufacturing to come forward to help us build an enterprise which provides a real fans alternative.” More information to follow. http://www.therst.co.uk/latest-rst-statement/

Some more analysis from Graham McLaren on TRS: http://www.therangersstandard.co.uk/index.php/articles/current-affairs/331-what-now-for-dave-king

Haven't seen the segment myself but apparently Drew Roberton of the RSAssociation has been on Sky Sports News saying he's prepared to give Ashley the benefit of the doubt. Doesn't seem to fit with recent UoF statements?

Delighted by that... not. http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12133485.html PS: Apparently this is to oversee the appointment process of our new CEO. No laughing at the back.

http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/news/local/dundee/rangers-fans-fury-at-ibrox-disaster-tweet-1.653603

Seven members of the Green Brigade group of Celtic fans are to stand trial next month charged with singing a pro-IRA song. They are alleged to have behaved in a way that "is likely or would be likely to incite public disorder" by singing the Roll of Honour at Celtic Park. Paul Duke (38), Ross Gallagher (30), Christopher Bateman (29) David Gallacher (23), Sean Cowden (22), Kieran Duffy (19) and Greg Robertson (29) are charged with the offence. Duke and Gallagher, both of East Kilbride, Bateman, of Irvine, Gallacher, of Glasgow, Cowden, of Rutherglen and Duffy, of Coatbridge, are accused of singing the song at the Champions League qualifier match at a Celtic against Elfsborg match on July 31, 2013. Gallagher, Bateman and Robertson, also of Glasgow, are accused of singing the song at a league match against Ross County on August 3 last year. Robertson faces the same allegation along with Gallacher in connection with match against Inverness Caledonian Thistle on August 24 last year. The case against all seven - who plead not guilty - today called for a hearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court. They were ordered to return for trial, which is set to start next month. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/u/seven-green-brigade-members-face-trial-over-pro-ira-song.1414595076

Apologies for posting but I would to mention a couple of things. If it is true that Rangers will not earn anything/negligible from merchandise, then surely it presents an opportunity for the two organisations who are buying shares on the fans' behalf. Maybe manufacturing their own (classic style) unofficial (but official quality) Rangers tops could provide a serious income stream for the organisations. I would imagine that a football top could be manufactured for circa £5 either in UK or China. 30,000 tops at £30/£35 each would provide around £750,000 profit(after further costs) to be used to purchase shares with. Surely every website and supporters club could get behind such an initiative and drive sales. Given two or three cycles, a serious share position could be built by the fans. Well done last night.

I thought this was quite well written from Chris Jack regarding last night's crowd. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/rangerscomment/empty-seats-tell-story-of-rangers-fatal-rift-186382n.25722001

This is not a joke - It has hit us. What's a sugar daddy doing with a football club anyway? I only look at all the English Premier club owners then I wake up. Obviously for the same reason as all over Europe Rangers now find themselves under the vice grip of a billionaire. Happy days - or is it? Bad or good? Will we disappear in doomsday with all the clubs who've went down the sugar daddy route? I want this just because it can only mean success if only in the short term but we as fans have witnessed worse scenarios more than most? We have a duty as supporters...follow, follow no excuses.

Now that Ashley has his foot in the door, I was thinking...Newcastle fans have been wanting rid of their manager Alan Pardew for some time now, yet he remains in charge. When Ashley pumps money into our squad and the fans still don't like Ally, will he keep him on regardless do you think?

"The Rangers support and the club itself has once again been betrayed by those tasked with overseeing the health and success of our great football club. The decision by the non-executive directors of the Plc board, Mr Somers, Mr James Easdale and Mr Norman Crighton, to effectively hand control of the club to Mike Ashley in return for a £2m, short term loan, is an absolute disgrace. They have acted in a cowardly way and have been bullied by Mike Ashley and Sandy Easdale into giving them precisely what they want with no regard for the club. The club was at a crossroads. The board had to decide whether to take us down the route of a long term, £16m, sustainable investment and the start of a process where fans could once again trust those tasked with nursing Rangers back to health. Instead they have handed Mike Ashley control of the boardroom for a pittance which will now have to be repaid out of the pockets of the dwindling number of Rangers fans who still choose to support this regime financially. They have neglected their duty to shareholders, fans and the club itself. Their cowardly act now means we are likely to see Mr Ashley gain long term control of the club’s remaining commercial income without having to actually invest a penny. The board has, through a policy of inaction and cooperation with Sandy Easdale's shareholder group, allowed a situation to develop where corporate vultures are grabbing what assets they can. There is no long term plan. There is no investment. We simply limp from one short term fix to another, each time giving away more of the family silver, despite a clear alternative being available. Sandy Easdale's pronouncement that the Plc board "did their duty and their due diligence accordingly" and have done "what's in the best interests of the fans, the club and the shareholders" is the type of laughable nonsense we have come to expect from him. Mr Easdale certainly got what he wanted which was the retention of his seat in the director’s box and his club tie. The club and the fans have been sold down the river and this is another kick in the teeth for both them and the reputable shareholders still involved at Rangers. Mr Easdale, rather than disingenuous statements, should explain to fans why he actively blocked a £16m investment that could have taken the club forward. It is now a matter of individual conscience for fans if they wish to continue to fund the corporate pillaging of our football club. They should be under no illusions however that every time they purchase a single item in either Sports Direct or our club shops, they are paying for the privilege of allowing Mike Ashley to strengthen his grip on our commercial operations in a move which could hamstring the club for a generation. Also for the remainder of this season, every match ticket they buy will be used to pay Mr Ashley back the money he has lent for control of our club. Effectively they will be paying him for the privilege of his power grab."