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A German man has been charged with singing songs in support of a terrorist organisation at a football match in Kilmarnock. Lucas Tussing, 20, allegedly committed the offence at the Celtic v. Kilmarnock game at the Ayrshire club's Rugby Park last Friday. Tussing, of Dusseldorf, denies breaching the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Act, and an alternative charge of threatening or abusive behaviour. He was freed on bail at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on condition that he does not attend any regulated football match in the UK. Tussing, who was provided with an interpreter, faces trial in September. http://www.westfm.co.uk/news/local/man-accused-of-terror-song-at-killie-match/

.....but Stephen Thompson got it wrong. BARRY says the controversy and unnecessary bad blood that has been whipped up because Dundee United didn’t ask for their fair share of tickets is causing an unhelpful and unwanted distraction for McNamara. AT least Stephen Thompson has got something right. His decision to back down in his war of words against the SFA was the first thing the Dundee United chairman has got right since creating this season’s latest back-page controversy. Honestly, sometimes I get the feeling the people at the top of our game could start a fight in an empty room and this latest row about the venue and ticket allocation for United’s semi- final against Rangers just goes to prove my point. If I’m getting this right, Thompson started it all by complaining about having to play the game at Ibrox, even though this had already been decided months ago. Then it escalated when Jackie McNamara complained United should be given a 50-50 split of the tickets – only to find out later his own club had only asked the SFA for 8000. Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not having a go at Jackie for that. If I was in his shoes I would be making the same demands as I see no reason why United couldn’t take 20,000 fans to Glasgow. But clearly his club has mishandled the situation. I can’t understand why they didn’t go for the maximum amount of tickets available (say around 40 per cent) then attempted to sell them to their supporters. If it turned out they couldn’t shift the lot they could easily have handed the excess back and Rangers fans would have snapped them up. I’m sure that’s what Jackie would have expected his bosses to do because he needs all the help he can get to make this playing field as level as possible for his players. What he doesn’t need are the people around him ramping up the bad feeling ahead of this tie and making sure the matchday atmosphere will be red-hot which is exactly what has been going on over the past few days. I’ve seen all kind of talk about United and their fans not feeling safe inside Ibrox. Thompson has even said he won’t be taking his seat in the directors’ box. What is that all about? I’m a bit taken aback by that. I can’t for the life of me work out what they are getting at here. But it seems to me all this controversy and unnecessary bad blood has been whipped up because United didn’t ask for their fair share of tickets in the first place. And none of it helps their manager. For Jackie this will be an unhelpful distraction. Not only is he heading to Ibrox with a very young side and with only 8000 United fans behind them but now, because of all this other stuff, he can expect an even more hostile reception in Glasgow. He needs that like a hole in his head. Some people will tell you the size of the crowd and the atmosphere the fans generate on a big matchday doesn’t really affect the game itself. Trust me, those people are talking garbage. As a Rangers player I always responded to the big occasion. The more fans we had behind us, the more signing and dancing the more I buzzed off it. I knew these fans were in our corner and they could help lift us through difficult moments as much as they could intimidate the opposition. I just need to think back to one of the strangest nights of my career to show the difference supporters can make. In September 2005 we went to the San Siro to take on Inter Milan in the Champions League. UEFA had ordered that the game be played behind closed doors as a punishment for the Italians. It was the most surreal 90 minutes of my life. We walked out to hear the Champions League music rattling around this huge empty stadium. That was as close as it felt to being a proper top-level European night. Because the moment the music stopped and this huge ground fell completely silent it just felt wrong. Normally on nights like this you can’t hear yourself think. But when that game started we could hear our own shouts echoing back off the empty stands. The action itself was as flat as pancake. It felt more like a pre-season kickabout than a Champions League encounter and it must have been the same for Inter’s players because they couldn’t get going either. So don’t tell me fans in the stands make no difference to the players on the pitch. I always believed our supporters could be our 12th man. When you have nothing left in your legs these guys can push you on and make you dig that little bit deeper – and I’m sure that will be the case again when United head to Ibrox next month. It’s definitely a disadvantage for the players to have only a quarter of the seats but Jackie will hope that because some of his boys are so young they might not be all that bothered by it. You often find kids have no fear in these kind of situations – it’s the more experienced players who tend to get a bit more rattled by things like that. But it can work both ways too. Maybe that was the case with Aberdeen last weekend when they struggled to get on top of Inverness, with 40,000 of their own fans inside Celtic Park. By the way, that’s one thing I’ve never fathomed. How come Aberdeen get gates of eight or nine thousand on a normal Saturday at Pittodrie but 40,000 of them turn up for cup finals in Glasgow? Can you imagine what a big club they could be if only some of these punters would go to games more regularly? These are difficult times I know. It’s not easy to find the cash to go the football every week. But even so, Aberdeen will surely be hoping crowds go up now Derek McInnes has put a trophy in the cabinet – especially as there could be a Scottish Cup to come at the end of this season. There’s no doubt that bigger crowds create bigger pressure for the players. But isn’t that why you pull on your boots in the first place? If you can’t cope with a bit of pressure then you’re in the wrong business. Big players don’t buckle under it, they thrive on it. Which is why United’s visit to Ibrox will also provide these Rangers players with a perfect platform to prove they deserve to wear that jersey. They’ve taken a lot of stick and they’ll know they have a lot of doubters out there. People have said they are not good enough to represent the club. Well lads, here’s your big chance to prove them all wrong. If you don’t think you can win this cup don’t bother turning up. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/barry-ferguson-jackie-mcnamara-right-3266401

http://www.therangersstandard.co.uk/index.php/articles/rfc-politics/320-dundee-united-are-out-of-control

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/scottish-labour-pledge-scrap-snps-3262872 Not a surprise...

.....in radical shake-up if they win next election DEPUTY Labour leader Anas Sarwar told the Record the party will repeal the Offensive Behaviour at Football act as part of a radical shake-up in the way hatred at matches is tackled. THE SNP’s hated football bigotry laws will be scrapped if Scottish Labour win the next election, we can reveal today. The party’s deputy leader Anas Sarwar has told the Record they will repeal the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act as part of a radical shake-up in the way hatred in the terraces is tackled. The Labour announcement will increase pressure on Scottish ministers as it comes just two weeks after Celtic demanded an urgent review of the 2012 Act, which the club described as “unhelpful and counter-productive”. Significantly, the party’s move to scrap the legislation would not be opposed by Scotland’s leading anti-sectarian charity, Nil by Mouth. The SNP’s laws are meant to target sectarian abuse inside stadiums, on the internet and among supporters travelling to and from matches. But Glasgow Central MP Sarwar said yesterday: “The Offensive Behaviour at Football Act is not fit for purpose. “It has proved to be ineffective and unpopular, not least because sectarianism runs far beyond our touchlines and terraces.” He said if they win power at Holyrood in 2016, Labour would tackle sectarianism with “renewed focus” by “ensuring that the police get the support they need, and the well-meaning majority of football fans are respected”. He said the party would focus on “education and prevention, not politics”. Last night, Nil by Mouth campaign director Dave Scott said: “This law has been highly controversial, with courts, police, clubs and fans themselves seeming unconvinced of its effectiveness. We should remember that there are alternatives to legislation.” Community Safety Minister Roseanna Cunningham has ruled out any review of the Act until a study by Stirling University researchers on its effectiveness is completed by August next year. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/scottish-labour-pledge-scrap-snps-3262872

http://t.co/YEh6Ay09Wi The noise around Rangers has abated. A series of statements were released after former director Dave King flew to the United Kingdom last week to meet Rangers International Football Club shareholders, directors and supporters. All parties have now entered a 30-day period in which the board has to produce a business plan that adheres to their public commitments about restoring the club to its former status of title challengers in the top flight and regular European competitors. So what is the state of play in and around Ibrox? Here are five key questions on the latest chapter of the Rangers saga. Has peace broken out? King has the backing of fans groups as he puts pressure on the board It's more a hiatus. Following their meeting with South Africa-based businessman King on Friday, the Rangers directors issued a statement in which they pledged to reveal a business plan that would allow the team "to compete at the highest levels of Scottish and European football". This requires significant investment in the football department, which is currently operating without any scouting staff, and in new players. Yet the board also pledged not to use Ibrox Stadium and the Murray Park training ground as security against any borrowing, which leaves investment from existing or new shareholders as the only likely way to raise finance. King wants to lead that round of fundraising and pointed out that the board of a publicly limited company is bound by its stated commitments. He urged fans to give the board 30 days to comply, which the Union of Fans (UoF) - a coalition of supporters groups - "reluctantly" agreed to. It certainly represents a less adversarial approach. What options are there for the board? Wallace is examining Rangers' finances but has ruled out a second period in administration It is difficult to see them having any choice but to commit to a fresh share issue. This has always been mooted by the chief executive, Graham Wallace, but without setting any timescale. Existing shareholders would need to reinvest to maintain the size of their stake, though. If the club is to invest ahead of challenging for promotion from the Scottish Championship and then mounting a title challenge in the Premiership, the question of a share issue would need to be put to a shareholder vote as soon as possible to allow a two-year football strategy to be put in place. The board has agreed to borrow £1.5m from the shareholders, Sandy Easdale and Laxey Partners, with the loans secured against Edmiston House and the Albion car park, with Laxey also receiving a £150,000 premium in cash or shares. King revealed in his statement last Monday that the directors told him they had agreed to these terms because they "considered that a combination of legal risk and the current financial position justified the loan terms". In effect, the financial state of the club meant that the loans ought to be considered high risk. It is clear that Rangers need investment and that the £1.5m is a temporary sticking plaster. Wallace, though, has consistently stated that administration will not occur. Why 30 days? McCoist is awaiting word on what budget he will have for next season At the annual meeting in December, Wallace told shareholders that he would conduct a 120-day review into the business, with outgoings exceeding revenues while the club is in the lower divisions. This ends in mid-April, but the interim accounts are also due out before the end of March. So, within the next 30 days, shareholders and fans will have a clearer understanding of the current financial state of the club - it is expected that the interims will show a reduction in the £14m losses suffered in the last financial year - and the board's plan to improve its position on and off the field. This will then allow fans to make an objective decision about season ticket renewals, which will follow. What if the business plan does not meet expectations, or the board does not fulfil its pledges? The UoF is pressing ahead with plans to set up a season-ticket trust fund, with lawyers likely to be engaged on the project and trustees appointed thereafter. Before asking fans to wait for 30 days, King had advised them to pool their renewal money, which is the club's single largest income stream, and only give it to the club in return for securing Ibrox and Murray Park to protect them. Existing shareholders will surely also be monitoring events. Is a resolution likely? The current board and the shareholders they represent want to stay in place. King wants to invest directly in the club in return for an influence on how the money is spent. A majority of fans at the last home game against Dunfermline Athletic held up blue cards in support of King. From these three positions, a workable solution needs to be delivered. Conflict is unlikely to resolve anything and ultimately it is finances that will dictate what happens. Rangers either seek new funding, or cut costs, with the latter likely to make life more testing for the manager, Ally McCoist, and Wallace to deliver a team that can eventually challenge Celtic again, at least in the short-term.

As the title says - an open Q&A where you can come along and ask anything that you like. Everyone welcome. http://www.rangersfirst.org

http://metro.co.uk/2014/03/19/scottish-cup-success-would-mean-rangers-have-had-a-better-season-than-celtic-4642294/ Thoughts?

Listening to Jum Spence, Tom English, Richard Gordon, Stuart Cosgrove,................................ and Stephen Thompson all chorus the caveat, "this not about Rangers" reminded me of the events leading up to the 2003 Scottish Cup final between Rangers and Dundee. Eleven short years past, ra Sellik were on the road to Suvul You must remember? The riot in Vigo Airport, the plane diverted to Cardiff, 28 Banning Orders(remains the highest in UK for a single game) issued after those green'n'grey hooped hordes stormed the main gates at Ewood Park, and the culmination of Jose's Porto leaving TGFITW all hot and bothered in Andalucía. We won the League Cup final, a 2-1 against ra Yahoos and the delicious detail contained a last minute Hartson penalty miss and Lennon dismissed from the field of play. We had secured the Championship on the last day by thumping Dunfermline 6-1 at Ibrox, Neil McCann's second half contribution must never be forgotten. Similarly, Chris Sutton's bitter and twisted reaction at Rugby Park should be recalled. Big Eck's Rangers were a week away from securing a treble. At the beginning of May(3 weeks before), the finalists known and those cuddly stills, the Marr Brothers began an attempt to ensure a 50/50 split at Hampden on the big day. Evidence of a honed campaign soon became obvious as Spence, Gordon, Cosgrove, Nevin and Keevins sang from the same hymn sheet. There was anxiety in ensuring the caveat, "it's not about Rangers" was utilised, because that allowed a flow of phrases designed to convince the neutral ie sense of fairness, sporting integrity, level playing field, and spirit of competition. A wave of momentum saw the SFA agree to a 50/50 split. Despite empirical evidence showing/proving the Dark Blue support would not consume a 21,000 allocation, the usual suspects exercised unbridled joy. Of course, "it's not about Rangers" was a Trojan Horse to ensure regular attending Bears were denied access at the preference of empty seats. The, and so it transpired was inevitable, the official attendance that day was 47,136, just under 5,000 short of capacity. Some of the usual suspects had the neck to complain that Dundee should have sold the North Stand tickets first, 3-4,000 empty seats clearly visible just to the right of the centre line was a TV embarrassment. The 3-4,000 Bears standing outside remained non-plussed as to such crass observation. After the event and big Amo's header had secured the cup and treble, the only comments were along the lines of ensuring cup finals were better organised, the 50/50 split was here to stay. The Scottish Cup final of 2004 was between ra Sellik and Dunfermline Athletic. The attendance was 51, 835. Dunfermline's allocation was 13,000 and they returned 1,800 of those to waiting Yahoos. The 50/50 split and fairness have been conveniently ignored this last decade reference national finals. Obviously, Jum found himself stumbling around Pacific Quay Room 101, found the Manual entitled, 'Euphemisms for absolute Hatred of all things Rangers", turned to the chapter, "It's not about Rangers", and called dearest Stephen. It's a campaign that has so far ignored the further empirical evidence provided by the reality of the 2003 Scottish Cup final.

GORDON DURIE reckons Charlie Telfer could be the next Rangers kid to make the grade in the first team if he keeps setting such high standards in the under-20 team. The 18-year-old scored the winner with his sixth goal of the season yesterday as the Light Blues beat Inverness 2-1 in Dingwall. Although Telfer is typically a ball-playing box-to-box midfielder, the bumpy surface at the Highland Football Academy made it difficult for him to operate the way he usually does. Strong winds only added to the task yet he stood out once again with an energetic show which meant he thoroughly deserved his strike when it came. Everyone on the youth staff at Murray Park has taken a real lift from the impact Calum Gallagher has made over the last few days. As well as scoring as a substitute against Dunfermline at the weekend, striker Gallagher set up Fraser Aird’s opener in Monday’s Scottish Cup replay win over Albion Rovers. Manager Ally McCoist has promised he’ll give Durie’s youngsters a chance in his own side with the League One title now secured. And Durie is in no doubt he can make the same kind of impression as Gallagher has if he gets an opportunity to shine. He said: “It was a tricky game for the wee man against Inverness. Charlie likes to get the ball down and play but the conditions weren’t really conducive to that. “He has been great for us though. Calum has gone in and taken his chance in the last couple of games and the boys have all seen that. “The gaffer has said he would give the boys a chance and he has stuck to that as he’s given Calum a chance. “If Charlie keeps giving us performances like that and getting goals the way he has been, hopefully he’ll get his chance as well.” Durie, meanwhile, has paid tribute to Ross Perry’s attitude towards making a return to football after he made a comeback in the Highlands. The defender joined the under-20 squad as an over-aged player for the 400-mile, nine-hour round trip to Dingwall because he was so desperate to play again. Perry has been out of the game for the last eight months after suffering a serious ankle injury at Brora which has needed two operations to correct. Durie added: “Ross felt good and him getting 45 minutes was another bonus from the game for us. He has been training well in the last couple of weeks. “He was keen to come up for the game and as we all know, it’s four and a half hours on a bus to Dingwall. “That says something about how much he wanted to play and get himself going again and that will do him the world of good.” http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/academy-news/item/6570-charlie-could-be-next

by Union of Fans First of all we would like to thank Dave King for his time and patience over the past few days. Having met with him on Friday, and then again yesterday morning, prior to the release of his statement, we appreciate him keeping us fully appraised of his progress. It has been extremely refreshing to deal with someone who shares our own love of Rangers and also has the means, commitment and passion to significantly improve the club’s fortunes over the coming years. We are pleased that Dave has acknowledged the fans’ role in bringing the current board to the negotiating table and we are heartened by his ability to very swiftly secure some important, binding, public commitments from them. Clearly the board’s position has changed over the weekend, from one where we had no clear sight of their strategy with regard to moving the club forward, to one where they have now committed to fans and shareholders to implement the funding plan we believed was required. This plan, if properly executed, should allow the club to compete both domestically and in Europe in the medium term. We are pleased that they are no longer considering the massive scaling back of club operations that would have been required, both on and off the park, under their previously assumed but never communicated strategy. We also note that they have confirmed that they do require further investment as a matter of some urgency. We expect significant amounts of that investment to come from a united fan investment vehicle, including Dave King. Although pleased that they have made a commitment not to raise finance, or take out any type of security, on Ibrox or Auchenhowie, we are disappointed that they have refused to make this as unequivocal as we would have expected. “We have no plans” does not engender the same confidence as “we will not”. Having secured these binding, public commitments from the board, through Dave King, we are now prepared to wait for the publication of the business review from Graham Wallace within the next 30 days. We expect it to fully reflect the promises made by the board in their last statement and we are, reluctantly given previous experience, relying on them to fulfil those promises. We expect them to produce a coherent vision and detailed plan of how they will fund it. In the meantime, whilst the board complete this process, we will be continuing with plans to set up a Season Ticket Trust. We are determined to be in a position to provide it as an option, if required, and will continue to update the supporters on our progress on a regular basis. We expect to engage with legal advisers and trustees as early as next week. We would like to thank all the fans who sent such a clear message to the board at the weekend. Without fan pressure we would not have made the significant progress we have and we are fully aware that following the completion of the business review, depending on its outcome, the fans may once again be required to act. We remain fully committed to continuing our work with Dave King as part of a fan led initiative to invest in the club and will be in close contact with him over the coming weeks. We fully support his vision for Rangers and his methods of achieving that vision and will hold the board fully to account, within the timescales they have indicated, for the binding, public commitments they have made. http://www.unionoffans.org/statements/2014/3/18/follow-up-statement-re-dave-king

http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=2986&newsID=13171&newsCategoryID=1 In response to recent speculation and comments made by Dundee United officials, the Scottish FA is compelled to clarify the club’s ticketing allocation for the forthcoming William Hill Scottish Cup semi-final between Rangers and Dundee United at Ibrox. At the pre-operations meeting held on Tuesday, 11th March, Dundee United were made an initial offering of 11,063 tickets, allocated in the entirety of the Broomloan Road Stand, the Govan West corner and a section of the Govan Stand Front and Rear. The number was offered on the basis of Dundee United’s ticket sales for recent semi-finals. For last year’s semi-final against Celtic at Hampden Park, with a 12.45pm kick-off, Dundee United received an allocation of 10,686 tickets and sold 6783. For the 2010 semi-final against Raith Rovers at Hampden Park, with a 3pm kick-off, Dundee United were allocated 11,806 tickets and sold 9969. The Dundee United official present stated that in order to ensure a maximum attendance, in the first instance the club would not require the additional allocation in the Govan West corner, Front and Rear and, instead, would prefer the Broomloan Road stand, capacity 8012. He was invited to revert to the club for confirmation but declined. Notwithstanding the present allocation of 8012 – as requested by the club – Dundee United retain first option on the Govan West corner, and a section of the Front and Rear, an additional 3051 seats. Should the club a) request that additional allocation and b) sell it, then there remains the opportunity to extend the allocation subject to agreement between the clubs and the relevant police and stewarding advice.

Posted this on RM with no great response from anyone on committee either, so thought, why not try Gersnet. I asked a fair question yesterday about the RFFF accounts and what their intentions was! I thought i would look into it as it did seem a responsible question. Well, it was like hitting a brick wall, pass the parcel came to mind when asking guys who I thought would know something of the Funds, meetings, committee etc....Eventually i got through to one guy who asked me What i wanted to know, and also Why? My simple question was Did the RFFF offer RIFC funds when they were looking at short term loan that eventually went to Laxey/Easdales as they must have enough in the bank to have covered this loan (imo). I can honestly say the reply was not straightforward and prompted me to ask " Did you ask them?" Silence. All these calls for transparency should work both ways imo, so if anyone from RFFF reading my post can you explain to me......... How much Funds are left in the account? When is the next accounts due? Do you still hold committee meetings? What is the RFFF intentions with money left? Did Graham Wallace ask you? Did you offer RIFC money? At the end of the day, we fans put a lot of money into this fund, and it is only right we have transparency also.

Hi, I'm an open and avid proponent of Rangers First - I really believe this can be great for the club and the support. I have been sending this out to my contacts list and thought it could be worth an airing on here: As all Rangers Supporters know it has been a turbulent few years. We seem to move from one crisis to another and I think we are all getting to the stage where the common consensus is that something must be done. The average fan is seeking to have a more open relationship with the club, people who previously had no interest in the on goings behind the scenes at the club are now demanding transparency and openness. There is a swell of support for increased fan involvement at Rangers Football Club – and something that has previously not received a great deal of wide support is now become a possibility. Rangers First is a fan led membership vehicle, backed by Supporters Direct – a government funded organisation, for fan ownership that is seeking to purchase shares in Rangers in order to achieve the goal of the fans having transparent authoritative consultation with the club. The goal is to ensure that every Rangers fan knows exactly where the club are and where we are going – the advantages of which will lead to greater fan engagement of the club ensuring our illustrious history continues into the future. Once that initial goal has been achieved Rangers First has the capability of increasing the revenue potential of the club in order to help us regain our position as the dominant club of Scottish Football. Rangers First is a CIC (community interest company) that is set up to benefit the Rangers Community. There are currently over 900 members who have signed up to Rangers First within two weeks of the launch and have already donated various levels of finance with membership starting from as little as £5 per month in order to allow as many fans as possible to have a say in the club. It was agreed at the initial meetings that Rangers First is not interested in getting involved with the internal politics at the club (who is on the board does not matter) – we are only interested in getting the fans a voice to ensure that they stay engaged with the club and to help ensure that Rangers stays the greatest and most successful club in the country. We are focused on community involvement and fan governance - you will not see any controversial statements coming from us. We are a democratic organisation that seeks to give the fans a voice. No fan involved will receive any financial reward or payment – we are all volunteers trying to make a difference at the club. Ideally we are looking for 1872 people to buy a life membership at £500 which will give us enough cash to buy circa 5% of the club. 5% being an important number in a plc allowing Rangers First several capabilities including the ability to call an EGM. For the good of Rangers, and The Rangers Support, I would ask of you as a supporter of the club to consider becoming a member of Rangers First. If you could take the time to look at http://www.rangersfirst.org it would be greatly appreciated. I myself, and my family are all taking out life memberships in Rangers First as well as a monthly contribution. We are also donating our shares bought at the IPO to Rangers First. This is something I believe can be the vehicle that ensures we get back to where we should be. Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to ask me. I’m sure we can make a difference. We Are The People - Any constructive feedback?

by Graham Taylor | Guest Contributor I’ll be the first to admit that when the name of Sandy Easdale was first mooted as having a possible involvement at Rangers in November 2012 I didn’t know the first thing about him, as no doubt many that do not live in the central belt probably didn’t either. Handily though, the Daily Record were quick to point people in the direction of Mr Easdale’s somewhat questionable business past with an article entitled “Bus tycoon Sandy Easdale who was jailed over VAT fraud is courted as possible investor at Ibrox”. Taken at face value at a time when the club was needing to regain its credibility following the disastrous insolvency experience under the stewardship of Craig Whyte, I, like many, was aghast at the thought of an individual with an equally-dubious business background to that of Whyte being involved at the club. It was noticeable from the story that the Rangers spokesman at the time felt it necessary to give direct comment on the possible involvement of Easdale at the club. Looking back it is clear that, even from that early stage, Sandy Easdale was being lined up for a prominent role at the club. As the beginnings of a boardroom turf war started to creep its way into the spotlight Sandy and his brother James joined the embattled Charles Green in the Directors' Box for the friendly against Linfield. It was around this time that Green was feeling the heat for his links to Craig Whyte and the fallout from his racist remarks in a Sunday newspaper interview, so with the focus firmly on Green it was perhaps an ideal opportunity for the Easdale brothers to be seen with the man firmly in the public domain. Days later, Green resigned his post as Chief Executive of the club. A few days beyond that, it was announced by BBC Scotland’s Chris McLaughlin that James Easdale–and not Sandy–would be buying the seven percent shareholding held by Green. Now, given what we know now, why was it James that was announced as the man looking to buy the sizeable shareholding and not Sandy who has been largely the main figure at the club in recent times? And why was it claimed by McLaughlin that the brothers held a shareholding far in-excess of what they could possibly have held then and still do to this day? Coincidentally, it became common knowledge around this time that Jack Irvine had become the Easdale brothers’ personal PR representative. This led to the infamous interview where Sandy and, to a lesser extent, James laid out their vision for Rangers going forward to BBC Scotland’s Chief Football Correspondent whilst sitting in one of their buses. For businessmen hoping to be taken seriously in their objective of securing board representation, it was an abjectly embarrassing episode. Sure enough and even with a relatively small level of shareholding James Easdale was given a non-executive Director role on the plc board. Sandy would have to wait a few weeks later for his role on the Ltd company board, which he was later named Chairman of with the remit to run the business side of the club that the plc board did not run day-to-day. Sandy was subsequently asked in an interview with STV’s Peter Smith if he felt his conviction for VAT Fraud in 1997 contributed to him being unable to take a role on the plc board. He denied this was the case and said it was his decision to not take up a role on the plc board. It was widely discussed in October last year, none more so than by the former Scotsman journalist Tom English in an amusing parody, that Easdale did not wish for Dave King to be involved at the club and that Easdale’s PR representative had been briefing journalists that King’s potential involvement would be vetoed by the relevant authorities. King himself admitted last month that his recent discussions with a view to investing in the club were held with Easdale and not the Chief Executive Graham Wallace or the Chairman of the Investment Committee Norman Crighton. King has since said that had it not been for fan pressure then the board would not have met with him in the last few days. Now what possible problem would Sandy Easdale have with a committed fan investor such as Dave King being involved in the restoration of Rangers? If he’s as big a supporter as he claims to be then getting King involved is a no-brainer, but if the above is true then it seems Easdale is continually putting obstacles in the way of King getting in the door. Why? The question that many would pose is just what purpose does Rangers Football Club hold for Mr Alexander Easdale? Does he see the club as a passionate hobby and is involved to assist the club in its return to its rightful place? Does he see Rangers as a commercial opportunity to make a profit from, as is the case with the various institutional investors? Or does he see his involvement as a chance to create a public profile that would give him the type of status that is indicative of others with similar wealth in Scotland? And with the added bonus of providing him with a less-than-dubious prefix to his name when being discussed in media circles, unlike the “ex-con” he was described as in the above Daily Record article prior to his involvement at the club? The questions surrounding Easdale don’t end there. For instance, why has he decided that Craig Houston from the Sons of Struth or the GersNet site is more deserving of litigation proceedings than the fans of lesser clubs or frequenters of bus and coach forums who constantly label him with the same terms? Why have his solicitors Levy McRae issued legal letters for and demanded immediate cessation on Rangers fan forums only and not targeted these various other football and travel sites? One Google search will confirm that this is the case, yet he has chosen to make an example of an ordinary Rangers supporter, as Alexander also claims to be. Why? Why did he claim in the interview with Peter Smith that he had investors lined up to invest in Rangers if need be? If so, why were these investors not approached prior to him providing a loan facility that is secured against valuable tangible assets such as Edmiston House and the Albion car park? Did these investors even exist or was it just bluster for the cameras? With the voting rights of Blue Pitch Holdings and Margarita Funds Holding Trust still registered in his name does he still have a binding agreement to purchase the remainder of Charles Green’s shareholding as per the Media House press release of 30th August 2013, an acquisition which would take him over the concert party threshold of 29.9 percent? And given his good relationship with the individuals behind these trusts, why won’t he come to an agreement with them to publicly reveal their identities to allay fears that certain individuals with alleged criminal activities are involved? For all the questions there are over Sandy Easdale’s involvement at Rangers, there is one that stands out more than most: If the institution that is Rangers means as much to him as he claims, why is that everything he has done in his time in the limelight appears to be to the detriment of what the vast majority consider to be in the best interests of Rangers Football Club? And does he even care...? http://www.thecoplandroad.org/2014/03/posing-question-of-alexander-easdale.html

Yep Ally, full pre-season this year, good winning momentum at the moment, settled team by the looks of it. Now just 'go for it' in this game. There would be nothing worse going out of this tie at a wimper. If we give all and play fast attacking football but go out I would accept it as it gives a measure as to where we are but going out in poor fashion just turns attention onto Ally's ability to put a good team out again.

RANGERS BOARD REJECT KING PROPOSAL The Rangers board have rejected Dave King's plan to ring-fence season-ticket cash, the former director claims. King met with the ruling Ibrox regime on Friday for showdown talks about the club's worrying financial state. The club responded 24 hours later with a statement describing the meetings as a "helpful, open and honest discussion". But the South Africa-based businessman's proposed scheme - that would have protected season-ticket cash from being used to repay a controversial £1.5million loan handed to the new League One champions by investors Sandy Easdale and Laxey partners - was knocked-back by the board. The loan agreement is secured against the Albion car park and Edmiston House facility and will earn Laxey a £150,000 profit in either cash or shares when it is repaid next year. King says the board have addressed many of his concerns about the fallen Glasgow giants' future but revealed the two sides could not find common ground on the topic of season-ticket revenue. In a statement, the Castlemilk-born multi-millionaire said: "The only significant issue that I discussed with the board that is not contained in the board statement is the Laxey loan facility. "Mr [Norman] Crighton, on behalf of the board, made a forcible argument as to why the board considered and approved the terms of the Laxey loan. "The board considered that a combination of legal risk and the current financial position justified the loan terms. "I replied that a consequence of the board's view of the high risk to anyone advancing funds to the club is the board's fiduciary responsibility to ring fence any season-ticket money that is received (even if fans don't request this) unless sufficient committed financing is in place at that time. "The board did not agree with me on this logical consequence but I believe that my observation is correct." King looked set to go to war with the board when he advised fans to withhold season-ticket cash and instead pay it into a trust fund which would then drip feed the money to the club. He made his original call after complaining about a lack of transparency about the club's financial state following last year's £14.4million loss and rumours of downsizing to boss Ally McCoist's squad, which King feared would allow Celtic to rack up "10 in a row". On top of his concerns about season-ticket cash, the former director - who lost a £20million investment when the club was liquidated in 2012 - also expressed fears that the board would mortgage off Ibrox and Murray Park to secure fresh finance. But he added: "The board has now publicly dealt with each of the above. The board has affirmed that it regards competition with Celtic and in Europe as being its continued aim and that this outlook will be reflected in the business review that will be published within the next month. "Crucially, that will allow fans sufficient time to consider the review prior to investing in season tickets but it is also important that the board has now confirmed categorically that they will not use Ibrox or Murray Park as security for any form of fund raising. "No one should be in any doubt that this public statement and commitment is significant and should be appreciated as such. "Statements from a public company board are intended to be relied upon so in a couple of weeks we can expect a business review that will reflect the board's ambition and a funding plan to achieve this. "We can also rely on the fact that if circumstances change the board would be bound to advise the public in advance of this." He added: "The board has now communicated with the fans and has committed to do so in more detail within a month. "Let us give the board time to comply with its commitment. "I advised the board that I would wish to be a part of the required fund-raising as a component of a united fan group investment vehicle. This will require further discussion after release of the review in the next month."

Lifted from FF From Sun Journo Andy Devlin on Twitter

......Rovers have got more class. HUGH says Albion Rovers' display helps put Ibrox title win in perspective and says Old Firm fans should be asking why their teams are not in today's League Cup Final. THEY tell me Ian Black drives to and from Murray Park in a bright red Bentley. It should go with his bright red face because the painter and decorator turned midfield huffer and puffer has managed to alienate himself from the Ibrox support in the same week that Rangers won a title. That takes a bit of doing. The process of alienation, that is, not the title success. When squad members are earning enough to drive Bentleys while playing against part-time teams it’s hard to see this championship as a triumph to be discussed in the same breath as others Ally McCoist has been associated with. But disaffected season-ticket holders? That’s another matter altogether. Former Ibrox director Dave King hasn’t moved a rebellious muscle yet and he’s beginning to look like a shoo-in to win the battle for hearts and minds in the debate over where Rangers go from here at board-room level. And if his trump card is the backing of the fans then a Bentley driver asking the support what more they want after successfully “earning” a replay against Albion Rovers is a perfect start in the propaganda stakes. That and Rangers director Sandy Easdale talking about taking fans to the Court of Session for abusing him. There’s commercial suicide and then there’s commercial cynicism, of course. Celtic have lulled their fans to sleep on the back of a season prematurely ended by a championship won with the same unbalanced ease with which Rangers have dismissed their so-called challengers. The Hoops have beaten what is put in front of them and done exactly what they should’ve done in the Premiership. No more, no less. Just like Rangers. But Celtic can always keep their support on side by ticking the begorrah box. The latest edition of the club’s magazine, published last Wednesday, has Neil Lennon super-imposed on the flag of the Republic of Ireland. Above this image is a message wishing everyone a happy St Patrick’s Day from the champions. St Patrick’s Day doesn’t actually take place until tomorrow but who’s counting? And before those who are always waiting to be scandalised reach for the laptop to send the abusive email, my grandparents were from Ballymote in County Sligo and I’m as proud of my family roots as the next member of the Irish diaspora. But no matter where you’re from I’m sure a lot of Celtic supporters would rather their club magazine was talking about this weekend’s League Cup Final instead of camouflaging the fact they won’t be there. The reason why neither Celtic nor Rangers will be there this afternoon is that the former couldn’t get past the mighty Morton at home with the additional benefit of extra time. And even a team with a Bentley driver in it couldn’t find a way past part-time Forfar Athletic – after Rangers also got an extra half hour at Station Park to see if they could find the right gear. So good luck to Aberdeen and Inverness for having made it to the final and selling almost 50,000 tickets to remind us that there’s still life outside the Bentleys and the begorrahs. And well done to Albion Rovers for earning a replay against Rangers and a host of admirers at the same time for deciding to share their financial windfall from that match with the less fortunate. The idea of the Coatbridge club giving away £10,000 to Radio Clyde’s Cash For Kids charity appeal would once have been thought preposterous. But when they came into a few bob by dint of their own efforts on the park the Rovers asked “What do you need ?” instead of “What more do you want?” like a member of the other team annoyed by people having the audacity to criticise their performances. I got a text from someone anxious to point out that Rangers drew with Albion at Ibrox in 1935 when Bill Struth was the manager. My reply to that is, it was an embarrassment then and it’s an embarrassment now, begging Albion Rovers pardon. So sue me for having an opinion.

.....for putting fat-cats ahead of fans as Scottish Cup semi-final row erupts. TANNADICE chairman Stephen Thompson says governing body has snubbed his request to switch game from Ibrox in order to keep corporate customers happy. DUNDEE United chairman Stephen Thompson last night tore into the SFA for putting fat-cats ahead of fans as a row over the Scottish Cup semi-finals erupted. The Tannadice side had written asking for a switch of venue from Ibrox when the draw for the semis was made – if Rangers make it past Albion Rovers tomorrow. That request was denied in writing but the reasons given, and the split of the stadium, have infuriated the Tannadice owner. If United have to face Rangers they will be given just 13,100 of Ibrox’s 51,082 capacity. However, Thompson’s bigger concern is the fact the SFA chose the venues for the semis and final before they knew the last four. And he’s unhappy they’re trying to justify it by claiming it was the best way to keep their commercial customers happy. Speaking to MailSport last night, Thompson said: “I want to stress that this is IF Rangers make it to the semis. The last thing I wanted to do was be disrespectful to Albion Rovers. “This is also nothing against Rangers. It wasn’t their decision and this isn’t their issue, it’s the SFA’s. “Our request was refused but the reasons given were totally unsatisfactory. We asked for a neutral venue for the sake of sporting integrity, which was their big buzz phrase two years ago when the Rangers stuff was going on. “But they claimed other countries within UEFA set stadia in advance for semi-finals and that precedent has been set. “Their letter also claimed that, by deciding in advance, it has enabled them to maximise commercial revenues and keep their sponsors happy. “So they’re saying commercial customers and sponsors are more important than the fans of the clubs taking part? I can’t have that.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/dundee-united-chief-blasts-sfa-3248125

Salivating Stu' was in giddy triumphalistic mood yesterday. Just when you thought his domination of BBC Radio Scotland airwaves was complete, he announces that Off the Ball is now scheduled for an hour on a Saturday evening, after the action. If you manage to avoid Stu's double dint on a Saturday, there's the two hour Sunday supplement, the current affairs commentary on a Thursday, the, 'my life in five books', alternatively the, 'my life in five tracks', ................ etc. Stu' loves utilising his considerable broadcast time to discuss his trials with psoriasis, appropriate really since he is all over Beeb Scotland like a rash. Channel Four's Director for Diversity was in full flow in last evening's first après-action Off the Ball. He was fully supportive of biggest, bestest mate, Jum Spence's latest whine on behalf of his beloved Dundee United. Stu' is unequivocal, Ibrox is not neutral and the Arabs deserve a 50% allocation of the tickets. I suspect today's Sunday supplement will be used to reinforce these points. Oh, and Stu' was most determined to emphasise Stephen Thompson's point that this was not an exercise in sinking the boot into Rangers. Stu' did not comment on Jum's assertion that Thompson's refusal to sit in the Ibrox Directors' Box is because he feels threatened by certain Rangers Directors. Clearly, both Stephen and Jum have lost their discipline, again. As the show chuntered to conclusion, a wildly excited Stu' bellowed in climax, "over forty thousand Aberdeen fans in Glasgow tomorrow for the League Cup final, arrrrrmahhhgeddonnnnnnn, bring it on". Of course, the Aberdeen revival is Stu's comfort blanket, ignoring the League Cup like the Premiership continues without a sponsor. The real irony is in the delicious detail, Stu' in his state of heightened tumescence was forgetting his own club, St Johnstone were at half time in their match against Ross County, playing in front of a McDairmid Park attendance of 2,200. Aye, that Armageddon has a tendency to bite you on the arse. We know Stu' to be a principled man, don't we? Thus, he will be demanding that his own club are awarded 25,500 Ibrox tickets for their semi-final against Aberdeen. Further, surely on the same principle he has demanded ICT receive 30,000 tickets for today's cup final? Principles are inconvenient, awkward, and unbalancing whence sinking the boot into Rangers.

A load of my mates travelling down for this game you'd think it was a CL final. 40000 - where they getting that from! Inverness had a game midweek so will be more tired, would really like to see Caley take the trophy home today.

"The Union of Fans and it's representatives would like to take this opportunity in wholeheartedly thanking the many volunteers who helped distribute the Blue Cards for today's display in support of new investment from Dave King. We would also like to thank the overwhelming majority of the support who took the decision to participate and show their support in the display. (To the naked eye well over 80% of those in attendance). In the main the cards were very well received and even those of dissenting voices were civil in either not taking cards or as is their right, not participating in the display. Once again your support & participation is very much appreciated. Union of Fans" ** Blue Card thread locked again* or I would have put this there. *I can hear conspiracy clogs whirring into action even as I type

http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/6545-club-statement

"Now to the story from Jim Spence. He reports that Dundee United have been refused their request to have their Scottish Cup semi-final on 12 April moved to a neutral venue, if their opponents are Rangers. The Tannadice club made an official request to the SFA that the match be played at a neutral venue, but say the governing body has rejected the request, citing examples from Uefa as a precedent for a club playing a semi-final on its own ground. Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson said: "This of course is all dependent on the result of Albion Rovers v Rangers. If it is to be Rangers, then we are not happy with the fact that it is not a neutral venue. A semi-final or final should be at a neutral venue. "This is not an issue with Rangers, it's with the SFA and putting commercial and sponsors' interests before that of fans. We wanted to play the match at Celtic Park but that was flatly denied." Thompson also said that he would not be sitting in the directors' box at Ibrox for the match if United do meet Rangers, but would instead be in with his own supporters. United say they have been given a maximum ticket allocation of 13,100 for the semi at Ibrox if their opponents are Rangers and say that initially they were offered only 11,000 tickets. Albion Rovers meet Rangers next Monday night at New Douglas Park in the quarter-final replay for a place in the last four. An SFA spokesperson said: "The clubs were informed of the venue just after the first round of the cup, due to Hampden Park being out of commission because of the Commonwealth Games. "There were no issues raised then at that early stage."