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IT’S not easy being a Rangers fan at times like these. While Celtic spent yesterday with all eyes on Monte Carlo, my old club was trying to get excited about a League One visit from a team from Methil. The club has fallen so far from grace over the past couple of years it has been hard to make sense of it all. Much of it has been a blur, just one heartbreaking episode after the next. You reach the stage where you’ve taken so many kickings you’re just grateful still to be alive. But then you have a week like this one, when you see your old rivals qualifying for the Champions League and gearing up for trips to the Nou Camp, the San Siro and the Amsterdam ArenA. While Ally McCoist and his players are preparing for East Fife at home. As reality checks come, this one makes the eyes water. Since Wednesday night, I’ve been speaking to a few of the boys at Blackpool about it and they were asking me if I think Rangers will ever get back to that level. Or if the Champions League is gone for good. If too much harm and damage has been done for Rangers to ever recover their old status. Now – and I know I’ll be slaughtered for this – but I believe Rangers will be back in the Champions League. And they’ll be back within five years. Yes, I can see why that may seem ridiculous right now but I’m deadly serious. First thing’s first, we need the likes of Jim McColl and his men to take control of the finances and to clean up the mess in the boardroom. And, yes, I know that’ll be easier said than done. But with the right people in charge off the pitch, Rangers won’t need decades to close that gap. They might be in the third tier but as far as I’m concerned, with the new signings available, they’ve got the second strongest team in Scottish football. If they were in the top flight this season they’d finish runners-up. I’m sure of it. So they’ll rip their way through League One this year and it’ll be the same in the Championship. That means in less than two years’ time they’ll be back where they belong. And I honestly believe it’s being realistic to say they’ll be Scotland’s champions again inside of three years. And then these players will have the chance to enjoy what Celtic experienced on Wednesday night. And as someone who knows what I’m talking about, believe me when I say it really doesn’t get any better. I was genuinely pleased for Celtic’s players the other night. Aye OK, maybe that’s pushing it. But as a player I could understand exactly how much it meant to these guys to get through against Shakhter Karagandy. I know Neil Lennon wouldn’t have needed to give them a pre-match team talk. And it’s not just about the finances and the bonuses either. As players, you realise money just can’t buy nights like that. I remember how I felt when that Champions League music started up – it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It was an incredible feeling – totally different from a Saturday. It didn’t matter if it was Barcelona coming to Ibrox, I was so pumped up I truly believed I could go out there and take them. I see a lot of similarities in some of the current Celtic players. That atmosphere does the same thing to them. It’s hard to describe but there’s something electric about these kind of games. I remember driving up to the stadium on the bus and seeing the fans going mental on the streets outside. By the time you walked in through the front doors you felt eight foot tall. You realise the game is going to be televised all around the world. This is your chance to show everyone what you can do against the best. I’ll always remember playing against Lothar Matthaus and Bayern Munich in 1999 when I had just got into Dick Advocaat’s team. I was just a wee boy and had total respect for that guy but as soon as I crossed that line I wanted to destroy him. Anyway, I must have been a pain in the a*** because he poked me in the eye during the away game against them at the Olympic Stadium. I had been in about his ankles from the start and he probably thought, ‘Who’s this skinny little runt from Scotland, running about with the plooks on his chin? What have we got here?’ And I have to admit, I loved it. I knew right then I was giving him a game. Lothar Matthaus, one of the greatest players in the world, had just poked me in the eye. I couldn’t have been prouder. Now I’m older I look back and I see it from his point of view and I laugh at myself. I know what it’s like when you’re up against kids who are trying to fire in about you. But that’s the attitude you need. I turn into a different animal out there and that’s the way it has to be. The downside is that people get a perception of you from what they see on the pitch. And that sticks. I know people still look at me and think this guy’s a wee ned – all because I ran about with my face all screwed up, shouting and bawling. That used to bother me. But you get older and wiser and you learn to accept things. I look back now and say, ‘Look at him, he’s running around like a f****** idiot’. Then I realise it’s myself I’m watching. So I can’t blame others for thinking the same thing. It’s just the way I need to play in order to get the best out of myself. And if you can’t get the best out of yourself in the Champions League then you’ve no business being there. Another big European night that stands out was the qualifier against Copenhagen 10 years ago. I went into that one knowing it would be my last game for Rangers as I would be signing for Blackburn when we got back. And another 48 hours later I remember realising I had just made the biggest mistake of my life. That was a weird night. On the one hand we were celebrating with the fans, and on the other I knew deep down I was away. I remember thinking to myself at the time, ‘I’ve just left Rangers, what am I doing?’ And so now every time I watch a Champions League game it reminds me of that night. It sends a shiver up my spine when the music starts. It’s crazy what that tune does. And I know the Celtic boys would have been feeling the same way. Now they’ve got the group games to come and every one of them will be looking at where Victor Wanyama, right, and Gary Hooper ended up. These guys will be thinking they could be next to get a move to the EPL. That’s what the Champions League offers players, a big-money move. And it’s why Rangers must keep ploughing on through all the hard miles until they’re hearing that music for themselves. Trust me, it’ll be worth the journey.

I see TLB's poop troop got beat 2-0 by Shakhter Karagandy over in Kazakhstan earlier.

EXCLUSIVE: Emilson Cribari rejects chance to quit Ibrox EMILSON CRIBARI has rejected a move to Greek side Xanthi – leaving Rangers boss Ally McCoist in a sweat over any late transfer activity at Ibrox. By: Scott Burns and Michael Baillie Published: Mon, August 26, 2013 The cash-strapped Light Blues were willing to let the Brazilian defender, below, go to free up wages to help bring in Bosnian international Boris Pandza and keeper Steve Simonsen. Xanthi’s offer was relayed to Cribari’s agent but the player made it clear he is happy to remain at Rangers, where is one of the higher earners, to help the club progress up the leagues. There is still interest in the 33-year-old from across Europe and he could yet be persuaded to leave if the right deal comes up before the close of the transfer window on Monday. The League One leaders are trying to move out some of their fringe players and are even willing to loan out younger members of their squad to free up money. McCoist remains determined to strengthen his defence and has been on the trail of Pandza for much of the summer. Rangers chief executive Craig Mather has been in discussions with the 26-year-old’s representative over a possible deal. McCoist said: “I know Craig spoke to the agent. I haven’t spoken to Pandza for three weeks. “We just need to get a bit of activity in players going the other way, as I think that would probably help. There are one or two players I would like to bring in. McCoist, who has already spent all of his summer budget for new signings, is keen to bring in another striker, and Express Sport understands his interest in bringing Kenny Miller back to Ibrox is not dead. The 33-year-old, above, recently penned a six-month extension with Vancouver Whitecaps but the Ibrox club have kept in contact with the player’s agent and are confident of forcing through a deal if they find the funds. Vancouver are desperate to keep Miller but the player himself could force any deal through as he is keen to return to Scotland over the longer term. The former Hibs, Wolves, Celtic, Derby, Bursaspor and Cardiff frontman retired from Scotland international duty last week. http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/424798/EXCLUSIVE-Emilson-Cribari-rejects-chance-to-quit-Ibrox

Barry Ferguson: Another week another scandal for Rangers and another reason for fans to be shaking their heads in disbelief. By Barry Ferguson 23 Aug 2013 07:42 IBROX legend Barry Ferguson expresses his opinion on not one, but two dramas at Rangers this week- betting scandals and boardroom bombshells. TRUST. It’s only a small word but one of the biggest and most important inside any football club. Without trust it’s impossible for a club to operate properly, on or off the park, and it sickens me to say with every passing week there’s another reason to doubt the motives of the people inside Rangers. When I signed up with Record Sport at the start of the season I was looking forward to talking about football issues and giving my opinion on the state of the game in general. But every week there’s been some drama at Ibrox which dominates the headlines. And this week there’s been two of them. It started with another board meeting and another sacking for Charles Green. Good. With a bit of luck that’ll be the last time we hear of the Yorkshireman who should slope off now into the sunset, sell his shares and enjoy the money he made out of my old club. The problem the fans have – and I include myself as one of them – is we don’t know if he can be trusted to do the right thing and leave Rangers alone. Because of everything that’s gone on over the past two years we won’t be able to relax until we know he’s got nothing to do with the running of Rangers and has no influence on the board. All we want is for him to leave with a bit of dignity. To hand his shares over to someone who has Rangers’ best interests at heart and let the club get on with repairing all the damage that has been done to it. Until his shares are in someone else’s name, I don’t think I’ll feel comfortable and I’m sure the vast majority of Rangers fans would agree. Green said the other week, after being appointed as a consultant, that he has Rangers’ best interests at heart. Can he be trusted? I don’t know. But I’d like to think – if he was telling the truth – that he now realises the game is up. He’s taken the first step by leaving Rangers and I’d now love to see his shares being snapped up by the people who are supporting Jim McColl and his group in their attempts to take control of the boardroom. Maybe, by doing that, Green might earn back a bit of respect from the fans. But, deep down I still dread to think what McColl, Paul Murray and Frank Blin might find when they get a hold of the books and work out the true state of the club’s finances. That will all come out in the wash eventually. But for now at least Green has walked away and that has to be a good thing. Now I hope McColl and his team finish the job and get themselves into that boardroom. I wrote a couple of weeks ago that the fans can no longer trust anything they are told from the boardroom. I said it doesn’t get much worse than that. But this is Rangers and I should have known better. Because no sooner had Green had been removed than the papers were full of stories about the SFA disciplinary case involving midfield player Ian Black. Another day, another scandal. Another reason for Rangers fans to shake their heads in dismay at it all. It’s just exhausting. Look, I’ll hold my fire about Black’s part in all of this until the details have become a lot more clear. Right now people are speculating on what bets he may or may not have placed. I’m not going to join in the stampede because, the truth is, I see nothing wrong with a football player having a flutter. I hold my hands up, I do it myself. I’m not a big gambler by any means but every now and then I’ll put on a coupon at the weekend, stick a few bob on a horse at the races, lose my money at the casino when the lads are out bonding. I have no problem with that. I’m a football player, not a monk. There are strict rules down in England and the PFA make us aware of what is and what is not allowed. We can’t bet on matches in our own league or in cup competitions we are involved in. If you break the rules you’ll get hammered for thousands of pounds and could face a ban. And for the life of me, I can’t see what is wrong with that. It annoys me when people look to put the boot into football players over this because we’re just normal guys, doing what normal guys do. Gambling isn’t just a football problem, it’s a society problem. I don’t condone it – and I hate to see kids getting caught up in it – but I don’t criticise anyone for having a punt. It’s their choice as individuals and as grown men. But what I will say is this, I cannot get my head around any player who would bet against his own team. If it’s true that Black bet against Rangers then I will have a great deal more to say on the subject. Let’s just say, if I saw it going on inside my own dressing room I wouldn’t tolerate it. I find the very idea astonishing and beyond belief, which is why I’ll wait to see what evidence the SFA have before passing my own judgment. In all my time in football – and I’ve seen a lot of gambling going on in dressing rooms – I have never witnessed a player betting on his own team to lose or draw. If I even heard a whisper in the dressing room that one of my team-mates was up to something such as that I would certainly challenge him in front of the rest of the lads. Excuse the language but I would be asking: “What the **** is going on here?” But that’s a four-letter word and one we’ll keep for another day. The word that matters at Rangers right now has five – TRUST. The sooner they get it back, the better for all concerned. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/barry-ferguson-football-betting-boardroom-2210145

Analysis: is Blue Knight Paul Murray fighting a losing battle? Hugh Macdonald Wednesday 21 August 201 THE shifting quicksands of the Rangers saga have consumed a variety of personalities. Charles Green, the bluff Yorkshireman from central casting, joined the ranks yet again of those who have been banished from the drama on the south side but a more significant character now has a leading role in what will happen at Ibrox. The name of Paul Murray was absent from a Rangers statement in the wake of the dismissal of Green as a consultant but it does not require the combined skills of Interpol to deduce that he forms a block to any immediate resolution to the boardroom problems. To summarise the plot so far, if somewhat crudely: there is a move from outside the boardroom to remove Brian Stockbridge, Craig Mather and Bryan Smart and replace them with Frank Blin and Murray. A club statement last night read: "This board has been working tirelessly to find an intelligent solution to the request for a general meeting and all of the directors are open to sensible and reasonable additions. For instance, the board are not against Frank Blin becoming a director but do have reservations about other proposals.'' When it comes to Murray, some on the board have more reservations than the Apaches. There was a feeling of relief that Green had gone, a belief among his opponents that a metaphorical stake had finally been placed through the heart of the significant shareholder, but there was also an anxiety about his almost diabolical powers of recovery. The most pressing difficulty for Rangers, however, centres on Murray. The opposition group could make a compromise by suggesting Blin, former executive chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers Scotland, is joined on the board by A.N Other. Jim McColl, part of the outside group, would not consider such a role but the more intriguing aspect is the willingness or otherwise of Murray to relinquish his attempt to join a board that needs stability. The indications last night were surprising concrete given the fluidity of events at Ibrox. First, it seems there exists a strong aversion to bringing in Murray from among existing board members. Second, there was no sign of Murray issuing any sort of statement saying he would fall on his sword to facilitate peace, at least for the present. The objections are believed to be both personal and on matters of business. The accountant was part of the board before Craig Whyte bought the club and is seen by some as part of the problem rather than part of the solution. One City source said: "Murray had his chance to influence matters when he was on the board and then had his chance with the Blue Knights. There is no mood among some on the board to bring him back into the fold.'' The private concerns are shrouded in claim and counter claim. The Rangers story has been extraordinarily messy with dirt thrown in all directions. Information has leaked steadily. Murray, rightly or wrongly, has been suspected as one of those who have used media outlets to his advantage. If true, he would stand in a crowded dock as the briefings have come from almost every source, every faction. However, the fog of war has cleared just a little over Ibrox. Green has been sacked, disposed of by an increasingly frustrated and determined Mather. There is now an opportunity for compromise and even, heaven forfend, resolution of the boardroom struggle. This could come in a variety of forms. Two options are most likely. The first is Murray stands down and the McColl group is allowed to bring in Blin and an unspecified ally. The second is that Murray, backed by McColl, stands his ground and maintains his attempt to come on to the board. This eventuality would be fast-tracked by the approval of a vote at the extraordinary general meeting. The crux of the matter is this: if the McColl group is sure of the support of a group of shareholders, it will feel it has no need to sacrifice the candidature of Murray. McColl and his cohorts will flex their muscle and the Blue Room will undergo yet another change of cast. Mather, it must be presumed, would not wait to be pushed and Stockbridge and Smart would face a limited future. There are a couple of possible twists, of course. This is a Rangers story, after all. The first is Murray could step aside temporarily, peace could break out and he could then be brought on board at a later stage. The second is that the present board finds enough support to win any vote. There is also the possibility of hearing the less than dulcet tones of Green joining the increasingly raucous debate. He may be gone but no one will be surprised at another scene-stealing interruption from the former chief executive. However, the narrative is now about Murray. Will he walk away or will he pursue his ambition to be on the board? History suggests it be latter option. The arithmetic will decide whether the erstwhile Blue Knight finally lands his prize. http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/analysis-is-blue-knight-paul-murray-fighting-a-losing-battle.1377061992

THE following quotes were published on the official Rangers website on January 31, 2011. “First, I would like to address specifically the latest attempt to undermine Rangers in today’s Daily Record which devotes five pages to trashing our efforts to get this club back on a sensible financial footing. “In the most lurid terms, the Record accuses the club’s management and, specifically me, of using supporters’ money to help fund the buy-out of Rangers. Not true. “The club is accused of not paying £5million in VAT. Not true. “The Daily Record’s approach to this story sought to distort and dramatise the matter. I for one will not be reading or buying the Daily Record again and I’m sure many other Rangers fans will share my disgust at yet another smear on this football club. “These are challenging financial times for Rangers – as they are for many other businesses. What I can say to you as a Rangers fan is that everything I will do as chairman will be in the interests of the club and I thank you for your continued support.” For the avoidance of doubt, these quotes were attributed to Craig Whyte. On the day the Daily Record revealed the truth about his ruinous financial chicanery. Two weeks before he plunged the club into administration. And a full six months after he had banned yours truly for revealing what he was up to with the club’s season tickets in the first place. A story which he aggressively dismissed as a pack of lies to the delight of many of the club’s supporters. Much could have been done to save Rangers from Whyte, in those intervening months, if only the Daily Record had been listened to. Which is why there was something chillingly familiar about the latest populist propaganda to have been churned out by the club’s politburo at the weekend. It read thus: “Nor can we react to every journalist and publication who appear to pursue an anti-Rangers agenda, publications such as the Daily Record which today boasts yet another headline which does not accurately reflect what manager Ally McCoist said in his press conference yesterday. “This paper’s intent is clear and we urge our fans to see it for what it is. If Rangers fans want the truth they will find it only on the club’s official platforms.” These will be the same platforms which trumpeted all of Whyte’s many denials – including the very website which, as recently as a couple of weeks ago, removed quotes from the club’s own manager after McCoist had harpooned Charles Green in a press conference at Forfar. And now they wish the world to know that the Daily Record has adopted some form of anti-Rangers agenda? How absurd. How infantile. How very sinister. Let’s deal in the facts here, just for the avoidance of doubt. This newspaper is a staunch supporter of Scottish football. Commercially, the more the game thrives in this country, the better it is for our business. And while doubtless there are skewed and malevolent people out there who long for the day Rangers self-destruct for good, these extremist views are not shared across this office floor. On the contrary, the Record knows that, in order for Scottish football to be returned to a fit state, Rangers will first have to be fixed or, to use another of McCoist’s own words, “cleansed” from the inside out. The sooner this happens the better for all of us who love our national sport. With that in mind, this newspaper has done more than any other in an attempt to shine a light on some of the murkier operations which have been carried out behind closed doors ever since Whyte’s pointy shoes first crossed the threshold. I take great pride in the work this paper undertook to prove Whyte was a liar and cheat. It was a six-month slog throughout which Whyte consistently cuddled up to our rivals and fed them scraps from his table. Such subservience is an affront to journalism. But it is the easy option and one favoured by the Scottish Sun in particular. That publication has repeatedly handed over its pages to people such as Whyte, Green, Imran Ahmad and most recently Brian Stockbridge, the financial director whose own questionable conduct regarding videoing Malcolm Murray and then releasing it has also been revealed in the Record. Not one of the above has a good word to say about this paper and for good reason. We nailed Whyte, chased Green and Ahmad relentlessly in pursuit of the truth and exposed Stockbridge. When this column suggested earlier this year that huge chunks of the club’s money was disappearing into other accounts, scattered to the four corners of the globe, it was accused of trouble making. Last week, of course, Stockbridge spoke exclusively to the Sun to admit the £22m of IPO cash raised at the turn of the year has now gone – but to insist with his very next breath there is absolutely no need to be panicked by this mind-boggling cash burn. Of course, there isn’t. And yet, only days earlier, Stockbridge claimed at a supporters’ meeting not to know how much of that money was left. If he really did not know such enormous amounts of cash had been spent then he ought to be fired for gross negligence. Instead, tomorrow, Stockbridge will pull up a seat at a board meeting to discuss whether or not Green should continue in his role as club “consultant”. Chief executive Craig Mather has called this gathering and he had better hope Stockbridge and directors James Easdale, Ian Hart and Bryan Smart choose to do the right thing – because if they do not agree to axe Green then Mather’s own credibility will be shot to pieces and his position untenable. There is, of course, another critical issue to be discussed and that is a shareholders’ requisition for the removal of Stockbridge, Mather and Smart and the appointment of Paul Murray and Frank Blin as directors. If these changes are not approved by Friday, an egm will be triggered and a bloodbath most probably will ensue. This can still be avoided by compromise and clear thinking. But only if Green is first removed from the internal affairs of a club which continues to self-harm so spectacularly. Saturday’s official statement was another indication of just how confused this outfit has become. And it came 24 hours or so after McCoist and his squad checked into five-star luxury at Turnberry to prepare for a League One trip to Stranraer – an extravagance which was not lost on the club’s anxious staff, many of whom have been living in fear of redundancies and restructuring. It went on to point out in its very last line: “Finally, Jack Irvine of Media House does not speak for this club.” This appears to be in response to weekend quotes from the PR mogul, who is representing James and Sandy Easdale. Up until very recently Irvine’s Media House enjoyed a highly-lucrative contract with Rangers. Over the past two years it acted also to protect the reputations and interests of Whyte, Duff and Phelps, Green, Ahmad and Stockbridge. Earlier this month Irvine selected a group of hand-picked “friendly” journalists to interview Green at the Easdales’ bus depot. Green used those platforms to demand £14m from Jim McColl, while admitting to being devious and an embarrassment. For the avoidance of doubt, the Daily Record was not invited. Nor did it have any wish to be.

I know this is probably the 6 million dollar question, but I confess to be constantly left behind when it comes to knowledge of the more low level corporate wheeling and dealing of shares (and I'm sure I'm not alone). Can anyone give an overview at a high level of roughly how the split in shares stands at the moment, and what the likelihood is of it falling on the side of McColl at final count e.g. Current - Approx - 29% McColl, 36% Green, 35% unknown, but xxx looks like getting most of the unknowns? (purely fictional figures as an example). I'm finding that I'm pretty much in the dark who is buying shares, and for whom, and what the current 'known' split is. Am I being optimistic asking this? Are we all as much in the dark as each other as to the state of play?

Laxey Partners now hold a 6.53% stake in Rangers, confirmed by London Stock Exchange. http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail.html?announcementId=11682127

SO MANY voices in this Rangers saga and so many mixed messages, so much contradiction to pile on top of the poison that has reigned in the place for far too long. Dire warnings from Dave King that the club is living beyond its means and is heading inexorably for the rocks again and, on the flip side, Ally McCoist looking to sign a reserve goalkeeper (is there nobody there already who can warm the bench for the season?) as well as two others. The club appears to be bleeding money. They have burned their way through their share-offering revenue – supposedly £20 million-plus – and have £10m left in the bank and overheads that are eye-watering. And yet the manager is carrying on – being allowed to carry on – spending where there is no need. No need whatsoever. Three more players might increase Rangers’ winning margin in League One. Big deal. They might give them an extended run in a cup, but is it worth it? More mouths to feed, more money going out, more pressure on a club’s finances that concerned Rangers fans are bending over backwards to have a look because they fear the worst. Is there nobody at Ibrox prepared to cry “Stop! We need to cut costs not add to them”? Apparently not. Contradiction upon contradiction. Yesterday, more of it. Sandy Easdale sent a message out there via his PR man, Jack Irvine, who came blinking into the light having spent so many years operating in the shadows. Laughably, Irvine attempted to portray his client as a man who would sooner jump in the path of one of his buses than do anything to damage his beloved Rangers. What is required desperately at Rangers – before it is too late – is transparency. The bonnet needs to be lifted on the club’s fiscal reality and the suspicion is that it had better happen quickly. For all their faults, the trio of Jim McColl, Paul Murray and Frank Blin want to do this in rapid order. That’s their modus operandi. Easdale doesn’t want it to happen. He has called the prospect of an EGM and a possible over-throwing of the board an “appalling waste of money”. He has, through his PR man, said McColl and company are wasting their time and that they will end up looking embarrassed. That is to say that seemingly an overwhelming body of the Rangers support are also wasting their time in their pleas for proper financial transparency. Easdale, it would appear, thinks everybody in the Rangers fanbase should pipe down with their complaints. He – or his man – calls the whole thing “boardroom nonsense” Boardroom nonsense? Quite a description, that. Just a little bit of an understatement, wouldn’t you agree? Tuesday is when the Rangers board meet to discuss Charles Green’s role as consultant. By rights, Green will be stripped of his position, if only for his capacity to cause humiliation to all those around him. That’s a long-honed skill of the Yorkshireman and his cohorts and it’s going to be difficult to stop. Green holds a lot of aces at Rangers. He’s going to take a bit of shifting. Overseeing all of this, of course, is Craig Mather, the chief executive who has to, on one hand, appease the Rangers support and, on the other, attempt to neutralise Green’s addiction to mortifying public utterances that send those at Ibrox into apoplectic fury. Mather, it has to be said, is not exactly a leader of substance. You might remember that, back in June, he borrowed a move from the Green playbook by trumpeting his desire to go after Rangers’ enemies, a carbon-copy of the tactic deployed by Green at the outset – and one that worked very well with the fans until they could see through him and his money-grab. “There will be times when you [the support] want us to tackle our enemies and it will seem like we’re somehow reluctant to do so or that we don’t care,” he said. “You might believe we don’t feel hurt to the same extent as you, but we do. Sometimes you have to wait. We’ve chosen, and we will continually choose, the right moment to strike. Please, never believe that I or any other directors don’t know the names of the people who have tried to damage this club. We know them all. We know what each one’s tried to do and I can assure you we will never, ever forget about that.” This was populist claptrap at the time and it’s populist claptrap that Mather has singularly failed to back up. Rangers’ enemies? Does he – or anybody else at the club – seriously believe that the media, the BBC in the main, are the club’s major enemy? If they do, God help them. Their analysis is desperately skewed. The main “enemies” are surely the ones who are wearing – or have recently worn – the Rangers blazer. The Greens, the Imran Ahmads, the Brian Stockbridges. Stockbridge is the financial controller at Ibrox. A few weeks ago at a fans meeting he was asked how much of the share-offering money remained in the club bank account. He didn’t know. Or didn’t want to say. A few days later he appeared in a tabloid saying that, er, nothing was left. Nothing. A financial controller? What, exactly, is he controlling when vast bonuses are given out to himself and Green for the pitiful honour of winning the Third Division. Big salaries and 
100 per cent bonuses. That’s not control, that’s the very opposite. Where is Mather’s ire at these people? It doesn’t exist because he is among them. Mather doesn’t know who the real enemies are. On Tuesday he, and the board, will have a chance to right a wrong and remove Green, a man who, it is said, is prepared to support Ahmad in his multi-million pound legal action against the club. With friends like that… Mather has said other things. He went after the SFA, for instance. Another Rangers enemy and more populism. The chief executive demanded answers from Hampden about the different punishments doled out to Hearts and Rangers in administration. He made great play of this in a statement. He wanted to know if it was one rule for Rangers and another for Hearts. He was going to press the SFA to explain themselves. All of this gave the impression of a man taking on the Rangers haters. It was bunkum. His anger and his call for transparency didn’t even amount to him taking the time to send an e-mail or write a letter to the SFA asking for clarification. A warrior in his statement and a pussycat thereafter. The SFA did, indeed, provide clarification, but not because of an official request – that’s normal procedure – but because they wanted to highlight what garbage Mather was talking in his phoney call to arms. The SFA statement was a deconstruction of Mather’s earlier position. Why had the SFA fined Rangers, Mather had demanded to know. Answer: Because Rangers asked them to. To Tuesday, then. And the hope that those seeking clarity are not once again painted as the enemy by the incumbents who want an end to mere “boardroom nonsense”. The reality, as most appreciate now, is far bigger than that. http://www.scotsman.com/news/tom-english-rangers-and-the-need-for-transparency-1-3051356?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

The coming days may yet bring a resolution to the sagas that continue to trouble Rangers. The different factions are by now fairly well established, but not everything can be taken at face value. The politicking is more intense behind the scenes. Tuesday's board meeting represents an opportunity. The Rangers directors will consider Charles Green's role as a paid consultant, and ought to also make a decision on the notice requisitioning a general meeting made by a group of disgruntled shareholders. The GM can still be avoided, if the board agrees before Friday to the resolutions, which are the removal of chief executive Craig Mather, finance director Brian Stockbridge and non-executive director Bryan Smart from the board, and the appointments of former Ibrox director Paul Murray and Frank Blin, the former executive chairman of accountants Pricewaterhousecooper. Talks were held throughout last week in attempts to broker support for various positions. Mather and Stockbridge attended meetings in London with the institutional investors that have stakes in Rangers. Most of the institutions back the requisition, including Jim McColl, the businessman and entrepreneur who is a significant figure in the attempt to bring more corporate expertise and rigour to the board. Green was also in London for a spell last midweek, although he did not meet Mather, whose attempts to reassure investors that the current board can still guide the club to financial stability were positively received. Nonetheless, the status quo looks the least likely outcome. All three major fans groups have demanded the removal of Green, who has been a disruptive figure since his return as a consultant. The only individuals still prepared to align themselves with the largest single shareholder, and former chief executive, are James and Sandy Easdale, the Rangers shareholders and owners of McGills Buses.who want the current set-up to remain. Personalities have dominated the dramas around the club, but it is finances that are more critical. Dave King, the former Rangers director, believes the club could run out of money before Christmas, while others are adamant it will be next March or April before additional funding is required. With no credit facility, and all of the £22 million raised in last year's share issue already spent, the board needs to be credible before investors will feel comfortable enough to provide further funds. Mather is acutely aware supporters want Green removed. But if he cannot garner enough support from his board on this issue, he may feel obliged to consider his own position. King and others are prepared to invest in Rangers in return for ownership stakes. Institutional investors will also be more willing to provide funds if the board is capable of running a streamlined, and transparent operation. On Tuesday decisions need to be made that best serve Rangers, and allow the club to properly rebuild its business operations. Should the GM be called, all sides will attempt to publicly and privately canvass further shareholder support. That will only further delay the alterations that are required. http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/tuesday-summit-could-lance-rangers-boardroom-boil.21903005

KIERAN PRIOR last night broke his self-imposed silence to outline his hopes and fears on the battle for the heart and soul of Rangers. In an explosive Record Sport exclusive, the London financier revealed he has twice had bids to buy out Charles Green in the last fortnight rejected by the former chief executive. He also explained he cannot yet back Jim McColl’s move to oust three existing board members at an EGM next month because the Scottish business tycoon refuses to invest in Rangers. Prior has also dismissed claims by former director Dave King the club is heading for administration by Christmas. Prior held meetings with Gers chief executive Craig Mather and finance director Brian Stockbridge in London on Monday and is convinced the club can prosper under the business plan they outlined to him. He even accused King of trying to spook shareholders into selling at the price of 30 pence a share – which Prior claims would leave supporters short-changed. He said: “My end game is the stability and growth of the club and its share price and to ultimately see a return on my investment. “I expect to hold my shareholding for between four and 10 years and have spent the last few weeks working under the radar and getting a feel for the different personalities and points of view. “I did not expect to be messed around by this debacle of good guys versus bad guys because nothing is ever that simple and there are always shades of grey.” Record Sport revealed in June that former Goldman Sachs trader Prior had come to the table as a major player behind the scenes. He has spent the last two months buying up stock and now has control of around 2.5 per cent of the club’s 65 million shares, at a cost of more than £600,000. His target was always to buy between five and 10 per cent, look under the bonnet, and see if the club was worth further investment. Prior added: “As someone who has invested I’m even more compelled to increase my stake than I was before meeting Craig and Brian Stockbridge on Monday. “I was particularly impressed by Craig, his candour and insight and I’m encouraged by the management structure going forward under his charge.” However, Prior has been thwarted recently by Green’s rejection of his offers of 34p and 34.5p per share for his five million shares, which would have netted the former chief executive around £2.3million. Prior added: “I’ve twice bid for his stock in its entirety. The money would go into an escrow account ahead of the formal release of the shares at the end of his lock-in period in December. “He told me to put my money where my mouth is and yet on each occasion I had to call him for an answer. “He then said he wouldn’t even sell to me for £50 a share. It has been like trying to negotiate with a chimpanzee for a banana. “He either wants to drag the club under or hold out for a higher price. If it’s the latter, he should negotiate better. “While Charles Green remains focused on individual battles we’ll never get anywhere with this club. He is the most disruptive influence of all. “He is so destructive and self-obsessed. He is a man without a cause, blinded by his own opinion on others. “While I’m here there will always be a buyer for his stock but I’ll take him out at a price when he begins to think rationally. “If he is short of money I’m likely to buy on more favourable terms the longer he waits and dilly-dallies.” Prior is less than impressed with the tactics of McColl, Frank Blin and Paul Murray, who have called for an EGM aimed at replacing Mather, Stockbridge and Bryan Smart as directors with Blin and Murray. Prior said: “If Mr McColl wants to get involved he should buy a significant number of shares. I don’t believe he wants to be that white knight and I’ve told him so. “Paul Murray seems to want a job on the board for a free ride. Mr McColl could have bought the entire stock in one gulp and it would have been change from his pocket. He has chosen not to and it exposes a glaring weakness in their case. “AIM rules legislate that anyone with over five per cent in a company can call an egm at any time. “In light of the interaction I’ve had with Green I’ve no doubt he would want to cause maximum disruption by calling egm after egm, therefore taking the club towards bankruptcy, until he is bought out. “I don’t understand why they can’t see that and it’s why I did not sign their letter of requisition for an egm.” Prior, a Manchester United fan who has had a soft spot for Rangers since he was a kid growing up in Salford, is adamant the club will not go to the wall again. That has been predicted by former director King but Prior took a swipe at the Johannesburg-based businessman as he revealed the comfort he has taken from his meeting with Mather. He added: “Craig impressed me. I don’t believe administration is on the horizon. “King’s comments might have something to do with his standing bid for the club at 30 pence a share. He could be trying to panic investors out. “People can call me cheeky for bidding 34 pence a share but it is not as cheeky as King. If he buys over 30 per cent he is obliged to make an offer for the rest of the shares – and it won’t be at the levels the fans bought in at.” Prior insists he would have no qualms about becoming the major shareholder at the club but his motivation is less about ego than solid corporate governance and accountability to supporters. He added: “I’m not looking to take over the club, although I would be comfortable as major shareholder. It’s about creating a stable, prosperous Rangers. “People should not be given free rides or play political games with shares they have been gifted. “At the moment, I don’t know how I will vote at the egm. I’m not being drawn into one camp or the other but I will vote for what brings greatest stability. “I’m trying to work to provide a third way where everyone wins, especially the fans, because no one wants a disgruntled club.”

Am I right that Mather said this would happen? Both in London at the moment.

Published on Saturday 3 December 2011 00:00 FORMER Rangers director Paul Murray has claimed that reservations expressed six months ago about Craig Whyteâ??s takeover of the Ibrox club have now come to pass. At the end of a week when Rangers produced a set of unaudited accounts and Whyte disclosed that he was disqualified from acting as a director for seven years, prompting the SFA to ask the club for clarification over the matter, Murray has raised concerns over the direction of the club. Murrayâ??s views were last night rejected as â??irrelevantâ? by Rangers. But he spoke out after growing increasingly frustrated about talk of the club going into administration. Whyte has admitted that if Rangers lose a tax tribunal to HMRC and face a bill of up to £50m, administration is a possibility. â??I am puzzled that administration is even being discussed, as there is absolutely no need for it,â? Murray told The Scotsman. â??The HMRC tax tribunal will not deliver a decision until well into next year so at the moment there is no tax liability to pay. â??If Craig Whyte has delivered on the commitments he made in his takeover circular â?? he explicitly promised to invest new money in Rangers, and we have no reason to assume that he has not fulfilled his promises â?? then there should be no cash issues at the moment. â??He has now produced a set of unaudited accounts. Why? What is [accountants] Grant Thorntonâ??s view of Rangers as a going concern? Even last year when we had all the problems with the bank, we had the accounts signed off. In my 25 years in business I have never seen a company like this not have accounts signed off.â? Murray was a member of the independent sub-committee of the Rangers board of directors set up to assess offers. In April, the sub-committee announced it had â??major concernsâ? over Whyteâ??s proposal, and released a statement which expressed disappointment that documents they had reviewed â??ultimately did not reflect the investment in the club that we were led to believe for the last few months would be a commitment in the purchase agreementâ?. An alternative £25m investment proposal was then put forward by a consortium led by non-executive director Murray. But the counter proposal failed, and Murray was removed from the board shortly after Whyte completed his takeover in May. â??Everything we said has come home to roost,â? said Murray last night. â??I donâ??t take any pleasure from that, because my overall view is one of sadness. Talking about administration, being pursued by suppliers, and the possibility of a fit and proper investigation at the SFA â?¦ itâ??s humiliating and embarrassing. â??As a board we spent a lot of time with Craig Whyte ensuring that he knew what the cash flows were. There seemed to be an unwillingness to go into any level of detail of what the cash flow was. I could not believe that he took on an unquantified tax liability. I have never seen anyone do that. Itâ??s like buying a house, finding out it has subsidence, then buying it anyway. â??Mr Whyte indicated during the takeover that he was prepared to meet any tax liability arising from the current case up to a significant level. I am interested to know â?? and all Rangers supporters deserve to know â?? what has changed with the clubâ??s finances since May to bring about the cash pressures we now seem to face, and whether players might have to be sold to make up the shortfall.â? Murray added: â??It is also important to acknowledge and defend the track record of the previous board. â??Craig Whyte has criticised the past regime but in the two years since Sir David Murray stepped down as chairman, we reduced the clubâ??s debts from well over £30m to well under £20m, and the football club won four out of six domestic trophies. â??In addition, the bulk of the current playing squad, one of the strongest in recent times, was assembled at significant cost. â??That is not a bad record, by any measure, and I am pleased to see Ally McCoistâ??s team doing so well in the SPL today. â??I have no personal issue with Craig Whyte, and nor do my former colleagues who stepped down following the takeover and more recently. We just want to see the clubâ??s best interests being served and for Rangers to remain competitive here in Scotland and in Europe. â??We await news of when Rangers will hold their agm, when the shareholders and supporters of Rangers will have the first chance to put questions directly to Craig Whyte. They deserve answers.â? A spokesman for Rangers said: â??What Paul Murray has to say about Rangers is irrelevant and of no consequence, and most Rangers fans will be aware that he was a director when much of the mismanagement that got the club into its current position occurred.â? http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spl/ex_rangers_director_says_board_s_takeover_fears_are_playing_out_1_1990579

LEICESTER have told Rangers they will make a £7.5million January bid for Nikica Jelavic. Ibrox owner Craig Whyte rejected a £6.5m bid from the Foxes for Jelavic in August. The big spending Championship side remain interested in the Croat who has netted 11 goals this season for Ally McCoist's side. Last month's sacking of Sven-Goran Eriksson won't stop Leicester's wealthy Thai owners stepping up their chase for Jelavic as a gift for new boss Nigel Pearson. With Gers' finances remaining precarious and a potentially crippling £49m tax bill looming it's highly unlikely Gers chief Whyte could afford to snub such an improved offer for Jelavic. The 26-year-old hitman cost £4m from Rapid Vienna in 2010 and has since delivered 30 goals from 40 starts. That's despite Jelavic missing almost four months of last season through injury. Boss McCoist desperately hopes all bids for his main frontman can be rebuffed and has been in constant dialogue with Whyte over their transfer window plans. He remains worried, however, an offer will come in that can't be refused. SunSport also understands Sheffield United are still keen to lands Gers' fringe men John Fleck and Kyle Hutton on loan deals. Blades boss Danny Wilson was left gutted back in August after a move for the duo fell through, but he will try again for the youngsters. Fleck was a sub in Saturday's 0-0 draw against St Johnstone while midfielder Hutton has impressed on loan at Partick Thistle since September. Meanwhile, Gers have joined a host of Premiership clubs in tracking Dulwich Hamlet centre-half Michael Chambers, 17. The 6ft 2ins prospect is also being watched by Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3950827/This-time-Gers-cant-say-no-to-Foxes.html#ixzz1eQLgxSI3

MINUTE OF MEETING WITH MR CRAIG WHYTE AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF THE RANGERS SUPPORTERS TRUST. IBROX STADIUM. WEDNESDAY 19TH OCTOBER 2011. SEDERUNT - Craig Whyte, Rangers FC Chairman; Jim Hannah, Rangers FC Liaison Officer. RST - Gordon Dinnie, Acting Chairman, Alison MacLeod, Treasurer; Simon Leslie, Board Member. Mark Dingwall, Board member. FAN REPRESENTATION - As fans are the major investors in RFC the Trust favours looking at mechanisms to give them a real say in the affairs of the club. Chairman is very open to such moves but stressed the club finances are very much subject to the result of the tax case. GERSAVE AND RANGERS CREDIT UNION - Gersave remains a vehicle for investing in the club - subject to the tax case result. The RST intimated that we have been discussing the formation of a Rangers Credit Union and would supply the club with finer details in due course to maximise the benefit to the support as a whole. The chairman was interested in these schemes and would be open to further discussions to the benefit of the support. BLUE ORDER AND UNION BEARS - The Chairman described himself as â??a big supporterâ? of both groups, described them as great for atmosphere and is keen to see their area expanded and to work to improve the atmosphere in all areas of the ground. He takes a personal interest in the groups and has directed staff to work with the groups to resolve any outstanding issues, subject to Health and Safety regulations. ADMINISTRATION OF THE CLUB - The Chairman is 100% committed to protecting the rights of small shareholders in the event of the club going into administration. He does not consider that insolvency is inevitable, but in any case it will be manageable. He stated â??as a Rangers fan it would be as uncomfortable and unpleasantâ? for him as for everyone else but he was confident we would see it through. There is no doubt the club would continue. INWARD INVESTMENT - The Chairman reiterated that he will underwrite the investment of £20m by 2016 - however, he is open to other investment from other major investors and the fans. RESIGNATIONS OF DIRECTORS - The Chairman stated he considered he got on well with both John Greig and John McClelland and he first heard of their resignations when they were reported in the media. He felt that he had not excluded them from decision-making. BBC PROGRAMME - The Chairman considered that allegations put to him so far by the BBC were unfounded and unfair. He is not aware of all of the content of the programme but after viewing he will respond accordingly. He views the BBC Investigates propgramme as part of a pattern of behaviour on behalf of the BBC towards Rangers FC and Rangers fans. Heâ??s astonished that the BBC would produce a programme largely based on internet chitchat and bloggers. MEDIA HANDLING - The Chairman spends more time than he would like defending the clubâ??s reputation but regards it as a very necessary part of his role as it has such a negative effect on the club. He engages with PR advisors, Mediahouse, regularly. Heâ??s very ready to defend both the club and fans from scurrilous attacks. FINANCE - The Chairman regards it as necessary to pursue a twin-track approach in the current climate with both cost cutting and income generation being the keys to financial health. He used the example of Manchester United operations base in London where they engage with major corporations to exploit commercial value. He is actively seeking to establish an office for Rangers in the city of London - he regards the club as a big one and thinks itâ??s time we started acting in a manner befitting one. He also believes Rangers has vast untapped potential. FREEZING OF CASH DUE TO LEGAL PROCEEDINGS - The Chairman conceded this makes life difficult with regard to cash-flow but it will not affect the clubâ??s ability to, for instance, make signings in the January window. THE TAX CASE - The Chairman expects the case to come to a head before Christmas but any outcome would still be subject to appeal. CLUB ACCOUNTS AND CLUB AGM - Chairman reports both on target. CULTURAL ISSUES - The Chairman regards engaging with the fans a priority. In the past many opportunities lost or misfired because of the clubâ??s internal culture being unwelcoming to fans initiatives on both cultural issues and improving the atmosphere inside the ground. He is taking a personal interest in these areas. He stated he would be delighted to consider ideas from fans. LEARNING FROM OTHER CLUBS - The Chairman hopes to visit Hamburg and see for himself how a large fan-owned club like HSV operates. He also believe that the membership system of Portuguese clubs could be worth exploring and which parts of them might be applicable to Scotland. The meeting closed with the Chairman emphasising his commitment to continuing dialogue with fans organsations.

After refusing to go onto this site , in a moment of weakness I ventured onto it , now either we are all totally ignorant arseholes or else they are financial geniuses who seem to know every single thing about our finances m for example seemingly yesterday we were hours away from an insolvency hearing/ papers being served on us . The depth of research/debate on that site is actually quite unnatural , has any of our financial tyopes had a look and what is their impartial opinion

On the face of it, there isn't a lot to be worried about as Rangers fans. After all, a cursory look at the SPL table shows us sitting proudly at the top less than six months after winning the title for the 3rd season in a row. Poor European performances aside, surely the Rangers support should have smiles as wide as the Clyde? Unfortunately the answer is no. While most fans will be enjoying what is happening on the park; off the field we're less confident. Oft-discussed tax 'queries', boardroom reshuffles, legal challenges and confusion over proposed government laws means it isn't easy to find a Rangers supporter who is genuinely certain of the club's competitive future. Indeed, even when Craig Whyte did finally take over the club there wasn't a great deal of real excitement despite the investment promises he made shortly after. Rightly or wrongly, cynicism was more prevalent - perhaps a remnant of failed promises from the previous regime? Moreover, a lack of demonstrable positive business experiences (and finance) from the new owner, coupled with the old and new tax investigations meant that rather than welcoming Whyte with open arms, many fans were guarded to say the least. To that end, the relationship between the owner and the support hasn't really improved. Although we've seen Gordon Smith appointed as 'Director of Football' the other names apparently involved are less well known to fans. Ali Russell, Phil Betts and Gary Withey may all stand up to scrutiny if you examine their business CVs but are they Rangers men in the same way people like John Greig, John McLelland and Alistair Johnston could show? Also, why haven't their directorships been announced to PLUS? Of course, just because someone isn't a Rangers fan per se doesn't mean they won't do a good job in their roles. In fact, it could be argued that having more 'neutral' minds in charge will mean more suitable business strategies. After all, if a self-professed Rangers man like Sir David Murray can run us to the brink of bankruptcy via a string of dubious tax schemes (aided and abetted by those named above) then that perhaps points to the wrong model. Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing just where we stand with Whyte. Despite a low key meeting with the Assembly (and another one with the Trust tomorrow) his intentions are no more obvious than they were before he took over. Clearly, as touched on earlier, our European failures this season means finances will be even tighter than usual, so it is worrying that no updated plan of action has been discussed. We can only hope the Trust can ask the questions that matter. Can we really expect any positive outcome though? Without wishing to be gratuitously negative, the short-term outlook is bleak. In previous seasons without essential European income, we've lost up to £10million unless we sell key players. Given none were sold in the last window, can we really afford to turn down offers come January? How will such potential sales affect our title challenge? Add in £4million of outstanding tax claims; ring-fenced director dismissal costs and what must be large lawyer fees (which we also struggle to pay); then this is indicative of palpable pecuniary issues. If we take that line of reasoning to its natural conclusion, does this mean administration is more likely than ever before - irrespective of the larger HMRC tribunal due to be ruled on next month? If so, what are the ramifications of such a decision? Would a pre-pack agreement and ten point deduction be enough to start again afresh? How would the history and reputation of our existing club be affected? How would MIH and SDM's contribution be examined? Some of the answers may come on Thursday night via what is likely to be a less than positive BBC expose by Mark Daley of Panorama fame. Suffice to say, these answers won't be the ones we want to hear and quite frankly, the fact our club is now under investigation on three fronts (legal, media and tax) isn't just embarrassing but a scandal which should concern every Rangers supporter. Now, some will say our current predicament isn't one of Whyte's making. That's true and it's unfair to suggest the guy is to blame for existing HMRC problems. However, it has been several months now since he bought the club and he has yet to really show us how he intends to run it. With next to no board of directors and minimal investment, how can he possibly do so effectively? To conclude, as Halloween approaches, we certainly do have people knocking on the door of our proud club. They're dressed as tax men, lawyers, and journalists - and all are frightening me to varying degrees. However, the scariest aspect for me is that we've still to see the person who is answering the door to these people. Who is Craig Whyte and what costume is he wearing - the sheep or the wolf? It is beyond time for him to show his hand - no more sweeties and no more small change. What is the future of Rangers Football Club?

Rangers director of football Gordon Smith can't agree with players who would choose the npower Championship over the opportunity to play in the Champions League. Crystal Palace midfielder Neil Danns agreed a move to Leicester despite interest from the Scottish champions, while another target, Craig Conway, opted for Cardiff. Reports suggest Conway's former Dundee United team-mate David Goodwillie could also make the move to the Bluebirds, with Rangers yet to make a formal bid for the Tannadice striker. However, former agent Smith insists players who choose finances over football are no great loss to Rangers. He said: "I believe it shouldn't always be about money. My own opinion is that players should be making decisions which are football decisions, rather than financial. "I tried to do that myself when I was an agent, I tried to say to the player to make the right football decision. "If I was a player coming through, would I go to a club playing in the Champions League or go to a club that's playing in the Championship? I know where I would want to go. "It's a shame because you lose players who don't quite see it that way. But we move on. "If a player decides not to come to us, we have to take the attitude that maybe it's not such a bad thing. "He's maybe not got the right attitude that we want because what we really want is people who see us as the place to come to." Smith added: "It is a different world these days. "We have budgets here, we have a certain amount of income and we have to be sensible spending the money. I think the fans realise that nowadays. "I'm very aware of salary levels at Premiership level, but the Championship level salaries have also rocketed. "There are clubs coming down from the Premiership into the Championship and they are keeping the wage scales going. "Clubs are getting new owners and deciding to compete to try to get into the Premiership because they know there is big money. So that's the market." New Rangers boss Ally McCoist has yet to make his first signing but Smith urged fans to be patient. He said: "I would tell them not to be frustrated. It is early on. "I've got a lot of experience of the transfer business and it's usually midnight on August 31 when a lot of the deals get done. "We're trying to do it in June now and we're trying to get up and running because there are games coming up. "We have a good set of players just now, it's not as though we are short of a team. But we are looking to strengthen the squad and that's what we are working on just now. "I would say to the fans not to be too worried or frustrated. We are working on it, we've got targets and ultimately we will be bringing players in." He added: "The squad definitely does need to be strengthened. Not in terms of right away because we've got a good team. "But we are going to try to strengthen the squad in terms of bringing in quality. Ally and I agree that we need competition for places. The other aspect is injuries and suspensions. "It's important that we get some players in. We are probably looking at at least three or four players to come in."

League agrees to new Uefa financial regulations Page last updated at 09:03 GMT, Friday, 10 June 2011 10:03 UK E-mail this to a friend Printable version Swansea beat Reading in the Championship play-off final in May The Football League says its clubs have agreed in principle to adopt Uefa's financial fair play system. Uefa has introduced the rules to try to make sure that clubs balance their books and break even. The 72 league clubs, faced with increased levels of debt, agreed "in principle" to the regulations at their annual meeting. "This is a very important step forward for professional football," said Football League chairman Greg Clarke. "It will help our clubs exert greater control over their finances. "Much more work needs to be done, but I am hugely encouraged and impressed by the energy and focus of our clubs on this issue. PAUL FLETCHER ANALYSISContinue reading the main story Perhaps the impact of the recession combined with reduced television revenue from 2012 means clubs are more receptive to taking a long, hard look at their bottom line Read Paul's blog "They have been the catalyst for change and have shown a real desire to self-regulate in this area. I congratulate them on taking this bold step." The Football League clubs voted in favour of the new measures at the meeting in Cyprus following a presentation by Andrea Traverso, Uefa's head of club licensing and financial fair play. Debt in Football League clubs now totals approximately �£700million, Clarke told BBC Sport's Paul Fletcher earlier this week, "and more than 80% of this is in the Championship". The Championship clubs agreed to work towards the new regulations being "developed and approved by the beginning of the 2012/13 season". League One clubs have also agree to introduce the Salary Cost Management Protocol (SCMP) from next season, where teams will only be allowed to spend a fixed proportion of their total turnover on player wages. The SCMP already operates in League Two at the 60% threshold, which will be reduced to 55% from the summer. FA chairman David Bernstein described the Football League's announcement as "very encouraging". He said: "I welcome the Football League's new cost control measures. The FA supports these regulations and they are a welcome step in the right direction. "While giving evidence at the Select Committee in March, (FA general secretary) Alex Horne and I called for such measures. "I would like to congratulate Greg Clarke and all at the Football League for their continued progress in this area."

I have it on very good authority from a friend of a friend who is close enough to have dinner with Ellis and Whyte that they are currently i.e. as I type this, in talks to finalise the takeover. I should know more tomorrow. Personaly I remain sceptical that any deal could be closed this side of the tax issue being resolved and that the outcome of that small matter might so radically alter the Club's finances as to render it impossible, but you never know.

ALLY McCOIST has already identified players he wants to bring to Rangers when he takes over from Walter Smith. And the manager-in-waiting is keen to land stars who can provide more quality and entertainment. Gers have enjoyed great times during Smith's second stint in charge but he has sometimes been criticised for being over-cautious. McCoist hopes to marry success with flowing football but knows pulling that off is far from easy. His great friend Tommy Burns had Celtic playing slick football in the 1990s yet won just one trophy in three years. That cost him his job. And McCoist knows the same fate awaits him if he fails to deliver titles. However, he believes he can find some players who will thrill the fans and provide value for money. McCoist said: "I've started to look ahead in terms of signing targets. We definitely need to bring players in. "My philosophy will be quite simple. You have to win. We need to win games or I won't be sitting here talking to you in the future. "In an ideal world you win with style. You will have players out there the fans want to see. "You will get people coming to watch this team who are genuinely excited about the players they are coming to watch. They will be here to see entertaining football but, most importantly, winning football. "This club has had wonderfully talented players throughout history. But it's probably had more winners than fantastically talented players. "That's not a criticism. Anything but. It's actually a compliment. "This club's history is riddled with winners - boys who wanted to do well and win trophies. "Ideally we want the fans to know they're going to be entertained AND win games of football. Our supporters know the score. They are intelligent people and know all about the situation at the club. "All I would ask for is continued support. There have been times when things have upset the punters and that will happen again because you can't please all the fans all the time. But I think we will get their support." Rangers' wage budget will be slashed by more than �£1million in the summer but McCoist feels he can be inventive and adventurous in the transfer market. He stressed: "In an ideal world the club will be bought over and investment will come in. At the moment we can't say with any certainty if that will be the case. "We need to plan for next season. I know the budget and don't see that changing dramatically unless someone buys the club. "It's up to ourselves to identify players and bring them in. "People will be leaving at the end of the season so we need new faces. "Only time will tell how good the hand I've been dealt is going to be. Sometimes you might be dealt a bad hand but can still play it well. "However, it won't be easy. We'll need to cut money off the wage bill. "That's not good news but we know the score. It's not like it will be thrust upon us with no warning. "It's up to us to plan for that. I need to persuade players to come here. "If I can't sell this club to a player I won't be able to sell anything. We have a wonderful fan base, a great stadium and a fantastic training ground. "We might not be able to offer the same finances as elsewhere but we need to sell the club to targets." McCoist will have to appoint a new captain in the summer when Davie Weir ends his playing career. He is likely to want a real Rangers man in that important role and Lee McCulloch could take the armband. The midfielder recently signed a new contract and has the backing of current skipper Weir. McCoist said: "Arguably, one of your most important decisions is the appointment of the captain. "We've had top guys like John Greig, Terry Butcher and Jock Shaw. All great skippers and great men. "It's vitally important we have a great captain again." Buying someone like Butcher would set you back more than �£20m these days - a sum McCoist is unlikely to spend over his entire tenure, never mind on just one player. However, he could be handed a bit more cash to splash if a new owner seizes power at Ibrox. McCoist said: "The ideal scenario is new owners come in and fancy me staying in charge. "However, it's natural a new regime might not want me in charge. "But I hope any new owners will be happy with the plan we have in place and give us a few quid to spend. "If they don't want me as manager then I'll be on the terracing with the fans supporting the team. Rangers Football Club is the most important thing. This club deserves the best." McCoist will be assisted by Kenny McDowall when he takes charge with Ian Durrant as first-team coach. But the 48-year-old hasn't ruled out adding to his backroom staff. Celtic boss Neil Lennon has three helpers at Parkhead - Johan Mjallby, Alan Thompson and Garry Parker. And Gers gaffer Smith can also call on McCoist, McDowall and Durrant for advice as he bids to end his reign with even more success. McCoist said: "We will probably look at adding someone but I would have to say I couldn't be happier taking over with the staff I have. "I will have good men by my side and I'm thankful for that. "I have known Kenny for a lot longer than you would think. "Ian and I go back a long way and it's the same with our goalkeeping coach Jimmy Stewart and the fitness coach Adam Owen. "Stability won't guarantee you success but it's another positive. "I trust these guys too and that is the most important thing. It's arguably THE most important thing in management - you need people who are loyal and good." Should it be needed, Smith will also be there for guidance. The veteran boss doesn't plan to return to management when he brings the curtain down on his Rangers career this summer. He could be tempted back into football by a job overseas but McCoist knows he can always call his managerial mentor for some words of wisdom. He smiled: "Walter will be on the end of a phone. I don't have any doubt about that. "He might be on a golf course in Arizona but he has been told the phone must stay on. "I don't care if he's in a bunker or whatever and knowing his golf there is every chance!" http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2011/02/27/ally-mccoist-i-m-already-identifying-signing-targets-and-i-want-them-to-entertain-our-fans-86908-22953274/

Our current situation - It's time to face the inevitable then rebuild for the future. When you drill down to it, The Rangers support, to a man, has known at the back of its collective mind that the situation we are in is dire. Many of us will be in agreement that weââ?¬â?¢ve been urinating into the proverbial wind for 3 years yet miraculously, we have managed to avoid getting wet. Sooner or later, the stranglehold that being owned by Sir David Murray has placed us under was always going to come close to killing us. I say Sir David Murray rather than Lloyds bank specifically, as our current situation has been clouded by the usual sea of half-truths, speculation and contradictions that weââ?¬â?¢ve now come to expect from the Ayrshire millionaire. I wonââ?¬â?¢t sit here and try to claim the moral high-ground by claiming recent results against the filth havenââ?¬â?¢t had any impact on what Iââ?¬â?¢m about to write: They have, and Iââ?¬â?¢ll get to that later. However, let me start from the very beginning of this, probably the most sorry episode in the never-ending series that is ââ?¬Å?The David Murray Showââ?¬Â.. It all started in January 2009. Rampant speculation built up suggesting that our top goal scorer was subject to a bid from Alex McLeishââ?¬â?¢s Birmingham. The source was originally an article from The Scottish Sun that was brief and lacking in quotes ââ?¬â?? normally the tell-tale signs of a non-story. Unfortunately, it didnââ?¬â?¢t quite work out like that, the bid from Brum was legit ââ?¬â?? and the then-chairman was about to inform us of news that would utterly stun us. After coming off of our most commercially lucrative season ever...Iââ?¬â?¢ll write that again for extra emphasis ââ?¬â?? After coming off of our most commercially lucrative season EVER ââ?¬â?? The chairman was about to confirm that despite all of this, in no small part down to a historic European run the year before ââ?¬â?? our finances were once again down the toilet... Murray told the Guardian at the time... "If we did not take this action [selling Boyd], it could have been bad but there are far worse situations developing around us and I will not allow it to spiral again. Rangers have to be run on a sound fiscal basis." In typical Murray style, however, he was soon to contradict himself completely after the transfer window closed when he said.. "The Boyd situation is simple. We received an offer that we believed, collectively, Walter Smith, manager and Martin Bain, chief executive represented good business. "The player then went to Birmingham and refused terms. That is where it stands. But Rangers will go on whether the player goes or not. In that sense, it is immaterial whether he stays or goes." I donââ?¬â?¢t know about you, but I see two statements that glaringly contradict one another. That wasnââ?¬â?¢t the end of it, however, a leading football agent told national commercial radio station TalkSport the same month, that literally ââ?¬Ë?every Rangers player was for saleââ?¬â?¢, with the likely culprit Wullie McKay later declaring that Rangers CEO Martin Bain had instructed him to sell a raft of high earning first team stars, citing McKayââ?¬â?¢s ability to ââ?¬Å?get the job doneââ?¬Â as the reason behind him being allocated this particular mission. Murray issued a ââ?¬Ë?denialââ?¬â?¢ in The Sunday People soon after which actually confirmed McKayââ?¬â?¢s claim in a roundabout way. So we were back up the financial creek without a paddle. Despite a debt that was dwindling, a tremendous run to a European Final, solid season/match day ticket sales and several impressive fees recouped for players that we sold that culminated in what was officially the most commercially lucrative season in the history of Rangers Football Club ââ?¬â?? Our debt somehow increased and we needed to make drastic cuts It was truly one of the most shocking revelations in our recent history, and it left us wondering where our money was actually going. In the summer of the sale year, Rangers managed to cut the wage bill by well over Ã?£200,000 per week (Over Ã?£10m a year) by moving on a raft of first team squad members. To the credit of Walter Smith and the board, the club maintained most of our key players but we were left well-short of numbers in the squad, a huge potential problem that thankfully was not exploited by faltering then-Celtic manager Tony Mowbrayââ?¬â?¢s inability to field a team capable of challenging for the SPL title. To make matters worse ââ?¬â?? our solitary signing that season, Jerome Rothen, had his loan spell at the club cut-short after an ineffective first half to the season. Despite the support rationally assuming that we would be able to bring in a player or two using Rothenââ?¬â?¢s estimated Ã?£18,000 per week wage, an assumption further justified by the departure of another high-earner in Pedro Mendes to Sporting Lisbon, the Rangers support were again left scratching their heads as there were no incoming transfers to the Champions in the January window of the 2009/2010 SPL season. ââ?¬Å?Mystifiedââ?¬Â just didnââ?¬â?¢t do justice to the general feeling of the Rangers support then, or indeed now. After we won the SPL title for the second consecutive season in 2010, it appeared that following some pleading words from Walter Smith himself, those big bad bankers who had been subject to a tongue-lashing or six from him over the previous months decided to relent and kindly let Rangers buy players ââ?¬â?? with money raised from selling yet more players from our already thread-bare squad. We were all left pleased with the quality of players we brought in but once again, the number of players who moved on last summer was more than the number that came in, and with our continued reluctance to promote youth in decent numbers...or use youth in Cup competition domestically given our hectic schedule, we were again left to face a season at home and abroad with a woefully small squad. For just over two years, Rangers have been fire-fighting and, as I said above, urinating into the wind without getting wet. Nobody should be surprised that this is happening, it was only a matter of time. The reality is that on-field failure and the ââ?¬Ë?huge problemsââ?¬â?¢ I speak of are hopefully going to be the precursor to change at Ibrox. Walter Smith and Martin Bain have done an outstanding job of keeping the club together during these turbulent times ââ?¬â?? that should never be forgotten and both men, Walter in particular, should be commended for this. His contribution since coming has only furthered his status as a legend despite the split opinion of his on-field approach. Something from the previous two years that I sadly canââ?¬â?¢t spare the Rangers management team and board from, however, is the constant stream of contradictory information and statements that has come from them. One minute ââ?¬Å?everyone is for saleââ?¬Â, the next ââ?¬Å?we donââ?¬â?¢t have to sell anyoneââ?¬Â. On other occasions weââ?¬â?¢ve told the world ââ?¬Å?the bank runs the clubââ?¬Â only to play it down days later. Our current chairman, who appears to have vanished without a trace, has justified our constant flip-flopping on the issue by saying our relationship with Lloyds bank is ââ?¬Ë?a fluid situationââ?¬â?¢ i.e. our status with the bank changes all the time as per their business needs. Sadly, that statement has never quite cut it for me, and the only thing fluid about this whole thing is in the way weââ?¬â?¢ve had the piss taken out of us by those who run the club. Fiscally, theyââ?¬â?¢ve done a remarkable job with a fair-share of luck involved. Keeping Davis, Bougherra, McGregor and others when weââ?¬â?¢re so up against it financially is something to be proud of. I personally decided that Rangers would not get another penny from me after that cup game. I donââ?¬â?¢t need to state the obvious about the difficulties many of us have paying for tickets when we have families to keep in this climate, the teamââ?¬â?¢s approach in this one-off must win fixture, along with yesterday and the other league game in January really symbolised the problems we have. Our first team appear to be a spent force ââ?¬â?? lacking in interest and focus because they have zero competition for a first team place. Our manager, like him or not, just doesnââ?¬â?¢t do squad rotation or youth promotion unless his hand is forced. So we now face a situation where our first team at the moment isnââ?¬â?¢t good enough and we canââ?¬â?¢t and wonââ?¬â?¢t change it. But we still pay our money and I think despite the small decrease in numbers, the club have taken our blind loyalty a little too for granted by anyoneââ?¬â?¢s standards. Weââ?¬â?¢ve all wanted a change of approach, change of ethos and a complete shift from the short-term, ââ?¬Å?boom and bustââ?¬Â mentality that has saw us teetering on the financial brink twice in less than ten years. Sadly, due to the furthering financial problems in recent years we have regressed even from that. We do not have the talent on or off the pitch to run Rangers effectively anymore. As a support, we have been very kind to the board and management team ââ?¬â?? weââ?¬â?¢ve taken everything said to us at face value. But the time has come for proper communication with the man who truly holds all the cards, Sir David Murray. Questions about the ongoing HMRC tax investigation, links between Murrayââ?¬â?¢s companies and the aggressive attitude of Lloyds bank to Rangers over what is a perfectly manageable debt from a club who have implemented some shrewd fiscal measures in recent years have not been met with satisfactory answers. Rangers quite like it when we pay our money, sit down and shut up. We canââ?¬â?¢t do it anymore ââ?¬â?? we just canââ?¬â?¢t. Answers to many, many questions are required, and only the man who has disappeared into the night can answer them properly, he still holds all of the cards. One wonders if the warning that Sir David Murray claimed he was trying to send us by selling Boyd in January of 2009 is the real reason behind the financial handcuffs that have been placed on us, with anonymous, invisible bankers quite happy to take the blame and be the ââ?¬Ë?faceââ?¬â?¢ behind the cuts as it gives them just cause to get their money back quicker. There arenââ?¬â?¢t too many other arms of Murrayââ?¬â?¢s empire that can raise seven figure sums by selling off assets relatively quickly. Our club bemoan financial pressure from the bank on one hand yet announce excellent half-year profits on the other, they blame the bank for the restrictions yet charge us through the nose for games weââ?¬â?¢ve actively tried not to win, they demand we pay for our season ticket in advance over a short timescale at inflated prices while warning us that we canââ?¬â?¢t spend money and are open to offers for our star players despite the relative success weââ?¬â?¢ve had recently in maintaining them. On field failure is the excuse the money men need to make further cuts ââ?¬â?? and itââ?¬â?¢s the excuse many of our support will need to get off their backside and demand change at Ibrox ââ?¬â?? along with clarification on what our real problems are. Enough is enough, our expectations have been managed very well by the club ââ?¬â?? weââ?¬â?¢re quite tolerant of the hardships we face now...because weââ?¬â?¢ve so splintered and blindly loyal that we refuse to speak up en masse. So long as the season ticket cash keeps rolling in, change will be delayed that little bit longer. We need to stop propping up a system that is not sustainable in the medium to long term, a regime of noble-yet-helpless individuals fighting the tide of faceless penny-pinchers...who for all we know may include our current owner, and face being flattened by the big truck weââ?¬â?¢ve been waiting to knock us down for two years. As I have no doubt that with the unrest this could all cause, we will emerge from the wreckage a much stronger force, able to plan effectively for the future. This is and always has been about more than one title or season ââ?¬â?? itââ?¬â?¢s about getting our club back. Sorry if this is negative, but I donââ?¬â?¢t care how we get that ââ?¬â?? the sooner we face the inevitable, the better as far as Iââ?¬â?¢m concerned.

I have to say that i had very little expectation at the start of this season. League champions or not our finances still dictated that tough times lay ahead. But to their credit the team pulled together and in an incredible start won their first 9 games with a cracking 3-1 win over celtic to boot. My expectations were raised. Even under the extreme off field pressure that has been having a detrimental effect on the club the team was pulling off the impossible and even managed to play a more positive attacking game as opposed to the backs against the wall tactics that we had all grown accustomed under smiths 2nd stint. Yes we ground out a few but there were times when we actually played flowing attractive football that you didnt have to watch through the cracks in your fingers. The players worked hard for each other and played as a team, pass and move was the order of the day. We saw the likes of Hutton, cole, wylde and ness being introduced to the squad due to the lack of numbers in the first team squad and all impressed and certainly looked the part when callec to the first team. Infact they did so well i looked forward to seeing more of them for the remainder of the season. Or so i thought. Our manager has never had a great record for bringing through kids from the youth system. But given our circumstances hes had at times been forced to play them. And play they did, only to be as predicted by more than one gersnetter to be"dropped like a stone". So when i looked apon our team and pondered why we were so bad at half time on the terraces of Septic park my thoughts drifted to them. The thing is, I have been very impressed by the quality and maturity of these kids from what ive seen of them albeit very little. They never ever looked out of place wether they played 10 or 30 or 90 minutes. And i came to the conclusion that the lack of interest in these kids by our manager was the reason we were dying on our arses. how often have we questioned the severe lack of use of our subs over the season? Would it have hurt to blood them in 15 minutes at the end of a game when we were winning comfortably? No it wouldnt. and Quite often the opportunity was passed by. The end result being that the mainstays were being run into the ground till they could give no more. Thats what we got on Sunday. a team with nothing left to give because our manager failed to utilise his squad properly. Young as they are they are all we have in reserve and smith has basically turned a blind eye to them and burned his team out in the process. And could they really have done any worse than the likes of beattie and lafferty over the season?

CRAIG WHYTE'S �£33million takeover of Rangers is this morning on the brink of completion - and it does NOT hinge on the outcome of the Ibrox tax case. Sunsport can reveal that the HMRC probe into Gers' finances will not affect the plans of the multi-millionaire venture capitalist and his deal partner Andrew Ellis. Ibrox insiders remain confident they will emerge from the investigation into offshore payments to stars without a penalty to pay. This week behind-the-scenes talks have taken Gers fan Whyte close to completing the complex deal that'll end Sir David Murray's 23-year reign. Next week Gers' financial figures are expected to show that the club's debt level has fallen to below the �£25m mark. Now the Whyte deal WILL be completed before the end of the season and it will mean this: # The sale of the club will go through with Whyte aided by Ellis paying around �£33m for Murray's 92 per cent share. # Rangers will be guaranteed a total of �£25m worth of investment in the playing budget over the next five years - in effect �£5m per season before any money brought in by Euro success and other avenues. # Ally McCoist, Kenny McDowall and Ian Durrant being given the chance to take control of the first team when Smith bids an emotional farewell in May. Gers have come through some of the very darkest financial days of their history and survived after Murray appointed turn-around specialist Donald Muir and Mike McGill to the board. It's understood Muir and McGill - one of steel tycoon Murray's most trusted voices within his own empire - helped win a crucial vote to stave off a board bid to take the club's debt to �£50m. With that manoeuvre quashed, Lloyds were then persuaded to keep the club's annual player wage bill at the �£16m level and not engage in a policy of slashing it to �£10m-a-year that would have in effect have handed domestic domination to Celtic. Now it is hoped that Rangers will emerge from the mire as a club that operates within its means. The reality is Gers will still sell the club's best players to England. Lifelong Gers fan Muir, brought in by Murray to help rescue his entire empire, has been painted as the enemy within by sections of the support. Now the ship is steadied and the Whyte deal is imminent. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3421235/Whyte-on-brink-of-takeover.html#ixzz1EMAjxNWD

First of all, a Happy New Year to all Gersnet's subscribers; after a few weeks R&R; it's good to be back online and reading the varied opinions across the community! And it's with that initial greeting that we can immediately ask ourselves if indeed 2011 will be a prosperous time for our club. As ever the answer isn't easily found. Of course we started the year rather badly. After an icy December of cancelled game after cancelled game, it was no surprise to see our lack of sharpness affect our performance against Celtic. Added to the inconsistency we've seen throughout this season (despite being top) I wasn't expecting a great display on the 2nd, though I was disappointed with the familiar motivational problems rearing their head again. However, as ever, the reaction afterwards was overly negative and, as Monday's night's win over Kilmarnock showed, rumours of our demise have been greatly exaggerated. We may be four points behind our rivals but we're more than capable of winning our games in hand and retaining top spot - with or without Kenny Miller. On the subject of Scotland's most prolific striker, fans are again worried about his probable sale and, given the mixed messages coming from the club regarding Lloyds Banking Group's involvement, I certainly share in their concern. After all �£20million of European income should surely enable our manager to strengthen his squad in January in order to help facilitate the same CL revenue next season? Do we really need to sell in order to buy? A quick (and empirical) look at our finances tells us we're have around �£27million of debt after reducing this from the �£32million in 2008/2009's figures. Moreover, last year we used around �£9million of our European income to pay off any remaining transfer fees owed to other clubs. This means, instead of reducing our debt by only �£4-5million as in the 2009/2010 figures; we can hope to at least double that when we report in 2011. Therefore, with a decent Europa Cup run, we could easily find our debt almost halved by the start of next season. Now, that's great news in anyone's book but it doesn't automatically mean we'll have huge transfer 'war-chests' this month or even in the summer and beyond. The simple truth is that unless the club is bought over we'll remain reliant on MIH/LBG for ongoing finance. Thus, it is exactly because the CL income from the last two seasons has been so essential that the bank will be so reluctant to loosen the purse strings given our CL involvement is less than guaranteed (as Champions or not) next season. Their view will be that for their �£22million long term loan to be repaid in full, they will have to ensure the club remains on an even keel - without or without the European gravy. As such, while they may not be taking the �£20million from this season in one lump sum; they may 'suggest' to MIH that this money is used to reduce the long term debt in part once more while the rest is kept back for a 'rainy day' in seasons we don't qualify for the CL Group Stages. After all, without these monies we struggle to break even and unlike other clubs we don't appear to have the financial philanthropy of a mega-rich owner to guarantee our fiscal viability. I appreciate none of this is the kind of news that makes us smile. In this long, cold winter (someone please close that transfer window quick) positivity is hard to find so we may just have to content ourselves with realism. Unfortunately, that realism tells us that the days of huge transfer budgets every summer are gone. Indeed, the only huge fees we'll see nowadays is when we hope to move on our better players in order to supplement our operating expenses enough to keep the club competitive. Furthermore, even if we do manage to attract a new owner; I wouldn't expect a whole load of difference from this model. Craig Whyte (or rather certain journalists) have suggested an annual budget of �£5million each season if he takes over which, although conservative at first glance, is actually quite high (and possibly impossible) without major European dividends. We did spend around �£5million on transfers this season so is it any wonder we'll struggle to spend more as it stands? Again, I understand this is quite depressing when you juxtapose your Giovanni van Bronkhorsts with your Richard Fosters. Ten years is a long time in football and we are not just in a new climate but a new era. Monday's Ibrox Scottish Cup crowd shows just how difficult it will be to keep fans interested in a declining product with increasing prices. In a recession, the choice of �£30+ on a night out at the football or paying for your fuel to get to work for the week is a tough one. Unfortunately, these difficult choices extend to the club (and their bank) as well. All in all, I think as a support we need to examine the future carefully as we head into a new year. Sure, we want our club to be ambitious and our investment should entitle us to improved clarity from Rangers when it comes to finance going forward. But if we want to be taken seriously as partners, then we have to be realistic in what we expect. The unpalatable truth is that the 1990s have long gone and we're closer to bust than boom. To that end, prudence continues to be our buzzword so such vigilance requires patience and wisdom if we want our club to remain successful on all fronts. Like every bear, I look forward to meeting our challenges head on and urge everyone involved with the club to work with us in that regard. Here's to #54!