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I know we have a dozen or so players out on loan to other clubs, been a pretty consistent feature of the club during the on going turmoil. Currently, are we recipients of any loan players? Have we been recipients of any loan players in the last two and a bit seasons? I ask, because I don't think we have any loan signings and this must be unique in the Scottish/British game. Why we would we not bring in a few loan signings?

ALLY McCOIST was delighted with the performance of Nicky Clark against Raith Rovers but admits he's unsure if the hit-man will be available to face Inverness after having to come off with an injury. Clark was replaced by David Templeton in the seventieth minute after pulling up with what looked like an injury to his hamstring and McCoist said after the final whistle that it'll be a waiting game to see if he is fit to take on Inverness on Tuesday. The manager told rangers.co.uk: "At this moment in time we'd probably have to say that he is a doubt. He sat with an ice pack after the game and we'll need to monitor him closely. "We'll see how he is, I would be very hopeful that he'll make it, but he would have to be considered as a doubt for Tuesday. It was his hamstring, we saw him on the touchline feeling it a little bit tight." There are still tickets remaining for the match tomorrow night (KO 19:45) priced at adults £21, concession £15 and juniors £5. There will be pay at the gate in the Copland Front and tickets available at the ticket centre until kick off. With Kenny Miller already missing, McCoist will be hoping his striker makes it for Tuesday after seeing Clark's early goal as crucial for his side against Raith Rovers. He added: "Getting that first goal was important. He does that so well, he gets in front and he has a good leap on him. It was a great ball in and he directed his header right into the bottom corner. "It was a terrific cross and a terrific header. That's what we wanted to do, we wanted to put crosses into their box to put them under pressure, we did that early in the game and it was just reward with a great header." http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/7647-clark-doubtful-for-caley

RANGERS still need to secure substantial additional investment to get them through to the end of the season - despite raising over £3million last week. And further off-field unrest at the Ibrox club, where disgruntled fans are considering a mass boycott, could impact greatly on dwindling resources. That was the stark message from financial expert Neil Patey today as he assessed the situation at the troubled Glasgow institution. The SPFL Championship club announced last Friday that £3.13m worth of shares had been purchased at a share offering. But Patey, a partner with accountancy firm Ernst and Young, believes Rangers will only be left with around £1m of that to use for running costs. And he stressed that Gers directors will have to bring in fresh funding to stave off the threat of a second administration in three years. Speculation is rife that Sports Direct magnate Mike Ashley will increase his involvement - or club assets like Murray Park will be sold off. Patey said: "The club themselves stated that if 15 million shares were taken up it would take them through to the end of the current year. "What they raised was just marginally over the minimum so it will probably see them up to just past Christmas. "Of the £3million they have raised, around £500,000 of it will go on expenses leaving them with £2.5million. "If they repay the loans to Sandy Easdale and George Letham in full, they will be left with about £1million. "If they are saying that £1million will get them to the end of the year, that suggests they have succeeded in getting the monthly cash burn down to a fairly low figure. "Broadly speaking, going on the figures the club has given, they will then need to bring in at least £2million to get them through to the end of the season. "Towards the end of the season, the club are going to start selling season tickets once again and money will be coming in." Patey added: "But, again, that is dependent on the fans coming out and buying season tickets. The big thing for the club is fan support. "The club may only have sold 23,000 season tickets, but they are still taking in money from ticket sales on match days. "But if the supporters stop turning up for matches then it will make the situation worse. Fans have a big say in how things go at Rangers." Patey stressed the financial situation at Rangers would improve significantly when they rejoin Old Firm rivals Celtic in the top flight. He said: "Getting back into the Premiership does two things. In the first instance, they get more money from games. "Secondly, it helps them to attract investors if they are a Premiership club." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/financial-experts-rangers-warning-180534n.25322293

........the only way to truly hurt the board is to stay away from games. GORDON argues that if fans really want to get rid of the Rangers board then they must cut off all financial support to the club. IT'S TIME for Rangers fans to pee or get off the pot. They either want regime change or they don’t. They either realise the power they wield or they don’t. The red card displays, the eternal and infernal statements, they show willing but ultimately achieve nothing. Sticks and stones and all that. But does anyone really think the occupants of their boardroom give a toss about what anyone says about them? They can’t hear you. They’re too busy counting your money. And all you’re doing is facilitating them. That’s the problem. The power of the Rangers support lies in its size, its strength but most of all in its unity of purpose. If half of you stick and half of you twist though? You’re playing right into their hands. Giving them just enough to keep their tiptoes on the bottom of the pool and their nostrils poking above the surface. That’s what 23,000 season tickets was in the summer. It was a message, it was five figures down – but it wasn’t enough for the fans, and just enough for the board. Same with the walk-ups. The drip-feeders. Around 20,000 for Hearts, another 11,000 for Clyde, 9000 each against Dumbarton and Queen of the South. You’re handing over your cash at the turnstiles and it’s going straight into a black hole. I understand there are plenty who just want to go to the football on a Saturday, who don't care about what goes on behind the scenes. They’re probably the silent majority. But maybe they need to start listening to the loud minority. Nine months ago, before their agm, was the first time they really threatened this lot with what they called ‘disengagement’. I said then that if they truly believed that was the way to go, then they all had to have the stomach for what would effectively be the euthanising of their club. A mercy killing. That the short-term pain would be acute but they’d appreciate what they’d done in the long term. But their disunity, their lack of a core belief, has crippled their true effectiveness. And here they are in the wake of that begging-bowl share issue, back at square one. So what choice do they have? They play Inverness at Ibrox in the League Cup on Tuesday. They don’t have another home league game for more than a fortnight when they play Hibs. For a club who, by their own admission, are living hand to mouth, two empty stadiums through to the end of September with no walk-ups, no hospitality, no catering, no nothing, would be financially catastrophic. But THAT’S the only language they speak. They were described to me the other day as being like wild dogs around a carcass, stripping it to the bone. When do they leave? When there’s nothing left for them. As long as there are morsels of meat to be picked off around the edges, they’ll hang around. A grasper like Imran Ahmad, for example. Only persuaded to take his leave this week by tossing a juicy chunk of what was left in his direction. So if the fans really want to do their club a favour, the place should be a morgue on Tuesday night. Will it hurt? Of course it will. But if you believe there’s a cancer, the only way to get rid of it is to cut it out – and hope. Ever since December and that car crash agm there’s been a suspicion that Rangers would have to go the grave again for a second resurrection. Is there a fear of what follows? Again, of course. But this is where a properly unified support has some control. Because much in the same way as the wild dogs won’t hang around, another pack won’t bother stepping in unless they think there’s another meal ticket to be had. Who’s going to invest in a club with no regular income? Any owner needs approval. He needs customers. So the only way to make anything out of Rangers now is to turn it into the business it SHOULD have become when they went belly up in the first place. Trimmed-down costs, sustainable plan, 40,000 people through the gate every week, build yourselves back up, develop players, sell the odd one for more money, challenge, win, get into the Champions League, get your share of that gigantic European pot… Sound familiar? The antithesis of what happened, when £70m walked in the other direction in just 18 months. Who knows, Dave King may have played the smartest game of all because he knows now he could yet be their only option, and that would have the approval of the rump of the rank and file. And don’t worry, the irony’s not lost – the uproar at the Easdales hanging out with Interpol’s most wanted, yet the open-armed embrace for a guy who’s spent more time dealing with South African courts in recent times than with affairs at Ibrox. But there may yet be plenty more pain before that scenario has a chance. Two weeks ago I said they had two choices. Neither of them attractive. Keep the regime afloat week to week, or not a penny more. Seems to me they only have one left. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/gordon-waddell-rangers-fans-must-4257414

Lifted from FF: Cllr Julie-Anne Corr has condemned an attack by republicans on children playing football for Ballysillan Swifts at Whiterock Leisure Centre as "absolutely horrific and motivated by a blind hatred of protestants." Cllr Corr said, "This is the most disturbing incident I have heard about for a very long time. It beggars belief that a group of children were subjected to barbaric sectarian abuse, vicious assault and a violent attack by republican adults and youths wielding hurling sticks." She continued, "What is worse is that a vicious, dangerous dog was also set on the children who, at one point, were protected by a group of volunteers who encircled them. The incident was so bad that the children were threatened by adults who shouted they didn't care what age they were." She continued, "Many of the children suffered cuts and bruises while one had serious bruising and damage to his eye and another required hospital treatment for his injuries. I'm sure the experience must have been absolutely terrifying and will stay with the children and their families for a long time." She continued, "I would also like to thank and commend a group of young people from another team who helped the children and volunteers from Ballysillan leave the centre grounds. Their actions demonstrate the future we would wish for all our children and young people." She continued, "It is about time that leaders and politicians from within the republican and nationalist community recognised the real and growing hatred of protestants that exists within their community and, in particular, within the attitudes of their young people." She continued, "There is not a day goes by without us hearing of an attack on protestant young people and this incident is the worst in a long line of incidents. It is only a matter of time before someone is killed and I would urge serious action by community leaders before this happens." She continued, "If any other section of the community was attacked with such regularity then this would be treated as an outrage. Whether at interfaces, or just going about their daily business, protestants are being attacked with regularity." She continued, "I will be asking that Belfast City Council does everything in its power to investigate the circumstances around this incident. I also hope that the police treat this hate crime as seriously as possible and bring to justice all those responsible, including adults who feel it is ok to attack children." She concluded, "A shared future requires shared responsibility, and unfortunately there are those within the republican and nationalist community who don't treat hatred of protestants seriously. Attacks like we have just witnessed are a legacy of this complacency."

Cost roughly 5 times less! It's worth noting that the bulk of Atletico's money has been spent on 2 players, made from selling off players they have developed. Also, Atletico pay significantly less wages than QPR in England! Costs in Euros: real Casillas = 0 Marcelo = 8.7 Pepe = 30 Ramos = 27 Arbeloa = 3.98 Bale = 91 Kroos = 30 Modric = 26.29 Ronaldo = 94 Benzema = 41 Rodriguez = 80 Total cost = 431.97 Atletico Moya = 3 Juanfran = 4 Miranda = 0 Godin = 8 Siqueira = 10 Gabi = 3 Tiago = 0 Koke = 0 Garcia = 13 Griezmann = 30 Mandzukic = 22 Total cost = 93

I like to try and be fair and after so much criticism I will give credit where it is due. Regardless of who we were playing against we retained possession with interchanging passing and moving and the long ball wasn't frequently deployed. We created plenty chances and always looked dangerous in the final third, crucially our midfield largely bossed the game. Hopefully we can push on from here but I can't recall us playing in this manner for more than a couple of games on the trot apart from the end of 10/11. As was my feeling then, it shows that we can play fairly decent football (it's illogical to suggest otherwise), so there is absolutely no reason whatsoever to see us playing aimless long balls again.

Not sure exactly when we'll get confirmation of the outcome of this today but we can use this thread for updates. First one is this: Sandy and James Easdale increase Rangers shareholding by £500,000 http://t.co/eumq4fMPGC

MIKE ASHLEY is preparing to become the front-runner in an effort to save Rangers from another financial collapse. The Newcastle United owner has made positive moves to sell the St James’ Park club and bring to an end a troubled seven-year reign on Tyneside as he turns his attention to Ibrox. There is already interest in United – even at the asking price of around £230million – and any quick deal would allow Ashley to immediately focus on the Gers. News of the Sports Direct chief’s enthusiasm for stepping up his involvement with Rangers comes on the day fans are expected to hear how successful the board’s latest share issue – aimed at raising £4m – has been. But, whatever happens, it appears Ashley is keen to switch his football and business from Tyneside to Clydeside. Gers fans are now of a mood where any transparent ownership of the club would be welcome, even if there would be reservations over precisely what Ashley has in mind. He has been notoriously reluctant to splash the cash at Newcastle during his time in charge of the Premier League club, although Rangers wouldn’t need anything like the investment in players the English club require to compete against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City. Ashley, of course, already has a stake in the Gers, along with the naming rights for Ibrox. But, until he sells Newcastle, he is pre- vented from increasing that to more than 10 per cent by SFA rules. UEFA regulations also stipulate the same person cannot own two clubs that might meet each other in European competition and, while neither Rangers nor Newcastle are playing in Europe, they could in the future. Now it seems Ashley wants to take charge of the Gers alone with, clearly, one eye on a potential return to the Champions League and the opportunities that would afford. But right now his focus is on selling the Magpies quickly – and the £230m asking price includes repayment of the £129m he is owed in the form of interest-free loans. Ashley paid just £134m to purchase Newcastle from Sir John Hall, above, and Freddie Shepherd in 2007. And, while the club has not officially been put up for sale as the uncertainty could destabilise the business and unsettle the team, there is interest from North America and the Far East in buying a club that posted a post-tax profit of £9.9m for the last financial year. That, however, has not been achieved without incurring the wrath of a lot of people concerned at his lack of investment in the team, a controversial shirt deal with payday loans company Wonga and a series of internal cost-cutting measures. The £40m spent on players this summer was paid for almost entirely by the sale of Yohan Cabaye to Paris Saint-Germain and Mathieu Debuchy to Arsenal. http://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/sport/football/509766/Newcastle-s-Mike-Ashley-set-to-bid-for-Rangers

http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail.html?announcementId=12081166 Rangers have agreed formal terms of settlement with former Commercial Director, Imran Ahmad regarding his current court action. The sum agreed is significantly less than the total amount which Mr Ahmad had been granted permission to arrest. As part of the settlement terms Mr Ahmad has agreed to refrain from arresting funds in Rangers' bank account or in the hands of others pending the formal removal of the case from court. No such arrestment will now take place. The case will be formally taken out of court in the next few days. For further information please contact: Rangers International Football Club plc Graham Wallace / Paul Tyrrell Tel: 0141 580 8647 Daniel Stewart & Company plc Tel: 020 7776 6550 Paul Shackleton / David Coffman Newgate Threadneedle Tel: 020 7148 6143 Roddy Watt / John Coles

The Dangerous Game by Graham Taylor | Guest Contributor Crunch time. In just under 24 hours’ time, we should have some clarity as to how long the stricken Rangers International Football Club plc can limp along for. If the Open Offer of shares is fully subscribed, Rangers should have enough to get them to the 2014 AGM where a motion will be tabled to disapply the pre-emption rights which were voted down at the previous year’s meeting, allowing for a far larger tranche of shares to be released. If not then the club, simply put, won’t have the funds to pay its way, leaving the financing options available limited and likely to the long-term detriment of the club. Given the revelations of recent times, there can be little doubt now that Rangers have been run for the benefit of a relative minority of shareholders since the trauma of insolvency in 2012. The numerous contracts and agreements entered into since those days have been the subject of much rumour and speculation for some time, but only recently have they started to come to prominence now that the club has reached a critical juncture. It is clear through the management acting on behalf of a few individuals, Rangers’ ability to generate revenues to sustain itself has been severely and critically reduced and has made the club a less-than-attractive proposition for would-be investors who would view the club as a viable commercial proposition. In the absence of commercial investors, high net-worth fan investors are the most viable alternative. One name is constant and is one would invest for all the right reasons. Dave King is the man that the majority of fans have put their faith in, rightly or wrongly, to come to the club’s rescue. Some say he has disappeared; others say he is playing the long game. King himself said that the prospect of gaining control would ultimately be a “business transaction” and not one that would be fuelled by emotion, regardless of his feelings for Rangers. His position has been consistent in that he will only invest in new shares as it is Rangers that are in desperate need of cash. He is also the only individual to ever publicly say that he would invest in Rangers. So why haven’t the club welcomed him with open arms when we are once again staring into the financial abyss? Something that is often alluded to but hardly ever spelt out is this – club director Sandy Easdale will not entertain the notion of allowing Dave King to invest directly into Rangers because Dave King will not entertain the notion of allowing Sandy Easdale to remain on whatever board he is supposed to be on if he were to assume control. It is that simple. Easdale’s influence, through his shareholding proxies and his own relatively minor shareholding, is generally considered to be corrosive to the best interests of Rangers. And yet, he has more of a say in how the club is run than the man paid handsomely to lead the plc, Graham Wallace. Would Dave King allow that to remain the case if he stays true and invests his mooted £30 million? Not a chance, so Easdale will do whatever it takes to keep King at bay. And even though he went as far as to say in his Q&A with Keith Jackson that he would be happy to work alongside King on the board, the truth is neither wants the other anywhere near the club. Would Easdale’s stance on King remain if it meant the possibility of inflicting long-term damage on Rangers through having to secure financing against assets? On the evidence so far, yes. King, however, is playing a very dangerous game and one that could see the club slip away from him, and what many of us believe to be the true Rangers, forever. There has been an attempt in recent days to portray the battle for control of Rangers as a tussle between two parties – Mike Ashley and King. Ashley’s involvement in a future share issue has been promoted by those connected to the club, but it has also been said that he is simply protecting his commercial interests with the club. His retail contract with the club has been described as a ‘licence to print money’ for his sportswear firm Sports Direct, therefore it’s not something that he is likely to give up without a fight. Perhaps the most revealing aspect of recent times was the arrival of the Malaysian businessman Datuk Faizoull Bin Ahmad. It wasn’t so much the arrival of Bin Ahmad that was revealing, it was more who he was travelling with – convicted fraudster Rafat Rizvi, who was spotted laughing and joking with Sandy Easdale. Unfortunate as it was for Easdale to be photographed with Rizvi, a man long since speculated as to having an influence in the running of the club, it further evidenced that those currently in control are not about to let it slip from their grasp easily. And that it is not a given that King will get his opportunity to invest, even if the approaching iceberg moves sharply into focus. The possible further release of shares at what is likely to be an even stormier AGM than that of the incredibly hostile 2013 edition, should, on the face of it, finally enable the release of Rangers from the clutches of the small clique that have been running the club for the last two years. But given that this group form part of the 26% proxy vote held by Sandy Easdale and the resolution needing 75% approval, it is also entirely possible that they could choose to vote down the release of further shares if they feel that their position of control is severely threatened. If this group feels that their interests would be better served by initiating an insolvency event and restructuring the cost-base by that route, with the added advantage of retaining control, then it seems likely that this is an option that they would seriously consider. There is also a high probability that motions will be put forward to once again remove some, if not all of the current directors at the AGM. Given how the newly-constructed board scraped through by the skin of their teeth last year and the lack of any meaningful progress since, they will be unlikely to find such favour with the institutions this time around. Add in the rumours of King having been active in London and you have the perfect storm building up for the weeks ahead where the destiny of Rangers will be decided. And where does it leave us – the fans, who’ve suffered as the club has been pillaged for far longer than anyone thought possible? We’re merely an afterthought in rich (and in certain cases, not-so rich) men’s games… http://www.thecoplandroad.org/2014/09/the-dangerous-game.html

Hi folks Without going into it too deeply, I feel I cannot follow the other 2 sites I am a member of who go to extremes with fighting each other, all to our detriment as fans. When I go to Kirkcaldy tomorrow, it will be with a sad heart and hope the team just rip it up to cheer me. I have sadly become a NAPM (Not a Penny More) to the regime. I find the idea that the shares groups have decide to buy-into the open offer of £4.97 for 23% (?) of the club abhorrent. Why? Surely the majority want the clowns out and therefore handing them a wee bit more cash is an own goal? Even if the motivation is to become more involved percentage-wise, you hold-back on this one. The LSE announcement already conceded there would be a further offer if we get there. Those shares would be capable of being bought at an even better rate by FF/BR. What am I missing?? Why why why have BR/RF decided to expend the funds now???????

Between Richard Wilson and this article (with no apparent byline), the BBC have began to venture into a more accurate take on political matters at Ibrox. http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/29153590

ANGRY Rangers fans are on the brink of staging full-scale boycotts of the club’s matches – amid new calls for Sandy Easdale to be axed as football board chairman. And brassed-off fans could also stop giving money to companies linked to the Glasgow giants – including McGill’s Buses and Sports Direct. The Sons of Struth protest group believes there is growing support among its members and other supporters for this drastic action. Sons of Struth founder Craig Houston confirmed his organisation is to poll its 1500 members over whether to boycott games and businesses. He said: “The feedback we have received from members and other fans is overwhelmingly in favour of boycotting games and businesses. “A very low percentage of fans have faith in the board. Every time a new revelation emerges we ask what we can do other than holding red and blue card demonstrations to highlight our unhappiness that is legal and this is one route we can go down.” “But there has to be a silver bullet moment where you say enough is enough. If that results in boycotts of your team, certain sports shops, certain transport or insurance companies, so be it.” The move comes after it emerged that shareholder Sandy Easdale had met with Malaysian businessman Datuk Faizoull Bin Ahmad and convicted fraudster Rafat Rivzi this week. Easdale was pictured with Rizvi, who is wanted by Interpol for corruption, money laundering and banking crime, in Glasgow. Last night the Union of Fans called on the Rangers board to remove Easdale over the visit. A statement said: “Mr Easdale has dragged our club’s name through the gutter once too often. Perhaps he feels his association with a man wanted by Interpol is acceptable. It is not. “Graham Wallace, Norman Crighton, David Somers and Philip Nash must dissociate the PLC board from this further attempt to involve Rizvi in Rangers’ affairs.” However, Rangers last night denied the meeting was connected with investment in the club. An Ibrox spokesman said: “The visit was organised as part of ongoing discussions between Rangers and Malaysian club Felda United with regard to a youth development partnership. “Mr Rizvi arrived without our prior knowledge. He is an advisor to Mr Bin Ahmad. Media reports suggesting Mr Bin Ahmad is in discussions with Rangers regarding anything other than youth development are untrue.” Meanwhile, other reports in England last night claimed Mike Ashley is prepared to sell Newcastle United for £230million so he can boost his stake in Rangers. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/ranger...048n.25297080?

Mike Ashley is poised to end his seven-year reign at St James' Park as he aims to increase his stake at Rangers. Mike Ashley is willing to listen to offers to sell Newcastle United as he looks to bring an end to a troubled seven-year reign at St James’ Park. Ashley has become involved in the running of Rangers and is interested in taking complete control. However, he has been prevented from increasing his stake to more than 10 per cent by the Scotland Football Association as he already owns Newcastle. Uefa rules stipulate the same person cannot own two clubs that might meet each other in European competitions, and while neither Rangers or Newcastle are playing in Europe, they could in the future. Rangers are standing on the precipice of administration for the second time in three years and Ashley recognises the opportunity it presents. The billionaire, who made his fortune through his Sports Direct retail chain, has already secured naming rights to Ibrox in return for a stake of nine per cent, although he has not yet taken up that option in order to avoid creating any animosity towards him. Should he take control of Rangers and stabilise the business, he knows there is huge potential to grow if, as should be the case, they return to the Scottish Premier League and, eventually, the Champions League. Related Articles That has increased Ashley’s desire to sell Newcastle to a new investor and he could be willing to offload it for around £230 million, which includes repayment of the £129 million he is owed in the form of interest-free loans. Ashley paid just £134 million to buy Newcastle from Sir John Hall and Freddie Shepherd in 2007. Although the club have not been officially put up for sale as the uncertainty could destabilise the business and unsettle the team, Telegraph Sport understands Ashley would like to sell if he can find someone with the financial muscle to take the club forward. Anyone who claims they are interested in negotiating a price will be asked to pay for the use of a box at St James’ Park for 10 years up front to prove they are serious bidders. Ashley has tried to sell up twice before, but was unable to find a buyer willing to match his asking price. He failed to offload it in the face of angry supporter protests in 2008 immediately after former manager Kevin Keegan resigned. He tried again in 2009 at the knockdown price of just £100 million after relegation to the Championship, but nobody was willing to take on a club that was losing hundreds of thousands of pounds a month outside of the top flight. However, the previous attempts to sell were made during a global recession and Ashley is aware the economic landscape has improved dramatically, particularly in the United States, where interest in “soccer” has never been higher. It is thought that Ashley will look closely to see if there are potential buyers on the other side of the Atlantic. Newcastle are in excellent financial shape thanks to the prudency of the Ashley regime and posted a post-tax profit of £9.9 million for the last financial year. That has done little to persuade fans he is the right man to lead the club and there have been persistent accusations of a lack of ambition. Although Ashley sanctioned around £40 million worth of player recruitment this summer, that was paid for almost entirely out of the sale of Yohan Cabaye to Paris Saint-Germain and Mathieu Debuchy to Arsenal. Ashley has been unwilling to invest any of his own money since Newcastle returned to the Premier League and has overseen a dramatic overhaul of the books, securing an increase in commercial revenue, which includes a record shirt-sponsorship deal with loans company Wonga. This has been done in conjunction with a series of cost-cutting measures, including player wages, which fell from £64.1 million to £61.7 million in the last financial year. That represents 64 per cent of the club’s turnover, well below the Premier League average of 70 per cent. The business is in good shape to sell. Whether Ashley can finally sever ties with a project that turned sour after just 12 months remains to be seen, but he gains little enjoyment from owning Newcastle other than the free advertising it allows for Sports Direct. Although he attended the club’s last home game, the 3-3 draw with Crystal Palace, his visits to St James’ Park have been increasingly rare since supporters turned against him six years ago. He is not the only one in the firing line. Alan Pardew, the manager, also looks vulnerable after a poll in a local paper showed 85 per cent of fans no longer want him to be in charge and there is a growing risk the ill-feeling will manifest itself in more vocal protests against Southampton this weekend. One group of supporters has even set up a website called ‘Sack Pardew’. Pardew remained in his dugout during the final home game against Cardiff last season as he was booed and jeered every time he stepped into his technical area. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/newcastle-united/11088540/Newcastle-United-for-sale-as-Mike-Ashley-eyes-Rangers.html

Chris Graham ‏@ChrisGraham76 17m .@RFC_Union call on Rangers PLC board to remove Sandy Easdale as a club director immediately. #RFC pic.twitter.com/wIlX0SWgVu

"The Union of Fans is extremely concerned at the recent public statements of Sandy Easdale, the Chairman of the so-called ‘football board’ at Rangers. Mr Easdale has a history of making ill advised, damaging and amateurish comments in the press about Rangers and last week he was engaged in more of the same. In April 2014, around a week before Imran Ahmad’s second failed attempt to have club funds arrested, Mr Easdale decided to take part in a BBC interview in which he raised considerable questions over the financial position of the club. These comments could clearly be seen to weaken the club’s case against Mr Ahmad despite victory in that instance. Last week, days ahead of Mr Ahmad’s third attempt to arrest funds, Mr Easdale did the same in a press Q&A. We would question the timing of both of these statements. Making this type of error once might be seen as naivety or stupidity. Making it twice starts to raise other questions. Mr Easdale was brought into Rangers to represent the wishes of the block of shareholders previously represented by Mr Ahmad and Mr Charles Green. Mr Easdale has, in our opinion, always represented their interests ahead of those of the club and it appears he is continuing to do so. Mr Easdale has hitched his wagon to Green, Ahmad, Blue Pitch and Margarita and, now that their influence over the board has started to diminish slightly, he appears to be seeking to retain his position at the club via an alliance with Mike Ashley. Indeed it appears that Mr Easdale will support anyone who will allow him to retain his director privileges and the borrowed respectability of being referred to as a Rangers director, regardless of their actions towards the club. Mr Easdale told the Rangers fans that Jack Irvine no longer worked for him. However, we have been told by a number of people that Mr Irvine has been in regular touch with them in a way which represents Mr Easdale’s interests. Mr Easdale told the Rangers fans in December 2013 that he had investors lined up for Rangers. This did not prove to be the case. Mr Easdale now wants the Rangers fans to believe that Mike Ashley, who has been handed “onerous” merchandise deals, virtually free stadium naming rights and now the Rangers club shops by Mr Easdale’s associates, is the man to take Rangers forward. Mr Easdale actively opposes any attempt to bring huge investment into the club from people who care about it but chooses to back someone who has clear issues with dual club ownership and is only interested in Rangers as a means to make himself money. We would ask the PLC board, the Nomad, Daniel Stewart and the LSE to investigate Mr Easdale’s comments and their effect on a court case which could have put the club’s immediate future in doubt. We would also ask them to clarify whether Mr Charles Green or Mr Imran Ahmad hold any shares for which Mr Easdale has a proxy through Beaufort Nominees. Mr Easdale is not, in our opinion, fit to be a director of Rangers Football Club and given his failure to be appointed to the PLC board we feel he has far too much negative influence on club affairs."

this time at home to Aberdeen. 3-2. 3 defeats on the bounce now i believe. Hearing also that McAusland was playing up front when he came on, perhaps Elfideldo can confirm? An extremely strong Rangers line up too. Kelly, Sinnamon, Finnie, Gibson, Halkett, Hutton, Aird ,Murdoch, Daly, Walsh, Dykes

Semi-final draw Alloa v East Fife or Rangers Livi v Stranraer East Fife game on 21st October Date for Alloa game is yet to be arranged

Former Rangers defender Arthur Numan doesn't know who to believe as concerns continue to mount over the club's future. On Friday, former commercial director Imran Ahmad had £620,000 of the Ibrox outfit's assets frozen and there is major uncertainty over finances. "It's time the supporters knew what was happening, who is in control and where the money is going to," said Numan. The Dutchman, who played at Ibrox between 1998 and 2003 under Sir David Murray's tenure, says fans regularly raise the issue of Rangers' money troubles with him. "There is so much going on in the last couple of years and sometimes you think it's one big mess," he said. "I get a lot of supporters texting me and calling me, they ask me what's going on - and I can't give them an answer, because even I don't know. "I don't even know who is in charge - I don't know who to believe any more. " He went on: "I hope that someone comes in and says, okay, I want to put a lot of money into the club and try to take all the insecurity away by the supporters - because that's most important. "Then you try to get Rangers back into the Premier League and get a team on the park that's strong enough to compete with Celtic. "And hopefully they can qualify for Europe with someone who is in charge who makes it clear to the supporters and the Press what his intentions are, because nobody knows." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/numan-who-are-fans-to-believe-179657n.25273594

The video -

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