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  1. chilledbear

    Egm

    EGM requisition has been delivered to Ibrox within the last couple of minutes. Statement klaxon to follow no doubt.
  2. What an embarrasment It's became standard fare, perhaps it's all really a Monty Python sketch.
  3. There will some of you reading this who, like me, are old enough to remember the Ibrox Disaster and the aftermath. They were indeed the darkest of times, and words cannot adequately convey what it was like to live through it. I can’t begin to imagine what it was like for those who lost loved ones, but I know how bad it was for those of us who knew some of those who perished. As a support we needed hope and Willie Waddell gave us that. He spoke of building a stadium which would stand as a testament, a memorial to those who perished that day – and he delivered. The wonderful stadium we have today is that legacy from yesteryear. I’m sure I’m not alone amongst our support who recognise our modern day Ibrox, not just as a stadium but a living memorial, a tribute to those who perished. Ibrox is not just a stadium, it is a beacon of hope, of remembrance, of inspiration to every one of us who cast a favourable eye towards her. Quite simply she is beyond price. Even during the aftermath of Whyte, the fact we had a stadium and a support like ours filled me with hope and optimism for the future, even during the blackest of news days, and of course, there were many of them. I could witter on all day about broken promises, broken assurances and cite examples, but what would be the point? If men cannot understand the significance of their actions today, or what Ibrox means to us, the fans, then I doubt they will lose much sleep over their broken promises. As I’ve warned for some time, those currently at the helm of our club are not fit for purpose. Furthermore they clearly know nothing about our club, nor care for our traditions, our values or our history. As a beacon which has served this support for generations is dimmed by the actions of imposters, perhaps it will prove to be the spark which brings unity and a unified sense of purpose to those who truly care about our club. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”
  4. The Union of Fans is calling on Rangers fans to stage a "mass demonstration" outside Ibrox 45 minutes before kick-off tomorrow night.
  5. Worthington Group are who effectively "own" Craig Whyte and Aidan Earley's claim on the RIFC assets. Also of note is the fact that the Liquidator appointed to Whyte's BVI based Liberty Capital sold Liberty Capitals holding in Worthington Group at 58p in a delayed notification trade one day before the shares were suspended. Wonder who the Liquidator is actually working on behalf of? http://ftalphaville.ft.com/2015/01/13/2085432/a-worthington-tale/?
  6. A number of companies run by Sir David Murray have signalled their intention to go in to liquidation. Notice was given on January 5 that six firms have presented petitions to wind up to the Court of Session, though the notices were only published by the court on Tuesday. The companies — GM Mining Limited, Murray Group Holdings Limited, Murray International Holdings Limited, The Premier Property Group Limited, Murray Outsourcing Limited and PPG Land Limited — have all appointed John Charles Reid and Christopher McKay of Deloitte LLP as joint interim liquidators. Sir David Murray stepped down as chairman of Rangers Football Club in 2009 and officially sold his controlling interest of shares in the club in May 2011 to Craig Whyte. The club subsequently applied for administration in February 2012 and then entered liquidation. The impact the liquidation of three of the Murray companies will have on the status of HM Revenue and Customs’ pursuit of the so-called “big tax case” is unknown. GM Mining Limited, Murray Group Holdings Limited and The Premier Property Group Limited were listed as three of the five “appellants” in the case, which was in the most part successfully defended by Murray at an upper tier tax tribunal in 2014. HMRC’s argument revolved around the use of employee benefit trusts which were used by the companies, including the Rangers oldco, which they alleged were used as emoluments to employees. Murray successfully argued they were loans which remain recoverable. The two other appellants in the case, Murray Group Management Limited and RFC 2012 plc - the Rangers oldco - are already in liquidation. A spokesperson for HM Revenue and Customs told STV: "We do not comment on identifiable taxpayers". http://news.stv.tv/west-central/306444-number-of-companies-run-by-sir-david-murray-set-for-liquidation/
  7. masochists I'm switching off everything for 3 days at least
  8. Kyle McAusland @kyle_mcausland Sad to say my time at @RangersFC has come to an end. To have played for the club was a dream come true but disappointed on how it has ended.
  9. It’s good to see that HMRC’s latest failing - being unable to furnish costs of their continual and apparently relentless pursuit of Rangers over EBT’s - has galvanised the Rangers support into a long overdue unified sense of purpose. After a period of unhelpful adjectives and metaphors, which military men would aptly describe as “blue on blue”, we are at long last reminding ourselves where the real enemies of our club are, and it’s certainly not from within. It is not surprising that HMRC’s latest hypocritical incompetency, and I use that term deliberately in view of the fact we are talking about an investigative government agency who hold both private individuals and companies accountable for failing to keep meticulous financial records, has given rise amongst some of our fans to suggestions of a grandiose conspiracy. I don’t subscribe to such a conspiracy theory, and those who read this blog regularly will know that as far as I’m concerned “Evidence is king”. There appears to be little or no evidence available at this time to suggest any high level conspiracy, instead I will in the course of this article offer you an alternative evidence based theory to explain why HMRC’s pursuit of our club has all the characteristics of a witch hunt. Before dismissing such a conspiracy theory completely however it is worthwhile pointing out that the South African Tax Authorities have recently discovered what has been described as a rogue unit working within their organisation. Furthermore much closer to home, the families of the Hillsborough victims had to suffer considerable ridicule for suggesting that the Police were involved in some kind of conspiratorial cover up over events that tragic day. Several years later the 160 odd altered Police Statements and deliberate, false and malicious briefing of the press by the Police, are now a matter of public record and the subject of an ongoing enquiry. Therefore despite the absence of evidence of conspiracy perhaps the best course available to us is to at least keep an open mind whilst concentrating on the evidence which is available to us. Discounting such a conspiracy theory does not however also discount the ruthless nature of this enquiry, nor the attempts by HMRC to deliberately mislead the Rangers support during the course of it. It would come as no surprise to any of us if, in the near future evidence was uncovered which demonstrates HMRC have acted in both an unscrupulous, unprofessional and unedifying manner throughout the course of this enquiry. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/finance/ianmcowie/100014676/2000-tax-dodgers-confess-but-should-hmrc-have-paid-for-stolen-information/ Some will note the particular irony of HMRC paying for stolen evidence, given the fact a considerable amount of evidence in the Rangers Tax Tribunal, ended up in the possession of BBC Scotland journalists and proved to be the catalyst to “The men who sold the jerseys” documentary. However the Redknapp case was not the only one which had brought the professionalism and competency of HMRC under a very public spotlight, leaving it’s investigators with red faces and questions being asked. https://www.accountancylive.com/cassidy-hmrc-should-eat-humble-pie-over-montpelier-case I doubt there is a Rangers fan out there who doesn’t feel a sense of the tunnel vision Mr Cassidy alludes to during the Montpelier case. It appears history may well be repeating itself as HMRC continue to pursue Rangers despite a number of failed appeals chaired by some of the most qualified tax experts in the country. These spectacular high profile failings and questions of competency, integrity and professionalism served to bring HMRC very much under an intense spotlight, most notably by the public accounts committee. http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/oct/28/hmrc-chiefs-mps-lost-tax http://economia.icaew.com/news/november-2014/pac-slams-hmrcs-anti-tax-avoidance-strategy So we have a government investigative agency, with a spectacular series of high profile failures, even despite indulging in some fairly unscrupulous means of obtaining evidence which in itself calls into question the very integrity of the organisation itself, under considerable pressure to re-dress their very public humiliation in a series of failed prosecutions. It certainly puts into some kind of perspective the relentless and ruthless nature of HMRC’s pursuit of Rangers. Quite simply after so many failings they simply had to get a result. But if HMRC were in a bit of a hole prior to and during the investigation, rather than stop digging as the age old saying goes, they appear to have taken the equivalent of a JCB to the situation. Apologies for the following paragraph in advance, as it deals mainly in conjecture rather than facts, but it is worth mentioning all the same. Despite HMRC’s claim to be unable to furnish the cost of the Rangers Tax Case, rumours abound of figures at or around the £10 million mark. Furthermore it is common knowledge that Sir David Murray attempted to settle with HMRC over EBT’s offering anything between 10-12 million pounds. Even taking the lower settlement figure HMRC are now looking not only at £10 million lost revenue, but also perhaps £10 million costs for pursuing a case against a company from whom they will be unable to recoup anything even if they were to eventually be successful in a forthcoming appeal. One wonders what the Public Accounts Committee will make of all this. Moving on from public accounts to public accountability and the HMRC JCB appears to have been working in overdrive to dig a bigger hole for themselves. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/ex-rangers-owner-craig-whyte-being-3992415 Perhaps HMRC would care to explain to Rangers shareholders, and any other interested parties for that matter, why they allowed Craig Whyte, who they were already pursuing for a sum of £3.7 million and whom they had threatened with bankruptcy as a result of failed tax returns, to take control of an organisation and run it into the ground by failing to make PAYE payments for nearly 9 months. If you cannot hear the alarm bells by now, then you either are deaf or have your fingers, quite firmly, in your ears. HMRC’s JCB next wrong turn was in the form of a generic reply via correspondence. As thousands of Rangers supporters and shareholders wrote to complain about confidential tax documents and other paperwork appearing in the public domain, HMRC responded by asserting it did not comment or respond to speculation about alleged breaches of confidentiality. “Speculation”? “Alleged”? The subject of those complaints were The Rangers Tax Case Blog and the BBC Documentary “The men who sold the jerseys” both of which went onto win national awards, with the latter being broadcast on national television. Journalist Tom English described the Rangers Tax Case Blog as follows: “If you wanted to know the latest news on their tax travails, rangerstaxcase was a place you went because, unlike newspapers or radio stations, rangerstaxcase was connected to the heart of the FTT and everybody knew it. It had documents and detail that were beyond dispute. When illustrating one point it was making it would summon up information that could only have come from somebody within, or very close to, the tribunal” (The Scotsman 25.11.2012) Why have HMRC deliberately prevaricated and failed to respond to this clear breach of confidential information. How can they justify describing a national television broadcast and an award winning blog, whose plaudits and awards are based around the revealing of confidential information, as mere “speculation”? As others outside the Rangers community have since commented both these outlets of confidential information presented it such a way as to infer the guilt of Rangers FC. Was the same unscrupulous culture within HMRC which saw them buy stolen property in the Redknapp case alive and kicking also in the Rangers Tax Case – a kind of win at all costs mentality? Whilst the source and nature of those confidential leaks has been subject to many theories and discussions, confirmation about one of the sources was provided courtesy of Lord Nimmo Smith, in his SPL Independent Commission Report. "Meanwhile, BBC Scotland came, by unknown means, into possession of what they described as “dozens of secret emails, letters and documents”, which we understand were the productions before the Tax Tribunal. These formed the basis of a programme entitled “Rangers – The Men Who Sold the Jerseys”, which was broadcast on 23 May 2012. BBC Scotland also published copious material on its website. The published material included a table containing the names of Rangers players, coaches and staff who were beneficiaries of the MGMRT, and how much they received through that trust.” (Section 98) Perhaps not so much a case of “Who sold the jerseys” but more of a case of Who sold the evidence? That is of course the evidence, or as Lord Nimmo Smith terms “productions”, which was seized by HMRC during the course of their investigation into Rangers and which was presented before the Tax Tribunal. The question is why the removal of this evidence and its subsequent use in the BBC Scotland documentary aforementioned, was not the subject of a Police enquiry until after the verdict of the tax tribunal, when complaints by both Sir David Murray and myself saw the launching of a criminal enquiry. It raises serious questions about the safe handling and storing of productions, as well as duties and responsibilities of investigative agencies with regard to the loss or theft of productions. In particular it raises questions about how and why Lord Nimmo Smith was able to arrive at such a conclusions with regard to the source of the material which BBC Scotland subsequently came into possession of. http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/1996757/cameron-promises-transparent-government It’s time for you to deliver Mr Cameron and the Rangers support will not rest until you do. We want a full government enquiry into this whole process and we will not rest until we get it. We will play to win – and win at all costs.
  10. compo

    Lets assume

    Let say the good guys take over park , king , etc what would be the first thing to move the club forward would you like to see happening at rangers , for me it would be the implementation of a good solid business plan run by good people who know the value things and to get the best of investment into the club to benefit everyone at the club
  11. ...as they hold advanced talks with club bosses. Jan 12, 2015 07:32 By Keith Jackson RECORD SPORT understands the Lanarkshire-based 
businessman and his allies are on the brink of agreeing a deal in return for two seats on the board. DOUGLAS PARK and his consortium were locked in advanced talks with the Rangers hierarchy last night as they edged closer to winning the battle for control of Ibrox. Record Sport understands the Lanarkshire-based 
businessman and his allies, George Letham and George Taylor, are on the brink of agreeing a deal to plough over £6million of emergency money into the club to spare it from insolvency – in return for two seats on the board. An announcement is expected early this week as the current regime scrambles to secure fresh funding. And last night, with Park and his group on the cusp of forcing their way into a position of power, directors James and Sandy Easdale appeared to pave the way for their imminent arrival by insisting they will be welcomed into the boardroom. In a statement the Easdale family adviser Jack Irvine said: “Sandy and James repeat again that they will willingly work with Douglas Park’s group for the benefit of the club.” Between them, Park, Letham and Taylor already have control of 20 per cent of the troubled Ibrox club’s shares. They are pushing for regime change and plan to invest further in a new share issue but realise the club’s cash flow position is critical and needs to be addressed immediately. In fact, Hong Kong-based banker Taylor believes, in the longer term, Rangers fans should eventually have control over their own club. The Morgan Stanley managing director has now signed up to a life-time membership with 
fan-ownership group Rangers First and said last night: “My hope is that direct fan ownership would become the biggest 
individual owner of the club.” Rangers First director Ricki Neill said: “With our monthly contributors donating amounts from £5 upwards, Rangers First have the income to buy an increasing number of shares every month. “The more members we get to join Rangers First the faster 
we grow and the bigger our 
shareholding becomes. “We also have the Club 1872 membership – which George Taylor has recently joined. “This costs £500 and was designed originally to help us reach our target in as short a period as possible. “George Taylor is one of many true Rangers fans that have joined Club 1872 and we look forward to meeting up with him in the near future.” Phoenix Knight Robert Sarver has also offered Rangers a crisis loan based on the condition that he underwrites a share issue to the tune of £20m and buys control of the club. But, crucially, the American’s plan needs the support of 75 per cent of the club’s current 
shareholders for it to get off the ground and so is viewed as a 
non-starter. This has left Park in the driving seat although the board are refusing to engage in similar talks with like-minded Rangers supporter Dave King, the club’s biggest single shareholder with a 15 per cent stake. As the crisis deepens, the South African-based businessman is expected by many to call for an egm later this week in a bid to 
rout the current board at a 
shareholders’ vote. Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, meanwhile, may yet be prepared to make a rival offer after 
previously handing over £3m to keep the club afloat through November and December. A close source said last night: “The cash situation remains 
critical and because of this a 
decision had been expected over the weekend. “The club is now days away from running out of money completely so there is an urgent necessity to get this funding in place. “However, the talks with the Douglas Park group are at a very advanced stage and it is expected that an announcement will be made soon.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-boardroom-battle-douglas-park-4962945
  12. “We have to keep believing because leads like Hearts’ have been blown before.” Dean I hope you do let us see what you can really do because up until now it is disappointing.
  13. Three Bears investor George Taylor believes Rangers should eventually be controlled by the Ibrox support. Along with partners Douglas Park and George Letham - as well as oldco director Dave King - the Hong Kong-based banker is among three factions battling for control of the Glasgow giants. But while the Three Bears' most immediate threat comes from US financier Robert Sarver - who has launched a £20million takeover bid - and the current board and their ally Mike Ashley, Taylor believes the club should eventually be governed by the Light Blues faithful. The Morgan Stanley managing director has now signed up to a life-time membership with fan-ownership group Rangers First. In a statement given to Press Association Sport, he said: "My hope is that direct fan ownership would become the biggest individual owner of Rangers." Rangers First have made a number of significant strides in recent days. Wealthy supporter Jim McColl recently handed the group his 10,000-share Ibrox stake last week, while they have signed up around 700 new members since the Three Bears and King bought up around 34 per cent of the club in two surprise transactions just before the new year. The scheme - which is similar to the one used to rescue Hearts from administration - is now collecting thousands of pounds a month from contributors and using that to buy up shares. On Saturday night, they announced another 60,000 shares had been purchased, giving them control of 0.8 per cent of the club. The Rangers Supporters Trust has also recently increased its stake to just over one per cent. With the fight for power set to come down to which faction can get to 51 per cent, the fans could yet play a vital role for the Three Bears and King in the coming days. The board urgently needs to raise cash to keep the club afloat and an announcement on Sarver's revised takeover bid and possible news of another emergency loan is expected early next week. A general meeting may also be called if King and the Three Bears can find the support to force boardroom change. Rangers First director Ricki Neill said: "With our monthly contributors donating amounts from 5 upwards, Rangers First have the income to buy an increasing number of shares every month. "The more members we get the faster we grow and the bigger our shareholding becomes. We also have the Club 1872 membership which George Taylor has recently joined, this costs £500 and was designed originally to help us reach our target in as short a period as possible. "George Taylor is one of many true Rangers fans that have joined Club 1872, we look forward to meeting up with George in the near future." Meanwhile, midfielder Nicky Law believes a win against Hearts next Friday could kick-start Rangers' Scottish Championship title push. The Ibrox side host the Jambos but cannot afford to let Robbie Neilson's men add to their already huge 13 point lead at the top of the table. Law, who scored a first-half winner as the Light Blues finally beat Alloa at the fourth time of asking on Saturday with a 1-0 success at the Indodrill Stadium, said: "The quality of player we have got, we know we should be doing a lot better than we have been doing. "There is no way we should be 13 points behind Hearts but we are. Unfortunately that is a huge gap to claw back but we will do our best to try and rein them in, starting on Friday night. "It's a must-win game. If we can get it back to 10, you never know."
  14. THE tax office has been criticised after saying it cannot give the cost of its five-year chase of *Rangers in one of the biggest tax claims it has ever pursued. Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs has said it would cost too much to find out the costs. The development has been described as "extraordinary" by Rangers fan groups which have accused HMRC of wasting public money in its "witch-hunt" in pursuit of a "phantom tax debt". HMRC has confirmed it will contest the decision of an upper-tier tax tribunal to uphold an earlier ruling on what is known as the Big Tax Case. That ruling said Rangers' use of employee benefit trust (EBT) loans to players and other staff was legal, and payments were not taxable, as Sir David Murray's Murray International Holdings, which formerly owned Rangers, has maintained. But the tax office is known to want to pursue the club as a matter of principle, and there is a *procedural hearing on its latest appeal on February 3. Many believe fear of the tax case led to Lloyds Banking Group *insisting £18 million in club debts were cleared, leading to the sale to Craig Whyte, liquidation, and eventually Rangers playing in the bottom tier of the Scottish Football League. If a fresh HMRC appeal succeeds, it will have no bearing on today's Rangers but fans have called for a Government inquiry into HMRC's handling of the case. Chris Graham, of the Union of Fans, the Rangers supporters *coalition, said of the HMRC response to queries over the case's cost: "This is extraordinary. Lawyers are *meticulous about things like that, they clock all the time they spend on a particular client. "There are question marks over why they are continuing to pursue this when we know they have been offered to settle." When asked what the costs were to date of pursuing the tax case HMRC, a representative said: "HMRC holds information that falls within the scope of your request. However, we estimate that it would exceed the FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) cost limit to deal with it." That limit, he said, was the cost of one person working for three-and-a-half days. He added: "Normally, HMRC would explore with you how you might be able to narrow or refine your request so that it did not exceed the FOIA cost limit. However, in this case, I cannot see any scope for doing this. "Even if we had been able to find and extract all the information in the scope of your request, we would never release anything which could be linked to an identifiable person; be that an individual, company or any other entity." HMRC says EBTs were used by more than 5000 UK firms, including football clubs in England. The Rangers case was seen as a way for the tax office to claw back many millions of pounds from their use. http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/taxman-will-not-reveal-cost-of-rangers-case.26228807
  15. A Spain based motor tycoon who wants to buy Rangers is building a £5 million mansion close to Glasgow, The Sunday Post can reveal. Businessman Douglas Park, 64, has submitted plans to erect an eight-bedroom villa near Strathaven, 20 miles from Ibrox. Work is under way on the father-of-three’s new home, which will boast a spiral staircase, home office, gym and steam room as well as a gargantuan master bedroom, according to plans lodged with South Lanarkshire Council. Since separating from wife Isobel in 1999, the tycoon has spent most of his time in Spain. But sources say the car giant plans to move back to the UK – and to help seize control of Ibrox. Alongside George Taylor and George Letham, Park is a member of the so-called Three Bears, who announced on Hogmanay they had bought up 19% of the club. They are in pole position to take control of the side after a £36m bid package by American Robert Sarver was rejected. Last night a source said: “Things are going very well for Dougie. He’s Rangers daft and has flown all over Europe to follow the team. He is close to several Ibrox legends. It’s the same with his three sons. His business is thriving and has his sons help run it so he doesn’t need to be around as much. “He owns a house near the one he is building but it is far smaller and he’s rarely there. “Building this is different. It’s a sign he’s going to spend more time in Scotland – and that will hopefully involve playing a major role at Ibrox. They need him in the boardroom.” The Three Bears are reportedly in cahoots with former director Dave King, 59, who owns 15% of the club. Last night, Craig Houston, of Rangers supporters’ group Sons of Struth, said: “After the turbulent last few years we’d love to see Dougie Park in charge.” Park has built up his thriving business from humble beginnings. He is now recognised to be one of Scotland’s shrewdest businessmen with an estimated personal wealth of £78 million. He started in 1971 with a fleet of three buses, ferrying football fans all over Scotland. That led to contracts providing team coaches for Celtic and other clubs, including Rangers. As the empire grew, he diversified and now owns a large number of car dealerships, including the exclusive rights to sell McLaren and Maserati sports cars in Scotland. Mr Park was unavailable for comment last night. http://www.sundaypost.com/news-views...-park-1.781167
  16. Radio Scotland - McLaughlin. Also conjecture that Ashlay will sell to ParkCo.
  17. ...ahead of return to Ibrox for Fernando Ricksen testimonial. MARCO Negri's time at Rangers was plagued with mystery and controversy. The Italian striker opens up on what will be an emotional return to Glasgow later this month as he gets set to play in Fernando Ricksen's testimonial match. MARCO NEGRI was an enigma. An international man of mystery who came to these shores burning as brightly as a Roman candle before fizzling out just as quickly. It was 1997 and Negri was the £3.5million worth of Italian striking talent bought by Walter Smith to fire Rangers to the Holy Grail of 10 in a row. For five months the long-haired Negri scored goals as if they were going out of fashion. Five against Dundee United, four against Dunfermline, three against Kilmarnock – 30 goals plundered before ’97 turned to ’98. Then, in the blink of an eye, it was over. A game of squash with team-mate Sergio Porrini ended in horrific injury and everything changed. Negri suffered a detached retina after being smacked in the eye with the squash ball and when he came back he wasn’t the same player. He scored only three more goals for Rangers and when Smith left, to be replaced by Dick Advocaat, Negri played just three games in two seasons until he was loaned and finally sold back to Italy. In all that time he hardly uttered a word in public. He made Howard Hughes look like Harry Redknapp. So when Negri picks up his phone in Bologna and speaks with enthusiasm and exuberance, in perfect English, about his time in Glasgow the listener is a little taken aback. Now 44, he hasn’t returned to Glasgow since leaving in November 2001 but that will change when Negri pulls on a Rangers jersey again in the testimonial match that has been arranged for the benefit of Motor Neuron Disease victim Fernando Ricksen at Ibrox on Sunday, January 25. The fact he was willing to drop everything and come to the aid of his stricken former team-mate is an indication there was far more to Negri than the public perception. But he believes the reputation he got for being mean and moody stemmed from the day that earmarked him as something special – a 5-1 demolition of Dundee United a month after joining Rangers. He said: “People saying I was unhappy came from what I call my perfect game – the day I scored five goals against Dundee United. “But before that game there was an incident with a member of the Rangers staff that I was very unhappy about. I can’t say any more than that but I was not happy going out on to the pitch. “If you look at the goals I scored against Kilmarnock or Celtic or anybody else you will see me laughing and smiling. “But everyone just looks at the Dundee United match and they think I should be over the moon because I scored five goals – but I was upset before that game.” He doesn’t say any more because he is keeping the juicy stuff for a book he has coming out in Scotland in April about his controversial life and times. But he does admit he is excited at the prospect of returning to Ibrox, although he wishes the circumstances were happier. He added: “I have to be honest and say there are many emotions. Of course it will be wonderful to play in front of the Rangers fans again. It’s a long time since I’ve played and I don’t want to let myself down. “But on the other side is the reason for the match – we are doing something for a team-mate who has a terrible illness and is putting up such a brave fight. “Fernando is struggling and we will do what we can to help. I am bringing my 10-year-old-son Christian to Glasgow for the first time and it will be a chance for him to watch me playing with the blue jersey. “I am already a little under pressure because he is telling me I have to score a goal! “A lot of feelings I have will be unlocked when I come to Glasgow. We are coming over for a few days and I want to show my son the city and the stadium. “We will act as tourists and of course there is the game and I am doing a question and answer session for Fernando’s charity.” Ask if he regrets the manner in which his Rangers career ended and his answer is instant. “Of course,” he said. “I have regrets that my story with Rangers is not complete. “I know my time there was seen by others as being mysterious and controversial. I am bringing out a book in April and those issues will be dealt with at that time but there were injuries and many misunderstandings. And of course there was a squash ball...” The physical pain may have long gone but 17 years on the emotional scars remain. He said: “For me, my career ended the day I was hit in the eye with that squash ball on the fifth of January. “I tried to come back. Rangers were struggling a little bit as they tried to win 10 in a row and the pressure was huge for everyone. I had to rest for two months because the pressure on my eye was very high. I couldn’t train properly, I couldn’t do anything. “I was a striker, a penalty box player, and my game was all about sharpness. “That’s why I played squash – it helped my footwork and movement. “But although I got playing again it wasn’t the same. The eye wasn’t right but I wanted to play my part. “Absolutely, I regret it. It started so well. I was winning the race for the European Golden Boot and waiting for a call-up to the Italy squad ahead of the World Cup in France. “I was on top of the world and then something terrible happened. “As a player you can expect to injure your knee or your ankle or something. But believe me, I did not expect to go to a squash court with Sergio Porrini on my day off and come back without a retina in my eye. “It was terrible luck and although I am relaxed about speaking about it now, at the time it was so hard to live with.” Negri is happy now, though. And after the Ricksen match he is looking forward to representing Rangers in Australia at a summer coaching school. He said: “I’ve been doing soccer camps with a big society in Milan with players like Fabio Cannavaro, Massimo Ambrosini and Alessandro Costacurta. “Last season I did it in Portland in the USA and the year before in Seattle. “This June I am going to Darwin in Australia with Rangers to become involved in some soccer schools being run by the club. That will help me give something back to the club. “I was contacted by Andrew Power, a Rangers fan, who runs the biggest soccer school in Australia. He saw what I had done for the Milan Society in the USA and Italy and asked if I’d be interested. I said yes immediately.” Doesn’t sound much like Moody Marco, does he? Maybe in reality he never was. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/rangers-legend-marco-negri-opens-4952619?
  18. "Former Bayern Munich boss holds talks with consortium looking to gain control at Ibrox as he impresses with his blueprint for future of the club Felix Magath has joined forces with the Three Bears in a bid to force a regime change at Rangers. Record Sport revealed yesterday how the former Bayern Munich boss had bought one per cent stake in the cash crippled club. Magath held discussions with one of the key players in the Three Bears consortium after flying into Scotland last week." http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/felix-magath-joins-up-three-4950904 Is it just just coincidence that Nerlinger, who has been so heavily linked with us recently is fairly close to Magath (I believe)? Nerlinger also scored against Magath's Stuttgart side when we beat them at Ibrox in 2003.
  19. From Sun website - By JONNY BOYLE Published: 1 hr ago STEVIE SMITH admits Rangers are dreading next month’s powderkeg Old Firm clash with Celtic. The Ibrox side face the Hoops in the League Cup semi-final at Hampden on Sunday, February 1. Smith understands why the Rangers supporters are worried about being on the end of an embarrassing result against their bitter rivals given their recent form. And he admits Kenny McDowall’s squad aren’t looking forward to it one bit either. He said: “I started thinking about the Celtic game as soon as it got drawn, to be honest. “But with the results we have been having and the way we have been playing, I don’t think we can think about it too much. “We have got to take every game as it comes. I know that sounds like an old cliche but maybe if we were playing well we could look forward to it a bit more. “But we aren’t. “Everybody has got their opinions and are entitled to them. "The fans will probably be dreading it because in the big games this season, we haven’t done well. “We know that but we will deal with the Celtic game when it comes.” Meanwhile, boss McDowall — whose side face Alloa tomorrow — admits the club’s scouting department needs a complete overhaul. He said: “Since the club went into the trouble that we are into, we have been operating without a scouting team. “The whole thing has got to be addressed at some point but at the moment there is nothing. "We have two people doing match reports for us. Obviously they do a bit of scouting for us as well. “We have got contacts in the game ourselves and that’s what we’ve been relying on. “This is such a big club and these things should all be in place. Hopefully we will get back to being the way we should be.” Rangers revealed this week they would need an emergency cash injection before the end of the month or face another financial crisis. But McDowall insists he’s purely focused on football. He said: “That side of it I’m not involved in at all. I’ve been told to take the football side, which I’m doing, and that’s it. I’m carrying on regardless. “I’ve had discussions with the chief executive but it has purely been about football matters. I’m quite happy to do that. “I don’t think there’s any point worrying about the off-field reports. I’ve been told to do a job, I’m doing that job as best I can, and I’ve got to carry on.” German boss Felix Magath has been linked with a share purchase in Rangers. But he moved to play down reports he could be set for a role at Ibrox. He said: “I don’t want to comment on my stock dealings, that’s private. “I spent the Christmas holidays in London and actually visited someone in Glasgow but I don’t want to comment on whether there has been talks with the club either.”
  20. Not really a fan of Barry Ferguson to paraphrase his brother, but here it is...
  21. GERMAN football legend Felix Magath has bought one per cent of Rangers and outlined his vision for the footballing future of the cash-strapped club. Record Sport can reveal the former Bayern Munich boss has emerged as a major and serious player following talks over the last week with influential figures around Ibrox. Magath has spoken with one of the groups battling for control of the club - not American Robert Sarver - and, if all goes well, could become Technical Director at Murray Park by the summer. German sources last night confirmed Magath’s involvement but, amazingly, he did not let on about his shares purchase before sitting down for discussions with the Rangers group. Magath, most recently in charge at Fulham , has been watching the Rangers story unfold with some dismay over the last three years and decided to take a personal stake in the club towards the end of last year - city sources suggest it was around one per cent. He has long admired Rangers and believes they are a massive club who are ready to come good again, with the right guidance from the boardroom the training ground. He invested a chunk of his own wealth backing his belief that the only way for the club is up - and now he may be handed a chance to influence its future. It’s believed Magath impressed in talks as he outlined a vision that will completely restructure the club’s playing department from top to bottom. The 61-year-old has no desire to become first-team coach, but is ready to demand autonomy in putting in a structure from youth level upwards that will give the club the best chance of returning to the top, with a strong focus on developing talent. It will be based on the German model, with a focus on work ethic, technique and technical ability, underpinned by a proper European and worldwide scouting system. Magath believes he is the man to oversee it all, and reckons Murray Park is an ideal environment in which to develop younger, talented players after spending part of his pre-season training camp at the facility with Fulham last summer. Magath’s spell at Fulham may not have ended successfully but he has many admirers, not least in Germany where his way of guiding clubs was always successful, so long as coaches and his board went with his way of thinking From Hamburg to Nürnberg, to Bremen to Frankfurt he has won a reputation for stabilising and building successful structures and at Stuttgart he developed players such as Kevin Kuranyi, Philipp Lahm, Mario Gomez and Alex Hleb. He left Stuttgart for Bayern Munich and won the double twice in a row, but arguably his greatest achievement came seven years ago at Wolfsburg. They avoided relegation on the last day of the season in 2007, but the following year he took them to fifth and in 2009 won the title, earning the club a fortune in the process with the development of players such as Edin Dzeko, Zvjezdan Misimovic and Brazilian striker Grafite. He left the club the following season for Schalke 04 and his restructuring paid off immediately when they came second after finishing ninth the season before. He led them to the German cup final and the quarter-final of the Champions League but was still fired by the board in 2011 after a dispute over his methods. One German source said: “Felix does not care about names – he focuses only on performance and attitude, whether it is a star, an established player or a youngster. This is why he brought out so many young or unknown players.” Now he could be ready to weave his magic again as the Godfather of Govan in what would be one of the boldest and most audacious appointments in the history of the Scottish game. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/ex-bayern-munich-boss-felix-magath-4945747
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