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http://www.gersnetonline.net/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=472&Itemid=2 Already, much has been written about the start of the season. Some of it is based on our reasonable start; some of it on the challenges we continue to face; and some of it understandably on past issues. What disappointments me most of all is the continued theme of negativity throughout all these topics. While one can empathise with these feelings, I think itââ?¬â?¢s time we tried to move on from the last 2 years of non-success and the last 7 years of inconsistency. Obviously, although that in no way means we should be ignoring the continuing problems we face in some areas, Iââ?¬â?¢m firmly of the opinion positivity breeds success and such an attitude can only help our club. Letââ?¬â?¢s look at matters on the park first. Ten new signings, 5 decent results and 5 clean sheets resulting in our early position at the top of the SPL and an increased chance of our progression to the financial pot of the Championsââ?¬â?¢ League rainbow. Considering the number of new players, the short summer of rest and the fact we lost out on a few targets, all in all itââ?¬â?¢s a satisfying start. Obviously, itââ?¬â?¢s not without its concerns. Walterââ?¬â?¢s tactics continue to be best described as overly cautious, the team are playing too deep (especially at Ibrox) and the lack of a genuine creative player is all too evident. However, in this bearââ?¬â?¢s opinion, the good far outweighs the bad. Our central defence looks as solid as itââ?¬â?¢s been since the days of Richard Gough. Carlos Cuellar appears to be a better version of Jean-Alain Boumsong and David Weir gives the aura of an experienced teacher lending his skills and discipline to the younger players. Alan Hutton and Allan McGregor continue their development and both being called up by Scotland highlights their consistency. Sasa Papac has also contributed very well to our decent start and while Kirk Broadfoot has been less assured, heââ?¬â?¢s coped well with being thrust into the pressure cauldron of the CL qualifiers at both right and left full back. In midfield, weââ?¬â?¢ve seen much flexibility. Our wide players seem agreeably interchangeable and while creativity is certainly short; we do seem able to enforce our play more effectively in the latter periods of games. Organisation and hard work seems the key here and although frustration can result for the fans, discipline and patience is as much a part of football as gung-ho attack. Kevin Thomson goes from strength to strength; Barry Ferguson and Brahim Hemdani bring their usual composure while DaMarcus Beasley and Nacho Novo have made chances and scored goals from deeper areas. Last and certainly not least, the much maligned signing of Lee McCulloch has shown that the big manââ?¬â?¢s industry and commitment all over the pitch will serve us well for the next 2 years. Up front is less clear at this stage. It appears that all our strikers appear to be struggling with the lone striker role as well as finding an understanding when 2 forwards are actually deployed. Kris Boyd is short of confidence and Jean-Claude Darcheville works hard with few rewards though fortunately, Daniel Cousin has shown that he seems to have the right mix of target-man, pace and finishing qualities to get the nod. Certainly, our conservative outlook to our tactics and formations hasnââ?¬â?¢t helped the development of our forward line. With time Iââ?¬â?¢m confident that will come. All in all, our signings have started well enough and while their reputations are mainstream rather than spectacular, we should be encouraged at how theyââ?¬â?¢ve gelled quickly and helped attain this decent start. Not to mention the likes of Webster, Whittaker and Gow who have not yet had their chance to impress. Off the pitch, well, weââ?¬â?¢ll start with investment first. The playing squad needed Ã?£10million spent on it and we seem to be approaching that figure. Indeed, Iââ?¬â?¢d imagine qualification for the CL Group Stage will see another 2 signings. A much needed creative influence (despite the returning Buffel) and another left-back (if the rumours about Stevie Smithââ?¬â?¢s lack of progress are to be believed) should be the main targets. While none of us have reason to trust David Murray, he does deserve praise for belatedly matching the supportââ?¬â?¢s ambitions. One just wonders why this didnââ?¬â?¢t happen last summer. Perhaps, given PLGââ?¬â?¢s poor transfer market performance, itââ?¬â?¢s just as well for our finances he didnââ?¬â?¢t receive the same kind of kitty. Unfortunately, the spectre of sectarianism reared its ugly head again 2 weeks past. While the matter was again sensationalised and exaggerated by parts the media, it was good to see the Rangers fans (via the Trust, Assembly and Association) unequivocally condemn the minority of yobs with the offensive add-ons. Given the progress our wonderful support has already made in the battle against bigotry, Iââ?¬â?¢ve no doubt weââ?¬â?¢ll continue to show our detractors that we can win this war and give those of other clubs who have similar problems food for thought in their own fights. Thus, with the club AGM being held next Thursday, the board will be feeling a bit more confident of facing the shareholders. Let them not rest on their laurels though. Much improvement is still required at the club and 5 good results and even CL qualification should not hide that. Whilst this article urges a positive outlook, the chairman and the board of directors must invoke further decisive change at our club. Firstly, changes at board level must be sought. The debt has risen again and some directors appear bereft of ideas to change this. John McLelland, Dave King and Alistair Johnston should be doing much more to innovate, invest and improve all aspects of the club. If they canââ?¬â?¢t, itââ?¬â?¢s time they were replaced. We have several talented high net worth fans here in Scotland who have shown through their own business operations that they can provide this outlook. Are they ready to step up to the plate? Similarly, itââ?¬â?¢s imperative that the club appoints a fan to the board at last. While reasonable dialogue has been ongoing in recent times, rhetoric and open-ended commitments must be turned into real supportersââ?¬â?¢ representation. A democratically elected executive board member is an important stage to the fans being more involved in the decision-making of the future. Given our tremendous loyalty and unwavering financial commitment of the last 135 years, our rightful place at the table must be offered. Other challenges remain as well. Our PR continues to be well below average and our marketing and branding unacceptably poor despite the financial considerations of the JJB deal. We must also consolidate on our under 19s successes of last year and look to improve our training facilities and youth system to match the very best in the world. If Hibs can bring through and make millions on young Scottish talent, then so can we. Rangers are the world most successful club ââ?¬â?? do we want to keep that proud record? Thus itââ?¬â?¢s from the top of the league and off the back of a good home result against a dangerous Red Star team that I issue this rallying call. Yes, letââ?¬â?¢s ensure the relevant questions about the running of the club are still asked vociferously. Yes, letââ?¬â?¢s ensure the players (new and old) are aware of what we expect from them. Yes, letââ?¬â?¢s ensure the manager is constructively criticised to aid improvement. But, letââ?¬â?¢s start to look forward ââ?¬â?? not back. If we donââ?¬â?¢t do that, we start to put the positives in shadow, the light will fail and the vultures will circle again. Rangers are the proudest, most successful team in Scotland. Our fans are second to none ââ?¬â?? to none ââ?¬â?? and we seem to be emerging from a dark, dark time slowly but surely. None of us want to repeat the last couple of years. We want a brighter future and we want to be the best. Letââ?¬â?¢s show it by being positive and concentrating not on the negatives but by doing what we do best ââ?¬â?? being loyal; being proud; being steadfast and being supportive. We are the people!

I think we're all more than aware of the concerns of many of the Rangers fans when it comes to the reporting of certain issues by the media. Sometimes, these concerns are extremely valid and on occasion not so obvious or correct. Certainly, Rangers themselves, as well as the fans and players, haven't helped themselves in this regard. From players writing *** autographs; to the club taking too long to instigate positive dialogue with the fans; to the fans (or at least a small minority of them) still wanting to imbibe our great songs with daft add-ons - there have been many reasons why our media coverage isn't as positive as it could be. Certainly, we can have no complaint when we let ourselves down so damn easily. However, one does detect a small change over the last few days... 1. I have never seen the Rangers support (at large) react so strongly to a few idiots letting us down. I think the '*** Brigade' may find their attempts thwarted in the future to be foolish within our excellent away support. 2. Graham Spiers and Jim Traynor - strong opponents of sectarianism and some may say selective in their crusades - have admitted that Derry's Walls and the Sash are not offensive per se and we should not be challenged if these songs are sung correctly. 3. The new Scottish Executive administration have at last admitted the whole sectarianism campaign is over-publicised and no where near as bad as some commentators would have us believe. 4. The club have admitted their PR has to be better and after initial MediaHouse work on improving our overall image, they are now supposedly working upon a different strategy when it comes to lies, half-truths and rumour-mongering amongst the Fourth Estate. 5. Our manager, after being disrespected by one such mischief-maker, left him (and his employers) in no doubt that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated by him. All the above shows that the Rangers support can achieve results when we feel hard done by. This is not to say we don't deserve criticism or negative stories - we often do and one would never suggest we don't - but it's good to know that we can work towards helping ensure the media do report accurately, do report fairly and if they don't our club takes action. We've had a very positive start to the season bears. A few decent results (if unspectacular), a few decent signings (if also unspectacular) and despite the problems at Inverness, this issue may well turn in our favour. As such, what this shows, is that when united, the Rangers fans (together with the club) can help turn around our fortunes. Yes, we still have many problems and many challenges ahead of us, but is it me or is the sun shining that wee bit brighter this morning...? WATP

Murray tips Celts to retain the title By Ron Scott SIR DAVID MURRAY fully expects to spend well in excess of Ã?£10 million on new players before the transfer window closes. Yet the Rangers chairman admits Celtic remain favourites to win the title. ââ?¬Å?They have won the Championship for the last two seasons and the bookies have made them favourites this time, too,ââ?¬Â he conceded. ââ?¬Å?Itââ?¬â?¢s difficult to disagree. ââ?¬Å?But we must make a serious challenge and be there or thereabouts. We canââ?¬â?¢t afford to be so far behind Celtic again.ââ?¬Â Rangers have already spent around Ã?£5 million on new faces, but Murray insisted, ââ?¬Å?Weââ?¬â?¢re not finished yet. Weââ?¬â?¢ll make at least two more quality signings, if not three. We definitely want another top-class striker.ââ?¬Â Rumours Murray played down rumours in France that his club are about to sign 30-year-old striker Daniel Cousin from Lens for Ã?£1 million, and re-iterated they wonââ?¬â?¢t be increasing their Ã?£1.5 million bid for Kilmarnockââ?¬â?¢s Stevie Naismith. Heââ?¬â?¢s determined not to break the clubââ?¬â?¢s wage structure. ââ?¬Å?Meeting the Ã?£4.4 million transfer fee to Hibs for Scott Brown was not a problem. But we were not prepared to pay the Ã?£25,000-a-week heââ?¬â?¢s reputedly on at Celtic,ââ?¬Â said Murray. ââ?¬Å?Before you know it the deal ends up costing around Ã?£14-Ã?£15-million by the time you add on wages for a five-year contract. ââ?¬Å?We must have parity in the dressing-room. ââ?¬Å?Young Scottish players coming through can expect to earn between Ã?£2000 and Ã?£3000-a-week, rising to Ã?£6-7000 if they get a decent run in the first team. ââ?¬Å?By the time theyââ?¬â?¢re regulars, the figure is between Ã?£10-12,000, going as high as Ã?£16,000-a-week with bonuses. ââ?¬Å?The key is to reach the Champions League proper. Thatââ?¬â?¢s where the club makes money and the players earn huge bonuses.ââ?¬Â Revealed Rangersââ?¬â?¢ financial figures will be revealed this week and itââ?¬â?¢s anticipated they will show a debt of around Ã?£12 million. But Murray insisted, ââ?¬Å?Our debt is totally manageable.ââ?¬Â He has now entered his 20th year as chairman, and admits he wonââ?¬â?¢t go on for ever. ââ?¬Å?Weââ?¬â?¢ve won 13 titles in these 19 years, but some time Iââ?¬â?¢ll decide I donââ?¬â?¢t want to do this forever,ââ?¬Â he said. ââ?¬Å?Iââ?¬â?¢ve been on the dancefloor with a couple of interested parties, but Iââ?¬â?¢ll only sell my legacy if Iââ?¬â?¢m convinced the future of the club is in good hands. ââ?¬Å?There is no point someone having to beg, steal and borrow to buy the club then having nothing left to invest. ââ?¬Å?Iââ?¬â?¢m re-invigorated since Walter Smith returned and I remain committed as proved by the money being spent.ââ?¬Â

Hadn't seen either of these articles posted, if they have been, I apologize. Murray on Brown/Naismith: Rangers executive chairman Sir David Murray says that the Light Blues could not afford to sign new Celtic midfielder Scott Brown from Hibernian. He claims Brown could not have been accommodated in a new system which rewards key Ibrox players. He said: "If he's on the wages that have been reported how would that leave us with our other players? "Would Rangers' young Scots be happy to sign new deals on less than half what another young Scot was being paid?" Scotland cap Brown ended up at Celtic Park in a £4.4m transfer despite ongoing speculation that Ibrox was his preferred destination. Meanwhile, Murray also expressed an interest in reviving the club's wish to bring Kilmarnock's Steven Naismith to Ibrox. He remains hopeful of securing the Scotland striker, despite a summer-long signing saga, even though Rangers boss Walter Smith has withdrawn the club's latest bid. Kilmarnock chairman Michael Johnston has reported plenty of interest from other teams. And the Ibrox chief explained: "We've the greatest respect for Kilmarnock but if they have other clubs who want to buy the player, why don't they accept one of those bids they've received? "Walter has already spoken about the offer we made. "He's a good young player and we'd like to have him here but he's 20 years old and at that age you're buying potential." Murray is also backing Smith to bring Rangers closer to champions Celtic in the Scottish Premier League. "What we can't have is the gap there was last season. "Obviously we'd prefer to win it, but I think every Rangers supporter wants to see us compete." Murray On His Future: CHAIRMAN Sir David Murray says Rangers hope to bring in another three players before the transfer window closes and will spend as much as £10m in total rebuilding the squad. And he insists he has not found the right man or men to take over his role as custodian of the club. Murray has made it clear that if the right offer comes in he will step aside but so far he has not been offered an acceptable bid that will guaranteee the future of Rangers. He said: "What I have said repeatedly is that I am coming up for 20 years. I have been here 19 years and I have won 13 championships. "I said that I didn't want to do this job forever but I will only sell if the right person comes along whom I believe can take the club on to a better and higher level. "There have been a few nibbles but not the right people for me to hand over my legacy. "I think you can see we have been quite active again in the market. We will spend over £10million this year on players by the time the window closes. "We intend to bring in two or three more players. I am invigorated that Walter, Ally and Kenny are here. There has been a vibrancy. "I remain committed to the club. A lot of things have happened to me in the last couple of years but I am no less committed to Rangers Football Club. "There is no photo-fit of the ideal person to buy the club. I have to feel comfortable that my legacy and the future of the club will be in good hands. "It is very hard to remain popular for 19 years. I have been through all the highs and all the lows and all the successes and failures. "There is no point in someone coming along and using every single penny they have got to put them in a position to own the club." If the three are Whittaker, Cousin and Naismith.. Well, who knows.

CHARLIE ADAM has given Rangers a huge pre-season boost by signing a new contract tying him to the club until 2012. The midfielder has committed his future to Rangers and is delighted to cap a fantastic debut campaign by penning a five-year deal. Since returning from St Mirren last summer Adam's reputation has risen considerably due to a string of excellent performances in the top team. After being given his chance by Paul Le Guen, the 22-year-old then held down his place in the side following Walter Smith's appointment and made over 40 appearances last term. His 14 goals also played a big part in helping the Light Blues cement a Champions League spot and Adam's efforts were subsequently rewarded with a call up to the Scotland squad. His involvement with the Dark Blues at the end of the season topped a great year and although he only had 20 days' rest in the summer, Charlie admits is feeling fit and raring to go. He told Rangers.co.uk: "It's great to be back and I am enjoying training so far. "We didn't get too long off but I really don't mind because we are here at Murray Park now preparing, hopefully, for a really successful season. "I am also delighted to get my contract sorted and commit my future to Rangers. "I have been here for a while, with two loan spells in between and I was happy with how I did last season. "To come back and play over 40 games was more than I could have expected and now to be rewarded with a new deal is fantastic. "I spoke to the manager and his advice influenced my decision to sign such a long-term deal. "What he said just confirmed my own thoughts and I'm pleased it's all finalised before the games start. "I will keep working hard and hopefully do well. We have strengthened the squad and I believe we can have a good season." Gload to see he has been sgined up, one of the best bits of talent to come out of Murray Park

Still in for Faubert, Cuellar, McCulloch with Beasley supposedly signed and looking at a loan for Webster.

Although probably a made-up story it would be a shock if true!

Good news IMO, I think we could still see the best of him yet

MARTIN McMILLAN June 20 2007 Hearts last night defended a 30% rise in ticket prices that will be imposed on supporters of the Old Firm and Hibernian at Tynecastle next season. Fans of Celtic, Rangers and Hibs will have to part with �£33 to watch their team in the centre of the upper section of the Roseburn Stand, a jump of �£8 from the last campaign. Supporters in the other areas of the stand will be charged �£27, an increase of �£7 on last season, for Category A' matches. Opposing fans outside the Old Firm and Hibs will pay between �£17 and �£22 for Category B' games in the Roseburn Stand. advertisement Hibs fans have reacted with disbelief to the price increase, claiming Vladimir Romanov, the Hearts owner, is merely lining his pockets. But the club have defended the price hike in light of the planned redevelopment of the Tynecastle main stand in the coming campaign. "We reviewed the pricing of match-day tickets at some length prior to any increases," said a Hearts spokesman. "It's really all about supply and demand and we have to be commercially aware. Demand for tickets for Hearts versus Hibs at Tynecastle outstrips supply." Hibs travel to Tynecastle on the opening day of the season and Dave Kowalski, a spokesman for fans website Hibs.net, said yesterday: "Thirty-three pounds is an outrageous price. I've not heard about an organised Hibs boycott, but if there was one, Hearts would deserve to lose money." Meanwhile, FC Thun are seeking to secure a deal with Hearts to allow the Finnish striker, Juho Makela, to return to Switzerland. The 23-year-old was loaned to Thun in February and is unsure of his Tynecastle future, despite being contracted until June 2009. Reto Gertschen, the Thun general manager said: "The return of Juho Makela is an option for us. I spoke to him and he showed an interest to play for us again." Hearts are also rumoured to be set to return Chile again with a move for international winger Jose Luis Cabion. 33 quid for a ticket that is daylight robbery and should be looked into by instances controlling price rices and monopolies.

I wonder if he casn't be promised it and we could get him on loan for a season. Walter and Sir Alex know each ither very well and everyone knows that Smith has a soft spot for the Gers

As the Rangers support rightly becomes ever more impatient with the slow and apparently minimal strengthening of the playing staff this summer itââ?¬â?¢s interesting to note that this Wednesday the Queen will hold an Investiture at Buckingham Palace. This essentially means that after a 6 month wait since being announced as a Knight Bachelor in the New Year Honours list, David Edward Murray will finally be officially known as Sir David Murray. Mere mortals such as I can only imagine the pomp and glamour associated with such an event. Iââ?¬â?¢m sure the pride and indeed honour of being recognised by oneââ?¬â?¢s peers could be considered the pinnacle of oneââ?¬â?¢s professional career. Certainly, Sir David Murrayââ?¬â?¢s business career has been impressive and he deserves much credit for the way he has led his life whilst battling several personal tragedies. Ergo, I sincerely hope our chairman enjoys the day and accepts our good wishes. I then hope that, after the ceremony and upon his return to Scotland, Sir David will then commence a renewed campaign to return our club to the pinnacle of their domestic fraternity. In the last two seasons our great club has not won a thing and the outlook isnââ?¬â?¢t bright ahead of any new campaign. Beaten to the signature of Scott Brown, embarrassing and pointless bids for Steven Naismith and the usual media stooges announcing non-existent bids for the likes of Claudio Pizarro means the pawns in this game of transfer chess are interesting to discuss. Is it the first class players who we allege we will buy? Is it the young domestic players who we canââ?¬â?¢t compete with Celtic for? Or is it the fans who are being asked to renew their season tickets at an increased price for little return? No matter the answer to that question, we are losing the game ââ?¬â?? even at this early stage. Alan Gow, Kirk Broadfoot and Jean-Claude Darchville are all reasonable signings. All three have the game to add to our squad as well as the potential to improve it. However, we still need more and we still need players of a class to settle quickly ahead of a huge game in late July where weââ?¬â?¢ll be involved in the second round of the CL qualifers. Teams such FenerbahÃ?§e, AEK Athens and Sparta Prague then all await if we make it to the third round in mid/late August. Can we genuinely say weââ?¬â?¢re confident of beating these teams? Do we have the squad to cope with these huge matches while getting off to a much-needed good start in the SPL? To maximise our chances, itââ?¬â?¢s vital we make any further signings as soon as possible. Pre-season will soon be upon our players and its imperative that, considering the number of changes Smith intends to make, all new players are integrated into the squad as soon as possible. The longer our new team has together in terms of training and actual matches the better. Waiting till the window shuts in late August to make the bulk of our signings is very risky and we donââ?¬â?¢t exactly have a great record of doing good business on deadline day. I guess the likes of Murray and Bain will be trying to ensure that we only spend money we can afford. Obviously, that makes fiscal sense but instead of gambling on CL Group stage qualification with an under-strength squad, why not spend the allocated funds (whatever they may be) early enough to maximise our chances? Yes, that is also a gamble but the odds are arguably not as long as the former. Spending money on players is always a risk. We have suffered in the past from this and will continue to do so in the future. We havenââ?¬â?¢t helped ourselves by having a non-existent scouting system and by negotiating the kind of contracts that make players lazy. Again, we have to minimise risk by taking the time to analyse prospective players fully in what they may bring to the club. As such, perhaps our lack of real movement on the transfer front is explained by a greater need for full analysis. If this is the case then patience must be advised. However, weââ?¬â?¢ve been patient now for over two years. Weââ?¬â?¢ve also been incredibly loyal and weââ?¬â?¢ll continue to be so. What we now need is ambition, commitment and leadership from those we follow. What better leader than a newly honoured knight of the realm? He may not be here for much longer and perhaps his battle days are behind him. But can he leave a sporting legacy that would match the pride he has for his business work? Or is this one step too far for a warrior who can no longer lead from the front? Arise, Sir David... http://www.gersnetonline.net/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=425&Itemid=1

http://www.gersnetonline.net/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=422&Itemid=2 At last, after much rhetoric over the last few years, the SPL (in conjunction with the SFA*) is to officially introduce wide-ranging rules to combat anti-social behaviour at matches from next season. The new legislation, to be included in its constitution from August 1st, will include tough new penalties for offenders. These will include fines, annulling and replaying of fixtures, deduction of points, closing all or part of a stadium and playing matches behind closed doors, withholding the title and, ultimately, expulsion from the league. Tough talking then from the authorities - however the question remains in that what exactly is anti-social behaviour? Obviously it rightly includes sectarianism. Over the last few years Rangers fans especially have been vilified for such behaviour. Chants of *** and the use of the word ââ?¬Ë?******ââ?¬â?¢ have been challenged and, for the most part, wiped out in an admirable years work by the Rangers support. Being fined by UEFA in 2006 finally made the majority of the Rangers support appreciate that a small cross section were letting us (and our club) down by using outdated chants to bore other fans with non-football related nonsense. One unfortunate incident in Spain earlier this year brought the issue again to the fore and since then the Rangers support have worked together to ââ?¬Ë?self-policeââ?¬â?¢. The results have been magnificent and although weââ?¬â?¢ll have to continue to work not to allow any small minority to let us down, our support deserves a lot of praise for reacting to the criticism (from the media and the authorities) so quickly and so well. Just a pity you wonââ?¬â?¢t read about it any time soon from the people who wanted the improvement. However, no faux praise is required as we should be happy enough with our progress to feel comfortable that the new SPL legislation may not actually worry us more than some of the other teams in the league. What also seems to be included (if you take the Scotsman article below at face value**) is offensive singing generally. Unfortunately, this is where the new legislation will really be tested. Ewing Grahame suggests that songs about ââ?¬Ë?sheep-sh#ggersââ?¬â?¢ will be punished as well as any other ââ?¬Ë?racist, sexist or violent behaviourââ?¬â?¢. This is strange as the Aberdeen fans sing about their selves in that (albeit bizarre) manner and there was little complaint in May when Neil Lennon light-heartedly used the term to describe them as they ruined his farewell speech. A contested term already and we have hardly started analysing the issue! Thus, what else can be considered offensive? ââ?¬Ë?Politicalââ?¬â?¢ songs supporting terrorist organisations will obviously be high on the agenda but will the SFA be expected to ââ?¬Ë?self-policeââ?¬â?¢ the Scotland fans as they sing about Jimmy Hill being a p##f? Will the Hibs fans be in the dock for suggesting some Hearts players may be overly-friendly with their owner? Indeed, will the Edinburgh clubs no longer be able to sing about Glasgow slums when they travel west? Killie fans may also no longer wish to be ââ?¬Ë?up to their knees in Ayr bloodââ?¬â?¢. Just how far will the new rules go? There is obviously a fine line between banter and ill-advised mockery of rival clubsââ?¬â?¢ backgrounds compared to genuine discrimination and prejudice. Ergo, who will decide where the line is drawn? After his embarrassing quotes of last week, can we safely assume it wonââ?¬â?¢t be new ââ?¬Ë?Honorary (sic) Vice-Chairmanââ?¬â?¢ of the SFA John McBeth? Perhaps new Chief Executive Gordon Smith will contribute? Just donââ?¬â?¢t tell the Celtic fans who have started a petition against that particular appointment (what they are doing about Eric Rileyââ?¬â?¢s loyalties isnââ?¬â?¢t known). Thus, itââ?¬â?¢s vital for the credibility of any new rules that they are set out clearly beforehand. If the authorities are serious about the problem, the education of the problem fans should initially be paramount before condemnation and punishment. What songs are offensive? What chants are not acceptable? What is the punishment? Who decides? Will the fans be consulted and represented? Where do the stewards and police fit in? For this to work we have to be made aware of the banned terms and the penalties awaiting any breach. What is also clear is for the legislation to be a success is that all Scottish clubs must take the directive on board and act accordingly. The Rangers support are still imperfect but their actions so far in terms of admitting they have a problem while combating it strongly via the fans working with the club are actions worthy of imitation by any other club that may face similar future problems. What hasnââ?¬â?¢t been so encouraging is that while the Rangers fans have been acting positively; other supports have continued to plead their innocence from the moral high ground. Will the fans be able to rise above judgements based on one-upmanship? Or can we expect some supports to continue to be more eager to have others punished instead of facing their own problems? Can we rely on the media to be neutral in their approach or will we continue to see the irresponsible reporting that continues to increase tension instead of alleviating it? Judgement Day is almost upon us. Scottish football can either lead the way in dealing with offensive behaviour or the whole issue could prove to make us a laughing stock. Can football really show society and the politicians how to remove anti-social behaviour from our country? Or will this be another case of all talk and no substance while flawed legislation ruins our game? At this stage there are still far too many questions and not enough answers. The clock is ticking.... * - http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/news.cfm?newsid=2999 ** - http://sport.scotsman.com/football.cfm?id=866752007

Hopefully he will be a good player in the future

It's often commented on Rangers sites that we used to be regularly chastised in the press for a lack of a contribution to national squads, yet now we have improved the number of Scots starting the press often fail to mention it. Last night 6 bears contributed to a Scottish victory. Ok it was a friendly and poor opposition, but a win away is a good result for us. Lets not get carried away with our current ranking which is really a bit high. Starters McGregor - Debut. Hardly troubled but a confident display, coming for balls which will in turn breed confidence in the defence. Admitted himself he is unlikely to displace Gordon, even if CG has a slump in form. Regardless competition for the number one spot is good for Scotland. Weir - Best CB Scotland has. Enough said. Shame he doesn't have much time left. Fergie - Captain. First pick. Time and again the only man who can live at international level with almost any team, with the possible exception of Fletcher. Boyd - Linked well with O'Connor, setting up his goal. Pleasantly suprised by the partnership as I though O'Connor was a poor man's Boyd, but GO played off Boyd well. Missed two good chances (the overhead was unlucky imo, poor contact but hard to get on the end of) and a third which should've been a goal, no excuses. Subs Hutton - Going on last nights performance by Alexander, Alan should've started. Best RB we have available. Well deserved debut, although Eck erred by not giving him the full game imo. Adam - Good debut season with Rangers, rewarded with a debut at international level. Short time to impress. Again, why not use a friendly to learn more about the guys who have yet to play at this level and will be available to the national set up for the next decade at least? The Celtic contribution Caldwell started and was one of the worst players on the field. Constantly giving away needless free kicks. Too naive for an international performance. Nearly cost us a goal, losing his man late on to bullet a header off the bar. Hartley came on RM, lacked discipline playing with no width and moving into the middle all the time. Would make it hard for the RB with a lack of cover and his captain's effectiveness was limited as he had to move to the right to cover for Hartley. Very poor, on form he should not be in the squad. Poor for over a year. McManus is probably better than Caldwell, should maybe have started. Came on late on to shore up the middle of the park. No time to have a real impact. Now bearing in mind if Smith can regularly recapture his pre-injury form consistently he should be a starter, and the Webster at Hearts was a national pick and the future for the national team and Rangers is looking very bright. My Scotland team when all are fit and on form would be: Gordon Hutton Weir Webster Smith Brown Fergie Fletcher McCulloch Boyd McFadden Subs McGregor Anderson Naysmith Quashie O'Connor

http://www.arsedup.com/arsedup/arsedup.php/2007/05/29/arsenal_starlet_joins_glasgow_rangers haven't seen this anywhere. one for the future I hope

Roman Abramovich has reportedly told Chelsea he will no longer spend his billions on the club. The Russian owner has, according to The Sun, decided that he no longer wants to be a key decision maker and believes the club should operate as a proper business - meaning they will have to generate their own transfer budget like most other clubs. That throws into doubt the future of stars Frank Lampard and John Terry who are both negotiating new deals. Abramovich, who revealed his plans at a meeting last Monday, has imposed a wage cap and with both England internationals unwilling to settle for less than they feel they are worth, Chelsea may decide to cash in this summer as both players have two years left on their current contracts. The club are hoping to bring in three new players in the summer, but won't splash the cash on transfer fees as they have in the past. Steve Sidwell has already joined on a free transfer from Reading with Claudio Pizarro of Bayern Munich set to do likewise, while Brazilian defender Alex will join from PSV in July for a fee of one dollar. Chelsea were 180mil in the red, if Roman cuts the cash there will be big problems at the Bridge.

Suprised no one has posted this yet. Last night on both news channels they reported that his agent is flying into Glasgow to have talks and he is expected to sign next week. They had an interview with McCulloch and all he was saying he had a meeting with the new manager to sort out his future and was just smiling when asked about Rangers, so i think he will be a Gers player very soon

Will be good if he starts, watched him on Saturday and he was taking the piss out of Dunfermline. You will probably see Webster play as well, along with Lennon

New record for the quickest manager reign - 10 mins! At least he was unbeaten

About time these two players got called up Hutton is playing out of his skin this now and whenever Charlie gets a free kick you are confident it is landing in the back of the net.

As part of the Rangers Archive project, Gersnet Online would like to open the voting for 'Hall of Fame' project. Obviously, Rangers run their own official Hall of Fame but it would be good to get a flavour of what all online football fans think - as opposed to just Rangers fans and registered users of the official site. As such, we are looking for eleven initial layers for our inaugural nominations. In essence, a team of the very best Rangers players from 1872 to the present day. From the pioneers such as Moses McNeil and his brother Peter right through to Jim Baxter and Brian Laudrup. We'd also like to have two non-playing Rangers men to compliment the above players. William Wilton, Bill Struth and Jock Wallace canot be ignored and there are many more to consider alongside the playing greats. All in all this is a chance for every football fan to vote on their greatest bears to compile a list of the utmost Rangers legends. More news will be available on this venture as we proceed but after the initial vote we'll be looking to our contributors to suggest future recommendations with interesting articles and storis about their own heroes from every era. Please feel free to make your vote by email to wsf_01@yahoo.co.uk where once this season has ended we'll publicise the inaugural Gersnet legends.

Following the positive response to the ââ?¬Ë?self-policing initiativeââ?¬â?¢ and the recent meeting of Supportersââ?¬â?¢ Clubs in The Wee Rangers Club when all parts of the Rangers family were urged to unite, representatives of the Rangers Supportersââ?¬â?¢ Association, the Rangers Supportersââ?¬â?¢ Trust and the Rangers Supportersââ?¬â?¢ Assembly met informally to discuss ways to work together for the good of the club. Whilst the initial part of the meeting involved a discussion on conduct, behaviour and the planned distribution of a leaflet to all Rangers supporters as they enter Easter Road this Saturday, topics covered were wide and varied and included the possibility/feasibility of supporters having control of the club or taking a significant stake in it. Members of the organisations involved will understand that discussions so far have been informal, with the best interest of Rangers FC and its supporters at heart. What was very apparent throughout these discussions was the common ground shared by the organisations and a shared willingness to investigate how to move on, with a more united front. It was agreed that a further meeting be arranged, prior to which each organisation represented would inform their members about the informal discussions that have taken place. Having urged the Rangers family to unite, the natural progression is for organisations to do likewise. http://www.rangerssupporterstrust.co.uk/rstsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=107&Itemid=1

I know it's been prbably done to death but where are we gonna get the players that will make the difference next season? The past few years we seem to have trawled Europe to pick up duds. I think, and obviously so does Walter that closer to home is the best bet. Gow and Broadfoot have signed so who else? Scott Brown is an obvious target and seems realistic although if the reports are true that both Spurs and Boro are after him then there is a possibility that he could be priced out of our league. Even the Mhanks getting involved will probably put the bidding war beyond us with their CL cash. I personally think we should go for Russell Anderson to shore up the defence. He has been mega consistent over the last 3 or 4 years and would give 2 from Anderson, Webster, Weir and Broadfoot. That is a Centre defence I could live with! Also, we desperately need cover for both full backs. 3 months ago I would have said we needed a first choice RB but the way Hutton has come on has been impresive but if he or Smith are injured then we're snookered. To cover these positions Steven Whittiker is the way to go. He can play both sides and is a young lad with a big future. He'sgood enough to give genuine competition. The next one to go for is up front. We're not gonna get Koevermans, not if he is building the sort of reputation he seems to be. He'll go to bigger and better thab the SPL I'm afraid. Healy and Naismith are more realistic. Healy has the strength and power and is proven on the international stage. As for Naismith, we've all seen him and the boy is class. Those two, plus the enigma that is Kris Boyd would give us the goals that'll make a succesful season. Midfield is where I'm a bit stuck. I want Fergie gone, he's not a captain, he's too big for his boots and he isn't conducive to a settled dressing room. Hemdani should be our lynchpin next year as he has been this season but who to put in alongside him? Thompson is to defensive and I think we'll be outpriced for Brown. I think next year is the year for Thomas Buffel to come to the fore. Walter has to start with him, build his confidence. The guy has the talent and now is the time for him to show it.

http://www.gersnetonline.net/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=394&Itemid=1

Where did all go wrong for us this season? Why aren't we witnessing the 'moon-beams' of success promised by (perennial liar) SDM? What went so drastically wrong with the PLG appointment? We were all excited by PLGââ?¬â?¢s appointment and some were blinded by SDMââ?¬â?¢s ââ?¬Ë?moon-beams and financial investmentââ?¬â?¢ promises, both have failed to materialise over the last 9 months or so. In fact, it could be argued that all SDM has achieved over the last 12 months is sell of our most profitable asset in the deal that saw JJB inherit our merchandising sector and brand name. On the pitch, after watching Rangers play wonderful football at Fir Park on the opening weekend of the season (well for about 45 minutes), most of us believed, only to have our dreams shattered and our frustrations heaped upon. It isnââ?¬â?¢t hard to find reasons for us losing the league so weakly ââ?¬â?? dropping 7 points (out of 9) to ICT, dropping 5 out of 9 to DUFC (same record v Tims) and dropping further points to Motherwell, Kilmarnock, St Mirren and DAFC. Our inability to snatch victories from the jaws of defeat (or draws) hasnââ?¬â?¢t helped either. So another season of abject failure that was made worse by the total and utter mismanagement of our club which doesnââ?¬â?¢t bode well for the future. It doesnââ?¬â?¢t take a genius to realise that our squad requires major surgery in the summer, or that the club must pro-actively defend themselves and us the fans as we are continually under fire at the moment. Do we have the leaders at the club to sustain these challenges and come out on top? It is my opinion that Rangers Football Club will never again be successful if Murray, Bain and McIntyre remain in charge. Cammy F