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  1. Dear Ally You are a disgrace, an utter embarrassment. You are the highest paid manager in Scottish football and easily the worst. Once you were a legend but now you just disgust me. I long for you leaving us more and more as each depressing day goes on. You said you will not walk away, perhaps that was because of your obscene wages and the penny shares that have seen you makes millions as we trudge through mud in our destitute state. I find it hard to distinguish between you and all the rest of them, particularly given the fact that you alone are to blame for the horrific football we have put up with for years and the string of embarrassing failures. I never wanted you as manager because I wanted us to take a progressive, modern approach to football and then you failed in four matches against Malmo and Maribor. It was clear from then that you didn't belong in football management. I find you an embarrassing character riddled with delusion that doesn't have the merest notion of reality. If you had on honorable bone in your body you would resign without the pay off. You have got off with daylight robbery here. 12 points behind - surely even you have the decency to disappear. I hope the next time you attend Ibrox you pay at the gate and never get on our payroll again. Regards Ser Barristan Selmy
  2. Ashley wants us to "celebrate" reaching the semi of a diddy cup we've won many times. New from Sports Direct = a commemorative semi-final T-shit. £8 and it yours, What a total effing embarrassment . Hopefully no-one buys it - of course, if they don't we'll have to pay him even more (and he'll have to loan us the money secured on something to do so) and be left with even more unsold tat in our basement. What next - a commemorative cup, a DVD of how we got there, half and half semi final scarves, a book on our Petrowhatever Cup run? PS Sorry for missing "h" in title. Perhaps a boy stole it?
  3. I'm reading on FF that Norman Crighton has left.
  4. http://www.therangersstandard.co.uk/index.php/articles/current-affairs/332-rangers-2014-accounts-analysed An informed and dispassionate analysis of the accounts from Arnold Black.
  5. Apparently in today's Scottish Sun: Les is actually a Rangers fan and shareholder but I'm reliably informed has decided against investing into us for one or two reasons I can't share here.
  6. Reading McMurdos Blog today, even he knows Ashley will not invest. ''Rangers are sick at heart. The answer is a strong leader but there is no-one on the horizon who fills that role. Everyone involved is hanging on to their own sphere of power and influence at the club. There is no Willie Waddell, no Bill Struth or Jock Wallace to rally the Ibrox battallions and have them face the same way instead of train their guns at each other. Yes, there is Mike Ashley. I am confident that he will step forward and provide both leadership and funding to steer Rangers away from the rocks and back to ruling the seas. But in all honesty I have to say that the margins are so fine at this very critical juncture that he might do so just too late to prevent a shipwreck. And let there be no doubt – what’s left of Scottish football will drown in the wake." https://billmcmurdo.wordpress.com
  7. compo

    Who then?

    Suppose we find one point four million in a drawer at ibrox and wield the axe who should be our next manager and who should be his assistants . and who among the current squad would you like to see go in the January transfer window
  8. Can't afford to sack him and can't afford to keep him. Mcoists performance as manager has dragged us down every bit as much as the boardroom has over the last 3 seasons and if the current vein of form continues then things will come to a head very quickly. Attendances can only plummet from here on in. No doubt the board will have a fantastic new vision for the club at the minute followed by plans for a new share issue, if the fans aren't coming through the turn styles then the board might find this very difficult to achieve. Don't think Ashley could even bale us out either. How can you take a loan that you can't pay back? I can't see any way out other than admin. We're back to where we started when Craig Whyte showed up, only this time the fans aren't buying into it. The McCoist predicament is about to force everyone's hand and the board don't have any answers. That's why they are so silent, they don't know what to do?
  9. http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/299-an-open-letter-to-ally-mccoist Also available in the print edition of the Scottish Daily Mail (5/12/2014)
  10. Alloa were missing 9 senior players due to illness and injuries, some of their players were late in turning up due to work and traffic. Leading by two goals (despite how poorly we had played) with 25 minutes left and we go on to lose the game to a bunch of part timers. Add the fact that Macleod pulled out of the warm up but McCoist elected to play him just rubs salt into the wound (McCoist should be made to explain this decision).... all in all it all adds up to the most humiliating game in our history IMO. I'd love to wrap up the post by offering a soundbite that "at least it can't get any worse" but I'd be fibbing.
  11. UoF Statement on Retail Deal - 75p in every £10 goes to club "Since the release of the accounts for RIFC PLC, the focus has rightly been on the almost immediate requirement for more cash simply to pay bills and also the board’s wish to raise £8m in equity finance despite recently turning down a valid, fully funded offer for £16m. However, having had the accounts analysed by qualified accountants, we feel it is important to bring Rangers fans' attention to the absolutely disgraceful reality of the retail deal which has been entered into with Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct. We have become accustomed to David Somers', Comical Ali style proclamations about our club. He stated recently that Rangers "make quite a lot of money" from the Sports Direct deal but that is not how the accounts read in our analysis. In fact, despite the loyalty of the Rangers fans seeing £7.6m spent on retail in the year covered by the accounts, the club's share of that spending is a paltry £590k. That means that for every £10 spent by Rangers fans on merchandise, the club receives only around 75p. The accounts also reveal that Rangers Retail has an obligation to purchase stock at a higher price than it is able to be sold at. In the second half of the year covered by the accounts it appears that the portion of profit due to the club is an unbelievable £2k. For comparative purposes, the much maligned JJB agreement, our previous retail deal, made the club a minimum of £4.8m a year over the term of the deal, over 8x the amount we are making from Sports Direct. Crucially, it is also not clear whether the club has yet received a penny of the £590k it is due or whether it is still retained within Rangers Retail. Indeed, from inception it would appear that the club has only received £100k in dividends from the venture with Sports Direct. Mr Ashley has loaned money to strengthen his stranglehold over our commercial operations, whilst funds due to the club through Rangers Retail, over which Sports Direct has effective control, are retained. We have always feared that the deal Charles Green did with Sports Direct was dreadful for Rangers. Mr Somers' ridiculous defence of it, on behalf of this discredited and incompetent board, can be added to the list of reasons why he, the Easdale brothers, Norman Crighton and Derek Llambias are rightly distrusted by the vast majority of our fans. In light of the information revealed in the accounts we urge fans to stop buying merchandise from club stores, which are now under Mr Ashley’s full control or being shut down, and Sports Direct. Your loyalty is being abused and the club is not benefiting from the money you are pouring into Mr Ashley's pockets."
  12. The Blue shirt is here! From the same team that brought your the Red and Black shirt and the Fernando shirt. Due to popular demand we have taken the decision to produce a shirt in blue in time for Christmas. The shirt is produced on a Nike base with the Lion proudly emblazoned on the breast. We have 500 in stock and ready to roll in time for Christmas. Each buying option online is linked to a stock control system which means we can’t oversell a size. You can buy safe in the knowledge that every penny of profit will go to buying a shares stake for fans in the club. For overseas purchasers - click on the button where it says UK £32.74 and a drop-down menu will appear with the various delivery zone options. The shirts are available from http://www.TheLionBrand.co.uk
  13. Keith Jackson on Twitter "Rangers new Nomad i understand will be WH Ireland." PLC website http://wh-ireland.co.uk/wh-ireland ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Green and Whyte Leach Ireland Someone somewhere is taking the p**h If you don't laugh, you'd cry......
  14. Bitterly disappointed by the crowd though. 14.412 in a Cup game at Ibrox is - no matter of boycots and poor perfomances - appaling.
  15. ... from trolls on social media, says Ally McCoist. Ally McCoist has taken criticism throughout his career and says his five sons help him forget about the flak coming his way and protect him from online trolls. By day, Ally McCoist has to deal with a Rangers squad under fire. At night, he has his very own 
five-a-side team to look after in the shape of his sons, Alexander, Argyll, Mitchell, Arran and Harris. In the wake of fierce criticism, the Ibrox boss finds solitude at home. Sure, McCoist will still mull over 
decisions he has made or his team’s poor results – like last week’s 2-0 defeat to Hearts – but he admits time spent with his boys is the best way to escape any flak that might come his way. He refuses point-blank to engage with social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter – and doesn’t pay any attention to radio phone-ins. But he’s well aware of how difficult it might be for those closest to him to ignore it. In fact, McCoist joked that his kids are now shielding HIM from the critics, rather than the other way around. The Gers gaffer knows he’s under 
pressure but insists he’s used to it and is convinced that even his children 
have adopted the kind of thick skin 
he has needed at times during his 22-year association with the club. After the damaging Championship loss at Tynecastle , his side now face Kilmarnock today in the Scottish Cup where another negative result will prompt another barrage of criticism. McCoist said: “How do I cope? I’m fine, it’s just the disappointment, more than anything. The 
disappointment of losing a game is worse than the criticism after it because you know that’s 
coming. It’s part and parcel of the job here, I accept it. “Defeats are harder to take. I’ve been involved at this club for well over 20 years and I know as well as anybody that when things go well you get a pat on the back. “When they don’t, you get 
criticised. It’s just about getting the balance right and trying to treat the two the same. “I’m very lucky having five boys and, particularly the younger ones, they tend to have other things on their mind apart from dad’s football. “That’s a fantastic bonus. Of course, I’ll be 
sitting watching TV and things will flash through my mind about free-kicks or I’ll think, ‘How did we lose that?’ “I’m no different to any other coach or manager in that respect. “But I’m fortunate to have five boys because they keep my feet on the ground and make me realise that while work is absolutely important and I do my best at it, there are other things as well. “Do I have to shield the boys? The younger ones are fine. With the older ones, it’s harder – they’re big boys and there’s all the social media stuff. “I try but it doesn’t work! They used to tell me when something bad was said about me – but they’ve gone the other way. I think they protect me now! “I do worry about the older kids because they have feelings too but they’re big enough and sensible enough so I’m lucky. And yes, they have a thick skin. That’s a McCoist trait and it will be on all our epitaphs.” Rangers are nine points behind Hearts in the Championship table and some of their performances this season simply haven’t been good enough. McCoist’s players were slated last week by ex-Ibrox hero John Brown but, having gone through tough spells as a Gers player, the gaffer expects them to be man enough to handle it. He said: “They have to brush it 
off. There is one thing guaranteed at Rangers – you’ll get criticised. “So they have to handle it, they have to have broad shoulders. The proof of the pudding is that we went through the whole of last season undefeated in the league – and still got criticism. “So you’re guaranteed to get it after a 2-0 defeat to Hearts. Nobody likes it but it’s part of football. “There has been a lot of flak flying about but if you can’t deal with it, you’re in the wrong profession. “When I got it as a player, it was the best thing to happen to me, in terms of being able to deal with stick. No matter what happens, I don’t think I’ll get it as bad as that. “I’ve grown up to understand that it goes with the territory at Rangers. It’s still not pleasant – but it’s not about me. “It’s about the team getting back to the top, that’s the bigger picture. If the players and me have to take a little criticism, or even a big bit, along the way so be it. We can’t take our eyes off the task of getting the club back to where it belongs.” To do that they will have to hope that Hearts drop points in the Championship and Rangers go on a long winning run. McCoist believes his team can do it but confessed that, post-administration, the Tynecastle club are in better shape off the pitch than the Ibrox outfit. He said: “With Hearts, they seem to have come out of admin, had Ann Budge buy it and – bang – the whole thing has moved on. That hasn’t been the case with us. I don’t know where that leaves us. “But I wouldn’t make comparisons between us and Hearts, that would be unfair. They went into administration and dropped a division. We suffered that and liquidation, went all the way down and lost all our players. “So there are big differences. I do accept that Hearts seem to be in a very good place at this moment in time and good luck to them.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/kids-keep-sane-protect-trolls-4722012
  16. THE fans group has hit out after details of the retail deal appeared to show the bulk of money generated would not go to the club but to Ashley's Sports Direct. RANGERS fans have taken a look at the annual accounts and ridiculed claims Mike Ashley is an Ibrox saviour. The Union of Fans have rounded on the board for trumpeting a 375 per cent rise in retail revenues from £1.6million to £7.6m. They told supporters not to be fooled as only around £1.5m will go directly to the club with the bulk of the cash heading to Sports Direct. And they even claim the club have been forced to buy more than £410,000 of club kit at recommended retail prices because they did not hit Sports Direct sales targets. The Rangers board admitted they’ll be forced to seek a fresh share issue after announcing an operating loss of £8.3m for the year to June 30. They’ll need a further bail-out as soon as January and have announced plans for a share issue aimed at raising £8m to keep the club operational in the medium term. Former Rangers owner Craig Whyte released on bail after appearing in court over his purchase of Ibrox club Union of Fans spokesman Chris Graham said: “The statement around retail revenues is disingenuous, to say the least. “The true picture is £7.6m was the total sum of money made from all merchandise sales through Rangers Retail. However, inventory costs are listed at more than £4m – effectively, the cost to Sports Direct of supply and distribution. “Under the terms of the deal between Sports Direct and Rangers Retail, the club receives only 50 per cent of profits, so that leaves only around £1.5m. This is approximately a third of the sum the club were making under the JJB deal. “A section of the accounts, provision of liabilities, even lists £411,000 payable by Rangers Retail to purchase stock at a higher cost than its resale value. “It appears Rangers had to purchase the stock at retail prices and sell it cheaper, presumably because they didn’t hit targets. Rangers are losing money from the sale of the shirts, yet Sports Direct are still being paid the full retail price. “The whole commercial deal with Ashley appears a shambles. Many fans will see the headline figure and conclude the commercial deal with Ashley isn’t bad at all. “Ashley’s plan is to make money for himself and he’s clearly a very successful businessman. However, he is no saviour of Rangers.” Auditors Deloitte again signed off on the accounts with the conclusion there is “material uncertainty” over the club as a going concern and “key assumptions” are being made by the board on future finance streams. Season ticket sales are down 15,000 and attendances are on the wane but chairman David Somers insists everyone is working together for the club’s long-term future. Graham added: “It’s complete rubbish to suggest this board have moved closer to the fan base. “The distance has grown even wider since last year’s agm. “They have appointed a completely pointless fan board. “Their relationship with supporters should be judged on the numbers turning their back on this regime and no longer going through the turnstiles. “Auditors Deloitte have again confirmed they cannot verify what directors are saying is accurate and the future of the club even in the short-term is bleak. “The accounts are only to the end of June, so the drop in attendances and season ticket sales has not yet fully hit the balance sheet.” Graham remains astonished the board turned down Dave King’s £16m investment offer for a £2m Ashley loan, upped by another £1m. He added: “The £8m sought is simply to keep the lights on for the next few months. It’s incredible to think they’re looking for £8m when they were offered twice that amount only a month ago by King.” Rangers declined to comment. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-union-fans-ridicule-claims-4716246
  17. Union Bears As you will know, the group took the very difficult decision back in May not to renew our season tickets due to the selfish, malicious and borderline illegal actions of our club’s current and previous incumbents. This was a decision echoed by nearly 15000 season ticket holders and the crowds at Ibrox so far this season have reflected the feeling of many Rangers supporters. We watched with hope and expectation as Dave King submitted his £16 million offer of funding in exchange for a majority stake in the club. We then watched with resignation but not shock as Mike Ashley and his friends within the Board room blocked this move and instead pushed through Ashley’s £2 million emergency loan secured against Rangers assets and on the premise of complete Board control. Like all other supporters, we wanted a clean break from people like Charles Green and his murky investors, but it is clear this isn't going to happen. It therefore brings us to a crossroads, as a group and as individuals. Mike Ashley has his grip firmly on the throat of our beloved club and nothing and nobody will make him remove it, as has been demonstrated in his time in charge of Newcastle Utd. It has thrown up a pertinent question which must be answered by not only us but every Rangers fan. Do we maintain our boycott for potentially years in the hope that someone saves us? Or do we elect to support the team on the park and explore other ways of enforcing change at Rangers? After much discussion we have elected to follow the latter path. As of 03/01/2015 we will be returning to the stands on a permanent basis. This is not a gesture of support for those now in charge of our club, nor is it an admission of defeat. It is simply a change of tactic. As a passionate group of supporters whose best attributes lie in what we achieve in and around the stadium on a matchday, we feel hamstrung by our absence and therefore the group needs to go back to being present within Ibrox. We have tried to boycott, to fall in line with other fan groups who have done their level best to encourage change within the club. But in reality all that has taken place over these past few months is a strengthening of Mike Ashley, Sandy and James Easdale, David Somers and many others’ positions within Rangers. It’s the sorry truth. We would like to make it clear that we will not be attending the League Cup semi final as a group, and feel it would be wrong to take tickets ahead of fans who have been attending games on a weekly basis. As we won't be attending as a group, it will make it impossible for us to pull off a display. We would therefore ask all Rangers fans to do their bit by making our end as colourful as possible, with flags, banners, streamers and anything else they can. We will however be planning more displays between now and the end of the season, and look forward to bringing some noise and colour back to Ibrox. Although we return to Ibrox on a permanent basis we won’t be doing so as supporters of the regime. Yes our money will be going towards their bonuses and onerous contracts in the short term, but the Union Bears will throw our weight behind another path towards long term change and that is fan ownership, and more specifically Rangers First. Rangers First is a Community Interest Company which was established at the beginning of this year with very simple goals; to gather together the financial clout of the Rangers support, purchase shares in the club and ultimately put it back in the hands of those who matter. Rangers First already owns over 500’000 shares in RIFC (roughly 0.6%) without any real offline publicising. As a group we hope to support them in the ways that we do best as they move forward towards greater awareness and support for fan representation and ownership. Of course we urge all those who stood with us in BF1 over the years to ask themselves the same question we did and decide what the future holds for you with regards to match attendance. But we will not try and influence your decision in any way. It’s an individual’s choice to make. What we do urge every singly Rangers supporter to do is visit http://www.rangersfirst.org, learn about the initiative and sign up. Put the money you used to spend on Rangers merchandise and funding Ashley's empire of zero hour contracts into something worthwhile. The strength of our support should not be measured or remembered by how many of us turn up at Ibrox or elect to stay away in protest, but rather by the lengths we will go to right the wrongs of those before us and stand shoulder to shoulder with one common goal; delivering the Rangers we all deserve. We owe it our children and grandchildren. If you would like to join the group in BF1 for the second half of the season then please send the following details to transfers@unionbears.co.uk or as a message to the Union Bears Facebook page: Full Name: Address: Date Of Birth: Contact Number (Mobile & Landline): Rangers Number: Do you have a season ticket already? (Yes/No): Union Bears
  18. Half inched from FF http://www.shareprophets.com/views/9...e-china-frauds Daniel Stewart (DAN) is still listed on AIM - though its shares are currently suspended - but it clearly does not give a monkeys about disclosure rules because it has yet to issue an RNS to the LSE saying that it has lost its license to be a Nomad. All bar one of the Qualifying Execs at Daniel Stewart has already left and the last remaining one is off to Cairn Financial shortly. Thus not having the minimum 4 QEs Daniel Stewart has today written to all its corporate clients saying they need a new Nomad by 12th December or their shares will be suspended. Daniel Stewart will struggle on as a corporate broker but as it tries to secure an emergency refinancing it faces a life without the lucrative fees it has earned for floating frauds like Naibu (NBU) and Quindell (QPP) in recent years. It looks rather bleak and one wonders if the champagne Christmas party on December 11 will now be a wake.
  19. ...in yet another dramatic day for the club. Sports Direct owner seems certain to strengthen his grip on Rangers as club lurch from one crisis to another...on and off the field. By Roddy Forsyth If an hour passes without some new development in the Rangers story — the most lurid saga to emerge from any British football club, ever — it counts as a quiet day. Scarcely had Telegraph Sport spread the overnight news that disgraced former owner, Craig Whyte, had been detained after being on the run in Mexico than we revealed that Uefa will not permit Rangers and Newcastle United to play together in Europe next season or for as long as Mike Ashley is in a position of power in both boardrooms. Of Ashley’s position and ambitions, more later. Neither the Champions League nor Europa League is foremost in Rangers fans’ minds. Last weekend’s 2-0 defeat by Hearts not only saw Ally McCoist’s players trail by nine points in the chase for automatic promotion to the Scottish Premiership, but it also emphasised the contrast in form with their main divisional rivals. Hearts’ total of 38 points from their opening 14 games is their best start to a league campaign. Hibs, meanwhile, have run up five successive away league victories for the first time since September 1980. To say McCoist is under pressure is to say what? Unless he walks away — that loaded phrase in the context of Ibrox — there is not sufficient cash to pay him off. As matters stand, the club will have to rely on another bailout from Ashley just to keep them going beyond New Year. There is increasing talk around the Scottish game that Rangers are heading into administration again. Some discount the notion on the grounds that the consequent automatic points deduction would condemn Rangers to a fourth successive season of lower league football which, they believe, would run contrary to Ashley’s aim of increasing club merchandise sales though his Sports Direct retail chain. Related Articles A more arcane theory has it that Ashley would accept administration as a short-term hit because it would shake out other contracts and allow him, as a major creditor, to bid for the club on the cheap. There is a third, more plausible option. Ashley’s lawyers are engaged in a low-key, but crucial positional battle with the Scottish Football Association. Ashley’s people want to find a way for him to increase his shareholding at Ibrox and Telegraph readers will remember that the idea of him taking his stake up to almost 27 per cent was floated in September. The SFA signed a binding agreement with Ashley, anchored in their Articles of Association, designed to keep him at 10 per cent or below. However, as money repeatedly runs out at Ibrox, Ashley either gets to increase his grip through security on the assets, with the SFA watching impotently, or he holds back, knowing that Scottish football’s governing body could be put in the invidious position of taking the blame for another insolvency event. And all of this is played out against a background of dawn swoops by police in southern England, as they arrest the former Rangers company secretary and three managing directors of Duff & Phelps, the company that oversaw Rangers’ administration in 2012. How tempting it is to conjure the fantasy that a posse of gun-toting Federales bore down on Whyte at the Mexican airport, to be greeted with a demand to show their ID, only for them to yell the immortal misquote from The Treasure of the Sierra Madre: “We don’t need no’ stinking badges!” Remember Ashley’s condition for advancing the soft loan that was rebuffed by the Rangers plc board in September? The club crest and trademark? Somebody does need the badges – and it looks unlikely that anybody can or will stop him now. Meanwhile, Rangers have confirmed Telegraph Sport's disclosure last month that the club would post losses of over £8 million in the accounts for the year to June 30, 2014. The figure given when the accounts were posted on the club’s website was £8.3 million. David Somers, the Rangers chairman, commented "…challenges still remain and despite additional financing having been secured over the year, further funding is necessary to ensure the club's ability to move forward successfully to achieve the goals we all seek and expect of Rangers Football Club. "To this end the board will be seeking shareholder approval at the forthcoming AGM to issue additional shares to ensure maximum flexibility for the company to raise equity finance and provide the financial capability required to develop the club in the longer term.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/11259511/Mike-Ashleys-Rangers-swoop-overshadows-Craig-Whyte-dawn-raids-in-yet-another-dramatic-day-for-the-club.html
  20. Newcastle and Rangers will not be able to play in Europe together next season because Uefa have confirmed Newcastle United and Rangers will not be allowed to play in Europe together, even if they qualify for different competitions, because of Mike Ashley’s involvement in the running of both clubs. Ashley’s seizure of power at Ibrox means Newcastle may never play in Europe again while he remains the club’s owner, a depressing prospect for supporters who believe the team should be challenging for European qualification every year. Although Ashley responded to a story by Telegraph Sport back in September, that revealed he wanted to take control of Rangers, with a statement denying he intended to sell Newcastle, the billionaire has got himself into a tricky situation by expanding his football interests north of the border. Ashley insisted he will not sell Newcastle for “any price” until the end of next season, which is also, unless they win the Scottish Cup this season, the earliest Rangers can qualify for Europe again. Given Ashley has repeatedly failed to find a buyer for Newcastle, though, it is far from certain he will be able to sever ties at St James’ Park. It is understood Ashley misjudged Uefa’s strict rules ensuring the integrity of their competitions. Although he only holds around nine per cent of Rangers shares, he has appointed his own people, including former Newcastle managing director Derek Llambias, to the Rangers board in return for financial assistance. Uefa have told Telegraph Sport that means Ashley has enough power in the Rangers boardroom to ensure they cannot be allowed to play in Europe at the same time as Newcastle. Should one team qualify for the Champions League, the other would be prevented from playing in the Europa League as they could meet in the knockout phase of the competition. If both teams qualify for the same competition, the one with the higher Uefa co-efficient ranking would be allowed to enter at the expense of the other. As things stand, Newcastle are ranked 65 and Rangers are down at 101. In the short term, it is Rangers who will suffer as they have the lower ranking. In the long term, Rangers have a far greater chance of playing in the Champions League than Newcastle, which would mean the Magpies would not be allowed to compete in the Europa League, even if they won a domestic cup competition or finished fifth or sixth in the Premier League. Newcastle are currently fifth in the Premier League following six successive victories by Alan Pardew’s side and a top-six finish would secure them a place in the Europa League for next season. It could be the last time they play in Europe until Ashley finds a buyer. Given Ashley’s interest in Rangers was largely sparked by the possibility he could, with a relatively small investment, gain access to the Champions League and increase the European exposure for his Sports Direct Retail chain, it means Newcastle face an uncertain future. The billionaire has already been widely accused of paralysing Newcastle with his lack of ambition. Most supporters believe he is only interested in keeping the club in the Premier League in order to access the television money it brings, rather than challenge for silverware. The idea that Newcastle will also be denied access to European competitions once Rangers have regained their former status in Scotland will incense many on Tyneside. Both Rangers and Newcastle responded with a “no comment” when asked by Telegraph Sport for a reaction to Uefa’s stance. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...ke-Ashley.html
  21. Thanks to our friends at WATP Magazine we're delighted to offer Gersnet forum members the chance to win a pair of tickets to one of the Lorenzo Amoruso nights at The Louden Tavern this Friday or Saturday! To enter the competition you must have been a registered forum member before this thread was posted and all you need to do is post on the thread here to say that you're definitely available on either Friday or Saturday night and that you'd like to win this pair of tickets to go along to the event. It goes without saying that the competition is only for the pair of tickets. No travel expenses or booze are included! The competition closes at 6pm on the 27th (tomorrow), after which the forum usernames of everyone who posted here to say they want to go will be put into a hat (quite literally!) and a winner will be drawn and announced before 7pm. Note: If you enter, then please make sure your current email address is up to date in your forum Settings so that you can easily be contacted!
  22. http://www.ibroxnoise.co.uk/2014/11/why-rangers-fans-need-ally-to-go.html When Rangers dropped a diabolical two points at home to fourth-bottom Alloa, the majority of fans reacted with bedlam and horror. The overriding sense was that manager Ally McCoist had put out a team with absolutely no spark or passion, and that the display was a pathetic, meagre, and unacceptable performance worthy of scathing criticism. I felt like I was about the only fan willing to cut McCoist a little slack, which was in itself bizarre given my general stance of willingly providing a torrent of negatives about his credentials. My case was essentially that one draw in ten matches was itself not the end of the world; that two goals conceded in 600 minutes and a run of victories including one over St Johnstone had been rather prematurely and unfairly dismissed because of this one bad result and display. Fast-forward to Saturday and once again, another bad result had fans overwhelmingly asking for Ally’s head. This time I had to agree. It was the head-to-head title decider v Hearts, the top-of-the-table clash which had been described as ‘must-win’ given the Ibrox men’s 6 point deficit in the race for first place. The hype about this match had been tempered somewhat with the usual off-field shenanigans which surround the Club these days, but once match day arrived it was all (temporarily) forgotten and fans waited with baited breath for McCoist’s team selection. The reaction to its release was abject misery. Mohsni, the flamboyant, eccentric and slightly temperamental defender had been brought in from the cold to replace a ‘not-quite match fit’ Richard Foster, with McGregor shifted out to his less favoured RB position to accommodate the Tunisian. Once again, absolutely no sign of Lithuanian stopper Marius Zaliukas, and Foster was curiously enough on the bench. The other decision which had fans scratching their heads was the inclusion of Ireland’s Jon Daly at the expense of Boyd. Yes, he had had major impact as a sub in recent matches, and Boyd’s form was not sparkling, but it was a curious change to make for such a big match. ‘Freshening things up’ was how Ally put it, and it was certainly a gamble. And, in total truth, on the pitch Rangers showed a side of their game rarely seen this season – passion. It was a high-octane dominant display, with the defence rarely tested as the likes of Nicky Law (his best display since September last year) pressed high and constantly caused trouble at Neil Alexander’s goal. Indeed, even beyond Steven Smith’s unfortunate red card (I have definitely seen worse tackles than that) 10-man Rangers still held their own, and even continued to threaten to take the lead. The problem was no goal came, and Daly was the one player having a really bad day, committing foul after foul and failing to get anything on target. Then the opening goal came, but unfortunately it was for the hosts, and fine goal though it was, it was not scored on merit. But these things happen – and this moment was where McCoist was truly tested. And just like his failure in 2011 to compensate for losing Steven Naismith and the subsequent loss of a 15-point lead in the SPL, he was unable to make the right changes here to fix what remained a promising situation. Yes, Hearts had scored, but they were not the best team, and a few tweaks to 10-man Rangers and the visitors could at least have accrued a point out of this fixture. The first change was completely understandable – Miller, having been booked, was vulnerable to a second yellow, so got hauled. Problem was it was Foster who replaced him. This left Daly as Rangers’ only striker in a match where a goal was desperately needed. Yes, there was quite a ‘stramash’ as the visitors came agonisingly close to getting the equaliser, but the fact is luck was not there and neither were the tactics. Why Miller did not get replaced with Clark (like for like) is beyond me – McCoist was completely unwilling to take the risk of going two strikers when down to ten men, despite the fact that a risk was essential to try to glean something from this match. Instead McCoist appeared to be going damage limitation, then committed his second ludicrous sin. He brought on a striker – for Rangers’ best player, Lewis Macleod. Yes, it is fair to say young Macleod was not having one of his better matches, but you quite simply do not take off your finest asset when you desperately need a spark of inspiration. It seemed to suggest that Ally does not trust Macleod when the chips are down, and even stranger was his choice of bringing in out-of-form Boyd to replace him. So now we had Daly and Boyd – one having a wretched match, one with no form at all. Then on 80 minutes Clark finally made his entrance, at the expense of Daly. It was just too late for the former QotS man to make a difference. In fact, thanks to a clumsy challenge from Ian Black in the box after all the subs had been made, a conceded penalty (albeit a slightly harsh one) compounded matters worse and made the match completely irretrievable. The fact is no one blames Ally for Smith’s red card – it was a bad call from referee Thomson, especially as he only booked Miller for a near-identical tackle. What McCoist does hold responsibility for is not making the right changes at the right time. The biggest ‘joke’ was fans’ reaction to his constant arm-folding. If arm-folding was the only thing needed to be a manager, McCoist might just be the finest around. His unfortunate expressions of cluelessness and procrastination in times of need seems to sum his management up. This match was there for the taking, but negative substitutions at the wrong time was not the way to clutch it. A poll after the match found 72% of Rangers fans would like McCoist to end his tenure as boss. It has been likened to the dark days of John Grieg’s time at the helm, when 5 years elapsed before the Greatest Ranger knew the game was up and admirably stepped down. 9 points adrift of Hearts and the league title now out of Rangers’ hands would force the conclusion that McCoist is not the man to close the gap. Posted by Ibrox Noise at 10:33
  23. Scottish FA chief executive Stewart Regan has expressed concern over Rangers' financial position, saying it is "concerning for the Scottish game". The Ibrox club have admitted they may not have enough cash to meet costs between now and the end of the year, having taken £3m in secured loans from Mike Ashley for short-term working capital. "Well obviously it is concerning for the Scottish game," Regan told STV. "We would all like to see Rangers improve their financial position in order to bring money to the game of football in Scotland. "Rangers have got a strong economic impact, not just for Glasgow but for Scotland generally. "In that regard I know the fans are desperate to see success again. They are desperate for stability. "They've had a number of years of ups and downs now and I think they are hopeful they will get some certainty and stability in the future." In a statement to the Stock Exchange earlier this month, Rangers made clear their dire financial situation. "During the autumn, the club has suffered from lower than expected match attendance which has exacerbated the financial condition of the business. "The directors have begun a cost cutting exercise, but further working capital in addition to the facility will be needed before the end of the year." http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/rangers/301050-regan-rangers-financial-position-is-concerning-for-scottish-game/
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