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"'For an hour yesterday lunch-time Graham Wallace spoke about the state of Rangers, how the club got to this point and how he intends to move it forward. What struck home was how different he sounds compared to his predecessors; no trumpeting about brands and unexploited foreign markets, no playing to the gallery and telling people what they want to hear; no flannel and arrogance of the kind we have heard repeatedly over the years from Rangers executives as they sold a vision of the future while the present was crumbling around their ears. Wallace is enough of a realist to know the scale of what he faces at Ibrox. Everywhere you look, there are issues. TE: Since you lifted the bonnet and examined the finances has anything shocked you? GW: I?m not sure if shock is the right word. I followed what has happened to the club, albeit from a distance. It?s a situation where a lot of decisions were made with a very short-term focus. TE: When you say short-term focus is that a euphemism for panic? GW: Panic? I?m not sure I would call it panic. If you look at a football club you have to have a sense of what the next five years look like and then you plan accordingly. You don?t plan for 12 months in isolation. One of the things I have found is that the focus has (previously) been in the near-term. There?s been areas of expenditure where money has been spent and shouldn?t have been and other areas where we should have been spending and didn?t. The classic one was scouting and recruitment. At a time when this club needs to be identifying and scouting talent and acquiring talent at attractive levels our scouting and recruitment was largely dismantled. A small example of short-termism. TE: Did they blow it by not setting in place the scouting infrastructure when in the Third Division? GW: You could say that some of the decisions that should have been made then weren?t made and that?s a very good example. What the club should have been doing 18 months ago was investing more money in some of the things that could have borne fruit in the future. But that?s hindsight. TE: You need to save money, but you bring in another financial guru in Philip Nash. That?s not going to save money? GW: Phil can help us quickly get to the nub of some of the issues. He knows football structure. He?s leading the business review project for me so we can get up the hill really quickly. It?s about objectivity. I came here with a fresh pair of eyes and I brought Phil in on the short-term with a fresh pair of eyes and no baggage and preconceived ideas. It just helps us look at things in a more objective way. TE: Big decisions need to be made, big savings need to be found and it takes a big character to make those calls in a place that is not used to fiscal commonsense. Are you tough enough for this job? GW: I?m tough when I need to be tough. I know what needs to be done, I know how to do it and I?m focused on getting it done. TE: Are you prepared for a backlash? GW: You have to be prepared to back your own judgment and back your own ability. Yes, there was a bit of a backlash last week to the concept of a reduction in player wage costs. That?s an example of the area of the business we?re looking at right now. We said we were going to do a comprehensive review of the business from top to bottom and we?re in the midst of doing that. We?re looking at every angle and every opportunity to reduce our costs over the next couple of years so that we can position the business in a financially sustainable way. I keep talking about sustainability and it?s absolutely fundamental. The business has to be able to stand on its own two feet. It has to. It has to be able to stand on its own two feet without huge amounts of investment coming in just to fund the on-going operation. When we go looking for investment we will go looking for the right reasons on the back of a robust business plan. I?m confident in my own ability to be able to deal with situations that will arise. There will be things that will be easier than others. I?m well aware of that. TE: Do you know where you can save money? GW: In certain areas, we?ve a very good idea already. I?m not going to come out and tell you where they are but we?ve been working on the project for a little over four weeks and we are looking at every area. There are areas where we can definitely reduce the historic spend that we?ve had. By similar token, there are other areas where we know we need to invest and grow our top line revenue. TE: Okay, there was a proposal to cut players? wages, but what about a proposal to cut the wages of the executives? At what point do you target them? We all know who we?re talking about here. Rarely have I seen a more unpopular executive at a football club than Brian Stockbridge? GW: We?re looking at the executive team as well as the wider staff organisation. We?re doing it. And I will make my determination and judgment on each and every individual we have in the organisation. I?m well aware of the public criticism that comes with certain members of the staff. What I seek is the supporters giving me the time to complete the review. I will stand behind the decisions I make, good or bad. TE: So there will be changes at the top? GW: We?re looking right across the whole business and need a little bit more time to complete that project
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....yet they'll prepare for Forfar match at four star Hotel. KEITH hits out at Rangers' lavish pre-match routine ahead of tonight's League 1 clash with Forfar claiming they are living a champagne lifestyle on an Irn-Bru budget. HERE’S a thing. You know those Rangers players involved in conceptual discussions about theoretical wage cuts last week? And who metaphorically booted the hypothetical idea into touch? Well, here’s today’s reality. Did you know they’re all being bussed to the Four-Star Carnoustie Hotel this morning? Where they’ll enjoy some fine dining for lunch, possibly at the hotel’s own AA Rosette-winning restaurant? Rooms will then be provided in order that they can enjoy an afternoon nap, for those not getting treatments in the spa. All for an away trip to Forfar? To take on Gavin Swankie and Darren Dods? Is it any wonder these players don’t know if they are coming or going? Or that, as he unwraps the chocolate on his fluffy cotton pillow this afternoon, manager Ally McCoist might pause to reflect on where it has all gone wrong. Talk about mixed messages? Talk about champagne lifestyles and Irn-Bru budgets? Talk about hubris, arrogance and over-indulgence? Talk about sledgehammers and walnuts. The constant noise and confusion around Rangers is truly head-melting stuff. No wonder the club’s new chief executive looked slightly ruffled last week when news emerged from Murray Park of his polite suggestion that the first team might consider 15 per cent pay cuts. For a man of his experience Graham Wallace, below right, ought to have known such a proposal would be unlikely to remain within the walls of the dressing room for longer than it takes a player to hit the speed dial button to his agent. It was bound to result in an outbreak of panic among a support that has seen this movie before and which was so badly traumatised by the way it ended. But Wallace can be excused because, not only is he new here but also there must be a million and one different, more pressing thoughts, pinballing around inside his head as he attempts to tackle this latest financial crisis. Commendably, he has promised to deliver a business model that will finally allow Rangers to live within its means. Sustainability, transparency and a bit of common sense would go a long way to sorting out the internal mayhem over which he presides. Today’s unnecessarily lavish road trip, though, is just more proof that, when he agreed to take on this position at the top of a dysfunctional board, he was in fact stepping into life through the looking glass. Wallace in Wonderland. Or not. It’s his job now to make some sense of the numbers, to crunch them down and to crush this club’s recent culture of big bonuses and eye-popping extravagance before what little cash is left in the bank has evaporated completely. There is a rich irony about the fact that, in Philip Nash, he has hired yet another big-earning accountant to assist him in this urgent cost-cutting review. But then this job is so big Wallace might need all the help he can get. And from people in whom he can trust. Wallace’s planning is all that stands now between Rangers and another financial catastrophe. At the present rate of spending, the club’s last reserves will be gone before the end of the campaign. In fact, the prediction of financial director Brian Stockbridge that Rangers will be down to their last million in April now looks hugely optimistic. It is quite incredible this man remains in charge of the books given his standing in the eyes of the fans. It was not long ago he was talking confidently of growing turnover to in excess of £100m. Only then to predict a £7m year-end loss. Which, in fact, turned out to be a £14m black hole. And if, as is being strongly suggested by people on the inside of this basketcase, Stockbridge has got it wrong again then the situation at Ibrox could soon become dire. Perhaps as soon as next month. At a time when every penny counts, thank goodness then that Stockbridge has handed back that £200k bonus he pocketed for watching Rangers win last season’s Third Division title. Right? And has the financial director and the rest of the board actually signed off on the halving of McCoist’s eye-watering £825k annual salary? After talking about it for months, why on earth would it not have been rubber-stamped by now? If all this financial remedial work really has been completed then Wallace should announce it to the Stock Exchange and also reveal the current state of the accounts. It should be done in the name of sustainability and transparency – and in the hope of forcing common sense to prevail. Wallace must be astonished at some of the numbers that have flown across his desk. It is not his fault this club has blown its chance to stockpile cash on its journey up the leagues and there is nothing he can do now to address this grotesque overspend. That ship has sailed. Had Rangers plotted a more sensible course they would be arriving in the top flight in 18 months in a fit and healthy state, with millions squirrelled away. But, in their vulgar rush to cuddle up to McCoist, former chief execs Charles Green and Craig Mather put their own popularity ahead of proper prudence. By doing this, they kept the fans onside and the tills ringing. All Wallace can do now is address the crisis this pair and Stockbridge created. He’s not helped by the fact that, simply by agreeing to join a broken board and glue it back together, he himself is now viewed with varying degrees of suspicion. But, unlike Green and Mather, he must not allow his own popularity to get in the way of protecting the club’s interests. Which is why it was encouraging to see the first steps towards a more austere future being taken last week. But, crucially, if Wallace is serious about grabbing the bull by the horns then he must do so in the boardroom because this is where the biggest excesses have recently been committed. It is hard to think of another club that spends millions less on its players than on the rest of its employees but that’s precisely what the accounts showed to be the case at Rangers last year. No wonder the players refuse to take the first hit when there are other far more bloated and obvious targets at the top of the marble staircase. These players may well feel treated like disposable window dressing when they are supposed to be the very heart of the club. And here’s another thing. They were asked to ponder a 15 per cent cut over a period of 18 months, while also being told the club hopes to sign even more players in the summer. Which means some of them might be volunteering to help finance their own replacements. And you thought lunch at Carnoustie was mad?
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http://www.sportinglife.com/football//news/article/26854/9012286/violence-mars-hoops-clash Violence mars Hoops clash Last Updated: November 6 2013, 23:34 GMT Celtic's Champions League trip to Ajax has been marred by a clash between supporters and police in the centre of Amsterdam before kick-off, following which 15 fans have been arrested. Amsterdam Police told Press Association Sport that fans armed with bottles and sticks attacked plain-clothed police in an incident described as "coming out of nowhere". Eight police officers were injured with one knocked unconscious following the fighting in Dam Square, in the city centre. Police said the majority of those arrested were Celtic fans, although it is believed that supporters from other clubs were also involved. "At the end of the afternoon a large group of Celtic supporters attacked police officers in plain clothes," a spokesman told Press Association Sport. "Eight were injured and one was knocked unconscious. "A few of them had broken noses and needed stitches above their eyebrows and on their lips. "Bottles and sticks were used in the attack which came out of nowhere. "There were 15 arrests, mostly Celtic supporters." Celtic lost the match 1-0 and face an uphill battle to reach the knockout stages of the competition. Amsterdam Police said it expected the number of 15 arrests to rise during the night and that a final figures would be "high". It is thought that fans from other European clubs were involved, although police said they "had kept themselves covered". Celtic supporters had been urged by the club to be careful after an attack on Hoops supporters in a city-centre bar on Tuesday night. Thousands of Celtic supporters flooded into Holland for the Group H game at the Amsterdam ArenA. A statement on the Celtic website said: "Celtic Football Club is urging all supporters in Amsterdam for tonight's UEFA Champions League tie with Ajax to be extra vigilant following an unprovoked attack on Celtic fans last night "The attack in the city centre by an element of the Ajax support resulted in a number of arrests. "Celtic are urging all supporters to be extra vigilant in the city centre and at the Amsterdam ArenA, and to only stick to the advised areas for safety reasons." At the pre-match media conference on Tuesday afternoon, Ajax coach Frank De Boer expressed hope that the tiny percentage of fans he describes as "crazy" would not disrupt the game. UEFA opened disciplinary proceedings against the Dutch club after some of their supporters clashed with police and stewards at Parkhead last month during a match which the home side won 2-1. The case will be dealt with by UEFA's control and disciplinary panel on November 21. De Boer admitted that some Ajax fans remain a concern when asked if he was confident of the game passing off trouble-free. "I am confident in that but you never know," said the former Rangers player. "There is always some crazy people (who) try to disturb something but hopefully it will not happen."
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Don't see this elsewhere, great day out IMO. The Founders Trail, in association with Rangers Football Club and The Rangers Development Fund, is delighted to launch our Tour programme for 2014 in what is our 5th year. The first Tours of 2014 will be on Sunday 9th March, Saturday 5th April, Sunday 18th May . Join us on a journey of discovery back to 1872 when The Rangers were just the dream of a group of young kids who gathered on Fleshers Haugh. They had no ball, no football kit and used a bush on the green as a changing room. Their Club, which they nurtured, was to become the world?s most successful and it all happened on the streets of Glasgow. Our journey takes us to the area of Fleshers Haugh where The Rangers played their first ever match, we also visit Glassford Street, Union Street, Berkeley Street, Burnbank, Kinning Park, Craigton Cemetery and many other places of interest before finishing off our day with a tour of our magnificent Ibrox Stadium. During our journey we have a 30 minute break at the West of Scotland Cricket Ground in Partick which was the scene of the Rangers first ever Scottish Cup Final in 1877. It gives everyone a chance to unwind, grab a beer or soft drink and a bite to eat at a beautiful and historical setting. Adults : £20 Children (under 16) and Senior Citizens £15. Group discounts are available upon request. To reserve your seat just send an email to : thegallantpioneers@googlemail.com For further information phone : 0790 2855536 An insight into our research can be found here on our website. http://www.thegallantpioneers.co.uk/
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Being reported by BBC & STV that the players have refused to take a 15% pay cut.
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I once met John Wark and nearly burst into tears. I was 38. Anonymous Ipswich fan. The news that greeted us on Saturday morning, that the body of the wee boy missing in Edinburgh has been found, is another sad reminder that childhood is fleeting, precious, and not always golden. At least for those of us on Gersnet, the vast majority of whom are (well) past childhood, our own youth has come and gone without such horror being visited upon us. We, the lucky ones, get to carry our memories into middle and older age, like everyone some good and some bad, though hopefully precious few as awful as what has happened to poor Mikael. He whose life has been one uninterrupted series of happy events is rare indeed, but I'd guess that at least we share in common memories of a time in our lives when our beloved football team losing made us cry, when the stadium loomed up above us like a colossus, and when the thought of actually meeting one of the Titans who wore a Blue Shirt would have reduced us to jelly. These childhood affections many of us, to judge by the amount of time we waste on online forums, carry with us well into maturity. And elsewhere, too. I still regale strangers with the time our present manager touched my shoulder and said 'excuse me, mate' in a Blockbuster sometime in the 90's; I also once, when he did some shopping in the store I was managing at the time, went before him crying 'make way! make way!' (I kid you not), quite brutally hustling innocent shoppers out the road lest they impede his Majestic progress. At least he had the decency to be embarrassed at my behaviour, which only stopped short of bestrewing his path with rose petals because we had sold out of roses by that point. On both these occasions I was well past childhood, but the football remained a link between me and mini-me, between the rather disappointing man I turned out to be and the child who dreamt of playing for The Rangers, and maybe one day coming into the presence of my heroes. I wonder how many kids still have that dream? Maybe loads do. They'd have to be very unworldly, though, as another week of internal combustion to make James Watt green with envy puffs its way to an end, without even a Saturday game to 'take the taste away', as my Mum used to say when giving me a sweet treat after some ghastly medicine. Who is developing a romatic attachment to a club which seems be determined to set a record for employing the most amount of executives for the least amount of return in sporting history? Just as Monty Python once sent out two teams of philosophers, Greeks v Germans, we're well on the way to being able to fill the bench with accountants...a shame none of them appear worth taking a chance on, even for the last two minutes. It's just not the same. Being able to hide inside the mind of 10 year old me at the football has been a lovely pleasure these last 30 years, but I might as well face up to the fact that that pleasure has gone now. It's not as if I could only handle success - growing up in the 80's I despaired of ever seeing us beat Dundee, let alone celtc or the dominant Aberdeen or Dundee Utd of the time. What a shock it was to me when Ally McCoist got selected for Scotland squads from about 1985 on - such a thing didn't happen in my youth. No, it's not that I can only support Rangers with childish fervour if we are winning: it's just that the thing I fell in love with aged about 8 or 9 doesn't seem to be there any more. Probably this is more due to a long overdue opening of my own eyes rather than anything else: Rangers under David Murray was hardly an shining example of philanthropic goodness along the lines of Dickens' Mr Brownlow. But now, with the club run and owned by Mr Downlows, it just seems...soiled, somehow, and all the more painfully because it's killing off the last little bit of my childhood I could hold on to. Obviously I only speak for myself, but this, to me, will be the legacy of people like David Murray, Craig Whyte, Charles Green Jack Irvine or the Easdale brothers. You may imagine how I view such people. In the grand scheme of things, forcing a delusional 40 something to open his eyes is not such a big deal to anyone other than the person himself, I suppose: certainly, compared to other things which could have happened, it is of no importance at all. But it feels like it is, to me. And that's why it hurts so much. For what it's worth, we play Forfar on Monday night, and will no doubt turn in another performance of depressing mediocrity. My 12 year old rarely lasts more than 10 minutes watching us on TV and I can't say as I blame him. Sheer habit will drive me to sit in front of the telly come half seven Monday night, but I can't seem to be able to tap into the decades long, childlike joy that the Blue Shirt used to give me. Perhaps, on this weekend when one childhood has been so cruelly cut short, that is appropriate enough.
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Rangers: Manager Ally McCoist instructed to cut wage bill By Alasdair Lamont Senior football reporter, BBC Scotland Rangers manager Ally McCoist has been told he will have to make cuts to his playing budget. McCoist has been in discussions with Graham Wallace recently as the chief executive undertakes a comprehensive review of the Ibrox finances. Wallace told shareholders at the annual general meeting in December savings would need to be made. And the players' wage bill at the League One side currently stands between £6m and £7m per annum. A spokesman for the Rangers board told BBC Scotland: "The CEO Graham Wallace outlined his strategy at the AGM and nothing is going to deflect him from getting Rangers back on an even keel. "Graham and Ally are reviewing the football budget, as part of the overall business review and it would be inappropriate at this time to discuss any figures." The news comes on the day that three million shares worth around £750,000 were traded in Rangers International Football Club plc. The share price dropped as low as 24p early in the day before rallying slightly to close at 28.5p. That is a fall from the 90p price at the launch of the share issue just over a year ago. Earlier this week, McCoist signed off on a pay cut of around 50%, which he agreed to in October. And consultant Philip Nash has been brought to Ibrox to help oversee the financial overhaul.
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Evening times Michael Grant Regan: Rangers meltdown hasn't finished Scottish football, although wider financial concern remains Published on 15 January 2014 WHEN Stewart Regan was yesterday invited to give a state-of-the-nation appraisal of Scottish football as it enters 2014, it was safe to assume the Scottish Football Association chief executive knew which quote might boomerang back at him. It was on July 4, 2012, the day newco Rangers failed in their attempt to be voted into the Scottish Premier League, that Regan came out with the words for which he is always likely to be best remembered. He spoke of Armageddon, social unrest, and the Scottish game withering on the vine if Rangers were consigned to the anything beyond the old first division. They were not of course - instead of dropping one division as Regan wanted they fell into the fourth tier - but the game survives. In hindsight he misread the situation. There was no social unrest and no Armageddon. The game is hardly buoyant, but nor can it be said to be withering on the vine. Or more accurately, its established and long-term decline has not been accelerated by Rangers' implosion. "We're in a different place now," Regan acknowledged yesterday. "From a Scottish FA perspective we've got a television deal and the league themselves have put their own plans in place and protected their own commercial position. So we're in a different place. There's been some very competitive matches, which have resulted in quite an exciting competition at the top of the Premiership, and there's a number of emerging young players that have created quite a lot of excitement. Perhaps we're in a better place than we might have been 12 to 18 months ago. "But the financial state of football generally remains a concern for everybody and not just in this country. You go to some of the smaller associations as I do on a regular basis and talk about the state of the game. Scotland is in a healthier place than a number of smaller countries where they don't have the turnover we do and can't make the distributions we make. Everybody would like more money. It's like asking if they'd like a bigger pay rise, the answer is always yes." The SFA is working on a way to introduce Financial Fair Play rules for clubs to prevent unsustainable spending. A sub-committee of the SFA's licensing group, which includes representatives from the Scottish Premier Football League, is currently trying to draft regulations which might be acceptable to the clubs at a vote. "The game needs some degree of control," said Regan. "You can't argue with the principle behind financial fair play. There's a need to avoid overspending particularly on areas where money is dripping out of the game. You need to be able to cover your costs, pay your bills, not be breaching your banking position or getting into financial difficulties." Those are exactly the sort of difficulties which continue to hover over Rangers, of course. Like all 42 of the SPFL's member clubs Rangers must submit audited management accounts to the SFA by the end of March. The Ibrox club has admitted it is continuing to lose money, must make major cuts, and is the subject of a 120-day internal review under chief executive Graham Wallace, but that is not likely to cause any difficulty in terms of getting an SFA licence to play in 2014-15. "As far as Rangers' position is concerned clearly there is a lot of work that Graham Wallace is putting in place to get the club back to a stronger place," said Regan. "I sincerely hope he's successful. It's good for Scottish football to have the club back on a firm financial footing. "He needs all the support he can get to get that in place. It's a big challenge. We'll wait and see what comes in. We've spoken to Graham in the way you would speak to most of the clubs that have got challenges ahead of them. So we've had an opportunity to talk about some of the challenges he faces. You can't underestimate the work he's got ahead of him. "From a financial point of view, until we get our new Financial Fair Play rules in place, we don't really drill down to the management accounts and we don't drill down into saying what a club can and can't spend its money on. One of the proposals which is currently being debated is putting in place a measure which would restrict the amount spent on wages. That's one of the elements being discussed." Regan downgraded his prognosis for the game from "Armageddon" to "challenging". The SFA's own financial health is robust because of sponsorships which run to 2016 and the UEFA centralised television deal which runs to 2018. "At a club level there are a number of clubs feeling the pinch, and it remains a tough environment. So that's probably one of the biggest concerns." The merger of the SPL and the SFL into the SPFL was a positive, though, as were the introduction of play-offs for the end of this season, the formation of the Lowland League, and the progress made by the national team since Gordon Strachan was appointed a year ago today. "There are some encouraging green shoots. Gordon has made a big impact and turned around what was a very disappointing campaign and given us a degree of optimism for the qualifying draw next month. "Everyone's looking forward to France 2016. When you look at the emergence of young talent there's some very encouraging prospects starting to come through the system. I guess it's the classic school report card syndrome, isn't it? 'Progress has been made, but still a lot of work to do.'"
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I think some people have completely lost all perspective. We've played some lovely stuff at times this season scoring barrow loads of goals in the process, we've also struggled in games yet still won the vast majority of them. I don't think anyone is happy with the latter, other than the results, but recognise that he's in a no-win situation until we're back at the top. We've all been puzzled by some of the selections and tactical decisions. But equally, the football is better than last season and some of the changes made etc.. have made a difference. McCoist has shown little so far to suggest he is a world beating manager, but he hasn't shown that he is a totally clueless fool either. I think two points which invariably get lost in these debates is that there has been a clear improvement from the dross last season and that McCoist may not be the answer long term, but that remains to be seen. At the moment he is meeting expectations and that should be good enough for the majority of the support.
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Many years ago as a young Marine on leave, I had ventured over to Ibrox to visit the club shop for some mementos to adorn my bed space. No matter where I was serving in the world there was a little corner which was forever Rangers. For the younger Bears amongst us, there was a time the club shop was not so much a mega store but a glorified broom cupboard with barely enough space to swing a cat. The sole staff member was serving a guy about ages with myself, who I immediately recognised as Ian Redford. After Ian had left the shop the female member of staff apologised for the previous customer taking so long “That guy took ages “ she said. I informed her who “that guy” was and she looked suitably embarrassed. Yesterday, along with 42,000 other Bears, we paid our respects to Ian Redford as our club observed a minute's silence in respect of his passing. Bears of today paying appropriate respect to a club servant of yesteryear. Elsewhere in Glasgow however, BBC Scotland with it's cabal of Rangers hating individuals and no doubt well rehearsed guests, were plotting their latest flouting of the BBC Trust ruling regarding Rangers. I’m sure there was much back slapping, mutual praise and schoolboy giggles following the latest BBC Scotland assertion that “Rangers are dead”. Of course the theft of evidence in the Rangers Tax Case, nor an EU preliminary investigation into alleged state aid involving Celtic Football Club and Glasgow Council raises not a murmur of journalistic curiosity, after all, “Rangers baiting” requires far less effort – especially when it is broadcast from a platform paid for by the public. Sometimes “vile” just isn't descriptive enough. When the Rangers Tax Case Blog won the Orwellian Award it was cited as “Bringing you the story that Scottish journalists seem unable to do” Thats the funny thing about history – it seems to have a habit of repeating itself. Freedom of Information is truly an enlightening thing.
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http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-bring-new-financial-guru-3009812 FORMER Liverpool and Arsenal financial chief Philip Nash is recruited as a consultant to help streamline the club’s massive outgoings and slash budget. RANGERS have stepped up plans to wipe millions from their budget – by employing a new financial guru to help oversee cuts. Record Sport can reveal former Liverpool and Arsenal financial chief Philip Nash has been recruited by the Ibrox board in a “consultancy” role to help oversee streamlining of the club’s enormous spending. Yesterday the club’s share price fell to 27p and Nash joins chief executive Graham Wallace along with financial director Brian Stockbridge to become the THIRD highly-paid chartered accountant at the top end of the regime. Two further money men, Andrew Dickson and Ken Olverman, are also employed by the club which now needs Nash’s expertise to help turn around losses of an estimated £1m per month. Nash was headhunted by Liverpool in 2008 after helping Arsenal finance their multi-million move from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium. He survived a regime change at Anfield and was credited with helping the club tie up £20m shirt sponsorship with Standard Chartered Bank before standing down in December 2012 citing family reasons. Rangers’ financial position has deteriorated alarmingly in the past 12 months and Stockbridge has admitted they may be down to their last million in little more than two months. As another high earner arrives, Ally McCoist is readying himself for cuts. But he insists Wallace accepts that dramatically slashing the playing budget will undermine progress through the divisions. But the manager admits he does not know the extent to which he will be forced to cut – even after a lengthy meeting with Wallace on Tuesday. McCoist said: “Graham hasn’t told me I need to sell players or get rid of them. “It was just an overall view of the football side and we will meet again next week. “He hasn’t made it known to me where those cuts are going to take place and in what shape or form. “It would make sense to Graham that just cutting and selling is not the right way to go about it in terms of the progression of the club, the team and the squad. “If you need to take one step back to take two or three forward again, that will be Graham’s decision.” McCoist hopes he does not have to lose players during the transfer window. He said: “I would be thrilled to bits if there were no bids.”
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Article submitted by Scorchio - Rangers to benefit from new Glasgow City Airport In a week where GCC and Celtic came under heavy fire over State Aid claims and the remarkable East End Regeneration and Commonwealth Games programmes which have been centred around Celtic Park and it's close proximity within the Parkhead area, incredible plans to build a new airport called 'Glasgow City Airport' have now been leaked and apparently there will be massive benefits for Rangers. The new inner city airport is a highly ambitious project, but it will undoubtedly cause controversy since it will require the relocation of a 170 year old cemetery, four churches, a bus depot, a massive biscuit factory, dozens of small businesses and hundreds of residential properties including their residents. When questioned on the viability of all this relocating to clear land of residents, businesses and historical buildings, a source in Glasgow said that it's just a continuation of what's been going on for years in the Parkhead area when he stated: "You just need to look at certain Parkhead streets where the residents were relocated to sell the land and of course, there's the issue of London Road Primary School. The Edwardian building is a B class listed building and should perhaps have been restored and developed into something of benefit to the whole community. "Instead of that, we thought it was more prudent to systematically allow it to rot and go to ruin over a ten year period so that eventually there could be no argument about knocking it down and selling the land to the lowest bidder. "That ten year period is nothing. The Parkhead regeneration programmes have been in the pipeline for three decades, but really went into full swing in terms of funding when Parkhead won the bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games Keen to get back to the subject of the new airport, the source was asked about timescales for the project and replied: "We were hoping to have the new airport completed in time for the Games, but it's looking as if it'll be a wee bit tight for time, so we're going to focus on completing the extensive Edwardian building renovation works we've been doing in the Parkhead area as part of the Parkhead Townscape Heritage Initiative "Once we get the Edwardian Primary School flattened, we'll then help with the landscaping of the Avenue of Heroes that's planned because that will immediately tart up the Celtic Park stadium entrance once the school's out of the way. Clearly then, it's not an immediate, but a long term project involving significant planning and relocation works well beyond the end of the forthcoming Commonwealth Games, but interested to know how any of this was going to benefit Rangers the source was asked about that and simply replied: "For decades Rangers fans have been coming to an underdeveloped, smelly and dirty Parkhead area for Old Firm fixtures, but in the future they will be coming to an overdeveloped, sweet scented and clean Parkhead area which will make for a more pleasant matchday experience. Overseas Rangers fans will also be able to fly directly to Parkhead.
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Warning to posters. This morning we received a letter from Peter Watson, solicitor advocate of Levy & McRae acting on behalf of Mr & Mr Easdale. The letter asked us to remove posts from 3 separate individuals (NOT POSTS FROM SONS OF STRUTH) We would like to remind posters that this is an open social network page and as such is available to be viewed by any members of the public and posters should take care regarding defamation and The Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Act 2012 https://www.facebook.com/SonsOfStruth
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Could be the most open Premier League in many a year. Man City and Chelsea have the strongest squads and Id say 1 of them will win it. But if Tottenham keep Bale then they could be an outside bet. They have signed some quality players. I can see Man Utd been knocked off their perch and fighting to make top 4. They really need a top class centre midfielder or 2. Arsenal still have a poor defence and keeper plus if 1 or 2 of their key players get injured they have no replacements. Good players like Rosicky and Diaby will only give them 5-10 games a season. Ive still put a bet on them at 10/1 to win it just in case they get Suarez and a defender. I like what Swansea have done in the transfer market but the 40 games they have to play in Europa league could take its toll. Liverpool will be slightly better this season and be top 6. But after that its a lucky dip. Id say the 3 that came up will go back down, promoted sides have done well for the last few seasons but these 3 are well short of the rest. Based on current squads before more signings Id go for: Winners: Chelsea Champions League: Man City, Arsenal, Tottenham (If Bale stays, if not Man Utd) Relegated: Cardiff, Hull, Palace.
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Couple of digs at Ally. Also claims to be a lot fitter now. I feel he mentions the pressure not getting to him too much. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/john-fleck-starting-hit-heights-3003530'>http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/john-fleck-starting-hit-heights-3003530 IT’S easy to forget John Fleck is just 22. He appeared in the 2008 Scottish Cup Final for Rangers at 16 but was being hailed as Scotland’s next big thing long before then. That’s why when the Scot reflects on a rollercoaster start to his career, even he says the hype was unjustified. Fleck left Glasgow for the first time in summer 2012 – after the Ibrox club’s financial meltdown – to begin a new life in Coventry, away from the city’s goldfish bowl and Old Firm spotlight. And 18 months on the little playmaker believes the move has been the making of him. More mature, both on and off the pitch, Fleck is now a father and senior member of Steven Pressley’s Sky Blues dressing room. For the first time there are no Wayne Rooney comparisons and predictions of being Scotland’s next superstar. Instead, he’s simply enjoying the most productive spell of his career so far. Fleck told Record Sport: “I get asked all the time if I couldn’t handle the weight of expectation on my shoulders at Ibrox. But I can honestly say it didn’t affect me at all. “I’m a laidback person and tried not to take any notice of the hype. I just tried to do my best – if that was good enough, great, if not there wasn’t a lot I could do about it. “I’m now starting to show if I’m played in the right position by a manager who has faith in me I can do well. I’m getting the rewards for that at Coventry. “I can always do better. But the expectation on me at a young age was too much. People were taking it too far. “Even back then I felt people were talking me up so they could knock me back down. “In a way that’s what happened. So I’m glad I didn’t let it influence me. I feel I’m playing well now. “I’m doing what I’ve always done – trying to get on the ball, play passes and make things happen. “I’m a lot fitter than I was at Rangers too and I’m feeling really good right now.” Fleck is one of the first names on Pressley’s teamsheet at Coventry and is operating where he always wanted to at Rangers, in the heart of midfield. People questioned the switch to the Midlands, especially as City subsequently suffered similar financial problems to Gers and were forced out of their Ricoh Arena stadium. But the former Scotland Under-21 starlet has no regrets and now sees his long-term future in England. He said: “The move has been great and I’ve played in almost every game this season. “The manager has got the team doing well – we think we can really do something in this league. We’ve also done well in the FA Cup and have Arsenal at the Emirates in the next round. “Personally, it’s just good to be a regular in the team. I had to take my chance down here. It was the first time I’d moved away from Glasgow permanently so I didn’t know what to expect. “I’d like to think I’ve taken the opportunity and, looking at it now, things have worked out for the better. “I’m playing in central midfield, where I’ve always wanted to, for a manager who believes in me. So I’m really enjoying it. “It’s a physical league and I’m a wee guy but I’ve always liked a tackle. I’ve never been scared to do that side of the game. “Coventry have had their problems recently but they’re a massive club with a huge fanbase. The supporters have been brilliant with me. “I’d like to stay down here as long as I can and it would be great to be part of Coventry’s revival. No one gave us a chance in the summer but we’re getting there – and I want to take the club back where it belongs.” Fleck is still the same kid who burst on to the scene at Rangers and scored an Ibrox winner aged just 17. But his outlook has now changed, largely due to the birth of son Hudson in June. However, despite settling down away from the pitch he’s as determined as he’s ever been to fulfil the potential every scout in Scotland saw in him when he was barely out of school. He said: “I wouldn’t say there’s less pressure here than playing for Rangers. I always put pressure on myself to play well. The manager also expects a lot from me at Coventry. “Maybe from the supporters there was more pressure at Ibrox. But no matter who I was playing for I’d put pressure on myself. “I’m still ambitious and want to play at the highest level. I’m only 22 so have my whole career ahead of me. “That’s the problem, people think I’m a lot older because I made my Rangers debut at 15. But I’m still young so I’m just concentrating on doing well for City. “That debut seems like a long time ago – but I’m looking forward to the future now. “I’ve matured as a person down here. I’ve had a kid, my wee boy Hudson is five months old, and I’m trying to look out for him now along with his mum Lauren. “I’m loving it but it changes your life. It’s amazing, so everything’s good right now. I’m a Glasgow boy but I’m enjoying life in England. “It’s difficult getting up the road to see family but that’s just part of football. I’d like to play in Scotland again at some point but at the moment I see my future in England.” From Daily record: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/john-fleck-starting-hit-heights-3003530
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http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl-lower-divisions/rangers-to-hold-talks-with-cypriot-athos-solomou-1-3263212 RANGERS will hold transfer talks with Cyprus international Athos Solomou next week, when the player and his agent arrive in Glasgow. The APOEL Nicosia full-back, 28, is due to fly to Scotland to discuss a move to the League 1 leaders and is free to sign a pre-contract agreement, with his APOEL contract expiring in June. Rangers monitored Solomou, who has both Champions League and Europa League experience, throughout last year and most recently watched him in APOEL’s Europa League group match against Eintracht Frankfurt last month. Ibrox officials will now hold face-to-face discussions with the player and his agent next week. They must decide whether to pay a transfer fee and sign Solomou immediately or agree a pre-contract for a summer move. Both parties will also discuss wages and contract terms. Solomou is a versatile right-back who can also play on the right side of midfield and is a regular in the Cyprus international squad. He was involved in APOEL’s run to the Champions League quarter-finals in season 2011/12, where they were eliminated by Real Madrid. He has played all of his career in Cyprus with Apollon Limassol and APOEL, winning both the domestic league and cup. After 11 years in his homeland, he is keen to move abroad and Rangers are favourites to secure his signature. Not sure what to make of this to be honest.
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Strange email discussion on 2 October 2012 between Sandy and the CEO. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Craig Thanks for your email some parts were not asked for but if the papers have misquoted you should we not rectify The rest I will wait to see you face to face as feelings seem to be running high on certain matters . Just one point I have not moved page nor being influenced by anyone though some of the things that have been said are very close to what has happened . Yours Sandy Sandy Easdale Director McGill's Bus Service Ltd On 2 Oct 2013, at 11:59 AM, "Craig Mather" wrote: > Morning Sandy/All, > > Regarding Ally, I was asked to comment on Ally's wages in the accounts. I said I cannot comment on what wages where offered to Ally by the previous regime however I have asked Ally to consider his wages and take a significant pay cut. I said nothing has been agreed yet and no contracts have been signed however Ally has come to the table to discuss a pay cut which is good because we cannot make him take a pay cut. Nothing is in writing but Ally is aware of his wages and the associated costs when we are playing in the division we are in. I never once said he had taken a pay cut. > > I also believe Frank Blin has been stirring up trouble and talking rubbish creating a divide yet again. > > I am happy to talk on the phone or equally if the board believe they would be better served by a different CEO (which has been said to me by a number of people). Then as I have said numerous times I will give notice to the board and will stay until you find a replacement. I cannot do more than I am doing and am permanently critiqued by every side at every opportunity. > > It is not a good position when every side including at least one member of the Plc board is making statements to others about my abilities or the lack of them. > > The old saying divide and conquer comes into play here and if we stay solid then great, if not then the obvious will happen. > > I thought people maybe positive about how critical of Malcolm Murray I was and also defending Brian for his cost cutting efforts and the defending of the IPO costs. > > For clarity I will not change my allegiance and will not go back on my word. > > I won't be taking or encouraging contact with the requisitioners as they are not what this club need. > > Best as always > Craig > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On 2 Oct 2013, at 13:55, "Sandy Easdale" wrote: >> >> Dear >> Craig I was amazed that you have been quoted saying that Ally has took a significant pay cut . >> >> It would be good to share this with us if this is the case as we all agreed that was not what we were saying because there has been no deal struck on his wages . >> >> If so what is the cut as I am being asked to quote my self on these matters and must defend all these pays >> >> Which frankly I can't . >> >> Sandy from: http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1rvdg36
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@RangersStandard: Big story going up on the site tomorrow morning. Nothing for Rangers fans to be concerned about though. Brace yourselves. ''Dotting the i's and crossing the t's. Should be up within the hour. Impatient bunch aren't you? In all seriousness we need to get this spot on so please bear with us.'' ''With all due respect, we "know something you don't" because we spent the time going out and finding it. We are not keeping anything to ourselves but we do this in our spare time and need to ensure we are covered legally when breaking a story as opposed to giving opinions. I'm sure you understand that? Taken from FF.
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Not because it's not deserved, but because Walter played terrible football too but nobody really seemed to care. It used to annoy me that people had such a short sighted view under Walter. The football he played was never going to get us anywhere in Europe (bar 2 successful seasons over both stints, the second success due to playing 10 defenders in the UEFA Cup) and while it won domestic trophies, it wasn't the type of long term philosophy that was going to see the club prosper, without throwing money at players. In Walter's first stint we hardly developed any youth talent and he left the squad in a mess. Is it the case that the football is so poor now that nobody can ignore it any more? Or is it because we are playing such poor opposition now? The common line under Walter was that winning is all that matters. Well we are still doing that. -
I see Ness has left Stoke City and signed for Leyton Orient. And he thought he was too good for Rangers.
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ALLY McCOIST has hit out at the SPFL for forcing Rangers fans travel to three away games in just six days. The Ibrox club will take on Stenhousemuir in a rescheduled League One fixture at Ochilview tomorrow afternoon. The game follows meetings with Airdrie at the Excelsior Stadium on Thursday and Dunfermline at East End Park on Monday. And with a trek to Forfar looming a fortnight on Monday McCoist is furious with the governing body. He said: "The game against Stenhousemuir shouldn't have been played this Sunday, it should have been played in midweek. "That's our fourth game in 11 days. The way our club has been treated is not on. And then to make matters worse, they're sending us and our fans up to Forfar after that. So we play four games in 11 days, nothing for nine days and then they send our fans away up to Forfar on a Monday night. "So I just think there's something not right about that." McCoist revealed that pleas from Rangers to the SPFL to rethink the punishing run of matches have fallen on deaf ears. Asked if Rangers had any input into the scheduling of the games, he said: "Yes, but it shows you how much they listen to us. "At this time of the year, when money is scarce for everybody, it is ridiculous to ask our fans to travel a third away game and fourth game in 11 days. "As I say, different initials, same old story." McCoist added: "I understand more than anybody that we have to attract sponsors and attract television audiences, "But I just feel once again our supporters are being asked to go the length and breadth of the country. "That shouldn't be the case all the time. It's just as well our supporters are a strong bunch." McCoist is also concerned about the impact so many games away from home in such a short space of time will have on his players. He said: "Four games in 11 days for any set of players is very difficult. "Lewis Macleod went down against Airdrie and and Ian Black has picked up a couple of kicks against Airdrie too. In an ideal world, they would have longer to recover." Meanwhile, McCoist, who will meet chief executive Graham Wallace next week, has admitted he has targeted players he would like in the January transfer window. He said: "If we get the green light to go, then we certainly have possible targets. "We wouldn't be doing our jobs if we didn't." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/mccoist-spfl-is-driving-us-mad-147205n.23093383
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pv9ClLBn6M
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1) does anyone else think Wallace, Somers and Crichton will all be gone before the end of the season ? 2) at what point will Dave King be approached to invest in and takeover Rangers? When I hear our new CEO talking about cutting costs I genuinely worry if that involves the first team squad. This team needs strengthened not weakened which these costs would ultimately achieve.If he goes ahead with this I genuinely believe we could return to what we were in the early 1980's with a sub-standard team which people won't pay to watch. I'd previously said this new board needs to be given time.Now though I'm not so sure. Some of the insinuations being made give me cause for concern.
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Liverpool played "absent friends" over the anfield tannoy at half time today, in memory of the 66 who died in the ibrox disaster. The song is from the hillsborough ibrox memorial groups new charity cd that was released just last week. http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/late...r-hillsborough True class from Liverpool F.C.
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When looking for some information on another league season as I am sure I have done in the past, to my astonishment when using the "Pick another season" option, only 2011-12 and 2012-13 are available. As I say I am sure I used to look up all the seasons in our history there, so why has it been changed? http://www.rangers.co.uk/match/league-table
