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Do Not Lose - We Cannot Afford it. This coming Sunday afternoon The Light Blues travel to the familiar territory of Hampden for this season's CIS League Cup Final with the intention of going out on the famous park against St.Mirren and winning the club's 26th League Cup trophy. For various reasons I feel this is a game that we simply cannot afford to lose and I'll try to explain why. There's the small, but obvious difference in prize money between winning the Cup and coming off second best as runners up, but despite the fact that our club needs every bit of cash it can get, there's a far more important reason that we can't afford to lose this Cup Final. That reason isn't taking our first trophy of the season back to Ibrox or putting another League Cup trophy notch in the history books. That reason is confidence and morale. Our club cannot afford to lose the SPL title this season. We literally have to win it. Despite the fact that we're in pole position to win our 53rd league title thanks to the commanding 13 point gap we've opened up in the table, the league is never over until it's over. A hell of a lot of people; Rangers fans, Celtic fans and non Old Firm fans are suggesting that we've already got this league sewn up. They're suggesting that there's no way we'll drop enough points for our city rivals in the east end to catch us. Well, perhaps it's a good time to show some prudence because every football team in the world is beatable. Every football team in the world gets beaten by teams they expect to beat and are expected to beat. We have an extremely tough run of fixtures coming up and we shouldn't take them lightly. The players and management do try not to take any game lightly despite how it may sometimes appear to us fans. To secure this 53rd title we need the whole team to keep up their confidence, their morale and the all-important team spirit because not doing so could cause us to drop more points than we anticipate. Yes, we're likely to drop some points in this fixture congested part of the season, but we want to drop as few as possible in order to make this SPL trophy ours mathematically and as soon as possible! Winning this CIS Cup Final on Sunday can help our team to do this, while losing it could be a sucker punch because losing a Cup Final always has the potential to dent confidence, lower morale and even dilute team spirit through weakening strong bonds. These things have a snowball effect whereby losing a Cup Final could potentially cause the loss of the next league match and so on and so on..... I certainly believe that we'll win the SPL title this season, but Sunday could incredibly play a very big part in doing it. http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=234:do-not-lose-we-cannot-afford-it-&catid=1:articles&Itemid=67

Hull City have confirmed Phil Brown has been relieved of his duties and been placed on gardening leave. As revealed by skysports.com earlier on Monday morning Hull have decided to part ways with Brown as they look to secure survival in the Premier League. Brian Horton and Steve Parkin have been placed in charge of first-team affairs following Brown's exit. A club statement read: "Hull City AFC confirms that Phil Brown has been relieved of his managerial duties at the club and has been placed on gardening leave with immediate effect. Brian Horton and Steve Parkin will take charge of first-team duties until further notice. Thanks "We would like to place on record our sincere thanks to Phil for the major success achieved during a period of four seasons in charge at the club and wish him every success for the future. "Promotion to the Premier League in 2008 and retention of our status on the last day of the 2009 season are unique events in the history of Hull City AFC and both were achieved under Phil's stewardship during a period which will never be forgotten by all connected with the club. "However, retention of Premier League status is paramount and the board believes that a change in managerial direction is the correct option at this time. "The club will complete supporters up-to-date in respect of any managerial appointment but, in the meantime, Brian Horton and Steve Parkin will prepare the team for our important game at Portsmouth next Saturday." Brown took charge of Hull in 2007 and guided them to the Premier League in his first full season in charge of the club. After a stunning start to life in the Premier League the Tigers managed to avoid relegation on the final day of last season. However, Hull have continued to struggle this season with the side finding themselves in the drop zone for most of the campaign. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11714_6028351,00.html

We or should I say all of football have much to be grateful to the founders of Queens Park FC. A great wee read and enlightening. http://www.queensparkfc.co.uk/Club%20information/history/intro.html

Well maybe not. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/editor-s-picks-ignore/don-hutchison-skipper-davie-weir-is-walter-smith-s-boss-of-bosses-on-field-of-play-1.1010708 Diehard Rangers fan Don Hutchison today identified the driving force behind the cash-strapped Ibrox clubââ?¬â?¢s incredible bid for a domestic Treble ââ?¬â?? his old mate Davie Weir. Hutchison played with Weir at former club Everton and with Scotland and has been delighted to see him enjoying great success in Glasgow in the twilight of his playing days. The ex-striker, now carving out a career for himself as a television pundit with Sky Sports, reckons the centre-half has been the main man for Walter Smithââ?¬â?¢s side this term. The 39-year-old defender helped the Gers keep a clean sheet once again in the Old Firm win over Celtic on Sunday and take a huge step towards retaining the Scottish title. The experienced player, along with Allan McGregor, Madjid Bougherra, Sasa Papac and others, has ensured Rangers have the best defensive record in the whole of Britain this term. In fact, Hutchison has been so impressed with his friendââ?¬â?¢s incredible evergreen displays he has half-considered dusting off his boots and coming out of retirement himself. He laughed: ââ?¬Å?I have been texting Ally McCoist asking him for a game for Rangers. I am almost the same age as Davie. If he can do it then so can I! Ally texted me back the other day and said: ââ?¬Ë?Youââ?¬â?¢re not far away son!ââ?¬â?¢ ââ?¬Å?I played with Davie with Scotland and with Everton for a number of years. Davie has always played with his head. ââ?¬Å?He has never, even at his peak, been blessed with great pace. But he is such an intelligent guy he has never let that hold him back. ââ?¬Å?Playing at the back, he can see the whole picture in front of him, can envisage the runs an opposition centre forward or midfielder is going to make and take the necessary action. ââ?¬Å?He has, too, always kept himself really fit. He is a very dedicated player.ââ?¬Â He added: ââ?¬Å?Davie is the perfect man to have as a captain as well. I was captain at Everton under Walter Smith for a while and know how he operates. He wants to be as close to a dressing room as he can be without interfering. ââ?¬Å?Davie will be a good go-between. He is the link between the manager and the dressing room. Davie will tell him how the lads are feeling, when they need a day off and when they need to train more. ââ?¬Å?He isnââ?¬â?¢t a shouter and a bawler either. He is a calm, intelligent type who leads by example on the park. He is the sort of guy the youngsters will look up to as well. The job he does as skipper should not be underestimated. ââ?¬Å?Both Davie and Walter deserve enormous praise for how Rangers have done this season, given the difficulties the club has off the park.ââ?¬Â Hutchisonââ?¬â?¢s great strengths as a player were in putting the ball in the back of the net and carving out chances for others ââ?¬â??something he did with regularity for every club he represented in his stellar career. Yet, he believes the uncanny knack Weir and the Rangers rearguard have at repelling opponents must have a positive knock-on affect on hit men Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller. He added: ââ?¬Å?I read that Rangers have the best defensive record in Britain and was not surprised. Nobody has scored more than one goal against them in a league game. That is some record. ââ?¬Å?It must be fantastic to be a striker in that side. If you know your back four, or back five if you include the goalkeeper, are not going to give away more than one goal it takes a lot of pressure off. ââ?¬Å?If, though, your defence is conceding a lot of goals then, at the back of your mind, you are thinking you are going to need to score two or three times and that puts pressure on them.ââ?¬Â The 26-times capped Gateshead-born player, who will be working for Sky when Scotland play the Czech Republic in a friendly at Hampden tonight, had a chance to play for his boyhood heroes and turned it down. And he predicted Weir, who also grew up following the Light Blues, will not give up the chance to represent them lightly when his current contract expires in the summer. He said: ââ?¬Å?I had the opportunity to play for Rangers when Dick Advocaat was manager and didnââ?¬â?¢t take it. That is something I have always regretted. My dad was a fan and I grew up supporting them. ââ?¬Å?It must be an unbelievable feeling to play for a club you actually supported. Especially a club steeped in so much tradition and history like Rangers. A lot of footballers never get that chance. It must make you give that extra five per cent. ââ?¬Å?Davie is no fool. He will know when it is time to call it a day. But he is still fit, is playing regularly, is enjoying his football and is doing well. I see no reason why he canââ?¬â?¢t keep going.ââ?¬Â

I have avoided buying the Times and Sunday Times since the oafish one was employed to wax pishical on sporting matters Calendonian (see how easy it is to write like Graham!), but on espying the snow continuing to cover my corner of Johnstone this afternoon, I redirected my portly gait toward the newsagent. 'Another day of soggy boots wasting my valued, 22 year old carpet,' I thought. 'Fresh newspaper required. What better,' I further ruminated, 'than the increasingly jowly visage of Scotland's leading exponent of The Sectarian Industry with which to wipe our shoes?' It was with this pleasant prospect in mind, added to the always enjoyable experience of perusing the grudging praise/furious accusations of our appalling media, that I retired with a cup of tea and a biscuit to see what 'The Thunderer' had to offer. First disappointment was that in his report, there was no picture of Captain Sectaria. A temporary blow - when I turned the page, there was an almost full page photo of our elegant scribe, casually attired and perfectly placed for a snowy welly. That page now adorns the space behind my front door - all callers welcome. Second disappointment, and the point of this aimless farrago, is the comments he made in his match report. I shall spare you the cant of most of it, but this sentence bears repeating: I wonder at this intelligent man, capable writer, Christian activist. Is he just 'at it' or does he really believe that which he writes? Either way, what he puts forward to the public must be taken at face value as his opinion; in that case, he's beyond satire now. On a weekend when Celtic's fans, and only Celtic's fans, showed disrespect for a man who did them no harm, and indeed represented the sort of pan-European positivity they are so keen to foster when it suits, and on a weekend when one of their supporters displayed his ignorance of Argentine history in a sad attempt to insult a man who suffered grieviously in a war - makes no odds if you agreed with the war or not, good manners dictate better behaviour - Graham Spiers chooses to criticise both halves of the Old Firm equally. One wonders if he will be so even handed next time we (as we assuredly will) let ourselves down. Unsurprising but dispiriting, Graham Spiers is such a disappointment.

HIBS today gave the green light to the rebuilding of Easter Road's East Stand. An announcement revealing a start date and anticipated timescale for the completion of the work was made this morning. But with the club's directors keen to have the new stand, which will seat 6000 fans, in place for the start of next season ââ?¬â?? the first SPL matches are scheduled for 14 August ââ?¬â?? demolition work on the old East Stand is set to begin shortly. The much-anticipated final piece of Easter Road's redevelopment, which started with the completion of the existing South and Famous Five Stands in the mid-90s and continued with the building of the West Stand in 2001, will take the ground's capacity to around 20,000. The news will also be welcomed by supporters, who have seen plans for the project put on hold over the past couple of years as the club investigated the feasibility of such an investment with the price of raw materials soaring, with steel alone rocketing by almost 70 per cent at one point. However, in-depth consultations have taken place with fans, the result being the revelation that the East Stand will be a single-tier structure rather than "mirroring" the two-tier West Stand opposite. Hibs chairman Rod Petrie said: "Today marks an exciting milestone in the club's history ââ?¬â?? the start of construction of a new East Stand, and the completion of Easter Road Stadium. "Once the new stand is finished, Hibernian will have one of the finest football stadiums in Scotland and the largest, fully-covered UEFA-compliant football stadium outside Glasgow. "The fact that the club is able to build a new stand during what is a very challenging time for football and the economy as a whole, is testament to the rock solid financial footing of the club created by returning a bottom line profit for five consecutive years. "Saturday's match against St Johnstone will be an emotional day for many supporters and all of us at the club, as we say goodbye to the old East Terrace. "Despite its shortcomings, thousands of supporters have a deep affection for the East Terrace. "I am sure that the new East Stand will soon find a place in their hearts as its essential characteristics were debated and agreed with supporters at fans forums. "We all look forward to completion of the new East Stand, and with it, completion of an impressive and modern arena for the Hibernian Family to come and cheer on their team." The consultation process, though, will continue with season ticket holders currently housed in the East Stand set to be decanted for the final few home games of the season, the most likely decision being to cut the number of tickets for visiting supporters to allow them to sit in the South Stand. A new East Stand would complete a remarkable transformation of Hibs' infrastructure, leaving the club not only with one of the most modern, and biggest grounds in Scotland, but with a state-of-the-art training centre at East Mains with the Ã?£5 million cost of that development having already been paid for. http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/hibernianfc/-Hibs-give-green-light.6092403.jp

RANGERS chairman Alastair Johnston believes the remaining 13 games of the SPL campaign hold the key to the Ibrox club securing a healthier, long-term financial future. Speaking as Rangers published half-yearly accounts which reveal an operating profit of �£13.1 million for the six months to 31 December 2009, Johnston admitted the value of Champions League qualification cannot be overstated in addressing the prospects of reducing his club's �£31million debt and attracting new ownership and investment. The Scottish champions' interim figures also showed a turnover of �£37.8million, directly attributable to their participation in the group stage of European football's elite club competition this season. Twelve months earlier, on the back of elimination from the Champions League in the second qualifying round by Lithuanian side Kaunas, Rangers posted a loss of almost �£9million and turnover of just �£20.1million. The contrast is startling and illuminates Rangers' need to retain their domestic title this season. With Scotland's Uefa co-efficient ranking in freefall, it is likely to be the last year for some time the SPL champions will qualify directly for the lucrative group phase of the Champions League. Rangers, who squeezed into the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup last night with a 1-0 win over St Mirren, are ten points ahead of Celtic at the top of the SPL with 13 games to play, leaving them on course for a championship success which would underpin Johnston's quest to steer his club out of their current fiscal storm. "The main thing for us at the moment is the short term and focusing on matters on the field," Johnston told The Scotsman last night. "The next ten weeks will impact significantly on how we aspire to make progress for the club. "The figures we are announcing today are pleasing and they show just how crucial it is to be in the Champions League. We have to sound a note of caution, because we still face many challenges, but clearly getting into the Champions League again would be of significant benefit." Johnston succeeded Sir David Murray as Rangers chairman last August during a period of turmoil for the club as their finances came under intense scrutiny from Lloyds TSB. While he concedes the bank's ongoing involvement in the club's affairs is "not desirable", Johnston sought to ease concern among supporters as he insisted it is currently to Rangers' benefit. "Looking back to August, when Lloyds TSB were taking a more than unusual interest in Rangers, we have to be satisfied with where we are now," he added. "We were successful in persuading them that their immediate reaction, which was to look to downsize the club, was impractical and particularly unwise in terms of maintaining the club's value. "We reached an agreement with them which is not ideal for either party but is practical in the circumstances. In no way would I criticise the fans who are entitled to voice their opinions. But as far as our relationship with Lloyds goes, it is working. We need them at this point in time. Murray (International Holdings) are not going to put any more money into the club, so we need the bank. They have been left holding the baby after the economic crisis hit Murray. The bank are our stop-gap measure." Donald Muir, the corporate troubleshooter appointed to the board to oversee the club's financial restructuring, has become the focal point of protests from Rangers supporters, but Johnston called for understanding of his fellow director's position. "To say Donald Muir is conflicted may be overstating it, but he is wearing two hats," said Johnston. "He is a non-executive director of Rangers and is expected to work within that role. He also represents the Murray group of companies, so in that role he is seeking to liquidate to Murray's advantage. "In terms of a possible new owner, there is activity, but it is like shadow boxing at the moment. I would hope something will happen sooner rather than later, but there has to be understanding and probably compromise. It will be challenging going forward and hopefully we can adjust the current business plan which was the subject of Walter Smith's ire recently, rightly so in my opinion." Smith had expressed his frustration at the restrictions placed on him in the transfer market where Rangers have now not paid money for a new player since August 2008. Johnston praised the veteran manager for his part in achieving ongoing success for Rangers despite those handicaps and is hopeful Smith and his assistants Ally McCoist and Kenny McDowall will be in a position to agree new contracts this summer. "The guys know our position," he said. "Walter is at the stage of his career that whenever his time at Rangers does end, he will probably go and play golf. With Ally and Kenny, who are a bit younger, we are dealing with different scenarios. Walter is keeping an open mind at the moment. Whatever happens, history will show that Rangers were very fortunate to have him as manager during this period." Emerging from the January transfer window with the loss of only Pedro Mendes and Jerome Rothen was regarded as something of a bonus by Rangers but the club face further uncertainty at the end of the season when several players, including top scorer Kris Boyd, are out of contract. Boyd has decided to wait until the summer before making a decision on his future. "The offer to Kris Boyd remains on the table," said Johnston. "We hope he will stay but circumstances outwith our control, such as offers from English football, could persuade him to leave. We can't control the environment we are in when it comes to contract negotiations." KEY FIGURES TURNOVER �£37.8m Up by �£17.7m OPERATING PROFIT �£13.1m Up by �£17.0m OPERATING EXPENSES �£21.0m Down by �£3.6m http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/Rangers-progress-in-cup-.6082665.jp

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/spl/2010/02/03/rangers-face-new-fears-over-future-as-walter-smith-is-ordered-to-slash-ibrox-wage-bill-further-86908-22015075/ WALTER Smith last night expressed fears for the future of Rangers as it emerged the club will be forced to offload more players this summer. Less than 24 hours after Robbie Keane became Celtic's eighth new arrival and the highest player in SPL history Record Sport can reveal Smith has been instructed to drastically slash the wage bill. Rangers raked in �£1million and reduced their operating costs by �£40,000 a week after the January departures of Pedro Mendes and Jerome Rothen. But, Smith will not be allowed to use the savings to make an enhanced contract offer to Kris Boyd, who has an �£18,000-a-week deal sitting on the table. Instead the Gers boss must attempt to plot the downfall of Celtic while trimming his threadbare squad even further. Smith, who saw a third transfer window pass without any purchases, is deeply concerned about the situation and feels it will only get worse until a new buyer is found for the club. He said: "It's a bold move by Celtic and in many way they should be congratulated for doing that. Robbie Keane is an imaginative signing and one that will be a good one for them. "From our own point of view we have known the situation for a long time. It's obviously in stark contrast to what happened at Celtic. The only thing that bothers me is this is a look into the future for Rangers Football Club and that's the way it seems to be. "Unless something is done that is something that will continue to happen on a regular basis." Smith admits Celtic have raised the bar with their January recruits, however, he is backing both himself and his players to meet the challenge. He said: "With what's happened at Celtic means the lads will get a full test between now and the end of the season. "It's a challenge they will look forward to. It's a challenge I look forward to as well. "Since I came here nobody could ask any more from the group of players I have here. "They have been brilliant in their whole attitude towards playing for the club. "Guys who are out of contract are still giving 100 per cent and I was interested to read Steven Smith's article the other day about not playing. "He typifies the attitude of a lot of players in that he gets fed up not playing but he comes into training every day and there is nobody more committed. "If I ask him to play he comes in and gives 100 per cent. "That is typical of the group we have and I can't speak highly enough of them."

http://sport.scotsman.com/football/Saturday-Interview-Cosgrove-the-champion.6028570.jp FWIW, I know a lot of bears distrust Cosgrove because of the content of some of his work but have spoken with him a few times over the years I know he's sympathetic to our opinions on the media and has also helped me personally with charitable donations for Moni Malawi. Good to read his comments here suggesting Rangers fans are quite correct to question the influence of the media in Scotland.

A strange choice in my opinion. Sacked by Sheff Wed, a Championship club last month and appointed manager of an EPL club.

FORMER Scotland manager Craig Brown believes Kris Boyd should not be given the opportunity to resurrect his international career under Craig Levein. Levein is set to take over as national team manager after agreeing a four-and-a-half year deal with the Scottish Football Association. His appointment could pave the way for a return to the national fold for Rangers striker Boyd, who refused to play under previous boss George Burley after complaining of a lack of opportunities under the manager. But Brown would not welcome the sight of Boyd in the dark blue jersey of Scotland again. "You are either committed to Scotland or you are not. It shouldn't depend on who the manager is," said Brown. However, he believes the potential return of Barry Ferguson is a completely different matter. Ferguson and goalkeeper Allan McGregor were banished from the national team following the infamous Boozegate affair but could also find themselves back in the fold under the new regime. Speaking of Ferguson, Brown added: "He was actually told, I understand, by the SFA that he was finished, as was Allan McGregor. That's a different issue. He did not say he didn't want to play. He was told he wasn't going to play. "So they would have to rescind that if they decided to bring back Barry Ferguson." Brown does not expect Levein's history of conflict with the SFA to cause problems between himself and chief executive Gordon Smith in his new role. He said: "I don't think there should be too many concerns. "Craig was brought before various committees for indiscretions or comments about referees. "The figurehead of the establishment is the chief executive and he represents authority and Craig was not happy with some of the decisions against him. Quite clearly there was conflict there but I don't think it was a personal thing. I may be wrong but I don't think it was person to person." He added: "You've got to be diplomatic but Craig is an intelligent guy and I think he is sensible enough not to put his foot in it. "I'm sure he will be diplomatic. He will also be very authoritative and completely forthright and these are good qualities." Meanwhile, First Minister Alex Salmond added his best wishes, saying: "I wish Craig Levein every success as Scotland manager. I know he will have the full support of the Tartan Army and everyone in Scotland. He has been a successful club manager, and will put his considerable skills and knowledge to good use for the national team. "His focus on grassroots and youth development is particularly important and will be widely welcomed. "We have narrowly missed out on qualifying for major championships in recent years, and I'm sure that Craig can lead Scotland to the European Championship in 2012. "I realise that there will be considerable disappointment at Tannadice, as they are losing a great manager who put a very competitive side together, and I wish the club well in the future." http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/Craig-Brown-believes-there-should.5936820.jp

http://www.vanguardbears.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=236&Itemid=26

Anyone seen this? http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/8407608.stm Italian coach Nevio Scala interested in Scotland job Scala was sacked from his last coaching role in Moscow in 2004 Italian coach Nevio Scala has applied to become Scotland's next manager. The 62-year-old was on the Scottish Football Association's shortlist to succeed Craig Brown before Berti Vogts was appointed in 2002. Scala, a former Parma and Borussia Dortmund coach, was also in the running when George Burley took over last year. He said: "I have made my interest known to the Scottish FA. I have a great respect for Scottish football and would want a Scottish coach working with me." The Scotland job is vacant after Burley was sacked last month on the back of Scotland's failure to qualify for next year's World Cup finals in South Africa. Scala is currently working as a pundit on Italian radio after being sacked by Russian side Spartak Moscow in 2004. However, he led Parma into Italy's top flight for the first time in the club's history in 1990 and followed that with victory in the now defunct Uefa Cup Winners' Cup and the European Super Cup in 1993.

Truth and transparency at Rangers AGM. With tomorrows AGM approaching may I make a plea for the above prose to be the watchwords for the Directors of Rangers FC, to extend unconditionally those sentiments to our Share Holders and supporters attending tomorrows event. I myself cannot attend tomorrows meeting as I am not a shareholder, although having been a Bear for over forty years I always felt that as a fan my presence although welcome on the terracing, would never be appreciated within the corridors of authority at Ibrox. This is no reflection on Mr Murrayââ?¬â?¢s tenure of Rangers, but more of a statement of reflection on Todayââ?¬â?¢s Business practise. We the customer is to be tolerated rather than consulted on the future of our beloved club, I feel the mantra of the boardroom is ââ?¬Å?this would be a great job if it wasnââ?¬â?¢t for those bloody shareholdersââ?¬Â But why should we the fans tolerate such behaviour directed towards us, we are the true custodians of Rangers, and not however happens to possess control at any particular point of time in our clubs history. I am by nature a placid fellow, but if I where to see some ââ?¬Ë?Merchant Bankersââ?¬â?¢ tut tuting down his nose at Rangers debts tomorrow. I would inclined to ask him first what have they has done with Ã?£500 billion of our hard earned tax revenue, gifted to them because of their incompetence when runing their business. We all cherish Rangers and want only the best for Itââ?¬â?¢s future, how that will be achieved is proving to be more allusive than trying to find hobby-horses shite. Having no prior knowledge of any forthcoming dealings, I have endeavoured to uncover information to impart to you, which will ultimately soon become apparent. This again has been difficult to find as the proverbial needle in a haystack. Why should we the fan always be last branch in the tree of knowledge, that is Rangers future. Rumour, counter rumour and misdirection has been the norm in this challenge. I am truly amazed by the depth of knowledge of Rangers by the contributors on this forum, in one of my posts I called members here Anoraks, for which I must now apologises for. Anorak goes nowhere near describing you, the word(s) I would now use would be uber-fan. Gentlemen i wish you good luck and god speed tomorrow. WATP

http://home.rangersmedia.co.uk/index.php/articles-mainmenu-2/1-club/1204-apologies-3-points-and-parties O wad some Power the giftie gie us To see oursels as ithers see us! It wad frae monie a blunder free us. Especially me. Little did I think ... (I could stop there but it wouldnââ?¬â?¢t be much of an article) ... as I browsed through Companies House website last Sunday afternoon that weââ?¬â?¢d be where we are today. My decades-in-the-profession curiosity sufficiently aroused by the Grantly Group, if not alarm bells ringing then certainly faint peals in the distance, and the skeleton of an article gradually appearing. Firstly, an apology. The cheap jibes in that article detracted from the facts therein. They were but two, they were a tiny part of the whole, but they were unnecessary. If they have become at least part of the story since then, I am sorry. That STV picked up the story, and the Herald continued it today during their questioning of Graham Duffy, could not have been foreseen ââ?¬â?? no previous Rangers Media article had reached the dizzy heights of the national press. Indeed my immediately preceding and succeeding articles, on Rangersââ?¬â?¢ Accounts and SPL Rules respectively, were hopefully informative, but devoid of tabloidisms, and were largely shelved for future reference or never. The breaches referred to are important. I reckon that just three of the, ahem, elder beancounters across the boards have 75 years experience between us (Iââ?¬â?¢ll spare my two seniorsââ?¬â?¢ blushes). Each of us, and most others in the same or similar professions, were of one mind: these are issues about which the Rangers fans deserve to know. There was no ulterior motive. My second apology of the day. Rangers Media has no policy on Mr Duffy or on the RST. If my article gave the impression that I was stating an official policy then I apologise to Rangers Media and its admin team. The article was entirely my own view. If this week has shown anything it is that the Rangers support is diverse and remains, dare I use the ââ?¬Ë?fââ?¬â?¢ word, fragmented. Perhaps this is a product of our history; our cultural and (whisper it) presbyterian background; our inquisitive, nay, cantankerous nature; our respect for authority without undue deference; a sort of ââ?¬Å?I kent his faitherââ?¬Â mixed with an inability to ââ?¬Å?see ourselsââ?¬Â. Perhaps it will be ever thus? But we can still show genuine unity in some respects. Every single one of us desperately wants three points tomorrow. At 12.30pm there will be few things more important to us at that moment than getting off to a flyer and cheering the players on to another championship lead. As the final whistle sounds, many of us will be heading to our Christmas parties - the Rangers Media and RST dinners, on the same night, on the same street, at the same time. Letââ?¬â?¢s hope we have reason to celebrate and that we all have a ball. And if the olive branch should bend under the weight of the Sunday papers, let us remember it was at least good while it lasted.

RANGERS directors will hold a board meeting today on the eve of what promises to be one of the stormiest annual general meetings in the club's history. At the board meeting, the directors will discuss how to deal with questions over how the club is being run which are likely to be raised from the floor at tomorrow's AGM. It follows statements made by manager Walter Smith that the club's bank, Lloyds Banking Group, was in effect running the in-debt club, statements refuted by owner Sir David Murray. Company turn-around specialist Donald Muir was elected to the board in October and is likely to be re-elected in Monday's meeting, but it could be opposed. There are fears among Rangers directors that it is the difficulties in other areas of Sir David's huge business interests (Murray International Holdings has debts of �£759 million) that are prompting the bank to keep a far closer eye on the club. Last week in Scotland on Sunday, Sir David confirmed that he was prepared to sell the club, and said that Rangers had to live within their financial means, but denied the bank was running the club. But sources close to Rangers have told Scotland on Sunday: "Senior directors believe that Donald Muir is on the board to pursue the agenda of the bank." Muir is employed by the Murray group, but it is believed the bank were closely consulted before his appointment. Rangers announced last month that they had made an annual loss of �£12.7m for the year to 30 June, 2009, with their debt rising to �£31.1m.

Struggling to find that extra Christmas gift for the one you love? What do you get for the man (or woman) in your life that has everything associated with the World's most successful club? Books, clothes, strips, programmes, photos and general memorabilia - we've all got them; which means there isn't a great deal of items around that are totally unique or which can be personalised to our own favourite Rangers moment. Step forward George Thomson and the 'Art of Rangers'! http://www.theartofrangers.co.uk As you can see from this superb artist's new website, George has a range of items available to fans interested in very special Rangers art. From classic images of Ibrox Stadium, to the playing legends we all know and love; in the galleries of his site George has captured the very essence of the club we love. Incredibly George can tailor any Rangers moment or image to your exact needs so feel free to get in touch now. Every painting costs just �£200! About the artist George Thomson was born in 1970 and had sold his first painting by the age of 14. He went straight into a design studio with the local Council on leaving school at 16. Geo started working as a freelance artist in his early 20s whist also gaining a degree in Graphic Design in the process. By the age of 30 he had successfully set up a thriving business as a chalkboard artist, but always keen to progress his artistic skills, moved into the area of contemporary pop art. Starting off with movies and music he soon found his passion was for sport. For the last several years he has specialised in mostly football and MMA, working closely with the stars of both. This year alone he has raised over �£10,000 for the Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice in Glasgow, by donating 5 of his High Profile Commissions for auction. With the history, characters, passion and presence of Glasgow Rangers, he feels he has finally found his calling; saying "Every new Rangers painting represents a wee bit of history, from the old guys like Hubbard and Simpson, through the '72 team, then 9IAR to the present day. We all have our special Rangers moments and helping relive them via my paintings, makes it all worth while."

Darrell King Published on 4 Dec 2009 LAST WEEK Graham Duffy, the Florida-based Glaswegian business*man, exclusively revealed in The Herald his plans for a supporter-led buyout of debt-laden Rangers. The 42-year-old Glaswegian wants to underwrite the Ibrox clubââ?¬â?¢s Ã?£31m debt and then implement a membership scheme, with 45,000 supporters taking a Ã?£1000 stake in the Scottish champions. Duffyââ?¬â?¢s proposals have been the subject of great debate since. In an exclusive interview with Darrell King from his home in Florida, Duffy responds to the issues every Rangers fan has been talking about since he went public last Saturday ââ?¬Â¦ What is your motivation behind the moves to lead a fans buy-out of Rangers? I have been a lifelong supporter; although I live abroad it does not dilute the affection for the club and its history. The reason I decided to get involved was one of necessity. Being a businessman and understanding certain events, I was concerned when Sir David Murray suddenly resigned as chairman. The speed in which matters unravelled caught everyone by surprise. These decisions are not taken lightly, but they are taken for a reason. I think that every Rangers fan would admit that they assumed all was well at the club. But to suddenly be informed that the club was at risk, whether it was or not, caught many by surprise. Subsequently, to sit on the sidelines and wait to see what direction the club was going in was unacceptable. I think it is time for Rangers to awake from the slumber and be what they are ââ?¬â?? a successful global player on a global stage. It is time for the club to tap into its own energy and expand beyond its current borders. Graham Duffy Will there be any monetary gain for you in this plan? No. This proposal has no monetary gain for any individual. The investment by the supporters shall not be invested in any other company other than Rangers. Why should fans invest hard cash when you donââ?¬â?¢t intend to? It appears your plan is to underwrite the clubââ?¬â?¢s Ã?£31m debt, but not actually invest? I have already invested a fair bit of money at this time, albeit it is not millions of pounds. There is a business plan proposal which would ring-fence the current financial situation, as there has been no due diligence carried out at this time. The plan is based upon three stages, short-term, medium-term and long-term. To allow the short-term plan to be implemented, the creditors of Rangers Football Club plc must be secure and amicably agreeable to the proposals to permit the transition ââ?¬â?? without this support this cannot proceed. Being realistic it is highly unlikely that 45,000 or even 15,000 supporters are going to invest the funds required to resolve the initial situation, therefore certain individuals must underwrite certain debts that come with the acquisition, which is a severe risk to these individuals. Individuals lending money or gifting money brings risk at the same time, so this has been avoided. These individuals will also be investing by becoming members just like every other supporter, I most certainly will be buying a good few memberships, but as a supporter. As for the fans investing money, they already do and have done for over 100 years. They are the single biggest investors in the club and to be honest they are not investing in a financial reward they are investing in winning trophies and being proud to be a Rangers Supporter. In summary every individual, be it supporter or a member of the initial consortium involved in this plan will be investing money, some more than others. Would you be prepared to invest hard cash, rather than guarantee the debt, into a takeover plan? Individually I have invested hard cash, but this is not a case of the club transferring from one individual ownership to another, we have to avoid a sticking plaster scenario and focus on the longer-term structure of the club. There is no need to invest hard cash in the short term. Certain mechanisms must be activated in the plan before there is any real hard cash, due diligence must be completed, problems must be solved, we have to tidy up and consolidate firstly. If another party introduced a different business plan and wanted your support would you provide it? Would you be prepared to invest cash to help other parties improve situation of club? I want what is best for Rangers and if that plan is in the best interests of Rangers then I would assist whoever wished assistance. I already have stated that there are a lot of complications to opening a chequebook. I am not aware of any multi-millionaires who keep Ã?£200m cash in the bank, they must reinvest their capital to earn from it. I donââ?¬â?¢t think a 0.5% return on money in the bank is enticing, they would be using their capital at this time as there are a lot of bargains available, so in essence they would have to enter the debt market to invest hard cash and again this brings us back to the current situation. Do I think that others I have been in discussions with would invest some capital ââ?¬â?? including myself? I would have to say yes, but with conditions. How many people have you spoken to regarding forming a consortium? I have been in discussions with a handful of individuals, some more than others, whose identities shall remain private. I wished for the discussions taking place and the individuals involved to be anonymous ââ?¬â?? including myself. When you contacted me a month ago, I stressed my desire to have the plan progressed further before going public. Unfortunately, someone who knows me personally breached a trust and gave my details to another member of the press, and I decided to go public last week. Did the others fully support your business plan? They also have the best interests of Rangers at heart and they wish to have this situation resolved as soon as possible. We have had minor disagreements on some issues, but it was more to do with eliminating any potential impact on the club. In general we have broad agreement on the way forward. Why have they chosen not to go public and will they soon? No one involved in this wished to go public, we would have preferred to have moved matters further on and completed matters at hand rather than dealing with the publicity, positive or negative. I am sure that, should the plan be adopted, then there will be no way anyone can remain anonymous as certain public documents have to be executed. You have said that the fans have to back the plan before it can be implemented. How are you going to gauge this? Do you plan a referendum of the support? This has been the biggest unknown. There is no guarantee that the Rangers supporters will stand up and invest in their club but being a supporter I know at this time they will do all they can to assist in resolving this matter. We respect the fact that not everyone has cash in the bank, especially in this current climate. This is something again that has to be considered and we have proposed offering a finance package that can be paid in instalments making it more affordable and available to as many supporters who sincerely wish to become an owner of the club. If they vote against it, would you walk away? And is a verbal pledge enough of a guarantee from the support? What if they didnââ?¬â?¢t back it up? If the supporters withdraw their support then the club is finished ââ?¬â?? the club only exists because of them. If this proposal is voted down then it will have to be revisited. Whether a revised plan could work would be down to circumstances. The figures have stated you want 45,000 over three years to invest Ã?£1000, raising Ã?£45m. In the current climate, is this realistic? It would irresponsible and unrealistic to assume that everyone would want to just open their chequebook at this time. Some supporters do have the finances available and want to invest immediately, some supporters donââ?¬â?¢t have the finance available at this time but really wish to invest, some supporters may wish to see some progress and would choose to invest when they were satisfied that it was in their interests. I have been told by people this week that 45,000 is too low, some say it is too high, but to complete the plan we had to take into consideration some facts and we had to assume some other uncertainties. I personally feel that Rangers have an unbelievable number of supporters globally, hundreds of thousands, and 45,000 is a very small percentage to rely upon. What would the contingency plan be if the fans only raised, say Ã?£20m? Who would meet the difference as clearly the business plan would be underfunded? The business plan is malleable, it is not carved in stone. Again I go back to certain assumptions being made. The business plan is a bit like a road map, it allows you to map out your journey from A to B. We would assume that the map is factual and we will not have any diversions. We never assume that there will be no road works or diversions, but we believe one thing, we will get to B. That is the same as the business plan, it will change and alter as required. The business plan and the proposals are not solely about the football side. Rangers are a huge untapped successful brand, this business plan has many different revenue steams that will come online in the future. What will the annual membership fee be? Again the membership is based upon assumptions. There is no definitive answer as it is down to what the response is and how many members come on board. This is not a quick capital injection, it has to be monitored and corrected as progress is made. It is also not just a case of grab as much money as possible, there are benefits to being a member, there will be discounts and rewards. But again we have to assume an acceptable level of support and an unacceptable level of support, so the figures being used are between Ã?£50 and Ã?£200. So fans have to pay Ã?£1000 as a one-off fee to become a member. Then an annual fee of Ã?£50-Ã?£200. And then a season ticket and all other costs? Is that feasible? As I have stated previously, between discounts and rewards the supporters should not be expending much more than they are at this time. It is difficult to complete this transition without some form of contribution and support. The supporters have voiced their wish to become an owner of the club. According to the last accounts Rangers had net assets of Ã?£113m, that is the stated assets; the supporters want ownership of the club and therefore the assets. To ask 45,000 members to contribute Ã?£1000 only raises Ã?£45m, not even half the value of the asset, this investment in turn is being used to eliminate any risk to that asset, which makes the asset even more secure, however this comes with a price and a commitment. What would your role at the club be should this plan go ahead? Would you like to be chairman, or would you sit on the board? The proposal consists of three new Special Purpose Vehicle companies being formed. There is a constitution for each of these companies, a competent board of directors, strategic planning process and a mission statement, all in place prior to trading. Once the proposal gets to the stage of acceptance and proceeds my role is over. At that time there would be no need for any further assistance from me ââ?¬â?? the job will have been done. Although it would be a privilege, I have no interest in being on the board of Rangers. I would be doing the position an injustice as I would not be able to fulfil the obligations due to my other business interests and commitments.

Another interesting few thoughts on our manager for you to ponder from Andy.... http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=172:dr-jeykll-and-mr-smith&catid=1:articles&Itemid=67 Robert Louis Stevenson's short story of conflicted personality, "Jeykll and Hyde", continues to resonate in the Scottish soul well over a century since it was written. Just as his literary predecessor James Hogg observed in "Memoir of a Justified Sinner", the country and its' people are often faced with an unenviable position: making a choice when both choices are equally contentious. Be it over the rights of the established Church, over the desire to improve oneself or the desire to obliterate oneself in alcohol, the conflict (or lack of) between being Scottish or British, the pride in Scotland set against the despair felt when a ned gets on the bus: being Scottish has been and continues to be a whirlpool of contradictory currents, dragging one first this way then that. And the Rangers fan can feel right at home in this tradition at present, as they watch their venerable and quasi-venerated manager Walter Smith preside over another season. The Glasgow club are two points behind rivals Celtic, but hold a game in hand over their smaller city neighbours, having lost their first league game of the season recently, the final team in the UK to lose a domestic unbeaten record. And yet, and yet...happiness is easy, sang 'Talk Talk', but the Rangers fan would no doubt disagree. Poor performances, low scoring, and a lack of exciting football combine to leave the supporter slumped in his bucket seat, chin on chest, hands in pocket, curse on lips. The appalling weather which has seen an entire winter's amount of rain dumped upon Britain in two weeks of November seems a perfect metaphor for how the Ibrox faithful are feeling. Gloomy, damp, and with no sign of spring on the horizon. Smith has come in for his share of criticism over this. Some over the top, some more constructive. But the interesting point for me is, how do I criticise a man who has led my team to title after title, Cup and Cup? It's easy to say the past is the past, football is a results business and a great record won't get you a single point this season. All true. But loyalty has to count for something! And, after all, this is the same manager who dragged the team kicking and screaming over the winning line only last May. Rangers didn't win the league due to superior players in season 08-09, and Smith must take great credit for instilling the belief that they needed to clinch the title. Add to that the praise he regularly receives from those within the game, and you see the problem: We appear to have an experienced, respected coach, who is serving up dross. I can't join in the chorus of disapproval. Loyalty to the man in the hotseat is a given from me, be he Paul Le Guen or even Berti Vogts. And mention of the last name should show that automatic loyalty is not always a good thing! I can appreciate that, even as I staunchly support Walter Smith on messageboards and in conversation. But overall, taking the lack of an alternative who knows the ropes, the financial situation at the club just now, and the history that Walter and I share (romantic and fanciful perhaps, but I feel a bond - Smith came into Rangers when I was 16, I'm now 39; he's been a part of my entire adult life!) Walter Smith will continue to have at least this bear's support. On that point at least, I am not divided.

Wigan's players are to personally refund Latics fans who bought tickets at the DW Stadium for the 9-1 hammering at Tottenham on Sunday. Wigan took a large following to White Hart Lane for the defeat, the second heaviest in Premier League history. "We feel that as a group of players we badly let down our supporters yesterday," said Wigan captain Mario Melchiot via the official club website. "This is a gesture we have to make and pay them back for their loyalty." Wigan are the first team to concede nine goals in a Premier League match since Manchester United beat Ipswich 9-0 at Old Trafford in 1995. The Latics have conceded 13 goals in their previous two matches and now sit only three places and three points above the relegation zone with a goal difference of -17. 606: DEBATE These results come along every now and again, it happens, it's just not nice when it's your turn dependabledennis "There is not a lot else to say, just that as a group of professionals we were embarrassed by the way we performed, we feel it was below our standards and this (the refund) is something we feel we owe to the fans," admitted Melchiot. "Now we have to draw a line under the game, focus completely on training this week and bounce back on Saturday. "We are professionals, we will take it on the chin and move on but it's important that we do not take our supporters for granted." Striker Jermain Defoe did most of the damage for Spurs, scoring five goals in the club's highest top-flight win. Peter Crouch, Aaron Lennon and Niko Krancjar also scored and the unfortunate Wigan keeper Chris Kirkland scored an own goal. Paul Scharner scored the Latics' goal. The club has confirmed that every supporter who bought a ticket from the DW Stadium for the game on Saturday should contact the ticket office and a full refund will be offered to them. Refunds must be claimed on or before Friday 4th December 2009. "The players have asked me not to release details of the amount [they will be repaying] but they wanted to make the gesture," Wigan's head of media and publications Ed Jones told BBC Radio 5 live. "Maybe it would have been different if it was a home game," he admitted. "It was a shock to the system, they're professionals and they've been through a bit of a humiliation. "The club is a small, family-run institution, we're all in it together and it has not been pleasant." Wigan return to action when they host Sunderland this weekend. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wigan_athletic/8374893.stm

Can anyone please tell me in idiot's terms the potted history of the ill feeling directed towards the RST. I'm finding it hard to get to grips with the reasons as to why we can't all get united when our Club needs us.

This is the list of the top 350+ soccer clubs in the world compiled by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics in Bonn, Germany. This is the list the soccer world goes by & it's updated monthly. - Club World Rankings - Top 350 Check our world club ranking on a month to month basis. How the Club World Ranking is made - explanation of what the ranking is based on.

I hope I'm lucky enough never to hear about this EPL bollocks again.... or the mythical Atlantic League, the United League of Planets, or any other fictional nonsense. Why is it we can't just face up to what we are and where we are, and deal with it. It's nothing to do with what state the SPL is in, it's about facing simple facts about ourselves and dealing with them. For 137 years, Rangers have carved out their place in football by playing in Scotland and it's really not such a bad place we've made. Personally, I'd like to see us all stop looking over the fence in envy and rebuild our own house. Rangers are a bigger shambles than Scottish football right now and it's almost entirely of our own making. We need to sort out an abundance of problems at home before we even think about anything outwith the club's own doors. A well run Rangers should be helping to lift the Scottish game, not the other way round. If we are brutally honest, we've made a complete bodge of things these last 20 years or so. The most successful club in the country's history stopped producing it's own talent, it turned its back on huge areas of its heritage, it divided and alienated large chunks of its support, and ended up a debt-ridden mess delivering garbage on the park. Worst of all has been a virtual loss of what was once a clear and cherished identity. A definitive lesson in fact, in how to turn success into failure. Gazza, Laudrup nor NIAR make up for what has been done to Rangers. Trying to run away from our own mistakes is perhaps the best way to make sure we never turn round and address them. For me, moving to play in the EPL would put the last nail in the coffin of the club I grew up with. I want to see us accept we play in the Scottish leagues and get on with rebuilding Rangers before we worry about who we play each week or how much TV money we earn. If we're the best club in Scotland we will earn our CL money more often than not, we'll again attract and produce he best young talent in the country and, most importantly, we'll rediscover self-respect.

Published Date: 15 November 2009 THE EXPECTATION is that it won't be long now, possibly only a matter of weeks depending on the number of times Walter Smith and the opposition combine to offer him the on-field opportunities. But, all things being equal, few would bet against Kris Boyd leapfrogging Henrik Larsson at the summit of the all-time SPL scoring charts. As the league restarts following the international hiatus, the Rangers player recommences his quest for a pl ADVERTISEMENT ace in the history books. Bettering Larsson's tally will fool no-one into regarding him the better player, says Billy Dodds, but it would safeguard for posterity Boyd's credentials as a goalscorer. Dodds is ranked ninth in the standings himself and says that Boyd and Larsson cannot be compared when it comes to their all-round ability but the one area where the Scot does measure up is when it comes to the instinctive finishing of chances in the domestic domain. "Boydy is an out and out goal-scorer who does work hard to try to add other aspects to his game but Larsson could do everything," says Dodds. "He had awareness, pace, the ability to bring others into play, he could get in behind the defence and was a natural goalscorer. He had the lot but there are not too many like that, especially playing in the SPL." Which is why he thinks it would be such an achievement if Boyd were to surpass the tally of 158 goals accumulated by the Swede in his 186 SPL outings (the 16 goals from his first season with Celtic don't count as they were scored in the old Premier Division). Already, Boyd has played 275 games, so the ratio will not be equal to the player who finished top scorer in the league in five of the six years he competed in the SPL. The only year Larsson failed to better the rest was in 1999/2000 when he missed eight months with a double leg break. But Boyd himself has been a model of consistency in that respect. Three times in the past four seasons he has taken the plaudits as top goal scorer. His self-imposed Scotland exile means he is fresh for the fight and, just ten goals from equalling Larsson, he will be rubbing his hands given the next sequence of matches. First up it's Kilmarnock next weekend. The club where he learned his trade and earned 63 of his SPL goals. Since leaving them, though, he has found them just as helpful in his ascent up the SPL charts, netting 13 goals in 13 league meetings against them. "We know all about him and what he can do and how to get close to him. But knowing that does not make him any easier to play against," concedes his former boss at Rugby Park, Jim Jefferies. "Even although we know what to expect he still manages to get the ball in the net. He has still done us a fair few times but we're not alone, he has done most teams in the SPL a fair few times." In fact, the striker can look at six of the matches Rangers face between now and the end of the year with some relish. Between them the teams involved have accounted for more than half his SPL tally, with Dundee United and Motherwell in particular surely sick of his penalty box interventions. Of the clubs lined up to play Rangers between now and the turn of the year, only Hibernian and St Johnstone have thus far prevented Boyd rattling in a tally above double figures against them. "There is no doubt what Kris is all about," says Jefferies. "He knows himself that he is no Larsson. He was an exceptional player and brought so much more to the table than Kris does but the one area where you could argue that he is equal to Larsson is scoring goals. He loves scoring goals and has that bit of selfishness and luck that the most prolific strikers have but it is not all down to luck. The more chances he gets, the more goals he gets. He gets a bad press but, maybe a bit like Ally McCoist, Kris gets himself into the positions to score and he takes his chances. You could see that in him at a young age and at training he was always shooting from all over. He just wanted to score goals and when he is taking that into matches and winning his team points you can't argue with that. What makes him better than most is his technique. He has great technique in front of goal. "He can hit it first time, and you can see that by how many goals he scores on the half volley or volley, and sometimes to get that chance he is having to adjust his position at the last minute and he is very good at that. Which means he can convert a chance so quickly and gives defenders very little time to get close to him or get a tackle in." Describing him as a great lad, the other thing Dodds and Jefferies agree on is how keen Boyd will be to supersede the former Celtic player at the peak of the all-time scorers list. "We all know that all the very best strikers love to claim everything, whether they got the last touch or not, and the best ones always want to finish top of the scoring charts," explains Jefferies. "Bettering Larsson would not make him a better player than him but that won't matter. Strikers thrive on confidence and this would be brilliant for Kris's confidence." "Larsson was a class act," stresses Dodds, "but these days, look at the other strikers in the SPL, when it comes to getting goals time and time again, Boydy is in a league of his own. What people don't realise is that he is a very thoughtful lad and he works very hard to improve on other areas of his game and if you compare the player he is now to the player Rangers bought, he has improved. He will never be the complete striker but he scores goals that win games and that's what Boydy loves. He will be desperate to get this record and get his name in the history books but, if he does, it will be a long time before anyone can beat it. In fact, I'm not sure anyone will. It is such a tremendous target." http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/sport/Moira-Gordon-Boyd-is-no.5825490.jp

The Return Of The Rant Itââ?¬â?¢s been a while since I last vented my frustration on you poor souls, so this is long overdue! The reasons for the lack of rantings are many and varied, starting a new career which is eating into my time, lack of new and meaningful Rangers related topics (I know, more of that later) and a general malaise in what is happening in and around our club. So enough of the excuses and on with the ranting, but where to start! Our esteemed Chairman has gone AWOL and taken Boogie with him and the bank appear to be pulling the (purse) strings within Ibrox. Iââ?¬â?¢ll leave you to decide if the two are related. This disturbing turn of events have been predicted for a while from those described as ââ?¬Ë?doom-mongersââ?¬â?¢ but it appears that SDM has taken us to the brink and we are in serious financial trouble and in freefall. Tomorrow sees our latest financial results published and theyââ?¬â?¢ll make for interesting reading. It is predicated that the debt will have risen to over the Ã?£30M mark (again) and with little or no sign of this improving. This financial meltdown has gotten the hopes of a takeover heightened but there appears to be no-one willing to show their cards and place a firm offer to SDM for Rangers. The recent ââ?¬Ë?riot in Romaniaââ?¬â?¢ and inconsistent form, especially in Europe and the continued speculation of whether further staff cuts (including players and management) donââ?¬â?¢t exactly make Rangers attractive to potential buyers. However, the recent happenings must have finally opened the eyes of even the most ardent SDM supporters. He has overseen the most irresponsible overspending in our entire history and has taken us to the brink and into the hands of the bank ââ?¬â?? we are at their mercy. Despite SDMââ?¬â?¢s and the banks protestations, there are likely to be wholesale changes at Ibrox come January if a buyer doesnââ?¬â?¢t come forward. This will mean players sold and not replaced and the enforced promotion of young players (not necessarily a bad thing if managed correctly) and a change in the management of the club (again, not necessarily a bad thing). All this at a time where our bitterest rivals are struggling on the pitch and at a time where even a half-decent Rangers team would have had the title all but wrapped up. Tony Mowbry has a worse record than John Barnes and are still 2 points clear of us in the title race (we do have a game in hand). Our recent form has rightly raised concerns and the usual excuses of injuries and suspensions have been trotted out. Neither explains the lack of basic footballing ability constantly displayed by our players. We have decent players, that is unquestionable, but they appear to be unable to consistently turn in acceptable performances. This leads to the question of whether they are being coached properly. If all of the above is overtly depressing, have some sympathy for your author, I am sitting here typing this listening to The Smiths and Joy Division and with tomorrow being the day we hear about finances, UEFA sanctions and the EPL decision, the mood isnââ?¬â?¢t going to lighten any time soon. In the dark and distant days of the early to mid eighties, I used to think that there was never a dull moment following Rangers and despite the lack of success and decent players, I always believed that there was light at the end of the tunnel. In retrospect, I believe that this was youthful exuberance and the naivety of youth ââ?¬â?? no matter what it was, the sleeping giant that was The Rangers were awakened and we went to dominate domestically for over a decade. Maybe itââ?¬â?¢s my age, but there is little or no optimism when looking at the future of The Rangers unless we can convince the EPL to adopt us and attract substantial financial investment. Without this, and being resigned to a life in the SPL, The Rangers that we know and love will continue on a road to ruin and will be the death of The Rangers. No One Likes Us? At times it certainly feels this way and at the moment its open season on Rangers and especially us, the fans. The Scottish media who are never slow in putting the boot in, are having a field day with the off-field issues and the ââ?¬Ë?riot in Romaniaââ?¬â?¢. UEFA will have their say tomorrow. Domestically we have to suffer sectarian abuse on a weekly basis with no mention of this in the unbiased media. It even appears that the weather is conspiring against us with the postponement of the game at Tannidice due to a pitch that was no worse at half-time than it was a kick-off. Sitting in the Fair Play Stand watching the officials run round the pitch with a ball under their arms (which was never used to test the surface), watching the DUFC subââ?¬â?¢s deliberately kicking balls into puddles in both halves of the pitch whilst the officials were out, then kicking water at their backs, you just knew that the game was being cancelled. On leaving Tannidice, you couldnââ?¬â?¢t fail to notice the ire emanating from the Rangers support, at last the sleeping giant had awoken. Like a wounded animal, the Rangers support can only take so much ââ?¬Ë?pokingââ?¬â?¢ before it bites back. It appears the recent happenings have finally witnessed a snarling, biting response for the Rangers fans. Lets make sure we direct our ire in the right direction as people will start to take notice, and long may it continue. So given this, wasnââ?¬â?¢t it heartening to hear and see the welcome Hamburg SV had prepared for the Tims? You know, The Tims who are loved by every club they play against? Who have ââ?¬Ë?specialââ?¬â?¢ relationships all over Europe? I just wonder if the Hamburg boys would loan us their display for The Piggery on January 3rd? After all Rangers allowed Celtc to set up a display last season, surely John Reid will return the favour (if h isnââ?¬â?¢t too busy insulting us as a way to deflect from his own troubles). More power to the HSV fans who, with a quick search of Youtube, a fantastic fan-base who add colour and noise to every ground they visit. Some Poor Monkey Has A Tony Mowbry Heid The Blue Order are rightly praised for their continued contribution to the atmosphere at Ibrox and have been behind some memorable displays, banners and songs. Recently, probably due to the lack of support they receive from the rest of the ground on match-days whilst trying to get the singing going, they have resorted some old school (or should it be skool?) classics like ââ?¬Ë?Frank McGarvieââ?¬â?¢s wife is off ill reputeââ?¬â?¢, ââ?¬Ë?Jorge Cadette and his hair like spaghettiââ?¬â?¢, ââ?¬Ë?If I had the wings of a sparrow (if I had the arse of a crow, Iââ?¬â?¢d fly over parkhead tomorrow and shite on the barstewards below)ââ?¬â?¢. However, surely nothing can beat The Blue Orders homage to the new Celtc manager. Some Poor Monkey Has Got A Tony Mowbry Heid must rank amongst the funniest footballing songs ever. Lest We Forget Iââ?¬â?¢d like to finish on a serious note and take this opportunity to pay tribute to all those brave servicemen and woman who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and also to all those who have served ââ?¬â?? we will NEVER forget. Cammy F