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In the aftermath of Bucharest, Spiers, Gibbons and Smith in particular used their columns to vent their disgust of the Rangers support. Since Speirs friendship with Matt McGlone flourished a number of years ago, you could find it easy to conclude it has affected Britneyââ?¬â?¢s utterings, and he is reduced at times to write his articles as if he was a contributor to a Celtic fanzine. You canââ?¬â?¢t help wonder during their flat share if Matt was injecting him with somethingââ?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦ for instance Spiers in todayââ?¬â?¢s article trots out his fairly new slur on us calling our fans ââ?¬Å?a white underclass ââ?¬Å? Gibbons meanwhile penned an article entitled ââ?¬Å?An open letter to Martin Bain, excuser of Rangers serial troublemakersââ?¬Â in which he mentions incidents going back to Newcastle in 1969! and comments ââ?¬Å?are succeeding generations of your travelling supporters afflicted with a congenital disorder that compels them, at semi-regular intervals, to inflict mayhem on stadiums and towns they visit throughout Europe?ââ?¬Â As for Smith, despite no reports of sectarian behaviour at Wednesdays match she brings the sectarian slur into her column in todayââ?¬â?¢s News of the World, ââ?¬Å?Could it be that the sectarian element fosters a mentality that will always be hell-bent on trouble? We know that where you have sectarianism, you will find thuggery.ââ?¬Â Having spoken to 4 individuals (including a member of Rangers security) who were at the game, the scenes whilst disturbing could not be described as the battle of Bucharest or a riot in any shape or form. Still hyperbole of the negative sort from these 3 journos when discussing the behaviour of Rangers fans is not unusual. With their opinions there for all to see in this weeks papers, what will the three amigos report regarding todayââ?¬â?¢s pre-meditated disruption of the minutes silence at Falkirk? Will Spiers berate Celtics grey green and white underclass/ their trailer trash republicans? Will Gibbons write an open letter to Peter Lawell reminding him of decades of anti-British hatred from their support?(going back longer than 1969 Mr Gibbons if you know your history) and will Anna Smith explore the racist and sectarian elements of her beloved hoops fans? Lets wait and see but be prepared for a long waitââ?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦.

THESE Rangers thugs just don't get it, do they? Knuckle-trailing morons who attach themselves like scum to decent footie fans are too thick to understand. So I'll explain it simply, just in case any of them can read: If you are a thug and you follow Rangers for a European football clash, the cops are lying in wait. Because your reputation goes before you, in a shameful catalogue of yobbery that few other football clubs have ever been able to surpass. So, the baton-wielding cops are armed and ready with CS gas, and anything they need to beat the s**t out of you. That's how it is. It's not up for debate. It's up to you to deal with it. If you so much as step off the pavement, chances are you will be bludgeoned by some burly policeman who has already made up his mind that you're a waster. What part of that little scenario is difficult to understand? Honest to God. I watched these scenes unfold during the match in Bucharest and I could not believe what I was seeing. The neds who rampaged through Manchester in 2008, tearing up the city, haven't even been dealt with in court yet, and here we go again. Could it be that the sectarian element fosters a mentality that will always be hell-bent on trouble? And I'm sure all the true Rangers fans watching at home, and the decent supporters standing terrified in case they were drawn into a full- scale riot, must be wondering what the hell they can do to shake off these eejits. Every proper Rangers fan I know, who wants to be able to go along to a match and support their team, must be pig sick of the mindless animals who are dragging them into the gutter. Because make no mistake about it. The image of Rangers abroad is in tatters because of these cave dwellers. Long before the Battle of Bucharest, true Rangers fans were treated like lepers when they travelled because of numbskulls latching onto them. They are not fans. You and I know that. Anyone who goes to a football match anywhere in the world looking for a fight is not a fan, he is a thug. But maybe someone can tell me this: Why do there seem to be more thugs attached to Rangers than many other football clubs? Every time I criticise Rangers I get hate mail. The truth is, I have plenty of Gers friends, and I was willing them on to win against Unirea. But it's time Rangers looked inside themselves and asked just why trouble follows them everywhere they go. Because either Rangers are the most persecuted club in the world, or they just attract a bigger hooligan element than anyone else. The sickening scenes we have witnessed in recent years from Spain to Manchester would suggest this is not about persecution. It is about sheer thuggery. So instead of Rangers supremo Martin Bain prattling on about too few turnstiles being open, he should look at why his club is plagued by this despicable baggage. Could it be that the sectarian element fosters a mentality that will always be hell-bent on trouble? We know that where you have sectarianism, you will find thuggery. At Celtic you have morons who still insist on singing IRA songs, when the fact is you could probably write their knowledge of Irish history on the back of a fag packet. They are thugs, not fans. And it's the same for the idiots singing No Surrender - as we could clearly hear during the match in Bucharest. If Rangers are trying to find the yobs dragging them down, then they will find them among these rancid ranks. It's time everyone attached to Rangers stopped blaming everyone else and asked themselves if they are doing enough. That includes supporters' clubs who run buses and deal with tickets, up to the bosses in the Rangers boardroom. Because this great club means a lot to many good people, and it is in a big enough mess without UEFA banning them from Euro tournaments. Agree? Disagree? Scroll down to leave your comments Sadly, for the club and genuine fans, if UEFA decided to do that tomorrow, Rangers wouldn't have a leg to stand on. ANNA SMITH http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/vb/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=3

IAN DURRANT claims Walter Smith stands on the brink of pulling off his greatest achievement with Rangers. The Ibrox coach has given a rare insight into his gaffer's defiant state of mind as he tackles the club's crippling financial crisis. He predicts history will one day portray Smith as the saviour of Rangers - in the same way Fergus McCann was credited with hauling Celtic back from the verge of ruin in the summer of 1994. Durrant's position as Smith's sidekick in the stand has given him a unique insight into what makes the nine-in-a-row boss tick. He describes the 61-year-old as a man on a mission, hellbent on steering the debt-ridden club through the rockiest times in its 135-year history. Durrant said: "Fifteen years ago, Fergus McCann and all the Celtic boys rallied round and saved their club. Walter's on a mission to save Rangers. And if he's at the helm, Rangers will succeed, it's as simple as that. "In a perfect world I think he could have stepped aside two seasons ago after reaching the UEFA Cup Final. Or even last season, when he won the double, if things had gone to plan afterwards. "I thought at the end of last season, after winning the double and getting the league back - which was the most important thing - that would have been the time to bow out. "But he said to us he had unfinished business and now everyone knows what that was. The club's financial situation has given him that spark again. He's got a motivation now to prove we can get through this. "I look at his desire and the fact is, he doesn't need this. He chose to come back when we weren't as strong financially as we had been, so he had to juggle things about. "He brought in Davie Weir, who has been unbelievable, then Ugo Ehiogu and they steadied the ship. It's been a constant battle ever since, though Walter's never complained. "He will hand the club over - whether it's to Coisty, Kenny McDowall and myself or someone else - and it will still be in place. "Getting us through the next six months will be his greatest achievement. And he will do it, because his desire to succeed will take him there. He's a Rangers fan and it's his club." Smith's contract expires in January, along with that of his No2 Ally McCoist, and there have been suggestions that pressure from the bankers could mean the pair are not offered a new deal or will be asked to take a pay cut. Durrant believes that would be a bigger own goal and costlier blunder than anything seen during the global banking crisis. He said: "If anyone tried to move Walter out, they'd be making a big mistake. "I'm not saying no one else could do it, but it's an unsteady ship and slowly but surely the weight on us has been lifted in the past two weeks. You can see a difference in the whole club. "The one thing about the gaffer is he gets the right reaction from players." As Rangers' money problems piled up, Donald Muir from Lloyds Banking Group was crowbarred on to the Rangers board. It was the first visible sign drastic changes were going on behind the scenes and rumours and counter-rumours began to fly around the Ibrox club. To make matters worse, results started to suffer, culminating in back-to-back 4-1 home thrashings in the Champions League by Spanish cracks Sevilla and Romanian minnows Unirea Urziceni. Smith had seen enough and called a crisis council with his trusted coaching staff then his players. Then he went public with a bombshell statement after a league match with Hibs to say the bankers were running Rangers - and all hell broke loose! Lloyds, then Rangers, issued statements saying Smith had got it completely wrong and the club was still in charge of its affairs. But Durrant believes, as far as what was happening on the pitch was concerned, no one can dispute that Smith got it totally right. He said: "The gaffer had to ask the players for one final push and the boys took a lot of belief from him. It's not a nice position when there's talk of redundancies. It leaves a stale feeling. "You know there are other people at the club who rely on you. People who have been working here for a long time could lose their jobs. "Football isn't their job but they are affected by what happens on the park. We know there's a recession on but we have to get on with it. It's the same with the gaffer. "Obviously, he's the manager of Rangers but he's also a supporter and he was hurting. There were times when he was low - we've all been low. "You want to get on with your job and play the game, but everything that was happening with the club was making the front page of the papers rather than the back. That got to him a bit. "You can hear the tone of his voice change and you know he's hurting. But he sees Coisty, myself and Kenny as a younger group and he sees us being bubbly round about him and he gets a lift from it. He's surrounded himself by good indians. "He'd never come in and let you see him at rock bottom though, he's too proud a man to do that. But since he said his thing about the bank, and it's come out in the open, there's been a freshness about the place. "For two or three weeks the staff were tip-toeing on egg shells and we didn't know what was happening. We were all hearing the banks were going to pull the plug and it creates a bit of uncertainty. "I'm not making excuses for the Sevilla or Unirea games, but there was uncertainty which may have affected the players. "I hope it didn't because that's what we're here to deal with, so we sat down and talked about it. "We weren't playing well and yet we knew we had a good group of players - guys who had bent over backwards for us the previous season by winning a double. "Walter just wondered aloud if that uncertainty was causing problems and since then I think we've played our best stuff of the season against Hibs, Dundee United and Unirea. They were great open games." Durrant has seen the pressure mount on the other side of Glasgow too as Tony Mowbray has come under the microscope in his new job at Celtic. At times, Mowbray has questioned the quality of his players and given them an ultimatum to shape up or ship out. That's an approach Durrant never expects to see from Smith. He added: "It's the hardest job in the world. I've known Celtic boys from years ago and we all know it's the same pressure as being at Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool. "You have to win every game. Every minute now, you're being scrutinised. Walter never criticises the players publicly. He takes the responsibility, he's old school that way. In football, you always say 'get the dressing room on your side' and he has that. "He has one last piece of unfinished business and I'll be damned if he doesn't do it." http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/scottish/scottish_sport/587228/Legend-reveals-how-Ibrox-boss-is-suffering-through-clubs-crisis.html

...and so must you! As have most decent football fans, I watched the stadium trouble at half-time on Wednesday with a mixture of concern and anger. The Rangers away support having problems abroad is nothing new and I immediately thought the worst. Supporters arguing with stewards, fights breaking out, CS gas being used and seats being thrown - all signs of serious problems. But where does the fault lie and what was the real issue? Do Rangers deserve to be charged or should UEFA look a bit closer to home before dishing the dirt? First of all I think it is important to acknowledge that a tiny minority of Rangers supporters are our own worst enemy. No matter the provocation, arguing with non-English speaking stewards/police on foreign shores isn't going to improve a situation in the short-term. To that end, the dozen or so fans who let their tempers get the better of them should be criticised and investigated by the appropriate authorities. However, it appears that the true story of what happened is more complicated than a few fans brawling with over-zealous stewards. As we can see in the email thread below from 'Tannochside Bear' once again the infrastructure and organisation for the safety of the thousands of travelling fans is nothing short of diabolical and completely unacceptable. TB's experience seems to be a common one from reading the forums and speaking to friends/family who were at the game. As such, while the few who contributed to the trouble need to be punished for their part, there are other more important questions to consider by the relevant parties such as Rangers FC, Strathclyde Police, UEFA, the Foreign Office and the Scottish First Minister: 1. Why is the safety of our fans and citizens constantly compromised when visiting other countries for football matches? 2. What pressure can our home authorities bring to UEFA and countries like Romania and Spain (to name but two) to ensure our supporters are well looked after when abroad? 3. How best can these supporters be policed to stop heavy drinking and other questionable activities which can contribute to trouble? 4. At what point will Rangers FC do more to examine all three of these issues above given the ongoing and consistent problems of recent years? Bland statements after the fact are doing no good whatsoever. May I suggest that every Rangers fan concerned about travelling to away matches abroad write to the club, UEFA, their local MP and the First Minister asking them to take up the baton on our behalf. Please don't quote from this article (or other emails) but write your own in a polite, objective fashion to receive the same courtesy back. Rangers supporters have a proud history of representing their club and country in a friendly manner all over the world. We have the right to do so in a safe environment in conjunction with good policing, sensible stewarding and risk-free stadia. All relevant authorities should be doing their utmost to provide that. Contact First Minister: scottish.ministers@scotland.gsi.gov.uk Contact UEFA: info@uefa.com Contact Foreign Office: msu.correspondence@fco.gov.uk Contact Rangers FC: webmail@rangers.co.uk Contact Rangers Supporters Assembly: assembly@thebluenose.co.uk

After all, you would think, following the most turbulent week experienced at Ibrox since Mo Johnston turned up in a blue jersey 20 years ago, that the club was on its uppers and the bailiffs at the door. In fact Rangers' debt ââ?¬â?? even allowing for the absence of current trading figures ââ?¬â?? is only a fraction of their turnover. A large fraction, to be sure ââ?¬â?? somewhere between a third to a half of annual revenue ââ?¬â?? but where does that put the club? The answer is, on the one hand, well behind Celtic, whose near-elimination of the need for an overdraft suddenly looks a lot less like penny pinching and much more like prudent fiscal stewardship, as I am sure nobody will make a point of saying at the Parkhead annual general meeting today. Celtic might be a little more sombre about this season's home record, which was dented yet again on Wednesday, this time by Hearts. That would be Hearts who, like Kilmarnock ââ?¬â?? just to pluck another example from the SPL ââ?¬â?? are in hock to the tune of multiples of their turnover, something like three or four times what they can earn in a year. In fact, the last figures available for Hearts show that the Tynecastle club was Ã?£30.47 million in debt ââ?¬â?? and that was after a debt-for-equity transfer agreement with its parent company, UBIG, worth Ã?£22 million. Mind you, Vladimir Romanov was basically rearranging the piles of money he owed to himself, as Sir David Murray used to do at Ibrox when Rangers were much, much deeper in the red than they are now. Which brings us back to the basic question ââ?¬â?? why have Lloyds waded into a situation which invites exactly the sort of adverse publicity ââ?¬â?? reaction from angry supporters ââ?¬â?? that sober-sided financial institutions traditionally shun? Well, you and I are partly responsible, assuming that we are both UK taxpayers. We own 43 per cent of the bank, which has cost us a tidy Ã?£17 billion. Lloyds has actually repaid Ã?£3 billion, but may need another Ã?£25 billion, which would involve a rights issue ââ?¬â?? the same wheeze Murray used to reduce Rangers' debt when it went stratospheric a few years ago. Why does Lloyds need more money? To keep it out of the government's toxic debt insurance scheme. Wot's dat, you ask. It's a plan to make the biggest banks identify their stinky loans, so that a safety net can be set up in case all the bad debt falls due at once, causing another economic crisis, exactly like the one we just had. And why does Lloyds not want to be insured against its rubbish debts? At this stage, I must turn the issue over to our esteemed colleagues on the business pages ââ?¬â?? or Bremner, Bird & Fortune. But the upshot is that Lloyds' banking hit-teams have been crawling over the accounts of everybody who owes them a rusty penny. Rangers, as I say, are not particularly culpable in this respect, but nor are the very many businesses who have been shell-shocked by the bank's urgency to claw back whatever cash in hand might be available and hawk off anything else that might raise a quid or two. One Scottish newspaper this week asked if Rangers have breached the terms of the club's banking covenants. A leading Scottish entrepreneur provided this column with the answer when he said: "The bank has come into hundreds ââ?¬â?? maybe thousands ââ?¬â?? of boardrooms, looked at the books, ripped up the existing covenants and slapped down new pieces of paper with very tough demands on them. It's not just Rangers." No, it's not. Murray's stake in Rangers is operated through Murray International Holdings. Four years ago, MIH funded its biggest ever period of growth with bank loans of over Ã?£500 million ââ?¬â?? but, hey, turnover was Ã?£600 million and the good times were rolling. At the last publicly available count, MIH owed Ã?£751 million, ââ?¬â?? some observers believe the next figures will be even higher ââ?¬â?? but the turnover was down and the profit negligible. So what are the options for Rangers now? A prospective owner (or owners) could buy Murray out and service the debt ââ?¬â?? or even increase it, as the Glazers have done at Manchester United. Or the new owner could acquire Murray's stock and pay off the overdraft. There are other options, too, but whatever happens, there is a complex web of relationships to unravel ââ?¬â?? Lloyds own a stake in MIH, for example. As for who runs the club, the bank is, of course, correct to say that it is not in the business of conducting the day-to-day affairs of the business it funds. But hard-nosed interrogations about business plans, turnover and cash flow have become routine in boardrooms, as have heated exchanges with the bank's representatives about how companies are supposed to conduct their business under such pressure. Rangers have not been an exception. If you doubt that, consider the utterances of another bloke called Johnston who arrived at Ibrox with a fanfare last month. Alastair Johnston, the new chairman, said: "I want to give the current management team new contracts. That is not reliant on outside finance." Then he added: "We are not run and operated by the bank but we do rely on the bank for finance. If Rangers were run by the bank, I would not be here." Uh, OK. Which leaves us with one other keynote statement from the incoming chairman, one in which he set out how the club would identify a suitable buyer. I leave you to judge it for yourself. "Rangers are going to do this in the manner you would expect of ââ?¬â?? Rangers; subtly and with class and without putting ourselves up for sale. I'm not interested in bottom feeders." How Smith managed the news One reads that Walter Smith has been, according to your pundit of choice, ââ?¬Å?embarrassedââ?¬â?¢Ã¢â?¬â?¢, ââ?¬Å?incensedââ?¬â?¢Ã¢â?¬â?¢ or ââ?¬Å?humiliatedââ?¬â?¢Ã¢â?¬â?¢ by Lloyds Bank issuing a statement to say that they do not run Rangers, after the Ibrox manager declared on Saturday that they did. Well, Walter might have been all of those things, but surely that was last week, when Unirea thumped Rangers 4-1 in what, by common consent, was the worst European result in the clubââ?¬â?¢s history. You remember ââ?¬â?? the Champions League game after which the incandescent punters roaming the streets outside the stadium jostled to deliver their verdicts to the TV news cameras. Much of the footage, being couched in terms of extreme profanity, could not be used. However, the gist of what was salvageable was clear enough ââ?¬â?? ââ?¬Å?Smith must go! Now!ââ?¬Â Four days later the manager issued his state of the nation address about the plight of the club, taking care to issue separate briefings to Sunday newspapers, the dailies and the broadcast media. At once the phone-ins and online chat rooms were deluged with messages of support from Rangers fans standing four-square with the gaffer. I do not know whether this qualifies him for the Pulitzer Prize for Journalism, but for services to the entertainment industry one might suggest another accolade. Arise, Sir Walter! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/scottishpremier/rangers/6463025/Rangers-debt-is-only-a-fraction-of-their-turnover-so-why-is-there-all-this-fuss.html

Just wondered if the caused more trouble than they were worth. Given the fact that the team were playing crap and we had just suffered another humilating defeat at the hands of a bunch of also rans that will be etched in the History of the club , you have to ask your self if the wily old fox was being as coy as ever. And for what its worth i dont think he would have made such a remark without the blessing of certain board members. He successfully managed to deflect all the heat and critisism that was going his way but at a heavy cost to the club. We have been racked over the coals since his outburst and he has slipped away scot free.... again. Now the farore has died down not alot if anything has happened or changed as a result of his comments. The media have printed thousand of articles on the subject without any tangable evidence and we have been met with a wall of silence from the club. so we are none the wiser. We will have to wait till the transfer window for the full impact of the banks involvement in the board room. Dare say that there will be a few out the door come january but i think we knew this would allways be the case. in the end it was much ado about nothing.

From the BBC website.

As well as the main site, we've also redesigned the Rangers Archive part of Gersnet. Essentially this is an online museum where you can view a range of information and statistics about the club - from fascinating articles about our strip's history to every single result and team-sheet from 1872-2009! In the archive, you can also find all of Gersnet's past articles from the last few years in one searchable library. Visit the archive now! http://www.therangersarchive.co.uk

From the Sun RANGERS legend Andy Goram last night opened his heart on Fergus McCann's sensational bid to sign him for CELTIC. Goram - whose explosive new book The Goalie: My Story is serialised in the Scottish Sun this week - was left staggered by the Canadian tycoon's attempt to lure him to the Hoops a decade ago. And he told SunSport: "The truth is it could never have happened, no matter how much that eccentric little Canadian might have wanted it to. "I just could NOT have done it. "McCann was willing to take the flak and sign me for Celtic because I'd left Rangers and was an affordable, experienced option for him. "But me a Celtic player? Don't think so." The then Parkhead supremo's secret approach for Goram was made to football agent Bill McMurdo who had brokered Mo Johnston's history-making move to Rangers a decade earlier. Then McMurdo helped make ex-Hoops star Johnston Gers' first high-profile Catholic signing but he knew Goram to Celtic was always a non-starter. McMurdo confessed: "I have to say that at first I thought Fergus was winding me up. "But I sound found out that he was deadly serious. He saw Goram as a free agent with vast experience who could add to what Celtic had at the time. "Look, Andy was free - and for Fergus that meant the price was right! He asked me to put it to Goram and I did as I was instructed to but I always knew what the answer was going to be. "Andy ended up a Motherwell player soon after that and no one ever knew about Fergus' move - until now. "Johnston to Rangers was a deal no one will ever forget. "I think we can safely say that Goram to Celtic would have been in the same category. "Whilst there was a way to make the deal with Maurice work I don't think Celtic fans could ever have accepted Andy. He broke their hearts too many times." Advertisement Goram has watched current Gers star Kenny Miller play on both sides of the divide. But in his hard-hitting new autobiography he insists it's a move he could NEVER have contemplated. He stressed: "I am a Rangers man, and in my eyes Rangers men don't play for Celtic. "Did I hate Celtic when we played them? Yes, of course I did. "I ran out of the tunnel detesting the sight of them, and even now I hate it when I see Rangers players cuddling Celtic players. "Kenny's decision was his to make but it is something that I simply could not have done. "In the same way that you can never picture say Peter Grant in a Rangers shirt I think it is hard to see me in a Celtic jersey." A TRUE legend

Following on from Cammy's couple of posts this week, I watched us struggle 3 points against Sj johnstone today and it sprang my mind back to a short 15 years ago. Just where are Rangers? I started attending Ibrox on a regular basis from 1994 as a young 15 yr old and witnessed an amazing team with a great win mentality including the immense talent of Brian Laudrup. One thing about that side until 1998 was the unrreal level of grit and belief and determination to win a game. There was seldom a lacklusture performance. We struggled in Europe - (for reasons that are worthy of another thread / discussion) but in the SPL Rangers were FEARED!!!!! Everyteam can to Ibrox and played 10 behind the ball (which is ironic because the fans used to slag that and repsected a side that came to play us) and we would win, then on the road we were still 'The Rangers'. Yet these days I have never witnesses so many SPL team going to Ibrox not only setting out with an attacking formation but believeing they can get a result. Personally for me - Rangers FC are sleeping! We are in sleeping mode! Whether that is down to the managers, players, directors, board, stadium, fans or a combination - how knows - but something isnt right when we play a CL game and we cant sell it out!!!!!!!! I was thinking earlier today about David Gold leaving Birmingham and trying to buy West Ham, what if he bought Rangers! Would that be the biggest investmant in history? If Rangers and Celtic got a move away from the SPL then the revenue we could pull would be ridiculous!!!! And would swing us into a new level! Something has to happen soon! We are tippoe-ing along too much and too many fans are getting frustrated!!! Rangers should go to St Johnstone and come away with a performance that was never in doubt! Nobody would say no to a 2-1 win but to scrape it and play like juniors is not acceptable! I remember just 10 years ago going to St Johnstone and winning 7-0 when Guivarch made his mark! Compare that to us now!!!

When I turned on ESPN this Saturday, the first Rangers game broadcast by the American Network that puts Sky�s coverage to shame, I was shocked and pleased in equal measure by the starting line up Smith had chosen to tackle Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. Since Smith and his management team have returned to the club I have at times been frustrated by his unwillingness to utilise his full squad. It can be argued that at the end of the 2007/8 season as we battled on four fronts to win silverware that had Smith been willing to utilise the full benefit of his large squad we may not have come up just short in our assault on the title. I may be being a little unfair Walter and his deputies as hitherto before unseen backlog of fixtures is what ultimately cost us the league crown. However, it still stands that at times he has been reticent to rotate his squad and gain the benefits of fringe players who are fresh, fully fit and eager to contribute. So as posters in the main forum will have noted, prior to kick off, I was pleased to note the changes made from what was an excellent point earned in Germany. Kris Boyd, who prior to this weekend�s game had a scoring record of more than a goal a game against his former employers, returned to the starting line up as a toiling Kenny Miller made way. Davie Weir returned to the first XI and with Bougherra suspended it was vital our captain was fit with few other options for the centre-back position. I had assumed the veteran defenders experience would coach McCulloch through another game in his new defensive role. In came Fleck and Novo as Thomson and Rothen dropped to the bench. There could be little complaints about the formation and line up the manager had selected for this latest fixture. A willingness to freshen up the first team and attacking intent in abundance. We had pace and trickery in wide areas from Fleck, Novo and Naismith. Mendes was partnered in the centre by the diminutive Ulsterman Steve Davis, moved in from the right flank where he is able to have more influence on proceedings. With Scotland�s deadliest marksman feeding off this supply on-loan Celtic keeper Mark Brown must have been expecting a far more difficult afternoon than he endured. However, as the draw in Stuttgart highlighted, defying popular opinion of so called experts and bookmakers, football is played out on the field not on paper. Despite the supposed gulf in class, despite the abundance of attacking quality available to Rangers, we rarely troubled the Kilmarnock goal. Yesterday was not a game for the neutrals. Had I not such a deep emotional attachment to my football team, I might not have been watching until fulltime. It was the kind of contest where you would not open your curtains had it been played out in your back garden. Time and again I have argued from the position of football fanatic, not customer. I am not terribly interested in the so-called product so long as positive results are being obtained. Where that argument falls short and where those who wish to be entertained as well victorious are hard to argue against is after a fixture like Saturday�s. A poor performance married with a poor result that saw Celtic usurp our position atop the league table. Fortunately with fixtures against Aberdeen and Celtic next up on league duty we have ample opportunity to make amends and return to our rightful position at the summit. Before that of course we have a Co-op cup fixture with Queen of the South and our first Home Champions League game against La Liga cracks Sevilla. A worrying trend in an inability to motivate ourselves from the first whistle has continued into the new season. Away in Germany we can be forgiven for having to survive a first half onslaught. Stuttgart, as the home team, were under pressure to take maximum points as results achieved at home so often determine the outcome of the Champions League group stage. The German outfit are also blessed with greater financial clout and therefore individual star quality. At half time Smith was able to galvanise his team and they produced a second half performance worthy of the Rangers to take an excellent point on the road. There are no excuses for not being able to take the game to a vastly inferior Kilmarnock team. Much like we have managed to do on our European travels under Smith and McCoist, Killie managed to produce a team performance to outfox a team with greater resources and quality. Like we have shown in our march to Manchester, a good team ethic can defeat superior opposition. We, therefore, no better than anyone that approaching any fixture with the right mental attitude is vital if we are to avoid dropping silly points as we mount our title challenge. I put last week�s drab draw with Motherwell down as a one off. It is rare any team can complete a perfect season. Rangers have managed it just once in our history. But if we have serious ambitions of retaining our league title and extending our world record to 53 titles we cannot afford to put together a string of dropped points. I had hoped the 0-0 draw at Fir Park would serve as sufficient motivation to approach our league fixtures with the correct mindset. It was disappointing therefore that we would again drop points in the very next fixture. Last weekend we were fortunate that our errors were not punished by Celtic as they could not take advantage of our slip up. We were not likely to get away with it two weeks running. Perhaps this weekend�s disappointment was a result of a Champions League hangover. If that is the case it is a worrying scenario for the season ahead with a minimum of 5 more Champions League fixtures to be negotiated. We are all aware of the importance of competing at Europe�s top table. This summer�s transfer window was a bit of non-event as far as Rangers were concerned. Imagine the disaster that may have unfolded had we not guaranteed Champions League participation. Star players such as Bougherra and Davis may no longer be plying their trade at Ibrox. We therefore understand the importance of ensuring we retain our league title and are entered into the draw in Monaco next summer. It is essential then that Walter Smith gets this first half malaise drilled out of our players. Queen of the South are up next at Palmerston this midweek and I expect them to be on the end of a Rangers backlash. There are many players with a lot to prove ahead of vital fixtures with Aberdeen and Sevilla. Kris Boyd, Pedro Mendes and Kenny Miller have flattered to deceive so far this season. They are all seasoned and experience pro�s and their performances should be helping guys like John Fleck and a now injury free Steven Naismith to settle into the team. I am unsure as to whether we should stick with Miller and Boyd and hope that what should be a formality of a fixture will allow them to play their way into form, or drop them to the bench and hope that that serves as the motivation to find their form from the first whistle.

Tottenham skipper Robbie Keane is a shock transfer target for Scottish giants Celtic - with a multi-million deal planned for the next window. Tony Mowbray's club are planning the sensational raid for Republic of Ireland hero Keane and hope to pull off one of the moves of the season in the New Year. Keane only went back to White Hart Lane from Liverpool at the beginning of 2009 but he could be on his travels again if the Parkhead club can pull off this massive coup. Celtic have already started the ball rolling and would buy Keane and pick up his wages in one of the biggest coups of their illustrious history - a move that works on many levels. Keane is 29 and would cost around �£7 million if Celtic bought him - so Spurs would look for that kind of cash in a straight deal or as part of an exchange. The Irishman is in the Spurs starting line-up just now but may be available down the line as Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch look like being their first-choice pairing. Keane has been squeezed out of the central positions in the last couple of games and that does not suit him. The arrival of Nico Kranjcar and the eventual return of Luka Modric would see him under pressure to play at all. Spurs took Keane back from Liverpool where he was unhappy at the lack of action and now history could repeat itself at White Hart Lane - with Celtic hoping it does. The major snag for Celtic will be paying Keane's wages, but their wealthy Irish backers would dig deep for such a popular capture and a player who would help them domestically and in Europe. Celtic supremo Dermot Desmond found the funds for namesake Roy Keane and would be willing to fork out to land Keane in one of the largest signings in recent times for the famous outfit. Mowbray also thinks Keane would light up his team with the kind of lively and thoughtful attacking he likes to play - it could be a master stroke to see off Rangers in the SPL title race. Celtic's interest in Keane could see Spurs revive a bid for their Scotland midfielder Scott Brown, who is a confirmed Harry Redknapp favourite. Brown was valued at �£12 million in the last window, a price tag that put off Redknapp and his money men because they would not meet the valuation. http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Celtic-target-Tottenham-s-Robbie-Keane-article154495.html

It's the rosey cheeks that makes you wonder.

I was reading Andy's responses in the 'feel ashamed about your support' thread, and it reminded me of Pericles in the Peloponnesian wars. I thought a bit more about it and there are a number of interesting parralels. So I thought I'd reconstruct that war for us gersnetters, with the dominant opinions getting to play leading roles. I'm not sure how many people know their classical military history, and about the Peloponnesian wars (the Athenian empire versus Sparta and her allies) but I've tried to pad it out enough to be a something worth reading even if you haven't heard anything about it. Anyway, here goes: Andy’s approach to the media is like Pericles’ stance towards the Spartans in the Peloponnesian wars. Pericles persuaded the Rangers supp... sorry, Athenian people that there was no point in fighting the celtic-minded-Spartans. Although the Spartans had control of the media, sorry, land, with their vast, incomparable hoplite army, they could do no lasting damage to Athenian power because Athens was self sustaining. When the Spartans marched into the countryside in Attica, all the Athenians had to do was to retreat behind their walled city, with walled links to the harbour, and count on their incontestable domination of the seas to provide all they needed. The Spartans could huff and puff, and destroy the countryside all they liked, but in doing so they could win no lasting tactical advantage, and could not ultimately touch Athenian power. As evidence he pointed to the last all out battle with the Spartans – the Spartans won the battle, but ended with lots of dead Spartiates and no significant gain, as no-one in the ancient world could take a walled city. Likewise, Andy_Steel as Pericles, realises that all this huffing and puffing from salaried-dullards in the media might be aggravating, it doesn’t do any tangible harm. If you maintain a sense of self-sufficiency without provoking them further, they are going to realise eventually that all their vitriol and big words don’t make a blind bit of difference, and that life will go on irrespective of their petty little crusade. I think Andy represents the best version of this most moderate course – take it on the chin, because in the end it just doesn’t matter. I think he also represents the majority of Rangers supporters, even if they haven’t thought about it. However, things didn’t turn out well for Pericles even though the principle ancient writers thought he was right. Eventually he was ousted by radical conservatives, played in our Gersnet reconstruction by maineflyer, and Norris Cole, and the Vanguard Bear sort. While the Spartans didn’t win any tactical advantage, they did win in other ways as they ravaged the Attic countryside. The Athenians had to look on as their honour was disparaged by mocking Spartans, and as it progressed on for years, Pericles found it harder and harder to suppress the radically conservative Athenians who were not willing to cower behind the walls and suffer dishonour. The backbone of Athens, and the life of the polis, was the hoplite landowners, who loved their land, and hated seeing it ravaged. They reasoned that the Athenian democracy was the greatest of the polis and it was unseemly for them to hide behind their walls. They pointed to Pericles’ policy and said it wasn’t working, as year on year, the Spartans came back and ravaged the countryside. The conservative element played this up and eventually the dominant opinion in Athens changed, no longer willing to stay Pericles’ course, and they went on the attack. They actually done well at first and gained a few significant victories, but their reactionary temperament, and fury, made them ill suited to preserving power. The confidence won by their victories kept them going on the attack in ill-considered regions (like Egypt) and they overstepped their bounds. I think any all out attack on the media from these more radically conservative elements, if their statements and their wording are anything to go by, will go on this way because, although their anger is justified, anger is rarely an astute place to wage war from. They eventually pissed off too many people, and all support for Athens crumbled and they lost the war. So who’s right? Well, both are clearly partly right. Pericles was mostly correct in his assessment that the Spartans could not win the war if they pursued his course, and that Athenian power was untouched by their harsh words and farm-burning, just as Andy is right that Rangers wont be better or worse off for petty media attacks because ultimately we are self-sufficient. But Andy will find it harder and harder to encourage fellow Rangers fans to pursue this moderate course, not because he isn’t correct in his understanding, but because it’s hard to endure dishonour. The longer the media keeps provoking, the more likely they are to draw out the ultra-conservative element, and in doing so win the war. That said, the ultra-conservative element, when they went on the attack, looked like they could seriously win the war, and Athens regained a sense of its identity. If they hadn’t overstretched, they may very well have won the war. Likewise, if Rangers on mass started attacking the media, we would soon see its vulnerabilities (ie: its need to make money) and would probably see a change in attitude. This would be no tactical advantage, but it would be good for morale and identity, which, the conservatives know is important. So what’s the answer? The final characters to be introduced are the Frankie/Bluedell contingent. They don’t get to be contemporaries of the Peloponnesian wars like Andy and Norris, but get to play Yale neoconservative scholar Donald Kagan. He agreed most fundamentally with Pericles, but his one criticism was that a purely defensive policy never works. Although he was intellectually right that just ignoring the Spartans attacks would mean they would lose nothing, he had no plan to actually win the war. With Athenian power at sea, he could’ve launched raids all over the Spartan territory, and made them think twice about ravaging the Attic countryside. But because he was interested in peace, and maintaining Athenian high-ground, and not giving the Spartans what they wanted, he essentially invited them on to keep making more and more attacks. If he had chosen, as a wise and moderate sort of first-among-equals to have an offensive policy that was fair, thought out, and, above all, not reactionary and angry, he might well have won the war without augmenting his fundamental principle that the Spartans, if ignored, couldn’t do anything to them. I think Frankie/Bluedell advocate this moderate approach to response – they agree with Andy that it doesn’t actually matter a fuck one way or the other what the media say, but, like Norris and the radical conservatives they realise that these sort of attacks, especially over sustained periods of time, have effects on solidarity, morale and confidence. If we had a, Murray-down policy of contesting only the grossest of mistruths, without becoming petted-lipped reactionaries towards anything bad said about us, we might remind them that we have a big stick too, and though we’re not interested in petty wars, and prefer a moderate approach, we do have some sort of response, and aren’t going to take shite. So there we go.

Guys: Hope you all received and enjoyed your all-new weekly email newsletter. If anyone has any ideas for that, or wants to contribute to its content, please let me know. You can view it here: http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/newsletters/newsletter210809.html We're also hoping to redesign the main Gersnet site over the coming weeks as well. Anyone with relevant expertise interested in contributing to that, please give me a shout! Remember, Gersnet is your site/forum and we'll always try our best to accommodate your ideas, suggestions and feedback. We're especially interested in people who want to write the odd article and we have a private forum for those who want to share ideas with each other. As well as get the editing 'hairdryer' treatment from our peers! In addition, our Rangers Archive is still an excellent source of reference for everything to with our club. However, again it is only as good as the content within it, so we're always looking for new items pertaining to our club's magnificent history. If anyone fancies being part of the team that looks after that section of the site, please let me know. You can view the archive here: http://www.therangersarchive.co.uk Finally, please feel free to pm myself or the other admin if you think you have something to offer the site beyond the usual very welcome generic posting. We look forward to hearing from you! Cheers, The Gersnet Team! :spl:

From The Herald: The birth of the blues is a story of remarkable poignancy. Rangers are a solid, substantial club with its roots firmly planted in the soil of world football. Yet the beginnings of the club were truly humble and have been treated with an indifference, even an ignorance. Consider this for a test. Who founded Celtic? Most Scottish football fans would instantly reply: "Brother Walfrid". But who were the originators of Rangers? Some may mumble hesitantly: "Moses McNeil". Others would not hazard a guess. But the question receives its most authoritative answer in Gary Ralston's Rangers 1872: The Gallant Pioneers. This is the dramatic story of the formation of an institution and of the cruel fate that beset the four young boys who set the ball rolling for what soon became the leading club in Scottish football. "It is a sad, heartbreaking story. It adds an extra dimension to the formation of Rangers, just what these young guys went through. advertisement The sadness for me is that they created a club that went on to be known throughout the world yet they themselves led such tragic lives. There is something touching, even romantic, about that," says Ralston. The simple conception of Rangers can be traced to Kelvingrove Park. There were four fathers: Peter McNeil and Moses McNeil, 17 and 16 years of age respectively, and Peter Campbell and William McBeath, both 15. They discussed the possibility of forming a team during their constitutional walk. The club that has won 52 Scottish championships was therefore basically started as a street team by a group of boys who had been smitten by the latest sporting enthusiasm of association football. They were joined in their endeavours by Tom Vallance, later to become a legendary Rangers captain, but who was then barely 16 years old. Their triumph was to be the foundation stones of a Scottish institution. Their tragedy was to die in relative obscurity and have their deeds unremembered by the mass of supporters. Ralston, gloriously, resurrects them. But the sadness remains. The passing of Moses in 1938 did not rate a mention in the press of that week. He was buried at Rosneath which only recently has become a place of pilgrimage for Rangers fans. His brother, Peter, died in his early 40s. He was certified insane and had been sectioned at Hawkhead Asylum in Paisley. The business brain behind Rangers, Peter had been beset by financial problems and the pressure took a toll on his mental and physical health. Peter Campbell had a more sudden demise. At 25, the marine engineer was lost at sea after the steamer he was working on came to grief in the Bay of Biscay. William McBeath, chronically ill and mentally infirm, was certified as "an imbecile". His last days were spent in the Lincoln workhouse, his passing went unremarked in the press when he died in 1917. He was given a pauper's burial and lies in an untended grave. Tom Vallance, however, did have his days in the sun. As a footballer, Vallance was of the highest rank, almost certainly one of the most accomplished players in the 1870s. He never played on the losing side against England and was a commanding captain for Rangers. Yet, in common with his band of brothers who were part of the formation of Rangers, he was struck by misfortune. Vallance embarked on a career in the tea plantations of Assam. But he returned to Scotland suffering from black water fever. Why did Ralston include him in the pantheon of Rangers founders even though Vallance was not at the meeting in Kelvingrove Park then known as West End Park? "Because he was an absolute colossus," said Ralston. "The two people who were absolutely pivotal to Rangers' development were Peter McNeil for his work behind scenes and Vallance. At 6ft 2in, he was a veritable club giant on and off the field." The club these vulnerable human beings created went from strength to strength. Ralston is keen to dispel any misconceptions about the birth of Rangers. "There was no political or religious element in the formation of Rangers," he said. "I am fascinated about just how the sectarian divide came into Scottish football but that happened in the 20th century, probably from about 1910-20." He added: "The birth of Rangers was basically a result of young guys deciding to have a team to play in what was the new craze of football. There was no other agenda, no wealthy benefactors." Ralston, a journalist, spent three years uncovering the story from the debris of passing decades. It was a labour of love. "I wanted to do it because I had read brief accounts of the formation of the club and I wondered just what had happened to those guys. This is a story that has never fully been told before. I was helped by the fact that the internet has meant that it is easier to do the kind of research that it is necessary in pulling the strands of the story together. Basically, it was a fascinating piece of Scottish football history that has been under-researched." He emerged from his studies with a mass of evidence that he has distilled into a story that is fascinating for any observer of Scottish football. "The most important game Rangers have played in their history was the 1877 Scottish Cup final," he claimed. "Rangers took the mighty Vale of Leven to three games. That final was crucial because SFA annals testify to the Glaswegian labour classes rushing from the factory gates to salute their new heroes. These games won them an audience." That audience has endured 137 years on. Rangers sit unmoveable on the South Side. The stadium has been modernised to cope with the changing imperatives of football. More than 50,000 people file into their seats of a Saturday. Hundreds of thousands more follow the Light Blues through internet and television. There are no shortage of stories on Rangers. But the tale of the birth of the club had been allowed to lie in the darkness of the past. Ralston has brought it into the light.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQLWF_ItzYs]Money Talks.[/ame]But it don’t sing and dance and it don’t walk. More and more I’ll acknowledge I’ve been concerned with the finances of Rangers FC. It used to be that it was only a game to me. Then David Murray came along and I even had a ‘Bank Of Rangers’ fiver on my wall, a big blown up thing that represented our financial might in relation to Celtic – and to be honest, I loved it. It was a kind of ‘We Are The People’ x 10; the ultimate partner for the trophies and happy days – we are much, much richer than YOU. GIRFUY as they say these days! Nowadays I feel that the off-the-park stuff is more important than it used to be; too important. I scrutinise the reports, I analyse what they mean, I interpret Rangers’ accounts and draw conclusions. I ask for views and points of view; I really do care about Rangers as a business, because I see it as Rangers’ way of securing its future at the level it we are accustomed to. But why? At the end of the day I got into all this as a young lad who loved football. Even in the early 80’s, I never cared about wages, sponsorship, TV rights, facilities, representation, communication. It just didn’t matter. I heard someone say the other day that back then they didn’t even care who the team manager was; just as long as Rangers were winning. I love the history of Rangers, but I have to be honest and say I’m more interested in the future. I worry about Rangers. I really do. And now I see what Rangers could be; much more than a football club and a business; more of a social enterprise, serving its community and a hub for all things blue, and the things we stand for. Rangers permeates all corners of life in the west of Scotland and beyond. Everybody knows our name. We are a huge and remarkable club. We are truly unique. And the more I think about it, the more I am beginning to find the financial and commercial focus on the club to be somewhat distasteful and a million miles from what the game should be all about. I know the world has changed from the 70’s and 80’s - I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I’m not hankering for a fuzzy-wuzzy past where everything was sweetness and light. I’m not pretending that everything was better in the 70’s or that modern life is rubbish. Far from it. But I do honestly yearn for the day when all we talk about is football. I bet a lot of people feel the same.

THE Old Firm were today handed a massive Euro boost on the eve of the new SPL season. SportTimes can today reveal the door has been left ajar for direct entry into next season's Cham-pions League for whoever wins the title. It had been thought this season - when Rangers qualified automatically for the �£10million group phase - would be the last time the SPL winners would benefit from this money- spinning safe passage. However, Uefa have confirmed there is still a chance the 2009/10 winners will get an automatic group slot. If the winners of this season's Champions League gain entry into the 2010/11 competition by virtue of their own league position, Scot-land's champions will go straight in. This was last the case back in 2005/06. Barcelona won the Champions League by beating Arsenal in Paris - but they already had a group stage berth assured from finishing top of La Liga - so Celtic went straight in and avoided a qualifier. A Uefa statement said: "The position at which a club enters the Champions League is dependent on its country's ranking, which is determined by the sum of Uefa country co-efficients over the previous five years. "Champions from coun- tries ranked first to 12th automatically qualify for the group stages - for season 2009/10 Scotland was ranked 10th. "For season 2010/11 it has now been confirmed Scotland are ranked 13th. However, there is still a chance there could be direct qualification. "If the winners of the Champions League this season also qualify for the following season's group stages through their league position, an extra space would be created in the group stages. "The champions of the country ranked 13th - Scotland - would take this place." The news will add an extra edge to the Old Firm's battle for the flag, and history is for them in terms of the Champions League winners already having slots through domestic performances. In the past FOUR seasons the winners of Europe's ultimate prize have already had group spots secured from their league placings - and with the major operators now dominating the Champions League there is a fair chance it will happen again this season which would allow the SPL champions to sneak in. Meantime, new chief executive Neil Doncaster has pledged to bring summer football to the SPL - but only if the clubs want it. Doncaster has revealed he is ready to talk to those clubs who are in favour of a radical shake-up. There have been calls for an introduction to summer football after a string of poor European results in the past few weeks as they go into action early. "There will be no attempt to ignore the issue," said Doncaster. "But it's for clubs to decide what they want. We will consult and put options to them. But we are restricted by the international calendar. "We will be looking at options for next season. We will consult the clubs and we can't afford any knee-jerk reactions." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2525525.0.0.php

Gary Caldwell says Celtic can make history by beating Dinamo Moscow in their Champions League qualifier. More...

This summer may prove to be unique in the long and glorious history of the Rangers. It would require a bear older than myself to remember the last time we began a new season without strengthening the first team squad during the off-season with incoming transfers. In fact, the only business being completed at Ibrox was the removal of a few high earners from the wage bill. The likes of Ferguson, Hemdani and Dailly have left and have yet to be replaced. This should come as no surprise to us all. Even as last season was drawing to its exciting conclusion, Walter Smith was ominous in his warnings to the fans. The first team squad would be reduced to around 20 and supplemented by players from the youth squad like Fleck, Wilson and Shinnie. With the inability to agree deals for the likes of Adam and Gow, the squad has not been reduced sufficiently to allow any incoming transfers. The dearth of incoming transfer news within the media in addition to the moves being made across the city led to much agitation amongst our support. In a previous article published nearly 3 weeks ago, I urged fans to be patient and not to over react to the situation. Many fans were furious that Celtic had spent circa Ã?£7mil (including on their new management team) whilst we had yet to make any moves and to date have only earned a fee from the sale of Barry Ferguson. It is natural that, with the league being a relatively tight affair last year, fans would compare our attempts to strengthen with that of the side who are traditionally our closest challengers. However, whilst we have competed almost head to head for the SPL title for the last decade or two, that aside the situations at the two clubs could not be more different. Celtic began this season is a state of disarray, sacking a more successful manager than Martin O’Neill because their fans required someone “Celtic Minded”. Key first team players Hesselink, Nakamura and Hartley have been moved on and the replacements have yet to settle. This was most notable in the performance of Fortune in Celtic’s opening competitive game of the season where they fell to defeat in the home leg of their European qualifier. Fortune missed a couple of sitters that had he scored would have given Celtic a fighting chance of qualification. Now, of course, it is too early to be drawing any conclusions on the player’s they have added to their pool this close season but it does bring me neatly on to the main reason for penning this article. Whilst fans bemoaned the spending power of our city neighbours including the Ã?£4million buy of Fortune, in the article previously linked I cautioned against the time needed for new signings to settle. Although we all recognise that we are one or two signings away from a strong squad, the benefits of a relatively settled and stable squad should not be underestimated. Continuity in the squad and in team selection means the players get to learn each other's games inside out and the rewards are reaped on the football field. Since first having the initial thoughts for this article it proved excellent timing that World Class manager Arsene Wenger has spoken out in the media with comments that support my viewpoint: It is perhaps fitting that the Frenchman was speaking out about this just after I decided to pen this piece. The excellent spectacle that was this year's Emirates tournament was the ideal setting to prove Wenger's assertion. In Walter's first season he made us difficult to beat through defensive strength. Last year Smith turned us into title contenders. And the signs from the ties against PSG and Arsenal this weekend point to the experienced manager taking the next step in the squad's evolution without the addition of fresh faces. We again adopted the 4-5-1 formation favoured by Smith when competing against a higher calibre opponent, but the major difference this weekend was that we had the attacking wide players to break into a 4-3-3 in possession and play attractive, passing football. Last season (as for the last couple of seasons) we have had the highest quality squad in Scotland as evidenced by our League and Cup double. We have lost a few players who made little to no contribution last year and were most likely to have a similar contribution in the forthcoming campaign. We have hardly weakened our squad at all, whilst the likes of Kyle Lafferty, Pedro Mendes and John Fleck have all had a further full season in Scotland to help settle them into the game up here. I, like many fans, will be expecting a more consistent contribution from Mendes and Lafferty in particular. In addition to the greater experience of a number of the players within the squad, we have the returns of Thomson, Naismith and Stevie Smith to bolster the squad. We finally have some realistic competition at left back for the consistent Bosnian, Sasa Papac. We are very strong in central midfield especially when Maurice Edu, who had an impressive end to the season last year, returns from injury. The wealth of options up front, at least for the domestic game, is incredible. We have speed, height, power, work rate and goals from different forwards. You may struggle to find another club with the goalkeeping option of McGregor or Alexander. Sure, left midfield continues to prove problematic. We have half a dozen players who can fill that position, but not one who has made it their own. We can counter this with a change in formation to a midfield diamond. Or perhaps one of the players within the squad will step forward and command a starting berth on the left. And again, we start a season concerned over our centre backs. Can Davie Weir play another full season at the heart of the defence? After playing 60 games 2 seasons ago as we marched to the final day of every competition we entered it was the consensus opinion that he could not stand up to another full season of football. Weir powered his way to another 47 games (more than any other player in the squad) including all but 2 league games and shows no signs of letting up. That said, we would all prefer competition for the first choice pair of Weir and Bougherra. Arsene Wenger is obviously a strong believer that buying new players is not the only way to improve your squad year on year. And looking at Celtic’s disastrous opening to the season it is clear that having to begin a new era at a club by ripping up the previous squad to create a new team, even when backed by the money men at the club, is a gamble. Spending money is no guarantee of success. If we have to begin the upcoming season with essentially the same pool of players that won the double last year I will not be concerned. Walter Smith has previously demonstrated the veracity of Wenger’s assertion that you can improve your team with work on the training field and not just at the negotiating table. When Smith took over the national team from Berti Vogts the country was a laughing stock ranked in the 70s or 80s. Whilst Vogts handed out caps to over 40 different players Smith again demonstrated the effectiveness of consistency, finding his best squad and dragging the national team back up the rankings and heart-breakingly close to qualification for the World Cup. He followed that up by leading us to the top of our qualifying group for the European Championships including a victory over the World Cup runners-up France. I am not trying to suggest that a lack of transfer funds makes Smith’s job easier. Of course any manager can benefit from a transfer kitty if he spends it right. However consistency of selection also strengthens a squad’s assault on the silverware and the team that Smith has been building since he returned to the club has been growing as a unit season upon season and team unity will have never been higher. Regardless of what does or doesn’t happen in the transfer market this year I am eagerly anticipating another successful season under the guidance of the legendary Walter Smith.

..... at the impact of sports science: Having spent the last 5 years studying Sports Science and then Strength and Conditioning at University, it is always with great interest I approach any article or story regarding Adam Owen at Rangers. As Owen was appointed to his current position at Rangers I was coming to the end of my undergraduate degree and as a Rangers fan it is therefore unsurprising I am intrigued by any stories of the work Owen is implementing at Rangers and any training improvements or changes he has influenced. In perusing the newly re-launched official club website it will, therefore, come as no surprise that my attention was immediately grabbed by the ââ?¬Å?Blue Blogââ?¬Â section of the website and the first new post after the re-launch entitled Swapping Sand Torture For Science. It gave a wee taster of an interview with the Head of Sports Science at Rangers to be published in the new look club magazine. With the increasing physical demands of the modern game a greater reliance on upon sports science and a greater understanding of exercise physiology has become paramount at all football clubs. Everyone associated with Rangers Football Club is aware of the legend of Jock Wallace and the brutality of Gullane Sands. Anyone who has competed in football, or other sports for that matter, to any reasonable level will have their own memories of an unforgiving pre-season training regime. Players would often not see a ball for the first few weeks of training as they participated in running, running and more running sessions. Jock Wallace ran his pre-season training like a military drill sergeant and it cannot be argued it produced results. However, football, fitness training and our understanding of how the human body responds to training has advanced greatly since the days of unrelenting pre-season running schedules. No longer is it appropriate to have your squad sprinting up and down hills until the point of exhaustion and even being physically sick. Pre-season is the opportunity for the Sports Science staff to prepare the players for the coming season. Football is not like some other sports such as athletics, where there are obvious competitions for the individual athlete to prepare for. For example, Rangers competitive season begins early in August and will not end until May; a 10-month long league season. And with the nature of league football you need to be on top of your game from the first round of fixtures until the 38th and last. As such, it is difficult for the management team and the sports scientists to improve upon fitness attributes during the season. It is in pre-season where the bulk of the physical training must be conducted and then the aim is to maintain these levels of strength and conditioning throughout the season. So, spending your training session flogging your squad up and down hills will improve their ability to run up and down hills, but will it improve their ability to contend with the physical demands of a gruelling season of football? Training for any sport has to follow the principle of specificity. Is the training delivered specific to the sport? Is it specific to the individual, to their position, to their level of fitness, to their injury history? Is the training specific to the intended training outcome? If not, the performance improvement (or adaptation) will not be specific to the sport and the individual.

Super_Ally explores the wide-ranging implications of the now defunct Rangers TV channel and asks just how important this could be with European leagues again being mooted... http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=806&Itemid=1 Whilst all fans of the Bluenose persuasion revelled in the demise of the Irish Broadcaster Setanta with the knowledge we will no longer have to suffer a distinctly anti-Rangers agenda from what should be neutral coverage of the Scottish game, it does bring to the fore an important question. What now for Rangers TV? Many of us will have ââ?¬Å?Sky+ââ?¬â?¢edââ?¬Â the RTV coverage of the 2008/9 Double Winners and their celebrations. Probably the defining moment of RTVââ?¬â?¢s short lived run was wee Nacho Novo serenading the lovely Lindsey Archibald with a rendition of ââ?¬Å?Ha ha Samarasââ?¬Â and performing "The Bouncy" on Ibrox Uncovered. RTV took a lot of stick in the early seasons it broadcasted. Excessive repeats of the few programmes shown throughout the week, the same games from seasonââ?¬â?¢s past played again and again and again and various quality issues were often levelled at the channel. However, in recent seasons the programming did improve. There were still repeats of games, but this may well be put down to who owned the rights to show matches from various eras. Ms Archibald, taking over as the face of RTV from Ali Douglas, improved immeasurably over her tenure. Indeed, persons associated with the channel were committed to a project exploring the club's founders. It is sad therefore that just as RTV really began to turn into a quality medium for Rangers fans to follow the club, the Tannadice/Ibrox celebrations and Rangers Mastermind being particular favourites, the demise of Setanta has led to uncertainty over the continuation of a Rangers dedicated TV channel. Further confusion has arisen from the fact that the dedicated Liverpool and Arsenal channels are still broadcasting. It appears however, that there must be a difference in the deals struck between these clubs and Setanta that has allowed the Premiership sides to continue to run their own TV channel. However, it begs the question, if these clubs can run their own club TV station, why canââ?¬â?¢t the mighty Glasgow Rangers. A club with an enormous global fan base; a World Record making and breaking history; and a majesty and mystique appealing to commercial broadcasters must surely be capable of a similar provision? I can understand most fans holding this view point and so it is important that we realise that for many years MUTV, perhaps the fore-runner of Club Football TV, was run by Man United as a loss making venture. In this time of financial uncertainty across the globe and with the knowledge that Rangers are looking to reduce our costs, cut the wage bill and hopefully enhance profit margins, the club could not commit to a loss making project. It is even more distressing then, that in viewing the Portsmouth FC website I came across a stream for PFC TV. Free on the website, I didnââ?¬â?¢t even need to subscribe (though having subscribed to the Rangers website sometimes gives you full access to other clubââ?¬â?¢s pages as they use the same provider). Unlike the Rangers website and Rangers World, there was no fee and/or no monthly cost for this facility. They had an interview link with a former player. With the recent demise of Setanta and RTV I was intrigued and clicked the link. It was a perfect stream, good quality and no doubt highly informative to the Portsmouth fans. With the knowledge of the free availability of PFC TV on their website I do wonder how a club the size of Rangers cannot produce an equivalent service. Sure, there are some fans that are never happy and will knock it whatever, but I am sure such a concept would be welcomed by many. Even the possibility of improving the Rangers World service (something I am ignorant of) and/or transferring the programmes from RTV to this medium should be explored. The feasibility of this could be ascertained by the club. Surely it is something that is worthy of investigation. I know from perusing various websites that whilst RTV was initially not well received, since the cessation of broadcasts many fans miss their daily fix of Rangers news and the behind the scenes insights that Rangers Uncovered allowed us, something hitherto unavailable. With European Leagues again being mooted by the Spanish elite, Rangers should once again be ââ?¬Å?Setting the Standardââ?¬Â to emphasise our world-wide appeal by not just providing a valuable service to the clubââ?¬â?¢s loyal fans but by making the club instantly accessible to all via modern technology. The current economic climate across the world means more than ever our commercial and marketing ventures are crucial to our financial well-being. The replacement of Rangers TV and the upgrading of our club website/Rangers World would go some way to addressing that.

I was thinking of doing an article along these lines last week but never got round to it. Honest! I had already started. It was to be called David Murray what should we expect from you. Och well i have to agree with the guy what is the use of having a multimillionaire chairman if he isn't going to help us out. As the reporter says anyone with a bit of business knowledge could do what Murray is doing.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/scotland/article6342409.ece At last a good read from the repugnant reporter. Graham Spiers Rangers FC, the 2009 Scottish champions, resolutely remain one of the great institutions of British football. And compiling this list of Rangers' greatest 50 players has been quite a trip down memory lane for me. My own particular Rangers journey stretches back to just 1970, but in composing this list I have spoken to Ibrox fans whose recollections went back through the decades and, in one case, even to the immediate prewar years. The old Ibrox prior to its 1980 all-seated refurbishment was something to savour: the great oval arena with the huge terracing covering three quarters of the ground, set against the famous Archibald Leitch stand, with the grass below glowing in the early-season sunshine. Back then, as today, vast crowds rolled up, and, for a little kid, bounding up the steps to take in this sight made for breathtaking excitement. The club's history is littered with great players, as I hope the list testifies. This, naturally, is a highly subjective list, and I take full responsibility for its accuracy or whims. Thanks go to Robert McElroy, Jim B and Fat Rab for their advice, though I disagreed with all of them in the end. 50 Willie Johnston 1964-72, 1980-82, 393 total appearances, 125 goals Forgive the authorial bias here ... but His Eminence, Sir William "Bud" Johnston, has to be quoted in a Rangers top 50, if only just scraping in. A winger, a dribbler, a fiery personality with a wicked temper (but a lovely guy off the pitch), Johnston was everything to a young Glasgow kid dreaming of such wing wizardry himself. Johnston's colourful career had everything - too much to quote here - but when he took flight over 15 yards few would catch him, especially in 1971-72. 49 Arthur Numan 1998-2003, 118 total appearances, 3 goals Numan was the very epitome of the modern full back: quick, strong, intelligent on the ball and blessed (he's Dutch) with bags of self-belief. One of the first of Dick Advocaat's signings when he came to Rangers in 1998, Numan had just starred for Holland at that summer's World Cup and quickly became an Ibrox favourite. One of the club's greatest left backs. 48 Neil Gibson 1894-1904, total appearances unknown This Rangers player was once called "the greatest half back of Victorian times". Neilly Gibson was also once described as "Pavlova in football boots". He was an ever-present in the Rangers team that recorded a 100 per cent league campaign in 1898-99, so let not the years dim his reputation. 47 Ian Durrant 1983-98, 347 total appearances, 45 goals Many can still recall Ian Durrant's first, fleeting moments of greatness as a Rangers player in 1985. Craig Brown: "He had this amazing ability to streak ahead of the play, to ghost beyond defenders to latch on to through balls." Durrant was magnificent, one of the great Scottish midfield players-in-waiting before injury wrecked his career. His spirit and guts forced him back into the Rangers team in the 1990s but he was never the same player. 46 Colin Jackson 1963-82, 506 total appearances, 40 goals Tall, lanky, with legs the length of oars, Colin "Bomber" Jackson was a mainstay for Rangers for a remarkable span of years. "McCloy, Jardine and Mathieson, Greig, Jackson and Smith..." was the Rangers side of the early 1970s, reeling off the tongue like a poetic stanza. Jackson was excellent in the air, and no slouch on the ground for such a beanpole. 45 Willie Reid 1909-20, 217 league appearances, 188 goals Reid remains one of the great goalscorers in Rangers' history, his tally of 188 league goals is bettered by only three other strikers. The Great War called him away from Ibrox when he served as a gunner in France, but he was firtune enough to return adn resume his penalty-box exploits. 44 Barry Ferguson 1997-present, 420 total appearances, 60 goals Despite recent controversies, and some cynics who dislike him as a player, this writer stands by what Dick Advocaat once said: "Barry Ferguson could play in any league in Europe ... in Spain ... in Italy." A midfield player of poise, composure and technique, Ferguson's greatest gift is his comfort on the ball, and ability to take possession in tight areas and open the play up for Rangers. Currently does not have his troubles to seek but would have staked a claim for a place in any Rangers team of any era. 43 Paul Gascoigne 1995-98, 103 total appearances, 39 goals One of the most skilful - and troubled - players ever to play for Rangers, Gascoigne lit up the Ibrox scene for two and a half seasons before fading due to off-field problems. It was a memorable coup for Rangers when he arrived from Lazio in 1995, and in some matches of that 1995-96 season Gascoigne was unstoppable. Possibly the greatest case ever of brains being in feet. 42 Derek Johnstone 1970-83, 1985-86, 546 total appearances, 210 goals Johnstone makes it on to the list because he was a prolific goalscorer, had a fine touch for a big man, could run well and at ease with the ball, and who was "all Rangers" for so many years. A recent DVD of his exploits reminded many of what a complete striker Johnstone was. To his great credit he was equally adept at centre back, as no less a figure than Jock Wallace ajudged. 41 Graeme Souness 1986-91, 73 total appearances, 5 goals Hard, antagonistic, and prone to maiming certain opponents, Souness was no angel but was still a great Rangers player. By the time he triggered the great Ibrox revolution in 1986 he was past his best, but we still saw flickers of the great midfield enforcer of the late 70s and early 80s. A cosmetic surgeon has subsequently pottered with Souness's head but he is still a recognisably intimidating character. 40 Tommy McLean 1971-82, 453 total appearances, 57 goals "Wee Tam" was an enduring figure of Rangers teams of the 1970s. If you were positioned high up the terracing of the old, oval-shaped Ibrox, McLean's little legs seemed to flicker like highly-charged pistons as he scuttled to the byline to send in his looping crosses. An intelligent player whose dead-ball distribution was his strongest asset. 39 Mark Hateley 1990-97, 222 total appearances, 115 goals Hateley was a powerful and intimidating centre forward who overcame a difficult start to his career at Rangers, when he looked slow and lumbering, having been out of football for 18 months with an ankle injury in Monaco. Lithe and aggressive, Hateley turned into one of the great postwar Rangers strikers, becoming an icon in the club's success in the 1990s. 38 Bobby Shearer 1955-65, 407 total appearances, 4 goals Red-faced, chisel-jawed and with a sprig of wiry hair, you wouldn't have wanted to pick a fight with Shearer any time. "Captain Cutlass" raked in the medals during his ten-year sojourn with Rangers and was a member of the famous "Ritchie, Shearer, Caldow," line-up which was written in the hearts of many Ibrox fans of the 1960s. 37 Davie Cooper 1977-89, 540 total appearances, 75 goals A mercurial talent and winger of outrageous if fitful ability, Cooper's goal in the 1979 Drybrough Cup final will live long in the memory of many Rangers fans. Twisting, turning, duping opponents with his dribbling, Cooper has nonetheless become a mythical figure at Rangers, with many deleting from history his leaner times. The first time I met Cooper, in a TV studio two years before his tragic death at just 39, he said to me: "It wasn't all glory for me at Rangers." 36 Alex MacDonald 1968-80, 503 total appearances, 94 goals Come on down, Doddie, lamb-chop sideburns and all! "Alex MacDonald covers every blade of grass, his lungs are made of leather..." How man sports reporters wrote such a sentence while watching this compact machine of a midfield player? Perhaps David White's lasting legacy to the club, MacDonald was a midfield phenomenon who was adept at ghosting in on the blind side of defences. 35 Alex Venters 1933-46, 201 total appearances, 102 goals A brilliant, almost insatiable goalscorer, Venters arrived at Ibrox from Cowdenbeath already a Scotland international, and would go on to score 155 league goals - some of these "unofficial" goals during wartime - 18 of them in Old Firm fixtures. The Second World War came at precisely the wrong time for Venters (as well as for half of Europe) but he continued banging in goals during the unofficial war period, hence the discrepancies in his goals tally.

Sunday mail: The thought of leaving Rangers after our double win did cross my mind, says Walter Smith IBROX lies silent. It's the calm after - and before - the storm. Not an echo of the euphoria that filled it six weeks ago, not a hint of the elation to come in another six weeks when the flag runs up the pole. The Blue Room at the top of the marble staircase lies dormant, set up for a wedding. Through the door, though? In a oak-panelled office reeking of history and basking in sunshine, Walter Smith is looking like a man who is still enjoying his second honeymoon. And nothing like a man many thought would have walked off into the sunset on May 31 as either a Double-winner or two-time title loser. Relaxed, tanned, rested ... and ready. In his first interview since winning the SPL and Scottish Cup in his second full season back, Smith reveals the idea of walking away at the top DID cross his mind. But deep down the 61-year-old knew his time wasn't up - and he didn't want to leave the staff he brought with him in the lurch. Despite the heart-attack high of Gers' last-day victory - and seven titles from his first spell as boss - he will walk back through the doors of Murray Park on Thursday hungry to do it all over again. Walter admitted: "When you get over the 60 mark it's a relevant question, whether or not you walk. Yes, it crosses your mind. "But I would have been more likely to leave after losing. What kind of person walks because of an image? That you want to be SEEN to be going out at the top? I don't have that kind of ego. "If I turn round and say I'm off? They will say: 'Great, you've reached a European final and won four trophies in two-and-a-half years. Thanks.' And that's it. "What does that mean to me in the end? I'm here for a challenge. "I know what it feels like when your time is up. It happened when I was here for seven years and it was time for a change. A team completely died. "I won't manage for seven years now but when is the time to go? It will be when I feel I don't have as much to offer - or when my team's not good enough and I take responsibility. That's not now." Smith's moral compass was also pointing him back towards work. He has absolute faith that the legacy he has put in place in the Rangers dugout, Ally McCoist and Kenny McDowall, would cope in his absence. But with Rangers still struggling financially Walter doesn't want to throw his sidekicks straight into a firefight without big enough guns. He said: "If I walked out I would feel as though I was leaving other people with a problem. And I have to be fair to my staff. "Ally, Kenny, Jim Stewart, Adam Owen and Pip Yeats make up a great staff. "If I leave - and I stress this isn't my decision - I would like to think the chairman would consider Ally taking over. But in the circumstances it would feel like I was leaving them with issues. "It's not just that though. When I returned people were saying: 'You won nine-in-a-row so why would you come back?' "The simple answer is people in football want to achieve. It was a challenge - and one I feel we have met." It's also one that he will instantly have to meet again - or face exactly the same Groundhog Day grilling about his future. Smith shrugged: "That's the Old Firm. You can win every year but then you have to do it again the following year. "All the managers I know have a competitive spirit - that keeps us going. If it's golf, or whatever, you want to win. "You need to have goals. If you lose that as you get older, fine, but I still have it. "Davie Weir once made a great point. If he makes a mistake now people say it is because he's 38 or 39. But Davie made the same mistakes at 28 or 29. What was it then? "It's the same for me - it doesn't just switch off one day. You will get a feeling but that's not now." The change in Smith and Rangers from this time last year is tangible. After a 68-game season and a break of less than a month he saw the black cloud sitting above his squad before the heavens opened on their darkest day in Kaunas. This time there isn't a cloud in sight. Nineteen games fewer played, a six-week sabbatical and the walk-on-water lightness of step that graces a winner. Smith admitted: "It feels different. Last summer we knew how difficult it was going to be. Liverpool thrashed us in a friendly and we were lucky to beat Raith Rovers. "We weren't good enough. This year it's so different. The season ended on a high and we've had a break that feels like the kind you used to get 30 years ago." And Smith is desperate to harvest what he has sown - especially when the shoots were so visible at the end of the season. He said: "People say I never play kids but I've tried to get a solid base of young Scots to benefit the club. "That takes time. If you buy a seasoned professional they will settle at Rangers or Celtic. "But it's different for younger guys. Look at Steven Whittaker. In my mind he was our most consistent player from January. "But previously he struggled dealing with the demands of the crowd and everything else. "That's what you're up against. I read one pundit telling me Kyle Lafferty was a bad buy and six months later saying if I don't play him we won't win the league! "Kevin Thomson was starting to dictate games before his injury while Steven Naismith has been unlucky. "But he will still be a very good Rangers player. Maurice Edu came in and did so well. "We have a good base of young players. We won't have a big-name buy but this team can be successful. "This side is as capable, if not more so, than the Rangers team that played in the Champions League and UEFA Cup two years ago."