Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'history'.
-
I remember seeing Ally playing for Kilmarnock at the end of his career. He broke his leg trying to get on the end of a cross into the box somehow - I don't really remember all the details. What I do remember is Ally trying to get onto the end of the cross despite his leg hanging off. It was instinctive, deep rooted, a refusal to give up. Today's announcement was a surprise with this in mind. I don't take Ally for a quitter, still don't. I think Ally was doing the equivalent of 'going all in' at poker, despite not having the best hand, in the hope of facing down his critics. It is surely true that Ally still believes himself to still be the man to take Rangers back to the top flight. But is he? Let's go through some criticisms of him; Criticism 1- He has a vastly expensive squad, and should be doing better with them. The squad is expensive for a reason - Good players would not be willing to drop down three divisions into a football wilderness. To even sign average players, Rangers had to fork out multiples above true market value to attain them. Cue resentment. Criticism 2- He hasn't brought through young players. He could have done better, but currently 30% of the squad are from the youth set up, and do contain some potential in McLeod and Aird. This is a better performance and ratio than celtic, who only have McGregor and Forrest from their youth set up, and Forrest has been on the scene for a few years now. Criticism 3- He is only in it for the money. I just don't buy this. This has been used constantly to smear him. I'm sure Ally could pick up his £20,000 per episode buy out for Question of Sport if he desired again. He is unquestionably the highest paid manager in Scotland, which in the current financial climate is madness. However, this is a matter for the ranger's financial controller to decide. Ally to his credit has already offered to take a wage cut, even if temporary. To put it into perspective, peter lawwel is reputed to be on close to 50% more at celtic. Criticism 4- 'We won't get promoted with Ally in charge I think the collective bottle of the support has gone rather than Ally's bottle. You are half way through December. Hearts are no great shakes and I fully expect them to start dropping points. Once they do, they may find it difficult to push forward again. In the two games v Rangers (and against Hibs), Hearts rode their luck. Is Craig Levein suddenly a football genius? The wheels will come off soon. Also, as proven against a few SPFL teams, Ally can set up his teams to beat them. The play offs if needed, will be negotiated by Ally. St Mirren / Ross County?? Come on. Hibs are your worry. Criticism 5- Players are regressing Yes, and this is to be expected. If barca had spent two and a half years playing garbage week in week out, we'd be saying how Messi was going backwards.. Two years of non competitive action blunts the sword. However, some evidence suggests he is improving young players like Mcleod, and whipping boy Aird. Criticism 6- He has been a lackey for Green, Whyte etc. Let's be clear - rangers would have had titles unfairly stripped off them if it wasn't for Ally. Ally is one of the most important people in your history - he was the one who kept going when the Goughs, Smiths, Fergusons of the world had written rangers off as dead. Ally kept pumping the heart until the pulse appeared again. Yet it is derided as a selfish act for financial gain. Jesus wept. Green hates him. This is 'a good sign'. Criticism 7- He plays hoof ball. True, and it looks very 20th century. However Ally will see it as a percentage tactic on poor pitches. Jury out on it's effectiveness. We can't expect tiki taka from any Scottish team let alone championship teams. And tbh, the SPFL looks absolutely garbage. John Greig's teams would be running riot in it I suspect. Criticism 8- He looks clueless / I hate his face etc Personal abuse helps no one, and rangers fans are particularly vociferous I'm sure a lot of you will agree. It's like keying your own car. We all know support will produce better results than personal abuse. Criticism 9- His cup performances. Could be better (ask neil Lennon /any Hibs manager /Davie Smith), but seriously, getting outraged by losing in the Petrofac cup or whatever it's called- you should be thankful your name isn't on that embarrassment of a cup. Cup football is unforgiving, but the league is all that really matters. Plus, he has done a couple of top flight teams IIRC. I'd say the Rangers support has to give Ally the benefit of the doubt and allow him to get on with his very specific goal - getting Rangers back into the SPFL. He has earned this. You may be slightly off- course at the moment, but with 4 months left, Ally should have the full support of the fans. He is the last 'Rangers man' in the building - do you really want to chase him? -
Just been interviewed on Sky Sports News there. To quote - 100% committed. 100% will be in charge next week v Livi Got a job to do, to get back into the top flight Going nowhere So God knows what happened earlier today. Almost as if Ally knew nothing about it.
-
According to Sky Sports News......
-
Ashley wants us to "celebrate" reaching the semi of a diddy cup we've won many times. New from Sports Direct = a commemorative semi-final T-shit. £8 and it yours, What a total effing embarrassment . Hopefully no-one buys it - of course, if they don't we'll have to pay him even more (and he'll have to loan us the money secured on something to do so) and be left with even more unsold tat in our basement. What next - a commemorative cup, a DVD of how we got there, half and half semi final scarves, a book on our Petrowhatever Cup run? PS Sorry for missing "h" in title. Perhaps a boy stole it?
-
...At Hampden today. Fee yet to be confirmed.
-
Rangers Supporters @rangersfctrust · 2h2 hours ago The RST has tonight released the following statement:Read: http://tl.gd/n_1sj12bm The RST has tonight released the following statement: The Rangers Supporters Trust is disgusted to learn that a group of Celtic fans daubed offensive, sectarian graffiti, mocking the Ibrox disaster, on the walls of Tynecastle stadium during a recent visit there. We are even more disgusted by the attitude of Celtic Football Club towards this incident, which is to try to distance themselves from the behaviour of their fans rather than taking responsibility for it. We welcome Ann Budge's recent statement and fully support her attempts to highlight the disgraceful behaviour of a sizeable minority of the Celtic support. The group responsible for this are affiliated with The Green Brigade, who have been encouraged and tolerated by Celtic Football Club officials. This despite outward shows of support for the IRA and various offensive banners including one protesting against Remembrance Sunday. In the past few years we have seen riots in Dundee, wide-scale vandalism and disorder at Fir Park and Tynecastle and various acts of public disorder in Glasgow centred around Celtic fans. Throughout all this, Celtic's PR machine, has sought to quell reporting of these incidents and no substantive action has been taken against the perpetrators by the Celtic Chief Executive, Peter Lawwell. Celtic Football Club has a major, ongoing issue with their fans which their constant denial of facts will not solve. Their official fan groups, including the Celtic Trust, seek to legitimise this behaviour by, for instance, campaigning for the right to display public support for terrorism without penalty. We hope that belatedly, with their fans' disgraceful mocking of the Ibrox disaster, Celtic will start to take their hooliganism problem seriously and the SPFL and SFA will do likewise, despite the strong influence wielded by Celtic in their boardrooms
-
Reading McMurdos Blog today, even he knows Ashley will not invest. ''Rangers are sick at heart. The answer is a strong leader but there is no-one on the horizon who fills that role. Everyone involved is hanging on to their own sphere of power and influence at the club. There is no Willie Waddell, no Bill Struth or Jock Wallace to rally the Ibrox battallions and have them face the same way instead of train their guns at each other. Yes, there is Mike Ashley. I am confident that he will step forward and provide both leadership and funding to steer Rangers away from the rocks and back to ruling the seas. But in all honesty I have to say that the margins are so fine at this very critical juncture that he might do so just too late to prevent a shipwreck. And let there be no doubt – what’s left of Scottish football will drown in the wake." https://billmcmurdo.wordpress.com
-
Alloa were missing 9 senior players due to illness and injuries, some of their players were late in turning up due to work and traffic. Leading by two goals (despite how poorly we had played) with 25 minutes left and we go on to lose the game to a bunch of part timers. Add the fact that Macleod pulled out of the warm up but McCoist elected to play him just rubs salt into the wound (McCoist should be made to explain this decision).... all in all it all adds up to the most humiliating game in our history IMO. I'd love to wrap up the post by offering a soundbite that "at least it can't get any worse" but I'd be fibbing.
-
...with a new horse called Ibrox. GREEN says he's named a few horses Rangers names but he doesn't have one called 'Super Ally' as he said: "I’ve not got any regard for Mr McCoist.” EX-Rangers chief executive Charles Green is hoping he’s on to a winner with a new horse called Ibrox. Green, who now breeds horses named the two-year-old thoroughbred after his old club’s stadium. And he even kitted out the jockey in red, white and blue for its first race in France. Green, 60 , said the horse was one of several named after the Light Blues to remind him of his spell in charge. But he added none will be named after Ally McCoist — whom he famously did not get on with. He said: “The colours are red, white and blue — be in no doubt. “I called the horse Ibrox to keep the memory of Rangers in my mind. They are close to my heart. “I’ve named a few other horses with Rangers names but I’m keeping that secret for now. “There’s not one called Super Ally though. I’ve not got any regard for Mr McCoist .” But Ibrox returned to haunt him — by only managing eighth in Monday’s race at outsider’s odds of 281. Green quit Gers for a “new life” at an 18th century chateau in Normandy for himself and 30 horses. He said at the time: “I have always been fascinated by the thoroughbred. Normandy is the epicentre of the horse world. This is where I decided to start a new life.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/ex-rangers-chief-executive-charles-green-4737228 -
...for Rangers chairman David Somers. IBROX board have just three weeks to sort the mess ahead of another explosive agm. THREE weeks today the directors of Rangers International Football Club PLC will shuffle out on to a purpose built stage in the main stand at Ibrox and attempt to justify their existence to the club’s shareholders. It promises to be quite something. They’ll be instantly recognisable of course, not just by the colour of their brogues but also by the red necks which have become every bit as standard issue for those who make it their business to step through this boardroom’s relentlessly whirling revolving doors. If executive chairman David Somers and his cohorts – Derek Llambias, James Easdale and Norman Crighton – needed any reminding of the consequences of the current situation then they needed only to look up from the posh seats yesterday and take in the sights and echoey sounds of an eerily-deserted stadium. If they did, the first thing they’d have noticed was that Sports Direct has a sale on. Not just any sale either, a ‘Cyber Weekend Event’ offering 20 per cent off everything until midnight tonight. Yes, at a time when Rangers are crippled with uncertainty, one thing is absolutely sure – come hell or high water, Mike Ashley will get his money’s worth from these drip-feed loans which are just about covering the costs of keeping this ailing club on life support. Ashley may have relinquished the naming rights for Ibrox but this barrage of LCD screen advertising for his high street store shows it’s now the Sports Direct Arena in all but name in any case. But all that aside, behind those garish hoardings, the day’s real message could be found in the shape of thousands upon thousands of empty blue seats. Almost 38,000 of them in total. If Somers and his gang have any sense of common decency then they ought to have felt thoroughly ashamed of themselves for allowing such a vast disconnect to occur on their watch. Yes, there is Christmas shopping to be done, the game was beamed out live on Sky TV and Scottish Cup ties are not included on season books but even though there are some mitigating factors behind yesterday’s stayaways, the truth is huge sections of the support have had just about all they can stomach of their own club. And, in all honesty, who can really blame them? If they are not turning on their TV to see familiar faces from their recent past being frogmarched from court buildings they are picking up newspapers to read about the present state of the club’s accounts, which with losses north of £8million do not paint a pretty picture either. For many of these fans the football has become almost irrelevant although it should be noted there will also have been some who stayed at home yesterday because, on the park, Rangers haven’t been much to look at either. It was with a heavy sense of irony then that Ally McCoist’s players chose to turn in the kind of performance of which they ought to be capable of on a far more regular basis. McCoist badly needed yesterday’s result but it was the way in which Rangers went about their business in this 3-0 win which will have bought him the most respite. The same cannot be said of the directors who’ll be shoved out to face the music on December 22 and who will find themselves with some serious explaining to do after publishing their latest set of numbers. One year ago chairman Somers stood on that same platform and promised better times ahead for this club after seeing off an attempted boardroom coup. Graham Wallace, who had only just been appointed to the role of chief executive, also attempted to placate shareholders and reassure them the club was no longer in any imminent danger. Yet two weeks later he was scrimping around looking for emergency loans which were needed just to meet February’s payroll. Wallace also spoke disapprovingly of the grotesque bonus culture which had been allowed to thrive inside Ibrox before his arrival. He won’t be available to answer questions this time though, having recently departed from his office complete with a bulging £160,000 bonus and an equally impressive £100,000 pay-off which secured his silence. Last week’s accounts showed just less than £1.5m was paid out to directors in the past year which just goes to show that the more this mess changes, the more it stays the same. The difference, one year on, is that Rangers fans are now disengaging in substantial numbers. And yet there won’t be a spare seat in the house when the directors are rolled back out onto centre stage because there are a great many questions which will require answering, not least how exactly they plan to fill the £8m hole in next year’s accounts. With crowds dropping and Ashley in control of retail and trackside advertising, it’s difficult to see any reason for this board’s eternal optimism. Somers may well be sticking to his ‘it will all work out for the best’ mantra but auditors Delloite are so far from convinced that they marked off the latest accounts with yet another flashing red light over the club’s ability to continue trading as a going concern. A personal guarantee from Ashley would have gone a long way to soothing their concerns but there is no indication he has any intention of throwing any more of his millions into the Ibrox blackhole. And no suggestion he would be willing to underwrite the next share issue which will be scrambled into action as early as possible in the New Year. They need to raise £8m this time around having only just failed to hit a target of half that amount about 10 minutes ago – while turning down the offer of a £16m funding package from Dave King’s consortium and also blocking Brian Kennedy from lending them £3m in favour of £2m from Ashley, which quickly became £3m when the first handout was spent. On top of all this, the club’s financially troubled nominated adviser, brokers Daniel Stewart (brought to the club by Charles Green), announced last week that from December 12 they’ll no longer be licensed to operate, which means another Nomad will have to be engaged ahead of this month’s AGM. And all of this played out against a backdrop of criminal proceedings and fraud charges? This board has only three weeks to get a handle on it all and then to try to convince their own shareholders they are in control of it. It promises to be quite something all right. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/keith-jackson-empty-bank-account-4725548
-
THE fans group has hit out after details of the retail deal appeared to show the bulk of money generated would not go to the club but to Ashley's Sports Direct. RANGERS fans have taken a look at the annual accounts and ridiculed claims Mike Ashley is an Ibrox saviour. The Union of Fans have rounded on the board for trumpeting a 375 per cent rise in retail revenues from £1.6million to £7.6m. They told supporters not to be fooled as only around £1.5m will go directly to the club with the bulk of the cash heading to Sports Direct. And they even claim the club have been forced to buy more than £410,000 of club kit at recommended retail prices because they did not hit Sports Direct sales targets. The Rangers board admitted they’ll be forced to seek a fresh share issue after announcing an operating loss of £8.3m for the year to June 30. They’ll need a further bail-out as soon as January and have announced plans for a share issue aimed at raising £8m to keep the club operational in the medium term. Former Rangers owner Craig Whyte released on bail after appearing in court over his purchase of Ibrox club Union of Fans spokesman Chris Graham said: “The statement around retail revenues is disingenuous, to say the least. “The true picture is £7.6m was the total sum of money made from all merchandise sales through Rangers Retail. However, inventory costs are listed at more than £4m – effectively, the cost to Sports Direct of supply and distribution. “Under the terms of the deal between Sports Direct and Rangers Retail, the club receives only 50 per cent of profits, so that leaves only around £1.5m. This is approximately a third of the sum the club were making under the JJB deal. “A section of the accounts, provision of liabilities, even lists £411,000 payable by Rangers Retail to purchase stock at a higher cost than its resale value. “It appears Rangers had to purchase the stock at retail prices and sell it cheaper, presumably because they didn’t hit targets. Rangers are losing money from the sale of the shirts, yet Sports Direct are still being paid the full retail price. “The whole commercial deal with Ashley appears a shambles. Many fans will see the headline figure and conclude the commercial deal with Ashley isn’t bad at all. “Ashley’s plan is to make money for himself and he’s clearly a very successful businessman. However, he is no saviour of Rangers.” Auditors Deloitte again signed off on the accounts with the conclusion there is “material uncertainty” over the club as a going concern and “key assumptions” are being made by the board on future finance streams. Season ticket sales are down 15,000 and attendances are on the wane but chairman David Somers insists everyone is working together for the club’s long-term future. Graham added: “It’s complete rubbish to suggest this board have moved closer to the fan base. “The distance has grown even wider since last year’s agm. “They have appointed a completely pointless fan board. “Their relationship with supporters should be judged on the numbers turning their back on this regime and no longer going through the turnstiles. “Auditors Deloitte have again confirmed they cannot verify what directors are saying is accurate and the future of the club even in the short-term is bleak. “The accounts are only to the end of June, so the drop in attendances and season ticket sales has not yet fully hit the balance sheet.” Graham remains astonished the board turned down Dave King’s £16m investment offer for a £2m Ashley loan, upped by another £1m. He added: “The £8m sought is simply to keep the lights on for the next few months. It’s incredible to think they’re looking for £8m when they were offered twice that amount only a month ago by King.” Rangers declined to comment. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-union-fans-ridicule-claims-4716246
-
From main site... OUR first batch of supporters club bricks have now been placed on the wall at our training centre and we are confident you will agree they look great! Overlooking the youth pitches these bricks are placed on an exclusive panel dedicated to our loyal supporters clubs. Designed with a larger inscription allowance than our original stadium bricks, you will get 3 lines of 15 characters enabling you to have your clubs name along with an optional additional message. To make these bricks truly unique to each RSC we can now give you the opportunity to have your own club crest engraved in fine detail on to your brick. The training centre bricks are priced at £150 each, only a very limited number of these bricks will be available and as an added bonus each supporters club who orders a one will also receive a limited edition signed Ally McCoist print. So mark your Rangers Supporters Clubs name in history with one of our training centre wall bricks by calling us on 0141 427 4914 to order yours today. Certificates will be posted out within 5 working days of placing the order and bricks will take roughly 8 - 10 weeks to be engraved and placed. For those who are not involved in a supporters club but would still like the opportunity of a training centre brick you can order one for our 'Fans Panel' from http://www.rangerslotto.co.uk Remember all of the profits from our stadium bricks go directly towards the Rangers youth teams. http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/club-news/item/8153-supporters-club-bricks-installed?
-
...in yet another dramatic day for the club. Sports Direct owner seems certain to strengthen his grip on Rangers as club lurch from one crisis to another...on and off the field. By Roddy Forsyth If an hour passes without some new development in the Rangers story — the most lurid saga to emerge from any British football club, ever — it counts as a quiet day. Scarcely had Telegraph Sport spread the overnight news that disgraced former owner, Craig Whyte, had been detained after being on the run in Mexico than we revealed that Uefa will not permit Rangers and Newcastle United to play together in Europe next season or for as long as Mike Ashley is in a position of power in both boardrooms. Of Ashley’s position and ambitions, more later. Neither the Champions League nor Europa League is foremost in Rangers fans’ minds. Last weekend’s 2-0 defeat by Hearts not only saw Ally McCoist’s players trail by nine points in the chase for automatic promotion to the Scottish Premiership, but it also emphasised the contrast in form with their main divisional rivals. Hearts’ total of 38 points from their opening 14 games is their best start to a league campaign. Hibs, meanwhile, have run up five successive away league victories for the first time since September 1980. To say McCoist is under pressure is to say what? Unless he walks away — that loaded phrase in the context of Ibrox — there is not sufficient cash to pay him off. As matters stand, the club will have to rely on another bailout from Ashley just to keep them going beyond New Year. There is increasing talk around the Scottish game that Rangers are heading into administration again. Some discount the notion on the grounds that the consequent automatic points deduction would condemn Rangers to a fourth successive season of lower league football which, they believe, would run contrary to Ashley’s aim of increasing club merchandise sales though his Sports Direct retail chain. Related Articles A more arcane theory has it that Ashley would accept administration as a short-term hit because it would shake out other contracts and allow him, as a major creditor, to bid for the club on the cheap. There is a third, more plausible option. Ashley’s lawyers are engaged in a low-key, but crucial positional battle with the Scottish Football Association. Ashley’s people want to find a way for him to increase his shareholding at Ibrox and Telegraph readers will remember that the idea of him taking his stake up to almost 27 per cent was floated in September. The SFA signed a binding agreement with Ashley, anchored in their Articles of Association, designed to keep him at 10 per cent or below. However, as money repeatedly runs out at Ibrox, Ashley either gets to increase his grip through security on the assets, with the SFA watching impotently, or he holds back, knowing that Scottish football’s governing body could be put in the invidious position of taking the blame for another insolvency event. And all of this is played out against a background of dawn swoops by police in southern England, as they arrest the former Rangers company secretary and three managing directors of Duff & Phelps, the company that oversaw Rangers’ administration in 2012. How tempting it is to conjure the fantasy that a posse of gun-toting Federales bore down on Whyte at the Mexican airport, to be greeted with a demand to show their ID, only for them to yell the immortal misquote from The Treasure of the Sierra Madre: “We don’t need no’ stinking badges!” Remember Ashley’s condition for advancing the soft loan that was rebuffed by the Rangers plc board in September? The club crest and trademark? Somebody does need the badges – and it looks unlikely that anybody can or will stop him now. Meanwhile, Rangers have confirmed Telegraph Sport's disclosure last month that the club would post losses of over £8 million in the accounts for the year to June 30, 2014. The figure given when the accounts were posted on the club’s website was £8.3 million. David Somers, the Rangers chairman, commented "…challenges still remain and despite additional financing having been secured over the year, further funding is necessary to ensure the club's ability to move forward successfully to achieve the goals we all seek and expect of Rangers Football Club. "To this end the board will be seeking shareholder approval at the forthcoming AGM to issue additional shares to ensure maximum flexibility for the company to raise equity finance and provide the financial capability required to develop the club in the longer term.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/11259511/Mike-Ashleys-Rangers-swoop-overshadows-Craig-Whyte-dawn-raids-in-yet-another-dramatic-day-for-the-club.html
-
A few of our members and subscribers over the last year or so will remember that an English production company were aiming to put together a feature-length documentary into the experiences of the fans over the last few years coupled with help from various supporters, players and RSCs. I'm pleased to say that after around nine month's work, these efforts are about to be published by way of a 90minute cinema film (and DVD release) over the next month or so. SDMC Productions kindly gave me an opportunity to put together a short review of an early edit of the documentary ahead of the final release which now follows. At the outset I think it's important to note that the budget for this film was partially crowd-funded and, thus, quite small so I certainly didn't expect a Hollywood standard production. As such, if the viewer can tune their expectations to that level then they'll get more out of the experience. With that in mind, it's fair to say I enjoyed some aspects of the film whilst being slightly disappointed in others. Basically, the documentary follows and interviews a number of fans in their Rangers supporting rituals and experiences - some related to events since 2011/12, some of a more general nature. While it can be said that a few of the interviews are perhaps somewhat repetitive and occasionally bland, the viewer can't fail to feel the love these fans have for their club. As much as every Rangers fan supports/views the club in a different way, I could definitely feel an affinity in which the passion these guys follow follow. That passion is certainly aided by some of the (apparently expensive) archive footage contained in the video. Whether it's the goals from our Cup Winners' Cup win in Barcelona '72 or Lee McCulloch grabbing another winner against lower league opposition, I'll never tire of cheering them in. That glimpse of our continuing history should evoke pride in all of us. In addition to the footage, interviews with Dave Smith and Dave McPherson show just what the club means to former players as well. My edit didn't have the interviews with Gordon Smith and Alex Rae but I'm sure the final version will emphasise that player/fan relationship. Unfortunately, where the producers missed a trick was perhaps not concentrating a little bit more on not only where the club is now but why. In that sense, some of the fan interviews only very lightly touched on the events of 2-3 years ago and I feel a more in-depth examination of Rangers troubles may have been appreciated. However, on our forum, the film director did say they weren't overly interested in an exposé of what happened but I do believe more should have been made of why we are where we are now. Similarly, while the untimely death of Sandy Jardine and the Ibrox Disaster of 1971 are understandably juxtaposed later in the film, this felt rather clumsy. Taking these comments on board, while I certainly enjoyed parts of the documentary, for some, the content may be seen as superficial or overly sentimental. However, that's not necessarily a major criticism as supporting Rangers nowadays - be it the daily financial or legal analysis - can be a complicated and stressful process so perhaps a more simple study will provide a welcome antidote to the constant headache many bears have nowadays. All things considered SDMC have clearly worked hard to independently produce something our fans will appreciate and I thank them and all involved for their efforts. You can judge for yourselves when the DVD is released and you can pre-order this below on Amazon. Furthermore, we'll have an opportunity on this site to win a copy of the full-length release next month. Glasgow Rangers FC - The Blue Bear Rises (SDMC Productions) £14 - Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Glasgow-Rangers-FC-Blue-Rises/dp/B00O7QL29G
-
Along with a few trialists:
-
Our boys have been hard at it; rest and reflection, no less LEE McCULLOCH is determined Rangers will react in the right way after suffering a barrage of abuse for their Capital collapse on Saturday. Ally McCoist's side crashed to a 2-0 defeat to title rivals Hearts, to fall nine points off the pace at the top of the Championship table. The Ibrox boss was the target of chants from a section of the travelling support, with many fans calling for the Light Blue legend to be sacked. Rangers are in action against Kilmarnock on Sunday as they look to book their place in the Scottish Cup fifth round and silence the doubters. Skipper McCulloch said: "There is definitely a sense of determination among the boys to make up the nine point gap. "We're not even half way through the season yet, so to say that we've lost the league now is a wee bit premature. "Obviously there is a bit of a gap there but it's one we need to look at and be positive that we can try and close it. "There has been a lot of criticism flying about for the team and rightly so. We need to use that as motivation to get back and close that gap. "There is still a lot of football to be played. We know that gap is big but it is not mathematically impossible and everyone in this team believes we can do it. "There has to be a fresh start from now. Sunday was a day of rest for everybody and then Monday was a day of reflection at Murray Park. "That is out of the way now and the best way to look at it is that this is a new chapter." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/ranger...917n.25878782?
-
http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/296-competition-win-an-official-2015-rangers-calendar It's competition again at Gersnet and we have another chance for our subscribers to win an excellent prize! This time you can win one of three superb official Rangers calendars for 2015. Made from Danilo - Europe's Number One publisher of licenced merchandise - these quality calendars are always the idea Christmas present for your loved one ahead of the New Year. The new 12 month calendar with incredible images of your favourite players including captain Lee McCulloch, Cammy Bell, Lewis Macleod and Darren McGregor. There is plenty of space to note all those important dates and Rangers football fixtures. The Gers will be again be aiming to win the Scottish Championship to get them eventually back to the Premiership where they belong and are missed. To be in with a chance of winning one of the three prizes, please email us with the name of the current Rangers captain by midnight on Friday 28th November. Please note the site administrator's decision is final. For more information on Danilo and to engage with them on social media please use the following links: Danilo website, Danilo on Facebook and Danilo on Twitter!
-
A sneering piece that seems to relish in denigrating us. I can't say it is wrong though. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/opinion/sport/keith-jackson-cold-hard-cash-4683056? Keith Jackson: Cold hard cash will determine Ally McCoist's future at Rangers Nov 24, 2014 08:03 OPINION BY KEITHJACKSON KEITH says that cash has always been the answer to Rangers' woes but asks, will the club be able to fork out to the cash needed to axe Ally? IN the end it will all come down to money. That is the Rangers way after all. This is a club which through the years has gorged on a diet of hubris and largesse and which bloated itself with mantras such as, “For every fiver Celtic spend we’ll spend a tenner”. It might just be the only business in the history of insolvency events to have allowed this spend-at-all-costs mentality to survive the catastrophe of liquidation. It’s drilled down so deep into the club’s DNA that it has become the answer to almost every problem it encounters. Whenever Rangers are in trouble the default position is to spend more and buy their way out of it with another fistful of Aye Readies. Few have been so steeped in this tradition as manager Ally McCoist, who earned stripes as a homegrown hero at Ibrox in the days when money really did seem like no object. A £185,000 legacy of more austere times, McCoist not only survived the Graeme Souness revolution but went on to thrive in this new environment and whose phenomenal goalscoring exploits made him a priceless commodity throughout an era unrelenting cheque signing. Back then, McCoist was the exception to the rule. Today his fate is governed by it. Because the only bottom line that counts right now as far as the position of the Rangers manager is concerned is the huge sum it will cost to remove him and his backroom staff from the dugout. Even going by the most conservative of estimates, the costs involved in the bagging of the management team would run a long way north of £1m and right now that’s money this ravaged club simply does not have. The very notion that such vast sums could be ring-fenced for severance payments would certainly cause further distress to auditors Deloitte – who have still not signed off the club’s latest accounts and are fast running out of days in which to so do. In fact, in order for an agm to be held before the year end as Stock Market rules dictate, Deloitte really ought to publish these latest numbers by no later than Friday of this week. The under-fire regime would then have a further three working weeks before being shoved out in front of shareholders just days before Christmas. It is already a damning indictment of the state of the club’s financial affairs that Deloitte have so far failed to put their name to these accounts and the longer they dither the more reason there is for concern. The truth is, Rangers are right back on the brink even though many supporters took comfort from watching Mike Ashley muscle his way into total control of the board room earlier this month. Recent history shows that in times of Ibrox panic there is nothing like a billionaire – radar detectable or not – to settle a few nerves but now Ashley has powered his way into the box seat there are serious decisions for him to make. What Ashley’s minions, Derek Llambias and Barry Leach, have discovered since they were dispatched to Glasgow and placed on the board may well have horrified them. The Sports Direct man did not become a billionaire by funding lost causes and yet that’s what he is now being asked to do in order to satisfy Deloitte the club is able to continue trading. If Ashley is not willing to offer up guarantees for several millions of pounds Deloitte may have to “qualify” these accounts – a development that would prove disastrous for the reputation of almost any other company but which, given the state of all things Rangers, would merely add another layer to the farce. So far Ashley has agreed to drip feed Rangers with short-term loans in order to protect and strengthen his commercial contracts with the club. He has not just been saving Rangers with these handouts – he has been strangling them at the same time. Will he now be prepared to change strategy to fund them for the longer term because, if not, Rangers will be hurtling towards another insolvency. And, as major creditor, Ashley will be in complete control. But if, on the other hand, he opts to wade into this mess and bail it out for the long run what will that mean for McCoist? That’s the other question over which Ashley will have to chew this week because if he does decide to underpin this broken business he could also provide it with the cash needed to call time on McCoist. Ironically, that might buy him some goodwill among a growing group of Rangers fans who have lost patience with their manager and who, at Tynecastle on Saturday, voiced their desire for him to do walking away. Or a version thereof. That 2-0 defeat was the last straw for many and it might even be argued the majority of these fans have lost faith in McCoist now the football side of this business is finally getting serious and requiring urgent attention. They simply don’t believe McCoist can recover the nine points which separate his side from Hearts and some of them suspect he may not be capable either of gaining promotion to the top flight through the end-of-season play-offs. The single-minded McCoist, it must be said, will disagree entirely. Often over the past three years he has reacted angrily to any suggestion he is failing in his duties and I say that as someone who has felt his full wrath from the other end of a phone on many occasions. But, at the risk of another fall-out, I’ll say it all again. When Rangers first reappeared from insolvency in the lowest tier of the Scottish game, McCoist wasted an opportunity to reinvent his team and introduce it to a contemporary, passing style of football – much like the template Swansea used on their journey up through the various English leagues. Instead, in true Rangers tradition, he spent mind-boggling amounts of money on the recruitment of players who had no place operating at such a lowly level and who often looked as if they had no great wish to be there. But whether he stays or goes at this stage, with his journey not yet complete? That’s something only the money men will decide.
-
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/gordon-waddell-rangers-players-shrug-4678381 ALL for one – and every man for himself. Clearly Ian Black’s motto for Rangers’ new era. If ever you needed confirmation of the mink-lined vacuum some players live in, the Rangers midfielder was happy to provide it last week. “The only time it affects you,” he said, talking about his club’s off-field circus, “is when it gets to the stage when you’re not getting paid. “That’s the only time it will affect the players. Until then we don’t really pay attention to it.” Ten staff made redundant, 10 lives ruined six weeks before Christmas, 10 families thrown into upheaval. But as long as there’s unleaded for the Bentley and foie gras for the dinner table in the Black household, eh? Talk about being detached from reality. A month of Black’s wages would have kept a couple of those staff – his fellow employees – in jobs for a year. It never works that way, I get that. It’s never that simple. Like when Gers plunged into admin what seems like a lifetime ago and the players took pay cuts on the guarantee that no staff would be emptied. It was flawed logic at the heart of an even more flawed administration – but at least it showed the dressing room had some kind of conscience at the time, a little integrity. A base layer of decency. Clearly not the case these days. And perhaps wholly indicative that the complete Ashleyfication of the club is moving ever closer. The ‘he said, she said’ debacle between the Easdales, David Somers, Dave King, George Letham, Brian Kennedy and the entire ensemble cast has become a daily weeping sore, a little more pus seeping out every few hours on the wires. The court actions against those at the centre of the club’s shambolic descent. The giant cartoon sticking plasters that are Mike Ashley’s temporary loans, covering over one burst financial pipe only for another one to spring a leak right next to it. Fred Quimby would’ve had a field day with this kind of material. And those job losses. Always the staff, usually always the good guys who plod away in the background trying to keep the place ticking over while the bombs drop around them. You end up asking yourself who’s going to be left to switch the lights on and off, make the place function on a day to day basis, so many of them have been given deals. Then again, is that all part of the plan? If there is a plan? A few weeks ago, this column indulged in a little bit of devil’s advocation, asking whether a profit-oriented pragmatist such as Ashley wasn’t exactly what Rangers needed to get them running on an even keel, rather than the regimes who openly admitted to blowing £67m in 18 months. What price will they pay for it, though? Are Rangers just going to become a footballing branch of Sports Direct, a strip-lit, soulless outlet, centrally administered by faceless call-centre minions? What will become of the Rangers Charity Foundation? What about all the work in the community they do? The Rangers Study Support Centre? Are all these things still going to be funded, or will they be stripped away? Are they about to become a bare-bones operation without a care for what or who they represent? Will they have any values, or is it simply about value? From everything you hear about Ashley, he won’t give a toss about the periphery and the frippery. But they are questions that need answers because these are all things that make a club. They’re constituent parts of something that’s bigger than 11 players, four stands and two goals. Look at Celtic’s agm the other day. Look at how much is made of the culture of the club, its history, when it comes to things like the living wage and their staff being looked after. Look at an organisation like Big Hearts and the amount they do in the community, how much retaining its reach meant to them when they emerged from admin. Then look at Rangers and wonder what they’re going to look like when this is all done. If it’s ever all done. Wonder at what point an Ian Black WILL care about what’s going on outside his cocoon and whether there will be anything left of them to care about anyway. ************* Ian Black, your time is also up. Never have i disliked any Rangers player so much. The very definition of imposter. All this after the betting scandal and him asking fans "what the fuck do you expect" ? embarrassment.
-
I think we all know the answer to that.
-
...and says manager Ally McCoist is being 'hung out to dry' by the board. THE former boss gave a withering assessment of the men at the top of the marble staircase and claimed they’ve hung McCoist out to dry. WALTER Smith last night accused the Rangers board of making Ally McCoist the worst prepared manager in their history. The former boss gave a withering assessment of the men at the top of the marble staircase and claimed they’ve hung McCoist out to dry. Smith spoke out in strong support of McCoist in Glasgow in front of an audience of 750 at a question and answer session during a charity dinner. The ex-chairman accused the current regime of failing to back the boss and said boardroom instability is also hampering the team. Asked to reflect on the work of McCoist, who was at the event, Smith said: “Ally will need a little help – in the last three years he has had none whatsoever. “I was fortunate enough to be given great support by the likes of David Murray with the signings I was allowed to make. “People are casting aspersions on Ally’s ability but if I ever had doubts about him I would never have recommended him for the job. “No club can be successful until it is well run from the top, it’s the single determining factor in how well the team plays. “I wish Ally could be given that opportunity but it isn’t being afforded him. Ally is bearing up well under the worst circumstances under which any Rangers manager has had to work.” Smith also turned on former owner Craig Whyte when asked if he was still happy with his decision to step away from the club three years ago. He said sarcastically: “I was quite happy to leave Rangers in the hands of Craig Whyte – well, he was a billionaire, after all. “Where is he now? Costa Rica or somewhere? The wee b******.” Meanwhile, Dave King claims Sandy Easdale was as concerned with his seat on the board as investment in the cash-strapped club. Easdale has labelled the South African-based tycoon’s plan to invest £16million a phantom bid driven by self-promotion. The bus boss and Rangers board snubbed King’s offer and a £3m loan from Brian Kennedy, instead taking a £2m bailout from Mike Ashley. Now King has hit back and said: “When I spoke to Sandy on my recent trip to Scotland his main concern was whether, after investment by our consortium, he would still be involved with the club. “I confirmed we had no immediate intention to remove him or his brother from board involvement. This was clearly not enough to gain his support.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/craig-whyte-wee-b-walter-4665444
-
My Rangers memories book is finally finished, now titled “It’s a Glasgow Rangers story” The book looks at 75 years of Rangers history, from the countries dark days of World War 2 up to the club’s dark days of 2014. Fortunately there are a few highlights in between. With over one hundred contributions from the general Rangers support, it tells the story of Scotland’s # 1 football club. Not the full story of course, one book could never do that, that’s why it’s just “a Glasgow Rangers Story” The release date is planned as the 8th of December, though that may move backwards of forwards by a couple of days. If anyone fancies a copy as Christmas stocking filler, let me know on here, or PM and I’ll reserve a copy to guarantee delivery before Xmas. All proceeds of the book, after expenses, will be split between the Rangers Charity Foundation and the Scottish War Blind. The book will be available from myself, either at Ibrox, or by post, I’ll be setting up a website soon with all the details. It will also be available on Amazon, but in order that the charities benefit, it would be better to order direct. The economics of publishing means that a book sold direct will give £5 or so to the charities, a book sold through Amazon only £1. More details soon. I’ll be messaging or e-mailing all contributors soon with details of their submissions.
-
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/30114815 Was one of my favourite players while at Ibrox and scored some big goals in big games.
-
https://twitter.com/Herald_Editor/status/535213375333359618/photo/1
-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30106866
