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by Andrew Smith BY THE end of the current campaign, Celtic will have a record of four competitive victories in the Champions League group stages across the past seven years. They had a fifth win in 2008-9, but that came in their final game when they were already condemned to prop up the section. The club, then, are hardly heavyweights in the most glamorous European domain. They aren’t even light middleweights. The furore engendered by the 1-0 home defeat against Maribor in midweek that meant Celtic will have contested the Champions League only three times in seven years was, as the club’s chief executive Peter Lawwell said the other day, not “rational” but “reactive to a bad, bad result”. Yet, Celtic themselves are partly responsible for the fact the fans will flog them for failure in the qualifying stages of the Champions League since they continually set themselves up as “one of the best-run clubs” in the universe. A club so spectacularly well-run would not flop against (in Legia Warsaw and Maribor) not one but two clubs boasting a fraction of Celtic’s budget, it is legitimate to contend. Even with a new manager, as Celtic have in the yet-to-convince Ronny Deila. Not so, Lawwell contended. “It happened to Gordon [strachan], 5-0 [away to Artmedia Bratislava], happened to Lenny [Neil Lennon], with Utrecht, Braga and Sion, and it happened to Martin [O’Neill] , in Basel, and we never threw the towel in. We said ‘these things happen’; it is transition. It is happening to [Louis] van Gaal [at Manchester United], it happened to David Moyes. It is transition. In big clubs, it takes time. So that is wrong what you are saying.” Celtic’s strategy isn’t wrong. It doesn’t require a complete rethink. But they must do the right things correctly, and that is where questions are entitled to be asked. Overall, they have signed a bad crop of players in the past two years, and been too sluggish to replace the players they have cashed in handsomely on. It is not a matter of being done in by downsizing, however easy that line is to trot out. If Serbian striker Stefan Scepovic succeeds in filling the No.9 hole that has existed since the departure of Gary Hooper last season, then Celtic will have made £2.2 million work for them better than the near £6m they forked out in the previous two windows on Teemu Pukki, Amido Balde and Leigh Griffiths, three forwards Deila patently doesn’t trust. Celtic require to show a little more humility about the element of luck that determines whether their policies end up appearing visionary or vacuous. Lawwell at least offered up that the other day. “I hope you don’t think we are being immodest but when you are the target of the criticism [we have had], you have to defend yourself. And it’s not just us that are saying we are one of the best-run clubs in Britain and Europe… are we not that? “It is difficult. With the uncertainties, the risk. We don’t think we are God’s gift, we don’t think the strategy is flawless. Of course it is flawed, because it is football, and it is chance. Karagandy last year, they hit the bar. Callum [McGregor’s shot the other night] might have not hit the bar. In football you have to prepare for that and not think you are fallible, and prepare for being fallible. Which I think we have done. “Economically, we are far stronger than Elfsborg, Helsingborg, Karagandy, far stronger than Legia, far stronger than Reykjavik and Maribor. Far stronger. But these things happen. Far stronger than Inverness. But these things happen. If it was done on economics purely, then we should be in the Champions League every year. But there is a football element, a sporting element If we are in it three years out of five, we are doing well. We should be beating Maribor.” There is a tedious attempt to put Celtic’s recent struggles down to the absence of a Rangers in the top flight. Yet, Celtic now have a £10m reserve when, with the Ibrox club as top-flight rivals, they are in debt. Lawwell, though, doesn’t downplay the squeeze on finances caused by the disappearance of the rivalry, offset by nearly £30m player sales inside the past 15 months. “When Rangers went down, we took £100 off the season tickets. So that is £4m [down] for two years. The Rangers games bring in at least another £3m. The fact that there is a perception among our supporters that there is no competition and you are going to win anyway, and so you don’t go to the game, means you could have lost £10m a year, quite easily, on the back of Rangers going down. How we have coped is seeing that ahead and the strategy over that ten, 11-year period, has seen us successful on the park and stable off it, as Hearts and Rangers have gone bust. And yet we are still getting it [in the neck].” Deila might consider himself fortunate that he is not getting it more, with grumbles over his failure to convert a 1-1 draw away to Maribor into a home result that took his team through to the group stages. The Norwegian was willing to defend his tactics, which seemed higgelty-piggelty, for the fact he opened up in the second half when Celtic only needed to contain. “We were too passive in the first half and would have lost if we had kept going that way,” Deila said. “We need more offensive power and controlled the game and looked more of a threat with Kris [Commons]. And then they scored.” Deila has not seen new signing Scepovic in the flesh and said he has no reason to do so because of the trust he has in John Park’s scouting department, which has been “pretty successful” over four or five years. The manager is placing great store in the Serbian being the target man required, and the signing must work for him as Celtic go into a Europa League campaign against Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb and Astra. Against the Austrians, Croatians and Romanians, none of who can match Celtic’s £32m football wage bill, he must show the team is progressing. Deila admits it is not acceptable for Celtic to lose in Champions League qualifiers to far more modestly financed opponents, but appealed for judgments on him to be reserved for now. If he wants a crumb of comfort, no new Celtic manager since Billy McNeill in 1979 has made any impact in their first tilt at European competition with the club. And, not coincidentally, McNeill had been in the job for a season when his first campaign arrived, after Celtic missed out on Europe in predecessor Jock Stein’s final campaign. “If we meet those teams [Legia and Maribor] next year and we lose like we did against Legia then I have to take the criticism. But it’s very unfair right now because a lot of things have happened, it’s coming straight into something and we’ve been losing players. “It has been tough, a tough ten weeks. I can assure you of that. It has been much tougher than I thought it would be. You can’t ever know what you are going into this job – you have to experience it. But I am enjoying it. I am in pain also sometimes. But you always have to have in your mind that you have to bounce back, that you have to find a way out of it. “We need time to get the squad back into the same order that it’s been in before. Consistency – you can see Van Gaal is buying the whole of Europe and isn’t winning so many games either. It takes time. Previous managers have come in here as well and not been the best in the first year but they have been allowed time to build his ideas and structure. Next year when I sit here – judge me and harshly if I haven’t done the things. This year the most important thing is to win the league and we want to do well in the cups too. To get the triple would be fantastic. “I want to use all the matches in Europe to see how good we are and develop through that. I hope we go through. Next year I hope we can go into the Champions League group stages and go into the qualifiers thinking: We look stronger, this is going to happen.” And if it doesn’t happen next year, the name calling won’t just be against Lawwell from the small cluster of malcontents that will gather at the front door. http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/andrew-smith-celtic-need-to-show-more-humility-1-3526234

http://sport.stv.tv/football/video/3755311980001/? I have to say, i may not be his biggest fan but i support him here completely. The press in this country are an absolute disgrace. Ally gives them all the sound bites they want, all the time and interviews and when he asks for a little bit back they can't afford him it. Well played Ally, well played.

Yet another Sinky got wrong Just got a move to Norwich City that could net Falkirk £1 million. I watched him play in the same youth team as Darren Ramsay and Charlie Telfer for a couple of years, where as he may not have been the standout he wouldn't have been a candidate for release in my opinion. Gary Oliver who recently scored for Hearts, Lewis Spence and Lewis Martin who are now regulars at Dunfermline also played in the same team on occasions although they are a year younger.

RANGERS boss Ally McCoist is hoping his squad can remain intact after new fears were raised over the future of the Ibrox club. The troubled Glasgow giants announced yesterday that they need to raise at least £3million from a new share offering later this year. That shock admission led to speculation that Gers stars like Lewis Macleod and Lee Wallace could be sold to generate much-needed cash. Light Blues left-back Wallace has been linked with a move to English Championship club Brighton during the summer. However, McCoist has not been told he has to offload anyone and is hoping the transfer window closes on Monday night without his top players leaving. He said: "I'm happy with the squad I've got. In an ideal world, we'd have tweaked it a wee bit here and there but we have a good pool of players. We have strengthened up front and at the back. "Like every other manager and coach in the country, I would like to add a little bit here and there. "But if we don't have the opportunity to do that then I'm delighted with the boys I've got. "I haven't been told people have to go before people come in. Without stating the obvious, in the current climate I don't see much incoming activity at the moment." However, McCoist accepted the financial uncertainty at Rangers could result in rival clubs making knockdown bids for his leading players in the coming days. He said ahead of today's match with Queen of the South: "I would obviously hope as a manager that bids would be turned down. "I'm happy with my squad and I don't want to see it being depleted. "But I do know what's involved in football and I know that sometimes people make decisions that can alter your squad. That's part and parcel of football. "I could understand if clubs felt we may have to sell players, but I would hope that no bids come in for any of the players. We'll just have to wait and see what happens." He added: "If we did lose someone we'd just have to regroup and get on with it. "As I say, I'm not expecting to lose anyone. I'm expecting to go with the squad we've got and hopefully that's the case. "You obviously look at the squad and would like to add in one or two departments to make us stronger. "But the whole thing is a very slow process. We are absolutely miles away from where we want to be, but at the same time we are definitely stronger than we were a year or two years ago. Hopefully we will continue to grow in strength. "I spoke with Graham this morning and met him earlier this week. " There haven't been any budget talks as such but we have spoken about players and the squad. He didn't say that we had to sell. "I could let this get me down if I allowed it to. But I'm looking forward to a good game against a really good team. "That's how you keep yourself positive and focused because this will be a real game." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/rangers-boss-mccoist-in-transfer-plea-to-board-178352n.25188235

'Consequences of Rangers going is revenues are down. We've filled that gap by selling players' http://www.celticfc.tv/freeview?video=1778 Oh really Peter?, I thought you said you don't need Rangers? Celtic don't need Rangers, says Peter Lawwell By Chris McLaughlin Senior Football Reporter, BBC Scotland Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell insists his club "don't need Rangers" to flourish financially. Rangers are awaiting the verdict of a long-running tax case that could place the future of the Ibrox club in doubt. But Lawwell says the eventuality of their Old Firm rivals going bust "would have no material effect on Celtic". "We look after ourselves," Lawwell told BBC Scotland. "We don't rely on any other club. We are in a decent position, we're very strong." http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/17013512

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22037966 Hopefully this will herald a bigger sportlight on the shady goings on in the east of the city by CFC, GCC et all...

THE Ibrox side face Inverness in round two and have been told the winner will go straight into the hat for round three as one of the eight seeded sides. THE SPFL are braced for a backlash after it emerged Rangers could end up being seeded after today’s League Cup last 16 draw – despite the club being ranked 23rd. The Ibrox side face Inverness Caledonian Thistle in round two and have been told the winner will go straight into the hat for round three of the competition as one of the eight seeded sides. Aug 27, 2014 10:08 By Gavin Berry, Michael Gannon 3 Comments THE Ibrox side face Inverness in round two and have been told the winner will go straight into the hat for round three as one of the eight seeded sides. 19 Shares Share Tweet +1 Email SNS Group Rangers will be seeded if they beat ICT THE SPFL are braced for a backlash after it emerged Rangers could end up being seeded after today’s League Cup last 16 draw – despite the club being ranked 23rd. The Ibrox side face Inverness Caledonian Thistle in round two and have been told the winner will go straight into the hat for round three of the competition as one of the eight seeded sides. Do Rangers deserve to be seeded in the Third Round of the League Cup? YES NO The SPFL say they had to make the move as Gers are a round behind other clubs due to Ibrox being out of use during the Commonwealth Games. If they see off Caley, Rangers would avoid the big guns while the eighth-ranked side would get a tougher tie. But the SPFL insist their hands are tied ahead of today’s draw. Operations chief Anton Fagan said: “This was done to ensure the smooth running of the tournament.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/spfl-risk-fan-backlash-rangers-4114100

Born Under a Union Flag: Rangers, Britain and Scottish Independence (Luath Press) will be an interesting read for those yet to open its cover, and I would strongly suggest you do. It allows the reader access at times, to the mindset of the authors of the various chapters, some of which will challenge you, some may even alarm you, but having drawn me in, it was one of those books I had to read from start to finish without interruption. It may seem strange for an avid Unionist to highlight a chapter written by a pro-independence author, Gail Richardson, but I do so for 2 reasons : (1) Gail asks questions relating to the motto of a group of which I am a member – Vanguard Bears (2) Of all the pro-independence chapters within the book, Gail’s was unique in that it offered a cohesive, rational and positive argument for independence which was free from negative subjective experience often cited by her peers, nor did it seek to demonise Britain as a justification for exercising a yes vote, in short it offered vision rather than vilification. I use the word “demonise” deliberately. When Alan Bissett argues that Britain is responsible for, amongst other things, “the mass slaughter of World War 1” you can perhaps begin to understand why I suggested in the opening paragraph that you may be challenged, even alarmed by its contents. Gail opens her chapter with a question : Do the Loving Cup ceremony or the portraits of Her Majesty the Queen hanging in the home dressing room at Ibrox not qualify as traditions ? Both are long standing practices at our club, with club historian David Mason, opening this year’s Loving Cup toast describing it as “A very important tradition in the history of Rangers Football Club since 1937”. Furthermore are they merely traditions or, additionally, a powerful statement of identity i.e. this is a club which values the traditions of monarchy ? The foregoing example serves as welcome introduction for another area of such debate which is often overlooked by many. Gail asserts : It is madness. But what about the flip side of that coin ? What about the instances where the beliefs and values come from within the club itself ? Are they in themselves not statements of identity ? If the historical commentators such as Graham Walker and Bill Murray are to be believed, and there is no good reason not to, then Protestant identity evolved due to a number of factors, primarily though that the Protestant indigenous Scot sought a football club which reflected their faith and culture in the same way that the newly formed club, Celtic, reflected the faith and culture of the Irish immigrant population. If Gail is guilty of overlooking symbolisms and traditions which emanate from within the club, perhaps because they don’t quite fit with her assertions and beliefs, I confess, I could be equally as guilty of reading something into symbolisms from within the club because they do happen to fit with my particular assertions and beliefs. I have difficulty accepting however that Church and Boys Brigade Parades, the holding of the Orange Order Annual Divine Service at Ibrox, our refusal to play football on the Sabbath, the welcoming of Kings at Ibrox, Armed Forces Days, amongst other things, are not statements of identity. Furthermore these take no account of the erroneous, which again have their formation from within the club itself. Gail makes reference to Rangers signing policy, I would add to that the comments of Rangers vice chairman Matt Taylor in 1967 when he stated in interview relating to it, “part of our tradition....we were formed in 1873 as a Protestant boys club. To change now would lose us considerable support.” However mis-guided, however ham-fisted, however opposed to true Protestant ideals and values the foregoing examples are, I would suggest they are a clear attempt to attach a Protestant identity to our club from within the club itself. I cite these examples not to usurp Gail’s questioning of their relevance today in an increasingly secular Scotland, but to demonstrate that the club itself over the years has actively encouraged an identity with which it is often associated, therefore to suggest that it’s our supporters who have projected their beliefs onto the club and asked them to uphold them is incorrect. When Gail states : “I’ve said that I don’t believe Rangers Football Club is a Protestant club or a Unionist club.” how does such a statement equate to a football club who have just released their 3rd strip which has as its centrepiece, the flag of the Union itself ? Particularly in view of the current political climate in Scotland. Strangely, the answer to Gail’s original question comes from an unlikely source, in chapter 3 of the book. Harry Reid, an Aberdeen supporter speaking of the demise of Rangers identity under Sir David Murray: And later in the chapter : Harry continues: Later in the chapter Harry emphasises the importance of any football club seeking to expand its aspirations, remaining true to its core fan base. There is really not a lot I can add to Harry’s quotes. The values, traditions and people Harry alludes to are very much at the core of what we at Vanguard Bears, seek to defend. I hope this article not only answers Gail’s questions, but also challenges her to examine her own vision of our club, as much as her chapter from the book caused me to examine my own.

ET Says a few truths in there and a bit more dignity from some quarters is very much missing. Maybe we should one day also consider him for a scouting role in Scotland, as he does the reasonable thing and scans the Junior football folk.

http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/7532-lee-signs-season-long-deal

RANGERS have moved to re-sign keeper Lee Robinson – five years after he quit the club. Manager Ally McCoist is in talks to land the 28-year-old, who is a free agent after leaving Raith Rovers at the end of last season. Robinson, who has also had spells at Kilmarnock, Queen of the South and Swedish outfit FK Ostersunds since departing Ibrox in 2009, is mulling over a one-year contract offer to provide cover for first-choice keeper Cammy Bell. Bell will be out for two weeks after fears that he had dislocated his shoulder and needed surgery were allayed. Veteran Steve Simonsen has been deputising but McCoist believes Robinson can eventually push Bell for the No 1 spot. McCoist’s hopes of doing further business this month could hinge on fringe players Sebastien Faure and Arnold Peralta being moved on. http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/501685/EXCLUSIVE-Lee-Robinson-offered-Rangers-return

The 27-year-old is not expected to be named in Gordon Strachan's latest squad for next month's 2016 Euro qualifier against Germany Wallace last played for Scotland in a friendly against the USA last November However the defender has no regrets over sacrificing his international career to help Rangers climb up the leagues in Scotland Rangers full-back Lee Wallace has admitted he has all but given up hope of playing for Scotland. The 27-year-old defender, who last played for his country in a 0-0 draw with the United States last November, is set to miss the trip to face World Champions Germany in next month's 2016 Euro qualifier when Scotland boss Gordon Strachan names his squad on Monday morning. Conceding he sacrificed his international ambitions to stay with Rangers and help them back up the leagues, Wallace revealed he has also received a phonecall from Strachan explaining his situation. And asked if he expects to feature against the Germans, he admitted: 'Probably not, no. I'm still probably a bit behind. There are guys who have been in it who are way ahead of me at this stage — guys who play their football down south in strong successful sides. 'I'll never hold much hope for it but I'm not going to get too downbeat about it, either, as I'm just going to concentrate on Rangers and always will do. 'When I stayed with Rangers after what happened, I knew that [playing in the lower leagues] would be a stumbling block [for international call-ups] and Craig Levein had said at the time it would be difficult to select someone in the bottom tier of Scottish football. 'I accepted that and understood it at that level. 'I was aware of that and it was a sacrifice I made. Rangers is the one for me and I want to play a part in their history over the next few years.' The emergence of Andrew Robertson at Dundee United led to the young left-back making a £2.5million move to Hull City this summer. And the 20-year-old, who has made an impressive start in the Barclays Premier League, now looks to be Strachan's first pick, with Wallace adding: 'I kind of got the message in some of the last few squads - although the manager did phone me one time to say he wanted to look at other people and they've gone on to bigger and better things, playing their football in one of the best leagues in the world. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2733448/Rangers-defender-Lee-Wallace-concedes-chances-playing-Scotland-slim-putting-club-career-first.html#ixzz3BNxU4eqS Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

...........just ask Ronny Deila, Malky McKay and Rangers investors. TAKING a risk is part of daily life in football but while Ronny Deila will probably get away with his team selection at Inverness, George Letham may regret loaning his money to Rangers. IF anyone out there needed reminding football is for the risk takers at least the events of the last week will have served some kind of purpose. On the face of it, some gambles make sense based on sound logic, like Ronny Delia’s decision to sacrifice Kris Commons to stiffen up Celtic’s chances of accessing the Champions League’s hole in the wall. Others not so much. (I’m looking at you Brendan Rodgers – the only manager in the world who might see the appeal in selling one of the game’s two greatest liabilities, then replacing him with the other, much less talented one.) Some of them will work. Some will backfire spectacularly, like Deila’s decision to take his reserves to Inverness at the weekend. All will be forgiven, of course, if tomorrow night a revitalised Celtic complete the job they started in Maribor last week and bank the club another £20 million of UEFA’s loot. With that kind of cash at stake Deila had every reason to prioritise the return tie, especially given the extent of Celtic’s dominance in the domestic league. In fact, this one will only come back to bite him on the bum if ICT are still sitting top of the table with four games to go, rather than with just the four played. But, when all’s said and done, they’re all punts at the end of the day. Football is jam packed with punts. Just look at Malky Mackay who didn’t even realise the risk involved in sending ‘inappropriate’ text messages from his company phone until it was too late and Cardiff owner Vincent Tan had got his little leather gloves all over them. Mackay is now in the horrible position of trying to defend the indefensible while pleading for his professional career. Many will argue he deserves all that’s coming to him which is perfectly understandable given the shockingly prejudiced nature of the remarks which were swapped in private but which have now been consumed by a horrified public. And they may well be correct. But should it not also be possible to feel sympathy for Mackay on a human level without being branded as some kind of apologist or even worse a like-minded bigot? There is no defending the language used in those exchanges between Mackay and his then colleague Iain Moody. In fact, some of it is deeply concerning and raises serious questions about the inner psyche of whoever was responsible. That man may even be in need of some professional help. But, even so, there is also something grotesque and – in many quarters – hypocritical about the feeding frenzy which has been triggered by the release of these exchanges. A blood lust has developed here and Mackay the man is being savaged on an endless loop on 24-hour TV. It should be difficult for us all to watch but these days too many people care more about demanding their pound of flesh than in showing any sort of human compassion. And all this over a risk Mackay obviously didn’t even realise he was taking at the time. There are football managers out there, some of them a lot closer to home, who may now be breaking out in cold sweats at the thought of what the IT crowd might uncover if ordered to go trawling through company phones and computers by their superiors. Some might even get involved in charity stunts in the hope of winning over a dubious public. At this point I should probably thank James and Sandy Easdale for the Ice Bucket Challenge nomination which came my way on Saturday night. Challenge reluctantly accepted by the way. The irony here is that, at a time while apparently everyone inside Ibrox seems so keen to splash around for good causes, Big Sandy might be about to have to take an altogether different and far more painful bath before the week is out. Back in February of this year Easdale first showed his philanthropic side when he handed Rangers £500,000 in an emergency loan to keep the floodlights switched on. Big-hearted hedge fund managers Laxey Partners (now there’s an oxymoron) were also prepared to pony up a further £1m as part of the bail-out package until, that is, concerned Rangers fan George Letham stepped in to offer up the same amount on far more favourable terms. Letham was doing his club the ultimate solid. Handing over an enormous sum of money and protecting it from a potential asset grab by Laxey who demanded security against the Albion Car Park and Edmiston House as part of the conditions. The loans were supposed to be repaid as soon as the club had banked its first £1.5m in season ticket sales and by no later than the close of the last business day of August. Well, by my reckoning, that means the Rangers board now has until around 5pm on Friday to settle its debt with Letham and Easdale while also meeting another monthly wage bill on Thursday. If indeed it was the intention of chief executive Graham Wallace to repay this cash from money raised by a new share issue – and he did say it would be launched in August – then he is running out of time. Once again the situation behind the scenes at Ibrox is becoming dreadfully serious but while Easdale can afford to play it for laughs in his position at the top of the staircase, Letham must be wondering why on earth he was prepared to take such an expensive risk in the first instance. Is that an ice bath or an iceberg dead ahead?

(Tom English – The Scotsman 25.11.2012) (Tom English - Twitter 21.08.2014) Its good to know that Tom English has found some sort of journalistic morality of late, however it may present a conflict of interests with his new employer, BBC Scotland. Or does the morality of source over story only apply in certain circumstances ? After all, Tom is now working for an employer who were happy to utilise not just stolen property, but stolen evidence from the Rangers Tax Tribunal, if Lord Nimmo Smith's conclusions are correct. But in his new found morality Tom has excluded himself from the knowledge that Vanguard Bears appear to have successfully cultivated a mole, perhaps within the SFA itself, as previous revelations, including documentary evidence, suggest. And could this latest expose, while perhaps lacking in documentary evidence, be a clear signpost to of a course of unedifying, unprofessional and negligent conduct involving our footballs higher echelons of administration ? Especially when viewed in the context of previous disclosed e-mails and agreements. Nope of course not – nothing to see here – move along please. But should we really be surprised ? After all there seems little excitement in journalistic circles that those in charge of Scottish Football were prepared to find Rangers guilty prior to trial as well as inflict draconian type punishments on a club which had yet to be found guilty. Morality ? Perhaps some of those journalists, and there have been many of late, who remind us of the impoverished state of our game via their daily columns, care to consider if perhaps they have a role to play. After all if the head of our game is more worried about being on time for a dinner date rather than what was probably one of the most critical meetings in the history of our game, is there not something fundamentally wrong ? What is particularly alarming in this whole episode are those gleefully re tweeting Tom English's original tweet. It does not matter that journalists will ignore story over source, it does not matter that it contains allegations of incompetence, of lack of prioritisation, of utter disdain for the game of football in Scotland (ironically affecting their own clubs) – so long as Rangers or Rangers fans get it in the neck - then that makes it okay. But let's not be too harsh on Stewart Regan – I’m told there is a certain restaurant in Leeds which does a succulent lamb to die for. It looks like football in Scotland will be the sacrificial lamb.

By Richard Wilson BBC Scotland What does the immediate future hold for Rangers? It is 120 days since the chief executive Graham Wallace published an overview of his 120-day business review, but there are still aspects of the running of the club where doubt resides. Two weeks ago, the Ibrox board announced that they were "considering a possible equity issue" to raise £4m. Their hope was that an institutional shareholder would underwrite the offer - ensuring that the full amount would be raised - before it was opened to all existing shareholders to see if they would invest to retain the size of their stake. Yet even the Stock Exchange announcement carried the caveat that "there can be no certainty on the outcome of these discussions" with the leading shareholders. The Union of Fans released a statement raising their concerns about the possibility of Mike Ashley, the owner of Newcastle United, underwriting the issue and so increasing the size of the near 5% stake he already holds in Rangers International Football Club. There now seems little likelihood of that occurring, though, not least because under Scottish Football Association rules no individual can hold stakes of more than 10% in two clubs. The share issue itself so far remains uncompleted, since no Stock Exchange announcement has been made. “Rangers remain a club that lacks long-term stability and any sense of connection or shared values between the directors and the fans” Some inside Ibrox had hoped to finalise it this week, although institutional shareholders have seemingly shown little appetite for putting more money into Rangers. The reality is that the £4m will be used to fund the club and pay off the £1.5m in loans still owing to the shareholders George Letham and Sandy Easdale, who is also chairman of the Rangers Football Club board. Should the full amount be raised, it will likely provide Rangers with enough financial support to reach the end of the year. In the meantime, the annual accounts are due to be published next month, once audited, then the board intends to hold the annual general meeting - probably in October - and seek permission from shareholders to offer new shares to non-shareholders in a fresh issue. In his 120-day review, Wallace said that the board's intention was to seek shareholder approval for a new share issue in the autumn, however the fall in season ticket sales - prompted by continuing distrust between the fans and the board - left them needing to seek a solution to their immediate financial issues first. Rangers, in effect, remain bedevilled, given the board and shareholders' inability or unwillingness to finance the operation of the club and the necessary additional investment that is required. This is the backdrop to the team's attempts to build a solid foundation to this season's bid to gain promotion back to the top-flight. Rangers remain a club that lacks long-term stability and any sense of connection or shared values between the directors and the fans. While that relationship remains fractured, there is little prospect of the rebuilding process being fully completed. Progress has not been particularly swift on many of Wallace's aims, including the fundamental one of restructuring the club's finances and seeking the external investment required to underpin the club's ambitions. The attempt to appoint a chief football operations officer has stalled, after talks with the former Rangers and Bayern Munich midfielder Christian Nerlinger failed to deliver an agreement. While the idea is sound - not least because Rangers still do not have a properly function and extensive scouting network, let alone the kind of medical, performance and strategy support structures expected of a club of this size and the stature it wants to regain - it seemed impractical to try to recruit somebody now when the club's finances are so fragile. The wage of the individual alone would be substantial, but there would be significant associated costs in setting up the infrastructure and appointing new personnel. Rangers cannot currently sustain those costs. The process of setting up fan liaison board has begun, but Saturday's visit of Dumbarton will provide an indication of the level of disaffection amongst the fans. Some intend to buy tickets on a match-by-match basis, having chosen not to renew their season tickets, although there are additional costs incurred by the club for policing and stewarding 'walk-up' supporters. The re-emergence of Charles Green brought a new round of white noise to the story of the club, but the reality is simple: Rangers need money and the board is rapidly running out of options. Dave King remains committed to investing in Rangers, via a larger share issue, but so far the board has chosen to stick to its strategy of seeking £4m initially. That might reflect concern that a shareholder vote might not deliver the necessary permission to offer shares to non-shareholders - Sandy Easdale held the 28% of proxy votes at the last AGM - although a restricted share issue at this stage does not require a prospectus to be published. Wallace identified a number of improvements and initiatives that Rangers require, and also the level of funding it takes - he estimated £20m to £30m - but it is the financial demands that are critical. No other investors are lining up to put money into the club. Options are limited. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/scotland/28904062

ALLY McCOIST is confident there will be some ins and outs at Rangers before the end of the transfer window. The Ibrox boss added four players to his squad earlier this summer. McCoist has been granted permission by chief executive Graham Wallace to sign former keeper Lee Robinson as back-up to the injured Cammy Bell. The manager said: "I am very, very hopeful there will be a bit of activity in the next nine days or so, and it will probably be both ways. "In an ideal world I'd like to get some of the youngsters out on loan. "The club has a good history of doing it. The likes of Allan McGregor and Charlie Adam did themselves no harm in going to St Johnstone, Dunfermline, Ross County and St Mirren before they made their breakthroughs here. "I'm a fan of loan deals. We did it last year with Barrie McKay and Calum Gallagher. "So if that opportunity arises and it suits all the parties then we would do that again." McCoist will go into today's Championship clash with Dumbarton at Ibrox without Richard Foster and Fraser Aird, who are carrying knocks. But the Rangers gaffer has had some positive news on Bell's shoulder injury. He said: "The scan was encouraging. The specialist was as happy as a specialist could be. "He's told Cammy he will need to build up the shoulder for the next couple of weeks or so. "Fingers crossed, he could and should be all right after that." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/mccoist-expects-more-in-and-out-at-rangers-177409n.25123288

ALLY McCOIST is confident Lewis Macleod won't get carried away with the hype surrounding him as he continues to shine for Rangers. The midfielder has emerged as one of the most promising young talents in the country, with Ibrox striker Kris Boyd tipping him to become a hit like Light Blues legend Barry Ferguson. Macleod took his tally for the season to three with a brace in Rangers' 8-1 win over Clyde on Monday night. And McCoist is delighted to see him fulfilling his promise after a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a viral problem earlier this year. He said: "We missed him last season as much as he missed us, which was a lot. "He's a great young talent who has got a long, long way to go. He'll keep developing and progressing and we've certainly got high hopes for him. "But at the same time, we don't want to get carried away and put any undue pressure on him. "There is enough of a level of expectancy on him without me needing to create any more. He produced a top performance the other night with his finishing and midfield display against Clyde. "But Lewis is still a young lad who has a long, long way to go and we are just looking forward to watching him developing. "He'll handle it fine. He won't get carried away. "We will keep his feet on the ground, not that we'll have to because he's a very level-headed and intelligent boy and he knows he still has a lot to learn. "It must be remembered that he's only turned 20. It was a real blow for us last season when he fell ill but, in comparison, it was a much bigger blow for Lewis. "So it's just great to see him back playing for us with a smile on his face." Macleod has turned in a series of superb performances since being handed his Rangers debut by McCoist two years ago. And while the expectation has grown on his young shoulders, the Rangers manager is keen to continue playing his part in the youngster's development. McCoist said: "We have a duty to handle him right, particularly at a club like ours where we get told every other day that we should be flooding the place with kids, even though that clearly wouldn't help the kids or the club. "But we are duty bound to have a responsibility to the young players and, indeed, to their parents, to educate them and look after them as much as we can for their benefit. "So we try to talk to the mums and dads and do our best to reassure them that this is a good environment for their children to be educated and brought up in the footballing world. "It's a massive responsibility that we all have here." Meanwhile, Dumbarton boss Ian Murray, who played 60 times for Rangers between 2005 and 2007, is looking for a positive reaction from his team following two league defeats against Raith Rovers and Queen of the South. He said: "We will need to concentrate fully on what lies before us at Ibrox tomorrow. "Rangers will be in full flow after their home 8-1 win against Clyde. That shows what they can do with the quality they have at their disposal. "We will be playing in front of what will be a huge crowd by our standards and our lads will need to be at their best for the entire 90 minutes." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/rangers-midfielder-macleod-will-keep-his-feet-on-ground-177357n.25118480

I wonder if anyone knows what the current setup is regarding the contracts for catering and programmes. I know Azure have got a contract for catering, do they pay a licence fee and then they take all the match day takings, or do they pay a lower fee and the club gets a slice of the till receipts? Same with the programmes, does the club get a fixed fee so it doesn't matter how many they sell or is the clubs income from programme sales dependant on the number sold? Anyone?

Racing Genk have tonight confirmed him as their new manager.

.............that he is ready to buy into Gers. EX-IBROX chief Charles Green has been linked to a £10m investment involving the American financial guru but Soros' hedge fund bosses are bemused by the reports. SOURCES close to George Soros have rubbished claims he is ready to buy into cash-strapped Rangers. Former chief executive Charles Green has been linked with a £10million investment involving the US-based billionaire , one of the biggest players in the world financial markets. However, documents seen by Record Sport and passed to the Union of Fans confirm senior officials at his Soros Fund Management have been left bemused by the reports. They insist they’ve never heard of Green, have no interest in doing business with him or any desire to invest in Rangers. Other members of the Soros family also play the money markets but the billionaire’s dealings are all done through his powerful Fund Management group and they are denying a relationship with Green. Soros Fund Management is one of the most successful hedge funds in the world and was founded in 1969 by Soros, who is worth an estimated £15billion. The 84-year-old is the 26th richest man on the planet. Rangers’ board have plans to raise £4m from a share issue to ward off further financial chaos. Union of Fans spokesman Chris Graham said: “It’s no surprise to hear Charles Green’s claims of investment from George Soros and Soros Fund Management have been rubbished. “Most sensible people take anything Green says with a large pinch of salt. “It would make little sense for Soros to be interested in loaning money to Rangers at this time and even less for him to make any genuine approach through a man as discredited as Green. “A man of Soros’s means has no need of someone such as Green. “It is time for Green to stop interfering in Rangers’ business and hopefully others can step in to clean up the mess he left.” Green told the BBC this month: “I’ve got a number of people ready to invest in Rangers.” Green, who yesterday posted a video of himself taking part in an ice-bucket challenge after being nominated by ex-Rangers keeper Allan McGregor, was unavailable for comment when contacted by Record Sport. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-boardroom-latest-sources-close-4087794

THERE has been more talk in the last few days about a possible deal that would see Ibrox renamed if Mike Ashley was to increase his stake in Rangers by underwriting the £4million share issue. It is not something that I am in favour of and I hope we never see the Ibrox name lost.As far as I am concerned, Ibrox will always be Ibrox. There are a lot of clubs down south that play in branded stadia. Arsenal get a lot of money for having their ground called The Emirates, but that is different to what could happen at Rangers if the Ashley deal does indeed go through. That, like the Reebok Stadium or the Walkers Stadium, was a new ground. I can understand when sponsors name stadia when they are newly built. But we are talking about an institution here and for over 100 years Rangers' home has been Ibrox. I would hate to see that change. Newcastle fans didn't like it when Ashley renamed St James' Park and put his company logos all over the place. I will always know it as St James' Park, as will the Newcastle fans, and it should have been kept like that. I wouldn't like to see Ibrox change, and certainly not for £4m. The deal Ashley signed to sell Rangers shirts wasn't the greatest deal ever for the club. It was great for Charles Green and Mike Ashley, but not for Rangers. He is making money out of the club as it is. And I would hate for us to see the Ibrox name lost just for a few quid. It's not on. Ibrox is synonymous with Rangers, and Rangers with Ibrox. I think the club would lose a bit of credibility if the stadium was renamed. It wouldn't sound right and it is not what Rangers Football Club should be about. If you look at some of the great Rangers men that have been in that boardroom, they were quality men and always wanted the best for their club. They would be spinning in their grave if the name of Ibrox was to be changed. I know money talks but I hope this doesn't go through. Everyone knows it as Ibrox and it should be kept that way. Nothing has been confirmed yet by Rangers, although there has been a lot of talk about this possible deal. We know that Gers are looking to bring in £4m worth of investment and need all of the shares available to be bought. Whether Ashley wants to do that himself, I don't know. We are all aware that the money will run out at some stage and more investment is needed. I don't see there being a lot of people willing to put money into Rangers just now. I don't know a lot about Mike Ashley, there are so many stories about what he has done at Newcastle and that, if he could, he would sell them and invest in Rangers. Nobody knows what is in his thoughts. What we do know is that if Rangers are putting up these shares to be sold, they are needing them all to be sold. Whether it is Mike Ashley who buys them or a number of different investors, the board need that money to come in. We would need to know a lot more about what Ashley wants to do, if he does indeed buy more shares. What are his plans? What does he want to achieve with Rangers? We don't know right now unfortunately. As soon as Rangers and shares are mentioned, different names come up about who is going to buy them. Until we hear from Mike Ashley, or the club, fans are again left in the dark. As I have said for a while, where is Dave King? Will we see him come in and underwrite this share issue? I would hope that, behind the scenes, Dave is making progress. We haven't heard from him for a few months. The fans are hoping that things are going ahead and he is keeping quiet for a reason. He threw the grenade in about not buying season tickets and now, it seems, he is off the radar. Fans are asking where he is and what he is doing. Nobody knows what is going on behind the scenes but, what we do know, is that these shares are up for grabs and someone will need to buy them to get money into the club. On the field, Ally McCoist and his players will continue their bid for a place in the Premiership against Dumbarton tomorrow. This is a huge season for the club on and off the field and while boardroom goings-on won't affect the players, or at least they shouldn't, they need to be in a far more stable place sooner rather than later. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/rangerscomment/dj-rangers-investment-cant-come-at-price-of-historic-ibrox-identity-177212n.25112173

According to The Sun, Bell dislocated his shoulder against Falkirk and could be out for up to three months.

Rangers Away Match Tickets Over the last few days we have been trying to firm up arrangements for our trip to Ibrox to play Rangers on Saturday 30th August. Both clubs had presumed that we would receive the same allocation of approximately 1,700 tickets that Hearts received for their opening weekend fixture at Ibrox. However, due to problems in segregation at that match, the police have unfortunately insisted that the away support allocation at Ibrox for the rest of the League season is to be less than 1,000 tickets. This is obviously very disappointing for us as a club and is unlikely to be sufficient tickets to satisfy demand from our supporters. We took 1,500 to Ibrox two years ago for a midweek Ramsdens Cup tie. In accordance with our published Supporter`s Charter, these tickets will be offered to Season Ticket Holders in the first instance and only then, if any remain, to general sale. It is worth noting that we have slightly more season ticket holders than we have tickets for this fixture so although it is likely that any season ticket holder who wants one will be able to buy a ticket, we cannot guarantee it. http://www.qosfc.com/new_newsview.aspx?newsid=2437

Taken from FF "It has come to our attention that the Rangers board are considering a move which could see Mike Ashley underwrite the £4m share issue they previously announced. This has been necessary due to understandably poor take up from existing investors. We believe the SFA have been approached to find out what would be required to give clearance for this, due to Mr Ashley’s ownership of Newcastle United. We would question the wisdom of approaching someone who, despite his obvious wealth, cannot significantly invest in the club without removing himself from his ownership position at Newcastle. Why are the board persisting with these short term, desperate measures? The club needs urgent, substantial investment - not a short term fix which will be lucky to see us past Christmas. Even if they are successful in raising the £4m, almost half the money will immediately have to be used to repay overdue loans. The board indicated to us that they could raise this money "at the push of a button". Sandy Easdale also indicated that investors were lined up. Clearly neither of these statements have turned out to be true. Also, the vast bulk of this money could have been raised by greatly increased season ticket sales if the board had been prepared to properly safeguard the club’s assets. If the SFA give special dispensation to Mr Ashley to up his stake in Rangers will it be irreversible and without any possible future sanction? Will the board get an unequivocal assurance that the SFA will not use this issue as a stick to beat the club with further down the line? The SFA have a track record of attempting to impose draconian sanctions on Rangers using tenuous methods. It would be extremely unwise of this board to unnecessarily put the club into a situation that allowed the SFA to act in this manner again. We are also concerned that, under UEFA regulations on dual ownership of clubs, Mr Ashley cannot have a “decisive influence over decision making” at Rangers without it leading to the possibility of us not being able to compete in European competition. He could find himself holding around 20% of the shares in our club, having control of all club merchandise and being the largest single shareholder if he underwrites this share issue. Will the board clear this unequivocally, and in advance, with UEFA to ensure that Rangers will not miss out on European football in the future because of Mr Ashley’s ownership of Newcastle? It would be negligent of the board not to gain the above assurances from the relevant football authorities. We would ask them to publicly confirm that they will have full written clearance for Mr Ashley from both UEFA and the SFA before moving ahead with any plans for him to underwrite this share issue. We would also ask them to confirm that any such clearance is free from any caveat which could negatively affect Rangers in the future. Finally, Mr Ashley’s initial purchase of shares in Rangers appears to have been linked to his Sports Direct merchandise deal. The only man inside Rangers who liked that deal at the time it was put in place was Charles Green. We hope that any possible assistance given to the board by Mr Ashley at this time will not see him clinch another favourable deal, perhaps to rename Ibrox at a knock down price. Can the board confirm that renaming of Ibrox will not be part of any underwriting deal with Mr Ashley and that we will not be seeing garish Sports Direct signage defacing our iconic Main Stand?"