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  1. ....and double television audience. THE exact numbers for last season are being kept under wraps for the moment, but are believed to be almost twice as high as the final campaign before the SPL merged with the SFL. VIEWING figures for Scottish 
football have nearly doubled since the SPFL came into being. While the exact numbers for last season are being kept under wraps for the moment, it’s understood they were almost twice as high as the final campaign before the SPL merged with the SFL. The TV audience nosedived in 2012/13 with the loss of Old Firm games after Rangers plummeted down to the Third Division. But ratings have been boosted with the revitalised Ibrox side 
powering back up the leagues while last season’s relegation derbies between Hearts and Hibs also proved compelling viewing with the figures now back close to where they were two years ago. SPFL commercial director Scott Steedman said: “I was as surprised as anyone when I saw the totals. “This shows it’s not all doom and gloom in Scottish football and I think it’s down to the fact that last year was a good one for the game” The current agreements with Sky and BT run until 2016 but they will be renegotiated next year. Sky will show 23 Premiership games, five Rangers matches and two Edinburgh derbies this term while BT will screen 28 top-flight clashes, 10 Rangers games and two Hibs v Hearts clashes. The SPFL are also believed to be on the verge of announcing a title sponsor – with four offers under serious consideration. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/scottish-professional-football-league-box-3920957
  2. BRIAN LAUDRUP today appealed to Rangers chiefs to patch up their differences with supporters - and work together to restore the Ibrox club to its former glory. Laudrup revealed he had been saddened to see the Glasgow giants continue to be plagued by off-field problems since dropping down to the fourth tier of Scottish football. The legendary winger had hoped the Light Blues would go from strength to strength after they emerged from their financial difficulties two years ago. However, unhappiness with a succession of directors and executives has steadily escalated as tens of millions of pounds of income has been squandered. Matters came to a head this summer when many fans decided not to renew their season tickets - until they received assurances over the future of the stadium and training ground. The bitter stand-off has resulted in vastly reduced numbers of supporters signing up to watch Ally McCoist's side in action at home in the SPFL Championship in the 2014/15 campaign. The club has now admitted that additional funding will have to be found to meet running costs in the coming season and another share issue will be held for existing shareholders later in the year. And at the weekend around 3,000 disgruntled fans marched on Ibrox in a rally organised by the Sons of Struth protest group to demand guarantees over the stadium. Laudrup still takes a keen interest in the fortunes of the Glasgow club, where he spent four years during a glorious spell in the 1990s, from his homeland in Denmark. He stressed he would like to see senior Rangers officials to do everything in their power to mend their fractured relationship with a sizeable section of their followers. Because he feels they need to work as one if the 54-times Scottish champions are to become a dominant force again in football in this country AND get back into European competition. His appeal came as Rangers announced they had set up a nominations committee whose job will be to draw up a shortlist of supporters to be elected to an official fans' board. He said: "I just hope Rangers supporters can look forward to watching the club playing at the level they deserve to be at in the top flight and in Europe once again soon. "I hope they will be back where they once were soon. That is what the supporters deserve. They love the club so much. I am keeping my fingers crossed that that is what is going to happen. "But I know there have been more setbacks along the way. I have read online there are still problems off the park and there are still issues between the club and the supporters. "I hope that these can be sorted out soon. The club need to have the supporters behind them if they are to get Rangers back to the level they should be playing at in Scotland and in Europe. "I think whatever concerns the fans have about the club and the direction it is heading in need to be looked at because Rangers need to have them firmly behind them." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/rangers-legend-laudrup-in-plea-to-ibrox-board-172466n.24818886
  3. RANGERS are pleased to announce match ticket pricing for home games in the new SPFL Championship season. There are two categories of games for the 18 league matches played at Ibrox next season. Category A games are league matches against Hearts and Hibs, while games featuring the other seven teams in the division are in the Category B classification. Match ticket pricing for Category B games range from £17 to £29 for adults, £12 to £20 for concessions and £5 to £6 for juniors. Category A prices range from £21 to £33 for adults, £15 to £23 for concessions and £5 to £8 for juniors. Tickets for the first two games of the season – the Petrofac Training Cup tie with Hibs on Tuesday August 5 and the first league game of the season at home to Hearts on Sunday August 10, will go on sale online and via the Ticket Hotline from Friday July 18 with the Rangers Ticket Centre beginning to sell from Monday July 21. Matchday ticket prices are between 5 and 8% higher than the price of the equivalent Season Tickets for Ibrox next season. Rangers Chief Executive Graham Wallace said: “The new match ticket pricing structure provides excellent value for money in what promises to be the most competitive league in Scottish football next season. “Our policy is to keep tickets as affordable as possible – especially for junior supporters – while reflecting the increased standard of football our fans can expect with visits from both Edinburgh clubs the highlights of the fixture calendar.” “The excitement is building for the new campaign and everybody here is raring to go.” The Club is making special access arrangements to allow supporters to use the Ticket Centre while Ibrox is being prepared for, and then de-rigs after, the Commonwealth Games Rugby Sevens. The Ticket Centre will be closed for the two days of the rugby competition on Saturday July 26 and Sunday July 27. Tickets can still be purchased on those days via the Club website or Ticket Hotline. The Club has produced a ‘Questions and Answers’ document that will provide supporters with most of the information they require about buying tickets. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE Q&A DOCUMENT http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/7180-rangers-announce-ticket-pricing
  4. Looking forward to reading and reviewing this book in the coming few weeks: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Born-Under-Union-Flag-Bissett/dp/1910021121/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404410171&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=Born+Under+a+Union+Flag%3A+Rangers%2C+Britain+and+Scottish+Independence I know Ally and Alan (and the other contributors) have worked hard on this so it should be an interesting read and useful accompaniment to the Referendum debate.
  5. http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/486397/Rangers-gaffer-Ally-McCoist-happy-to-sign-experience Rangers gaffer Ally McCoist happy to sign experience RANGERS boss Ally McCoist has defended his signing policy after reuniting the ageing strike force of Kenny Miller and Kris Boyd. Published: Thu, July 3, 2014 Miller and Boyd. The duo have a combined age of 64, but while McCoist insists his team isn’t the ‘Dad’s Army’ of the Championship, he was quick to stress the Ibrox side would not have made it out of the lower leagues with a bunch of kids. McCoist, whose side face Buckie Thistle in their first pre-season friendly tonight, said: “I can understand people being sceptical with players coming back and the ages of these players, but, at the same time, we are not in a position to plan longer term. “Finances are dictating that the job is to get out of the division until the time comes when we can again spend money and bring players in. “A year ago, Kenny was scoring at Wembley for Scotland, and Kris was unbelievable at Kilmarnock last term. “I was really impressed with their desire to come back, do well and be part of our journey. “They’re tremendous pros and the younger ones will learn a lot from them. “When you are reaching 30, a fear goes through you that you’re nearing the end of your career and there’s a desire and a determination to look after yourself and play for as long as possible." He added: “We’re not ignoring kids and it’s nonsense to suggest otherwise. But you can’t flood your team with kids and then expect to get through two divisions. “There’s never been a case in recent Old Firm history where five or six kids have come through the ranks and into the first team. “But, if the younger lads coming through are good enough, they will play. Guys like Lewis Macleod and Fraser Aird have come in and stayed in. “Others, like Calum Gallagher and Robbie Crawford are there on the fringes and we’ll continue to give the younger ones a chance. “But it’s crazy to think we could have put seven or eight in the team and come through the leagues.” McCoist confirmed that former Hearts defender Marius Zaliukas, 30, is on his radar as he looks to add to his squad. He said: “Marius has come up to train with us for a couple of days, “I’ve always liked him as a centre-back, If we can bring him in then great, but we haven’t even spoken contracts or money.”
  6. Article submitted by Andy Steele: SDS Survey: No Issues? No Chance! News that a survey by fans' body Supporters' Direct Scotland has found that while the vast majority of fans felt the game in Scotland had no issues with racism or homophobia, it had a big, big problem with sectarianism. This highlights not just the issue of social attitudes and football, but, sadly, the problem people have with perceiving themselves as part of the problem. One can assume fairly safely that for such a result to be obtained a good proportion of respondents were either non-Old Firm fans, or if Old Firm fans, Celtic supporters. I would be willing to place a hefty wager that the only fans who feel strongly that there is little sectarianism in Scotland would be those supporters the others consider to be the problem: Rangers fans. One must always, in such debates, pander to the thin skinned and establish that yes, one does think there is an issue and yes, Rangers fans most of all need to deal with it. A major issue, though? I don't see it in my day-to-day life, though I may of course simply be lucky or blinkered. Having established that denial is not on the agenda, though, I'd like to examine the other two aspects mentioned, homophobia and racism. If Scottish football has no issue with racism it is because the game is played, watched, commentated on and written about in what is a virtual monoculture. The BBC can count Kheredine Iddeshane, who to guess from his name may be of middle east extraction, and STV Rhaman Bardwan, but that's about it. The sight of players from non-European backgrounds has diminished of late, while managers and chairmen are exclusively white. No racism? Well, maybe if we understand that creating an almost exclusively European ethnic identity for the game will go a long way to excluding those from without such a background, it may expain why there's 'no racism': there's no cultural mix in which it might appear. Perhaps, if we actively created an environment which encouraged diversity, and focused on policing the resultant mix effectively, we may find we're not quite so tolerant as we might like to think. Or we may not - who knows? Casual racism has certainly been part of my west of Scotland experience: I am inclined to believe that 'no issue' is a complacent and boastful conclusion not based on evidence. But since many have called long and loud for such an approach to sectarianism, it seems only logical to apply it to these other areas as well. And what about homophobia? 'Get fucking up, ya poofy cunt' is, for the student of English, a fascinating sentence, but it's hardly indicative of a tolerant atmosphere. You'll hear it, and variants thereon, at every ground every week when an opposition player is apparently injured, though: 'no issue'? When 'Off the Ball' described a poor flag as 'poofy' I actually, for the first time in my life, got off my arse and complained. I got a reply: it was drivel. Credit where it's due, though, the programme presumably realised they were out of order and have since addressed the issue interestingly and humourously. What the incident that riled me shows, though, is that many of us are actively discriminatory without even realising it: Stuart Cosgrove was no more actively trying to put down homosexuality than I am actively trying to create a Protestant theocracy when I sing 'No Surrender' at Ibrox. The effect, nevertheless, can be non-inclusive. My singing of that song is based on the fact that it creates a great atmosphere first and last, and not in any way because I care about or know about Irish or religious history. Others, though, hear my singing and feel excluded or offended by it. What to me is a noise is to others an insult - if Tom English, easily the best analyst of the game at the moment, is freaked out by it I have to think twice. That's not to say I will agree with him, but it gives pause for thought. Plainly all these issues are hyper-sensitive with absolutes thin on the ground, but there's simply no way we have absolutely 'no issue' with racism or homophobia. I suppose the point I'm trying to make is that in our game, all three of these issues exist to varying degrees, but only one is taken seriously and, conveniently, it's the one that can be blamed on someone else. Sectarianism deserves to be taken seriously, but so too do other forms of bigotry: not least sexism, which in Scotland remains rampant. I find women as sexually stimulating as the next man, assuming he's straight, but that's no reason to objectify them or base a professional appraisal on their chests or backsides: that's still the default position of far too many men. We've plenty issues which could do with being addressed both in the game and in the country, but the first step we take will have to be from our own front doors. Blaming everything on Rangers and Rangers fans while insisting the rest of the land is a paradise of tolerance and diversity is doing no-one any favours: a more honest appraisal of our own prejudices would reveal some or all of these issues, far from being non-existent, might be visible in the mirror tomorrow morning as you shave. http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/252-sds-survey-no-issues-no-chance
  7. by Andy McGowan | Contributor I don’t consider myself a brave man, nor am I a seeker or justice or truth like so many of my counterparts on other side of the Old Firm. But I can no longer stand by and watch the club I love be ruined by hate and bigotry. As a responsible law abiding Rangers fan who supports his club through thick and thin I feel it is my duty to expose the secret truths of Rangers Football Club in a bid to cleanse it forever of its toxic elements. Although this may be hard and shocking for some of you to read, I am going to lay bare the truth behind some of the songs, statements and style of Rangers. Let’s start with one you will all be familiar with but may be unaware of its secret meaning: We Are the People. It sounds harmless right? Wrong. "We are the People" of course refers to Unionist leader and first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, James Craig, who in 1921 declared that NI would be "a Protestant State for a Protestant People." He made this declaration after a conversation with Bill Struth, who of course had taken over as Rangers manager the previous year. A little known fact is that James Craig was a keen footballer before entering politics and almost became Bill Struth’s assistant at Ibrox. When the two friends met up in secret they often discussed their proud Catholic hating Protestant roots and had regular meetings of a secret club known as “We Are the Protestants” (WATP) preceded by many a secret handshake. Struth decided this was too contentious a name and We are the People was born and exists as an anti-Catholic masonic organisation run from within the corridors of Ibrox to this day. The Club logo fills us all with pride. The colours, the words, the lion – they all hold a special meaning to Rangers fans worldwide. But it also holds more sinister secrets you might not be aware of. It should also come as no surprise that the WATP Organisation were behind a plot named the “Ready to Destroy Ireland” movement of 1973, or simply, “Ready,” which is why it now appears on the club crest. Rangers new boy Nicky Clark this week declared “I'm ready for round two.” This was a sickening secret anti-Irish comment from Clark who was inducted into the WATP Organisation just six days earlier. Not only that, but the lion which stands so proudly on the badge that is printed on your child’s shirts and t-shirts every year, covering their now vile and twisted bigoted little hearts, is a nod to the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169, and more specifically Henry II, who in 1171 took Dublin and accepted the fealty of the Irish kings and bishops and was known simply as The Red Lion in Ireland from then on. Some of our unacceptables you may be more aware of are found in the song book. Our love of the song “Penny Arcade” is again sadly attributed to religious hatred and due to the death of a Catholic man in Belfast in 1986 in an amusement arcade. I can’t confirm this but my source tells me Gazza may have been the main culprit. As many of you are aware the Beach boys hit “Sloop John B” has been taken on by Rangers fans as Carl Wilson and cousin Mike Love were fierce bigots and good Rangers men. The "Blue Sea of Ibrox" as we all know is about drowning Catholics in the Irish Sea, not at any specific time or anything; we just pure love doing that. Our traditional red and black socks are perhaps the most secret and disgusting vile act of Sevco-hun-bigotry in the Club’s history. First worn in 1904, they were the work of Moses McNeil, who wanted a way to express his feelings toward the people he hated the most: Blacks and ******s, thus the black sock with the red trim. The black symbolised that there were too many African Americans in the USA (McNeil of course was a founding member of the second Ku Klux Klan in 1915) and the red to show that we were up to our knees in ****** blood, which to this day is where we and our socks remain. Now that the light has been shined on just a few of the many, many shameful practises at Rangers Football Club I hope you will join me in our progress, and that us good law abiding fans can move forward in peace. http://www.thecoplandroad.org/2013/06/rangers-exposed.html
  8. McMurdo corrected his blog when it was pointed out to him that RoI had not qualified for the WC. No apology or sign of shame over concocting all the lies based on this mistake ("up in arms" ..many believe") though. Perhaps lying and inventing are the way of this blog, it is taken for granted. A warning for Bears who read it when it is all about the 'Gers then..... ================ "Roy Keane’s loyalties are again in question over his possible appointment to the Celtic hot seat. Republic of Ireland fans are reputedly up in arms over the matter, seeing Keane’s walking out on the Irish World Cup campaign as being form for him after the notorious events of the Saipan incident in 2002. Many Irish supporters believe that Keane is loyal only to himself and that his departure would be a betrayal of the nation and national team boss Martin O’Neill, especially at this late stage in the team’s preparations for Brazil. Should Keane leave the World Cup camp to take up the reins at Parkhead, it would very possibly create an awkward split between Celtic and the Republic. The club’s connection to and identification with ROI could be undermined if Keane was to be a pariah figure to the Irish supporters. Of course, such a potential conflict of interest would be the ideal reason cited by Celtic bosses for bypassing Keane and choosing a candidate of lesser profile and salary. The tactic of talking big names while signing lesser lights is well-used by the club. Should Keane be the man Celtic are after, however, he would sign knowing that he had brassed off his own countrymen yet once more. The whole matter puts Keane between a rock and a hard place but if Celtic’s interest is genuine, he will have no better chance to resurrect his career in football. It would also give ITV’s football department great kudos as the stable for nurturing upcoming Old Firm managers. Roy Keane, like Ally McCoist before him, is becoming a decent pundit with a sharp eye and great insight into the game. Both men are proof so far, however, that successful football management is not a smooth transition from being great players and decent pundits. Funnily enough, if both men fail to prove themselves as managers they could be sitting together in an ITV football pod rather than in different dugouts. Not a bad fallback… "
  9. Talksport programme with big Eck is now available to download. References to Rangers are probably through-out, certainly some at the start (best moment type thing) but the main segment on us kicks in some 62 minutes in https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/my-sporting-life/id777692680 You need to install/have installed itunes as far as I can see
  10. Not exactly Rangers chat but I think most people will enjoy this Chris Graham article which comprehensively destroys Kevin McKenna's Lennon article of last week... http://www.therangersstandard.co.uk/index.php/articles/current-affairs/324-neil-lennon-the-bravest-man-in-scotland
  11. By CHRIS JACK and MATTHEW LINDSAY: RANGERS have recorded many memorable and momentous triumphs throughout their 142-year existence. The Ibrox club has won the league on a world record 54 occasions as well as the League Cup 27 times and the Scottish Cup 33 times. On the road to recording that incredible haul of domestic trophies, the Light Blues have claimed seven Trebles. That is a feat no other football club on the planet has managed to match. The Gers have also excelled in Europe over the years. They have reached four finals in continental competition - in 1961, 1967, 1972 and 2008. The Glasgow giants have also slayed some of the biggest names in football over the years - including Bayern Munich, Juventus, Leeds United and PSV Eindhoven. And there have, of course, been numerous victories over Celtic which will never be forgotten by their legion of loyal followers. But what are the 50 most memorable games in the history of Rangers? Chris Jack and Matthew Lindsay trawled through the Evening Times archives in an attempt to come up with a definitive list of their biggest outings. And in the coming fortnight in SportTimes, we will count down from 50 to 1. Not every Rangers fan is likely to agree with their findings. But starting today, we take a nostalgic look back at the most entertaining, most unlikely and most important results for Rangers since the Second World War. It promises to be as much fun as watching them in action. 50 Game: Rangers 5 Celtic 1. Date: November 26, 2000. Competition: Scottish Premier League. Venue: Ibrox. Attendance: 50,083. The most expensive player in the history of Scottish football made his debut as Rangers overwhelmed their Old Firm rivals at Ibrox. Tore Andre Flo, the striker signed for £12million from Chelsea, netted on his Light Blues bow as Dick Advocaat's side bounced back from an embarrassing 6-2 drubbing at Parkhead in some style. Rangers were miles off the pace in the title race, but this derby victory cut their arrears to the Hoops to 12 points and gave the Light Blue legions plenty to shout about. Barry Ferguson, Ronald de Boer, Lorenzo Amoruso and Michael Mols were also on target for the Gers. It was to prove a horror day for Martin O'Neill's side, who had got back into the game at 2-1 after Henrik Larsson scored before Alan Thompson saw red and Rangers romped to a victory to savour. 49 Game: Rangers 10 Valletta 0. Date: September 28, 1983. Competition: European Cup-Winners' Cup. Venue: Ibrox. Attendance: 11,500. Rangers recorded their biggest-ever European victory, but few were inside Ibrox to see history being made. Already 8-0 ahead from the first leg in Cyprus, John Greig's side turned on the style on home soil to also set a new aggregate score record and Scottish club record in Europe. The Gers were off and running inside the first minute when David Mitchell scored and the game was won after 10 minutes, John MacDonald netting the first of a hat-trick before Mitchell completed his brace. Ian Redford also scored twice and there were goals from Ally Dawson, Billy Mackay and Billy Davies as the Light Blues romped to victory. 48 Game: Rangers 2 Real Zaragoza 0. Date: March 1, 1967. Competition: European Cup-Winners' Cup. Venue: Ibrox. Attendance: 65,000. The 1966/67 campaign is one of the most remarkable in Rangers' history, with the team that reached a European final humbled by Berwick. Scot Symon's side would eventually win this tie, and book a place in the semi-finals against Slavia Sofia by virtue of a coin toss after a defeat in Spain left the scores tied after extra-time. The crowd that packed into Ibrox would have been unaware of the drama that would unfold, especially after the Gers took control of the match and seemed to be heading smoothly for a last-four berth against the fancied Spaniards. Dave Smith put the hosts ahead after just 10 minutes and when Alex Willoughby doubled their advantage before the half-hour mark, victory on the night was secured for Rangers. 47 Game: Kilmarnock 1 Rangers 5. Date: May 15, 2011. Competition: Scottish Premier League. Venue: Rugby Park. Attendance: 16,173. In his final game as manager, Walter Smith bowed out in style as he led Rangers to their third successive SPL crown. The Light Blues went into the Rugby Park clash a point ahead of Old Firm rivals Celtic on the final day, but blew Killie away to win the title inside seven minutes. Kyle Lafferty scored twice, either side of a Steven Naismith strike, to settle the nerves and allow the Light Blue legions to start celebrating in Ayrshire. After the break, Nikica Jelavic beat Cammy Bell and Lafferty completed his hat-trick. It was the perfect way for Smith to bring the curtain down on his illustrious managerial career, with the celebrations continuing in front of thousands of fans when the team returned to Ibrox. 46 Game: Rangers 3 Aberdeen 1. Date: April 28, 1996. Competition: Scottish Premier League. Venue: Ibrox. Attendance: 47,247. Rangers wrapped up eight-in-a-row to move within touching distance of the famous nine and did so thanks to a superb showing from Paul Gascoigne. The England midfielder enjoyed a terrific first campaign at Ibrox and put the seal on the title with all three goals against the Dons to clinch the title for Walter Smith's side. Gazza was the most expensive signing of the previous summer for Smith, who shelled out £4.3million to bring him from Lazio, and he took his tally to 19 goals with his hat-trick on the penultimate day of the season as he cancelled out Brian Irvine's opener and produced a world-class display to get the party started at a packed Ibrox. Your shout ... Now it's your turn to let us know what you think about Rangers' 50 most memorable matches. Get in touch with us via email at sport@eveningtimes.co.uk and have your say on the Light Blues' biggest games. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/rangerscomment/rangers-the-50-most-memorable-matches-50-46-164912n.24311913
  12. Neil Lennon is to part company with Celtic after four years as manager following talks about his future. It is understood that the former club captain had been considering his position for some time despite securing a third straight Scottish title. He has been concerned about this playing budget for next season. The 42-year-old Northern Irishman took charge of the Glasgow club in 2010, leading them to three league titles and two Scottish Cups. Lennon, who also previously led Celtic to Champions League last 16, is believed to have been concerned that his present side would be able to negotiate three rounds of qualifying next season.
  13. http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/rangers/275976-spfl-pay-broadcaster-up-to-250000-per-season-to-show-rangers-games/ The Scottish Professional Football League is contractually bound to pay BT Sport up to £250,000 per season in return for the broadcaster airing Rangers matches. STV understands that under the terms of a renegotiated TV deal following the removal of Rangers from the top flight in 2012, a clause was inserted making the league liable to additional production costs incurred setting up at lower league grounds. It is understood the league agreed to the insertion of the clause in order to guarantee broadcast contracts which were essentially null and void after Rangers were expelled from the then-Scottish Premier League and were subsequently admitted to the bottom tier of the Scottish Football League. The SPL paid the Scottish Football League £800,000 for one season's worth of rights to show Rangers games but that deal was absorbed when the league bodies merged in 2013. It is not known how much has been paid out to BT Sport and ESPN, who were the holders of the contract for the 2012/13 season, to date. The overall payment is capped at £250,000 per season. In a statement to STV, SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster said: "The support given to Scottish football by our broadcast partners, in 2012 and since, has been fundamental to the ongoing health of the game in this country." It is understood the league thought it necessary to agree to the deal in order to protect revenue from broadcast contracts. Nevertheless, the revelations in short mean the SPFL pays a broadcaster in order for Rangers games to be shown on television. BT Sport said in a statement: “[We] were delighted to inherit the SPFL rights from ESPN at the beginning of this season, however we cannot comment on contractual details.”
  14. Rangers has been many things to many people for nearly a century and a half and over much of this time, excellence and aspiration have ranked high in the club's priorities. To be a Rangers supporter was to be a part of a family that had high expectations, an intolerance of mediocrity, an insistence on elite standards and an undying ambition to be the best. The last few years, though, have been a uniquely testing time. Experiencing the team in the lower reaches of Scottish football has been a ghastly experience. After 120 years of winning or coming close to winning the Scottish League, being dumped in the wasteland of the national sport has been more than just humbling: it has been surreal. Finishing top of the third and fourth tiers may have secured promotion, but it went against the grain that these achievements were deemed worthy of celebration. They might be for small clubs, but for a club like Rangers, promotion was a minimum expectation. There's something unsettling about seeing Rangers celebrating the acquisition of minor trophies. Some will argue that every success should be lauded, especially after flirting with finality, but it feels inappropriate: it feels wrong. The nature of the way the team has performed is a sorry tale. Watching Rangers is about as aesthetically pleasing as a long and lingering gaze at the urban monstrosity that is Celtic Park. An uncultured approach to football is now endemic within the club's football department: it knows no other way. Somehow, and it started before Ally McCoist settled in the manager's chair, Rangers has become the epitome of ugly. The vital matter of club ownership is impossible to ignore. Fans have lost trust in the current regime; its plans are vague and unconvincing, it is out of touch with those who fund it and it can't even convince supporters that it genuinely cares. It is in a hole, a very large hole, and it keeps on digging. Rangers is a shadow of what it used to be. In every single area, there are failings, but most worryingly of all, there appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel. The club's financial predicament could mean a slow and painful demise, or perhaps a sudden and quick one. The spectre of doom hovers over Rangers like dark clouds over Arran, and even if the club survives, it may never recover to become a domestic powerhouse again. Fans debate the corporate side endlessly, but expertise in this argument rarely offers hope, a way out or a workable solution. Learned fans offer little more than those who know as much about bean-counting as they do about rocket science. A glaring absence of the means, imagination and knowhow to lead Rangers out of this mess has been the most notable aspect of this entire debacle. The vast Rangers family has been found to be badly wanting. It is staggering that a pillar of the Scottish sporting community could be so easily shaken and undermined, but the collective naivete of the Rangers support never dared to entertain the possibility that the club's existence could one day be threatened. From the fanatical element within the Celtic support to provincial club detestation of Rangers and an ever-open door on Edmiston Drive to rogue ownership, the inevitable consequence was hard times ahead for Rangers, but few saw it coming. In this hostile new era, winning a title or two was only going to be half the battle. There are no heroes in this debacle. From millionaires to ex-players and from ex-directors to ordinary fans, the combined wisdom of the lot of them has amounted to failure after failure and blunder after blunder. The air of immortality that once enveloped Rangers has evaporated. The club has been outed as a zone of incompetence and its cheap talk and soft underbelly have made it an easy target for detractors. There are times, when the mood is dark, when one wonders if Rangers has reached the end of the road. Society has changed, but maybe Rangers has never really changed at all. It gives the appearance of being an anachronism, clinging to a past that it can't let go instead of embracing a future that it never foresaw. Regrettably, there is a hateful and sinister element within the Rangers support. For many years, our press and media told us it was there, but we denied the accusations outright. Now, with many contentious issues to deal with, the vitriol that spews forth from one fan to another is beyond the pale. Anyone trying to lead us out of this mess automatically becomes a hate figure for fundamentalists who believe that they and only they are the true carriers of the Rangers torch. Maybe they are, and maybe that's why the torch is in danger of being extinguished - permanently. Two words have sold a million Scottish newspapers over the years: 'Rangers' and 'crisis'. Finally, we have a crisis worthy of such a dramatic description and we have reacted exactly as our enemies would have wanted. There is too much hate in our hearts to provide constructive solutions to the problems that beset us. Until this is successfully addressed, we will get the club we deserve - if we have a club at all.
  15. No doubt our pulses are all racing with excitement at the prospect! Nobody v Somebody Else! I repent of my contemptuous words. A great day for Saints and United fans. Rangers had the chance to get there but weren't up to it. Brings back memories, though. Tam's blockbusting 30 incher. Kai's strike from heaven. Ian McColl's swan song master class against Kilmarnock. But best of all, the 1964 epic against Dundee. I enjoyed that one the most partly because Dundee were so damned good. A terrific game of football. Your best 'Gers finals please?
  16. I am just reading that Scottish rugby are on the verge of signing a deal for, a period of five years for 20 million pounds for the naming rights to murryfield I have a sneaking suspicion that our board will go down this road what do you think
  17. The Union - an umbrella group comprising six supporters' organisations - had been urging Gers followers to withhold season ticket cash. A company, Ibrox 1972 Ltd, has been set up with South Africa-based businessman Dave King and legendary captain Richard Gough as directors. The Union wanted the club to grant them security over both Ibrox Stadium and Murray Park training ground in return for the money. Wallace admitted last Friday that season ticket renewals had been slow and fears have also been expressed by some about the future of the club. But representatives from the organisation met with Wallace, non-executive director Norman Crighton and major shareholder Sandy Easdale. And Wallace, who has stated in the past that security will not be granted, told them the club could be prepared to give them a legally binding guarantee over Ibrox. However, the Union asked for an identical agreement over the club training ground at Murray Park and the club officials agreed to look into that possibility. But the talks were a huge step towards the bitter stand-off between fans and the club being brought to an end. A Union of Fans statement released on Wednesday night read: "Following a number of attempts for several weeks to arrange a meeting with chief executive Graham Wallace to discuss our proposals for security over Ibrox and Murray Park, the Union of Fans were invited by Mr Wallace to discuss this and other issues at a meeting at Ibrox. "Representatives of the Union of Fans met with Mr Wallace, non-executive director Norman Crighton and Sandy Easdale. "A proposal was made by Mr Wallace that, whilst the board would not grant a security, they could consider giving a legally binding undertaking which would protect Ibrox from sale, sale and leaseback or as any form of security for a loan or other finance. "We made it clear to Mr Wallace that we felt it was also appropriate that they provide the same undertaking for Murray Park. "Mr Wallace and Mr Crighton agreed to discuss this with the rest of the PLC board as a matter or urgency and further discussions between the PLC board and the Union of Fans will continue once this board meeting has taken place. "We believe we accurately conveyed the fears of supporters that either or both of these club assets could be lost to the club in a scenario where they were used for any sale and leaseback or other loan security. "Any proposal by the board will be evaluated by our lawyers and a decision will then be taken on how to move forward. We will keep fans full informed as discussions continue." Rangers did not comment on the meeting. GET RANGERS NEWS ALERTS BY EMAIL
  18. “If you’re prepared to accept mediocrity because our owners are greedy fair enough. Me, I intend to do everything I can to root them out.” A quote from Gunslinger. So what are we doing as a support to root out the directors? I believe the answer is “Not a lot”. Let’s look at the two lots of people a majority of the fans want rid of – the Shareholders and the Directors. 1. The Shareholders There are 2 main ways that the shareholders can get to go or to lose control: a) Someone buys their shares – there is currently nobody who wants to buy their shares. Dave King has said he won’t do it. There are 2 fans’ vehicles for purchasing shares, both of whom are a long way away from getting enough cash to make a meaningful investment. They also both have the dilemma of raising cash and then deciding whether to use the cash to pay existing shareholders and therefore not a penny goes to the club, as happened recently with BuyRangers, or wait until there’s a share issue at some future point. They also run the risk of their shareholding being diluted. Let’s say they get 1% of the shares and then there’s a rights issue. They could find that their 1% has been reduced to 0.5% or even lower. Perhaps it needs yet another calamity like an administration to change the mindsets of the fans to fan ownership as they have consistently shown that a vast majority are not there yet. b) There’s a share issue of some sort, which dilutes their control in the way mentioned above. However what happens if they are the ones to put in the cash? They could increase their shareholding percentage. Dave King has said that he would be willing to invest, but only under certain circumstances. Are the current shareholders likely to structure an issue that sees them losing control to King? Very unlikely. Is King willing to invest that level of cash and not have a level of control? Very Unlikely. All of King’s actions seem to be aimed towards trying to force the existing shareholders and directors out without him having to spend any cash in doing so. He has built up a degree of animosity between him and the board and as such he has made it less likely that the board will turn round and make it easy for him to get control. The existing shareholders generally want an exit strategy and nobody is offering them one and they aren’t going to effectively have their shareholding become worthless. 2. The Directors Most Rangers fans are not impressed by the current Board, but nobody has offered any alternative since the Paul Murray faction got voted down at the AGM. Nobody has set out any level of vision for the future and King suffers from this criticism more than most. He has not set out detailed plans or any level of alternative. King set up his Ibrox 1972 Ltd company, asking for the club to give it security over its biggest assets. Does anyone seriously expect a quoted PLC to give security of its main assets to a third party company that apparently doesn’t have a season ticket holder or Rangers shareholder on its board or as a shareholder? There is no connection between this company and the club. As it stands, there’s no connection between the ownership and control of Ibrox 1972 Ltd and the support either. It’s almost as if King has come up with a vehicle that makes it impossible for the club to grant security, not that they would do it anyway. Perhaps that’s what King is hoping for? Many fans are not buying season tickets, partly due their opposition to the board and partly due to the fare on the park. For the fans who fall into the former category, is them withholding season ticket cash really going to chase out the directors? I really don’t think so. Why should it? Are the really just going to resign and walk away or are they going to carry on running the company in whatever financial situation it Is in? I would argue that it is the latter and they will continue run the club as best they can, with the lower income and therefore lower quality on the park. Many are there to do a job (presumably to the best of their ability) and less season tickets makes it more challenging but it is not a reason for them to resign from their job. Are the shareholders going to insist on a change of board due to lower season tickets? Unlikely, given that the gave the directors a vote of confidence at the AGM even after the club had spent the £22m from the share issue in 9 months. If they still retain the shareholders’ support after that then season ticket holder revolt isn’t going to make much difference. There is also the situation where Sandy Easdale controls the votes of over 26% of the shares and it means that he only needs 24% of other shares to get his way in most matters. The fans who are not renewing their season tickets have my admiration for the sacrifice that they are making and I understand their frustration as they want to do something and not renewing is something. However it doesn’t mean that what they are doing will result in a change or will make any difference to the positions of the directors. Even if the season ticket boycott did force a change in directors, would it change the overall way that the club is being run? Again, very unlikely. So what is the best hope for a change? We can only hope that Dave King has a change in heart and does decide to buy out the existing shareholders because otherwise I just don’t see a way out of this mess as we fans appear to be powerless against shareholders and directors who have no interest in engaging with the support and taking actions to keep them onside.
  19. ........No it's time for Dave King to step up and pay. KEITH believes it's time for Ibrox investor King to put his money where his mouth is with the club's Murray Park training ground under threat. IF Dave King is serious about rescuing Rangers then he had better get a move on. In fact, come to think of it, he may have procrastinated too long 
already because this basket case 
of a business is staring its next disaster dead in the eye. Very soon someone will have to blink and before you know it this club could find itself minus a training ground if it’s not careful. In five days from now the curtain will come down on season ticket renewals and when it does,
bedraggled chief executive Graham Wallace might as well sound the emergency klaxon because unless there is a late stampede between now and Friday, Rangers will be right back on the brink. Raising money against Murray Park might then become almost inevitable, assuming insolvency is to be avoided as Wallace so bullishly insists it will be. It was interesting to note that the current board made no comment at all about the security of their Auchenhowie HQ when categorising Ibrox as ‘sacrosanct’ the other day. The truth is Wallace was busy discussing the merits or otherwise of raising funds against Murray Park with former financial director Brian Stockbridge at the turn of the year. Stockbridge wanted to push the button back then but Wallace at least had enough sense to resist. However, Wallace also made it clear that such a scenario might need to be revisited at a later date and if the season ticket revenue really is about to be obliterated then that date might well be now. Also, given the enormous scale of Rangers financial requirements, there would seem little point in simply raising a couple of million quid in the form a secured loan – like the deal Wallace brokered with those nice hedge fund folk from Laxey Partners just to keep the floodlights on till the end of winter. A full-blown sale and leaseback would certainly bring in significantly more money but at what price to a club which continues to be robbed of its soul from the inside? Which brings us back to the man who would be King and his plotting in South Africa. King has lent his name to the Union of Fans’ plan to starve the club of its biggest single source of revenue but he’s done so from a distance, almost half-heartedly, while this club’s supporters have been busy whipping themselves up into a state of high doh. That King did not attend the launch of this scheme in person, nor even make sure that his recently- recruited wingman Richard Gough was there to deputise, sent out more muddled messages to these fans who want nothing more than a leader in whom they can place their trust along with their cash. But then this is the Rangers civil war we are talking about. If there is a way to mishandle public relations then you can bet your last blue pound someone in this abomination will find it – even though you can barely move for gurus spinning furiously for one camp or the other. King says his attempted coup is not in any way reliant on public opinion, which is probably just as well because he hasn’t done enough to win over the rump of the fans. The vast majority want to believe in him but need to see tangible proof of his intentions. If Friday’s final tally of sold season tickets is as low as many are predicting then this will be an
indication of how little these fans trust the characters inside their own boardroom rather than a show of faith in the man who wishes to topple them. It would also leave the board with a couple of options – selling off the family silver or engage immediately with King, who is ready to talk. So far, King has done nothing much more than kick up a stink by issuing sporadic flurries of statements, most of which have told us nothing we did not already know. He has been heavy on promises – talking boldly of blowing £30million worth of his children’s inheritance – but feathery light on substance. So if he is serious about acting – and for the record I’m sure he is – then right about now would seem like an appropriate moment for him to start digging deep. King has made clear his reluctance to line the pockets of the very
shareholders he blames for making such a mess of the club. While this is an admirable position, the more time passes, the less realistic it appears. And all the while, Rangers fans are wrestling with their own consciences and fretting over whether or not to hold their club to ransom. King could remove all that
confusion and guilt from their
shoulders at a stroke by ploughing some of his own millions into the very account that has been set up for their season ticket cash. If those who run the club will not accept his money then why would any individual feel the least bit bad about hanging on to their own £400? Better still though, King should rethink his strategy and find out exactly how much it would cost to make those shadowy investors lurking behind the likes of Margarita Blue Pitch Holdings and Margarita disappear once and for all. Ultimately, this is what will be required if Rangers are ever to be properly ‘cleansed’ and now Friday’s iceberg is approaching, maybe those lucky enough to have stuffed their pockets with penny shares might realise it’s time to abandon ship. Even if they sold now for as little as 20p a share they’d still make mind-boggling returns on their investments. The thought of making them rich might make King’s skin crawl but, even so, this would seem like a price worth paying. He could always ask Fergus McCann who had to perform a similar U-turn when bringing down the Kelly and White dynasty across the city. A deal could even be structured that would allow King to be given some of the money back, much like the £2.5m Ann Budge has just had to pony up to make sure Hearts are a 
Lithuanian-free zone. King could do any of the above and instantly cement his status as a genuine hero among the club’s rank and file. The longer he waits though the more time is running out for his club.
  20. Hi there, first post, great site. I read lots of blogs etc and this is the best one in Scotland by a distance. If Rangers FC cannot continue as a going concern, in the event of the Dave King faction starving the board out, what happens? How does Rangers International deal with this?
  21. By mutual consent. Oh dear! Striker Kenny Miller moves on May 4, 2014 VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced today that the club has parted ways with striker Kenny Miller. The club and Miller have mutually agreed to a contract termination. “We are thankful for the contributions Kenny made both on and off the pitch during his time in Vancouver,” said Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson. "He has been a great role model, a constant professional, and someone who I consider a very good friend. We wish him and his family all the best.” Miller, 34, joined Whitecaps FC in June 2012 and during his time with the club the native of Edinburgh, Scotland, made 45 appearances in all competitions, registering 13 goals and adding three assists. Conference call audio from head coach Carl Robinson and Kenny Miller will be posted on whitecapsfc.com this afternoon.
  22. CELTIC and Rangers have been holding secret talks over the possibility of staging the next Old Firm game abroad. The Glasgow giants are considering taking the derby to somewhere such as Dubai in a bid to reduce the chance of crowd trouble after the unacceptable behaviour at last Monday night’s Glasgow Cup Final at Parkhead and incidents at the corresponding youth team fixture last season when it was staged at Partick Thistle’s Firhill. The most recent debacle saw more than 100 seats wrecked and smoke bombs, flares and bangers set off, with the result that it has already been decreed that the next Glasgow Cup Final between the teams will be held behind closed doors. But there will be huge logistical difficulties in moving a senior Old Firm clash – not least getting appropriate approval from the football authorities – even if it is an idea that is being seriously mooted at the highest level. The Glasgow giants are considering taking the derby to somewhere such as Dubai Officials at Parkhead and Ibrox, aghast at the levels of violence at those youth games, are well aware the senior match is – and always has been – a powderkeg. Many so-called Gers fans still blame Celtic, at least in part, for their demotion to the lowest tier of senior Scottish football following the Ibrox club’s financial meltdown. The next Old Firm game in the top flight is still another year or so away, at least, with Rangers having to clamber through a very competitive Championship following successful Third Division and League One campaigns, but Scottish Cup or League Cup clashes before then remain a possibility. It has been suggested by officials that taking the match out of Scotland when it finally comes around could help diffuse tensions. But there is an enormous amount of work still to be done before the embryonic plan becomes a done deal. No one can plan too much without knowing when the game will take place, the SFA and SPFL would have to give permission, the clubs would need to agree, and a host venue would have to be found. If the game went to Dubai or another venue outside Britain and tickets were strictly vetted, it’s hoped the tie would pass off peacefully, although many will insist that such a move would merely postpone potential problems until the next time they meet in Glasgow. From the clubs’ point of view, they’d be able to sell the TV rights for the first Old Firm derby for years for a vast fee and would look at cashing in further with a beam-back to Parkhead and Ibrox. http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/473767/EXCLUSIVE-Old-Firm-clash-could-be-staged-in-Dubai?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+daily-express-sport-news+%28Daily+Express+%3A%3A+Sport+Feed%29
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