Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'rangers fans'.
-
RANGERS have experienced a flurry of late season ticket sales since striker Kris Boyd made his emotional return to Ibrox last week. Boyd ended weeks of speculation when he signed a one-year deal with the SPFL League One champions - and is set to team up again with Kenny Miller. And his capture has since led to a surge in Light Blue supporters signing up to watch Ally McCoist's side in the 2014/15 season. The ticket office at Ibrox at the weekend was queued out of the door for long spells as fans snapped up season books for the new campaign. Lifelong fan Alan Anderson, from Cambuslang, was taken aback at the level of interest when he renewed his ticket at Ibrox on Saturday. He told SportTimes: "I was told the season ticket office was going to be open until after two o'clock and popped down half an hour before it shut. "But when I got there there were a lot of cars in the car park and people were queueing out of the door. "There was a great atmosphere among the supporters who were waiting to buy tickets. "I think most of them were, like me, buying season tickets because Kris Boyd has signed. "But people were genuinely excited about the season ahead and the prospect of playing teams like Hearts and Hibs. "I wasn't going to renew my season ticket, but I decided to do so when I saw that Boyd had signed. "I think a lot of people were the same as me. "I don't necessarily like who is in charge at Rangers at the moment, but I am, as the slogan goes, prepared to support the team and not the regime." Rangers announced to the Stock Exchange a fortnight ago that "approximately 17,000" season tickets had been bought by fans this summer. That is in stark contrast to the 34,000 supporters who made the Gers one of the best backed clubs in Britain for the second stage of "The Journey". The Union of Fans - an umbrella group comprising six supporters organisations - has been urging fans not to renew their season tickets. The UoF and former director Dave King set up Ibrox 1972 Ltd in the close season and urged supporters to pledge their money to it instead. They want Rangers to give them security over the stadium and the training ground at Auchenhowie in return for the cash. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/rangers-revel-in-boyd-ticket-bounty-169185n.24618366
-
If Ally first wins championship, then the SPFL at first attempt? I make it about a 98% chance Rangers will win the championship this season, then about a 33% chance they win SPFL season after. So just about 2/1 Ally will do the unthinkable! Kris Boyd really is a master signing. Maybe Commons is better (2 guys called Kris!) but that's it. I'm sure you'll think…yippee then eat large quantity of humble pie. You know, I'm better in my job than I was 2 years ago. Maybe the experience in the lower divisions will have done Ally the world of good.
-
Morning Folks, Confessions first, I'm a Hibbie but I come in peace. I wonder what you Rangers people make of the latest SPFL rule fudge to help Hearts out of their troubles ? Now before anyone says , but they are out of administration now, that is not the wording of the new SPFL Club insolvency rules adopted on 1st June last year. Rule E4 on page 37 of the SPFL rules states , " .......for each second or later season, during the whole or part of which such insolvency event or insolvency process is continuing and/or subsisting the club concerned shall be deducted 15 points ..... " Now Hearts may have completed the administration part of their insolvency process, but they are currently being run under a " Voluntary Arrangement " status supervised by BDO and this will continue until all the conditions of the CVA have been met. It is easily checked on Companies House web site. Their insolvency process will not be complete until BDO issue a certificate under the Insolvency Act 1986 of Completion of Voluntary Arrangement. Dundee F C had a similar form issued on 30/10/2013 which completed their insolvency process and is also on Companies House site. Hearts should be looking at a further 15 point deduction next season unless BDO complete the Voluntary Arrangement before the season starts, but this is being ignored by the authorities who don't seem to understand the new rules which were introduced just prior to Hearts insolvency event. Now we could complain, but we would just be accused of being bitter Hibbies ( which is probably true ) but you guys have real grounds for complaint, if the rules are being fudged to help Hearts ( it was all that bad Romanov's fault ) They will get away with it unless a real noise is made in the media and with the SPFL. 15 points off will help yours and our promotion bids and it is how the rules have been written. Anyway, good luck next season, hope you finish second , behind us, we are no use at play-offs. Actually have been missing you at Easter Road.
-
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
-
.........that Ally McCoist showed me the door at Rangers. THE Northern Ireland internationalist says that McCoist spoke to him throughout last season and fully expected to stay at Ibrox. FORMER Rangers striker Andy Little says he was left stunned last month when he was axed at Ibrox. The Northern Ireland international didn’t take long to find a new club and earlier this month agreed a contract with Preston North End in England’s League One. Little, 25, is disappointed he wasn’t offered a new deal but understands why he was allowed to leave the League One champions. McCoist has brought Kenny Miller and Kris Boyd back to Ibrox since and Little said: “It was a massive shock. I was fully expecting to sign a new contract and stay at Rangers. “The manager had spoken to me throughout the season. I loved every minute of my time there but these things happen in football. “I think they needed to offload some players and I was the collateral, if you like. “I think the manager wanted to keep me but sometimes if there is another player he fancies more than you, he has to make that choice.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-transfer-news/stunned-striker-andy-little-still-3787254
-
Anybody at this tonight ?
-
http://www.redandblackshirt.com/
-
All over twitter this evening.
-
http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/250-dave-king-the-grand-old-duke-of-york
-
Thought it worth expanding upon this on the main site as well as creating its own thread. http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/251-dave-king-disposes-of-15million-shares-in-micromega Lots of speculation about the relevance of this from it being unimportant to of utmost interest. Certainly seems worthy of discussion in any case.
-
HULL City supporters Mark Gretton and Kate Ogram urged Rangers fans not to give up their crusade to gain security over prized assets Ibrox and Murray Park. HULL CITY fans took on their club’s hierarchy and won. Now the people who successfully challenged Tigers owner Assem Allam have backed Rangers supporters to prevail in their battle against the Ibrox board. With just 17,000 season tickets snapped up for the new season Gers’ Union of Fans are continuing their fight with the powerbrokers. The majority of Ibrox punters are fed up with chairman David Somers, chief executive Graham Wallace and directors who they believe have made poor decisions at the club. But despite significant protests against the regime Wallace and Co refuse to give Gers supporters what they want – security over prized assets Ibrox and Murray Park. Hull City supporters Mark Gretton and Kate Ogram – who were in Scotland this week at the annual Supporters Direct Conference – have urged Rangers fans not to give up their crusade. Last August they took on the might of Allam after he changed the club’s name to Hull Tigers against their wishes. Gretton, Ogram and thousands of fellow Hull fans were treated with disdain by Allam who said: “I can’t afford to run the club by fans’ feelings. Hull City is irrelevant, my dislike of the word City is because it’s common. City is a lousy identity.” That sparked fury among the Hull faithful and after a peaceful yet powerful “No To Hull Tigers” campaign the supporters emerged victorious in April as the English FA kicked out the owner’s bid to tamper with their history. They didn’t just get clubs around the UK behind them, Gretton and Co mustered support from all over Europe as Allam quickly realised fan power shouldn’t be underestimated. The Hull City diehards now hope to see Rangers supporters stick to their guns and eventually oust the under-fire Ibrox board. Gretton told Record Sport: “The key thing for Rangers fans is knowing exactly what they want to achieve. We had some simple aims that we stuck to until the end. You have to believe in your strategy. “If the supporters feel they’re fighting a losing battle at times with the board my advice would be to keep at it. “If it means enough to them, don’t give up. Just make sure you have a plan on how to get there and you’ll achieve it. At the start it was quite intimidating for us. Allam is a powerful man, a very successful business figure. We were being told all the time – not just by the club but other fans too – it was men against boys. “We looked on him as a James Bond villain, he’d cleverly manipulate all the situations. It was tricky for us because, whatever happens at Hull City, we’ll always be grateful to Allam for putting money into the club when it was on its uppers. “We didn’t know if we’d make headway but eventually you realise you’re not fighting a super-villain. It’s just a person or people. “And people make mistakes. They didn’t take us seriously and that’s why it was vital we were organised from the start. “As a fans’ group we had to be professional. That was the only way we’d be successful. It was crucial that, apart from the official supporters club, we had every other fans’ group on board with us so people could see we were legit. “We had a unified face and that’s what the Rangers fans need.” Gretton’s sidekick Ogram co-ordinated the campaign against Allam and she sees similarities between their predicament and the one Rangers fans face now. She said: “We can completely sympathise with the Rangers fans right now. We’ve heard the board have refused to engage with the supporters group and they’re making decisions against fans’ wishes. “It’s staggering a club of Rangers’ size, with their importance and history, appear to be brushing fans away. “We’re a relatively small club compared to Rangers but it’s a similar situation. They’ve shown a lot of spirit and their campaign to make their voices heard should be easier because they’ll have more power than us, as long as they have the organisation and unity behind it.” Gretton has revealed that the “City Till We Die” group were discouraged from taking on Allam, who was completely dismissive of them from the outset. And he’s adamant Rangers fans will need the same resilience if they want to dislodge the likes of Somers, Wallace and James and Sandy Easdale from the boardroom. He said: “Some of our group were certain we’d beat them. But I’m a natural pessimist and always felt we’d lose. I was part of the campaign because I just felt it was the right thing to do. “You always think the machine wins, don’t you? The rich and powerful normally get their way. We were kicking against that and Allam had a reputation of not losing. “He kept telling us, ‘Look at my CV, I’m the businessman and I’ll do what I want.’ “The support we received from around the UK and abroad was incredible. We did media interviews with 12 European countries, we had a TV crew from Norway over in Hull covering the campaign. “When football fans anywhere appreciate that you’re doing the right thing for the game and your club they back you. I’m sure Rangers supporters would be the same.” Ogram hopes the Yorkshire club’s supporters have proved it’s worth standing up for what you believe in when decisions are made without fans’ approval. She said: “It feels we’ve led the way for clubs like Rangers to overcome the people in charge. “We’ve had terrific feedback and loads of messages from club supporters saying, ‘Thanks, this will make it easier for us now.’ We’re really proud of that.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/hull-city-fans-who-successfully-3713453 -
The BBC has learned former Rangers chief executive Charles Green is seeking financial support to launch a new bid for control of the Ibrox club. Green led a consortium which bought Rangers' assets in May 2012 and then raised £22m from a share issue, but resigned from his post last year. He returned for a short-lived spell as a consultant before selling his shareholding in the club. However, he has spent the last week in talks with potential investors. Rangers plan to launch a new share issue in a bid to raise in the region of £8m and if Green is to be successful he would need to convince existing shareholders to sell to a new consortium. Green, who held the same position at Sheffield United, stood down from the chief executive's position citing the "negative publicity" surrounding an independent investigation, commissioned by the club's board, into allegations of undeclared dealings with former owner Craig Whyte. That investigation consequently found no evidence of Whyte's claims that he was involved in the Green-led acquisition of Rangers two years ago. On selling his shares to Sandy Easdale, chairman of Rangers' football board, Green said: "I want to make it clear that this means I will have no ongoing influence or financial interest at the club but I remain a fan and fervently hope that Rangers will soon be back at the top where they belong."
-
The board of Rangers (the “Board”) can confirm that approximately 17,000 season tickets have been renewed to date for the Club's forthcoming SPFL Championship season. This level of renewals reduces the potential requirement for short term financing as highlighted in the Business Review Summary published on 25 April 2014 particularly given the updated season ticket pricing structure for the 2014/15 campaign. Applications for new season ticket purchases opened on Monday and sales of season tickets are continuing. The Club very much looks forward to welcoming more supporters back to Ibrox for what promises to be an exciting league competition. The Board believes that whilst this level of support reduces the potential requirement for short-term financing the Board also notes the strategic objectives that it identified in the Business Review Summary published on 25 April 2014 and the related funding requirements. The Board continues to evaluate its plans in this regard and will update the market in due course. http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/7059-season-ticket-sales
-
As big Tel is moved on from Hibs he has been mentioned for us many a time. Would you prefer him to Ally now? TBH Im not a Ally fan as a manager but I don't want Butcher. He'd bring Mo Malpas and I don't see them as a big enough step up at all for me. Id have Calderwood and Nicholl ahead of them all day long.
-
This will be more readable for those having problems with the image. "We are extremely concerned that there are now two distinctly different messages being sent out from Ibrox, which appear to be completely at odds with each other regarding our club’s finances. They show the split in the boardroom and raise the question as to who is running Rangers. On the one hand, Graham Wallace has clearly stated that there is no financial crisis, while on the other hand a former PR man for Rangers and Sandy Easdale is briefing that there is a cash crisis which can only be resolved by an urgent share issue. We are aware that the press and certain bloggers are being briefed by Jack Irvine of Mediahouse regarding the reason for, and content of, Rangers board and investor meetings. We would ask two questions. On whose behalf is he making these briefings and how he is privy to the highly confidential and price sensitive information being discussed in these meetings? Mr Irvine was previously employed by both Rangers and the Easdale brothers. We were informed by Mr Wallace in our meeting with him that Irvine no longer works for the club. In the same meeting, Mr Easdale denied that Mr Irvine has ever worked for him during the Easdale’s time at Rangers. Events would appear to prove this to be untrue for, unless he has taken up charity work, someone appears to be paying Mr Irvine to leak stories about Rangers board meetings. We would ask that Graham Wallace fulfils his legal and corporate responsibility to identify the source of the leak and remove them from either the PLC or club board, as necessary, as a matter of urgency. Mr Wallace has stated twice, both in our meeting with him and more recently at the NARSA convention, that the club is on a secure footing. He stated that there is “absolutely no prospect of administration” and that the club “is in its healthiest state financially” since he arrived. Why then are board meetings taking place for an emergency share issue? Why has the club had to take loans just to finish the season? Why have these loans not been repaid despite season ticket sales which we believe to be around 16k and which would surely have raised the £1.5m required to immediately repay the loans? The message sent out by Mr Wallace appears to be at odds with that of Sandy Easdale, who has claimed that club finances were “fragile”, and Mr Irvine, who is briefing on behalf of someone that emergency cash must be raised. Who are the Rangers fans to believe? Who wields the real power in the boardroom? If it is Mr Easdale then who is he taking his instructions from given his refusal to name the people behind Blue Pitch and Margarita, whom he represents? If the board are indeed considering such a move, then will the shares be offered to all shareholders or just those represented by the current board? Also why are they so reluctant, if finance is required, to speak to investors who actually care about the long term future of the club? We have asked for Graham Wallace to come clean about the cash situation at Rangers and we repeat that request. Mr Wallace must make a statement to clarify his position and to explain the leaks of the last few days. The appearance is that Mr Wallace’s authority is being undermined from within. His long term, professional reputation for corporate responsibility is being eroded and the corporate governance of the club’s various boards is once again a shambles. The bottom line is very simply the question of who is running Rangers. Is it extremely well paid chief executive, Graham Wallace, or Sandy Easdale, a man who, for whatever reason, is not even a member of the plc board?"
-
Received this email today. Ready To Listen Focus Groups Following the issue of the Rangers Ready To Listen Phase 2 results, the next phase of the initiative is to hold face-to-face meetings in the form of focus groups. More than half the respondents from the initial survey said they would participate in further supporter engagement initiatives to help shape the Club’s Ready To Listen campaign and these focus groups will now be facilitated at Ibrox with fans who had expressed a wish to continue their involvement. The first set of focus groups will take place on Tuesday 10 and Wednesday 11 June in the Blue Room at Ibrox Stadium. These focus groups will concentrate on Fan Engagement with 4 groups being held across two days and should last no longer than 1½ hours. A representative sample of Rangers fans will be included in each group to share their individual views and will be invited to participate on a first come first served basis. The sessions will be managed by an independent researcher. If you would like to take part, please reply to this email stating your name, contact telephone number and which day and group you would like to attend from the following: Day 1: Tuesday 10 June • Group 1: 6pm • Group 2: 8pm Day 2: Wednesday 11 June • Group 1: 6pm • Group 2: 8pm Please reply no later than Friday 30 May to confirm your attendance. All chosen participants will be notified no later than Wednesday 4 June and as an incentive, all participants who are selected to attend the focus groups will have the opportunity to attend a tour of Murray Park as a thank you for their time. These initial focus groups will be followed by sessions covering Club Membership and Digital & Media in the coming weeks and months. If you acknowledged that you would like to take part in further initiatives on Club Membership and Digital & Media, you may still have the opportunity to attend these focus groups whether or not you attend the Fan Engagement initiative. Thank you for your continued support for Ready To Listen. Rangers Football Club Rangers.co.uk To unsubscribe, please follow this link: Unsubscribe The Rangers Football Club Ltd, registered in Scotland with number SC425159 registered office Ibrox Stadium, 150 Edmiston Drive, Glasgow, G51 2XD
-
THE Rangers family have taken Calum Gallagher to their hearts. But the Ibrox kid has revealed his biggest fans are Celtic supporters. Gallagher emerged from the Murray Park ranks to impress for Ally McCoist's side in the closing weeks of the League One campaign and will be part of the squad that will bid for Championship glory next term. The forward was snapped up by Rangers after being spotted while playing for local side Giffnock after leaving Dundee United early in his teens. After forging his way into the first team, scoring on his debut against Dunfermline and helping seal a third tier title, Gallagher is living the dream in Light Blue. And the 19-year-old is delighted to be able to repay his nearest and dearest for their backing as he continues on the road to glory with Rangers. "I come from a really supportive family and now that I am where I am I think they are more Rangers fans than Celtic fans," he told SportTimes. "I get teased from a lot of them but a lot of them are at every game and they are really supportive. "I have got to live my dream and play football. Now that I am where I am, I love the club and everything it stands for. "I am so lucky to be where I am and long may that continue." It may have taken until the closing weeks of the campaign for Gallagher to get his big break but it was to prove well worth waiting for as he impressed in League One and the Scottish Cup triumph over Albion Rovers. He has quickly settled into a first team filled with SPFL Premiership-quality stars and, in the cases of stalwarts Lee McCulloch and Lee Wallace and keeper Cammy Bell, players who have turned out for Scotland. The transition from Murray Park kid to Ibrox star could have been a daunting one but Gallagher admits the warm welcome he received made the first team dressing room feel like home sweet home. "When I first came in, Lee McCulloch was amazing with me," he said. "I felt that he put a lot of attention towards me and really helped me settle in. "He is still a great influence and he is amazing around the dressing room. "He is deserving of the club captaincy, there is no doubt about that. "Guys like Jon Daly have been great for me, as a striker. He has been able to impart his wisdom in a positional sense and talked me through a few things. "It has been great to work with the gaffer as well and it can only help me working with someone who was as good a player as him. "It would be unfair of me to single out anyone, everyone really pulls their weight and helps integrate the younger players into the squad. You couldn't ask for a better staff and group of team-mates." Gallagher may have had to quickly make new acquaintances on his maiden venture into the Gers first team arena but there were a couple of familiar faces for the forward to chew the fat with. His Murray Park peers Fraser Aird and Lewis Macleod have shone since given their chance by boss McCoist, with the pair once again impressing in League One as Rangers eased to the title this term. It was to prove a frustrating end to the campaign for Macleod as a virus saw him forced to hang up his boots with several weeks of action still to be played. The champions will return to pre-season training in a couple of weeks and Gallagher is confident his fellow Light Blue protege can shine once again next term. He said: "Lewis is one of the most gifted players I have ever played with. He has got everything you need in a footballer. "Fingers crossed everything works out for him. If he is able to keep himself fit and healthy then there is no knowing where he could end up in the game. "It must have been really frustrating for him not being able to play in the second half of the season. "It is something all players go through, everyone gets injuries. It is horrible coming in and feeling the energy about the place but not being able to exert yourself and play your part. "I am sure it was torture for him but here's hoping he comes back better than ever next season." It is less than a month before McCoist will start putting his players through their paces ahead of the big Championship kick-off but there has only been one arrival at Ibrox thus far, Kenny Miller clinching his third Gers switch last week. Having allowed Andy Little to leave after his contract came to an end, another striker is one of McCoist's top priorities as he looks to bolster his squad, with former Ibrox forward Kris Boyd linked with a return to the club. And Gallagher, who has spent most of his first team career in a role on the right of the Rangers midfield, is eager to show what he can do in front of goal. He said: "That is where I have always played, through the middle. "But I know that I have the traits that let me play wider as well. I am happy to play anywhere in a Rangers top.As long as I am on the pitch and doing my bit for the team I am delighted. "I would love to get a run out in what I see as my natural position. But you never know where you will end up. Lee McCulloch has played in just about every position during his career. "If you can make an impact in multiple positions then that is great. Doing that gives you more of a chance of getting on the pitch than if you were restricted to one position. "It is not something I grudge or anything like that. I am delighted to play wherever the manager wants and I will go out and give my all for Rangers." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/calum-ive-got-bunch-of-celtic-fans-proud-of-my-role-in-rangers-family-166655n.24435761
-
“You’ve only got two years of history.” Dundee United have pushed relations with Rangers to breaking point. They have declared: “You’ve only got two years of history.” Tannadice chairman Stephen Thompson delivered the incendiary put-down to Light Blues Chief Executive Graham Wallace in negotiations over youngster Charlie Telfer. Rangers wanted £175,000 to £200,000 in compensation for the development of the player from the age 12 to 18. But United countered with £50,000, arguing only the time since the 2012 liquidation of the Ibrox club is relevant. That’s infuriated the Govan outfit, who squashed talks to await the verdict of an independent panel early next season. It is the latest in a series of conflicts between the clubs, stretching back to United’s involvement in the decision not to allow Rangers to play in the SPL in 2012-13. In deciding to reject an offer from Rangers in order to switch to Dundee United as a free agent this summer, the Scotland Under-19 cap raised more than a few eyebrows. Seen as one of the brightest products of the Murray Park youth system, he was tipped as a future Ibrox first team star. Yet if the failure to hold onto the midfielder irked some Rangers fans, it should be nothing to the reaction to news of United’s inflammatory stance in subsequent compensation talks. Under Scottish regulations, clubs who lose a player under the age of 23 through freedom of contract are entitled to payment for his development and training. The scheme protects those who invest heavily in youth development, only to see their best prospects snapped up by bigger clubs. In exploratory talks about Telfer, Rangers — using the ready reckoner for such cases — asked for a payment of between £175,000 and £200,000 for bringing Telfer through from the age of 12. Tangerines chairman Stephen Thompson, though, offered just £50,000. He dismissed all but the last two years as irrelevant — because in his eyes Rangers only came into existence in 2012. That stance has infuriated the club and will provoke a similar reaction from the Light Blues support. The liquidation of two years ago is not disputed. But, they assert, the purchase of business and assets by the new company covered Rangers’ illustrious history, including the world record 54 titles and seven domestic Trebles. Now, with no agreement reached, the validity of United’s argument — centring on the successful departures of stars such as Steven Davis, Steven Naismith, and Steven Whittaker in 2012 for nothing — is set to be decided by an independent panel. Likely to include a law lord, it should take place early in the new season. The news will do nothing for already strained relations between the two clubs. Many Light Blues fans blamed Thompson for the fact the newco was not allowed to join the SPL two years ago. He was involved in the move to open up the vote to all clubs, the catalyst for the so called “Arab Spring” of fan opposition. With many Rangers fans already annoyed at the Tangerines’ failure to honour tickets for an abandoned league fixture four years ago, the Scottish Cup tie between the pair at Tannadice was subject to a fan boycott. Since then, there has been the rancour over this season’s Scottish Cup semi-final. http://www.sundaypost.com/sport/football/dundee-utd-blast-for-rangers-in-tranfer-row-1.410939
-
GRAHAM WALLACE says Rangers now has a solid base from which it can move forward with confidence as it looks to grow, prosper and thrive more as time goes on. Wallace has spent the weekend in Toronto at the 2014 NARSA convention, where over 1,000 Light Blues fans have been in attendance. The chief executive took questions in an open forum yesterday afternoon following the association’s annual general meeting. A number of issues were raised with him and Wallace is keen to reassure Gers followers a path to a brighter future lies ahead. He said: “It has been interesting talking to a different cross-section of fans in Toronto as it was an opportunity to hear at a really detailed level about some of the issues they have. “Almost since the day I came to Rangers, we’ve been operating in an environment where there have been consistent questions about the financial stability of the club. “I’ve repeatedly come out and said there’s no threat of administration and we’ve built a very solid base now which we’re moving forward from. “The fans should take reassurance and comfort from that. We are moving in a way that allows us to grow and develop the business. “The long-term financial stability of the business is well in hand and we are in a good place now. Fans should be confident and comfortable with the club’s long-term stability. “The club needs them to survive like any business does and we are absolutely hoping they will stand behind and support the club the way they have in recent seasons. “In the vast majority of areas, I think we are moving in the right direction and it is business as usual at the football club. “The fans are looking for a degree of confidence that their club is stable, it’s being properly run and we are in a good position financially. “We are now in our best position financially in my time at the club so that’s positive and we are placed very well for the start of the forthcoming Championship campaign.” Wallace admits there is still considerable work to be done as Rangers bid to make up for what he feels has been a missed opportunity to rebuild in a better way since administration in 2012. But he is sure a lot key moves have now been made which will allow the League One title winners to make more notable strides from now on. He added: “I’ve been in position now for a little over six months and in that time it has been extremely challenging. “There have been so many legacy issues we have had to deal with and we spent a considerable period of time looking at the condition and the state of the business. “We had to map out what we think the club and the business is capable of doing over the next several years. “We have done a tremendous amount of groundwork and we’ve addressed a significant number of issues. “In April, we published our business review. That gave fans a sense of what we inherited but more importantly, a sense of the vision of where we think we can take the business. “We have made significant strides but it’s not an overnight journey and what we are looking for now is to move forward again. “We want to go through our pre-season routine into the new season and really push on, starting to make a huge difference in the areas we’ve identified.” http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/7029-a-base-to-grow-from
-
GRAHAM WALLACE says Rangers fans can be a massive asset for the club in its quest for promotion to Scottish football’s top tier and urged them to unite to drive the team forward. The Ibrox chief executive has been hugely impressed by the passion and loyalty shown by more than 1,000 Light Blues supporters at this weekend’s NARSA convention. He’s eager to embrace that commitment and work with them to take Gers through the forthcoming Championship campaign up into the Premiership. The public sale of season tickets begins tomorrow and Wallace knows it is an important moment as the final push to get back to the elite division is underway. Now, with little more than a fortnight until pre-season begins, he wants people to focus on what’s best for the club and be a force for good at Ibrox. Season tickets can be purchased in person at the Rangers Ticket Centre, online at rangers.co.uk or by phone on 0871 702 1972. Calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras. Wallace, pictured with some of his fellow top table guests including NARSA executives at last night’s Grand Banquet, said: “The fans have been tremendous. “The manager has been on record numerous times in terms of praising the support they’ve given in recent years. “Let me add my view on that as well. They have been terrific and we’re on the cusp now ahead of a season in the second tier. “We’re at a point where we are very close to getting ourselves back into the top division and we’re looking for the fans to continue supporting their club in the way they have. “They’ve done that magnificently and if we can come together and work together, the club and the fans, there’s no reason why we can’t drive Rangers to great things. “For the club to thrive, it needs the support of its fans in order to have the financial base required to build and grow the club. “There are many non-Rangers fans who support other clubs and who are genuinely concerned about the progress we are making and the momentum we are building. “They know where we’re headed and they would just love for us to falter. We’re not going to allow that to happen. “We have a tremendous opportunity now to come together as a club and a fanbase and unite to take us back to the top. Let’s not waste it. “This is our time to put the in-fighting and the turmoil to one side, to unite across the club and back the club, back the team and show Rangers Football Club is well and truly back. “Our future is really in our own hands and I ask fans to continue their magnificent support and drive us back to the top division in style.” Wallace was understandably the main recipient of questions from supporters at yesterday’s Q&A session which followed the NARSA annual general meeting. Along with his address at last night’s Grand Banquet, he hopes his participation helped provide some assurance on certain aspects of life at Rangers which have concerned fans. Wallace added: “It was a good session and a great opportunity to put a little more emphasis on some of the things we are doing. “There were a number of pointed questions asked regarding the state of the business and we fully expected that. “It was a chance to respond personally to some things and hopefully the attendees found it a useful exercise.” http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/7033-lets-work-together-as-one
-
GRAHAM WALLACE believes Rangers are now moving closer to the successful establishment of their first fan board as the club activates in its biggest supporter engagement initiative. The Ibrox chief executive will tonight return to the UK from Toronto, where he has spent a couple of days talking to Light Blues followers at the 2014 NARSA convention. More than 1,000 of them have been in attendance and Wallace feels it has been important to reach out to them as he seeks to build bridges and create a better, sustainable future at Gers. He addressed around 900 attendees at the gathering’s Grand Banquet yesterday and hopes his visit there can help develop a stronger relationship going forward. Wallace said: “We have recognised right from day one we had a big job to do in terms of trying to improve engagement with the club’s fans. “Several months ago we launched our Ready To Listen fan engagement survey and that was really just the first step. “We’ve now gone through another two subsequent steps in terms of narrowing down areas of interest to the fans so we can fully understand what matters to them. “We are currently moving into the third phase which is a set of detailed focus groups that involve people sitting round the table and looking at specific issues. “It’s all designed to move us forward to the creation of our first Rangers fan board, which will be an official board that will act as the body to represent the fans with the club. “We’re looking at the constitution and composition of that because we want to get a wide spread of Rangers fans engaged in talking to the club. “Like anything else, these things take time to work their way through and particularly at a level where what we’re dealing with is not just a simple scenario. “There are many issues dear to Rangers fans’ hearts. We’re trying to engage with them in a way they’ll say they can see progress and I think we have made a number of steps forward.” http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headli...edging-closer? There must be fans who actually swallow this bullshit.
-
LEE McCULLOCH would love Rangers fans to carry on their journey back to the top of Scottish football next season with the team in a league he thinks will be the best in Scotland. The Light Blues will contest the Championship with a host of clubs including Hearts and Hibernian, both of whom will drop down from the Premiership. An intriguing campaign is shaping up and while Gers will be favourites to claim the title, it’s clear they will be pushed far more than they have in the last two year if that’s to happen. The public sale of season tickets starts tomorrow and McCulloch hopes supporters snap them up to ensure Ally McCoist’s men are given every chance possible of winning the crown. McCulloch was speaking in Toronto at the 2014 NARSA convention, where more than 1,000 fans came together over the weekend. He was joined in Canada by his team-mates Stevie Smith, Lewis Macleod, Luca Gasparotto, Nicky Clark and Fraser Aird as well as chief executive Graham Wallace. Season tickets can be purchased in person at the Rangers Ticket Centre, online at rangers.co.uk or by phone on 0871 702 1972. Calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras. Club captain McCulloch said: “The fans have been brilliant. They’ve kept us going and whether it’s the home support or the away support, they’ve filled stadiums to cheer us on. “The way they get behind the team is fantastic and for us as players, it can give us such a push forward. “We’ve got some young kids in our team and it’s great for them as much as it is for the likes of myself. “We need the fans and everybody knows that. Without them there won’t be a Rangers so hopefully they can keep coming to support us. “They’ve been great so far with us but now things are getting harder and we’ll really need them there by our side. “If they do that, we’ll do everything we can to do the business on the pitch and it’ll make it a bit easier for us in what looks like being a very interesting season. “It’s going to be a great league and with Hibs and Hearts in there as well as the pull of Rangers, it’s a division a lot of people will see as being the most exciting in Scotland.” http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/7032-join-us-on-the-journey
-
Written by Andy Steel As the globe gears up for the festival of football that is The World Cup, it's good to know that here in Scotland there are people who haven't taken their eye off what's really important. While the Coupe Mondiale deserves the capitalised definitive article, given its planet-bestriding presence, Scottish football's lower case lackeys show no sign of drying up. For once, though, it isn't Rangers we have to thank for a distraction from minor events such as the biggest sporting event on earth; it's the breath-of-fresh-air that is dynastic scion and Corner Shop King, Dundee United's Steven Thompson. For Bluenoses who feared that their club had cornered the market in dimwitted Chairmen and chief executives who pander to their support and are only marginally chastised by being exposed as liars or incompetents, Thompson's scenery chewing performances of late have been a blessed relief. Exposed as fibbing about the SFA over Scottish Cup ticket allocations, he now insists said sad Glasgow club have only two years of history and so aren't due much compensation over the transfer of Charlie Telfer. Since his club's fans tend to tediously complain about Rangers and others economic lack of soul, such fairly blatant posturing to sell season tickets is interesting coming from this source: but then, bullshit has never been in short supply in Scotland. Be that as it may, I would think most Rangers fans are 99.9% concerned at seeing decent youth players leave and, shall we say, 'experienced' names like Kenny Miller come in, added to the rather obvious panting of the Rangers board to get Dundee United (or anyone's) money to keep them going: feeble attempts at closed season advertising on Rangers back are likely some way down their list of worries. Thompson was wrong about tickets, he's wrong about Rangers, and that's about it. I, however, am grateful that Mr Thompson has taken up the slack left by Charles Green as the game's go-to guy for guff. The horror of the unrelenting stream of cobblers coming out of Ibrox has been hard to take, and, the egregious balloon of pomposity that is Turnbull Hutton aside, few others in the game seemed willing to try to match it. Then again, we should be careful. Who knows? While the world settles down to see if Brazil can win on home soil, perhaps Mr Thompson already has his application for Graham Wallace's job in the post...he seems 'Ready' to make the step up. http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/249-a-heartfelt-thanks-to-steven-thompson
-
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
-
SEVEN members of the Green Brigade are to stand trial later this year for allegedly singing a song in support of the IRA. Paul Duke, 37, Ross Gallagher, 29, Christopher Bateman, 28, David Gallacher, 22, Sean Cowden, 21, Kieran Duffy, 19 and Greg Robertson, 28, are charged with the offence. The seven men are alleged to have behaved in a way that “is likely or would be likely to incite public disorder” by singing a song - the Roll of Honour - in support of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) at Celtic Park. All of the men maintained their pleas of not guilty when they appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Wednesday for a pre-trial hearing and the trial was adjourned until November. Duke and Gallagher, from East Kilbride, Bateman, from Irvine, Gallacher, from Glasgow, Cowden from Rutherglen and Duffy from Coatbridge, are accused of singing the song at the champions league qualifier match at a Celtic against Elfsborg match on July 31. Gallagher, Bateman and Robertson, from Glasgow, are accused of singing the song on August 3, at the first game of the season against Ross County. Robertson faces a further charge, with Gallacher, of singing at a home game on August 24 against Inverness Caledonian Thistle. http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland/top-stories/green-brigade-members-face-trial-over-ira-song-1-3425725?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed#.U4YbYHbl5sg.twitter
