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http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/rangerscomment/mccoist-set-to-face-the-music-but-rangers-fans-will-have-little-to-192156n.114751404? McCoist set to face the music but Rangers fans will have little to sing about AND now the end is near ... Christopher Jack Sports Journalist Wednesday 17/12/2014 and so he faces the final curtain.. Ally McCoist likened his appointment as Rangers manager to taking over the mic from Frank Sinatra. Today, he will face the music. McCoist has taken the blows and did it his way at Ibrox, but his time in the spotlight is coming to an end, and he will soon exit the stage. Whether it comes in the aftermath of his meeting with Derek Llambias and Sandy Easdale today, at the end of the season or in 12 months' time, the day when McCoist is no longer Rangers manger is approaching. Like all matters at Ibrox in recent years, money is at the heart of the matter and the crux of the discussions. McCoist is due several hundred thousand pounds if the board wish to dispense with his services before the end of his notice period, but with an £8million black hole in their finances, they seemingly have no way to pay the 52-year-old off. He will leave with a cheque, but there is unlikely to be a thank you for his efforts. Whatever figure is settled on, McCoist will be due every penny for what he has done for Rangers, the fights he has had to fight, the controversies and characters he has had to deal with and overcome. However a deal is struck, whether it is in cash now or later or even shares, it will be a fraction of the multi-million burn that has seen Rangers blow their chance of financial stability and a platform, on and off the field, to go on and establish themselves at the top of Scottish football once again. It is only a matter of time before the most remarkable managerial reign in Rangers' illustrious history comes to an end - but it will solve few problems. McCoist's abilities as a coach and tactician have been called into question for some time. The argument for not having him as manager can be fairly easily made and stacked up and many fans will be pleased there will be new methods on the training pitch at Murray Park and instructions from the Ibrox dugout. Against a different backdrop, he probably wouldn't have lasted as long. But McCoist's ethos and approach to the game, the failings of his side and embarrassing results, are not Rangers' biggest problems. Defeats to Hearts, Alloa and Queen of the South have piled the pressure on his shoulders but football, even with the Premiership in sight, is of secondary importance once more. The heart and soul of Rangers is up for grabs. The proud, distinguished club, Scotland's most successful, is a shadow of its former self and another cornerstone is about to be removed when McCoist departs. There is a different feel around Rangers these days as supporters, battle-scarred and weary, turn their back on the club in their thousands. Familiar faces have gone, standards have fallen and bonds have been broken. Where past generations could put their faith in Bill Struth, Willie Waddell or Walter Smith, the fans of today have a far different proposition. Some of those who have made their way up the marble staircase in recent years and do so today are not of the same calibre. They don't appear to hold the same values or share the love of, and commitment to, the club. Fans may not want McCoist the football man, but they need McCoist the Ranger. His rallying cry of 'we don't do walking away' during the dark days of February 2012, became the motto of Rangers' fight for survival and his most famous soundbite. McCoist may leave the club, but it won't signal the end of his service as he goes back to simply being a fan, and surely a concerned one at that. His departure will be welcomed by those whose only focus is football, but some fans will once again miss the big picture. Having fought so hard to save the club, his club, during its fight for survival, and been instrumental in the battle to retain their titles, McCoist has seen the face of Rangers change significantly in the last couple of years. Colleagues have been punted out the back door in a bid to save thousands of pounds while millions are haemorrhaged through bad business decisions and 'onerous' contracts. Friends have lost their jobs just weeks before Christmas, and left the club without the golden handshakes awarded to so many who have given nowhere near the same level of service. It should serve as a warning of what has been and what is coming that McCoist feels he is now better off out of Ibrox. There may be better people available to manage the team, but there is nobody better than him to manage the club. McCoist will become the third Light Blue legend to say enough is enough at Rangers. John Greig continues to stay away from the club, as does Smith, and McCoist has now decided he doesn't like what he sees behind the famous red brick facade. Smith removed himself from a 'highly dysfunctional environment' when he stepped down as chairman in August 2013, yet there has been little progress made since then to resolve the myriad of issues facing the club. The faces in the boardroom may have changed but the problems remain, the questions stay unanswered and the fears are very much justified. McCoist's decision to step down should set alarm bells ringing once again. The savage cuts, the headlines, the in-fighting and politics have taken their toll. In truth, he is probably better off out of the place. But Rangers will not be in a better place with him out of there. With McCoist gone, who do the fans turn to and put their faith in? Who can they be sure is acting in the best interests of Rangers? Would they trust Easdale, chairman of the football board, to hand-pick the right man to lead the club back to the Premiership and oversee that journey? Or would they rather Mike Ashley, the man who has bulldozed his way to control and has the club's merchandise channels tied down in his favour, continue to call the shots from afar? Whoever has the final say, the outcome for McCoist will be the same and the future for Rangers will be uncertain. There will surely be few fans who will be glad to see the back of McCoist, the man they remember as a nine-in-a-row hero, their record goalscorer, Super Ally. He has been let down by a series of chairmen and chief executives, seen promises made and broken. He has been let down by too many of his players, with performances abject and faith not repaid on the pitch. He deserves better than the hat-trick being completed with the fans letting him down and deserting him at the end, too. -
International Football Club plc ("Rangers" or the "Company") Scottish Professional Football League Limited ("SPFL") Claim. The board of the SPFL has determined that Rangers Football Club Limited (the "Club") is liable to pay the EBT Commission fine of £250,000 levied on RFC 2012 PLC (previously The Rangers Football Club plc) (in liquidation) The SPFL has also decided that this sum will be recovered from the Club by the SPFL withholding broadcasting money and other sums due to the Club but which are paid in the first instance to the SPFL. An appeal has been lodged with the Judicial Panel of the Scottish FA which has confirmed that the decision of the SPFL is suspended pending the outcome of the appeal subject to the SPFL's right to object. The Board is advised that the sum is not due to SPFL and the appeal will be pursued vigorously.
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According to K.Jackson on twitter Told to expect a 7am klaxon.
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we have added some new players to the fernando game
Stonefield_Tavern posted a topic in Rangers Chat
we have now added, k perez ,zenden,and bosvelt. to the away team , and t buffel to the home team, -
http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12183967.html Who in the name of hell thought up this idea ? Put in your notice and receive a significant increase in salary ?
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CRAIG Whyte last night protested his innocence of fraud charges over his Rangers takeover and revealed: “I sleep well at night.” Former owner Whyte, who is accused of swindling his way to power at Ibrox, vowed he will clear his name. But as he lifted the lid on his dramatic arrest in Mexico last month, he insisted he has no fear of prison. Whyte, 43, said: “These are huge issues and I don’t take any of it lightly. I always sleep well at night. “I know that I have done absolutely nothing wrong. Over the last six months, I don’t think it has been very difficult. “But if you asked me over the last month, I would say it hasn’t been very pleasant in lots of ways.” Whyte, who plunged Gers into administration during his controversial reign, faces jail time if he is convicted of serious charges. He said: “It wouldn’t be very nice but it doesn’t frighten me. “It’s not something I would wish on anybody but I hope that it doesn’t come to that. “It’s too early to be thinking like that, I’m positive. “I’m not going to mope around and think of the worst things that could happen to me because that’s not the way to live.” The businessman, from Motherwell, blasted prosecutors and cops over his nicking in Mexico City minutes after landing on a flight from Japan. And he branded news reports following his arrest as “bollocks”. He said: “I agreed to surrender on December 8 so I was taken by surprise to be detained in Mexico. “In my view the Crown Office and the police did that for the publicity — there was no extradition. “I want to get across all the bollocks that’s been written in the last couple of weeks. “I came back here voluntarily, I have co-operated with prosecutors for the last two years and they have still not asked me a question.” He had on the same smart grey coat he wore when he ran a gauntlet of angry Light Blues fans outside Glasgow Sheriff Court in November. And Whyte, sporting the floppy hairdo and beard that are his new trademark, revealed he has no plans to invest in football again. As he tucked into a burger lunch at a swanky hotel restaurant, tanned Whyte said: “I don’t regret doing it because I think you regret the things you don’t do — but I wouldn’t do it again. “Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I wouldn’t be rushing to do a football deal again.” The tycoon, once based in Monaco, became a hate figure among supporters after taking Gers into administration as they tumbled from top-flight football to Division Three. The club was later liquidated, sparking an exodus of top players. He claimed Rangers would have gone under sooner had it not been for his takeover in 2011. He went on: “I never asked for any of it. I’m a private, low-key kind of guy, not at all suited to being involved in a football club. “What everyone forgets is I’m the only person in recent years who hasn’t taken a penny out of Rangers. “Even these current charges, I don’t think I’m accused of taking any money out of Rangers. “I bought a company that was bankrupt for £1. Rangers were already completely bankrupt at the time when I got involved. “All I did was step in to try to rescue a situation that was already way beyond. It was my intention to take it forward as a business and not to see it in the sorry state it is in at the moment.” Asked what went wrong, he said: “Champions League would have been a bonus but if Rangers had got into the Europa League they would not have gone into administration that season.” Whyte reckons only someone with £100 million to chuck at the club could have done a better job than him — and that administration was on the cards before he bought out Sir David Murray. He said: “Given the set of circumstances, it’s difficult for anyone to do unless they were willing to chuck £100 million and make sure they bought the players to get results in Europe and so on. Rangers would have gone into administration, before I came along, they were taking insolvency advice. “Absolutely, no doubt about it. Probably sooner.” Whyte, banned from Scottish football for life in 2012, reckons his relationship with Gers supporters is broken forever but he is just as hurt by the club’s fate. And he believes nothing he could say to the Ibrox faithful could shake his bogey man image. He said: “I’m not angry, you have to play the hand that you are dealt but disappointed is a fair comment. “I’m a Rangers fan myself, my family are Rangers fans. “They have every right to be angry but there is nothing I’m going to say that will make any difference about their anger so it’s pointless trying to have that conversation.” Asked if he thinks there is any chance of the Rangers fans changing their minds about him he added: “You can never say never because never is a long time. Hopefully when the facts come out, and they will in this process, people might form a different view. “There are complex issues but things will come to light that will be explosive in many ways.” He admits none of the turmoil he now faces was expected when he took over the reins but says the mistrust among fans is “entirely unfair”. Whyte added: “Anyone who deals with me and has known me knows that’s not the person they recognise. It’s not a fair reflection of who I am. “I think the average fan, and I don’t want to be patronising here, but they don’t understand the complexities of everything that has been going on. Of course, I sympathise with them.” Before his first court appearance, Whyte hadn’t been seen in Scotland for a year since he gave evidence at Inverness Sheriff Court at the trial of two former workers at his castle home near Grantown-on-Spey, Moray. In September the bank repossessed it after he failed to keep up with remortgage payments. Whyte said: “It was a pain in the arse to be honest. It was empty 90 per cent of the time. “It was just a pile of bills with no benefits. I don’t regret losing it.” He was also hit with a 15-year ban from running a company at the Court of Session. He said: “I didn’t defend it. Partially because I didn’t know about it — they didn’t serve any papers. “Secondly it’s not safe to go to trial in Edinburgh every day and thirdly because it has to be funded at the cost of several hundred thousand pounds.” http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/6181247/Whyte-Ive-no-regrets.html?teaser=true
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Being reported that the board and legal team will meet with McCoist and his legal team on Wednesday. Could be out before agm? Billy Davis anyone? From The Mail on Sunday.
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I remember seeing Ally playing for Kilmarnock at the end of his career. He broke his leg trying to get on the end of a cross into the box somehow - I don't really remember all the details. What I do remember is Ally trying to get onto the end of the cross despite his leg hanging off. It was instinctive, deep rooted, a refusal to give up. Today's announcement was a surprise with this in mind. I don't take Ally for a quitter, still don't. I think Ally was doing the equivalent of 'going all in' at poker, despite not having the best hand, in the hope of facing down his critics. It is surely true that Ally still believes himself to still be the man to take Rangers back to the top flight. But is he? Let's go through some criticisms of him; Criticism 1- He has a vastly expensive squad, and should be doing better with them. The squad is expensive for a reason - Good players would not be willing to drop down three divisions into a football wilderness. To even sign average players, Rangers had to fork out multiples above true market value to attain them. Cue resentment. Criticism 2- He hasn't brought through young players. He could have done better, but currently 30% of the squad are from the youth set up, and do contain some potential in McLeod and Aird. This is a better performance and ratio than celtic, who only have McGregor and Forrest from their youth set up, and Forrest has been on the scene for a few years now. Criticism 3- He is only in it for the money. I just don't buy this. This has been used constantly to smear him. I'm sure Ally could pick up his £20,000 per episode buy out for Question of Sport if he desired again. He is unquestionably the highest paid manager in Scotland, which in the current financial climate is madness. However, this is a matter for the ranger's financial controller to decide. Ally to his credit has already offered to take a wage cut, even if temporary. To put it into perspective, peter lawwel is reputed to be on close to 50% more at celtic. Criticism 4- 'We won't get promoted with Ally in charge I think the collective bottle of the support has gone rather than Ally's bottle. You are half way through December. Hearts are no great shakes and I fully expect them to start dropping points. Once they do, they may find it difficult to push forward again. In the two games v Rangers (and against Hibs), Hearts rode their luck. Is Craig Levein suddenly a football genius? The wheels will come off soon. Also, as proven against a few SPFL teams, Ally can set up his teams to beat them. The play offs if needed, will be negotiated by Ally. St Mirren / Ross County?? Come on. Hibs are your worry. Criticism 5- Players are regressing Yes, and this is to be expected. If barca had spent two and a half years playing garbage week in week out, we'd be saying how Messi was going backwards.. Two years of non competitive action blunts the sword. However, some evidence suggests he is improving young players like Mcleod, and whipping boy Aird. Criticism 6- He has been a lackey for Green, Whyte etc. Let's be clear - rangers would have had titles unfairly stripped off them if it wasn't for Ally. Ally is one of the most important people in your history - he was the one who kept going when the Goughs, Smiths, Fergusons of the world had written rangers off as dead. Ally kept pumping the heart until the pulse appeared again. Yet it is derided as a selfish act for financial gain. Jesus wept. Green hates him. This is 'a good sign'. Criticism 7- He plays hoof ball. True, and it looks very 20th century. However Ally will see it as a percentage tactic on poor pitches. Jury out on it's effectiveness. We can't expect tiki taka from any Scottish team let alone championship teams. And tbh, the SPFL looks absolutely garbage. John Greig's teams would be running riot in it I suspect. Criticism 8- He looks clueless / I hate his face etc Personal abuse helps no one, and rangers fans are particularly vociferous I'm sure a lot of you will agree. It's like keying your own car. We all know support will produce better results than personal abuse. Criticism 9- His cup performances. Could be better (ask neil Lennon /any Hibs manager /Davie Smith), but seriously, getting outraged by losing in the Petrofac cup or whatever it's called- you should be thankful your name isn't on that embarrassment of a cup. Cup football is unforgiving, but the league is all that really matters. Plus, he has done a couple of top flight teams IIRC. I'd say the Rangers support has to give Ally the benefit of the doubt and allow him to get on with his very specific goal - getting Rangers back into the SPFL. He has earned this. You may be slightly off- course at the moment, but with 4 months left, Ally should have the full support of the fans. He is the last 'Rangers man' in the building - do you really want to chase him?
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Just been interviewed on Sky Sports News there. To quote - 100% committed. 100% will be in charge next week v Livi Got a job to do, to get back into the top flight Going nowhere So God knows what happened earlier today. Almost as if Ally knew nothing about it.
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Dear Ally You are a disgrace, an utter embarrassment. You are the highest paid manager in Scottish football and easily the worst. Once you were a legend but now you just disgust me. I long for you leaving us more and more as each depressing day goes on. You said you will not walk away, perhaps that was because of your obscene wages and the penny shares that have seen you makes millions as we trudge through mud in our destitute state. I find it hard to distinguish between you and all the rest of them, particularly given the fact that you alone are to blame for the horrific football we have put up with for years and the string of embarrassing failures. I never wanted you as manager because I wanted us to take a progressive, modern approach to football and then you failed in four matches against Malmo and Maribor. It was clear from then that you didn't belong in football management. I find you an embarrassing character riddled with delusion that doesn't have the merest notion of reality. If you had on honorable bone in your body you would resign without the pay off. You have got off with daylight robbery here. 12 points behind - surely even you have the decency to disappear. I hope the next time you attend Ibrox you pay at the gate and never get on our payroll again. Regards Ser Barristan Selmy
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Ashley wants us to "celebrate" reaching the semi of a diddy cup we've won many times. New from Sports Direct = a commemorative semi-final T-shit. £8 and it yours, What a total effing embarrassment . Hopefully no-one buys it - of course, if they don't we'll have to pay him even more (and he'll have to loan us the money secured on something to do so) and be left with even more unsold tat in our basement. What next - a commemorative cup, a DVD of how we got there, half and half semi final scarves, a book on our Petrowhatever Cup run? PS Sorry for missing "h" in title. Perhaps a boy stole it?
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...At Hampden today. Fee yet to be confirmed.
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Reading McMurdos Blog today, even he knows Ashley will not invest. ''Rangers are sick at heart. The answer is a strong leader but there is no-one on the horizon who fills that role. Everyone involved is hanging on to their own sphere of power and influence at the club. There is no Willie Waddell, no Bill Struth or Jock Wallace to rally the Ibrox battallions and have them face the same way instead of train their guns at each other. Yes, there is Mike Ashley. I am confident that he will step forward and provide both leadership and funding to steer Rangers away from the rocks and back to ruling the seas. But in all honesty I have to say that the margins are so fine at this very critical juncture that he might do so just too late to prevent a shipwreck. And let there be no doubt – what’s left of Scottish football will drown in the wake." https://billmcmurdo.wordpress.com
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Suppose we find one point four million in a drawer at ibrox and wield the axe who should be our next manager and who should be his assistants . and who among the current squad would you like to see go in the January transfer window
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ALLY McCoist has asked Rangers fans to continue with their exceptional support this weekend as the Light Blues take on the Blue Brazil. The manager asked the Light Blues faithful to get behind the team to try and lift them to a crucial league win over Cowdenbeath. Rangers meet Jimmy Nichol’s men tomorrow, who have lost four out of their last five league games. The last time Cowden came to Ibrox was back in 1991, in the Scottish Cup, with Gers winning 5-0 – a result fans would welcome again. McCoist thinks those fans support has been unrivalled and wants them to continue to get behind the team at an important time of the season. McCoist said: “I ask the fans for a continued support for the team, that’s all we can ask for. “The club has gone through a very difficult period in the last three or four years and their support has been invaluable and fantastic. All I would ask is that they look at the bigger picture and the bigger picture is that the team definitely needs their continued support. “I can assure the supporters I will be doing my level best to turn Wednesday’s performance around and get back into winning habits and get three points against Cowdenbeath. “There has been a lot of discontent and unhappiness particularly with Wednesday’s result. I totally understand and respect that but you always get a reaction, particularly from poorer results. “It’s up to ourselves to get the balance right, we got a good result on Sunday beating Kilmarnock 3-0, and we can’t get carried away. “We’re extremely disappointed and shocked at the last 20 minutes on Wednesday. But we have to find a middle ground on both results and not lose the focus.” The manager has demanded focus from his men and despite a poor result against Alloa on Wednesday night he insists he won’t make wholesale changes to his starting up. He will stick with a similar team to the one that beat top flight Kilmarnock only five days ago. Injuries to Lewis Macleod and Lee Wallace mean they will be missing for the Championship clash. Speaking of his team McCoist said: “I wouldn’t have thought I’ll make big changes to my team tomorrow - there will be no knee jerk reactions to a really disappointing result. “We’ll train today and see how people perform in training and see how the lads have come through training tomorrow and they make a decision on the team. “We’ve got a job to do, the job is to get the team back to the topflight and back to where we think we belong. “That hasn’t altered at all and nor has my focus, we’re always aware that it would certainly be a bumpy ride with a lot of hiccups along the way – that would still be the case. “We can’t allow ourselves to get away from the focus of getting back to the top flight." http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/8213-back-the-team
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LEAGUE bosses could rake in over £1million if Rangers finish in the Championship play-off zone, it has emerged. Ally McCoist's side are nine points adrift of league leaders Hearts and, while they still have their sights set on the title and guaranteed promotion, the Light Blues may have to settle for a second shot at securing a step-up. But under a controversial SPFL rule, half of the gate money from play-off ties is retained by the league body. And that could prove very lucrative for the Hampden hierarchy if Rangers fans flock to see their team's bid to win a top-flight place. Should the Gers finish in second spot in the Championship, they'd have to play home-and-away ties against the winner of the match-up between the third and fourth-placed teams. If successful, they would face another two-legged tie against the side that finishes second-bottom in the Premiership. That would mean half of the proceeds from what could be two 50,000 crowds going to the SPFL, rather than the home teams keeping the full amount. Potentially, that would give a £1m boost to the Hampden coffers rather than those of cash-strapped Rangers. And should McCoist's men finish in third or fourth place, another tranche of money would require to be handed over from the first round of play-off games, which could take the total to over £1.5m. Queen of the South, Falkirk, Hamilton and Hibernian were victims of the rule last season but the biggest gate was the 18,031 crowd at Easter Road when Accies relegated the Edinburgh side. The other five games in the play-offs attracted an average of just over 4100 fans. A source at one of the clubs said: "We tried to raise issues surrounding this rule last season but nobody was interested. "It will be interesting to see what the reaction will be if the funds involved become far more substantial." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/spfl-could-get-1m-boost-if-rangers-are-in-play-offs-190976n.26017800
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UoF Statement on Retail Deal - 75p in every £10 goes to club "Since the release of the accounts for RIFC PLC, the focus has rightly been on the almost immediate requirement for more cash simply to pay bills and also the board’s wish to raise £8m in equity finance despite recently turning down a valid, fully funded offer for £16m. However, having had the accounts analysed by qualified accountants, we feel it is important to bring Rangers fans' attention to the absolutely disgraceful reality of the retail deal which has been entered into with Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct. We have become accustomed to David Somers', Comical Ali style proclamations about our club. He stated recently that Rangers "make quite a lot of money" from the Sports Direct deal but that is not how the accounts read in our analysis. In fact, despite the loyalty of the Rangers fans seeing £7.6m spent on retail in the year covered by the accounts, the club's share of that spending is a paltry £590k. That means that for every £10 spent by Rangers fans on merchandise, the club receives only around 75p. The accounts also reveal that Rangers Retail has an obligation to purchase stock at a higher price than it is able to be sold at. In the second half of the year covered by the accounts it appears that the portion of profit due to the club is an unbelievable £2k. For comparative purposes, the much maligned JJB agreement, our previous retail deal, made the club a minimum of £4.8m a year over the term of the deal, over 8x the amount we are making from Sports Direct. Crucially, it is also not clear whether the club has yet received a penny of the £590k it is due or whether it is still retained within Rangers Retail. Indeed, from inception it would appear that the club has only received £100k in dividends from the venture with Sports Direct. Mr Ashley has loaned money to strengthen his stranglehold over our commercial operations, whilst funds due to the club through Rangers Retail, over which Sports Direct has effective control, are retained. We have always feared that the deal Charles Green did with Sports Direct was dreadful for Rangers. Mr Somers' ridiculous defence of it, on behalf of this discredited and incompetent board, can be added to the list of reasons why he, the Easdale brothers, Norman Crighton and Derek Llambias are rightly distrusted by the vast majority of our fans. In light of the information revealed in the accounts we urge fans to stop buying merchandise from club stores, which are now under Mr Ashley’s full control or being shut down, and Sports Direct. Your loyalty is being abused and the club is not benefiting from the money you are pouring into Mr Ashley's pockets."
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The Blue shirt is here! From the same team that brought your the Red and Black shirt and the Fernando shirt. Due to popular demand we have taken the decision to produce a shirt in blue in time for Christmas. The shirt is produced on a Nike base with the Lion proudly emblazoned on the breast. We have 500 in stock and ready to roll in time for Christmas. Each buying option online is linked to a stock control system which means we can’t oversell a size. You can buy safe in the knowledge that every penny of profit will go to buying a shares stake for fans in the club. For overseas purchasers - click on the button where it says UK £32.74 and a drop-down menu will appear with the various delivery zone options. The shirts are available from http://www.TheLionBrand.co.uk
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...for Rangers chairman David Somers. IBROX board have just three weeks to sort the mess ahead of another explosive agm. THREE weeks today the directors of Rangers International Football Club PLC will shuffle out on to a purpose built stage in the main stand at Ibrox and attempt to justify their existence to the club’s shareholders. It promises to be quite something. They’ll be instantly recognisable of course, not just by the colour of their brogues but also by the red necks which have become every bit as standard issue for those who make it their business to step through this boardroom’s relentlessly whirling revolving doors. If executive chairman David Somers and his cohorts – Derek Llambias, James Easdale and Norman Crighton – needed any reminding of the consequences of the current situation then they needed only to look up from the posh seats yesterday and take in the sights and echoey sounds of an eerily-deserted stadium. If they did, the first thing they’d have noticed was that Sports Direct has a sale on. Not just any sale either, a ‘Cyber Weekend Event’ offering 20 per cent off everything until midnight tonight. Yes, at a time when Rangers are crippled with uncertainty, one thing is absolutely sure – come hell or high water, Mike Ashley will get his money’s worth from these drip-feed loans which are just about covering the costs of keeping this ailing club on life support. Ashley may have relinquished the naming rights for Ibrox but this barrage of LCD screen advertising for his high street store shows it’s now the Sports Direct Arena in all but name in any case. But all that aside, behind those garish hoardings, the day’s real message could be found in the shape of thousands upon thousands of empty blue seats. Almost 38,000 of them in total. If Somers and his gang have any sense of common decency then they ought to have felt thoroughly ashamed of themselves for allowing such a vast disconnect to occur on their watch. Yes, there is Christmas shopping to be done, the game was beamed out live on Sky TV and Scottish Cup ties are not included on season books but even though there are some mitigating factors behind yesterday’s stayaways, the truth is huge sections of the support have had just about all they can stomach of their own club. And, in all honesty, who can really blame them? If they are not turning on their TV to see familiar faces from their recent past being frogmarched from court buildings they are picking up newspapers to read about the present state of the club’s accounts, which with losses north of £8million do not paint a pretty picture either. For many of these fans the football has become almost irrelevant although it should be noted there will also have been some who stayed at home yesterday because, on the park, Rangers haven’t been much to look at either. It was with a heavy sense of irony then that Ally McCoist’s players chose to turn in the kind of performance of which they ought to be capable of on a far more regular basis. McCoist badly needed yesterday’s result but it was the way in which Rangers went about their business in this 3-0 win which will have bought him the most respite. The same cannot be said of the directors who’ll be shoved out to face the music on December 22 and who will find themselves with some serious explaining to do after publishing their latest set of numbers. One year ago chairman Somers stood on that same platform and promised better times ahead for this club after seeing off an attempted boardroom coup. Graham Wallace, who had only just been appointed to the role of chief executive, also attempted to placate shareholders and reassure them the club was no longer in any imminent danger. Yet two weeks later he was scrimping around looking for emergency loans which were needed just to meet February’s payroll. Wallace also spoke disapprovingly of the grotesque bonus culture which had been allowed to thrive inside Ibrox before his arrival. He won’t be available to answer questions this time though, having recently departed from his office complete with a bulging £160,000 bonus and an equally impressive £100,000 pay-off which secured his silence. Last week’s accounts showed just less than £1.5m was paid out to directors in the past year which just goes to show that the more this mess changes, the more it stays the same. The difference, one year on, is that Rangers fans are now disengaging in substantial numbers. And yet there won’t be a spare seat in the house when the directors are rolled back out onto centre stage because there are a great many questions which will require answering, not least how exactly they plan to fill the £8m hole in next year’s accounts. With crowds dropping and Ashley in control of retail and trackside advertising, it’s difficult to see any reason for this board’s eternal optimism. Somers may well be sticking to his ‘it will all work out for the best’ mantra but auditors Delloite are so far from convinced that they marked off the latest accounts with yet another flashing red light over the club’s ability to continue trading as a going concern. A personal guarantee from Ashley would have gone a long way to soothing their concerns but there is no indication he has any intention of throwing any more of his millions into the Ibrox blackhole. And no suggestion he would be willing to underwrite the next share issue which will be scrambled into action as early as possible in the New Year. They need to raise £8m this time around having only just failed to hit a target of half that amount about 10 minutes ago – while turning down the offer of a £16m funding package from Dave King’s consortium and also blocking Brian Kennedy from lending them £3m in favour of £2m from Ashley, which quickly became £3m when the first handout was spent. On top of all this, the club’s financially troubled nominated adviser, brokers Daniel Stewart (brought to the club by Charles Green), announced last week that from December 12 they’ll no longer be licensed to operate, which means another Nomad will have to be engaged ahead of this month’s AGM. And all of this played out against a backdrop of criminal proceedings and fraud charges? This board has only three weeks to get a handle on it all and then to try to convince their own shareholders they are in control of it. It promises to be quite something all right. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/keith-jackson-empty-bank-account-4725548 -
It is utterly ridiculous that Rangers have not yet announced the full results of the RFB Office Bearers Election. This is not private or confidential information; it should have been made public at the first opportunity. In most any other election the results would have be announced immediately after the count. Failing to declare the results immediately can only lead to unnecessary suspicion and speculation. Rangers could and should have posted the full results around 7.00pm last Wednesday or at the very latest first thing on Thursday morning. The Election preceded the Meeting, so whilst the results might be included in the Minutes for completeness, strictly speaking they are not part of the Minutes of the Meeting; so there should be no need to wait for the Minutes to be published to announce the results. The Board members have been gagged and those I have spoken to are rightly concerned that if they spill the beans the same fate might befall them as befell me. Fortunately, however, I have other sources. So in addition to Gary Gillan being elected unopposed (by me or anyone else) as Secretary; I can now reveal that Tom Clements comfortably defeated Alan Fraser for Chair and Christine Murdoch won the 3-horse race for Vice Chair by a short head from Zia Islam and William Gillan. -
Note that in two or more countries Whyte "had no fondness for the people". Must have failed to reach his loft ethical standards, eh? Note also France...Chateau Green perchance? or Chateau Murray.... ------------ FRAUD suspect Craig Whyte spent time in the Balkans this year as prosecutors built a case against him. Whyte has moved from country to country since his involvement with Rangers ended in disaster. We can reveal the list of countries where he spent time since then ranges from Europe to the Far East and central America. Whyte was arrested after arriving in the UK on Friday from Mexico where he had been detained. He had flown into the central American country from Japan en route to Costa Rica where he formerly lived and where one of his three children was born. We can also reveal his Swedish girlfriend – with whom Whyte is reported to have had a relationship since splitting from wife Kim – has not seen or heard from him for almost two years. A source told the Sunday Mail: “In the last couple of years Craig Whyte is believed to have been in Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico, France and Japan. “There may be others. He has connections with central America going back over a decade when he stayed there after getting married in Florida. “He didn’t really like it in Costa Rica. There were connections with Panama and Mexico as well. But he just didn’t like that part of the world and had no fondness for the people. “He’s not been in Monaco since his dealings with Rangers made the headlines. The authorities in Monte Carlo don’t care for negative publicity. “This year alone he has been in Albania, Croatia and Montenegro, moving from country to country, and has also popped up in France.” Whyte was detained by Mexican authorities on Thursday after flying in from Japan where a passport check flagged up the warrant out against him. It’s believed Whyte travelled alone for much of the past two years after Swede Izabella Andersson confirmed that their relationship had ended. Izabella, who has links with Monaco and London, told us last week: “I haven’t seen or heard from Craig Whyte since January 2013.” Whyte bought Castle Grant, near Grantown-on-Spey, for £800,000 in 2006 with a 110 per cent mortgage but it was repossessed in April after he failed to pay the £7000-a-month fees. He took control of Rangers in May 2011 but they went into administration the following February. He was released on bail after a court appearance on Friday over his allegedly fraudulent takeover of the Ibrox club. Whyte, 43, was granted bail by Glasgow Sheriff Andrew Normand after a 45-minute hearing held in private. He is due in court again next week. He is accused of funding his Ibrox takeover by selling off season tickets and pretending to then owner Sir David Murray the cash was his own. He’s also accused of failing to pay VAT and National Insurance which led to Rangers going into administration. Four other men have already appeared in court charged with fraudulent activity following the investigation into the sale of Rangers. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/albania-panama-reveal-travels-craig-4721957 A second arrest warrant was issued for Whyte earlier this month after he failed to attend a hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London in a separate case.
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Union Bears As you will know, the group took the very difficult decision back in May not to renew our season tickets due to the selfish, malicious and borderline illegal actions of our club’s current and previous incumbents. This was a decision echoed by nearly 15000 season ticket holders and the crowds at Ibrox so far this season have reflected the feeling of many Rangers supporters. We watched with hope and expectation as Dave King submitted his £16 million offer of funding in exchange for a majority stake in the club. We then watched with resignation but not shock as Mike Ashley and his friends within the Board room blocked this move and instead pushed through Ashley’s £2 million emergency loan secured against Rangers assets and on the premise of complete Board control. Like all other supporters, we wanted a clean break from people like Charles Green and his murky investors, but it is clear this isn't going to happen. It therefore brings us to a crossroads, as a group and as individuals. Mike Ashley has his grip firmly on the throat of our beloved club and nothing and nobody will make him remove it, as has been demonstrated in his time in charge of Newcastle Utd. It has thrown up a pertinent question which must be answered by not only us but every Rangers fan. Do we maintain our boycott for potentially years in the hope that someone saves us? Or do we elect to support the team on the park and explore other ways of enforcing change at Rangers? After much discussion we have elected to follow the latter path. As of 03/01/2015 we will be returning to the stands on a permanent basis. This is not a gesture of support for those now in charge of our club, nor is it an admission of defeat. It is simply a change of tactic. As a passionate group of supporters whose best attributes lie in what we achieve in and around the stadium on a matchday, we feel hamstrung by our absence and therefore the group needs to go back to being present within Ibrox. We have tried to boycott, to fall in line with other fan groups who have done their level best to encourage change within the club. But in reality all that has taken place over these past few months is a strengthening of Mike Ashley, Sandy and James Easdale, David Somers and many others’ positions within Rangers. It’s the sorry truth. We would like to make it clear that we will not be attending the League Cup semi final as a group, and feel it would be wrong to take tickets ahead of fans who have been attending games on a weekly basis. As we won't be attending as a group, it will make it impossible for us to pull off a display. We would therefore ask all Rangers fans to do their bit by making our end as colourful as possible, with flags, banners, streamers and anything else they can. We will however be planning more displays between now and the end of the season, and look forward to bringing some noise and colour back to Ibrox. Although we return to Ibrox on a permanent basis we won’t be doing so as supporters of the regime. Yes our money will be going towards their bonuses and onerous contracts in the short term, but the Union Bears will throw our weight behind another path towards long term change and that is fan ownership, and more specifically Rangers First. Rangers First is a Community Interest Company which was established at the beginning of this year with very simple goals; to gather together the financial clout of the Rangers support, purchase shares in the club and ultimately put it back in the hands of those who matter. Rangers First already owns over 500’000 shares in RIFC (roughly 0.6%) without any real offline publicising. As a group we hope to support them in the ways that we do best as they move forward towards greater awareness and support for fan representation and ownership. Of course we urge all those who stood with us in BF1 over the years to ask themselves the same question we did and decide what the future holds for you with regards to match attendance. But we will not try and influence your decision in any way. It’s an individual’s choice to make. What we do urge every singly Rangers supporter to do is visit http://www.rangersfirst.org, learn about the initiative and sign up. Put the money you used to spend on Rangers merchandise and funding Ashley's empire of zero hour contracts into something worthwhile. The strength of our support should not be measured or remembered by how many of us turn up at Ibrox or elect to stay away in protest, but rather by the lengths we will go to right the wrongs of those before us and stand shoulder to shoulder with one common goal; delivering the Rangers we all deserve. We owe it our children and grandchildren. If you would like to join the group in BF1 for the second half of the season then please send the following details to transfers@unionbears.co.uk or as a message to the Union Bears Facebook page: Full Name: Address: Date Of Birth: Contact Number (Mobile & Landline): Rangers Number: Do you have a season ticket already? (Yes/No): Union Bears
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Presumably his passport has been taken away.
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http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/colin-duncan-fares-not-fair-4697316 "THE widespread condemnation which followed Wigan chairman Dave Whelan’s alleged racist and anti-Semitic outburst last week was understandable. His Alf Garnett-esque comments in the wake of appointing Malky Mackay manager added to the outrage . Mackay is subject to an FA probe, investigating texts and emails of a racist, sexist and homophobic nature. The anti-discriminatory bodies didn’t miss Whelan who could now find himself in the dock alongside his manager. Football Against Racism in Europe were among the many campaign groups who, quite rightly, took the pair to task. Yet where was the outcry from bodies such as FARE when this month Aleksandar Tonev was hit with a seven-game ban by the SFA for racist conduct? The Celtic midfielder was found guilty by an independent tribunal of abusing Aberdeen’s Shay Logan, reportedly calling him a “f*****g black c***.’ What happened to showing racism the red card? There was not so much as a yellow from their executive director Piara Powar who is also on FIFA’s anti-racism task force. Surely if you are the head of an organisation which vows to fight all forms of racism you cannot pick and choose which abhorrent acts to condemn. And while not for one minute playing down the severity of Mackay and Whelan referring to Chinese people as “Chinks” surely, on a sliding scale, calling a fellow professional a “black c***” is far more offensive? When John Terry and Luis Suarez were found guilty of similar racist offences Powar and his colleagues couldn’t have been any more critical. Yet not a word when Tonev was found guilty of “excessive misconduct by the use of offensive, insulting and abusive language of a racist nature”. Regardless of the fact no hard evidence was presented – it was one Aberdeen’s word against Celtic’s – the case against Tonev was proved. Last year former Rangers chief executive Charles Green was fined by the SFA for “offensive and racist comments” in an interview that referred to former Ibrox commercial director Imran Ahmad. Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths also has a racism charge hanging over his head after being caught on camera singing inappropriate songs along with fellow Hibs supporters. Again this seems unworthy of FARE’s intervention. Powar’s name may be familiar to Rangers fans as his organisation was forced to deny claims of a “deliberate and targeted campaign” against the Ibrox club three years ago. Rangers were disciplined, and correctly so, by UEFA after it emerged supporters sang sectarian songs during the home and away Europa League clashes with PSV Eindhoven. On both occasions they were reported on the basis of submissions from FARE, rather than the UEFA match delegate. At the time Powar said: “There are explicit suggestions emanating from Rangers FC of ‘a deliberate and targeted campaign against the club’. “The FARE network is focused only on our core mission of tackling discrimination in football and encouraging social inclusion through the game. We have no axe to grind with any club.” In 1999 Rangers defender Lorenzo Amoruso racially abused Nigerian striker Victor Ipkeba during a European clash with Borussia Dortmund. Again the incident was not included in the UEFA delegate’s report but Powar, then with anti-racism group Kick it Out, demanded it be investigated. Fast forward to 2013 and former Celtic player Paul Elliot had to resign from his positions within the FA and Kick it Out after he branded ex-Charlton defender Richard Rufus a “n****r” in a text conversation. Powar was quick to Elliot’s defence insisting: “I can understand the concern over the use of the n-word, whoever uses it, in whichever context. “However, I cannot accept it is racist to use it between two friends and business colleagues in a private text. “Racism and other forms of discrimination are not simply about words. It may be difficult for some to accept the difference between those words used with discriminatory intent and those that are not.” But when the League Managers Association misguidedly dismissed Mackay’s comments, which were also sent by text and email, as friendly banter Powar’s private text argument suddenly didn’t hold water. He tweeted: “Wow! The LMA defending the indefensible. Why would you put out something so utterly ridiculous? Because you haven’t a clue.” Now this is not about Rangers and Celtic but about what is fair and what isn’t. And when it comes to removing the ugly stain of racism it would seem FARE is not always FAIR"
