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Noticed this on FF, T4C also had a post on it last week I'm sure, QUESTIONS have been raised over Rangers' commercial deals as it emerged that Sports Direct, headed up by billionaire Mike Ashley, have had effective control of the club's retail operation for nearly two years. According to official documents, while Rangers Football Club Ltd have 51% of the joint venture and Sports Direct 49%, Ashley and Sports Direct have the upper hand. The Sunday Herald can reveal that the company rules for Rangers Retail Limited were changed in November 2012, three months after the joint venture was established. Rangers Retail's amended Articles of Association showed Sports Direct receive two votes for every share on "financial matters", ensuring Mr Ashley's company has effective control. When Rangers' joint venture with Sports Direct was confirmed by the club under then chief executive Charles Green in August 2012, it was promoted as enabling Rangers "to once again control its retail operation and give supporters the chance to buy direct from the club and in doing so, continue to invest in its future". At the time, there were no details of any money changing hands to seal the deal and details of how the club benefit have been sketchy. Rangers Retail run the club's entire retail operation, including the Rangers Megastore, and hold the rights under licence to the club's famous crests. Details of the terms of the joint venture between Sports Direct and The Rangers Football Club Ltd, the club's operating company headed by controversial chairman Sandy Easdale, came as supporters registered their disquiet over the acceptance of a £2 million emergency loan from Ashley amid unsubstantiated claims the business was days from insolvency. As working capital was running out, as of June, £2.72m relating to Rangers Retail was included in the £4.26m cash balances of parent company Rangers International Football Club plc. But, according to their accounts, this sum was "not immediately available as working capital to the group". Ashley has already bought the stadium naming rights, so far unused, for £1 in 2012. It is understood he has a deal for the operation of the club's shops and that he controls a portion of Rangers' revenue through that contract, which sees club merchandise sold in Sports Direct stores. According to Sports Direct's latest accounts, it has registered sales of £3.843m to Ashley-controlled Rangers Retail in the year to April 2014. Craig Houston, of the Sons of Struth supporters' group, said Ashley appeared to have control of every part of the money-making side of the club and has made it "unsellable". He said: "All a buyer seems to have is ticket sales and TV rights." The terms of Ashley's £2m emergency loan also gave him security over the Albion car park and Edmiston House facility next to Ibrox. Under the previous 10-year retail agreement with JJB struck by Sir David Murray in 2006, Rangers accepted an initial £18m from the sports firm, while it was also guaranteed a minimum royalty fee of £3m per year until 2016. As a result, JJB held exclusive rights to design, develop, source and retail merchandise associated with the club. http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/ashley-firm-had-financial-control-of-rangers-retail-2-years-ago.25756326

SUCH would be the frenzied hype surrounding the pairing of Celtic and Rangers in this evening’s League Cup semi-final draw, the fixture would hardly be in need of any sub-plots. But it will have one nonetheless, in the six-foot-four-inch form of Craig Gordon. The goalkeeper is currently revitalising his career in hugely impressive style for Celtic with a series of performances which have earned him a recall to the 
Scotland squad. The irony of the 31-year-old’s rebirth at Celtic, of course, comes in the fact it was conceived at the training base of their fallen Ibrox rivals. Gordon spent much of last season using the training and medical facilities at Murray Park while he sought to finally 
overcome a career-threatening knee injury. The former Hearts and Sunderland ’keeper admits he owes a debt of gratitude to Rangers for his successful rehabilitation and bears no grudges over their 
failure to offer him a playing contract, insisting they were right to strengthen other areas of their squad instead. “I think Rangers’ priorities lay elsewhere and in my view probably quite rightly so,” said 
Gordon. “That was their choice. They went the way they saw fit and personally I think they probably made the right decision. “I was there most of last season working with their physios and doctors and trying to get myself to a level of fitness where I could compete again and go back out and play. Thankfully, towards the end of the season, 
I managed to do that and then it was a case of trying to get myself a job. “The possibility of me joining Rangers was talked about but nothing was ever finalised or 
offered. Would I have signed for them? Who knows? Until it was presented to me, then I don’t know what I would have done. Going to Murray Park came through Jim Stewart who was my goalkeeping coach when I was 15 and signed my first 
contract at Hearts. “Jim worked very hard to get me my first contract and we obviously worked together at Scotland and at Hearts for a long time. We had that friendship and he wanted to try and help me get back to fitness. “There were no guarantees it would even work and that I’d get fit again. We said I’d give it a go and see what happened. Their help was invaluable. Without the Rangers physio Steve 
Walker, I might not be where I am right now. “They did help, undoubtedly, to get me to this point. I’ve 
spoken to the physio a couple of times but not that often and not that recently. Now being at the opposing club, it makes that a little bit more difficult but I’ll be forever grateful for the help he did provide. “I honestly don’t care who we get in the semi-final draw. I just want to try to win the League Cup with Celtic. It really makes no difference to me whatsoever. I understand the potential of an Old Firm match is a great 
talking point for everyone but we’ll see what the draw is and even then the semi-final is still a few months away. “It’s a fixture I’d like to experience at some point in my career and when it comes along, 
great. But until it happens, then it’s hypothetical. “I didn’t go into Murray Park trying to impress Rangers. I was probably quite selfish on my own part and just went in to try to help myself get back fit. Towards the end, I trained with some of the younger goalkeepers and maybe passed on a few tips and spoke to them but I was trying to get myself fit and that was it. “It’s difficult to be in a football club when you can’t train or take part in games. It can be quite a lonely place at times. If I could have got that level of expertise and facilities elsewhere, then I’d probably have stayed away and kept myself to myself until I felt ready to get back in. “I was out the game for two years and then a year at Rangers, the first six months of which was in the gym. Everyone was outside training and working away. There might have been one or two other injured lads but it’s not an easy thing to go through and mentally get 
yourself up for training when it’s only for yourself. “There wasn’t any money to be earned. It was just a question of whether I could get back to doing what I want to do. It feels good to be back at that level with Celtic and when you make a contribution to the team, it feels good. “It’s not just in training but when you go out and play games it gives you a sense of worth among your team-mates and they respect what you do and vice versa. It’s that sense of 
belonging to a team that you don’t get when you’re injured.” Gordon admits to both surprise and delight at the level he has returned to with Celtic, revealing at one point he was forced to contemplate an unlikely move across the Irish Sea. “I didn’t expect this to happen,” he added. “I didn’t even know where I’d fit back into football. I had teams on the phone from the Irish League and other part-time clubs. “I didn’t know how fit I was going to be. I didn’t know what level I’d be in terms of ability. That was something I had to prove to myself. If things hadn’t gone so well, even if I was fit, I might even have had to go part-time somewhere to get back in. “I didn’t have any targets. I just wanted to get fit and back into football and I’ve been fortunate to end up at a great club and my fitness is close to what it was before and I’ve managed to pick up where I left off. It all just 
fell into place that way, it wasn’t by design.” http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/craig-gordon-owes-his-resurgence-to-rangers-physio-1-3590830

Delighted by that... not. http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12133485.html PS: Apparently this is to oversee the appointment process of our new CEO. No laughing at the back.

Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whelan says Rangers fans should be wary of Mike Ashley because the owner of a club should always be a supporter. Ashley has a 10% stake in the Ibrox club but is widely regarded as being the most influential shareholder, having loaned the club £2m last week. "If I was [a Rangers fan] and a stranger from England started buying my club I'd be worried," said Whelan. "I'd ask myself 'Has he got Rangers Football Club at heart'?" Whelan had business dealings with Rangers in the past through JJB Sports. Ashley now has a retail deal of his own at Rangers through his Sports Direct brand. Whelan says any investment in football should be welcomed, but questions why the Newcastle owner is getting involved with the Ibrox side. "It's like me and Wigan Athletic, I am Wigan through and through and I'll do anything I can for them," he added. "It's that kind of owner that supporters want. Is Mike going to be like that? He's not been like that at Newcastle United and the Newcastle supporters are similar in a lot of ways to the Rangers supporters. I'm at a little bit of a loss and only time can answer it. "He got involved in Newcastle United and I was a bit surprised when I saw he had a big interest in Rangers. It's not for football, it's obviously something commercial. "Rangers are a massive club and have massive retail sales and the supporters really do buy the Rangers kit and they support that club through and through. Could it be something to do with that? It's a very strange one. "The one thing you've got to remember is Mike Ashley's a very very shrewd gentleman. He's not a real football man, he's the first to admit when I talk to Mike that he doesn't really understand the game." Whelan has no doubts about Ashley's abilities as a businessman, but remains bemused by the Englishman's desire to get involved in Scottish football. "[Mike Ashley] is a very nice guy, he's strictly honest," Whelan added. "I have dealt with him because he bought JJB from me. He's ruthless, yes, and you've got to be ruthless when you're in business like he is. "At Rangers I don't know what the big pull is because he can only own 10% I think. Can you run a club with only 10%? I don't think so. "Do the Rangers fans want him to buy that club and do they want him to be chairman? I have my doubts on that." There has been speculation that Ashley has increased his interest in Rangers in the hope of the club one day moving to the English Premier League, and that is a move Whelan would welcome. "It would great for the Premier League if they extended the league, don't put anybody out, and bring Celtic and Rangers in," he said. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29856804

Apparently voting is now open for your favoured candidate in each section's short leet. I'm not a member myself but I'm sure someone can post the full list here if possible. http://fansboard.rangers.co.uk/

ALLY MCCOIST considers what he interprets as the clamour for Rangers and Celtic to be drawn together in the League Cup later today to be proof of how much the Ibrox club have been missed by Scottish football’s top flight. The Ibrox manager was in impish form yesterday as he pondered the prospect of Rangers meeting with Celtic for the first time in nearly three years. The semi-final draw for the League Cup will be shown live this evening at 5:05pm on BBC 1 Scotland. Although Aberdeen and Dundee United make up the four teams involved, McCoist believes “everybody would look forward to the game” if Rangers and Celtic come out of the hat together. The clubs last met in April 2012, shortly before Rangers were forced to begin a trek back up the leagues after liquidation. McCoist has on several occasions talked of Rangers having to take their medicine. However, there is still clearly a sense of grievance being nursed by the Ibrox club. This was certainly discernible yesterday as McCoist claimed that few people would now argue the Ibrox club’s plight has not been detrimental to the Scottish game. “Gone are the days of this ‘we don’t need Rangers in the top flight’,” he said. “Sadly, because it’s too late, there is now a little bit of common sense being shown. It’s clear we do need Rangers, Hearts and Hibs in the top flight. “Gordon [strachan] is doing a fantastic job for the national team, but in the best interest of Scottish football we need our big clubs in the top flight. With Rangers being in the lower divisions there was clearly going to be no scope for an Old Firm game unless we drew each other in the cup. The majority of people, if we do draw each other, can actively look forward to an Old Firm game and I more than anyone can appreciate that.” “I’ve missed them and I think Scottish football has missed them,” he added. McCoist reckoned that “pig-headedness” would be behind some club officials involved in the events of 2012 refusing to acknowledge the damage caused to the game. During that bitter summer, Scottish Football Association chief executive Stewart Regan envisaged something he described as “Armageddon” for the Scottish game in the event of Rangers being voted out of the top flight. The other 11 then SPL clubs rejected Rangers’ application to rejoin the top tier by a unanimous majority. Later 29 of the 30 SFL clubs accepted Rangers as an associate member of the Scottish Football League but 25 voted for placing the newco club in the bottom tier, as opposed to the First Division. The Ibrox club started their journey back through the divisions with a 2-2 draw at Peterhead in August 2012. There has been no Old Firm clash since Rangers lost 3-0 to Neil Lennon’s Celtic side in April of the same year. The League Cup semi-finals are scheduled for the weekend of 31 January/1 February. “Knowing the pig-headedness of some of the people involved, no they won’t,” answered McCoist, when asked whether he felt some now regret how the the situation was handled. “But let’s be honest, was it for the greater good of Scottish football? Of course it wasn’t. It absolutely wasn’t. But we are where we are and things have happened. There is no use in looking back the way because we can’t change anything.” With his side having again made it into the last four of a national cup competition – they reached the Scottish Cup semi-final last season – McCoist clearly felt justified in adopting a pugnacious bearing. Rangers also currently sit in second place in the Championship and begin their latest Scottish Cup campaign away to Dumbarton in the third round this afternoon. He has, though, emerged from a week when his future was placed in question following the Rangers board’s acceptance of a £2 million emergency loan from Newcastle owner Mike Ashley. The decision led to the departure of one of McCoist’s chief allies in chief executive Graeme Wallace. Ashley’s increased influence led to the arrival of former Newcastle managing director Derek Llambias at Ibrox as a “football consultant”. McCoist said he had spoken to current executive chairman David Somers on Thursday and he had “kept him up to speed” about the changes on the board and the search for a new chief executive. He has not spoken with Ashley. But the manager seemed more vexed by the larger issue of the state of Scottish football. McCoist pointed to the thousands of empty seats at both Ibrox and Parkhead in midweek to illustrate how Rangers’ exile from the top tier has harmed the Scottish game. He proposed the notion that a Rangers v Celtic game would “fill the Maracana”. In contrast to comments made following his side’s victory over St Johnstone on Tuesday, McCoist appeared to will a clash with their rivals in the last four. In midweek he was quoted as saying he would prefer to avoid Celtic in tonight’s draw, comments that were interpreted in some quarters as Rangers running scared of Ronny Deila’s team. The Rangers manager welcomed the opportunity yesterday to clarify what he meant. “I need to explain myself because there have been one or two things written and said,” he said. “I am certainly not running scared or hiding behind the couch. I thought it was common sense what I was trying to say and I stand by that. “As everyone can see from the bookies, Celtic are 4/5 favourites, everybody else is 9/2,” he added. “Because the bookies are very rarely wrong I thought it was common sense that you’d like a shot at one of the teams at 9/2 in terms of enhancing your chances of making the final. There is no ‘I want to avoid Celtic at all costs’. That couldn’t be further from the truth.” Deila observed that Rangers were the weakest team left in the League Cup because they were the only non-top-flight side left in the competition. This comment, too, was given some consideration yesterday by McCoist. “I don’t necessarily agree with that but I can understand his point,” he said. “In normal circumstances he would be right. But in the last few years nothing has been what it seems in Scottish football. “You have three of the five biggest clubs in the country playing in the Championship. I understand Ronny but I don’t necessarily agree with him.” There was a glint in McCoist’s eye as he moved on to deal with John Guidetti’s comments after the Celtic striker scored three times in the 6-0 win over Partick Thistle. The on-loan Manchester City player was portrayed as issuing a brazen warning to Rangers, who he said were “going down” in the event of the teams meeting in the semi-final. McCoist noted his feat of scoring three times against Partick Thistle, who had defender Stuart Brannigan sent off just before half-time. He put Guidetti’s comments down to giddiness. “With the greatest of respect to John, I remember getting excited about my first hat-trick, but that was against 11 men,” smiled McCoist, who scored 28 hat-tricks for Rangers, the first coming in a League Cup final victory over Celtic at Hampden Park in 1984. “He’s entitled to his opinion and that’s the way it is. But maybe, just maybe, he’s got caught up in the excitement of scoring his first hat-trick for Celtic – which, of course, we congratulate him on.” http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/ally-mccoist-insists-the-top-flight-miss-rangers-1-3590826

http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/news/local/dundee/rangers-fans-fury-at-ibrox-disaster-tweet-1.653603

For clarification the offer has been made by Brian Kennedy. Unlike King's package it doesn't need shareholder support. Board approval enough Board were meeting this afternoon to discuss both options. As yet no word of decision being made. I understand Brian Kennedy has travelled to Glasgow this afternoon. RFC board meeting still on going....

Rangers director James Easdale has had his plush home targetted by vandals. The Ibrox shareholder, who sits as a director on the plc board, called in police after discovering graffiti on the wall of the property. It is understood the words "get out" were spray painted on an outside wall of his home in the Esplanade in Greenock this month. The Rangers board have come under increasing pressure in recent days as Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley increases his control over the Ibrox club. Rangers chief executive Graham Wallace and finance director Phillip Nash stepped down within days of each other as Ashley ally Derek Llambias was appointed a consultant at the club. No-one has yet been arrested in connection with the incident and police investigations are ongoing. James Easdale and brother Sandy own a around six per cent of the club's shareholding after buying into the newco in 2012. Sandy Easdale has voting rights over around 25% of the club's shares. The Easdales also own Greenock bus firm McGills as well as other businesses, including Clydebank Taxis. A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: "On October police officers responded to a complaint of vandalism at a property on the Esplanade in Greenock. "Inquiries into the incident are ongoing." http://m.stv.tv/news/west-central/297731-rangers-director-james-easdales-plush-home-targetted-by-vandals/

by Alex Oliver | Contributor Dave King’s statement tonight launched a scathing critique of what he believed to be obstructions in his attempt to seek control of Rangers Football Club. Something which jumped out at me more than anything was the following part: "...given the present concerns from supporters that Mr Ashley is using his shareholder status to put pressure on the board to alienate the rights and trade mark of the club in favour of his personal interest." It got me thinking, something in this area has changed since the beginning of the season. The observant will have noticed the 'scroll crest' has now taken precedence over the traditional 'Ready' crest. Given all that has gone on and various whispers of image rights and naming rights being sold for a pittance, it would surely be naïve to suggest that it is simply re-branding. I have collated several examples of where things have changed. CONTINUE READING... http://www.thecoplandroad.org/

According to the Press Association, he's flying up to Glasgow now. Not sure if he'll replace Nash or Wallace.

Ibrox PR guru Paul Tyrrell last night handed in his notice at the club and will follow Wallace and Philip Nash out of Rangers. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/rangers-boss-mccoist-open-to-summit-with-ex-newcastle-chief-llambias-186386n.25722024

Some words on recent events from yours truly via TRS: http://www.therangersstandard.co.uk/index.php/articles/current-affairs/330-the-fog-on-the-clyde

Apologies for posting but I would to mention a couple of things. If it is true that Rangers will not earn anything/negligible from merchandise, then surely it presents an opportunity for the two organisations who are buying shares on the fans' behalf. Maybe manufacturing their own (classic style) unofficial (but official quality) Rangers tops could provide a serious income stream for the organisations. I would imagine that a football top could be manufactured for circa £5 either in UK or China. 30,000 tops at £30/£35 each would provide around £750,000 profit(after further costs) to be used to purchase shares with. Surely every website and supporters club could get behind such an initiative and drive sales. Given two or three cycles, a serious share position could be built by the fans. Well done last night.

Dave King's talks with Sandy Easdale ended without agreement. If this surprises anyone then it shouldn't.

This is not a joke - It has hit us. What's a sugar daddy doing with a football club anyway? I only look at all the English Premier club owners then I wake up. Obviously for the same reason as all over Europe Rangers now find themselves under the vice grip of a billionaire. Happy days - or is it? Bad or good? Will we disappear in doomsday with all the clubs who've went down the sugar daddy route? I want this just because it can only mean success if only in the short term but we as fans have witnessed worse scenarios more than most? We have a duty as supporters...follow, follow no excuses.

"The Rangers support and the club itself has once again been betrayed by those tasked with overseeing the health and success of our great football club. The decision by the non-executive directors of the Plc board, Mr Somers, Mr James Easdale and Mr Norman Crighton, to effectively hand control of the club to Mike Ashley in return for a £2m, short term loan, is an absolute disgrace. They have acted in a cowardly way and have been bullied by Mike Ashley and Sandy Easdale into giving them precisely what they want with no regard for the club. The club was at a crossroads. The board had to decide whether to take us down the route of a long term, £16m, sustainable investment and the start of a process where fans could once again trust those tasked with nursing Rangers back to health. Instead they have handed Mike Ashley control of the boardroom for a pittance which will now have to be repaid out of the pockets of the dwindling number of Rangers fans who still choose to support this regime financially. They have neglected their duty to shareholders, fans and the club itself. Their cowardly act now means we are likely to see Mr Ashley gain long term control of the club’s remaining commercial income without having to actually invest a penny. The board has, through a policy of inaction and cooperation with Sandy Easdale's shareholder group, allowed a situation to develop where corporate vultures are grabbing what assets they can. There is no long term plan. There is no investment. We simply limp from one short term fix to another, each time giving away more of the family silver, despite a clear alternative being available. Sandy Easdale's pronouncement that the Plc board "did their duty and their due diligence accordingly" and have done "what's in the best interests of the fans, the club and the shareholders" is the type of laughable nonsense we have come to expect from him. Mr Easdale certainly got what he wanted which was the retention of his seat in the director’s box and his club tie. The club and the fans have been sold down the river and this is another kick in the teeth for both them and the reputable shareholders still involved at Rangers. Mr Easdale, rather than disingenuous statements, should explain to fans why he actively blocked a £16m investment that could have taken the club forward. It is now a matter of individual conscience for fans if they wish to continue to fund the corporate pillaging of our football club. They should be under no illusions however that every time they purchase a single item in either Sports Direct or our club shops, they are paying for the privilege of allowing Mike Ashley to strengthen his grip on our commercial operations in a move which could hamstring the club for a generation. Also for the remainder of this season, every match ticket they buy will be used to pay Mr Ashley back the money he has lent for control of our club. Effectively they will be paying him for the privilege of his power grab."

Man faces extortion allegations over leaked Rangers secrets a Ibrox stadium... home of Glasgow Rangers 0 BY ROBERT McAULAY Published: 54 minutes ago A MAN faces a charge of extortion after police began probing the release of Rangers secrets on the internet. The 45-year-old male also faces allegations involving breaches of the Computer Misuse Act and the Communications Act. http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/6036015/Man-faces-extortion-allegations-over-leaked-Rangers-secrets.html

SCOTTISH football journalism lost one of its most authoritative voices yesterday with the death of Glenn Gibbons. The former chief football writer of The Scotsman, who had borne a serious illness with fortitude for several months, was 69. In a career which began with DC Thomson in Glasgow during a glorious era for Scottish football in the 1960s, Gibbons went on to become one of the most recognisable and formidable figures in his profession in the pages of the Scottish Daily Mail, the Guardian and The Scotsman. Among the many high-profile names in his contacts book was Sir Alex Ferguson, who became his close friend as well as dealing with him in a professional capacity. The former Aberdeen and Manchester United manager led the tributes to Gibbons last night. “Glenn was a journalist of substance,” said Ferguson. “He had a wonderful, lucid writing style but everything he wrote was underpinned by an unwavering accuracy. “His great knowledge of football was complemented by a fearlessness. He always expressed what he believed with courage and style. He was a marvellous chronicler of Scottish football and beyond. He had a passion for the game and his knowledge was unsurpassed. “He was a tremendous source of information and I referred to him regularly, particularly before the publication of my autobiography when he checked out many of the facts. He was simply a great journalist.” As well as being a colourful observer of the action on the pitch, Gibbons was also a pugnacious commentator on football’s off-the-field issues. Peter Donald, the former secretary of the Scottish Football League, was among the administrators of the game who admired his work. “I always found Glenn to be extremely knowledgeable about the game,” said Donald last night. “He understood the political machinations of football and could see inside the story. “He was very well connected within football. You could always speak to him openly and feel comfortable that he would develop and write his pieces without necessarily putting you in the centre of the story. “Glenn was hugely respected within football and I know that I always felt good after speaking to him. I’m deeply saddened to hear of his death.” Gibbons joined The Scotsman in 1999 and made an immediate impact on these pages, being named Scottish Sports Journalist of the Year in 2000. He retired in 2009 but maintained a weekly presence in the paper with his Saturday column. Donald Walker, assistant editor and former sports editor of The Scotsman, said: “Few could match Glenn’s eloquence and authority in the sports pages of the Scottish press, and his passing marks the loss of one of football’s best-read commentators. His experience, judgment and professionalism shone through during his ten years as chief football writer with The Scotsman, and his weekly column was required reading. We will miss him enormously, and our thoughts are with his family.” Gibbons is survived by his wife Mary, son Michael and daughter Samantha. http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/english/sir-alex-leads-tributes-after-glenn-gibbons-dies-1-3578697

http://www.scotsman.com/what-s-on/tv-radio/dj-suzie-mcguire-tried-to-take-own-life-over-abuse-1-3586627

Now that Ashley has his foot in the door, I was thinking...Newcastle fans have been wanting rid of their manager Alan Pardew for some time now, yet he remains in charge. When Ashley pumps money into our squad and the fans still don't like Ally, will he keep him on regardless do you think?

THE WAR is over. The retailer has won. This morning Graham Wallace will be fired from his position as Rangers chief 
executive and this crisis-ravaged club will belong lock, stock and smoking barrel to Mike Ashley. Quite what Ashley has planned for it is still a matter of conjecture but the ruthless manner in which he went about last week’s power grab certainly suggests he wants it badly and also sees a way to make a killing by rolling his tanks into Glasgow. He now has security over two 
of the club’s major assets, the 
Albion car park and Edmiston House, and when his placemen arrive in the boardroom this week he’ll have grabbed this club firmly 
by the throat. As with everything Rangers, Ashley’s arrival on the scene will be spun in a variety of ways. The dark arts were evidenced 
over the weekend when it was leaked that, without his intervention, this basketcase would have gone bust within 48 hours. There were even muffled whispers from the shadowy sidelines Ashley had in fact ‘saved the club’ but the very notion the Newcastle United chairman had ridden to Rangers rescue in some sort of philanthropic or heroic act is completely absurd. In many ways, what actually went on amid increasingly frantic 
discussions on Thursday and Friday was a throwback to May 2011 when Sir David Murray invited Craig Whyte to trigger this omnishambles and set in action the catastrophic chain of events that has now led to Ashley’s increased involvement. That deal was a great bit of 
business for Whyte and for Lloyds Bank in particular – the £18million they recouped from the sale remains the outstanding trade of the last three and a half chaotic years – but it was a spectacularly awful one for the Ibrox club. Similarly, by taking control of Rangers for the price of a £2m loan, every penny of which will be paid back, Ashley has pulled off a serious coup in more ways than one. This is why he is known as the biggest beast in the jungle but even the Newcastle owner must be laughing up the sleeve of his safari suit at the way in which he managed to pull this one off. It was typically bold and eye poppingly aggressive and it included issuing the remnants of the Rangers board with threats of legal action both collectively and individually, should they turn him down in favour of a £3m loan from Brian Kennedy. Each of these directors was warned of potentially devastating repercussions should Ashley not get his way and as a result Rangers is his now to do with as he wishes. And all for less than the cost of a Sports Direct poly bag. It was an extraordinary stunt and it’s no wonder Sale Sharks owner Kennedy left Glasgow on Saturday still unsure as to how on earth the dysfunctional Rangers board – a collection of directors who have run the business into the ground – could allow it to happen in spite of his impassioned pleas. The farce began with the rejection of Dave King’s £16m bailout offer by the mysterious bloc of shareholders whose 26 per cent voting rights are represented by Sandy Easdale. On Thursday CEO Wallace, who knew his £300,000-a-year neck was now well and truly on the line, reached out to Kennedy and pleaded with him to make a counter offer. Kennedy worked through the night with his legal team to come up with his £3m offer, dependent only on him being allowed to place one man on the current board. He flew to Glasgow at lunchtime on Friday in the hope of getting the deal done. Kennedy was wasting his jet fuel. Not one of these directors was even at Ibrox on the day it was determined Ashley should be handed the keys. The fact all these discussions were held via conference call, underlines how little feel for the club these men have. Wallace headed for a beach in Greece despite being urged by at least two key protagonists to 
postpone his holiday for 24 hours. Finance director Philip Nash went one better by resigning and washing his hands of the entire Ashley v Kennedy showdown. That Nash threw in the towel is an indication he suspected the game was up and that another director, Laxey’s lackey Norman Crighton, had jumped camps at the last minute. Crighton had voiced his concern at Ashley’s move and had even said the Cockney must be stopped ‘at all costs’ but he performed a 180-degree turn at the last minute to leave Kennedy’s proposal in tatters. Chairman David Somers is another who may have cause to be persecuted by his own conscience. At least Nash had the principle to resign from his £1,000-a-day post. While Wallace was clinging on for dear life for his pay-off, Nash wanted no part of it and this included telling Ashley’s people he was unwilling to work for their man in the event he was successful. Having previously called for the removal of Nash and Walllace, Ashley had a change of heart. It’s understood he wanted Nash on board after crediting him with making £5m worth of cuts since February. One of those cuts was to a contract worth in excess of £100,000-a-year to Ashley’s own PR firm Keith Bishop Associates. This agreement was done as part of the £1 stadium naming rights deal Ashley agreed with Charles Green and which was signed off by Imran Ahmad – who then sued Rangers for £300,000 in bonuses for all of his good work. Deals like these are precisely why Rangers should brace itself for the full impact of Ashley’s arrival. He already pockets 49 per cent of all income from merchandise sales but may think this arrangement can be tweaked and improved in his favour. With two of his men on the board, a compliant chairman and confirmed allies in James Easdale and Crighton, he can do pretty much as he pleases. The only comfort in any of this for the Rangers supporters is to be found in the depth of Ashley’s pockets. He will not allow this club to go under, that much is certain. But from here on in Rangers will be run his way and for his benefit. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/opinion/sport/keith-jackson-mike-ashleys-rangers-4515761

Both brothers have some reasonable success in business but their continued purchasing of shares without ever gaining outright control, or getting close, only looks as though they're getting their hands dirty for their masters. The word coming from the members lounge is that both are seen as joke figures or big oafs inside of the board room. Due to Sandy's past convictions, allegedly being 'hooky' in their home town of Greenock, and our recent history of attracting conmen, it was always unlikely they'd be accepted. It's fair to say very few bears actually respect them never mind want them near Rangers. The former NOMAD ran for the hills when James was appointed to the PLC board due to having no experience and being unable to demonstrate why he should be there. We all know why Sandy's not on the PLC board but has managed to become chairman of the football board. Sandy was also daft enough to get caught up in a war of words with Craig from SoS, which ironically elevated SoS' position within the support and MSM even though the legal threats were to curb Craig Houston. If my memory serves me right they bought shares at 70p a pop so are unlikely to make much money. Other than perhaps trying to legitimise themselves to the wider business community, I can see no benefit for them hanging around when the clear majority don't want them here. But they hold a substantial % in shares for secretive holding companies who certainly don't give a toss for Rangers. Can someone explain to me their purpose? You would have work very hard to convince me that they are bluenoses.

FLICK over photographs of Ally McCoist and you see how much the “journey” – an awful, overused term these days but in this case it seems apt – has taken out of him. A recurring recent image has the Rangers manager grim-faced, on the training-pitch, on his phone being told something to his disadvantage, no doubt – often in the middle of a spot of rotten Glasgow weather. Contrast the drookit, downcast boss, the rain plastering what’s left of his hair to his head, with the pictures which will pop up out of sequence of Super Ally the player. In these he’s all bouncy and bouffant, teeth glinting and usually a trophy of some sort glinting too. Maybe it was coming down in stair-rods on those days as well, but with the bold McCoist’s smile so dominant you don’t notice. Yesterday, the forecast for him wasn’t good. There were fears he’d be sacked as part of Mike Ashley’s intervention at Ibrox. But after a couple of phone calls – better ones this time – he was sufficiently reassured to put on a brave face and meet journalists, some of whom already had his obituary halfway written. The press conference was to preview Rangers’ League Cup quarter-final against St Johnstone – an all-too-neat scenario for those of a necessarily vulture-ish tendency. McCoist’s football biog began with Saints; was it to finish on the eve of tonight’s tie against them? No, not quite. His job is safe – for now. Whatever you think of McCoist’s reign at Rangers – and there are plenty who don’t think very much of it – the lead-up to those phone calls must have been stressful. Even that will bring some scoffing. How stressful can it be, his detractors will claim, to know that when the axe falls he’ll be generously compensated? McCoist knows that the man in the street knows what he was earning before his wage for attempting to get his beloved Rangers back into the big time was virtually cut in half. Even the man in the street’s faithful mutt knows it was £760,000, and the mutt is pretty sure that the compensation will be based on that hefty figure. You could make a very good case for this kind of transparency, given the financial implosion Rangers suffered three years ago with the situation just as desperate now. You could also argue that such scrutiny, at any time for an Ibrox manager, comes with the territory, and McCoist is not a bewildered incomer like Paul Le Guen was. They are, after all, his beloved Rangers. And he’s no fool. He’ll be aware the reprieve may be only temporary. But yesterday he didn’t request even a slight let-up in the negative comment concerning his position so that he be allowed to resume preparations for the cup-tie. You might say that’s Super Ally the super-realist. But, if you were feeling just a little bit charitable, you might give him some credit for that. Right back at the beginning of the crisis, which seems longer than three years ago now, there were many who declared that, despite his lack of managerial experience, he was a good man for the job. He understood the club, they said, and would do the right things, with love and that boundless enthusiasm. He said the right things in those early days. In 2012, on the 17th anniversary of Davie Cooper’s death, he confided there wasn’t a day that went by when he didn’t think of “Coops”, and how for the flying wingman, for Jock Wallace, Willie Waddell and the rest, the club simply had to get through “this low period” in its history. That was before the plummet down the divisions, a new low. Then in 2013, with the first title won, he spoke about how trips to Elgin, Annan and Peterhead had changed his attitude to small clubs. They were all running their affairs far better than Rangers and he appreciated them more. For those who’ve always accused the Old Firm of not caring about the rest of Scottish football, of hardly knowing where it was based, this seemed like quite a moment. In the first six months of mostly tumult, McCoist reckoned, he’d been through experiences that no other manager in the world could match. He hoped to learn from them. This is the key area for his critics. They will claim that he hasn’t, not sufficiently, and that as Rangers have rumbled through the leagues, he hasn’t developed as a manager in the way they’d have expected. He’s been let down by his players, some of them among the best performers in the top flight before their big-money moves to Ibrox. Even then his accusers will insist it was the manager’s job to keep them motivated when playing in funny, faraway places. There has been criticism of the squad’s fitness levels. And disillusionment that a simple change in Hibernian’s formation – a switch to three at the back – could befuddle the team to the extent they slumped to a second home defeat in the Championship. Then there have been the cups. Rangers have been vanquished by Falkirk, Forfar, Queen of the South and Raith Rovers, the latter in a final. Rangers were supposed to be the danger team in the cups for the top flight, offering up reminders of their old power. That’s simply not happened under McCoist. But, just when he maybe didn’t expect it, another chance presents itself tonight. The old cheesy smile may not be capable of driving away the storm clouds over Ibrox and you’d have to ask: what possibly can? Ally will take a win, though. http://www.scotsman.com/news/aidan-smith-ally-mccoist-waits-on-gods-smiling-1-3585663