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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30674489

[video=youtube;Qr3-ScLFG4w] While it's far too early, and things remain far too murky, to even whisper about some kind of bryter layter for Rangers, we can probably all agree that last week was the first time in, oh, three years or more when hopes were raised without being swiftly crushed again. The temptation is to rush headlong into dreams about good things happening next: Ashley snapping his fingers, tearing up his contracts and ruefully reflecting he'd have gotten away with it, too, if it hadn't been for those meddling Three Bears. Somers getting unceremoniously booted down the marble staircase and out onto Edmiston Drive. Easdale...well, hate crime laws are very strict in Scotland, so suffice it to say a more appropriate position, like sweeping out one of McGill's garages, would suit him better. It's hard to believe no-one in his circle has made him aware that his ongoing connection with Rangers is only making his public persona even less popular than it was previously, but it seems self-awareness is not a strong suit among Rangers board members, who have only stopped short of signing and appointing Ched Evans as clup captain in their litany of grossly self-destructive moves. But, in all truth, self-awareness is not a strong suit among fans, either. Even allowing for the natural, emotional response to all that has gone on in recent years - to defend what we perceive as the club, and to reject those who bring bad news as enemies or traitors - we've not covered ourselves in glory, Never mind what fans of other clubs say or think, they are (or should be) irrelevant to us, and we have to come to terms with ourselves and our club in our own way. Disharmony has been the prevalent key - if we actually do agree that the last week has been good it is a rara avis indeed, a very occasional visitor to these shores. Everyone has their own pet theory about why our fan base failed to act collectively or effectively during our - and I use the present tense, since we're far from out of the woods - predicament. In that use of the expression 'fan base' there lies the nub, for although we have the numbers we really don't have the unified power of a fan base,we have lots of fans who have different priorities. I've complained about people adding things onto Rangers often enough and won't repeat those arguments now, since there are more important matters to hand. But it's worth remembering that if we want people to stand shoulder to shoulder, the more colours we add to the strip, the less appealing it's likely to be. Keep it about The Rangers and only The Rangers and I fail to see how any Bluenose could possibly object to any fan body, or at least do so in any credible manner. Anyway, as fans we stand revealed as having serious self-identification issues. We've welcomed in, at first with some enthusiasm, then with more caution, and finally with dull, numb acceptance, a series of cheap tricks, none of whom have been able to replace Sir David Murray, who was not exactly the ideal partner himself. Beaten and battered, you can find fans who yearn for a strong owner, fans who want complete OMOV fan ownership, fans who have no clue, and all points between. Asking such a constituency to come up with a popular plan which will garner universal support is, to put it mildly, wildly optimistic. Maybe the shareholders who have emerged in the last seven days will turn out to be our Mr Goodbar after all, a strong reliable type who will do right by the club and us. Plainly a little bruised myself, I'm not even close to giving anyone one iota of trust until they've emphatically earned it. If we do emerge from these sick years with a club still intact, I hope at some stage we do the introspection thing, and come up with a different identity to the one which has proven next to useless over the last years. People who could have stepped up and helped us when we desperately needed them too have avoided us with a barge pole: no use denying it, we see people with Rangers connection investing in other teams. No doubt some will feel too attached to change, but if you survive a life threatening illness, the least you can do is examine yourself to see where you could maybe do better, should the worst happen again. Time enough to worry about that if there's nothing more pressing to be getting on with. And that day, sadly, is some way off yet. The best we can say is, at the end of each week, we're still here.

Yesterday, I was having a discussion with a couple of mates, Dumbarton had just scored and another cross into our box had been poorly defended. "Big Jig is well done", opined mate seated to my left; "the Yahoos will exploit him time and again on the 1st of February", chimes mate seated to my right. Conclusion is we need fresh investment, to resolve another most urgent issue. Where does the cash come from? Dearest David has informed us that the monies from the sale of Lewis MacLeod are to be utilised immediately as working capital. Lee Wallace's body language suggested he might be next to be sold. Mate seated to my left suggested David save the opportunity cost of sending desperate e-mails at 04.00hrs on Boxing Day, "better selling his arse in the leather bars of Brighton". I don't think the purveyor of wet fishery has much of a future in rough trade? Thus, Kyle Hutton's boots seem the best bet. They look to be size 15/16? I suspect several hundred Syrians would be willing to cough up several hundred pounds each to sail to Italy on Kyle's footwear. I note the abandoned freighter in the Med' on Thursday, realise £3million to the disappearing Skipper and crew. There you go, drive your Bentley to coastal Syria and resolve our central defensive problems. Please note David, before you conclude this to be a ridiculous idea; well, you started it. Now, fuck off!

It was to become the stuff of legend, the type of story normally reserved for a Roy of the Rovers comic book sketch. Ranger’s manager Willie Waddell was to take the ultimate gamble, replacing his injured and iconic inspirational captain, John Greig, with a raw 16 year old youngster who had made his professional debut only weeks earlier against Cowdenbeath. It was a particularly brave decision given the setting was the 1970 Scottish League Cup Final and Rangers opponents were arch rivals, Celtic. 90 minutes later the manager’s decision was to be completely vindicated as the 16 year old Derek Johnstone scored the only goal of the game, sending the light blue legions amongst the 106,000 crowd into rapture and thus heralding the end of a 4 year trophy drought. Who would argue that fortune does indeed favour the brave? Today’s Rangers fans yearn for that kind of bravery amongst our current management. The highly publicised departure of young starlet Charlie Telfer and his criticism of the lack of opportunity for youngsters at Ibrox should set alarm bells ringing. Sour grapes or valid criticism? Well despite League One being done and dusted early doors, Telfer only featured once, coming on as a substitute in the 4-0 defeat of Stenhousemuir. Was completing a season undefeated in a lower league really more important than the continual development of our youngsters? Alarmingly, the Telfer story is not an isolated one. Last year, centre half Stuart Urquhart, a captain of the Scotland Under 17 side, having held his own at Dumbarton whilst on loan (2 divisions above Rangers at the time) chose to depart the club despite not having any clear destination. His subsequent snapping up by Steven Pressley at Coventry City, himself a product of the Rangers youth system, adds a touch of irony to a fast developing farce. That orchestra of irony reached a crescendo this week with the departure of Lewis Macleod, one of our few “blooded youngsters,” in order to keep our club afloat. Those of us at Ibrox yesterday, watching the toiling of Lee McCulloch, were left to wonder if a nurtured and blooded Gasparotto, may well have spared some of the raised blood pressure caused by the inadequacy of our failing captain. The same could be said of Sinnamon as an alternative to Foster or McKay instead of Smith. In an age of “gardening leave” it’s clear our club is in dire need of a bold, green fingered horticulturist with a proven aptitude for the development of young seedlings.

http://www.thesportbible.com/videos/newcastle-fans-create-new-chant-aimed-at-mike-ashley

RST Statement on Share Purchases The RST is delighted with the news of the past few days which now sees around 35% of the club’s ownership in the hands of trusted, Rangers’ supporting businessmen. With the shareholdings of the RST, other fans and individuals such as Ally McCoist, Walter Smith and Malcolm Murray, we believe that we are inching closer to the point where those who care about the club can command a 51%+ shareholding. However, now is not the time to rest on our laurels. The club requires significant investment beyond the money that fans already contribute via season ticket and matchday income. It is our firm belief that the fans have a huge part to play not only in supporting the club financially but also overseeing its well-being through a substantial shareholding. RST board member and Buy Rangers contributor, George Letham, is amongst those who have taken a large holding in the club. We will continue to work closely with him, George Taylor, Douglas Park and Dave King in an effort to rebuild Rangers on and off the park. We believe that the time has come for grass roots fans to shape the direction of our club along with wealthier supporters. As part of the Union of Fans, and independently, we have campaigned long and hard for change. That campaign has not always been easy and tough decisions have been taken, but at every step along the way we did what we believe is right for Rangers. We are extremely proud of having stood side by side with those determined to force change under extremely difficult circumstances. The RST is 100% committed to a successful Rangers, run for the benefit of the Rangers community and not nameless shareholders and their representatives. To achieve that we need the help of every Rangers supporter. We appeal to everyone with Rangers at heart to join the RST and work with us and wealthier fans to build a strong and vibrant community around our club – a community that can make sure that the damage done to the club over the past few years is never repeated. Please visit http://www.therst.co.uk and join us. Let’s get to that magical 51% mark and take our club back. - See more at: http://www.therst.co.uk/news/rst-statement-on-share-purchases/#sthash.edhZcxVV.dpuf

Dave King bought a massive chunk of Rangers last night and then told supporters of the long suffering Glasgow giants: I told you I wouldn’t let you down. South-Africa based tycoon King has snapped up a near 15 per cent stake in Gers, after spending £2.5million to purchase the shares held by Artemis and Miton. And King revealed: “Despite being rebuffed by the current board I have never given up and will continue to pursue the commitment I made to the Rangers fans. I said before that I am not going away and this shows I am not.” Castlemilk-born King’s powerplay comes less than a week after George Letham’s Three Bears consortium bought Laxey Partner’s 16 per cent holding. Factor in the ten per cent held by Gers fans — as well as the two per cent owned by previous bosses Walter Smith and Ally McCoist — and the group as whole now command a 45.8 per cent shareholding in Rangers. Both moves are understood to have caught the current Ibrox regime cold. Insiders believe it could spell the beginning of the end for a board of directors so despised by Gers fans, with thousands of supporters boycotting home matches to show their anger. King added: “The current board will never be accepted by the fans.” Johannesburg-based King now plans to return to Glasgow in the coming weeks when the stakeholders could call for an EGM at Ibrox. King said: “I am considering my next steps and must consult with all stakeholders. “I will be back in Scotland in a few weeks for meetings.” It’s believed Laxey, Artemis and Miton made their decision to bail out amid concerns over Rangers’ chairman David Somers conduct at last month’s explosive AGM. The Ibrox share price has been in freefall for months with King snapping up his shares for just 20p yesterday. Asked if he felt under-fire Somers should go, King said: “He should remove himself.” After three years of turmoil, King believes his purchase, coupled with the earlier move by the Three Bears, could prove hugely significant as the businessmen look to rebuild the Light Blues. King added: “I am, once again, hopeful about the future of Rangers. I have never given up and will continue to pursue the commitment I made to the Rangers fans. As I said before.” http://www.cfclatest.com/2012/01/03/king-tells-fans-i-said-id-be-back/

That McCoist will be given his job back as manager? The thought of it fills me with dread

But as if that wasn't enough .."Rangers are a new club" Haggerty dropped this clanger... Happy New Year !!

I'd like to propose a wee virtual toast in honour of loved ones lost, absent friends and also in honour of the Rangers men and women who've chosen this special second day of 2015 to mark starting to put an end to our great Club being owned and run by shysters! Cheers! :cheers:

The last few years have been a miserable experience. Truly depressing. Both on the park and off it. Today over 30% of the club is now owned by Rangers men. As such I feel we are saved and this really is a momentous day. Instead of having cantankerous leeches running us who treat us with utter contempt, we now have honourable bears running the club who will bring us back to where we belong. I said recently that competency was all I wanted in the board room. To have competency and Rangers fans controlling us is all the better. What has been most disparaging for me has been the rather disgusting and ignorant attitudes displayed by many of our fans. There are certain people being paid by the board to cause trouble, yet we have seen entire online communities buying into it out of their own free will. It has really been absolutely bizarre. It reminds me of Doublethink in George Orwell's 1984. We as a fan base have been persecuted but a repulsive element of our support has been exposed. I will not forget any of this but I'm just delighted my club has been resurrected. So farewell the Easdales, Llambias, Somers and all the rest of you rancid, repugnant individuals. We are Rangers, super Rangers.

I am seeing a rumour that Dave King has purchased Artemis shares "Dave King has purchased just under 12 million shares from Artemis. Equates to 14.57% of club."

http://willievass.photoshelter.com/gallery/020115-Rangers-memorial/G00003INdoTAoGG8/C0000Mi60eSnIIiU

God Bless the 66.

"The Great Boardroom carve up I knew it wouldnt be long before for some sort of response from Ashley about the 3 bears buying Laxey shares and some sort of devious scheme to protect his position. His loan which was bullied through despite 2 better funding offers being available seen him get to appoint 2 directors. Despite Somers attempts at the AGM to suggest Llambias was independent not his first placement, it was Ashleys choice. He has been contemplating his second place but due to recent events, Somers email being outed and his possible required removal and the three bears buying shares, Ashley now thinks two directors may not be enough. His loan was for six months but his board placement agreement is for two years and if he could place three directors then this would keep him in power of the day to day running with out needing more shareholding. Over the next few days he will attempt to get Barry Leach on board as an "independent" Finance Director and then place his second choice giving him three directors under his instruction. This could potentially give him control in the board room regardless of the next moves of the three bears for years. Remember what I said yesterday, whoever underwrites the next share issue will control our club and if he controls the boardroom he will in effect decide who becomes the underwriter. I also mentioned yesterday that I was swaying from "game by game" to "not a penny more" these actions go some way to making my decision for me. Those who believed that because the three bears bought shares meant the game was over and the "good guys" had won, need to be aware that its far from over. We are dealing with men driven by greed and not the love of our club. It is my personal decision to become "not a penny more" and every fan should decide for themselves but they deserve to know the facts about who they are about to give their money to. Craig"

They're worried, make no mistake about it, not one single positive thing in Merlin's latest propaganda, which fills me with yet more confidence for our future - Transparency Required January 1, 2015 / billmcmurdo The remarks of Colin Kingsnorth upon Laxey’s sale of their shareholding in RIFC do not bode well for the future of the club. Kingsnorth seems to have a personal issue with Mike Ashley and hopes that the group he sold to will ramp up the opposition to Ashley in their new position as shareholders. With these intemperate comments, Kingsnorth has thrown petrol on an already ravaging fire and possibly kicked off a whole new era of turmoil at the club. Ashley’s position as Rangers’ major creditor, coupled with his having Derek Llambias in place, means that he still wields considerable power in the Ibrox boardroom, despite having a lesser shareholding than the Three Amigos. The problem for Rangers fans is what happens if the incoming group decides to go to war with the other factions for control of the club. This would make the boardroom battles of recent times look like an infant spat. If Ashley decides to fight for control of Rangers then things could get very nasty indeed. The Amigos as predicted took advantage of the plummeting price of Rangers’ shares to secure their stake. This has left a bitter taste in the mouth of many Rangers supporters considering it is the actions of those activist groups like the UoF and SoS who support Amigoco that have driven the share price down. It also doesn’t help that Taylor, Letham and Park have bought shares from an existing shareholder and that the monies do not go directly toward the club at a time when RFC is screaming for income. Let’s be fair – if people like Mike Ashley can be criticised for buying shares this way, so can the Amigos. Good for the goose, good for the gander and all that. There are also many fans who question the concept of chasing away a billionaire for people whose combined net worth comes nowhere close to his. The possibility that further bitter infighting could rip Rangers apart cannot be discounted. Imagine, for example, if Mike Ashley chose to take on the pointless rules of the SFA regarding his own shareholding with the Three Amigos supporting the SFA and conspiring against Ashley. An unthinkable prospect as there isn’t a Rangers fan alive who thinks that the SFA will act in Rangers’ best interests. Questions must be asked of the new shareholders – again, in the interests of parity with Ashley. Some of mine would be:- What are their plans – if they have any – to help raise revenues in the future? Short, mid and longer term would be great. What are their intentions in respect of control of the club? Do they intend to oust other factions and wrest control? What are their plans for the management, coaching and playing side of the club? How do they intend to take on the club’s many detractors in the media and elsewhere? These are broad stroke questions but more pointed ones would be how would they propose to deal with the present gardening leave situation of the manager and who specifically do they want on the board? It would also help if we could get a definite answer on whether or not George Letham is on the RST board. All in the interests of transparency, of course. The new shareholders will surely be willing to have exacted upon them the same demands for transparency and openness they expected of others. Mile Ashley’s seeming reticence to share his own plans has not served him well and only breeds suspicion. The Three Amigos would do well to heed this because they can definitely expect to be grilled repeatedly should they fail to be transparent in their own dealings. After all, we have been taught to expect much better from real Rangers men…

Hi to all Rangers fans and a happy new year! Well. I've woken up today to find that we've signed one of your lads, Lewis McCloud and I think I'm delighted. But I know little about him and so wondered if you could give us a few pointers on what to expect? I understand he plays midfield which is a little strange as that is one area I would say we don't need to strengthen. I'm guessing we've bought him as cover with a view to developing him for the future. But if called upon, is he ready for the Championship in your opinion? I've read that a couple of lower league clubs (namely Shrewsbury Town and Leyton Orient) were in for him but were put off by the asking price (reported here as around £400k). Interested to hear your views on Lewis. Brentford is a progressive club and a good place for up and coming players so it seems a shrewd move by McCloud, the Reds seem to have signed a promising young player for the future and Rangers have a few bob in the bank so hopefully this will prove to be a good move for all concerned. Good luck for the rest of the season!

KENNY McDOWALL fears Lewis Macleod’s departure to Brentford could trigger the start of an Ibrox transfer-window exodus. The caretaker Rangers boss lost his prize asset yesterday when the young midfielder signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with the Championship outfit. But with an entire team of players out of contract in the summer and free to speak with interested parties from today, McDowall is worried his promotion push will be undermined by further sales. The Ibrox interim manager, who had no say in Macleod’s £1million move south, was gutted to lose him. When asked if he feels the 20-year-old is much better than Brentford, McDowall said: “I absolutely think so – but that’ll be down to Lewis, whether or not he fulfils his potential. “He has a lot of experience for a young lad and that will stand him in good stead. “I was told he was going for a medical, that was as much as I heard. That’s the beauty of the window. It’s the month from hell. “It’s generally not a good window with most teams wanting to keep their best players. Unfortunately we are not capable and are not being allowed to. “I will just have to wait and see what else happens. It’s outwith my control.” Lee McCulloch, Steve Simonsen, Kenny Miller, Kris Boyd, Kyle Hutton, Richard Foster, Lee Robinson, Stevie Smith, Bilel Mohsni, Ian Black and Jon Daly are all out of contract in June. And McDowall will seek urgent talks with chief executive Derek Llambias and football board chairman Sandy Easdale to address the situation. He said: “I’ll need to have meetings pretty sharp with Derek and Sandy. They’re free to speak with people so we’ll need to address that.” Given the uncertainty, kids Callum Gallagher, Craig Halkett, Tom Walsh Robbie Crawford and Kyle McAusland have all been brought back to Gers from their loan spells. Subject to international clearance, Macleod will become a Brentford player when the window officially opens on January 3 but will not be eligible for the FA Cup clash with Brighton. Bees boss Mark Warburton said: “I’m delighted to have secured such a young talent as Lewis. He’s had an outstanding season and will be an excellent addition.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-boss-kenny-mcdowall-lewis-4900649?

Going to keep this quick , All the very best to all gersnetters , heres to a royal blue 2015 , and absent friends

...after Mike Ashley loses key ally in his quest for Ibrox boardroom coup. Battle for power at Ibrox sees significant shift after Three Bears consortium acquires the largest single equity block in the troubled club. By Roddy Forsyth 6:17PM GMT 31 Dec 2014 Mike Ashley has lost the ally whose support was crucial to his boardroom coup at Rangers. The significant shift in power at Ibrox came on a day of share trading which saw the Three Bears consortium acquire the largest single equity block in the beleaguered club. The consortium’s purchase of 13.29 million shares from Laxey Partners ends a two-year long involvement at Ibrox by the hedge fund, which is registered in the Isle of Man. The Three Bears – wealthy supporters Douglas Park, George Letham and George Taylor – have also tabled an offer of £6.5 million to underwrite a share issue designed to raise £8 million and head off an imminent funding crisis. Without Laxey, Ashley could not have removed Graham Wallace, the former chief executive, and Philip Nash, the former finance director, in the coup that gave the Newcastle United owner effective control of the Rangers board. Wallace and Nash were the only two members of the five man plc board – the others were chairman David Somers, James Easdale and Laxey nominee, Norman Crighton – who had prior experience as executives at football clubs. Wallace and Nash judged that it was not in Rangers’ financial interest to accept an offer from Ashley in September of loan funding in return for control of such assets as the club’s crest and trademark. Ashley took his revenge by purchasing shares privately to increase his stake in the club to 8.92 per cent, having pulled back from underwriting an August share issue designed to ease Rangers’ cash flow. When the next financial shortfall became apparent, Ashley made his move – detailed by Telegraph Sport on October 8 – by demanding an extraordinary general meeting to remove Wallace and Nash. To succeed, Ashley required the support of Sandy Easdale, the football club chairman, whose personal stake of 6.21 per cent of shares was added to his position as proxy for others, including Blue Pitch Holdings and Margarita Funds Holding Trust, to give him control over a block of 27.15 per cent of the shareholding. Along with Ashley’s shareholding, this amounted to 36.07 per cent, well short of the majority required to win the vote at an EGM. However, with the support of Laxey, Ashley could command 52.39 per cent to ensure the removal of Wallace and Nash. At first Laxey – led by investment bankers, Colin Kingsnorth and Andrew Pegge – supported the two executives. With Crighton on the board, the anti-Ashley faction held a 3-2 majority. It was at this time that Somers sent the now notorious email revealed by Telegraph Sport last week. In the email, Somers pleaded with an Ashley representative to keep Ashley’s takeover bid on track, because the board was minded to favour a rival offer from former Rangers director Dave King, whose success would put an end to the chairman’s tenure. However, Telegraph Sport can also disclose that Crighton went on holiday later on October and, in his absence, pressure was put on Laxey to support Ashley’s offer of £2 million emergency funding (later increased to £3 million) in return for two board seats, which became available when Wallace and Nash were removed. Crighton, the last of the old board, resigned on December 10. At the turbulent annual general meeting staged at Ibrox on December 22, at least one major shareholder – thought to be Laxey – voted against Somers’ re-election as chairman. Acquisition of the Laxey block has put the Three Bears in a position of significant strength at Ibrox and the consortium is now the largest single holder of Rangers shares. While Sandy Easdale is still allied with Ashley, he and the billionaire owner of the Sports Direct retail chain – through which Rangers’ merchandise is sold – control 27.15 per cent of the club’s equity. That is sufficient to give the pair right of veto on important issues, but a power shift has occurred – and for the first time in recent months, it does not favour Mike Ashley. It also raises questions about representation on the board because Laxey had one director, while Ashley – with a little more than half the equity of the Three Bears – has two. Another issue is the viability of Dave King’s £16 million debt-plus-equity offer, rejected by the Rangers plc board in October. The South African businessman has maintained is still on the table but two of the Three Bears – Letham and Taylor – were also members of his consortium. Telegraph Sport understands that there could yet be an alliance of the two groups, should the Three Bears' underwriting offer be accepted. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/11319782/Rangers-power-struggle-takes-new-twist-after-Mike-Ashley-loses-key-ally-in-his-quest-for-Ibrox-boardroom-coup.html

Thought this worth sharing from FF: "Lifted this from another forum, some things we didn't know about players, training etc!! Training seems like a hoot! http://www.hat-trick.fr/sebastien-fa...st-jimmy-bell/ You’ve been here for two years now. What does “Rangers” mean to you? (After a long time spent thinking) Well it’s easy to say this and a bit of a cliché, but it’s a religion. There’s football here which is one thing, but then there’s Rangers, the fans, and everyone else associated with the club, it’s amazing…even after the club was relegated to Division 4, people kept their jobs at Ibrox or at Murray Park. And they are just so proud to work here, and they so proud to say “I work for Rangers”. When you are a professional player, you tend to move from club to club, it’s part of the job. It’s not easy to really absorb the culture and ethos of a club, apart from those who stay for years and years and really become ingrained in the fabric of the club, like Lee McCulloch. Sometimes, the supporters shout at you or get angry. But you can’t let it get to you, you can only do your talking on the pitch. They’ve had so much good football over the years that I think they sort of have a right to be angered, to be honest. In any case, playing at Ibrox is far from easy. There’s so much pressure. You can be winning 2-0, but if you misplace just one pass you’ll be whistled. I mean I heard a few boos at the Gerland (Lyon stadium), but never like the one’s you get here sometimes! (laughs) Did it take you long to learn what it meant to play for a club like Rangers? What did you expect when you came over? No, I didn’t expect it to be honest. I knew Rangers were a massive club, but I didn’t know how they were perceived by the other Scottish clubs. The Glasgow clubs really are hated by the other Scottish clubs. It’s incredible! What’s more, you have to understand that I was a but unsure about coming over here in the first place. I said to my agent: “You’re kind, but I’m not sure if I want to be dropping down to play in Division 4 in France” and he said “It’s Division 4 in Scotland”. He said: “Seb, please, just go over for a few days, check out the facilities and the stadium, you’ll soon change your mind.” On the first day of my trial I trained with the reserves, and it went well. That night, I went to see the first team play in the League Cup again East Fife. It was a Tuesday night, we won 4-0 and almost 40, 000 fans were there. It was…mad, just mad. I called up my agent and said: “If you can sort it out for me, I really want to stay here!” Everything you do and say is reported on and scrutinised at a club like Rangers. Has the press had an influence on the atmosphere at the club? First of all you need to understand that the press and its reporters here are a million times worse than in France! I’m sure I’ve seen the word “crisis” used to describe our club just about every day of the year, even when we win. Taking this into consideration, I do think that it’s had an influence. I must say, not on me personally. To be very honest, I don’t read the papers, apart from when they discuss politics or cover stories from France. But at the level of the club more generally, they have definitely had an influence. Ten days ago, an old team mate of McCoist’s, John Brown, said to the Sun: “You are a disgrace!” The coach brought us the article and he had an argument with Kenny Miller. After we got beaten by Hearts, apparently Miller had called up a journalist wanting to speak to him to tell him the manager had made some bad decisions, although it turned out that he hadn’t. McCoist got so angry: he threw the paper, he stamped on it, he was shouting and screaming! It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him like that. Blacky brings the Sun in every morning, and we read it. McCoist reads all the papers every morning in his office at Murray Park, which by the way is enormous (laughs). I think that its mainly at the level of the club staff that the papers have an impact. In your eyes, who represents the soul of the club? Jimmy Bell the kitman. He’s been here since 1972, I think. It’s amazing that he was taking care of McCoist and Durrant when they were players, and now its them who are in charge. It’s an amazing story and an amazing history, one which you wouldn’t get at many clubs at all. Jimmy’s got his own room in Ibrox where he displays all the Rangers kits and all the Rangers photos that he’s collected over 40 years. In his office at Murray Park, there’s a room, which we are forbidden from entering (laughs), which has all of his souvenirs, his trophies…it’s his very own museum! When it looked like they might be re-possessing Ibrox, he had to pack up all his stuff because he was scared that it would be taken off him. He is really the soul of the club, its him, its Jimmy. He’s a great guy, even if he’s always sulking. You need to get to know him…I remember when I arrived on trial, I didn’t speak English. “You don’t speak English, ****ing French!?” he said (laughs). But I mean really nasty to me! But nowadays, along with Bilel, he tells us loads of stories, loads of jokes. He’s really a top guy, he’s golden. I’m trying to help our readers understand the complete devotion that Rangers inspires in people. To give us more of an insight, is it true that one of the players has got the logo of the club tattooed on his calf? Yeah its Danny Stoney! He’s a good lad who we’ve loaned out to Stranraer. He’s got a tattoo that’s blue, with red around it, and five golden stars in the middle. It’s amazing, simply amazing. When I was at Lyon, even though I was also a Lyon fan, I would never have got a Lyon tattoo. It would never have crossed my mind! It’s just a different type of relationship to the club here. At Lyon, if I’d have got a club tattoo while I was at the academy I’d have had the piss taken out of me! “Suck up!” they’d have said. Here, it is praised! But by contrast, at Lyon if you change your hairstyle or your clothes, people will talk about it. Here, no one cares! The outfits people wear here, and I’m talking about the players, are just….Take Lee Wallace for example, I’ve never seen him wearing jeans (laughs)! At Lyon, you dress well to be stylish or whatever, but here, not at all.

Great day for the Rangers first schemem , now sitting at over 2170 members , superb , hopefully this is just the start , I know there is an off line campaign starting soon which has been funded by separate donations.

http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/prices-and-markets/stocks/exchange-insight/trade-data.html?fourWayKey=GB00B90T9Z75GBGBXASQ1

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has launched the search for a new manager with Alan Pardew’s departure for Crystal Palace imminent. The sportswear tycoon and Rangers shareholder, currently on holiday in Barbados, had already put the wheels in motion amid fevered speculation over the identity of the seventh permanent boss to occupy the St James’ Park hot-seat during his seven and a half year reign. Many of the names thrown up by the rumour mill have already been discounted by sources on Tyneside with current skipper Fabricio Coloccini and former York boss Nigel Worthington at the top of that list, while former Palace manager Tony Pulis and ex-Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood are also understood not to be in the running. Managing director Lee Charnley is the man conducting the search on Ashley’s behalf, although the club is unlikely to make a snap decision and it is understood Pardew’s assistant John Carver and first-team coach Steve Stone will oversee team affairs for tomorrow’s Premier League fixture against Burnley and the FA Cup third round trip to Leicester two days later. Carver, who will be without striker Papiss Cisse for three games after he accepted a Football Association violent conduct charge for elbowing Everton defender Seamus Coleman on Sunday, could be considered an outside candidate for the job on a permanent basis, although current Hull manager and fellow Geordie Steve Bruce may have stronger claims. There has been popular support for the club’s football development manager Peter Beardsley, while St-Etienne boss Christophe Galtier has been linked with the club on several occasions. However, Ajax manager Frank de Boer has ruled himself out and Ashley’s unwillingness to pay compensation makes a move for Derby’s Steve McClaren, who signed a three-year deal in August, unlikely. Pardew continues to thrash out personal terms with Palace as the Selhurst Park club search for a replacement for the sacked Neil Warnock. Newcastle granted Pardew permission to speak to Palace on Monday night after the Eagles agreed a compensation package with the St James’ Park hierarchy. Pardew is expected to double his salary in securing a move back to the club he served as a player between 1987 and 1991. Both Pulis and Sherwood, meanwhile, have been heavily linked to the vacancy at West Brom as they look to appoint a new head coach after sacking Alan Irvine on Monday night. The Baggies said in a statement that they “expect to be able to name Irvine’s successor by the weekend” – when they face Gateshead in the FA Cup. Assistant head coach Rob Kelly, along with Keith Downing, will be in charge of the Baggies for their New Year’s Day trip to West Ham. Irvine left after just six months in charge, with Albion 16th and a point above the bottom three following Sunday’s 2-0 loss at Stoke. The Scot had vowed to fight for his future after the game, but the Baggies opted to place the 56-year-old on gardening leave. http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/english/mike-ashley-starts-hunt-for-next-newcastle-manager-1-3647717