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...and says 'Throw all the Sports Direct deals in the bin'. PRIOR, who owns more shares than current director James Easdale, says he has no confidence in the competence or motives of the current board and is backing Douglas Park's consortium. IBROX investor Kieran Prior last night backed the Three Bears and urged them to throw every deal ever signed with Sports Direct in the dustbin. Prior broke his silence on the way forward for the cash-strapped club as he declared his shareholding to the Stock Exchange in the aftermath of the takeover bid by Robert Sarver. Prior owns more than one million shares, 1.35 per cent of the club, almost twice as many as current plc director James Easdale and more even than Ally McCoist. He allowed his stake in his boyhood favourites to be diluted after the last share issue in August because he was “unwilling to continue funding people clearly not fit to run the club”. However, his current shareholding is not for sale and he is keen to invest again in future, so long as Rangers are under the stewardship of those he feels has its best interests at heart. That’s why he’s backing George Taylor, George Letham and Douglas Park, as well as Dave King, as he offered a withering assessment of those currently in control, including Newcastle owner Mike Ashley. Prior said: “I’ve yet to meet the three new investors but I’m happy to throw my hat in with them because their credentials as men with the best interests of Rangers at heart is impeccable. “I’ve been in email contact with Dave King, an astute operator. He now has what he wanted – a stake in the club without funding the incompetence of current boardroom incumbents. Fair play to him. “I do not trust the people in control of the boardroom. Their unpopularity with the fans sets alarm bells ringing and their willingness to take shortcuts at every turn is a dreadful example of corporate governance. “I have no intention of ever backing them. Nothing they can say or do will change that. I will be voting with the fans to help re-shape the future of the club. “Rangers need a board that’s financially astute, of good business sense and logical – and they don’t have it at the moment. Hopefully, if the Three Bears and King take control the first thing they will do is hire forensic financial analysts to understand where money has been mis-spent and when the interests of individual shareholders appear to have been put before those of the wider club ownership. “I’d start with Ashley’s Sports Direct deals and if they are as ridiculous as reported I’d tear them up, throw them in the bin - and tell him to sue us and we’ll see him in court. “I’d rather not spend money on legal costs at all but if it came down to forking out £411,000 from Sports Direct on shirts the club can never sell, or on barristers and QCs to argue against those contracts in court, I know where I’d invest. “If these deals are not legally questionable – and we should seek counsel to establish if they are – then they are certainly morally repugnant. “Ashley has been mortally damaged in the eyes of fans by his own actions. The games he has played with the stadium naming rights and advertising are a nonsense. “He also appears to have reneged on obligations under dual interest rules, which is somewhat insulting to the SFA. Rangers have been punished too much by the football authorities as it is. “If he comes back to me on that, tough. I’m combative by nature – let’s get the contracts out in court where they can be examined openly and transparently. “I still don’t know why the current board haven’t resigned and the Easdales haven’t walked away. They know the value of the club would rise if they quit. “If all they want is a blazer and a seat in the Blue Room it’s disgusting. Those are not the actions of a real plc board.” Prior arrived on the scene 18 months ago and promised to look under the bonnet and, if he liked what he saw, he would invest further. Suffice to say, he didn’t see a Rolls-Royce engine. Manchester-born and London based, the former Goldman Sachs trader has spent much of the past 12 months in California, working on the launch of a multi-million dollar software firm. He rejected overtures from Brian Stockbridge to become a pivotal player on the board. He added: “He offered me board membership, all informally, when Craig Mather was chief executive. I thought Mather might have been a decent operator but maybe I was wrong. “I didn’t trust Stockbridge. I wasn’t going to try to polish his turd. I won’t be associated with anything that’s not world class. I don’t want a blazer for the sake of a blazer. “It’s important I clarify my position to supporters. I’ll continue to support good people running Rangers. “I’m intrigued by the emergence of Robert Sarver. If he wants to buy the club and elect a legitimate board that’s honest and transparent, then fine. “However, I do believe George Taylor, George Letham and Douglas Park are the best way forward. Dave King will be a key figure too. He has had issues with the authorities in South Africa but his net worth speaks for itself. “If Rangers are in good hands I’ll also increase my own holding.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-investor-kieran-prior-backs-4937812

https://www.change.org/p/rangers-plc-board-remove-the-existing-board-accept-external-investment-and-place-external-directors?recruiter=97305010&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_facebook_responsive&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg&utm_content=rp_petition_fb_share_desc%3Acontrol

Ashley's man is now Financial Director.

Has anybody heard how many of theses have been sold?

Pardon me if I've missed it, has there been any movement from Dundee Utd re. the Charlie Telfer payment?

Rangers board in crisis talks after emergency £500,000 loan Roddy Forsyth explains the ongoing power struggle at Rangers between Mike Ashley, Dave King and the Three Bears, and Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver Email Ibrox - Rangers power struggle takes new twist after Mike Ashley loses key ally in his quest for Ibrox boardroom coup Battleground: The battle for power at Ibrox took a new twist on new year's eve Photo: PA Roddy Forsyth By Roddy Forsyth11:19AM GMT 05 Jan 2015Comments27 Comments In a day of high drama at Ibrox the Rangers board is negotiating under severe pressure to save the club from financial meltdown for the second time in three years. The plc directors are frantically trying to strike a deal with the investor alliance of Dave King – a former Rangers director – and the Three Bears consortium, who last week scooped up available shares in an audacious raid. The astonishing development followed Telegraph Sport’s disclosure last night that the unpopular Ibrox regime had reached a crisis, which was confirmed today when the club’s board announced to the Stock Exchange that they had accepted an emergency loan of £500,000 from its football chairman, Sandy Easdale, to stay afloat for another few days. The Telegraph had revealed that a major announcement to the LSE was imminent, in respect of Rangers’ parlous economic situation. The trigger was a bill from HMRC for payment of National Insurance, under threat of a petition by the tax authority for the club to be placed into administration if the account was not settled immediately. Easdale’s loan is secured on the fee – believed to be £1 million - obtained from Brentford for the transfer of the highly rated 20-year-old midfielder, Lewis Macleod. When Rangers confirmed MacLeod’s sale to the Stock Exchange on Friday, the announcement said that the proceeds would “be used for immediate working capital”. The announcement of Easdale’s loan stated that the £500,000 would “be used by the Company for general working capital purposes over the next few days”. The statement added that the loan had been offered and accepted “on a fee and interest free basis and it will be secured against the income from the sale of player announced on 2 January 2015”. Related Articles Rangers board to lose power unless Mike Ashley steps in to save directors Rangers board to lose power unless Ashley steps in 04 Jan 2015 Rangers' squad could be decimated in January 01 Jan 2015 Rangers supporters’ group urges fans to displace Ashley 03 Jan 2015 Ashley's plan to own Rangers hits buffers 02 Jan 2015 Even as the Rangers board sought an agreement to avoid the club's collapse, however, a statement from Sandy Easdale's PR advisor, Jack Irvine, brought a sharp retort from King. Commenting on Easdale's secured funding deal, Irvine said: "Once again Sandy has stepped up to the plate with this half million pound loan from his own pocket. Whilst we welcomed the recent share purchases by Dave King and Douglas Park and his consortium, this unfortunately did not put any funds into the club. "Sandy was the only option for this cash injection at such short notice. The Easdale family remain totally committed to achieving a satisfactory financial future for Rangers and they hope all parties can work together in the future with that common goal."Given that Sandy Easdale rejected new funds and was a chief architect in getting the club into this mess, lending a small amount of money is the minimum he should have done. As part restitution he should make the £500,000 a donation rather than a loan." King retorted angrily and told Telegraph Sport: " The situation whereby a short-term loan of working capital is secured on recently obtained and desperately needed working capital is not only designed to stave off immediate administration, but also to keep the club afloat while the directors try to salvage what they can before surrendering to what now looks like an inevitable takeover by the fan-friendly axis of King and the Three Bears. However, three possibilities are in play. One – currently looking the least likely - is that Mike Ashley will come to the board’s rescue, having secured control over the appointment of two directors in return for £3 million of emergency funding in October. However, the Newcastle United owner had previously tried to negotiate with the Scottish Football Association to increase his stake at Ibrox from 8.92% to 29.9% but was refused by the governing body, who insisted that he should comply with his written undertaking not to go above 10%. The second option is an £18 million takeover offer from Robert Sarver, owner of Phoenix Suns basketball club. That offer was also notified to the Stock Exchange at the start of business this morning. Again, Telegraph Sport led the way in revealing that there had been conversations between Sarver’s advisers and those connected with the Three Bears consortium of wealthy shareholders, who have bought a substantial tranche of Rangers shares, as has the former Ibrox director, Dave King. Rangers’ second Stock Exchange statement today read: “The Company notes recent press speculation and confirms that it has received an approach from Robert Sarver (or a vehicle to be established and controlled by him) ("Mr Sarver") that may or may not lead to an offer being made for the Company. “There can be no certainty that an offer will be made, nor as to the terms on which an offer may be made. A further announcement is expected shortly.” Takeover rules mean that Sarver has until 5pm on February 2 to confirm or withdraw his offer, which is worth £18 million and designed to give him complete control of the club’s equity. Again, there are difficulties with this proposal. As the Telegraph disclosed, Sarver has an interest in investing in European football clubs, as opposed to a strategy based solely on a single outfit such as Rangers. A full equity bid would take time to implement, even if it found favour with the majority of investors. When King placed an offer of £16 million in October – the deal rejected by the Rangers plc board in favour of Ashley’s short term fix of loans – it was in the form of a debt and equity mix that would have lent the club sufficient money to keep it going through the takeover process. Another problem for Sarver is that, taken together, the recent share purchases by King and the Three Bears – Douglas Park, George Letham and George Taylor – constitute a little over 34% of Rangers’ stock. They have been pledged support by other disenchanted investors and have also been allocated proxy votes. The King/Three Bears axis know that they can now call upon sufficient support to outdistance the Ashley/Easdale camp by a significant margin. Having got themselves into such a favourable position they are not inclined to stand aside for Sarver although they have, as would be expected, let it be known that they will happily have him on board as a like-minded investor. This is well short of Sarver’s original intent of attaining complete control of Rangers before looking elsewhere to acquire other football interests. One obvious objection to that as a long-term strategy is that it would infringe the same dual-ownership regulations that have prompted a disciplinary complaint against Ashley by the SFA. In any case, time is now the pressing enemy of all the contending parties. If the club runs out of cash and is forced to enter administration for the second time in three years Rangers will be consigned to a fourth successive season in the lower leagues – a prospect feared by the Scottish football authorities as well as other clubs who would benefit financially from their return to the top tier, as a consequence of better sponsorship and broadcast deals than are currently available. Rangers are again teetering on the edge of a financial precipice as the principal personalities jostle on the brink to establish who will be thrust over to the rocks below - and who will be left standing to inherit whatever remains of this once immensely proud and respected club.

http://therangersreport.com/2015/01/05/rangers-declines-to-release-fraser-aird-for-u20-tournament/? Daniel Squizzato reported that Canada’s request to add Fraser Aird to their U20 team was declined by Rangers management. The team begins the 2015 CONCACAF U20s Championship this week. It is a three-week tournament that includes twelve nations. The top four qualify for the 2015 U20 World Cup in New Zealand. Squizzato states that “Canada did attempt to add Aird to their tournament roster but Rangers declined the request.” Dundee’s Dylan Carreiro met a similar fate. David Rowaan, of Walking the Red, confirmed that Aird had been invited to the camp leading up to the tournament but he was also not released for that. Rowaan believes that Aird would still be on the radar for the Canadian national team as they prepare for qualifications for the 2018 World Cup. Rangers on-loan center back Luca Gasparotto is expected to play a critical role to Canada’s success as he will be called upon to anchor the Canadian defence.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/11325238/Rangers-board-in-crisis-talks-after-emergency-500000-loan.html In a day of high drama at Ibrox the Rangers board is negotiating under severe pressure to save the club from financial meltdown for the second time in three years. The plc directors are frantically trying to strike a deal with the investor alliance of Dave King – a former Rangers director – and the Three Bears consortium, who last week scooped up available shares in an audacious raid. The astonishing development followed Telegraph Sport’s disclosure last night that the unpopular Ibrox regime had reached a crisis, which was confirmed today when the club’s board announced to the Stock Exchange that they had accepted an emergency loan of £500,000 from its football chairman, Sandy Easdale, to stay afloat for another few days. The Telegraph had revealed that a major announcement to the LSE was imminent, in respect of Rangers’ parlous economic situation. The trigger was a bill from HMRC for payment of National Insurance, under threat of a petition by the tax authority for the club to be placed into administration if the account was not settled immediately. Easdale’s loan is secured on the fee – believed to be £1 million - obtained from Brentford for the transfer of the highly rated 20-year-old midfielder, Lewis Macleod. When Rangers confirmed MacLeod’s sale to the Stock Exchange on Friday, the announcement said that the proceeds would “be used for immediate working capital”. The announcement of Easdale’s loan stated that the £500,000 would “be used by the Company for general working capital purposes over the next few days”. The statement added that the loan had been offered and accepted “on a fee and interest free basis and it will be secured against the income from the sale of player announced on 2 January 2015”. Related Articles Rangers board to lose power unless Mike Ashley steps in to save directors Rangers board to lose power unless Ashley steps in 04 Jan 2015 Rangers' squad could be decimated in January 01 Jan 2015 Rangers supporters’ group urges fans to displace Ashley 03 Jan 2015 Ashley's plan to own Rangers hits buffers 02 Jan 2015 The situation whereby a short-term loan of working capital is secured on recently obtained and desperately needed working capital is not only designed to stave off immediate administration, but also to keep the club afloat while the directors try to salvage what they can before surrendering to what now looks like an inevitable takeover by the fan-friendly axis of King and the Three Bears. However, three possibilities are in play. One – currently looking the least likely - is that Mike Ashley will come to the board’s rescue, having secured control over the appointment of two directors in return for £3 million of emergency funding in October. However, the Newcastle United owner had previously tried to negotiate with the Scottish Football Association to increase his stake at Ibrox from 8.92% to 29.9% but was refused by the governing body, who insisted that he should comply with his written undertaking not to go above 10%. The second option is an £18 million takeover offer from Robert Sarver, owner of Phoenix Suns basketball club. That offer was also notified to the Stock Exchange at the start of business this morning. Again, Telegraph Sport led the way in revealing that there had been conversations between Sarver’s advisers and those connected with the Three Bears consortium of wealthy shareholders, who have bought a substantial tranche of Rangers shares, as has the former Ibrox director, Dave King. Rangers’ second Stock Exchange statement today read: “The Company notes recent press speculation and confirms that it has received an approach from Robert Sarver (or a vehicle to be established and controlled by him) ("Mr Sarver") that may or may not lead to an offer being made for the Company. “There can be no certainty that an offer will be made, nor as to the terms on which an offer may be made. A further announcement is expected shortly.” Takeover rules mean that Sarver has until 5pm on February 2 to confirm or withdraw his offer, which is worth £18 million and designed to give him complete control of the club’s equity. Again, there are difficulties with this proposal. As the Telegraph disclosed, Sarver has an interest in investing in European football clubs, as opposed to a strategy based solely on a single outfit such as Rangers. A full equity bid would take time to implement, even if it found favour with the majority of investors. When King placed an offer of £16 million in October – the deal rejected by the Rangers plc board in favour of Ashley’s short term fix of loans – it was in the form of a debt and equity mix that would have lent the club sufficient money to keep it going through the takeover process. Another problem for Sarver is that, taken together, the recent share purchases by King and the Three Bears – Douglas Park, George Letham and George Taylor – constitute a little over 34% of Rangers’ stock. They have been pledged support by other disenchanted investors and have also been allocated proxy votes. The King/Three Bears axis know that they can now call upon sufficient support to outdistance the Ashley/Easdale camp by a significant margin. Having got themselves into such a favourable position they are not inclined to stand aside for Sarver although they have, as would be expected, let it be known that they will happily have him on board as a like-minded investor. This is well short of Sarver’s original intent of attaining complete control of Rangers before looking elsewhere to acquire other football interests. One obvious objection to that as a long-term strategy is that it would infringe the same dual-ownership regulations that have prompted a disciplinary complaint against Ashley by the SFA. In any case, time is now the pressing enemy of all the contending parties. If the club runs out of cash and is forced to enter administration for the second time in three years Rangers will be consigned to a fourth successive season in the lower leagues – a prospect feared by the Scottish football authorities as well as other clubs who would benefit financially from their return to the top tier, as a consequence of better sponsorship and broadcast deals than are currently available. Rangers are again teetering on the edge of a financial precipice as the principal personalities jostle on the brink to establish who will be thrust over to the rocks below - and who will be left standing to inherit whatever remains of this once immensely proud and respected club.

From the Official site... http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/8312-rino-to-return-for-fernando? ITALIAN legend Rino Gattuso is just one of several big names who have recently confirmed they will take part in Fernando Ricksen’s highly-anticipated Tribute Match on Sunday 25 January 2015. The players confirmed to play on January 25 so far are as follows: RANGERS SELECT Michael Mols Arthur Numan Jorg Albertz Bob Malcolm Alex Rae Thomas Buffel Ronald de Boer Bert Konterman Marvin Andrews Michael Ball Peter Lovenkrands Marco Negri Nacho Novo Stefan Klos Barry Ferguson Tugay Kerimoglu Russell Latapy Rino Gattuso Andy Goram FERNANDO’S ALL STARS Ronald Waterreus Dave Beasant Teddy Sheringham Darren Anderton Matt le Tissier Des Walker Mark Falco James Beattie Kevin Hofland Kiki Musampa Denny Landzaat Paul Bosvelt Kenneth Perez Pedro Ricksen Gino Facenna Rick Geenen Evgeniy Levchenko

I'm just thinking with Jig having bizarrely been promoted to player/coach in the 1st team and with him seeming to be undroppable due to also being team captain, is it maybe time Kenny McDowall and Gordon Durie considered giving the captain's armband to someone else?

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.

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!

[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.

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

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…

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

God Bless the 66.

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."

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

Andy Nicol ‏@AndyNic9 Highlight of day at Scotstoun was bumping into Ally McCoist. Great to see him smiling again! #loveshisrugby Daily Record Sport ‏@Record_Sport Not exactly gardening weather, Ally McCoist instead spent his first Saturday off at the Rugby!

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.