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Hi Bears! Me and some other students from Liverpool are taking a look at what it means to be a Rangers fan. We have a short survey that we would really appreciate if you could fill out to help us get an insight into how the fans feel about their club. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RHFRGK8 Below you will find a link with some information on why we are doing the survey as well as how we will use the data. All data is anonymous and confidential. If you have any queries please do not hesitate to get in touch: kaneok100@gmail.com https://drive.google.com/open?id=1nNYWOK4qzBaw0bS_ZTOkoWqbGP5GDqiV Cheers, Kane

An excellent article on the main today from @JohnMcIntosh19 https://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/news-category/current-affairs/869-the-increasing-value-of-james-tavernier James Tavernier has probably been the biggest enigma in the Rangers side over the last few seasons in terms of splitting the opinions of many supporters. Whilst his attacking threat and excellent output going forward has never really been questioned, his defensive qualities, lack of positional awareness and a failure to competently defend his back post definitely have been. I’ll start this off by stating I love James Tavernier but that’s not to say in the past he hasn’t frustrated the life out of me. His development and maturity has shone through this season but while he has made mistakes in previous seasons, I’ve always thought he was used as somewhat of a scapegoat by certain Rangers fans for us going through a difficult period. In my opinion you can’t ask an attacking wing back to hit the byline and create chances when you give him no defensive midfield protection (Andy Halliday doesn’t count). Moreover, playing under Mark Warburton and asking him to be competent with Rob Kiernan playing as the centre back next to him and when any attack breaks down he simply can’t be in two places at once when a quick counter ensues. We are now seeing the best of James Tavernier this season because of quite a few reasons: his understanding with Daniel Candeias being the main one which provides Rangers with comfortably the best right side in the league. Candeias is the top creator in the league in terms of assists but unlike most wide men he is a bloody hard worker and his ability to press opponents and track back helps Tavernier out so much as he is no longer isolated defensively. The signing of Ryan Jack and the emergence of young Ross McCrorie occupying the defensive midfield role is also important for Tavernier as they know when to cover for the vacant right full back slot when he attacks. That solidity is something Rangers have been crying out for in recent years and it simply means we don’t get caught out as much and the defensive midfielders can break up the play quicker also. In the recent Old Firm game at Parkhead I felt Tavernier was a stand out, defending very well, blocking a Scott Sinclair shot on the line and almost scoring with a well taken volley. he also put in some top deliveries including a superb mazy run where he cuts in between two Celtic players and breezes to the byline before setting up Morelos with a point blank header which should hit the back of the net. He also volleys an early ball onto Morelos' head which he could have done better with also but for me it just shows how important Tavernier is to our side going forward. Signed for £250,000 I was thrilled with the capture at the time but his development has really impressed me: he has certainly found a level of maturity and some leadership qualities this season to drive on the side. If we take a look at Danny Wilson's pending MLS move, I of course wish him all the best but respectfully feel we won’t miss his inconsistency that much but if we lost Tavernier I just don’t see how we replace him and that’s probably the biggest credit I can give him. He has 22 goals and 37 assists in two and a half seasons and whilst this is skewed by the easier level of opposition in the Championship, those numbers are very hard to find. Last season he scored once and assisted six times in 36 Premiership appearances but he has went up to a different level this season with four goals and six assists in 23 appearances and you’d expect him to get in to double digits for assists from full back. He is the best right back in the league by a distance, despite a few commentators suggesting that is ludicrous because Lustig is a Swedish International. That take is ridiculous as he is nowhere near Tav, if we take that argument then Lee Hodson is also an International so he should be better? Stop laughing at the back! Let's say he’s the best right back in the league but how does he compare against boy wonder Kieran Tierney in terms of the best full-back? We’ll look at the stats for this season; now I’ll be honest and I think Tierney is a big talent but like Tav has his own defensive issues, when teams press him heavily he can make silly mistakes as we seen by Daniel Candeias' relentless pressing in the recent Old Firm derby. In 22 Premiership appearances Tierney has two goals and five assists, a bit behind Tav four goals and six assists. There are intangibles that statistics just don’t give us such as positional awareness and such but defensively and offensively in an individual sense I don’t see a great deal of difference. However, due to Tavernier's occasional concentration lapses I’d say he has that to work on and I'd argue Tierney is the more composed when he hits the byline but Tavernier whips a ball in better than anyone in the league as seen versus Aberdeen for Morelos opening goal. The above image is something you may have seen if you follow @TheSPFLRadar and I’d recommend you do if you don’t already. If you haven’t then it shows player statistics for their position and role, with the closer to the middle being the weakest and closer to the outside part of the radar being the strongest statistics for that position in the league this season. For example, xA is Expected Assists so, as expected, he scores very highly for his attacking output here but I’d also like to look at cross blocking % and dribbled past per 90 minutes. These are stats that we can use to look at the defensive side of the game and an area where Tavernier has been highly criticised and sometimes rightly in the past. The good news is that his cross blocking % is one of the highest in the league which means he is stopping dangerous attacks before they reach our area and something Declan John and Lee Wallace are both poor at. That point can be related to Tavernier lack of positional awareness at defending his back post, he does have that issue and I can’t defend that but he also has to deal with it far too often and he was excellent with vital blocks late in the Aberdeen game. In terms of dribbles past per 90 minutes, the stats show he is one of the best in the league in another defensive statistic. I’ve noticed this just by watching him but he is now more pro-active and aware of situations and when he can step in, has built up his strength to deal with wide men and is a very good defender one on one which he has massively improved on. The image above is also provided by @TheSPFLRadar: this time for Kieran Tierney. In terms of his attacking output he is rather impressive showing his creative attributes but frankly his cross blocking % is horrendous but that could be due to Celtic being more dominant and choosing not to get as tight to the opposing winger. Similar stats for the majority of this radar simply show that there isn’t much difference between the two players. They're the two best full backs in the league and by a massive distance at that. Yet, one is valued at over £20million whilst Tavernier has often been derided. Now we come to his contract situation, Tavernier has a deal until the summer of 2019 so he's now into the final 18 months of this contract. Given when he signed from Wigan for £250k he wasn’t a big name I can’t imagine he is on overly high wages though there have been rumours that he wants to move back to England with Sunderland the main club showing an interest. His contributions on the pitch recently have been outstanding and his Twitter activity does not suggest to me a player that wishes to move on. However you have to pay players their worth and make them feel valued or we will lose him. On a rough estimate I’d say he’s on around £6k per week and he’ll have seen Carlos Pena and Bruno Alves pick up over £20k per week and show nowhere near the contribution that he brings. In simple terms, we need to reward our star me and hope that if we can keep them happy and they will sign on. Sure we may lose some talents like Morelos down the line but I feel Tavernier wants to stay to win 55 and we urgently need to reward him with a massively improved contract on a long term deal which provides security for the club, rewards a star individual and is another marker of intent that we mean business to effectively challenge Celtic at the top of Scottish football. The soon to depart Danny Wilson may not have deserved a large pay-rise but Tav's performances and value to the team have to be fairly considered. Reward the man!

Graeme Murty has been in charge for a while now, and over the course of his tenure we have seen him experiment with a number of different shapes; some have worked, but others have not. A fruitful trip to Florida last week has hinted at another change of shape, and a new tactical focus, which we may see more of when Rangers return to domestic duty in the coming week. When he first took over, Murty quickly looked to go back to a 4-4-2, with two wingers and Miller roaming off Morelos. But, Rangers were too easily outnumbered and overrun in midfield. We also never had the number, or quality, of wide players to make this work -- Candeias being the only natural wide man we had, if you exclude youngsters. This approach was quickly discarded after several gutless performances. Up next came the 4-4-2 diamond, which removed the need for wingers altogether. We already had a good variety of central-midfield players, so this approach fit the players at Murty's disposal. Rangers ground out some of their best performances with this set-up -- against Aberdeen and Hibernian, respectively -- and picked up some much-needed points against close rivals. McCrorie came into the holding role, and Windass was able to play in his favoured central position -- it's no surprise that these two players in particular have been in a rich vein of form recently. A surprising couple of wins in Florida -- albeit against teams having their pre-season; and with hardly a strong-XI ourselves -- has seen another change. Murty used the trip to chop-and-change personnel, with youngsters and forgotten men getting their time in the sun. But one thing remained constant over the 2 games: the 4-2-3-1 formation employed. Rangers scored 5 goals in the two games in the Florida Cup, with all except Morelos' first against Corinthians (which came from Goss' excellent set-piece delivery) coming from some form of wing-play. Not only did we set up with natural wingers hugging the touchline, but we also overloaded the half-spaces and flanks, with Full-backs and Central-midfielders drifting in to support. Manchester City are running away with the English Premier League this season, chiefly down to their superb positional play, but also because of their productive wing-play. Guardiola employs a provisional 4-3-3, with Sane and Stirling playing wide and two No.8's just behind. City always try to get in-behind opponents by creating a 1-on-1 situations on the wings; and they do so in two main ways. Firstly, they'll overload the wing and half-space. One of Stirling or Sane will hug the touchline, with their Full-back close to support. This in itself is nothing special, with most teams now pushing on their Full-backs. To overload more, though, not only will Guardiola ask Aguero to drift wide slightly, into the channel or half-space, but he also gives De Bryune a free role to drift right out onto the wing. There are potentially up to 4 players overloading a flank, allowing City to pass around a low block; they are then looking to cross into the box, cut the ball back to on-rushing midfielders, or fashion a shooting chance. To deal with this, teams will naturally drift over to the ball, to try and stifle City. The second way in which City employ wing-play is by switching the play. As they overload one side of the pitch, the winger on the other side stays wide. City are mainly trying create in that overloaded side, but by dragging teams into that congested space, they then open up the switch of play to a free winger on the other side. Sane and Stirling in particular have scored several goals from these types of situations. It may be too early to tell, but there were examples of this first type of wing-play (overloading the wings) on show in Florida. In several game situations, Rangers would play into one half of the pitch; the winger would be wide or occupying the channel, the Full-back supporting, the No.10 playing in the channel, and a deeper midfielder an easy passing option just behind. There were as many as 5 players in the channel and flank. Game situation from 2nd half against Corinthians There were two variations in the way we played through our opponents. The first was with a pass, long and crisp, from Goss/Kranjcar (RDM) into the No.10 in the channel with a quick, first-time pass wide, or into the forward. The second is another long, through ball, but this time into the winger that takes up the space in the channel; again there is a quick, first-time pass into the forward or No.10. It seems to be about quick interchanges, and overloads on one side of the pitch; the aim being to get in-behind or create a shooting chance. The new signings are more evidence of this new wing-play focus. Thus far Murphy has been the marquee signing, and it would be negligent to sign a crafty winger and not play him. Moreover, wide-players like Atekayi and Dalcio have come into the equation, alongside O'Halloran -- whether they will play a part of not, remains to be seen. More wingers are lined up (Kilmarnock's Jones), but even players like Cummings and Docherty have an energy and flexibility to be comfortable drifting into different spaces. Another hint lies in the players used in the No.10 position. Considering the players used in Florida, Murty is perhaps not looking for an orthodox playmaker in the No.10 position. Murphy, and to a lesser extent Windass, have both been deployed there recently but neither are 'traditional' No.10's. Several times against Corinthians, Murphy and Windass would come deep then spin in behind, sprinting into the channels, feeding off balls from the deeper players. Another tactic utilised a lot by Murphy and Windass was, when they received the ball in the channel, they would play a quick, first-time ball wide to the winger, then sprint to overlap. This movement by the No.10s, spinning wide and in behind, was a constant theme. Even the players used in the deeper roles have tended to be more the creative, playmaker-types, rather than defensive. Kranjcar and Goss have been the main players deployed in the deeper position; neither are natural defenders, so it seems Murty will be looking for them to feed the ball into the front line, dictating play from deep -- both had the energy of Holt or Halliday for cover. Kranjcar may be past it, but he still possesses a delightful left foot; a real asset if we can utilise it properly. Goss also looks to have an impressive passing range and a pin-point delivery. Most of our 'good' play under Caixinha came from the wing, but it was all too confined to Candeias on the right; there was no balance, and too often relied on an isolated moment of brilliance from a single player, which were few and far between. With the addition of more attack-minded players, we will hopefully see a more balanced and structured approach to our wing-play. We're all on a bit of a high, with the latest Admin Day being such a big success: deals for Cummings and Martin agreed; an offer for Kilmarnock's Jordan Jones on the table; rumours of an offer for Hamilton's Docherty. Mark Allen and Graeme Murty are spearheading what is turning out to be a productive recruitment drive. Another cause for optimism may well be the new tactical approach. The signings that have come through the door -- and even potentially those lined up -- all point towards a new focus on overloading the wings and getting in behind.

"We want folk in 30 to 40 years to still be talking about the forthcoming Rangers game in a similar fashion so they can tell their grandchildren where they stood that day in 2018 when the famous Glasgow Rangers came to Bellslea." The words of Fraserburgh Chairman Finlay Noble in The Press & Journal. There's little doubt that this is by far and away the biggest game in the 108 year history of Fraserburgh FC and as far as the town itself is concerned the only time that the general vibe has approached anything like the current buzz was in 1992 when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited for the celebration of the founding of the town's 400th anniversary. Much has been said among Rangers fans about the scarcity of tickets for the game with Rangers receiving an allocation of 360 but lost in that debate is the fact that Fraserburgh FC earned the right to play and to ergo host Rangers on the field of play and where as moving the game down the road to Peterhead or Aberdeen may well have resulted in a bigger pay day there never any serious possibility of it being moved. While the Bellslea Park may be both pretty compact and basic it really isn't any worse than many of the grounds we visited on the journey up through the leagues. The stand is called the Jim Adams Stand after the former Chairman who was a founder of the towns largest employer Gray & Adams, no doubt at some time or other you'll have been stuck in traffic behind one of their refrigerated trailers or even had the pleasure of a ride in their prisoner transfer vans. Sadly Jim is no longer around but rumour has it the Fraserburgh players would like his daughter Marieanne Adams to give them one of her famous group hugs! Fraserburgh the town is referred to locally as "The Broch" and its inhabitants as "Brochers" however I don't consider myself as a Brocher having only emigrated the 17 miles up the road from Peterhead 33 years ago and as everyone from Peterhead knows they aren't Brochers anyway they are in fact Puddlestinkers. The name Fraserburgh stems from 1592 when King James VI granted a charter to Sir Alexander Fraser and what was known as Faithlie became literally the burgh of Fraser. The name Broch coming from an old iron age tower that stood in the town but now long since gone. Among the local places of note are Fraserburgh Golf Club a links course which is the 5th oldest in Scotland and the 7th oldest in the world. The Museum of Scottish Lighthouses at Kinnaird Head and the adjacent Heritage Centre. Not forgetting the harbour to which the town owes its existence, the harbour is enjoying something of a renaissance after decades of decline due to the EU's Common Fisheries Policy and new boats have once again become a regular feature although sadly no longer being built in Fraserburgh itself since the boat yards have long closed. Famous Brochers include Thomas Blake Glover who emigrated to Japan and helped found what became the Mitsubishi conglomerate, Charles Alfred Jarvis the recipient of the first Victoria Cross awarded in World War I, Bill Gibb the fashion designer and of course one Dennis Nilsen the serial killer. The game itself takes place on the 48th anniversary of the Duchess of Kent lifeboat disaster on which 5 of the 6 volunteer crewmen lost their lives going to the aid of the Danish fishing vessel Opal, the men who perished that day were John Stephen, Fred Kirkness, William Hadden (my wife's uncle), James Buchan and James RS Buchan with Jackson Buchan being the sole survivor. Ironically the Duchess of Kent was a replacement lifeboat for the John and Charles Kennedy which capsized in the harbour entrance with the loss of 6 of the 7 crewmen in February 1953. Also another disaster befell the town in 1919 the lifeboat Lady Rothes capsized a mile from port with the loss of 2 lives. It would be remiss of me not to mention that on 28th of April 1970 Jock Stein took his Celtic team to Fraserburgh to play a game in aid of the lifeboat disaster fund the week before their European Cup Final defeat at the hands of Feyernoord. Now onto the game itself, whilst the rest of Scotland seems to be under a deep blanket of snow the north-east appears to have gotten of lightly, there was a brief snow shower earlier today it wasn't anything of note and shouldn't in any way affect the game. The club have been loaned covers from Arbroath FC but as it stands they shouldn't be needed, it will however be cold so if you're one of those fortunate to get a ticket I'd put the long johns on if I were you. Team wise where do we start? Will Cummings, Goss, Murphy or Martin make their competitive debuts? Will Halliday or O'Halloran feature on their return from being frozen out? Probably the only player we have with previous experience of the Bellslea is Ryan Jack who's unlikely to feature but should return in time for the Aberdeen game. We all know what Cummings is capable of as we've been on the receiving end of his skills often enough. Over in Florida Goss looked a decent tidy enough player with good delivery especially from dead balls. Murphy knows what its all about and will be keen to get of to a flyer playing for his boyhood heroes. I'd like to see us start with both Cummings and Morelos up front as there's absolutely no reason to play one up front in this game. We should be going for it and getting the business done early in the game. Will it be 442, 433 or 352? I'd plump for 442 with the following Alnwick Tavernier Bates Wilson John Candeias Goss Windass Murphy Cummings Morelos However I doubt the either the formation or the personnel will prove to be correct. There's no stand outs in the Fraserburgh team, they are almost all local to the north east with a fair amount of Bears (and a few of them)in the side.One Bryan Hay whose last minute penalty secured qualification for Fraserburgh in the last round away against Spartans will no doubt give his usual wholehearted no frills display, I saw him play for Fraserburgh U20's against Rangers U20's at Auchenhowie a few years back and he played well until his sending off (somewhat harshly on that occasion). A few of the Dave Smith Loyal have been trying to get odds on him seeing a red card again on Sunday. One player in the Fraserburgh ranks who has previously been on the victorious side against Rangers is the managers brother Dean Cowie (one of them) who was in the Peterhead side that beat Rangers 1-2 at Ibrox almost 5 years ago.

Hi there, my name is Daniel and I am a student at the University of Leeds. I am conducting a research project for my final year and I have chosen to investigate rivalry within football and one of my case studies besides the Catalonian/Madrid rivalry, I am looking at Scottish football, and more specifically the city of Glasgow. I understand this may be a sensitive topic and would like to make it clear that this survey is purely academical and I have no intention to cause any sort of offence. I have put together a small survey looking at rivalries and I kindly ask that you fill out my survey for me. It only takes 3 minutes and would be kindly appreciated if you could complete this for me. Also if you could pass on to anyone relevant. Again, I thank you for your time. https://leeds.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/scottishfootballsurvey

30% off collection higher percentage off bulk Percentage of sale goes to Rangers Charity foundation Visit us on http://www.thediamondstudio.co.uk/spirit-of-72-b-11-page-47 or in store 29 Royal exchange Square Glasgow G1 3AJ

http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/8486-club-statement Poor us, everyone feel sorry for us, we're just misunderstood, none of it is our fault.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/king-maps-out-plan-for-the-future.117959899 The suspicion is that if the existing directors are unable to muster the votes required to hold on to power by conventional means they will attempt to do so unconventionally. The savage personal attack on King contained in the statement to the AIM Stock Exchange on Friday underlined what many had long suspected; the power battle at Rangers is going to be a dirty one. Nevertheless, King and his associates are already looking further ahead and formulating plans which they believe will enable the Glasgow club to return to the forefront of Scottish football if they do take control. Appointing a permanent replacement for Ally McCoist by bringing in a manager who can rebuild the side and secure on-field success is at the top of their list of priorities. Luring Rangers stalwarts back into the club to work behind-the-scenes in a variety of roles is also seen as important so the identity of the institution can be restored. The fact no fewer than 12 members of the first team squad are out of contract in the summer is seen as an opportunity to substantially reduce a crippling wage bill that Charles Green, Brian Stockbridge and Craig Mather are largely to blame for. "There is obviously an opportunity to have contracts terminated," said King. "We have to make some fairly significant changes to the footballing side. But before that it is critical that we get the right manager in because we are bringing a manager into a team that is obviously not equipped to compete in the Premier League and is really struggling. "You would have thought that when Rangers were demoted they would have fairly comfortably come through the lower leagues into the Premiership and then maybe struggled for a season or two. "But right now we are struggling to get out of the Championship. Given the need to balance budgets and just be more sensible about the way the money is spent, we are going to have to get a manager who has the capacity to identify and manage players. "So I would imagine that the single most important decision will be identifying the right manager, who has all of these qualities. It really is someone who is more of a coach." King revealed he would be willing to pay compensation to another club for their manager if the best candidate they identify is in employment. He said: "If it was within reason, then paying compensation would be considered. I think everyone would accept that Rangers have to completely rebuild the squad. So the manager's role is so critical. "One wouldn't easily take the second choice when a little bit of money would have got you your first choice. I think we have just got to get it right. There's too much money being spent around it that is key to that individual to not get that appointment right." McCoist is currently on gardening leave while he serves out his 12-month notice period and could theoretically return in some capacity if King, Paul Murray and John Gilligan are appointed directors. But King said: "My understanding is that Ally has expressed no interest in coming back even with regime change. The indications I've had from those who have spoken to him more recently than I have is that he thinks he is done and he really doesn't see himself as part of the future." John Greig, Sandy Jardine and Walter Smith have all worked behind the scenes at Ibrox in a number of different roles in recent years and King would like to see a return to the days when Rangers men were involved in the running of the club. Greig declined to take to the pitch along with the other members of the European Cup-Winners' Cup winning team when the Govan Stand was renamed in honour of his former team-mate Jardine back in August. King said: "For me personally somebody like John Greig would be very important. I spoke to John when I was over here in November - just phoned him up and asked him how he was doing. "There are individuals who are not welcome - because they are not supportive of the existing regime. But what we would like to do is connect with the past. "Despite the difficult times, the history hasn't been lost. We already have Richard Gough showing support and to have people like John Grieg and Graeme Souness is going to be very, very important." The Glasgow-born financier, who once ploughed £20 million of his personal fortune into his boyhood heroes, is hopeful there will be no nasty surprises lurking in the books if he does take over. He said: "I think the circumstances of the club are such that there is a limit to how bad it can be. I can't imagine there will be a huge amount of creditors building up. I can't imagine that anyone has been lending money that we don't know about. "The stadium we know hasn't been used as security. "So while I think there will be some surprises, I think they might run into a couple of million, I don't think we are going to find a hole of £15 million to £20 million."

I know most bears have no time for Naismith(who really knows why ?) but I'll tell you he is exactly what Is missing in our team right now.hes the heart and soul of a dreadful Everton team,that without him Would be destined to the Championship. Whether you like him or not,there is no denying that he is a terrific wee player.

http://www.rangersfirst.org/egm-update-important/ Rangers First – latest update: The keenly awaited EGM is to be held in a hotel in London on the 4th of March. Rangers First spokesman said this afternoon, ” The board of Rangers FC and the NOMAD WH Ireland appear to have set this up to make voting as awkward as possible especially for the small share holders, many of who are Rangers Fans. Rangers First are pleased to announce that we will have a number of drop in centres available for people who need help in completing voting forms or if they would like to proxy their shares to Rangers First. We will be delighted to help any shareholders be they Rangers First members or not as it is important that as many votes are cast in this process as possible, you can also email shares@rangersfirst.com for info” Drop in centres will be available in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirlingshire & North West England with other venues to be announced. If any member is struggling to attend then we will do our best to arrange a home visit. This is a critical vote for the future of our club and we encourage everyone to find a way to exercise their vote.”

By Chris McLaughlin Lalit Modi, the first commissioner of cricket's Indian Premier League, has expressed an interest in buying a large shareholding in Rangers. BBC Scotland has learned Modi's representatives made contact with the chairman of Rangers' football board, Sandy Easdale, earlier this week. The groups talked about the potential sale of the 26% stake Easdale controls. It is believed a price has already been discussed. And a meeting could take place as early as next week. Modi was banned for life by the Indian Cricket Board of Control after they charged him with misconduct relating to financial irregularities. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/31168745

http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12241662.html

Northern Ireland international Shane Ferguson is thrilled to have joined Rangers. The talented winger, who along with four Newcastle United team-mates have been loaned to the Ibrox men until the end of the season, conceded he’s over the moon with the move to the Glasgow giants, however he wouldn’t be available for selection as he continues to recover from a knee injury. “It’s going to be another few weeks before I get up to Glasgow but I can’t wait to get started,” said Ferguson. “Three of the lads went straight away and did their press conference and trained with the team but I have to bide my time. “I’m almost back to full training and as soon as I am completely fit I will be in Scotland and hopefully I can help Rangers win promotion back to the top flight of Scottish football. “Everyone knows Rangers are a huge club. OK, the last few years have been tough for everyone at the club and the fans who have stuck by them but I am excited about playing for such a big club. “The last three months have been frustrating after I picked up a knee injury in training. “This is an opportunity for me to go and get games as soon as I am fit and nothing would make me happier than being part of the side that took Rangers back to where they should be in Scottish football. “They are second in the league and have a bit of ground to make up on Hearts but it is a challenge that I am relishing and I know the other lads feel exactly the same. “I’ve never been in this situation before. When I spent time on loan at Birmingham it was never a case of us challenging for promotion so there is a lot riding on the last few months of the season.” Although a few eyebrows were raised that he made his move to the Gers on deadline day, but for the 23-year-old he just wants to play football. “My family have always been very supportive of everything I have wanted to do in my career – and a move to Rangers is no different,” he admitted. “The decision was mine to make and nothing entered my mind other than football. I am a footballer and that is all that matters. “I know a few people hiding behind a computer have had a pop at me but all I want to do is play football and Rangers are giving me that opportunity. “People can say what they want but I am happy to be signing for Rangers. “I have to say almost all the comments I’ve received from people back home and in Scotland have been really positive. “That means a lot to me and, of course, there has been a bit of banter with my mates back home, too. “I have a lot of friends who are Celtic fans but I have lots who support Rangers, too, so I’m sure the stick will be flying for a while yet.” The Eglinton man also confirmed that he took advice from Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill prior to his move. “The first I heard about Rangers being an option was on Sunday night. The five of us got a call and were told to go and have a think about it,” he added. “After I decided it was definitely something I wanted to do, it all happened pretty quickly. “With the Scottish transfer window shutting at midnight, I knew the move had to happen that day even though I wouldn’t be going there straight away. “I just can’t wait to get there. I already know Dean Shiels from playing with him for Northern Ireland but I didn’t speak to many people before signing. “Michael O’Neill had heard about the move and I spoke to him and his advice confirmed what I was already thinking about going. “There were a few rumours doing the rounds about me not signing but that was never the case. I knew it was a good move for me and that was that. “I have actually played at Ibrox for Newcastle in a summer friendly and had to mark Kyle Lafferty when I came on. “The atmosphere was incredible for that game so I can’t wait to experience it when those fans are behind you. I am really excited about playing there.” Ferguson, who still has 18 months remaining on his contract with the Toon Army, believes the next few months could be something special. “The next six months are massive. I want to help Rangers win the league and, of course, helping Northern Ireland qualify for Euro 2016 has been on my mind. “I want to be as sharp as I possibly can be by the time our next games comes around in March and if I am playing regularly for Rangers that is brilliant. “I wouldn’t want to harm our chances of playing when I’m not at my best but this move will definitely help that.” http://www.londonderrysentinel.co.uk/sport/football/ferguson-delighted-with-rangers-move-1-6563801

THE nine-in-a-row skipper never shirked a challenge as a player and refused to hold back on his assessment on the players who are following in his footsteps. RICHARD GOUGH has labelled the current Rangers team the worst in history and fears for the very existence of the club if Dave King fails to gain control. The nine-in-a-row skipper never shirked a challenge as a player and refused to hold back on his assessment on the players who are following in his footsteps. His comments will make uncomfortable reading for close pal Ally McCoist, who has assembled the current group, although Gough suggested their shortcomings are being exposed by chaos behind the scenes as much as their own professional limitations. Gough’s emotions were split between pride and dismay when he heard Rangers fans bellow their defiance as the team went down 2-0 to Celtic at Hampden in the League Cup semi-final. He reckons two decades ago they would have booed him and his team-mates off the park – and rightly so – had they gone down so tamely to their arch rivals. However, Celtic fans shouldn’t take too much comfort from Gough’s assessment as he reckons Ronny Deila’s current charges might just also be the worst Hoops side he has ever seen. Gough, a close pal of King, said: “We are bang in trouble if Dave doesn’t win the day. “I would fear for the club. In a lot of ways, it is the last chance to save it. I might be completely wrong but I just look at the evidence of the last three or four years and it’s getting worse. “I’ve watched Rangers since the late seventies and I know about the teams before then from my father and grandfather. This team at the moment is probably the worst Rangers team that’s ever played for the club. “It’s not their fault, it’s the circumstances at the club. It could also be the worst Celtic team I’ve ever seen, to be fair. That’s the standard right now. “I didn’t go to Hampden on Sunday. I didn’t want to. But what struck me from watching on TV was the Rangers support. They were unbelievable because they were watching a poor team being completely outplayed by Celtic, who were far better in every position. However, the Rangers fans remained very vocal in their support. That saddened me in a way because I knew if that had been our team who had been 2-0 down and were being played off the park by Celtic, we would have been hammered. The support would have walked out. “However, the supporters know the current team doesn’t have the necessary quality. I just hope Dave can gain control because it will be better for those supporters again. “It’s going to be a long process, it’s not going to be a quick fix. What has happened in the last three years had drained the resources. By all accounts, Murray Park and Ibrox need £10million spent on them. “It will take a while to get the club back to how it should be. If Dave gets in and the Three Bears also invest, the club will be able to get other money from elsewhere, maybe from investors such as Robert Sarver. “For now, the worry is that the current team might not even get into the Premiership next season. I’ve watched every game and it looks as if Hearts will win the Championship. It’s not even a given Rangers would get through a play-off against Hibs.” Gough has not ruled out a return to Rangers if King takes control and decides his skills can be utilised in and around Murray Park, but for now he is happy to play a supporting role to the Johannesburg-based tycoon, a long time family friend. He also insists the SFA have been harsh enough on Rangers these last few years without denying King the opportunity to take up a position as director under their ‘fit and proper person’ guidelines. He added: “I would help the club in any way possible. If Dave wanted me to do something, I would do it. I just really hope he wins the day at the general meeting, then let’s take it from there. “The SFA should not put any blocks on Dave’s involvement. When I look at the SFA, I wonder if they could have done more to protect Rangers who, after all, are one of their main assets. “Rangers in the Third Division has had a huge effect on Scottish football over the last three years. “When Dave asked me to back him a while back, I thought it was the right thing to do. It’s pretty evident, with what has happened since then, that it is the right thing. “Dave and the people on board with him all have Rangers at heart. It’s pretty evident the people who have been in charge for the last few years have not been in it for Rangers. “The club is in as bad a state as I’ve ever seen it. “I’m not sure the supporters actually know how bad it is. It has changed, it’s unrecognisable from what it was 10 years ago.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-team-worst-history-ibrox-5114172

https://m.facebook.com/rangersfansboard Rangers Fans Board 25 minutes ago · EGM DATE: The RFB can officially announce, as informed tonight by Derek Llambias, that the EGM is to be held on the 6th of March 2015

Once the good guys get control I'd like to see them return to the Yellow/Red/Blue club tie's that Gough was wearing yesterday at the press conference. I'd resign the current one to history and let it never be worn at the club again. Too many rats have graced it and for me it's now stained. Thoughts?

Seems the Newcastle supporters think he doesn't get a chance because he fell out with the coaching staff.

with king hoping to get, and I hope he gets his way as regards to an egm its time for the fans to impose a total boycott of attending games home and away we are now entering a battle we cant afford to lose . LONG LIVE THE RANGERS:crest

According to Ronnie Esplin on Twitter, Kenny McDowall says he has been told to play 5 loan players. Wow!

http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/309-seconds-out-dave-king-v-mike-ashley-the-big-fight-continues Ding Ding! As the bell rings out for another round of a fight that appears to have been ongoing for at least two years, one can’t help shake the feeling we’re now reaching the closing stages of this ceaseless contest. With Mike Ashley now having played all his secured loan cards and Dave King finally putting his money where his mouth is, surely the next three weeks will see this hitherto open-ended bout be won by one or the other? Certainly an EGM in early March looks as if it will, for the short term at least, decide the winner. In the Blue corner we have Dave King: a Rangers fan, wealthy South African businessman and carrying the backing of other high net worth ‘Rangers minded’ individuals (as well as the main fan groups) on his side. In the Red corner, sits the heavyweight Mike Ashley: an admired billionaire entrepreneur, a no-nonsense negotiator and with the advantage of having his backers already directly involved with the club. It would take a brave man to try and separate these successful prize-fighters. But with no knock-out blow in sight, the decision will be made by the three judges: Mr AIM from Fit-and-Proper Street, London; Mr Regan from Puppet Place, Hampden; and thousands of Rangers shareholders – all of whom have their own specific interest in this bout. Who will prevail? Certainly, the press conference of Dave King yesterday was one of a confident man. Open, transparent, knowledgeable and with just the right amount of sincerity; there weren’t many Rangers fans complaining about his performance. Yes, many of us have held doubts over King’s less than impressive historic ownership efforts but in recent times, he has clearly upped his game. Firstly by buying shares himself, secondly by cleverly (apparently) working in tandem (though not concert) with other financially independent bears and, finally, unlike Ashley’s camp, coming to Scotland to show he’s not afraid of meeting the media (and his critics) on their terms. No-one can deny today’s subsequent press coverage is impressive. However, while some may swoon at the promises he makes; his opponents (plural) will not. To begin with, Mike Ashley has not made his fortune through weakness. Throughout his business career, he’s faced many a negative period. From risky investments losing their worth, to media and political pressure on his activities; despite his success and contribution to British business, Ashley has never been an immediately popular figure. Not amongst his peers, not amongst Newcastle supporters and certainly not revered by Rangers fans. As such, while Dave King’s poise yesterday may have impressed you or me, Ashley will be equally assured in his position and determined to defend his Rangers interests. Dave King may feel the EGM is already won but there will be no throwing in of the towel by Ashley – that’s for sure. Indeed, if we delve deeper into King’s comments, although he spoke of an ‘indifference’ to Ashley’s involvement and tried to play down the significance of the Englishman’s stake in Rangers, there was tentative evidence of an olive branch being offered. Yes, King may not want to do a boardroom deal ahead of next month’s general meeting but there has to be (and appeared to be) an acknowledgement Rangers’ ties to Ashley won’t be so easily cut. In that sense, it’s interesting to note that King (on the face of it at least) hasn’t written off working with him in the future. And why would he? After all, in many ways they’re kindred spirits. Both are less than popular with the SFA, both are less than popular with the Establishment and both are as stubborn as business people can get. Perhaps (probably?) that obdurateness may mean an obvious partnership is impossible but a short-to-medium term truce may well benefit both them and the club going forward. I can’t be the only Rangers fan intrigued in that possibility. I’d also imagine investors – both at supporter and institutional level may be attracted to such. In point of fact, it’s that very attraction that will prove key to Rangers going forward. Not only do we need the investment King and his associated are offering but we need share issues, contracts and external agreements to ensure the club is financially viable. Most importantly, we need an engaged fan-base; not just in terms of buying season tickets at pre-2014/15 levels or ordering various pieces of merchandise but via actual investment in the club – both emotionally and objectively as part of an increased say for supporters. Recent years have shown us how important it is for fans to be involved in the decision-making process and recent months has seen an agreeable upsurge in regard for fan/share ownership schemes. If we juxtapose that with events at Hearts and Motherwell then fan ownership in conjunction with philanthropic, affluent supporters is now a very real possibility. Further, if we consider the problems the Scottish game faces with its rapidly decreasing reputation and sponsorship reputation some would argue it will be a necessity. Ergo, the quicker we and all involved with the club realise that, the better. We need not be ever-reliant on bank loans, unfavourable contracts and greedy players – let’s now belatedly take the opportunity to build a sustainable club with its foundations built in the Govan community and beyond. Yes, this wouldn’t happen overnight and Paul Murray is correct to caution us in that regard. However, nurturing the seed of something better, more durable and more resilient is surely something worth waiting for. With that in mind, the coming weeks and months shouldn’t just be about cheering Dave King, Mike Ashley or anyone else to victory in their efforts. Yes, one or both or none may be worth backing at some point but the truth is, in the fight for Rangers’ future, it is the club and the fans that have been on the ropes and punch drunk for almost four years now. Therefore, it’s now time for us to take control of our own destiny and we have to realise we have the strongest punch when it comes to the future. We just need to use that power wisely. The rumoured March 6th EGM will be our first test. However, the fight will go on and we must take ownership of our own fate. Let’s get ready to rumble.

KENNY MCDOWALL cast his eye over new loan signings Gael Bigirimana and Haris Vuckic for the first time in training at Murray Park today and was impressed with what he saw. The two midfielders took part in their first training session this morning while Remie Streete worked with the Club physio Steve Walker separately as he has just came back from a slight injury. McDowall lead the session this morning as the squad continued to prepare for the Scottish Cup match against Raith Rovers on Sunday at Ibrox and he was impressed with the way the new players are integrating already. He said, "The boys came in and took part in their first session this morning. They've met the rest of the lads and have settled in well." "Gael is very bright and was lively in the training session. He is a good football player as I would expect them all to be. They all just need to get to know their new teammates and get settled in to the place." "Vuckic scored an excellent goal in training today and seeing that was more than welcome. The lads are all good players and we've welcomed them all into the squad." McDowall will continue to work the players in the next few days ahead of the game at the weekend and said that it's too early to say whether they will feature against Raith this Sunday. He explained, "All of the new boys are in the squad for Sunday and at the moment it's too early to say if any would be involved in the game. As ever, we'll have a look at the end of the week and see who is fully fit and who is not." "It sets a challenge to other players as their standards will have to be a bit higher now that the squad is a bit bigger - so it's good competition to have. It's the nature of a club like Rangers that you have to compete for places and it's up to you once you're in there to keep that place in the team." http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/8464-settling-in-nicely

Exclusive interview: Ibrox director reveals why he believes he will oust the board – and why his tax evasion conviction is no barrier – as he lifts the lid on the battle for power By Roddy Forsyth 10:33PM GMT 04 Feb 2015 The extraordinary general meeting at which Rangers’ fate will be decided for the immediate future will be held on March 6, Telegraph Sport can reveal, but although the predicted propaganda battle began on Wednesday with a bravura performance by former Ibrox director, Dave King, he is certain to meet resistance from the current boardroom regime to his takeover attempt. The Rangers plc directors must respond to King’s requisition of an EGM by close of business on Friday, but it is understood that they will not attempt to block the meeting. King spent three hours answering questions from broadcast and written media in Glasgow yesterday – accompanied by his allies, wealthy Rangers supporters, Paul Murray and John Gilligan – and while he was insistent throughout that he is confident of success, he did accept the possibility of defeat, although he declared in such circumstances he would buy more shares and try again. In an exclusive interview with Telegraph Sport, King admits that his £16million takeover attempt in November failed because he had been “played” by the Rangers football board chairman, Sandy Easdale, but dismisses the possibility that the South African case in which he was convicted for tax evasion prevents him from passing the “fit and proper” test for company or football directors. The full text of the interview is revealed below. Roddy Forsyth – From your perspective, what state is the club in? Dave King – I think everyone would accept that the club is in serious trouble for two reasons. If one looks at the football team, in terms of the ambition to get back into the Scottish Premiership, it is very obvious that the quality is not there. It’s not as if the fans can have any reasonable prospect that next year the club will be competing in the Premiership – assuming they do get there – but even more importantly, if one looks at the financial side of the club, there is just no basis to change the current status. There are no funds, the club is in crisis and there is a board that is completely disconnected from the fan groups. The fans are still staying away from the games and unless there is a complete regime change where we are able to install a board that’s got the support of the fans and the capacity to introduce funds and get the support of investors then I just don’t see how the club can recover. And unfortunately it’s very close to the abyss. It’s gone on for almost four years now and if it continues much longer I fear the position could be irrecoverable. Read more:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/11391493/Rangers-Dave-King-Sandy-Easdale-played-me-but-I-will-succeed.html

WOULD-BE Rangers saviour Dave King held court in Glasgow earlier today as he outlined his vision for the future of the crisis club. He sat alongside John Gilligan and Paul Murray, the men he hopes will join him on a new-look Rangers board before the end of the month. King is convinced he has won more than 50 per cent shareholder approval to remove the current incumbents, with Rangers expected to confirm the date of the general meeting by Friday. King, Murray and Gilligan answered questions for an hour from daily newspaper reporters at the offices of PR company Level Five. We publish part one of the full question and answer session below - all 4,000 words of it. Are you going to win the EGM? Dave King: “Yes. We have enough support. I am absolutely certain we have more than 50 percent even if every single shareholder votes, which is unlikely. We are well over 50 percent. We will win.” There has been a history of flip-flopping by institutional investors – are you certain there are no surprises coming? DK: “It has happened previously. Well, in some senses it has and it hasn't. Previously - and Paul (Murray) may be better able to answer than me because he was more directly involved - you can get a sense from institutional investors they are supporting you and then you interpret that as they will vote for you. However, when it comes to the vote their view is: ‘we’re not active supporters therefore we’re not voting, so we’re kinda with you intellectually and mentally and we agree with you but we’re not willing to vote’. “That has been taken out of the mix. The key event was the removal, the very non-strategic removal, by the board or the powers-that-be behind the board, of Norman Crighton. That was the single biggest tactical error that the board made because once he was gone the institutions said: ‘Look, that’s enough now, this is not being run on a proper basis’. That was the basis for the Three Bears being able to acquire their shares from Laxey and it was the basis for me acquiring shares. That became a turning point and if you look at it now, really other than River & Mercantile there is no real institution in there. So I feel very, very strong and solid about the current shareholder mix. If that hadn't happened I would have been in the same situation perhaps Paul was in (previously), where I certainly wouldn't have called the meeting with the same level of confidence.” No date has been called yet, do you expect them to stall or trip you up? DK: “I don’t expect it. It could still happen. The reason I don’t expect is that they have had almost 21 days and if there were any concerns about the technical aspect, whether the Is were dotted and the Ts were crossed, I would have thought I would have had some communication by now. It’s almost three weeks. I have had no indication of the board at all that there are any concerns with the requisition itself, therefore I expect that by the deadline on Friday they will announce the general meeting. “I have had no communication in fact whatsoever, directly or indirectly, with any of the board members at all since the requisition. There was just a request from (NOMAD) Paul Shackleton yesterday. He phoned me, and he asked if I was willing to negotiate a compromise and he made an attempt to suggest what he thought might be a way forward without calling a general meeting. But the alternative was far from being acceptable.” What was his compromise? DK: “It was about the existing four directors remaining and me getting a couple of appointments and a couple of independents, and ‘given that Llambias and Leach are really independents the board would be balanced’. It was really, quite frankly, a nonsense, a nonsense suggestion. It would just have created further impasse. We have had enough uncertainty I think. We really have to go forward with a different structure.” Did that phone call indicate they are hugely concerned? DK: “Well yeah. I said: ‘Look if you want to save the money you know what to do to save money. You have had long enough to look at the shareholders’ register, you know you’re going to lose, therefore I think the right thing for the board to do is make the appointments and resign, that’s the way to save the money, we don’t have to have the general meeting where it will cost £50,000-£60,000-£70,000, whatever, that’s money the club doesn't have to spend and the outcome I believe is a foregone conclusion’. So that is what I would hope they would do on Friday. I would be surprised if they would do it but I think it could be a responsible thing to do.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/part-one-every-question-every-5106662