Search the Community

Wednesday, 21 January 2015 14:00 Youths Draw With Falkirk Written by Rangers Football Club IAN DURRANT took the reigns of the Rangers under-20 side for the first time yesterday afternoon in a goalless draw against Falkirk at Murray Park. It was the first game back for the under-20 side since the League shut down over the Christmas and New Year period after last week's scheduled tie with Hamilton Accies was cancelled due to inclement weather. The Light Blues had an experienced side playing in freezing conditions at Murray Park today, with first team players Marius Zaliukas, Sebastien Faure and Ian Black all taking places in the line up. It was an evenly matched game with the best chance of the match for the Gers falling to Ryan Hardie who forced a good save from the keeper after turning his marker well and shooting low. RANGERS: Robinson, Sinnamon, Zaliukas, Faure, Crawford, Black (Roberts), Murdoch, Walsh, Stoney, Ramsay (Halkett), Hardie. http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/academy-news/item/8378-youths-draw-with-falkirk

http://supportersnotcustomers.com/2015/01/20/why-scotland-needs-rangers/

CG on Sky Sports News at 5pm approx. Just saying.

We have started a campaign over at the Rangers Report to raise money to become a Club 1872 member. Check it out HERE Thanks!

keith jackson ‏@tedermeatballs I'm not going to use the phrase 'statement klaxon' again. But, yes, I think one will be along very shortly....

Mike Ashley sells £117m stake in Sports Direct Share sale fuels rumours that Newcastle United owner is preparing to offer emergency loan to Rangers

Looks like they have about the same voting rights as before so just buying off their mates, I think. 20 January 2015 Rangers International Football Club plc ("Rangers" or the "Company") Holdings in Company The Company announces that it was notified on 19th January 2015 that Alexander Easdale purchased 1,014,000 ordinary shares of 1 penny each in the Company ("Ordinary Shares") on 16 January 2015. As a result, Mr Easdale now holds 5, 256,110 Ordinary Shares in the Company, equal to 6.451% of the issued share capital of the Company. Mr Easdale also holds voting rights over, but does not own, a further 16,028,084 Ordinary Shares, representing 19.672% of the Company, meaning that in total he holds voting rights over 21,284,194 Ordinary Shares, representing 26.123% of the issued share capital of the Company.

Apropos of nothing whatsoever that may be happening elsewhere, while pedaling my heavy way around the icy hills of Renfrewshire this morning it occurred to me that some businesses are very reluctant to reveal details of their doings, to the point where the uncharitable onlooker might think there was something a touch suspicious about such reticence. I'm sure that, in 99.9% of such cases, everything is entirely straight forward and it's simple business confidentiality which prompts some City types or business big guns to keep their cards ever so close to their chests. One way to get a look inside any such secretive body is through the courts, of course. Should people either take a company to court, or, crazy though it sounds, should any business take a customer to court, it does offer the legally minded pursuer or defender access to the information they might have been after in the first place. Law! Crazy words, crazy system. It's weird how sometimes it works out that those who rush to law find themselves on the sharp end of her sword, hoist on their own petard. Jonathan Aitken springs to mind, likewise Jeffrey Archer. These, and other less boring thoughts, occupy me this dull January afternoon.

In today's Record: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/mortgaging-ibrox-stadium-makes-no-5006216#rlabs=2

... in his ET interview My headline makes for a good signature. If anything, those currently trying to oust the board have learned (the hard way) that the key is in having enough shares. Let#s hope this goes through, Murdoch sounds rather confident and you'd hope King has done this because he IS confident of success.

https://twitter.com/jimwhite Jim White ‏@JimWhite 41s42 seconds ago Kenny McDowall has resigned as Rangers caretaker manager, citing personal reasons for stepping down. #Rangers

THINK Friday night’s scenes at Ibrox were bad? Well, you ain’t seen NOTHING yet! Rangers fans have had to put up with plenty in the last three years. But giving up the title rights to Ibrox and Murray Park would be a step too far. The aggro after the Hearts game was totally unacceptable. But sell the rights to the stadium and the training ground and the Rangers board will see some real social unrest. Don’t get me wrong — what happened at Ibrox on Friday was out of order. There were a couple of staff I know at Argyle House who were injured when fans stormed the place. That’s completely unacceptable. The fans are right to be unhappy but there’s ways and means of showing it and what went on the other night is taking it too far. It was live on BT and people all over the country saw it. You can argue a lot of the kids who were involved in what went on looked so young they wouldn’t remember who played for the Rangers team of the 90s — me included. Leaving that aside, it wasn’t a proud night for the club. But people have their breaking points. And the majority of fans feel the way I do — that giving up the rights to Ibrox and Murray Park would be suicide. That’s not just because they’d be going to Mike Ashley. Giving them to anyone would be wrong. If Mike Ashley’s going to be around — and everything at the moment suggests he is — why can’t he work alongside Dave King? Like most people, I feel as if there’s something we’re not being told about what’s going on. The club have had three offers from various people, none of which asked for Ibrox to be put up as security, and have knocked them all back. Why? Dave King wants to call an EGM which would see most of the current board removed. There have been suggestions both Dave and Paul Murray’s backgrounds would be a problem. But if that’s the case, and the well-being of the club is the key, why couldn’t Douglas Park be the frontman? If they were to present a united front and take charge, they could pay Ashley’s loan off and all he’d have would be the rights to merchandising. David Somers told the Rangers AGM last month he had not been prepared to use Ibrox as security — but now it’s a great option for a £10million loan. Ashley’s been clever in all of this but that doesn’t disguise what the repercussions would be if he called in his loan. The downward spiral would continue and the club would be looking at a second administration. Fans are already voting with their feet — which, in this of all weeks, is a real shame. I’m desperate to go to Ibrox on Sunday for Fernando Ricksen’s benefit game. It should be a great warm-up to the Old Firm game next week. It’s an amazing cause for an amazing man who’s dear to the hearts of Rangers fans. It’s a fantastic opportunity for older fans to see the likes of Arthur Numan, Marco Negri and Jorg Albertz in action and for younger ones to see names they’ve maybe only seen on TV. I’d love there to be a full house at the game — just as I’d love to see the likes of Ally McCoist and Richard Gough being there. I take the point that it’s not about the nine-in-a-row team and that neither of them played with Fernando. But neither did I. I’m sure the Rangers fans would love to see two guys who are genuine legends being back at the club. It will also give fans a rare chance to see Marco in action. I thought he got a rough ride from people. They thought because he didn’t celebrate his goals wildly that he was a bit of a loner. That was harsh. He had a different personality, sure. But he’s a smashing lad and I’m looking forward to seeing him. http://www.cfclatest.com/2013/01/20/andy-goram-you-think-fridays-scenes-were-bad/

DAVE KING today insisted he will easily convince both stock market bosses and football chiefs that he IS fit to run Rangers. The former oldco director has called a general meeting to vote on plans to rout the Ibrox board. He will also ask the shareholders to vote in himself, former Blue Knight Paul Murray and John Gilligan as their replacements. The current regime - David Somers, Derek Llambias, Barry Leach and James Easdale - released a statement to the stock exchange on this morning insisting they would fight King's bid. In a thinly-veiled swipe at the Johannesburg-based businessman, they said: "The AIM rules require that all individuals appointed to the board of an AIM company are suitable to be a director of a UK public company." The Castlemilk-born millionaire was forced to hand the South African Revenue Services a cheque for £44million last year in a bid to stave off a tax investigation. SARS claimed he owned £149million but he was spared jail after accepting liability for 41 lesser charges in relation to income tax laws. Both he and Murray will also have to explain their part in the demise of the club after serving on the board under former owner Craig Whyte, who put the club on the path to liquidation in 2012, if they are eventually appointed as part of the SFA’s "fit and proper" person test. But King told PA: "There are no problems regarding the AIM regulations and the issue with the SFA is simple. Only once a director is appointed is an application made to the SFA by the club. "Both myself and Paul will have to deal with our previous directorship at the time that Craig Whyte got involved. Additionally, I will have to deal with my reasons for staying on the board and trying to impose some level of governance during the Whyte era. "I will also deal with my favourable settlement in South Africa. "These are all issues that the SFA rightly has to address in the same way that the SFA has to review the history of anyone who gets involved with a Scottish football team. "That was all considered by me prior to my application - as was the likelihood that the incumbent board will use the media to try to influence the debate by misrepresentation. "The enthusiasm that this board adopts to 'media management' and its failure to act in the interest of shareholders and other stakeholders is exactly why they should be jettisoned in favour of directors who have the requisite business skills and respect for the tradition of Rangers to take the club forward. "History will judge this board as one of the worst the club has ever had. There is not one individual who puts the club above personal interest." King hit back just hours after the board called on him to drop his general meeting and save the cash-strapped club the expense of hosting it. The board's 7am statement added: "If the notice (issued by King) is valid and is not withdrawn, the directors intend to recommend that shareholders vote against the proposed resolutions." In a second statement, the directors conceded they may have to consider using Ibrox as security on a loan - but insisted any decision would not be "taken lightly". Thousands of fans protested against that possibility before Friday night's abandoned clash with Hearts after it was revealed Newcastle owner Ashley was preparing to have his name added to the title deeds of both the stadium and Murray Park as part of a £10million loan arrangement. The Three Bears - wealthy fans Douglas Park, George Letham and George Taylor - had already announced they would increase their own loan offer of £5million - but would not ask for security on the stadium. The board added: "The directors are pursuing bilateral discussions with two parties who are both stakeholders in Rangers. "These discussions contemplate a significant amount of capital being available to the business on a long-term basis in order to enhance the squad which the directors believe is necessary. "A consequence of funding to this level is that, in reality, it may be necessary to use Ibrox stadium as security; such a decision would not be taken lightly. "No decision has been taken at the current time while discussions are being finalised in good faith. "The advance notice does not mean that security will be given, and the directors are adamant that it will not unfairly advantage the party with whom it was agreed. "The board will conclude a transaction, based on its merits, which it believes is in the best interests of shareholders as a whole in accordance with their fiduciary duty." http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/dave-king-ill-convince-stock-5005483?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

We're spending another season in the Championship. No doubt about it.

The Union of Fans is calling on Rangers fans to stage a "mass demonstration" outside Ibrox 45 minutes before kick-off tomorrow night.

http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12218558.html

http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12218547.html

As title states.

Who gives the lowest dealing charges. Decide to do my wee bit and up my share holding. Halifax £12:50 per trade.

I was unfortunate enough to have to chair a “debate” on my twitter timeline this weekend as two polarised views clashed on my timeline in response to one of my tweets. On one side we had someone who wished to lay the blame for the injuries sustained by our Ibrox employees squarely with the SOS, whilst the other expressed a desire to see a “more aggressive approach” to the nature of fans protests. Throughout the course of what was an unpleasant exchange between the two of them, it emerged that the proponent of the “more aggressive approach” was not a member of the UOF or SOS whilst the other was apportioning blame based solely on unconfirmed reports he had heard. It was a discussion which has been very much mirrored on Rangers message boards over the weekend. Some clearly saw Friday night’s events as an opportunity to tarnish the fans groups whilst others appear unwilling to accept that the behaviour of Rangers led to the injuries of the two elderly Rangers employees. Considering the incident which led to the injuries occurred both after and away from the location of the organised protest it seems unreasonable to link the unsavoury incident to the main protest where thousands of bears demonstrated in an emotional, exuberant yet exemplary peaceful manner. Those who maintain they saw no violence or assaults at the latter incident, may well be correct, but you cannot ignore the fact that as a consequence of whatever happened at Argyle House two elderly Rangers employees, George and Liz sustained injures. And that is not, and never will be, acceptable. I’m sure all of us in the Rangers support would wish them both a speedy recovery. I’ve been harping on for months now, almost like some PC Brigade acolyte, about some of the unhelpful derogatory and inflammatory language being used. If we claim as a support that such language dehumanises our support when it is directed against us, does the same argument not work the other way ? Or would anyone care to argue that terms such as “rats” is neither derogatory nor dehumanising ? What is clear from Friday is that those wishing to exercise their right to peaceful protest now goes way beyond the ranks of members of the UOF and SOS. This places an added responsibility on protest organisers to ensure that all participants are clear about both the nature and aims of such protest. The briefing message needs to be clear, consistent and unequivocal that all such demonstrations against the board are to be peaceful in nature. I am also firmly of the opinion that a “more aggressive approach” will be self-defeating. Our board are worthy of utter contempt for their actions, but that does not in any way, shape or form justify violence or threats of violence towards them. Supporters protesting in a peaceful and responsible manner against avarice, broken assurances and opportunistic businessmen playing Russian roulette with our club will capture the imagination – behaving in a manner befitting thugs wont. Furthermore it will turn away many bears who will just not entertain such behaviour. Protesting and demonstrating is one of the few immediate options available to us as a fan base, it is imperative we use it responsibly and do nothing which usurps either its effectiveness or ability to unite our fan base behind a common cause. The proposal which sees Ibrox being used as security against loan is very much a crossing of the Rubicon for the Ibrox support, and has galvanised and unified us as a fan base. Let’s not cross our own Rubicon in the way we protest against it.

...for stricken star Fernando Ricksen because of gardening leave. THE former Ibrox manager is barred from setting foot in Ibrox of Murray Park under the terms of his gardening leave deal that saw him exit the club. ALLY McCOIST is being denied the chance to say his goodbyes to the Rangers fans at Fernando Ricksen’s benefit game on Sunday by the terms of his gardening leave contract. The Ibrox manager, who was replaced by caretaker boss Kenny McDowall after signalling his intention to work a notice period of 12 months, is not allowed to set foot inside Ibrox or the Murray Park training ground. But McCoist had hoped to play in the charity game for stricken Dutchman Ricksen who is fighting Motor Neurone Disease. However, that could leave him in breach of contract. Record Sport believes the 52-year-old may now ask Ibrox chief executive Derek Llambias for special dispensation. A source close to McCoist said: “He will probably explore all the options in the next few days.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-legend-ally-mccoist-banned-5001714

THE emotional pull of the 1971 stadium disaster in which 66 people died means that Rangers must never give up the lease of Ibrox. ”THE disaster will never leave me. Never a day goes by that it doesn’t go through my mind. “I still get letters from guys who have never been back to Ibrox for a game since that day. I have taken some of them around the stadium for them to see what it is like now. “The new stadium is, in fact, a testament to those who died. In the trophy room there is a beautiful picture of the old stadium up on the wall. For me it is one of the most important things in that room and I make a point of showing it to the people who go there. “It’s important, especially for the young fans who have only seen the new stadium, that they know the history of this club, where we came from and why we came from that point.” Those words were spoken by John Greig as he received his Greatest Ranger Ever award on March 1999. The people guising as the guardians of Rangers would do well to read them and let them sink in. And perhaps listen to the words of a man I interviewed on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the Ibrox Disaster. I must have written about hundreds of people in the 20 years I have worked for this newspaper but few of them left the kind of impression a softly-spoken Airdrie man did when he invited me into his home just after Christmas in 2000. Matt Reid was a 49-year-old man but a part of him was forever 19 – the age he was when he survived the disaster but lost his father, one of the 66 people swept to their deaths when the barriers crumpled on Staircase 13. Matt’s description of the horrors of that day remain vivid in the mind of this Glaswegian who was only eight in ’71 but whose own dad was in the crowd that day. He came home. We were among the lucky ones. Matt Reid spent three months in hospital after the crush. It wasn’t only his thigh bone that had broken. His heart was too. He said: “The game was a blank but every other detail is vivid. The final whistle went and we moved straight up the terracing to make our way out. We took a left, walking alongside the back corrugated shuttering, getting 20 or 30 feet, then a surge started and we got carried off our feet. “My father was agitated because people were crushing and he was protective towards me. He was panicking more than me because I’d encountered crushing before at other matches. “When we got to the top of exit 13, people were coming from three different directions to reach it. It was like trying to put a gallon of water into a pint bowl. “The crushing was really bad at the top of the stair but I wasn’t too concerned at that point, certainly not in fear of my life. But when the surging happened again I thought I would be swept down the stairs so I got a grip of a six-foot fence running parallel with the handrail all the way down that stair and I wasn’t for letting go. My father was behind me at that point. “The force of the people coming down behind me was so strong I started to lose my grip. Just at that point I heard metal grinding and crushing just down the stair below where I was. “It was like a wave of people being carried out the way as well as down and that’s when the barriers must have mangled. That’s when my father got swept away. It was as if he had been swept away on a wave of water. “I was still trying to cling on and it must have been horrible for him – the last thing I heard him shout was, ‘Oh Christ, my boy’. After about 10 minutes I finally couldn’t hold on and went down on to the stair, face down and facing the bottom. “Again there were surges and I felt people getting carried over me. I could feel their heels on my back, then when they stopped moving, this guy was standing square on my back. There was nothing the guy could have done but to me he felt about 16 stone. “I was being crushed and that’s when I was sick. The pie and Bovril I’d had during the game came back up. To this day, when I smell Bovril, I’m back there, lying face down on those stairs.” Matt was finally rescued from beneath a pile of bodies and went on to marry the nurse who cared for him in the Southern General Hospital. The one good thing to come out of the Disaster, he told me that day. But for generations of Rangers fans, another good thing came out of that terrible afternoon. Ibrox was rebuilt and in many ways has become a monument to those who fell on January 2, 1971. It’s not only the names of the dead on the wall, it’s not about the statue of Greig – the man, who with Sandy Jardine and the other Rangers players, attended so many funerals in the weeks that followed. No, the spirit of the 66 is seeped into those red bricks. They are a part of that rebuilt stadium. You might not see it but you feel it, particularly every January. Ibrox Stadium is a memorial to these people, as much as it is a stage upon which the hopes and dreams of thousands have been played out over the years. And now the very people who are supposed to be custodians of this club seem to be prepared to hand it over to Mike Ashley. They’ve posted an advance notice with the Register of Scotland, which would mean if they accept another loan from the Sports Direct tycoon and default on the repayment terms, they’d have to sell it to raise the cash to pay him back. Think about that for a moment. The very people entrusted with looking after the best interests of their club have put its ownership of the stadium at risk. The Rangers board which agreed to this set of circumstances have to examine their consciences. Two of them, Derek Llambias and Barry Leach are Ashley’s men of course. As the Newcastle owner drip-fed loan deals to keep the lights on at Ibrox he demanded more and more control. This is a man who refused to pay into the last share issue, then spent £800,000 shortly after buying them from another investor, which meant Rangers didn’t receive a penny of that money. In desperation the club had to go cap in hand to him for more cash and thus he was able to exert even more influence. If Ashley, Llambias and Leach have squared off those tactics in their own minds so be it. But perhaps they should sit down with the relatives of the 66, look into their eyes, and tell them Ibrox may no longer belong to Rangers. If they can do that without blinking then Rangers really are careering into hell on a handcart. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/david-mccarthy-66-reasons-rangers-5001307

...in Glasgow bars over fears of violence. PUB giants Wetherspoons will black out the League Cup old firm clash and employ extra security staff in all nine of their Glasgow bars on February 1st in a bid to reduce the risk of match day violence. BRITAIN'S biggest pub chain will black out next month’s Old Firm game over fears of violence. Wetherspoon’s say the League Cup semi-final – live on BBC Scotland two weeks today – will not be shown in their pubs in Glasgow . And despite the blackout, all nine of the bars will have extra security staff on duty when Celtic and Rangers meet for the first time since April 2012. Police are visiting pubs across the country to gather intelligence so they can have officers in the right places if violence breaks out. Senior officers want to know how many pubs are showing the game, what type of customers they attract and if they have ever had trouble before. Wetherspoon’s spokesman Eddie Gershon said yesterday: “Wetherspoon’s will not be showing the match in any of its Glasgow pubs. “The decision was taken about a week back.” “The police have been to the pubs to advise that the game is on and ask what measures the pubs are taking. On the day of the match, door staff will be in place where required.” Wetherspoon’s, who have more than 75 pubs in Scotland, say area managers will decide if their bars outside Glasgow will show the game. Police fear the 1.30pm kick-off time for the February 1 game will give fans time to drink before the match and possibly fuel trouble. They confirmed officers are visiting pubs to interview staff but insisted it was normal practice before a big game. One area police are targeting is Ayrshire, where there are large numbers of pubs used by both Celtic and Rangers fans. Superintendent Neil Kerr of Police Scotland’s Ayrshire Division said: “Officers are visiting licensed premises to establish where the game is being shown. We do this for any high-profile events, including past Old Firm matches.” Pubs have been magnets for violence on previous Old Firm match days. Nine police were attacked and injured at the Rowallan bar in Thornliebank, Glasgow, after Celtic beat Rangers 3-0 in February 2011, and a female officer suffered life-threatening injuries. Convicted drug smuggler John Healy, 56, and son Jason, 24, were among six men charged over the violence but the case was dropped after police evidence was lost. There were 280 arrests after the game as trouble flared across Glasgow. Suspects were taken to stations up to 50 miles away because cells in Glasgow were full. One of the most notorious Old Firm encounters was the “Shame Game” of March 2, 2011. Three Rangers players were sent off in the Scottish Cup replay, 12 yellow cards were shown and Celtic manager Neil Lennon and Rangers assistant boss Ally McCoist squared up to each other at the end. Strathclyde Police detained 187 people throughout the day, including 34 at the game, and 40 more suspects were held for domestic abuse offences. First Minister Alex Salmond held a summit with Rangers and Celtic bosses days later. And in 2012, as a direct result of the Shame Game, MSPs passed the controversial Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act. Police then dealt with a record 119 domestic violence cases after an Old Firm game in March 2012. Donald MacLeod, chairman of the Glasgow Licensing forum, said most Glasgow bars will show the February 1 game despite the Wetherspoon’s decision. He added: “Pubs are already required to put strict safety measures in place on match days as a condition of their licence. “This includes providing properly trained and badged stewards “The vast majority of fans watching Old Firm games in pubs do so peacefully. Only a small minority cause trouble. Crime in pubs and clubs is down and most incidents take place in the street. “I’d be more concerned about the easy availability of cheap alcohol in off sales before the game, or even the night before.” Craig Houston of Rangers fans’ group Sons of Struth said the Wetherspoon’s move was “strange” and “could backfire”. He added: “Normally, when you get trouble after an Old Firm game, it’s late at night – not when the game is being shown in a pub. If they’re really that worried about customers’ safety they would shut the pubs at night, but I don’t see Wetherspoon’s doing that. “It seems strange they are penalising fans who can’t get a ticket and want to have a pint and enjoy their game. “If Wetherspoon’s don’t want football in their pubs, fans can decide where they go in future for a drink. It could backfire on them.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/pub-chain-pull-plug-showing-4998413

Stuart McCall has thrown his support behind the Three Bears, the group owning a near 19 per cent stake in Rangers headed by businessman and Rangers fan Douglas Park. The former Ibrox midfielder has called for Rangers people to be back at the helm of the stricken ship, believing that the departure of legendary figures have left a gaping hole at the heart of the club. “I don’t know any of these gentlemen [the Three Bears], but if you believe what you read, they have Rangers at heart,” said McCall yesterday “I’m not saying that, just because you have Rangers at heart, you are going to be successful and the club is going to make money. But you do know that, whatever they are doing, they are doing it for the right reasons. “They are not in there saying: ‘we can earn this and we can get out’. What you want are people that the club matters to and will do their best for the club, not for themselves as individuals. If it is The Three Bears, if it is Dave King, if it is anyone else, you would rather have people who bother about the club and it’s not just about money-making. “Rangers don’t necessarily need an ex-player as their manager,” he added. “But what they need is someone at the club who doesn’t just have business sense, but is actually doing it for the love of the club – because they’ve got ties to the club.” McCall believes that the departure of three stalwarts who have cut their ties with Rangers – John Greig, Ally McCoist and Walter Smith – sums up the state of the Ibrox club. The Scotland coach was at Ibrox for the abandoned game against Hearts on Friday night in his role as a summariser for BT Sport and watched with anguish afterwards as passions ran high among supporters angered by the board’s conduct. With advanced notices of loan securities against Ibrox and Murray Park having been lodged at the Register of Scotland last week in the name of Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct retail company, fans now fear losing ownership of the club’s stadium. However, it is the emotional heart of the club being ripped out that McCall struggles to accept. Greig, voted Greatest Ever Ranger in 1999, resigned as a director in 2011 in protest at Craig Whyte’s running of the club. Departed manager McCoist, who was put on gardening leave after tendering his resignation, has decided to watch other teams rather than Rangers in recent weeks. Nine-in-a-row manager Smith, meanwhile, confirmed last week he has no intention of ever returning to Ibrox in an official capacity. McCall, who played for Rangers for seven years and had been linked with a return as manager, despairs at the quality of characters who have felt compelled to end their official association with the club. The 50-year-old offered the assessment that few clubs, including Manchester United, could withstand such blows without some very searching question being asked. “John Greig stayed away, which for me is hard to get my head round,” said McCall. “Walter left the board and, again, alarm bells started ringing. If Walter is walking away it must be bad. Obviously the great Sandy Jardine passed away. And now ’Coisty is away. That would be like Bobby Charlton at Man United saying: “You know what? I’ve had enough of the club. Then Sir Alex Ferguson departing because something was going on – and then Ryan Giggs leaving. If that happened at Man United, imagine how everyone would react. “Yes, football is a business now. But is there anybody at Rangers actually doing it for the sake of the club? Or are they just in to make a few quid then disappear into the night?” McCall was speaking at a Scottish Football Association event to publicise the start of the selection process for year four of the regional performance school programme. Since resigning as Motherwell manager late last year the Scotland coach has been linked with the Rangers manager’s post, currently occupied on an interim basis by Kenny McDowall. However, he sounded unconvinced by those in charge at boardroom level at the club, and questioned Ashley’s involvement. “Mr Ashley has got what, eight-and-a-half or nine per cent of the club?” McCall said. “Yet he seems to be the one making all the decisions – appointing a chief exec and a finance director etc. Obviously I’ve got a lot of friends and family who are Rangers supporters – and they can’t understand how this can be the case. The catalyst for everything now is the fact that Ibrox was going to be put up as security against loans. Supporters see other people wanting to offer money and ask why Ashley is the best option.” http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl-lower-divisions/stuart-mccall-backs-three-bears-rangers-bid-1-3665193