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Perhaps a strange question this, but does anyone know if Rangers released season review DVDs for 2005/06 and 2006/07? I must be a masochist because I wouldn't mind a swatch.

Summary The club made a profit of �£13.1 million in the first 6 months to 31st December 2009. Sounds good, but is it really? Yes, on this occasion, itâ��s bloody good. If we compare this yearâ��s operating profit (thatâ��s the profit before accounting for the sale of players and interest) then it has increased by an incredible �£22 million. Turnover An increase in turnover of �£17.7 million, due to our qualification in the Champions League accounted for most of this increase. This increase is at the upper end of expectations, and shows how important qualification was to the club. The commonly held view that the Champions League being worth �£10m is shown to be a vast under-estimate, and shows why a league win is so vital again this season. Take out the Champions League income and we would be looking at a loss of over �£4 million for the half year, and perhaps a loss of �£8 million for the full year, which shows that we have still a long way to go before we are in the position of breaking even without European football. Costs Operating Costs are down by �£3.6 million. A large part of this is due to lower wages being paid and fewer players but there will also be savings in other areas. Costs have been reduced by over �£138,000 per week. Amortisation Amortisation is the write-off of the cost of buying players, which is done over the period of their contracts and it has fallen from �£4.4 million to �£3.7 million. The second half of the year should see if fall to around �£3.2 million following the sale of Mendes. Given that we have not been buying any players, it would be expected that future yearâ��s charges would be even lower. Profit on the sale of players Last year we made profits of �£6.2 million, principally on the sale of Carlos Cuellar. We have not made the same level of profit on our sales since 1st July 2009 and we are showing a profit of �£678,000 presumably mainly on the sale of Barry Ferguson and Charlie Adam. However we might have expected it to be slightly higher but it is surprising that it is this low, as the sales of Ferguson and Adam were at reportedly higher sums, with presumably very little value in the balance sheet. Interest Interest payable to the bank is �£677,000, which is more than half of what it was in the previous year, primarily due to lower interest rates. Second half of the year It should be noted that all the Champions League income has been accounted for in these 6 monthsâ�� results, irrespective of when the cash is received from UEFA, and therefore the results in the second half of the year will be worse. It appears that Pedro Mendes was sold for around the value that the club had him in the books so there should be little profit or loss on the deal. The second half of the season could see the club making a loss of around �£4.5 million (depending on the level of bonuses paid out for hopefully winning a few trophies!), so we could end up with profit of �£8.5 million for the full year. The debt Unfortunately the interim accounts do not show a balance sheet or the debt as it is not required to under the reporting rules that the club operates under, so we are not told where the debt currently stands. Although we have accounted for all the Champions League income in our profit, it is understood that some of the cash is not received until the end of the season and we get a large proportion of the season ticket money before the end of the last financial year, and there are other issues which means that debt does not move in line with our profit, so it would be wrong to assume that our debt has fallen by �£13 million. I would not be surprised if our current level of debt had not fallen. Conclusion A slightly better set of results than I certainly expected and it is good to see that we are heading in the right direction, but they also highlight our continued reliance of Champions League football, which will become harder to qualify for in future years given the lowering of our co-efficient so a sense of caution about our future is still required by everyone.

Super_ally examines the interesting conundrum of Steven Whittaker... http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=221:the-curious-case-of-steven-whittaker&catid=1:articles&Itemid=67 Just as the famous protagonist of the Fitzgerald short story confounded his contemporaries in paradoxically getting younger as he aged, in the story of Rangers' season fullback Steven Whittaker manages to embody a similar level of contradiction - delighting and frustrating in equal measure. Though enduring much justified criticism he has managed to become Rangers� third highest goal scorer this season, behind only strike duo Miller and Boyd. When Kirk Broadfoot returned to the fold at the start of the year most fans were glad as they assumed it spelled the end of Whittaker�s run at right-back. Although Broadfoot was immediately restored to the first XI, he has been rested on occasion to facilitate his recovery from injury and Rangers have benefited from this squad rotation with Whittaker scoring another highlight reel goal to put Rangers on the path to victory against his former club. As with another former Hibernian full-back that progressed to the Rangers first team Whittaker, much like Ian Murray, has not be helped by his own versatility. In the modern game, where the ability to fill more than one position can ensure you a place on the team sheet come match day. It can also be a curse, leaving you slumped on the bench with the knowledge you can fill in for a number of positions over the course of a game should the manager need to make a change. Furthermore, the lack of a recognised favoured position can mean a player never gets a regular run in one position, cannot effectively learn the role at the top level and struggle for form. On this front the support are definitely divided. Is he best on the left or the right? Should he play at fullback or further forward as a wide midfielder or even utilising his athleticism as an orthodox winger? When Whittaker was purchased from Hibernian he was like a diet-Alan Hutton. Playing right back (or right midfield) for the Leith side he was (and is) a reasonably tall full back, a natural athlete who likes to break forward and beat an opponent with a change of pace. As a young full back, similar in age to Hutton, his defensive game was questioned and perhaps this was an acknowledgement of a lack of experience, with his positioning particularly questionable. Not a lot has changed in the years he has been at Rangers. He still displays the same attributes, but the same question marks over his defensive capabilities remain. These very arguments formed the case for the immediate return of Kirk Broadfoot. He is not the first Rangers player to prove a conundrum, nor even is he alone in the current squad in this respect. His fellow goal-scorers in this weekend�s 3-0 victory over Hibs, Kenny Miller and Kris Boyd, can testify to this. Whilst his form has been inconsistent this season his stunning goals and foraging runs have been a feature of this season leaving us well placed in the hunt for the treble. I too was an advocate of giving Whittaker a rest when Broadfoot was fit and able to replace him. Even in spite of the results we were achieving and a remarkable defensive record, which now reads just 15 goals conceded in 25 SPL fixtures, there appeared an apparent weakness on our right hand side. Yet on Sunday, Whittaker put in one of his most accomplished defensive displays at Rangers in addition to his ever-impressive offensive thrusts. It provides another headache for Walter Smith who does not have his troubles to seek. However, this problem may prove somewhat more palatable to his manager. With Whittaker looking more accomplished in defence again, will we persist with the former-Hibs man knowing he offers more going forward than his competitor for the right back role, or do we allow Broadfoot to play his way back into match fitness? A further option open to the manager is to deploy Whittaker in front of Broadfoot, allowing for greater defensive solidity and utilising one of our most potent offensive options further up the field. Perhaps the role Whittaker was initially bought for, with Alan Hutton protecting our right flank behind him. The added bonus of this selection would be the option of moving Steve Davis into the engine room where the POTY candidate has delivered his most accomplished displays this season. The only question to be answered is whether or not Whittaker�s defensive runs would be as penetrating starting from further up the field or does starting these runs from further back allow him to build up a head of steam to drive into the heart of the opposition�s territory? Whilst I can empathise with the frustrations of the support over Whittaker�s performances this season, particularly around the turn of the year, it is undeniable that he has made many significant and important contributions this year. Once again he could almost have his own dedicated season highlight DVD, never mind featuring strongly on the club�s annual review. The manager does not have the deepest squad to pick from but at right back we have obvious and distinct options. It is preferable that the manager picks the right man for the right games and does not merely pick one man as his first choice. Broadfoot may be the preferred option when we need to tighten up at the back and prevent the opposition from creating chances whilst Steven Whittaker should be the pick when we are seeking to utilise width and pace to expose the weaknesses of the opposition. Whittaker may not quite be in the running for the POTY awards, but he will most likely be in contention when we discuss the in house goal of the season award and in spite of some disappointing performances this year, at least from a defensive point of view, his sterling contribution to the chase for yet more silverware to add to the overflowing Ibrox trophy room should not be forgotten nor underestimated.

Anyone remember him? The older users will. I was tidying out my loft before the move and found an old Rangers video - end of season review 89-90 so I sat down and dug out the old TV/video combi and watched it. He started off the season in goals and was shit. I'll always remember the face he pulled after Hibs scored their 2nd in a 2-0 win at Easter Road. Hilarious! Thank god for Andy Goram.

Review of 2002/2003 where Rangers and Celtic were battling it out on the last day for the title Narrated by Peter "Malcom Tucker" Capaldi How long before they mention Sevull? I say 47 seconds

Travelling to last night's match, a mate remarked that the Stuttgart game could be the last CL match at Ibrox for a while. I replied - only half-jokingly - that it could be the last top level European match there forever. After all, even if we win the SPL title this season and beyond, Scottish clubs' continued poor performances in Europe will lead to the inevitability of more tough qualifying matches making it even more difficult to qualify for the Group Stage of UEFA's premier competition. Since the heady days of the Lisbon Lions, the Barcelona Bears and the, erm, Gothenburg Dons; our national game has fallen backwards to our current situation of being thrashed by Romanians and Slovakians every other year in between the odd point when we do manage to play half-decent. Meanwhile, our national side - once proud regular participants at the final stages of international competitions - is struggling to even finish 3rd in groups we should be qualifying from. Indeed, in less than 30 years, we've gone from competitive leagues and World Cup Finals, to a two team top division and national embarrassment. So where has it went wrong for Scottish football and, more importantly, who is going to fix our problems? I think the first aspect fans of most clubs (or Scotland) can agree on is that our basic abilities appear to be lacking. The simple virtues like passing and controlling a ball, heading accurately and hitting the target when shooting look to be in short supply. Meanwhile, our physical fitness looks as poor as ever meaning we lack strength and pace in a modern game where both these assets are essential. Mentally we also appear weak with confidence fragile and self-belief eradicated. Tactically we struggle to go beyond a counter attacking 4-5-1 where scoring goals to win matches is based more on hope than expectation. These basics are compounded with a lack of exciting, creative players as they're stifled by managers more interested in self-preservation than entertaining. The Jim Baxter's and Jimmy Johnstone's are no longer the staple diet of the Scottish football fan. Even the Graeme Souness' and Kenny Dalglish's are no longer found as manager's prefer headless chickens who work hard to intelligent players who can find space and dictate games. Stifled financially, the very best world players are no longer part of the Scottish Premier League and our home-grown talent struggle to be successful outwith these shores. Obviously, I'm trying my best not to be negative here but the more I write, the more depressed I become. Like the media vultures desperate to gorge on the latest poor display by a home side; it is easier to list faults than offer alternatives. After all why should I offer recommendations when I myself am targeted by our authorities for singing alleged nasty songs; blamed by the media while our safety abroad is ignored; or disrespected by highly paid players who can't even return back from international duty to play for their employer? Thus, how can I be sure my opinion is listened to as I return from another match having spent in excess of �£50? And that's where the blame game comes in. This new, modern culture of 'it's not my fault; what about them?' takes precedent over constructive debate about the future of our game. Scottish football needs huge improvement across the board but unfortunately I don't see much leadership from anyone. The media are only interested in the latest dozen fans singing 'offensive' songs; the authorities are held back by fans (and often directors) of each club complaining about each other; and failed politicians are appointed to chair think-tanks on how to fix the footballing problems. All a bit bizarre and counter-productive. But also the norm in modern Scotland. Ergo, the question remains unanswered - where has it went wrong for Scottish football and, more importantly, who is going to fix our problems? Well, this year this website (with the help of others in the community) concentrated on Rangers' specific problems by putting together and submitting our STS report (1) regarding our challenges. Acknowledged by the club hierarchy at the time; I can only assume it's gathering dust somewhere as the arguments reign over who runs the club and who is genuinely interested in buying it. In a more general attempt at improvement for our game, six months ago I also forwarded the report to Henry McLeish (yes, the failed politician mentioned earlier) for the latest 'think-tank' debating Scotland's national support (2). In his own words: ""I want this to be the biggest conversation on the future of football in this country. I want it to be the talk of the terraces, discussed in boardrooms at every club, talked about in the corridors of power, but I also want the rank and file supporters to be involved." Can you guess what reply I've had? Add in an ever-increasing finance gap then Scottish football participation at the group/final stages has arguably all but finished with Manchester, Seville and France for our club and national sides. That is a sobering thought that should worry us all - no matter which club we support. The current financial challenge facing our most successful club and the less fashionable ones further down the divisions are challenges we all share so it is vital we do so together. To be fair, McLeish's report on his review is not due until the end of January 2010 so perhaps the generic suggestions we put together will be mentioned then as I'm sure we wouldn't have been the only ones making certain recommendations. The pressure is certainly on but hopefully we can start to yield the improvement required to make us competitive again via positive debate instead of the gratuitous negativity we often read nowadays by people who hypocritically complain about our national sport while making a fast buck from its problems. What is for sure is that 2010 should be a water-shed in terms of giving us an indication of the long term future of Scottish football and how we can achieve improvement. As such, while the title of this article is somewhat polemic it isn't as far from the truth as we'd like it to be. Therefore, I challenge everyone mentioned in (and those reading) this article to prove it is wrong. (1) - http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/STS_short.pdf (2) - http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=950&newsID=4643

There has been much hype and hysteria over our current financial situation and most of the information that comes our way is both contradictory and confusing. The media would have us believe that the club was days from going into administration, was now being run by the bank, and that we'd sell half our team in January. All of the statements by the club and bank completely deny this, so the question is "Who is lying?" And can we clarify the real position of the club? Since the start, I've found the hyperbole surrounding our financial situation totally unbelievable - banks have no interest in running football clubs, there is no way our finances could suddenly become so bad that we were about to go bust, and selling all our best players halfway through the season makes no business sense whatsoever. With the latest financial audit and statement from our chairman making far more sense than anything that has come before it, maybe we should calm down and analyse the situation even if itââ?¬â?¢s a laymanââ?¬â?¢s analysis. First let's deal with the administration threat. It appears there were no surprises in the accounts and the club while not looking on the steadiest of feet, still came out with a clean audit with the ability to trade for the foreseeable future. So why all the fuss? The answer to me seems to be that the club, with very lofty ambitious, was (as we know) being pretty badly run without proper budgeting for the spending on player transfers and wages. We were making large losses and increasing our debt for the second time at an alarming rate. This happened before but at that time, our owner had a very healthy and very large business which was underwriting our debts and eventually actually paid a huge chunk of them off. That put us in a pretty good credit rating bracket at a time when banks were not very discerning who they lent their money to. Now with the credit-crunch, huge bank losses due to bad debts, and a change of ownership of our creditors, there is a bit of a credit hangover. Mix in the fact that our owner's companies overstretched themselves with expansion using short term debt before their industry ground to a pretty serious go slow period, and you have a bitter tasting hair off the dog with the bank getting shaky about our position. It seems they wanted to renegotiate our 15M overdraft and using that leverage to make changes in the boardroom and business plan. This seemingly has led to SDM resigning from the board and the appointment of Muir. This is where we get to the second point about the bank running the club. I think the truth is closer to the bank being concerned about unsustainable spending especially when our income is hugely vulnerable to whether on not we qualify for the Champions League and made worse by an unforeseen, significant reduction in our media income. They therefore have pressured the club to change it's business plan to a far more conservative and parsimonious one, which has less chance of being disastrous if certain targets (like CL qualification) are not met. Our new chairman has emphasised this, and told us that after much negotiation, a new business plan has been agreed which in turn means that the bank has extended the provision of a 15M overdraft until a review in something like March 2011. The Rangers board are not entirely happy about the business plan as it restricts the ability of the club to achieve its ambitions and probably removes any ability to speculate to accumulate which can bring success in a highly competitive business like football. However, it allows us to have access to the cash we need to run as a going concern and trade our way out of our current position. Muir himself will have plenty to do in his day to day work than worrying about the running of a football club and will merely be attending board meetings to represent the interests of the bank, which I presume are about once a month. As far as I can tell as a layman, the debt is not good but is within manageable proportions with the biggest problem being a lack of cash at hand which restricts our cash-flow ââ?¬â?? the real killer of businesses. Ã?£20M of our debt is actually a long term mortgage to be paid over 20 years at Ã?£1M per year plus interest. This loan is secured on property and I think we can agree that Rangers should have no foreseeable problem in servicing this debt. That leaves a balance of liabilities minus liquid assets of about Ã?£11M. Even on our lower year turnovers of Ã?£44M, this doesn't exactly seem even slightly insolvent and as our chairman says, there doesn't seem a great need for a "fire sale" of players, especially when that could seriously harm our income in the next year. Not only will a smaller and less skilful squad harm us competitively on the pitch - which has a direct effect on income, it will seriously affect the uptake of season tickets in the summer. No creditor with any intelligence would deliberately harm a debtorââ?¬â?¢s ability to pay what they owe, for merely a short term reduction in the outstanding debt. That only happens as a last resort if it looks like the company will imminently go bust and so there is a chance that the bank could get very little back at all. If a seriously good offer comes in for one of our best players, then I think the board will probably not want to look a gift horse in the mouth, and the likes of Bougherra may be off. However, a business case could easily be made to replace him with a player of lesser value - and the cash need not necessary go directly to pay off the debt directly but may be used to improve the clubs ability to pay short term liabilities ie bills. Of course that cash at hand does affect the net debt. So the state of play seems that while Rangers are under pressure from the bank to have a more prudent and sustainable business plan while ensuring the current credit facilities are not exceeded. So in conclusion: our finance are not that bleak with no chance of administration, no chance of being run by the bank and no chance of a fire sale of players in January. "So why do we need a new owner?" one might ask. This will probably be mostly due to the financial state of Murray's companies and so their ability to guarantee any future investment into the team, stadium or other expenditures. The bank probably want to separate the club from his empire, as the football clubââ?¬â?¢s ability to pay back the debt to the bank is pretty assured, due to the nature of 50,000 loyal, paying customers which will keep the club a going concern for a long time to come. Murray's empire in contrast, looks like it could easily collapse with many creditors getting a fraction of what they are owed. From the club's and supporter's point of view, RFC's ambitions can only be realised by capital injection, to put the club on a better, more stable financial footing in which the playing budget is not so overly restricted as it is now. The future does look to be fan ownership but for this to happen, it seems an interim, cash rich investor is necessary to get the ball rolling - a la Fergus McCann.

Rangers in safe hands - Johnston There's a 16 minute audio interview with him as well - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/8356754.stm

PRESS INFORMATION on behalf of RANGERS FOOTBALL CLUB RANGERS LAUNCH PIONEERING ONLINE TV STATION Rangers Football Club today (Friday, 30 October 2009) launched a pioneering internet TV station - RangersTV.tv ââ?¬â?? which goes live at 5pm! RangersTV.tv is the first dedicated online TV station created by a UK football club and will offer fans in the UK and overseas the most comprehensive range of programming produced by any club to date. The online TV station will feature up to nine separate channels and will offer supporters the ultimate digital cross-platform facility. UK supporters can access full games on-demand as well as a library of Rangers most recent matches Fans outside the UK can subscribe to our live match service and enjoy the Clubââ?¬â?¢s own pre match build-up, half time and post-match analysis ââ?¬â?? hosted by the stationââ?¬â?¢s new matchday presenter Emma Dodds First-team players will participate in studio interviews and analysis Access will be available to an extensive archive library of classic SPL, European and Old Firm action Rangers Review & Preview news magazine style programmes will be screened on Mondays and Fridays featuring exclusive match action and reaction from the players and management team Rangers home and away European fixtures will be broadcast in full from midnight In-depth feature-led programming will be produced on all aspects of the Club Fan forums and panel shows with Rangers stars of the past and present will be broadcast Supporters have been unable to watch Rangers TV since Setanta ceased broadcasting in the summer but Rangers can now offer fans a new, improved and unique internet TV station which can be enjoyed FREE for a two-week period now. A dedicated TV studio at Ibrox Stadium will provide on-site production, editing and encoding facilities to supply a bank of content for distribution on all media platforms and the service complements our existing online offering ââ?¬â?? Rangers World ââ?¬â?? which features short-form video interviews and news. Phase 1 of RangersTV.tv commenced at the start of the season with the high quality streaming of live domestic matches and on-demand services to overseas fans and there are now three packages available for supporters to enjoy. The packages available are: Per month Per year Rangers TV.tv Ã?£5.00 Ã?£49.00 Rangers TV.tv Plus Ã?£12.00 Ã?£96.00 Rangers TV.tv Unlimited ââ?¬â?? includes live and on demand games $28.50 $299.00 (overseas fans only) Rangers striker Kenny Miller, who joined RangersTV.tv presenter Emma Dodds at todayââ?¬â?¢s launch, commented: ââ?¬Å?This is a fantastic service for Rangers fans around the world. Supporters will be able to watch exclusive news magazine programmes, on demand and live matches and dip in to the Clubââ?¬â?¢s extensive archive of classic SPL, Old Firm and European action. The relaunch of http://www.rangers.co.uk has already been a huge success this season and I am sure fans will be keen to take advantage of our unique online TV station.ââ?¬Â Rangers Chief Executive Martin Bain commented: ââ?¬Å?We are delighted to launch our new internet TV station which we believe will be unique in world football. Most importantly, it will offer our fans a comprehensive and excellent service. ââ?¬Å?We are extremely excited about the opportunities that internet TV will bring and we have used feedback from the fans at every stage of the development process. The new online station has been developed cost-effectively and efficiently incorporating our existing digital media resources and we have already received positive feedback from the fans worldwide. The service will evolve throughout the current campaign and beyond and is another welcome addition to the Clubââ?¬â?¢s media platforms which include http://www.rangers.co.uk, Rangers News and Rangers Matchday Programme.ââ?¬Â Fans can sign up or find out more information on the range of packages by visiting http://www.rangerstv.tv.

For those that may not visit the RSAssembly website, please find the report posted below. http://www.thebluenose.co.uk/news/assembly-news/assembly-meeting-10th-october-20091018256/ All interesting enough and I guess we have some sort of time-line to see how the club react.

Celtic hit out at the Scottish FA for using video evidence to review clashes involving their players and ignoring other similar incidents. More...

Celtic defender Glenn Loovens has lost his appeal against a one-match ban for his challenge on Rangers midfielder Maurice Edu last season. The 25-year-old Dutchman will now miss Saturday's Scottish Premier League match at home to Motherwell. Loovens had appeared before the Scottish Football Association appeals panel on Thursday to state his case. He had caught Edu with his studs after making a clearance during Celtic's 1-0 defeat by Rangers on 9 May. Referee Craig Thomson, in the headlines for not awarding Celtic an Old Firm penalty at the weekend, missed the incident but referred it to the SFA's review panel after watching television footage. The one-game ban was announced in August, but the Dutch international's challenge allowed him to play in the opening league game of the season at Aberdeen and he has since been waiting for an appeal date to be set. Celtic assistant manager Mark Venus last month accused the SFA of lacking professionalism over the delay in organising the hearing. Loovens said at the time of the review panel's involvement: "I really don't know what all the fuss is about. "I'm a hard player but also fair. "I just went in for the ball and at some point my leg had to come down to land on the ground. "Edu went off for treatment and I spoke to him as soon as he came back on. I said sorry, asked if he was okay and he told me he was fine." http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/8291288.stm

CELTIC defender Glenn Loovens will discover the outcome of his protracted appeal against a one-match ban before his side's next match. SFA disciplinary beaks will convene a three-man panel to hear the former Cardiff defender's case on October 15 - two days before Celtic entertain Motherwell. Loovens will miss the SPL clash with Well if he loses his fight to overturn the suspension imposed by the SFA for his clash with Rangers midfielder Maurice Edu last season. Loovens was punished after catching Edu with his studs on the back of the American's knee during Celtic's 1-0 defeat by Rangers on May 9. Referee Craig Thomson missed the incident but referred it to the SFA's review panel after watching television footage. The Holland international then received the ban from the SFA disciplinary committee in August but his challenge allowed him to play in the opening SPL match at Aberdeen and he has since been waiting for an appeal date to be set. Celtic assistant manager Mark Venus last month accused the SFA of lacking professionalism over the delay in organising the hearing. However, confirmation of the one-match ban may not affect Tony Mowbray's selection for the Motherwell game too much after the Celtic manager criticised his side's defending during yesterday's 2-1 defeat at Ibrox. Kenny Miller struck two goals for Rangers after Loovens twice failed to deal with simple forward balls.

Some very valid points made by S_A regarding the performance and its long term affect on the national team: http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=828&Itemid=1 We as Rangers fans are perhaps more aware than most that performances can almost be as or more important than the result itself. How else do you explain the fact that a manager who has had us competing in the final or to the last day of every competition we have entered since his return (last yearââ?¬â?¢s European run aside) still having his doubters and detractors? Walter Smith in his second spell, I need not remind you, has won 2 Scottish Cups, 1 SPL trophy, 1 League Cup. In his two full seasons back we have won 4 of a possible 8 trophies available, finishing runner up in 3 with the other tournament being last yearââ?¬â?¢s Champions League. Add that to his previous tenure and NIAR and you wonder how some are still not convinced. The major criticism appears to be in the manner in which this fantastic run of success has been achieved. Team, work, organisation and defensive solidity are favoured ahead of skill and flair (though we may see a change in that this season). So can it be that the performance is more important the result? Scotlandââ?¬â?¢s Wednesday night defeat by the Dutch lends support to that way of thinking. In the context of a one off match a 1-0 defeat to the third ranked side in the world is not a terrible result. In the context of our disastrous World Cup campaign it was the result which condemned us to at least 14 years without an appearance on the International stage. Going into the recent double header, George Burley was a stick on for the sack. A minimum of 6 points was required just to give us hope of a play off place. In truth 3 points against Bert Van Marwijkââ?¬â?¢s side, who had collected maximum points in every game so far was highly improbable. Most Scottish football fans, whilst resigned to another unsuccessful qualifying campaign, were looking forward to seeing the back of bungling Burley and hopefully a return for some of our star players most notably Kris Boyd. In a qualification group were we scored only 6 times in 8 matches and with Chris Iwelumoââ?¬â?¢s howling miss still fresh in the memory it would be a particularly stubborn fan who would not admit that Scotland cannot do without such a prolific talent. Yet are Kris Boyd and indeed some of his fellow exiles any closer to a return to Dark Blue? In spite of another bad result ending our World Cup aspirations for another four years, because we turned in one of our few good performances of the campaign, suddenly all talk of Burleyââ?¬â?¢s successor is less certain. Whilst most expected him to fall on his sword after the inevitable occurred against the Oranje, Burley is still here. The SFA have made no telling statements. And what is more worrying, rather than the typical press conference called for the following morning, the SFA will not review this unsuccessful campaign until next week. Perhaps an indication that the manager will be given a stay of execution? The performance against Holland was in stark contrast to the rest of the campaign. We had fight, we had spirit and we had an equal measure of quality. All we missed was a decisive finish, or perhaps a slice of luck. Miller struck the bar and Zorm pulled off a wonder save from the ever-willing front man when the keeper spilled a long range Naismith effort. Miller had another snap shot spilled just round the post when even the Dutch Goalie feared it was rolling in. Scott Brown nudged past the post when the goal gaped at the back stick and Naismith had the ball in the back of the net only for the linesman to wrongly flag offside. And of course, as we chased the game, the Dutch struck the killer blow. This performance was night and day from anything else we had produced. But how much credit should the manager get for that? Weir only returned to the side because Barry and Paul Chuckle had been ruled out through suspension and injury respectively. And whilst some may try to lump the blame on the veteran defender, two key points should be remembered. 1: Our qualification hopes were wrecked long before the do or die game with one of the best sides in the world. And 2: In the four games Weir has played under Burley we have gained 3 clean sheets with only this solitary goal conceded to World Class opposition. For the 4-3-3 formation and the quick, agile and tricky attackers employed Burley does take credit. Miller was highly unfortunate not to score at least one. Naismith, but for a marginal linesman error, would have given us a priceless lead and produced a performance that belied his relative inexperience at this level. Maloney was somewhat less impressive but the right blend of abilities was found in the attacking trio. However, should one good performance that ultimately ended in more glorious failure atone for a calamitous campaign? Terrible results home and away to Norway and in Macedonia. Poor man management. Poor tactics and team selections. Burleyââ?¬â?¢s deficiencies in all areas of management at the very top level were laid bare time and again. Booze-gate. The Iwelumo/Fletcher ââ?¬â?? Boyd fiasco. ââ?¬Å?Limited abilityââ?¬Â. Perhaps it is Burley and not Kirk Broadfoot who should know his place and his limitations and not dream to strive beyond his own capabilities. The list of errors is endless and is another article in itself. Should another night of glorious failure trump all that? Should we forget what went before it and pretend that this was a qualifying campaign on par with the Smith/McLeish led European Championships campaign that was so cruelly ended against the reigning World Champions after home and away victories over the vanquished foes of that same World Cup final. Letââ?¬â?¢s not diminish the work of Walter Smith and Alex McLeish any more than Burley already has by pretending they are in anyway similar. It is a worrying sign that the manner of this latest failure may yet see George Burley keep his job and in so doing, the impressive performance of Steven Naismith, Steven Whittaker and their team mates may in fact turn out to prove more damaging than the 1-0 defeat that ultimately ended our World Cup ambitions for South Africa 2010.

The Scottish Football Association are discussing a salary cap where clubs would only be allowed to spend 65% of their income on wages, Gordon Smith has confirmed. The model being considered follows the reforms in Ireland and would attempt to tackle the problems of clubs spending beyond their means, something UEFA president Michel Platini is also keen to combat. In an interview with FC Business magazine, SFA chief executive Smith said: "I have been talking internally about what happens in Ireland where clubs can only spend 65% of their income on wages. "If we carry on like we are now, I'll be pushing for this and additional reforms in relation to the license to play in our leagues. How can the SFA sit back and watch clubs destroy themselves? And there's a few close to doing that. "Michel Platini has it right on one level that spending through debt is a form of cheating. "But for us here in Scotland it's about ensuring that we retain the clubs we have and they have more money to help build the game as a whole. "Our review on youth development would be pretty useless if there are less professional or league clubs for young Scottish players to play in, wouldn't it?" Finance in Scottish football was complicated by Setanta's UK operation going out of business this summer and Clydesdale Bank Premier League clubs being forced to accept a vastly-reduced broadcast deal with Sky and ESPN. Smith added: "It's not a good idea to be reliant on the TV money, clubs have to be more prudent." Personally I have to say that with where football has went in the recent past that I would welcome a salary cap. I also think that the introduction of a salary cap helps us seeing as we have taken great strides this pre-season in reducing our salaries !

David Weir has put patriotism ahead of wounded pride by answering the call-up for Scotland's final shot at World Cup salvation - and could yet be partnered in the heart of defence by Stephen McManus. The veteran Rangers star, omitted by boss George Burley from the squad which crashed 4-0 in Norway, will return for the must-win double-header against Macedonia and Holland. And so desperate is Burley for experienced defensive recruits - as he seeks to salvage the nation's disastrous qualifying campaign - that he will consider playing McManus alongside his Old Firm rival, if he can overcome the ankle injury which has kept him sidelined for the start of the season. The Scotland coach could also name Craig Gordon in his squad today after his No1 goalkeeper marked his return from a knee injury by playing for Sunderland in last night's 4-1 Carling Cup win at Norwich. McManus, having made steady progress on his own road to recovery, played for 75 minutes in a bounce game last week. He is due to play in another closed-doors fixture this week and has an outside chance of being involved in the SPL clash with Hibs at Easter Road on Sunday. Burley is due to have further discussions with Celtic boss Tony Mowbray before making a late call. However, as he prepares for the home games with Macedonia and Holland on September 5 and 9, Burley will be relieved that Weir has agreed to come back for the conclusion of a crisis-hit campaign. Craig Gordon Fit again: Craig Gordon could be named in the squad after returning from injury to play for Sunderland Gary Caldwell is suspended for the Macedonia game after being red-carded during the defeat in Oslo, while brother Steven is out, despite Burnley boss Owen Coyle saying he expects him to recover from a groin injury. Weir was disappointed to be excluded for the Norway tie and there were rumours that the 39-year-old, who famously retired from international duty during the Berti Vogts era, would spurn any SOS from Burley. But Sportsmail understands that, following a telephone conversation with Burley, Weir is ready to step into the breach at Hampden on Saturday week. The pair had previously agreed that Weir would be called up only when he was likely to play, avoiding the prospect of him spending time away from home without being used. With a Caldwell brothers partnership now ruled out for the Macedonia game, Weir is guaranteed to start in the must-win match against the team directly above us in Group Nine. Burley will have been encouraged to see Gordon make his long-awaited return to action last night. Sunderland boss Steve Bruce rested Marton Fulop after an unconvincing display against Blackburn last Saturday and watched the 9million Scot make a number of good saves against Paul Lambert's League One side. Despite having only trained fully for a week, Gordon could yet feature in the Premier League trip to Stoke this Saturday in his bid to win the No1 jersey back from his rival. Burley would have no hesitation in putting a fully-fit and confident Gordon straight back into his team at the expense of David Marshall and Neil Alexander. Burley travelled to watch Birmingham City's 0-0 draw with Stoke last Saturday but, while James McFadden remains a key player for the international side, striker Garry O'Connor will not be called upon this time around. Scotland must beat both Macedonia and Holland to clinch second place in Group Nine - but even that might not be enough to merit a play-off spot as one of the eight best-placed runners-up. With the nation's chances of a place at South Africa fading fast, Burley has been told that his position as Scotland boss will come under review at the conclusion of the qualifying campaign. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1208810/Weir-ready-return-fold-Scots-prepare-crunch-World-Cup-games.html#ixzz0PAJ1VhPi

Craig, you will like this, a review of the match more reflective of the action on the field. From the Sunday Post.

Season review DVD is total pish. I'm so annoyed at Rangers for this. It cost me 40 quid to buy and ship it over to Australia and it was the biggest waste of money. Straight from the off when i heard Dougie ' Mrs Doubtfire ' Donnelly narrating i had a bad feeling. They didn't show every goal from the season, they would show some of the goals in the shitty slow motion instead of just showing it in normal match veiw, there was no mention of the sale of Cuellar or the early euro exit. I know this is a negative on the season but it's still to be included in the 'Reveiw'. Unlike the first to 50 dvd which i thought was excellent, there was also no interveiw with WS or any1 else, just stuff pulled from Setanta so all the work was already done for the bods at Rangers. Very very lazy effort and i'm so angry and fell robbed and cheated by the whole thing. As a fan abroad i fell let down by the club. I Rarely see games and rely on the dvds to show me what i've been missing. Think i'm gona email Rangers to complain. F**^*** disgrace.

Rangers reserve coach Tommy Wilson admits they will review their loan policy after several youngsters endured frustrating spells away from the club last season. A number of reserve-team players went on loan to clubs such as Partick Thistle and Dunfermline last season, while first-team player Charlie Adam spent the second half of the season at Blackpool. But Wilson admits there is no point sending youngsters out to sit on the bench at other clubs. "The response has been quite mixed," Wilson told Rangers World. "Some of the lads have gone out and played regularly and gained from it. Other players have gone out and not featured. "We played Celtic reserves without Steven Kinniburgh, who went to St Johnstone and never kicked a ball, and had to play a 16-year-old. "The loan thing is something that, together with the first-team staff, we will review thoroughly. "It's never going to be perfect but we need players to go and play more regularly for the first team. "Dean Furman is a good example of how it should work - he went to Bradford and had a fine season down there at a good standard. "We might need to be more selective in terms of where we send the boys and get more guarantees from the clubs. "I imagine next year the first-team squad is smaller, so there might be less opportunities for players to go out on loan." Have to say this is somewhat ironic with the way we ourselves have handled the loan players we have coming into the club. Other clubs could say the same about us.

Not Rangers chat, but could relate to us. After the 2nd Lions both Schalk (sp) Burger and Bakkies Botha got cited for two different incidents. Very early in the week (Mon or Tues I forget) both were given suspensions from a panel meeting in Pretoria. Burger got an 8 week ban for gouging and Botha got a 2 week ban for an illegal charge on Ryan Jones at a ruck that resulted in a dislocated shoulder for Jones and the Welsh prop (who was neutralising "The Beast" in the scrum. Smit had destroyed Vickery in the first test so maybe the 'Boks knew exactly what they were doing here) will miss the final test. Anyway, whilst Burger had no chance with an appeal (he was lucky to get off so light in the first place) Botha appealed his suspension. Today (thursday, just 5 days after the incident) his appeal was rejected. The IRB had managed to review the game, decide on and implement suspensions and then also review and rule on an appeal in 5 days. Yet in football teams can manipulate the disciplinary committee's, appealing a red card to allow players to play the next match and perhaps miss an easier one. It's a nonsene. Why is there so much beauracratic inefficiency in football compared to say Rugby? *I know this isn't Rangers chat but if it went in the lounge some posters may not see it and it seems to be a recurring issue in the SPL and so relates to Rangers*

Rangers approached season 2008 / 2009 on the back of a frustrating end to the previous season with opinions split as to whether 2007 / 2008 had been a success. On first look, it appeared that 2007/08 could be classed as a success, but under closer scrutiny, some fans, myself included would argue that 2007/08 wasnââ?¬â?¢t a ââ?¬Ë?successââ?¬â?¢. Yes, we managed to secure the domestic cup double. However, we struggled to defeat DUFC and QotS in the respective finals. We managed to take the SPL title race into the last game of the season, but ultimately lost the league race. There were many excuses given for losing the league and whilst most, if not all, had their merits, the truth of the matter was that we were so far ahead that losing the league was criminal. One aspect of the season that was a success was our European run. A good showing in the CL was followed by an appearance in the UEFA Cup Final. It was ironic that we started the 2008/09 season with a European tie and ironic that after such a great adventure last season, our European ambitions were killed off before they got started. Drawn against Kanaus, we fully expected Rangers to progress but sadly, we lost the tie and would have no European football to look forward to. We were hardly ââ?¬Ë?activeââ?¬â?¢ in the transfer market prior to being knocked out of the CL qualifiers with little or no players to ignite the imagination, never mind the season. Once knocked out of Europe however, SDM gave the green light for Walter Smith to sign much needed players. Carlos Cueller was sold to Aston Villa and we signed Boogie, Mendes, Miller, Lafferty, Velicka, Edu and Davis (apologies if Iââ?¬â?¢ve missed anyone). Joining CC out of the door would be JCB and Daniel Cousin but Daniel Cousin would deliver an unforgettable leaving present. Our SPL campaign stared with a trip to Falkirk Stadium and it was hardly an auspicious start to the league. We struggled from start to finish and can thank Allen McGregor for making a fine save from the penalty spot before Velicka scored on his Rangers debut when he tapped in a Lafferty cut back. We then welcomed Hearts to Ibrox and secured a 2-0 victory in a vastly improved performance. After setting up Velicka the previous week, Kyle Lafferty opened his Rangers account with a well placed shot from the edge of the box. We didnââ?¬â?¢t secure all three points until deep into injury time when Kris Boyd opened his account for the season from the penalty spot after Kenny Millerââ?¬â?¢s penetrating run was halted by a crude challenge. Next up was our first visit to our friends in the Granite city where we were denied a third successive victory thanks to the first of many questionable refereeing decisions going against us. After David Weir nodded us in front, we conceded a soft equaliser but wwnt on to dominate the game. As the match draw to a close, Beasley slammed home a sweet shot that everyone in the ground assumed to be the winner. However, the assistant referee flagged (wrongly) for offside and Rangers were robbed of a deserved victory. Hardly the ideal preparation for our first visit of the season to Parkheadââ?¬Â¦.. As per usual, we approached the OF game wondering what weird and wonderful team selection WS would deploy. As the teams were announced the surprise inclusions were that of Charlie Adam and Daniel Cousin. Both would play a part in what was an awesome performance and a fantastic victory. Daniel Cousin opened the scoring with a majestic solo effort leaving Wilson for dead before firing past the Polish Clown. Samaras equalised for Celtc, but Rangers went from strength to strength and steamrollered their hosts. Two goals from Kenny Miller on his return to Parkhead (one fantastic volley and one gift wrapped tap in courtesy of the Clown) added the icing to a breath-taking Pedro Mendes strike. Nakamura scored a late consolation direct from a free-kick for the home team after he was blatantly fouled by a blade of grass. That strike failed to dampen the celebrations in the away end as Rangers ran out easy winner. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR-hiAyFFIA&feature=related]YouTube - The Filth 2-4 Rangers (HIGH QUALITY)[/ame] Following the OF victory, Rangers faced Motherwell and Kilmarnock at Ibrox and securing six points from those two games was a must as our next away fixture as a tricky looking visit to Easter Road. We managed to secure all six points with two close fought 2-1 victories in uninspiring performances. In the middle of these SPL fixtures we played Partick Thistle in a League Cup fixture and can count ourselves lucky to have left Firhill with a extra-time victory. However, no one could deny the quality of our goals from Boyd and Mendes ââ?¬â?? two absolute screamers. Our visit to Easter Road was similar to our visit to Parkhead in that we completely dominated the game and ran out 3-0 winners thanks to two wonderful finishes from Kenny Miller and one from Boogie. It was a fantastic way to finish off the month of September as we were only scheduled to play two SPL fixtures in October. Firstly we visited Love Street for the final time with St Mirren languishing at the foot of the SPL title. We were absolutely woeful in the game and St Mirren deserved their 1-0 victory. We then travelled to a wet and wind-swepted New Douglas Park and found ourselves a goal down and staring at back to back defeats. Up stepped Kris Boyd to bag a brace and Nacho Novo secured all three points with a late strike. We also hosted Hamilton in the League Cup and Ibrox and progressed thanks to a 2-0 victory. Highlight of the opening months ââ?¬â?? the form of Pedro Mendes and Steven Davis ââ?¬â?? the 4-2 OF demolition and the 3-0 victory at Easter Road Low Point ââ?¬â?? the 1-0 loss to St Mirren plus the poor performance at Falkirk Player Of The Opening Three Months ââ?¬â?? Pedro Mendes Cammy F - :spl:

Cracking comparison between best practice in Holland and Scotland from pete... http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=800&Itemid=2 For those not aware, Scottish football is to be given a thorough and extensive review from the grass roots through to the professional game. Henry McLeish the former First Minister and an ex-East Fife youth player is going to examine Scottish football from the availability of facilities at grass root level right up to the professional game. As Holland has been one of the best countries in the world for producing world class players I would like to give an idea on how things work in Holland. Firstly football in Holland is based on being a community sport. Clubs are formed in Holland to give anyone who wants to play football the chance to play football. There is no looking in newspapers to try and find a team if you want to play - no matter how good or bad you are then there will be a club within a ten minute bicycle ride. These clubs differ in size with the biggest in being Quick Boys (Katwijk) who have 1783 members. They have 19 senior teams, 6 under 19 teams, 8 under 17 teams, 10 under 15 teams and 11 under 13 teams. Below this age group teams drop down to seven players and play on a half field. Players at all levels pay contribution money to the club so if you take 1783 x ââ??¬15 (average) per month that is a lot of money being pumped into your football club. The youngest age to join a club is five years old or to become five before a certain date. The first few years the cubs as they are called, normally just play within the club. They play 4 v 4 so as they will get as much time possible on the ball. At the age of six they move up to 7 v 7 on a half field with corners being half corners and a penalty from eight meters. The goal is the same size as a handball goal. No offside is played. Because the idea is to let everyone play football, every age group in the youth has the possibility to play 7 against 7. If there are too many players to form an eleven-a-side and too few to form two teams, then teams of seven-a-side can be formed. There are 83000 inhabitants in the town where I live and there are 8 football clubs . In total there are about 70 senior football teams. Behind all these senior teams come all the youth teams. These clubs are all set up to feed the top senior team (the first team). While most kids have the dream of playing for a professional club, getting into the first team for his club and the first team in his age group is also driving factor. A player who just fails to make the grade for the first team in his age group this season is not lost to the club and can go on to develop in the second or lesser team in his age group. That is where I feel many good players are lost in Scotland, as most boyââ?¬â?¢s clubs only have a first team per age group. The football clubs all have there own complex of pitches which are mostly owned by the council. The amount of pitches differs by the size of the club, most having between two and six full sized grass parks and a training pitch. The upkeep of the pitches falls partly under the cap of the council and often their social work department who employ subsidised workers. A 'canteen' where beer and wine is allowed to be sold is an important part of these clubs as it is a huge boost on the financial front. If you take the example of Katwijk above, then they have 19 senior teams. That means that they can have ten teams playing at home on match-days. Including reserves that is the possibility of having 140 people having a drink. Most away teams drink at least one beer or soft drink with the opposition before they return to base. That means you have the possibility of 280 people buying at least one drink. As I know for certain through experience many players spend the full afternoon in the canteen. The money these clubs make on match days, many pubs would be happy with the same amount in a week. All of the profit goes back into paying for trainers and the upkeep of the facilities which are partly the club's responsibility. Clubs are not permitted tax wise to make a profit through the bar so every penny earned must be put back into the running of club. Here is a quote from Edward Sturing - Head Coach at PSV: ââ?¬Å?The top clubs do not work alone. Without the thriving local football scene they would struggle. There is no organised schools football, but there are nearly 3000 local clubs of which 95 percent have a fully functioning youth set-up. Every weekend all those clubs play competitive matches in the age groups between seven and 19. Thatââ?¬â?¢s a lot of football and a lot of footballers. ââ?¬Å?In Holland the pyramid is very big,ââ?¬Â explains Sturing, making a triangle with his two hands. ââ?¬Å?To have so many local clubs for such a small country is amazing, because the base of the pyramid is so big there is a lot of quality at the top.ââ?¬Â Regional Scouts are regular visitors of club's youth games and the region's top 40-50 youth players are invited to be involved at regional level. A final region team is picked to play against other regions. Almost all youth training in Holland is based on the 'Coerver' training methods which is based on all training being done with a ball. Practice making perfect is preferred to jogging round a football field. Youth players have a natural stamina and working on the ball improves technique and stamina. In the youth setup there are not enough girls yet to form female youth teams, so female players play football with the boy youth teams. I have seen one female who made it as far as the under 17 first team. Not every club has a female team so at about 16 females have to look at moving to a club who do run one. That is perhaps one aspect of the system that should be improved in Holland. I think this article shows the big difference between Dutch football and Scottish football is at grass root level. Youth training and possibilities to play at a young level and grow through from cub to a senior first team level are hugely important principles often missing in our country. The chance to grow from five to fifty without searching newspapers to find a team. Football in Holland is community related, where grandfather, son and grandson will probably play for the same team. No fighting over football fields just 100% grass fields or sometimes synthetic these days. A football association which realises that the youth of today are the players of tomorrow and a government that puts money into sport without a lottery grant. Cambuslang Rangers, Pollock, Maryhill, Renfrew Juniors, etc. should be large clubs where anyone can play with the clubs thriving on a larger pyramid and contributions from players from all levels. There should be a full youth and senior program behind these clubs. Scotland has to build a pyramid with a proper youth football set-up being the foundation. Investment in the future is the way the Dutch look at things. Scotland should be doing the same. :spl:

Halifax Bank of Scotland is conducting a review into credit arrangements with Scottish football clubs. More...

Over the coming weeks Iââ?¬â?¢ll be delving back into the happenings of the season gone past and reviewing all the major talking points from the debacle in Kanuas to the unforgettable and fantastic scenes at Tannidice when the league flag finally came back home (why do I feel the urge to burst into Glasgow Rangers Champions Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh?). I know there was a game AFTER that Sunday in the sun, but Iââ?¬â?¢ll get to that, I promise. I will try to dismantle the season into three month chunks looking back to the games that had the greatest effect on the SPL title race, how the players faired in those monthly segments and try to decipher how Walter Smith wasnââ?¬â?¢t named Manager of the Year and how Boogie wasnââ?¬â?¢t name player of the year. Boogie isnââ?¬â?¢t only the best player at Ibrox, he is the best player in the land by a country mile. As well as documenting the incidents, performances and results that ensured that theyââ?¬â?¢re would be no 4-in-a-row, I will endeavour to paint an honest opinion of our footballing style (or lack off) over the course of the season. There is no doubting that we displayed some very decent football in patches. Victories at Easter Road, Parkhead and off course, the final SPL game of the season instantly spring to mind. In those games we were simply awesome. It is my opinion that if he had maintained those games as our ââ?¬Ë?standardââ?¬â?¢ and hit that form on a consistent basis, we would have won the league at a canter. However, for every brilliant performance, there was a dross performance (ying and yang if you like). Away to Falkirk twice, away to St Mirren, losing to ICT at Ibrox spring to mind ââ?¬â?? and I havenââ?¬â?¢t mentioned the Scottish Cup Final yet. It is also important to investigate and discuss the state that we approached in the season in given the heartbreaking end to the previous season and off course, the sale of King Carlos. There are many trains of thought as to how successful we were in season 2007/08 where we secured the domestic cup double but that only begins to tell the story. We were tantalisingly close to an unprecedented quadruple and at least, should have been good enough to secure the domestic treble. To let the SPL title slip was unforgivable, no matter the mitigating circumstances. We were so far ahead, Celtc required snookers. Given the disappointment of last season, winning the SPL title was a MUST this season. Allow Celtc to lift their fourth title in a row, given our calamitous financial position would have been akin to committing footballing suicide. With that in mind, it is also our duty not to allow our title victory, our 52nd domestic league title (still a world record), to paper of the enormous cracks in our club. There will be at least 10 players sold in the summer (two have already been released) so it is fair to say that some fans favourites could still leave. If Walter Smith intends to add to the first team, heââ?¬â?¢ll likely have to lose even more than the ten that is currently being banded about. Our club is teetering on the edge and guaranteed champions league money has only delayed more stinging cuts. There is also the question of how our club is being marketed. In laymanââ?¬â?¢s terms, it isnââ?¬â?¢t. Here we are basking in the afterglow of winning the domestic double and there isnââ?¬â?¢t a commemorative DVD (or any item celebrating this apart from ONE t-shirt ââ?¬â?? which I am proudly wearing!). Kris Boyd has just celebrated scoring 100 goals for this club, the first player to do so since Mark Hateley. Again, this wonderful achievement hasnââ?¬â?¢t warranted a DVD. Due to the complications of the Umbro deal, we still arenââ?¬â?¢t any closer to knowing the design of our new home top. All of this may not appear to be important in the context of the wild celebrations that rightly greeted the SPL triumph, but this is the time to cash in on the success and by God do we need the cash. There is also a predicted shortfall in season ticket sales, but the only place you see season ticketââ?¬â?¢s for sale in on the official website. Meanwhile our neighbours are advertising on radio, TV and national press. Anyway, back to the post-mortem of the season gone by and it is great to witness that we have a new ââ?¬Ë?cheer-leaderââ?¬â?¢. After the departure of Shota, we didnââ?¬â?¢t have anyone to marvel at as the celebrations took place ââ?¬â?? well step forward and take a bow Mr Nacho Novo. Watching Novo lately has been a joy in itself, especially his ââ?¬Ë?Ha Ha Samarasââ?¬â?¢ antics at Tannidice. Another aspect of the season that is worth discussing, and Iââ?¬â?¢ll mention this in my reviews is how the team spirit grow over the season and was cemented during and after the ââ?¬Ë?boozegateââ?¬â?¢ affair. It would have been easy for the players to have chucked it at certain stages of the season (being 7 points behind, the boozegate affair, the draw at Easter Road) but they all pulled together and this was most evident at Tannidice when we won the title, but it had been growing over the course of the season. So much so we have players like Boyd, Novo and Mendes claiming that they want to finish their careers at Ibrox and players like Boogie stating that knocking back big money moves to the EPL as being the ââ?¬Ë?correct decisionsââ?¬â?¢. It appears that the feel-ggod factor is back at Ibrox and I believe that this is down to the influences of Ally McCoist and Ian Durrant. In finishing, the hard work starts here as we have to build on this success and ensure that we dominate the domestic game for the next few years. This will not be easy and the full extent of how difficult this will be will only be know once the transfer window is closed and we can assess who is still here. We require a long term replacement for David Weir, a left midfielder (Chris Brunt seems the favourite at the moment and he is a very decent player), a right midfield player (as Stevie Davis isnââ?¬â?¢t the answer wide right). Again, these needs may change depending on who is or isnââ?¬â?¢t sold. Either way, itââ?¬â?¢ll be a nail-biting summer with Rangers fans hoping and praying that our ââ?¬Ë?blue chipââ?¬â?¢ players remain at the club for another season (at least). Next week Iââ?¬â?¢ll open the review concentrating on July through to the end of October. This will include (close your eyes) the Kanuas games, the first OF game of the season and asking if whether our eventual forays into the transfer market would have made a difference if they were signed PRIOR to the CL qualifier. Cammy F :spl:

by Lindsay Herron MADJID BOUGHERRA will be at the heart of Rangers' defence as they go for glory at Tannadice on Sunday. The SFA's Video Review Panel today reduced the red card issued to him in last week's game against Aberdeen to a yellow card. Bougherra had been sent off on the say-so of assistant referee Graham Chambers who thought the Algerian had deliberately tried to kick Aberdeen goalkeeper Jamie Langfield on the head. Referee Stuart Dougal looked at the incident again on Tuesday and decided Bougherra's challenge should not have resulted in a sending off. The Review Panel have concurred and Bougherra is now clear to play in Sunday's match as Rangers bid to win their first title in four years. Aberdeen defender Charlie Mulgrew has also had his red card from the same game reduced to a yellow. The Review Panel also considered the alleged act of simulation by Kyle Lafferty in this incident and they have decided that the matter should be referred to the SFA's Disciplinary Committee. The Disciplinary Committee is scheduled to meet before the start of next season. At this meeting they will also consider the challenge by Celtic's Glenn Loovens on Mo Edu in the recent Old Firm game and also the challenge of Scott McDonald on Dundee United's Lee Wilkie. Any subsequent suspensions would obviously not kick in until next season.