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A Rangers fan who posted a threatening message about Celtic manager Neil Lennon on Twitter has been cleared of committing an offence. Christopher Hay, 22, was the first person to be charged under the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communcations Act in 2012, after writing a message on his social networking site the day the act came into force. Chip shop worker Hay, from Kirkintilloch posted "I seriously do wish that someone would kill that ugly ginger c***, I should've planned my parcel bombs better, next time it'll work #w*****". The comment was posted during the high profile parcel bomb trial at the High Court in Glasgow. Hay claimed it was a "throwaway comment" made by him and not intended to be seen by Lennon. He denied intending to cause fear or alarm or being reckless as to whether he did or not, at his trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court and was found not guilty by sheriff Stuart Reid. While the sheriff branded the comment "an offensive and threatening communication" he said that after considering all of the evidence, that there was not the necessary criminal intent needed for Hay to be found guilty. The court heard that during a police operation, the post was spotted using keywords on a search facility of Twitter. A designated officer who had to search for offensive messages during the trial of Trevor Muirhead and Neil McKenzie, spotted the message and traced it to Hay. When interviewed by police Hay admitted posting the comment on his social networking site. Although he posted the message, he claimed it was never intended to be seen by anyone except his 23 friends who "follow" and view his posts on Twitter and that he claimed were "close friends". The court heard that Lennon's name was not mentioned in the comment and it was not directed towards him by copying it on to his official Twitter site but was written about him. Hay, a self-confessed Rangers fan, claimed: "I had no intention to cause fear or alarm to anybody. It was an absolute throwaway comment, I didn't intend it to go futher." Nobody re-posted the message on their web pages or commented on it. Hay told the court: "It was a moment of madness". When asked why he wrote it he said: "I have no reason in particular why I sent it. I can't even think why I would write such a thing." Procurator fiscal depute Stephen Ferguson asked: "If Neil Lennon or someone close to Neil Lennon were to see that how do you think they would feel?" Hay answered: "They wouldn't be very pleased about it. Taken aback by it, it's not very nice, not something you want to see." Muirhead, 44, and McKenzie, 42, from North Ayrshire, sent devices they believed were capable of exploding and causing injury. The men were found guilty in March 2012 of conspiracy to assault Lennon, former MSP Trish Godman and the late Paul McBride QC and were jailed for five years. http://news.stv.tv/west-central/259433-christopher-hay-cleared-over-offensive-post-celtics-about-neil-lennon/

When looking for some information on another league season as I am sure I have done in the past, to my astonishment when using the "Pick another season" option, only 2011-12 and 2012-13 are available. As I say I am sure I used to look up all the seasons in our history there, so why has it been changed? http://www.rangers.co.uk/match/league-table

Full name William Pullar Jardine Date of birth 31 December 1948 (age 65) Have a great day Sandy

And I wish you and your families all the very best in 2014.

WITH 18 goals in his first 19 games for Rangers, there is no reason for Jon Daly to be anything less than satisfied with his efforts for the Ibrox club so far. However, the striker has revealed a painful source of regret that his prolific strike rate for the runaway League One leaders took some time to kick in. Daly is coming to terms with the recent death of his father, John, a guiding light throughout his career. Thrilled by his son’s move to Rangers from Dundee United last summer, Daly senior travelled from Dublin to watch him take his Ibrox bow against Brechin City in August. The 30-year-old failed to find the target that afternoon, during a settling-in period with his new club which saw him score just three times in his first seven appearances. Daly has since been instrumental in Rangers’ current 20-match winning run, which they hope to extend at home to Stranraer this afternoon, scoring 15 goals in his last 12 outings. Yet it still nags at Daly that he drew a blank on the day his father headed across the Irish Sea. “The season could probably have gone even better for me so far, to be honest,” reflected Daly. “I could have had a few more goals. I missed a few on my Ibrox debut against Brechin City. I still beat myself up about that. “My dad was over to watch that game against Brechin and never got to see me score at Ibrox. It would have been great for him to see that. “At the time of my move to Ibrox, I spoke to my dad and he was delighted that a club like Rangers were in for me. He told me to jump at the chance. I think I’d pretty much made my mind up that I was coming anyway, but it was nice that he was full of enthusiasm for the move. “He did give me stick for not scoring in that first game! That’s the way he was, he used to have that kind of banter with me. But he was very proud and hopefully I can still do him proud in the future.” Daly has been an unquestionable success on the signing front for Rangers manager Ally McCoist who now faces the prospect of trimming his squad next month as the club’s new chief executive Graham Wallace addresses the continuing financial difficulties at Ibrox. “If the squad has to be cut in size, then it will happen and we will deal with it at the time,” Daly said. “It’s not something I’ve been focusing on. That’s not me not caring – of course I care. But I just want to focus on my football and do my best for the club. Whatever happens happens. “That’s football. Players come and players go. You build up a good squad and then, for whatever reason, players have to leave. “I can’t speak for the rest of the boys, but personally I try not to focus on things off the park. I concentrate on training, my own routine and playing games. I try to do the right thing on the pitch. Whatever happens off the pitch is out of our hands, we can’t control it. If you start worrying about what’s happening off the park, it can affect you on the park. It wasn’t really an issue for me when I signed. I knew there were still a few problems but it was never going to stop me signing. “It’s a massive football club and even if you’d told me back then that they would still be having problems now, I would still have signed. “I’m sure there are one or two lads who do focus on what happens off the park, but I don’t think you can let it affect you. It will affect your performances and if that happens, you will find yourself out of the team. “There is plenty of competition for places, which for a club like Rangers is healthy. You do need that, it keeps players on edge. At other clubs I’ve been at, you could get away with having one or two bad games and still find yourself in the team. But if you have two or three bad games here, you’re not going to play in the next one.” Rangers are three games away from beating the club record of 22 consecutive victories set back in 1898-99, albeit they are not operating in the top flight. Daly says that will not be in their thoughts this afternoon. “If we start looking too far down the line, that’s when you take your eye off the ball and can lose a game,” he said. “We need to focus fully on Stranraer, take three points if we can, then move on to the next game.” http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl-lower-divisions/jon-daly-s-ibrox-regret-fuels-appetite-for-goals-1-3246924

THE treble-winning manager insists Ally McCoist is building for bigger challenges in the future and cannot afford to lose his best players. ALEX McLEISH has pleaded with the re-elected Rangers board not to dismantle Ally McCoist’s squad as a quick fix to their cash problems. Light Blues chief executive Graham Wallace admitted at Thursday’s agm that a “rigorous review of our football squad” could take place as the club looks to cut costs despite a £22million share issue a year ago. The Gers money men are also trying to find finance amid fears they could run out of cash by April and McLeish knows only too well how cashing in on players is sometimes the easiest option. But the former treble-winning boss is well aware from his own time at Ibrox that there’s only one outcome when you flog your best assets on the park – and he doesn’t want to see McCoist suffer. Rangers fans fear top performer Lee Wallace could be targeted in the January window with the club’s financial position making them vulnerable to cash offers. The latest set of annual accounts showed McCoist’s playing budget of £8m was £2m less than the overall costs for non-playing staff with a string of directors and executives coining it in and some receiving bumper pay-offs as the coffers have been all but emptied. McLeish knows the current Rangers squad is a cut above their League One rivals but insists McCoist is building for bigger challenges ahead and facing Celtic again in the top flight. Eck told Record Sport: “When a club is looking to raise cash the easy option is just to sell your biggest playing assets. “I hope they don’t sell players as a quick fix because it would set back Ally’s building plans. “Lee Wallace is the one people are talking about as being of the biggest value. Now, Ally might have enough cover to get away with losing Lee Wallace now but what about in two years if they are in the Premiership? “That is what the Rangers board have to be aiming towards – backing the manager to build a team capable of challenging in the top flight. “Lee Wallace is a great player and I’m sure he would be great for Coisty in the next level. “Let the new board back Ally McCoist. There’s top businessmen in there with the Easdales and Graham Wallace so they’ve got to make sure Rangers get back to the top level. “Ally has done the job. I went to five or six games last season and it wasn’t pretty stuff but he got the guys over the line. “He’s made it more attractive this season, albeit they’ve won games late in the second half, and that’s probably due to the great coaching and training and top class people at Murray Park. “But it’s also because of the quality so they shouldn’t lose that. I saw Jon Daly in his first game against Brechin City at Ibrox and he missed four sitters and people were writing him off. “I said to myself, ‘He will score a barrowload for Rangers’ and he’s proving that already. “It’s now of huge importance that Ally gets the chance to work with his players and build a team that will be able to get to the top flight and challenge Celtic again in the long term.” McLeish lost key players during his time at Rangers when the club needed cash and his reputation suffered in a trophyless season before David Murray backed him with cash again and he paid the then owner back with the title. That’s why Eck believes it’s simple – provide a manager with quality players and you will reap the rewards. The 54-year-old said: “I know how difficult it is as a manager when you lose your best players. “I joked the other day about the agm after my first full season in charge and we’d won the treble. One shareholder said, ‘Alex, you walk on water’ and I said, ‘I hope you’re saying that next year’. “But we lost a lot of quality – Barry Ferguson, Claudio Caniggia, Arthur Numan left, we sold Lorenzo Amoruso and Neil McCann and Ronald de Boer’s knee was causing problems. “There’s only one way you’re quality is going to go when you lose your best players and that’s down the way – and to be fair the next season after we lost players David Murray backed me. “We secured two fantastic Bosmans early on in Jean-Alain Boumsong and Dado Prso and we ended up winning the League and Cup double. “I’m not saying you don’t need a manager but when I asked Arsene Wenger what made a great manager he said ‘Great players’. “That’s true and it’s true at every level. The current Rangers squad might not be Barcelona-level players but they are a cut above the level they’re playing at now and they’re the guys who will get Coisty to the next division. “It won’t be easy next season in the Championship and if he starts to lose that quality then he’ll get criticised just like I did and suddenly you think you’re hopeless but that’s not the case. “Coisty knows the game inside out but he needs players. I’d hope the likes of the Easdale brothers would back Coisty big time.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/former-rangers-boss-alex-mcleish-2947887

http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/209-is-it-time-to-move-on It’s been a long time coming but finally the Rangers AGM arrived and at last we have some clarity on just how well supported the incumbent board is. In fact, the result was pretty conclusive – certainly for most of the Directors up for reappointment while those externally up for nomination struggled to achieve as much support. Therefore, whilst the issue of backing may not be as straightforward as it seems, no-one can deny it should now be time to move on and allow the club some space to consolidate its position. Such an abeyance of hostilities is essential for two main reasons: one, to give the ‘new’ board some time to deliver on their promises, and, two, to hopefully ensure the support doesn’t rip itself apart after a quite ludicrous period of belligerent disagreement between so-called rival factions of fans. So where are we now? Yesterday’s AGM statement to the London Stock Exchange revealed a short term ‘120 day strategic focus’ for the board on a range of important matters: including a detailed business review and attempts to re-engage with the fans to better capture our opinions. Along with other strategies highlighted in the statement, the aims are impressive and I doubt many fans would challenge them. However, we’ve heard similar buzz-words and phrases before – from Sir David Murray, Craig Whyte and Charles Green – all of whom failed to take the business forward during this modern era of austerity. What can this mandated ‘new board’ do differently? Let’s start with its make-up. Despite the institutional confidence placed upon most of the nominated incumbents yesterday, the scenes at the AGM were quite frankly incredible with specific focus on Finance Director Brian Stockbridge. It seems clear now that not only do thousands of fans have an issue with his position but also the vast bulk of the 1600 shareholders present yesterday. Moreover, the fact over 30% of other investors do not consider him re-electable arguably makes his position untenable on its own. However, add in his flawed performance and questionable behaviour of the last year then if the board is serious about trust, transparency and staff ‘pride’ in Rangers then Stockbridge must be moved on. Anything else would cast serious doubt on those that wish to lead the club back to success. Of course the rest of the board, other than Graham Wallace, don’t convince either. Neither Easdale brother speaks well or commands the respect of the support while new chairman David Somers appears inconsistent in his approach – one day signing his name to daft and inflammatory ‘open letters’, while the next saying he has no problem with people he previously labelled as selfish ‘fanatics’. It seems clear Mr Somers needs to familiarise himself with the high profile nature of the Rangers chairmanship and quick. Fortunately, new CEO Graham Wallace has been more measured in his approach so it’s not a surprise to see him warmly received by all so far. Mr Wallace can and should use this to his advantage by acting as a conduit to both investors and fans in the months ahead. With the above in mind, it seems obvious the board will need strengthened if the club’s 120 day plan is to be successful. I’m not sure adding either Murray to the mix will help but I’d hope Scott Murdoch and the impressive Alex Wilson are considered given Cenkos already gave their approval to their applications earlier in the year. That would go some way to bringing everyone around the same table ahead of the April finances ‘D’ Day. Speaking of which, obviously Dave King should be another who must be consulted with, even if his past and recent performance remains worthy of debate. I’m sure there are others out there who could add the right mix of independent business talent and Rangers-mindedness to improve the board. One such name I’ve heard mentioned is John McClure of Unicorn Asset Management who own(ed) upwards of 400,000 pre-IPO shares in the club. No matter who joins this board, the pressure will be high to deliver on their statement of yesterday. However, they do deserve time to implement the changes promised – just how much time may be reliant on their ongoing performance. For example, the issue of Jack Irvine’s retention cannot be kicked into the long grass. Moving on from the board the next important issue is that of the fans. The way many people (mostly online) have turned on each other over the last 6 months has been nothing short of remarkable. It seems polite disagreement cannot happen nowadays with insult and abuse being preferred instead. This has to stop and stop now. If not, our club will be easy pickings for those who wish to use it in a way to benefit themselves only. It also offers an easy excuse for the club not to engage with the fans as it should. Of course it doesn’t help that our fan groups seem so badly advised while struggling generally as well. I don’t blame the Trust, Assembly or Association for believing in the likes of successful businessman Jim McColl but jumping into his camp with both feet meant any sort of negotiation with the board was always going to be difficult. Add in their collective failure to achieve widespread support within the fan-base (via active membership more than anything else) then it’s debatable just how important the club will see them in the future. This is a great shame when we examine fine initiatives such as BuyRangers but perhaps something new can arise from embers of the existing groups? Hearts and Dunfermline fans have shown the way in this respect so we should be looking to them for inspiration. I’d certainly suggest each fan group outlines its own 120 day plan to show they’re capable of improvement. Only then may the club (and most importantly more fans) feel engagement with them is worthwhile. All in all despite yesterday’s conclusive AGM vote, uncertainty remains and that should be a concern for us all – the club director, the investor and the ‘ordinary’ fan. Indeed, financing the club is the biggest issue ahead and this can only be achieved by everyone working together for the greater good. We can all make sacrifices in that regard so I’d urge all involved to examine their contribution and ask if the betterment of Rangers is really their aim. If it’s not, then yesterday’s farcical AGM scenes will only be the start of more stormy waters ahead. That cannot be allowed to happen. Thus, in the spirit of Christmas and New Year, this is an opportunity to offer goodwill to others and start afresh in 2014. In that regard I’d like to wish all my fellow fans a happy holiday season and all the very best for the next year. Rest and be merry as, for the boardroom and the fan groups at least, the clock is ticking: 120 days and counting!

Following several unsatisfactory responses to both myself and Mr Joe Fitzpatrick MSP over a period of several months, today I duly instructed Campbell Boath Solicitors, to serve upon Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs, a series of Freedom of Information Requests pertaining to the following :- PRODUCTIONS (1) The seizure of, care and storage of productions and (2) Action on the theft or loss of productions in the care of HMRC (3) Duty to report the theft or loss of productions (4) Protocols for contacting Police should the circumstances at (2) above be fulfilled BREACHES OF CONFIDENTIALITY (5) General action on suspected or possible breaches of confidentiality by HMRC staff (6) Duty to investigate suspected breaches of confidentiality (7) Duty and protocol for reporting such criminal conduct arising from such breaches of confidentiality to the Police. Should the request be subject of a denial then such denial will itself be subject of further legal proceedings. Furthermore recent correspondence received by Mr Fitzpatrick aforesaid from Mr Stephen House, QPM, Chief Constable, Police Scotland, confirms the criminal investigation into the Leaking of Confidential Information to BBC Scotland is still ongoing.

Our Chief Executive said yesterday we would have to cut back with our spending which has been too high since we began life in the bottom tier last season. With the club allegedly losing £1 million I'm just wondering how these costs will be cut. I know Ally has said he would take a substantial paycut and I'd imagine the rest of the backroom staff will be doing the same but the only other way I can see Wallace making the cuts required is to sell our best players (Wallace, MacLeod) or get rid of the high earners at the club.

http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail.html?announcementId=11812355 Full results on LSE link:

http://news.stv.tv/west-central/256830-rangers-supporters-trust-suspend-spokesperson-over-improper-conduct/

Rangers have today released a statement hitting back at requisitioner Paul Murray over his claims on leaked voting figures Capita have also released a statement to Sky Sports News which read:

Kenny Macintyre ‏@bbckennymac 33m #BBCSportsound 6.10 - .@RFC_Official fans Paul Murray will join us live. #Rangers Retweeted by

@scotDMsport: Ally McCoist sides with Rangers fans ahead of crucial vote. See tomorrow's Scottish Daily Mail

YOU couldn’t give a section of Celtic’s support a red neck with a blow torch, never mind the green flare they threw on to the pitch at Fir Park. There they were with their banner asking that Nelson Mandela, the ultimate man of peace, be allowed to rest in peace. And then they got on with the wanton damage that saw seats destroyed while Motherwell boss Stuart McCall was subjected to chants about being a “sad Orange b*****d”. Some people just have no sense of irony. The team the misguided had paid to watch is currently in the best form it has enjoyed for a long time. But the football is never enough for those who have taken a weird turn since Rangers went into liquidation. The obsession with insisting that Gers died – and the current side has a history 18 months old – has come with an arrogance that was unpleasant to watch at Motherwell. Lennon said his heart sank when he saw the banners depicting William Wallace and Bobby Sands which disfigured the Champions League game with Milan. Now the manager and his chief executive, Peter Lawwell, have to speak out against supporters who are blemishing the club’s reputation. Celtic have just updated and republished the book detailing their history over the last 125 years – and it is a story well worth the telling. A team started for charitable purposes has always had what their greatest captain Billy McNeill described as a fairytale aspect attached to it. Celtic’s appearance in the Nou Camp on Wednesday night vouches for their decent standing in Europe. And the derision their efforts receive from the rival support at Ibrox is an irrelevance since that is based on the need for something to camouflage their current, lower-league status. It is as unthinking as the damage that’s being done to Celtic’s good name by the unruly element who will now make their club the object of the SPFL’s attention. But all of that unwanted attention is meaningless to the vandals, flare throwers and obscene chanters. If you can embarrass your club while the team is 5-0 up then you don’t do sober reflection. And what’s even worse is that any attempt to draw attention to the supporters’ misbehaviour is always met with a hostility based on a belief that no such incidents ever happened, or could happen, where the Celtic support is concerned. There are signs of old-fashioned hooliganism returning to Scottish football. A flare was thrown on to the pitch during Rangers’Scottish Cup tie at Falkirk causing damage to the artificial pitch. Money is a constant source of concern at Ibrox, particularly when serious-minded men-in-the-know don't rule out the possibility of a second insolvency event. So how regretful should the culprits feel when they see to it that a cheque for damages has to be forwarded from Ibrox to Falkirk? The answer is they’ll probably feel no remorse whatsoever and they won’t until somebody does something to halt a growing menace. The Old Firm game used to be a safety valve that was periodically released to take the steam out of a poisonous rivalry. Now they live separate lives and the result has been the misfits have to release their troublesome instincts in another way. Confession, they say, is good for the soul. The first thing the majority of decent Celtic fans have to admit is they don’t recognise the kind of person they can find beside them today. I also got a close-up look at Motherwell’s incendiary division last weekend because they were fouling the air, and making a nuisance of themselves, in the vicinity of the press box at Hamilton’s ground. They go through their dance routines then let off their toys, at which point several people emerge from the crowd to film their smoke-shrouded pals on their mobiles. Older Well fans, meanwhile, were congregated well away from them and getting progressively more irked by their team’s performance. They made displeasure known in the traditional, verbally-colourful manner then started to leave before Albion Rovers scored the winner. But the dance troupe didn’t have any real sense of how badly their team had played due to the fact they didn’t appear to be that bothered by what happened on the pitch. In the meantime they had caused damage to seats belonging to the club who hosted their game as a courtesy to both Lanarkshire neighbours. That will cost Well money they shouldn’t have to pay at a time when every penny’s a prisoner. Those supporters also threw another canister on to the pitch, forcing the people in wheelchairs to take evasive action. You’d think supporters of a club whose manager was involved in a stadium disaster that claimed the lives of 56 people because of a fire would consider his feelings before setting light to canisters in a stand containing thousands of their fellow supporters. One of the most harrowing conversations I’ve ever had with McCall recounted his memories of that day in Bradford. The hand-burning sensation he felt when he tried to open his car door two hours after the dead and the dying had been removed to hospital. The search for his father that ended in a case of mistaken identity when Stuart was pointed in the direction of a man with first-degree burns. He had only recovered from a deep sense of shock in the hospital ward when he heard his dad whisper: “Son, I’m over here.” Now McCall is working in an environment where we’ve started to breed our own pyromaniacs. It is an offence to enter, or attempt to enter, a football ground while in possession of a flare, smoke canister or firework. Possession of either one carries a custodial sentence if the court believes that’s in order. So why are so many being allowed to endanger health and safety on a regular basis? That’s as much of a mystery as the suggestion that McCall has destroyed his own managerial reputation because his team had an off-day in a Scottish Cup tie. Put that in your canister and smoke it. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/hugh-keevins-must-stop-rogue-2904421

Being reported on Twitter(I know) that Keevins stated this on RC tonight. Anyone confirm? If true what will he be saying, back board, buy ST, give us your money?

For those unfamiliar with Harper Lee’s classic “To Kill a Mockingbird”, Boo Radley is a mysterious and reclusive figure introduced early in the book by the author. Her fear of Boo often stems from the author’s overactive imagination and is compounded by a fear of the unknown. It is only at the end of the book the true nature and character of Boo Radley is revealed. As some of you know I have access to the Vanguard Bears forums, I’m not a member but am allowed full and unrestricted access to their online discussions. As a certain Fanzine editor described in his Christmas Fanzine this type of membership could be described as Vanguard Bears (Soft Toys Section) – [Copyright No.1 Fanzine] But more on this later. Form the reading of WATP magazine more of you will be aware of my recent article which insists on the Rangers support having access to information which allows us to ensure correct governance at our club. I think it is untenable that in this day and age, after all we as a support have been through and given back to this club – that we are totally disenfranchised and disempowered from the processes and systems which allow us to be vigilant regarding our club, or for that matter to make informed choices. In the very same article I praised the rise of militancy within our support – far more digestible than dignified silence. I also added that such militancy came with certain caveats. I was deeply encouraged by reports in the Evening Times that the Sons Of Struth had narrowed the target of their protest to Brian Stockbridge and Jack Irvine. My belief and hope was this would be a cause of unity amongst our support as I was of the opinion it reflected what many of us felt. I was so encouraged in fact; I wrote an article about it, having confirmed this was the case with SOS via Twitter. http://immortalrange…acquires-focus/ This did not go down particularly well with everyone, but as I said to someone privately who wrote to me following its publication – I don’t write to be popular. Part of the criticism of this article argued that this was not the correct position of the SOS. This caused me to seek further clarification from SOS that this in fact was their position, and this was duly forthcoming. http://i41.tinypic.com/zo8cjt.jpg It came as a surprise to me therefore that on Saturday en route to the ground I was stopped by a young lady who offered me a red card explaining it to be a protest against the board. On receipt of same and perusal of its contents I was dismayed. Its contents were clearly at odds with the assurances I had been given from SOS via Twitter. It’s a pity that much of the discussion about Saturday’s card display has de-generated, particularly by the anti-requisitoners factions, into ridiculous computer generated percentages or suggestions that some were fooled into thinking it was an anti-racism display. The message on the card was clear and unequivocal. The problem from my perspective however was that it was contrary to what SOS had informed me, or claimed in the Evening Times. I know some Bears, some of whom will be known to many of you, who participated in the display whilst not agreeing with the card’s content in their entirety. I sought clarification via Twitter with SOS, and even provided them with a screenshot of our conversation for clarification – to date no explanation has been offered as you can see by my Twitter timeline. Some may not think this is important but for a campaign demanding clarity and transparency is it really too much to ask that the SOS would lead by example ? I doubt there will have been many Bears, irrespective of which side of the fence (or even on it) you sit, who has not been impressed by Jim McColl throughout this process. He has spoken and conducted himself in exemplary fashion, when he has made attacks he has always sought to substantiate or justify his reasoning. For many, I suspect his endorsement of Graham Wallace was a watershed moment in this campaign, as well as admitting that Colin Kingsnorth was no-body’s fool. Are we as a support going to go against the judgement of those who sought change, and if so where do we eventually draw the line ? Furthermore in terms of judging business acumen what are the qualifications of those who are suggesting we do not draw a line in the sand ? Which brings me back to the Vanguard Bears. I’m not here to defend them, as they are more than capable of doing that for themselves. Given my propensity for speaking out, via my blog and also on their forums, I’ve little doubt I have pissed some of them off along the way, we don’t agree on everything, but that’s life – it’s all about opinions. But I will not allow them to misrepresented as has happened in recent weeks. Their position on the current boardroom battle remains as per their statement – they remain neutral. I fully accept that some of their members have expressed different views as those held by admin on behalf of their organisation, but is that any different from any other organisation ? Given some of the voting patterns in yesterdays RST poll – apparently not. It’s perhaps significant that some of those responsible for the aforesaid misrepresentation of Vanguard Bears are named on material which has come into their possession. One is left to question not only the wisdom but also the propriety of Paul Murray writing directly to a group, let alone issuing instructions, knowing such a group are involved in protesting and campaigning for the removal of the current board, a campaign which if successful would likely be of considerable benefit to him in his own aspirations. Perhaps in the course of time, and without reading To Kill a Mocking Bird, some of you will learn for yourselves that sometimes the Boo Radleys of this world are not necessarily the bad guys.

Representatives of the Rangers Union of Fans have been in London for the past two days, meeting with a number of significant shareholders in Rangers. We put across the overwhelming wish of supporters for change in the boardroom. During the meeting with Colin Kingsnorth of Laxey, kindly organised by the London Rangers Supporters Club, we explained the severe trust issues which Rangers fans have with some of the current board, most specifically Brian Stockbridge. These issues were articulated clearly at the weekend via the large scale protest at Ibrox. We also impressed upon him the need for the appointment of trusted directors. Mr Kingsnorth is now fully briefed on the fans feelings and appeared to share the majority of our concerns on Mr Stockbridge. He also revealed that he had insisted that Mr Stockbridge repay his £200k bonus from last year or that Laxey may not support his re-election. He believes that in response to this possible loss of significant shareholder support, Mr Stockbridge had returned, or would return, this money prior to the AGM. He also acknowledged that this was far from the only issue with Mr Stockbridge. Despite broad agreement on fans' concerns, Mr Kingsnorth indicated that Laxey were unlikely to change their already submitted and publicly stated vote. We remain unclear on the reasoning behind this, particularly given these shared concerns. Following this round of meetings, it would appear that the AGM result will be particularly close as there are numerous different claims of support. It is clear that the 12% of voting rights held by the Rangers support can be absolutely crucial to the result at the AGM. We urge all fans to make sure your vote counts by attending the AGM in person or, if you cannot attend, proxying your vote to someone who can.

This makes interesting reading. I await 'sporting integrity' campaigns and boycotts of Rugby Park. Premier League strugglers Kilmarnock are set to have millions of pounds worth of debt written off — at the taxpayer’s expense. The Sunday Post can reveal that the Bank of Scotland — part of Lloyds Banking Group — is considering writing off the majority of the £9 million debt owed by Kilmarnock as part of a deal to settle the club’s future. It is understood owner Michael Johnston has put a proposal to Lloyds, which is 32.7% owned by the taxpayer after the Government’s 2008 bail-out, that will see just a fraction of the debt taken on by Johnston and co-director Billy Bowie. The football club would then be left with no bank debt, instead owing the cash — between £1 million and £2 million to Bowie and Johnston in a “soft” loan. Johnston is under fire from a large section of the Ayrshire team’s fans who want him to give up control of the club and sell his stake to a community-led consortium. But it is understood that even if the club is sold to fans’ groups and local business leaders, most of the club’s bank debt is still likely to be written off. Critics last night hit out at the prospect of a taxpayer-funded bank, wiping out the debt. Eben Wilson, director of campaign group Taxpayer Scotland, said: “Taxpayers, as shareholders in this bank, should be wary that any write-offs do not benefit one individual. “We need all toxic loans made in a time of madness to be made visible and accounted for. “Whether clearing out toxic loans or standing firm on our behalf is the best course of action is up to the bank, but we hope that they will recognise we want the money back that has kept them trading in the past few years.” The Sunday Post understands bosses at Lloyds have already classified Kilmarnock’s debts as “impaired” — an accountancy term for a debt unlikely to be repaid in full. However, this does not mean they have given up on getting some of the money owed. It is thought the plan being worked on is to try to avoid any prospect of the club going into administration, a move which would wipe out much of the money owed to the bank. Paul Goodwin, head of Supporters Direct, which helps start football fan ownership schemes, said: “A deal has to be struck with the bank but the hard reality is that no matter what the outcome is, the club has big debts which need to be addressed.” Kilmarnock chairman Michael Johnston failed to respond to a request by The Sunday Post for a comment. Lloyds Banking Group declined to comment. http://www.sundaypost.com/news-views/scotland/critics-blast-kilmarnock-debt-write-off-plans-1.162896

AS a listed company, the members of the Rangers Board have to be very careful and professional in the way in which we communicate information. This is clearly not the case for the requisitioners, who can make all sorts of wild and spurious allegations. My concern is that these unprofessional, wild allegations are being used just like bogey men were used when I was a child. But in this case, they are being used to frighten our supporters and shareholders. So, within the bounds of what I can say, I would like to put some of these bogey men to rest. Firstly, I read wild accusations that I may not be independent. This is usually accompanied by a list of names from the club’s past. Let me say categorically, that until I joined the Board a mere 4 weeks ago yesterday, I had never heard of Charles Green, Imran Ahmad, Craig Whyte, or any of the other characters in Rangers’ history. To my knowledge, I have never met them, nor had business dealings with them. Nor would I recognise them if I passed them on a street. When I was approached to join the Board, the Company had only two directors and the immediate priority was to preserve the AIM Listing. Surely it is naïve to think that there is any way the Nominated Adviser could have allowed anyone not totally independent to take on this position at that time? I have now read over two years of board minutes and they make very depressing reading in terms of the scale of their lack of professionalism and worse. The minutes make it clear, in my mind, that the boards of recent years have been totally unfit to run this club. The mystery to me is why people should now be considering that members of these boards, which presided over the problems we face today, should be considered for re-election. Although I have learned one lesson, which is that if you shout long enough and loud enough in the media, you may be able to reinvent yourself. Recent inaccurate and, in fact, completely untrue allegations have included a new bogey man about Jack Irvine's contract. I have looked at this and can say that he has a normal contract, with no bonuses attached and the figures quoted by Mr Scott Murdoch are utter nonsense. Let me also say that Graham Wallace and I are beginning a complete review of every contract that is in place. You can imagine that this is going to take weeks and then more time where contracts need to be changed. I have been on board four weeks yesterday and Graham less than that, but we have already begun this critical process. One area, where we are conscious that we need to focus, is in improving our communication and engagement with all Rangers supporters. We have already commenced work to identify what is required to fully engage with our fan base and we will be bringing forward some significant proposals in the near future. The Board is fully behind improving the communication and engagement with the fans. Another bogey man relates to the club's finances. We have said publicly a number of times that any talk of the club going into administration is completely untrue. Yes, we will need to make decisions to improve cash flows and strengthen the business, but these will be the right decisions at the right time. Another new bogey man thrown about by the Gang of Four is the suggestion that we might be thinking of selling Ibrox. We are not thinking about this. Where do the requisitioners get these ideas from? I promise you we have no intention of a sale. Brian Stockbridge suffers most from the lies thrown around by the people in the process of reinventing themselves. Even the requisitoners must understand that finance directors are members of boards and their actions are largely dictated by the board. Reading the minutes of the last two years or more, I see that Mr Murray was involved at board level for long periods covering contract and financial negotiations. It is not that Finance Directors make mistakes, rather that boards make mistakes, or worse. Without Brian, the club would, in my opinion, have been de-listed months ago and ironically the club should owe him a debt of gratitude for holding things together. Going forward, his new CEO, Graham Wallace, needs time to evaluate the whole structure within the business and the people within it. This will be true for Brian as for everyone else. For the good of the club, for the good of the supporters and for the good of the shareholders, I sincerely hope that the shareholders will get behind the existing board and vote for us. In addition, I encourage shareholders to vote against the four requisitioners. Firstly, because some of them were members or chairman of boards which failed this club in the past. Secondly, we need a Board selected from the best available people. Not just from fanatics who put their own personal interest ahead of the greater good of the club. If these people were to join the board they would be taking up positions which should be held in future by the best, professional people with Rangers true best interests at heart and not having their involvement driven by their own personal self interest. Best regards, David Somers http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/5759-an-open-letter-from-the-chairman

I know I will get Pelter's for posting this, but thought I may get the other side of the coins thoughts. It was taken from RM and put together by a poster called TheLawMan "I recently posted about the Murray myths around debt reduction and Break even Domestic policy however i see today he is still claiming he helped reduce debt. His fans appear to believe him as well, despite the facts disputing what he says. Anyway, i thought i would take things a little further and look at the facts and figures of the people we are being asked to vote for. I know this type of thing normally bores people but I would urge you to read through Murrays CV. First an in-depth look at Paul Murrays Directorships – Past and present. Source : http://companycheck....ector/907102823 Lets start with his current active Directorships: Delamore Holdings (2007 to present) ( -£5m Net worth) – A flower and plant wholesaler – Assets of £1.68m and Liabilities of £1.78m. Cash in bank depleted from £652k in 2008 to £184k in 2012 year end accounts. Points to note. 2012 was a £973k loss following on from a £733k loss in 2011 and a long term loan was taken out to repay short term commitments. R.Delamore Limited (2007 to present) (£1.4m Net Worth) – A flower and plant wholesaler – Assets of £1.5m and Liabilities of £1.45m. Cash in bank depleted from £652k in 2008 to £0.8k in 2012 year end accounts. – Points to note. Due to cash depletion and a Going Concern issue, the company took out a new £2.25m loan to repay other loans and made a £628k loss last year. MGI Investments Limited (2004 to present) ( -£64k Net Worth) – A Management Consultancy firm – Assets of £23k and liabilities of £90k. Cash in bank depleted from £91k in 2008 to £3.6k in 2012 year end accounts. Vicast Limited (2013 to present) – A Business and Domestic Software Company – No information as no accounts filed but should be noted that fellow Directors are Martin Bain, John McLelland and Jacqueline Gourlay. St Marys School, Melrose (2009 to present) – (£2.85m net worth) – Education – Assets of £99.6k and Liabilities of £91.2k. Cash in bank depleted from £85k in 2008 to £6.7k in 2012 year end accounts. In summary, he holds 5 active directorships(there is a duplicate listing for MGI on the website) with a total Net Worth of Minus £814,000. Assets of £3.3m and liabilities of £3.4m. Total Cash of £189k. Now lets look at Past Directorships. Urban Life Properties Limited (2003 to 2009) – Dissolved in 2009 RFC 2012 PLC (2007 to 2011) – In Liquidation Wireless Systems International (2000 – 2002 ) – Dissolved in 2004 Martin Currie European Partners and Martin Currie Investment Management Limited (2003 – 2004) – Dissolved in 2007. Paul Murray was brought on board as MD of this business to launch a new £200m private equity fund. He only managed to raise 10% of target and left the business in 2004 after Currie suspended the launch of the fund. 3i PLC (September 1999 to April 2000) – Still active and a huge business with a £80m deficit of Liabilities v Assets Scientia Ferovia Limited + Scientifics Group Service Limited + Harwell Scientifics + Atesta Trustees Limited + Atesta Holding Limited + Scientifics Limited (all 2005 to 2006) – All non trading. It isn’t rocket science but looking at the above list, his Executive Directorships have been an absolute failure. 3 Dissolved, 1 liquidated, 6 non trading and the only 1 of any note, he only lasted less than 7 months in, and that was 13 years ago. Add that to his current directorships and we really need to ask...... WHY PAUL MURRAY ?? Anyway, lets now look at the total current directorships of Paul Murray, Malcolm Murray, Scott Murdoch and Alex Wilson from the above source. 10 COMPANIES NET WORTH = Minus £27.3m ASSETS = £29.4m LIABILITES = £86.3m CASH in bank = £2.23 million Now lets look at the other half which is principally Somers and Easdale. 13 COMPANIES NET WORTH = £294.9m ASSETS = £3.5 billion LIABILITIES = £3.4 billion CASH in bank = £1.3 billion SUMMARY The current record of Paul Murray, Malcolm Murray and Scott Murdoch is dreadful. Liabilities running at 300% to assets, dissolved companies, liquidations, cash only going one way over last 5 years in all of their companies yet we are expected to believe they are the team to take us forward. Contrast that with Somers companies whose cash has multiplied by millions and hundreds of millions in his companies. Huge assets, huge network, just huge all round."

Easily our biggest problem position. Even more so than right back (which is our second biggest issue). Aird should never have been dropped. He wasn't fantastic in the last game. But he was significantly better than piss poor which is what Peralta usually provides. It may well be that it's not his fault as he's out of position and that's fine. But it doesn't change the fact that we have at least one other player who looks more effective there. Aird's performance in the previous game was significantly better than anything Peralta has shown up and again when he came on yesterday he added more than the Honduran. The only good thing I remember Peralta doing was one time he chased back with an attacker and won the ball back. I get really pissed off with people bashing the likes of Little more than his performances deserve but for me it is as clear as day, we are a better team with Aird (or one of the other options) playing instead of Peralta. I wouldn't be opposed to giving Peralta a few games at right back as I'm not convinced by Faure there either. We need to stop this habit of negative team selections though. The only reason I can think Peralta gets played is he is thought to be more solid, more defensively capable than an Aird or McKay. But if you watch him his positioning is poor, he isn't strong on the ball or in the challenge and he doesn't contribute fantastically to our defensive outlook. That's a myth. He was ridiculously easily bumped off the ball in the first half. Aird simply has to start next time out on recent performances. We look a much better, more balanced, creative and incisive team.

Good to see this - apparently the booked suite holds 500 people!

Wednesday 20 November 2013 Hearts administrators BDO hope to persuade the insolvency firm in control of UBIG to support the deal that would take Heart of Midlothian Football Club plc out of administration on Friday. "Tentative" discussions began yesterday and an agreement will need to be reached ahead of the meeting of creditors at the end of this week. Creditors holding 75% or more of Hearts' debts need to vote in favour of the CVA proposal. UBIG are the majority shareholders in HMFCplc, with a 49.9% stake, and are currently being run by Vilnius-based UAB Bankroto Administravimo Paslaugos after being formally declared bankrupt last week. BDO have now managed to establish a direct line of communication with their insolvency colleagues in Lithuania, and talks will continue over the coming days. Herald

RANGERS Football Club is delighted to announce details of an exciting new partnership with Global Image Sports that will see the sports management company represent the club in North America. Rangers Soccer Schools already have a well established programme in some regions of North America - including successful camps in New York, Florida, Indiana and Kansas which have introduced the Club to a new audience - but we are always looking at ways to develop and enhance our activities. Our association with Global Image Sports, as their exclusive Scottish partner club, will help increase the exposure of Rangers Soccer Schools across the Atlantic. The Rangers North American Academy will host a series of Elite Player ID Events in 2014 culminating in the RNAA National Camp, all staffed by Rangers fully qualified and professional coaching staff. Greg Statt, Overseas Development Officer at Rangers, said: "North America is an important market for the Rangers Soccer Schools brand to target and having a company as experienced as GIS representing us out there can only be a positive. "Their expertise will help enhance our profile across the Atlantic – where we already enjoy a vibrant overseas programme that has seen over 5000 participants from 15 countries taking part to date. "This partnership will see a massive increase and awareness in the club's Soccer School activities in North America allowing us to make contact with thousands of players, coaches and new supporters across the region. "Global Image Sports have a successful track record partnering with European clubs for all to see and aim to increase brand awareness for the club in North America while also potentially unearthing a future star." Rangers Manager Ally McCoist added: "It is great that this partnership has been created and I look forward to seeing how the relationship grows and hopefully a young player from these camps can follow in the footsteps of Carlos Bocanegra, Maurice Edu, Alejandro Bedoya and Fraser Aird and join us one day at Murray Park." Mike Kelleher, Chief Operating Officer of Global Image Sports, said: "We are delighted to announce this partnership with Rangers Football Club, one of the most prestigious clubs in world football. We look forward to offering further opportunities and experiences to even more players and coaches in North America via this partnership." To find out more about the partnership or how to get your club involved please contact Robert Roddie by email – Robert@globalimagesports.com or Greg Statt – greg.statt@rangers.co.uk. Global Image Sports is a sports management company that provides opportunities and experiences via the formation of strategic partnerships in the sports industry. It prides itself on a professional approach to its business activities and strives to be the market leader in its field while offering its customers unrivalled service and satisfaction. For more information go to http://www.globalimagesports.com or email info@globalimagesports.com http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/5651-gers-seal-american-partnership