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.........and share the 1914/15 league title. By Gary Ralston GARY says that the Premiership champions have an opportunity to lead the way on behalf of Scottish football this summer by requesting a fitting tribute to the Hearts players who made the ultimate sacrifice. HEARTS start the new season in the Championship and it would be an act of graceful benevolence from Celtic if they end it with a top-flight title. The Premiership champions have an opportunity to lead the way on behalf of Scottish football this summer by requesting a fitting tribute to players who made the ultimate sacrifice. It would be a touching act of remembrance if Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell approached the SPFL in the coming weeks and asked for the 1914-15 championship to be retrospectively shared. The new season kicks off on August 9, five days after we pause and reflect on events 100 years previously when World War One was declared. It is estimated total casualties from the conflict was 37 million, including three million alone from Britain and the Commonwealth. It was a slaughter of innocents from all nations that lays bare the great lie of sport’s tragedies, usually uttered when a millionaire fails to score with a free shot from 12 yards. The real tragedy for Scottish football was the deaths of James Speedie and James Boyd, aged 21, Henry Wattie and Duncan Currie, 23, Tom Gracie, 26, and Edgar Ellis and John Allan, just 30 years old. It was the compromised career of Paddy Crossan, gassed and wounded twice at the Somme, and Alfie Briggs, who returned from war and never played again, suffered from severe depression and died in 1950 with two machine gun bullets still embedded in his back. They were among the 16 who signed up from Hearts for McCrae’s Battalion soon after the outbreak of war, foregoing their careers to play for a bigger team and a greater goal. They were not alone, of course, as McCrae’s Battalion attracted players from Hibs, Falkirk, Dunfermline and Raith Rovers, all following Lord Kitchener’s fickle finger of fate to the killing fields of France. No football team in Scotland was unaffected, including Celtic, where players also signed up, and who, in 1918, won the Navy and Army War Fund Shield, played to raise money for the families of those who had fought in war. Seven former Celtic players died in World War One. And William Angus, who won the VC for outstanding bravery, was wounded 40 times and suffering the loss of an eye during a daring rescue of an injured pal on the edge of German trenches. But no team suffered more than Hearts during a period when the SFA were under pressure to postpone the season all together, with Airdrie chairman Thomas Forsyth declaring: “Playing football while our men are fighting is repugnant.” At the start of the 1914-15 season Hearts won eight league games on the trot and hopes were high they would win their third title and their first in 18 years. However, the strain of the war effort told in the end as exhaustion from their army commitments took hold to such an extent even trainer James Duckworth suffered a mental breakdown under the pressure. As a result of innoculations, non-availability and additional military training, their form inevitably crumbled. Hearts led the league for 35 out of 37 weeks but eventually succumbed and defeat to St Mirren and Morton allowed Celtic to overhaul them to win the championship by four points. Striker Tom Gracie topped the scoring charts with 29 goals but played the closing weeks of the campaign with leukaemia. His body broken, he died in a military hospital the following year. Jimmy Speedie was killed at Loos in September 1915 and Currie, Ellis and Wattie all fell at the Somme, that repugnant slow march to death ordered by their own generals. Hearts would not hit such grand heights in football for almost another half century, with the last of their four championships won in 1960 after earlier success in 1958. The season after they came so close to the championship they finished fifth and on one occasion could not even raise a team to travel to Morton. A shadow of the club they once were, in the 1916-17 season they finished 14th, used 46 players and were in such a state they finished a match at Ibrox with only 10 men because Fred Gibson had to leave early for work. Hearts fans have never forgotten the bravery of their men and every November they gather at Haymarket for a service at the memorial erected by Edinburgh’s city fathers to mark their sacrifice. In recent years, a cairn has been established at Contalmaison and a bronze plaque was also recently unveiled at Tynecastle, 100 years old this year, to recognise their heroism. Scottish football, led by Celtic, have the ideal opportunity to do the same. It would be a poignant gesture if they asked for the history books to be rewritten and that one campaign shared. Players come and go in Scottish football but this squad of 16 deserves always to be remembered. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/gary-ralston-celtic-should-honour-3773982 -
A KILMARNOCK pensioner was shocked to find a rare and valuable Scotland cap belong to former Gers player Bob McPhail lying in his loft. AN OAP has discovered a priceless piece of Scottish football history in his cupboard. Stewart Core, 78, found a rare Scotland international cap belonging to Rangers legend Bob McPhail as he cleaned out his house. The cap – which marks McPhail’s appearances for Scotland against Northern Ireland and Wales in the 1931-32 season – is now expected to fetch up to £6000 when it goes to auction. Father-of-two Stewart, from Kilmarnock, said: “Bob McPhail became a family friend after my dad sold him a house. “My dad worked for house builders John Lawrence Ltd and they became pally. “My dad was a lifelong follower of Rangers. I visited Bob with my father and he became known to me as Uncle Bob. “Bob played outside left for Rangers and played for Scotland 17 times. “He was known as ‘Greetin Bob’ because he was always appealing to the ref. “I understand that Uncle Bob had decided to give away his international caps and he kept his junior ones. “This cap was given to my father as a gift by Bob McPhail himself. “When my father died in 1966 my mother passed the cap on to me. “I never thought about it and found it in a cupboard when I was clearing things out. I decided to put it up for sale so that it can go to a good home.” McPhail was signed by Rangers from Airdrie in 1927 for the then substantial fee of £5000. He went on to become one of the most prolific strikers ever to play for the club, scoring 261 goals in 408 appearances. Only Ally McCoist has scored more league goals for the Ibrox club. McPhail won nine league titles with them. He was also a great success with Scotland – notching up seven goals in his 17 appearances. They included a double in a 3-1 win over England in April 1937 in front of a Hampden record crowd of 149,415 people. Stewart added: “The last contact I had with Uncle Bob was in 1958 when I married and was setting up my first home and I bought kitchen equipment from his firm. He was a generous chap. “I have no idea what I will spend the money on if the cap sells. “I’ll probably just put it towards doing my house up a wee bit.” The cap is due to go on sale at McTear’s Auctioneers next month. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/real-life/oap-finds-rangers-legend-mcphails-3771253
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http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/250-dave-king-the-grand-old-duke-of-york
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Don't know if its age, but I don't get joy in seeing England lose as much as I used to. In the 90s there was odd occasion Id want them to win, and in certain sports I still do want them to win. When Beckham and Owen was in the team 10 years ago it was always nice to see them go out but I quite like this young attacking team. But they have got it wrong from top to bottom. The FA (and Premier League) is ran by fat cats for business profits. Would the likes of Greg Dyke get a job as a coach somewhere? So why are they allowed to run the game if they are not footballing men? Because where the money goes and comes from (sponsors, TV, fan income and owners) football is a win win regardless of the result so as long as the income runs in they are doing a good job. The FA and SFA should be ran or at least have footballing people running the game, and I don't mean ex players all the time, I mean football minded people. Roy Hodgson would be perfect fit at the top of the game running the FA with people like Bryan Robson, Trevor Brooking, Alan Curbishley. But as a manager he wasn't great at Liverpool and did ok with Fulham and West Brom but got the job as he wouldn't be a problem to those running it. Redknapp at the time took Spurs to the Champions league but is outspoken and likes his opinion so much like Brian Clough - he didn't get the job. Hodgson made some poor tactical decisions, when you are chasing a goal to stay in a competition you sacrifice a midfielder or defender for a striker but he went like for like twice until they went behind 2-1 again. The defence was poor bar Gary Cahill who was immense, the rest were awful. Even Joe Hart looked uncomfortable. As for players and selected squad overall: Id have taken Ashley Cole all day long, begged John Terry to come, taken Gareth Barry on form over an injured Jack Wilshire and taken a striker like Defoe who could get any type of goal. Really not sure what Jordan Henderson brings to the team and why he is picked when the class of Lampard is on the bench or the energy of Milner. I thought Lampard was excellent at Anfield in Chelsea's 2-0 win and hasn't played too many games so would fit nicely into that team. Milner is not a world beater but far more effective and gets back to help defend. In saying that the future is bright. They have the bases of a good squad. Going into Euro 16 with Shaw, Flanagan, Stones, Gibbs, Jones (if fit), Cahill, Wilshire (if fit), Barkley, Ox-Chamberlain, Sterling, Lallana, Sturridge, Walcott, Rodriguez....gives them a young squad with good attacking options, yet they need a decent coach to mould them together. For me England should have a look at getting Redknapp again. He would have taken Brendan Rodgers last time around but given his Liverpool role now he probably wouldn't take it, but someone like Paul Scholes should be brought in as assistant.
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The Scottish FA President, Campbell Ogilvie, has paid tribute to “astute, forward-thinking and passionate” former Chief Executive, David Taylor, who died today, age 60. European football's governing body UEFA - for whom David worked with distinction as General Secretary and, more recently, Executive Director - confirmed the sad news after the 60-year-old had taken ill. A Scotland supporter since childhood, David became the first Chief Executive of the Scottish FA in 1999, succeeding the long-serving secretary, Jim Farry. “On behalf of his friends and former colleagues at the Scottish FA, and throughout Scottish football in general, I would to express our profound sadness at the tragic news of David’s death," said the President. “I would also wish to send our deepest condolences to his wife Cathy, and their children James and Alan, at this dreadful time. “David was a solicitor to trade but it was his love of Scottish football and, in particular, the Scotland national team that stirred his passion during his tenure as Chief Executive. “He was great company, had an astute business mind and a forward-thinking approach to the game that, allied to his patriotism as a member of the Scotland Supporters Club, helped take the Scottish FA forward administratively. “It was no surprise to any of us who witnessed his work at close hand when UEFA came calling for his services as General Secretary in 2007. He has remained a friend and supporter of the Scottish FA and the game in general in this country and he will be dearly missed by all of us.” Born in Forfar in 1954, David was educated at Dundee High School before graduating from Edinburgh University with an LLB degree in law. He qualified as a Solicitor and practised until 1985, during which time he added to his legal qualifications with an MSc in Economics, and an MBA. He joined the Scottish Development Agency (now Scottish Enterprise) in 1985, and held a succession of senior positions before being appointed the first Director of Scottish Trade International - a body set up to promote Scottish business overseas - prior to his appointment to the Scottish FA. http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=2986&newsID=13456&newsCategoryID=1
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This is one for the support. I don't see him as a winner.
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millers back and it looks like boyds coming back anybody else you would welcome back I know I would like Henderson and Wilson on the wings ,this type of signing is not the way forward
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Hearts: Goalkeeper Neil Alexander signs player-coach deal Hearts have agreed a deal to sign former Scotland and Rangers goalkeeper Neil Alexander, when his Crystal Palace contract expires on 1 July. The 36-year-old will become a player-coach for the Championship outfit. "As a boyhood Hearts fan, I am delighted to join a club I have supported for many years," Alexander to told the Tynecastle side's website. "With the coaching side of it as well, this is a fantastic opportunity for me. I'm excited at the challenge ahead." Hearts, who were relegated from the top flight last term, kick off their Championship campaign against Rangers at Ibrox on 9 August. "With the fixtures now out, it really gives you an incentive to be involved in the first game," added the former Ipswich Town, Cardiff City and Livingston goalkeeper. "It's a really exciting start for us and I definitely want to be involved on 9 August. "This club has fantastic supporters and their backing has been phenomenal. Hopefully we can give them something to cheer about after what has been a very difficult 12 months for everyone at the club." Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson has also signed up midfielder Morgaro Gomis, striker James Keatings from Hamilton and former Sparta Rotterdam forward Soufian El Hassnaoui, subject to international clearance. The Tynecastle club have also tied up teenage winger Sam Nicholson on a new three-year contract after his deal expired. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27977321
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By Richard Wilson BBC Scotland Former Scotland coach Craig Brown still believes he was right not to pick Richard Gough for the national team. Brown, who was in charge between 1993 and 2001, will never disclose the reason behind his decision, insisting he will take it to his grave. Gough had quit international duty under Brown's predecessor Andy Roxburgh. Former Scotland defender Richard Gough Richard Gough played for Scotland at Euro 92, but fell out with Andy Roxburgh the following year Brown, though, resisted persistent media pressure to select him, and insists the decision was in the best interests of "team spirit". Gough never added to his 61 caps following the fall out with Roxburgh after Scotland were defeated 5-0 in Portugal in 1993. Brown was assistant manager at the time, but took charge of the team three months later when Roxburgh was sacked. Having worked closely with Roxburgh, and observed Gough at first-hand on several occasions on international duty, Brown decided not to select the defender, despite impressive form with his club Rangers, where he was captain. Brown has never revealed why he took that decision, even when there was clamour from the media and fans to recall the centre-back. He maintains, though, that he was justified in his reasoning. "Sometimes as the number two you learn more, or you hear more, and players confide in you because you're not the manager," Brown told BBC Radio Scotland's Managing Scotland series. "I watched and listened to what happened with Richard Gough, who I've got to say was an outstanding player. I didn't pick him because of what I saw happening, what I heard, and I thought, '[leaving Gough out] is going to be good for the team spirit'. "I've never disclosed the issue, and I've written three autobiographies. Everyone asks me. In fact, one of the big papers in Scotland said, 'If you tell us the Gough story, we'll give you a bigger serialisation fee'. "I'm not going into it. Richard knows, and Walter Smith, the [Rangers] manager [at the time], and so does David Murray [the Rangers chairman at the time], because he asked me and I had a lunch with him. "Yes [it will go to the grave], unless Richard wants [to explain it]… it's not anybody's business. I may have been wrong, and I'm not saying I'm always right. "At the beginning, it was [the biggest dilemma I faced], but I didn't bat an eyelid. I said, 'I'm going to do this job the way that I want to do it. If it doesn't include Richard Gough, we lose a few games and the press say he should be in, then that's it. I would rather do what I thought was right rather than pander to the media or to the club'." And Brown added: "The significant thing is that never once did the Rangers manager or chairman complain about me not picking Richard Gough. "If my argument had been weak, they would have slaughtered me because he was captain of Glasgow Rangers and you don't leave out the captain of Glasgow Rangers unless you've got good cause to do so. “They look for anything they can make a story [with]. There was so much inaccurate stuff, nonsense, and I was dismissive of it because I knew it wasn't true” "When I've seen Richard - and I've met him I don't know how many times since - there is never any aggro between us, we respect each other." Brown, now 73, is the longest-serving Scotland manager, and guided the national team to Euro 96 in England and the France 98 World Cup finals. However, he was branded a bigot and a love cheat by one Sunday newspaper during the course of his managerial reign, two accusations he vehemently denies. "They look for anything they can make a story [with]," he said. "There was so much inaccurate stuff, nonsense, and I was dismissive of it because I knew it wasn't true. "I don't know where [the bigot story] came from, the accusation was that I was favouring Rangers players over Celtic players. I got great support from Celtic and I always have had. "Kenny Dalglish was the manager there and he invited me over, and Peter Grant called and said 'I'm a witness for you', Billy McNeill wrote, 'If Brown's a bigot, I'm a ballerina', in The Sun. "[i am] not a love cheat either, that's not true, honestly. I just think it's horrendous that people should believe that is the case. "I used to get a highlighter out… there was one front page they wrote about me and there were 11 factual inaccuracies in it." http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27948434
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Preston North End: Ex-Rangers Striker Andy Little signs deal Northern Ireland striker Andy Little has signed a two-year deal with League One club Preston North End following his release by Rangers in May. Little, 25, has scored more than 30 goals for Rangers over the past two seasons and can also play full-back. Preston manager Simon Grayson said that Little would bring "good qualities" to his squad. "I am delighted that he has chosen us over quite a few other teams," added the Preston manager. "Andy has a fantastic goal record in Scotland and he can handle playing for a big club, as he has shown with Rangers. "He will bring real pace to the striking department and that is something we have been looking to add." Enniskillen man Little has won eight Northern Ireland caps. He scored 25 goals in the 2012-13 campaign but struggled with injury during when Rangers won the League One title last season. The forward joined Rangers' youth ranks in 2006 and made his first-team debut in 2009. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27955885
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As title, did anyone on here attend a focus group meeting? Fan Focus Groups Help Shape Engagement Strategy Rangers continued their Ready To Listen fan engagement initiative this month with a series of focus groups made up of a cross-section of supporters at Ibrox Stadium. Four, 90 minute sessions – involving 8-10 fans at a time - took place in the Blue Room on the 10th and 11th of June and discussions were frank, constructive and encouraging on a variety of topics. Fans in attendance once again outlined the passion, commitment and intensity that goes hand in hand with supporting this great Club and they highlighted a number of areas for improvement and how fans themselves can play a significant role in this. Discussions centred on enhancing fan engagement with specific focus on the creation of a Fan Board – which was identified in the Ready to Listen phase 1 and 2 surveys earlier this year. Improved communication with the wider fanbase was viewed as critical given events of the past few seasons and they are seeking communication that is frequent, honest, open and clear on subjects direct from the Club rather than via external media outlets. A number of ideas were put forward by fans – including regular emails and video messages direct to supporters – and this feedback will be taken on board. Supporters also provided great insight into their ideas and input regarding the formation of a new official Fan Board and their comments and feedback will be developed further over the coming weeks. Further details and announcements on Ready To Listen fan engagement and the Fan Board in particular will be issued in the coming weeks. Rangers Football Club Rangers.co.uk To unsubscribe, please follow this link: Unsubscribe The Rangers Football Club Ltd, registered in Scotland with number SC425159 registered office Ibrox Stadium, 150 Edmiston Drive, Glasgow, G51 2XD
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Last post today around lunchtime? Has the goings on sickened us that much we're no longer talking?
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Rangers has been many things to many people for nearly a century and a half and over much of this time, excellence and aspiration have ranked high in the club's priorities. To be a Rangers supporter was to be a part of a family that had high expectations, an intolerance of mediocrity, an insistence on elite standards and an undying ambition to be the best. The last few years, though, have been a uniquely testing time. Experiencing the team in the lower reaches of Scottish football has been a ghastly experience. After 120 years of winning or coming close to winning the Scottish League, being dumped in the wasteland of the national sport has been more than just humbling: it has been surreal. Finishing top of the third and fourth tiers may have secured promotion, but it went against the grain that these achievements were deemed worthy of celebration. They might be for small clubs, but for a club like Rangers, promotion was a minimum expectation. There's something unsettling about seeing Rangers celebrating the acquisition of minor trophies. Some will argue that every success should be lauded, especially after flirting with finality, but it feels inappropriate: it feels wrong. The nature of the way the team has performed is a sorry tale. Watching Rangers is about as aesthetically pleasing as a long and lingering gaze at the urban monstrosity that is Celtic Park. An uncultured approach to football is now endemic within the club's football department: it knows no other way. Somehow, and it started before Ally McCoist settled in the manager's chair, Rangers has become the epitome of ugly. The vital matter of club ownership is impossible to ignore. Fans have lost trust in the current regime; its plans are vague and unconvincing, it is out of touch with those who fund it and it can't even convince supporters that it genuinely cares. It is in a hole, a very large hole, and it keeps on digging. Rangers is a shadow of what it used to be. In every single area, there are failings, but most worryingly of all, there appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel. The club's financial predicament could mean a slow and painful demise, or perhaps a sudden and quick one. The spectre of doom hovers over Rangers like dark clouds over Arran, and even if the club survives, it may never recover to become a domestic powerhouse again. Fans debate the corporate side endlessly, but expertise in this argument rarely offers hope, a way out or a workable solution. Learned fans offer little more than those who know as much about bean-counting as they do about rocket science. A glaring absence of the means, imagination and knowhow to lead Rangers out of this mess has been the most notable aspect of this entire debacle. The vast Rangers family has been found to be badly wanting. It is staggering that a pillar of the Scottish sporting community could be so easily shaken and undermined, but the collective naivete of the Rangers support never dared to entertain the possibility that the club's existence could one day be threatened. From the fanatical element within the Celtic support to provincial club detestation of Rangers and an ever-open door on Edmiston Drive to rogue ownership, the inevitable consequence was hard times ahead for Rangers, but few saw it coming. In this hostile new era, winning a title or two was only going to be half the battle. There are no heroes in this debacle. From millionaires to ex-players and from ex-directors to ordinary fans, the combined wisdom of the lot of them has amounted to failure after failure and blunder after blunder. The air of immortality that once enveloped Rangers has evaporated. The club has been outed as a zone of incompetence and its cheap talk and soft underbelly have made it an easy target for detractors. There are times, when the mood is dark, when one wonders if Rangers has reached the end of the road. Society has changed, but maybe Rangers has never really changed at all. It gives the appearance of being an anachronism, clinging to a past that it can't let go instead of embracing a future that it never foresaw. Regrettably, there is a hateful and sinister element within the Rangers support. For many years, our press and media told us it was there, but we denied the accusations outright. Now, with many contentious issues to deal with, the vitriol that spews forth from one fan to another is beyond the pale. Anyone trying to lead us out of this mess automatically becomes a hate figure for fundamentalists who believe that they and only they are the true carriers of the Rangers torch. Maybe they are, and maybe that's why the torch is in danger of being extinguished - permanently. Two words have sold a million Scottish newspapers over the years: 'Rangers' and 'crisis'. Finally, we have a crisis worthy of such a dramatic description and we have reacted exactly as our enemies would have wanted. There is too much hate in our hearts to provide constructive solutions to the problems that beset us. Until this is successfully addressed, we will get the club we deserve - if we have a club at all.
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The members of the Scottish FA today agreed that any clubs seeking full membership are required to satisfy at least entry level Club Licensing criteria. In addition, from the start of season 2016/17, all existing members are required to maintain their Club License in order to retain their full membership of the Scottish FA. This reflects the work that the Scottish FA has undertaken in recent years through the Club Licensing system to improve standards across the game. National Club Licensing operates a Gold, Silver, Bronze and Entry level system. Clubs are granted an overall award reflecting the lowest level that the club achieves in the four sections of criteria (Ground, First Team Football, Youth Team Football, Legal, Admin, Finance and Codes of Practice). Among the other significant resolutions at today's 2014 Scottish FA General Meetings, the Professional Game Board will be offered a second seat on the Scottish FA Executive Board, reflecting the impact which the professional game has in generating revenues for Scottish football. A resolution designed to reduce the length of service required in official Scottish FA positions for potential candidates as office bearers was not approved. A resolution to require all participants in the Scottish Cup to have a full license was not approved. Members spoke of the fairy tale nature of the cup competition, and the importance of participation in th Cup for both fans and the sustainability of clubs across the country. A further 35 resolutions were passed by the 87 members present at the General Meetings at Heriot Watt University, which will be the site of the new National Performance Centre for Sport, due to open in summer 2016. Scottish FA Chief Executive, Stewart Regan, said: "It's significant that Scottish FA members have recognised the importance of Club Licensing criteria, and the need to grow and subsequently maintain standards, which will benefit all stakeholders in the game, including supporters, broadcasters and sponsors. "We recognise the role that the professional game plays in generating revenue for Scottish football and it is understandable that more influence is sought on the Scottish FA Executive Board. We look forward to welcoming a new board director at the start of next season. "We were delighted to host this year’s meetings at Heriot Watt University, which will be the site of the new National Performance Centre for Sport, and give members an update on the progress of the Centre." The National Performance Centre for Sport, which will host all Scotland National Teams, the Scottish FA Performance Department and incorporate multi-sport involvement including rugby, volleyball, athletics, badminton, basketball, cricket, fencing, handball, hockey, netball, shinty and squash. It will feature a replica of the Hampden pitch, a 500-seater indoor football stadium, two rugby pitches, three tennis courts and a nine-court sports hall on top of sports science and medical facilities. The £30 million NPC will be jointly funded by the Scottish Government, Edinburgh City Council and Heriot Watt University, and is is due to open in summer 2016. http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=2986&newsID=13442&newsCategoryID=1
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Yesterday, BBC Radio Scotland sport was broadcasting whilst thinking aloud. Throughout the morning and early afternoon, the struggle for comfort was obvious and ease of mind did not arrive until Newsdrive, after 4 O'clock. The sport headline on the hour, every hour was the release of next season's fixture list, the strap line being, 'the most attractive opening day fixture'. The morning was all about ra Sellik; well, they are Scottish champions and they deserve their due. The green'n'grey hooped horrors were opening at Perth on a Wednesday night. At lunchtime, we received an explanation that Sellik should open against the Harry Wraggs, but remedial Commonwealth Games work has postponed the match. One O'clock bulletin continued the refrain and informed the listenership that Rangers were opening against Hearts. Afternoon saw Aberdeen's opener against Dundee United as the most attractive opening fixture, 3 O'clock announced Rangers/Hearts was "ARGUABLY" the most attractive opening day fixture, and Newsdrive delivered the unequivocally verdict, no mention of us at all and Aberdeen/Dundee United was THE most attractive opening day fixture. I know news is a dynamic, but it seemed to me the politics between BBC Scotland and our club became the overriding factor. Ra Sellik were out of the equation and the commentary team must go somewhere, the hill of dung is that venue. You see, they cannot talk up Rangers/Hearts because they would then have to explain why they won't cover it by commentary. What a pickle? Other than the usual last two season's two minute match report by one of BBC Radio Scotland's usual suspects, do you think BBC Scotland want to cover Rangers matches? Cosgrove banged on for a decade that the Scottish First Division(now the championship) was the most attractive, most difficult, and most competitive league in the country, do you think he will continue this line between oral consumption of Anusol? I suspect they might wait to see how we start the season. Yesterday was a microcosm of the season long problem BBC Radio Scotland will have dealing with the football matters of our club.
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I believe the SPFL Championship fixtures for season 2014-15 will be released tomorrow. This gives the forum an opportunity for some harmless, and ultimately useless speculation. Who will we face on opening day? I assume we will be at home, allowed to unfurl our Division one championship flag on a sun-drenched, thrumming Ibrox? I suspect we will be paired with Raith Rovers. Foghorn Turnbull will be blowing, Ramsdens memories to the fore, and endless re-runs of Baird's goal in the build-up. Oh, and BBC Scotland's Rover-in-chief, Scot Davie will interview Val McDairmid, before she guests on the Cowan and Cosgrove hatefest. Raith Rovers it is, and we will replicate the score the first time I witnessed Raith at Ibrox in the late sixties, 10(ten)-2 to the Bears.
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Vince Lunny, who was the first compliance officer to be appointed by the Scottish Football Association - to ensure greater focus and legal enforceability of the disciplinary rules, has quit his position. Lunny has been in the job for less than three years but the former war crimes prosecutor plans to return to regular legal work. It is not the first time a high-profile employee has quit the governing body - commercial chief Kenny McLeod, head of finance Jim Hynes and fans’ liaison Alison Jack also recently resigned. (The Sun) http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/latest/rumour-mill-hibs-ross-county-vince-lunny-1-3446338
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HULL City supporters Mark Gretton and Kate Ogram urged Rangers fans not to give up their crusade to gain security over prized assets Ibrox and Murray Park. HULL CITY fans took on their club’s hierarchy and won. Now the people who successfully challenged Tigers owner Assem Allam have backed Rangers supporters to prevail in their battle against the Ibrox board. With just 17,000 season tickets snapped up for the new season Gers’ Union of Fans are continuing their fight with the powerbrokers. The majority of Ibrox punters are fed up with chairman David Somers, chief executive Graham Wallace and directors who they believe have made poor decisions at the club. But despite significant protests against the regime Wallace and Co refuse to give Gers supporters what they want – security over prized assets Ibrox and Murray Park. Hull City supporters Mark Gretton and Kate Ogram – who were in Scotland this week at the annual Supporters Direct Conference – have urged Rangers fans not to give up their crusade. Last August they took on the might of Allam after he changed the club’s name to Hull Tigers against their wishes. Gretton, Ogram and thousands of fellow Hull fans were treated with disdain by Allam who said: “I can’t afford to run the club by fans’ feelings. Hull City is irrelevant, my dislike of the word City is because it’s common. City is a lousy identity.” That sparked fury among the Hull faithful and after a peaceful yet powerful “No To Hull Tigers” campaign the supporters emerged victorious in April as the English FA kicked out the owner’s bid to tamper with their history. They didn’t just get clubs around the UK behind them, Gretton and Co mustered support from all over Europe as Allam quickly realised fan power shouldn’t be underestimated. The Hull City diehards now hope to see Rangers supporters stick to their guns and eventually oust the under-fire Ibrox board. Gretton told Record Sport: “The key thing for Rangers fans is knowing exactly what they want to achieve. We had some simple aims that we stuck to until the end. You have to believe in your strategy. “If the supporters feel they’re fighting a losing battle at times with the board my advice would be to keep at it. “If it means enough to them, don’t give up. Just make sure you have a plan on how to get there and you’ll achieve it. At the start it was quite intimidating for us. Allam is a powerful man, a very successful business figure. We were being told all the time – not just by the club but other fans too – it was men against boys. “We looked on him as a James Bond villain, he’d cleverly manipulate all the situations. It was tricky for us because, whatever happens at Hull City, we’ll always be grateful to Allam for putting money into the club when it was on its uppers. “We didn’t know if we’d make headway but eventually you realise you’re not fighting a super-villain. It’s just a person or people. “And people make mistakes. They didn’t take us seriously and that’s why it was vital we were organised from the start. “As a fans’ group we had to be professional. That was the only way we’d be successful. It was crucial that, apart from the official supporters club, we had every other fans’ group on board with us so people could see we were legit. “We had a unified face and that’s what the Rangers fans need.” Gretton’s sidekick Ogram co-ordinated the campaign against Allam and she sees similarities between their predicament and the one Rangers fans face now. She said: “We can completely sympathise with the Rangers fans right now. We’ve heard the board have refused to engage with the supporters group and they’re making decisions against fans’ wishes. “It’s staggering a club of Rangers’ size, with their importance and history, appear to be brushing fans away. “We’re a relatively small club compared to Rangers but it’s a similar situation. They’ve shown a lot of spirit and their campaign to make their voices heard should be easier because they’ll have more power than us, as long as they have the organisation and unity behind it.” Gretton has revealed that the “City Till We Die” group were discouraged from taking on Allam, who was completely dismissive of them from the outset. And he’s adamant Rangers fans will need the same resilience if they want to dislodge the likes of Somers, Wallace and James and Sandy Easdale from the boardroom. He said: “Some of our group were certain we’d beat them. But I’m a natural pessimist and always felt we’d lose. I was part of the campaign because I just felt it was the right thing to do. “You always think the machine wins, don’t you? The rich and powerful normally get their way. We were kicking against that and Allam had a reputation of not losing. “He kept telling us, ‘Look at my CV, I’m the businessman and I’ll do what I want.’ “The support we received from around the UK and abroad was incredible. We did media interviews with 12 European countries, we had a TV crew from Norway over in Hull covering the campaign. “When football fans anywhere appreciate that you’re doing the right thing for the game and your club they back you. I’m sure Rangers supporters would be the same.” Ogram hopes the Yorkshire club’s supporters have proved it’s worth standing up for what you believe in when decisions are made without fans’ approval. She said: “It feels we’ve led the way for clubs like Rangers to overcome the people in charge. “We’ve had terrific feedback and loads of messages from club supporters saying, ‘Thanks, this will make it easier for us now.’ We’re really proud of that.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/hull-city-fans-who-successfully-3713453
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The BBC has learned former Rangers chief executive Charles Green is seeking financial support to launch a new bid for control of the Ibrox club. Green led a consortium which bought Rangers' assets in May 2012 and then raised £22m from a share issue, but resigned from his post last year. He returned for a short-lived spell as a consultant before selling his shareholding in the club. However, he has spent the last week in talks with potential investors. Rangers plan to launch a new share issue in a bid to raise in the region of £8m and if Green is to be successful he would need to convince existing shareholders to sell to a new consortium. Green, who held the same position at Sheffield United, stood down from the chief executive's position citing the "negative publicity" surrounding an independent investigation, commissioned by the club's board, into allegations of undeclared dealings with former owner Craig Whyte. That investigation consequently found no evidence of Whyte's claims that he was involved in the Green-led acquisition of Rangers two years ago. On selling his shares to Sandy Easdale, chairman of Rangers' football board, Green said: "I want to make it clear that this means I will have no ongoing influence or financial interest at the club but I remain a fan and fervently hope that Rangers will soon be back at the top where they belong."
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With Graham Wallace due to meet with a range of fans at NARSA this weekend In Toronto, Gersnet wanted to introduce a bit of fun ahead of proceedings with a business speak bingo card for fans to check off phrases which always appear popular amongst Rangers board members - past and present (though not often actually ever implemented). You can view the bingo card below. First to tweet us with the four corners or a completed line wins a bottle of Château Routas wine which we 'duped' Sir David Murray into sending to us.* Good luck to all! * - The prize will be available on receipt from Castle Grant, near Grantown-on-Spey c/o the Bank of Scotland.
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Rangers' beleaguered directors face the possibility that the club auditor, Deloitte, could sever its connection with the club over the next few weeks, following a collapse in the number of season tickets sold. The Daily Telegraph understands that the international corporate finance and accountancy specialists are unhappy about the latest figures emerging from Ibrox, which show that season ticket sales for Rangers’ Scottish Championship campaign are running at half the level of last year’s take-up for their SPFL League One schedule. In a statement on the Rangers website on Friday, the board confirmed that only 17,000 season tickets have been sold. On March 27, when Deloitte signed off the half year accounts up to the end of 2013 – which showed a £3.5 million loss – the auditors added that “key assumptions” made by the directors included a reckoning of future season ticket sales. Deloitte noted that this indicated the existence of a material uncertainty which may cast significant doubt about the company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Despite assurances at the annual general meeting in December from the chief executive, Graham Wallace, that the club could meet its costs until the end of the season, the board subsequently borrowed £1.5 million from shareholder George Letham on the assurance that the sum would be repaid when season ticket sales had yielded the equivalent amount. *However, there has been no notification to the Stock Exchange of any repayment. Instead, leaked reports from a spin doctor formerly employed by the club, confirmed that the board would attempt to raise £8 million through a rights issue later this year. In a statement on the club website on Friday, the Rangers directors said of the latest season ticket sales total – and the likelihood of a share issue – that “The Board believes that whilst this level of support reduces the potential requirement for short-term financing the Board also notes the strategic objectives that it identified in the Business Review Summary published on 25 April 2014 and the related funding requirements. “The Board continues to evaluate its plans in this regard and will update the market in due course.” However, should Deloitte dissociate themselves from Rangers, investor confidence is likely to diminish. Deloitte last night would not comment on any speculation, citing client confidentiality. In response to the club statement, the supporters’ umbrella group, the Union of Fans, condemned the directors’ stewardship. The UoF statement read: “We note the announcement of the Rangers board regarding the season ticket renewal levels for the club this year. It is now obvious that a clear majority of fans have rejected Graham Wallace, Norman Crighton, David Somers, James and Sandy Easdale and their running of the club. “In any normal business, a board which had been rejected by over 50 per cent of its customers in the space of a few months would be removed. Whilst we do not expect this to happen due to the continued support of anonymous shareholders, who could not care less about Rangers, we would highlight that they have utterly failed to gain crucial trust from fans. “We do not believe this trust will ever be built without fundamental change at the club. The problem for this board is very simple. The vast majority of fans, even many of those who have renewed, simply do not trust them and likely never will. “The corporate governance at the club also continues to be a cause for grave concern. We would repeat that it is unacceptable for Jack Irvine of Mediahouse to have access to confidential, price sensitive board information through the Easdales and to then leak that information to the press as he did this week.” J
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So long as it keeps him from re-signing for us....
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The board of Rangers (the “Board”) can confirm that approximately 17,000 season tickets have been renewed to date for the Club's forthcoming SPFL Championship season. This level of renewals reduces the potential requirement for short term financing as highlighted in the Business Review Summary published on 25 April 2014 particularly given the updated season ticket pricing structure for the 2014/15 campaign. Applications for new season ticket purchases opened on Monday and sales of season tickets are continuing. The Club very much looks forward to welcoming more supporters back to Ibrox for what promises to be an exciting league competition. The Board believes that whilst this level of support reduces the potential requirement for short-term financing the Board also notes the strategic objectives that it identified in the Business Review Summary published on 25 April 2014 and the related funding requirements. The Board continues to evaluate its plans in this regard and will update the market in due course. http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/7059-season-ticket-sales
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August 2nd - 1 pm ko http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/7060-rangers-confirm-derby-friendly
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Just wondering if anyone's heard anything about Steve Simonsen staying or leaving? I get the impression that he wants to stay, but that he didn't know whether he would be staying or leaving a few weeks ago. Then he was sent out to play for us in the Hong Kong Soccer Sevens.....
