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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/scotland/27165564 Graham Wallace's 120-day business review provides a snapshot of Rangers' potential future. The challenge for the chief executive and his fellow directors is guiding the club to that point. There is detail in the document , certainly, and some commitments to act in the months ahead. How supporters react will determine the extent of the difficulties that Wallace will face, though, which means that trust is as much of a critical commodity as finance. Both have been in short supply in recent months. The review is a mixture of regret and hope. The amount of money that was squandered after the launch of Rangers International Football Club on the Alternative Investment Market is startling, and blame is placed firmly on previous executives, and by extension the directors who oversaw them. That analysis is accurate, but does not also take into account the fact that the appointments of previous and current directors were all sanctioned by the same group of aligned shareholders. Rangers' power structure is ultimately gathered around those shareholders who granted their voting proxies to Sandy Easdale, himself the holder of a smaller shareholding, ahead of the annual general meeting last December. It is only change at shareholder level that will alter the power structure. Wallace arrived as an independent figure, but he is now inextricably linked with events at Ibrox. His credibility as chief executive relied, to some extent at least, on the contents of the review, but also now on his ability to deliver it, the accuracy of its contents and his judgement in recent months. Easdale has expressed concern about Rangers' finances The latter is already in question following revelations that the club were informed last January, several weeks before any talk was raised of a season ticket boycott, that accepting credit card payments would require security being granted. This was because of the accounts, and Wallace's suggestion that the playing staff might accept a pay cut, rather than any fan initiative, yet the review - which was delivered to the stock exchange - states otherwise. With season ticket renewals "slow" according to Easdale - and believed to be significantly less than they were at this stage in the process last year - it would seem that Rangers fans were waiting to be convinced by Wallace. It did not help, for instance, that he said at the AGM that there was enough cash in the bank to sustain the business until the end of the season, only for the board to then seek a £1.5m loan from Easdale and George Letham (who offered better terms than those initially offered by the single largest shareholder, Laxey Partners) in February. It was also a crass juxtaposition for Wallace, following the release of the review, to fail to deny the bonus arrangements in his contract while at the same time revealing that there would be a "small number" of redundancies amongst the non-playing staff. This also followed the appointment of Paul Tyrrell, the former director of communications at Manchester City, Liverpool and Everton, in a consultancy role in the immediate run-up to the publication of the review. Wallace has, at times, seemed unable to negotiate the political intricacies of his position. It would have exasperated him, for instance, that the day before the review launch, Easdale gave an interview in which he described the club as being in a "fragile " position and suggested that it would not survive an insolvency event. He was revealing information sensitive to the RIFC share price, but isn't a plc director, in contravention of stock market rules. Wallace insisted that administration was not discussed during the 120-day review, but the message in the review is clear that if season ticket sales fall substantially, then the business will be unable to trade. It seems inconceivable that if insolvency is a possibility then it hasn't been discussed. The same message is contained in the revelation that Rangers cannot accept credit or debit card transactions for season ticket sales because the merchant provider was seeking security, which is likely to reflect a threat of insolvency should season ticket sales fall. This is a consequence of past recklessness, since supporters have lost faith in those running the club. It will only irk them further to read assessments in the review that £2m was spent on stadium wifi, LED displays and jumbo screens which were "non-essential"; that players were signed last summer that executives should have known the club could not afford. There were promises of optimism, in assertions that Ally McCoist will be given funds to spend over future transfer windows in a "more structured and planned" signing policy and that a three-year plan has been drawn up to deliver the Scottish Premiership title. Former Rangers director Dave King Fans will also like the notion of a chief football operations officer, an academy fund and commercial developments. Wallace's position as chief executive will rest on his ability to deliver these, though, as well as persuading the fans to renew their season tickets to such an extent that there is an overall uplift in sales. So what does the future hold? In part, that is dependent on how much money is left, and whether or not immediate costs can be met in the meantime. For now, there remain a number of scenarios. Should there be a shortfall in renewals, the intention is to hold a pre-emptive share offer, of up to 43,400,000 shares, to existing stakeholders. This would likely be at a discounted market price - and the share price fell by 15% to 22p following the review - and so would only raise up to around £9.5m. There is a further intention to seek the approval of shareholders in autumn 2014 for a new rights issue, to raise equity for investment. This would, again, be a pre-emptive offer, allowing current shareholders first refusal on a pro-rata basis to protect the size of their stake, but unsold shares, commonly known as the rump, are normally then offered to non-shareholders. This is where Dave King, the former Ibrox director, could make a move. There are other options for King, and he could in theory potentially acquire the right from existing shareholders to take up their allocation from a share issue. As with the Union of Fans, King chose to keep his counsel following the publication of the review, out of respect to the family of the late Sandy Jardine, the former Rangers defender who died on Thursday. South African-based businessman King now at least has options, as he looks to implement his strategy to invest in the club. King has publicly asserted that he wants to invest up to £30m in the club, if needs be, but that would be on the basis that he also gains control of how that investment is utilised. In the end, it came down to several thousand words, some reflection back and some casting forward. The review emphasises that Rangers are in a potentially dire financial position, and signalled what attempts might be made to address this. Can Wallace deliver? Will supporters buy into it? And what will King do now? The following days will be more revealing than the review itself.

Full interview here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27142340

Rangers manager Ally McCoist has admitted major shareholder Sandy Easdale’s description of the Ibrox club’s finances as “fragile” is a significant concern ahead of today’s publication of a 120-day business review. Rangers manager Ally McCoist has admitted major shareholder Sandy Easdale’s description of the Ibrox club’s finances as “fragile” is a significant concern ahead of today’s publication of a 120-day business review. McCoist was visibly taken aback when he heard Easdale had already given an interview to BBC Scotland yesterday, ahead of the manager’s own press 
commitments before tomorrow’s final home league of the season against Stranraer. Although Rangers will be presented with the League 1 championship trophy after the game, it is today’s long-awaited business review, prepared by chief executive Graham Wallace, that dominates the agenda at Ibrox. Staff at the club are anxiously awaiting the outcome of the review and whether it will impact on their jobs amid fears of further cost-cutting. McCoist said that the welfare of employees was of paramount concern. “Nothing’s changed in my opinion with regards the livelihoods of the staff,” he said. “That’s arguably the most important thing. Obviously the future and health of the club is of vital importance, but without doubt the people within the football club and their livelihoods are extremely important.” Easdale, who is also chairman of the club’s football board, yesterday admitted Rangers were “at a crossroads”. The businessman urged supporters to keep buying season tickets. The most recent set of interim accounts published by the Ibrox club saw accountants Deloitte note that “the company has made key assumptions in relation to the timing of season ticket monies”, adding that uncertainty over the receipt of season ticket income indicated “the existence of a material uncertainty which may cast significant doubt about the company’s ability to continue as a going concern”. Compromising the club’s plans is a strategy of some fans, backed by former Ibrox director and potential investor Dave King, to withhold season ticket money in a fund. The sum will only be released when certain conditions are met by the board. Season-ticket sales to date were described as “slow” by Easdale. Also concerning for McCoist was the major shareholder’s sopinion Rangers could not survive another administration. “In 140 years, the club’s gone into administration once,” said Easdale. “I don’t think it would survive a second one. So I would ask every loyal Rangers fan – and I pick my words correctly in saying ‘loyal Rangers fan’ – supports the club at this time and gives it a chance.” It was this kind of rhetoric McCoist admitted was troubling, although he had not yet been fully briefed on Easdale’s comments. “He told the BBC that?” asked McCoist. “That’s news to me. I wouldn’t react to it until I had time to digest it to be honest. But if that’s what he’s said then that would be a little bit concerning.” The manager, who had a series of meetings yesterday with club hierarchy, was cautious when asked to comment on what he expected would be the contents of the review. “I would be hopeful of non-negative news,” he said. “We will react accordingly to the news we get. I don’t want to pre-empt this. There is no point in guessing what might or might not happen.” Earlier in the day Easdale had admitted he was uncertain what the future held for Rangers. “At the end of the day, the club is at a crossroads at the moment and a fragile position,” he said. “It can either go forward with a strategic view, with a long-term view, steady as she goes, or be pulled apart in other directions.” The bus tycoon also outlined his concern over season ticket renewals. He said: “I don’t actually know the figures but I think there are a couple of situations there; we’re a couple of weeks early. People are waiting for a report. At this moment in time, ticket sales are slow.” McCoist, meanwhile, is braced for being told there are limited funds with which to strengthen his current squad, who have gone through the current league season unbeaten. He said that being challenged to win the Championship title next season with an equal or even lesser budget would “go with the territory” of being Rangers manager in the current times. “It’s not a concern because I accept it,” he shrugged. “Whether I like it or think it’s right or wrong is immaterial – I accept it. It goes with the territory and I’ll have to handle that. “The budget has dropped in the region of 70 per cent of two or three years ago and it’s dropped again this year from last year. But what everyone needs to realise is that I don’t set the budget. I didn’t give the new players their wages, I had nothing to do with that, that was the previous regime, so you’d have to ask any questions relating to that to them. I was only working within the parameters that were given to me. I wasn’t the one who offered them x amount of thousand pounds a week. That wasn’t my gig. I just wanted to play them and thankfully I got the players.” McCoist is relieved that at least his options, if he has any, will become clearer by the end of today when it comes to the matter of signing players. The club have been linked with moves for Motherwell defender Shaun Hutchinson and St Mirren midfielder Kenny McLean, as well as Gavin Gunning and Kris Boyd, of Dundee United and Kilmarnock respectively. More crucial, McCoist pointed out, is the need to sort out the futures of players nearing the end of their contracts. “I’ve still only spoken to two players but in the crazy situation we are in, I haven’t been able to offer them anything,” he revealed. “If I get the go-ahead we would be interested in talking to them. “That’s all I can say to them,” he added. “It’s anything but ideal. My priority is to speak to the guys here at the club first. That’s the very least they deserve.” The Union of Fans, a coalition of Rangers supporters, issued a statement last night hitting back at Easdale’s comments. It said: “The financial position of the club is not down to lack of support or loyalty from any of our fans, it is down to two years of mismanagement and the squandering of huge sums of money. “We would like to know why Mr Easdale is being pushed out to speak on behalf of a PLC board he is not part of. Mr *Easdale’s comments about the financial position of the club are share-price sensitive, as are his comments about possible *administration. “These comments directly contradict those of the CEO, Graham Wallace, who is on record as saying that a second administration is not a possibility. “Once again huge question marks are raised over corporate governance at Rangers by Mr Easdale’s role at the club, which has never been clarified.” http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl-lower-divisions/mccoist-frets-over-fragile-rangers-1-3388199

Rangers are also understood to be on the verge of appointing Paul Tyrrell, the former director of communications at Manchester City, Liverpool and Everton, in a consultancy role. This from Richard Wilson BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/scotland/27134948 During his time at Anfield, Tyrrell was alleged to have written a report comparing some Liverpool supporter groups to Cambodia's Khmer Rouge.

Help required tonight. Meet at Ibrox underground at 6.45pm.

Lifted from 200% (via newsnow)...

http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/239-renewals-between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place The last few years have been hugely difficult for Rangers fans. Administration, dysfunctional directors and confused coups from ‘Rangers men’ who believe they would be better placed to run the club; all this contributes to an ongoing period of uncertainty and frustration for many bears. Time is a great healer they say but, in actual fact, we appear no closer to finding genuine stability for Rangers football club in the short term – indeed the decision-making for the average fan is now even more of a challenge than before. Why? Well, the deadline for renewing season tickets is fast approaching. While some fans still have around two weeks to make up their mind, those who pay in instalments only have until next Monday to confirm their payment plan. Thus, with the club waiting until this Friday to finally publish their 120-day Review (no-one knows if this will be an update or a detailed report), fans have next to no time to decide whether or not the current board can be entrusted with millions more season ticket cash for 2014/15. Meanwhile, at the time of writing, Dave King and the Union of Fans have similarly failed to outline why their Trust fund is a better option or, indeed, how this would even work. To say fans are stuck between a rock and a hard place is an understatement. In an ideal world we’d all renew regardless. Despite the under-performance and inconsistency of the team on the park, next season is sure to be an exciting one and it’s safe to say will present much more of a challenge than the first two stages of the ‘journey’ back to the SPFL Premiership. Not only will Hearts be as eager as us to return to the top league at the first time of asking, there’s a good chance another Premiership team could be joining us both. In addition, as the existing Championship table shows, there will be at least two more teams more than capable of forming a title/promotion challenge for next season. Add in the recent defeats we’ve suffered from teams like Raith Rovers and Queen of the South, it’s safe to say next year will be far from a walkover for Rangers. The fact is for 2014/15 the SPFL Championship will be the most exciting competition in Scotland so I can’t be the only bear looking forward to the challenge. Renewal of our season ticket should be automatic. Yet it isn’t. Not only are thousands of fans unable to trust the board of directors with their money, for those uninterested in the often tedious boardroom politics the match-day experience is also average at best. Sure, it may appear somewhat bizarre to complain about a team (and manager) who look likely to deliver an unbeaten league campaign while scoring over 100 goals but aside from a few sporadic early season performances we’ve really struggled to achieve genuine quality home or away on a consistent basis. This is perhaps summed up by the difficulty in picking a Player of the Year for 2013/14. Yes, a few lads have done well in patches but I don’t think any player (and I include Lee Wallace in that) can really say they’ve been a stand-out all season. I don’t want to be hyper-critical but there really isn’t a lot to be positive about ahead of a new campaign. In that sense, I’m eager to hear from the manager in how he intends to address this ahead of renewals. So far, like many others who form part of the Rangers saga, he hasn’t. Of course, that’s possibly an unfair expectation when McCoist, like the rest of us, is supposedly unaware of his budget for next season. For example, we’re told Graham Wallace wanted squad wage cuts (to the manager’s credit, he seems to be the only one who has accepted a decrease) while recent loans show the club apparently doesn’t have the finance to complete a season of football – this only one year after raising £22million via an initial share offer, not to mention two tranches of match-day ticket income (in itself around the same figure) since 2012. Clearly, season ticket money (possibly around £12million for the coming year) defines the club’s operations going forward. Yet, many fans are being asked to renew without knowing exactly how competitive the club is going to be. With that in mind the content of the 120-day Review is now overdue and vital to the future of the club. I won’t bore the reader of this article with the plethora of questions about the review but the detail simply has to reveal the club’s direction for next season and beyond. While every single Rangers fan wants our club to be of a right-size for future demands, it’s also clear it needs to be re-capitalised for the challenges ahead. However I’d also suggest no fan wants money to be wasted on short-term player signings but instead (as what should have happened in 2012) the club stream-lined and positioned to be self-sustainable for the long term. This means investment in youth, scouting and the stadium to bring success for many more years to come. Yes, this isn’t easy to achieve (ask Sir David Murray) but we’re told Graham Wallace is of the highest calibre (and he’s apparently very well paid) to clearly explain how this is possible in his review. I’d certainly say four months is ample time to provide a report which offers the kind of detail and evidence based submissions to excite every Rangers fan about our future. In short, Wallace must make his plan one we can all buy into one way or the other for many years ahead. No bland generalisations, no business-speak and, well, no excuses. In saying that, what is the alternative for Rangers fans? Well, Dave King and the Union of Fans appear equally less than convincing so far. Statement after statement from King implores us not to renew our season tickets while the Union of Fans promise us some sort of Trust fund to release our money on a match-per-match basis to the club. Yet, a few months down the line, they’re also no closer to revealing their plans in that regard. Can fans retain their preferred seat? Who or what is entrusted with the property securities they’ve requested? What happens if the club enters further financial difficulty in the interim? So far, we’ve seen no answer to any of these questions. Similarly, Dave King’s actions have been less than consistent as well. Just how keen is he to invest in the club and what affect will his own past business dealings have on his and Rangers’ reputation? No-one can deny King’s previous impressive financial commitment but that cannot make him immune from the same questions we have of the incumbents. The lack of clarity in that regard remains a huge disappointment. To conclude then, despite months of uncertainty and superficial debate, Rangers fans remain no closer to a solution for their renewal conundrum. I don’t doubt the vast majority of last season’s 36,000 season ticket holders want to sign up for what will be a more exciting challenge next term but I also believe our incredible passion has been taken advantage of all too often in recent years for fans to hand over their hard-earned no questions asked. There’s absolutely no shame or disloyalty in wanting more for our money. Taking that into account, I’m disappointed in the club’s disregard for open fan consultation vis-à-vis the review. However, I feel equally let down by Dave King in his inability to turn words into demonstrable action by means of a viable alternative to the status quo. In light of all the above, I can’t be the only fan who feels they’re in an impossible position ahead of the forthcoming deadlines. This may well change today, tomorrow, or later in the week but it seems our annual investment will continue to be the pawn of others for the foreseeable future. Rather than stand by and let ourselves be used in such a manner, I’d hope fans would now begin to realise our power when it comes to Rangers and actually become a player ourselves instead of being played. Only then can we really have a proper say in the future. Anything else will just see that rock become a harder and harder place….

Really! Worried about Hibs! A team Pat Fenlon destroyed who have been awful this season.

https://www.euroweeklynews.com/news/uk/item/120075-brit-football-star-found-dead-in-us A British footballer who played for his US college team has been found dead in his upstate New York apartment. Peter McAvoy, 22, from Dundee, Scotland, was found unresponsive at around 6pm on Saturday. Anyone know anything about the lad?

WITH boardroom civil war on the horizon at Hampden, MailSport unearths secret hijack plot and asks 'Has the SPFL gone power crazy?'. The SPFL’s blindside run at the SFA’s powerbase is about two things – control and cash. But the clubs’ push for power could end up costing the game MILLIONS in grassroots sponsorships. The professional clubs would take complete control of the development budget for football in Scotland if they won the day with their resolution. They believe the money could be better spent under their own umbrella and have also made a play to take control of the main board of the SFA. However, big-money backers of the game – like Tesco Bank, McDonald’s, sportscotland and the government-backed Cashback for Communities scheme – base their contributions on the fact that they are all-inclusive and not aimed at the elite end. MailSport believes all of these relationships – plus others with local authorities – would be in jeopardy if the pro clubs took control and ran the game to their own ends. The two boards will meet on Tuesday, brought to the table for the first time in a year to discuss the proposals – and the pressure will be on to avert a civil war in Scottish football. Revealed: The secret copies of four explosive resolutions the SPFL have proposed for the SFA's AGM. Here’s everything you need to know about the resolutions: Q/ So what do the SPFL want? The resolutions in a nutshell: 1. The Professional Game Board (PGB) provides one representative – Celtic’s Peter Lawwell – to the seven-man main board of the SFA but the SPFL want this increased to two. 2. Currently the president and vice president of the SFA must have served a minimum of a year on the PGB or Non-PGB, as well as four years on the SFA Council and have attended a minimum of eight Council meetings in five years to qualify for a nomination. The SPFL want to do away completely with these criteria. 3. The SFA main board control the budget for football development, from Mark Wotte’s performance department to the grassroots programme for kids and coaches run by Jim Fleeting and Andy Gould in Scotland. The SPFL feel the professional game should control this entire pot and want the PGB – in other words, the senior clubs – to take control. 4. The main board currently control the ability to elect any club for full membership. The SPFL want that right to be passed to the clubs to approve or veto new members. Q/ What’s the grand plan behind them, then? Individually, the four resolutions wouldn’t be as threatening but it’s their cumulative effect that could have grave consequences. The end game? The clubs will have two from the PGB on the SFA board plus control of a hand-picked president and vice president – thereby controlling the seven-man board with a majority of four, thus controlling the SFA. The clubs would also have access to the money currently used to fund the development of the game. They would also control future votes by being able to stifle any additional membership requests which would jeopardise their power of veto if they vote as a group. Q/ Why shouldn’t the pro game be better represented rather than the juniors and amateurs having a disproportionate say? They probably should – but if there are no checks and balances of their powers, is it good for the game as a whole to have pro clubs with vested interests running the entire game from the national team down to the grassroots? If push comes to shove with money and power, who will they seek to serve other than themselves? Q/Okay, but the current system still allows long-term blazers gaining power on the back of nothing but good attendance. Also true, and the SFA main board IS weak – the system does need looked at to allow more appropriate talent to rise to the top. Q/So this resolution is a good thing? Yes – and no! If there’s no need for office bearers to be time-served, you could end up with flavour-of-the-month fly-by-nights parachuted in by the clubs without any examination of their bona fides or their intentions. It’s possible that we could see some real talent and acumen appointed – but you’re relying solely on the judgment of the clubs to find it. Q/ What do they need to pass the resolutions? Each vote requires 75 per cent approval from the 94 members. Q/ Will they get what they need? They’re not speaking for all 42 clubs because a cursory call round indicates they haven’t actually consulted the rank and file. It’s unlikely they would get universal membership approval for all of it – the perception will be that the top 12 clubs will stand to benefit the most. Q/ Hang on, it’s Mike Mulraney of Alloa proposing all of the resolutions, though? He was one of three lower-league chairmen elected to the SPFL board last summer along with Les Gray (Hamilton) and Bill Darroch (Stenhousemuir). The weight of the Premiership members – Stephen Thomson (Dundee United), Duncan Fraser (Aberdeen) and Eric Riley (Celtic) – will be behind this but having Alloa, Stenny and Accies involved lends it an ‘everyman’ look ... not just being driven by the big clubs for their own gain. Q/ What about the cash, then – how much is at stake? Hard to put an exact figure on it but so much of it is ring-fenced for specific grassroots and community use, it’s not nearly as much as they think. The irony is the biggest chunk of the performance strand of it – around £2m – is used for Club Academy Scotland. So the clubs already benefit. Just not to the extent they think they should. Q/Why do the clubs feel the need to control it then? A couple of reasons. They don’t like the way Wotte is running things, they don’t think the performance strategy is worth what it costs, they don’t like the lack of control and input they have over performance schools and, simply, they see money they don’t have and they want it. They still don’t have a sponsor and a lack of cash will see them struggle to fulfil their promise of jam for all down through the divisions. It’s ironic considering the SFA has underwritten the only decent thing they’ve achieved as a body – the Premiership play-offs – to the tune of £1.5m. Q/ Are they right about the performance strategy, though? It’s still early but there is evidence the strategy is having an effect. Scotland won the Victory Shield at Under-16 level for the first time in 15 years. The U-17s have made the UEFA Finals in Malta, winning all three games in their elite round. The U-19s are in the elite round in England next months. The women’s team are well on their way to the World Cup in Canada with a 100 per cent record from six qualifiers, a feat that could earn the SFA close to seven figures. Throw in the fact the national team are back up to No.22 in the world rankings and they have a decent claim to their strategy working. Q/ But what about the rest of the game outwith the clubs? That’s the big worry. The SFA has overarching responsibility for the game as a whole and its development from the ground up. At last count, there are 130,768 registered players in Scotland from the youths to the amateurs to welfare to the women’s game. Meanwhile, the SPFL’s development branch – Club Academy Scotland, for pro youths from 11 up – sits at 3,185. Throw in the first teams and the clubs account for around three per cent of the football players in Scotland. Q/ Surely they should be the SPFL’s focus? They are. A working group set up between the organisations is looking at streamlining Club Academy Scotland and clearing out the jersey fillers and creating more ‘best v best’ football at the elite level. However, the clubs don’t like the performance schools and that they have no say in their operation. What some of them do like, though, is the idea of regional academies like the Forth Valley experiment involving Falkirk, Stenhousemuir and East Stirling. Q/ What benefit is there in the clubs taking on responsibility for the rest of it? Very little, if any. All they see is a top-line figure and pound signs. The problem, however, comes with the fact that much of the money is simply used to leverage other funding. For example, £476,000 is budgeted for a community programme that helps fund 70 coaches across the country – however most of their salaries are paid by local authorities through partnerships with the SFA. These partnerships would disappear if councils thought they were simply funding the professional game rather than its community branch. Q/ What about the other backers of grassroots football? Their visions all involve inclusivity and community benefit. McDonald’s work with all the home associations and have invested more than £1m every four years over more than a decade committed to growing the game. Likewise Tesco Bank, with £1.2m over the past four years. The government’s Cashback scheme has pumped in £2.2m over three years. On Wednesday, Regan and Fleeting were in the Isle of Lewis to unveil a new facility at Back that has received nearly £500,000 from Cashback, sportscotland and the Big Lottery. These resolutions would leave the pro clubs responsible for this kind of commitment to remote communities. Would they be interested? The Movers and Shakers The looming SFA AGM is shaping up to be one of the stormiest in the organisation’s 141-year history. Delegates will consider the four resolutions that would effectively hand control of the SFA main board to the clubs. Alloa chairman and successful businessman Mike Mulraney (right) is the name on the resolutions. He wants clubs to elect an extra member to the board – in addition to Celtic’s Peter Lawwell (left). SFA chief executive Stewart Regan (far right) has a fight on his hands. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/scottish-football-looks-set-civil-3434596

......and says it's not easy playing on 's**** pitches'. FRENCH defender Sebastian Faure last night lashed out at Rangers' critics and accused Ibrox fans of being too harsh on the club. Sebastien Faure last night blasted back at Rangers’ critics and insisted the team’s achievements have been “staggering”. Despite romping to the League One title without suffering a defeat, Ally McCoist’s men have copped stick for their performances. And fans raged at the players when they suffered a shock defeat to Raith Rovers in the Ramsdens Cup Final. But French defender Faure returned fire as he insisted: ? Fans expect Gers to play like Barcelona and Bayern Munich. ? Any other club in Scotland aside from Celtic would have lost three or four games in League One by now. ? Gers have been forced to play on “s*****” pitches. ? It’s impossible to take more than two touches in the lower leagues. Faure, who moved to Ibrox from Lyon in 2012, said: “The fans have seen the club in the top division for 140 years and because our name is Rangers they think we are still a Premier League team. “They expect us to win every game 6-0 and play like Barcelona or Bayern Munich. But that is not possible. “We have to play on some s***** pitches and that is not easy. Put any team from the Premiership, except maybe Celtic, into League One and they'd have lost three or four games by now. “Our opponents want to beat us at all costs. The fans think we should just take one or two touches on the ball but that is not possible. “What we have achieved is staggering. So it’s fair to say the fans are a bit harsh with us. But that is the way they have always been so we are used to it.” Faure, though, relishes running out to a packed Ibrox and can’t wait to take on Celtic in an Old Firm game once Rangers get back to the big time. The 23-year-old said: “At Ibrox you feel you’re playing an English Premier League fixture with the huge crowd. If a top French club fell so far down the league ladder they wouldn’t get so many fans. “I’m looking forward to playing against Celtic. It would p*** me off to leave without playing an Old Firm game. “We hope to meet them in a cup tie next season. It is a game like no other. “For the players who will have helped the club win three promotions it will be a historic achievement. It is a huge adventure to be part of the comeback. It will leave an indelible memory. “The club may have gone down but its aura remains intact.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-defender-sebastian-faure-hit-3434882

why don't the powers that be in Scotland bring in a proper easter program like a full card of games on good Friday and another full card on easter Monday

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/scotland/27097166

Poster on FF saying we have agreed deals with Scott Allan and Hutchinson from 'Well.

IN ROBERT Bolt’s play and film, A Man For All Seasons, Sir Thomas More assembles his numerous domestic staff to break the bad news that he has fallen on irredeemably hard times. “I am no longer a great man,” he begins. “And since I am no more a great man, I no longer need a great household. Nor can I afford one. You will have to go.” Here was a practical demonstration of the kind of acute insight and quick wits that gave rise to the former Lord Chancellor’s reputation as one of 16th-century England’s most formidable intellects. Of course, More would also have been quick to acknowledge that even the humblest peasant farmer, faced with financial catastrophe – a failed crop, say – would have been similarly aware instantly of the necessity of a protracted period of austerity, or even abandonment of his smallholding and relocation as an employee on a steady, if modest, income. It is a grasp of elementary economics that seems somehow to have eluded anyone charged with executive duties at Rangers throughout the years since the instigator of the old club’s decline, David Murray, began the large-scale, reckless extravagance that led to calamity. Since then, despite the onset of administration and liquidation and passing through the hands of a succession of regimes to the present board of directors, the Glasgow institution has existed in a constant state of financial vulnerability, with no-one among the numerous sets of “saviours” apparently willing to identify certain damaging truths and take appropriate remedial action. This speaks of a culture problem at Ibrox, one that became entrenched during the 140 years that preceded liquidation in 2012 and has generally not even been acknowledged, far less addressed, despite the overwhelming evidence of the need to abandon principles that have been rendered wasteful by monetary imperatives. Chief among these actions is to emulate Thomas More and concede that Rangers are no longer a great club. That is, “great” in the sense of magnitude, as opposed to their historic high achievement and the resultant command of the affections and allegiances of many thousands of followers. An organisation whose annual turnover once was close to £60 million has now, according to the latest returns, shrunk to £19m – and even that amount is likely to be reduced again at the end of the current financial year. Yet, in the wake of liquidation of the old club and the birth of the new, the directors saw fit to sanction a yearly wage bill of around £7m for players charged with winning the fourth- and third-division championships. Salaries of non-playing personnel make the total around £9m, while the general costs of running the operation drain the kitty of £1.4m per month. These ludicrously high outgoings having to be met entirely from the club’s working capital, since their history of leaving behind creditors owed millions when entering administration means they no longer have access to credit lines at the banks. Despite the obviously perilous condition of their finances (a recent emergency loan of £1.5m from private individuals required simply to remain solvent until the end of the season), numerous supporters are immovable in their conviction that Rangers remain a “massive” club whose rightful place is at the head of Scottish football’s Premiership and competing creditably in the Champions League. There is, of course, nothing intrinsically flawed about aiming for the stars, but the problem with too many Rangers followers is that they want it to happen yesterday. Their ideal is the instant cure of a wealthy benefactor taking control and providing an unconditional minimum £50m of funding with which the team could be transformed from lower-league capabilities to national champions in the blink of an eye. And yet, curiously, there appears to be a substantial number of fans willing to rally to the banner of Dave King, the South Africa-based entrepreneur who, astonishingly, has publicly declared his unwillingness to invest in the club. So far, he has offered only words, primarily to blacken the names of the current directors. King has also shown himself to be as inconsistent as many who have become involved in the propaganda war at Ibrox, at first encouraging supporters not to renew their season tickets, then changing tack by saying that the chief executive, Graham Wallace, should be allowed to complete his 120-day review of the business, before returning this week with another fusillade in the direction of the board. King, convicted on more than 40 counts of tax evasion in South Africa, accused the opposition of a lack of integrity and honesty. But, among the array of head-turning schemes associated with disenchanted fans and the directors, the most preposterous is surely the demand by the former to be handed security over Ibrox Stadium and Murray Park as part of their renewing season tickets. This is like insisting that M&S give customers security over their flagship Oxford Street store in exchange for a pledge to buy more merchandise. The entire season-ticket phenomenon, in fact, has been warped into a grotesque caricature of its traditional place in the game and led to the utterly meaningless and misleading question: “What happened to the fans’ money?” This clearly ignores the fact that, when a ticket is bought, the money becomes the seller’s while the buyer gets the ticket. It’s not complicated. At the core of the Ibrox morass, however, there ought to be a warning that the fans should be careful what they wish for. Institutional investors collectively make up a large majority of shareholders, but each has actually spent a comparatively tiny amount on acquiring their equity. If they continue to be harassed, they could consider the venture not to be worth the bother, sell off the assets and close down the business. http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl-lower-divisions/glenn-gibbons-rangers-fans-playing-dangerous-game-1-3381635

KILMARNOCK striker Kris Boyd is the only non-Celtic player on the shortlist for the PFA Scotland Premiership player of the year award. The 30-year-old former Rangers player joins Kris Commons, Fraser Forster and Virgil van Dijk among the top four players. Boyd, who has scored 19 goals this season, was last named on the shortlist in 2010 but has never won the award, which is voted for by players from across four divisions. Commons has netted 27 goals this season while England goalkeeper Forster set a top-flight clean sheet record by going 1,256 minutes without conceding. Dutch defender van Dijk, 22, has been by far Neil Lennon’s most impressive summer signing with an assured campaign following his move from Groningen. Dundee United dominate the young player shortlist with Scotland left-back Andrew Robertson, Scotland Under-21 captain Stuart Armstrong and 18-year-old playmaker Ryan Gauld all included. They are joined by St Johnstone striker Stevie May, who took his tally for the season to 25 on Sunday with the two goals that sent the Perth club into their first Scottish Cup final. The winners will be announced at PFA Scotland’s annual dinner on April 27. Last year’s winners were then Motherwell striker Michael Higdon and Leigh Griffiths, who won the young player award with Hibernian. http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/boyd-makes-celtic-dominated-pfa-award-shortlist-1-3380425

Graham Wallace will be finding little time for respite. A draft version of his 120-day business review is thought to be ready for senior figures within Ibrox, the rate of season ticket renewal uptake will be evident to the ticket office staff and supporters have raised questions about executive bonuses. He understood that he would not face conventional challenges when he took on the chief executive role at Rangers in November, but he will never have felt under greater scrutiny than now. Wallace brought with him an impressive CV and a strong reputation. Within English football circles, particularly at the highest level, Wallace remains an admired figure. Former colleagues at Manchester City, where he was chief finance officer then chief operating officer, still talk enthusiastically about his personal and professional qualities. Often, staff in other departments would turn to Wallace for advice on how to deal with difficult situations, even though they were not specifically his remit. Those qualities, and the experience gained during three years at IMG and five at MTV Networks, do not suddenly dissipate. Wallace understood the situation he was walking into when he accepted the job offer and believed that he could - as an independent figure - find a solution to the state of conflict around the club. The result of December's annual meeting of Rangers International Football Club shareholders was an endorsement of his credentials and he might not have anticipated such a protracted state of upheaval. Rangers fans have made vocal and visual protests about the way the club has been run It is questions that he has been assailed with. Former director Dave King, pointedly, asked if the board was seeking financing last December while Wallace was publicly declaring that there was enough cash to sustain the business to April. The Union of Fans asked about his bonus arrangements and specifically if he is entitled to 100% of his salary, the same contractual arrangement as one of his predecessors, Charles Green, and the former finance director, Brian Stockbridge. It was Wallace who removed Stockbridge from his post in January before bringing in the former Liverpool financial director Philip Nash in an advisory role. Both men have solid reputations, but neither is likely to have encountered such a difficult situation as the business of rebuilding Rangers. Wallace inherited a mess, with the money raised by the launch of RIFC on the alternative investment market having been spent and the revenue being smaller than the club's outgoings. Rangers were also tied into most of the commercial contracts agreed by Green, although Wallace has struck a sponsorship deal with the online casino, 32Red, which is for three years. There is, though, a fundamental challenge. Rangers need recapitalisation - something Wallace has always acknowledged - as well as the rebalancing of costs that the chief executive has been pursuing. At the AGM, he announced a 120-day review of every aspect of the business. This was a required initiative - the interim results to 31 December 2013 showed a £3.5m loss - but the timescale was ill-judged. Football clubs are simple businesses, with mostly fixed costs and income, but very difficult to run because of the impact of sporting performance on the finances. It seemed to supporters as though Wallace was buying time. There was also a credibility issue when it was announced in February that £1.5m was being borrowed from two shareholders, Sandy Easdale and George Letham, with the money secured against Edmiston House and the Albion Car Park, given Wallace's previous assertion about the cash in the bank. The 120-day deadline passed on Thursday 17 April and an update on the review will be released on Friday 25 April. It will need to declare how Rangers will raise the funds to match the investment requirements. Manager Ally McCoist's football department needs an overhaul The football department needs an overhaul, with a scouting network required, but also more strategic decision-making when it comes to the first-team budget. Costs are imbalanced and manager Ally McCoist agreed to accept a pay cut, but a long-term, sustainable approach needs to be implemented to return Rangers to the top flight in a competitive state. Ibrox Stadium and Murray Park also need maintenance work, but bringing the business back to an even keel by cutting costs and increasing revenue streams will not provide the level of additional funding that Rangers need in the short to medium-term. With the board having ruled out borrowing against their major property assets, the options are limited. A fresh share issue, which King is keen to underwrite, would dilute the holdings of any current shareholders who do not reinvest. This would alter the shareholder dynamic and the power base that supported the current directors at the AGM. It is this problem that Wallace has to solve. If he presents a review to the board that steers the business towards recapitalisation, will all of the directors agree? There is also the more pressing issue of season ticket sales. The renewal process is underway and the deadline is the week following the business review update. Many supporters have grown weary and cynical of the machinations, on all sides, of the saga. Yet renewals are critical, since the interim accounts published in March revealed that going-concern status for the next 12 months was only granted on the basis of an increase in season ticket prices and sales. If the renewal numbers are in decline, there is a legitimate question about how Rangers will be funded until the end of next season. Wallace is experienced and capable but also at the mercy of the situation he took on - although earning the trust of the entire Rangers fan base was always unlikely given the tensions that exist between different groups. There are some decisions he might, on reflection, have made differently, but it is the ones he makes now that will be critical, to his future and the club's. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/scotland/27081026?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

More or less just an excercise and food for thought: Rangers Top Signing Targets for the Championship Written by - Jonny McFarlane After the disappointment of defeat in the Scottish Cup semi-final, it’s inevitable that with little left to play for on the pitch the focus of the fans and the media will return to Rangers corporate governance. That will be covered in great detail elsewhere, but with the football department having been arguably as poorly run as the business it’s also important to reflect on where the playing squad currently stands and whether it is strong enough to win the Championship. After a sober assessment of the team, most will feel that with a rejuvenated Hearts, signings will have to be made to guarantee safe passage into the Premiership. Assuming that Rangers will be operating on a smaller budget next year and working with what’s made available by the departure of the likes of Andy Little, Kyle Hutton and Emilson Cribari when their contracts expire, I have limited my suggestions to players currently based in the SPL and out of contract. I don’t think it is realistic to expect Rangers in their current predicament to pay any kind of transfer fee and free agents from the English game are also likely to be financially untenable given their high wages. I have identified three areas of improvement in Rangers current squad: 1. Goal scoring threat 2. Strengthening the Centre of Defence/defensive midfield 3. Creation of Chances Goal scoring threat Kris Boyd (30, Kilmarnock) Surely, Rangers number one target. A club legend and a goal machine. It’s so easy and obvious it feels daft to argue for it. I wasn’t Boyd’s biggest fan in his previous stint but this is a very different time and place. His talents are ideally suited to the current predicament and his very presence will be a big boost to the beleaguered support. His game has improved in his nomadic years abroad. Still as predatory as ever, he is better in the air and in his link up play outside the box. It seems like the penny has finally dropped that to be a great striker you have to do some hard work as well as bang in the goals. Boyd be as good as a guarantee of 25 goals in the championship. Strengthening the Centre of Defence/defensive midfield Jim Goodwin (32, St. Mirren) A natural leader on the pitch Goodwin is the St. Mirren captain. A tough tackler that opposition fans love to hate, he is equally adept in central defence or midfield. At 32 he’s no spring chicken but would add a bit of steel to Rangers weak central defensive area where Ian Black has underperformed. Gary Miller (26, St. Johnstone) Versatile and extremely pacey, St. Johnstone’s Miller knows the Championship well from his time at Ross County. A Rangers fan, the 26 year old could offer significant options having played at right back, central defence and midfield in his career. A steady-Eddie who gives consistently solid performances, Miller would provide squad depth across a few positions and would add that rare commodity, serious pace at the back. Kevin Thomson (29, Hibs) Leaving Rangers in 2010 after a successful spell in the engine room, Thomson’s career has dramatically stalled. Three years of injury and poor form have curtailed the development of a player that five or six years ago many predicted to be better than his good friend Scott Brown. Unwanted by Terry Butcher due to his introduction of a more direct style, Thomson would be a superb addition to the Gers midfield especially if he could be secured on a pay if you play deal to cushion the burden from injury problems. Jamie Hamill (27, Hearts) Hearts best player this season and their midfield general, Hamill has shown a rare combination of steel and ability. A deadball expert that guarantees goals from free kicks and penalties Hamill works his backside off from the first whistle to the last. Taking on the responsibility of being the most senior player in the Tyncastle dressing room, anyone watching Hearts can see that it is Hamill, not captain Danny Wilson that bosses his team. Gavin Gunning (23, Dundee United) One of the Premiership’s best central defenders, Gunning has been a lynchpin for Dundee United’s successful season. Still young at 23, he has plenty of room for further improvement and could be a real asset for Rangers in the years to come. Physical and good in the air, he is also a threat in the opponents box and can chip in with the odd goal. His organisational abilities have helped bring out the best in his 17-year-old defensive partner John Souter and has shown maturity beyond his years at the heart of an inexperienced but exciting team. Creation of Chances Alexei Eremenko (31, Kilmarnock) A player of immense talent, Emerenko lit up the SPL in his first spell and was nominated for Player of the year. Quick feet and an even quicker brain he is a terrific passer who can thread the ball through tight defences. Another whose career has stalled, Emerenko would represent a gamble, and Rangers would have to play around his inability to defend but he would add a potent attacking weapon to the teams armoury. A fit, mentally attuned Emerenko has the talent to be playing in a major European league, at only 31 surely the challenge to get him back there wouldn’t be beyond Rangers coaching team. James McFadden (31, Motherwell) A player who has seen his career fail to take flight in recent years, McFadden’s return to Scottish Football has been a disappointment with only fleeting glimpses of his old self. A maverick in the Ted McMinn mould, a move to a massive club like Rangers could just be what the doctor ordered for this big game performer. Able to play on the left or through the middle McFadden gives attacking options to any manager that coaches him. A player sure to excite the fans with his wonderful natural ability, McFadden would be a big gamble but one that could pay off as a creator and scorer of goals. Paul McGowan (26, St Mirren) With the tumult of a recent court case behind him, McGowan can now concentrate on the footballing career that has seen him hailed as one of the most naturally gifted attacking midfielders Scotland has produced in recent years. Comfortable in central or attacking midfield, McGowan is an accomplished chance creator with an eye for goal and a blistering shot. Rangers Report

Thursday, 17 April 2014 12:30 A Chance To Make History Written by Andrew Dickson NICKY LAW says the chance to be part of the first unbeaten Rangers team in a league campaign for 115 years is driving him on in the last few fixtures of the season. With four matches left in the 36-game campaign, Gers have still only dropped four points in two draws at Ibrox with Stranraer and Stenhousemuir. That means they could break the 100 points barrier before the month is out and they’re also now just four away from a century of goals as well after Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Forfar. The chance to emulate the invincible Light Blues side of 1898/99 is something which also appeals to Law. Back then, the team won each and every one of its league matches under William Wilton as it won the title by 10 points from Hearts. With only two points available for a win back then and just 18 games per team in the competition, that was a massive winning margin. Law said: “You’d have to say Rangers have made good progress this season and hopefully we can stay unbeaten in the league now. “You would like to think that might make up for our cup losses a little and it would be a disappointment now to lose a league game. “Having gone 32 matches unbeaten so far, it’s good we’ve still got that target to aim for with four games to go. “Your season can sometimes die out but we’ve got that carrot and it would be fantastic to do that. “I read the last time team went unbeaten in the league was in 1899 but that was over 18 games and to do it over 36 would be a little bit of history for the boys to enjoy. “In five or six years, people would maybe look back and say we weren’t as bad as they thought.” PFA Scotland League Player of the Year prize nominee Law, meanwhile, admits he’d love to see manager Ally McCoist bring in new faces during the summer break. The Gers boss is keen to freshen up his squad and his English midfielder believes that would be good for everyone if he did that. Law added: “Of course we’d like to see them, yeah. I think at a club like this, you expect that players are going to be coming in and competing for your position. “I know the manager has spoken of his desire to do that. Whether he is able to or not, nobody knows at the minute. “I think for us as a squad, to get people in to help us next year is the most important thing. It will be healthy for us to have competition.” http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/6789-a-chance-to-make-history

GRAHAM WALLACE insists Rangers are making 'substantial progress off the field' as they gear up for next season's SPFL Championship campaign. The Light Blues this week clinched a shirt sponsorship deal with online casino giants 32Red, who will replace Blackthorn in the summer and become the Gers' partners for the next three seasons. Ally McCoist's side are just one season away from their return to the Scottish top flight and chief executive Wallace said: "We are delighted to announce this deal. It shows we are making substantial progress off the field. "This is a good long-term partnership for Rangers. "We can leverage the strength of the 32Red brand and this deal can help reinvigorate the Rangers brand domestically and internationally. "We are working very hard to re-energise and reposition the club on the international stage. That goes hand in hand with our progression up the leagues and we are planning for next season in the Championship with one eye very firmly on the seasons beyond that. "Having a strong commercial partnership portfolio is very important to the club. "Attracting blue chip brands to be partners allows us to grow our commercial revenue which in turn allows us to reinvest right across the business. We are very pleased with this deal and it is the first, tangible step in our new commercial strategy. "The Championship will be a very competitive division and we are doing all our preparation to make sure that, in the true traditions of Rangers Football Club, we expect to be competitive and we expect to be successful." Wallace is due to complete his 120-day overview of the books at Ibrox on Friday but the club confirmed this week that they will only publish an 'update' on April 25. Wallace said: "We will shortly be publishing the results of the club's business review, as we committed to do, following an in-depth review of all areas of club operations. "This will give fans an insight into understanding the current status of club operations and how we are working to put in place what is needed to build for future success." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/wallace-happy-with-off-field-progress-at-rangers-159803n.23978036

FIRST Minister Alex Salmond has contacted the Lithuanian ambassador to the United Kingdom in a bid to help Hearts complete their exit from administration. Salmond, a Hearts supporter, remains hopeful that the deal can be completed, although last night both club administrator Bryan Jackson of BDO and a spokesperson for the Foundation of Hearts said there had been no further developments. Jackson is still awaiting an invitation to return to Lithuania to resume talks with his counterparts at Ukio Bankas. Those talks stalled last week, on the same day that creditors of Ubig, another company formerly controlled by Vladimir Romanov, approved the sale of their 50 per cent share in the Tynecastle club. Ukio have a smaller shareholding of just under 30 per cent, but hold a security over Tynecastle. If they agree to sell both shares and security, Hearts will be able to proceed with the Company Voluntary Arrangement they have made with the Foundation, the supporters’ umbrella body which aims to buy control for £2.5million. Jackson warned last week that the club was fast running out of money, and that a deal had to be finalised by around the end of this month. Foundation chairman Ian Murray, the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South, has also said that his organisation needs to complete the takeover soon in order to allow planning for next season to begin. Murray and Lord Foulkes, a former chairman of Hearts, have had several meetings with ambassador Asta Skaisgiryte-Liauskiene in recent months in the hope of speeding up the process. It remains uncertain how much direct influence any politician can have on the arcane workings of the Baltic republic’s legal system, but Salmond believes that he too should be seen to be doing everything he can. “At the request of the Hearts administrators I phoned the Lithuanian ambassador to try and facilitate the important moves that are being made,” the First Minister said yesterday. “I should say I’m a Hearts supporter, obviously, I declare an interest, but I’ve made the same approaches when necessary with other football clubs in Scotland who’ve been similarly struggling. “And of course I would always do that as First Minister, because it’s part of the First Ministerial role to help Scottish football, to help Scottish clubs when you can. And I’m sure that everyone in Scottish football, whatever team they support, wants to see Hearts back fighting fit, and part of the firmament of our national game.” Salmond declined to give details of his talks other than to suggest they had been positive. “They were helpful conversations and of course progress has been made,” he continued. “But the people behind the eight ball here are the administrators, and like every other Hearts fan in the country, I’m anxious to see more progress made. However, we know progress has been made and we’re hoping that things will reach a successful conclusion.” Unless Ukio’s creditors come to an agreement with BDO soon, Jackson would appear to have little option but to start planning for the liquidation of the football club. Hearts should be able to fulfil their fixtures for the rest of the season – they have five league games left, starting with a home match on Saturday against Ross County – but as things stand they will have no money to continue on into next season. Last night Labour peer Lord Foulkes welcomed the First Minister’s intervention, while pointing out that similar activity had been going on behind the scenes for some time. “It is good he is supporting Ian Murray and me who are in regular contact with Lithuanian ambassador & UK ambassador in Lithuania,” he said on Twitter. http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/i-need-to-do-all-i-can-for-hearts-alex-salmond-1-3377777

by Robbie Bannatyne In 2001, I played in the Willem II Youth Football Tournament for Glasgow Rangers FC under 13s. After a narrow 1-0 defeat by Arsenal in our opening game we got, to use a colloquial term in the West of Scotland, ‘pumped’ in all of our remaining fixtures by opposition including Ajax, Nantes and Feyenoord - who were technically, and physically, far superior in every department. To further compound our misery, our pathetic performances were the polar opposite to those of the gifted U15 side, who produced a string of dominant displays en route to the final of the prestigious tournament. Since its inception in August 1993, the Willem II youth tournament has featured the top international clubs and some of the most talented young football players in the world on an annual basis. But no other youth side will ever face a team as talented as Rangers’ opponents in the 2001 Final of the Willem II tournament; a Barcelona side orchestrated by Lionel Messi, Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Pique. The team was also supplemented by a further three current professionals in Victor Vasquez (Club Brugge), Marc Valiente (Real Valladolid) and Marc Pedraza of CD Numancia. Unsurprisingly, this vintage crop of La Masia youngsters routinely routed their poor, hopelessly overmatched opponents. A comment from Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, after Francesc Fabregas arrived at the Gunners, a mere 18 months after that youth tournament, summed up their superiority, he stated, “When Cesc arrived here (Arsenal) I spoke with his mother and she told me that his team (Barcelona Academy Team) were used to winning 6-0, 7-0, 8-0 and 9-0." Yet despite Barca’s embarrassment of riches, the final was a keenly contested affair- which the Catalans edged 2-0. Although the classy Catalan side were clearly a step up in quality, the young Ibrox hopefuls were not totally outclassed, and contributed significantly to an absorbing final, rich in technical ability and skill. That final seems to have been a catalysing event for the young Catalan side who, in the very next season, became the all-conquering group of young Cule’s who won an unprecedented treble in the unforgettable, and now legendary, season of 2002-2003. Dundee United midfielder, Paul Paton, was a member of the Rangers team who played Barcelona in the Willem II Cup final. In an exclusive interview with GiveMeSport, Paton recalled his memories of the tournament: “We performed well in the tournament playing against Brugge, Willem II and Arsenal. We defeated Feyenoord, who had De Guzman, (Swansea midfielder and Dutch international) in the semi finals. “But the Barcelona team were a step up in class, physically bigger, stronger, fitter and faster. At the time, I didn't realise there players would go on to be some of the best players in the world. But it was obvious that they were a special side. Almost every player in that team has gone on to carve a career in Spanish football.” The fact that the same youth team has produced three of the greatest players of their of generation, and in Messi, probably the finest player in football history, ensures that the ‘Class of 87’ will forever be enshrined in the history of FC Barcelona and their legendary talent conveyor belt academy, La Masia. A simple Google search on ‘Barcelona’s Class of 87’ yields a litany of literature written about the fabled ‘Baby Dream Team’. Yet an identical search about the Rangers class of 1987 offers up nothing. The brilliant batch of young boys at Ibrox literally became forgotten men. Surely the strong showing at the Willem II tournament should have been a platform for further success, right? Wrong. Soon after, the team seemed to plateau before alarmingly beginning their rapid descent into footballs abyss, where the vast majority of the players remain. The aforementioned Paul Paton of Dundee United, and Bob Harris, who plays for English League One side Sheffield United are the only two players from that gifted Ibrox youth side to have properly made the grade in the professional game. Tellingly, they were both released from the Ibrox club at 16 years old. In what is befitting of the Scottish ‘way’, the concerns about both players seemed to be in regards to there of lack height rather than deficiency in ability. At the same time, many of their teammates from the Willem II tournament team, who have since faded into obscurity, were awarded professional contracts by the Glasgow giants. Paul Paton, without a hint of bitterness or resentment, recalls his painful snub from his boyhood heroes: “There are always favoured players in every set up and it was them that were rewarded with pro contracts. I was released along with Bob Harris and funnily enough we're now playing at a higher level than anyone else in that side. "Maybe that shows that Rangers failed to spot what we knew we had. We weren't given a chance and that's my only regret. If I went full time at 17 rather than 21 I'd be a much better player." Now I am in no position to disagree with Paton, who has plenty more knowledge and experience of football than I will ever have. But, in some respects, I think he has risen to the top level because of his snub from Rangers, not in spite of it. Instead of staying cocooned in the prosperous comfort zone of Murray Park, being lulled into a false sense of security of dominating games in the U19s or reserve leagues, he started at the very bottom of the senior football ladder, with Third Division side Queens Park, and made his way up the leagues the hard way. His experience of the harsh and unforgiving environments of the lower leagues strengthened his resolve to be a success in the senior game, and gave him a greater appreciation of the toil it takes to really make it as a footballer. His undeniable talent was complemented by; commitment, hard work, dedication and a desire to better himself- qualities which I am sure were refined and developed during his apprenticeship in the lower leagues. He is now thriving in the top tier of the Scottish game. So much so, in a miraculous twist of fate, today Paul Paton started for Dundee United in their 3-1 victory over, you guessed it, Rangers at Ibrox. The result sent Paton’s side into the Scottish Cup Final, and typically, the combative 26-year-old was in the thick of the action in the Dundee United engine room, enjoying every minute against his boyhood heroes. When asked about his opinion on the failure of his former teammates to make the grade in the senior game, he said: “Murray Park was a good experience and it felt like a privilege at the time. Maybe the boys that went full time took it for granted, got too much too young and read their own press. At the time they were the best players in the county at their age. Maybe they never applied themselves and didn't work hard enough.” Although the national approach to youth development in Scotland has been notoriously archaic for a number of years, perhaps Rangers youth academy coaches and the Murray Park policy makers were especially negligent in their duty of care to diligently develop the potential of their youth team products. This is a quote from the clubs former chief executive, Martin Bain, given in a press conference in 2004, which seems to add credence to this conviction. He stated: "If I'm very honest, the focus was on the first team for most of the nine years that I've been here." Alarm bells should have been ringing when one of the most influential men at Rangers publicly denounced his clubs antiquated approach to youth development. The statement basically lays bare the brutal truth that the Ibrox powerbrokers abandoned the process of youth development in favour of procuring established talent for the 1st team for a close to a decade. This is in spite of the fact that fully three years prior to his comments Rangers spent £14 million on the plush Murray Park complex. When I quizzed Paul Paton about the success of Murray Park, the former Rangers youth stated: “As far as I'm concerned no real talent has came through Murray Park. The young boys playing in the first team wouldn't make the reserves in years gone by.” These damning comments seem to confirm that the supposedly fertile terrain of Murray Park, which should have been used to cultivate and maintain a dedicated and focussed philosophy, that prioritised, above all else, organic long term sustainable development, was instead turned into barren landscape after being sabotaged by the prevailing, and fundamentally unsustainable principle of investing in readymade success for the senior team. This subordination of youth development in favour of buying expensive foreign players the club couldn’t afford literally killed Rangers FC on 13th June 2012. The current incarnation in the club now trade is officially named ‘The Rangers Football Club Limited’. As a direct consequence of the fatal financial problems, which still plague the Ibrox club, they do not have any sort of scouting infrastructure in place at the club. No need to rub your eyes in disbelief: you read that last sentence correctly the club has no scouting network whatsoever. Unsurprisingly, this approach is the antithesis to that of Barcelona’s where the emphasis has been on consistently producing quality home grown players to complement the first team since the appointment of Laureano Ruiz, as the general coordinator of youth football for the club in 1974. From that point on, the overwhelming focus of youth development has been on cultivating a style of football based on the philosophy of possession play, through the marriage of touch and technique, as opposed to relentless running and physique, which prevails in Scotland. The long term result of this vision: the inimitable brand of ‘tiki-taka’ football played by all Barca teams from the academy to the Camp Nou. The talent conveyor belt, which continues to churn out world class individuals and sides such as ‘The Baby Dream Team’, from the La Masia breeding ground, could not be contrasted more sharply with the barren land of Murray Park. Whilst the Barcelona players are literally living out their dreams, the former Rangers youth prospects suffer the nightmare of tainted memories, broken ambition and bitterness that they failed, or were prevented, from truly fulfilling their huge potential, which was abundantly clear to anyone who watched their fantastic displays at the famous Willem II tournament. Ultimately, Rangers’ negligible approach to youth development was one of the main culprits for the creative cull of such a promising batch of players that went off the boil so badly, so quickly. But there were certainly other chief protagonists in this tale of woe and tragedy.

The Rangers boardroom battle has been a wee bit like watching an old war movie of late. Dave King is charging around the seas like a crazed Admiral, dropping depth charges and firing all guns blazing at HMS Rangers, the elusive submarine. Admiral King never seems to land a blow as the crew of HMS Rangers are always several steps ahead. Every now and then HMS Rangers launches a quiet torpedo that blows yet another hole in King’s rebel ship. Perhaps the killer blow came yesterday with a short statement from the club that, as planned all along, the 120 day review will be published and give skeptical fans an idea of where RFC is right now and what it has to do to get where it wants and needs to go. Fans expecting a document that will magic away all problems Rangers faces and others expecting a breakdown of how many paper clips each department at Ibrox plans to use over the next twelve months will be disappointed. These reviews are meant to give broad strokes, not minute details – at least the versions that will be on public display. Rangers being a plc means that the board is obligated to withhold certain information that may be price-sensitive in terms of share value. There should, however, be enough in the review for the average fan to get a decent picture of what could be improved upon and how this new board will go about it. If the board delivers this review on the 25th then it would only be reasonable to expect an apology from Dave King, who has raised anxiety levels unnecessarily recently by his pronouncements that the review would not come prior to the season ticket renewal deadline of May 6th. Particularly when King himself made it a contest between his own integrity and the board’s. Readers of my blog yesterday will be aware of the real integrity issue that fans have to mull over. Cynics may be forgiven for thinking that Dave King is actually the board’s secret weapon. His interference in the boardroom saga has galvanised thousands of Gers fans into buying season tickets and taking a more aggressively anti-rebel stance. Some in the rebel camp are clearly squirming every time King makes a pronouncement these days. Dave King is either the board’s secret weapon or he has kicked so many tyres it has damaged his brain. As a businessman he is only too aware of how preposterous the idea is that a responsible plc board would sign over its assets to customers – assets owned by the shareholders. It is arguable that AIM would block such lunacy if the board was daft enough to succumb to the proposal. And the very people proposing it accuse the board of emotional blackmail! There will be a hardcore of rebels and other gullibles who will give the South Africans their season ticket. But I suspect that many who are threatening to will crumble and join the masses who will renew. King will huff and puff and eventually head for home in his crippled ship while HMS Rangers will continue on its path back to glory. Full speed ahead for the mighty ship Rangers.

..................but Rangers still manage to buck the trend. WITH the majority of clubs in Scotland look like they are beginning to flourish once again, KEITH says Rangers seem unable to move on from the never-ending war for control that continues to rage on in the boardroom. SO now that the football’s finished for another season, where next for Rangers? Well it won’t be Celtic Park in May anyway. Dundee United made sure of that on Saturday when, even without hitting top form, they coasted safely into this season’s Scottish Cup Final on the back of a 3-1 win, secured at “neutral” Ibrox. Jackie McNamara’s wide-eyed bunch will now bound on towards Glasgow’s east end where they will be hotly tipped to finish the job against St Johnstone – despite the Perth side’s heroics in slapping down Aberdeen yesterday. By stopping the rise of the Reds dead in its tracks, Saints have already secured their own piece of history. A first Scottish Cup Final appearance now awaits them and they thoroughly deserve this moment, even if the rest of us were gearing up for what might have been an even more mouth-watering coming together of the New Firm. In many ways, the game up here was crying out for a United v Aberdeen final but even though they have been kept apart, the ongoing resurgence of these two old foes is perhaps a telltale sign that Scottish football might be getting its act together at long last. Despite the financial earthquake which reduced Rangers to rubble two years ago and the predictions of a devastating tsunami to follow, football in this country has survived its Armageddon. Yes, Hearts remain in a critical condition but it was downfall of Romanov rather than Rangers which visited this misery upon them. Crowds may have fallen at Celtic but any downturn in interest has been more than offset by the tapping into UEFA’s Champions League millions on an exclusive basis. Aberdeen, while licking yesterday’s wounds, can at least cling on to the League Cup for consolation. Motherwell are flying high again in the league, United and St Johnstone will now end the season as success stories one way or the other. It could even be reasonably argued that our national team and manager Gordon Strachan are feeling the benefit of the administration and then liquidation which led to Steven Whittaker, Allan McGregor and Steven Naismith setting off towards the top end of English football. Naismith, in particular, is beginning to look like a genuine star at Everton and could well be Strachan’s first-choice striker for some considerable time to come. All of which is good news. Green shoots are everywhere. Everywhere, that is, except at Ibrox. Because while all around them others are beginning to emerge from this long, nuclear winter and are even starting to flourish, Rangers continue to blow themselves to pieces. This club has reached a point where it now seems unable to move on, locked into a cycle of self-abuse. While this may be the source of endless amusement for some, maybe even most, those less blinded by their own prejudices can’t have failed to notice on Saturday what the Scottish game has been missing over these last two seasons. What most certainly has not been missed are the most offensive ditties from this support’s historic song sheet and those Rangers fans who indulged in them on Saturday continue to harm their own club. They ought to be focusing on a better future rather than returning to the bad old days of F***** this and F***** that. But, for the most part, the atmosphere created by both sets of supporters was utterly compelling. In fact, there was a pulse about Ibrox the likes of which has not been felt for some time. Even though some wish fervently for this club to be officially declared dead, the more rational must surely realise that a strong Rangers is good for business. United’s fans revelled in the occasion and in the opportunity to slap a long-term adversary back down. The atmosphere generated by these old rivalries made the match even more engrossing. In fact, this 90 minutes offered a tantalising glimpse of how things might be again one day. If ever, that is, Rangers are fit for purpose as a football club. Their problems on the pitch are obvious enough. Much remedial work is required to make this team a serious contender again but none of its problems are insurmountable. No, the real issues threatening the recovery of Rangers remain off the field where this never-ending war for control still rages on. Last night Dave King launched his latest thermonuclear statement at the current board, once again calling into question the integrity and honesty of those in charge. The very idea that this regime might be covering up the depth of the club’s current financial plight should appal a support which has been misled so ruinously by the likes of Charles Green and Craig Whyte before him. I asked in this column two weeks ago: “Can he (chief executive Graham Wallace) explain why he stood up at the club’s agm on December 18 and insisted robustly that all was well when, with the benefit of hindsight, the whole world can now see that plainly it was not?” Now King appears to be asking the very same question of the board and its CEO. With the situation deteriorating rapidly – and the sideshow distraction of the football all but over – it is time for these Rangers fans to decide in whom they would rather place their trust. If they do back the board, they must be prepared to do so blindly given that they have only three weeks left to renew their season tickets and still have not seen Wallace’s 120-day business review. Which would seem extremely foolish. On the other hand, if they back King then they must be prepared, in theory at least, to starve the club of the very money it needs to survive. Which would appear extremely high risk. The adoption of such a militant stance will raise the spectre of Administration II and bring many of these supporters out in a cold sweat. But the truth is this money will only be kept away from the club if the current regime remains intransigent and unwilling to secure it against Ibrox and Murray Park. There seems no logical basis for the board NOT to bend on this one. In other words, if the worse case scenario unfolded and Rangers were forced back under, the collapse will not have been caused by rebellious supporters but by a board that may need to be broken down completely for this club to be properly rebuilt.