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  1. http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12147393.html
  2. Just a quick heads-up for anyone who's interested to let you know that Gersnet's 3rd double page column in WATP magazine will be in Issue 7 which comes out at some point over the next week and I think it might even be available at the Alloa game on Saturday. In Issue 5 we had articles from Andy Steel & CammyF, in Issue 6 we had articles from Frankie & myself and in the latest Gersnet column for Issue 7 we have an article from stewarty titled 'Price sensitive information'. WATP magazine issue 7 will be available in your local newsagents and WHSmith stores across Scotland and Northern Ireland and also on sale on match days. It's excellent quality and value for money at only £2.95 and you can also subscribe to the magazine to have it delivered straight to your door. On their website there's also the opportunity to buy individual copies and back issues, so check it out here if you're interested - http://www.watpmagazine.co.uk/index.html Here's the front cover of Issue 7 so you know what to look for.....
  3. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30009546 Hibernian: Pat Stanton leads fans' buyout campaign Hibernian legend Pat Stanton is to head a new group that hopes to unite fans behind a bid to buy the club. BuyHibs is backed by the Erin Trust, Hibernian Supporters Association, the Formers Players Association and Hibernian Shareholders Association. Stanton has called for a meeting with Tom Farmer and want Hibs' owner to name his price for the club. "The BuyHibs campaign has the ultimate aim of buying our club," said the former Hibs player and team manager. BuyHibs campaign director Neil Wheelan "The club are failing on and off the park and the need for change has never been greater; the club needs a new direction with fresh drive and investment coming into the club." The group was formed following supporters groups meetings and a survey of more than 4,000 fans carried out by Supporters Direct Scotland. "We are in the fortunate position that the motivation for BuyHibs has not been generated from an emergency situation through a threatened insolvency like supporters of other clubs have been faced with," said Stanton. "We want to be in a position where we can make a positive contribution to the long-term position of our club and to be ready to buy the club when the opportunity arises. "We are asking fans to pledge to provide funds which will allow BuyHibs to drive positive change and to give an indication of what size of stake is achievable. "We are open to work with all Hibernian-minded people and groups who share the same goal. "As a first step, we call on Sir Tom Farmer and Rod Petrie to meet with us to find and promote a positive and sustainable change for the betterment of Hibernian and to provide Sir Tom with a clear and deserved exit from the club he has backed for many years." Hibs are presently playing in the Scottish Championship after being relegated from the top flight last season. Cowdenbeath's Callum Gallagher challenges Hibs' Matthew Kennedy Hibernian are in the Scottish Championship after being relegated last season BuyHibs campaign director Neil Wheelan said: "The club are failing on and off the park and the need for change has never been greater; the club needs a new direction with fresh drive and investment coming into the club. "The potential within the Hibernian fan base is enormous and this must be used to take the club forward. "The club needs sweeping changes to bring a new and more positive outlook and the required fresh investment. "It would appear that the current custodians have no desire to invest to move the club forward so we call on Sir Tom Farmer to remain true to his word and pass the Football Club, Easter Road Stadium and the East Main Training Academy into a community-backed vehicle that safeguards the future of all assets." In August, a consortium of investors claimed to have made a £3.5m offer to take control HFC Holdings Ltd, the company that owns about 98% of the Easter Road club. The fans survey by Supporters Direct Scotland, which has helped other clubs move to fan ownership, revealed that 84% of Hibs fans wanted the Edinburgh club to follow that path. Slightly less - 80% - also believe Easter Road Stadium should be safeguarded and that any change to that would require fan approval, while 68% said that they would be willing to join a membership scheme to provide additional income for the club. Andrew Jenkin, of Supporters Direct Scotland, added: "Supporters are the heart and soul of any football club and the BuyHibs campaign shows Hibernian have many passionate, knowledgeable and highly-skilled supporters who would like to be further involved in the running of the club."
  4. http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/latest/site-info/293-competition-win-a-savile-rogue-rangers-scarf Savile Rogue, purveyors of the world’s finest football scarves, have teamed up with Gersnet to give your the chance to win a cashmere scarf in Rangers colours. If you’re not familiar with them, Savile Rogue scarves give a nod to football terraces of yesteryear, shunning in-your-face logos and cheap nylon in favour of a traditional bar design and the comfort, quality and warmth of top quality cashmere. To get your hands on one, simply tell us what Rangers player was called up to the Scotland squad for the upcoming matches against Ireland and England? Please email your answer to info@gersnet.co.uk - competition closes on Friday 14th November at noon and the site administrator's decision is final! Please note, unfortunately this competition is only open to residents of the United Kingdom. You can follow Savile Rogue on Twitter or Facebook.
  5. ...from Scotland fans. THE former Scotland legend hopes that the Tartan Army give the two Glasgow-born players a rough ride when they turn out for the Republic of Ireland. GORDON McQUEEN has told the Tartan Army to give James McCarthy and Aiden McGeady pelters at Parkhead on Friday night. The Scotland legend is furious the pair will turn out in the green of the Republic of Ireland in their home city of Glasgow. Everton ace McGeady played for Scotland Schools as a teenager but switched allegiance at Under-15 level, qualifying for Ireland through his grandparents. Goodison Park team-mate and former Hamilton kid McCarthy was snatched from under the noses of Scotland as a youngster and refused to think again once he’d burst onto the scene. Scotland boss Gordon Strachan said he’s happy for the home crowd to jeer the pair and McQueen said: “I hope they get a horrible reception because they deserve it. I’ve got no time for these players. “You’re born in Glasgow but then you go and play for somebody else? What’s that all about? I’m not having that at all. I hope it’s hard for them coming back here with Ireland. “I’m sure somebody must have asked them to play for Scotland at some stage. You’re either Scottish or you’re not Scottish and you should know that by the time you’re 12 years of age. “I played alongside Bob Wilson and Bruce Rioch, who were born in England but they always considered themselves Scottish. That’s all I want. “If you feel Scottish you’re Scottish but I hate these guys who think, ‘I can’t get a game for England so I’ll play for Scotland’.” McQueen worked as chief scout at Middlesbrough under Strachan and is delighted to see the national team gaffer bounce back from the miserable year he endured on Teeside where he won just 13 of 46 games in charge. The 62-year-old, capped 30 times, said: “Why did it go so badly for him there? I think he underestimated the challenge. He’ll say that to this day. “He brought in all these guys he’d worked with at Celtic – Scott McDonald, Stephen McManus, Barry Robson, Willo Flood and Chris Killen – plus other guys from Scotland such as Kris Boyd, Kevin Thomson and Lee Miller. Gordon thought they would cruise the Championship but it just didn’t happen. “People within the club can understand why he’s doing so well now because they rated him and believed in him. “But I didn’t see him get down, even when things weren’t working out. It would take quite a bit to dent Gordon’s confidence. He’s the ideal man for the Scotland job. “Right now it looks as though everyone is on his side, regardless of results. They’ve been alright but what if we end up finishing fourth in this group? “I think we will qualify but I would be ashamed if we didn’t because just about everybody gets to these finals – 24 countries. Surely we can do that. “I think we’ll beat Ireland. Celtic had some very average sides at times but European teams coming to Parkhead were intimidated by the atmosphere there. “There are certain grounds where the crowd just gets to the opposition. As long as I live I’ll never forget playing for Scotland against Wales at Anfield in 1977 in the game that took us to the World Cup finals. That was intimidating. “It was bouncing with Scotland fans everywhere you looked, even though it was their home game. We didn’t play well that night but we still won 2-0.” Strachan’s side face a friendly with the Auld Enemy after the qualifier and McQueen, who scored in the famous 2-1 win at Wembley in 1977, added: “We’ll take the game more seriously. “England will have a lot of call-offs but we won’t.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/gordon-mcqueen-hope-james-mccarthy-4601708
  6. ALLY McCoist has been heavily criticised and, at times, even derided for having Rangers games postponed during the last year or so. Fans of all football clubs like to go and see their side in action at three o'clock on a Saturday afternoon - at home especially. So when a match is switched to a midweek slot, for whatever reason, it tends to annoy supporters. The logic behind McCoist asking for fixtures to be called off - that three or more of his players are away on international duty - has not been widely accepted. When the Gers manager last invoked SPFL rule G7 and had last month's scheduled Petrofac Training Cup quarter-final against East Fife put back it upset many. Centre-backs Bilel Mohsni and Marius Zaliukas were called up by Tunisia and Lithuania respectively. Northern Ireland, meanwhile, placed Dean Shiels on stand-by. All three men had featured in the first team in the 2014/15 campaign. But not all of them were likely to kick off the last eight tie at New Bayview. In fact, it was not inconceivable that none of them would play. Surely, a lot of disgruntled fans asked, the Ibrox club has a strong enough squad to be able to cope with a meeting with part-time opposition from the bottom division without Mohsni, Shiels and Zaliukas? For followers of other clubs, meanwhile, it was nothing short of laughable that the once-mighty Glasgow giants appeared to be running scared of minnows from Methil. McCoist will argue that it is his responsibility as manager to put out his strongest possible side on the park irrespective of how lowly the opposition team are. He will also point to the fact his side has won all four of the games he has had postponed - against Dunfermline, Forfar, Cowdenbeath and East Fife - this season and last. Yet, whether you approve of his stance in these situations or not is neither here nor there in the case of the Championship match with Alloa at Ibrox this Saturday. For the club board to decree the match goes ahead without consulting with their manager on the matter is alarming and suggests all is not well in the relationship between the two parties. Yes, the future of the troubled League One champions remains, despite Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley agreeing to loan them £2million last month, shrouded in uncertainty. And, yes, playing the game against Alloa this weekend as scheduled will certainly ensure that much-needed revenue comes in to the stricken club as normal. It should also prevent Championship leaders Hearts pulling further ahead of Rangers at the top of the second tier table ahead of a massive meeting between the two sides at Tynecastle seven days later. But the decision on the Alloa match going ahead was a football one and should have been taken by Ally McCoist and Ally McCoist alone. That it was not was a disturbing development and has set a worrying precedent. What's next? Derek Llambias ruling that Jon Daly deserves a start up front ahead of Kris Boyd? David Somers insisting the side should set up in a 4-5-1 formation instead of a 4-4-2? The absence of Mohsni and Arnold Peralta will not impact on Rangers as neither man has featured for the first team in weeks. The loss of Lewis Macleod, however, most certainly will. It is no surprise McCoist is considering asking Scotland boss Gordon Strachan to release the midfielder for the game if he is not set to be involved in the Euro 2016 qualifier with the Republic of Ireland on Friday night. Macleod scored one goal - his eighth of the campaign -and set up Kenny Miller for another in an emphatic 4-0 triumph over Falkirk in a league game at Ibrox at the weekend. He was also the deserved recipient of the man of the match award. The 20-year-old, then, will be conspicuous by his absence if he is not in the Rangers team against Alloa. He certainly has been whenever he has been sidelined previously this term. It was no coincidence the Light Blues drew 1-1 with Alloa away and lost 3-1 to Hibs at home when the talented youngster was injured. Five of the eight points they have dropped in the league this season have been leaked without him. Stevie Smith will probably get the nod to stand in for Macleod and will no doubt acquit himself with all of his usual professionalism. But he is a specialist left- back and is not a like-for-like replacement. Having said all that, if McCoist's men, who have now kept six consecutive clean sheets in all competitions, continue to play as well as they have done in recent weeks against Barry Smith's charges they should collect all three points. Their performance against a decent Falkirk side was assured. A Nicky Law strike early on gave them the lead and subsequent efforts from Macleod, Miller and Nicky Clark secured another victory. The backline of Richard Foster, Darren McGregor, Lee McCulloch and Lee Wallace was once again rock solid. Steve Simonsen in goals was rarely troubled by the visitors. Hearts edged out Raith Rovers - a side that Rangers had thrashed 6-1 a few weeks ago - by 1-0 through in the capital on Saturday and maintained their four-point advantage at the top of the table. But the fact that Rangers have won eight games on the spin, letting in just one goal in the process, is rightly giving them confidence they can catch and overtake their main rivals for promotion back to the top flight. You would think Ally McCoist, the man responsible for orchestrating that run of form and for overseeing Rangers rise through the bottom two divisions, would be deferred to on football matters. You would be wrong. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/ally-must-action-cap-call-offs-at-rangers-187907n.25814885
  7. ...then renew battle with English rival. RANGERS star Lewis Macleod is delighted to be in Scotland squad for Friday's clash with Ireland but he already has eyes renewing a rivalry with the Auld Enemy. LEWIS MACLEOD admits he has an old score to settle with the Auld Enemy. The Rangers striker was part of Scotland’s Under-16 side that lost 2-1 to an English team that included Liverpool starlet Raheem Sterling. The Victory Shield defeat in 2009 at Tynecastle provided a glimpse into the future – and fast forward five years, the two graduates will be reunited at Parkhead next Tuesday. Macleod’s promotion into Gordon Strachan’s senior squad for the double-header against Ireland and Roy Hodgson’s men is more about gaining experience than game time. But the midfielder insists he’s desperate to get up close and personal once more with Sterling – and hopes for a happier ending. Macleod was awarded the Young Player of the Month trophy for October and he said: “You could tell Sterling was going to be brilliant. “His career has really blossomed and he’s gone from QPR to become an influential player at Liverpool. “Raheem is different class. There will be teams looking at him in January. He’s the type you want to play against. “I would be delighted to get any sort of game time with Scotland but I know it’s not going to be a quiet match against England. But it would be a great experience. “There were thousands of fans at the Tynecastle game in 2009. “We lost because of a dodgy decision by the ref. “It was 2-1 but we scored first and played well. I was taken off after about 60 minutes but it probably was my fault for the first half. “Hopefully things go better in the next couple of weeks. “Back then I was nervous and it will pretty much be the same come the next two games. The atmosphere will be electric.” The meteoric rise from Murray Park hopeful to the brink of his first international cap has been stunning but Lewis admits there’s time for some of the class of 2009 to follow his trail. And the 20-year-old is adamant Strachan’s policy of promoting the kids is starting to pay dividends. He said: “There were a lot of good players in our Victory Shield side. Islam Feruz played up front for us that day and big Jack Grimmer was the captain. “There were a lot of players you expected to go on and do good things. There is no reason why they still can’t. “It just shows you how far I have come that I have been called up. “Wee Ryan Gauld wasn’t in the same team as me as he was a year younger. It is good to see the likes of Andy Robertson, Stevie May and myself getting called in. “It just shows you the gaffer is not scared to call up the young players. “I can’t see too many from that England U-16 team who have come through. There is a guy at Reading called Daniel Redmond who came on as a sub. And Nick Powell is at Man United and a good player. “But it just shows how long ago it seems as all of their team were sought-after players. “It takes an awful lot to reach the full England squad so all credit to Raheem as he’s been brilliant.” Macleod admits playing for his country at senior level was beyond his wildest dreams but that reality will come a step closer when he meets up with the rest of the Scotland squad today. He said: “You always have aspirations to do better. You don’t really think about that at the time as it looks such a long way away. “Back then I was only about 14 or 15 years old but it’s good that I’ve come through the ranks for both club and country. “This is the best week of my career. I don’t expect too much when I go away with the squad but just to be there and experience it for myself will be great. “It is a huge difference to go from playing Cowdenbeath the other night to getting a chance to play Ireland and England at Parkhead. “I haven’t spoken to Strachan. It’s my first time with the squad so I can’t expect to get a lot of game time. “Hopefully the experience can be beneficial for years to come. I will try my hardest so hopefully I can impress him and possibly be involved in future squads. There has been a change in the Scotland squad and it looks quite promising. The manager has them playing good football.” Macleod will also get the chance to meet a childhood hero when he trains alongside Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher. He said: “I wanted to be like Darren growing up. He was at the heart of things and it doesn’t get much better than playing for Man United. “He’s the type of guy I looked up to and you want your career to go the same way. So it will be weird to train with these guys next week.” If Macleod is given his debut he’s vowed to hang on to his first Scotland top. He said: “I might be greedy and keep that for myself.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/pound-sterling-rangers-youngster-lewis-4596946
  8. http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/rangerstv/item/8064-90-in-90-rangers-v-falkirk
  9. Very random topic but what are your memories of him? I was very young when he played for us but recall him being a decent player despite his size and was ruined through injury. Am I recalling correctly?
  10. Rangers Football Club have agreed a partnership with Mariposa Football Club, the Mariposa, California based soccer organisation. Mariposa FC coaches and players will have the opportunity to work with the Academy coaches of Rangers in both North America and Scotland. That will offer an insight into the player development program of one of the top Scottish Football Academies. The coaches are also invited to come to Scotland to study the Rangers Player Development Program. Part of the agreement will see Rangers North American Academy hosting a series of Elite Player ID Events with Mariposa FC during 2015/2016 season. Rangers will send members of their Academy staff to work with the players at these events. The best male and female players at these events will be invited to go to the Rangers National Camp. From this camp the very best will be invited to travel to Scotland and train with the Rangers main Academy. Mr. Adam Finney, the Director of Mariposa Football Club, said: “Partnering with Rangers is a dream come true. “We are always striving to re-evaluate our own process, to refine it for the modern needs of the players with whom we work -however we are also simultaneously striving to build culture, tradition and a passion for the game. “To partner with a club such as Rangers, who have all of these things and remain increasingly relevant in the global club scene, is a great opportunity for our young club." Mariposa FC were started in 2000 as a way for players in the remote area of Mariposa County to compete in club soccer. The original teams were chartered as off season training programs with various regional leagues. Mariposa were originally going to compete in US Club Soccer - this began with the local players being taken under the wing of Danny Cruz's Sacramento F.C. In 2012, it looked like there were enough players to form and charter the club with US Club Soccer and the application process began. Mariposa’s first year of competition in NorCal premier was 2013. Their mission statement is to provide high level player development opportunities for players in the remote regions of Yosemite Valley, El Portal and Mariposa. The club’s main focus is on development and players reaching their peak around the age of 16 or 17. http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/club-news/item/8036-new-north-america-partner
  11. What was/is their motivation for getting involved in Rangers? I've heard/read alsorts, such as they were 'sucked in' by Green and probably now wish they didn't get involved, or they were identified by Green to be his group's front after he made his supposed exit, or they were hoping to have sold up and been out with a good profit by now, or wanting some level of respectability that a Rangers director brings (or at least used too, what with the procession of chancers we've had lately), or even they are genuine Bears who want what's best for the club................ Interested in hearing opinions on why they got involved.
  12. Taken from FF, some details of the Ricksen game for anyone interested. Please forgive the spelling errors as the guy who posted it had his predictive text on! Fernando ricksen tribute match Sunday 25th of January. The game will be between Fernando ricksen rangers all stars v a rest of the world legends side. I can give you a update on some of the players I have confirmed so far For the rangers all stars we a goram.m ball. A human.l amoruso.m Andrew. B Malcolm. B konterman. B Ferguson.r latapy.t tugay.j albertz . p lovenkrands.t buffell.m Negri.r de Boer. N novo. G durie. R Wallace. M Mol's . For the rest of the world we have d bessant.r Lee.d anderton.s sedgley. A sinton.j beattie. Mat le tissue. T sheringham .d walker.they are all England internationals.and we have van bommel.and more Dutch German Italian internationals . This will be a great day . Also from other posts in the thread, tickets are £12 and £5 and should go on sale soon.
  13. Despite previous cancellations due to international call-ups, the Alloa chairman Mike Mulraney has confirmed to me on social media that RFC have said next week's match at Ibrox will go ahead as scheduled.
  14. ALLY McCoist today vowed to try and keep Lewis Macleod's feet on the ground after the young Rangers midfielder was called up by Scotland. McCoist was delighted Macleod was yesterday named in the 27-man national squad for the games against the Republic of Ireland and England. But he stressed the talented 20-year-old had "a long way to go in his career" and has to keep working hard in order to realise his potential. McCoist said: "It's brilliant for Lewis, great for him. I'd a chat with him and I'd spoken to Gordon on Monday. We are delighted and we all have high hopes for him without getting carried away. "We are genuinely pleased to see him get his first international call-up. "Can he make an impact in the squad straight away? I don't know. The Scottish boys have been doing well so that will be up to Gordon." Macleod, who helped Rangers beat Cowdenbeath 3-0 in a rearranged SPFL Championship match at Central Park, has been called up by Scotland despite playing out of position. But his manager believes the Murray Park youth graduate has benefited from playing wide on the left of midfield for the Ibrox club in the last two-and-a-half seasons. He said: "We don't have any doubt that his position will be central, but it's not doing him any harm learning his trade. "Longer term, he will be a central midfielder. But Lewis is realising it's about the team, not the individual. "Lewis was quieter against Cowdenbeath and that didn't surprise us as he has a long way to go in what will be a long and successful career." McCoist believes the win over Cowdenbeath, which cut Hearts' lead at the top of the second-tier table to four points, shows they are very much in the hunt for the title. And he has urged his players not to allow their attention to wander to the massive League Cup semi-final with Old Firm rivals Celtic in February. He said: "We didn't start very well, which is a contradiction as we scored a great goal. Our general play could have been better. "The second goal helped. Later on, we were fairly good. We grew into the game. "Cowdenbeath were very good, especially in the early part of the game. This is a difficult venue at any time, let alone a Tuesday night. "But getting the goals and the clean sheet was pleasing. We have to focus on the massive games of football before the Old Firm game. "We had to win to let the other teams in the Championship know and we certainly sent out a message that we are in the hunt." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/coisty-ill-keep-rangers-star-lewis-grounded-after-scots-cap-call-187313n.25781990
  15. CAMPBELL Ogilvie has reiterated the determination of the Scottish Football Association to seek clear answers from Mike Ashley, as the Sports Direct owner continues to increase his influence in the running of Rangers. Ogilvie, president of the SFA, said yesterday the association had written to Ashley – also owner of Newcastle United –looking for ‘clarification’ of his position, but said a reply had not yet been forthcoming. The tycoon owns 8.92 per cent of Rangers, runs the retail division and holds naming rights for Ibrox after buying them for £1 from former chief executive Charles Green. He also gave Rangers a £2 million loan last week. Hours before Ogilvie’s comments, it was announced to the Stock Exchange that former Newcastle managing director Derek Llambias was appointed to the Rangers board as a non-executive director, further strengthening Ashley’s position. Ashley has signed an agreement with the SFA that limits him to having no more than a 10 per cent stake in Rangers while he is in command at St James’ Park. The agreement is designed to limit his control over Rangers but it remains unclear if by appointing Llambias or Barry Leach – another of his close associates hired on a consultancy basis – would fall foul of that deal. Ogilvie said the SFA would continue to press Ashley for answers, and a possible meeting to discuss his intentions. “We’ve written to the club itself and to Mike Ashley looking for clarification,” said Ogilvie, a former general secretary anddirector at Rangers. “We’re waiting for replies to that and we’ll take it from there. We need more information at this stage. There could be a meeting. We wrote to them at the end of last week, we’re waiting for a reply. “That could lead to a meeting between the SFA and the club – and, indeed, Mike Ashley and his advisors. That would be the next step. Then we’ll take it from there. But we really need more information. “Fundamentally, the undertaking was not to go above the 10 per cent shareholding – and not to have influence in the running of the club. Fundamentally, that was it. “On the back of the movement last week, we’ve written asking for more information. Until we get that information, we can’t comment further.” Rangers chairman David Somers announced last week that Llambias had been brought in as a consultant but now the club has confirmed he has taken on official duties. The club’s statement said: “The board of Rangers announces that it has appointed Derek Llambias as a non-executive director. In accordance with Rangers’ Articles of Association, Mr Llambias will be subject to re-election by ordinary resolution of the shareholders of the company at the upcoming Annual General Meeting which is expected to be held in December.” Somers previously held non-executive responsibilities as chairman but took over day-to-day running of the club last week as he set about finding replacements for chief executive Graham Wallace and Philip Nash, the former finance director, who were both forced out after failing to stop the club accepting the £2m loan from Ashley. http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl-lower-divisions/sfa-seek-answers-as-llambias-joins-rangers-board-1-3591968
  16. Rangers draw Killie at home... Live on SSN at 2pm... Conducted by Campbell Ogilivie (SFA), David Coakley (William Hill) and former Metalurh Donetsk defender and Ireland internationalist Darren O'Dea. Another glamour event!
  17. ...Hibs and Hearts back to the top. GORDON STRACHAN claims Scottish football might need to engineer change to get Rangers, Hearts and Hibs back into the top flight. Speaking on Sky’s ‘Goals on Sunday’ programme, the Scotland boss said getting all three promoted is for the good of the game. This season only one team is certain of climbing up from the Championship. One other team could gain promotion via the play-offs but one club is guaranteed to spend another term in the second tier. Strachan reckons the hype at the impending Old Firm League Cup semi-final shows how much the game has missed the Glasgow derby. And he reckons finding a way to “manipulate” the leagues to get all the big guns back in double-quick time would be a good move. He said: “Somehow we have to get these three teams back. People say you can’t manipulate it, but I think you must to get them back in the Premiership. “Then the game will grow again, with the crowds and money and excitement.” On the Old Firm cup-tie, he said: “The top league has missed Hearts, Hibs and Rangers, so to get that fixture back is fantastic, as all the talk is administration and all the rest of it. “The phone-ins are filled with all these kind of things. We need Rangers back. They were punished and something had to happen but it’s left Scottish football short.” Rangers started again in the bottom tier while Hearts dropped out of the top flight after administration and a 15-point penalty. Hibs’ abject failure last season saw them relegated via the play-offs. SFA and SPFL chiefs may secretly agree with Strachan, but finding a fair way to do it would be hard to do. http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/530715/Gordon-Strachan-league-engineering-Rangers-Hibs-Hearts
  18. http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/289-is-donald-findlay-right-discussing-our-rangers-addiction Waking up to another Rangers controversy is nothing new. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Monday, a Thursday or a match-day, there’s always another Rangers related story to keep this ongoing farce alive. From the boardroom to the dressing room; from the small grounds in Scotland to the businessmen of Singapore; the bizarre nature of what has happened to one of Scotland’s proudest institutions continues to make waves wherever and whenever you care to cast a sideways glance. It’s impossible to hide from. Now, I’ve not read all of what Donald Findlay has said to journalist Stephen McGowan in today’s Daily Mail. The ‘debate’ surrounding about whether or not Rangers are a new club isn’t something which particularly attracts me. For me, the opinion of the law lords and football authorities is enough – Rangers is the same club with their history and successes intact from one company vehicle to the next. In many ways though, does it really matter what they or Donald Findlay think? I still follow follow Rangers with the same excitement and love I’ve always done. I always will. Many hundreds of thousands agree. However, and here’s the rub, some do feel differently and I can empathise with that. Why? Well, there can be various reasons. For one, the club’s reputation has taken a huge hit – doesn’t matter how fraudulent Craig Whyte and his associates' actions are proven to be, our club almost died. It doesn’t matter with how much disdain the Scottish football authorities, fellow clubs and fans and the Scottish media approached this fall from grace; we had to start again in Division Three. In that sense, of course the club’s reputation has changed forever. No Rangers fan alive has had to experience such a dramatic change in fortunes so it’s inevitable our mind-set has as well. Moreover, since administration, the situation has hardly improved. The Rangers brand (and tradition as well perhaps) is no longer associated with success and pride and honesty and hard work. Instead, embarrassment, dishonesty, manipulation, excess and fraud are now bywords for our club. Yes the team on the park may still be the team we love but unlike our fathers and their fathers before them, we’ll now forever have to associate on-field displays with the performance of the boardroom. Some may find it easy to refrain from such, but many others cannot. Not as long as the money we pay into the club can be withheld by companies with a somewhat different relationship. That particular landscape has changed forever; it’s undeniable. Moving on, and even within our fan-base things have altered for the worse. Small minorities they may be but the division amongst some fans is bordering on the obscene at times. Bear antagonising bear is not only counter-productive but downright bizarre. Disagreement can and should be healthy but some supporters have taken that to all new levels. In the modern era of online debate that may well be inevitable but it’s a change from previous times and it’s not a good one. These aren’t arguments in private RSC cubby-holes but very public fall outs which can be seen by all. They help no-one. Considering all the above, it’s perhaps more surprising to suggest anyone doesn’t approach supporting the club differently. To be clear, it’s not that our love has decreased or that our history and success has somehow been removed (such arguments are ludicrous) but that what has happened in recent years has changed us all forever. Indeed, it has to – we have to learn from our mistakes and ensure it doesn’t happen again. That’s not to say we can do so easily – we can’t – but if we try to hide from it then we’re no worse than an addict glossing over their dependence. To sum up, while I fundamentally and strongly disagree with Findlay in terms of Rangers still being the same Rangers, he is right to an extent. Of course the club is the same one we've all supported but there are elements of recent events which will have affected us all in different ways. Perhaps it's the divided fans taking each other for granted, perhaps it's the club's total disdain for our opinion, perhaps it's the media apportioning blame to the wrong people, perhaps it's the manager refusing to learn from his mistakes, perhaps it's the constant stress amidst the whole farce but no matter the issue, it has become very difficult to support Rangers nowadays. It should be fun, it should be a release from the everyday hum-drum but it's not - in fact I'd say supporting Rangers is just another daily stress and only our fans will understand just how bad it's been. For some, even someone like Donald Findlay, the challenge may be too much but shirking from his opinion won't help. To that end, if anyone has found the last few years hard then we should be working together to talk through our worries - not hide from or belittle them. Supporting Rangers isn't something you can turn on or off. It's an addiction which infects the soul. Thus, I'd say anyone who hasn't had their heart broken and their faith challenged is in the minority. However, broken hearts can be repaired and reputations restored. My name is Frankie and I'm an addict.
  19. ALLY MCCOIST considers what he interprets as the clamour for Rangers and Celtic to be drawn together in the League Cup later today to be proof of how much the Ibrox club have been missed by Scottish football’s top flight. The Ibrox manager was in impish form yesterday as he pondered the prospect of Rangers meeting with Celtic for the first time in nearly three years. The semi-final draw for the League Cup will be shown live this evening at 5:05pm on BBC 1 Scotland. Although Aberdeen and Dundee United make up the four teams involved, McCoist believes “everybody would look forward to the game” if Rangers and Celtic come out of the hat together. The clubs last met in April 2012, shortly before Rangers were forced to begin a trek back up the leagues after liquidation. McCoist has on several occasions talked of Rangers having to take their medicine. However, there is still clearly a sense of grievance being nursed by the Ibrox club. This was certainly discernible yesterday as McCoist claimed that few people would now argue the Ibrox club’s plight has not been detrimental to the Scottish game. “Gone are the days of this ‘we don’t need Rangers in the top flight’,” he said. “Sadly, because it’s too late, there is now a little bit of common sense being shown. It’s clear we do need Rangers, Hearts and Hibs in the top flight. “Gordon [strachan] is doing a fantastic job for the national team, but in the best interest of Scottish football we need our big clubs in the top flight. With Rangers being in the lower divisions there was clearly going to be no scope for an Old Firm game unless we drew each other in the cup. The majority of people, if we do draw each other, can actively look forward to an Old Firm game and I more than anyone can appreciate that.” “I’ve missed them and I think Scottish football has missed them,” he added. McCoist reckoned that “pig-headedness” would be behind some club officials involved in the events of 2012 refusing to acknowledge the damage caused to the game. During that bitter summer, Scottish Football Association chief executive Stewart Regan envisaged something he described as “Armageddon” for the Scottish game in the event of Rangers being voted out of the top flight. The other 11 then SPL clubs rejected Rangers’ application to rejoin the top tier by a unanimous majority. Later 29 of the 30 SFL clubs accepted Rangers as an associate member of the Scottish Football League but 25 voted for placing the newco club in the bottom tier, as opposed to the First Division. The Ibrox club started their journey back through the divisions with a 2-2 draw at Peterhead in August 2012. There has been no Old Firm clash since Rangers lost 3-0 to Neil Lennon’s Celtic side in April of the same year. The League Cup semi-finals are scheduled for the weekend of 31 January/1 February. “Knowing the pig-headedness of some of the people involved, no they won’t,” answered McCoist, when asked whether he felt some now regret how the the situation was handled. “But let’s be honest, was it for the greater good of Scottish football? Of course it wasn’t. It absolutely wasn’t. But we are where we are and things have happened. There is no use in looking back the way because we can’t change anything.” With his side having again made it into the last four of a national cup competition – they reached the Scottish Cup semi-final last season – McCoist clearly felt justified in adopting a pugnacious bearing. Rangers also currently sit in second place in the Championship and begin their latest Scottish Cup campaign away to Dumbarton in the third round this afternoon. He has, though, emerged from a week when his future was placed in question following the Rangers board’s acceptance of a £2 million emergency loan from Newcastle owner Mike Ashley. The decision led to the departure of one of McCoist’s chief allies in chief executive Graeme Wallace. Ashley’s increased influence led to the arrival of former Newcastle managing director Derek Llambias at Ibrox as a “football consultant”. McCoist said he had spoken to current executive chairman David Somers on Thursday and he had “kept him up to speed” about the changes on the board and the search for a new chief executive. He has not spoken with Ashley. But the manager seemed more vexed by the larger issue of the state of Scottish football. McCoist pointed to the thousands of empty seats at both Ibrox and Parkhead in midweek to illustrate how Rangers’ exile from the top tier has harmed the Scottish game. He proposed the notion that a Rangers v Celtic game would “fill the Maracana”. In contrast to comments made following his side’s victory over St Johnstone on Tuesday, McCoist appeared to will a clash with their rivals in the last four. In midweek he was quoted as saying he would prefer to avoid Celtic in tonight’s draw, comments that were interpreted in some quarters as Rangers running scared of Ronny Deila’s team. The Rangers manager welcomed the opportunity yesterday to clarify what he meant. “I need to explain myself because there have been one or two things written and said,” he said. “I am certainly not running scared or hiding behind the couch. I thought it was common sense what I was trying to say and I stand by that. “As everyone can see from the bookies, Celtic are 4/5 favourites, everybody else is 9/2,” he added. “Because the bookies are very rarely wrong I thought it was common sense that you’d like a shot at one of the teams at 9/2 in terms of enhancing your chances of making the final. There is no ‘I want to avoid Celtic at all costs’. That couldn’t be further from the truth.” Deila observed that Rangers were the weakest team left in the League Cup because they were the only non-top-flight side left in the competition. This comment, too, was given some consideration yesterday by McCoist. “I don’t necessarily agree with that but I can understand his point,” he said. “In normal circumstances he would be right. But in the last few years nothing has been what it seems in Scottish football. “You have three of the five biggest clubs in the country playing in the Championship. I understand Ronny but I don’t necessarily agree with him.” There was a glint in McCoist’s eye as he moved on to deal with John Guidetti’s comments after the Celtic striker scored three times in the 6-0 win over Partick Thistle. The on-loan Manchester City player was portrayed as issuing a brazen warning to Rangers, who he said were “going down” in the event of the teams meeting in the semi-final. McCoist noted his feat of scoring three times against Partick Thistle, who had defender Stuart Brannigan sent off just before half-time. He put Guidetti’s comments down to giddiness. “With the greatest of respect to John, I remember getting excited about my first hat-trick, but that was against 11 men,” smiled McCoist, who scored 28 hat-tricks for Rangers, the first coming in a League Cup final victory over Celtic at Hampden Park in 1984. “He’s entitled to his opinion and that’s the way it is. But maybe, just maybe, he’s got caught up in the excitement of scoring his first hat-trick for Celtic – which, of course, we congratulate him on.” http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/ally-mccoist-insists-the-top-flight-miss-rangers-1-3590826
  20. SUCH would be the frenzied hype surrounding the pairing of Celtic and Rangers in this evening’s League Cup semi-final draw, the fixture would hardly be in need of any sub-plots. But it will have one nonetheless, in the six-foot-four-inch form of Craig Gordon. The goalkeeper is currently revitalising his career in hugely impressive style for Celtic with a series of performances which have earned him a recall to the 
Scotland squad. The irony of the 31-year-old’s rebirth at Celtic, of course, comes in the fact it was conceived at the training base of their fallen Ibrox rivals. Gordon spent much of last season using the training and medical facilities at Murray Park while he sought to finally 
overcome a career-threatening knee injury. The former Hearts and Sunderland ’keeper admits he owes a debt of gratitude to Rangers for his successful rehabilitation and bears no grudges over their 
failure to offer him a playing contract, insisting they were right to strengthen other areas of their squad instead. “I think Rangers’ priorities lay elsewhere and in my view probably quite rightly so,” said 
Gordon. “That was their choice. They went the way they saw fit and personally I think they probably made the right decision. “I was there most of last season working with their physios and doctors and trying to get myself to a level of fitness where I could compete again and go back out and play. Thankfully, towards the end of the season, 
I managed to do that and then it was a case of trying to get myself a job. “The possibility of me joining Rangers was talked about but nothing was ever finalised or 
offered. Would I have signed for them? Who knows? Until it was presented to me, then I don’t know what I would have done. Going to Murray Park came through Jim Stewart who was my goalkeeping coach when I was 15 and signed my first 
contract at Hearts. “Jim worked very hard to get me my first contract and we obviously worked together at Scotland and at Hearts for a long time. We had that friendship and he wanted to try and help me get back to fitness. “There were no guarantees it would even work and that I’d get fit again. We said I’d give it a go and see what happened. Their help was invaluable. Without the Rangers physio Steve 
Walker, I might not be where I am right now. “They did help, undoubtedly, to get me to this point. I’ve 
spoken to the physio a couple of times but not that often and not that recently. Now being at the opposing club, it makes that a little bit more difficult but I’ll be forever grateful for the help he did provide. “I honestly don’t care who we get in the semi-final draw. I just want to try to win the League Cup with Celtic. It really makes no difference to me whatsoever. I understand the potential of an Old Firm match is a great 
talking point for everyone but we’ll see what the draw is and even then the semi-final is still a few months away. “It’s a fixture I’d like to experience at some point in my career and when it comes along, 
great. But until it happens, then it’s hypothetical. “I didn’t go into Murray Park trying to impress Rangers. I was probably quite selfish on my own part and just went in to try to help myself get back fit. Towards the end, I trained with some of the younger goalkeepers and maybe passed on a few tips and spoke to them but I was trying to get myself fit and that was it. “It’s difficult to be in a football club when you can’t train or take part in games. It can be quite a lonely place at times. If I could have got that level of expertise and facilities elsewhere, then I’d probably have stayed away and kept myself to myself until I felt ready to get back in. “I was out the game for two years and then a year at Rangers, the first six months of which was in the gym. Everyone was outside training and working away. There might have been one or two other injured lads but it’s not an easy thing to go through and mentally get 
yourself up for training when it’s only for yourself. “There wasn’t any money to be earned. It was just a question of whether I could get back to doing what I want to do. It feels good to be back at that level with Celtic and when you make a contribution to the team, it feels good. “It’s not just in training but when you go out and play games it gives you a sense of worth among your team-mates and they respect what you do and vice versa. It’s that sense of 
belonging to a team that you don’t get when you’re injured.” Gordon admits to both surprise and delight at the level he has returned to with Celtic, revealing at one point he was forced to contemplate an unlikely move across the Irish Sea. “I didn’t expect this to happen,” he added. “I didn’t even know where I’d fit back into football. I had teams on the phone from the Irish League and other part-time clubs. “I didn’t know how fit I was going to be. I didn’t know what level I’d be in terms of ability. That was something I had to prove to myself. If things hadn’t gone so well, even if I was fit, I might even have had to go part-time somewhere to get back in. “I didn’t have any targets. I just wanted to get fit and back into football and I’ve been fortunate to end up at a great club and my fitness is close to what it was before and I’ve managed to pick up where I left off. It all just 
fell into place that way, it wasn’t by design.” http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/craig-gordon-owes-his-resurgence-to-rangers-physio-1-3590830
  21. http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12135507.html In the name of George Alexander Taylor who seems to be a Morgan Stanley employee. I would assume this purchase is being made on behalf of a Morgan Stanley customer what do our financial experts think? Is this likely to be something significant?
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