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  1. With the Pre-season trip over and Hibs coming up a week on Tuesday I hope Ally has a good idea of his best XI and knows he needs to drop certain players. Having watched 3 out 4 games Id say around 9 positions are certain (IMO). The 2 areas of concern is centre half partner for Zaliukas and right wing / midfield. In defence Mohsni and McGregor have both looked shaky more so the latter. Faure hasn't been tried there so he is likely to play RB. Various players played right side - Aird, Gallagher and MacLeod with the latter being the best although he should be in the middle. Upfront it looks like Ally will play Miller and Boyd but Id be reluctant. Kyle Hutton and Lee McCulloch seem favourites of Ally's but they cant be starters IMO. Templeton hasn't done much on this trip but I still have high hopes. My preferred XI would be along the lines of the following with Gallagher the only one possibly changing: ________________________Bell________________________ Faure________Zaliukas_________Mohsni_______Wallace ______________________Black_________________________ ___________MacLeod__________Law_________________ __Gallagher__________Miller___________Templeton
  2. RFC Maybe we can talk about this without any unecessary snyde remarks about the board?
  3. BRIAN LAUDRUP today appealed to Rangers chiefs to patch up their differences with supporters - and work together to restore the Ibrox club to its former glory. Laudrup revealed he had been saddened to see the Glasgow giants continue to be plagued by off-field problems since dropping down to the fourth tier of Scottish football. The legendary winger had hoped the Light Blues would go from strength to strength after they emerged from their financial difficulties two years ago. However, unhappiness with a succession of directors and executives has steadily escalated as tens of millions of pounds of income has been squandered. Matters came to a head this summer when many fans decided not to renew their season tickets - until they received assurances over the future of the stadium and training ground. The bitter stand-off has resulted in vastly reduced numbers of supporters signing up to watch Ally McCoist's side in action at home in the SPFL Championship in the 2014/15 campaign. The club has now admitted that additional funding will have to be found to meet running costs in the coming season and another share issue will be held for existing shareholders later in the year. And at the weekend around 3,000 disgruntled fans marched on Ibrox in a rally organised by the Sons of Struth protest group to demand guarantees over the stadium. Laudrup still takes a keen interest in the fortunes of the Glasgow club, where he spent four years during a glorious spell in the 1990s, from his homeland in Denmark. He stressed he would like to see senior Rangers officials to do everything in their power to mend their fractured relationship with a sizeable section of their followers. Because he feels they need to work as one if the 54-times Scottish champions are to become a dominant force again in football in this country AND get back into European competition. His appeal came as Rangers announced they had set up a nominations committee whose job will be to draw up a shortlist of supporters to be elected to an official fans' board. He said: "I just hope Rangers supporters can look forward to watching the club playing at the level they deserve to be at in the top flight and in Europe once again soon. "I hope they will be back where they once were soon. That is what the supporters deserve. They love the club so much. I am keeping my fingers crossed that that is what is going to happen. "But I know there have been more setbacks along the way. I have read online there are still problems off the park and there are still issues between the club and the supporters. "I hope that these can be sorted out soon. The club need to have the supporters behind them if they are to get Rangers back to the level they should be playing at in Scotland and in Europe. "I think whatever concerns the fans have about the club and the direction it is heading in need to be looked at because Rangers need to have them firmly behind them." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/rangers-legend-laudrup-in-plea-to-ibrox-board-172466n.24818886
  4. RANGERS legend Brian Laudrup today revealed how his transfer to the Ibrox club 20 years ago today rescued his foundering career. Danish internationalist Laudrup put pen to paper with the Glasgow giants in a £2.5million deal back on July 21, 1994. The winger went on to enjoy enormous success over the next four years and helped Walter Smith's side to complete nine-in-a-row. He won the Scottish title three times, the League Cup once and the Scottish Cup once, and was also named SFWA Player of the Year twice. The skilful attacker is now widely considered by supporters to be one of the greatest-ever players in the 142-year history of Rangers. But the 45-year-old has recalled how his playing days were in freefall over in Italy where he had endured unhappy spells with Fiorentina and then AC Milan. And he has told how his father - former Denmark star Finn - had warned him that the transfer to Scotland HAD to work out if he was to revive his career. In an exclusive interview with SportTimes, he said: "I can remember a conversation I had with my father at the time I was going to sign for Rangers. "He said to me: 'Brian, this is going to be the most important switch in your career. This move has got to be a success for you'. "Up until then, I had been at Bayern Uerdingen in Germany for one year, Bayern Munich for two years, Fiorentina for one year and AC Milan for one year. "My father told me: 'If you want to be a successful player then you can't be finding a new club every season. You need to find a club and stay there'. "Rangers was that club. Joining Rangers turned out to be the best move of my career. I enjoyed every minute of it. It was very successful for me and very successful for my family. "It was the best four years of my career in terms of playing and the best in terms of my private life. I was happy in Scotland on the park and my family and I were very happy off it." This week in SportTimes Laudrup looks back on the circumstances that resulted in him agreeing to sign for Rangers 20 years ago. He reveals how he realised it would be the correct decision just a few minutes after meeting manager Smith for talks at Cameron House Hotel. And the Scandinavian, now a television pundit in his homeland, also tells of his distress at the off-field difficulties the 54-times Scottish champions have experienced in the last two years. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/laudrup-my-lifetime-debt-to-rangers-172216n.24803808?
  5. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/former-rangers-chairman-malcolm-murray-3886142 MALCOLM Murray last night broke his silence on the current Rangers board and accused them of failing the club’s fans by not granting them security over Ibrox. The former chairman hasn’t spoken out since the AGM in December when he and his fellow requisitioners, Paul Murray, Alex Wilson and Scott Murdoch failed to oust the under-fire regime. But Murray is now fully behind fans’ group Sons of Struth who marched to Ibrox in protest yesterday at the board’s refusal to give legally-binding assurances that Ibrox will not be sold or leased. Murray believes Gers chief executive Graham Wallace is powerless due to a split at the top of the marble staircase. After the 3000-strong rally yesterday, Murray told MailSport in a statement endorsed by Wilson: “It is now seven months since the AGM. “We have maintained a dignified silence to give Wallace a chance but he is being hamstrung by a board that is neither culturally or corporately equipped for the challenge at Gers. “Fans have been treated with a level of disrespect that would be unprecedented in any other consumer industry. “Why will the board not give legally-binding assurances over Murray Park and Ibrox? “We support the SoS march. We are also fearful over potentially distressing sale and leasebacks of both the stadium and the training ground. “New investment is required urgently. The incumbent board said they had new investors waiting pre-AGM but it hasn’t materialised. “The so-called corporate governance has seen the club lurch from one disaster to the next – and it appears unprecedented that such poor performance would not result in resignations. “This regime appear to be be backed by the original Charles Green and Imran Ahmad investors, desite claiming that they are new. “The fans clearly don’t want them as illustrated by the march and numerous red card protests in recent months. “I’m convinced that the blue chip institutions will not ‘reload’ without a new board in place.” Sons of Struth chief Craig Houston was delighted with the turnout of fans for the protest march between Kinning Park and Ibrox. He’s convinced there are now serious cracks within the Rangers board – and claimed they will never win the battle with the disgruntled fans. He said: “We had around 3000 people on the march which was terrific considering the severe weather. It was also the Fair Friday holiday so it was fantastic support. “John Brown joined us at the start and Nacho Novo met us at the end, a real boost for supporters. It’s great to see ex-players, legends at the club, supporting the fans’ efforts. “The board have said there have been 17,000 season-ticket renewals but having spoken to many of those people I’ve found it difficult to find any of them who trust this board. “So buying a season-ticket isn’t an endorsement of this board. “There is still a huge chunk of supporters who feel disengaged and want security given over Ibrox. We’re asking for legal assurances.”
  6. All That Glitters... Written by: D'Artagnan Saturday, 19th of July 2014 After penning my recent articles for WATP magazine, I didn't expect to be writing about HMRC again so soon. But of course as Rangers fans, if the last few years has taught us anything, is to always expect the unexpected. Except of course where BBC Scotland is concerned. Their decision to feature Angela Haggerty in a programme discussing Rangers and the big tax case was, disappointingly, completely in character for an organisation which appears to be unable to exercise any of the standards of journalistic integrity, it was once renowned for. Ms Haggerty's apparent inability to understand the anger of Rangers fans towards HMRC is an illuminating reflection of a wider journalistic community in Scotland who have comprehensively failed to grasp some of the golden nuggets the Rangers Tax Case has unearthed, and instead, for a variety of reasons, their attention has been drawn to that which may very well glitter, but alas, is not gold. Firstly though allow me to separate some of the wheat from the chaff, and attempt to qualify the anger of the Rangers support towards HMRC. It does not stem from their investigation and attempts to close the tax loophole which are EBT's, I think most Bears realise the blame for our club finding itself on the wrong side of an HMRC investigation lies with Sir David Murray and his willingness to involve our club in a scheme which had all the hallmarks of risqué, written all over it. Perhaps many, myself included, would be interested in the decision making process which caused HMRC to single out Rangers as the "test case" for EBT's, but that in itself is more about curiosity than anger. Furthermore HMRC's action over Whyte's failure with regards PAYE is perfectly understandable, the only caveat to that being why it took them so long to take action? The anger of the Rangers support stems from conduct by HMRC which suggests they have been negligent during the course of this enquiry, that they have deliberately prevaricated in their responses to concerns about breaches of confidentiality and have failed on a number of professional levels to both safeguard and implement the standards they set for themselves during the course of an investigation. Section 98 of Lord Nimmo Smith's SPL Commission Report makes reference to the confidential information obtained by BBC Scotland. The phraseology used in the report "which we understand were the productions before the tax tribunal" suggests that evidence from the tax tribunal has somehow been removed from its safe storage and passed onto a media organisation. Responsibility for the safe storage and handling of productions normally lies with the prosecuting authority. We therefore have the possible scenario of a professional investigative body seizing evidence in the course of their investigation, failing to secure that evidence properly thus allowing it to be removed and subsequently used by others to infer a presumption of guilt against the accused party whilst meanwhile, that same investigative body dismiss concerns reported to them about such leaks with the phrase "HMRC don't respond to speculation about alleged breaches of confidentiality". Perhaps the question needs to be asked of HMRC – "What exactly do you respond to?" But of course, none of the above offer any insight as to the source of the leaks which allowed another award winner, The Rangers Tax Case Blog, to captivate readers and the wider journalistic community with its regular exposures of sensitive and confidential information. Was the security of the tax tribunal evidence, for which HMRC were responsible, breached on a number of occasions or in one "grand heist" which subsequently fed this web blog with the information it so regularly shared? Or did the material come from another, as yet unknown source? Like many Rangers supporters I am struggling to understand why award winning documentaries broadcast on national television by national media organisations and award winning web blogs, both featuring appropriated confidential information concerning the Rangers Tax was met with the following response when concerned Rangers fans and shareholders highlighted them to HMRC: "HMRC don't respond to speculation about alleged breaches of confidentiality". Speculation and allegation? Quite simply this is totally unacceptable and it is incumbent on our politicians to seek an explanation from HMRC on what is increasingly looking like gross negligence by them concerning this episode. Furthermore it is not only those of us within the Rangers community who are struggling with this concept. At some point in the future, probably at the conclusion of the Police investigation into this matter, HMRC are going to have to provide answers to people who they cannot dismiss in the manner and with the contempt they showed for the Rangers support. This is where we must channel our anger - towards ensuring that a full and thorough investigation is undertaken and that answers are provided which explain the apparent failings of HMRC and makes those responsible accountable for their actions; or lack of action as the case may be. Do not let the Ms Haggerty's of this world tell you that your anger and moral indignation towards HMRC is somehow "unjustified" let us instead use that anger to press for a full government investigation into this matter. When the unknown becomes known, then and only then will we decide if our anger is justified or not.
  7. Wednesday, 16 July 2014 16:15 Rangers To Honour Sandy Jardine Written by Rangers Football Club RANGERS Football Club will pay a lasting tribute to the late, great Sandy Jardine by re-naming the Govan Stand in his honour. The Light Blues legend sadly lost his battle with cancer in April but is forever in our thoughts and the Club will mark his phenomenal 50-year contribution to Rangers by changing the name of the Govan Stand to the Sandy Jardine Stand. Sandy was based in the offices at the Govan Stand for many years when he returned to the Club he served with such distinction as a player so it is fitting this particular stand will carry his name. This dedication will be in place for the opening league game of the season against Sandy's former side Hearts at Ibrox on Sunday 10 August. His family will also be guests of the Club on the day and Sandy’s widow Shona says the honour is something he was immensely proud of. She commented: "My husband considered it a great honour and privilege to represent Rangers Football Club and I know he was extremely proud to receive this lasting tribute from the Club he loved.” Rangers Chief Executive Graham Wallace commented: "Sandy Jardine epitomised everything that is good about Rangers Football Club. He was a man of principle and class and his contribution throughout his career both on and off the pitch was truly incredible. "His achievements are unlikely to be seen again in the modern game and this is a truly fitting way to honour Sandy's memory. The re-naming of the Govan Stand will be a permanent tribute to a man who gave everything for Rangers. "He was a credit to Rangers for decades and his dignity, class and love for the Club shone through. We have lost a true gentleman but he will never be forgotten and everyone at the Club is immensely proud to re-name the stand in his honour.” Rangers Manager Ally McCoist commented: "There have been many great names associated with Rangers Football Club but I can think of no-one more deserving of this tribute than Sandy Jardine. "A Rangers legend in every sense of the word, he will always be in our hearts and I am delighted he will be remembered forever with this permanent tribute at Ibrox Stadium. “Sandy's achievements both on and off the pitch were second to none. He gave everything for this great club and we are all looking forward to paying tribute to him at the Hearts game next month." Sandy, a truly world class fullback, was twice Player of the Year in Scotland and a key man in the Club's Treble-winning teams of 1976 and 1978. He also featured in two World Cups, winning 38 caps for Scotland and made almost 800 appearances for Rangers scoring 77 goals in the process. He won three League Championships, five Scottish Cups, five League Cups and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1972 with the Light Blues and is rightly regarded as one of the greatest Rangers players of the post-war era. His contribution to Rangers since his return in the late 90s was just as significant as he epitomised the dignity, class, history, standards and traditions that are the hallmarks of this 142 year old institution. Sandy lost his battle with cancer on 24 April 2014. http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/7227-rangers-to-honour-sandy-jardine
  8. Last evening, watching BBC Scotland's piece on Rangers trials with HMRC, I wondered why Angela Haggerty was chosen to counter Craig Houston. The current on going gripe is with HMRC, where is their representative? How about one of any number of the usual suspects(a lot of them regular contributors to BBC Scotland) who rushed to put the boot into the club? Even a Mark Daly who won a prestigious award for his BBC Scotland documentary, 'the man who sold the jerseys'? BBC Scotland utilise considerable energy in maintaining their policy of, 'careful hate'. Cosgrove keeps up the ridicule, Spence pushes the envelope regularly, and the News Department never misses an opportunity to demonise and marginalise(who can forget the bouncing ball on perceived sectarian lyrics)? Careful Hate just wouldn't cut it, the momentum had been building among the Rangers support, harbouring a legitimate sense of injustice. Quelling such fires requires venomous hate. Angela has a long history of being supportive of Irish republicanism, including providing necessary mitigation on the awkward area of armed struggle. Angela has been all over the Rangers situation, like a rash. Lucrative too for Angela, as Editor of Phil McFournames collection of essays, entitled 'Downfall'. Angela would have been paid a fee for lat evening's appearance too. Now, Angela is a well practised contributor to social media and she is 'Friends' with lots, if not all the regular detractors of Rangers. I suspect a few BBC Scotland Producers liked the cut of Angela's jib yesterday : "the revenge frenzy being whipped up by the Scottish tabloids is shameful. They know what the Rangers culture is capable of" and, "Rangers are a social club for people still clinging on to a white British protestant identity that revolves around fancy dress". You can see the attractiveness of misrepresentation, the HMRC thing has become inconvenient; get Angela on to spit a bit of venom on to the frenzy. Remember, the tabloids are shameful, BBC Scotland is unfailingly moral.
  9. Fusion to Host Rangers F.C. (Scotland) in July Friendly Written by Danny Page One of Britain's great teams visits Ventura County for training camp, match on July 15th PURCHASE TICKETS HERE - http://www.vcfusion.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/Pages.Page/id/1076 Over the last eight years, Fusion has made a habit of bringing world class soccer to Ventura County, playing friendly matches against a handful of clubs from the English Premier League, as well as other teams from top leagues around the world. Today, Fusion is proud to announce an exhibition match against one of the UK’s most decorated and supported clubs, Rangers F.C. from Glasgow, Scotland. The match will take place Tuesday, July 15th at the VC SportsPlex in Ventura, California. Presale tickets can be purchased for $25 (Adult)//$15 (Youth 14 & under) at VCFusion.com, with ticket prices rising to $30 (Adult)//$20 (Youth 14 & under) at the gate on the day of the match, as available. Rangers F.C. has won 54 Scottish top-flight league titles, dating all the way back to the club’s first championship in the 19th century. “This is another special occasion for Ventura County Fusion to show it’s one of the west coast’s leading soccer franchises and bring a celebrated team to Ventura,” Fusion General Manager Ranbir Shergill said, “The match on July 15th against Rangers F.C. should be quite a thrill for our supporters, players, and soccer fans throughout Southern California.” Rangers last visited the United States in 2007, and are preparing for a key season in the Scottish Championship, the nation’s second division. Rangers will open their North American tour with a six-day training camp in Ventura before taking on Fusion. Rangers then head north to face Sacramento Republic FC on July 19. “The trip to America is a fantastic opportunity to re-introduce Rangers to the North American fans and I am confident the tour will be a success on a number of levels,” Rangers Manager and legendary midfielder Ally McCoist said, “We have a wonderful global fanbase and I am sure the members of NARSA (North American Rangers Supporters Association) will turn out in huge numbers at all of our games.” Ticket Availability and Pricing Tickets for this historic friendly are immediately available and can be purchased via phone (805) 830-8005 or on the team’s website, www.VCFusion.com. Tickets start at just $25 for adults and $15 for Children, with ticket prices rising to $30 (Adult)//$20 (Youth) on the day of the match. The match is expected to sell out, so please purchase tickets via the presale to guarantee your seat at the game. Rangers F.C. will be Seventh British Opponent Fusion has Faced With the upcoming match, Fusion continues its long-standing tradition of bringing renowned British clubs to the region. Fusion has faced half a dozen Barclay’s Premier League clubs over the years, including matches in Ventura County against West Bromwich Albion (2011), Swansea City (2012), Burnley (2009), & Portsmouth (2010). Fusion has also played exhibition matches against Everton (2008) & Manchester City (2011), although these games were not open to the public. About Rangers F.C. Rangers Football Club is steeped in tradition, has a rich and proud history and is a name that conjures up magical memories in the minds of thousands of supporters around the globe. The Light Blues are also one of the most successful club sides in world football - with a record-breaking 54 top flight League Championships, 33 Scottish Cup Final wins, 27 League Cup Final victories and one European Cup Winners’ Cup Final triumph to date. Rangers have made a number of memorable appearances recently in the UEFA Champions League, reaching the group stage 5 times in the last dozen years. During that span, Rangers faced a number of marquee European clubs including Manchester United and FC Barcelona. In 2008, Rangers defeated Panathinaikos (Greece), Werder Bremen (Germany), Sporting Lisbon (Portugal) & Fiorentina (Italy) en route to the 2008 UEFA Cup Final, a match they ultimately lost to Zenit St. Petersburg, 2-1, at the City of Manchester Stadium. Recently the Club won Division 3 and the Scottish League One title following administration. Since Rangers humble beginnings in 1872, the Club has earned a worldwide reputation and lifted many honors and accolades, including becoming the first club in the world to win 100 major trophies, a distinction earned during the 2001-02 season. About Ventura County Fusion The Fusion, established in 2006, plays in the Premier Development League (PDL) of the United Soccer League (USL). Considered one of the most successful franchises in the leagues history for multiple milestones. Since our inaugural season in 2007, the Fusion have reached the third round of the US Open Cup, claimed two Southwest Division Championships, and have been crowned PDL National Champions in 2009. Fusion has hosted training camps for more than a dozen Major League Soccer teams, and has met six Barclay’s Premier League clubs in friendly matches. Other past opponents include Chivas Guadalajara (MEX), Independiente (ARG), & GAIS (SWE). Fusion has also faced the national teams of Canada and Mexico as they prepared for major tournaments. http://www.vcfusion.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/pages.page/id/812/article_fuse/detail/aid/335
  10. ....and beat Celtic to one last Premiership title before I go. Kenny Miller has revealed his wish to retire as a Rangers player, ideally with the parting gift of one last top-flight winners’ medal as he plans to plunder more prizes before hanging up his shooting boots. The 34-year-old is back with the club for a third spell this summer and would like to make his return signing the 10th and final move of his nomadic career. Miller flew out to Los Angeles on Saturday as Ally McCoist’s squad embarked on a four-game North American tour that will take the striker back to Canada, where he starred for Vancouver Whitecaps in a previous pit-stop. For Miller, though, there is no place like the football home that he regards as Ibrox. Yet this is no comfort zone for the former Scotland international, who stresses his ambitions stretch further than helping hoist Rangers into the Premiership next May. He would love to finish his playing days with his current employers and, feeling fresh into a new pre-season, has no interest in setting a time limit on that. So he still has a top-flight title challenge within his career compass and a desire to add to the three Scottish Premier League medals he won for Rangers back in stint two under Walter Smith. Miller’s motivation on the first step towards that goal is to contribute sufficiently to a successful promotion campaign against former club Hibernian and Hearts so that he earns the optional year on his new Rangers contract. He’ll then take aim at bigger prizes. ‘You never know because if they kick me out of the door at Rangers after a year, I’d imagine I’ll still want to play on,’ said Miller. ‘But it would be my intention to finish up here. I’ve got a year with a year option, depending on games. So it’s pretty much on me. ‘As long as I’m fit, playing and performing then, hopefully, it will turn into another year. It’s going to take a good season this year for us to get there and then obviously some serious competition next year to get back challenging. ‘But that’s the aim for me anyway — to be back at the top of Scottish football where we belong. To top things off would be to win the league back in the Premiership. ‘Rangers shouldn’t go in to any competition thinking of accepting second best, so that’s what we’ll be aiming for next year if we get there. ‘I hope to be around for that. I want to play as long as I can. I feel strong and fit right now. Of course, only time will tell if the performances follow but, if I do that, then there’s no reason why I can’t be around for a bit longer.’ The highlights of Miller’s 67 goals in 147 appearances so far for Rangers were in SPL and Champions League competition. The second tier of the Scottish game, though, is nothing new to him. As an Easter Road teenager, he played seven games either side of a loan spell at Stenhousemuir as Hibs bounced back at the first time of asking in 1998/99. Franck Sauzee, Russell Latapy, Paul Hartley and Mixu Paatelainen were among the heroes of Alex McLeish’s team that year as crowds flocked back to Leith to see a team canter to the First Division title. Not since that campaign has there been such a buzz about the division now known as the Championship. As Miller recalls the year that one of the traditional top-flight teams had to claw their way back up, he admits he can’t wait to sample the curiosities of a season like no other as three giants of the game collide in an unfamiliar environment. ‘I made my debut the season Hibs got relegated and made a few appearances while the team was promoted,’ he said. ‘It was a big season for me. They brought Latapy and Sauzee — that pair must have sold 5,000 tickets alone each week, given the standard of players they were. ‘Hibs had a fantastic season. To draw those players to the club was phenomenal and what they went on to do was amazing. ‘A winning team on the pitch can create a fantastic atmosphere within the club and the crowds were up. I can see big crowds and huge games in this division. It’s going to be a fantastic season and one I’m really looking forward to. ‘To come back to Rangers not in the top division is incredible in itself but for Hearts and Hibs to be there also is phenomenal. I never thought I’d be back playing against them in the Championship. ‘It will be a competitive league and a big challenge for us. But it’s a challenge I feel this squad probably needs after the last couple of years. ‘No disrespect to the opposition Rangers have been facing but I feel the challenges coming our way this year will really raise the standards of the players we’ve got.’ Miller and strike partner Kris Boyd were reunited last weekend as both players got off the mark on a two-game Highland tour. The next phase of pre-season will involve the long-haul journeys to which he was accustomed as a Vancouver Whitecap. After games on the west coast of the United States against Ventura County Fusion and Sacramento Republic FC, Miller returns to British Columbia for a game against Victoria Highlanders a week tomorrow, before the final game with Ottawa Fury on July 23. He called Vancouver home for two years after joining the Major League Soccer side from Cardiff City midway through their 2012 season. Under the Scottish coaching team of Martin Rennie and ex-Scotland international defender Paul Ritchie, Miller helped guide Whitecaps to a first-ever appearance in the MLS Cup play-offs that year. However, he admits there were facets of professional life in Canada that he found difficult to embrace. ‘If you are a guy like myself who if he doesn’t win the weekend is ruined, then that side is not there so much,’ explained Miller. ‘You see others who don’t have that. It’s not that they don’t care — far from it — but just not as much as I did. ‘In Scotland, you lose and you don’t want to go out. It’s straight home on a Saturday, a Chinese and the X Factor. Here we live, breathe and eat football. Across there, it’s not quite as life or death as it is for us. I found that mentality towards it a bit hard to get used to. ‘This is not any slight on anyone I played with. It’s just the way they are brought up. This has been my life since I was four. Ever since I could walk, I had a ball at my feet. ‘I’d argue till the cows come home that it doesn’t mean as much to them, whereas it’s a way of life for us. That’s what I’ve come back to at Rangers. ‘Vancouver is a beautiful place and there are amazing cities to live in or visit for players going to MLS. ‘There’s a more relaxed lifestyle, so I can understand why people want to do it. I’d just say it’s a very different attitude to football. ‘I was grateful for the opportunity as it was something I’d always talked about trying. I enjoyed some aspects but not others. I was fortunate that there were British guys as coaches, we had good people in charge. ‘Being so far from home and away from friends and family is always tough, though. ‘Towards the end, I had an eye on moving home somewhere — and Rangers was always that No 1 option.’ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2690178/Kenny-Miller-exclusive-I-want-finish-career-Rangers-win-one-Premiership-title-I-go.html
  11. Did I hear the orange bloused presenter say Rangers were relegated and stripped of titles ? Could have misheard the last bit. Otherwise what a waste of time. Pity it hadn't been Forlanss or Bluedell or BH or some other articuLate bloke with a bit of expertise to argue the case. According to Haggerty Rangers didnaemwin the tax case, so they didn't . Fair enough. The HMRC appeal was for the most part refused. Slight difference but largely the same outcome. But, she says, there will still be money due to,the taxman so we'll all have to putmthatnin our pipes and smoke it. I reckon this dame has a future on Radio Bahgdad.
  12. A look at Europe's "second best" youth academy and how we can learn from it http://rfcyouths.wordpress.com/2014/07/08/fk-partizan-belgrade-youth-school/
  13. If Ally first wins championship, then the SPFL at first attempt? I make it about a 98% chance Rangers will win the championship this season, then about a 33% chance they win SPFL season after. So just about 2/1 Ally will do the unthinkable! Kris Boyd really is a master signing. Maybe Commons is better (2 guys called Kris!) but that's it. I'm sure you'll think…yippee then eat large quantity of humble pie. You know, I'm better in my job than I was 2 years ago. Maybe the experience in the lower divisions will have done Ally the world of good.
  14. well a few weeks with no rangers games and old compo is lost and to make things worse the world cup has wetted my appetite for footie I just hope we at ibrox play a passing and free flowing type of game something that will have the fans begging for more , lets hope .
  15. Don't think we've had a discussion on Boyd before. Certainly haven't had on whether I have been pro-Boyd. Long time posters on here will know I was his biggest critic. However this season I think we've seen a different player and I cant believe I would ever say that if we are being linked with him Id like him to return - mainly due to the position we are in. I still think he is a poor 'footballer' as such but he is a good poacher / scorer. 18 goals this season has kept Kilmarnock in the league until the final day and I wouldn't bet against him scoring today against Hibs. Looking at some of his goals from highlights and pictures I think we have got a guy who has matured late and realised what being a professional is all about. Ive no doubt his ventures in England, Turkey and USA (all of which were poor) has developed the 'person' Kris Boyd. I thought we wouldn't see him play again but to be edging towards a Scotland call up shows the hard work he has put in and he also looks far more fitter and stronger. Perhaps he thought he had made it when he came to Ibrox first time around and being part of Fergusons gang made him feel untouchable. If we was still a top flight team challenging for titles this wouldn't even be a thread but if we ever needed someone WANTING to prove his worth and banging the goals in the championship it might be Boyd now. If Ally could only find some tactical knowledge then playing Templeton, Macleod, Shiels and Law in creative positions then Boyd would score 20+ goals in the championship. But then again if Ally had tactical knowledge we maybe wouldn't need Boyd as Clark, Little and Daly may have got high tallys this season also and we'd be happy with them going into next season. I reserve the rights to retract this statement.
  16. millers back and it looks like boyds coming back anybody else you would welcome back I know I would like Henderson and Wilson on the wings ,this type of signing is not the way forward
  17. By Richard Wilson BBC Scotland Former Scotland coach Craig Brown still believes he was right not to pick Richard Gough for the national team. Brown, who was in charge between 1993 and 2001, will never disclose the reason behind his decision, insisting he will take it to his grave. Gough had quit international duty under Brown's predecessor Andy Roxburgh. Former Scotland defender Richard Gough Richard Gough played for Scotland at Euro 92, but fell out with Andy Roxburgh the following year Brown, though, resisted persistent media pressure to select him, and insists the decision was in the best interests of "team spirit". Gough never added to his 61 caps following the fall out with Roxburgh after Scotland were defeated 5-0 in Portugal in 1993. Brown was assistant manager at the time, but took charge of the team three months later when Roxburgh was sacked. Having worked closely with Roxburgh, and observed Gough at first-hand on several occasions on international duty, Brown decided not to select the defender, despite impressive form with his club Rangers, where he was captain. Brown has never revealed why he took that decision, even when there was clamour from the media and fans to recall the centre-back. He maintains, though, that he was justified in his reasoning. "Sometimes as the number two you learn more, or you hear more, and players confide in you because you're not the manager," Brown told BBC Radio Scotland's Managing Scotland series. "I watched and listened to what happened with Richard Gough, who I've got to say was an outstanding player. I didn't pick him because of what I saw happening, what I heard, and I thought, '[leaving Gough out] is going to be good for the team spirit'. "I've never disclosed the issue, and I've written three autobiographies. Everyone asks me. In fact, one of the big papers in Scotland said, 'If you tell us the Gough story, we'll give you a bigger serialisation fee'. "I'm not going into it. Richard knows, and Walter Smith, the [Rangers] manager [at the time], and so does David Murray [the Rangers chairman at the time], because he asked me and I had a lunch with him. "Yes [it will go to the grave], unless Richard wants [to explain it]… it's not anybody's business. I may have been wrong, and I'm not saying I'm always right. "At the beginning, it was [the biggest dilemma I faced], but I didn't bat an eyelid. I said, 'I'm going to do this job the way that I want to do it. If it doesn't include Richard Gough, we lose a few games and the press say he should be in, then that's it. I would rather do what I thought was right rather than pander to the media or to the club'." And Brown added: "The significant thing is that never once did the Rangers manager or chairman complain about me not picking Richard Gough. "If my argument had been weak, they would have slaughtered me because he was captain of Glasgow Rangers and you don't leave out the captain of Glasgow Rangers unless you've got good cause to do so. “They look for anything they can make a story [with]. There was so much inaccurate stuff, nonsense, and I was dismissive of it because I knew it wasn't true” "When I've seen Richard - and I've met him I don't know how many times since - there is never any aggro between us, we respect each other." Brown, now 73, is the longest-serving Scotland manager, and guided the national team to Euro 96 in England and the France 98 World Cup finals. However, he was branded a bigot and a love cheat by one Sunday newspaper during the course of his managerial reign, two accusations he vehemently denies. "They look for anything they can make a story [with]," he said. "There was so much inaccurate stuff, nonsense, and I was dismissive of it because I knew it wasn't true. "I don't know where [the bigot story] came from, the accusation was that I was favouring Rangers players over Celtic players. I got great support from Celtic and I always have had. "Kenny Dalglish was the manager there and he invited me over, and Peter Grant called and said 'I'm a witness for you', Billy McNeill wrote, 'If Brown's a bigot, I'm a ballerina', in The Sun. "[i am] not a love cheat either, that's not true, honestly. I just think it's horrendous that people should believe that is the case. "I used to get a highlighter out… there was one front page they wrote about me and there were 11 factual inaccuracies in it." http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27948434
  18. The BBC has learned former Rangers chief executive Charles Green is seeking financial support to launch a new bid for control of the Ibrox club. Green led a consortium which bought Rangers' assets in May 2012 and then raised £22m from a share issue, but resigned from his post last year. He returned for a short-lived spell as a consultant before selling his shareholding in the club. However, he has spent the last week in talks with potential investors. Rangers plan to launch a new share issue in a bid to raise in the region of £8m and if Green is to be successful he would need to convince existing shareholders to sell to a new consortium. Green, who held the same position at Sheffield United, stood down from the chief executive's position citing the "negative publicity" surrounding an independent investigation, commissioned by the club's board, into allegations of undeclared dealings with former owner Craig Whyte. That investigation consequently found no evidence of Whyte's claims that he was involved in the Green-led acquisition of Rangers two years ago. On selling his shares to Sandy Easdale, chairman of Rangers' football board, Green said: "I want to make it clear that this means I will have no ongoing influence or financial interest at the club but I remain a fan and fervently hope that Rangers will soon be back at the top where they belong."
  19. With Graham Wallace due to meet with a range of fans at NARSA this weekend In Toronto, Gersnet wanted to introduce a bit of fun ahead of proceedings with a business speak bingo card for fans to check off phrases which always appear popular amongst Rangers board members - past and present (though not often actually ever implemented). You can view the bingo card below. First to tweet us with the four corners or a completed line wins a bottle of Château Routas wine which we 'duped' Sir David Murray into sending to us.* Good luck to all! * - The prize will be available on receipt from Castle Grant, near Grantown-on-Spey c/o the Bank of Scotland.
  20. Friday, 13 June 2014 15:00 Hutton Extends Ibrox Stay Written by Rangers Football Club http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/7061-hutton-extends-ibrox-stay RANGERS midfielder Kyle Hutton has agreed a one-year deal with the club. The 23-year-old was out of contract in the summer but has now extended his stay at Ibrox having signed a new deal this afternoon. Hutton, a product of the Murray Park youth academy, has fully recovered from the injuries that reduced his playing time last term and will return to the training ground with the rest of the squad later this month to prepare for the 2014/15 Championship campaign. He said: “I am absolutely delighted to sign a new deal with Rangers. You never want to leave a club like this so I am over the moon to agree a new contract. “There are a lot of good midfield players at Rangers but I am confident in my ability and I will work hard to try and get a place in the team. “It was frustrating to miss so much of last season through injury but I am fully fit and ready to play a part in our rise back to the top. “I had a great pre-season in German last year and was feeling sharp but then I picked up an injury in training and that set me back. I have worked hard during the summer on my fitness though and I feel great so I can’t wait to get started again. “Next season is going to be an exciting one with Hearts and Hibs in the same division and they will be good games for the fans to look forward to. “I have played in some great games for Rangers in my career, the highlight was against Manchester Utd in the Champions League, and I want to help the club get back to the highest levels of the game once again.” http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/7061-hutton-extends-ibrox-stay
  21. Just wondering if anyone's heard anything about Steve Simonsen staying or leaving? I get the impression that he wants to stay, but that he didn't know whether he would be staying or leaving a few weeks ago. Then he was sent out to play for us in the Hong Kong Soccer Sevens.....
  22. Information from a few journalists now suggesting he will undergo a medical for us today after turning down a move to Hearts...
  23. Colin Stewart ‏@RFC_Colin 3h Every time I look out of my window another digger or portacabin has appeared Colin Stewart ‏@RFC_Colin 2h Broomloan car park being turned into a portacabin village. That's 7 and rising
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