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http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12183967.html Who in the name of hell thought up this idea ? Put in your notice and receive a significant increase in salary ?
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Scottish FA chief executive Stewart Regan is being considered for the Football Association's general secretary role, the BBC has learned. Alex Horne will leave the post on 30 January after four years in the job. The position was advertised last weekend and Englishman Regan, 50, is under consideration. Regan joined the SFA in July 2010 after four years working in a similar position with Yorkshire County Cricket Club. He succeeded Gordon Smith, who ended his three-year spell in the role for personal reasons. At the time, Regan said he aimed to "achieve the obvious common goal of improving the overall standard of the number one sport in this country". Then SFA president George Peat, who appointed Regan, said at the time: "Stewart's got a business background and that's what we're looking for. The SFA has a £30m turnover - it's a business we're running here." Regan has indicated previously that he would stay in the SFA chief executive role until Henry McLeish's report into the Scottish game has been implemented. Former first minister McLeish's two-part report in 2010 advised on changes to youth development and the governance of Scottish football. Since then, the SFA has implemented a performance strategy spearheaded by Dutchman Mark Wotte. However, Wotte left his performance director post in October, indicating he could do no more in the role. Scotland's national team have experienced improved results since Regan and the SFA board appointed Gordon Strachan to replace head coach Craig Levein in early 2013. The Scots remain in contention for qualification from Euro 2016 Qualifying Group D. The closing date for applications for the FA role is in mid-January. Horne spent 11 years in various roles at the FA and oversaw the opening of the £100m National Football Centre at St George's Park. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30470328
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“Give the fans some answers, Alistair” Dear Ally, We’ve known each other a long time. Back at the start of the 1980s, we were on opposing sides in a match between Brighton and Sunderland – and both of us ended up on the scoresheet. We later shared a room on a golf trip to Las Vegas and will forever be linked by our mutual involvement in the events surrounding Rangers’ liquidation in 2012, something I could never have envisaged happening. There have been a lot of questions thrown up since then. I would like, therefore, to make a public appeal to you for answers. Answers to the questions that have left Rangers supporters dazed and confused throughout the events of the last 72 hours. To read on the morning of a crucial Championship match that you had tendered your resignation was unprecedented. To subsequently see you refuse to either confirm or deny those reports was strange in the extreme. I understand sometimes individuals are bound by contractual obligation from communicating as freely as they might wish. In this case though, that simply doesn’t wash. For the support of a huge football club to be left in the dark about something as fundamental as whether or not their manager has resigned is totally unacceptable. So, the first question to be answered is – have you given your notice? And, if not, why didn’t you take the opportunity to shoot down the reports as nonsense? When you are talking about such an important issue, that has to be the course of action. Stability is crucial at any football club. When you are talking about Rangers, a club whose financial problems mean they have to win promotion this season, it is a necessity. Players need to know who their leader is and what, within reason, his plans are for the future. Secondly, if you have a desire to quit, then why not go now, under your own terms? Do as I did two years ago and leave Ibrox without seeking money to do so because you think it is in the best interests of Rangers Football Club. You were rightly given credit for the character and mental strength you showed back in 2012 and for staying on and making yourself a focal point at a time when the club was in complete disarray. You famously said then: “We don’t do walking away”. But what if it becomes the honourable thing to do – and practically the only thing to do? There is no way you or any of the coaches were responsible for blowing a two-goal lead at Alloa with 20 minutes remaining of the Petrofac Cup semi-final. That was down to under-performing players. But you do carry the responsibility for the results. You were given every financial advantage over opposition managers at every stage of this journey up through the divisions. Even with the wage cut you agreed to, you have remained the highest-paid manager in Scotland over this period. While the successive titles cannot be taken away from you, the failures of the current campaign threaten to sabotage so much of the progress made. Leaving now would allow a new man to come in and see if he can do better. You know we are not talking about any untried foreign coaches, but about men such as Stuart McCall and Terry Butcher. Former Rangers team-mates of yours, who you know have the best interests of the club at heart and who boast solid managerial credentials. As things stand, the club is not going to win the Championship title. Not with Hearts nine points clear and holding a game in hand. Many, in fact, would argue Rangers will do well to match the Edinburgh outfit’s points haul between now and the end of the season. Yet I believe that the extra impetus caused by a change at the top could make a huge difference. There is an almost chemical reaction that occurs when a new manager takes over a dressing-room. You’ll have seen that for yourself during your playing career, like when Jock Wallace replaced John Greig and when Graeme Souness took over from Big Jock. A galvanised squad would certainly have the ability to string together the kind of long winning-run which is now required to catch Hearts. This brings me to the last of my central questions to you – why is this Rangers team so bad? Men like Kris Boyd, Ian Black, Nicky Law, Jon Daly, Dean Shiels and David Templeton have all individually impressed in the Premier League. I could see why you signed them. Their collective floundering in the lower divisions surely must make you doubt what you yourself have been doing on the training ground at Murray Park? People might argue results are what matter. But the football your teams have produced has been uninspiring to watch – and that has been in games that you have won. It’s little wonder fans are staying away in their droves. You will know that a certain style is demanded by the Rangers supporters, who have been reared on the genius of Davie Cooper, Brian Laudrup and Paul Gascoigne. While everyone accepts the days of multi-million pound transfers are gone from Scottish football, it is not unreasonable for fans, who pay through the nose week-in, week-out, to be offered a decent standard of football. And it is not unreasonable to suggest that more kids should have been brought through from Murray Park to the first team over the past three years. When there is more drama to be found off the pitch than on it, then something has gone seriously wrong. That was added to when the news broke that you had tendered your resignation. You should follow that through by going this week, for the club’s sake – and yours. Yours, Gordon. http://www.sundaypost.com/sport/columnists/gordon-smith/gordon-smith-sends-open-letter-to-mccoist-1.736263
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Just been interviewed on Sky Sports News there. To quote - 100% committed. 100% will be in charge next week v Livi Got a job to do, to get back into the top flight Going nowhere So God knows what happened earlier today. Almost as if Ally knew nothing about it.
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...At Hampden today. Fee yet to be confirmed.
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So says Keith Jackson: http://t.co/auDoxxHRJp Not a lot of meat on the bones but not a surprise either.
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Reading McMurdos Blog today, even he knows Ashley will not invest. ''Rangers are sick at heart. The answer is a strong leader but there is no-one on the horizon who fills that role. Everyone involved is hanging on to their own sphere of power and influence at the club. There is no Willie Waddell, no Bill Struth or Jock Wallace to rally the Ibrox battallions and have them face the same way instead of train their guns at each other. Yes, there is Mike Ashley. I am confident that he will step forward and provide both leadership and funding to steer Rangers away from the rocks and back to ruling the seas. But in all honesty I have to say that the margins are so fine at this very critical juncture that he might do so just too late to prevent a shipwreck. And let there be no doubt – what’s left of Scottish football will drown in the wake." https://billmcmurdo.wordpress.com
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Suppose we find one point four million in a drawer at ibrox and wield the axe who should be our next manager and who should be his assistants . and who among the current squad would you like to see go in the January transfer window
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Thought this deserved its own thread. Hopefully further proof on the way of fraud committed against Rangers. https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/court-lists/list-chancery-judges -
Alloa were missing 9 senior players due to illness and injuries, some of their players were late in turning up due to work and traffic. Leading by two goals (despite how poorly we had played) with 25 minutes left and we go on to lose the game to a bunch of part timers. Add the fact that Macleod pulled out of the warm up but McCoist elected to play him just rubs salt into the wound (McCoist should be made to explain this decision).... all in all it all adds up to the most humiliating game in our history IMO. I'd love to wrap up the post by offering a soundbite that "at least it can't get any worse" but I'd be fibbing.
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LEE Wallace will miss out again when Rangers travel to Alloa tomorrow evening, in the Challenge Cup semi-final. The left back is still struggling with an ankle injury he sustained in training last Wednesday - had had been an ever present member of the side this season until he picked up this current knock. The 27-year old missed Gers Scottish Cup win over Kilmarnock on Sunday and has failed to recover in time for their cup clash at Recreation Park. Richard Foster replaced Wallace in the backline against Killie, switching from his usual right back role, with Darren McGregor slotting in on the right. Wallace has returned to light training but failed to recover enough to be part of Ally McCoist’s squad. McCoist said: “Waldo is still struggling but he is a lot better than he was at the weekend. “He could possibly have been involved tomorrow night but we don’t really want to take a risk over one or two things with him. “Apart from him we came through the weekend unscathed and everybody else is absolutely fine and ready to be selected for tomorrow evening.” Stevie Smith will serve the second game of his two match ban for violent conduct against Alloa. The defender was sent off against Hearts at Tynecastle but will be available for the Light Blues league game with Cowdenbeath on Saturday. http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/8186-wallace-out-for-alloa
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The Blue shirt is here! From the same team that brought your the Red and Black shirt and the Fernando shirt. Due to popular demand we have taken the decision to produce a shirt in blue in time for Christmas. The shirt is produced on a Nike base with the Lion proudly emblazoned on the breast. We have 500 in stock and ready to roll in time for Christmas. Each buying option online is linked to a stock control system which means we can’t oversell a size. You can buy safe in the knowledge that every penny of profit will go to buying a shares stake for fans in the club. For overseas purchasers - click on the button where it says UK £32.74 and a drop-down menu will appear with the various delivery zone options. The shirts are available from http://www.TheLionBrand.co.uk
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A few of our members and subscribers over the last year or so will remember that an English production company were aiming to put together a feature-length documentary into the experiences of the fans over the last few years coupled with help from various supporters, players and RSCs. I'm pleased to say that after around nine month's work, these efforts are about to be published by way of a 90minute cinema film (and DVD release) over the next month or so. SDMC Productions kindly gave me an opportunity to put together a short review of an early edit of the documentary ahead of the final release which now follows. At the outset I think it's important to note that the budget for this film was partially crowd-funded and, thus, quite small so I certainly didn't expect a Hollywood standard production. As such, if the viewer can tune their expectations to that level then they'll get more out of the experience. With that in mind, it's fair to say I enjoyed some aspects of the film whilst being slightly disappointed in others. Basically, the documentary follows and interviews a number of fans in their Rangers supporting rituals and experiences - some related to events since 2011/12, some of a more general nature. While it can be said that a few of the interviews are perhaps somewhat repetitive and occasionally bland, the viewer can't fail to feel the love these fans have for their club. As much as every Rangers fan supports/views the club in a different way, I could definitely feel an affinity in which the passion these guys follow follow. That passion is certainly aided by some of the (apparently expensive) archive footage contained in the video. Whether it's the goals from our Cup Winners' Cup win in Barcelona '72 or Lee McCulloch grabbing another winner against lower league opposition, I'll never tire of cheering them in. That glimpse of our continuing history should evoke pride in all of us. In addition to the footage, interviews with Dave Smith and Dave McPherson show just what the club means to former players as well. My edit didn't have the interviews with Gordon Smith and Alex Rae but I'm sure the final version will emphasise that player/fan relationship. Unfortunately, where the producers missed a trick was perhaps not concentrating a little bit more on not only where the club is now but why. In that sense, some of the fan interviews only very lightly touched on the events of 2-3 years ago and I feel a more in-depth examination of Rangers troubles may have been appreciated. However, on our forum, the film director did say they weren't overly interested in an exposé of what happened but I do believe more should have been made of why we are where we are now. Similarly, while the untimely death of Sandy Jardine and the Ibrox Disaster of 1971 are understandably juxtaposed later in the film, this felt rather clumsy. Taking these comments on board, while I certainly enjoyed parts of the documentary, for some, the content may be seen as superficial or overly sentimental. However, that's not necessarily a major criticism as supporting Rangers nowadays - be it the daily financial or legal analysis - can be a complicated and stressful process so perhaps a more simple study will provide a welcome antidote to the constant headache many bears have nowadays. All things considered SDMC have clearly worked hard to independently produce something our fans will appreciate and I thank them and all involved for their efforts. You can judge for yourselves when the DVD is released and you can pre-order this below on Amazon. Furthermore, we'll have an opportunity on this site to win a copy of the full-length release next month. Glasgow Rangers FC - The Blue Bear Rises (SDMC Productions) £14 - Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Glasgow-Rangers-FC-Blue-Rises/dp/B00O7QL29G
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Only too true, sadly enough: Express IMHO, overall Miller's done okay thus far.
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FUGITIVE Craig Whyte has been arrested in Mexico, prosecutors said last night. The former Rangers owner was held when scores of police swooped to execute an arrest warrant. Whyte, 43, is understood to have been living in the central American country for a number of months. A Crown Office spokesman said they would now take the necessary steps to secure his appearance at Glasgow Sheriff Court. A police warrant was issued two weeks ago in connection with Whyte’s purchase of the Ibrox club for £1 from Sir David Murray in 2011. A second warrant was issued by a High Court judge last week when Motherwell-born Whyte failed to appear for a trial at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Walter Smith and David Murray lead star witnesses called to give evidence at Rangers fraud case Crown Office officials will now examine the UK’s extradition treaty with Mexico. But it is possible the shamed entrepreneur could waive his right to challenge the proceedings and agree to the extradition. In recent days, Whyte said he would return voluntarily to assist police with their probe into the takeover. He said: “I will return to Britain at the beginning of December and hand myself in for questioning.” The SFA are also determined to see Whyte brought to justice over more than £200,000 in unpaid fines, although privately they admit they do not expect he will be in a position to pay. Three men who worked for Rangers’ administrators Duff & Phelps – Paul Clark, David Whitehouse and David Greer – appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court last week along with solicitor Gary Withey, who worked for Whyte’s law firm. They made no plea or declaration. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/incoming/fugitive-craig-whyte-arrested-major-4703408
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On Whyte's takeover. In the online DR edition
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Our boys have been hard at it; rest and reflection, no less LEE McCULLOCH is determined Rangers will react in the right way after suffering a barrage of abuse for their Capital collapse on Saturday. Ally McCoist's side crashed to a 2-0 defeat to title rivals Hearts, to fall nine points off the pace at the top of the Championship table. The Ibrox boss was the target of chants from a section of the travelling support, with many fans calling for the Light Blue legend to be sacked. Rangers are in action against Kilmarnock on Sunday as they look to book their place in the Scottish Cup fifth round and silence the doubters. Skipper McCulloch said: "There is definitely a sense of determination among the boys to make up the nine point gap. "We're not even half way through the season yet, so to say that we've lost the league now is a wee bit premature. "Obviously there is a bit of a gap there but it's one we need to look at and be positive that we can try and close it. "There has been a lot of criticism flying about for the team and rightly so. We need to use that as motivation to get back and close that gap. "There is still a lot of football to be played. We know that gap is big but it is not mathematically impossible and everyone in this team believes we can do it. "There has to be a fresh start from now. Sunday was a day of rest for everybody and then Monday was a day of reflection at Murray Park. "That is out of the way now and the best way to look at it is that this is a new chapter." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/ranger...917n.25878782? -
Rangers: Jon Daly urges team-mates to help manager out Rangers striker Jon Daly insists the players must raise their game to ease the pressure on manager Ally McCoist. The Ibrox outfit lost 2-0 to Hearts at the weekend, leaving them nine points behind the Tynecastle side in the Championship title race. McCoist received flak from some Rangers fans during the game and Daly said: "The players must take responsibility, once we cross the white line there's nothing the manager can do. "It's up to us to get results." The abuse aimed at McCoist was heard when he took off midfielder Lewis Macleod in the 80th minute, with Rangers 1-0 down, although the chants were quickly drowned out by support for the Ibrox boss. Hearts had taken the lead through Jamie Holt's strike, after Steven Smith was sent off for Rangers in 21 minutes for a reckless challenge on Callum Paterson. Rangers manager Ally McCoist Rangers manager Ally McCoist saw his side lose out in Saturday's massive match at Tynecastle Jamie Walker sealed the win with a late penalty to leave the league leaders in a strong position to secure the title. And Daly reckons the Rangers players need to step up as they look to close the gap on the Tynecastle side. "The manager can't do anything about the sending-off, it's something you have to adapt to," the Irishman added. "It's up to the players to make sure we win games for him and at the moment we are not doing that." Hearts remain unbeaten in the league but Daly retains hope that they can be caught. "It's going to be tough, no doubt about it," he added. "That's nine points and we only have two games against Hearts left, so it's out of our hands. "It's Hearts' to lose but we need to concentrate on ourselves. We have lost points we shouldn't have and we need to make sure that stops. "But I think there's still plenty of twists and turns to come and we need to try and close that gap as soon as possible. Hopefully if we do that they will feel a bit of pressure and drop a few points." Do you really think Ally will do the same for you if his job is on the line??
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A sneering piece that seems to relish in denigrating us. I can't say it is wrong though. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/opinion/sport/keith-jackson-cold-hard-cash-4683056? Keith Jackson: Cold hard cash will determine Ally McCoist's future at Rangers Nov 24, 2014 08:03 OPINION BY KEITHJACKSON KEITH says that cash has always been the answer to Rangers' woes but asks, will the club be able to fork out to the cash needed to axe Ally? IN the end it will all come down to money. That is the Rangers way after all. This is a club which through the years has gorged on a diet of hubris and largesse and which bloated itself with mantras such as, “For every fiver Celtic spend we’ll spend a tenner”. It might just be the only business in the history of insolvency events to have allowed this spend-at-all-costs mentality to survive the catastrophe of liquidation. It’s drilled down so deep into the club’s DNA that it has become the answer to almost every problem it encounters. Whenever Rangers are in trouble the default position is to spend more and buy their way out of it with another fistful of Aye Readies. Few have been so steeped in this tradition as manager Ally McCoist, who earned stripes as a homegrown hero at Ibrox in the days when money really did seem like no object. A £185,000 legacy of more austere times, McCoist not only survived the Graeme Souness revolution but went on to thrive in this new environment and whose phenomenal goalscoring exploits made him a priceless commodity throughout an era unrelenting cheque signing. Back then, McCoist was the exception to the rule. Today his fate is governed by it. Because the only bottom line that counts right now as far as the position of the Rangers manager is concerned is the huge sum it will cost to remove him and his backroom staff from the dugout. Even going by the most conservative of estimates, the costs involved in the bagging of the management team would run a long way north of £1m and right now that’s money this ravaged club simply does not have. The very notion that such vast sums could be ring-fenced for severance payments would certainly cause further distress to auditors Deloitte – who have still not signed off the club’s latest accounts and are fast running out of days in which to so do. In fact, in order for an agm to be held before the year end as Stock Market rules dictate, Deloitte really ought to publish these latest numbers by no later than Friday of this week. The under-fire regime would then have a further three working weeks before being shoved out in front of shareholders just days before Christmas. It is already a damning indictment of the state of the club’s financial affairs that Deloitte have so far failed to put their name to these accounts and the longer they dither the more reason there is for concern. The truth is, Rangers are right back on the brink even though many supporters took comfort from watching Mike Ashley muscle his way into total control of the board room earlier this month. Recent history shows that in times of Ibrox panic there is nothing like a billionaire – radar detectable or not – to settle a few nerves but now Ashley has powered his way into the box seat there are serious decisions for him to make. What Ashley’s minions, Derek Llambias and Barry Leach, have discovered since they were dispatched to Glasgow and placed on the board may well have horrified them. The Sports Direct man did not become a billionaire by funding lost causes and yet that’s what he is now being asked to do in order to satisfy Deloitte the club is able to continue trading. If Ashley is not willing to offer up guarantees for several millions of pounds Deloitte may have to “qualify” these accounts – a development that would prove disastrous for the reputation of almost any other company but which, given the state of all things Rangers, would merely add another layer to the farce. So far Ashley has agreed to drip feed Rangers with short-term loans in order to protect and strengthen his commercial contracts with the club. He has not just been saving Rangers with these handouts – he has been strangling them at the same time. Will he now be prepared to change strategy to fund them for the longer term because, if not, Rangers will be hurtling towards another insolvency. And, as major creditor, Ashley will be in complete control. But if, on the other hand, he opts to wade into this mess and bail it out for the long run what will that mean for McCoist? That’s the other question over which Ashley will have to chew this week because if he does decide to underpin this broken business he could also provide it with the cash needed to call time on McCoist. Ironically, that might buy him some goodwill among a growing group of Rangers fans who have lost patience with their manager and who, at Tynecastle on Saturday, voiced their desire for him to do walking away. Or a version thereof. That 2-0 defeat was the last straw for many and it might even be argued the majority of these fans have lost faith in McCoist now the football side of this business is finally getting serious and requiring urgent attention. They simply don’t believe McCoist can recover the nine points which separate his side from Hearts and some of them suspect he may not be capable either of gaining promotion to the top flight through the end-of-season play-offs. The single-minded McCoist, it must be said, will disagree entirely. Often over the past three years he has reacted angrily to any suggestion he is failing in his duties and I say that as someone who has felt his full wrath from the other end of a phone on many occasions. But, at the risk of another fall-out, I’ll say it all again. When Rangers first reappeared from insolvency in the lowest tier of the Scottish game, McCoist wasted an opportunity to reinvent his team and introduce it to a contemporary, passing style of football – much like the template Swansea used on their journey up through the various English leagues. Instead, in true Rangers tradition, he spent mind-boggling amounts of money on the recruitment of players who had no place operating at such a lowly level and who often looked as if they had no great wish to be there. But whether he stays or goes at this stage, with his journey not yet complete? That’s something only the money men will decide.
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I think we all know the answer to that.
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http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/rangers-blazers-war-dave-king-4670042
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...and says manager Ally McCoist is being 'hung out to dry' by the board. THE former boss gave a withering assessment of the men at the top of the marble staircase and claimed they’ve hung McCoist out to dry. WALTER Smith last night accused the Rangers board of making Ally McCoist the worst prepared manager in their history. The former boss gave a withering assessment of the men at the top of the marble staircase and claimed they’ve hung McCoist out to dry. Smith spoke out in strong support of McCoist in Glasgow in front of an audience of 750 at a question and answer session during a charity dinner. The ex-chairman accused the current regime of failing to back the boss and said boardroom instability is also hampering the team. Asked to reflect on the work of McCoist, who was at the event, Smith said: “Ally will need a little help – in the last three years he has had none whatsoever. “I was fortunate enough to be given great support by the likes of David Murray with the signings I was allowed to make. “People are casting aspersions on Ally’s ability but if I ever had doubts about him I would never have recommended him for the job. “No club can be successful until it is well run from the top, it’s the single determining factor in how well the team plays. “I wish Ally could be given that opportunity but it isn’t being afforded him. Ally is bearing up well under the worst circumstances under which any Rangers manager has had to work.” Smith also turned on former owner Craig Whyte when asked if he was still happy with his decision to step away from the club three years ago. He said sarcastically: “I was quite happy to leave Rangers in the hands of Craig Whyte – well, he was a billionaire, after all. “Where is he now? Costa Rica or somewhere? The wee b******.” Meanwhile, Dave King claims Sandy Easdale was as concerned with his seat on the board as investment in the cash-strapped club. Easdale has labelled the South African-based tycoon’s plan to invest £16million a phantom bid driven by self-promotion. The bus boss and Rangers board snubbed King’s offer and a £3m loan from Brian Kennedy, instead taking a £2m bailout from Mike Ashley. Now King has hit back and said: “When I spoke to Sandy on my recent trip to Scotland his main concern was whether, after investment by our consortium, he would still be involved with the club. “I confirmed we had no immediate intention to remove him or his brother from board involvement. This was clearly not enough to gain his support.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/craig-whyte-wee-b-walter-4665444 -
There was an interesting footnote to the Daily Record’s coverage of Ed Miliband’s attack on Mike Ashley over the latter’s penchant for zero hour contracts; commenting on the recent flurry of Police activity regarding the acquisition of Rangers by Craig Whyte, it read : “The warrant was issued on the day four men – David Grier, Paul Clark and David Whitehouse, who worked for Rangers administrators Duff & Phelps, and Gary Withey, who represented Whyte – were all detained by police in England acting on behalf of Police Scotland. They are due to appear in court tomorrow. Police Scotland, who are leading a joint operation with HMRC, said “inquires are ongoing” in to the whereabouts of Whyte.” What makes that footnote particularly interesting is that Police Scotland’s Specialist Economic Crime Unit are once again working jointly with HMRC. Some will remember that until recently the former were investigating the latter with regard to leaks of confidential information in the Rangers Tax Case although “they found no evidence that the leaks came from within HMRC”. Perhaps it’s unavoidable given the scope of the enquiry and the limitations on resources but does it not strike anyone else as peculiar that we now have a former suspect at the forefront of an investigation into our club? An agency which itself has been open to considerable criticism over their handling of the whole sorry mess, with serious questions being asked about their professional competency. We don’t need to do “conspiracy theories” when it comes to HMRC – the facts themselves suggest that there are considerable grounds for a government enquiry into their handling of the matter. The latest criminal developments only serve to add fuel to an already highly flammable topic. This after all is the same government agency whom:- 1. As per Keith Jackson’s Daily record expose` allowed Craig Whyte, a man they were already pursuing for tax related matters to the tune of £4 million, to assume control of a company and then fail to contribute PAYE for a period of 9 months and as a consequence forced the company into administration. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/ex-rangers-owner-craig-whyte-being-3992415 2. Treated complaints from Rangers shareholders regarding breaches of confidentiality in the Rangers Tax Case as “speculation about alleged breaches of confidentiality” whilst the platforms for the foregoing breaches, The Rangers Tax Case Blog and the BBC Scotland documentary – “The Men Who Sold The Jerseys” were picking up various awards courtesy of the confidential information they had broadcast. 3. Despite the investigation aforementioned by Police Scotland, have failed to explain how evidence in the Rangers Tax case, of which they were custodians, ended up in the hands of BBC Scotland. The remarks and summation by Lord Nimmo Smith in his SPL Commission Report have not been forgotten by the Rangers support, nor will the matter be allowed to rest until a sufficient explanation is provided as to how or who was responsible for such leaks. The Rangers support will welcome the latest flexing of the long arm of the law, not only from the sense of seeing some modicum of justice, but also a means of providing answers, long overdue answers to some of the questions this particularly dark period has caused. I doubt all will welcome such developments. The latest actions by the law enforcement agencies confirm what many of us have suspected for a considerable time – that our club has been used as the vehicle for a fairly elaborate and complex fraudulent scheme and in every sense is itself the victim of the perpetrators. It will be interesting to see whether there is a determination within our club to seek recompense, financial or otherwise, in respect of those who sought to punish the crime’s victim. The tale which will unfold if only half the story however. The decision making process at HMRC and their conduct into the investigation of our club is the untold story. The latter is a story which needs to be told and only a full public enquiry will suffice.
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http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/the-recovery-will-start-at-hearts-says-rangers-captain-mcculloch-188835n.25885771? McCulloch and his Gers team-mates were booed off the pitch by their own fans at Ibrox on Saturday after failing to beat the part-time Wasps. It was a terrible result ahead of the massive top-of-the-table showdown with the Jambos at Tynecastle this weekend It allowed Hearts, who beat Falkirk 2-1 away later that day, to pull six points clear at the top of the second-tier table. But skipper McCulloch, who thought he had snatched victory against Alloa with a second-half goal, is confident his side can beat the capital club. He was pleased with the way the League One champions responded to their 3-1 defeat at home at Hibs back in September. And the centre-half reckons Ally McCoist's side can get back to winning against Robbie Neilson's team despite Hearts being unbeaten in the Championship. McCulloch said: "We know the importance of the match. We were disappointed on Saturday and that has made it more important than it already was. "We are going to have to be ready. Tynecastle is always a hard place to go. But we are looking forward to it. "There is going to be a good atmosphere and we will be playing against a good Hearts team. They are very organised. "It is a chance to put right what we did wrong against Alloa on Saturday and I am sure we will be prepared. "We certainly responded to the defeat at home against Hibs in September. We managed to go on an eight-game winning run in all competitions. Hopefully we can do it again." McCulloch was at a loss to explain why Rangers failed for the second time in the campaign to beat Alloa, who equalised with a Liam Buchanan strike. "I honestly don't know what happened," he said. "We were scoring goals freely and keeping clean sheets at the back going into it. "We passed the ball all right at times and created some chances. But we didn't take them, simple as that. "We had a moment of madness after we scored our goal and we couldn't get back in the game."
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A super legend as a player but why is he allowed to still be manager....1 or 2 results could be swept under the carpet but the following shows he isn't the man. Peterhead 2-2 Rangers Berwick 1-1 Rangers Annan 0-0 Rangers Stirling 1-0 Rangers Rangers 1-1 Elgin Rangers 1-1 Montrose Stirling 1-1 Rangers Rangers 1-2 Annan Rangers 0-0 Stirling Montrose 0-0 Rangers Rangers 1-2 Peterhead Rangers 1-1 Stranraer Rangers 3-3 Stenhousemuir Raith 1-0 Rangers (cup final) Forfar 2-1 Rangers Rangers 1-1 Albion Rangers 1-3 Dundee Utd Brora Rangers 1-1 Rangers Ventura Fusion County (no laughing at the back please) 3-1 Rangers Rangers 1-2 Hearts Alloa 1-1 Rangers Rangers 1-3 Hibs Rangers 1-1 Alloa
