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Charlotte Fakeovers ‏@CharlotteFakes 3 Sep Despite the 5 way agreement published earlier, the SPFL are considering transferring the 250k fine from oldco to newco. https://twitter.com/CharlotteFakes

Glen Gibbons: Ally McCoist’s claim to have as formidable a squad of players as any club in the country outside champions Celtic would do nothing to dispel the impression that his tongue these days is quicker than his wits. The words had hardly left the Rangers manager’s lips when his side were beaten 3-1 at home in a closed-doors friendly by Hibernian, who could not reasonably be described as the galacticos of the SPFL’s Premiership. The former striker’s readiness with the impulsive, unconsidered response may be rooted in his history as a media-friendly figure. He has, after all, been what is known these days as the go-to personality for the telling quote for as long as anyone (including himself) can remember. It is possible that McCoist has become so practised in the art of filling space that he cannot break the habit. Even so, he has been steadily compiling what might be called a portfolio of outbursts, some of them grossly ill-advised and even dangerous. McCoist’s errant views began at Dunfermline two years ago when, without having seen the incident, he insisted that Steven Naismith could not be guilty of elbowing Austin McCann because “he’s not that type of lad”. Naismith, of course, was caught on camera and suspended. There followed the infamous “we want to know who these people are” demand in the wake of the review panel who sat to consider Rangers’ rules breaches in the wake of their entering administration. A similar noise was made over the question of Rangers being fined for their indiscretions while Hearts and Dunfermline were not. On both occasions, the SFA revealed that McCoist (and, in the latter case, his chief executive, Craig Mather) already knew the answers. Perhaps most seriously of all, McCoist declared himself “appalled” by the arson attack on the bus depot which housed Rangers’ new luxury coach, clearly implying that it had been carried out by rival football fans. The subsequent police investigation disclosed that the crime was not related to football. If these previous retorts are a measure of his judgment, there is unlikely to be a stampede of punters desperate to plunge on Rangers for the only “major” left to them, the Scottish Cup. http://www.scotsman.com/news/glenn-gibbons-scots-send-in-the-clowns-1-3081141

Reading elsewhere that Jim Spence when talking on radio today about us said "the club that died". Anyone on here hear the cretin say that?

One of my all time favourites, a son of Airdrie. Click the link to see the full interview from May last year. http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl-lower-divisions/interview-ian-mcmillan-airdrie-director-and-former-rangers-and-airdrie-forward-1-2319440 Interview: Ian McMillan, Airdrie director and former Rangers and Airdrie forward Ian McMillan remains a director of Airdrie United aged 81. Picture: Robert Perry by ALAN PATTULLO Published on the 26 May 2012 00:00 8 comments Email thisPrint this RELUCTANT star reflects on an enduring bond with Airdrie and life as a part-timer at Ibrox The McMillan family is deep into Olympic countdown mode as the days tick down to the Great Britain women hockey side’s first appointment, at the end of July. Ian McMillan, formerly of Airdrie and Rangers, is the grandfather of Laura Bartlett, one of only two Scots in the squad. He clearly believes she should be the focus of any attention, rather than his octogenarian self. This, however, is the Wee Prime Minister’s own question time. For any sports writer, an hour or so in the company of someone renowned for being one of Scottish football’s gentlemen is a dream assignment. In this version of PMQs there is no braying from across the room to have to endure either, only the pleasant hum of background chatter emitted by McMillan’s golfing crowd, who meet at the Airdrie Golf club each week to put to the world to rights. McMillan himself is slightly anxious. He is concerned that he has not got enough to say, and that, at age 81, no-one will want to read about what his views on the game any longer. He fears he is as relevant to present day football as Harold Macmillan is to contemporary politics. His near-namesake’s occupancy of No 10 Downing Street during the late 1950s and early 60s saw McMillan bestowed with his Wee Prime Minister moniker, one still employed by friends to this day. Having listened to him, however, it is not hard to understand why he is still a director at Airdrie United, as well as honorary president. It would be considered gross negligence if his influence had been lost to the game, and to his hometown club in particular, where he has also served as ball boy, esteemed player, youth coach and, for six and-a-half years in the Seventies, as manager. Sandy Clark, whose career started under McMillan at Airdrie, recalls never having heard the manager swear, something almost unheard of in professional football. That’s not to say he was not sworn at. The notorious Airdrie crowd did not even spare their own, although McMillan, whose managerial tenure included a Texaco Cup final appearance against Derby County and a Scottish Cup final defeat to Celtic, never had it as bad as some. “Do you know the old Broomfield?” he asks. “You had to walk from the pavilion right the way up to the dug-out near the stand, and at half-time and full-time you had to walk all the way round, and if you were losing you would get slaughtered – quite rightly, because some of the games we played were not very clever. “As a manager I got more abuse than as a player,” he adds. “One comment I always had a wee smile at was: ‘I think you should stick to playing McMillan!’” That he appeared for Scotland at all is notable enough. McMillan was a part-time player all his days. While this was not so remarkable in his first ten years as an inside forward with Airdrie, it became something to marvel at as he continued to hold his own after a £10,000 move to Rangers. He was the sole part-time player in a side that reached the semi-finals of the European Cup in 1960. “They could have given me the cold shoulder, but they never did,” he says of his team-mates. “They were very welcoming.” He does concede that working as a chartered surveyor from Monday to Friday did tend to compromise his performances on a Saturday. Given that many Rangers fans of a certain vintage rate McMillan as one of the club’s most under-rated players, it’s possible to wonder just how good he could have been had he been able to train with his team-mates each day, rather than with the youths in the evening? “I had to take wee rests occasionally,” he says. “That is what I maintain, if you are fit and able to do 90 minutes, then you can be a better player. And I think I could have been a better player. I only trained three nights a week as opposed to the others, who trained all week, so I had to rest occasionally in games. That was a fault. “If I had been able to train a bit harder, then looking back I could have been a better player,” he continues. “I could have lasted the game longer, I could have been in the game more often.” He made a conscious decision to remain part-time, and it was the sensible one at the time. He had had two young daughters, Laura and Lesley. The latter is now the mother of Scottish hockey internationalist twins Laura and Kay Bartlett, while the former passed on some of her father’s footballing prowess to Iain, a striker with Livingston. “I was 27 when I moved to Rangers, and I weighed up [whether to go full-time] and it was borderline,” McMillan continues. “If I had been 22 it would a different story. I would have gone full-time then. I had a young family, two wee girls. It was a big decision. I knew that I could get an injury, and be finished. My wife and I sat down and thought: well it is going not too bad the way it is, we will just carry on.” Making things slightly easier was a job switch from one side of West Regent Street in Glasgow to the other. “John Lawrence, who was chairman at Ibrox at the time, asked me to come over and work for him, so I was able to get away for games in Europe,” he says. “Prior to that, it had been difficult.” McMillan was thus free to star in the Ibrox side’s run to the last four of the European Cup, where they came up against Eintracht Frankfurt. “Our trouble was that even when we were abroad we played as if we were playing against Stirling Albion, we just kept going forward,” he recalls. “We were one each against Eintracht Frankfurt at half-time, but you could tell the writing was on the wall. They were a tremendous side. They ran over the top of us in the second-half, beating us 6-1, so the return leg was a bit of a non-event. We were a top side, and they whacked us 6-3 at Ibrox. I was interviewed on television afterwards, and they asked me how I thought Eintracht Frankfurt would do against Real Madrid in the final? Well after that experience, I said, I think they will beat Real Madrid!” Of course, the aristocrats from Madrid defeated the Germans 7-3 at Hampden Park, in one of the best remembered games in football history. McMillan watched on from the stand at Hampden, where he had already made three appearances for Scotland as well as enduring a 7-2 away defeat to England at Wembley. Unusually perhaps, of the six caps he earned with Scotland, five were won out of Airdrie. However, he struggles to make playing for Scotland sound like a happy experience. “We didn’t get good results,” he says. “It was not really as enjoyable as playing with Airdrie, my local club. But Rangers was the best of the lot. Great players, they made it easy for you.” Games against the amateurs of the United States and Denmark were the only ones he won, and McMillan sometimes wondered whether he belonged in such illustrious company as Lawrie Reilly and Gordon Smith. Reilly scored a hat-trick against the States that day at Hampden, in a match described as an “amusing interlude” in Andrew Ward’s Scotland – The Team. Two goals for Scotland within the first ten minutes killed the game as a contest, and the score was 4-0 at half-time. Making a mockery of the self-doubt McMillan says he experienced with Scotland is the late Bob Crampsey’s recollection of the day. Writing in The Scotsman in 1998, the respected football historian noted that “the team that had won 6-0 was never picked again yet I invite you to look in particular at the right wing, Gordon Smith and McMillan, two of the purest footballers this country has produced.” The US, whose centre-half Charlie Colombo wore leather gloves throughout the game, didn’t have a hope, despite an astounding 1-0 victory over England in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil. “They had played England, and beat them, we though oh oh, who do we have here?” remembers McMillan. “We had not a clue about them. Because they had whacked England we thought we need to watch ourselves here. Maybe that was a good thing. If they hadn’t beaten them we might have come out and think it was toffee. If you think that, it can rebound on you.” Still, it’s possible to detect from McMillan that he felt he didn’t belong in a Scotland jersey. “I moved from Airdrie to Rangers, not knowing what was ahead of me, worrying about going from a wee provincial club to a big club. “I maybe had the wrong attitude. You have to be a bit like Jim Baxter was, a wee bit arrogant, a ‘nobody is like yourself’ sort of thing. Instead, McMillan was the complete opposite to Baxter. “I had a slight inferiority complex,” he admits. “It’s not a good thing for a footballer.” McMillan considers Baxter to be the best footballer he played with, but his complaint about his team-mate is a familiar one in that he feels he could have been even better. “I couldn’t believe what I heard he’d been up to on a Friday night when I turned up on the Saturday,” McMillan says. Harold Davis, who played just behind him, is a different story. The Korea war veteran made the best of himself despite horrific wounds sustained in active service with the Black Watch. Recalls McMillan: “At the end of the game you would be in the big bath and you could see the scars on his tummy. You would think: ‘how is he able to full-time football at this level after what he went through?’ That’s the type of man he is. He used to encourage me, if things weren’t going well. “I always maintain that, because he was behind me, I lasted longer at Rangers. Harold won all the balls for me, and I said to him: ‘Harold, I am fine if I get the ball in a bit of space. As soon as you win the ball, I will be looking for it right away’. And that’s how we operated. “Football is all about movement, making space to get away from your opponent. I just needed a second, then I could get the ball under control and use it. That is what I was good at. I could get the ball and take men on and I had good vision, I could pass a decent ball. But I couldn’t header and I couldn’t tackle! I had deficiencies as well as one or two qualities.” His lack of inches meant he relied on his wiles to escape the rough and tumble of the game at the time, and the lightness he displayed on his feet was perhaps partly attributable to the Italian-style football boot both he and Ralph Brand preferred to wear, to the great suspicion of manager Scot Symon. “It didn’t have that bulbous toe which was common at the time,” he says. “You could get the feel of the ball better.” The knocks have, though, caught up with him, leading to a hip replacement 17 years ago which itself now needs replaced. The complaint, he believes, is a consequence of his preference for shielding the ball with what he refers to as his “largish bottom”, and which meant 18 years’ worth of heavy impacts from behind as defenders jostled for the ball. It has curtailed his golf outings, but he will be fit enough to watch from the stands as his granddaughter plays in a second successive Olympic games, this time in a rather more convenient location than Beijing. “I think I have been allocated a ticket,” he smiles, clearly proud that the Olympic ideals he espoused throughout his career – “to my mind there was nothing better, whether you had won or lost, than coming in after a hard game of football” – are still being upheld in a talented family.

I have one spare ticket for Airdrie on Friday night, don't have the details here in my office but I'll post later when I get home. I think it's £17 or £18. Anyone interested please PM me; first come first served. Could meet in town any day this week or on Friday at the ground.

@PeterAdamSmith: STV News understands Sandy Easdale bought 1.2million shares in Rangers today and Imran Ahmad is the seller. More on STV News at 6 next.

I love God's own county, Lanarkshire. Born'n'bred, it's home but it has a flaw. The deepest, darkest county does not have a decent curry house. This necessitates an occasional 40 mile round trip to the west end of Glasgow. Attending University thirty-five plus years past, introduced me to the culinary triumph that is Gibson Street. A thoroughfare that was the perfect sub-continent sandwich. The oldest puryeyor of curry in the country, the Shish Mahal at the top end, the then best, the Koh-i-Noor at the bottom. Neither are still located in Gibson Street, the Shish resides in Park Road and the Koh-i' fell into the River Kelvin a couple of decades ago and moved to Charing Cross. At seven bells last evening, we alighted from the Park Road establisment, entered our vehicle and heard BBC Radio Scoland tell us the good news. Atletico were one up at ra Stade de Gadd. It was half time and the match analysis could wait as Rangers financial results could be discussed. BBC Scotland's Financial Correspondent, Douglas Fraser was brought on to provide a sypnopsis. Then, Richard Gordon turned to Chic Young, yep that Chic Young to interpret the results. I felt a reflux of my bangan pakora as Chico insisted Rangers supporters were anxiously confiding in him and demanding he act as our conduit. Fearlessly, Chico wanted answers(on our behalf) on the date of the club AGM, "it's always at this time of year". Here's me thinking it's usually early Autumn. Anyways, Chico was now unstopable, "I want answers(remember, on our behalf) from Craig Whyte". Such insight from Chico's location ie trackside at the Brendanbowl. Seamlessly, Chico moves on to more comfortable ground, "Celtic don't deserve to be behind". BBC Radio Scotland's other two employees at the ground take their cue, Murdo McLeod tells the listenership, "before the goal, I saw US controlling the game". Wullie McStay chips in with, "WE were providing a high platform". It all concluded with Richard Gordon summarising the half time positions in the group, "OUR group looks like, eh sorry, of course I mean Celtic's group". There you go, in the space of a couple of minutes it was "US", "WE", and "OUR". How far do I need to travel from God's own county to receive accurate and objective broadcasting?

Gerspride Conference 2011 Saturday 12th November 2011, Ibrox Suite, Ibrox Stadium The Rangers Supporters Trust is delighted to announce our GersPride Conference will be held within the Ibrox Suite at Ibrox Stadium on Saturday 12th November 2011 starting at noon The Conference is open to all members of the Rangers Family and provides a much-needed space for fans to debate and explore all the issues around Rangers; about being a football supporter in the 21st Century, and tackling such thorny issues as the media and fans representation and ownership. SPEAKERS CONFIRMED:- Fraser MacDonald, Dundee FC Supporters Trust - What Administration Means For Fans and a Football Club Doctor Stuart Waiton, Take A Liberty Scotland - The campaign against the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Bill Professor Graham Walker, Queens University, Belfast - Writing About Rangers Interest in this event is likely to be extremely high so please book now. Tickets are priced at £5 each. Payment link for Gerspride tickets - http://tinyurl.com/Gerspride2011

Nikica Jelavic has handed Rangers a substantial boost by declaring himself happy and content to remain in Glasgow. The Croatian international striker was the subject of a £6.5million bid from Leicester City, followed by an £8m offer from an unnamed club, in the final hours of the transfer window. Despite the financial clouds cast by the clubâ??s exit from Europe and Wednesdayâ??s League Cup defeat to Falkirk, however, the £3.4m signing insists that he is happy with life at Ibrox. A scorer in last weekendâ??s Old Firm triumph over Celtic, Jelavic said: â??I know what was written about in the media, but no one said anything to me. â??Of course, itâ??s nice that there are clubs who may be interested in me. But I maintain again, I am happy to be playing at Rangers and winning trophies with them and I have won some cups already. â??If a club appeared and offered something that suited Rangers, and they were happy with the offer, then I would talk to them, of course. â??But I repeat, I am happy here and donâ??t want to leave Glasgow.â?? Jelavic was a second-half substitute at Falkirk after a pre-match fitness doubt and scored the equaliser before the Bairns went on to secure a famous 3-2 victory. Preferring to focus on last weekendâ??s 4-2 Old Firm victory, however, which stretched Rangersâ?? SPL lead to four points ahead of Saturday's lunchtime clash at Dunfermline, Jelavic was equally quick to credit the contribution of fellow scorer and strike partner Kyle Lafferty. He said: â??Celtic was a big result for us. We played really well, particularly in the second half when we ran all over the top of them. â??We could have scored more than four goals and we wasted a couple of excellent opportunities. â??It makes a big difference when you win the first of the Old Firm matches in the league. â??I am always fascinated by the atmosphere at Ibrox for these games and this was no different. â??I would also give special praise to Kyle Lafferty. I really enjoy playing up front with him. â??Heâ??s an excellent player and he creates so much space for me with the amount of running he does. â??Last season, we hardly got to play together because of injuries, but I have played beside him a lot this season and it has been great. â??Itâ??s a good partnership between us.â?? Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2041239/Nikica-Jelavic-pledges-loyalty-Rangers.html#ixzz1Yr25YDMU

All I want and have wanted ever since Advocatt left was for a team capable of controlling the ball , capable of passing the ball and capable of moving into space to recieve the ball . Now in the hurly burly world of the back water that is Scottish football that isn't required , here all we care about is passion , drive , desire , attitude, get in to them , but in Europe we are continually humilliated , for that is what happened tonight , especially the last 10 minutes . I really hope Ally McCoist survives this , I really hope Rangers survive ( I know its a stupid statement but you get my jist) ,unfortunately we have players who suit us in Scotland but are cack in Europe , there is no creative spark nor anyone capable of a killer pass or run , bar Jelavic, the clocks ticking Mr Whyte ,,,,,,,,tick tock tick tock

STEWART Regan is confident the Scottish Football Association's new disciplinary system, which takes effect today, can play a significant role in stemming the flow of negative headlines which blighted the game last season. Speaking at Hampden as he unveiled the Judicial Panel Protocol rule book which will form the basis of what Regan believes will be a "speedy, robust and transparent" replacement for the previous disciplinary procedures which were scrapped as part of the radical changes approved at the SFA's historic annual general meeting last month. SFA chief executive Regan is determined to see Scottish football portrayed in a more positive light in the campaign which kicks off today and has made his feelings clear to leading managers and players. To that end, it emerged yesterday that Regan effectively gatecrashed the Scottish Premier League's annual pre-season gathering of club managers and captains on Thursday to both explain the workings of the Judicial Panel and underline what is expected of those on the pitch and in the technical areas. "The managers and captains were told we are starting a new era," said Regan. "There is a clear message going out and they were reminded of their responsibilities. We want to make sure we are talking about the game of football this season. All of our club officials were also fully briefed on the new disciplinary set-up and they were both supportive and appreciative of the work done in such a short space of time to put it together. "I'm sure there may be teething problems as it's a brand new system. It won't be plain sailing but we will learn as we go along." A total of 205 disciplinary rules now come under the powers of the Judicial Panel, replacing the Disciplinary and General Purposes Committees which were subjected to so much criticism for both the expediency and effectiveness of their work. The SFA are currently recruiting a full-time Compliance Officer to lead the Panel. In the meantime, the role will be filled by a solicitor seconded from the SFA's lawyers. Any offences missed by a referee during a match will be referred to the Compliance Officer who will decide if there is a case to answer. If so, three members of the Judicial Panel will be called upon to sit on a tribunal for each case. Hearings will generally be held every Thursday, allowing the SFA to adjudicate on reported offences within a week, as opposed to several weeks or even months under the previous system. The Judicial Panel, which will ultimately have up to 100 members to call upon, will include club representatives, SFA council members, lawyers, private sector company executives and representatives from other sports. The three members for each tribunal will be picked on a 'cab rank' system, working through the list, to ensure no-one with conflicting interests can sit on any case. It was possible before for someone from a club in a certain division or league to sit in judgment on a case involving another player or club from that same division or league," explained Regan. "That isn't helpful and we have removed that possibility. "We are really pleased with the quality of individual we have for the Judicial Panel so far. Putting this system together, we have drawn on best practice from the disciplinary processes of Scottish Rugby, the Heineken Cup and both the FA and Premier League in England." Other notable changes include the end of the disciplinary totting-up procedure which saw players earn suspensions for accumulating points for bookings and dismissals up to an 18-point threshold. The new system will instead see players earn an automatic one-match ban after collecting six bookings in a season. Any appeals considered frivolous or merely intended to delay a suspension will see a further ban added. Among new rules introduced is one to deal with the increasingly prevalent issue of social networking sites used by managers and players. Any criticism of match officials through such a medium will be subject to a minimum three-match or maximum 20-match suspension. Further protection to referees is provided by a new rule making it an offence for any player or club official to comment about a match official in advance of a fixture. http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/Stew...-to.6806199.jp

.... so we may as well start celebrating now :cheers: -- Explain to me how Rangers are going to square their oncoming tax bill and I'll wager you could teach us how to nail jelly to a tree. Frankly I still don't quite comprehend how the Ibrox club's takeover has built a jigsaw puzzle picture of a sunny future. But then why listen to me? I never thought Craig the Whyte knight would get his hands on the club in the first place. So off we jolly well go into another season which has already fired up more questions than answers, with its embarrassing hiccupping start as the Old Firm take their sabbatical before the term has learned to walk. Of course I understand the desire - requirement, maybe - for the big clubs to go big buck hunting, but I still find it humiliating for the SPL that the big kick-off is followed by a couple of weeks of damp squibs as Celtic then Rangers throw the other clubs a deaf one. It's like getting married then bodyswerving your own reception. Rangers fans can't be full of the joys of life. All window shopping in the transfer market, but no real spirit of the shop to drop. Sure, they've been linked with more big names than Piers Morgan�but headlines don't mean signings. Ally McCoist once compared taking the baton from Walter Smith to accepting the microphone from Sinatra and of course he was right. But it strikes me that Nelson Riddle has just taken the orchestra off the stage too. He took the job because ultimately he had no option. But privately he must reflect that somewhere down the line there might have been a better time. Like Neil Lennon timed his run, for example. After the Tony Mowbray shambles, the only way was up. No fence sitting from your old reporter. I'll be stunned if Celtic aren't champions by the time autumn and winter have blown their last and dear spring is in the air once again. Rangers were champions last year because they deserved to be, not because of Celtic's spectacular trip at Inverness as they toddled to the finishing line. A title race is a distance event and it is never won or lost on any given Saturday afternoon or Wednesday night. But this time at Parkhead, I suspect the lesson will have been learned. Mind you, to be fair there hasn't been a run on the ink at Lennoxtown. Signings there too have been a collector's item. But the difference is the depth of squad already on the employment register. Atlantic deep: Rangers meanwhile have to set sail in a puddle. What we need them both to do is progress in Europe in their respective competitions, to ensure a little midweek action in the Champions and Europa Leagues. That would put a little light in our lives. And talking of a little brightness, why do I have a good feeling about St Mirren? It's a worry. This time last year I was insistent that they would be relegated and if not quite gloriously wrong then I looked like being spot-on for a fair few months. Scotland coach Craig Levein faces crucial Euro 2012 qualifiers But the signings of Gary Teale, Nigel Hasselbaink and Stevie Thompson and a general something in the air over Paisley - and maybe the strong drink - has me think better days are coming. And here's a thing as I juggle my feel good factors: Scotland - I think we might make it to Poland and Ukraine although hopefully not Donetsk, quite the dreariest place I have ever been. There, even the birds cough. Certainly the play-offs of the European Championship qualifying group beckon at least, where Lithuania's turning over by Liechtenstein opened the door for Scotland and a straight two-way fight with the Czechs for second prize to World Champions Spain. So let SPL battle commence, earlier than ever but still too late. We should have been back three weeks ago thereby allowing our European representatives some run-up to their ties and freeing up some time for the inevitable winter back-log of postponed games. And maybe even a January shutdown� Hey, but I'm not one to spoil a bright new dawn with a bit of mumping. But watch this space. �SPL champions: Celtic �Second: Rangers �Third: Hearts �Relegated: Kilmarnock �Scottish Cup winners: Hearts �League Cup winners: Dundee United

Quite possibly the craziest statement any Scottish club has ever made. Mad Vlad's taken it to a new level here.

ALI RUSSELL took the fast track to success under F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone at QPR. Now Russell wants to put the REAL Rangers in pole position for global expansion. New Gers owner Craig Whyte has made the ex-Hearts whizzkid his Chief Operating Officer at Ibrox. He'll chase off-field success while Ally McCoist goes for glory on the park. Russell, 39, says the lessons learned under billionaire Bernie will be crucial in moving the SPL champions into top gear. The man who will replace outgoing chief executive Martin Bain said: "I very much learned the Formula 1 model on football, working with people like Bernie Ecclestone, Flavio Briatore and the Mittals. "That's been very useful for me to see a parallel commercial environment being used in football and I think they had a huge amount of success in those sort of areas. "I've had a fair degree of involvement with football. "I've been part of two new management teams that have come into football and been very, very successful. "This is a fantastic club and it has got a fantastic fan base. "What we want to do is to take this club forward and today is the start of that. I'm looking forward to helping develop the brand of this club, not just in Scotland but internationally. "I think we've got some huge opportunities. "The club has been under some challenging financial circumstances over the last couple of years. I think, moving forward, we've got to challenge ourselves. "How do we generate more interest in Scottish football? "How do we become central to that? "It's very early days but we're looking at how we move Rangers forward considerably and I'm thrilled to be part of this new management team." Russell has a wide-ranging remit in the new regime. He plans to take Gers to every corner of the globe on a massive marketing drive. Celtic have already targeted the Asian and American markets and Russell sees no reason why Gers can't do the same. For too long, he argues, Rangers have been a selling club. Now he hopes to sell Rangers to the world. Russell stressed: "It's about looking at all avenues. "It's about looking at the real estate here. "How do we maximise that? Is it just a football ground used for football or does it have more uses? "Obviously, football is the core focus, but can we use the rooms on non-match days more effectively? "What do we do to grow the brand, where do we play as a football team? "How do we integrate international players so that we're building the brand? "Where do we go with our own broadcast rights? "There are numerous areas we are looking to investigate. "What are the core markets that we're going to be focusing on - and really focus and be strategic about that, so that we reinforce it every time we do a tour? "So we don't just go where the biggest cheque is - we look at growing a fan base in different areas of the world which strategically fit back very well into the club itself." Russell knows Rangers and Scottish football must rebuild its image after the shame of last season. He said: "There's a sense that Scottish football's reputation bottomed out last season. "I think if you look at the Championship, that hit rock bottom some time ago. "I think the league reconstruction that they had there had a lot of innovation at the time. "There's a huge amount of interest in that play-off game at the end of the season. "We've met with Neil Doncaster and I think the SPL are looking at a lot of innovative aspects to move Scottish football forward and we want to be part of that." Russell will now look to maximise income at every opportunity. He's determined to prove the Champions League gravy train is not the only one Rangers can hop aboard and he's hinted at a cross-border cup competition which Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are thought to be keen on. Russell revealed: "There's been a lot of talk about cross-border cup competitions. "Also the Old Firm game is a fantastic game. It's about making it the biggest rivalry in world football. "How do we ensure that without some of the negativity that maybe came to the surface last season? "Looking at a cross-border cup I think the League Cup over the last couple of years is one that's had some issues in terms of teams like Arsenal and Manchester United playing their first teams in the early stages of that competition. "A cross-border aspect to that tournament would most certainly generate a lot more interest. "It's not something that's necessarily been discussed at this point in time but should we be involved in those sort of discussions? Absolutely." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3653319/The-Ali-shuffle.html#ixzz1Q40HqBds

Lifted from FF I understand that Keith Jackson has been banned from Ibrox. The Daily Record has been asked to publish a full apology for the 'Coisty Cash Crisis' story which appeared today. The new regime is sending out a message that untrue stories about the club will no longer be tolerated. Watch this space.