Search the Community

The past few years we've been fed all sorts of stories from the press, online 'sources' and the club itself regarding our financial position We've had Ellis then Whyte look seemingly close to a deal. only for both to disappear like it never happened. The past two seasons Walter has publicly stated the bank runs Rangers, yet we've been told by the club we have a minimum payment that's easily within our grasp. Now January comes, our top scorer is sold and there's no sign of the squad being strengthened. Last year, financially, was a good year with the debt going down and profit posted. This year should be even better given our improved performance in the Champions League! So, why are we unable to beef up the squad? Why do potential buyers appear then disappear? Why does Walter come and say the bank runs Rangers when Bain has told us we have a new working relationship with the bank, which includes a workable payment plan. Not sure of the exact figures, but half our squad, or more, will be out of contract or entering the last six months of their contract this time next year - why aren't we sorting this out now? It seems we wait until the last minute and receive a minimum fee that won't give us much leverage in the transfer market. What about the rumours of the rabid tim on the board of Llyods bank? Lego has alluded to him on a number of occasions as has some online bears. Surely if it were true Walter or the club would make a play on it? With all this going on the club has on numerous occasions this season warned fans about their behaviour. It seems to be a focal point as if it's important. If the club had any sense of loyalty they would, IMO, sound out all the other offenders in football, case in point Celtic. The yahoos seem to act with impunity and nothing bar the odd snippet is reported. I think you'd have to be naive to actually believe they're not writing letters, sending emails or faxing the football authorities about us, in their effort to deflect attention away from them. They do it very well too. Furthermore, where the hell is Murray? He's still the owner and, IMO, accountable to the fans, particularly ST holders. Slight rant and I've probably went of at a tangent, or I'm reading too much into what's going on at our club. However, does anything seem to make sense at Rangers? Nothing smells right at the moment.

The following is from BBC Sport website .... looks to me like a clear pre-cursor to the deal falling through ..... but I suppose we continue to live in forlorn hope ..... By Alasdair Lamont Craig Whyte remains hopeful of concluding his proposed takeover of Rangers before the end of January. Whyte has been in negotiations with the current owner Sir David Murray since the middle of November. He had hoped to complete a �£33m deal before Christmas, but due diligence has taken longer than Whyte expected. Meanwhile, the Rangers Supporters' Trust chief has warned that fans could boycott Lloyds Bank if they continue to deny Rangers funds for squad building. Whyte considers the matter to be largely in Murray's hands at this stage, with Whyte's lawyers and accountants awaiting responses to a number of queries from the current owner. He expects that following a period of relative inactivity over the festive period, which he found frustrating, the pace of negotiations will now pick up. However, if Whyte can conclude a deal soon, he hopes to be able to help Rangers manager Walter Smith strengthen his squad. On Thursday, Smith bemoaned the current financial constraints at the club, stating that he would be unable to bring in new players unless he sold first. Stephen Smith, chairman of the Rangers Supporters' Trust, reiterated their stance regarding Lloyds Bank's involvement with the club. "The sooner Lloyds are disentangled from the running of Rangers Football Club the better," he told BBC Scotland. "I'm as worried now as I was last year when the manager felt strongly enough to publicly criticise the bank's role. "We've had a successful Champions League campaign, we're guaranteed at least two more European games, yet there has still been no change in attitude from Lloyds. "We're challenging for four competitions and that's why the size of the squad is a concern. "If the manager's saying we need help, why are Lloyds behaving in such a vindictive way towards Rangers? "If that begins to materially affect Rangers on the park, we will certainly look to take action to try to change that. "Getting the Rangers family involved in a boycott of Lloyds bank can't be ruled out." As of September 2010 Rangers' debt stood at �£27m. While Smith was allowed to conduct some transfer business in the summer - including the purchase of Nikica Jelavic for �£4m - his hands have been largely tied on that front for the past three seasons. The Scottish champions trail league leaders Celtic by four points, although they have two games in hand. However, as things stand, Smith will have to challenge in all domestic competitions, as well as in the Europa League, with the same small squad of players. Meanwhile, across Glasgow, rivals Celtic appear likely to bring in more players during the January transfer window. Champions League participation over the last two seasons has helped Rangers go some way to alleviating their financial problems. But failure to win the Scottish Premier League again this term, and thereby miss out on the lucrative Champions League, would reverse that trend and make things even more restrictive for whoever succeeds Smith as Rangers manager next season

From The Northern Echo. I think it's a real possibility he'll end up back here if Miller leaves in January however there's no quotes re Boyd in the article.

Cast your mind back to two years ago this January when Rangers accepted a multi-million pound bid for Kris Boyd from Birmingham City. Through all the run-up rumours and speculation I never once believed that Boyd would be leaving us and even had a bet on it with a fellow forum member. Even after the substantial bid had been accepted I still truly believed that Kris would be a Rangers player come the first game in February. While that belief turned out to be correct, it didn't mean much at the time other than my hunch/gut feeling being right for once and that I thought the whole Boyd soap opera that January was a bit suspicious. Now bring your mind back to the present day and this January our club accept a bid from Birmingham for our top goal scorer. This time it's Kenny Miller and yet again we have a rather prolonged saga that ends up with the player not moving to Birmingham after a bid has been accepted. Kenny supposedly couldn't agree personal terms... By now peoples' heads are starting to hurt while some of us are close to calling a Samaritans helpline. Serie A outfit Fiorentina were supposedly interested in Kenny, but mysteriously lost interest despite the player being available for a pint of lager and a packet of crisps? Incredible! If I didn't actually trust our club and our press I wouldn't believe it! In step our opponents from this season's Champions League - Bursaspor, who Miller scored against and in a very strange transaction for any football club, Kenny Miller is given permission to speak to Bursaspor and agree personal terms before an official bid has actually been made and accepted. Am I the only one who thinks this is extremely odd? Well, no matter how odd it might seem, Miller is in Turkey and trained with them yesterday, so given that he's supposedly agreed personal terms and we've supposedly accepted an offer 'in principal', it now looks like a done deal. If it were now to fall through at the last minute for some bizarre reason like all writing implements in Turkey and Glasgow spontaneously combusting before pen is put to paper I think some of us might be bordering on getting a little sceptical. Then again, we'd believe anything us fans, wouldn't we? So the Miller saga looks to have finally ended and here we are, two thirds of the way through the transfer window minus our top scorer. There's a definite split in the fans' opinion over the whole thing, with many saying 'good riddance' and equally as many, perhaps even more saying '�£400k?, what a joke!'. Looking at it from a slightly different perspective, we may well have just been literally robbed by the Bosman ruling because Kenny Miller was free to talk to any club he wanted to, but is the water a touch muddy regarding this? I was under the impression that players in Miller's situation were allowed to talk to clubs about a potential Bosman move and signing of a pre-contract, but not about personal terms relating to a direct transfer before an offer had been made for the player. Am I missing something here? Enough of the weirdness because we've got a potential problem: Minus Kenny Miller we don't have a proven goal scorer and we're midway through the season. We all hope that Jelavic, Naismith, Lafferty and others in our squad can step up and score the goals that help take us to our third SPL title in a row, but is hope enough or do we need to replace Miller with another striker? It's a very difficult question because when Walter Smith signed Miller nobody thought for a minute that he'd score as many goals as he has never mind become our top striker. What's to say that one of our other strikers can't step up and score a lot of goals? Well, none of us know and it's quite likely that Walter doesn't know either, so it comes down to a gamble. Ideally, Walter would have some cash to buy a player and would spend some time in the next week with his management team and our scouts (yes, scouts) deciding on some potential Miller-replacing targets, but is our manager actually going to be able to trade that pint of lager and packet of crisps which we got for Miller? If Walter is allowed to look for a replacement what should he be looking for? A cheap buy or a loan signing? Most of us would like to think that David Goodwillie is now out of the picture in the wake of his pending court case and Dundee United's general greed, so are there other cheap, but attractive options in Scotland? The only one I can think of is Leigh Griffiths who's apparently on his way from Dundee to Wolves for �£150k. Griffiths has a great scoring record in the 1st Division, but he's unproven at SPL level so could he be a cheap option and would it be a worthwhile purchase? Personally, I'd be pleased with a young striker like Griffiths joining Rangers, but even happier if our management pulled a rabbit out of the hat and signed a cracking striker on loan for six months to help us win another league title. The problem is that loan signings can be hit or miss just like footballers in general, but if there's one thing that's for sure, it's that we don't need another thirty-something slouch who's only interested in collecting a pay-cheque. It's over to you Walter - Do nothing, sign a bargain with potential or find the loan Ranger! . .

http://www.extratime.ie/newsdesk/articles/4795/ Cork youngster making his name at Rangers 0 commentsby Alan Smith Thu, Jan 20 2011 When Alan Smith first stepped in between the posts for Springfield Ramblers as a fresh-faced schoolboy at nine years of age, nobody would have imagined that shortly after his 17th birthday Rangers would hand him a professional contract. An Irish player signing for the club on the blue side of Glasgow might be very much a rarity in the footballing world, but itââ?¬â?¢s not the only unusual story in Smithââ?¬â?¢s rapid rise to prominence. Having originally made his name playing for Springfield and the CSL inter-league side, the Cobh-born stopper earned a deserved call-up to the Irish underage setup. Although there was nothing unusual about that, as a host of local players find themselves representing their country at various age groups every year, what soon followed was the first surprising turn in the burgeoning career of one of the most promising Irish goalkeepers around. After other teams around the country took notice of his authority in the area and terrific shot-stopping ability, Smith was approached by Dublin side Crumlin United to become their goalkeeper, not too long before a new rule was implemented by the SFAI blocking such moves. Nowadays, it is impossible for a player to sign for a club so far from his home, meaning long distance commuting to play football at underage level is now banned. Smithââ?¬â?¢s move, though, came before the ruling was introduced and he has reaped the rewards since he was spotted by the Dublin side. Firstly, the transfer meant he established an even bigger role in the international setup under the guidance of Sean McCaffrey, with arguably more emphasis placed on Irish scouts watching players plying their trade nearer the capital, before finally he was spotted by the Scottish club while starring for Crumlin. ââ?¬Å?I started with Springfield when I was six or seven,ââ?¬Â he says of his beginnings at the seaport town. ââ?¬Å?Originally, I was playing outfield but I finally moved into goal when I was playing at under-9 but then once I was about 11 everything started to happen for me. ââ?¬Å?I played in the Kennedy Cup then for the Cork inter-league team and an Ireland call-up came for a tournament called the Hibernian Cup. That call-up came just after I played in the Kennedy Cup, so for my first full international I was still playing at Springfield. ââ?¬Å?From the Irish games I played that year, the Crumlin manager spotted me and invited me to the Milk Cup in Northern Ireland to play and be involved for the week. That went well and it just kind of happened from there. I was then spotted by Rangers playing for Crumlin by a scout called Paul Hammond, and that would have been at around under-16 level.ââ?¬Â Moving to a big club cross-channel is always a daunting prospect, with droves of players failing to settle down due to homesickness every year, but Smith believes he has fitted in well despite the big change in scenery from the playing fields of Cobh and Crumlin to Rangersââ?¬â?¢ state of the art Murray Park base. ââ?¬Å?I was at some other clubs on trial, but there werenââ?¬â?¢t any other serious offers at the time. Just things like offering me another trial. To be honest, I settled in at Rangers fairly quickly,ââ?¬Â he says with an air of coolness. ââ?¬Å?I had been away from home a lot for the past few years so it wasnââ?¬â?¢t a major change. I had been on trial at other clubs since I was 13 and my first trial was at Nottingham Forest, so I havenââ?¬â?¢t found it hard settling in at all.ââ?¬Â That initial bedding in period was helped, of course, by making a solid debut for the under-19s in a pre-season game against Wolves just a short few weeks after signing. The result was a positive one too as Rangers ran out 3-1 winners. Since then, however, he has very much been an understudy to Belfast-born Wayne Drummond who was also signed last summer from Millwall ââ?¬â?? but with two years of a gap between them both, itââ?¬â?¢s not like thereââ?¬â?¢s any rush and Smith is quite happy with how things have gone so far. ââ?¬Å?Yeah, it was good to get that 90 minutes in pre-season and I think I have settled in well,ââ?¬Â he adds. ââ?¬Å?Iââ?¬â?¢m happy with my progress so far. I signed last summer, around July, and I have a two year contract here and Iââ?¬â?¢m happy with how Iââ?¬â?¢m progressing. All the players are brilliant as well, it was great to settle in so early after that game in pre-season.ââ?¬Â Despite the aforementioned attention from other clubs such as Notts Forest, after impressing in a couple of trial games in Glasgow, the youngster was offered a full-time deal and he accepted, becoming the first Republic international at any level since American-born Joe Lapira to sign a deal at Ibrox. Even New Yorkââ?¬â?¢s Lapira, who was handed one cap by Steve Staunton in 2007 and failed to make any impact in Glasgow because of injury, canââ?¬â?¢t be counted as Irish born so it places Smith in a unique list of players from the Republic to play in blue. Alex Stephenson, Alex Craig, James Lowry McAuley and Reuben Evans are the only other Irish-born players on record to have played for the club, making him only the fifth player south of the border ever to play for Rangers. Being part of such an exclusive group makes the move abroad even more special but Smith is, perhaps understandably, keen to play down the rareness of it all. He has a certain air of confidence in his ability though; you can hear it in his voice. He is entirely focused on just getting as far as he possibly can in the cut throat world of professional football and being in such a unique position at Rangers doesnââ?¬â?¢t seem to have any affect. ââ?¬Å?My ambition is to just go as far as I can and make the most of this opportunity that Iââ?¬â?¢ve been given,ââ?¬Â he concludes. And on the evidence so far, that could be very far indeed.

the performances of the youth players when called up to the squad this season have been a breath of fresh air. Ness, Wylde, Hutton in particular have all shown great promise and have never looked out of place in the first 11. Cole albeit one game and Fleck who performed very well last night against ICT are also in the frame. Thats half a team there. all have proved that they are good enough and ill wager will be contenders for regular places next season. So i hope smith keeps on looking to these boys and the youth squad when he thinks he needs a new player. You only have to look at the money wasted on the likes of lafferty and beattie who have provided scant return for their wages to know that it is a real gamble when you dabble in the transfer market at the level we can afford. These kids given our financial predicament are our future and we should be sticking by them, not buying middle of the road over the hill hasbeens that will give you nothing in return. we have everything we need at Ibrox. Its just sitting there waiting to be tapped, and will save us a fortune in the long run. and there is nothing more satisfiying as a fan than watching someone make it through the ranks. Save your money walter and play as many of theses kids as you can.

He's handed in a tranfer request at Sunderland because Villa have made/will make a �£18m transfer bid for him. The fee could rise to �£24m according to SSN. Ridiculous amount of money for Villa to offer and a stupid move for Bent as Sunderland are going well this season and Villa, well, aren't!

It's now a full 6 days since we heard officially from the club that a bid for Kenny Miller from Birmingham City had been accepted and yet apparently nobody knows what is happening and whether we're going to lose Miller in this transfer window or not. Our manager doesn't know what's going on and neither does our manager-in-waiting Ally McCoist. All they're letting on is that they know the same as we do: That a bid has been accepted and that Kenny Miller has spoken to Birmingham and has appaently also spoken to Italian Serie A side Fiorentina regarding a possible move to Italy. I can understand that this is a tough decision for our top scorer since despite his excellent scoring form for us this season, he's no spring chicken. He needs to decide where he wants to play his football based on the fact that this might be his last lucrative contract as a professional footballer. The biggest danger for our club is that Miller refuses to accept the offer on the table from Birmingham in favour of a Bosman deal and potentially more lucrative move for himself personally. If he chooses that path it puts our manager in an awkward situation team selection wise for the rest of the season and Walter has expressed his concerns about that. Given that Miller has been scoring so many goals this season the ideal situation would have been for us to secure him on a new contract and potentially sell him for a good fee in the summer, but unfortunately that seems certain not to happen now with the player refusing to sign the contract on offer from our club. As the clock ticks and the days go by, the manager, other people at the club and most Rangers fans will no doubt be feeling like myself and want Kenny to make his mind up as soon as possible because as this continues to drag out it becomes more and more disrespectful. Walter Smith gave Kenny Miller a fantastic opportunity when giving him the chance to return to Rangers and it's been an opportunity which has rejuvinated the striker's career. He's been well treated, well paid and has had the chance in a couple of years to win more silverware than many footballers win in their whole career. The club and our manager need to know what's happening Kenny, so it's time to make your mind up!

AT first, Charlie Adam was reluctant to leave Rangers. Ian Holloway, the Blackpool manager, even accused the midfielder of refusing to answer his phone calls. But having watched DVD footage of Adam in action, and heard around the seaside town how popular, and influential, the player had been during his loan spell at the club the previous season, Holloway persisted. When they eventually met, it was Holloway who was blunt. ââ?¬Å?You know, I want to get to the Premier League,ââ?¬Â he said to the young Scot. ââ?¬Å?And I want to get you to a top-four club.ââ?¬Â Adamââ?¬â?¢s reaction was to submit to the managerââ?¬â?¢s charisma and bluffness; he signed, in a Ã?£500,000 transfer, and now 17 months later he is valued again, this time by other Barclayââ?¬â?¢s Premier League sides. ââ?¬Å?I want him to go to a much bigger and better club,ââ?¬Â Holloway said earlier this week. ââ?¬Å?But until I get the right phone call, he will crack on with us.ââ?¬Â A bid of Ã?£2m from Birmingham has been rejected, and another of Ã?£2.5m from Aston Villa, but now Liverpool are said to be interested and it seems inevitable that Adam will move on again. For Rangers, the only consolation is 10% of a fee that might even rise as high as Ã?£5m, to accompany a few regrets about the way a talent has flourished since leaving Ibrox. Adam was pigeon-holed by the time he left: a thickset, sedate midfielder capable of passes that were imaginative, in scale and ambition, and crisp shooting with his left foot, but also an imprudent lack of judgment and an air that could become melancholy on the field. Supporters began to distrust him, and he seemed stalked by jibes about his figure (not helped by a comment he once made about never having considered eating salad). Yet if it was enough just for Adam to break out of a rut in Glasgow, he would still occasionally reveal the player he was then: wistful as much as incisive, a kind of compromise between the great sweep of his passing ability and a skittery poise. Instead, Adam has developed into a shrewd midfielder, his play shaped by aplomb, a sense of belonging and, most emphatically, of confidence. Holloway has allowed a surge in the midfielderââ?¬â?¢s esteem, so that he is now considered a significant player in Craig Leveinââ?¬â?¢s Scotland squad, and an accomplished enough performer in the Premier League for Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager, to remark: ââ?¬Å?Ian Holloway has done a fantastic job. He brought Charlie Adam down from Glasgow when nobody seemed to want him and he is one of the best players in the league.ââ?¬Â What is at the root of this progress? In part, it is Hollowayââ?¬â?¢s willingness to confound. At his first Blackpool training session, he told the players they were going to play like Barcelona. He lined them up in a 4-3-3 shape, asked them to keep the ball and to attack sides. In essence, he granted his players freedom, not only to express themselves, but also from trepidation. For all that Adam sought to prove himself at Ibrox by hitting long passes that were too ambitious and too ill-conceived, he is not a cocky, arrogant figure. Hollowayââ?¬â?¢s management rescued him from the doubt that left his composure so diminished. Even now, as captain of a Premier League team, and the player so central to Blackpoolââ?¬â?¢s fortunes that their entire approach is moulded around him, Adam can still be fretful. ââ?¬Å?He needs to believe in himself a bit more,ââ?¬Â Holloway said. ââ?¬Å?He says he does, but he doesnââ?¬â?¢t really. You wonââ?¬â?¢t get him strutting round the place like heââ?¬â?¢s a chocolate bar, licking himself. Heââ?¬â?¢s not like that, but he is a fantastic footballer.ââ?¬Â There is a stubbornness to Adam ââ?¬â?? he fought Blackpool over a bonus clause in his contract that they were not willing to honour, and won ââ?¬â?? but his development can also be traced to something less acute: maturity. At Ibrox, he was a young player trying to make his way in the game, at a high-profile, intense level. Now 25, with a son, a fiancee and a less frantic nature, he is a more measured individual. Blackpool have contributed to this. The players wash their own kit, and Adam tells stories of occasions when the team bus has caught fire or broken down. Yet so much of the clubââ?¬â?¢s maverick, homespun nature is a consequence of Holloway that their success ââ?¬â?? individually (Adam is among many cast-offs or players with a point to prove at the club) and collectively ââ?¬â?? seems an aspect of his own character. Ahead of a game against Stoke City earlier this season, he took the players on a midweek trip to a casino. He has danced to Ghanaian gospel music in the Upton Park dressing room, and made the players dress in drag for a charity calendar (Holloway wore a penguin suit). It is the trust he grants them that is crucial; it is as if he shoulders the responsibility so that the players can perform above themselves. A form of man-management, certainly, but few have taken to it so readily as Adam. So what is at the heart of this resurgence, this marked rise? ââ?¬Å?I am a better player,ââ?¬Â Adam says. ââ?¬Å?Itââ?¬â?¢s as simple as that.ââ?¬Â Hands off, says Holloway Ian Holloway, the Blackpool manager, has rejected Aston Villaââ?¬â?¢s Ã?£3.5m bid for Charlie Adam because he says, ââ?¬Å?you donââ?¬â?¢t get genius cheapââ?¬Â, writes Mark Walker. The Blackpool and Scotland midfielder is a wanted man with several Premier League clubs lining up a bid for the former Rangers player. Gerard Houllier, the Villa manager, had an offer rejected this week and Liverpool are also said to be interested in the playmaker but Holloway is determined to hold on to his captain. He said: ââ?¬Å?They can shove their bid wherever they like it because if they think he is only worth Ã?£3.5m they are watching a different game to me. ââ?¬Å?If they want to insult me by offering Ã?£3.5m then, sorry, they are barking up the wrong tree. Iââ?¬â?¢ve seen what he does and some of it is genius ââ?¬â?? and you donââ?¬â?¢t get genius cheap. ââ?¬Å?I think Charlie owes it to us to stay and then he will have a choice of clubs to go to as long as his arm. I want him to go to a club which is not struggling. It has always been my goal to get him to one of the top five or six clubs. If Manchester United ring me and make me a realistic offer, I might have to consider it but until then heââ?¬â?¢s staying put.ââ?¬Â Meanwhile, the Blackpool striker DJ Campbell insists Adam must remain at Bloomfield Road. The Scotland midfielder produced another impressive display as Hollowayââ?¬â?¢s side completed the double over Liverpool, winning 2-1 at home in midweek. Campbell insists itââ?¬â?¢s vital to the Lancashire side that Adam remains at the club. He said: ââ?¬Å?Charlie played really well again, despite the speculation. ââ?¬Å?Weââ?¬â?¢ve got genuine people in the Blackpool team. Thatââ?¬â?¢s the key to it, but weââ?¬â?¢ve also got good players. ââ?¬Å?Obviously, thereââ?¬â?¢s been a lot of talk about Charlie, but itââ?¬â?¢s really important that we keep him here.ââ?¬Â http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/english-football/charlie-adam-sitting-pretty-1.1079874

If we don't get funds for contract renewal or bringing in replacements then 2012-2015 are going to be very baron years I fear.

First of all, a Happy New Year to all Gersnet's subscribers; after a few weeks R&R; it's good to be back online and reading the varied opinions across the community! And it's with that initial greeting that we can immediately ask ourselves if indeed 2011 will be a prosperous time for our club. As ever the answer isn't easily found. Of course we started the year rather badly. After an icy December of cancelled game after cancelled game, it was no surprise to see our lack of sharpness affect our performance against Celtic. Added to the inconsistency we've seen throughout this season (despite being top) I wasn't expecting a great display on the 2nd, though I was disappointed with the familiar motivational problems rearing their head again. However, as ever, the reaction afterwards was overly negative and, as Monday's night's win over Kilmarnock showed, rumours of our demise have been greatly exaggerated. We may be four points behind our rivals but we're more than capable of winning our games in hand and retaining top spot - with or without Kenny Miller. On the subject of Scotland's most prolific striker, fans are again worried about his probable sale and, given the mixed messages coming from the club regarding Lloyds Banking Group's involvement, I certainly share in their concern. After all �£20million of European income should surely enable our manager to strengthen his squad in January in order to help facilitate the same CL revenue next season? Do we really need to sell in order to buy? A quick (and empirical) look at our finances tells us we're have around �£27million of debt after reducing this from the �£32million in 2008/2009's figures. Moreover, last year we used around �£9million of our European income to pay off any remaining transfer fees owed to other clubs. This means, instead of reducing our debt by only �£4-5million as in the 2009/2010 figures; we can hope to at least double that when we report in 2011. Therefore, with a decent Europa Cup run, we could easily find our debt almost halved by the start of next season. Now, that's great news in anyone's book but it doesn't automatically mean we'll have huge transfer 'war-chests' this month or even in the summer and beyond. The simple truth is that unless the club is bought over we'll remain reliant on MIH/LBG for ongoing finance. Thus, it is exactly because the CL income from the last two seasons has been so essential that the bank will be so reluctant to loosen the purse strings given our CL involvement is less than guaranteed (as Champions or not) next season. Their view will be that for their �£22million long term loan to be repaid in full, they will have to ensure the club remains on an even keel - without or without the European gravy. As such, while they may not be taking the �£20million from this season in one lump sum; they may 'suggest' to MIH that this money is used to reduce the long term debt in part once more while the rest is kept back for a 'rainy day' in seasons we don't qualify for the CL Group Stages. After all, without these monies we struggle to break even and unlike other clubs we don't appear to have the financial philanthropy of a mega-rich owner to guarantee our fiscal viability. I appreciate none of this is the kind of news that makes us smile. In this long, cold winter (someone please close that transfer window quick) positivity is hard to find so we may just have to content ourselves with realism. Unfortunately, that realism tells us that the days of huge transfer budgets every summer are gone. Indeed, the only huge fees we'll see nowadays is when we hope to move on our better players in order to supplement our operating expenses enough to keep the club competitive. Furthermore, even if we do manage to attract a new owner; I wouldn't expect a whole load of difference from this model. Craig Whyte (or rather certain journalists) have suggested an annual budget of �£5million each season if he takes over which, although conservative at first glance, is actually quite high (and possibly impossible) without major European dividends. We did spend around �£5million on transfers this season so is it any wonder we'll struggle to spend more as it stands? Again, I understand this is quite depressing when you juxtapose your Giovanni van Bronkhorsts with your Richard Fosters. Ten years is a long time in football and we are not just in a new climate but a new era. Monday's Ibrox Scottish Cup crowd shows just how difficult it will be to keep fans interested in a declining product with increasing prices. In a recession, the choice of �£30+ on a night out at the football or paying for your fuel to get to work for the week is a tough one. Unfortunately, these difficult choices extend to the club (and their bank) as well. All in all, I think as a support we need to examine the future carefully as we head into a new year. Sure, we want our club to be ambitious and our investment should entitle us to improved clarity from Rangers when it comes to finance going forward. But if we want to be taken seriously as partners, then we have to be realistic in what we expect. The unpalatable truth is that the 1990s have long gone and we're closer to bust than boom. To that end, prudence continues to be our buzzword so such vigilance requires patience and wisdom if we want our club to remain successful on all fronts. Like every bear, I look forward to meeting our challenges head on and urge everyone involved with the club to work with us in that regard. Here's to #54!

A point of view on matters financial. Once again like many Rangers Supporters, I am left mystified by the comments of Walter Smith in relation to our position with our Bankers - Lloyds/HBOS - followed by the Club's decision to readily release our own and the SPL's top scorer for the second time in 6 months. I won't use the word 'sell' as Boyd went for nothing and by the time Miller picks up his severance pay off, we will have very little left. I have a background in banking and passed my exams many years ago, but no matter how hard I try, when I look at our accounts, I cannot understand why Lloyds/HBOS are behaving in such a manner towards us. Our published accounts to 30 June 2010 show that our Bank debt incorporating a Term Loan and overdraft facilities reduced by �£3.7m last year to �£22.3m (2009 - �£26.1m). This was despite paying off �£8million in historic transfer fees (which left �£1.2million still to pay). The term loan, repayable over 19 years, stands at �£19m which will mean repayments of �£1million per year + interest. So, if we had Bank Debt of �£22.3m and �£19m of that was a long term loan, then our working overdraft would be �£3.3m, which is well within the �£15m revolving credit facility (overdraft limit) that we have: �£11.7m within it to be exact. A football club's income is loaded to the beginning of the season in terms of season ticket sales, but Champions League participation this season will mean a hefty amount of Euros being lodged in our account with Lloyds/HBOS, before the season ends. Our Champions League campaign this season has guaranteed us 9.2million Euros + TV Revenue (in 2008 Celtic got 6.2 million Euros) + gate receipts, which should easily total around �£16million. On top of that, we will get a further 200,000 Euros for qualifying for the Europa League, plus TV and gate receipts and another �£300,000 Euros + TV and gate receipts should we get past Sporting Lisbon. That amount would, of course, increase with each round should we advance. Putting things into perspective. On 30 June 2010, we had an overdraft of �£3.3 million, but the previous year we managed to reduce our overdraft by �£3.7m, so assuming we have a similar year, that should be wiped out this year and leave us with a small credit balance. However, we should do better than last year, due to a better performance in the Champions League bringing us an extra 1.2million Euros in points payments, compared to last year. Also, last year we repaid �£8m in historical transfer fees, we don't have that to pay this year (maximium should be �£1.2m), so we should be well in credit at the Bank. Allied to that: Staff Costs have been steadily reducing over the last 2 years. In the year to 30 June 2008 they were �£34.3m. In 2009 - �£30.7m. In 2010 - �£28.1m. That equals reduction of �£6.2million in the last 2 seasons and a figure that will again be slashed this year. Our Net Operating Expenses in 2008 were �£56.8m. In 2009 - �£48.2m. In 2010 - �£43.8m. Which is a reduction of �£13million in 2 years and these will also be significantly reduced this year, meaning further profit. By my conservative reckoning, by 30 June 2011, we should have somewhere in the region of a �£10million credit balance at the Bank and our long term loan reduced to �£18m over 18 years. I haven't taken any of our summer transfers into consideration, due to a lack of accurate figures, but I would reckon that the transfer fees and wages for the players who left, should more or less offset the 3 who came in. Our debt to equity (gearing) ratio was reduced last year to 38% (2009 - 47%). again a sign that we are heading in the right direction, though further reduction would be helpful. Crucially, the �£15m revolving credit facility with Lloyds/HBOS, was in place till 31 December 2010 and the only possible explanation could be that the Bank have renewed this at a much lower level. If that is the case, then it could be down to cash flow, as I don't think the UEFA money is received for a few months yet. If I am correct, then it really is a shocking act by Lloyds/HBOS, given that the UEFA money is guaranteed due to what we have already achieved in the Champions League this season. Something about the whole thing stinks more than a Celtc supporters green and grey hooped top after four weeks of constant wear in the summer. There is something that we are not being told and it is now time for the Club to come out and tell us what the problem is with Lloyds/HBOS and whether or not we are being strangled due to our association with the MIH Group, as to me, it is certainly not obvious in our accounts.

Rangers take Forest youth striker on trial Striker Thomas Mullen will train with Rangers next week. Rangers will run the rule over Scotland under-19ââ?¬â?¢s striker Thomas Mullen next week as Walter Smith looks to bolster his attacking options for the future. The young forward is available on a free transfer from Nottingham Forest after being told he is surplus to requirements by Billy Davies. Mullen was a standout performer last season for the Nottingham Forest youth team, scoring 17 goals, making him the academyââ?¬â?¢s top scorer. Interests ensued from Everton and Blackburn, but at the time Forest were keen to hold on to the player. Heââ?¬â?¢s now been released as part of a clearout with another six youth players and could make the move to Glasgow if the trial goes well. Mullen has made several appearances for the Scottish youth squads, most notably against Norway and Estonia. The youth player would be unlikely to see any first team football this season if the deal to Ibrox is made, as heââ?¬â?¢s considered to be ââ?¬Ë?one for the futureââ?¬â?¢. Rangers will be keen to source a more immediate solution to the imminent departure of Kenny Miller. David Goodwillie has been touted for a move to Ibrox if Miller completes a likely switch to Birmingham. http://sport.stv.tv/football/219078-rangers-take-forest-youth-striker-on-trial/?

Craig Whyte remains hopeful of concluding his proposed takeover of Rangers before the end of January. Whyte has been in negotiations with the current owner Sir David Murray since the middle of November. He had initially hoped to complete a �£33m deal before Christmas, but due diligence has taken longer than the Scottish businessman expected. However, if that can be concluded soon, Whyte aims to take over in time to help Walter Smith strengthen his squad. On Thursday, Smith bemoaned the current financial constraints at the club, stating that he would be unable to bring in new players unless he sold first. As of September 2010 Rangers' debt stood at �£27m. While Smith was allowed to conduct some transfer business in the summer - including the purchase of Nikica Jelavic for �£4m - his hands have been largely tied on that front for the past three seasons. The Scottish champions trail league leaders Celtic by four points, although they have two games in hand. However, as things stand, Smith will have to challenge in all domestic competitions, as well as in the Europa League, with the same small squad of players. Meanwhile, across Glasgow, rivals Celtic appear likely to bring in more players during the January transfer window. Champions League participation over the last two seasons has helped Rangers go some way to alleviating their financial problems. But failure to win the Scottish Premier League again this term, and thereby miss out on the lucrative Champions League, would reverse that trend and make things even more restrictive for whoever succeeds Smith as Rangers manager next season. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version see also Whyte holds further Rangers talks 03 Dec 10 | Rangers Gers boss pleads for investment 24 Nov 10 | Rangers Ibrox changes will not sway Smith 19 Nov 10 | Rangers Duo hold Rangers takeover talks 18 Nov 10 | Rangers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- related bbc links: Rangers fans' views on My Sport BBC Where I Live - Scotland Glasgow weather BBC Sport SPL related internet links:

Telegraph.co.uk Blame the bank, says Rangers manager Walter Smith as he looks for his players to bounce back from defeat Rangers manager Walter Smith believes that Lloyds Banking Group constitutes a bigger threat to his clubââ?¬â?¢s chances of winning a third successive title than Neil Lennonââ?¬â?¢s Celtic. They may trail their Old Firm rivals by four points after losing 2-0 to them at Ibrox last weekend but Smith is in no doubt that the financial constraints he is being forced to work under can only undermine Rangersââ?¬â?¢ prospects of triumphing at home and abroad. Smith, who will turn 63 next month, is in his final season in charge and has had to contend with the interference from Lloyds (the clubââ?¬â?¢s biggest creditors) for the last two years. However, he accused the bankers of short-termism and pointedly noted that it was their profligacy ââ?¬â?? on a far greater scale than that indulged in by Rangers owner Sir David Murray, although they bankrolled that as well ââ?¬â?? which has brought the global economy to its knees. At a time when he has guided Rangers back into profit for the last three years, significantly reducing the clubââ?¬â?¢s debt in the process, Smith believes he is due a little respite from the number crunchers who continue to treat him with the distrust normally shown to those applying for a first mortgage. ââ?¬Å?I feel as though the whole situation is a bit unfair from the football side of things,ââ?¬Â he said. ââ?¬Å?We do need a bit of help. You had the situation a couple of years ago when some boys put the banner up saying 'We Deserve Better.ââ?¬â?¢ ââ?¬Å?Of course, they meant the supporters but at times you have to look at it from our side and realise that we also deserve better for what weââ?¬â?¢ve done: and by that I mean in comparison to clubs of similar stature. ââ?¬Å?There obviously isnââ?¬â?¢t a long-term view, they are only looking at it from a short-term perspective. Whether we think itââ?¬â?¢s fair or not it doesnââ?¬â?¢t really matter because weââ?¬â?¢re not getting any kind of reaction anytime we ask: therefore we are well and truly in the hands of the bank. ââ?¬Å?We just need to get on with it. Of course, the ironic aspect, not just for Rangers but for everybody, is that the banks are telling us what we can and canââ?¬â?¢t do. Maybe someone should have done that with them a long time before they started [the credit crunch].ââ?¬Â The bankers have informed Rangersââ?¬â?¢ chief executive, Martin Bain, that they would not be allowed to reinvest any fee received from another club should one their players be sold during this transfer window. ââ?¬Å?It becomes a concern when you have to keep asking the same group of players to keep on delivering,ââ?¬Â said Smith. ââ?¬Å?Thatââ?¬â?¢s when you need a wee bit of help. Unfortunately, we are not going to get that help. ââ?¬Å?We canââ?¬â?¢t afford to bring in a loan player or anything like that. Thatââ?¬â?¢s the situation weââ?¬â?¢re in. Itââ?¬â?¢s an unfortunate one for our club but the bank are dictating the policy overall. Thatââ?¬â?¢s what we have to put up with. ââ?¬Å?If we transferred a player we might not get all the money and we have been told that. If someone left it would give us the opportunity to bring someone in on a similar wage. ââ?¬Å?But transfer-wise weââ?¬â?¢ve been told thereââ?¬â?¢s no certainty we would get the money. The wage would obviously allow us to bring someone in but if we donââ?¬â?¢t lose a player then we wonââ?¬â?¢t be bringing anyone else in.ââ?¬Â Smith also pointed out that the decision to accept or reject any offers for his players would be taken by Lloyds and not by Rangers. As his relatively small squad prepares to do battle in the Co-operative Insurance and Scottish Cups and the Europa League while also having to contend with a fixture backlog in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League, the veteran is concerned that his resources will be stretched to breaking point. ââ?¬Å?This season was always going to be a big ask for all of our players,ââ?¬Â he said. ââ?¬Å?Weââ?¬â?¢ve handled the first half extremely well, allowing for the fact a few games have been postponed due to the weather. ââ?¬Å?Now we find ourselves in a situation, after the turn of the year, that if we win those games in hand we go back to the top of the table. Considering the Champions League games, the size of the group weââ?¬â?¢ve got and other things, that would still be a fair achievement. ââ?¬Å?We have to remember that but we need to get a good reaction following the Old Firm defeat. Weââ?¬â?¢ve taken a little knock in the Old Firm game and youââ?¬â?¢re always worried about a possible hangover from that. ââ?¬Å?This is big test of character from my players but theyââ?¬â?¢ve shown in the last number of years that they are able to dig deep. If weââ?¬â?¢ve had a setback in the past theyââ?¬â?¢ve always come back from it. We have enough experience.ââ?¬Â Did Walter not slate the we deserve better campaign:confused:

I dont know how accurate this report/story actually is , however read on. Freddie Ljungbergââ?¬â?¢s Celtic wage shows decline of Scottish football financesBy Nick Harris 2 January 2010 Celtic got off to a flyer in 2011 today by beating Rangers 2-0 in the Neââ?¬â?¢erday derby, but one sign of how dramatically Scottish football finances have continued to deteriorate in the past year is found in Celticââ?¬â?¢s deal to sign Freddie Ljungberg until the end of the season. Ljungberg, who did not play today because he has a virus, earned Ã?£16,000 per week in Major League Soccer in the USA, most recently with Chicago Fire, and Celtic put together a deal that effectively matches it to sign the Swede, 33, until the end of the season. That pay packet is understood to give Ljungberg the highest guaranteed basic wage per week in Scotland currently. While Ã?£16,000 a week is no small change in most walks of life, itââ?¬â?¢s not huge in elite football, and itââ?¬â?¢s just a quarter of the highest weekly salary being paid in the SPL a year ago, to Robbie Keane, also at Celtic. Keaneââ?¬â?¢s temporary contract at Parkhead was worth Ã?£65,000 per week. According to sportingintelligenceââ?¬â?¢s calculations for our inaugural review of global sports salaries, published earlier this year, the average first-team pay at Rangers in summer 2008 (the most recent data available when that report was compiled) was Ã?£17,121 per week, or Ã?£890,270 per year. The average first-team pay at Celtic was Ã?£16,309 a week, or Ã?£848,082 a year. Those two clubsââ?¬â?¢ wage bills totally overshadowed those at every other SPL club to the extent that the SPL has the least equality in wage distribution of any major sports league in the world considered in our report. (The NFL was the fairest league). Yet since summer 2008, wages in the SPL have gone down, including at the Old Firm, not just in relative terms but actual terms. This will be evident when our next report is published, showing 2009 numbers, and there are good grounds for believing the current seasonââ?¬â?¢s wages in the SPL are the lowest for several years in Scotlandââ?¬â?¢s top division. Ljungbergââ?¬â?¢s Ã?£16,000 per week can therefore be seen as Celtic pushing the boat out ââ?¬â?? and as an example of how far down the pecking order the SPL has fallen in global football terms. Official MLS Union wage data shows Ljungbergââ?¬â?¢s MLS contract was worth $1.3m in 2010, making him only the seventh best-paid player after David Beckham ($6.5m with LA Galaxy), Thierry Henry ($5.6m, NY Red Bulls), Rafael Marquez ($5.5m, NYRB), Landon Donovan ($2.1m, Galaxy), Juan Pablo Angel ($1.9m, NYRB), Nery Castillo ($1.79m, Chicago) and Julian de Guzman ($1.7m, Toronto). So Celtic have hired a man only seventh in the MLS wage stakes to become Scotlandââ?¬â?¢s best rewarded player, and at the same time have waved goodbye to plenty of others in the past year to clubs who can pay better money. In fact since last yearââ?¬â?¢s New Year Old Firm match, 11 players involved in that game ââ?¬â?? eight from Celtic and three from Rangers ââ?¬â?? have left Scotland. They are: Artur Boruc ââ?¬â?? left Celtic for Fiorentina (Serie A) in July 2010. Gary Caldwell - left Celtic for Wigan (EPL) later in January 2010. Danny Fox ââ?¬â?? left Celtic for Burnley (then EPL, now Championship) later in January 2010. Barry Robson ââ?¬â?? left Celtic for Middlesbrough (Championship) later in January 2010. Landry Nââ?¬â?¢Guemo ââ?¬â?? returned to Nancy (France, Ligue 1) in summer 2010 after one-year loan because Celtic could not agree (afford) a transfer fee. Aiden McGeady ââ?¬â?? left Celtic in August 2010 to sign for Spartak Moscow (Russian Premier League), for a fee of c.Ã?£12m, a no-brainer for a selling club as Celtic now are. Marc-Antoine Fortune ââ?¬â?? left Celtic in August 2010 to sign for West Brom (EPL). Scott McDonald ââ?¬â?? left Celtic later in January 2010 to join Middlesbrough (Championship). Danny Wilson ââ?¬â?? left Rangers for Liverpool (EPL) in July 2010. Nacho Novo ââ?¬â?? left Rangers in May 2010 for Sporting Gijon (La Liga). Kris Boyd - left Rangers in July 2010 for Middlesbrough (Championship). .

I can smell shite, there's no quotes. Pyoor pish journalism!

27 Dec 2010 KENNY MILLER has agreed to sign for Bursaspor next season, according to reports in Turkey. The Rangers striker is in the form of his life for the SPL champions, but is out of contract in the summer. Bursaspor, whom Miller scored against in this seasonââ?¬â?¢s Champions League, have made no secret of their attempts to sign the Scotland internationalist.and club officials have told Turkish media Miller has agreed in principle to move to Turkey and sign a deal believed to be worth Ã?£30,000-a-week. Bursaspor manager Ertugrul Saglam said: ââ?¬Å?We can confirm we are talking to two players ââ?¬â?? one plays in the Czech Republic and one is a striker. This is a very important transfer window for us. Three other clubs in Turkey will invest heavily and we cannot afford to be left behind. We enjoyed our experience in the Champions League, but we need to be in it every season.ââ?¬Â The player from the Czech Republic is Wilfried Bony, an Ivory Coast internationalist who plays for Sparta Prague. Bursasporââ?¬â?¢s managing director, Mesut Mestan, has reportedly met with Millerââ?¬â?¢s representatives and is confident of making what would be the Turkish championââ?¬â?¢s biggest signing. They would prefer Miller to sign immediately, but Rangers have stated they wonââ?¬â?¢t sell the former Celtic and Hibs striker and Bursaspor are prepared to sign Miller on a pre-contract agreement next week. Mestan said: ââ?¬Å?We are hopeful we will be in a position to announce two transfers this week.ââ?¬Â http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/rangers/turkish-media-link-miller-with-summer-move-to-bursaspor-1.1076538

BIRMINGHAM CITY boss Alex McLeish is set to launch a sensational swoop for Rangers star Kenny Miller. Ibrox money man Martin Bain insisted recently that the club would not be forced to sell the in-form frontman during the January transfer window - despite contract talks having broken down. Rangers boss Walter Smith is still hopeful a new deal can be struck but McLeish could make a cut-price offer of �£1million when the window opens. It would be interesting then to see whether the Lloyds Banking Group would insist on a sale as Miller could go for nothing when his contract expires at the end of the season. McLeish and his assistant, Andy Watson, know all about the free-scoring striker from their time together at Hibs and Scotland and are looking for a goalscorer to join the Premiership club. Miller is also looking for one final payday before he retires and would not be bothered by the fact he has already played for Birmingham's Midlands rivals Derby County and Wolves. But Rangers fans would be gutted to see the striker leave as he has netted 20 times already this season. Brum need to boost their squad and McLeish, having missed out on a clutch of forward targets last summer, remains in need of attacking players. James McFadden is a long-term injury absentee and Aleksandr Hleb is also out through injury. McLeish's squad is thin and he accepts his team has to become more dangerous and creative. He said: "There is scope to be adding to our squad, no question about it." http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2010/12/24/rangers-hitman-kenny-miller-linked-with-january-move-to-birmingham-86908-22804415/

RANGERS captain David Weir has accused the club's bankers of unreasonable behaviour in placing fresh restrictions on manager Walter Smith ahead of the forthcoming transfer window. The veteran defender is bemused by the policy, confirmed again by Smith earlier this week, which currently means no funds will be available to spend in January for either permanent or loan signings. With Rangers still in limbo as they await the outcome of the latest takeover bid for the club from businessmen Craig Whyte and Andrew Ellis, Lloyds Banking Group continues to dictate the financial management at Ibrox. Weir believes Rangers' bid to win a third successive SPL title this season and qualify for next year's Champions League could be seriously compromised if they are not allowed to strengthen the squad next month. "It seems illogical that we can't sign any new players in January," said Weir. "Given how successful we have been in reaching a European final and playing in the Champions League, reducing the wage bill and the squad at the same time, you wonder how much further you can go down in terms of numbers and still be competitive. "I'm an amateur when it comes to finances, but you look at the debt and the money brought in since the manager took over. You'd like to think that you could have wiped out the debt in that time with the money we've brought in. I'm obviously missing something." Lloyds last night declined to comment on Weir's criticism. Rangers' debt in their most recent annual accounts stood at �£27.1 million, of which �£22.3 million is owed to Lloyds and incorporates their long-term loan agreement with the bank and overdraft facilities. A two-year transfer embargo was lifted by Lloyds last summer, allowing Smith to spend �£5.25 million in transfer fees on strikers Nikica Jelavic and James Beattie and secure the loan signings of Vladimir Weiss and Richard Foster. That investment was offset by the sales of Kevin Thomson and Danny Wilson for �£4 million, however, while four other senior players left the club at the end of their contracts. Rangers raked in almost �£14 million from their participation in the Champions League group stage last season, allowing them to record a profit of �£4.2 million, and will earn even more from the current European campaign which has seen them finish third in their Champions League group to progress to the knockout stages of the Europa League. Weir is also concerned that they may face that challenge with their existing squad further diminished as prize assets such as Scotland goalkeeper Allan McGregor are vulnerable to potential transfer bids. "That's what the manager and his staff are fighting," added Weir. "You cannot underestimate the job we've done with one hand tied behind our back. "It's not inconceivable there could be departures next month. It's the reality of where we are at (with the bank]. It's no secret that, if a right bid comes in, then the player will go. We'd prefer everyone to remain and keep our best players to be successful, but it's out of our hands. "The tightness of our squad has been the basis of the success we have had in recent seasons, but that can change as well." Weir was speaking at Hampden, where he promoted ESPN's live coverage of SPL football over the festive period which will begin with Rangers against Motherwell at Fir Park on Sunday. He was joined by Celtic captain Scott Brown, who made his return from injury as a substitute in his team's 1-1 draw at home to Kilmarnock on Tuesday night. The 25-year-old midfielder is likely to be restored to the starting line-up on Sunday when Celtic seek to put their recent stuttering form behind them for the visit of St Johnstone. But, while manager Neil Lennon is able to add to his squad next month, Brown insists Celtic already have the strength and quality required to overhaul Rangers and win the title for the first time in three years. "Our squad is probably the best in the league, to be perfectly honest," said Brown. "We've got around 25 or 30 player who can come into the first team at any time. We've pretty much got two good starting elevens. If we went through January without buying a player, we would still be fine. "We have a big game on Sunday and we need to keep close to Rangers before the Old Firm game at Ibrox on 2 January. "There is no real concern about our form. We are looking good in training and we are dominating teams in games. We are putting the ball in the box and we just need a bit of luck." http://sport.scotsman.com/football/Bank39s-tight-grip-on-spending.6670700.jp?articlepage=2

From the BBC.

Not sure of the strength of the rumour.... :boogie: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Transfer-news-Rangers-set-to-pip-Stoke-Wigan-and-Bolton-to-Leeds-midfielder-Brad-Johnson-article652871.html

World Exclusive: Qatar royal family plan Ã?£1.5bn takeover of Manchester United 18/12/10 By Paul Smith The most famous name in English football is the target for the next wave of Arab invaders. Across Manchester arch-rivals City are already owned by the Abu Dhabi United Group, led by billionaire Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Now Qatar Holdings, an *investment vehicle for the Qatari royal family, are pursuing the Ã?£1.5billion *takeover of Manchester United. The Gulf state of Qatar has already *landed the right to stage the 2022 World Cup finals in an audacious international coup. The Qataris have also accumulated a huge range of trophy assets in *England. These include the Harrods store and spectacular London properties such as One Hyde Park, the Shard of Glass and the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square. Last week the Qatar Foundation, the charity wing of the ruling *family, bought the sponsorship rights to the Barcelona shirt. It was a declaration of their *intention of getting Qatar accepted as a global football brand. Qatar Holdings is the third largest shareholder in car-maker VW and has a stake in Porsche. Its chairman, Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani (right), who is also Qatarââ?¬â?¢s prime minister, is keen to add to their portfolio of *investments and sees United as an iconic *acquisition. The arrival of the Qatar billions would pave the way for the end of the controversial Glazer family reign. The Arabs can satisfy any request for proof of funding from the Glazer family in the United States and are also willing to fund a massive *transfer fund for manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Unitedââ?¬â?¢s massive fan base around the globe are certain to welcome the change of ownership from the *controversial Glazer regime. The American family seized *control for Ã?£790million in 2005. But the *Americans have incensed United supporters by borrowing against the clubââ?¬â?¢s assets. They loaded Ã?£716m in debt against the club provoking outrage among United fans who believe too much of the clubââ?¬â?¢s income was being *directed to pay prohibitive interest payments. A few weeks ago the Glazers did reduce Unitedââ?¬â?¢s debt by paying back around Ã?£200m in PIK loans. These were payment in kind loans from three hedge funds that were charging 16.25 per cent in annual *interest. Many City observers *believed that reduction in debt could spark a Glazer sell-off. There were even rumours that the funding for the change had come from overseas investors keen to take a stake in United ââ?¬â?? but the Glazers denied this. A group of United fans *calling themselves the Red Knights did try to launch a takeover coup a few months ago but backed off when they *discovered the Glazers would not entertain a bid of around Ã?£1bn. However, the Qatar Holdings have set aside around Ã?£2.5bn in funds to purchase the club and provide Sir Alex Ferguson with unlimited spending power in the transfer *market. So far the Glazers have resisted attempts to drive them out of Old Trafford even though the fans have been so critical of their reign. Now the scene could be set for the Glazers to leave with a massive profit. Qatar Holdings have been linked with a host of European *giants including Barcelona, Real Madrid and Unitedââ?¬â?¢s Premier League rivals, Chelsea, Liverpool, *Tottenham and Newcastle. However, United have always been top of their wish list. The purchase of United would leave the club debt free and the most powerful club in the current transfer market. And even neighbours City, with all their wealth, may find it hard to compete with the potential red *revolution. http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/World-Exclusive-Qatar-royal-family-will-pay-1-5bn-to-buy-Manchester-United-article654051.html

I may have asked this before but does anyone actually know how his transfer was structured , was it a payement based on a set number of games or everytime he played up till a set amount , stuck record loyal :blush: Also as an aside how good is that Utrecht strip

Has it really been almost a month since news broke of the proposed Whyte consortium takeover? Amongst the tepid stickiness of premature welcomes and the excitement of tabloid transfer war-chests, as ever there was minimal meat on the bones of this story from the outset. And there's even less now as we approach Christmas, the suggested date of deal conclusion from those 'club insiders' that are oft-quoted but rarely named. Of course we've been down this road before over the last year or so. From Graham Duffy (the alleged fan buyout champ), to Dave King (the alleged financial innocent), to Andrew Ellis (the alleged Murray 'shill'); the cast of this particular pantomime is varied and about as 'A' list as Elaine C. Smith in Mother Goose. 'Yes, we are interested in buying the club', says their statements to the stock exchange. 'Oh no you're not', says Alastair Johnston and much of the fan-base. Hilarious, if you're a 5 year old kid - less funny if you're a Rangers supporter anxious to hear more about the club's long-term future. To that end, the information vacuum surrounding this issue is making it difficult for the average bear. Sir David Murray (he's behind you!) seems more interested in garden proposals for Ratho and stadiums for Edinburgh rugby teams than his >90% shareholding in Scotland's most successful club. Alistair Johnston (he knows all the big stars) enjoys making 30min long bland AGM statements but appears mute from the comfort of the USA the rest of the time. Meanwhile our fan groups (containing more than a few panto dames I'm told) profess inside information but only relay rumour rather than offering tangible guidance. Is it any wonder we're easily beaten off-the-field by more organised clubs? Obviously we all understand that there are legal restrictions in place surrounding such matters but given it won't be long before the club are selling season tickets to us again, I'd like to know what I'm buying. I'm all for ongoing debt reduction and financial prudence but I also expect the club to remain competitive personnel wise. If a purported Champions' League bounty of �£20million can't reduce the debt to a fair degree while also ring-fencing some money for a new player or two in January, how do the likes of Whyte et al intend financing their plan in the longer term? Surely we're all a bit sick of asking the same questions and not getting any answers except the well remunerated Martin Bain expecting praise for NOT selling a key player half way through the season. Gee, thanks for that Martin - here, have another half a million and a French vineyard for your trouble. The script is all too obvious and just a bit boring. �£20million+ transfer war-chests; G51 super-plans; stadium upgrades; new found respect for supporters; oversight committees to make recommendations. Blah, patronise, blah, prevaricate, blah, boast etc etc. And this is where people like Bain are treading on thin ice this winter. By all means, play the prudence card to avoid further debt. Please do play hard-ball with any player you feel is asking for too much money. Yes, ensure we avoid censure from shadowy kangaroo courts eager to feast on the anti-sectarianism sham. But, please don't treat us like mugs. Show us a bit more respect and we'll continue to show our unwavering commitment to our club. Of course, the vast majority of our fans buy a ticket again next season; most probably with league title win garnish, new ownership cherry on top or not. But cancel the ownership pantomime now as we're not interested in being served up condescending clap-trap without substance. if people are really serious about becoming genuine leaders of the Rangers, do so through the correct channels - not a nudge to Jim Traynor here and wink to Darrell King there. Yes, we're all intrigued about SPL reconstruction and we appreciate that will play an important part in our club's future. But we're more interested about our club in a specific sense. In a period where you're releasing statement after statement about our supporters' alleged 'Unacceptable Conduct'; well I'd like to remind you that allowing external parties such as banks, objectionable people within football authorities and the media to dictate our future, whilst the people who pay your wages remain uninformed is also far from satisfactory. Will you work with us towards a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year or will you allow the Scrooges you're associated with to continue the 'Bah Humbug' attitude of the club to its loyal fans?