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All season nearly there's been rumours that Walter Smith will leave at the end of the season. So, i got to wondering, what would Rangers fans prefer? A.] Walter Smith to continue and do a Sir Alex and build for the future. This would be WS' empire if he continued and i couldnt really blame any Gers fan for wanting him to continue if he wins the league on Sunday. Look at the stats after all, in his first half season back, he restructured Rangers from a disaster area to have us winning again. He got us in his second season, to the UEFA cup final, a Scottish and League Cup Double and on the verge of a very impressive 4 trophies. Many still say we only lost the league that year due to fixture congestion and a very unhelpful spl who refused to space out the games. And, who knows in his third season? a Double with the biggest prize to come? the Scottish Premier League Championship, which is in his own hands to win with one game to go. The bad side to WS is having to put up with his weird tactics, his poor transfer dealings, his playing older seemingly past it players, and the playing negatively and players out of position. But, through all that is bad, i for one would take that if it won us the league from Celtic every season. You honestly cannot fault the guy if he produces a league and cup double which was preceded by a major european final appearance and a cup double. B.] Or, would you prefer another, bolder manager who would have the team playing beautiful, silky attacking football, destroying the lesser teams, but also one who may not manage to deliver the goods when the push comes to the shove. A team that plays superbly doesn't always win things. And i for one am now beginning to realise that maybe, just maybe, we as Rangers supporters should have been more supportive of WS because if he delivers this title, it would be so hard to argue against what he has delivered to us. He may walk anyway, and the signs are that he is tired, and fed up with the constant sniping and criticism. That alone is spurring him on to get this league from Celtic, and i fear he may use up all his experience to win this league title. So, it would be interesting to hear from you guys what you think would be the better for the club. The chance to impress everyone with beautiful football, skillfull attacking players but no certainty of winning. Or to take most of the prizes and seemingly 'win ugly' but nonetheless, WIN anyway!!!

Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo says he is looking forward to next season but hopes for money from the club's owner. More...

Celtic manager Gordon Strachan says he will not blame a lack of money in the transfer market if his side relinquish their SPL title on Sunday. More...

It’s back folks so plenty of time for you all to get your nominations in. Below will be the awards categories, if you could copy and paste this into your reply, obviously along with your nominations, I will keep on top of things and produce the final results at the end of the season. Feel free to reply whenever you like or if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. As I say, please C&P along with your nominations and simply PM me. Thanks to all those who choose to participate, it's normally a little laugh and light relief, which I’m sure we could all do with at the moment. If anyone would like anything else added, again, just let me know or post in the thread. Thanks again. SPL AWARDS Player of the Season: Young Player of the Season: Veteran of the Season: Manager of the Season: Goal Of The Season: Most hated player: Most hated non-player: Best value transfer: Biggest waste of money: Best team achievement of the Season: Gaffe of the Season: MEDIA AWARDS Best Commentator: Worst Commentator: Best Pundit: Worst Pundit: Best Football Show (Radio or TV): RANGERS AWARDS Player of the Year: Young Player of the Year: Goal of the Year: Worst Player of the Year: Next Season's tip for POTY: GERSNET USER AWARDS Most Knowledgeable User: Funniest User: Stupidest User: User Most Likely to Make You Change Your Mind In A Debate: User Most Likely To Start A Fight In An Empty Room: Most Helpful User: Best Thread Starter: The 'Mary Whitehouse' Award for Perv 08/09: Best Mod/Admin: Most Missed User: Best Newcomer: Overall Best User for Season 08/09: GERSNET HALL OF FAME (Already has Stuart, Cammy, Frankie, Gribz and me in it): GERSNET HALL OF SHAME (Already has Graham Spiers and Boruc in it):

Hearing his foot injury needed the bone shaved and screws inserted so he'll miss pre-season and the start of next season. If I know Kirk, I'm sure he'll be back ahead of schedule but that's bad news for a player who had a decent season for us and deserves credit for the way he goes about his business. Also rules out an alleged transfer to Blackburn...

Rangers will remove the 'For Sale' sign from four of their biggest names if they clinch the SPL title and �£15million Champions League bounty. In another major boost for Ibrox fans, after Saturday's 1-0 victory over Celtic put their team two points ahead in the championship race with three games left, Sportsmail can reveal that Steven Davis, top scorer Kris Boyd, Pedro Mendes and Madjid Bougherra will be retained if wages are saved elsewhere. Boozegate pair Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor will still be sold if the right offers come in, but the capture of the league crown is now vital if Walter Smith's key men are to have a future in Govan. Last night, Bougherra fuelled the feelgood factor by vowing to remain at Rangers next season - and is anxious for David Weir to do the same to preserve their defensive partnership. The 26-year-old Algerian was among a number of star players linked with summer sales after Boyd's January transfer to Birmingham collapsed. City boss and ex-Ibrox manager Alex McLeish was an interested spectator on Saturday, but any pursuit of players may be in vain if his cash-strapped former club claim their first title for four years and beat Celtic to the automatic Champions League revenue. 'From what I see of these lads, the determination is there and I am confident they can handle the situation,' he said. 'The period when we were seven points behind is one that comes to mind. With the consistency Celtic had shown, it looked pretty difficult for us. 'The defeat in December was a huge disappointment because I felt that, for 70 minutes, we played the best we had done in any Old Firm game since I returned to the club. Now we must close it out.' Walter Smith Boss Walter Smith will need a star-studded team to compete in the Champions League After Hibs, Aberdeen visit Ibrox on Saturday lunchtime, with the final fixture at Tannadice on Sunday, May 24. 'I've said often enough that other games can have a massive influence,' said Smith. 'Anyone who saw us at Easter Road the other week will know what a difficult game Hibs gave us. Aberdeen have to come here and Tannadice has always been a hard place for us. 'So they are difficult games - and Celtic face them, too. But we are in a good position. We have to show we can handle it.' Meanwhile, Bougherra, the �2.5m signing from Charlton, insisted that staying at Rangers will see him continue to improve under Weir's tuition. The Scotland centre-back turned 39 yesterday, but Bougherra urged him to carry on into his 40s and hopes an extension to the veteran's contract will be agreed. 'I have learned so much playing with David,' he said. 'Everyone on the staff wants him to stay. 'The way he trains and plays shows what a great professional he is. I don't know if I could do the same at 39. I'll probably be back in Algeria with my family at that age, putting my feet up.' http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1180290/Ibrox-stars-sale-Rangers-clinch-SPL-title-Champions-League-spot.html

BIRMINGHAM and Newcastle will fight it out over Ã?£4million Madjid Bougherra ââ?¬â? but only if Rangers LOSE the SPL title. Cash-starved Gers will have to sell some stars if they donââ?¬â?¢t pip Celtic to the crown. The Ibrox club are desperate for the Ã?£15million passport direct into the Champions League that comes with the title. And if they donââ?¬â?¢t get it, Algerian ace Bougherra will be high on the list of potential summer departures. Newcastle were keen on the stopper, 26, during the January transfer window and they still want him. They would only move if they keep their Premiership status ââ?¬â? while Birmingham will only bid if they go up. Former Gers gaffer Alex McLeish needs a win at Reading on Sunday to guarantee an instant return to the top flight. But itââ?¬â?¢s understood Bougherra is high on his wish list should he lead City into the cash-rich Premiership. French championship pacesetters Marseille have also had the ex-Charlton star watched this season. But Bougherra would prefer to stay in Britain as he believes his style of play is better suited to the game here. Fresh doubts over the playerââ?¬â?¢s long-term future were raised after the Scottish Cup semi-final win over St Mirren on Saturday. Speaking in a radio interview, he appeared to hint that heââ?¬â?¢d leave if Gers didnââ?¬â?¢t win the title. Those remarks were subsequently retracted in a statement on the clubââ?¬â?¢s website. Bougherra said: ââ?¬Å?I have to say to the fans that I have no intention of leaving.ââ?¬Â SunSport understands he is committed to Walter Smithââ?¬â?¢s side and is happy to stay for the long haul. He wants to sample the Champions League with Gers and is keen to plant roots in Glasgow after several moves over the past five years. But itââ?¬â?¢s believed heââ?¬â?¢s also aware that he is likely to be sold if Gers miss out on the financial bonus of direct entry to the Champions League. http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/article2398932.ece

MADJID BOUGHERRA has insisted that he is totally committed to Rangers and has no thoughts of leaving after post-match quotes at Hampden today were misinterpreted. The Algerian defender was interviewed in the media mixed zone after the 3-0 Homecoming Scottish Cup victory over St Mirren and appeared to say that he would seek a transfer if Rangers did not win the SPL. However, nothing could be further from the truth. What Bougherra was trying say was that if you don't have what it takes to win a title then you should play for a lesser club. Bougherra told rangers.co.uk: "First of all I have to say to the fans that I have no intention of leaving Rangers. "I was trying to say that if you don't have the mentality to win a championship then you should not be at a club like Rangers. "I did not express myself properly in English and I believe what I said sounded bad to the supporters listening to the radio. "It is my dream to win the title with Rangers and that is something I hope we can achieve. "I want to make it clear that I am very happy to play for Rangers and I want to have success this season. "It is great that we are in another cup final and we have five games left to win the league." Bougherra is suspended for the first post-split fixture with Hearts on Sunday, May 3.

According to the Mail, he's been told they'll listen to any reasonable offers for him, but its the usual story while being a non-story with no direct quotes. I know he's had his critics, but he can't be faulted for his work-rate, enthusiasm, fitness etc and has been one of those who does put in extra work on the training pitch. I also think he has improved a lot since he's been here, but I can't see him becoming a permanent fixture in the first team, so would he want to hang around if he's only going to be used as a backup player? I'm sure its not all about finances and we could work a deal out if we really wanted him to stay. Maybe he'll move elsewhere and find his level while getting a regular game at centre half. Whatever happens, I'd wish him all the best as quite a few of our players could learn a bit form his attitude if nothing else.

Roy Keane revealed his aim to take Ipswich back into the Barclays Premier League in one season as he declared: "It's good to be back." The former Manchester United captain, who has been out of work since leaving Sunderland in December, was confirmed as the new manager of the Tractor Boys after signing a two-year deal. Ipswich were last in the top flight in 2002 and previous manager Jim Magilton paid the price for not reaching the Coca-Cola Championship play-offs when he was sacked on Wednesday. Keane, who revealed he had received other offers, said: "It's a massive challenge trying to get the club back in the Premier League. "I'm excited and looking forward to it. I've had a good break. It's good to be back. "Three or four weeks ago I thought, if the opportunity came up, I was ready for it. I've signed a two-year contract but I'd like to try and do it (get promotion) in one year. "If I wasn't up for challenges I'd be out walking my dogs today. I think my dogs need a break." Keane insisted he would need time to take stock before beginning the process of shaping the team. "Nothing will be happening over the next week or two, we've got to take stock and take it from there," he said. He hinted at the possibility of major changes by adding: "There are a lot of players on long-term injuries and players whose contracts are up, so that might suit me. "But it would be unfair to say to players whose contracts are up 'You've got two games to prove yourself'." Keane was asked how his first meeting with the players at training had gone, and was his usual no-nonsense self in his response. "I had a chat with the players, I put demands on the players and they look up for it," he said. "All I've asked of any player as a manager is that they turn up for training on time and give 100%, and that's all I'm asking of the Ipswich players. If they're okay with that they will enjoy working with me, if not it will be a very brief relationship." Keane admitted the two-year contract could increase the pressure to turn things around quickly at Portman Road but added: "I'm very comfortable with the two years, if that means I'm putting myself under pressure - so what? "It's all about the challenge, when I took over at Sunderland I knew that was a big club and I could turn it around and it's the same here." Keane hopes some of the qualities he galvanised in his players while at Sunderland will again be in evidence at Portman Road. "We had a very good spirit and never-say-die attitude," he said of his time at the Stadium of Light. "We scored a lot of late goals and had great desire. "I always felt we would go to the end and I want that from Ipswich players. That's up to me to get into the players. "I'm convinced the players will enjoy working with me." He added the vision for the future laid out by the Ipswich board had played a major part in his decision to join the club. He said: "I enjoy working with ambitious people. There's enough people out there with no ambitions who are happy to go through the motions in life. "It's going to be very difficult, looking at the teams that will come down [from the Premier League]. "It's a massive challenge, but hopefully we will be in the mix. At the moment we are 26 points behind Wolves, so that's a big, big gap to make up." Asked why he had decided to take the job, Keane added: "My gut feeling, the ambition of the club, the history of the club. "It's a proper football club. I think I've been very lucky with the clubs I've been involved with and I'm very lucky to get this job." Chief executive Simon Clegg, who himself was only appointed this week, is confident Town have the right man to achieve their ambitions. He said: "It's an exciting and dynamic new era. It further demonstrates the aspirations and ambitions of this club and its owner, Marcus Evans. "I'm convinced, with Roy Keane as manager, we can build on the club's rich heritage and he will lead us back to Premier League football." Roy Keane Factfile 1971: Born Cork, August 10. 1987: Joins semi-professional League of Ireland club Cobh Ramblers after building reputation with Cork junior club Rockmount. 1990: Signed by Brian Clough for Nottingham Forest for �£10,000. 1991: Makes Republic of Ireland debut in 1-1 draw with Chile in Dublin. 1992: Arrested after rowdy scenes outside a Nottingham nightclub, but released without charge. 1993: January - Thrown out of another nightclub after being caught up in a brawl. July - Joins Manchester United for then British transfer record �£3.75million after 154 matches and 33 goals for Forest. 1994: Marks first season with United by helping club complete their first League and FA Cup double. 1995: Sent off for first time in career for stamping on Crystal Palace's Gareth Southgate during FA Cup semi-final replay. Later fined �£5,000. Two more red cards follow in first three months of 1995-96 campaign, at Blackburn in August and at home to Middlesbrough in October. 1996: March - Sent off on his 30th appearance for the Republic of Ireland against Russia in Mick McCarthy's first match as manager. May - Helps United clinch historic second double with 1-0 FA Cup final win over Liverpool. Fails to report for McCarthy's testimonial and Republic training after going on holiday to Italy, is denied Republic captaincy and left out for six matches by the national boss. 1997: April - Misses penalty for Republic against Romania and escapes without punishment after being involved in alleged scuffle. August - Named United captain following Eric Cantona's departure. September - Injures his knee trying to foul Leeds' Alf Inge Haaland at Elland Road. Misses rest of the season with cruciate ligament damage. 1999: April - Sent off against Arsenal in FA Cup semi-final replay for two bookable offences. Also booked in Champions League semi-final second leg against Juventus ruling him out of final against Bayern Munich. November - Scores the goal which earns a 1-0 Toyota Cup victory over Palmeiras of Brazil. United are the first British club to lift the Inter-Continental Cup. December - Signs a new four-year deal to stay at Old Trafford. 2000: May - Named PFA and Football Writers' Association player of the year before lifting another Premier League title. August - Sent off in Charity Shield at Wembley for two bookings, the second for a cynical challenge from behind on Chelsea's Gustavo Poyet. November - Criticises lack of atmosphere at Old Trafford accusing corporate spectators of being unable "to spell football never mind understand it" and only being interested in prawn sandwiches. 2001: April - Criticises United team-mates suggesting it may be time to break up the squad following their Champions League quarter-final defeat by Bayern Munich. Sent off after pre-meditated lunge at Haaland in United's derby encounter with Manchester City. September - Sent off for the ninth time in his United career after raising his hands at Newcastle's Alan Shearer. 2002: May - Keane is sent home from the World Cup after a row with Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy. August - Admits in his autobiography that his red-card tackle on Haaland was deliberate. September - Sent off for elbowing Jason McAteer during Manchester United's 1-1 draw at Sunderland. October - Banned for five matches and fined �£150,000 over Haaland incident. 2003: February - Despite the efforts of new Ireland manager Brian Kerr to tempt him back into the Republic's set-up, Keane announces his intention to retire from international football. 2004: February - Sent off as United lose in Porto in a Champions League last-16 clash. April - Announces he will play for Republic of Ireland. May - Makes first appearance for Ireland since McCarthy bust-up infriendly with Romania. 2005: February - Involved in tunnel row with Patrick Vieira before United's 4-2 win against Arsenal. August - Sir Alex Ferguson admits he had a row with Keane at United's pre-season training camp in Portugal in July. October - Announces his international retirement for a second time. November - Leaves Manchester United by mutual consent. December - Signs for Celtic in an 18-month deal. 2006: January - Makes Celtic debut in embarrassing Scottish Cup defeat to First Division Clyde. May - Finishes the season at Celtic, who win the Bank of Scotland Premier League. June - Announces his retirement from football. August - Confirmed as new manager of Sunderland. 2007: April - Earns automatic promotion to the Premier League for Sunderland. Team clinches Championship title the following week. 2008: May - Sunderland finish three points clear of relegation zone. September - Says he will not "tolerate people abusing me" after fans react angrily to an unconvincing Carling Cup win over Northampton. December 4 - Leaves Sunderland after crisis talks on Wearside. 2009: April 23 - Takes over at Championship side Ipswich on two-year contract.

In the wake of us being linked with lots of SPL run of the mill players that dont get the heart racing and get you excited at watching them in action. Who in the past has got you excited about signing for Rangers. Here is mine. Souness - Was at Primary School but remeber all the excitement going on at the time. Gazza - had to go an greet him at Ibrox when he arrived , was pandamonium the man is a legend. Laudrup - Was so excited as had watched him light up Euro 92 and couldnt believe he was going to sign for us. Ronald De Boer - Absolutly loved this guy was a genuine world class Midfielder and was an honour to watch him play , his brother was no bad too Claudio Canigga - Gave Dundee pennies for this Argentinian Superstar of the 90's , was in his twilight but was still an exciting player to watch and funny too. Tore Andre Flo - Was as astounded as anyone at the time that we could afford to spend �£12M on anyone and was excited as Flo had a great scoring record but was not to work out for the big man. Michael Mols - See clips of him for Utrecht on the net and was mesmorised and couldnt wait till he arrived and we were not let down until his horror injury against Bayern , was a delight to see Mols in action for the Bears. Dado Prso - Watched him run riot in the Champions League for Monaco and read all the papers with him being linked to Rangers and was saying no way but he did come and What a signing he was a total class act , a dodgy knee ended his Ibrox career short , What would you do to have Dado in the team today. Kris Boyd - Kilmarnock Goal Machine now Rangers Goal Machine Stevie Naismith - Watched him score a peach against us at the end of the season and sign for us at the last minute of the transfer window , has yet to completly shine at Ibrox but has time on his side. De - Marcus Beasley - Had watched him play for PSV and rated him high,y and was glad we signed him had been a bit hot and cold in his Gers Career so far i still think he is worth keeping. I know we have signed a number of decent players since , but these are the players i was excited about signing for Rangers. Now we are in the days of chasing 1st division stars and championship players how times have changed for us. Cheers :cheers:

This was the story of a rekindled love affair, hidden away inside a football match. It unfolded in front of 50,000 engrossed spectators and featured Steven Smith as the protagonist of the piece. An appreciation of the back story is vital. Smith had risen through the ranks at Rangers to become a first-team regular under Alex McLeish by the time he was 20. Despite his youth, he was spoken of as a future Scotland cap and had many anticipating that he and Alan Hutton would become established as Rangers' first-choice full-backs for a decade or more. Alas for Smith, injuries would curtail that progress. Pelvic and groin problems that had troubled him in his youth returned. He turned out for Paul Le Guen in an Old Firm match in December 2006 and was barely seen or heard of again. advertisement The injuries subsided and he was able to play in two Scottish Cup ties last season before disappearing into the background again. This season, fit again after recovering from an ankle knock, he has been simply unable to get into the team. Reluctantly, he agreed to move on from Rangers. A loan deal to St Mirren was agreed in January only for red tape to block the move. Smith, now 23, resigned himself to his fate, training every day knowing there was little chance of him featuring come the weekend. He gave up on ever playing for Rangers again. A mounting injury crisis, though, was to hand him an unexpected reprieve. Saturday marked his first league start for 28 months, in left midfield no less, and he responded with the sort of energetic, wholehearted performance that had helped forge his reputation all those years ago. Little surprise, then, that he seemed a little dazed but delighted as he mulled over a tumultuous few days. "It has been a long time, and difficult as well with injuries and then coming back but not playing," he said. "I never thought I would get the chance to play for Rangers again, to be honest with you, but a lot of the boys are injured and that was what it was going to take for me to get my chance. Hopefully I did well enough to get another one." Smith, an amiable if somewhat private man, did not even notify close family or friends that he would be playing for fear of creating too much of a distraction. "I wasn't really nervous," he added. "I never thought about it too much. If I had it might have hindered my performance. I just put my boots on and went out to play football. That's what I wanted to do. I never even told my family I was playing. I just wanted to go out there and let everybody know that I was back." Even when fit, there had seemed no way back for Smith. He stopped travelling to the matches, preferring to sit at home and watch the results come in from all across the country. Only the joy of looking after Ashton, his seven month-old son, preserved his sanity. He said: "It's hard training Monday to Friday and not getting a game at the end of the week. Playing with the reserves on a Tuesday, you don't prepare mentally the same. You try, but it's not the same as running out there in front of 50,000 every week. It's strange - you get used to not playing and not being involved. It's even harder when there's a squad of 26 going to games and you aren't there. "I didn't come to the games. I sat and watched Soccer Saturday on Sky, watched the scores coming in, and checked my coupon. I've got a wee baby now and when I got home after training on the Friday and I wasn't going to be involved at the weekend, I would go up and see him and it would take my mind off football. Maybe that was a good thing for me, getting away from football and getting my desire back." Smith was certain that he would be moving on in the summer. He recently played in a charity match for Cardiff City, alongside former Rangers team-mates Gavin Rae and Chris Burke, and a permanent transfer to the Championship side had been mooted. Should the door now be ajar for him to reignite his Rangers career, however, the player will be more than happy to stay put. "If I keep playing here then Cardiff doesn't come into the question, because this is the only place where I want to play," he said. "But if I'm not playing football then I'd need to move. I've got another year left on my contract. I still want to be a Rangers player and I've always wanted to play here. Hopefully, I'm back in the manager's thoughts and I've proved to him I can play at this level again. http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/headlines/display.var.2501515.0.Heartrending_Smith_saga_features_a_twist_in_the_tail.php

I have been thinking of penning an article on the problems that community coaches and teams face today for a while. I have a friend who used to coach local youngsters and had an youth team that were relatively successful in the fact that not only did they hold their own in cups and leagues, but had a working relationship with Raith Rovers. This was when Jimmy Nichol was the Raith manager and he took certain players from this team and allowed them to train with Raith. A few of the players made a successful transformation into football, the most successful would be Eddie Forrest who played with Motherwell, Airdrie and a few others and is still playing at East Stirlingshire - http://www.eaststirlingfc.co.uk/play...ieForrest.html. However, there was always obstacles to overcome and these would range from arranging and securing council pitches to actually play the games on, securing referees, encouraging youngsters to participate and off course, getting adults involved in a positive manner helping with coaching, travelling to games, putting up nets etc. All of these obstacles just to allow 15 youngsters to play football and hopefully use this as a stepping stone to professional football. Again, this was voluntary and my friend did this due to the love of the game and held done a full-time job as well as running his team and there was very little support from council, SFA, parents et al. To my shame, I then completely forgot about the problems and issues that befall community coaching and local teams until I moved jobs last year and started in a company where three of my new work colleagues were involved with youth football / community coaching. One of those involved, Wee T, also plays women's football as well as being involved in community coaching with Motherwell FC. Through talking about football, it wasn't long before we realised that we also shared a love and passion for Rangers Football Club, so our working relationship developed around Rangers and football rather than business! When Wee T left for pastures new, we kept in touch and still meet at Ibrox occasionally and keep in touch and I encouraged Wee T to join the GersNet family and to properly introduce her, suggested that given her experience in women's football and community coaching, we should collaborate on an article that outlines the problems, success, need and development of both. Below are Wee T's thoughts, concerns and experiences of being involved in the vital role as a community coach and being involved in competitive women's football, which is in its infancy in Scotland. I have to admit that I am completely naive when it comes to women's football in Scotland and apart from Wee T, the only other player I have heard of is Scotland's Julie Fleeting MBE who has had a wonderful career playing for Arsenal ladies and who has scored 103 goals in 104 appearances for Scotland - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Fleeting My name is Wee T, I fell in love with football from a very early age, my Dad's a die-hard Rangers fan so I expect it came from there. I started kicking a ball about as soon as I was able to and I was the first girl to play for my Primary school football team, Gartsherrie Primary in Coatbridge, it was at that time that I won my first medal for playing football. When I moved to High School, Coatbridge High School, the prospects weren't as good for the girls when it came to football. We got the occasional 5-a-side game against other schools' girl's team's but that was about it! Through my early teenage years, this left me with playing football on the streets with my brothers and his mates. Playing football was all that mattered to me and I was trying to emulate my hero - Paul Gascoigne - I loved the way he played football, they way he'd go passed opponents so easily, the way he moved and his big daft smile when he scored! Can't say I really had a female hero in football....well maybe just Tina Turner - Simply The Best!!!! At 18, once I left school and I joined Hamilton Accies Ladies B Team and played for them in one of the Women's football leagues in Scotland. We had a great team with great spirit and commitment, we went on to win the league in my first season, winning every game along the way (just like The Rangers in 1898-99). At around the same time as joining Accies I also started coaching with Motherwell FC, I had completed my SFA Level 1 coaching badges and this is what I'd always wanted to do. I was like a double-agent in Lanarkshire across the North/South divide, playing for one team and working for the other. I still work with Motherwell FC at the moment as a Community Coach within a larger team and we report into the Senior Community Coach with regards to progress & popularity of the sessions that we run through North Lanarks. The sessions cover various age groups from 3 year olds up to 16 year olds. The role means that I have to coach the youngsters on various football drills, I also have to update the parents on their kids progress and some of the parents are in attendance through the sessions which we encourage to help with development. The main focus for myself, and I hope my colleagues is the enjoyment factor, its important the kids are enjoying what they are learning and that they remain in the coaching cycle and possibly move onto Pro-Youth with Motherwell FC if they are good enough. Facilities for the sessions are provided by Motherwell FC and by the local council whether it be in schools or community centres etc. As a Rangers fan I suppose I'm helping the opposition bring through new youngsters but I really enjoy what I do and as its linked to football I get a lot of satisfaction from it. Doing the coaching doesnââ?¬â?¢t get in the way of me following Rangers though and I'm home every other Saturday to get out of my Motherwell gear and into my Rangers gear to head to Ibrox!! One change I did make recently, for season 08/09, was my transfer from Hamilton Accies to Motherwell FC Ladies team, thought it best to start giving my employers something back, ha ha, plus I couldn't play in those hoops any longer....even if they were red & white!! Motherwell Ladies FC play in the Scottish Womenââ?¬â?¢s football leagues, we're in Division 2 South East, East & Central and this is our first season in that league. Currently we're in 4th place in the league, of a ten team league. The teams are of varying standards, with some being far more organised and structured than others, we're currently somewhere in the middle. The league itself is really well organised with all details of fixtures, results and tables etc. posted weekly. Our own team has suffered a little bit from an early season change of manager leaving us with a young inexperienced manager. We train twice a week on a 7-a-side pitch which isnââ?¬â?¢t suitable for an 11-a-side team to train and practice. Next year senior players will be part of a committee where we'll be able to have our thoughts/concerns raised in the correct forum. Our season so far has been pretty mixed in different ways, mixed results, mixed performances and a whole load of different playing surfaces....I doubt the Rangers or Celtic Ladies teams in the higher divisions have to play on the pitches we've had to play on all season. Considering our team is new with players either being brought in from other teams (like myself), from Motherwell U-17's girls team or by word of mouth. Some better coaching for ourselves would have seen an improvement throughout our team, we have a mix of skilful players, whole-hearted players and some real ââ?¬Ë?triersââ?¬â?¢! For example one of our strikers, Sarah, could definitely do with some close coaching on her finishing but she does have the ability, our centre-half Amanda is a really good player, so good in fact she's been nick-named Cuellar by our small band of fans (well, the fans are basically my boyfriend, my brother, his mate and a few Mums & Dads), also our Goalkeeper Kirsty has improved superbly with some good coaching from our Goalie coach Bobby, she is arguably the most improved player! Also there's daft Dione, sheââ?¬â?¢s fast, skilful, hard in the tackle and has a shot as hard as a guys! Then there's myself, playing as the playmaker in midfield, there wasnââ?¬â?¢t much coaching needed here as I'm close to the finished article....I'm not saying I'm the best player....but I'm in the top 1 ( ha ha - just kidding)! All of the aforementioned and the rest would benefit greatly from our team being better structured and organised with training & managing improvements, we're hoping Motherwell FC themselves will show a little more interest as we progress. This season has been great with many highs and lows and laughs and arguments, but thatââ?¬â?¢s what footballs all about and football isnââ?¬â?¢t about winning its about wanting to win! It has seen us travel to Kirkcaldy, Dunfermline, Edinburgh & Aberdeen and seen these teams travel down to play us. Incidentally we're looking for a new manager - experienced manager - for next season as our current manager is moving on, so anyone willing to take on this commitment can get in touch with me through GersNet. Our seasons not finished yet, but we're hoping to finish in a respectable position and have a good grounding for next season. You can keep updated with Wee Tââ?¬â?¢s teamââ?¬â?¢s fortunes and progress on the Scottish Womenââ?¬â?¢s Football website - http://www.footballcentral.org/sfa/a...tball_home.cfm http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/newsi...d=782&Itemid=1 Wee T & Cammy F

WITCH HUNT SPARKED V-SIGNS FROM SHAMED PLAYERS Image Flag By Jacqueline McGhie, 05/04/2009 CELTIC star Scott Brown was dubbed the luckiest player in Scotland last night - after escaping the Boozegate affair totally UNPUNISHED. It is understood the Hoops star stayed up drinking with shamed aces Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor and retired to bed just TWENTY MINUTES before his Old Firm rivals. But, astonishingly, he avoided being hammered by Scotland gaffer George Burley after being shielded by his contacts at the Daily Record, we can sensationally reveal. And while Brown was included in the starting line-up for the World Cup tie against Iceland, his mates were dropped to the bench because of the marathon drinking session at Cameron House. The move sparked a chain of events that ended in Ferguson and McGregor being banned from playing for Scotland for life and transfer-listed by their club. But a News of the World investigation can reveal today that other senior members of the Scotland squad believe that: BURLEY only disciplined the Gers pair after they were NAMED by the Record THE manager has FAILED to punish any other star who stayed up drinking, and FERGIE and McGregor only stuck their fingers up at Record photographers - NOT the Scotland fans or manager. Last night a source insisted: "Barry and Allan have been hung out to dry." The News of the World can reveal that senior players feel Hoops midfielder Brown dodged blame because of his close links to a Record journalist. And they believe that the newspaper DELIBERATELY stuck the knife into Gers skipper Fergie because he works for their bitter rivals, The Scottish Sun. Last night a source close to the Scotland camp, who has asked not to be named, hit out: "What is the difference between drinking for seven-and-a-half hours and drinking for seven hours and 10 minutes? All the boys are amazed at the way this issue spiralled out of control "Those 20 minutes seemed to make a world of a difference to Burley and the SFA because it resulted in McGregor and Ferguson being dropped from the team to face Iceland - yet Brown was in his usual place and being hailed as a HERO by the Tartan Army. "He clearly is a very lucky boy - or perhaps he is just fortunate to have friends in high places. "No one's condoning what the Rangers pair did at Hampden. They were IDIOTS. "But it certainly appears to have been more convenient for Burley to dump them after the Holland game than it was to drop Brown." We can reveal that the Record contacted the SFA on Monday with details of the drinking binge. But the newspaper only named Ferguson and McGregor - and, despite having ALL the info, failed to mention to officials that Brown had ALSO been up for the marathon booze session. The call went in two days after Record sports editor James Traynor was involved in an angry exchange with Ferguson during the previous week's trip to Holland for another World Cup qualifier. Ferguson confronted the columnist, who had previously vilified him and even urged Walter Smith to axe him if the Ibrox side wanted to win the title. In Friday's Record, Traynor wrote: "Only last week he (Ferguson) had turned to a sympathetic paper to moan that he's some kind of victim and that some of us have the knives out for him. "Then, late on Saturday night as we all prepared to retreat from another defeat in the Amsterdam ArenA, I had a conversation with Ferguson, who wanted to know why he is criticised and why I don't consider him captain material." Other Scotland players now feel the Record failed to mention Brown to the SFA, or in their report on Wednesday about the booze shame, because he is an important contact of the paper's senior football reporter Keith Jackson. One player, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "All the boys are amazed at the way this issue spiralled out of control. There has certainly been a lot of very selective reporting about what went on." Other Scotland stars who stayed up for the early morning drinking session were Steven Whittaker, Gary Teale and Alan Hutton - but they called it quits after a couple of hours. But the News of the World understands that Brown only made it back to his room around NOON on Sunday. Before then, he had collected a pair of hairclippers and SHAVED McGregor's head as the trio shared a laugh. One source said that the keeper was found slumped in a chair with his brown locks lying around him. But a short time after the Celtic ace left the party, Scotland coach Steven Pressley spotted Ferguson and McGregor at around 12.30pm - and ordered them back to their rooms. The pair were described as "drunk as skunks" after downing beer, expensive wine and vodka and Red Bull. It was suggested Ferguson then threw up in the hotel but our source said: "That is not true. They went off to to their beds without any fuss." It was the SFA's idea to lay on food and drink in a private room But, incredibly, it took Scotland boss Burley more than 48 hours to inform his skipper and goalkeeper that they were to be sent home in disgrace. And he only made that announcement after the Record had contacted him and made it clear they were going to go public and reveal details of the pair's boozy antics. The source added: "There has definitely been a witch-hunt for Allan and Barry." We can reveal that ALL the Scotland players were given permission to have a drink after returning to Scotland in the early hours of Sunday. Our man revealed: "It was the SFA's idea to lay on food and drink in a private room for those players who decided to go back to Cameron House. We were actually ENCOURAGED to go and relax there. "Other players went home - and could have stayed up and drank all night for all anyone knows. "But the lads who did that at Cameron House - on their DAY OFF - have been hammered for it. "Allan and Barry could have pointed the finger at certain team-mates and asked why they weren't coming in for the same punishment as them. "But they kept silent and took their punishment on the chin. Their frustration just seems to have boiled over at Hampden during the Iceland match. They were put in a high- pressure situation and handled it badly. "But a lot of the boys are suspicious about how this all started. "The hotel staff were absolutely fine with what was going on and, to my knowledge, there were no complaints from the public - or they would have been plastered all over the papers. "But the way two players have been demonised for having a drink seemed a bit over the top, considering they were far from being the only ones. "Even some of the SFA staff were having a drink in the same place." After originally ordering Ferguson and McGregor home from the Loch Lomond training camp, Burley reinstated them after being approached by senior players, including Manchester United star Darren Fletcher and Celts captain Stephen McManus. The delegation voiced their concerns over the way their team-mates were being "hung out to dry" while others who stayed up for a drink went unpunished. During heated discussions between Burley and his squad, it emerged that four others - Teale, Whittaker, Hutton and Brown - had also stayed up for some time on Sunday morning. Burley was told the players were RAGING that two of their teammates were taking the rap, while others who also failed to go straight to their beds were being let off the hook. Our source revealed: "The players told Burley he couldn't have one rule for some and another rule for others. They made it clear he should either send SIX players home or none at all. There had to be some consistency. "The message which came through loud and clear from Burley and his staff was that if the papers hadn't got hold of the story about the other boys, there wasn't an issue to deal with." It is understood Burley was persuaded to reinstate Ferguson and McGregor to his squad for the Iceland game and leave them on the bench. The pair even met with SFA officials and were encouraged to go through the post-match media zone and speak to newspapers after the game. Officials hoped the duo would reiterate their disappointment over their conduct. But that move backfired spectacularly when the players made obscene gestures from the bench during the game. And those gestures effectively ended their Rangers and Scotland careers. Yet a source close to the players revealed Ferguson and McGregor were NOT aiming their V-signs at the Tartan Army OR SFA chiefs. He said: "To suggest someone like Barry was having a go at the fans or George Burley is nonsense. They were aiming the gesture at the Daily Record photographers taking their picture. "You don't play for Scotland for 10 years and leave your wife and kids for 10 days as Barry did to take on Holland and Iceland unless playing for your country means something to you. "Anyone who says otherwise is trying to stir it. Clearly they've succeeded." http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/scottish/scottish_news/251687/Celtic-star-just-as-guilty-as-Rangers-duo-Barry-Ferguson-Allan-McGregor-Scott-Brown.html

Juat heard on real radio that there is breaking news coming from Ibrox @ 11:00am, tune in if you can

Apr 5 2009 Andy Mcdonald BOOZE shame keeper Allan McGregor was handed a sensational Ibrox lifeline yesterday. And the Sunday Mail can exclusively reveal that Kevin Thomson is to take over from axed Barry Ferguson as Ibrox skipper next season. Keeper McGregor was not expected to play for Rangers again after furious boss Walter Smith dropped him and Ferguson for their Scotland disgrace. Now Smith may be prepared to give McGregor, 27, one final chance to salvage his career - butonly if he grows up. Senior sources at Ibrox yesterday insisted Ferguson will never play for the club again. But the same sources confirmed McGregor could make a sensational return to the first team. One said: "They both deserved everything that came their way after that performance midweek. "Walter's equally furious with them both but he sees McGregor's position differently to Ferguson's. "Barry's burned his bridges but there could still be a way back for McGregor. "Whether he's got the good sense to take it is another matter. Buckle "He's definitely out for the moment. But if he buckles down the door is not locked on him coming back. "He basically has to grow up and get a grip. It's down to him." The cash-strapped club also realise benching one of their prize assets can only reduce his value on the transfer market. The source insisted the only thing that will see him return is a massive change in attitude. McGregor has a history of attracting as many headlines for his colourful private life as his onfield performances. The source added: "It's down to him. Put it this way, Barry's out in the dark but there's a chink of light for McGregor." Ferguson and McGregor saw their careers implode last week after they were benched for a booze bender at the Scotland squad's hotel. Flick They compounded that by flicking the Vs at photographersduring the Iceland game. Ferguson, 31, was stripped of the Rangers captaincy on Friday. We can reveal Smith is ready to hand the captain's armband to midfielder Kevin Thomson when he returns from injury next season. Veteran David Weir will lead Rangers against Falkirk today but Smith believes Thomson is the player to take charge next season when he returns. He has been out since suffering ligament damage in November but is expected back early next season after successful surgery. An Ibrox source said: "There's no doubt Kevin will be captain next season all being well with his knee. "To be frank, there's not a wealth of candidates but he's got the attitude and respect of his team-mates." http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/sport-news/2009/04/05/walter-smith-prepared-to-give-shamed-keeper-allan-mcgregor-ibrox-lifeline-78057-21254880/

Glasgow Rangers are to buy a controlling stake in Charlton Athletic, in a move that will not only completely change the structure of Charlton in its current format, but also impact on the face of British football in general. Following five months of talks and negotiations, the revolutionary deal will be announced at a joint press conference on Friday 3rd April at The Valley after the move was given the go-ahead by the various football authorities on Tuesday. Glasgow Rangers are to pay Ã?£24.2m for a 64.5% stake in Charlton, and will transfer a number of senior and junior players, both in permanant deals and season-long loans during the summer. Discussions between the clubs date back to November, in the aftermath of Charltonââ?¬â?¢s perilous financial position highlighted by the need to pay previous manager Alan Pardewââ?¬â?¢s compensation package. On the 24th February, a Charlton delegation consisting of Richard Murray, Derek Chappell, Bob Whitehand, Steve Waggott and Nigel Capelin met with Sir David Murray, Rangers Chief Executive Martin Bain and Finance Director Donald McIntyre at Londonââ?¬â?¢s Dorchester Hotel to finalise the agreement. Former Chief Executive Peter Varney was also present, and has been working as an intermediary on the deal. ââ?¬Å?The original concept was the idea of Sir David Murrayââ?¬Â revealed a senior Charlton employee. ââ?¬Å?Rangers are acutely aware that unless they absorb some of the Premiership money within the next few years, they are unlikely to ever compete at the highest level in Europe again. They see it as essential to their heritage that some form of presence remains in Scotland, and they believe they can continue to do that to a lesser degree long-term by balancing their squad and remaining competitive in the SPL. But they desperately need the money that is generated by English football, and it is no secret that we desperately need fresh financial impetus to remain a viable entity. The bulk of Rangers resources will be devoted to getting Charlton back to the Premiership as quickly as possibleââ?¬Â. The deal will instantly clear all Charltonââ?¬â?¢s outstanding debts, including the early repayment of both the Ã?£6m on Charltonââ?¬â?¢s mortgage and the Ã?£15m convertible bond issue key directors undertook in 2008. ââ?¬Å?I would be lying if i said that this is the ideal scenario we envisaged for the future of Charlton. But the financial situation is crippling, and the board fell that they are backed into a corner. There are no more funds, there is no overdraft facility and next year we are facing third-tier football. There are no other options on the table, and as it stands the future of Charlton Athletic shows no sign of recovery in its current format. At least this way there is a chance of Premiership football returning to The Valley and the ââ?¬Ë?Charltonââ?¬â?¢ name to be attached to it, albeit looselyââ?¬Â. Since the February meeting, representatives of both Rangers and Charlton have been in continued negotiations with the SPL, Football League and the Premiership. ââ?¬Å?Talks have been intense. The SPL were originally strongly opposed to the move, but are realistic enough to know that financially the big-two in Scotland cannot compete with other leading European clubs, so need to seek unique initiatives. They also now see this as an ideal opportunity for Scottish clubs to continue to benefit from the strong support and finance Rangers and Celtic provide by playing other SPL clubs, but equally by fielding potentially weaker sides it will make the SPL as a league more even and competitive. Rangers believe Celtic will quickly set up a similar arrangement with another English club. The Football League have been very supportive of the move, as it will provide a greater focus and benefit to its member clubs. However, the Premier League were rigid on the legalities, and this is largely what has taken the past month to resolveââ?¬Â. ââ?¬Å?Charltonââ?¬â?¢s imminent relegation to League One was not ideal, but has meant the deal could be agreed at the levelââ?¬â?¢s Rangers could realistically afford. Sir David Murray has made clear that Charltonââ?¬â?¢s location, availability, current structure and potential for development far outweigh long-term the negatives. They believe they can develop a model that will take Charlton Rangers to compete with Arsenal and Chelsea within seven yearsââ?¬Â. Ironically, the name of the amalgamated club has also provided a delaying problem. ââ?¬Å?Rangers see it as essential that ââ?¬Ë?Rangersââ?¬â?¢ is represented in the name. However, there is already an amateur football club registered with the London F.A as Charlton Rangers. Greenwich Rangers and Rangers Charlton were being considered, but its now been agreed that the club can register next season as Charlton Rangers through the Kent F.Aââ?¬Â. The move will see the near-total replacement of both the Charlton Football Club board, and the Charlton PLC board. Richard Murray however, will remain a non-executive director for a minimum 12-month period. ââ?¬Å?There are real concerns on how the Charlton fanbase will react. I have my own strong views, but i am also a fan. Having Richard Murray on board is seen by Rangers as essential to not just providing a smooth transition, but also winning the acceptance of Charlton supporters. I think theyââ?¬â?¢ve underestimated just how this will be taken by the Charlton fans to be honestââ?¬Â. Members of Charltonââ?¬â?¢s Fans Forum were uncontactable late last night, but Bromley Supporters Group representative Ben Hayes said ââ?¬Å?Iââ?¬â?¢m shocked. I know the board are also Charlton fans, and would not undertake such a deal without having the best intentions of the club at heart, and i think on this one we are just going to have to trust them and wait and hear what they have to say. But i can understand not all Charlton fans will be happy with this and i encourage them to contact Fans Forum representatives with their views. It makes sense now why the club have delayed announcing season ticket prices for next season. Charlton Rangers is something i am going to have to think long and hard about though, particularly as i am a lifelong Celtic follower. Iââ?¬â?¢m sure i wonââ?¬â?¢t be the only one with this dilemnaââ?¬Â. http://www.charltonlife.com/blog/?p=218

Hamilton Accies sign former Northampton striker Derek Asamoah until the end of the season. More...

Miller and Fergie in Russia! Get the berlin wall back up.:devil:

Dick Advocaat is ready to offer Rangers and Scotland captain Barry Ferguson an escape route out of Ibrox and a final career pay day in Russia. The Zenit St Petersburg boss, and former Rangers manager, has confirmed to Sportsmail he remains a huge admirer of the 31-year-old midfielder who will skipper George Burleyââ?¬â?¢s side in the World Cup double-header against Holland and Iceland. Advocaat, who gave Ferguson the Ibrox armband at the tender age of 22, is losing his star player, Ukrainian international Anatoliy Tymoschuk, to Bayern Munich on a free transfer in July, following Andrey Arshavinââ?¬â?¢s departure to Arsenal. And the former Holland boss, who tried to sign Ferguson during the midfielderââ?¬â?¢s turbulent run-in with the then Rangers manager Paul le Guen in January 2007, could look to him again as a replacement. With Ferguson facing a pay cut at the cash-strapped Ibrox club this summer, and already copping flak from disgruntled supporters, Advocaatââ?¬â?¢s words will not be easily dismissed. ââ?¬Ë?I am sure everyone in Scotland knows by now what I think of Barry Ferguson - heââ?¬â?¢s still a top player,ââ?¬â?¢ said Advocaat. ââ?¬Ë?Maybe he needs a fresh challenge elsewhere to give him new motivation. If he has been getting criticism in Scotland, then maybe he he has been at Rangers too long. ââ?¬Ë?If I think I have a place for him here at St Petersburg, then he is the first one I would try to sign.ââ?¬â?¢ Fergusonââ?¬â?¢s Ã?£25,000-per-week contract will have only 12 months to run when the SPL title race is concluded. It is expected he will be offered a significant pay cut by the club should he wish to sign an extension running into his mid-30s. Zenit could easily match his current wages and a couple of years in Russia would bank Ferguson at least Ã?£2million. He has already left Rangers once, when he moved to Blackburn Rovers, and, although he likes family life in Scotland, his career is becoming increasingly marred by personal criticism as Walter Smithââ?¬â?¢s side remain in Celticââ?¬â?¢s shadow. Advocaat added: ââ?¬Ë?We are losing Tymoschuk in a couple of months, when he signs for Bayern Munich. Iââ?¬â?¢ve brought in Russian international Igor Semshov to try to plug the gap. ââ?¬Ë?But if it does not work out well for him and for us, then Barry would be one I would think about, definitely. 'I have always believed he has the ability to play wherever he wants.ââ?¬â?¢ Zenit opened the new Russian League campaign with a draw, followed by a 2-1 victory over Saturn on Sunday. Advocaat, who coached Holland to their 6-0 Amsterdam success over Scotland in November 2003 in the Euro 2004 play-off, will watch this weekendââ?¬â?¢s showdown between his two favourite countries on TV - with Ferguson under particular scrutiny. Meanwhile, Rangers reserve Andrew Little has been called into the full Northern Ireland squad - before he has even kicked a ball for the Ibrox first team. The highly-rated 19-year-old , who can play in defence or attack, has been called up by manager Nigel Worthington for Northern Irelandââ?¬â?¢s World Cup double-header against Poland and Slovenia. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1164299/Ill-sign-Barry-Advocaat-insists-8217-d-Rangers-skipper-Russia.html

Yip, here it is, your daily/weekly/monthly (delete as appropriate) Kris Boyd article. It is an understatement to say that Boyd splits the support and it is fare to say that both camps are well ensconced in their opinion of Kris Boyd and his merits to Rangers Football Club. Let me state this up front, I have nothing personally against Kris Boyd, he appears to be a Bear and is passionate about Rangers Football Club, but a good player that doesnââ?¬â?¢t make. There is usually a lot of vitriol in these topics so I am going to try to endeavour not to get personal or overtly passionate in this article where I will outline my reasons for believe that Kris Boyd doesnââ?¬â?¢t offer Rangers as much as it is claimed and why I believe that Rangers Football Club could actually prosper in Boydââ?¬â?¢s absence (which may be a mute point depending on the severity of Laffertyââ?¬â?¢s injury). Kris Boydââ?¬â?¢s fans point to his goal-scoring prowess as his main, and if they are honest, only redeeming feature and that is understandable as on the face of it, the lad scores goals. However, if you break these goals down, it does take some credibility away from the ââ?¬Ë?factsââ?¬â?¢. As it stands, Boyd has yet to score at Pittodrie, Tynecastle and Parkhead, arguably the three toughest away games that we face and he has managed one solitary goals against Celtc in his entire footballing career. This season, Boyd has scored 19 goals in the SPL and of those, six have been penalties. Further investigation reveals that the vast majority of these goals have come against Hamilton, Kilmarnock and Falkirk and in games where we have won convincingly. There is a lack of goals against Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs and Celtc, games that are usually close and games where you are expecting and hoping that your top strikers are going to score that all important goal that will ensure that you win the game (just think Ally McCoist here, how many games did McCoist score the winner?). Another criticisms that can be aimed at Kris Boyd is that he doesnââ?¬â?¢t score enough headed goals. For a centre, you would expect a fair percentage of headed goals (just think Mark Hateley or Derek Johnstone). In my opinion, and this isnââ?¬â?¢t Kris Boydââ?¬â?¢s fault, whenever Boyd is in the team, our players resort to firing long hopefully balls to Boyd, something that he has never been able to cope or adapt to. This is a utterly useless tactic as all that we succeed in doing is handing position back to the opposition. For some reason (fitbess?) Boyd appears to shrink when he jumps and inevitably fails to retain position, flick the ball onto his strike partner etc. Outside the penalty box, Boyd is static and offers little or no movement. His control is non-excitant, he canââ?¬â?¢t beat a man and he canââ?¬â?¢t outpace even the slowest and sluggish defenders in the SPL. All of the above are basic qualities that any striker should possess. Even the glimpses we have had of Lafferty playing through the middle has shown us that he ticks all the above boxes and given an extended run and the chances that are created for Boyd, I bet that heââ?¬â?¢d score as many as Boyd scores. I touched on Ruud Van Nistelrooy in another thread and pointed out how Manchester United actually benefited and prospered by selling one of the most prolific strikers that had had. It is worth examining just how prolific RVN was for Manchester United. In his first season at Old Trafford after a Ã?£19M transfer, RVN scored 23 goals in 32 EPL games for Manchester United including a run of scoring in 8 consecutive league games which is an EPL record. He also scored 10 goals in the Champions League and was voted the PFA Player Of The Year. The following season he was even more prolific scoring 44 goals in 52 games including 12 in 10 CL games and was the EPLââ?¬â?¢s top goal scorer that season (with 25, including three hatricks) and ended the season with another 8 consecutive scoring run. RVN was injured for most of the next season but still contributed with important CL goals. The following season he was joint top scorer with Henry (21 goals) before SAF sold his scoring prodigy to Real Madrid. Whilst these goal-scoring exploits are outstanding, Manchester United happened on their worst run of trophies in years. SAF believed that this was down to the way they played to accommodate RVNââ?¬â?¢s goal-scoring threat. He decided that to actually win the EPL and CL, he would have to sacrifice his top scorer, one of the deadliest marksmen in Europe to help the TEAM. He was ridiculed for this decision in certain sections of the press but in hindsight, it was one of SAFââ?¬â?¢s bravest and craftiest moves. Manchester United havenââ?¬â?¢t looked back since. We as Rangers fans were lucky enough to witness a young RVN when DAââ?¬â?¢s Rangers were drawn with Dutch giants in the CL. We destroyed them 4-1 at Ibrox with Mols on fire and secured a 1-0 away victory thanks to a trademark Albertz thunderbolt. In all honesty, RVN looked like a rich manââ?¬â?¢s Kris Boyd in those games and it was our Dutch striker Mols who displayed a master-class performance at Ibrox. However, it canââ?¬â?¢t be denied that RVN went on to become on of Europeââ?¬â?¢s top strikers and he was still delivering at Real Madrid before injury cut short his season. So, could Rangers benefit from following SAF and Manchester Unitedââ?¬â?¢s example of selling their top scorer? Having not won an SPL title in three seasons and the likelihood that we wonââ?¬â?¢t win again this season, then yes, we must try something different as playing to Boydââ?¬â?¢s supposed strengths hasnââ?¬â?¢t and isnââ?¬â?¢t working and more importantly, no matter how prolific he appears, we arenââ?¬â?¢t winning the title. In Kyle Lafferty, Walter Smith may have stumbled on an ideal replacement for Boyd, now he must trust his instincts and give Lafferty an extended run in the striker role (injury permitting) and find Lafferty a partner that will supplement and flourish alongside him. I believe that I have stuck to my original promise and havenââ?¬â?¢t gotten personal of over passionate in my argument as to why it could be an advantage to drop / sell Kris Boyd. I would also argue that his stock in football isnââ?¬â?¢t that high given that when it was made public that he was for sale in January, his only suitor was his ex-manager Alex McLeish who was willing to take Kris Boyd to Championship side Birmingham City. Given his perceived abilities, surely there would be a queue of managers fighting for his signature? Cammy F

By Lorna Smith and Mark Howarth, 14/03/2009 A CRACK team of debt-busting bankers has been put together to claw back millions from crisis club Rangers. The Ibrox giantââ?¬â?¢s finances have suffered like all businesses in the credit crunch ââ?¬â? causing some of the loans bolstering the club to be put under the microscope. Now cash-strapped Bank of Scotland bosses have hand-picked a posse of ââ?¬Ë?asset houndsââ?¬â?¢ to examine how the club can pay back much of its debt. Experts believe the bank could demand repayments of Ã?£20MILLION over the next few years ââ?¬â? taking the Rangers debt down to around Ã?£5million. Light Blues chairman Sir David Murray has already slashed 12 stadium jobs and ordered manager Walter Smith to axe eight stars in the summer. But last night there were warnings that more cuts could see Rangers facing a DECADE living in Celticââ?¬â?¢s shadow. A Bank of Scotland insider revealed: ââ?¬Å?The debt has been deemed too big and it was felt the time had come to start clawing back some of the cash. ââ?¬Å?The credit crunch means thereââ?¬â?¢s no such thing as easy money any more ââ?¬â? we cannot keep loaning companies big money against assets that leave us exposed. ââ?¬Å?We donââ?¬â?¢t want Rangers to suffer on or off the pitch so weââ?¬â?¢ve pulled together some of our best brains to make sure that the club comes down as gently as possible. ââ?¬Å?But the current situation cannot possibly continue. Ultimately, this is big business and, Iââ?¬â?¢m afraid, sometimes it hurts.ââ?¬Â As Rangers face Celtic at Hampden today in the Co-operative Insurance Cup Final, Stephen Morrow, Professor of Sports Studies at Stirling University, warned fans that the bankââ?¬â?¢s crackdown could see their club ââ?¬Å?in the wildernessââ?¬Â for the next ten years. He said: ââ?¬Å?This will make it even more challenging for a club like Rangers to compete. In some ways, Celticââ?¬â?¢s financial basis is different ââ?¬â? theyââ?¬â?¢ve been run in a different way which has left them less exposed. ââ?¬Å?If Rangers have to pay back, say, Ã?£15-Ã?£20million over the next few years, thereââ?¬â?¢s a risk of a big gap opening up between them and Celtic.ââ?¬Â It is believed the specialist lending team of bankers will study the clubââ?¬â?¢s estimated Ã?£25million debt before making a string of recommendations to claw back some of the clubââ?¬â?¢s loans. The options would include selling off assets ââ?¬â? such as players ââ?¬â? trimming overheads, selling other assets or attracting more investment. Professor Morrow added: ââ?¬Å?What youââ?¬â?¢ve got with a mature business like Rangers is that the business has developed ââ?¬â? thereââ?¬â?¢s only a fixed number of games they can play, theyââ?¬â?¢re playing those games to capacity crowds and thereââ?¬â?¢s a TV deal which is not going to get any better. ââ?¬Å?Once youââ?¬â?¢ve brought playersââ?¬â?¢ wages under control then thatââ?¬â?¢s it, there arenââ?¬â?¢t many more ways to lever huge sums of money into the club. ââ?¬Å?Unless someone comes along and gives you the cash, the only other way is to sell some of your assets and that means players.ââ?¬Â Rangersââ?¬â?¢ finances are tied into chairman Sir David Murrayââ?¬â?¢s complex web of companies, Murray International Holdings ââ?¬â? of which the bank owns around 10 per cent. UNDER THREAT: Kris Boyd Sir David gained control of the Ibrox club in 1988 after buying the majority of its shares for Ã?£6million. As chairman, the businessman ploughed cash into the club, building a third tier on the main stand and raising the groundââ?¬â?¢s capacity by 7,300. Murrayââ?¬â?¢s costly European ambitions for the side, under Dick Advocaatââ?¬â?¢s management, saw them spend millions. But the clubââ?¬â?¢s debts spiralled as TV revenues failed to make a dent on mammoth transfer fees and playersââ?¬â?¢ salaries. By 2001, mounting debts threatened the clubââ?¬â?¢s future and Murray admitted mistakes were made. He said at the time: ââ?¬Å?We got it wrong. We obviously spent far too much money. We canââ?¬â?¢t let it happen again because that would be total mismanagement.ââ?¬Â In July 2002, Murray stood down as chairman but returned two years later in a bid to reduce the Rangers debt mountain. He organised the sale of a new batch of shares which raised Ã?£50million to start paying off the bank and, by 2006, the total owed had dropped from nearly Ã?£74million to only Ã?£5.8million. Since then, the debt has started to rise again at an alarming rate ââ?¬â? despite Rangersââ?¬â?¢ run to the 2008 UEFA Cup Final. Last year it stood at Ã?£21.6million but is believed to have reached around Ã?£30million before the bank stepped in. Half-yearly figures released in January show the clubââ?¬â?¢s turnover is 50 per cent lower than 2006. And they are facing a 71 per cent jump in interest payments to nearly Ã?£8,000 a DAY. The credit crunch has hit the club hard as Murray International Holdingsââ?¬â?¢ huge commercial property assets have plummeted in value. Last night insolvency expert John Shields said: ââ?¬Å?Murray International Holdings is built on steel, property and football. ââ?¬Å?The bottom has fallen out of the market for steel and property, so the football cannot carry on being a loss-making luxury. The Bank of Scotland has specialist lending teams whose job it is to protect the bankââ?¬â?¢s money. Those men in grey suits will be looking very closely at the Rangers balance sheet and may suggest pruning the Ibrox staff. UNDER THREAT: Barry Ferguson ââ?¬Å?The team will probably be three-strong and theyââ?¬â?¢ll spend up to six months poring over Rangersââ?¬â?¢ accounts and working with the club to identify where the savings are. ââ?¬Å?They should have a strategy in place for when the transfer window opens at the end of the season and then guide the club through until it closes at the end of August. ââ?¬Å?Weââ?¬â?¢re in a recession so season ticket revenue could fall, corporate hospitality has been cut, the Murray Park Academy hasnââ?¬â?¢t delivered enough young players. The only way to raise revenue short-term is to sell players. ââ?¬Å?Usually, the fact that the club has a wealthy parent company would be enough to satisfy the banks. ââ?¬Å?But Murray International Holdings has taken a hit as well so Rangers is more exposed than it would normally be. ââ?¬Å?David Murray is a realist ââ?¬â? he is trying to bring a sound business structure to the club which is essential for it to survive but if the bank is now restructuring the debt then there may be even deeper cuts on the way. ââ?¬Å?I think the fans need to rally round the chairman at this time, not barrack him for putting his neck on the line.ââ?¬Â Sir David recently admitted Rangers had lurched deeper into the red, losing nearly Ã?£4million between June and December 2008, with Ã?£1.4million paying off interest alone. An early exit from European football at the hands of Lithuanian minnows Kaunas in the second qualifying stage of the Champions League this season cost the club around Ã?£13million in potential revenue. During Januaryââ?¬â?¢s transfer window, Murray sanctioned the sale of star striker Kris Boyd for Ã?£3.8million in a bid to rake in cash. UNDER THREAT: Allan McGregor Boyd, 25, was on the verge of a move to Birmingham City but a row over his Ã?£20,000- a-week wages saw the deal fall through. Goalie Allan McGregor and captain Barry Ferguson, on salaries of Ã?£25,000 and Ã?£30,000 a week, were linked to a lucrative Newcastle United move which also fell through. Walter Smithââ?¬â?¢s squad is to be trimmed to only 20 in the summer after failing to offload Boyd in January. But Murray has insisted that long-term loans were keeping the club stable, saying: ââ?¬Å?What Iââ?¬â?¢m doing is not panicking. We have a financial facility with the bank and we must work within that framework.ââ?¬Â Now that strategy has been thrown into uncertainty and earlier this month, Rangers admitted a dozen backroom staff would lose their jobs. John Macmillan, general secretary of the Rangers Supportersââ?¬â?¢ Association said: ââ?¬Å?Itââ?¬â?¢s a pretty bleak picture ââ?¬â? the fans wonââ?¬â?¢t take kindly to this. ââ?¬Å?Most really donââ?¬â?¢t care about who owes what to whom, so we may see a split between the club and the fans over the next few years. ââ?¬Å?But the club must recognise that itââ?¬â?¢s not the fansââ?¬â?¢ fault that Rangers are in such a mess ââ?¬â? thereââ?¬â?¢s been mismanagement and unwise signing policies which continue to this day. ââ?¬Å?The way through this crisis is to put bums on seats, not to penalise the fans. The club should look at lowering prices and even letting in kids for free.ââ?¬Â Bank of Scotland has recently been bought out by Lloyds Banking Group after racking up losses of Ã?£10.8billion as part of HBOS. Both the bank and the club refused to comment. http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/scottish/scottish_news/218758/Rangers-pound20m-debt-squeeze-David-Murray.html

AROUND 20 Rangers staff were last night facing the sack ââ?¬â? as the club cuts costs to beat the credit crunch. Bosses at the debt-ridden club have asked all 200 non-football employees to consider redundancy. The move comes weeks after the Ibrox side FAILED to flog any of its big names during the January transfer window. And only a week after its Ã?£3.9million loss for the second half of last year was blamed on the teamââ?¬â?¢s FAILURE to reach the Champions League. Last month chairman Sir David Murray warned: ââ?¬Å?We have to bring down costs. This financial downturn is a reality check for everyone.ââ?¬Â And last night a club source revealed: ââ?¬Å?There are rumours flying all over the place. ââ?¬Å?No one really knows what state the finances are in. ââ?¬Å?The bosses are said to be looking to shed about 20 jobs, which is a sizeable chunk of the workforce. There isnââ?¬â?¢t much sympathy for the clubââ?¬â?¢s players. ââ?¬Å?David Murray said they may have to take pay cuts. ââ?¬Å?But whatââ?¬â?¢s that when the axe is hovering over the jobs of day-to-day workers who have mortgages to pay?ââ?¬Â The voluntary redundancy offer applies to backroom staff at Ibrox and the clubââ?¬â?¢s Murray Park training ground. Decision In January, Rangers were on the verge of securing a much-needed Ã?£3.8m boost when they accepted Birmingham Cityââ?¬â?¢s offer for top scorer Kris Boyd. Explaining the decision at the time, Mr Murray said: ââ?¬Å?People are asking how bad is it at Rangers? If we did not take this action, it COULD have been bad.ââ?¬Â But the move fell through when Boyd, 25, could not agree personal terms. In the same month, The Scottish Sun told how the club was also considering the sale of captain Barry Ferguson, keeper Allan McGregor or defender Madjid Bougherra to fill the hole in its finances ââ?¬â? but all three stayed at Ibrox. Last week Rangers declared a loss of almost Ã?£4m for the last six months of 2008 ââ?¬â? and blamed the teamââ?¬â?¢s Champions League qualifier loss to lowly Lithuanian minnows Kaunas. M Murray has warned EIGHT first-team stars will be let go this June. Yet last summer he spent Ã?£17m on new players. They included Bougherra (Ã?£2.5m), Pedro Mendes (Ã?£3m), Steven Davis (Ã?£3m), Maurice Edu (Ã?£2.6m), Kyle Lafferty (Ã?£3m), Kenny Milller (Ã?£2m) and Andrius Velicka (Ã?£1m). But last night an Ibrox source insisted the redundancy move was NOT as a result of the clubââ?¬â?¢s failure to flog stars. The insider said: ââ?¬Å?Itââ?¬â?¢s nothing to do with selling players. The club would be looking at their costs anyway.ââ?¬Â A Rangers spokeswoman said: ââ?¬Å?The club is looking at its costs. As part of this review, it is giving staff the option of voluntary redundancy. http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/article2302836.ece

by Matthew Lindsay RANGERS must land the Clydesdale Bank Premier League title if they want to avoid experiencing serious money problems in the future. That was the warning from financial expert David Glen today after the Ibrox club announced it has made a �£4million loss in its interim results. Glen, a senior partner in Pricewaterhouse Coopers, was unsurprised the Light Blues had performed so poorly. Walter Smith's team failed to make it to the Champions League group stage when they lost to Lithuanian minnows FBK Kaunas in the second qualifying round in August. advertisement As a result of that major disappointment, the Gers turnover was down dramatically to �£20m for the six months to December 31, 2008, from �£33m the year before. Those figures are in stark contrast to their Old Firm rivals Celtic who made a six- month profit of �£8m in the corresponding period. And Glen, who estimates the Gers debt is now around the �£25m mark, believes being crowned champions this season is vital to stave off the effects of the credit crunch. He said: "The results are pretty much as expected. Basically, this is what happens when a club doesn't have European football. That makes such an enormous difference to clubs financially. "In the last five seasons, Celtic have been pretty much ever-presents in Europe and that is a large part of the reason why they are in such a healthy position financially. "Rangers, despite reaching the Uefa Cup final in Manchester last season, have not been so successful. Hence the reason their debt is, at an educated guess, around about the �£25m mark." Glen added: "The trouble is that in the past when Rangers were in this situation they would work on the basis that they would get back into Europe the following year, or even the year after that. "They would work on the basis that things would come right. Often, they would turn to the bank to lend them more money. With the banking situation the way it is now, though, they can't gamble like that as much as they have done in the past. "They are on a knife-edge. Going another season without Champions League qualification is going to hurt them. "The crucial thing is they win the Clydesdale Bank Premier League. If they do, they qualify automatically for the Champions League group stage. If they don't, they need to get through two qualifying rounds. "They will be up against a better standard of opposition in the 2009/10 season, too. They will come up against good teams from Russia and the like. It will be a tough task to make it. "If they get into the group stage, their income is far more predictable. They will pick up �£10m - possibly �£12.5m if the second-placed team doesn't qualify for the group stage - and will be in a far healthier situation." However, Glen, an authority in the field of football finances, feels Rangers may attempt to trim their squad of first-team players in the summer even if they pip the Hoops to the SPL trophy and get into the Champions League group stage. Sir David Murray provoked outrage among the Gers support when he agreed to sell top scorer Kris Boyd to Coca-Cola Championship club Birmingham City for a �£3.8m fee in the January transfer window. Boyd, a lifelong Rangers supporter, dug his heels in and refused to join up with former Gers boss Alex McLeish at the St Andrew's Stadium - despite the promise of a hefty pay rise. But there were serious fears that several first-team players, including keeper Allan McGregor, defender Madjid Bougherra and midfielders Barry Ferguson and Pedro Mendes, would be offloaded in an attempt to balance the books. Glen continued: "As Sir David Murray said over the weekend, this (the club's interim results showing a �£4m loss) is what happens when a club has European overheads without European income. "The second half of the season is, in comparison with last year when they reached the Uefa Cup Final, are also going to show a huge decrease in income. There will be another significant drop-off. "Rangers just can't risk living with such a big squad any more. They have 28 first- team players at the moment and have said themselves they would like to trim that by about eight players. "I would expect the club to be net sellers in the summer - even if they win the league and get back into the Champions League." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2493042.0.0.php

I'm not the biggest fan of walter smith, but ffs can fans on here not just back the manager instead of every opportunity slate him, i was reading the the transfer threads post and it went from a transfer rumour about james mcarthur and alex smithies to getting rid of smith ffs its a joke. Were at a critical part of the season and we all need to be 110% behind the team and the manager. Were back where we belong to the top of the league lets get behind the team and manager and roar them on to the championship instead of putting them down all the time!