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Serving his apprenticeship nicely at the moment and as it stands Im hoping he is our next manager. When Ally eventually moves on Id take him well ahead of the realistic candidates like Billy Davies. Got to give McInnes credit, 1 cup final, 1 semi final and 2nd in the league with a team who have been struggling for years. I liked him as a player in the 90s also, thought he was a fine midfielder.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/mccoist-to-meet-wallace-to-discuss-summer-signings.23632214

ALLY McCOIST has reaffirmed his faith in his Rangers squad and clarified his comments to the Press last week after being unhappy with the way they were reported. The Ibrox manager spoke to the media on Friday to preview Saturday’s trip to East Fife and said he would like to strengthen his pool for next season’s likely Championship campaign. His consequent complaint is that was interpreted by some as him fearing his men wouldn’t win the title it goes for without further investment in the group first. McCoist has insisted that’s not what he meant at all and maintains it’s his job to strive for constant improvement whatever league Gers play in and however well they perform. There was a reaction to how the 51-year-old’s words were put across and he is disappointed as he feels he has been portrayed in some quarters as having a lack of trust in his current crop. McCoist will still look to recruit high-quality players if he is permitted to when the 2013/14 term draws to a close and the transfer window reopens. But he is adamant that doesn’t mean he doesn’t rate those currently at his disposal because he’d always seek to make his side as strong as it can possibly be. McCoist said: “I said if we got up to the Championship there were no guarantees we’d win it and I stand by that. There are no guarantees in anything. “But not for the first time, I thought the standard of journalism was very poor. I listened to the interview again and at no time did I say we have to spend cash. “I’m obviously quite guarded about saying things like that but various newspaper reports claimed we needed to spend vast amounts of money. “These people look to me to do my job and I would actually look to them to do their jobs too. All I want them to do is report what I’m actually saying. “What I said was I’d like to strengthen the squad for next season and the foreseeable future but it came across in a completely different manner. “What happened then was I had people reacting to a statement I never made. I’ve been in the game long enough to know what to expect but it’s a little bit disappointing at times. “We’re bound as coaches and managers to try to improve the quality of player in the team and the squad all the time, regardless of what level we’re at and how successful we are. “That’s our job. We’ve got to keep pressing buttons and asking questions in an attempt to do that and that will always be the case. “What has been written suggests I don’t have faith in my current squad and that’s not the case at all. If and when we get promotion, I’d like to strengthen and give the squad a hand.” http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/6440-boss-clarifies-press-comments

Martin Williams ‏@Martin1Williams 31s #Rangers Dave King "Message to fans is..if we don't hold board to account then we will have a couple of unnecessarily difficult years ahead" Martin Williams ‏@Martin1Williams 1m Dave King "I am absolutely confident that Craig Whyte won't have a future at #Rangers going forward" Martin Williams ‏@Martin1Williams 1m Dave King "There are powers behind the throne at #Rangers not represented on board" would prefer him an other likeminded people involved Martin Williams ‏@Martin1Williams 2m Dave King believes there is a "guiding hand behind" #Rangers that is not currently sitting on the board. But doesn't name names. Martin Williams ‏@Martin1Williams 3m Dave King says "what is very important" is transparency must come first, before any future investment. Martin Williams ‏@Martin1Williams 4m Dave King says trying to avert "another financial crisis" at #Rangers & that board is relying on fans' "fierce loyalty" to come up with cash Martin Williams ‏@Martin1Williams 5m DaveKing says "it is obvious" #Rangers is "running out of money" & was happy go be a significant investor but board has since "done nothing" Martin Williams ‏@Martin1Williams 9m Dave King says real aim to get "proper transparency from #Rangers & would like not to have to set up fund for season tickets. Martin Williams ‏@Martin1Williams 11m Dave King says will meet the #Rangers board and insists his statements about "financial crisis" of club was "nothing controversial"

The 4th Meeting of the Rangers CIC Working Party was held at the Louden tavern on Monday night. As previously reported, the Limited Company has been incorporated and will be converted to a CIC by Glasgow Solicitor, James Blair, who will become the first director. Draft Articles of Association (incorporating changes from the model suggested by me and RA) should be up on the web site imminently, for comment. As well as the minimum £5 per month donation (suggested donation £18.72), there will be a facility to become a Life Member of "Club 1872" by making a one off payment of £500. This can be paid in whole or in part by transferring shares (at current price) to the CIC. Donations can now be accepted and the money will be held by Gocardless until such time as the CIC bank account is established in the next few days. For information on how to contribute please email will@rangersfirst.org or admin@rangersfirst.org. The full Minutes will be published asap on the web site.

Retweeted by Frankie Andy Newport ‏@Andythemod9 5m Brief interview with Dave King to hit @PressAssocSport wires soon https://twitter.com/GersnetOnline

Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell feels the lack of competition in Scotland's top flight needs addressed. The reigning champions are 21 points clear at the top of the Premiership and are close to a third straight title. Lawwell was speaking as the club honoured the 20th anniversary of Fergus McCann's takeover. "The perceived lack of competition in Scottish football in the league is an issue that we need to find a solution to," Lawwell told BBC Radio Scotland. "There are different challenges, different types of challenge but still big challenges for everyone in Scottish football. "Things have changed over the last 15, 20 years, particularly in media values in the big nations that have gone beyond anyone's reasonable expectations "The gap between the big nations and the small nations is huge and we need to find a solution for Scottish football as well as Celtic in order to bridge that gap in some way or other. "It's put Celtic and other Scottish clubs at a competitive disadvantage in terms of wages and transfer fees." Canada-based businessman McCann rescued Celtic from the brink of bankruptcy in March 1994 when the club's credit facility was recalled by the bank. The club's fortunes were subsequently transformed, both on and off the pitch, under McCann's stewardship with Celtic Park rebuilt and the team winning their first league title in a decade in 1998. McCann sold his stake in the club to current majority shareholder Dermott Desmond in 1999 and Celtic have won eight league titles in the last 15 years. And Lawwell believes the club are now "probably financially in the best position we've ever been in". "We have the best facilities, we have a great management team, we've great executives at the club, the best sports science and one of the best recruitment functions in Europe," he added. "So, we are in pretty good shape, there's no question about that."

https://twitter.com/TheSundayLife/status/439897127913656321/photo/1

KEITH says it's time for Dave King to prove he can see a plan through to the end and says his actions from here on in will determine his legacy at Ibrox. DON’T know what the equivalent is in South Africa but in Castlemilk, where a young Dave King grew up, the vernacular goes something like: It’s time to p*** or get off the potty. Today, of course, King is a million miles removed from the hard-knock streets of the Glasgow housing scheme he once called home. But those who have stayed closest to him over almost 40 years of sun-kissed exile – and you can count them on the fingers of one hand by the way – insist he has never lost touch with his roots. King, they say to a man, remains steeped in his past. Fiercely proud of his working-class upbringing and crucially, at least where this week’s events are concerned, every bit as passionate about the football club he left behind. He remains, to use another home-grown term, the embodiment of a “Rangers man”. It is this one basic credential above all others that separates King from the succession of fly by nights, chancers and opportunists who have at one stage or another taken on lead roles in this seemingly endless Ibrox narrative. If these supporters cannot place their hopes and trust in one of their own, then all trust and all hope might perish for good. Throughout the past three years of turmoil and the relentless chaos unleashed upon them by the Whtyes, Greens, Ahmads and Stockbridges, King has been viewed by the boots on the ground consistently as the man most likely to save them from their plight. Unlike all the characters above and even former chairman Sir David Murray, who played his part in lumbering them with this list of charlatans in the first place, King shares a lifelong emotional attachment to the cause. In their eyes, the only difference between them are the millions King has stuffed in his bank account. If these people won the lottery tomorrow they’d have Rangers saved by Saturday. So it stands to reason King will one day feel a sense of duty to do the same. Does it not? It may be more pertinent to ask why has it taken him so long to take a stand? Or indeed to question if finally, this time, he intends to see it through to the end? Only King has the answers. What the rest of us do know, however, is his actions from here on in will determine his legacy. He’ll either go down in history as one of the all-time giants of the Rangers story. Or he will fail in his objective and risk being dismissed as a footnote. Either way the real Dave King biography is about to be written. Certainly his sudden re-emergence on to centre stage in the past few days appears to suggest his time is now. By pointing his big guns at the top of the marble staircase and taking on the current regime King has sent out a rallying cry to these supporters. They answered with one voice yesterday. They are with him all the way. This is as clear a case of “them v us” as Fergus McCann quite brilliantly utilised 20 years ago when he harnessed the power of the people to bludgeon down the big doors at Celtic Park. But McCann did more than simply talk a good game. When push came to shove the little man with the big bunnet also proved to have deep pockets and a willingness to empty them for Celtic’s benefit, as well as his own. King can quite legitimately point to the £20millon he previously pumped into Rangers as hard evidence of the colour of his own money. There has been a whispering campaign about this in recent weeks with shadowy suggestions that King quietly recouped around £18m worth of that investment. For the record this has been denied to me not just by King himself but also by Sir David Murray. The two men, incidentally, are no longer on speaking terms and have not been for a considerable time. Apparently, for 20 million different reasons. But even though King has had his fingers badly burned in the past it does seem reasonable to ask why he has remained on the outside looking in on this omnishambles for so long. Occasionally, he has dipped a toe in the water before scamper-ing back up the beach. Late last year for example he even arrived in Britain amid a great flurry of excitement, fluttered a few eye-lashes, held a few conversations and then retreated back to the solitude of his own world without nailing down a deal. King’s doubters, of which there are many, insist he has had ample opportunity to wade into this debacle and to buy his way into a position of power. In other words, to do a Fergus. It is worth remembering here, however, that King’s long-running tax issues first had to be resolved. With that in mind, he has only really become a viable player in this game in the last six months when he settled his affairs by agreeing to write a cheque for an eye-watering £44m. This is in itself creates another couple of issues. Not only does it pose an obvious question as to how much money he has left in the pot but also, King’s critics raise serious morality issues about the prospect of Rangers being saved by a man who was described as a “glib and shameless liar” by a South African judge and who faced a total of 322 criminal charges. Again, they have a point. Had, for example, Whyte appeared on the steps of the front door carrying baggage like this he would have been chased all the way down the length of Edmiston Drive and Rangers might have been spared from all this ignominy and suffering. But this is where King’s standing and status with the supporters kicks in. This, in fact, is what makes him an entirely unique case. King’s supporters remain convinced by his intentions to do only what is right for his football club. And that would be something of a first where this Rangers saga is concerned. They argue, quite correctly too, that there’s hardly a successful businessman to be found anywhere in the commercial world who has not attempted to run rings around the tax man. It is what these people do in order to maximise their profits. King is certainly no different in that regard. But what makes him stand out from the rest is his “Made In Castlemilk” credentials and the inbuilt sense of belonging which still brings his mum and sister to Ibrox every other week. There have been other wealthy good Samaritans along the way, such as Brian Kennedy and Jim McColl – men who clearly meant well but who ultimately just didn’t care quite enough to make the kind of sacrifices which will now be expected of King. This time the strong signals from South Africa really do indicate he is ready and willing to bear this almighty load, that he has now engaged fully into the fight for his club and he will not retreat until the war is won. With King now organising his travel plans and expected to pitch up in Glasgow some time soon the next few days and weeks will determine his fate and that of his football club. The King will either claim his rightful throne. Or abdicate the potty once and for all.

taken from FF King offered interest free loan but was snubbed By ANDY DEVLIN Published: 34 minutes ago DAVE KING offered Rangers an interest-free loan and was SNUBBED. The South African-based tycoon was bewildered when Ibrox chief executive Graham Wallace assured supporters there had been board contact with him and he would only invest in Gers if there was a new share issue. King said: “I can’t believe Mr Wallace would have said that. “Mr Wallace has never spoken to me or even attempted to communicate with me in any form whatsoever.” SunSport can reveal King is ready to blow the lid off his dealings with the under-fire Ibrox hierarchy. A planned statement will include the revelation he offered the crisis-hit club a loan of around £1million WITHOUT looking for the £150,000 interest that hedge fund firm Laxey Partners will pocket. The only person King has spoken to is Sandy Easdale and he is NOT a member of the board. The refusal to take King’s interest-free loan will trouble Gers fans. Fans’ favourite King approached Easdale last month and set a deadline of February 7. But he has never heard back from anyone at Ibrox. The suggestion he was in talks over a return was made by Wallace on Monday in a series of interviews designed to allay supporters’ fears over the recent £1.5m short-term loan. Chief executive Wallace claimed the board had been in contact with would-be investor King in recent weeks. Wallace is adamant he can win the trust of the Gers fans. But with continued chaos and confusion behind the scenes, he’s facing an uphill struggle. And the news King’s cash has been snubbed will send shockwaves through the Ibrox support. A joint statement from fans this week condemned the terms of the deals with investors Easdale and Laxey Partners. Easdale has handed over £500,000 in the form of an interest-free loan, whiles Laxey are believed to be demanding 15 per cent APR. Both loans are also secured against Edmiston House and Albion car park facilities adjacent to Ibrox. The cash is repayable by September 1, but Laxey can opt to take repayment in the form of fresh shares at a knockdown price, as long as the club receives the approval of the shareholders. However Castlemilk-born King’s loan would have been interest free and would not have been secured against any of the club’s properties.

LEE WALLACE knows Rangers are closing in on the League One title but he has urged his team-mates to retain their focus as they look to get over the finish line as quickly as possible and with a bit of style. As things stand if Ally McCoist’s players can win their next four league games and then beat second place Dunfermline on March 15 at Ibrox they will be crowned champions for the second year in a row. This, of course, is assuming the Pars win all their games through the same period. Having helped his side win their last nine games following the 1-1 draw against Stranraer on Boxing Day, Lee would love it if Rangers can extend this impressive run until the end of the season but he is aware how tough that will be. Tomorrow the Light Blues will welcome Stenhousemuir to Ibrox for the second time in 2013/14 and the Warriors, with Scott Booth now in charge of the club, will be out for revenge following the 8-0 defeat they suffered on September 28. Wallace was on target on that occasion, the left back sliding the ball under keeper Chris Smith with a low finish to make it 5-0, but he is expecting a 90-minute battle against the Warriors from Ochilview this weekend. Speaking at Murray Park this morning he said: “I think we certainly got our best result and probably one of our best performances against them in the 8-0 game earlier in the season. “It’s been hard to try and re-achieve that type of scoreline and get close to that type of performance but I think we’ve picked up recently. “Obviously in the recent game against Dunfermline we were more like ourselves but we know it’s going to be a tough game against Stenhousemuir. “They have some good individual players who can hurt us and if we don’t match them and more we will be in a bit of bother. But we’re looking forward to it and trying to keep this run going. “There have been times in here when we’ll talk about how far away the league title is but when we take to the training field or get ready for games on a Saturday we’ll always be focused on winning, we’ll never let complacency creep in. “We know there are difficult games and that’s just how it is always going to be. We have to stay focused, be professional and try to recapture a level of performance that excites fans and gets us all playing exciting football. “That’s obviously what we are trying to achieve and we can’t look too far ahead.” http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/6370-we-can%E2%80%99t-be-complacent

Been googling and looking through other sites to refresh my memory. The fact that we require loans now to get through the next few months has me questioning the ability/honesty of CEO Graham Wallace. This is what he said in a Q&A article in The Herald on 17th December 2103 " In the short-to-medium term there is sufficient cash within the club in order for it to continue trading on a normal basis." Now he was the Chief Financial Office at Manchester City so I'm assuming he has some kind of accountancy/financial qualification. That being the case when he made that statement only 8 weeks ago was he fully aware of the financial position at the club? Did he check himself? Was he assured by the board that we were ok in the mid term? Was he told the truth by the incumbents on the board and if not when did he realise we did not have sufficient cash for the short term never mind the mid term? In the same Q&A article he speaks about gaining investment for the club, can we also assume he has failed in this respect?

I watched a wonderful short film this week, on the effect the reintroduction of wolves has had on Yellowstone National Park in America. Wolves were wiped out in the area 70 years ago but several packs were brought back twenty years ago in the hope they would breed and reestablish them. A highly controversial move, the wolves were closely monitored and the effect they had on Yellowstone was studied during this period. As a large carnivore there was much apprehension about the wolves; would they decimate other species, clear large parts of the park of other mammals, indeed would they endanger man? The actual findings were mind blowing. The wolves mainly hunt deer and prior to the wolves return the deer had enjoyed decades with no natural predator except man. As such, they grazed where they wanted for as long as they wanted, they moved slowly through the landscape and their numbers grew and grew. The reemergence of the wolves changed this. The change wasn’t that large numbers of deer were killed (there aren’t that many wolves and there are tens of thousands of deer) it was that the return of the deer’s natural hunter led to a dramatic change in deer behaviour. Previously the deer grazed where they liked but now they were much more cautious and this was particularly noticeable near rivers. The grazing is good there, but it is open, and the deer were easily hunted. As the deer modified their behaviour and avoided grazing on the lower ground the vegetation changed, grass grew longer, bushes and trees reached maturity instead of being stripped back by hungry deer when small. This led to insects returning which in turn brought birds. The longer grass brought rabbits and the eagles who hunt them. Bears returned to eat the berries that now ripened on the bushes, beavers returned and used the mature trees to make dams. Most astonishingly of all the course of the river changed. Previously it meandered, it flooded regularly and the rain ran off the surrounding land quickly eroding the area. Now the increased vegetation soaked up much of the rainfall and its roots held the soil together. So the river ran deeper and faster, it no longer meanders it flows true. The wolves had indirectly been responsible for changing the course and flow of a river. What must be remembered is that wolves weren’t artificially introduced to the area; rather their absence in the first place was artificial. The ecology of Yellowstone evolved over thousands of years and at the top of the food chain was wolves. This large carnivore was meant to be there, nature had decided that a long time ago, the rest of the park actually depended on it. Its removal caused the damage, not its reintroduction. Every aspect of the park relied on the wolf directly or indirectly. Rangers play Stenhousemuir for the fourth time this season on Saturday. We’ve won our two previous league meetings and our meeting in the cup. Our last match at Ibrox saw us triumph by eight goals, our subsequent meetings have been much closer affairs. This match is being played against the backdrop of continued problems in Scottish football. The removal of Rangers from the top flight has upset the trophic cascade, the natural order of things evolved over more than 100 years is seriously out of kilter. Celtic have no serious rival as such and they are now meandering, their club is selling its best players, their manager speaks openly about being unsettled and their support, as well as showing apathy towards attending matches now fill their time by promoting songs about Irish murder gangs, making ill-thought-out political statements or indulging in good old fashioned hooliganism. The game’s governing bodies now no longer even hold the pretence of parity. They award cup finals and semi finals to grounds months in advance rather than wait to see who’ll contest them. Their decisions regarding cup matches and Inverness have bordered on the corrupt, the ticket allocation for the League Cup final being only the latest example. The side who finished second in the country last season, Motherwell, still managed to make a loss of nearly £200,000. The prize money they should have received was drastically cut half way through the season you see, no surprise there. This happened despite them cutting their player budget the previous close season. Still the league has no sponsor, in the top flight the champions and the side relegated was decided before a ball was kicked and the standard of play and player continues to drop. Without its largest animal the competition is reduced, the drive is lost and the revenue that follows it dries up. All of these things are interconnected, remove something from the natural order of things and it takes a long time to recover, if it ever does. Stenhousemuir go into this match with a new manager, former Scottish international and feted wunderkind Scott Booth. Although the current Scotland under 17 coach doesn’t take up his post for a few more weeks we can expect his new players to be eager to prove their worth to him. So motivation shouldn’t be an issue for stand-in coach Brown Ferguson’s side. Stenhousemuir are in a bad run of form with no victories this year, only their early season good results afford them the relative safety of sixth place. Rangers go into the match without Moshni who remains suspended. Cribari did well against Ayr and should retain his place although I expect McCulloch to return to the defence and Foster to drop out. Beyond that the side should pick itself, MacLeod should come into contention if fit again but I expect Bell, Law, Wallace, Black, Daly, Faure, Templeton and Aird to start. I don’t expect a repeat of the early season 8-0 but half that wouldn’t raise an eyebrow particularly if we score early. Stenhousemuir have both suffered and benefited from being in the same league as Rangers. Having the largest carnivore in the country close by drastically reduces the likelihood of promotion for every other club in our division, but it does offer them other tangible benefits. Our presence is artificial though, man made and it is upsetting the natural order of things. The trophic cascade refers to interconnectivity, how removing something from the top of the food chain has consequences all the way down that chain, how these changes can’t all be foreseen or managed and it is vital that chain isn’t allowed to be tampered with artificially. Recent meetings aimed at securing a voice for Rangers supporters in our boardroom should be welcomed, not only by all Rangers fans but also by all football fans. Whatever your feelings towards our club, we are all connected and interdependent, it’s in everyone’s interests that we’re back where we belong believe it or not. The only thing that should prevent that happening is our side not being good enough. Financial stability and accountability are vital, not just for our sake but for every club in the country. Nobody should fear the return of the wolf, its return should be welcomed by all.

IAN Black has vowed to earn a new deal with Rangers - and help the Ibrox club complete every stage of 'The Journey'. The former Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Hearts man is out of contract at the end of next season. But he is keen to pledge his future to Rangers so he can help them compete against their Old Firm rivals. Black said: "I have been consistent this season and the manager has been happy enough to play me every week. I have been doing something right. "I just need to work hard, keep my head down and try to earn myself a new contract. "I have got this year and next season just now. When you have got a year-and-a-half left then you obviously look to get a new deal and a bit of security for my career and for my family as well. "I just want to work hard and hopefully things behind the scenes can work out for me." He added: "My aim is to play in the top flight. Coming here when we were at the bottom my aim was to help the club get back up. "Hopefully I can be rewarded with getting a deal to play in the Premiership with a club this size. It is up to me to keep playing well and trying to get one." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/black-aim-is-a-ticket-to-ride-on-journey-152249n.23438571

FORMER Rangers defender Kirk Broadfoot has revealed that Allan McGregor led players in verbally attacking Craig Whyte after he put the club into administration. Broadfoot told The Sun: “We were all told the players needed to take a pay cut or people would start losing their jobs. That started an argument. But, honestly, Allan McGregor was brilliant. “He got stuck right into Whyte and the administrators and spoke on behalf of everyone else in the team. It was a brave thing to do… but he grabbed the bull by the horns.” (Sun) http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/latest/rumour-mill-allan-mcgregor-hearts-celtic-1-3306107

DAVID Robertson witnessed Ally McCoist overcome adversity on more than one occasion in his playing days to become a Rangers legend. And he has backed his old team-mate to tough out the trials and tribulations of being manager at the Ibrox club and make a success of the latest chapter of his career. Robertson, who is now a coach at USL Pro League club Phoenix in the United States, still takes a keen interest in the fortunes of the Glasgow giants. The former left-back has been impressed with how McCoist has fared since succeeding Walter Smith as boss nearly three years ago. And the 45-year-old believes he has the mental strength needed to withstand the intense scrutiny and lead Rangers back to the forefront of the Scottish game. He said: "I still follow how Rangers are doing back home pretty closely online over here and it amazes me when I see the criticism Ally gets sometimes. "His team is unbeaten in the league this season and is still involved in two cup competitions. "It would be a tremendous feat for Rangers to reach the Scottish Cup final this season. It would be a huge achievement for the club. But Ally still gets criticised for performances and results! I don't know what more he can do. "Everybody expects them to win League One this season. I am sure the same will be true next season when they go up to the Championship. "So when they do these things Ally doesn't get any praise because it is simply what is expected of them. But it has always been that way. "When I was at Rangers if we won a league and cup double it was considered a disaster. Even if you won a treble people said: 'Well, you should be doing it anyway!' "Yes, Ally has a full-time squad in what is largely a part-time league and a large wage bill, but I still think that he has a tough job. "The club is still getting 40,000 to 50,000 people coming to their games every week. There is a lot of pressure on him for the team to perform. "I have managed at lower league clubs, at Elgin City and Montrose, without that number of fans and you still feel the pressure." Robertson added: "If you are second at Rangers it is not good enough. At some big clubs you might get away with third or fourth. Not at Rangers though. "I don't think there is any club out there where the pressure is so intense. But Ally has dealt with that pressure for all of his life. "When Graeme Souness was in charge at Rangers he tried to force him out. But Ally loved the club so much he stayed where he was and fought his way back in. "Then Ally broke his leg and everybody said he was finished. But he came back from that as well and was as good as he ever was. "It says a lot about his character that he can remain so upbeat with everything he has to deal with. "There is nobody I would rather have in charge of Rangers at the moment." Scotland international Robertson won six Scottish titles, three League Cups and three Scottish Cups in the seven years that he spent as a player at Rangers. During that time, the cultured defender also played alongside Light Blue legend Ian Durrant. And he reckons there is no better man to help McCoist get Rangers back to the top flight than the former midfielder. Robertson said: "Ian is a real character and real Rangers man as well. "I am sure it will hurt him to see the club in the situation they are currently in and he will be keen to get them out of it along with Ally. "Ally and Ian will be doing everything they can to take Rangers back to the Premiership. "Ally was full of records as a player. So who knows? Maybe he will be a record breaker as manager as well. "Maybe he will be the first Rangers manager to win every league in Scotland." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/robertson-ally-has-been-tried-and-tested-151917n.23419367

" I've spoken to the manager about it and told him that, if the opportunity arose for me to go and test myself at a big club or a higher level, then I'm ready to do that. I'm happy here and won't force anything to get out. But I can't sit here and say I'll be a Killie player for the rest of my life. It's not in my hands. All I can do is perform well and see what happens in the summer. I've already proved I can play at a big club, because you don't get any bigger than Rangers. I have the mentality to play at a higher level. "

......to automatically relegate clubs in administration Doubts over implementing punishment lead to rethink as existing points deductions kept in place The Scottish Professional Football League has abandoned plans to punish clubs who enter administration with automatic demotion. When the proposal was put forward by the president of a lower league club at an SPFL board meeting last October there was initial enthusiasm, with the feeling that such a severe sanction would act as a deterrent for any financially troubled club who viewed administration as a way to wipe out debts and remove employees from their wage bill. However, following several months of negotiations with all 42 member clubs, it has been decided not to place that punishment on the statute books. While support remained for the move, the majority opinion was that there were issues attached to it which could not be immediately resolved. “There was a wide consultation process and we spent time looking at it but, ultimately, the prevailing opinion was that there were complications arising from it which raised other questions,” said a Hampden source. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/scottish-football/10631856/Scottish-football-abandons-plans-to-automatically-relegate-clubs-in-administration.html

As the draw is to be made after the Dundee Hibs v St Midden game, I just thought I'd start a thread on it. What will be the best draw for us?, I want Albion Rovers @ Ibrox:rfcbouncy:

.......for his own good but Graham Wallace will sort club out 6 Feb 2014 07:37 RAE says he is still raging at the antics of Charles Green during his short term in charge at Ibrox claiming he was all about soundbites but with no substance. ALEX RAE could see right through Charles Green’s bluff and bluster from day one at Rangers. But the Ibrox stalwart reckons Graham Wallace’s silence speaks volumes for his ability to do the job as chief executive. From joining in at Brechin when fans chanted “if you hate Stewart Regan, clap your hands” to the numerous outlandish statements, Rae knew Green wasn’t the man for his club. And it still riles the former Light Blues title winner there is talk of his old club being on the brink again financially while the outspoken Yorkshireman lives it up in his French chateau. Rae isn’t surprised – just gutted his suspicion about Green turned out to be right. And like so many other Gers fans he’s now pinning his hopes on the former Manchester City chief operating officer to sort out the mess. Lifelong fan Rae – recently axed as Blackpool’s assistant boss – said of the current cash situation: “I’ve been alarmed for a while. “Even going back to the early days of Green, it never really sat right with me. You could see it coming. There were good soundbites but never any direction. “There was no plan in place and unfortunately he’s walked away with a fortune. “I’m a member of Sandyhills golf club and I used to play with my mates in the medal. “My best mate is a Celtic man and he used to get me about the third or fourth hole when he told me they were going to put statues up for Green. “My head would go. I used to post terrible scores because I would start arguing with him on the course and he was just loving it. It’s been a shambles. There is no legacy. “There is no doubt he was in it for himself. I didn’t buy into all the soundbites and rubbish he came out with. “The future looks much better as Wallace has come in and seems to have taken a step back. Previous chief executives made wild statements they never backed up. “The fact this guy is silent and taking stock of the operation bodes well for us. He seems to have a plan and this is something that’s been lacking since Martin Bain’s days. “There was a period where we didn’t even have a chief executive. You look at all the departments within Ibrox, there was no guidance, no direction and everyone was on their own. “But Wallace has come in and started to direct things right down to the management and hopefully the club will prosper. “Wallace seems to know where he wants to go. It might only be a case of assessing in the short term and then implementing things for the betterment of the company. “I wouldn’t like to see him going. There are elements of the board some people aren’t quite sure of and that’s worrying but if Wallace tells the fans what’s happening they will be inclined to follow him.” Rae likes the way Wallace quietly conducts his business as he bids to bring much-needed stability to Ibrox – in sharp contrast to Green. His attention-seeking antics started in Gers’ first game following liquidation at Glebe Park when he applauded as the fans chanted against SFA supremo Regan. Rae said: “I remember Green’s behaviour just a couple of days after Rangers got their membership. I couldn’t believe what he was doing. “I consider Rangers to have been class throughout my time and he wasn’t someone I thought to be flying the flag for Rangers or representing the club in the manner that role demands. “Even prior to that I could see things. I just thought it was a case of doing what had to be done but there was no conviction there. “It was a mad ego trip for him. He was great for the media. “You heard stories about money going out left, right and centre and pay-offs for guys who were there five minutes. “A couple of weeks ago I saw another guy from Zeus Capital pocket around £500,000 when he sold his shares. “One thing about football fans is they want to believe in the people in charge. They want to believe they are going to take the club forward. Unfortunately, this guy has duped everyone.” The turmoil off the park has left boss Ally McCoist working under tough circumstances in his first managerial job. And Rae said: “The dynamic Ally has had to work within has been a nightmare compared to every other manager. “Last year they couldn’t have any pre-season friendlies and there was a transfer embargo. It’s been pretty poor. It’s probably been more than a year now since they had a chief scout. For an organisation such as Rangers, that baffles me. “If you’re trying to put things in place you need a chief scout to oversee a network and find the right targets. Infrastructures needs to be restored to the level Rangers are used to.” Despite all this Rae believes his old club are strong enough to mount a Scottish Cup challenge this season with Dunfermline standing between them and the last eight tomorrow night. He said: “Rangers have as good a chance as anyone of winning the Scottish Cup. “They beat Motherwell last season and are a lot stronger now. I watched them at the weekend and they had Dean Shiels and Jon Daly who, less than 18 months ago, were up for Scotland’s Player of the Year. “In terms of firepower the pair of them could hurt anyone. They’re littered with top flight-standard players so could turn anyone over on any given day.” And Rae would love to see the Old Firm paired together before the tournament ends in May. The former hardman midfielder said: “I’m missing it like everyone else. Celtic will be favourites – but cups always have major upsets.”

Lifted from FF:

CLAIMING it is almost certainly the tip of an iceberg, an East Lothian boys club have written to Scottish FA compliance officer Vincent Lunny to complain about the non-payment of compensation money allegedly owed by Hearts and Rangers. Musselburgh Windsor FC, who celebrated their 60th anniversary last year, say they have taken the stance to alert boys clubs throughout Scotland that they are due thousands of pounds by professional clubs. Their own complaint relates to an under-15 goalkeeper who joined Hearts, and two younger outfield players who were released to join Rangers. Club president Scott Robertson says his club is spending more money pursuing the complaint than it will actually get if Hearts and Rangers are forced to pay up. That is because boys clubs are due just £10 every time a senior club takes one of their registered players – a situation Robertson describes as *“disgraceful”. As some 2,700 boys, from the age of ten upwards, are registered with senior clubs, boys clubs are frequently plundered for their best players. The compensation is set at £10. Yet, within the senior system, clubs can demand between £600 and £15,000 for a boy who wants to switch to another team. Explaining why Musselburgh Windsor have decided to take a stand about the £10 the club say is owed to them by Hearts, and £20 by Rangers, Robertson said: “To be due just £10 for a promising player we have probably nurtured for many years is bad enough. “For that sum not to be paid, and for us to have to spend time and resources pursuing it, is *really adding insult to injury. “Since the compensation rule – known as the training fund contribution – was introduced by the SFA in 2006, it has been *almost completely ignored by the professional clubs. There must be hundreds and hundreds of cases of non-payments to boys clubs. “I came across the rule completely by accident – I don’t think other boys clubs are even aware they are due money from professional clubs who have taken their players since 2006. “The onus is on the pro clubs to make the payments to the Scottish Youth Football Association – who should then redistribute the money to the relevant boys clubs. I don’t blame the SYFA or the SFA for this. It’s the clubs who haven’t been making the payments.” Musselburgh Windsor, for whom former Scotland striker Kenny Miller once played, believe that, not only should the senior clubs pay all the compensation the are due – which could run into thousands of pounds – but that the £10 should be *replaced by something more realistic. “Boys clubs are facing escalating costs for facilities, kit and mandatory SFA coaching courses,” Robertson pointed out. “Sponsorship is tailing off and some clubs are really struggling to make ends meet. “Yet, despite increasing difficulties, and the fact that almost every boy in Scotland starts his football career with one of our clubs, there is no money trickling back down from the top. “What you have to bear in mind is that, once a boy is taken from us and joins a professional club, he can be subject to what has been described as a ‘children’s transfer market’. The senior clubs receive sums of between £600 and £15,000 when boys as young as 11 move *between clubs. “Meanwhile we get £10 – or not as has been the case. That figure is far too low. If it was even raised to £50 it might make the senior clubs think twice about signing so many of our players. “At the moment they are like kids in a sweet shop. They pick and choose our best players and take as many as they want. “The reason our club has made a complaint to the SFA’s compliance officer is because we want to make all boys clubs aware that they haven’t been receiving the payments they are due – paltry though they are. “We believe all the money owed to the boys clubs should be paid retrospectively. A debt is a debt, whether it’s owed for a week or seven years.” Last night an SFA spokesman said: “We cannot comment until such time as a notice of complaint has been issued. However, the compliance officer does investigate all matters referred to him to determine whether there is a case to answer.” http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/sfa-called-on-to-resolve-hearts-and-rangers-debts-1-3296062

KENNY MILLER has finally killed off any chance of a return to Rangers by insisting he wants to extend his deal with Vancouver Whitecaps. The former Old Firm and Scotland star is back in Canada preparing for the new MLS season after spending the winter keeping in shape at Rangers' Murray Park. He has been linked with a third spell at Ibrox, despite the League One club's financial problems, but he says he's tired of denying he wants to re-sign for Rangers. Miller said: "I've been in Vancouver 18 months and I don't think a month has gone by without those questions being thrown at me. "I don't know what more I can actually do. "If [Whitecaps] manager Carl Robinson wants to walk through and offer me a two-year deal right now, I'll sign it right here in front of you." Miller has six months left of his Vancouver contract and is free to talk to other clubs. But the 34-year-old, who quit international football last year, has made it clear he is desperate to win an extension to his current deal. He said: "It has been made clear to me what I have to do to earn an extension so that's what I'm going to do. "Part of the reason I retired from playing for Scotland was hopefully to concentrate fully on the Whitecaps and stay fit for as long as I can and give them everything I can. "Going back and forth with international duty was becoming tough. "And, like I said, I want to stay here and I would love to sign again." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/former-rangers-hitman-kenny-kos-ibrox-link-150930n.23357811

........to help out Rangers CEO Wallace. JON Daly today admitted he is keen to help Rangers go on a run in the William Hill Scottish Cup this season - to boost their bank balance. Daly won the national knockout cup competition back in 2010 when he helped former club Dundee United beat Ross County 3-0 in the Hampden final. And the 31-year-old striker would love to enjoy that sort of success with the Ibrox club during the 2013/14 campaign. The Irishman believes it would be a great way to repay Light Blues supporters for their backing in the last couple of seasons. And he also thinks that it would help the SPFL League One leaders, who are currently operating at a monthly loss, financially as well. Daly and his team-mates rejected the offer of a 15% pay cut for a year-and-a-half made by chief executive Graham Wallace last month. But there are set to be cutbacks at the Glasgow giants after Wallace has completed his 120-days restructuring project. And overcoming Dunfermline in the fifth round at Ibrox on Friday night and going all the way to the final at Parkhead in May would go a long to boosting the coffers at the club. Daly said: "It would be fantastic for the club from a financial point of view and also brilliant for the fans. "I wasn't here last year but the boys have told me they backed the club massively and I think that was shown with the season tickets sold. "So it would be great to get through and get to a final but the draw has to be kind and we have to get over this hurdle first." Daly admits he is relieved that Rangers have managed to hang on to their left-back Lee Wallace during the January transfer window. Sky Bet Championship club Nottingham Forest made two bids of just under £1million for the Scotland international last week. Despite the worrying financial situation at the Glasgow club, those offers were rejected after falling some way short of their valuation of the player. Wallace set up Daly for a goal in the 2-1 league victory over Brechin City at Ibrox on Saturday and the hit man is delighted he has not been sold. He said: "Of course we are delighted that Lee is still here. "The manager stressed that he wanted to keep the club together and thankfully, all the boys are still here and we've got a good squad." Meanwhile, internet reports that Rangers are poised to go into administration this month and chief executive Wallace has allegedly prepared a resignation statement have been rejected. Stories online had claimed Wallace had been locked in talks at the Ibrox club all day and was set to leave his position. However, the former Manchester City financial director and chief operating officer was at Hampden for meetings yesterday and later attended the Rangers Under-20 match. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/daly-is-banking-on-cup-success-to-help-out-rangers-ceo-wallace-150939n.23359868

It's the Sun so hopefully as untrue as many of their stories, but, it does chime with Keith Jackson's recent statement that we'd have no money in weeks, not months and if you remember the original estimate of "last million by April" and deduct unseen pay offs since that prediction then this is scary enough, despite the source. The emboldening at the end is by me, not the paper, to perhaps give a more hopeful reading experience for you - though again it is a dodgy source. "RANGERS are at the centre of a financial cover-up investigation over claims the club will be broke within two weeks. The stock exchange inquiry was launched after an Ibrox official is alleged to have forecast they would run out of cash by mid-February. New chief executive Graham Wallace has assured fans there is no danger of a second plunge into administration — two years after ex-owner Craig Whyte steered the club to its doom. But in a complaint to the AIM exchange, a disgruntled investor writes: “It’s the worst-kept secret in Scotland that the club is running out of money in the next few weeks, yet the board has made no announcement.” The shareholder says Rangers should have disclosed any projected shortfall under stock market rules. AIM chiefs have vowed to investigate the claims. An Ibrox spokesman said they could not comment on regulatory matters. But a source said last night: “It’s untrue — there are people trying to undermine the board." (By Cameron Hay)