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KEVIN THOMSON always knew he was joining a big club when he signed for Rangers from Hibs. Last May's trip to Manchester, when something like 200,000 fans followed Walter Smith's players to a UEFA Cup Final, merely underlined his point. But it was not until Thomson experienced the mass euphoria of a title-day triumph at Tannadice that the 24-year-old realised the full enormity of what he has got himself involved in. And the heady experience has strengthened his resolve to return to full fitness and take centre stage when the prizes are being handed out at the end of the next campaign. Thomson was left hobbling on the sidelines for most of last season after suffering a horrific knee injury at Kilmarnock in November. From that moment on his season was spent between the surgeon's bench and the physio's room with the occasional light relief of having to watch on through the gaps in his fingers as, without him, his teammates clawed their way to the most dramatic of league and Scottish Cup Doubles. While they disappeared off into a long hot summer, Thomson returned to Murray Park to continue his lonely slog back to fitness. But he's been spurred on more than ever by just one thought: The next time Rangers lift silverware he plans on being slap bang in the thick of the celebrations. "In a way the last day up at Tannadice rammed it home to me just what a huge club I am at," said Thomson yesterday as he broke off from his duties with the Rangers charity foundation. "You know from the minute you sign on the dotted line that you're joining something very special. But seeing what it means to so many thousands of people to bring the big one back to Rangers is something that maybe we all needed to see for ourselves as players. "The celebrations at Tannadice and then all the way back down the road to Glasgow were like nothing I'd ever witnessed before. "The biggest eye-opener was when we got back to Ibrox and saw 36,000 fans waiting for us. It was just wild. With the atmosphere in the place you'd have thought it was a European night - it was only the game that was missing! "It's the thought of being involved in the celebrations next year that will make the last eight months I've spent in the gym all worth while. I want to be a part of it and this time I really want to feel as if I've earned it." Thomson did earn his place at the title party by virtue of his earlyseason contribution which was so impressive it has led to calls for him to be installed as Barry Ferguson's successor as captain. And yet it just won't feel the same for this fierce competitor until he's finally thrust back into the thick of the battle. He nodded: "I must admit there was an element of feeling as if I was on the outside looking in. It's not really the same unless you're out there with the rest of the boys. "Yes, I celebrated with the best of them but doing the bouncy doesn't quite feel the same when you're wearing your club suit and tie! "Don't get me wrong, I was delighted for everyone but there's still that feeling that you're not really a part of it. "It was different at Tannadice because, although I wasn't playing, I did feel as if I had contributed to the title success as I played 11 games before I picked up my injury. "But the Cup Final was different because I didn't feel as if I deserved a pat on the back for that. The rest of the lads won that for the club and I felt like a bit of a fraud being out there with them. "But it just makes me more determined to be a part of it all again at the end of next season." Even from his seat in the stand at Tannadice Thomson says he learned a lot about the special bond which has underpinned Rangers' march back to the top of the Scottish game. He said: "We sat in one of the boxes at Tannadice behind the glass. In the first couple of minutes Steve Davis got in behind the full-back and cut the ball across goal. Every single one of us was on our feet. We had lost all realisation that the place was full of United fans and families. "I think they thought we were a wee bit rowdy but they appreciated our emotions were running high and we were very excited. "But that showed me something too. There must have been about 15 of us in that box and every one of us was so caught up in it all we might as well have been out on the pitch. "That shows the togetherness we have a squad. That's what Walter Smith has brought to the club." So much so, in fact, that Thomson will be only too happy to put his own dreams of the captaincy on hold for just as long as DavieWeiris atIbrox. He has been tipped by many to take over Weir's duties as soon as he is back to fitness but believes the team leadership could not be in better hands. He said: "I'll happily put all that on the back burner just so long as Davie is still here at the club. "The way Davie has been playing he could still be our captain in three years. "I'm sure all the boys will be delighted if he hangs around for a year or two yet." :spl:

KEVIN THOMSON last night insisted Tony Mowbray is taking over at Celtic just in time for a new period of sustained Rangers dominance in Scottish football. Thomson's former Easter Road mentor Mowbray will be unveiled as Gordon Strachan's successor at Parkhead this morning after the s2.5million deal to bring him north from West Brom along with Peter Grant and Mark Venus was completed at tea-time yesterday. But the Ibrox midfielder believes Mowbray will face the fight of his life in attempting to stop a resurgent Rangers from going on to nail down a place at the top of the pile on the back of last season's SPL and Scottish Cup Double Thomson, speaking exclusively to Record Sport,said: "Celtic have got themselves the right man for the job. Tony is a fantastic manager . "But let's not forget we have a fantastic manager of our own in Walter Smith and we are the team in the ascendancy now. "I'm not going to say we are miles ahead of Celtic but I will say this, we are the champions and that means it's their turn to chase us. "I think that's the hardest part of being at the Old Firm. Second best will not be tolerated but that's the situation Celtic find themselves in. "We are in the driving seat right now and know the financial climate is a difficult one. That makes Celtic's task even tougher." And Thomson believes Smith's youthful Rangers side could be ideally placed to go on a run of back-to-back title triumphs. He said: "I look around our squad and I see a lot of good young players. It feels like we might be on the start of something special. We are all confident in our ability to move on to the next step. "It's up to Celtic to beat us. I'm sure Tony will want to make some changes to his team but we've been through the rebuilding work. When the gaffer took over he said he had to make a few signings which were purely short term. "But it was also part of his plan to make some signings for the longer term. We are now reaping the benefits from that philosophy. "The likes of myself, Steve Davis, Steven Whittaker and Maurice Edu are still relatively young - but we have great experience. "That should give us the grounding we need to push on from here and I see no reason why we can't go on to win two, three, four or five titles in a row." http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/spl/2009/06/17/kevin-thomson-tony-mowbray-his-work-cut-out-stopping-dominant-rangers-86908-21447405/

Aaron gone without getting a real chance. Another Gow mystery. In the time he had he looked reasonable. I guess he couldn't play centre-half.

Six months to prove yourself. Will he be given a chance to prove himself.

Whilst every man and his dog is turning down the Celtic job, and bearing in mind that none of these names are even A-List are we still to believe that Celtic are some mythical, magical club, held in high esteem the world over? Martinez, Moyes, Coyle. None of these names seem enamoured with the prospect of the vacant hot-seat. Their current predicament got me to thinking; we often have the draw of their club over-hyped and the pull of the Rangers undersold. However, what does reality tell us? In the past decade or so, at management level we have attracted Dick Advocaat to Ibrox. He was assistant manager of Holland before succeeding Rinus Michels as manager, leading them to the quarter-finals of the World Cup. He also guided PSV to a domestic cup triumph and a league title prior to becoming manager at Rangers in 1998. A big name in football, out with the parochial Scottish game that struggles to look anywhere but within as the European game flourishes and continues without us. The manager who preceded the current incumbent, whilst not the roaring success that was hoped and expected was never the less, at the time, an extraordinary coup. Many of our ever impartial press laughed off suggestions of luring the precocious talent of Paul Le Guen to Govan. A man who had won 3 Ligue 1 titles on the bounce would be headed off to the likes of Real Madrid and was pie in the sky for Rangers fans. And yet, at the beginning of the 2006-07 season PLG was over-seeing the beginning of his Rangers tenure. Such is the extraordinary success throughout Rangers history, built upon managerial stability, that there have only been two other managers in our recent history. Alex McLeish and Walter Smith. Two successful Scottish managers. Smith is a big name in football, but as a Rangers man at heart, as with McLeish (who at the time had only the Hibs and Motherwell jobs to bolster his c.v.) it would be churlish to describe attracting either as a testament to our global pulling power for the biggest names in the game. A man who already has Rangers in his heart takes little persuasion. Moving on to the playing staff. Walter Smith brought the delights of Brian Laudrup and Paul Gascoigne to Ibrox. Laudrup was a member of Denmark's European Championship winning team. He played for some of Europe's greatest club's; Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Fiorentina and then Rangers. He is a great player in every sense of the word. The greatest foreign player to ply his trade in the Scottish game. Paul Gascoigne was a prodigious talent. The most naturally gifted British player of his generation? His exceptional skill and exciting ability to leave defenders in his trail, showcased for Newcastle, Spurs, Lazio helped build his profile. It was, however, his tears at a booking received in the World Cup Semi Final at Italia 90, an iconic football image, that the game's fans will remember him for. An undoubted star player of his generation. The impressive list goes on and on. Andrei Kanchelskis. A Russian international who won the double at Manchester United. Arthur Numan starred for a successful PSV side winning domestic honours and representing the Dutch in an impressive showing at France 98 (Numan started every group game), before losing to eventual finalists Brazil. One of the games top left backs at the time he came to Rangers. Stefan Klos was a two team player. With his first club, Borussia Dortmund, he won league titles and the Champions League before continuing his success with Rangers. The fact he was never capped is down to the legendary Oliver Khan and yet is still one of the most perplexing statistics of the last couple of decades. Ronald De Boer, a legend of Dutch football, who starred most notably for two of European football's great sides in Ajax and Barcelona, made it 3 when he became a Rangers player. He was subsequently followed to the South side of Glasgow by his twin brother Frank during Alex McLeish's reign. The quality of cult hero Dado Prso was late to be recognised, until the Croatian was plucked from obscurity to star for French club AS Monaco. Prso has the distinction of being one of only 4 players to score 4 goals in a single Champions League game along with the likes of Dutch legend Marco Van Basten. Even the current team, built more on defensive solidity and a good team ethic rather than multi-million pound signings and individual brilliance, can boast former Premiership stars in Steve Davis and another Champions League winner in Pedro Mendes (His Porto side defeated Prso's Monaco in the final). The above examples show what an enormous draw Rangers have for the game's elite. From the passion of the fans, the history of the club to the majesty of the Archibald Leitch designed Main stand. Advocaat's legacy of ensuring the completion of the multi-million pound training facility at Auchenowie only serves to enhance this reputation and sell a wonderful club to potential employees. And I haven't even spoken of the heyday of English football in the 80's when Graeme Souness brought their brightest talents, such as England captain Terry Butcher, over the border. Now cast an eye across the city to the poorer relation. The "new" stadium. Made of mechano and falls apart under a light breeze. The budget built version of our impressive Murray Park. Look at the uninspiring names distancing themselves from the Celtic manager's job. Look back through the same recent history at Parkhead and try and identify a Brian Laudrup, a Paul Gascoigne. Even a Dado Prso. The only name in their recent history that may jump out is Larsson. However, he was a man who forged his name at that club. Celtic just does not seem to hold the same appeal to the global stars of the World's greatest game. No bias, no blue tinted specs. Unlike our parochial media my assertion is based in a look at the facts and not my own misguided prejudice. It was with great mirth I read the recent comments of a Burnley fan responding to one of the bitter persuasion's assertion that Owen Coyle would certainly give up a chance at Premiership football to oversee the talents of Paddy McCourt or Darren O'Dea at such a big team. "You're not even the biggest club in your own city!"

Walter Smith was today boosted with the news that Gribz and Gazza8 will both be available for pre season training despite embarking on a lads weekend in Thailand all summer.

RANGERS' midfielders Mo Edu and Kevin Thomson will miss the start of the 2009/10 SPL season due to injury. Edu was ruled out of Saturday's Scottish Cup final victory over Falkirk having suffered ligament damage to his left knee after a crunching challenge from Dundee United's Darren Dods at Tannadice on May 24. Top London surgeon Andy Williams carried out a successful operation on the American yesterday but he is expected to be out of action for a minimum three months. The 23-year-old has also been forced to withdraw from the US national team for their forthcoming World Cup qualifiers with Costa Rica and Honduras and the Confederations Cup tournament later this month. Thomson, meanwhile, missed the majority of the 2008/09 double-winning campaign due to a cruciate injury picked up at against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on November 9. The Gers' No. 8 has been making excellent progress with the physios at Murray Park and is ahead of schedule but, like Edu, might not return to Walter Smith's plans until September. With Barry Ferguson's future at Ibrox uncertain today's news will come as a big blow for the gaffer who would have wanted his squad to be at full strength for the start of the new campaign and the prospect of Champions League football. http://www.rangers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,5~1686356,00.html Not very good news............

HERMANN: I CAN BE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE STAR HERMANN HREIDARSSON last night told Walter Smith: I can be a Champions League star for you. The Iceland defender broke his silence to confirm he is interested in quitting Portsmouth for Ibrox. The 34-year-old insists Gers haven't yet tabled an offer and that in any event he's waiting to hear who the new Pompey boss is and what he's got to say. But with the clock ticking on his career the veteran, who's won 54 caps, admits he's captivated by the lure of the Champions League. He said: "I would be interested but as yet nothing's been offered - as least nothing concrete. "I'm still waiting on Portsmouth to appoint a new manager. I will have a word with him and see what he's got to say. But I would look upon the Scottish League as a good, new challenge for me. "Rangers would be a good club for any player to move to especially when they have the Champions League coming up next season." http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/scottish/scottish_sport/346615/Hermann-Hreidarsson-reckons-he-can-be-a-star-for-Rangers-Portsmouth.html

GERMANS PLAN MOVE FOR GERS ACE McGREGOR ALLAN McGREGOR could land a shock move to German club Hannover 96. The Bundesliga outfit have targeted the Rangers keeper to replace unsettled Robert Enke. German international Enke has entered the final year of his contract and has refused to sign a new deal after being linked with Bayern Munich and a return to former club Benfica. And Sport of the World can reveal Hannover are lining up a �£3.5million bid for McGregor, 27, to replace him. The controversial goalie lost his place to Neil Alexander at Ibrox last season following the Bevvygate furore and has no Scotland future. Now he may cut his losses and rebuild his career in the cash-laden Bundesliga. McGregor's value has plunged since he was rated at �£8million after signing a new four-year deal with Gers in 2007. And it's unlikely the cash-strapped Scottish champs would stand in his way if they received an offer of around half that valuation. Hannover first spotted McGregor's ability in a pre-season game against Gers two years ago. They were reminded of his capabilities during Walter Smith's side's run to the UEFA Cup Final last year. McGregor played the game of his life against Werder Bremen to help the Light Blues into the quarter-finals. Hannover boss Dieter Hecking has kept tabs on him ever since. However any deal hinges on Enke moving on this summer. The former Barcelona keeper, 31, wants one last crack at Champions League football before he retires. http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/scottish/scottish_sport/346893/Allan-McGregor-is-being-targeted-for-a-move-to-the-Bundesliga-Rangers-Hannover-Bayern-Munich.html

Over the coming weeks Iââ?¬â?¢ll be delving back into the happenings of the season gone past and reviewing all the major talking points from the debacle in Kanuas to the unforgettable and fantastic scenes at Tannidice when the league flag finally came back home (why do I feel the urge to burst into Glasgow Rangers Champions Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh?). I know there was a game AFTER that Sunday in the sun, but Iââ?¬â?¢ll get to that, I promise. I will try to dismantle the season into three month chunks looking back to the games that had the greatest effect on the SPL title race, how the players faired in those monthly segments and try to decipher how Walter Smith wasnââ?¬â?¢t named Manager of the Year and how Boogie wasnââ?¬â?¢t name player of the year. Boogie isnââ?¬â?¢t only the best player at Ibrox, he is the best player in the land by a country mile. As well as documenting the incidents, performances and results that ensured that theyââ?¬â?¢re would be no 4-in-a-row, I will endeavour to paint an honest opinion of our footballing style (or lack off) over the course of the season. There is no doubting that we displayed some very decent football in patches. Victories at Easter Road, Parkhead and off course, the final SPL game of the season instantly spring to mind. In those games we were simply awesome. It is my opinion that if he had maintained those games as our ââ?¬Ë?standardââ?¬â?¢ and hit that form on a consistent basis, we would have won the league at a canter. However, for every brilliant performance, there was a dross performance (ying and yang if you like). Away to Falkirk twice, away to St Mirren, losing to ICT at Ibrox spring to mind ââ?¬â?? and I havenââ?¬â?¢t mentioned the Scottish Cup Final yet. It is also important to investigate and discuss the state that we approached in the season in given the heartbreaking end to the previous season and off course, the sale of King Carlos. There are many trains of thought as to how successful we were in season 2007/08 where we secured the domestic cup double but that only begins to tell the story. We were tantalisingly close to an unprecedented quadruple and at least, should have been good enough to secure the domestic treble. To let the SPL title slip was unforgivable, no matter the mitigating circumstances. We were so far ahead, Celtc required snookers. Given the disappointment of last season, winning the SPL title was a MUST this season. Allow Celtc to lift their fourth title in a row, given our calamitous financial position would have been akin to committing footballing suicide. With that in mind, it is also our duty not to allow our title victory, our 52nd domestic league title (still a world record), to paper of the enormous cracks in our club. There will be at least 10 players sold in the summer (two have already been released) so it is fair to say that some fans favourites could still leave. If Walter Smith intends to add to the first team, heââ?¬â?¢ll likely have to lose even more than the ten that is currently being banded about. Our club is teetering on the edge and guaranteed champions league money has only delayed more stinging cuts. There is also the question of how our club is being marketed. In laymanââ?¬â?¢s terms, it isnââ?¬â?¢t. Here we are basking in the afterglow of winning the domestic double and there isnââ?¬â?¢t a commemorative DVD (or any item celebrating this apart from ONE t-shirt ââ?¬â?? which I am proudly wearing!). Kris Boyd has just celebrated scoring 100 goals for this club, the first player to do so since Mark Hateley. Again, this wonderful achievement hasnââ?¬â?¢t warranted a DVD. Due to the complications of the Umbro deal, we still arenââ?¬â?¢t any closer to knowing the design of our new home top. All of this may not appear to be important in the context of the wild celebrations that rightly greeted the SPL triumph, but this is the time to cash in on the success and by God do we need the cash. There is also a predicted shortfall in season ticket sales, but the only place you see season ticketââ?¬â?¢s for sale in on the official website. Meanwhile our neighbours are advertising on radio, TV and national press. Anyway, back to the post-mortem of the season gone by and it is great to witness that we have a new ââ?¬Ë?cheer-leaderââ?¬â?¢. After the departure of Shota, we didnââ?¬â?¢t have anyone to marvel at as the celebrations took place ââ?¬â?? well step forward and take a bow Mr Nacho Novo. Watching Novo lately has been a joy in itself, especially his ââ?¬Ë?Ha Ha Samarasââ?¬â?¢ antics at Tannidice. Another aspect of the season that is worth discussing, and Iââ?¬â?¢ll mention this in my reviews is how the team spirit grow over the season and was cemented during and after the ââ?¬Ë?boozegateââ?¬â?¢ affair. It would have been easy for the players to have chucked it at certain stages of the season (being 7 points behind, the boozegate affair, the draw at Easter Road) but they all pulled together and this was most evident at Tannidice when we won the title, but it had been growing over the course of the season. So much so we have players like Boyd, Novo and Mendes claiming that they want to finish their careers at Ibrox and players like Boogie stating that knocking back big money moves to the EPL as being the ââ?¬Ë?correct decisionsââ?¬â?¢. It appears that the feel-ggod factor is back at Ibrox and I believe that this is down to the influences of Ally McCoist and Ian Durrant. In finishing, the hard work starts here as we have to build on this success and ensure that we dominate the domestic game for the next few years. This will not be easy and the full extent of how difficult this will be will only be know once the transfer window is closed and we can assess who is still here. We require a long term replacement for David Weir, a left midfielder (Chris Brunt seems the favourite at the moment and he is a very decent player), a right midfield player (as Stevie Davis isnââ?¬â?¢t the answer wide right). Again, these needs may change depending on who is or isnââ?¬â?¢t sold. Either way, itââ?¬â?¢ll be a nail-biting summer with Rangers fans hoping and praying that our ââ?¬Ë?blue chipââ?¬â?¢ players remain at the club for another season (at least). Next week Iââ?¬â?¢ll open the review concentrating on July through to the end of October. This will include (close your eyes) the Kanuas games, the first OF game of the season and asking if whether our eventual forays into the transfer market would have made a difference if they were signed PRIOR to the CL qualifier. Cammy F :spl:

Most will probably be paid off at 23.30 on August 31.

WALTER Smith last night revealed a domestic double and �£15million Champions League bounty won't save Rangers from a summer of first-team cutbacks. Smith could be forced into selling some of the key men behind his side's SPL and Scottish Cup successes. As he paraded both trophies at Ibrox yesterday, the Rangers boss warned fans that not even automatic entry into UEFA's most lucrative tournament will allow him to keep his squad together. Already Brahim Hemdani and Christian Dailly have left the club under freedom of contract and Smith expects to lose another four or five senior players from his pool before the next campaign begins. Record Sport revealed last week Smith hopes to partly finance a �£3m move for West Brom winger Chris Brunt by sending ex-skipper Barry Ferguson the other way as a �£1m makeweight. And yesterday he conceded more big names could follow Ferguson out of the door. Smith, who first flagged up the urgent nature of Rangers' finances back in January when he accepted a s4m offer from Birmingham for striker Kris Boyd, said: "We have that whole financial situation to face again this summer. "It never affected Rangers in the latter stages of this season because we didn't lose any players in January as Kris did not move on. But we still have that situation to address. The Champions League money makes a difference in that we have more power in deciding who stays and goes but the situation is still there. "We will have to adjust in a number of ways and cut the squad back. Christian and Brahim have left and we will lose a few others. There are three or four positions that could be doing with enhancing but if we can't do it, that's the way it is." Smith wants captain Davie Weir to return to Ibrox for one more season - despite the fact he will turn 40 in May. The manager will hand Weir the armband once more but will also identify a new vice-captain who will be groomed to take over, with Kevin Thomson the top candidate. Smith said: "Davie is keen to continue and at his age that is the first question. From what I've seen he can carry on. He was brilliant for us all season and never missed a day's training. We give him more rest than others but he has never missed a day through a knock, tiredness or anything. "At times you look at players and as long as their assets outweigh their faults they are good to go on and Davie's assets still outweigh any faults. I hope he will stay as captain but we will have more games next season and that is something we will consider as we go." But while Weir will be handed a new one-year deal Smith is unsure if the likes of Boyd and Nacho Novo, who have one more season left to run on their contracts, will be offered extensions. He said: "The global recession is a problem we are not immune to so it is hard to make decisions on anyone. "The problem kicks in now. It means the decision process is not as straightforward as when I arrived and I could say, 'I want him, him and him'. It will not be an easy close season for anybody." Smith is himself entering into the final few months of his contract but insists he will stay in charge for at least next season's title defence. And he has ruled out the prospect of moving upstairs to a new position in order to free up the job for right-hand man and protege Ally McCoist. Smith said: "I want to make one thing clear: I am not going to do that. I don't want to be a director of football and sit here in judgment of another manager. If I leave Rangers I will leave and that is it. If they welcome me back I will come to watch a game or two but not as director of football." http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/spl/2009/06/02/walter-smith-admits-he-fears-losing-top-stars-despite-rangers-champions-league-cash-boost-86908-21408298/

From the Evening Times.

Walter Smith ends a turbulent season for Rangers and Scottish football on a high More...

Seems pretty clear that Coisty will be our next manager after WS after reading that. Pretty much the same as he said after winning the league.....

Remember when Walter Smith returned to Rangers? Allegations of tapping-up were widespread in both print and broadcast media. Demands that Rangers be brought to book were long and hard. Except, there was no evidence to support these claims. It did not stop the usual suspects spewing their usual bile. The same usual suspects are telling us this evening that Owen Coyle will be the new Sellik boss by the end of the week. Lot's of reports of talks taking place between Peter Lawwell and Coyle. The on-message BBC Scotland Ceefax service told us that Lawwell met Coyle yesterday afternoon. Currently, that has changed to a direct quote from Coyle, "it is people putting two and two together and making five. I am going on holiday this weekend and I can assure you, I will be doing so as Burnley manager". Over on STV's Teletext, a statement from Burnley's website reads, "Burnley have not received any official approach from Celtic for Owen Coyle's services". Radio Snyde have spent two evenings talking about Coyle's impending arrival. Nuremberg is a long term family friend and he is salivating at the thought of Coyles enthronement. Further, Keevins continually reminds the listenership(and beyond) the Owen leaves on a family holiday this coming weekend. Andy Walker told us he received a couple of text messages from 'Owney' yesterday. Has wee Owen been tapped-up by the highly principled Sellik? There is no doubt he has been, and BBC Scotland's Ceefax backtracking on reporting his meeting with Lawwell is a clear attempt to ensure their beloved Sellik avoid the accusation. I expect Radio Snyde to fall into on-message line tomorrow. You see, the real work will be done while Coyle is on the family holiday. There is a precedent. Tommy Burns was manager of Killie for five years, had steered them from Division 2 to the Premier, and they had just survived in the top league. Elmer Fudd(aka Fergus McCann) had just fired Luigi Macari and was on the look out for a new manager. He asked Gerry McNee and Keevins for recommendations, they both pointed in the direction of Burns. Tommy was on a family holiday in the Canary Isles. No problemo for the Bunnet, he contacted both Burns and Billy Stark and convinced both to interupt their respective holidays, fly into Glasgow Airport, meet in the Caffeteria, and agree to be ra Sellik's numbers one and two. Both flew back to their holiday destinations a couple of hours later. Killie contacted the SFA, Sellik had NOT sought permission to talk to their employees. In effect, both Burns and Stark had been tapped-up. A few months later, the appropriate SFA Committee found ra Sellik guilty as charged and fined them �£100,000 in the case of Burns, �£50,000 in the case of Stark. I suspect wee owney will be subject to a similar scenario. See ra Sellik and principles, see oil and water.

RANGERS boss Walter Smith is trying to piece together a �£3million summer swoop for West Brom's Chris Brunt. Record Sport can reveal Smith has identified the Northern Ireland winger as his priority target to fill the problem position on Rangers' left flank. The 24-year-old, who scored a flurry of goals towards the end of the season as Tony Mowbray's team launched an ill-fated late bid to beat the drop, is aware of Smith's interest and is desperate to clinch a move to his boyhood heroes. Brunt is a close friend of Ibrox duo Steve Davis and Kyle Lafferty and is believed to have discussed a possible move with them both. But with Rangers counting every penny this summer Smith will have his work cut out to get a deal done for a player who cost the Baggies �£3m from SheffieldWednesday. A deal could hinge on the future of deposed Rangers skipper Barry Ferguson - and also on the future of Mowbray himself. He wants Ferguson and is prepared to spend more than �£1m to clinch the signature of the Boozegate bad boy - but Mowbray is also a contender for the Celtic hotseat. Smith then must hope Mowbray stays at The Hawthorns and follows up with a firm bid for Ferguson -which would allow talks to open up on Brunt.It is likely Rangers would have to find at least �£2m and allow Ferguson to move south if a deal is to be struck. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/spl/2009/05/28/exclusive-rangers-eye-3m-transfer-move-for-west-brom-winger-chris-brunt-86908-21394923/ Decent player IMO...........

http://blogs.dailyrecord.co.uk/jimtraynor/2009/05/mister-rangers.html Cal certainly will welcome such a peice. :spl:

WALTER SMITH insists he's staying at Rangers and so are ALL his title-winning stars. Gers gaffer Smith has vowed to front the SPL championship defence and Euro charge next term. He'll keep all the big names who looked to be heading out of Ibrox last January. The �£15million Champions League jackpot will allow Gers to hold on to Kris Boyd, Madjid Bougherra and Allan McGregor. And Smith admits Sunday's glorious SPL triumph has whetted his appetite for more glory. He said: "I don't have any real doubts in my mind about carrying on doing the job. "It's not in my thoughts not to start the season." Smith will hold summit talks this week with chairman Sir David Murray to plot for next term. But the championship win guarantees Gers won't have to flog key players to balance the books. Smith said: "The finances are something I have to speak to the chairman about, which will be done over the next few days. "The title win might not have alleviated the whole problem. "But it certainly helps alleviate a good bit of it and takes away a short-term problem we had in January which forced us to have to put players up for sale. "We feel the benefit of that part of the title win right away. "I've been here two and a half years and this was always going to be a close-season where we changed a lot of players. "There were always going to be changes but getting into the Champions League maybe means we can make the changes we want rather than making enforced changes. "That Champions League money will allow us to make the decision on who goes rather than the size of a fee." Smith WON'T get a bumper kitty to spend for the title defence as Gers remain �£25million in debt. He admitted: "That is not going to happen. "It is not possible for that to happen after what was happening in January and things like that." But changes could see several fringe players head out of Ibrox. Cardiff City are keen on Stevie Smith, Blackpool want Charlie Adam and Alan Gow also has suitors south of the border. Brahim Hemdani and Christian Dailly are out of contract, while Graeme Smith, Andy Webster and DaMarcus Beasley could move on. http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/article2448153.ece

Rangers midfielder Maurice Edu says the impact of former captain Barry Ferguson and manager Walter Smith have helped to establish his place in the first team. More...

Rangers boss Walter Smith hopes Champions League qualification will help the Scottish champions keep hold of their best performers. More...

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!!!

By Andrew Dickson KRIS BOYD fulfilled a childhood dream when he held the SPL trophy aloft for the first time at Tannadice this afternoon. The prolific hitman stroked home his 31st goal of the season - and the 20th of his career against Dundee United - when he grabbed the clincher in Rangers' 3-0 win. Kris Boyd and Madjid Bougherra celebrate the striker's goal at Dundee UnitedThat result allowed the Ibrox team to take the title by four points from Old Firm rivals Celtic and it was a sweet moment for everyone involved with Walter Smith's side. Boyd, like many of the players at Gers, grew up supporting the club - and that made coming out on top at the end of a fascinating season even more special. The 25-year-old said: "We're delighted. You look at the fans and see what it means to them and it's a great feeling that we've won. "This is why we all want to be at a club like Rangers. It has been a long wait for the championship since I signed on here but it has certainly been worth it. "I think today sums up our season. You've got the likes of Madjid Bougherra who was unbelievable and that's the same right through the team. "We knew we had to start really well against United this afternoon because they've made it hard for us in the past. "But as you look back over the game, we were comfortable winners and that's because of the way we set about our business. "There's not a better feeling in the world than to be celebrating a championship. When you look at everybody and see what it means, you just can't beat it."

By Andrew Dickson KYLE LAFFERTY believes the first championship of Walter Smith's second reign at Rangers can be followed by many more. The Northern Ireland striker played a key role in today's 3-0 victory at Dundee United, a result which gave the Light Blues their first title since 2005. Kyle Lafferty celebratesAfter scoring the opener in the early stages of the game, Lafferty went on to play a big part and was one of many standouts on a magnificent day for the club. Claiming the silverware after four long barren years was a massive relief for Gers, who'll now progress straight into the group phase of next season's Champions League. And Lafferty hopes to build on a success many had said the Ibrox outfit couldn't achieve this term. The 21-year-old said: "You just have to look around at all the fans to see what it means to win the trophy. Everybody is buzzing. "I thought the way we went about our business at Tannadice was great and that we played like champions today. "Georgios Samaras said Celtic were the ones who played better football but at the end of the day, we're the ones who have ended up as champions. "This is the kind of moment you play football for and it's great to be a part of it all. It's just great that we've come out on top. "It's a really amazing feeling. My family were all watching the game back home and I know they'll be proud of me. "This is a moment we'll all really enjoy and I've no doubt this can be the first of many championships we get. I definitely feel that's the case."

I salute you!