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  1. compo

    Who then?

    Suppose we find one point four million in a drawer at ibrox and wield the axe who should be our next manager and who should be his assistants . and who among the current squad would you like to see go in the January transfer window
  2. Reading McMurdos Blog today, even he knows Ashley will not invest. ''Rangers are sick at heart. The answer is a strong leader but there is no-one on the horizon who fills that role. Everyone involved is hanging on to their own sphere of power and influence at the club. There is no Willie Waddell, no Bill Struth or Jock Wallace to rally the Ibrox battallions and have them face the same way instead of train their guns at each other. Yes, there is Mike Ashley. I am confident that he will step forward and provide both leadership and funding to steer Rangers away from the rocks and back to ruling the seas. But in all honesty I have to say that the margins are so fine at this very critical juncture that he might do so just too late to prevent a shipwreck. And let there be no doubt – what’s left of Scottish football will drown in the wake." https://billmcmurdo.wordpress.com
  3. So says Keith Jackson: http://t.co/auDoxxHRJp Not a lot of meat on the bones but not a surprise either.
  4. Only too true, sadly enough: Express IMHO, overall Miller's done okay thus far.
  5. A sneering piece that seems to relish in denigrating us. I can't say it is wrong though. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/opinion/sport/keith-jackson-cold-hard-cash-4683056? Keith Jackson: Cold hard cash will determine Ally McCoist's future at Rangers Nov 24, 2014 08:03 OPINION BY KEITHJACKSON KEITH says that cash has always been the answer to Rangers' woes but asks, will the club be able to fork out to the cash needed to axe Ally? IN the end it will all come down to money. That is the Rangers way after all. This is a club which through the years has gorged on a diet of hubris and largesse and which bloated itself with mantras such as, “For every fiver Celtic spend we’ll spend a tenner”. It might just be the only business in the history of insolvency events to have allowed this spend-at-all-costs mentality to survive the catastrophe of liquidation. It’s drilled down so deep into the club’s DNA that it has become the answer to almost every problem it encounters. Whenever Rangers are in trouble the default position is to spend more and buy their way out of it with another fistful of Aye Readies. Few have been so steeped in this tradition as manager Ally McCoist, who earned stripes as a homegrown hero at Ibrox in the days when money really did seem like no object. A £185,000 legacy of more austere times, McCoist not only survived the Graeme Souness revolution but went on to thrive in this new
environment and whose phenomenal goalscoring exploits made him a priceless commodity throughout an era unrelenting cheque signing. Back then, McCoist was the exception to the rule. Today his fate is governed by it. Because the only bottom line that counts right now as far as the position of the Rangers manager is concerned is the huge sum it will cost to remove him and his backroom staff from the dugout. Even going by the most conservative of estimates, the costs involved in the bagging of the management team would run a long way north of £1m and right now that’s money this ravaged club simply does not have. The very notion that such vast sums could be ring-fenced for severance payments would certainly cause further distress to
auditors Deloitte – who have still not signed off the club’s latest accounts and are fast running out of days in which to so do. In fact, in order for an agm to be held before the year end as Stock Market rules dictate, Deloitte really ought to publish these latest numbers by no later than Friday of this week. The under-fire regime would then have a further three working weeks before being shoved out in front of shareholders just days before Christmas. It is already a damning indictment of the state of the club’s financial affairs that Deloitte have so far failed to put their name to these accounts and the longer they dither the more reason there is for concern. The truth is, Rangers are right back on the brink even though many supporters took comfort from watching Mike Ashley muscle his way into total control of the board room earlier this month. Recent history shows that in times of Ibrox panic there is nothing like a billionaire – radar detectable or not – to settle a few nerves but now Ashley has powered his way into the box seat there are serious decisions for him to make. What Ashley’s minions, Derek Llambias and Barry Leach, have discovered since they were dispatched to Glasgow and placed on the board may well have horrified them. The Sports Direct man did not become a billionaire by funding lost causes and yet that’s what he is now being asked to do in order to satisfy Deloitte the club is able to continue trading. If Ashley is not willing to offer up guarantees for several millions of pounds Deloitte may have to “qualify” these accounts – a development
that would prove disastrous for the reputation of almost any other company but which, given the state of all things Rangers, would merely add another layer to the farce. So far Ashley has agreed to drip feed Rangers with short-term loans in order to protect and strengthen his commercial contracts with the club. He has not just been saving Rangers with these handouts – he has been strangling them at the same time. Will he now be prepared to change strategy to fund them for the longer term because, if not, Rangers will be hurtling towards another insolvency. And, as major creditor, Ashley will be in complete control. But if, on the other hand, he opts to wade into this mess and bail it out for the long run what will that mean for McCoist? That’s the other question over which Ashley will have to chew this week because if he does decide to underpin this broken business he could also provide it with the cash needed to call time on McCoist. Ironically, that might buy him some goodwill among a growing group of Rangers fans who have lost patience with their manager and who, at Tynecastle on Saturday, voiced their desire for him to do walking away. Or a version thereof. That 2-0 defeat was the last straw for many and it might even be argued the majority of these fans have lost faith in McCoist now the football side of this business is finally getting serious and requiring urgent
attention. They simply don’t believe McCoist can recover the nine points which separate his side from Hearts and some of them suspect he may not be capable either of gaining promotion to the top flight through the end-of-season play-offs. The single-minded McCoist, it must be said, will disagree entirely. Often over the past three years he has reacted angrily to any suggestion he is failing in his duties and I say that as someone who has felt his full wrath from the other end of a phone on many occasions. But, at the risk of another fall-out, I’ll say it all again. When Rangers first reappeared from insolvency in the lowest tier of the Scottish game, McCoist wasted an opportunity to reinvent his team and introduce it to a contemporary, passing style of
football – much like the template Swansea used on their journey up through the various English leagues. Instead, in true Rangers tradition, he spent mind-boggling amounts of money on the recruitment of players who had no place operating at such a lowly level and who often looked as if they had no great wish to be there. But whether he stays or goes at this stage, with his journey not yet complete? That’s something only the money men will decide.
  6. ...and says manager Ally McCoist is being 'hung out to dry' by the board. THE former boss gave a withering assessment of the men at the top of the marble staircase and claimed they’ve hung McCoist out to dry. WALTER Smith last night accused the Rangers board of making Ally McCoist the worst prepared manager in their history. The former boss gave a withering assessment of the men at the top of the marble staircase and claimed they’ve hung McCoist out to dry. Smith spoke out in strong support of McCoist in Glasgow in front of an audience of 750 at a question and answer session during a charity dinner. The ex-chairman accused the current regime of failing to back the boss and said boardroom instability is also hampering the team. Asked to reflect on the work of McCoist, who was at the event, Smith said: “Ally will need a little help – in the last three years he has had none whatsoever. “I was fortunate enough to be given great support by the likes of David Murray with the signings I was allowed to make. “People are casting aspersions on Ally’s ability but if I ever had doubts about him I would never have recommended him for the job. “No club can be successful until it is well run from the top, it’s the single determining factor in how well the team plays. “I wish Ally could be given that opportunity but it isn’t being afforded him. Ally is bearing up well under the worst circumstances under which any Rangers manager has had to work.” Smith also turned on former owner Craig Whyte when asked if he was still happy with his decision to step away from the club three years ago. He said sarcastically: “I was quite happy to leave Rangers in the hands of Craig Whyte – well, he was a billionaire, after all. “Where is he now? Costa Rica or somewhere? The wee b******.” Meanwhile, Dave King claims Sandy Easdale was as concerned with his seat on the board as investment in the cash-strapped club. Easdale has labelled the South African-based tycoon’s plan to invest £16million a phantom bid driven by self-promotion. The bus boss and Rangers board snubbed King’s offer and a £3m loan from Brian Kennedy, instead taking a £2m bailout from Mike Ashley. Now King has hit back and said: “When I spoke to Sandy on my recent trip to Scotland his main concern was whether, after investment by our consortium, he would still be involved with the club. “I confirmed we had no immediate intention to remove him or his brother from board involvement. This was clearly not enough to gain his support.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/craig-whyte-wee-b-walter-4665444
  7. http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/289-is-donald-findlay-right-discussing-our-rangers-addiction Waking up to another Rangers controversy is nothing new. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Monday, a Thursday or a match-day, there’s always another Rangers related story to keep this ongoing farce alive. From the boardroom to the dressing room; from the small grounds in Scotland to the businessmen of Singapore; the bizarre nature of what has happened to one of Scotland’s proudest institutions continues to make waves wherever and whenever you care to cast a sideways glance. It’s impossible to hide from. Now, I’ve not read all of what Donald Findlay has said to journalist Stephen McGowan in today’s Daily Mail. The ‘debate’ surrounding about whether or not Rangers are a new club isn’t something which particularly attracts me. For me, the opinion of the law lords and football authorities is enough – Rangers is the same club with their history and successes intact from one company vehicle to the next. In many ways though, does it really matter what they or Donald Findlay think? I still follow follow Rangers with the same excitement and love I’ve always done. I always will. Many hundreds of thousands agree. However, and here’s the rub, some do feel differently and I can empathise with that. Why? Well, there can be various reasons. For one, the club’s reputation has taken a huge hit – doesn’t matter how fraudulent Craig Whyte and his associates' actions are proven to be, our club almost died. It doesn’t matter with how much disdain the Scottish football authorities, fellow clubs and fans and the Scottish media approached this fall from grace; we had to start again in Division Three. In that sense, of course the club’s reputation has changed forever. No Rangers fan alive has had to experience such a dramatic change in fortunes so it’s inevitable our mind-set has as well. Moreover, since administration, the situation has hardly improved. The Rangers brand (and tradition as well perhaps) is no longer associated with success and pride and honesty and hard work. Instead, embarrassment, dishonesty, manipulation, excess and fraud are now bywords for our club. Yes the team on the park may still be the team we love but unlike our fathers and their fathers before them, we’ll now forever have to associate on-field displays with the performance of the boardroom. Some may find it easy to refrain from such, but many others cannot. Not as long as the money we pay into the club can be withheld by companies with a somewhat different relationship. That particular landscape has changed forever; it’s undeniable. Moving on, and even within our fan-base things have altered for the worse. Small minorities they may be but the division amongst some fans is bordering on the obscene at times. Bear antagonising bear is not only counter-productive but downright bizarre. Disagreement can and should be healthy but some supporters have taken that to all new levels. In the modern era of online debate that may well be inevitable but it’s a change from previous times and it’s not a good one. These aren’t arguments in private RSC cubby-holes but very public fall outs which can be seen by all. They help no-one. Considering all the above, it’s perhaps more surprising to suggest anyone doesn’t approach supporting the club differently. To be clear, it’s not that our love has decreased or that our history and success has somehow been removed (such arguments are ludicrous) but that what has happened in recent years has changed us all forever. Indeed, it has to – we have to learn from our mistakes and ensure it doesn’t happen again. That’s not to say we can do so easily – we can’t – but if we try to hide from it then we’re no worse than an addict glossing over their dependence. To sum up, while I fundamentally and strongly disagree with Findlay in terms of Rangers still being the same Rangers, he is right to an extent. Of course the club is the same one we've all supported but there are elements of recent events which will have affected us all in different ways. Perhaps it's the divided fans taking each other for granted, perhaps it's the club's total disdain for our opinion, perhaps it's the media apportioning blame to the wrong people, perhaps it's the manager refusing to learn from his mistakes, perhaps it's the constant stress amidst the whole farce but no matter the issue, it has become very difficult to support Rangers nowadays. It should be fun, it should be a release from the everyday hum-drum but it's not - in fact I'd say supporting Rangers is just another daily stress and only our fans will understand just how bad it's been. For some, even someone like Donald Findlay, the challenge may be too much but shirking from his opinion won't help. To that end, if anyone has found the last few years hard then we should be working together to talk through our worries - not hide from or belittle them. Supporting Rangers isn't something you can turn on or off. It's an addiction which infects the soul. Thus, I'd say anyone who hasn't had their heart broken and their faith challenged is in the minority. However, broken hearts can be repaired and reputations restored. My name is Frankie and I'm an addict.
  8. For clarification the offer has been made by Brian Kennedy. Unlike King's package it doesn't need shareholder support. Board approval enough Board were meeting this afternoon to discuss both options. As yet no word of decision being made. I understand Brian Kennedy has travelled to Glasgow this afternoon. RFC board meeting still on going....
  9. ...has kept him away from Ibrox. Former manager, who will make rare appearance in stands for League Cup quarter-final against St Johnstone, says he is "better not going" because of club's problems. By Ewing Grahame 10:00PM GMT 27 Oct 2014 Comments8 Comments Walter Smith will make a rare appearance at Ibrox on Tuesday night for Rangers’ League Cup quarter-final against St Johnstone. Smith, 66, led Rangers to nine championship successes and also won the Scottish Cup five times and the League Cup on six occasions during his two spells as manager. Yet he reveals that the internecine warfare – which has been waged with increasing frequency and hostility in the boardroom since the consortium fronted by Charles Green seized control after the old club’s descent into liquidation in 2012 – has persuaded him to limit his attendance at matches following his resignation as chairman in August last year. The increasing influence wielded by Mike Ashley, the Newcastle United owner, and the departures (which Ashley had called for) of chief executive Graham Wallace and director Philip Nash may yet bring stability to the club but, until the fighting stops, Smith’s visits will be collectors’ items. “Before I left the board at Rangers I was going to few of the games,” he said. “I’ve been to one or two but I haven’t been to an awful lot since I left. “I watch the TV coverage and read a lot about it but I don’t go along to many matches. At first I didn’t go because I didn’t want people thinking I was ... not interfering, but going to watch Alastair and the boys I’d left there. That was the main reason for not going back. “When Charles Green asked me to go on the board I went back and going to games was another aspect of it. “Since I left the board, the reason I don’t go back is because is everybody keeps saying to me: ‘You are supporting that side, your are supporting this side or the other side’. “I think I’m better not bothering going. I miss going to the games. I’ll go to the occasional one and I’ll go on Tuesday night to see how they do against St Johnstone.” Smith was at the national stadium on Sunday to see Davie Wilson, a childhood idol, inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame. “Wee Davie worked beside my old man when he was a boy, strangely enough,” he said. “I went to Ibrox and watched him play in that fantastic team of the late 1950s and early 60s. It was an enjoyable period to go and watch them. “He was one of the main ones and the number of goals he scored for a winger was incredible. Nowadays we don’t have wingers of that type. “Davie and Jimmy Millar also came to play at Dundee United when I was there and he was a fantastic professional. They could have tailed off at the end of their careers but they had a great attitude and it was good for a young player like myself to see that, “It was a big thrill – I’d never have imagined I’d have played alongside him. He was terrific, down to earth. Davie was also assistant manager at Dumbarton when I went there for a year.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/11190909/Walter-Smith-reveals-how-long-running-internal-warfare-at-Rangers-has-kept-him-away-from-Ibrox.html
  10. Talking to Rangersitis (nice meeting you btw.) on Saturday afternoon we both debated whether it can be stopped via Sandy Easdale's proxy bloc and Ashley's holdings. Few things: 1. Will it be considered a resolution or just a simple loan authorised by the board? 2. Or will Ashley and Easdale bloc this through their voting rights on special resolutions? 3. By blocking the loan if it is seen as a resolution will concert party rights be triggered 4. By calling the EGM it looks to me as though the voting percentages won't matter here and that's why Ashley's calling the EGM in an effort to prevent the vote going through at a typical board meeting Would any of our more informed Gersnetters like to set us right?
  11. A LIFE-LONG Rangers fan today vowed to restore the grave of legendary manager Bill Struth. The boss was at the club's helm for more than 30 years, from 1920. Struth died, aged 83, in 1956, and was buried in a Glasgow cemetery, less than a mile from Ibrox. Today the Evening Times reveals how the grave of the club legend faces ruin and neglect. The final resting place of the most decorated manager in British football history lies crumbling in a forgotten corner of the cemetery. Now, Craig Houston, who instigated the supporters' group Sons of Struth, is spearheading a campaign to restore and maintain the legendary Light Blues manager's headstone. As he stood at Struth's memorial in Craigton, on the South Side of Glasgow, Craig said: "Bill was the most important man in the history of Rangers Football Club. "I have a phenomenal amount of respect for the man and it really saddens me to see his grave fallen into disrepair. "He did so much for Rangers, now we want to give something back and repair his grave." The high regard Struth is held in by Rangers fans is not just because of the success he enjoyed during his 33-year period as manager. With 73 *trophies to his name, Struth is the most decorated manager in British football history, despite retiring back in 1954. But his level of standards are the ones Rangers have prided themselves on throughout their 140 years of history. Since Struth every Rangers manager, from Graeme Souness to Walter Smith, have strived to be at his level. Craig said: "Bill Struth is a legendary figure at Rangers, that's how we arrived at the name The Sons of Struth for our group. "I didn't even know where his grave was, but when I went to see it and realised it had fallen into disrepair, I felt really strongly about it. "I knew something needed to be done." One-time stonemason Struth helped to carve the future of the Ibrox club in the first half of the last century. He was known as a strict disciplinarian, and the high standards Struth demanded helped to ensure Rangers became the most successful league club in Scotland and the world. Craig now wants the ideals Struth instilled in those around him to live on -especially at his grave. He said: "It is a privilege to be given permission from the Struth family to carry out repairs. "I want to make Struth's grave somewhere all Rangers fans can go to visit. "I want them to feel the emotion I did, standing at his grave." To donate to the fund, visit http://www.facebook.com/SonsOfStruth http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/fan-begins-bid-to-restore-grave-of-rangers-legend-184328n.25551395
  12. The old man shuffled in the large leather chair, one of those traditional ones designed to encourage good seating posture rather than slouching, pushing his steel rimmed glasses onto his forehead he took what he hoped would be another sip of inspiration from the lukewarm tea on the table, just for a brief moment he thought about undoing his top shirt button and loosening his tie to provide relief from the late afternoon sun beaming through the office window and which was taking its toll – but that would just not do, “standards, standards, standards” he muttered to himself, the presentation was tomorrow and the speech had to be finished, so reaching for his trusty pencil and notepad he collected his thoughts and began scribbling… “I have been lucky — lucky in those who were around me from the boardroom to the dressing-room. In time of stress, their unstinted support, unbroken devotion to our club and calmness in adversity eased the task of making Rangers FC the premier club in this country. To be a Ranger is to sense the sacred trust of upholding all that such a name means in this shrine of football. They must be true in their conception of what the Ibrox tradition seeks from them. No true Ranger has ever failed in the tradition set him.” Our very success, gained you will agree by skill, will draw more people than ever to see it. And that will benefit many more clubs than Rangers. Let the others come after us. We welcome the chase. It is healthy for us. We will never hide from it. Never fear, inevitably we shall have our years of failure, and when they arrive, we must reveal tolerance and sanity. No matter the days of anxiety that come our way, we shall emerge stronger because of the trials to be overcome. That has been the philosophy of the Rangers since the days of the gallant pioneers.” I have spent my whole life in awe of that speech. The utter selflessness at the heart of it, the appreciation and acknowledgement of the work and dedication of others, the dismissal of the importance of the individual and the emphasis and focus on the dedication of others around him merely serve to underline why this man has left such an indelible stamp on our club. It speaks of a football club with a sense of direction, where the people at the very heart of it share not only a common vision but realise the necessity of working together with shared values to deliver that vision. We have fallen, fallen a long way from that sacred trust, taken there by men with little concept of what the Ibrox tradition seeks from them, men whose importance of self, of ego, was the very antithesis of everything Mr Struth stood for. It has opened a revolving door of charlatans, of profiteers, with no interest in preserving the shrine other than seeking to exploit the faithful who still come to worship. In these days of anxiety, amidst the clamour of boardroom battles, of money men and PR gurus, of percentage shareholdings and damaging headlines, one group, to the exclusion of all others, has sought to uphold that sacred trust and remain true to the concept of the Ibrox tradition. Disengaged and disempowered from the powers and processes which govern our club, and in the face of considerable, or as some hoped, insurmountable adversity, we have strived and endeavoured to keep the flames of that sacred trust burning. We conquered the insurmountable, breaking attendance records along the way, we laid waste to the false accusations of “glory hunters” at the Gayfields and Station Parks of this world. Borough Briggs and Ochilview had to be postponed as the manifestation of “unstinted support” and “unbroken devotion” descended upon them. Who are these people ? Go look in the mirror you will see them there, staring right back at you – we are the people. We are the people and this is our time. It’s time for those who have proven themselves in the face of adversity to no longer be disempowered or disengaged. We are the rightful sentinels of that sacred trust, do we honestly believe that anyone else could protect it better ? If you do then stop reading now. Rangers First, Buy Rangers and Vanguard Bears all offer a means of achieving that goal via their various fan ownership models. The choices we face are simple but critical nonetheless. Who do we trust most to decide the destiny of our football club, to safeguard all that we cherish and value ? To run the club in a way which upholds the traditions spoken of by Mr Struth all those years ago ? Who would ensure that every single decision which is made, is done so solely in the best interests of Rangers ? Or should we continue to fracture as a support, tearing ourselves apart doing the bidding of masters who offer no guarantees, in the hope of some scraps off the table ? Isn’t it about time we either sat at that table ourselves or had a considerable say in who does and the decisions they make concerning our club ? I am under no illusions – it will not be easy. There will be considerable challenges ahead, without doubt considerable adversity as well, but only a fool would bet against a Rangers support united in purpose and vision – it’s probably what those who wish ill will against our club fear most. Our club is once again in need of “gallant pioneers”, men and women who will remain true to the concept the Ibrox tradition seeks from them, and the reward is ensuring that sacred trust is preserved for generations yet to come. “No true Ranger has ever failed in the tradition set him.”
  13. Ally McCoist admits he would accept Rangers gaining promotion to the Scottish Premiership via the play-offs after falling six points behind leaders Hearts. Monday’s 3-1 defeat to Hibernian saw some bookmakers make the Tynecastle outfit favourites to win the Scottish Championship title. The result sparked fierce criticism of the manager and the players from disgruntled supporters with the Ibrox men head into the match with Livingston with 13 points from seven matches. But while remaining confident of securing automatic promotion, McCoist admits he would accept reaching the top flight through the knockout route. He said: "It [winning the play-offs] wouldn't be out of the question because the most important thing is getting out of the division. "We will take whatever way we can to get out of the division because it is so important to the club that we get back into the top flight as soon as possible. "I would have thought it was a little bit unfair and disrespectful to the opposition more than anything. "The one thing we've always attempted to do, particularly in the last three years is show a great level of respect to our opponents. We will continue to do that. "Hearts and Hibs are good sides." McCoist has received flack for his tactics, signings as well as his coaching methods in the wake of their latest home loss. The Light Blues boss says he is not “bombproof” from the sack, regardless of how much it would cost the club to get rid of him. He said: "I don't think anybody is bombproof. "I certainly wouldn't sit here for a minute and say I'm bombproof. "I'm still wearing the flak jacket but nobody is bombproof." On criticism of his tenure, he defended his record before adding: "I genuinely don't care about it. If Walter Smith can get stick when winning nine in a row and getting to a UEFA Cup final then it's fair to say I'll receive a certain degree of criticism. "To the greatest respect to everybody the only people that know what goes on out there is my players and my staff. "You've got two automatic promotions then I think that's the target. I've said all along the target is to get back to the top flight as soon as possible. "It's not for me to judge or to say how good, bad or indifferent it is but I think it would be difficult to argue against it not being job done in that department. Video:http://sport.stv.tv/football/294497-ally-mccoist-rangers-promotion-through-play-offs-would-be-acceptable/
  14. I'm not clear on what is classed as repetition so perhaps we can have 1 topic where we can say what we like (within reason) and let off steam. Also, certain people can just stay away from this thread and then they won't be offended.
  15. I like to try and be fair and after so much criticism I will give credit where it is due. Regardless of who we were playing against we retained possession with interchanging passing and moving and the long ball wasn't frequently deployed. We created plenty chances and always looked dangerous in the final third, crucially our midfield largely bossed the game. Hopefully we can push on from here but I can't recall us playing in this manner for more than a couple of games on the trot apart from the end of 10/11. As was my feeling then, it shows that we can play fairly decent football (it's illogical to suggest otherwise), so there is absolutely no reason whatsoever to see us playing aimless long balls again.
  16. Chris Graham ‏@ChrisGraham76 17m .@RFC_Union call on Rangers PLC board to remove Sandy Easdale as a club director immediately. #RFC pic.twitter.com/wIlX0SWgVu
  17. I had a very good meeting today with Arnold Black, who wrote the article that was published recently about a membership scheme. I proposed this some years ago at the Club’s AGM and it was also discussed but not pursued (because we were promoting the share scheme) when I was Secretary of RST. Arnold is of the opinion that fans should put their support behind any current or new director who promotes a membership scheme. In order to get a scheme off to the best possible start we are of the opinion that all season ticket holders (next season) should be automatically enrolled as club members.* This would guarantee more or less 35,000 club members with little or no effort on the part of the club. Arnold’s thought is that there should be no membership fee for those enrolling this way at least in the first season; my own feeling is that at least a nominal amount (to be deducted from season ticket monies) or an additional £10 fee (to be added to the season ticket price) should apply; otherwise everyone would have to be granted free membership. Whilst free membership is sometimes attractive (as with the FC United of Manchester model) it artificially inflates the true membership numbers. Realistically, however, going forward the fee would need to be at least £5 per month or say £50 - £60 pa. We take the view that an initial worldwide target of 100,000 members and £1,000,000 - £5,000,000 a year is not unreasonable. This could be ring fenced for special projects within the club. Possible benefits of membership might be: • Discounts from Rangers’ sponsors and suppliers • Offers from the Club e.g. discount on Rangers TV • Membership Certificate, badge etc. • Priority/Discounted Ticket purchase (Note that in some countries e.g. Boca Juniors in Argentina, only members can buy tickets or certain categories of tickets). • Meet players and other exclusive events • Monthly prize draw • Discounts in restaurants etc. • *In future you might have to be a member to buy a season ticket. The proposal would be that the members would elect a Supporters Board (as in the Hamburg model) and that that Board would elect one or two members to the Club Board.
  18. DR publishing interview with Sandy Easdale tomorrow.....and also running a headline that the naming rights of Ibrox being sold for £1!! Rumours are that the naming rights are given for £1 plus underwriting the share issue. Not 100% sure though. Looks like more grim news on the way bears....buckle up!!
  19. Bill Leckie; Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. If they don’t heed those words as the vultures circle Ibrox once again, then hell mend them. First time their club went to the wall, they manned the barricades to protect it from a big, nasty outside world. For that, no matter what other thoughts you have on the matter, their loyalty surely deserves to be applauded. But now? Two-and-a-half years on? If, despite being given a second chance to repair the horrendous mistakes of the past, a club with this level of support goes into administration AGAIN? Sorry, but if it was me I wouldn’t give them another penny. On Saturday, once more, thousands turned up brandishing red cards to express their unhappiness at the way the love of their lives is being mismanaged. And, once more, those responsible for the mismanagement laughed up their sleeves at the pointlessness of the protest. Because to brandish those red cards, you have to pay your money to get inside the stadium. Which hands yet more cash to the people you’re protesting at so they can go ahead and waste it. Listen, what do I know? They’re not my club and the one I do follow has never been to the heights Rangers have reached to suffer such a humiliating, disorientating fall. I’m just someone looking in and wondering how the hell, in all good conscience, Bluenoses can carry on regardless if and when the accountants take over the asylum once more. Actually, don’t answer that. It’s not a can of worms that’s worth opening, this We-Are-The-People, Rangers-Till-I-Die, stick-your-fingers-in-your-ears-and-sing-Follow-Follow mindset. So, for what it’s worth, let me instead pass on my suggestion for what they should do if their club re-enters the abyss. Sod it. Turn their backs on it. Give it, as a man on the other side of Glasgow once said, not one more thin dime. And instead, invest in the future of Scottish clubs who DO run their affairs honestly and who DO have respect for those who click the turnstiles. Go and back your old skipper Barry Ferguson as he tries to make things happen at Clyde. Go and see what another ex-player in Gary Bollan’s doing with Airdrie. If you’re from Fife, go and watch East Fife or Cowdenbeath. If you’re in Angus, hand your tenner to Arbroath or Brechin, Forfar or Montrose. If you donÂ’t want to give up your wee jaunt over from Northern Ireland, get off the ferry and stroll up to Stair Park. There’s been a school of thought among some these last couple of years that Rangers being forced to do the grand tour of the colonies meant the lower divisions should have been grateful for the gate receipts and the TV handouts. For me, this always got it the wrong way round. It was those inside Ibrox should have been thankful that they were in still in business and ABLE to head for Elgin and Berwick and Stranraer. Now, as fresh financial catastrophe looms, I’d put it to Rangers fans that they could do far more good for far more people if they stopped pouring money into what has long since ceased to be “their” club and started drip-feeding it to those who genuinely are the game’s lifeblood. Why? I’ll give you three good reasons. One, those halfwits in your directors’ box shouldn’t be trusted with the remote for the telly, never mind your wages. Two, that 30,000-odd of you spread among the country’s 20-odd part-time clubs would not only create better atmospheres but also help to cement football in communities for the long term. And three? You might just get to relax and enjoy the game, rather than always being angry and stressed about it. Watching Ayr United play Stenhousemuir might just extend your life. The alternative to this is a simple one. Stand your ground and, by your very presence, condone the halfwits in the directors’ box. Two-and-a-half years on from that first administration and the liquidation that followed, these halfwits need to scramble together £4million in a matter of days to keep their heads above water. To achieve this, they may need to flog their saleable players before the transfer window closes, which will hamper your hopes of promotion back to the top flight. If they don’t raise the money, they stand to suffer a 25-point deduction as punishment for a second spell in administration, all but ending those promotion hopes. How, with the wages they pay and the crowds they attract and the sheer intimidatory force of their name that is a two-goal start against far smaller opposition, can this possibly be? How the lumping hell can the people running a club the size of Rangers be handed the chance they were to start again, to build sensibly, to tool up for their return to where they want to be, and yet fail so utterly miserably? How? The clue is in the word halfwits. So maybe I’ve got this all the wrong way round. And it’s those Ibrox directors who should be sent to the outposts of the footballing empire instead. Maybe Graham Wallace and the Easdales and whoever else is a player in this embarrassing saga are the ones who need to go out into the real world and see how real football people operate. Trust me, if a month shadowing the treasurer at Albion Rovers didn’t shame them into living within their means, liquidation’s too good for them.
  20. As many of you will already know, Frankie published an obituary this morning following the extremely sad news of the recent passing of Gordon Young who was a regular contributor to the site and very well known to Gersnet forum members as Bluebear54. Tragically, Gordon finally lost a year long battle with cancer on Thursday night, but he goes with our love and best wishes as a knowledgeable, passionate and witty Bear who we will all remember very fondly indeed. Back in October 2013 I asked Gordon to write the article for our very first regular Gersnet magazine column, which at that time was for Seventy2 magazine. They were running a Dutch themed special and published below is the full 2500 word article Gordon submitted as an initial draft before he cut it down to the final 1400 word piece for the magazine submission and before the news of Ricksen's illness broke causing some slight changes to the wording. Gordon knew that his full article draft would be published at some point because we discussed what a shame it was that he had to cut it almost in half to meet the word count requirements for the column and that once a period of time had lapsed where it would no longer affect magazine sales, we could put the whole article out on Gersnet. So in remembrance of Bluebear54, here is his article 'A Glimpse of Glamour': A Glimpse of Glamour Written by Gordon Young (Bluebear54) The Early Years Although born and raised on the East Coast of Scotland, a maternal grandfather and a father, both passionate Rangers supporters, ensured that I was destined to follow follow in their footsteps when pursuing my lifelong passionate affair with football - an affair which has been split into three distinct phases due to the dice that life has spit out at me. The Rangers teams of that first phase of my love affair were epitomised by hardy, athletic, spirited Scottish players, such as Caldow, Shearer, Greig, MacDonald and Jardine. That’s not to say there wasn’t any skill around. Those guys had enough to go along with their other skills, but the Rangers of that era were also blessed with superbly gifted players such as Baxter, Wilson, Henderson and Johnson. Not mentioning any further names is a severe disservice to many great Rangers players of those generations. But they were Scottish, and the style was undeniably Scottish. We didn’t expect any fancy possession football, we hadn’t heard of the beautiful game, and “totally mental” was more often on our lips than “total football.” We preferred tanner ba’ wingers belting it down the wings, bruisers of centre forwards giving it more elbow than they took, and defenders who didn’t ever take prisoners. On the terraces, like some latter-day Colosseum crowd, we bayed for blood and actively encouraged our heroes to bury or waste opponents. It was expected, it was part of the game and it made for an entertaining spectacle. In 1972, not long after Rangers had finally won – at their third attempt - the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1972, I ventured out again into the world, this time not to return to Scotland until well over a score of countries had worn out my shoes and nigh on thirty years had etched their lines on my face. In my travels, I have found that there are not many better things to bring two different nationalities together than a pint and a talk about football. I thus unknowingly set out on what in retrospect was further education in the art of football. It was clear that most fans I spoke to had scant regard for Scottish football and saw it as kick and rush and a tad barbaric. Fine I thought, youse lot are a bunch of pansies. In those days, most I spoke to were drooling about the Dutch style. And to be honest, from going to games with other fans, I started to see their point. I really did. It took its time, I didn’t initially find it entertaining, but I eventually saw another beauty and another excitement in the game. Now, when I look back through an old man’s eyes, Rangers were to eventually produce a true glimpse of the beautiful game and that glimpse would be Dutch inspired. In the course of their 141 year history, Rangers are reckoned to have provided a footballing home for more than 50 nationalities of footballers. With a total of 11 players having played first team football for the Gers, Holland tops that table. And their inspiration topped the table in how we played. The Early Birds The first ever first team appearance at Rangers by a Dutch player first team was Peter Huistra in 1990. He was a speedy winger, not far removed from the Henderson/Johnson mould and, as such, he became a firm favourite of the fans. Signed by Souness, he didn’t score barrowloads, but he certainly scored some vital goals for the Club, and won in all five League medals, two League Cup medals and a Scottish Cup medal, including a Treble in 1992-93. Despite a lack of goals, he was superb at making openings, and in my mind he’s still up there with the best we’ve ever had at taking corners. Shortly after the departure of Huistra for Japan in 1995, two Dutch players arrived almost simultaneously at Ibrox from quite different destinations. In 1996, Theo Snelders arrived at Queen Street from Aberdeen, and Peter Van Vossen arrived at Glasgow Airport from Turkey. It always says something to me about Rangers that Snelders is held in such high regard by Aberdeen fans, yet many Rangers fans have extremely vague memories of him. Of course, he was a back up to our very own special legend – the Flying Pig – and also Antti Niemi, so he certainly had a job on his hands. Despite this, or probably more to do with injuries to the other two, Theo Snelders managed to make a fair few first team appearances for Rangers between 1996 and 1999 without ever setting the heather on fire. So, while one of those arrivals in ’96 was destined to be fairly anonymous, the other was destined for almost total notoriety and guaranteed an indelible place in Scottish football folklore. Yes folks! Roll up! I give you the man who taught us all how “to do the Van Vossen.” Don’t get me wrong now, Peter came to Rangers with a great track record. Ex-Ajax, ex- European Cup winner, a fair number of international caps. It all looked good. And we were also getting shot of Salenko, whom many fans thought was yet one more momentous waste of money. Which in fact, he was. Couldn’t be better, so Van Vossen was part of the master plan to punt Oleg Salenko to Istanbulspor. Sneaky. Looking back, I can imagine simultaneous moments at either end of Europe when Walter Smith was sitting down in Glasgow with a whisky and Cem Uzan was sitting down in Istanbul with his coffee, both of them laughing like hyenas and thinking “Yes, I got rid of him.” That moment Albertz unselfishly laid off a pass opening up an empty goal for Van Vossen lives with everyone who witnessed the match. It was the striker’s Old Firm debut, he skied it from all of 7 yards, and his only saving grace was that we were winning 1-0. Peter didn’t last too long needless to say, and after 22 appearances he was on his travels again. In time, in 1998, like some kind of expectant grandfather, I returned to Scotland, having been kept up to date on a Rangers-rich diet of SKY television, and fully anticipating a bright new future for Rangers where Dick Advocaat had bulldozed in and begun what has been referred to as the Dutch revolution. And if the truth be known, coinciding with my return, those two seasons of 1998-99 and 1999-00 (and also partly 2000-01) showed a real glimpse of glamour. Here we finally had a Rangers team who were not being routinely dismissed by the European hoi polloi. This was a Rangers team who would win a treble followed by a double and who would go on to demolish a top class PSV Eindhoven side and other noteworthy continental sides such as Parma, Monaco and the best that Germany could offer. Not so much in a Scottish style, but in an entertaining continental style. I could have been forgiven for thinking I had arrived in Heaven. The Orange Invasion – A Glimpse of Glamour Advocaat’s first Dutch signings were Arthur Numan and Giovanni van Bronckhorst followed later by Michael Mols, and they were a class apart indeed. Of all the Dutch players to have played for Rangers, Gio van Bronckhorst is arguably the one that fans have been most fortunate to have seen grace Ibrox’s turf. He was a true thoroughbred, and it didn’t take such a long time for fans to realise that he was maybe a wee bit too good for us to hope to hold on to. Gio ended up being sold to Arsenal in 2001 for close on £9m after winning a treble and a double for Rangers. Gio went on to score went on to score 22 goals for us, 13 in the league, 3in the Scottish Cup, 1 in the League Cup, 3 in the Champions League and 2 in the UEFA Cup. However, these statistics still belie the fact that this player was an essential cog in the machine that Advocaat was assembling, and he very much made that Rangers team tick with his guile, finesse and vision. As confirmation of van Bronckhorst’s quality, he went on to become a Barcelona stalwart while also playing well over 100 internationals for Holland and becoming the Dutch international captain. In much the same way as van Bronckhorst, Arthur Numan oozed class in the left back position, and after initial problems with injuries, he settled down to become a key part of both Advocaat’s and latterly McLeish’s teams. Signed from PSV Eindhoven, Numan had a respectable international career and became a very welcome sight for fans whenever his name appeared on the team sheet. As with almost any Rangers player, a cracker of a goal against Celtic, especially when it either wins a game or saves one, ensures legendary status, and Numan’s 25 yard stunner at Ibrox to earn a 1-1 draw was no different in cementing his name into Ibrox folklore. Of Advocaat’s first batch of signings, Michael Mols probably promised least and I must admit to not being aware of him before he signed for Rangers, but superb goalmouth turning skills and goals against FC Haka, Hearts and then a memorable four against Motherwell followed by two against Aberdeen soon ensured that – like most fans – I wanted to see his name in the starting eleven every week. Another two goals in the 4-1 roasting that Rangers gave a top class PSV side seemed to promise a Rangers career to remember. Unfortunately, in a Champions League match which Bayern were fortunate to win, he suffered a horrific injury in a collision with Oliver Khan. The injury was to keep him out for a season and a half, and unfortunately for both Mols and Rangers, common opinion has it that he was never quite the same player again. Tragic.
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