Alexander: Rangers And Me:The truth

[ian1964 10,486]

[the gunslinger 3,366]

typical the first night I don't buy a record.

[ian1964 10,486]

DEVASTATED NEIL Alexander last night broke a four-month silence over his contract wrangle with Rangers in a bid to tell the club’s supporters the TRUTH about the split that is likely to end his Ibrox career.

 

Alexander spoke to Record Sport yesterday after reading quotes attributed to himself in a tabloid newspaper – from an ‘exclusive’ interview he insists he did not give them.

 

The 35-year-old has asked his agent to carry out an investigation into the affair which has left him flabbergasted, not least because he’s been gagged by the club’s PR department since December and ordered only to speak to their in-house media team.

 

But Alexander chose to break ranks yesterday in a heartfelt attempt to speak directly to the club’s supporters and to deny suggestions that greed has From Back Page

 

cost him his future at Ibrox. The former Scotland keeper believes he has been the victim of some sort of smear campaign and has rubbished suggestions his hefty financial demands have wrecked his chances of landing a new two-year deal.

 

In fact, Alexander remains so committed to staying on and accepting a vastly-reduced pay deal, that he has already put his house and car up for sale in order to cut his family’s overheads.

 

But he now believes chief executive Charles Green is determined to get him off the wage bill completely after landing Kilmarnock’s Cammy Bell on a pre-contract for next season.

 

In yesterday’s report Alexander was quoted as saying his demands and Green’s offer were ‘quite a bit away’.

 

MISINFORMATION

 

But an emotional Alexander said: “I have to speak out and clear my name. I can’t just sit back and take this kind of stuff any more.

 

“I’ve not done any interviews with the Press since just before Christmas. The club told me I couldn’t speak to anyone because of my contractual situation and I accepted that.

 

“But since then there has been a steady stream of misinformation about my situation appearing in various newspapers. As a result the Rangers fans have been given a false picture of what has been going on.

 

“I’ve said nothing which has been hard because I know the fans are frustrated with me. I know that because every week, home and away, I hear them shouting: ‘Just sign you greedy b******!’

 

“That really does hurt me because it’s never been about the money for me. I gave up a six-figure sum to help the club through administration and I’ll never see that money again. Even now I want to take a pay cut to stay. I understand why fans think that because of what has been written. But now I need them all to know the truth.

 

“I’ve had to bite my tongue and carry on but the final straw was this morning, when I picked up a national newspaper and read quotes from myself talking about leaving Rangers – when I have not even spoken to anyone from that paper.

 

“It’s very strange as the only interviews I have done since December have been with the club’s official media outlets. I can’t understand why these quotes have appeared and I have asked my agent to investigate.

 

“But I also feel I have been left with no choice other than to speak up and put the record straight. I have to defend myself. If this is the end for me at Rangers then I don’t want to leave with the fans thinking badly of me.

 

“I feel privileged and honoured to be playing for this club and I think I’ve done a good job. It’s been a dream come true for me to become the Rangers No.1 and I still dearly hope I can stay here for the rest of my career. That doesn’t look like it’s going to happen now.

 

“But what I can’t have is people being given the wrong idea and thinking badly of me as a person. It’s important to me the fans know the truth so that, if I am leaving them, then at least I’m leaving with my head held high.”

 

Alexander believes the arrival of a new keeper in September has more or less sealed his fate but insists he’d gladly battle it out with Bell.

 

He said: “Yes, I would find it difficult sitting on the bench in the lower tiers of Scottish football. And, yes, there is a chance that could happen. But at the same time you have to believe in your own ability. Maybe, though, the writing is on the wall now Cammy is coming.”

[ian1964 10,486]

THE LUXURY townhouse has been on the market for months. The car is up for sale too.

 

Neil Alexander has accepted for some time now that his Ibrox wages would never be the same again. Sacrifices would have to be made if he wanted to keep his young family living in Glasgow and the Rangers No.1 shirt on his back for a couple of more years at least.

 

There might have been a bit of pain along the way – who wants to accept a lighter pay packet? – but at 35 Alexander is comfortable where he is and willing to make the lifestyle adjustments required.

 

Or at least he would have been. If only he had been given half a chance. Yesterday, though, it was becoming clear to Alexander that his hopes of penning a new contract at the club are disappearing in a cloud of half truths and misinformation.

 

And in an exclusive interview with Record Sport, Alexander admitted he fears there may now be no way back.

 

He said: “Myself and my wife have been preparing for a cut in wages and a change of circumstances. We accepted that and wanted to find a way of cutting our costs and making it work for the family.

 

“We agreed to make the changes so our lifestyle could cope with the different circumstances. In my heart of hearts I’m still hoping that the manager will change Charles Green’s mind.

 

HURTS

 

“I still want to be part of the manager’s plans because he assures me that I am. But I guess he has to convince Green I am worth a two-year deal and I’m not sure that’s going to happen.

 

“I never thought it would get to this stage. I’m willing to take a pay cut so I don’t understand why it’s this difficult.

 

“But the club has simply refused to negotiate and that probably hurts me the most because I thought I deserved better after all I’ve been through at this club.

 

“The manager wants me to stay but the offer on the table suggests otherwise. It looks like they just want me off the wage bill and that’s sad because I love it here.

 

“But it’s coming to an end through no fault of my own. The offer tells me a story. I want to talk to the club and try to negotiate because all I want is to stay.

 

“But I don’t feel I’ll be given that chance. I’m not looking for sympathy. And I don’t expect anything I say to you will change the thoughts of the people in charge at the club.

 

“But what I must do here is tell the truth about why it’s got to this stage because a lot of people have been misinformed and have the wrong impression of me.”

 

The final straw? A phantom interview given to a tabloid newspaper, in which he was quoted extensively about his failure to agree terms with the club and his acceptance the time is right to leave the Third Division champions.

 

All of which would have been well and good, of course, if only he had any recollection of doing the interview in the first place. It’s fair to say that yesterday afternoon Alexander was as confused as he has ever been about this contract saga which has been ongoing since November last year but which remains unsigned.

 

In fact, Alexander says, it has been reduced by so much in four months it has become pretty much unsignable.

 

He said: “At around the end of October last year I was offered a one-year contract on good money. I was very happy with that offer but wanted to see if we could make it a two-year deal to give me a bit of security for the family.

 

“If I was greedy I’d have taken that deal on the spot. But it wasn’t the money – it was the security I wanted – which is why I offered to accept reduced financial terms over two years. As a father I needed to know my family would be settled.

 

“I also felt I deserved a bit of loyalty from the club. Lee McCulloch was given a two-year deal and I hoped I would be treated similarly because the two of us have come through the same highs and lows together over the past five years.

 

“When other players left last summer we stayed to help. I realised this was my chance to fulfil my dream of being Rangers No.1. I had interest from Bristol City, Blackpool and Norwich. I would have got long-term deals with these clubs but, even though I only had a year left on my Rangers contract, I didn’t want to go.

 

“I felt if I stayed and showed loyalty I would be rewarded in the end. So my agent pushed for me to get a two-year deal.

 

“Let me be clear, at no point did I turn the offer down. All we did was ask for a second year and I was more than willing to take a substantial pay cut.”

 

But no offer followed. And Alexander – an ever-present this season with 20 shutouts in 42 games – turned to boss Ally McCoist for advice.

 

He added: “I told the manager my concerns and reasons for wanting a two-year deal. He was very supportive and made it clear he wanted me to stay.

 

“He felt I deserved the second year. He would speak to Green and get back to me. After a couple of weeks, having not heard anything, I went back to the manager. Again he said he it wouldn’t be an issue and he’d speak to Green. But nothing happened. My agent then had a meeting with Green in London at the end of January and I thought it was all going to be settled at last. I would agree to lower wages but get a two-year deal.

 

“But my agent phoned me afterwards and his first words were ‘sit down’. The offer remained a one-year deal but on 65 per cent LESS than it was in October. It was a take-or-leave-it.

 

“The manager asked me about a month ago what was going on and I told him. He was a bit surprised.

 

“He told me he had nothing to do with the finances and had no idea what had been offered. But he stressed he wanted me to stay and had told that to Green.”

 

So now Alexander, while hoping for the best, is preparing for the worst possible scenario. And a tearful heart-to-heart with his daughters.

 

He said: “The worst bit will be if I have to tell the kids it’s over and we’re leaving. My two oldest daughters are at school and settled. They are Rangers daft and proud their daddy is a Rangers player.

 

“So to tell them they might not be living here any more, moving to a new school and that I might be leaving the club has been heartbreaking for myself. They’ve been in tears and that’s hard to see.”

[UCF2008 0]

As some of you may have noticed I'm not Alexander's biggest fan and I'm not going to just take his (or the Rhebel's) word for it, but what he's describing here is not the right way for the club to be dealing with the players.

 

I'm not fussed about holding onto him and it would appear the club isn't either. Business is business, but this is a team sport and mistreatment of employees doesn't fit well in this arena. I'm not particularly happy at Alexander blabbing to the Rhebel, but I can at least understand why he's done it ...If he actually has.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

shambles...

[Guest JCS]

I have studiously avoided commenting on this issue.......... until now that is. Neil's comments have the ring of truth about them, and I've no reson to doubt his sincerity. I'm disappointed that the club can't conclude a deal on the basis of a 2 year contract with reduced wages - sounds fair to me. No, Neil isn't the best keeper in the world, but he has been good for us - certainly more loyal than some of our recent deserters - and I think he deserves some 'leeway' in his contract negotiations. But most of all, I'm disappointed to learn that some of our fans have been giving him dogs abuse - particulary when they were totally unaware of the circumstances and neil's position. I'm not in favour of retaining players simply because they're loyal - they must be consistent performers and provide value for money - but Neil has demonstrated his worth in circumstances when others 'jumped ship' at the first sign of trouble.

[chilledbear 16]

Don't like the way Rangers are going about their business. It's fine to be cost cutting, but they must do it the right way.

[GovanAllan 0]

Blah blah blah, goodbye Neil.

[Frankie 8,198]

I find this all a bit bizarre.

 

The lad has served us well for a good while now and will be a millionaire because of his time here. As it stands his wage is too high so it's no surprise we're trying to either replace him or reduce his contract. And I've certainly not seen or heard any bear call him a greedy barsteward.

 

All in all, a very ill-advised interview.