ian1964

It will be 4-5-1, of that I have no doubt

AC MILAN star David Beckham accepted a �£100,000 cheque on behalf of UNICEF from the Rangers Charity Foundation's Charity Champion Barry Ferguson at tonight's friendly with the Serie A superstars at Ibrox Stadium. David Beckham accepts a cheque on behalf of UNICEF from Barry Ferguson from the Rangers Charity FoundationFormer Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder Beckham is currently on loan at Milan from LA Galaxy and has been a supporter of UNICEF since his days at Old Trafford, when he first witnessed the work of the children's charity in Thailand in 2001. He became a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF in 2005 when he launched a global appeal for the children affected by the tsunami in South Asia. Last year he travelled to Sierra Leone, the country with the highest under-five mortality figures, to draw attention to the issue of child survival. Last October, the Rangers Charity Foundation announced a ground-breaking collaboration with UNICEF which sees Rangers become the charity's only Scottish football partner, joining other partner clubs on the world stage such as Barcelona, Manchester United and AC Milan. David Beckham, AC MilanFormer England captain Beckham was delighted to learn the Rangers Charity Foundation has pledged to raise �£300,000 for UNICEF in the next three years and that will help fund an education project in India across 15 states, reaching over 45,000 children in over 200 schools. Beckham said: "It's great to be able to accept this cheque from the Rangers Charity Foundation on behalf of UNICEF. As an Ambassador I've seen the impact of UNICEF's work with children worldwide. "The �£300,000 pledged by the Rangers Charity Foundation will make a real difference to the lives of thousands of children across India, giving many the chance to go to school for the first time. This money will help to transform children's lives." Rangers Chief Executive Martin Bain, a Trustee of the Charity Foundation, added: "The club is delighted that UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham is backing our efforts to make a difference and recognises the fantastic work of the Rangers Charity Foundation through this partnership with UNICEF. "Today's �£100,000 cheque represents funding for the first phase of the Indian education project and will undoubtedly make a positive difference to the lives of thousands of children. "Both UNICEF UK and Rangers Football Club have strong ambitions for this partnership and will be working closely together during the years ahead to ensure the project's success whilst at the same time promoting our shared humanitarian values." Barry FergusonUNICEF UK Director of Fundraising Fiona Hesselden said: "UNICEF thanks Rangers fans for their generosity and support. "With their continued commitment, our partnership will give thousands of children the chance of a brighter future." Charity Champion Barry Ferguson and Foundation Manager Connal Cochrane will be visiting communities in India who will benefit from the project during the summer. Ferguson said: "The work of the Rangers Charity Foundation benefits thousands of people in Glasgow, across Scotland and throughout the world, showing what a great charitable spirit we have at Rangers. "We are very proud to be associated with UNICEF and I am looking forward to visiting the project in India later this year to see first hand the work being done to help children in local communities." The Rangers Charity Foundation also aims to donate �£100,000 per year to local projects via its National and Community Charity Partners which this season are RNIB Scotland and Fairbridge in Glasgow and through the Foundation's ongoing Rangers Community Grants Scheme

Given up............hopefully I will see some decent highlights

This link is pish..............keeps stopping

English footballâ��s television rights bonanza was in full swing last night as Sky paid more than �£1 billion to secure its grip as the main Premier League broadcaster. The company has kept its hold on the majority of live games, 92 out of the 138 matches available, by retaining its four existing packages. With the Premier League going to a second round on the other two outstanding packages, an auction thought to involve Sky, Setanta and ESPN, the 20 clubs will be hoping to exceed the �£1.7 billion from the 2007-10 deal and set a record. The bids arrived yesterday at the Leagueâ��s legal offices and Sky, the satellite broadcaster that is 39.1 per cent owned by News Corporation, parent company of The Times, ensured that it would not lose its dominant position by keeping the premium slots, including the Sunday 4pm kick-off. Although the Premier League declined to comment, sources disclosed that Sky had kept its four packages. No figures are known, but it is believed that the company will have paid close to the present �£1.314 billion. Related Links * Clubs bank on boom as world goes bust * Setanta to broadcast Premier League * Sale pitch, then Setanta calls off the game Only once in the Leagueâ��s history have domestic live rights failed to rise, in 2004, when they dipped from �£1.1 billion to �£1.024 billion, and there was a huge leap three years later. The clubs certainly set about the January transfer window as though confident that the revenues would not drop away. Barclays Premier League clubs spent a record �£160 million, defying the credit crunch that has afflicted so many businesses. While Arab wealth at Manchester City accounted for some of that spending, it is the television income that underpins the Leagueâ��s finances. Under European Union regulations, Sky is entitled to own five out of the six packages, and with ESPN, the Disney-owned broadcasting giant, joining the bidding â�� and Setanta desperate to keep the two packages it bought for �£392 million last time â�� there will be a further round of bids. The process is kept so secretive that none of the companies knows who it is bidding against, or how many rivals are involved. Sky was always expected to step up to the plate for the 2010-13 rights. Half-year results announced last week showed operating profits up 31 per cent to �£385 million. Broadcasters remain confident in the strength of the Premier League to attract subscribers. Money from the television companies has attracted some of the worldâ��s leading stars and two English clubs, Manchester United and Chelsea, contested the Champions League final last May. It is the most popular league in the world and, having recently missed out on the rights for German football, ESPN is known to have set about securing a significant presence in Europe by winning Premier League rights. Club chairmen will receive an update when they gather in London tomorrow. They will be relieved to know that the majority of the money has already been banked. On top of Skyâ��s input, the league has also sealed a deal with BBC for the 2010-13 highlights package for �£173 million, slightly above the existing cost. Setanta will be the most anxious of the bidders, having established itself in the market through its Premier League rights. More than �£5 billion has been ploughed into the English game by the television companies since the formation of the Premier League and Skyâ��s initial �£304 million investment. From the strength of the bidding yesterday, it seems as mutually beneficial a relationship as the day it started. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article5655101.ece

TICKET sales have crashed through the 40,000 for this evening's mouthwatering friendly against AC Milan - so be quick and make sure you don't miss a fantastic night of football. kaka_160Huge crowds gathered at Glasgow Airport earlier today to welcome Carlo Ancelotti's men back to Scotland and the Rossoneri manager has brought with him a squad packed full of superstars including David Beckham, Kaka, Pato and Ronaldinho.

AC MILAN arrive in Glasgow today for tonight''s glamour friendly with Rangers hoping that negotiations thousands of miles away will make David Beckham their player for keeps. Beckham, currentllDavid Beckhamy on loan from LA Galaxy, will lead a star-studded line-up against Walter Smith's side at Ibrox but a deal could done to make him a Milan player permanently. AC Milan general manager Adriano Galliani said: "Beckham's lawyers are talking to the Los Angeles Galaxy, who are the rightful owners of his registration. "If they show themselves to be ready to look at a deal, we would be really happy to do so. At the moment there's neither optimism nor pessimism. "The player belongs to Galaxy. We wish they decide to release him, but if they don't change their minds the player is theirs. "We are looking to get him either on loan until the end of the season or on a permanent basis. Otherwise, with the greatest regret from everyone - starting with me - Beckham will have to go." Galliani added: "Players can make their choices but their clubs can refuse their wishes.David Beckham and Kaka AC Milan "Moreover, the Los Angeles Galaxy have always been very nice to us and have behaved in a very gentlemanly manner. "In any case at this moment there are no dealings and we haven't made an offer, but Beckham's lawyers are talking with Los Angeles. "There is time until March 8 to get us round a table and close a possible deal." Beckham's arrival has boosted the Rossoneri, who have avoided defeat in their last five league games while climbing to second in the Serie A standings, six points behind league leaders Inter Milan.

He's the very same man Gribz

Pay �£7 to open up an account

Says on here that it is showing the game http://www.atdhe.net/

Steven Thompson scores a brace http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/7858902.stm

WHEN the January transfer window slammed shut at 5pm on Monday night it would have been understandable if Walter Smith breathed a deep sigh of relief. Having batted away more questions about player speculation than Babe Ruth hit home runs the gaffer can now focus his full attention on forthcoming games and he is not the only one glad to see the back of this unsettling period. Allan McGregor celebrates at the final whistleAllan McGregor was one of several first-team regulars linked with a move away from Ibrox in recent weeks due to his high market value but the club's No. 1 is delighted his immediate future is now set in stone. The talented keeper, who celebrated his 27th birthday on January 31st, admits he has unfinished business at Rangers and that helping his teammates lift the SPL trophy in May is at the top of his priority list. Leaving the club with a domestic treble hanging in the balance was never on Greeg's agenda and he is confident of adding to his medal collection from now until May. He said: "Personally, I am glad to see the back of the transfer window. "So much is said in newspapers and on websites about this player leaving or that one going somewhere else that it can become a bit annoying. "But, for me, all the rumours just go in one ear and out the other. "I don't tend to read papers at the best of times so I take everything with a pinch of salt. "If something happens and a player does move on that is part and parcel of football. "We have a very big squad and the biggest difficulty the gaffer has is keeping everyone happy. "If you have 28 players there are inevitably some that are going to be frustrated at not being involved, that is only natural. Allan McGregor saves a shot on goal "But I suppose the biggest worry in January is when you lose a key player, someone who has been a big part of the team in the first-half of the season. "Last year we sold Alan Hutton who was brilliant but Spurs obviously offered a lot of money. "At that time it was a blow but we regrouped and big Kirk came in and has done a great job. "That is the sort of thing that can happen to any club and you have to deal with it. "I am just glad all the rumours and speculation is now over and we can move forward." Allan McGregor, ScotlandAllan believes there is a steely determination in the Gers' squad to bring the SPL trophy back to the Ibrox Trophy Room in May and insists that if this dream scenario becomes a reality it will be up there with the best moments of his life. He said: "If we do win the league you will see on my face just how much it means to me, it would be frightening. "I remember how it felt to win the championship being on the bench at Easter Road in 2005 so I can only imagine what it would be like if we can do it this season. "But at this moment lifting the trophy is just a dream and it's alright saying you would love to win it, the fact is we have to go on and actually do it. "There is still a lot of football to be played and we have some massive games coming up. "The players here always stick together and if we have a disappointing result on a Saturday we pick ourselves up as soon as possible. "It's been like that a wee bit this season, there has been a lot of disappointing results but we are still in it. "We maybe shouldn't be with the amount of points we have dropped but we are and there is still so much to fight for." This weekend Walter Smith's squad continue their quest to retain the Scottish Cup when they travel to Forfar to take on the Loons in round five. Station Park might not be the most glamorous of venues but it is a place Allan holds close to his heart. Allan McGregor On February 24, 2002 the keeper was handed his long-awaited Rangers debut by Alex McLeish and he remembers it vividly to this day. The Light Blues were 6-0 up when Greeg's replaced Stefen Klos as a 73rd minute substitute but, nevertheless, it remains a highlight of his career. He said: "Going on against Forfar back then was great for me although it came as a real shock. "I was doing a wee warm-up at the side of the pitch and Andy Watson came over and asked me if I wanted to go on. "I thought he was at the wind-up because Stefan wasn't injured or anything like that. "But he was serious and I just said 'go on then, let's go' and that was me making my debut. "We were 6-0 up at the time and I didn't really have too much to do but it was still magic to get a game, I was buzzing. "I remember the changing rooms were small and it was really cold but it was a special moment for me. "You always remember where you made your Rangers debut."

RANGERS have named Harold Davis, Stefan Klos and Sam English as the 2009 inductees into the club's Hall of Fame. The trio have been recognised for the contributions they made in their spells at Ibrox as players and each man will be formally honoured at next year's celebration dinner. Harold DavisAt the event, they will join the 78 other men already listed on the Hall of Fame board which hangs above the Marble Staircase in the Bill Struth Main Stand. A strong, hard right-half, Davis played a key role in the excellent Light Blues team of the early 1960s. Along with the likes of Bobby Shearer, John Greig and Jimmy Millar, the Cupar-born player was a formidable opponent for those who came up against him. A superb ball winner, he was rarely caught out of position and seldom lacked the pace he needed to make a difference. Ex-Ger Sandy Jardine, speaking on behalf of the Hall of Fame panel, said: "Harry gave fantastic service to the club at a time when there were so many great players here. "He played more than 300 games for Rangers and was really well liked at Ibrox, not just by the fans but by the players as well. "Harry is a gentleman - you couldn't meet a nicer man and he later went on to be a coach here in the late 1960s and early 70s. "To this day, he still has a huge love of the club and he thoroughly deserves his place in the Hall of Fame." Klos was bought by then Rangers manager Dick Advocaat for just �£700,000 in 1998 from Borussia Dortmund. The transfer quickly turned out to be a good piece of business as the keeper went on to make himself a fixture in the team. Stefan Klos A Champions League winner with the Westfalen side, the German also made over 300 appearances for Rangers during his time in Scotland. Indeed, such was his good form that he minimised the impact of Andy Goram's departure from the club at the end of the previous season. Jardine added: "Our reasons for picking Stefan are simple - he gave Rangers fantastic service and he was at the club for not much less than nine years. "His stats will tell you how much of a contribution he made to the team and he did a great job. "Post-war, Andy Goram aside, he is arguably the best goalkeeper we have had here at Rangers." English was chosen because of the 44 league goals he scored for Rangers in the 1931/32 season. To this day, almost 80 years on, his haul remains a club record. The Irish striker's career was overshadowed by his part in the incident which led to the death of Celtic goalkeeper John Thomson in September 1931. As the Parkhead player dived for the ball, his head accidentally collided with English's knee and he died in hospital from head injuries a few hours later. English did not stay at Ibrox for much longer as he was deeply traumatised by what had happened and he moved to Liverpool in 1933. Had he not been involved in the tragic clash with Thomson, Jardine feels he could have gone on to become on of Gers' greatest ever forwards. He said: "Unfortunately Sam did not play for the club for a long time. He only played 82 games and scored something like 71 goals. "He is the record goalscorer in one season for Rangers and because of that, we've included him in the Hall of Fame. "There's no doubt that if he hadn't been in the tragic accident with John Thomson, he would have stayed at Ibrox a lot longer. "The unfortunate circumstances surrounding what happened led to his departure but we felt we had to recognise his achievement of scoring more goals than anyone in a season."

Ah!!!, he only said this to fool the MOPES , so they wouldn't go out and buy anybody thinking we were going to sell a couple of our best players

PEDRO MENDES insists Rangers are in great shape to challenge on all fronts after no key players left in the Transfer Window and the SPL gap was closed to just two points. The Portuguese midfielder was one of a number of Rangers players linked with moves but none came to fruition. Now he feels Rangers can really kick on and realise their dreams of winning the top honours in Scotland. He said: "January is always a month of speculation about transfers and possible transfers but the main thing now is that the whole thing is finished, it's closed. "There was an atmosphere of uncertainty about the club. There was a different story each day about some club talking about a certain player. That can cause a little bit of doubt. mendes_160"We are now looking forward to the rest of the season. "To make things clear, from my part and the club's part there is a clear intention. Both parties were thinking the same way. "Any player that left in January would have been missed but no-one left so we have the same team. "The main thing now is Rangers. We have a great chance to win the title. "We are now in a good position. A few weeks ago we were seven points behind, now it is just two. "The problem we had was that we relied on other results but now can depend on ourselves because if we win the next league match we will go top of the league. "Everything is open to us. We wall want the same and the next four months will be very interesting."

[ame=http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=MRIznPDC4Tc&feature=related]YouTube - Gollum[/ame]

Smeagol,Gollum

WS will probably play 4-5-1

RANGERS star Pedro Mendes joined two lucky Rangers supporters at Murray Park today who will be part of a special 'Guard of Honour' as the teams take to the field before tomorrow's glamour friendly with AC Milan at Ibrox Stadium. Thousands of young fans were entered into an exclusive prize draw to grace the hallowed turf before Walter Smith's side host the Serie A superstars and Jamie Cochran (10) and Kayleigh Peacock Pedro Mendes with Kayleigh Peacock and Jamie Cochran(14) will join 14 other children who have been chosen to rub shoulders with the likes of David Beckham, Kaka and Ronaldinho ahead of the match. In addition, 50 supporters will also be on the pitch as flagbearers while eight supporters who bought their tickets early for the game have the once in a lifetime chance to meet members of Milan's star-studded squad for an exclusive signing session before kick off. Midfielder Pedro Mendes commented: "We are all looking forward to playing against AC Milan. It will be a good test for Rangers to compete against world stars like Kaka, Beckham, Ronaldinho and Maldini and the young supporters I met today will enjoy playing their part on the pitch before the game."

by Thomas Jordan PEDRO MENDES today shot down fears he could have left Rangers in the transfer window. The Portuguese midfielder was the subject of a late move from Bolton, who were prepared to pay upwards of �£3.5million for his services. But having just arrived in Glasgow from Portsmouth in the summer, the 30-year-old held talks with chairman Sir David Murray a couple of weeks ago and told him he was not interested in leaving - despite the club's need to sell. Mendes said: "There was a lot of speculation during January, but it is closed now and we are looking forward to the rest of the season. advertisement "On my part and the club's part there was a clear intention for me to stay. That's what I will say about my own situation." Mendes believes that with the cloud of uncertainty now lifted from Ibrox, the squad can focus on challenging Celtic for the Treble. He added: "We have a great chance to win the title now. There has been a bit of doubt in the air recently because of all the speculation so I'm sure everyone is pleased that is finished now." Before Rangers get back to domestic business in the Homecoming Scottish Cup at Forfar this Sunday, they have a glamour friendly against AC Milan at Ibrox tomorrow night. Having been deprived of European football due to the disastrous KO in Kaunas back in August, the match against David Beckham and Co at least gives the fans a chance to see some big names close up. Mendes said: "It's a great game for us to look forward to as they are a fantasic side with some of the best players in the game. "Not having European football has been a big loss for us, and the main thing is we get it back next season. But this is a game to relish." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2486699.0.0.php

How can the fans be positive ?, really when we were told we '' HAD '' to sell a top earner and now that we haven't what now if we don't win the league ?

Aye, he is coming back from a bad injury,doesn't qualify him as being injury prone

How do you class Fleck & Naismith as injury prone ?, I would have said Beasley ws injury prone compared to these two

CHEEKY German cracks Schalke have failed in a bid to land DaMarcus Beasley for FREE. SunSport can reveal that the Bundesliga outfit tried to snatch the USA star in a deadline day raid on Rangers. The 26-year-old winger has fallen out of favour at Ibrox as teenager John Fleck has shone. Schalke indicated an interest on Monday but the deal collapsed over a fee for Beasley. The Ibrox hierarchy bombed out the bid when it became clear the Germans were not willing to pay anything for Beasley. That saw the January transfer window close with Gers having sold NONE of their first-choice stars. Bolton decided they would not make a bid for former Portsmouth star Pedro Mendes after an initial enquiry on Sunday. Gers had indicated they didn’t want to lose the Portuguese midfielder and Trotters boss Gary Megson did not return to them with a cash offer. Captain Barry Ferguson and goalkeeper Allan McGregor will also stay at least until the summer. Stoke, West Brom and Bolton joined Newcastle and Middlesbrough in the hunt for Scotland skipper Fergie. But Gers received no official bid for the midfield ace, who celebrated his 31st birthday on Monday. Newcastle also failed to make a bid for McGregor despite losing Shay Given to Manchester City. Gers fans feared losing Ferguson, McGregor, Mendes, Kris Boyd or Madjid Bougherra as the club looked to balance the books. But the only players to leave during the window were Chris Burke and Jean-Claude Darcheville. A handful of fringe players have exited on loan to slightly reduce Gers’ big wage bill. http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/article2198628.ece

I just wonder if all the talk of ''needing to sell at least one first team player'' had an effect on the players ?, I mean when I watch Rangers they always look scared,nervous ect. Maybe now that the window has closed they can relax a bit and get their heads down and start playing with a bit of confidence now..................or maybe they are just pish !!!!