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(Tom English – The Scotsman 25.11.2012) (Tom English - Twitter 21.08.2014) Its good to know that Tom English has found some sort of journalistic morality of late, however it may present a conflict of interests with his new employer, BBC Scotland. Or does the morality of source over story only apply in certain circumstances ? After all, Tom is now working for an employer who were happy to utilise not just stolen property, but stolen evidence from the Rangers Tax Tribunal, if Lord Nimmo Smith's conclusions are correct. But in his new found morality Tom has excluded himself from the knowledge that Vanguard Bears appear to have successfully cultivated a mole, perhaps within the SFA itself, as previous revelations, including documentary evidence, suggest. And could this latest expose, while perhaps lacking in documentary evidence, be a clear signpost to of a course of unedifying, unprofessional and negligent conduct involving our footballs higher echelons of administration ? Especially when viewed in the context of previous disclosed e-mails and agreements. Nope of course not – nothing to see here – move along please. But should we really be surprised ? After all there seems little excitement in journalistic circles that those in charge of Scottish Football were prepared to find Rangers guilty prior to trial as well as inflict draconian type punishments on a club which had yet to be found guilty. Morality ? Perhaps some of those journalists, and there have been many of late, who remind us of the impoverished state of our game via their daily columns, care to consider if perhaps they have a role to play. After all if the head of our game is more worried about being on time for a dinner date rather than what was probably one of the most critical meetings in the history of our game, is there not something fundamentally wrong ? What is particularly alarming in this whole episode are those gleefully re tweeting Tom English's original tweet. It does not matter that journalists will ignore story over source, it does not matter that it contains allegations of incompetence, of lack of prioritisation, of utter disdain for the game of football in Scotland (ironically affecting their own clubs) – so long as Rangers or Rangers fans get it in the neck - then that makes it okay. But let's not be too harsh on Stewart Regan – I’m told there is a certain restaurant in Leeds which does a succulent lamb to die for. It looks like football in Scotland will be the sacrificial lamb.

By Richard Wilson BBC Scotland What does the immediate future hold for Rangers? It is 120 days since the chief executive Graham Wallace published an overview of his 120-day business review, but there are still aspects of the running of the club where doubt resides. Two weeks ago, the Ibrox board announced that they were "considering a possible equity issue" to raise £4m. Their hope was that an institutional shareholder would underwrite the offer - ensuring that the full amount would be raised - before it was opened to all existing shareholders to see if they would invest to retain the size of their stake. Yet even the Stock Exchange announcement carried the caveat that "there can be no certainty on the outcome of these discussions" with the leading shareholders. The Union of Fans released a statement raising their concerns about the possibility of Mike Ashley, the owner of Newcastle United, underwriting the issue and so increasing the size of the near 5% stake he already holds in Rangers International Football Club. There now seems little likelihood of that occurring, though, not least because under Scottish Football Association rules no individual can hold stakes of more than 10% in two clubs. The share issue itself so far remains uncompleted, since no Stock Exchange announcement has been made. “Rangers remain a club that lacks long-term stability and any sense of connection or shared values between the directors and the fans” Some inside Ibrox had hoped to finalise it this week, although institutional shareholders have seemingly shown little appetite for putting more money into Rangers. The reality is that the £4m will be used to fund the club and pay off the £1.5m in loans still owing to the shareholders George Letham and Sandy Easdale, who is also chairman of the Rangers Football Club board. Should the full amount be raised, it will likely provide Rangers with enough financial support to reach the end of the year. In the meantime, the annual accounts are due to be published next month, once audited, then the board intends to hold the annual general meeting - probably in October - and seek permission from shareholders to offer new shares to non-shareholders in a fresh issue. In his 120-day review, Wallace said that the board's intention was to seek shareholder approval for a new share issue in the autumn, however the fall in season ticket sales - prompted by continuing distrust between the fans and the board - left them needing to seek a solution to their immediate financial issues first. Rangers, in effect, remain bedevilled, given the board and shareholders' inability or unwillingness to finance the operation of the club and the necessary additional investment that is required. This is the backdrop to the team's attempts to build a solid foundation to this season's bid to gain promotion back to the top-flight. Rangers remain a club that lacks long-term stability and any sense of connection or shared values between the directors and the fans. While that relationship remains fractured, there is little prospect of the rebuilding process being fully completed. Progress has not been particularly swift on many of Wallace's aims, including the fundamental one of restructuring the club's finances and seeking the external investment required to underpin the club's ambitions. The attempt to appoint a chief football operations officer has stalled, after talks with the former Rangers and Bayern Munich midfielder Christian Nerlinger failed to deliver an agreement. While the idea is sound - not least because Rangers still do not have a properly function and extensive scouting network, let alone the kind of medical, performance and strategy support structures expected of a club of this size and the stature it wants to regain - it seemed impractical to try to recruit somebody now when the club's finances are so fragile. The wage of the individual alone would be substantial, but there would be significant associated costs in setting up the infrastructure and appointing new personnel. Rangers cannot currently sustain those costs. The process of setting up fan liaison board has begun, but Saturday's visit of Dumbarton will provide an indication of the level of disaffection amongst the fans. Some intend to buy tickets on a match-by-match basis, having chosen not to renew their season tickets, although there are additional costs incurred by the club for policing and stewarding 'walk-up' supporters. The re-emergence of Charles Green brought a new round of white noise to the story of the club, but the reality is simple: Rangers need money and the board is rapidly running out of options. Dave King remains committed to investing in Rangers, via a larger share issue, but so far the board has chosen to stick to its strategy of seeking £4m initially. That might reflect concern that a shareholder vote might not deliver the necessary permission to offer shares to non-shareholders - Sandy Easdale held the 28% of proxy votes at the last AGM - although a restricted share issue at this stage does not require a prospectus to be published. Wallace identified a number of improvements and initiatives that Rangers require, and also the level of funding it takes - he estimated £20m to £30m - but it is the financial demands that are critical. No other investors are lining up to put money into the club. Options are limited. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/scotland/28904062

THE TV station where Graeme Souness operates as football’s No 1 pundit is more of a small town than anything else. Studios and offices sit like apartment blocks on a grid of roads and pavements and at some corners trees flourish. On the streets of Skytown, you don’t want for anything, not a courtesy bus nor an over-elaborate high-five. “They’re putting in swimming pools just now,” says the skinny-trousered lad taking me to meet the Scotland legend as construction crews dig. “Look,” he adds, as we pass an on-site shop, “you can even get your hair and beauty here.” Maybe Souness popped into the salon today because on Sky Sports the night before last he was modelling a beard and now he is clean-shaven. The beard was much-discussed. It was, as they say, “trending”. And amid the cyber-chatter a text was pinged to his mobile at the very moment he was opining on Real Madrid’s revival of the gallactico concept – “Get rid of it.” “The wife didn’t like it,” laughs Souness. “I grew it on holiday and came back to work straight off the plane. Her message was: ‘Don’t come home with that’.” It made him look kingly, I suggest. “No,” he insists, “it made me look too bloody old.” There is a generation of Scots who used to have a little bit of a man-crush on Graeme Souness and I’m one of them. In the 1970s and early 1980s no other footballer played like him or looked like him – no Scot at any rate. Next to the standard-issue carrot-tops and comb-over guys, the peely wallys and the wee bauchles, Souness resembled nothing so much as a Greek god. Sounessyus carried a book of his philosophies with a secret compartment for a dagger. He was the playmaker with the haymaker, the smiling assassin who behind the fearsome moustache probably wasn’t smiling at all. Of course we winced when the confrontations got even fiercer to compensate for the player getting slower, but everything considered, we were glad he was on our side. How he was a bad tackler and, in his mind, a bad husband and father It is admiration laced with trepidation which prevents me from suggesting that with his attire today – the skinny-trousered look in zazzy electric blue, co-ordinated trainers – he’s trying to look too bloody young. No need for any timidity, however, for he will talk about anything. How he was a bad tackler and, in his mind, a bad husband and father. What the great football city of Liverpool thinks of him these days. Why there’s nothing new in the game. He will even go all way back to Argentina 1978 for those of us still obsessed by that World Cup. First though he wants to tell me more about his holiday. “The reason Karen [the second Mrs Souness] wasn’t there was it was a dad-and-lad vacation. Just me and my son James, eight days in Montana, an unbelievable trip. The first two days on horseback to get there, then floating down a river trying to catch trout. This was the Bob Marshall Wilderness. He sounds like he might have been Scottish, doesn’t he? [Roots in Bavaria, actually]. In his life Bob campaigned for the area to be protected as the great outdoors but this only happened after he died. No drilling or fracking can happen there, not even farming. There was no hot water, hence the wilderness beard. But James and I had a fantastic time, camping out among the bears and wolves.” Fracking is only a modish technical term for what used to happen to the earth below football pitches when our man – of Middlesbrough, Liverpool, Sampdoria, Rangers and on 54 occasions Scotland – stomped across them, showing who was boss. James is 15, which was his old man’s age when he left home in Edinburgh to begin asserting himself at Tottenham. Another chuckle. “Tottenham had Alan Mullery, England captain. They had Martin Peters, World Cup-winner, ten years ahead of his time. They had Steve Perryman. And there was this little squirt from Carrickvale Secondary knocking on Bill Nic’s [Nicolson’s] door demanding to know why he wasn’t getting a game.” Our chat is happening amid sofa-heavy informality where earwiggers might be surprised to hear Souness,
ostensibly on promotional duty for the new English Premier League season, detail his peak-years grooming regime. Earwigging the adjacent sofas we can hear jokes about Liverpool being workshopped for the Soccer AM show. Souness, of course, was an Anfield icon, lifting three European Cups. But all that changed when he sold the story of his triple heart bypass to the Sun, a paper which enraged Merseyside with its claims of Liverpool fans pickpocketing the dead in the Hillsborough disaster. The Reds’ charge to the title, faltering at the last, was one of last season’s great stories, but when the cameras panned to Kenny Dalglish and Alan Hansen in the posh seats the third member of the holy Scotia trinity was absent. Also remembering his fall-outs while an unsuccessful Liverpool manager, I ask how he would describe relations with the city and the club now and he says: “Permanently damaged. I think I’ll remain unpopular there and that’s the price I’ll have to pay. I made an error of judgment but I can only apologise so many times. I’m just going to have to live with that.” There are a few Souness images in the fitba’ tapestry, one being Liverpool’s tartan triumvirate threatening to run off with the 1978 European Cup. Scripted? “Totally spontaneous. Although after that, every trophy the club won, we had to repeat it. The photographers would go: ‘Give us the Jock picture.” Another unforgettable image is Souness on a sweltering Malaga night of ultimate heartache explaining our third World Cup exit on goal difference in succession and he’s bare-chested. “Scary,” he says, but only if you don’t know that as a lad he won a Tarzan-o-like contest at Butlin’s in Ayr. “I don’t remember taking off my shirt but it sounds likely, doesn’t it?” At this point I mildly offend him by asking how his Italian adventure of a few years later shaped his personal style. No no, he was always fairly “continental” as far as his Scotland team-mates were concerned. “I used cologne – unheard of among the guys. I used conditioner in my hair – unheard of. I used a hairdryer – unheard of.” It’s written in legend that room-mate Dalglish, possibly glimpsing his first-ever barnet-blaster, was too nervous to be left alone with Souness, thinking he might be gay. “Absolutely true. I think that was 1974 when I just got into the squad for a friendly in West Germany before the World Cup. Poor Kenny. “Among the rest of the lads I was regarded – quite correctly, incidentally – as cocky, vain, arrogant and the rest. Archie Gemmill called me the Chocolate Soldier because I’d most likely eat myself and he was dead right. But one of these things was essential for professional sport. You need to be a little bit arrogant. You certainly needed it the way football was played in my era.” Strains of Don’t Cry for Me Argentina Maybe the most famous image, though, is from the ’78 World Cup when the cameras panning along the team changed too late to the strains of Don’t Cry for Me Argentina, pausing at Souness for the line: “The answer was there all the time.” “Well,” he says, “I became a manager myself later so I understood why Ally [MacLeod] played the guys who’d got us to Argentina, [bruce] Rioch and [Don] Masson.” Even though they’d come off the back of poor seasons for their clubs? He doesn’t take the bait. “Ally had to show them loyalty. But maybe I should have played in the second game [against Iran] because that was one we had to win.” Sounessyus came down from the mountain or rather the prefabs in Edinburgh’s Saughton Mains, “Maybe where we lived wasn’t the most salubrious but I had everything a boy needed.” Dad James, a glazier, took on a second job and mum Elizabeth worked, too, but Souness is really talking about love. “My father doted on me, never once raised his hand.” His mother was firmer, reminding him he wasn’t yet the great player he reckoned himself to be. Now he is laughing at the memory of a photo of Tynecastle Boys Club Under-10s, him with a face like thunder because as captain he wasn’t sat in the middle of the front row clutching the newest trophy. “But as a young footballer I had a tremendous slice of luck having two older brothers who I was
always trying to beat but who also looked out for me.”

.............that he is ready to buy into Gers. EX-IBROX chief Charles Green has been linked to a £10m investment involving the American financial guru but Soros' hedge fund bosses are bemused by the reports. SOURCES close to George Soros have rubbished claims he is ready to buy into cash-strapped Rangers. Former chief executive Charles Green has been linked with a £10million investment involving the US-based billionaire , one of the biggest players in the world financial markets. However, documents seen by Record Sport and passed to the Union of Fans confirm senior officials at his Soros Fund Management have been left bemused by the reports. They insist they’ve never heard of Green, have no interest in doing business with him or any desire to invest in Rangers. Other members of the Soros family also play the money markets but the billionaire’s dealings are all done through his powerful Fund Management group and they are denying a relationship with Green. Soros Fund Management is one of the most successful hedge funds in the world and was founded in 1969 by Soros, who is worth an estimated £15billion. The 84-year-old is the 26th richest man on the planet. Rangers’ board have plans to raise £4m from a share issue to ward off further financial chaos. Union of Fans spokesman Chris Graham said: “It’s no surprise to hear Charles Green’s claims of investment from George Soros and Soros Fund Management have been rubbished. “Most sensible people take anything Green says with a large pinch of salt. “It would make little sense for Soros to be interested in loaning money to Rangers at this time and even less for him to make any genuine approach through a man as discredited as Green. “A man of Soros’s means has no need of someone such as Green. “It is time for Green to stop interfering in Rangers’ business and hopefully others can step in to clean up the mess he left.” Green told the BBC this month: “I’ve got a number of people ready to invest in Rangers.” Green, who yesterday posted a video of himself taking part in an ice-bucket challenge after being nominated by ex-Rangers keeper Allan McGregor, was unavailable for comment when contacted by Record Sport. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-boardroom-latest-sources-close-4087794

THERE has been more talk in the last few days about a possible deal that would see Ibrox renamed if Mike Ashley was to increase his stake in Rangers by underwriting the £4million share issue. It is not something that I am in favour of and I hope we never see the Ibrox name lost.As far as I am concerned, Ibrox will always be Ibrox. There are a lot of clubs down south that play in branded stadia. Arsenal get a lot of money for having their ground called The Emirates, but that is different to what could happen at Rangers if the Ashley deal does indeed go through. That, like the Reebok Stadium or the Walkers Stadium, was a new ground. I can understand when sponsors name stadia when they are newly built. But we are talking about an institution here and for over 100 years Rangers' home has been Ibrox. I would hate to see that change. Newcastle fans didn't like it when Ashley renamed St James' Park and put his company logos all over the place. I will always know it as St James' Park, as will the Newcastle fans, and it should have been kept like that. I wouldn't like to see Ibrox change, and certainly not for £4m. The deal Ashley signed to sell Rangers shirts wasn't the greatest deal ever for the club. It was great for Charles Green and Mike Ashley, but not for Rangers. He is making money out of the club as it is. And I would hate for us to see the Ibrox name lost just for a few quid. It's not on. Ibrox is synonymous with Rangers, and Rangers with Ibrox. I think the club would lose a bit of credibility if the stadium was renamed. It wouldn't sound right and it is not what Rangers Football Club should be about. If you look at some of the great Rangers men that have been in that boardroom, they were quality men and always wanted the best for their club. They would be spinning in their grave if the name of Ibrox was to be changed. I know money talks but I hope this doesn't go through. Everyone knows it as Ibrox and it should be kept that way. Nothing has been confirmed yet by Rangers, although there has been a lot of talk about this possible deal. We know that Gers are looking to bring in £4m worth of investment and need all of the shares available to be bought. Whether Ashley wants to do that himself, I don't know. We are all aware that the money will run out at some stage and more investment is needed. I don't see there being a lot of people willing to put money into Rangers just now. I don't know a lot about Mike Ashley, there are so many stories about what he has done at Newcastle and that, if he could, he would sell them and invest in Rangers. Nobody knows what is in his thoughts. What we do know is that if Rangers are putting up these shares to be sold, they are needing them all to be sold. Whether it is Mike Ashley who buys them or a number of different investors, the board need that money to come in. We would need to know a lot more about what Ashley wants to do, if he does indeed buy more shares. What are his plans? What does he want to achieve with Rangers? We don't know right now unfortunately. As soon as Rangers and shares are mentioned, different names come up about who is going to buy them. Until we hear from Mike Ashley, or the club, fans are again left in the dark. As I have said for a while, where is Dave King? Will we see him come in and underwrite this share issue? I would hope that, behind the scenes, Dave is making progress. We haven't heard from him for a few months. The fans are hoping that things are going ahead and he is keeping quiet for a reason. He threw the grenade in about not buying season tickets and now, it seems, he is off the radar. Fans are asking where he is and what he is doing. Nobody knows what is going on behind the scenes but, what we do know, is that these shares are up for grabs and someone will need to buy them to get money into the club. On the field, Ally McCoist and his players will continue their bid for a place in the Premiership against Dumbarton tomorrow. This is a huge season for the club on and off the field and while boardroom goings-on won't affect the players, or at least they shouldn't, they need to be in a far more stable place sooner rather than later. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/rangerscomment/dj-rangers-investment-cant-come-at-price-of-historic-ibrox-identity-177212n.25112173

It is with great sadness that I have to let everyone know the awful news that one of our own has passed away. Gordon (bluebear54) joined Gersnet in 2011 and quickly became someone whose posts I always enjoyed reading. Friendly, knowledgeable and moderate, I sensed a fellow bear who enjoyed talking about our club but also realised the importance of being pragmatic in his approach. Indeed it wasn't long before he became a popular figure on the forums and, while, like many of us, he also used other sites I know he thought of our wee forum as his spiritual Rangers home from home. Away from the daily excitement of following Rangers, Gordon's family describe him as an adventurer and a traveller. In fact he spent many years as a professional musician and lived in Denmark with his wife Inger for 18 years before finally settling back down in Scotland. Such an impression was made on the Danish people (and those of other countries) that many friends and family enjoyed travelling over to enjoy his company - over a beer or three of course! It was during the course of 2011/12 that I came to know him better myself. At that time the Scottish Government were drafting a new piece of controversial legislation and Gordon's role as a senior civil servant enabled he and I to sit down and discuss the best way for Rangers supporters to address this. Given the potential Bill was aimed directly at football fans and the problems we'd had in that sense over the last ten years, Gordon's offer of help was invaluable and his hard-working contribution to the Rangers fans groups in specific regard to this Bill will forever be remembered by those of us who worked together to represent Rangers supporters' opinion in Parliament during that time. Of course the Bill was passed but other circumstances of 2012 quickly meant the ramifications of the legislation were overtaken by problems closer to home for Rangers Football Club. Once more Gordon became a valued friend, counsel and forum member as he maintained a sensible outlook on the events of that year. More than once we had a beer or two to complain about the world conspiring against us. Little did Gordon know the challenges facing him then were small fry in comparison to those ahead. Gordon was diagnosed with cancer in September of last year. This was news none of us want to hear in our lives but he took it in his stride and we all knew he'd fight it with the same vigour he had done other battles in his life. Obviously his family and friends rallied round to try and make the daily rigour of chemotherapy as comfortable a burden as possible to bear. I must make special mention of Jim Hannah and Rangers FC who provided Gordon and his Uncle with a fantastic evening in the Director's Box last November - he was incredibly appreciative! For the next six months Gordon continued to fight his condition with amazing strength and dignity. Despite this awful illness he still enjoyed visiting our site and indeed contributed articles to both our site and Seventy2 fanzine - this again outlining his positive attitude to life where the rest of us may have stumbled. Unfortunately, in May of this year, Gordon and his family were given the news we all dreaded in that he only had a few months to live. Despite this Gordon kept on posting up until last week before he passed away peacefully last Thursday August 14th with his closest family by his side. To say myself and the rest of the Gersnet admin team were devastated with this news would be an understatement. Gordon Young was a devoted father of three children - Neil, Sheena and Calla. He was smart, he was caring, he was full of life and stories - and he never did anything half-hearted. He will never be forgotten.

Rangers Away Match Tickets Over the last few days we have been trying to firm up arrangements for our trip to Ibrox to play Rangers on Saturday 30th August. Both clubs had presumed that we would receive the same allocation of approximately 1,700 tickets that Hearts received for their opening weekend fixture at Ibrox. However, due to problems in segregation at that match, the police have unfortunately insisted that the away support allocation at Ibrox for the rest of the League season is to be less than 1,000 tickets. This is obviously very disappointing for us as a club and is unlikely to be sufficient tickets to satisfy demand from our supporters. We took 1,500 to Ibrox two years ago for a midweek Ramsdens Cup tie. In accordance with our published Supporter`s Charter, these tickets will be offered to Season Ticket Holders in the first instance and only then, if any remain, to general sale. It is worth noting that we have slightly more season ticket holders than we have tickets for this fixture so although it is likely that any season ticket holder who wants one will be able to buy a ticket, we cannot guarantee it. http://www.qosfc.com/new_newsview.aspx?newsid=2437

Taken from FF "It has come to our attention that the Rangers board are considering a move which could see Mike Ashley underwrite the £4m share issue they previously announced. This has been necessary due to understandably poor take up from existing investors. We believe the SFA have been approached to find out what would be required to give clearance for this, due to Mr Ashley’s ownership of Newcastle United. We would question the wisdom of approaching someone who, despite his obvious wealth, cannot significantly invest in the club without removing himself from his ownership position at Newcastle. Why are the board persisting with these short term, desperate measures? The club needs urgent, substantial investment - not a short term fix which will be lucky to see us past Christmas. Even if they are successful in raising the £4m, almost half the money will immediately have to be used to repay overdue loans. The board indicated to us that they could raise this money "at the push of a button". Sandy Easdale also indicated that investors were lined up. Clearly neither of these statements have turned out to be true. Also, the vast bulk of this money could have been raised by greatly increased season ticket sales if the board had been prepared to properly safeguard the club’s assets. If the SFA give special dispensation to Mr Ashley to up his stake in Rangers will it be irreversible and without any possible future sanction? Will the board get an unequivocal assurance that the SFA will not use this issue as a stick to beat the club with further down the line? The SFA have a track record of attempting to impose draconian sanctions on Rangers using tenuous methods. It would be extremely unwise of this board to unnecessarily put the club into a situation that allowed the SFA to act in this manner again. We are also concerned that, under UEFA regulations on dual ownership of clubs, Mr Ashley cannot have a “decisive influence over decision making” at Rangers without it leading to the possibility of us not being able to compete in European competition. He could find himself holding around 20% of the shares in our club, having control of all club merchandise and being the largest single shareholder if he underwrites this share issue. Will the board clear this unequivocally, and in advance, with UEFA to ensure that Rangers will not miss out on European football in the future because of Mr Ashley’s ownership of Newcastle? It would be negligent of the board not to gain the above assurances from the relevant football authorities. We would ask them to publicly confirm that they will have full written clearance for Mr Ashley from both UEFA and the SFA before moving ahead with any plans for him to underwrite this share issue. We would also ask them to confirm that any such clearance is free from any caveat which could negatively affect Rangers in the future. Finally, Mr Ashley’s initial purchase of shares in Rangers appears to have been linked to his Sports Direct merchandise deal. The only man inside Rangers who liked that deal at the time it was put in place was Charles Green. We hope that any possible assistance given to the board by Mr Ashley at this time will not see him clinch another favourable deal, perhaps to rename Ibrox at a knock down price. Can the board confirm that renaming of Ibrox will not be part of any underwriting deal with Mr Ashley and that we will not be seeing garish Sports Direct signage defacing our iconic Main Stand?"

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.

... maybe the rumour's grown some legs: Newcastle Chronicle We had a few mentions of Ashley to Scotland before, it might be that now he's got the chance to at least "move closer".

Anyone watching this today on SS3? Would be nice for the HIVs to do us a favour and beat Hertz. Also just realised that, following Hibs and HMFC's relegations, the only derbies left in the SPFL Prem are the Dundee derby, the South Lanarkshire derby and the Highland derby. No wonder the SPFL has no sponsor! Nae fans, nae good games, nae competition

Rangers Football Club is inviting applications from Club Members to join the Official Rangers Fans Board – a body that will help fans shape the future of their Club through regular and constructive dialogue with the Board and Senior Management. The Nominations Committee – Reverend Stuart MacQuarrie, former Rangers Captain David Weir, international rugby star Alastair Kellock and supporters Tom Mowbray, Mhairi McKenzie, Melville Curry, Ross Hardie and Holly-Jade Johnston – will evaluate applications from a number of supporter categories with Club Members then asked to vote on the 12 candidates they feel will best look after their interests. Club Members – which includes all Season Ticket Holders for 2014/15 who receive complimentary membership - can complete the online application form at fansboard.rangers.co.uk and the deadline for submissions is 9am on Tuesday 19th August, 2014. The Committee, chaired by Reverend Stuart MacQuarrie, will then evaluate the candidates and create a shortlist of Nominees for each category which Club Members will vote online for thereafter. The Club is totally committed to improving and enhancing its relationship with fans and the ultimate aim is to take this 142-year-old institution back to the very top of Scottish football together. The Official Fans Board will be created to benefit all supporters and is an important step forward as we strive to improve communications. • The Fans Board will provide a platform for supporters to communicate directly with key Club staff in a structured manner • Give the Club greater insight into the topics and issues that most affect and concern the wider Rangers fanbase • Allow supporters to better understand the Club’s decision-making process on key issues • Enable supporters to play a crucial role in helping the Club achieve success on and off the pitch • Provide transparency regarding the key issues that affect supporters The Official Rangers Fans Board will consist of 12 supporters who will represent all the major stakeholder groups in our fanbase to discuss key issues and ask the questions that most affect the supporters they represent. The Fans Board will meet a minimum of 4 times per season and further meetings will be held between Club executives and the Fans Board throughout 2014/15. Who can apply for the Official Rangers Fans Board? To apply for one of the 12 positions on the Official Rangers Fans Board you must be an adult Rangers Club Member. All Season Ticket Holders for 2014/15 are automatically Founder Club Members*, if you are not a season ticket holder you can become a Club Member by visiting rangers.co.uk/membership. Applications will be welcomed from supporters wishing to represent the following categories: • Season Ticket Holders • Female Fans • Families • Overseas Fans • Fans in Glasgow/Govan Community • Disabled fans • Ethnic Minorities • Under 18s • Ibrox match ticket purchasers (non-season ticket holders) • Corporate fans (fans who have enjoyed corporate facilities watching Rangers) • Fans who attend away games • Rangers Official Members (non-season ticket holders) Many supporters will fall under more than one of the above categories however it is important to ensure all our fans feel represented on the Official Fans Board. Fans can apply to represent any group they qualify for however only one application is permitted per person so supporters should only apply for the category they feel they best represent. How to apply for the Official Rangers Fans Board Club Members are welcome to submit an application to join the Official Rangers Fans Board. Supporters must have a membership number, which for season ticket holders is the same as their Rangers number. To apply visit fansboard.rangers.co.uk enter your Membership/Rangers number and password and complete the application form by 9am on Tuesday 19 August, 2014. If you do not have a password or valid email address you can update/register your login details on the fansboard.rangers.co.uk website. You will also be asked for a reference from someone who can support your application and suitability for this role. Fans should read the recruitment pack, terms and conditions and the constitution (all of which are available to members at rangers.co.uk/fansboard)before completing the application form. The Selection Process An external, independent Nominations Committee has been set up to help ensure the Official Rangers Fans Board is independently and democratically elected. The Nominations Committee will review all applications and nominate a shortlist of supporters for election to the Fans Board. The shortlist will be selected based on evaluation of all application forms against the criteria listed within the recruitment pack - job description and personal profile. A shortlist of nominees in each of the 12 categories will be identified by the Nominations Committee. The application forms for each of the successful shortlisted nominees will be posted publicly on fansboard.rangers.co.uk for Member consideration. Members, including all season ticket holders, will then be given the opportunity to vote on the shortlist of nominees in each of the 12 categories. Voting will be online in early September. The votes will be counted and verified and the 12 member Fans Board finally announced thereafter. Selection as a candidate for the election process to the Official Rangers Fans Board will be at the absolute discretion of the Nominations Committee. The role of the Official Rangers Fans Board Member As a Fans Board member each individual will have a responsibility to liaise with supporters from the group they represent and ensure they best serve their interests at meetings with the Club. The 12 elected members will have a public profile on the official Rangers website and fansboard website. They will be clearly identified as Members of the Rangers Fans Board and will be contactable by the wider fanbase via email to allow them to obtain feedback and questions from the group they represent. They will also provide those fans with updates after all meetings. Elected representatives will be required to regularly attend Fans Board and other relevant meetings, potentially participate in sub-fan working groups and any other requirements outside meetings. The Official Rangers Fans Board will give supporters the voice they have been craving and a genuine say in the running of their Club and further information is available on rangers.co.uk/fansboard now. All Season Ticket Holders for 2014/15 receive complimentary Club Membership unless they choose to opt out. If you do not wish to be automatically enrolled as a Member, please e-mail membership@rangers.co.uk. * If you do not indicate that you do not wish to be enrolled as a Member of the Official Rangers Club Membership, then you will be deemed to have granted your acceptance to the terms and conditions and adoption of the Constitution both available from rangers.co.uk/membership

Next year will see us enter the Premiership hoping to reclaim our crown as King of Scotland. I am looking for some help in this thread from you guys please. I am looking at our revenue in the lower leagues and what we used to bring in when in the SPL and looking at how we are going to get back there, so some fag packet maths. When in the SPL our average revenues were £25m Gate Receipts and Hospitality £3m Sponsors and Advertising £5m Broadcasting rights £5m Commercial income £2m Other operating income That is us, without European football. A £40m revenue club. That is what we averaged over the last 15 years or so when not participating in Europe. This is where we will need to be at least next season to just compete i believe. Our operating expenses averaged out at £45m per season. Every year. Staff costs including wages and salaries averaged at around £30m of that £45m. 75% of turnover from above. This means that we were always pissing against the wind, needing European football. It's easy to see here trouble was always inevitable as we could never quite get the costs down to a sustainable level. When in the lower leagues our average revenues were £12m Gate receipts and hospitality. £740k Sponsorship and advertising. £1.5m Retail £700k Broadcasting £900k Commercial £1.5m Other revenue. Around £17.3m revenue as a lower league club with costs at almost double that incredibly. As a comparison, Celtic turnover over £50m in any given year without European football but obviously have a much higher operating cost base. Merchandising costs them £9m per annum but they bring in £15m Football operations brings in £30m but costs them anything between £46m and £50m including £40m in staffing costs as of last year. Multimedia and other commercial brings in £10m and costs them £2m This shows how important European football is to them as well. Without it they run at a similar loss to what we did. European football is imperative to both clubs. So anyway, i would like to know how we are going to go from a club bringing in less that £20m to a club who must bring in at least double that in the next 12 months, whilst keeping our operating costs under control. The wage bill will undoubtedly need to increase too. We are already running at a loss. Averaged out at around *£400k per month. You can see where the differences are but just how easy will it be to go back to the former revenue streams? What do you think guys? *worked out from recent 120 day review.

See him sitting between Wallace and Easedale tonight with club tie on ,rumour has it he is the new director of football, if pish what was he doing there.

West Brom chase Commons for £7m WEST Brom have been linked with a £7 million move for Celtic star Kris Commons. The former Derby midfielder had an outstanding season last year, scoring 32 goals and picking up a raft of awards. But West Bromwich Albion boss Alan Irvine could test Celtic’s resolve with a hefty bid as he looks to supplement his Hawthorns squad. Commons was also voted one of the top 25 players in Europe in a recent poll. (The Mirror) http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/latest/rumour-mill-commons-to-wba-celtic-rangers-1-3499231#.U-CoOxEEjlA.twitter

This mantra is in stark contrast to the axiom stated about boxers but it holds true at Ibrox, whether it is turmoil, on and off the field, Charles Green or Dave King. It was just another Sunday at Ibrox with normal levels of turbulence and uncertainty. There was a stark contrast to the dignified and fitting tribute to the late Sandy Jardine in the lurid headlines that screamed in the morning newspapers. Basically, they read: Chuck is back and this time it is business, not personal. Affairs at Ibrox must be investigated in two sections: the business and the playing. The former is the more urgent. As one Rangers supporter told me yesterday: "There are more pressing issues to address than whether Lewis Macleod should be playing wide right." The return of Mr Green is more than an amusement, though. The tales of George Soros may be as tall as Peter Crouch on stilts but the backstory to the former chief executive's latest foray into the media contains an element of truth that points to what is going on at Ibrox. It is this: there are significant developments unfolding at the club. The financial situation is acute with the board seeking investment and Green wants to be near at hand when that deal is brokered. More interesting is the relative silence of King. He, too, though has not gone away. Much of the action from Graham Wallace, the chief executive of Rangers, and King, the man who would be sovereign at Rangers, is taking place in London, with mixed results. A City source, who invested in Rangers in the initial public offering, told Herald Sport last night that Wallace has been active in trying to arrange support for another share issue. However, he added: "He has not met with conspicuous success." This was said wryly. The message, though, was deeply serious. "There is no way I would advise further investment at Rangers under the present circumstances and under the present board. It is that simple," he said. King has been working the City since at least March. His initial strategy was to canvass support for his plan to take the proxy vote for significant shareholdings and force change. This, increasingly, has been seen to be impractical, perhaps even unworkable, as long as the major players remain united within the Ibrox boardroom. The pressure must be applied to the Beaufort Group that holds the majority of shares. This has been applied effectively by the strategy of some fans to withhold season ticket money. There has been much argument over whether this constitutes a boycott but it would be much more instructive to investigate the action's consequences. It has brought King back into play, despite the reluctance of some on the Ibrox board to deal with the South African businessman. King's patience was criticised over the summer but he may just have played his cards astutely. Rangers are searching for money and King claims he has it. This seemingly straightforward case of demand and supply, however, founders on the rocks of implacable politics at Rangers. King, though, has improved his position quietly over the summer and may in the position to make his move. The re-emergence of Green at this crucial juncture is not coincidental. The Yorkshireman, who has the copyright of the terms bluff and plain-speaking, has again caused considerable annoyance to those inside Ibrox, not least Ally McCoist. The Rangers manager was understandably frustrated at Green's latest intervention at the weekend when he stated that he could raise money to extricate the club from the deep financial hole. McCoist described all of this as "a sideshow" and it is, but it is one with a purpose. The former chief executive was reminding everyone that he will have a say, even if his influence may be limited, in what happens at Ibrox. With this financial game playing out in the media, it is almost crass to discuss a football match but what happened at Ibrox in front of 43,683 deserves consideration. First, Hearts deserve enormous credit for a gameplan and for the willingness of their players to carry it out. Craig Levein and his football department have recruited wisely. Robbie Neilson set the team up cleverly and there were particularly outstanding contributions from Danny Wilson, in central defence, and Osman Sow, in attack. Success for Hearts was ensured by increasing fecklessness in Rangers ranks. After they had missed early chances, Rangers defended awfully. Wilson made the most of a free header and Sow capitalised on disarray in the Rangers backline to score emphatically, seconds after McCoist's side equalised. This frustration - and the very fact that he was asked a question he had to answer - probably accounted for McCoist's relative sharpness as regards Green. He will, though, be more concerned about solving the matters he has influence over, including finding the ideal wide man who can produce opportunities for Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller. The latter had to come back to midfield on Sunday to find a touch and he was insistent afterwards that the side had to create more chances. The team faces an interesting challenge at Falkirk on Friday. The board confronts more difficult problems with every day that passes. http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/king-still-in-play-as-financial-chess-game-rumbles-on.25024715?

The rumour is that Brighton are in for Wallace and are close to matching our valuation.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/aug/14/san-lorenzo-copa-libertadores Proof of what can be achieved with the right men at the helm.

http://www.vanguardbears.co.uk/ More revelations

Celtic: Safe-standing proposals not met with approval Celtic are "extremely disappointed" after a proposal to introduce safe-standing failed to receive approval from Glasgow City Council. At a meeting with the Safety Advisory Group, the Scottish champions sought permission to install rail seating. "We do not understand the rationale for today's decision," the club stated. "Spectator-safety at Celtic Park is of paramount importance and we believe the proposals we have made would significantly enhance safety." Glasgow City Council claimed Celtic's plan did not offer enough safety assurances to the group, which includes representatives from the three emergency services. Several Bundesliga clubs use rail seating at their stadiums in Germany. For domestically governed games, the seats are locked in the upright position to allow fans to stand and lean on the rails. Whereas for Uefa governed games, the seats are unlocked to comply with all-seater stadium rules. A council spokesman said: "All agencies represented on the safety advisory group felt that a stewarding plan alone, as proposed by Celtic, was insufficient to ensure spectator safety in the standing area. "It is the view of agencies on the safety advisory group that some form of physical barrier between standing and seating areas is required to ensure that a standing area would be appropriately managed. "However, the group would also have to be satisfied that any such barriers would still allow for the movement of emergency services personnel and spectators in the event of an incident at the stadium." Celtic had hoped to lead the way in the United Kingdom with the creation of new safe-standing areas. The club's statement added: "The club has provided substantial and detailed information in support of this proposal over the past two-and-a-half years and has made every effort to address comprehensively all issues raised by the SAG. "Today's decision has been made despite the club also providing the requested additional information from an independent stadium safety expert, Dr Steve Frosdick. "Surprisingly, we have also today been informed by the Safety Advisory Group, chaired by Glasgow City Council, that this may be a matter for the Scottish Government. "Yet we have previously been told by the Scottish Government that this is a decision which must be taken locally at council level." http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28777621

BILEL MOHSNI admits it could be difficult for him to get back into the Rangers team after he served a suspension for his recent red card in the friendly at Derby County. The Tunisian defender was banned for two games following his headbutt on Rams player Chris Martin in the 2-0 loss at the iPro Stadium. Mohsni has apologised for his actions against Steve McClaren’s men and concedes he was stupid to react to a heavy challenge from the striker the way he did. Now he’s free to play again and could come into the reckoning for Friday’s trip to play Falkirk in the SPFL Championship. Lee McCulloch, Marius Zaliukas and Darren McGregor have all featured in central defence during Mohsni’s absence. And although there were no clean sheets against Hibernian or Hearts, the former Southend player knows he could still have slipped further down the pecking order. He said: “I was very, very upset with myself at Derby and I acted stupidly. When we gave the second goal away it was my fault and I didn’t defend well after. “It wasn’t about their player who tackled me. It was more about myself and I reacted badly. I’m very sorry to the fans and my team-mates about that. “Hopefully I can come back into the side but one of the problems when you get suspended is other players can do well in your place. “If they get into the manager’s head, he could put them first so all I can do is train hard and try to win my place. “If I get my chance, I will do my best to show I am worthy of it and attempt to keep it for the rest of the season. “Of course, I had suspensions last season and I don’t want any more. I need to keep my temper, stay cool and make sure I don’t get sent off again. “It is very hard for me to be off the pitch when games are taking place and I would rather be on it so I will do my best to stay involved.” Mohsni realises opposition players will likely target him during matches in an attempt to draw the same sort of response as the one he displayed at County. But he is adamant he’ll stay calm under pressure and added: “I will keep what happened in my mind because I know all the players in our league will try to wind me up. “They might kick me or elbow me but I will be ready for that and I will try just to defend well and keep clean sheets, score if I can and win games for Rangers. “I know players do that all the time but I didn’t expect it in a friendly game. I want to show everyone I can do better than I did at Derby.” Everyone else's fault bar his. The antithesis of a professional football player. Can we not resurrect that half million "offer" from the Middle East?

Madey Up McCoist Meeting Edition By Chris Graham | Contributor Recently, CRO pulled some of Phil MacGiollabhain’s fantasies apart in a highly amusing article. Whisper it though, the bold Phil has been at it again in an article entitled ‘Regarding Alistair’ which contains less facts than the script of a Harry Potter film. I’ve debated how best to do this but probably best we just work our way through his latest act of fiction. His latest tale is set at Ibrox where a meeting is taking place, following the Hearts game, on the future of manager Ally McCoist….. (It isn’t). http://www.thecoplandroad.org/2014/08/you-talk-some-amount-of-shite-phil.html

Gonna charge up the phone. Have a feeling there might be some Rangers breaking news to come tonight as well! https://twitter.com/tedermeatballs

I'd tried to temper my bewilderment at our close season signings by reflecting on the often used mantra that "there is no substitute for experience". But having a manager with a propensity for playing just one out and out striker it seemed reasonable to question the wisdom of signing 2 ageing, albeit proven strikers, taking our total to 5. I suppose in some ways the fact we played with 2 up front today is a positive improvement - cherish it, its probably the only positive you will find in this article. With young Charlie Telfer exiting Ibrox and directing barbed comments at our manager's apparent unwillingness to blood youngsters, the departure of goalkeeper Scott Gallagher and the re-signing of the veteran and occasionally calamitous, Steve Simonsen does little to suggest that youth is to be the favoured option. One wonders how young Nicky Clark feels his development will fare as the least favoured option behind Boyd, Miller, Daly and given today's personnel selection, even Shiels. Why is this important ? Well if we do manage to successfully negotiate the championship, and I appreciate after today some are saying that's a pretty big "if"; rather than return to the top league with the nucleus of a young team we will instead be replacing ageing players in key positions. "Professors" of football often speak about the "spine" of a team - goalkeeper, centre back and striker. Of our current spine I see only Cammy Bell offering any kind of continuity in this regard. Which of course means new blood, a settling in period and that's before we find the readies for such an overhaul. Without wishing to induce further panic it's probably worth asking the question if there will even be the money for such an overhaul ? So what does all this experience get you for your money? Well not a lot judging by today's performance. You could forgive a schoolboy team for switching off after scoring and giving yourself a lifeline but a team brimming with seasoned pros? Furthermore how can it be that Nicky Law and Ian Black despite having countless games together under their belt, give the appearance they have never played with one another before? The booing of the formers man of the match award should serve as a warning to all at Ibrox that whilst we may be loyal we are certainly not gullible. Kenny Miller did what we have come to expect him to do, and were it not for the detrimental effect to Nicky Clark's development and the fact he is a short term rather than a long term answer, you would see this as a beneficial signing for the season, particularly if young Clark was paired alongside him. Kris Boyd I'm not so sure of. He somehow managed to look even less mobile than 1st time around, so much so, I half expected Police Scotland to bring the game to a halt and announce they had found Clyde, the missing Games statue. The progress and improvement of Lewis Macleod and Fraser Aird has been deeply satisfying for us blue legions, the former in particular showing particular potential. Could a few others have benefited from an extended run in first team football ? Some will remember Dick Advocatt recognising the potential of a young Barry Ferguson and building a team around him, sadly that will not happen so long as young Macleod finds himself played out of position on the wing We need to stop making excuses for Ally. Yes he has had to endure challenges no other Rangers manager has had to contend with but that really does not excuse signings which are devoid of long term vision, as well as tactics, team selections and substitutions which have us all bewildered. There was a moment today when the cameras panned to John Greig sitting in the stands, and on seeing his image on the screens applause echoed around the ground. John is a Rangers legend on and off the park. Unfortunately he was not a very good manager. I fear history may be repeating itself.