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Scotland squad for the friendly with Poland Goalkeepers Matt Gilks, David Marshall, Allan McGregor Defenders Phil Bardsley, Christophe Berra, Gordon Greer, Grant Hanley, Alan Hutton, Russell Martin, Andrew Robertson, Steven Whittaker Midfielders Charlie Adam, Ikechi Anya, Barry Bannan, Scott Brown, Chris Burke, Darren Fletcher, James Forrest, James Morrison, Charlie Mulgrew, Robert Snodgrass Forwards Steven Fletcher, Ross McCormack, Steven Naismith
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GORDON backs Hearts' incoming chairwoman to revive the club while lamenting the damage done by the would-be saviours at Ibrox. THE definition of altruism: When the answer to the question “What’s in it for you?” is “Nothing”. That’s Ann Budge for you. Sixty-five years old, self-made multi-millionaire, family woman, treasures her privacy and relative anonymity, sees her Saturday afternoons as sacred time with her daughter and grand-daughter in Section D of the Wheatfield. What could possibly be in it for her to commit herself to four or five years inside the washing machine of Scottish football? Nothing. Not a single thing. Which is why Hearts fans should be eternally grateful that she has. And, as I wrote back in September, Rangers fans should be peering east, mournfully lamenting what they could have had. The deal to take Hearts out of administration and forward is the result of months of good leadership, good governance, good PR, good organisation and, most of all, good intentions. And what they’ve emerged with is the perfect template for the handover from tyranny to the terraces. Make no mistake, Budge’s role will not be passive. She’s no figurehead. She’s real. Incongruously, for fan ownership to succeed in the long run, they’re going to need her to be a strong individual, making hard-headed decisions that would be impossible to arrive at if the club were being run by committee. Her job is to hand Hearts over in the best financial health she can create in as short a time as possible. And the only way that won’t happen is if Jambos fail to live up to their end of the bargain. That’s why they’re lucky to have her. She’s the anti-Craig Whyte, the anti-Charles Green. As executive chair, she’ll be working five days a week pro bono. She’ll be arriving at conclusions plenty may disagree with but the one thing no one can dispute is that she’s doing it for anyone’s benefit other than Hearts. There’s a legal agreement that she has to hand the club over to the Foundation as and when they hit their pre-agreed targets. She can’t change her mind, can’t flog them to a predator who fancies the place for himself when they’re back on an even keel. What that means is the fans have to create the bank of last resort for the club with their membership scheme, the financial cushion for the months where there’s a shortfall, where the season ticket money has run dry and the commercial income is a struggle. All they have to be able to do is prove that in the absence of support from an actual bank, they will never get back to the day when the wages won’t be in the bank. And there’s no reason they can’t. At the moment the Foundation of Hearts bring in £130,000 a month in direct debits. That’s £1.5million a year as your slush fund. The season tickets, corporate and commercial income, sponsorship, catering and anything else they can raise funds from provides their working capital. If they do all that? If they create a model that washes its face? There’s no reason why a club of their stature, with their support, can’t be golden in four years’ time. And in the meantime? What a Championship it’s going to be next year. A tale of two clubs from two cities whose stories over the past two years may as well have come from two different planets. The team who’ve done everything right to get out of administration against the team who’ve had every wrong imaginable done to them. Rangers will be looking at Hearts and thinking, “If only...” To be fair, their Supporters’ Trust still have faith they can make it happen. But when they needed the kind of altruism Budge offered Hearts, they got shafted. Twice. When they needed a Jim McColl, he ran shy. And when they needed unity of purpose, they fragmented. Even now, their intentions may be there. But neither the Easdales nor Dave King as a potential investor seems prepared to engage in the idea that the club need a move towards fan membership and ownership for the long-term good. They’re still saddled by the “What’s in it for me?” brigade and as long as the answer is “plenty”, they’re fighting a losing battle. But you know what? Despite the fact that Hearts’ total budget next year will probably be around the £1million mark, less than 20 per cent of Rangers’, if it’s spent well, they could challenge the assumption the Ibrox club will stroll through that league the way they’ve strolled through the last two. If they can get 16,000 inside Tynecastle every week, create a cause the way Hibs did when they went down in 1998, the way Rangers’ fans did when they went into the bottom tier? Keep the best of their kids, get a few course and distance guys in to help them when the embargo goes? Get a little momentum going? It’s going to be a hell of a race. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/gordon-waddell-altruistic-ann-budge-3151057 -
Being reported that Laxey have bailed us out in the short term. Wonder what the interest rates are?
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......we've even had agents in Africa contacting us. WARD and his League 2 troops are looking forward to a money-spinning Scottish Cup quarter final at Ibrox and he has revealed how their giantkilling story has gone global. ALBION ROVERS boss James Ward last night revealed his side’s Scottish Cup heroics have been creating shock waves in Africa. Ward admitted his part-time League Two men have captured the imagination worldwide after making it through to the quarter-finals for the first time in 80 years. So much so that Rovers have been inundated with DVDs and CVs from agents representing players around the globe. Ward has been busy sifting through a pile of applications from players desperate to play for the club, who face Rangers at Ibrox in the last eight of the competition on March 8. And he told how lifelong fan Paul Reilly, who works in Africa and doubles up as one of the club’s photographers, had the locals hailing his team after viewing their exploits on Sky Sports. Ward said: “Our Scottish Cup story has gone global. “The response the club has had to reaching the quarter-finals for the first time in 80 years has been unbelievable. “We have been sent YouTube clips from agents representing players from South America, USA, Africa as well as Europe “All of a sudden everybody wants to play for Albion Rovers and think we are an attractive proposition. “I have had a couple of DVDs and CVs from players in Africa – they must have thought Coatbridge was like the south of France but they have been put right. “I even had one player offering to pay for his flights from France for the chance to play with us. “When it was explained what we pay and that we are a part-time side I don’t think he was quite so keen. “I am watching these DVD and YouTube clips thinking, ‘What am I looking for here?’ “Our story has even reached Africa as one of the club’s photographers, Paul Reilly, was working there when we beat Motherwell. Paul was telling the locals all about us – they had never heard of us. “Sky Sports was on TV and suddenly we were on after beating Motherwell. Paul was shouting, ‘That’s Albion Rovers, that’s my team’. “The Africans were all going crazy and cheering us on.” But Ward sounded a note of caution and insisted that the club are unlikely to pursue any of the DVD or YouTube leads. However one Norwegian player who is studying in Scotland has been handed the chance to impress. He said: “I don’t want people getting the wrong impression about Albion Rovers. “If we are fortunate to make money from the tie then I want the club to use it for good purposes moving forward and not to sign the wrong type of player which would be an unsustainable model. “It is nice to get the chance to cast your eye over players and I will watch them in case there is something we may have missed but I am very wary of this kind of thing. “People suddenly think Albion Rovers have had a major windfall but we have no idea what kind of money we will make from the Rangers game. “We have many more things to consider before we start thinking about signing players from other countries. “We have looked at a player from Norway who has a decent CV and is studying in Glasgow. “He used to play for Viking Stavanger and has trained with Hearts but they were not able to sign anyone. “A part-time player who is a student is much more in line with us than us bringing in a player from South America.” Ward insists he doesn’t want his side’s Scottish Cup journey to end at Ibrox. He said: “People think I am mad but we want to beat Rangers – there is no point in going there if we did not think we could win the tie.” **** Albion Rovers chairman John Devlin insisted that playing Rangers live on Sky Sports in the Scottish Cup quarter-final at Ibrox was like winning the lottery. The part-time League Two minnows are set make over £150,000 from the March 9 tie. Devlin said: “It’s akin to a lottery win and a bonus ball. In the context of what we’re used to working with it’s life changing and lets us to prepare for the future.” Full schedule for the Scottish Cup quarter-finals: Saturday March 8 – Raith Rovers v St Johnstone, (12.15pm, Sky Sports) Sunday, March 9 – Inverness v Dundee Utd (12.30pm, BBC); Rangers v Albion Rovers (3.30pm, Sky Sports). http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/albion-rovers-boss-james-ward-3164871
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Don't have much to go on, but apparently King is predicting our financial meltdown again in another Keith Jackson article....
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RANGERS have been awarded the maximum six-star status by the SFA in their 2013/14 Club Academy Scotland audit. The annual review has reaffirmed the Light Blues as a leading force in this country when it comes to laying a platform for the development of emerging talent. A performance-based youth programme, teams participating in Club Academy Scotland are given a rating after they are rigorously assessed on various criteria. These include aspects such as academy plans, coaching curriculums and staff qualifications in coaching, medical and sports science. It also takes into account scouting procedures and administration and Gers are one of only two clubs to have been given the highest possible grade. The audit was conducted by the association’s Club Licensing Department using a rating programme compiled by its Performance Department. An accompanying grant is issued which corresponds with a club’s rating, meaning Gers will be given the highest possible amount as they seek to go from strength to strength. It has been a terrific season for Rangers at youth level so far this season, with Gordon Durie’s under-20s competing well as they continue bidding for a league and Youth Cup double. And as the club strives to keep producing exciting new players, Director of Youth Development Jim Sinclair is happy with what’s being achieved. He said: “We’re delighted to have achieved six-star status and it’s a great compliment to the standards we set. “Across all our disciplines, whether part-time or full-time and in coaching, sports science or something else, it’s a great pat on the back to our staff for the work they do. “A number of factors were considered when the audit took place and having a facility such as Murray Park can only be a good thing in that respect. “Having this status certainly won’t do us any harm. It’s nice to be recognised as being there as the best in the country. “After everything which has happened at the club in the last couple of years, it’s good that people get a reminder of that. “We’re making good progress with our youngsters and we’re confident there are a lot of young players in our system who will benefit from the environment here at the club.” http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/academy-news/item/6344-six-star-status-for-gers
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BuyRangers Direct Debit now from £11.25 a month! The Trust has reduced costs to make BuyRangers more efficient All current contributors will have your DD automatically reduced Following several months experience of operating the Direct Debit scheme, we are pleased to advise you that we are able to reduce the monthly contributions. The administration costs per community share are lower than previously advised and we are now in a position to cover all such costs from receipts of membership subscriptions. All direct debit receipts previously taken have been used exclusively for the purchase of shares and you will have seen our recent announcement increasing our Community shareholding by 200,000 shares. The new monthly Direct Debit amounts (including annual membership) are now as follows: 1 Community Share: was £12.84 is now £11.25 2 Community Shares: was £23.25 is now £21.67 3 Community Shares: was £33.67 is now £32.08 4 Community Shares: was £44.09 is now £42.50 These revised Direct Debits amounts will be adjusted automatically for all contributions made after 1st March 2014. We hope these reduced contributions will encourage even greater participation in the scheme and we will be ramping up our marketing efforts in the near future to attract new members. http://www.therst.co.uk/buyrangers/
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https://twitter.com/TheLoudenTavern
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Can someone please explain to me why we don't sing this greatest anthem anymore The "authorities" (define them) have said we cant so we follow like sheep. It is legally proofable (is that a word) that this isn't a bigoted or sectarism song....so say lets start a campagn to bring back our anthem. If it means missing a word then so be it....but they cant ban 1 and not for another Hullo Hullo
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...........by bigging up small achievements HUGH believes under-achievement is being covered up at Parkhead while talk of Trebles involving the Ramsdens Cup embarrasses Ibrox club. WHEN Albion Rovers go further than Celtic in the Scottish Cup it’s time to hold your hands up and come clean. And when you’re photographed holding an advertising board aimed at selling tickets for Rangers’ ‘title run-in’ when your team is 23 points in front with 13 games left to play you might at least have the decency to look embarrassed. But part of the deal now with Scottish football is you agree to have your intelligence insulted at regular intervals without ever complaining about it – or even admitting that it’s happened. A properly-developed grown-up, however, should reserve the right to examine the nonsense they’re being fed and give the now traditional answer in return – are you having a laugh? Neil Lennon tells everybody Celtic have had a “brilliant” season. But how can a brilliant season possibly contain an extra-time defeat at home to a lowly championship side in the League Cup, and without managing to score a goal in two hours of play against Morton? How can a brilliant season include a Champions League group stage in which, for the first time, Celtic looked as if they were out of their depth? Finishing bottom of the group while taking a six-goal beating in Barcelona, and failing to make the consolation prize of the Europa League, is what it is. A worrying glimpse of a difficult future at that level for Celtic while their squad is voluntarily diminished in quality season after season. Also, how can another season without a Treble being won during Rangers’ time in the lower orders be excused on the basis that only Jock Stein and Martin O’Neill have managed that distinction throughout Celtic’s history? If those two men could manage it when Rangers were battling them for everything then they should be left out of the argument. The question is why can’t a Treble be won by Celtic when the championship is a given at the start of every season for the current team? And on the subject of perspective, Rangers fans are now supposed to swallow industrial quantities of guff about their team’s current standing. I’ve no doubt Lee McCulloch was only delivering the party line when he was used as the frontman to sell tickets for the remainder of this season. But he can’t possibly believe in his heart of hearts that reaching the Scottish Cup Final in May would be the equivalent of the run that took Walter Smith’s side to Manchester for the UEFA Cup Final against Zenit St Petersburg. Lee was part of that run and must know the difference between beating Panathinaikos, Werder Bremen, Sporting Lisbon and Fiorentina and getting past Airdrie, Falkirk, Dunfermline and Albion Rovers. It’s an insult to the memory of those involved in Europe to compare their efforts to a romp through the lower leagues. Whatever Rangers have done in the Scottish Cup this season is no more, or less, than they should have done under the circumstances. And spare me this ongoing fantasy about the Ramsdens Cup forming part of a hoped-for “Treble”. That word is being used by those who clearly don’t mind having their intelligence insulted. The truth is Celtic and Rangers are not what they once were and have chosen to live in a world of their own invention for the time being. Lennon asks if it’s realistic to expect Aberdeen to challenge Celtic for the title next season when there’s an obvious gulf in points between them at present. “Have you looked at the league table?” he asked during his press conference at Lennoxtown on Thursday. So the manager uses realism when it suits him, and questions reality when there’s an inconvenient argument to be made for saying Celtic’s season has been inadequate. He should have a look about him this afternoon when Celtic get a skeletal crowd for the visit of St Johnstone and take a reality check. Celtic fans are disgusted by under-achievement and if Rangers are cavorting around Celtic Park with the Scottish Cup after the final is staged there then their disenchantment will rise to a new level. Two clubs are trying to take two lots of fans for mugs, and only the gullible are falling for it. The rest have used the evidence of their own eyes, exercised adult judgment and decided to stay away until these two clubs are more recognisable. That’s why season tickets are still on sale in February. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/hugh-keevins-celtic-rangers-conning-3150978
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The silence of normally loud mouthed, so quick to condemn Scottish Press over the green and grey hordes attempt to get their homage to dead terrorists into the charts is deafening. The cowardice displayed by the media mirrors the cowardice of the terrorists rather aptly. Anyone for a helping of double standards? *Please move this admin if not appropriate for here.
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Negatives To Positives (Andrew Dickson writes about Super Ally)
Zappa posted a topic in Rangers Chat
Friday, 14 February 2014 12:15 Negatives To Positives Written by Andrew Dickson ALLY McCOIST could never have predicted the last two years going the way they have for Rangers and is hopeful positives will now start outweighing negatives at the club. The manager learned the afternoon before Valentine’s Day in 2012 that then owner Craig Whyte had filed to take the club’s holding company into administration. It wasn’t long before that became public knowledge and within 24 hours that process had been completed due to the club’s financial problems at that stage. What has followed since has been difficult for the Light Blues and its loyal support at times but the feeling is Gers are making progress again. Chief executive Graham Wallace is currently conducting a 120-day review of the whole business as he tries to shape a solid, structured plan for the future. That’s a work in progress, as is the evolution of McCoist’s team which, as it stands today, is going for a unique treble of trophies in the final weeks of the season. The Ibrox boss was in reflective mood this morning as he looked back at the club’s recovery since that dark day two Februarys ago. Amidst all the low points, there are more highs emerging as time goes on and that gives McCoist hope. He said: “It has been two years nobody would ever have predicted for the football club. They’ve been two really dark, bleak years. “There have obviously been positives but it goes without saying the negatives far outweigh the positives. “We had administration and liquidation but there are definitely positives for everybody at the club and the fans to look forward to now. “After winning the title by a great number of points last year, we’re in a fantastic position to do that again this year. “We’ve a Ramsdens Cup final and a home quarter-final in the Scottish Cup as well so there are positives to come out of a bleak two years. “You’re scared to look too far ahead other than a few days and towards the next couple of games and the like. “But I’ve always followed the philosophy that what will be will be. We will always attempt to do our best and hopefully that will be good enough to get us back to where we want to be. “Like the rest of the staff, we’ve got jobs to do and we’re very, very determined to do it. If we all work together, we’ll have a far better chance of getting us back to the top flight.” Despite staunch denials a second administration could be on the cards, some ill-informed sources from outwith the club wrongly persist with claiming that’s the case. Such suggestions bemuse McCoist, who is certain no such path will be taken. He added: “I speak to Graham on a regular basis and I’m meeting him again this afternoon. “I think he’d say to me if the money was going to run out but I’ve had no indication of that from him. “I’m aware of the financial difficulties and the position we are in at the moment but I’ve not been told anything like that.” http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/6321-negatives-to-positives -
For anyone wanting anymore info on this scheme , the registration details are here , from the tweets that were coming out it sounds very promising http://scottishfans.org/rangers/
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Thursday, 13 February 2014 15:45 Defensive Options For Boss Written by Andrew Dickson ALLY McCOIST has hinted he’s likely to go for experience over youth at the back when Rangers travel to Ayr in League One this weekend. The manager has admitted teenage defenders Luca Gasparotto and Craig Halkett are in his thoughts after a series of good displays for the under-20s in recent weeks. Playing under Gordon Durie, they’ve helped the team to nine wins in a row and have only just seen a run of 703 minutes without conceding from open play come to an end. McCoist will be without his captain Lee McCulloch and French Tunisian Bilel Mohsni for the trip to Somerset Park as the pair serve suspensions. That leaves gaps to be filled in his rearguard and plenty of supporters would love to see the youngsters given an opportunity. But whoever plays will come up against the most experienced opposition forward in the league, ex-Gers and former English Premiership player Kevin Kyle. McCoist is wary of the 10-time Scotland international who, while in the latter part of his career, is still capable of making an impact. Despite struggling with injuries during his time at Ibrox, Kyle has overcome them to play for the Honest Men 20 times this season and score four goals as a foil for Michael Moffat. Although he has still to finalise his plans for the game, it appears McCoist will opt for a pairing of Sebastien Faure and Emilson Cribari to deal with Kyle on the west coast. Faure has made 22 starts for Gers this season and although Cribari has just three to his name, he was a regular last term as he made the first XI on 33 occasions. McCoist said: “We’ve got some good fixtures in the coming weeks and we’d be very hopeful we can win the league then have a chance to look at one or two boys. “Nothing would give us more pleasure than giving some of the lads an opportunity in the first team. “The boys are doing well very but it’s a different game on Saturday. It’s not an under-20 game and it’s against one of the most experienced strikers in the league. “Kevin, I would suggest, has been over the course and distance and he knows his way about the football park. “The best way I can put it is by saying Gasparotto and Halkett are acquitting themselves very well. “They’re certainly in our thoughts and it’s a compliment to the young lads that we’re thinking about them but we’ve other options too. “Sebastien has been playing at right-back and Emilson has been on the bench as well so that’s something we could think about as Richard Foster could come in at right-back. “A decision has not been made yet but Kenny (McDowall), Ian (Durrant), Jim (Stewart) and myself will sit down and have a talk about it.” http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/6314-defensive-options-for-boss
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Not that I believe it, but, anyway: http://asia.eurosport.com/football/spl/2011-2012/gattuso-considering-rangers-coaching-job_sto4133511/story.shtml He had already played for the club in 1997-98 and his wife is Scottish. The Italian newspaper claims Gattuso is considering the next step in his management career in Glasgow with the Rangers side he never stopped caring about. However, La Gazzetta dello Sport also maintains he has already received an offer to take over, but turned it down. Rino retired from playing last year and aged 36 he has had brief spells as player-manager of Swiss club Sion and Coach of Serie B team Palermo. He was sacked after just six Serie B games in charge of the Sicilian side. Glasgow Rangers are in the Scottish League One after bankruptcy.
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Positive stuff! http://www.therst.co.uk/rst-share-purchase/
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" I've spoken to the manager about it and told him that, if the opportunity arose for me to go and test myself at a big club or a higher level, then I'm ready to do that. I'm happy here and won't force anything to get out. But I can't sit here and say I'll be a Killie player for the rest of my life. It's not in my hands. All I can do is perform well and see what happens in the summer. I've already proved I can play at a big club, because you don't get any bigger than Rangers. I have the mentality to play at a higher level. "
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........Ex-striker & coach lift lid on Craig Whyte disaster which still haunts Ibrox club 13 Feb 2014 07:20 IT'S the story that rocked Scottish football to the core and is still affecting those who endured it. Two years on from officially sinking into the financial abyss Record Sport has lifted the lid on the turmoil of Rangers entering administration. DAVID HEALY knows there were Rangers players who used the club’s slip into administration to strengthen their own position. However, the Ulsterman failed to get the one thing he wanted more than anything else – an extra year at the club he loves. Of all the demands from the Ibrox stars and their agents during negotiations to pull the club back from the brink Healy’s request was the most sympathetic. Tomorrow will mark the second anniversary of the day Rangers plunged into administration under disgraced former owner Craig Whyte and sent shockwaves through Scottish football. Healy had been through it all before with Leeds United but had the luxury of a safety net in England – which doesn’t exist north of the border – where the PFA step in to pay any wages. The Northern Irishman revealed that in the numerous team meetings in the days following administration the one thing the players wanted more than anything else was to see the club and its staff saved. That is why they agreed to a pay cut. Then came the individual negotiations between players and Duff & Phelps and it was then that Healy – now retired after a spell at Bury – realised his short stint at his boyhood heroes was going to end. The 34-year-old said: “The administration, as terrible as it was for everyone, doesn’t take anything away from the experience of playing for Rangers. People might ask questions as to why I left but the truth is I wasn’t actually offered a contract. “We were asked if we’d take a pay cut to keep the club afloat and at the time I’d have played for free so that wasn’t a problem. It was just disappointing because we took the wage cut and I knew people were asking for transfers or clauses in their contract maybe to benefit them. “Listen, that’s fair enough, that’s modern day football. But for someone like myself, I think the administrators probably thought I was mad because I just wanted another year. My deal was up in the summer and I spoke to the administrator myself because I didn’t need an agent and the only thing I said was ‘give me an extra 12 months’. “I think the administrator spat out his tea because others had been looking to get away and asking for clauses and all I’d have liked was another year. “It didn’t happen, Rangers were financially unstable and I understood the situation and I ultimately left and joined Bury. Nobody knew who was under threat.. we heard our cars were being towed, says former coach “I’ve read people saying if Rangers had gone to the Third Division I wouldn’t have wanted to stay but I’d have played on the astroturf opposite Ibrox Stadium to pull on that jersey. “We knew at the time Rangers were going to be penalised, there was talk of the First or Second Division, but it wouldn’t have mattered to me. “I would have stayed and happily played the extra year as Neil Alexander did and the current captain Lee McCulloch, who has a long history of being a fan himself. “You can see in his performances that Lee loves the club, not only when I was there but more recently. I still watch Rangers and my dad still goes to watch them – Stranraer is the local game this season with it being a couple of hours on the boat from Belfast. “I was coming to the wrong end of my career but other lads felt it was an opportunity to go and futher themselves in the Premier League or abroad but for me I wouldn’t have hesitated to play in the Third Division. “But the administrators told me they were in no position to offer me a deal because of the strain on the club and they didn’t know who was going or staying or who would be sold in the summer. “I think he was just taken aback because so many different clauses had been requested. My only clause was that I would love to have stayed. We didn’t even talk figures or anything, I just said I wanted to stay. It never went any further. “I understood the situation and coming to the end of the season I didn’t really play for whatever reason but thankfully I did get a chance post-administration with eight or nine games and I scored a few goals. “It was just disappointing that I knew my future was going to lie elsewhere and it dawns on you that you’ll be leaving such a great club. I was just thankful to have had the opportunity.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-two-years-financial-collapse-3140239
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DAVID Robertson witnessed Ally McCoist overcome adversity on more than one occasion in his playing days to become a Rangers legend. And he has backed his old team-mate to tough out the trials and tribulations of being manager at the Ibrox club and make a success of the latest chapter of his career. Robertson, who is now a coach at USL Pro League club Phoenix in the United States, still takes a keen interest in the fortunes of the Glasgow giants. The former left-back has been impressed with how McCoist has fared since succeeding Walter Smith as boss nearly three years ago. And the 45-year-old believes he has the mental strength needed to withstand the intense scrutiny and lead Rangers back to the forefront of the Scottish game. He said: "I still follow how Rangers are doing back home pretty closely online over here and it amazes me when I see the criticism Ally gets sometimes. "His team is unbeaten in the league this season and is still involved in two cup competitions. "It would be a tremendous feat for Rangers to reach the Scottish Cup final this season. It would be a huge achievement for the club. But Ally still gets criticised for performances and results! I don't know what more he can do. "Everybody expects them to win League One this season. I am sure the same will be true next season when they go up to the Championship. "So when they do these things Ally doesn't get any praise because it is simply what is expected of them. But it has always been that way. "When I was at Rangers if we won a league and cup double it was considered a disaster. Even if you won a treble people said: 'Well, you should be doing it anyway!' "Yes, Ally has a full-time squad in what is largely a part-time league and a large wage bill, but I still think that he has a tough job. "The club is still getting 40,000 to 50,000 people coming to their games every week. There is a lot of pressure on him for the team to perform. "I have managed at lower league clubs, at Elgin City and Montrose, without that number of fans and you still feel the pressure." Robertson added: "If you are second at Rangers it is not good enough. At some big clubs you might get away with third or fourth. Not at Rangers though. "I don't think there is any club out there where the pressure is so intense. But Ally has dealt with that pressure for all of his life. "When Graeme Souness was in charge at Rangers he tried to force him out. But Ally loved the club so much he stayed where he was and fought his way back in. "Then Ally broke his leg and everybody said he was finished. But he came back from that as well and was as good as he ever was. "It says a lot about his character that he can remain so upbeat with everything he has to deal with. "There is nobody I would rather have in charge of Rangers at the moment." Scotland international Robertson won six Scottish titles, three League Cups and three Scottish Cups in the seven years that he spent as a player at Rangers. During that time, the cultured defender also played alongside Light Blue legend Ian Durrant. And he reckons there is no better man to help McCoist get Rangers back to the top flight than the former midfielder. Robertson said: "Ian is a real character and real Rangers man as well. "I am sure it will hurt him to see the club in the situation they are currently in and he will be keen to get them out of it along with Ally. "Ally and Ian will be doing everything they can to take Rangers back to the Premiership. "Ally was full of records as a player. So who knows? Maybe he will be a record breaker as manager as well. "Maybe he will be the first Rangers manager to win every league in Scotland." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/robertson-ally-has-been-tried-and-tested-151917n.23419367
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......to automatically relegate clubs in administration Doubts over implementing punishment lead to rethink as existing points deductions kept in place The Scottish Professional Football League has abandoned plans to punish clubs who enter administration with automatic demotion. When the proposal was put forward by the president of a lower league club at an SPFL board meeting last October there was initial enthusiasm, with the feeling that such a severe sanction would act as a deterrent for any financially troubled club who viewed administration as a way to wipe out debts and remove employees from their wage bill. However, following several months of negotiations with all 42 member clubs, it has been decided not to place that punishment on the statute books. While support remained for the move, the majority opinion was that there were issues attached to it which could not be immediately resolved. “There was a wide consultation process and we spent time looking at it but, ultimately, the prevailing opinion was that there were complications arising from it which raised other questions,” said a Hampden source. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/scottish-football/10631856/Scottish-football-abandons-plans-to-automatically-relegate-clubs-in-administration.html
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KILMARNOCK chief Johnston rejected a shares deal offered by the Killie Community Working Party, but he promised to stand down as chairman if it would appease those who were unhappy with his running of the club. MICHAEL JOHNSTON last night insisted he won’t sell Kilmarnock to the fans for personal profit. But he promised to stand down as chairman if it would appease punters unhappy with his running of the club. Johnston made that vow as he outlined new plans for Killie that include: * Two new investors each putting a six-figure sum into the Rugby Park outfit. * The formation of the Kilmarnock Community Engagement board, co-opting local politicians to help with the running of the club. * A restructuring of the debt by splitting the football operation and the hotel adjacent to Rugby Park into two separate companies. Johnston was last week asked to name his price for his shares by the Killie Community Working Party, backed by Supporters Direct Scotland. That move followed the collapse of interest in taking over Kilmarnock shown by a consortium of local businessmen. Last night Johnston broke his silence on both issues and told Record Sport about his vision of the future. He said: “What I’m after is new investment and there are two six-figure investors lined up. “I’m not looking to sell shares for personal profit. I want fresh capital for the club in the midst of a restructuring plan. “I’m looking for people who want to help Killie by buying new shares that would merit them taking a seat on the board. “The way forward is not going to be achieved simply by me selling my shares.” Johnston also has no interest in any scheme to buy the club over once he has got rid of its historical debt, which is understood to be £9million. He said: “That would seem like an unusual proposition to me. I’ve put in 11 years of hard work at Rugby Park, eight of them as chairman, but I’m constantly surprised by some of the novel schemes that are suggested. “However, I’m open to the idea of the club having a new chairman if there are people on the new board who are unhappy and want me removed.” In the meantime, Johnston has promised there’s no danger of Killie going into administration. He said: “We’re looking at the football club and hotel being split into separate companies. But there’s no danger of any insolvency event for either. “Good things are happening at Killie and positive news will be announced over the coming weeks. A new board containing local politicians and businessmen has long been an idea of mine and a pathway has been mapped out concerning debt restructuring. “There are other, confidential plans I can’t go into at the moment. But instead of groups putting money in a war chest with the idea of gaining a controlling interest, they would be better off putting it towards Killie’s working capital for the future.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/kilmarnock-chairman-michael-johnston-insists-3139956
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For anyone who hasn't checked it out yet, Gersnet now has a column in Seventy2 mag. In issue 8 we had an article from bluebear54 and in issue 9 which is in the shops now, we have an article from stewarty. In future issues we'll hopefully have articles from amms, andy steel, D'Artagnan and other Gersnet forum members. Check it out!
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While looking how Albion Rovers would welcome the news about their Quarterfinal at Ibrox, I stumbled upon their Squad Fund page ... Reflecting on our stay in SFL 3 last season, Division One this campaign, various cup games and all, has it actually been determined how much money has been handed down to the ailing lower league sides due to our predicament? I would reckon that e.g. Albion Rovers' would be safe from nigh anything thanks to next month's QF tie, as we hand half of our money to them under cup rules? Enforced stay or not, I wonder whether the former SFL 3 sides, nor the Division One teams have anything to complain about?
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........it was really difficult to walk away TIME will eventually heal Rangers' wounds … but the pain remains for Maurice Edu. It is two years on Friday the Light Blues were plunged into administration and the wheels put in motion on a series of events that would see a title-winning squad decimated, Ally McCoist's side drop to Scotland's lowest division and supporters put through an emotional wringer as their club was engulfed in crisis. Edu was one of the last players to jump ship at Ibrox, the American not heading for the exit door until late in August, 2012, as he signed for Premiership side Stoke. By then, a host of his team-mates had long since gone, stalwarts like Steven Naismith, Steven Whittaker and Allan McGregor leaving on free transfers. The actions of some players during that turbulent summer left a sour taste in the mouths of many, but the pain on the terraces was shared in the dressing room. "Everyone was in a different situation and everyone's circumstances were different," Edu told SportTimes. "You can't really compare one situation to another and say 'he should have done that or shouldn't have done that'. "From my point of view, I was in a position where, if I left, I wanted to get the club a fee. It may or may not have impacted on the situation, but I wanted to help. "I was in a position where I was able to do that and it was something I wanted to do. I thought it was a good gesture and a way of giving back to the club as much as I could. "But, as I say, everyone was in a different situation, so I can't comment on what the other guys did. "It was hard for all of us to leave. We had sympathy with the fans. It is the club they support and love, and it was going through a hard time. "Nobody wanted to see it happening to Rangers. It was hard for the players. People were saying 'it is just a job for them, they don't really care'. "But when you have been a part of Rangers, especially for as long as most of us had been there, you grow close to it and it is more than just a club. "We were the Rangers family - the players, the staff, the fans. We all felt close to the club, so it was hard for us to have to part ways and leave under those circumstances." Edu's exit brought a premature end to a successful Ibrox career that saw him win several honours following his £2.6million switch from Toronto in August, 2008. A fourth successive SPL title was in Rangers' sights when their financial collapse turned the club upside down. And the American international is confident there will be a bright future at Ibrox once again. He said: "I enjoyed my time there. It was great for me to be winning trophies and playing in the Champions League and I wish Rangers all the best for the future. "Everyone who has played for the club and supports the club is anxious to see them back where they belong as soon as possible. "Rangers should be winning leagues and cups, and I am sure everyone can't wait to see another Old Firm game. I, and I'm sure my former team-mates, want to see them back where they belong. "Hopefully everything can be sorted and the club will be back at the top soon." As part of the squad that, under the guidance of Walter Smith, saw Rangers dominate domestically after the disastrous Paul Le Guen era, Edu is still fondly remembered by the Light Blue legions. And the 27-year-old admits one moment - his dramatic Old Firm winner at Ibrox four years ago this month - stands out as one of the highlights of a successful Ibrox career. Edu said: "Scoring in any Old Firm game is going to be a great moment and a great experience but, with the circumstances of that game in terms of where we were in the table and the fact it happened in the last seconds, made it all the more special. "I couldn't have written the script any better. It was only a tap-in, but everything around that game made it a special moment, not just for myself but for all of us involved." While Rangers have made good progress on their road to recovery, Edu has endured a frustrating spell since his Gers exit. The midfielder only made a handful of appearances for Stoke but, after returning Stateside, will meet an old friend when his Philadelphia Union side face the Vancouver Whitecaps and striker Kenny Miller. Edu said: "My time at Stoke wasn't ideal and I wasn't playing much. It was important for me to get back playing, especially in a World Cup year, so when the opportunity came up, it was an easy decision for me. "It will be good to play against Kenny. I haven't seen him for a while. But I still followed his career and he has done well since coming to the MLS. It will be good to catch up with him." A return across the pond is a timely one for Edu as he looks to kick-start his career and sets his sights on Brazil. And he admits a second stint in Light Blue would be another dream come true. Edu said: "I definitely wouldn't rule it out. You never know what can happen. "I really enjoyed my time at Rangers and it is a club I will always hold dear to my heart and support and follow what is going on. "If I ended up coming back in the future, that would be really great." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/we-were-part-of-the-ibrox-familyit-was-really-difficult-to-walk-away-151744n.23408918
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I don't have the article but suspect you can get all the info you need from this page shown on facebook:
