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Rangers boss Ally McCoist claimed he was not bothered as his team's 100 per cent record in League One was ended with a 1-1 draw against Stranraer. The Ibrox men harboured hopes of winning all their matches in the third-tier this season but were undone with a stoppage-time equaliser from Jamie Longworth. McCoist admitted his team were below par, and felt the visitors could have got more from the game. He said: "I will be 100 per cent honest with you - I actually couldn't give a monkey's about the record. I really couldn't. "I'm not interested in the record, I'm only concerned about the level of performance that we gave and it was extremely disappointing. "It was a really disappointing day for us. Certainly I'm of the opinion that Stranraer more than deserved their point." I can remember a time when we had ambition.

Dunfermline- The Height of Hypocrisy By Stephstar For any bear attending this match I hope the words of John Yorkston rings deafening in their ears! 2nd June 2012 – source: Daylate Rhebel. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/dunfermline-chief-john-yorkston-rangers-1128190 DUNFERMLINE chief John Yorkston says the SFA have no choice but to boot Rangers out of the game because a Scottish Cup ban is too soft. The Pars chairman saw his club kicked out of the cup in 2010 for clerical mistakes that saw them field the suspended Calum Woods as a sub in a 7-1 win over Stenhousemuir. They are far from the only ones with Spartans, Brechin City and East Stirling all having been expelled from the competition for fielding ineligible players through honest mistakes. So Yorkston insists it would be ludicrous to deal Rangers the same punishment for dodging taxes and putting the nation’s football future in jeopardy by pursuing the SFA through civil courts., So 19 months later… we have seen Dunfermline enter administration (without punishment) and exit via ZERO pence in the pounds CVA, while openly gloating that each and every Rangers game this season will take them one step closer to profitability. Of course no one wants to mention the £134K tax bill they walked away from do they! Never mind the £12 Million in debts to organisations such as the Red Cross/NHS Fife (£2 Million +) or even the £1200+ currently owed to Rangers OldCo’s creditors after all they got their ZERO pence CVA, so that makes it okay doesn’t it! I’ll bet they throw the red carpet out for the current board, while reducing the attendance by over 7000 just as they did for the last match they played Rangers in the SPhell. I doubt if hector will worry about the lost revenues after all. So any rangers fan who does attend Monday’s match can go home happy that no matter what the result at East End Park, they’ve proven that it’s profitable to be lying cheating scum (as long as you are kicking Rangers).

Kris Boyd will end a three-year international hiatus by joining the Scotland squad on the flight to Norway tomorrow ahead of Tuesday’s International Challenge Match in Molde. Boyd was drafted in to the squad by Gordon Strachan to replace Steven Fletcher, with the Sunderland striker permitted by the national coach to return to his club after playing in Friday night’s 0-0 draw against the USA at Hampden Park. The 30-year-old Kilmarnock striker last appeared for his country in a 2-1 victory against Liechtenstein in the UEFA European Championship qualifier at Hampden Park in September 2010. Boyd, who played under the Scotland national coach at Middlesbrough, has stated his desire to add to his 18 caps and seven goals for his country since returning to the SPFL Premiership and rejoining his home-town team, Kilmarnock, after a spell in Major League Soccer with the Portland Timbers. “I never gave up hope of playing for my country again and I am grateful to Gordon for giving me that chance,” he said en route to the team hotel. “I have always felt I can make a contribution at international level and knew that if I kept working hard my chance would come again. Hopefully I can get involved against Norway and show people what I am still capable of at the highest level.” Gordon explained he had no hesitation in turning to Boyd to supplement his attacking options after losing Fletcher, Matt Phillips and Jordan Rhodes from his original squad. “Kris has always said he was determined to return to the international squad. Now he has that opportunity again and I am delighted for him,” said Gordon. “He is a terrific professional who works hard on his game. Having spoken to a lot of people about him, they are of the same opinion as me – that Kris is an asset to any squad with his goalscoring capabilities. “He is playing regularly again at Kilmarnock and that sharpness made him a natural choice when looking for a striker to replace Steven.” Scotland have allowed Grant Hanley to return to his club after experiencing muscle tightness after his part in Scotland’s draw on Friday night, with Charlie Mulgrew also given leave for the trip to Norway.

THERE are certain gifts we all dread receiving at this time of year ... Eric Caldow played in front of 35,000 fans for Rangers on Christmas Day but Rangers fans got possibly the worst present ever on Christmas Day way back in 1965. Their team were edged out 3-2 by visiting Dunfermline at Ibrox in the league. And that painful reverse allowed their Old Firm rivals Celtic to leapfrog them into top spot in the table. Football matches used to be played as normal on Christmas Day if it happened to fall on a Saturday. And Scot Symon's team found themselves up against a formidable side managed by Willie Cunningham on that date 48 years ago. The Gers, who fielded legends like Eric Caldow, Willie Henderson and Willie Johnston, were leading the race for the Scottish title at the time. So nobody, not the players and not the supporters, minded fulfilling the fixture on December 25 in the slightest. "We opened our Christmas presents in the morning and played football in the afternoon," recalled Caldow. "We didn't think we should stop playing just because it was Christmas Day. It was brilliant, great fun." The fans were certainly happy to forego the turkey and mulled wine to see their heroes play and 35,000 turned up. But Dunfermline - for whom a certain Alex Ferguson played up front - were nobody's fools. They had just missed out on being crowned champions the season before when they finished only a point behind Kilmarnock. The Fife club ended up edging a thrilling encounter in Glasgow thanks to a double from Scotland international Hugh Robertson and a strike by Bert Paton. Goals from Jim Forrest and George McLean ultimately meant nothing for the home team whose supporters trudged back home disappointed. The fact that across the city Celtic had thrashed Morton 8-1 at Parkhead to go top of the league on goal average did not help their mood. Caldow said: "I played for Rangers for 16 years and throughout that time we always had good teams. The team we had at that time was no exception. "But we had lost Jim Baxter the previous summer. Jim was as slow as treacle. But, boy, was he good on the ball. All I had myself was pace. I couldn't tackle a fish supper! If I got in trouble I would pass it to Jim and he would do something with it. "We did miss him. Dunfermline were a very good team at that time, too. They had players like Alex Edwards, Hugh Robertson and Alex Ferguson." Ferguson failed to get on the scoresheet that day despite enjoying what he would later describe was the best season of his playing career. The future Manchester United boss scored 45 goals in 51 games - form that would earn him a move to his boyhood heroes Rangers in 1967. Robert McElroy, the author of several books on the history of Rangers, was standing on the terraces at that Christmas Day match against Dunfermline. "With five goals scored it was a thrilling game," he said. "Dunfermline had a very good side at that time and, what's more, were something of a bogey team for Rangers. "Rangers went a couple of years without beating them. In the 1964/65 season, when Dunfermline finished runners-up, Rangers lost home and away against them. "Fergie didn't score that day. But he had a habit of scoring goals against Rangers. He had scored a couple against them at East End Park the year before. "But it was no disgrace to lose to Dunfermline. They qualified regularly for Europe at that time and had some outstanding results. They knocked Everton out of the Fairs' Cities Cup. "It was quite normal for games to be played on Christmas Day if it fell on a Saturday. New Year was a far bigger occasion in Scotland around that time." McElroy added: "The Rangers team at that time was not in the same class as that of the early 1960s when they could field the likes of Baxter, McMillan, Millar, Brand and Wilson. "They were a decent, hard-working side. But they were missing John Greig that day. Roger Hynd, the nephew of Bill and Bob Shankly, played in defence." McElroy, though, believes the consequences of that Christmas Day defeat to Dunfermline were far- reaching for Rangers. He explained: "Celtic went ahead at the top of the league table on goal average that day. Jock Stein's side would go on and win the league by two points that season. "If Rangers had won the league that season there would have been no Nine-In- A-Row and no European Cup triumph in Lisbon for Celtic. "Rangers badly missed the class and skill of Baxter that season. He wanted to stay at Rangers. But he wanted more money so he left and joined Sunderland. "He was only after £75 a week. Rangers paid a heavy price, then, for refusing to give him what he was looking for." Rangers only ever played one more game on Christmas Day after that and the outcome was far more satisfactory for their followers. In 1971, they took on Hibs through at Easter Road - and won 1-0 thanks to a last-minute winner from striker Colin Stein. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/christmas-day-match-turned-into-a-turkey-for-light-blues-fans-146366n.23028800

Has liewell told diddy dumbcaster to sweep it under the carpet with everything else ? Was there another SPFL enquiry into the H block banners at the Abergreen game too ?

WITH 18 goals in his first 19 games for Rangers, there is no reason for Jon Daly to be anything less than satisfied with his efforts for the Ibrox club so far. However, the striker has revealed a painful source of regret that his prolific strike rate for the runaway League One leaders took some time to kick in. Daly is coming to terms with the recent death of his father, John, a guiding light throughout his career. Thrilled by his son’s move to Rangers from Dundee United last summer, Daly senior travelled from Dublin to watch him take his Ibrox bow against Brechin City in August. The 30-year-old failed to find the target that afternoon, during a settling-in period with his new club which saw him score just three times in his first seven appearances. Daly has since been instrumental in Rangers’ current 20-match winning run, which they hope to extend at home to Stranraer this afternoon, scoring 15 goals in his last 12 outings. Yet it still nags at Daly that he drew a blank on the day his father headed across the Irish Sea. “The season could probably have gone even better for me so far, to be honest,” reflected Daly. “I could have had a few more goals. I missed a few on my Ibrox debut against Brechin City. I still beat myself up about that. “My dad was over to watch that game against Brechin and never got to see me score at Ibrox. It would have been great for him to see that. “At the time of my move to Ibrox, I spoke to my dad and he was delighted that a club like Rangers were in for me. He told me to jump at the chance. I think I’d pretty much made my mind up that I was coming anyway, but it was nice that he was full of enthusiasm for the move. “He did give me stick for not scoring in that first game! That’s the way he was, he used to have that kind of banter with me. But he was very proud and hopefully I can still do him proud in the future.” Daly has been an unquestionable success on the signing front for Rangers manager Ally McCoist who now faces the prospect of trimming his squad next month as the club’s new chief executive Graham Wallace addresses the continuing financial difficulties at Ibrox. “If the squad has to be cut in size, then it will happen and we will deal with it at the time,” Daly said. “It’s not something I’ve been focusing on. That’s not me not caring – of course I care. But I just want to focus on my football and do my best for the club. Whatever happens happens. “That’s football. Players come and players go. You build up a good squad and then, for whatever reason, players have to leave. “I can’t speak for the rest of the boys, but personally I try not to focus on things off the park. I concentrate on training, my own routine and playing games. I try to do the right thing on the pitch. Whatever happens off the pitch is out of our hands, we can’t control it. If you start worrying about what’s happening off the park, it can affect you on the park. It wasn’t really an issue for me when I signed. I knew there were still a few problems but it was never going to stop me signing. “It’s a massive football club and even if you’d told me back then that they would still be having problems now, I would still have signed. “I’m sure there are one or two lads who do focus on what happens off the park, but I don’t think you can let it affect you. It will affect your performances and if that happens, you will find yourself out of the team. “There is plenty of competition for places, which for a club like Rangers is healthy. You do need that, it keeps players on edge. At other clubs I’ve been at, you could get away with having one or two bad games and still find yourself in the team. But if you have two or three bad games here, you’re not going to play in the next one.” Rangers are three games away from beating the club record of 22 consecutive victories set back in 1898-99, albeit they are not operating in the top flight. Daly says that will not be in their thoughts this afternoon. “If we start looking too far down the line, that’s when you take your eye off the ball and can lose a game,” he said. “We need to focus fully on Stranraer, take three points if we can, then move on to the next game.” http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl-lower-divisions/jon-daly-s-ibrox-regret-fuels-appetite-for-goals-1-3246924

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/449976/Fringe-Rangers-players-face-an-Ibrox-exit

RANGERS will need a £10 million cash injection to stay afloat in the next 18 months, according to former chairman Malcolm Murray. The club’s complex ownership structure, as well as the discontent from supporters at the continued presence of finance director Brian Stockbridge on the board, also has Murray concerned about the ability to attract such investment. The businessman was one of the four “requisitioners” who failed to be voted on to the Ibrox board at Thursday’s annual general meeting, but Murray believes the outcome of that event, which witnessed loud booing of any contribution from Stockbridge, will not be “the line in the sand” hoped for by new club chief executive Graham Wallace, who has also admitted Rangers need “external funds” in the medium term. Murray said: “Unless they can pull a few rabbits out of hats I don’t see who will invest in the club if the board remains exactly the way it is presently.” Murray said. “In the next three months there have to be changes. I’m pretty sure they won’t be able to go back to the same institutional investors for more money with the current board set-up. The bulk of them certainly wouldn’t do it. The danger now is that the institutional investors pile out of this, because they are fed up. I’m not saying it will happen, but there is a danger that I’m worried about. “If that happens, the share price goes down and the cost of raising capital goes up, by definition. This thing needs an injection of roughly £10m over the next 18 months.” Murray claimed that 40 million 25p shares would be required to raise that sum. However, issuing such a large number of shares would dilute the existing shareholding of current investors and Murray insisted that would be “terrible” for the financial institutions who have already put money into the club. He added: “They could equally end up sitting on stock that isn’t highly valued but remains a global brand. “However, it is a mix-up because it has institutional investors, fans, private investors, and this mysterious block of 40-odd per cent [of shares] that seems to control it [the club] in Laxley, Blue Pitch, Charles Green’s old shares and Mike Ashley.” South Africa-based businessman Dave King has claimed that he was the only person he felt would be willing to invest in Rangers at present but chief executive Wallace presented a different picture. He said: “We will need investment as we go forward. What I don’t want to say is we need a figure of X million pounds because, until we’ve examined the structure of the organisation, and what we need [over] the next 18 months, it’s premature to put a figure on it. As I went round talking to institutions in the last several weeks, they said they were willing to increase their investment provided the club can demonstrate stability and leadership and the semblance of a solid plan.” Wallace is not planning talks with King but neither does he rule him out. “I’ve never met Dave King or had any conversations with him,” he added. “When we have developed the plan to determine the level of funding we need, we’ll engage with a wide constituency. I wouldn’t rule anybody out. If that includes Mr King, we’ll deal with that at the time” http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/latest/rangers-need-10m-to-stay-afloat-malcolm-murray-1-3242193

Some interesting thoughts from Alan Harris (aka Brahim Hemdani) Company democracy v Club democracy

Hear me out, as I'm sure plenty will disagree. We probably have as much of a fragmented support after the AGM as we had before, if not more. So, like at any negotiating table the way to start trying to bring the factions at war together is to look for a common ground. I haven't seen one faction of our support yet who doesn't support Graham Wallace. Could he be key to bringing a common cause amongst all the support? To me the worry at the moment with Graham Wallace is: Has he been used as a temporary placement to placate investors ahead of the AGM? Will he have real autonomy when he tries to implement measures (and sackings) he sees fit? Will the incumbents care too much if they bump Wallace, now that they have won their battle? Do the present board have autonomy themselves, or are they puppets for someone else, who doesn't have to face the public if Wallace gets pushed out for rocking the boat? What about the fans getting behind an ultimatum of ' We trust Wallace. We will refrain from any boycotts on one condition - nothing happens to Wallace for x amount of time' We of course would have to put our trust in Wallace that he will be true to himself and push for changes he feels are necessary (and also trust that he has not been 'bought'), but in truth I think we feel that anyway. What we gain is protecting against him having been used as a pawn for an AGM result, unless of course they are going to be so blatant that was the case. Then they deserve the backlash that would come. Couldn't we unite behind that?

A tragic event happened at Saughton Astro on Sunday 22nd December 2013, a young boy playing for the Under 14s, Jamie Skinner, playing the game he loved, lost his life on the pitch. In an innocuous event during the game Jamie collapsed and despite the valiant attempts of everyone at the game, and the ambulance service, attempts to revive him were sadly in vain. Although Jamie was new to our Tynecastle family, he had up until recently been playing for Hearts, he was a prospect that un-doubtly would have had a bright future in the game. No words can fully express our grief and dismay at seeing this happen, we can only pass on all our thoughts and prayers to friends and family and hope they will get some strength from the out pouring of love and support from everyone. Everyone at Tynecastle is in total shock at what has happened, and we are sure the youth football community will join with us in also thinking of all the players, coaches and supporters at the game who witnessed this sad event, and the club also thanks everyone who tried to assist. As a mark of respect all Tynecastle teams will hold a minutes silence before their next game. http://www.tynecastlefc.co.uk/newsstory.php?nid=488 Tragic news.

http://www.ecaeurope.com/PageFiles/6175/ECA%20Youth%20Report%20on%20Academies_A4_SECURE_final.pdf Really interesting read above - All clubs of a similar stature to ourselves and their youth academies! How do we view our youth academy(is it one?) as of now? I was really encouraged by the number of young players we brought through last season. However this season I have been quite disenchanted by the number playing for us. Looking at the current XI we have Clark, MacLeod, Aird, of an age where we can real sell on value. The likes of Crawford, MacKay, Macausland, Gasporotto all seem to have went backwards in their development - However this is just an assumption looking in. I was encouraged by the new CEO comments on youth development as I see it as a major growth area for our club in the next decade or so. The last midweek game at home to Forfar we changed McCulloch for Cribari at 4-0 - this is what worries me on how Ally views are youth at the moment. Is he the right man for this plan if this is the route we will take. How can we improve it? It might be a bit unpopular but signing Smith, Foster is absolutely crazy for me. How on earth can these players improve Rangers in the future? It would be interesting to see if the club has a set philosophy on developing talent.

Three members of the Rangers board have lodged complaints to the police after violent threats were made against them. Rangers chairman Sandy Easdale, his brother James and Brian Stockbridge all received threats on a fans website. One image on the website, which cannot be named, contained a picture of Stockbridge with the caption stating "where is Lee Harvey Oswald when we need him". Another posting advocates "torching" McGill's Buses, which are owned by the Easdale brothers. Stockbridge, the Rangers financial director, was one of the five board members re-elected at Thursday's annual general meeting. Solicitors have asked police to investigate violent threats made against him and the Easdales. http://t.co/mPyqWbn2OR

THE treble-winning manager insists Ally McCoist is building for bigger challenges in the future and cannot afford to lose his best players. ALEX McLEISH has pleaded with the re-elected Rangers board not to dismantle Ally McCoist’s squad as a quick fix to their cash problems. Light Blues chief executive Graham Wallace admitted at Thursday’s agm that a “rigorous review of our football squad” could take place as the club looks to cut costs despite a £22million share issue a year ago. The Gers money men are also trying to find finance amid fears they could run out of cash by April and McLeish knows only too well how cashing in on players is sometimes the easiest option. But the former treble-winning boss is well aware from his own time at Ibrox that there’s only one outcome when you flog your best assets on the park – and he doesn’t want to see McCoist suffer. Rangers fans fear top performer Lee Wallace could be targeted in the January window with the club’s financial position making them vulnerable to cash offers. The latest set of annual accounts showed McCoist’s playing budget of £8m was £2m less than the overall costs for non-playing staff with a string of directors and executives coining it in and some receiving bumper pay-offs as the coffers have been all but emptied. McLeish knows the current Rangers squad is a cut above their League One rivals but insists McCoist is building for bigger challenges ahead and facing Celtic again in the top flight. Eck told Record Sport: “When a club is looking to raise cash the easy option is just to sell your biggest playing assets. “I hope they don’t sell players as a quick fix because it would set back Ally’s building plans. “Lee Wallace is the one people are talking about as being of the biggest value. Now, Ally might have enough cover to get away with losing Lee Wallace now but what about in two years if they are in the Premiership? “That is what the Rangers board have to be aiming towards – backing the manager to build a team capable of challenging in the top flight. “Lee Wallace is a great player and I’m sure he would be great for Coisty in the next level. “Let the new board back Ally McCoist. There’s top businessmen in there with the Easdales and Graham Wallace so they’ve got to make sure Rangers get back to the top level. “Ally has done the job. I went to five or six games last season and it wasn’t pretty stuff but he got the guys over the line. “He’s made it more attractive this season, albeit they’ve won games late in the second half, and that’s probably due to the great coaching and training and top class people at Murray Park. “But it’s also because of the quality so they shouldn’t lose that. I saw Jon Daly in his first game against Brechin City at Ibrox and he missed four sitters and people were writing him off. “I said to myself, ‘He will score a barrowload for Rangers’ and he’s proving that already. “It’s now of huge importance that Ally gets the chance to work with his players and build a team that will be able to get to the top flight and challenge Celtic again in the long term.” McLeish lost key players during his time at Rangers when the club needed cash and his reputation suffered in a trophyless season before David Murray backed him with cash again and he paid the then owner back with the title. That’s why Eck believes it’s simple – provide a manager with quality players and you will reap the rewards. The 54-year-old said: “I know how difficult it is as a manager when you lose your best players. “I joked the other day about the agm after my first full season in charge and we’d won the treble. One shareholder said, ‘Alex, you walk on water’ and I said, ‘I hope you’re saying that next year’. “But we lost a lot of quality – Barry Ferguson, Claudio Caniggia, Arthur Numan left, we sold Lorenzo Amoruso and Neil McCann and Ronald de Boer’s knee was causing problems. “There’s only one way you’re quality is going to go when you lose your best players and that’s down the way – and to be fair the next season after we lost players David Murray backed me. “We secured two fantastic Bosmans early on in Jean-Alain Boumsong and Dado Prso and we ended up winning the League and Cup double. “I’m not saying you don’t need a manager but when I asked Arsene Wenger what made a great manager he said ‘Great players’. “That’s true and it’s true at every level. The current Rangers squad might not be Barcelona-level players but they are a cut above the level they’re playing at now and they’re the guys who will get Coisty to the next division. “It won’t be easy next season in the Championship and if he starts to lose that quality then he’ll get criticised just like I did and suddenly you think you’re hopeless but that’s not the case. “Coisty knows the game inside out but he needs players. I’d hope the likes of the Easdale brothers would back Coisty big time.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/former-rangers-boss-alex-mcleish-2947887

Luca Gasparotto to Stirling Albion Calum Gallacher to East Stirling

I wrote the above paragraph a few weeks ago in an article which was published in the inaugural launch of WATP magazine. Much of course has changed during that time with the coming and going of the AGM, and the confirmation of our board of directors. Even as a fence sitter throughout all of this, I cannot hide my inward disappointment that Brian Stockbridge remains on the board. But perhaps in that regard I am being unfair to Mr Stockbridge as I don’t have in my possession the information which allows me to make an informed choice. I don’t know for instance whether he, in his role as financial director, was merely rubber stamping the overly generous bonuses previous board members had arranged for themselves, nor for instance what part, (as has been claimed in this overloaded propaganda war) nominee Malcolm Murray had in the setting of such bonuses. That will always be the case of course so long as the Rangers support remains dis-empowered and disenfranchised from the systems and processes I alluded to several weeks ago. But the system and process which determines the make up of the Rangers board has spoken, and furthermore it has spoken in a way which is democratic. We may not all like the results it has delivered but that, I’m afraid, is life. Of course, we can attempt to usurp that democratic process. and there has already been talk of boycotts with regard to season tickets and club merchandise, and I have no doubt such action will make those who clearly wield power – institutional investors – sit up and take notice. Notwithstanding the damage such boycotts would cause to our club, perhaps we should also consider the damage such action would cause to democratic process and what kind of “notice” would be initiated within institutional investors ? If the democratic process to elect a board is usurped by way of boycotts, a refusal to accept the decisions that process has delivered, do you think this will instil confidence in any future investment in the club from others ? Ask yourself this – would you invest heavily in an institution where your majority shareholding and the decisions you make relative to that investment, through proper process, can be overturned by the militant actions of others with a lesser shareholding ? I don’t like where our club sits at present, nor do I have complete confidence in those who are charged with taking us out of our current predicament and to another place. But given the choice between giving them a chance as opposed to damaging both club and destroying confidence in that democratic process – then I know which one I will choose. Season Ticket renewed.

http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/209-is-it-time-to-move-on It’s been a long time coming but finally the Rangers AGM arrived and at last we have some clarity on just how well supported the incumbent board is. In fact, the result was pretty conclusive – certainly for most of the Directors up for reappointment while those externally up for nomination struggled to achieve as much support. Therefore, whilst the issue of backing may not be as straightforward as it seems, no-one can deny it should now be time to move on and allow the club some space to consolidate its position. Such an abeyance of hostilities is essential for two main reasons: one, to give the ‘new’ board some time to deliver on their promises, and, two, to hopefully ensure the support doesn’t rip itself apart after a quite ludicrous period of belligerent disagreement between so-called rival factions of fans. So where are we now? Yesterday’s AGM statement to the London Stock Exchange revealed a short term ‘120 day strategic focus’ for the board on a range of important matters: including a detailed business review and attempts to re-engage with the fans to better capture our opinions. Along with other strategies highlighted in the statement, the aims are impressive and I doubt many fans would challenge them. However, we’ve heard similar buzz-words and phrases before – from Sir David Murray, Craig Whyte and Charles Green – all of whom failed to take the business forward during this modern era of austerity. What can this mandated ‘new board’ do differently? Let’s start with its make-up. Despite the institutional confidence placed upon most of the nominated incumbents yesterday, the scenes at the AGM were quite frankly incredible with specific focus on Finance Director Brian Stockbridge. It seems clear now that not only do thousands of fans have an issue with his position but also the vast bulk of the 1600 shareholders present yesterday. Moreover, the fact over 30% of other investors do not consider him re-electable arguably makes his position untenable on its own. However, add in his flawed performance and questionable behaviour of the last year then if the board is serious about trust, transparency and staff ‘pride’ in Rangers then Stockbridge must be moved on. Anything else would cast serious doubt on those that wish to lead the club back to success. Of course the rest of the board, other than Graham Wallace, don’t convince either. Neither Easdale brother speaks well or commands the respect of the support while new chairman David Somers appears inconsistent in his approach – one day signing his name to daft and inflammatory ‘open letters’, while the next saying he has no problem with people he previously labelled as selfish ‘fanatics’. It seems clear Mr Somers needs to familiarise himself with the high profile nature of the Rangers chairmanship and quick. Fortunately, new CEO Graham Wallace has been more measured in his approach so it’s not a surprise to see him warmly received by all so far. Mr Wallace can and should use this to his advantage by acting as a conduit to both investors and fans in the months ahead. With the above in mind, it seems obvious the board will need strengthened if the club’s 120 day plan is to be successful. I’m not sure adding either Murray to the mix will help but I’d hope Scott Murdoch and the impressive Alex Wilson are considered given Cenkos already gave their approval to their applications earlier in the year. That would go some way to bringing everyone around the same table ahead of the April finances ‘D’ Day. Speaking of which, obviously Dave King should be another who must be consulted with, even if his past and recent performance remains worthy of debate. I’m sure there are others out there who could add the right mix of independent business talent and Rangers-mindedness to improve the board. One such name I’ve heard mentioned is John McClure of Unicorn Asset Management who own(ed) upwards of 400,000 pre-IPO shares in the club. No matter who joins this board, the pressure will be high to deliver on their statement of yesterday. However, they do deserve time to implement the changes promised – just how much time may be reliant on their ongoing performance. For example, the issue of Jack Irvine’s retention cannot be kicked into the long grass. Moving on from the board the next important issue is that of the fans. The way many people (mostly online) have turned on each other over the last 6 months has been nothing short of remarkable. It seems polite disagreement cannot happen nowadays with insult and abuse being preferred instead. This has to stop and stop now. If not, our club will be easy pickings for those who wish to use it in a way to benefit themselves only. It also offers an easy excuse for the club not to engage with the fans as it should. Of course it doesn’t help that our fan groups seem so badly advised while struggling generally as well. I don’t blame the Trust, Assembly or Association for believing in the likes of successful businessman Jim McColl but jumping into his camp with both feet meant any sort of negotiation with the board was always going to be difficult. Add in their collective failure to achieve widespread support within the fan-base (via active membership more than anything else) then it’s debatable just how important the club will see them in the future. This is a great shame when we examine fine initiatives such as BuyRangers but perhaps something new can arise from embers of the existing groups? Hearts and Dunfermline fans have shown the way in this respect so we should be looking to them for inspiration. I’d certainly suggest each fan group outlines its own 120 day plan to show they’re capable of improvement. Only then may the club (and most importantly more fans) feel engagement with them is worthwhile. All in all despite yesterday’s conclusive AGM vote, uncertainty remains and that should be a concern for us all – the club director, the investor and the ‘ordinary’ fan. Indeed, financing the club is the biggest issue ahead and this can only be achieved by everyone working together for the greater good. We can all make sacrifices in that regard so I’d urge all involved to examine their contribution and ask if the betterment of Rangers is really their aim. If it’s not, then yesterday’s farcical AGM scenes will only be the start of more stormy waters ahead. That cannot be allowed to happen. Thus, in the spirit of Christmas and New Year, this is an opportunity to offer goodwill to others and start afresh in 2014. In that regard I’d like to wish all my fellow fans a happy holiday season and all the very best for the next year. Rest and be merry as, for the boardroom and the fan groups at least, the clock is ticking: 120 days and counting!

http://t.co/akFr5PEKH3 Rangers chairman David Somers believes the "majority" of the Light Blues' support trust the board despite the stormy scenes at the club's annual general meeting at Ibrox on Thursday and recent fans' protests. The Rangers board were booed on to the stage at the AGM but emerged triumphant after all five directors were re-elected and their four opponents failed in their bid to be appointed. Under-fire finance director Brian Stockbridge, who received a particularly rough ride from those who attended the AGM, received 65.3 per cent backing from shareholders while his four colleagues, Norman Crighton, James Easdale and chief executive Graham Wallace, who subsequently won over most of the body of the meeting, all secured more than three-quarters of the support. The four so-called requisitioners - former Rangers oldco director Paul Murray, former chairman Malcolm Murray, Alex Wilson and Scott Murdoch - all polled close to 30 per cent of votes to scupper their hopes. However, despite a clear mandate from shareholders, the fall-out from the meeting had Gers supporters and fans' representatives talking about boycotts and refusing to renew season tickets amid general disgruntlement. Asked if he accepted there was a lack of trust in the board from the fans, Somers told Press Association Sport: "Just at the beginning (of the AGM) there were boos but the rest of the meeting was very orderly. "I was pleased that I got a nice round of applause after my speech which I thought was very generous of them. "I thought the questions were fair and overall, I thought the mood of the meeting was very positive. "Hopefully it cleared the air and we can build on that and take the club forward in terms of stability. "I think there is trust from the majority of the fans but having looked at the dark corporate history of the club, I understand why, for some of the fans' groups, there is some distrust. It is our job to build up the trust but it will take time. "And actually, if we look at the result of the AGM, you can see quite clearly that were massive support for the board. "It is also interesting to see that the requisitioners didn't have the level of support from the fans that they were saying they had got - we can see that from the numbers." Somers, whose position was made permanent last month after he was given the chairmanship on an interim period, dismissed the fans' red card display at the last home game against Ayr United. In the 18th and 72nd minutes of the match, the majority of the 45,227 crowd held up cards which had written on them 'get out of our club' and 'vote out the current board'. "I wasn't at that particular one but I have had several emails from people who said they were led to believe that the red card display was about apartheid so there seems to be some confusion among the fans as to what they were displaying," said Somers. "But we have taken on board that we have got to engage with the fans, the supporters groups and we have plans to do just that." Indeed, one of the biggest gripes of Paul Murray and the fans' representatives in the acrimonious lead-up to the AGM was the failure of the board to enter into dialogue with supporters. Somers, who revealed he had been appointed to the chairman's post by Stockbridge and Easdale after being recommended by club advisors Daniel Stewart, explained his reticence. "A lot of it has been time-related," he said. "I have only been on the board four weeks, Graham has only been on the board three weeks. "I spent the first two weeks interviewing nine or 10 CEOs and also interviewing a bunch of non-executive directors and that took up quite a bit of time. "We knew the AGM was important so it meant we went round all the institutional shareholder groups and said, 'Here we are and this is what we plan to do' and we were using up time that should have been used in normal circumstances for the fan groups. "I think we reassured the fans (at the AGM) that we have to engage much more with them than we have been doing. "Some (meetings) have already taken place. Graham has already had two or three meetings." Somers, however, admits there are no plans to invite a fans' representative on to the board. "I think a fan on the board would be a very singular situation," he said. "We are looking to set up a mechanism by which we can engage more democratically with the fans and get more fan representation. "That is something that we will be talking with the fans groups about. "There are various options. One option is to have a fan advisory board where we have a number of supporter groups on it. " Somers also confirmed that there were no plans to invite any of the requisitioners on to the board. He said: "Not at the moment, no. The shareholders have made their decision so we have to respect what the shareholders have said." A "final statement" released to Press Association Sport on behalf of the requisitioners read: "Now that the dust has settled after yesterday's result we thought it was important to make a few final comments. "First and foremost, we would like to thank everyone who voted for us, particularly the fans whose overwhelming support has galvanised us throughout this process. "Secondly, we think it is important that yesterday's result is put in context. The reality is that Brian Stockbridge's vote and our vote was determined by a very small number of shareholders. "Four shareholders, Easdale proxy, Laxey, Mike Ashley and Zeus Capital control almost 50 per cent of the shares. Obviously none of them voted for us and all of them voted for Brian Stockbridge. "We therefore achieved 60 per cent support from the remainder of the shareholders whilst Brian Stockbridge achieved 30 per cent. "That said it was a democratic vote and we stand by the result. "We are proud of our campaign. We have brought all of the issues to the fore and we have exposed the mismanagement of the club. "This has brought positive board change particularly in the shape of Graham Wallace. "We now hope that he is given the authority to make his mark without outside influences. "Finally we wish Ally and the team continued success in the future." Copyright PA Sport 2013, All Rights Reserved

Our Chief Executive said yesterday we would have to cut back with our spending which has been too high since we began life in the bottom tier last season. With the club allegedly losing £1 million I'm just wondering how these costs will be cut. I know Ally has said he would take a substantial paycut and I'd imagine the rest of the backroom staff will be doing the same but the only other way I can see Wallace making the cuts required is to sell our best players (Wallace, MacLeod) or get rid of the high earners at the club.

By Chris Graham The votes are in, the results are known and the status quo remains. The nominee directors have apparently failed to convince enough of the large institutional investors that change is needed and we now face at least an immediate future with the men who had already been appointed to the board. There is no question that the appointment of Graham Wallace has been a major factor in the board being successful en masse. Had the EGM gone ahead it is very likely that none of the old board would have survived. To suggest that Wallace's credibility has rubbed off on them would be a major understatement, but with that vote of confidence comes a large responsibility and it is a responsibility that he should be well aware of given the extremely hostile reception the board received from shareholders who attended yesterday's AGM. http://www.therangersstandard.co.uk/index.php/articles/current-affairs/302-over-to-you-mr-wallace

Not going myself so am hoping a few lads I trust to tweet accurately will keep us informed through the meeting. The Rangers board have already arrived ahead of the 10.30am start.

One small point I would like to bring up , after it was raised a few times int the AGM thread , our dear rivals over in the east have to date had 4 share issues , they also have long term loans to both the co-op and GCC of over £35 million quid . However I do appreciate that they are miles ahead of us in bringing in and selling players , yet some of these we could have had before them had we not been paralysed by the EBT debacle , so we can get back to something like a decent selling club . All is not rosey over there

Annual General Meeting statement

From PA Sport http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/football-king-murray-help-gers-board-151342908--sow.html