Search the Community

Murray claims current board are not at Ibrox for the love of Rangers and insists fans will not put up with it any longer Malcolm Murray has insisted a cleansing clear-out of Rangers must be instigated this week - and implored investors and supporters among the shareholding ranks to seize the opportunity to bring long-lost trust and transparency back to Ibrox. Murray, who stepped down as chairman in May and was ousted as director in July, is among a quartet of Rangers-supporting and highly-respected, successful businessmen hoping to drive through change at Thursday’s AGM and be voted on to the board. His will has been emboldened by the wishes of the Rangers fans he’s met - from City of London boardrooms to supporters’ meetings in Glasgow and Belfast - that the club they’ve supported for life is rid of the mistrust and expensive revolving-door policy involving the hierarchy. ‘The fans are the most vociferous about changing the whole lot,’ said Murray. ‘Yet protests have been elegant and diplomatic. No intimidation. It brings a tear to your eye. I am absolutely astounded by the reaction. I’ve known guys who are self-employed taking days off to go to London, to see people, organise protests, do media. Those fans deserve their club back. ‘It needs a big clean-up. The current incumbents are not there for the love of Rangers and it does worry me. Sometimes you have to follow your instinct. I can’t prove my feelings but I’ve been around long enough to judge managements. ‘This is just a nightmare, the most difficult corporate governance situation I have ever seen.’ Rangers responded to Murray’s claims concerning the board’s motivation, a spokesman insisting: ‘They are there to bring corporate governance to the club, which Malcolm Murray patently failed to do, and to protect the interests of investors which Malcolm Murray failed to do.’ Murray was appointed chairman as Charles Green swept to power in a blaze of bombast and consortium backers in the summer of 2012 but the pair were fated not to get along. Murray speaks of a ‘gradual’ feeling of unease with the people he was dealing with inside Rangers, rather than one dumbstruck moment of fear that the club might be in the wrong hands once again. ‘I said to many investors as early as January that, if this was any other company, I’d have to leave,’ he said. ‘They said: “You’ve got to stick in there”. With hindsight - and I think Walter Smith would agree - we should both have resigned much earlier and tried to sort this from the outside.’ He has been on the outside for five months since leaving with Phil Cartmell when James Easdale was appointed as a non-executive director. Murray has since worked alongside former director Paul Murray, Scott Murdoch and Alex Wilson who, with the backing of Jim McColl, secured an interim interdict at the Court of Session in October to force the issue of their bid for board representation on to the agenda at the delayed AGM. Paul Murray declared the position of financial director Brian Stockbridge and then chief executive Craig Mather as ‘untenable’ after the defeat of a Rangers board that were savaged by the shareholders’ group QC Richard Keen for engaging in ‘guerrilla warfare’. Mather departed but Stockbridge remained and Rangers went on to bring in new chairman David Somers, chief executive Graham Wallace and non-executive director Norman Crighton. They, along with James Easdale, stand for reappointment on Thursday. Bringing his men to the table, says Malcolm Murray, is the only way to end the cycle of suspicion felt by Rangers fans ever since the full horror of Craig Whyte’s reign came to light. Murray says he is motivated to work on behalf of the fans hurting - from the top suits in his business world to the season-ticket regulars who held up the red cards to tell the Easdale brothers, Stockbridge and company to leave Rangers. Sandy Easdale, however, carries up to 28 per cent of voting power and the biggest single shareholder, the Isle Of Man-based hedge fund Laxey Partners, have declared themselves supporters of the current regime. Murray said: ‘The fans have dug so deep. They did it two years ago, as ever, buying season tickets when Craig Whyte took over. They then put their hands in their pockets when the club was close to going out of business last year. ‘Then, this year, it wasn’t a coincidence that, once the renewal deadline for season tickets had passed, the board moved with Charles Green to remove me and Phil Cartmell. That same week, they sacked Cenkos, who guided us to the IPO and are a blue-chip city advisor, and appointed a firm who had been connected to Green’s acolytes for decades and appointed the Easdales to the board. ‘I don’t think fans will put up with that again. They’ve shown amazing loyalty. I’ve mixed with it so much on the business side. They’ve gone through hell. It’s their hard-earned money that is disappearing quickly. ‘They’ve put up with a lot, so many mysterious characters coming through the front doors of Ibrox. They need to know what these people stand for. And so far they don’t. ‘As for the recent appointments, city institutions have asked me where the new chairman David Somers has emerged from. ‘They didn’t know who he was and I don’t know. Norman Crighton appears to be close with associates of Laxey Partners, who are not known as a long-term investment institution.’ Murray stressed that he enjoys the backing of a number of private and institutional investors prepared to stump up financial support in the event of his group being appointed. They are alarmed by the figures posted by the club which reveal a trading loss of £14.4million for the 13 months until June 2013. Murray was a pivotal figure of Manchester United’s share issue in the early 90s, when he had a stewardship of a 25-per-cent holding. The Rangers launch 12 months ago raised £22m, yet Stockbridge has warned the club could be down to its last £1m by April. Stockbridge earned £409,000 according to the books, although it is claimed he’s in the process of handing back half of that - a £200,000 bonus, apparently at the request of Laxey. When asked if it would be enough for Stockbridge - the prime hate figure among the protesting Rangers fans - to be the single existing casualty on Thursday, Murray said: ‘I don’t think it is. It could be a step in the right direction but that’s assuming you get a totally clean, blue-chip finance director. ‘If that appointment is made by the Blue Pitch Holdings, the Easdales, Margarita, then they just put another guy in there that covers it. Transparency and trust and honesty are what needs to be here. That’s why I came here in the first place. ‘It’s about getting that kind of model of a big board, but one not paying themselves that much money. People that care about the club. We need a balanced view, we need non-execs that are supporters who understand the rich culture and history. ‘The key thing that our group has for the future are private investors, fairly wealthy businessmen, and institutional investors who will put more money up if the board is one that is transparent and trustworthy and they see it as such. They can kick the tyre and know where it’s going. We’re not putting it in our own pockets. They’ll know that the money is being put in the playing staff, the stadium - and not anywhere else.’ Murray, then, is interested in a rewind back to the frustrating days when his thoughts were suffocated in the boardroom, as he and Smith were constantly outvoted and outmanoeuvred. When back on the outside, there were similar blockades as Murray and the requisitioners were turned away from winning an Extraordinary General Meeting to trigger change. ‘They allowed themselves to be talked out of it in late summer, with the board insisting it would prove too costly and a deal was made for boardroom changes to be dealt with at the perennially delayed AGM. That moment is one of regret for Murray. He said: ‘We should have gone ahead with the EGM. We tried to save the club money. You think you’re dealing with honourable people and we got messed about. With hindsight, there shouldn’t have been negotiation and compromise. ‘That’s why I think we need a really big change. There’s no point in me going in with some sort of coalition and conning the fans. I can’t do that. I was in a situation where I was in the minority and I’ll never do it again. Fans won’t accept that either. ‘I was on a board where Walter and I were continually out-voted on almost everything. On a good board, you don’t have to vote. You just discuss it until you get to a decent result. There would be no point being on a board where you are in the minority. ‘If everyone is independent, then you get a balanced view. But on the previous board it was almost always four versus a three of Phil Cartmell, Walter and I. ‘For example, when Green resigned, I put in place a search for a top-level chief executive. ‘We actually had Graham Wallace’s CV in then in April. Interestingly, the current board weren’t interested in an external appointment then. I had the rug pulled under me, with the other four saying they will appoint Craig Mather instead of a straight vote.’ Murray acknowledged McColl’s endorsement of Wallace and believes he could work with the ex-Manchester City chief operating officer. That commendation was voiced at the end of last month when McColl, Murray and Co addressed 500 fans at a meeting in Glasgow - one of two staged without a representative of the club attending, despite being invited by the fans groups. Murray said: ‘Their seats were empty in Glasgow and Belfast at the supporter meetings. I found that a contemptible and disrespectful approach to the customers. In any business, you can’t ignore the customers. ‘We put our manifesto up there. And so far from the incumbents? They won’t respond to the values we believe in. They’ve got to respond to the following questions. How much cash is left? How to plan to refinance that? Are you assuring the fans there will be no sale or lease backs whatsoever? Do they believe in representation and clear transparency on financial performance? ‘Somers has said they will answer at the AGM. That’s like having an election and saying that, once you’ve voted, I’ll tell you what the manifesto is! You’ve got to tell people what you stand for. We stand for honesty and things that will help the club recover - new money coming in, building a team. ‘I don’t want to become a hero. I want it to be a team effort. I’m with three other guys because we think we can help get the club back on the right tracks with shareholders and fans together. ‘We are only doing this because fans want us to do it. It’s not for self-interest because it takes your life away from you. I’ve had no life for a year - ask my wife. We’ve got to get this right.’ Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2523948/Malcolm-Murray-insists-Rangers-need-cleaning--exclusive.html#ixzz2nXRXu0Yh Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

http://news.stv.tv/west-central/256830-rangers-supporters-trust-suspend-spokesperson-over-improper-conduct/

Rangers chief executive Graham Wallace says that he would have no problem working with any of the four boardroom hopefuls who are seeking election at the club’s annual general meeting. Former chairman Malcolm Murray and allies Paul Murray, Scott Murdoch and Alex Wilson have been seeking support for their appointments and the removal of current board members, especially finance director Brian Stockbridge. Recently-appointed chairman David Somers spoke scathingly of the quartet on Saturday but Wallace was more conciliatory as he seeks the stability required to move the club forward. Wallace, who was appointed on November 20, told Sky Sports News: “If the requisitioners, any one of them, were to be voted on to the board, that’s the will of the shareholders. Should that be the will of the shareholders, as a professional businessman, I would be absolutely willing to work with whoever is appointed.” Next Thursday’s meeting comes after a long campaign for change by the Murrays, which included successful court action in October to force the postponement of the AGM and a vote on their potential appointments. That victory sparked several departures and Wallace, Somers and Norman Crighton have since joined Stockbridge and James Easdale on the PLC board. Wallace, a former chief operating officer at Manchester City, is hoping the vote draws a line under the upheaval. “The club needs stability, it needs the platform to move forward,” said the Dumfries-born businessman, who refuted rumours that former chief executive Charles Green or former owner Craig Whyte may be involved in running the club. “There has been a lot of conversations on the relative merits of particular campaigns and particular areas of interest to individuals. What I’m concerned about is having the stability and opportunity to be able to take the club forward. We need to have that mandate to move the club forward. We will have a wide range of supporters engaging with us in the run-up to the AGM. They want to know the club is in good hands, they want to know that the people in the boardroom have the interests of Rangers at heart. And I can categorically give them that assurance sitting from the CEO’s chair. My focus is 100 per cent to drive this club forward.” Paul Murray has previously acknowledged the attributes of Wallace and had no problem with his appointment, but he urged shareholders to vote for him and his allies to bring trust to the Ibrox boardroom. Murray, who was a director of oldco Rangers before being removed by Whyte following his takeover in May 2011, said: “We are not saying that the whole board has to be ousted. We want the best board to take the club forward. I think the most important thing after the last two and a half years is trust and transparency. People have to trust the people on the board and that has actually broken down in the last two and a half years. “We have a couple of individuals on the board who have been there for most of the last 12 months and we have made our views clear on them in terms of the lack of stewardship and financial mismanagement. “There have been three new directors appointed in the last month and we think, certainly Graham Wallace, looks like a credible individual. “We have to ask the question: who appointed these individuals and why would they want to join the board at this time?” http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl-lower-divisions/wallace-willing-to-work-with-rangers-hopefuls-1-3231793

Being reported on Twitter(I know) that Keevins stated this on RC tonight. Anyone confirm? If true what will he be saying, back board, buy ST, give us your money?

Institutional Investors are professional investors and they are in the business of making money. Whether it be for themselves, or on behalf of others, others who could be you and me via the hard earned cash we entrust to them to invest in our pension funds. Which brings me to the puzzle which is Colin Kingsnorth and Laxey Partners who have invested in Rangers and who have seen the value of that investment slashed under the current regime. Yet Kingsnorth insists he will continue to back the board. What’s in it for Colin Kingsnorth? Certainly not a profit, if past experience is anything to go by. After all, the share price protected by the Rangers regime has been dropping like a stone to 38p, meaning those who invested at £1-per-share have seen their investment slashed by almost two thirds. While those who charged in at the IPO price of 70p have seen their money almost halved. In fact, just last month Colin Kingsnorth waded in with another £1.3M , only to see the value of his extra investment slashed in a matter of weeks. How much longer will it take for the Rangers share price to plummet even further? How much longer before Kingsnorth takes yet another financial hit? So what is Colin Kingsnorth’s continued fascination with a regime which has banked around £53M of his and other people’s dough – including two lots of season ticket money from supporters – in only 18 months, but who, by their own admission will have a mere million left in April? A regime which has seen the value of Rangers tumble since those heady days of Charles Green and Imran Ahmad’s IPO a year ago. It’s as big a puzzle as the one about exactly who it is who is behind the mysterious and highly secretive Blue Pitch Holdings and Margarita Holdings, whose proxy, along with the proxy of Charles Green’s shares, the Easdales hold. No wonder the overwhelming majority of Rangers supporters want regime change. In fact, the only wee gang which backs the board and who had a meeting with financial director Brian Stockbridge arranged by fans’ liaison officer, Jim Hannah, is Vanguard Bears and they are now at the centre of a police probe, plus an investigation into their dodgy activites by the very board they back. Both Police Scotland and Rangers have gone on the record to confirm this. No doubt Jim Hannah is privy to the details as to just who the Vanguard Bears are and will be able to help police with their enquiries. So, if Vanguard Bears thought that by backing the regime they were on a promise of privileged access should the unthinkable for Rangers future happen and the board win the AGM, they can think again. The only privileges Vanguard Bears will be getting will be the ones earned for good behaviour inside the Bar-L. And as for access? When Vanguard are banged up, they will also be banned from Ibrox. That’s right, isn’t it? Blue Pitch Holdings and Margarita Holdings, two dangerously mysterious outfits, Vanguard Bears, a gang which now has the boys in blue on their trail and the Ibrox board it backs investigating it , along with Laxey Partners, an investment company which appears to take pleasure in throwing good money after bad. It certainly is a motley crew And the one thing they have in common is that they are backing the Rangers regime. Peculiar, that.

.........says Ibrox playmaker Lewis MacLeod 12 Dec 2013 00:01 THE young midfielder is determined to help the Ibrox club secure a return to the big time as he looks to fulfil a lifetime dream. LEWIS MACLEOD imagines the moment he runs down the Ibrox tunnel in 19 months’ time to a cacophony of noise. He can almost feel the atmosphere as the Rangers fans roar their appreciation on returning to the big time as the 2015-16 Premiership season kicks off. It will be the ultimate dream for the diamond of the Rangers youth academy and he can’t wait to live it. Other young Scottish players may be seduced by offers from England or abroad but the 19-year-old has only one ambition – to complete the journey of recovery and play in the top flight with Rangers. Macleod, who hit the milestone of 50 Rangers matches last weekend, said: “There would be nothing better than playing for Rangers that first year we are back in the Premiership. That would be magnificent. “I can’t wait for that and also the possibility of playing in Europe. It would be the ultimate for me. “I know young players left Rangers last year because they believed it was good for their careers but I have no thoughts about doing that.” Macleod rubs shoulders with the country’s top talent when he is on Scotland Under-21 duty and admits to pangs of jealousy they are either playing in the Premiership or England. He has seen the rise of Andy Robertson at Dundee United, the explosion of Ryan Gauld’s precocious talent and marvelled at the scoring exploits of Stevie May. However, the teenager will bide his time and savour the moment when as expected Rangers complete three consecutive promotions to get back to familiar surroundings. He said: “I’m like the odd man out as the rest of the Scotland Under-21 squad are playing at a higher level every week in either the Premiership or England. “Everyone wants to play at a higher level but I want to do it with Rangers. Hopefully that day will come and it will be fantastic when it does. “It’s only 18 or 19 months away, assuming all goes well. Last season flew in for me and I’m sure the next six months will go quickly so we only have a year to go after that. “I know Andy Robertson. I played against him when he was at Celtic as a young boy. “He was always a good player. Last year he did well for Queen’s Park but since going to United he has progressed massively and is relishing it. “Wee Gauldie is something special. He really has something about him and Stevie May is the best finisher I’ve seen. It would be great if the gaffer could maybe bring him to us!” Macleod, who reached the half century in last week’s 3-0 win over Ayr, is one of the major positives for Rangers out of the horror of last year’s financial meltdown although he was always tipped to make the breakthrough. He is flourishing in a much stronger side this season who are aiming for 21 consecutive wins at Stenhousemuir on Saturday as they maraud to the League One title. Macleod said: “I’m delighted with the milestone. I never expected to reach 50 games so quickly. “It’s only the equivalent of a full season if you take into account I was injured for three months last season. “The majority of the games have been starts, which I’m proud of. I was on the bench a couple of times last month but I had been playing a few international games and was a bit tired. “I prefer to play in the middle but Nicky Law and Ian Black are doing so well in there that I don’t have any disagreement. “I’m happy to play anywhere. Nicky should be fine for the weekend so if I have to move back to the left I will have no problem with that. “Nicky and Ian are the best combination for the team and that’s what it’s all about. “I like it a lot better playing in the middle because you can get on the ball more and create. Having said that, when you play with Lee Wallace on the left you can sometimes create more from that area. “It makes it much easier when you play with better players. You can tell there is a big difference in the way the team is playing this season.” Rangers struggled to break down Stenhousemuir in October before Jon Daly’s goal edged the Ramsdens Cup semi-final so Macleod is anticipating another test on Saturday. He said: “The artificial surface is a factor but they were up for it and it took us until late on to get our goal. “That was a tough match and we don’t expect any different. We’re on a great run and want to keep it going. “I don’t see why we can’t go the whole season unbeaten. It would be an amazing achievement but we can do it.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/lewis-macleod-nothing-beat-running-2917383

The Reqs the facts. http://www.rangersmedia.co.uk/requisitioners-the-facts/

............on group's bid to cleanse the Ibrox boardroom 11 Dec 2013 09:06 CRAIG Houston instigated the supporters' group and was behind Saturday's red card message to those in power at Ibrox - now he speaks out for the first time about why he feels it’s imperative those figures are removed at the agm. HE’S the sole trader who owns his own cleaning business. And now Rangers renegade Craig Houston wants to cleanse the Ibrox boardroom for good. Until now he’s been the faceless crusader who has somehow managed to galvanise and unify the Gers support like no other time in their history. Almost single-handedly this ordinary punter from Linwood instigated The Sons of Struth movement and Houston was behind Saturday’s defiant red-card message aimed at the Ibrox hierarchy. But who is he? And what is his end game? Those are the questions being aimed at the 40-year-old who insists he couldn’t live with the guilt if the club endured another financial meltdown. So for the first time he’s spoken out about how The Sons of Struth were formed and why he feels it’s imperative the incumbents of the Rangers board are removed at the agm on December 19. He also revealed how Ibrox directors have completely ignored the fans’ group’s pleas for dialogue and says they’re ready to carry the fight to London where the club’s institutional investors are based. Houston has been a season ticket- holder at Ibrox for 32 years, just like his father and grandfather before him. He’s not affiliated with either the Rangers Supporters Trust, Assembly or Association – and has no desire to turn the SoS into a formal organisation. For years the average Light Blues punter who turns up every Saturday to watch their team hasn’t had a voice. Until now. And that’s exactly why Houston got involved in the first place. He also spoke honestly amid suggestions reformed football hooligan Sandy Chugg is heavily involved with the Sons of Struth campaign. Houston said: “I thought, ‘If anything bad should happen to the club again we have to do something’. I couldn’t have handled the guilt second time around. “What we were trying to do was expose the truth at Ibrox. “Bill Struth is a legendary figure at the club, with loads of positive connotations, so we arrived at The Sons of Struth. “We put a page together on Facebook and it has grown arms and legs since then. We’re not a body or an organisation. We don’t have ‘members’ and we aren’t run by committee. “We’re just a group of guys who are worried about our club. At the moment social media is our only way of communicating with people so Facebook and Twitter have been crucial. “Between them we have around 10,000 people following us. But we know the vast majority of punters who go to Ibrox aren’t in the Rangers online community. “The leaflets spread our word better. People who I’ve sat with for 32 years in the main stand are now asking me questions. “These are guys in their 50s who aren’t on internet forums. So that has to be a good thing. And I think the show of unity at the red-card display on Saturday proves the vast majority of supporters are with us now. “There have been accusations about Sandy and his involvement with us but it’s simple. I’ve known him for five years through coaching in youth football. “He’s a big Rangers fan and, like the rest of us, he just wants the best for the club. “Everyone knows he has a colourful past but those days are behind him. “He’s a reformed character and was a huge help to The Sons of Struth in the beginning. “However, he accepts that for us to prosper and gain positive coverage it’s better he takes more of a back seat.” For years now the Rangers fans have been labelled as fractious. But Houston is adamant that’s no longer the case – and insists the ordinary supporter in the street now has a voice. With three simple aims, The SoS have outlined what they believe has to happen to safeguard the club’s future. And that means ousting the current board through a democratic vote at the agm where the likes of Paul Murray, Malcolm Murray, Scott Murdoch and Alex Wilson hope to be appointed directors. Houston said: “The majority of fans at our meetings are, like me, unaffiliated fans. So that told me the Rangers fans really didn’t have a voice. “All the guys you see with banners now aren’t a member of any fans’ group. They are just ordinary supporters who until now haven’t been able to have their say. That’s why we’ve attracted so many people. “The Sons of Struth have three main aims. “The first is to keep the stadium in the club’s name, which we believe is vitally important to the financial stability of Rangers. “The second is to have a clear and clean set of accounts. “And the last aim is to have a board to be proud of. “For too many years now we’ve had more stories on the front pages than on the back. And that has to change – we want to talk about football now. “We believe the Jim McColl and Paul Murray movement has many positives. But when it comes to appointing directors it should be the same as when Ally McCoist is looking for new players. “If there is a better right-back alternative to the one we already have we should look at it. It’s the same with the board members. “Are they better than the existing lot? Like them or loath them, I believe the four nominees are, yes. They won’t be there forever but those potential custodians are a better option to what we have at the moment. I challenge any Rangers supporter to prove me wrong.” Houston believes it’s shameful the club’s board has refused pointblank to engage with any fans’ group ahead of the agm. But having united the RST, Assembly and Association, along with other groups, the SoS spokesman has vowed to lobby the club’s investors – even if it means heading to England – to ensure they appreciate the strength of feeling among fans. Houston said: “I have been contacting Rangers FC for some dialogue with the board. I had an instant reply saying they would look into it. “That was months ago and I haven’t heard anything since. “I’ve had meetings with all of the fans’ groups and we’ll be working together moving forward. We’ve managed to bring everyone together with the one aim. That unity will be key to what we’re trying to achieve. “It’s not a popularity contest. We need help and don’t want people behind us. We want them shoulder to shoulder with us. “The directors know what our message is. But they won’t budge no matter how many banners I hold up in the main stand. “Our target audience between now and December 19 is the Rangers shareholders. We will do everything in our power to let them know what we believe. “We need to petition these people before the agm and if that means going outwith Glasgow, so be it. Most of the major investors in Rangers now are based around Canary Wharf. “And if we need to take the battle down to London we’re willing to mobilise.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/battle-rangers-fan-behind-sons-2913943

Representatives of the Rangers Union of Fans have been in London for the past two days, meeting with a number of significant shareholders in Rangers. We put across the overwhelming wish of supporters for change in the boardroom. During the meeting with Colin Kingsnorth of Laxey, kindly organised by the London Rangers Supporters Club, we explained the severe trust issues which Rangers fans have with some of the current board, most specifically Brian Stockbridge. These issues were articulated clearly at the weekend via the large scale protest at Ibrox. We also impressed upon him the need for the appointment of trusted directors. Mr Kingsnorth is now fully briefed on the fans feelings and appeared to share the majority of our concerns on Mr Stockbridge. He also revealed that he had insisted that Mr Stockbridge repay his £200k bonus from last year or that Laxey may not support his re-election. He believes that in response to this possible loss of significant shareholder support, Mr Stockbridge had returned, or would return, this money prior to the AGM. He also acknowledged that this was far from the only issue with Mr Stockbridge. Despite broad agreement on fans' concerns, Mr Kingsnorth indicated that Laxey were unlikely to change their already submitted and publicly stated vote. We remain unclear on the reasoning behind this, particularly given these shared concerns. Following this round of meetings, it would appear that the AGM result will be particularly close as there are numerous different claims of support. It is clear that the 12% of voting rights held by the Rangers support can be absolutely crucial to the result at the AGM. We urge all fans to make sure your vote counts by attending the AGM in person or, if you cannot attend, proxying your vote to someone who can.

ALLY McCOIST insists he hasn’t been told he needs to sell any players next month and is optimistic he can keep Rangers’ best talents at the club for the long term. The manager spoke as speculation slowly rises among fans that the likes of Lee Wallace could be moved on when the transfer window opens in January. Wallace has been outstanding so far this season and has arguably been the standout player in McCoist’s side to this point. Still aged only 26 and back in the Scotland squad again, the former Hearts left-back is one of the most valuable members of the Light Blues squad. But McCoist is of the understanding there’s no requirement to cash in on Gers’ most prized possessions – and he believes Wallace is desperate to stay at Ibrox in any case. He told RangersTV: “I’ve had discussions with board members and the chief executive and there has certainly been no indication at all that we have to sell. “If that’s the case, I’m sure I’ll be informed of that but until that moment comes we obviously want to keep hold of our better and best players. “You’d have to say Lee certainly comes into that category and in moving forward, which the club hopes to do, we’d be delighted to keep our better and best players. “The fans deserve the best team we can afford to put on the park and which can play the best football and entertain 36,000 season ticket holders. “Home crowds of 45,000 would tell me the fans deserve a good product on that park and we’re trying to give them the best side we can. “Lee’s well respected here as a player and a man and the way he conducted himself last year would indicate he’s happy here and he’d want to stay. “I know he’s got a young family too so all things being well, he’ll be here with us for a good number of years yet.” McCoist’s admiration for Wallace has only grown further in the last few months as the defender has turned in a series of highly consistent displays. While the manager isn’t always one for picking out individuals, he happily accepts the ex-Jambo is worthy of exception and added: “Lee has been absolutely outstanding. “He gained a lot of respect from everybody within the club and the supporters for the way he conducted himself through administration. “I think he has enjoyed the responsibility of being one of the older players and helping some of the younger players who have come into the team. “He has also merited getting back into the international squad and he’s running the left-hand side of the park for us. “I can understand the supporters having the opinion he’d be up there among our best performers.” http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/5783-no-need-to-sell

Dear Mr King, This is a particularly difficult letter to write, despite it being penned from one Bear to another. It is difficult because I don’t necessarily believe the model of ownership you would bring to our club – a sole owner – has been particularly successful for Rangers, and if I’m honest I would much rather see the transparency and clarity which I would hope could be afforded by some measure of fan representation on our board. In short, in writing such a letter I am foregoing many of the dreams and aspirations I hoped would be achieved in my lifetime for our club. I mention the foregoing for one reason – to highlight how desperate and concerned I am and the circumstances which gave rise to this letter. Our support is literally ripping itself asunder in the current boardroom battle, the very heart and soul of this club are trading blows with each other and causing rifts, some of which I fear may prove irreparable. For a club such as ours, which attracts so much hatred from others, and whose strength and very survival has often relied upon our unity as a support, this presents a bleak and ominous outlook. Further more I am not convinced that either side emerging victorious from the AGM on the 19th December, will result in a cessation of hostilities, merely a lull in the fighting, which will be renewed, perhaps with greater vigour and further damage to our already fragmented support in the future. But I do not write to you as Dave King the financial saviour of our club. I write to you as the only man on this planet who can bring the much needed unity to our support, whose commitment to this club is without question, and who can capture, inspire and unite our support behind our club. As one. The English writer William Hazlitt once wrote : “No man is truly great who is great only in his lifetime. The test of greatness is the page of history.” I, and thousands like me, would implore you now to write your page in the history of our club. Yours in Rangers D’Artagnan

This makes interesting reading. I await 'sporting integrity' campaigns and boycotts of Rugby Park. Premier League strugglers Kilmarnock are set to have millions of pounds worth of debt written off — at the taxpayer’s expense. The Sunday Post can reveal that the Bank of Scotland — part of Lloyds Banking Group — is considering writing off the majority of the £9 million debt owed by Kilmarnock as part of a deal to settle the club’s future. It is understood owner Michael Johnston has put a proposal to Lloyds, which is 32.7% owned by the taxpayer after the Government’s 2008 bail-out, that will see just a fraction of the debt taken on by Johnston and co-director Billy Bowie. The football club would then be left with no bank debt, instead owing the cash — between £1 million and £2 million to Bowie and Johnston in a “soft” loan. Johnston is under fire from a large section of the Ayrshire team’s fans who want him to give up control of the club and sell his stake to a community-led consortium. But it is understood that even if the club is sold to fans’ groups and local business leaders, most of the club’s bank debt is still likely to be written off. Critics last night hit out at the prospect of a taxpayer-funded bank, wiping out the debt. Eben Wilson, director of campaign group Taxpayer Scotland, said: “Taxpayers, as shareholders in this bank, should be wary that any write-offs do not benefit one individual. “We need all toxic loans made in a time of madness to be made visible and accounted for. “Whether clearing out toxic loans or standing firm on our behalf is the best course of action is up to the bank, but we hope that they will recognise we want the money back that has kept them trading in the past few years.” The Sunday Post understands bosses at Lloyds have already classified Kilmarnock’s debts as “impaired” — an accountancy term for a debt unlikely to be repaid in full. However, this does not mean they have given up on getting some of the money owed. It is thought the plan being worked on is to try to avoid any prospect of the club going into administration, a move which would wipe out much of the money owed to the bank. Paul Goodwin, head of Supporters Direct, which helps start football fan ownership schemes, said: “A deal has to be struck with the bank but the hard reality is that no matter what the outcome is, the club has big debts which need to be addressed.” Kilmarnock chairman Michael Johnston failed to respond to a request by The Sunday Post for a comment. Lloyds Banking Group declined to comment. http://www.sundaypost.com/news-views/scotland/critics-blast-kilmarnock-debt-write-off-plans-1.162896

YOU couldn’t give a section of Celtic’s support a red neck with a blow torch, never mind the green flare they threw on to the pitch at Fir Park. There they were with their banner asking that Nelson Mandela, the ultimate man of peace, be allowed to rest in peace. And then they got on with the wanton damage that saw seats destroyed while Motherwell boss Stuart McCall was subjected to chants about being a “sad Orange b*****d”. Some people just have no sense of irony. The team the misguided had paid to watch is currently in the best form it has enjoyed for a long time. But the football is never enough for those who have taken a weird turn since Rangers went into liquidation. The obsession with insisting that Gers died – and the current side has a history 18 months old – has come with an arrogance that was unpleasant to watch at Motherwell. Lennon said his heart sank when he saw the banners depicting William Wallace and Bobby Sands which disfigured the Champions League game with Milan. Now the manager and his chief executive, Peter Lawwell, have to speak out against supporters who are blemishing the club’s reputation. Celtic have just updated and republished the book detailing their history over the last 125 years – and it is a story well worth the telling. A team started for charitable purposes has always had what their greatest captain Billy McNeill described as a fairytale aspect attached to it. Celtic’s appearance in the Nou Camp on Wednesday night vouches for their decent standing in Europe. And the derision their efforts receive from the rival support at Ibrox is an irrelevance since that is based on the need for something to camouflage their current, lower-league status. It is as unthinking as the damage that’s being done to Celtic’s good name by the unruly element who will now make their club the object of the SPFL’s attention. But all of that unwanted attention is meaningless to the vandals, flare throwers and obscene chanters. If you can embarrass your club while the team is 5-0 up then you don’t do sober reflection. And what’s even worse is that any attempt to draw attention to the supporters’ misbehaviour is always met with a hostility based on a belief that no such incidents ever happened, or could happen, where the Celtic support is concerned. There are signs of old-fashioned hooliganism returning to Scottish football. A flare was thrown on to the pitch during Rangers’Scottish Cup tie at Falkirk causing damage to the artificial pitch. Money is a constant source of concern at Ibrox, particularly when serious-minded men-in-the-know don't rule out the possibility of a second insolvency event. So how regretful should the culprits feel when they see to it that a cheque for damages has to be forwarded from Ibrox to Falkirk? The answer is they’ll probably feel no remorse whatsoever and they won’t until somebody does something to halt a growing menace. The Old Firm game used to be a safety valve that was periodically released to take the steam out of a poisonous rivalry. Now they live separate lives and the result has been the misfits have to release their troublesome instincts in another way. Confession, they say, is good for the soul. The first thing the majority of decent Celtic fans have to admit is they don’t recognise the kind of person they can find beside them today. I also got a close-up look at Motherwell’s incendiary division last weekend because they were fouling the air, and making a nuisance of themselves, in the vicinity of the press box at Hamilton’s ground. They go through their dance routines then let off their toys, at which point several people emerge from the crowd to film their smoke-shrouded pals on their mobiles. Older Well fans, meanwhile, were congregated well away from them and getting progressively more irked by their team’s performance. They made displeasure known in the traditional, verbally-colourful manner then started to leave before Albion Rovers scored the winner. But the dance troupe didn’t have any real sense of how badly their team had played due to the fact they didn’t appear to be that bothered by what happened on the pitch. In the meantime they had caused damage to seats belonging to the club who hosted their game as a courtesy to both Lanarkshire neighbours. That will cost Well money they shouldn’t have to pay at a time when every penny’s a prisoner. Those supporters also threw another canister on to the pitch, forcing the people in wheelchairs to take evasive action. You’d think supporters of a club whose manager was involved in a stadium disaster that claimed the lives of 56 people because of a fire would consider his feelings before setting light to canisters in a stand containing thousands of their fellow supporters. One of the most harrowing conversations I’ve ever had with McCall recounted his memories of that day in Bradford. The hand-burning sensation he felt when he tried to open his car door two hours after the dead and the dying had been removed to hospital. The search for his father that ended in a case of mistaken identity when Stuart was pointed in the direction of a man with first-degree burns. He had only recovered from a deep sense of shock in the hospital ward when he heard his dad whisper: “Son, I’m over here.” Now McCall is working in an environment where we’ve started to breed our own pyromaniacs. It is an offence to enter, or attempt to enter, a football ground while in possession of a flare, smoke canister or firework. Possession of either one carries a custodial sentence if the court believes that’s in order. So why are so many being allowed to endanger health and safety on a regular basis? That’s as much of a mystery as the suggestion that McCall has destroyed his own managerial reputation because his team had an off-day in a Scottish Cup tie. Put that in your canister and smoke it. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/hugh-keevins-must-stop-rogue-2904421

A cloud cluckoo land thread on RM is questioning whether fans miss the old firm games. Very bizarre given it is the highlight of the season aside from occasional CL games. Watching us is absolutely terrible at the moment and I can't wait to get back in the SPL playing them again.

How much money has been pocketed by so called board members since Craig Whytes takeover it is an astonishing ammount of money we are talking about close on £100 million pounds has went through the club and what have Rangers football club got for it, well come April we have £1 million pounds left, Now i ask you another question what has Craig Whyte got for it, What has Craig Mather got for it, What has Imran Ahmed got for it, What has Charles Green got for it, What has Brian Stockbridge got for it, What have the Easdales got for it? What will Jack Irvine get for it? Back this board at the clubs Expense as you will need to look yourself in the mirror every morning.

AS a listed company, the members of the Rangers Board have to be very careful and professional in the way in which we communicate information. This is clearly not the case for the requisitioners, who can make all sorts of wild and spurious allegations. My concern is that these unprofessional, wild allegations are being used just like bogey men were used when I was a child. But in this case, they are being used to frighten our supporters and shareholders. So, within the bounds of what I can say, I would like to put some of these bogey men to rest. Firstly, I read wild accusations that I may not be independent. This is usually accompanied by a list of names from the club’s past. Let me say categorically, that until I joined the Board a mere 4 weeks ago yesterday, I had never heard of Charles Green, Imran Ahmad, Craig Whyte, or any of the other characters in Rangers’ history. To my knowledge, I have never met them, nor had business dealings with them. Nor would I recognise them if I passed them on a street. When I was approached to join the Board, the Company had only two directors and the immediate priority was to preserve the AIM Listing. Surely it is naïve to think that there is any way the Nominated Adviser could have allowed anyone not totally independent to take on this position at that time? I have now read over two years of board minutes and they make very depressing reading in terms of the scale of their lack of professionalism and worse. The minutes make it clear, in my mind, that the boards of recent years have been totally unfit to run this club. The mystery to me is why people should now be considering that members of these boards, which presided over the problems we face today, should be considered for re-election. Although I have learned one lesson, which is that if you shout long enough and loud enough in the media, you may be able to reinvent yourself. Recent inaccurate and, in fact, completely untrue allegations have included a new bogey man about Jack Irvine's contract. I have looked at this and can say that he has a normal contract, with no bonuses attached and the figures quoted by Mr Scott Murdoch are utter nonsense. Let me also say that Graham Wallace and I are beginning a complete review of every contract that is in place. You can imagine that this is going to take weeks and then more time where contracts need to be changed. I have been on board four weeks yesterday and Graham less than that, but we have already begun this critical process. One area, where we are conscious that we need to focus, is in improving our communication and engagement with all Rangers supporters. We have already commenced work to identify what is required to fully engage with our fan base and we will be bringing forward some significant proposals in the near future. The Board is fully behind improving the communication and engagement with the fans. Another bogey man relates to the club's finances. We have said publicly a number of times that any talk of the club going into administration is completely untrue. Yes, we will need to make decisions to improve cash flows and strengthen the business, but these will be the right decisions at the right time. Another new bogey man thrown about by the Gang of Four is the suggestion that we might be thinking of selling Ibrox. We are not thinking about this. Where do the requisitioners get these ideas from? I promise you we have no intention of a sale. Brian Stockbridge suffers most from the lies thrown around by the people in the process of reinventing themselves. Even the requisitoners must understand that finance directors are members of boards and their actions are largely dictated by the board. Reading the minutes of the last two years or more, I see that Mr Murray was involved at board level for long periods covering contract and financial negotiations. It is not that Finance Directors make mistakes, rather that boards make mistakes, or worse. Without Brian, the club would, in my opinion, have been de-listed months ago and ironically the club should owe him a debt of gratitude for holding things together. Going forward, his new CEO, Graham Wallace, needs time to evaluate the whole structure within the business and the people within it. This will be true for Brian as for everyone else. For the good of the club, for the good of the supporters and for the good of the shareholders, I sincerely hope that the shareholders will get behind the existing board and vote for us. In addition, I encourage shareholders to vote against the four requisitioners. Firstly, because some of them were members or chairman of boards which failed this club in the past. Secondly, we need a Board selected from the best available people. Not just from fanatics who put their own personal interest ahead of the greater good of the club. If these people were to join the board they would be taking up positions which should be held in future by the best, professional people with Rangers true best interests at heart and not having their involvement driven by their own personal self interest. Best regards, David Somers http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/5759-an-open-letter-from-the-chairman

http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/200-statement-to-rifc-shareholders-from-murray-et-al Too long to post to please click the link...

Moyes tried for 11 years to get Everton above Man Utd and now he has succeeded. Yet another defeat and 12 points off the top. Everton were far better shape than Utd and look more like scoring. The appointment just wasn't right. I admire Man Utd giving a British manager the chance but surely the football club is more important that a few morales about continuity of a manager. Jose whilst not hanging around for too long would have kept the trophies coming. When Liverpool were winning in the 70s and 80s they did it under 4 managers which says the club was all ok and the players were up for it. But perhaps its just the cycle of football. This is a side that won the league at a canter last year but don't look like they will finish top 6 this season. I didn't tip them for top 4. I understand managers need time but that's normally when things aren't going well. This is the champions and they have been derailed. They need 2 players in the quality of Fabregas, Sneidier, Modric, Schweinsteiger, Xavi, Iniesta. They should break the bank in January for Juan Mata. The centre midfields and creativity of the other big 3 is not worth comparing. Chelsea have Oscar, Hazard, Lampard, Ramiries, Essien, Mata, etc. Man City have Silva, Toure, Fernandinho, Nasri etc Arsenal have Ozil, Ramsay, Wilshire, Arteta, Flamini, Rosicky, Cazorla

THE four nominees seeking election to the Rangers board at the annual meeting later this month have published a Rangers constitution which includes pledges to retain Ibrox and limit non-executive director pay and expenses. The four men - Paul Murray, Malcolm Murray, Scott Murdoch and Alex Wilson - have all signed the constitution, and they have urged the current directors to do the same. There are eight pledges, which formalise any future board's stance on core principles. They include "ring-fencing Ibrox" and ensuring that future boards can never sell the stadium; that "no director (including his/her family members or close business associates) shall have any financial interest in any contract involving the club; and that "all non-executive director fees are to be waived unless the club is in Europe". "We drew up the constitution because of feedback from fans and shareholders," said Murdoch. "We've met all of the institutions and most of the rest of the shareholders and there were a lot of questions about Ibrox. As far as our plans are concerned, we would never consider anything like the sale and leaseback of the stadium, there is no way we would ever get rid of Ibrox, it is our spiritual home. "We wanted to put down some simple commandments which we have signed up to and which we hope the existing board will also adhere to. We're not sure about the chairman [David Somers], and we're certainly not sure about Brian Stockbridge, while the other two [new] directors [Norman Crighton and Graham Wallace] have to prove their independence." The constitution pledges commitment to "fan representation on the board", an undertaking "to ensure that all executive directors' salaries and bonuses are approved by a Remuneration Committee and subject to market benchmarking", "total transparency in all club affairs", "no long-term debt" and the assurance that "all shareholders are treated equally". Rangers supporters, who continue to protest against the current board, were angered at the 100% bonus of £200,000 that the finance director Stockbridge took for Rangers winning last season's third division title. There is also concern that most of the money raised in last December's Initial Public Offering of Shares has been spent and Stockbridge's estimate that only around £1m will be left in the accounts come April. "A number of the institutional investors, as well as some high net-worth Rangers supporters, will invest if there is a clean board at Ibrox," Murdoch said. "We believe [Charles] Green is still in the background pulling the strings. The [AGM vote] is going to be awfully close. We are hopeful, and quietly confident." Richard Wilson http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/board-nominees-urge-current-directors-to-sign-their-rangers-constitution.22867626

He and ex-board member Paul Murray – who is also a member of the group that is trying to win control at Ibrox – met with representatives of 60 Rangers supporters clubs in Belfast last night. And he didn't sugar coat the message that an institution that had designs on being kings of Europe less than 20 years ago remains on the precipice – 18 months after it entered administration. The future can be bright, however, with ambitions to play in a European Super League down the line – but only if the club is on a secure footing. "I personally think that the club is in danger if we don't get a win here," said Malcolm, who is likely to return as chairman if the vote on December 19 goes the way of his group rather than the current board being re-elected. "I don't see how it's going to be funded. The official statement from the last fans meeting with the current board said that they would have £1m cash left in April. "They spent quite a lot of that already in pay-outs so I don't know how much longer it will be before it runs out – probably before Easter if things don't change dramatically or unless they have investors lined up, which they haven't said they have. "We do have, both private and institutional investors, who will back us." The picture in Govan has never looked bleaker. Craig Whyte bought the club for a mere £1 in May 2011 from David Murray. By February the following year it was in administration and within six months Rangers found itself in the Scottish Third Division for the first time in its illustrious 140 year history. While things are improving on the pitch after last season's promotion success, off the field uncertainty remains. Paul and Malcolm are working to put Rangers back on an even keel and rallying the support of the club's Northern Ireland fanbase is crucial to them – hence the reason why they made the trip across the Irish Sea. Paul Murray said: "These are the customers of the club and unlike an English club, in Scotland the fans are the lifeblood of the club with the money they spend on season tickets, merchandise etc. "What I find disappointing is that last Thursday in Glasgow nobody from the current board came to address the fans and they didn't even reply to the email invite to come to Belfast, which I think is a really shoddy way to treat the customers."The fans saved the club last year and to not engage with them just isn't right." Their attempts to gain control of Rangers have met a number of barriers already. Paul was removed from the board almost three years ago. Malcolm was ousted as chairman earlier this year. They are, however, refusing to give up. Even in the last few weeks they have to go to the Court of Session in Edinburgh to win the nominations at the AGM. "I want to get involved to help save the club," said Malcolm (pictured). "This time last year there was a short period when we thought that things were looking pretty good. We raised £22m, had a clean balance sheet, had full asset ownership. Unfortunately with all of our difficulties most of that cash has disappeared on non-investment activities. "Investment activities mean spending money on the stadium or players – that's what a football club does – but the money has been spent elsewhere and it needs tight cash control for the future, new funding – which we have access to -and get the faith of the fans back." "This puts us in a position to go to any of the institutional investors who are still wavering and say we have the customers overwhelmingly behind our group to clean this up for the future. That's why it's important. "I was an institutional fund manager for over 30 years. In 30 years of trying to sort companies out this is the most complex situation I have ever seen, Ending up in the Court of Sessions in Edinburgh to get nominations at an AGM is outrageous and a waste of company funds. It could have been done months ago." It's only five years since Rangers were in the Uefa Cup final. Twenty years ago this season they were in what was effectively a Champions League semi-final against Marseille. Those days can return according to the Malcolm. He said: "Anything can happen, but we have to be in financial health to be involved." That's my mind made up then

The 4 new board candidates will publish their's today.

VoiceAndColour footballfansceneUK 1h #Aberdeen fans with banner outside #Hampden today in protest against corrupt SFA & SPFL leaders. pic.twitter.com/DlSq47Y6g3 https://twitter.com/VoiceAndColour/status/407131705959411713/photo/1/large

Fire up the rolls & slice, pour a cuppa and enjoy/suffer the latest epistle from your local Handwringer in Chief. Liberal democracy is a good thing. It certainly has its faults, but overall a system which allows you to disagree with it without consequence is always preferable to one which imposes penalty on speech or thought. You might think, given the experience of the 20th century, that this is a lesson humanity has finally learned, but alas the lesson of history is that mistakes are seldom, if ever, absorbed. These thoughts came to mind last week as I re-read my copy of Clive James's wonderful 'Cultural Amnesia', a collection of essays on the effects of totalitarianism on humanity and the humanities in the last century. As always with Mr James, it is genius written with the lightest of touches: the best kind of teaching. You can pick up a copy for about £3 on Amazon and I'd heartily recommend it: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cultural-Amnesia-Necessary-Memories-History/dp/039333354X The defence of freedom of speech was quite the hot potato this week, with some idiot celtc fans feeling the need to compare a 14th century bandido with a 20th century murderer. As if the 700 years in between hadn't taught the Irish anything; no, they were fit to be subjected to medieval methods of warfare. If only they could see how insulting they are to the people they stupidly profess to defend! And in fairness, loud had been the opprobrium from on high within Parkhead. Mr Lawwell don't like it, Mr Lennon don't like it, and surely the final nail for celtc fans, even Mr Spiers, he don't like it. But what is it they don't like, exactly? Well, the timing and the place. Not the picture of a mentally unbalanced killer with a persecution complex added to a natural penchant for psychosis on banners, but the doing of it in such a way as to embarrass celtc fc. In what was probably a throwaway but nonetheless revealing comment last week, Mr Spiers was of the opinion that 'there are rights and wrongs about the IRA but the football is not the place' to discuss them. I have spend a few days trying to think what the 'rights ' of the IRA were and have drawn a blank. Perhaps some other readers can write in with their solutions to this problem. A free bus ride around Belfast town centre, loudly setting out your thesis, will be the prize. On the rare occasions I think about Ireland, I guess that in the long run of history, it will probably end up as the one country. Not exactly plan 'A' to make you popular in amongst the Vanguard Bears, but there it is. But if it happens, it will be through democracy, not violence. Terrorism is always wrong. So here's where poor Clive James is roped in to educate the wretched Mr Spiers and his pals in the east. Terrorism is always wrong. Whether it be Bobby Sands or, as we discovered last week, some madmen in the British Army running about acting like an Argentine death squad, it is always wrong. And using it to score cheap points is always wrong, and not just on the grounds of timing - on the grounds that rehabilitating terrorists in the way that celtc fans and the BBC have done this week ('IRA hunger striker' is so much less aggressive than 'terrorist murderer', isn't it?) is dangerous to democracy. As the lessons of the 20th century showed us, we need to be on our guard against those who would deny free speech. It may seem hypocritcal to ask for free speech and then deny it for the Green Brigade, but with the freedom to speak comes the need to speak with responsibility. No more throwaway remarks about 'rights and wrongs', some things are always wrong. You don't have to be a cynic to wonder where the Scottish Journalist's Book of Adjectives to Describe Current Buns went this week: no 'vile', no 'songs of hate', no 'embarrassment to Scotland in the 21st century', 'no sectarian bitterness', no quotes from Peter Kearney about how awful it all is. Just 'rights and wrongs' and 'maybe the wrong time and place'. We can only hope that such lunatics as Bobby Sands never return to our shores to demonstrate to the likes of Mr Spiers just how thin the divide between liberal democracy and terror in our society is. Hopefully he will get 'Cultural Amnesia' for his Christmas - one way or another, he, and the celtc fans, need to get the message: terrorism is always wrong. But, as always, there's a but. And while it has been lovely to bask in the reflected inglory of the other mob this week, we must be careful what we wish for. For should the amazing happen and Vincent Lunny actually dare chib celtc for once, you can bet he will be on uber-Orange alert for something to even up the score. And we will give him the ammo he needs, I fear. 'What's the handwringer moaning about now?' I hear you ask. Well... 'Super Rangers' for a start. It is going to have to go, and it would be better if we did it rather than had another war. But even that is a bit old hat, and I'm not keen to have that same argument over again. What's bugging me is maybe something that Lunny wouldn't notice, but a super sensitive handwringer such as myself does. When big Daly got us off the mark against Arbroath, about 50 Bears chose to express their happiness with a burst of The Sash. You may think that a coincidence: I don't. I think it was a classless and tasteless riposte, along the lines of 'Aye, well, you may have scored, but don't think we're going anywhere!' At least they left out the add on, which about 10 Bears didn't at kick off. Nevertheless, what a nice touch to thank a model professional. I hope they get over it, and soon. Now, I actually think that reducing the idiot rump of our fan base to about 70 or 80 away fans is something pretty amazing, and the club and most of the fans ought to be congratulated for it. But they won't, you know they won't. In a society which falls over itself to avoid offending the sensibilities of IRA supporters you know that as long as one Bluenose yells FTP we will be hauled up. We could easily lose the musical two fingers to Jon Daly, and we should lose the forbidden line in Super Rangers. It will make them look worse, and that's always good! And especially, we could lose the UVF tribute lines....terrorism is ALWAYS wrong, remember. Weirdly, in Scotland support for terrorism seems to be considered slightly less offensive than what I stubbornly believe is meaningless yells from football fans with a drink in them. You'll never persuade me that the Green Brigade were all steaming when they rattled up what must have been the least catchy slogan last week, and you'll never persuade me that the vast majority of 'sectarian' events in Scotland are little more than Rangers-Celtic tittle tattle. But that's how the chips are falling, thanks in part to liberal consciences like Mr Spiers'. We can't let distaste for the like of him push us away from defending liberal democracy, but there are one or two things we could do to make it better. It may make you feel slightly sick to actually have to tell people this is 2013: it should do. But Mr Lawwell, Mr Lennon, Mr Spiers, and our own hero-worshippers: terrorism is always wrong.