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BBC stating that board have won a no others will be elected.

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

............for an end to Ibrox civil war whoever wins power 18 Dec 2013 08:37 JOHNSTON has allies in both camps ahead of tomorrow's agm vote at Ibrox and has warned all involved that tomorrow's meeting "is of enormous importance to the very future of the club". AT half-past 10 tomorrow morning Ibrox Stadium will host perhaps the most monumental showdown in all its red-bricked history. A shareholders meeting which will determine the shape of its future. In total, 14 resolutions will be put to the vote. One or two of them should be perfectly straightforward. The rest promise to be anything but, even if unconfirmed reports have suggested strongly that the outcome of many of the hottest topics may already have been determined. Late last night Ibrox spin doctors were briefing that the board were looking at a landslide win given the results of the proxies which have already been counted in London. But even so, Rangers fans and shareholders will still storm in through the turnstiles tomorrow to have their say. Nine of the tabled resolutions will decide the identities of the men who will form the Rangers board as this ravaged club looks to recover from two-and-a-half years of turmoil. Up for re-election back into the eye of this firestorm will stand chairman David Somers, chief executive Graham Wallace, financial director Brian Stockbridge and non-execs James Easdale and Norman Crighton. Still hoping to be voted in from the frying pan are the current regime’s nemeses – Paul and Malcolm Murray, Scott Murdoch and Alex Wilson. On the face of it this potential collision of the two sides in this civil war is a recipe for disaster. But former chairman Alastair Johnston, who boasts friends and allies in both camps, will hunker down some 3000 miles away across the pond and hope for just one resolution to come out of this explosive showdown. Peace in our time and an end to the sustained period of internal distrust and financial distress. Johnston told Record Sport last night: “This agm is of enormous importance to the very future of the club. “It’s extremely important there is some sort of resolution that allows Rangers to go forward. I don’t know the current board and I don’t know some of the guys on the other side. “But I know Paul Murray very well and he has the club’s interest at heart. That’s never been in doubt. “I also know Graham Wallace because he worked with us at IMG and was a good guy. I have no doubts about his integrity or any shackles he might have to previous regimes. I have no problem about that. “But I do hope for everyone’s sake we finally get a board which operates with more transparency. Otherwise the directors are only going to be asking for more trouble in terms of the fans’ distrust and dissatisfaction. “All we want is to know the people in that boardroom are in there for the right reasons. Perhaps after this agm we will finally be able to move forward because all these warring factions have fractured the club. “After this agm we should know who is responsible for making decisions and showing true governance – no matter which way the voting goes. The fans and shareholders will have to live or die by the decisions they make.” Two others, resolutions nine and 10, might not look like much on paper. Shareholders and fans will first be asked to “authorise the directors to allot relevant securities”. And then they will vote on the next proposal “to enable the directors to allot shares for cash without first offering them to existing shareholders”. But even if the wording is corporate governance at its most dull and dreary, they too could be of huge significance. In fact, at a glance they appear key to the current regime’s plan to raise enough cash to avoid the devastation and humiliation of administration II. But there are also fears that, if passed, these resolutions could amount to a get-rich-quick scheme for individuals, selected by the board, who could snap up millions of shares at a penny a time – and then offload them at the full market value. A deal which could see cash sums multiplied overnight, earning investors profits of around 3500 per cent. At a meeting with the Rangers Supporters Trust in October, Stockbridge and the club’s then chief executive Craig Mather attempted to explain resolutions nine and 10. According to official minutes published after this meeting, Stockbridge insisted it was all “fairly standard” and would give the club the ability to issue between five and 10 per cent more shares. In turn, this would create flexibility for the board to raise up to £3m, pretty much at the drop of a hat. It was put to Stockbridge and Mather by the fans that lawyers who had examined these resolutions were “astounded by them”. Also, the supporters suggested that it appears the resolutions would give the board the green light to allot as many as 21.7m new shares (33 per cent of the total). In response, Mather insisted the board would address proportionality in any share issue. It was then suggested by the fans that resolution nine would “allow directors and employees among others to make a directors loan which is converted into equity at a nominal value of 1p per share” and that “nominated individuals can therefore acquire 6.6m shares for an investment of £66,000”. A bemused Stockbridge claimed to not understand what the fuss was about but did then promise to have the resolutions reworded to clear up any confusion. But the wording has remained the same ever since. And Johnston admitted last night to being seriously concerned with a lack of clarity where these two proposals are concerned. He said: “The board has to be more transparent with why these motions are being presented and what their intentions are. I would hope they are held to account over the finer details of resolutions nine and 10. I would have my own concerns about these resolutions and would want answers. “The fans and shareholders all have a legitimate right to ask questions at Thursday’s agm. “If they are not allowed to ask questions or are not satisfied with the answers then they cannot vote in favour. “Asking for a full explanation of resolutions nine and 10 is important because this needs to be discussed and debated in an open forum.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-agm-former-chairman-alastair-2938611

@scotDMsport: Ally McCoist sides with Rangers fans ahead of crucial vote. See tomorrow's Scottish Daily Mail

Should any of the requisitioner's getting votted onto the board on Thursday, At what time on Friday do we expect an announcement as to who is behind Blue Pitch & Margarita??? Personally, I ain't holding my breath. The identities of these 2 groups will only be published they the groups themselves consent to it. If the board were to release the full names of those involved without consent, that could have SERIOUS consequences with future investors & trust issues.

Graham Wallace Interview in the Daily Mail Some interesting stuff in there. Certainly a much better read than a recent effort by the new Chairman.

http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/match-analysis/208-final-mock-agm-results-and-analysis Within this article, you can find the final results of our mock AGM which concentrated on the meeting resolutions related to the appointment of various directors – both existing and potential. While I’d like to reiterate that the poll was not a serious piece of scientific analysis, the results are nonetheless very interesting. In many ways, the outcome is actually broadly along the lines I expected – showing uncertainty for elements of the current board and reasonable support for those nominated to join it. However, it’s especially thought provoking to note a lack of genuine support for the new chairman (possibly as a result of an unnecessarily petty ‘open letter’ of earlier this month). If you compare this with the results for Graham Wallace (whose comments have been much more measured) then it does show how important it is to retain a positive outlook in the media. By way of balance, there appears to be a distinct lack of backing for previous chairman Malcolm Murray with four out of ten voters unimpressed with his nomination. Was it a mistake to offer himself back up for election? Generally though, the incumbents have a lack of obvious support from our voters with Brian Stockbridge especially having only one in ten people able to vote in favour of his reappointment as Finance Director. Even the so-far anonymous Norman Crighton struggles to poll convincingly as voters remain undecided on his contribution. On the other hand, the requisitioners appear to have a solid base to approach Thursday’s AGM with most of their nominations having clear backing from the 1300-1500 total voters. It certainly appears that many fans appreciated their efforts to communicate directly with them in Glasgow last month. That has resulted in around three quarters of voters supporting Paul Murray, Scott Murdoch and Alex Wilson’s nominations. It should also be noted that a similar private poll of RST members has results consonant with this open one, though even more in favour of boardroom change. Thus, I think it’s fair to say many Rangers fans remain cynical about those in charge of the club. However, clearly a fair number of people appear less than enthused about Murray et al. Of course, while these polls are worth exploring, fans only make up for around 12% of the whole when it comes to the actual AGM vote with institutional and major individual investors holding the real power for Thursday’s vote. Indeed, yesterday’s Times suggested this was a foregone conclusion with the existing regime likely to be supported by the majority; although the article was unclear with respect to specific nominees so some change may still happen. Whatever does transpire it’s clear from this poll and recent protests that large numbers of Rangers fans (and indeed investors) remain far from convinced the club is being run well enough to secure its future. That should be worthy of serious consideration by all and I’m glad this AGM is being belatedly held to ensure some democratic process in that sense. However, this also means, no matter the result, the club needs some respite going forward to consolidate its position. With that in mind, I think it’s reliant on all involved to consider a minimum three month moratorium on the issue of boardroom change. For example, we’re told that April will be a low point in the club’s finances so any attempt to destabilise the club further ahead of this period would be extremely detrimental to its future viability. Tacit threats of non-engagement such as boycotts of merchandise and/or season tickets are unlikely to be widely supported so should not be made lightly. Instead, the fan groups discussing such actions would be much better served concentrating on how they can lobby more effectively rather than considering suicidal scare tactics. There’s no doubt genuine change in our supporters organisations is as desperately needed as anything else. On the other hand, neither should any moratorium be seen as an opportunity for the club to continue to hide from its responsibilities. No matter how the board is constituted after Thursday, all involved have to openly discuss the club’s short, medium and long-term future with the fans and potential investors. Both Paul Murray and Sandy Easdale claim they have finance ready to be invested once stability is achieved but how can fans/investors be assured they’re not throwing good money after bad with the share price already halved from last year’s IPO? All in all, lots of rhetoric and spin aside, I don’t know any Rangers fan not concerned about the club’s future. It doesn’t matter if you want to give the Somers administration support or want Paul Murray to ‘cleanse’ the club; fans just want the chance to talk about football again. Indeed, apathy and fatigue may actually present the biggest barrier to all going forward – the team may be winning on the park but unless we see a dramatic change in the way the club approaches a range of issues, we may just be stumbling towards mediocrity instead of climbing purposely back to the pinnacle of the Scottish game. In that sense, Thursday’s AGM may provide some short term relief from all the pain of the last few months but the only way the club (and the fans) can really move forward is via leadership, communication and mutual trust. Can we construct a recognisable path forward in 2014 or will we continue to dig our own grave? Mock AGM Results Somers 1417 votes cast Yes 20% No 75% Undecided 5% Wallace 1370 votes cast Yes 62% No 16% Undecided 22% Stockbridge 1413 votes cast Yes 12% No 86% Undecided 2% Crighton 1347 votes cast Yes 18% No 40% Undecided 42% Easdale 1203 votes cast Yes 21% No 72% Undecided 7% P Murray 1373 votes cast Yes 71% No 27% Undecided 3% M Murray 1361 votes cast Yes 59% No 34% Undecided 7% Murdoch 1338 votes cast Yes 76% No 17% Undecided 7% Wilson 1331 votes cast Yes 76% No 17% Undecided 7%

Former Rangers vice-chairman Donald Findlay has backed calls for boardroom change at Thursday's annual meeting. The present regime will be challenged by a group of disgruntled shareholders in the culmination of a long battle for control of the League One club. Cowdenbeath chairman Findlay said: "The squabbling has gone on too long. "It's time to clear the whole lot out and only have people in who want to take the club forward and who do not want to take a penny out of it." “If you sit on the board of Rangers, you should not be taking a penny out of it, even if it's just to buy a blazer” Donald Findlay Cowdenbeath chairman Sandy Easdale - brother of plc director James and the new chairman of the club's football board - stressed last week that he does not take a wage from the club. But finance director Brian Stockbridge is paid an annual salary of more than £200,000, while former chief executive Charles Green earned £933,000 during his 13 months at the helm. Stockbridge has handed back a £200,000 bonus awarded to him after the club won the Scottish Third Division title last season. However, QC Findlay said: "If you sit on the board of Rangers, you should not be taking a penny out of it, even if it's just to buy a blazer. "They need to get people in there who have the best interests of the club at heart and who are capable of running Rangers in the way Rangers should be run. "Someone who is the club's internal accountant should be paid the commercial rate if you are going to get the right guy. Of course he should. Rangers finance director Brian Stockbridge Stockbridge is a survivor of Charles Green's terms as chief executive "But, frankly, the notion that a financial director should be given a £200,000 bonus for winning the Third Division is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. And that tells me that whoever made that decision should not be running Rangers Football Club." Findlay insists he does not know personally any of the disgruntled shareholders who will seek election to the board - former director Paul Murray, former chairman Malcolm Murray, Scott Murdoch and Alex Wilson. "But the AGM has to ensure that the people who come in are prepared to speak publicly, to be scrutinised by the supporters or anyone else that wants to scrutinise them, to put in all their time and effort to put Rangers Football Club back where it should be and to say that they will not take a penny from the club, neither now nor in the future," said Findlay. "If someone has a job then you pay them the going rate. But, as for the directors, they should not be taking a penny out of that club as far as I'm concerned." Rangers raised £22.2m when the club was listed on the London Stock Exchange in December. However, they posted a £14.4m loss during the 13-month period to June and Stockbridge has already gone on the record to admit that the Glasgow club could be down to their last £1m by April. "The way the club was floated was mucked up from the beginning," said Findlay. "The wrong people did it, the wrong people invested, the wrong people are now in charge. "The people responsible for what Rangers Football Club has done to itself and the embarrassment and distress it has caused its supporters should be ashamed of themselves and should not be allowed anywhere near it. "These people do not own Rangers - it does not belong to any one person. "They may be in charge for the time being, but the club belongs to the people who support it. They are the only ones who matter, nobody else." http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25409741

What a difference a year makes. About 12-18 months ago, new legislation was introduced in Scotland which sought to finally, once and for all, get Rangers fans in particular to shut up about Ireland and the Pope both at and going to or from football matches. Don't believe any nonsense about other club's fans, it was aimed at Bluenoses because Bluenoses were and are seen as the primary offenders. I had and have no problem with this: I was sick of such songs and chants at Ibrox and, since my fellow fans didn't show much sign of packing it in themselves, I agreed that they needed the threat of the law to encourage them to stagger into the 20th century, let alone the 21st. The law proved very controversial, but until this week I remained behind it, because Rangers could only benefit from it, even if some individual fans suffered. I am pleased to say that such songs are down to the absolute bare minimum and will, with the right approach, wither and die within a generation. So, the law is a success? Alas, things have become rather muddied. The spotlight has shifted from us to Celtic's fans, due to their repeated singing and flag waving about IRA people, disrupting Glasgow city with marches, singing about Orange Bastard managers from Ajax and generally being obnoxious. Curiously, this focus has been greeted not with societal opprobrium and condemnation, and certainly not legislation, but a willingness to engage with the reasoning behind such displays, deep thinking articles and much intelligentsia driven discussion. Legitimate displays of heritage are suddenly to include singing about terrorists, which unless I am mistaken is specifically illegal under the laws brought in after 7/7 and 9/11. You can dress it up as political activism all you like, terrorism is always wrong. But we have people celebrating it. This is frankly disgusting. As a long serving hand wringer and hater of all Orange ties to Rangers, this willingness to engage with Celtic's terrorist celebrating wing dismays me. Not just because newspaper articles which stroke their metaphorical chin and hmm, hmm, about the rights and wrongs of glorifying murder turns any sane person's stomach, but because it whips the ground out from beneath the feet of those Bluenoses who have argued for the club's fans to drop its baggage. How can I argue that Rangers should drop loyalist links when the rest of the country is falling over itself to analyse Celtic's Irish links? Whether I like it or not, and I don't, I cannot deny that such loyalist links existed. How can I argue that UVF songs are disgusting when the rest of the country has re-classified the IRA as merely a misunderstood political movement, who seem to have let off a few firecrackers by mistake? I am not subtle enough to distinguish between one murder gang and another; if one is allowed, it seems all must be. How can I urge Bluenoses to look to the future when the media in this country are hell bent on grovelling before Celtic's past? If fan A's heritage is so bloody important, surely so is fan B's? The case against sectarianism has taken a huge leap backwards in this country in the last few weeks, and all because some attention has been shone on Celtic's bigots. They are not politically active, they are not the cultural heirs of Finn MacCool, they are a parasitic leech on Scottish football which will do nothing for it but plenty to hold it back. But hey, we want some atmosphere at Celtic park, so that's OK. I imagine thousands of fans will be queuing up to enjoy said atmosphere. Mr Graham Spiers, on BBC Radio Scotland last night, calmly discussed the alleged terrorism-informed Irish heritage of Celtic as displayed by the Green Brigade group of fans - what an insult to both Ireland and Celtic, incidentally - then sounded like he was foaming at the mouth when discussing Mr Paul Murray, the wannabe Rangers director. This man's moral compass is not just broken, it is absolutely shattered. What a dispiriting and dismaying vista. An arch critic of Rangers' sectarian links, Mr Spiers has been at the forefront of pushing for engagement with these deeply misunderstood and intelligent, earnest young men and women, the better to understand why pictures of a 14th century Scottish killer, a 20th century Irish killer, and the suggestion that either are appropriate for the future of 21st century Scotland (or even Ireland), have become visible. The fairly obvious answer - that neither will do, and rather than banging on about centuries past both countries would be better served by looking to the future - is discarded, in favour of agonised intellectual examinations of political disengagement. Anyone who thinks we will revive the electorate by adding some more Irish history to football - this is the serious premise being put forward, by the way - ought to be debarred from even commenting on it on grounds of incipient cretinism. The avalanche of people who have attempted to legitimise utterly inappropriate behaviour by football fans as political has been staggering, but that doesn't make them right! As a paid up online intellectual chin stroker myself, it kind of pains me to say that people who actually have to live with this sort of crap are the ones who have given the best response to it. Mr Tom English and Mr Keith Jackson have given these people short shrift: self-obsessed and self-indulgent has been their judgement, and I would agree. Mr English is Irish, and presumably has an educated understanding of Irish history; Mr Jackson, to judge from his accent, grew up in the environment in which the realities of Old Firm sectarianism are well understood - i.e., broadly meaningless insults between people who go to different schools. Mr Spiers, we know from his insistence on providing us with details of his youth, did not. I won't be dragged into sectarianism just because I am a Rangers fanatic - sectarianism is such a waste of time and energy which embarrasses my club. Granted, any time you have a religion you will have people who oppose it; but it's got nothing to do with football. I'll argue against any Bluenose who wants a debate about our baggage, and have done for a decade. But it just got harder to justify that position (which I will not abandon) thanks to the pussy-footing around in the media, and it's mighty hard to persuade your fellow Bluenose that he out of order when his opposite number in green is molly-coddled to this degree. People like Mr Spiers do the game and the country no favours by indulging one side of this coin while castigating the other. Let's get this absolutely clear - terrorism is always wrong; sectarianism is always wrong; bleating about it at the football is always wrong. It really is that simple. Pandering to bigots will not cleanse Scotland of bigotry, and re-branding bigotry as political activism is about as cowardly and gutless as it gets, allowing those who have spent decades berating one class of bigots to avoid confronting another lot on the grounds of freedom of speech. Mr Spiers recently contacted Gersnet to complain about nine inaccuracies in one of our articles. I would be delighted to hear from him if he could point out the inaccuracies in this one...I won't hold my breath.

.............of how crucial Rangers' agm vote will be KEITH reckons the scenario which led to Rangers' League One clash with Stenhousemuir at Ochilview being postponed came at the perfect time for supporters to re-examine what has gone on at their club. AS reminders go, this one was perfectly timed. A league game called off because of an incident involving a burger van. A moment for Rangers fans to pause and reflect on the scale of the damage done to their club by a seemingly endless cast of pantomime villains over the past two-and-a-half years. Of how far these “custodians” have allowed this once mighty institution to fall. It’s not their fault, of course. How could they be expected to notice what was going on around them in their unrelenting rush to scoop up every last blue pound? These people have their priorities you know. As a result, at a time when Celtic were licking wounds inflicted upon them at the Nou Camp, Rangers suffered an altogether different kind of indignity at the weekend. Sidelined, for the first time in history, because a deep fat fryer on wheels crashed into a temporary stand. Such is life in the Wacky Races of Scotland’s lower leagues. But now – with the club’s long- awaited agm just days away – would seem like the ideal time for Rangers supporters to re-examine how on earth they got here in the first place. Perhaps to ensure history is not allowed to repeat itself. Paul Murray couldn’t have planned it any better had he pranged the van himself and made off into the streets of Stenhousemuir under the cover of darkness. If ever there was an episode that sums up the depth of this club’s current plight then this was surely it. In the grand scheme of things, Rangers have become little more than a farce. The Whytes, the Greens, the Ahmads, connections with men on Interpol’s most wanted list, the financial director’s home videos, the bonus culture and large pay-offs, the never-ending investigations and probes, the court cases, the missing millions, the endless spin and counter spin. This is what Rangers of today have become. Meanwhile, in a sporting context, they have reduced themselves to the kind of semi-irrelevance that can have a fixture knocked out by a cheeseburger and chips. Yet no matter how surreal or ridiculous this whole saga has become, in the boardroom battle all sides demand to be taken seriously. And with the shareholders about to shape the future of this club on Thursday, never has the situation required a more studied analysis. The latest offering from inside Ibrox came on Friday of last week when Sandy Easdale invited the BBC and STV round. “I’m no one’s puppet,” was the thrust of his message. But the truth is – with so many proxy votes to protect – he is actually representing the interests of others. In fact, it would seem absurd to expect anything else. Easdale has a duty to do what he is told by those who have entrusted him with their votes. With so much at stake, this is hardly the time or place for him to act like some kind of free spirit. The Easdales swear Charles Green is not involved in their decision making. But Green is in many ways the reason they are slap bang in the middle of this thing. Without him and his old allies at Margarita and Blue Pitch Holdings, the Easdales would hardly have enough votes to merit a say at all. There is another question which might trouble these voters as they prepare to go to the polls. How on earth can the Easdales, chairman David Somers and chief executive Graham Wallace support a financial director, Brian Stockbridge, whose own credibility has been shot to bits among the fans at least? And yet Somers would have these same supporters believe they owe Stockbridge a debt for helping to hold the club together? That they ought to look up to this man as some sort of saviour? That appraisal may come back to haunt him. He claimed also he would not know Green or Craig Whyte if he bumped into them in the street, which displays an alarming lack of knowledge about the main characters in this club’s decline. It may interest Somers to know his predecessor in the big chair, Walter Smith, will have been astonished by attempts to rewrite history. The truth is Stockbridge’s continued presence is one of the reasons Smith – a man who has given most of his adult life to Rangers – cannot bring himself to return to Ibrox, even as a spectator. Come to think of it, John Greig – the man voted the club’s greatest ever servant – has not been back either since being equally sickened by the behaviour of Whyte. Men such as Smith and Greig have been around this club for too long, they care about it too deeply, to accept it in its current form. They struggle to recognise this Rangers. Which is why both will hope their club changes for the better this Thursday. God knows, they can never have seen it any worse.

From The. Times. tom_farmery ‏@tom_farmery 12m Crunch time for #Rangers as AGM approaches. Read exclusively how the current board have Thursday's vote already won. http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/busine...cle3949988.ece … tom_farmery ‏@tom_farmery 5m Story tells how S Easdale, Laxey Partners, Mike Ashley, Artemis and Richard Hughes of Zeus will back current board. Total of 54.67% #Rangers

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

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

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?

.........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

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

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

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.

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

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.

............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

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

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

Market News alert Rangers Int. Football Club PLC Read the London Stock Exchange announcement...