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http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/5579-club-statement Now that's a statement we can all agree with. Let's hope club means what they say rather than offering a sop to concerned fans.

RANGERS’ new chief exec is a former bigwig at English Premier League giants Manchester City, The Scottish Sun can reveal. Graham Wallace was chief operating officer at the 2012 champions until March. City sources said the 52-year-old Scot, will be unveiled by Gers next week after shaking hands on the deal with chairman David Somers last Wednesday. A source said: “There was a huge response to the advert for a chief executive but Wallace’s credentials blew away all the competition.” Chartered accountant Wallace, from Dumfries, saw off rivals including Dundee chief exec Scot Gardiner, who was also interviewed. He held top finance posts at a string of entertainment giants including MTV Networks Europe, Viacom, Nickelodeon, and IMG Media. Wallace, who lives in Buckinghamshire, was chief financial officer at Man City from 2009 to November 2010, then chief operating officer. He stepped down after the arrival of new chief executive Ferran Soriano, and has been doing consultancy work in the City of London since. The City source said: “He was waiting for the next top job and this is it. His skills and experience will help build Rangers’ global reach.” Wallace’s appointment is part of the current Ibrox regime’s attempt to shore up the board before a shareholders vote on who runs the club at Rangers’ AGM next month. Investment banker Norman Crighton, 47, was announced as a director yesterday.

ALLY McCOIST has welcomed Kenny Miller back to Murray Park to use facilities as he recovers from recent knee surgery. But even though the manager hopes to sign another striker in January, he insists the 33-year-old’s presence at the training ground isn’t necessarily a precursor to a move back to the club. Miller has been getting treatment at Auchenhowie over the last few days and he’s a player McCoist is a huge admirer of. Indeed, he has spoken in the past about being keen to recruit the forward again and would likely be interested if he became available. For the moment, however, Miller remains a Vancouver Whitecaps player – and McCoist has stressed the arrangement in place is simply to help the ex-Scotland star get back to fitness. “It’s great to see Kenny back,” McCoist said. “We’ve got an open-door policy for our former players see a lot of the guys coming back to pay us a visit. “We’ve offered Kenny the rehabilitation services we’ve got so Stevie Walker and the physios are looking after him in the afternoons. “I had a good chat with Kenny this week and he has had a knee operation. He looks well considering it wasn’t that long ago. “He’s as enthusiastic as ever and he’s in good form so he’s talking about getting back playing as soon as possible. “Kenny is still contracted to Vancouver and do you know something? I haven’t even spoken to him about his situation there. “The most important thing for him is that he gets himself fit again and back playing, wherever that may be. “I won’t lie to you. I wouldn’t mind strengthening our forward area and especially now that Andy Little looks like being out for months rather than weeks. “We haven’t touched on any conversations like that at all with Kenny though and he is with another club at this point in any case.” McCoist feels his forward line needs strengthening after a broken cheekbone and jaw sidelined Little until next year. Only Jon Daly and Nicky Clark are operating as recognised strikers at present in the senior squad, with Lee McCulloch playing much more often in defence these days. The club’s second-top scorer with 10 goals, McCulloch is clearly capable of moving forward if he needs to. McCoist doesn’t want to unsettle his side more than he has to though and added: “The skipper has been terrific for us at the back so we’ve only really got Nicky and Jon up front. “If we can, that’s an area where we’d like to strengthen and I’d be reluctant to move Lee back up front for a couple of reasons. Firstly, he’s playing very well where he is. “We’ve also got somebody up front in Jon who is battering in all sorts of goals at the minute so it’s an option to us but I wouldn’t be too keen on doing it.” http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/5574-kennys-here-to-recover

chucks gona get the jail

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/h...ibrox.22647991 FORMER Rangers chairman Malcolm Murray has called on new Ibrox chief David Somers to ensure democracy at next month's crunch annual general meeting. The chartered accountant and investment manager was appointed acting chairman of Rangers International Football Club plc last week and will oversee what is likely to be a stormy shareholder summit on December 19. Mr Murray, former Blue Knights leader Paul Murray and businessmen Alex Wilson and Scott Murdoch are bidding to win seats on the Ibrox board. They have the backing of fans after high-profile protests by supporters in recent weeks. Malcolm Murray said: "The worries [the fans have] are very valid but there is light at the end of the tunnel. The penny has dropped. "As a leading fan said to me this morning, it is as though a plague of locusts have descended on Ibrox in the last five years and they won't leave until they have picked all the flesh off us. "We won't allow that to happen, we can't. "The only ones that leave are the ones that go through the revolving doors with a very large cheque. That has got to stop. "That is why the AGM exists. We have got to hope that the new chairman is totally independent and will make sure that we have democracy to get that done. "The fans need the money put back in the club, that is not where it is going. We will make sure that happens in the future, when we win at the AGM." Rangers fans kept up the pressure on the current Ibrox hierarchy with a demonstration ahead of the team's Scottish League One victory over Airdrieonians on Saturday.

Football's governing bodies have questions to answer and obvious action to take, but they're opting out, again SO FAR, everyone and everything has come under the microscope. The vermin rump of the Rangers support, the police, the Rock Steady security personnel, the Manchester City Council, Tesco, the heat, the Mancunian element, the travelling Northern Irish. We've heard it all from every conceivable side but the people we've heard precious little from are the men from UEFA. This was their party after all. Their show. Where have they been the past few days? Michel Platini? David Taylor? William Gaillard? Have you nothing to say beyond the blindingly obvious? It was a disgrace? You don't say. Your thoughts are with the Russian fan who got stabbed? How reassuring. You will launch an inquiry? I see. UEFA's inquiry, as they've already made clear, will begin and end at the City of Manchester Stadium. It will involve the stabbing of the fan and the pitch invasion of the Zenit St Petersburg supporters and nothing else. That is the top and bottom of UEFA's responsibility as they see it. That's what's written in their constitution. Anything that happened away from the ground and it's ostrich time. Mayhem on the streets after their event. Police assaulted after their event. Cars ransacked after their event. Innocent people scared half to death after their event. Tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage after their event. FTP, UVF, ****** blood before and after their event. Nothing to do with them, though. Away from the stadium, see. How can UEFA absolve themselves of responsibility in this way? Are they a governing body or not? By rights, UEFA should be getting ready to suspend Rangers from European competition for a year. They should look at a video presentation, beginning with the incidents involving PC Mick Regan and the second involving another constable whose own pitiful plight was revealed on BBC Scotland on Friday and decide that they have no other option. Two officers down and two officers extremely lucky to be up and about today. They could have been maimed or killed. That's your starting point, UEFA. Do you condone the brutal assault of these policemen? If not, what are you prepared to do about it? UEFA will not ban Rangers because a precedent of outrageous leniency has already been set. They favour fines but most of all they opt out. In Italy, nobody gets banned despite violence and murder at their football. Outside the stadium again, though. They can't go and ban Rangers now after turning a blind eye to Italian clubs whose hooligans cause death and destruction seemingly every season. The fighting in Manchester was by far the most disturbing thing but the blight of sectarianism was there in force, too. As a club Rangers have already had their warnings about bigoted chanting and, to the undoubted mortification of Sir David Murray who has done all he can in this regard, these warnings were ignored by factions in the support last week. Sectarian songs could be heard all over Manchester on Wednesday afternoon. They could be heard in a service station on the road down there on Wednesday morning. At 8.45am I heard them myself. A group of about 20 started up and only stopped when an elderly fan shouted: "Now, now boys, no sectarianism today." "Football owes itself to be an example in our societies," said Platini last August. "Football must teach values to Europe – honesty, courage, fraternity, tolerance and peace. Football includes, integrates, and welcomes. It excludes no one, it discriminates against no one, it persecutes no one. The battle that we have undertaken against racism and discrimination is a combat which will only stop when these phenomena have disappeared from our stadiums." Football persecutes no one. Gosh. Wouldn't it be wonderful to live in the fantasy world of Michel? Again, note the words 'disappeared from our stadiums'. Do what you like outside is the message. Riot on somebody else's doorstep. Just don't do it in our backyard. Taylor has come out with similar waffle since being appointed general secretary. "I don't know who they (the bigots and racists) are," he said. "I don't know what interest they have in football. They are not welcome in football or anywhere near it. UEFA has its approach to these problems. We will kick clubs out of European competitions, even national teams if players or supporters act in a racist way. These sorts of sanctions are there and UEFA will not be afraid to use them if the circumstances are serious enough. So we have no tolerance for racist behaviour." What utter bunk. What unadulterated garbage. UEFA will act if the "circumstances are serious enough," says Taylor. Since making that statement last year players have been racially abused all over Europe and Taylor hasn't said a word. In November, Zola Matumona quit FC Brussels after being singled out by the Belgian club's president who told Matumona to think about other things than "trees and bananas". In France, in September and February, fans at Bastia and Metz and Grenoble were involved in racist incidents. One black player gestured to the people who were abusing him and got sent off. In Montenegro, DaMarcus Beasley and Jean-Claude Darcheville were abused. In Russia, Zenit fans are serial offenders. Dick Advocaat says he cannot sign black players, that the club supporters wouldn't have it. In Germany, Cottbus continue to get away with horrendous chanting. Closer to home, Russell Latapy was targeted by Hibs fans last September. None of these were serious enough for the fearless Taylor and the organisation that is "not afraid" to use heavy sanctions. FK Zeta got a ?9,000 fine for their hateful treatment of Beasley and Darcheville. And UEFA have the brass neck to talk about football's courage, honesty and fraternity. Platini and his cohorts speak no more sense than the violent wasters who wrecked Manchester on a breakfast of Buckfast, a lunch of lager and a dinner of a combination of the two. No wonder Platini rose to high office. His Gallic shrug would have deeply impressed the delegates. "What can we do, my friends? We are powerless to act. It says it here in our rules." UEFA don't do unpleasantness if they can help it. Platini is a great man for presenting medals. If there's a function to speak at, he's your guy. If there's an anti-racism drive to champion he'll happily pose beside little children of all nationalities and vow to stamp out this terrible cancer in the beautiful game. Then, five minutes later, some unreconstructed Serbians will hound a visiting black player with monkey chants and bananas and Michel will weigh in with his "zero tolerance" mantra, the upshot of which will be a nine thousand euro fine and a UEFA request that they cut out that sort of thing in the future. Like their big brother FIFA, they are here only for the finer things in life, so expecting them to do or say anything of use in the wake of the Manchester riot is a forlorn hope. Given that so many of them flew through the air the other night you might hesitate to bring bottle into this, but this is a question of nerve and UEFA don't appear to have any. Look at the tapes of the trouble, Michel. Your final. Your night. But not your job to interfere? How's that then?

Scotland's claim to be fighting the cancer of sectarianism and hatred took a severe dent at the weekend. Perhaps sadly, the decision not to hold a one minute silence prior to the Ross County vs Celtic match, came as no surprise to many of us. Its embarrassing, unedifying and sickening to hear a one minute silence being disrupted and dishonoured. But there is something worse, far worse in fact - not holding such a ceremony at all. Because in failing to do so we have acquiesced to the morons, the bigots - we have handed them victory on a plate. Let the moronic and shameful actions of bigots within the Celtic support shame all the devils in hell - rather that than our country is forced to fail to remember the fallen whose sacrifice ensured our freedom from evil and tyranny. This morning I wrote to Ross County asking for an explanation into such an omission on Saturday and in particular who made the decision to dispense with the one minute silence - was it from someone in the club or from outside the club? The Ross County support have previously made their club aware of the importance of Remembrance Day and its significance within their support. http://www.north-sta...oldiers-667.htm Furthermore this is an issue which must ascend Old Firm rivalry and the often tit for tat churlish and pedantic tribalism. It is time for the Scottish press and media to stop avoiding the issue and to speak out - ignoring it will not make it go away. It is untenable and unacceptable that men who laid down their lives in order to defeat that which is unacceptable cannot themselves be remembered and honoured due to the actions and behaviour of some in our society which is in itself – wholly unacceptable.

By Gordon Waddell SPFL and SFA go to war over £1m league reconstruction bill 10 Nov 2013 09:04 BOSSES of the two organisations are on collision course due to a fall-out over who was to foot the bill for the summer's big switchover. THE SPFL and SFA are on a collision course over the £1million tab for league reconstruction. MailSport understands fuming league bosses are claiming SFA chief executive Stewart Regan and president Campbell Ogilvie are reneging on an agreement to foot the full bill for the big switch-over in the summer. However it’s believed Regan is equally adamant that was never the deal they agreed and has the email trail to prove it, leaving the two bodies at loggerheads. The matter has been discussed both at SPFL board level and at a meeting of the 10 Championship clubs within the past 10 days. Former SFL chairmen in particular insist the SFA supremos gave them an unequivocal commitment to foot the bill for the nuts and bolts of the move to one league body at a meeting. At the time the SFA were desperate to see the two bodies unified and a pyramid system in place, putting another brick in the wall of their 2020 vision for the game going forward. But with the legal and accounting costs of dissolving the SFL and SPL, as well as creating the new set-up, the bill has skyrocketed close to seven figures. However, the SFA have issues with what it contains. It’s understood a six-figure pay-off for departing SFL chief executive David Longmuir is included as a “cost” of the reconstruction, one which will be hotly disputed, as well as the accountancy costs of the SFL’s due diligence into the top flight. The SFA’s understanding of their offer was to partially fund the legal costs but to make a wider contribution to the cost of the play-off system, pyramid set-up and parachute payments for SPL teams taking the drop. That deal would have exposed them to a figure in excess of the £1m mark but over a longer period of time. MailSport, however, believes several league chairmen want a hardline stance taken in any negotiations, despite the fact their coffers have swollen in the past week with a £2m a year deal with Chinese TV. It’s also understood the probe commissioned into secret bonus payments made to Longmuir during his SFL tenure is ready to be presented to clubs at the end of the week. The payments – totalling more than £400,000 – were discovered during the reconstruction process. Then-president Jim Ballantyne claimed to have the discretionary power to award the cash without SFL board approval. It’s believed some of the money could already have been paid back – however that may not be enough to satisfy the clubs awaiting the report.

Your Sunday morning thoughts on the man who needs a grievance like normal people need air. The SPFL are coming under fire from the permanently disaffected manager of celtc, Neil Lennon this weekend. The monotonous drone of the Ulsterman complaining is as much part of the landscape in Scots football as long balls, a lying media and lunatic supporters, but this time some may feel he has a point: sending his team north to Dingwall immediately after a Champions League match, in which he and his footballing troubadours carry the hopes and good wishes of all Scottish fitba fans, seems scant reward. Leaving Holland immediately after their game - unsurprisingly, given the state his club's supporters left it in - Lennon's team will have gone to bed late on Thursday morning, possibly coming in for light physio or a rubdown that afternoon, leaving only Friday for the tactical plans for the Ross County game to be discussed and players assessed. One session is not enough for any coach to form a coherent plan, but is Neilly right to have a good at the SPFL? I don't think so, since it's the TV companies who are calling the shots. And since the SPFL, which is in effect run by his boss at celtc, Mr Lawwell, signed up to the deal it's a bit rich complaining about it now. The bad luck for celtc is that this weekend is a Super Sunday in England, with first Spurs v Newcastle at lunchtime; then Sunderland v Man City; topped off with the mouth watering Man U v Arsenal clash in the evening. They don't even have space to fit in the always pleasing Swansea game, so what chance of them fitting in what is, frankly, a game which won't interest anyone outside of Celtic or Ross County fans? With FA Cup kicking off this weekend as well, there was no space on the Monday night schedule for the celtc game; and it obviously couldn't be played on Friday night. The bottom line is that the game panicked and sold a rubbish deal to Sky & BT; the only teams they are interested in are Rangers and celtc; therefore they will do as they are told and lump it. The sight of SPFL bigwigs in China this weekend crowing about another deal - £20m this time, which unless it is broken up in a hugely unfair manner means an average of £50,000 per club; one might even raise the spectre of sporting integrity here - drives home the mistake they made when signing up to Sky. The need to get the game on TV and bring in some money is seen as paramount, not just for financial reasons but also because they were terrified lest the absence of Rangers drive away coverage, revealing the rest of the game outwith four Old Firm clashes to be what it is - of no interest to TV companies. All right, if they feel that way, sod them! I might not care about Dundee United games but no doubt Dundee Utd fans do, shouldn't the SPFL be looking after them first? I might not ever look at a St Mirren game but I imagine Saints fans do; why aren't the SPFL watching out for their interests? It's all been said before, but poor old Lenny's latest whinge brings us back to where we started: small leagues and 4 games a season is killing the game, and instead of finding some medicine we are doing the equivalent of buying smack from Sky and ignoring the real issues. Lennon is right that the SPFL is out to lunch: but given who runs it and given which club it appears to be run for the exclusive benefit of, whose fault is that? The chance was there to revamp the game and instead the head burying, the claims of a bright new dawn, the willful refusal to notice the ever emptying stands and the ever diminishing quality goes on. I watched AFC Wimbledon v Coventry last night and the London club had better players than I saw watching Ross County v Inverness the week before. This is not something that fills me with joy but there's no point lying about it. Anyway, no need to run crying to the press, Neil. Just walk along the corridor to Mr Lawwell's office and get him to explain why his Professional Game Board signed up to a shit TV deal. I warn you in advance though, you won't like the answer: because when it comes to football on Sky or BT, celtc (or Scotland) doesn't count for a fart. The shoehorning in of this celtc game at Ross County is proof if ever it were needed that we are nothing more than an afterthought once the real games, the proper football, has been scheduled in. Perhaps in the future we will reject a deal which doesn't allow a certain percentage of each club's games to be played at 3 on a Saturday. Since in effect this only applies to two clubs it ought not be that difficult to manage. Perhaps the resultant coverage of other teams will spread TV money a bit more fairly, creating a more level playing field. Perhaps more fans may turn out to watch if teams play with less fear, although it may be too late already. But perhaps the people who dropped the game in the shit will have the decency to stop moaning about it when they get some on their shoes.

Its perhaps strange that a musical track from a Brooklyn based band (who are probably unknown to quite a few of you) provides the title to this article, but, with a little re-arranging it provides the perfect insight to what we, the Rangers support, will face in the coming months ahead –Yesterday my enemy, today my brother. For make no mistake, the upheaval at boardroom level within our club will eventually come to an end and someone or some group will emerge victorious. I am under no illusion that the cessation of hostilities will bring us together as one harmonious group of supporters, however much I desire it, but the stark reality is that when the boardroom battleship guns all fall silent we will be, without exclusion, the same group of supporters whose club was treated, shamefully, unjustly and unfairly by our footballing authorities, our government agencies and our media. The enemies of our club have not gone away, nor have they stopped plotting or scheming to inflict maximum damage on our club at every opportunity. Last night I witnessed 2 Bears for whom I have the utmost respect, having a difference of opinion on Twitter regarding the current situation at our club. It was done without personal insults, unedifying comments or character assassination - it was confined to the main debating points and the pros and cons of either side. Perhaps there is something to be said for restricting debate to 140 characters per salvo. Unfortunately not all discussions and debates have gone this way but we as a support cannot afford the luxury or petulance of an acrimonious aftermath - we will have a club and support to defend. The boardroom battle and its ripple effect on our support has not been pretty, in fact it has been downright ugly and tedious. But it has also been encouraging in that it has exposed the raw passion we all feel for our club, the determination to see things through and also an up swell in militancy within our support. For a support whose actions and loyalty saved this club from extinction, yet are still totally disempowered and disenfranchised from the decision making processes regarding her future, militant action should never be discounted. Some of you reading this will no doubt say that boycotts and protests are not “The Rangers Way”. All I would ask you is what other options do a disempowered support have – dignified silence? But acknowledging we face a common enemy is not enough – we have to start working together. If we can’t agree unity then lets at least endeavour to have a unity of purpose. Our strength comes from the power we can generate operating as a united body – it’s why they fear us so much. Networking, communication and co-operation need to be given a far higher priority. In just over 2 weeks time the deadline passes for the online e-petition re HMRC and confidential leaks. The figure stands at 41,230 – not even half the required signatures. Need I say more?

From the LSE...

http://billmcmurdo.wordpress.com/2013/11/06/whyte-and-the-missing-millions/ I am told that former Rangers owner Craig Whyte could be getting his collar felt in the near future. BDO investigations have thrown up what will be an absolutely gigantic story of fraud and forgery on a staggering scale involving Whyte’s purchase of Rangers. Police Scotland are believed to be closing in on Whyte and it is reckoned he could get the maximum sentence available if found guilty. I would imagine Whyte’s extraordinary unpopularity and toxic name might be a problem in terms of his getting a fair trial. No doubt anyone involved with his trial would have to prove they were not bluenoses! On a serious note, this trial will be one of the biggest news stories in years and involves alleged misappropriation of millions. Some of the allegations being made are astonishing and will be sickening for Rangers fans to hear. Should Whyte stand trial for fraud it would certainly strengthen the case made by many Rangers fans that the club’s recent woes brought unwarranted punishment by the footballing authorities. If Whyte is subsequently convicted it would mean that Rangers were themselves the victim of a crime and questions would then have to be asked about the SFA’s role, particularly over how much was known at Hampden about Whyte’s suitability to be involved in football or lack thereof. The scale of wrongdoing alleged is quite stunning and will definitely enhance Craig Whyte’s “bogey man” status used so much recently by the Requisitioners and their mouthpieces. Ironically, someone on the Requisitioner side is far closer to Whyte than anyone at Ibrox, being a former drinking buddy of the disgraced former owner. Although I expect the Whyte story to be hot news for quite some time, the reality is that he is now part of history as far as Rangers is concerned. Despite the pathetic and hypocritical attempts by some to spook the Rangers fans with “Whyte is still involved and pulling the strings” scare stories, the reality is that Whyte has left the scene. The vital thing now is for Rangers to build a board that is not only competent but beyond reproach. The appointment of a great CEO and good Non-Execs would be a giant step forward. The big problem for Rangers fans is the constant pressure to look back to things like the latter years of the SDM Years, the Big Tax Case and the Whyte fiasco, as well as liquidation. These things are referred to relentlessly by enemies of Rangers and a hostile media. The upshot of this is shown in the chronic suspicion that many Gers fans are gripped by in relation to the club’s governance. Yet the real need is to look forward and to be positive about both the present and the future. Fear and paranoia do not make for a healthy environment and Rangers need to eradicate this kind of mindset from the club. I am aware this is easier said than done but I do speak to many Gers fans who are far more upbeat about the club’s condition than the so-called spokesmen who are spreading fear and alarm at this present time. I have been approached very seriously about heading a new fans group and I think if I accept I will make one of the conditions of membership a positive mental attitude in relation to Rangers! As the song goes, “Don’t worry. Be happy. Cos every little things going to be all right.” Gers fans like to sing it. It’s about time we lived it.

http://www.sportinglife.com/football//news/article/26854/9012286/violence-mars-hoops-clash Violence mars Hoops clash Last Updated: November 6 2013, 23:34 GMT Celtic's Champions League trip to Ajax has been marred by a clash between supporters and police in the centre of Amsterdam before kick-off, following which 15 fans have been arrested. Amsterdam Police told Press Association Sport that fans armed with bottles and sticks attacked plain-clothed police in an incident described as "coming out of nowhere". Eight police officers were injured with one knocked unconscious following the fighting in Dam Square, in the city centre. Police said the majority of those arrested were Celtic fans, although it is believed that supporters from other clubs were also involved. "At the end of the afternoon a large group of Celtic supporters attacked police officers in plain clothes," a spokesman told Press Association Sport. "Eight were injured and one was knocked unconscious. "A few of them had broken noses and needed stitches above their eyebrows and on their lips. "Bottles and sticks were used in the attack which came out of nowhere. "There were 15 arrests, mostly Celtic supporters." Celtic lost the match 1-0 and face an uphill battle to reach the knockout stages of the competition. Amsterdam Police said it expected the number of 15 arrests to rise during the night and that a final figures would be "high". It is thought that fans from other European clubs were involved, although police said they "had kept themselves covered". Celtic supporters had been urged by the club to be careful after an attack on Hoops supporters in a city-centre bar on Tuesday night. Thousands of Celtic supporters flooded into Holland for the Group H game at the Amsterdam ArenA. A statement on the Celtic website said: "Celtic Football Club is urging all supporters in Amsterdam for tonight's UEFA Champions League tie with Ajax to be extra vigilant following an unprovoked attack on Celtic fans last night "The attack in the city centre by an element of the Ajax support resulted in a number of arrests. "Celtic are urging all supporters to be extra vigilant in the city centre and at the Amsterdam ArenA, and to only stick to the advised areas for safety reasons." At the pre-match media conference on Tuesday afternoon, Ajax coach Frank De Boer expressed hope that the tiny percentage of fans he describes as "crazy" would not disrupt the game. UEFA opened disciplinary proceedings against the Dutch club after some of their supporters clashed with police and stewards at Parkhead last month during a match which the home side won 2-1. The case will be dealt with by UEFA's control and disciplinary panel on November 21. De Boer admitted that some Ajax fans remain a concern when asked if he was confident of the game passing off trouble-free. "I am confident in that but you never know," said the former Rangers player. "There is always some crazy people (who) try to disturb something but hopefully it will not happen."

Forfar Athletic ‏@ForfarAthletic 18m Rangers v Forfar Athletic - 16.11.13 - Match Postponed Forfar Athletic are disappointed to announce that our... http://fb.me/14XKWq0cr Forfar Athletic are disappointed to announce that our visit to Ibrox to face Rangers on Saturday November 16th has been postponed. We had been advised yesterday that it was likely to go ahead and Rangers had forwarded tickets to us for sale. However following further international calls today for Rangers players the SPFL have advised us that the game will now be postponed and re-arranged for in all probability a midweek slot in December. Tuesday or Wednesday December 3rd/4th the most likely dates. It has to be emphasised that Forfar Athletic have no complaint with the Ibrox club on this issue, as they have attempted as best they could to feed us up to the minute information as it came to hand. Similarly Forfar Athletic have attempted to keep supporters fully informed over the past week as the scenario developed. ‘Loons’ officials realise that this news will come as a disappointment to supporters, some of whom were looking to make a weekend trip to Glasgow taking in the Friday night Scotland fixture as a bonus.

Some may say thank god. http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl-lower-divisions/ally-mccoist-plans-in-limbo-as-rangers-war-goes-on-1-3175660#.UnnIlangJ5Q.twitter Rangers manager Ally McCoist claims that the current state of play at Ibrox, where financial director Brian Stockbridge and non-executive director James Easdale are the only members of the board, is preventing him from planning for the future. McCoist revealed that he has had no-one to discuss the signing or offloading of players with since Craig Mather stepped down as the club’s chief executive three weeks ago. With the January transfer window approaching, McCoist, who volunteered to forego half of his annual £850,000 salary when the publication of the annual accounts last month, revealed that the club had lost £14 million in just over a year, is anxious to know whether or not he can strengthen his squad with a view to a run in the Scottish Cup. They were drawn away to Championship side Falkirk in the fourth round of the competition but McCoist believes that, should they prevail in that tie, Rangers will be considered as second-favourites to win the competition. He would like to supplement his squad in the new year but admits there must first be a ceasefire between warring shareholders when the club finally holds its annual general meeting, which may – or may not be – held on 18 December. McCoist, whose League One leaders face Dunfermline at Ibrox tonight, wants it to take place sooner rather than later. “Absolutely. I’m the same as every supporter, staff member [and] shareholder,” he said. “Let’s just get it done and move on. Let’s get the club moving forward again. “I think it is clear that everybody wants it to happen and it will happen. All we can hope for is we get a [definitive] result and Rangers can move forward again. Everybody would like a clear resolution. The future of the club is of paramount importance to everybody. It would certainly help if we could move on from that day.” McCoist admits that it has been much more difficult to do his job properly while the club continues to operate with a makeshift board. “It is not ideal, although I did speak with Brian [stockbridge] yesterday,” he said. “There is contact but it is difficult and not ideal working without a chairman and chief executive. “I haven’t spoken to Brian about possible future signings because, to be fair to him, he is [only] the financial director. It would undoubtedly help if I had someone to speak to about that.” McCoist, though, praised the contribution of Jon Daly, whose brace in Friday’s 3-0 Scottish Cup victory over Airdrieonians took his tally to 14 goals from 13 games since joining from Dundee United. “Jon was brought in to score goals,” he said. “He scored goals when he was in the top flight and he’s continuing to do so here. He will be around a long time if he continues to score goals. “He’s one of those boys that I believe, no matter what league he’s in, he’ll score goals. He’s different to Nicky Clark and Andy Little, more of an old-fashioned centre forward. Jon is aggressive and, if you put the ball into the area, he’ll score against anybody. He demonstrated that with two goals against Celtic in the Scottish Cup semi-final last season. “He’s so important to us off the pitch as well. He’s a proper man and he’s exactly what we need. Where we are as a club right now, we need good people in the dressing room for the younger lads to look up to. “We have that with the skipper [Lee McCulloch] and Lee Wallace and I believe we have that with Jon, too.” McCoist also rejected suggestions that the Dubliner was a short-term fix, signed only with a view to helping Rangers reach the Premiership before being jettisoned. “Jon gives us plenty of options,” he said. “In terms of holding the play up, he takes pressure off the back four. He can spin defenders and you can hit him with a diagonal ball. “We have players who can pass the ball and, at this moment in time, he definitely gives us something different. “I kicked my last ball for Kilmarnock when I was 39. Jon will only be 32 if things go to plan and we return to the top flight on schedule.” Rangers will move 14 points clear of third-placed Dunfermline with a home win tonight but McCoist refuses to take anything for granted, claiming that Jim Jefferies’ Pars are beginning to gel. “I think tomorrow’s game is against the team that a lot of people thought would be up there with us,” he said. “I can sympathise with them in many ways because we know exactly what they have been going through. “Hopefully, it looks as if they have turned the corner as well, which is great. They have got a really young team and their results so far, over the piece, have been fine. However, what they lack in experience on the park they will certainly make up for with experience in their dugout with the auld yin [Jefferies] there. We are looking forward to seeing him as well.”

Its probably the perfect title for a saga where truth and fable are as difficult to separate as any Arthurian Legend. In one of Camelot's famous towers we have blogger Bill McMurdo, apparently revelling in his recently acquired nickname of Merlin. In another we have the requistioners of Jim McColl, Malcolm Murray and a remnant of the Blue Knights in the shape of Paul Murray. The latest attempt to pull the sword from the stone came from the wand of Bill, who conjured up an interesting spell in his blog. It read : For those of us sitting at the round table, trying, often forlornly, to make sense of it all, it is a significant development, and without putting too fine a point on it – a serious allegation. The truth and veracity of this allegation may well be a determining factor in determining who is to be believed and who can be trusted. The identity of those behind Blue Pitch Holdings and Margarita has been an issue of major concern for Rangers supporters, with some discussions even raising a fear that the dark spectre of Craig Whyte may be behind them, and the consequences of that for our club. The anonymity of these investors is an issue the requisitioners have focussed on recently : Jim McColl :- http://www.dailyreco...-murray-2665945 Malcolm Murray :- http://www.scotsman....crecy-1-3172886 The question on the minds of a lot of Rangers fans is would that big stick have been brandished Malcolm if Blue Pitch and Margarita supported the requisitioners ? In fact would the identity of these investors even have been an issue ? Perhaps if the requestioners undertake another question and answer session it is a question which should be asked of them “ Did you or have you attempted to recruit the support of the anonymous investors Blue Pitch Holdings and Margarita ?” Someone somewhere is misleading and misdirecting the Rangers support. It is either Bill McMurdo or the requisitoners. All I would ask is whoever is guilty would you please do the honourable thing and fall on Excalibur – this support have been fed enough bullshit in the last few years to last a lifetime.

There's been a lot of water under the Forth bridge since Rangers last played Dunfermline. Not only were the Pars the last team we played before we entered administration in February 2012; the Fife outfit have also suffered an insolvency event of their own, although - unlike us - they had the opportunity on the pitch to avoid dropping down two leagues since that game at East End Park 21 months ago. It's amazing that less than two years later our paths are crossing again under markedly different circumstances. It certainly seems that although our fiscal troubles were eerily similar (though on different scales) the football authorities and fellow clubs were happy to accommodate Dunfermline a bit more charitably than they did us. C'est la vie and there's no doubt their support have gone the extra mile in their efforts to avoid similar future issues. While Rangers fans argue daily with their own shadow, Dunfermline supporters' group Pars United agreed a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) with creditors in July and the final details were completed last month. Pars United has also acquired East End Park, which was in administration under a separate company, as part of a community ownership structure. In effect the fans now own their club. Sure, that doesn't necessarily mean a safe (or successful) future for Dunfermline but I'd be lying if I didn't say I wasn't at least a little bit envious of what they've achieved so far - in little over six months as well! Of course, as touched on above, scale is as much a reason for our differing paths as anything else. East End Park may be small and dated in comparison to Ibrox Stadium but its overheads will be rather less. The same can be said for the leasing of the Pars' Pitreavie training ground compared to the costs of running Auchenhowie. Meanwhile a cursory examination of both club's squads and wage bills shows why Rangers are already 11 points (and 33 goals) ahead of their considered closest rivals for the SPFL League One title. The two clubs may have suffered from similar fates in recent times but, as much as Dunfermline have an equally proud heritage, the differences off the park should ensure a difference on it - tomorrow night at least. The main reason for this will be the players Ally McCoist has at his disposal. Not only has the Rangers manager been able to retain internationalists such as Lee Wallace and Lee McCulloch (who both played in the last Pars match); he's been able to supplement his huge squad with Scottish Premiership quality players like Cammy Bell, Nicky Law and Jon Daly with the latter two in particular being the main reason for Rangers' unbeaten league campaign so far. Unfortunately for Dunfermline, despite more international matches on the horizon, it appears McCoist will be able to rely on pretty much the same starting XI again which has changed only minimally over the last couple of months. Any late injuries aside, only the one change is expected tomorrow evening with Ian Black returning from a Scottish Cup suspension to replace Kyle Hutton in midfield. The Rangers manager may wish to rotate one or two others into the team but that's unlikely on the whole. This should mean a very familiar team along the lines of below: Possible team (4-4-2): :rf: :jig: :ap: :ib: :lm: :jd: All in all, Rangers should win tomorrow night and, no matter the result, there's little doubt that we are overwhelming favourites to win the League One title as well. However, as the Pars fans look forward to a new future of their own making, can the same alleged certainty be applied to the challenges we face off the park? In that sense, Dunfermline may have already sneaked a win over their supposed Rangers supporting peers.

FERNANDO RICKSEN'S motor neurone disease is his personal tragedy. It is his family’s grief to contend with and his cause of inner turmoil. It shouldn’t be an excuse for the maudlin sentimentality that afflicts football supporters or for some to hijack a serious illness because it involves one of the game’s personalities. And it shouldn’t be seen as an opportunity for two-bob philosophies on how the victim’s suffering will unite the game. Fernando is a human being who is facing up to the reality that life expectancy is, on average, 14 months from the point of this appalling condition being diagnosed. There are no words adequate enough to express the sympathy that one person can have for another who has been confronted with his own mortality in such devastating fashion. But whether it’s Fernando or Stiliyan Petrov, struck down by a life-threatening blood disorder, they should be allowed to get on with coping. The game can, and must, take care of itself in the meantime. If Rangers want to organise a tribute match against Fortuna Sittard and give the proceeds to Fernando, it’ll be a decent gesture to make and will serve a practical purpose. Just as Celtic’s match in Petrov’s honour in September put tens of thousands of pounds into Stan’s charitable foundation and proved to be a worthy cause. But we don’t need to have either man portrayed as a martyr by those who revel in the grief industry. Fernando and Stan would be the first to tell the hijackers that you can walk into any hospital on any given day and find ordinary families who are trying to come to terms with a harrowing medical problem affecting a loved one. But they’re paying the penalty for having been made famous by Celtic and Rangers – and therefore forced to share their private ordeals with a wide audience. The supporters of both clubs can always be relied on to turn up in exceptional numbers and dig deep to honour the memory of their former heroes. In that respect they can’t be faulted. Where some leave themselves open to criticism is when they spout their nonsense about illness putting football into perspective and try to tell us that rivalry will be diluted for the rest of time out of respect for the personal sorrow of others. Sir Alex Ferguson will make the draw for the fourth round of the Scottish Cup in an Aberdeen hotel on Tuesday. If he manages to pair Celtic with Rangers we will all have to brace ourselves for a tie of unsurpassed intensity. There will not be a single thought given to either stricken hero if that day dawns and the dislike that one set of supporters will have for the other will reach new levels of polarisation. So spare us the need to trivialise matters of life and death by attempting to measure their impact on football. It’s an intrusion into private grief. And Fernando and Stan have too much to do in their private lives to be used in that way. We can’t even agree where cup finals should be played in this country without the issue descending into the usual farcical allegations of collusion in high places and private agendas. Easter Road got the Ramsdens Cup Final between Rangers and Raith Rovers because it was the right thing to do. The Fife team are entitled to a fighting chance against a much-bigger club and they’ll get that on a smaller ground rather than having to go to Ibrox. Celtic Park is rightfully holding the Scottish Cup final, with both semis at Ibrox, because a ground of that size should be necessary for a national showpiece. Time to put that row to bed in any case because Remembrance Sunday is coming up. We’ll need all our energy for the annual desecration of the war dead’s memory by arguing over who is or isn’t wearing a poppy. The illness hijackers can then turn into the guardians of our moral welfare for a weekend before moving on to their next bandwagon.

Green was in talks re Rangers future during this past week according to Keith in the radio earlier. So they are saying.

As it enters November that made me realise we are half way there to being back to the top as the clock goes. We've been in this incline for one and half years, another 18 months and we should have wrapped up the Championship title..... Fair play to Ally this season, we are romping all infront of us which we should have been doing last season but fair play even Usain Bolt is slow out of the blocks. That's quite a fast first 18 months....now we just need the off field matters sorted out (Would like to see Jim McColl do his biz) and its a case of here we come.....

1553: BREAKING NEWS Hibernian announce that manager Pat Fenlon has left the club. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/24768698

......................if shareholder factions can't reach compromise Dave King has been unable to strike a compromise agreement with the various shareholder factions at Rangers, but the former Ibrox director has insisted that he will not give up on the club. King has held a series of discussions with the principal individuals involved with the situation at Rangers International Football Club, including Sandy Easdale and Paul Murray, but consensus proved out of reach and the forthcoming Annual General Meeting is likely to be a stormy event. http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/dave-king-administration-is-distinct-possibility-at-rangers-if-shareholder-factions-c.1383303046 Lifted from FF: Dave King has been unable to strike a compromise agreement with the various shareholder factions at Rangers, but the former Ibrox director has insisted that he will not give up on the club. King has held a series of discussions with the principal individuals involved with the situation at Rangers International Football Club, including Sandy Easdale and Paul Murray, but consensus proved out of reach and the forthcoming Annual General Meeting is likely to be a stormy event. King had hoped to strike an agreement with the two main blocks of shareholders to appoint new directors to the board, including taking on the role of chairman himself, and begin the process of raising additional funding. Speaking exclusively to The Herald before releasing an official statement, King said that administration is "not an imminent threat", but he does believe it "is a distinct possibility if the AGM results in a continuing lack of continuity on one side or the other". As it currently stands, the shareholders represented by Sandy Easdale and his brother James, who is a non-executive director at Ibrox, account for around 25% of the company. This grouping includes Blue Pitch Holdings, Margartia Holdings and Charles Green, who has an agreement with the Easdales over the sale of his shares. The lock-in period for these shareholdings ends in December, when the AGM is going to be held. It is unclear what the terms of their agreements are with the Easdales. King will continue to closely monitor events, and would act swiftly if there was a possibility of re-visiting his consensus plans even at the last minute before the AGM. He believes talks with Easdale and Murray were constructive, and he praised both individuals, however not all shareholders were willing to compromise. King's current stance is that he is not prepared to buy shares in the market when his investment would be better spent going directly to the club, although this could change. "I'm not walking away, I'm going to continue looking for opportunities between now and the AGM to get a compromise situation," King said. "I will reassess my position depending on the outcome of the AGM, particularly if I believe short-termism remains. I will be prepared to reconsider my current position, and could possibly intervene in the market. "I don't believe the shareholder base will be so conflicted after the AGM, since there will be a shake up regardless of the outcome. In a year's time, it will be possible for a block of shares to be held by right-minded people, but we will have to get through a lot to get to that stage. I have never gone into a board meeting in my life to vote on issues, the board must work by consensus and discussion, but that has been a reflection of the way the business has been run recently." Paul Murray is one of four directors who will be nominated for election to the board at the AGM by the institutional shareholders who hold around 28% of the company. A former Ibrox director, and associate of King's, Murray has long campaigned for experienced corporate governance figures to be on the board. King will not, however, take sides ahead of the AGM, and will remain the outlet for any possible last-minute compromise. The South African-based businessman believes that the current situation - James Easdale and Brian Stockbridge, the finance director, are the only two individuals sitting on the plc board, and the club has no chief executive - is unsustainable even in the short-term. "The board desperately needs governance, and I'm sure Sandy Easdale would acknowledge that they've ended up in an uncomfortable position," King said. "It's very important that the board gets professional governance involved, with financial and business plans that take into account the need for fresh investment to take into account the funding shortfall that will come if the team is to compete again in the top flight, which is what we all want. In my view, there will be a need to two rounds of additional funding between now and then. "During the last week I engaged a number of stakeholders, both in Glasgow and London, to seek a compromise to the current imbroglio that is restricting the operational capability and the governance at the club. I have also had follow up telephone conversations since my return to South Africa. "Unfortunately, I have been unable to reach a consensus agreement at this time despite the constructive manner in which everyone approached the discussions with me. Certain influential shareholders are unwilling to compromise at this time and it seems inevitable, unless there is a change of heart, that an acrimonious AGM lies ahead. In my view, the AGM will not be decisive irrespective of its outcome. A continued polarisation is what I was desperately trying to avoid. For the avoidance of doubt and to avoid speculation I advise that Paul Murray and Sandy Easdale both displayed a constructive and flexible attitude during my discussions with them." King has long maintained that personal enmities and rivalries have held back the progress of the club. He has attempted to override those issues, but some shareholders are entrenched. Murray and Jim McColl, who is backing the institutional shareholders with his expertise and contacts, hope to be able to reveal the beneficial shareholders behind Blue Pitch Holdings and Margarita Holdings, having made a legal request to the club for the information. Sandy Easdale currently holds the proxy for their votes. Despite briefings to the contrary, King would also not encounter any difficulties with being approved as a director of a publicly listed company. He has settled his dispute with the South African Revenue Service, having agreed to pay £45m in tax arrears, and fines totalling around £700,000 after he was convicted of 41 breaches of the Income Tax Act. All fraud charges were dropped by the state. King continues to be executive chairman of Micromega, his investment firm that is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, which is a competent jurisdiction. Any board appointment needs to be ratified by the nominated advisor - Daniel Stewart - that managers RIFC's listing on the Alternative Investment Market, and also by the SFA. As part of his disclosure to the nomad, King included a letter from SARS stating that they consider him a fit and proper person to hold a directorship in a plc, and supporting his bid to become a director of Rangers. This letter would also be part of any future submission to the SFA, who have their own fit and proper person criteria, which is reviewed by the professional game board. King would also argue that his time spent on the board under Craig Whyte's ownership, leading up to administration, was spent trying to hold the owner to account, for which he has a lengthy and instructive paper trail. King also stressed that he did not believe that Peter Lawwell, the Celtic chief executive who sits on the PGB, would not unduly influence the decision. "I also take the opportunity to disassociate myself from the speculative and misinformed press coverage around my fit and proper status," King said. "Let me make my position clear. The settlement of my legal disputes in South Africa was concluded on a basis that has no effect whatsoever on my ability to serve as a director of companies. I presently sit on the board of many companies, including serving as Executive Chairman of a main board stock exchange listed company in South Africa. I have confirmed with my UK attorneys that the legal position is no different in the UK. That leaves only the subjective elements that would apply to any person joining a public company board or becoming involved in a football club under the auspices of the SFA. "I am fully alert to key questions that are likely to be put to me and I am confident that my responses will be persuasive. However, at this point I have not approached the SFA other than my discussion in 2012 to establish what the elements of the fit and proper test would be. The SFA is clearly not in a position to consider an application that I have not yet made. Such an application would only happen if I am able to reach an in principle agreement to become actively involved in the club's affairs - as is my continued stated intention. At the request of the NOMAD, I have supplied a letter from the South African Revenue Services confirming that they see no difficulty with me continuing to sit on the board of companies. Again, however, due to my inability to make immediate progress it is not necessary to engage further with the NOMAD at this time. When the time arises there may be other questions I have to respond to. I will do so on request. "I further do not believe that the CEO of Celtic FC attempted to negatively pre-empt any application that I might make to the SFA. I have complete confidence that the SFA will judge any future application on its merits as would be done for any person." King will now watch events in and around Ibrox with interest. As the one figure who unites the fans and has almost unanimous backing, King's temporary withdrawal is likely to fuel further protests at tonight's Scottish Cup tie against Airdrie at Ibrox. Fans are growing increasingly angry with the board, and the realisation that certain shareholders are preventing consensus will further infuriate them. King will continue to offer that alternative, though. "I thank every person that I met for maintaining confidentiality about the details of each meeting," King said. "I thank the media for their patience when being met with a repeated 'no comment' from me. I appreciate the importance to the community of what is happening at Rangers but I believe that the best interests of the club will not be facilitated by playing it out in the media. Over the last two years we have all witnessed the destructive value when individuals, who should be putting the club first, advance personal agendas through the media in an attempt to influence the most important stakeholder in Rangers Football Club - the fans. The result is the polarisation of interests that we are experiencing and the loss of valuable time and money in preparing the club to be competitive with our Glasgow neighbours, and other teams, when we return to the top flight of Scottish football - as we surely will. Thankfully the manager continues to make progress through the leagues despite the distractions he has had to deal with."

Manchester City are eyeing Celtic goalkeeper Frather Forthter as doubts continue to grow over Joe Hart’s future. City boss Manuel Pellegrini was already toying with the idea of buying another shot-stopper in the new year, but that has been boosted with Hart’s recent run of costly errors. And top of the wish list is Celtic ace Forster – who will be tracked by City scouts in the coming weeks as the club line up an offer for the 25-year-old. Manchester United and Barcelona are also known to hold an interest in Forster, who has sparkled for Celtic in both the SPL and Champions League in recent months. Celtic have already confirmed they are aware of huge interest in the player – and would not stand in his way if a top club came in for him. It’s thought the Bhoys would want at least £10million for their star man, but City could throw players into the deal to get the transfer done. http://metro.co.uk/2013/10/31/manchester-city-eye-celtic-goalkeeper-fraser-forster-as-joe-hart-replacement-4169065/

RANGERS fans supremo Drew Roberton today called on the Paul Murray and Jim McColl camp to deliver the knockout blow to the under-fire Ibrox board. The Light Blues hierarchy are on the ropes after the departure of chief executive Craig Mather and directors Ian Hart and Bryan Smart in recent weeks. With multi-millionaire businessman McColl's backing, Murray and three shareholders - former chairman Malcolm Murray, Scott Murdoch and Alex Wilson - are attempting to win places on the Gers board. And Rangers Supporters Association chief Roberton, below, urged the group to spell out their vision for the future after McColl's TV appearance yesterday. He said: "They need to give the fans something more and put a really strong message across. "The board knocked themselves out recently and Mather was finished after Paul Murray's court win. But I would've liked Mr McColl to have given the fans something new and have one final push. I don't think Mr McColl revealed anything new in that interview. "I appreciate there has to be a certain amount of confidentiality. "I would seriously doubt that there are any fans that don't believe that change is necessary. "I have no doubt that they are in it for the benefit of Rangers as opposed to themselves. "At the moment, Jim McColl and the requisitioners are the only show in town. "But I wouldn't like to think they are going along on that basis and because they are the only alternative to the current board." McColl's rare public appearance came hours after Rangers began the search for Mather's replacement as CEO. The businessman confirmed former Liverpool supremo Christian Purslow is interested in a role at Ibrox, but Roberton doesn't expect the position to be filled in the near future. He said: "We need experienced, qualified people running the club and Christian Purslow certainly fits that bill. The advert has gone out for a new chief executive, are the board going to appoint someone before the AGM? "Who in their right mind would apply for the position at the minute with the turmoil that is still going on and the AGM still to be held? "Why have the club advertised it now? Mr Stockbridge and the Easdales must believe they have enough support from the shareholders and that they will still be there in the long-term. "But I would doubt they will be inundated with applications, and from the type of people that the fans want on the board, while the turmoil is ongoing at the club." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/gers-fans-chief-urges-mccoll-camp-to-land-knockout-blow-on-board-141211n.22575622