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Now before I go any further this isn't a thread to back up Walter , the management team or anything else like that , I have just taken some time thinking about where we are at present after reading some of the usual knee jerk reaction not just on here but other sites as well . When Walter came back , let's not kid ourselves we were on our knees literaly , financially , players wise ,demoralised and defeated , he gave us our pride back and trophies not forgetting that magical road to Manchester , something I will forever be greateful for , yes ther have been blips along the way ,Kaunus was a major setback , however the financial strings that bind us were loosened as Murray feared greater fans revolt than the usual pathetic attempts by us as a support to protest against him . So after today's game what have we learned and where are we going , what we have learned is that we were poor , we seemed to lack desire and were more than happy seeing the game out , why is another story . Our squad is the weakest just about in living memory , it's filled with older journeymen , promising kids and loan signings , with a smattering of actual scouted players ie Jelavic . The facts are really simple to me , if and when we are actually bought over and the shortsightedness of today's squad building are hopefully behind us , then players will be brought in not just because we can afford them and they will fill a hole in the squad , but because they are right for the team and the way the manager wants to play. EHD had a good game today , but dont kid yourself on ,he was a desperation signing, we found out at 5 pm he was available and that Blackburn would cover the majority of his wages , the management team are getting slaughtered all over the place , but in their shoes how would you react , how would you go about building a side after losing your top goalscorer and not getting the transfer fee , reality time guys the fact we are still in all competitions is IMHO remarkable . Compare that to the taigs , they sold their alleged top player and brought in roughly 14 players , all were scouted , all were brought in intentionally to fit into a plan ,cast aside your opinions on them as a club or a team ,emotions and rivalry always cloud the issue . We brought in Beattie because we thought Jelavic was not going to sign , Weiss is only on loan and flits in and out , we dont really play him in a set position , only Jelavic can be really counted as class . Whether we win this league or not is up in the air , the way things are going and with yet another year of fixture congestion I would put it at 60-40 against , IMHO our only real hope for the future is that we get seperated from Murray asap , I think we all agree on that , whether this guy Whyte is the answer only time will tell , but the thought of reducing the squad further and being unable to offer contracts yet again to our top players frightened me to death . Finally , I hope walter is remembered for what he has done and the great times he has brought us , yes at times his formations are hair pulling , but at this time this bear is glad he is at the helm and I hope for all our sakes that the future is bright ....

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/rangers/michael-grant-on-monday-1.1082711 The first suggestion was that Craig Whyte might be able to rush through a takeover and own Rangers in time for Christmas. Then he supposedly wanted to have the reins in time for the January transfer window so he could plough in some funds for signings and an enhanced contract offer to Kenny Miller. Christmas is over, Miller is away, the window closes at 11pm tonight, and still there is no Whyte. Not a peep has been heard and sources have said nothing is likely to change. It is now 74 days since the story broke that he wanted to buy the Ibrox club. It wouldn’t be a surprise to learn that the most pressing matter on Whyte’s mind now is how best to spin his retreat from the Ibrox doorstep. Not much is clear about Rangers’ ownership and information remains contradictory about whether or not the club will end up in Whyte’s hands, but there has been absolutely nothing in their January activity to suggest this is a club on the brink of new ownership. They submitted a bid for David Goodwillie which Dundee United rejected, and that was that. No increase, no bargaining, just a withdrawal from the table. They effectively agreed a fee with Derby County for Kris Commons only to realise they weren’t able to follow it through when he asked for Ã?£20,000-per-week. Whatever impact David Healy may go on to have for them, the fact remains that he wasn’t the first or even second forward on their wanted list. The Commons move said it all. The best Rangers could manage was several thousand pounds per week less than he was able to get from Celtic. If the most Rangers can offer now is about Ã?£14,000-per-week, they risk being outbid by their rivals for any player they might want in the foreseeable future. Agents routinely offer the same player to both clubs (same city, same league, same status of club) and their obligation to do the best they can for a client means they would naturally try to play one club off against the other if it might hike up the wages on offer. The Commons deal might not be the last time Rangers are gazzumped by Celtic. Rangers also risk not being able to keep hold of Madjid Bougherra, Steven Davis and Steven Whittaker, who are all out of contract at the end of next season. All three will believe they can get more money by leaving than re-signing. It’s easy to see all three of them going the way of Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller, departing for little or nothing. Lloyds Banking Group’s aggressive clawing back of the debts accumulated under Sir David Murray have been cold and clinical and still it goes on, relentlessly. Around Ã?£22m of the Ã?£27m debt is owed to Lloyds and they continue to be voracious in trying to get it back. “Whether we think it’s fair or not, it doesn’t really matter because we are not getting any kind of reaction any time we ask about it,” said Walter Smith recently. Lloyds don’t look at the football implications of anything. They aren’t interested in speculating to accumulate, which is why they were unmoved by the case for keeping top goalscorer Miller and increasing the likelihood of winning the league and reaching the Champions League. To Lloyds, Ã?£400,000 for Miller sounded a whole lot sweeter than nothing for him in the summer. They don’t give any ground, no matter how often or how passionately the case is made by Smith or chief executive Martin Bain. Those two must feel they are banging their heads against a brick wall. It isn’t going to change. Lloyds want another cut to the wage bill for next season, another Ã?£1m off the players’ salaries. They see themselves owed a big pile by a club facing reduced television income, the possibility of no Champions League money, and even some reduction in season-ticket sales. They see a possible Ã?£36m bill, plus penalties, from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs tax investigation which might hang over the club for another 18 months or so. They aren’t sitting back, waiting for Whyte or anyone else to pay back the money they’re owed. They’re working to get it back through a thousand cuts. Others won’t shed tears for Rangers. Even Ã?£14,000-per-week is way above what any Scottish club except Celtic can pay. Even after Miller’s departure they have four strikers on the books who cost Ã?£11m in transfer fees alone. They aren’t in this mess because of Lloyds, but because Murray allowed the debt to soar in the first place. It’s just their misfortune that Lloyds are being as brutal as a loan shark when it comes to claiming the money back. If it’s exasperating for Smith and Bain, then what must another central figure be making of it all? What kind of job is Ally McCoist going to inherit in four months’ time? Celtic appointed an inexperienced manager last summer, but crucially they backed him with the money to buy his way out of trouble. Rangers will not be able to do that. McCoist will swell with pride when he becomes manager, but there has never been a worse time to inherit the job he has always wanted.

I think this young lad deserves a thread of his own. Without being too OTT, I really think this guy has a tremendous future ahead of him. Without wanting to put the lad under pressure I do think he has already shown what an excellent talent he is,for such a young guy coming into the first team and playing the way he has proves he is destined for the top,old head on young shoulders springs to mind,he again displayed his undoubted talent tonight and was possibly MOTM for the second time running. This guy is the real deal and can only get better,the future is bright.

Cast your mind back ten years to season 2000/2001. Ronald de Boer signed from Barcelona; Tore Andre Flo signed for a transfer fee that will never be matched in Scotland; and a squad containing names such as Amoruso, van Bronckhorst and Klos - we could even afford to let Andrei Kanchelskis go on loan to the EPL and Man City for half a season. This was the start of a new decade under the continuing custodianship of David Murray - where he summed up his personality and ambition at the time with one simple quote from 2000 - "For every five pounds Celtic spend, we will spend ten". Most Rangers fans everywhere were enjoying the regular spectacle of Murray lording it in the media. Indeed the word 'moonbeam' didn't exist in those days. Speaking to Michael Grant in the Sunday Herald in late 2001, the loss of the league in 2000/01, coupled with rising debt hadn't affected the gallus 50 year old David Murray. In fact, he was as confident as ever in his club's future and given the success he'd help bring in during the 1990s, he had every right to be. Surely one season without the title wouldn't affect our operations ten years later? After all, Murray spoke candidly of 'being guilty of looking for short-term fixes', 'not wanting to sell the club', and that while he felt a major football club would go out of business it 'wouldn't be Rangers'. Juxtapose such warranties with comments about tying players down on long term contracts and ring-fencing the club against future losses, most of us bought into the security offered by an owner who had helped bring back success to the club along with the vision of Holmes and Souness. Unfortunately, less than a year later, we found out we were �£50+million in debt, Murray had stepped down as chairman and Alex McLeish was to preside over a 'short' period of 'downsizing'. "Not to worry," said new chair John McLelland at the 2002 AGM, "we won't lose sleep over it." With tax 'queries' originating from that period's wage-book casting their shadow over the club, to the ongoing saga over its ownership and declining ticket sales; one wonders if McLelland is sleeping well nowadays. Of course, while it is easy to pick through old newspaper interviews and make anyone look bad, our present situation is something to worry about given the assurances given back then. Players are no longer 'locked away' on long term contracts, we are the ones bringing players IN on loan (from Aberdeen!) and it is Celtic spending the kind of money that was pocket change for us ten years back. The ever-loyal Rangers fan-base still has no long term vision to buy into. Indeed, in 2001 Murray specifically alluded to the wider problems of a declining Scottish product and the Old Firm dominance being problematic for its future. Prophetic words but our club are as guilty as anyone in being over-reliant on TV money and selfishness. Why did we not heed our own warnings? Furthermore, from Sir David Murray to John McLelland to Martin Bain; the same people are in charge of guiding the club through these same deep financial waters. Or at least, they appear in charge - with allegations of bank interference (the Lloyds Banking Group have an increasing stake in Murray's company, thus an increasing stake in Rangers' operations) still rife in the media and amongst the support. The supporters - expected to part with their season ticket money again in a couple of months - have no idea of what's true and what isn't with mixed messages the only certainty in Rangers' dealings with us. Whether it be current chairman Alistair Johnston or even Walter Smith, we just don't know who is being straight with us. Therefore, at some point, we have to ask ourselves who is in such a position to know the truth, to deliver genuine answers and to lead from the front. Well, only one man still owns Rangers and only one man has the power to make the decisions that truly affect our club's well-being. Yet he is missing in action, absent without leave and by failing to lead he only lends weight to the criticism he vigorously defends. I'll conclude with another quote from that interview in 2001: Again, it is easy to find fault with comments that were only truly relevant when they were said. But is it clear from Murray's own words that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Sir David Murray will be 60 later this year. Will that represent an epiphany for a return to the front-line of a owner who once excited us all? Or will it be the final nail in the stewardship coffin of a once successful businessman whose interest in Rangers died as soon as it threatened the well-being of his personal wealth. Where is our owner and what is the future of our club?

From The Northern Echo. I think it's a real possibility he'll end up back here if Miller leaves in January however there's no quotes re Boyd in the article.

the performances of the youth players when called up to the squad this season have been a breath of fresh air. Ness, Wylde, Hutton in particular have all shown great promise and have never looked out of place in the first 11. Cole albeit one game and Fleck who performed very well last night against ICT are also in the frame. Thats half a team there. all have proved that they are good enough and ill wager will be contenders for regular places next season. So i hope smith keeps on looking to these boys and the youth squad when he thinks he needs a new player. You only have to look at the money wasted on the likes of lafferty and beattie who have provided scant return for their wages to know that it is a real gamble when you dabble in the transfer market at the level we can afford. These kids given our financial predicament are our future and we should be sticking by them, not buying middle of the road over the hill hasbeens that will give you nothing in return. we have everything we need at Ibrox. Its just sitting there waiting to be tapped, and will save us a fortune in the long run. and there is nothing more satisfiying as a fan than watching someone make it through the ranks. Save your money walter and play as many of theses kids as you can.

First of all, a Happy New Year to all Gersnet's subscribers; after a few weeks R&R; it's good to be back online and reading the varied opinions across the community! And it's with that initial greeting that we can immediately ask ourselves if indeed 2011 will be a prosperous time for our club. As ever the answer isn't easily found. Of course we started the year rather badly. After an icy December of cancelled game after cancelled game, it was no surprise to see our lack of sharpness affect our performance against Celtic. Added to the inconsistency we've seen throughout this season (despite being top) I wasn't expecting a great display on the 2nd, though I was disappointed with the familiar motivational problems rearing their head again. However, as ever, the reaction afterwards was overly negative and, as Monday's night's win over Kilmarnock showed, rumours of our demise have been greatly exaggerated. We may be four points behind our rivals but we're more than capable of winning our games in hand and retaining top spot - with or without Kenny Miller. On the subject of Scotland's most prolific striker, fans are again worried about his probable sale and, given the mixed messages coming from the club regarding Lloyds Banking Group's involvement, I certainly share in their concern. After all �£20million of European income should surely enable our manager to strengthen his squad in January in order to help facilitate the same CL revenue next season? Do we really need to sell in order to buy? A quick (and empirical) look at our finances tells us we're have around �£27million of debt after reducing this from the �£32million in 2008/2009's figures. Moreover, last year we used around �£9million of our European income to pay off any remaining transfer fees owed to other clubs. This means, instead of reducing our debt by only �£4-5million as in the 2009/2010 figures; we can hope to at least double that when we report in 2011. Therefore, with a decent Europa Cup run, we could easily find our debt almost halved by the start of next season. Now, that's great news in anyone's book but it doesn't automatically mean we'll have huge transfer 'war-chests' this month or even in the summer and beyond. The simple truth is that unless the club is bought over we'll remain reliant on MIH/LBG for ongoing finance. Thus, it is exactly because the CL income from the last two seasons has been so essential that the bank will be so reluctant to loosen the purse strings given our CL involvement is less than guaranteed (as Champions or not) next season. Their view will be that for their �£22million long term loan to be repaid in full, they will have to ensure the club remains on an even keel - without or without the European gravy. As such, while they may not be taking the �£20million from this season in one lump sum; they may 'suggest' to MIH that this money is used to reduce the long term debt in part once more while the rest is kept back for a 'rainy day' in seasons we don't qualify for the CL Group Stages. After all, without these monies we struggle to break even and unlike other clubs we don't appear to have the financial philanthropy of a mega-rich owner to guarantee our fiscal viability. I appreciate none of this is the kind of news that makes us smile. In this long, cold winter (someone please close that transfer window quick) positivity is hard to find so we may just have to content ourselves with realism. Unfortunately, that realism tells us that the days of huge transfer budgets every summer are gone. Indeed, the only huge fees we'll see nowadays is when we hope to move on our better players in order to supplement our operating expenses enough to keep the club competitive. Furthermore, even if we do manage to attract a new owner; I wouldn't expect a whole load of difference from this model. Craig Whyte (or rather certain journalists) have suggested an annual budget of �£5million each season if he takes over which, although conservative at first glance, is actually quite high (and possibly impossible) without major European dividends. We did spend around �£5million on transfers this season so is it any wonder we'll struggle to spend more as it stands? Again, I understand this is quite depressing when you juxtapose your Giovanni van Bronkhorsts with your Richard Fosters. Ten years is a long time in football and we are not just in a new climate but a new era. Monday's Ibrox Scottish Cup crowd shows just how difficult it will be to keep fans interested in a declining product with increasing prices. In a recession, the choice of �£30+ on a night out at the football or paying for your fuel to get to work for the week is a tough one. Unfortunately, these difficult choices extend to the club (and their bank) as well. All in all, I think as a support we need to examine the future carefully as we head into a new year. Sure, we want our club to be ambitious and our investment should entitle us to improved clarity from Rangers when it comes to finance going forward. But if we want to be taken seriously as partners, then we have to be realistic in what we expect. The unpalatable truth is that the 1990s have long gone and we're closer to bust than boom. To that end, prudence continues to be our buzzword so such vigilance requires patience and wisdom if we want our club to remain successful on all fronts. Like every bear, I look forward to meeting our challenges head on and urge everyone involved with the club to work with us in that regard. Here's to #54!

I think short termism is the main problem with what is going on, the fans don't want a smaller league but it's not possible to up the amount of teams without teams having cash crisis. Football has the problem that it only seems to be able to look at the present or 1 season ahead but a ten year or even 20 year plan should be put in place to secure the future of the clubs and the league. All teams must work together to save our game and get back to having a strong league. Looking at the Dutch and German leagues for insight would be the first place to start. Anyway here's my suggestion. 2014 ââ?¬â?? change to two SPL leagues of 10, play each other 4 times (36 games) 2024 ââ?¬â?? change to 1 SPL league of 18 play each other twice (34 games) (Top 18 of the two SPL leagues from season 2023) 2014 ââ?¬â?? 2024 3 promotion/relegation places up for grabs, 2 automatic, 1 between 3rd and 4th bottom of top league and 3rd and 4th top of second league. 2 down from second league into SFL divisions. TV Money to be split completely evenly between the top 20 clubs by 2024, changing a slight percentage every year until this has been achieved. From 1014 ââ?¬â?? 2019 available money should be directed towards youth development and training facilities. Further rules for UK and youth developed players should come into play. From 2019 -2024 available money should be directed towards stadium facilities. The main pushes should be undersoil heating (for newly joined clubs) and safe standing areas. 2024 onwards 4 promotion/relegation places up for grabs, 3 automatic, 1 between 4rd and 5th bottom of top league and 4th and 5th top of SFL. TV Money to be split at a more reasonable amount as per league position finish and games broadcast again, changing a slight percentage every year until this has been achieved. The Scottish Cup European place should be used for the league . Although this may devalue the Cup, midtable teams need more incentives by the end of the season. Further Ideas To promote attacking football 1 additional league point for every 15 league goals scored should be implemented. Safe standing areas will be vital as they bring the capacity higher allowing for more revenue to clubs and will be easier for the smaller clubs to implement and improve their stadium. Beer (with regulations) should be allowed to be sold at the stadium to bring fans in earlier and spend more money directly into the club. Prices must be cut and regulated; I would propose a maximum of Ã?£15 (top grade game) for an adult. Fans must have incentives to go regularly again. We should try to secure the 5.15pm Saturday TV KO time so all games are at a more regular day which should secure more fans. Ticket to the match should include free public transport travel as has been implemented in Germany. Some sort of police/referee committee and a certain amount of time to be release before a call off ( ie if a pitch is unplayable at 7pm the previous evening then the game will be called off, no wait and see attitude). Something should be done to integrate the SPL and the SFL with a second tier of 22 or 2 tiers of 10. Clubs must live within their means, no club should be running at an unpaybackable debt and transfers can only happen with cash upfront (this includes add-ons, the potential fees must be available) The only type of debt should be Stadium improvements and the like. I'm no expert when it comes to money issues and the ins and out of running a club so some of these suggestions might be completley unmanagable but I like to think that there is a few ideas in there that might be worth looking at.

Rangers take Forest youth striker on trial Striker Thomas Mullen will train with Rangers next week. Rangers will run the rule over Scotland under-19ââ?¬â?¢s striker Thomas Mullen next week as Walter Smith looks to bolster his attacking options for the future. The young forward is available on a free transfer from Nottingham Forest after being told he is surplus to requirements by Billy Davies. Mullen was a standout performer last season for the Nottingham Forest youth team, scoring 17 goals, making him the academyââ?¬â?¢s top scorer. Interests ensued from Everton and Blackburn, but at the time Forest were keen to hold on to the player. Heââ?¬â?¢s now been released as part of a clearout with another six youth players and could make the move to Glasgow if the trial goes well. Mullen has made several appearances for the Scottish youth squads, most notably against Norway and Estonia. The youth player would be unlikely to see any first team football this season if the deal to Ibrox is made, as heââ?¬â?¢s considered to be ââ?¬Ë?one for the futureââ?¬â?¢. Rangers will be keen to source a more immediate solution to the imminent departure of Kenny Miller. David Goodwillie has been touted for a move to Ibrox if Miller completes a likely switch to Birmingham. http://sport.stv.tv/football/219078-rangers-take-forest-youth-striker-on-trial/?

I wish this guy had a newspaper to publish his articles but judging by the number of bheasts leaving moronic comments on his blog he's certainly being noticed by some......... Saturday, 8 January 2011 DALLAS WITCH HUNT? DID I just blink and miss something? Has Henry McLeish suddenly taken over the Scottish Football Association? For right now*the SFA is slap bang in the middle of the sort of muddle which cost McLeish his job as Scotland's first minister. Remember? A muddle, not a fiddle, was the McLeish whine as he got the boot. Well, if what is happening at the SFA is not a fiddle, then it is most certainly, at best, a muddle. For it would be no surprise to find that there are many out there, who value the virtue of fair play, who may just be starting to believe that Hugh Dallas is the victim of a witch hunt. And if they do come around to forming such a view then the question they will be asking is just who it is who has been doing the witch hunting? The facts as they are .....five SFA employees, including Dallas, were investigated for an email which was said by some to be in poor taste. Peter Kearney, the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland's mouthpiece, then weighed in with the claim that it showed sectarianism was rife within the SFA. Dallas and the other four were sacked. Four, including Dallas, launched an appeal. All, except Dallas, now have their jobs back. Before the email row blew up we were told that the then newly installed SFA chief executive Stewart Regan wanted referee*Dougie McDonald's head on a plate after the penalty row when Dundee United lost to Celtic. Assistant referee Craven, who was involved, then lashed out at Dallas, and quit. There followed a series of leaks about the referees' department at the SFA, with some claims so outlandish they are not worth repeating. Regan was said to be less than happy that Dallas defended McDonald, and that the referees' committee were so lenient with the whistler. Thus, some people may conclude, when the email details were leaked - by whom? - in the wake of Craven quitting, that*Regan saw his chance. The timing will lead some*to this perception. The SFA, by giving the three others who appealed, their jobs back, have created a real and present danger that*some will gain*the perception the real target was Dallas... and Dallas alone. *And that there was a witch hunt against the most respected referee Scotland has given UEFA and FIFA for decades. At the moment Dallas is keeping his powder dry as his options - and those of the SFA - narrow. The chance for the SFA to give him back his job, along with the other three, has now gone. The only option remaining for the SFA is to offer Dallas a bumper payment - hush money - with a confidentiality clause - a gag. Dallas would surely insist that any such deal bound the SFA to continue to back him as a senior official at UEFA - and possibly even FIFA in the future. The Dallas options are that he could accept such a sweetheart deal, or he could fight to clear his name, and have his day in court. Such an option carries the danger that he could lose. Regardless of the rights and wrongs. Remember those clowns in the jury which found for Tommy Sheridan when the liar*he sued the News of the World? That injustice has been righted and Sheridan faces years in the slammer for his lies. No doubt Dallas, a highly intelligent man, is getting the best legal advice money can buy, plus advice from other world renown former referees throughout the world. In the end, though, the decision will rest with him. Will he take the risk?* Is*he is brave enough to drag through the court those who many believe, by their actions in giving three of the four who appealed, their jobs back, now stand accused of a witch hunt against Dallas. A muddle? Or a fiddle? Oh dear, we're back to old 'Enery McLeish again. And that's never good news.

We have had every excuse under the sun for Sunday's drubbing, time to look for answers rather than excuses. The question is are there any answers, viable ones..........or is it now time for the board and AJ to make a statement of future intent and direction, that is of course if they know....or if Minty has yet informed them of his next "manoeuvre" .

I can smell shite, there's no quotes. Pyoor pish journalism!

Press Statement Survey shows fan opposition to SPL Proposals Supporters Direct today published the initial findings from their comprehensive survey of fans on the proposed reforms to Scottish football. The survey highlighted that: There is strong opposition to the reduction of the top league in Scottish football to only ten teams across all supporters with 88% of fans opposing such a move: 93% of fans feel they have not been adequately consulted over the proposed changes Fans want a greater voice in the SFA with 87% supporting fan representation in the SFA. The survey, which is ongoing, has already canvassed the views of over 3,000 supporters from clubs across the whole spectrum of Scottish football ââ?¬â?? from the SPL and SFL through to Junior and non-league clubs and results are currently being collected and analysed by independent research agency, Red Circle Communications. Supporters Direct Development Manager James Proctor said: ââ?¬Å?These findings raise some serious questions for everyone who cares about the future of Scottish football. There is a clear gap between what supporters have been telling us they want and the proposed reforms that are being put forward by some SPL clubs. There is strong opposition to the reduction of the top league to only ten teams and a clear desire for a larger rather than smaller top league. The option for a larger league is clearly one that fans want and should be thoroughly examined. He added "Without fans there is no professional game and if fans feel that they havenââ?¬â?¢t been listened to then that can only be bad for Scottish football. The worrying aspect of this study is that more than nine out of ten football fans donââ?¬â?¢t feel they have been adequately consulted on these proposals. The key to restoring the financial health of the game in Scotland is to put on attractive games that supporters want to watch. Therefore we would urge the SPL, SFA, SFL and others to work with Supporters Direct, its member trusts and fans to help change Scottish football for the better and ensure that we have make the right changes to help create a modern structure with clubs fit for the future and where our game can flourish". SD are going to close the survey on Wednesday evening and work on a fuller report to issue prior to the now cancelled SPL meeting which has been re-scheduled for Jan 4th.

Has it really been almost a month since news broke of the proposed Whyte consortium takeover? Amongst the tepid stickiness of premature welcomes and the excitement of tabloid transfer war-chests, as ever there was minimal meat on the bones of this story from the outset. And there's even less now as we approach Christmas, the suggested date of deal conclusion from those 'club insiders' that are oft-quoted but rarely named. Of course we've been down this road before over the last year or so. From Graham Duffy (the alleged fan buyout champ), to Dave King (the alleged financial innocent), to Andrew Ellis (the alleged Murray 'shill'); the cast of this particular pantomime is varied and about as 'A' list as Elaine C. Smith in Mother Goose. 'Yes, we are interested in buying the club', says their statements to the stock exchange. 'Oh no you're not', says Alastair Johnston and much of the fan-base. Hilarious, if you're a 5 year old kid - less funny if you're a Rangers supporter anxious to hear more about the club's long-term future. To that end, the information vacuum surrounding this issue is making it difficult for the average bear. Sir David Murray (he's behind you!) seems more interested in garden proposals for Ratho and stadiums for Edinburgh rugby teams than his >90% shareholding in Scotland's most successful club. Alistair Johnston (he knows all the big stars) enjoys making 30min long bland AGM statements but appears mute from the comfort of the USA the rest of the time. Meanwhile our fan groups (containing more than a few panto dames I'm told) profess inside information but only relay rumour rather than offering tangible guidance. Is it any wonder we're easily beaten off-the-field by more organised clubs? Obviously we all understand that there are legal restrictions in place surrounding such matters but given it won't be long before the club are selling season tickets to us again, I'd like to know what I'm buying. I'm all for ongoing debt reduction and financial prudence but I also expect the club to remain competitive personnel wise. If a purported Champions' League bounty of �£20million can't reduce the debt to a fair degree while also ring-fencing some money for a new player or two in January, how do the likes of Whyte et al intend financing their plan in the longer term? Surely we're all a bit sick of asking the same questions and not getting any answers except the well remunerated Martin Bain expecting praise for NOT selling a key player half way through the season. Gee, thanks for that Martin - here, have another half a million and a French vineyard for your trouble. The script is all too obvious and just a bit boring. �£20million+ transfer war-chests; G51 super-plans; stadium upgrades; new found respect for supporters; oversight committees to make recommendations. Blah, patronise, blah, prevaricate, blah, boast etc etc. And this is where people like Bain are treading on thin ice this winter. By all means, play the prudence card to avoid further debt. Please do play hard-ball with any player you feel is asking for too much money. Yes, ensure we avoid censure from shadowy kangaroo courts eager to feast on the anti-sectarianism sham. But, please don't treat us like mugs. Show us a bit more respect and we'll continue to show our unwavering commitment to our club. Of course, the vast majority of our fans buy a ticket again next season; most probably with league title win garnish, new ownership cherry on top or not. But cancel the ownership pantomime now as we're not interested in being served up condescending clap-trap without substance. if people are really serious about becoming genuine leaders of the Rangers, do so through the correct channels - not a nudge to Jim Traynor here and wink to Darrell King there. Yes, we're all intrigued about SPL reconstruction and we appreciate that will play an important part in our club's future. But we're more interested about our club in a specific sense. In a period where you're releasing statement after statement about our supporters' alleged 'Unacceptable Conduct'; well I'd like to remind you that allowing external parties such as banks, objectionable people within football authorities and the media to dictate our future, whilst the people who pay your wages remain uninformed is also far from satisfactory. Will you work with us towards a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year or will you allow the Scrooges you're associated with to continue the 'Bah Humbug' attitude of the club to its loyal fans?

The daily record and scottish sun are both carrying this story that miller will quit rangers during the january transfer window after transfer talks broke down??, I'm hoping this is just romours and this is not the case but rangers really should be pulling out all the stops to hold on to our top striker!!, you really have to ask what is going on at murray park! I'm very worried tbh

CASH-STRAPPED Rangers have coined in more than �£20MILLION thanks to their Champions League campaign. Walter Smith's men bowed out of Europe's premier club competition after a 1-1 draw with Bursaspor on Tuesday. They pocketed six points during the campaign to land a place in the Europa League last 32 in the New Year. Just as importantly was the money their six group games brought into the Ibrox coffers. Gers really looked like they were a spent force in last year's morale-sapping campaign against Stuttgart, Sevilla and Unirea Urziceni. Their fortunes improved on the pitch this year as they upped their game in ties with Manchester United, Valencia and Bursaspor. Off the park, the importance of them qualifying could never be more stark. Craig Whyte might be on the verge of a takeover which would see the club's mounting debts wiped out and much-needed funds pumped into the side over the coming months. SunSport can now reveal the actual impact Gers' SPL title triumph last season and their displays on the continent since have had on the future of the club. Gers' direct entry into the group stages meant they were guaranteed to take home a cool �£6million as long as they played all their games. That was made up of payments from UEFA of around �£3.2million for just getting there - and another �£470,000 every time they played one of their six group games, netting �£2.82 million more. Rivals Celtic crashing out of the tournament in the qualifiers also earned a massive bonus on the Gers balance sheet. Each country is granted a market share of the TV money and had the Hoops made the group stages, Gers would have had to split the �£7.5million payment. Gers' home win over Bursaspor plus draws against Man United, Valencia and in Turkey this week brought in an extra �£1.7million. On top of that the three home gates would have brought in around another �£4.8million in ticket sales before merchandise and other income is budgeted in. With the Europa League to come now Gers look poised for another cash bonanza with more performance-related incentives. They'll find out who they will face at the draw a week on Friday. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3267074/Gers-cash-in-Euros.html#ixzz17aztCMuk

CELTIC and Rangers are involved in a bitter transfer scrap for the signature of Ibrox wonderkid Dylan McGeogh. SunSport can reveal the Hoops are in pole position to dramatically grab back the Scotland youth star - three years after a swap deal with their fierce rivals which saw McGeogh go to Murray Park and Sean Fitzharris join Celts. However, it would also be likely to cost them a six-figure tribunal fee for the midfielder who is out of contract next May. Celtic moved after hearing that the 17-year-old rejected a lucrative new Ibrox deal. Gers are furious at the idea of losing the top kid and they are working overtime to persusade him his future is better served by staying. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3259877/Celts-aiming-to-nick-Ibrox-kid.html#ixzz177zskQU5

RANGERS legend Brian Laudrup was celebrating last night after being given the all-clear in his cancer battle. The former Ibrox winger, 41, had been receiving treatment in his native Denmark since being diagnosed with a form of lymphoma in September. But this week medics told the dad-of-two that tests show he no longer has the disease. Last night Laudrup was resting at home with wife Mette, 46, son Nicolai, 21, and daughter Rasmina, 17. Three months ago we told how the Gers hero had vowed to beat his cancer after being "shocked" by the original diagnosis. It's believed that the star, now working as a football pundit in Denmark, was given the good news on Monday. But last night Laudrup stuck to his vow not to discuss his health fight. He told us: "When I came out with this I said that I was not going to give any further explanation. "Maybe in the future I will speak about it - but not right now." News the "Great Dane" has beaten cancer was welcomed by his many friends in Scotland. Scottish Sun columnist Andy Goram, 46, said he was thrilled by his former teammate's recovery. The ex-Rangers and Scotland goalie said last night: "This is the best Christmas present I could wish for - it's great news. "Brian was always a fighter, so I knew he could beat this. And that's exactly what he's done. We've remained close friends and I've been in contact with him about this. I'm glad to say he's sounding great." Goram added: "Everyone at Rangers, and indeed in Scottish football as a whole, was pulling for him. "I know how touched Brian has been by the thousands of messages of support he's received." Laudrup played 150 games for Rangers between 1994 and 1998. He scored 45 goals - including the winner against Dundee United in 1997 that clinched the Ibrox side's ninth league title in a row. He was named the Scottish Sportwriters' Player of the Year in 1995. He won 82 caps for Denmark and helped them win the 1992 Euro Championships. Laudrup also played for Fiorentina, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Ajax. Ex-Celtic boss Martin O'Neill's wife Geraldine, 55, has also been treated successfully for lymphoma. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/3259781/Brian-Laudrup-gets-all-clear-on-cancer.html#ixzz1781AFkSG

By hounding Hugh Dallas, it is showing a paranoia that isn't shared by the vast majority of its followers. Some people are born victims; others though, seek victimhood, and when they find it they cling to it. Like Tam O'Shanter's wife, Kate, "gathering her brows like gathering storm, nursing her wrath to keep it warm", they remain vigilant and alert to any evidence of scurrility. Last week, Peter Kearney, the director of the Scottish Catholic Media Office, penned an incendiary article in which he excoriated Scotland for being a nation where Catholics continue to suffer "deep, wide and vicious hostility". Mr Kearney, an otherwise reasonable and skilled media operator, was responding to the forced resignation of Hugh Dallas, the head of referee development at the Scottish Football Association. Mr Dallas, a former FIFA referee, had been found to have passed on a ribald and satirical picture email about the Pope on the occasion of his visit to Scotland on 16 September. Previously, Mr Kearney had called on the SFA to sack Dallas after implying that the organisation had been dilatory in pursuing its investigation into the email affair. This is when I began to feel distinctly queasy for the blood was high, the night was clear, the crosses were burning brightly and a good old witch-hunt was underway. There can be no doubt that Kearney had made his demand fortified by the authority of the Catholic church in Scotland. As such, it was only a matter of time before Dallas would be forced out. I am a practising Catholic, who still feels the urge to genuflect when there is incense, candles and the glimpse of a lacy black mantilla. I believe in the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. But I also believe that the church is nothing if it does not also offer forgiveness, charity, compassion and the hope of redemption. In its treatment of Hugh Dallas, the Catholic church displayed none of these. He was given no opportunity to redeem himself with an apology or defend himself through an appeal in mitigation. The Catholic church took no account of the fact that his future ability to earn a good living will be grievously compromised for having been publicly found guilty of the dread sin of anti-Catholicism. The effect on his wife and children does not appear to have diluted the wrath of Rome. His mildly injudicious act has met with a punishment that is not condign and, indeed, is utterly disproportionate to the original transgression. Having duly received the head of Dallas on a plate, the church, through Kearney's article, obviously felt conditions were ripe to press home her advantage. The email, according to Kearney, may "simply be the tip of a disturbing iceberg of anti-Catholicism in Scottish society". It has caused Catholics in Scotland to draw "a line in the sand". It has done no such thing. A line in the sand is what General William Travis drew in 1836 when his few hundred Americans were defending the besieged fort at the Alamo against Santa Anna's 10,000-strong Mexican army. The Spartans did it in 480BC when about to be overwhelmed by the Persians at Thermopylae. The Catholic church in Scotland is not in a state of siege. In fact, its response conveys more about the state of the church than it does about the state of Scottish society. Quite simply, the Scotland portrayed in the Kearney memorandum is not the Scotland that I and many of my fellow Catholics recognise. When set against the febrile and tumultuous history of Europe and the movements of its peoples since the dawn of the 20th century, the rise of the Irish Catholic population in Scotland is nothing short of astonishing. Little more than a century has passed since the end of the largest of the Irish diasporas to this country. Lowland, urban Scotland, already poor, found a large and unskilled population on its doorstep, itself needful of what little state benefits there were and carrying with them the old and still despised Roman faith. The ingredients and conditions for widespread and violent civil unrest were painfully present. In Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Russia, there were regular pogroms of Jews, Turks, Muslims, Slavs and gypsies. Hundreds of thousands of people died or were left homeless because of state-sponsored racism across Europe. That it didn't happen in Scotland is almost miraculous and says something good about the tolerance of the indigenous Presbyterian population and its civil and church leaders. Even when this cultural detente was tested by the late 20th century manifestation of the Irish problem, the state of peace and harmony stayed largely firm. Within two generations, Irish Catholics, whose parents and grandparents had arrived here with nothing, were beginning to alter the professional landscape of Scotland. By the end of the 20th century, Catholics have risen to the top in the law, the judiciary, trade unionism, party politics and journalism. State-funded Catholic education remains, as the last two first ministers of Scotland have averred, the "jewel in Scotland's educational crown". Throughout this time, the vivid and rough hostility to Irish Catholicism has waned to such an extent that last month the Orange Order was told to reduce drastically the number of annual parades it holds and Rangers FC are aggressively pursuing an inclusive agenda among the more "traditional" of their supporters. The Catholic church in Scotland should be embracing the challenges of the 21st century with confidence and as equal partners in shaping the destiny of our nation. Sadly, there are still many in the church who regard valid criticism of its teachings and its conduct as tantamount to sectarianism. There is a loose alliance of shrill Catholic evangelicals and pious ecclesiasticals who are beginning to hold sway in my church. Many have shown themselves to be intellectually incapable of defending the precepts of their faith in the marketplace of ideas that post-devolution Scotland seeks to foster. When there is reasonable opposition to the Pope's visit and a justifiable outcry over child sex abuse they retreat into their novenas, benedictions and prayer meetings and mutter darkly about anti-Catholic agendas and vendettas. My Scotland is still a thrawn, aggressive, carnaptious and disputatious wee nation. But it is also enlightened, tolerant, kind (in a gruff don't-mention-it sort of way) and remains a beacon in its continuing preferential option for its own poor and the vulnerable and the persecuted of other countries. Occasionally, it will take itself too seriously and retreat into itself and give itself a right good talking to: are we too fond of the bevvy; do we smoke too much; does my public sector look big in this; will Sean Connery ever buy a house here? Sometimes, we come off the ropes fighting only to discover that our opponent went home a few hours ago. We need to relax and get out more. This month, we are getting all introspective again. Are we an anti-Catholic country? No, absolutely not. Last week, the Catholic church had a rare opportunity to offer charity and forgiveness in its response to the Dallas email imbroglio. In this, it was found wanting and we who love both our faith and Scotland are reduced because of it. We are not victims. Kevin McKenna http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/dec/05/catholic-church-pope-hugh-dallas

Roddy Forsyth: soap opera surrounding Hugh Dallas episode reeks of nasty opportunism So the conspiracy theorists were correct all along. The truth, at last, is out there and Scottish football is in turmoil, although it took disruption to the fixture card to bring the whole sorry mess into the open. This goes back to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, of course. The oil has gummed up the ocean bed and switched off the North Atlantic Current, which keeps Europe from freezing. We are at the start of a new Ice Age. You donââ?¬â?¢t believe it? OK, what game are you going to watch this weekend? In lieu of a match programme, you might want to read the findings of Dr Gianluigi Zangari, theoretical physicist at the National Institute of Nuclear Physics in Italy who says that the Earthââ?¬â?¢s central heating system has broken down because of the oil spill. When the archaeologists of the future dig down through the tundra around Hampden Park they are bound to ask how the planet could have been plunged into deep cold just after a Krakatoa of hot air erupted over the subject of Scottish referees ââ?¬â?? and why there were so many unresolved issues even when the volcanic row became dormant. A couple of facts could be established, mind you. Hugh Dallas was not sacked as the Scottish Football Associationââ?¬â?¢s head of referee development for being satirical or sectarian in forwarding a widely circulated email about the Pope. His forced departure was because he had breached the SFAââ?¬â?¢s rules about IT, which prohibit the dissemination of potentially sensitive or offensive emails. Dallas was dismissed, plus four more employees, because of that infraction. Other SFA staff members were warned about their conduct in the same regard. It appears that the five who were sacked had forwarded the email beyond the confines of the SFA offices, while those who were warned did not. At which point the unanswered questions begin. Why did the SFA begin its disciplinary process all of six weeks after the circulation of the emails had been discovered? Were the sackings disproportionate? Was the nature and outcome of the disciplinary procedure in any way influenced by the much publicised intervention of Peter Kearney, director of the Scottish Catholic Media Office? It would be a surprise if mââ?¬â?¢learned friends were not examining this very point on behalf of the sacked quintet. Indeed, I believe that is exactly what they are doing. Kearneyââ?¬â?¢s role also warrants scrutiny. He was rejected as a SNP candidate for both Westminster and Holyrood by the voters of Coatbridge and Chryston but he retains sufficient political nous to be certain that his pronouncements about the email in question would generate enormous publicity. So, on whose authority did Kearney act? Did he have the prior approval of Cardinal Oââ?¬â?¢Brien or did the Scottish Catholic Church press officer go freelance on this issue? Of the email depicting the Pope, Kearney said: ââ?¬Å?We will not tolerate it. We will not laugh it off or see the funny side ââ?¬â?? because there is no funny side.ââ?¬Â Does that, then, apply to the edition of Have I Got News For You? which employed the same image as the Hampden email when the BBCââ?¬â?¢s irreverent news review programme was transmitted in the week of the Papal visit to the UK in September? And, if so, where was the implacable protest, the declaration that such a display indicated that ââ?¬â?? to use Kearneyââ?¬â?¢s words ââ?¬â?? hostility to Roman Catholics that is ââ?¬Å?deep, wide and viciousââ?¬Â. If Kearney did have the approval of Cardinal Oââ?¬â?¢Brien for his insistence that Dallas be sacked if found to have forwarded the email, is His Eminence satisfied that justice was done by extending the same sanction to a practicing adherent of his own faith and a man of 60 who, having recently lost his wife, has now been deprived of his livelihood at the SFA ââ?¬â?? and if so, what does that say for the application of Christian charity? In Kearneyââ?¬â?¢s denunciation of the Hampden email and others like it he declared that priests in West Lothian and Renfrewshire had been attacked by ââ?¬Ë?thugsââ?¬â?¢. Given that a childcare specialist in Wales was forced to leave her home by a self-styled vigilante mob who could not distinguish between a paediatrician and a paedophile, one could certainly believe that innocent Roman Catholic clergy might be at risk from similarly ignorant or bigoted buffoons. Yet where were the reports or police investigations into these incidents? I ask because, within five minutes of three complaints being received by Strathclyde Police about Dallas, a tabloid newspaper reported in its online edition that the Hate Crimes Unit was investigating him. Strathclyde Police do not have a Hate Crimes Unit and they are not ââ?¬â?? and never were ââ?¬â?? investigating Dallas. And we may ask why Kearney did not denounce the knuckle draggers who phoned death threats to a religious education teacher at a Roman Catholic High School in Lanarkshire ââ?¬â?? who just happened to have awarded Rangers a debatable penalty kick when Celtic lost 3-1 in the Old Firm derby on Oct 24. Whatever may be the rights and wrongs of the Dallas episode ââ?¬â?? and I think that he was stupid to have forwarded the email even if he thought it was a harmless joke ââ?¬â?? the outcome reeks of nasty opportunism. Speaking of which, the forced departure of Dougie McDonald was a declared aim of the Celtic directors ââ?¬â?? stated with considerable force by the Parkhead chairman at the clubââ?¬â?¢s chairman at the annual general meeting three weeks ago. Why, then, was it left to Paul McBride QC ââ?¬â?? in a rare distraction from his duties at the Tommy Sheridan perjury trial at the High Court in Glasgow ââ?¬â?? to speak as someone ââ?¬Å?close to the clubââ?¬â?¢s boardââ?¬Â and say that they had experienced ââ?¬Å?a sense of quiet vindicationââ?¬Â at the refereeââ?¬â?¢s decision to resign, McDonald having lied to their manager about a penalty kick decision at Tannadice in October. There was nothing quiet when John Reid was whipping up the gallery at the AGM, but the former so-called ââ?¬Ë?big beast of the Labour Partyââ?¬â?¢ has gone all coy now. Nor is there a squeak from anyone else at the club whose commitment to transparency is flexible enough to include threats of non-cooperation to broadcast outlets who transmitted Gary Hooperââ?¬â?¢s dopey remarks about Scottish referees. Anyway, as I say, itââ?¬â?¢ll all be academic once the permafrost kicks in. And itââ?¬â?¢s precisely because Russia knows how to cope with the coming freeze that Fifa awarded them the 2018 World Cup. Think Iââ?¬â?¢m kidding? Is the Pope a Catholic? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/scottish-premier/8177228/Roddy-Forsyth-soap-opera-surrounding-Hugh-Dallas-episode-reeks-of-nasty-opportunism.html

Iââ?¬â?¢m certain that most of us over a certain age will fondly remember this annual publication. In fact, I can remember keenly awaiting its release every season (along with the wee red book). Thanks to a work colleague, I have been given (a loan) of several Wee Blue Books dating back to 1936-1937 season and some of their content is amazing (some of which Iââ?¬â?¢ll detail below). Whilst times have changed since the 30ââ?¬â?¢s and 40ââ?¬â?¢s the content of these books show just why Rangers Football Club were a cut above any ordinary football club and the great traditions were continually being built upon. The Managers Reports make fantastic reading and the spirit of Mr Struth should never be forgotten, nor underestimated. The layout of The Wee Blue Books hardly changed over the years and were all (I believe) printed by Hay Nisbet & Co (printers ââ?¬â?? Glasgow) and all (until the late 60ââ?¬â?¢s) had advertisements for Bovril printed on the rear cover. They always started with a list of club directors, manager, etc then came ââ?¬Ë?The Managers Reportââ?¬â?¢. This was followed by a list of the previous seasonââ?¬â?¢s fixtures / results (which my colleagues relative has painstakingly entered all our results, by his own had) and our achievements (trophy wise). Then you would get a review on the ââ?¬Ë?Second XIââ?¬â?¢ followed by (my favourite part of these older books), Items Of Interestââ?¬â?¢ (including a list of the previous seasons ââ?¬Ë?cappedââ?¬â?¢ players). A list of goal-scorers followed by international dates proceeded a list of ââ?¬Ë?Rangers Scottish Cup Medallistsââ?¬â?¢ through our history. A list of registered players and the seasonââ?¬â?¢s fixtures were followed by a breakdown of all our trophy triumphs ââ?¬â?? year by year. A table of the previous seasons league placings, a comprehensive list of all league games in Scotland, a comprehensive list of all capped Rangers player and our historical league record gave way to a final ââ?¬Ë?item of interestââ?¬â?¢ which in season 1936-1937 was an article on Ibrox Park which gives some very interesting insights to the clubs plans to redevelop Ibrox - . ââ?¬Ë?From the year 1902 a steady transformation has taken place. Firstly came the removal of the timber terracing and the replacement by solid earth properly stepped. This was followed by converting The North Stand into a covered enclosure. The Old pavilion in the south-east corner ââ?¬â?? once the finest in existence ââ?¬â?? was demolished after having served its day and generation, to be replaced by the executive block, which was afterwards embodied in the New Grand Stand which was erected on the south side of the ground in 1929. During the past season, on the invitation of the Scottish FA, the club explored that possibilities of being able to provide adequate accommodation to house the Scotland v England International match, and as a result of long and careful deliberations they were able to lay plans before the association showing accommodation for almost 200,000 spectators. Of that number 17,000 could have been seated and a further 30,000 under cover. Alterations on the ground to put those plans into operation would have been made by erecting a new stand on the site of the present covered enclosure ââ?¬â?? a ââ?¬Ë?double deckerââ?¬â?¢ stand with standing accommodation under the seats ââ?¬â?? and an extended terracing on the east and west ends of the grounds. The Rangers club were prepared to proceed with these alterations and considered that nothing less would be satisfactory if one kept in view the increasing popularity of the game and had implicit faith ââ?¬â?? as we have ââ?¬â?? in its future. All that was asked from the association was a measure of financial guarantee. The Scottish FA decided that our plans were too ambitious and went beyond their ideas, and in the end, said to be due to opinions expressed by outside authorities, they decided to proceed with a minor scheme at Hampden Park. But our labours during the season ââ?¬â?? and they were long and arduous ââ?¬â?? will not be altogether in vain. Before very many years have passed, Greater Ibrox may come into being and our own supporters may gain benefit of what was planned for an International crowd. What our capacity is today no one can tell. We await a test and are prepared to abide by the resultsââ?¬â?¢. Some interesting facts gained from this edition : J Dawson & D Gray played in every League & Scottish Cup game of the previous season ââ?¬â?? GOOD GOING! In the previous 10 seasons, Rangers had never failed to win one or more of the major honours and in season 1929-30 had won everything possible. The closing page of the 1936-37 Wee Blue Book focuses on Athletic records made at Ibrox and states that several of A Shrubbs times were not only records for Ibrox, but indeed, World Records. Mr Struthââ?¬â?¢s report mentions the our ââ?¬Ë?Home & Awayââ?¬â?¢ friendlies against the English Cup Holders (Sheffield Wednesday) and League Champions (Arsenal) both of which Rangers emerged triumphant and that ââ?¬Ë?it is pleasing to record that in these encounters the reputation of the Rangers Club and of Scottish football were maintainedââ?¬â?¢. Mr Struth was also full of praise for the champions of Scotland ââ?¬â?? ââ?¬Ë?We heartily join in the congratulations which have been extended to the Celtic club in again becoming league champions after a lapse of ten years. Their record during the season proved their right to the title. During the past few years, honours have not been so plentiful at Parkhead as in former years and no club welcomes the reincarnation of the Celtic more than we doââ?¬â?¢. Mr Struth finishes his report with these wise words ââ?¬Ë?Even in the knowledge that we have a high tradition to maintain, we shall welcome the challenges of the new season with every confidenceââ?¬â?¢. The managers report of the following season gives further insight into the expectation, traditions, standards and expectations expected by Rangers Football Club and Mr Struth ââ?¬â?? While we may look back on season 1936-37 with a measure of satisfaction in that the team was successful in winning two of the major competitions, viz, the Scottish League Championship and the Glasgow Cup, it would idle to suggest that Rangers followers were satisfied with the play of the team over the season. Indeed, despite those successes, one might search the memory for a good few years back and yet fail to find a season wherein so many matches were played by a Rangers team in such ââ?¬Ë?un-Rangerââ?¬â?¢ like fashion. Somehow or other there were many occasions upon which that machine known as ââ?¬Ë?Rangers Footballââ?¬â?¢ simply could not get going and our followers could have been pardoned if at times they felt over anxious at these displaysââ?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬â?¢ ââ?¬Ë?ââ?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦ In our success we sympathise with the Aberdeen club in their unavailing fight for first class honours. For the major part of the season they led the league race, and at one period had what might have been considered an unassailable lead, but the strain of the league fight and their efforts in the Scottish Cup proved too great and the end of the season found them with neither flag nor cupââ?¬Â¦..ââ?¬â?¢ Further evidence from the managers report from season 1937-38 ââ?¬â?? ââ?¬Ë?It is always an easy task to review a past season which has been full of glory and honour; it is not so simple when one feels that, notwithstanding a certain measure of success, the attainments of the team have hardly been in keeping with what we have become accustomed to. There can be no doubt that such a felling does exist. The Rangers club have set themselves a very high standard by the achievements in post war years, and their position is naturally judged from that standpoint. Thus it is that many clubs would have been perfectly happy to have won The Glasgow Cup, finished 3rd in the league championship, reached the semi-final of the Scottish Cup and contested the final of the Glasgow Charity Cup, but from The Rangers, something more is expected, and it is the lack of that something that is causing some disquiet amongst the Rangers followers.ââ?¬â?¢ The tone of Mr Struthââ?¬â?¢s Managerââ?¬â?¢s reports changed from season 1939-40 onwards with the outbreak of World War II ââ?¬â?? Mr Struth starts ââ?¬Ë?Season 1939-40 will go down in history as one of the craziest ever experienced in the sport. When war broke out all entertainments and outdoor gatherings were prohibited in anticipation of aerial activity of the enemy, and when that did not materialise sport was permitted under conditions which made it next door to impossible to carry on without incurring substantial losses. ââ?¬Ë?Playââ?¬â?¢ was our slogan and we carried it through the best we could. We felt that in taking that course we were making some contribution to the national effort. What the future holds no one can foretell. Military service will make great inroads on our playing staff. The majority of our players were lads between 18 and 25, and, like others, they will answer their countries call. We can only hope that their absence will be short, and meanwhile let us carry on with the policy adopted at the outbreak of warââ?¬â?¢.

By Gary McDaniel So it has come to this, our referees have decided that enough is enough and they're taking strike action in demonstration as to the constant flack they have been subjected to recently. I say good on them. Celtic chairman, John Reid, is without doubt the Keith Flint-esk firestarter who has been regularly stoking the flames on the burning issue of referees, especially Dougie MacDonald. Mr Reid is adamant heads should role as the heinous crime of a lie has been told to their manager Neil Lennon and the SFA match observer. Now I don't condone lying and I�m sure as his time as a politician John Reid would never condone such a thing............. Oh hold on wasn't he a member of the Blairite New Labour party which was built on the foundation of spin? Wasn't he once a prominent member of our government's cabinet? Let us remember that John Reid was part of one of the biggest lies in our country's recent history in the run-up to the war in Iraq. He was privy to information of claims of 45 minute warnings and weapons of mass destruction, which all turned out to be a load of nonsense but yet thousands of Iraqi's lost their lives and many of our troops were killed, all for what? We were then told that the removal of Saddam Hussein was part of the plan, didn't remember being said on the run-up to war? Change of story there, doesn't that sound familiar? He was part of a government which deviously set about ditching bad news on the day of 9/11. Ok he wasn't directly involved in that but that all stemmed from the culture being set by the party he was a member of. So how many heads rolled after the PR disaster which was the Iraq war cover-up? Erm one, namely a Dr David Kelly who took his own life. Now Mr John Reid wishes to see P45s issued within the SFA and to Dougie MacDonald over the Tannadice incident? A lie, which I agree was stupid, but which was taken without real thought. A decision which in essence did not have any real effect on the outcome of the game in Dundee. Compare that to Reid's political decisions in the past. Yes, he has a cheek to sit in Parkhead and believe he has the moral high ground. I have a lot of respect for Celtic Football Club and many of their fans for what they have done for Scottish football. Their achievements abroad. The behaviour of their fans when following their team in Europe over the decades. For me though, the likes of John Reid and Peter Lawell are tarnishing that image. I would have more respect for them if they cleared the smokescreen and laid their cards on the table and openly admitted that they believe that there is a valid question about the integrity of Scottish referees. I might not agree with them but I would respect their bluntness. I've been over this ground in a previous post about referees but we seem to forget how invaluable they are to our game and the fact that, like us, they are human beings. They are committed to the job and have taken up the call in which the vast majority of us wouldn't touch with a barge pole. They face, not just stick from managers and players, but also from fans whose abuse is much more colourful. Who in their right mind would run the line and suffer constant verbal attacks from fans questioning their integrity, their eyesight but also the much more darker issues of having their sexuality questioned, members of their family verbally abused and threats to their personal safety? Imagine its like a taxi driver having every fare in his cab hurling abuse at him or a call centre worker being told were to stick their double glazing on a regular basis. You would pack it in after a while for your own sanity. We now live in a culture were football referees are now constantly in the spot light. Many ex-referees are TV pundits or have their own columns in national newspapers. This didn't happen 20 years ago. We are fascinated by officials and the decisions they make. It frustrates us and it annoys us but we accept, well I do, that they have taken an honest decision in relation to an incident. We have a situation in which players earn thousands or millions of pounds. They have the life style they desire, the house they dreamed of, the sports car they sought after and the eye candy on their arm they thought was never possible when they were a plukey wee pubescent teenager. They virtually do what they want. They can demand more money and sign up to lucrative sponsorship deals. But when they run out onto a football pitch and have a referee blow the whistle and tell them its not a penalty, they blow their top. How dare this authoritarian weasel that I have no respect for tell me I'm wrong. Let us all remember players and managers never get it wrong? They never lie or cheat? No no never. Yet their behaviour is never regularly punished by their club. A manager rarely criticises one of his players for diving to get a penalty. They never take action when their players hound match officials to get an opposing player red carded. No its all accepted as part of the game. Referees are demonised by many quarters from within the game but we also forget the other role in which referees play. Not only do they have to judge if a player has dived or feigning injury but they are there to protect the players. It is the job of the man in black to blow the whistle and ask for urgent attention for a player who has a head knock. It is them who decide when a pitch is unplayable and is threatening the well being of those playing on it. It is them who red card a player, not to annoy a manager or fans, but to punish a player for recklessness which could threaten the career of an opponent. We sometimes forget that. We have also heard calls for referees to reveal the team's they support. What a load of nonsense. Which referee would put their career at risk by revealing that they support one of the top clubs in this country? For example how could they excel in the profession if they were forced to reveal they supported one half of the old firm? They wouldn't get on the UEFA or FIFA list to officiate top international or Champions League games as they hadn't been able to referee a top SPL match due to their integrity being questioned. They are professional and wouldn't wish to put their career in jeopardy. Do we do the same when a former Celtic player returns to Parkhead? Like when Henrik Larsson scored for Barcelona in front of his adoring fans? No he's a footballer doing the job he is employed to do, no matter the opposition. Imagine that in the last game of the season Celtic need to beat Aberdeen for the title and it's late in the game, finely poised at 2-1 in favour of Celtic. The Dons have a corner which lands at the feet of Zander Diamond (a well known supporter of his bhoyhood heroes) who is in front of goal 6 yards out. He skies is shot over the bar and the final whistle blows. Would we suggest he did it deliberately? Make-up your own mind, but I would hope he just fluffed his lines. So what does the future hold? Well I don't think Celtic will give up on this issue lightly until a certain few go through the exit door at Hampden. What makes this whole episode ironic is that you could say that while this whole issue has blown up, Celtic's performances on the field have suffered. Has Neil Lennon's focus been distracted? What you may find is that in the end Celtic may have scored an own goal by allowing an ever increasingly tired and threadbare Rangers' side remain top of the SPL. http://www.theawayend.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=468%3Athe-hypocrisy-of-john-reid&catid=59%3Agary-mcdaniel&Itemid=119

First of all, I'd like to make clear I'm as excited as any other bear about today's news about a hitherto unknown Scottish millionaire supposedly being in the final stages of buying our football club. To have the debt cleared and a fresh new regime in charge of our future is intriguing and it's no wonder our fans are keen to find out more. And that is the key to judging this front page 'exclusive' - we must know more. It's all very well the James Traynor's and Darrell King's of this world bagging themselves a few more readers today but while the hyperbole sounds good, we need some meat added to the bones. Despite the public protestations of the club in recent months, private negotiations have been ongoing regarding the sale of it to a consortium of interested parties - some of whom may have pulled out, some not. These include the new face, 'turnaround specialist' Craig Whyte along with the previously named Andrew Ellis and Vladimir Antonov. Others such as current Rangers director Dave King may well be involved further down the line. Certainly, speculation in the background has been rife and, as always, it is difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. Even in the newspaper reports of today we have no official club comment and can only take the word of 'sources' and 'insiders' amongst the usual sound-bites about debts, tax queries and war-chests. This is where our support must then ask themselves a few questions. The last decade has seen dramatic downsizing occur at our great club. From the extravagance of Dutch international signings and 5* training grounds, to the paucity of broken Jumbotrons and loan swaps with Aberdeen; never has our future been so worrying. Indeed, if it were not for the best efforts of Walter Smith and his players in delivering a UEFA Cup Final run and two SPL titles on the trot, the current debt of around �£25million would be much higher. Therefore, any removal of this debt and the associated inflexibility of the bank who hold it is definitely something to be happy about. The question is how does any new owner stop the same situation happening again? Does he invest more money into the squad and hope that this brings continued domestic success - as well as the crucial CL monies? Or does he maintain prudence and gamble on the qualities of the existing manager and players? Risk-taking is something that has been at the forefront of our club's strategy since Sir David Murray bought the club over 20 years ago. Some have come off [Walter Smith (twice), Mo Johnston and stadium improvements], some have not [Paul Le Guen, Tore Andre Flo and over-investment in the Advocaat era]. We don't have the luxury of such mistakes now so any new club administration must be aware of the risks involved. �£20million 'war-chests' make for good newspaper sales but I doubt Craig Whyte (or his associates) will be gifting this cash, so how do we eventually pay for it? Wouldn't we just be swapping one �£20million+ debt for another? If one positive has come out of the decade of downsizing it is that surely Rangers fans are more savvy than ever before. While we're all ambitious and have high expectations, we must accept that our future isn't one which can be gambled away on a whim. After all, we can all argue for or against the Murray era but one of the few consensuses between these camps is that it lacked vision, lacked planning and lacked supporter involvement. As such, before we back any new owner we must know more about their plans. Rangers supporters are the lifeblood of the club and our financial contribution has never been more important. Our loyalty and commitment should not be taken for granted and for our backing we're entitled to be treated with respect and worked with (instead of against) as we enter any new ownership era. Yes, we cautiously welcome the news of Craig Whyte's interest but there is much more to be done before we can accurately judge the merits of his intentions. This should not be done on the pages of tabloids but in direct consultation with a support eager for positive change. Actions speak louder than words.

I'm now beginning to slowly go off this guy now. I used to think he was OK but some of his remarks are uncalled for. Don't get me wrong, some of his comments are spot on but they're often overshadowed by his below the belt ones.

IT'S a couple of months now since Jim Traynor, in his Daily Record column, first wrote that Walter Smith is perfect for the role of performance director at the Scottish Football Association. As is so often the case, Traynor was not only bang on the money, but, again as he often is, ahead of the game. But in the immediate aftermath of that Traynor column there was no reaction from Smith. Then, when Sir Alex Ferguson told Scottish Sunday reporters, ahead of the Champions League game, that he thought his old pal should not quit Rangers, Smith made it clear he was not for turning. He used a special pre-arranged, and pre UEFA press conference, briefing with Scottish daily newspaper reporters in the Europa Suite at Old Trafford the day before the match. It provided back pages for all of Scotland's newspapers - except one. Just to remind you...that is the one Odious Creep swans around representing. He missed out on the significant and cracking tale, because he failed to get there on time, thus denying readers of the Scottish edition of the Times, Smith's reaction to the Fergie story which had appeared in a number of mass circulation Sundays. But enough of Creep. For now! Since then things had gone kind of quiet on the subject of what exactly Smith will do when he steps down as Rangers manager at the end of the season. That was until he appeared at Sunday's Scotland Hall of Fame function to pick up his award, and discuss that future. And it is a future which, according to the best and most successful manager Scottish football has seen for more than 30 years, will see him stay in football. Clearly he would not take on a role at any other club in Scotland, so unless his old chum at Old Trafford has something in mind for him, Smith is available to make a contribution to the greater good of Scottish football. Armed with that information, Scotland manager, Craig Levein now has the chance to stand up and make it clear to his SFA paymasters they would be mugs not to approach Smith. Levein, we have been told, will have a major input regarding who is appointed as Scotland's performance director. Campbell Ogilvie, who will assume the presidency in the summer, will no doubt also have a major say. When a Scotland manager is appointed the procedure is that the four office bearers, plus the chief executive, make a recommendation to the board of directors. This time around new chief executive Stewart Regan's lack of local knowledge will needless to say make him less influential than Gordon Smith and David Taylor were. If the board does not approve the name, then those office bearers - though on this occasion maybe not Regan - have no alternative but to resign. That power is currently held by president, George Peat, first vice president Ogilvie and second vice president, Alan McRae. Of course they will no doubt pay heed to the contents of the special report from former first minister, Henry "it's a muddle not a fiddle" McLeish. But really, ask yourself the question....is there anyone better qualified for the job than Walter Smith? It is question which has already been answered by one of the oldest and wisest heads in Scottish football, Craig Brown. Motherwel's former Scotland manager, is both eloquent and wise. In fact, if Smith does not fancy a return to the SFA, where he saved Scotland from the brink of oblivion it had been taken to by Berti Vogts, then Broon is the obvious choice. However, we have to remember, this is the Scottish Football Association we are dealing with. The organisation which seemed in a hury to get rid of Brown, which inflicted Vogts on the nation, and even more recently, landed the Scots with George Burley. Therefore the possibility of it making another mess of things is more distinct than distant. Before landing themselves in another fine mess, the Scottish Football Association should take note of three things. Number one....Jim Traynor pointed out two months ago, Smith is the ideal man to become Scottish football's director of performance. Number two....Craig Brown has made clear his backing for Smith to be appointed. Number three ... and most important of all, Walter Smith has given a clear indication he wants to keep working after he leaves Rangers. Now then, what's that modern phrase? Ah yes.... IT'S A NO BRAINER! 31 Comments below: http://davidleggat-leggoland.blogspot.com/2010/11/sfa-would-be-silly-to-snub-smith.html