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A ten-year-old boy on a Rangers bus was struck by a bottle thrown by rival fans before Sunday's Old Firm clash. The incident happened on Nutberry Court, near Cathcart Road in Glasgow’s south side, before the weekend’s league cup semi-final at Hampden. The attack took place when a Rangers minibus travelling to the game was surrounded by Celtic fans hurling abuse at around 12.30pm. A door on the minibus was opened and a bottle thrown inside. It struck the young supporter who needed hospital treatment as a result. The ten-year-old was taken to Glasgow’s Yorkhill Hospital where it is understood he received treatment for a broken jaw and three missing teeth before he was later released. Officers have now launched an investigation to catch those responsible. The man who threw the bottle is described as white, 5 ft 11 in height, of heavy build and was wearing green clothing and possibly a white beanie hat. Kenneth MacEwan, Cathcart CID, said on Monday: "This was an appalling assault on the boy who was with his dad and fellow supporters going to his first Celtic v Rangers game. "He never got to the match but instead was detained overnight in hospital and has a facial injury and teeth missing. "We do believe that this was football related. "Yes, it would appear that the bottle was deliberately thrown at the mini bus, however, we don't think the boy was specifically targeted as such. "Obviously Cathcart Road was very busy at this time so plenty people would have been about when this happened. I would appeal to them or indeed any of the group which we believe the man was with, to contact police." Police made 37 arrests over trouble related to Sunday's Old Firm clash. Celtic and Rangers clashed at Hampden in Sunday's league cup semi-final in the first meeting between the two sides in almost three years. Police confirmed on Monday they made 37 arrests in relation to the powderkeg match. A total of 23 of those arrested are expected to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Monday, 12 of those for alleged sectarian breach of the peace, A further 11 people have been reported to the procurator fiscal and three were handed fixed penalty notices. http://news.stv.tv/west-central/308852-ten-year-old-boy-on-rangers-bus-hit-by-bottle-before-old-firm-clash/

From the Record. And what is allowed.

Rangers keeper Steve Simonsen to learn his fate next month after allegedly placing 55 bets on football matches 20:16, 29 January 2015 By David McCarthy IT is unknown whether Simonsen pleaded guilty when he contacted the SFA in relation to the accusation. Keeper faces ban if found guilty of betting on football RANGERS keeper Steve Simonsen has responded to betting charges brought against him by the SFA and will now learn his fate next month. The ruling body confirmed last night that the Ibrox goalie , who is alleged to have placed 55 bets on football matches , had contacted the association in relation to the accusation by yesterday's deadline – but refused to say if he had pleaded guilty. Simonsen's case will be heard by the Judicial Panel on February 12. Panel members will decide if there is a case to answer if the 35-year-old Englishman has denied the charges or the scale of punishment if he has admitted to placing the bets. An SFA spokesman said: "Mr Simonsen has responded and that will be factored into the judicial panel hearing when they meet. That's all we can say as this is a live case." Tony Nicoletti/Daily Record RANGERS midfielder Ian Black arrives the SFA headquarters at Hampden Park to hear the outcome of a fine for breaching betting rules. pictured with Barry Hughs Photo Tony Nicoletti Ian Black (right) leaves Hampden with agent, Barry Hughes, after being banned for breaching betting rules In September 2013, Simonsen’s team-mate Ian Black was fined £7,500 and handed a 10-game ban, seven of which were suspended, when he admitted placing 160 football bets over a seven-year period. Three of those included betting against his own team to win.

THERE was a rare moment of unity between Rangers fans groups and the Scottish Football Association when the governing body blocked Mike Ashley’s proposals to increase his stake in the club last month. Then, a Union of Fans statement spoke of the SFA having “done the right thing” in observing their rules on dual ownership by refusing to approve the Newcastle United owner’s bid to increase his Rangers stake from around 9 per cent to 29 per cent. Yet, those same supporters are unlikely to be so taken by the SFA obeying their articles of association should Dave King succeed in his mission to oust the current board. King revealed his intentions on Friday night when he requisitioned an extraordinary general meeting (egm). The South Africa-based businessman, Rangers’ largest single shareholder with a 16 per cent stake, is “confident” he can muster the 50 per cent shareholder support he needs to remove chairman David Somers, James Easdale, Derek Llambias and Barry Leach from their directorship. His plan is to replace them with himself, Paul Murray and John Gilligan. And therein lies the rub. At an egm, which the current Rangers board could stall for six weeks, King could expect the support of the 20 per cent stake controlled by the Donald Park, George Letham and George Taylor consortium. In addition, he is believed to have the ear of a couple of the hedge funds with a 10 per cent holding between them, while individual supporters whose share totals add up to a further 10 per cent would back his efforts to put the Ibrox club into the hands of supporters. That is all well and good, and Ashley deserves to be removed because of his callous disregard for the club and its followers in this week’s moves to gain security over Ibrox and Murray Park. The current board maintain this was in return for the £10 million loan Rangers need to see out the season. But it is important to look beyond Ashley’s game-playing and not forget how we arrived at this point. In the independent inquiry chaired by Lord Nimmo Smith under the auspices of the SFA, the old board were criticised for failing to blow the whistle on Craig Whyte as he sent the club on the road to ruin after taking over in May 2011. King was a member of that board. And it cannot be forgotten either that the reason King was in no position to buy the assets once the old Rangers had been condemned to liquidation the following summer, and save it from the clutches of Charles Green, was that the Castlemilk-born businessman was then in the midst of a decade-long legal battle with the South African Revenue Service. He settled last year by pleading guilty to 42 criminal counts of contravening the country’s tax laws, and kept himself out of prison by plea bargaining on almost 300 other charges, which required him to stump up £41m. As far as failing to meet the SFA’s fit and proper person test, King – who lost £20m he invested in the David Murray Rangers era – does so with bells on. Indeed, it is almost as if the ruling has been written to debar individuals with chequered business careers of King’s ilk. Under section (h) of Article 10.2 that sets out the “considerations” that would be made concerning the board “reserving its discretion” as to whether a person is deemed fit and proper to hold a football directorship, it is stated “[if] he has been convicted within the last ten years of (i) an offence liable to imprisonment of two years or over, (ii) corruption or (iii) fraud.” King was liable for a stretch longer than two years had he not plea-bargained. Moreover, he is caught in a double bind over the fit and proper person rules. Because what also counts against those seeking to meet the criteria is having “been a director of a club in membership of any National Association within the five-year period preceding such club having undergone an insolvency event”. King and Paul Murray – who was sacked from the Rangers board immediately after Whyte took over – both fall down on this basis. They simply cannot be granted permission by the SFA to take up directorships in any Rangers board if the governing body stands by their own rules, which were tightened up because they had failed to act over Whyte’s dubious business past. King constantly puts it out through sympathetic media sources that he is confident the SFA professional game board would wave him through as a Rangers director in the event of gaining a controlling interest. That sounds like bluster, which, as well as the baggage, has led to legitimate questioning of King’s credentials to lead Rangers out of the mire. At times, though, it must be said he talks a good game. As he did in his statement on Friday in which he claimed that, as well as putting the club on a sound financial footing, a second “important task” would be “to conduct a forensic audit of the management and commercial contracts undertaken over the last few years to determine whether they are truly arm’s length and whether the affairs of the company have been pursued in accordance with the fiduciary obligations of those entrusted with that responsibility”. King thundered at the end of this declaration of intent that “any malfeasance will be pursued aggressively and transparently”. For the South African tax authorities, that might read like a sick joke. http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl-lower-divisions/rangers-dave-king-s-move-faces-taxing-questions-1-3664643

I was trolling through a few Jambo websites, hoping to pick up a couple of titbits for Friday evening's match preview. There is considerable angst among the talk o' ra toon that Rangers have reciprocated the ticket allocation we received at Tynecastle, ie just under a thousand. I can understand maroon frustrations, they all want to there to witness another skelping of the mighty Rangers and be able to say, "I was there" on the hat-trick of administered punishment. Back in the day, I remember the Hearts support trapping at Ibrox circa 10,000 strong. An early season game at the start of the seventies, attendance of 50,000 and a fifth of those in maroon in ra Sellik end, going deservedly berserk in homage to their fleet-footed winger, Kenny Aird ripping us several new ones, as we crumbled 0-3. The early 80s on an ice bound pitch, the whole Broomloan and part of the Main Stand populated by Hearty Harrys, wholly appreciative as their favourites comfortable defeated Rangers, 0-2. Thus, Hearts have the support, should we accommodate them? The cleverer Jambos are playing the common currency card. We need the dosh, the lights could be out as early as next week, why not allow 5,000 Hearts supporters to ease the very real pain? A cash pay-in gate would have some of our current Board members salivating at the possibility of negotiating the marble stair case with bulging pockets? Would an enhanced crowd of between 35-40,000 improve the atmosphere and inspire the Bears to an unexpected victory? Do we demand continued strict adherence to starving out the Board? It's a conundrum for all Bears and given that a considerable percentage of both broadcast and print media NEVER miss an opportunity to twist the knife, I am surprised, genuinely that the situation has not been fully exploited. What do Gersnetters think? Should the old stadium extend the welcoming hand to the boys in maroon?

Stock Exchange announcement:

Just heard that one of them has loaned the club 500,000 pounds to keep things ticking over. Anyone else heard this

Some may have seen the article below, which is about the only real one out there on the topic since the Yahoos defeat in Zagreb: DR Along with this you get the typical IRA-machine gun salute ... ... and pleasing ACAB songs. As we know, it was not their fault. Back in Dundee it was the security running amok, the stewards did the same in Jamboland. The seats at Fir Park were simply not solid enough for a bit of enthusiasm and in Amsterdam it was the outright naughty Dutch Police. We'll see who will be blamed in Croatia. Now, did you get any big fuzz about this - as opposed to us when someone sung TBB in Eindhoven or the like? Have a look at "NewsNow Yahoo" and it is deep silent complete up to today ... NewsNow now NewsNow Page 2 NewsNow Page 3 (starting post game) (... do note that - as time goes on - these news will go back to page 4, 5 and so on)

Newcastle and Rangers will not be able to play in Europe together next season because Uefa have confirmed Newcastle United and Rangers will not be allowed to play in Europe together, even if they qualify for different competitions, because of Mike Ashley’s involvement in the running of both clubs. Ashley’s seizure of power at Ibrox means Newcastle may never play in Europe again while he remains the club’s owner, a depressing prospect for supporters who believe the team should be challenging for European qualification every year. Although Ashley responded to a story by Telegraph Sport back in September, that revealed he wanted to take control of Rangers, with a statement denying he intended to sell Newcastle, the billionaire has got himself into a tricky situation by expanding his football interests north of the border. Ashley insisted he will not sell Newcastle for “any price” until the end of next season, which is also, unless they win the Scottish Cup this season, the earliest Rangers can qualify for Europe again. Given Ashley has repeatedly failed to find a buyer for Newcastle, though, it is far from certain he will be able to sever ties at St James’ Park. It is understood Ashley misjudged Uefa’s strict rules ensuring the integrity of their competitions. Although he only holds around nine per cent of Rangers shares, he has appointed his own people, including former Newcastle managing director Derek Llambias, to the Rangers board in return for financial assistance. Uefa have told Telegraph Sport that means Ashley has enough power in the Rangers boardroom to ensure they cannot be allowed to play in Europe at the same time as Newcastle. Should one team qualify for the Champions League, the other would be prevented from playing in the Europa League as they could meet in the knockout phase of the competition. If both teams qualify for the same competition, the one with the higher Uefa co-efficient ranking would be allowed to enter at the expense of the other. As things stand, Newcastle are ranked 65 and Rangers are down at 101. In the short term, it is Rangers who will suffer as they have the lower ranking. In the long term, Rangers have a far greater chance of playing in the Champions League than Newcastle, which would mean the Magpies would not be allowed to compete in the Europa League, even if they won a domestic cup competition or finished fifth or sixth in the Premier League. Newcastle are currently fifth in the Premier League following six successive victories by Alan Pardew’s side and a top-six finish would secure them a place in the Europa League for next season. It could be the last time they play in Europe until Ashley finds a buyer. Given Ashley’s interest in Rangers was largely sparked by the possibility he could, with a relatively small investment, gain access to the Champions League and increase the European exposure for his Sports Direct Retail chain, it means Newcastle face an uncertain future. The billionaire has already been widely accused of paralysing Newcastle with his lack of ambition. Most supporters believe he is only interested in keeping the club in the Premier League in order to access the television money it brings, rather than challenge for silverware. The idea that Newcastle will also be denied access to European competitions once Rangers have regained their former status in Scotland will incense many on Tyneside. Both Rangers and Newcastle responded with a “no comment” when asked by Telegraph Sport for a reaction to Uefa’s stance. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...ke-Ashley.html

Scottish FA chief executive Stewart Regan has expressed concern over Rangers' financial position, saying it is "concerning for the Scottish game". The Ibrox club have admitted they may not have enough cash to meet costs between now and the end of the year, having taken £3m in secured loans from Mike Ashley for short-term working capital. "Well obviously it is concerning for the Scottish game," Regan told STV. "We would all like to see Rangers improve their financial position in order to bring money to the game of football in Scotland. "Rangers have got a strong economic impact, not just for Glasgow but for Scotland generally. "In that regard I know the fans are desperate to see success again. They are desperate for stability. "They've had a number of years of ups and downs now and I think they are hopeful they will get some certainty and stability in the future." In a statement to the Stock Exchange earlier this month, Rangers made clear their dire financial situation. "During the autumn, the club has suffered from lower than expected match attendance which has exacerbated the financial condition of the business. "The directors have begun a cost cutting exercise, but further working capital in addition to the facility will be needed before the end of the year." http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/rangers/301050-regan-rangers-financial-position-is-concerning-for-scottish-game/

THE SPFL have set a date of December 9 for Charlie Telfer's transfer tribunal. The midfielder moved from Rangers to Dundee United in the summer and the Light Blues are due training compensation. Rangers have so far rejected United's offers for Telfer so an independent panel will now decide the fee next month. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/d-day-is-set-for-rangers-telfer-fee-189833n.25957183

http://news.stv.tv/west-central/299623-four-men-detained-after-police-probe-into-sale-of-rangers-in-2012/ I'd like to remind people of their legal obligations in speculating over individuals and alleged criminal behaviour.

To be in the position to call the shots over one football club is the stuff of many football fans' dreams. To potentially exert control over three, however, is a matter for concern. That's the accusation that the Scottish Football Association is levelling at Neil Rankine, a 62-year-old businessman who has a long association with game in the country. Mr Rankine owns 50 per cent of the shares in the company which owns Livingston Football Club, who play in the Scottish Championship. But the Scottish FA feel they have evidence which proves he has undue influence over League Two side East Fife Football Club as well. They also allege he can affect matters at Dumbarton Football Club, through a £200,000 loan owed by the company's owners. Scottish football's governing body have called for an independent panel to rule on its evidence on October 22. But as even Mr Rankine's involvement with Livingston is, on paper, at arm's length, the Scottish FA charge is levied against the club, rather than the individual. Their compliance officer Tony McGlennan has taken on a case initiated by his predecessor Vincent Lunny in which it is accused four separate rules have been broken through Mr Rankine's alleged link to the other two clubs. If found guilty, the punishment for Livingston could range from a financial penalty, through to a suspension from the Scottish Cup, or even a ban or expulsion from fielding teams in this country altogether. There is also an alleged rule breach relating to Mr Rankine's eligibility as a fit and proper person after Livingston named him on a document sent to the Scottish FA last year which was subsequently withdrawn. This relates again to his alleged interest in more than one club but it is also unclear whether it also relates to his bankruptcy in 1989 and whether it was declared to the governing body. So who is Neil Rankine and what is his interest in Scottish football? Mr Rankine was part of the group who rescued Livingston from liquidation in 2009 from the Italian businessman Angelo Massone. He owns 50 per cent of the shares in Livingston 5 Limited, which in turn holds just under 91 per cent of the shares in Livingston Football Club Limited. Previously he was the owner of Dumbarton, but crucially he left over £200,000 when he sold up in 2008, agreeing for the money to be repaid within five years. His link to East Fife, it is alleged, comes through his links to Lorraine Twigg, their biggest shareholder, and her daughter Samantha. Neil Rankine's role at Livingston In addition to his shareholding, Mr Rankine also claims he is owed around £500,000 from the club in loans he has paid to cover running costs. These loans are not currently repayable as part of an agreement struck by all directors at the time of the club's purchase. Rankine also claims he paid an emergency loan of £150,000 in September 2013 after being called in to evaluate the club's spiraling running costs, £100,000 of which has been repaid. He also states that other directors - namely Carolyn Sumner and Robert Wilson - have had their combined loan of approximately £75,000 returned. Allegations of involvement in East Fife Lorraine Twigg and her daughter Samantha currently own between them 58% of the total shares in East Fife. Mr Rankine says he advised Mrs Twigg to purchase the shares in the early 2000s as an "investment". Speaking of his advice to Ms Twigg, Mr Rankine said: "They had no money. They were going to go out of business. There was a bill from the Anglian Water Group, who owned Morrison Construction. They were going to foreclose on them for £280,000. That was a long time, so bear with me if the figures are a bit out. "I encouraged Mrs Twigg and her father that would be a sensible investment because at the time, I was sitting on a large offer for Dumbarton Football Club, which fortunately I didn't take because I sold it for three times more in 2008 to the current owners. "It's purely an investment. Mrs Twigg and myself have never been at any board meetings or had anything to do with the running of East Fife Football Club." Mr Rankine does not deny having a personal relationship with Mrs Twigg during a period of time when she was the biggest shareholder in East Fife. He does deny having any "involvement or shares" in the club but says he loaned the club £5,000 in 2003. In a follow-up interview with Mr Rankine, he stated he is now an advisor to Mrs Twigg. He stated he recommended the installation of Sid Columbine as chairman several years ago. He also outlined how he acted as an advisor for Mrs Twigg when a potential bidder for her shares came to the table. Mr Rankine didn't outline the date of the talks but the group in question are on public record as having given sponsorship money to the club from 2011 onwards. Mr Rankine made clear how he held discussions with the group over a £1.2m offer for the shares, advising Mrs Twigg he was unconvinced by their long-term plans. He also advised East Fife, on behalf of Mrs Twigg, to put £100,000 earned from a cup match with Rangers into a bond "for rainy days". We spoke to Jim Stevenson, the current interim chairman at East Fife FC. "He's certainly not running East Fife nor knows what's happening at East Fife," he said of Mr Rankine. "I've known Neil for a long time. I know a lot about him. But I've been in football a long time. Any dealings have been through football at Livingston and Dumbarton." East Fife's alleged financial assistance to Livingston Mr Rankine has alleged to STV that he facilitated a loan to be paid by Mrs Twigg to Livingston Football Club to help them urgently meet their running costs. "Ged Nixon sourced [a loan] directly from Mrs Twigg for £40,000 in 2012. The loan was directly sourced by Mr Nixon from Mrs Twigg. "He was desperate at that time and the person who was paying the bills at that time. I told him then I was giving him no more money. "If he needed money, Mrs Twigg is a wealthy woman. Mrs Twigg may have some money but he would need to pay any penalties she had for lifting that money and he would need to pay any interest on that money. He sourced that money directly from Mrs Twigg." Mr Nixon does not deny sourcing the loan. "Both Gordon McDougall [Livingston chairman] and myself collectively contacted Neil Rankine regarding a loan to the club," he told STV. "[Rankine] was on holiday at the time and couldn't access funds. "He suggested and arranged the loan through Mrs Twigg and we agreed to meet the penalty she incurred for lifting the funds from her account. That penalty was paid in cash to Mrs Twigg and Mr Rankine together on a subsequent visit to the club. "The agreed repayment of the loan was met whilst I was still at the club although one installment had still to be met after my departure. I can only assume it has since been met. "The loan was added to Neil Rankine's director loan account as lodged in SAGE and subsequently reduced on SAGE as repayments met and fully audited. "Mr Rankine signed his director's loan account at every subsequent year end as being an accurate reflection of his outstanding loan figure and Mr Rankine, at no time up until my departure, questioned it being overstated as a result of the loan in question not being attributable to him." Allegations of involvement in Dumbarton Mr Rankine by his own admission is still owed £200,000 by Brabco 736 Limited, who through a myriad of similarly named accounts, own Dumbarton Football Club. The money was loaned at the time he sold his interest in the club in 2008. "There's no question I got lucky at Dumbarton," he said of his time there. "I made a lot of money at Dumbarton. I've made money nearly everywhere I've gone. I've had a couple that have went wrong but in general terms when I put money into something, it usually succeeds. "When I bought Livingston Football Club, it was all over the papers. Every newspaper. I was on the telly sitting beside Gordon McDougall. At that time, Dumbarton Football Club owed me, and still owe me, £200,000. I didn't see that as a conflict of interest. "Dumbarton have been asked if I have had any influence on them. I have not called up that loan. The five years have elapsed. I could have sued in April of last year. I could sue in April of this year." Gilbert Lawrie, Dumbarton's chief executive, clarified the position from his club's perspective. "He is owed £200,000 by Brabco. There was a legal agreement until March 2015 for that to be repaid. "He could have have sued one person within Brabco. I am not willing to say who. It's a personal security between that individual and Mr Rankine. "It definitely has nothing to do with the football club. It's a private transaction between Mr Rankine and a private individual." Asked if he rejected the allegation that Mr Rankine could exert control over Dumbarton, Mr Lawrie responded: "Absolutely". What links the three clubs? There are three things in common between Dumbarton, East Fife and Livingston. All have stadiums which are on expanses of land potentially ripe for sale and development by another party. So is that what attracts Neil Rankine to football? In summary The Scottish FA will present their case to a judicial panel, after various delays, on October 22. A guilty verdict on any count will see a punishment meted to Livingston, rather than Mr Rankine himself. Whatever the outcome it will signal only part one in what is likely to be an unravelling of affairs at the club. The next big date will come in the Court of Session next year when their former chief executive Ged Nixon attempts to sue for the immediate repayment of £311,000 he says he put in to the company through director's loans. If he's successful, it could potentially lead to other directors calling in their debts. Either way, it's likely to lead to a ugly public battle as both sides lodge accusations about each other's conduct. The club are also facing sanctions from the Scottish Professional Football League over allegations they themselves have made against Mr Nixon over cash payments made to players which were not declared to the league or HM Revenue and Customs. http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/livingston/294837-neil-rankine-his-dealings-with-dumbarton-east-fife-and-livingston/

THE Rangers fans have been absolutely magnificent in their backing of the Ibrox club since they dropped down to the bottom division two years ago. So it was desperately sad to see a small number of individuals involved in some ugly scenes in the stands in the SPFL Championship game through in Livingston. I couldn't see what happened from my position in the commentary box. But it has been claimed police attempted to arrest a supporter who was clearly the worse for wear and scuffles broke out. There were thousands of travelling supporters at the Energy Assets Arena who behaved impeccably. But the unfortunate incident reflects badly on Gers fans as a whole. If anybody is prosecuted as a result of what happened then Rangers should definitely come down hard on them and issue banning orders. They have to send out a clear message that such actions will not be tolerated. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/rangerscomment/dj-ban-rangers-troublemakers-as-deterrent-183989n.25553620

RANGERS today demanded an apology from Livingston over "outrageous and unacceptable" content in their match programme at the weekend. And the Ibrox club will also report their SPFL Championship rivals to the governing body over the "erroneous material". Gers supporters were incensed at two articles which appeared in the programme at the Energy Assets Arena. One story referred to "the club then known as Rangers" playing a game against Hibernian three years ago. It went on to state that "a brand new club" had been established after the old parent company was liquidated back in 2012. Another story in the Livingston programme mentioned the West Lothian club's record against the "now-defunct outfit" and "the newly-formed Rangers". However, High Court judge Lord Nimmo Smith ruled that Rangers was a "recognisable entity which continued in existence notwithstanding the change in ownership" two years ago. Livingston officials are believed to be horrified by the comments that appeared in the official publication which is edited by supporter Andy Crawford. However, Rangers still want their rivals, who they defeated 1-0 at the weekend, to apologise over the offence caused to the 54-times Scottish champions. A club statement read: "The content written about the football club and our players was outrageous and entirely unacceptable. "We will be raising the issue with the SPFL and seeking an apology from Livingston FC, who had a duty to prevent such erroneous material from appearing in their programme." Meanwhile, Rangers are set to escape any sanction from the SPFL over the crowd trouble that flared in the stands and outside the stadium in Livingston on Saturday. However, the League One champions are set to issue anyone who is convicted following the unrest at the weekend with banning orders from their matches. There were violent scuffles between Gers fans and police and stewards in one section of the stands during the first half of the second-tier game. Livingston safety officer Alan Scott confirmed: "There were five people arrested. The stewards and police assisted each other in dealing with the matter and no police or stewards were injured." And after the match mounted police reportedly had to break up an altercation between Rangers and Livingston supporters in the car park of nearby supermarket Lidl. The incidents are set to be mentioned in the official report to the SPFL by match delegate Alan Dick that should arrive at the Hampden offices of the governing body tomorrow. However, Rangers are confident their preparations for the match were professional and in accordance with strict guidelines laid down by the SPFL. They should, therefore, escape any official censure. After the match, Rangers manager Ally McCoist commented: "I did see it and it looked pretty unsavoury, but until I get a report on it I would be loath to comment other than to say we can do without incidents like that." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/rangers-demand-apology-over-livi-programme-article-183240n.25506990

STV reporting both Boyd and Mohsni have been offered two match suspensions for separate off the ball incidents on Monday evening. The Compliance Officer is quite correct in both regards. I can recall both incidents from the match, as yet I have not watched TV highlights.

I note the Tartan Army are proposing NOT to join in with the national anthem, 'the Flower of Scotland' before the next Euro international against Georgia at Ibrox. Apparently, the line, 'and be a nation again' is now redundant in light of yesterday's referendum result. A new national anthem is urgently required and the rabid Rangers hating website, Pie and Bovril are considering hosting an opinion poll on the matter. I suggested Dougie McLean's 'Caledonia', preferably sung by Frankie Miller. A perfect fit for Ibrox since Frankie's grandfather was Archie Kyle. An inside forward that played five seasons at Rangers over a century past, very popular and whisper it, a catholic. Remember, we didn't sign any until MoJo. I offered Andy Stewart's 'Donald, whaurs yer troosers', most fitting and in keeping with the determined East of Brigadoon chic adorned by the vast majority of the Tartan Army. Finally, I inquired as to the acceptability of a really catchy anthemic tune beloved at the old stadium, 'the Billy Boys'? The barstewards deleted my post. I was trying to be helpful too.

If this can be corroborated then Regan must go ... http://vanguardbears.co.uk/stewart-regans-succulent-lamb.html Stewart Regan's Succulent Lamb Written by: Admin Thursday, 21st of August 2014 The date was 27th of July 2012 and Scotland's biggest and most successful football club faced oblivion. Just two days before the club were due to face Brechin City in the Angus town, Rangers FC had no licence to play football. This doomsday scenario had been created by twisted individuals representing the SFA, SPL and others. Their determination to see Rangers punished to the full for an as yet unproven "charge" (a charge which the club was subsequently found not guilty) was matched only by an underlying driven agenda to see Rangers damaged as much as possible, perhaps beyond repair. The club had been given a stark choice - accept sanctions and trophy stripping or be granted no licence to play football, in any league, anywhere. Rangers, with Ally McCoist and Charles Green representing, had fought bravely to retain the clubs' history, heritage and sporting record in the face of those determined to steal it away at any cost. In defiance of the Scottish Football authorities equivalent of a firing squad they fought valiantly for a club that had already lost most of its first team squad following SPFA and agent interference allied to greedy individuals who saw a fast buck. The future of the Scottish game lay in the hands of those men sat round a table. Their dirty game of chess had reached stalemate; their attempted "Five-Way Agreement" had morphed into a carefully contrived monster that included: •stripping of 5 SPL titles •stripping of 6 Scottish Cups •a signing embargo The message delivered was loud and clear. Accept "guilt", and accept our punishments or we put you out of the game. We feel it's necessary to repeat this; no ruling had yet been made on EBTs from Lord Nimmo Smith, and two years and two appeals later, the EBTs are still judged in law to be loans that did not give Rangers any footballing advantage in the years the scheme was in use. Whilst SPL Chief Ralph Topping was regaling anyone who'd listen with tales of Armageddon and insisting the SFL accept a club the SPL had thrown to the wolves, the SPL looked to maximise revenue from that same club they had just kicked out. So, on that day 27th of July 2012, the last possible day that agreement could be reached, the SFA's lawyers Levy & Macrae hosted all senior stakeholders in the Rangers issue to their office in St Vincent Street, Glasgow. By this stage, Rangers had forced the title stripping off the agenda, however, they were not to be meekly handed a punishment free passage in to the SFL. Other measures were being quickly discussed. The determination of some to punish the club as much as possible at a late stage where desperation saw them more likely to accept to get the licence and keep the club alive hadn't waned. The presence of Duff and Phelps could not help the Rangers cause; they were now bystanders only interested that the business entity they were representing wouldn't have any financial liability thrown in its direction. With a draft agreement on paper and separate signature pages at the back (to be signed upon all attendees reaching agreement on the conditions of Rangers re-entry in to the SFL and SFA), talks got underway. All in attendance agreed that a conclusion had to be reached and papers signed off that day, no matter what. The future of Scottish Football and that of its biggest member club was at stake. Reaching agreement on any issue was difficult, and the meeting was interrupted several times as Stewart Regan answered his mobile phone and left the room. An expectant wife was calling from Yorkshire. Mr. Regan was reminded he had a dinner date that evening. With no indication that middle ground could be found regards the many sticking points and Scottish football facing disaster the SFA Chief Executive took a remarkable and shocking decision that reinforced the belief of many that he is inept and has zero interest in the welfare of the beautiful game here. At 5pm, with the document far from finalised and even further from being agreed, he took the SFA signature page from the table and signed it, informing all of those present that he would put his name to whatever was agreed, had a dinner engagement with his wife and friends in Leeds, and wasn't going to cancel. In essence, Regan signed a blank piece of paper. The Chief Executive of the SFA, with overall responsibility for the game in Scotland, was more interested in having dinner, than leading the decision makers to reach an agreement to safeguard the future of both Rangers, and Scottish Football. The meeting lasted approximately another four hours before a conclusion was reached. Rangers were forced to accept their second transfer embargo in 4 months, and various other financial penalties including the signing over of television rights, and the payment of football debts, on the agreement that they wouldn't have rights to SPL prize money, or debts owed to the club. There were a number of revisions to the draft document in Regan's absence which already had his signature, as he travelled to Leeds and made his way out to dinner. To the best of our knowledge Regan didn't phone anyone in attendance after his departure for a progress update. Regan's signature page was simply inserted into the final document and issued as the Five-Way Agreement. This absolute disdain for the future of Rangers and Scottish football has never left that room, until now. One month earlier, Mr Regan had shown a similar lack of interest when an email written by him had been leaked to the press. In his email, amongst a bunch of 'decisions' he had pre-determined, Regan revealed that while Scottish Football was in disarray, he was off on holiday. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/Regan-controversial What would Regan have done the following day if any of the people in the room had simply scribbled 'I, Stewart Regan, knowing that I am unfit to hold the position of Chief Executive of the SFA, hereby tender my immediate resignation.' Vanguard Bears henceforth ask that members of the SFA, SPFL and SFL demand Stewart Regan's resignation. This man should not be heading up Scottish Football, especially at this very crucial time where attendances are dwindling and sponsorship is drying up. The phrase "NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE" has never been more apt.

ST JOHNSTONE are reeling after being handed a €18,000 (£14,230) fine after a fan waved a Palestinian flag, while Legia Warsaw have been hit by a UEFA charge over a banner attacking the governing body and Celtic The Polish side fielded an ineligible player in the final minutes of their 2-0 win over the Glasgow side at Murrayfield. Uefa awarded Celtic a 3-0 win, allowing them to progress on away goals to the play-off round, where they lost to NK Maribor. Fans of the Polish champions displayed a large image of a pig imposed on a Uefa badge and the slogan “Because Football Doesn’t Matter, Money Does.” The banner, surrounded by lit flares, was shown before Legia’s Europa League play-off victory against Aktobe of Kazakhstan last Thursday. Uefa rules prohibit messages of a political and ideological nature being displayed in any football stadium. Uefa said its disciplinary panel will judge the case on Thursday and potential sanctions could be applied when Legia open their Europa League group campaign at home to Belgian side Lokeren on 18 September. After Uefa’s ruling on the Celtic game, the Court of Arbitration for Sport denied Legia’s urgent appeal to be reinstated. It has still to consider the club’s request for compensation from Uefa for lost earnings. St Johnstone were charged after a fan displayed a Palestinian flag at one of their Europa League games. The Uefa match delegate spotted the banner being waved in the east stand during the 2-1 defeat by Spartak Trnava at McDiarmid Park. A St Johnstone spokesman said: “We have been told by Uefa that we’ve been fined €18,000 for the display of a Palestinian flag and pro-Palestine chanting at our game with Spartak Trnava. “We’ve asked them for a written judgement on this and are waiting for it to arrive. “Obviously it’s disappointing that this has happened but we need to see what the actual case is before commenting further.” The fine was handed out by the same Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Committee which will hear Legia’s case this week. Irish side Dundalk have already indicated they intend to challenge an identical €18,000 fine after Palestinian flags were shown at their Europa League tie against Croatians Hajduk Split. Reports in Ireland claimed Dundalk were stunned by the severity of the fine and have sought advice from the Football Association of Ireland over an appeal. Celtic have previously been fined €50,000 (£42,000) for a huge fans’ banner depicting IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands and Scots warrior William Wallace, which was shown at a home Champions League match against AC Milan last year. It is the third time in four seasons that Legia have faced Uefa punishment. The governing body responded to fans’ racist behaviour by closing a section of Legia’s stadium at a Champions League play-off last season. At a home Europa League match against Hapoel Tel Aviv three years ago, fans displayed a “Jihad Legia” banner in Arabic-style script across one end of the stadium. http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/st-johnstone-and-legia-warsaw-fined-by-uefa-1-3527044

2013 - European transfer deadline 11pm on Monday 2nd September as the 31st August fell on a weekend. 2014 - European transfer deadline 11pm on Monday 1st September as the 31st August fell on a weekend. 2014 - SFA follows other European countries without any fuss, statements or similar. 2013 - SFA closes deadline on Sat 31st August, as to extend it to Monday in line with the rest of Europe was not following "Sporting Integrity" Whats the difference I hear you ask? In 2013 Rangers illegal transfer embargo finished on 31 August 2013, therefore giving our club a very short window to sign players before the European deadline passed on the Monday. It was nothing to do with the Rangers situation according to the SFA it was to do with sticking to the Sporting Integrity of the deadline. Seems nobody in Media-land has the balls to bring up this clear breach of their own Integrity laws. Rhegan must be pissing himself all the way to Yorkshire with another pay cheque successfully banked.

Bill Leckie; Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. If they don’t heed those words as the vultures circle Ibrox once again, then hell mend them. First time their club went to the wall, they manned the barricades to protect it from a big, nasty outside world. For that, no matter what other thoughts you have on the matter, their loyalty surely deserves to be applauded. But now? Two-and-a-half years on? If, despite being given a second chance to repair the horrendous mistakes of the past, a club with this level of support goes into administration AGAIN? Sorry, but if it was me I wouldn’t give them another penny. On Saturday, once more, thousands turned up brandishing red cards to express their unhappiness at the way the love of their lives is being mismanaged. And, once more, those responsible for the mismanagement laughed up their sleeves at the pointlessness of the protest. Because to brandish those red cards, you have to pay your money to get inside the stadium. Which hands yet more cash to the people you’re protesting at so they can go ahead and waste it. Listen, what do I know? They’re not my club and the one I do follow has never been to the heights Rangers have reached to suffer such a humiliating, disorientating fall. I’m just someone looking in and wondering how the hell, in all good conscience, Bluenoses can carry on regardless if and when the accountants take over the asylum once more. Actually, don’t answer that. It’s not a can of worms that’s worth opening, this We-Are-The-People, Rangers-Till-I-Die, stick-your-fingers-in-your-ears-and-sing-Follow-Follow mindset. So, for what it’s worth, let me instead pass on my suggestion for what they should do if their club re-enters the abyss. Sod it. Turn their backs on it. Give it, as a man on the other side of Glasgow once said, not one more thin dime. And instead, invest in the future of Scottish clubs who DO run their affairs honestly and who DO have respect for those who click the turnstiles. Go and back your old skipper Barry Ferguson as he tries to make things happen at Clyde. Go and see what another ex-player in Gary Bollan’s doing with Airdrie. If you’re from Fife, go and watch East Fife or Cowdenbeath. If you’re in Angus, hand your tenner to Arbroath or Brechin, Forfar or Montrose. If you donÂ’t want to give up your wee jaunt over from Northern Ireland, get off the ferry and stroll up to Stair Park. There’s been a school of thought among some these last couple of years that Rangers being forced to do the grand tour of the colonies meant the lower divisions should have been grateful for the gate receipts and the TV handouts. For me, this always got it the wrong way round. It was those inside Ibrox should have been thankful that they were in still in business and ABLE to head for Elgin and Berwick and Stranraer. Now, as fresh financial catastrophe looms, I’d put it to Rangers fans that they could do far more good for far more people if they stopped pouring money into what has long since ceased to be “their” club and started drip-feeding it to those who genuinely are the game’s lifeblood. Why? I’ll give you three good reasons. One, those halfwits in your directors’ box shouldn’t be trusted with the remote for the telly, never mind your wages. Two, that 30,000-odd of you spread among the country’s 20-odd part-time clubs would not only create better atmospheres but also help to cement football in communities for the long term. And three? You might just get to relax and enjoy the game, rather than always being angry and stressed about it. Watching Ayr United play Stenhousemuir might just extend your life. The alternative to this is a simple one. Stand your ground and, by your very presence, condone the halfwits in the directors’ box. Two-and-a-half years on from that first administration and the liquidation that followed, these halfwits need to scramble together £4million in a matter of days to keep their heads above water. To achieve this, they may need to flog their saleable players before the transfer window closes, which will hamper your hopes of promotion back to the top flight. If they don’t raise the money, they stand to suffer a 25-point deduction as punishment for a second spell in administration, all but ending those promotion hopes. How, with the wages they pay and the crowds they attract and the sheer intimidatory force of their name that is a two-goal start against far smaller opposition, can this possibly be? How the lumping hell can the people running a club the size of Rangers be handed the chance they were to start again, to build sensibly, to tool up for their return to where they want to be, and yet fail so utterly miserably? How? The clue is in the word halfwits. So maybe I’ve got this all the wrong way round. And it’s those Ibrox directors who should be sent to the outposts of the footballing empire instead. Maybe Graham Wallace and the Easdales and whoever else is a player in this embarrassing saga are the ones who need to go out into the real world and see how real football people operate. Trust me, if a month shadowing the treasurer at Albion Rovers didn’t shame them into living within their means, liquidation’s too good for them.

missed 2 penalties, otherwise it would have been 6-1 and the return game beyond doubt.

From Richard Wilson: HMRC granted leave to appeal upper tier tribunal decision at the Court of Session. "We are pleased that the Upper Tribunal has given HMRC leave to appeal to the Court of Session," said a spokesman. "We continue to believe that schemes using Employee Benefit Trusts to avoid income tax and NICs do not work.'

http://www.vanguardbears.co.uk/ More revelations

From the BBC... First the Ambrose Red Card and now this being 'omitted' from an Official's Match report. This is fundamentally not right and there isn't even the excuse of 'it was a pre-season friendly' to fall back on. This was a Europa League Qualifier FFS!