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A few months ago rbr suggested that likeminded Gersnet members could donate towards a lifetime membership of Rangers First. There was reasonable level of interest at the time, but for whatever reason it didn't translate into action. A lot has happened since then in the struggle for control of Rangers and the recent requisition for an EGM has galvanised supporter opinion, leading to large numbers of new sign-ups for both RangersFirst and the RST's BuyRangers scheme. The Gers Forum were among those signing up this week, having raised £1000 in 24 hours to buy 2 Rangers First Lifetime Memberships (these are available to groups, whereas BuyRangers requires an individual membership). I'd like to organise a similar effort on Gersnet if there is enough interest. I'm aware that many of us already support RF and/or BuyRangers, while others do not share my enthusiasm for fan ownership. It's also January, so not everyone will have spare cash to donate at this time of year. However, a potentially close vote at the forthcoming EGM will be sufficient incentive for many Gersnetters. A RangersFirst Club 1872 membership costs £500, so if we can get 50 interested Bears together @ £10 each, we can make it happen. If you want to donate more than that, then great. So, my suggestion is this: 1. PM me with your forum name and the amount you'd be willing to commit to as a one off donation. 2. I'll keep a tally of the total. As and when we reach £500, I'll pass everyone's details to Bluedell, who has very kindly offered to help collect the funds. 3. Bluedell can then provide you with details (also via PM) of how he plans to collect the funds and once the full £500 has been received, we'll purchase a Lifetime Membership in the name of Gersnet. Any excess funds received will be donated to RF. 4. As RF operates a one-member-one-vote decision making process, the easiest option would be to hold a brief poll of members prior to any future RF votes. Obviously, such polls are open to members and visitors alike, but for one vote among thousands, it wouldn't be worth creating a more complicated process. If anyone has spotted a fatal flaw in the process, or has any suggestions which would make it easier, please let me know. Finally, I'd just like to make it clear that there's absolutely no compulsion to take part, but it's up to those who do to look into the details of RF if they are not already familiar with it. Cheers. -
http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/king-maps-out-plan-for-the-future.117959899 The suspicion is that if the existing directors are unable to muster the votes required to hold on to power by conventional means they will attempt to do so unconventionally. The savage personal attack on King contained in the statement to the AIM Stock Exchange on Friday underlined what many had long suspected; the power battle at Rangers is going to be a dirty one. Nevertheless, King and his associates are already looking further ahead and formulating plans which they believe will enable the Glasgow club to return to the forefront of Scottish football if they do take control. Appointing a permanent replacement for Ally McCoist by bringing in a manager who can rebuild the side and secure on-field success is at the top of their list of priorities. Luring Rangers stalwarts back into the club to work behind-the-scenes in a variety of roles is also seen as important so the identity of the institution can be restored. The fact no fewer than 12 members of the first team squad are out of contract in the summer is seen as an opportunity to substantially reduce a crippling wage bill that Charles Green, Brian Stockbridge and Craig Mather are largely to blame for. "There is obviously an opportunity to have contracts terminated," said King. "We have to make some fairly significant changes to the footballing side. But before that it is critical that we get the right manager in because we are bringing a manager into a team that is obviously not equipped to compete in the Premier League and is really struggling. "You would have thought that when Rangers were demoted they would have fairly comfortably come through the lower leagues into the Premiership and then maybe struggled for a season or two. "But right now we are struggling to get out of the Championship. Given the need to balance budgets and just be more sensible about the way the money is spent, we are going to have to get a manager who has the capacity to identify and manage players. "So I would imagine that the single most important decision will be identifying the right manager, who has all of these qualities. It really is someone who is more of a coach." King revealed he would be willing to pay compensation to another club for their manager if the best candidate they identify is in employment. He said: "If it was within reason, then paying compensation would be considered. I think everyone would accept that Rangers have to completely rebuild the squad. So the manager's role is so critical. "One wouldn't easily take the second choice when a little bit of money would have got you your first choice. I think we have just got to get it right. There's too much money being spent around it that is key to that individual to not get that appointment right." McCoist is currently on gardening leave while he serves out his 12-month notice period and could theoretically return in some capacity if King, Paul Murray and John Gilligan are appointed directors. But King said: "My understanding is that Ally has expressed no interest in coming back even with regime change. The indications I've had from those who have spoken to him more recently than I have is that he thinks he is done and he really doesn't see himself as part of the future." John Greig, Sandy Jardine and Walter Smith have all worked behind the scenes at Ibrox in a number of different roles in recent years and King would like to see a return to the days when Rangers men were involved in the running of the club. Greig declined to take to the pitch along with the other members of the European Cup-Winners' Cup winning team when the Govan Stand was renamed in honour of his former team-mate Jardine back in August. King said: "For me personally somebody like John Greig would be very important. I spoke to John when I was over here in November - just phoned him up and asked him how he was doing. "There are individuals who are not welcome - because they are not supportive of the existing regime. But what we would like to do is connect with the past. "Despite the difficult times, the history hasn't been lost. We already have Richard Gough showing support and to have people like John Grieg and Graeme Souness is going to be very, very important." The Glasgow-born financier, who once ploughed £20 million of his personal fortune into his boyhood heroes, is hopeful there will be no nasty surprises lurking in the books if he does take over. He said: "I think the circumstances of the club are such that there is a limit to how bad it can be. I can't imagine there will be a huge amount of creditors building up. I can't imagine that anyone has been lending money that we don't know about. "The stadium we know hasn't been used as security. "So while I think there will be some surprises, I think they might run into a couple of million, I don't think we are going to find a hole of £15 million to £20 million."
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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/ -
According to Ronnie Esplin on Twitter, Kenny McDowall says he has been told to play 5 loan players. Wow!
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RST Statement on Old Firm Violence 3rd February 2015 The Rangers Supporters Trust (RST) is extremely concerned at some of the incidents surrounding the Old Firm game at the weekend. We spoke last week about our fears that certain elements in the Celtic support were using the internet to raise sectarian tension ahead of the fixture. Sadly our concerns appear to have been well founded. First of all, we would like an explanation of how the Green Brigade were once again allowed to bring an offensive, sectarian banner into the game? This group has previous for openly supporting Irish Republican terrorism, disrupting Remembrance Day, and overt sectarian behaviour. If a Rangers fan group consistently disgraced our club with offensive, sectarian banners, we would expect the club to take decisive action. Not only does Celtic Football Club tolerate the Green Brigade, they encourage them and facilitate their displays. The use of the term “Hun” on the banner in question, despite some apologists in Scottish politics and the media playing down its significance, is clearly sectarian. Its origins in Northern Ireland are well known. All anti sectarian charities acknowledge that it is a sectarian term. We will not accept it as 'banter'. Furthermore, the use of the term “monkeys” to describe Rangers fans on another Green Brigade banner has clear parallels with historic racist language. The purpose of the terms used by the Green Brigade - “monkeys” and “huns” - is to dehumanise Rangers fans. In addition to the Green Brigade, we highlighted the likes of Phil MacGiollabhain, Angela Haggerty and others using dehumanising language online ahead of the fixture. Rangers fans are described regularly as “the klan”, references are made to “Stalag Sevco” and “fascists”. Again the clear purpose is to characterise Rangers fans as less than human or liken them to the worst elements of humanity – in other words, fair game for the hard of thinking who the writers seek to, and in some cases successfully, influence. The effect of this is clear. A ten year old Rangers fan bottled by Celtic fans who forced their way onto a Rangers supporters’ bus. Another Rangers fan assaulted outside a pub by Celtic fans and hospitalised with possible brain damage. Nacho Novo once again threatened online. Curiously, instead of accurate media reporting, we see some outlets refer to the perpetrators as “rival fans”. It is quite clear that a minority of morons in the Celtic support are listening to, and acting on, the bile churned out by MacGiollabhain, Haggerty and the Green Brigade. Instead of ineffective legislation which produces inconsistent and at times bizarre outcomes, the Scottish government should be educating the next generation of Old Firm fans on why sectarianism is not acceptable. In addition, they should be clamping down on the online hate campaign waged by certain individuals and dealing with the type of organised, premeditated sectarianism perpetrated by groups like the Green Brigade. The overwhelming majority of Old Firm fans, and indeed all Scottish football fans, are decent people who love their club. They are often targeted for disgraceful treatment and demonised whilst the real culprits are ignored. We thank the Celtic fan who started a collection for the young Rangers fan attacked at the weekend. We hope his club and the police will start to take the actions of online hate-mongers and the disgraceful, sectarian Green Brigade seriously and belatedly deal with them. - See more at: https://www.therst.co.uk/news/rst-statement-on-old-firm-violence/#sthash.JOxr8LGc.dpuf
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Another small milestone on the way to being the largest FO vehicle in Britain - @RangersFirst have more members than the average attendances this season of @MotherwellFC @OfficialKillie @St_Johnstone_FC @saintmirrenfc Please join up at http://www.rangersfirst.org - and if RF isn't your thing please join RST's Buy Rangers or look to invest through one of the other FO movements such as VB's. Please do something.
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... and to brighten our spirits a little: Top 10 Most Successful European Football Clubs And we welcome the chase! -
Just been looking at SOS FB. They have pics of invoice for £32400 from a media company that they say nobody remembers using! One of the directors of said compay is Llambias. The photo on the left is a photo of an invoice for a service no one can recall us using, the photo to the right is the directors of the company we paid for work that no on can recall using Can we have more of these guys please
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The Sun saying he has been banned because he joined RF. Someone asking if Foster has joined yet.
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ByPAUL THORNTON The Sun Published: 18 minutes ago CHEEKY Celtic fans are planning to light the blue-touch paper on next week’s long-awaited Old Firm clash - with a full page ad explaining why Rangers are a new club. Sections of the Hoops support have clubbed together to take out the message in a Sunday newspaper one week before the tie. The lengthy message sets out why some Celts reckon the Gers are a different outfit from their historic rivals following the oldco’s liquidation in 2012. After organising through forums and supporter sites a group of dozens of fans have clubbed together a four-figure sum to place the statement. The message states: “As Celtic supporters, we regrettably recognise that our club had an association with Rangers (1872) through the collective descriptive term, The Old Firm. We believe this term is now redundant following the liquidation of Rangers (1872). “On 1st February Celtic supporters will support our team in the semifinal against a new club, which came into being in 2012. “This will be the first ever meeting between the two clubs and the purpose of this statement is to place our position on record so that Celtic supporters can enjoy the occasion for what it is and without playing any part in what we see as the Rangers ‘club continuation’ fiction.” The stunt is sure to wind-up Bears who were buoyed by Lord Nimmo Smith’s report which saw Rangers retain their titles in 2013. At the end of December SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster firmed-up that view when he insisted the team were “absolutely” the same club. He said: “It’s the same club, absolutely. “The member club is the entity that participates in our league and we have 42 member clubs. “Those clubs may be owned by a company, sometimes it’s a Private Limited Company, sometimes it’s a PLC, but ultimately, the company is a legal entity in its own right, which owns a member club that participates in the league. “It was put to bed by the Lord Nimmo Smith commission some while ago – it’s the same club.” Bosses at the paper where the ad is due to run contacted Police Scotland to make sure it would not spark trouble between the supports. Last night the force said: “We are aware of the advert.” Rangers declined to comment. But Union of Fans spokesman Chris Graham said: “We’ve been over this time and time again. The football authorities have said it’s the same club and Lord Nimmo Smith has said it’s the same club. “I don’t think Rangers fans are paying any special attention to the online crackpots among the Celtic support who continue to put forward this notion. I’d have thought they’d have better things to spend their money on.”
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Strapped in for yet another transfer window? Well, here we go! Graeme Shinnie (Left-back, 23, Inverness Caledonian Thistle) Max Power (attacking midfielder, 21, Tranmere Rovers) Express Graeme Shinnie on wiki
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A POEM FOR OUR TIME If Rabbie Burns lived in our time, there is a good chance he would be a football supporter. As an Ayrshireman, tax inspector and a Mason, there is a good chance he would support the Gers. Wee sleekit cowran TIMrous beasties, O' what a panic's in thy breasties, Ye needna gang awa so hasty, Big match coming up, very tasty, Yees tried to knock us oot, but we're still here, Yees canny run, yees canny hide,yees can only fear.
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keith jackson @tedermeatballs I'm not going to use the phrase 'statement klaxon' again. But, yes, I think one will be along very shortly....
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... in his ET interview My headline makes for a good signature. If anything, those currently trying to oust the board have learned (the hard way) that the key is in having enough shares. Let#s hope this goes through, Murdoch sounds rather confident and you'd hope King has done this because he IS confident of success.
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The Union of Fans is calling on Rangers fans to stage a "mass demonstration" outside Ibrox 45 minutes before kick-off tomorrow night.
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http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/rangers/306606-mike-ashley-posts-intent-to-take-out-security-over-rangers-ibrox-stadium/ -
Can the RFB comment on the latest Ashley loan?
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...as they hold advanced talks with club bosses. Jan 12, 2015 07:32 By Keith Jackson RECORD SPORT understands the Lanarkshire-based businessman and his allies are on the brink of agreeing a deal in return for two seats on the board. DOUGLAS PARK and his consortium were locked in advanced talks with the Rangers hierarchy last night as they edged closer to winning the battle for control of Ibrox. Record Sport understands the Lanarkshire-based businessman and his allies, George Letham and George Taylor, are on the brink of agreeing a deal to plough over £6million of emergency money into the club to spare it from insolvency – in return for two seats on the board. An announcement is expected early this week as the current regime scrambles to secure fresh funding. And last night, with Park and his group on the cusp of forcing their way into a position of power, directors James and Sandy Easdale appeared to pave the way for their imminent arrival by insisting they will be welcomed into the boardroom. In a statement the Easdale family adviser Jack Irvine said: “Sandy and James repeat again that they will willingly work with Douglas Park’s group for the benefit of the club.” Between them, Park, Letham and Taylor already have control of 20 per cent of the troubled Ibrox club’s shares. They are pushing for regime change and plan to invest further in a new share issue but realise the club’s cash flow position is critical and needs to be addressed immediately. In fact, Hong Kong-based banker Taylor believes, in the longer term, Rangers fans should eventually have control over their own club. The Morgan Stanley managing director has now signed up to a life-time membership with fan-ownership group Rangers First and said last night: “My hope is that direct fan ownership would become the biggest individual owner of the club.” Rangers First director Ricki Neill said: “With our monthly contributors donating amounts from £5 upwards, Rangers First have the income to buy an increasing number of shares every month. “The more members we get to join Rangers First the faster we grow and the bigger our shareholding becomes. “We also have the Club 1872 membership – which George Taylor has recently joined. “This costs £500 and was designed originally to help us reach our target in as short a period as possible. “George Taylor is one of many true Rangers fans that have joined Club 1872 and we look forward to meeting up with him in the near future.” Phoenix Knight Robert Sarver has also offered Rangers a crisis loan based on the condition that he underwrites a share issue to the tune of £20m and buys control of the club. But, crucially, the American’s plan needs the support of 75 per cent of the club’s current shareholders for it to get off the ground and so is viewed as a non-starter. This has left Park in the driving seat although the board are refusing to engage in similar talks with like-minded Rangers supporter Dave King, the club’s biggest single shareholder with a 15 per cent stake. As the crisis deepens, the South African-based businessman is expected by many to call for an egm later this week in a bid to rout the current board at a shareholders’ vote. Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, meanwhile, may yet be prepared to make a rival offer after previously handing over £3m to keep the club afloat through November and December. A close source said last night: “The cash situation remains critical and because of this a decision had been expected over the weekend. “The club is now days away from running out of money completely so there is an urgent necessity to get this funding in place. “However, the talks with the Douglas Park group are at a very advanced stage and it is expected that an announcement will be made soon.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-boardroom-battle-douglas-park-4962945
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http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12147419.html
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Three Bears investor George Taylor believes Rangers should eventually be controlled by the Ibrox support. Along with partners Douglas Park and George Letham - as well as oldco director Dave King - the Hong Kong-based banker is among three factions battling for control of the Glasgow giants. But while the Three Bears' most immediate threat comes from US financier Robert Sarver - who has launched a £20million takeover bid - and the current board and their ally Mike Ashley, Taylor believes the club should eventually be governed by the Light Blues faithful. The Morgan Stanley managing director has now signed up to a life-time membership with fan-ownership group Rangers First. In a statement given to Press Association Sport, he said: "My hope is that direct fan ownership would become the biggest individual owner of Rangers." Rangers First have made a number of significant strides in recent days. Wealthy supporter Jim McColl recently handed the group his 10,000-share Ibrox stake last week, while they have signed up around 700 new members since the Three Bears and King bought up around 34 per cent of the club in two surprise transactions just before the new year. The scheme - which is similar to the one used to rescue Hearts from administration - is now collecting thousands of pounds a month from contributors and using that to buy up shares. On Saturday night, they announced another 60,000 shares had been purchased, giving them control of 0.8 per cent of the club. The Rangers Supporters Trust has also recently increased its stake to just over one per cent. With the fight for power set to come down to which faction can get to 51 per cent, the fans could yet play a vital role for the Three Bears and King in the coming days. The board urgently needs to raise cash to keep the club afloat and an announcement on Sarver's revised takeover bid and possible news of another emergency loan is expected early next week. A general meeting may also be called if King and the Three Bears can find the support to force boardroom change. Rangers First director Ricki Neill said: "With our monthly contributors donating amounts from 5 upwards, Rangers First have the income to buy an increasing number of shares every month. "The more members we get the faster we grow and the bigger our shareholding becomes. We also have the Club 1872 membership which George Taylor has recently joined, this costs £500 and was designed originally to help us reach our target in as short a period as possible. "George Taylor is one of many true Rangers fans that have joined Club 1872, we look forward to meeting up with George in the near future." Meanwhile, midfielder Nicky Law believes a win against Hearts next Friday could kick-start Rangers' Scottish Championship title push. The Ibrox side host the Jambos but cannot afford to let Robbie Neilson's men add to their already huge 13 point lead at the top of the table. Law, who scored a first-half winner as the Light Blues finally beat Alloa at the fourth time of asking on Saturday with a 1-0 success at the Indodrill Stadium, said: "The quality of player we have got, we know we should be doing a lot better than we have been doing. "There is no way we should be 13 points behind Hearts but we are. Unfortunately that is a huge gap to claw back but we will do our best to try and rein them in, starting on Friday night. "It's a must-win game. If we can get it back to 10, you never know." -
GERMAN football legend Felix Magath has bought one per cent of Rangers and outlined his vision for the footballing future of the cash-strapped club. Record Sport can reveal the former Bayern Munich boss has emerged as a major and serious player following talks over the last week with influential figures around Ibrox. Magath has spoken with one of the groups battling for control of the club - not American Robert Sarver - and, if all goes well, could become Technical Director at Murray Park by the summer. German sources last night confirmed Magath’s involvement but, amazingly, he did not let on about his shares purchase before sitting down for discussions with the Rangers group. Magath, most recently in charge at Fulham , has been watching the Rangers story unfold with some dismay over the last three years and decided to take a personal stake in the club towards the end of last year - city sources suggest it was around one per cent. He has long admired Rangers and believes they are a massive club who are ready to come good again, with the right guidance from the boardroom the training ground. He invested a chunk of his own wealth backing his belief that the only way for the club is up - and now he may be handed a chance to influence its future. It’s believed Magath impressed in talks as he outlined a vision that will completely restructure the club’s playing department from top to bottom. The 61-year-old has no desire to become first-team coach, but is ready to demand autonomy in putting in a structure from youth level upwards that will give the club the best chance of returning to the top, with a strong focus on developing talent. It will be based on the German model, with a focus on work ethic, technique and technical ability, underpinned by a proper European and worldwide scouting system. Magath believes he is the man to oversee it all, and reckons Murray Park is an ideal environment in which to develop younger, talented players after spending part of his pre-season training camp at the facility with Fulham last summer. Magath’s spell at Fulham may not have ended successfully but he has many admirers, not least in Germany where his way of guiding clubs was always successful, so long as coaches and his board went with his way of thinking From Hamburg to Nürnberg, to Bremen to Frankfurt he has won a reputation for stabilising and building successful structures and at Stuttgart he developed players such as Kevin Kuranyi, Philipp Lahm, Mario Gomez and Alex Hleb. He left Stuttgart for Bayern Munich and won the double twice in a row, but arguably his greatest achievement came seven years ago at Wolfsburg. They avoided relegation on the last day of the season in 2007, but the following year he took them to fifth and in 2009 won the title, earning the club a fortune in the process with the development of players such as Edin Dzeko, Zvjezdan Misimovic and Brazilian striker Grafite. He left the club the following season for Schalke 04 and his restructuring paid off immediately when they came second after finishing ninth the season before. He led them to the German cup final and the quarter-final of the Champions League but was still fired by the board in 2011 after a dispute over his methods. One German source said: “Felix does not care about names – he focuses only on performance and attitude, whether it is a star, an established player or a youngster. This is why he brought out so many young or unknown players.” Now he could be ready to weave his magic again as the Godfather of Govan in what would be one of the boldest and most audacious appointments in the history of the Scottish game. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/ex-bayern-munich-boss-felix-magath-4945747
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He's a COWARD, he doesn't like a 50-50 and tackles from behind. SCOTTISH football journeyman and no stranger to a hard tackle, Chic Charnley has lashed out at Rangers bad boy Ian Black. CHIC CHARNLEY didn’t need to take lessons when it came to being one of Scottish football’s bad boys. He was sent off 17 times in a tempestuous career that began in 1982 and finished in 2003 when he made his final SPL appearance for Partick Thistle 18 days short of his 40th birthday. Rangers midfielder Ian Black has been booked 33 times and sent off twice in his 101 games for Rangers but, according to Charnley, their disciplinary record is about all they have in common. Charnley, right, was as hard as he was skilful but has no time for Black, whom he regards as being deficient in both departments. The 29-year-old was hooked by interim manager Kenny McDowall just 34 minutes into the 4-0 defeat by Hibs at Easter Road after a booking for a scything foul from behind on Scott Allan – a challenge that sums him up so far as Charnley is concerned. He said: “Black is just a coward. His fouls are either from behind or the side or they’re late – you don’t see him going in for many 50-50s. “On the other hand, he always seemed to be complaining about the rough treatment from other players in the lower divisions but if you dish it out then you need to be able to take it. “I know Kenny McDowall well from playing alongside him for St Mirren and I know what he’s like – he wouldn’t have missed Black in the dressing room especially after he kicked the dugout after being taken off. “That sums up Black’s attitude. I’ve never rated him as a player anyway but I particularly dislike the way he struts about the pitch as if he is somebody. “He should never have been at Ibrox in the first place. I know Ally McCoist’s hands have been tied since they went bust but, even now, he isn’t good enough to play for them. “He would never have got near the squad for any of the teams Coisty played in.” Sky pundit Andy Walker was also critical of the foul on Allan, which forced McDowall to sub the player before he was red-carded. Walker said: “That’s not the way to show that you’re brave. It’s typical of Ian Black. The jersey seems too heavy for him. “He can’t be trusted – he can’t keep his composure.” Charnley also believes the former Inverness and Hearts man should have been binned when it was revealed in August, 2013 that he had been caught betting against Rangers in a game he had played in. He said: “How can you do that? His feet shouldn’t have touched the ground when that came out. “Listen, we all used to put a coupon on at the weekend when I played but it wouldn’t have crossed anyone’s mind to bet against your own team. “I know football has changed but if anyone in John Lambie’s team had been caught doing that he’d have had them up against the wall by the throat. “As for my record, I did some daft things and sometimes my reputation preceded me but I was still playing at 40 because I loved the game. “Black’s contract with Rangers is up at the end of this season and if they let him go – and I’m sure they will – I don’t think anyone will want to sign him.” Charnley played for 12 senior clubs in Scotland, England, Ireland and Sweden but never made a secret of being a lifelong Celtic supporter. But he takes no pleasure in the plight of the coaching staff at their rivals. He said: “Ally had to deal with a lot of stuff that no one else ever had to contend with. “Kenny is a good pal of mine and I know he’ll be hurting – my heart goes out to him. “I really feel for Ian Durrant, too. The people running that club have no class and they’ve proved it by the ridiculous way they’ve treated him. “They’ve demoted him to youth team coach in an attempt to force him out. It’s a liberty. “However, once this whole episode is over and done with, I have no doubt that the three of them can manage another club and be successful.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/chic-charnley-slams-rangers-hot-4891416
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...if Ibrox board snubs Three Bears' £6.5m bail-out. THE Rangers board was today warned that even more fans could turn their backs on the Ibrox club if they block "The Three Bears" consortium. By Matthew Lindsay Gers fans George Letham, Douglas Park and George Taylor have offered £6.5 million to underwrite an equity issue early next year. The move comes after the SFA prevented Mike Ashley from increasing his stake in the Glasgow giants to 29.9% last week. Letham, Park and Taylor were part of an eight-strong group fronted by Dave King who had a £16 million rescue package turned down back in October. Rangers chairman David Somers said King and his associates failed to provide proof of funds and reveal the identity of the investors. But Letham, Park and Taylor have satisfied both of those criteria - and have impeccable business credentials as well as being bona fide fans. Crowds have plummeted at Ibrox this season amid growing dissatisfaction at the way the SPFL League One champions are being run. Their last two Championship games at home against Cowdenbeath and Livingston have attracted less than 20,000 spectators. And Drew Roberton, of the Rangers Supporters Association, reckons crowds could fall even further if "The Three Bears" were prevented from increasing their shareholdings. He said: "I certainly wouldn't rule out the possibility of some more people saying: 'Enough is enough'. "I think we are down to the hard core of Rangers fans on match days at Ibrox now. "I think we are down to the people who will go regardless of what is happening on or off the park. "If the board decline them then they will probably hide behind stock market rules or some such. "But they would have to come up with a very good reason why and try to convince people they have a long-term plan. "It is difficult to see what plan they have apart from self-preservation. "If the two Georges and Douglas fail then it wouldn't go down well with the fans - and I don't know how the guardians of Scottish sporting integrity (the SFA) would look upon it." Roberton added: "I know George Letham to say hello to. He is a nice guy. "I have no doubt the three gentlemen involved have the best interests of the club at heart. "My view, and the view of the Rangers Supporters Association, is that it's not important who runs the club it's how they run the club that matters. "And I have no doubt that George Letham, George Taylor and Douglas Park would help to run the club for the benefit of the club." Rangers expressed disappointment at the SFA refusing to allow Sports Direct owner Ashley to increase his stake above 10% in a brief statement on their website on Christmas Eve. They also revealed they would go away and consider all other options - and Roberton refused to rule out the billionaire businessman taking even greater control at Ibrox. He said: "I am kind of of the view that if Ashley wants to increase his stake in Rangers he will. "At the end of the day, I don't think there's a lot the SFA can do about it." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/rangers-fans-chief-fears-new-supporter-boycott-if-ibrox-board-snubs-192879n.115246847
