I had 20 great years with United but they played a part in sinking Rangers

[ian1964 10,625]

.............and that can't be forgiven!

 

RANGERS will take no fans â?? but Walter Smith insists they were left with no choice.

Ibrox legend Smith claims itâ??s Dundee Unitedâ??s fault thousands of Gers supporters will stay away from Tannadice for Februaryâ??s Scottish Cup clash.

 

Smith spent almost 20 years at United as player and coach.

 

But he believes United had it in for his beloved Gers last summer and this is the price they have to pay.

 

He said: â??The Rangers board felt they had to make that decision. I donâ??t know the entire background, but Dundee United were fairly vociferous against Rangers last summer.

 

â??So I donâ??t think any club can be expected to accept the kind of criticism that was coming from United and not have a reaction to it.

 

â??Rangers are right to boycott â?? and that comes from a man who was 20 years at Tannadice.

 

â??The whole situation has left a bitter taste in everybodyâ??s mouth from a Rangers point of view â?? and it is not good for Scottish football.

 

â??Of course, it goes against the grain, telling fans not to go to a game. It is a sad decision.

 

â??But all Rangers are saying is they are not taking tickets.

 

â??If a supporter feels he has not missed a game for ten years and does not want to miss this one, he is free to make his own decision.

 

â??But we felt we had to show we remembered what happened.â?

 

United wanted Gers to forego their share of the ticket and TV money from the tie.

 

Charles Green has refused, insisting he will take every penny he is entitled to and hand it over to charity.

 

With the SFA backing Gers, Smith added: â??We are not going to go up there and play for nothing, are we? It is the Scottish Cup.

 

â??Sometimes, when Rangers play in the Cup, there are hardly any fans from the other club there â?? but the gate gets split.

 

â??So I donâ??t think it matters if our support turn up or not.â?

 

Smith wonâ??t become part of the Rangers board until after the Ibrox share issue.

 

But he is already a key ally to owner Green who pulled off a major coup on convincing the Ibrox legend to support him.

 

Smith was teaming up with Celtic legend Davie Hay, Ally Dawson and founder David Duke to promote the Street Soccer scheme which helps troubled, homeless and disadvantaged adults. He said: â??It is natural for anybody, after the previous owner, to feel sceptical.

 

â??I donâ??t think Charles Green or Imran Ahmed expected to come in and everyone would welcome them with open arms. They have got to show what they are about.

 

â??Like some people before them, if they come in and make a bit of money then great.

 

â??But the main thing is they are in it to get Rangers back to the position they belong.

 

â??Where it goes from there, I donâ??t know.

 

â??Whether they put the club up for sale later, that does not matter. What happens over the next few years, we need to get back into a position you would associate with Rangers.

 

â??From my own point of view, having been asked to join the board I would be letting everyone down at a time when they needed my help.

 

â??But I had to have a good think about it, because I always thought board positions should be businessmen.

 

â??I have always just been a manager. But Charles was at pains to point out the inexperience they have in terms of Rangers overall. They felt as though they needed someone to come in and help them.

 

â??It is not a role that will involve me doing anything on the football side. That is Ally McCoistâ??s job.

 

â??I would never have ventured into this if I thought that would be the case.

 

â??I never wanted anybody in that position when I was a manager and I wonâ??t be in that position now. Charles just wants to tap into my experience to help Rangers move forward.â?

 

http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/leaguedivision3/4685241/I-had-20-great-years-with-United-but-they-played-a-part-in-sinking-Rangers-and-that-cant-be-forgiven.html

[ian1964 10,625]

WALTER SMITH has warned that Rangers will NEVER forget those who turned against them.

The Ibrox legend insists Gers will soon return to the very top of Scottish football.

 

And he has promised that they’ll always remember who the club’s critics were when they get there.

 

Smith — set to join Charles Green’s board officially as a non-executive director after the share issue is completed — has backed the fans’ boycott of the upcoming Scottish Cup clash with Dundee United.

 

Gers WILL get their share of the TV and ticket money and will give it to CHARITY.

 

And Smith said: “I think, over time, the wounds will heal.

 

“If Rangers get back quickly to a situation where they are challenging for championships and getting the chance to play in Europe then, yes, they’ll heal over and everybody will get on with it.

 

“But they’ll not be forgotten, that is the thing. Scottish football will get up and we’ll get on with it.

 

“But I don’t think anybody at Rangers will EVER forget what happened during that period, where we were being used as a political football between the SFL and the SPL.”

 

Rangers were controversially kicked out of the SPL in the summer and are now playing in the Third Division.

 

But Smith insists it’s only a matter of time before they’re back competing in the Champions League.

 

He added: “While it can go down quickly, you can get back just as fast. Rangers will get back to that kind of level. Whether they get back into the group stages of the Champions League, that depends how you do.

 

“But it’s obviously the aim to take the club back where it was — which, during my last time, meant Champions League football.”

 

Rangers, meanwhile, have snubbed United’s bold bid to keep all the ticket money from their scottish Cup tie at Tannadice on February 2.

 

Owner Green said: “The club was contacted by Dundee United requesting us to waive our rights to the share of the gate under Cup Competition Rule 46©, this was declined.

 

“It has been decided by the Board that any proceeds from gate receipts due to the Club will be donated to the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice Brick by Brick Appeal and Erskine charities via the Rangers Charity Foundation.”

[Max Rebo's Big Blue Nose 0]

I still cannot believe Dundee Utd tried to get the SFA to not give Rangrers their share of the gate. Where they bothered about this when they only brought about 6 fans to a Scottish cup tie a few years back? I'm sure they were not queueing up to hand back their share of the 20,000 plus gate

 

I genuinely hate this vile little club