McCoist: Reconstruction debate going on too long

[ian1964 10,780]

By ALAN PATTULLO

Published on Tuesday 2 April 2013 00:00

 

RANGERS manager Ally McCoist has joined the growing list of those who have become deeply frustrated by the length of time it is taking Scottish football to reach a decision about league reconstruction.

 

The Ibrox manager yesterday reflected on his sideâ??s clinching of the Third Division championship following the traumatic events of last summer, when Rangers were forced to re-join the Scottish league at the bottom tier.

 

Having been confirmed as Third Division champions on Saturday, McCoist cannot even be sure what league the Ibrox side will be competing in next season. Scottish Football League clubs are now split on whether they are in favour of a Scottish Premier League plan for all 42 clubs to split into three leagues of 12-12-18.

 

With an SPL vote not due to take place until 15 April, McCoist is frustrated by the time it is taking to reach a decision. Rangers chief executive Charles Green was a guest of St Mirren chairman Stewart Gilmour on Sunday as the Paisley club hosted Celtic in an SPL fixture, but 
McCoist again distanced himself from talk of a possible breakaway SPL 2, with many First Division clubs desperate to gain the benefit of the fairer distribution of finances promised by the 12 SPL clubs.

 

However, he acknowledged that as far as the welfare of Rangers is concerned, â??I did not say it would not be a good step for the clubâ?. McCoist is concerned that joining such a breakaway faction would be interpreted as a â??slapâ? for those clubs in the Third Division who have made Rangers feel so welcome this season.

 

However, this has not stopped him hitting out at the failure of all parties to reach a consensus. He now believe it has reached the point where it is too late to make a change ahead of next season, meaning Rangers will aim to continue their progress through the leagues by winning the Second Division title next year.

 

â??Charles and Andrew [Dickson, head of football administration] are as much in the dark as anyone else but thereâ??s a meeting of SPL clubs on 15 April and that should set the tone,â? said McCoist

 

â??At this moment in time my guess would be that itâ??s too late for change unless itâ??s a dramatic change â?? and, by that, I mean that we donâ??t yet know whatâ??s going to happen with some of the SFL 1 clubs.â?

 

McCoist stressed that he was not â??100 per cent comfortableâ? with the notion of SPL 2, something that has reared its head after several SFL clubs were revealed to have gone cold on the idea of 12-12-18 after a meeting at Hampden last week. â??I did not say it would not be a good step for the club but I would not be 100 per cent comfortable with it if we were seen to be slapping down the people that gave us an opportunity to play.

 

â??Thatâ??s where I would not be comfortable with it. Obviously, the decision will be made by people above me. The one thing about our football club is that I honestly believe we have always tried to do the right thing. We have got a lot of things wrong but we have always tried to do the right thing.â?

 

McCoist is frustrated that the Scottish game is again guilty of dragging its feet. â??Thatâ??s probably typical of Scottish football,â? he said. â??Decisions are not being made soon enough for people to agree or disagree with them.

 

â??Our problem â?? and it will be the same for most people â?? is the delay in decision-making. I think the time has come for action. Even if it means delaying any change for a year, thatâ??s fine, but we need to find out sooner rather than later what everyone is thinking and where weâ??re going to go.

 

â??Iâ??ve been to a few of the SFL meetings and there is, understandably, an element of self-preservation involved,â? he added. â??But there genuinely also is a feeling that we need to benefit, not just ourselves but Scottish football. That has to be the biggest thing to come out of this â?? we need to put our own interests aside in order to discuss what would be better for the game in Scotland.â?

 

McCoist admitted that his own personal preference would be for a larger top tier, numbering 14 clubs. This is the Rangers view as well.

 

â??Everyone wants a bit of change,â? he said. â??Players, supporters, everyone is looking for a bit of freshness in the whole thing. Everybody has got different opinions of where we see the game going and whatâ??s got to happen to benefit the game,â? he added.

 

â??Something has to happen. You look at the national team slipping away. Scottish football is not in a place where we want it to be so we have to do something.â?

 

 

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/sfl-division-three/mccoist-reconstruction-debate-going-on-too-long-1-2871350

[Gribz 966]

The Rangers fans will speak again. "Jog on SPL."

 

We go back on fair terms...end of story.

[ian1964 10,780]

Ally McCoist: Scottish game needs Rangers at the top

 

Ally McCoist hopes Rangers make a rapid return to the top level of the game – for the sake of Scottish football.

 

The slump in standard has been reflected in the fortunes of the national team this season as Scotland have taken just two points from six games in their World Cup qualifying campaign.

 

Just one SPL player started for the Dark Blues against Wales last month at Hampden, while there were no top-flight players who started the match against Serbia.

 

McCoist is adamant that Rangers returning to the forefront of Scottish football will help to lift the game.

 

"It's incredible," he said. "The fact there are no Rangers players in the national team doesn't help either, I don't care what anyone says.

 

"Where our club is at the moment does not help the national team.

 

"I honestly believe that. It's not the sole reason but it certainly contributes.

 

"Everybody has got different opinions of where we see the game going and what's going to happen to benefit the game.

.

.

 

"Something has to happen. You look at the national team slipping away. Scottish football is not in a place where we want it to be so we have to do something."

 

Meanwhile, McCoist also insisted that he has no problem with the Gers fans making their feelings known over their team's recent disappointing form as they eye an eventual return to the top flight.

 

The travelling support were unhappy at the level of performance against Montrose last weekend and were quick to vent their frustration.

 

"If anybody deserves credit this season, it is our support," he said.

 

"They have been nothing short of sensational but I can totally understand some of the fans' frustration. You win a league over the season but our last three or four performances have dipped.

 

"The fans should know – and I know better than anybody having played here for 15 years and being here as an assistant manager and manager – that I know what is expected at the club. I know what is acceptable, I know the demands in terms of performances, results and achievements.

 

"I know exactly what is required and I can assure them that I, with the help of others, will get us there."

 

He added: "People say we're crawling over the line but I looked at my newspaper on Sunday morning and we're 22 points clear so we may be crawling but there's still a big gap behind us.

 

"When you look back to what we were faced with at the start of the season – and I make no apology for saying it again – 36 hours before our first game we still had no licence to play, we had to cancel three pre-season tours and only six players turned up for the first day of pre-season training, it was an absolute shambles."

 

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/ally-mccoist-scottish-game-needs-rangers-at-the-top-120113n.20681632

[GovanAllan 0]

The last 3 or 4 performances, aye right you are Ally.

[Steve1872 4]

http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/3668-charles-green-statement

CHARLES GREEN has issued the following statement:

 

“Rangers have won many championships and honours but I believe it would be wrong to underestimate the value of what has been achieved this season.

*“Ally McCoist’s players have just secured the SFL third-division title and that is the first milestone on the road back to full recovery.

*“It is a triumph which, in all honesty, cannot be held up beside the 54 top-flight championships but it is a triumph nonetheless and the manager and players are entitled to feel pride and happiness that they have completed the task.

*“Of course we would all have preferred to have witnessed a more exciting brand of football but that will come. Some of the performances have been below what fans expect of a Rangers team and no effort will be spared to improve on that front.

“However, this Club’s fans have shown tremendous loyalty and as far as I am concerned they are the real stars.

“So, I want to make it clear this latest triumph is for each and every one of them and the other cups and titles I’m sure we’ll collect on our journey back to the pinnacle of Scottish football will also be for the finest support to be found anywhere in the game.

“My abiding memories of this season will be seeing Rangers fans enjoying themselves in bars and restaurants in towns I struggle to find even with the use of my sat nav and I must say we were given a great welcome everywhere.

“The fans’ behaviour was a credit to the Club, so to everyone involved I would like to say thank you and well done.

“We have taken another significant step in the rebuilding process and that will continue. Now the most pressing issue for us and for other clubs is league reconstruction which, of course, has turned into something of a fiasco.

“Today the SFA released results of a major survey which made it clear fans want to see an expanded top division and no more than three tiers. That is entirely consistent with my earlier proposal for 14-14-14 set up which is no more complicated than what is being currently proposed by the SPL.

“In fact, their notion of two divisions of 12 fragmenting into three of eight is more convoluted and isn’t something which appeals greatly to many of our clubs. Yet, if they vote this in they’ll be doing it out of fear of being left with the status quo because they have been told constantly no other option can work.

“That’s simply not true and it is comforting to know the fans can see that.

“Look, we are all agreed we must have change but it must be the correct change and it must be for the greater good of the game. It must not be for the few.

*“That’s why the findings of this first ever Scottish National Football Survey shouldn’t be dismissed with mere platitudes. If the club’s are really listening to their fans they will act accordingly and do what is right.

“No matter what anyone says the current proposals will not give the fans what they are demanding.”

[craig 5,199]

Good statement from CG regards reconstruction.