Rangers FC Thread

[surfbum]

and they want to punish Green for questioning their 'integrity.

This is war. EVERY Rangers man, woman + child needs to stand up and fight this. Time for a march to end all marches.

Also CG needs to name and shame all the corrupt c..ts who were there and wanted this.

 

[surfbum]

HEARTS ARE JUST THE FIRST VICTIMS OF ANTI RANGERS BIGOTRY

HEARTS players are the first to suffer because of their club’s willingness to listen to bitter and twisted supporters who wanted to damage Rangers.

For once again the players and other employees at Tynecastle are being kept waiting on their wages. And this time Hearts owner Vladmir Romanov has got what he believes is the perfect excuse.

It’s all the fault of the Scottish Premier League. Except it isn’t.

What it is, is the fault of those Scottish Premier League clubs who bowed to the bigots among their fan base and who surrendered to blackmail from their own supporters and froze Rangers out of the SPL.

For that led to long drawn out SPL re-negotiations with Sky Sports over the live football deal which the SPL had and whose terms and conditions were breached by that short sighted attitude – based on the blind bigotry of their fans – every SPL club, with the honourable exception of Kilmarnock, took against Rangers.

Which, in turn, led to the SPL moving to the edge of trading while on the very brink of being insolvent, as the first tranche of Sky payments was delayed.

This lack of cash which clubs had budgeted for, is what has hit Hearts. This time – as had not been proven to be the case before when they were late in paying their employees – Hearts can dredge up an excuse.

An excuse, that is. Not a reason. There’s a difference.

But what about the rest of the Scottish Premier League? What about the other clubs? And what about the predicted upsurge in the uptake of season tickets from the fans who put the boot into Rangers? And what about the big campaign to get the turnstiles clicking like never before?

Gone, it would seem, with the wind.

Crowds, which looked healthier in the opening couple of game this season, have now levelled, in some cases to what they were a year ago, while in other cases, as teams struggle, crowds are nose diving.

And there’s worse to come. For all those who will finish in the top half of the SPL can look forward to is two visits from the half of the Old Firm their supporters seem eager to embrace.

The two money spinning visits by Rangers supporters have been voted into oblivion by those short sighted supporters who were blinded by bigotry.

Things will be even worse for the also rans who will play out the closing weeks of the campaign in the bottom half of the SPL. They will be stuck there, in many cases with only one decent sized crowd from one half of the Old Firm’s solitary visit.

At the time of the first Dundee derby of the season much was made of the clamour for tickets and the sell out signs as the novelty of the encounter gripped the imagination of fans.

But one swallow does not make a summer.

Now, as the chill wind of autumn blows and winter days start growing late, those clubs who caved into the bigoted blackmail of their supporters, may soon find that they join Hearts in wondering where their next penny is coming from and how they are going to pay the following month’s wages.

Especially if a fierce winter bites and matches are postponed, crippling what meagre income and important cash flow those clubs had depended on.

In the past, when that happened, the Scottish Premier League was able to help out by advancing, ahead of schedule, payments due from television money.

Neil Doncaster and his Celtic sidekick in the SPL boardroom, Eric Riley, won’t be able to do that this term as the Scottish Premier League itself lives from hand to mouth.

A financial situation which could become even worse if the SPL find themselves embroiled in a costly and long running court case with Rangers over the witch hunt regarding EBTs.

The law of unintended consequences has already started to show itself, with Hearts players and other club employees, the first victims of their supporters hatred of Rangers.

 

[snapman]

Is the SPL any ‘straighter’ than Craig Whyte?

Just weeks after selling David Templeton to Rangers, Hearts manager John McGlynn has announced that five senior members of the squad may not be paid this month. The reason for this apparently is that Hearts are waiting for money owed to them from the Scottish Premier League. The Scottish Cup holders claim that they are owed £300,000 from the SPL.

It would be interesting to see Hearts credit rating this week as yet again they appear to be ready to default on paying their players wages. Once again the only thing keeping Hearts alive is their owner Vladimir Romanov, who has sucked up the debt the club, owes. Hearts debt is currently sitting at £24 million, which is more than Rangers carried when the Ibrox club went into administration.

It seems that while beating Rangers to a pulp the SPL have taken their eye off the ball and let other clubs slide into the same financial mismanagement Rangers suffered. As Hearts and the SPL play financial Russian roulette, all 12 top-flight clubs have still to receive about £300,000 each from the SPL.

It will be interesting to see how the SPL deal with any delay in players receiving their wages. The league-governing body last season charged Hearts “with failing to behave with the utmost good faith to the SPL” after they were late in paying their players. Will there be any punishment for the SPL for defaulting on their contractual agreement?

Once again we witness the mismanagement of Scottish Football on a horrific scale. The SPL in its present form resembles the last days of the old Rangers business. Rumours over money, financial mismanagement and deny and deflect tactics. By not meeting their financial obligations on time, are the people at the helm of the SPL any straighter than Craig Whyte?

And through all this once again all we hear is the Silence of the Damned. Fans of these 12 clubs were quick to tell Rangers to pay their debts. The chorus of condemnation for Rangers shouted down all reason. So we are left wondering why the silence on this occasion? What ever happened to Sporting Integrity? Surely these fans, whose passion for integrity and fairness in sport is legendary, feel they should have a say in what is happening with their league? Yet what do we get; silence. Oh the hypocrisy.

The SPL is looking more and more like it is in financial meltdown and we can only wonder how long they can keep the bailiffs from the door. But don’t expect to hear any debate in the Scottish media or amongst those who were most vocal when Rangers hit financial turmoil. No one is asking questions as to how things got so bad – if you listen closely all you can hear is the Silence of the Damned.

Source: http://thisisfutbol.com/2012/09/blogs/is-the-spl-any-straighter-than-craig-whyte

 

[RAB - P]

Rangers 4 Montrose 1

IT MAY not have been the champagne performance with which Ally McCoist would have liked to celebrate his birthday but the Rangers boss will be relieved to end his 50th year with victory.

For large spells his side produced a vastly improved performance from the one that saw them beaten on penalties by Queen of the South five days earlier.

However with the scores tied at the interval there was an air of nervousness that only lifted when Lee McCulloch’s strike added to Dean Shiels’ opener and Lewis Macleod’s first for the club to make it 3-1 on the hour mark.

Gary Wood’s first half equaliser had the 45,081 crowd on edge but a more clinical second half display, rounded off by Robbie Crawford also grabbing his first for the club, left McCoist a happy man.

The visitors might have provided a shock early in the game had the enjoyed a little more fortune.

After cracking the post from a corner in the second minute it took a smart stop from Alexander to smother a chance just a minute later.

The home side seemed to heed the warning and upped their level, enjoying the bulk of the possession.

Dean Shiels had a half chance in the opening ten minutes and should have had another attempt on the 20 minute mark.

Fine work from Lee Wallace on the left hand side saw him roll it in to the path of the Northern Ireland international.

Rather than shoot however, he laid the ball in to the path of McCulloch who screwed his effort wide of the post from the edge of the area.

However the two would combine to far greater effect to earn the breakthrough for McCoist’s side midway through the half.

The skipper won a towering header to flick the ball in to the path of his strike partner and this time Shiels didn’t pass up the opportunity.

He took a couple of touches to set himself and drove the ball low beyond David Crawford in the visitors’ goal.

The lead was short lived however with a sloppy equaliser conceded within six minutes.

Rangers may have complaints about the award of the free kick that led to the goal, but McCoist won’t be overly impressed by how his side defended the set piece.

A wicked delivery from Ricky McIntosh swung towards Alexander’s goal and Gary Wood seemed to get the merest of touches to claim the levelling goal.

A late corner after good work from Wallace on the left almost earned the lead again as Emilson met the set piece, but glanced his header just wide of the post.

McCoist needed more from his team in the second half and he got it in the 15 minutes immediately after the interval.

Barrie McKay almost restored the lead but dragged his shot wide from eight yards with just five minutes of the half played.

It would be another youngster who would make the difference five minutes later when Macleod showed delightful ability to turn in the box and drill low in to the corner for his first senior goal.

The 55th minute also saw another first with the introduction of the latest midfield product of Auchenhowie, Fraser Aird.

The Canadian born Scot had enjoyed the experience of being on the bench in midweek and almost had an immediate impact when he replaced McKay.

His early cross from the left almost found Anestis Argyriou at the back post, but the Greek didn’t commit himself to the delivery, to the frustration of McCoist on the touchline.

The manager’s disappointment would be tempered within minutes however as he saw his side earn a two goal cushion through his captain.

Macleod was again at the heart of the move and would have earned a free kick as he was tripped on the edge of the area, had the ball not broken in to McCulloch’s path.

A simple stab at it was enough to beat Crawford and signal a more comfortable looking final half hour than had been anticipated at the break.

The cushion allowed the introduction of yet another young midfield talent with Crawford replacing Shiels, and he too would notch his first for the club.

It was a brilliantly controlled finish from the 19-year-old, who recently signed a new five year deal at the club, tucking it home from the 12 yards, using the pace in the cross.

 

[surfbum]

PRESSURE last night mounted on the SPL and SFA as the Scottish League revealed they booted OUT calls for Rangers to be stripped of trophies.

A top SFL source confirmed yesterday’s SunSport exclusive that Hampden bosses wanted Rangers stripped of nine trophies.

Our source said: “We were given a first draft of proposed sanctions on June 25 — and we sent it back the same day saying we wanted no part of it.

“That was the unequivocal SFL stance for a very simple reason — in this country you’re innocent until proven guilty.

“At the time we were asked to strip Rangers of their League Cup wins, they hadn’t been charged with a thing.

“When we received the letter on June 25 it hadn’t been discussed in any shape or form. It was simply presented to us and we felt its contents, frankly, were outrageous.

“It smacked of a witchhunt and we said we wouldn’t be party to it.

“Charles Green was quoted during the week as saying the whole process investigating Rangers was ‘fundamentally misconceived’ and we agree with that 100 per cent.

“It’s clear from the documents you have seen that sanctions were being openly discussed before anyone had been found guilty of anything.

“The Sun has now seen that this paperwork exists and the SFA and SPL would do themselves a big favour by forgetting this notion of stripping Rangers of titles.”

The SFL’s hardline stance is bound to put the other two ruling bodies under pressure to explain their reasons for wanting to punish Gers in this way.

The top brass wanted Gers’ owner Green to accept being stripped of nine trophies — five SPL titles and four Scottish Cups — in exchange for the newco having the chance to be parachuted into Division One.

But there was no mention of the six League Cups Rangers won during the spell in question.

Green flatly rejected the offer as Gers have yet to be found guilty of any misuse of EBTs.

An independent commission — appointed by the SPL — will begin a hearing on November 13 regarding the alleged undisclosed payments.

Rangers have already refused to co-operate with the hearing — and Green faces SFA Judicial Panel charges for his comments about the process.

But Lord Nimmo Smith has hit back at critics, insisting the commission he will chair IS fully independent of the SPL.

He said: “It’s fundamental to the constitution of a body with investigatory and disciplinary powers, such as the present commission, that it must act independently of the person or body appointing it.

“None of us would have accepted this appointment on any other basis.”

SFL’s EBT Fury | The Sun |Feeds|Smartphone|Scotland Smartphone

 

[surfbum]

Rangers v Montrose goals

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[RAB - P]

ALLY McCOIST is celebrating his 50th birthday today on the back of a fine home win over Montrose yesterday.

The boss was born on September 24, 1962 and enjoyed a family occasion last night to mark his milestone birthday which was made all the sweeter after the 4-1 victory.

He was presented with a special cake after the game yesterday in his matchday office at Ibrox as you can see from our exclusive photograph.

Fans celebrated the occasion just before kick-off by unfurling a special banner.

McCoist is quite simply a Rangers legend after 15 incredible years as a player, four and a half as assistant to Water Smith and now 15 months as manager.

You can read a full profile on Ally the player HERE.

One man who knows him better than most is long-time friend Ian Durrant who has been so through many triumphs with him and also endured darker days.

He said: “He has been an absolute rock for the club. He was having to deal with so many things that are normally out-with the realms of a football manager.

“But he is made of strong stuff and it has been character-building for him. I think it has only made him more determined to take this club back to the top.

“We have a friendship forged for life. We are involved in a job that we totally love. We are dyed in the wool Rangers fans and hopefully with the right backing we can build this great institution back up to where it belongs.”

Assistant boss Kenny McDowall said: “Anyone that knows Ally will know that he is a very determined character and, above everything else, he is a winner, in fact he’s one of the fiercest competitors I have ever come across.

“Whether it’s playing golf, table tennis or having a kickabout at Murray Park he wants to win and his attitude to management is the same.

“Ally is desperate to bring success back to Rangers and to get the club back where it belongs.”

Skipper Lee McCulloch said: “He has a great personality but he is also a strong character, something you need to have at a club the size of Rangers.

“You don’t score the number of goals and win the amount of medals Ally did as a player without having a constant desire to be successful. He certainly had that as a player and, having worked with him for a number of years now, I know he still has that hunger as a manager.

“It’s great to be working with him and on behalf of all the players I would like to wish him all the best for his 50th.”

 

[surfbum]

The rush to find Rangers guilty hangs upon a technicality which appears not to have been broken. The players were registered, they played in the SPL's highest profile matches, as well as UEFA competitions and international matches for various national bodies.

There has not been one scintilla of evidence to prove the existence of one "dual contract". The most that The Sun, BBC's Mark Daly or anybody has seen, or at least claimed to have seen, is a copy of a few draft letters relating to discretionary EBT payments.

The argument is that if the players were somehow ineligible (due to a technicality which the SPL itself never was never aware of for 10 years), that punishments including the stripping of titles should apply.

However, if the SPL allowed ineligible players to participate for over a decade in the country's highest profile matches, then isn't that the SPL's fault? After even one year of acceptance, they have effectively stated that there was no problem. Any member club would be acting reasonably in assuming, under such circumstances, that everything is OK.

So if the SPL are now telling us that they got it wrong for over a decade, why are the member club being punished, rather than the governing body who were responsible for the alleged oversight?

Furthermore, the release of new information and documents reveal that the SPL/SFA offered Rangers a deal to be "parachuted" into SFL Division 1 if they simply accepted wrongdoing and guilt and accepted the stripping of several titles without any case against them being stated, let alone proven.

It all seems to vindicate Charles Green's description of events as evidence of a "pre-determined agenda" aimed at achieving a highly controversial outcome without any proof. Indeed, it would be hard for any rational person to disagree with Green.

Nonetheless, the media are all very keen to paint Green as somehow trying to dupe the fans by creating a siege mentality, but that seems to completely deny the reality of the situation. The leaked document proves that this was a goal for the SPL/SFA power-brokers. Just as importantly, Green appears to be genuinely angry, rather than peddling some sales spiel to the masses.

Whilst he may make some dramatic statements and even appear to enjoy that, he doesn't appear one to suffer fools gladly and that may be the problem. The fact that the media seem to almost dismiss his apparently wholly valid concerns, perhaps tells us about the pressure journalists and media outlets have been under from certain powerful factions. Green is upsetting the apple cart, so he must be dealt with by dismissing him as somehow not credible. It's an old tactic. If you can't beat your opponents argument, why not tar his name?

Certain media outlets appear to be very "on message" when it comes to dismissing Green's concerns and suggesting that dual contracts may indeed apply. The fact that the SPL easily dismissed Celtic's EBT, without the need for expensive legal teams (who already have a close relationship with the club who would benefit from such action), does raise more concerns regarding the integrity of the "investigation".

The key thing to remember is that if Neil Doncaster turns round and says on the behalf of the SPL, "we got it wrong for over a decade. Your players weren't eligible as they played in all our most high profile matches", is that it would be the SPL's responsibility. It would render most of their period as the "top flight" at best meaningless and at worst an embarrassing farce that rendered a decade of Scottish football null and void.

In essence, any such conclusion that effectively said, "all results over that decade are invalid" would mean that the SPL mis-sold the product. Fans would then be cheated. The possibility of tens of thousands of fans suing the SPL for decades of season tickets to view matches that are now retrospectively rendered invalid has not been mentioned. Again, it must be asked why. Surely the governing body must take responsibility for any such error that they now claim they made over decades. Raising such a question mark against all results over such a long period would surely open up the possibility of Rangers, Celtic and other clubs' fans taking legal action against the SPL and possible even the SFA.

Consult your lawyers now.

 

[surfbum]

Bill Miller offered title stripping sanctions too
According to Hannah on Clyde that Bill Miller was offered the same title stripping sanctions ! Unbelievable ! Also confirms Charles Green has always said no to title stripping sanctions ! SFA / SPL statement should be interesting given Charles position !

 

[surfbum]

'Nuff said.....

 

[surfbum]

Alistair Johnston responds to the SPL commission’s latest statement

on Monday, 24 September 2012. Posted in Latest

In light of the recent statement issued by the SPL citing the terms of reference of the Commission appointed to explore the activities of Rangers Football Club, let me, at the outset, emphasize that I am not concerned about the impartiality of the learned gentlemen who will adjudicate on this matter.

I am, however, more wary as to the directives that have been provided to them by the SPL which in itself is constituted by competitors of the Club who have a vested interest in the outcome of the proceedings.

By convening a Commission composed of eminent members of the legal profession, it is no surprise that formalities are being expounded upon which would make the eyes of the average Rangers stakeholder glaze over. The ponderous tone alternating the focus between “Oldco” and “Newco” are, in my opinion, a distraction from what really matters.

“Rangers” are “Rangers” notwithstanding the legal nuances caused by the application of various bankruptcy laws. The heritage and records of the Club rest with the institution that is “Rangers,” and no amount of self-serving diatribe to the contrary, no matter how relentlessly pursued, can rewrite history.

However, I still remain bothered by the fact that the focus and isolation of Rangers and its adoption of EBT’s conveniently avoids exposing and evaluating a much broader principle embraced by the SPL rules and regulations. If the fundamental issue is a deficiency in furnishing information about overall player compensation, the Commission’s mandate should allow it to investigate and extract testimony under oath as to the utilization by all clubs of the concept of multi-contracts separating wages for playing football from other services. Compensation in a variety of forms whereby players participate financially in the license of their image rights to the club should especially be investigated as “image rights” come in a variety of guises. For example, a player can be given proceeds from the sale of the club top featuring his name, often under a separate negotiation with the kit supplier, or be provided with a car by a sponsor for appearing in an advertisement. Anyone with any knowledge of the process would testify to the fact that agents representing a foreign player joining a club in the UK will usually introduce the possibility of this segregation which is designed to mitigate the income tax liability of his client. The dilemma in these circumstances replicates that of the adoption of EBT’s. If the club files notification of this arrangement to the SPL, then it strongly suggests that it directly relates to signing with the club in order to play football for its team, thereby nullifying to a greater extent the theory behind an “image rights” contract designed to avoid standard taxes. If it doesn’t supply this information to the authorities, it finds itself in the predicament that has befallen Rangers because of its use of EBT’s. The principle is the same.

I also remain apprehensive that the guidance with respect to the penalties that could be applied on Rangers will be imposed on the Commission by vested interests in the SPL. Transparency here is fundamental. Justice must be served, but the punishment must fit the crime. Use of EBT schemes were broadly adopted by a variety of businesses during the era prior to them being specifically outlawed by designated legislation introduced only a couple of years ago. Also, as has been widely reported, Rangers made absolutely no attempt to disguise or deny their adoption, and they were fully disclosed in the annual reports and independently certified financial statements. What is galling, however, is the fact that it was not unusual for representatives of Rangers to openly discuss activation of EBT’s with their opposite numbers at other clubs during the era under investigation. I suspect that the Commission will not pursue this avenue of investigation, but it would be interesting whether or not “selective amnesia” would be exhibited by those Executives/Directors called to testify under oath about their ongoing familiarity with the Rangers scheme. It is ironic to reflect on the fact that the longer they maintained strategic silence on these conversations, the more extensive the number of titles that could be stripped if and when the opportunity arose subsequently to neutralize the successes that were earned by Rangers on the pitch.

At the end of the day, whatever misdemeanor could be validly charged to Rangers, surely it was a breach of procedure, not “cheating” or financial doping. The eminent members of the Commission must ask themselves – what were the real, not fabricated, consequences of Rangers not registering the information on EBT’s directly with the SPL. On the contrary, what actions would have been taken by the SPL at the time if all the detail of the EBTS, the total of which was reported annually in public accounts, had been submitted in a timely form. I genuinely suspect that the compliance officer would have reviewed the documents, ticked the important boxes that dealt with the players status and then routinely filed them for posterity. The Commission hearing this case must consider the real impact of any default. A verdict that Rangers essentially did not in fact adhere to stipulated procedures, does not warrant capital punishment.
Rangers Supporters Trust - The Heart of the Club - Home

 

[surfbum]

Lord help you
Exclusive
By ROGER HANNAH
Published: 28 minutes ago
0
CHARLES GREEN last night admitted he feels sorry that Lord Nimmo Smith has been dragged into the madness of the EBT probe.

Rangers chief Green spoke out after SunSport revealed details of the plot to strip Gers of nine trophies.

Lord Nimmo Smith will front a three-man independent tribunal in November to probe alleged side payments to players.

Green refuses to recognise the hearing, but insists he will fight all the way to keep the honours.

And he’s expressed sympathy for the men who have been drawn into one of the most bitter rows in Scottish football history.

Green said: “We have never questioned the integrity of this panel. But I’m starting to feel sorry for them because they don’t know what they are getting themselves into. They are learned, they have international reputations and everyone knows their areas of expertise.

“But they are being drawn into something that is complete madness.

“If Lord Nimmo Smith can do me a favour, I would like him to get everybody in Scotland to agree whether we are newco or oldco.

“It changes every week to suit someone else’s agenda, so long as it doesn’t suit Rangers’ agenda.”

SunSport published documents which proved the SPL and SFA asked Gers to accept the loss of five titles and four Scottish Cups.

Green added: “I have said all along from day one that I will defend Rangers.

“I said that fans worry about losing their history. I have also said it’s the Rangers players who won these trophies.

“These battle honours have been won by players and they belong to the badge.

“They don’t belong to an owner or a corporate body.

“I believe that is what Lord Nimmo Smith said at the weekend.

“These trophies belong to the fans, the history books and the players who broke legs winning them.

“That is why I believe they should not and cannot be stripped.”

Green insists he is being denied cash owed to Gers as the SFA deem the money to be due to oldco.

But he argues he must be entitled to the money if the SFA argue he can face sanctions for alleged oldco crimes.

He said: “There is no relationship with the SPL and the SFA.

“I’m chief executive of Rangers and have obligations to deal with the SFA.

“As far as the SPL is concerned, I have no regard or respect for them.

“The SFA will be the appeal body in the event that I don’t agree with what Lord Nimmo Smith’s panel say.

“Yet it appears the SFA have the completely contrary view on some issues.

“I am owed £330,000 by UEFA and the SFA have refused to hand it over because they are saying I’m not entitled to it.

“It is money due to Rangers for releasing players to play for their countries.

“Maybe this is another case of Charles Green being stupid. Or is this now a case of ‘Well, it doesn’t suit us’.

“It seems we can have the pain but not the gain.”
Green warns: It’ll get MAD | The Sun |Scottish Sport|Division 3

 

[surfbum]

Boom.

Charles Green Statement

CHARLES GREEN, Rangers' Chief Executive, issued the following statement today:

He said: "Lord Nimmo Smith, chairman of the Commission set up by the SPL, has highlighted an extremely important issue in his recent judgement regarding the Commission.

"Lord Nimmo Smith has said that Rangers FC is a recognisable entity which continued in existence notwithstanding the change in ownership.

"He also stated that Rangers FC, the club, includes its owner and operator. The Commission has in effect ruled that Rangers and its history did not die on 14 June despite numerous reports to the contrary.

"This means that Rangers FC and its owner, i.e. me and my consortium, remained a member of the SPL even after the change of ownership.

"The bemusing part is that no-one at the SPL or SFA appeared to realise that. The SPL made the club (including its owner and operator) reapply to be a member of a league that the Commission says it was in already.

"If the Commission is right then the change of ownership was frankly irrelevant to SPL status. Nevertheless we duly applied and that application was rejected.

"We were also informed by the SFA that Rangers FC had never in its long existence been a member. That really left us scratching our heads because pride of place in the Boardroom at Ibrox is a framed and mounted certificate of membership signed by Jim Farry confirming that "Rangers FC is a full member of the Scottish Football Association".

"So taking the Commission's reasoning and our newly acquired framed membership certificate you would have thought, not unreasonably, that Rangers FC and its owners were in the Scottish Football family.

"You would have thought wrong. No we were told. We needed to apply for oldco's membership! The SFA didn't officially recognise Lord Nimmo Smith's recognisable entity.

"That recognisable entity, Rangers FC, then re-appeared suddenly when the SFA demanded that we pay oldco's debts despite there being no legal obligation to do so.

"The SPL then wanted Rangers FC and its new owners to admit guilt in relation to EBT breaches that had never been framed and accept five stripped titles.

"Rangers FC suddenly vanished again when UEFA informed the SFA that Rangers FC were due in excess of 300,000 euros for player participation in the Euro 2012 qualifiers, the SFA have refused to confirm that the monies are due to Rangers FC despite obligations placed on them from UEFA that these monies should be distributed to member clubs.

"If the Commission is correct about this recognisable entity then the SPL and SFA must be wrong in making that entity apply to join bodies it was already in.

"Maybe they should both appoint Lord Nimmo Smith to form a Commission to investigate and tell them who their member is.

"In our view the Commission chaired by Lord Nimmo Smith has been placed in an invidious position by the SPL.

"The establishment of the Commission is the most striking example of the chaotic way the fate of Rangers has been handled by the football authorities.

"As we stated previously, it is impossible for us as a club to participate in a process we firmly believe is fundamentally misconceived.

"We believe that most people would not think it right that a football authority that was willing to horse-trade league titles and cups for league status, should then embark on the course of action it has chosen in setting up a Commission. There is no clearer case of moving the goalposts."

 

[surfbum]

Rangers were still a member club of the SPL / SFA ... and therefore did not have to re-apply. that means the contracts for all the players who left were not null & void. Someone is going to have to pay for the millions lost in revenue from TV rights, player transfer fees, etc.

 

[phezo]

lets hope these bar stewards get found out for the bigots they are. i bet peter awful is stirring it behind the scenes.

 

[surfbum]

Heartfelt thanks to Celtic & The Green Brigade
It would be considerably remiss of me, in what has been a remarkable week, not to mention the considerable support for our club from Celtic FC and their fans, in particular The Green Brigade, by way of their zombie related banners.

A zombie of course by definition is undead or not dead depending on your preference.

Considering some have depicted the Green Brigade as the hardcore element of the Celtic support, only adds to my appreciation. That they have taken the time for such a public display of solidarity with the Rangers support is quite simply staggering.

Their banner which depicts Rangers as zombies, and thus not dead, finally puts to bed once and for all any accusation that our clubs history and heritage has died. In fact I’ve been so impressed with it it may well be the basis for a future article “Rangers – the club who would not die” so on a personal note I must thank them for their inspiration.

But I would not be doing our friends in the Green Brigade justice if I was to stop there. For the banner depicts a lone gunman, which I presume is Stewart Regan, forlornly trying to kill of these zombies to no avail. How good of them to acknowledge that despite the best attempts of the SFA Rangers will not die.

But it would even more remiss of me not to mention the contribution of Celtic FC and their stewards with regard to these banners. For not only did they ensure that these banners were displayed on more than one occasion they allowed them to remain on display. To such an extent in fact that they have incurred the wrath of the SFA. What an honourable sacrifice.

But special mention must be reserved for the Parkhead stewards, whose syncronised turning of the backs as the banner was unfurled was quite simply drilling of the highest order. I’m sure they wont be offended if I say such a synchronised display of drill was on a par with anything I have seen from the best Royal Marines or Guards drill squads. In fact it would come as no surprise to me if an invitation to the Edinburgh Military tattoo was not forthcoming.

But the support from our friends in the east does not end there. For a further banner demanded “Justice for zombies”. Even the supporters of our greatest sporting rivals are acknowledging that there is a lack of fairness and balance by those in authority towards our club. Amazing.

But it would appear this may not be the end of it. For the plethora of empty seats at Parkhead last night perhaps suggests some are busy making further banners.

In these difficult times for us as Rangers supporters it is particularly heart warming that rather than support your own team you would spend your time making banners displaying your support for ours.

My sincere thanks to all who have shown their support for our club by way of these banners.

 

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Fair play to Rangers tonight. Beating Motherwell 2-0 must be a double boost for them. Must have been a long time ago since Motherwell were favourites in a game against Rangers.

 

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Rangers(wee diddy team) 2 Motherwell(SPL leaders) 0

THIS might not have been an SPL fixture, nor was it a game which determines anything will be won this season, but for Rangers fans it was about just one thing: retribution.

Ibrox has been the stage for many memorable nights over the years as the likes of Juventus, Bayern Munich, Parma, Borussia Dortmund and PSV Eindhoven have come to town and lost.

Beating Motherwell in the third round of the League Cup certainly doesn’t fall into the same bracket by any stretch of the imagination.

But after a summer of pain which saw the Light Blues voted out of the SPL by all member clubs bar one, this victory was one home fans enjoyed every bit as much.

It might have come at a cost, with both Fran Sandaza and Dean Shiels coming off nursing head and groin injuries respectively.

Nevertheless, it was an evening when Ally McCoist’s team truly got its season underway with an enthralling performance that gripped supporters from the first minute to the last.

Seasoned professionals such as Neil Alexander, Lee Wallace and Lee McCulloch revelled against the standard of players they’ll feel they should be coming up against every week.

Emilson Cribari also shone like a beacon in central defence as he finally settles into life in Glasgow at last.

But perhaps most pleasing of all was that the result was achieved with no less than six players who have sampled youth football at Murray Park in the last three years.

Ross Perry was a rock at the back, Kyle Hutton enforced in the engine room and Lewis Macleod showed the maturity of someone 10 years his elder.

Full debutant Fraser Aird also made his mark, while substitutes Robbie Crawford and Barrie McKay each helped see their team over the line.

To a man, Rangers were excellent against a side many fancied to overwhelm them given their position at the head of the top flight standings.

Instead, having arrived in Govan unbeaten domestically and ahead of Celtic in the league, Well left with their tail between their legs after being humbled by the rampant hosts.

Rangers is a club which was on its knees not so long ago – and this 90 minutes proved it is rising to its feet once again with vigour, confidence and even a hint of a swagger.

Hurt by the way others have battered them in the last few months, they took it out on the country’s form team with such a dominant showing.

The Light Blues still might not win this competition but they’ve demonstrated how capable they are as the club’s rebirth in the SFL keeps gathering pace.

Having struggled to start with any sort of purpose in the majority of their league games so far, Gers came flying out of the traps in this fixture.

With Aird deployed on the left, him and Shiels set a great tone in the opening seconds by winning crucial challenges and almost setting up Sandaza.

That positive attitude spurred on a sizable crowd which, it later transpired, was larger than the attendances at all six of yesterday’s last-16 ties combined.

And with most of the 29,413 people present giving very vocal backing to the hosts, there were plenty of motivating factors driving Gers on.

As SPL leaders, it wasn’t a great surprise to see Well come back and Tom Hateley had a go from long range but it was well held by Alexander.

McCoist’s men gave as good as they got in the opening exchanges and while the visitors looked threatening when they came upfield, so too did the Light Blues.

A smart Shiels free kick after he was fouled by the consequently-booked Steven Hammell found McCulloch, who never connected properly and dinked the ball over.

Sandaza also had a header deflected over the bar after a pinpoint first-time cross from Anestis Argyriou on the right.

In clashing heads with defender Shaun Hutchinson in that attack, Sandaza’s night came to a premature end and he was replaced by Hutton.

McCulloch moved up front and the pause in play nipped the momentum Rangers had been building in the bud a little.

But they quickly lifted the tempo again and a fine flowing move involving Aird then Shiels down the left deserved better than the captain’s shot rolling straight to Darren Randolph.

Back came Well again in an entertaining first half, with Nicky Law’s pacy effort ripping just past Alexander’s far post.

It was a really open match and the opener could have gone either way and a quick free kick after a foul by Macleod gave the Steelmen a chance to get it on the break.

With home fans screaming for offside, linesman Graham Chambers allowed play to continue and two attackers were suddenly in on Alexander.

But while Michael Higdon got to the ball first, the keeper stuck a leg out and diverted away for a throw when it seemed a goal was on.

It seemed a shame when half-time brought play a close, such was the hunger to succeed shown by both teams.

But just four minutes after the restart, Ibrox erupted into life once again as Rangers took a lead they richly deserved through talisman McCulloch.

Shiels had done ever so well to win a corner in the home team’s first real attack of the second period.

And after Aird took it, the Northern Ireland international picked out the attacker who bulleted his 11th goal of the campaign home with a stunning header.

What was good got even better four minutes later as provider Shiels turned scorer himself and he doubled the advantage.

This time Argyriou was the man who set him up, clipping back for the former Kilmarnock forward to steer home on the turn.

Leading 2-0, Rangers had a lead they richly deserved and it was always expected Motherwell would come back at them.

But while they had chances, they weren’t really clear cut and it was the Third Division team that only looked like adding more goals.

Hutton’s drive screwed just past the post and Aird’s jinking run was eventually ended by a good stop from Randolph.

Substitute McKay also had chances, as did McCulloch, to put more gloss on a fine evening’s work.

The fact they didn’t mattered not. The damage had been done, Rangers had made their point and they charge on into the quarter-finals.

RANGERS: Alexander; Faure, Perry, Cribari, Wallace; Argyriou, McCulloch, Macleod, Aird (McKay 81); Shiels (Crawford 76), Sandaza (Hutton 24).

SUBS: Gallacher, Stella.

GOALS: McCulloch 50, Shiels 54.

BOOKED: McCulloch.

MOTHERWELL: Randolph; Kerr, Cummins, Hutchinson; Hammell (Francis-Angol 66); Humphrey (Daley 76), Hateley (Ramsden 64), Lasley, Law; Ojamaa, Higdon.

SUBS: Hollis, Murphy.

BOOKED: Hammell, Daley.

REFEREE: Calum Murray.

ATTENDANCE: 29,413.

 

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BBC Sport - Highlights - Rangers 2-0 Motherwell