Rangers News

  • Alles über die Suspendierung unserer Spieler aus der Schottischen Nationallmannschaft und die Folgen.

  • David Murray go now pt1
    Written by Bouncy
    Tuesday, 07 April 2009


    I'm sure when David Murray entered into Rangers FC on the 23rd of November 1988 as, in his words, “custodian of the club” we all thought he would lead us into an even bigger era, which was already being defined by Lawrence Marlborough and David Holmes, and he did, at first.


    The latter two brought in Graeme Souness as player manager from Sampdoria in April 1986 for £300,000. From that time on Rangers were to become the club we always should be under his stewardship.


    We won the league in season 1986/1987, for the first time since 1977/1978, along with the league cup, thanks to signings such as Terry Butcher, Chris Woods, and both England internationals. The 'Rangers Revolution' or the 'Souness Revolution' had begun, all thanks to the forward thinking of Lawrence Marlborough but mainly David Holmes.


    Back to 1988 and after a failed bid to buy the team he 'supported' as a boy, Ayr Utd, David Murray buys Rangers FC, for a bargain £6 million. What he was buying was an institution, a club already on the up, a club back where it belonged, at the top of the Scottish game.


    During the first ten years we saw unprecedented success and spending. Rangers put a third tier on the main stand and increased the capacity by 7,300. We were buying the likes of Basile Boli, Brian Laudrup, Paul Gascoigne, Alexi Mikhailichenko, Oleg Kuznetsov (but for injury surely would have been a great), Trevor Steven, Mark Hateley and Jorg Albertz to name but a few.


    We were the biggest club in Britain, on and off the field. We got to nine in a row, easily it has to be said, they were hardly challenging were they, and the only real challenge came from Aberdeen, ONCE, when Hateley scored 2 goals, on the final day, to win the league for us in 1990/1991.


    Ten in a row was not to be, although in my opinion if we had kept Paul Gascoigne we would have won the league that year, instead we sold him in March 1998. That decision, whoever made it, was the catalyst 'they' needed to make a comeback.


    In April 1998 ENIC, formerly the English National Investment Company, 49% of which is owned by billionaire Joe Lewis, bought a 20.2% stake in Rangers FC for £18.9 million.
    Good times would keep on coming it would seem, maybe they knew who was coming in as manager, and maybe they saw it as a way of making some money when they eventually sold the shares at some point in the future, who knows.


    The end of the 1997/1998 season saw Dick Advocaat come in as manager and money go out the door at alarming rates.


    1. Andrei Kanchelskis (£5.5 million – Fiorentina)
    2. Giovanni van Bronckhorst (£5 million – Feyenoord)
    3. Artur Numan (£4.5 million – PSV)
    4. Gabriel Amato (£4.2 million – Mallorca)
    5. Colin Hendry (£4 million – Blackburn)
    6. Stephane Guivarc'h (£3.5 million - Newcastle)
    7. Daniel Prodan (£2.2 million – Atletico Madrid)
    8. Neil McCann (£2 million – Hearts)
    9. Claudio Reyna (£2 million - Wolfsburg)
    10. Lionel Charbonnier (£1.2 million – Auxerre)
    11. Stefan Klos (£750,000 – Dortmund)
    12. Lee Feeney (£100,000 – Linfield)
    TOTAL SPENT = £34,950,000
    £35 million spent and only £6.75 million received during ONE season alone with a £29 million deficit.


    At the end of Advocaat's first season and during a party in the Edmiston suite after winning the Scottish Cup and hence the treble, a video was banded around all the Scottish mhedia with Vice Chairman Donald Findlay singing The Billy Boys. Fair enough he was caught singing what he shouldn't have been singing but the mhedia witch hunt that continued until he 'resigned' on Monday June 31st 1999 was beyond belief, Murray never said much and it was actually left to an ex Celtic director to stand up for Findlay.


    On Tuesday 17th August 1999 Michael Kelly an ex Celtic Director stood up for Findlay:-
    "I know Donald and he's not a bigot," Mr Kelly told the Celtic magazine, Celtic View. Mr Kelly added: "The story was that if you sing a sectarian song you are a bigot. "I defend Donald - just because you sing a sectarian song does not mean you are a bigot.”


    Also in an interview on the BBC website on Wednesday 18th August 1999 Glasgow University's Dr Bert Moorhouse, an expert on the subject of sectarianism.


    He said: "Whether the teams like it or not these traditional songs are part of the history of the club. "They don't, however, reflect the reality of living in Scotland where society is not divided on religious grounds. "Catholics and Protestants work together, live together, are even married to one another without it being an issue. "Yet these are the same people who sing these terrace songs."


    Murray should have been stronger, I say stronger, he never uttered a word did he, in defending HIS vice chairman from the mhedia hordes and MOPE backlash that happened. More backbone was required from Murray over this; unfortunately he had shown nothing more than disdain to a man who truly loved Rangers FC and all it stood for.


    Funny thing is a few years later the name Findlay would pop up being linked with sectarianism, this time though, Jeannette had no mhedia witch hunt to contend with and she stayed in her job, both at Glasgow University and as Secretary of the CSC, how very odd!!


    To offset some of the transfers of the previous three seasons, £54.8 million, and bank borrowings, £48 million, Rangers announced a share issue to try and raise £53 million of investment. Life long Rangers fan Dave King was to invest £20 million of his own money, through Ben Nevis holdings and David Murray's, Murray Sports, were to invest another £12.3 million taking the total to £32.3 million, just where would we get the rest of the money as you could not buy Rangers shares in the stock market because they were not available at that time??


    The fact is I cannot remember a share issue being available to the fans at this time, maybe it’s just my memory giving up, maybe this share issue eluded all fans at this time or maybe it was more smoke and mirrors released by the house of Murray!!


    One thing is for sure Dave King did put £20 million into Rangers FC, was it stupidity or was he up to something else?? In 2004 King was arrested in South Africa and his passports removed from him, for tax evasion, £167 million worth of taxes were being claimed by the SARS (South African Revenue Service). At the time of writing this article, 1st April 2009, this court case is still going on in South Africa.


    The 4th of July 2001 saw the opening of Murray Park at a cost of £14 million, combine this with the transfer fees (Since Dick Advocaat became manager) it adds up to a tidy £84.7 million going out (Well if you discount the £250,000 help from the lottery funding towards the building of MP then it's £84.45 million).


    The income from the BBC, who had TV rights at the time (£16 million over 2 years), STV had the highlights package, season ticket sales, and European night’s income, also any packages sold with catering etc!! Then surely we had nothing to fear, we had the ENIC money, the share issue money and Dave King's money it's all good is it not??


    The start of season 2001/2002 was the start of the decline of the house of Mint.
    We saw the likes of Gio leave for Arsenal, Albertz left for HSV, Reyna went to Sunderland and a host of others were released or given free transfers. Was something wrong at Ibrox?? You bet your backside there was.


    In July 2002 John McClelland was announced as Rangers chairman (You know, the one where you can actually just be positioned there like a puppet) and Murray moved 'over' to become honorary chairman. Here comes the part of Murray's reign which disgusts me most. After installing McClelland as chairman we announce a debt of £62 million and rising, eventually this would reach a peak of almost £74 million.


    Murray, who took all the glory for fifteen years, had found a fall guy to take the flak; he knew what was coming and let someone else take the fall for it, which in my eyes, is unforgivable and unbecoming of any 'custodian' no matter who they are.


    Just to give our chairmanship away as if it was some prize to be won is unacceptable and shows the regard he has for our club and John McClelland as a man. Added to this the capitulation over the 'tangerine' away top, in which the mhedia and particularly the MOPES complained that it was 'sectarian', no you read right, it was, in their eyes 'sectarian'.


    In fact here's what the one sided NBM had to say about it "This is a step in the right direction. The orange strip has been seen by many as contradictory of the good work done by Rangers in recent times against sectarianism."
    You just could not make this up, yet Murray and all inside Ibrox decided that they were right and the 300,000 Rangers fans who bought the strip were all wrong, and therefore sectarian. Because of the outcry it was removed from production by the end of the 2002/2003 season without as much as a whimper.


    Well here we go; the next few seasons would see us scrape the barrel in terms of signings and the smoke and mirrors routine would be brought out all too often. Nuno Capucho, you must remember him, was our ‘big’ summer signing at £670,000 from European Cup winners FC Porto. Gavin Rae came next from Dundee for £250,000 and the striking ‘sensation’ Bajram Fetai for £200,000 from B93, I suppose we did sign Frank de Boer but the rest were all rather poor (Ostenstad anyone) considering who we were.


    Part 2 to follow on Murray's disasterous and cowardly chairmanship at Rangers.


    VGB

    :rfc: Simply a Bear :rfc:


  • David Murray go now pt2

    Written by Bouncy
    Tuesday, 07 April 2009


    Balancing the books was the order of the day and no less than five months after
    signing a new contract Barry Ferguson was sold to Blackburn for £7.5
    million, Amoruso and McCann went for £1.5 million each to Blackburn and
    Southampton respectively.


    A whole host of others were released including Numan (retired), after we, meaning Bain, buggered up the contract offer to him, Konterman, Caniggia, Bonnissel, Muscat and
    Ostenstad all left along with some youth players.


    I don’t know about anyone else, but I think we deserve
    an answer as to where the money that came in from King, ENIC, Season
    ticket sales, Azure (Who had taken over catering at Ibrox in 2000 and
    were part owned by Murray himself) were paying ‘Rangers’ £2.8 million a
    season for the privilege.


    Super Duper Stadium and Casino


    Despite being riddled with debts of £68 million and rising we announce plans
    for a super duper stadium and casino, 23rd March 2004 to be exact,
    encompassing the surrounding area and even though US based Las Vegas
    Sands Inc would stump up £80 million of the £120 million, that still
    left Rangers to find £40 million worth of investment to get this up and
    running.


    The bluster coming from Rangers in times when they
    should be concentrating on saving money was laughable and embarrassing;
    the sad thing is most of the Rangers fans took it as read that this
    would be happening, when quite clearly it never stood a chance of
    getting off the ground.


    He’s the Saviour You Know??


    On the 27th August 2004 it was announced that David Murray would be
    returning to Rangers as chairman after he bought out the 20.2% stake
    ENIC had in Rangers for £8.7 million, taking his shareholding to 86%.
    On the 6th of October 2004 , our debt reaching £73.9 million, good
    times were promised by Murray after receiving backing for a £57 million
    rights share issue of which MHL would underwrite £50 million.


    How very nice of him to realise it was him that took us down the path we
    were on. I wasn’t holding out too much hope though, after all can a
    leopard change its spots??


    “Financial stability is the big priority”
    “But, when the good times come back, they will be better than in the past.”
    “The level of debt is my responsibility.”
    “I decided I had to sort it out in the middle of the summer.”
    "The debt will be more or less eradicated in 12 months through new investment, the rights issue and new initiatives.”


    With regards to Celtic announcing a new £25 million five year deal with
    sportswear giants Nike, he responded with his usual bluster.


    “We are already making between £5m and £7m from our own retail division and targeting £10m" he said. “We now produce our strips directly so we have cut out the middle man. We are market leaders in sportswear in this country.”


    I remember those ghastly strips Mr Murray; they were, quite frankly awful
    and for us to be using a company like Diadora shows how low we had
    dropped in terms of shirt sponsors. Anyway back to the debt solution of
    Chairman Murray, part of the deal saw Rangers enter into an agreement
    with the Bank of Scotland where they would provide Rangers with £15
    million on a revolving credit basis to finance on-going working capital
    requirements.


    A further £22 million would be lent by the bank on a fixed term basis to re-finance part of the debt. This would come back and bite Murray and Rangers square in the bahookie.


    £51.4 million was raised from the above share issue and the debt was down to a manageable £23.1 million and we also reported a profit of £12.4
    million, before tax, on ordinary activities. Mainly due to buying back
    shares in the clubs subsidiary company Rangers Media Investments Ltd,
    bought for £15 million in 2000 and bought back for £1, that’s ONE
    POUND. Now we know where the other shares went, its all Rangers. So the
    man who got Rangers into trouble is getting us out of trouble it seems!!


    Just when it seemed all was going fine at Ibrox Campbell Ogilvie, the man
    behind the UEFA Champions League, was axed as part of a ‘boardroom
    reshuffle’, the word on the street is, it was a certain Martin Bain who
    did not like the opposition to himself when he was appointed chief
    executive in February 2005, not bad for a former catalogue model if you
    ask me. That’s another true Rangers man out of the picture.
    2006 and it all kicks off



    March 2006 is when the year, apparently, get’s off to a great start. Rangers
    announce a 10 year £48 million deal with sports retailer JJB; we
    receive an initial payment of £18 million on June 7th, when Umbro
    (Jesus) unveil our latest home kit for the 2006/2007 season, an annual
    payment of £3 million for the next ten years and they would also take
    over The Rangers Superstores with a loss, in the region of 250+ jobs,
    not much of a Rangers family is it??


    If we move on a few months to June it would all go very much downhill from there?


    Paul Le Guen was announced as the new Rangers manager by David Murray after
    being courted by some of the top clubs in Europe for over a year since
    leaving Lyon, almost everyone agreed that he was the correct choice as
    the new manager. How things turned out is nothing short of a scandal
    and he is bitter about his time in charge, not at the fans but at David
    Murray.


    June 10th


    After singing TBB in Villarreal on February 22nd 2006, Rangers and their fans
    were reported to UEFA for singing a discriminatory song. We were fined
    £13,300, ON APPEAL and told NEVER to sing the song again, ‘apparently’,
    I say apparently because not one single person at Rangers has confirmed
    that the song has ever been banned.


    Murray and Co: took the UEFA
    ruling without batting an eyelid and even added more fuel to the fire
    “It is absolutely clear to all concerned that all supporters need to
    commit to silencing the minority.”


    UEFA said this about TBB on April 13th 2006:


    Not guilty


    The body declared the Rangers fans not guilty of alleged discriminatory
    chants at both legs of the tie, which Villarreal won on the away-goals
    rule after the two sides had finished 3-3 on aggregate. The body’s
    decision can be appealed against within three days.


    Social problem


    In examining the alleged discriminatory chants, the Control &
    Disciplinary Body admitted that the nature of the song concerned –
    “Billy Boys” - related to a social problem in Scotland. The body also
    believed that the disciplinary decision in this case had to be taken in
    the context of Scotland’s social and historical background.


    Studied evidence


    After studying the evidence at hand as well as the statement of Rangers FC,
    the Control & Disciplinary Body conceded that supporters have been
    singing the song "Billy Boys" for years during national and
    international matches without either the Scottish football or
    governmental authorities being able to intervene. The result is that
    this song is now somehow tolerated.


    Social and historical context


    Given this social and historical context, the Control & Disciplinary Body
    said it considered that UEFA cannot demand an end to behaviour which
    has been tolerated for years. In view of the above, the Control &
    Disciplinary Body ruled that, despite the behaviour of its supporters,
    Rangers FC had not infringed Article 5 of the UEFA Disciplinary
    Regulations (click here) and cannot be punished according to Article 6.
    This was appealed due to someone from the outside not happy with the outcome.


    UEFA website 24th May 2006:


    UEFA's Appeals Body has today partially upheld the appeal made against the
    Control and Disciplinary Body's decision concerning Scottish club
    Rangers FC and their UEFA Champions League first knockout round tie
    against Villarreal CF


    VGB

    :rfc: Simply a Bear :rfc:

  • Bougherra reveals Old Firm fears


    Rangers defender Madjid Bougherra has revealed his shock at discovering he could miss the final Old Firm derby of the season


    The centre-half, 26, is desperate for the
    Scottish Premier League not to schedule next month's clash with Celtic
    on the weekend of May 2-3 as he is banned from playing then.


    SPL clubs play their final matches before the division splits
    in half this weekend, and the SPL will then decide the make-up of each
    side's last five fixtures of the season.


    It appears likely summer signing Bougherra - who has already missed two derbies this season through injury - will get his wish.


    Reports today claim police do not want the Glasgow giants to meet on the May bank holiday weekend.


    Bougherra earned himself a one-match ban after picking up a yellow card in last Wednesday's victory at St Mirren.


    He told his club's official website: "After the St Mirren game,
    I did not know how many yellow cards I had, but after the match I was
    concerned.


    "I do not know why it takes two weeks for a suspension to kick
    in but when I found out it could be against Celtic, I could not believe
    it.


    "I went to my house and said to my family that I could miss Celtic and they could not believe it either."


    Rangers have lost both derbies Bougherra has missed this season, including last month's Co-operative Insurance Cup final.


    The two Old Firm clashes he has played have yielded a win and a draw.


    He said: "Missing the Co-operative Insurance Cup final last month was a big blow for me.


    "I waited for this final for a long time but, unfortunately, being injured is part of football.


    "I was in the stadium with my family and it was the second time
    they have come to see me play against Celtic and I haven't played.


    "When I saw the team after the game I was so disappointed I could not have helped them."


    The SPL have been left with a real headache over when to schedule the post-split derby.


    They have previously vowed to ensure it is not a potential title
    decider for safety reasons, but the weekend of May 2-3 is the only date
    they could guarantee it would not be.


    If Celtic were to win their next two fixtures and Rangers were
    to lose both of theirs, the Hoops could clinch the championship at
    Ibrox on May 9-10 or at any stage after that.



    [TeamTalk]

  • SFA: Ban remains on Gers duo


    The SFA will not change their decision to ban Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor for life despite the duo being handed a lifeline at Ibrox.


    Rangers pair Ferguson and McGregor were banished from international football after the furore surrounding their late-night drinking session following the World Cup qualifying defeat in Holland last month.


    The pair did nothing to help their situation by appearing to make gestures as they sat on the bench against Iceland at Hampden three days later.


    Smith stripped Ferguson of his Rangers captaincy and suspended both players for a fortnight but made it clear, in an off-the-record briefing to a select number of newspapers, that their days at Ibrox were over.


    However, in a surprise move, the Light Blues' boss has welcomed both players back in to the fold after hitting out at the SFA for their handling of the drinking incident which involved four other Scotland players.


    Smith said: "I did say in an off-the-record briefing to journalists that they would not play for the club again.


    "Since then I have had a think about it and I have looked at the way it has been handled by the SFA.


    "The president (George Peat) said the issue, the original problem, was not handled properly, then (Scotland manager) George Burley said it had not been handled properly.


    "So I ask myself: if the SFA admit they did not handle it properly, am I being harsh?


    "There were six players involved and two end up getting the majority of the blame.


    "The SFA have started a new trend in criminality - if you leave the scene of a crime early, you are not guilty.


    "If people in charge are saying it was not handled well, then I feel I have got to give them some leeway.


    "I have the right to change my mind but what I am doing is making them available for selection again, not saying they will play."


    There will be pressure on the governing body to re-examine their decision - which many believe was draconian.


    But an SFA spokesman said: "The SFA board considered the matter last week.


    "We now consider it closed."


    [teamtalk]

  • Faire Geste vom Walter. Natürlich hat er auch im Kopf das er Sie noch brauen kann im Endspurt der Saison, wenn es mit den Verletzungen hart auf hart so weitergeht.

  • Sie haben ihre Strafe erhalten und gut ist. Dass der korrupte Haufen SFA an seiner Entscheidung festhält wundert dagegen nicht wirklich.

    :rfc: Simply a Bear :rfc:

  • [...]He pointed out: “I would hope that people will realise that as a club we have handled the situation as well as we possibly can, especially when you consider we didn’t take into account the footballing aspect of things.


    “We had a high level of injuries and two players who’ve featured for us every week.


    “But we had to leave them out because of a situation that occurred outwith their own football club.


    “I stress that they are available for selection. That does NOT mean they will play.”


    TheScottishSun...

  • Typisch britische Zeitungen! Immer die sachen ins extreme ziehen! Zuerst gleich von Karriereende bei Rangers reden nur um 2 wochen später eine sensationelle rückkehr anzukündigen :muede:

    Rangers FC - Scottish Premier League - Champions 2008/09

  • Pedro Mendes is stunned that his Rangers team-mate Kris Boyd is not in the running for the PFA Scotland Player of the Year. (Various)

    :rfc: Simply a Bear :rfc:

  • Give Them A Chance


    PLAYERS' Union boss Fraser Wishart has called on the SFA to let Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor say 'sorry' and win back their Scotland careers.


    The PFA Scotland chief executive believes the Rangers players should be allowed to explain their side of the story following their indiscretions while on international duty.


    On Wednesday Walter Smith announced that he would consider the pair for selection for Rangers and indicated there were flaws in the way the SFA had acted.


    Wishart shares Smith's feeling that the SFA's sanctions are too strong and he hopes to arrange discussions between the pair, Scotland manager George Burley and the SFA.


    He said: "I think it's something we need to discuss with the SFA. I don't think anyone is particularly clear as to what the actual sanction from the SFA is.


    "I think the players were due the courtesy of being allowed to give their side of the story and sit and talk with George Burley, George Peat and Gordon Smith and explain what went on and apologise for their actions.


    "The players can do no more - they have admitted what they did was wrong and apologised unreservedly.


    "Once they get back in the Rangers fold, I think they may want to ask one or two more questions."


    "The main thing for them is that their Rangers careers are back on track. I do think in Scotland
    we should be a bit bigger than to continue to beat these guys with a stick.


    "The matter with the SFA is something I'm sure I'll discuss with Allan and Barry in the coming weeks but at the moment we've not discussed it in any detail.


    "I think if you asked the two of them to sit down with the SFA and George Burley in particular, because in the end who plays and doesn't play should be down to the manager.


    "I think that opportunity may come in the future but at the moment there are no plans in place.


    "We don't need to do this with any haste. That's something I said at the time, there was no need for the haste with the decision form the SFA.


    "I think it could have been handled in a way where you wait for the furore to die down and the players are given their opportunity to put the side of the story. There is no game coming up for Scotland and this is time to take stock."


    [RW]

  • Die SFA kann sich bei der Sache eigentlich nur lächerlich machen, ob Sie die lifetime ban nun zurückzieht oder nicht.

  • Split Fixtures Tomorrow


    RANGERS will have three home fixtures after the split but the SPL will not announce the full list until after the clash with Hibs at Easter Road. Hibs have clinched their place in the top six without kicking a ball as Motherwell crashed 2-0 at home to St Mirren today. They were one point ahead of Mark McGhee's team and the victory for Gus Macpherson's side consigns Well to the bottom six and therfore no chance of European football. So in the remaining five matches Rangers will face Aberdeen, Celtic, Dundee United, Hearts and Hibs. The Old Firm game has already been scheduled for May 9 but it remains to be seen when and where Rangers will play the other sides. The SPL has to endeavour to make sure that each of the 12 sides in the division play 19 home games and they have confirmed that Rangers will have three post-split home matches.


    Rangers FC

  • Ich kann mit fast allem leben, aber ich will einmal nicht am letzten Spieltag bei den Sheeps ran.....

    Wird sicher ein Heimspiel & Diamond fällt für den Rest der Saison aus :knueppel:

    Rangers FC - Scottish Premier League - Champions 2008/09

  • McCoist: We must get on with it


    Rangers assistant boss Ally McCoist insists moaning about the Scottish Premier League's post-split fixtures is a pointless exercise.


    A number of clubs have complained about their lot since the final five fixtures of the season were announced on Sunday, including the Ibrox club's arch rivals Celtic.


    The Hoops have demanded an explanation as to why Rangers will end up playing three home games against Hearts when a trip to Tynecastle would have provided a much stiffer test.


    But McCoist said: "The split is what it is and you can mump and moan about things all you like. You just have to take your chances with it when you get them.


    "Everyone plays against each other once when the top six break away and you need to get on with it. Sometimes it works for you and sometimes it doesn't.


    "People will always find something to complain about but I'm certainly not doing it. We're happy with how the last five matches have worked out.


    "The SPL do their best to accommodate everybody and, while we'd rather play our last game at home, we haven't got that. That's fine and we'll just see what that brings us.


    "All of our matches will be tough, no matter where they are played, so we'll just roll our sleeves up, get on with the task in hand and hope that we win the league in the end.


    "We are going to have to do it the hard way by going to Easter Road and Tannadice and having to beat Aberdeen, Hearts and Celtic at home.


    "But you must earn the championship.


    "If we want to win the title, we'll have to show what we are made of. That'll be the case whenever we have to go and whoever we play and we've no qualms with how the fixtures have panned out."


    The SPL's primary concern when the post-split fixtures are compiled is ensuring each club ends up playing 19 home and away matches during the campaign.


    Instead of a second trip to Tynecastle, where they lost in November, Rangers will instead visit Hibernian for a third time.


    They have won both games at Easter Road so far this term but McCoist is adamant his side have not been handed an easy ride.


    He said: "Easter Road is a heck of a place to go for a third time. I remember going there as a player myself and we had some real tussles and right battles at the ground.


    "It's the same now when I go there as the assistant manager.


    "Sure, it's a good place to go and play football because they've got a fantastic surface there, but they make things very difficult for you too."


    TT

    :rfc: Simply a Bear :rfc:

  • Club and Fans Assemble Together


    RANGERS Chief Executive Martin Bain and Manager Walter Smith joined members of the Rangers Assembly at Murray Park last night for the fans' quarterly Assembly meeting.


    The Assembly was well represented with members of the Worldwide Alliance - including delegates from Northern Ireland, England and Scotland, the Rangers Supporters Association, Rangers Blind Party, Rangers Disabled Club and Rangers Trust - and they enjoyed a positive and productive get-together with the Chief Executive, Manager and staff.


    A wide range of topics were covered as supporters took the opportunity to put their points across and a worthwhile debate took place.


    Assembly President Andy Kerr reiterated the supporters desire to get behind the team for the remainder of the season, particularly in the Club's SPL games at Ibrox.


    In order to boost the atmosphere at Ibrox on matchdays, the Club welcomed a supporters' initiative and is encouraging fans to take up the mechanism already in place allowing them to move seats next to the signing section in the Broomloan Front Stand.


    Season ticket holders wishing to do so for the forthcoming Hearts and Aberdeen games should call 0871 702 1972 before Saturday 25 April.


    Walter highlighted the importance of the fans at this crucial stage of the campaign and the key role they can play as the team works towards SPL and Scottish Cup success.


    Off the pitch, the Assembly enquired about season ticket strategy and overall ticket pricing.


    Martin Bain confirmed the Club is continuing its strategy of affordable pricing and added value benefits for fans. Season Ticket prices are frozen for the third successive season and juveniles are continuing to benefit from the third off discount which was introduced last year.


    The Season Ticket price - which has always been quoted inclusive of VAT - has been frozen, giving a slight financial benefit to the Club with no increase to the fans.


    Further discussions took place on the allocation of away tickets for supporters clubs which the Assembly and the Club have been working on through regular working group meetings. A new policy has now been agreed and will be in place for next season which should result in a fairer allocation for all concerned.


    Other topics covered last night included the Club's new home kit and how Rangers could work with supporters clubs in Northern Ireland next season for midweek games which they cannot attend.


    The fans concluded by wishing Walter and the team success for the remaining games of the season and agreed it was a productive meeting for all concerned with a number of key issues being debated.


    Rangers FC

    :rfc: Simply a Bear :rfc:

  • Boyd Joins 100 Club


    KRIS BOYD has become the fastest to 100 Rangers goals since 1960s star Jim Forrest by notching the crucial second goal in the 3-0 Scottish Cup semi-final win over St Mirren.


    Boyd hit the ton in the 66th minute of the last four clash to set up a safe passage to Rangers' 51st Scottish Cup Final appearance.


    He has become only one of 30 men to reach treble figures in the history of Rangers and he has joined some illustrious company.


    Mark Hateley was the last Ranger to hit 100 goals and that was back in 1994 in a 6-1 League Cup victory over Arbroath.


    Before that you have to go back to the predator in chief Ally McCoist who reached his century against Clydebank in April, 1987.


    Boyd has achieved his milestone in fewer games than both of these Rangers legends, needing just 146 to achieve the feat.


    However, that does not come close to goal machine Forrest who incredibly smashed 100 goals in just 102 games between 1963 and 1965.


    Rangers FC

    :rfc: Simply a Bear :rfc:

  • Honouring Our Heroes


    RANGERS will pay tribute to the brave marines of Scots-based 45 Commando who recently returned from a six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan at Sunday's SPL game with Hearts at Ibrox.


    Over 50 members of 45 Commando - based in Arbroath - will be introduced to a packed crowd at half-time this weekend and selected members of their unit will also take part in a friendly game with the Club's Football in the Community team, coached by Rangers legend Mark Hateley, at Murray Park this afternoon.


    The Marines returned from Helmand Province just a few days ago and Rangers manager Walter Smith was delighted to welcome these brave individuals to the training ground.


    He commented: "It was a pleasure to meet the Marines at Murray Park today and I have no doubt our supporters will give them a well-deserved reception at Ibrox this weekend.


    "Members of the armed forces who serve on the front line for their country are the true heroes in life and it will be an honour for us to welcome them to the Stadium on Sunday afternoon."


    Last October, soldiers of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, who had also returned from Afghanistan, were given a standing ovation when they attended the Inverness Caledonian Thistle match at Ibrox and the Club made a £7,500 donation to Poppyscotland - a charity that supports Scottish veterans.


    Rangers Chief Executive Martin Bain says the Club is totally committed to honouring these brave souls who give everything for their country.


    He commented: "The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders enjoyed their visit to Ibrox earlier this season and it will be a privilege to host 45 Commando Royal Marines at the Stadium on Sunday.


    "I know these Marines have just returned from a gruelling tour of duty in Helmand Province and several members of their unit were sadly killed or injured in action. It is difficult to imagine the conditions they have had to endure in the last six months and everyone associated with the Club owes them all a debt of gratitude as these brave men are putting their lives on the line for their country.


    "Our supporters and everyone at Rangers will, I am sure, give them a wonderful and deserved reception this weekend."


    Lieutenant Colonel Jim Morris, commanding officer of 45 Commando, added: "I would like to thank Rangers Football Club for inviting so many of the commandos to the Hearts game on Sunday. It is a terrific gesture, and walking out on to the Ibrox pitch in front of 50,000 people is something that the lads are looking forward to.


    "45 Commando Group lost some very good friends and colleagues during our tour of duty in Afghanistan, and a number of others have suffered very serious injuries. It is of great comfort to all that their commitment and sacrifice will be recognised in such public circumstances."


    Rangers FC

    :rfc: Simply a Bear :rfc:

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