As all Rangers fans know, with
the Club these days there are two distinct entities of note; the
political/boardroom/company side of the institute, and the sporting/football
side.
the Club these days there are two distinct entities of note; the
political/boardroom/company side of the institute, and the sporting/football
side.
Once upon a time, in a land far,
far away, all we Bears focused on was the latter, but following administration
in 2012 the political wrangling and tugs-of-war have sadly dominated the front
and back pages more than we would want.
far away, all we Bears focused on was the latter, but following administration
in 2012 the political wrangling and tugs-of-war have sadly dominated the front
and back pages more than we would want.
As such, it seems pertinent to
give a ‘mid-season report ™’ on both what has been happening off the pitch as well as on.
give a ‘mid-season report ™’ on both what has been happening off the pitch as well as on.
Let us try to get the gory stuff
out the way and make the ‘off-pitch’ part as pain-free as possible. In short,
Rangers’ boardroom politics have been a centrifugal force of sheer flux, with
change after change in various director seats and the emergence of one Mike
Ashley as the biggest player in the Ibrox ‘game’.
out the way and make the ‘off-pitch’ part as pain-free as possible. In short,
Rangers’ boardroom politics have been a centrifugal force of sheer flux, with
change after change in various director seats and the emergence of one Mike
Ashley as the biggest player in the Ibrox ‘game’.
Pretender to the throne Dave
King’s 11th hour bail-out package of £16M was rejected by Rangers’
hierarchy, who instead opted for Ashley’s £2M loan offer in exchange for
critical power at the Club – the privilege to appoint his own people over CEO
Wallace and FD Nash (who have since quit).
King’s 11th hour bail-out package of £16M was rejected by Rangers’
hierarchy, who instead opted for Ashley’s £2M loan offer in exchange for
critical power at the Club – the privilege to appoint his own people over CEO
Wallace and FD Nash (who have since quit).
This has left Ashley as the most
powerful man at the Club, given he already owns the naming rights for Ibrox and
controls the retail division.
powerful man at the Club, given he already owns the naming rights for Ibrox and
controls the retail division.
There is of course a great deal
more but there are only 24 hours in a day and I lack the will to drown you all
in a sea of gruesome politics and powerplays.
more but there are only 24 hours in a day and I lack the will to drown you all
in a sea of gruesome politics and powerplays.
Like most supporters I do not
trust Ashley, in the way I do not trust a single soul running the Club, but I
am willing to give him a chance, like I have every other owner/CEO/major
shareholder. Sometimes we get burnt, sometimes we do not. It is, sadly, an
inevitable risk when a new regime or controller comes into town.
trust Ashley, in the way I do not trust a single soul running the Club, but I
am willing to give him a chance, like I have every other owner/CEO/major
shareholder. Sometimes we get burnt, sometimes we do not. It is, sadly, an
inevitable risk when a new regime or controller comes into town.
Moving onto what should really matter though, on the pitch
recently things have been going rather well actually. The month of October was
frankly outstanding; 13 goals scored, only one conceded, 6 matches won, no
points dropped, and all that success included a victory over a current SPL side
(St Johnstone). We also saw the wonderful news that the Club’s shining star
Lewis Macleod was voted the SPFL young player of the month plus earned himself
a call-up to Gordon Strachan’s Scotland squad for the upcoming home-nations’
clashes with Ireland and England.
recently things have been going rather well actually. The month of October was
frankly outstanding; 13 goals scored, only one conceded, 6 matches won, no
points dropped, and all that success included a victory over a current SPL side
(St Johnstone). We also saw the wonderful news that the Club’s shining star
Lewis Macleod was voted the SPFL young player of the month plus earned himself
a call-up to Gordon Strachan’s Scotland squad for the upcoming home-nations’
clashes with Ireland and England.
The national boss is ‘impressed’
with Macleod and is on record as saying he likes to get the younger and most promising
players on-board to give them a feel for the national team. Today we learned
Hearts’ starlet Callum Paterson also earned himself a call-up, so it is pretty
clear that there is progress for the national team in a good way, and maybe one
day all Rangers fans will feel we can fully invest in the side again.
with Macleod and is on record as saying he likes to get the younger and most promising
players on-board to give them a feel for the national team. Today we learned
Hearts’ starlet Callum Paterson also earned himself a call-up, so it is pretty
clear that there is progress for the national team in a good way, and maybe one
day all Rangers fans will feel we can fully invest in the side again.
As said though, October saw a
truly wonderful run where there was a distinct hint of gears clicking into
place a tad, but only the ludicrous bureaucracy of the SPFL saw Hearts’ Robbie
Neilson win manager of the month for that four weeks when he managed three wins
and a draw. As critical as I have been of McCoist for a long, long time, he
clearly, on results, merited that award.
truly wonderful run where there was a distinct hint of gears clicking into
place a tad, but only the ludicrous bureaucracy of the SPFL saw Hearts’ Robbie
Neilson win manager of the month for that four weeks when he managed three wins
and a draw. As critical as I have been of McCoist for a long, long time, he
clearly, on results, merited that award.
The fine form continued into
November with another three wins in a row, no goals conceded, and one of those
wins getting the Ibrox giants into the fourth round of the Scottish Cup. 576
minutes (6 clean sheets in a row plus the 36 minutes of the Raith Rovers match)
since a goal was conceded is an outstanding record – many could try to dismiss
that run as being in a ‘rubbish league’ but it is a ‘rubbish league’ with,
Rangers excluded, 5 former SPL teams, and furthermore one of those wins was
against a current one.
November with another three wins in a row, no goals conceded, and one of those
wins getting the Ibrox giants into the fourth round of the Scottish Cup. 576
minutes (6 clean sheets in a row plus the 36 minutes of the Raith Rovers match)
since a goal was conceded is an outstanding record – many could try to dismiss
that run as being in a ‘rubbish league’ but it is a ‘rubbish league’ with,
Rangers excluded, 5 former SPL teams, and furthermore one of those wins was
against a current one.
So, in terms of action on the
pitch, we really can have no complaints right now. Things are going well, but
the upcoming clash with Hearts on the 22nd (along with the visit of Alloa on
Saturday) may just define the season.
pitch, we really can have no complaints right now. Things are going well, but
the upcoming clash with Hearts on the 22nd (along with the visit of Alloa on
Saturday) may just define the season.
What is for sure, both Rangers
and their Gorgie counterparts are going well right now, so it is a heck of a
time to face each other.
and their Gorgie counterparts are going well right now, so it is a heck of a
time to face each other.
Last but not least I would like
to take a personal opportunity to thank all my thousands of readers over the
past three years. This blog started on 11th November 2011 and I have
to say it has been a great platform to both express my own views and those of
guest writers, while also seeing the views of the general readership, who
certainly are not exclusive to Rangers’ fanbase by any means!
to take a personal opportunity to thank all my thousands of readers over the
past three years. This blog started on 11th November 2011 and I have
to say it has been a great platform to both express my own views and those of
guest writers, while also seeing the views of the general readership, who
certainly are not exclusive to Rangers’ fanbase by any means!
Here’s to another three+ years
WATP.
WATP.
and during ALL the turmoil both and off the field there is one thing stands strong and true –
THE BLUEBELLS ARE BLUE!
C'mon Ally, leave already…. you, me and hundreds of thousands of fans KNOW that you don't have what it takes to BE a Rangers Manager….. please leave and soon as plz.
Alistair we (The Club and fans who pay-in millions of pounds sterling) all know that we have made you a millionaire, HOW MANY TIMES now…. c'mon enough IS ENOUGH, leave us alone !
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