How 800,000 reasons could become millions…

Among all the good-feeling at Ibrox after yet another brilliant night for Rangers a small facet may have been forgotten by some fans and it is worth reminding us all just how valuable financially the victory over Maribor was.

Each round in the Europa League qualifiers is worth around a quarter of a million. Rangers had secured 500,000 Euros for the first two rounds, and by overcoming Maribor another 280,000 has been added.

The preliminary round is also worth 220,000 but as Rangers didn’t need to play it, we don’t believe that cash is added.

However, the third round’s sure is – making the total so far a very respectable 780,000 – roughly 800,000 Euros for three passages, before possible victory over Russians UFA can confirm a further massive £2.92M guaranteed for the group stage.

No payment is made individually for success in the play off – the losers of the final round do net 300,000 but that is effectively compensation.

In short, beat UFA and Rangers have secured almost £4M.

The press has been filled with how Celtic are castrated by the loss of revenue from UCL failure and having to ‘make do’ with the Europa League, but their outgoings have been vastly higher than Rangers, and it hurts them on the way down, while the UEL funding slowly increases Rangers’ coffers on the way up and helps build progress.

In short, Steven Gerrard’s Rangers have brilliantly secured almost a million via six matches, and are 180 minutes away from what would be a windfall by our recent standards.

In fact, a decent UEL group campaign could see a couple of wins and perhaps a draw or two, and that adds further millions. Just like that.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There is one round to go and FC UFA are not to be taken lightly. But we’ll say this – we could have got a much harder opponent.

And we definitely have cash now.

While we’re at it, get Kyle would you?