Who's up next?

Next in a long and growing list of people giving their opinion on why Rangers' titles should not be stripped and more importantly, how it's all a big stitch up Timmy.




ALEX RAE wants justice for the Rangers players who made the helicopter change direction. (eh? Justice?)And he feels the case against them, including the threat to have the title he helped win in 2005 stripped from the club’s official record, will need to be vigorously defended. Rae believes there are people out to get the club in spite of what damage is done to the general standard of Scottish football at the same time.

The former Ibrox star has been in Scotland this week attending to media work and assisting Scotland Under-19 coach Ricky Sbragia at training sessions on the place where he feels most comfortable, the football pitch.And it was when we met at a golf day to raise funds for a children’s charity that Rae, taking a break from his coaching post at Milton Keynes Dons, stopped to reflect on the ongoing saga of Rangers. (Yes i'll bet he was not at all prepared for such vexing questions from a compliant Hack Lickspittle)

Dual contracts, and the question of what judgement might be delivered by the independent commission currently looking into whether football’s regulations have been broken, concerns Rae deeply.So much so it was his idea to raise the question of whether the players from the Ibrox era under investigation should hire their own legal representation.He said: “I spoke to some of the lads and raised the idea that we might hire our own Q.C. (Donald Findlay maybe?)

“If evidence is being gathered for use against us then I wanted to receive as much information as possible. That seemed like a legitimate course of action to me.“And I think it would be better if Rangers had someone who was fully clued-up on the case appearing in front of the SPL commission.”

Rangers owner Charles Green refuses to recognise the legitimacy of the process, which is expected to come up with findings on November 13.But Rae believes the previous Ibrox regime should be taking an active part in the examination of things that are alleged to have happened on their watch.Rae said: “Charles is picking up the pieces of the club left intact after Rangers had to go into administration and then liquidation.

“But Sir David Murray has always struck me as a shrewd operator. (Especially when you realised he would give you some of your wages Tax Free no doubt?)Rangers are at the front line in a serious matter and he knows all of the ins and outs of the case.“I’m sure there’s more to come out.” (We're pretty much in agreement there)

It was Murray, the former chairman and owner of Rangers, who Rae believes was instrumental in him achieving a lifetime ambition and signing for the club he supported.He recalled: “I was about to go out of contract with Wolves in 2004 and I’m told Sir David saw me play against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

“I’d done a television interview with a guy called Tony Gubba (Who?) and told him my intention was to follow Rangers round Europe as a supporter when I gave up the game. “I’d stood in the East Enclosure at Ibrox since I was a kid and the club was in my family’s blood.“I could have gone to Blackburn Rovers and played under Graeme Souness, and I know I’d have made more money there than I got from Rangers. (That's completely irrelevant but a defence which has been presented previously by other Gers players with EBTs)

“But I went to Ibrox because I was nearly 34 years old and wanted to take what I knew would be my last chance to play for them. My agent, Phil Graham, was vastly experienced in the way of football contracts and assured me the one I was signing for Rangers was commonplace throughout the game.“I’d never heard of EBTs and, to this day, I’m not exactly sure how it all works. (Yet you are saying that Rangers did nothing wrong despite you still not knowing how EBTs are operated?)

“But I understood that Rangers were dealing in the Bosman market, taking guys like me and Marvin Andrews, while competing against a stronger Celtic.“They had the money to acquire the likes of John Hartson and Chris Sutton and we were going to have to fight all the way to win the championship.”Everyone knows how the story ended. Celtic beat Rangers at Ibrox and it was assumed that, with four games to go, the league title had been won. But, on the final day, Celtic blew a one-goal lead at Motherwell and Rangers beat Hibs with a goal from Nacho Novo.The helicopter heading for Lanarkshire changed direction and went to Edinburgh instead.The idea of that dramatically-won title being erased from the record can’t even begin to be contemplated by someone like Rae.He said: “I tore my calf during that season and had my teeth knocked out.“I went toe to toe with teams on muddy pitches every week to scratch for points. I fought for every scrap and no one is going to take that title away from me as a paper exercise.(All again totally irrelevantbut then this is verbiage, concocted solely to appeal to already softened hearts.)

“There are buzz words like ‘honesty’ and ‘integrity’ being thrown about but I can understand why the Rangers supporters feel they could call this whole business a stitch-up.“Even if, hypothetically speaking, Rangers were found guilty of doing something wrong, any appeal they put up would be heard by the SFA.“And they appear to have already decided that Rangers should be stripped of titles and cups.“How could they sit in judgement of any appeal? I can’t get my head round that.”

But Rae, now an outsider looking in,(No he's not, he's "Conflicted" if the case is proven, and he is in effect one of the accused) fails to understand a lot arising from Rangers’ fall into the Third Division after being rejected by the SPL.And high on the list of things which puzzle him is what he perceives to be the conspiracy against the club and the eagerness to push them further down.“What’s going on at present is detrimental to Scottish football,” he said.

“The quality of the game has been affected by placing Rangers in the Third Division.“People are coming after Rangers in a gung-ho kind of fashion (Bullshine) and they continue to come from what I can see.“But, as one ex-Premiership manager down South recently said to me, (Alex McLeish or Walter Smith?)‘At which point does somebody actually help Rangers?’“ I was born and raised in Dennistoun. Most of my friends in the east end of Glasgow are Celtic fans but when I said to one of them that things couldn’t get any worse for Rangers his reply chilled me. He said, ‘Yes, it can. We can take away your titles’.

“This was an otherwise level-headed man who had failed to take into account the fact that removing Rangers from the SPL has taken the competitive edge away from Scottish football.“Celtic get their sense of adventure from the Champions League, not the Premier League, and the public’s appetite for the game has been reduced as a consequence. (Alex McLeish or Walter Smith?)

“It’s as if some people don’t want Rangers to exist any more.“I’ve had plenty of regrets in my life concerning my own misbehaviour in my younger day but I’ll never regret signing for Rangers.“The experience was everything I wanted it to be and it gave me one of only three medals I won.“Those medals are for my children, who are too young to have seen me play football. (Filling up here)

“I’m in the process of having a compilation DVD made up to show then their dad in his heyday and part of that will involve Rangers. No one is going to take the memory of that time, including a title win, away from me.” (That would bring a tear to a glass eye)

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/...ugh-keevins-interviews-former-rangers-1349802

 

Can't blame the players they won fair and square (kinda), but rules are rules and its 3-0 defeats for not registering the players properly.

 

Russs just can't let it go can he?

 

Let what go?

Pretty sure there's an ongoing investigation in to this. Ignoring it in the hope it goes away is more your lots style.

 

I will let it go when people involved in this scandal stop telling everyone that they should drop the investigation or simply not punish Rangers if they are found guilty. Walter, Minty, Johnston, McLeish, Goram, Gough, Dodds, Laudrup, Hateley and others have all been in the press over the last few months telling us the same thing Rae is now saying. This is not a coincidence.

 

Its the only defence rangers seems to have at the moment. Its strange they shafted there creditors for 140m and stand accused of cheating for the last 10 years but there the victims in all this. Go figure.

 

He disnae know

 

this is just the pr campaign that was always going to happen. i have lost count of the amount of times ex players have said my agent told me it was all above board and i just signed the contract. then we have the media like the fat mess who constantly tell us that ebt's are not illegal and have been declared every year. **** all understanding of what went on. Rangers tax case shot this down for the umpteenth time just last week

 

Naw, they just let their agents deal with it all, they did'nt know what they were signing, they just went along, 1 contract, 2 contracts, who knows? It's all so confusing for these poor unintelligent fools, they are only footballers and money has never been of great concern, it's the football that matters.

Innocent the lot of them.

 

Still no verdict eric

 

It is a PR campaign and I said as much a few months ago when McLeish, Smith and AN Other all spoke out or granted interviews within days of each other, it's being orchestrated, it's obvious.

 

The people I have mentioned say there is only one possible verdict, "Innocent", and even if they are guilty of something it was all just a big misunderstanding and you can't take our titles away for that.

 

the only possible verdict you say is guilty

 

I've never said that, likewise I have never said title stripping is the "only" punishment. I believe if they are guilty then title stripping is the only fitting punishment, as the SFA/SPL will not take away their license.

If they have nothing to worry about and everything was above board then they should welcome a chance to clear their names, but no one, not Minty nor Johnston nor any of the old board will attend the hearing. They are therefore content to snipe from the sidelines and call it a witch hunt.

 

Dev's off the beelometer scale again!!

 

oh do you now, that's that then