http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19924802 Anyone else seen this article from the Rangers chairmen? Takes a swipe at pretty much anyone except the "top clubs" particularly naming; Swansea, Saints, Villa & West ham! Surely one of the most disrespectful thing I've heard towards the so called "smaller clubs" in a long long time. Clearly a guy that doesn't care about football as a whole and its use within a community but simply just for the big bucks. Disgusting if you ask me. Also am I the only one thinking that if their were a european league of 18 teams that Rangers would be nowhere near that league? Pretty sure that a country like Scotland would only get one entry...Celtic. Not to mention: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Valencia, Man Utd, Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal, Inter, AC Milan, Juventus, Lyon, Lille, PSG, Ajax, Anderlect, Spartak Moscow, Zenit, Benfica, Porto, Bayern Munich, Dortmund, Schalke, Shahktar Donesk, Galatasary, Olympiakos... the list goes on and on (for the record thats 26 just off the top of my head!) and Rangers are nowhere near!!! Is it just me that is shocked and slightly outraged at what has come out of this guys mouth?
Yes total crap! Ask most Arsenal fans whether they would rather play Rangers or West Ham and you'd only get one answer. He needs to get real.
He strikes me as laughable....he has tried to do things on the cheap.....yet condemns others for trying to do the same.....
Crazy isn't he. Maybe its just to appease their fans or something? They need to realise that they are in the 3rd division of Scotish football. They are nobodys until they get back up to the top and win their league and follow it with a good champions league run. Just re-read and I'm a bit confused by this "Europeon Regional Leagues" idea. Says 2 divisions of 18 teams... sounds very strange and kind of pointless if it's not the top top sides. Clearly a very deluded guy
Arsenal don't want to play Southampton? Yes, they do, it's a guaranteed three pointer isn't it? Arsenal would be less likely to want to play a third rate Scottish team that can't even beat Stirling. I guess he doesn't like us coz we knicked one of his better players.
Ha. That could well have something to do with it! Be interested to see what their fans make of this. We ever had any Rangers fans on here?
I must have a problem with the link; it took me to a page where some bloke referred to a current, long standing and historical Premier League Club as "completely useless". Someone buy this man a mirror.
Rangers would be an easier 3pts. THe mans an idiot. IF, and it is an if, a european league is formed, why does he thing Rangers are gauranteed to be involved? Insulting to many clubs IMO.
Does he really think that Arsenal are dying to play Celtic or Rangers...great in a cup to prove a point about Scottish football, but not their natural rivals. He should be careful what he wishes for...would Rangers be in a top league of European football? Possibly but not certain. I wonder what the Italian is for twat....I'm sure Nicola could tell us.
Done and done. I'll let you know on any responses. Hopefully some will see this thread and get involved! Glad it's not just me that thought it was a completely ridiculous statement!
That kinda comes in line with what seems to be being said on the post I put on the Rangers site. Aparently he has come out and said alot of things like this since taking over and that has got alot of the fans onside with him. Supposedly there are some who aren't buying it and see it for what it is but so far seems like alot of Rangers fans kind of agree with some of what this guy is saying :S Odd...
When he came in Rangers fans were extremely wary of his track record. Since then he's played a blinder on the PR front - attacking everyone in scottish football that might be construed to be "anti-Rangers", accusing other clubs / fans of "bigotry", insinuated that the SFA/SPL are biased, talking up how amazing the club is etc etc. All exactly what the Rangers fans want to hear. Funnily enough he's just announced a share issue and is hoping to raise £20m (for a club he bought for £5.5m). Purely coincidental that he'd choose now as the time to talk about Rangers being in an (imaginary) european elite league, I'm sure ...
The guy is purely a nutter, but let's move on. Is he saying, albeit badly, what others have thought. Liverpool (on the subject of teams that can't see that they are old and past it) have in the past called for differentials in the way TV money is distributed so that the "big boys" get more. Cast your minds back pre-Premier League and the First Division was still dominated by Liverpool and well, Liverpool and Liverpool actually but other "little clubs" caused some real mayhem. Saints, Norwich and Ipswich were often top 6 teams. Notts Forest and that "little club" from Aston won both the League and European Cup. But the big boys pulled up the drawbridge so that a day out at Old Trafford would cost the likes of Saints rather than be a big pay day. So surely the logical next step is for the big boys to agree that games between them are the crowd pullers and spiral off accordingly. This guy's mad, but be careful to dismiss his thinking as outlandish.
Another thing strange about the statement is he mentions Swansea & Saints......when everyone knows Arsenal don't like playing Stoke & Sunderland! Now that would have have made a little more sense, a little.
I have no doubt that one day greed will overcome common sense and a Europen League will be born, driven by TV revenues the inaugrial league is likely to be at least partly by invite/collusion rather than merit, and I am sure that this greedy man will work tirelessly to ensure his business interests are maximised. What is rather sad is that he probably thinks that this represents a quicker and less costly return to the top for Rangers than battling through the leagues in the time honoured fashion, earn sucessive promotions - no thanks, just leapfrog all that and go for an invitation to a seat at the high table. Whether Rangers would get that seat is open to debate, but they would be in with a shout based on their broad support and TV appeal. He clearly feels that a top 36 (two times 18 teams) would secure them their place. At the moment he is just banging the drum but be assured that it will sound like sweet music to some of the other profit before all else club owners that own many of our biggest clubs. I wish him nothing but ill in his foul designs.
