Why are we in Division 3? - By Ally McCoist

[scarkev 3,540]

I WOKE up on Friday and I had to ask myself one thing: ‘Why did Rangers get relegated to the Third Division’?

I really can't remember.

Was it HMRC? Was it EBTs? Because of liquidation? Going into administration?

We went into administration for non-payment of PAYE — so we have gone into administration and liquidation over £9 million. That hurts me.

Now we’ve had the commission’s verdict, there are a few questions that need answered.

Why did the tax case take so long? That put off potential buyers who would have come in and saved Rangers.

And why did the SPL board form a commission after ten years, when things have been in our accounts from day one?

Why didn’t they do it in the first year?

Was it chance that somebody started the commission just as Rangers were going into administration?

These are all questions that need answered, but I just want to get Rangers into the next division.

I totally accept Lord Nimmo Smith has said there were things we were guilty of and that we did wrong. The oldco has been punished for that.

I’m not trying to belittle anything, but what we were accused of and what we were found guilty of are night and day.

I’m not watering things down, but unless I’m reading it wrong, we have been punished for administrative errors.

The most important thing is we were accused of trying to gain a sporting advantage unfairly, in other words cheating.

That, for me, was by far the biggest thing. We have clearly been vindicated of that.

The fact the players were registered to play means there was no illegal playing of players. We would have been punished if they had been illegally registered.

That tells me the players’ contracts were legitimate and the titles and trophies were earned fairly.

That was the biggest thing we wanted to prove.

All we wanted was the opportunity to move on.

There were a lot of things hovering over us and hopefully they are now behind us.

There was a black cloud lifted off us and that cloud has been there since we went into administration.

I feel as though that has just about dispersed, and we can see some light at the end of the tunnel now.

We don’t want to look back. We will never forget what happened, but now is the time to start looking forward.

I appreciate people talk about it and everyone’s views will be different.

But even allowing for that I hope there won’t be a lingering feeling about this for years.

This is the time for Scottish football to move forward, because the wider issue is we are not in a good place.

Let's not kid ourselves — look at Hearts, Dunfermline and Rangers.

This is a communal problem.

Rangers have to move on as a club and for the good of Scottish football.

There is a lot of bitterness over trivial stuff, it is very much a case of: ‘My dad’s bigger than your dad’.

I don’t care about any of that.

We give credence to this kind of thing — and the people who promote it — rather than people who have clear thoughts and hopes for the game.

Since coming out of administration and liquidation, we’ve started again — like Scotland under Gordon Strachan.

We must move on. It’s very difficult though. I’ve been at a lot of meetings in the last 18 months where self-interest has been evident.

But there should be more to it than that.

When the verdict came through on Thursday the first thing I thought about was the East Stirling game.

I hope the good news we have had will transmit itself to the crowd.

The cost of the commission was around £350,000. I’m not sure Hearts, for instance, would agree the committee, at that cost, HAD to be formed.

They might think the money would have been better spent elsewhere — £350,000 is an awful lot in Scottish football’s current climate.

The decision went our way and you would have to ask the member clubs of the SPL if it was well spent.

But for our own part, we have been made so welcome by all the clubs in the SFL.

We will get back to the top league and when we do I won’t hold any grudges against any of the teams who are in the SPL now.

I know for a fact a lot of them did not see what happened to Rangers as a ‘must’.

Some were railroaded down that track by certain individuals within the SPL.

But surely now is the time to look ahead not back.

[jack1690 793]

Because we're Rangers.

No other reason.

[Moraybluenose 99]

What i dont understand is why this question isnt being asked by a much wider audience

[Reformation Bear 6,453]

'Why did Rangers get relegated to the Third Division’?

That's a very good question to be re-raising at this time. Very good and very valid indeed. And in my view it should be pressed very hard by Rangers. If part of moving on which Ally and Charles have both now referred to in recent weeks means demanding that those in the SPL and SFA who are responsible for this are held to full account, and in the case of Doncaster and Regan they are required to resign; and the transfer ban overturned; and an independent investigation mounted into what was said / done to influence the SPL vote; and an independently led investigation mounted into the actions of the SFA in all of this, then that is where I'd be in terms of only starting to 'move on'. These matters are nowhere near in the rear view mirror yet - they are front and centre and in my view demand answers.

It is not just about accepting where we are in Div 3 and taking it from there. Far too much malicious damage (deliberate active harm) has been done for Rangers to demand anything less than equitable retribution on those who prosectuted the active harm agenda and a restoration of Rangers status as a top league club.

[WATP-FOREVER 5,231]

The future has many names:

For the weak, it means the unattainable,

For the fearful, it means the unknown,

For the courageous, it means opportunity.

RFC; We are the courageous - We welcome the chase................... Perhaps legally, and fairly, this time; but if not, we still win......

[plymouthranger 4,276]

We were relegated due to Craig Whyte's non-payment of tax. Shameful that a club our size could be crippled by a 9million pound debt, but that's what happened. Incredibly, despite Murray's mismanagement of the whole scenario, the reasons we were liquidated were not due to the tax case. I do believe that it hanging over our heads scared off buyers like Miller, who could of easily paid the 9million

[nachothelegend 1,932]

We where set up hook line and sinker.

I believe and suspect darker forces higher up manufactured all this.

The name Ried ring any bells, of course there are others and this was all manufactured by hmrc leaks and septic fc under liewell.

Call it conspiricy I dont care they set us up big time.And a mention goes to loyds bank employees all complicit in this.

We have to pay those hayers back by choking thier finance.

We all know who in the mhedia and in our society .

It was set up through hatred and political ,Religous Agendas of which will never stop until we leave this League .

[jack1690 793]

We where set up hook line and sinker.

I believe and suspect darker forces higher up manufactured all this.

The name Ried ring any bells, of course there are others and this was all manufactured by hmrc leaks and septic fc under liewell.

Call it conspiricy I dont care they set us up big time.And a mention goes to loyds bank employees all complicit in this.

We have to pay those hayers back by choking thier finance.

We all know who in the mhedia and in our society .

It was set up through hatred and political ,Religous Agendas of which will never stop until we leave this League .

Cue the appeasers and timposters jumping on that bit nacho

[blueballss 3,039]

im sure the 83 guests viewing at the moment will have different and twisted reasoning!! please tell us!

[Bothwellbear 1,392]

A very good response from Ally. Like he says, we will never forget but must move forward. I literally can not wait until we win the top league again. It will be the sweetest in my lifetime and it will be savoured for A long long time. I don't think that any supporter will take winning a league for granted ever again and they will all feel so much better.

[Bothwellbear 1,392]

Cue the appeasers and timposters jumping on that bit nacho

Probably because its pish. There is only one club with that kind of bigotry and it was a lot more than one club that wanted us put down. It was just abject hatred of Rangers. Simple as that.

[jack1690 793]

Probably because its pish. There is only one club with that kind of bigotry and it was a lot more than one club that wanted us put down. It was just abject hatred of Rangers. Simple as that.

How did I know it would be either you or "The Dud" that first commented on that.

I'm psychic.

[Blade 38]

Don't forget Lloyds Banking Group's disgraceful role in this whole affair. They effectively forced SDM to sell to Craig Shyte and they knew exactly what he was and probably where his money was coming from.

If BDO do their job properly this will all be exposed.

It's criminal, what happened to us on so many levels.

[Jelavic191 4,805]

Sporting Integrity is it not?

[Bothwellbear 1,392]

How did I know it would be either you or "The Dud" that first commented on that.

I'm psychic.

Well I couldn't start changing my tune now could I. How dull would that be.x

[nachothelegend 1,932]

Probably because its pish. There is only one club with that kind of bigotry and it was a lot more than one club that wanted us put down. It was just abject hatred of Rangers. Simple as that.

Money Hatred (of which some was religous ,and political) Power and finance where all reasons.

Remember also we have far too many Nationaliats in our fan base.

And our very own Murray was one as well no coincidance.

Funny all our haters are of the Roman persuasion .

No coincidences at all we where set up.

[nachothelegend 1,932]

Don't forget Lloyds Banking Group's disgraceful role in this whole affair. They effectively forced SDM to sell to Craig Shyte and they knew exactly what he was and probably where his money was coming from.

If BDO do their job properly this will all be exposed.

It's criminal, what happened to us on so many levels.

oh yes tje banker who came in when walter returned that was tje start of it.

He was connected through the bheast in the east.

Fact they forced him.

[berry89 16]

As much as most of the blame should go on Craig Whyte, a proportion of the blame should also be attributed to those who partook in the witch hunt. Being treated as guilty, damaged our club tremendously.

[nachothelegend 1,932]

How did I know it would be either you or "The Dud" that first commented on that.

I'm psychic.

Some of our pwn fans will never learn jack .

They are far to busy appeasing and capitulating at the mear mention of naughty songs and things that contain the truth.

[jack1690 793]

Some of our pwn fans will never learn jack .

They are far to busy appeasing and capitulating at the mear mention of naughty songs and things that contain the truth.

Own fans nacho? mmmmm

[8watp8 254]

9 million pounds of non payed tax buy a crook who is being investigated by the police.. at the end of the day Rangers have been the biggest victim in all this with Craig Whyte. If you were to say to the fans that we need to raise 9 million or the company goes under we would easily of raised it. HMRC were a joke the spl were a joke. We are not cheats in any way shape or form and in the end have been victims of craig whyte and are in the 3rd division because of administrative errors. 54 titles and we will be long back at the top before they reach anywhere near that. we welcome the chase.

[ger50champ 300]

A very good response from Ally. Like he says, we will never forget but must move forward. I literally can not wait until we win the top league again. It will be the sweetest in my lifetime and it will be savoured for A long long time. I don't think that any supporter will take winning a league for granted ever again and they will all feel so much better.

Agreed .I think when we do get back to the top where we belong then winning the league will be the sweetest in history .It will be something special IMO and thats coming from a guy that was lucky enough to have seen 03,05,09,10 ,all the glorious helicopter Sundays

[Uncle Fester 186]

im sure the 83 guests viewing at the moment will have different and twisted reasoning!! please tell us!

Why is it embarrasseing me that this bothers you? I was on last night and couldn't be bothered sighning in, does this make me a Mick? Unfounded allegations are what got our club where it is, we should as a support know better.

[jimgers 565]

The club cant move on till everyone knows who started the attempt to steal our titles, until that comes out things will only fester.

[IanFerguson2012 123]

We were put in the 3rd division because the cunning plan our enemies cooked up failed. They wanted to put us down for a year & rip us off as much as possible but the SFL failed to give in to their ploy and required us to start in the 3rd division. Now we are having to work up through the leagues while the top league withers and dies. Perhaps we are wrong to want to work our way back. The country needs Rangers at the top for our football to thrive.