Rangers Will NOT be Fast-tracked to SPL

[djbroxybear 660]

Traynor hits out at Scottish football chiefs as Rangers will NOT be fast-tracked to SPL

By Stephen Mcgowan

PUBLISHED:20:10, 8 January 2013|

Rangers will not be fast-tracked into the Premier Division as part of Scottish football’s radical re-structuring.

Fans of rival clubs have pointed an accusing finger at the governing bodies, insisting the reshaping of the national game is designed to get the Ibrox club back to the top level quickly.

Confirming that Rangers will remain rooted in the 18-team bottom tier even if they win the current Third Division, however, SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster insisted promotion can only be won on merit.

Asked specifically about Rangers, Doncaster said: ‘There is a genuine desire to ensure that sporting merit is the basis on which clubs fill the positions which are available.

‘Our intention is to ensure that clubs get there on sporting merit.

‘I don’t think there is any desire to accelerate any club falsely. It’s sporting merit which will decide it.’

That stance was reiterated by the SFL’s David Longmuir, who said: ‘No club will move through the leagues and quicker than any other club given any of the structures we have put in place – and we are unanimous on that.’

The governing bodies spoke as Rangers blasted the failure of the authorities to include them in the restructuring talks.

As associate – and not full – members of the SFL, the Third Division leaders do not have a vote, but new head of communications James Traynor criticised that stance, saying: ‘The sheer hypocrisy of what is happening within Hampden’s corridors of power right now will not be lost on them (Rangers fans) but let’s not pretend sporting integrity or the wishes of supporters really are important to all those clubs pushing for this change.

‘If they were listening to fans they wouldn’t be sticking with a top division of 12, and if there was any integrity there would be no rush to bring in changes for the start of next season.

‘If, as seems likely, the structure is altered for 2013-14 supporters won’t get what they’ve already paid for, especially those following teams striving for promotion. Actually, this entire season will be rendered meaningless.

‘Sporting integrity won’t merely be compromised, it’ll be crushed, but this is what happens when desperation slips in and throttles reason.’

For followers of Rangers, then, news of Scottish football’s brave new dawn was hardly the source of unbridled joy. The end result, if the blueprint is, as expected, passed will see the Ibrox legions once again looking out the road maps to Elgin and Annan.

The finer details of the new plan have yet to emerge, but merging the bottom eight in the current Second Division with the Third Division in its entirety – as seems likely - is hardly a prospect to quicken the pulse.

It also begs the question of what exactly are Rangers - and indeed the rest of the Third Division - playing for this season? The league trophy will assuredly be Rangers’ property before the Easter eggs are opened, but beyond that?

As things stand, Ally McCoist’s men will be in the same division next term as say ninth placed East Stirling (assuming the bottom club will be relegated as part of the pyramid system).

In fairness, no one at Rangers has ever publicly sought any favours from the redrawing of the game’s graph. But if they privately hoped for any, they were certainly in short supply on Tuesday.

Three years in the wilderness appears to be exactly that. For Ally McCoist, the task of persuading players to pledge their futures to the club as of September 1, has assuredly not been made any easier.

Nonetheless, when Sportsmail canvassed the opinion of a leading agent on Tuesday's developments, he remained convinced that the club would continue to sell itself.

‘No one at Rangers has ever suggested to me that they believe they’d be back in the top flight a year sooner than scheduled,’ he said. ‘So I can’t imagine the news will have much bearing on things going forward.

‘They’ve already had success in persuading players to come and play for them in the Third Division so I can’t imagine that will change because they haven’t been moved up the ladder ahead of schedule if you like.

‘For footballers, the appeal of playing in front of 45,000 plus every couple of weeks is obvious.’

Rangers’ crowds this season have been nothing short of remarkable. Near full houses against sides like Arbroath and Queen’s Park in the Third Division have made headlines the world over.

Will a similar recipe next season prove just as enticing? Perhaps not, but at least there will be eight new visitors to sweeten the pot. Ibrox fans have shown a remarkable appetite for the road back to respectability so far.

They now know it’s going to be just as long and winding as was first feared.

Full Traynor statement: 'Remember Sporting Integrity?'

The shape of things to come, three divisions of 12-12-18, has been agreed in principle.

This abomination will now be pulled and stretched by selected members of the SPL and SFL in a desperate attempt to make it more presentable.

Good luck with that.

It would be easier trying to iron out the lines on the face of the old broad, Madge, in Benidorm.

12-12-18. It’s ridiculous, especially when you remember the two 12s will fragment into three eights.

Yet this time supporters will just have to buy into it. Whatever happened to that new and bold notion that fans were all important?

It isn’t that long ago clubs, particularly those in the top flight, were solemnly insisting that ignoring the views of fans would be akin to financial suicide.

Remember? It was when the game was wrestling with the problem of what to do with Rangers.

All the clubs were squealing that the wishes of fans had to be granted. If you swallowed any of that bilge you probably also believed in sporting integrity.

Of course it was all nonsense. Sporting Integrity was a cloak of convenience, albeit a rather thin, practically transparent one, behind which club leaders huddled together to come up with sanctions.

Rangers had to be punished, they deserved to be punished but it seemed as if additional penalties were being randomly introduced depending on who was in which meeting.

Many Rangers fans like to think the frenzy to cause the club as much additional pain as possible was driven by one club but that wasn’t strictly the case.

Many fans of many clubs waded in but this is not to say Celtic fans or their club didn’t attempt to influence the outcome of debates on Rangers and possible sanctions.

Of course they did. And they are still at it on social media sites and on blogs clattered out by individuals who are no better than semi-literate.

The sheer hypocrisy of what is happening within Hampden’s corridors of power right now will be lost on them but let’s not pretend sporting integrity or the wishes of supporters really are important to all those clubs pushing for this change.

If they were listening to fans they wouldn’t be sticking with a top division of 12 , and if there was any integrity there would be no rush to bring in changes for the start of next season.

If, as seems likely, the structure is altered for 2013-14 supporters won’t get what they’ve already paid for, especially those following teams striving for promotion. Actually this entire season will be rendered meaningless.

Sporting integrity won’t merely be compromised, it’ll be crushed but this is what happens when desperation slips in and throttles reason.

This belief won’t sit well with the few who are more or less running the SPL and influencing thinking within that desperate organisation but they can’t complain. After all, they’ve dismissed Rangers’ views completely.

This club, the biggest one in the country, were not invited to take part in talks which will shape the game’s future.

We are then entitled to conclude that this club are not important, which is strange indeed when so many fans of other clubs continue to be obsessed by Rangers, who are simply getting on with their own affairs asking no favour from anyone.

We do, however, expect commonsense to be applied, along with fair play.

Look, Rangers will return to the top flight, which will of course have to be rebranded. Rangers will take a seat at the head of the table where, despite the latest insult of being shut out of reconstruction talks, we will act with the good of Scottish football in mind.

We’ll work through the divisions and we will return stronger and better than ever before.

This club accepted their sanctions and moved on but too many others have been unable to do the same. They continue their assaults and while the deranged, who are using social media sites as conduits for their twisted agendas, should be ignored there are more than a few in the mainstream still maligning the club at every opportunity.

In a BBC radio debate last Saturday night one pundit, in a matter-of-fact manner, said Charles Green speaks with ‘forked tongue.’ No attempt to explain or justify the statement, just as no explanation was offered when another radio voice claimed there was a dishonesty about Walter Smith when he went public with a late bid for the club.

Word of advice gentlemen. From now on be very careful when talking or writing about this club.

To paraphrase something said about another club, Rangers will not be treated less than others. And although there is no desire to pick fights, be assured that no one will attack Rangers with impunity.

Better, however, to quote Bill Struth: ‘Never fear, inevitably we shall have our years of failure and when they arrive, we must reveal tolerance and sanity. You do that, you will emerge stronger than before.’

Tolerance and sanity. That’s what Rangers will demonstrate and maintain, especially when back at the summit.

If we don't get promoted as Charles Green states what's your thoughts about going to same grounds next season as this one playing same teams ?

[bigbubba 56]

Doesn't matter who we play against, what is important is how our team play. As long as our play improves fans will buy into it. Also with a 3 year Euro ban, there is no rush to get back to the SPL for now. I will enjoy watching them rot.

[Right_To_Censor 1,951]

Traynor hits out at Scottish football chiefs as Rangers will NOT be fast-tracked to SPL

By Stephen Mcgowan

PUBLISHED:20:10, 8 January 2013|

Rangers will not be fast-tracked into the Premier Division as part of Scottish football’s radical re-structuring.

Fans of rival clubs have pointed an accusing finger at the governing bodies, insisting the reshaping of the national game is designed to get the Ibrox club back to the top level quickly.

Confirming that Rangers will remain rooted in the 18-team bottom tier even if they win the current Third Division, however, SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster insisted promotion can only be won on merit.

Asked specifically about Rangers, Doncaster said: ‘There is a genuine desire to ensure that sporting merit is the basis on which clubs fill the positions which are available.

‘Our intention is to ensure that clubs get there on sporting merit.

‘I don’t think there is any desire to accelerate any club falsely. It’s sporting merit which will decide it.’

That stance was reiterated by the SFL’s David Longmuir, who said: ‘No club will move through the leagues and quicker than any other club given any of the structures we have put in place – and we are unanimous on that.’

The governing bodies spoke as Rangers blasted the failure of the authorities to include them in the restructuring talks.

As associate – and not full – members of the SFL, the Third Division leaders do not have a vote, but new head of communications James Traynor criticised that stance, saying: ‘The sheer hypocrisy of what is happening within Hampden’s corridors of power right now will not be lost on them (Rangers fans) but let’s not pretend sporting integrity or the wishes of supporters really are important to all those clubs pushing for this change.

‘If they were listening to fans they wouldn’t be sticking with a top division of 12, and if there was any integrity there would be no rush to bring in changes for the start of next season.

‘If, as seems likely, the structure is altered for 2013-14 supporters won’t get what they’ve already paid for, especially those following teams striving for promotion. Actually, this entire season will be rendered meaningless.

‘Sporting integrity won’t merely be compromised, it’ll be crushed, but this is what happens when desperation slips in and throttles reason.’

For followers of Rangers, then, news of Scottish football’s brave new dawn was hardly the source of unbridled joy. The end result, if the blueprint is, as expected, passed will see the Ibrox legions once again looking out the road maps to Elgin and Annan.

The finer details of the new plan have yet to emerge, but merging the bottom eight in the current Second Division with the Third Division in its entirety – as seems likely - is hardly a prospect to quicken the pulse.

It also begs the question of what exactly are Rangers - and indeed the rest of the Third Division - playing for this season? The league trophy will assuredly be Rangers’ property before the Easter eggs are opened, but beyond that?

As things stand, Ally McCoist’s men will be in the same division next term as say ninth placed East Stirling (assuming the bottom club will be relegated as part of the pyramid system).

In fairness, no one at Rangers has ever publicly sought any favours from the redrawing of the game’s graph. But if they privately hoped for any, they were certainly in short supply on Tuesday.

Three years in the wilderness appears to be exactly that. For Ally McCoist, the task of persuading players to pledge their futures to the club as of September 1, has assuredly not been made any easier.

Nonetheless, when Sportsmail canvassed the opinion of a leading agent on Tuesday's developments, he remained convinced that the club would continue to sell itself.

‘No one at Rangers has ever suggested to me that they believe they’d be back in the top flight a year sooner than scheduled,’ he said. ‘So I can’t imagine the news will have much bearing on things going forward.

‘They’ve already had success in persuading players to come and play for them in the Third Division so I can’t imagine that will change because they haven’t been moved up the ladder ahead of schedule if you like.

‘For footballers, the appeal of playing in front of 45,000 plus every couple of weeks is obvious.’

Rangers’ crowds this season have been nothing short of remarkable. Near full houses against sides like Arbroath and Queen’s Park in the Third Division have made headlines the world over.

Will a similar recipe next season prove just as enticing? Perhaps not, but at least there will be eight new visitors to sweeten the pot. Ibrox fans have shown a remarkable appetite for the road back to respectability so far.

They now know it’s going to be just as long and winding as was first feared.

Full Traynor statement: 'Remember Sporting Integrity?'

The shape of things to come, three divisions of 12-12-18, has been agreed in principle.

This abomination will now be pulled and stretched by selected members of the SPL and SFL in a desperate attempt to make it more presentable.

Good luck with that.

It would be easier trying to iron out the lines on the face of the old broad, Madge, in Benidorm.

12-12-18. It’s ridiculous, especially when you remember the two 12s will fragment into three eights.

Yet this time supporters will just have to buy into it. Whatever happened to that new and bold notion that fans were all important?

It isn’t that long ago clubs, particularly those in the top flight, were solemnly insisting that ignoring the views of fans would be akin to financial suicide.

Remember? It was when the game was wrestling with the problem of what to do with Rangers.

All the clubs were squealing that the wishes of fans had to be granted. If you swallowed any of that bilge you probably also believed in sporting integrity.

Of course it was all nonsense. Sporting Integrity was a cloak of convenience, albeit a rather thin, practically transparent one, behind which club leaders huddled together to come up with sanctions.

Rangers had to be punished, they deserved to be punished but it seemed as if additional penalties were being randomly introduced depending on who was in which meeting.

Many Rangers fans like to think the frenzy to cause the club as much additional pain as possible was driven by one club but that wasn’t strictly the case.

Many fans of many clubs waded in but this is not to say Celtic fans or their club didn’t attempt to influence the outcome of debates on Rangers and possible sanctions.

Of course they did. And they are still at it on social media sites and on blogs clattered out by individuals who are no better than semi-literate.

The sheer hypocrisy of what is happening within Hampden’s corridors of power right now will be lost on them but let’s not pretend sporting integrity or the wishes of supporters really are important to all those clubs pushing for this change.

If they were listening to fans they wouldn’t be sticking with a top division of 12 , and if there was any integrity there would be no rush to bring in changes for the start of next season.

If, as seems likely, the structure is altered for 2013-14 supporters won’t get what they’ve already paid for, especially those following teams striving for promotion. Actually this entire season will be rendered meaningless.

Sporting integrity won’t merely be compromised, it’ll be crushed but this is what happens when desperation slips in and throttles reason.

This belief won’t sit well with the few who are more or less running the SPL and influencing thinking within that desperate organisation but they can’t complain. After all, they’ve dismissed Rangers’ views completely.

This club, the biggest one in the country, were not invited to take part in talks which will shape the game’s future.

We are then entitled to conclude that this club are not important, which is strange indeed when so many fans of other clubs continue to be obsessed by Rangers, who are simply getting on with their own affairs asking no favour from anyone.

We do, however, expect commonsense to be applied, along with fair play.

Look, Rangers will return to the top flight, which will of course have to be rebranded. Rangers will take a seat at the head of the table where, despite the latest insult of being shut out of reconstruction talks, we will act with the good of Scottish football in mind.

We’ll work through the divisions and we will return stronger and better than ever before.

This club accepted their sanctions and moved on but too many others have been unable to do the same. They continue their assaults and while the deranged, who are using social media sites as conduits for their twisted agendas, should be ignored there are more than a few in the mainstream still maligning the club at every opportunity.

In a BBC radio debate last Saturday night one pundit, in a matter-of-fact manner, said Charles Green speaks with ‘forked tongue.’ No attempt to explain or justify the statement, just as no explanation was offered when another radio voice claimed there was a dishonesty about Walter Smith when he went public with a late bid for the club.

Word of advice gentlemen. From now on be very careful when talking or writing about this club.

To paraphrase something said about another club, Rangers will not be treated less than others. And although there is no desire to pick fights, be assured that no one will attack Rangers with impunity.

Better, however, to quote Bill Struth: ‘Never fear, inevitably we shall have our years of failure and when they arrive, we must reveal tolerance and sanity. You do that, you will emerge stronger than before.’

Tolerance and sanity. That’s what Rangers will demonstrate and maintain, especially when back at the summit.

If we don't get promoted as Charles Green states what's your thoughts about going to same grounds next season as this one playing same teams ?

[nacho_nacho_man 477]

If we don't get promoted as Charles Green states what's your thoughts about going to same grounds next season as this one playing same teams ?

I'll be there supporting my team, however this will only add fuel to the fire. My contempt for the incompetent SPL / SFA will only increase.

[The Godfather 72,434]

My phone just broke

[RFC55 109,759]

That's from January mate

[djbroxybear 660]

That's from January mate

Sorry mate if this has been re-posted and fellow bears on forum.

[RFC55 109,759]

Sorry mate if this has been re-posted and fellow bears on forum.

No I hadn't seen it mate, I just seen the date, its just incase yae thought it was a new article

[Moraybluenose 99]

I think we we play against the same teams next season we are in trouble. We are starting to see fan numbers dropping, this will accelerate the process.

[JM1872 3,745]

Fuck sake, there'll be a few folk on here looking to download that for their kindles.

Anyway, if we remain in the bottom tier it's an absolute fucking joke. Ourselves and probably Queens Park will be looking to move up, but instead will have to remain down in the bottom. I would feel even more sorry for Queens Park if this was the case than ourselves. We will definitely go up again but who's to say QP will? Forever rooted at the bottom for them it would seem.

At the end of the day, all teams who gain promotion deserve to be playing at the level they deserve the next season - reconstruction or not. All teams who are relegated from their league are clearly not good enough for that level so won't be relegated, when in fact they should be and should be replaced with teams who deserve and have earned their right for a place in that league - reconstruction or not.

Sporting integrity? The SPL & SFA have never heard of such a thing

[Bears r us 30,903]

No I hadn't seen it mate, I just seen the date, its just incase yae thought it was a new article

Well spotted mate, I was sure I had read the bit from JT before.

For those who have not noticed Rfc52's post - this is from JANUARY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[We Will Follow Rangers 12,959]

That's from January mate

ffs thought dungcaster had re-surfaced for a minute.

is he no still unavailable?

[RFC55 109,759]

ffs thought dungcaster had re-surfaced for a minute.

is he no still unavailable?

I've seen nothing from him since mid feb

[stevenray201 28]

Personally don't think the 12-12-18 will pass. the top tier doesnt want more than 12 teams as they feel it brings down the quality.

In other words its saying " all you other fellas suk". If Rangers go in a bottom tier of 18, the other 17 wont be happy either as they

will only get one visit by Rangers. Plus they feel screwed that the top tier says "18 teams is ok for you diddy teams that don't matter"

"you're just leaches anyway".Some lower teams want the 12-12-10-10 so the third tier teams get two home ties with Rangers. Selfish in

my opinion. Thats why it wont pass, just too much division and continuing to divide. Much like American politics. So when it doesn't pass

then it will either stay the same or the SPL will form SPL 2 and invite who they want and kick the rest to the curb. This whole thing isn't really

even reconstruction. It kinda like moving the furniture around in your TV room and no matter what more half still won't be able to see the frickin

TV.

[TheFarmer 260]

It cant possibly go ahead for next season.

You cant change what teams are playing for in April FFS, whatever happened to sporting integrity.

Personally I like the majority of the reconstruction proposals (pyramid, merging bodies, redistribution of revenue, but not the stupid 8-8-8), but every other time scottish football has restructured it has been known at the start of the season what teams are playing for.

[hemdale1873 167]

I doubt we will be in the bottom tier if the 12-12-18 goes ahead for a number of reasons.

1) If Dunfermilne or Hearts suffer some sort of insolvency event (and they wiil) we move to the middle tier not the bottom.

2) The spl needs us to be in the middle tier next season to keep sky happy, We would likely be playing spl teams when the 8-8-8 split happens. If you look at the bottom 4 in the spl now it's Killie, Aberdeen, Hearts and Dundee these games would huge ratings winners against the likes of Aberdeen playing Livi or Morton.

What do Sky want Rangers vs Aberdeen in front of 50,000 at Ibrox or them vs morton in front of 2000 in a rickety old ground?

The spl are playing it like Rangers will be in the bottom tier but we won't and they know it.

[We Will Follow Rangers 12,959]

I've seen nothing from him since mid feb

aye he's still waiting for the fat fanny eyed fuck tae calm doon.

would I be right to say that the spl has still, as of yet, failed to respond as a body to nimmo- smith? - outwith the ramblings of scumdees motormouth?

[nvager 498]

Fools gold this reconstruction. It will not work as who will buy season tickets for 22 games? At what price if you do not know what "8" you may end up in?

[RFC55 109,759]

aye he's still waiting for the fat fanny eyed fuck tae calm doon.

would I be right to say that the spl has still, as of yet, failed to respond as a body to nimmo- smith? - outwith the ramblings of scumdees motormouth?

Yip I think so. The tarriers are the only side I've seen comment. I don't think killie, st mirren, Ross county etc could give two fucks

[We Will Follow Rangers 12,959]

Yip I think so. The tarriers are the only side I've seen comment. I don't think killie, st mirren, Ross county etc could give two fucks

good point didnt consider that, mibbees the reason they havnt responded with any statement as a body is that they could'nt agree one with the clubs you mention refusing to have any part in it.

[RFC55 109,759]

good point didnt consider that, mibbees the reason they havnt responded with any statement as a body is that they could'nt agree one with the clubs you mention refusing to have any part in it.

Tbh these teams probably didn't want any part in stripping titles etc as they wouldn't have gained anything from it.

[Stoorie 1,088]

I'm getting into the thought that, I hope it does go ahead.

It will kill Scottish Football as we know it, and rid the game of these incompetent, corrupt, lying, thieves that are in positions they know nothing about.

Then it might just bring about the changes that we can ALL build on.

[bluesbro1976 162]

Seriously, why do people have to quote the article further down the post., we know what ur referring to ffs, its hard enough reading that and scrolling down without having to do it a second time. Aargh

[Thermopylae 15,287]

[cushynumber 25,178]

funny how everybody now has their own idea of what "sporting integrity" means. For them its making sure we are punished continually- sport has nothing to do with it..

For us its actually getting promoted when we win the league.

Different values, different agendas