Peace In Our Time - Not Bloody Likely

 THE AGM is over, will peace now break-out over Ibrox? I reckon there is more chance of the Pope being elected to the Rangers' board than of the fans and the beleagured board kissing and making-up any time soon.

 

Isn't the current situation, however, a typically Scottish one? Here is a club reacting well to having been demoted three leagues by winning the first such lower league, then, at the half-way stage, being unbeaten and all but out of sight of the opposition in their quest for a second straight promotion. You would expect their annual shareholders' meeting to be a cause for back-slapping, self-congratulation and celebration, not the open warfare which was yesterday's event at Ibrox . Of course, in Scotland, you always expect, even when the greatest Scot is being celebrated, somewhere in a corner, somebody would be sitting, a facee like a bulldog chewing a wasp and saying: "Ach him, ah kent his faither", then shaking his head in disgust. 

 

The lesson from yesterday's meeting was simple - at the highest level in football, even in a third world football economy such as Scotland's is - money talks. For all I know the requisitioners and their fan backers may have God and right on their side, but, the board has the support of the money men. They think there is a buck, albeit perhaps not a fast one, to be made out of Rangers and all they ask of the fans is - that they continue to turn up and hand over the dosh.

 

Some in the body of the kirk might decide to withhold their monetary support for the club until such times as they get a board with jibs they like the cut of, but, I feel these numbers will be small. The run-of-the-mill fans will continue to follow-follow; they might mump, moan, boo and complain, but, if the team keeps winning and does indeed manage to secure two more back-to-back promotions return to the top league in Scotland, then to Europe, they will contnue to hand over their hard-earned.

 

IF there are "real" Rangers fans out there, terminally unhappy with the way the club is now, as it has been for as long as I can remember, the play-thing of a few rich individuals, then might I suggest they take a leaf from England - do what the disaffected fans of Wimbledon and Manchester United did and form their own club - let's call it Real Rangers; enter that club into the new Lowland League, which is looking for additional recruits and try to get back to the big time from there.

 

If they cannot put-up, they  should shut-up and carry on supporting their club. They could force change by buying shares, forming genuine, lasting and working alliances and working from within the circus tent of Rangers, but, that will be a long, drawn-out way to the Promised Land.

 

At the moment, the Rangers Assembly, the Sons of Struth, the Vanguard Bears, and all the other wee independent lodges around Rangers are quite simply a Scottish variation on the Judean Peoples Front, the Popular Front for Judea and the other wee groups of zealots in Monty Python's 'Life of Brian' - and, to the rest of us, just as good a reason for pointing and laughing.

 

As for the board. They won the day yesterday, but, they are a long way from winning what promises to be a long and bitter war. They have to sort-out a club which is still disfunctional; the cost base is too-high, particularly in the matter of wages being paid. By the time they get back to the Premiership, Ibrox will need a whack of money spent on it - that has to be costed. They have to step up to the plate and perform, keeping the institutional investors happy, whilst keeping enough of the fans onside - that will not be an easy trick to pull off.

 

As for Ally McCoist, I reckon he's on a sticky wicket. He followd his heart and handed his proxy vote to the fans; only, we don't know how whoever voted on behalf of the East Kilbride RSC actually voted. But, his gesture might not have gone down well with some of the board members or some of the secretive money men. For as long as Rangers keep winning on the park, he is safe. However, should he ask for money to buy more, and more highly-paid players, his halo might slip.

 

In truth, given the quality of squad for the league they are in, just about anybody could manage Rangers and keep them winning. McCoist has, as yet, not shown any inkling of being even an average Rangers manager, such as his mentor Walter Smith (let's be honest, with the money and the players he had at his disposal during his nine-in-a-row run, "Walter" ought to have won more trophies - over-rated for me), far less a great Rangers manager, such as Struth or Symon.

 

This soap opera has a good bit still to run.

 

 

 

FINALLY, I turn to the Voice of the True Celtic Fan - self-styled "Rebel Journalist" Phil Mac Giolla Bhain.

 

You would have thunk that Celtic's welcome action in turning on the Green Brigade - just the sort of "Rebel Fans" PMGB represents in the blogsphere, would have forced some reaction from the Donegal-based tribune of the true fans - but no, not a dicky-bird has he written, far less posted online.

 

However, come the Rangers AGM and there he is, commenting for all he is worth. Such obsession with the opposition really demands medical intervention. He is clearly a sick man.