Back in September last year I wrote about the possibility of a Newco Rangers and would I support them. At the time I said I wouldn’t.

Its not quite gone the way I thought it would.

The debts were bigger, it wasn’t even the big tax case that put it over the edge, Craig Whyte had duped everyone more than any0ne had expected and even after liquidation questions remain.

Are Rangers still Rangers?

Ask certain people and they will say no, the club formed in 1872 are dead and gone.

Others say just the holding company that started in 1899 has gone and the football club continues. Interestingly this isn’t just spiel from Rangers fans or the Newco bosses but has also been said by the liquidators and HMRC.

So when I made my initial decision it was in all honesty with the thought that the name and history would also go down the drain. So the fact they may not confuses matters.

When I told people of my thoughts back in September and since then, I was told numerous times that I would change my mind. There would still be a Rangers, they would play in blue and play at Ibrox.

So where do I stand now?

Well I now have to tell you I no longer have a football team, in which I passionately support.

Firstly let me say I am very proud of my years supporting Rangers and wouldn’t change them for anyone else.

I do believe the club has changed and for me I am unsure about whether or not this newco can lay claim to the history. I wont fight anyone over it. If Rangers fans believe this is still Rangers FC and still the one that they have always supported then good luck to them and to their team. I certainly don’t think any worse of them or believe that everyone or in fact anyone should take the same stance as me.

I would urge the fans to keep an eye on Charles Green, I don’t trust him to be perfectly honest but that said after the debacle of Whyte’s era and in the way David Murray sold the club, I would struggle to trust anyone at the moment.

I wish luck to all those that work under the new regime. These ordinary workers have been working with uncertainty for too long now and I hope they all keep their jobs.

The main thing for me is the club never did enough to cut the debts properly. Players should have been sold, players shouldn’t have been signed and more info should have been made available to the fans sooner.

I welcome a police review on Craig Whyte and his dealings and I also urge that HMRC do as they say and continue to go after those that are to blame for this mess.

Ally McCoist will always be my hero. I think the man deserves so much credit for sticking by the club and its support. I wish him all the success in the world with whatever he does next, be it at the newco or not.

A lot of fans have had a go at the players for leaving.

Listen this is their careers, they have already worked with severe pay cuts. To try and force them into working for the new company was never going to sit well with them. At this stage they have no idea what league the team shall be playing football next season. They are footballers who have families and careers to lookout for and like me probably don’t trust the new owners.

So I have no problem with any player that decides to leave, or I wouldn’t if I remained a Gers fan. I believe they should show McCoist some respect and tell him their decisions before the press but apart from that issue, I wish them all success in their future careers.

For players that stay, I applaud them for that decision. It shows great commitment to the fans that will remain in the Ibrox stands.

Can I finish this article by making a few points.

This decision has nothing to do with glory hunting or SPL status. If Rangers are in an SFL league next term, which is highly likely, then I will make it to a few games at Ibrox. It might make me think again about my decision but I know what wont change is that Ibrox is my footballing home and I will be back there at some stage next season.

I shall always support Scotland and Scottish football. Though I will make more of an effort to see more games abroad.

I will not support any other side, I have spent over twenty years of my life passionately supporting Rangers and could not do that with any other club in the world.

I know I will be accused as being a traitor or the like but I can’t change my principles. I don’t judge anyone else and I applaud those that will support newco Rangers.

Its been sad to see a bunch of fans all over the world that have shown absolutely no support to the Gers fans, who gloated over there suffering and haven’t shown the normal fans any sympathy whatsoever. That doesn’t sit well with me and if it happens to your club, and I hope it doesn’t, then may you at least receive some support from fellow fans.

To the ones that have shown sympathy, I thank you.

What can never change is my memories. I will forever remember the day Rangers beat Fiorentina in the UEFA Cup and seen us reach the final, the battle of Britain games, the 6-2 defeat by Celtic and the night we secured nine in a row!

So good luck to the newco and more importantly to the fans.

Posted on June 26th, 2012 by scott
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