Should rangers be allowed time off to prepare for uefa cup..

[giantredwood]

Did'nt Rangers get a game postponed on their request earlier in the season after the Lyon game while Aberdeens request to have their game rescheduled was turned down.

Yip. I don't actully recall the reason given by the SPL for not accepting our request, if there was one. Might have been that the opposition didn't agree, which I accept.

The reason was that it was'nt Rangers or Celtic that wanted the postponement

[the ringmaster]

I personally think Rangers are being put at a distinct disadvantage in the spl for reaching the uefa cup final but putting that to one side im also thinking walter needs to stop flogging the same players week in week out surely big Boyd , Buffel, Fleck, Webster, Gow , Burke ,Faye , Smith and Furman must be deperate to be let of the leash after a season when all of them have failed to really contribute apart from Boyd, anybody remember Damarcus Beasley

[Ninja Mania]

Play his reserve team against the Queens and give the younger ones some experience...
Come next year most of their players will be selling for around 20 million a heed and heading south.
Now is the chance for the young uns to get a medal, no matter what the colour, and gain some experience for next years campaign.

Now that would be a final I would like to see.

[Hail to the Thief]

im also thinking walter needs to stop flogging the same players week in week out surely big Boyd , Buffel, Fleck, Webster, Gow , Burke ,Faye , Smith and Furman must be deperate to be let of the leash after a season when all of them have failed to really contribute apart from Boyd, anybody remember Damarcus Beasley

Exactly, to think that Gow could have got regular games at Falkirk/Hibs/Aberdeen this season, and yet is rumoured to be not even training with the first team squad at times. Rangers have a big enough squad to deal with the games, but they obviously don't trust any of the above to do a job.

The SPL have already extended the season, resulting in thousands of pounds lost by players missing holidays, not to mention fans who are repeatedly asked to change their plans. As pointed out they also got the Gretna game postponed to help them against Lyon. Maybe after that result the SPL think they are doing them a favour. The season shouldn't be extended any further IMO, this is just a consequence of them doing well, they just need to live with it. The Zenit situation is totally different, with their league running til the end of November or thereabouts they have plenty of time to reschedule games. I don't quite know when Rangers were suggesting moving the games to suit them, the SPL didn't have a choice IMO.

And as for doing away with the League Cup, that would be nonsense. With the dominance the OF have in the league there are only two realistic attempts at silverware for the rest of the teams, and to even win the 'diddy cup' is an enormous achievement and a great day out. Best footballing experience last March with Hibs, and given we've waited 106 years and counting for the Scottish Cup, we need something to boast about every decade or so!

[the ringmaster]

Will be interesting to see who lines up for Rangers tomorrow against Motherwell as Walter's not shown really any signs of making changes so far and I get the feeling it will be much the same team who looked so jaded against the hibees which worrys me

[Sheik Yir Erse]

I do have some sympathy for Rangers plight, and I also believe that if there was scope to move the dates then the SPL would probably have done it.

What strikes me as being odd as to why the outcry so long AFTER the initial decision - which was made on the 22nd April. At that point everyone just humphed and got on with it. Of all the SPL managers I've heard with something to say about it, they've all been against the extension - it's not only Celtic.

I know several events have conspired to cause the congestion and Rangers can point to most of them not being their fault, however I read there were 3 free midweek slots to re-organise the postponed Gretna game (for Lyon) and the postponed game for Scotland v Italy (St Mirren, I think?) Rangers chose not to utilise these. Two were in December and one was in February. Celtic re-arranged their postponed game as a result of Scotland match in December and actually dropped points that night.

Walter Smith on 3rd April:

"If, and it is a big if, we were to progress in all the tournaments then it becomes practically impossible for us to play the games. But can I just clarify no-one from Rangers has ever asked the SPL to extend the season and we will not ask them to extend the season."

But as I said at the beginning - I do believe that in a normal season Rangers should be entitled to have the previous game postponed and they would have got it. Unfortunately they've just got to roll the sleeves up and get on with it now, and win the cup in spite of everyone else

[The modfather]

Didnt celtic have games postponed in 2003?

It also sums up the farce that is scottish football when it is run by 2 different governing bodies, 3 if you include celtic

The fact that the head of the sfa is backing rangers on their cause speaks volumes for the cause, and the different motives of each organisation

It should be one organisation for all, not of this contrasting views carry on

[Sheik Yir Erse]

Modfather, you're correct Celtic had a game postponed in 2003, but as I said there was no massive fixture pile-up and it could be accomodated without extending the season. I think Rangers should be helped to win the UEFA Cup, but the SPL simply can be seen to help them win the SPL, which is what extending the season AGAIN would be doing.

You're entirely correct that the 3 governing bodies is Scotland - the SFL, the SFA and SPL doesn't make life any easier for anyone, perhaps this will be the catalyst for change. However it should be a surprise to no-one that Gordon Smith and George Peat have come out in support of Rangers. The Scottish Cup has never been moved in 100 years to accomodate a club, and Celtic have also been forced to play 8 games in 4 days, therefore Rangers plight is not unprecedented.

Finally - just to show you how the world of football has changed in the last 100 years (I put this in as a mirth maker as opposed to making any serious point) in 1909 Celtic had to play 8 games in 12 days to meet the end of the season Can you imagine Ballack & Co doing that for the best part of £250,000

[Sheik Yir Erse]

The fact that the head of the sfa is backing rangers on their cause speaks volumes for the cause, and the different motives of each organisation. It should be one organisation for all, not of this contrasting views carry on

Modfather you also have to appreciate that the SPL was set-up primarily to benefit 2 clubs, when you look at the voting structure and the TV revenue split - it's not hard to work out who those two clubs are. Therefore for either Celtic or Rangers fans to be complaining that the SPL is against them, will no doubt be met with 'amusement' from fans of the other SPL teams.

[John A]

The Scottish Cup has never been moved in 100 years to accomodate a club, and Celtic have also been forced to play 8 games in 4 days, therefore Rangers plight is not unprecedented.

Bloody hell when was this?!!!!

[Hume]

The Scottish Cup has never been moved in 100 years to accomodate a club, and Celtic have also been forced to play 8 games in 4 days, therefore Rangers plight is not unprecedented.

Bloody hell when was this?!!!!

I read that and it didn't register with me! Still a three hour day, not too bad!

Sheik I can't beat that stat, but slightly more recently than 1909 there has been 7 league games in the last 15 days in 83-84, albeit the it was won at Tyncastle with four to spare. A fixture pile up was caused by getting to LCP Semi, ECWC Semi and SCP Final but the season ended on time. Not sure what would have happend if Aberdeen had beaten Porto and had to face Juve on Wed 16th May? Get on with it perhaps?

Sat Apr 28 1984 P Dundee 0-1 Aberdeen
Mon Apr 30 1984 P Aberdeen 1-0 St Johnstone
Wed May 2 1984 P Hearts 0-1 Aberdeen
Sat May 5 1984 P Aberdeen 2-2 Hibernian
Mon May 7 1984 P Ddee Utd 0-0 Aberdeen
Wed May 9 1984 P Aberdeen 0-0 Rangers
Sat May 12 1984 P St Mirren 3-2 Aberdeen
Sat May 19 1984 Scottish Cup Aberdeen 2-1 Celtic

and

Sat Apr 25 1987 P Falkirk 1-2 Dundee United
Tue Apr 28 1987 P Dundee United 2-1 Hamilton Accies
Sat May 2 1987 P Dundee United 2-1 Hibernian
Wed May 6 1987 UEFA IFK Gothenburg Dundee United
Sat May 9 1987 P Motherwell 1-0 Dundee United
Mon May 11 1987 P Heart Of Midlothian 1-1 Dundee United
Sat May 16 1987 Scottish Cup St Mirren 1-0 Dundee United
Wed May 20 1987 UEFA Dundee United IFK Gothenburg

No postponements before either leg of the UEFA cup final, one of those games being a Scottish Cup Final.

Now, I'm sure Ferguson and Wee Jum especially had a good moan about this but that's what being successful involves.

[Ranald]

I think Rangers should be helped to win the UEFA Cup, but the SPL simply can be seen to help them win the SPL, which is what extending the season AGAIN would be doing.

Spot on.

Celtic didn't actually have a game postponed in 2003 but played Dundee on the Wednesday BEFORE the Saturday when they were due to play them. On that occasion the SPL initially refused Celtic's request for a change of date and it was only when Dundee stepped in and submitted a joint request that it was approved.

The Scottish Cup has never been moved in 100 years to accomodate a club, and Celtic have also been forced to play 8 games in 4 days, therefore Rangers plight is not unprecedented.

Bloody hell when was this?!!!!

1908 or something I think!

[The modfather]

Well, the fact that several media outlets today are publicising (to quote) "Two people from the SFA were contacted by Celtic" yesterday with regards to the season being extended. What has it to do with them? Was the sporting integrity of the league in question?

It will really hit home next season when rangers reject all allocation of tickets for away games

[Sheik Yir Erse]

Bloody hell when was this?!!!!

John - sorry that should have read 4 games in 8 days I think it was the '73 season, but I'll double check it, however the 1909 stat is correct about the 8 games in 12 days.

[Stone Cold aka Doags Bs]

Why punish a team that has been so successful this season though? Rangers only requested one game to be postponed and have ended up in this predicament, hardly the clubs fault.