Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Scotland/Ranger Players in Trouble after terrible loss
Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor finished at Rangers and Scotland
From the Evening Times UK
Rangers were furious over V-signs from Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor
Bad boys suspended for two weeks
Skipper and keeper's Ibrox careers over
Boss Smith fury at drinks and V-signs
Exclusive by Thomas Jordan and Matthew Lindsay
RANGERS bad boys Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor's careers for club and country are over.
The Ibrox side are today expected to impose a maximum two-week suspension and fine on both players after manager Walter Smith banished them from the club's training ground this morning.
And the SFA are also expected to announce later today that neither player will be selected for international duty again.
Rangers chief executive Martin Bain was due to hold further talks with the players later today when they will be informed of their fate.
They will be told it is the end of the road for them at Rangers and that they will both be sold in the summer.
David Weir has been appointed the new club captain after Ferguson was sensationally stripped of the armband and banished with his close pal McGregor.
Chairman Sir David Murray, Bain and Smith were in total agreement that both players embarrassed the club with their drinking antics last weekend at the Scotland team hotel on the banks of Loch Lomond.
Ferguson and McGregor were the last two standing after a group of six players stayed up throughout the night after flying back from Holland, which forced national manager George Burley to drop them from the starting line-up to face Iceland.
Smith today confirmed Ferguson and McGregor had landed themselves in further hot water for giving V-signs in the dug-out at the Scotland game on Wednesday night.
He revealed it was the petulant pair's behaviour after they had been disciplined by Burley which had upset him.
Smith would not say whether they had a future or not, but sources say they will never play for Rangers again.
He said: "Martin Bain, our chief executive, will deal with the disciplinary side of things this afternoon. But Barry and Allan were both sent home from training. They will return later today to speak with Martin, and the club will make a statement after that.
"They won't be involved at the weekend. That is not something we would have wanted to happen at this time. Unfortunately, the timing of it is outwith our control. We have to react to the circumstances.
"It's regrettable it's happened at this time. The incident the Scotland players were involved in on Sunday morning of last week was obviously regrettable.
"But we then had an incident after that involving two players from our own club. That is what we have had to act on.
"George will deal with the international aspect of it. From our own point of view, it was regrettable we had a few players in that situation.
"What we have done has had nothing to do with bad publicity. We had to act after the actions they took at the Iceland game. That caused us to move.
"From the club's point of view, it wasn't a good image for them to portray. It was embarrassing for the players themselves I thought. It was embarrassing for this club as well. That was the disappointing thing about it.
"David Weir will be captain of Rangers between now and the end of the season."
The SFA's actions seemed strange given that chief executive Gordon Smith last night said that the matter was closed.
April 4, 2009 12:18 PM
From the Evening Times UK
Rangers were furious over V-signs from Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor
Bad boys suspended for two weeks
Skipper and keeper's Ibrox careers over
Boss Smith fury at drinks and V-signs
Exclusive by Thomas Jordan and Matthew Lindsay
RANGERS bad boys Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor's careers for club and country are over.
The Ibrox side are today expected to impose a maximum two-week suspension and fine on both players after manager Walter Smith banished them from the club's training ground this morning.
And the SFA are also expected to announce later today that neither player will be selected for international duty again.
Rangers chief executive Martin Bain was due to hold further talks with the players later today when they will be informed of their fate.
They will be told it is the end of the road for them at Rangers and that they will both be sold in the summer.
David Weir has been appointed the new club captain after Ferguson was sensationally stripped of the armband and banished with his close pal McGregor.
Chairman Sir David Murray, Bain and Smith were in total agreement that both players embarrassed the club with their drinking antics last weekend at the Scotland team hotel on the banks of Loch Lomond.
Ferguson and McGregor were the last two standing after a group of six players stayed up throughout the night after flying back from Holland, which forced national manager George Burley to drop them from the starting line-up to face Iceland.
Smith today confirmed Ferguson and McGregor had landed themselves in further hot water for giving V-signs in the dug-out at the Scotland game on Wednesday night.
He revealed it was the petulant pair's behaviour after they had been disciplined by Burley which had upset him.
Smith would not say whether they had a future or not, but sources say they will never play for Rangers again.
He said: "Martin Bain, our chief executive, will deal with the disciplinary side of things this afternoon. But Barry and Allan were both sent home from training. They will return later today to speak with Martin, and the club will make a statement after that.
"They won't be involved at the weekend. That is not something we would have wanted to happen at this time. Unfortunately, the timing of it is outwith our control. We have to react to the circumstances.
"It's regrettable it's happened at this time. The incident the Scotland players were involved in on Sunday morning of last week was obviously regrettable.
"But we then had an incident after that involving two players from our own club. That is what we have had to act on.
"George will deal with the international aspect of it. From our own point of view, it was regrettable we had a few players in that situation.
"What we have done has had nothing to do with bad publicity. We had to act after the actions they took at the Iceland game. That caused us to move.
"From the club's point of view, it wasn't a good image for them to portray. It was embarrassing for the players themselves I thought. It was embarrassing for this club as well. That was the disappointing thing about it.
"David Weir will be captain of Rangers between now and the end of the season."
The SFA's actions seemed strange given that chief executive Gordon Smith last night said that the matter was closed.
April 4, 2009 12:18 PM
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)