Rangers fans march on Hampden and vow "action" against other clubs

Saturday 28 April 2012

The Rangers Fans Fighting Fund have vowed to take "appropriate action" against rival clubs depending on the outcome of their appeal against league sanctions imposed this week.

Former Rangers player Sandy Jardine, who works for the club, today hosted a meeting of fans' representatives at Ibrox to discuss their campaign.

Rangers have appealed against a £160,000 fine and 12-month transfer embargo imposed by a Scottish Football Association judicial panel and await the outcome of a Scottish Premier League vote on financial fair play proposals on Monday.

Jardine was speaking before leading a march to Hampden to protest against the SFA's actions, which were mainly brought on a disrepute charge. Some 5000 fans took to the streets of Glasgow. "The supporters want to demonstrate a united front and the feeling over disgraceful decisions against our club," Jardine said. He added: "There is a feeling in the supporters' group that they have been kicked that much, that if we have to we will go to the Third Division." Speaking after the Ibrox meeting, Jardine said: "We will wait to see what the SPL and the SFA do with the supposed sanctions and, after that, we as a body will take appropriate action against either the governing bodies or the individual clubs we feel have been detrimental to Rangers Football Club. "There is nothing off the table, we will wait and see what the SFA and SPL do. They might not take any action, which is great. But if they do then we will address these actions in an appropriate manner." Jardine refused to comment on whether clubs who vote for the SPL proposals would be targeted by fans, with a boycott of away grounds the most likely action. And when asked how they would decide and discover which clubs were deemed to be acting unfairly towards Rangers, Jardine said: "Not all clubs are against Rangers, we have some friends out there. We will find out one way or another." The SPL proposals involve increasing the points deduction for teams in administration from 10 points to at least 15, or a third of the previous season's tally if greater. They also deal with the prospect of a newco club, the option favoured by American Bill Miller, one of two bidders. A new club, if accepted by the SPL board, would be deducted 10 points for two seasons and lose 75% of their league income for three years. Clubs such as Dunfermline and Dundee United were owed money by Rangers when they went into administration and £800,000 of Lee Wallace's transfer fee is owed to Hearts. Rangers supporters liaison officer Jim Hannah brushed off the suggestion that it might be wrong to target clubs who had suffered from the financial mismanagement at Ibrox. "These clubs benefit out of Rangers," Hannah said. "They make money from Rangers every time we play them at their ground. "They can make up to maybe £250,000 a season from Rangers fans and they are taking action against Rangers in the situation we are in. "Not one them are saying remove Rangers from the SPL. They want to keep Rangers in the SPL. Why do they want to keep Rangers in the SPL?" Andy Kerr, president of the Rangers Supporters Assembly, said fans hoped the march and demonstration sent out a strong message. Strathclyde Police said the march passed off peacefully. Chief Superintendent Andy Bates said: "There were no arrests at today's protest and I'm delighted at the way that the supporters conducted themselves."

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Rangers fans march on Hampden and vow "action" against other clubs

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