A #1.2m spur as Rangers get the Durie's verdict

The striker, whom they have twice before tried to bring north, met

manager Walter Smith at Ibrox yesterday and agreed the terms that will

let him wear the strip he has coveted since he was a boy.

Said Smith: ''There are one or two loose ends to tie up but everything

looks fine and Gordon should sign tomorrow.'' Durie admitted that he had

begun to think this move would never happen and added: ''I have always

wanted to play for this club and I know I couldn't be going to a bigger

or better one.''

Negotiations between Rangers chairman David Murray and his counterpart

at White Hart Lane, Alan Sugar, were settled on Friday when the fee of

around #1.2m was agreed. That may be a long way short of the money Spurs

wanted for the man who cost them #2.2m from Chelsea in the summer of

1991, but the volatile relationship between Durie and the London club

has necessitated a compromise to satisfy both their requirements.

Rangers, under Graeme Souness, attempted to buy Durie when he was with

Chelsea but the asking price was too high, and that might also have been

the reason another attempt to sign him 18 months ago fell though.

The 27-year-old Durie has moved around since he first came to scouts'

notice with East Fife. He left them to join Hibs for #65,000 late in

1984 and two years later made his journey to England with Chelsea in a

#400,000 transfer.

He spent five years at Stamford Bridge before being whisked across

London to Spurs after a couple of previous bids from White Hart Lane had

been rejected.

With only Mark Hateley fully fit among their recognised strikers at

the moment -- #4m buy Duncan Ferguson is only just beginning his

recovery programme following injury and Ally McCoist is sidelined

temporarily with a calf injury -- Durie is likely to go into a

front-line role with Rangers but he can also be utilised as a wide

player, where he has played for all his clubs as well as his country.

With 25 Scotland caps to his name, Durie will also give Rangers an

important option as a home-bred player when they go into Europe next

season.

He went through a medical in Glasgow yesterday after discussions with

Smith, who will complete the formalities today when, all being well,

Durie will be given the official Ibrox red-carpet welcome.

The former Hibs man, who went through a spell when he seemed injury

prone, has had a roller-coaster time in London, especially with Spurs,

where he has sometimes hit the headlines for the wrong reasons. He was

found guilty by the FA a year ago of ''cheating'' by feigning injury

during a league match with Coventry City and was banned for three

matches but, backed by the English PFA, he won his appeal against the

decision.

And this season he had a confrontation with Spurs manager Ossie

Ardiles, swearing at the Argentinian after having been substituted

during a Coca Cola Cup-tie with Blackburn six weeks ago. He was fined,

dropped, put on the transfer list, and forced to train with the youth

side but was recalled to the first team for the 1-1 draw with Leeds

United on Saturday after injuries left Ardiles short of forwards.

His appearance in the Rangers team against Partick Thistle at Firhill

on Saturday will fulfil one of his most cherished ambitions. It has been

a long road to Govan.