Blinkers Need To Be Removed

Last updated : 28 March 2014 By Ed_ScottishFitba

C:WindowsTempphpC2B6.tmpAlly McCoist does not want to get drawn into the financial position of Rangers but surely even he must be aware that his plans for new signings may not be helped by the perilous financial position the clubs finds itself in. The League One champions posted figures showing a loss of £3.5m for the half-year to 31 December, 2013, while high running costs have forced them to borrow £1.5m from within Ibrox to help see them through to the end of the season. Former director and investor Dave King and a number of supporter groups are asking that season-ticket money be paid into a trust set up to pay the club on a game-by-game basis. This situation has forced chairman David Somers issue a warning over Rangers future as a 'going concern'. McCoist brought nine players in last close season - Cammy Bell, Steve Simonsen, Bilel Mohsni, Stevie Smith, Richard Foster, Nicky Law, Arnold Peralta, Nicky Clark and Jon Daly - and is hoping to add to his squad ahead of their Championship campaign next season.

In a statement released along with the club's interim results on Thursday, Somers said: "Operating costs had been running at a rate that could not be sustained by the revenue being generated by the club. For example, in the period under review, nine players were signed at a time when the club already had the second highest wage bill in Scottish football whilst playing in the third tier."

Looking only at the football side of things ahead of Saturday's trip to Arbroath, McCoist claimed the results on the pitch throughout the season justified his decision to add so many to his squad last year. He said: "We brought players in last year that's obviously evident. We've won the league, are in the final of the Ramsdens Cup, in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup and I don't think we would have achieved that without those players. So in an ideal world we have to keep moving forward and keep progressing. It is our job to do that and we are certainly looking to bring, if we can, changes to the squad. But I think the lads in the league campaign have done fine, 28 wins and two draws out of 30 would be acceptable in most team's books I would have thought. And obviously longer term and mid-term we need to do that again next year and that's to get out of the division. But short-term there will be some big, big games of football coming up which we need to concentrate totally on... starting with tomorrow against Arbroath."