Scottish Football on the Brink

I generally don't blog all that much about football (surprisingly) but I think that it is important to have my say on the current situation at Rangers FC. For those of you that don't know, one of Scotland's two biggest clubs went into administration recently, resulting in a 10 point deduction and the specter of being wound up looming large over Ibrox. Being a Livingston fan, I'm in no position to laugh or enjoy their current situation because my club have been in and out of administration twice in the last 8 years. That lead to many a sleepless night and the unnerving fear of losing one of the most important things in my life. I'm going to have my say on the matter though because I'm genuinely worried for the Scottish game at the moment.

The first, and most important thing for me, is that Rangers deserve to be where they are just now. Poor management at boardroom level for the last 10 years has resulted in one of the biggest institutions in Scotland being brought to its knees. When Livingston hit the wall (on both occasions) my worst fear was that I was going to lose the club that I've supported avidly my whole life so I can sympathise with Rangers supporters on that level. What I can't sympathise with is that certain decision-makers over the years have caused this problem - a very similar situation to the way that Livingston has been run in it's short history. How a club with such a huge fan-base, generating so much money from gate-receipts and merchandise sales, can end up in a situation like this. Livingston is a small club that is actually younger than me but Rangers Football Club has been around for well over 100 years and for men in high places to lead them down the dark road they are on just now is unforgivable.

The man at the helm at the moment and the person that has taken them to the brink is Craig Whyte. His past is shrouded in negativity and his track record as chairman of a football club leaves a lot to be desired - 9 months in the job and look where they are now. Why he and his board thought that they were immune from having to pay taxes is beyond me. You simply don't go head to head with the HMRC because they are always likely to win. Every other club in the country will pay their taxes and get on with things, keeping their belts as tight as possible. The tax cases that have been brought against Rangers could be the death of a very old and much loved club.

If Rangers do end up going to the wall, I fear for the future of Scottish football. Without the 2 big forces in the country there will be no competition at all in an already less than competitive format. Celtic will win everything most of the time and one of the other teams will chip in occasionally but it just won't be the same. I come from a family with split allegiances to the two Glasgow clubs - personally I've always sided with the green half. My Grandpa will be crushed by losing the team that he has supported since he was a boy - a situation that will be evident right across Glasgow, deep into the heart of Govan. Football in Scotland more than anywhere else (in my opinion) is so much more than a sport. It is a way of life for so many millions of people and their families. Scottish football might limp on without Rangers but I'm not sure if some of its supporters will.

I sat in the stand on Saturday at the Livingston game and life was good. We won 4-0 and played pretty well in our manager's first game in charge. However, I had to spare a thought though for Rangers (which is a rarity in my life) because at that very moment they were being beaten by Kilmarnock. I don't and never have liked Rangers or their players in any way but I don't like seeing a giant on its knees with nothing but a blurry future to look into.

Thanks for reading,

Martin