Rangers Are Only Paying Price Of Success

May 11 2008 Andy Walker

WHAT a mess we are in. Apparently everyone is laughing at us. We are officially a complete joke and Scottish football is being shown in a bad light across the world.

We should all be concentrating on the nerve-racking SPL title race and an equally magnificent four-way fight for the chance to finish third and earn a slot in the UEFA Cup.

Yet all we seem to be good at is bickering about a fixtures row that threatens to take some shine off Rangers' remarkable achievement in reaching the UEFA Cup Final.

But the idea that the rest of the world is laughing at us - as if they get everything right - is a piece of nonsense.

If Rangers were scheduled at the start of the season to play a UEFA Cup Final, as Zenit St Petersburg are, does anyone really believe there wouldn't be an appetite for changes to fixtures that would help them?

They'd get all the support required.

Being portrayed as a Mickey Mouse league is nothing new, believe me.

I played down south for six years in the 90s and even then every Englishman I met thought we had a Mickey Mouse set up. They still do.

When I told them guys like Paul McStay and Ally McCoist would get in to any team they cared to mention the response was they had not even heard of two of our best players.

Let's not kid ourselves the Premiership is beyond reproach. Did we not laugh at them not long ago when the idea of a 39th league game across the globe was put forward? What did we think when Manchester United were allowed to withdraw from the FA Cup as holders to travel halfway round the globe for a meaningless World club tournament?

The truth is Rangers' unfortunate fixtures backlog is simply the result of a unique set of circumstances.

Dreadful weather, a couple of unlikely Scottish Cup replays and the fact the title race might go down to goal difference means neither Rangers nor Celtic should be allowed to play their final game of the season knowing exactly what they have to do.

But most importantly of all Rangers kept on winning in Europe.

The excitement mounted with each incredible and surprising victory.

And while it's extremely tough to be asked to play so many games in such a short space of time it's inevitable when you're successful.

Calls for strong leadership in Scottish football and for the SPL, SFL and SFA to come under one big umbrella are also pretty pointless.

Yes, it would be good for the game in general but the biggest dissenters would be Sir David Murray and Celtic.

That's why it won't happen.

There's not a chance either would welcome being dictated to by an independent voice.

One of the main reasons for the inception of the SPL was because the Old Firm hated being told what to do by the rest of Scottish football. The SPL voting structure suits the Big Two.

It is absurd to suggest there is some kind of plot to undermine Gers as they attempt to secure trophies at home and abroad, an unprecedented quadruple.

Murray (below) was said to be furious when Rangers' request to postpone yesterday's game at Ibrox with Dundee United was knocked back by the SPL and the Tannadice board.

When did he think it could be played?

It's unreasonable to delay the Scottish Cup Final and inconvenience the rest of the SPL by asking them to extend the season even further.

If someone could come up with a better solution I've yet to hear it.

SPL chairman Lex Gold doesn't get much right but he was spot on when pointing out he has a responsibility to 12 clubs, each of whom is only really interested in what's best for them.

Rangers are going for a title and the UEFA Cup, both massive prizes. Celtic are also in the hunt to retain their league crown and if roles were reversed the Ibrox club and their fans would be delighted the Hoops were having to endure such a tough schedule.

And Celtic, if asked, would love to be in their rivals' shoes this week.

Equally, Dundee United, Motherwell, Hibs and Aberdeen have huge prizes of their own to worry about.

Meanwhile, Queen of the South have qualified for their first Scottish Cup Final. Do we just ignore their needs simply because they're a small club?

As a result of this mess Murray has insisted on a showdown meeting with the SPL at the end of the season.

Will anything really be gained by it?

Are we to hear of various knee-jerk reactions to what has been an extraordinary set of circumstances in a bizarre and surprising season?

One proposal put forward by Scotland manager George Burley was to scrap all Scottish Cup replays.

Is that really a good thing?

They've been part of the Scottish football fabric for years and offer a huge if unexpected source of income for many clubs.

Rangers feel hard done by but the same unprecedented circumstances would conspire against any other club in a similar situation.

By definition the SPL are the clubs and Rangers are partly responsible for putting the rulemakers and regulations in place.

Now that they can turn their thoughts to Manchester, Rangers should make the most of being in a UEFA Cup Final. I believe it's an achievement for them, not Scottish football.