Austerity budget will have silver lining for Rangers

Saturday, 31 July 2010 14:46

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Austerity budget will have silver lining for Rangers

By Jonathan Watt

For Great Britain, the argument was whether to cut now or let the country grow before reducing public services.  The Tories came to power and soon realised the situation was graver than they expected, weightier efficiencies had to be found.  In the long term, this plan is sensible and the British voted for it.

The plan for swinging spending cuts was backed by the Rangers owner Sir David Murray: "In the short term the Conservatives will be more ruthless about sorting out the national debt, which will not be good for business.  Labour will continue to spend, so in the long term the Conservatives will be better for the country."  The situation at Ibrox is similarly sobering, debt in danger of becoming uncontrollable and an austerity budget that would make a right-of-centre voter weep.  However, Rangers are not a democracy.  A huge majority of shareholders at the AGM voted against the re-election of Donald Muir to the board, tantamount to a supporter’s vote of no confidence in the club’s “sustainable business plan.”

When it came to card vote, Sir David’s card had 90% of the total votes. Murray’s yes vote a final admission from the recession scarred supremo that his champagne days are over and the club’s years of temperance must now begin.

What alternative could there have been?  Without an automatic Champions League place in Scotland after this season, it’s likely there will be a £10 million budget shortfall in both Glasgow club’s budgets.  Deficit reduction can be deferred no longer nor can Murray or Muir gamble on the club getting to the group stage of the competition.

Every club in the country must cut their cloth accordingly.  Celtic’s speculating to accumulate budget has been partly undone by shambolic preparation for their Champions League qualifying ties against Sporting Braga.

The budget’s been controversial, goalscorer-in-chief Kris Boyd has been allowed to exit without a suitable contract being offered.  Kevin Thomson has been sold as if he was a bit-part player, after Walter Smith stated that he saw him as a potential captain of the club. 

It is not too miserly to expect Rangers to play a striker who cost the best part of £4 million and replace Thomson with the talented Maurice Edu in the first team.  There are a significant number of players at Ibrox who have, while contributing to success, not shown their true ability.

As well as Messrs Lafferty and Edu, Andrew Webster might well be Scotland captain if his career had not been so blighted by injury.  A quite superb season at Dundee United has him poised to grab a place in the first team this season.  The same can be said of Steven Naismith, who hasn’t regularly featured over the last two seasons but will be desperate to show why he was courted by Arsenal as a teenager.

Perhaps more from necessity than want, there will be more opportunity for those from the youth conveyor belt to make their mark on the squad. The likes of John Fleck, Gregg Wylde, Jordan McMillan and Andrew Little all had valuable experience with the first team last season.  The products of Murray Park will be vital in fuelling the recovery; they are the low cost employees who will fill the gaps they covet in the playing staff for a lot less lucre.

 The future will be brighter for Rangers because of the cutbacks, they are in a position to absorb at least some of them, although one wide player and one forward still have to be signed.  The focusing on youth, the unlocking of potential in the current squad and the dramatic reduction of debt from Champions League revenue should serve the club well as they get further into the decade.

 Captain David Weir last week sounded calm and undaunted by Celtic’s spending as the Gers completed their pre-season trip to Australia, saying: “We have to make do as best we can with what we have at the moment; you have to play with what you have got at the end of day.  We have the experience at the club to cope with the situation.  We have players who have gone the distance, who have won championships.  They know what it means to play for Rangers.

 “No, I’m not jealous [of Celtic], they have got to go out and buy players because we have won the league in each of the last two seasons and they have to catch up to us, it is going to be a great season and we are all looking forward to the chance of defending our title.”

 Celtic’s summer recruitment drive takes their spending on the current squad to a total of £26 million, while Rangers have invested around £23 million in theirs, although both are still looking to add to their ranks.  David Weir has a point though.  Rangers did canter to the ticker tape last season but Celtic will undoubtedly be better this season than last.

Although supporters will grumble about a weakened team on the pitch, they can take comfort from the fact the team is still operating successfully despite being firmly in the red.  For that the staff still on the payroll must be congratulated.

When the true blue Conservative leaves, lessons will have to learned from the fiscal negligence of the club.  However, after the age of austerity subsides into history, new owners should remember that not all that Sir David did throughout his stewardship was unsustainable.  Walter Smith and Ally McCoist will tell them that.