Old Firm's problems are self-inflicted

THE financial difficulties of Rangers and, to a lesser extent, Celtic have been brought about by using a badly flawed business plan. Despite both organisations over the past ten years regularly featuring in the list of the top 20 revenue earning clubs in the world, this income has been frittered away.

Instead of investing in bringing through their own young players, they have paid inflated prices for foreign "stars" and paid over the odds to other Scottish clubs (thank you very much say Hibs) for developing talent.

The concern of Lloyds over a £20/30million debt is very strange – this after all is an organisation that has just written off £8billion of lending.

Probably they are using Rangers to demonstrate to large Scottish companies and to other borrowers that they better get their acts together.

IAN LEWIS
Mayfield Terrace
Edinburgh

Rangers manager Walter Smith's observation that Lloyds Banking Group are now running the financially-troubled Ibrox club (Scotsman, 27 October) provides an interesting political opportunity. Lloyds Banking Group itself has been financially troubled and is now part-nationalised.

Mandelson and Brown should seize the opportunity and declare they are willing to financially support the failing club on the sole condition that it merges with an equally failing English club. This will again prove the benefit of the Union and the weakness of the Scottish economy – once again being bailed out.

Indeed, it accelerates some people's aspirations of Rangers playing in the English leagues.

MICHAEL N CROSBY
Little Compston
Muiravonside
By Linlithgow

When two clubs in the SPL broadcast they have no desire to play in that league, and are conspiring to move elsewhere, then good management suggests that pre-emptive measures need to be taken.

Starting from the beginning of next season, both of those clubs should be replaced by two from the First Division along with the two who merit promotion.

This change should, hopefully, lead to the restructure of leagues badly in need of change and more designed in favour of supporters who attend fixtures, and preferably on Saturday afternoons.

DAVID McPHILLIPS
Broomfield Crescent
Edinburgh

In your preview of the Dundee versus Rangers semi-final in the Co-operative Insurance Cup, the only mention of Dundee is the odd comment by Walter Smith on his opponents.

Could there not have been some information about the likely Dundee team, or are there only two teams in Scotland for all commentators?

PROF J E McLACHLAN
Bryce Road
Currie