The Rumour Mill: Friday’s football news and gossip

Published on 04/05/2012 10:34

In today’s Rumour Mill: The latest in the Rangers takeover as Bill Miller prepares to fly in; Motherwell boss wants to begin player talks; Neil Lennon banned from touchline; plus the rest of the day’s football news and gossip.

Rangers takeover

• The Chicago based businessman Bill Miller will fly into Glasgow within the next few days to finalise his Rangers buyout. (Various)

• The registrations of the current Rangers playing squad would be automatically transferred to the new company that Bill Miller intends to set up if he is successful in buying the assets of the current Ibrox club, sources close to administrators Duff & Phelps have claimed. (Scotsman)

• Bill Miller needs the co-operation of Craig Whyte to avoid the liquidation of Rangers — that’s according to football finance expert Neil Patey. A partner at Ernst and Young, Patey argued that majority stakeholder Whyte needs to transfer his shares to allow preferred bidder Miller to merge Rangers with a newco. (Record)

• Some players are understood to be unhappy they have not been properly informed about Miller’s plans and the union is angry that its members have been given contradictory advice about their contractual status. A dispute would cause enormous problems — especially if the 12-month transfer embargo is not lifted after appeal — and Miller is expected to talk to the players soon in attempt to secure their support. (Herald)

Well boss keen to keep squad together

Motherwell manager Stuart McCall is set for talks with the club’s hierarchy and his out of contract players in a bid to keep his squad intact for Champions League football next season. McCall said: “I hope from my point of view we can keep the majority of the squad that have been so successful this season.” (Scotsman)

Celtic boss will watch rest of season from the stands

Neil Lennon has been hit with a further six-game touchline ban from the SFA — but half of his punishment has been suspended until the end of next season. Lennon received the touchline ban for confronting referee Euan Norris after Celtic’s Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Hearts at Hampden. (Express)

IN BRIEF

• Neil Lennon will have to fight off Southampton if he is to land Burnley striker Jay Rodriguez. (Record)

• Hearts midfielder Ian Black is looking forward for a move to England’s top flight after it was announced he’d be leaving Tynecastle in the summer. (Various)