Rangers’ woes pay dividends

AS A supporter of a provincial football club, I am delighted with the news that Rangers FC has gone into administration and hopefully liquidation. This can only be great for Scottish football that one of the two dinosaurs of the game in Scotland has been felled by an icy blast of financial realism. We all have to pay our taxes to the treasury so why should Rangers FC be immune? I feel sure that the toppling of this gigantic edifice of Scottish football will hugely benefit professional football in Scotland.

The balance of power in the Scottish game will shift away from the “Old Firm” and towards other football clubs in Scotland, which will make for a more competitive Scottish Football League. This will help to remove much of the boredom afflicting the SPL.

The demise of Rangers will help to stem the flow of foreign players into the Scottish game and in turn assist the development of our native football talent. In time, this should provide an added benefit to the Scottish international team.

It will also hopefully put a curb on Rangers’ practice of buying young talented players from provincial clubs and then leaving them to rot in reserve football or a place on the bench while denying them the opportunity to develop their footballing skills in an appropriate competitive environment.

The absence of Rangers and Celtic games will also help to reduce the sectarian hatred which has inflicted a dreadful stain on the professional football game in Scotland.

All we need now is for Celtic either to return to their heartland in Ireland or England (if they are prepared to accept them) and we can then re-create a professional football game in Scotland that meets the requirements of the whole nation rather than constantly bowing to the needs of Rangers and Celtic.

Dr Jim Hay, Menstrie, Clackmannanshire