The Rumour Mill: Friday’s football news and gossip

RANGERS IN TURMOIL

• Craig Whyte last night insisted he would return to Rangers. The discredited Ibrox owner said: “I will absolutely be back to finish what I started at Ibrox.” He also claimed that the new £14m figure of tax owed to the HMRC (as opposed to the previously reported £9m) did not “stack up”. (BBC)

• Paul Murray has welcomed the emergence of former Ibrox boardroom colleague Dave King as a potential member of a consortium aiming to drag Rangers out of administration and the ownership of Craig Whyte. “I want everyone with an interest in the future of Rangers to come forward,” Murray told The Scotsman. “This is not about ruling anyone in or out. I know Dave King well and served with him on the club’s board before. But I wouldn’t single Dave or me out, or anyone else. This is about more than one person.”

• Outgoing director of football Gordon Smith yesterday hit out at Craig Whyte, complaining that the owner had not allowed him to do his job. “There’s no point in being a director of football unless you can control these areas (recruitment, scouting, transfer negotiations and youth development), so, in that respect I’m totally comfortable with being made redundant at this time.” (Various)

• Former Rangers boss Walter Smith has broken his silence on the crisis at Ibrox. He said it is the “fans who will be suffering most” and called on those responsible for the financial strife to be “held to account”. (Record)

• Strathclyde Police have warned that no more games will be played at Ibrox until Rangers pay a £17,000 bill for policing their last match. (Sun)

• Administrators Duff and Phelps have passed a dossier on Rangers’ dealings to the police. (Various)

• The website SaveRangers.com, launched yesterday by fans’ groups, saw £5.8 million in pledges made within the first 24 hours. (Scotsman)

Walter Smith has confirmed he has rejected the chance to return management with Wolves. The former Rangers and Everton manager was asked to take over until the end of the season after turning down a full-time offer as Mick McCarthy’s successor. He said: “It was a purely personal thing, nothing to do with Wolves. I know Jez Moxey [Wolves chief executive] and knew I was more of a fall-back than anything. We didn’t even get as far as discussing money.” (Various)

Former Celtic striker Craig Beattie has signed for Hearts for the rest of the season. Twenty-eight-year-old Beattie, who has seven full Scotland caps, was a free agent after negotiating an early release from his Swansea City contract. Hearts completed his signing yesterday in the face of competition from Kilmarnock, St Mirren and St Johnstone. (Scotsman)

The SFA has agreed to give careful consideration to the merits of summer football as part of a wider study of the fixture calendar. The study, which will encompass potential changes in both the professional and amateur games, will get under way after receiving formal approval from the Professional Game Board and Non-Professional Game Board. (Various)

IN BRIEF

• Dundee United have enlisted the help of the FA to recoup the six-figure payment due to them from Blackburn Rovers for David Goodwillie, which is now ten days overdue. (Sun)

• Aberdeen boss Craig Brown has warned his strikers they have to start scoring or they will be shown the door. (Record)

• Falkirk boss Steven Pressley has accepted a four-game ban for his half-time rant at referee Euan Norris during the League Cup semi-final defeat to Celtic. (Record)

• Cowdenbeath have extended the loan deal of Kilmarnock youngster Gary Fisher for another two months. (Record)

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