The Rumour Mill: Tuesday’s football news and gossip

A flurry of developments at Ibrox mean that Rangers once again top the agenda in today’s back pages. The latest on staff redundancies has it that players attempted to strike a deal with administrators that would have seen a wage cut of up to 75 per cent for top earners; middle earning players and younger first team members would have also accepted a 50 per cent and 25 per cent cut, respectively. Despite this offer, administrators could not guarantee that these cuts would be enough to stave off redundancies. Administrators are expected to return to the bargaining table with players later today. (The Sun)

Meanwhile, The Daily Record draw up a host of doomsday scenarios from the tentative answers offered by SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster on the possibility of further punishment for Rangers. Doncaster did not rule out the possibility that Rangers might be stripped of all league titles from 1998 onwards due to the alleged non-disclosure of paperwork relating to payments made to players. The Daily Express reports that outright expulsion from the SPL is also on the cards should an investigation prove Rangers gave their players illegal contracts. The Daily Mail also talk of Rangers being relegated to the third division, “forced to mix with the likes of East Stirling and Peterhead.”

The Sun report that the SPL may yet dock more points from Rangers, with at least one chairman arguing that the ten point deduction does not go far enough; a 30 point deduction has been mooted as a possibility. Whatever the case, should Rangers remain in administration at the start of next season, they would face another ten point deduction.

Better news for Dunfermline, who are set to receive the long-awaited £85,000 ticket money from Rangers, the non-payment of which furrowed plenty of brows at East End Park as players received only 60 per cent of their wages. (Express)

Elsewhere, Aberdeen’s Gavin Rae has called for the club to tie down Kari Arnason to a new deal after the Icelandic international rejected the club’s offer of a new deal. Arnason’s agent is reported to be holding out for a contract that would land his client a weekly wage of £5,000. (Mail)

The Mail also report that ex-Aberdeen player Stuart Duff has signed for Kazakhstan outfit Kairat Almaty, who are managed by former Aston Villa manager John Gregory.

And, in the mother of all “and finally” items, Kris Boyd celebrated his debut goal for his new club Portland Timbers in the most literal way imaginable - by parading a tree log to fans after the final whistle. Portland Timbers were playing Swedish side AIK Stockholm in a pre-season friendly. Of his new club’s unusual tradition, Boyd said: “It was a bit strange at first!” There’s a joke in there somewhere.