Barry Ferguson believes that the SPL never did enough to help Rangers (IL) during the 2007/08 season!
Just like the demotion myth and survival myth that facts of a season that ended on a Thursday night are completely at odds with the paranoia of Ibrox fans.
With ex Rangers stars Lex Gold and Gordon Smith in charge of the SPL and SFA the two footballing authorities went out of their way to help their old club- a policy that continued until 2012 and the death certificate delivered by HMRC.
A number of favours were granted on top of fielding ineligible players most of whom were having their wages bloated by ‘EBT’ payments which should have been subject to income tax and national insurance deductions.
Never before has a league season finished on a Thursday night- for the benefit of one club who were able to pick and choose their fixtures through the season.
While the Ibrox club did play five matches in 11 days at the end of the season Fergie has maybe forgotten the 10 day break between the December 1 match against Kilmarnock and the December 12 Champions League match against Lyon.
Rangers REQUESTED the postponement of a match against GRETNA to give them extra time to prepare to face Lyon but got pumped 3-0 and dumped into the UEFA Cup.
While Fergie was splitting his time between Murray Park and McDonald’s Celtic were undergoing a gruelling programme without complaint.
The hoops faced Shakhtar Donestsk on Wednesday November 28, Hearts at Tynecastle on December 1 and AC Milan on Tuesday December 4.
Three matches in seven days including two Champions League ties. The two points dropped at Tynecastle almost proved fatal to Celtic’s title hopes. The hoops played nine times between November 28 and December 29.
Bleating about his schedule to Simon Ferry Ferguson said: “I don’t know if it was the amount of games running up to it. I don’t know if you remember but the SPL or SFA never helped us. Surely if a club gets to a European final then some help should be given.
“We just didn’t feel right, in a cup final you should get the full week to prepare leading up to it.
“I’m not using it as an excuse before people start tweeting but I just don’t think it was fair cause no matter if it’s Rangers or Celtic you surely want your clubs to be successful in Europe for Scottish football’s sake. It was a great run and we just fell at the final hurdle.”
On January 13 Rangers (IL) were due to play East Stirling in the Scottish Cup but a burst of rain conveniently left Ibrox waterlogged, when the game was rescheduled for January 23 it meant that a Celtic v Rangers (IL) game was postponed giving the Ibrox club two home derby matches before they finally ventured to Celtic Park for the first time of the season in April!
As they picked and chose their fixtures one match away to St Mirren kept getting kicked into the long grass.
Fortunately for Fergie and his Europ heroes St Mirren were in the bottom six when Walter Smith took his side to Love Street for a 3-0 on Monday May 19- two days after the Paisley side had completed their bottom six schedule of matches.
To say the Paisley side were already on the beach was an understatement.
In a move that threw sporting integrity out the window the SPL rescheduled the final top six fixtures to suit one club with the final day fixtures pushed back from Sunday May 18 to Thursday May 22 to the inconvenience of five clubs.
While Rangers enjoyed a weekend game on May 17 before their final SPL match at Pittodrie Aberdeen were left idle between May 10 and May 22.
With nothing but pride to play for the Dons managed to beat Rangers (IL) 2-0.
Over at the SFA Gordon Smith tried to shift Queen of the South’s big day out at the Scottish Cup Final to a Wednesday night but found his plan rejected.
The Dumfries side had no games from April 26 to May 24 but still ran Walter Smith’s EBT stars close going down 3-2 at Hampden.
For added assistance Mike McCurry was a popular choice for Rangers (IL) matches throughout the season.