"Let the others come after us. We welcome the chase. It is healthy for us.
We will never hide from it. Never fear."
- William Struth
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A Miller's Tale

Written by: The Ref
Tuesday, 24th January 2017

No, not quite the Chaucer version; but a conundrum which many Rangers supporters argue over: almost weekly.

Kenny Miller is a Rangers player. He has also played for other clubs, including Celtic. His career has taken him to the highest league in England, the Champions League, and International honours. He was signed by Rangers when he was still a young player; learning his trade, but talented without a doubt. Another who was signed young and had similar potential was Steven Naismith. At the time of both transfers, I saw massive potential in both, but it's Miller I'd like to focus on.

Regardless of whether you agree with the moves Miller has made during his career; you cannot disagree that he has been a very good professional footballer and has been successful. Yes, he has faults, and there are aspects of his game which could have been better, but it is undeniable that he has made the most of the skills and attributes he has.

He joined Rangers for the third time, on a fairly short term deal. At the time our club had been punished; some would say illegally, by those who were running Scottish football at the time. The fact that the head of the snake which brought about those punishments is now controlling the professional game in Scotland is a damming indictment of the current state of affairs in Scottish football, and his control has now spread to the point where he now controls the Scottish written media. Anyway, I digress.

Miller joined us in the twilight of his career, a struggling club; ostracised and illegally punished. A club regarded as a pariah due to an organised and orchestrated hateful media campaign against the club. Many Rangers supporters had doubts about his signing, not because he had played for Celtic, but because they considered him as being past his best; with his career on the wane.


The reality is: we are where we are, and after years of persecution, while Celtic FC have reaped the benefits of uncontested attempts at gaining entry as Scotland’s sole representative in the Champions League, we have been massively disadvantaged financially. It isn't just Rangers who have been disadvantaged though: before supporters of other Scottish clubs start jumping on their moral high horses, may I point out that they should acknowledge and accept that they were taken in by the lynch mob led by Peter Lawwell and his media cohorts who promised them a promised land of increased attendances and a more competitive league. Those clubs and supporters who voted in favour of the punishments which saw our club placed in the lowest tier of Scottish professional football, have since seen St Mirren, Dundee United, and Hibernian lose their top flight status. How long do you think it would take before the penny dropped and those who made the decision to put our club in the SFL third division realised that they had been duped? Well; it appears that hatred towards our club blinds their rationality; as they still do nothing to bring equality and democracy back to Scottish football.

Our current squad is made up of bargain basement buys, free transfers, and journeymen professionals. We have no God given rite to win every competition we are entered into. We are; at this time: the second best team in Scotland. The biggest club, but not the best team! We are hamstrung by a board which do not protect or defend those who supported the club while others stayed away. A board which promised much, but have delivered only reinvestment of season ticket monies into the club, and loans which would dilute any future supporter investments in the club through share issues; while hiding behind the barrier of a so-called independent supporters group who are anything but independent.

As a club, we are making ends meet, keeping afloat, but nothing more. We are drifting along, hoping for investment from outside sources. If you take Barrie McKay out of the equation: Kenny Miller has been our club’s best player this season. While some of the pace has gone; you can see that he is a former international class player. Yes he has inadequacies, but at his age, who hasn't? He's a professional who many should look up to as an inspiration to try and be the best they can be. If our club could afford a world class striker; then I'd be wondering why Miller is a first pick every week, but we can't. It is what it is, and we are where we are. Do I, or should I, accept this as a Rangers supporter? No, but.... under the present board, and unless our club can attract investment from outside sources, Kenny Miller remains one of our best players.

Do I wish he hadn't played for Celtic? Yes.

Am I glad we currently have him? Yes. I just wish we had more of his quality.

 

by The Ref
 
by Nineteen-SeventyTwo

   

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