Could it be that Rangers know that their number is up now that they are facing a half decent team that the excuses are coming out early!!!

Tom Clark, Glasgow,

good for you graham,
did aberdeen ask for a day off when they were due to face bayern? why did they need a day off against gretna to play lyon? how can they possibly want the cup final changed when there will be QOTS fans coming to afinal for the first time from all over. they are an arrogant bunch

rik, ardrossan, ayrshire

"Rangers got an unprecedented postponement against Gretna"?

On the contrary, it clearly came off the back of the precedent of postponing matches before the Scotland-Italy game.

Gerry, Falkirk,

In order to help rangers the glasgow fair fortnight should be moved to the september weekend which in turn should be moved to january. Christmas day will be march 27th. New years day will remain the same, but only last 3 hours. Everyones birthdays have been cancelled & pregnancys to last 13 months!

Alasdair, Glasgow,

It doesn't really matter at the end of the day. When Rangers make it four out of four at the end of the season the debate will be over either way and we can all get back to reclaiming the word 'integrity' for it's original purpose after Peter Orwell's hermeneutical acrobatics.

Campbell, London,

The point YOU are missing Graham is that this season's backlog arises partly due to the weather but partly to a) the Scotland Italy game and b) P O'D's tragic death. The uniqueness of this situation calls for a unique solution. It is entirely reasonable to extend the season beyond 24/5/08.

Barry, Glasgow,

Rangers got an unprecedented postponement against Gretna to help their Champions League qualification.
It didn't work then so what makes David Murray et al think it will work this time round?
We keep hearing players would play a game every day if required, make your minds up and gies all peace!

mark mckeown, Shotts,

Graham Spiers

Well done at last someone has spoke the truth rather than jump the on bandwagon.

Rangers watched quietly and were unwilling to help when it was Dundee Utd and Celtic.
If this was the real world we would be saying they deserved what they got for their own inaction

tam, coatbridge , scotland

Excellent comment from Speirs!
For once we have a sober objective article looking at the facts of the matter and not another item giving a Rangers view of the world! What a fresh exhilarating feeling this is!

Of course Murray wants to tell the SPL what to do, it's the Rangers way!

Graham, Essex, UK

Typical anti-Murray tirade from a man who sees the Rangers Chairman as his Nemesis. The support of his fellow Celtic fans is not surprising. The one question that non-Rangers fans have failed to ask themselves is - would they be happy if it was their team instead? Has no-one empathy with success?

Callum, MK, UK

Rob, Edinburgh. Rangers are partly in this mess because they asked for a game against the mighty Gretna to be cancelled in order that they could prepare to be thumped 3-0 by Lyon. They also failed to use a free midweek to play St. Mirren. Integrity? Is that what we saw last night? Shameful behaviour

Colin Sime, Edinburgh, Scotland

two words for those at Rangers who wonder why nobody from Scotland wants to help them. Blackburn and Rovers. Cuts both ways Mr Murray..

michael ryan, east kilbride, scotland

Who would have thought it Celtic were 5 years ahead of everyone.
But then again Dundee Utd were 16 years ahead of us.

This is Rangers after all it's only fair the other clubs give Rangers the same support as RFC have given them in the past.

tam, coatbridge , scotland

rangers, not content having the rest of league put on hold to suit their own agenda, try and disadvantage them further with this paranoid rant, at the same time covering themselves in case they fail to win the uefa cup or league, with scapegoats at the ready! whingers fc sounds more apt! pathetic!

mark, wishaw, scotland

There's another issue here. Currently every team in the top 6 has something to play for. While I'm sure Rangers DO want more prep time for Zenit, they are stalling so that 3rd place will be sorted and they would be playing teams that have nothing to play for.
They're a sneaky bunch! :o)

Willow, Glasgow, Scotland

Gordon Smith did offer the date of the Scottish Cup Final to the SPL as an extra matchday. The SPL refused it. Gordon Smith's statement on Tuesday stated this quite clearly.

There have been too many cancellations this season. Why should Rangers be punished for Motherwell's pitch, for example?

Robbie, London,

@Rob
Dundee agreed to bringing the game forward to a free midweek day. Dundee Utd never even needed to agree as there was no free date to move the game. Clearer? As for cause, I'd remind you of the postponement of the Gretna game, and the failure on Rangers' part to use the dates free in December.

Mickey, Dubai,

Success in life, 1) prioritise your goals 2) manage your assets 3) take responsbility 4)have some luck.
RFC have failed to manage their assets, have not prioritised, refuse to take responsibility and have had some luck.
It's not Minty's fault its everyone else. Oh, by the way I'm paranoid.

Eddie, Glasgow, Scotland

So Graham, this is all Rangers fault is it? It's fair to say there wasn't an easy solution for the SPL. But that's where the fairness stops.
No-one dug this hole deeper than the SPL with the shambles of Motherwell-Gretna ground sharing, the call off before Scotland-Italy game, and Old Firm call off

Billy, Aberdeen,

...AND they have already had a game postponed (against Gretna) to assist their European ambitions. Had they not had this game postponed, I don't think there would be a problem now.

O Type, Glasgow,

Elsewhere it's been reported that the SFA offered 2 options. The first would allow SPL fixtures to be played after the Scottish Cup final on May 24 and the other was to put back the date for the Scottish Cup final. Both options would have created an extra matchday but were turned down by the SPL

Colin, Glasgow,

Moving the Dundee game in 2003 was simple - both clubs had a free midweek immediately prior to the scheduled date of the match. Both clubs agreed to move it and the SPL would have had no reasonable grounds to reject the move. Dundee Utd don't want the move either. Where would you fit it in anyway?

Harry Monroe, Coatbridge, Lanarkshire

Hey Rob, I am a celtic fan and i can spell integrity.

However what you fail to mention is that celtic moved their game against Dundee forwards to an available midweek and didn't ask for any extension to the season.

People like yourself fail to mention that fact when they want to discuss this

Bob, Glasgow, Scotland

Poor Graham, still feeling spurned by Sir David Murray. There are two obvious answers: move the Cup final back or play a league match after the Cup final (as has happened many times in the past).

Frank, Grangemouth,

Excellent article by a fair and balanced journalist. The point you made about the comparison with Zenit's situation is spot-on and Murray knows it as well as we do - he is just stirring the pot. Are we supposed to believe that the football establishment has turned against Rangers? Laughable!

Jonathan Main, Kuwait City,

Short memories. when Celtic were trying to have a key old firm game re-scheduled because it came two days after a Uefa Cup tie against Boavista, the Rangers manager, (Alex McLeish), said Celtic should be "thankful" to be in that position and, "I hope that someday I can be in the same position"

Ewen Cameron, Dumbarton, UK

How about discussing the effect AND the cause? Too hard? Rangers are partly in this fix because of delaying a game at Celtic's request, poor weather and lack of a key midweek due to a Scotland game. Celtic fans can't even spell "integrity", after all, moving the Dundee game in 2003 was ok, eh?

Rob, Edinburgh,

Once again it's good to read a column that actually makes sense, rather than reading the gash in the tabliods. We all know Moonbeams has most of the Scottish tabloid journalists in his back pocket, but at least Speirs doesn't bow to his rubbiss.
Rangers just have to get on with it.....

Paul Nugent, Dumbarton,

At last some reasoned comment on this issue. What is conveniently forgotten by Rangers in all their bleating about the refusal to extend the season is that it already has been extended!

Steve, Hastings,

Thank God someone in the media is talking some sense on this subject at last....there was no viable alternative and I have not heard Murray, Bain, Peat, Walter Smithm George Burley, Dick Advocaat or the Daily Record come up with a viable option

martin, glasgow,