5 days ago
This ain't no fakeover as Rangers secure a tantalising new era – Scott McDermott reacts to the real journey
You can't say their punters don't deserve at least one day in the sun and here's why Cavenagh and Co are for real
Since Rangers' darkest hour in 2012 there have been false dawns.
Title number 55 under Steven Gerrard when they stopped Celtic's bid for 10-in-a-row.
A Europa League Final in Seville against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Those were bright spots amidst the black cloud which has engulfed this club since liquidation.
But this feels different. If you're a Rangers supporter, it must feel seismic.
The £100 million American buy-out at Ibrox is a monumental moment in the club's long history.
This is no Fakeover, as some sceptics and cynics labelled it.
No, unlike that title triumph in 2021 and their Euro glory run a year later, this should be the real deal for Rangers fans.
And you can't say their punters don't deserve at least one day in the sun.
Remember the so-called 'journey'?
From Craig Whyte's crumpled grey suit to Charles Green's interview from his hospital bed.
From their AGM in a gazebo to a courtroom battle with Mike Ashley.
From getting beat by Stirling Albion whose manager was at a wedding - to losing the Ramsdens Cup Final to Raith Rovers.
From Pedro Caixinha standing in a Luxembourg hedge to Graeme Murty's hand-stand at Dens Park.
From Anestis Argyriou to Emilson Cribari. Sebastian Faure to Fran Sandaza.
The last 13 years have been littered with a series of failures and embarrassment.
That's not to mention losing 13 of a possible 14 titles to Celtic.
As well as taking regular beatings off their Old Firm rivals who have racked up Trebles like they're going out of fashion.
Gerrard's title and Seville 2022 offered fans a bit of hope that better times were around the corner.
When they were champions four years ago, everyone knew they should have kicked on.
But the Ibrox board was asleep at the wheel. They got complacent off the back of a solitary league flag.
That saw Gerrard leave and allowed Celtic to take control of the city again.
They were false starts for Rangers. But a new era beckons now under Andrew Cavenagh, Paarag Marathe and the San Francisco 49ers.
Tomorrow morning, supporters won't go to their work with their heads down, waiting for the next slagging from a Celtic colleague.
Thanks to this takeover, they can look up again with a bit of pride and optimism for the future.
That's all they've craved for over this last decade.
At the slightest sign of progress, they latched on, praying for brighter days ahead.
Now, that feeling should be genuine.
Of course, things won't change overnight when it comes to success on the pitch.
Cavenagh and Co have a massive job on their hands at Ibrox.
A new manager has to be appointed, for a start.
The playing squad needs to be reshaped with far more quality - and a different mentality has to be fostered.
That will be the job of new sporting director Kevin Thelwell who starts next week.
Auchenhowie needs a revamp as well, with a complete culture change imperative if the club is to move forward.
But their most immediate task is to make Rangers Scotland's premier club again.
They've said it themselves in their takeover statement.
Without being the best team in the country and having access to Champions League riches, they can't possibly get to where they want to be.
So toppling Celtic will be the first challenge.
The new manager will have a £20 million kitty to play with in the transfer window, with limited time to make it work ahead of a European qualifier on July 22.
You'd like to think that £20 million will be on top of any loose change they already had in the summer piggy bank.
Will it be enough to build a squad capable of beating Celtic to a title?
Only time will tell, of course. But for Rangers and their supporters, it's a start.
A fresh, fascinating, tantalising start.
The black cloud has been lifted. A new dawn, instead of a false one.
And the real journey starts now.
