Only in the goldfish bowl of Scottish football would a
transfer story relating to a player’s potential move between two second tier
clubs attract so much attention, but it would seem that any emerging rumour
involving either half of the Old Firm north of Hadrian’s Wall is enough to send
fans, professionals and journalists into a frenzy.
Of course, I make reference to the long-drawn-out saga that
has surrounded Scott Allan, Hibs’ dynamic play-maker who has now tendered a
written transfer request following two bids from his boyhood heroes, Rangers,
which were both swiftly rebuffed by his current employers. The fees tabled by
Rangers have been labelled as derisory by Hibs fans and those of other teams
looking in, and at a glance, £225k does seem low in exchange for the Scottish
Championship Player of the Season. However, Allan is in the final year of his
contract, and by tendering his transfer request, has made it abundantly clear
that he does not see his long term footballing future at Easter Road.
The fact that this request has been submitted following two
bids from the team he has supported since childhood makes slight allusion to
his desired destination. It is no secret that Allan has a strong affection for
Rangers, with small asides on his social media accounts referencing his support
for the boys in royal blue. One picture shows a pair of green and white
football boots, recently obtained from sponsors, under which a friend
highlights his distaste for the colours Allan will be wearing. Allan then goes
on to agree with this assessment, and justifies the new footwear by declaring
‘I agree, but I have to wear them’.
In another, a friend leaves a comment reading ‘WATP’, an
acronym for ‘We Are The People’, a popular slogan of self-endearment used by
the Rangers faithful. Allan replies directly, stating ‘Indeed we are’. Although
these appear to be small indicative factors, which many would laugh off as
irrelevant, these are certainly pieces of evidence which point towards his love
for Rangers, and being a club which gets under one’s skin rather easily, these
pieces of evidence certainly add fuel to the flames of speculation.
So what are the possible outcomes then? Through a couple of
club statements, Hibs have reiterated time and again their lack of willingness
to part with what is seen as their talisman to a direct divisional rival, and
also a direct promotion rival. Without Rod Petrie ruling the boardroom with an
iron-fist, a man well known for siphoning transfer fees from fellow Scottish
clubs for Hibs best talent, it certainly seems that the combination in resolve
of Chief Executive Leean Dempster and manager Allan Stubbs will take a lot of
breaking down, and definitely more than £225k could hope to do.
As mentioned, Allan is out of contract at the end of this
season, and as such will be available on a pre-contract agreement at the
beginning of the new year. It is being widely reported that should Hibs stand
firm and resist any further advances from Rangers, that Allan will pen a deal
with the Light Blues when he is able to, with Rangers thus acquiring his
services for nothing. The Hibs view is that they would rather lose Allan
without a fee in return rather than strengthen the team who is being touted to
go toe to toe with them for the Championship title this season, and with it,
automatic promotion back to the Premier League. The cost to them would not only
be the immediate loss of their best player, but also the immediate
strengthening of their direct opponents for the title, not to mention the
impact such an outcome would have on the rest of the squad at Easter Road.
The fans’ backlash would be furious too. Having taken a
brief skim through some Hibs forums in order to gauge feeling, it would seem
that some are even in favour of giving Allan away to Celtic for nothing during
this transfer window, in order to ensure that Rangers cannot land their man.
This is a point of bemusement with me. I am all too aware that Rangers are
going to be in direct competition with Hibs in the forthcoming campaign,
however, this stance in terms of ‘giving Allan away’ to Celtic, preventing him
from sealing his dream move, begins to show a shade of inane dislike towards
Rangers.
It is rare to see Rangers referred to as this on these
forums. The alternatives of ‘Sevco’, ‘Huns’ or ‘Zombies’ are now ingrained into
the vernacular of most opposition supporters, which in itself tells a story of
loathing, and rejoice in Rangers well documented financial troubles. It has
become a point of principle among many of these keyboard-warriors, not that
Allan will remain at Hibs, but that he will move on to anyone but Rangers.
There is no doubting that Scott Allan would be an
improvement to the Rangers squad. He was far and away the shining light in the
Championship last season and was deserving winner of the Player of the Season
award. His skill on the ball and keen eye for a killer pass are characteristics
which would make him an attractive prospect for a whole string of potential
suitors. But do Rangers really need him?
Rangers 6-2 win at Easter Road on Saturday, in what was Mark
Warburton and his new-look squad’s first competitive fixture, may provide some
evidence to the contrary. Having been decidedly lacklustre in the midfield
department since the departure of Lewis MacLeod to Brentford, the all-action,
bustling debuts of Andy Halliday and Jason Holt will have pleasured the Rangers
loyal no end. Halliday, another died-in-the-wool supporter, capped his debut
with a fantastic 25 yard effort, which clipped off the underside of the
crossbar and in, sealing a dream start to the Ibrox career of a boy who grew up
on the Copland Road, a stone’s throw from Ibrox.
The industrious performances of the two new boys in the
engine room even managed to bring Nicky Law onto something approximating a good
game, a player who I have lambasted as a passenger and a wage-thief in the past
couple of seasons. It does seem that the Warburton rejuvenation is rubbing off
on the players who endured some troublesome times under Ally McCoist, and this
can only be a good thing for Rangers, who will be keen to return to the top
table and challenge their old rivals Celtic at the earliest opportunity.
In my opinion, Rangers do not need Scott Allan. No player is
bigger than a club, and if any club was to be used for this analogy, it would
be Rangers. There is no question that he would add flair and creativity,
however, we are in possession of adequate attacking threats in the midfield
area. The whole soap opera now seems to matter less about the potential
benefits for Rangers, or hindrances for Hibs, and more about a point of
principle (or prejudice) between the two clubs. Viewing the tweets of some Hibs
fans following the announcement that Allan had officially handed in a transfer
request earlier this evening made for some shocking and quite disgusting
reading. Some were wishing death upon him, whilst others hailed abuse and
conveyed their wish that he contract a severe illness, his diabetes worsens, or
that he suffers a career threatening injury. It is in no doubt in my mind that,
had the potential suitors involved in this debacle been a team from Glasgow’s
East End, such extreme emotions among the followers of the Cabbage would not
have been stirred.
Rangers also copped it rather heavily from some sections of
the press, with BBC’s Alasdair Lamont questioning the morality of Rangers
timing behind their bids, a few days before the teams faced each other in the
Petrofac Training Cup 1st Round. These accusations of immorality are levelled
at Rangers, however, Celtic, fresh from signing Dundee United’s three best
players in recent months, escape unscathed by any criticism from the press.
Celtic paid £250k for Mackay-Steven, a player of undoubted ability, who was also in the final year of his contract. It could also be
claimed that had Dundee United managed to keep a hold of Ciftci, Mackay-Steven
and Armstrong, that they would be in a much healthier position from which to
mount a challenge to Celtic’s dominance of the top tier of Scottish football.
All this whilst United are managed by a former Celtic player, who is receiving
a portion of these transfer fees. None of this is questioned, whereas Rangers
making a genuine attempt to strengthen their squad is hounded on as if it were
an atrocity. Can someone tell me when the Petrofac Cup suddenly took on such an
aura of significance? Answers on a postcard please.
Overall, following Hibs latest rebuttal, I am almost sure
that Allan will not be playing at Ibrox come the end of the window, however I
am also almost sure that he will not move anywhere else. Hibs face the prospect
of carrying an unhappy player around their squad for the whole league campaign,
and the potential cause for unrest among the dressing room cannot be ignored.
Judging by Saturday’s result, Rangers are more than capable of mounting a
successful bid for the league title with or without Allan’s services, something
else which flies in the face of Hibs treatment of Allan like a kind of
Cristiano Ronaldo style talismanic presence. Allan’s previous social media
interactions, plus images circulating purporting to show him out drinking with
some members of the Rangers squad following the match on Saturday, make it
clear as day that we wants to come home to Ibrox, but it seems likely that Hibs
will stick by their guns.
It remains to be seen how the biggest Scottish transfer
story of the summer will affect the two clubs involved in the drama. It does
seem that Hibs have backed themselves into an unwelcome corner, either facing
the wrath of angry supporters or the sulk of a disappointed Allan, whereas
Rangers seem to have rattled their rivals and will be prepared to look
elsewhere for new recruits between now and the end of August. I can’t help but
think that Allan will pull on the famous royal blue one day, it just remains to
be seen when this day will come.
