Rangers ban Wallace and Miller after bust up
RANGERS pair Lee Wallace and Kenny Miller have been suspended pending an investigation into a “team-related incident’’ that followed the fallout of their 4-0 defeat by Celtic, the club have announced.
Neither played in the William Hill Scottish Cup semi-final but it is believed they were involved in a heated post-match confrontation with Graeme Murty over his approach and Rangers’ performance.
A statement on the club’s official Twitter account read: “Rangers can confirm two players, Lee Wallace and Kenny Miller, have this morning been suspended pending investigation into a team-related incident.
“The club will make no further comment until this investigation has been completed.”
Murty stated after the game that the dressing room was “emotional” after Sunday’s game.
“There was anger, frustration, all the sorts of emotion you would expect from a changing room that has just gone through that,” he added.
“There should be frustration and anger, it is just about turnbut ing that into positives and energy to power you through to the end of the season, rather than allow it to be disruptive.”
Miller (38) is in the final weeks of his contract and was an unused substitute on Sunday, while club captain Wallace was not in the squad. He has not played since September but has been closing in on a comeback following groin surgery.
Miller’s Rangers career looks to be over but Wallace has a year left on his contract.
There were more signs of internal strife at Hampden with both Andy Halliday and Daniel Candeias reacting angrily after being substituted, before Alfredo Morelos and Greg Docherty were seen shouting at each other as they left the pitch.
Murty only has a deal as Rangers boss until the summer and was given little reassurance he would be kept on in a statement to fans by chairman Dave King last week.
In the wake of Wallace and Miller being suspended, former Rangers winger Willie Johnston admits he fell out with a host of managers — but knew better than to argue with Jock Wallace.
Johnston had a tempestuous relationship with Willie Waddell they always made up and ultimately combined to help Rangers win the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1972.
“I fell out with a lot of managers, especially with Willie Waddell,” the former Scotland international said. “But he always said, ‘You can have a great argument in the heat of the moment and the next day it’s all forgotten’.
“Waddell was a very good manager, he could handle the players. He had big Jock Wallace beside him and you didn’t argue with big Jock. He’d just hit you.”
And Rangers’ official fans group has described the Hampden display against Celtic as a “disgraceful capitulation”.
A Club 1872 statement called for further investment from directors and supporters.
Club 1872 is the club’s second-largest shareholder behind chairman King and is in negotiations over securing a place on the Ibrox board.
A statement read: “In common with all Rangers supporters, the directors of Club 1872 are extremely concerned by the disgraceful capitulation of the Rangers team that faced Celtic.
“We have had contact from members asking us to convey their concerns to Rangers and can reassure them and the wider support that this has been done.
“Rangers supporters deserve a team which as a bare minimum shows pride and commitment in the club they represent. That pride and commitment was sorely lacking on Sunday and the responsibility for that must be borne at all levels of the club.
“What we have seen is not good enough and we know that the Rangers board and executive team are well aware of that fact.
“It is clear that a great deal of further investment is going to be required to take the club to the position that our supporters correctly believe it should occupy.”