But not satisfied with hogging the back pages of the paper, an incident involving Fernando Ricksen on the outgoing flight to South Africa also merited the front-page headlines! Amazing, considering at the time the papers were printed, the only statement or evidence for this incident was an official, but very brief Rangers Football Club statement outlining that Fernando Ricksen had been acting in a “wholly inappropriate and unacceptable way and would not be taking part in training during the tour of South Africa.”
Well, after Saint ‘super sub' Henrik did Celtic a turn in the Champions League Final, all sorts of tributes were given from a whole variety of places, whilst the media conveniently forgot former Ger, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who went calmly about his business of winning a Champions League Final. But you would expect, wouldn't you, a former player of the biggest club in country, Reno Gattuso, to merit some form of media mention after a magnificent individual performance in the World Cup Final. Not a major mention anywhere. Pathetic really.
However, an incident to cast a shadow over the Rangers Football Club was just too much for the hacks, and they just lapped up the occasion, and then some. Let's face it, they've been waiting for this moment since June 20th, the day that Paul Le Guen finally took the reins at Ibrox and Fernando Ricksen handed them their opportunity on a silver platter. Signed, sealed and delivered once again, from the controversial Dutchman for what may well be the last time. Milk it, they have done and they will certainly continue to do so over the next few days.
Since joining Rangers in 2000, Fernando Ricksen has hardly been the shy and retiring continental footballer type. Make him more of a Paul Gascoigne, minus the talent. His personal life and problems have all too often made there way into the papers. We've had the drink driving, neighbourhood disturbances, marriage and relationship problems and that's just off the field. On the field, his performances in the right fullback slot have been, to be polite, indifferent, his discipline at times, a shambles. Each reported incident saw Ricksen's favour with the fans disintegrate time and time again. However, after three years of mediocrity and the absence of influential captain Barry Ferguson, an alcohol free Fernando was forced into midfield, where, in the last year of his contract, he shone like a beacon wore the captain's armband, dragging Rangers Football Club to its 51st domestic title. Even on the back of this success, the decision to award Ricksen a new long-term contract was met with a mixed reaction from loyal supporters. It was clear from the fans that Fernando had tested their patience too many times and regardless of a good season, it was time for him to move on.
Last season, amid more rumours about his private life and also of disagreements with manager Alex McLeish, Ricksen was hardly seen, citing a stomach muscle injury as the cause of his absence, pocketing huge wages no more than one season on from signing a new long-term deal with Rangers. The fears of every single Rangers supporter who cast a doubting opinion on the merits of awarding Fernando Ricksen had been realised.
The appointment of Paul Le Guen, the disciplinarian Breton, with a ‘firm but fair' approach to his players, was sure to put a stop to the ‘attitude', or indeed, lack of it, that had been shown by a collection of the Rangers squad during the 2005/2006 season. I don't think anybody would have given a price on this type of incident occurring just two weeks into the Le Guen regime. If however, a price were given on the culprit of such an event, there would have been only one ‘odds on favourite' and a closed book on the event.
There are three parts to this quite intriguing incident, we have the press, with their dramatic headlines, desperate to catch the bad boy of Scottish Football out once more, desperate to once again associate the name of Rangers with shame and drag it through the mud. Then, we have Paul Le Guen, who categorically stated that Ricksen's behaviour was unacceptable and inappropriate and took action against the player, by sending him home from the tour, probably to never be seen again. Finally, there are the interesting views of Fernando Ricksen, the man at the very centre of the controversy.
We know that there are several facts in this incident, firstly, Ricksen had been drinking. No one quite knows the amount. Secondly, there was an argument between Fernando Ricksen and a stewardess on the flight. No one knows what about. Thirdly and finally, water was thrown over the stewardess. No one knows how much, which at this point is irrelevant because the mere decision to enter into any of the above can only be described as foolish. If any of us, as professional people did such an act whilst away representing our employers, at best, we would be suspended, if we had had any previous disciplinary problems, we would be dismissed for unprofessional conduct or similar. This is not simply a case of “Fernando being Fernando.”
We did not have Fernando Ricksen apologising wholeheartedly for his actions once again, we did not have him apologising for letting down the supporters who pay his huge wages once again, we did not have him apologising to the children who wear his name and number on the backs of their replica shirts for letting them down once again. Instead, we have a series of bizarre quotes from Fernando. Safely back in Scotland, not three days after stating how happy he was working for Paul Le Guen, we have claims that Rangers are trying to force him out of the club because he is a big earner, that he can't work for a man like Paul Le Guen, that he had been stupid but would have preferred a fine, etc etc.
Now, I'm sorry, but we're not talking about a first time offender committing high jinks on holiday. A young player having had one too many and getting carried away on an end of season jolly with the lads. No, we are talking about a 29 year-old professional sportsman, who has had more personal disciplinary incidents than a whole squad put together, earns more in a single week than many of the supporters who pay his vastly inflated wages earn in a year. A 29 year-old man, who has been literally drinking in the last chance saloon for five years and has eventually fallen off the stool. A 29 year-old man representing the Rangers Football Club on official duty, living out the dreams of every person who takes the time to read this article.
It is now time for the club to act. Paul Le Guen has laid down the law and the lie of the land as it stands. We know that nobody can comment on the circumstances surrounding his personal life and indeed how stressful it must be to read about marriage / relationship break-ups in newspapers, but it is no excuse to jeopardise a professional life and career. Apparently, the ‘mid air incident' was just “Fernando being Fernando,” according to one senior player. Well, Fernando chose to drink, Fernando chose to argue and Fernando chose to throw water over somebody. Well, if that's what being a Ranger means to “Fernando being Fernando,” well frankly I don't want him anywhere near our great football club any longer.
As for the claims made by Fernando Ricksen that he is being ‘forced out' of Ibrox. Well, I believe that they are completely true. Fernando Ricksen IS being forced out of Ibrox. By himself. He has single-handedly orchestrated his own downfall over a sustained period of five years, constantly blaming other people for situations in which he has found himself. Constantly making same mistake after same mistake and never learning. This time however, I think that Fernando has more than met his match in Paul Le Guen. No longer will poor behaviour be tolerated, no longer will incidents like this be brushed under the Ibrox carpets no longer will a slap on the wrist fine be the way the Rangers Football Club will be run and I for one applaud Paul Le Guen for instilling what it means to be a Rangers player into each and every player by letting them know what it means to be a Ranger.
As Bill Struth once said; “To be a Ranger is to sense the sacred trust of upholding all that such a name means in this shrine of football. They must be true in their conception of what the Ibrox tradition seeks from them. No true Ranger has ever failed in the tradition set him.”