Look, I’m not an expert, right? But if I was an administrator called in to a football club with players on huge wages (and when are administrators ever called in to clubs where the players aren’t on huge wages?) I know the first thing I’d do. Before I got myself a black coffee and a sparkling water. Before I took my imitation-Steven Pressley coat off. Before I found out where the biscuit drawer was. I’D ASK THE PLAYERS TO TAKE A PAY CUT.

A couple of hours ago (look, sometimes I am topical!) Rangers boss Ally McCoist said he wouldn’t rule out player pay cuts, but that they haven’t been discussed yet. WHY NOT!? There are players at Rangers reportedly on £20,000 to £30,000 a week. Yet the Police have had to threaten to postpone matches until bills are paid, and Dunfermline don’t seem convinced that they’re going to get their ticket money from Rangers’ visit to East End Park a couple of weeks ago. If six or seven top-earning Rangers players took half-pay for one week, that would pay the £80,000 upon which Dunfermline are so reliant. 

According to the latest available figures, Rangers have been paying out over half a million pounds in wages every WEEK. If the playing staff’s wages had been halved as soon as Duff and Phelps walked through the door, we’d already be looking at a couple of hundred thousand that could go to more deserving creditors. I mean, what do these players need all that money for!? The ‘market forces’ argument flies out the window when clubs can’t afford it. Most of us manage on well under £1000 a week. Are they worried they won’t be able to afford enough polish for their solid gold top hats? That they won’t be able to pay for their space shuttle’s MOT?

I presume there’s some sort of boring contractual issues involved, but if these administrators want to save this 139-year-old football club, why haven’t they at least asked the players if they’d be willing to take a bit of a hit? Anyone would think they had something better to do. Like trying to find out where all that money is.