Hampden semi-final meltdown misses out in five biggest Rangers bust-ups
COMMENT
Rangers suspended club captain Lee Wallace and Kenny Miller after a bust-up with manager Graeme Murty in the wake of the 4-0 Scottish Cup semi-final humiliation against Celtic at Hampden - but it isn't the first time Rangers players have been involved in an altercation over the years.
On and off the field, there have been a number of explosive showdowns at Ibrox between players, coaches, managers, directors and even fans and Miller and Wallace's fall out with Murty adds to a lengthy list.
With expectations always sky-high at Rangers, it is understandable that sometimes tempers boil over and harsh words said as highly-motivated professionals aim to be the best.
That said, sometimes things can go a bit too far and have catastrophic consequences that go far beyond those involved in any argument and change the club dramatically.
The Gers have had explosive personalities at Ibrox for as long as the club have played at Ibrox and some of those have been involved in some of the biggest rows to hit the club.
From Bill Struth falling out with the Rangers board to Graeme Souness sending Terry Butcher to Coventry or Joey Barton and Mark Warburton's post-Old Firm argument, there is always something bubbling just below the surface at Ibrox.
Here, Football Insider look at the five biggest bust-ups at Rangers in recent years.
Click 'reveal' below to see the row that almost ended two Rangers careers
nextpage
5. Ferguson & McGregor v Smith
Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor kicked off this one after being caught on international duty drinking after their curfew before giving watching photographers v-signs while sat on the bench for the national team later.
When they returned to Rangers, Walter Smith wasn't happy and suspended the two before effectively ending Ferguson's Rangers career.
The midfielder would be sold to Birmingham and only made a handful of appearances for the Gers in the wake of it.
McGregor managed to salvage his Ibrox career before walking away in 2012 under TUPE legislation when the club was transferred to Charles Green's newco.
Click 'next page' below to see the bust-up you couldn't have scripted if you tried
nextpage
4. Sandaza v McCoist
Rangers signed the Spanish striker in 2012 after several attempts to lure him to Ibrox before it turned out he was actually absolutely woeful.
Things went from bad to worse when Sandaza was caught out by a prank call from a Celtic-supporting taxi driver who pretended to be an agent looking to take him to MLS.
When the recording of the call was put online, including details of Sandaza's contract - and some pretty unflattering comments about his current employers - he was sacked.
The Spaniard, unsurpisingly, didn't receive much sympathy.
Click 'next page' below to see the mid-air fight that ended one player's Rangers career
nextpage
3. Ricksen v le Guen
Paul le Guen arrived at Ibrox in 2006 with a big reputation for being a strict disciplinarian.
When a slightly-tipsy Fernando Ricksen got into an argument with an air hostess during a flight to South Africa for pre-season training in the first few days of the Frenchman's reign it wasn't going to end well for the Dutchman.
It wasn't Ricksen's first alcohol-fuelled incident at Rangers after throwing chairman John McClelland while in Athens to face Panathinaikos a few years earlier.
He was put on the first flight back to Scotland and quickly shipped out on loan to Russia.
While it would prove to be the end of Ricksen's Gers career, it would also be the beginning of the end for the former Lyon manager.
Click 'next page' below to see the boardroom battle that had to be settled in the courts
nextpage
2. Ashley v King
You could put any of the boardroom squabbles in here but Ashley v King gets the nod if only for how childishly petty it got.
After a string of legal threats between the pair over the club's ownership and retail deal, Ashley demanded King be arrested for breaching an injunction gagging him speaking about the relationship between the club and Ashley's Sports Direct.
King wouldn't be arrested and after boycotts, court cases, public slanging matches and statements from the Board, things came to what appears to be amicable solution.
That could change imminently with the revised retail deal due to end soon but for now, things look settled.
Click 'next page' below to see the fight that brought down a manager
nextpage
1. Ferguson v le Guen
Ferguson's bust-up with Smith wasn't his first falling out with a Rangers manager.
The then-captain also fell out with Smith's predecessor Paul le Guen shortly into the Frenchman's time in charge.
After being stripped of the armband by le Guen and replaced by fringe player Gavin Rae, the former Lyon boss sparked a revolt in the dressing-room that ended with him leaving the club soon afterwards..
In the first game after Ferguson was axed, team-mate Kris Boyd scored and held up six fingers - Ferguson's squad number - in support of his deposed captain.
Little over six months after taking the reins at Ibrox, le Guen was back in France with Paris Saint-Germain.


