RANGERS Football Club offers sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused to our fans at Ibrox last night.

Unprecedented demand for tickets on matchday itself, via the hotline and website, resulted in huge numbers of supporters uplifting tickets at the stadium prior to kick-off.

Consequently, standard Ticket Centre services were also affected, including ticket sales and the resolution of Smartcard issues.

The Club fully accepts its responsibility to deliver efficient ticket sales distribution, but would appreciate if supporters requiring to uplift their tickets on matchday, could do so at least two hours prior to the match. Supporters who uplift within two hours of kick-off may encounter queues due to the high volume of tickets sold for every home game.

The Club always endeavours to minimise inconvenience and provide an efficient uplift service for all home games, and will place specific focus on the imminent Liverpool match.

Rangers Football Club appreciates the vast support it enjoys at all home games and once again regrets any inconvenience caused to fans.

RANGERS go into tomorrow’s draw for the 3rd qualifying roud for the Champions League knowing they could land massively difficult opponents if they are able to overcome Kaunas.

Of course, with the 2nd round only at the halfway stage there could be an either/or scenario for Rangers but there are some real heavweights in the non-seeded section.

Rangers could get Altetico Madrid, Galatasaray, Sparta Prague, Slavia Prague or Dinamo Kiev, for example, and any of these would be extremely tough.

The draw ceremony takes place at UEFA headquarters in Nyon at 12.30pm tomorrow

SEEDS

Liverpool ENG),  Barcelona (ESP), Arsenal FC (ENG), FC Schalke 04 (GER), Juventus (ITA), Rangers FC (SCO) / FBK Kaunas (LTU),  Marseille (FRA), Steaua Bucharest (ROU), Panathinaikos FC (GRE) / FC Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO), IFK Gothenburg (SWE) / FC Basel 1893 (SUI), Olympiacos CFP (GRE), Fenerbahce SK (TUR) / MTK Budapest (HUN), RSC Anderlecht (BEL) / FC BATE Borisov (BLR), ACF Fiorentina (ITA), FC Spartak Moscow (RUS)

NON SEEDS

Atlético Madrid (ESP), FC Sheriff (MDA) / Sparta Prague (CZE), Drogheda United FC (IRL) / FC Dynamo Kiev (UKR), Levski Sofia (BUL), Slavia Prague(CZE), Galatasaray (TUR), Inter Baku (AZE) / FK Partizan (SRB), Vitória SC (POR), NK Domzale (SVN) / Dinamo Zagreb (CRO), Beitar Jerusalem FC (ISR) / Wisla Kraków (POL),  Standard Liège (BEL), FC Twente (NED), Tampere United (FIN) / FC Artmedia Petrzalka (SVK), Aalborg (DEN) / FK Modrica (BIH), SK Brann (NOR) / FK Ventspils (LVA), Anorthosis Famagusta FC (CYP) / SK Rapid Wien (AUT)

Despite media speculation, there are no ongoing discussions with Glasgow Rangers Football Club for Glenn Loovens to move to Ibrox in exchange for any Glasgow Rangers players coming to Ninian Park.

Cardiff

RANGERS today stepped up moves to land Cardiff City defender Glenn Loovens.

SportTimes understands the 24-year-old Dutchman is now Walter Smith’s main target as he looks to bolster his backline.

Chief executive Martin Bain has once again opened talks with his counterpart Peter Ridsdale, and is trying to thrash out a deal that would allow the stopper to sign fbefore the August 7 signing deadline for the third round Champions League qualifiers – assuming Rangers reach that stage – and the beginning of the SPL two days later at Falkirk.

Cardiff said today they were still awaiting a firm offer for Loovens, who they value at £3million, even though he is now into the final year of his contract.

Rangers insiders claim Cardiff are constantly moving the goalposts on what they want for the player, and Bain will not match their valuation in the knowledge they can sign Loovens on a pre-contract in January and get him for nothing next summer.

Daniel Cousin – left out of the 0-0 draw with Kaunas – has once again been mentioned as a make-weight and is believed to be interested in going to Cardiff.

But his wages could be prohibitive, and there were suggestions from Wales today that taking the former Lens man on loan for a season could be part of a deal for Loovens.

Gers No.2 Ally McCoist and first-team coach Ian Durrant ran the rule over tLoovens in Portugal last week. And Smith believes he would be a good, long-term addition.

Loovens would not be able to play in next week’s second leg with Kaunas but, with Davie Weir banned for the SPL opener with Falkirk on August 9, he would go straight into the team.

Loovens moved to Cardiff from Feyenoord in 2005.

He has refused to sign a new three-year contract, but is also attracting the interest of Hull and Stoke.

Rangers’ performance last night has only heightened the need for new faces. Smith is aware he needs to add two or three players before the likes of DaMarcus Beasley and Chris Burke can return in the next few weeks.

He hopes to get a couple of players on board – one of which is likely to be Loovens – in the next few days.

Sunderland’s Nigerian midfielder Dickson Etuhu remains an option. And, after closing in on Spurs star Steed Malbranque, Black Cats boss Roy Keane is willing to let Etuhu go for around £2m.

Evening Times

ANDRIUS VELICKA has warned that the Kaunas players will do everything to try to win moves to British football by starring against Rangers tomorrow night.

Even although many of the Kaunas staff have found their way to Tynecastle – Velicka included – due to Vladimir Romanov’s ownership of both clubs, the Kaunas players will be determined to showcase their talents.

They are envious that Velicka has ended up at a club like Rangers and he knows that it will inspire them.

Velicka, who had two spells with Kaunas, said: “They will want to show they are good players and it is a chance for them to show that they deserve a good contract somewhere else.

“I don’t know all of the players because it is two years since I played there but I know that they will play with strong hearts.

“Ledesma is a good player. He is useful at set pieces but he is a typical Braziian in that he does not offer a physical presence.

“I believe they should worry about Rangers. We should be too strong for them. Rangers is a bigger and better team than Kaunas in all aspects.”

Velicka played for Kaunas against Rangers the last time the two sides met in the Champions League qualifying phase eight years ago.

He added: “Of course, it will be a special match for me because it is against my old club and I have many good memories. I just hope I get the chance to be on the pitch to enjoy it.”