Rangers were sold short by SPFL tribunal over Charlie Telfer transfer fiasco

So I think £204,000 is a perfectly reasonable amount of money for Dundee United to pay for his services.

Yes, I accept that Telfer only featured in one first team game for the Ibrox club - as a substitute against Stenhousemuir last season.

But the 19-year-old is an excellent prospect and has done well at United where he has forced his way into Jackie McNamara's team.

The young midfielder was named SPFL Young Player of the Month for November this week.

The fee agreed upon is not an awful lot of money to pay for an individual with huge potential like that.

Stephen Thompson has, surprise, surprise, reacted with fury to the decision of the SPFL tribunal.

But the United chairman has always got something to moan about - especially when it has anything to do with Rangers.

There is no doubt in my mind he was pandering to United fans with his comments. And not for the first time either.

Thompson certainly hasn't had anything quite as bad to say about the club on the other side of Glasgow over the years.

He has a real bee in bonnet about Rangers for some reason.

I think that he, and many others in the Scottish game, would be far better off minding their own business and concentrating on their own club.

Rangers are the most hated club in Scotland. Nobody likes them and everyone has enjoyed giving them a kicking while they have been down.

When the future of Rangers was being deliberated two years ago Thompson and the United fans were among the most vocal about what should happen.

But Rangers supporters have good memories. They can recall which clubs were against them and which clubs wanted them to do them down.

It will be interesting to see how they respond when the Ibrox club finally gets back into the SPFL Premiership.

These clubs get huge increases in income, from corporate hospitality and ticket sales in general, whenever Rangers come to play.

Their coffers are swelled by tens of thousands of pounds whenever Ally McCoist's side roll into town.

I am sure a few travelling supporters will say: "Do I really want to give my money to this club after what they did and said? Stuff them!"

Anyway, the fee for Telfer has nothing whatsoever to do with Rangers. It was decided by a tribunal.

The Tannadice club had initially offered £60,000 for the player. Then they upped that to £100,000.

Rangers wanted £300,000. So the fee that was agreed was a reasonable compromise.

To say, as Thompson has, that it sets a worrying precedent and could restrict movement of young players between clubs is wide of the mark too.

If Telfer develops on Tayside they will be able to sell him for a far greater transfer fee in the future.

Charlie is a certainly good young player.

He was unhappy that he wasn't featuring in the first team at Rangers and chose to move on.

But the manager was seeing him in training on a daily basis. If he was doing well enough then surely he would have been given a run.

Anyway, young players leave clubs and go on and prove themselves elsewhere all the time in football.

It even happened to Ally McCoist. He was told he wasn't good enough and was shown the door by St. Mirren as a kid when Alex Ferguson was manager.

Anyway, Rangers offered Telfer a new contract in the summer and he decided to turn it down.

To say, as many have, that Rangers don't give young players a chance is just nonsense. Look at the players they have blooded in the last couple of years.

Sure, only Lewis Macleod and Fraser Aird are currently playing on a regular basis in the first team.

But there are others who are out on loan, not least Callum Gallagher and Barrie McKay, who are more than good enough to feature in the future.

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they were brought back to Ibrox for the second half of the season.

These players have shown what they are capable of when they have been given the nod by McCoist in the past and can do so once again.

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