SUNDAY marks the first anniversary of boardroom change at Ibrox and Rangers fans will rightly be pleased with the progress that has been made on and off the park in the last twelve months.

They will think back to that day last March and see at as a hugely significant moment for their club. After so many hard times, it was the turning point for Rangers.

The supporters right now are walking about with smiles on their faces. For four years, they went through hell as they saw so many headlines on the front pages as well as the back.

There was trouble on the board and the football wasn’t great on the park.

But the fans have been different class. The way they have supported the club through it all is magnificent.

You look at the crowds and the backing they have given the team and you have to admire the thousands and thousands of fans that are playing their part. There is a huge difference off the park and on the park and they are enjoying watching their team right now.

As I have said before, if you are in a business and the top level is not right then that filters right down through everyone. If Rangers aren’t right at the top, they will not be right on the park.

There are still issues, of course, that have to be dealt with. So much has happened to Rangers in recent years and it will take a long time before everything is sorted.

But the positive thing is that we have good people on the board now. Everyone is optimistic for the future and for what lies ahead for the club.

There were sceptics that said the likes of Dave King, Paul Murray and John Gilligan weren’t the right people for Rangers but they have proven that they are. You don’t just need Rangers men, you need good businessmen. In the board and the investors we have now, that is exactly what we have.

I was back at Ibrox on Tuesday night for the Raith Rovers game and it was the first time I have been there for a while due to work commitments. It really was great to be back.

There is laughter and smiles around the stadium and the fans are enjoying themselves in the stands. For too many years, it wasn’t like that.

People realise that things are so much better now and there are positive things happening at the club. We have the right men on the board and we will improve the squad as well.

There is a real buzz about the place just now and that is not just from the fans, that goes for everyone around the club. People are looking forward to going to games and going to their work because they know in which direction the club is heading.

For me to see it like that again was terrific and it was good to see the team taking another step towards the Championship title with a deserved win.

There is still a bit of work to do but we are going up as champions this season. It has been a fantastic season and one the fans have really enjoyed.

They are celebrating winning the league already, and rightly so. They have played their part through the campaign and they will enjoy the title party when it finally comes.

I know we still have a few weeks and a lot of big games left this term but I am already looking forward to next season. The work will already be underway to ensure we are in the best shape possible for going into the Premiership.

The manager, Davie Weir and Frank McParland will be working away looking at targets and looking to do deals as quickly as they can.

Next season is one that Rangers fans will be really excited about. Once promotion has been confirmed, I would expect Dave to come out and give us a plan for next year and let the fans know how we are going to keep improving to help us get back to the level we should be at.

This is the next step in Rangers getting back to where they are accustomed to being. There will be no ‘well, you should be beating these teams and they are part-time’ and the kind of stuff we have heard in recent years.

When we are back in the Premiership, we have to perform and the manager will know that. He is well aware of the quality that is there and what he will need to bring in during the summer.

Like the manager, the board will know that we need five or six players to come. It isn’t people who will sit on the bench, we have got plenty of people to do that.

We need better players if we are to challenge in the Premiership and everyone is aware of that and the directors and investors will need to back Mark in the transfer market again.

The fans will be excited to hear Dave’s blueprint for next season and going forward.

It has been a positive twelve months for Rangers. Here’s hoping we can continue to make progress at the same pace in the next year.