THEY say that an elephant never forgets.

Neither, it seems, will Charlie Miller or Ally McCoist.

There certainly has been plenty of trumpeting in recent weeks with everyone from Stewart Regan to the Hampden tea lady jostling to have their voices heard.

While supporters of clubs up and down the country have rallied, shouted and tweeted about how the Rangers revolt should be led, SPL boards have, some more vigorously than others, pinned their 'no to newco' colours to their shoogily masts.

And with SFL chiefs set for a date with destiny at Hampden today, there could be yet more in the stampede to give Rangers – or Sevco Scotland to give them their full name – a kick as they go down.

But in the midst of the circus show that is Scottish football, former Ibrox favourite Miller believes McCoist won't forget too quickly the ringleaders who have failed to lend a hand when needed.

"It's a farce that Rangers are not in the SPL," said Miller, who emerged from the shadow of McCoist at Ibrox in the mid 90's.

"Ally will have been working off of two lists these past few weeks – one for the First and one of for the Third.

"And he won't forget a lot of the comments that have come out over these past few months.

"I'm sure he'll be glad just to find out exactly what he is preparing for, but the whole thing has been a nonsense.

"If anyone is going to take Rangers back to the SPL, it is Ally. He's a clever guy, he knows how to play it right and he'll be there when the club is back at the top."

It seems likely that the Light Blues will be playing in the Irn-Bru Third Division next season, with many clubs prior to today's vote coming out to voice their opposition to Rangers parachuting into the First Division.

But while the Ibrox club freefall through the divisions, the reaction to Miller's former side crashing and burning has not surprised the ex-Dundee United midfielder.

The 36-year-old has claimed that jealousy has driven the charge to consign Rangers to Scottish football's bottom tier, and that McCoist's men need to start from the bottom to exorcise their demons.

He said: "Rangers have been punished repeatedly and I wasn't surprised when the newco was refused entry to the league.

"People have always been jealous of Rangers and the success they have enjoyed and this was an ideal opportunity for them to have a kick.

"Well, people have been quick to bang on about sporting integrity, but where is the integrity in refusing Rangers a place in the SPL but making sure that they go into the First Division so that money-wise no-one suffers too much?

"If they don't want them in the league, that's fine. Let us start at the bottom – it's what we all want.

"I've not been taken aback at how strongly people have been opposed to Rangers and how strong their feelings are, but one thing is certain in all this – there are clubs who will be hurt far worse than Rangers in this."

Average attendances in the Third Division last season make for grim reading.

Elgin City were the best supported team in the league with an average gate of 628. By contrast, Rangers' average was just over 46,000, meaning they would go from being a big fish in a wee pond to the blue whale in a puddle.

SFA chief executive Regan has already fired a warning that anything other than a parachute into the First Division is a doomsday scenario for Scottish football.

Both Regan and David Longmuir, the SFL chief executive, have urged the clubs to accept the bones of the old Rangers FC into the First Division.

League reconstruction has also been dangled in front of SFL clubs as a carrot to try and persuade them to accept Rangers as a member and put them into the First Division.

One thing is certain, though, everyone needs clarity on exactly what is happening.

Miller said: "It's high time a decision was made one way or another.

"I've not spoken to Ally for the past few weeks because the last thing he needs is someone else on the blower to him asking more questions.

"He needs to be allowed to get on with it and let this team do their talking on the park.

"This is the time when we need supporters to stand by the club and show their colours."