Glasgow Rangers are just five points behind their bitter rivals Glasgow Celtic in the race for the Scottish premiership title but news that they are prepared to sell their top scorer Kris Boyd to English championship side Birmingham City has angered many fans. The club insists that it does not have to sell any player to balance the books but financial prudence after the early exit from Europe this year would appear to signal an early exit for at least one of the club's well-paid stars.
The move is being celebrated by Celtic fans all over the country as their recent bout of financial prudence has seen debt reduced substantially and Gordon Strachan pick up a number of useful players along the way. While no club is immune from selling their stars in troubled times it would appear that Celtic are much more financially stable than their counterparts Rangers.
Celtic are currently favourites to take the title but having lost an eight-point lead just last week a five-point gap is more than a little close for comfort. While the Scottish Premier league itself offers very little in the way of financial rewards for the winner, entry to the lucrative Champions League of Europe is a totally different story. Can Celtic do it again?
