Champions at Last!

Their recent form has stuttered, but Glasgow Rangers were crowned champions of the Scottish Third Division after besting Queens Parks result in Saturdays fixtures.

The Light Blues goalless draw at Montrose was followed by second placed Queens Park failing to overcome a one nil deficit at home to Elgin City.

Manager Ally McCoist told the clubs website: "We've been the best side in the league, the fact we're sitting 22 points ahead would indicate we are thoroughly-deserving champions. There's no doubt about that."

The championship trophy presentation will get underway on 4 May, in Rangers final league fixture of the season at home to Berwick Rangers.

The Gers boss heaped praise on his side and everyone involved:

"The boys all deserve massive credit, the young lads deserve enormous credit, as do the older lads such as Neil Alexander, Lee Wallace and Lee McCulloch.

"It has been an incredibly difficult situation for people in many ways. Some people won't give them any congratulations but that's certainly not the case from myself and the staff."

McCoist was at the helm of the Ibrox club when the then Scottish Premier League champions entered administration in February 2012 as punishment over an unpaid tax bill.

Liquidation soon followed, with no other resolution in sight, a consortium led by Charles Green purchased the clubs assets in June of that year prior to the clubs demotion to the third tier of Scottish football.

The club can now look ahead to another potential promotion charge next campaign in the SFL Second Division, or can they?

The 12 SPL clubs will vote on changes to the Scottish league structure on 15 April. This proposal will also include transitioning to one league body, play-offs and a greater distribution of cash among the smaller clubs.

Eleven votes are needed to pass the league restructure, whereby two top leagues will include 12 teams, which would split into three leagues of eight at the midway point of the season.

If the 12 SPL clubs vote yes to the proposals, Rangers Chief Exec Charles Green believes leagues should change to a 12-12-18 set-up instead of four leagues, and that the Gers should be promoted to the middle tier.

Green released a statement shortly before Rangers clinched the third division title saying:

All things being well, Rangers should win the Division 3 title and, that being the case, we should be promoted. That should happen regardless of what league structure the powers that be put in place.

"It would be manifestly wrong to deny any team promotion having won the competition they have entered into at the start of the season. Equally, teams, which have been relegated, should not benefit unfairly from any restructuring of leagues.

"There is already a precedent for this situation, established by the SFL at the end of the 1993-94 season when Stranraer, winners of the lowest of three divisions, were promoted to the new second tier on the basis they were champions of their division and merited promotion.