Rangers to refuse tickets for Dundee Utd Scottish Cup tie

Rangers will not take up their allocation of tickets for February's Scottish Cup fixture at Dundee United.

"Everyone at this club is dismayed at the actions of certain SPL clubs, which were actively engaged in trying to harm Rangers," said Charles Green.

The Ibrox chief executive added: "Feelings remain very raw and it should be no surprise that we feel this way.

"Our only regret is that this turn of events will not assist Ally McCoist and the team in a very difficult fixture."

The decision follows calls from fans' groups to boycott the Tannadice tie.

The Rangers Supporters' Assembly had urged fans not to attend, mainly over United's vocal opposition to Rangers' application to join the Scottish Premier League.

Some Ibrox fans have pinpointed Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson as being one of the most outspoken figures on the subject of relaunched Rangers seeking membership of the top flight in the summer.

And the Assembly is still angered by Thompson's refusal to refund Rangers fans for tickets when a match at Tannadice in November 2009 was abandoned at half-time because of a waterlogged pitch.

This is the first away match Rangers have played against SPL opposition since the 10 of the other clubs voted against their application, while Kilmarnock abstained.

However, at Ibrox, Rangers have played, and lost to, Inverness in the League Cup quarter-final this season, having beaten Motherwell in the previous round.

The revenue generated in Scottish Cup matches is split evenly between clubs but the statement from Green makes no mention of whether Rangers would expect their cut.

The Scottish FA will discuss the matter at a board meeting on Thursday.

"Rangers Football Club will not be taking its allocation of tickets for the forthcoming Scottish Cup match against Dundee United at Tannadice," said Green.

"This is a unanimous decision by the board, senior management and staff at Ibrox.

"Not all clubs who voted against Rangers returning to the SPL fall into that category and indeed we made Motherwell very welcome when we played them at Ibrox."

Former Rangers captain Richard Gough, who also played for Dundee United, said he was "disappointed" by the decision.

"I'm of the opinion that we should just get on with it," he told BBC Radio Scotland.

"Enough of the bitterness and hatred between teams and the 'they did this and they did that'.

"We are where we are. We're in the Third Division; let's move on.

"If Rangers could win the Scottish Cup this season it would be a great achievement but it's going to be very difficult going up to Dundee United with no supporters at all.

"If supporters want to support their team, they should have the right. I don't think the head of the club should come out and say we're not taking tickets."

A statement from the Rangers Supporters' Assembly read: "The Rangers support has waited patiently for the opportunity to send a clear message to those that tried to destroy our club - starve them of their much-needed cash by boycotting this game.

"It must also be remembered the disregard this club had for Rangers supporters when it unashamedly refused to offer refunds to supporters for a game abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch in 2009.

"We also understand the desire to support the team - the fans have demonstrated this to unbelievable lengths of loyalty - but we ask that on this occasion in a one-off display of fan power we show that we have not been beaten or broken."