RANGERS STALWARTS SHOWN THE DOOR BY BOSS GREGORY
Marc Bircham, Stoke's nemesis in recent clashes with QPR, has been shown the door by Rangers just 72 hours before Sunday's final-day showdown at Loftus Road.Bircham, who is currently nursing a long-term injury, was one of eight players axed in a shock purge by Rangers boss John Gregory before the season has even ended.
Sunday's fixture will also mark the end in west London for the likes of Paul Furlong, Steve Lomas, Paul Jones and Kevin Gallen.
Goalkeeper Simon Royce, the man attacked by a Stoke fan at the Britannia last season, is also on his way after already being farmed out on loan by Gregory.
Their impending exits will add a sentimental edge to Sunday's fixture as Rangers regulars will be granted one final opportunity to bid a fond farewell to the backbone of their side in recent seasons.
Gregory explained the timing of his announcement by stating: "I felt it was only right to inform both the players and the fans of my decision prior to the final home game of the season because it gives them the chance to say goodbye.
"We thank them all for their contribution and wish them every success wherever they may go and in whatever they decide to do.
"The club has had a tired look about it right the way through. We need some young, hungry men. We need some energy, some fight and zip around the place.
"We need to change some faces and to give the club a spring clean."
Gregory's own future was only secured last week when a sequence of four wins in five clinched Championship safety - and allowed an extension clause in his contract to kick into life.
"It would have killed us if we'd got relegated," added the former Aston Villa and Derby manager.
"Things like season-ticket sales and funding from various sources would have been affected. But we've stayed up and we can start with a clean sheet of paper."
Bircham, meanwhile, must now seek pastures new after being cold-shouldered by the club just a week before his 29th birthday.
A Canadian international 15 times - and a Rangers player on more than 150 occasions - Bircham will be lovingly remembered by Stoke fans for the peacock hair-do that was frequently at the centre of such flashpoints as the scuffle preceding Gerry Taggart's controversial dismissal during a Stoke v QPR clash at the Britannia in October 2004.
