Soccer: Ally McCoist is confident Rangers will survive "a dark day" in the club's 140-year history and emerge from administration in a stronger position.

The Scottish champions were forced into administration on Tuesday over an unpaid tax bill of €10.5 million - accrued since Craig Whyte's takeover in May.

McCoist has moved to assure worried fans that everybody at the club will now pull together to ensure Rangers come through a turbulent period with a stronger future.

The manager told www.rangers.co.uk: "That's the aim. That's the thing we want to assure the fans and the players and the workforce of.

"We will be doing everything to make sure Rangers comes out the other side far better and far stronger. There's no getting away from it. It has been a very disappointing and black day. We have 140 years of fantastic history at this football club but the most important thing is that we look to the future and the next 140 years.

"Going into administration obviously wasn't ideal but it's the opinion of many people that it might be the best thing for this football club. Everybody at this club wants the club to continue, which it will do that's for sure, and this might just be the best way forward.

"So we have to adjust to what's happened, react to it and take the club forward and we aim to do that."

The Scottish Premier League immediately docked Rangers 10 points meaning they now trail leaders Celtic by 14 points, with the title race effectively over as a contest.

Staff and players also face uncertainty over their own jobs at the club but McCoist insists his squad will still do all they can to deliver results on the park.

He added: "I'm very positive. I have to be and we all have to be at this time and in this situation. There is no place for negativity and there can't be.

"There is no hiding from the facts and you can't argue with those but we are where we are and we're faced with what we're faced with, and we have to be positive. I've spoken to Craig, to the staff and to the players and we all agree that we must do our best to take the club forward. That will be the case and I can assure all the fans of that.

"The players are professionals. We have a fantastic group, a talented group, and they are at home in training and on the pitch. That will not change. Obviously like everybody else there will be people concerned about their jobs and their welfare and we appreciate that. But everybody is of the same opinion - that we must rally together and take this great club forward."