ECONOMICS DOMINATE so much of our perception of the Premier League, and big-time football in general, that a lot of the small denominations get lost down the back of the settee. But two sums stuck out this week, if not the sort that will give Cristiano Ronaldo or Sepp Blatter sleepless nights. The first is €25.30, the second €52.

There will be a certain section of readers who will be unable to feel sympathy for Rangers' fans regardless of their plight. But they should pause a second because this could easily happen elsewhere.

On Tuesday Rangers confirmed they would be selling their Player of the Year - indeed Scotland's Player of the Year - Carlos Cuellar, to Aston Villa. The former Celtic manager Martin O'Neill persuaded Villa to trigger the €9.9 million release clause in Cuellar's contract and so, the week after Rangers' disastrous result against FBK Kaunas, Cuellar was gone. A major price had been paid for a major defeat.

But that was not all Villa triggered. In Glasgow, Rangers' fans snapped and some of them called the club to let them know they would trigger the clause in their season ticket contract that enabled them to cancel it forthwith. Rangers did not dispute this but made sure they got their cancellation fee: €23.30. Paying €23.30 not to watch the club you hold a season ticket for must be some kind of fresh statement of football's madness.

Tomorrow night you can imagine some Newcastle United fans thinking a reasonable concept. The cheapest adult ticket for Newcastle fans at Old Trafford is €52. A seat on a supporters' bus is €30.50 - €82.50 before you've had a drink at a venue where Newcastle have not won since 1972 and where they lost 6-0 in January. Paying €23.30 not to watch could seem all right.