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Hamas Ya Bass! On Saturday last, we awoke to the world news story that Hamas had conducted a raid into Israel. The targets were an open air music festival, a couple of small towns and, a Kibbutz. All were located within five miles of the Gaza - Israel border. The initial death toll was high and has since climbed higher to 1,200. Another 2,900 are reported injured. World reaction on Saturday was shock but, a number of Palestinians and their supporters celebrated the raid. Sellik's Green Brigade epitomised this spirit by unveiling numerous Palestinian flags surrounding two large banners proclaiming, 'Free Palestine" and, "Victory to the Resistance". Both broadcast and print media throughout the UK have reported the Green Brigade's actions, pictures included. Without exception, there has been condemnation. An almost eighty year conflict with few rights and numerous wrongs on both sides can do without the contribution of the emotionally flatulent Green Brigade. The balaclava'd Provo' wanabees have something the Palestinians trapped within Gaza do not, PROTECTION. Israel have begun to exact revenge, constant bombing and shelling of the Gaza strip has inflicted over 1,000 deaths and 5,000 wounded. The Green Brigade's protection is provided by the national broadcaster, BBC Scotland have not reported it. PQ CSC are in splendid isolation in this regard thus, when ra Sellik Board issued a statement on Monday evening they ignored this action too. The statement was posted on the club website but, not on their Twitter account. Sellik were following PQ's lead in containment. The statement is three paragraphs, the first disassociates the club from the Green Brigade, the second reiterates being open to all and, the third asked for supporters to unite in showing respect. We know the Green Brigade prepare their banners inside the ground and the materials for their construction are delivered to ra Stade de Gadd. As for the club stating political banners are not welcome well, .......... stop laughing at the back. The fire was fed more oxygen when former Celt, the Israeli, Nir Bitton took to Twitter pleading with the supporters he played in front of for nine years to ignore the brainwashing and think for themselves. Current Sellik player and also an Israeli, Lil Abada asked the club for a guidance meeting. BBC Scotland did not report this either, not on their football pages, nor on their news pages. Their reporting has been confined to former Don, Clark Robertson fleeing Israel in the wake of the attack and, First Minister, Humza Yousaf's in-laws being trapped in Gaza. The Green Brigade are in danger of becoming a separate entity and we know PQ do not care for the sensitivities of declared separate entities. The collective broth of Bhoys have retaliated by issuing their own statement demanding all supporters bring a Palestinian flag to their next home game against Atletico Madrid. Once again, PQ found themselves in a soup of non reporting. UEFA have again charged the club for the GB unveiling political banners against Lazio, a depiction of Mussolini hanging by piano wire and demanding the Lazio fans, "follow your leader". Why are PQ refusing to report? The noose around Beeb Scotland's collective neck is as tight as those around those effigies twisting in the breeze under the north curve roof. At different times, RAB Cosgrove, Michael Stewart, Tom English, ......... etc have all praised, "the witty and incisive banners". Posterity lasts for a long time and PQ does not have a history if it does not report on it in the first place. It is akin to the current mini-serial on Jimmy Saville, 'the Reckoning' - there will be one. Another non reporting is the current fate of Tom English. Conveniently, he has been dispatched to France for seven weeks to cover the Rugby World Cup. He remains unwelcome at Sellik Park and the Gang Hut show no signs of the solidarity displayed when Rangers withdrew Chris McLaughlin's press privilege. If PQ do not talk about a situation then the situation does not exist. The hypocrisy displayed by the PQ Gang Hut is truly the Celtic State of Mind.

I don't think anyone can predict a timescale for this, since it's a process involving multiple parties and there's no guarantee any offer will be accepted or how vigorously agents will negotiate. I'm sure by now the board would like this settled every bit as much as we do. Btw there's a lot of talk about the board having split opinions but I've seen not a shred of evidence to support this.

Negotiation isn't a case of just getting what you want as soon as you want it. I'd rather wait a few days and get the right man on the right deal.

A couple of years before Fergus McCann showed any interest in purchasing Sellik, the then Glasgow District Council increased Sellik's land bank significantly for the sum of one penny. Glasgow District Council in 1990/91 had 102 wards, 90 of the Councillors were Labour Party representatives. The other dozen were a mixture of Nationalists, Liberals and, Tories. The GDC Planning Committee had 13 members, 11 Labour, one SNP and, one Tory. The Housing Committee had already taken the decision to NOT renovate the council owned housing in three streets immediately surrounding Sellik Park and condemned the houses. Those streets were Janefield Street, Kinloch Street and, Dalriada Street; approximately 250 families occupied the housing concerned. The Council agreed resettlement grants should be paid to the families, average payment between £4,000-£5,000. The Council would meet the costs of demolition and land clearance, the cost to the public purse was estimated at £2.5 million. The Planning Committee agreed the ground should be sold to the sole applicant, Sellik. The vote was 11-2. Both the SNP and Tory Councillors issued a statement stating several of the Councillors were Sellik supporters and, compared the sale to ICI acquiring ground for a peppercorn rate when the majority taking the decision were ICI share holders. It took a few months but, the GDC Convenor, Pat Lally was forced into calling a full Council meeting to ratify the sale of three streets for a penny. A full day's debate ensued and a vote was called after the Labour Party installed a three line whip. The sale was approved by a majority of 70. Let that sink in. Almost concurrently, Rangers had an agreement in place to purchase St Anthony's ground adjacent to the wee Rangers Club. The intent was to preserve the Ibrox playing surface. Planning application was submitted for an initial 2,500 all seated stadium, later rising to 4,000 and, the ground would be called, 'Struth Stadium'. The club's Reserves and Youth teams were to play at the ground. The Ants were content, future secured and no objections were lodged. It took over a year for the Planning Committee to refuse the application, citing the proximity to the Airport. The ground was ring fenced as part of the industrial estate for future applications. The Herald was still an excellent newspaper in those days and covered these stories in detail. Anyone interested, go into the Mitchell Library and request to view the relevant copies from 30 plus years past.

I did realise that but just threw in the relatively meaningless bit of info on the land. I'm not sure that the Co-op bank was that significant as such. We got similar backing from RBS. The GCC point though is extremely relevant. They have been fully supported by them and got the whole area refurbished whereas Murray's plans to buy the Hinshelwood Estate were blocked and they then made sure that they built housing so that we were unable to do anything in that area for another generation, including extra high housing to try and block the view of the stadium from the motorway. All clearly deliberately planned. Where I would take issue with you was on Murray's realisation. It took him a long time to fully realise the political reality that there were many politicians actively working against us. He didn't seem to court the politicians in the way that someone of his standing should have. It was the fans who reached out to the likes of Ian Davidson at the time. He just didn't seem to get the outright hatred there was for us. Maybe he saved up his political influence for parts of his business that made money but I was always under the impression that he never made any effort for us on that front.

The point I was making wasn’t about the land around Celtic Park. It was about the involvement of the co-op bank & GCC. I think Murray fully realised what was going on. Our support didn’t.

That’s usually a very reliable guide. Uniquely the difference in the present case is that they have by SP standards a reasonably well oiled machine that needs a light touch - Clement? Rangers need someone who will bang heads together and deflate egos and light a fire under the team - Muscat?

People's anger always comes to the fore, creativity and making a choice, not so much. Social media is pretty much based on this.

I just want an appointment and not really bothered if it is Muscat or Clement and don't see the point in a huge debate about it.

my thoughts exactly.

I had mentioned before that it would be good to bring in a manager/D.O.F pairing that had worked well together previously, so that could be another plus to Clement.

Advantage to Clement is that he's likely to bring Paul Mitchell as DoF and we sure do need one.

When you find out, let me know if there’s a cure for it.

Gub would complain about anyone who wasn't as staunch as him. The main issues people had with Murray during NIAR were that he wouldn't defend the club and he wasn't in favour of the party tunes but they were minor in the overall scheme of things. We came out of NIAR in a great position with cash in the bank. It was really under the 98/99 season that the alarm bells started ringing when we spent £38m on players, but it seemed reasonable to assume that he knew what he was doing. given he was a titan of industry. Even then he brought in £38m through a share issue the following year. It was when he carried out with the outrageous level of spending, probably towards the end of 2001, that I realised that he didn't really have a clue.

I have had enough of Goldson. I didn't want him to re-sign. I want a CH for Rangers who will dominate in both boxes, tackle and throw himself at the ball when needed. We are paying this guy a lot of money and he just isn't worth it.

It's important to remember this is just football. There's always a light on the horizon and hope has to spring eternal. The really dressing stuff is what's going on in Israel and in human trafficking or drugs gangs.

I'm not an expert in property. My interpretation is that the land is ultimately WH's but the stadium is Celtic's and and they have the right to the use of the land as long as they pay the feu.

Good. I wouldn't expect a well run club to be leaking out tidbits.

They were skint

I always thought it was the BoS were Rangers bankers under Murray? Anyway my point is ‘they’ were up to all sorts around 2000 which led Rangers(Murray) into taking rash decisions which ultimately led to 2012. As you rightly say GCC were undoubtedly helping them & we were mostly oblivious or uninterested. The stadium was the best example. Their old board clearly said it couldn’t be redeveloped. Along came the bunnett & GCC granted permission. And where did the funding come from? Ultra soft coop banned loans? Don’t think their 3 share issues got them that much.

We’ve been long overdue someone to crack the whip I think some of them look at Ibrox as a kind of rest home an easy billet just go through the motions and pick up a decent pay packet every Friday.

Council owned it I would say it’s not exactly prime land for development looking at the area pretty worthless I do remember the Glasgow council giving them special permission to overhang the graveyard with their north stand and as far as I’m led to believe Janefield street which runs behind that stand is now blocked to all traffic. There was also an issue with the electric pylon that used to be outside the front of the stadium I think Mr McCan had the power company remove it as it was on land owned by the club . Prior to the commonwealth games plenty of folk made a killing by acquiring land in that district from the council at bottom dollar prices only to sell most of it back to the same council at a very handsome price .

Or a neither? Or maybe it's only a bit of fun and not to be taken so seriously we can't bring ourselves to take a view. 😉

Be that as it may, this no-one-knew-anything-about Ange chap we all laughed about back in the day was good enough to get them silverware on all fronts but Europe. He built a team (with lush CL-millions) that was good enough to hold everything in Scotland well at bay, including us. Whereas we toiled along with "modern football". TBH, I have no clue about most of the guys in the poll these days - their managerial credentials, that is. And I don't mind that, as long as the one who comes in gets this team back on track and we start winning trophies again. Be it Clement, Muscat, or Davis. There won't be any new arrivals (bar freebies) before the turn of the year, so we are stuck with what we have - no matter the manager. I still think that we bought decent quality, even though we made horrible decision along the way (Colak, Sakala, Hagi).

Ah, get ye.

Wait til the traditionalists see his footwear in that!

IIRC, Murray brought in Enic around that time. It allowed him to spend cash that previously wasn't available. As 26th of Foot always says, he was a gambler. He always believed that he could raise more cash. after he spent Enic's cash, he used Dave King's (plus a bit of his own), then NTL then JJB. He was confident in his own infallibility in raising more cash for the club. It was this gambling streak that finally brought his business down as he financed the purchase of property with short term loans rather than mortgage related finance so when the financial crisis happened in 2008 he was screwed.