26th of foot

Of course you are correct. I propose Emma, Marvin, Alan and, Michael all chorus, 'we are the People' before every broadcast.

Minefield mate. You know six out of seven dwarfs are not Happy.

We live in the best of times, we live in the worst of times. It is an age of wisdom, it is an age of foolishness. It is an epoch of belief, it is an epoch of incredulity. It is the season of light, it is the season of darkness. It is the spring of hope, it is the winter of despair. Whatever your preferred prejudice, we must acknowledge these are woke times. ViaPlay are to be congratulated in covering the entire spectrum of inclusivity and diversity. Yesterday's panel for the Scottish League Cup semi-final between Hearts and Rangers had it all. The panel assembled for broadcast covered all the bases, it was : Marvin Bartley - black. Alan Hutton -white. Emma Dodds - Lesbian. Michael Stewart - complete and utter ginger cnut. It is the way ahead.

Hearts 1 Rangers 3 FGS : Sima.

I have posted before about the good fortune of being a fifteen year old schoolboy and my old man taking me to Barca' in 1972, a truly magical three days. I missed the 5-1 mauling of ra Sellik at Ibrox in September'88. I was in Oman and it was operational. On the Yemen border leading a recce patrol, we harboured up and set out two OPs. Stagging on during the silent hours, my signaller had rigged an ariel to receive the BBC World Service. It was most unprofessional, I had one ear pod secured listening Paddy Feeny's sports desk. He was a wonderful broadcaster and knew how to tease. He began by telling us there had been a six goal thriller at Ibrox then, played six dozen second commentary sequences of each goal. Of course, the green'n'grey hooped horrors notched first and I thought we have lost 0-6. Even after the fourth sequence informed we had gone 3-1, I thought at least the worst will be 3-3. When Rangers fifth was relayed I indulged in the loudest and longest silent scream. I lapsed into further unprofessional behaviour(almost Bootneck behaviour) and imagined myself in the Enclosure bouncing and hugging fellow Bears.

It is a fantastic photo'. DJ is surrounded by three opposition players and Jim Craig. The three are David Hay, Billy McNeill and, Bobby Murdoch/George Connolly? Jim Craig left Sellik and emigrated to apartheid South Africa. Several years later he returned to Scotland and became a bankrupt Dentist. You do not get many of those in a lucky bag.

The Union Bears pyro display on both banks of the River Clyde in the wake of our 55th title cannot be beaten. Glasgow's tourist bureau should utilise the scenes in their foreign presentations. Having organised and presented the best, I would prefer in the sprit of Ultra competition they would refrain from future attempts within stadiums. The Union Bears should welcome the chase. As attempted in the original post, Rangers supporters come to the party and the pile on begins and continues unfettered. The Ultras culture includes many military characteristics; unity, discipline, orders, ....... and uniform. The Union Bears support the club thus the smart move would be to refrain this weekend and allow the Hearts, Hibs and Aberdeen Ultras to fill the vacuum. It is a win-win for all Rangers supporters, do the Union Bears have the discipline and tactical nous?

Ultras, a culture that has spread right across the game. Chant and response, constant drumming and, a multitude of flags combine with a choreography of Tifo, flares and, coloured smoke discharge. The sum of the parts results in a presentation of fanaticism. In Scotland the culture has been growing these last twenty years and in this last month has culminated in ra Sellik's Green Brigade grabbing headlines for political posturing whilst our own Union Bears have exhibited pyromania. The chant is, 'No Pyro, no party'. Last night's events at Dens Park saw the Union Bears exacerbate a situation of delayed kick off. The start was already forty-five minutes late when after two minutes of play the Referee ordered both sets of players from the field for a further eighteen minutes. The halt to play was caused by the Rangers away support in the Bob Shankly stand igniting dozens of flares. White light quickly led to obscuration on a near windless evening. The game and the party fizzled out at nearly eleven O'Clock. The flames surrounding the Green Brigade these last few weeks proved too hot for many. The silence was deafening from numerous politicians, the national broadcaster, Police Scotland despite the Pig Watch banners and, the Scottish Government. One must admire the patient discipline on display as the wait for the approved line/narrative continued. Playing with Peter's fire leads to collective fingers being burnt. Illumination on the silvery Tay sparks a pile on. Last night and today we have had statements from the Dundee CEO, the Dundee manager, Police Scotland, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, the Scottish Government and, a multitude of commentary from the national broadcaster at PQ. Moths are attracted to the Rangers inspired flame knowing there is no threat to a single wing being cinched. We await the Rangers statement. I suspect last night's flare up has united those that relish kicking our club and support?

After the pyro interruption, we notch early through Ryan Jack. During the next twenty minutes we have two one on ones with the Dundee keeper and despite both opportunities being in and around the six yard line, we fail to beat said stopper. The game should be out of sight already and the three points packed for the return journey. I hope the Gaffer installs some desire and urgency to get the job done before Dundee wake up to our vulnerabilities.

Dundee 1 Rangers 2 FGS : Danilo.

Kick off delayed until 20.05 hrs. Rangers team bus has just arrived, caught up in the A90 counter flow. I am worried Dundee field former 'Ger, Zac Rudden. Heavy pitch is just the dab for a tall, powerful centre forward.

The Moveable Feast. As BBC Licence Fee payers, we take our place at the table and await service. Of course, as Rangers supporters we know the menu offered differs greatly from the one proffered to the PQ Gang Hut's fellow supporters. If and when we are served, often the fare is rendered unpalatable by presentational condiment. No such concerns for our separated brethren, their gastric juices flow knowing most careful consideration has gone into the content and presentation of every dish. The Maitre d, Peter stands at the pass determining what, where and, when will be served. It is over three weeks since the Green Brigade's reaction to the Hamas raid into Israel and finally, PQ have chalked the event and fall out to the Specials blackboard(chalkboard if you prefer). Yesterday was Halloween and it was appropriate that tangerines and monkey nuts were served. An uncredited piece appeared on the Beeb Scotland website entitled, 'Celtic suspends Green Brigade group from matches'. The Sellik Board has levelled four main charges at the Balaclavad Bhoys : 1. the widespread and unsafe use of pyro'. 2. rushing turnstiles and forcing fire exits. 3.illegally gaining access to Celtic Park. 4. violent and intimidating behaviour towards Stewards. During the 24 hours the piece has been up, it has been edited/updated on two occasions but, continues to be served with a couple of the most unpalatable seasonings omitted. PQ have not mentioned the vile 'Pig Watch' episode, even cutting the photograph to partially obscure the prominent banner. Further, the impression of the entire GB being banned is the deliberate foretaste, the lasting back of the mouth aftertaste ie only 200 season tickets have been suspended is NOT included. Simply, Sellik after legal consultation are willing to reimburse a couple of hundred folks one third of the way into the season but, have no intention of losing the revenue from the other 2500 GB members seated in the north curve. The website piece was the appetiser for today's Chris McLaughlin main course to camera from the PQ studio. Tom English is currently unwelcome at the Brendanbowl and Chris remains on the grassy knoll/studio in solidarity but, continues to promote, 'Eat Your Greens'. All and all it confirms what we know so well, at PQ it is the way Peter tells them.

Go back twenty-five years and the Glasgow Herald was considered a decent blatt. It had been providing a news service to west, central Scotland for in excess of two hundred years. As the millennium approached, it's Editor was Aberdeen supporting Harry Reid and it's daily circulation was 120,000. The mixture of local news, national and international news combined with varied witty and incisive Columnists gave it's readership what it wanted. The necessary robust Editorials and vibrant correspondence pages took the readership to places of discomfort. The Glasgow Herald was a successful broad sheet newspaper. Now, my fellow Gersnetters will correctly note the millennium was the tipping point for newspaper sales, it has been a downward trend ever since. However, Harry Reid was replaced by old Etonian, Mark Douglas Home in the year 2000 and, the Herald spiralled into an accelerated slump. Douglas Home appointed two Deputy Editors, former Celtic View Editor, Kevin McKenna and soon to be SNP MSP, Joan McAlpine. The Columnists hired highlighted nepotism, the Editor's wife, west Belfast born and bred, Colette Douglas Home, preferred prejudice in Ewing Grahame and, the useful idiot, Graham Spiers. Five short years later the circulation had diminished by two thirds to under 40,000. Today, the circulation hovers around 12,000. The chief Columnist is Kevin Mckenna and being a product of his conditioning he pens articles reference his obsessions. The man who founded his own amateur football team at Glasgow University, 'the Vatican Strollers', the man who was allowed to resign the Editorship of the Celtic View after saying, "the IRA bombing of the Enniskillen Remembrance service was a legitimate act of war" and, the man who Nicola Sturgeon proclaimed, "the poster boy for Scottish Independence" has spent a quarter of a century moulding what is left into his own image. This year the Herald rescued the career of Gabriel McKay - he wrote when seeing the late Queen opening the Commonwealth Games at Celtic Park, "where are the IRA when you need them"? Kevin's charity has extended to Angela Haggerty, accepting an invitation to be her son's Godfather. The Godfather has overseen today's sub-editor headline, "Celtic had to lock out the Green Brigade before Glasgow City Council closed down Parkhead". The headline travels across an entire spectrum and concludes with the fantasy of Glasgow City Council contemplating closure of ra Stade de Gadd - the morons' oxymoron.

On Sunday evening he received a telephone call from Peter informing him, "duty calls".

I was in Bar'72 early yesterday and the Host brought in Tom Lawrence. He was replete in club blazer and necktie and spoke very well. On being asked on current fitness? He told of being back in full trianing as of today and was determined to be part of next weekend's semi-final squad. Here's hoping.

Rangers 2 Hearts 0 FGS : Sima.

Well, It was fifty years past and we travelled to Methil to play against a stuffy East Fife side in Christmas week. The snow fell heavily and the festive Bears began: "Parlane, Parlane, born is the King of Ibrox Park". We won four nil. Christmas Eve at Fir Park, I can foresee the Union Bears imbued with jingled spirits beginning: "Dessers, Dessers, born is the King of Ibrox Park". We will win four nil. Festive fantasy can be a most elastic medium.

Aberdeen 2 PAOK 3. The Dandies were leading 2-zip with twenty minutes left on the clock. The Ref' denies the Dons a clear penalty too. Anyways, the Greeks bring it back to 2--2 and in the final action of five minutes added on, he awards PAOK a penalty. The conversion is literally the last kick of the ball. It was robbery, a genuine Greek tragedy and, fcuking marvellous.

I am reminded of a story my Old Man used to relate. He was attending a fund raiser in the Kenilworth Hotel for (Masonic) Lodge Shalom in the late 60s. Mike Winters was in attendance being a prominent British Jew. Jack House was the speaker and he told of Mike and Bernie Winters introduction to Glasgow theatre. It was a second house at the notorious Empire in 1960. They were the stars of the show and introduced as the toast of London. Mike Winters strolled on to the stage and told several jokes - no reaction. He picked up his clarinet(he was a product of the London Royal Conservatoire) and played an intricate medley - no reaction. Panic levels rising and Bernie appeared flashing his lugubrious teeth - there was a reaction as a member of the audience bawled, "aw fcuk ah hope there's only two of them"? Apparently, Mike Winters laughed as loudly as everyone else in the Kenilworth audience.

The first half, in and out of possession we were awful. It was another thank God for Jack Butland. The second half, we worked our way into it. Butland got a well deserved rest and their Keeper was busier. The German Referee was appalling. I do not want to stray into hyperbole but, I have never seen such a well choreographed side as Sparta. There were half-a-dozen incidents of players inside their OWN eighteen yard box falling down under the challenge, one hand clutching the alleged impact area whilst the other hand is raised appealing for Referee action.

Sparta Prague 2 Rangers 2 FGS : Sima.

Bounce a few Czechs, see how we go.

The Tom Tom Club. The Rugby World Cup has come and is almost gone. All the home nations have fallen and the final is another southern hemisphere battle. The convenience has passed and Tom English has returned to his BBC Scotland Chief Sports Writer beat. There is a problem, Sellik have told PQ and Tom he is NOT welcome at either ra Stade de Gadd or Lennoxtown. Pre season Tom struck a bum note, relating the facts of Brendan Rodgers last departure from Parkhead. Dermot and Peter were playing a different rhythm insisting Tom was out of step. PQ has been snared. Initially, the Beeb were out but PQ bleated about the need to provide a service. By the third home game, Peter decided to allow the national broadcaster back in, Tom too if he apologised. So far, Tom has been playing fillers but as yet, no apology. Last night, Sellik played Atletico in the Champions League and Tom was confined to the PQ studio, sharing bongos with Kenny Macintyre. More interestingly, Chris McLaughlin was on another grassy knoll astride ra Sellik Way pre-match, then popped up inside the Nine studio for a mid second half update. Both Tom and Chris are NOT welcome. The Peter approved triangle was Liam McLeod, Pat Bonner and, James McFadden at the game, they stuck to a rapid happy clappy Peter approved staccato. No discussion of the Green Brigade and the great flag flutter. BBC Scotland has decided to beat retreat. Compare and contrast? As this thread moves into it's sixth year, we can see the difference in way both sets of supporters have been treated. There was a period of several months where the licence paying Rangers support received no service. It graduated to a designated person ie Craig Paterson, Steven Thomson, Chick Young, ....... etc ordered to sit on the naughty step and watch a studio monitor, then go twelve rounds with the English language telling of their, "belief", "apparently" and, "I'm hearing" to give Rangers supporters a thirty second match report. Richard Gordon offered opposition managers a grievance line whilst throwing daggers. Suffice to say, PQ coverage of our four year Euro' run was two clowns in a studio watching the TV, three and half years of Steven Gerrard's tenure and not a single second of an interview. All because Rangers withdrew Chris McLaughlin's press privileges. License Fee paying Rangers supporters were deliberately denied a full service for five years, the Yahoos missed one game and PQ has given assurance after assurance that everything was being done to restore normal relations. Where are those Journalistic principles that were so to the fore for five years? Tom and Chris appear to be the only two members of the Tom Tom Club.

This. We forget that Rangers also has a social history just as vibrant and on occasion tragic, just like our players and team.

Ah, that is a relief. Of course, I remember the Nursery Rhyme where the animals entered the Ark two by two, the elephants and the kangaroo. The exclusion of the Pygmies was always a concern. It is good that God had compassion for diminutive warriors, as the Green Brigade often sing, 'Soldiers are wee'.