26th of foot

I am sure you are correct. I am a product of my conditioning, I spent a year at Saint-Cyr in the mid 80s where L'ecole Commandant utilised my variant. Of course, he was a mustard obsessed Burgundian determined to invade Germany. The main thing is that Traynor administers a good kicking.

Traynor must pick a target; be it Cosgrove, Spiers, Delahunt, McLaughlin, ...... etc and proceed to give him a relentless kicking. It's a Roman thing of French presentation - 'pour l'attention des autres'.

As a teenager, I managed to attend 6 of the 9 games in our cup winning run. I attended all 4 home games, Bayern away and the final too. My old man made the same 6, plus the away defeat in Lisbon(4-3). The formation differed slightly between home and away games. Against Torino and Bayern away, both 1-1 draws; we played with a sweeper(Dave Smith) behind central defenders Colin Jackson and Derek Johnstone. Jardin and Mathieson were the full backs and a midfield four of Johnston(wide left), Greig and MacDonald(central), and McLean(right). Colin Stein ploughed the lone furrow up front. Particularly in the Bayern game, DJ and Grieg were interchangeable as DJ had been tasked with man-marking Uli Hoeness. In the first two ties against Rennes and Sporting, we played more a attacking formations because of player availability. Ronnie McKinnon played all 4 games, a lythe and agile central defender prepared to get in front of the centre forward. He broke his leg in Lisbon. Wullie Henderson played both games against Sporting, the tie ended 6-6 in aggregate. Graham Fyfe and Alfie Conn appeared in a couple of games. We were geared to go forward and were 4-3-3 to all extents and purposes. The final itself saw a central defence of Smith and Johnstone, with Jardine and Billy wan-fit as fullbacks. The middle four were McLean(right), Conn and Greig(central), and MacDonald(left). Again, there interchanges between Greig and Smith, Dave stepped forward on numerous occasions and head up hit a long pass or interlinked the play. We were 4-4-2.

Ach, Michael is just soothing the fears of his fellow Rangers haters.

Misinformation and disinformation. Leggo's bloggs habitually travel the spectrum between perceptive and barking. We are all capable of making up our own minds, or are we? Why would a website owner utilise Leggo's musings to suggest another website are running interference on attempts to float Rangers? The finger is pointed and the 'threat' is indicated. Of course, the constant need for a 'threat' is necessary, it is a most unifying tactic when running your own interference. As it turns out, the enemy within are both longterm, regular posters on FF. Control and denial whilst whipping the adherents into line. Perhaps one day the 'threat' posed by the 3-4 far smaller Rangers supporters' websites will be quantified?

"hate-filled vaccum" Jim Traynor leaves the Record, his designation remains vacant. Both Waddell and Guidi(the Slug) are on a quest to both establish and continually flash their Rangers-hating credentials. As surely as nature hates a vaccum, both Gordon and Mark know sticking the boot into all things Rangers secures the status as Traynor's successor. Interestingly, it would appear the usual suspects are all singing from the same hymmn sheet again, the RTC Blog has been replaced? Cosgrove, Spence, English, .............. Davie Provo are all making the same points this weekend. The attack does NOT stop, it's just that the angle has changed.

As good as this article is, it appears as an exercise in damage limitation for the Daily Record. Yesterday, the Record trumpeted the story of 67 Rangers players taking legal recourse against the club. Since, the vast majority of those involved have stated they have NO interest in the action being persued by the Scottish PFA. The story was not properly referenced and Jackson has been wheeled out to play good cop. Of course, the Record could go directly to source and speak to Margaret Gribbon, the Scottish PFA lawyer with her hand firmly on the tiller of the action. Further, they could have contacted former MSP Rosie Kane, as she sits beside Margaret in the North Stand at ra Stydome. However, in lieu of Jim Traynor's new employment and the Record's deal to print both ra Sellik View and Sellik programme; they deliberately took the path of least resistance.

Nuremberg Hugh has been banned from entering both ra Stydome and Lennoxtown for ten weeks due to a pre-season friendly match report highlighting a perceived lethargy in his beloved green'n'grey hoops. Instead of riling and raging against his situation, he blames his angst on all things Rangers. Hyperbole is no stranger to Hugh. He thought four flags; one Saltire, one Union, and two with the club crest being waved as several film theme tunes were played over the stadium PA, was akin to a Nuremberg Rally. Yep, the spirit of Nazi central where the Laws that saw 6.5million Jews marched into the final solution was ever- present at Ibrox.

I think it's about access to the debate. This is a road well travelled by the Herald 10-12 years past. There was a period of almost 4 years when the Herald's triumvirite of Douglas-Home, McKenna, and McAlpine deliberately denied Rangers supporters access to the debate. Numerous subjective columns reference Rangers appeared across the paper, front page to last. Despite many, including myself penning contributions to the debate, we were denied access to the correspondence pages. This culminated in Sanjeev Kholi's two page column on changing his allegience from Rangers to ra Sellik. He claimed this occurred whilst standing in the Rangers end at ra Piggery on Mark Walters debut on 2nd January 1988. Apparently he was discusted at his fellow Rangers supporters dressed in monkey suits and pelting Walters with bananas! Surely a false memory? The Editor of the supplement was Charleen Sweeney, she and McKenna and McAlpine protected Kholi in the correspondence pages. They printed one single paragraph letter from a Bear claiming Kholi was mistaken. However, they printed several letters from Yahoos(including both Kholi's brothers) congratulating him on his courage and honesty. BBC Scotland has travelled the same road. Go through all the regular contributors/talking heads on their football output and name the Rangers supporter? Aberdeen is well represented ; Gordon, Grant, Sutherland, Mann, Wullie Miller, and Liam McLeod. Sellik have Kheredine, Chris McLaughlin, John Barnes, Murdo McLeod, Tom English, Tony Higgins, Pat Nevin, Des McKeown, and David Begg. Dundee United have Spence, Kenny McIntyre, Gary Robertson. Hearts have Paul Mitchell, Preston, John Robertson, and Hibs have Craig Paterson. Rob McLean supports Ross County, Cowan is a 'Well fan, Cosgrove is a Saintee, Scott Davie a Raith Rovers supporter. Chic Young strongly claims adherence to St Mirren, and Billy Dodds has publically declared he no longer considers himself a Rangers supporter. That leaves Derek Ferguson as the TOKEN. Look at that list, 30 names and one Rangers supporter mostly contributing from lower division games. Like the Herald it is deliberate in denying Rangers supporters access to the debate. Continually, they claim Rangers are the establishment team; however we are way under represented and if you think the front of the house representation is woeful, you should see the list of Producers and Editors.

I believe any appeal must be based on a point of law. Now, the usual suspects rushed to tell us that the 2-1 majority verdict contained most information from Dr Heidi Poon's contribution. She voted against Rangers and her reasoning was based on her accounting expertise. The other two that voted in our favour are both legal experts. Does an Accountant trump two Lawyers? Maybe HMRC are basing their appeal on renewed HATRED?

Well, they usually provide us with the entire main stand and the former(now seated) terracing behind the goals. Let's say 6,000 tickets at £25 a pop? If my arithmetic is correct, that's £150,000. Of course, there are added costs in extra stewarding, policing, catering staff, ......... etc. Further, the gate is split somewhere around 55%-45% in the home club's favour. Roughly, I suspect the ticket revenue must be worth £75-£80grand to Dundee Hibs. Maybe, if we starve them of this income, they will have to off-load Russell/Daly in the January window. Our defence needs all the help it can get.

Charles Green and our Board of Directors should show the required leadership by refusing to attend the game. On a matter of principle, I would rather we cede the tie than anyone with the remotest support for our club gave a single penny to those cnuts.

He left the Herald for the Express, lasted 4 weeks before accepting the gig as the Record's Chief Sports Writer/Sports Editor. Whilst at the Herald, Souness banned him for 2-3 weeks and catapulted Traynor from the back page to the front page. His writing at the Herald was exceptional. I believe his resignation from the Record is a matter of principle. The current Editor is Allan Rennie, he is a Yahoo and a Lawwell Lamb to boot. Apparently, the Record had the full story on Stokes at the IRA benefit, with pictures. It was cleared for the front page until Rennie intervened and demanded a front page of a shady potential investor in Rangers. The Record was scooped by an Irish newspaper on Stokes. Further, Keevins has been banned from ra Stydome and Lennoxtown for 10 weeks and Rennie refuses to rile and rage against it. He was banned for a pre-season match report that upset Lawwell. Traynor cannot believe Rennie continues to allow a situation that sees a journo unable to ply his trade. The long shadow of 'Thugs and Thieves' continues to cast.

I thought Pat Nevin would have been at Easter Road today?

How appropriate, Ian Small contributes to 'Fans with Laptops'. Ian is entirely comfortable as a 'Lawwell Lamb'.

No, no, and thrice no. Jum Spence speaks on behalf of his master, Stephen Thompson; morning, noon, and night. BBC Scotland awarded him a new, substantialy improved contract last summer. Wee Jum blurted in his excitement that he could for the first time, be fully full-time and give up his job as a lecturer in law at a local polytechnic. Jum's favourite word this year has been, "contrition". We, the Rangers support had not shown enough and Jum was livid, so he was.

Reading Traynor's take on events, I suspect BBC Scotland's Jum Spence might find himself redundant.

Thompson is hopefully just the start. Only Riley, Topping, Doncaster, and Dandy Don Duncan Fraser to go. "Professional differences" is it? I heard it was musical differences, the other four liked diddley-dee melodies; whereas Thompson preferred Deedley-did tones.

Auld Erchie has posted a grenade. Let's see if anyone at BBC Scotland throws themselves on it?

I believe any appeal MUST be based on a point of law. Since the accountant, Dr Heidi Poon found against Rangers, the other two were law experts and found for Rangers. Maybe in HMRC's rarified world, one accountant trumps two legal experts? Further, it will be a new three person committee if an appeal is progressed. Again, it's my belief it will take at least 18 months as there is an 18 month time elapse for a slot. An appeal might not deliver a verdict until 3 years hence. I think someone must calculate both the monetary and opportunity cost of appeal action.

I listened to both BBC Radio Scotland and Radio Snyde over the weekend. Stuart Cosgrove is almost THE voice of BBC Radio Scotland these days, he appears on the airwaves on at least five seperate shows. He hosts/co-hosts four of them. He has several hours each and every weekend to advance his particular polemic. He brought up the FTT on four of these shows, the well rehearsed presentation did not waver. He emphasised the majority verdict, lionised Dr Heidi Poon's contribution, utilised some examples of her judgement, and placed the verdict's year long delay squarely at the door of Mr Red(SDM). Further, the RTC blog was then discussed on each show in lieu of the FTT. He continues to lionise it, it remains seminal in the new journalism of social media superceding the older broadcast and print means. He claims the veracity of the information on the blog was unquestionable, that Rangers supporters regularly participated on it's pages, thus could claim neutrality and objectivity, and reminded those listening that the blog was a worthy winner of the Orwell Prize. At no point did Stuart mention the accurate information had been achieved through access to information that should never have reached the public domain ie it was deliberately leaked to the specific source. Surprisingly, Stuart also forgot to mention the blog disappeared within an hour or so of the verdict. Now, Stuart did apologise, .............. for a specific. He said sorry for previously saying Rangers had gone under with debts of £135million. He accepts the figure is almost a £100million lower in light of the verdict. This 'apology' allowed him to go on and deliver a most subjective appreciation. I propose Cosgrove be appointed the Orwellian Minister for Truth, do I have a seconder? As for Snyde, Jim(ra Tim)Delahunt uncannily mirrored Cosgrove's performance. Right down to the same examples of Dr Heidi Poon's contribution. The usual suspects continue to sing from the same hymn sheet, it's just a different hymn sheet since the demise of the RTC blog.

Yep, sanctimoneous Davie does not do irony. These last 20 years in both broadcast(Radio Snyde and Sky) and print(the Sun and News of the World) Provan has moralised and has NEVER hesitated to present a penny lecture. Fair enough! However, here's a guy that spent a decade at ra Piggery as a player and another several years on the youth coaching staff; all that time rejoicing in his given nickname, 'PROVO'. Give us that bit about morality again Davie, maybe this time with a straight face?

Stripping the RTC blog of it's Prize. Seriously, how would this work? I take it that the prize will be in three parts : something on a plinth, a certificate, and possibly a cheque. Who was/were the recipient/recipients? We know the site has been vanished into the blue nowhere, is the Orwell Prize awarded for an ephemeral notion? On the theme of notional ephemera, I note BBC Scotland announcing the arrest of a 37 year old from Glasgow in relation to the RTC blog. I suspect this will be a Rangers supporter sounding off on a disappeared site, moderated by the anonymous. The PF's rationale to proceed in protecting the sensitivities of an anonymous ephemeral notion marks the arrival of the Thought Police.

The phrase first entered my head whilst standing in the pouring rain in Cologne watching Jim Denny man-mark Pierre Littbarski. We lost 5-1.