26th of foot

Gazza 8, It was Snyde, a Yahho with a mouthful of plums persued the differing categories argument. His worst category was again Kyle lafferty, he proclaimed Polis involvement because he perceived Lafferty had butted Aberdeen's Mulgrew. He demanded the law of the land should extend to the football field, and Lafferty should be charged with 'Assault'. He reinforced this argument by including the Big Dunc' case. Of course, all of this was build up to his parting remark, "Aiden never assaulted anybody". FANTASSSSSSSYYYYYYY.

I agree. The degree of discomfort on Radio Snyde this week has been clearly palpable. Last week, perm any of the regulars from Bitter Martin, Nuremberg Hugh, Guidi, Provo, ......................etc; all queuing up to include the words, 'Eduardo, diving, and cheat' in any given sentence. You couldn't stop them, they were most comfortable in slaughtering Wenger's poor defence too. This week, they have left it up to the callers and big DJ to use words such as dive and cheat. Tony Mowbray's refusal to view the pictorial evidence has been allowed to disappear into the ether. The worst case I heard was on BBC Radio Scotland on Monday evening during Traynor's weekly hour long chin-wag with fellow journos. This week, Traynor hosted the Sunday Herald's Michael Grant and Scotland on Sunday's Chief Sports Writer, Tom English(Dublin born and bred). All agreed that Plastic McGeady had dived, both Traynor and Grant agreed he had cheated; however, Tom English could not, would not go that far. He warbled on about four categories of cheating, Lafferty's case being right at the top, Rivaldo's incident in the 2002 world cup being next, then Eduardo, and bottom would be McGeady's dive. Further, it wasn't cheating to throw yourself in the middle of the pitch and if he had been the referee, he would not have cautioned Plastic, he would just have had a word. Traynor ripped into him, but he reiterated the above again and again. Why can they not take the next step in nthe rationale? You dive, you cheat, what's the problem?

Too right, what about the sensitivities and sensibilities of 20,000 green seats? How do they feel when the Hamburgers take the pitch? Maybe some of them are veggies, vegans too, and don't want to consume anything with a face. The Viennese Twirls don't tip the plastic, the Kaffe und Kuchen mindset is artificial, and Plastic McGeady remains passe. Tel Aviv don't cut the mustard, circumcised, and it's no skin off the Yahoo nose. Who cares? Who speaks for ra Stydome's largest constituency, 20,000 unused green seats? We should be told.

If the GFITW are truly democratic, who represents the constituency of 20,000 green seats? I think we can guaratee the absolute loyalty(they prefer faithfulness at ra Stydome) of those 20,000 green seats, they will definitely be in attendance at the games.

Their Europa Cup draw lends itself to multiple opportunities. Remember, ra Sellik are currently on their last warning after four increased UEFA fines for pitch incursions and thrown objects. After a �£72,000 fine and the last pitch invader being tossed into the Pokey for six months, Sellik know another infringement will bring a draconian sanction. There is precedent for this, after shameful scenes at ra Piggery in 1984 during a match against Rapid Vienna, UEFA ruled a replay of the game at a neutral venue. Bottles rained down from ra jungle, Paul McStay picked one up and hid it from the match officials, a Rapid player was hit by another, the Rapid bus was attacked as it left Parkhead. The game was replayed at Old Trafford, ra Sellik officially hired an Irish Republican marching band to parade around the track as both pre-match and half time entertainment! Rapid won 1-0, and two of their players were victims of vicious assaults by Yahoos invading the pitch. The result of this was UEFA ordering ra Sellik to play their next Euro match behind closed doors. Next season, they played Atletico Madrid(a 0-2 defeat) at ra Piggery in front of an empty ground. Sellik's draw is Hamburg, Rapid Vienna, and Hapoel Tel Aviv. Let's hope Sh1tey Sean Gallagher is intent on continuing his anti-Israeli protest. Let's hope TGFITW take all their Palestinian flags to Tel Aviv. Let's hope ra Sellik supporters club on London Road continues to fly both the Irish republican tricolour and the Palestinian flag above their main door. Let's hope TGFITW take their St Pauli skull and crossbones flags to Hamburg. Let's hope TGFITW continue their sense of injustice against the conquerers of MON's Aston Villa. Let's hope ra Yahoo friendly media continuously show those shameful film clips from those Rapid Vienna games, 25 years past. Let's hope the phone-ins stoke their sense of injustice. I suspect even the 20,000 green seats will get motivated on the back of that draw. Go on Yahoos, show us some of that wholly legitimate Sellik emotion.

Even better a piece of wonderment inspired by the Green Fairy. Absynth, a concoction of alcohol, anaseed, liquorish, and wormwood. A drink for real nutters.

A truly wonderful piece that spears the ever present bubble of pomposity at ra Stydome.

I sat immediately behind the goals, a dozen rows back. I noted Davie Weir sprinting off after the linesman after Hearts scored. He was demanding a flag, then he turned his attention to the referee. I think the linesman was Martin Cryans, certainly looked like him, and he has plenty of previous in this regard, involving Rangers.

Here's something that folks always ignore about Maggie. In late 1981, her Government announced that the Ice Breaker, 'Endurance' would not be replaced, the two frigates that stagged on in the South Atlantic were being withdrawn to Belize, and the Naval Party(Royal Marines) on station in the Falkland Islands were being reduced by more than 50%. The result in March'82 was a dozen Argentenian scrap metal merchants stepped on to South Georgia and began to dismantle the old whaling station. Without reaction, other than diplomatic attempts, the Argentenian fascist Junta invaded British Sovereign terrority and put 2,500 of Her Majesty's subjects under a totaltarian yoke. Recovery of the lands, liberation of the people, and restoration of the status quo cost in excess of 300 British servicemens lives. Maggie went on to win a further election on the back of her reaction to a situation; she was directly responsible for creating.

I believe the current News Editor at BBC Scotland is Diarmid O'Hara. Obviously, increasingly so, he is a man who sits extremely comfortably with his preferred prejudice.

Rather a Spiersesque approach! I believe Graham is promoting his founding of a new CSC for those wishing to express Metrosexual Balaclava Chic - Armalites and Catamites CSC. Another emotional outburst like above, may see an invitation to join being extended from the Botanical Truth fairy. Careful now.

Even after Neil Diamond had long left the comforts of the Brill Building, Rangers paid out a small Dividend to the club shareholders most years. At the height of Diamond's mid-seventies pomp and still retaining a lock of his own hair, Rangers persisted in rewarding those that invested in the club. Somewhere around 1980, Rangers refrained and Neil entered a quarter century period of little to no chart success. One of Diamond's creations was sang by the Monkees, 'I'm a Believer'. Ironically, the Monkees were a manufactured band, specifically created for the same named TV show. Our Dearest Leader is a manufactured Rangers supporter and these several years it has become harder to maintain the 'I'm a Believer' mindset. These last several years, finance or the mismanagement of it has played an increasing role in our continuing love affair with the club. Increasing disappointment has haunted all our dreams. As stated, it hasn't always been this way. We enjoyed halcyon days. My generation of football supporter regularly visited other grounds to watch other teams. Born and bred in Lanarkshire, I watched all the county sides, particularly in the early seventies if Eddie Turnbull's fantastic Hibs side were visiting. You got lifted over the turnstyle or you paid 10 pence for the Boys' Gate. I attended national cup finals that did not involve Rangers. It was the football that mattered, no one mentioned finance. In the mid-eighties, my professional life took me to London for a year. I would cross the river, like a few hundred other Scots and watch Brentford/Millwall/Charlton. It was a more recognisable Scottish experience. A dozen wee groups scattered around the terracing, all gathered around a big arm held radio tuned to BBC Radio scotland on the medium wave. A dozen arms would go up to your front and right, it was the expat Jambos celebrating an announced goal at Dens. Meanwhile, Millwall would be toiling against Bristol Rovers. Each of the groupings would experience the emotional rollercoaster of Saturday fitba. No one talked money. The cost of football would NOT allow the above paragraphs these last few years. There is a genuine lack of tolerance too. On Saturday last, I had three conversations with mates before kick-off and during half time on the concourse. The subject matter was unfailingly, 'the Bank'. Another product of the Brill Building was Carol King, her Tapestry album remained in the charts for over a decade. The opening track was a thumping piano power chord, 'I feel the earth move under my feet'. That's the emotion I prefer to associate with my Rangers.

Graham Spiers Sports Diary. I note those red, white, and blue cavalcaders have ceased dragging their collective knuckles, superceeding their favoured pastime by launching an in depth critique of the Peloponnesian Wars. I love a sword and sandal epic, heaving oiled bodies replete in leather and metal plate doing the macho thang. I am undone by the necessary violence of those short stabbing bacon bayonets. My salad days as a Divinity undergraduate at St Andrews was one long Greek Tragedy. As a homage to Cambridge Footlights, we formed East Neuk Catamites but alas the weekend Marathon from Elie to Crail threw up so few windswept Hoplites prepared to administer satisfying facial humiliation. My crie de couer on the Fife coastal path often went the way of tidal driftwood, I was prepared to impale myself on any spear. I urge my fellow Rangers supporters to disist from further study of the Peloponnesian Wars, extra virgin olive oil is a poor lubricant.

I believe the current situation goes back several years to SDM's two year sabbatical; remember John McClelland took over as club Chairman. In 2003, the club debt was established as being in excess of �£50million, and climbing. The Murray Group underwrote a �£15million Revolving Credit Facility, our owner took the 1% placement fee. Essentially, the club has been run with the support of the Revolving Credit Facility ever since. Last year's August spend of �£10million took us over the �£15million limit, triggering greater interest on the debt. With the retail sold off to JJB, miniscule TV/Media rights, our main source of income is season ticket sales. By December, marginal income is the norm, thus the Bank demanded Rangers make a bigger contribution to service the debt and the club hierarchy announced the firesale. If Arsenal do what Dynamo should have, then Rangers are guaranteed another �£2million from Champions League TV rights as the sole Scottish participant. This may steady a still rocking ship; however, such a position of weakness will ensure bids for McGregor, Boogie, Boyd, .......etc will be accepted, particularly in the last week of the transfer window. Reference the Revolving Credit Facility, Rangers must get the amount well below the �£15million level, because as the season progresses, we will be drawing on the residual to keep the club functioning. I suspect the Bank are very much running the club.

Everything about the behaviour of certain elements of the Rangers support in Portsmouth is in the public domaine. Currently, it's being raked over in both radio and newspaper phone-ins. It reinforces the impression that all the problems of Scottish football, can be neatly packaged and laid at the club door in Edmiston Drive. Lot's of folks continuing to sit extremely comfortably with their preferred prejudice. A team of wild horses would NOT succeed in ripping such a dearly held comfort blanket from their collective mouth. Meanwhile, on the same day at Eastlands in Manchester, the green'n'grey hooped horrors indulge in a normal away day. Dozens of seats are broken, the usual IRA kare-oke is presented in a well rehearsed gusto, and a brick lobbed by a Yahoo strikes a child. Both broadcast and print media entirely ignore these happenings because they do NOT fit the package. Last Thursday evening, Abergreen fans are involved in an incident involving tear gas canisters, we hear about this, it is presented as an attack on an innocent grouping of 40 Dandy Dons in an Irish themed bar in Sigma. Before the game, reports of heavy fighting in Sigma town centre between those lovable Dandy Dons and locals. Riot Polis are deployed and begin to swing batons. Reports end, nothing about arrests, reasoning, or outcome. Two maritime flares are set off inside the ground during the match, flares carried on aircraft from Aberdeen to Sigma. No reports during the match, no reports after the match; only comes to light because this event was included in the official UEFA report.

What's the difference between a Bean Counter and a Bean Grinder? A pair of comfortable shoes.

Craig, I feel it is increasingly obvious that our club is continually dealing from a position of weakness; hence, why I suspect �£2million is the tipping point for McGregor to walk down the marble staircase for the last time. Reference the club being held for ransom, the last couple of days of this transfer window might just provide the necessary indication of how weak our club is at this moment. Again, it's suspicion on my part and I hope I am wrong, truly; however if a bid of �£1million was received for McGregor and the weekly wage arithmetic is done by Murray/Bain???????

Reference the Alexander/McGregor debate, realistically it's all about expediency. If Rangers can attract a bid of around �£2million for McGregor, then he's off. The club desperately need the dosh, they get another player earning in the region of �£25,000 per week off the wage bill, and Alexander is a most able replacement. The nearer we get to the end of August, then I suspect a few English clubs will begin to bite. Of course, a possible bid might carry the demand that McGregor plays a couple of games for the potential bidder to view. Walter, then has a decision. The times we live in!

I think you are confusing Charlie's fee, which is �£500,000 with the proposed fee offered and accepted(�£200,000 from Plymouth) for Alan Gow.

I suspect Charlie's goals to games ratio, for a wide left midfielder is more than decent? Maybe, another poster can provide said information? Charlie was a heads up player, knew the options available. Even whilst receiving the most undeserving of comments from a section of the Rangers support, he never hid, always available to take a pass. Good luck Charlie, as a professional footballer you will continue to make a good living from the game and I know you will not miss an opportunity to thank Rangers for providing you with the necessary skills and application.

................. and we recouped �£750,000 when he left. Andy walker betrayed himself on Radio Snyde last evening, "ah like him, good movement, comfortable with his back to goal, will provide the foil for Scott McDonald, but looks like he has no confidence in the box ..........mmmmhh". That mmmmhhhh was the sound of reappraisal.

All that inner balance, ying and yang, transcendental weighted equations, life based harmony, .......................... pysh demands a daily/weekly mantra. A cerebral comfort blanket to get you through times on an even keel. Maintain your centre and you will maintain your focus. With the above in mind, I have settled on the next week's balanced approach - 'a third choice manager results in third rate performances'. I have related this to a few Yahoo aquaintances, iot has the desired effect. I am reinforcing it with, 'MAF is NAF'. Call me Marko(Mark Antoine Fortune) looks promising in providing short term(and let's all hope that morphs into long term) hilarity for us and excrutiating embarrassment for ra Yahoos. Bears, find your centre and hugely enjoy the next week.

BBC Scotland's love affair with their beloved green'n'grey hoops has become increasingly apparent this last decade. Remember Suvul, BBC Scotland driving an open top double decker bus over to Anduluzia, nearly 150 staff joined the junket, and Queen Margaret Gardens operating on a skeleton staff for a week. A succession of Sports Producers and News Editors at Beeb Scotland have ensured a Rangers hating ambience. Truly, ra Sellik are the Establishment club.

The first Rangers teams were full of willing teenagers, their absolute enthusiasm more than compensated for their lack of game nous. In the early years from playing on a the flood plain at Fleshers' Haugh, through Burnbank, to Kinning Park, the young Rangers attracted crowds in excess of 2,000(considered huged by comparitive standards). Rangers were NOT successful in their first 20 years, a few losing Scottish Cup finals, plus a few minor cups; why did these crowds continue to turn out? It was the way Rangers attacked the game, Moses McNeil(the club's first internationalist) is the epitome of what we are attempting to get at here; he was a strong running inside forward/winger that drifted past opposition lunging tackles. When he was dispossessed, he tackled back with venom despite being callow and half the weight of his opponent. Rangers were often recorded in the newspapers as playing the game in, "a light and speedy manner". A big part of popuarlising the game in the late Victorian era was through cigarette cards and postcards(both given free with the purchase of a packet of coffin nails and newspapers). Each club would be depicted in the way they approached the game, Rangers were always portrayed by a young athletic player running at full tilt with the ball at his feet, the underlying strap line was always, 'Rangers - the Light and Speedy Blues'. It became journalistic and Bluenose shorthand to refer to, "the Light Blues". Thus, nothing to do with the colour, or the depth of blue hue. It was game approach, a light and breezy style that attracted large crowds. The Rangers approach perculated through the club, the second eleven were known for 60-70 years as , 'the Swifts' - darting, rolling, balanced, swooping, turning, ........................... etc We should be proud of our original nickname, it should endure; we are the Light Blues - absolutely.

Professional Youth football is competitive and in my opinion, exciting to watch. Reserve football is truly awful and rarely offers worthwhile opportunity. A first team regular needing games to regain fitness is it's only real value. The Andy Websters of this world treat reserve football with no respect, they barely achieve quarter pace. Even Youth players stepping up are subjected to the unprofessional attitude of seniors who should know better. The only future for Rangers Reserves is to get them into Division 3. If this doen not happen, if it's not on the immediate radar, then bin the Reserves and ensure all the club's concentration and resources(after the first team squad) are poured into Youth football, it's far more important.