26th of foot

There is precedence for this in the events of Five Go Mad in Denmark, September'75.

After Scotland had defeated Denmark 1-0 in a Euro group game, Scotland's Skipper, Billy Bremner led 4 others on an all night bender in various bars, culminating in Bremner tipping a rum and coke over a Danish waitress. The other 4 were, Wullie Young, Arthur Graham, Pat McCluskey, and Joe Harper. Collectively, they became known as, 'the Copenhagen Five'.

The SFA found the five players guilty of bring the game into serious disrepute and were banned from representing Scotland for life. Now, if the SFA decide to adhere to this precedence, then the other two players involved in this session should also face the music. Both Scott Brown and Steven Whittaker were involved too, I suggest they be referred to as, 'the Cameron House Four'.

The current Scotland situation is a shambles, a national Manager with a serious drink problem is intent on hanging two players out to dry. Barry ferguson, both Rangers and national Captain, once again is at the centre of an affair that reflects badly on our club. The fall out from this will be long lasting.

I listened to Radio Snyde last evening and it was clear the objective host of the show, Bitter Martin was aware of the affair. He asked Provo Provan and Darrell King their reaction to both Ferguson and Mcgregor being omitted. Provan and King were supportive of the players, but Bitter was intent in suggesting lifestyle and discipline reasons for non selection. Bitter Martin was crowing.

Graham Roberts first game for Rangers was a 2-0 victory over Dundee United at Ibrox, on 27th of December'86. He also played in the old firm victory(2-0) on the 2nd of January. The Motherwell game was a rearranged fixture, the original match having been postponed.

I was on the terracing behind the goals, and Roberts shot screamed into the roof of the net. Everyone was discussing the distance, the consensus was 35 yards, although it was extremely difficult to judge from our position. The other talking point that night was Andy Walker coming on as a 'Well substitute. I am pleased to recall, he was roundly abused.

Given the Club's worsening finacial situation, I suspect any bid for almost any player, will be accepted. If the club are determined to promote the younger players into the positions vacated, then our current youth team left back, Wylde looks a decent prospect. I have seen him on 3 occasions these last few weeks and the lad has a good opportunity of making a living from the game. Whether he progresses to the required standard for our club depends on several factors. I think we will get the opportunity to find out.

The current youth team right back, Darren Cole also looks a good prospect. It will be interesting to see if the club is willing to go with natual full backs, as opposed to converted centre backs? We have soldiered on for a considerable period with the latter.

Count me in.

I think the last Youth Cup semi-final played at the Stadium, was '93/94. Arbroath arrived on a windy Spring evening with a considerable travelling support. A dozen coaches were parked behind the Broomloan Road stand. The noise level in the away end rose considerably when the mighty Red Lichties scored in the first minute and basked in the glory of leading a stunned Rangers, 1-0.

The next 89 minutes saw the young Bears run in 6 goals without reply. Let's hope Saturday's match is as comfortable as a 6-1 victory.

Where to start with Anna Smith?

In the early nineties, the Mirror Group decided they had had enough of the Daily Record being habitually referred to as, 'the Daily Ranger' by BBC Scotland's Comedy Unit team. A number of radio shows were transferred to TV, a Kick up the Eighties being the most successful. All the usual characters were present, Phil Differ, Elaine C Smith, Peter Capaldi, Elaine Collins, ......................etc Every script was lifted from the Sellik fanzine, 'Not the View'.

The perception, and that is exactly what it was, a perception held by a number of denominational school teachers at a fanzine, grew to the point that Mirror Group activated divorce proceedings by appointing Anna Smith as Chief Reporter at the Daily Record. She brought a side kick along, Brian McCartney. Anna had been with the Coatbridge and Airdrie Advertisor, she worked for various Irish Republican papers under various guises, and was a member of Cardinal Winning's Media Advisory group. She lectured to seminarians on the dangers of the big, bad, proddy world.

Her first big story was the Sunderland Riot, a true work of fiction, 16 arrests in a 15,000 travelling support. She filled the Record's front page with lies, including a timetable of violence that extended to vandalism to cars in towns over 20 miles away from Sunderland. It was a real scattergun approach determined to demonise and marginalise the Rangers support. Anna had one source, a local copper, a Chief Inspector who blamed the 'riot' on a group of Rangers supporting casuals called the ICS. Nope, I had never heard of them either, the Polis further articulated on TV that these three letters stood for 'Inter City Scots'. Yep, truly laughable, but the Record ran with it, and the on message Politicians had a hook to hang their prejudice.

Anna had close contacts with another Chief Inspector, this time in Strathclyde, his name, Kevin Smith. Today, he is Chief Constable of Central region. Now, Kevin and Anna are NOT related, they do share common interests. Kevin's old man formed the Catholic Police Officers Guild. Anna received a few tips and was invited on to a number of police dawn raids. Thus, the Record's front page screamed four Rangers supporters had been arrested at 5am in Cambuslang, they were the Sunderland slashers. The next day, Sunderland Polis released these four unfortunates, without charge. The reasoning, none of them had ever been in Sunderland. Anna and the Record failed to mention their release, let alone put it on the front page.

Another police tip, this time from Strathaven, hinted at the solving of the notorious Bible John murders. Anna took up the cause, front page of the Record showed the picture of a Stonehouse man, replete in Scots Guard uniform. We were informed that DNA would like this deceased chap to the Barrowland murders in the mid sixties. Of course, the Army picture was deliberate, the 'British' army being sinister and pejorative. After a few months of front page campaigning to have this poor chap's remains disinterred(against his surviving families' wishes), he was dug up, samples were taken, and sent for analysis. The front pages continued, always accompanied by that army photo. The tests proved negative, the Record told it's readership on page 7 in a couple of paragraphs, no front page splash, and the family quietly reburied their innocent relative.

Kevin Smith moved to E Division and became Match Commander at Sellik Park. Anna was on another dawn operation, this time our brave Polis were protecting Glasgow City Council workies as they repainted Brigton kerb stones black. It was the morning of the 1999 Scottish Cup final and dem nasty Rangers supporters in Brigton had intimidated their non-Rangers supporting neighbours, by painting the kerb stones at the cross, red, white, and blue. Seriously, this was the Record front page!

Finally, I should mention Anna's interest in the Orkney child sex abuse investigation. I had a mate who was a senior Solicitor involved in this, he flew from Edinburgh every Monday morning, returning Friday evening, for several months. He flagged up Anna and Brian McCartney arriving in situ'. Their particular interest was a child's testimony that her alleged abuser wore a cloak. It was pointed out a local Minister habitually wore a cloak around town. Front page splashes ensued, insider social workers wondering if this child had been the subject of ritual abuse, and a picture of a Minister wearing a cloak. After two weeks, said Minister was fully cleared of any involvement and Anna left the islands. It would appear the horror suffered by these children was not important, well not as important as nailing a Church of Scotland Minister during years of revelations about RC priests.

After attempting to take on drug dealers and failing, Anna left the Record fearing for her personal safety. She bought a white walled cottage on the coast of Donegal and wrote a semi-biographical tome entitled, 'Spit in the Wind'. This was her second book, her first, an unofficial biography of Martin O'Neill bombed after MON slated it as lazy journalism of the worst example. There you go, we can all agree with MON, put it on the front page.

Michael Foot was the biggest Tory vote winner ever. I had voted Labour up to Michael Foot becoming Labour Leader, never in a million years could I have voted for Foot.

 

Michael Foot and The Falklands War is the reason Thatcher was Prime Minister for so long.

The events of March to June 1982 in the south Atlantic are officially known as, 'The Falklands Conflict'.

War was never declared on either side, the Argentine military Junta were jackboot fascists to a man and were not signataries to the Articles of War or the Geneva Convention.

I agree, victory in the Falklands Conflict preserved Thatcher's tenure at Number 10. Knot fell on his sword after the Conflict, but the Cabinet's decision to remove the icebreaker, HMS Endurance in a cost cutting exercise, sent out all the wrong messages. Thatcher took the glory but was remiss in her responsibilities in the months leading to March'82.

You know you're struggling for support when you need Spiers to stand up for you...

 

Pity he couldn't use other examples of referees getting away with poor decisions and not being hounded like McCurry.

 

Also, strange that he isn't highlighting the sectarian abuse McCurry suffers from Celtic fans as a result of the coverage.

Spiers is the son of a Baptist Minister, thus it's probably an eventual connection.

As we know, Spiers is reduced to appearing on the downmarket Radio Snyde. The days after the front page revelations of McCurry leading his congregation in singing praiseworthy lyrics to the melody of Simply the Best, saw objective host, Bitter Martin field calls on this off field instance. Keevins was unequivocal in his condemnation of McCurry's actions. He linked it directly to the date of the instance, the week after an old firm fixture which Rangers won, and called it, "an ill-thought out action". Further, Keevins continually referred to singing such a song in church as both, "strange and weird".

The coup de gras was delivered by the always odious Terry O'Neil from Uddingston, Bitter allowed him on the phone-in to label McCurry, "the sinister Minister". Religeous tolerence is alive and kicking on Snyde? Well, did Spiers take an opportunity to set Keevins, Bitter, et al straight on matters Divinity?

The answer is a resounding 'NO'. The son of the Manse, the graduate in Divinity and Theology from St Andrews, the church organist, the ...................................................... did not want to jeopardise his status as, '****** Baptist', bestowed on him by Keevins.

Even on Saturday, Bitter was again reinforcing the legitimacy of Craig Levein's words, saying, "it's my favourite rant of all time". Bitter returns to Levein's actions that day on a most regular basis, it's an obvious comfort blanket to him.

Hartson has identified Rangers has no leadership, neither on, nor off the pitch. Thus, he gets to say what he wants to say, because he can. It's the path of least resistance. Hartson knows there will be no retribution. Of course, there's a huge market out there that wants to hear it delivered in such a manner.

Whats his motivation? Five years at ra green'n'grey hoops? I don't think so, it's rejection, we did the arithmetic and put him back on the shelf.

I prefer to remember Hartson running down south after his wife left him. She discovered he was enjoying an extra marital tryst with a denominational teacher from North Lanarkshire. Hartson had put her up in a flat in Glasgow Harbour. The wife arrived at the Happy Eater front door of ra Stade de Gadd on a Sunday morning, dumping several black bin liners and a set of golf clubs on the stairs. Amazingly, well given the emphasis placed on happy family life by denominational schools, the teacher kept her job.

Rejection, it's a powerful motivation.

Been to see Bo'ness United a few times up in Lochee, certainly insn't 'Rangers friendly'...!

 

Cammy F

Lochee Juniors remain George Galloway's favourite team, .................................... err after Dundee United(because they used to be Dundee Hibernian), and his beloved Sellik(because they stole half the original Hibernian team), and AndyTown Armalites(never miss a Hibernian walk), ........................................make it up as you go along, George certainly continues to do so.

I believe the singing sections had a good turn out at this game as well, 26th?

The Blue Order turned out strongly and provided considerable noise and colour to the event. They positioned themselves behind the goals(uncovered), strung several banners on the chicken wire, and waved half a dozen flags. The weather was periodically awful, rain and sleet, but they kept position and the songs going.

They drew genuine laughter as both teams took the pitch after half time, a dozen or more blue and orange streamers covered the crossbar and six yard box. It took 2-3 minutes for the officials and Accies keeper to clear the debris.

The Blue Order are good luck at youth fixtures, the last time I remember them turning out in strength was the '07 youth cup final at Hampden when we beat ra Yahoos 5-0. I believe the next fixture is Dundee United at Lochee, the same turnout from the Blue Order in such enemy territory would be quite a feat. It would certainly have the Lochee locals spluttering.

I attended this game yesterday, only the second time I have seen our impressive youth team this season. The players that have received regular praise are worthy recipients, Danny Wilson, Archie Campbell, Kyle Hutton, Kai Naismith, and Jamie Ness should be able to make a professional living from the game. The lad that impressed me most based on yesterday's action was our right back, Darren Cole. He is tall, athletic, can tackle, strong, good balance, and is a willing supporter of the midfield when the team is going forward. He had a couple of runs that took the team fifty, sixty yards up the pitch, a few step overs exhibited too. Yep, I am endangering the lad's progress by saying he looks 'Huttonesque'. I believe he has just turned 17 and is in his first year.

I know it's the usual, stays relatively injury free, continues to develop, remains focused, ................etc. If all the boxes are ticked, we could have a decent prospect on our hands.

Interestingly, the Rutherglen Glencairn set up is excellent. A good playing surface, a smart new stadium with plenty of concrete terrace, and enough cover for 300ish. There was pie and bovril refreshment, and a PA system that kept you fully informed on substitutions, names of officials, provided updates on other matches taking place. Considering the stadium is now seperated from the rebuilt Social Club by several hundred yards(due to the M74 extension), it's a well planned effort.

The last time I attended a Rangers youth fixture on Glencairn's ground, was the junior club's Centenary celebration in July'96. It was a pre-season match for us against their regular side, we achieved a 1-1 draw. There was an excellent crowd for an evening fixture, squeezed into a ground soon to be under M74 concrete.

And yet that was one contentious (though correct decision).

 

How many wrong decisions have gone for them this season (or last for that matter)? It was a weekly occurence at the start of the season!!

 

Any talk of the last and the current championship being "tainted with the stench of cheating"?

In the first dozen league games this season, ra Sellik had SIX BIG decisions going in their favour. Bitter Martin and his ilk were content to peddle the honest mistake/even themselves out line.

All the referees and assistants involved had one thing in common, they were all Sellik supporters. Brines, Smith, Conroy, Carrigan, Cryans, Murphy, and Wullie Collum.

When was this? Because if it was uttered at any point during 2007/08 then colossal doesn't do justice to the magnitude of the irony.

It was March/April 2005, at Tynecastle. Linesman Andy Davis adjudged(correctly) that Lee Miller had impeded big Soti at the back stick. The referee, Hugh Dallas had his attention drawn to the incident by said Linesman, and a penalty was awarded. A 2-1 victory was secured. Lee Miller was quoted as saying, "somtimes you get away with such challenges".

Bitter Martin was commentating for Radio Snyde that evening, he was frothing with indignation at the award and stated, "Rangers supporters will say these things even themselves out, I am having none of it. This championship is tainted with the stench of cheating".

Andy Davis was subjected to threats, his address was published on Yahoo websites, and his wife and children received abuse and threats at the school gates. A couple of seasons ago at Rugby Park, Andy Davis was the Linesman on a marginal decision that saw Rangers score. Jim Jeffries came out after the game and stated, "as soon as I noted today's Linesman, I knew we were up against it". TV pictures proved again that Davis was correct, Jeffries apologised, Bitter Martin NEVER has.

The SPL continue to dig holes for themselves reference ra Sellik.

Lawwell will have leaked this, debate in both print and broadcast media, build up momentum that will ensure a conclusion of vicTIMhood, and the usual suspects will make the usual reinforcing statements ie Bitter Martin's infamous, "this championship has been tainted wkith the stench of cheating". It's well rehearsed and everyone knows their part and lines.

Next season, Sellik should be away from home on Remembrance Sunday weekend. However, the whole world and its' dug knows ra GFITW cannot be trusted to pay respect. Result, ra Sellik are guaranteed a home game where they can applaud the deaths of hundreds of thousands of men and women who laid down their lives for all our freedoms.

Maybe,

If we score first on Saturday ............................. and second.

The next four league games are all winable, 12 points must be secured. The 8 game run-in is all about bottle.

It's another verse in the Spiers anthem -------------- 'Fantasy'.

Odd phone call from mystery bloke leads to an urgent meeting, and concludes with Spiers happily on his knees, gagging on a surprising tumescence. He will have been indulging in a post-coital hug of Toto as he tapped that pish out.

I would urge every Bear to support this exercise in Remembrance.

Garry never missed an oportunity to give the young Colts his every support. He cared about our youth development.

I love this chronicle of everyday hacks. Have you some inside knowledge here?

Nope,

Spiers appeared firstly in Scotland on Sunday, he informed the readership that he heard Rangers supporters singing, 'Klinsmann's a Klansman'. Apparently, we were so impressed with Jurgen's stance on refusing to participate in his Club's audience with ra pope, that we coined and sang stated homage. Of course, it is a false memory on Spiers part, or you could call it a downright lie. I prefer to refer to Spiers continued obsessions as fantasy.

Recently, on Radio Snyde he has been telling whats left of their listenership that everybody knows that Rangers achievements in the 60s and 70s are devalued because they were won with considerable help from officials. Now, DJ sits, listens to this fantasy that discredits everything he won in the game, and says nothing.

My favourite Spiers fantasy is his verdict on Fergie during his tenure at the Pars, "Ian Ferguson has all the charm of a child molestor". Inside knowledge on Spiers part, or just another articulation of his hatred?

Once again, it's, 'SuperCaleyGoBallisticSellikAreAttrocious'.

All in all, a tremendous weekend. Rangers move top of the SPL, the Youths go top of the Youth league, and the third consecutive youth double is fully on track as ra Sellik youths implode. IO might pick up ra Sellik View in my local supermarket this Wednesday, required reading I am sure. The Masons are in for a rough time, that unquantifiable sinister hand has interfered with the brave Bhoys, again.

Over the years, the Bhoy in Corduroy's obsession with fellow Hacks has been a sequence of passing phases. He obsessed over Hugh Keevins for a few years, utilised his Sporting Diary to boom with pride that Nuremberg Hugh had christened him, "the F****n Baptist". It would be a few short months later, that Graham was demanding the erradication of the word, 'F****n'. Graham felt the vast majority of football supporters could not be trusted with the word. Inadvertently, Graham repayed the Keevins favour, ensuring the soubriquet, 'Nuremberg Hugh' would become commonplace. Once again, Spiers repeated Keevins Press Box outpourings word for word, after a Euro game at Ibrox, the build up over the PA system(three film soundtracks and a Union and Saltire flag being waved) was, "akin to a Nuremberg Rally".

The Botanical Truth Fairy's next obsession was Glenn Gibbons of the Scotsman, or 'the Great Gibbo' as Graham preferred. Another BIG, BIG, Sellik man, Gibbons became the subject of Graham's increasingly ornate and flowery prose. Graham was begging the Great Gibbo to do lunch with him, the boozier the better. As we are all aware, Graham extended similar invitations to MON and Neil Lennon(he, of the "rippling muscled thighs") through the auspices of his Sporting Diary.

Traynor is an obseesion he has returned to, again and again through the years. Twenty years ago, Traynor held the same designation that Spiers succeeeded to, 'Chief Sports Writer' at the Herald. Traynor regularly went from back page headline to front page with his regular spats with Souness. Traynor left the Herald having been headhunted by first, the Express, then the Record. Of course, Spiers was humiliatingly let go, after a several month period of gardening leave. Traynor was successful, still writes for 400,000 readers; whereas, Spiers writes for 20,000 at the Scottish edition of the Times.

The real reason for this article, is over exposure. Once again, Alan Dick spoke to a select few about the contents of his soon to be submitted report. He has done this twice before to Forsyth, Ewen Murray, and Spiers. Their various rags had pieces on Monday morning, the Telegraph, the Guardian, and the Times spat venom. Spiers rushed on to Radio Snyde on Monday evening to reinforce the hatred. Incidently, he is tonight too, wonder if he heard the jolly craicsters at Fir Park yesterday? Alan Dick's role as a SPL Observer has been fully exposed, he is as selective as Spiers, Forsyth, and Murray. Spiers is attempting to drag attention back to the dying embers of a story.

Graham's attention will be focused on his last months at the Herald, his tenure at the Times has seen it lose a third of it's readership/circulation. Again, love will lie bleeding in the attic, partcularly after wee Poison Pen Phil Gordon has fisted him and administered facial humiliation.

Simply outstanding, all praise to the Bear(s) who executed this prank on a national radio station.

Biting edge satire, tremendous timing, a well executed spoof, included all the reference points, and played with lashings of vicTIMhood. The type of thing that Only an Excuse should be doing; oh I forgor, Only an Excuse don't rip the pish out of their beloved Sellik. Phil Differ, the Establishment man protecting his beloved Establishment club.

The cherry on the Helicopter Sunday cake, is that the term, 'the helicopter is changing direction' comes from Radio Snyde Head of Sport, Peter(surely that should be Bitter?) Martin's heart felt commentary that Sunday afternoon. Bitter remains most uncomfortable that many a t-shirt bears the slogan that reminds him of his hooped heroes bottle crashing.

Good, isn't it?

While looking for statistics on the SPL website I came across this.

 

WTF is Helicopter Thursday?

 

We coin the phrase helicopter Sunday for Eck's last day title win where the helicopter changed direction.

 

There was no change of direction in the helicopter last season. Unfortunately thanks to the SPL they were in the driving seat on the final day but didn't bottle it.

 

WHy gloss over the real "helicopter" title win but then steal the phrase for their own where it doesn't fit??? Merely says McDonal double seals final twist. Pathetic bunch.

I believe the term 'Helicopter Thursday' was coined by former Sellik Bhoys Club supremo, Jim Torbett.

He had a standing open invitation to all his young charges to attend his dingy flat in Sighthill on a Thursday afternoon. There was considerable uptake on this offer by the likes of Alan Brazil, desperate to experience rides on the big chopper.

A wee socks tyale I was relating to one of our seperated brethern recently.

In the 1970 European Cup semi-final between ra Sellik and Leeds United, ra green'n'grey hooped horrors arrived at Elland Road for the first leg with white socks. Leeds United played in all white, the Referee demanded ra Sellik change their socks. Of course, they did not have a second set and thus had to accept Leeds offer of their reserves team socks. They were coloured ORANGE.

The Yahoo was clearly unsettled at the telling of these events, we met again a week or so later and he informed me he had checked it out and told me with tremendous certainty that his beloved hooped heroes had NEVER played in orange socks. I enquired as to the colour of socks that evening at Elland Road, he replied, "GOLD". He could only get comfortable with ra Sellik in green, white, and gold, it was a deliberate action on Sellik's part.

As it is often said, Yahoos and the truth, akin to oil and water.

The Black and red socks debate has raged all my Rangers supporting life.

I attended in the mid-sixties, Rangers played in blacks socks, red tops. Late 60s, this changed to red socks, white tops. Jock Wallace became Manager in 1973, back to black socks, red tops. John Greig's tenure saw us in all blue socks in 78-83. Jock Wallave reappears, it's black, red tops again. Souness had us in all red socks, ................and so it goes on.

Rangers earliest days saw the Club play mostly in black socks, all teams played in black socks until the 20s. Often, these black socks would contain a coloured band(s) at the top to match the jersey. Look at photos of the 1928 old firm final, both Rangers and ra Sellik are in black socks. I imagine black socks for over 50 years was a practical thing, considering the state of pitches in those days.

If we accept, Rangers began wearing black socks, red tops around the turn of the last century, then I have heard two very plausible suggestions for these being accepted as our 'official' socks. The first is more plausible(IMO), red and black are the colours of the Parish of Govan. I have even heard the configeration of black with red on top was deliberate, a homage to the funnels(smoke stacks) of the various ferries, tugs, coasters, ....etc that populated the river Clyde in those days. The other, and this could easily be the origination, is that a turn of the century game at Broomfield saw us turn up without socks. Airdrie provided a spare set(there was no law insisting teams wore different socks or shorts then), we won, liked the flash of red, and decided to adopt them.

It could have been worse, much worse. Many Rangers players that represented Scotland over a 70 year period from 1880ish to 1950ish, often played in the official Scottish Rosebery colours. Lord Rosebery was the Patron of Scottish football, his racing colours were Pink and Primrose. The football jersey was Pink and Primrose hoops, as were the socks. There you go, returning players from Scotland duty(particularly when we beat England 4-1 in 1901) might have suggested/demanded we play in pink and lemon hooped socks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!