26th of foot

Eighteen months after my last contribution to this thread, I have decided to conclude the story with discussion on the Barca'72 final. Our Europa Cup run to the final in Seville took over. Such excitement in our derring do, the prospect of securing another European trophy was all encompassing. The penalty shoot out defeat by Eintracht was hard to accept and my ardour for Euro' football adventure was suppressed even further by last season's Champions League group stage calamity. I had already drafted out my pieces on the Barca' final and over the ensuing winter break; hopefully, their postings will raise the Gersnet spirits? I split the story of the final into three parts : 1. The political waters surrounding the game. 2. The game itself. I was fortunate to attend. 3. The aftermath of securing the trophy. I feel as Rangers supporters we are in danger of losing the narrative in defeating the national cup winners of France, Portugal, Italy, Germany and, Russia.

The next goal is most important. We get it and a stroll down easy street ensues. 'Well notch and there will be a momentum shift. Come on Rangers, get the third and the weather conditions are easier to endure.

Motherwell 1 Rangers 2 FGS : Sima.

Please allow me to offer some much needed medical advice. Start with something red and robust, move on to the encompassing arms of a juniper laced thermal wave(tonic water is full of quinine) and, finish with Heverlee(keeps you hydrated and that mixture of bitter hops and honey will provide a sturdy platform). Take times three daily for a week and delusions of Fireman Sam(Lammers) as our saviour will dissipate.

Nurse, ........... Nurse, ............. Nurse, ..............

I wish the book and club every success. The tome looks like a cracking festive read and the perfect tonic to accompany a glass of Harris Gin. Throughout my professional life, I carried a battered copy of Neil Munro's 'Para Handy Tales'. A training area wood line, a range complex slit trench or, waiting for a pre-jump C-130; release Neil's words from it's plastic protection and, find yourself in a better place. There is a little known tale of FC Vital Spark being drawn away to Carloway in the Hochmagandy Cup. Para held the tiller steady. Dan MacPhail was akin to a Perkins, going up'n'doon and roon'n'roon in midfield. Sunny Jim's pre match ritual of running the Cuillin peaks and swimming the Minch kept him quiet during the goalless first half. He recovered in the second period and ran in a hat-trick. If Dougie was here, he wid tell ye himself.

I would like to wish all Gersnetters lots of pudding and pie. Can I share a wee Christmas memory from 1971? Christmas day was not an official holiday in Scotland until 1974. Easter and the risen Lord was the big religious festival but, we saw on the TV how much fun the English were having at Christmas and decided to participate. The 25th December'71 was a Saturday, a working day and, Scottish football had it's final Christmas day fixture list. I was a 14 year old schoolboy and when asked what did I want from Santa, my reply was to view Rangers at Easter Road. Santa was good to good boys and I travelled on the Tannochside Loyal RSC to the capital city. 25,000 squeezed into the old Leith ground and watched an attritional game. Large snow flakes began to settle on the pitch in the ninetieth minute as the ball was hoofed from the Rangers box. The ball was hooked on by Colin Stein and the Lone Ranger chased down his own ball forcing Hibs defender, Black to concede a corner. Tam McLean stepped up as the snow began to drive, the corner found Colin, Colin Stein's head and flew into the net. Winter was howling and the Bears were growling, we only sing and dance in blizzards.

Rangers 2 St Johnstone 0 FGS : Sima.

A real shame. I was looking forward to attending and being awarded the opportunity to boo Santa. We continue to endure in the time of Peter.

Reference the Liam McLeod statement on a poor standard cup final. I remember leaving Hampden four years past after losing the League Cup final 1-0 to ra Sellik. We battered them that day, created half a dozen good opportunities and credit to Foster their Keeper, he was outstanding. We were correctly awarded a penalty and Alfie failed to convert. To add insult to injury, Sellik's French centre back, Jullien scored from an offside position. The PQ Gang Hut told us the above circumstances were the marks of true winners. The aim of a cup final is to ensure when the game finishes, it is your club's name on the trophy. Liam the Squeal has been allowed to revert to his preferred prejudice reference Rangers on too many occasions. When Aberdeen last won the trophy at Parkhead against Inverness, the game finished 0-0 after extra time. It was a penalty shoot out victory and I do not remember Liam branding the match poor standard. He was allowed to convey his excitement.

Last Words. I left Hampden and whilst walking to my car I put on my radio and inserted my ear plugs. I heard BBC Scotland's Liam McLeod conclude his thoughts on his match commentary, he said : "Rangers have defeated Aberdeen in a poor standard cup final". Says it all, the true voice of the PQ Gang Hut.

I remember distinctly, Jack Butland was prone on his strung between the posts hammock. Sweet Dreams Loyal RSC.

Feeling rather refreshed and most joyful. Can I extend festive felicitations to my fellow Gersnetters. Rangers won the Cup.

Rangers 3 Aberdeen 1 FGS : Sima.

Aberdeen are starting with two up front, both Miovski and Sokler through the middle. Please Rangers, blunt the threat; centre backs have to be aware of the ball over the top and, Lundstram must cut off the midfield source. Score first, second and, third. Everything will be tickety-boo.

Well, currently doing nothing other than hanging around Tennents Bar, Byers Road like a bad smell. He keeps himself abreast of current trends by regularly traveling to that small football obsessed Spanish town, 'Real'. There are so many clubs based in the one town : Sociedad, Madrid, Mallorca and, Betis. I suggest Neil is the very man to replace Brendan.

Desmond Roach and Stephen Conroy? You may know both retired Referees, Des Roach and Steve Conroy have a Podcast? Anything remotely controversial occurring during a Rangers game sees Des and Steve add weight to ongoing conspiracy. Print and broadcast media have their telephone numbers on speed dial, they can be relied upon absolutely to conclude Rangers are beneficiaries of favourable decisions. They are being paid to ensure Rangers pay the penalty. Today, the afternoon before tomorrow's final; PQ CSC have Des and Steve on Off the Ball as RAB Cosgrove and Tam the Token's guests. It was two hours of firing shotguns from the collective hips : Boom - Tam suggests both Todd Cantwell and Ross McCausland should be permanently employed as the men lying prone behind a defensive wall, as both spend so much time on the ground. Boom - RAB wants more power back in the hands of Referees, "including those ones raised in Lodges". Boom - Des and Steve both utilised incidents involving Rangers to highlight the need for refereeing change. Boom - Des admits he is a Sellik fan whereas, Steve claims to support Renfrew Juniors. I suspect if he had claimed to be sharing Michael Matheson's season ticket for the Partick Jags it would have been a more credible answer? Boom - Both Steve and Des were keen to talk about, "the rituals" required to be a Scottish Referee. Much guffawing amid suggestions but no specifics articulated. We should recognise the effort sustained by BBC Scotland to exert influence upon Don Robertson.

Half time is Sellik 0 Hearts 2. The second half will last 55 minutes minimum.

The Principled Gang Hut. "We support all Scottish clubs participating in Europe". Above is a constant refrain we hear on BBC Scotland. Of course, the evidence continually tells us something different. Someone who had Beeb involvement for half a century, Archie McPherson has told on a number of occasions of his surprise at popping into the Queen Margaret Drive canteen on the evening of the 2008 UEFA Cup final to see Senior Producers jumping atop tables to punch the air when St Petersburg scored against Rangers. At the turn of this year, the Sellik State of Mind contributor, Amy Canavan appeared on View from the Terrace to tell of the joy she and colleagues experienced watching Aaron Ramsey fail to score in the penalty shoot out at the conclusion of the 2022 Europa Cup final. Establishing PQ's principles is most important in a week of Scots clubs participating in all three Euro competitions. Sellik, fresh from defeat at Rugby Park were up first on Wednesday evening and they achieved something they have fail failed to do in over a decade, a Champions League group stage victory. If you're Irish come into the Gang Hut was the principle. Cillian Sheridan, Pat Bonner and, Tom English squeezed in, joining James McFadden and, Amy Canavan pitch side. Of course, Tom remains contained on the PQ naughty step because he criticised Brendan and Peter. Being a principled crew, you would expect the others to exhibit solidarity with Tom being told he is not welcome at ra Stade de Gadd? Compare and contrast the solidarity shown to Chris McLaughlin having his press credentials withdrawn at Ibrox? A five year determination to provide BBC License Fee paying Rangers supporters with little to no service whereas the PQ CSC bus continues to depart timeously. The principle of penalties was on display too, Sellik awarded yet another spot kick with little to no debate; the only times the word, 'controversial' is an attached prefix is when Rangers are beneficiaries. Big Dick will pen a column, Michael Stewart will analyse whilst shaking his head and, the opposition Gaffer will be provided with the national megaphone to shout, 'BIAS'. Post match, Sellik were lauded by the party hat replete Beeb contributors and the Gang Hut was bedecked in streamers and balloons because Sellik had finished rock bottom of their CL group. There are no dead rubbers in the Champions League particularly when ra green'n'grey hooped horrors are £3 million up and the national coefficient is improved. Ah, only good arithmetic is adorned upon Sellik whereas dead rubbers are confined permanently to Rangers when defeating PQ's favourites 3-zip last April. Continuing the theme of dead rubbers, Aberdeen took on Eintracht Frankfurt in the Euro Conference League at Pittodrie in the early kick off on Thursday night and Big Dick, Wullie Miller and, Liam McLeod banged the drum. The staccato tattoo was beat with such enthusiasm, the Dandies had defeated a Bundesliga side 2-0, a Bundesliga club that had just defeated another Bundesliga team called Bayern Munich five zip. Good arithmetic too, £500,000 gained trumps any accusation of dead rubber. Barry should be bullish because this result demands bullishness. The confident hot air emanating from the Pittodrie toilet bowl should have been captured and fed into the national grid. Big Dick adhered to the first line statement when handing over from the Dons broadcast gantry to Alistair Lamont and Steven Thompson in Seville, "let's hope Rangers can continue the good results achieved by Celtic and Aberdeen"? The Granite City Harbour authority immediately declared Big Dick's growing nose to be a hazard to navigation. Half time in Seville, the score was Real Betis 2 Rangers 2 and Big Dick took control again. Post match interviews from Pittodrie ensued, Barry was bullish and we were reminded Aberdeen had just turned over a Bundesliga club and augmented the Scottish coefficient. Given the 2-2 at the Seville break, Big Dick proceeded to provide the bad arithmetic. Rangers were languishing in third place in their Euro group, would only receive £300,000 in prize monies, would drop to the Euro Conference and, were contributing zero to the national coefficient. Back to Seville and I turned off the radio in preference of the TNT Sports commentary. I did not switch back on, it was the constant hypocrisy surrounding those dearly held principles that did it. Rangers won 2-3 in Seville and I do not know if Big Dick eulogised the good arithmetic? The three points gained for the coefficient, winning our Euro' group, direct entry to the the last sixteen and, the millions of pounds accrued. Is it a PQ principle to extend the feel good factor to matters Rangers? I feel we Gersnetters should remain on the moral high ground, entrenched in our magnanimous state of mind we must congratulate all Scottish clubs that have taken on and defeated foreign opposition this week. Thus, well done to Rangers, Aberdeen and, Kilmarnock.

Big Sellik man and Sunday Mail columnist, Hugh Keevins stated Valencia were the Aberdeen of Spanish football. Hugh also stated Ibrox on a Euro' evening was akin to a Nazi Nuremberg rally. Hugh established his credentials in the same column by mentioning four Priests attended his daughter's wedding.

My favourite comment of a truly wonderful evening came post match from Derek McInnes. He was talking over a rerun of our second goal and when big Cyriel turned inside two Betis defenders he said, "Dessers decides to become Archie Gemmill then nutmegs the keeper". It was that kind of night.

Real Betis 1 Rangers 1 FGS : Sima.

Ahh, good to see Andy Considine continues to work as a carthorse.

BBC Scotland's Big Dick Gordon and Referee, Don Robertson will be sitting beside each other in the front row of the top deck holding the trophy.

Aristotle right? I remember fifty years past, enduring a first year lecture at Uni' that began with another Aristotle quote, 'Man is a rational animal therefore a political animal'. Shuggy Aristotle was the very epitome of profundity.