maineflyer

From everything I've seen over there, the article is fairly typical of the good folks of the republic, who have bent their backs to more constructive work than concerning themselves with the pseudo-oirish bigots who pollute our own country. The truth is we have more in common with the majority in today's Ireland than we do with the willingly-offended trash who live amongst us. If only they WOULD go home .... or go anywhere.

Yes, to be sure. But just like the daft paper hat I'll soon pull on, you have to be prepared to take part now and then.

You just know this is Burley's way fo trying to remedy a situation where his arse is increasingly on the line with every goal that Boyd scores. He can't back down after the ludicrous press conference he called to assassinate Boyd a few days after the falling out. So he gets muggins Butcher to open the way to a reconciliation. A firm 'no thanks' from Kris should be the only response.

Sorry Pete, only just saw your post. I don't make knowing a applicant's allegiance an issue when assessing candidates and I'd probably prefer not to know. It's not a moral stance just a practical one. I actually like to keep football matters out of the workplace if possible. One of my directors is a staunch celtic man but we leave the issue alone - he's an exceptionally effective board member and that's what matters to me in a business context. I also like his company and he's a very decent sort but away from work we don't socialise and I couldn't really consider him a friend. As I'm sure you know only too well, friends and business colleagues are usually kept in different camps. I've only ever seen it otherwise in an expat situation.

Pre-offended. That is brilliant, simply brilliant.

Surely it's not a matter of simple trust. We need to be bringing through our own young talent and we need a world class scouting organisation. We need to buy players who all make an impact like Cuellar and Bougherra - not like Beasley or McCulloch or Lafferty or Gow. When we can see these things with our own eyes, we will have a basis for hope. Waiting for outcomes isn't necessary when you can see the reasons for our problems laid bare.

Happily, most right thinking people see Butcher for the thick twat he is and couldn't give a monkeys what he thinks. I used to be a dyed in the wool Scotland fan but I've lost all interest over the years and now I couldn't give a toss whether they ever play another match or not. Rangers are all I care about now and Kris Boyd's performances for Rangers are all that matters.

JMS, They achieve what they set out to simply by implying or threatening prosecution. The law itself is almost never tested because, as we've seen elsewhere in this thread, very few people will put themselves in jeopardy when so few are willing to stand up and be counted. In effect, the law is irrelevant, the country is 'managed' (or is that farmed) on the basis of threat alone, with seldom any recourse to the law. We live in a fearful and cowed society. Citizens have abdicated responsibility entirely to a political elite, one that exists and practises far beyond the walls of parliament or the courts. The cabal of motivated republican/socialist/catholics who ride roughshod over the majority in Scotland do so because they have been unchallenged for so long that they now believe they are untouchable. Sadly, with every new capitulation, that belief becomes ever more justified. Every time someone declares we must fall in line because "them's the rules" when the rules are patently crass and contrived in the self-interest of a few, we slide another few inches down the slope to injustice. I hope Frankie is right and they have brought ridicule upon themselves with the hokey cokey nonsense. However, these are people who have shown no shame so far, only the mindless drive to assert their cult. Their arm has become long and a lot of things that have happened already have surprised me greatly - I wouldn't now be at all surprised to see Mr Murray eventually make another announcement that the hokey cokey is banned from Ibrox. And that brings me to the one thing that does make my blood boil; the stupid treachery of people like David Murray. They don't actually understand enough to make informed decisions but they must defend their moral and social credentials at all costs and will issue any crazy edict to do so. These people are much worse than our enemies.

Just realised that maybe you think I'm all for the signing of Wilkie - let me assure you nothing could be further from the truth. I would take his signing simply as a clear signal that the end of the road to nowhere is now in sight. I guess I was just stating the obvious that donkeys like Wilkie are where you end up if you squander what little money you have and spend the post-match interview telling everyone how you "could see the Kaunas result coming" but chose not to do anything about it. If they continually manage the club like shit, eventually the club will look like shit. QED.

Come on now Frankie, there's nothing the plastic paddys won't not laugh at.

I've found that the actual problems facing this club seem to be uncomfortable subjects for many members. More time is spent asserting personal moral credentials or the propriety of presentation than what our enemies are up to. The famine song has attracted such condemnation because it hit the spot dead centre with the Earl Haigs. It was almost unanswerable and therefore absolutely had to be hounded out of town in a frenzy of indignation. What leaves a taste in the mouth is the willingness of the authorities to mollify the scumbags by twisting the laws of the land to suit the hysteria.

I'm quite finished thanks.

Agreed, although I'd limit it to Berra, who I think would be a really good acquisition. Somehow though, I think we would struggle to compete for him. Signing Wilkie would simply confirm all our worst fears.

Gavin Rae was a pretty good player and more than a few Rangers fans fancied signing him when he was with Dundee - but like many before him he never really handled being at Rangers. Walter Smith has always had a tendency to sign deadwood and the players you mention are just some of them. Now however, I'm tempted to ask who else you think we could afford. Debt is rising sharply and the money we did have has been squandered on the last intake of deadwood. Players of the standard of Lee Wilkie are the future for Rangers. I don't see how it can be otherwise unless we can start producing our own - and that will NEVER happen under Walter Smith.

It's nice to be broad minded and inclusive but it's better still to stay clear of these cults. I've never had a celtic supporting friend. I've had celtic supporting acquaintances, colleagues and even family - but never a friend.

Really? I never knew that. How educational. However, you don't have to like it or put up with it just because you understand it

OK, so I'm stirring it up a little but I hope you'll agree I never actually criticised the effort. I think it is an excellent idea to create the ammunition a survey like this can deliver - but not if it only allows you to fire blanks at the end of the day. This would be made more meaningful by first doing whatever possible to broaden the sample. We are so desperately lacking any kind of unified membership base that the task is hugely difficult. The RST certainly doesn't have it and only the supporters clubs have the breadth of organisation to reach enough supporters to lend credence to the exercise. However, it would also help if as many of the other websites as possible had been actively encouraged to participate from the outset. It only perpetuates our disunity if some are included while others are not. Someone needs to bridge these divides. Anyway, if the objective is to draw conclusions and make certain points to the club or media or the wider fanbase then it might be that only an independent survey of matchday fans would produce results that they would accept/respect.

You have nailed it perfectly. Somewhere at Murray Park must be a rota on a wall telling them whose turn it is next to say the weasel words.

Aw come off it. You know I'm not going to fawn over this for the sake of it. I'm not particularly interested in who made what effort or how commendable the intention. The fact is that the results are meaningless and it's as important to point that out as it is to credit the attempt. Would saying "well done" to Frankie make the survey any more credible? The fact is that I've haven't criticised Frankie once or anyone else for the effort - only the method and outcome. What I will say is that a survey of this kind could be hugely valuable in dealing with the club and our mainly self-appointed representatives. At least it would be if it was properly done and stood up to scrutiny.

Conforming little Mr Practicality eh? What do you do when the authorities are wrong? Burn Jews in gas ovens? That would get you some attention without waving your dick around.

That just makes my point. It's not really a survey of any value at all, is it? First select the small section of the public whose views you want to investigate. Then sample a small part of that restricted population. Take the results and pretend they mean something. Worthless. Pretty much exactly how the RST has been run these last few years. Couldn't give a shit and can't be bothered to do the work to get it right.

Apparently not so typical as you think. The typical respondent to this "survey" is apparently an active member of the RST. Which bollocks is one good reason for losing all record of this embarrassing nonsense.

Out of interest, were all other sites invited to run the survey. If not, why not and which ones were not asked? If they all were invited to participate, did any refuse and if so, which ones and were any reasons given?

Do you think it would change anything if I wasn't? Besides, I happen to think a Supporters Trust is exactly what should be the focal point of supporters' representation. I still think the Trust is the natural and best vehicle - but I also happen to think it has long been hijacked by people who manage to combine self-interest and incompetence with astonishing consistency.

So it wasn't "sampling" at all. It was a case of this survey exists, who wants to complete it? You see, it's not a case of 40 out of 1000+ RST members, it's 40 out of a couple of hundred thousand Rangers supporters. In any case, the outcome is all the more of a condemnation for being skewed in favour of members of the very organisations being judged. I doubt if there is a larger support anywhere that is so fragmented and ill-represented.