der Berliner

The next best thing we can hope for is UEFA re-structuring the current competitions to some European League format. As it is now, it is just a money-spinning event for the big leagues and big guns, so the money goes solely to those countries and teams. The Atlantic League will not happen, unless it is under UEFA's hands (as they have already threatened to ban clubs involved there if it isn't ... so much for their power and the freedom of the clubs ... essentially, much like the Catholic church in the early middle ages), and even if it does, the money involved will be minimal. What we should do is arranging a Challenge Cup sort of thing tournament with some US teams - during a "winter break" maybe? - when some big guns of Scotland and England cross the big pond and rake in some dollars. As for Swansea and Cardiff ... methinks they joined the English FA/League in a day and age when there was not even a Welsh League at hand. If anything, we can cite Berwick Rangers as a sample of cross-nation club transfers. (Though that was done based on geographic neccesity more than anything.)

Well ... I assume it needs to be "reported" by someone. Apparently, not everyone "reporting" it gets the same level of attention. If you have not been a touch paranoid by now, here's the recipe ...

Regarding Hooper ... simple question: was this already being set up by then? Generally, "we" should not be told who the Temp' CO is, but someone at each club should know, be that chairman, CEO, manager or whatnot. Keeping this figure in the shadow will ensure accusations all over the place. There's enough shadowy stuff going on already, no need to incense the supporters any more. Still, I doubt that there is something written in the statutes of the SFA or SPL that they have to be open and democratic with the public about every aspect of their dealings ... Obviously, only time will tell whether this new procedure is a good thing. As has been said already: with the publicity and greater amount of live coverage of the Old Firm "we" are bound to suffer more than the likes of Dunfermline and Kilmarnock. Unless ... the match officials and "objective" onlookers at each game report incidents like Naismith's after the game. I won't hold my breath just yet though ...

Never mind the commentary ... On a sidenote, since hardly any of us non-Britons can see the game anywhere else than the internet, we have established a download service for the games. Just to see the games again of course - most listen to Rangers Radio (subscription and all) while the game is actually on. So if anyone's interested in the games of this season (like the Old Firm game "in HD") just PM me.

As I use to say when the Hooped Horrors are ahead of us, titles are not won or lost in August, September or October. The same goes for us. Still the greater the distance the better for us. If we keep up the SPL performance levels, the professional attitude and stay focused, it does look good indeed. I for one can still remember they day one Ivan Sproule made us look pretty bemused at Ibrox.

Do we actually know why Bain was dismissed/suspended? Has it infact to do with these 2.8m HMRC deal that wound up during the take-over, something Bain should have been aware of?

Dunno what is displayed in Britain, but over here the link says that due to UEFA copyright, this video cannot be shown any longer. Since when has UEFA a copyright on Scottish footy material? Someone must be hurting badly while youtube admins seem to be somewhat oblivious to reality.

On a sidenote ... anone heard anything about the much publisized "showdown talks" between King and Whyte, as we were told he jetted in for those ahead of the OF game? Or was that just another of "those headlines"?

So essentially the headlines that sprang up this morning are based upon a "no-statement" of our QC? For said QC has not been given permission to speak about or insight in our HMRC situation? So essentially there is no news whatsoever, only another bout of scare-mongering from information already known (or unknown, for that matter)? Well, well ... Ain't that utter rubbish? Even if we lose the big case, we will challenge it and this could drag on for months if not years, so freezing money on the basis of a court case that will soon be finished (I assume) is a touch over the top, isn't it?

Methinks if one looks hard enough, you can string such "links to doom" with quite a few of our players.

Well, half a day after the Express headline and they are the only ones to follow up. As usual, better wait till someone official speaks out about this, either on the HP or via twitter. As for "no surprise": he sure will want a certain wage at his age and experience, probably also a lengthy deal (2 years?). We are pretty well covered on the left wing, with Wylde, McKay, Kerkar, Wallace, Naismith and Lafferty all accustomed to play there - even if it is not their (or our's) favourite position.

Wouldn't spend too much thought on one paper rumour-spreading article for the time being.

Who? Ah yes ... it is her!

I'd still occasionally try an even more cavalier approach in home games against weaker opposition, with three at the back and a attack-minded 5-man midfield. Once the damage is done, we can settle back somewhat and give other players a run in the team and change the system back to "normal".

The saying: "You never change a running system!" holds true on various levels. I wouldn't have been surprised that had we played at the Scumhut, McCulloch would have been through the middle too. At Ibrox Ally knew that it is far better to attack them rather than breaking them up and hope for the counter strike. We've simply have got to utilize the attackers we've got and now that they are almost back to what they are capable of, it was probably his easiest choice. IMHO, he will have been more concerned with our OF rookie-centre halfs. Methinks it is - for the time being - save to say that Walter has trained Ally's eye for a good centre half, for both have been really impressive of late ... and all in all you would have hoped that we entered the European trials these days and not 6 weeks ago.

Since the button is currently off-line: Thank you for this valuable post!

You see, the point remains that I simply noted that ranting on boards does not change a bit, while work done by the RST or other supporters organizations actually make it into the offices at Ibrox, into the media* and thus onto a greater audience than essentially pretty isolated fanboards. Suddenly, from various angles one gets flak on nigh unrelated topics and said people let rip about the RST for utterly unrelated reasons and accuse me of essentially being their standard bearer. Some rather strange behaviour that. *On a sidenote, only recently Mark Dingwall (yes, the very one of FF and RST board member) spoke on BBC Scotland's Sportsound programme about Whyte's takeover and recent press speculation and harrassment of the club. And that was no promotion tour for the RST either, but had he been just another ranting poster, he would not have received an invitation at all.

I for one never knew that either you or Danny ever met me. So from those few posts I had on here you know what sort of supporter I am? Neat. Have a little spat with the "ranters" on here and you get your personality profile. Now, like it or not, you simply ignored the point I made to Danny and went on the "rant" (if I may say so?) about the RST. And this makes it a "ridiculous organization" that has no effect on Rangers or the media,as Danny intimated? What sort of information do you refer too? I get my weekly if not daily updates from the RST and am hardly a prime member. Why would I suggest that? Did I? All I said that ranting people on boards have no effect on the club, while the RST folk at least speak with club representatives and to the media, so their voice as Rangers supporters gets heard. And this communication can be found on their website too - amongst other things. Nothing more, nothing less. Obviously, some folk on here share a grand scale animosity towards that organization ... for reasons only they will fully understand. I do not intend to change their opinion.

Obviously, it is interesting to note that no word is lost on who is actually indulging into such violance. While it certainly does not give a reflection on your everyday supporter of either half of the Old Firm, it would be interesting to see. (Then again, trouble is bound to be greater on the side who lost a game.) But as ian1964 said, this is a campaign by agenda driven politicians.

On a sidenote, any information about such things at Edinburgh or Manchester or London derbies? Just to see whether this is a football or a Glasgow / Old Firm problem ...

The point remains that bar Whyte's team and Bain himself, no-one actually knows what really happened with regards to his suspension and the "financial irregularities" spoken about. For Gibbons should ask who hid this 2.8m HMRC case in the first place and who should have found out about it. Maybe Rangers should counter-sue Bain for bringing the club into such a state and its name into disrepute? Is Gibbons looking for a ban from Ibrox too? Was he amongst those invited - or rather uninvited - to the press conference with Whyte? This really smacks you like a comment from someone who's older than the current Rangers chairman and can't stand the fact that the latter has had the fortune and guile to take over such an institution at such a young age. But maybe it is just a keen journalistic observation ...

Wonder where such animosity comes from? I pretty much explained who these "ranting masses" are, and thankfully enough they are not the only inhabitants of fanboards and websites. Maybe to see that they are not just a "ridicule organization"? If you harbour such sentiments it would be interesting to know where they come from and whether everything the RST does and stands for is is ridiculous too, in your humble opinion. But hey, don't bother going there if you just want to bragg on, as you showed in your latest reply. So that sums them up once and for all. Well well. It's much like repeating what this or that Rangers chairman or player said every now and then and construct a club ethos out of that, something to hold against the club, chairman or said player now. Anyways, the "We deserve better" campaign resulted in fan action and banners shown at the ground. So no matter how minor it was, it actually had a visible result - visible to club and country. Not just to some fellow ranters on an obscure board. Not the point. Good and fair enough. Let me just point out that any opinion I write on here is that of my own and has nothing to do with the RST or any other supporters organization.

Whohoo ... a hornets' nest, it seems.

Part II CNN As interesting as it gets ... yet he garbles it up here ... ... since TBB has not been sung since the ban in any great manner, he miss-writes Fenian, he miss-defines and miss-categorizes Fenian as well.

End Part I