andrew_2010

I'm all for getting a good deal, but lessons are to be learned from this deal, perhaps similar to the Wallace deal.

I mean, even amateurs on CM/FM know not to take the piss that much!!

The Dutch winger sounds promising, and Jamie Murphy has had good reviews at Motherwell. They might have been better alternatives. Ally must rate Goodwillie as the "Jelavic" of this window/season...

Someone on FF who appears to know Goodwillie personally said that there was an agreement when he signed his "long-term" deal despite the rape charge hanging over him that he would go to the biggest bidder as a "thank you".

Don't know if that adds anything, interesting though!

Hopefully it will at least make them think twice about "accidently" portraying Rangers FC in a bad light? As if they do this again, the repercussions could be more serious...

I'd take that! (and Cuellar?)

undoubtedly, but then you have to ask the definition of "Roman Catholic". As I am sure there were plenty in the 2001 census that were not practicing RC's, but from what I know, it actually makes it worse that there are more sectarian convictions against RCs than non RCs from the whole "population" of "sectarian convictions" considering they make up 16% of "people who could receive sectarian abuse".

But again, it comes down to what is "sectarian abuse". Also the subjective manor in which these are prosecuted, and cases where charges are dropped/not included.

Stats, especially in such a contentious issue, is a can of worms!!

EDIT:

good article above! And just goes to show that you can look at it from another angle! if you think of the people who can sectarianly abuse a catholic as being a non-catholic, then the proportion of people from that population who actually do sectarian crime is tiny! Also, what about multiple charges for one individual? If one person committed 5 sectarian offences, there is a big difference between 1 man being very bigoted, and inferring that people are bigoted because there were 5 sectarian convictions.

Like I said, can of worms, and depending on what you are trying to say, there are many different slants you can take. The key is to compare like with like and the problem is most studies don't! I think the numbers of convictions as a whole should have been the focus, and well done for putting that into context. 0.077%

the p-value of a crime being sectarian given that there was a crime? p=0.0007

Common practice is to use p=0.05 as significant, and 0.01 if you're being cautious. Therefore sectarian crime is not statistically significant in the context of crime in Scotland...

I still think that it is easier to get a conviction if you are from a minority and are claiming that has been held against you, compared with being in a majority group. Again, it's all down to interpretation, and if you look, wow! alcohol has a part to play in almost half of these cases!

Being somewhat educated in the field of Mathematics and Statistics, I have always been skeptical of statistical studies. It is one of the most abused "sciences" and the misrepresentation of raw data is easily done, especially with clever definitions and treatment of certain cases. Any inference on the general population is an assumption, and infact, these findings can only surmise what has been found to have happened, but could be missing key factors which confound the data.

You have to be very careful when looking at stats reports... especially in such a grey-scale field as opposed to a black and white (or "binomial") one.

Yeah, wasn't impressed with the people they got to comment on it, particularly this devine guy who, correct me if I'm wrong, vindicated pro IRA songs vs some of the "banned" songs associated with Rangers fans...? or at least said they were justified and not illegal...

So Arsenal pulled him from a Championship side to send him to Rangers (euro footy I imagine), and now they are wanting to send him BACK to the championship? If they are looking at guys like Cahill are they ever going to use this boy?!

Would welcome Bartley back no questions asked. Did enough to convince me in his initial spell that he adds to the team.

well you don't know unless you try! It's like someone is playing FM with the bidding policy we appear to have! Although it is better than paying over the odds for players, just as long as it works out in the end

not sure i agree with this... and I am skeptical over the "figures" as they seem to be subjective (i.e. the victim is asked whether they think it is sectarian or even worse if it's the law that has declared them sectarian, under what definition?!)

What I did find refreshing was looking at the issue (albeit initially) without the old firm, and touching on issues such as the definition, the schools were mentioned, and the word "tribal" was used. I believe this is the most appropriate word for the troubles especially with the additional point made about the decline in church attendances!

So, refreshing, but will wait until the rest of the report before deciding if it's been good or bad...

There have been articles in the Sunday Mail, the Telegraph, the Guardian and the Daily Mail about it with McCoist commenting mate.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/8660275/Ally-McCoist-demands-apology-from-BBC-over-suggestion-he-has-a-flippant-attitude-to-sectarianism.html

 

Your suggestion of an opposing piece to negate the alleged edit is a positive one. I'll put that to Ewan.

Thanks! I'd not seen the direct McCoist quotes. Of all the managers in the game right now, you'd think he would be one of the most aware of how the editing works ESPECIALLY with what they need to do in aQoS, what with out-takes and the need to keep it clean but edit it so it seems smooth and still funny!

I was also baffled at the continual use of LENNON losing it with McCoist at the handshake. There have been plenty of attempted scuffles between all sorts of characters including Rino Vs Joe Jordan, and I'm sure SAF has been involved with "incidents" with the likes of David Moyes and Arsene Wenger? So why is this scuffle still newsworthy NOW? Why was this incident "sectarian" and not just two rivals with one person losing his cool (not the first time Lennon has done that!)

Surely the BBC are responsible for continual use of this and by insinuating that this WAS sectarian they are antagonising the whole situation? I mean you saw Lennon say he couldn't promise it wouldn't happen again!! That's worse!!

I appreciate the BBC are unlikely to air a full apology, but perhaps we could use this as an opportunity to get a positive response for a change, and I'm sure McCoist and the rest of the powers that be would accept that as a win??

Even if it is an "error" surely you must apologise for the "unintended" inference?! or at least clarify the situation? Why not do a piece on how much Rangers as a club have done to combat this issue (receiving citations from groups such as UEFA themselves) and raise the other issues to rebalance the effect of this news article?

Does Ally not still have some powerful friends in TV land? and will there be any public declaration of what has happened? How did the SAF thing about his son become so widely known?

I must be one of the few people left that get confused with all this tweeting malarky! Especially this # @ and RT nonsense!

I get the impression that it has clearly been edited, and even neutrals (who were probably there) have said it is bad or at the very least misrepresentitive, but can you (or someone else fluent in blackbird) surmise what the BBC guy has tweeted?

Cheers!

That means only one of the 2 can play vs malmo, unless the deal is done in next 10 mins and announced tomorrow! Any names hinted at gaz?

The fee seems steep considering our apparent prudent approach in the transfer market to date (most optimistic way of what has been reported). I hope the player does well, and could probably compare him transfer wise to the Thomsons, Whittakers and Naismiths in terms of age, potential and fee paid...

I've heard the name before, but don't know much about him. Any got the low-down on him? [Murray Davidson]

That's assuming that Cuellar is actually on that much money at Villa and that he's actually paying the full 50% tax.

Maybe villa use an employee benefit trust...

Saw a few flares at t in the park last weekend... didn't see police kicking the foo fighters off stage until it stopped. How there can be the slant the sun have put on this story I'll never know...

Pardon my ignorance, but what trouble? [not saying it didn't happen]

I saw the "sealy down under" thing and had to go hunting around to even know that the green and grey had lost down under... never mind find mention of the GFITW up to their usual antics...

http://www.skysports.com/video/inline/0,26691,16426_7020872,00.html

about 1.25 in, Big Jim getting the exclusive! This is where all the loan stuff has come from I'm presuming...

Always the competitor, always the showman!

I managed to track them down to the middle of nowhere in Germany 2008 for their preseason. Was the same place Portugal used for the World Cup. I was allowed in to watch the training and was the only Gers fan there, plus a local football coach and his 2 boys. At the end of the training session, McCoist was running to get some of the balls and kicking them over to someone (may have been Fleck, may have been the kitman) who had the bag. 20 yards away and it goes straight in!

Ally looks around in expectation: Did any one see that? He saw that I saw and puts 2 hands up in the air in celebration with a big grin on his face! At the end when the players were leaving the pitch, I got a few autographs and of course wanted a photo. Very kindly Nacho Novo agreed to be the cameraman as I got a photo with my favourite player. Allys banter of course was about the earlier incident... "You see that son? Still got it" he says with a wink. Great memory!

I'm pretty sure it stopped for a while when there was a "Rangers Monthly" that ran for about 2 years... I think I had (and still have) almost every edition! Not the worst idea getting rid of the news, since half of the news is discussed to death online before any print has a shot at publishing it! Monthly magazine can be a little more selective, a bit like a sunday edition of a paper...

I thought you needed the clubs permission to talk to a player? How can they agree terms if we've said they can't talk to him (i.e. rejected the bids, said he's not for sale)

I'm very disappointed in Whittaker. A very versatile player who has performed well in many different positions and one of our few threats from long distance. Gutted that he's knocked back a "substantial wage increase" to stay at the champions... Whatever happens, I will never forget THAT goal in Lisbon!

"I didn't offer my opinion on these matters when I was with the SFA because I felt it wasn't within my role as chief executive to do that.

"I did once and that was when George Burley chose not to pick Davie Weir for the match in Norway and I said I didn't agree with him.

"I felt we needed someone of Davie's experience for a game like that. We lost 4-0 and Davie was brought back in for the next squad.

Loved that bit!

No wonder that "religious" crimes are on the up, when they arrest a student on his last night out before exams for dressing up as postman pat and having a tongue in cheek joke* to wind up his mates!!

*which has nothing to do with religion