CammyF

Sad news - thoughts and prayers with the Davis family. Cammy F

Yeah, I know he wasn't a 'good guy' - but the arguement remains that why fly the flag of a 'social activist / warrior' and celebrate others misfortune - irony at its best Cammy F

Business As Usual The Rangers v Aberdeen game at the weekend was business as usual on so many levels. Rangers continued their dominance against The Sheep at Ibrox, now over 17 years since Dolly has won at Ibrox, the Red Scum yet again were allowed to sing their vile and repugnant songs with impunity and the officials continued their corrupt like refusal to enforce the laws of the game. Firstly, weââ?¬â?¢ll address the Rangers performance for the weekend. Whilst the 2-0 win was convincing and welcome, the performance, especially the first 45 minutes was shocking. We were devoid of ideas and looked very sluggish. In saying that, Ferguson was unlucky with a header from distance, Boyd had a couple of opportunities and it was refreshing given Aberdeenââ?¬â?¢s record at Ibrox, witnessing the officials turning a blind eye to handballs in the Aberdeen penalty area (more of this later). We did improve in the 2nd half and once we got the opening goal, we appeared to settle and apart from Mendes clearing from his own goal-line we were relatively untroubled. Boydââ?¬â?¢s well taken 2nd goal killed the game off as a contest and we eventually ran out easy winners. Once again we left a Rangers game discussing the officials refusal to enforce the laws of the game and all the major decisions going against Rangers. Firstly, anyone who watched the Celtc game in the early kick-off would have witnessed Boracââ?¬â?¢s assault that (unsurprisingly) lead to a yellow card. Only a Celtc player would have escaped a red card for this offence, and yet again, more evidence that the officials in this country are bordering on the corrupt. Then we role up to Ibrox to witness more baffling decisions where we should have had 2 penalties (at least) and Diamond was allowed to elbow Lafferty with no action taken. It canââ?¬â?¢t be coincidence that the only people inside Ibrox on Saturday that didnââ?¬â?¢t see all three offences were the officials? Surely they canââ?¬â?¢t be that ineffectual that all three of them missed all three controversial incidents? Are they really ineffectual or are they corrupt? This serious question has to be addressed as at the moment, the evidence points to them being something other than ineffectual. Aberdeen Ultras and Irony Off the pitch, Kenny McCaskill was present to witness the vile and repugnant chants emanating from the visiting fans but he appeared to be nonplussed and in no mood to take any action against these fans. It appears that the authorities are only interested in what WE sing ââ?¬â?? all other fans are free to sing what they want. A quick question that Iââ?¬â?¢d like to ask the Aberdeen Ultras (and general fans) is what their adopted hero Che Guevara would have to say regarding there disgusting chants mocking the dead (Ibrox Disaster song), the socially unfortunate and poverty stricken (In Your Glasgow Slums), the disabled (their new David Murray song and booing of the disabled Olympians)? Personally, I think the great Socialist thinker Che Guevara would be spinning in his grave and would cringe in the fact that these reptiles were celebrating others misfortunes in his name. FCUK You Celtc Youââ?¬â?¢ll Never Win Away I canââ?¬â?¢t be the only Rangers fans who thinks that the above chant will be redundant after tonightââ?¬â?¢s Champions League games. Celtc travel to Aalborg knowing that a defeat will see them eliminated from Europe completely and need a victory to ensure that their European participation isnââ?¬â?¢t ended before the final group game. We all know that they have one of the, if not the worst away record in the CL, but tonight offers them their best chance of gaining 3 away points. Itââ?¬â?¢s heartening to read that our unbiased media have put this awful away record down to nothing more than a ââ?¬Ë?jinxââ?¬â?¢. Funny that, I thought it was all down to terrible performances, terrible team and tactic selections etc. Hopefully their ââ?¬Ë?jinxââ?¬â?¢ will strike again tonight, but as I said above, I believe that they will have too much for the Danes. In saying that, at least they canââ?¬â?¢t count on the assistance of the officials to get them out of sticky situations. Cammy F

The highlights didn't show the other definate hand-ball either. We should have had two penalties and Diamond should have been red carded for his deliberate and cowardly elbow on Lafferty. With all 3 decisions, the only 3 people in the stadium NOT to see them were the referee and his 2 assistants - coincidence? Cammy F

Fantastic article Frankie : Over the course of his tenureship, David Murray (and therefore, Rangers Football Club) have gone from successful visionaries to unsuccessful reactionaries. In my opinion, this is a direct result of the people that SDM has surrounded himself with. When SDM took over from David Holmes, Rangers were already going in the right direction. The fans were flooding back, there was a successful team on the pitch with a successful and outspoken manager at the helm. SDMââ?¬â?¢s biggest mistake was to surround himself with ââ?¬Ë?yes menââ?¬â?¢ and ââ?¬Ë?lap dogsââ?¬â?¢. In replacing men like Campbell Oglivie (helped create the Champions League remember) with ââ?¬Ë?cretinsââ?¬â?¢ like Martin Bain, SDM has shown that Rangers Football Club are no longer a club with vision, goals and ambition. We are now a selling club with a huge debt to service. The man to blame for this debt? SDM. The man to blame for us being second best in Scotland both on and off the pitch? SDM. The man to blame for allowing a club that was 30 seconds from extinction to now be better financed, better placed on and off the field and in danger of leaving us behind? SDM. Now SDM will use his usual spin to deflect all of the above, but we are seriously lacking both on and off the field. Celtc are on course for their 4th consecutive title and we have a long hard battle ahead to remain on their tales, never mind overtaking them. David Murray has been good for Rangers, but that stopped over a decade ago ââ?¬â?? he is now killing the club and appears to be happy with 2nd best in a two horse race. Until he sells, or rediscovers his passion for Rangers and for Rangers to be ââ?¬Ë?simply the bestââ?¬â?¢, we are going to vegetate at best, or at worst, rot awayââ?¬Â¦.. Cammy F

Loved the song TBO started as well : 'Dolly is lonely, why don't you go home' Cammy F

Charlie Adam isn't the worst player we have on our books at the moment - needs a decent / prolonged run of games in his natural position. Cammy F

If they, or anyone else for that matter, bid over �£5M then he'll be sold. Cammy F

Murray's dig at Reid can be heard here - http://www.zshare.net/audio/516095681a83c6e9/ Full Interview can be heard here - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/7740609.stm Cammy F

... read his Rangers related articles, this man is becoming a legend (like below)... http://www.jeffwinterentertainmentandmedia.co.uk/rangers/0809017.html Cammy F

http://www.jeffwinterentertainmentandmedia.co.uk/rangers/0809018.html Another fantatic artcile composed by our favourite ex-referee - keep them coming Jeff and you are a true bear. How come you ask? Well, he certainly knows how to rile the Tims and how to respond to their bigotry.... Cammy F - Jeff Winters Loyal RSC

Remember singing at the start of every season and at kick off at any final we were lucky enough to reach in the early 80's 'Don't Let Us Down Again'... Also, used to love singing 'and it's Glasgow Rangers, Glasgow Rangers FC, there by far the greatest team the world has every seen'... And who could forget the 'Bobby Russell, Bobby Bobby Russell' chant Cammy F

Have it on good authority that he is Celtc bound Cammy F

In their early yeats, The Rangers ICF / Casuals used to sit in the Govan Front, the section right next to the Broomie - they were there for most home games domestically and in Europe. Away from home, they would try to get as close to the segregation fences / police lines as they could. I remember them from the testimonial at Sunderland, they were out in numbers that day. Remember that these guys don't have ICF tattooed on their 'brews' - they are just guys like us who go and watch the Rangers. Hard to spot unless they are in their 'firm' - think with the introduction of 'mass season tickets' they were (and probably still are) dotted around Ibrox. Funnily enough, as well as the casual fashion being adopted into the mainstream of Rangers supporters, their song 'Super Rangers' has also been adopted and is sung with gusto by the 'normal' Rangers fans. Cammy F

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrOzn0LjWkc&feature=related]YouTube - The Rangers chorus[/ame] and a wee reminder about 1:30 in showing how we should display our scraves - - none of this Hearts like swirling sh1t for this traditionalist :cheers: Cammy F

I'm sure that I've heard that there is another Rangers ICF book in the pipeline - might be wrong tho Cammy F

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rangers-I-C-F-Davey-Carrick/dp/0954854284 Not the greatest book, but certainly worth a read - a brilliant introduction in the book by Irvine Welsh. Also, unlike most other casual books I've read, it gives you details of fights that they lost and also has sections written by members of other firms detailing their encounters with and against the Rangers ICF. I would have loaned you my copy Gribz, but gave it to someone and haven't gotten it back as yet! Cammy F

Looks like Nottingham Forest will be Burkes likely destination. Cammy F

Agreed, I think most of us growing up became embroiled in what can be best described as ââ?¬Ë?gang-cultureââ?¬â?¢. This would normally be you and a group of friends that would hang around together, and inevitably get into trouble together. Again, probably, this was at some point entail a fight with a rival gang be it defending your towns honour, or defending your own little bit of ââ?¬Ë?turfââ?¬â?¢. This has gone on for centuries and the football casuals are no different. Cammy F

Yeah, Bo'ness were thrown out as the committee had failed to register some / most of there players. Bo'ness had destroyted Petershill (IIRC) at Newtown Park 4-0 with George O'Boyle and Kevin Thomas running riot! and were tipped to go all the way that year. Yip, was that a Friday night game? Bo'ness tended to play most of their semi-finals at Brockville and always took (like most junior teams of the time) a huge support. Well worth a read for those interested in Junior Football : http://www.bonessunited.co.uk/homepage.htm http://www.bo-ness.org.uk/html/BasicTimeline.shtml Cammy F

CONTINUED : With the emergence of the rave scene, and the ecstasy generation, the football casual appeared to have died out with many of those who clashed around football grounds, were happily dancing the night away together in a field or warehouse across the UK. There was no other music / fashion culture that brought these warring factions together. Historically, fashions and musical genres like Mods, rockers, punks, skinheads etc had all contributed to football related violence. Rhythmic beats and a small MDMA pill had turned this around and the world appeared to be as one People wrongly label the casual movement the English disease, but this is far from the truth. During France 98, Scotland had one of the biggest firms at the games and Rangers were well represented. However, anyone who’s been to a major derby game in England has likely witnessed violence on a level far above anything in Scotland (Old Firm riot at Hampden being the exception). I was once taken to a Sheffield derby and the entire town was a battlefield from the Friday evening until the Sunday evening with Wednesday and United fans battling all over the place. However, this was a picnic compared to the time I was taken to a West Ham v Chelsea game at Upton Park. I’ve never witnessed so many police but unlike the my Sheffield experience, the violence was kept to in and around the stadium. The worst and most sustained violence I have encountered was following junior cup ties, especially in the late 70’s and early 80’s. Many of the Scottish junior sides come from industrialised villages and with the backdrop of the winter of discontent, the miners strike and the poll tax, there was always an undercurrent at the these games that would spill over into violence more often the not. Following Rangers always had a political edge especially in the early 80’s when the support of the Loyalists in Ulster was at its height. Songs regaling the UDA were common place as were ditties regarding the Pope and IRA. As an impressionable youngster, it was hard not to get caught up in the rhetoric of this and that is my excuse for witnessing some ‘political violence’ linked to being a Rangers fan. The Young Socialist had invited Gerry Adams and his cohorts to a meeting and public speaking forum at, off all places, Govan Town Hall. A counter demonstration was planned and this counter demonstration was advertised by handing flyers out at Ibrox. I went along with the sole intention of protesting against these terrorists being allowed to talk openly about their murderous plans, but the whole thing degenerated into a small riot! The counterdemonstration outnumbered the supporters and when the guest arrived, closely shadowed by the Young Socialist, all hell broke lose. They were chased from the Town Hall and it took the place an age to restore order. It would be naive in the extreme to believe that football casuals have disappeared from football. They are still active and are still following football clubs, Rangers included. One question that has always bothered me and I still haven’t found an answer to. Why, given Rangers fans allegiance to Chelsea are our casuals named after the West Ham firm! There are plenty of casual related reading now available and like all reading material, of varying quality. Anything written by Cas Pennant is well worth a read especially ‘Top Boys’ and his ICF book. The Jon King series of books (part fiction part fact) Football Factory, Headhunters, England Away, Human Punk (my favourite) & White Trash are also highly recommended. The Rangers ICF book is also worth a read as it details many Rangers games that you’ve been at and probably remember well. There are some inaccuracies in the book, but all in all, it’s a decent read. Some of the early fanzines are also brilliant reading : Man U, Chelsea, Hibs, Rangers (follow follow, No1, The Blues Brothers et al), WSC, etc if you can get your hands on them. It is significant now to look around most stadiums in Britain today and you’ll see ‘normal’ fans dressed like the casuals. Casual related brands have not hit the high street and labels such as Paul & Shark, Stone Island, One True Saxon etc are now the norm rather than the exception. So this is the one true example of how football, fashion and fighting has spilled from the edges and peripheries of football into the mainstream. DISCLAIMER – I have never been a member of a ‘casual group’ and I will never condone violence at football, or anywhere else for that matter. Cockney Rejects Oi, Oi, Oi [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dulvTWrFhY]YouTube - Cockney Rejects / Oi Oi Oi [Rebellion '07][/ame] Cockney Rejects - We Are The Firm (dedicated to the ICF) [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-ZMvk4XyZM&feature=related]YouTube - Cockney Rejects - We are The Firm[/ame] Cockney Rejects - Bubbles (Come on you Irons) [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1bT0JcRWNE&feature=related]YouTube - Cockney Rejects - I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles[/ame] Blitz - New Age [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyS4Wduyux8]YouTube - Blitz-New Age[/ame] Blitz - Someones Gonna Die Tonight [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgMWyQtucyc&feature=related]YouTube - Blitz - Someone's gonna die[/ame] Angelic Upstarts - Last Night Another Soldier [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMRV-DA58rw&feature=related]YouTube - Angelic upstarts -- Last night another soldier[/ame] Angelic Upstarts - Soldier (2nd song on the clip - well worth a listen you might now the song) [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ULsi0xG19w&feature=related]YouTube - Angelic Upstarts- Shotgun Solution & Soldier[/ame] Cammy F -

Admittedly I’ve stolen the title for this article for Phil Thornton’s book (subline – The Tale Of A Terrace Cult) which highlights, details and explains the undeniable link between the three topics. You can also add politics to the title, but this gives the subject an even more controversial edge. This being Gersnet and with our readers being of a more mature and understanding nature and given the club we love, politics can’t be omitted from any article that links Rangers to fashion and fighting. It is understandable that many football fans chose to ignore the violence that once surrounded the beautiful game. However, if you are of a certain age, you’ll remember The Gorgie Skins, The Derry End (Ibrox Agro) the Aberdeen, Hibs, Rangers casuals and if your unlucky enough, you’ll never forget the football specials that were used to transport you to any given away ground. As well as the violence, the political leanings that tainted and tarnished some of this violence, the cutting edge of fashion wasn’t far away from the violence. The trend setters of football violence were also the trend setters for terrace culture and fashion as well. The first real group of hardened football hooligans that I can remember were the Gorgie Skins who followed Hearts all over the country. They were housed in the Gorgie End Shed at Tynecastle and were a battled hardened group who embraced Hearts as well as the Skinhead movement. These guys would look the part in their Harrington Jackets, Doc Martin boots, Fred Perry and Ben Sherman shirts and the skinheads signature braces. Some would be even more fearsome looking in their Crombie Ã?¾ length coats. There was no doubting their loyalty to Hearts, to SKA music and to showing that they were frightened or intimidated by following Hearts around Scotland. They were a notorious gang and not to be messed with. I remember going to Tynecastle to watch a Aberdeen v Dundee Scottish Cup semi-final and the Gorgie Skins made a special reappearance that day and gave the Aberdeen Casuals a warm welcome and a day that they’ll never forget. At this time, yours truly was a young punk who could be seen at Ibrox in his Doc Martins, Biker Jacket and [insert any punk groups name here] t-shirt. This was a look that was never fully appreciated at Ibrox, as Punks had a reputation of being ‘left-wing’, anti-establishment and anti-monarchy. I’ll never forget an older Bear witnessing my attire and telling me that my sort weren’t welcome at Ibrox. I don’t know what he could have meant by this comment! No doubt, the vast majority of Rangers fans hadn’t heard of ‘Oi’ at this time, an offshoot of punk that tended to be more right wing leaning and was a conglomerate of skinheads and punks. This movement throw out some wonderful bands like Blitz, Angelic Upstarts and The Cockney Rejects who went on to become a group that was attached to the West Ham ICF. NB - For footage of the above bands, see end of this article. The explosion of casuals hit Scotland a few years after England where football fans, especially those who followed Liverpool in Europe and found a new terrace culture and fashion. Gone were the long hair, sideburns, denim jackets, flares etc and in came ‘sportswear’. Lacoste, Sergio Techinni, Pringle, at el, the ‘new romantic’ type hair styles, trainers etc. This looked rubbed of on the ‘firms’ and they started to dress accordingly and to stand out from the crowd. The aim of the football casual wasn’t just to fight, but it was to look the part as well. They also dressed smartly to evade the Police and travelled to games in the luxury of British Rail Inter City Services (hence the famous ICF tag) rather than the cramped, urine stained, violent and at some points, life threatening! Football specials. My first encounter with casuals came at Hampden when Scotland entertained England. The Scotland fans gave the English the usual reception, but the game was notable for the racial abuse handed out by the Scottish fans to the coloured England players, and John Barnes in particular. Then there were the running battles between Scotland fans and the England casuals that spilled from the terraces to the city centre and even onto the trains out of Glasgow that evening. This is detailed in Cass Pennents brilliant ‘Congratulations : You’ve Met The ICF Book’. The worst examples of casual related violence I have witnessed was at Easter Road and Parkhead. Hibs are notorious for their firm and they have had many a battle was Rangers and Aberdeen (in particular) over the years. I can’t remember the exact year of this clash, but I’m sure it was an evening game, as as the Rangers buses inched towards Princess Street, it was dark and raining outside. Anyway, enough of the weather forecast – as the buses approached Princess Street, they were met by the Hibs Casuals who charged. The Rangers casuals were waiting between the buses and ambushed their Hibs counterparts. I remember that the Rangers ICF fired flares into the onrushing crowd and one long street battled ensued. Hibs must have underestimated the ‘normal’ Rangers fans reaction to the casuals. The ‘normal’ fans piled of the buses and joined in the melee. I have never seen this recounted in any of the casual based books that I have read. When Parkhead was being redeveloped, Rangers visited and were given the tiny end corner of a stand. On being led to the ground, the Rangers support were being attacked by Celtc fans who were being aided and abetted by their ‘casuals’. The Celtc casual has always been an oxymoron within the casual movement. They have been ridiculed in print (not just by Scottish firms, the Cardiff City Soul Crew also ridicule them) and they have been referred to as the I run Away and ‘catalogue casuals’. They have by all reports gotten a crew together recently and have had a few high-profile run-ins with the new Rangers ICF. Anyway, back to the matter in-hand. Just as this was about to get out of hand, the Rangers casuals came charging down Duke Street and helped the Rangers fans gain the upper hand. The Rangers casuals, or ICF as they preferred to be known as (although they are conceived as Rangers HMS – Her Majesties Service) are not spoken about on Rangers forums to any degree. Whilst this is somewhat understandable, to refuse to acknowledge their existence, or to somehow convince ourselves that they don’t or never have existed, is doing them a disservice. Anyone who has read the Rangers ICF book will get an understanding for the loyalty of these fans (same can be said of any casual of any club). They have had some major successes in their time, all highlighted and corroborated in their book. Lets not forget that proceeding the Rangers ICF, we did have a reputation of violence that was feared all over Scotland and in England. Just ask the residents of Chesterfield, Aston Villa (well Birmingham really) and I believe we are still the only support to have taken the Stretford End at Old Trafford.

I've heard that boxing gloves will be supplied at all turnstyles :box: A reall old 'blood and snotters' junior cup tie this one !! Cammy F

As an aside, Auchinleck face a visit to the Might Bo'ness UTD in the Scottish Cup - sure it is next weekend...... Cammy F

Name a song (and post lyrics if you remember them) that was once sung at Ibrox that you'd like to see returned to our hymn sheet : If I had the wings of a sparrow If I had the arse of a crow I'd fly over Parkhead tomorrow and sh1te on the barstewards below, below sh1te on, sh1te on, sh1te of the barstewards below Cammy F - Derry End Loyal