CammyF

Lets not forget that during Walters first reign he had an annoying habit of playing youngsters in the CL and Europe (during the 3 foriegners rule) but then dropping them for domestic games. Players like Stephen Pressley, Neil Murray, Gary McSwegen and to a lesser extent Sandy Robertson et al were all given a chance in Europe, but furstratingly were dropped for domestic games. Cammy F

CONTINUED It was around this time that Rangers started a period of dominance of Scottish Football that had and hasn’t been surpassed. During this period, Rangers won the league easily on most occasions and instead of Aberdeen challenging, more main challengers were the likes of Motherwell and Hearts. Celtc then got their act together off and on the pitch and emerged once again as our main rivals. I believe that this fact more than any other irked the Dons and they had to resort to some depraved actions to try to restore the intensity of the Rangers v Aberdeen game. These depraved acts included booing during a minutes silence for Ranger & Scotland legend (and captain) George Young, vile chants regarding the Ibrox disaster and the as vile and disgusting ditties relating to Durrant / Simpson. Also around this time (or a little previous), the rise of the Soccer Casual had reached a crescendo and there were numerous high profile clashed involving Rangers, Aberdeen and Hibs who boasted the three biggest firms in Scotland. Inevitably, some innocent and some not so innocent fans got dragged into the violence (wrong place and wrong time). But again, this was something that wasn't confined to Rangers v Aberdeen games at the time – casual related violence was happening the length and breadth of the country with some normal fans on the peripherals of this violence (and some stuck bang in the middle of it!). There were tales of innocent Rangers fans being attacked in Aberdeen by gangs of Dons fans targeting Rangers fans with kids etc. The only major incident recently was the pitch invasion of the Aberdeen fans as they tried to attack the Rangers support at Pittodrie after a coin throwing incident. That was the evening where Big Amo showed his class on and off the pitch. He helped defuse the situation then won the game with a thunderbolt of a shot. So where now for this rivalry? No doubt we will witness a continuation of this rivalry from the travelling Dons on Saturday as they show no sign for relenting on this bitter and twisted campaign. Personally, and I believe this to be true of most Rangers supporters, whilst it always gives added pleasure defeating the Dons (more goals the better), this isn’t a bonified rivalry, Aberdeen are currently a minor irritation. Would I like to see a rise in the rivalry again? Off course, if its for the correct reasons. If Aberdeen were to become a force again (its been almost two decades since they were a force) and if they were challenging us for league titles and domestic cups, then yes, the more high pressure, intense and passionate games the better. Cammy F

Given that we entertain our friends from the North East at Ibrox this weekend, I thought that it may be a good time to examine the intense rivalry that this fixture generates, both in the present day and in the bygone days of yore. Generally, I believe that since the nineties, we have (and the OF in general) have left Aberdeen in our shadow and for this Bear, the intensity of this game has dropped several notches. Don’t get me wrong, I still lookout for this fixture and still enjoy the passion that it generates and it still gives me an extra pleasure defeating the Dons (almost as pleasant as defeating the MOPES). I believe that most Rangers fans will share this opinion and would believe that the rivalry is fast becoming a ‘one-way street’. Sections of the Aberdeen fans still look at us as the ‘hated enemy’, the one team that they want to be victorious over every time they play us. In fact, they still sing to the MOPES : ‘We Hate Rangers More than You’. Was this rivalry always as one sided? You bet it wasn’t. When I first started attending Rangers games regularly, the New Firm of Aberdeen and Dundee UTD were the ‘teams to beat’ and were ahead (footballing wise) of the Old Firm. Given this, they would regularly defeat Rangers both home and away. Trips to Tannidice were never fraught with danger, they never generated a poisonous atmosphere, they were just normal run of the mill games. In fact, in the early 80’s the same could be said of trips to Pittodrie. This fixture would see Rangers supporters clubs travelling up to Aberdeen and staying over in or around the city and enjoying a Saturday night out on the town. Everything in the Aberdeen garden was rosy around this time, they were the top dogs and whilst they were rubbing our noses in it on the pitch, they appeared to at least tolerate us, if not welcome us, into their city prior and post match. Now, like any city centre on a Saturday night, there were a few scuffles as drunk fans clashed with locals, a few full blown fights would also be witnessed, but like I said, this was true of all town centres at the weekends. It has to be pointed out here, and in no way am I condoning the violence, but there were ‘fist fights’ that were generally over before they begun. So what happened to change this situation? Some people point to the Durrant / Simpson incident (it certainly didn’t help matters). Some (especially Aberdeen fans) point to an incident where Willie (Bud) Johnston appeared to stand on the neck of an Aberdeen player (John McMaster if my memory serves me correctly). Some will point to the birth of the much maligned (and blamed for almost all football related violence) the football casuals. Some will also remember and point to the violent scenes during and after the Rangers v Aberdeen game at Ibrox in 1985-1986 were Aberdeen won 3-0 and two Rangers players were sent off. During the game, Rangers fans from the East Enclosure invaded the pitch and after the game, I witnessed the 2nd worst example of violence I have ever encountered at a game. The Rangers fans streamed out Ibrox before fulltime and a large number gathered behind the Broomie where the Aberdeen fans were housed and as soon as they were released, the gathered Rangers fans steamed in and gave them what can only be described as a ‘good seeing to’. Again, I am not condoning this violence, but it is an example of how intense this rivalry was. The pitch invasion can be viewed here [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUkUSDLH45k&feature=related]YouTube - Ibrox pitch invasion 1985[/ame] In truth, the rivalry had been building over the years and all of the above played their part in perpetrating this rivalry, but it was to at its most intense after a certain Mr David Holmes brought in a certain Mr Graeme Souness as Rangers manager. This bold decision changed the face of Scottish Football and the sleeping giant that was Rangers FC was finally awakened. We were no longer 3rd or 4th best, we were back where we belonged. Normal service had been restored. We all know that we finally won our first league title in a decade when we secured a 1-1 draw at Pittodrie – this coupled with Celtc’s shock 2-1 home defeat by Falkirk – meant Rangers were CHAMPIONS. The game is famous for so many things – Butchers goal, Souness’ red card and the jubilant scenes after the game. Personally, I’ll never forget this day as long as I live. Not just for the above, but for the generosity of a few Aberdeen fans (yip, you’ve read that correctly). Four of us had gone up to the game and only I had a ticket. The other three couldn’t get a ticket prior to the game, so I sold mine (face value) to another Bear and me and my 3 mates trudged to a ‘carry-out’ shop to get some beer and trudge to the hill that overlooks Pittodrie. There were hundreds of Rangers fans up there and a wee party ensued. If you watch the footage below of the game, wee Durranty wheels away after the goal and ‘celebrates’ the goal with those up on the hill (or so we’d like to think). Anyway, at halftime, all those of the hill walked down to Pittodrie and joined forces with hundreds of other fans at the Aberdeen end trying to negotiate entry! The Police were actually OK as they told us that they would allow us access to the ground if and when Rangers won the league. They would hold us there and allow us access when the Aberdeen fans had left. As they were conveying this, a door was being opened to allow more Police to leave the ground and ‘watch’ those gathered around the Aberdeen end. The Rangers fans saw their opportunity, and charged the gate. The sheer numbers forced the gate open and we ran into the stadium with the Police giving chase. I was helped up into the stand and was sat amongst the Aberdeen fans by two elderly ‘Dons’. Thanks to them, I and my 3 friends witnessed the majority of the 2nd half and the celebrations in their entirety : [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPkaTZ_qT24]YouTube - Aberdeen v Rangers (2 May 1987) - 1/3[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LD7giiV-aM&feature=related]YouTube - Aberdeen v Rangers (2 May 1987) - 2/3[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LD7giiV-aM&feature=related]YouTube - Aberdeen v Rangers (2 May 1987) - 3/3[/ame] During the early 90’s Rangers were in the infancy stages of what would turn out to be out 9-in-a-row era and whilst Celtc were self-destructing on and off the field, Aberdeen became our main on and off the field rivals. This saw some titanic battles not only in the league, but in both domestic cup competitions - none more so that the two fantastic league cup games that ended 3-2 to Rangers and a Rangers penalty shoot-out victory after a brilliant 3-3 draw. Rangers fans of my generation and older will also remember the game that won us the league in 1990-1991 – Aberdeen came into the final game of the season ahead of Rangers on points (we had just lost 3-0 to Motherwell the previous week) and had to endure the loss of our captain Terry Butcher and our manager Graeme Souness earlier in the season. Walter Smith was the man appointed by David Murray to ensure that we secured our 3rd consecutive title. Given the slip up at Motherwell the week before, this wasn’t a formality. Aberdeen went into the game needing just a point. Rangers went into the game with injury worries and these increased during the game and Tom Cowan actually played part of the game with a broken leg. Nigal Spackman captained the team to a wonderful 2-0 victory with the much maligned Mark Hateley scoring both goals. His opener was a joy to behold. Mark Walters swung in a beautiful cross and Hateley rose magesitcally to rise above Alex McLeish and slam an unstoppable header into the roof of the net – cue bedlum around Ibrox.

Nearly More Crucial Points Dropped I canââ?¬â?¢t quiet believe what I witnessed at Ibrox on Saturday afternoon and I believe that I am entitled to expect more from my football team than we were served up, especially after the promising start to the game. Having surged into a 2-0 lead after 10 minutes whilst playing some very attractive football, instead of ramming home the advantage, we took our foot off the accelerator and thankfully, St Mirren didnââ?¬â?¢t respond to our lacklustre display until the final 10 minutes. Even given St Mirrenââ?¬â?¢s reluctance to capitalise on our growing deficiencies, they almost claimed a point from the game. Some of the ââ?¬Ë?footballââ?¬â?¢ I witnessed from Rangers in the 2nd half was amateurish in the extreme. We are unable to retain possession from throw-ins, we insist on bringing every player back for corners (which encourages teams to thro more men forward which in turn results in more pressure and when we clear the ball, it comes straight back at us ââ?¬â?? no out ball), we contrived to miss chance after chance (Miller and Novo being most capable), then for long periods of the game, we were unable to string 2 passes together. All this resulted in our opponents growing in confidence and realising that we were there for the taking. The game should have been over as a contest in the first half. If we had continued in the same vein as we started the game, we could have destroyed St Mirren and avoided those nervy scenes as the end. We must improve significantly for our upcoming fixtures. We must learn to put games beyond our opponents when we are on top. We have Aberdeen at Ibrox, Hearts at Tynecastle and DUFC at Tannidice looming on the horizon and if we offer them the chance to take points from us, they will gladly oblige. As our next game as against our foes from the frozen north, I hope all Rangers fans that make their way to Ibrox on Saturday take their singing voices with them. This is one of the few remaining games that guarantees and generates a decent atmosphere and undoubtedly, Sheepy will regale us with their vile Neil Simpson and Ibrox disaster songs. Lets ensure that we drown them out and sing our heroes onto victory. Beyond Inept, Bordering on Corrupt So once again Celtc are the beneficiaries of a dubious decision on Sunday that enabled them to defeat a plucky Hamilton side who looked ââ?¬Ë?untroubledââ?¬â?¢ until the refereeââ?¬â?¢s assistant intervened and convinced the referee that it would be a good idea to award Celtc a penalty for a foul committed clearly outside the penalty area. If this wasnââ?¬â?¢t a serious issue, it would be laughable. Celtc are now getting these types of decisions on a weekly basis, and whilst this is obvious to one and all, the SFA, SPL or referee supervisors are doing NOTHING about it. In fact, they appear to be happy with this level of incompetence, or given the level of ââ?¬Ë?incompetenceââ?¬â?¢, then they appear to be happy with this level of corruptness. Now, we understand that officials get things wrong ââ?¬â?? they are only human after all. However, to continually get these decisions so wrong, then there is something else afoot. As I said above, I believe that Celtc have benefited from a dubious decision in almost every SPL game this season (whether its them getting a penalty, a dubious goal or the opposition being reduced to 10 men, having a perfectly good goal chopped off), and we have been on the wrong side of these type of decisions in almost every SPL game weââ?¬â?¢ve played in. This hasnââ?¬â?¢t been happening just this season, there was evidence of this at the business end of last season as well. As well as the footballing authorities reluctance to highlight / investigate these ââ?¬Ë?one wayââ?¬â?¢ dubious decisions, our unbiased press have also decided to stay shtoom (for a change). In the run up to Helicopter Sunday, Rangers were awarded a penalty at Tynecastle that TV replays proved was a correct decision. After this game, the media asked for everyoneââ?¬â?¢s comments on the decision, including Celtc manager Martin Oââ?¬â?¢Neill. One commentator even went as far as to state that the SPL title was ââ?¬Ë?tainted by the stench of cheatingââ?¬â?¢. Thatââ?¬â?¢s right folks, after one correct decision, the SPL titled was tainted by cheating. The assistant referee involved was hounded for days and weeks. His family were attacked in the street, his personal details were posted on internet sites, there were double page spreads on the ââ?¬Ë?red topsââ?¬â?¢ and Celtc demanded that said official wasnââ?¬â?¢t to officiate any of their games. Isnââ?¬â?¢t it amazing that after the furore that surrounded this ONE decision that nothing has been said or printed about the weekly decisions that are now going Celtcââ?¬â?¢s way? Sir David Murray / Martin Bain Given the evidence of the above, you, like me, may be surprised that SDM or his lap-dog Martin Bain havenââ?¬â?¢t entered into this debate and asked the relevant bodies, the relevant questions. OK, that was slightly tongue in cheek, as we all know that unless either of their names has been tarnished, or if they are asked to blacken our reputation any further, theyââ?¬â?¢ll not say anything to anyone. I still canââ?¬â?¢t fathom how both still have the support of the majority of Rangers supporters after asset stripping of our beloved club. However, if the rumours reaching me are correct, January might just be the month that reverses that support. Given our dire financial state, coupled with our failure to reach a European competition on this season, we desperately require to raise some money in January. We are likely to receive bids for Mendes (Redknapp wants him at Spurs and Mendes has a release clause in his contract ââ?¬â?? yip, well done again Mr Bain), Marseilles will bid for Bougherra and I believe that Mr Redknapp may also bid for McGregor is his bid to land Shay Given from Newcastle fails. If you are as sceptical of our custodian as I am, nothing will come as a surprise in January. If you arenââ?¬â?¢t as sceptical as myself, well, youââ?¬â?¢ve been warned. Cammy F ââ?¬â?? Support The Dublin Loyal - WATP

I forsee a few surprises leaving in January - MB, Mendes and / or McGregor. Bain will be instructed to raise some money as SDM lining is getting a bit thin and they are our only sellable assests. For completing these sales, MB will be given yet another bonus and pay rise. Cammy F - Sceptical Loyal RSC

Hull paid Man City only �£500,000 more for Giovanni's services than we paid Burnley for Lafferty's..... Now, Kyle may go and prove to be a decent player / buy, but it has to be said, investing such a large sum of money (and large % of our total transfer budget) on an uproven championship players was a gamble. I hope for the lads and Rangers' sake that the gamble pays off and reeps dividends. Cammy F

Get Well Soon Skippy Cammy F

Carrying on from Frankie’s brilliantly written and though provoking article, Rangers FC, A House Of Cards - http://www.gersnetonline.net/vb/showthread.php?t=8803 I thought that I would add to the dreachness of the morning by trying to establish why or club appear to be determined to hand the SPL title to Celtc. As I said in my rants early in the week, we are consistently inconsistent and I can’t remember a time where I have been as frustrated at our form as I am at this moment. Sure there have been times when we have been worse than this, there is no doubting this, but the frustration comes about having witnessed this squad dismantle Celtc at Parkhead, Hibs at Easter Road whilst playing a brand of football synonymous with Rangers Football Club. Then we have had to endure the dross served up at Love Street, Falkirk Stadium and last night at Fir Park. Once again last night we started with little urgency thus allowing our opponents to settle into the game and dictate the pace and flow of the game. Motherwell are a physical team and were quite happy with the ball being leathered from one corner of Fir Park to another. That is their strength, and it is also our weakness. We are outnumbered, out-muscled and more worryingly, out-played on the midfield area for the entire 90 minutes last night. We played to Motherwell’s strengths and had no-one either in the dug-out or on the pitch who had the capacity to change our tactics and play to our strengths. There has been a trend recently where when we are struggling to impose ourselves in games that we revert to the high ball / long ball game. This plays right into the hands of the opposition. 2 towering centre halves (the prerequisite for SPL teams these days), backed up with physical full-backs and tough tackling midfield players, lap this up. What they don’t like is football being played round about them. So instead of dominating games, establishing our pace, footballing ability, we get dragging into a war of attrition and inevitably drop points. So how is to blame for this trend? The players have to take their share of the responsibilities, but the management team appear to lack the leadership required to ensure that we can start a game with the necessary urgency to stamp our authority on proceedings. I understand that we have no divine right to win any game, we have to earn the right to win games and titles. However, I believe as we have been weakened on the pitch, teams in the SPL are no longer intimidated whilst playing Rangers. In our prime, we carried an aura with us – we weren’t invincible, but teams knew when they played Rangers, we are capable of destroying them playing football, but had the players who could and would stand up to a physical battle. Ian Ferguson, Stuart McCall, Nigel Spackman, Graham Roberts, Richard Gough, Terry Butcher, John Brown, Mark Hateley – all fantastic football players, but also players who wouldn’t be frightened to go toe-to-toe with anyone of the nature of the game demanded it. Those type of players won their battles and allowed players like Gazza, Laudrup, Walters, Wilkins, McCoist, et al to then play the football that would win us the games. Quite simply, we don’t have that mix at the moment, and clearly, we don’t have that quality at our disposal either. Currently, we are deploying 4 centre-halves in our back four. Our midfield consists of 3 centre midfield players and a front man pitched in for good measure. Our front two try hard and have differing qualities, but to be honest, neither of them score the crucial goals that win you games like last night on a consistent enough basis. We have played the majority of this season with absolutely no width in the team. Opposition managers know this and use it to there advantage, There were times last night where you could have thrown a blanked over our 11 players, they were so narrow and so close together. Walter Smith has another frustrating trait – his use of substitutions. Firstly, some are mind-boggling in the extreme and almost all of them are never a simple ‘straight swap’. Take last night as an example – Novo for Lafferty – looked like the correct move at the time (maybe 5 or 10 minutes later than expected, but the correct move none-the-less). Anyway, on comes Novo to play wide left? No, Novo moves into the centre, Miller moved out left? In saying that, the above deficiencies, whilst being glaring, are not unfixable. Compare them to the gross incompetence of the officials and they pail into insignificance (however, they are the only deficiencies that we have complete control over). The standards of refereeing and assistant refereeing in the SPL this season have been disgraceful bordering on the corrupt. It is safe to say that we have fallen foul to at least one controversial / crucial decision in almost everyone of our SPL games this season (another perfectly good goal wrongly chopped of last night) and at the same time, Celtc have been the beneficiaries of at least one controversial and crucial in almost everyone of their SPL games. I don’t think that the above statement sounds paranoid, as there are facts, pictures, video footage et al to back these claims up. So what can be done about these? Well, our club could be doing a better job in highlighting these decisions. We hear / see every other SPL manager (and in Celtc’s case, Chairman et al) banging on about all the decisions that go against them, so why not us? Well, I’ll tell you why not us, our Chairman doesn’t care. Ask him for a quote about the big, bad Rangers fans singing songs, or posting on websites and its ‘pens and Dictaphones at the ready’, I’ll give you enough to fill a 100 papers. Ask him to defend us, or challenge officials who are bordering on the corrupt? Silence is golden in Murray Towers. So, in conclusion, have we thrown away the league title this early in the season? Well, on current form, it’s impossible to believe that we can go to places like Tannidice, Tynecastle (both loaming large on the horizon), Pittodrie et al and gaining 3 points. It’s hard to see where Celtc are going to drop points. We are looking at an OF game at Xmas that could see us a trailing them by 4 points (at least) and stacks enormous pressure on us to deliver a performance and a result. Lose that game and it could be all over bar the shouting. Where does that leave Walter and his staff? Well, losing a 4th consecutive league title would be catastrophic, and I’d like to believe that it would mean (yet another) change in manager. Tough times ahead folks and we must no witness leadership from the top – are we going to get it? As is the case with Mr Murray’s last decade in charge at Ibrox, we are left with more questions than answers. Cammy F

Read on another forum that the last time Celtc defeated us in a Cup Final was ...................... May 1989.... and the cheated in that final In saying that, we have to beat Falkirk and they have to defeat DUFC...! Cammy F

continued : Swathes of Liverpool and Everton fans can trace their Irish heritage back to when their ancestors sailed to England. Likewise the Arsenal fans of Kilburn and other areas of London heavily populated by descendents of Irish settlers, but they donââ?¬â?¢t embarrass their club in the way Celtic fans do. Thatââ?¬â?¢s because their board of directors donââ?¬â?¢t actively encourage them to. History has shown us that Celtic Football Club and its fans have used anything at their disposal to express their pro-Irish Republican anti British stance. On Saturday, even by their own standards, they reached a new all time low. The scandalous events show us nothing has changed in over 100 years. Celtic fans espouse a brand of puss-filled Irish Republicanism that brings with it a hatred unrivalled anywhere in European football. This is Scotlandââ?¬â?¢s REAL secret shame. ââ?¬Ë?When you go home, tell them of us and say, for their tomorrow, we gave our todayââ?¬â?¢ Cecil Withers passed away on 17th April 2005, at the ripe old age of 106. May he rest in peace. Were he were alive to witness Saturdays events, one wonders if heââ?¬â?¢d still believe the sacrifice of his fellow soldiers made was worth it. ------------------------------------------------------- Cammy F

... but a must read : Silence is not Green, White and Golden In December 1915, when I was seventeen and a half, I ran away from home to join the 4th Battalion East Surreys. I was under age so I had to lie to the recruitment sergeant. I said I was eighteen years old and my name was Sydney Harrison. I told the truth later though, because if Iââ?¬â?¢d been killed as Harrison, nobody would ever have known what happened to me. Arras was the first time I went over the top. We played football together as we went over. That was the tradition in the East Surreys. I remember the ball dropping at my feet and I passed it to Captain Maxwell. ââ?¬Ë?That was a good pass you made young Withers!ââ?¬â?¢ he shouted before he thumped it towards the German lines. I got wounded at the end of that battle. I was temporarily blinded in one eye but it could have been worse. At the end of the battle, I lay bleeding in a trench. There was blood coming out of my eye, pouring out all over my face. My head looked blown in. They thought I was dead and they were going to bury me. I was in a half-conscious state and I can remember a soldier getting hold of me and saying ââ?¬Å?Here ââ?¬â?? this blokes alive!ââ?¬â?¢ That man saved my life, by calling that out. Iââ?¬â?¢d have been buried alive in Arras, if it hadnââ?¬â?¢t been for him. Above, the words of Cecil Withers from the book ââ?¬Å?Last Post ââ?¬â?? The Final Word From Our First World War Soldiersââ?¬Â. Cecil recounts his time on the Western Front as a teenager fighting for our country. Last weekend 65 senior football matches were played in Great Britain. Prior to kick-off at 64 of them, fans of opposing clubs put aside their rivalries and stood silent in tribute to those brave men and women who gave their lives in service of our country. In the 65th senior game the mould was broken. Celtic Football Club spat in the face of common decency by instead hosting a minuteââ?¬â?¢s applause in recognition of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Think about it. Applause. For 20 million lives destroyed. Those of a Celtic persuasion couldnââ?¬â?¢t even bring themselves to admit who they were honouring. The Celtic Park Master of Ceremonies told the 55,000 crowd the minuteââ?¬â?¢s applause was to remember ââ?¬Å?the Celtic players who died in both World Warsââ?¬Â. He further stated that the clapping of hands to show respect for the dead is ââ?¬Å?the Celtic wayââ?¬Â. It most certainly is. Of course the increasingly incompetent Lex Gold of the SPL must shoulder part of the blame for the shame that this has heaped upon Scottish football. The option of a minuteââ?¬â?¢s applause as an alternative to the traditional silence should never have entered his distorted mind. In the name of decency it simply shouldnââ?¬â?¢t have been an option. Letââ?¬â?¢s not mince words here. This option was devised to save Celtic Football Club acute embarrassment. In decrying Gold, letââ?¬â?¢s not lose sight of who the real culprits are in this blackest of days for Scottish football. Celtic Football Club. Their directors and Chief Executive could and should have insisted they follow protocol. Their Chairman is a former Secretary for Defence for Godââ?¬â?¢s sake. They could and should have shown they cared and turned their backs on the hate-filled cretins amongst their support who intended disrupting proceedings. They could and should have requested police eject anyone breaking the silence from their stadium or arrest them for breach of the peace. But damage limitation, not decency and decorum, was order of the day and foremost in the minds of John Reid, Peter Lawwell and Co. ââ?¬Å?Keep the name of Celtic clean at all costsââ?¬Â the mantra once again. Thus they opted to shame themselves and their football club in the most contemptible way imaginable. Predictably the Celtic-minded apologists were at their pre and post-match best, deflecting and rewriting as only they can. On Saturday morning the Daily Record told us the minutes applause was introduced in Scotland after Hearts fans disrupted a silence for the Pope. Lies. The first minutes applause in Scotland took place at Ceptic Park in honour of the late great George Best. The reason? Best had made some derogatory remarks about Gerry Adams and the IRA in his Mail on Sunday column a year earlier, propmting outrage in Republican circles. The Celtic heirarchy knew any silence would be disrupted. At pains to propagate the increasingly risible ââ?¬Å?tiny-minorityââ?¬Â line, the media once again did Peter Lawwellââ?¬â?¢s bidding for him. Numbers for those who walked out of Celtic Park in protest against ââ?¬Å?British Imperialismââ?¬Â ranged from a few hundred to Hugh Keevinsââ?¬â?¢ ridiculous 20 figure. Mark Guidi in the Sunday Mail clawed hopelessly as he stated ââ?¬Å?a maximum of 80 Celtic fans left the stadiumââ?¬Â. How bloody desperate. Celtic of course refused to speak out, their work done for them. ââ?¬Å?Not worthy of commentââ?¬Â said a Celtic spokesman, just as 3500 of their fans singing loudly in tribute to their IRA heroes at Tynecastle the previous weekend had similarly been ââ?¬Å?not worthy of commentââ?¬Â. Are we really to believe that these same morons would have respected a silence one week on? The same Celtic supporters who had verbally abused poppy-sellers outside the Hearts stadium? The same Hearts who lost a whole first team in the fields of France during the Great War? Of course they would. We know exactly what would have happened, and Celtic knew too. Thousands of their clubs fans would have been shown up for exactly what they are ââ?¬â?? hate-filled, shameless anti-British fascists and racists. Keevins described the actions of the assembled throng of IRA sympathisers as ââ?¬Å?a serious embarrassment for us as a countryââ?¬Â. Wrong Mr. Keevins. They are a serious embarrassment to Ireland as a country, for these creatures are not Scottish or British, they are Irish. Ask them for yourself. On Saturday night I watched the Festival of Remembrance on BBC1. I sat in awe as Lance Corporal Mathew Croucher of 40 Commando Royal Marines was piped in carrying the Book of Remembrance, by Scottish soldiers. Lance Corporal Croucher had thrown his body across a live hand-grenade to save the lives of two of his comrades. Only his backpack saved him from being blown to pieces. He was awarded the George Cross for his bravery. I was reminded of Sergeant Michael Willets of 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment, husband and father, who threw himself on top of a hand-grenade tossed into Springfield Road Police Station Belfast by the IRA in 1971. Sergeant Willets gave his own life to save the lives of Catholic/Nationalist/Republican women and children sheltering in the station. He was posthumously awarded the George Cross. I continued to watch as British soldiers of all races, creeds and colours paid tribute to fallen comrades. I listened intently as Lt. Col. Joe Oââ?¬â?¢Sullivan 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment lamented the loss of three of his men in Iraq. The Lt. Col. could Iââ?¬â?¢m sure trace his roots back to Ireland should he so choose. This set me thinking. Why are people like Joe Oââ?¬â?¢Sullivan, and thousands of others like him, fully assimilated and proud of the adopted country of their ancestors, yet we in West-Central Scotland have the continual embarrassment and perpetual shame of those of Irish ancestry who despise us? The answer is Celtic Football Club. An organisation diseased to its core. In the beginning we had Marist Brother Walfrid introducing bigotry to football when founding the club ââ?¬Å?prompted by a fear that Protestant soup kitchens might tempt young Catholics into apostasyââ?¬Â and ââ?¬Å?worried about the dangers of young Catholics meeting Protestants in their place of employment or leisureââ?¬Â (Football historian Bill Murray from his book ââ?¬Å?The Old Firmââ?¬Â). Walfrid's co-recruitment agent for Celtic was a ******, Pat Welsh, on the run from Ireland suspected of murder. Choice company for a man of the cloth. This would of course be the same Walfrid that Celtic history books clearly document as leading the singing of Irish rebel songs in St Mary's Parish Hall, Glasgow, in November 1887. On to the opening ceremony for Celtic Park when the convicted ****** gun-runner and ââ?¬Å?embittered Irish Nationalist who was anti-British to the backboneââ?¬Â Michael Davitt laid the first piece of turf. Fast-forward to September 17th 1941, when the SFA closed Parkhead for a month because of Celtic fansââ?¬â?¢ ââ?¬Å?serious misbehaviour and pro-German chantsââ?¬Â. To the Falklands conflict when Ce ltic fans chanted ââ?¬Å?Argentina, Argentinaââ?¬Â and ââ?¬Å?Malvinas, Malvinasââ?¬Â in support of Galtieriââ?¬â?¢s fascist military dictatorship. Not forgetting 30 years of Provisional IRA support and the Celtic Board of Directorsââ?¬â?¢ insistence on P.A. broadcasts of dewy-eyed ballads ââ?¬Å?rebelling against the Crownââ?¬Â and featuring ââ?¬Å?let the people singââ?¬Â Irish Republican lyrics. I could add the Irish Republican vocalist at Jackie MacNamaraââ?¬â?¢s testimonial, the disruption of a minutes silence for a member of the Royal Family, Republican flute bands playing at testimonial matches, Celtic players singing IRA songsââ?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦.. I would also mention the dozens of ââ?¬Å?Celtic pubsââ?¬Â that are little more than meeting places and breeding grounds for terrorist sympathisers and what former Celtic chairman Fergus McCann so deftly described as ââ?¬Å?Celtic-minded Catholic bigotsââ?¬Â. Witness the IRA theme park that the Barrowlands ghetto of Glasgow has become with its Sinn Fein shops and public houses festooned in Irish Republican symbology. Shame on Glasgow City Council who seem happy to allow this area to expand.

Nope - recently changed their socks back to the traditional red and black - just like the Rangers Cammy F

What, no Kris Boyd - shocking decision considering the goal-scoring form he's been in recently Cammy F

Seconded... Another song that should be considered is Green Fields Of France : [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCvSc2b8CWc&feature=related]YouTube - The Green Fields of France[/ame] Cammy F

Lest We Forget - RIP Cammy F

Chelsea West Brom Bo'ness United Hamburg Cammy F

Same Old Deficiencies Are our old deficiencies fated to come back and haunt us, or even worse, stop us reclaiming our SPL title this season? After thumping 5 past ICT at Ibrox, we allow Dundee United to roll up to Ibrox, dictate the pace of the game and were lucky to come out of the game with a point. It wasnââ?¬â?¢t just the disappointing score we appeared to fall back into our old bad habits. Walter still insists playing a very narrow game with no natural width. When things are going against us, especially against a big, physical team, we revert to the route one philosophy which doesnââ?¬â?¢t suit our game and more importantly, our players. Against teams like DUFC, the high ball is food and drink, and this tactic nullifies the positives that Kris Boyd brings to the game. I thought that after the away victories at Torbett Towers and Easter Road, Walter had found a formula to defeat physical teams. Play the ball on the deck, play around the big lumps of centre-halves and carve them open. However, against DUFC, we continually lumped high balls up the park, Boyd was continually out-jumped and possession reverted back to DUFC (who used it well if truth be told). We are calling out for a couple of wide players to be introduced into the team. Beasley and Aaron being the first names that spring to mind. No doubt Walter will reintroduce the likes of Adam, McCulloch & the departing Burke before we see Beasley and Aaron. Then we rolled along to Rugby Park on Sunday and after a strange first half where we never really played that well, but were extremely unlucky not to go into the break 3 or 4 goals to the good (after hitting both posts, the bar, missing a penalty and having a stonewaller tuned down) we turned it around in the 2nd half scoring 4 decent goals. Again, we were denied another stonewaller when Combe clattered Broadfoot, only for the Mason In The Black to wrongly book Kirk for diving. So once again, we are consistently inconsistent and going to games now you never know what Rangers team are going to turn up. The referee had a terrible game missing 2 clear-cut penalties which would have resulted in Combe being red-carded (a yellow for each offence, although the trip on Boyd could have merited a straight red). Added to the weekly refereeing decisions going Celtcs way (Motherwell having a goal chopped off and Clarkston being controversially sent off) it once again appears that years of intimidation is paying dividends for the MOPES. Hopefully these blatant refereeing errors wonââ?¬â?¢t decided the destination of this years title. In saying that, surely the MOPES have used up all of their lucky breaks (aye right, it appears that the Masons In The Black will continue to bail them out if and when necessary). The MOPES Are Offended Again If it isnââ?¬â?¢t a jovial song regarding their faux-irishness that even tickled the funny bone of the Irish, it appears that the serial offendees have found something else to be offended about. This time, itââ?¬â?¢s the terrible combination of silence, remembrance and the poppy. The MOPES were foaming at the mouth given that the SPL instructed all clubs to wear an emblazoned poppy on their shirts to commemorate the 90th anniversary of remembrance. Some were so offended that they leafleted fellow fans asking them to walk-out of Parkhead on Saturday as some sort of ââ?¬Ë?anti-Britishââ?¬â?¢ stance. Now, this is something that has always confused me. What do the MOPES do when demonstrating against ââ?¬Ë?Britainââ?¬â?¢ and ââ?¬Ë?Britishnessââ?¬â?¢? Do they look in the mirror, point and boo at themselves? Anyway, this demonstration added to the fact that the club decided on a minutes applause instead of silence (and we all know the real reason why this decision was taken, they knew that sections of their fanbase wouldnââ?¬â?¢t observe a silence remembering those who gave their lives), this was a real slap in the face of the War Dead, the brace soldiers still serving this country in foreign fields and the families of those who have lost loved ones during conflict. The reason for them being offended, well, it is some perverse sense of their faux-irishness. It is also worth noting here that the incidences of Celtc fans singing sectarian, offensive and terrorist supporting songs has been on the increase from the start of the season. Whilst the agenda driven media continue to focus on the famine song, the MOPES are free to indulge in their dirge supporting an outlawed terrorist organisation. They are free to sing ââ?¬Ë?soon there will be no protestants at allââ?¬â?¢. They are free to use the term HUN with impunity. No one in the media will challenge them. No politician will challenge them and certainly, no one from the SPL will dare utter a word of condemnation. In all honesty, I expected nothing more from the MOPES but in shunning the War Dead, maybe, just maybe the rest of the UK will get a glimpse into the warped psyche of the average MOPE. Thomsonââ?¬â?¢s Injury Kevin Thomsonââ?¬â?¢s injury looked a bad one at the time, and today, Rangers have stated that he could be out for 8 months. This is a terrible blow to Thomson who was just starting to settle into the team and prove his worth and transfer fee. His enforced and prolonged absence has left a void in our midfield that must be filled and filled successfully. It is probably come too early for the returning Barry Ferguson as he doesnââ?¬â?¢t have the necessary match fitness. So, this could lead to a reshuffle in the midfield with Steve Davis being brought into the centre alongside Pedro Mendes. We also have the option of introducing Edu as he has impressed in a number of reserve games this season and looked a decent player on his debut earlier in the season. If Walter decides on Davis and Mendes in the centre, then he must think about playing at least one genuine wide player in the midfield. However, I can see Thomsonââ?¬â?¢s injury hastening the return of McCulloch and or Adam to the starting eleven. In saying that, the worst thing Walter could do is rush Ferguson back into the starting eleven. Ferguson is without a doubt an asset to the team, but only when fully (match) fit. Kenny Miller Well the initial furore that surrounded the rumours, then conformation that Kenny Miller had resigned for Rangers has died down. Whilst not every Rangers fan will welcome Kenny Miller back into the fold (for varying reason, most justified if Iââ?¬â?¢m honest), Iââ?¬â?¢ve always been of the opinion that if a player is wearing the Rangers jersey he deserves nothing less than my support. I didnââ?¬â?¢t want Kenny Miller back simply because I didnââ?¬â?¢t rate him as a player. I didnââ?¬â?¢t see what he could bring to Rangers and I definitely didnââ?¬â?¢t see him improving the team. Well, he has proven me and a few others like me wrong. Not only has he scored 6 goals, he has contributed to the team, his created numerous goals and appears to have stricken up a decent partnership with Kris Boyd. I still believe that the best partnership we had was Miller and Cousin, but Cousin was more of an enigma (lazy B*******!) than Kris Boyd ââ?¬â?? brilliant one moment, garbage the next. Another point especially prevalent to Kenny Millerââ?¬â?¢s detractors is that Kenny Miller didnââ?¬â?¢t sign Kenny Miller for Rangers. The management team decided that he could bring something to our team, and on the early showings, they were correct. Cammy F ââ?¬â?? Support The Dublin Loyal - WATP

An excellent gesture and hopefully it'll get the support that it deserves 3 cheers for the red white and blue, 3 cheers for the red white and blue for the army and the navy and the RAF 3 cheers for the red white and blue Cammy F

Career wise, Kevin Thompson has a better scoring record v Celtc than Kris Boyd does...... Rangers wise, they have the same scopring record v Celtc.... Cammy F

See TGFITW have decided to go to Killie in fancy dress - they are all dressed as blue plastic seats :devil: Cammy F

Boyd played well in patches last night in a game that must rank as one of the worst I have witnessed - maybe it was teh freezing weather tho rather than the fare severed up on the pitch! However, what about the attempted goal line clearance at Boyds goal? The defender dived face first along the line - comical - but you really had to see it to appreciate the funnyness of the situation Cammy F

Was being chanted all last night by TBO :cheers: Cammy F

Home Comforts After not playing at Ibrox for nearly 5 weeks we are now faced with 3 crucial home games in the space of a week. Firstly we entertain Hamilton Accies in the League Cup, then ICT and Dundee United come calling on SPL duty. The fixture list often throws up back-to-back games and after defeating Hamilton (and the inclement conditions) on Saturday, Hamilton have a swift chance to revenge the SPL defeat and knock us out of the League Cup. Following the midweek league cup tie, we have two must win SPL games at Ibrox. We deserved to win on Saturday but the conditions almost rendered the game unplayable. Hopefully the weather will have improved significantly by tomorrow evening so we can demonstrate our footballing ability and express ourselves on the expansive Ibrox surface. Walter Smith may use tomorrow evening to ensure that some fringe players get ââ?¬Ë?game timeââ?¬â?¢. This should mean a glimpse of players like Edu, Aaron, Lafferty and possibly even young Rory Loy who has impressed in the reserves / U19ââ?¬â?¢s this season. However, Iââ?¬â?¢d expect Walter will give this ââ?¬Ë?game timeââ?¬â?¢ to the tried and tested squad players like Daily, McCulloch, Adam, JCD et al. Personally, Iââ?¬â?¢d play a 4-4-2 along these lines : Alexander, SW, Broadfoot, MB, Papac, Aaron, Edu, Mendes, Beasley, Lafferty and a.n.other. League Cup Memories And A Scottish Cup Nightmare As we entertain Hamilton in the League Cup, I thought that Iââ?¬â?¢d detail some of my favourite league cup memories but will start this article with a gentle reminder not to take the threat from Hamilton lightly. No Rangers fan of a certain age will ever (or should ever) forget the 31/01/1987. This was halfway through Graeme Sounessââ?¬â?¢ initial season as Rangers player manager and after a rocky start, Rangers had started to play some decent football and had already secured the league cup, defeating Celtc 2-1 at Hampden (Durrant and Cooper the scorers). When the draw for the third round for the Scottish Cup paired us with Hamilton, we all thought that we would have a safe passage into the 4th round. Well, anyone who was at the game will remember that we had anything but, and ended u[ out on our arses with egg all over our faces. Chris Woods went into the game seeking a world record (12 games) for not conceding a goal and he actually secured this record during the game. Everything was going to plan, Rangers were pressing, a goal for Rangers was ââ?¬Ë?inevitableââ?¬â?¢, or so well all thought. Up stepped Adrian Sprott and out went Rangers. It is fair to say that during Sounessââ?¬â?¢ reign, the Scottish Cup was never kind to Rangers. The following season would see Dunfermline knock us out at the same stage of the competition and I believe we only made one SCF under Souness where we were cheated out of a treble by Celtc and another one of those Masonic referees. Trailing 1-0 to a goal scored by a throw-in taken by Celtc that was actually ours, we scored a perfectly good goal that was chopped off after Paddy Bonner tried to collect a corner, bumped into Roy Aitken, dropped the ball and it was rammed home for what should have been a Rangers equaliser. The Scottish cup is the only domestic competition we have won less than Celtc. We have dominated the league cup since its conception and we have featured in some of the most memorable League Cup Finals ever to be played. My favourites are listed below, no doubt youââ?¬â?¢ll all have your own favourites, so enjoy : Rangers 3 v 2 Celtc ââ?¬â?? McCoist hatrick 1983-1984 Rangers 3 v 3 Aberdeen ââ?¬â?? 1987-1988 Rangers 3 v 3 Aberdeen ââ?¬â?? 1988-1989 Cammy F

If Berbatov can get into the Man U team, so would Drogba.... Cammy F

Nah, fantastic striker who'ed walk into any team in Europe sums him up perfectly :cheers: Cammy F