Uilleam

So Mrs Wolffe, gave advice (Opinion, I assume) on the matter of TicketUs, a Civil case, to Clarke and Whitehouse (Duff and Phelps) as Administrators of Rangers, in 2012. Is there a problem here? Mrs Wolffe, as a practising Advocate, would have uttered hundreds of Opinions on matters various. Is the fact that she advised D&P, in a Civil matter, in any way significant? Should Mr Wolffe have to check his wife's files for every case, on the off chance that she had represented the defendant(s) or offered advice to them? Would there be the matter of privileged information to consider, also, particularly if one wished to demonstrate the relevance of that past advice to a current case? Or am I missing something? What I am missing is what Mr Wolffe was doing between 2010 and 2016. From the potted biography, it seems that he was an Advocate Depute, in the Crown Office, until 2010, and he became Lord Advocate in 2016. A lacuna, as they say in legal circles. What would be interesting to know, is whether, in this time, Mr Wolffe was involved, in any way, in the malicious prosecution of Clarke and Whitehouse, under Lord Advocate Mulholland. Wolffe was very quick to fold his hand, when called by them. The fact that Mrs Wolffe, by then a Judge, was slated to preside over a case in which Clarke and Whitehouse pursued Mr Wolffe, by then Lord Advocate, is totally ludicrous, and worthy of Messrs Gilbert and Sullivan, whose audience would laugh at it. However, it reads as, at least vaguely, sinister, and should not have happened. Fortunately, it was headed off at the pass. We still need a thorough, formal, investigation.

Who prosecutes the prosecutor? "Whitehouse has returned to court because the law states that people who wish to use documents recovered in civil actions need to have a judge’s permission to make them available in other actions. The minute lodged by Whitehouse seeks to use the documents to report any suspected breaches of regulations, misconduct to public authorities or for co-operating in investigations or inquiries." Lord advocate ‘must not mark own homework’ on failed Rangers prosecution James Mulholland Monday March 15 2021, 5.00pm, The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lord-advocate-must-not-mark-own-homework-on-failed-rangers-prosecution-dshw2jr33 The lord advocate must not be allowed to “mark his own homework” over the failed Rangers FC fraud prosecution in which compensation worth more than £20 million was paid to those who were wrongly arrested, a court has heard. Roddy Dunlop QC said that his client David Whitehouse, one of the administrators when the club entered liquidation, should also be allowed to hand over crucial documents that he believes will help him make a complaint against Police Scotland and the Crown Office for subjecting him to “a malicious and without probable cause prosecution”. The documents were recovered during a successful civil action against those authorities and Whitehouse argues they reveal how the investigation into him and six other men was unlawful. Whitehouse and Paul Clark were awarded £10.5 million each after charges brought against them in their 2014 indictment were dropped or dismissed. After they were cleared they pursued a civil action against the Crown Office and Police Scotland. James Wolffe QC, the present lord advocate, admitted liability last year and apologised at Holyrood to the two men last month. Dunlop, acting for Whitehouse, said the documents may assist an upcoming judge-led public inquiry into the debacle and may highlight concerns in Wolffe’s claim that there was no evidence of criminality in the investigation. Dunlop said: “The background to this case is clear and I’m not going to rehearse it again. But we have an unprecedented situation where Messrs Whitehouse and Clark were, as has been admitted, prosecuted maliciously and without probable cause. “Mr Whitehouse has a justified concern . . . that it has already been determined that there is no evidence of criminality. Now, Mr Whitehouse is entitled to raise the query: ‘how can that be’? Misconduct in public office is a crime under the common law of Scotland and one might have thought that a malicious prosecution would at least prima facie qualify as misconduct in public office. “So this is not something that is ephemeral, made up or illusory. This is a real. It is a real concern on the part of Mr Whitehouse that it is something that is worthy of investigation. “One is thinking about — as has been put by others in the Scottish parliament — how appropriate is it for the lord advocate to mark his own homework, as it were, simply to declare that there has been no criminality when it’s the Crown Office itself that has admitted the malicious prosecution? “Mr Whitehouse wants, and in my submission is entitled, to have this explored independently.” The legal action stems from a police inquiry surrounding Rangers’s financial position during the last decade and the sale of the club to the businessman Craig Whyte. Prosecutors admitted that Whitehouse and Clark were wrongfully arrested and charged. Both men later received their financial settlement while their legal costs, which were thought to total £3 million, were also paid. Charles Green, the former Rangers chief executive, was also told that he was able to receive damages after the Crown admitted it had conducted a “malicious” prosecution against him. In another legal action, David Grier, a business expert, is suing the lord advocate and Police Scotland for a total of £7 million. He was also arrested during the investigation and cleared. In an earlier judgement, Lord Tyre also ruled that prosecutors pursued their case against Grier without “probable cause”. The full hearing in this matter is set to take place next month. Whitehouse has returned to court because the law states that people who wish to use documents recovered in civil actions need to have a judge’s permission to make them available in other actions. The minute lodged by Whitehouse seeks to use the documents to report any suspected breaches of regulations, misconduct to public authorities or for co-operating in investigations or inquiries. Dunlop told the court that his client wished the documents he recovered during the litigation to be used in a public inquiry. He added: “What Mr Whitehouse wants to do is to be able to use the documents which are now substantial and which took an awful lot of time and an awful lot of money to recover. “He wants to use them in order to effectively do three things: he wants to be able to make a complaint to the relevant authorities that he was subjected to a malicious and without probable cause prosecution. He wants to be able to co-operate with any investigation which may ensue and he wants to be able to fully co-operate with the judge-led public inquiry which would appear to be in the offing having been announced by the lord advocate to the Scottish parliament on [February 9 2021].” The court heard that the judge Lord Mulholland, who was the lord advocate during the investigation, had no objection to Whitehouse’s request. Lawyers acting for Crown Office officials previously told Lord Tyre that they opposed granting permission for the documents to be passed onto an inquiry at this stage. Lord Tyre said he would issue his judgment in the matter sometime soon.

May, possibly, could have, it's too early to know, can't say it has not had an effect, at this stage is difficult, it's too early too tell, and like scientific jargon, all regaled in today's Times. Reassuringly difficult for the lay person to interpret, but I am going for 'Perhaps'. Covid in Scotland: Rangers fans may have spread virus at title parties Mark McLaughlin Monday March 15 2021, 5.00pm, The Times Rangers fans held impromptu parties after they clinched their first league title in a decade https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/covid-in-scotland-rangers-fans-may-have-spread-virus-at-title-parties-m2553n93x Rangers fans who celebrated their first league title in a decade at illegal parties have tested positive for coronavirus and may be spreading it throughout Scotland, the chief medical officer has warned. Coronavirus cases are rising again in Glasgow and Lanarkshire, one week after thousands of Rangers fans broke the law by holding an impromptu street party in George Square. Some subsequently tested positive for Covid-19 and admitted to contact tracers they were at the rally or held house parties, which are also illegal under coronavirus restrictions. About 30,000 swabs were taken at lighthouse lab testing centres over the past three days — including 12,000 on Saturday alone, the highest since January More than 14,000 swabs a day were taken at these testing centres in mid-January at the height of the second wave, which is thought to have been triggered by house parties over Christmas and the new year. The more infectious Kent mutation that emerged over the festive period remains the dominant strain in Britain. Dr Gregor Smith, Scotland’s chief medical officer, said: “It is too early to know the full impact of the events of last weekend in terms of the infection case rate, particularly in west-central Scotland. “What we are seeing over the last seven days, however, is an increase in the number of cases associated with many of those areas, particularly with upticks across Lanarkshire and Glasgow city in particular, and parts of Ayrshire and Arran as well. “How closely we can associate that with the events of last weekend is, at this stage, difficult — but during their interviews contact tracing teams are having with people who tested positive there are a small number of who are revealing that they either took part in those celebrations or were involved in house parties as well. “So we can’t say that it has not had an effect at this stage, but at this moment in time we are seeing a rise in cases. “It is still too early to tell. You have got remember that the incubation period for this virus is anything up to a ten-day or so period. “What happens over the coming days is going to be really revealing in that sense.” Testing centres detected positive cases in 4.7 per cent of swabs yesterday — just below the World Health Organisation’s 5 per cent danger zone that signals coronavirus may be running out of control. Test positivity is generally higher at the weekend as fewer routine asymptomatic tests are conducted but the seven-day average, which smooths out daily fluctuations, has plateaued at around 3 per cent after a dramatic decline from more than 12 per cent in January. The number of patients in intensive care increased for the first time since February 27, while the rate of decline in hospital patients has slowed from around 40 patients leaving per day in late February to around 30 in recent days. Nicola Sturgeon acknowledged some of the rise in cases could also be down to schools reopening for some pupils on February 22. Children in P1-P3 returned to Scotland’s schools on February 22. On Monday, they were joined by classmates in P4-P7, with secondary school pupils returning to in-class learning part time. “Can we rule out a link between schools partially reopening and a bit of an uptick in cases? No, I don’t think we can,” the first minister said. “And that will not be because particularly of transmission within schools but we know that when schools open there is just a little bit more movement generally as parents take children to school for example.” Dr Smith said the rise in cases was “not as great as I had wondered we might see” and that he was “not overly concerned”. He said: “We knew that as schools went back it a always going to be the possibility that, as people could go about their lives more, there would be more contact of one sort or another and that could lead to more transmission and I think that is exactly what we are seeing being played through in the figures just now.” On Friday, The Times revealed that more people had died in the neighbourhoods around Ibrox and Parkhead stadiums than nearly any other community in Scotland. Rowland Kao, a mathematical biologist at Edinburgh University, said he could not exclude the possibility that high-profile matches played before the first lockdown in March 2020 had boosted the death rate in these deprived neighbourhoods.

So 'Bomber' is not his real name? Incidentally, JL's real name was 'Joseph Louis Barrow'. Do people called 'Harris' not rejoice in the appellation 'Bomber'?

John Bomber Brown remembers Nine years after helping to pull Rangers back from the brink, John Brown savours title win Fraser Mackie Sunday March 14 2021, 12.01am, The Sunday Times Football https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/nine-years-after-helping-to-pull-rangers-back-from-the-brink-john-brown-savours-title-win-gvjg6k5r5 Rod Stewart’s boasts would ordinarily have triggered a swift, unfriendly response from John Brown. For the Ibrox diehard to tame the natural instinct to fight Rangers’ corner said everything of how far adrift the club was from mustering an answer to Celtic on any level. It’s Pittodrie, October 2017. Celtic are sauntering to a 3-0 success over Aberdeen, highlighting everything impressive about the slick Brendan Rodgers team. While Celtic supporters belted out their Ten In A Row standard, Brown, known as ‘Bomber’ thanks to his combative playing style during nine years as a defensive stalwart for Rangers, but by this time a club ambassador and scout, eavesdropped as the Scottish singer-songwriter gloated with his then 11-year-old son Alastair. “Rod was sitting directly in front of me and his son asked what the fans were singing,” Brown recalls. “It was 3-0 going on 7-0. They were that good. Rod explained about the Lisbon Lions winning nine and the Rangers team that won nine. And he said: ‘We are going to beat that’. “There was nothing I could say to him. We weren’t at the stage of being ready to compete against them. I didn’t know if we’d be able to stop the 10. I couldn’t argue with Rod. So when he said that, I gritted my teeth and thought to myself, ‘I hope we’ve got enough to do this’.” The chaotic Pedro Caixinha reign came to a conclusion that same evening with an error-strewn 1-1 home draw with Kilmarnock. Rangers were seven long months and multiple humiliations at Celtic’s hands away from the turning point — the appointment of Steven Gerrard. As he drove home from Aberdeen to write a future opponent report for Rangers, Brown filed the experience in his mind as one of the most deflating of a desperate period for his beloved club. However, at no stage did he feel quite as lonely as after an appearance on the Ibrox steps in June 2012. In the wake of Craig Whyte’s reign ending in administration then League Two, Charles Green and his cohorts seized control and claimed they were picking up the pieces. Brown’s sources told him something very different. He quit his Ibrox job to call out Green’s charm offensive. He would be proved right in the long run, but that infamous address to Rangers supporters exposed Brown to a torrent of online abuse. More hurtful was the sight of friends turning their backs. No supporter wanted to believe he was right. “I got a phone call from Green’s personal assistant because I was involved in a rival consortium,” Brown says. “I went into his office. I don’t need to go into the detail of what was said but I was very close to putting one on his chin. But I thought: ‘No’. “I said: ‘I’m out the club now, I’ll fight you from the outside’. I knew those coming in were going to strip everything out. My worry was the fans didn’t know. I had to speak up. “The aftermath affected my daughters. They saw the criticism online and that hurt more than anything. My parents are in their 80s and hurt when the club went that way. “I never got that from anyone I met. They all told me to keep going. The support of my wife Sandra helped me through. “But I got information back that people I had respect for were being critical. They turned their back on me, which was tough to take. They were probably laughing at me. ‘Did you see Bomber on the steps? Has he lost the plot?’ Is he this, is he that? “There’s never been an apology. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is where the club is. “A pal sent me a link to a fans’ website. A punter thanked me for standing on the steps that day. I had a lump in my throat reading it when I got home from Tannadice.” How fitting that Brown should be the only Rangers representative to witness history being made — their 55th title secured by Celtic’s 0-0 draw at Dundee United. Now part of a recruitment team headed by Andy Scoulding, Brown was given the game to cover weeks before its potential significance emerged. Never a man to hide his true colours, he sported Rangers tie, club-crest facemask and blue bobble hat for the occasion. “I was in the stand at Tannadice in 1997 when Brian Laudrup put that header in for ‘the nine’,” Brown says. “I just had a feeling, as it was my game in the diary, that we’d win it there. “From going out on the Ibrox steps to being there last Sunday was the best feeling I’ve ever had. To do it in the season Celtic wanted it most of all makes it sweeter still for every Rangers fan. “I managed to win eight leagues as a player, but it beat all that. Because of where the club has been and how close we were to going out of business, I think it’s the best of the 55.” Brown sees shades of Graeme Souness in Gerrard’s work and a sprinkling of the Nine In A Row spirit in the current team. He was impressed immediately by Gerrard’s knowledge of the club’s plight and a grip on what was required to overtake Celtic. “As I’d played for Souness, I could see he was in the same mould,” Brown says. “The manager brought his winning mentality and the players have bought in. “He’s brought a steel back to Ibrox, a togetherness, that drive, that fire. Steven will know Souness always said when you lose the fire in the belly it’s time to move on. As long as that’s burning — and I know it is — they’ll push these players for the maximum. This is just the start. “What this team does is win the respect of opponents but, at the same time, put fear into them. That’s what we had. Teams knew if they scored against us, they got a reaction. “It doesn’t need to be an Alfredo Morelos goal. It could be a Connor Goldson crunching tackle, a Scott Arfield challenge in a 50-50, an Allan McGregor wonder save. “It lifts you when you know your team-mates are right on their game. They’ve met the demands and done it in every game. That’s the measure of this Rangers team.”

RANGERS CHARITY FOUNDATION Rangers Charity Foundation, with the support of Rangers Football Club, intends to create the ability for anyone who has suffered sexual abuse in Scottish Football to access specialist confidential counselling services. This will be offered via the Foundation’s new appointment of a Trauma Counsellor who will also offer holistic counselling, advice and one-to-one support across a range of life-enhancing Foundation community programmes and activities to augment the Foundation’s service delivery and outcomes for young people and adults who may have experienced trauma and challenge." I expect the media will be all over this, hailing (ahem) this initiative. But in case they are not.... the full announcement is here: https://www.rangerscharity.org.uk/news/trauma-counselling-service-to-be-available-for-scottish-football-abuse-victims

Adrian Goldberg's film 'The Celtic Boys' Club Scandal' now released

And Lo! A Club Statement: https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/club-statement-1203212/1n9VyyP4LxhSY9QU13RWqF Reported below, along with the customary self righteous guff from Cant Central: Rangers plea: Stay at home FootballBen Palmer Saturday March 13 2021, 12.01am, The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/rangers-plea-stay-at-home-qjp032g8c Rangers fans were criticised after celebrating their title triumph Rangers and Celtic have vowed to meet Scottish government demands ahead of the Old Firm derby next Sunday with both clubs insisting that they will discourage supporters from gathering in public. Rangers, who have been the subject of criticism from Holyrood after their supporters’ celebrations in Glasgow six days ago, last night said they will tell fans to stay at home. Celtic, meanwhile, have already erected a ring of steel at Parkhead with metal fences running around the edge of the stadium as they moved to distance themselves from the scenes at George Square and Ibrox last Sunday. Both clubs met with the government and Police Scotland yesterday to discuss how best to protect public health at the powderkeg fixture. Humza Yousaf, the justice minister, has warned that the game could be called off had their demands for assurances not been met. “We are pleased that today’s meeting was very constructive and we have agreed to support the ‘stay at home’ message,” said a Rangers statement. “Rangers would like to reiterate manager Steven Gerrard’s comments from last weekend, for supporters to stay at home and ensure the safety of themselves and others. “We are cognisant of the ongoing fight against Covid-19 and ask that everyone follows government guidance to stay at home. “The club will continue to liaise with all agencies as well as a number of supporters. We will continue to work to ensure that the club’s message is reiterated over the coming week and will provide further updates in due course.” Earlier, Celtic issued a statement to say they have always encouraged supporters to stay away from matches during the pandemic. “The Scottish government has already made clear to Celtic that it does not in any way associate the scenes last weekend with Celtic or our supporters,” said their statement. “Although Celtic and our supporters are desperate to get back to Celtic Park to support the team, the club and our supporters are mindful of the risks associated with public gatherings at this important time. “The club has been clear in our messaging to our supporters of the importance of staying at home in line with guidance throughout the pandemic. We have communicated regularly around our fixtures and our supporters have worked with the club responsibly — the celebrations after our historic nine in row title triumph last summer and after our unprecedented quadruple treble Scottish Cup win in December are two key examples of that. “Given the damage caused to club property recently [a club shop in the city centre was vandalised] the club has already taken steps to enhance security and protection of our property at Celtic Park and the club is happy to work with those attending the meeting to ensure that any additional protection necessary will be in place for the match in question.”

The club that puts the "tim" into sanctimonious.

15 men. 15 men, for the Gers are on a crest Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum Better sides have tried and have finished 2nd best Yo ho ho and their schemings up the lum....

Me too. Eh, naw, no that 'Me too#', this: 'Me an' aw'. Please. Thanks.

Give them nothing, forbye a good thrashing.

"Fresh doubts have been raised over whether the upcoming Old Firm derby will take place later this month.." Rumble, rumble, rumble, the "row" -one of the SNP administration's own mendacious manufacture, as every schoolboy knows- rumbles on. Having ignored Rangers overtures and concerns pre-Championship Weekend, the government, in the shape of a Justice Minister, who embraces politically expedient support for a Scottish club which purports to be Irish, has decided to engage with both Clubs, with a view to their preventing supporters hitting the streets in numbers. From the report, in today's Times, it seems likely that, if the Clubs fail in this task, the match may not go ahead. Since the Scottish Government quite plainly, now, sees public order as a matter for Football Clubs, will all Clubs, post pandemic, be able to dispense with the services of Poileas Alba, before, during, and after, matches? It would free up resources for more important policing matters such as training networks of informers in the intricacies of hate crime, thought crime, pig ignorance, and the nuances thereof. Messrs Martindale and Ross speak sensibly about the matter. Holyrood’s warning to Celtic and Rangers Paul Forsyth Friday March 12 2021, 12.01am, The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/holyroods-warning-to-celtic-and-rangers-hzgwdhvst Fresh doubts have been raised over whether the upcoming Old Firm derby will take place later this month after the justice minister Humza Yousaf expressed the government’s concern in the wake of Rangers fans’ title celebrations in Glasgow last Sunday. He said that he cannot rule out the possibility that the fixture at Celtic Park on March 21 could be called off. “I enjoy a Rangers versus Celtic match as much as the next person but let’s be very, very clear here we’re in the midst of a global pandemic,” he told the BBC’s The Nine. “People have missed weddings, funerals, not seen their families, and we’re not going to allow people to gather and potentially create dis- order while the vast majority of citizens obey the rules. “I will very clearly ask the clubs to put out the messaging, to say very clearly that fans should stay at home. I will ask the clubs to do as much as they can. “If there is a serious likelihood over whether there may be disorder, then we would have to consider whether or not it’s wise to allow the match to go ahead.” Earlier the Livingston manager David Martindale stated his belief that Rangers fans’ celebrations could have erupted into violence had it not been for lockdown. He suggested it might have been much worse had other people been on the streets, but he also thinks there was nothing more Rangers could have done to prevent the scenes in George Square and outside Ibrox. With the Hibs manager Jack Ross also arguing that clubs should not be held responsible for behaviour away from stadia, the row over the fans’ breach of coronavirus restrictions rumbles on. Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister, has accused Rangers of “not doing nearly enough” and there are talks with police. Martindale said: “I don’t understand what Rangers were meant to do. Thank God we’re in lockdown when that happened. Can you imagine if we weren’t? The city centre would have been jumping, there would have been a bit of violence. We were fortunate it was probably just Rangers supporters who were out. “Everyone knows I’ve been to prison. See the amount of people who are in prison as a result of Rangers and Celtic games, it’s incredible. People who have lost their lives or committed murder or drink-fuelled violence. Being in lockdown helped. But I don’t understand what Rangers were meant to have done better. I don’t know how you control that.” Ross also leapt to football’s defence, saying it had become an easy target for politicians. “Clubs can be responsible for a certain amount and the behaviour of certain things,” he said. “But they are not, as far as I know, in charge of society. That’s the responsibility of other people.”

DZ was 40 when he won the World Cup, with Italy. (He was captain, i I r c.) AMcG is only 39, so maybe we will have to wait until next year for Euro glory. (I'd take it this year, and spoil the symmetry, right enough.)

They need to channel their Inner Baxter, and Inner Gazza

The fact that it is an insult seems completely appropriate, and neither surprising nor unlikely. The only improbable aspect of the story is that it appears to pre-date the coming of "Jum" Spence. The unlikely story of how 'Dundee United' became an insult in Nigeria The club’s name is synonymous with idiocy in Africa’s most populous nation. How on earth did this happen? By Liam Kirkaldy for Nutmeg magazine Thu 11 Mar 2021 09.53 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/11/the-unlikely-story-of-how-dundee-united-became-an-insult-in-nigeria In 2010, the BBC aired a documentary called Welcome to Lagos that explored life in one of the fastest growing cities in the world. It was a three-part mini-series, surveying the changing hopes and aspirations of the city’s poorest residents, and taking viewers from houses constructed with scrap on the beach, to the people living in Olusosun rubbish dump. Shown on BBC2, the production company behind it went on to win a Bafta. But, most importantly, episode two of the series included a look at Makoko – a community built on stilts, on top of Lagos Lagoon – where a resident called Chubbey explained that survival in the city required a certain degree of street smarts. “Anybody who came to Lagos and he didn’t learn sense, he cannot get sense ever,” he said. “Because here if you are a fool, they will learn you how to get sense. If you are a ‘Dundee United’, when they start to pour shit on you, you will get sense.” After that the scene cut away and the documentary continued. But for any Scottish football fan watching, the producers had missed an important story: Dundee United is used to mean “idiot” in Nigeria. It is an upsetting thing to think about, for a United fan. This is a country of over 200 million people and they have apparently been using Dundee United as a byword for a fool for years. Why would they do this? It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but it’s true. As Yewande, a Nigerian-Scot based in Glasgow, explains: “When I was little, living in Nigeria, it was quite common. People would say ‘you’re just a Dundee United’, or ‘don’t be a Dundee United’, and it basically means an idiot or a loser.” But why? And how did it happen? Dundee United, unfortunately, did not respond to requests for comment on the question. The club’s silence represented an early blow to an investigation that already appeared as complicated as it was pointless. Yet a glance at the internet shows theories do exist. One, popular on online chatrooms, is that the phrase stems from the 1989 Fifa under-16 world championships. The tournament was actually a very successful one for the Scotland under-16s team, which made it to the final before losing to Saudi Arabia on penalties. Records show Nigeria were also present, with the team knocked out by the Saudis in the quarters. Significantly, that match was played at Dens Park. In fact the ground was home to four of Nigeria’s games, and the team also trained there. So could this be the answer? Is it possible that a contingent of mischievous Dundee fans could have played a part in the origins of the phrase? Could they have taken it upon themselves to inform a group of 15-year-old Nigerian youth players that “Dundee United” was local slang for an idiot? Experience of Dundee fans would certainly suggest it is plausible. Yet use of the phrase seems to go back further than the late 1980s, with a TV ad for an anti-malarial drug, shown in Nigeria years before, including use of the term. That means that by the time the 1989 world championship was taking place, the Nigerian youth team players would have been well aware that a Dundee United was a foolish thing to be. In fact, while the full phrase is “Dundee United”, it seems time and repeated use has seen it worn down to just “Dundee” on occasion. In other contexts, a “Dundee” can be used to refer to one idiot, while ‘Dundee United’ has become the plural, for a collection of idiots. That means that, even if the Dens Park theory is right, it would seem to have backfired. Fatima, a Nigerian-Scot based in Aberdeen, explains: “A ‘Dundee’ is quite a common phrase in the north [of Nigeria]. I heard it a few times from relatives. If a wee kid was misbehaving or something, or someone does something really stupid, you’d say “Dundee”, sometimes followed by the word “mumu” which really just means the same thing. But because of the way it is pronounced I hadn’t thought of Dundee, the city in Scotland. I knew the phrase but never made that connection at all.” Derin, a Nigerian-Scot from Glasgow, adds: “There are different options for how you might use it. When I was a child you would hear it a lot more, because it’s a bit less offensive than saying ‘stupid’ or ‘idiot’, or something in one of the languages, because they always sound slightly harsher, so that was used instead. You’d hear it sometimes as Dundee United, or sometimes just Dundee. If someone called you a Dundee you could go ‘Dundee United’ back at them, to prove you know the full thing, as a way of getting one-up on them.” It was an unfortunate blow for the team languishing in the Championship, but an important development in the investigation: whatever the reason, Dundee also means an idiot in Nigeria. Unfortunately, Dundee FC were apparently unaware of this. In fact, although initially happy to confirm that the phrase “Dundee United” means an idiot in Nigeria, after being informed their own team had also been dragged into the whole sorry affair, the club were unable to help further. Dundee United still did not respond to requests for comment. But if the phrase doesn’t come from the late 1980s, where does it come from? A second theory, popular among some Nigerians, is that it stems from a few years earlier, when United reached the semi-finals of the 1983-84 European Cup. Their tie, against Roma, is seared into the memories of United fans. Jim McLean’s team won the first leg 2-0, only to lose 3-0 away, with subsequent reports suggesting Roma had attempted to bribe the referee the night before the game. And so, according to this version of events, use of ‘Dundee United’ stuck after large numbers of Nigerians backed United at the bookies, only to lose big as Roma headed off to meet Liverpool in the final. Olumide, who lives in Glasgow, says: “The players were basically just looking, as the other team took the ball off them. They behaved exactly like fools and it didn’t go down well with the gamblers. The Nigerian gamblers then lost their money, and so, out of frustration, anyone who under-performs, or behaves sluggish, or isn’t up to a task at the level expected was, and is still, referred to as ‘Dundee United’ by Nigerians.” And on the face of it, like the Dens Park theory, this seems reasonable. The game was a high profile one, held in an explosive atmosphere, and clearly the turnaround would have come as a shock. But could it really have seen thousands of Nigerians place bets on United, then lose their hard earned savings? And would that have been enough for the team’s name to become shorthand for idiocy, across an entire nation, for the next 40 years? The game did little to improve impressions of the club among Nigerians, and it may well have helped cement the phrase. But again, the story seems to go even further back. The answer lies in a two-week period, between the end of May and the start of June, 1972, and a disastrous club tour of West Africa. The trip really did go very badly indeed. United were matched against small, local teams, and they were woeful. Records from the tour reveal a middling start, with a 2-2 draw with Stationery Stores on 27 May 1972 followed by a 1-0 win against Benin Vipers on the 31st. That, however, was to mark the high point of the visit – United lost 2-0 to Enugu Rangers on 3 June, in a match played in front of 35,000 people, before drawing 1-1 with Mighty Jets on 7 June, and then ending the whole sorry affair with a 4-1 hammering at the hands of Stationery Stores. These were amateur teams, and local fans had expected much, much more from a representative of Scotland’s top flight. United looked like fools. There are, of course, mitigating circumstances. The tour was a hectic one, coming at the end of a long season, with United’s players apparently thrown by travel arrangements and ill-equipped to playing five games over 16 days, in Nigeria in June. Looking back at the context surrounding the trip, it is questionable how much anyone from the United camp really wanted to be there in the first place. Jim McLean had only been manager for five months and, despite rumours he actually played in some of the friendlies – he was 34 at the time and had only recently retired – it seems likely he was pretty unhappy about the idea of taking the team over to western Africa. The plans had been drawn up while Jerry Kerr was still coach, and by the time McLean took over it was too late to pull out. So while it’s probably fair to say McLean was at least quietly unhappy about the prospect of flying his team halfway across the world at the end of a hard season, he had yet to achieve the sort of control he would later exert over the club and was left with no choice but to get on the plane. An article published in the Nigerian Daily Express as United returned to Scotland probably sums up the general feeling towards the club. It is headlined: “Don’t Come Back”. “Football followers in this country were very happy in the sense it would give them another opportunity to witness a first class Scottish team,” it says. “But alas, what we saw was in fact a direct opposite of what we expected. The argument adduced by some people was that the visitors had been overworked or tired out, but this does not seem to hold water and they are not the first English [sic] team to tour Nigeria under the same weather conditions. We must agree that they are just not good. They had nothing to offer Nigeria as far as football technique and artistry are concerned, it is as simple as that.” Meanwhile, poor performances were combined with increasing tension in the Nigerian press over United’s attitude. Things reached a head with a Sunday Post article – reproduced in full in Nigerian newspapers – in which United forward Kenny Cameron complained of stomach bugs in the squad, as well as post office strikes and traffic jams. “Their traffic problem is far worse than that of the High Street in Dundee,” he complained. Relations deteriorated even further when Cameron claimed the team had been met at the airport by “vultures and hyenas”, before suggesting that their struggles were down to the humidity, as well as logistical disruption caused by the Nigerian Football Association. That was a step too far for Nigerian fans and media. Lethargic performances were one thing, but the United centre-forward claiming large carnivores were wandering around the airport was quite another. The response was furious. A complaint to the New Nigeria newspaper – questioning not just Cameron’s claim but the editorial judgement behind reporting it – summed up the mood across the rest of the media: “As a Nigerian, and a very patriotic one for that matter, I cannot forgive Mr Cameron for saying vultures and hyenas made up their reception committee at the Kano airport. But then Mr Cameron was only being true to type. It is a fact that European reporters who visit Africa only file back what their kinsfolk want to read: bizarre and irrelevant happenings.” The Renaissance, a daily newspaper from Enugu, in the south-east of the country, went one step further. It was so incensed by Dundee United’s failings that it called for a public inquiry. It reported: “Dundee United came – a first division Scottish team! They played football – second rate. And Nigerians were treated to second rate amateurism. This is the level to which we are plunging this country. Can someone save us these pains? We need an inquiry, why did the Dundee come? For now, Dundee fare-well. For Ever, Good-bye.” The demand for a public inquiry may seem a strong reaction to a win, two draws and two defeats – and it is worth keeping in mind that these were exhibition matches – but aside from showing where the Dundee-Dundee United confusion came from, the piece is pretty representative of the rest of the press. From there, it seems, a seed had been planted. Aided by media coverage, the name stuck, and from early June 1972 onwards, a Dundee United was a fool in Nigeria. Yet, as time passes, and with United no longer hitting the heights of their success in the 1980s, it seems the phrase has become so disconnected from its origins that many Nigerians will call each other Dundee Uniteds, or Dundees, without knowing either football club exists. Many of those approached for comment were somewhat surprised that someone in Scotland would name a football club as the byword for an idiot, while other interviewees offered a quiet embarrassment on Dundee United’s behalf. The existence of Dundee University too must be somewhat confusing for those who only know the word from the Nigerian use. Amara is a Nigerian-Scot who works in Dundee, but says that he has never felt the need to mention use of the phrase to colleagues. “Some of my colleagues ask me about Nigeria, and one is actually a Dundee United fan, but I’ve never told them,” he laughs. “I didn’t think there was any need.” “I was actually in Nigeria just before the Covid outbreak and someone in the pub was calling someone a “Dundee United”, because they were yapping [teasing] their friend, and I said: ‘Do you know there is a football club in Scotland called Dundee United, and they said ‘No? Really?’ They thought it was a really strange thing to call a football team. I explained about the city and that it was a football team and they thought it was pretty funny…” And so it seems use of the phrase continues. But what about Chubbey, the man who introduced Scotland to the label back in 2010? As it happens, he left Lagos years ago. His full name is Morrence “Chubbey” Ojulowo, and he now lives in Ondo state, where he enjoys a quieter life, in a village a few hours’ drive from the capital. He says he is happy and in good health, though he was slightly bemused to learn of his role in the story. He is 75 years old now, with 17 grandchildren, and while he goes back to visit Lagos pretty regularly, he was apparently completely unaware of his role in introducing the Nigerian use of “Dundee United” to Scottish football fans. Approached for comment, he just laughed. This article appeared first in Nutmeg magazine

Here's a football article. I wonder if this kind of thing will catch on? I do hope so. FOOTBALL Tomas Soucek’s old side are Jürgen Klopp clones Paul Forsyth Thursday March 11 2021, 12.01am, The Times Champions League https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/tomas-souceks-old-side-are-juergen-klopp-clones-70wmckbbd Runaway leaders of their domestic league, with advanced full backs that operate as auxiliary wingers and a manager who is inspired by Liverpool and Jürgen Klopp: there will be shades of Rangers about the Slavia Prague team that lines up in the Sinobo Stadium tonight. Klopp clones seem to be popping up all over Europe but Jindrich Trpisovsky does not mind the comparison. A charismatic, open-minded coach who had no playing career to speak of, he plays energetic football, takes inspiration from the British game and even wears a baseball cap on the touchline. More importantly, he has backed it up with results. Since taking over three years ago, Trpisovsky, 45, has led Slavia to two straight league titles and is well on course for a third. His team are 11 points clear of second-placed Sparta Prague. Yet to taste defeat in the league, they have dropped points in only four of their 22 matches and have been scoring at a rate of nearly three a game. Slavia’s improvement is just as apparent in Europe. In his first full season Trpisovsky took them to the Europa League quarter-finals, where they lost to Chelsea. Last season, they took points off Barcelona and Inter Milan in the Champions League. Since a disappointing defeat by Midtjylland in this season’s Champions League qualifying rounds they have beaten Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League group stage and, most impressively, knocked out Leicester City in the round of 32. It is all heading in the right direction for Slavia whose improvement off the pitch is another parallel with Rangers. Less than a decade ago, they were on their knees, drowning in debt and without a stadium to call their own, but Chinese owners stabilised the club when they took over in 2015. While they have ploughed in money, it has been sensible investment, intended to develop the club’s infrastructure. With a little help from Trpisovsky, who has brought several players from his former club, Slovan Liberec, they have eschewed big-money signings in favour of emerging talent with the potential to earn them a hefty profit. Their most expensive acquisition is Nicolae Stanciu, a team-mate of Rangers’ Ianis Hagi in the Romania national side. In 2019, they paid £3.6 million for the former Anderlecht midfielder, six months after he cost Al-Ahli nearly three times that. By recruiting wisely, developing talent and reinvesting in the squad, Slavia hope to become a regular presence in the Champions League group stage. Last year they sold Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal to West Ham United for £19m and £5m respectively but some at the Czech club feel the two players were worth more. A much bigger fee will be demanded for their latest asset, a 19-year-old Senegalese winger who was playing in France’s regional leagues last season. Signed for Slavia’s B team in July, Abdallah Sima was given his first-team debut in September and has made such an impact that the rangy wide man is being compared with Thierry Henry. Jaroslav Tvrdik, the Slavia president, says that Arsenal, Juventus and West Ham, all of whom have been credited with an interest, must start the bidding at £45m. On the opposite wing to Sima is Peter Olayinka, a highly-rated Nigeria international. Stanciu and Lukas Provod, a midfielder with a sweet left foot, offer a variety of deliveries at set plays. And goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar is another tipped for a big-money move. Slavia have a proud history. When Rangers show up at their stadium tonight they will find that one of the stands is named after Johnny Madden, a former Celtic player who became the club’s first manager in 1905 and is seen by many as the father of Czech football. They have won 20 league titles. They reached the semi-finals of the 1996 Uefa Cup and supplied a handful of the players who reached the Euro 96 final. Czech teams have consistently reached the Europa League knockout phase and Sparta Prague thrashed Celtic home and away this season. Tonight Rangers will face a free-scoring team that bears quite a resemblance to themselves. Will they meet their match?

How about a Rangers 55 Gift Set: Rangers 55 basin Rangers 55 ewer Rangers 55 hand towel Rangers 55 soap ???

In an article in today's Times, the opening paragraph states: "The clock is ticking for the football authorities and the Old Firm to deliver a robust plan on how to discourage potential public gatherings before the upcoming Glasgow derby at Celtic Park." Now correct me if I err, but, from Douglas Park's letter to Mrs Ceausescu, herself, I took it that the Club had endeavoured to engage with all the relevant players prior to the potential 'Championship Weekend' to formulate just such a plan, and had made little, or no, headway. According to The Times (upon whose accuracy we may no longer fully depend, right enough) the matter of public (dis)order is now clearly defined as one with which Clubs, themselves, must deal, with a little help from the football authorities. Further on, in the piece, the head of PlodFed brays, "If the game does go ahead, we would expect there to be assurances from both clubs that there will be no repeat of the fan behaviours seen in the last few weeks” I assume that this official hand washing is based on the government, and police, strategy over last (Championship) Weekend, which all can agree, went well, particularly as far as public order and fan behaviour was concerned. It would seem that the government, and the police, believe that Mr Steven Gerrard should have posed as King Canute (more properly, Cnut, but that is open malign anagrammatisation), endeavoured to stem the tides of joyful celebrants, and brought peace, love, and understanding, here, there, and everywhere. We look upon a quite staggering abdication of responsibility. Really, should we not expect the government, and the police, to be in charge of the formulation of any robust, or other, plan, and of its implementation? We should expect,of course, that the clubs participate and cooperate, and should anticipate that they do. Incompetent, mendacious, and, ultimately, it would seem, completely reckless. I think that it covers it. First minister Nicola Sturgeon keeping up the pressure ‘Huge question marks’ over Old Firm fixture Ben Palmer Thursday March 11 2021, 12.01am, The Times Nicola Sturgeon Sturgeon reiterated that celebrations by thousands of Rangers fans last weekend had caused concern within the government https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/first-minister-nicola-sturgeon-keeping-up-the-pressure-hqdbt6cqs The clock is ticking for the football authorities and the Old Firm to deliver a robust plan on how to discourage potential public gatherings before the upcoming Glasgow derby at Celtic Park. First minister Nicola Sturgeon yesterday reiterated that celebrations by thousands of Rangers fans who broke lockdown rules last weekend had caused concern within the government and it is now understood that Police Scotland harbour reservations about the fixture on Sunday, March 21. It is reported that some front-line officers present at George Square and Ibrox are self-isolating as a precaution after fans took to the streets to celebrate Rangers winning the league title. The Scottish Professional Football League hopes that the match will go ahead as planned, but there is pressure on Celtic and Rangers to warn fans of the dangers of coming together for the match. The first minister was yesterday questioned about when supporters would return to stadiums, but she moved to urge caution. “It is maybe a sensitive subject to be asking me about right now,” she said at a Covid-19 committee meeting. “I hope soon. I hope that before too long in some competition fans will be able to be in Somerset Park to watch Ayr United beat Killie. “We can’t put a date on it right now. What I do know is that we have tried to get sport going again after last year’s lockdown, albeit behind closed doors, in order to give football fans the ability to watch their team even if they can’t be there in person. “My dad is an Ayr United supporter. He’d love to be on the terraces at Somerset Park but being able to log on and watch Ayr United has been something he’s enjoyed at a time when people can’t do many of the things we enjoy. “That is why we have tried to keep sport going. Obviously what happened at the weekend puts huge question marks in peoples’ minds over whether that was the right thing to do or not and creates lots of anger on the part of many people. “We want to get sport back to normal as quickly as possible but one of the things that Covid loves most are crowds of people coming together. Unfortunately that’s the description of spectators at a football or rugby match so we need to do it carefully and cautiously. “We might need to do it on a phased basis. The figures are going in the right direction just now and if the vaccine keeps going as it is going now we can be really hopeful that all of these things are not too far in the future.” David Hamilton, chair of the Scottish Police Federation, believes that officers could be at risk should the game go ahead without measures being in place. “If the game does go ahead, we would expect there to be assurances from both clubs that there will be no repeat of the fan behaviours seen in the last few weeks,” he said. “Old Firm football matches are some of the most difficult and hostile policing environments and the risk to our members has increased hugely as a consequence of the pandemic.” Richard Gough, the former Rangers defender, has made a public appeal to supporters to stay at home. “I’m sure our club will be telling our supporters: ‘Stay indoors, there’s no use going down to Celtic Park’,” he told Sky Sports News. “I would implore the fans to do that as well and I’m sure Celtic will do the same.” “We need the games to go ahead, we don’t want games getting postponed now. Hopefully, the supporters listen to what both clubs say.” Nicola Sturgeon

Continued..... Hardly a cliff hanger, mind, when the only thing in peril is the Public Purse. I suppose that there are some professional reputations, such as they are, on the line, too, but its hard to defend highly paid incompetence, or worse, even -perhaps especially- when you are a highly paid incompetent, or worse. Rangers charges not fit to be in court, lawyer argues James Mulholland Wednesday March 10 2021, 12.01am, The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/rangers-charges-not-fit-to-be-in-court-lawyer-argues-mrgmmprfd Prosecutors in charge of a botched Rangers fraud investigation did not prepare a case “fit” to be brought to court, a senior judge was told yesterday. The Crown Office’s belief that David Grier, a financial administrator, was involved in wrongdoing failed all legal tests, Andrew Smith QC told Lord Tyre at a Court of Session hearing. Grier, of Duff & Phelps, was one of several men arrested during an inquiry into the sale of the Ibrox club to Craig Whyte. He and his co-accused were brought to court but acquitted after Lord Bannatyne ruled that the prosecutors’ claims lacked evidence. Grier is suing the lord advocate, James Wolffe QC, for £5 million. He is also suing Iain Livingston, the chief constable of Police Scotland, and seeking £2 million from the force. Smith, who is acting for Grier, said that Scotland’s prosecution service acted unlawfully at all stages. In a judgment last month Tyre said Grier’s lawyers were correct to believe there was no “reasonable cause” to prosecute their client. Yesterday’s hearing was to try to establish whether Tyre’s judgment applied from Grier’s first appearance on petition or from when the case arrived at the high court. Gerry Moynihan QC, for the lord advocate, said that prosecutors were entitled to bring accused people to court and asked Tyre to reject Smith’s request and to consider the matter at a full hearing next month. Tyre told the lawyers that he would issue his decision shortly.

Well, I think that there is a strong argument that the SNP are the devious bastards' devious bastards

A piece of common sense and sanity from The Scotsman. An Edinburgh paper, too. Why Rangers shouldn't be blamed for controversial title-winning celebrations of some of their supporters Deflection tactics have always been a stock-in-trade of politicians. It appears they are now also a go-to strategy for Police Scotland’s senior management team. By Stephen Halliday Tuesday, 9th March 2021, 4:38 pm https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/rangers/why-rangers-shouldnt-be-blamed-for-controversial-title-winning-celebrations-of-some-of-their-supporters-3159957 Amid the blizzard of criticism and histrionic outrage directed towards Rangers in the aftermath of their fans’ weekend title-winning celebrations, from Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf, Deputy First Minister John Swinney and Deputy Chief Constable Malcolm Graham, you would have been forgiven for thinking Douglas Park and Steven Gerrard themselves had been scaling statues and letting off fireworks in George Square. It was only during her own verbal broadside towards the Ibrox club at Holyrood on Tuesday afternoon that Nicola Sturgeon acknowledged the simple truth of the matter when she said ‘Those at fault are those who breached the rules’. But that didn’t prevent the First Minister from also doubling down on her government colleagues’ irrational insistence that Rangers’ senior management are also culpable for the scenes which breached her current coronavirus decrees. Rangers chairman Park has understandably taken issue with this narrative and has written in strident terms to Sturgeon, who also happens to be his club’s constituency MSP, to outline the wide-ranging dialogue and series of meetings held with Police Scotland and the Scottish government in the two weeks leading up to the weekend when the title was won. At both his pre-match media conference last Friday and his post-match media conference after the 3-0 win over St Mirren at Ibrox on Saturday, Rangers manager Gerrard addressed the issue of supporters’ gatherings in measured language which clearly recognised the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions. But if anyone believes Gerrard or anyone else at Rangers could have come up with a form of words or tone of warning which would have persuaded that minority of fans to stay at home, rather than celebrate outside Ibrox or at George Square, they are simply deluded. Just as Celtic and St Johnstone are not to blame for the fan gatherings prompted by their Scottish Cup and League Cup successes earlier this season, Rangers cannot be held responsible for the manner in which some of their support chose to mark the momentous occasion of their club’s 55th league title triumph. Similar scenes have been witnessed throughout the football world amid the coronavirus crisis, including large gatherings of Liverpool and Leeds United supporters to celebrate their respective Premier League and Championship title wins in England last summer. Regardless of the restrictions in place at any given time, a significant number of fans will continue to defy social-distancing and mark trophy successes by their clubs in similar fashion over the coming months as seasons reach their conclusion. When they do, it is a public order issue and not one which falls under the remit of any individual football club. The government can make the rules and the police chiefs can decide upon the most effective way to enforce them. Every sympathy should be extended to those rank and file officers who coped admirably with a challenging set of circumstances on Saturday and Sunday. But other than reminding supporters of the regulations and advising them to observe them, those in charge of football clubs have no control over events beyond the boundaries of their currently closed stadiums. No amount of deflection tactics should be allowed to obscure that reality.

Bisexual contortionist leaps onto a bandwagon. Adult cinema at its best.

Here we go. Rangers' players to face triple indemnity. Notice of Complaint | Calvin Bassey, Brian Kinnear, Dapo Mebude, Nathan Patterson, Bongani Zungu (Rangers FC) Tuesday 9 March 2021Alleged Parties in Breach: Calvin Bassey, Brian Kinnear, Dapo Mebude, Nathan Patterson, Bongani Zungu (Rangers FC)Date: 13/14 February 2021Disciplinary Rules allegedly breached: Disciplinary Rule 24 - A recognised football body, club, official, Team Official or other member of Team Staff, player, match official or other person under the jurisdiction of the Scottish FA shall be subject to and shall comply with the Articles, the Laws of the Game and the rules, procedures and regulations, bye-laws and Decisions of the Scottish FA.Disciplinary Rule 77 - A recognised football body, club, official, Team Official, other member of Team Staff, player, match official or other person under the jurisdiction of the Scottish FA shall, at all times, act in the best interests of Association Football. Furthermore such person or body shall not act in any manner which is improper or use any one, or a combination of, violent Conduct, serious foul play, threatening, abusive, indecent or insulting words or behaviour.Principal hearing date: Thursday, 25 March 2021

By " a bit silly" you mean "deceitful and incompetent", I take it.