ian1964

[video=youtube;t-OKVE7mZfw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-OKVE7mZfw

Make no mistake,whatever they showed today they are HURTING,FUCKING LOVED TODAY

On the raido coming back from the game he was saying he only asked the ref a question!!,which he is entitled to ask as the C****c manager?,but he was told by the ref to FUCK OFF

We as Rangers fans feel we were so cheated today Fartson................................................................. GIRFUY

Controlled and dominated the midfield,excellent performance.

You know what,I honestly don't think any of these players deserve any slating especially under the circumstances. They are all heros in my eyes

Being at the game I always like to wait to see the highlights before judging anything,but I thought the guy was superb,an absolute star in the making,he strolled through the game and for me was MOTM. The whole team were superb,as were the fans,but I'd give MOTM to him simply because he stepped up to the plate for such a young guy. Well done son.

I said yesterday in the match thread how I thought he would be crucial today but playing up front,the man is superb,a true Ranger.The man has my total respect and is what Rangers is all about for me.

WHEN it comes right down to the very nub of the issue, to the very basic question as to who Rangers supporters can trust to be the new custodians of their beleaguered club, there can surely only be one answer. Paul Murray and the Blue Knights. For this consortium are real Rangers men. More like Paul Murray and the True Blue Knights. And as well as all of the people who are involved being Rangers men, they are sound, competent and reputable people who are good corporate citizens. Proper people! And they are more. For my information is that the True Blue Knights, if they win their fight to rescue Rangers, have plans to defend Rangers from the clubâ??s many and increasingly confident enemies. Just the way those supporters long wanted David Murray to defend Rangers. David, however, never did that. The True Blue Knights will make sure they have the people in place who wonâ??t stand any old nonsense from the Scottish Football Association of Stewart Regan and his Hampden boardroom pal, Celtic chief executive, Peter Lawwell. Or from the Scottish Premier League board, which includes Lawwellâ??s lapdog, Celticâ??s £220,000-a-year director, Eric Riley and Parkhead pal, Stephen Thompson, the Dundee United chairman. Paul Murray and the True Blue Knights are already drawing up a Bluenose Bluerprint to put people in place to take the fight to the SFA and SPL and to use their influence in high places within UEFA too. On top of which, Paul Murray and the True Blue Knights will be lining up the best legal brains money can buy to ensure that never again will the SPL be allowed to get away with hiring Celticâ??s lawyers, Macleod and Harper, to investigate Rangers. The True Blue Knights have already revealed that former manager, Walter Smith â?? the greatest Ranger of the last quarter of a century â?? will be invited to join the Ibrox board. An announcement Paul Murray would not have made without first consulting Smith. But even that is just the tip of the iceberg of the schemes being discussed by some of the other True Blue Knights. Most of the True Blue Knights are polite, well behaved businessmen who, like Paul Murray, are good corporate citizens. But none of those qualities make them pushovers. While another True Blue Knight, Douglas Park, is well known as a man nobody has ever got away with pushing around. My bet is that True Blue Knight, Park will make some waves. Of course all of this â?? all of the plans the Tue Blue Knights have for making sure Rangers are no longer a soft target for their enemies â?? remains dependent on them, with the legions of Ibrox fans helping â?? winning control. And that is dependent on administrators, Duff and Phelps and the Duff and Phelps Two, Brian Clark and David Whitehouse, who now seem to be prepared to go to bizarre lengths in their apparent desperate struggle to stop the real Rangers supporters, Paul Murray and the True Blue Knights, getting control of Rangers. They have, to my certain knowledge, appeared to give private press briefings against Paul Murray. Perhaps they did not understand that after three years as Rangers director he has no need to ask them some of the basic questions about the club other interested parties have to pose. Paul Murray and - by dint of his association with them â?? the True Blue Knights already know the answers. Which brings us to Hibernian supporter Brian Kennedy, who has been briefing for all heâ??s worth in the last few days trying to find some sort of tenuous link between him and Rangers. The Scottish Daily Mail, which seems in the main, hostile to the Paul Murray-True Blue Knights, appears to many sound observers, to be Kennedyâ??s chosen vehicle for these briefings. That suspicion was added to, by the way the Lord Hodge advice from the Court of Session on Duff and Phelpsâ?? bid to breach the £24M contract between Ticketus and Rangers, was presented in Saturdayâ??s Scottish Daily Mail by John Greechan. Odious Creepâ??s pal, Greechan has often seemed to be in any camp which is opposed to what is good for Rangers and it is a charge which many may feel they can level against him again. Just as many may feel a similar charge can be leveled against the Duff and Phelps Two, Clark and Whitehouse, especially after their bizarre reaction to Lord Hodgeâ??s carefully phrased warning words about breaching the £24M contract. According to Paul Clark, Duff and Phelps will just go right ahead and breach the contract should they feel like it. They did not add what they believe the Ticketus reaction to such a high handed action would be. Though I am sure any competent Scottish lawyer would tell them, as one will no doubt tell Ticketus, that Ticketus will launch an action, tying up Rangers in the courts for months and maybe even years. With the first move being for Ticketus to apply to freeze £24M of Rangers assets. So, nobody would be able to buy Rangers if that happens. Leaving Duff and Phelps still in charge and still absolutely raking in big bucks from Rangers. The way the Duff and Phelps Two, Clark and Whitehouse have been working means their company has already banked well over ONE MILLIONâ?¦and rising. Remember too, that David Grier, who helped conman Craig Whyte push through his dodgy deal to buy Rangers for a quid, is a senior partner with Duff and Phelps and is therefore benefiting financially from Rangers. People may ask if this as anything to do with the way the Duff and Phelps Two, Clark and Whitehouse have allegedly briefed against Paul Murray and present the appearance of doing everything possible to thwart the True Blue Knights? I, of course, couldnâ??t possibly comment. People may also ask just why Brian Kennedy wants to buy Rangers. Does he, some wonder out loud, think he can get them on the cheap and then sell them on as soon as possible and make a fast buck? On that I can comment. I believe it is the only reason Hibernian supporter Kennedy wants to buy Rangers. But Iâ??ve been told the best way for Kennedy to make a quick killing would be to take over and then plunge Rangers into liquidation. The other bidders are the Americans from Sport 9. The same would apply to the motives of this Chicago Mob. Which leaves Paul Murray and the True Blue Knights as the only people with a True Blue Blueprint to save Rangers. To restore the clubâ??s tattered and battered honour with the sort of stewardship which would include supporters and go a long way to returning Rangers to their traditions, restoring the heritage of the Gallant Pioneers. Plus bringing in people capable, willing and able to go head-to-head with the many enemies of Rangers in the media, the Scottish Football Association and the Scottish Premier League. It is interesting to observe those media outlets and those who work for them, who seek to skewer their coverage of this story in such a way as to make any bidders, other than the Rangers supporting Paul Murray and the True Blue Knights, appear a better option for Rangers. Interesting too, to question what motives they, along with Duff and Phelps, have. For the nub of the question, the very core of the argument, is who do Rangers fans want to see entrusted with the stewardship of their club? A Hibernian supporter, seemingly out to make a quick buck, which may involve liquidation? The Chicago Mob, who may go down that same liquidation path? Or Paul Murray and the True Blue Knights Rangers men, all! The answer is surely pretty straightforward. http://leggoland2.blogspot.co.uk/

NEIL LENNON will have extra police protection in the technical area today when Celtic try to wrap up the SPL title at Ibrox. Strathclyde Police met with the Celtic manager on Wednesday and his own personal safety was high on the agenda. The Hoops can seal the championship with a win over their bitter rivals and police will take every precaution necessary to make sure there is no trouble inside or outside the stadium. Lennon, who was attacked by a Hearts fan at Tynecastle last term, said: â??There will be a huge police presence inside Ibrox, maybe more than usual. â??It was intimated that there may be more police than usual around me. â??I seem to evoke emotions in people even if I blow my nose or look at them the wrong way. But Iâ??d rather talk this game down than talk it up. â??Iâ??ll speak to the authorities about what we can and canâ??t do. It might be playing with fire if I go on to the pitch at the end. â??We had the police in and they reminded the players what is expected of them on the pitch.â? Lennon was involved in a touchline bust-up with Ally McCoist when Celtic beat Gers at Parkhead in last seasonâ??s Scottish Cup. The Hoops boss took exception to something McCoist whispered in his ear and reacted angrily. He then promised to reveal what was said to him if Celtic won the SPL this season but Lennon now insists he wonâ??t be spilling the beans. He said: â??I was joking. It was tongue in cheek. â??To clear it up, that will not be the case at all. It has all been put to bed.â? Celticâ??s Treble bid ended last weekend when they lost to Kilmarnock in the League Cup Final. But Lennon insists his players want to make amends by sealing the title at Ibrox. He said: â??The lads arenâ??t feeling sorry for themselves but they know theyâ??ve missed out on a fantastic opportunity to do the Treble. â??We havenâ??t lost a game in the league since October at Hearts. â??That speaks volumes for the consistency and quality weâ??ve displayed. â??This derby will be tense and raw but I love the ingredients of this game.â? http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2012/03/25/celtic-boss-neil-lennon-to-receive-extra-police-protection-for-derby-title-decider-86908-23800732/

By GARETH ROSE Published on Sunday 25 March 2012 00:00 THE Lord Advocate has issued fresh guidelines about what songs and chants will be illegal under the Scottish Governmentâ??s new anti-sectarian legislation in a move that has angered fans. In updated guidance to police, Frank Mullholland, Scotlandâ??s most senior prosecutor, has warned singing or chanting songs which â??glorify, celebrate or mock events involving the loss of lifeâ? should be viewed as offensive. The ten-page report also says that â??flags, banners, songs or chants in support of terrorist organisationsâ? are â??likely to be offensiveâ?. Songs â??which promote or celebrate violence against another personâ??s religion, culture or heritageâ? are also â??likely to be offensiveâ?, according to Mulholland. The guidance would seem to clarify that fans singing some of the most well-known songs sung on the football terraces will now face arrest. It is understood Mulhollandâ??s guidance outlaws songs like the Billy Boys, The Boys Of The Old Brigade, the so-called Famine Song, and the chant â??Ooh Ah, Up The Raâ?, which is sung by Celtic supporters. Yesterday fans reacted angrily, claiming the guidelines could change the culture of football games to such an extent that supporters would be reduced to â??polite clappingâ?. Mark Dingwall, board member of the Rangers Supporters Trust, said: â??Everyone who wants to do anything more than politely clap is very worried that they will lose their liberty and livelihoods.â? The Lord Advocateâ??s guidance was published to coincide with the legislation coming into force this month. The Scottish Government and the Crown Office have repeatedly refused to provide a comprehensive list of songs which would lead to fans being arrested. The lack of clarity has led to criticism that fans did not know which songs could lead to them being arrested. The Crown Office has warned fans who breach the new law to expect robust action. A spokesman said: â??The singing of offensive songs of any kind, or the display of offensive flags or banners, will not be tolerated, and the perpetrators of any incidents of this nature will be dealt with robustly by the prosecution service. Where the song is religiously prejudiced the relevant aggravation will be libelled.â? Jeanette Findlay, chairwoman of the Celtic Supporters Trust, said: â??This legislation is entirely aimed at Celtic fans. â??The existing legislation was entirely adequate, it was there and it could be used.â? Dingwall argued that the legislation runs the risk of sterilising the atmosphere at football matches by criminalising â??banterâ? among fans. â??Weâ??ve had meetings with police where they say, â??whatâ??s that got to do with football, why canâ??t you just clap?â?? â??Itâ??s alright saying banterâ??s allowed, but weâ??ve seen fans indulging in banter who have then been arrested,â? he said. Hibs fans Andrew Whitson, 28, of Kitchener Crescent, Longniddry and Paul Swan, 39, of Coronation Place, Tranent became the first people to be convicted under the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act last week when they admitted singing songs that were â??of a racially derogative natureâ? on a train between Ayr and Glasgow. They were fined a combined £380. A Scottish Government spokesman added: â??This legislation will have no impact on the banter and passionate support that goes hand in hand with supporting football teams, which are part of the competition and rivalry that is the lifeblood of the sport. â??It is about eradicating sectarianism and other unacceptable expressions of hate from our national game. â??The overwhelming majority of football fans who have been supporting their teams in the true spirit of the game for years therefore have absolutely nothing to fear. â??In fact it is designed to improve their experience, ensuring they can focus on football and not be distracted by the mindless, hateful prejudices of a small minority.â? http://www.scotsman.com/scotland-on-sunday/scotland/fans-anger-at-anti-sectarian-guidelines-that-will-sterilise-match-culture-1-2194917

Just about to start,should be a good game

Just wondering how much he gets paid for writing drivel?,what credentials does he have?,does the editor read these articles before printing them?.

SPL vote is as fair as general election in Korea By Tam Cowan on Mar 24, 12 07:30 AM in WELL thanks a lot, Lenny, for spoiling what could have been an exciting end to the season. I thought we were all gearing up for a thrilling finale to the current campaign but the Parkhead boss has totally ruined it by letting it slip last Sunday that Willie Collum denied Celtic the Treble. Okay, we all knew the Hoops had the SPL title sewn up weeks ago but I didn't realise the Scottish Cup was a foregone conclusion. Did you? Apparently so. According to Lennon, it seems Celtic already have it locked inside the trophy room. It would be easy to have a go at Lennon for jumping the gun and being totally disrespectful to the three other clubs left in the competition but I actually think this is terrific. Think about it. The fact Celtic are seemingly guaranteed to beat Hearts in the semi and either Aberdeen or Hibs in the Final means we won't have to endure any of that cliched manager speak from Lenny before both games. After claiming Collum denied Celtic the Treble, surely Lennon won't come out with the hoary old claptrap about Hearts being tough opponents, blah blah blah and Aberdeen/Hibs being right up for it yada yada yada? How refreshing, eh? Listen, removing the tongue from my cheek, it wasn't Collum who blew the Treble for Celtic. It was their own players. Quick - name five players in the Kilmarnock team? Exactly. No harm to the Rugby Park outfit but they're hardly a side packed with household names. So it's frankly embarrassing - and a bit insulting to both sets of fans inside Hampden - to hear Lenny trying to blame the defeat on the referee. The Celtic boss says he only wants the officials to do their jobs properly. Does that also apply to the players? What about Gary Hooper's howler in the first few minutes? What about the acres of space the Celtic defence allowed Killie for the winning goal? Did Collum honestly have a poorer game than Kevin Wilson? Don't think so. The bottom line is Celtic's bottle crashed yet again on the big occasion and the better team raised their game to win the trophy fair and square. End of story. For what it's worth, I thought Collum should have awarded a penalty. Yep, when Frather Forthter came for the ball and kneed a Killie player in the back, I reckon that was a certain spot-kick. The Anthony Stokes incident? Don't be daft. No stranger to a wee tumble inside the box, the Celtic striker simply took a touch too many and then went looking for a penalty. In the dying seconds of a cup final it was a brave decision by Collum. "You won't see many more clear-cut penalties than that," said Lennon. Nonsense! "The Kilmarnock player lunges at him and takes his leg away," he continued. Not from the four different camera angles I've watched. "It's a stonewall penalty. It's a shocking decision, absolutely shocking." No it wasn't. No it wasn't. No it wasn't. And shame on Stokes for such a pathetic attempt at trying to spoil Kilmarnock's rare moment of glory. The Celtic fans have enjoyed a field day of late with lots of banter about Rangers "cheating". But what about Stokes? One Kilmarnock fan - my mate Stuart - reckons the Celtic striker should now be stripped of the goals he's scored this season. Meanwhile, so much for Celtic not needing Rangers. Looks like Peter Lawwell is jumping back into bed - again - with the Ibrox club as they try to protect their SPL voting rights from the other 10. "We are disappointed that the meeting of the 10 clubs took place without us," said the chief executive of a club that once held secret talks with Rangers and the English Football League in David Murray's office. The Gang of 10's bid to win fairer voting power is deemed "divisive" by Lawwell. A bit rich when he seems to spend half his life talking bollocks about Celtic moving to England. And what about his recent meeting with the Rangers administrators? How many of the other 10 SPL clubs were invited to that little chat? Lawwell reckons the Gang of 10 could end up damaging Scottish football's standing in Europe. And that, of course, is the Old Firm's job. It was on the day Celtic lost the League Cup Final to a bottom-six SPL side that we read reports of Celtic joining England's League One. You can see the attraction - they wouldn't have to play Kilmarnock. Lawwell says he's now ready to offer the rebels a 14-team top flight and he's clearly desperate to agree some sort of compromise because the day might come when Celtic's Ibrox allies no longer have an SPL vote. Listen, the other 10 clubs simply want a fairer voting system that doesn't smack of a general election in North Korea, Uganda or Iran. But here's the big problem for the Gang of 10 - you probably need an 11-1 vote before you can vote on a change to the voting system. Incidentally, I confidently predict Motherwell will be playing in England before either half of the Old Firm. Well, I read this week that Wembley will be playing host to the 2013 Champions League Final.

I can. I don't feel the players have conned anyone,some bad results but conned?,don't think so. Now the BHEAST players could be accused of that as they always bottle it on the big occasion,where as the Rangers players were going for four in a row! Were the BHEAST fans conned in the cup final last weekend?.

And there's me thinking that the new,speedier disciplinary system was to deal with anything instantly?,the other managers were INSTANTLY offered match suspensions,but TLB gets a week before it's brought up and then an opportunity to reply by letter?.

The sooner we get a new owner and someone with balls to start fighting back to stop these BASTARDS the better.

Of course if this game was to be played at the piggery and it was us that could win the title you can rest assured this fixture would be cancelled.

FOOTBALL bosses at FIFA and UEFA could be landed with their greatest ever crisis if Celticâ??s lawyers decide the Scottish Premier League should strip Rangers of titles. And the Scottish Football Association and their team, the national team, Scotland, would also be in the eye of a global storm That is what the enormous responsibility Celtic director Eric Riley and his colleagues on the SPL board have handed to Celticâ??s lawyers, Macleod and Harper. According to a senior source I have spoken to with wide experience of Scottish football administration and contacts at the highest levels of the FIFA and UEFA hierarchies, all hell could break loose. For if the Celtic lawyers, Macleod and Harper, decide there is information to support accusations that the EBTs some Rangers players had, constitute an extra contract, one which was not registered with the SFA, and if the SPL then decide to strip Rangers of titles won by the Ibrox club during that period, world football will be thrown into turmoil and engulfed in by an unprecedented crisis. For that will meant that any player who had an EBT will be deemed to have been UNREGISTERED with the Scottish Football Association. Making it unlawful, according to world governing body FIFAâ??s Laws, for any such player to have taken part in ANY match. And that includesâ?¦. INTERNATIONALS! So any country which lost out on a place in the finals of the European Championships or the World Cup Finals because of defeats against any Scotland side containing any such Rangersâ?? player, will have sound legal grounds for appeal. The list of fixtures which will have to be poured over will date all the way back to the start of season 1998-99. That includes the qualifying campaigns for the 2002, â??06 and â??10 World Cup Finals, along with Euro 2000, â??04 , â??08 and THIS summerâ??s tournament in Poland the Ukraine. It will cause FIFA and UEFA a major headache and will be a nightmare for the Scottish Football Association. UEFA may also have to deal with appeals from clubs who played against any Rangers team in the Champions League, UEFA Cup and Europa League which contained even a single player who Celticâ??s lawyerâ??s Macleod and Harper, tell the SPL was not registered with the SFA. And it does not end there either. For the Scottish Premier League would also be landed with a relegation, top six finish and Euro qualification legal tangle, dating back over a decade of campaigns, which could cost them MILLIONS and BANKRUPT Scottish football. Clubs who were relegated on the back of bad results against Rangers, clubs who failed to make the top six on the back of bad results against Rangers and clubs who failed to make it into a European qualification spot because of bad results against Rangers, would all be in line to appeal against loss of income and even go to the Court of Session to try and make the SPL cough up. And while all of this was going on Sky may just be tempted to wash their hands of the whole mess and walk away from the £50M new television deal which remains unsigned. That is the can of worms opened by Celtic director Eric Riley and the Gang of Six, which includes Dundee Unitedâ??s Stephen Thompson, Neil Doncaster and Ralph Topping, who sit on the SPL board and who called in Celticâ??s solicitors, Macleod and Harper to probe Rangers. It is called the law of unintended consequences! Of course the man who brought in the EBTs, former Rangers owner, David Murray, vigorously denies the EBTs are in any way any sort of second contract and has legal advice to back his claim. While Rangers supporters have sensibly called for the SPL to suspend their investigation until the Tax Tribunal, sitting on judgment on the EBTs, delivers it tax verdict. Right now the Scottish Premier League board have backed themselves into a corner, possibly without properly examining the world wide ramifications of their knee jerk reaction. No susprise there, then! For we have already seen Stewart Regan and Peter Lawwellâ??s Scottish Football Association blunder in, by jumping the gun and announcing an SFA probe into the EBTs and any contract implications, before legal advice â?? lawyer Lunny? â?? forced chief executive Regan into an embarrassing U turn when he had it pointed out to him that the SPL had already announced they would be investigating and that any appeal which may come from the SPL verdict would have to be dealt with by the SFA. It was a typical example of the sort of pre-emptive strike the Regan-Lawwell SFA seem keen to launch against Rangers. But now the Scottish Football Associationâ??s very own team , Scotlandâ??s results, plus results in FIFA and UEFA tournaments from 1998, could be have to be re-assessed if Celticâ??s lawyers, acting for the SPL, decide Rangers are guilty and strip them of titles. .......... AND....... LEGGOLAND DOES IT AGAIN! THE SFA have stepped in to demand Neil Lennon explain himself after the Celtic manager branded referee Willie Collum a criminal. But only after LeggoLand pointed out the extremely serious nature of Lennon's blackening of Religious Instruction teacher Collum's character. Lennon seems to be oblivious - according to what he is quoted as saying in today's papers - as to what Rule he has broken. So let me fill him in. It is SFA Rule 68 and it states quite clearly that "IT IS AN OFFENCE TO CRITICISE THE PERFORMANCE OF A MATCH OFFICIAL OR MAKE REMARKS WHICH IMPINGE ON HIS CHARACTER." Of course maybe it is just me, but I'd have thought calling a man a criminal was a pretty clear cut case of being guilty of impinging his character in anybody's language. Let's see what lawyer Lunny comes up with...eventually. However, it has taken SFA lawyer Lunny the best part of a week to get round to, according to Lennon, having a cosy wee chat with the Celtic manager about the "criminal" rant. No fast track ban from lawyer Lunny for Lennon. Here's a wee tip. Lennon will offer the defence that his words were not meant literally, but colloquially and will get away with a wee warning to be a bit more careful next time. For that's the way things appear to be done in the cosy relationship which many see as existing between Stuart Regan and Celtic chief executive and Hampden board member, Peter Lawwell's SFA and Celtic. http://leggoland2.blogspot.co.uk/

The SFA,Regan,are really showing their true colours with the way they are laying into Rangers for all the world to see,where instead they should be there to help and support one of their members,especially their biggest and most successful members who do more than any other club to put Scottish football on the European & world map.

IF RANGERS beat Celtic at Ibrox it only proves one thing... That their players are nothing but CONMEN. Their manager, their supporters, even themselves — all conned into believing they had nothing left to give. Winning the Old Firm game against their biggest and oldest rivals might give those tortured fans something to shout about. But if I was one of them I'd be asking why I had to wait so long to see it. It's too easy for a Rangers player to turn it on against Celtic. It's against the other teams they should have been showing what they're made of. I'm sorry, I know it's been pretty desperate these past five weeks. Administration has hit the club hard. The players deserve huge credit for taking wage cuts but from where I'm sitting they've had that big pat on the back and much more besides. It's ON the pitch I'd like to see them show their grit. For me they've been too quick to hide behind the money problems in the background. Let's be frank here — they still get paid more than most of the players at Kilmarnock, Dundee United and Hearts. The Tynecastle boys sometimes don't even get their wages paid into the bank for goodness sake. The Rangers players also still have enormous backing from the fans, 52,000 on their side. So why have they allowed themselves to crumble? They've been far too tame of late. Too easily beaten. They have lost key players like Steven Naismith to injury and Nikica Jelavic to Everton. Two major losses it has to be said and okay, a few kids have been brought into the side when the boss could be doing with some senior pros in his line-up. But show me a team in the SPL that doesn't have youngsters. At the end of the day they still have the Northern Ireland skipper in midfield. They still have Scotland's No1. Guys like Lee McCulloch, Sone Aluko and Maurice Edu would walk into every team outwith Celtic but they've fallen way short of the levels required. It's not been good enough even with the cash crisis which must be keeping them awake at night. I'm not trying to kick these guys when they're down. I accept that the off the field problems have been terrible but my sympathy only runs so far. I feel for Ally McCoist because he's done his best to keep a lid on things. No one should point the finger of blame at him for the results. He can only say and do so much before the players run out. It's entirely down to the guys who pull on the jerseys. In my book, if they take anything from Celtic they'll just be like the players at lower-end clubs who have raised their game against the Old Firm down the years. Rangers have to be better than that. It's not enough just to play well when Celtic are on the verge of winning the title. They've got a fight on their hands with Motherwell to finish second in the table. As far as I'm concerned it's unthinkable — in fact, unacceptable — for this Rangers team to finish third, no matter what's been going on behind the scenes. That would be shocking really. If they turn up and show what they're really made of against Celtic then they have to be applauded but I'll ask the question now. Where has that desire been hiding? That said, they sure as hell better turn up. The last thing Ibrox needs right now is to host a championship party with green and white ribbons dangling down from the Broomloan Road Stand. I'm not so sure many Rangers punters could handle that, not after everything else they've been through. As always it's going to be an interesting afternoon and personally I can't wait. Ally McCoist will be as determined as ever to make sure Neil Lennon doesn't leave the stadium as the boss of the champions. My old team-mate will be equally desperate to make sure he does. His side lost the League Cup to Killie on Sunday and that was a dull one for Lenny — he wanted the treble badly. But it's not as though they played badly at Hampden. The reality is that they came up against a goalkeeper who was on the form of his life. Cammy Bell will never play better than he did last weekend if he keeps his career going until he's 100. He just had one of those unbelievable days when he couldn't put a foot, or a glove, wrong. As a former striker myself I'm not going to hammer Anthony Stokes or Gary Hooper for failing to score because I know what it's like to be in their shoes. I missed more than I scored — every striker does — but they were unfortunate in that they both had off-days in the same game. If you ask me, they won't have many days like that again, which they'll be desperate to prove this weekend. LIAM KELLY'S dad saw his son star in a Hampden cup final. It's a tragedy he didn't see him lift the trophy or have a medal hung around his neck. My heart goes out to Liam and his family. I was at the game last weekend working for the BBC and I was shocked to hear later what had actually happened. It's hard to understand it when something like that happens. All I do know is that Liam made his dad extremely proud. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/4215355/If-Gers-win-it-will-prove-they-have-conned-fans.html#ixzz1q1IH7tpA

NEIL LENNON will fight the SFA to clear his name and stop his Celtic players from being branded cheats. The manager will demand a personal appearance before the judicial panel after compliance officer Vincent Lunny’s decision to charge him with openly criticising ref Willie Collum following the League Cup Final defeat by Kilmarnock. Yesterday Lennon put thoughts of tomorrow’s crucial Old Firm derby to one side and said: “I look forward to stating my case before the panel. “Anthony Stokes was booked for diving and my players don’t cheat. I can’t tolerate them being accused of cheating when we have the best disciplinary record in the division. “I still say it was a penalty when Anthony went down and we have photographic evidence to prove that was the case.” Lennon was unrepentant, swearing he “absolutely” stood by his comments. He said: “I am looking forward to giving him my response and I’ve got until March 30 to do that. “I will submit my response next week. I don’t think I need to explain but they do and I will state my case.” Record Sport understands Lennon hasn’t been charged over his comment that Collum had made a “criminal decision” by refusing Celtic a last-minute penalty when Stokes was booked for diving. The SFA consider that to be the use of “coloquial language”. But the manager’s remark that the match official made an “awful, awful decision” has put him in danger of receiving a touchline ban. However, Lennon remains unrepentant and has already spoken with the compliance officer by telephone to tell him how much he’s looking forward to their meeting on a date still to be fixed. He said: “I’ll defend my case vigorously. I don’t think I need to be there in the first place but I’m told some of my quotes after the Final infringed the rules. “They need to be examined in the context of the post-match interview as a whole.” Lennon now needs to put disciplinary matters to the back of his mind and focus on what to do if, as seems certain, James Forrest and Gary Hooper miss tomorrow’s derby due to injury. The manager said: “James is a major doubt with ankle bruising and Gary has a dead leg. Both of them will be assessed in the morning but neither was able to train today.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2012/03/24/neil-lennon-fights-to-clear-his-and-anthony-stokes-name-saying-celtic-players-don-t-cheat-86908-23799958/

Are these available on Sunday?,and where from?

They have no shame

The Parkhead club would support a move that would see the top six teams in the league play less matches. Celtic are not opposed to reconstruction of the Scottish Premier League and would be open to an expansion to a 14-team top division. SPL clubs failed to reach agreement on league restructure last year after a series of meetings saw a proposal for a 10-team top flight and 12-team â??SPL 2â? rejected. Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell has said that the club would favour an increase to 14 teams, which would see the top clubs play two fewer games per season than under the current set-up. â??If we were asked our opinion on whether we want a 10, 12 or 14 [team league], we could see ourselves voting for a 14 as long as itâ??s a six and an eight. If that again helps the clubs that have great concerns about relegation,â? Lawwell said. The chief executive explained that during the extensive talks between clubs last year, the club had been persuaded to change their mind from an initial stance of wanting a cut in the number of clubs. â??We actually started at the strategic group with a ten [team plan].,â? he said. â??We felt it was right. â??It was 36 games and that gave us the appropriate time for Europe and season start possibly a winter break "We were actually then convinced for a 14, Martin [bain] and I, through this group because the top six would play 36 games. We would go with 14 and a top six.â? A league of 14 teams would work with a split midway through the season. Each team would play the others twice in the first half before the top six and bottom eight broke into separate leagues. Having already played 26 games in the first half of the season, the top six would play each other twice in the second half, making 36 games in total. The bottom eight would do the same, giving them a total of 40 games. Lawwell said that Celtic were of the opinion that the plan would serve the interests of clubs at both ends of the table with more scope for rest balanced with extra matches for the clubs at the lower end. â??That gives you preparation time it gives you winter break time and then in the bottom teams would have 44 games and more money,â? he said. â??We support play-offs, we support the pyramid system below that and support the parachute payments. â??We were persuaded to go back to the ten for the greater good because the majority around the table wanted the ten. We said 10, 12 or 14, it doesnâ??t really matter, other than the number of games you play.â? With Celtic regularly playing in European competition, the club also wants consideration of the demands involved in playing in more than one competition. â??We prefer a later start than others,â? he revealed. â??We want a winter break and we like preparation and flexibility for playing in Europe, so youâ??re not playing Rangers at 12pm on a Saturday after coming back from Kazakhstan. â??We were on ten, persuaded to 14, then back to ten. Within that document there were things we liked, things we didnâ??t like. But we said â??donâ??t throw out the best in search of the perfect, letâ??s go for itâ??.â? Lawwell also said that the actions of the 10 non-Glasgow clubs who had met to discuss change without speaking to Celtic and Rangers were â??divisiveâ? and denied that the club was only acting in its own interests. â??We see it as potentially divisive and concerning for every Scottish football supporter at this very difficult time for the game in Scotland,â? he said, referring to reports that other clubs were pushing for wide-reaching reform in the SPL. â??We could all do without it.â? â??We are not against protecting the lower clubs. We were part of the strategic group that committed to transforming the funding of the First Division. â??We were disappointed and we feel it disrespectful that what Celtic and Rangers bring to the game that we were excluded, having spent nearly two years and a lot of time helping to develop a strategy. The Parkhead official said that he feared that without the correct approach to the future of the league, the game as a whole in Scotland would suffer. â??[The worry is] that the quality of Scottish football is further weakened or lessened. The quality of the overall game reduces to the point you donâ??t have any European context at all.â? http://sport.stv.tv/football/scottish-premier/celtic/301332-celtic-would-favour-switch-to-14-team-spl/?febf