ian1964

http://leggoland2.blogspot.com/2011/12/philmacghiollabhain-stewart.html

“As a board we spent a lot of time with Craig Whyte ensuring that he knew what the cash flows were. There seemed to be an unwillingness to go into any level of detail of what the cash flow was. I could not believe that he took on an unquantified tax liability. I have never seen anyone do that. It’s like buying a house, finding out it has subsidence, then buying it anyway. Why did he try and buy the club at the last minute then?,surely that is the same,no?

Published on Saturday 3 December 2011 00:00 FORMER Rangers director Paul Murray has claimed that reservations expressed six months ago about Craig Whyteâ??s takeover of the Ibrox club have now come to pass. At the end of a week when Rangers produced a set of unaudited accounts and Whyte disclosed that he was disqualified from acting as a director for seven years, prompting the SFA to ask the club for clarification over the matter, Murray has raised concerns over the direction of the club. Murrayâ??s views were last night rejected as â??irrelevantâ? by Rangers. But he spoke out after growing increasingly frustrated about talk of the club going into administration. Whyte has admitted that if Rangers lose a tax tribunal to HMRC and face a bill of up to £50m, administration is a possibility. â??I am puzzled that administration is even being discussed, as there is absolutely no need for it,â? Murray told The Scotsman. â??The HMRC tax tribunal will not deliver a decision until well into next year so at the moment there is no tax liability to pay. â??If Craig Whyte has delivered on the commitments he made in his takeover circular â?? he explicitly promised to invest new money in Rangers, and we have no reason to assume that he has not fulfilled his promises â?? then there should be no cash issues at the moment. â??He has now produced a set of unaudited accounts. Why? What is [accountants] Grant Thorntonâ??s view of Rangers as a going concern? Even last year when we had all the problems with the bank, we had the accounts signed off. In my 25 years in business I have never seen a company like this not have accounts signed off.â? Murray was a member of the independent sub-committee of the Rangers board of directors set up to assess offers. In April, the sub-committee announced it had â??major concernsâ? over Whyteâ??s proposal, and released a statement which expressed disappointment that documents they had reviewed â??ultimately did not reflect the investment in the club that we were led to believe for the last few months would be a commitment in the purchase agreementâ?. An alternative £25m investment proposal was then put forward by a consortium led by non-executive director Murray. But the counter proposal failed, and Murray was removed from the board shortly after Whyte completed his takeover in May. â??Everything we said has come home to roost,â? said Murray last night. â??I donâ??t take any pleasure from that, because my overall view is one of sadness. Talking about administration, being pursued by suppliers, and the possibility of a fit and proper investigation at the SFA â?¦ itâ??s humiliating and embarrassing. â??As a board we spent a lot of time with Craig Whyte ensuring that he knew what the cash flows were. There seemed to be an unwillingness to go into any level of detail of what the cash flow was. I could not believe that he took on an unquantified tax liability. I have never seen anyone do that. Itâ??s like buying a house, finding out it has subsidence, then buying it anyway. â??Mr Whyte indicated during the takeover that he was prepared to meet any tax liability arising from the current case up to a significant level. I am interested to know â?? and all Rangers supporters deserve to know â?? what has changed with the clubâ??s finances since May to bring about the cash pressures we now seem to face, and whether players might have to be sold to make up the shortfall.â? Murray added: â??It is also important to acknowledge and defend the track record of the previous board. â??Craig Whyte has criticised the past regime but in the two years since Sir David Murray stepped down as chairman, we reduced the clubâ??s debts from well over £30m to well under £20m, and the football club won four out of six domestic trophies. â??In addition, the bulk of the current playing squad, one of the strongest in recent times, was assembled at significant cost. â??That is not a bad record, by any measure, and I am pleased to see Ally McCoistâ??s team doing so well in the SPL today. â??I have no personal issue with Craig Whyte, and nor do my former colleagues who stepped down following the takeover and more recently. We just want to see the clubâ??s best interests being served and for Rangers to remain competitive here in Scotland and in Europe. â??We await news of when Rangers will hold their agm, when the shareholders and supporters of Rangers will have the first chance to put questions directly to Craig Whyte. They deserve answers.â? A spokesman for Rangers said: â??What Paul Murray has to say about Rangers is irrelevant and of no consequence, and most Rangers fans will be aware that he was a director when much of the mismanagement that got the club into its current position occurred.â? http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spl/ex_rangers_director_says_board_s_takeover_fears_are_playing_out_1_1990579

Liewell..........................??

I hope you have a wee flutter on that score

Newcastle's Peter Lovenkrands is looking to leave in January. The Denmark international, 31, has made just one Premier League start this season and is keen for more games. He said: '(Manager) Alan Pardew would like to extend my contract, and there have been talks about doing it, but I canâ??t wait for that. 'In January, I can talk to whoever I want, so my agent is working to find me another club.' Lovenkrands signed for the Magpies in January 2009 and left when his contract expired at the end of that season. But he returned for a second spell and signed a three-year deal in September 2009. The Dane spent six years with Rangers and three years in Germany with Schalke before moving to Tyneside. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2056815/Peter-Lovenkrands-eyeing-away-Newcastle-January.html#ixzz1fQ7or9Ab

Explained: the SFA, Rangers and Craig Whyte’s ban The Scottish Football Association have asked for clarification of the Rangers owner’s past. What are the rules on disclosure? Following the news that the Scottish Football Association has requested information from Rangers about their owner Craig Whyte’s financial past, questions have been raised about the “fit and proper person test”. We’ve looked at the issues and rules regarding the officials at Scottish football clubs. What have the SFA asked Rangers? The governing body issued a statement revealing it had already spoken with Rangers about Craig Whyte’s directorship ban. It said it had requested “clarification” and “key information” regarding the Rangers owner. Why are they investigating? Rangers confirmed the fact to the Stock Exchange in a statement accompanying their annual financial results. It said: “Craig Whyte was disqualified to act as a director of Vital UK Limited in 2000 for a period of seven years.“ Why does the SFA take an interest in what someone did before being involved in football? The SFA has rules regarding people who serve in an official capacity at any of their member clubs. They seek to ensure that anyone holding a key position at a club is “fit and proper”. Is there a fit and proper person’s test? No, there isn’t a test. The SFA decide based on information received about the individual. Are there criteria individuals have to meet though? There are no set criteria for what exactly makes someone fit and proper, or not, but a list of “relevant facts” is provided in section 10 of the SFA Articles of Association. The list is “acknowledged to be illustrative and not exhaustive” but gives examples of information that should be provided. It covers details of whether someone is of sound mental health, is bankrupt or already acting as an official of another club where there might be conflict of interest. Part g) says it must be reported if the official “has been disqualified as a director pursuant to the Company Director’s Act 1986 within the previous five years” How does the SFA know? Every member club has to submit documentation by June 1 each year detailing all the official positions and who holds them. It’s up to the club to provide complete and correct information. The form asks for details of each individual to allow them to assess whether they meet approval. These details are provided on a form known as the official return. Clubs obtain the form from the SFA’s Registration Department and should fill them out with reference to the Articles of Association. The form can be submitted before June 1 but the regulations also state that any changes should be notified to the SFA within 10 days of taking effect. Rangers submitted their official return following Whyte’s takeover in May, in advance of the June 1 deadline. So where would rules apply to Craig Whyte? Part g) of the rule on a “fit and proper person” asks if the official “has been disqualified as a director pursuant to the Company Director’s Act 1986 within the previous five years”. The SFA would take that information into account when deciding if an individual is “fit and proper”. Rangers did not mention Craig Whyte's disqualification on their official return. Is that five years from start of the ban or the end? That’s open to interpretation and could determine whether or not Rangers have a case to answer. Whyte’s disqualification began well outwith the five year reporting period but ended just four years ago If they rule there was an issue, what happens? If the SFA conclude that they should have been made aware then there would be two issues at stake. First, there would be a case to answer from the club as to why their official return was missing key information. There could be some discussion as to whether or not an omission was made due to a misinterpretation. A second issue would be a re-evaluation of whether or not Whyte is considered by the governing body to be a fit and proper person. The disqualification, even if considered to have been within the last five years, would not automatically block an individual from being approved. The rule specifically states: “The Board hereby reserves its discretion as to whether or not such a person is fit and proper, as aforesaid, after due consideration of all relevant facts which the Board has in its possession and knowledge, including the undernoted list which is acknowledged to be illustrative and not exhaustive” Who rules on each? The SFA Articles of Association don’t specify who would deal with incorrect information on an official return. However, the Judicial Panel would rule in the case of an individual being omitted from the Return while holding office at a club and it is reasonable to assume that they would deal with any other reporting problems. In the event that an individual is left off the paperwork “a fine, suspension or both, or such other penalty, condition or sanction as the Judicial Panel considers appropriate” would be applied. The evaluation of whether or not an individual is a fit and proper person is taken by the SFA Executive Board, comprised of chief executive Stewart Regan, president Campbell Ogilvie, vice-presidents Alan McRae and Rod Petrie, Scottish Premier League representative Ralph Topping and National Association representative Tom Johnston. What are the sanctions? For the individual, the decision may be taken no to allow them to hold office, judging them to be an unfit person. The club may be punished by the Judicial Panel, though no sanctions are listed. The Panel holds the power to impose fines, suspensions and any other sanction when ruling on other matters, making it difficult to predict what would be decided. FURTHER READING Rangers did not disclose Craig Whyte ban to SFA http://sport.stv.tv/football/scottish-premier/rangers/284537-explained-the-sfa-rangers-and-craig-whytes-ban/

The Champions 4 Jelavic 3, Lafferty The Pars 0 :spl:

Friday, 2 December 2011 CELTIC'S COWARDLY SLEEKIT ATTACK ON RANGERS CELTIC have launched a dastardly sneak attack on Rangers, accusing the Ibrox club of trying to make money out of St Andrewâ??s Day. The sleekit attack is cowardly because, even though it has been made in the official Celtic weekly magazine, the Celtic View, it comes with the weasel worded and in this case ambiguously phrased disclaimer :â?The views on this page are not NECESSARILY those of Celtic Football Club. And they are snide because the writer, Celtic View editor, Paul Cuddihy, refused to name Rangers as the club he has in mind. Cuddihy wrote that other clubs were using, what he called the flag of this important saint and his feast day, to generate interest in their forthcoming games. This Celtic attack came in the Final Word column in the Celtic View which is the space where Tony Hamilton often spews his bile above that sly wee disclaimer, which isnâ??t really a disclaimer at all. After all, the views penned above it may actually be those held by chief executive Peter Lawwell and Celtic officially. The disclaimer does not deny this The difference this time is the Final Word column was written by Celtic View editor Paul Cuddihy and he used that column to attack Rangers, rather than his own editorial column, which is signed and appears every week. What has often intrigued me is how the official magazine of Celtic FC can be called the Celtic View and yet try to claim views published in it may not NECESSARILY be Celticâ??s views? Somebody inside Parkhead with access to a keyboard obviously has some difficulty with the English language. Who? Well, we already know that the Celtic Viewâ??s regular Final Word columnist, digital director, Tony Hamilton, is confused by the difference between bated, as in breath, and baited as in a fishing hook. What we also know is that, according to Celtic View editor Paul Cuddihy, Celtic do not think it fit and proper that a football club should publicise the celebrating of an important saintâ??s feast day, lest they be accused of trying to gain publicity for a forthcoming match. Interesting! Though what will be more interesting is when March 17th comes around next year. That will be St Patrickâ??s Day. He is the patron saint of Ireland and St Patrickâ??s Day falls on a Saturday this season. Celtic have a home match that day. Will we then be treated to an even bigger and more embarrassing display if what Tom English so cleverly described as Paddywackery as Celtic, as they have done in the past, celebrate St Patrick's day? And would any pre-publicity about a St Patrick's party be a money making excercise by Celtic? Maybe Paul Cuddihy should have checked that out before he rushed into print with his cowardly attack on Rangers for the fact the Scottish Champions had the temerity to announce they intend to celebrate the feast of Scotlandâ??s St Andrew by handing out 3,000 Saltires, having a stirring Pipe Band lift the spirits with a blast of Scotland the Brave, plus the stirring skirl those defenders who held Pegasus Bridge on D Day heard when relief arrived, The Old Black Bear, sometimes known as the Tunes of Glory. And why not? After all, Rangers are Scottish club. Celtic had their chance to show just how Scottish they are when they played Atletico Madrid on St Andrewâ??s Day. The club chose to ignore the day. Chief executive Paul Lawwell, we must therefore assume, did not deem the occasion sufficiently in tune with his idea of what Celtic represents. Not surprisingly, Celtic supporters, notably the extremist terrorist supporting zealots of the Green Brigade Lawwell is so keen on praising, took their musical lead from him and belted out the national anthem of a foreign country. St Patrickâ??s Day? I canâ??t wait. Then we will see if Celtic can add hypocrites to cowardly sleekit sneaks. http://leggoland2.blogspot.com/2011/12/celtics-cowardly-sleekit-attack-on.html

Rangers face Euro ban unless accounts are signed off by independent auditor Dec 2 2011 Keith Jackson TOP BRASS at UEFA last night warned Rangers face expulsion from European football next season unless the club's financial house is put in order. Record Sport can reveal that as things stand, the SPL leaders would be denied an £18million ticket into the Champions League even if Ally McCoist led his side to a fourth consecutive league title - but Rangers sources insist they still have four months to ensure their accounts are signed off and submitted to the SFA ahead of the March 31 deadline. The Ibrox club have breached UEFA president Michel Platini's tough new Financial Fair Play Regulations by publishing their latest set of account WITHOUT having them signed off by an independent auditor. On Wednesday night, the club announced their annual financial figures for the year ending on June 30 to the PLUS Market but, for the first time in the club's history, the figures were not approved by appointed accountants. Edinburgh firm Grant Thornton have refused to discuss why they have not signed them off but UEFA have made it clear Rangers will be denied entry into the Champions League or the Europa League unless their accounts are rubber-stamped before the end of the current campaign. It's understood Rangers have until December 31 to publish a fresh set of figures and then lodge them with Companies House in Edinburgh. But if those results are not given a clean bill of health by the auditors, the club's chances of being granted a licence in time for next season will be damaged further. Although the situation would then become ever more serious, the stricken club believes the vital date for Euro approval will not arrive until next March. A UEFA statement read: "Glasgow Rangers FC, as with any club participating in UEFA competitions, will have to go through a licensing process which the national association in question manages. "Subsequently, the national association (not UEFA), the SFA in this case, will assess whether or not the club has fulfilled the mandatory licensing criteria. "This will take place in March/April. If the answer is yes, the club can take part in UEFA competitions next season and if not, they won't receive a licence." The SFA, who last night announced their own probe into Rangers owner Craig Whyte, are already aware of the breach in Platini's policy. They are now bracing themselves for the potential fall-out should they be forced to freeze a member club out of European football. The Hampden beaks refused to comment on the situation last night but, as things stand, they would have to turn Rangers down flat. UEFA's Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations article 47 spells out the need for all financial results to be signed off by auditors. It says: "Annual financial statements must be audited by independent auditors." And last night an SFA insider informed Record Sport that Rangers will have to "work extremely hard" between now and the spring if they are to pass UEFA's criteria. The source said: "When Rangers submitted their application for this season they were up front about a number of financial issues they were dealing with. "They were in dispute with the tax man but this was declared and, as it was a legitimate dispute, it was allowed and they still satisfied the criteria. "But if they do not satisfy the criteria this time then they won't get a licence for Europe. "There is a lot of work to do before they can qualify. Right now Rangers and the SFA are in a difficult position. The club has an obligation to provide a signed set of accounts and if they are unable to do so then their application cannot be approved. "It really is becoming quite a serious mess."

You have to ask,would we have been better keeping Nacho rather than sign Healey,Beattie?

Has the lad not been struggling with injuries?

Thursday, 1 December 2011 PHILMACGIOLLABHAIN AND THE BBC-Exclusive THE BBC is being urged to let Philmacgiollabhain loose on the airwaves to peddle his anti-Scottish pro IRA views. The new move comes after the controversial Philmacgiollabhain revealed that BBC Scotland had paid him from the licence fee to travel from his home in the Republic of Ireland to Glasgow act as an advisor for their Bombs and Bigotry documentary last spring. Not surprisingly that programme was heavily slanted against Rangers supporters. Now someone else whose job is paid for by taxpayers money, has launched a campaign for Philmacgiollabhan to be given even more influence on the BBC and more money from the public purse. I can reveal this after a letter, alleged to have been written by Tom Gallagher. Emeritus Professor of Politics at Bradford University and sent to the head of news and current affairs at BBC Scotland, John Barrowman, has come into my possession. It is an astonishing document which urges BBC Scotland to marginalise any view contrary to the one spouted by the Green Brigade, which is that Celtic are victimised and that Scottish society demonises all Roman Catholics, and in particular those of Irish descent. Dated November 21st Gallagher’s letter says … “Dear Mr Boothman, “I would like to put on record my concern about the policy of your department of the BBC in Scotland towards the community of Irish descent in west-central Scotland. It is a community whose identity has been forged in the face of lengthy institutional discrimination and which has expressed itself in a range of secular and religious ways, not least identification with Glasgow Celtic football club. “Celtic has been a channel in which people from this ethnic background have been able to identify with symbols of Irishness . This of course has been problematic for the official Scottish culture even when its parameters have been broadened to proclaim that a new nation is arising comprised of ‘One Scotland but many cultures’. “The construction of Scottish- ness takes place naturally through the print and electronic media. Editors, producers, and sub-editors have found it difficult to find a place in which to insert Scots who are culturally Irish in at least part of their identity. This has become glaringly obvious during the greater part of 2011. “Some sections of the media continue to be implicated in the reproduction and sustaining of sectarian, values and beliefs. By ‘sectarian’ I mean expressing sentiments that are antagonistic or disparaging of the ethno-religious rivals in the long-term socio-religious fracture that has marked west-central Scotland. This has been well-documented by the journalist Phil McGiolla Bhain. “The Offensive Religious Behaviour bill is the most controversial piece of legislation ever to come before the Scottish parliament. Arguably, it is part of a concerted effort to re-frame the image of Scotland and energetically use the state to outlaw a form of ethnic and religious particularism that is seen as an impediment standing in the way of the march of a nation towards statehood. “But there has been huge concern about it; 5 of the 6 parties in Holyrood oppose it as do those groups and individuals associated with Celtic and Rangers and who have sought energetically to banish the uglier partisan aspects from the game ; arguments have been made that it is dangerous to free speech, that it is not only divisive but stands a high chance of sparking off new and worse forms of antagonism; that it is unnecessary in view of existing laws; and that a danger exists that it will be open up a new era in which institutional biases are directed against disparaged sections of the Scottish population. “I would put it to you that these and other concerns have only infrequently been aired on BBC current affairs programmes . Most of the time, the media prefers to treat the issue in a very cursory manner, failing to draw on the community voices and academic expertise from different points in the ethno-religious spectrum in west-central Scotland. “Quite remarkably, there has been a preference for using one individual,a respected senior academic as an intermediary who can explain the perspective of Scotland’s most awkward minority (Catholics of Irish descent) .....without frightening the horses. This, if I may dare to point it out, is the same approach that colonial overlords used when trying to manage an unruly set of natives – the selection of an intermediary who can be relied upon to operate within the cautious official narrative on the subject. “This I think shows that for most of 2011 the BBC in Scotland has failed to properly represent the diverse cultural strands in Scottish society even though the Corporation is a byword for promoting multiculturalism in other dimensions. “Yesterday, I attended a symposium on the Offensive Religious behaviour bill organised by the University of Stirling’s Law Department. Few, if any speakers, or audience members were able to provide a defence of it. Some speakers warned that the chances of new fronts involving heightened conflict between rival supporters groups or between them and the state or even political forces opening up , were in fact quite high. “If what I believe to be a crude attempt at altering the public space in west –central Scotland does indeed backfire, how well-placed will the BBC be to analyse and explain the phenomenon given your clear reluctance to energetically provide broad coverage to the controversies surrounding the Offensive Religious Behaviour bill and indeed the build-up to it? “You may well point to a documentary that was shown by BBC Scotland this spring shortly after a number of Old Firm flashpoint incidents. But it was, i thought a very bland and sketchy overview that could easily be seen as the BBC doing some brief heavy lifting so as to show the world that it was addressing the issue of communal conflict as expressed through the prism of football before parking it safely for an indefinite period. “I know at least one organisation (that, because of its weight in Scottish society the BBC deals with on a regular basis) which has suggested both myself and Dr Joseph Bradley of Stirling University (among others) might be approached in order that our academic experience be utilised to help the BBC in its mission to inform on inter-communal conflict or mistrust shaped around discordant religious identities. But no such approaches have ever been made (at least to me, and it is in a personal capacity that i am writing to you) even though I live a mere 25 minutes walk from a major BBC studio in Edinburgh. Both of us have numerous single-authored texts (published by university presses and reputable publishers) on the subject. Similarly, Phil McGiolla Bhain has never been heard (at least by me) on the BBC. “So I am bound to ask myself what has happened to the BBC’s mission to explain sensitive and important contemporary issues in a broadly-based and probing manner? I think in reaction to the issues thrown up by the 2011 bill and the wider place of people belonging to a Hibernian cultural tradition in Scotland, the mission has simply been discarded. What has substituted for it is a very evasive, low-brow and grudging examination of the underlying problems arising from sectarian issues in Scotland. As long as this approach persists, i fear it will bring the BBC in Scotland BBC little credit or indeed those responsible for its current affairs output. “I would welcome a dialogue with you on the matter since I firmly believe that a review of the BBC’s policy on the broad cultural , religious and social context in which football controversies arise in west-central Scotland is long overdue. Yours Sincerely, Tom Gallagher Emeritus Professor of Politics University of Bradford “PS I originally assumed that this letter would reach you through a Romanian-based Scottish academic, Dr Ronnie Smith (someone who ran one of your election campaigns when you were a student politician). In Romania, if the approach of state television (TVR1) to an issue of such sensitivity had been so banal, then it would have become an issue of public concern some time ago. It so happens that I know your counterpart in TVR1 Mrs Rodica Culcer and when I see her, hopefully in the New Year, I will certainly ask her if she has any thoughts on what are very contrasting approaches of two national broadcasting stations to ethno-religious and nationalist concerns.” The letter appears to me to be breathtaking in both its arrogance and bias, as well as being extremely sinister in its effort to add further bias to an organisation, BBC Scotland, which, despite its neutrality being demanded by its charter, is already left-leaning, anti Rangers and biased against the cultural background of 4million of Scotland’s population of 5million. As for Gallagher’s call for BBC Scotland to employ Philmacgiollabhain? You couldn’t make it up. http://leggoland2.blogspot.com/2011/12/philmacgiollabhain-and-bbc-exclusive.html

RANGERS kid Thomas Kind Bendiksen feared he would be dumped on the soccer scrapheap this Christmas. Now, thanks to his goal in Hamburg, Ibrox boss Ally McCoist is set to gift wrap a new deal instead. Bendiksen joined Gers back in 2007, but he has struggled with a series of injuries for the past three years. A knee injury left his entire career in doubt, but all that uncertainty was forgotten as he announced his arrival as a Rangers player in Germany. And despite Gers' 2-1 defeat, Bendiksen beamed: "It was a great night for me because of everything I've been through and it's also good to know talks between my agent and the club will start. "Hopefully that can get sorted because this is where I want to play. "I have worked hard to get back to where I am. "It's also great to hear the gaffer being positive about me. "There's no doubt being out for so long has been hard. There have been times I feared I'd never get to this stage. "But I tried to stay positive and hoped to get back and right now I'm just enjoying it." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3970887/Thomas-is-happy-at-Ibrox.html#ixzz1fEs2aQUz

NACHO NOVO is playing in the league which sees him take on Jose Mourinho on Saturday night. But for the ex-Rangers striker, the SPL will always be the special one. Novo, 32, has been away from Ibrox for 18 months now, since joining La Liga outfit Sporting Gijon. As a born and bred Spaniard he's living the dream facing the likes of Real Madrid, and he's up against Mourinho's men this weekend. But Novo still finds himself thinking back to his time in Scottish football. He told SunSport: "I don't know anyone who wouldn't want to be involved in this kind of game. It's massive. "Real are a really great team and a lot better and stronger than they were last year. "It's going to be hard, but we have done very well when we have played the top teams at home. Hopefully we can get a good result. "I'm looking forward to it. There will be around 35,000 inside our stadium and the atmosphere should be great. "But it won't be like a Rangers and Celtic match. For me that's still the best there is. Nothing I can experience in Spain will come close to it. "That's one of the things I miss about Scotland, the supporters. "It's not just for the Old Firm games. Every week they travel all over the country to watch their team. The weather isn't great and it can be expensive, but still the fans are there. They sing for their team and as a player that is amazing. "We have some great teams in Spain and it's great football. But there are sometimes games where the atmosphere isn't anything like Scotland. The culture is totally different. "What you have in Scotland, you just can't beat it. I miss it. "Scotland for me is my home. It's where I have lots of friends who helped me turn from a boy to a man. "I was always happy there and some day in the future I think I would like to go back. I really love it. "Scotland gave me everything I have now. It made me as a player and made me as a man. "From Raith Rovers to Dundee and then Rangers, I grew up there and cannot forget that. "People forget I was so young when I moved there. It's the place I think of as my home. "That may sound strange because I am from Spain and that's where I live now. But whenever we have time off I fly back to Glasgow to spend a few days with friends. "The problem is we train so much here, mornings and then in the afternoons. "The next time I'll be off is at Christmas time." Even in Spain Novo is glued to his TV watching Ally McCoist's side in action. Rangers' shock 1-0 defeat to Kilmarnock hit him hard last weekend. But his problem now is that his telly is on the blink. Novo added: "I got Sky TV for my house, but it's not been working properly. I'll need to change to another satellite company â?? or move! "I need to watch Rangers whenever I can. They are my team and they always will be. I have feelings for Raith Rovers and Dundee too, but Rangers are the team I support now. "I always check the results and I was disappointed to see they lost to Kilmarnock. "But Coisty and the lads are still at the top of the table and four points ahead of Celtic. That's the important thing." Novo has been in and out of the Sporting Gijon side because of injury this season, making just five appearances. But he scored a last-minute winner against Getafe last week for his first goal of the season. Now he's dreaming of a strike against Madrid this weekend. He said: "We created history for this club last season by beating them. It was fantastic. "All week in training we've been looking forward to this game. It's not a normal week because Madrid is special." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3970718/Id-rather-face-Celts-than-Jose.html#ixzz1fEkESJGh

We learned how the penny arcade should be performed:smile:

Big Lurch made a mess of that as well

Some people would call you pranoid:whistling::smile:

Spurs currently 2-0 at home,16 minutes played

BHEASTS get beat 1-0,what a shame

CELTIC stand-in skipper Beram Kayal believes the Parkhead club are ready to leave their early season woes firmly behind them by going on to win the domestic treble and vindicate his assertion that they are superior to Rangers. The Israeli international midfielder was in bullish mood ahead of tonightâ??s pivotal Europa League Group I fixture against Atletico Madrid at Celtic Park, which he and his team-mates approach on the back of a five-match winning run that has re-energised their campaign. Kayalâ??s comments underlined the fresh confidence in the Celtic squad following the sequence of victories which has put them in contention to reach the last 32 of the Europa League and also seen Rangersâ?? lead over them at the top of the SPL table slashed from 12 to four points. In a thinly-veiled swipe at their Old Firm rivals, Kayal also insisted Celtic were the most accomplished team in Scotland last season, despite missing out on the championship to the Ibrox men by a point. The 23-year-old is hugely optimistic that there will be no repeat of that disappointment this time around, revealing that Neil Lennonâ??s men have their sights firmly fixed on a clean sweep of the domestic trophies as well as an extended run in the Europa League. â??Last season we played the best football in the country and we showed that to everyone,â? said Kayal. â??It has taken time to come together this season, but the gaffer is now doing that very well. We looked to win the league last season but didnâ??t do it. I hope this season everyone can do their best to win everything in this country and do well in Europe. For this moment, we are coming back to the right way. â??I am sure we can play the best football again this season, because we have the best squad and the best players in this country. We havenâ??t played like we did last season, but we are now getting there. â??We have power in the team and the confidence has come back for everyone. This is a good moment to start playing well for the rest of the season. Over the last month, everything has come together. Everyone has worked hard and tried to do the maximum. Everyone feels much better, but we need to continue, not just to do it for one month. At the start of the season, we drew and lost a lot of games. At Celtic you need to win every game.â? Celtic are two points behind Atletico Madrid and Udinese in their Europa League group, with bottom-placed Rennes a further three points adrift. Victory tonight appears imperative if Celtic are to go into their final fixture, away to Udinese on 15 December, with the knockout stage within their grasp. â??I think we need four points from the last two games to qualify,â? added Kayal. â??But this is a good moment for the team. We have played well in the last five or six games and we need to continue that in Europe as well as the league. â??Atletico are a big club and a good team and we need to continue with our good run to beat them. We played well in our last European game here against Rennes, when we beat them 3-1, and we need to do the same job in this one. When we play at Celtic Park the fans give everybody energy and power. We know Atletico are a big team in Europe with a lot of world-class players, but we want to beat them to have a chance of continuing in Europe this season. â??When we lost 2-0 to Atletico in Madrid back in September at the start of the group, a lot of our players were experiencing European football for the first time. Now we have a stronger mentality.â? Kayal is preparing to hand the captainâ??s armband back to Scott Brown soon with the Scotland midfielder now back in full training following his recovery from ankle surgery. Brownâ??s long-term future at Celtic remains uncertain. His current contract expires at the end of this season and no agreement has yet been reached on a new deal. â??Scott is the captain of the team and is an important player,â? said Kayal. â??If he comes back into the team, he will give us more energy and help us to play well. He is a big player, a good man and a good friend but I donâ??t want to speak about his contract. I donâ??t know what the future will bring.â? Brown is unlikely to be pressed into action tonight with his return more likely to come against Dundee United at Tannadice on Sunday. Celtic have no fresh injury concerns for tonight, with defender Kelvin Wilson available for selection for the first time since September. http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spl/celtic_have_the_best_players_in_scotland_says_bullish_beram_kayal_1_1988621

Ha!,the big divet Carol just missed a penalty:tongue:

It is getting more and more expensive to attend games,especialy if you take kids,the best way to deal with the greedy chunts is boycott them,no doubt about it. Good on the Hearts fans if they go ahead with it,you couldn't/wouldn't get the Rangers fans doing that

At least it was only three,unlike the BHEASTS:tongue:

By BARRY ANDERSON Published on Tuesday 29 November 2011 11:54 HEARTS fans are considering boycotting forthcoming away matches at Celtic and Hibs because of new ticketing measures which will see them pay more than 25 per cent extra to attend the games. Officials at Celtic Park and Easter Road are opting to sell tickets straight to Hearts supporters and post them out, ensuring revenue goes direct to the home clubs without any involvement from Hearts. However, fans are outraged at the booking and special delivery fees they are being asked to pay to secure their seats. Hearts staff will not handle their allocation for the SPL encounter at Parkhead on December 10, nor the Edinburgh derby at Easter Road on January 2, 2012. But, inclusive of booking and delivery fees, a single Hearts fan attending the Celtic match must pay £35.70 for an unrestricted view ticket. Hibs are charging individuals marginally less at £34, again inclusive of delivery. The rise in cost is sharp for tickets costing £29 (full view) at Parkhead and £28 at Easter Road. Celtic claim the special delivery service is optional, but Hibs have made it compulsory. That means Edinburgh-based Hearts supporters cannot collect their tickets in person for the New Year derby and must pay £6 to receive them in the post, although group bookings will not be charged extra. Hearts fans are angered at such a dramatic price increase and are now contemplating staying at home on both occasions. “This will put a lot of Hearts fans off going to these games,” admitted Steve Kilgour, who is secretary of the Federation of Hearts Supporters. “Some folk have spoken about asking for a boycott, saying Hibs in particular can go and raffle for the money because we’ll just watch it in the pub. “I don’t think that’s the way to go but that’s the kind of things people are talking about. “Once again it’s Scottish football ignoring its paying punters. At a time when they are trying to get people through turnstiles, some clubs are making it harder and harder for fans to go to games. “This arrangement causes a lot of inconvenience, especially for supporters’ clubs. “We are used to dealing with Hearts directly and getting our orders in a group booking. There’s no guarantee of that same service from Celtic and Hibs. If this is being done because the other clubs suspect Hearts won’t pay them the ticket money they are due, then that’s just an excuse. “I think the other clubs want the money straight away, they don’t want to wait because they need cash themselves,” Kilgour went on. “Some people feel Hearts should do the same to Hibs when the time comes for them to come to Tynecastle next year. But all this is just making it harder for the ordinary paying supporter to get to a game. “There has been a bit of tit for tat between Hearts and Celtic in the past over tickets. But Celtic go out of their way to make you unwelcome as it is. “Parkhead is the most inhospitable place in Scotland to go and watch a football match. That goes from the stewarding right to the policing,” Kilgour claimed. “We’re Hearts supporters, we want to deal with Hearts. “We don’t want to deal with Hibs and we don’t want to deal with Celtic, or any other club for that matter.” http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/other-sport/hearts_fans_plan_to_boycott_games_at_hibs_and_celtic_over_ticket_prices_1_1988226