ian1964

I think most of the moronic TA would be happy if NO Rangers players were in the Scotland team. Forgot to add, so would I be happy if in no Gers players played for Scotland after the fiasco that seen the Rangers players booed by the TA, and singled out by the SFA.

Famine Song Assembly - UEFA Directive On the 19th June 2009, the Appeal Court of the High Court of Judiciary upheld a conviction against William Walls who had previously been found guilty of breach of the peace, aggravated by religious and racial prejudice, at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court in December – for singing/chanting ‘fuck the Pope’, ‘****** bastards’ and the Famine Song. The Appeal Court ruled that the term ‘****** Bastards’ was ‘either an expression of religious prejudice or racial bigotry or both’. Walls had also been signing the refrain from the Famine Song. In their written judgement the judges said: “The song calls upon persons of Irish descent, who are living in Scotland, to go back to the land of their ancestors, namely Ireland. The Court does not consider that the lyrics of this refrain bear any reasonable comparison to those of "Flower of Scotland" or indeed "God Save the Queen". Rather they are racist in calling upon people native to Scotland to leave the country because of their racial origins. This is a sentiment which, once more, many persons will find offensive.” The judges went on: “The Court also has no difficulty in accepting the Sheriff's conclusion that singing the refrain from the "Famine Song" and referring to persons as "****** Bastards" displays malice and ill-will towards people of Irish descent living in Scotland. In the context of a football fanatic, such as the appellant, who has presumably attended other Rangers' matches where this song has been sung, even if he did not know all the words to all the verses, he would be well acquainted with their general import and sentiment.” The Appeal Court supported the sheriff’s ruling that Walls was guilty of a racially aggravated breach of the peace. SFA/SPL SFA / SPL regulations starting season 2007/2008. The SFA and SPL introduced Guidance for Clubs designed to prevent incidents which involve unacceptable conduct at stadia in Scotland. Clubs must ensure that relevant policies have been adopted to prevent such behaviour and that where such incidents do occur they are dealt with effectively. Each club has a responsibility for the conduct of players, officials and supporters as well as other persons connected with the club. The Police control the stadium operation however to achieve compliance with the new guidance the club must conform with a lengthy checklist of conditions indicating that the club will not tolerate any form of unacceptable behaviour. It must also proactively raise awareness of the campaign to eliminate unacceptable conduct and take action against those who engage in such behaviour. The SPL considered taking action against the Club in regard to sectarian singing by supporters at Inverness at the opening game of the 2008-09 season. The club successfully challenged proposed sanctions after proving that the club had taken all reasonable steps to ensure appropriate behaviour, not that the offensive singing and chanting did not take place. Again, the Club was warned about potential consequences of inappropriate behaviour by fans in the future. UEFA Directive Assembly - UEFA Directive CLARIFICATION UEFA DIRECTIVES. Villareal Following the two UEFA Champions League fixtures against Villareal in February and March 2006, UEFA charged Rangers FC for being responsible for discriminatory chants sung by sections of their supporters at both matches, in particular, the ‘Billy Boys’ and ‘Fuck the Pope’. Rangers challenged the charges and the UEFA Control & Disciplinary Body cleared the Club in April 2006. UEFA appealed that decision and the Disciplinary Inspector called for the closure of parts of Ibrox stadium, as well as a CHF 35,000 fine. UEFA rules also allowed the consideration of forcing Rangers to play matches behind closed doors, as well as a stadium ban. The UEFA Appeals Body investigated the case and again Rangers FC challenged all charges. The club was fined CHF 30,000 and the closure or partial closure of Ibrox stadium, as originally sought, was prevented. However, the Club was severely warned about its responsibility for the future conduct of supporters and a directive was issued which stated (in conjunction with the Judgment from the Appeals Body): • ‘Fuck the Pope’ is discriminatory under UEFA rules • The ‘Billy Boys’ is associated “with an attitude that is strongly sectarian and thus discriminatory”. • The directive also instructed to the Club to implement a range of measures to demonstrate its continuing efforts to eradicate sectarianism, including the banning of supporters indulging in such behaviour, communication of anti-sectarian messages etc. • UEFA made it clear that the singing of the Billy Boys was prohibited. Songs and chants that referred to ‘fuck the Pope’ and ‘******s’ were also condemned. The UEFA directive referred to the ‘ethos’ of its decision and said that a club such as Rangers should be in a position to encourage behaviour that would not jeopardise the club at domestic and international fixtures. Osasuna Following the UEFA Cup tie against Osasuna in March 2007, Rangers were fined 20,000 Swiss francs for “discriminatory singing” by its supporters. Osasuna was fined far more heavily due to the lack of security arrangements on the night. UEFA specifically mentioned “No Pope in Rome”, “Fuck the Pope” and the Billy Boys as discriminatory singing and concluded the following: “UEFA has to send a strong message that sectarianism is unacceptable within football, especially within UEFA competitions. If Rangers FC wishes to compete in UEFA competitions, they must combat this behaviour not only on the occasion of home matches but also on the occasion of away matches. These incidents are ascribable to Rangers FC in accordance with Article 6(1) RD and must be punished accordingly.” Since that time, the Club has continued with informal liaison with UEFA and the Scottish football authorities and it is clear that the Club and its supporters are unlikely to be given the benefit of the doubt in the future should there be further incidents. http://www.thebluenose.co.uk/assembly/uefa-directive/

FORMER Scotland manager Craig Brown believes Kris Boyd should not be given the opportunity to resurrect his international career under Craig Levein. Levein is set to take over as national team manager after agreeing a four-and-a-half year deal with the Scottish Football Association. His appointment could pave the way for a return to the national fold for Rangers striker Boyd, who refused to play under previous boss George Burley after complaining of a lack of opportunities under the manager. But Brown would not welcome the sight of Boyd in the dark blue jersey of Scotland again. "You are either committed to Scotland or you are not. It shouldn't depend on who the manager is," said Brown. However, he believes the potential return of Barry Ferguson is a completely different matter. Ferguson and goalkeeper Allan McGregor were banished from the national team following the infamous Boozegate affair but could also find themselves back in the fold under the new regime. Speaking of Ferguson, Brown added: "He was actually told, I understand, by the SFA that he was finished, as was Allan McGregor. That's a different issue. He did not say he didn't want to play. He was told he wasn't going to play. "So they would have to rescind that if they decided to bring back Barry Ferguson." Brown does not expect Levein's history of conflict with the SFA to cause problems between himself and chief executive Gordon Smith in his new role. He said: "I don't think there should be too many concerns. "Craig was brought before various committees for indiscretions or comments about referees. "The figurehead of the establishment is the chief executive and he represents authority and Craig was not happy with some of the decisions against him. Quite clearly there was conflict there but I don't think it was a personal thing. I may be wrong but I don't think it was person to person." He added: "You've got to be diplomatic but Craig is an intelligent guy and I think he is sensible enough not to put his foot in it. "I'm sure he will be diplomatic. He will also be very authoritative and completely forthright and these are good qualities." Meanwhile, First Minister Alex Salmond added his best wishes, saying: "I wish Craig Levein every success as Scotland manager. I know he will have the full support of the Tartan Army and everyone in Scotland. He has been a successful club manager, and will put his considerable skills and knowledge to good use for the national team. "His focus on grassroots and youth development is particularly important and will be widely welcomed. "We have narrowly missed out on qualifying for major championships in recent years, and I'm sure that Craig can lead Scotland to the European Championship in 2012. "I realise that there will be considerable disappointment at Tannadice, as they are losing a great manager who put a very competitive side together, and I wish the club well in the future." http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/Craig-Brown-believes-there-should.5936820.jp

But by making that statement he is saying that the referees are not doing their job !!!. Monkeyheid,tell McGreedy to stop diving and cheating,football is a contact sport so if the poor wee tattie munching, pie faced turn coat crettin doesn't like it, tell him to go home

C'mon SA, get your priorities right

There's a bad 2-3 day bug going about just now

Tony Mowbray has claimed that Celtic winger Aiden McGeady is getting a rough time from SPL defenders ââ?¬â?? and the league's match officials aren't doing enough about it. Insisting he did not want to be accused of ââ?¬Å?moaning or whingeingââ?¬Â about the treatment of the Irish international, Mowbray said that referees need to protect talented players for the good of the game. McGeady has found form in recent weeks and was Celtic's star man in their 2-1 defeat away to Hearts on Sunday, which left them four points adrift of Rangers in the race for the Clydesdale Bank Premier League title. But the 23-year-old suffered some rough treatment as he embarked on his trademark tricky and weaving runs down the flanks and his boss ââ?¬â?? who was full of superlatives for his performance ââ?¬â?? says it is time for McGeady's bullies to be reprimanded. "It was a very special performance from Aiden - exceptional," Mowbray told Celtic View. "He was great on the ball, showed great feet and and was unbelievably direct at times. "Aiden created most of our chances with his individual skills but I don't think he is getting the protection his talent deserves. The number of fouls committed on Aiden against Hearts was really too many. ââ?¬Å?I don't want to come out in an open press conference and say this because I will be accused of moaning or whingeing but this is the right platform for me to talk about this. ââ?¬Å?I feel the officials need to protect the talented footballers because that's what the game needs. We are striving for talented, clever players. That's why people watch football and, if the players aren't being allowed to do that, then the game is in danger." McGeady's upturn in form has been a positive point in what has been a difficult past two weeks for the Parkhead club on the pitch. Victory over Motherwell on December 12 put them five points clear of Rangers, but defeat to Hearts ââ?¬â?? together with Rangers winning their game in hand away to Dundee United and maintaining their good form with wins over St Johnstone and Motherwell ââ?¬â?? saw a dramatic nine point swing in the Ibrox club's favour. Next up for Celtic are Hamilton on Boxing Day and then a trip to Kilmarnock before the pivotal Old Firm derby on January 3, which Mowbray hopes will herald his troops' return to the top of the table. "By the time we had finished the game against Hearts we were four points behind, because of the way the fixtures had gone,ââ?¬Â said Mowbray. "That's an unbelievable swing within a week but that's the kind of swing we have to target over the Christmas period. "The opportunities are there over the next three games to try and improve our current situation. We will approach every game positively and look to win all the games." http://sport.stv.tv/football/scottish-premier/celtic/146327-mowbray-wants-refs-to-protect-talented-mcgeady/

The Hivs are quite right to be optimistic/confident, however the way we are playing I am very confident of humping them on Sunday

Disagree, what a load of shite...............only joking

agreed agreed

Agreed. If we can continue to play as we have been recently then we will blow away anyone in the SPL,long may our form continue

Borrowed from another forum: Gers Cash Boost Rangers, the financially struggling champions of the Scottish Premier League, received more than €30 million from participation in this season's Champions League, despite exiting the competition after the group stage. Rangers, who benefited from the fact that rivals Celtic failed to qualify for the competition's group round, received €7.9 million in prize money for group stage matches - despite failing to win a single match. Rangers recorded just two draws in the group, and suffered a humiliating loss against Unirea Urziceni at Ibrox. The team secured a point in the return fixture, as well as away in Stuttgart, but did not win a single one of their three matches in Glasgow. The €7.9 million is far from the only financial gain Rangers will receive from the competition. According to a study commissioned by MasterCard, Uefa will make additional payments to group stage teams dependent on the commercial success of the tournament, which the report suggests could amount to approximately €12 million per club. The study also suggests ticket revenues have generated an average of €8.55 million in income from the group stage, with commercial and marketing revenues accounting for a further €6 million on average. All told, Rangers have collected well over €30 million from participation in the competition. That money could prove vital to the club's future, after a season so far dominated by headlines of financial woe. Rangers are far from alone in the Scottish top flight in facing such problems - the collapse of Irish broadcaster Setanta last summer left a huge hole in the league's revenues - but their dificulties have been more publicised than most. Manager Walter Smith will work without a contract from next month as the club's majority shareholder, Sir David Murray, tries to sell his stake in the club.

I'm not saying I am right SA, maybe our resident accountants can clear it up ,step forward Craig & BD

we made ââ??¬7.9m from the games, about ââ??¬10m from TV for Scotland, and about ââ??¬3m for the 3 homes games. So that takes you to about ââ??¬21m ?, bad maths from me ??

So according to this Rangers earned about €21m ?.

A team that competed in the UEFA Champions League group stage this season is likely to receive a minimum amount of €7.1m according to the revenue distribution system in place for the 2009/10 campaign. Group-stage dividends Each of the 32 clubs in the group stage will receive a participation bonus of €3.8m plus a match bonus of €550,000 per group game played. On top of this, performance bonuses will be paid: €800,000 for every win and €400,000 for every draw in the group stage. Knockout rewards From there, the 16 teams that reached the first knockout round will each collect €3m, the eight quarter-finalists €3.3m apiece, and the four semi-finalists €4m each. The winners of the final in Madrid on 22 May will pocket €9m and the runners-up €5.2m. It follows, then, that any side winning all six group-stage games would be entitled to €11.9m, a figure that would rise immediately to €14.9m because that side would be qualified for the last 16. Distribution model This season a fixed amount of €413.1m has been destined for clubs in the UEFA Champions League from the group stage onwards and in the UEFA Super Cup. FC Barcelona, as winners of the 2009 UEFA Super Cup, picked up €2.5m and runners-up FC Shakhtar Donetsk €2m. UEFA's distribution system is based on a projected figure for the gross commercial revenue created by the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League and the 2009 UEFA Super Club. UEFA encourages all clubs to adopt a prudent approach in budgeting anticipated income. Solidarity payments Some €55m has been allocated exclusively to the UEFA Champions League play-off round, meaning each of the 20 clubs participating in the play-offs could expect a fixed amount of €2.1m. As in the 2006-09 cycle, €10.3m will also have been reserved for solidarity payments to teams eliminated in the qualifying phase of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. Media and commercial Seventy-five per cent of the total revenue from media rights and commercial contracts concluded by UEFA, up to a maximum of €530m, will go to the clubs. The remaining 25 per cent will be reserved for European football and remain with UEFA to cover organisational and administrative costs and solidarity payments to associations, clubs and leagues. Sharing of additional revenue Eighty-two per cent of any revenue in excess of €530m will go to the clubs, with the remaining 18 per cent benefiting UEFA and European football as explained above. Furthermore, 6.5 per cent will be deducted from the gross share of participating clubs for distribution to clubs not participating in the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League but from leagues with one representative or more in the UEFA Champions League play-offs or group stage. Market pool The estimated available amount for the television market pool – €337.8m – will be distributed according to the proportional value of each TV market represented by the clubs taking part from the group stage onwards. A given national association's share will be split between its participating clubs according to these clubs' performances in the previous domestic league season and also in proportion to the number of matches that each of the teams plays in the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League. Ã?©uefa.com 1998-2009. All rights reserved. http://www.uefa.com/uefa/keytopics/kind=16384/newsid=935017.html OOPS!, this is in the wrong place !!

MADJID BOUGHERRA collected the Algerian player of the year award last night ... then repeated his intention to see out the rest of the season at the Ibrox club, writes Thomas Jordan. The Rangers defender has been linked with a return to the Premiership during the January transfer window, but said he is ââ?¬Å?200 per centââ?¬Â committed to trying to help Rangers defend their SPL title this season. He said: ââ?¬Å?The Premier League is my objective. In terms of motivation and desire, I think I have the qualities to play there. ââ?¬Å?With which club, I donââ?¬â?¢t know. However, I feel I have the potential because I have already played there. ââ?¬Å?Now, if I leave Rangers, it would have to be to a club with ambitions. I have learned how to win trophies and titles and I want more. ââ?¬Å?I donââ?¬â?¢t think I could play for a club that has nothing to play for. It is clear that Iââ?¬â?¢ll finish the season. We will see what the future holds. But Iââ?¬â?¢m 200 per cent staying with Rangers for now.ââ?¬Â

And a MOPE

We'll be ok against the thuggish MOPES

I've already said he will come good,I am a fan

Not forgetting the incredible decision to give the POTY award to Clodwell over Bougherra

I don't think we should change our formation or personel,especially for the Hivs game,in fact for any of our games including the MOPES game,the way we are playing these teams will be shitting it from us,if we continue on this form our guys will RAPE the MOPES

STEVE CONROY will take charge of his first Old Firm clash when Celtic and Rangers go head-to-head at Parkhead on January 3. It will be 43-year-old Conroyââ?¬â?¢s first crack at handling an Old Firm clash ââ?¬â?? and the SFA are convinced he has what it takes to come through the biggest test in his refereeing career with flying colours. Conroy has taken charge of games involving both Celtic and Rangers in the past, but this is his first oppor-tunity to be the man in the middle when they are facing each other. The SFA aim to introduce a new batch of referees to the famous fixture. The only top-flight officials who have taken charge of an Old Firm clash are Craig Thomson, Dougie McDonald and Calum Murray as the recent retirements of Kenny Clark and Stuart Dougal have left the SFA short of referees with Old Firm experience. But Conroy is now believed to possess the credentials to cope with whatever the fixture might throw at him ââ?¬â?? and it is understood he has worked closely with refereesââ?¬â?¢ chief Hugh Dallas in recent times. He did, however, send Walter Smith to the stand earlier this season as Rangers dropped two points against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. The whistler had earlier sent off Pedro Mendes in one of four red cards he has shown in 11 appearances this season. He has also issued 49 cautions in those matches. Conroy was also in charge when Celtic drew at home to Dundee United earlier in the season as well as in their recent victory over St Mirren.

I agree regarding Fleck,I firmly believe he will eventually come good as there is no doubt he has the talent.Little will get more game time as well and Wilson seems to have made the step into the first team with ease so he will play a big part this season

I didn't think he was much better than any of our own youth players,they are all good young potential but it's making the next step up where most seem to fail,for instance Fleck is full of potential but has yet to take that next step. All that aside I hope the lad goes onto make the grade.