ian1964

Magic...............the MOPES are hurting bad already, they will be hurting more on Sunday night

THE COUNTDOWN is on to the climax of the SPL season and if you're anything like Dado Prso you'll be following the action on Rangers World! Rangers will win the title if they can beat Dundee United at Tannadice but it is clearly going to be a huge test.Dado Prso Dado, who will never forget winning the title on Helicopter Sunday, can't see the match on TV in his Monaco home so he will be following every kick of the ball on Rangers World. Prso said: "I don't have Setanta any more, but I will be on my computer and listening to the game on the club website. And I believe it will be nothing but good news for me to hear. Once a Ranger, always a Ranger!"

Gers Can Do It By Andrew Dickson ALEX McLEISH has backed Rangers to win their first SPL title this weekend since he led them to glory on Helicopter Sunday four years ago. The former Light Blues manager has paid close attention to the championship from his current position as Birmingham City's manager. Dado Prso celebrates winning the SPL title in 2005Walter Smith's men have a two-point advantage with just 90 minutes of what has been an astonishing campaign to go. And Eck reckons the Ibrox men have what it takes to haul themselves over the finishing line to claim the club's 52nd crown. He said: "I think Rangers have the edge now and they have to go to Tannadice and win, just as Celtic have to win at home to Hearts. "There are many theories about the approaches of various teams. Dundee United have something to play for while Hearts have secured a European place. "They could go to Parkhead and play relaxed football but Celtic could make it while United could play like world-beaters. "At the same time, you think about what's at stake for Rangers and when I do that, that's why I think they will win it this weekend." Of course, McLeish's memories of what happened in 2005 are as vivid now as they were back then. Gers went into the final fixtures trailing by two points but won 1-0 at Hibs as Celtic slipped up at Motherwell and crashed to a 2-1 defeat. Alex McLeish celebrates winning the SPL title in 2005Just as the title was the Parkhead outfit's to lose back then, the same applies now to the men from Glasgow's south side. But McLeish is hopeful of avoiding the same sort of drama as he experienced the last time Rangers won the league, a day he rates as his best ever in football. He added: "It was just one of those things that happen to you in your life you can only dream about and in reality it came true. "We went into the last weekend knowing things were out of our hands but our belief was such that we won it. "First and foremost, our task that day was just to beat Hibs. It sounds easy but we knew it would be hard against a good side that was going for Europe. "Our players were extremely professional and once we scored, our players' body language changed and you could see they really believed they could do it. "When the roar went up from the Rangers fans tuning into their radios after Motherwell scored their goals, it was probably the greatest feeling I've had in my football career."

by Thomas Jordan BARRY FERGUSON has seven offers on the table to leave Rangers this summer. But the deposed skipper will shelve all thoughts on his future until after Walter Smith's side bid to win the domestic double is decided. SportTimes understands that Ferguson has received approaches from clubs in England, Germany and the Middle East as he heads into the final year of his Ibrox deal. But he has yet to hold any discussions with the Ibrox hierarchy about his long-term future, and this will happen after the Scottish Cup Final against Falkirk on May 30. advertisement West Brom have led the way in the efforts to land Ferguson, and he has held talks with Baggies boss Tony Mowbray - but nothing had been decided and he is leaving his options open. His main focus is getting a starting jersey at Tannadice as Rangers attempt to win the SPL title. And that may well happen after boss Smith organised a closed-doors game with Manchester City on Tuesday at Murray Park in a bid to hone the sharpness of Ferguson, and other players who have been on the periphery. He played 45 minutes of that bounce match - and Smith is now considering starting him on Sunday because of his vast experience of these situations. It is believed the Rangers manager and the former skipper held talks last week at which Ferguson made it absolutely clear to his manager he was fully fit, committed and ready to play again if called upon. To that end, Smith then put him on the bench for the crucial game against Aberdeen last weekend, and the 31-year-old came on for the final half-hour to make his first appearance in seven weeks. Now, it remains to be seen if Ferguson will start against Dundee United just weeks after it looked as though he would never pull on a Rangers strip again. Meanwhile, reports in Italy today claim that Lazio are interested in Pedro Mendes. The Serie A side have secured a Europa League place for next season and are on the hunt for new players. Mendes arrived from Portsmouth last summer for �£3m. He was then the subject of a �£4m offer from Bolton in January, which Rangers rejected. However, with a big summer of change on the way at Ibrox in terms of personnel, Mendes may well be moved on if a big offer does come in. Blackpool have confirmed they are still trying to land Charlie Adam - even though they don't have a new manager confirmed for next season. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2509552.0.0.php

Exclusive by Alison McConnell DADO PRSO'S smile is obvious, all the way down the long-distance line from Monaco. There is a hint of mirth in his voice when he gives little thought to the question concerning whether Rangers are equipped to cope with the pressure ahead of their trip to Tannadice on Sunday afternoon. "Nooo," he laughs softly, swatting away the query. "There is no pressure on Rangers. Honestly. "They are professional footballers and all they have to do is go out and win their game. This is their reward for the hard work of the season." advertisement It all sounds so simple. Perhaps Prso, enjoying the good life of sunshine and wine and fine food in his Principality base, has lost sight of the vagaries that have beset Rangers at Tannadice in the recent past. Walter Smith's side face a United side that have been a thorn in their side - Rangers have won just twice in their last ten visits to Tayside -but the striker has every confidence that he will be raising a glass to his former colleagues come teatime on Sunday. Once described by Alex McLeish as his best-ever signing, Prso has followed this helter-skelter campaign in Scotland with interest. But by believing Rangers to be the dominant team in the SPL this term, he will not be sitting by his laptop this Sunday antsy with nerves. He will not check the score from Parkhead. Nor will his fingernails be chewed to the quick. He may, however, cast his eye enviously to Tannadice, where he believes the Rangers players have the chance to revel in the position they are in. Prso was part of the side that nicked in to win the 2005 title when Celtic blew it at Fir Park, but he sees no repeat of the situation this weekend. "It is fantastic for them that they are in this position," he said. "They should go out and enjoy every minute of the game because in the dressing room before the match they will know that this is the day the title will be won. "Everything is possible for them and if I was in the dressing room I would be saying to the players before the game that I didn't care what Celtic were doing against Hearts. "It doesn't matter if they beat them 10-0, so long as Rangers do their job. The beauty of the situation is that Rangers do not need to look over their shoulder. "Walter Smith and Ally McCoist and Kenny McDowall are clever guys. They won't have the players believing there is any pressure on them. They will absorb it all and have the players believing that the points are theirs to be taken. "I think the pressure is all Celtic's. They know they have to win to have any chance. "It was the same when we went to Easter Road in 2005. All week we had prepared with the mindset that we had to win the game and just see what happened, and it was a brilliant day for us. " It was one of the best feelings of my career, but it was Celtic who made the mistakes. They slipped up, but I do not see this Rangers team doing the same thing. They deserve the title. "When you know that all you have to do is win just one more game it gives you an energy and a purpose and I think they will win because they know what the prize is for just one more big 90 minutes." While Prso's bravado may not be shared by a travelling support who are preparing themselves for a heart-stopping 90 minutes, he did concede that United have been difficult opponents for Rangers. Last season Mike McCurry's career was halted by a controversial game between the sides at Ibrox and Craig Levein's side will require little in the way of motivation for this one. However, Prso has called on Rangers to look forward rather than backwards on Sunday. "Dundee United have always given Rangers a hard game, especially at Tannadice," recalled Prso. "They always seemed to have something about them when we went up there. And I am sure they will fight hard again on Sunday because they still need one point for their European place. "I have a lot of respect for them and their manager Craig Levein, but the Rangers players cannot allow themselves to have too much respect for them this weekend. "They cannot go into the game thinking about games that have taken place there in the past, they have to think only of what is in wait for them if they win." As Prso's knees buckled and he was forced to call a halt to his Ibrox career, Kris Boyd was embarking on his Ibrox tenure. The 25-year old will finish this season as top scorer in the country, but he has never quite won admirers in the way that Prso did. It was the Croatian's intelligence and use of the ball, not to mention his workrate, that endeared him to the Rangers support, but he has backed Boyd to revel in a monumental afternoon at Tannadice. "The fans will be everywhere in the stadium and they will be right behind them," he said. "They can help with their voices and their backing to ease the pressure, but I think this is a game that is just made for a Kris Boyd. "I would love to see him come out and score an early goal to settle everyone and if that happened I think Rangers would go on to win very comfortably. It would also be good not to give Celtic any hope in the game. "But even if the score is 0-0 with ten minutes to go, Rangers should not panic. They will need just one goal and they have the players there who can get it. "The players have to be brave, they have to be energetic and they have to be prepared to fight for everything. I think they have all of these qualities. "I don't have Setanta any more, but I will be on my computer and listening to the game on the club website. And I believe it will be nothing but good news for me to hear. "Once a Ranger, always a Ranger!" he chortled. "I love the club. It will always be close to my heart and I will always follow what they are doing. I have kept up to date with developments throughout the season and I believe this title belongs to Rangers." He expects to still be smiling by close of play this weekend. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2509554.0.0.php

Frankie, can you change the title of this thread to The positive thread

says Record psychic David IT'S the title race which has proved impossible to predict but one of the country's leading astrologers believes it's written in the stars for Rangers to be crowned champions on Sunday. Stargazer David Wells, who is also a psychic and best-selling author, is convinced the Ibrox club's spiritual journey will end on Tayside this weekend when they are presented with the SPL title. This season's championship battle has had more twists and turns than an episode of Strictly Come Dancing with the lead changing hands no less than three times in the last week alone. The outcome remains firmly in the balance heading towards this weekend's final-day showdowns at Parkhead and Tannadice. But while supporters, players and managers remain in the dark over the destiny of the championship Record Sport's very own mystic is backing Walter Smith's men to end Celtic's four-year stranglehold on the league crown. Using the respective formation dates of the Old Firm clubs and the birthdays of both managers Wells has based his predictions on chart readings given their relation to the solar system. The spiritualist has also assessed both likely line-ups and believes Rangers, who head to Dundee with a two-point advantage over Celtic, will answer the questions surrounding their ability to handle the pressure-cooker situation. Wells said: "What is really important for Rangers is Mars is very prominent and that was the case when the club was formed. "At the moment Rangers have a high concentration of planets in areas which define sport and that is good news for them ahead of Sunday's game. "They are going to be much more aggressive than Celtic although whether that aggression translates to goals is another matter. "Their strength of character has been called into question in the build-up to this weekend's match but I think that will be red rag to a bull. People questioning their bottle will only serve to fire them up. "Jupiter also appears in Rangers' chart and with that they have to be careful of not just looking pretty. "It needs to be substance over style if they want to win the league.They need to substitute pretty football for hard-faced aggression." After leading the way for the majority of the campaign Celtic's challenge appears to have petered out in the closing stretch. Dropping 20 points since January and costly slip-ups in two of their last three games at Ibrox and Easter Road have handed the initiative to Rangers. Wells said: "Celtic don't have any sign of aggression in their chart. In fact it is all over the shop. There are no major planets around and in comparison to their Old Firm foes it is bereft of strength. "Mars and Libra are on the periphery which makes them a lot less aggressive than Rangers. It's also strange they appear to have run out of steam as they do have plenty of stamina." Victory for Rangers at Tannadice will guarantee them the title regardless of the result at Parkhead where Celtic host Hearts. And while they have won just once in their last nine visits to Tayside, Wells, who has a dedicated fans' site called Wells' Angels, feels they will not let this opportunity slip by. He said:"Rangers will come out fighting at Tannadice. The big question is whether they have the sustainability? My advice to Walter Smith's side if they want to be champions is: Keep it going. "If Rangers flag for a second and let their concentration drop that could be catastrophic. "But when push comes to shove I think Rangers will be the winners. Providing they can control their anger and channel their belief in the right direction they will be champions. "Now before anybody accuses me of bias I'd like to make it clear I am a Rangers fan. Having been brought up in the Borders my family have always had an affinity with Berwick Rangers." Team selection, tactics, previous experience and bottle will all play key roles on Sunday and on that score Celtic have the upper hand. Wells said: "To confuse matters, Gordon Strachan has a luckier chart on a personal level. "Walter Smith is going to have to work a lot harder at motivating his players and making them believe they can do it. There's no doubt they have the ability to close out the deal. They just have to be convinced of that. Celtic players don't have any problems on that score as they have been there and done it several times before." If horoscopes are the choice of reading in the Ibrox dressing room there could be a worrying few days ahead for some of Smith's squad. Pedro Mendes was a major doubt with a knee knock for last week's game with Aberdeen andWells is predicting another major injury scare. He added: "The only problem for Rangers could be injury problems. I foresee some serious injury worries for the manager in the build-up to the game. "The players have to be very careful in the next few days especially when they are in their cars. I'm not predicting anything as serious as a crash but would urge them to be extra vigilant." http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/spl/rangers/2009/05/21/leading-astrologer-insists-spl-title-is-heading-to-ibrox-86908-21376581/

We've been unspectacular all season

I did expect Beasley to make more of an impact at Rangers, but not much, Sunday will be a battle and Beasley doesn't fit the bill

I've gone for Smith, simply because he has been playing there most recently and although he has done nothing spectacular he does seem to give a bit of balance to the team,plus I think Walter likes the cautious approach

It's just the screams of desperation from the MOPES,they're foaming at the mouth with bitterness, Hertz will do them at the Piggery on Sunday

RANGERS chief executive Martin Bain is delighted at the take up of season tickets so far for the coming campaign and has praised the Rangers fans for their continued commitment to the club. Supporters have once again shown great passion and dedication to the team, with a record 43,500 season ticket holders this year. Rangers FansSeason ticket renewals are ahead of expectations for next season and there is already a substantial waiting list with new supporters ready to be part of the action. Praising the fans for their unwavering support, Bain said: "Yet again the Rangers fans have shown their commitment to supporting the team year in year out. "Last season saw a record number of season ticket holders and we are on target again for the next campaign. "Despite the current economic climate, the Rangers fans have committed to their season tickets again for next season and we already have a considerable waiting list. "The club was determined to continue the strategy of making football more affordable for fans and providing value added benefits to supporters. "This was recognised with the recent Clydesdale Bank 'Best Fan Marketing Initiative' award which commended the club for its innovative ticketing and communications strategy. "Bringing the fans closer to the club and improving direct communications with the supporters has been a top priority and will continue to be next season. Martin Bain"The fans backing of the team directly contributes to its success and this has never been more true than in the current season." Season ticket holders benefit from Old Firm games and priority for European ties, free entry to Old Firm reserve and under 19 games, free entry to SFA Youth Cup ties plus free seat transfers for one-off games at Ibrox. Juvenile season ticket holders also enjoy an exclusive Q&A session with the management team and players and have the chance to take part in matchday flag processions and guards of honour on the Ibrox pitch in season 2009/10. Season ticket prices have been frozen for the third consecutive season and children will continue to benefit from the third off juvenile season ticket prices introduced at the beginning of this season. Prices for 2009/10 start from as little as �£96 for juveniles and �£298 for adults in the Broomloan Road Stand Family Section. Fans can join the season ticket waiting list in the following ways: * Online at rangers.co.uk * Via the hotline on 0871 702 1972 * By visiting the Rangers Ticket Centre

Looking forward to this game tonight, can hardly believe it's a year already !!,should be a good game

Try this mate http://www.bluenosebars.com/Welcome.htm

Well done again Jon

He has pulled out of the charity event, at Larkhall Masonic,stating the reason as too many people,MOPES, are up in arms over him attending this event which he had arranged months ago.............!!!!

Cheers, I thought it was the MOPES V Hertz

Feck knows who is playing, but the nerves are kicking in for me already!!!!!

Sit down shut up, do not be singing any '' pyure bad songs '', and no bloody drinking...............................................AYE RIGHT, GIRUY

That's because you threatened them with a libel action

A homecoming parade will be held for Manchester United if the club wins the Champions League final, 24 hours after the game takes place. Bosses of Manchester City Council and Trafford Council are preparing to host the celebration on 28 May, if the club are crowned champions in Rome. No parade was held when the club won the title in May 2008 after police said they feared "risks to public safety". In the same month 150,000 Rangers fans had been involved in riots in the city. 'Appropriate way' The supporters of the Glasgow club clashed with officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) leaving a number of people injured and causing substantial criminal damage. Manchester City Council had previously said the riots were a key factor in calling off the 2008 homecoming event. This year the players will be invited to lead the parade if the club defeats FC Barcelona on 27 May. Councillor Mike Amesbury, executive member for culture and leisure at Manchester City Council and a life-long Manchester United fan, said: "We'd be delighted to see the team now go on and win the Champions League and celebrate in the appropriate way with a parade through the city." The parade plan is currently being co-ordinated by the two local authorities, Manchester United and GMP. If Manchester United win, it will be the first time any club has clinched the Champions League title in two consecutive years. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/8048143.stm

Tayside Police said supporters and coaches could be searched for alcohol and sectarianism would not be tolerated. Eh!!, I hope they mean DUTD fans

If anybody can be bothered listening to it you can catch it here, although tonights show isn't up yet, maybe later tonight/tomorrow ???? http://www.realradio-scotland.co.uk/player/listen-again/kdfklf39/listen-2530/

To be fair, the comment was missed by Ewan & Roughie as the guy was spluttering it out in full rage, but then after it was brought to Ewans attention, via e-mails, calls or from the station itself, he did offer an apology for the comment and then slated the guy for it

I couldn't believe what I was hearing tbh, the guy was nearly choking himself with anger while saying it.