JFK-1

Crooks is more highly rated by the Accrington fans. He's a 6 ft 4 in tank of a guy who may be the answer to the defensive midfielder role and can also nod them in up front. A verstaile player.

Playing position; Defender/Midfielder/Striker

It’s an interesting debate indeed. Was there not a poll among Old Firm fans prior to the Referendum that showed more Gers fans were in favour of a Yes vote? From my own circles of family and friends, the overwhelming majority of No voters were all Celtic fans and I’m married into an Irish catholic family. From the 8 close mates of mine that are Rangers fans, 7 of them were all Yes voters and all 8 of them were Atheists. (I literally don’t know an actual Protestant to be honest) I think there is a large number of people who would use their in a referendum/election based on the perceived prejudice and bias against/for their team and fair doos to them but I’ll be honest I’ve never once entered the ballot box with Rangers in mind. I think it’s easy for the press and other people to generalise about the Rangers fan base but I’m sure if there was a survey showing the political, social and cultural breakdown the fans, many people would be very surprised.

It's not really about religion in Scotland as such is it? Chances are the majority of people in Scotland are basically atheist as I am so why would anyone care about any religious doctrine that has no relevance for them? I don't care any more about religious mythology than I do about Santa mythology.

It's a form of tribalism that's rampant in Scotland with granted the tribes tending to form around a nominally religious stance even though they aren't religious. Might be more accurate to describe it as British v Irish. Whether some may like it or not we are British and no one seems to be acknwledging that the core root of this is an Irish element abusing the British flag and head of state all while voluntarily living under that flag and head of state.

I don't know if people outside the bizarre situation actually grasp that and think it's a religious divide when at core it isn't really. I don't know if even the English grasp that.

Yeah, not an egomaniac at all.

I agree. He is one of the greatest players of all time but he's not a 100% team player, it's more about him than it is about the team. His penalty was magnificently taken and maybe even the best of an exceptional bunch but there were others out there on the night far more deserving of the praise he was looking for and got simply because he hit the winning penalty.

He should be taking the first penalty not the last to get the ball rolling with a good start. He did exactly the same thing at the 2012 Euros semi when it came down to a penalty shoot out between Spain and Portugal. He chose to take the final penalty exactly like he did tonight and he didn't even get to take one because their first kicker missed to put them up against it right from the start and Portugal were out.

He chose to take the final penalty to give himself the best chance of hitting the winner.

Something had to give. Exceptional display of penalty taking.

First 5 all class penalties.

It's becoming a match now. You're lucky you missed the first half of it.

Spoke too soon.

What does this remind you of? Atletico getting plenty posession but doing nothing with it.

Hardly a classic so far. Might become a bit more exciting second half when Atletico reach a point they have to go for it.

Atletico struggling to defend set pieces - have they been watching us defending them ?

Don't remind me. I don't know how i'm going to survive next season if it's another one cringing at every set piece or high ball into the box.

Great stop from the Atletico keeper in the first 5 minutes but I suspect it may take many more like that to keep Real at bay. Then again this has been the year of the underdog with Leicester City the prime example.

Another midfielder. I would rather get Bentley if it came to one or the other.

Premier League spot estimated to be worth £170m

I don't get how anybody needed to have their minds changed. Despite sky declining to show the worst of it what else was needed to convince anybody that within 10 seconds of the final whistle there were thousands of them pouring on to the pitch and charging towards the Rangers end?

If they hadn't done that there would have been no one who wasn't supposed to be there on the pitch and even if they had waited till Rangers players had left the pitch and then more or less stayed in their own half again there would have been no one else on the pitch. Right from the start when it became clear a fantasy version of happy dancing little munchkins was taking shape I always felt it would be unsustainable and that reality was always going to come to the fore.

There can be no denying this was a horrendous display by their fans and I shudder to think what the outcome would be if they did exactly the same thing during a Euro match. Think UEFA would be talking about exuberance if opposition players were being assaulted in one of their tournaments? It's ludicrous.

I sometimes wonder if Hartson is simply given a box of random words to throw together in any way he pleases. All in the same spiel he says Joey Barton is no big deal then goes on to say he is a great acquisition. And Joey Barton didn't come from "Spain, Italy or Germany" he only came from the seventh richest league in Europe while presumably Hartson's hero's are lining up bids for the cream of La Liga?

After his embarrassing failure of prophecy for the Scottish cup semi final you would think this man would have learned a lesson about trying to keep the foot away from the mouth but seemingly not. But anyway, I will be keeping a close out for the coming celtic raid on Europes elite leagues.

What a load of shit.

They'd be much better using positive images of a family to promote the kit

If that could sell more kits I'm pretty sure that's exactly what they would have done. They're trying to sell kit it's not their place to promote some happy days style fantasy family values while they're doing it.

Really not enthused by this new format

I would hazard a guess that Motherwell, Partick Thistle, Hamilton or Kilmarnock may not be too enthused by it either. Who would want to have Rangers thrown into their group as a "second seed"? Though I suppose since none of that bunch would realistically be expecting to win the cup the chance of a tie and a cut of the gate at Ibrox may be appealing.

 

I hope he does goes in with the 'I'm not sacred of you type attitude' because he'll be more liable to drop a clanger. However I think his advisers & lawyers will be extremely careful to prompt and stop him where they deem neccessary.

I don't know what the procedure is for this type of thing. It's not a court so I'm thinking along the lines that he may have to go in there and face them alone with no prompting from lawyers on the sidelines. That would be the preferred scenario because this is an individual who appears to have developed a führer type mentality and who may snap when faced with people who have no respect for his kind of mindset.

A high up police officer will not want to burn his fingers on a statement like that without serious proof.

Unlike the record apparently. It amounts to libel if this is nothing but hearsay from invisible men and so far that's all it looks like. If there were thousands of people out there somebody must have evidence. It's the type of thing that would be on youtube in minutes. Cop cars being attacked? Potential viral video if it existed.

Frankly I don't believe a word of this for a number of reasons. Claims allegedly coming from some anonymous cop? This as an example.

One account given to the Record said a “mob mentality” prevailed outside the National Stadium after Hibs beat Rangers 3-2 in Saturday’s Scottish Cup final.

Really? That means anything? It's ludicrous and it could just as well say one account given to the record said aliens prevailed outside for all the worth such rambling has. I kept looking for some official acknowledgement of such a claim and this is the nearest they can get to any such thing.

We asked Police Scotland to address the officers’ accounts. They responded with a general statement.

 

Quoting Assistant Chief Constable Mark Williams, it read: “A full criminal investigation is now under way.

 

“We have a dedicated incident room and I’d appeal to anyone who has information in relation to criminal

behaviour at Hampden on Saturday to contact detectives on 0141 532 5457.

 

“Although we’ve made a number of arrests, I fully expect more to be made in the coming days as we sift through evidence from CCTV and other video footage and photographic images.

 

“Public safety is our No1 priority and the pitch incursion was unacceptable and jeopardised that.

 

“Our response was immediate, measured, proportionate and professional. In a short period of time, we deployed mounted officers, public order and conventional officers to separate the opposing supporters.”

Not even a hint of a comment backing up the claims of this article.

"they can bolt"... Am I being a prude and unjustly mentally stereotyping the type of person that typed this ?

If so i'm in the same category as you because I mentally did exactly the same thing.

And as for the authorities appealing for help in identifying the worst offenders in here I have seen an acceptance that anyone who went over the line so to speak such as the guy kicking the boy in the head should indeed be identified and punished but believe me that's not their opinion of it at all. This is their opinion regarding the request to identify offenders.

They can bolt,im no getting any hibbys into trouble even if they do deserve to get nicked,

He said Binnie, who has no previous convictions, was deeply ashamed.

Yet strangely the vast majority are not deeply ashamed. On the contrary they're proud of themselves the vast majority being those who weren't among the few to be captured.