Frankie

Well done the the lads!

I don't think he's read the actual thread as I don't see anyone fawning - just people (including me) cautiously welcoming this initial concession but being sceptical about how well it will work.

The JJB coin may be good. The logistics are not and the deal should be annulled in our favour as they must be breaching contract.

Apparently July 16th mate but no confirmation from club on date or design. RFC Press Office did confirm to me in April that Umbro will remain provider but rumours persist about that being wrong. Carling deal also runs out next summer so the two stories, JJB and the lack of official information may be linked.

We've missed your positive input MF - glad you could take the time to get involved. The very fact the report gives 50 pages of criticism of the club (albeit too conservative for you) suggests that by immediate association most people would determine that the club chairman and CEO are implicated. At no point have anyone in the project suggested it will work either. But in the absence of anything else I thought I'd try and collate what many of us thought and put it together in one document. We can then take it further via submission and debate to the club and fan groups. Hopefully, we can get some tangible results but that is by no means guaranteed so your crystal ball could be correct. Does your crystal ball tell you what you'll be doing to change things as we fail? Not being snide, just interested in what you think will work to change the status quo and/or find improvements?

I agree mate which is why one of the main conclusions was that the Assembly itself is overhauled. I don't doubt the talent and integrity of the office-holders. I just think the system isn't working so should be changed/improved. We can only move forward using what we have. If we don't get the required results, then we can attempt something different.

What Big Spliff said... It is the summer holidays so people will be on their holidays so I can't expect organisation chairman to reply without consulting with their board colleagues. To be perfectly honest, this is a long game I'm playing here in many ways. I don't expect results immediately which is the more reason for debating the issues from a position of relative success - as SPL champions in the Champions League. Not as losers out of Europe and in severe debt.

Poor Chick - he's always taken the wrong way by people. I heard Ian1964 gave him a doing a few months back as well for nicking his threads. A few of the mods also tried to ban him because he keeps posting Rangers news in the general football forum. Because of all this bullying - for that's what it is - Chick may not come back after his summer holidays and David Currie or Richard Gordon may take his place. Better the devil you know?

John MacMillan says he'll get back to me asap. No reply from Andy Kerr or the RST.

I should also say that I've contacted all fan organisations again today informing them of Bain's comments. As such, I have made myself available if any of them want to discuss the report beforehand.

TB: Just back online after leaving work at 4pm. Allow me to answer as best as I can: 1. There is nothing planned in that regard. 2. I have asked to attend the meeting and await a reply. 3. He mentioned nothing specific which is why, like you, I feel it is important that a more in-depth debate takes place after any generic discussion. 4. I'd imagine that will be discussed at the initial meeting. The club will be present though so I'm sure both parties can come to an arrangement.

Of course. That's why the RST (and all other fan groups/websites) were offered the report to use as they saw fit. It appears the Trust have declined to become involved for the time being despite many of the points in their statement being part of the STS project. Fortunately, one benefit of the report being debated through the Assembly is that all fan organisations are involved and focussed in the one forum. Then we can have the open debate oft talked about.

See point about all fans reps being involved. Not to mention the club itself will be involved in the debate within the Assembly forum. Like I say, no-one expects instant tangible results but hopefully we can outline a strategy to ensure further debate is possible in or out of the Assembly forum.

I completely understand (and share) your scepticism mate. No-one is pretending a meeting of a club-funded committee is going to mean instant results. That's not going to happen. However, IMO, it is good news because it invites all fan representatives (Assembly, Assocation, Trust, NARSA, ORSA etc) to comment in an open, constructive fashion in a suitable environment. Moreover, I'd certainly hope (and will request) that after the initial discussion at that meeting, the issue should be opened up to the support at large to debate in a practical fashion with key club employees. Throughout the STS project, we have tried to maintain a constructive, positive attitude towards what we want to achieve. We've also ensured that every website and fan group we're aware of is kept informed as to progress even if they may disagree with the intentions of the report. To be clear, we're not naive, we're not stooges and we're certainly more than capable - as we've seen in the report - of ensuring the club are criticised. We also recommend the Assembly is overhauled so right away that should prove a talking point for those that have complained about it for long enough but done nothing. I think people have to ensure they read the whole document and, while we don't expect everyone to agree with every point, not allow the odd issue to cloud their judgement and spoil what has been a very positive project so far. After all the project is solely about the betterment of the club. Surely no-one can argue with that.

We are pleased to announce that Rangers FC - via Chief Executive Martin Bain - have now commented on our 'Setting the Standard' project of the last few months. Mr Bain has made the following points worthy of note by fans interested in the project: - The club have read the report and thanked the contributors for their constructive efforts. - Many of the issues highlighted in the report have been prioritised by the club but should be the subject of continued and informed debate. - The club are open at all times to constructive recommendations and suggestions. - The club welcomes the opportunity to work positively with the Rangers family. - To that end, the club are recommending the report (available for download here) be tabled as a main agenda item at the next Rangers Supporters Assembly meeting where the club will be happy to participate. We welcome this positive momentum and hope that this initial discussion will prove to be the first step towards an open debate between the support and the club in relation to the main points of the ‘Setting the Standard’ report. :spl:

These kind of reports are always a year behind; probably because they just get the figures in the summer of 2008 and it takes them 9 months to process them.

We can but dream mate!

Can't remember the last time I woke up at 11am with 2 daughters under the age of 2... As for the wife giving me an all-day pub pass every other week, there is no chance mate...! :D

Unfortunately while I've no sympathy for Setanta's demise, neither do I fancy Sky gaining more a stranglehold over football in the UK... 6pm kick offs on a Sunday don't enthuse me much either...

Very quiet on the Rangers news front right now, so thankfully we have Super_Ally showing us how the grandiose media coverage of the arrival of footballing God Tony Mowbray is somewhat flawed to say the least.... http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=801&Itemid=2 With the arrival of Tony Mowbray at Celtic confirmed last week, we have been flooded with glowing tributes for the scintillating attacking football Moggaââ?¬â?¢s sideââ?¬â?¢s treat the viewing public to. Any right minded individual is fully aware that it was for reasons other than football that led to the Celtic fans revolt against Strachanââ?¬â?¢s tenure. The outgoing manager was more successful than the darling of the demonic hordes; Martin Oââ?¬â?¢Neill, whose Celtic team employed a long-ball brand of football reminiscent of Wimbledonââ?¬â?¢s Crazy Gang. So the talk of the ââ?¬Å?Celtic wayââ?¬Â of playing football does not wash with this bear. Not since the ultimately unsuccessful, eulogised and over-hyped days of Tommy Burns have Celtic played any kind of exciting passing football game. One must remember it was Frank Rijkaard who first popularised the term ââ?¬Å?anti-footballââ?¬Â when referring to the tactics and game plan employed by Oââ?¬â?¢Neilââ?¬â?¢s charges campaigning in European footballââ?¬â?¢s second tournament. Fast forward a few years and another Barcelona employee (Lionel Messi) was levelling the same claim against Rangers. What the two games have in common is a positive result for the teams with the more meagre resources. Sour-grapes from the big spenders of Europeââ?¬â?¢s elite leagues? It is the appointment of Celticââ?¬â?¢s new manager, someone used to not winning in Celtic colours under Tommy Burns, which has again brought this issue into the media spotlight and onto the back pages of the newspapers. I watched a report on the BBC website with great interest yesterday. Whilst it was sadly lacking in substance and real in-depth reporting, it was none-the-less eye opening. Of the three Celtic fans they questioned (I guess the rest are in hiding after Rangers won the double) they were twice given the answer of entertainment as their main priority for the incoming manager. With a distinctly British bias to the list, the names that spring to mind, when considering managerââ?¬â?¢s who have provided entertainment in recent seasonââ?¬â?¢s include Arsene Wenger, John Hughes, Pep Guardiola and of course Mowbray. Wengerââ?¬â?¢s Arsenal has not won anything for 4 years. Hughesââ?¬â?¢ Falkirk narrowly avoided relegation and suffered the ignominy of conceding 7 goals in one league game playing a slick passing game. Mowbray of course refused to change his sideââ?¬â?¢s style during last yearââ?¬â?¢s Premiership campaign and whilst the other promoted teamââ?¬â?¢s managers led their team through a creditable first season culminating in retaining their top flight status, Mowbrayââ?¬â?¢s West Brom were sent back at the first attempt with barely a whimper. Now I am not going to argue it is impossible to play an attractive game and win things. Barcelona played some of the best football in Europe in winning a La Liga and Championââ?¬â?¢s League double this year. In some of their European fixtures the football was scintillating. Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Henry, Etoââ?¬â?¢o. The passing and movement was mesmerising. When it came to the crunch, in the semi-final against Chelsea they were fortunate to see off the opposition thanks to questionable officiating and a late goal as the beautiful football deserted them. And again, with Europeââ?¬â?¢s two form teams meeting at Romeââ?¬â?¢s Stadio Olimpico, the much anticipated quality football deserted both teams. So, yes, it is possible to play entertaining football and win. Itââ?¬â?¢s just very rare. Sticking to a strict mantra of playing attractive football does seem to be certain of one thing though. Ultimately, disappointment when the prizes are handed out at the end the season. Just ask Messrs Wenger, Hughes and Mowbray. Conversely, Ferguson, Mourinho and even Guardiola have shown flexibility. An aptitude to know when to sacrifice their footballing ideals to win the game. At a different level of competition, Walter Smith has shown the same pragmatism. Rangers battled valiant on four fronts 2 seasons ago. Competing for an unprecedented quadruple, we emerged with a creditable double. But not the two we wanted. Rangers could not tolerate another season without the big one last season. Again Smith emerged victorious with a double. This time he got his hands on the one we all wanted: the SPL Championship. Four trophies in 2 seasons, reaching the final match of every other competition competed for. That is the only measure of a manager and his abilities: silverware. History will look back far more favourably on Walter Smith than it will Tommy Burns. Mowbray would be better served aiming to emulate Burnââ?¬â?¢s nemesis than Burns himself. Hopefully, however, he will be fooled into believing the bewildering claims of the Celtic masses of preferring style over substance.

Click on the bar above the image to view it mate... You may then have to click the linked image to magnify it as well. Very funny p!sstake of Parkhead.

He's been released and this is more a PR stunt for him trying to get a new club as opposed to a real chance he'll sign for us again next season.

Cheers mate... LW are notorious for not honouring codes but we can try nonetheless!

Him and Wilson sound like an ideal long-term partnership... I've got a season review from Elfideldo that I've not had a chance to post yet. Does a great job that fella! Super wee blog!

I was also laughing at Liewell's first choice quotes and that no-one makes money out of Celtic FC...!