Frankie

Also, rooms can be booked at a preferential rate of just �£75 inc B&B for those attending the dinner...

Either/or...!

Would certainly be good if we could organise that... If anyone is interested, let me know by PM.

As always people - let's stay on topic and opposed to boring personal stuff.

Rangers fans are well known for their incredible support of various charities whether it be through the official club charity foundation or many different smaller ventures that have been extremely successful over the years. To that end, Gersnet are delighted to announce our support for one such charity. ââ?¬Ë?Moni Malawiââ?¬â?¢ is a new charity set up to create awareness of the plight of the African country and to raise money to assist its people. ââ?¬Ë?Moniââ?¬â?¢ means ââ?¬Ë?helloââ?¬â?¢ in Chichewa, the principle language of Malawi. The charity name therefore translates as ââ?¬Ë?Hello Malawiââ?¬â?¢. Malawi is a landlocked country in southern Africa. With a population of 14 million it is one of the least developed yet most densely populated countries in the world. Per capita GDP is Ã?£450, compared to the UK figure of Ã?£20,000. The country suffers from high infant mortality, low life expectancy, and a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS. As such a group of like-minded football fans met to decide how they could raise money to fund specific projects in areas of need. In setting up ââ?¬Ë?Moni Malawiââ?¬â?¢ they believe that they can make a real difference to the lives of some of the poorest people in Malawi, and indeed the world. Further information can be found on the website by clicking here. The range of skills, experience and contacts available to ââ?¬Ë?Moni Malawiââ?¬â?¢ as a group is encouraging and the charity would welcome like minded individuals to join them in achieving their goals. Their Board of Directors have previously been involved in successful fundraising dinners, and as such their forthcoming Dinner and Dance will form a cornerstone of their fundraising later this month. The charity is also committed to individual projects through the course of the year, in addition to other fundraising ideas which will be updated regularly on their website. The smallest contribution to Malawi can make a big difference and Gersnet would invite you to join us at the Dinner and/or take part in other fundraising activities or sponsorship schemes. The Dinner and Dance is on Saturday the 28th February at the Thistle Hotel, Glasgow with tickets available at an unbelievable price of just Ã?£60. Suffice to say the entertainment on offer is literally second to none. With speakers such as Ewen and Roughie from Real Radio; SFA Chief Executive Gordon Smith; and the inimitable Bill Copeland, there is something for everyone. Add in an exclusive performance from Sandi Thom (featuring some special guests) followed by dancing the night away with the ââ?¬Ë?Republic of Soulââ?¬â?¢ then every taste is catered for. As well as all the entertainment, there will be a superb 4 course dinner as well as a raffle and auction with some superb prizes! Tickets can be bought for the event by pm-ing me. We hope to see you all there! Please note ââ?¬Ë?Moni Malawiââ?¬â?¢ is a registered Scottish charity (SC040141).

Ah that old chestnut...

Sure was... Booo!

Why haven't my chatty moderators moved this topic?

Starting XI: ______________Alexander_______________ Dailly___Broadfoot_____McCulloch____Smith Naismith_____Edu______Hemdani____Wylde _______Miller___________Boyd____________ Both Boyd and Wylde bagged a brace. Edu and Miller best players on the pitch.

Christ no.

Cool - glad to hear it. Still don't give the rumours much credence though.

New prize next month... This is an excellent book though even if you don't particularly like Smith as a manager.

And their pet journalists will be ready to lift the carpet for them as usual....

Not very many entries so far.... Come on lads - get them in!

Booooo!

Strange - the SFA are always usually available for comment when it is fans under scrutiny?

One would think so. In addition, McGeady was suspended by the club for 2 weeks for calling his gaffer names. Seems Boruc can do much worse and only get a 'record' fine.

Is this Celtic preparing the spin for any potential problems...? http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/2009/02/11/exclusive-hit-artur-boruc-with-club-record-fine-demands-celtic-boss-gordon-strachan-86908-21113999/

The problem with such a rumour is that if it were true, there's no way the paper would wait a week or longer to expose the story for fear of being trumped. Boruc is daft and his behaviour rather eccentric at times but I doubt even he would be silly enough to get involved in something like that - Eastern European background or not.

Basically if you enter the link into the RSS part of your mobile it means you can view the latest articles when you're unable to get online.

Yeah, this rumour was on FF earlier today.... Can't see it myself.

Take the game to Celtic - go 4-4-2 and get at them!

I don't mind a 4-5-1 as long as we play with 3 distinct offensive players behind him - not two holding players and just one. However, I do doubt that we have any player capable of supplying the same physical link-up threat Cousin used to give us against Celtic. Miller has done well in this role for Scotland but his form of late has been abysmal so he cannot start.

The point about our player pool and associated contracts is a very important one. Of course Rangers, like every club, are subject to chaos theory when it comes to signing players. Success is guaranteed with signings and player careers can turnaround on a very quick basis (good to bad and vice versa). As such, it's vital that we utilise contract negotiations throughout a player's RFC career to maximise what we get out of it. Players want security and want bonuses so as therabbitt suggests, we work to those guidelines but weigh it in our favour. As AMMS suggested last week, this is particularly important with our younger players but can also be applied to older signings. Why shouldn't we write stuff into contracts to take into account ongoing status so both the player and the club can re-examine their position and nullify their contract? Why shouldn't we have clauses to protect us from unwelcome bids and/or to maximise income should a key player inevitably leave? It will of course be argued that the player does hold the aces in many ways - especially in the high end of the transfer market. Thus, IMO, all the more reason to be more creative in our scouting, signing policies and contract negotiations. One thing is for sure, the status quo is untenable and despite the bizarre public statements of the chairman over the last month, we need to take responsibility for the mistakes and ensure they don't happen again. That Must be done via a long term plan - not short fixes which leave us worse off time after time.

Of course it is rudderless but I think the conclusion is that it need not be a permanent problem but one that can be fixed under this regime or under a new one. As is the case with all these articles, it is a given that the club is under-performing. However, we need to examine why and offer solutions for change. Similarly, the club needs to be willing to accept such constructive criticism and act upon it.