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With tonight's closure of the transfer window now looming closer by the second it's becoming crystal clear that staying in Europe or more specifically, the Champions League this season was paramount to the ability of the new manager to start building a new, deeper and higher quality squad. That may well seem like stating the obvious, but I think we should ask ourselves if Ally was really afforded the opportunity to strengthen for our European campaign given that the club were very public about supposedly bidding for and trying to bring in the players who might have helped keep us in Europe, but either failed or backed off on the deals. Obviously it's all history now, but I wonder what players like Roland JuhÃ?¡sz, Wesley Verhoek and David Goodwillie might have offered the manager in terms of team selection options in our Champions League and Europa League games had we signed them up and registered them instead of messing about with low bids and flimsy attempts to acquire their services. Despite it being too late to help us in Europe, we finally brought in Alejandro Bedoya after a lengthy period of the club saying 'we want him NOW', but if we're to believe media reports, we supposedly went back to Ã?â??rebro with a lower offer than we had previously made just a couple of weeks earlier. No matter what anyone says about the player having been on the last X amount of games of his contract, if it's true that we did that, then it highlights one aspect of our new and somewhat bizarre concept of transfer market dealings. Is it a concept which involves telling the fans, the media and other clubs that there's money there for these new players the club are bidding for, then that money just seeming to disappear into thin air when the bids all fail? Imagine an episode of South Park where illusionist Paul Daniels is running a football club and dabbling in the transfer market with a top hat, a dove and a pile of magic money. No you see it, now you don't. It's Magic! Another strange series of events was the attempt to sign Carlos Cuellar from Aston Villa, now managed by former Gers manager Alex McLeish. In this case, the Scottish press reported that Villa had accepted a Ã?£2m bid from Rangers for the player. Fans were literally ecstatic about it because Cuellar aka 'King Carlos' was a cracking, no nonsense defender who was absolutely brilliant in our run to the UEFA Cup Final, a run which ended in his sale to Villa for almost eight million pounds. Good business to get him back for Ã?£2m then, but what happened to the deal? We had the bid accepted and it was supposedly still on the table until we went out of the Champions League. Then, all of a sudden the deal was off because he was still injured when in actual fact the club knew that he was injured all along. Am I missing something here? Did the guy's return from injury being slightly delayed put us off buying him back for nearly Ã?£6m less than we sold him for? You have to wonder.... Roland JuhÃ?¡sz? Were we really ever intending to buy this guy? After a drawn-out saga of us being told the club were making bids and having them rejected, we were reported to have made a final Ã?£3.5m bid for the player. In actual fact we must have bid significantly less than that for the deal to just fall apart because both JuhÃ?¡sz and his agent were keen for the deal to come to Ibrox to happen and Ã?£3.5m is what Anderlecht were reportedly seeking for the player. I'm intrigued as to what really happened to that deal, but if I was taking a guess it would be something along the lines of going out of the Champions League meant that there was no way the club could afford to spend Ã?£3.5m on a defender no matter how good he is. I think we'll skip all the details of the Goodwillie saga here because it was another drawn-out affair and in this case there were extremely unusual circumstances involved regarding his personal life, but it's worth noting that yet again we failed to sign a supposed top target. I can't help thinking that if we were ever serious bidders and the club really wanted to sign him, then David Goodwillie would be a Rangers player. We certainly need another striker because Kane Hemmings was going to be one of our back-up strikers in the squad this season and now he's out till Christmas or beyond due to an injury requiring surgery. Ally actually said he wanted another striker before Kane got injured, so maybe we need to bring in two strikers now? One thing is clear in my mind and that is that we haven't actually replaced Kris Boyd or Kenny Miller with another deadly goal-scorer. Nikica Jelavic is a fantastic player, but we need another 25 goal a season striker to partner him and fill the glaringly obvious void left in our attacking arsenal since the Boyd and Miller partnership moved on. It's time for our new owner to put the top-hat, dove and magic money back in the box of tricks and get his really money out because this isn't a scathingly satirical magic show on an episode of South Park; this is Rangers Football Club and it's real life. The transfer window closes in a few hours time and we need another striker Mr. Whyte.

Super_Ally discusses why some people seem to prefer the negativity over enjoying our unrivalled domestic success. The Rangers Rollercoaster - Do You Enjoy The Ride? From the slopes of dear old Ibrox to the underfoot gravel of Recreation Park (Alloa) I, like no doubt many other fans, have been and taken in a game of football at a variety of sporting venues. Some great, some small. Some empty, some full. Some noisy, some quiet. Whatever the make-up of the spectators, however, there is one constant; they are all there to watch their team hoping for a victory and a performance to match. Fans up and down the country pay their money to sit amongst a few hundred or tens of thousands. To watch their heroes and cheer them onto glorious victory or demoralising defeat. They travel in numbers from one corner of the country to another. We Rangers fans pay more than most for the privilege of watching our team at Ibrox or away. We of course pay for more than our smaller competitors and down through the divisions. Yet the other side of that coin is that we get to watch international footballers playing at a far higher standard, watching in relatively far greater comfort as our team competes week in, week out for national and European honours. More often than not we watch our team win. Take last season�s SPL matches; Walter Smith�s team emerging victorious on 30 occasions out of 38 matches played, witnessing just 5 defeats. We secured a League and Cup double winning 2 of 3 national trophies for the third year in a row, competing in European competition against Manchester United and Valencia. Going back to that comparison with one of the countries smaller teams then. In 36 league games Alloa fans enjoyed the thrill of victory on just 9 occasions. Defeated in the Cup by Hamilton in the fourth round, League Cup involvement lasted just two rounds. Rangers are a huge name known across the globe with everyone aware of and respecting our derby game. We have won a world record number of league titles and over 100 major honours. We play in Europe, to a greater or lesser extent, pretty much every year. When at home we watch our team in one of the few stadia ranked 5* by UEFA. It has to be asked then, why do fans of these so called diddy clubs seem to enjoy their football so much more? Most probably standing not seated, in driving rain and wind. Cold and wet watching a standard of football you probably think would make your own game of 5�s look like a Champions League clash. Yet fans of the smaller clubs do at least appear to derive some enjoyment from their fanatical following of their team. It is an uncomfortable fact that Rangers are no longer as strong as we were even 10 years ago. The quality of player plying his trade in our blue shirts has undoubtedly decreased. We in theory have a reduced ability to compete in Europe and certainly we compete with an inferior calibre of team for potential new signings. This is not an appeal to accept lower standards. We have not fallen so far as Leeds, from Champions League Semi-Finalists to England�s lower divisions. Liverpool have fallen from a side who dominated their domestic league to a side with a forlorn hope of regaining the title each year, despite it never really looking likely. Even Real Madrid currently have to suffer as Barcelona�s whipping boys as the Catalans sweep all before them. Football, like any sport runs in cycles. There are winners and losers and you are never always one nor the other. As a fan of any side, you have to be able to take the rough with the smooth. Support your team through thick and thin. At Rangers we are fortunate enough that we get to enjoy far more of the good times than the lean. We routinely see our team lift silverware on an almost yearly basis. Is it that familiarity with success, that expectation of victory that fuels this unrealistic demand for continual, unyielding success? Rangers are purportedly more than a club. Many of the older generation of fans like to remind us that it is about more than just the football. Why is it then, that we only seem to sing when we are winning? There are a vast number of our fans who are too busy ruing the missed opportunities. To engrossed in the negatives, that they cannot enjoy what we are achieving. Hot on the heels of 3-in-a-row and 8 trophies in four years we are once again top of the table and pace-setters in the SPL. Cause for complaint for some at Ibrox. The sort of troubles your average Alloa fan can only dream of. That goes, too, for the Hibees, Jambos or Arabs. Once again, this is not to urge the fans to lower their expectations. To demand, and strive for, more as the players and manager must surely due. It is merely a reminder to enjoy the good times that are also here. A look at the likes of Nottingham Forest, at Liverpool, at Feyenoord or Monaco show that a glorious history is no guarantee of a successful future. Rightly bemoan the wrongs and ills of the club. Question the poor results, the bad signings and the incorrect tactics. But every so often, take a moment to enjoy the league titles. The fantastic football players of international fame. The glorious and picturesque old stadium. The world records. The table topping league position. The knowledge that you are a true Rangers supporter and wouldn�t have it any other way.

The Thoughts and Ramblings of DarcheVinny Yes, I'm talking atmosphere again and I know a lot of this is over discussed on forums but I can't let it go. Scottish football is on a serious decline. The once famous roar of the Ibrox faithful has all but become a murmur of groans and negativity. Of course The Blue Order and Union Bears play their part in their little corner of the ground, but that's the problem for me. These organised singing supporters groups are tucked away in a corner whilst the rest of Ibrox sits on their backside in relative silence bar the moments of good or bad play. Why are we all so silent? The noise needs to be bursting out of the ground every other Saturday. A noisy ground is all part of the exciting matchday experience. Songs being sung from all quarters breeds positivity in to the crowd. It means the groans and frustrations for losses of possession and wasted opportunities are transformed in to roars of encouragement, driving our players on the park to victory. For me like many others, our supporters have now become scared to sing. The attacks from our enemies from the east end of Glasgow, in the media, in law enforcement and in government have caused this. It almost feels like flying a union flag or singing our songs have become serious crimes! Of course there are words and phrases we as a support have had to eradicate from the songbook, not eradicate singing altogether! I have read too many posts on internet forums and social networks - as well as the Bears I talk to and know - that have said they won't be returning to watch The Rangers play. That is the saddest part. How do we fix this? How do we get Ibrox rocking again? Penny Arcade had a very good impact at the tail end of last season. The club got behind a fantastic cause and the support responded in the way you would expect a loyal support to respond. On Easter Sunday, the noise pre match at Ibrox was incredible. It was the club leading the way that led to the fantastic noise that day. Again, the club needs to take the lead in restoring the Ibrox roar. We do not need to lose our anthems of decades, such as 'The Billy Boys' - please don't interpret this post as another one of those 'Bring back The Billy Boys' posts. The noise Bears have created over the decades singing that song in particular is something for all to be proud of. Changing one line from that song could well revitalise our support and showing our enemies that we will not be defeated, no matter what element of ourselves that the obsessed victims try to take away. If the club led the way by publishing songs with 'acceptable' content we would not have to lose any anthem be it The Billy Boys or any other. Our enemies would not have anything to attempt to destroy us. In the past I have been uncertain about changing the lyrics of some of our songs, why should we change I thought? Now I know, to save our game and help restore the roar. Look at it from a chairmans point of view. A home support that is loud, noisy and exciting, encourages more supporters to attend more games. Obviously that in turn leads to more money for the club and more encouragement for the team on our quest for dominance on every front. This is as much the chairmans responsibility as it is a supporters because we all want the same thing - Ibrox to once again be a fortress feared by our opponents on the pitch and in the stands. So Mr Whyte, we need your help. We need your help to once again be the greatest home support on our shores and beyond. Work with the supporters groups and decide what is acceptable in this modern day 'sticks and stones' world we live in. We must not surrender our history and former status of being the world's greatest support to the enemies we have before us.

By Tom English YOU don't have to be in Ally McCoist's company for very long to understand what his favourite word might be. When he gets earnest, which is pretty much most of the time in these early and troubled days of his reign, he has a way of speaking, a McCoistian sincerity, that is hard to miss. "To be honest with you..." "To be perfectly honest..." "I'm going to be honest here..." "The honest truth is..." Such a lot of honesty, so let's continue the theme. Rangers had every right to hope for the best in Malmo last Wednesday evening, but the sensible ones among their support, the ones, if you like, who knew their history, would have been totally prepared for the worst. In the analysis of their demise in Sweden there has been talk of McCoist's inexperience as a manager and, of course, the frenzied knee-jerk that paints the job as just being too big for him. There is a time to make that assessment but it sure as hell isn't after four games. In any event, what happened to Rangers on Wednesday has been the kind of thing that has been happening for some years now. Even the old maestro, Walter Smith, suffered the same fate repeatedly in recent times. Before Sweden, Rangers had won just one of their previous 20 games in European competition. The last time they secured the kind of away result that would have been deemed good enough in Sweden - a victory - was over three years ago. To illustrate how long ago it was, Christian Dailly played in the match, a 2-0 victory at Sporting Lisbon. So did Carlos Cuellar. And Jean-Claude Darcheville. There is a strange dynamic that takes hold in Scottish football sometimes. We decry the quality of the product here and bemoan the falling standards of the elite teams at the top. And yet a form of arrogance - in the media and among the support - takes hold at times when they enter Europe, an assumption that bad and all as the Scottish teams are, they're surely not that bad that they can't beat an "average lot" like Malmo, or "pub teams" like Kaunas and Artmedia Bratislava. McCoist wasn't the only one who fell at such hurdles. Far, far more experienced managers - Smith and Gordon Strachan - have been undone before him. Malmo was a missed opportunity, though. Rangers actually played reasonably well, better than they have done away from home in Europe for a little while. They lost because of indiscipline, not because they were outplayed or outclassed. They looked comfortable. There is a modicum of consolation in that for McCoist. Something to hold on to as he watched the Champions League millions floating away on the breeze. They were hampered, too, by a terrible false economy at work in the Rangers transfer strategy. Craig Whyte has money to spend, and he will spend it. Wesley Verhoek, the Den Haag winger, and Roland Juhasz , the Anderlecht defender, have been the subject of bids and may soon join Rangers. But Whyte should have had more players in the door by now, should have had more new talent in the starting line-up already. It's a failure of philosophy and this cringe-making 'low-bidding' process that they have been engaged in. Low-bidding has cost them dear. "I wouldn't say deep frustration," said McCoist when asked about the transfer strategy. "The problem with transfers is that in an ideal world you go in and get the job done and get out and everybody's happy. In the current climate that's very seldom the case. What's been a little unfortunate for us is that every deal has been scrutinised to the maximum. "I can understand totally the frustration and some of the criticism that's coming our way because players are not coming in as quickly as we all hope. You want to get the deal done and get out. It's the job of you guys (reporters] to find out (what's happening] and the next minute it's leaked and when it's leaked, prices go up, values go up, wages go up. I'm not complaining about it, but that's the way it is. If you're asking me if I'd rather go in, grab somebody, sit them down and say, 'Right let's do it right now, get the papers signed' then yeah, great." So why doesn't he? Who's been talking to these players? Whyte? Ali Russell? Gordon Smith? "I've been in constant dialogue with Kyle Bartley, for example," said McCoist. "Constant dialogue with Lee Wallace's agent. Maybe I need to use my phone more. Believe me if I get an opportunity to speak to any player I speak to them and that's the case." Is there a coded message in there? McCoist is a deal-closer whereas some of the others at the club are not? On Verhoek and Juhasz he comes across as a man who is expecting them to walk through the door at any minute. "The bids went in on Wednesday. I just want them done. We are very, very hopeful." If nothing else, the Malmo game offered up a test of McCoist's attitude when dealing with players who had clearly let him down. Namely, Steven Whittaker and Madjid Bougherra. The Algerian doesn't matter so much now that he has left the club, but Whittaker remains and he has had a rough week. Did McCoist give him a verbal blast or was his treatment more subtle? What exactly is the McCoist way of doing things in these situations? "I'll be really honest with you, I haven't spoken to them. A couple of reasons and the most important reason is, well, they know. They know. I'd be really disappointed if Steven did that again. Really disappointed, because he's an intelligent boy and looking at Steven at the end of the game I don't think I needed to say anything to him. Sometimes you judge a situation and the decision is made for you. "You know, the indiscipline has definitely cost us but the indiscipline, dare I say it, was more stupidity than malicious. It doesn't help because we're out of the tournament, but sometimes you can forgive a little stupidity as long as you don't make the same mistake twice. Everybody makes a mistake but the crime is making the same mistake twice. Steven is the only one who can help himself. Effectively, there's nothing that anybody can say or do. I'm disappointed. I don't want to sound flippant here but I'm not overly worried." Keeping your head when others are looking for it is a big part of managing the Old Firm. Keeping your head and freshening your team. He can do the first part. The second he would want to get on with pretty damn quickly. http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/sport/Tom-English-The-woes-of.6814359.jp

Asked what his reaction to anti-Protestant songs being sung would be, Kearney replied: ââ?¬Å?Our position here is to act in the interest of Catholics. [ââ?¬Â¦] ââ?¬Å?Itââ?¬â?¢s not our place to step forward for other religions. If there were anti-Protestant songs, Iââ?¬â?¢d expect our friends at the Church of Scotland to step forward. (1) ââ?¬â?? Scottish Catholic Media Director Peter Kearney. In one small paragraph we see Scotlandââ?¬â?¢s flawed response to sectarianism. Corporatism before Christ. Christians denying the universality of the Christian message. Politics and PR before people. And letââ?¬â?¢s not forget Peter Kearneyââ?¬â?¢s benign tribalism is not alone. His views are shared by many who preach to the wider community on anti-sectarianism. There is a collective failure to grasp that the determination to only act in the interest of your own group, rather than for all Scots, is part of the problem. This doesnââ?¬â?¢t mean itââ?¬â?¢s necessarily done in bad faith. Most people, regardless of background, hold views that are full of myth and half-truth about other groups. Many of those who only see the ââ?¬Å?other sideââ?¬Â as bigots have no idea that they too can be prejudiced. Every Human being holds false views of the world. We canââ?¬â?¢t choose our nationality, culture, religion, family, body, psychology and other important factors at birth. The other beliefs we subsequently choose, can only be done through the distorted prism of those early influences and imperfect knowledge of the facts. We are all biased and there is nothing we can do about it. This is the human condition. The problem is not that we are imperfect and biased. The problem is when we forget we are imperfect and biased. Once we start to believe that we and our ââ?¬Å?tribeââ?¬Â are innately superior we can become the very bigots we are supposedly against. This is what is happening in the sectarian debate within Scotland. We have self-righteous groups projecting all the evils of sectarianism onto other people. Often the right of reply or attempt at dialogue is refused, leading to a feeling of helplessness and anger among the accused. Sometimes this is simply due to vested interest and at other times being unaware that what they dislike, or are offended by, is not the same as sectarianism. The hunger to force us all to be ââ?¬Å?right-minded peopleââ?¬Â (to use the thought-crime language of the day), has led to a despicable situation where legal forms of expression are being deliberately de-legitimised. The whole point of a tolerant society is allowing cultural expression that you may vehemently disagree with as long as it is within the law. You cannot possibly end sectarianism by attempting to de-legitimise non-violent beliefs just because you dislike them. Also the view that the Catholic/Protestant, Irish/British, Celtic/Rangers ââ?¬Å?divideââ?¬Â is a group divide is a horrendous lie. That doesnââ?¬â?¢t mean that there arenââ?¬â?¢t acts of sectarianism, but they are usually caused by drunken hooligans and not actions on behalf of separate communities. Go into any street, workplace and nightclub and see how these sectarian groups fail to materialise. Itââ?¬â?¢s a myth. Friends, lovers and enemies are picked on their own merit and almost never because they belong to the same (or different) Christian sub-sect, ancestry or football team. However, this does not mean that these identities are not deeply held. They are and this is why the attempt to de-legitimise these legal beliefs ââ?¬â?? however offended you others may be by them ââ?¬â?? will only cause them to be aggressively defended rather than disappear. Look at the issue of flags at Scottish football stadiums. There has been a recent rise in questioning why legitimate national flags should be brought into football. Some directly or indirectly question why the Union Flag and Red Hand of Ulster flags (never the Irish Tricolour as they know they would be described as anti-Irish) are allowed to be flown by fans. The logic is that it has nothing to do with football and indirectly a form of bigotry. Do these people not realise that asserting identity is not sectarianism? That the goal should be to encourage legitimate expressions of identity rather than hinder it. If national flags, maudlin folk songs and marches were the only problem there would be no problem. The attempt to whitewash these identities will only lead to anger and will drive it underground. It will only end up creating the very sectarianism and thoughtless tribalism that they say they want stopped. The same is true for free speech. There has been an increase in self-censorship and taboo on language concerning religion. In Scotland there is not enough awareness that criticising religion is not the same as hating those who practice religion. Of-course there are a minority who canââ?¬â?¢t tell the difference, but this should not stop intelligent dialogue among those who can. When Christopher Hitchens and Stephen Fry condemn Catholicism in the strongest possible terms and Hitchens even talks about the: institutionalisation of rape and torture and maltreatment of children in Catholic institutions (2) can Scotland honestly say to itself that such words (whether right or wrong) would not lead to such a person being ostracised, with the possibility of demands for a sacking and even criminal charges? The irony is that the ordinary person in Scotland is being lectured by Churches whose own history and tradition would shame a despot. The Roman Catholic Church has discriminated, tortured and killed many innocent people because of their race, ethnicity and sex for centuries. (3) Protestant history is no less intolerant. A perfect example being the shameful treatment of Michael Servetus at the hands of John Calvin simply because he had a different theology (4) and the anti-semitism of Martin Luther. (5) Scotlandââ?¬â?¢s own Kirk published the ââ?¬Å?The Menace of the Irish Race to our Scottish Nationalityââ?¬Â in 1923, that still shames them to this day, (6) and up until 1986 still signed up to sections of the ââ?¬Å?Westminster confession of Faithââ?¬Â that stated the Pope was the ââ?¬Å?AntiChristââ?¬Â. (7) Of-course it has to be made clear that these Churches have dramatically changed, but the declaration of innocence and tendency to scapegoat football fans (of all people), is as dangerous as it is laughable. Many Scots are unaware that football fans did not create sectarianism and that many of the the real culprits are those pointing fingers at others. The superficial focus on songs is so ridiculous that future historians will mock us all. The self-censorship and taboo when discussing sectarianism will also be noticeable. Recently in the Scottish Parliament, John Lamont MSP of the Scottish Conservatives questioned the wisdom of faith schools. The reaction was one of outrage. Not just for disagreeing with those who believe in faith schools, but for even mentioning it at all. Joseph Devine, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Motherwell said: ââ?¬Å?The claim that Catholic schools are the cause of sectarianism is offensive and untenable. There has never been any evidence produced by those hostile to Catholicism to support such a malicious misrepresentation.ââ?¬Â (8) Note that Bishop Devine states that such comments are not merely wrong (which is a valid criticism) but that they are ââ?¬Å?hostile to Catholicismââ?¬Â. John Lamont should not only be disagreed with, but by being hostile to Catholicism, he is implicated as anti-Catholic. Astonishingly, Bishop Devine, has previously stated that: Denominational education is an enabler of sectarianism. Roman Catholic schooling is divisive ââ?¬â?? sometimes itââ?¬â?¢s a price worth paying. (9) Whether Mr Lamont is correct or not is irrelevant. He should be allowed to discuss such an important topic without cries for resignation and hints that he is a bigot. It stifles intelligent dialogue by making certain subjects unspeakable. And before I am accused of fixating on the Catholic Church, itââ?¬â?¢s only because the Church of Scotland is an irrelevance. Unlike the Catholic Church, the Kirk no longer represents itââ?¬â?¢s members in the political arena. As a secularist I do not welcome religious groups receiving special treatment, but neither do I think they should disappear. There is a hunger among young working-class Protestants to understand their tradition, but the Kirk fails them by retreating to their ivory tower. Instead of initiatives steering the young into the intelligent and intricate world of Protestant theology, their absence allows those young people to bastardise Protestantism by believing ââ?¬Ë?The Billy Boysââ?¬â?¢ is a part of their faith. The religious tradition that produced the thinking of Karl Barth, Reinhold Niebuhr and Paul Tillich along with the moral courage of Dietrich Bonhoeffer squashed out of all recognition into the world of the razor gang. However, as much as certain songs should be condemned, there also needs to be a realisation that singing should not be the focus of anti-sectarianism initiatives. We should not continue with the ââ?¬Å?Fuck the Popeââ?¬Â or ââ?¬Å?Up the Raââ?¬Â nonsense, but the childish fixation on songs ââ?¬â?? and in particular the obsession with Rangers fans ââ?¬â?? by the government, media and police needs to be drastically reduced. Resources should be focused on stopping people slashing and stabbing each other rather than offensive song lyrics. At present it seems the reverse is the case. As I mentioned in the piece ââ?¬Å?Zero Tolerance?ââ?¬Â, our enemy isnââ?¬â?¢t some abstract ââ?¬Å?other sideââ?¬Â, but thugs who use the excuse of history at best, or at worst ignorant myth, to get drunk and knife innocent people for the glory of other halfwits. Tribalism pretending to end tribalism will not work. Looking for cultural scapegoats will not work. We need to take back the sectarian debate from those with a vested interest in demonising whole groups of people for their own ends. This does not mean leaving our core identities behind, but simply realising that disagreement and difference is fine, as long as we agree to live without violence or the threat of violence. Notes 1) http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2011/03/26/church-set-to-prepare-hate-song-dossier-as-fans-claim-cops-allowed-sectarianism-at-hampden-86908-23017130/ 2) See debate on youtube between Christopher Hitchens and Stephen Fry against Ann Widdecombe John Onaiyekan in a debate on ââ?¬Å?Is the Catholic Church a force of good in the world?ââ?¬Â http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmFYpuYh6w0 3) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/674246.stm http://www.sacredheart.edu/pages/12654_pope_john_paul_ii_asks_for_forgiveness_march_12_2000_.cfm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Jubilee#Prayer_for_Forgiveness_for_Sins_of_the_Church 4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Calvin#Michael_Servetus_.281553.29 5) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_and_antisemitism 6) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/2014961.stm 7) http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/about_us/our_faith/westminster_confession_of_faith http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Confession_of_Faith http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/650/westminster_confession.pdf (original in PDF) 8) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-13891033 http://news.stv.tv/scotland/west-central/259837-msp-criticised-over-schools-sectarianism-comment/ 9) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/2274383.stm http://johndcgow.com/2011/08/02/tribalism-pretending-to-end-tribalism/

"I Strongly Suggest Celtic Supporters Avoid Bridgeton Cross on August 13th" by Joe O;Rourke from CSA Glasgow City Council and the Police have come to what they believe to be an acceptable compromise on the decision to allow a number of contentious parades to pass by Celtic Park on the afternoon of August 13th. Their decision to allow the parades to go ahead at an earlier time helps the situation, but is by no means the proper decision; the proper decision would have been to change the parades to a different date altogether; or better still; ban them full stop. I would strongly recommend that Celtic supporters stay well clear of Bridgeton Cross that afternoon; both before and after the match; the place has a long history of being anti-Celtic; anti-Catholic; people have lost their lives there just for wearing Celtic colours; it will be best to avoid the place altogether; but if you have to pass through; then be very careful. This latest decision is just one of a list of worrying decisions involving the Police, a couple of weeks ago the first person to be arrested for a football related internet offence was a Celtic fan who had referred to Walter Smith as an O***** B******, I find this quite amazing when the internet was full of pictures of Neil Lennon; either being blown up; or riddled in bullets; but no arrests were made. Last week the Crown Prosecuting Service decided to drop the charges against David Goodwillie because of insufficient evidence; if the evidence was insufficient; why was he charged in the first place? Dropping the charges because of insufficient evidence doesn�t mean he�s not guilty; and of course I�m not suggesting he is. I read the story about the girl who was attacked by Goodwillie; she also received internet abuse; I don�t know of any arrests there either. Then of course Sneaky Sally throws his hat in the ring to sign him; Strange !!!!! I think not; Sally had better make the most of it; because I doubt very much if he�ll last into the New Year. He must be very annoying to other managers when he keeps talking about signing their players who are under contract; and all for vastly undervalued amounts. One thing he was successful with was getting an apology from the BBC; the same BBC who have refused to apologise to Celtic and their supporters for their comments about sectarian singing during the Scottish Cup Final. The recent actions of the Police only go to highlight the need for a dramatic change in the proposed new legislation regarding offensive behaviour at a regulated football match in Scotland. These proposals at present leave far too much to the interpretation of some beat cop; it�s a one law catch all scenario which I believe will make matters even worse. The whole point of the initial discussions was to reduce the amount of offensive behaviour at football matches; not for the Police to trawl the terraces arresting fans for supporting their team. I don�t believe the Celtic support will have enough confidence in the Police to handle these situations with total impartiality; what we need is action against those who are offensive; what we don�t need is the criminalisation of ordinary supporters. :tongue:

SASA PAPAC has apologised for Rangersââ?¬Å¡ Euro nightmare against Malmo at Ibrox and promised Swede dreams in the return leg. The Bosnian stopper reckons the Light Blues players owe their fans a massive debt after losing the home leg of the Champions League qualifier 1-0 last week. Now after a morale boosting first win of the season in the SPL clash with St Johnstone, Papac is ready to go gunning for the Swedish champs in Wednesdayââ?¬â?¢s do-or-die decider. Papac knows that Rangers will need to overcome the weight of history if they are to progress. In 55 years of European football, Rangers have never lost the home leg of a tie and come back to win the away leg and progress. ââ?¬Å?All I can say is sorry for the result against Malmo at Ibrox but we still have the chance to go through. Why not?ââ?¬Â said Papac ââ?¬Ë?We know we can play better and if we take our game to a high level then we definitely have a chance. "I could see signs in the first leg that we can do it and we can only improve on that performance. We can take our level higher and definitely get a good result in Malmo on Wednesday. "We must keep a clean sheet in Malmo if we want to go the next stage. I've never played in Sweden before, this will be a first but I'm ready for the challenge. Malmo didn't really surprised me in the first match because on the video I could see great things, especially in an attacking sense. ââ?¬Å?They have a couple of great, talented players - especially up front.I'm not surprised but everything is in our hands because if we play better then it's no problem for us.ââ?¬Â Rangers can at least go into the match at the Swedbank Stadion with a bit more confidence after a routine 2-0 win at Perth on Saturday. Goals from Stevie Naismith and Nikica Jelavic gave the Light Blues their first competitive win under Ally McCoist and lifted some of the tension around the club after a difficult first week of the new campaign. http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/262424/Sasa-Papac-says-sorry-for-Euro-shame

After what seems the shortest summer break in history, competitive football in Scotland begins again this Saturday lunch-time as Champions Rangers welcome Hearts to Ibrox Stadium. After 54 League titles including the last three in a row, can Rangers continue on the success trail under new rookie manager Ally McCoist? Despite the loss of a few players from last season's title winning squad, confidence amongst the support should be high that we can retain the title. While our progress in the transfer market has been steady rather spectacular, we do have the same core of players that have been so successful while at the club. Of course it is somewhat disappointing that (so far anyway) links with exciting players in the media haven't actually resulted in the likes of Carlos Cuellar wearing the shiny new strip. However, the re-signing of existing players on extended contracts should not be under-estimated in value to our chances of success. After all, the likes of McGregor, Whittaker, Davis and Weir have all been hugely important in our march to 3IAR. Add in Naismith and Jelavic, then you have the kind of spine that won't accept second best. Such squad continuity is invaluable. On the other hand, our squad is too thin. The loss of guys like Weiss, Bartley and even Foster reduces our flexibility and it won't be difficult for opposition managers to guess, then limit, our style of play. In saying that, the capture of Juanma Ortiz and the introduction of youngsters like Bendiksen and Hemmings should help to keep things fresh. I'd also hope fringe players like Fleck, Broadfoot and Healy will be reliable deputies when called upon. And there is still time for more new signings - at the right price of course! Moving onto Saturday's SPL curtain-raiser, I think the first thing to do is acknowledge that Hearts have done what we haven't and brought in new signings quickly and efficiently. Sure, they may not be genuine top quality but the likes of Sutton, Hamill and Taouil offer a consistency and experience Hearts did miss from their foreign contingent. As ever, this won't be an easy match after the league flag is unfurled but I'm actually glad of such a tough opener though as, with Malmo in the CL 3rd Qualifying Round on Tuesday night, we need to be up and running quickly. Indeed, because of that European banana skin, we may see a slightly less adventurous XI as to what finished the SPL campaign last term. In the last few games of season 10/11; we were superb to watch and brushed all aside in a flurry of great goals and exciting performances. I'd expect a more conservative outlook this weekend though. Let's have a look at the manager's options. While our defence should have a familiar look for most of the start of the season, captain David Weir is suspended for our opening match. This means McCoist will need to decide between Broadfoot, Papac or Whittaker at centre-half. All of this shuffling about highlights we do need to sign another central defender but if we could persuade Bougherra to re-sign then such defensive stability would be ideal. In the mean-time we still have a strong, experienced defence so we need not overly worry about the tasks ahead. Moving into midfield, again despite the dearth of signings we do have a variety of options given everyone appears to be fully fit. On Tuesday night in Blackpool, the new manager opted for an orthodox four though and I think we'll see the same unit start against Hearts. Some fans are worried at the inclusion of both Edu and McCulloch but these guys provide the solid platform for the likes of Davis and Ortiz to get forward effectively and it was no coincidence these guys provided both goals. Sure, against other opposition we may only need one of those holding players but it may be more prudent to avoid unnecessary gambles early in the campaign. Not to mention the fact that Edu can get forward well when required. Also eager to be considered will be Fleck, Hutton, Bendiksen and Wylde but they may have to be content with a place on the bench. Into attack and the injury to Kyle Lafferty is a blow - both in terms of the player's own development after an impressive end to last season and to our general options up front. However, again we do have suitable cover via Naismith, Healy and Beattie - not to mention young Kane Hemmings who has shown up well in pre-season. Obviously Nikica Jelavic is the first name on the team-sheet so it will be up to the others to show they're capable of scoring the goals to partner him. All in all, we still have a core of players more than capable of competing strongly again for the league title. Yes, a few new players would be agreeable but I'm hoping everyone will focus on the task at hand and that's getting off to a good start in the league while progressing in Europe. With a stadium wide card display on Saturday and the newly combined 500 strong Broomloan Front singing section; the fans will be ready to back the players and Super Ally as they bid to 'Step up and Play' once more. Possible team (4-4-2): :sw: :mb: :kb: :sp: :sd: :me: :lm: :jmo: :nj: :sn: Here's to 55! :spl:

GIVEN that Sweden has one of the most developed welfare states in the world and prides itself on its socialists principles, it is perhaps not surprising that success on the football front has been shared fairly equally in recent years as well. There have been nine different champions of the Allsvenskan, the Swedish top division, in the past 12 years. At the start of each season there is no outright favourite, no team widely tipped to walk away with it. Not since IFK Gothenburg won four titles in a row in the 1990s has a team dominated the championship. Now itââ?¬â?¢s accessible to all ââ?¬â?? a bit like their fabled health and education systems. With little discernible difference between the top half-dozen clubs, anyone willing to stick their neck out and declare one to be superior to the rest could surely expect to attract a degree of criticism and calls to explain themselves. And so it was a year ago when Offside, the respected Swedish football magazine, declared Malmo FF the greatest Swedish club of all time. Malmo, the magazine felt, had the lot: the most victories in both the league championship and the Swedish cup, success in Europe, including an appearance in the 1979 European Cup final, a loyal fanbase, and a tradition of producing young players, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Malmo born and raised. The backlash was fairly ferocious, especially from peeved Gothenburg fans, but Offside stuck to their guns. Granted, there was undoubtedly a touch of sentiment attached to the decision, given the article coincided with Malmoââ?¬â?¢s centenary celebrations, but even now there are no regrets. ââ?¬Å?That article attracted a lot of controversy throughout Sweden and there were a lot of angry Gothenburg supporters,ââ?¬Â Henrik Ysten, editor of Offside, told Herald Sport. ââ?¬Å?They told us we had made a wrong decision. One of our writers is fond of statistics and he explored a lot of different areas, including success on the pitch, each clubââ?¬â?¢s economic state, supporter base, traditions and other things. When we added everything up, Malmo came out on top.ââ?¬Â There is a feeling among their rivals, however, that Malmo is a club clinging to its once proud past, with talk of 1979 and Zlatan a convenient smokescreen to hide recent shortcomings. Last yearââ?¬â?¢s title win was their first in six years, while, surprisingly, they have not won the Swedish Cup since 1989. ââ?¬Å?Itââ?¬â?¢s true, Malmo have been one of the biggest disappointments year after year this century,ââ?¬Â Ysten confirmed. ââ?¬Å?There has been a lot of criticism of their coaches and players in recent times, and the organisation was also blamed, too, for sacking some coaches too quickly. ââ?¬Å?Before they won the championship last year it was not a good time to be a Malmo player. The supporters were really mad at them and there is no doubt the team underachieved for many of those seasons. It was a rough time for them and they failed in many respects.ââ?¬Â Malmo is the third biggest city in Sweden, behind Stockholm and Gothenburg, with a population of around 600,000. As the only top-flight club in the area, Malmo FF command near universal backing from a zealous fanbase. Ysten paints a picture of a club not afraid to indulge in nostalgia, something that makes them fairly unique in Sweden. Like Celticââ?¬â?¢s famous Lisbon Lions, every member of Malmoââ?¬â?¢s European Cup final squad hailed from the surrounding Scania province and many of them are still employed at the club in a number of different roles. ââ?¬Å?In Malmo they are proud of their history and they speak about it a lot,ââ?¬Â explained Ysten. ââ?¬Å?That makes them different from other Swedish clubs as the rest donââ?¬â?¢t really cling on to their past or mention their heroic achievements too often. Last year, in the first game in their new stadium, Malmo asked all the members of the team that reached the European Cup final to be there and Bo Larsson, who is still seen as a big Malmo hero, arrived with the match-ball to start the first game. That shows how much tradition means to them.ââ?¬Â The sale of Ibrahimovic to Ajax for Ã?£7m in 2001 inadvertently brought the Malmo conveyor belt of young talent temporarily shuddering to a halt. Cash-rich for the first time in a while, the management team elected to ignore their youth department and instead invested heavily in the transfer market, buying an abundance of players from their Swedish rivals. It proved to be a short-lived policy. Money gone, the Malmo hierarchy returned to rearing their own and last yearââ?¬â?¢s championship success was achieved with one of the youngest teams in the league. ââ?¬Å?Malmo have a proud history of producing young players who go on to play for the Swedish national team,ââ?¬Â said Ysten. ââ?¬Å?Last year they won the league with a lot of players around 20 years of age.ââ?¬Â Rangers will discover tomorrow night just how good this current Malmo team is when they meet in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier at Ibrox. Interest in Sweden will be high, although there is scant pressure on Malmo to succeed. ââ?¬Å?There is little expectation on Swedish teams when they go into Europe these days,ââ?¬Â added Ysten. ââ?¬Å?Over the past 10 years or so they have shown themselves to be too small for Europe. Nobody expects Malmo to go through against Glasgow Rangers, but the hope is always there.ââ?¬Â http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/rangers/malmo-s-return-to-rearing-their-own-talent-pays-off-1.1113759

HAVING played under four of the 12 men who preceded him as Rangers manager, Ally McCoist requires no instruction on the weight of responsibility resting on his shoulders as he begins his tenure in earnest today. But if he ever feels in need of a reminder, then he knows a glance at the portraits on the walls of the office he now occupies at the top of the marble staircase inside Ibrox will be sufficient to sharpen his focus on the demands and expectations he must strive to meet. McCoist would never claim that the role he inherited from Walter Smith during the summer was his destiny. On the contrary, he conceded yesterday that he would have been "flabbergasted" if he had been informed during his playing career at the club that one day he would sit in the manager's chair. Along with the rest of Scottish football, the 48-year-old is about to discover if it is a job in which he can even begin to match the extraordinary success he enjoyed as the most prolific goalscorer in Rangers' 139 year existence, hitting the net 355 times under the management of John Greig, Jock Wallace, Graeme Souness and Smith. As keen as he was to play down his own part in the opening of the SPL title holders' title defence against Hearts at Ibrox, McCoist did admit to a sense of carrying a torch into his first game in charge. "I am very much aware of the tradition surrounding the job," said McCoist. "I don't think you could ever underplay the history, tradition and values of Rangers. "You look around the office and see the pictures of the previous managers looking down at you. In many ways, you feel as if you are representing them as much as anyone. "I don't see it as an important moment in my career personally, I look upon it as an important step for the club. I spent 15 years as a player here and then four-and-a-half years as assistant manager. "It has never been any different from my point of view, results have always been the most important thing at Rangers. So that is all I'm interested in, the natural progression of the club and the team. "I'm not shirking my own responsibility when I say that, far from it. I'm fully aware of the responsibility that goes with being the manager of Rangers. That's not a problem, I'm not going into anything here that I don't know. "You would have to say that the weight of responsibility is bigger as manager than as a player. If you asked me what I'd rather be doing, then scoring goals for Rangers is the best job in the world. "Wearing the number nine jersey for Rangers takes a bit of beating. Right now, I've probably got the second best job in the world as far as I'm concerned. I know what is expected and I have a great desire to do the job to the best of my ability. "My emotion going into this game is the same as it's always been during my time at Rangers. I just want to win, that's all I want to do. The day is not about me, it is all about the players. There is always a danger on these occasions that the real values of them are lost. "There will be the unfurling of the league flag, which will be a fantastic moment and thoroughly deserved for both the fans and the players. But once that's done, it's down to business as usual. We have to go our and win a very tough game against Hearts." Having seen Greig, the man who signed him for the club back in 1983, fail as manager despite his status as the club's most revered player, McCoist knows his own iconic status with the Rangers support provides no guarantee of success in the hot seat. "Can I be a successful manager?," he mused. "Time will tell. I can't answer that right now. "But what I can say is that I will be as committed to the job as I was as a Rangers player and as assistant manager. That's all I can promise. "I never expected to be a manager. But right at the end of my playing career, I started to do my coaching badges which was one of my better decisions. Even when I went into television work after I stopped playing, I continued doing my badges. "With hindsight, that was one of my better career moves as it certainly cut out a lot of time when I later decided I fancied going into coaching. "I probably couldn't have done this job without the experience I had under Walter Smith at Scotland and Rangers, although we'll never know. But the learning curve I've been on and the help I've had in that time has been invaluable." It is believed Smith will stay away from Ibrox today, keen to avoid providing any level of distraction from his appointed heir. Smith's success in winning the last three SPL titles has given McCoist more than enough to live up to without the presence of his mentor as a further reminder. "A lot of people say the best time to take a job in management is when a club is at a low point because things can only improve," reflected McCoist. "But you don't get many opportunities to be manager of Rangers. You just have to look at those names who have done it before me. "I'm thankful I've been given the opportunity. Off the top of my head, I'd say it's actually an advantage to take over a team which has won three in a row. "The boys have been over the course and knows what it takes to win the championship. I'd far rather have a squad which knows how to win titles and that's what I've got." http://sport.scotsman.com/theoldfirm/Ibrox-giants-remind-Ally-McCoist.6806198.jp?articlepage=1

Fellow Bluenoses First time post on the site! In order to mark the recent appointment of Alistair Murdoch McCoist as our manager I have been approached to write a biographical account of the life and times of our greatest ever goalscorer. Entitled ââ?¬Ë?Ally McCoist: Rangersââ?¬â?¢ Heroââ?¬â?¢, the book is due to be released in early October. As part of the book Iââ?¬â?¢d like to include a section that includes the memories that the Rangers supporters have of Allyââ?¬â?¢s time with us either as player or assistant manager and their hopes and expectations for the future as we usher in a new era in our illustrious history under his stewardship. Thatââ?¬â?¢s why Iââ?¬â?¢m posting this message on the forum. Iââ?¬â?¢d like to hear from other members of the Gersnet community with their own personal recollections of Allyââ?¬â?¢s Rangers career be it a favourite goal or just a summary of what Coisty has meant to you since he joined up way back in 1983. Hopefully this request is an appropriate one and complies with any Terms and Conditions of the forum. I look forward to hearing from some of the members soon.

TITLE winners but drained by the effort needed to become champs. Ally McCoist looked at battle-weary Rangers and feared the worst - then came Kaunas. The Ibrox men stumbled into their Champions League qualifier in Lithuania and then crashed OUT, not enough fresh faces signed to help a squad which could give no more. Three years on from that bitter 2008 experience McCoist fears history could repeat itself. It's the draw for Europe's elite competition today with Rangers set to find out where they'll go for their massive knock-out tie. If they're lucky it's part-timers in Ireland. If they're not so lucky it's a Euro outpost like Moldova, Slovenia or Georgia. McCoist is working around the clock to sign new stars in time for the double header knowing all too well the risk he runs if he fails to deliver. He said: "Because of when it is in the season, the Champions League qualifier will be tricky especially if we have to go to Eastern Europe, to Georgia or a place like that. "We've done it before in Kaunas a few years ago. We were burnt in Kaunas and that was horrendous as we were coming off a great season. We looked jaded and tired. To say that right at the start of the season was strange but that was how we looked. "That's why this time, we need players in to help the ones already here and to freshen the place up a bit. "It has an affect on the players already here. After Kaunas we signed the likes of Pedro Mendes and a few others. But by then it was too late. "That's how we know what's required this year. The new players will be in, we will be ready." McCoist prays for luck of the draw. Partisan Belgrade are amongst the worst possible opponents but McCoist has his fingers crossed Rangers don't get a hellish first game. He added: "It would be ideal to get someone close to home like Shamrock Rovers from Ireland or one of the Scandinavians like Malmo or Helsinki. "If I had a choice, it would be one of those teams because of the travelling involved. "We know there are teams from Georgia, Moldova and Slovenia as well. It wouldn't be a total disaster but avoiding them would suit us. "We want to do as well as we can in Europe - the priority has to be to retain the championship and qualify for the Champions League. That's what we want to do, they are the two targets at the start of the season." Rangers star Kyle Hutton can't wait to see who Rangers get. The Champions League has special memories for the youngster. He made his first start for the club against Manchester United in the company of greatness. Hutton said: "Like the rest of the boys, I'm buzzing to see who we get. "Obviously, making my debut last season against United is something that will stay with me forever. "To line up against the likes of Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs was like a dream come true. Hopefully we can get another good draw and I can get another chance. "That experience definitely makes me more determined to try and get back there. "I have had a taste of it and I want more. "Playing in that United game was a massive help to my confidence. "It helped for the rest of the season in terms of dealing with any nerves when it comes to playing in front of thousands of fans. It was a boost. "The whole atmosphere, the whole Champions League experience, is massive and coming through it was definitely of benefit to me." Hutton is desperate to get going again in the new season. He was in and out of the side last season after breaking through and is desperate to become a regular. He added: "I think this is a big season for me. Last year was about trying to break into the team and I played a few games. "This year is about taking my chance and showing what I can do in the SPL. "Obviously, we have big Lee McCulloch there and he has been playing well. I just need to keep myself ready and show what I can do if I get on in games. "Could I be the long-term replacement for Jig? I don't know. I hope so. "He has a few years left on his contract and I'm looking to learn from him. Hopefully, I can take over in the years to come." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3696038/Coisty-We-cant-risk-Kaunas-two.html#ixzz1S7k2z2bP

KRIS BOYD will fly to Turkey today to seal a �£40,000-a-week deal with Eskisehirspor. The Scotland striker will sign a three-year contract tomorrow after the Super Lig outfit agreed a �£1.75million fee with Middlesbrough. Boyd, 28 next month, had the chance to move to Turkey when he left Rangers on a Bosman last summer before joining Boro. His transfer to the Riverside turned sour and he spent the second half of last season on loan at Nottingham Forest. Boyd's hopes of a permanent move to the City Ground ended when Billy Davies was sacked last month. Now he is poised to follow former Gers and Scotland strike partner Kenny Miller to the Super Lig. Boyd will join former Celtic frontman Diomansy Kamara at Eskisehirspor after his recent switch from Fulham. Eskisehirspor finished seventh last season - four places adrift of Miller's Bursaspor - and want to push for Europe this term. The club has become mired in the Turkish match-fixing scandal this week with technical director Umit Karan among 40 people arrested. Karan will be freed from custody today and will conclude one of the biggest deals in the club's history when he ties up Boyd, who is then expected to be unveiled in front of thousands of supporters tomorrow. The top scorer in SPL history hopes the move can reignite his Scotland career under Craig Levein. The 18-times capped striker has scored seven goals for his country despite making himself unavailable for selection between October 2008 and November 2009. He returned for last season's Hampden clash with Liechtenstein and is eager to win a place for this autumn's Euro 2012 qualifiers. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3681800/Kris-Boyd-nets-40k-Turkey-deal.html#ixzz1RPPOI4k5

ALLY McCoist is hopeful Steven Davis will be next to pledge his future to Rangers following long-term deals awarded to Allan McGregor and Steven Whittaker on Monday. Rangers goalkeeper McGregor penned a new six-year deal while defender Whittaker has signed up for five and McCoist is keen for Davis - in the final year of his contract - to extend his stay in Govan. McCoist, who was last night hoping to secure Spanish midfielder Juan Manuel Ortiz as his first new signing since becoming Ibrox manager, told Rangers TV: "Hopefully Steven Davis will follow Allan and Steven. "I don't want to tempt fate, but contract negotiations are continuing with Steven and his representatives and I would be very hopeful that we could get something organised with Steven as well. "He certainly comes into the same category as Allan and Steven. He has been a top player for us and instrumental in the spine of the side. "I'm thrilled that Allan and Steven have signed new deals with the club that keeps them with us for a long time. "They are smashing lads and great players who have been part of the success that we have been lucky enough to enjoy in the last three years and hopefully there is more to come. "There were clubs looking at both players and that was not a surprise because they are valuable assets to the club. "When you have players of their quality then they do attract interest from elsewhere. "They had to weigh up their options and they had important decisions to make. "I think we all feel - and they do too - that they have made the right ones. "It was well documented that Bursaspor were after Steven and there were one or two clubs sniffing about Allan which is no surprise because he has been nothing short of sensational in the last few seasons." McCoist spent time in South America over the summer checking on targets and returned believing that he has an excellent core of players at Ibrox already. He said: "I was in Argentina over the summer watching about eight or nine games and I saw some good teams and some good players. But the best thing to come out of the trip was that it reinforced my belief that we have some very good players at this club. "Sometimes you look about, but the grass is not always necessarily greener on the other side." As well as the Whittaker and McGregor deals being signed this week, striker David Healy, utility man Andrew Little, left-back Sasa Papac and winger Salim Kerkar had already penned new one-year deals. And Whittaker expects more new signings to arrive before too long. "There is a long time to go before the window shuts and I'm sure we will have some new faces in before it does," said the defender. "Deals can be done very quickly and I'm sure he (McCoist] is eyeing up the right people to bring in. He obviously doesn't want to kind of panic buy and I'm sure he will bring in the right faces." Rangers head to Germany today for an eight-day training camp which will also involve games against Sportfreunde Lotte tomorrow, Bochum on Saturday and then Bayer Leverkusen on 13 July. McCoist said: "We are off and running. It doesn't seem so long ago that we were dancing about Rugby Park and then at Ibrox, but that's history now. We have to go and retain the championship. "We are off to Germany and it has a place that has been very good to us in the past. The facilities are very good, the games are ideal and the people are great." http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/Ally-McCoist-hopeful-Steven-Davis.6796613.jp?articlepage=2

Really interesting week for football in Argentina. Last weekend saw the final round of games. Velez had already won the title the week before after Lanus lost at home to Argentinos Juniors, so the final week was all about the relegation dogfight. River plate have been piss poor for the last 3 years. In Argentina the top divisions relegation is worked out on a points average over 3 years (of 6 championships) designed to help the big clubs avoid the drop. However River's slump over this period meant that they went into the last game needing to avoid defeat at home to Lanus who had nothing to play for. River lost 2-1, the winning goal coming in the 93rd minute and now have to play a play off with Belgrano from Cordoba first game on Wednesday and the return leg in Buenos Aires on sunday. This is MASSIVE, it's like Rangers or Celtic getting relegated and personally from what i've seen could very well happen because River seem to scared to actually attack. I'm sure something will kick off if they do go down and might head to El Monumental on Sunday to possibly see a bit of Argentine footballing history. River have never been relegated from the primera division. Olimpo Bahia blanca avoided the drop at the expense of Quilmes who they played on the final day. Quilmes HAD to win and hope River lost but Olimpo won 1-0. It didn't stop there. Huracan who are rank rotten lost 5-1 to Indipendiente and were being automatically relegated but in the other game Gimnasia had to beat Boca. They were 2-0 but Boca pulled a goal back and then in the 93rd min Martin Palermo with his last touch as a professional nodded down to set up the equaliser. Very ironic as Palermo used to play for Gimnasia's rivals Estudiantes. So Gimnasia and Huracan go into a sudden death match, the loser goes down and then the other team goes into a 2 legged play off with the team that finished 3rd in National B. Bit mental but really exciting. Will keep you posted but my tip is Huracan WILL go down, they've shipped so many goals in the last 5 games, that'll mean Gimnasia will go into the play off which i think they will win against San juan. River is a difficult one, there's many rumours that the the main footballing men in Argentina WON'T let River be relegated. So that remains to be seen.

ALI RUSSELL took the fast track to success under F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone at QPR. Now Russell wants to put the REAL Rangers in pole position for global expansion. New Gers owner Craig Whyte has made the ex-Hearts whizzkid his Chief Operating Officer at Ibrox. He'll chase off-field success while Ally McCoist goes for glory on the park. Russell, 39, says the lessons learned under billionaire Bernie will be crucial in moving the SPL champions into top gear. The man who will replace outgoing chief executive Martin Bain said: "I very much learned the Formula 1 model on football, working with people like Bernie Ecclestone, Flavio Briatore and the Mittals. "That's been very useful for me to see a parallel commercial environment being used in football and I think they had a huge amount of success in those sort of areas. "I've had a fair degree of involvement with football. "I've been part of two new management teams that have come into football and been very, very successful. "This is a fantastic club and it has got a fantastic fan base. "What we want to do is to take this club forward and today is the start of that. I'm looking forward to helping develop the brand of this club, not just in Scotland but internationally. "I think we've got some huge opportunities. "The club has been under some challenging financial circumstances over the last couple of years. I think, moving forward, we've got to challenge ourselves. "How do we generate more interest in Scottish football? "How do we become central to that? "It's very early days but we're looking at how we move Rangers forward considerably and I'm thrilled to be part of this new management team." Russell has a wide-ranging remit in the new regime. He plans to take Gers to every corner of the globe on a massive marketing drive. Celtic have already targeted the Asian and American markets and Russell sees no reason why Gers can't do the same. For too long, he argues, Rangers have been a selling club. Now he hopes to sell Rangers to the world. Russell stressed: "It's about looking at all avenues. "It's about looking at the real estate here. "How do we maximise that? Is it just a football ground used for football or does it have more uses? "Obviously, football is the core focus, but can we use the rooms on non-match days more effectively? "What do we do to grow the brand, where do we play as a football team? "How do we integrate international players so that we're building the brand? "Where do we go with our own broadcast rights? "There are numerous areas we are looking to investigate. "What are the core markets that we're going to be focusing on - and really focus and be strategic about that, so that we reinforce it every time we do a tour? "So we don't just go where the biggest cheque is - we look at growing a fan base in different areas of the world which strategically fit back very well into the club itself." Russell knows Rangers and Scottish football must rebuild its image after the shame of last season. He said: "There's a sense that Scottish football's reputation bottomed out last season. "I think if you look at the Championship, that hit rock bottom some time ago. "I think the league reconstruction that they had there had a lot of innovation at the time. "There's a huge amount of interest in that play-off game at the end of the season. "We've met with Neil Doncaster and I think the SPL are looking at a lot of innovative aspects to move Scottish football forward and we want to be part of that." Russell will now look to maximise income at every opportunity. He's determined to prove the Champions League gravy train is not the only one Rangers can hop aboard and he's hinted at a cross-border cup competition which Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are thought to be keen on. Russell revealed: "There's been a lot of talk about cross-border cup competitions. "Also the Old Firm game is a fantastic game. It's about making it the biggest rivalry in world football. "How do we ensure that without some of the negativity that maybe came to the surface last season? "Looking at a cross-border cup I think the League Cup over the last couple of years is one that's had some issues in terms of teams like Arsenal and Manchester United playing their first teams in the early stages of that competition. "A cross-border aspect to that tournament would most certainly generate a lot more interest. "It's not something that's necessarily been discussed at this point in time but should we be involved in those sort of discussions? Absolutely." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3653319/The-Ali-shuffle.html#ixzz1Q40HqBds

Isn't it interesting that during a point in Scottish (actually Glasgowââ?¬â?¢s) sectarian history, when things are beginning to get really bitter, prompting the highest in the land to create laws against sectarianism, that Celtic FC have in-charge of their football team ââ?¬â?? without doubt ââ?¬â?? the most bigoted and twisted coach in their long history. This guy represents the whole of Celtic FC and is a scary public relations exercise in hatred and venom ââ?¬â?? that is the truth. Lennon will appear to the bitter Catholic psyche in Glasgow that his way is the ââ?¬Ë?rightââ?¬â?¢ way to behave and conduct yourself in the eyes of the world ââ?¬â?? they will follow their leader. Lennonââ?¬â?¢s paranoia, defiance, and obvious hostility towards all-things non-Celtic goes a long way to determining the behaviour of their fan base ââ?¬â?? frightening. He doesnââ?¬â?¢t appear to give a shit and, in my opinion, he will not change his behaviour one bit - mark my words. The Scottish authorities, the press, and those who donââ?¬â?¢t miss much will probably tip-toe round his attitude, being assured by the board and directors of Celtic FC that itââ?¬â?¢s his way and his approach and trying to change it would somehow prevent him from doing his job. I foresee very difficult times ahead for Strathclyde Police.

http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=1335&newsCategoryID=3&newsID=7920

A Russian powerbroker who bought into English football by landing Championship club Portsmouth had already failed with a bid for Rangers last summer, Sportsmail can reveal. Vladimir Antonovââ?¬â?¢s company, Convers Sports Initiatives, completed a takeover of the Fratton Park outfit from their Asian owners after months of negotiations. But Sportsmail understands that the London-based businessman initially eyed Ibrox, with Sir David Murray ultimately deciding not to pursue preliminary discussions last August. Former Leeds United chief executive Chris Akers was involved in the Andrew Ellis bid for Rangers last summer, and was named alongside Antonov and Roman Dubov as Pompeyââ?¬â?¢s new owners. It is believed the Antonov interest arose four months before Motherwell-born Craig Whyte arrived on the scene to finally purchase Murrayââ?¬â?¢s controlling stake just before the conclusion of the SPL season. The 36-year-old Russian has interest in various sports ventures and claimed Portsmouthââ?¬â?¢s potential to return to the Barclays Premier League ââ?¬â? after relegation last summer under Avram Grant ââ?¬â? had influenced his decision to buy the Fratton Park club. ââ?¬Ë?We have conducted extensive due diligence and held detailed negotiations with a number of clubs in the English Premier League, Championship, League One and Scottish Premier League over the past 12 months,ââ?¬â?¢ said Antonov. ââ?¬Ë?We ultimately selected Portsmouth because of its history, loyal fan base and potential to return to the Premiership. 'The supporters are among the most passionate in the game and that gives the business a strong foundation to build on.ââ?¬â?¢ Antonovââ?¬â?¢s CSI company have interests in the World Rally Championship, PowerPlay Golf, Spartak Moscow ice hockey team, Ferrari Team Russia and the Isle of Man TT motorcycle race. As for the Rangers interest, it appears Murray simply decided against taking further the initial interest from the Russians ââ?¬â? brokered by middle-man Akers. Portsmouth chief executive David Lampit said: ââ?¬Ë?In CSI, I believe we have found owners who will take a long-term view.ââ?¬â?¢ Meanwhile, Rangers signing target Tomer Hemed has attracted interest from FV Mechelin in Belgium and a Serie A club. Manager Ally McCoist has asked Ian Durrant to watch the Maccabi Haifa player make his Israel debut in Euro 2012 qualifying action against Latvia this weekend. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1393339/New-Portsmouth-owner-tried-buy-Rangers.html#ixzz1O7UZ6CZq

AMSTERDAM â�� The 2010-11 European club season isn't technically done just yet. But the champions have been crowned and the standouts have emerged. With teams counting the days until summer break, itâ��s time again to see which American Exports are at the top of the class. Using a bit of our side's versatility, we have fashioned MLSsoccer.com's Europe-based Team of the Season into a 4-5-1 formation. By grading on a curve that marks a bit more heavily on importance to team than on league quality, we have allowed second-flight standouts a more equal footing to graduate here with honors. GOALKEEPER Brad Friedel (Aston Villa) The toughest pick of the bunch was for the spot between the pipes. The choice could have just as easily been Tim Howard. Though neither was top-shelf in the EPL this term, each was just below that level. Friedel, however, edges the nod for notching 10 more saves on the season, under greater pressure, in front of an ever-rotating backline of mediocrity. Honorable mentions: Tim Howard (Everton), David Yelldell (Duisburg), Brad Guzan (Hull City) DEFENSE RB - Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96) This one, meanwhile, was one of our easiest picks. The US mainstay may have suffered his first offensive shutout in seven seasons, but it was a willing sacrifice. After spurning free agent interest to re-sign, Cherundolo played nearly every minute of 33 games, captaining the Reds and anchoring their defense through arguably the greatest season in club history. CB - Zak Whitbread (Norwich City) Despite missing most of the pre-holiday action with injuries, the Canaries defender still managed 21 league outings, the team's second-highest total among defenders. While we could quibble over quantity, Whitbread's quality was beyond dispute. Promoted Norwich lost just once in his 20 league starts, leaking 1.15 goals per game. Without him marshaling the back, they conceded 1.35 while dropping seven of the other 26. The fans love him already for a reason. CB - Leo Krupnick (Maccabi Netanya) Had Clarence Goodson been able to work more than seven Br�¸ndby matches, extrapolated form indicates he'd be a shoo-in here. He wasn't, however, and this place goes instead to the former Red Bulls defender for his police work in one of Israel's bests defenses. Despite the Diamonds barely scoring a goal a game, Krupnick has helped them up to fifth with a game to play. LB - Carlos Bocanegra (Saint-��tienne) Though the US skipper has worked the last handful of matches at right center back, he spent most of this Ligue 1 season providing consistently solid play at left back. Both of Bocanegra's goals gave his side a lead and his measured approach to playing wide helped Les Verts flirt with a title run for a good while. Thanks to cup outcomes, 'Los & Co. still have a shot at capping the term with a Europa League invite. Honorable mentions: Clarence Goodson (Br�¸ndby), Eric Lichaj (Leeds United), Babajide Ogunbiyi (Viborg) MIDFIELD DM - Jermaine Jones (Schalke/Blackburn) Let's be clear up front: Jones' 2010 Bundesliga showings were nothing to write home about. That being said, the Miners' semifinal run was partially facilitated by the German-American's group-phase heroics. Since joining Rovers on loan, the US midfielder has provided hearty effort to fight relegation, essentially freeing top creator Morten Gamst Pedersen to run wild down the back stretch. RM - Timothy Chandler (FC N�¼rnberg, pictured above) Sure, he played nine of his mere 14 games at right back â�� but the impact of his inclusion was unmistakable. After a few sub appearances, Chandler barged into the lineup with a goal and assist blinder in a win at Stuttgart and stayed there. Along with a few other youngsters, he helped spark Der Club to the brink of a Europa League place with daring runs and nasty crosses practically falling out of his ears. CM - Stuart Holden (Bolton) Even though his EPL season was cut short at 26 games, the Wanderers busybody made a huge impact in his first full Prem season. Holden turned traffic director this term, ranking among the most active and cleanest tacklers in the league while also faithfully supplying the attack. With him, Bolton posted 10 of their 12 EPL wins, threatened a top-five finish and ran deep in the FA Cup. Had he been fit, they may well have reached their first final since 1958. CM - Maurice Edu (Rangers) Though asked to shift around the formation a lot, Edu adapted well to supply a steady stream of safe play as Rangers claimed the three-peat and a League Cup double. He also was terrific in UEFA play against the likes of Manchester United, Valencia and Sporting Lisbon in both the Champions League and Europa League. Some supporters moaned down the stretch that the American was ill-suited to the more advanced role, but he did bag a career-high five goals across all competitions. He also silenced those jeers with a strong finish as the Light Blues rallied past archrivals Celtic for the crown. LM - Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus) Though now breaking down defenses for the New England Revolution, let's not forget that Feilhaber started this season as a driving force on an AGF that looks poised to regain SAS Liga status with a second flight title. Finally given the chance to make plays, the US midfielder notched four goals and seven assists in 18 league matches, leaving with the club eight points clear at the top. Honorable mentions: Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), Michael Bradley (Borussia M�¶nchengladbach/Aston Villa), Charles Kazlauskas (Helmond Sport) FORWARD Clint Dempsey (Fulham) Citing a lack of competition up top, we'll use manager's choice to install the versatile, hard-nosed Cottager at forward. Dempsey played a lion's share of his 34 league games on the front line, burying 12 goals with four helpers. Including an August Carling Cup tally, Deuce has struck at least once in every full month but December. He's also been consistently scoring records, having already bagged a new career high, the American standard for EPL goals in a season and the title of Fulham's all-time top Prem hit man. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2011/05/18/postcard-europe-team-season

KRIS COMMONS last night stood by his claim that Celtic are younger and fitter than Rangers - despite his words driving on the Ibrox men to the SPL title. The Scotland star's comments were used as motivation in the Gers dressing room in the vital final weeks of the campaign. But after yesterday's Scottish Cup triumph, Commons claimed again the Hoops are younger and fitter - and insisted they are now older and wiser too. Commons reckons the bitter experience of a last-day defeat in the title race by their city rivals has been a valuable lesson for Celts and will drive them on when the league kicks off again. The former Derby County man played a key role in Celtic's 3-0 Hampden win against Motherwell to secure the club's first silverware since March 2009. The scenes of jubilation by the Hoops players and fans were a stark contrast with their emotions last week when Rangers clinched the SPL crown on the final day. Kris' first taunt came on the eve of a crucial Old Firm clash at Parkhead - and canny Gers boss Walter Smith pinned his words on the Ibrox dressing-room wall. The rest is history. And the claims were thrown back in the midfielder's face by some Gers stars last week as they celebrated their three-in-a-row titles. Commons stuck to his guns and said yesterday: "It's my opinion and I stand by my words. Celtic are the younger, fitter, better side. "Rangers beat us by one point - and credit to them, they have quality throughout their team. "But they didn't beat us because they were fitter. "We can improve. Next year we won't be concentrating on matters outside of football, we'll be concentrating on Celtic and our own performances. "We are a good side that can score good goals. "Guys like Beram Kayal, Ki Sung-Yueng, Gary Hooper and Emilio Izaguirre are all in their early 20s and are still to peak. "They are outstanding prospects. I think we're going to be a force. "In the space of a week we have experienced losing and have now enjoyed winning. "The heartache and loss we felt last weekend will make us more determined next time. "You can't buy experience - look at Rangers skipper Davie Weir. "He's an outstanding leader and it was a pleasure to play with him when I was with Scotland. "Yes, Rangers winning the league was a great achievement. "But from the disappointment we'll get experience. "And you get experience from winning as well. Walking around the pitch with the trophy at the end, with the fans saluting you and throwing scarves and stuff, was magic and I want to sample that on a regular basis. "It's our driving force next year - we don't want to lose anything. We want to win big. "We're on a high after winning the cup and it has given us a hunger to kick on now." Commons admits he never had any self-doubt after Celtic stumbled in the closing stages of the league race to let their Old Firm rivals squeeze past. He said: "I wouldn't say there were question marks about our ability to get over the finish line. "Going into the last four or five games we felt like favourites - but in football nothing is certain. "So it felt great to win yesterday at Hampden to repay the fans for their constant support. "We've believed all season we've a good enough squad to win some silverware - and now we've shown that we can. "Hopefully next year we'll win a few more. If the team stick together we can achieve a lot. "We have a really good squad and when everyone's fit and fighting for places it's a healthy position to be in. Beram will be back after his injury and I hope we get off to a good start and carry on from where we left off." Commons - who had a hand in Celtic's first two goals - celebrated success on a big scale for the first time since winning promotion with Nottingham Forest He said: "I was promoted with Forest but we finished second - so there was no trophy. "This is a similar feeling - the champagne's out, the boys are buzzing." Commons praised gaffer Neil Lennon and said the players would be delighted if his future could be sorted out as soon as possible. The midfielder said: "If we can tie down Neil for another couple of years the lads would be delighted. "This has been a good way to end a long, hard season. "There's not much of a break in the summer before we're back in the swing of things. "I hope everyone comes back from their break for pre-season feeling fit and healthy." Commons is now due to team up with Scotland for the Carling Nations Cup double header in Dublin but said: "I'll be speaking to Craig Levein and seeing what the situation is." http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2011/05/22/celtic-have-the-edge-over-rangers-despite-spl-title-loss-says-kris-commons-86908-23148440/

New Rangers owner Craig Whyte is set to take a major hands-on role in the running of the Ibrox club ââ?¬â?? by succeeding Alastair Johnston as chairman. Johnston is set to stand down this week after successfully overseeing what has been a turbulent period in the Glasgow clubââ?¬â?¢s history. And, in a significant development for the Scottish champions, it appears Whyte is poised to assume his responsibilities. The multi-millionaire businessman kept a low profile during his take-over of his boyhood heroes and had been widely expected to take a back seat in the day-to-day running of Rangers. However, it seems that the Motherwell-born venture capitalist is keen to play an active part in ensuring the continued success of the club on and off the park. To be appointed chairman, he will have to show he is a ââ?¬Ë?fit and proper personââ?¬â?¢ and prove that in the last five years he has not been debarred as a director of a company. Johnston said: ââ?¬Å?As it stands, I am still chairman, but thatââ?¬â?¢s merely procedural and because of paperwork being worked upon with Craig Whyte. ââ?¬Å?My two-year stint is ending and Iââ?¬â?¢ll simply go back to being a fan. I was in the Far East on business last week, but managed to get back to the game at Kilmarnock before attending the SPL title party. ââ?¬Å?It was a great way for Walter to sign off as manager. He has very much been a cornerstone for the club over the past few years and has shown great leadership.ââ?¬Â Johnston, a senior executive with IMG, was delighted to leave the club after Smith, whom he persuaded to stay on for a final year, had led the club to the Co-operative Insurance Cup and Clydesdale Bank Premier League. And he expressed confidence that Ally McCoist, who has now taken over from his mentor as manager, will prove a success He said: ââ?¬Å?Martin Bain had been working hard on Walter during that period to try to keep him because we all knew how important that could be. ââ?¬Å?I then came into it with my own input and I would very much like to think I had some influence.ââ?¬Â Johnston added: ââ?¬Å?I donââ?¬â?¢t think Rangers can replace him as a figurehead and a leader, but I do think Ally McCoist can be successful as manager. ââ?¬Å?He is strong-minded, but will need to be. Heââ?¬â?¢s had an apprenticeship with one of the best and hopefully that will be prove significant.ââ?¬Â http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/editor-s-picks/craig-whyte-set-for-role-as-rangers-chairman-1.1102414?90022

CELTIC manager Neil Lennon has urged supporters to stop unacceptable chanting after noting a re-emergence in recent matches. IRA chants were heard at Tynecastle last week when some Celtic fans clashed with stewards following an incident on the touchline which saw a fan charged with assaulting Lennon. The manager again praised the supporters for their "magnificent" response to him and the team on Sunday as Celtic lost out to Rangers in the title race despite victory over Motherwell. But he urged a minority of fans not to tarnish the club's reputation. In a statement on the club's official website, Lennon said: "Celtic is rightly proud of its unique history and also of its open, inclusive and welcoming spirit. It is this which we hold dear. "While we are delighted with the support we have received throughout the season, it is very important that we ensure that Celtic is always a positive club for all. "We all know it has been a very difficult season for Celtic and we all know what has gone on. "However, we must ensure that we do all we can to uphold the club's reputation. "In recent times, unfortunately there has been a re-emergence, from a small minority, of some of the singing and chanting which is simply not acceptable around our club. "This has no place at Celtic Park or at any of our matches and it must be tackled. "All this does is tarnish the great name of Celtic and embarrasses the club. "As we move towards next season it is vitally important that we ensure we do so positively. "However small the minority of people involved, this behaviour has no place at Celtic and I am sure as we move towards a new season and new beginning, everyone associated with the club will recognise this." Lennon, whose team face Motherwell in the Scottish Cup final on Saturday, added: "We move to next season with confidence, we will try again to bring fast, attacking, entertaining and positive football - and ultimately, football that brings you the supporters the success which your backing deserves." http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2011/05/17/neil-lennon-urges-celtic-fans-to-stop-unacceptable-singing-and-chanting-86908-23137502/

What makes football, or any professional sport, so utterly compelling is the knowledge that for every great victory, wherever there is a triumphant winner but also a disconsolate loser. Whenever Rangers win a title, we are always told that it is the worst league winning side in history. Has a Rangers side ever been worthy of the success their efforts have brought? Throughout today's emphatic victory there was always the lingering suggestion, from commentators, from pundits and experts, that Rangers were gifted the title due to Celtic's lack of bottle in the title run in and their improbable, unpredicatable defeat in the highlands. With the draw at Ibrox, where McGregor saved a penalty (awarded for a Celtic dive) that ultimately contributed so vitally to our victory, Celtic merely had to turn up in their four remaining fixtures to collect that 12 points that would seal the title. Unfortunately, Inverness Caley had not read the script and duly dumped the Champions elect (elected by themselves) from the driving seat. As Calscot pointed out in another thread the three points Celtic dropped in their run in is entirely consistent with their record throughout the season in terms of average points gained. It could almost be expected that they would come unstuck in at least one fixture. On paper, Celtic not trampelling all in their wake in their remaining few fixtures would be unthinkable. And as a fan who prepares himself for the worst in such a scenario, I had not expected such an event for fear of my hopes being cruelly squashed. However, it is disrespectful to dismiss the other ten league opponents in such a manner and as Madjid Bougherra said in his celebratory interviews, perhaps our cross city opponents had become cocky. Their arrogance was their undoing. Rangers management team are always at pains to pay the utmost respect to all our opponents and that is no more evident than in the way we approached the opening 7 minutes of our title clinching victory today. We went at our opponents from the off and delivered the victory that counted most. Whilst Rangers dropped just two points (only in an Old Firm draw) in our final ten fixtures since our last defeat to Dundee United, the Old Firm cannot routinely expect to go on such a run of results. A winning run is built upon hard work, confidence and even good fortune. Time and again Celtic have shown disrespect to the rest of the league; in expecting to turn up and be awarded the points without having to contest them (such as at Caley) and also through questioning the integrity of our opponents when we have achieved hard fought victories. Lennon and Celtic questioned the likes of Hearts and Dundee United when we dispatched them with ruthless efficiency, yet had no such concerns about achieving similar results themselves against the same opposition. The other question that must be answered is how late in a season must you drop points for it to be argued that you handed the title to your opponents? Celtic argue they threw away the title, we did not win it, because they lost their 4th last fixture at Caley. Can it be argued, hypothetically, that had they won the title we could point to that loss against Dundee United at Ibrox (a fixture we could reasonably expect to win and which we dominated for large spells) and say we lost it, they did not win it? Clearly it is a ludicrous concept. A league title is awarded to the team that garners the most points over the competitive 38 game season. Whether points are lost early in the season, with four games to go, or indeed with minutes of the season remaining is immaterial. The team which sits top of the pile after the final minute of the final fixture are deserving champions. For the third time in a row, for the 54th time in total, that team is Rangers. Here's to four in a row! :spl:

Honestly, the last 4 weeks has been the best football Ive seen from a Rangers team since Advocaats first 2 years. I do not think its a coincidence that: 1) We have set out to WIN games 2) Have a settled team (no changes in 4 or 5 games) 3) Not just a settled team but players playing in their natural positions. Ive always said if we play to our strengths then we are capable of blowing teams away.....the evidence of this is 5-0 at Fir park, 4-0 at tannadice, 5-1 at rugby park, 4-0 v Hearts. Fair play to the team for spirit also, they dig deep and dragged out ugly wins at Hamilton, St Johnstone and Aberdeen before the good run began. Its a bit like the 2003 team who scored over 100 goals from all over the place. Myself and Pete have always said this when Boyd was playing that we were capable of getting goals from all over rather than a slow poacher. No Boyd = No Goals = No title = hahaha :grin: From a personal point of view: Allan Mcgregor...cant speak highly enough of him. this season Ive said he is in the top 5 keepers in the UK, i wouldnt swap him for any keeper in the Premier League in England. He is the most improved player in SPL history. Top man! Kenny Miller - I was gutted Miller left in january. I was happy he signed 3 years ago much to some Bears dismae, but his work ethic and pace was always going to be an asset, he finally came good with his finishing this season and then we sold him. Kenny deserves a huge mention to this title...and he is still the SPL top scorer this season. Jelavic - A Dado Prso in the making?? Thats a complement enough! Vlad Weiss - Probably my fave player this year, I really liked him and the way he just gets the ball and has a go. He has caught the Rangers bug and I hope we get him signed up. The Youngsters - Hutton, Ness, Wylde! Showing the likes of Fleck and Wilson how its done.....Brilliant contribution from these 3.