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  1. Cracking post,IMO. Borrowed from another forum. Firstly, let me state that I think the latest UEFA ruling on our club has been an absolute stitch-up, an absolutely scandalous farce of a decision. FAREââ?¬â?¢s involvement in the whole process has been nothing short of a joke. Let us face it, we are hardly going to get favourable treatment from an unaccountable organisation whose head is married to a staunch Celtic supporter who hates Rangers! We simply have to appeal the decision, or run the risk of facing guaranteed greater penalties in the future. There is also the fact that far worse behaviour goes unpunished throughout Europe on a regular basis. The problem of racist chanting in countries like Spain and Russia is much worse than anything I have ever heard come out of Ibrox. However, we cannot defend our own behaviour by simply pointing to the fact that others teamsââ?¬â?¢ fans are worse. Yes, the fact our club has again been singled out is not fair, and we have clearly been stitched up by enemies of our club ââ?¬â? but if we are clever about this, we can turn recent events into a victory. I would ask this question: do our enemies ââ?¬â? mainly Celtic fans who are motivated and prepared to put the effort into hurting us, Tims with typewriters in the press and ââ?¬Ë?Celtic-mindedââ?¬â?¢ politicians ââ?¬â? really care about what songs our fans sing? Do they really want us to become, for want of a better phrase, a ââ?¬Ë?family friendlyââ?¬â?¢ club? Of course they do not! No, all they want to see is for us to suffer, to continue to be punished by UEFA ââ?¬â? and eventually face being banned from Europe. If we manage to turn this all around and become the type of club they claim they want us to be, they would actually hate it. They will have nothing to complain about and will have left themselves open to be targeted for their own behaviour. I truly believe that this latest turn of events could be the making of our support and club ââ?¬â? our enemies have tried to strike us down, without realising that, if they do so, we will only become stronger. We have a long road ahead of us but it has to start somewhere ââ?¬â? and here is how I would go about restoring our reputation and making us a club to be proud of. The first thing we have to do is accept the unfairness of the situation which surrounds Rangers. Yes, the club absolutely must fight the latest UEFA charges as far as they can, to not do so would have catastrophic future consequences. However, we, the support, have to do our bit to make sure we are never put in such a position again. But how do we do this? The only option is for the club to work together with the fans, particularly people like RSC representatives, the Rangers Supporters Trust and The Blue Order. For too long, the club has failed to seek the opinions of the support ââ?¬â? indeed, I would suggest they have been openly hostile to groups like the RST ââ?¬â? and look at the mess we are now in. Together we have to come up with a proper plan to ensure we celebrate our unique position of being proud to be Scottish and British, our quintessential Britishness, if you like. Under normal circumstances, you would think that the Scottish club who pretend to be Irish and, in doing so, hate their own country would be seen as the one in need of having their behaviour and attitudes called into question. It certainly is a strange and bitter little country we live in. But back to the main point of this post, what can we do to put our own house in order?ââ?¬Â¦ We have to realise that the best way to celebrate traditions that we are proud of is not to denigrate that which we are not. I am not a religious man myself but it is clearly obvious to me that the best way to celebrate our Protestant culture is surely not to criticise other religions, particularly Catholicism. As far as religions go, Catholicism is the one I dislike the most ââ?¬â? but I do not think a football match is the best place to get involved in a theological debate. I do not think for a minute that even the most staunch of our Protestant supporters would go to the cinema and sing songs about religion, so why do we have to do this at a football match? Likewise, I despise a murderous terrorist organisation like the IRA but, again, do we really need to sing about them at the football? Most decent people surely hate the IRA but they do not feel the need to publicly sing about them, so why do we? Let the Celtic fans embarrass themselves by glorifying the murderers. Let us get our own house in order and show them up for the anti-Scottish and anti-British racist bigots that they are. It is time to celebrate our own culture and everything that makes us great ââ?¬â? it is time to celebrate what we are, not what we are based on what we are not. Now on to the bit which will probably be the most contentious issue in this post: what should we sing and what should we consign to the history books? In case anyone levels any ââ?¬Ë?handwringerââ?¬â?¢ accusations at me, let me state that this could not be further than the truth. I have sung every single song which has got us in trouble in the pastââ?¬Â¦ I still have them on my iPodââ?¬Â¦ I still sing them in my own homeââ?¬Â¦ my favourite Rangers pub was The Clachanââ?¬Â¦ part of me still thinks all fans should be allowed to sing what they want at the football ââ?¬â? yet I will no longer sing anything home or away which will put the club I love in jeopardy. And nor should any other Rangers fan who professes to love Rangers more than the songs they want to sing. With that in mind, I would put our songsheet into three categories: those which we should celebrate and sing with pride, those which should immediately be binned and, perhaps more controversially, those which are not in my opinion sectarian but still should be dropped. So, here goes (and I know this is purely subjective, that many are not and have never been sung at Ibrox, and that the list is not exhaustive ââ?¬â? this is top of the head stuff): Loud And Proud Penny Arcade, Derryââ?¬â?¢s Walls, Paisley Road West, Rule Britannia, Follow Follow (original lyrics), Wolverhampton Town, God Save The Queen, Every Other Saturday, The Sash, The Best, The Blue Sea Of Ibrox. Lose For Good The Billy Boys, The [so-called] Famine Song, Super Rangers, No Pope Of Rome, Here Lies A Soldier, No 1 Platoon, Men Behind The Wire, Weââ?¬â?¢re Coming, Will You Stand, Daddyââ?¬â?¢s Uniform. Non-sectarian But Do They Have A Place At A Football Match? Build My Gallows, UDR4, A Fatherââ?¬â?¢s Advice, King Billyââ?¬â?¢s On The Wall, Fields Of Ulster, I Was Born Under A Union Jack, Gibraltar, Englishmanââ?¬â?¢s Betrayal, Wee Spot In Europe. Again, let me state that I am not claiming to be an authority on the above ââ?¬â? I am merely just wanting to start the debate somewhere. An agreed list, like the above, should be finalised between the club and the support and then printed in the media and distributed on seats etc. I think the majority of our fans are Scottish, yet a lot of the songs we sing about, particularly the ones which land us in trouble, are related to the troubles in Northern Ireland. Now in no way am I knocking our Northern Irish brothers and sisters ââ?¬â? I am very fond of that particular part of the world and I appreciate the huge lengths so many of them go to in order to support Rangers ââ?¬â? but should they not be coming across the water to celebrate how magnificent Rangers are, rather than most of our support singing about the issues they have left behind in Ulster? If this is offensive, I apologise, I do not mean to cause offence on such an emotive subject ââ?¬â? all I am trying to say it should all be about The Rangers! Another thing I would like the club to look at would be creating an ââ?¬Ë?eliteââ?¬â?¢ songwriting team in conjunction with our fansââ?¬â?¢ groups ââ?¬â? and fully supporting, perhaps even financially, them. I would charge this new group of talented and creative individuals to come up with acceptable new songs which celebrate our club. We should have far more songs about Rangers and our magnificent history, songs about our current players and songs which celebrate our legends. I will end, at last many of you may say, by repeating the title of this post: ââ?¬Å?No-one likes us, we [should] care.
  2. LEE McCULLOCH has revealed he pulled Madjid Bougherra aside and demanded to know if he was truly committed to Rangers. And after looking deep into the stopper's eyes he's convinced the Algerian ace IS totally focused on Gers. Bougherra stunned his team-mates when he told Algerian newspaper Le Buteur he wanted out of Ibrox in the summer. Bougy was quoted as saying he wanted to quit the SPL for a money-spinning move to England or abroad. McCulloch couldn't believe what he was reading with Gers focused on the title run-in. Jig, back from injury and desperate to play a part in the title run-in, said: "I spoke to Madjid the other day and he said he did not say that. "We just have wait to see what happens, but he insists he is committed to the team and the boys in the dressing-room know that. He wants to win the league for Rangers. He wants to do his best and whatever happens at the end of the season happens. "It is important the players know and everybody knows that Madjid is committed to Rangers. "I asked him about the article and he said he did not mean it to come out that way and he did not say that. "There is nothing more Madjid wants than to win the league and play every game. "He has proved that by how fast he has come back from his injury." McCulloch insists Gers aren't just playing for a league title, he claims a place in the Ibrox history books is now up for grabs. He added: "It would be great, three consecutive titles and three cups, that would be a fantastic achievement. "To go down in history in a club this size is something you would be proud to look back on and everybody is desperate to do that. "It means a lot to the boys here, especially those, like me, who grew up as Rangers fans. It would be something special. "This is the biggest test of my Rangers career. "We are using the same players every week, with everything that is going on off the pitch surrounding the club, the fans and everything else. McCulloch, 32, has found it tough watching from the sidelines. But vibrant displays from kids like Kyle Hutton, Jamie Ness and Gregg Wylde, right, who was outstanding in the Co-op Cup Final win, have taken his breath away. He added: "I think the youngsters have shown they are good enough and they must believe in themselves and then they will be fine. "I try and speak to them and big Davie Weir is the same. Any time you think you can offer help, it is important you do it. "I was a young boy once myself and there is nothing better than the experienced players coming up and having a word with you. "It is good to hear them talking about you in that way. "If there is anything at all I can help with, I will do it. "I had experienced players like Billy Davies and Paul Lambert when I was at Motherwell. "They were brilliant, speaking to you every day, trying to help you improve. "It was a good learning curve and I try to do the same with the kids we have here." Gers are boosted by the return of Bougherra for tonight's trip to Tannadice. Steven Naismith, voted as Gers Player of the Year, is also available after serving his suspension, but McCulloch is unlikely to make it. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3534263/Hes-mad-for-it.html#ixzz1JxwKbRR4
  3. Just signed up for the site tonight so I thought I'd say hello. I've been a Copland road man for 25 years + now and counting during which we've seen more ups than downs thankfully. Here's to another 25 years of the same and some decent chat on here Reading tonight that the sale could go through. I really hope it does because after ten years of watching the decline under Murray we need a new direction really badly and this seems the only route available to break the link with MIH & the bank. Also noting with interest the appointment of Craig Thomson for the game on Sunday. Ain't it interesting how the press choose which stories are controversial? If C*ltic had a ref who had a comparable recent history with them (fat chance eh?) and he was appointed to Sundays game we would be hearing about nothing else all the way to the weekend. Instead we'll be faced with the "best man for the job" crap from the usual bias suspects.
  4. This is turning into farce. We all know songs are sung by crowds as an expression of solidarity but when you think about it, what business is it of UEFA to judge the songs or the singing. What next - marks out of ten for lyrics and melody? A morality version of Eurovision? If public morality has now become the province of football authorities, is it only be judged in terms of the collective voice of crowds. Would Jim Torbet abusing children have led to a ban on Celtic admitting anyone under the age of twelve to watch their games. Or the Catholic church systematically buggering children prevent the participation of catholic coaches or managers throughout Europe? Did the mass murder and ethnic cleansing of Bosnians see UEFA banning the Croatian or Serbian FA's from Euro Championships? Did Franco's systematic brutality of his citizens see Spanish clubs banned while Real Madrid were winning all those European Cups? Is having an owner involved in dubious business deals an afront to UEFA's moral code? Are convicted criminals to be banned from attending football games? Are players convicted of breaking the law to be suspended? Or Ginger haired managers suspended for beating their wife perhaps, where does UEFA stand on wife beating? Surely UEFA is a body to administer the game of football in Europe. Surely we already have governments, legislatures, police and courts to establish codes of behavior and deal with offences against the public interest. Where in the legal framework of any European country does it accommodate UEFA to act as judge and jury on the conduct of it's citizens? UEFA is effectively serving punishment on private companies on the basis that criminal law is being broken on it's premises by individuals who are not employed by it and have no contractual responsibility to it. And UEFA is doing this, not on the evidence of it's own police service interpreting it's own laws, but on the reports of unaccredited and unaccountable individuals and organizations, sometimes with a clear conflict of interest. In this part of the world enormous effort is placed upon ensuring democratic governance. We willingly rush to war in order to assure our democratic rights and award Nobel Prizes to those who foster democracy across the world. The exception appears to be our willingness to stand aside while a footballing authority intercedes in the legal affairs of our citizens and corporate organizations. We demand no democratic credentials of UEFA, there is no accountability required, and no democratic participation by the individuals being judged by it. I have no problem with UEFA judging the conduct of it's constituent clubs and national FA's. I have a huge problem with UEFA stepping outside its footballng perimeter and judging the conduct of private citizens who are not members, employees or owners of those clubs. That, in my estimation, is a matter reserved exclusively to the national and EU courts. If I am to be excluded from attending a football game on the decision of UEFA, where do I seek redress for the constraint of my freedoms? The answer of course is that I don't. I am punished after being judged by a body with no jurisdiction over me and without ever having been convicted of any offence.* This might seem to be a pointless perspective but I think it lies at the heart of the entire madness and is the crack though which personal interest is able to leverage collective behaviour. It's why we go to such enormous lengths to guard our democracies. At least that's how the script is usually written.* The rise of the sporting authorities, their growing wealth and political influence, and their impact on nations and citizens alike is not limited to football either. Perhaps the best example of why someone urgently needs to stand on UEFA's toes is the mind boggling corruption of the Olympic movement. In the history of western society and with the possible exception of the catholic church and FIFA, has there ever been a less accountable organization that wielded more power and influence than the IOC? If this is the template that UEFA is now embracing then it is perhaps no surprise that it has little interest in respecting the rights of people like you and me. We all realize there are indeed issues to be dealt with but every one of us needs to think seriously about the deeper and more insidious game being played by those who are in a position to threaten something altogether more offensive than the songs being sung at football matches.
  5. Like most sane bears, I was pleased that we were able to go to the SFA and present a sensible, legal defence of our Assistant Manager and players against the most outrageous media onslaught, and come out with a not guilty and a couple of slapped wrists and small fines. It was interesting to read that we took our own 3 strong legal team with us to defend us, including our own QC that didnt feel the need to go public and blow his own trumpet. As many have said before and I say again, the main difference between us and them is, quite simply, class. We have it and they dont. Anyway, I digress. It appears that we are quite happy to splash the cash to defend any accusations against our owner, manager, and even players, but one part of the Rangers family does not quite get any defence from those running our club, and that is us, the fans. Over recent years, time and again, many media hacks and commentators have gone to town with outrageous attacks on our fanbase which, had they been defended with the same vigour as the 3 at the SFA this week, may have led to a much fairer and more impartial broadcasting nation than the one we inhabit today. It is also fair to say that this is not even restricted to media, but the agenda is driven by our enemies to other bodies also, including the Police, the PF, NBM, FARE and UEFA. What defence have we given against this orchestrated and venemous onslaught? Nothing. Well in my view, and I am sure the view of many others, it is time this was changed. But how to change it? Of course it is difficult to defend ourselves entirely when we continue to sing songs that we have lost the fight (what fight?) on. It probably took Timmy about 20 years to change things around from one where they had little say and influence to one where they now hold court everywhere that matters. For such a small percentage of the population, they certainly fight above their weight, of that there is no denying. But enough of them, it is only us I am interested in. We must start to change opinions within the corridors of power, put our side of the story across, ensure we get fair treatment. We must ensure that the Police, PF, so-called anti-sectarian organisations and footballing authorities understand that we have a proud and respected culture also, that we are proud of our heritage and traditions, where we come from as a club and a community, that we are proud of our Country and those who defend our Country. That we seek no advantage nor cry about how how they big bad folks from across the city are getting everything their own way, merely that as long as we are treated with understanding, fairness and equality, we will have no problem in sorting ourselves out. We can point to the fact that after TBB was banned in 2007, we organised a meeting amongst RSC's and agreed to self-police and ensure TBB was no longer sung at Rangers matches. This was very successful and worked well for quite some time. Recently, we have begun to slip into old ways, and it is no surprise to hear that the biggest reason you hear for this, is that we stopped singing the offensive songs, but nobody else was forced to, so why should we bother. It is this line that needs addressing now. We are more than able to ensure that as a club and a support, we are inclusive and inoffensive, whilst retaining the right to be proud of our roots, heritage and culture, but we must see a level playing field where it is not possible for only one club's support to be offensive and all the others to be laughed away as a joke, or argued away on a technicality. Throughout our history, all we have wanted is equality and fairness, for the game to be decided by skill and endevour, on and off the field, and for this to be the only thing asked of our rivals also. It is time our fans, and more importantly, our club, decided to stand up and be heard for all the right reasons, and to ensure that those with unfair agendas are argued against and not allowed to continue to paint us solely to blame for all the failings in our society, which is how we the fans I am sure believe is what the current situation is.
  6. I'VE never been one to sit on the fence. Even if that means upsetting a mate, I'll tell it straight. I'd like to think I'm pals with both Neil Lennon and Ally McCoist, so this week's events make this column a tricky one to write. That will NEVER stop me being honest. I simply can't understand why the SFA let Coisty off the hook. The SFA reckon there's not a case to answer. Sorry, but that's just miles out. There IS a case to answer. McCoist was the one who initiated the bust-up with Neil Lennon, he sparked it. What he said has nothing to do with anyone else. He'll take that to the grave. Let's not forget HE was the one who whispered something in Lenny's ear. That's why Lenny reacted the way he did. McCoist should have been banned the way Lennon was. He was hit with a four-game ban after being sent to the stand at Tynecastle. Why, therefore, not the same punishment for Coisty? Then there's El Hadji-Diouf. The boy reacted in totally the wrong way having been sent off in that Old Firm game. Why wasn't he down the tunnel having a shower? Rangers had just been dumped out of the Cup, but he decides to take his shirt off and chuck it into the fans. As I said at the time I'd have thrown it back it if I was a Rangers fan. Diouf was on his own at this point, there was no one else in sight. He should have been keeping his head down? Why wasn't he consoling his team-mates after they had just lost a really important game. Diouf shouldn't have been anywhere near those fans after being sent off. Before that he had barged the Celtic physio for no good reason. Then he started a row with Neil Lennon - again for no good reason. To get away with a �£5,000 fine is a disgrace. That won't hurt him. Diouf is a millionaire, he won't exactly miss the money he's been fined by the SFA. The only way to hurt guys like him is suspending him from games. By hurting him, you hurt Rangers. He should have been banned. As for Madjid Bougherra? If you raise your hands to a match official you should be punished. End of. I still have no idea what he was trying to do. His hands were all over the ref. You can't do that. In all my time as a player, I never made contact with a referee of a linesman. You just can't do it. It's totally disrepectful to the ref. The players were behaving like THUGS in a Sunday League game. They were playing in front of millions of people and a full house at Celtic Park. The whole world was watching and they acted like thugs. I bet Walter Smith slated them when they got in the dressing room but that doesn't warrant them getting off so lightly. Yet somehow, both Diouf and Bougherra got off scot free. Once again people will be asking if there's a conspiracy. Once again, I'll say yes there is. Bougherra should have been given a three-game ban, just like Lennon got when he barged towards Stuart Dougal in 2005. Why hasn't he? I will tell you why. It's because this is a particularly tough time of the season for Rangers. They have got a lot of games in a short space of time. It's a massive time in their history. Walter Smith would love to win the title in his last season, leave with three in a row. The SFA have obviously put two and two together and realised suspending these two major players for the run-in would really hamper Rangers. Instead, they have fined the players and let Coisty off the hook. Rangers have got off scot free. That's my opinion. I'm saying all this without my Celtic hat on, trust me. It's got nothing to do with scoring over 100 goals for the Hoops. I just don't know what else people are meant to think. If you punish one side, then surely you also have to punish the other? Believe me, I'd be saying the exact same thing if the tables were turned. Why can't we simply have some consistency? I'll tell you what it is. Rangers are the Manchester United of Scotland. The FA down there are scared stiff of Fergie. Wayne Rooney smashes James McCarthy over the head with a vicious elbow and gets away with it. Then he swears into a camera and they feel they have to act because they are right up against it. If there's no pressure, they won't act and it's exactly the same with Rangers. It would have been really interesting to see what would have happened if it had been a Celtic player. People say these things balance themselves out. From what I can see, that's not the case because the SFA have done it again. Look at the St Johnstone game against Celtic. Referee Iain Brines should be embarrassed with that display. How did he not give a penalty after big Michael Duberry handled TWICE? Imagine St Johnstone went up the park after that and scored? All of a sudden the title would be right back in the balance. Brines was absolutely awful on Tuesday night. If you are a player, you analyse your game. You ask the gaffer for the video and have a look at your performance. Brines has to watch his performance, and he has to be ashamed with it, because he was just completely out of touch. The decisions he got wrong were a disgrace. The penalty, the Scott Brown foul in the first half. How he got off with that I'll never know. Then there was the Duberry two-footed lunge that deserved a red card. That was a potential leg-breaker, yet he escaped. Aside from all that, even in general play he was terrible. All it's done is give people even more reason to believe there is a conspiracy. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3526464/SFA-are-scared-stiff-of-Rangers.html#ixzz1JRt8QVFA
  7. We now find ourselves on the dawn of a new era however I still find myself looking back on the Murray stewardship and the missed opportunities that could have prevented the financial mess that we now find ourselves in. Over the years we have seen our great club go from being a global brand steeped in history, which is talked about all over the world however now you would be lucky to find a Rangers key ring in most sport shops outside Scotland as the interest in Rangers and Scottish football has been allowed to Dwindle. Now before I go further I must state that the interest or lack of I should say in Scottish football is not down to Murray but rather could be blamed on the SPL's failed rendezvous with Setanta. Although we cannot ignore that Murray has allowed our club to go from being the Second biggest club in terms of merchandise income in the UK to a club who no longer operate their own shops. I do not intend to list all of Murrays short comings as I would like everyone to list one that they feel Murray got wrong; I will start with the following: Murrays Missed Opportunities 1. The Big Screen Fiasco I always wondered what was going through Murray�s head when he introduced the big screen TV�s. The opportunity to actually use them were limited as TV rights dictated what games could be shown. Surely if some one actually sat down and calculated the amount of seats that could have been placed there instead and the average ticket cost across the number of games we are looking at a lot of revenue lost over the years. Anyways guys over to you to list what you feel he got wrong.
  8. Rangers have no skeletons in the cupboard, but these songs do the Ibrox men little credit By JOHN GOW When the news that UEFA are looking to bring charges against Rangers for sectarian singing, there is hardly a Rangers fan who did not groan with displeasure. It's in the nature of being a supporter that you dislike bad PR for the club you love. It would be easy to metaphorically put your head under the pillow and wish it would all go away. Well it isn't going away. It was never going away. Some fans pretended it was and nothing could touch the club. They are wrong. There are people who spend most of their waking life writing about and trying to hurt The Rangers any way they can. In a world without meaning this is their raison d'�ªtre. However, let us be clear. Some of the songs Rangers fans sing have become unacceptable, and frankly bizarre, in modern society. It's not necessary to sing about Chapels and Nuns considering there are more than enough Championships, Cups and victories against Celtic to cheer. Rangers are standing at a crossroads that has two paths. The first is to blindly walk on the current course. It will be a 'death by a thousand cuts' with a long, slow degradation of Rangers reputation and standing. There will almost certainly be bans from UEFA and the SFA/SPL or Scottish Authorities will eventually be forced to make their mark. This road is exactly what many non-Rangers fans secretly desire. The second option is to embrace Zero Tolerance, completely forbid the singing of those songs and chants like 'No Pope of Rome', 'The Billy Boys' and 'The Famine Song' but also in return demand Scottish football and society stop all offensive and sectarian songs. Including the terrorist-chic of IRA songs. The charge by some fans that if these songs are banned the club will start to lose part of it's identity is false. Singing about Rangers or even your pride in Britishness is not the same as pejoratively referencing another religion or nationality. In 1960, James Handley writing in 'The Celtic Story' wrote that: until a Catholic centre-forward in a Rangers blue jersey scores a goal against a Celtic team the tension will persist. If that should ever come to pass then the rabble would be bewildered and all its fire extinguished. The notion that the mob can be ultimately educated to see the folly of its way is a hollow one, for the creatures who compose it are ineducable. Not only is the text highly inflammatory and surprisingly reminiscent of Graham Spiers, he fails to understand The Rangers support. In the end when his Catholic Rangers player scenario once again came to life, the Maurice Johnston goal did not cause depression amongst Rangers fans but sheer joy. In fact it was even sweeter because it made the Celtic fans feel worse than usual after such a late decider. In the end it has always been about the club winning Championships and beating Celtic. That is Rangers' identity. This is a crucial point. Stopping songs about Catholicism or Ireland is not the same as asking Rangers fans to stop singing about Rangers and even of Britishness. Some fans have fallen into the trap of forgetting an identity is for something and not just against something. If the fans do stop then the club can legitimately defend the support. They have done this in the past when certain journalists questioned some pro-British songs. It soon became obvious that their query was not completely driven by an anti-sectarian stance, but to a reaction against any mention of British identity. In the end they had to back down. They had no case. However if the singing does persist, Martin Bain can hardly be seen to be defending the support if fans mention Famines and Priests. No-one can. Not Bain or any other CEO in the future. It doesn't matter if fans say they are not insulting those who died in a famine. If you mention a famine you can hardly blame people taking offence. If another fan group quoted the Ibrox Disaster - even if they were not belittling the tragedy - Rangers fans would still find it unacceptable. It doesn't matter if you elaborate some response that you dislike Catholicism as a religion but have no problems with Catholics. If you sing about "No Pope of Rome" and "No Nuns and no Priests, fuck your Rosary Beads" you will not be taken seriously. It doesn't matter if you sing 'The Billy Boys' and explain that Fenian does not mean Catholic and that Celtic fans sing in praise of Fenians. Society is not a debating chamber. Ideas are transmitted crudely. Sometimes those who make the most noise win. It has already been decided Fenian means Catholic. Game over. And lets be honest, in the same way some people use Hun to mean British or Protestant and then pretend it only means Rangers fans. There is no way a sizeable - especially young - section of the support does not equate Fenian with Catholic. Now before you get the impression I am just putting on a hair-shirt after a good beating with the big guilt-stick, I would like to re-emphasise - that as well as stopping those songs seen as offensive - Rangers FC and fans should demand zero-tolerance of sectarianism and discrimination from everyone. Demand that everyone should actually follow through on their strong zero-tolerance campaigns and expose them when they don't. Continue to ask questions if you see double-standards. Ask why it is a crime to be up to your knees in Fenian blood, but not Hibee or any other blood? Politely ask why offensive songs about the Pope are worse than offensive songs praising the IRA? Ask why journalists like Graham Spiers of The Times believes pro-IRA songs are "political" and why Andrew Smith of The Scotsman thinks "any acknowledgement of the Irish Republic can be viewed as pro-IRA" and that "The British Army are guilty of acts of terrorism in Iraqw" (sic) . Demand to know why glorifying guns and violence is acceptable? Query why IRA songs are "political" but UVF songs are sectarian? (Please note I am against both.) Once questions are asked it will surprise you how many secretly support or defend the IRA, or their own form of bigotry. They get off lightly because they are never asked any difficult questions by a support too busy navel-gazing over a few indefensible songs. Only recently I came across an article by a St Johnstone fanzine interviewing the BBC's Stuart Cosgrove who said: "One time we were through at Hearts, and we were at Falkirk station on the way, on the same day Rangers were playing Falkirk. It was Huns galore - thousands of them, and there were maybe 40 of us in the CYS from Perth. We got on the train at Falkirk Station, we just opened the windows as it started moving, and gave them "Orange wankers" and all the rest of it, and of course as soon as we were moving - the train stopped and started moving back into the station! The driver must have been a Hun or something." http://www.blueheaven.org.uk/cos1/cos3.php This is an employee of the same BBC who lecture others on sectarianism. This is the level of debate we are dealing with. It only needs the light of day for it to be exposed for what it is. (Ask yourself if you hear Stuart Cosgrove in the future discussing sectarianism that you won't be better informed about him by knowing that quote.) Rangers fans welcome fans and players from all religions and nationalities. From Dubliner Alex Stevenson who went onto coach the Republic of Ireland national team to Nacho Novo of Spain and Lorenzo Amoruso of Italy. From the supporters in Rome called 'the Italian Gers' to the Dublin Loyal of Ireland. From a report that show 5% of Rangers fans in Glasgow are Catholic (4% of Celtic fans in Glasgow are Protestant) to the Gers proud Asian fans. No-one cares because they share the support of The Rangers Football Club. However, wider society doesn't see this. They only see the stereotype projected and hear nonsense songs. They naturally assume the worst. So accept the challenge. Take the opportunity to make the Ibrox experience noisy and colourful. Sing about the magic of Rangers history. If there are non-football songs make sure it is for a positive identity we can share together. Society wants Zero Tolerance so lets give it to them. Start demanding the zero tolerance of all offensive/racist/bigoted songs. Not only is it the right moral choice but it's the best action for the club. There is nothing to fear. Rangers have no skeletons in the cupboard. Let us see if others can say the same. http://www.theawayend.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=677:uefa-charge-is-an-opportunity-for-rangers&catid=51:features&Itemid=109
  9. I posted on another thread a recently where someone mentioned black and white arguments. This post is absolutely unrelated and is not intended as any kind of response. However, the comment did resonate with an article I read by PZ Myers, who is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota - and avid blogger. It's quite lengthy and there's no point to it other than I thought some of you might enjoy it. Here it is........ Sometimes, issues demand nuance. This is a complicated world and there are a great many subjects that simply aren't reducible to binaries — we do a disservice to the subtleties when we discard them in favor of absolutes. And often I can agree that we need depth and breadth of understanding if we're to navigate a difficult situation. But sometimes the issues are black and white. Sometimes the answers are clear and absolute. And in those cases, attempts to bring out the watercolors and soften the story by blurring the edges do a disservice to reality. There are places where there are no ambiguities, and the only appropriate response is flat condemnation. And we witness them every day. All around the world, people are killing and being killed; they are crossing the clearest, least arbitrary border we have. You don't come back from death, and you can't atone for extinguishing another life. There are no excuses. Life is not a video game, where your targets are smears of pixels with no history and no awareness. In the real world, those bodies are people, with 20 years or 30 years or 50 years or 70 years of stories and connections behind them, part of a web of humanity, and their every action tugs on the people around them. Dehumanizing them, as we often do, dehumanizes us. You are the killer, but you are also the killed. …the enemy walks down the road, a distant figure in the sights of your rifle. You squeeze the trigger, there is a sharp report, and bam, the enemy is smashed backwards like a cheap tin target in the penny arcade, and a red mist slowly settles over his still form. You trot forward and look; a clean kill, the bullet went through the left eye and blew out the entire back of the skull, brains and blood are sprayed for yards behind the target, the face is a ghastly ruin of slumping flesh on the shattered armature of the skull. …you are walking down the road, anxious to be home since there are reports of the enemy lurking in the neighborhood, but still thinking ahead to mundane concerns, like what you'll have for dinner or what the family has been doing while you were away, when…nothing. You suddenly cease to exist, without warning, without awareness, just abruptly, you are no more. Hours later, friends find your body and carry it home, and stretch it out on the table. On the wall above it is your wedding portrait. Your partner clutches your rigid hand, the flesh like cold clay, and looks at the portrait, and looks at the wreckage of your beloved face, and knows there will be nightmares, and that every happy memory will always be overlaid with the horror of this moment. …you watch the crowd fill the streets, and when the numbers seem adequate, you tap the numbers into your cell phone, and instantly the car blooms into a flare of fire, and as you watch the bodies fly and flail away from it, you hear the rumbling thud of the detonation. You rush forward with everyone else — it wouldn't do to be spotted guiltily scuttling away — and you see one of the enemy lying in the road, eyes blinking in shock, staring at the sky. You watch the lips move, but no sound emerges — you know the shock wave of the explosion would have pulped lungs that now lie in sodden useless tatters in the chest. The target tries to cough, spasms, blood gushes from mouth and nose, and then the feeble movements end, and the eyes glaze, seeing nothing ever again. …you join friends as you walk to the market, when a great hand lifts you and flings you against a wall and bounces you into the street. You can't hear anything but an overwhelming ringing; you feel disoriented and confused; something is wrong with your body, it feels weak and helpless. You look up at the sky, it's clear and blue and beautiful, and you dream that your mother will come and pick you up and all will be well, so you try to call out to her, but you can't catch your breath, and all you feel is a vast welling bubble of pain rising up and up and breaking…and then darkness. Your mother arrives later, with people from all around the neighborhood. They file through the makeshift morgue, sorting through the bloody clothing and the shattered body parts, trudging through a charnel house to identify their loved ones, or fragments of them. One of the attendants has washed the blood and dust from your face and, unlike so many others, you look like one sleeping — your mother hopefully puts a hand to your cheek, feels the chilled motionlessness, and knows there is no hope ever again, and feels a shadow of that rising bubble of anguish herself. …the enemy walks into the shop, and from your hiding place, you paint the wall of the building with your laser. Your headset whispers; the pilot of the plane flying invisibly distant, far above you, acknowledges the signal and calmly informs you that the package is inbound. Moments later, there is a streak of light from the sky and a thunderclap of sound and fire and dust and smoke, and the building vanishes, becoming a shallow hole in the ground surrounded by a corona of rubble. …you open the door and walk into the room, greeting your friends, when, in an instant, you are vaporized, your flesh so thoroughly churned in the violence of the explosion that all that will remain are small clumps of blood and dust sown across the landscape. No recognizable trace will ever be recovered. All your children will know is that one day their parent left them, abandoned them, disappeared somehow in the diffuse chaos and instability that is their life. They shall inherit anger and a sense of betrayal, but remember little else about you. …you are part of the mob. How dare they insult your people! Your fury rages, and together you grab sticks and stones and knives and you surge to their home, where the guards stand surprised and frightened by the spontaneous rush of howling people. You overwhelm them. You stand over one, stomp on an exposed arm, and see it bend and break; you pick up a rock, kneel down, and see the enemy's face, hear the screams of pain and terror, smell the shit and blood as the enemy's guts are spilled on the dirt, and raise that rock and smash and smash and smash. The body is dead, but everyone continues to tear at it, ripping scraps of smeared clothing and even souvenirs of flesh and passing them back to the crowd behind them, where they are waved like bloody flags. …you stand momentarily as the mob charges, torn between duty and fear, and then you try to break and run …but too late. There are too many to fight, they batter you everywhere, you can't think — all you know is agony and horror and you feel fingers tearing at your eyes and your limbs breaking and the sharp tearing of knives and finally numbing, crushing blows to the skull, and then you're dead. But the mob doesn't stop, and continues to rend and mutilate. Your body is sent home in a sealed coffin. There is a decorous funeral, the words are solemnly said, the family weeps. In the somber procession, though, suddenly your father drops to his knees, broken. He remembers the laughing child he carried on his shoulders, and he can't reconcile that moment with this one. He wants to know what happened, but he can't know. He wants to have helped, but he is helpless. And there is no way to overcome this grief. I know what it is like to lose someone you love, and it's a pain so great that I can't imagine reaching out to cause that pain in anyone else; what killers must do is blind themselves to the enormity of their act and wall themselves off from the empathy that all human beings should have. They also must bury that portion of their mind that can sympathize with their victims in an avalanche of pretexts, these excuses that later apologists will call "nuance", or "shades of gray", or "complications". And they will dredge up the familiar roll call of empty ghosts to water down the evil of what is done. They will call it God. Country. Honor. Justice. Revenge. The priests and the mullahs and the politicians and the generals are experts at softening the contrast and blurring the edges and persuading one person that that other person over there, so much like you in every way that matters, deserves to have everything important extinguished and brutalized and disregarded. They are so damned good at it that they can stir up the killing frenzy over anything at all. A gang of fanatics, driven by superstition and ethnic bigotry, kill thousands in a terrorist attack in one country. So zealots stir up their own froth of superstition and ethnic bigotry, and convince the targeted country to attack and kill people of yet another country that had nothing to do with the terrorist attack. What a waste of lives, yet everyone on both sides is smug and confident that the deaths on the other side were warranted. Or even more ridiculously remote: one side takes such extreme offense at the lack of reverence shown by a few people on the other side towards some copy of a sacred object, that they then slaughter unrelated targets. Stirred up by three angry mullahs who urged them to avenge the burning of a Koran at a Florida church, thousands of protesters on Friday overran the compound of the United Nations in this northern Afghan city, killing at least 12 people, Afghan and United Nations officials said. Unable to find Americans on whom to vent their anger, the mob turned instead on the next-best symbol of Western intrusion — the nearby United Nations headquarters. "Some of our colleagues were just hunted down," said a spokesman for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, Kieran Dwyer, in confirming the attack. These twelve people were human beings, reduced to a statistic in a newspaper article, and dehumanized and exterminated by a mindless mob, inflamed by religious fanatics. Similarly, the hundred thousand or more killed in Iraq, the ongoing war in Afghanistan, all of these are also genuine, thinking, feeling human beings, wiped out in a cold-hearted calculus of delusion and greed. There is no justification sufficient for these acts. Yet somehow we get lost in the wrong questions. Do we have the right to burn the Koran? Is it unreasonable to think that Afghans might have cause to be angry? Should we not defend the right of fascist politicians to live, and perhaps it is OK to grant a limited license to murder to certain people if they are of the correct political stripe or the appropriate faith? Shall we weigh the sins of a Florida preacher against those of three Afghan clerics, and come up with a number that will tell us which is the greater offender, and by how much? I'm an extremist in this debate, I will freely confess. I hold an absolute view that no killing is ever justified, that individuals have the necessity to defend themselves against assailants, but that even that does not grant moral approval to snuffing out the life of another. Don't even try to pull out a scale and toss a copy of the Koran on one side and the life of a single human being on the other — the comparison is obscene. Do not try to tell me that some people are 'moderates' when they tolerate or even support and applaud war and death and murder for any cause, whether it is oil, or getting even, or defending the honor of wood pulp and ink. The bone is bleached white. The flesh is burnt black. The blood splashes scarlet. You can't render it in grays and pastels without losing sight of the truth.
  10. POLICE will issue the Old Firm with a list of banned songs as they begin their biggest crackdown on sectarianism. Both Celtic and Rangers will be asked to distribute the list to fans and ask them to stop singing them. The banned songs are thought to include The Famine Song, The Billy Boys and other tunes that glorify terror groups such as the IRA and UDA. Senior Strathclyde police sources say officers are ready to wade into stands to arrest offenders. A source said: "The police and the clubs need to work together and there has to be change in attitude by fans. "Thousands sing these songs but we cannot turn a blind eye any longer. "These songs have to become as socially unacceptable as drink-driving." Persistent offenders will be warned inside grounds. If they fail to stop, they will be arrested and could be taken to court and banned from attending matches. Fury over sectarian singing has increased in a season which has already featured six highly-charged Old Firm matches. The Catholic Church last month compained about singing coming from the Rangers end during the Co-operative Insurance Cup final, which Rangers won 2-1. And Rangers fans have been prosecuted for singing The Famine Song, described as racist by High Court judge Lord Carloway. It contains the words "the famine is over, why don't you go home" and has also been attacked by Celtic chairman Lord Reid. Last month, the Sunday Mail revealed a Celtic fan had received a two-year banning order and a �£300 fine for a song which described Rangers manager Walter Smith as a "sad, Orange b*****d". Lawyer David McKie last month successfully defended police officer Christopher Halaka who was accused of chanting pro-IRA slogans at a Perth taxi rank. He was cleared of breach of the peace with religious aggravation at Perth Sheriff Court. Mr McKie said: "Some songs about the IRA and UDA may be sectarian but singing them isn't necessarily breaking the law. The lyrics may be about history and politics and have nothing to do with religion." Scottish historian Professor Tom Devine, of Edinburgh University, said: "There should be caution until we see how this works. "But questions remain. How are those engaged in such singing to be identified? "Will they be charged with breach of the peace aggravated by sectarian intent? "And will the ban apply to all football matches and parks in Scotland?" Last night Celtic said they were unaware of the plans and couldn't comment on the new measures. Rangers were also unable to comment. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2011/04/03/police-chiefs-give-celtic-and-rangers-list-of-banned-songs-in-sectarian-crackdown-86908-23035258/
  11. Professor Tom Devine comments in today's Herald Letters page: http://www.heraldscotland.com/mobile/comment/herald-letters/why-the-fans-who-sing-songs-of-hate-are-committing-an-offence-1.1093147
  12. "Mr Mac Askill, I am writing to you in response to the comments you made following the Scottish league Cup Final at Hampden Park on Sunday March 20th. I attended the match as a Celtic supporter and once again was subjected to 120 minutes of racist, sectarian singing from the fans of Glasgow Rangers; if you think that was something to celebrate then we have an even more serious sectarian problem in Scotland than i thought; and thatââ?¬â?¢s saying something. Your comments included; ââ?¬Å?This was the showpiece everyone wanted to see- it was a great advert for Scottish Footballââ?¬Â you were also reported as saying ââ?¬Å?The players, management and fans contributed to a memorable occasion, and i urge that their positive example inside the ground is replicated outside it over the course of the evening and beyond. Football is a force for good in societyââ?¬Â. If that is a true reflection of how you actually felt on Sunday at Hampden Park; then you should have been sitting in the section reserved for the fans of Rangers; not in a VIP area; then again maybe you were; i donââ?¬â?¢t know. I could go on all day about how disgusted i am with the continuous bile we get from the Rangers supports; every time we have a match against them irrespective of which ground it is at; we are subjected to the same anti- catholic; anti-Irish singing. Just in case you didnââ?¬â?¢t know Glasgow Celtic is an all-inclusive Football Club open to all; sure we come from an Irish-Catholic background; that is our history and heritage; and we are rightly proud of it; and that is a proud history full of men who were neither Irish nor Catholic. Mr Mac Askill, you claim to represent a party which wantââ?¬â?¢s an all-inclusive Scotland with your ââ?¬Å?One country; many culturesââ?¬Â slogan; well you have well and truly let down a large section of the Scottish public with your failure to condemn the racist, sectarian singing from the Rangers fans. The Celtic Supporters Association are by constitution Non Political; but i will personally be making it known to our members what i think of your pathetic posturing to the Scottish media; and its allies. Your party supports sending war planes to foreign sovereign countries in support of people who are oppressed; but you offer no support to people who are oppressed in this; their own country; a smacks of a typical SNP Politician; say what you think will get you the most votes; well i sincerely hope that the Celtic supporters who were considering voting for you; or your party are having second thoughts. Joe Oââ?¬â?¢Rourke, General Secretary, Celtic Supporters Association."
  13. NEIL LENNON bounced and fidgeted in the main stand, a simmering ginger bundle of energy and frustration. He yelled. He cursed. He fed a non-stop stream of instructions to his sidekicks on the sidelines. Nothing the Celtic boss could say made a difference in the end. No amount of tinkering or yelling or substitutions could turn the tide of a game that always seemed destined to end in defeat. This time, when it was over, he couldn't even blame the ref. Let's be honest here - Craig Thomson got off the hook yesterday - big time. Had Rangers lost this titanic final, there would have been hell to pay for the two stonewall penalties he refused to give them. Instead? Well, Old Firm fans have better memories than an elephant who's spent six hours a day playing the Brain Training game on its Nintendo DS, so neither decision will be forgotten soon. At least history will boil them down to a side issue, a pub argument over what year it was that some diddy rubber-eared a kick in the knee and a blatant handball. Which, for the sake of a decent bloke, is a blessing. I've watched both those incidents over and over and still can't for the life of me understand why they weren't no-brainers for a man of Thomson's experience. Each time, he's in a perfect position. Each time, he could not have made the job easier for himself. Yet in the first half, when Thomas Rogne's boot clearly catches Nikica Jelavic, he gives the spot kick before changing his mind - presumably on the advice of linesman Graham Chambers 50 yards away. Then, when Mark Wilson sticks out his left arm to block Maurice Edu's flick on the hour mark, he has the best view in the stadium - yet waves appeals away. Someone said to me later that, to be fair, the guy got nothing else wrong all afternoon. What keeper ever got away with that excuse if he had a blinder only to throw one in ten seconds from time? Fact is, when it mattered most in a national cup final, Thomson got it absolutely wrong. Not once, but twice - three times if you count the call deep in extra-time when he only booked Charlie Mulgrew for hauling down Jelavic to prevent what would have been a clear goalscoring opportunity. These are the moments that can define careers. Scotland's No 1 referee is very lucky they won't stain his forever. As for Walter Smith? Well, he'll reckon - rightly - that justice was done in the end, because his team deserved this triumph, as he does himself as he heads towards the Ibrox exit door. On Thursday, he'd watched them go out of the Europa League to PSV Eindhoven thanks to a performance that simply wasn't good enough, brave enough or attacking enough. I wrote then that unless key men pulled their finger out at Hampden, they could kiss their chances of silverware goodbye for the season. One of those who needed to produce more than most was Steven Davis, missing in action against the Dutch. Well, he didn't half take a look at himself here. His goal capped a Man of the Match display, robbing the dozy Joe Ledley before driving on and shooting low beyond Frather Forthter's left hand - albeit a trundler in off the post - but his contribution was excellent, full of power, drive and desire. Davis was the catalyst for Rangers. Plenty others took the hint, none more so than Jelavic. His winning goal was maybe even scruffier than the first, hitting the left-hand post before spinning along the line and in. It's actually arguable whether any goals in an Old Firm final have taken so long to go in since Tam Forsyth - watching from the stands along with a cast of old-time stars - bobbled the winner in the 1973 Scottish Cup. do Rangers care? Don't be silly. They NEEDED this triumph - for their gaffer, for their fans, for their own battered self-esteem and they more than earned it. Celtic never came close to hitting the heights of the last few derbies, never knocked it around with anything like the swagger they've shown in recent months. In Beram Kayal, they had an outstanding midfielder, someone willing to scrap for everything and to constantly scope out the right pass. He was to Lennon's side what Davis was to Smith's but unlike Davis, he found few takers when he looked around him for handers. Georgios Samaras threatened to make an impact without ever delivering. Kris Commons and Gary Hooper had lost their spark. The best Joe Ledley can say is that his headed equaliser made amends for his part in selling the shirts earlier on. Forster never looked in command, Rogne and Mulgrew were suspect and - crucially - neither Wilson nor Emilio Izaguirre got to impose themselves going forward the way Rangers had let them in games gone by. By the time a limping Izaguirre saw a straight red for barging over substitute Vladimir Weiss, time was almost up and the game was too. Though just for once, a sending off and half-a-dozen bookings shouldn't be allowed to reflect badly on a meeting between these two, because both sets of players reacted admirably to all the warnings about the responsibility they carried towards the fans. No one over-reacted to tackles, they kissed and made up over tangles and, all in all, they produced a final that should be remembered for all the right reasons. Though to be fair, I'm writing this before they add up the final score in Glasgow's hospitals
  14. Given all this negative rubbish about Walter in Europe since he returned, here are the true facts: Played - 40 Won - 9 Drawn - 17 Lost - 14 Goals for - 33 Goals against - 40 This includes double headers against Barcelona, Manchester Utd, Lyon, Werder Bremen, Fiorentina, Valencia, Seville, Stuttgart (twice) and Sporting Lisbon (twice). Away from home our record is: Played - 20 Won - 3 Drawn - 9 Lost - 8 Goals for - 16 Goals against - 22 That's away from home, in Europe, aqainst on the whole quality teams as mentioned above, with 9 games in a tournament where the mhanks haven't won a game away in 25 years. We've won in Lyon and Lisbon, and got draws in Manchester, Stuttgart, Eindhoven, Lisbon, Florence and Athens. By any stretch of the imagination that away record is fantastic for a club in our position!! We're not playing diddy teams in the qualifying rounds, we're talking of competitions proper against Europe's elite. And for those of you reading that rubbish about 1 win in 20, that same run has seen us draw 11 of those games, 7 out of 10 which have been away from home. In this god awful run we've picked up 4 times as many away points in the Champions League than the mhanks have achieved in their entire history!! I'll quite happily take another 5 draws if it takes us to Dublin!! Okay, we could have done better at home at times under Walter, but in the last 4 years we've been to the last sixteen of the Europa League three times, including the final, and this season's not over!! So well done Walter!! You're an absolute legend. I don't agree with your tactics all the time, but most of the time you get results and i'll always remember you as the greatest Rangers manager of my lifetime.
  15. Published Date: 13 March 2011 By ANDREW SMITH BEYOND the issue of how long Neil Lennon can possibly put up with a daily existence in which his freedom and safety, and those of his family, are being challenged lie deeply uncomfortable questions. How have we tolerated the fomenting of such hatred for so long to have brought us to this point? And what does it say about our society? The bullets in the post in January that were followed by a fake nail bomb this month have taken the death threats and intimidation against Lennon to unprecedented levels for any public figure in this country. Safe-houses and 24-hour surveillance have become necessities for the security of the Celtic manager, his partner and their five-year-old son. But such grotesque developments are in keeping with the disfiguring of ordinary life Lennon has had to contend with during his 11 years in Scotland. It has escalated now because his position has been elevated. It has always been there, though, and manifested itself in street assaults that have brought convictions for the culprits, sectarian slogans being daubed on roads, his retirement from playing for Northern Ireland after a paramilitary death threat received by the BBC and constant vile, viral hate crimes. The internet, indeed, as pinpointed by both his lawyer Paul McBride and First Minister Alex Salmond this week, is now recognised as the cesspit in which too much verbal savagery has been allowed to stew for too long. Yet, what truly disturbs is not the evidence of Facebook groups such as Hunt Down Neil Lennon And Shoot Him, Let's Hang Neil Lennon but what masquerades as acceptable comment on the 39-year-old in various forums. An "ah, but" element creeps in to justify the treatment of Lennon: "Ah, but, even though no-one should have to deal with death threats, he brings it on himself". Expanded, the haters would venture that it is his snarling, his loss of control on the touchline and, having been reared in Lurgan, his embrace of what Celtic stands for and rejection of all things Rangers that make him an accomplice in any wrong-doing perpetrated against him or his family. This is baloney that deliberately fuses and confuses two separate issues. Anyone is entitled to have no time whatsoever for Lennon. This, though, offers no legitimacy to those who believe that it extends to creating a climate wherein, it is believed, some serious criminals in Northern Ireland have felt sufficiently emboldened by a public mood in Scotland to embark on a campaign of horrific harassment. A campaign in which Lennon has been sent bullets and suspect packages, had distress caused to his parents in his homeland and been forced to have a panic button installed in his family home - a home which he and his partner and child have had to be moved from three times in the past month as a result of police receiving what they deemed "credible" threats. Ultimately, the targeting of Lennon doesn't come down to his personality. His bolshiness and bad-mouthing in the heat of battle are, away from games, underpinned - and so undercut - by an impressive intelligence and articulacy. It is a consequence, pure and simple, of his being an unapologetic, successful Northern Irish Catholic in a country where there is a virulent anti-Catholic strain among a section of the Rangers support. The apparent unwillingness to confront this issue head-on is one of the reasons the pressures on Lennon have continued to grow, and proved a primary motivation in McBride and Lennon's agent Martin Reilly putting firmly into the public domain the intolerable nature of what he is living under in a supposedly-civilised society. The same week Lennon received bullets, so to did fellow Northern Irish Catholics Niall McGinn and Paddy McCourt. Two more unassuming and affable blokes you could not meet. All three were then fresh from Celtic's first league success in a derby in two years. The hatred of Lennon has been hiked up in the ten weeks since, as Celtic have attained a hitherto long-surrendered supremacy in encounters with their bitterest rivals. Just as fans of the Ibrox club, for the first season in many years - appearing to take their lead from the Papal visit - have started giving lusty renditions of their No Pope of Rome ditty. It has barely been the subject of media comment, far less opprobrium, even if it patently comes under the charge of "incitement to religious hatred". There is hardly another football club in the world that could find themselves in the dock over that but still people are unable or unwilling to join the dots between the acceptance of such illegality and hate crimes directed at Lennon online, which must now be tackled as would internet fraud, terrorist threats and paedophilia. Lennon's ability, and willingness, to stay in his post, may come down to the seriousness with which attempts are made to take the heat out of a situation that is impacting on both his personal and professional life. He has not appeared before the media since the fake nail bomb addressed to him was intercepted in Saltcoats ten days ago. Assistant Johan Mjallby performed such duties ahead of Celtic's trip to Inverness today for their sixth-round Scottish Cup tie, which the host club have had to make special security arrangements for in order to accommodate the banned Lennon in the stand of the Caledonian Stadium. "He's been in the limelight for reasons that are not to do with football and that's why he has decided to sit this one out," the Swede said at Lennoxtown on Friday. "At the end of the day it's about Celtic Football Club and the players. That's what we want to discuss." Mjallby, who last weekend rejected the suggestion floated by first-team coach Alan Thompson that Lennon could step away in the summer, insisted the Celtic manager's demeanour had not been affected by the invidious circumstances forced on him. "He's going great," he said. "He's a strong character. You've even more admiration for the way the guy works so well with the team, supports the players and thinks about tactics (in the face of what's happening off-field]." Those in Lennon's circle and who have encountered him professionally have rejected the notion that he will quit, East Fife manager John Robertson describing him eloquently as "a warrior who would not walk". Yet despite offering similar sentiments, his agent also conceded that Glasgow was closing in on his client. "If we go out on a Saturday night then we go to places where people won't give him any hassle - but we're running out of places," Reilly said. "It seems to be wherever we go there's always problems for him." For a man who, it must be remembered, has been open about his battles with depression, it has to be questioned how sustainable it is to live in a city where, in recent months, walking down the street with partner and child has at times become a trial and a gauntlet for the three; quite apart from all the other desperate difficulties he has been forced to endure. Yet Lennon is doing a job he covets - perhaps feels as if he was born for - and, as the most decorated Celtic player to belong entirely to the post-Jock Stein era, has a keen sense of the club's history and his potential place within it. There is only so much it is worth going through to make a managerial mark anywhere, however beloved. That has long been passed with Lennon. Now he needs the will of government and football authorities to reset the boundaries of acceptable public behaviour. He deserves that; we must demand it. http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/sport/Andrew-Smith-Scotland-must-ask.6733176.jp?articlepage=3
  16. Quite possibly the best article I've seen in print on the old firm. And what is even rarer, it seems balanced and objective! What do you think? http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/rangers-and-celtic-disunited-they-stand-2236083.html
  17. Yesterday, Scottish authorities set out a plan to tackle Glasgow's football violence. But the Rangers and Celtic divide is part of the city's soul, argues Richard Wilson Blue or Green? Billy or Tim? In Glasgow, your identity is reduced to a single imperative, something that your surname or the school that you attended reveals; or the football club that you support. Rangers or Celtic? The Protestant/Catholic division across this city, and the entire west of Scotland, is deeply felt enough to be relevant still, to still shape the behaviour of different generations, that it survives even the erosions of time. The Old Firm clubs have come to be its most lasting, most forceful, on occasions even its most repugnant expression; nowhere else in world football is a rivalry based quite so clearly along religious lines, making it something unique, however thrilling or bleak it can turn. This enmity should have diminished, since it reaches back two centuries and has never been more under siege from changes in society, but Glasgow remains vulnerable to its old tribalisms. Many of the segregation lines are now blurred: the city is increasingly secular, mixed marriages between Protestants and Catholics have never been higher, the middle classes are spreading in number and influence, and the old certainties of the Protestant working class voting Conservative and the Catholic working class voting Labour are now lost. These evolutions affect the followings of both clubs, so that the two supports have never been more homogenous, but they still cling to that solitary divide: religion. Why can a football match between Rangers and Celtic end in a riot, or in a young man being stabbed to death because of the football jersey he is wearing? Why is it that players from outwith Scotland can become so inflamed that three Englishmen playing for Rangers ââ?¬â?? Terry Butcher, Chris Woods and Graham Roberts ââ?¬â?? ended up in court with Frank McAvennie, the Celtic striker; or that Paul Gascoigne could receive death threats after miming playing a flute (in reference to Orange Walks); or that Artur Boruc, a Polish goalkeeper, could be cautioned for gestures made to Rangers fans, including blessing himself? Why is it that the police report spikes in assaults, disorder and domestic abuse in the aftermath of Old Firm games? Or that paramedics and accident and emergency departments are inundated with drink and violence-related cases? Rangers and Celtic have become symbols for their communities, they provide a sense of identity that still relates to the sectarian divide that was once prevalent in Glasgow; in the songs and banners of the rivalry, a language of hate persists. A kind of madness can arise on Old Firm days, something absurd but also deep-rooted and vehement. It is expressed in songs that glorify the IRA, or about being "up to our knees in Fenian blood". They are Scottish clubs, but the rivalry is shaped as much by Irish politics, immigration, unionism and republicanism, as religion (the Catholic church and the Orange Order once feared that the Troubles would spread across the Irish Sea). Rather than Saltires, it is Union Jacks and Irish Tricolours that are the flags of these games. King Billy, Bobby Sands, The Sash, The Fields of Athenry; an Old Firm match is an untidy accumulation of history, spite, anger, and confusion. It is a football derby, like those in Milan, Buenos Aries or Istanbul, but one in which the rivalry has become entrenched in ancient hostility. It is this tension that provokes such an intense environment that matches between Rangers and Celtic can become overwhelmed by the baggage carried into them (or make them compelling spectacles). In 1980, the Scottish Cup final between the two sides ended with supporters fighting on the pitch, and a subsequent ban on alcohol being served at football grounds. In 1999, when Rangers won 3-0 at Celtic Park to effectively clinch the championship, Hugh Dallas, the referee, was hit by a coin in the forehead, and individual Celtic fans tried to invade the pitch. Football dominates ââ?¬â?? Istanbul is the only other city to house three stadiums with capacities over 50,000, but has a population of 13m compared to only 600,000 in Glasgow ââ?¬â?? because it is the sport of the working man. The grime of Glasgow's industrial past, the sweat, dirt, pride and poverty that were for so long the defining influences, still cling to every surface, however often they have been whitewashed. In the days when the Clyde shipyards and the narrow housing tenements of the Gorbals were domineering places, men would surge out at lunchtime on a Saturday and head straight for the football. The sport combined with drinking to provide the main sources of relief from the terrible grind of working life. And the city's two teams became the country's two major clubs by the same forces of history and culture that shaped Glasgow itself. Celtic were formed in Glasgow's east end in 1888 by Brother Walfrid, a Marist monk, to raise money for the city's impoverished Catholic community, and also keep the youths away from the Protestant soup kitchens. As the club of the Catholics, Celtic's early glories prompted a form of indignation in Scottish society, as the country was resolutely, defiantly even, Protestant. Rangers were established in 1873 with no religious ties, but the club's size, success and location in the city's south side saw it become the club that the Protestant majority gathered behind to stand up to Celtic. There were two waves of mass immigration from Ireland to Scotland; one mostly Catholic, in the 19th century, the other, in the 20th century, more mixed. The first influx prompted an anti-Catholic sentiment in the west of Scotland, a feeling that was exacerbated by the second, when workers arrived to find jobs in the Govan shipyards (in the 1920s there were even anti-Catholic political parties). Other British cities, such as Liverpool, Manchester and Cardiff, also received thousands of Irish settlers, and each suffered sectarian tensions and riots of their own in the early 20th century, only for them to fade out over time. The division remained in Glasgow because of its proximity to Ireland, allowing ease of travel and communication between the two countries, and Scotland's sense of itself as a Protestant nation. There was a time in the west of Scotland when certain jobs and firms were widely known not to employ Catholics, a stance mirrored by Rangers' never having signed a high-profile Catholic player until Mo Johnston, the former Celtic striker, moved to the club from Nantes in 1989. Johnston was protected by a bodyguard, and some fans were aghast at his arrival, until he scored the winning goal in an Old Firm game. Now, Catholics have captained and managed the club, and a player's religion is no longer relevant. Bigotry remains the background noise of Old Firm matches, even although the majority of fans no longer even practise their religion, and the encounters often teeter on the edge of malevolence. There are Celtic-only and Rangers-only pubs, supporters travel to Ibrox or Celtic Park on pre-ordained routes so that they cannot encounter each other, the matches kick-off at midday on a Sunday to prevent drinking beforehand, and the city tenses, so that you feel something fraught in the air. The derby is combustible because of the religious divide ââ?¬â?? which provides the means of expression, the context of the hatred ââ?¬â?? but also other factors. Rangers and Celtic are Scotland's two dominant clubs, so their games inevitably influence the title race and the outcome carries a great weight of meaning; Scotland is so small, and the teams so big that it might be described as a national derby (more people followed Rangers to the 2008 Uefa Cup final in Manchester than attended the papal mass in Glasgow last year); there is an element of supporters living up to the game's reputation, so that the theatre of it ââ?¬â?? the noise is deafening and relentless ââ?¬â?? is self-fulfilling. It is a football rivalry, but one that is darkened by its surroundings. Heavy drinking is rife in the west of Scotland, Glasgow has an entrenched gang and knife culture that treats violence as customary, and there are areas of such poverty, low life expectancy and unemployment that the sense of identity provided by Rangers and Celtic is clung to desperately. There are good and bad elements to both sets of supporters, and the flares of anger and resentment on the field are no worse than other derby matches. Alex Salmond, Scotland's First Minister, is not the first politician conspicuously to intervene, but his time might be better spent promoting anti-sectarian education (although many Scots believe that support for Catholic schools, which separate children from a young age, is a mitigating factor) and in tackling the problems of heavy drinking. Sectarianism is no longer prevalent in Scottish culture, and religion no longer the central influence in people's lives. Yet the Old Firm game is blighted by the language of its enmity, the history it drags back into prominence. The football rivalry exists within this last remnant of hatred, so that the occasion reflects Glasgow's old antagonisms. Richard Wilson is writing a book on the Old Firm called "Inside The Divide" that will be published by Canongate http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/rangers-and-celtic-disunited-they-stand-2236083.html
  18. Thursday, Europa League last 16 ESPN, 6pm By Paul Forsyth FOR a club based in one of Holland's less fashionable regions, PSV Eindhoven have the most distinguished history. Quite apart from the European Cup, the UEFA Cup and the 21 domestic titles on their CV, they also have been a launch-pad for many of the game's superstars, from Ruud Gullit and Ruud van Nistelrooy to Ronaldo, Romario and Ronald Koeman. Until the season before last, they had a firm grip of the Dutch Eredivisie, and were almost a fixture in the Champions League. Success of that sort brings a level of expectation that is increasingly difficult to meet. As the game's riches gravitate ever more to the big clubs in the big countries, the need for the money that comes with Champions League football grows greater by the year. Although Rangers have filled their pockets with some of that this season, PSV have had to content themselves with the Europa League, where the two clubs are about to meet in the last 16. Whisper it, but progress to the quarter-finals is not a priority for either of the teams who will meet in Thursday's first leg. What both of them desire more than anything is the domestic success that will guarantee them a place in Europe's most prestigious competition. That's where the money is nowadays. When they miss out on that jackpot, as PSV have for the last two years, they find themselves trying to do the same old things with only a fraction of the resources. Big clubs in small countries; who would be one? The Netherlands' big three are trying desperately to remain dominant on a playing field that no longer slopes in their favour. "For clubs like Ajax, it's terrible," says Arthur Numan, the former PSV and Rangers player. "Their supporters expect them to win the league at least every three years, but it's six or seven years since they've done it. Feyenoord are even worse. They used to be the big team in Holland but they are in a terrible situation now. They have debt, and for the last five or six years, have been forced to sell players." By those standards, PSV are in decent shape, top of the league, and led by a resourceful coach but they, too, are feeling the pinch all right. Spending has been reduced, wages cut and, at the end of last year, they sold their best player, Ibrahim Afellay, to Barcelona for a reported �£2.6 million rather than risk losing him for nothing at the end of the season. According to some, they even considered ditching their lifelong sponsors, Philips, in favour of a more lucrative arrangement, but loyalty got the better of them. Fred Rutten, who made his name with Twente Enschede, is the man charged with bringing the title back. The 48-year-old coach, who spent four years at PSV as an assistant to Guus Hiddink, returned two summers ago from an ill-fated stint with Schalke 04 in Germany. Although last season never fulfilled its early promise, there is optimism that this one will. His team are a solid unit, as disciplined at the back as they are quick and imaginative going forward. Numan, left, is a big fan of Rutten's. When the two played together at Twente, he could see that the older man was a manager in the making. In the second of two spells in the Twente dugout, Rutten rebuilt a club that had almost gone out of business. According to Numan, the title they won last year under Steve McClaren, the former England coach, would not have been possible without the work of his predecessor. Without Rutten's vision a few years back, Twente would not be in their current rude health, challenging PSV for the title. "I can see him becoming the coach of a big team in Europe," says Numan. "He has the qualities. He has the kind of football mind that attracts a lot of clubs. He wants the structure to be right. You could see that at FC Twente. They have done really well in the last three years, especially when McClaren won the league, but Fred Rutten was at the start of it. Twente had so much debt they nearly went bankrupt, but he was their coach for two years, laying the foundations. It's all down to him that the club is where it is now." Rutten is not the most flamboyant of souls. Sometimes derided for his softly-spoken manner, he makes no attempt to compete with the charisma Frank de Boer brings to Ajax, but he earns the respect of his players. Numan says that very few, even those who are left out of the team, have a bad word to say about him. He is honest and true to himself, the kind of character they appreciate in Eindhoven. With a reputation as the "tractor boys" of Dutch football, there is a homespun feel to PSV, however successful they have been. Numan, who was there for six years before his move to Ibrox in 1998, talks of a family atmosphere that made him feel welcome. That may explain why so many prodigious young footballers have chosen the club as the stage on which to prove themselves. "They are a provincial club. Ajax are from Amsterdam, the big city. Feyenoord are from Rotterdam, another big city. Eindhoven is in the south, where people are more relaxed. The supporters call themselves "farmers". That says enough, I think. In the west, people have big mouths and lots of opinions. In Eindhoven, the people are warmer. It's a good place to go if you are a young player." With Afellay gone, PSV's biggest asset is now Balazs Dzsudzsak, a 24-year-old Hungarian who terrifies defenders. Signed three years ago from Debrecen, he is a crowd-pleasing, left-sided forward with pace, tricks and a thunderous free-kick. He has signed an extension to his contract but talks about his plans to play in England's Premier League. "I'm 100 per cent sure that a lot of big clubs are knocking on PSV's door, trying to take him away," says Numan. "He goes inside, outside, creates chances, scores goals. You can see his confidence growing with every game, and a lot of that is down to Rutten." The coach has given PSV a nice mix. They are bolstered at the back by Wilfred Bouma, who returned from Aston Villa to his spiritual home last summer, and captained in central midfield by Orlando Engelaar, a 6ft 5in player whose languid style isn't to everyone's tastes. In attack, they have two 24-year-old Swedish strikers who played in the 3-0 defeat of Scotland last August. Marcus Berg is on loan from Hamburg. Ola Toivonen, who scored in Stockholm that night, can be brilliant one day, invisible the next, but he will be invaluable when consistency is added to the package. Numan is too diplomatic to predict a winner but, reading between the lines, his money is on the Dutchmen. "We know how Rangers play, especially away from home in Europe. Very defensive, five defenders, four midfielders, one striker. PSV are a more attacking side. If you're pushing me, I think PSV have more quality, especially up front. Rangers will be the underdog." http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/sport/PSV-v-Rangers-PSV-for.6729219.jp?articlepage=1
  19. ALLY McCOIST has already identified players he wants to bring to Rangers when he takes over from Walter Smith. And the manager-in-waiting is keen to land stars who can provide more quality and entertainment. Gers have enjoyed great times during Smith's second stint in charge but he has sometimes been criticised for being over-cautious. McCoist hopes to marry success with flowing football but knows pulling that off is far from easy. His great friend Tommy Burns had Celtic playing slick football in the 1990s yet won just one trophy in three years. That cost him his job. And McCoist knows the same fate awaits him if he fails to deliver titles. However, he believes he can find some players who will thrill the fans and provide value for money. McCoist said: "I've started to look ahead in terms of signing targets. We definitely need to bring players in. "My philosophy will be quite simple. You have to win. We need to win games or I won't be sitting here talking to you in the future. "In an ideal world you win with style. You will have players out there the fans want to see. "You will get people coming to watch this team who are genuinely excited about the players they are coming to watch. They will be here to see entertaining football but, most importantly, winning football. "This club has had wonderfully talented players throughout history. But it's probably had more winners than fantastically talented players. "That's not a criticism. Anything but. It's actually a compliment. "This club's history is riddled with winners - boys who wanted to do well and win trophies. "Ideally we want the fans to know they're going to be entertained AND win games of football. Our supporters know the score. They are intelligent people and know all about the situation at the club. "All I would ask for is continued support. There have been times when things have upset the punters and that will happen again because you can't please all the fans all the time. But I think we will get their support." Rangers' wage budget will be slashed by more than �£1million in the summer but McCoist feels he can be inventive and adventurous in the transfer market. He stressed: "In an ideal world the club will be bought over and investment will come in. At the moment we can't say with any certainty if that will be the case. "We need to plan for next season. I know the budget and don't see that changing dramatically unless someone buys the club. "It's up to ourselves to identify players and bring them in. "People will be leaving at the end of the season so we need new faces. "Only time will tell how good the hand I've been dealt is going to be. Sometimes you might be dealt a bad hand but can still play it well. "However, it won't be easy. We'll need to cut money off the wage bill. "That's not good news but we know the score. It's not like it will be thrust upon us with no warning. "It's up to us to plan for that. I need to persuade players to come here. "If I can't sell this club to a player I won't be able to sell anything. We have a wonderful fan base, a great stadium and a fantastic training ground. "We might not be able to offer the same finances as elsewhere but we need to sell the club to targets." McCoist will have to appoint a new captain in the summer when Davie Weir ends his playing career. He is likely to want a real Rangers man in that important role and Lee McCulloch could take the armband. The midfielder recently signed a new contract and has the backing of current skipper Weir. McCoist said: "Arguably, one of your most important decisions is the appointment of the captain. "We've had top guys like John Greig, Terry Butcher and Jock Shaw. All great skippers and great men. "It's vitally important we have a great captain again." Buying someone like Butcher would set you back more than �£20m these days - a sum McCoist is unlikely to spend over his entire tenure, never mind on just one player. However, he could be handed a bit more cash to splash if a new owner seizes power at Ibrox. McCoist said: "The ideal scenario is new owners come in and fancy me staying in charge. "However, it's natural a new regime might not want me in charge. "But I hope any new owners will be happy with the plan we have in place and give us a few quid to spend. "If they don't want me as manager then I'll be on the terracing with the fans supporting the team. Rangers Football Club is the most important thing. This club deserves the best." McCoist will be assisted by Kenny McDowall when he takes charge with Ian Durrant as first-team coach. But the 48-year-old hasn't ruled out adding to his backroom staff. Celtic boss Neil Lennon has three helpers at Parkhead - Johan Mjallby, Alan Thompson and Garry Parker. And Gers gaffer Smith can also call on McCoist, McDowall and Durrant for advice as he bids to end his reign with even more success. McCoist said: "We will probably look at adding someone but I would have to say I couldn't be happier taking over with the staff I have. "I will have good men by my side and I'm thankful for that. "I have known Kenny for a lot longer than you would think. "Ian and I go back a long way and it's the same with our goalkeeping coach Jimmy Stewart and the fitness coach Adam Owen. "Stability won't guarantee you success but it's another positive. "I trust these guys too and that is the most important thing. It's arguably THE most important thing in management - you need people who are loyal and good." Should it be needed, Smith will also be there for guidance. The veteran boss doesn't plan to return to management when he brings the curtain down on his Rangers career this summer. He could be tempted back into football by a job overseas but McCoist knows he can always call his managerial mentor for some words of wisdom. He smiled: "Walter will be on the end of a phone. I don't have any doubt about that. "He might be on a golf course in Arizona but he has been told the phone must stay on. "I don't care if he's in a bunker or whatever and knowing his golf there is every chance!" http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2011/02/27/ally-mccoist-i-m-already-identifying-signing-targets-and-i-want-them-to-entertain-our-fans-86908-22953274/
  20. Our current situation - It's time to face the inevitable then rebuild for the future. When you drill down to it, The Rangers support, to a man, has known at the back of its collective mind that the situation we are in is dire. Many of us will be in agreement that weââ?¬â?¢ve been urinating into the proverbial wind for 3 years yet miraculously, we have managed to avoid getting wet. Sooner or later, the stranglehold that being owned by Sir David Murray has placed us under was always going to come close to killing us. I say Sir David Murray rather than Lloyds bank specifically, as our current situation has been clouded by the usual sea of half-truths, speculation and contradictions that weââ?¬â?¢ve now come to expect from the Ayrshire millionaire. I wonââ?¬â?¢t sit here and try to claim the moral high-ground by claiming recent results against the filth havenââ?¬â?¢t had any impact on what Iââ?¬â?¢m about to write: They have, and Iââ?¬â?¢ll get to that later. However, let me start from the very beginning of this, probably the most sorry episode in the never-ending series that is ââ?¬Å?The David Murray Showââ?¬Â.. It all started in January 2009. Rampant speculation built up suggesting that our top goal scorer was subject to a bid from Alex McLeishââ?¬â?¢s Birmingham. The source was originally an article from The Scottish Sun that was brief and lacking in quotes ââ?¬â?? normally the tell-tale signs of a non-story. Unfortunately, it didnââ?¬â?¢t quite work out like that, the bid from Brum was legit ââ?¬â?? and the then-chairman was about to inform us of news that would utterly stun us. After coming off of our most commercially lucrative season ever...Iââ?¬â?¢ll write that again for extra emphasis ââ?¬â?? After coming off of our most commercially lucrative season EVER ââ?¬â?? The chairman was about to confirm that despite all of this, in no small part down to a historic European run the year before ââ?¬â?? our finances were once again down the toilet... Murray told the Guardian at the time... "If we did not take this action [selling Boyd], it could have been bad but there are far worse situations developing around us and I will not allow it to spiral again. Rangers have to be run on a sound fiscal basis." In typical Murray style, however, he was soon to contradict himself completely after the transfer window closed when he said.. "The Boyd situation is simple. We received an offer that we believed, collectively, Walter Smith, manager and Martin Bain, chief executive represented good business. "The player then went to Birmingham and refused terms. That is where it stands. But Rangers will go on whether the player goes or not. In that sense, it is immaterial whether he stays or goes." I donââ?¬â?¢t know about you, but I see two statements that glaringly contradict one another. That wasnââ?¬â?¢t the end of it, however, a leading football agent told national commercial radio station TalkSport the same month, that literally ââ?¬Ë?every Rangers player was for saleââ?¬â?¢, with the likely culprit Wullie McKay later declaring that Rangers CEO Martin Bain had instructed him to sell a raft of high earning first team stars, citing McKayââ?¬â?¢s ability to ââ?¬Å?get the job doneââ?¬Â as the reason behind him being allocated this particular mission. Murray issued a ââ?¬Ë?denialââ?¬â?¢ in The Sunday People soon after which actually confirmed McKayââ?¬â?¢s claim in a roundabout way. So we were back up the financial creek without a paddle. Despite a debt that was dwindling, a tremendous run to a European Final, solid season/match day ticket sales and several impressive fees recouped for players that we sold that culminated in what was officially the most commercially lucrative season in the history of Rangers Football Club ââ?¬â?? Our debt somehow increased and we needed to make drastic cuts It was truly one of the most shocking revelations in our recent history, and it left us wondering where our money was actually going. In the summer of the sale year, Rangers managed to cut the wage bill by well over Ã?£200,000 per week (Over Ã?£10m a year) by moving on a raft of first team squad members. To the credit of Walter Smith and the board, the club maintained most of our key players but we were left well-short of numbers in the squad, a huge potential problem that thankfully was not exploited by faltering then-Celtic manager Tony Mowbrayââ?¬â?¢s inability to field a team capable of challenging for the SPL title. To make matters worse ââ?¬â?? our solitary signing that season, Jerome Rothen, had his loan spell at the club cut-short after an ineffective first half to the season. Despite the support rationally assuming that we would be able to bring in a player or two using Rothenââ?¬â?¢s estimated Ã?£18,000 per week wage, an assumption further justified by the departure of another high-earner in Pedro Mendes to Sporting Lisbon, the Rangers support were again left scratching their heads as there were no incoming transfers to the Champions in the January window of the 2009/2010 SPL season. ââ?¬Å?Mystifiedââ?¬Â just didnââ?¬â?¢t do justice to the general feeling of the Rangers support then, or indeed now. After we won the SPL title for the second consecutive season in 2010, it appeared that following some pleading words from Walter Smith himself, those big bad bankers who had been subject to a tongue-lashing or six from him over the previous months decided to relent and kindly let Rangers buy players ââ?¬â?? with money raised from selling yet more players from our already thread-bare squad. We were all left pleased with the quality of players we brought in but once again, the number of players who moved on last summer was more than the number that came in, and with our continued reluctance to promote youth in decent numbers...or use youth in Cup competition domestically given our hectic schedule, we were again left to face a season at home and abroad with a woefully small squad. For just over two years, Rangers have been fire-fighting and, as I said above, urinating into the wind without getting wet. Nobody should be surprised that this is happening, it was only a matter of time. The reality is that on-field failure and the ââ?¬Ë?huge problemsââ?¬â?¢ I speak of are hopefully going to be the precursor to change at Ibrox. Walter Smith and Martin Bain have done an outstanding job of keeping the club together during these turbulent times ââ?¬â?? that should never be forgotten and both men, Walter in particular, should be commended for this. His contribution since coming has only furthered his status as a legend despite the split opinion of his on-field approach. Something from the previous two years that I sadly canââ?¬â?¢t spare the Rangers management team and board from, however, is the constant stream of contradictory information and statements that has come from them. One minute ââ?¬Å?everyone is for saleââ?¬Â, the next ââ?¬Å?we donââ?¬â?¢t have to sell anyoneââ?¬Â. On other occasions weââ?¬â?¢ve told the world ââ?¬Å?the bank runs the clubââ?¬Â only to play it down days later. Our current chairman, who appears to have vanished without a trace, has justified our constant flip-flopping on the issue by saying our relationship with Lloyds bank is ââ?¬Ë?a fluid situationââ?¬â?¢ i.e. our status with the bank changes all the time as per their business needs. Sadly, that statement has never quite cut it for me, and the only thing fluid about this whole thing is in the way weââ?¬â?¢ve had the piss taken out of us by those who run the club. Fiscally, theyââ?¬â?¢ve done a remarkable job with a fair-share of luck involved. Keeping Davis, Bougherra, McGregor and others when weââ?¬â?¢re so up against it financially is something to be proud of. I personally decided that Rangers would not get another penny from me after that cup game. I donââ?¬â?¢t need to state the obvious about the difficulties many of us have paying for tickets when we have families to keep in this climate, the teamââ?¬â?¢s approach in this one-off must win fixture, along with yesterday and the other league game in January really symbolised the problems we have. Our first team appear to be a spent force ââ?¬â?? lacking in interest and focus because they have zero competition for a first team place. Our manager, like him or not, just doesnââ?¬â?¢t do squad rotation or youth promotion unless his hand is forced. So we now face a situation where our first team at the moment isnââ?¬â?¢t good enough and we canââ?¬â?¢t and wonââ?¬â?¢t change it. But we still pay our money and I think despite the small decrease in numbers, the club have taken our blind loyalty a little too for granted by anyoneââ?¬â?¢s standards. Weââ?¬â?¢ve all wanted a change of approach, change of ethos and a complete shift from the short-term, ââ?¬Å?boom and bustââ?¬Â mentality that has saw us teetering on the financial brink twice in less than ten years. Sadly, due to the furthering financial problems in recent years we have regressed even from that. We do not have the talent on or off the pitch to run Rangers effectively anymore. As a support, we have been very kind to the board and management team ââ?¬â?? weââ?¬â?¢ve taken everything said to us at face value. But the time has come for proper communication with the man who truly holds all the cards, Sir David Murray. Questions about the ongoing HMRC tax investigation, links between Murrayââ?¬â?¢s companies and the aggressive attitude of Lloyds bank to Rangers over what is a perfectly manageable debt from a club who have implemented some shrewd fiscal measures in recent years have not been met with satisfactory answers. Rangers quite like it when we pay our money, sit down and shut up. We canââ?¬â?¢t do it anymore ââ?¬â?? we just canââ?¬â?¢t. Answers to many, many questions are required, and only the man who has disappeared into the night can answer them properly, he still holds all of the cards. One wonders if the warning that Sir David Murray claimed he was trying to send us by selling Boyd in January of 2009 is the real reason behind the financial handcuffs that have been placed on us, with anonymous, invisible bankers quite happy to take the blame and be the ââ?¬Ë?faceââ?¬â?¢ behind the cuts as it gives them just cause to get their money back quicker. There arenââ?¬â?¢t too many other arms of Murrayââ?¬â?¢s empire that can raise seven figure sums by selling off assets relatively quickly. Our club bemoan financial pressure from the bank on one hand yet announce excellent half-year profits on the other, they blame the bank for the restrictions yet charge us through the nose for games weââ?¬â?¢ve actively tried not to win, they demand we pay for our season ticket in advance over a short timescale at inflated prices while warning us that we canââ?¬â?¢t spend money and are open to offers for our star players despite the relative success weââ?¬â?¢ve had recently in maintaining them. On field failure is the excuse the money men need to make further cuts ââ?¬â?? and itââ?¬â?¢s the excuse many of our support will need to get off their backside and demand change at Ibrox ââ?¬â?? along with clarification on what our real problems are. Enough is enough, our expectations have been managed very well by the club ââ?¬â?? weââ?¬â?¢re quite tolerant of the hardships we face now...because weââ?¬â?¢ve so splintered and blindly loyal that we refuse to speak up en masse. So long as the season ticket cash keeps rolling in, change will be delayed that little bit longer. We need to stop propping up a system that is not sustainable in the medium to long term, a regime of noble-yet-helpless individuals fighting the tide of faceless penny-pinchers...who for all we know may include our current owner, and face being flattened by the big truck weââ?¬â?¢ve been waiting to knock us down for two years. As I have no doubt that with the unrest this could all cause, we will emerge from the wreckage a much stronger force, able to plan effectively for the future. This is and always has been about more than one title or season ââ?¬â?? itââ?¬â?¢s about getting our club back. Sorry if this is negative, but I donââ?¬â?¢t care how we get that ââ?¬â?? the sooner we face the inevitable, the better as far as Iââ?¬â?¢m concerned.
  21. CRAIG WHYTE'S �£33million takeover of Rangers is this morning on the brink of completion - and it does NOT hinge on the outcome of the Ibrox tax case. Sunsport can reveal that the HMRC probe into Gers' finances will not affect the plans of the multi-millionaire venture capitalist and his deal partner Andrew Ellis. Ibrox insiders remain confident they will emerge from the investigation into offshore payments to stars without a penalty to pay. This week behind-the-scenes talks have taken Gers fan Whyte close to completing the complex deal that'll end Sir David Murray's 23-year reign. Next week Gers' financial figures are expected to show that the club's debt level has fallen to below the �£25m mark. Now the Whyte deal WILL be completed before the end of the season and it will mean this: # The sale of the club will go through with Whyte aided by Ellis paying around �£33m for Murray's 92 per cent share. # Rangers will be guaranteed a total of �£25m worth of investment in the playing budget over the next five years - in effect �£5m per season before any money brought in by Euro success and other avenues. # Ally McCoist, Kenny McDowall and Ian Durrant being given the chance to take control of the first team when Smith bids an emotional farewell in May. Gers have come through some of the very darkest financial days of their history and survived after Murray appointed turn-around specialist Donald Muir and Mike McGill to the board. It's understood Muir and McGill - one of steel tycoon Murray's most trusted voices within his own empire - helped win a crucial vote to stave off a board bid to take the club's debt to �£50m. With that manoeuvre quashed, Lloyds were then persuaded to keep the club's annual player wage bill at the �£16m level and not engage in a policy of slashing it to �£10m-a-year that would have in effect have handed domestic domination to Celtic. Now it is hoped that Rangers will emerge from the mire as a club that operates within its means. The reality is Gers will still sell the club's best players to England. Lifelong Gers fan Muir, brought in by Murray to help rescue his entire empire, has been painted as the enemy within by sections of the support. Now the ship is steadied and the Whyte deal is imminent. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3421235/Whyte-on-brink-of-takeover.html#ixzz1EMAjxNWD
  22. As ever, we're very comfortable with the intimate nature of our wee website but we're also always eager to attract new forum posters and writers for the main site. While we would never profess to be the busiest forum in the Rangers community, we do feel quality-wise we run any other site close. Not that we'd promote anything other than healthy competition with our friends across our online union of course but I'd encourage any bear to consult a wide range of such sites to gauge opinion on the subjects close to our heart. In an online era where multinational companies such as NewsQuest and News International charge to visit their websites while others use advertising to offset their costs, we're pleased to again make it clear that, despite rising costs, we won't be inflicting any paywall or painful ads on our membership - either on the forum or on our increasingly busy main site. Thanks as always to bmck and craig for providing the finance to keep our voice heard! Where we will ask for your help though is in improving the site as a whole! Despite being online now for over 10 years, we're still keen to hear your feedback and suggestions for enhancing the everyday Gersnet experience for the future. While quality over quantity will always be our mantra, we're eager to have more contributors - either just occasional posters, project leaders or article writers who like to see their name in lights! To give you an idea of our ongoing and consistent article publishing success, our last five articles have topped @NewsNowUK with an average of 1390 hits each. Meanwhile our Twitter account now has well over 300 followers despite only being active for a few months! We also have almost 600 friends on Facebook after the same period...! But as ever, we'd like to welcome more people into our Gersnet family so please spread the word whenever you can. At the top of the forum, you can find links to our main site, our history archive, our Twitter and our Facebook (as well as our back-up forum for when our server takes the huff). Please have a visit, bookmark them and pass them into your friends, family and work colleagues. We hope, like you, they'll find our site an enjoyable place to visit for a few minutes each day. Thanks again for your continued support! :spl:
  23. Looking at a couple of Scottish Sundays today, I see Adam Rooney has scored more goals than anyone else in Scotland. Kenny Miller, like much else to do with Rangers, has been airbrushed from history. The truth according to the bheast is no truth at all.
  24. KYLE BARTLEY had no part to play as the Old Firm made history last week. Now the Arsenal kid is begging Walter Smith for the chance to create his own Ibrox legacy. Last Sunday's epic encounter in the Scottish Cup left Bartley gasping for breath on the bench. The 2-2 draw also means that for the first time ever Rangers and Celtic will have to meet SEVEN times in one season. Now Bartley - on loan at Gers until the end of the season - hopes he'll be handed a key role in the replay at Parkhead. He confessed: "It was something else last weekend. "I've been looking to get up to an Old Firm game for a number of years now so to actually be involved in it was an unbelievable experience. "It's part of football history. The Old Firm is such a massive game. There aren't many other bigger games in the world. "It's on a whole different level compared to Arsenal and Spurs. "The Old Firm runs a lot deeper than football and you can sense that with the atmosphere. "It's not scary. It's different for me because for a lot of the boys it's in their blood. "I am new to this environment and you have to get your head around it quickly. "Once you find out the reasons behind it it's easier to understand." Bartley has yet to feature for Rangers since sealing his deadline day move to Ibrox. The towering defender had spent the first half of the season on loan at Sheffield United. He jumped at the chance to join Gers after Ibrox gaffer Smith contacted his Emirates counterpart Arsene Wenger. The 19-year-old revealed: "I had a few options in January, there were a couple of clubs in the Championship who were interested. "Given the prestige of Rangers and given the competitions they are in it was a no-brainer in the end. "We obviously play in the Europa League next week and that was also a major factor for me. "I haven't spoken to Arsene Wenger since I made the move but I think he speaks to Walter quite a lot so that is good for me. Advertisement "Of course, the manager here was another plus. "The coaching staff are fantastic and I'm only going to improve as a player by working under someone like Walter Smith. "He has so much experience and he has achieved so much in the game. "Ally McCoist and Ian Durrant have been great too. "If you can't learn off these guys who can you learn from? "I'm thinking short-term at the moment. I want to get out on the pitch and win things with Rangers. "I see my long-term future back at Arsenal, however, and I have never hidden that." Bartley has been catapulted into the race for medals. Gers are gunning for the Treble in Smith's final season in charge while also eyeing Europa League glory. Bartley added: "Rangers are going for a lot of trophies and you get a sense of the feeling of determination straight away. "Second best is never good enough at a club like Rangers and that will bring the best out of me I'm sure. "It will bring me on and develop me as a player." Bartley has had to be patient since joining Gers. He's hoping that he can finally make his debut against Motherwell at Ibrox this afternoon. He stressed: "I'm realistic. When I came to Rangers I knew I wouldn't walk into the team. I just need to keep working hard and hopefully I'll get my chance. "The gaffer has a few problems so who knows, it might come against Motherwell. "I can play in a number of different positions. Right back, centre half, defensive midfield. "I even played up front on a number of occasions for Sheffield United when we were chasing a goal late in the game. "I can certainly give the gaffer some extra options." Bartley admits he'd relish the chance to play alongside veteran Davie Weir in the heart of the Gers defence. There's an astonishing TWENTY YEARS between them and Bartley insists he's already learned so much from just watching Weir in training. He added: "Davie is amazing and I can only learn from him too. "All the boys are in the canteen or getting ready to go home and he's in the gym doing his extra work. "He is a great professional and someone everyone looks up to." Rangers are boosted by the news that striker Kyle Lafferty is set to return to face Motherwell after a bout of tonsilitis. Ex-Well midfielder Lee McCulloch is out as he prepares to undergo knee surgery next week. Defender Kirk Broadfoot is still sidelined with a foot problem. Tickets for Rangers' Europa League tie with Sporting Lisbon are on sale now priced �£27 for adults, �£18 for concessions and �£14 for kids from rangers.co.uk , the ticket hotline 0871 702 1972, and Rangers Ticket Centre. Booking fees apply. Hospitality deals are also available. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3407307/Smile-Bartley.html#ixzz1DhEYsb00
  25. The 57-year-old fell ill yesterday morning and called an ambulance to take him to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, friends said. Johnstone was a popular football pundit on Radio Clyde for 25 years, but announced at the end of last month he was to join former Scotland teammate Alan Rough at arch-rival station Real Radio. A spokesman for his former employers at Clyde, where he anchored the Super Scoreboard show from 1986, last night expressed hopes he would bounce back from the heart problems as soon as possible. He said: ââ?¬Å?On behalf of all at Clyde One, Clyde Two and the Super Scoreboard team we wish Derek a speedy recovery and we wish him and his family well at this time.ââ?¬Â A spokeswoman for Rangers also voiced concerns for the veteran striker, a regular on the Ibrox teamsheet through the 1970s and early 1980s. ââ?¬Å?Everyone at Rangers sends him our very best wishes,ââ?¬Â she said. Friends of the former Scotland player said he felt unwell around 11.30 yesterday morning but managed to call for medical help himself. He is thought to be recovering in the Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley. In December 2005, Johnstone was rushed to hospital after a heart scare. He collapsed at a charity event and was kept in overnight at the Western Infirmaryââ?¬â?¢s coronary care unit. Originally from Dundee, it was with Rangers that Johnstone secured his place in football history during the 1970s. A uniquely versatile player, he racked up appearances for his club and national side in many positions, spanning attack, midfield and defence with ease. In 546 appearances for Rangers he scored 210 goals, including ââ?¬â?? at the age of 16 ââ?¬â?? the winner in the 1970 League Cup Final against Celtic. He made his debut for the national team in 1973, and joined Scotlandââ?¬â?¢s World Cup squad in Argentina in 1978. After 13 professional seasons at Ibrox he was signed by Chelsea, where he played for two years before moving back to Ibrox for a year and then briefly managing Partick Thistle. In 1986 he launched his second career as a pundit for Radio Clyde, and he was a regular on the Super Scoreboard programme for more than two decades. Last week, however, he announced his transfer to Real Radio, where he was to join Rough on the Real Football Phone-in show. ââ?¬Å?One of the major factors is I will be freed up at weekends to go and watch games,ââ?¬Â he said at the time. ââ?¬Å?I have been in the studio for many, many years every weekend at Clyde and not seen a lot of games, which I have really missed.ââ?¬Â He has still to take up his new post at Real Radio, reportedly because of legal issues around his move from Clyde. A Real Radio spokeswoman said: ââ?¬Å?We know Derek was in hospital for tests today and our understanding is he is absolutely fine and we look forward to seeing him soon.ââ?¬Â Station director Jay Crawford said this month he was ââ?¬Å?thrilledââ?¬Â to have Johnstone joining the Real team. Last month, Johnstone joined his former team-mates to mark the 40th anniversary of the Ibrox Stadium Disaster, which claimed 66 lives in 1971. Johnstone was married to his wife Marion for 21 years and the couple had four children together. In December 2006 he announced his engagement to former Miss Scotland June Lake. http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/pundit-johnstone-suffers-suspected-heart-attack-1.1084338
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