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  1. RANGERS' stars of the future will be looking to enjoy Old Firm success when they take on rivals Celtic in the Glasgow Cup final at Broadwood Stadium on May 11. The Light Blues beat Queens Park 5-0 to reach this year's final and will be hoping to get their name back on the famous trophy after losing out to the young Celts in 2008. Glasgow CupJim Sinclair will be in charge of the under-17 side on the night along with coach Alan Kernaghan and the club's youth supremo is looking for his teenage stars to put on a good show. Sinclair said: "The final will give our fans a chance to come along and see our talented young players in action. "Old Firm fixtures at any level always create a bit of excitement and our boys will be desperate to get their hands on the trophy after losing to Celtic last year. "It should be a terrific game and hopefully supporters will come along to Broadwood to support the team as they don't always get the opportunity to play in front of reasonable crowds. "It's a big occasion not only because it is game between Rangers and Celtic but because it's the final of a competition that has been in Scottish football for a long time. "Like Celtic we will be looking to get our hands on the trophy and I am sure our players will be up for the challenge." Glasgow's senior clubs Clyde, Partick Thistle, Queens Park, Rangers and Celtic have competed for the Cup on an annual basis since 1887 although there have been periods in history when the competition was put on hold. Up until 1986 it was effectively deemed a first-team tournament with clubs putting out full strength starting elevens and massive crowds attending the games. In the 20s and 30s it was not unusual for 90,000 fans to turn out for Old Firm clashes. broadwood stadium home of clyde And as recently as 1986 a crowd of 40,000 saw Rangers take the trophy with a 3-2 final win over Celtic courtesy of an Ally McCoist hat-trick. This gave Graeme Souness his first trophy only days after he was announced as the new Rangers manager. glasgow cup 2_160The Ibrox club retained the trophy the following season but the Cup was abandoned in 1988 and relaunched as a youth competition in 2008. Rangers have lifted the tournament on 44 occasions, more than any other Scottish club, but Sinclair hopes his young under-17 team can once again bring the trophy back to Ibrox. He added: "At this moment we have young boys at under-17 level who play in games that are titled non-competitive so the Glasgow Cup is a great vehicle for their education. "A few of our under-17 players including Darren Cole, Kal Naismith and Gordon Dick, to name just a few, have pushed up in to our under-19 team regularly this season and they will have benefited from that. "In last year's final we also saw boys such as Danny Wilson and Jamie Ness involved and this they have now been on the bench for the first-team. "So the Glasgow Cup is a good chance for fans to see the players coming through the ranks in action and the final against Celtic is one we are all looking forward to." The final will kick-off at 7.30pm at Broadwood on May 11. Tickets are priced at �£5 for adults, children under 16/OAPs admitted free of charge.
  2. By Andrew Dickson POLL Rangers fans for their favourite moment supporting the club and some obvious choices will crop up. The Cup Winners' Cup victory against Dynamo Moscow in 1972 is one, the night Nine in a Row was clinched at Tannadice a quarter of a century later another. Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Sergio Porrini celebrate at the final whistleSo too is the day the Light Blues went to Parkhead and won their 48th league title with an emphatic 3-0 win over Celtic in Dick Advocaat's first season as manager at Ibrox. It's hard to believe that this today it is exactly 10 years since Neil McCann's double and a Jorg Albertz penalty led to that dramatic victory. For most Gers supporters, memories of the day remain as vivid now as they were in the weeks that followed their team's remarkable triumph. Scheduled to start at 6.05pm so that it could be broadcast live by Sky Sports, a lot of people reflect on what unfolded over the next 90 minutes for the wrong reasons. Generally regarded - maybe even accepted - as Scotland's shame game, it was a match in which referee Hugh Dallas was struck by a coin and several home fans invaded the pitch. Three players were also sent off and a man fell from the second tier of the Jock Stein Stand as many of those in attendance let the occasion get the better of them. Yet as it was, the visiting Light Blues support's behaviour wasn't in question and the club's only blemish back then was Rod Wallace's red card four minutes from full time. Rangers fans celebrate winning the league at ParkheadIt consequently goes down as one of Rangers' greatest Old Firm victories and on the day they claimed their 100th derby success, taking the title too made it so much sweeter. A decade on, the SPL's decision not to have such a match deciding the outcome of the championship again - a ruling made in the aftermath - stands firm. That's why Rangers and Celtic will meet for the final time this term on May 9 - a date when it's impossible for either team to win the league on the day - rather than later on. There's something sad about that when you consider the side that came out on top in 1999 played little part in the shameful scenes witnessed at Parkhead. For everyone with Ibrox connections, the way Gers took their Glasgow rivals on in Advocaat's debut season and won on their own patch is to be celebrated. The Little General's men were the better team on the day and better over the course of the season as they went on to take the silverware by six points. Jorg Albertz celebratesNeil McCann gave Rangers an early lead on 13 minutes when he poked in Wallace's low, fast cross after he had been released by Giovanni van Bronckhorst. And Albertz made it 2-0 from the spot on the stroke of half-time to spark bedlam at both ends, given Dallas had been treated after being hit on the head by a coin seconds earlier. It says much about the former official that he called every major decision in the game correctly, including Vidar Riseth's foul on Tony Vidmar that led to the penalty. It may say more about Albertz that of the 76 goals he scored for the club, his finish in the city's east end was one of his coolest as he sent keeper Stewart Kerr the wrong way. "It wasn't hard for me to concentrate on the penalty because I liked making decisions like that on the park," the German said. Jorg Albertz and Giovanni van Bronckhorst celebrate the German's penalty making it 2-0"I knew that if I missed we would probably have allowed Celtic back into the game but I was strong enough mentally to cope. "In fact, I was looking forward to taking the kick. It was probably the most important one of my career because of what was at stake. "It was the best atmosphere I've ever played in that day at Parkhead but it was also the most dangerous. "It was only one or two idiots who ran on to the pitch to take a swipe at Dallas and in hindsight it could have been a lot worse had others decided to charge on. "You get nervous when you see people running on to the park but the majority of fans would never think of doing that. "You always get abuse from fans when you go away but that's part of the game - it's more serious when people start trying to attack the referee. "Dallas deserved a lot of respect for how he handled the situation as it was all going off around him when he awarded us the penalty. "When you watched the game back on television later, you saw that every call he made proved to be right." Neil McCann scores his second goal and Rangers' thirdMcCann - now at Falkirk - ensured Gers would be crowned champions when he slotted in the clincher 15 minutes from full-time. Moved inside to support Gabriel Amato up front, Advocaat's decision to give the little winger a slightly different role was a masterstroke as it paid off handsomely. Substitute Jonatan Johansson threaded him in on goal with a cute touch and McCann rounded Kerr to slot into the empty net. But his run took him straight in the direction of seething Celtic fans as he celebrated and it goes without saying that he was quick to veer away from them again. McCann said: "I knew as soon as I had scored the third we were champions but I was also conscious of what was going on around me. "I didn't want to cause a riot with my celebrations and my momentum was carrying me towards the Celtic fans so I had to slam the brakes on pretty quickly. "As I changed direction and I started to run towards the Rangers fans, I definitely let myself go a little bit more but that's not surprising. Neil McCann celebrates his second goal and Rangers' third"Scoring the goal that clinched the championship was a great honour and it is something I will never forget. It was a great feeling. "I was delighted with both goals because I was just looking for us to win the game and to score twice was out of this world. "The first was very special for me because it put us in a very good position and set the ball rolling. "But my second was my favourite because I knew that as soon as I had rounded the keeper we had won the championship." Of course, the shameful incidents at Parkhead 10 years ago weren't on the same scale as some of the troubles at previous Old Firm games. Exactly 100 years back, for example, fans of both sides rioted for four hours when it was decided extra-time would not be played in a Scottish Cup final replay between the clubs. As the trophy was withheld, troublemakers tore down barricades, lit fires and fought with police and it was a similar story in running battles after the 1980 final at Hampden. Rod Wallace and Jonatan Johansson congratulate Neil McCann on his second goalWhat happened in 1999 has still left a lasting impression though and from Gers' point of view, it was for keeping their heads when others were losing theirs. "It was an incredible match and the whole experience is something I'll never forget," McCann added. "It was the most amazing atmosphere I've ever played in. "I thought it was all going to boil over when Dallas was hit by a coin and a couple of fans started to stream on to the pitch. "I think we were all a bit scared as we thought about the consequences but we had to retain our concentration and just get on with the game. "The majority of the players involved managed to keep their cool but there were a few who lost it. "I didn't understand some of the Celtic players who lost the place because they must have known what was at stake for their club. "Probably the pressure and atmosphere on the night got to them but I was pleased we held it together and I think we deserved our win. "To go there and win the championship was obviously very special for everyone involved with Rangers." For Advocaat, claiming his first title in Scotland gave him the second part of what was to become a magnificent Treble. Lorenzo Amoruso celebrates at the final whistleThe sixth in the club's history, it was completed when Wallace's strike gave Rangers a single-goal Old Firm victory in the Scottish Cup final four weeks later. Advocaat went on to win the league and Scottish Cup again before stepping aside and making way for Alex McLeish to take his place in the hot seat in December 2001. His first campaign was undoubtedly his best at the Ibrox helm and even he couldn't have imagined it going so well. Advocaat said: "It was a big occasion for the Rangers fans to win that game against Celtic and we were very proud to have done that for them. "I was absolutely delighted with the way we both played and controlled ourselves. I think we deserved the championship over the course of that season. "We lost the first game then went top after the third match and from then on we stayed there. We deserved a lot of credit for that. "When you look at what we did in Europe and our triumphs in the championship, Scottish Cup and the League Cup, I don't think it could have gone any better. "I'm a person who likes to win and that year was a good one for me. What we achieved in that season exceeded my expectations."
  3. By Lindsay Herron RANGERS can boast some fantastic teams in their long history and the class of 1948/49 can certainly lay claim to being one of the best. They became the first Scottish team to complete the clean sweep of domestic honours and today, April 30, is the 60th anniversary of their Treble triumph. Managed by the legendary Bill Struth, Rangers were a formidable force in the immediate post-war era. They boasted the famous Iron Curtain defence - Bobby Brown, George Young, Jock Shaw, Ian McColl, Willie Woodburn and Sammy Cox - and an attacking line that featured Willie Waddell and Willie Thornton. In a fantastic campaign, they claimed the newly introduced League Cup, the Scottish Cup and took the title on an incredible last-day shootout. 1949 Treble captain Jock Shaw and Bobby BrownGoalkeeper Brown is one of only two survivors from this famous team - the other being Sammy Cox - and he recalls their achievements with relish. He said: "The fact that we conceded 16 goals less than any other team was an indication of how strong we were at the back and we were also fortunate not to have any injuries. "We were able to field our strongest team in most of the matches and that was significant. "Of course, we had the Iron Curtain defence at that time. Woodburn was peerless. In the all the time I have been watching football I have never seen a better centre half "Jock was a good captain, an out and out Ranger. He was forever shouting in the field. He was a first class left back and an excellent defender. "I had every confidence in him and if I went out for a cross ball I knew that he and George Young would be behind me." Brown played in every match that season and there was an unlikely twist which set Rangers up for the first leg of the "Triple Crown" as it was referred to in these days. Back in 1948/49 and up until the 1970s the early stage of the League Cup was played in sections and it looked odds on that Celtic, in the same group as Rangers, would come out on top. They had won their opening three matches, including a 3-1 win over Rangers, but then lost 4-2 to Hibs and then, incredibly, lost 6-3 at home to Clyde!Torry Gillick scored in the 1948-49 League Cup final It meant that the final section game between Rangers and Celtic would decide who would go through. A crowd of 105,000 packed into Ibrox to watch the cliff-hanger. Goals from Billy Williamson and Willie Waddell gave Rangers a 2-1 win and pitted them against St Mirren in the quarter-final. A 1-0 victory followed by a 4-1 romp over Dundee in the semi-final set Rangers up for a League Cup Final appearance against Raith Rovers in the spring. Given that the Fifers were in the Second Division at that time, Rangers were expected to win comfortably but Brown remembers that was far from the case, He said: "We were lucky to be drawing 0-0 at half-time because we didn't play particularly well and Raith Rovers had had a goal disallowed. "Torry Gillick scored early in the second half and that settled us down and then Willie Paton scored soon after and we were on our way to the Cup." Rangers' path in the Scottish Cup was much more comfortable. They reached the Final with easy victories over Elgin, Motherwell, Partick and then East Fife in the semi, scoring 17 goals and conceding just one. The Final itself proved no difficulty, Rangers seeing off Clyde 4-1. One curiosity emerged from the match. Billy Williamson, who had scored the winning goal in the previous season's replayed Final against Morton, again found the net, giving him the remarkable record of having played in only two Scottish Cup games, both of them Finals, and scoring on both occasions. The second leg of the treble was now safely at Ibrox, but the odds on winning the Championship seemed stacked against Rangers. Willie Waddell in action against Partick ThistleThe race for the title had been a titanic struggle between Rangers and Dundee. Indeed, Rangers lost 3-1 at Dens Park in the January. Rangers produced a fantastic run of 10 straight victories towards the end of the campaign but Dundee still had the advantage going into the final day. The Dark Blues needed a draw at Falkirk in their final match to clinch it while Rangers travelled to Coatbridge needing a win over Albion Rovers and some help from Falkirk. Incredibly they got both. Rangers did all that they could with Willie Thornton scoring a hat-trick as they won 4-1 Albion Rovers. But the news from Brockville Park was astonishing. Dundee had crashed 4-1. The title and the Treble belonged to Rangers. History had been made. Rangers had been given some help from an old friend. Jerry Dawson, who had starred for them before and during the war, saved a Dundee penalty. Brown said: "It was an incredible last day. We knew what was happening at Brockville and it definitely spurred us on. "Willie Thornton scored three great goals for us and we won our game well." There was a bit of decorum in these days and there were no wild celebrations. The players went for dinner to the now defunct St Enoch's Hotel in Glasgow and manager Struth made a speech. Changed days indeed
  4. by Matthew Lindsay RANGERS officials are often asked by dignitaries from visiting clubs and their own supporters why there is no club museum. After all, the Glasgow giants, founded way back in 1873, have a rich and colourful history which would fascinate anybody with a love of football. Yet, the answer to these queries is always the same - Ibrox Stadium itself displays all of the items which are of histor-ical significance to the Gers. The many articles of clothing, caps, photographs, paintings, medals, miscellaneous pieces of memorabilia and trophies inside the world-famous Govan ground tell Rangers' remarkable story eloquently. That is especially true now that the exhibits which will be on show to visitors on tours of the Category B-listed building have been extensively updated and expanded. For instance, mementoes from the club's epic run to the Uefa Cup Final in Manchester last year - including the medal which manager Walter Smith collected after the game with Zenit St Petersburg - can now be seen in the breathtaking trophy room. Sandy Jardine, the legendary former player who now works at Rangers as player recruitment and welfare manager, has been heavily involved in the extensive overhaul. He said: "There are a lot of great stadiums in the world. There are some wonderful brand new stadiums. "But not many of them have a trophy room like we do. As soon as you walk in it has a wow affect. "Over the last four or five months we have taken it and changed it a bit. Because we had new memorabilia we have taken all the pennants and put them up high where everybody can still see them. We have put new memorabilia around the wall. But we also still have extremely old pieces of memorabilia as well. "We have the original of the constitution of the club in 1874. It tells you the rules, tells you what the club will be called, what the strip will be like, and the people who will be involved, Moses McNeil, people like that. Jardine added: "But we have many other things. We have Willie Waddell's handwritten team for the European Cup- Winners' Cup Final in 1972. "It is written on the morning of the match. He still hadn't decided what the team was. One position was between Penman, Conn and Parlane. "We have the handwritten team lines drawn up by manager Scot Symon at the Grand Hotel and handed to the referee before the very first European final we played in 1960. "In those days European competitions weren't as regulated and didn't have the same back-up and admin. "Whenever we win a cham-pionship we put a miniature of the league flag up on the wall in the trophy room. We have a world record of 51. Hopefully, we will get another one to add to our collection at the end of the season." While Rangers fans could spend hours poring over the many exhibits in the well-stocked trophy room, the same is true of other stops on the tour - the old manager's office as well as the impressive Blue Room. Jardine continued: "We have manager memorabilia in the office. We have the typewriter that Mrs Dallas, Bill Struth's secretary, used to type letters. "It has Rangers headed notepaper from 1925 in it. We have the ink stand which used to sit on the table. Any player who signed for the club would have used that ink to put pen to paper. We have Bill Struth's walking stick for his bad leg. "We have the decanter set which was given to Willie Waddell on the occasion of the completion of the redevelopment of Ibrox Stadium. We have the actual phone, complete with its original phone number Ibrox 1858, which Scot Symon used to use." The Blue Room, with its murals of Rangers managers, chairmen and captains on the mosaic walls, is one of the most eye-catching in the stadium and it has also been changed this year to celebrate the club's most memorable matches. Jardine explained: "We have photographs and medals of the most significant games in the club's history through the years. We have the first medal which was ever won by the club in 1879 in the Glasgow Charity Cup and medals from all the European finals we have been involved in. "The club have acquired the medals through auctions. Either that or they were loaned to us or we have just found them in the safe." Former Rangers players have also been happy to donate the Scotland caps they have won for their country so they can take their place alongside the greatest players ever to turn out for the club. Jardine said: "We have the greatest collection of caps in the world. They date from 1892 right to the present day." And if Rangers have their way, there will be many more additions in the years to come. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2504524.0.rangers_trophy_room_is_in_a_different_league.php
  5. Roy Keane revealed his aim to take Ipswich back into the Barclays Premier League in one season as he declared: "It's good to be back." The former Manchester United captain, who has been out of work since leaving Sunderland in December, was confirmed as the new manager of the Tractor Boys after signing a two-year deal. Ipswich were last in the top flight in 2002 and previous manager Jim Magilton paid the price for not reaching the Coca-Cola Championship play-offs when he was sacked on Wednesday. Keane, who revealed he had received other offers, said: "It's a massive challenge trying to get the club back in the Premier League. "I'm excited and looking forward to it. I've had a good break. It's good to be back. "Three or four weeks ago I thought, if the opportunity came up, I was ready for it. I've signed a two-year contract but I'd like to try and do it (get promotion) in one year. "If I wasn't up for challenges I'd be out walking my dogs today. I think my dogs need a break." Keane insisted he would need time to take stock before beginning the process of shaping the team. "Nothing will be happening over the next week or two, we've got to take stock and take it from there," he said. He hinted at the possibility of major changes by adding: "There are a lot of players on long-term injuries and players whose contracts are up, so that might suit me. "But it would be unfair to say to players whose contracts are up 'You've got two games to prove yourself'." Keane was asked how his first meeting with the players at training had gone, and was his usual no-nonsense self in his response. "I had a chat with the players, I put demands on the players and they look up for it," he said. "All I've asked of any player as a manager is that they turn up for training on time and give 100%, and that's all I'm asking of the Ipswich players. If they're okay with that they will enjoy working with me, if not it will be a very brief relationship." Keane admitted the two-year contract could increase the pressure to turn things around quickly at Portman Road but added: "I'm very comfortable with the two years, if that means I'm putting myself under pressure - so what? "It's all about the challenge, when I took over at Sunderland I knew that was a big club and I could turn it around and it's the same here." Keane hopes some of the qualities he galvanised in his players while at Sunderland will again be in evidence at Portman Road. "We had a very good spirit and never-say-die attitude," he said of his time at the Stadium of Light. "We scored a lot of late goals and had great desire. "I always felt we would go to the end and I want that from Ipswich players. That's up to me to get into the players. "I'm convinced the players will enjoy working with me." He added the vision for the future laid out by the Ipswich board had played a major part in his decision to join the club. He said: "I enjoy working with ambitious people. There's enough people out there with no ambitions who are happy to go through the motions in life. "It's going to be very difficult, looking at the teams that will come down [from the Premier League]. "It's a massive challenge, but hopefully we will be in the mix. At the moment we are 26 points behind Wolves, so that's a big, big gap to make up." Asked why he had decided to take the job, Keane added: "My gut feeling, the ambition of the club, the history of the club. "It's a proper football club. I think I've been very lucky with the clubs I've been involved with and I'm very lucky to get this job." Chief executive Simon Clegg, who himself was only appointed this week, is confident Town have the right man to achieve their ambitions. He said: "It's an exciting and dynamic new era. It further demonstrates the aspirations and ambitions of this club and its owner, Marcus Evans. "I'm convinced, with Roy Keane as manager, we can build on the club's rich heritage and he will lead us back to Premier League football." Roy Keane Factfile 1971: Born Cork, August 10. 1987: Joins semi-professional League of Ireland club Cobh Ramblers after building reputation with Cork junior club Rockmount. 1990: Signed by Brian Clough for Nottingham Forest for �£10,000. 1991: Makes Republic of Ireland debut in 1-1 draw with Chile in Dublin. 1992: Arrested after rowdy scenes outside a Nottingham nightclub, but released without charge. 1993: January - Thrown out of another nightclub after being caught up in a brawl. July - Joins Manchester United for then British transfer record �£3.75million after 154 matches and 33 goals for Forest. 1994: Marks first season with United by helping club complete their first League and FA Cup double. 1995: Sent off for first time in career for stamping on Crystal Palace's Gareth Southgate during FA Cup semi-final replay. Later fined �£5,000. Two more red cards follow in first three months of 1995-96 campaign, at Blackburn in August and at home to Middlesbrough in October. 1996: March - Sent off on his 30th appearance for the Republic of Ireland against Russia in Mick McCarthy's first match as manager. May - Helps United clinch historic second double with 1-0 FA Cup final win over Liverpool. Fails to report for McCarthy's testimonial and Republic training after going on holiday to Italy, is denied Republic captaincy and left out for six matches by the national boss. 1997: April - Misses penalty for Republic against Romania and escapes without punishment after being involved in alleged scuffle. August - Named United captain following Eric Cantona's departure. September - Injures his knee trying to foul Leeds' Alf Inge Haaland at Elland Road. Misses rest of the season with cruciate ligament damage. 1999: April - Sent off against Arsenal in FA Cup semi-final replay for two bookable offences. Also booked in Champions League semi-final second leg against Juventus ruling him out of final against Bayern Munich. November - Scores the goal which earns a 1-0 Toyota Cup victory over Palmeiras of Brazil. United are the first British club to lift the Inter-Continental Cup. December - Signs a new four-year deal to stay at Old Trafford. 2000: May - Named PFA and Football Writers' Association player of the year before lifting another Premier League title. August - Sent off in Charity Shield at Wembley for two bookings, the second for a cynical challenge from behind on Chelsea's Gustavo Poyet. November - Criticises lack of atmosphere at Old Trafford accusing corporate spectators of being unable "to spell football never mind understand it" and only being interested in prawn sandwiches. 2001: April - Criticises United team-mates suggesting it may be time to break up the squad following their Champions League quarter-final defeat by Bayern Munich. Sent off after pre-meditated lunge at Haaland in United's derby encounter with Manchester City. September - Sent off for the ninth time in his United career after raising his hands at Newcastle's Alan Shearer. 2002: May - Keane is sent home from the World Cup after a row with Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy. August - Admits in his autobiography that his red-card tackle on Haaland was deliberate. September - Sent off for elbowing Jason McAteer during Manchester United's 1-1 draw at Sunderland. October - Banned for five matches and fined �£150,000 over Haaland incident. 2003: February - Despite the efforts of new Ireland manager Brian Kerr to tempt him back into the Republic's set-up, Keane announces his intention to retire from international football. 2004: February - Sent off as United lose in Porto in a Champions League last-16 clash. April - Announces he will play for Republic of Ireland. May - Makes first appearance for Ireland since McCarthy bust-up infriendly with Romania. 2005: February - Involved in tunnel row with Patrick Vieira before United's 4-2 win against Arsenal. August - Sir Alex Ferguson admits he had a row with Keane at United's pre-season training camp in Portugal in July. October - Announces his international retirement for a second time. November - Leaves Manchester United by mutual consent. December - Signs for Celtic in an 18-month deal. 2006: January - Makes Celtic debut in embarrassing Scottish Cup defeat to First Division Clyde. May - Finishes the season at Celtic, who win the Bank of Scotland Premier League. June - Announces his retirement from football. August - Confirmed as new manager of Sunderland. 2007: April - Earns automatic promotion to the Premier League for Sunderland. Team clinches Championship title the following week. 2008: May - Sunderland finish three points clear of relegation zone. September - Says he will not "tolerate people abusing me" after fans react angrily to an unconvincing Carling Cup win over Northampton. December 4 - Leaves Sunderland after crisis talks on Wearside. 2009: April 23 - Takes over at Championship side Ipswich on two-year contract.
  6. Sorry if this was brought up over the weekend but I need to get this off my chest.... Yesterday this flag that was in the Kop End with a Celtic badge claiming Justice For The 96. Now in no way am I trying to tarnish the the names of the poor souls that perrished to "point score" but this has to be highlighted. Steak Pie FC are well known on here for their antics and their "Please love us attitude" but this one surely is up there.... Celtic FC being involved in Stadium Diasaters...... Now to any neutral with half an ounce of knowledge about Scottish Football would be aware of the worst day in our Club's History, The Disaster of Stairway 13 in 1971 in which 66 of our fans lost their lifes. The opponents that day? That's right, none other than Celtic FC. Now I, like 99% of us on here, wouldn't want anything to do with that mob but why would they want to attach themselves emotionally to the Hillsborough Disaster (only link - there was a friendly played to raise funds after the disaster) when there was a Stadium Disaster in Glasgow (where they are based) in a game that they were playing in? Instead the self-proclaimed Greatest Fans In The World refer to it as the "Orange Crush" and ruined a minutes silence for the Bears that lost their lifes so sadly. Now strangely enough, it's not the only minutes silence that they have ruined for the victims of a Stadium Disaster. Ask Ged Brannan, formally of Motherwell fame. Ged lost his mate Graham Wright on that fateful day at Hillsborough on the 15th of April 1989. 10 years later, Motherwell play Celtic at the piggery and before the match to mark the tenth year anniversary there is to be a minutes silence held at all grounds across Britain. All pass naturally without incident but not at the Celtic game. A few seconds into it, a rabid **** shouts some abuse at Andy Goram about "eating all the pies ya fat Orange Bastard" for all to hear followed by more joining in. There were then shouts about the IRA and freeing Irish Prisioners. This of course was to be the run of the mill for the *******s who now have had to adopt the "minutes applause" It's a shame that about 90% of the Liverpool support will be unaware of this. Instead, they get the impression that the Bheats are their mates from Jockland. If only they knew the fucking half of it........
  7. I bought my 4 yr old this thing called a "Kickmedic" which apparently helps them hone their footballing skills (you put a ball in a net bag and it is attached to elasticated cord and you kick it - obviously thanks to the elastic the ball returns to you). Anyway..... I just got an email from them and they have partnered with Celtic for US kids to go over and train with Celtic - why is it we haven't done this, especially given the fact we have a history of US internationals at the club and given that US football appears to be on the rise again. Here is the email I received from them plus my response. ===================================================== Hello Craig, I hope this email finds you well. Premier FÃ?ºtbol Concepts is proud to say that we are now exclusively working with CELTIC F.C. ( Scotland ) to bring young players from the USA over to Scotland for the unique opportunity to experience training with a World-Class Academy. CELTIC F.C. have created this exclusive opportunity for players to experience elite coaching from some of the worlds top youth coaches. CELTIC F.C. is one of the biggest and most prestigious clubs in the world and their academy is testament to this success. Over the last few years some of the brightest talents in soccer have come from this very breeding ground, 8 of Celticââ?¬â?¢s current first team actually developed through the Academy. The Residential Course is the first rung on the development ladder for Celtic F.C. players and can act as a key part for talent identification for the club and its coaching staff. Players will take part in some of the most up to date coaching methodologies of its kind using the ââ?¬Ë? Celtic Way ââ?¬â?¢ curriculum. Some of the best training facilities in Scotland will be at their disposal not to mention some of the brightest minds in soccer training. The Course still has reservations open to Boys ages 11 and up and also for Girls 14 and up. Not only is this camp a fantastic development tool for your player but socially he/she will develop by interacting with other players and teams from in and around the UK . Premier Futbol Concepts is committed to the players and teams of the USA and the sport of soccer itself, our goal is to work with some of the best soccer teams and products within the industry to bring clubs and soccer individuals alike the highest quality possible. With this commitment in mind we also have developed some fund raising opportunities available for players and parents to ensure this trip is possible. If you are interested in receiving more information on how to take advantage of this great opportunity, or if you have any questions, or to receive your full-colour brochure, please feel free to contact us at PFC anytime. Cheers! ===================================================== Thank you for the email. However, as I am a Rangers fan (Celtic's fierce rival) I am sure you will appreciate that I have little interest in the product that Celtic offer. I am somewhat surprised that you have not considered brokering a similar deal with Rangers FC, especially considering that they have two current US internationals on the payroll, those being DaMarcus Beasley and Maurice Edu. Further, I find it somewhat strange that you would associate yourselves with a club whose fans infamously mocked the 9/11 tragedy by making "aeroplane" motions at then Rangers and USA player, Claudio Reyna. To be quite frank I am stunned that a US company would promote and asociate with Celtic given the above - unless, of course, Celtic approached you. There is far more to Celtic than meets the eye. However, that is obviously a choice which you as a company have made and are comfortable with. Good luck in your quest. Regards Craig
  8. I was thinking about it, and I'm not sure it's possible to take the moral posturings of the media seriously at all anymore; they've just given up on even pretending to protect public interests any more and just descended into pure theatrics. They're light entertainment at best; you eat your morning roll and get worked up over the papers. They're like Jeremy Kyle. Wherever I agree with their analysis I can't shake the feeling that they're just saying it for show anyway; they didn't give a fuck, they just wanted to provide entertainment. All their little dilemmas and heroes and villains are just part of an ongoing show for our amusement, and nothing more. You think back to old London town and public hangings. The guy getting his head chopped off looking one last time at the crowd and seeing people on a day out; eating food from vendors, laughing and joking, boo-ing and cheering, before justice parts him from his head. While he might be rightly punished, it would be hard for him to see genuine moral outrage in all people he was looking out at. So, while I might think it might be right for someone to goto the gallows, or be arrested for sectarian chanting, or chastised for being an idiot when representing their country, it's not suprising that things like that happen. It's when you turn around and see all the 'good' people working up self-indulgent rage, paying so that they can read about it, getting all worked up and phoning phone ins, at the bidding of journalists who're more circus ringmasters directing easily-pleased punters than protectors of the public interest, that you're puzzled. - Oscar Wilde If a community is infinitely more brutalised by the habitual employment of punishment than it is by the occasional occurrence of crime, then it's infinitely more triviliased by the habitual employment of a panto press, not by the occasional idiocy of politically incorrect fans or childish footballers. If you pay them money, you give them hits, reference their articles, it's your fault.
  9. Apr 5 2009 Andy Mcdonald BOOZE shame keeper Allan McGregor was handed a sensational Ibrox lifeline yesterday. And the Sunday Mail can exclusively reveal that Kevin Thomson is to take over from axed Barry Ferguson as Ibrox skipper next season. Keeper McGregor was not expected to play for Rangers again after furious boss Walter Smith dropped him and Ferguson for their Scotland disgrace. Now Smith may be prepared to give McGregor, 27, one final chance to salvage his career - butonly if he grows up. Senior sources at Ibrox yesterday insisted Ferguson will never play for the club again. But the same sources confirmed McGregor could make a sensational return to the first team. One said: "They both deserved everything that came their way after that performance midweek. "Walter's equally furious with them both but he sees McGregor's position differently to Ferguson's. "Barry's burned his bridges but there could still be a way back for McGregor. "Whether he's got the good sense to take it is another matter. Buckle "He's definitely out for the moment. But if he buckles down the door is not locked on him coming back. "He basically has to grow up and get a grip. It's down to him." The cash-strapped club also realise benching one of their prize assets can only reduce his value on the transfer market. The source insisted the only thing that will see him return is a massive change in attitude. McGregor has a history of attracting as many headlines for his colourful private life as his onfield performances. The source added: "It's down to him. Put it this way, Barry's out in the dark but there's a chink of light for McGregor." Ferguson and McGregor saw their careers implode last week after they were benched for a booze bender at the Scotland squad's hotel. Flick They compounded that by flicking the Vs at photographersduring the Iceland game. Ferguson, 31, was stripped of the Rangers captaincy on Friday. We can reveal Smith is ready to hand the captain's armband to midfielder Kevin Thomson when he returns from injury next season. Veteran David Weir will lead Rangers against Falkirk today but Smith believes Thomson is the player to take charge next season when he returns. He has been out since suffering ligament damage in November but is expected back early next season after successful surgery. An Ibrox source said: "There's no doubt Kevin will be captain next season all being well with his knee. "To be frank, there's not a wealth of candidates but he's got the attitude and respect of his team-mates." http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/sport-news/2009/04/05/walter-smith-prepared-to-give-shamed-keeper-allan-mcgregor-ibrox-lifeline-78057-21254880/
  10. Anyone who watches Rangers TV will be familliar with the headline. But i thought i'd be very interested to hear you guys list your Greatest ever 11 plus one manager. The show on RTV is very interesting and when i tried it myself i found myself toiling with a few positions and getting some great memories of the players i came up with. So, pick your top EVER 11 from ANYTIME in history plus your manager to manage the team and we can maybe cast a vote or something to see who has the best(or worst)side. For starters, heres mine... 1. GK Andy Goram(followed closely by Chris Woods) 2. RB Sandy Jardine (followed byGary Stevens) 3. LB John Greig(followed by Stuart Munro) 4. CD Richard Gough(followed by John Brown) 5. CD Terry Butcher(followed by Graham Roberts) 6. RM Brian Laudrup (followed by Willie Johnston) 7. CM Paul Gascoigne (followed By Stuart McCall) 8. CM Jim Baxter (followed by Ray Wilkins) 9. LM Davie Cooper (followed by Davie Wilson) 10. CF Ally McCoist(followed by Dado Prso) 11. CF Mark Hateley(followed by Colin Stein) Manager: Jock Wallace.:rfc:
  11. Stolen from another forum - funny nevertheless - feel free to edit where appropriate and sent to SDM, C/O expensive chateau, south of france Dear Aberdeen Football Club, On Wednesday of last week I purchased 2 Adult tickets for the Scottish Cup replay between Aberdeen FC and the mighty Dunfermline Athletic. Having attended the fixtures against Bayern Munich, Copenhagen, East Fife, Manchester United (friendly), Fraserburgh (friendly), Liverpool (friendly) and Everton (friendly) in recent years, it goes without saying that the chance to see Dunfermline, possibly one of Europe's mightiest and most feared names, was an opportunity not to be missed. You can appreciate that finding the Ã?£21 (including a Ã?£1 booking fee) to buy two tickets was incredibly difficult given the current economic predicament our country finds itself in. I not only had to take on a second and third job, I also had to indulge in a wide variety of criminal activity (mugging old ladies, stealing from my friends, playing for Aberdeen Football Club and sending my sister out to work the streets) in order to come up with the required amount. When the tickets eventually hit my doormat it's safe to say I was so excited I nearly succumbed to a mild stroke......I was going to see the Athletic play at Pittodrie in the SCOTTISH CUP! How could I have been so lucky? Forget your Euro Millions....this was my dream ticket! Sadly this brings me on to the reason for troubling such a busy and professionally run club such as you. Basically I am requiring a full refund (including the Ã?£1 booking fee). Having endured what can only be described as one of the dullest, most limp-wristed, spineless, wet-pantied performances I have ever had the displeasure of viewing in nearly 27 years of being a living breathing human being, I would say that a refund is fully justified. I would like to back up my claim by quoting you a definition of the word "entertainment" (football is supposedly a branch of entertainment after all); enÃ?·terÃ?·tainÃ?·ment (ntr-tnmnt) n. 1. The act of entertaining. 2. The art or field of entertaining. 3. Something that amuses, pleases, or diverts, especially a performance or show. 4. The pleasure afforded by being entertained; amusement: The comedian performed for our entertainment. 5. Archaic Maintenance; support. 6. Obsolete Employment. Please can you tell me at what stage during last night's proceedings were any of the above applicable? Would you classify any of the following as entertainment? This can be argued furthermore with Darren Mackie chasing the shadow of his imaginary friend all night. The poor confused mind of Darren has an inherent suspicion of space and time. To Darren, space is a sinister creation of evil minds that are determined to imprison his precious talent. As well as this, Jamie Langfield was kicking like he'd suddenly developed multiple sclerosis. He seemed to have it in for two people in particular, (Main Stand just above the dug out on half way and the South Stand beside the fence). Was he auditioning for the new series of Ground Force? He accompanied each successful touch finder with a spot of landscape gardening around his box. Last night Jamie was a cross between Stephen Hawking, Bill Oddie and Alan Titchmarsh. There were also the two Professional footballers wilting under moderate pressure and missing penalties in front of their own fans. If Angus the Bull can smash them in why can't they? Angus wears silly wee foam boots and still rockets them into the bottom corner! Perhaps "Tricky" "Ricky" Richard Foster experiments with other forms of penalty footwear in future such as flip flops, clogs, hiking boots or flippers. Exactly what is he doing here? Clearly he's been spending too much time with Titters, Langers and Odders. Watching a six foot turd in a black and white shirt wandering about at half time, Dunfermlineââ?¬â?¢s mascot looks like the result of a nasty and painful trip to the little boys room. Why was he given permission to encroach on to the field of play? As well as this, there was the entire matinee performance of Charlie Mulgrew. For a ââ?¬Ë?manââ?¬â?¢ of such promising physical stature, why is it that opponents half his size and build continuously outmuscle and out jump him? I've seen a tin of sweetcorn stick up for itself with greater authority. Moving on to what can only be described as our game plan. Physics is a wonderful and noble field and has been blessed by such greats as Newton, Einstein and Galileo. These leviathans of history have given us theories on relativity, laws of gravity and kinematics. Now please step forward Sir Jimmy of Calderwood. Clearly Sir Jimmy believes he can defy the laws of physics and has stumbled upon a new branch. The theory of relativity states that E=MC2, where basically speaking energy equals mass multiplied by the speed of light. Sir Jimmy disproves this theory by stating that G=M2xLB/T which is basically goals equals Mackie squared multiplied by the long ball divided by the tombola. The laws of gravity do not exist in the Land of Jimmy. Gravitational forces do not effect strikers measuring 6 feet or less therefore balls rocketed skyward can be controlled and cushioned at any point during the balls trajectory. This eliminates the opposition selecting aging tall donkeys to mark our strikers. --------------------------------- Cammy F
  12. Article from the Boss: Todayââ?¬â?¢s the day that the future of JJB may transform from being utterly unknown, to simply being as clear as mud. Itââ?¬â?¢s quarterly rent day today, when JJB and most others have to pay their landlords' rent in advance for the next 3 months. JJBââ?¬â?¢s banks have given the company extended deadline after extended deadline to repay the millions owed to them. The latest deadline expired yesterday, quite deliberately the day before the rent is due. JJBââ?¬â?¢s recent history since my last epistle is a trail of bloodshed, incompetence, new hope, intrigue, private jets, CEO suspension, PR leaks, and corporate backstabbing. It would take me all day, really it would ....... Suffice to say that Sir David Jones (he of Next fame) is in charge, he has made massive changes already, however the banks are still growling, the vultures are circling, but JJB might survive. For now. To do so, they need to sell their profitable gym division ââ?¬â?? just over 50 JJB Fitness gyms (together with the attached JJB stores), most of which are in England. Dave Whelan, JJB founder, is the preferred bidder and looks likely to pay something like Ã?£70m; the name would be changed to DW Sports/DW Fitness/or some combination. http://www.dwsportsfitness.com was registered a few weeks ago by the former JJB Marketing associate director who left in February! Wiganââ?¬â?¢s JJB stadium would also change its name accordingly. In the meantime, Mike Ashley (Sports Division and Newcastle United supremo) is trying to scupper the deal, writing to JJBââ?¬â?¢s landlords, the LSE, Uncle Tom Cobley and all. He is a bad man. A very bad man. And he hates Dave Whelan. He wants Whelanââ?¬â?¢s deal to fail, JJB put into administration, and pick from the carcass. There will be an announcement today. It will probably be that Dave Whelan has bought the gyms and stores, the banks have got their money, the rents have been paid, and JJB continues. But it just might be that JJB have gone into administration, though there is probably too much at stake, financially and politically, for that to happen today. So if things go to plan today, why does that leave JJBââ?¬â?¢s future as clear as mud ? Well, I did say that the gym division was profitable, very profitable. Together with other forced disposals of profitable stores, that leaves JJB a rump of what is was a year ago, and a loss-making rump at that. Sir David Jones will have a massive task in turning it around in the months and years ahead and save it from eventually going belly up. Can he do it ? If anyone can, he can ââ?¬â?? he has done an excellent clear-out job in the few months since his appointment. Will he do it ? Depends entirely on future spending by customers. And on whether a rumoured Company Voluntary Arrangement is successful in ridding JJB of a further 30 unprofitable stores. So it is down to the wire. In the next few hours there will be much happening, whether itââ?¬â?¢s a sale to Dave Whelan or Administration. And if Whelan gets his way, who knows whether, and for how long, JJB can subsequently survive. Either way, desperate times. Mud, mud, glorious mud.
  13. by Darrell King IT is one of the most significant championships in history for a variety of reasons and comes with the quite critical guarantee of a �£10million Champions League bounty for the victors. But, after yet more mishaps over the weekend, this appears to be the title that neither half of Glasgow wants to win. Events at Ibrox and Tannadice more or less encapsulated the entire SPL season, in terms of the major prize anyway, inside one 24-hour period. While Hearts deserved credit for their fightback to earn a 2-2 with Rangers, Dundee United emerged with plaudits for securing a similar scoreline against Celtic, and the 10 other clubs - overall - have done well to nudge away at the big-two, just what is going on with the Old Firm? advertisement It is as if neither wants to reach out and grasp the prize, and this really is making for a torrid time for those of us who are trying to comment on, and predict, which way this thing will cut next. Inside a few minutes of the boos descending as Rangers capitulated at Ibrox, there were two calls to the Radio Clyde phone-in from disgruntled punters. The first offered congratulations to Celtic on four-in-a-row, the second demanded the head of Walter Smith immediately; and so it went on, with the last calling for a boycott of season ticket renewals to force the issue. Torried times indeed for Smith who had a tone of despondency in his voice as he tried to explain how his side had managed to throw away a two-goal lead and victory from a game they were absolutely coasting. It was incredible. Seldom has the face of a game changed so dramatically - Hearts had been appalling in the first period, Rangers had played some nice stuff and the fans were enjoying the fare. By the end, there was rancour in the air, the cacophony of boos just managing to drown out the gnashing of teeth, slamming of seats and general fury. It did, on the face of it, appear to be one blunder too many for Smith and his players. By his own admission, the manager felt his team had been soft and lacked resilience or, if we step out of manager speak, they had bottled it. A recurring theme for those in blue this term. But we all jumped in too quickly. Again. Celtic failed to win on Tayside and, indeed, needed a superb late leveller from Lee Naylor to prevent a defeat which would have seen Rangers gain a point on them. The gap remains at three points with nine games to go and we now head into a two- week break to reflect. I tipped Celtic at the start and feel it's right to stick with my choice. Gordon Strachan's side, even though they aren't much better than their rivals, for me, have the edge. But look at the stats. In their last 10 SPL matches, Celtic have won just four times, taking 17 points from 30. Rangers? They are just marginally better, winning five and taking 18 points. Who can say with any authority what will happen? What you can say, guaranteed, is this title will be won by one of the poorest Old Firm teams ever, no matter which way it cuts. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2497294.0.0.php
  14. I know it's possibly his best season at Liverpool in terms of the league position and still in the CL, I can't help feeling someone else could do better though. I'd love Mourhino to take over but doesn't look like that will happen. Can't fault Benitez's European record but a club like Liverpool need to be winning the league. Bad enough Manure may match their league winners record this season. 19 years for them is siomply far to long!
  15. Just finished this fairly enjoyable book by Neil Drysdale - thanks admin for running the comp. A few thoughts:- Large tracts of the book make little reference to Smith. I know autobiographies are supposed to give a bit of background to the events in the subjectââ?¬â?¢s life, but much of the first half of the book in particular is about Souness and his rifts with various players. I also found it rather unfortunate that there were constant references to sectarianism (on 16 pages) in what is supposed to be a book about football, not society. We get the old chestnut about Sir Alex refusing the managerââ?¬â?¢s job because of our ââ?¬Ë?sectarianismââ?¬â?¢ and he even hints this may have been why Jim McLean also turned us down. Thereââ?¬â?¢s also the diatribe from the Hamilton fan who talks about how horrible we were to them and how we screamed sectarian abuse at their players when they beat us in the cup in ââ?¬â?¢87. And there are various interviews with fans with ââ?¬Ë?f enianââ?¬â?¢ splashed liberally throughout, sectarian chanting in Osasuna, UVF chanting in Manchester and at times the book reads like a Spiersesque hatchet job. Apparently refs favoured us in the 9IAR season as well. Perhaps Iââ?¬â?¢m being harsh on the author as he does mention Celtic fans making jokes about the Ibrox Disaster and defending the Enniskillen bombings but again, what has all this got to do with Walter Smith? Iââ?¬â?¢d certainly like to know a bit more about Drysdaleââ?¬â?¢s background. Smithââ?¬â?¢s playing career aside, from a footballing point of view thereââ?¬â?¢s not a huge amount of stuff we donââ?¬â?¢t already know but that said, I did enjoy reliving the events of the 90s and being reminded of some great times (on the other hand the chapter on last season is excruciating). Then again, I read the following quote from a fan about the AEK Athens shambles with weary familiarity: ââ?¬Å?...he screwed up big style that night. The defence was all over the place, and we read later that they had never played together in that formation before. Well, that is just daft isnââ?¬â?¢t it?ââ?¬Â The UEFA Cup stuff was hard to read, and I cringed at Smithââ?¬â?¢s comment after the final about it being ââ?¬Å?the end of the beginningââ?¬Â in rebuilding Rangers, when I look at the sorry state we are in at present and the tough times ahead. What I also enjoyed about the book was when Drysdale looked at Walter Smith the man and not the football icon, since Smith is notoriously unemotional and gives nothing away in front of the camera. I love the quote: ââ?¬Å?He quickly found himself drawn towards Rangers with their history, their reputation as giants within the British game, and their cussed refusal to become trendy. Why else, with the advent of the Swinging Sixties and Beatlemania and social revolution effecting a transformation in the ideas of young Scots, would Smith be so fascinated by the Calvinist tradition which permeated Ibrox?ââ?¬Â Reading the book was also the first time I had read Smithââ?¬â?¢s speech at the 1997/98 AGM when he announced his retirement. While Iââ?¬â?¢m not Smithââ?¬â?¢s biggest fan as current manager, his credentials as a Rangers man are indisputable, which is why I will always back him over the Rangers-hating scum which pervade the media and society in this country. The book is let down somewhat by a series of glaring errors. Ian Durrant apparently scored the winner away to CSKA Moscow in 1992, Walter was appointed Scotland manager in December 2006, and Dave Bowman becomes the slightly more exotic Dave Beaumont. Perhaps Iââ?¬â?¢m being pedantic. All in all a worthwhile read, and better than a lot of the dumbed down crap that pass for football books these days.
  16. There are many angry bears out there and rationality seems to be in short supply. Not many are really analysing the situation and when frustrated attempts are made, they seemed to be blocked time and again by rhetorical myths that, with even a quick level headed scrutiny, do not stand up. Examples are: 1. Celtic are much better than us. 2. Celtic are shitest they've ever been and so are we. 3. Celtic are there for the taking. 1. The first that Celtic are much better than us does not stand up to the evidence. If you look at last season and this, there has been not much more than a baw hair between the teams. There is no team double figures ahead of the other or winning all the OF games. Rangers were certainly better than Celtic for most of last season winning both cups and being well ahead in the title race, but could not cope with with end of season fixture pileup including a dogily postponed Celtic game which many would would agree would have likely have been won by Rangers on its original date. The OF games were in fact pretty evenly contested. That doesn't sound like they are miles ahead to me. Both teams did well in Europe and so no obvious winner there. This season they've had plenty of lucky decisions and with one more slip up by us, we're 3 points behind but have them to play at Ibrox. Both teams got to the final of the league cup which Celtic narrowly one in extra time, and only Rangers are still in the Scottish Cup. The OF games have been pretty evenly contested again with only Rangers scoring a convincing win. Both teams were exceptionally poor in Europe. The obvious cold conclusion there is that Celtic are ever so slightly ahead of Rangers, but not much. So in the last two seasons where the trophy count is 2 each, there is no evidence that Celtic are much better than Rangers. Both teams seem pretty even with who wins coming down to the same likelihood as the toss of a coin. Unfortunately last year, the coin came down on their side for the SPL, and for us in the cups. This year it's gone for them in the League Cup, probably us in the Scottish Cup and the SPL coin is still spinning in the air and could land either side. 2. The shitest Rangers and Celtic teams have regularly finished 4th and 5th in the league, us pre-Souness and them during the NIAR years. There's plenty of sites that will show those embarrassing tables for both teams. Even poor OF teams have been miles behind their rivals and had to battle for 2nd place in the league, sometimes losing - Eck and PLG are recent examples there. This season, neither team have had any danger of being caught by the rest of the league so objectively how can they be poor teams in the closed context of our league? They may not be going for the record levels of points that may have been achieved in the past, but there are plenty of seasons throughout the history of the Scottish league where the OF have not been so far ahead. 3. One of the biggest self answering questions is asking why we can't take Celtic when they look so bad - and we just seem to be just as bad. The fact is, they are only there for the taking by a superior team and at the moment, as has been mentioned, we are pretty much at the same level. Is it so surprising that should be so? That the OF, in the same league, with similar avenues of income and raw talent, are pretty even? Celtic have always been there for the taking by a better team, but if you are the other half of a duopoly then without exceptional circumstances they won't be easy to beat. Saying St Mirren beat them so they are crap is schoolboy thinking. The best teams lose to the smaller one's often - especially in the cups, and if it wasn't so, then football would not have the following it does. I point again to the fact that both the Old firm are streets ahead of the other SPL teams, so having the odd defeat does not change their status. I think when you analyse it all the conclusions are pretty simple. Neither of the OLD firm are as weak compared to other Scottish team as they have been, nor are they as far ahead as they have been. Both teams are about as even as they have been in their history with the metaphorical pendulum, swinging not far from the centre. They still dominate the league but the difference is less than in their recent hay-days. They are getting B+'s instead of A+'s but are still easily passing muster with no danger of another team splitting them or indeed winning the league. The answer to why the teams are not gaining high 90's for final points is simple in that the teams are closer. Are the other SPL teams getting better? Probably not although young talent is a tad better than it has been. Are the OF employing lesser players - definitely, it couldn't be any other way. When Souness came along we were signing the best players in Britain, way ahead of Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. If we did so again we'd be in aiming for 100 points and above, but it's impossible for us now. During NIAR we were signing the likes of Boli, Laudrup, Gascoigne, Hateley, McCall, Gough, Goram, Amorusso, Porini, Albertz etc. Our players were streets ahead of the opposition and we were a match for any English team. During Advocaat's spell we were way overspending to compete in Europe and competed for players with the top end of the Premiership. Even in Ecks downsizing we inherited the likes of De Boer and Mols and signed Arteta for 6M and Barry for 5M, so were competing for players with middling English Prem teams while Celtic were competing with the top half of the table. Now with Premiership teams getting a minimum of 50M from TV and charging twice as much for us for seats and advertising we have no chance of competing for the best players in Britain and Europe. We're now competing for players with Championship teams who are starting to outspend us. Walter may have spent some money but it's peanuts in todays terms. 3M is like 750k during Advocaat. We're reduced to buying from Championship teams and a lot more cherry picking from the SPL than we used to. Yes the standard is lower but that's because both OF clubs have had to move down two or three tiers of players. So of course the football is not so good, of course the SPL teams are closer. We might be spending much more than them but the money is for players who are less of a standard above your bog standard professional. Until the financial climate changes, we have no option but to accept this, it's now as ever, doing better than our rivals who are in the same environment. Comparing us to the Premiership - which Scots seem to watch far too much of, just gives false expectations. Like many are saying, we have to wake up and smell the cheap coffee.
  17. CammyF throws down the gauntlet to the club s he asks Rangers to provide a museum at last to celebrate our proud history (with valued contributions from the Curator of the Scottish Football Museum). http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=772&Itemid=2 Part One ââ?¬Ë?The Scottish Football Museum exists to promote the unique football heritage of Scotland, to build and maintain a national football collection, and to educate and inspire future generations.ââ?¬â?¢ The above is the mission statement for the Scottish Football Association Museum Trust which through hard work and dedication has opened the impressive Scottish Football Museum at Hampden. I have a personal interest in this museum as my Grandfatherââ?¬â?¢s junior and amateur medals are now held in the museum and are occasionally on display. Richard McBrearty, Curator of the Scottish Football Museum kindly supplied detailed information that is used within this article and we at Gersnet are indebted to Richard for taking the time to add his input to this article and project. The above mission statement rings true when evaluating and showcasing Scottish Football and the same could be said for Rangersââ?¬â?¢ uniqueness and having our own museum is something that I know some fans have been suggesting for many years now. I believe that the first time I personally became aware of the need for a Rangers museum was after the tragic death of Davie Cooper. Many Rangers fans at the time rightly stated that a Rangers Museum would be lasting and fitting tribute to Davie Cooper. The idea of a museum has been muted and discussed at various AGMs, but as yet, there has been little, if any movement on this front. If you have been lucky enough to have visited the Ibrox Trophy Room you will know that there are many unique, interesting and quirky exhibits that deserved to be showcased in a dedicated museum ââ?¬â?? the ââ?¬Ë?Loving Cupââ?¬â?¢ instantly springs to mind. Indeed, the club feel that the stadium is a museum in itself and while that opinion has validity, we could build upon the existing tour by providing new stand-alone facilities for such an initiative. This existing tour has positive feedback but there is no doubt improvement, as always, can be sought. The best stadium tour that I have ever undertaken was the tour of the Santiago BernabÃ?©u Stadium in Madrid. Not only does this take in the wonderful Real Madrid museum, the tour is unique in-itself as there are no dedicated guides for the tour, you pay your money and allowed access to the stadium and complete this at your own leisure. All the exhibits on the tour and in the museum are showcased in Spanish, German and English. Real Madridââ?¬â?¢s museum is also interesting as it isnââ?¬â?¢t solely a footballing museum. Realââ?¬â?¢s basketball team are also well represented in the museum as are other sports like tennis and athletics. The history of the club is told as you wander through the museum and this is done in such a way that you leave the museum with all the historical information that makes Real Madrid the institution that they are. At the end of the museum, which takes up the majority of one stand, is a tribute wall that lists every player ever to play for Real Madrid and they are separated into the countries of their birth. There is only ever been one Scotsman to play for Real Madrid, a certain Mr John Fox Watson - 1948 ââ?¬â?? then player/coach and is credited as being the first British player to play for Real Madrid. . The BernabÃ?©u model is an example that Rangers could follow. Ibrox Stadium whilst being the famous home of Rangers Football Club has also housed various other events over the years; from the annual parades of the Boys Brigade and Orange Order to the Rangers Sports Days that were a highlight of the sporting calendar in the 1950ââ?¬â?¢s. There is some wonderful footage of the sports days on ââ?¬Ë?YouTubeââ?¬â?¢ and they did draw impressive crowds to Ibrox. All this information, photos and memorabilia will be currently lying around Ibrox somewhere gathering dust. We do have an unofficial publication, 'The Rangers Historian' that details our glorious history and Robert McElroy as well as the Club Historian David Mason would be ideal supporters representatives on any museum project. Ex-players, such as Sandy Jardine who is, according to Richard McBrearty, the Rangers representative on the ââ?¬Ë?Scottish Football Heritage Networkââ?¬â?¢ and has done a fair amount of work for that organisation, should also be included. There are also on-line resources that the club could use to supplement their official records. The Manchester Utd Archive site, the ââ?¬Ë?Stretford Endââ?¬â?¢ is a fantastic example of how fansââ?¬â?¢ hard work, dedication and love for the club could be used. Off course, we have our own unofficial and less complete Rangers Archive which is another empirical example of how much can be achieved without financial input. Richard McBrearty does warn that the idea for a museum would be hard to sell to the club as a money making scheme as very few museums actually do make a profit - Barcelona and Man United being the exceptions to the rule. Man Unitedââ?¬â?¢s museum was making profits in the region of Ã?£200,000 while he Barca museum has generated over 2 million visitors a year as a direct result of it being on the official tourist route. The same can be said of the BernabÃ?©u, this is on the official tourist route and, as a result, all tourist buses pass and stop directly outside the stadium. I have to admit that I havenââ?¬â?¢t managed to ride the Glasgow Tour Bus so I donââ?¬â?¢t know how close to Ibrox these go. If they take in the Science Museum then it wouldnââ?¬â?¢t take much to persuade Glasgow City Council to get the buses to go an extra mile to Ibrox? CONTINUES
  18. A day that will life long in my memory not only due to this being my first ever Old Firm Cup Final but due to the dramatic nature of our eventual victory. I had been lucky enough to have seen Rangers win this trophy previously (against DUFC in 1982) and was due to go to the final in 1983 which would have been my first OF final. Thankfully (sic) I was taken unwell and was in hospital with a bout of appendicitis and missed our 2-1 defeat at the hands of our bitter rivals. The League Cup has been a very successful competition for Rangers over the years and last season penalty shoot-out success against Dundee United marked our 25th victory in the League Cup. Another amazing statistic is that over the years, we have only ever lost 6 League Cup Finals (out of 31) a truly staggering statistic. We also suffered an embarrassing final defeat but weââ?¬â?¢ll gloss over that at this juncture and itââ?¬â?¢s worth remembering that this result wasnââ?¬â?¢t the greatest OF victory, we defeated Celtc 8-1 ââ?¬â?? before anyone tells you that this game doesnââ?¬â?¢t ââ?¬Ë?countââ?¬â?¢, Celtc count their solitary goal from that game in their official club history. I believe weââ?¬â?¢ll all remember the titanic finals against Aberdeen in 1988 and 1989 (3-3 and 3-2 respectively) of the fantastic 4-3 victory over Hearts at Tynecastle. The victory over Ayr United in 2002 will also be well remembered for an outlandish piece of showboating from Andre Kanchelskis : [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQJtZF_6Fyc]YouTube - Kanchelskis stands on the ball[/ame] And if like me, you attended that 1995 final at Hampden then you are entitled to claim this as a victory, well it was a moral victory in my eyes! Anyway, I digress, back to the League Cup Final in 1984 a season that ranks as one of the most traumatic in our history. John Greig eventually bowed in increasing pressure and resigned as Rangers manager and was replaced by Jock Wallace. Due to our disastrous start in the league, the cup competitions were (once again) our only true hope for any silverware. The road to Hampden started with a convincing 8-1 aggregate win over Queen of The South and this was followed by impressive victories over Hearts (3-0 at Tynecastle) and St Mirren (5-0 at Ibrox). These results, coupled with return fixtures ensure that Rangers qualified for a two legged Semi-Final against Dundee United. A credible 1-1 draw at Tannidice saw Rangers entertain the tangerines at Ibrox with a place in the final in the balance. From what I remember of the home leg, Rangers played extremely well and won the game 2-0 with Ian Redford scoring the decisive goal with a beautiful chip over the onrushing Hamish McAlpine. Davie Mitchell scored in both legs of the semi-final but wouldnââ?¬â?¢t feature in the cup final itself. In the run up to the final, Jock Wallace had made an immediate impact and Rangers would embark on a 16 game unbeaten run that would eventually come to an end when Dundee won a Scottish Cup replay 3-2 at Ibrox and ended our chances of a domestic cup double. As this was my first OF Cup Final, I didnââ?¬â?¢t really know what to expect. Would it be just like the league encounters? I was soon to find out. I wouldnââ?¬â?¢t sleep the Saturday evening (evening forgoing the Boys Club Disco to ensure that I was match fit for the Sunday). The supporters bus was a buzz of excitement and the journey to Hampden seemed to fly past and before I knew it, I was climbing the stairs on the way to section J. It is impossible to describe the build of noise that this climb generate, or on how louder this gets, reaching a crescendo as you took your place on the terracing. What would stick in my mind that day was the huge gaps in the Celtc end (see you tube links below) and just how louder and mope passionate the Rangers fans were. I know itââ?¬â?¢s romantic to think this way, but in some perverse memory, it felt that we did contribute to our eventual victory as the Rangers fans were ferocious in their backing of the team that day as I had ever seen them. Just like the journey to the game, the game itself flew by and if Iââ?¬â?¢m honest, all I can really remember of the game is the goals, well our goals anyway. Referee for the day was our old friend Bob Valentine and he award three penalties in the game, two to Rangers and one to Celtc and all three were converted. Our first goal was scored from a penalty just before half-time nicely tucked away by Ally McCoist. Rangers scored their 2nd goal on the hour mark after Sandy Clark won a long ball from Peter McCloy and headed the ball into the path of McCoist who slipped home past the despairing Bonner. Celtc equalised and sent then game into extra time, but not before a show of petulance from the Celtc team as they protested a booking to Roy Aitken in an overtly provocative fashion. In fact, a senior Policeman had to intervene. Unsurprisingly, this incident wasnââ?¬â?¢t included in the referees report and the players went unpunished (some things never change). Anyway, into extra-time we went and Rangers were awarded another penalty when Roy Aitken fouled Ally McCoist in the penalty area and the referee correctly pointed to the spot. Another booking for Aitken leading to a red card? You would have thought so, but no, Aitken escaped further punishment and after the dust had settled, Ally McCoist stepped up to face Pat Bonner. The keeper guessed correctly and parried McCoistââ?¬â?¢s kick back out onto the six yard line where Super Ally was awaiting to, at the 2nd attempt, deposit the ball into the net. This is where your mind starts playing tricks with you especially over the ravages of time. From my vantage point, it appeared that the Celtc fans had been celebrating for numerous seconds before Ally put their ââ?¬Ë?gas at a peepââ?¬â?¢. In reality, they had barely the time to jump for joy before Ally reduced them to tears. Well, that was it, bedlam, delirium, ecstasy et al ensued in the Rangers end and I remember being shunted about 10 stairs down and about 20 foot to my right in the celebrations. In fact, one of my friends that I was at the game with lost a trainer in the celebrations but decided that it was a price worth paying! The final whistle sparked further celebrations on and off the pitch and John McClelland led his troops up the famous Hampden stairs to receive the trophy. A huge cheer greeted him as he showed the glittering prize to the rank and file supporters. We had won the cup and my first OF final couldnââ?¬â?¢t have gone better. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih0JoTykCqY&feature=related]YouTube - Rangers vrs Celtic Hampden 83/84 part 1[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG1KwL7P1U0&feature=related]YouTube - Rangers vrs Celtic Hampden 83/84 part2[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGXIeCC0O0k&feature=related]YouTube - Rangers vrs Celtic Hampden 83/84 part3[/ame] http://www.napit.co.uk/viewus/infobank/football/scottishleaguecup.php http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/old-firm/classicmatchreports/2009/02/10/league-cup-final-rangers-3-celtic-2-march-25-1984-86908-21112643/ Cammy F -
  19. All Gersnet articles are posted on NewsNow and read by hundreds of football fans across the world. Indeed, our most popular site article has been read by over 6000 people - via the main site link alone! Obviously hundreds more often read when the articles are posted on other sites. These kind of figures often out-perform the daily newspaper contributions on the wires - both tabloid and broadsheet. Why else do we have journalists constantly criticising so-called 'unofficial' websites? To keep the pressure up, Gersnet are always looking for writers to work for the site. It's easy to see the quality of writing from every poster on the site so why not expand on your usual post by writing a proper article? Your imagination and ideas are our bread and butter so why not let as many fans as possible hear you on your soap-box? As a 'reward' for becoming an official site contributor you will gain from the following wee perks: 1. Special graphic 'Writers' button (ala our mod/admin one); 2. Larger pm storage facility; 3. Access to new private 'Writers' sub-forum; 4. Automatic entry into any Gersnet competitions; 5. The chance to win 'Contributor' of the Month Award (medal added to your Postbit) To be clear we're not asking for people to write constantly for the site. We usually publish one or two articles a week on the site, so each 'Writer' would only be featured every so often. Thus, if each 'Writer' could write one/two articles a month, that would be more than enough to keep the main site ticking over. Obviously you can write more often if you wish. Already we have several people writing the match previews and I'm happy for others to write match reviews or submit their player ratings for games. All ideas for content are welcomed and this is why we're opening the sub-form for such contributors to brainstorm. - Fancy your own weekly blog on the main site? - Interested in writing about the history of the club? - How about a regular 'MediaWatch' column? - Want to catalogue interesting pictures/videos of the club? You can do all this and more via our easy to use Joomla software and administration support! If you're interested, please pm me.
  20. The girl in the wheelchair just gave a rendition of "And if you know your history" She's ugly anyway!
  21. by Thomas Jordan AFTER waiting four months for their opportunity to return to the top of the table, Rangers latest reign as league leaders lasted all of 11 days. Hardly the hallmark of a team with the durability required to succeed as champions. The 1-0 defeat at the hands of Caley Thistle this week has prompted questions over the Ibrox club's title credentials. The obvious one, of course, will be do they have the bottle to come out on top in such a fiercely contested title battle? A two-week shutdown from the league, as they take on Hamilton Accies in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup before facing Celtic in the Co-operative Insurance Cup Final at Hampden Park, will put Rangers' title challenge on the back burner. advertisement That, however, will do little to dilute concerns among the Light Blue legions that their defeat to the Highlanders is a signal that this squad doesn't have what it takes to stop Celtic making it four-in-a-row. The implications if Rangers don't win the league are huge. From a financial perspective, it is imperative the riches that go hand in hand with entry to the Champions League are secured next season after failure to reach that stage this season left a �£10million black hole in the club's finances. Winning the championship this season will once again offer the SPL winners direct entry to the group stage of the competition. The runners-up, like this season, would face two qualifying games, but the standard of opposition standing in their path will dramatically increase under Uefa's qualification criteria revamp. On March 21 against Hearts, Walter Smith will turn his full attention back of the title race with Celtic now out in front, albeit only marginally with a three-point advantage. He will have 10 matches which will not only shape their season, but possibly the foreseeable future of the club. Does the Rangers manager have the players at his disposal to come out in top against a Celtic side that has already shown, not just last season but in previous campaigns, that they are good enough to prosper under the white heat of a title run-in? Indeed, captain Barry Ferguson is the only member of Walter Smith's squad who has truly influenced and delivered title success. Nacho Novo, who is currently out injured, has also played his part in the past as Alex McLeish delivered two championship trophies in 2005. But he has been no more than a bit-part player at Rangers in recent seasons. Here, SportTimes takes a look at the men who will be required to stand up and be counted in 10 league games of monumental importance to the Ibrox club. IN GOOD HANDS Allan McGregor has returned to the sort of form that brought speculation of a �£9m move to the Premiership last season. After a difficult start to the campaign, as he tried to find his feet following a long injury lay-off, the Ibrox goalkeeper is once again turning in some vital performances. McGregor's goal has been breached only four times in 13 matches. So this isn't a position that would cause Smith much concern. FULL-BACK FAILINGS Smith's first task as they prepare to welcome a rejuvenated Hearts side to Ibrox will be to find a replacement for the suspended Davie Weir. The stopper's red card, following a rare mistake which gifted Caley the three points on Wednesday, will mean he'll have to sit out against his former club. On previous occasions, Kirk Broadfoot has been moved inside from his usual right-back beat and Steven Whittaker has come out of cold storage to play as a full-back. That, you'd imagine, would tempt most opposing managers to try and expose Gers backline. Madjid Bougherra has been their most consistent defender throughout this season. Indeed, Smith probably doesn't like to dwell on what his defence would be like without him at its heart As for Weir, his displays, in fairness, have been pretty consistent. It's the full-back areas that let Rangers down. The way they play, both see plenty of the ball and are encouraged to push forward. While Broadfoot is always willing to do so, too often his final ball simply isn't good enough. At least, however, he is willing to get involved in the game. Papac, no doubt to the constant frustration of the Rangers management, is far more reluctant to join in on attacks. So is it a defence you could bank on to hold firm? Well, their recent form has been impressive, but cracks could appear the more pressure is put on them. WIDE-BOYS REQUIRED Pedro Mendes's influence has been badly missing in Rangers recent two matches. The Portuguese playmaker provides an extra dimension to their attacking play in particular. His passes are crisp, he spots things early and, unlike many of his colleagues, he isn't too predictable at times. Next to him will be the captain Ferguson. Having been over the course many times before, he knows what it takes to deliver a championship. And, as skipper, he knows there are more eyes on him than any other member of the Rangers squad. Maybe Rangers' biggest problem is that they don't boast natural wide players. For all Steven Davis has enjoyed an excellent campaign, he isn't an out-and-out winger. Neither is Kyle Lafferty, Lee McCulloch, Steven Naismith nor the various players deployed on the left of midfield this season. Perhaps the most comfortable in such a position is young John Fleck. But he is still cutting his teeth at this level. It would be unfair, for all his natural ability and enthusiasm, to expect him to carry older and more experienced team-mates between now and the end of the season. Overall, Rangers have a midfield that works well enough together but there have been several occasions this season when they could have played all night and not carved out a chance for any of the striker. BOYD BACK-UP Who scores the goals if Kris Boyd isn't bagging them? Kenny Miller pops up now and again with one, sometimes two, but can he do it when it matters most? Can he keep a cool head inside the penalty area when that one of only chance of the game comes his way? History would suggest not. Lafferty is struggling to provide clues as to how he is going to become a key player at Rangers and while Novo is always a threat coming off the bench, his injury problems could prevent him from being at his best for some time. This department, probably more than any other, will be the one that Smith will be concerned about the most. When everything is going well, they are most certainly capable of finding the back of the net. In the comings weeks, however, there will be more than one occasion when Smith is on the sidelines hoping to one of his frontman to snatch a goal that transformers what is appearing to be one point into three. Time, of course, will tell. Only a fool would predict the outcome of the current championship. But Rangers aren't only playing for the title - the financial baggage it carries means the future of the club is at stake. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2493863.0.0.php
  22. The question I ask myself most often when thinking off, or discussing John Greig is, is he deserving of the title ââ?¬Ë?Greatest Ever Rangerââ?¬â?¢? This title was bestowed on Greig, by us, the fans. We voted for him as the Greatest Ever Ranger and all the attributes are there. His dedication and love of Rangers is undeniable. We were the only club that we ever played for. He won a remarkable three trebles with Rangers (the club has won seven in our illustrious history), his appearances speak for themselves and listening to fans from the generation before mine, Grieg was Rangers during this dark days of Celtic domination. Can it be argued that is unsuccessful time as manager soured his legacy? He was brave enough to take the challenge, and you wouldnââ?¬â?¢t have expected Greig to have refused the challenge of replacing Jock Wallace as Rangers manager. Would things have been different if Greigââ?¬â?¢s charges had managed to have won the treble in his first season (added to the wonderful run and performances in Europe)? Weââ?¬â?¢ll never know. The title of Greatest Ever Ranger is an immense title and accolade once you start to look at the other contenders of this title. Mr Struth, The Founding Fathers, RC Hamilton, Valance, John Greig, George Young, Bob McPhail, Alan Morton ââ?¬â?? these are just the tip of the iceberg. For me, Mr Struth epitomises Rangers and everything we stand for. Personally, Mr Struth is Rangers, others will rightly point to our Founding Fathers, others will rightly have their own opinion. In my fledgling and informative years as a Rangers supporter, all my family talked about John Greig and told tales of his heroic service for Rangers. My Unlce was lucky enough to play professional football and played against Rangers for West Brom and all the family were given tickets for the game. Not only that, Greig had learned of our leanings and had arranged for a stadium tour as well as tickets in the directors box. Iââ?¬â?¢ll never forget my old grans (God Bless Her) face when we were shown the trophy room ââ?¬â?? she asked Greig if she could have a job cleaning all the silverware! We were then invited into the inner sanctums of Ibrox after the game to meet both teams. A truly unforgettable day for our family thanks in no small part to Mr Greig. One thing that canââ?¬â?¢t be disputed, when you look at the clubs traditions, values, history, John Greig ticks all the boxes. Rangers have certainly been enriched by John Greigââ?¬â?¢s presence and would have been a poorer club without this colossus on the field of play. A decorated Scottish International, Rangers Captain, Rangers Manager and simply a fantastic footballer (his footballing ability was undervalued in my opinion), a gentleman and last but not least, a Ranger. Greatest Ever Ranger? Who am I to argue? Information Sources : Silversmith ââ?¬â?? Neil Drysdale John Greig ââ?¬â?? My Story Rangers ââ?¬â?? Season By Season ââ?¬â?? Robert McElroy Cammy F
  23. No one who witnessed Rangersââ?¬â?¢ 2nd treble in 3 seasons when we defeated Aberdeen 2-1 in the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden would believe that the man hugged and congratulated by Jock Wallace would be invited to replace Wallace as manager of Rangers. There are many rumours circulating as to why Jock Wallace left Rangers in 1978 but to say it was a shock would be an understatement. Jock Wallace epitomised Rangers and was a very successful and shrewd coach/manager. His departure left a gaping void and the board hoped that John Greig would be the man to fill this void. Much has been written regarding John Greigââ?¬â?¢s tenure as Rangers manager and most agreed that it was a terrible time in our proud history, but ironically, it started off wonderfully. Season 1978-1979 mirrored last season where a fixture pile-up and some overly negative tactics would result in Rangers coming tantalizingly close to a quadruple, but end up with the domestic cup double. Under Greig, the fixture pile-up was caused by the weather and resulted in Rangers playing only three league games between 23rd of December and 14th March. The early league results belied and gave little indication of the run that Rangers were to put together. Rangers failed to win any our opening six league fixtures. However, once the players got used to Greigââ?¬â?¢s new tactical awareness, vision and perception we looked like a team capable of going all the way domestically and in Europe. In saying that, Greigââ?¬â?¢s naivety as a manger led to mistakes being made. Possibly the most crucial was splitting the Johnstone / Smith partnership as JG wanted DJ as centre-half and captain. Domestically, the League and Scottish Cups were retained with Alex McDonald and Colin Jackson scoring the all important goals as Aberdeen were once again defeated 2-1 at Hampden. The Scottish Cup was secured after a marathon three games against Hibernian. The first two games finished 0-0 and were in truth, dire affairs. The 2nd replay saw Rangers eventually win 3-2 thanks to a Arthur Duncan own-goal (Derek Johnstone with the other two goals). The League Cup Winning Team ââ?¬â?? McCloy, Jardine, Dawson, Johnstone, Jackson, A McDonald, McLean, Russell, Urquhart, Smith and Cooper (Subs ââ?¬â?? Millar and Parlane). Scottish Cup Winning Team - McCloy, Jardine, Dawson, Johnstone, Jackson, Watson, McLean, Russell, Parlane, A McDonald and Cooper (Subs ââ?¬â?? Millar and Smith). Our league title was surrendered at Parkhead when we allowed a Celtc to come from a gaol behind and win ultimately 4-2. In the aftermath of the game, Greig was rightly criticised for his negativity and it was widely believed that if we had been more positive, we would have won the game and the league title. Hindsight is a wonderful tool, but you have to wonder if we had won this title, and therefore the treble, John Greigââ?¬â?¢s stint as Rangers manager would have been far more successful. However, it was in Europe in this first managerial season that Rangers and Greig excelled and Rangers eliminated Juventus and PSV Eindhoven with brilliant and at times, breathtaking displays. The Italian Champions contained NINE stars from Italyââ?¬â?¢s World Cup Squad and PSV were the current UEFA Cup Holders and had, until they faced Rangers, never lost a home European tie. The Juventus game at Ibrox gave the young Cammy F (i.e me!) an early taste of those unbeatable and unmatchable European nights at Ibrox, Ibrox was in the process of being rebuilt, but the atmosphere was electric and goals from Alex McDonald and Gordon Smith ensured that Rangers progressed. After a 0-0 draw at Ibrox, the feeling that was Rangers had blown their opportunity against PSV as their impressive home form suggested that we would struggle. This seemed to be the case as we lost a goal in the first minute, but Rangers rallied and with goals from McDonald and Johnstone put us 2-1 in front. The Dutch champions levelled, but Bobby Russell scored an unforgettable goal late on and Rangers became the first European club to win in Eindhoven. The quarter final draw saw us paired with FC Cologne and a severely depleted Rangers team were narrowly defeated 2-1 on aggregate and the European dream was over. If John Greigââ?¬â?¢s first season as manager has shown some promise, his 2nd was calamitous with Rangers failing to win a trophy and finish an embarrassing 5th position in the league, 11 points behind eventual champions Aberdeen (who secured 7 points from 8 from Rangers). Our away form was abysmal with Rangers gaining only 10 points from 18 away games ââ?¬â?? a total bettered by all bar the two relegated teams (Dundee and Hibernian). Aberdeen also put an end to our League Cup hopes defeating us in a two-legged third round tie. We faired slightly better in the Scottish Cup where we reached the final after defeating Dundee UTD, Hearts and Aberdeen before losing to a deflected George McCluskey shot in extra time in an OF Final. In Europe, after seeing off Lilliestrom in the Cup Winners Cup preliminary round, we defeated Fortuna Dusseldorf by 2-1 to then face Spanish giants Valencia. A 1-1 draw in Spain looked to have paved our way, but the magic of Mario Kempes proved too much for Rangers at Ibrox and the Spanish side went on to with the trophy against Arsenal. On a more positive note, the redevelopment of Ibrox took a major step forward with the opening of the Copland Road Stand. Bolstered by much needed signings (Jim Bett and Colin McAdam and the return of Willie Johnston), Rangers entered season 1980-81 knowing that they need to improve significantly. Rangers got off to an impressive start in the league with an unbeaten run of 15 matches which included two OF victories and a record 8-1 win away to Kilmarnock. However, this form wasnââ?¬â?¢t to last and a disastrous run in November and December threw our title challenge of the rails. Aberdeen once again knocked us out of the League Cup and the game was marred with controversy when referee George Smith awarded The Dons not one, but two contentious penalties, the second being awarded for a foul that occurred on the semi-circle outside the penalty box! Due to having no European participation, Rangers entered the Anglo-Scottish which led to humiliation and embarrassment at the hands of English minnows, Chesterfield Town. The third division side held Rangers to a 1-1 draw at Ibrox (Gordon Dalzeil) then thumping Rangers 3-0 in the away leg. We were to finish 3rd in the league 12 points behind Champions Celtic in the league campaign that was over before it really got started. The disastrous run in Nov/Dec was one that we would never recover from. However, there was slight solace in the Scottish Cup where we faced Dundee United. After a tedious 0-0 draw where Ian Redford would miss a last minute penalty for us against his former employers, Rangers went on to win the replay 4-1 with a wonderful performance topped by some Davie Cooper magic. Cooper was dropped for the original game, but made a devastating return in the replay scoring a goal and setting up two others. John McDonald (2) and Bobby Russell were the other scorers. The season ended the end or Alex McDonaldââ?¬â?¢s illustrious Rangers career. Remembered for his true Rangers spirit and his diving headers, Alex McDonald would always be held in great esteem by the fans. After 12 years of sterling service to Rangers, Alex McDonald was sold to Hearts for Ã?£30,00 and would later go on to manage the Gorgie side (along with Sandy Jardine). Scottish Cup Winning Team - Stewart, Jardine, Dawson, Stevens, T Forsyth, Bett, Cooper, Russell, Johnstone, Redford and J McDonald
  24. by Ronnie Cully ALL 12 SPL clubs are today anxiously seeking confirmation their TV deal with Setanta Sports is not under threat after it was reported the satellite broadcaster want to renegotiate their �£150million contract with the English FA. The Irish-based company have a deal with the SPL worth �£54.5m which runs until 2010, and last year agreed a new contract worth �£125m which is set to extend until 2014. However, after losing the rights to one of the two packages of Premier League matches in the latest round of bidding, concerns have grown about Setanta's ability to hold on to subscribers. Now, with reports claiming they have delayed making a scheduled �£10m payment on their contract with the English FA, and that they want to hold talks to renegotiate the terms of that four year-deal, fears are multiplying within the Scottish game. advertisement The new SPL contract which was announced last summer was heralded at the time by executive chairman Lex Gold as a major breakthrough for the Scottish game. He said: "It's the biggest-ever TV deal in Scottish football history. This will allow clubs to re-invest to make the Scottish game even stronger. "Ten years ago, we spoke about delivering a brighter future for Scottish football. "Today, as we look ahead to our next 10 years, we can do so with confidence. We look forward to working with them (Setanta) to continue building and developing our league." That confidence is now under pressure as the credit crunch bites. The BBC also has a contract with the SPL until 2012 for match highlights on TV and online on the BBC Sport website. But it would be a massive blow to every SPL club if there was even a delay in any of the payments from the deal they have with Setanta. And assurances will be swiftly sought that there will not be any disturbance to the cash flow. Alarm bells started to ring when Setanta's management last month ordered a major review of their business after they lost the rights to one of their Premiership packages. A Setanta source last night attempted to reassure subscribers and contract partners that they can survive this blow and that they will meet their commitments. They also have deals with the Premier League, the Indian Premier League, and the US PGA Tour and with Premier Rugby that starts next year. ITV - who, like Setanta, have a contract with the English FA - are also reported to be seeking to reschedule payments on their �£275m deal. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2493031.0.0.php
  25. RANGERS under-19s will take on Inverness Caley Thistle in the semi-final stage of the SFA Youth Cup after the Highland Jags made history by beating Celtic following a dramatic penalty shoot-out . Celtic were favourites to progress from this quarter-final tie at the Tulloch Stadium but the home side produced a strong and assured performance to deny an Old Firm semi at Ibrox Stadium on Sunday, March 29. With the game sitting goalless after 120 minutes a pulsating shoot-out followed with Celtic striking the bar with their seventh effort to spark wild celebrations on the pitch and in the stands. :rfc:
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