Search the Community

Sunday mail: The thought of leaving Rangers after our double win did cross my mind, says Walter Smith IBROX lies silent. It's the calm after - and before - the storm. Not an echo of the euphoria that filled it six weeks ago, not a hint of the elation to come in another six weeks when the flag runs up the pole. The Blue Room at the top of the marble staircase lies dormant, set up for a wedding. Through the door, though? In a oak-panelled office reeking of history and basking in sunshine, Walter Smith is looking like a man who is still enjoying his second honeymoon. And nothing like a man many thought would have walked off into the sunset on May 31 as either a Double-winner or two-time title loser. Relaxed, tanned, rested ... and ready. In his first interview since winning the SPL and Scottish Cup in his second full season back, Smith reveals the idea of walking away at the top DID cross his mind. But deep down the 61-year-old knew his time wasn't up - and he didn't want to leave the staff he brought with him in the lurch. Despite the heart-attack high of Gers' last-day victory - and seven titles from his first spell as boss - he will walk back through the doors of Murray Park on Thursday hungry to do it all over again. Walter admitted: "When you get over the 60 mark it's a relevant question, whether or not you walk. Yes, it crosses your mind. "But I would have been more likely to leave after losing. What kind of person walks because of an image? That you want to be SEEN to be going out at the top? I don't have that kind of ego. "If I turn round and say I'm off? They will say: 'Great, you've reached a European final and won four trophies in two-and-a-half years. Thanks.' And that's it. "What does that mean to me in the end? I'm here for a challenge. "I know what it feels like when your time is up. It happened when I was here for seven years and it was time for a change. A team completely died. "I won't manage for seven years now but when is the time to go? It will be when I feel I don't have as much to offer - or when my team's not good enough and I take responsibility. That's not now." Smith's moral compass was also pointing him back towards work. He has absolute faith that the legacy he has put in place in the Rangers dugout, Ally McCoist and Kenny McDowall, would cope in his absence. But with Rangers still struggling financially Walter doesn't want to throw his sidekicks straight into a firefight without big enough guns. He said: "If I walked out I would feel as though I was leaving other people with a problem. And I have to be fair to my staff. "Ally, Kenny, Jim Stewart, Adam Owen and Pip Yeats make up a great staff. "If I leave - and I stress this isn't my decision - I would like to think the chairman would consider Ally taking over. But in the circumstances it would feel like I was leaving them with issues. "It's not just that though. When I returned people were saying: 'You won nine-in-a-row so why would you come back?' "The simple answer is people in football want to achieve. It was a challenge - and one I feel we have met." It's also one that he will instantly have to meet again - or face exactly the same Groundhog Day grilling about his future. Smith shrugged: "That's the Old Firm. You can win every year but then you have to do it again the following year. "All the managers I know have a competitive spirit - that keeps us going. If it's golf, or whatever, you want to win. "You need to have goals. If you lose that as you get older, fine, but I still have it. "Davie Weir once made a great point. If he makes a mistake now people say it is because he's 38 or 39. But Davie made the same mistakes at 28 or 29. What was it then? "It's the same for me - it doesn't just switch off one day. You will get a feeling but that's not now." The change in Smith and Rangers from this time last year is tangible. After a 68-game season and a break of less than a month he saw the black cloud sitting above his squad before the heavens opened on their darkest day in Kaunas. This time there isn't a cloud in sight. Nineteen games fewer played, a six-week sabbatical and the walk-on-water lightness of step that graces a winner. Smith admitted: "It feels different. Last summer we knew how difficult it was going to be. Liverpool thrashed us in a friendly and we were lucky to beat Raith Rovers. "We weren't good enough. This year it's so different. The season ended on a high and we've had a break that feels like the kind you used to get 30 years ago." And Smith is desperate to harvest what he has sown - especially when the shoots were so visible at the end of the season. He said: "People say I never play kids but I've tried to get a solid base of young Scots to benefit the club. "That takes time. If you buy a seasoned professional they will settle at Rangers or Celtic. "But it's different for younger guys. Look at Steven Whittaker. In my mind he was our most consistent player from January. "But previously he struggled dealing with the demands of the crowd and everything else. "That's what you're up against. I read one pundit telling me Kyle Lafferty was a bad buy and six months later saying if I don't play him we won't win the league! "Kevin Thomson was starting to dictate games before his injury while Steven Naismith has been unlucky. "But he will still be a very good Rangers player. Maurice Edu came in and did so well. "We have a good base of young players. We won't have a big-name buy but this team can be successful. "This side is as capable, if not more so, than the Rangers team that played in the Champions League and UEFA Cup two years ago."

on the value of this season's championship. With a sly dig at the mope's bigotry into the bargain... ----------------------------------------------------------- 'Winner takes it all' has never been truer after Rangers stagger past Celtic in SPL title race By Roddy Forsyth Two old geezers are shown the brochure of a country club where women of shimmering beauty sit beside the azure pool, sipping Dom Perignon White Gold Jeroboam champagne and waiting for the guests who will accompany them through this garden of delights. The geriatric pair salivate at the thought of a fling in such seductive company and are handed a free pass ââ?¬â?? trouble is, only one gets to walk into the party, while the other has to make it past the bouncers. That's how the Scottish title race looked this season as Celtic and Rangers stumbled and wheezed their way towards the garden of earthly delights, otherwise known as automatic entry to the group stage of the Champions League. It may be that Rangers suffer a seizure when the frolics begin in September, but they have a long summer of fragrant dreams to sustain them until then. By contrast, Celtic fans are only beginning to realise how damaging the loss of their championship crown may prove to be. The austerity regime in force at Celtic Park has preserved the club in good shape to weather the financial turbulence that still lies ahead ââ?¬â?? no mean accomplishment ââ?¬â?? but only by hacking at salary levels until they fell below Championship wage rates. Gordon Strachan shopped in dime stores while ââ?¬â?? for a spell, at any rate ââ?¬â?? preserving the accoutrements of grandeur at a club which assiduously feeds its own mythology. Many among the support and a few within the media have expressed a delight bordering on the vindictive at Strachan's departure and although he was the architect of some of the aggro that was so freely directed at him, his detractors might like to answer this question ââ?¬â?? when will a Scottish team next achieve successive qualifications for the knockout stage of the Champions League? Now the most pressing question for Celtic's directors is how to square the circle of their own logic. Before Strachan, the club paid top dollar to attract good players whose careers had stalled but who had retained the hunger for success at a decent level. Now the staggering wealth of the Premier League in England has distorted the market so that there is a category of accomplished players willing to abide existence in mid-table or below, without any prospect of achieving honours because the financial rewards for simply being there outweigh having to explain to the grandchildren why there are no medals to show for a career in football. Possible canonisation at Parkhead versus no need ever to work again ââ?¬â?? where's the contest? So the template is of a manager on the launch pad or early stages of a soaring career, preferably a proto-Fergie with an unerring eye for emergent talent that can be sold at a healthy profit. Oh ââ?¬â?? and the new man should, if possible, be Celtic-minded, whatever that faintly sinister term means exactly. Owen Coyle seemed to fit that description more than anybody else. In England, the notion that he would consider forgoing the Premier League to move to Celtic has been regarded by many as evidence of a possibly unhinged mind. More sober commentators have observed that Burnley are very likely to be relegated within a season and that at Celtic, Coyle would finish either first or second in his debut campaign, with a guarantee of European football of some sort thereafter. On the other hand, you could look at both prospects as contrasting suicide missions ââ?¬â?? Burnley might be in free fall by December, but whoever takes on Celtic has to produce four big European performances before the end of August, or risk being damned from the start like Strachan. Meanwhile, by virtue of staggering up to the VIP entrance of the Champions League a couple of paces ahead of their perennial rivals, Rangers can conjure heady visions for the next three months. It won't last, of course, but, when that sober thought intrudes, the Ibrox contingent need only look to Parkhead ââ?¬â?? and pass the bubbly. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/scottishpremier/celtic/5402885/Winner-takes-it-all-has-never-been-truer-after-Rangers-stagger-past-Celtic-in-SPL-title-race.html

What a difference a couple of weeks make. Even before the clouds began circling over Ibrox after the behaviour of a couple of the club�s biggest stars on international duty, there was a general malaise and negativity down Govan way. Having let a lead in the SPL slip, with Celtic stretching their advantage at the top to 3 points overturning a 10 goal deficit in the goal difference and taking the league title out of our hands, even accounting for the remaining Old Firm match at Ibrox. This was followed up with a lacklustre defeat in the CIS cup. Finally all the excitement and hype of last season�s enthralling chase for four trophies had ebbed away. Questions are continually asked of Smith�s tactics and of team formations and line ups. Summer signings are under increasing scrutiny. So the last thing we needed was the suspension of the club captain and the number 1. A squad decimated by injuries to Thomson, Lafferty, Miller and Papac amongst others. Without so many key performers how could we possibly halt the relentless march of Strachan�s side to another title? Therein lies the problem with objectively discussing football, especially when it surrounds Scotland�s most successful team. Everything is either rosy, or we facing the apocalypse. There is no in between. When in reality the truth lies somewhere in the middle. There are shades of grey. Whilst all the newspapers column inches were taken up with ex-pros and pundits lining up to take a pop at Ferguson and McGregor, new club captain Davie Weir and his team mates have gone about their business in quiet if unspectacular fashion. Weir�s first opportunity to lead his side out as fully fledge captain, as opposed to the stand in role he has ably filled in the past, resulted in a 1-0 victory. A satisfactory outcome at the end of a difficult week for Rangers Football club. At this stage of the season, every game is about earning the 3 points and not worrying about the manner in which they are achieved. The win at the Falkirk Stadium was the beginning of a welcome return to goal-scoring form of Kris Boyd. After not scoring for 5 games, the prolific hitman has found the back of the net 4 times in the last 3 games and is looking to continue his scoring form in the season run in as we chase league and cup success. Lee McCulloch filled in for Ferguson in his absence against the SPL�s basement club. However injury to the former-Wigan midfielder saw Edu promoted to the role of Pedro Mendes� engine room partner. The young American, having had longer to settle in a new country had looked more composed and has been more involved than in his earlier cameo�s this season. Smith�s injury and suspension ravaged side followed up that victory with a maximum 3 points against another struggling side in St Mirren. The Paisley outfit looked like they were in for a long afternoon when Boyd and then Beasley fired Rangers into an early 2-0 deficit. Much like other recent fixtures, such as the dropped points against Hearts, we failed to kill off McPherson�s side and an Andy Dorman second half strike made for a nervy finish. In truth however St Mirren rarely threatened and another deserved victory was ensured. Even in spite of the opposition, 2 back to back away victories will bread confidence given our away record in recent years. Edu followed up his late appearance against Falkirk with his first goal for the club and a strong performance that led to him being given some spectators motm award. The appalling anti-football tactics of St Mirren, with some tackles more recognised in the Octagon at a UFC event, increased Rangers mounting injury problems with both Papac and Beasley first half casualties. As alluded to at the start of this piece though, along with the imminent return of Lafferty, Papac and Beasley are expected to return in the coming weeks. Andrius Velicka made a second late appearance as a sub as we ran the clock down. Even the Lithuanian himself will no doubt have been surprised to return to the starting line up for the first time this year as we welcomed Mark McGhee�s Cel.... sorry Motherwell to Ibrox. With just 2 minutes on the clock, the big Lithuanian had repaid his manager�s faith with the opening goal and is being picked by some as a surprise starter in the upcoming Old Firm. Not to be undone by his strike partner, Boyd scored for the third match in succession with another goal of the season contender before rounding off the victory with a penalty after Brian McLean felled Mendes in the box. After the international fall out, Smith will have been incredibly pleased to have picked up maximum points. The first time his side have won 3 games in a row since September and he will be looking to extend that run when we travel to Leith on Sunday. Smith will also be pleased in the manner in which Edu has come into the midfield and offered a balance that arguably was missing when Mendes and Ferguson, two players who are excellent going forward but less disciplined defensively, play together. Neil Alexander has stepped in to fill McGregor�s gloves to great effect and it demonstrates the defensive strength of Walter Smith�s squad that such a massive change at a critical stage of the season has barely been worthy of discussion since Alexander first pulled on the gloves against Falkirk. The return of Stevie Smith to offer competition to Papac, who is hoping to be fit for this weekend�s match, is another welcome boost. Smith played in left midfield against Motherwell as Walter looked to ease him back into fold and with the inability of any player to make that position his own, the committed display against our Lanarkshire neighbours should be enough to allow Steven to keep his place this weekend. As had been mentioned earlier on, Boyd�s return to goal-scoring form has come at a vital time with Lafferty and Miller struggling for fitness and Novo and Naismith struggling for form. The Ayrshire hitman is looking to break the 30 goal mark and if he can get near to the 39 he scored the year Eck bought him from Killie there is every possibility that will be enough to secure league flag number 52. The emergence of Velicka from the wilderness could also be important with striking options getting thinner by the week. Added to all of this, the relentless pursuit of victories and 3 points, the return to form of key players and the re-emergence of some of the squad�s forgotten men is the boost of the announcement of the final Old Firm fixture, confirmed for the second post-split fixture on May 9th. This news means that Bougherra�s one match suspension, that rules him out of the opening post split tie will be served when Celtic travel to Govan. The Algerian stopper was unavailable as McDonald took advantage of Kirk Broadfoot�s lack of games in his favoured centre-back role and Celtic ran out 1-0 winners. He was also unable to prevent the 2-0 loss last month. The classy defender has to be the leading candidate for both Rangers and the SPL�s POTY. I, as no doubt most other fans, will be relieved that the Bougherra should be marshalling our back line in the final Old Firm encounter of the year. There are a number of issues still to be addressed at Ibrox and Murray Park, both on the field and in the boardroom. However, recent weeks have shown we have strength in depth of quality within the squad and a strength of character capable of winning this League and the Scottish Cup. If we win the two games prior to the Old Firm, beginning with Hibs this weekend, will take us into the Old Firm knowing a victory at Ibrox will put us in the driving seat for the Championship with all the momentum on our side of the city. The opportunity is there. It is up to Walter Smith, Davie Weir and co. to grasp it with both hands.

Questions needing answers. Why did Burly sanction a session at 5 a.m.? What is to happen to the other 5 participants ? What is to happen to Burly for condoning such a scenario considering its possible outcome ? Who first reported the hotel incident and who did they report it to ? ( I suspect the press were heavily involved especially as it is their job to stake out teams' hotels ) and Why did BF put himself in such a vulnerable situation. The press are now predictably printing thousands of column inches on the whole situation based on two facts. Being, drinking until 11am, and, making hand gestures at someone. This accounts for about 1% of what there are printing. The rest is conjecture, guesswork, hypotheticals and downright lies. Why are we being sucked into such a pathetic state of shock over a pathetic set of circumstances because of such a fantastic work of fiction ?

By Ron Scott Ibrox defender Madjid Bougherra.MADJID BOUGHERRA (right) has been ruled out of today�s Co-operative Insurance Cup Final against Celtic at Hampden. That was the sensational news from the Rangers camp last night. It�s a crushing blow for the Ibrox club as the big French-Algerian defender has been their most consistent player all season. He has struggled all week with a calf injury picked up in last Sunday�s Homecoming Scottish Cup tie against Hamilton Accies, and has failed to recover in time to play today. Major headache Bougherra�s absence leaves Rangers manager Walter Smith with a major headache over who to pair in central defence with Davie Weir. Kirk Broadfoot is the obvious choice, but his fitness is not guaranteed either. He has missed the last couple of games with a foot injury. The former St Mirren centre-half will be given every chance to make it, but much will depend on whether he suffers a reaction from yesterday�s training session. If Broadfoot is ruled out, too, Smith�s choice is a straight one between Lee McCulloch and Christian Dailly. McCulloch has this season been converted into a defensive midfielder, and he also partnered Weir in central defence for a few games towards the end of last year. Decision Meanwhile, Dailly�s last start for Rangers was back in September. Smith has also to decide whether to use leading scorer Kris Boyd. With Kyle Lafferty favourite to start alongside Kenny Miller, Boyd�s best bet will be a place on the bench, but even that is not guaranteed with Nacho Novo fit again. Celtic have no last-minute injury scares, with manager Gordon Strachan�s only dilemma being who to pair upfront with Scott McDonald. The choice lies between Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink or Georgios Samaras. Although Samaras has 14 goals to his credit, don�t be surprised if the Dutchman starts. Strachan may also opt for the experience of Paul Hartley in midfield ahead of young Spaniard Marc Crosas. http://www.thesundaypost.co.uk/postindex.htm

I like to play poker. Not for bags of money, just a couple of quid. But wether your a high roller or just playing for small change the principles are just the same. Im no superstar either. I can though read a game and see whats going on and generally can tell when the best time to put my chips in. Ill wait till i get a good hand or identify when my opponent is weak and use that to my advantage. But if i dont do anything one thing will happen. My chips will slowly dwindle as the blinds go round the table and go up as time goes on and ill be left with nothing. Basically if you dont put my chips in the pot you wont win. You have to at some point take a chance. you have to bully your opponents on the table and let them know whos boss. Yesterday was the Ideal time for Walter Smith throw his chips into the pot and show his hand to our bitter rivals on the other side of the city. It was time to show them whos boss, to up the stakes and let thm know we meant business. Our bitter rivals have been showing weakness for quite some time now and we should have been taking advantage of the situation. But we didnt. Instead we opted to half the pot when we did in fact hold the better cards. We were weak when we should have been strong. and let our opponents live to play another hand into the bargain. and that is a dangerous game to play. you wont get the oppertunity to dispose of you oponents all that often so when the opertunity arrives you have to take it with both hands. Walter Smith is playing a very dangerous game. his over causiousness borders on gutless when we should be stepping up to the plate and stating our intent. He opts for saftey when we should be showing tact and guile leaving a side void of skill and imagination. But the real price is being paid by the players and you have ask what effect Walters negative tactics have on them. When you ask a player to continually play in the defensive mode that Smith so much desires for so long it must surely affect his ability and style in the long term. Basically I believe Smith is draining the life out of our players. guy like Whittaker, Beadsley, McCulloch etc came and were pretty decent players who looked to be good prospects but over time their form has deteriorated to nothing. Even ferguson seems to be suffering too. There are just far too many off form player at Ibrox at the minute and for me it is no coincidence. you dont get so many players turning bad for no reason. I blame Smith and his negativety. nobody shines in our team anymore. There are no standouts. nobody catches the eye. nobody flourishes. What future lies for the likes of fleck in Walters tacticle nightmare? If our first team players are being dragged into the myre by our manger what chance in hell do our kids have? How are they going to expand their game and realise their potential in the current setup? The truth is they wont, and that is the most worring thing of all.

Motherwell goalkeeper Graeme Smith is prepared to wait until the summer before deciding where his future lies. More...

A splendid 4-part in-depth article from 'therabbit' which discusses the obvious problems at Rangers with regard to player contracts. Well worth a read along with your sandwich over lunch... Part 1 "Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains” Life is good if you have the abilities to become a modern professional footballer. The Bentleys, the broads, the bank accounts, the buffed up egos and the bumper contracts. Such short footballing careers are nowadays followed by long forays into the media circus, property, showbusiness, modelling or literally anything that takes their whim. They have the capital to do as they please. Gone are the days when players had to accentuate their meagre pay packets with second jobs and 'retire' only to start their lives again as a member of the workforce at large. Nowadays distinctly average players can retire to a better and more comfortable life than a large percentage of the population could ever dream of. From the onset of professional football, the players gracing the hallowed turf across the land quickly realised that they were being paid more than the loyal fans who came to watch as their escape from the rigours of their weekly grind. With the rise of unionism (in the workforce) players began to seek employment rights and players' associations were born. With these rights came contracts. Stories of players now agreeing contracts readily with clubs without some form of barter, agent provocation or underhand tactics are tough to come by. This paucity is broken by some commendable examples including Paul Scholes, who notoriously turns up for contract talks with his dad and calmly thumbs through the pages in front of him before uttering the words, “that’ll do” and putting pen to paper or Lee Evans lookalike James Milner, representing himself with only some advice and representation from the English PFA. Perhaps the strangest story recently is that of England striker Jermaine Defoe, who ended up in a contract dispute as he was being represented by his mother who wasn’t a registered agent. However, sadly the trend is much more obtuse, sometimes sinister and more money hungry than these three pro’s. Wranglings over player ownership, image rights, agent fees, relocation bonuses and sponsorship, are far more common than anything else – especially with a figure of around 90% of the UK’s professional players represented by some form of football agent. But I suppose that in these times of multi-million pound contracts, Arab sheiks, Israeli super agents and Willie McKay; that kind of contract pontificating is to be expected. No one needs to be told about the recession that we find ourselves in, both individually and in this case, as a collective support and football team; but the issue of the football contract is a multi-faceted one. A football club's financial stability is largely dictated by payment to the members of staff that it has on its wage bill, as it is one of its main expenditures year on year. All football clubs are facing uncertain times financially, even some of the richest clubs in the world are feeling the pinch relative to years gone by. It is simply untenable for them to maintain payment of large contracts and bonuses to large squads of players. This is the quandary that Rangers have found themselves in of late and the topic for this discourse into 'Setting The Standard'. In actuality, it is a quandary that Rangers have been in for a while; too many players on the books with bloated wage packets that were never justified. It seems to run in cycles too. All too often have we seemed to have been lumbered with the contracts of a Capucho or a Lovenkrands or a Burke. As soon as we manage to trim one squad down, it is again swollen with players that do not deserve the wage packets they are on. Yes, getting players via the Bosman ruling is going to mean they are on slightly better wages than they would usually be, but the players we have signed using this method have not been of the required standard – perhaps with the exceptions of Boumsong and Prso. Does this lay the blame at the door of the manager, Martin Bain or is it the scouting system (or lack thereof)? The situation regarding contracts in contemporary football is an interesting one. The playing field was changed for good when the European Court of Justice ruled in the favour of the then unknown Belgian player Jean-Marc Bosman and another sweeping change seems imminent as the case of Article 17 of FIFA’s transfer regulations (‘Webster Rule’) filters into the transfer system. The Bosman ruling means that players over 23 can move freely between employers once their contract runs its course and the Webster ruling means that players who sign contracts when aged under 28 are able to unilaterally break those contracts after three years. If the player is 28 or over, he can break his contract after two years. Compensation is payable, but crucially, a player's destiny lies in his own hands. Still with me? With that in mind, a key point of note is that the balance of power in terms of football contract negotiation has shifted in the favour of the player and not the club. Players now have the same rights as employees in every other sphere. Something that is not lost on Sepp Blatter at FIFA, who is still battling to convince the EU that football is an ‘exceptional’ industry in which ordinary labour laws should not apply. Nevertheless, the best employees (footballers) have full control over their own career and can move to whichever club offers them the best wage and they can demand a pay packet that they feel is befitting of their talent. This has several implications for football contracts. [CONTINUED]

Seems Redknapp is trying to bring back some of the players Ramos sold off. Chimbonda, Defoe and Keane is rumoured to be returning too. Wonder where Huttons future lies with the arrival of Chimbonda?

I was never behind the decision to bring him back but gave him the chance to come good. he hasnt though and after spending almost 30 million we have a team with very little imagination or substance. Our squad is filled with run of the mill players that smith has backed his shirt on and they are failing us big time. Charlie adams selection today alone speaks volumes about smiths ability as Rangers manager. A serial underacheiver who brings nothing to the first eleven yet seen by our manager as a... well only smith knows the answer to that one. Whittaker and broadfoot, nothing more than squad players to us all but to smith...god only knows that one too. But the Icing on the cake has to be lafferty. At 3 million you would expect the guy to have at least the basic ball skills required to play football, but with every passing game you can see that the poor lad is well out of his depth. I almost cried when one of my worst nightmares cam to fruition today, Adam getting subbed for lafferty! But there lies the problem. Walter smith cannot see what everyman and his dog can see from the stands at Ibrox. There are far too many players at Ibrox that are simply not good enough to play for Rangers. Too make matters worse walter cannot see past these imposters who have us tearing out our hair. He constantly picks them though they have little impact on any game, more often than not dragging us down with them. The alarm bells for me started ringing for smith when we mugged Dundee utd for the league cup when boyd came on and saved his arse. from then on in the team slowly imploded in instalments failing to impress as the weeks went by. Unfortunately for those of us who could see what was happening there was an incredibly lucky run in the Uefa cup which papered over the cacks at home. All eyes where on Europe as far as the men upstairs where concerned. But Walter stuck by individuals who were constanly underacheiving in the side. Whittaker, Broadfoot, Cousin, Darcheville, Adam, McCulloch and Dailly never worried about their places but anyone with half a brain could see that they just werent good enough and that the writing was on the wall. But then we reached the Uefa cup final. You really thought smith would have a real go at winning it but no. He tries to win it on penalties instead. we all know what happened next. Yet again he left out guys Like Boyd and Novo for some of the above, which was smiths main problem. He tried every option other than these two and he failed miserably. So With the league and The Uefa cup up the swanny it was time to rebuild for next year, or so you would have thought. But no, Smith thought he could pull the same stunt in Europe again with his anti football tactics but was caught out at the first hurdle by a pub team manager from the back of beyond (again!). Enter the chairman and his cheque book and cue a panic buying spending spree. Yeah we bought decent players (whist yet again selling our biggest asset) but to be honest we have yet to see half of them. Where the hell are Aaron, Vilichka, edu and our very own wonder boy Fleck? bugger..im going on the piss now ill finish this later.

After dragging my sorry ass out of my sick bed on Saturday, I trudged along to Tynecastle with a sense of trepidation as we haven’t exactly hit the heights away from home this season with victories at Parkhead, Easter Road and Rugby Park being the exception rather than the rule. The good thing about following Rangers recently is that it only takes a few minutes to get a feeling on how the game is going to pan out. Once again on Saturday, on hearing the starting 11 and witnessing the slow, predictable and lazy start to the game, the following 90 minutes was as painful as it was predictable. There is so much wrong with Rangers at the moment that an article on a website or in a fanzine couldn’t begin to cover all that is wrong at Ibrox. From the charlatan that is running the circus, to the monkeys that be employs to a manager who is tactically inept and a backroom staff whom appear to offer little input to change this ineptness. The obvious failings on the pitch mirror the obvious (well to some sections of the support) off the pitch, with one having a direct implication on the other. However, the woes off the pitch are no excuse for a keeper who is more interested in shagging his way through the female population of Glasgow than he is at coming off his line when a ball is floated into his 6 yard box. The off field problems don’t excuse 2 experienced centre-halves being bitch-slapped by a forward who failed to make an impression on the lower zeniths of the English Championship. It also doesn’t explain why we have a manager who would rather play 4 or 5 players out of position than playing players in their correct positions (even though he has signed those players to bolster those glaring deficiencies). However, let’s not lay all the blame at the managers door, our squad has been dismantled regularly and all our best players sold on and replaced by a lower standard of player. I actually believe that I could manage an SPL team to a victory against Rangers. It is so easy to exploit our glaring weaknesses. Flood the midfield, get the ball into the wide areas and force Rangers into a long-ball game, and 90% of the time, you’ll get a result. Our midfield is all over the place and so narrow. By playing centre-halves at fullback, our back four is also narrow, leaving huge spaces down both flanks. Our strikers have their strengths, but bullying defenders in a physical battle isn’t one of them. We did have a gifted striker who could dominate an entire backline, who could bully them and who could also play a bit, but he was sold in the last transfer window. Never mind, we did make a wee profit on him (note to SDM – ensure Mr Bain receives another pay increase for that piece of business). Also, this trait of pulling everyone back to defend set-pieces is ridiculous. It allows opposition to flood the box and create mayhem - it also results in us gifting the ball back to them if we manage to clear the ball and it comes straight back on top of us, resulting in us having to defend prolonged periods of pressure. We have to get back to basics – get 11 players on the pitch who are playing their correct positions and get back to what Rangers do best, playing free-flowing and attractive football. Firstly, I’d drop McGregor and bring back Alexander. I would also drop David Weir who’s distribution is amateurish and try Broadfoot as his long-term replacement. Deploy young McMillan at right back and Papac at left back. In midfield, I’d play Aaron, Davis, Mendes with Edu as the holding player and have Miller and Boyd/Lafferty as the front pairing. Having spent Ã?£3.5M on the lad, the least WS can do is deploy him through the middle rather than watch the lad rot on the left-wing. As the title says, supporting Rangers at the moment is like groundhog day. The above failings aren’t new; they have been evident and unresolved for nearly a decade now. We are staring down the barrel of losing 4 consecutive SPL titles and barring two dramatic, welcome and enjoyable last day triumphs, we’d be staring down the barrel of going almost 8 seasons without winning the title. Those two dramatic, welcome and enjoyable last day triumphs, like the UEFA Cup Final (and run to said final) last season have been nothing more than false dawns. It has been debated before, but it is worth reiterating, if we continue to buy run of the mill SPL players, we’ll continue to witness run of the mill SPL performances which will ensure that we gain run of the mill SPL results. We have nothing special within our ranks at the moment (not that we are witnessing anyway) and we have lost that aura that a great team appears to have. No SPL club are frightened of playing Rangers anymore, why should they be, we aren’t a great team and haven’t laden with great players. For those within our support who believe SDM’s lies and false promises and believe that football is cyclical, I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it isn’t. Celtc broke our dominance due to hard work on the pitch and by finally getting a board that matched the ambitions of their fans. Say what you like about the MOPES and their board, but they have worked as a team, have deflected all the media attention on to us and have overtaken us both on and off the pitch. They are so far ahead, they are in danger of disappearing over the horizon. We’ll continue to be 2nd best until we change those who are in charge, or change the mindset of those currently in control. However, and again, this is groundhog day territory, we won’t ever invoke change as the vast majority still believe (unbelievably) that the current regime are the best way forward for Rangers. SDM and his lapdogs have cleverly pulled the wool over sections of our supporters eyes. They have managed to make the majority of us believe that protesting isn’t the ‘Rangers way’. They have convinced us that protesting is some how ‘The Celtc Way’. Well Bears, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Just ask Davie White and John Greig if protesting isn’t the ‘Rangers Way’. We invoked the biggest revolution in Scottish Football for Gods Sake. It was Rangers fans voicing concern of the direction of the club under the Marlborough’s and by demonstrating against the legendary John Greig and Jock Wallaces (2nd stint) managerial disasters. Lastly on this subject and the most ironic part, the vast majority of our support like to impart their Presbyterian believes to all comers, yet believe that protesting isn’t the ‘protestant way’…… In conclusion, if we don’t invoke the necessary changes in the leadership (sic) of our club, we’ll be sitting here writing (and reading) about the same deficiencies for the foreseeable future whilst our club continues its fall from grace and struggles to keep abreast with its bitter rivals. We’ll continue to witness players who are average at best and we’ll continue to struggle to win the SPL title. How long are you willing to wait until you force change? Will 4-in-a-row be your nadir? Or are you willing to wait a few years, give the current custodian more time to ruin this club? For this Bear, I’ll continue to fight for change at the top level in the club. I’ll continue to try and convince other fans that the time is right for change (a decade on their shadow should be enough for all of us). However, I fear more and more groundhog days ahead. Cammy F

SCOTTISH eyes will be drawn to Greece and Switzerland this season, with Olympiakos, Panathinaikos and Basel all threatening to help their countries overtake Scotland in Uefa's co- efficient tables. Scotland is currently in 12th place, with Greece just behind, and the Swiss breathing down their necks. IN NUMBERS 13 games played by Scottish teams in Europe this season; 10 lost and three draws. 18 failed attempts by Celtic to win away from home in Champions League group game. 32 Scotland's provisional ranking in co-efficient table. At the minute, the SPL title winners enjoy direct entry into the lucrative group stage of the Champions League, but should Scotland slip further down the table - even by one position - they would be in danger of losing that place. As such, the SPL clubs will be watching with interest what goes on elsewhere in Europe this season and hoping that none of the above teams enjoy a sustained run in either the Champions League or the Uefa Cup. And while Celtic's final group game against Villarreal is meaningless in terms of qualification, a win would actually stave off the threat of the immediate Champions League place being lost, something of enormous significance to the Old Firm. Last night Scotland were sitting in 32nd place in the provisional co- efficient rankings, an embarrassing position which is made all the more galling when compared to last season. A year ago Scotland amassed the fifth highest co-efficient with only England, Spain, Germany and Russia better off. It is just as well that the rankings are worked out on the basis of the past five years' performances, otherwise Scotland would be in a dreadful position. The blame lies not only at Celtic's door. Rangers, Motherwell and Queen of the South have contributed to the truly dire stat that there is no Scottish club this season who have registered a European win. Hibs also lost both Inter-Toto ties, but they do not count in the co-efficient stakes. As such, Celtic's game against Villarreal next month has a significance to it that might not be immediately obvious. It isn't just about restoring a sliver of pride to a dreadful group campaign, it is about ensuring Scotland get the crucial co-efficient points that would ensure the Champions League does not start to drift further out of reach. After all, with both halves of the Old Firm having come a cropper in the qualifying stages in recent years, no-one will need to be reminded of the dangers that lurk in the summer months when qualification is not assured. That this season has seen such a dreadful return from Scottish clubs has been underlined by the fact that little consolation can be drawn from the calibre of opposition that was faced. Few would expect Aalborg to go any further in the Uefa Cup than the next round, while Kaunas, who denied Rangers a passage into the competition, were thumped by Aalborg in the next qualifying round. As Kaunas dropped into the Uefa Cup, Sampdoria walloped them 7-1 on aggregate. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2470897.0.0.php

... but a must read : Silence is not Green, White and Golden In December 1915, when I was seventeen and a half, I ran away from home to join the 4th Battalion East Surreys. I was under age so I had to lie to the recruitment sergeant. I said I was eighteen years old and my name was Sydney Harrison. I told the truth later though, because if Iââ?¬â?¢d been killed as Harrison, nobody would ever have known what happened to me. Arras was the first time I went over the top. We played football together as we went over. That was the tradition in the East Surreys. I remember the ball dropping at my feet and I passed it to Captain Maxwell. ââ?¬Ë?That was a good pass you made young Withers!ââ?¬â?¢ he shouted before he thumped it towards the German lines. I got wounded at the end of that battle. I was temporarily blinded in one eye but it could have been worse. At the end of the battle, I lay bleeding in a trench. There was blood coming out of my eye, pouring out all over my face. My head looked blown in. They thought I was dead and they were going to bury me. I was in a half-conscious state and I can remember a soldier getting hold of me and saying ââ?¬Å?Here ââ?¬â?? this blokes alive!ââ?¬â?¢ That man saved my life, by calling that out. Iââ?¬â?¢d have been buried alive in Arras, if it hadnââ?¬â?¢t been for him. Above, the words of Cecil Withers from the book ââ?¬Å?Last Post ââ?¬â?? The Final Word From Our First World War Soldiersââ?¬Â. Cecil recounts his time on the Western Front as a teenager fighting for our country. Last weekend 65 senior football matches were played in Great Britain. Prior to kick-off at 64 of them, fans of opposing clubs put aside their rivalries and stood silent in tribute to those brave men and women who gave their lives in service of our country. In the 65th senior game the mould was broken. Celtic Football Club spat in the face of common decency by instead hosting a minuteââ?¬â?¢s applause in recognition of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Think about it. Applause. For 20 million lives destroyed. Those of a Celtic persuasion couldnââ?¬â?¢t even bring themselves to admit who they were honouring. The Celtic Park Master of Ceremonies told the 55,000 crowd the minuteââ?¬â?¢s applause was to remember ââ?¬Å?the Celtic players who died in both World Warsââ?¬Â. He further stated that the clapping of hands to show respect for the dead is ââ?¬Å?the Celtic wayââ?¬Â. It most certainly is. Of course the increasingly incompetent Lex Gold of the SPL must shoulder part of the blame for the shame that this has heaped upon Scottish football. The option of a minuteââ?¬â?¢s applause as an alternative to the traditional silence should never have entered his distorted mind. In the name of decency it simply shouldnââ?¬â?¢t have been an option. Letââ?¬â?¢s not mince words here. This option was devised to save Celtic Football Club acute embarrassment. In decrying Gold, letââ?¬â?¢s not lose sight of who the real culprits are in this blackest of days for Scottish football. Celtic Football Club. Their directors and Chief Executive could and should have insisted they follow protocol. Their Chairman is a former Secretary for Defence for Godââ?¬â?¢s sake. They could and should have shown they cared and turned their backs on the hate-filled cretins amongst their support who intended disrupting proceedings. They could and should have requested police eject anyone breaking the silence from their stadium or arrest them for breach of the peace. But damage limitation, not decency and decorum, was order of the day and foremost in the minds of John Reid, Peter Lawwell and Co. ââ?¬Å?Keep the name of Celtic clean at all costsââ?¬Â the mantra once again. Thus they opted to shame themselves and their football club in the most contemptible way imaginable. Predictably the Celtic-minded apologists were at their pre and post-match best, deflecting and rewriting as only they can. On Saturday morning the Daily Record told us the minutes applause was introduced in Scotland after Hearts fans disrupted a silence for the Pope. Lies. The first minutes applause in Scotland took place at Ceptic Park in honour of the late great George Best. The reason? Best had made some derogatory remarks about Gerry Adams and the IRA in his Mail on Sunday column a year earlier, propmting outrage in Republican circles. The Celtic heirarchy knew any silence would be disrupted. At pains to propagate the increasingly risible ââ?¬Å?tiny-minorityââ?¬Â line, the media once again did Peter Lawwellââ?¬â?¢s bidding for him. Numbers for those who walked out of Celtic Park in protest against ââ?¬Å?British Imperialismââ?¬Â ranged from a few hundred to Hugh Keevinsââ?¬â?¢ ridiculous 20 figure. Mark Guidi in the Sunday Mail clawed hopelessly as he stated ââ?¬Å?a maximum of 80 Celtic fans left the stadiumââ?¬Â. How bloody desperate. Celtic of course refused to speak out, their work done for them. ââ?¬Å?Not worthy of commentââ?¬Â said a Celtic spokesman, just as 3500 of their fans singing loudly in tribute to their IRA heroes at Tynecastle the previous weekend had similarly been ââ?¬Å?not worthy of commentââ?¬Â. Are we really to believe that these same morons would have respected a silence one week on? The same Celtic supporters who had verbally abused poppy-sellers outside the Hearts stadium? The same Hearts who lost a whole first team in the fields of France during the Great War? Of course they would. We know exactly what would have happened, and Celtic knew too. Thousands of their clubs fans would have been shown up for exactly what they are ââ?¬â?? hate-filled, shameless anti-British fascists and racists. Keevins described the actions of the assembled throng of IRA sympathisers as ââ?¬Å?a serious embarrassment for us as a countryââ?¬Â. Wrong Mr. Keevins. They are a serious embarrassment to Ireland as a country, for these creatures are not Scottish or British, they are Irish. Ask them for yourself. On Saturday night I watched the Festival of Remembrance on BBC1. I sat in awe as Lance Corporal Mathew Croucher of 40 Commando Royal Marines was piped in carrying the Book of Remembrance, by Scottish soldiers. Lance Corporal Croucher had thrown his body across a live hand-grenade to save the lives of two of his comrades. Only his backpack saved him from being blown to pieces. He was awarded the George Cross for his bravery. I was reminded of Sergeant Michael Willets of 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment, husband and father, who threw himself on top of a hand-grenade tossed into Springfield Road Police Station Belfast by the IRA in 1971. Sergeant Willets gave his own life to save the lives of Catholic/Nationalist/Republican women and children sheltering in the station. He was posthumously awarded the George Cross. I continued to watch as British soldiers of all races, creeds and colours paid tribute to fallen comrades. I listened intently as Lt. Col. Joe Oââ?¬â?¢Sullivan 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment lamented the loss of three of his men in Iraq. The Lt. Col. could Iââ?¬â?¢m sure trace his roots back to Ireland should he so choose. This set me thinking. Why are people like Joe Oââ?¬â?¢Sullivan, and thousands of others like him, fully assimilated and proud of the adopted country of their ancestors, yet we in West-Central Scotland have the continual embarrassment and perpetual shame of those of Irish ancestry who despise us? The answer is Celtic Football Club. An organisation diseased to its core. In the beginning we had Marist Brother Walfrid introducing bigotry to football when founding the club ââ?¬Å?prompted by a fear that Protestant soup kitchens might tempt young Catholics into apostasyââ?¬Â and ââ?¬Å?worried about the dangers of young Catholics meeting Protestants in their place of employment or leisureââ?¬Â (Football historian Bill Murray from his book ââ?¬Å?The Old Firmââ?¬Â). Walfrid's co-recruitment agent for Celtic was a ******, Pat Welsh, on the run from Ireland suspected of murder. Choice company for a man of the cloth. This would of course be the same Walfrid that Celtic history books clearly document as leading the singing of Irish rebel songs in St Mary's Parish Hall, Glasgow, in November 1887. On to the opening ceremony for Celtic Park when the convicted ****** gun-runner and ââ?¬Å?embittered Irish Nationalist who was anti-British to the backboneââ?¬Â Michael Davitt laid the first piece of turf. Fast-forward to September 17th 1941, when the SFA closed Parkhead for a month because of Celtic fansââ?¬â?¢ ââ?¬Å?serious misbehaviour and pro-German chantsââ?¬Â. To the Falklands conflict when Ce ltic fans chanted ââ?¬Å?Argentina, Argentinaââ?¬Â and ââ?¬Å?Malvinas, Malvinasââ?¬Â in support of Galtieriââ?¬â?¢s fascist military dictatorship. Not forgetting 30 years of Provisional IRA support and the Celtic Board of Directorsââ?¬â?¢ insistence on P.A. broadcasts of dewy-eyed ballads ââ?¬Å?rebelling against the Crownââ?¬Â and featuring ââ?¬Å?let the people singââ?¬Â Irish Republican lyrics. I could add the Irish Republican vocalist at Jackie MacNamaraââ?¬â?¢s testimonial, the disruption of a minutes silence for a member of the Royal Family, Republican flute bands playing at testimonial matches, Celtic players singing IRA songsââ?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦.. I would also mention the dozens of ââ?¬Å?Celtic pubsââ?¬Â that are little more than meeting places and breeding grounds for terrorist sympathisers and what former Celtic chairman Fergus McCann so deftly described as ââ?¬Å?Celtic-minded Catholic bigotsââ?¬Â. Witness the IRA theme park that the Barrowlands ghetto of Glasgow has become with its Sinn Fein shops and public houses festooned in Irish Republican symbology. Shame on Glasgow City Council who seem happy to allow this area to expand.

http://www.gersnetonline.net/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=693&Itemid=2 As our forum regulars will know, I had this article planned last week anyway due to the recent comments from a range of people about the effect of unofficial websites based around football. Fortunately, BBC Radio Scotland also had a debate on this last night, so the topic gains even more relevance. Essentially, of late we’ve had people from Sir David Murray, to Walter Smith, to the likes of Richard Gordon and even that fearless objective crusader at ‘The Times’, Graham Spiers highlighting the role of unofficial sites in the current climate of the obsession with ‘bile’, sectarianism and discrimination in Scottish football. All these people suggest these sites (which I can only assume include this one as they don’t have the courage to name names) are cauldrons of hate – cooking up an intensity of spite and intolerance via misinformation and unchallenged anonymity. Now, I think it is important to acknowledge that some sites do have an element of that. Some forum posters or blog writers may not share the eloquence of the ‘genuine’ Fourth Estate and it’s easy to find non-constructive contributions on most sites. However, I think it’s important to retain objectivity when viewing the overall picture. Firstly, I completely reject any accusation towards Gersnet of sectarianism, bile or anonymity. We write here honestly, openly and always from a (reasonably) balanced view point. We certainly do not allow social intolerance or lies about individuals and we can be contacted easily and effectively via the site. Indeed, Rangers FC are fully aware of who runs this small fansite. To move immediately on, it’s important to discuss why the people/organisations above are now intent on reducing the credibility of such places - even if I don’t think this site is the target of any criticism. 1. Money Quite simply, as the stats from independent news-wire sites such as NewsNow will show, unofficial websites cost clubs and the media money. Why would supporters visit their bland ‘official’ websites or buy their offline products when they can access the same information for free? This site often out-performs the orthodox media/news sites and as such we are taking their customers away. We provide genuine competition and they don’t like this. 2. Access to Debate Football fans of every club have for years complained that their club doesn’t gain the attention it deserves in the media or that that attention is flawed: e.g.; non-Old Firm supporters complain of West Coast bias, Old Firm supporters complain about imbalance. As such, it’s obvious to anyone that when we can set up our own sites of debate, people will gravitate to these. Perhaps if the clubs and the media groups offered similar official forums (online and offline) for discussion, the need for unofficial ones wouldn’t be so great? 3. Quality of Debate Spelling mistakes and grammar errors notwithstanding, unofficial sites also compete in debate quality terms. It’s extremely arrogant and unfair of our critics to suggest that isn’t the case. Football phone-ins and most media platforms are hardly the epitome of accuracy and neither do they attempt to reduce hyperbole of any given subject – particularly sectarianism. In fact they add to it and the contributors do not take responsibility for their actions either. As such it’s rather hypocritical of them to complain about our contribution. 4. Hypocrisy It’s interesting to hear these figures complain of such sites so also imperative to note their double-standards. For example, they criticise us publicly but in the background they contact us to publish their latest RSS widget, offer competitions/adverts or even send staff to post on our forums. Most importantly, they suffer from the same alleged problems they accuse us of – inaccuracy, lack of balance, poor quality writing and ill-informed sensationalism. They just don’t like us pointing this out. In conclusion, it’s obvious the competition aspect is what the media (in particular) fear from places like this site. They know our contribution is as good (if not better) than anything they have to offer and they feel the pressure from that. This pressure manifests itself in their flawed attempts at discrediting us where in actual fact, they should accept our competition, and use their unrivalled resources to outflank us. Thus, instead of complaining about such places; rise to the challenge and improve your own services. Revamp club websites. Provide genuine supporters representation. Take our complaints seriously. Report accurately on subjects. Be balanced in your coverage. Offer supporters access to proper informed media debate. Provide value for money. Work with the supporters – not against them. Maybe, just maybe, if you stopped passing the buck, Scottish football supporting wouldn’t be as bad an aspect of the game you paint it out to be. Unfortunately, as it stands, the complainers above are not offering solutions but simply pointing the finger of blame. This always seems to be the case so it any wonder division arises? Perhaps if you take responsibility for your own actions then supporters may just stop questioning your own credibility - which is why ‘unofficial’ websites exist in the first place.

Long read this but worth a look over lunch... http://www.gersnetonline.net/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=670&Itemid=1 As is usually the case after a Rangers win against Celtic, itââ?¬â?¢s not the excellent football and resounding victory of last Sundayââ?¬â?¢s match the media are talking about but the desperate claims of offence from the usual quarters. The tedious attempts of one-upmanship from the supporters, the mischief-making lies told by reporters (see Waddell and Spiers) and the usual appearance of Neil Lennonââ?¬â?¢s victim-status when it comes to the subject of sectarianism ââ?¬â?? all have been prevalent again in the last week. Before you start yawning, the one subject that did interest me in the debate surrounding the assault of Neil Lennon, was that of Jack McConnell raising the issue in Holyrood last Tuesday. Apparently he felt not enough was being done to stop the disgraceful events of last week ââ?¬â?? namely the Lennon assault (no matter what we think of this manââ?¬â?¢s questionable character he does have the right to be safe in his own city) and the Novo threats (see the shameful address publication of a player who has done nothing to warrant the hate festooned upon him by the Celtic support). And, for once, McConnell is right. Unfortunately as a man who used the issue of sectarianism as a political football (sic) during his time as First Minister, heââ?¬â?¢s just as guilty for paying lip-service to the problem as every other politician, football administrator and journalist who have gained out of the ever burgeoning anti-sectarianism industry (for thatââ?¬â?¢s what it is) in this country. Itââ?¬â?¢s easy to point the finger of blame. Itââ?¬â?¢s even easy to accept responsibility. But itââ?¬â?¢s much more difficult to remove it ââ?¬â?? especially when football is often wrongly blamed as the sole reason for the controversy. After all, thatââ?¬â?¢s the clear inference from most actions by McConnell previously. Not to mention it served as a decent divisionary tactic for the likes of Scottish Labour when people are talking about controversial football songs instead of the real problems within Scotland ââ?¬â?? crime, health and poverty. Iââ?¬â?¢m sure the SNP will soon need a similar red herring to deflect from the same and with Salmond also having previous for inaccurate and premature comment on the subject (see Boruc caution), one would hope heââ?¬â?¢ll enter the debate from a more neutral and informed position. So what did McConnell do to address the problem? Did he succeed, have the SNP continued the work and is there a solution in sight? In late 2006, a publicly funded ââ?¬Ë?Sectarianism in Football Working Group (SIF)ââ?¬â?¢ consisting of the Scottish Executive, the SFA, sportscotland, ACPOS, the SPL and the SFL - along with contributions from Rangers FC, Celtic FC and Glasgow University ââ?¬â?? reported on the effect Scottish football had on the social problem of sectarianism in Scotland. A wide range of action points were agreed by all parties involved to help address the issuea. Despite their obvious relevance to the subject, no fans were invited to take part other than the main office holders of fan associations which donââ?¬â?¢t always accurately represent the views all supporters. In addition, as a result of the SIF Working Group, in August 2007, at domestic level, the SPL also introduced new ââ?¬Ë?Unacceptable Conductââ?¬â?¢ Rules for their member clubs. SPL Rules H7.5, H7.6 and H7.7b which state that any alleged failure to discharge these Rules, the SPL Board or Commission, shall have the powers to investigate and censure the club involved. Letââ?¬â?¢s have a look and see how successful these initiatives have been. [CONTINUED in Post 2]

The Rangers Supporters Trust - remember them? Weeks of blatant lies and deflection as one board member after another slunk into the sunset without the gall to speak the truth. Followed by the contrived appointment of a new half-Board one Sunday morning, much talk of militancy and action (I have it in writing) until Murray told them in no uncertain terms what they could or could not do if they wanted to continue smelling his glove. And now after much further waiting, the New RST appears intent on being as silent and clueless as the last bunch of posers. Who in their right mind would waste a tenner of their money on the pointless RST? Is this the greatest lost opportunity in the world of Rangers?

Barry Ferguson made his debuut as a 16 year old in season 94\95 but it was when Dick Advocaat arrived in season 1998/1999 that he became a regular member of the team. In 2001\2002 he became the youngest ever Rangers Captain at the age of 23. In his first season under his leadership Fergie led Rangers to a cup double but rumours were already ripe that Dick Advocaat had lost the dressing room and that there was a Dutch-Scottish divide. Dick Advocaat was promoted to technical manager and Alex McLeish took over the managerial reigns. In 2002\2003 Fergie captained Rangers to a Scottish treble of the two cups and the league championship. He was named player of the year and became a cult hero to some supporters. He has never captained a league winning team since. At the start of season 2003\04 he left Ibrox to join Blackburn in which some supporters think he committed a cardinal sin and see him as a turncoat, while other supporters think he was pushed unwillingly out the door to ease the financial pressures, Rangers were under at that time. During a tormented time at Blackburn in which he claimed to be homesick, he suffered a serious injury,when he fractured a knee cap. Admitting he had made a mistake in leaving Rangers and after much negotiation Barry returned to Rangers just before the transfer window shut in January 2005. He played his part in helping Rangers led by captain Fernando Ricksen, lift the SPL trophy with virtually the last kick of the ball in what was called helicopter Sunday. At the beginning of season 2005\06 Barry was reinstated as Captain which again split the Rangers support in pro and anti Fergie groups. As Rangers League chances quickly diminished again rumours of dressing room troubles reared their head and Alex McLeish was informed he would be leaving at the end of the season. A great run in the Champions League, where Rangers reached the knock-out stages gave McLeish a great add on to his CV, and the supporters hope for the new season under paul le Guen. Rangers had a great start to the season under PLG which was without an injured Barry Ferguson. Some would say we played the best football in years. When Fergie was fit, PLG reinstated him in the team and quickly results started to go pear shaped. Again dressing room drama's were hitting the media. Players not wanting to follow special diets. Players not wanting to train twice a day. PLG dropped Barry Ferguson saying he was undermining his authority. David Murray chose to back Fergie and possibly keep the majority of fans happy and let Paul le Guen walk away on mutual agreement. Enter Walter Smith, who has been brought back in to steady the ship. He supposedly warns Fergie to toe the line. Fergie is pushed into a more forward attacking position, playing behind the lone striker in a 4-5-1 formation. With only a handful of good performances again this season and Rangers losing an almost unassailable lead, Barry is once again portrayed as captain courageous playing through the pain barrier for the love of his team. Rangers supporters again seem split on the Barry Ferguson enigma. Is he the super captain he portrays or is he the dressing room snake in the grass PLG tried to oust? Is he a team player or is he on a one man ego trip? Is Barry Ferguson unmissable as many supporters believe or is he actually a negative catalyst on the team? Is Barry Ferguson the world class player some people believe he is or the mediocre player other supporters see him as? That he has a Rangers heart is beyond question but does that give him an endless claim to a starting place no matter how he performs? Personally i think he does have the best for Rangers at heart but in that lies his pitfall. I believe he thinks he is Rangers knight in shining armour and the weight of the club lies on his shoulders. I also do not think we got the same player back from Blackburn that left us eighteen months earlier. Barry Ferguson is not unmissable and certainly not bigger than Rangers football club. I am under no disillusion that he will be replaced in this transfer window but it must be time to evaluate his true worth to the team and have a replacement waiting in the wings.

WALTER SMITH has told Kris Boyd he wants him to stay at Rangers - and guaranteed the striker a major role in his new-look side. Boyd is being chased by Championship outfit Cardiff who are expected to increase the s2.5million offer they had rejected on Friday night. The Scotland star does not want to leave Ibrox despite the arrival of three new hitmen and feels he can help Gers win the SPL and make an impact in the Champions League next season. Boss Smith shares that view and held a heart-to-heart with the player to assure him he will be a key man. The Gers gaffer knows Boyd guarantees at least 25 goals a season and won't authorise his sale. A source close to Boyd told MailSport: "Kris thought he may have to leave but has been assured he is in the manager's plans and is delighted because quitting Rangers is the last thing he wants. "Kris can now focus on helping Rangers and improving his own game. "The past few days have been unsettling but he now knows the situation and is happy the gaffer wants him." It is more likely Daniel Cousin will be offloaded for around s2.5million and Jean-Claude Darcheville may also be heading for the exit. Rangers have spent more than s6m in the past week to land Kenny Miller, Andrius Velicka and Kyle Lafferty. But rather than being surplus to requirements, Boyd will be given the chance to partner Miller up front, particularly in home games. Darcheville's future is now in real doubt yet he insists he'll still be at Ibrox next term to fight for a starting slot. The Frenchman said: "The fact Rangers have signed three strikers doesn't worry me - it excites me. "If we can strengthen all positions we'll have a strong squad and at a big club you need competition for places. "I love Rangers and am settled here. I don't want to leave." Meanwhile, Gers have snubbed three SPL clubs who want Alan Gow - despite trying to flog him to Burnley as part of the Lafferty deal. Dundee United, Motherwell and Aberdeen have all made enquiries but Ibrox chiefs would rather sell the 25-year-old to England. Gow will return for preseason training on Thursday but his future lies away from Ibrox and several Championship clubs could move in. **From sunday mail**

The State Of Play So much has happened recently and its worth taking a few minutes to take stock of the season so far, and look forward to what lies ahead for The Rangers of the coming days and weeks. After a gruelling schedule that has saw us win our first trophy in 3 seasons, we are entering an even more demanding period as the season hurtles towards a its climax. Reflecting on where we are, we are in a very decent position and would have settled for this at the start of the season. Currently, and through this demanding schedules, we have secured a spot in the UEFA Cup Semi-final (no mean feat), have booked our spot at Hampden for the season finale against Queen Of The South but it is the SPL that we all crave and whilst we sit in a more than decent position, we have to hammer home our advantage and secure the title. So far this season we have shown an unquestionable desire to succeed and an unquenchable spirit that has, to date, shown that this squad of players doesn’t know when it is beaten. At times, the football has been ‘top notch’, at others, it has been ‘rock-bottom’ but the bottom line is these players could establish themselves in the annals of our proudest of proud history. However, to ensure that this dream season doesn’t end as a nightmare, the players will not only have to continue to display this ‘unquestionable desire to succeed and unquenchable spirit’ but they will be required to dig even deeper. Recent results have been favourable, but it goes without saying that if we had avoided defeat at Torbett Towers, the SPL title would have been in touching distance. It is still in our own hands, and will still be, no matter what happens at Torbett Towers this weekend (no matter what The Traitor McGeady claims – I blame the schools myself) but again, avoiding defeat is a MUST. A victory would see us regain top spot with games in hand – that would be the ideal scenario. In Europe, we have surpassed all expectations, but like the SPL, we are tantalizingly close to winning the UEFA Cup. Let’s face it, we are only 2 games away from the final in Manchester and who would rule is out getting the necessary result on Thursday (and Sunday)? Personally, I would sacrifice the UEFA Cup for the SPL title - don’t get me wrong, I want all 4, but I demand the SPL title – we have done too much hard work to let it split now. We have also made a pretty penny in the CL / UEFA Cup and have amassed coefficient points like no other season. So in summary, whilst being handily placed to secure a historic ‘quadruple’ we still have a huge amount of work ahead and if I can borrow a quote from Helicopter Sunday season – keep believing Bears…. Tainted By Stench Of Cheating Having mentioned the amazing events of Helicopter Sunday, can anyone remember in the title run in, we played Hearts at Tynecastle one midweek and won the game with a ‘disputed’ penalty. Andy Davis gave this decision (that was later proved correct by TV evidence) and his life was thrown into turmoil as his personal details were posted on an internet site and he and his family were treated to a period of intimidation. If that wasn’t bad enough, he was hounded by the impartial and unbiased Scottish Media. In fact, one pundit claimed that the SPL title race had been ‘tainted by the stench of cheating’. So riled with Davis’ decision, the pundit was moved to make this astonishing outburst on national radio in the post-match analysis. I wonder what the same pundits view on Ian Brines controversial decision to chalk of a perfectly legitimate Aberdeen goal at Parkhead on Saturday? Well, the so called pundit claims that it was nothing more than a ‘human error’. Pity he wasn’t so lenient with his words 3 years ago. Wonder if any Rangers sites will carry Brines personal details and I wonder if we’ll attack his kids at school and abuse him and his family in the street – yeah, I know we all know the answer to that question. Dignity – something your average Tim knows nothing about. Our Part In Helping Making History So what can your average ‘joe-punter’ do to help The Rangers make history? Well, we can get off certain players backs for a start. We can also stop taking winning for granted. Sitting at Hampden on Sunday, I couldn’t believe I was watching The Rangers in a Scottish Cup semi-final. I agree that the game was far from riveting, but that was no excuse for the fans to sit back and expect The Rangers to steamroller over St Johnstone (it was just over 12 short months ago that St Johnstone steamrollered Rangers at Ibrox). To say Sunday was ‘low key’ is an understatement. As I said above, the game was dire, the performance was dire, but surely the team deserves nothing less than our continued vocal support, no matter the competition or opposition? Looking back, the support at the recent Sporting game at Ibrox was ‘low-key’ given our recent high standards in Europe. So troops, if we want The Rangers to have a historic season, lets HELP not hinder them in their quest. Lets get behind them from start to finish in all our remaining games – no matter the performance, not matter the result, they need us, we can do no less than give them OUR best. Cammy F – Support The Dublin Loyal - We Are The People….

by Darrell King RANGERS fans will be celebrating their team's historic march into the Uefa Cup semi-finals today - and a possible �£25million Euro windfall. Walter Smith's side beat Sporting Lisbon 2-0 on their own patch last night to set up a last four showdown with Italian side Fiorentina and a guaranteed �£20m. Jean-Claude Darcheville and Steven Whittaker were the goal heroes as the Light Blues kept alive dreams of making the final in Manchester on May 14. And while 4000 Gers fans partied into the small hours in the Portuguese capital, the club's money men were also celebrating all the way to the bank. Reaching the semis is worth a further �£2.5m for the club, who have already earned �£17.5m for their eight-month European campaign that has so far seen them play 16 ties - 10 in the Champions League and six in the Uefa Cup - and visit seven different countries. Rangers will be paid a qualification bonus of �£500,000 by Uefa for making it to the last four. And with 50,000 fans set to cram into Ibrox for the first leg against the Italians on April 24, that will be worth another �£2m in ticket revenue and additional spin-offs. Should Rangers go all the way to the final in the City of Manchester stadium, they would bank at least a further �£2m, and �£500,000 more than that if they can win their first European trophy in 36 years. The side also stand to rake in millions more in marketing and vending opportunities. And Rangers players are also quids in. They were on a �£35,000 a man win bonus to beat Sporting last night and have now earned more than �£100,000 each for their exploits in Europe this season. They are believed to be on �£50,000 a man if they win a European trophy for the first time since 1972 when Rangers beat Moscow Dynamo in Barcelona to win the Cup Winners' l Cup. There will, however, be a massive ticket scramble for the second leg against Fiorentina which will be played in Florence on May 1. The Stadio Artemio Franchi only holds 47,000 and Rangers security chief Kenny Scott, who will fly to Italy next week to begin planning for that game, doesn't expect the away allocation to be much more than 2000. Today, Gers fans were rushing to book budget flights with Ryanair, who fly from Prestwick to Pisa, which lies about an hour away from Florence. But travel prices went through the roof within minutes of the final whistle blowing in Lisbon as the low-cost carrier hiked prices for the route. At 10pm, return flights were selling for a reasonable �£195. But as more and more fans logged on to the airline's internet site, prices jumped by �£100 within minutes. Thousands are also expected to travel via other air routes and on buses to be in Florence for the semi-final second leg next month. Rangers chairman Sir David Murray shelled out �£50,000 from the club's earnings to buy the official 2500 allocation for last night's match in the Jose Alvalade Stadium as a thank you to their fans. But a further 1500 supporters travelled independently and managed to get tickets. Ladbrokes today cut the price on Barry Ferguson lifting the trophy in Manchester from 14/1 to 11/2. Fiorentina are 5/2, Bayern Munich 10/11 favourites and Zenit St Petersburg 11/2.

Seems they have taken the bigot onto the coaching staff !! http://www.sportinglife.com/football/scottishpremier/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/08/04/03/SOCCER_Celtic.html Neil Lennon jumped at the chance to return to Celtic and admitted it was a "phenomenal" feeling to be back with the club he loves. The former Hoops captain accepted an invitation from manager Gordon Strachan to join his coaching staff, and Lennon will be on the frontline from the start in his second spell in Glasgow. His place among the coaches on the bench for Saturday's Clydesdale Bank Premier League clash with Motherwell has been confirmed. The man with the enormous passion for the Parkhead outfit, with whom he won five SPL titles until leaving for a fresh challenge in England last summer, has now kicked his last ball in competitive football. The combative midfielder had been playing with Wycombe, bossed by fellow Hoops legend Paul Lambert, in League Two. But there was no stopping Lennon from heading north when the offer to rejoin Celtic came in. The 36-year-old said: "I am overwhelmed at being offered this chance to return to Celtic, a place where everyone knows my heart lies. "Obviously, it was a tremendous honour to play for Celtic and to captain the club. Returning to Celtic and being part of the coaching set-up is simply phenomenal. "I would like to thank Gordon for this opportunity and I look forward to doing all I can to play my part in achieving further success for the club." The former Northern Ireland international joins a coaching staff which includes assistant boss Garry Pendrey and first-team coach Tommy Burns. Burns is currently battling cancer for the second time but still coaches at the club and will continue to do so when his treatment programme allows. Lennon arrives without a coaching pedigree but his leadership and motivational qualities are in no doubt. He first joined Celtic from Leicester in 2000 for �£5.5million, joining former Foxes boss Martin O'Neill in Glasgow. Five years later he was appointed captain by Strachan in 2005, one of the former Southampton manager's first tasks after taking over from O'Neill. Lennon led Celtic to back-to-back championships, and to the last 16 of the Champions League last season, before leaving to join Nottingham Forest, who he left in January. In all, he won five SPL titles, four Scottish Cups and two League Cups with Celtic. As well as the Champions League achievement, Lennon also played a key role in Celtic reaching the 2003 UEFA Cup final. He has no doubt whatsoever the time is right to steer his career towards a potential future in management, and leaving behind his playing career became an easy decision. Lennon said: "It was an opportunity I couldn't refuse. Chances like this only come around once in a lifetime and I'm flattered to have been given the role." Strachan's side trail Rangers by six points in the SPL, and their Old Firm rivals are poised to unseat them as Scottish champions barring a late-season twist in the title race. Second-best was never enough for Lennon, and Strachan is relishing the return of his former skipper, and said: "Neil is someone who I am proud to have worked with previously and is a man who I have great respect for. "Neil has made a huge contribution to Celtic over a number of years and has been a major part of the club's success in recent times. "We were disappointed to lose Neil and he is someone who I was very keen to have back at the club. "With his qualities, Neil will be a very valuable addition to our (coaching) team and we are very much looking forward to working with him."

there's no doubt someone or something was sufficiently under fire in andy's article. i think it was quite easy to take from it that anyone with reservations about the hutton affair was laughably, ridicously nuts. as someone with reservations about the hutton affair, though i make no pretense at general mental wellness, i think i dont really fall into that group. i do think its fair to say when we have less than all the facts, there is room for healthy speculation - otherwise quantum mechanics would've destroyed science, and the economy would fall. but this speculation was, andy said, just gossip. he seemed to be saying more than that those who believed all the speculation as fact were Not Quite Right; he seemed to be saying that any wandering beyond the received facts at all was unhealthy. this all struck me as quite familiar - the fans reaction to the hutton affair, the different sorts of reaction, were quite like the worldwide reaction to 9/11. if it seems like quite far fetched, give me a second. there seemed to be people who believe all the 9/11 conspiracies, no matter how far fetched or contradictory, and they tend to believe them loudly. i think there are rangers fans who are willing to see all the evil conspiracies about the transfer saga, no matter how far fecthed and contradictory, and they tend to believe them all very loudly, on radio programmes and the like. i think though the wording of the article went further, these are the sorts of people andy had in mind. it tends to be these sort of people who disregard people who think there is no conspiracy as puppets of the evil mastermind (be it bush, the cia, or murray) which also accounts for andy's quite defiant stance. but this defiant stance seemed quite like the response to 9/11 that says if you dont believe exactly the given story then you are a conspiracist nutjob. any speculation beyond exactly the given facts is troublemaking/gossip etc. that is, they take the super conservative view defiantly. now if we've learned anything from the many studies into the psychology of conspiracy theorists and their imaginings, and the thing i think is important to this discussion of the hutton saga, is that conspiracy theories and theorists arise when the human imagination is forced to wander because there is a) a precedent for lies in the official story, and b) there isn't full disclosure of the facts. the kind of stuff that would show the far fetched ridiculousness of some of the stories also happens to be classified, or not available (usually for decent reason). andy's probably right that its to play into the media's hands to turn into a mumbling club-hater without the relevant facts, positing the wildest of speculations as if they had actually be shown to be true, phoning in radio programmes and making an arse of yourself. that said, its likewise to play into the media's hands to never ever speculate from the facts as given, especially when there is a precedent of lies ("I will buy a striker from my own pocket") and there isn't full disclosure of the facts ("Excuse me, Mr Murray, when you inevitably talked to Hutton about this, what was your position, and how did you put it?"). you have to use your intution, and make conclusions that are willing to go further than exactly what we know, but without rabidly holding these conclusions as if they were obvious to all and sundry. i think the biggest problems the rangers fans face at this time are a) apathy, and b) disorganisation/disunity. we are calling out for people who will have strong opinions - andy has his, the punters on the phonelines have theirs, but i think that each keeping the other at laughable distance only, as St. Mark would have it, divides the Kingdom of Gersfans against itself, and makes it succeptable to fall. no matter what the differences are its only through some sort of organised unity, the best version we have being the rst, that some greater good, whatever it may be, can be achieved. -- as a finishing aside i'd just like to say the tone's so hard on the internet. i like the general principle that people should be able to say pretty much what they like, have good strong debates, but still be able to have a pint afterwards. in calling your style condescending, i didnt want to censor you, i just thought it was condescending. here you'll be perfectly entitled to say "Well, c'est la vie, if you don't like it that much, dont respond". the reason i did reply because it was a good post, with a decent argument, even if i didnt agree with it all. may ye have many more strong opinions i can disagree with, because there's nothing so ugly as apathy. :cheers:

A fine guest article from a friend on another forum... http://www.gersnetonline.net/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=553&Itemid=1 Having taken a day or so to digest the charade of a quite repulsive individual taking up the figurehead position at the neighbours, I still can't get the bad taste out of my mouth. Sitting there at work, having a coffee with no-one to blether to, I picks up the ââ?¬Ë?Recordââ?¬â?¢ (God forgive me) and find Keevins has written a piece on John Reidââ?¬â?¢s investiture plus some reaction to the criticism he received. Apparently Reid displayed consummate calm, not having to resort to Rottweiller tactics. Eurgh, I thought to myself - one gets the definite feeling Hugh is not being entirely objective here. Is there a teeny weeny possibility the 2 have been chummy and old Hugh is helping out a pal? To quote the opening credits of Hong Kong Phooey -'could be!' The wretched Reid's defence was that politics should be left at the door in football. An interesting position for a tim, I thought, given their rigid adherence to the 'it's not sectarian, it's political' line in previous months and years. But is it true? And in particular, do our now entirely sporting and IN NO WAY political writers take off their political shoes when entering the building? The most obvious 'victim' of politics was Donald Findlay QC - an interesting man but one who is plainly missing something in his soul. His demise was certainly engendered by political antipathy amongst the labour classes, and happily leapt upon by the Celtic classes. That he was partly responsible for his own downfall is usually overlooked - a man of his intelligence and in his position should have known better. His personality split, almost a schizophrenia, which sees him affecting the attire of an Edwardian dandy, ascending the lofty heights of the legal establishment while retaining a sense of his working class roots, perhaps means he is never entirely comfortable in the shoes of either? But all this is amateur psychology. He fell, and politics was definitely not left at the door. A figure some may recall is Giovanni di Stefano. Another solicitor, at least a lawyer, this man of dubious propriety attained a controlling share in Dundee FC some years ago. He blew in on a cloud of promises, CL football, breaking the OF duopoly - the usual piss and wind. He left shortly afterwards on a cloud of ripped up cheques and interesting financial dealings. Here, though, our interest lies in his professional affairs. A defender of the indefensible (a bit like Findlay, funnily enough!) he had done cases for some notorious Serbian warlords and was trying to get himself onto Saddam Hussein's legal team at that time. How do I know this? Our neutral sporting press wasted no chance to tell me of course! That they were correct to do so is not the point. They cannot, in all conscience, show up the politics of any and all of those who have come before and then give John Reid an easy ride just because he is in charge at Celtic. Or will they?

http://www.gersnetonline.net/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=510&Itemid=1 It was with great astonishment ââ?¬â?? not to mention hilarity ââ?¬â?? that I read Graham Spiers in the journalistic wilderness of the 29,000 daily circulation of the Scottish arm of ââ?¬Ë?The Timesââ?¬â?¢ last week. Once again we have this well-known liar giving us the usual sound-bites (for he said the same thing in a down market tabloid radio phone-in ââ?¬â?? what must the blessed Martin be thinking of that particular blasphemy?) about how Rangers are the big, bad bigoted boys (sic) of Scottish football. His usual unfounded rhetoric of Rangers having a ââ?¬Ë?significantly greaterââ?¬â?¢ problem with sectarianism than Celtic was again in evidence. This time, these wholly unsubstantiated allegations were in reply to SFA Chief Executive Gordon Smithââ?¬â?¢s interesting comments in a new book which ââ?¬â?? ironically and unsurprisingly ââ?¬â?? contains Spiers making the same tedious accusations (which he calls truths) towards certain parts of the Rangers support. Letââ?¬â?¢s get one thing straight right now. Gordon Smith is a respected ex-player; a well-read and educated man; and an ex-broadcaster with the kind of objective, insightful and honest views that a cowardly charlatan like Spiers can only dream about. Spiersââ?¬â?¢ questioning of this manââ?¬â?¢s integrity is about as credible as Jim Traynor telling us how to pull women in night-clubs! When Gordon Smith (interviewed earlier this year by Gersnet) spoke about agendas I have no doubt it was Graham Spiers that led his way of thinking. While Spiers (and his supporters) may claim partiality and balance, itââ?¬â?¢s easy to prove them wrong (and Smith right) by just a quick use of the internet facilities at News International. Perform a quick search of Spiersââ?¬â?¢ recent articles about the sectarianism subject and one will find several columns rightly criticising a small element of the Rangers away support adding on F-T-P at Inverness in the first game of the season. Of course he wasnââ?¬â?¢t the only journalist discussing the subject and in many ways Iââ?¬â?¢m glad they did. Gersnet, like the huge majority of Rangers fans, deplores our fine traditional songs being spoiled by the kind of lyric that has no place in football. As such, the early warnings for our support and the excellent pro-active measures then put into place by the vigilant Rangers fan groups means, since that first game, our home and away support have had no problems with bigotry. None. Itââ?¬â?¢s this kind of positive self-examination and policing of our own minority of fans that deserves much praise from all quarters. Spiers himself has suggested as much, while all the authorities (UEFA, SPL, SFA and Strathclyde Police) have also expressed delight at the eradication of the offensive add-ons from our support. Great strides ââ?¬â?? although further hard work and caution must be applied to ensure our support remains one of the best and proudest in world football. Of course weââ?¬â?¢re not without our faults but we proved over the last 2 years we are up to the challenge of admitting them, facing them and removing them. Conversely, this season has seen other clubs come to the fore with regard to ââ?¬Ë?discriminatory chantingââ?¬â?¢. Motherwell faced investigation for racist chanting while Celtic remains the only club to have had arrest(s) for sectarian breach of the peace. Add to that their songs about ââ?¬Ë?hunsââ?¬â?¢ (deemed a sectarian term by Nil by Mouth) aimed at Hearts and Dundee fans as well as the usual hymns of support for sectarian terrorist organisations, means the bigotry issue is not obviously restricted to Rangers and their support. As such, one would expect Graham Spiers (for he claims he does not have an agenda) to have fully discussed and condemned these high-profile examples of a sectarian industry which has made him a pretty pound over the years. Performing another quick search of his articles this season finds no such pieces. Nothing about the arrest of Celtic fans. Nothing about the vast majority of the Parkhead support singing ââ?¬Ë?Go Home Ya Hunsââ?¬â?¢ to Hearts fans. Nothing of the IRA glorification by the Celtic away support at Dundee in the CIS Cup last month. Nothing about Motherwell fans allegedly aiming racist taunts at black players for the second time this year. How can that possibly be? Surely Spiers ââ?¬â?? who revels in his sectarian crusader image ââ?¬â?? would be at the forefront of calls for censure towards these clubs? Why donââ?¬â?¢t we have exclusive insider comments from UEFA committee members (why did Spiers get them before other journalists one wonders?) informing us of discipline to the clubs? As someone who takes offence at Gordon Smithââ?¬â?¢s allegations of agendas why exactly has Graham Spiers not written about these other issues? At the very least; allegations of Rangers having a ââ?¬Ë?significantly greaterââ?¬â?¢ problem appear completely at odds with the current evidence. As such, one must join Gordon Smith in questioning why Spiers (and others to be fair) has largely ignored some of the above issues. Iââ?¬â?¢m sure we could go on exposing Spiers for his complete lack of credibility in these matters. Unfortunately, it pains me enough already to highlight this imposter once again. Iââ?¬â?¢d much rather ignore his rantings but as long as Spiersââ?¬â?¢ lies and imbalance reaches the same number of online viewers as Gersnet does, weââ?¬â?¢ll continue to objectively, honestly and openly debate his claims. Furthermore and most importantly, weââ?¬â?¢ll provide facts and evidence for our opinion - unlike Spiers who resorts to penning the same lies; the same childish insults and; the same biased, inaccurate and agenda Gordon Smith so correctly told us about. The best thing about this whole recent issue is Spiers being shown up for his own imbalance by his own startling lack of input to non-Rangers negative stories. It makes his pitiful defence last week all the more embarrassing. As such, Gersnet joins the ever-growing list of Scottish people laughing at this particular discredited corduroy crusaderââ?¬â?¢s demise. Graham Spiers ââ?¬â?? a liar and a coward.

I think we're all more than aware of the concerns of many of the Rangers fans when it comes to the reporting of certain issues by the media. Sometimes, these concerns are extremely valid and on occasion not so obvious or correct. Certainly, Rangers themselves, as well as the fans and players, haven't helped themselves in this regard. From players writing *** autographs; to the club taking too long to instigate positive dialogue with the fans; to the fans (or at least a small minority of them) still wanting to imbibe our great songs with daft add-ons - there have been many reasons why our media coverage isn't as positive as it could be. Certainly, we can have no complaint when we let ourselves down so damn easily. However, one does detect a small change over the last few days... 1. I have never seen the Rangers support (at large) react so strongly to a few idiots letting us down. I think the '*** Brigade' may find their attempts thwarted in the future to be foolish within our excellent away support. 2. Graham Spiers and Jim Traynor - strong opponents of sectarianism and some may say selective in their crusades - have admitted that Derry's Walls and the Sash are not offensive per se and we should not be challenged if these songs are sung correctly. 3. The new Scottish Executive administration have at last admitted the whole sectarianism campaign is over-publicised and no where near as bad as some commentators would have us believe. 4. The club have admitted their PR has to be better and after initial MediaHouse work on improving our overall image, they are now supposedly working upon a different strategy when it comes to lies, half-truths and rumour-mongering amongst the Fourth Estate. 5. Our manager, after being disrespected by one such mischief-maker, left him (and his employers) in no doubt that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated by him. All the above shows that the Rangers support can achieve results when we feel hard done by. This is not to say we don't deserve criticism or negative stories - we often do and one would never suggest we don't - but it's good to know that we can work towards helping ensure the media do report accurately, do report fairly and if they don't our club takes action. We've had a very positive start to the season bears. A few decent results (if unspectacular), a few decent signings (if also unspectacular) and despite the problems at Inverness, this issue may well turn in our favour. As such, what this shows, is that when united, the Rangers fans (together with the club) can help turn around our fortunes. Yes, we still have many problems and many challenges ahead of us, but is it me or is the sun shining that wee bit brighter this morning...? WATP