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By Tom Peterkin Scottish Political Editor "ill-advised" THE Bishop of Paisley has warned Alex Salmond that his attempts to deal with sectarianism could lead to him losing the confidence of the Catholic Church. In a strongly worded letter to the First Minister, Bishop Philip Tartaglia has expressed his dismay at the SNP government and called for controversial antibigotry legislation to be delayed, claiming it is a "distraction" from the real nature of sectarianism in Scotland. Bishop Tartaglia called Mr Salmond's efforts "ill-advised," and expressed concern over the First Minister's stance on gay marriage. In a move that suggests the relationship between the Scottish Government and the Church is deteriorating, Bishop Tartaglia said there was a "growing apprehension and disappointment" among Catholics over the position adopted by the SNP on controversial issues. Bishop Tartaglia's letter, which has been seen by The Scotsman,argues Mr Salmond's Offensive Behaviour at Football Bill is being brought forward with "indecent" haste and without knowledge of the full extent of the problem. His dissatisfaction with the bill comes at a time when the Catholic Church is becoming increasingly concerned about the Scottish Government's decision to hold a consultation on same-sex marriages. The consultation has yet to be finished. But, in the past, Mr Salmond has said his personal view is that he is in favour of gay marriage. In his letter, Bishop Tartaglia said: "The bishops did previously try to alert you to our serious misgivings about plans to dismantle the definition of marriage in Scotland. Your apparent commitment to such a course, will, I fear, bring about a serious chill to relations between the Scottish Government and the Catholic Bishops' Conference." Bishop Tartaglia was writing on his own behalf, but his views are shared by many other influential figures in the Catholic Church in Scotland. The tone of the letter will be worrying for the SNP, given that much of the party's success in breaking through in the west of Scotland at the May election is thought to have been down to winning over many Catholic voters. Last night, Scottish Catholic Observer editor Liz Leydon said: "The strength of Bishop Tartaglia's challenge â?¦ acts as a timely reminder of just how far current legislative proposals have strayed from the values inherent in our traditionally Christian society." Although he recognised that the anti-sectarian bill had been introduced with "good intentions", Bishop Tartaglia said he could no longer support the legislation that was introduced following ugly scenes at Old Firm matches last season. "It seems that a consensus is developing, supported by much expert opinion, that this proposed legislation is problematic," the Bishop wrote. "I am concerned that the bill's introduction has served as a distraction from the real nature of sectarianism in Scotland." The Church's concerns come amid growing signs that opposition politicians at Holyrood believe the SNP's proposals are becoming increasingly confused and could criminalise ordinary fans. The bill would see those convicted face up to five years in jail for bigoted behaviour, such as singing or chanting that could incite trouble, at matches or online. The bill's critics have argued that existing legislation - properly enforced - is strong enough to deal with trouble-makers. There has also been confusion over what exactly constitutes an offensive chant or song at a football match. That confusion was not helped when community safety minister Roseanna Cunningham suggested that making the sign of the cross or singing God Save the Queen could be interpreted as a sectarian offence under certain circumstances. Bishop Tartaglia wrote that she spoke "loosely and unhelpfully about the use of the sign of the cross". Bishop Tartaglia argued that sectarian criminality in Scotland was predominantly acts of hostility and intolerance towards Catholics. He claimed this was borne out by the most recent official figures, though he said these were not up to date. The bishop called for the most recent statistics on sectarian offences to be published, so that the new legislation would be based on the most-accurate data. "To pass this bill into law without first revealing the true picture of sectarianism in Scotland is ill-advised," he argued. "I hope you will delay the passage of the bill to permit a thorough examination of the available data. Concern for just and wise law-making and for the historic and universally accepted meaning of marriage are both matters of concern to the Catholic Church. With regard to these matters, I sense there is a growing apprehension and disappointment on the part of many in the Catholic community at the direction your government is taking." He added: "I would be very sorry, if you began to lose the confidence of the Catholic community." Mr Salmond's spokesman said the First Minister would be happy to meet with the bishop to discuss the points he had made. The spokesman said: "The Scottish Government is conducting a consultation on same-sex marriage - and no decisions have been arrived at. There are clearly different views and an honest disagreement on this particular issue, and the Catholic Church and other organisations have every right to express their position. "On the bill to combat sectarianism, the work to publish the analysis of religious aggravation charges for the most recent year, 2010-11, has been underway for some time, and will be published next month as pledged, which we are sure will be welcomed by all those with an interest and concern in this important area. "The First Minister will be delighted to have a meeting with Bishop Tartaglia and his colleagues, and we are confident that we can allay concerns about the bill by taking the opportunity to discuss the Lord Advocate's draft guidelines, and by making clear that there is no intention to restrict freedom of speech in terms of the communications offence within the bill." http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/glasgow/Bishop-warns-Catholics-may-lose.6847856.jp?articlepage=2

I have a substantial collection of Rangers TV Highlights. My collection goes back to Souness's first season 1986-87. I have all the old firm games and all the Scottish and Skol cup finals from 1986-2003. All the European games from the 1992-93 season including both Leeds games. Every championship clinching game from 1986-2000. If anyone wants a game on disc, drop me a PM.

Nikica Jelavic has told Celtic they are up against it as Rangers attempt to drive on to a fourth successive title â?? because he believes they are better than their great rivals. The Ibrox side have opened up a significant chasm between themselves and Neil Lennonâ??s side as Celtic have stumbled in recent weeks. Rangers are currently 10 points better off than the Hoops, albeit having played a game more. Psychologically the manner of Rangersâ?? victory in the opening Old Firm derby of the season has left his mark on the Parkhead side and Jelavic believes that Rangers are ready to hammer home their advantage. â??Between us and Celtic, I think we are the better team and we showed that in our game with them last month,â? said the forward. â??We just destroyed them. â??Last season, that wasnâ??t the case and I donâ??t think we were as ruthless as we were against them recently at Ibrox. Losing 2-1 at half-time, our confidence was down a little bit and it was not easy to pick ourselves back up again.â? He added: â??But in the second half, we scored three times and the final score could have been even more than it was. We showed good team spirit and we let everybody see we are a team which can go on to win the title because we are better than Celtic. â??Our squad is bigger and stronger than last season. We are in front at the moment and that is good but the competition is long and we must keep going. â??I feel we will do that. It was an unbelievable feeling to beat Celtic the way we did and I want to keep doing that right up to next May.â? Jelavic hit 19 goals for Rangers last season, despite spending a chunk of the campaign in the treatment room. However, he has not yet set himself a target of how many he wants to hit this term, although he does have one ambition in the scoring stakes â?? to make sure he is the top marksman at the club. â??I could say that I want to score 20 goals but then it puts pressure on yourself and it doesnâ??t make sense to think about that too much,â? he told Rangers Monthly. â??I like scoring goals all the time and I always want to be the top goalscorer. I want to get more goals than Steven Naismith and Kyle Lafferty put together.â? There was an opportunity for Jelavic to move away from Ibrox this summer with Leicester and Fenerbahce both looking at him. However, the forward will stay at Rangers, at least for now. â??There was a good offer from Leicester, but that is not a club I want to move on to if I am to leave,â? he said. â??Fenerbahceâ??s proposal was really interesting but I wanted to stay at Rangers because we have a very good chance of winning the title again this season. â??For me, the best league in Europe is in England and I would like to play there one day, although Spain and Germany are also very attractive.â? http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/jelavic-old-firm-demolition-showed-gers-are-the-best-1.1128055

Does the dick not know that Rangers so far this season have been without Wier, Papac, Whittaker, McCulloch, Ness, Bartley, Goian Naismith, Lafferty and Jelavic at some point this season. Lets see how the tims do without Brown.

RANGERS' new lawyers could end up £50MILLION out of pocket in a legal fight with their insurance broker. Collyer Bristow â?? hired by Gers owner Craig Whyte to help him take over the club â?? face financial meltdown if courts rule against them in the dispute with Lockton Companies International. The move comes as the club face their own cash nightmare over a separate £49million battle with the taxman over payments and loans made to players. Rangers have admitted if they lose the case it could force them into administration â?? one step from going bust. The Old Firm giants took on Collyer Bristow after Whyte heaped praise on their work when he bought the club from Sir David Murray. And he named the firm's partner Gary Withey the club's company secretary after the deal in May. Last night a Collyer Bristow spokesman said: "We believe the chances of 'collapse' are extremely remote." Rangers officials declined to comment on the case. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/3855273/Rangers-lawyers-in-50m-legal-row.html#ixzz1a2wP1uEy

A man who posted threatening and abusive messages against Celtic manager Neil Lennon on Facebook has been given a 12-month community payback order. Robert Rollie, 39, from Cumnock, East Ayrshire, admitted posting comments on a page targeting Mr Lennon on 14 March. The Rangers fan was arrested after a police task force, formed after March's so-called Old Firm shame game, began reviewing social networking sites. At Glasgow Sheriff Court, Rollie was told his conduct had been disgraceful. 'Shoot him' The court was told that Rollie posted his comments on the Facebook page "Neil Lennon should be sacked and jailed for racism". Continue reading the main story â??Start Quote There is no room in a modern Scotland for the views expressed by you and othersâ? Sheriff Martin Jones QC His comments demanded that the Celtic manager be sacked and sent back to Ireland. Rollie also used abusive terms towards Mr Lennon, stating: "Shoot him". He was interviewed by police on 27 March, during which he said he had no recollection of posting the messages. Rollie accepted, however, that they could only have been posted by him and that they appeared to be targeted at Neil Lennon. Sheriff Martin Jones QC told him: "Your behaviour on this particular date online or otherwise is quite disgraceful. "As I have said to others there is no room in a modern Scotland for the views expressed by you and others." He added: "Taking account of the fact that you are a first offender and have a good work record and have never been in any sort of trouble I intend to deal with this by way of a non custodial penalty." http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-15197744

Courts have decided Sky breach EU rules on football deals. Share price drops 4 points. And the house comes tumbling down.

I've already been in two pubs that have this facility. What with fibre optics and most homes having a computer, fans could watch their team in every away game, because the price of travel will get more expensive in the future, and hopefully, it can be provided at a better price than present. I don't see the reason for ending the domestic leagues, but it's a good opportunity to cut the number of times we play teams in the Scottish league. 4 times a season is just too much, especially teams that come to Ibrox and park the bus. Could the SPL become a saleable product over European countries? I really hope so.

RANGERS chiefs have blasted a new specialist cop force set up to weed out footy hooligans and sectarian bigots. The Ibrox club's head of security David Martin wrote in a statement to Parliament that the national Football Policing Unit has targeted EVERY Gers game this season and that officers are filming innocent fans and kids. Mr Martin said in his submission over a Bill designed to tackle footy hate crimes: "There is a disproportionate focus on Rangers supporters." He also had a dig at Celtic fans and those at other SPL clubs for belting out "songs glorifying the death of Rangers fans in the Ibrox disaster and pro-IRA songs". Celtic supported the FPU â?? set up in the wake of the Old Firm shame game in March. Club secretary Robert Howat's statement to Holyrood read: "We remain supportive of the willingness of the Government to tackle sectarianism and extremes of behaviour." But he warned that new laws could criminalise ordinary football fans. Last night the Government welcomed both clubs' "constructive contributions". Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/3785176/Rangers-Police-pick-on-us.html#ixzz1ZttUccli

Rangers, under threat of administration because of a £50 million claim from the taxman, will renew their ambition to gain entry to the Premier League as well as reconsidering proposals for an â??Atlantic Leagueâ??, according to new owner and chairman Craig Whyte. Her Majestyâ??s Revenue and Customs is seeking £49 million in back-taxes, interest and penalties from Rangers, a claim that could see one of the great institutions of British and European football become the gameâ??s highest profile financial failure. In an exclusive interview with Telegraph Sport, Whyte said he would actively seek to leave the SPL to secure Rangersâ?? financial future, and suggested the club could even consider running two teams, one each side of the border, once the case and its implications have been dealt with. Whyte also confirmed that while he believes Rangers will win the case, administration is the likeliest outcome if the tax tribunal, scheduled for November, goes against them. Asked if administration would follow, Whyte said: â??It is one of the possibilities we have looked at, yes. The choice, in terms of an adverse finding, is pretty obvious really.â? Administration would bring an immediate 10-point penalty and the possibility of more sanctions, depending on the clubâ??s exit strategy. But Whyte is adamant that there is no threat to Rangersâ?? long-term future. â??Whatever happens Rangers will be moving forward. I will not allow the club to go bust. I can control the debt process absolutely, and whatever happens Rangers is going to be there playing in the SPL at Ibrox.â? Whyte would like them to play further south as well, describing Rangers as â??a Premier League club with the revenue of a Scottish clubâ?. He has committed to finding £5 million of working capital and £5 million a season for transfers, and may bring in third-party investment to help him do so. But he sees Rangersâ?? future in a move away from the Scottish game. â??I think I can turn this around and sort out the problem. I have put money in and Iâ??m prepared to put money in but I have said it is not a bottomless pit,â? he said. â??We are in Scottish football so it is not a viable proposition to go put £100 million into the team. If we went forward into another league set-up, say the English Premier League, then it is very viable to put £100 million more in. We are not there at the moment, but we would like to be. â??[Joining the Premier League] is clearly something that we would like to see examined, it is something we are working on behind the scenes. But there are other potential ideas in terms of European leagues, joining some of the Nordic countries, the Netherlands to create a league.â? Whyte bought a controlling stake from former chairman Sir David Murray last May for £1, assuming responsibility for £18 million of bank debt and the tax liabilities in the process. Since then early exits from the Champions League, the Europa League and most recently the League Cup have compounded the financial issues, and questions about Whyteâ??s background have intensified. The first Old Firm game of the season 10 days ago brought welcome relief with a 4-2 win over Celtic, and in the febrile atmosphere of Glasgow football that may be all that really matters to supporters. The financial issues may not be resolved away so easily. The threat to Rangers stems from a claim for £35 million in back-tax and interest and £14 million in fines relating to the Murray regimeâ??s use of a tax-avoidance device called Employee Benefit Trusts. HMRC claims Rangers wrongly used EBTs for a decade, effectively to reclassify regular salaries as loans that avoided income tax and National Insurance. Rangersâ?? own advice when the schemes were established was that they were legal, and HMRC made no complaint until last year, when it changed its guidance on EBTs. It has now targeted Rangers among 5,000 companies it believes misused EBTs. Whyte believes the club have been singled out as a test case and accuses HMRC of leaking information. Interest intensified earlier this month when High Court judge Lord Hodge, hearing former chief executive Martin Bainâ??s claim for wrongful dismissal, ruled that the club faces a â??real and substantial risk of insolvencyâ?. Whyte acknowledges the risk, but insists the clubâ??s long-term future is secure. He has repaid the £18 million to Lloyds, a fact confirmed by the bank, and transferred the debt to Rangersâ?? holding company, which is ultimately owned by his Liberty Capital Limited, a company registered in the British Virgin Islands. Whyte has committed to writing off the debt if the club avoids administration. This structure means Whyte is the largest secured creditor and has control of any administration. â??Nothing is out of my hands because I control the club, I am the only secured creditor, or rather Rangers FC Group is. So on any decision, while HMRC might push, the group company controls the debt.â? This may be tested in administration. SPL rules require clubs to exit administration with the agreement of all creditors â?? a Creditors Voluntary Agreement â?? but HMRC is unlikely to agree. The SPL has complete discretion over what penalties to apply if a CVA is not agreed, but Whyte is certain they will not face penalties that could end in relegation. â??You might say that is a theoretical possibility but that is not going to happen.â? Whyte defends his business record which, by his own admission, is mixed. He says he specialises in turning round companies in trouble, and as such Rangers was a marriage of personal and professional interest. He is listed as a current or former director of 11 UK-based companies, some of which have failed. â??I get involved in businesses that are struggling and that means you sometimes get involved in the messy side of things. But overall I have had more successes than failures,â? he said. Whyte, who has homes in the Scottish Highlands, Londonâ??s Belgravia and Monaco, will not be drawn on his personal wealth â?? â??It would make my life a lot easier if I did but, frankly, Iâ??m not going to have journalists going into every aspect of my private lifeâ? â?? but says he has genuine business credentials. â??I have got four offices in the City, I have venture capital funds, I have asset management companies, I have stock-broking businesses, I have businesses in France, in Holland, I have got thousands of employees, but I donâ??t see why I should make every aspect of that public. â??Iâ??ve got everything from financial services to ticketing to cinema services, asset management, construction, I have got investments in all these sectors. I operate like a venture capital partnership so at any one time thereâ??s 20-25 companies in the portfolio. "I operate a family company in the city too that manages the family investments. We do all sorts of deals, public to private, commodity trading, Forex, a wide variety, but we try and keep it low key. â??Sometimes we might own them for two years, sometimes for five. But with Rangers we want to create a long-term sustainable business, which we will. But it's going to be a rocky road.â? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/8792112/Craig-Whyte-actively-seeking-to-leave-the-SPL-to-secure-Rangers-financial-future.html

EFFORTS by one of Scotlandâ??s most senior police officers to move Old Firm matches to midweek, have brought an angry reaction from Rangers and Celtic football clubs. Strathclyde Chief Constable Stephen House believes the move would reduce football-related violence, particularly domestic abuse. But both the Ibrox and Parkhead clubs say they should not be penalised for â??societyâ??s illsâ?. SEE LATEST SCOTTISH NEWS ON TWITTER HERE Figures show there were 142 incidents of domestic abuse last Sunday when Rangers played Celtic at Ibrox, which is more than double that of a match-free weekend. But sources close to both clubs believe that the figures are being used to push the games to midweek and save the police money. Senior football officials say any moving of games would impact on season ticket sales and cause difficulties for fans in Ireland attending. A spokesman for Rangers said: â??It is wrong that clubs are unduly penalised for matters beyond their control.â? ì Figures show there were 142 incidents of domestic abuse last Sunday when Rangers played Celtic î A Celtic spokesman added: â??Once again, it would seem Celtic and Rangers are carrying the burden of societyâ??s ills.â? But Les Gray, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, says playing games on weekdays will reduce crime. He said: â??Midweek games attract far less criminality because people donâ??t have the opportunity to drink as much alcohol.â? http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/273771/Old-Firm-rejects-midweek-fixtures-call What a load of shite,the bit in Bold,what planet does this guy live on?

September 26 2011 12:01AM It was quite an amazing scene at Celtic Park on Saturday. This loud, boisterous, sometimes militant group of the club's support known as the Green Brigade were in full flow. Neil Lennon, the Celtic manager, later referred to this chanting, drum-beating mob as "fantastic" and "brilliant". You almost forgot they were there because, for the opening 45 minutes, hardly a cheep came out of this singing section. Instead, a series of banners were unfurled, in a carefully-planned ploy that could hardly have been executed better. As each protesting banner was made visible the whole of Celtic Park rose and applauded, causing quite a commotion. Suddenly, at the beginning of the second half, their singing started again, and what an atmosphere it created. Great, booming, tribal chants were flung from one end of the stadium to the other, as otherwise dormant supporters were roused by the occasion. It gave the Celtic-Caley Thistle match a theatrical backdrop, prompting Lennon's later comments. The Green Brigade were protesting about the proposed new legislation being created for the Offensive Behaviour at Football Bill. Their perception, in many ways correct, is that it will curb their rightful freedom of speech. This is a complicated area, mired as it has become in a trashy Old Firm game of moral ping-pong, but it is still worth exploring. For instance, it is true that the Green Brigade's songs about Ireland and Irish identity, which are at the core of Celtic's foundation as a football club, are to be outlawed. One of their banners said: "Police State - Don't Criminalise Us". Another said: "Our Songs Are Not Sectarian". Further points were made about a collection of chants that the Green Brigade enjoy - one of them even being Ireland's national anthem - but which the Scottish Parliament might be blundering its way towards outlawing. The most contentious of the chants found among the Celtic support - as well as that of Rangers - is about the IRA. This is where it comes right down to the nub, and where, in truth, a zero tolerance policy probably needs to be deployed. It doesn't sound very convincing these days to argue that, when Celtic fans chant about the IRA, they are in fact referring to an Irish liberation movement of nearly 100 years ago, rather than the terror group of recent times. This is a semantic we can do without. The very same line of argument was tried a few years ago by some Rangers hardliners over their use of the word "Fenian". Anyone steeped in west of Scotland society knows that the word is a pejorative term for a Catholic, but some Rangers fans tried to get round this, saying: "No, no ... in fact we are merely referring to the 19th century political movement in Ireland." That argument disintegrated somewhat when thousands of fans at Ibrox would refer to Martin O'Neill, then the Celtic manager, as a "sad Fenian b*****d", when plainly O'Neill was alive in the here and now, and not in the 19th century. In fact, on Saturday at Celtic Park, there wasn't a single IRA chant to be heard from the Green Brigade, despite some of their critics fervently praying that there would be. It is the one refrain in their repertoire they need to junk, however fleeting it might be at Celtic Park. (Some Celtic fans on the road, just like those of Rangers, are a different breed to sort out.) The Green Brigade, like the Blue Order at Ibrox, is to be encouraged. They are loud and brash and they provide Celtic games with a vivid percussion. There is also an argument that, all across the world, many football clubs' supporters express a cultural or political stance that should not be deemed to be illegal. If these were outlawed then, never mind Celtic, the supporters of Real Madrid and Barcelona would be in deep trouble. Where most decent people want to draw a line, and be less libertarian, is where it comes to outright prejudice, principally involving race or religion. Where a football crowd starts to hurl bile in either of these spheres, I'm all for supporters being carted off and fined. But over a club's cultural roots - which many Celtic fans feel strongly - I don't see how it can be muzzled. The Scottish Government needs to be very careful as it meanders towards drawing up this Bill. The Green Brigade may have a point: Celtic and Rangers fans could face court charges over offences that are laughable. If I were Roseanna Cunningham, the Government's minister for community safety, I would tred very warily indeed.

PETER LAWWELL invited me into his office when Celtic were looking for a new manager. "What do you think, big man?" he asked. "Easy," I said. "There's only one man for the job â?? Neil Lennon." I could have given him a dozen names but for me Lenny deserved a crack at it. And when he was appointed as Tony Mowbray's successor I couldn't have been happier. Since that day I've virtually done nothing but back him. Despite some appalling defeats at home and abroad, I refused to stick the boot in â?? even when it would have been the EASY thing to do. But did he pick up the phone to thank me? No, not once. Instead Neil had a derogatory pop at me earlier this week â?? after the ONE time I asked the questions which thousands of Celtic fans were asking. And for me that's just not on. I'm not in this column-writing business for any thanks or special praise. That's not why I do it. The truth is I've NOT been lucky enough to be handed a good living by the club I used to play for. So this is my job. This is what helps pay the bills. If Neil hadn't been in the right place at the right time and not now be manager of Celtic, then it could easily be him writing in these pages. But while it's me writing for you, I intend to be as honest and forthright about the game as I was when I played it. That's the way I've been since the day I accepted the offer from SunSport. I know I might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's been four years now so I must be doing something right. I just found it hard to take when Neil had a go at me for putting across my views. I wrote a 900-word piece earlier this week which had people sitting up to take notice. I asked questions of Neil and his team on the back of Celtic's Old Firm defeat to Rangers. It was so thought provoking even a reporter from another newspaper asked Neil about it ahead of the cup game with Ross County. His response? "Yeah," Neil said "He'd know what he's talking about, wouldn't he." Frankly I deserve a bit more respect than that. This is a guy I sat beside for five years. A guy I like, respect, admire and actually get on with. I consider him a good friend. But on this occasion, I'm sorry, he's totally out of order. He should realise he doesn't have a bigger supporter in the game than me. I've been right by his side through thick and thin, never once having a dig at him when others were quick off the mark. And if he read closely what was written in Tuesday's paper, he'd see I was only talking about things HE later admitted himself. The fact is I was writing on behalf of the Celtic supporters who don't have the platform I do to air their views. They wanted to know why Georgios Samaras was picked for the Old Firm game and not Anthony Stokes â?? so I asked the question. They wanted to know why Charlie Mulgrew was given a game in midfield and not Joe Ledley â?? so I asked the question. They wanted answers on the pitiful performances of Glenn Loovens and Badr El Kaddouri â?? so, again, I asked the question. And on Tuesday night I was able to get my head down and enjoy a perfectly good sleep. If you've not noticed by now, I call it as I see it when I write for The Scottish Sun. I've not slated Neil in the past because, in all honesty, I didn't think that he deserved it. Others have but I've always given him the benefit of the doubt. But he couldn't have expected me to sit back and say nothing after the way things went at Ibrox. That just wouldn't have been right. I owe it to myself, my sports editor and my readers to give an honest assessment on what took place. And that's all I did. I'm not naive enough to think everyone is going to agree with my point of view. But Neil can't expect it to be all sweetness and light. He's had more than enough support from the people around him, with the club's fans uniting behind him through all the off-the-field stuff last season. All that can't have been easy to deal with, but that doesn't mean he can't be questioned when his team fall WAY short of what's required. Celtic were far too tame at Ibrox, they stood off Rangers and let their manager down. Things I wrote on Tuesday. But the buck stops with the guy who picks the team, whether I point it out or not. Listen, I'm not one for falling out with people and the last thing I want to do is create a divide with Neil over this. I'm only a Celtic supporter, he's the manager at the club at the end of the day. But while it's okay for him to stick two fingers up at his critics when his team are winning, it's unfair to do it when they've just chucked away three massive points against their biggest rivals. Neil knows that as well as I do. At least he should. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3833406/Hartson-Dig-at-me-was-out-of-order.html#ixzz1Yr3TVqyc

Nikica Jelavic has handed Rangers a substantial boost by declaring himself happy and content to remain in Glasgow. The Croatian international striker was the subject of a £6.5million bid from Leicester City, followed by an £8m offer from an unnamed club, in the final hours of the transfer window. Despite the financial clouds cast by the clubâ??s exit from Europe and Wednesdayâ??s League Cup defeat to Falkirk, however, the £3.4m signing insists that he is happy with life at Ibrox. A scorer in last weekendâ??s Old Firm triumph over Celtic, Jelavic said: â??I know what was written about in the media, but no one said anything to me. â??Of course, itâ??s nice that there are clubs who may be interested in me. But I maintain again, I am happy to be playing at Rangers and winning trophies with them and I have won some cups already. â??If a club appeared and offered something that suited Rangers, and they were happy with the offer, then I would talk to them, of course. â??But I repeat, I am happy here and donâ??t want to leave Glasgow.â?? Jelavic was a second-half substitute at Falkirk after a pre-match fitness doubt and scored the equaliser before the Bairns went on to secure a famous 3-2 victory. Preferring to focus on last weekendâ??s 4-2 Old Firm victory, however, which stretched Rangersâ?? SPL lead to four points ahead of Saturday's lunchtime clash at Dunfermline, Jelavic was equally quick to credit the contribution of fellow scorer and strike partner Kyle Lafferty. He said: â??Celtic was a big result for us. We played really well, particularly in the second half when we ran all over the top of them. â??We could have scored more than four goals and we wasted a couple of excellent opportunities. â??It makes a big difference when you win the first of the Old Firm matches in the league. â??I am always fascinated by the atmosphere at Ibrox for these games and this was no different. â??I would also give special praise to Kyle Lafferty. I really enjoy playing up front with him. â??Heâ??s an excellent player and he creates so much space for me with the amount of running he does. â??Last season, we hardly got to play together because of injuries, but I have played beside him a lot this season and it has been great. â??Itâ??s a good partnership between us.â?? Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2041239/Nikica-Jelavic-pledges-loyalty-Rangers.html#ixzz1Yr25YDMU

SCOTLAND legend Kenny Dalglish has promised the Tartan Army: WE'RE BACK! King Kenny believes Craig Levein now has the players to restore Scotland's glory days. Liverpool aces Danny Wilson and �£9million Charlie Adam could face the Czechs at Hampden tomorrow. Scotland record-breaker Dalglish believes they can help fire the national team closer to Euro 2012. He said: "Maybe the club results in Europe do not endorse it but I think Scottish players are improving. I feel there are some positive signs coming through in Craig's squad. It is great for Scotland they now have guys playing regularly in the Premiership. "You are talking about a Manchester United player in Darren Fletcher and a Liverpool player in Charlie. "We have Old Firm guys and someone like James Morrison who has played a lot for West Brom. "It gives you a wee bit of confidence looking at the teamsheet." Levein has shaped his midfield around Anfield ace Adam, who was signed by Dalglish in the summer. Dalglish â�� who won 102 caps, scoring 30 goals â�� insists Adam is in top form. He added: "He has come into the Liverpool squad and fitted in right away with the lads. "He's good on the pitch and he is good off it. "He is mature and has the right attitude. "He has always been an excellent passer of the ball and everyone's seen that in our games already this season. He hit some wonderful balls last weekend at Anfield and scored too. "He puts a shift in for me as well. There's no lack of effort in games or in training and I'm delighted with him. "Charlie had such a fantastic start to his time in the Premiership last season with Blackpool that I think everyone took notice of him. "I was already aware of him, of course, from his time at Rangers. "I always knew he had good ability and we wanted to help him develop that even more at Anfield. "The talent has always been there. Remember, from a young age he scored goals for Rangers in Europe and even in an Old Firm game. "I didn't hold it against him that he once scored a free-kick against Celtic! "Charlie needed a wee break in his career and maybe leaving Rangers was that break. "He had to show some strength of character and he took advantage of the chance offered to him by Ian Holloway. He's improved his game." Kop stopper Wilson faces a fight with Christophe Berra of Wolves for a start against the Czechs. Dalglish insists the teenager â�� who started against Denmark last month â�� wouldn't let Levein down. He said: "Danny has a big future at Anfield. "He's a lot of potential. He has pace, a great left foot and is good in the air. He was excellent against Denmark." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/3789810/You-lot-are-gonna-Kop-it.html#ixzz1WkNgOQ6j

With the current global financial crisis even multi-million pound industries such as professional football are not invulnerable to a degree of cost cutting. Over in Govan we have struggled to come to terms with the facts that the likes of the Sky TV deal south of the border ensure that we struggle to compete with much less vaunted neighbours who previously could only dream of attracting the superstars that graced the Ibrox turf. With our own revenue streams greatly constricted by the fact that we play in the relatively poorer SPL it is essential that we maximise any and every revenue opportunity open to us. In the two horse race that is the SPL, Celtic�s attempts to steal a march on us in foreign markets by signing Asian footballers irrespective of their ability to augment their side has further highlighted our inability to maximise these potentially fruitful markets. Rangers were trailblazers in attempting to cultivate potentially lucrative relationships with foreign sides such as Shenzhen Jianlibao and Northern Spirit, the latter probably a more realistic option but more of that later. The demise of these relationships begs the question of whether or not these opportunities are a potential gravy train for most teams. Celtic often talk of spreading their brand in Asia, with limited success due to former and current players signed from the continent. But in actuality it is more likely merely the fact that Nike are there kit manufacturer that sees Celtic strips available in Sports shops abroad. It is the Nike brand and nothing else that enables this. All the likes of Nakamura did was perhaps boost sales of SPL broadcasting rights in Asia, profits of which were split amongst all member clubs. Out with a few of the World�s biggest clubs; the likes of Man Utd, Real Madrid and Barcelona, there is barely any kind of market in which teams from smaller nations can enrich themselves. Poor uptake of tickets in Celtic�s tours have demonstrated this in recent travels to the US and Australia. It is, however, our English speaking cousins who perhaps offer the most likely source of spreading a global brand. I would not suggest that your average American cares much for football, sorry soccer, over their own national sports. Much less Scottish football. But, in these anglicised countries there is a reasonable ex-pat community with NARSA in the Americas and supporters clubs in Australasia which Rangers could attempt to target with reasonable success. The British citizens in these countries and those within their social circles could perhaps provide a significant fan base with which we could maximise foreign revenue streams boosting broadcasting deals abroad and sales of replica gear. Their families and friends are also more likely to be converted to the cause than football fans from foreign climes who are already heavily invested in the English Premier League supporting Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool and the rest, with no connection with Scotland, the SPL and either of the Old Firm. There is often bleating about Celtic�s ability to utilise and exploit their commercial appeal in Asia, but there doesn�t appear to be any evidence in the teams� financial results to suggest they are developing any amount significant income. With the realisation that countries with large ex-pat communities are the only potential revenue stream for clubs who do not compete within the marketing machine of the EPL or its rival leagues, more awareness and perhaps more praise should be forthcoming for Rangers attempts to target these realistic markets. Following on from the signing of Da Marcus Beasley and Maurice Edu (of course still at the club), both American internationals, we have this summer added Alejandro Bedoya and stars and stripes captain Carlos Bocanegra. In addition we have taken on our first Australian player since Craig Moore, in midfielder Matt McKay. Ali Russel highlighted a specific strategy of targeting such players, which makes far more commercial, business and footballing sense than trying to break into what appears to be a closed market to SPL teams. The fruits of this transfer policy are as yet unproven, but logically the strategy looks far more sound than poaching Asian players who realistically should not be granted permits in the hopes of contesting an already saturated market.

El-Hadji Diouf has told BBC Radio Scotland that he wants to come back to Rangers. The Senegalese forward spent the second half of last season on loan at Ibrox but is now back at Blackburn Rovers. Rovers boss Steve Kean says Diouf is not part of his plans for the campaign ahead, so the player is asking Ibrox boss Ally McCoist to take him back. "I would definitely go back for him and for the fans. I don't want to play for Blackburn any more," Diouf said. "I've got a lot of clubs contacting me just now. "I don't want to go somewhere where I am fighting a relegation battle. I'd rather be fighting to win a title again like last year when I won with Rangers. "It is a big team, I enjoyed winning the title and making a lot of fans happy. "I want Rangers to win the title again this season because Coisty is a good guy." And Diouf told Sportsound that he is unconcerned by the perceived gulf in quality between the top leagues in Scotland and England. "I came to Scotland because of one thing: I knew Rangers were a good team. "Celtic against Rangers is 10 times better than Liverpool against Manchester United or something like that. "The Old Firm game is the number one game in the world. What I feel about this game I have never felt in my life. On the pitch it is like a war, but beautiful. A good war." Diouf has been joined at Blackburn Rovers by new Scottish signing David Goodwillie, but admits he would have advised the former Dundee United striker against a move to England. "I speak to David Goodwillie every day at the training ground," he commented. "I tell him that if he has the chance to play for Rangers he should jump at it, because it is one of the best clubs in the world. "I am very surprised he chose Blackburn. He's a good guy and I will do everything I can to help him." Nice words, but you've had your time El Hadji. And didn't do a lot with it.

But had this been a Rangers fan, he'd have been jailed. With all the hullaballoo about sectarianism, you'd have expect a harsher sentence. Well, it would have been if it had been us.

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

By Andrew Smith DUNDEE United manager Peter Houston doesn't want to see David Goodwillie move to the Old Firm over fears Glasgow's streets would prove a baiting ground that could result in the player sustaining serious injury. Rape charges against Goodwillie were dropped last week on the grounds of insufficient evidence and the collapse of that case has reignited bidding for a striker considered the country's most exciting young talent. The 22-year-old has also appeared among the more wayward and indeed still has assault charges hanging over him. Off-field problems might be a factor in no club meeting United's �£2 million valuation. Rangers have twice bid little under half that while it has been reported that a �£1.6m package including sizeable add-ons from Blackpool was rejected on Wednesday. The striker has said to Houston that favours a move south of the border - the United manager dismissing a link to Celtic yesterday - and the Tayside club's manager believes that option would be the sensible option for the personal safety that Goodwillie must show greater maturity in protecting. "I don't think Glasgow is the right I place for him to come to," Houston said. "That's me speaking as a Glaswegian, still staying in the city. "Is it the right thing to go to Celtic or Rangersâ�¦ simply because of what goes on? Half the city hate you. Half the city are waiting on you going into a pub to give you stick. Don't get me wrong, I'm not tarring all the Old Firm fans with the same brush. It's a small minority of people like that. But is that what David needs in his career? "David has probably been a silly young boy. I can go back to some of the chats we have had recently and he thinks he is over all that now. He is past that. But I say that in the same breath that has said he was past it before. So I can't hold my hand up and say that's definitely it because he has obviously been in situations where he has been in trouble and fighting. What he has to learn is to walk away. "I think this is it for him," Houston said when asked if his concerns over Goodwillie in Glasgow were in any way related to that city's blade culture. "When you get into a brawl with a 22-stone rugby player or fight when the nightclubs are finished in Glasgow because somebody whacks your pal, that's one thing. But this is a whole different scenario and I genuinely think this is the one that has scared him the most. I've said to David that my major concern is that, in the past, he has been able to look after himself through his hands. But there is always someone out there who thinks they can do better. "This society we live in now, my fear, and I've spoken to him about this, is that he will go down the wrong road and someone, knowing he is good with his mitts will use something else. And from that there is no comeback. That's not just Glasgow, it's all over. But, again, it comes back to getting himself in a situations where he can walk away. "Don't get involved, enjoy your nights. Life is no rehearsal. Think about your career, be fully focused and on track and be the best you can be as a football player. Speaking to him (in recent days] he thinks it's not time to move down to Glasgow. That's not to say if one of the Old Firm came in and he was tempted that he will stay that way. David is a bit inconsistent that way." Houston doesn't view Goodwillie as a consistent performer physically as yet to be considered a fit for the English Premiership player, but ready-made goalscorer at Championship and a buy who would represent a gold-plated investment at the fee being sought by United chairman Stephen Thompson. "Is �£2 million too much to ask for Goodwillie? Conor Wickam has gone to Sunderland for fortunes (an �£8m fee with a possible �£4m add-ons] and he is still just potential," Houston said. "I use him as an example because of the money they paid for him. In my opinion, �£2m is a bargain because David can finish. All through youth levels, all through first-team level, SPL, Europe and the big boys as well he has shown he can do it. "The next step, hopefully, is that he gets a wee crack at international level and sees if he can do it there. Certainly in the market in England �£2m is not unreasonable. "Why should English clubs bid �£750,000 for David Goodwillie when they can pay far more for players who, in my opinion, are not as good as him. I don't even think the chairman is looking for �£2m up front. I think it's something up front then add-ons which take it up to that." One problem with Goodwillie realising his footballing worth for United might be the potential for unwanted add-ons faced by any buyer. Meanwhile, Rangers have taken former Germany international winger David Odonkor on trial. The 27-year-old is a free agent after leaving Real Betis, who he joined in 2006. Odonkor flew into Glasgow on Wednesday to spend "the next few days" training at Murray Park, the club announced on their website. Odonkor made just 52 appearances in five years for Betis amid a series of knee injuries. The right-sided player did not play at all last season, but he has come to Glasgow determined to prove his fitness. Odonkor, who is known for his pace, broke into Borussia Dortmund's first team aged 18 and played for his country at the 2006 World Cup and in Euro 2008. Rangers failed with another offer for Anderlecht's Hungary internationalist defender Roland Juhasz yesterday. http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/Peter-Houston-warns-David-Goodwillie.6809443.jp?articlepage=1

There is a moment with Geoff Brown where it seems pertinent to ask whether he is looking forward to meeting Craig Whyte. St Johnstoneââ?¬â?¢s owner has yet to do so, having had two decades playful sparring with the previous Rangers chairman, Sir David Murray. That pair are cut from the same cloth: direct, uncompromising and hard. Two deal makers able to dominate a club. So, before his St Johnstone host Rangers at lunchtime today would Mr Brown look forward to meeting Mr Whyte? A mischievous grin. ââ?¬Å?I look forward to meeting anyone whoââ?¬â?¢s prepared to offer me some money.ââ?¬Â Thatââ?¬â?¢ll be the Murray Davidson issue straight on to the agenda, then. Rangers have offered peanuts for a 23-year-old whoââ?¬â?¢s been in a couple of recent Scotland squads and Brown hasnââ?¬â?¢t been shy about saying so. He was also a bit miffed that the offer came by email from someone on the Rangers staff. Thatââ?¬â?¢s never been his way of doing a deal. Brown is the grandee of Scottish Premier League boardrooms. In September, he will reach the 25th anniversary of the day he took over at St Johnstone and that makes him the longest-serving chairman in Scottish and ââ?¬â?? as far as he knows ââ?¬â?? British football. If few have served as much time, even fewer have been as single-minded and forthright. He saw off prostate cancer in 2001 and has had no problems since an operation a decade ago. Today he looks in fine fettle. Although he trots out a familiar line about being willing to pass the club on, donââ?¬â?¢t hold your breath. Rangers are always favourites to beat St Johnstone, but early last year they came to McDiarmid Park and were spanked 4-1. Brown chuckles at the memory. Itââ?¬â?¢s always tickled him when one of the Old Firm get a bloody nose because the odds are stacked against his wee club ever being able to deliver one. Some might think Whyte foolish for pumping his money into Rangers, with their high running costs and relentlessly demanding fanbase, but not Brown. ââ?¬Å?I donââ?¬â?¢t know enough about Craig Whyte so I donââ?¬â?¢t know if heââ?¬â?¢s this, that or the next thing. But owning Rangers is the easiest job in the world. If I couldnââ?¬â?¢t make it at Rangers Iââ?¬â?¢d say I wasnââ?¬â?¢t a businessman. F****** hell you have 50,000 people there. 50,000! Itââ?¬â?¢s an institution. If you canââ?¬â?¢t make that work . . . ââ?¬Å?Mind you, I do think itââ?¬â?¢s ridiculous that the fans should be squealing like hell about him dipping into his pocket and putting more money in or whatever. Itââ?¬â?¢s a square business and he has to work it from there.ââ?¬Â Whyte would doubtless argue that a bid thought to be worth Ã?£150,000 rising to Ã?£250,000 for Davidson was his idea of good business from Rangersââ?¬â?¢ perspective, but Brown wonââ?¬â?¢t put up with that even though he has never had a problem accepting that St Johnstoneââ?¬â?¢s best players will always be cherrypicked. ââ?¬Å?In this particular case I was annoyed. Someone should have contacted me. If I was buying a player from a club it would be me phoning them to see if a deal could be done. That, for me, is business. Thatââ?¬â?¢s what business is about.ââ?¬Â Years ago he bought Gary Bollan from Rangers after three days of telephone negotiations with Murray. ââ?¬Å?David wasnââ?¬â?¢t shy about swearing at anyone, but we eventually got a deal,ââ?¬Â said Brown. Murray also wanted to flog him Tom Cowan for Ã?£200,000. Brown said no chance, prompting Murray to offer a bet that heââ?¬â?¢d get that much for him from another club. ââ?¬Å?I said he was on but Iââ?¬â?¢d need proof because I didnââ?¬â?¢t believe half of what David put out to the press. He sold Cowan to Sheffield United and when I asked ââ?¬Ë?how much did you get for himââ?¬â?¢ he said Ã?£200k. When I asked for evidence there was just a big smile . . . ââ?¬Å?That was good craic though. I took great delight in winding David Murray up because David Murray is a wind-up merchant himself. That was one thing he quite enjoyed, someone giving it back.ââ?¬Â Brownââ?¬â?¢s known them all. He took over St Johnstone even before Murray arrived at Rangers. Sir Alex Ferguson was still at Aberdeen and Scotland had just been at the 1986 World Cup. ââ?¬Å?Iââ?¬â?¢ve enjoyed taking on other chairmen and clubs if necessary. Fighting our corner. You have your trials and tribulations. John Boyle will tell you that when he came into Motherwell I took him aside and gave him a bit of a lecture. I had a good relationship with Fergus McCann. When we were at a meeting Fergus would always come and sit beside me. There have been plenty of characters.ââ?¬Â Had there been anyone he couldnââ?¬â?¢t hit it off with? ââ?¬Å?Your man at Gretna [the late Brooks Mileson]. Heââ?¬â?¢d turn up here with 30 cronies and sit and eat pies. He wouldnââ?¬â?¢t pass the time of day with you. ââ?¬Å?Generally you go to most clubs and you get a good welcome, although I would say that if thereââ?¬â?¢s an area of football that has deteriorated over my years, itââ?¬â?¢s the boardroom. Theyââ?¬â?¢re not the private areas they used to be. There are too many hangers-on, sponsors or whatever. I used to think you could pick each otherââ?¬â?¢s brains and find out what was on the go about players or managers or whatever. I think thatââ?¬â?¢s been lost.ââ?¬Â Brownââ?¬â?¢s been both a rock and a source of exasperation for St Johnstone fans over the years. He took them from muddy old Muirton Park to trim McDiarmid and lifted them into the top flight and the Uefa Cup. They finished third in the first season of the Premier League. Any exasperation stems from his unbending insistence that the club lives within its means, which has inevitably cost them when it comes to holding on to players or signing others. Brownââ?¬â?¢s retort is simple: St Johnstone will never be in financial trouble under his watch. Actually, when reminded that they were on their knees when he took over, he put it like this: ââ?¬Å?Theyââ?¬â?¢re f****** on their knees again with losses striding up and a manager signing too many players!ââ?¬Â But seriously? ââ?¬Å?For a club with the fanbase we have, it has to be said weââ?¬â?¢ve done okay.ââ?¬Â Thereââ?¬â?¢s plenty of energy in him. While sitting in the main stand, he ribs a couple of visiting policemen for charging the club a fortune for nothing, and tells someone else that thereââ?¬â?¢s a cleaning job to be done: heââ?¬â?¢s spotted pigeon droppings all over the place. Heââ?¬â?¢s not on the Scottish Football Associationââ?¬â?¢s new professional game board but heââ?¬â?¢s still an interesting thinker on the game. Dealing with climate change and preventing female supporters from drifting away are issues on his mind. There is also a serious health issue worrying him, although thankfully not his own. ââ?¬Å?I was operated on in 2001 for prostate cancer and I have to say I see things in a much different light than before that.ââ?¬Â He gets enormous satisfaction from owning racehorses but two of his stable have died in the past 14 months from grass sickness, a little-known but usually fatal equine illness. He wants to raise money for research into the condition. At the Grand National in April he was part of an event watched by a worldwide television audience of 600m and bristled that he had to pay Ã?£2800 so his horse, Silver By Nature, could run in it. ââ?¬Å?And as an owner you get absolutely nothing. Crazy.ââ?¬Â He owns thoroughbreds but gives a dismissive snort at the idea of ever putting a bet on. No chance: too many jumps, too many other horses in the field. ââ?¬Å?Betting on a horse is like being the owner of a football club. Absolutely crazy.ââ?¬Â http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/st-johnstone/owning-rangers-is-the-easiest-job-in-the-world-st-johnstone-chairman-geoff-brown-1.1114822

By MARK WALKER KENNY MILLER can leave Bursaspor for �£600,000 after his official transfer request was accepted. Rangers, who are keen to bring the Scotland striker back to Ibrox for a third spell at the club, will face stiff competition from other suitors, though, headed by Championship side Cardiff City, who have money to spend as they try again to win promotion to the Premier League. Miller has been pulled out of the Bursa pre-season training camp in Austria after a meeting with manager Ertugrul Saglam. The former Old Firm striker has failed to settle with his family in Turkey and wants a return to Britain. Bursaspor have reluctantly accepted his transfer request, but director Ilhan Uslu has warned that Miller will only leave on their terms. "He is under contract to us and no business will be done until is suits Bursaspor," Uslu said. Miller could get his wish to leave as early as this week. Bursa are in negotiations with AIK Stockholm for their Sierra Leone striker Ibrahim Teteh as Miller's direct replacement. If they can tie up a swift deal with the Swedes, the Scotland forward would return to Britain, as long as he can find a club prepared to stump up the transfer fee. Ally McCoist has expressed an interest in Miller but has also stressed that the Ibrox club would only do a deal, and offer wages, at a level they were comfortable with. http://www.scotsman.com/rangersfc/Turks-name-Kenny-Miller-price.6803777.jp

STVNews are next on the sectarianism investigation bandwagon: http://news.stv.tv/politics/263810-sectarianism-special-report-bernard-ponsonby-reflects-on-the-roots-of-scotlands-shame/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter Nothing new from Bernard Ponsonby though - usual tired clich�©s. I await the next instalment (which looks into the Old Firm effect) eagerly. The knifes are being sharpened as we speak.

THE start of next seasonââ?¬â?¢s Scottish Premier League may have to be delayed ââ?¬â?? because Olympic football at Hampden could mean a ban on other sporting events in Glasgow during the 2012 Games. It is also feared that lucrative European matches featuring the Old Firm may have to be played outside Glasgow because of the strict Olympic rules. SNP MSP and former Sports Minister Stewart Maxwell has written to the SPL and the British Olympic Association after it emerged that games may have to be postponed or played elsewhere. FREE NEWS UPDATES 24/7...FOLLOW THE SCOTTISH EXPRESS ON TWITTER The Olympic Charter states that no other major sporting events can take place in a city hosting an *Olympic event for the period of the Games. Scotlandââ?¬â?¢s national stadium is to host eight Olympic football matches, meaning no other big games could take place between July 25 and August 12. The SPL season would be in its opening weeks during that period, while the Glasgow giants would be set to face Europeââ?¬â?¢s elite in Champions League and Europa League ties. Ã?¬ The SPL welcomes Mr Maxwellââ?¬â?¢s comments and we will respond to his letter later Ã?® Spokesman for the SPL The Olympic ban will also hit Manchester, Newcastle, Cardiff and London, with some of English footballââ?¬â?¢s top teams affected. It is also feared the cities involved could suffer an economic blow if the ban is imposed, with sell-out crowds at European qualifiers and league clashes replaced by empty stands at Olympic matches. Last month, it emerged that only 500,000 of the 2.2 million available Olympic football tickets had been sold. This year, the SPL started on July 23, while last yearââ?¬â?¢s champions Rangers start their Champions League campaign tonight against Swedish side MalmÃ?¶ FF ââ?¬â?? games scheduled right in the middle of what will be the ban period next year. A by-law in the Olympic Charter states that coverage of the Olympics ââ?¬Å?shall not be impaired in any way by any other event taking place in the host cityââ?¬Â. Mr Maxwell, an MSP for West Scotland, said: ââ?¬Å?Despite this issue being raised several months ago, supporters are still unclear as to what effect Olympic competition will have on their clubs and the British Olympic Association need to clarify immediately what their position is on other sporting events taking place during the period of the 2012 Olympics. ââ?¬Å?I donââ?¬â?¢t think fans from any team will be happy about having to travel to another city to watch their team compete in premier European competition.ââ?¬Â In his letters, Mr Maxwell said: ââ?¬Å?I believe that this matter requires urgent clarification so that the SPL, police and other authorities involved are given sufficient time to plan for what is required. I would therefore urge you to confirm as soon as possible whether or not Scottish teams will be required to postpone any fixtures during the period when Olympic football matches are being played in Glasgow.ââ?¬Â A spokesman for the SPL urged Olympic bosses to discuss any clash with them and said: ââ?¬Å?The SPL welcomes Mr Maxwellââ?¬â?¢s comments and we will respond to his letter later. ââ?¬Å?The start date for the 2012/13 Clydesdale Bank Premier League season will be fixed towards the end of 2011. If the British Olympic Association has any concerns regarding fixture scheduling these should be discussed with the SPL.ââ?¬Â A British Olympic Association spokesman said they could not comment on the issue yesterday. http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/261111/Olympic-rule-could-force-Old-Firm-out-of-Glasgow

.... so we may as well start celebrating now :cheers: -- Explain to me how Rangers are going to square their oncoming tax bill and I'll wager you could teach us how to nail jelly to a tree. Frankly I still don't quite comprehend how the Ibrox club's takeover has built a jigsaw puzzle picture of a sunny future. But then why listen to me? I never thought Craig the Whyte knight would get his hands on the club in the first place. So off we jolly well go into another season which has already fired up more questions than answers, with its embarrassing hiccupping start as the Old Firm take their sabbatical before the term has learned to walk. Of course I understand the desire - requirement, maybe - for the big clubs to go big buck hunting, but I still find it humiliating for the SPL that the big kick-off is followed by a couple of weeks of damp squibs as Celtic then Rangers throw the other clubs a deaf one. It's like getting married then bodyswerving your own reception. Rangers fans can't be full of the joys of life. All window shopping in the transfer market, but no real spirit of the shop to drop. Sure, they've been linked with more big names than Piers Morgan�but headlines don't mean signings. Ally McCoist once compared taking the baton from Walter Smith to accepting the microphone from Sinatra and of course he was right. But it strikes me that Nelson Riddle has just taken the orchestra off the stage too. He took the job because ultimately he had no option. But privately he must reflect that somewhere down the line there might have been a better time. Like Neil Lennon timed his run, for example. After the Tony Mowbray shambles, the only way was up. No fence sitting from your old reporter. I'll be stunned if Celtic aren't champions by the time autumn and winter have blown their last and dear spring is in the air once again. Rangers were champions last year because they deserved to be, not because of Celtic's spectacular trip at Inverness as they toddled to the finishing line. A title race is a distance event and it is never won or lost on any given Saturday afternoon or Wednesday night. But this time at Parkhead, I suspect the lesson will have been learned. Mind you, to be fair there hasn't been a run on the ink at Lennoxtown. Signings there too have been a collector's item. But the difference is the depth of squad already on the employment register. Atlantic deep: Rangers meanwhile have to set sail in a puddle. What we need them both to do is progress in Europe in their respective competitions, to ensure a little midweek action in the Champions and Europa Leagues. That would put a little light in our lives. And talking of a little brightness, why do I have a good feeling about St Mirren? It's a worry. This time last year I was insistent that they would be relegated and if not quite gloriously wrong then I looked like being spot-on for a fair few months. Scotland coach Craig Levein faces crucial Euro 2012 qualifiers But the signings of Gary Teale, Nigel Hasselbaink and Stevie Thompson and a general something in the air over Paisley - and maybe the strong drink - has me think better days are coming. And here's a thing as I juggle my feel good factors: Scotland - I think we might make it to Poland and Ukraine although hopefully not Donetsk, quite the dreariest place I have ever been. There, even the birds cough. Certainly the play-offs of the European Championship qualifying group beckon at least, where Lithuania's turning over by Liechtenstein opened the door for Scotland and a straight two-way fight with the Czechs for second prize to World Champions Spain. So let SPL battle commence, earlier than ever but still too late. We should have been back three weeks ago thereby allowing our European representatives some run-up to their ties and freeing up some time for the inevitable winter back-log of postponed games. And maybe even a January shutdown� Hey, but I'm not one to spoil a bright new dawn with a bit of mumping. But watch this space. �SPL champions: Celtic �Second: Rangers �Third: Hearts �Relegated: Kilmarnock �Scottish Cup winners: Hearts �League Cup winners: Dundee United