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By jim Traynor on Mar 14, 11 08:37 AM in ALLY McCOIST will fight his two-match touchline ban but he should accept the punishment. He'll need all his reserves of energy and will for more important struggles which lie ahead. Depending on what happens over the next two to three weeks he will be taking over as manager of a club about to be revitalised or one sliding deeper into decline. And many are convinced it will be the latter. With the passing of every week Rangers fans lose hope that their club will be bought over and dragged out of debt. They look at the paucity of Walter Smith's squad and they must feel like weeping. Lloyds Bank, on the other hand, are delighted. Rangers' debt continues to fall and the next set of figures, which are about to be released, will show the Ibrox club now owe less than �£20million. No doubt someone at the bank will take pride in a job well done and it shouldn't surprise anyone if that person is in line for a whopping bonus. After all, that's what the banks do isn't it? They reward themselves for squeezing and destroying hard-working ordinary Joes even though it was their greed and stupidity that pushed the country towards financial ruin. And then they grab our tax money to get them out of the mess. It's instead of being forced back to school to do their sums again they grow fatter and richer by refusing to lend any of the cash back to people trying to buy or hold on to their homes and businesses. And of course the less they lend out the more for them to share in bonus payments which would be enough to keep loads of little companies and households going. They slap one another on the back, oblivious to the damage they cause. However, they are themselves insolvent. They are morally bankrupt. No doubt Lloyds will credit themselves for reducing Rangers' debt but there is nothing sharp, or even intelligent, in putting in place a repayment plan that is making it increasingly difficult for Rangers to remain competitive. While the Ibrox balance sheet is looking much better you have to ask at what cost has this been achieved? The answer won't be clear until the end of this season but it does look as though Rangers don't have enough players to handle the run-in. It's also fairly obvious they can't cope with Neil Lennon's Celtic, who have won three and drawn one of the five Old Firm clashes so far this season. Of course if Rangers were to win the remaining two Old Firm matches everything would look so much brighter but the problems caused by constant wage cuts to keep the bank satisfied would remain. They were there when Smith steered Rangers to back-to-back titles and a glance at any of his team sheets this season proves the problems are even worse now. No matter what Rangers do on the pitch between now and the end of the season McCoist will be inheriting a squad lacking in genuine quality and experience. And he will have to give serious thought to selling one of his few assets, Allan McGregor, to fund moves for a couple of players simply to increase numbers. His task will be practically impossible and his only real hope is Craig Whyte who is still waiting in the wings. However, he won't wait much longer. Time is running out and if Whyte hasn't been given the go ahead by the end of this month don't be surprised if he closes his cheque book, puts it back in his pocket and walks away. Several vague deadlines have come and gone but Whyte is smart enough to realise that buying Rangers solves only half a problem. The other half involves rebuilding a squad and Whyte, I suspect, doesn't want to leave that part to the last minute. He knows clubs and managers are already working on the ins and outs of transfer deals for next season and he would want to give McCoist as much time as possible to improve his squad. But nothing can be done until Whyte's offer has been accepted. If it isn't - Rangers' standards will continue to fall. Whyte's �£33m bid to take the club off David Murray's hands and out of the bank's control, and his promise to spend �£5m on players each season for the first five years of his tenure appears to tick the relevant boxes. But still McCoist and Rangers wait. Of course, there is the potential tax liability should Rangers lose their court battle with the taxman but it is understood some kind of arrangement has been put in place to deal with that as well. But still Rangers fans wait. Now they have to ask why. After all, Whyte has provided proof of funding and Murray, who said he would never sell to anyone who couldn't support the club financially, appears convinced by the Scottish financier and it's understood he's prepared to do the deal. So why the hold up? Who might be stalling? Are Rangers being used as a pawn in a wider game? Is the bank playing hard ball? If so, why? Someone at Lloyds could probably provide the answers but because of market rules and the cloaks of confidentiality bankers wrap around themselves there is only silence. Rangers have cut back to the bare minimum to repay their debt and there is an offer on the table which would rid the bank of the headache, yet nothing continues to happen. If Whyte is ready to get going and help finance McCoist's rebuilding programme but finds he is being blocked then he should say so. Rangers fans are entitled to know why this deal hasn't been concluded. They deserve to know who is holding up progress and why. But they should also be aware that the Whyte saga is nearing its end. The next few weeks will make or break his ambition to own Rangers. That also means the next few weeks could make or break Rangers.

I think we all know that Scotland is a poor league, but how much are Rangers (and Celtic) doing to save our nations blushes, and maintain a decent prospect of entry into the champions league? Scotland are currently ranked 13th, and this data reveals that 50% of the coefficient acquired by Scottish teams is due to Rangers. Almost 85% is contributed by the Old Firm. What I have checked is where Scotland would be without the Old Firm. i.e. the number of points gained by other Scottish teams, divided by the number of teams (excluding the OF). What this shows is the coefficient would be 7.08. That is good enough to be ranked THIRTY SIXTH. Let's put that in perspective: That is ranked LOWER than countries such as CYPRUS, BELARUS, IRELAND, MOLDOVA, LITHUANIA and LATVIA. Barely above lowly GEORGIA and AZERBAIJAN. In contrast, the Rangers and Celtic, if they were not hindered by the poor performance of their fellow Scottish teams, would have a national coefficient of FORTY SIX if shared between them. That would rank SIXTH in the UEFA Country rankings. Above PORTUGAL and RUSSIA. Sixth place would be good enough for AUTOMATIC qualification into the group stages for BOTH clubs. Even if you added a third Scottish team (and assumed they contributed nothing) the Scottish coefficient would be 30.6667 which would be 12th, three places above their current 15th position, again, meaning again automatic entry, although only for the champions. Due to the way the dates work across Europe with Summer Football, and needing to know how many places are up for grabs before the season starts, this is in reference to european entry for the season 2012/13. Thoughts are welcome, and if there are any writers out there that wish to use this for an article, feel free! Thanks to Zappa for best method to get the table uploaded!

By Glenn Gibbons This column owns up to a long-standing struggle to understand the difference between a supporters' "trust" and an old-fashioned supporters' "club". Apart, that is, from the former's curious and misguided belief that the fortunes of the football club of their favour would increase dramatically were they allowed to take a hand in its affairs. The notion of planting a "fan" on the board has always seemed something of an insult to the sitting directors, with its implication that they are not themselves fans. This point is usually countered with the claim that they are referring to an "ordinary" supporter. It is a view that appears to ignore the fact that, in the event of an appointment to the board of one of their number, he or she would no longer be an "ordinary" fan, but a director. As such, he or she would probably also be shocked to discover that board members are obliged to work under certain restrictive imperatives - largely financial and/or legal - with which loudly critical supporters are unfamiliar. The new director would spend most of his time explaining to those who campaigned for his co-option why he cannot instigate the measures they have in mind. In addition, champions of the cause of having the "trust" represented on the board insist that they should be taken seriously, because they comprise mainly respected professionals, such as lawyers and business people. This appears rather to contradict their fundamental principle of putting an "ordinary" fan on the board. Even armed with the impression of this inflated sense of themselves, however, it was something of a shock to discover that the Rangers Supporters Trust seemed to consider that no debate on the misbehaviour that marked the latest Celtic-Rangers match could be completed - or even regarded as official - without their contribution. Their entry took the form of an email sent to the country's major media outlets. Referring to themselves as RST - presumably on the assumption that anyone who is anyone would recognise it as instantly as they would such other Old Firm-related abbreviations as DOB and FTP - the trust revealed its "unequivocal" backing of the Rangers chief executive, Martin Bain, and its call to the Scottish FA to investigate the behaviour of the Celtic manager, Neil Lennon. As an exercise in self-importance, this revived a once-famous image of the preposterously pompous Italian warmonger, Benito Mussolini, as he stood on a platform, arms crossed over a puffed-out chest, head nodding his agreement with the crowd below as they acclaimed him as Il Duce. It was as close as anyone made of flesh and bone could possibly come to playing a cartoon character. Thankfully, many sports editors - though, regrettably, not all - demonstrated their disdain for the uninvited intrusion by sending the email straight to trash. http://sport.scotsman.com/football/Glenn-Gibbons-Matter-of-trust.6732801.jp

I was wondering if it was possible to show tables (like in excel) on the forum? I was bored at work being ignored and under appreciated, so thought I'd put my mad maths skills to work and play around with uefa co-efficient points, and got some interesting results! If it wasn't for the old firm, the SPL would be ranked below the Irish League! Would be good to let everyone see it!

By Tom English in Eindhoven IF MARTIN Bain, the Rangers chief executive, managed to suppress any cynicism he may have had at the Holyrood summit on Tuesday then the club captain, David Weir, wasn't nearly as cagey when Rangers arrived in Eindhoven for today's Europa League tie against PSV. Weir described the furore that has built up around the Old Firm in the wake of the so-called "Shame Game" against Celtic as nonsense and dismissed the idea that the fixture would ever get played behind closed doors, as some in the police have intimated. "It will never happen," said Weir. "It is the pride fixture of Scottish football. It has kept Scottish football going for years and you would be as well just closing down the league if that (closed doors Old Firm games] was the case." The captain, quite obviously unimpressed with some of the interventions from Holyrood and Strathclyde Police, didn't stop there either. "You play in a lot of games that have an edge," he said. "Throughout the course of your career you get involved in games like this. That is what football is all about. People love that. Everybody says it is Scotland's shame, but I know by going down south that everybody is talking about it. Everybody is saying Scottish football is on its knees but there has been more interest in the last week than there has been in weeks. "I think we have to be a bit more realistic and put things into perspective and move on a wee bit. That game is gone. As players you are ultimately disappointed to lose the game. That's the bottom line. The other sort of nonsense that goes with it is irrelevant." Weir is not blind to the connection between on-field aggravation and off-field trouble in these games, far from it. But he disputes the level of blame that can be attached to the Old Firm for, say, domestic abuse against women in the hours after Rangers and Celtic play each other. He also questions the rationale for police wanting to address players before Old Firm games to remind them of the repercussions of their actions on the street. "If you do that for this game," he said, talking about the upcoming Co-operative Insurance Cup final, "then you are going to need to do it for every game. I don't see how you can only single out one game and watch what you have to do in one match and not the others. I don't see why that should happen. It should be the case in every game. You have to be responsible for your actions on and off the field, whether you are a footballer or Joe Public. That is the way it should be. It should be at the back of your mind regardless of what you are doing, so I don't see why we should be reinforcing it before the cup final." The captain rejected the notion that last Wednesday's game at Parkhead was especially ugly - "There were no major incidents and nothing that merits politicians getting involved," he claimed - and defended the rights of players to be fiery at Hampden on 20 March. "If you sanitise it and take that out of football then we are in danger of becoming a society where we won't be able to do anything. We would end up constantly on the back foot worrying what are doing." Walter Smith - who, in a rare moment of football chat, revealed that Kyle Lafferty is fit to play this evening but that Vladimir Weiss is probably not - also revisited the summit. It is long been the manager's view that blaming the Old Firm for society's ills is a cop-out, that the nation's problems with drink and violence and bigotry go way beyond a mere football match, albeit a football match that is undoubtedly the catalyst for public disorder. Like his captain before him, Smith played down the somewhat emotional talk of last Wednesday's 'game that shamed a nation'. "You see things happening in England which are worse," he said. "Tackle-wise and otherwise. We see clashes between managers and other things happening on the pitch. That just goes as part and parcel of the game. Percentage-wise we don't do too badly in terms of handling a situation which is a fairly volatile one. I must stress, as a whole, in all the years I've been involved that it's not been too bad (the on-field discipline]. When the police flagged up a few weeks ago that there is a problem then we've all got to listen to that. The Wednesday game then made it worse. But would the social problem outwith Wednesday's game be any worse after that match than after previous games? "It's not actually what happens in the game which causes the problem (of domestic and general violence]. It's the game itself - the Rangers and Celtic Old Firm game at any time. It's a broader issue than just looking at what happens on the pitch. So, anything they try and do, yes, we'll agree to do it and it'll be helpful and we hope it can bring a certain calmness. Everyone has to play their part in that." Of course, he's got the small matter of a last 16-tie in the Europa League to contend with first. http://sport.scotsman.com/celticfc/Old-Firm-games-behind-closed.6731468.jp?articlepage=2

Quite possibly the best article I've seen in print on the old firm. And what is even rarer, it seems balanced and objective! What do you think? http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/rangers-and-celtic-disunited-they-stand-2236083.html

Yesterday, Scottish authorities set out a plan to tackle Glasgow's football violence. But the Rangers and Celtic divide is part of the city's soul, argues Richard Wilson Blue or Green? Billy or Tim? In Glasgow, your identity is reduced to a single imperative, something that your surname or the school that you attended reveals; or the football club that you support. Rangers or Celtic? The Protestant/Catholic division across this city, and the entire west of Scotland, is deeply felt enough to be relevant still, to still shape the behaviour of different generations, that it survives even the erosions of time. The Old Firm clubs have come to be its most lasting, most forceful, on occasions even its most repugnant expression; nowhere else in world football is a rivalry based quite so clearly along religious lines, making it something unique, however thrilling or bleak it can turn. This enmity should have diminished, since it reaches back two centuries and has never been more under siege from changes in society, but Glasgow remains vulnerable to its old tribalisms. Many of the segregation lines are now blurred: the city is increasingly secular, mixed marriages between Protestants and Catholics have never been higher, the middle classes are spreading in number and influence, and the old certainties of the Protestant working class voting Conservative and the Catholic working class voting Labour are now lost. These evolutions affect the followings of both clubs, so that the two supports have never been more homogenous, but they still cling to that solitary divide: religion. Why can a football match between Rangers and Celtic end in a riot, or in a young man being stabbed to death because of the football jersey he is wearing? Why is it that players from outwith Scotland can become so inflamed that three Englishmen playing for Rangers ââ?¬â?? Terry Butcher, Chris Woods and Graham Roberts ââ?¬â?? ended up in court with Frank McAvennie, the Celtic striker; or that Paul Gascoigne could receive death threats after miming playing a flute (in reference to Orange Walks); or that Artur Boruc, a Polish goalkeeper, could be cautioned for gestures made to Rangers fans, including blessing himself? Why is it that the police report spikes in assaults, disorder and domestic abuse in the aftermath of Old Firm games? Or that paramedics and accident and emergency departments are inundated with drink and violence-related cases? Rangers and Celtic have become symbols for their communities, they provide a sense of identity that still relates to the sectarian divide that was once prevalent in Glasgow; in the songs and banners of the rivalry, a language of hate persists. A kind of madness can arise on Old Firm days, something absurd but also deep-rooted and vehement. It is expressed in songs that glorify the IRA, or about being "up to our knees in Fenian blood". They are Scottish clubs, but the rivalry is shaped as much by Irish politics, immigration, unionism and republicanism, as religion (the Catholic church and the Orange Order once feared that the Troubles would spread across the Irish Sea). Rather than Saltires, it is Union Jacks and Irish Tricolours that are the flags of these games. King Billy, Bobby Sands, The Sash, The Fields of Athenry; an Old Firm match is an untidy accumulation of history, spite, anger, and confusion. It is a football derby, like those in Milan, Buenos Aries or Istanbul, but one in which the rivalry has become entrenched in ancient hostility. It is this tension that provokes such an intense environment that matches between Rangers and Celtic can become overwhelmed by the baggage carried into them (or make them compelling spectacles). In 1980, the Scottish Cup final between the two sides ended with supporters fighting on the pitch, and a subsequent ban on alcohol being served at football grounds. In 1999, when Rangers won 3-0 at Celtic Park to effectively clinch the championship, Hugh Dallas, the referee, was hit by a coin in the forehead, and individual Celtic fans tried to invade the pitch. Football dominates ââ?¬â?? Istanbul is the only other city to house three stadiums with capacities over 50,000, but has a population of 13m compared to only 600,000 in Glasgow ââ?¬â?? because it is the sport of the working man. The grime of Glasgow's industrial past, the sweat, dirt, pride and poverty that were for so long the defining influences, still cling to every surface, however often they have been whitewashed. In the days when the Clyde shipyards and the narrow housing tenements of the Gorbals were domineering places, men would surge out at lunchtime on a Saturday and head straight for the football. The sport combined with drinking to provide the main sources of relief from the terrible grind of working life. And the city's two teams became the country's two major clubs by the same forces of history and culture that shaped Glasgow itself. Celtic were formed in Glasgow's east end in 1888 by Brother Walfrid, a Marist monk, to raise money for the city's impoverished Catholic community, and also keep the youths away from the Protestant soup kitchens. As the club of the Catholics, Celtic's early glories prompted a form of indignation in Scottish society, as the country was resolutely, defiantly even, Protestant. Rangers were established in 1873 with no religious ties, but the club's size, success and location in the city's south side saw it become the club that the Protestant majority gathered behind to stand up to Celtic. There were two waves of mass immigration from Ireland to Scotland; one mostly Catholic, in the 19th century, the other, in the 20th century, more mixed. The first influx prompted an anti-Catholic sentiment in the west of Scotland, a feeling that was exacerbated by the second, when workers arrived to find jobs in the Govan shipyards (in the 1920s there were even anti-Catholic political parties). Other British cities, such as Liverpool, Manchester and Cardiff, also received thousands of Irish settlers, and each suffered sectarian tensions and riots of their own in the early 20th century, only for them to fade out over time. The division remained in Glasgow because of its proximity to Ireland, allowing ease of travel and communication between the two countries, and Scotland's sense of itself as a Protestant nation. There was a time in the west of Scotland when certain jobs and firms were widely known not to employ Catholics, a stance mirrored by Rangers' never having signed a high-profile Catholic player until Mo Johnston, the former Celtic striker, moved to the club from Nantes in 1989. Johnston was protected by a bodyguard, and some fans were aghast at his arrival, until he scored the winning goal in an Old Firm game. Now, Catholics have captained and managed the club, and a player's religion is no longer relevant. Bigotry remains the background noise of Old Firm matches, even although the majority of fans no longer even practise their religion, and the encounters often teeter on the edge of malevolence. There are Celtic-only and Rangers-only pubs, supporters travel to Ibrox or Celtic Park on pre-ordained routes so that they cannot encounter each other, the matches kick-off at midday on a Sunday to prevent drinking beforehand, and the city tenses, so that you feel something fraught in the air. The derby is combustible because of the religious divide ââ?¬â?? which provides the means of expression, the context of the hatred ââ?¬â?? but also other factors. Rangers and Celtic are Scotland's two dominant clubs, so their games inevitably influence the title race and the outcome carries a great weight of meaning; Scotland is so small, and the teams so big that it might be described as a national derby (more people followed Rangers to the 2008 Uefa Cup final in Manchester than attended the papal mass in Glasgow last year); there is an element of supporters living up to the game's reputation, so that the theatre of it ââ?¬â?? the noise is deafening and relentless ââ?¬â?? is self-fulfilling. It is a football rivalry, but one that is darkened by its surroundings. Heavy drinking is rife in the west of Scotland, Glasgow has an entrenched gang and knife culture that treats violence as customary, and there are areas of such poverty, low life expectancy and unemployment that the sense of identity provided by Rangers and Celtic is clung to desperately. There are good and bad elements to both sets of supporters, and the flares of anger and resentment on the field are no worse than other derby matches. Alex Salmond, Scotland's First Minister, is not the first politician conspicuously to intervene, but his time might be better spent promoting anti-sectarian education (although many Scots believe that support for Catholic schools, which separate children from a young age, is a mitigating factor) and in tackling the problems of heavy drinking. Sectarianism is no longer prevalent in Scottish culture, and religion no longer the central influence in people's lives. Yet the Old Firm game is blighted by the language of its enmity, the history it drags back into prominence. The football rivalry exists within this last remnant of hatred, so that the occasion reflects Glasgow's old antagonisms. Richard Wilson is writing a book on the Old Firm called "Inside The Divide" that will be published by Canongate http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/rangers-and-celtic-disunited-they-stand-2236083.html

Alright lads, started a blog last night to express my views on Scottish Football more openly, the address for the blog is http://mark-mcdougall-blog-1994.blogspot.com/ Only written one wee blog on the Old Firm fallout so far, will be writing a bit more over the next few days as well. So if anyone has any tips or anything then I'd appreciate them, and following me would be nice too Cheers.

Almost a week after last Wednesday's Old Firm replay, the fall-out from the match is still being seen throughout the country. Whether it be at football games, in the media, comment from a variety of authorities or even within the Scottish Government, the reaction is as predictable as it is exaggerated. Let's be straight right now: when you have players sent off; strong physical tackles; arguments with officials; managers falling out and fans screaming their heads off; that is football. And exciting football at that - the kind of product TV stations will pay big money for; the kind of product which keeps Scottish Football's greatest game in the public eye all over the world. Of course you don't want to read of arrests afterwards where people actually take the game more seriously than it ever should but a minimal amount of convictions within hundreds of thousands of citizens is hardly the end of the world (or unpoliceable surely)? This makes the reaction to the controversy all the more interesting to examine. Indeed, a quick look at the media since the game will see you forgiven if you think El Hadji Diouf is some kind of devil. Despite being on the periphery of the game for most of the match (though fouled quite regularly without the same referee interest that resulted in a irregularly large Rangers discipline count), he's been made the scapegoat for most of what happened. Obviously he's far from blameless. A daft nudge on the Celtic physio and a few handbag confrontations with those of a Celtic persuasion means it isn't difficult to question his contribution to the heat of the match. As such, it wasn't a surprise to see him sent-off and I doubt many reasonable bears will defend his part in what happened. However, one must take into account the provocation he's been under. Clear racist abuse from the Parkhead stands (albeit minimal) along with childish incitement from the Celtic captain and management team means even if Diouf doesn't go looking for bother, it will find him. To that end, it is interesting to examine the Celtic manager's contribution to this debate. As a player, Lennon was similar to Diouf - almost a carbon copy in fact. He liked to goad other players, liked to spit in the direction of opposition fans, was sent off after accosting referees, dived/faked injury to deceive officials, enjoyed approaching his own fans after defeat and according to at least one court-approved lip-reader called the Rangers bench cheating orange bastards during one particularly stormy match in late 2004. Juxtapose this professional behaviour with his personal life treatment of pregnant girlfriends and flouting of driving laws then you have the kind of individual that not only attracts trouble but someone who deliberately seeks and creates it. Certainly an individual far from the perennial victim the less objective sections of the media wish to paint him as. It wasn't long after Lennon's alleged sectarian behaviour in 2004 that Celtic awarded him a hefty new contract and then made him captain. His conduct didn't improve though with red cards and the disrespecting of officials still an issue as his career ran down. No matter though, his bad-boy reputation amongst Celtic fans was acceptable to them - and once again the Celtic board - as he was later appointed coach then manager of the club. 'Like me and you, Lenny's a provo too' the supporter song does say I guess! When one examines his actions as a player it isn't a surprise that Lennon now struggles to manage the club with the kind of dignity such an influential position deserves. Regular arguments with officials, the continual inference of cheating against his club, violent confrontations with opposition staff - the list goes on and I think we all know it will be added to as long as this particular martyr remains part of Celtic Football Club. As such, when the Scottish Government convene their hasty 'summit' next week; perhaps they'll take into account all of the ongoing behaviour detailed above. Sure, less than likeable characters like El Hadji Diouf rightly need no defence when their contribution is examined. However, if you want the one lowest common denominator for the trouble which accompanies Old Firm fixtures of the 21st Century, then it has been there all along. Worryingly this clear instigator of trouble hasn't been punished over the years but indeed defended, excused and rewarded for his actions. Even last week Celtic didn't criticise their manager for encroaching onto the field of play to remonstrate with Diouf (precipitating the out of character actions of Ally McCoist who has an MBE for his contribution to sport) but once again ignored this chancer's unacceptable attitude. Meanwhile Stewart Regan's new 'tough' SFA prevaricated and reduced a touchline ban on appeal. Is it any wonder Lennon (and Celtic) feel they can say and do what they like? To conclude, El Hadji Diouf may be one symptom of the current controversy which needs addressed but if you want the cause for the ongoing disease itself then you only need look at the Parkhead home dugout and the regular hate and intolerance emanating from the Celtic manager. Why do so many people run scared of this particular 'remarkable human being'?

RANGERS striker El Hadji Diouf last night defended Celtic boss Neil Lennon - and insisted: "He's no racist." Diouf insisted he WON'T make a complaint to cops about Lennon - because he believes "what happens on the pitch stays on the pitch". Police have launched an investigation into claims Lennon called the striker a f****** n***** during the fiery Old Firm Scottish Cup clash last week. But last night sources close to Diouf, 30, insisted it is "nonsense" to say Lennon made the vile racist comment. An insider said: "El Hadji Diouf won't be making any complaints to the police. He isn't interested. "As far as El Hadji is concerned what happens on the pitch stays on the pitch. It is a high-intensity atmosphere and it is finished. "It is nonsense to think that Neil Lennon said what is being reported. Trying to make out Lennon is racist is a lot of rubbish." On-loan Blackburn ace Diouf's agent Willie McKay said: "The only thing he is concentrating on is playing for Rangers and winning a contract." Cops were hit with around 200 complaints from fans. It's thought they were based on a YouTube clip showing the 39-year-old Hoops boss and the Senegalese striker exchanging angry words in the first half. It's believed cops will speak to Lennon over the next few days. Top QC Paul McBride, who's been instructed by Celtic to represent their manager, said the allegations of a racist tirade "are defamatory and outrageous with no substance whatsoever". We told on Saturday how Lennon is on the verge of quitting after being targeted in a bomb scare. He took his seat in the stand for Saturday's victory over Hamilton Accies. Wife Irene, 34, and the couple's five-year-old son Gallagher also attended despite claims they were staying in a safe house under 24-hour guard. Lennon and Rangers assistant boss Ally McCoist were blasted by footy chiefs, top cops and First Minister Alex Salmond last week for squaring up to each other after the final whistle of Celtic's 1-0 win at Parkhead. Yesterday, Church of Scotland head the Right Reverend John Christie waded into the storm. He said: "There can be no excuse for highly-paid professionals behaving in a manner which could inflame an already heated atmosphere." Mr Salmond will hold a crisis summit at Hampden with Celtic and Rangers chiefs and police tomorrow. A Strathclyde Police spokesman said they "received complaints from members of the public". He added: "We are investigating." Neither Celtic, Rangers nor Diouf have been contacted by cops. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/3450848/El-Hadji-Diouf-Neil-Lennons-no-racist.html#ixzz1Fu3Swloc

FOR once the entire country is talking about Scottish football after Wednesday's Old Firm derby. For all the wrong reasons. The reaction to events at Parkhead has been astonishing. Everyone I've spoken to absolutely LOVED the Old Firm meltdown - apart from policemen and politicians! I lost count of how many normally sane English friends and colleagues told me they are already counting down the days to the Old Firm League Cup Final on March 20, following the madness. Scottish football - or the Old Firm at any rate - has become must-see TV in a freaky, 'Big Brother,' kind of way. Sadly it has more to do with their indiscipline than their football. How tragic is it that our top club game, the jewel in our crown, is now regarded as some kind of freak show? The outbreak of childish behaviour has overshadowed the good football we saw in the original tie at Ibrox, yet it turned Wednesday night's event into a nationwide smash hit. At times it was like watching a low-budget horror movie through the cracks in your fingers. You know exactly what's going to happen in every scene, yet you can't take your eyes off it. That's where we are right now with the Old Firm. In an ideal world people would drool over our biggest club game, as they do when Barcelona play Real Madrid, and praise us for our football. But people aren't tuning in to watch Paul McStay and Paolo Di Canio mixing it with Paul Gascoigne and Brian Laudrup any more. They're tuning in to see El Hadji Diouf and Scott Brown and who kicks the s*** out of who first. It's a shame because Celtic actually have quality players like Izaguirre, Kayal and Hooper who look as if they could play at a higher level. The same could be said of McGregor, Bougherra and Naismith at Ibrox. But we seem to have reached a point after five Old Firm games this season where we're entertaining the public but p***ing off the police and politicians. It's always dangerous for football when those two bodies get involved. Salmond described the scenes at Parkhead as 'shameful.' This pair released Libyan mass-murderer Abdelbaset al-Megrahi As the entire country talks about the drama and passion involved, some copper's union chief has a totally different slant on it. He wants the fixture shut down or played behind closed doors. Call me cynical, but was it more than just a coincidence that Les Gray, Chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, claimed police wouldn't have enough resources to cope with seven Old Firm matches this season three days before Home Secretary Theresa May told his members to expect a pay cut. Needless to say the copper's alarmist talk grabbed more headlines than Libya this week, which brings us not-so-nicely to our politicians. It's all kicking off in Tripoli and the Middle East is going up in flames. David Cameron had more on his plate than to concern himself with Wayne Rooney scudding James McCarthy with his elbow. But up here the First Minister Alex Salmond and his Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill are disgusted because Ally McCoist and Neil Lennon squared up to each other. Salmond described the scenes at Parkhead as 'shameful.' This pair released Libyan mass-murderer Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, who was convicted of the Pan Am Flight 103 bomb which killed 270 innocent people, and sent him home to a heroes welcome and a party in Tripoli! Now they're going to lecture Celtic and Rangers about the need to clean up THEIR act! It's not so long ago Glasgow was being described as the murder capital of western Europe. Knife crime remains a huge problem. Sectarianism and bigotry are rife in the west of Scotland. We drink too much, eat the wrong things, there's a drug culture and on top of that we take young impressionable children and send them to separate schools - then bleat about the poisonous religious divide in our society. Maybe if we solved some of those problems, most of the issues surrounding Old Firm games would cease. Instead, the politicians are going to put the world to rights by taking the Old Firm to task about their conduct! But they can't help themselves when they are presented with a high-profile opportunity to mouth their opinions. I wouldn't give tuppence for politicians getting involved in football. What sanity has John Reid brought to our game at Celtic by questioning referees' integrity and supporting Peter Wishart's ludicrous proposal that refs should publicly declare who they support? Lennon is crossing boundaries all over the place and upsetting a lot of previously reasonable people Reid also publicly branded Rangers 'Boring Holy Willies.' Has this former Home Secretary done anything to calm tensions ANYWHERE? Yet he has the power and authority to do some good by looking at his own club and recognising there is a problem with Neil Lennon. He has to ask why it is Lennon has become such a hated figure, to the extent he now requires round-the-clock protection and people are sending him bullets and fake bombs. Martin O'Neill was a Catholic who played for Nothern Ireland and went on to manage Celtic. He ticked many of the same boxes Lennon does, yet he was able to go about his business without the same level of animosity. In fact he was grudgingly admired by most Rangers fans. Why is Lennon so different? Whether he admits it or not I'm sure Walter Smith will have had a word with Ally McCoist now he's been confirmed as Gers' next boss. Lennon is crossing boundaries all over the place and upsetting a lot of previously reasonable people. Someone in power has to pull him aside, put a fatherly arm around his shoulder and give him some advice. They must remind him he is no longer a combatant in these games, he's the manager of Celtic and that comes with a whole lot of added responsibility. If a player is over-stepping the mark on the pitch and has lost the plot, it's a manager's job to pull him back in line. How can Lennon do that if he's racing to the touchline to square up to an opponent - even one as objectionable as El Hadji Diouf? Why does he continue to behave the way he does? It's not rocket science. It's because no one he respects in authority has told him not to. Right now no one in power at Celtic seems to be sounding the alarm about their manager's behaviour and warning him enough is enough, cut it out now. And until someone takes on that responsibility I'm not sure Lennon is capable of policing himself.

CELTIC boss Neil Lennon has been pushed to the brink by the sickening hate campaign against him, Hoops coach Alan Thompson warned last night. Lennon has been repeatedly targeted by thugs who have sent chilling death threats, brutally attacked him and even posted bullets to him. The latest sinister package - addressed to him at Celtic Park - was discovered by terrified mail workers at a sorting office in Saltcoats, Ayrshire, yesterday. It comes 48 hours after he clashed with Rangers' assistant boss Ally McCoist and controversial Ibrox star El Hadji Diouf during this week's Old Firm game. And Thompson - Lennon's closest ally at the club - revealed how the menacing attacks have taken their toll on the 39-year-old. The former Celtic midfielder said: "I was having a beer with him on the Friday night before the Old Firm game and we got rushed out of where we were. "He was taken home and given 24-hour surveillance for him and his family for two nights - the night before the game and the night after the game. "There has been live ammunition sent to him and then this - this is just unbelievable. People think he should just accept it. But it's a hard way to live your life." Thompson, who took over Lennon's duties at the regular pre-match press conference, added: "It's not new to him, he's had them before and no doubt he'll have them again. But they're going to take their toll." The assistant manager, also revealed how the hate campaign had affected Lennon's family. Thompson said: "His family are first and foremost, both in Scotland - his partner Irene and his little boy Gallagher - as well as his mum, dad and sisters back home. I spend a lot of time with him at work and away from work and I know how difficult it is for his family. "He has been up here 11 years and he has had it from then until the present and will have it until he leaves. I think it is important that he gets the protection and backing that we give him." Asked if Lennon was set to quit Parkhead, Thompson replied: "Only Neil and his family can make that decision. But I'd be surprised if he goes anywhere in the next nine or ten weeks. I think it will be something he'll sit down and look at in the summer." Lennon, a former Celtic captain and Northern Ireland international, has previously been targeted by a string of yobs. He was forced to withdraw from Northern Ireland's game against Cyprus in 2002 after a reported death threat from a paramilitary group. In 2008 he was knocked unconscious after being attacked by two men in Glasgow who were later jailed for the brutal assault. And two months ago he slammed the sick maniacs who sent bullets to him and Celtic winger Niall McGinn, 23, in the post after the New Year Old Firm game. The packages were posted in Northern Ireland and intercepted in a sorting office. The latest chilling find saw cops race to the Saltcoats sorting office before setting up an emergency cordon around the building and removing the package which later turned out to be a hoax. Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell said: "Clearly this most recent sickening event in a long line of threats to Neil and his family is extremely worrying. "No one in any walk of life should have to live their life in this way and those responsible should be condemned." A Strathclyde Police spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that we are currently investigating a suspicious package discovered at a Royal Mail sorting office in Chapelwell Street, Saltcoats. Enquiries are ongoing." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/3448089/Neil-Lennon-on-the-brink.html#ixzz1FiPwF7zT

BAD boy El-Hadji Diouf should be booted out of Rangers following his Old Firm red card shame. That's the view of Express Sport columnist and Celtic and Scotland legend Charlie Nicholas. Diouf was involved in bust-ups with Celts boss Neil Lennon and the Hoops skipper Scott Brown during the Light Blues' 1-0 Scottish Cup fifth round replay loss at Parkhead. The Senegalese striker was also accused of clashing with the home physio Tim Williamson before being sent-off after the final whistle by referee Calum Murray for dissent. Diouf threw his shirt into the away end at time-up, but Nicholas insists he has seen enough of the controversial 30-year-old, who arrived on loan from Blackburn in January with a bad reputation for trouble. And he insists Ibrox chief executive Martin Bain and the board should lay down the law to manager Walter Smith. Nicholas said: "Get him out of the country and get him out of our league. "He had a chance to come to Scotland and clean up a sullied reputation, but he has failed abysmally.He should be ordered back down the road to Blackburn this morning. "Ibrox board members should be brought into play, they should sit Walter Smith down and ask him just how much more trouble this guy might cause. "My own view is that there's a strong chance he'll be involved in more flashpoints with Rangers and Celtic set to meet twice more before the end of the campaign, so I'd say: 'Thanks for your help. Goodbye and good riddance'. "He's not concerned about the team's ambitions. "It's all about what is going on within his own little world and, having seen him pretty much go out to get himself ordered-off, I will say right here and now that his world should be brought to an end today." Read more: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/232542/Boot-out-Diouf-blasts-Celtic-legend/Boot-out-Diouf-blasts-Celtic-legend#ixzz1Faeyllyc

What is this all about from Corrigan (hmm, origin of that name)? Self-publicity? Courting the attention of his superiors? Preparing for political office? Wanting the Cardinal to christen his grandchild? How is it that this sort of thing is tolerated from a senior policeman, who has no role to make such statements? Oh silly me, he's one of them.

RANGERS Football Club issued the following statement after First Minister Alex Salmond and Strathclyde Police announced that a summit will be held next week to discuss events surrounding recent Old Firm matches. Chief Executive Martin Bain said: "At Rangers we have spent the day looking closely at the events of last night and the widespread comments expressed. "When the First Minister and I spoke today I said we would willingly take part in the summit and welcomed the opportunity to discuss matters surrounding these fixtures 'frankly and openly'. Martin Bain at the AGM"At the summit we think it is important there is clarity on the issues we need to address. "In relation to the match itself, we will be making the following points: "There was indeed increased tension at last night's match between the clubs, mainly as a result of incidents at previous matches where two of our players were the subject of extreme verbal abuse in the tunnel and around the dug-out area at Ibrox. "Our management team are highly regarded across the football world for their approach to the game. Our Assistant Manager, who is acutely aware of representing Rangers in the best possible way, became embroiled in a situation last night where he acted in the defence of our players. He met Neil Lennon again after the match and is now satisfied the Celtic Manager is fully aware of his views. "The dismissal of three Rangers players and the extraordinary number of bookings we believe is a matter for the Scottish Football Association's disciplinary process. "We should point out that in recent matches between the two teams the number of bookings and sendings off has been unremarkable. "There has been extensive criticism of referees and the SFA this season and we are now questioning the impact of that criticism. Refereeing Old Firm matches is an extremely difficult task but the number of bookings last night compared with other recent Old Firm fixtures indicates the match was not controlled in the same way. "We regret that on one hand the SFA Chief Executive today said they had launched an investigation into the whole matter and then in the same statement immediately leapt to conclusions on two of our players. "On the wider issues raised by the Police, we as a Club take our social responsibilities very seriously, and the work we do to tackle issues such as anti-social behaviour, sectarianism and racism has been recognised by government, police authorities and football authorities. "As regards drunken, violent or sectarian behaviour - either at Old Firm matches or in the wider community - we are at one with the Police and Government. Indeed, we work closely with Celtic through the Old Firm Alliance and other initiatives to tackle sectarianism. "The issue of drunken behaviour in the wider community is something that all agencies need to work together to address. As a football club we are more than willing to play our part."

Rangers boss Walter Smith today revealed how Neil Lennonââ?¬â?¢s treatment of El-Hadji Diouf sparked the touchline mayhem at the end of last nightââ?¬â?¢s Old Firm match. Lennon came out of his technical area to exchange words with Diouf as he complained to fourth official Iain Brines after Steven Whittakerââ?¬â?¢s dimissal in the Scottish Cup fifth-round replay. His actions angered Gers assistant gaffer Ally McCoist, who then had to be separated from the Hoops boss by coaching staff after the final whistle. It is not the first time Lennon has allowed himself to become involved with Rangers players in the Old Firm game since taking charge. He lambasted Steven Naismith for a tackle on Mark Wilson in the first cup game and was allegedly involved in an incident in the tunnel in that game with Vladimir Weiss and Diouf. The Northern Irishman also exchanged words with countryman Kyle Lafferty after his side had won 2-0 at Ibrox back in January. Smith said: ââ?¬Å?I think the problem was simple. Alastair was a bit annoyed that Neil was being aggressive to one of the Rangers players (Diouf). I think that was annoying him. These things happen. Playing each other seven times in a season doesnââ?¬â?¢t help.ââ?¬Â He added: ââ?¬Å?Diouf is an easy target for criticism and he gets himself wound up a little bit as he has done at the end of the game because it was a frustrating evening for us to see two players sent off. Thatââ?¬â?¢s the way he is. ââ?¬Å?I am not so sure we committed many more fouls than Celtic. I felt Whittakerââ?¬â?¢s first yellow was soft, although I wouldnââ?¬â?¢t have argued with the second. Obviously I was disappointed with that. ââ?¬Å?Madjid Bougherraââ?¬â?¢s first yellow card was one, the second one was clearly not. He slid in and clearly takes the ball and the Celtic playerââ?¬â?¢s momentum takes him over the top. ââ?¬Å?From my own point of view I feel the referee got carried away with the crowdââ?¬â?¢s reaction. ââ?¬Å?It was a competitive cup-tie, but there were challenges I didnââ?¬â?¢t think were worth yellow cards. ââ?¬Å?As I say, I couldnââ?¬â?¢t complain about Bougherraââ?¬â?¢s first caution or Whittakerââ?¬â?¢s second, but I felt they were both unlucky to be sent off. There was nothing that left anyone injured.ââ?¬Â http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/editor-s-picks/walter-smith-neil-lennon-antics-set-off-touchline-spat-1.1088363

The Scottish Police Federation has called for an end to Old Firm "madness" after trouble flared once again at last night's match. Thirty-four arrests were made as Celtic beat Rangers 1-0 in the Scottish Cup fifth-round replay. An SPL match at Celtic Park last month led to 16 arrests within the ground and more than 200 in the Strathclyde force area. SPF chairman Les Gray said police no longer had the budget to deal with match-related unrest, and he called for the derby to be played behind closed doors or banned altogether. Mr Gray said: "We simply don't have the money and resources to do this. "Everyone involved needs to sit down and look at this. Something has to give. This madness cannot go on." Strathclyde Police said last night's arrests were for a variety of sectarian, racial and breach of the peace offences. Police had warned they would crack down on drink-fuelled violence linked to the match after trouble flared in the wake of the last Old Firm game. On February 20, more than 229 people were arrested in the force area and in some cases prisoners were said to have been driven 50 miles as police cells filled up. Mr Gray said consideration should be given to playing the matches behind closed doors or restricting the television coverage. Speaking after the latest clash, which saw Rangers assistant manager Ally McCoist and Celtic manager Neil Lennon involved in angry scenes, he said: "What happens on the pitch is reproduced throughout Scotland, on the streets, in pubs, in homes. "You cannot justify it. It can't keep on going." Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said the violence has more to do with alcohol and is less about football. He said yesterday: "There is a deep-rooted and unacceptable social issue involved - which has a great deal to do with Scotland's damaging relationship with alcohol, and little to do with football. "The issue is far wider than clubs and the game. It is about a culture of violence fuelled by alcohol. "By all means drink responsibly and safely but do not get drunk, get violent, assault your partner or anyone else - the message is that any such conduct is utterly shameful and unacceptable." What a fucking joke.

http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=2111&newsCategoryID=36&newsID=7351 What an attention-seeking over-reaction!

CELTIC coach Alan Thompson last night blamed Ibrox star El Hadji Diouf for sparking Old Firm mayhem. Thompson claimed Diouf lit the fuse on an explosive Scottish Cup tie that saw 13 yellows dished out and three Rangers players sent off as Celtic ran out 1-0 winners thanks to a Mark Wilson goal. Celtic boss Neil Lennon had a furious bust-up with Gers No.2 Ally McCoist on the final whistle and had to be hauled apart by their backroom staff. Itââ?¬â?¢s alleged McCoist told Lennon as they shook hands: ââ?¬Å?Why donââ?¬â?¢t you stay away from our players?ââ?¬Â in a reference to the managerââ?¬â?¢s earlier spat with Diouf on the touchline. McCoist and Lennon had also clashed in the first half of the fifth-round replay after the dismissal of Steven Whittaker for two yellow card offences. That left Rangers with 10 men and they were reduced to nine in injury time when Madjid Bougherra picked up his second caution. Diouf then lost the plot after Calum Murray blew for time and launched a verbal assault on the ref who flashed a second yellow just as Lennon and McCoist went nose to nose. Hoops coach Johan Mjallby also had to be pulled away from Diouf as he made his way up the tunnel at half-time. Thompson claimed his team were innocents and the on-loan Blackburn star started it all off when he aimed a dunt at Celtic physio Tim Williamson. He said: ââ?¬Å?Our physio went on the pitch as Whittaker was being sent off and Diouf threw a shoulder on him, which was dismissed. ââ?¬Å?However, Neil saw it and it has all gone on from there. ââ?¬Å?Diouf came over and said something to someone on the bench and we asked him to calm down. ââ?¬Å?Did our bench show discipline? Iââ?¬â?¢d say yes. ââ?¬Å?I didnââ?¬â?¢t see what happened with Johan at half-time, as for Neil and Ally at the end something has been said that wasnââ?¬â?¢t taken in the right way. ââ?¬Å?TV cameras show what went on but Neil has done nothing untoward.ââ?¬Â Asked if Rangers had lost their discipline, Thompson added: ââ?¬Å?I donââ?¬â?¢t want to talk about Rangers too much but any team that has three red cards in one game Iââ?¬â?¢m sure will be looked at, yeah. ââ?¬Å?Rangers have players who play on the edge. ââ?¬Å?Overall, weââ?¬â?¢re delighted with our performance football and discipline wise. Ally and Neil may have had words and it went on a little bit from there but there is a lot at stake. Itââ?¬â?¢s understandable to a certain extent. ââ?¬Å?We got three yellow cards out of everything that went on. We asked players to be disciplined and they were.ââ?¬Â The SFA will this morning launch an enquiry into the scenes that shamed the Scottish game with the probe being launched on the same day Lennon goes before the beaks to appeal his six-match touchline ban. Thompson was asked if Lennon was absent from the media conference after the match so he could gather his thoughts. The coach said: ââ?¬Å?Yes. Heââ?¬â?¢s downstairs having a chat with Dermot Desmond and Peter Lawwell.ââ?¬Â Rangers boss Walter Smith tried to explain the McCoist-Lennon bust-up, saying: ââ?¬Å?Ally was annoyed Neil was being aggressive towards a Rangers player. ââ?¬Å?There was an incident involving Neil and Diouf and then another moment in the tunnel at half-time.ââ?¬Â http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2011/03/03/celtic-coach-alan-thompson-rangers-striker-el-hadji-diouf-provoked-all-the-trouble-86908-22962692/

CELTIC manager Neil Lennon and Rangers assistant manager Ally McCoist had to be pulled apart last night at the conclusion of an explosive Old Firm Scottish Cup tie which is likely to be subject to SFA disciplinary proceedings. The Ibrox club, who lost the fifth-round replay 1-0, had three players sent off by referee Calum Murray who dished out 13 yellow cards in total, just three of them to Celtic who secured a quarter-final visit to Inverness Caledonian Thistle on 13 March. Steven Whittaker was dismissed in the first half, Madjid Bougherra followed him in stoppage time and then El Hadji Diouf was shown his red card after the final whistle. The indiscipline extended to the technical areas and saw Lennon react furiously as he shook hands with McCoist, apparently in response to a comment made by the man who will be his direct opponent in the Old Firm rivalry next season. Rangers manager Walter Smith revealed McCoist had been unhappy with what he regarded as confrontational behaviour from Lennon towards Diouf during the match. The controversial Senegalese striker had picked up his first booking in the first-half after squaring up to Lennon on the touchline. "These things happen," said Smith. "I'm always reasonably quick up the tunnel, so I didn't see what happened. But the problem there was quite simple. Alistair was quite annoyed that Neil was being aggressive towards one of the Rangers players. That annoyed him more than anything else." Asked if he would still attend the traditional post-match meeting of the rival managers, Smith added: "I always go for a drink with the opposition management team after a game. It might be an interesting cup of tea this time, right enough. I'll referee." In the immediate aftermath of his final assignment as Rangers manager at Celtic Park, Smith defended his team's conduct and claimed referee Murray was wrong to send off both Whittaker and Bougherra. He accused the official of being influenced by the home support. "I felt Steven Whittaker's first yellow card was a soft one," said Smith. "I wouldn't argue with the second one, but he is unfortunate to have got the first one. Madjid Bougherra's first one was a yellow card, but the second one was clearly not. He slid in and clearly got the ball. The Celtic player's momentum made it look worse than it was. "I think the referee got carried away by the crowd's reaction on both occasions. It was a competitive cup tie but there were challenges I didn't think were worth yellow cards. As I say, I couldn't complain about Bougherra's first caution or Whittaker's second, but I felt they were both unlucky to be sent off. I'm not sure we committed that many more fouls than Celtic. There was nothing that left anyone seriously injured but there were yellow cards handed out throughout the game. It makes the reflection of the game worse than it actually was." Smith made no defence of Diouf's red card, earned when he berated Murray after the final whistle, but did claim there was an element of provocation involved. "He is an easy target and lets himself get wound up," said Smith. "There was a lot of frustration at the end of the game. He gets a bit het-up, that's the way he is." The teams will meet for the sixth time this season in the Co-operative Insurance Cup final at Hampden on 20 March and have one more SPL fixture to play at Ibrox. Smith, who joked that he agreed with a call from senior police officer Les Gray earlier this week to ban Old Firm games, admitted that the number of times the teams face each other increases the tension. "Playing each other seven times a season doesn't help, but there has to be a balance there from everyone in terms of what is a level of competitiveness and what isn't. It certainly gives you plenty to write about, so I don't think you should complain too greatly. I have been involved for a long time in these games now. How many Rangers-Celtic matches have been like this? It is worse if you don't compete. We didn't compete at all in the last game here and got battered. "From our point of view, it was a better performance than the last time here. At least we made a tackle in this game, we never made one the last time. So there was a slight improvement there. "We were disappointed to lose a goal as early as we did in the second half. It settled Celtic. We had one or two flurries going forward, but there were not many clear-cut opportunities for either side." http://www.scotsman.com/rangersfc/Rangers-blame-Neil-Lennon39s-treatment.6727585.jp

WALTER SMITH has banned his players from boozy nights out and trash talking on social networking sites as part of his bid to turn their season around. Record Sport told yesterday how the Rangers boss ordered his players into Murray Park last Monday on their day off for a crisis summit less than 24 hours after watching them slump to a humiliating 3-0 thrashing against Celtic. Now we can reveal explosive details of Smith's dressing-room address which has stirred his team back to life ahead of tomorrow night's return to Parkhead for a winor-bust Scottish Cup replay. Smith demanded that his troops rediscover their focus in time for the end of season run in by: Warning that any player caught nightclubbing will face disciplinary action. Blasting the use of Twitter accounts. Barring his players from posting any inflammatory remarks. Ordering them to keep their private lives off the front pages. Smith's training ground showdown has triggered an instant reaction from his players who have bounced back with a European glory night in Lisbon and a 4-0 SPL thumping of St Johnstone. Smith even went as far as to say his players were disgusted with themselves after their capitulation on derby day. But rather than go easy on them the veteran manager made it clear what he demands of them in his final three months at the helm. Record Sport can reveal that he was angered even before kick-off at Celtic Park when a Sunday tabloid splashed graphic details of a fight between the wags of keeper Allan McGregor and midfielder Maurice Edu. He has demanded that his players and their partners keep a lower public profile from here on in. And that includes using the internet to take cheap shots at Celtic. Smith has clearly reached the end of his tether and his players were left in no doubt that they will be in hot water if they are caught stoking things up again. Edu - who bagged the goal in Portugal which saw Smith's men into the last 16 of the Europa League - is a prolific tweeter with almost half a million followers. But his last comment came one hour before the derby on February 20. It read: Game time Old Firm derby let's go. A Rangers source said: "It is fair to say Walter went off on one during his meeting with the players. They have been left in no doubt over what is required from them from now until the end of the season. "He felt they needed reminding of exactly what is expected of them as Rangers players and his message seems to have hit the mark." http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2011/03/01/rangers-boss-walter-smith-lays-down-the-law-to-players-to-turn-around-season-no-drink-no-nightclubs-no-twitter-86908-22957890/

ONE man has taken so much flak since he first donned the Rangers jersey. He has taken more abuse than I've ever seen heaped on ANY player at my old club. Well, this morning I say to El Hadji Diouf: Take a bow, son. Yes, I wrote in SunSport that his spitting shame would have earned him a battering from my old Nine-in-a-Row mates. I stand by that. Last night, though? Last night I was in the midst of the Rangers support in Lisbon who saw the on-loan Blackburn Rovers star work his a*** off for the Ibrox side's cause. I thought he was brilliant and led the line so well in his role as a solo striker. I leapt for joy when he buried that header from Steven Davis' pinpoint cross and I was delighted for him. He earned his first goal for Gers. Three years ago when Gers won through against Sporting Lisbon did anyone truly believe that Walter Smith would lead them all the way to the UEFA Cup Final in Manchester? No way. Well, why shouldn't this team believe they can go all the way to the Europa League Final in Dublin? My mates were texting me last night and saying McBookie have Gers at 33/1 to win the Europa League. Well, I might just take a piece of that. Make no mistake this was a triumph fashioned by The Gaffer. He had to drag a performance out of these boys after they had surrendered so tamely in that awful 3-0 Old Firm defeat. Now I really feel this can kick-start Gers' season again. As Marvin Andrews used to say: Believe! After a poor season by his own lofty standards, this was also a great night for Davis to get back towards the levels he can reach. It was a killer ball for Diouf's goal and I was gutted Gers then fell behind to a team I believe were poorer than them over the two legs. The ending, though, was fairytale stuff and it was terrific to see dyed-in-the-wool Gers fan David Healy as the architect of it. When his low cross came fizzing over I was just praying for one of the Gers players queueing up to bundle it home. Maurice Edu did and I discovered what it was like for those punters who followed us through the Nine. I nearly had a heart attack in the celebrations! Now? Well, the SPL might be scratching their heads this morning - but Walter, Coisty and their players can hold theirs high. The dramatic away goals win in Lisbon will mean a frantic few weeks for Rangers as fixtures are crammed in left, right and centre. But Walter wouldn't have it any other way after another night to remember on the continent. I must admit, for a while it looked like Rangers had blown their chance of going through to a last 16 clash with Dutch aces PSV. But had they crashed out, they'd have wondered just how it had all happened. Once more though they never gave up, never let their heads drop. Gers' last visit here will forever be remembered for a quite brilliant individual goal from Steven Whittaker. This time though they left as winners thanks to a TEAM performance to be proud of as each man did the job Walter asked of them. At the back Davie Weir led by example after bravely rolling out of his sickbed to take his place and inspire those around him. Until he was subbed with 20 minutes to go, he proved my point that his experience is still vital - and that he WASN'T past it after Sunday's Old Firm defeat. Diouf might have his critics for what he's done in the past without a ball at his feet. But last night he showed the reason Walter decided to take him to Ibrox on loan last month with that energy-sapping shift. He set the tone for me. It would have been easier for Gers to crumble at 2-1. After all, they have been written off and pilloried for such a woeful show at Celtic Park on Sunday. I know from experience there's no hiding place at Rangers when the s*** hits the fan. Believe me, those players will have been told by Walter that they let the club down against Celtic. He will have gone over the video and SLAUGHTERED them. One by one. Last night they started to repay a debt to the manager - now who knows where they can go from here? I can't wait for the PSV tie now. As big Marv said: Believe! Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3432575/Els-angel.html#ixzz1EyBBynWL

Before I start, I'd like to make it clear that this league still has a long way to go. As always, any defeat should be taken in context and not used to write off title challenges or make other teams look better than they actually are. However... Yesterday was a total disgrace from our players and the manager should not escape criticism either. Ironically, I doubt many of us would have disagreed with the starting XI - even if a few of the players have been under-performing generally this season. Sure, a 4-5-1 may look immediately defensive but we still had the offensive players to make it work effectively. For whatever reason most of the team simply downed tools - and not for the first time this season. Indeed, that is the most worrying aspect of yesterday's defeat. Like at the end of the Advocaat reign and during the final months of the McLeish era, our team look devoid of ideas, lack inspiration and are utterly vacant in their commitment. To make matters worse the management team seem incapable of motivating them or reversing our backward spiral. When one considers our next manager is partly responsible for this negative trend, it is safe to say that worry soon turns to fear. The malaise and uncertainty running through Rangers Football Club is nothing new. Our financial issues are debated daily and the last decade has been one of short term outlooks with little long term security. We have an owner who runs off to France when the going gets tough, directors who are too busy defending themselves to defend the club, players whose only loyalty is to the coin and fans who'd rather argue with each other than get together to lobby for solutions. Nevertheless, obviously one defeat to Celtic isn't the end of the world. Win our games in hand and we're only two points behind. Beat them at Ibrox in the next SPL game and we could very well be in front again. Certainly, what happens on the park is directly related to how we perform off it. And arguably that's why caution appears to be the mainstay of our tactical outlook. How can any team play with abandon when they know their manager is leaving, they know the club owner couldn't care less and they know they'll only be offered a pay-cut despite any potential success? However, that doesn't explain our inability to do the basics right and work hard for your team-mates. The way the Celtic team hunted in packs and were physically stronger than every one of our players made me more than angry sitting watching the game. Yet, our players just bent over for more while our manager refused to make any changes that may have helped us influence the game a bit more. Let me be clear again. Walter Smith has done a fantastic job in both his tenures at the club. To win 9IAR was incredible but to come back and keep us competitive for four seasons, winning two titles and coming close to more - as well as taking us to the UEFA Cup final - compares just as well. For those successes he'll have my eternal thanks. Unfortunately, he can't escape criticism either. Being loyal to players is an admirable trait. Being stubborn tactically has yielded results I didn't think were possible in some games. But sometimes he can take these virtues too far which quickly turns positives into negatives. Quite simply there are a few players in this team that have not performed this season - outwith the odd game. Key personnel like Whittaker, Bougherra, Davis and Edu to name a small selection were again awful yesterday - awful; yet all completed the match and it is unlikely any of them will be dropped for the future. Persevering with guys so obviously short of confidence isn't being loyal - it is merely making things worse. Of course naming a few players arguably isn't fair. These guys aren't the only ones who appear to lack the quality and belief required to retain the title. Bad passing, poor shooting, dreadful set-pieces and unacceptable attitudes are prevalent throughout the side. Every player needs to ask themselves if their contribution is worthy of the huge salaries they earn. Lamentably, as seen yesterday I just think the problems are now too numerous for us to be considered capable of winning the league this year. That's not defeatism but simply being realistic when looking at the evidence. I honestly don't see how players so obviously low in morale and lacking in character can turn this around. The next few months will be the biggest test of Smith's managerial career and will determine his legacy for many. Can he respond? Finally, there's no shame in losing. Whether it be the game yesterday, or the title this season, sometimes being second best happens. However, what is important, and what is absolutely vital for our club's future, is the way we react it it. We can feel sorry for ourselves and turn an Old Firm loss into a meek title concession. Or we can finally show some pride and use the hurt from yesterday to give us the spark required to get back into this title race. Rather than raise the white flag of surrender, we need to regroup, "to fight and gain the victory". The future is now.

For those who like a flutter like myself. Selected odds. Davis and Whittaker first goal attractive seen as Whittaker is on pens. Although 18/1 could also be the price of us getting a pen today - long shot! but Im going for Diouf first goal. Celtic 11/10 Rangers win 12/5 Draw 12/5 First Goalscorer Jelavic 11/2 Healy 7/1 Lafferty 7/1 (not sure how they work that one out) Naismith 8/1 Diouf 9/1 Weiss 10/1 Whittaker 18/1 (should be on pens) Davis 20/1 Bougherra 28/1 (always worth a quid or 2) Correct score (Rangers win only) 0-1 7/1 0-2 11/1 1-2 10/1 0-3 33/1 1-3 28/1 (repeat of last away OF game) 2-3 25/1 0-0 8/1 1-1 11/2 2-2 14/1 3-3 50/1

Rangers manager Walter Smith has accused Celtic of encouraging a climate of mistrust and paranoia among their support and of attempting to increase pressure on match officials with their unrelenting complaints about the performances of referees and their appeals against punishments handed out to players and manager Neil Lennon. The 62 year-old, in his final season in charge at Ibrox, has had enough of the conspiracy theories emanating from Parkhead and, as he prepares to take his team to the east end of Glasgow tomorrow, he welcomed former Celtic manager Gordon Strachanââ?¬â?¢s declaration this week that there was no institutionalised bias against the club. It was a comment apparently aimed at Peter Lawwell, Celticââ?¬â?¢s chief executive, and chairman John Reid. The latter had claimed at the clubââ?¬â?¢s AGM in November that the Clydesdale Bank Premier League leaders would not tolerate being treated as second-class citizens by the governing bodies, hinting at a historical discrimination. ââ?¬Å?We wonââ?¬â?¢t be treated as less than anyone else,ââ?¬Â said Reid. ââ?¬Å?Those days are gone.ââ?¬Â With referee Iain Brines about to take charge of his first Old Firm encounter tomorrow, Smith echoed Strachanââ?¬â?¢s sentiments. ââ?¬Å?It would have been difficult for Gordon to have said anything else, wouldnââ?¬â?¢t it?ââ?¬Â he asked. ââ?¬Å?When you win three consecutive championships itââ?¬â?¢s very difficult to say that there are people conspiring against you. ââ?¬Å?You canââ?¬â?¢t win three successive titles with people conspiring against you. This has been a situation Celtic have been happy to promote but when their former manager comes out and says that there is no conspiracy then you can realise why. ââ?¬Å?He was good enough when he was there to lead his team to three championships so, from a Rangers point of view, did people conspire against us during that period of time? And the truth is that they didnââ?¬â?¢t and the truth is that they donââ?¬â?¢t. ââ?¬Å?The truth is that if youââ?¬â?¢re good enough then youââ?¬â?¢ll win and Celtic were during Gordonââ?¬â?¢s time as manager so I agree with what he says. ââ?¬Å?I think that Celtic have tried to use that to their own advantage ââ?¬â?? I donââ?¬â?¢t believe thereââ?¬â?¢s any doubt about that but Gordonââ?¬â?¢s comments this week have led everyone to the actual truth. ââ?¬Å?Like I say, if youââ?¬â?¢re good enough youââ?¬â?¢ll win but it suits them to build up an environment where everybodyââ?¬â?¢s against them when, obviously, theyââ?¬â?¢re not or they wouldnââ?¬â?¢t have won what theyââ?¬â?¢ve won if then world had been against them. ââ?¬Å?Everyone has to remember that Celtic have won three out of the last five championships so if people are conspiring against them I wouldnââ?¬â?¢t like to see what theyââ?¬â?¢ll do once they stop. ââ?¬Å?So it suits them just now to gain some motivation from that 'everyoneââ?¬â?¢s against usââ?¬â?¢ type of attitude plus everything is new and fresh there at the moment but weââ?¬â?¢ll just need to wait and see what happens. ââ?¬Å?If people want to keep, promoting that thatââ?¬â?¢s fine: I prefer to look at the footballing side of the situation rather than anything else. Going to Celtic Park will be difficult ââ?¬â?? all Old Firm games are. The games up until now have been close and the fact both teams have lost at home adds another aspect to it. ââ?¬Å?For us, having extra games with a smaller group is an obvious difficulty but we have a pride in our performance.ââ?¬Â Algerian defender Madjid Bougherra believes it is essential for Rangers ââ?¬â?? five points behind, having played two games fewer ââ?¬â?? to win the two remaining league fixtures against Celtic because he doesnââ?¬â?¢t anticipate any of the other SPL clubs taking all three points from Lennonââ?¬â?¢s side. ââ?¬Å?I think thatââ?¬â?¢s the case,ââ?¬Â he said. ââ?¬Å?If you want to win the championship you have to win all your games but the Old Firm games are very vital. If we win the two games in hand it is still in our own hands. ââ?¬Å?For us, if we win the game it will be fantastic for us to take into the [return leg against Sporting Lisbon] next Thursday as well as for the championship. ââ?¬Å?Celtic are going very well this season and donââ?¬â?¢t look like dropping many points, so it is the best moment to close the gap.ââ?¬Â http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/scottish-premier/8334743/Celtic-v-Rangers-Parkhead-club-happy-to-promote-conspiracy-theories-says-Walter-Smith.html