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Happy birthday, gaffer! Exclusive by Lindsay Herron WALTER SMITH should probably be cautious when he goes into the dressing room on Sunday ahead of the Gretna game - if he has learned anything in nearly 30 years of dealing with Ally McCoist. Walter is 60 on Sunday and there is bound to some form of high jinks with people like McCoist and partner in crime Ian Durrant about! Ally McCoist, Walter Smith and Kenny McDowallThe two of them were the kings of the Rangers dressing room in Smith's first period in charge and when he was assistant to Graeme Souness. Now they are his valued lieutenants in his second term as boss and deadly serious about their business. However, few people can lighten up a room like McCoist or Durrant and there are bound to be a few laughs before the day is through. McCoist said: "We have to wish him a happy birthday although I think there is many a time he didn't think he would make it! "It's a great birthday and behalf of the staff and all of the players we hope it's a happy one. "Knowing the Gaffer as I do, the best thing to make him happy would be a win against Gretna!" The relationship between Smith and McCoist stretches back further than the trophy-laden years they spent together at Ibrox in the 1980s and 1990s and their more recent jobs with Scotland and Ally McCoist and Walter SmithRangers. McCoist revealed that Smith had the misfortune to have a youthful Ally under his charge when the Scotland under-17 team when to the French Riviera. Smith, then a blossoming coach with Jim McLean's Dundee United, had been appointed assistant to Andy Roxburgh in the youth set-up and was well thought of in football circles. Unfortunately, he fell for a trademark McCoist gag - although Ally soon learned the angry side of Smith! McCoist told me: "I first came across Walter when he was assistant to Andy Roxburgh with the Scottish youth team. "We took a side to Monaco. I was still at school at the time and was playing with St Johnstone. "I was rooming with big Davie Moyes and I made the mistake of locking Walter on the balcony of our hotel room! "He made the mistake of falling for the old 'what a good view we have here' routine and walked out onto the balcony and the door was promptly locked! "Twenty minutes later I was terrified to unlock the door and big Davie had to let him in and, funnily enough, I never locked him out on the balcony again after that!" It was to be 1986 before McCoist and Smith were fully connected when the latter joined Rangers as assistant to Graeme Souness in the ground-breaking move which rocked the football world. Nacho Novo and Ally McCoist arrive in SpainSmith had been part of the most successful period in Dundee United's history, helping them win the Scottish Premier League title in 1983 and reaching the European Cup semi-finals the following year. United and Aberdeen had attacked the Old Firm's dominance of the game and won with the Dons also winning the title in 1980, 1984 and 1985. Tannadice was a place to be feared and that was not lost on Souness who had got to know Smith through the international set-up. Following the death of Jock Stein in 1985, Alex Ferguson had taken over as Scotland manager on a temporary basis and he made Walter his assistant. McCoist revealed: "I remember being at a Scotland get-together at the Grosvenor Hotel prior to the Mexico World Cup and Graeme was there as a player and Walter was there as assistant manager. "That was the first time we heard that they were coming to Rangers and what a transformation that proved to be, not only for Rangers Football Club but for Scottish football in general." It is well documented the impact the appointment had and Rangers fans could not have imagined the riches that lay in store. A first title in nine years along with the League Cup came in year one and the new Rangers were off and running.Walter Smith and Ally McCoist Celtic won the crown back in 1988, but it was fleeting success. The nine in a row era was about to start and the League Cups kept coming. McCoist, though, never had the best of relationships with Souness who, having signed Mark Hateley in the summer of 1990, chose to partner the big Englishman with Mo Johnston rather than Ally. McCoist was on the bench more often than not, earning him the nickname of The Judge. Being a man who thrives on humour, Ally accepted the tag but, again, there was a serious element to it all which almost resulted in him leaving Rangers. It was Smith who, by his actions, convinced Ally to stay and the rest, as they say is history. When Souness left for Liverpool, Smith made McCoist and Hateley the most terrorising strike partnership of the period McCoist explained: "Walter put faith in me in his first season in charge and that was important for me. "I have to be honest and say that I was at a bit of a crossroads at that time. We had competition for places the previous season and it's well documented that Graeme wasn't that too sure of me, which is a polite way of putting it. "Thankfully, when Walter took over he played me. I managed to go on a good run with big Mark and it worked out wonderfully well. "One of the first games that season was against Hearts at Tynecastle and he gave me my chance and I scored that night. Kenny McDowall, Walter Smith and Ally mcCoist"So I was very thankful that he gave me the opportunity to play and it snowballed from there for me." Those who were around Ally during his playing days at Rangers would be the first to admit that they did not foresee a day when he would lead training sessions and organise tactics on a grand scale. However, he has proved in the last three years that he has this ability in spades and, of course, Walter Smith was the catalyst by recruiting him for the national team. He said: "I was thrilled to bits when he gave me the opportunity with Scotland. It was a massive move and a massive chance for me. "In many ways it was better than going somewhere else full time. It was a perfect experience and learning curve to come into a part-time environment. "And it proved to me that I wanted to do it full time." McCoist got that chance last January when Smith returned to Rangers to replace Paul Le Guen, steadied the ship and now has his eyes on all of the major prizes this season. So, what's it like now all these years after locking Walter out on a balcony in Monte Carlo? He said: "My relationship with him now is not that much different from when I was playing for him. "He is still the boss, and that's the way it should be, but we are obviously closer in the sense that we talk about things and talk about the team a lot more on the coaching side. "I am very respectful of the relationship we have and thankful of the relationship we have and it's one that I value very highly. "It is different in the sense that as a player there are things your manager would not discuss with you but now we are open with each other on so many things." There is a family celebration of Walter's special birthday coming up which will undoubtedly be a great affair but it is unclear what the coaching staff and players have planned. McCoist, with that impish smile he has never lost, said: "There will be something in the dressing room for him, but I'm not sure it will be a birthday cake!" Many happy returns, Walter.

MAD MARCH: Eight games in 28 days could hit Gers title bid RANGERS IN MARCH 1 Aberdeen (h) SPL 6 W Bremen (h) Uefa 9 Hibs (h) Scottish Cup 12 W Bremen (a) Uefa 16 CIS Cup Final 19 Partick (h; tbc or SPL) 22 Hibs (h) SPL 26 Scotland v Croatia 29 Celtic (h) SPL by Darrell King Rangers' dramatic win in Athens last night could seriously impact their dreams of winning back the SPL title this season. Nacho Novo's equaliser against Panathinaikos took Rangers through on away goals to a last 16 meeting with Werder Bremen. It also added to a hectic mad March of games for Walter Smith's side. Rangers face a punishing schedule of eight games in 28 days next month. advertisement And the Scotland players in the squad - such as Barry Ferguson, Lee McCulloch, Kris Boyd and Allan McGregor - could play NINE games, with the national side also having a game against Croatia. The 1-1 Athens draw last night also means that, with every midweek now filled, it is almost certain the Old Firm derby - originally scheduled for January 2 - won't take place before Celtic visit Ibrox on March 29. That would result in three Old Firm derbies being played in the last six weeks of the campaign - with the last two of them at Parkhead. The chances of a delay to the 33-game split in the SPL is also likely as Rangers also have rearranged fixtures with Motherwell and St Mirren. Rangers survived a few anxious moments in Athens last night. And Christian Dailly today relived the debut moment he feared would send Rangers crashing out of the Uefa Cup. The Scotland man was thrown on as a right back sub in last night's 1-1 draw with Panathinaikos in Athens, a result that sent Smith's side through to a last 16 showdown with Werder Bremen on the away goals rule. Bremen went through 4-0 after a 1-0 win at Braga, and will be at Ibrox on Thursday, March 6 with the return game six days later. But Dailly revealed how he feared German ref Felix Brych would point to the spot after his superb goal saving tackle on Dimitris Salpingidis as the Greeks pursued a killer second goal. The hitman had raced clear of Davie Weir before the 34-year-old made a last-gasp tackle, clearly taking the ball. But Dailly said: "What was going through my mind? You are always worried that the referee maybe doesn't see it properly and gives a penalty. "I did fear that might happen and that would have been a nightmare debut. "I saw their lad bursting away and my first reaction was just to get over and try to close him down. I kept my eye on the ball and when I slid in I thought to myself: That's a good contact'. "But you see the boy going down and the reaction of the crowd and sometimes refs give a penalty. That would have given them a chance for 2-0 and it would have been very tough for us then with 20 minutes to go. "So I was relieved, although the bottom line is that it was never a penalty. But things don't always go for you. "I was just happy to make that tackle, and it was maybe similar to the one big Carlos Cuellar made in the first half in terms of stopping a clear shot on goal." Porkhead twice in the last six weeks could be a nightmare. I would hate them to win the league against us at home. I hope we have a cushion to stop that. if we still have a lead they will hit us with everything. Including the kitchen sink. Nightmare scenario!!

http://www.gersnetonline.net/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=600&Itemid=1 Don't know if Gersnet members have seen them but as usually happens when Celtic are trailing in the league, the usual conspiracy theorists are out in force telling us how the officials and Mike McCurray in particular are biased in favour of Rangers. Allow me to post a few stats to dispute these claims. I'm sure each reader will make up their own mind whether or not a Baptist Pastor is capable of going against his faith and profession to cheat. In the emails/forums, the main bone of contention for paranoid Celtic fans is the fact McCurry booked 9 of their players in one match (which supposedly helped Rangers win 3-0 that day) and the fact there is an anomaly with regard to how many Rangers games he's officiated this season. Please don't laugh as I help these poor people with their arithmetic - using a suitable compairson in Dougie McDonald who has actually refereed more Celtic games than McCurry has Rangers so far this term (percentage wise). As it stands this season we have the following stats: McCurry 15 SPL games 5 (33%) involving Rangers (4 Rangers wins - 1 defeat) 4 (27%) involving Celtic (2 Celtic wins - 1 defeat - 1 draw) McDonald 13 SPL Games 5 (39%) involving Celtic (5 Celtic wins) 3 (23%) involving Rangers (2 Rangers wins - 1 defeat) Let's add in discipline for these refs: McCurry Rangers games: (8 Rangers players booked - 17 opposition players booked) Celtic games: (12 Celtic players booked - 6 opposition players booked) If you remove the old Firm game where 9 Celtic players were booked as they again lost their discipline in such a match (I can't remember any obvious officiating mistakes other than McDonald being lucky to stay on the park and a perfectly legitimate Rangers goal chalked off for offside), then you have very similar stats for both clubs. Certainly nothing worthy of genuine concern IMO. McDonald Rangers games: (6 Rangers players booked - 6 opposition players booked) Celtic games: (8 Celtic players booked - 6 oppositions players booked - 2 sent off) Again, very similar stats for both clubs. Certainly nothing worthy of genuine concern once more. Also just for argument's sake it is worth looking at McCurry's direct Old Firm discipline record in a bit more detail. Including the OF game you obtain the following data already posted above: Rangers games: (8 Rangers players booked - 17 opposition players booked) Celtic games: (12 Celtic players booked - 6 opposition players booked) Take the OF game out of the equation (an understandable statistical spike given the volatile nature of the match) you get this data: Rangers games: (6 Rangers players booked - 8 opposition players booked) Celtic games: (3 Celtic players booked - 4 opposition players booked) Now, that means despite only refereeing one more Rangers SPL game so far this season he has booked 2 times as many of our players compared to Celtic. Conclusions Now, I think we will all agree that some of the decision-making by the officials this season has been nothing short of scandalous, inconsistent and generally of a poor standard. However, for anyone (Celtic or Rangers fan) to suggest someone is cheating deliberately (especially McCurry who has presided over more Celtic wins than Rangers wins in Old Firm matches over the years (and booked more Rangers players in these games); is not only laughable but dangerous when one considers how the Celtic support have behaved towards officials in the recent past. What happened to the 'No Excuses' mantra - did that disappear with O'Neill and Sutton a few years back?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_of_wales/7253826.stm Just saw this, that means Cardiff take part in the English and Welsh FA cups - how can that work!!! They are going well in the English Championship and in the FA cup quarter finals. Surely there is a legal case for the old firm to use this and get into the English leagues.

May been discussed to deatb but I thought it was a good read. Can anyion e think of ANY other team in the SPL that wouldn't hav Boyd as a starter?

Thought this was a great read. We've all debated the pro's and cons of Boyd on here. Some are for and some are against. Im a huge fan and would love to see him starting every game. 15 goals in 17 starts is phenomanal.

It seems ages since we last played Celtic back in October. We have only had 1 OF game in the last 10 months. Roll on the next one. Has there been a date set for the game that was cancelled at New Year? We've got them at Ibrox on March 29th which is still over 6 weeks away!!! Hopefully we are spoiled by them - 3 league games in a short space of time and hopefully we can stuff them in the Scottish cup also!

http://www.gersnetonline.net/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=590&Itemid=1 The morning after the night before, eh? Iââ?¬â?¢m sure Iââ?¬â?¢m not the only football fan nursing the equivalent of a hangover this morning as the hype of January transfer window closes for another season. Internet forum server issues, ridiculous radio-phone rumours and around-the-clock satellite sports news excitement ââ?¬â?? coupled together they make for quite a cocktail of commotion and emotion. Hence the hangover this morning; especially when our team havenââ?¬â?¢t been as pro-active as weââ?¬â?¢d all like. Despite my article of Tuesday morning warning all Rangers fans of the unlikelihood of substantial investment in the wake of the Alan Hutton transfer, movement occurred nonetheless and it seems we werenââ?¬â?¢t far off securing the services of Italian striker Andrea Caracciolo from Sampdoria while we did manage to sign the Fulham and Northern Ireland midfielder Steven Davis on loan from the Premiership. Davis is actually a decent signing and although Iââ?¬â?¢m not personally a huge fan of loan deals, he will provide the kind of genuine back-up and depth required for Barry Ferguson and Brahim Hemdani as Kevin Thomson sits out for another two months. Obviously the Ã?£4million deal for Caracciolo was the most exciting rumour of the day and every Rangers fan waited with baited breath as we heard Walter Smith and Martin Bain were in Italy. Unfortunately (or as it may have turned out ââ?¬â?? fortunately) the huge striker chose to stay in his homeland and drop a division to Serie B to play with his former club Brescia. Itââ?¬â?¢s ironic that in the week one Rangers player leaves to realise his ambitions what seems to be our main transfer target lacks the same aspirations in his career to move to the UK ââ?¬â?? instead blaming a lack of self-confidence and the weather for his decision. Hardly the mental and professional discipline you want to hear from a player you want to spend the total of around Ã?£7million on! A lucky escape then perhaps? Unfortunately what this debacle does highlight is the further incompetence of our Chief Executive. Martin Bain quite simply is not up to the job. I bear the man no ill-will and in his Rangers career (over 10 years now) heââ?¬â?¢s done some good work in the face of constant criticism and financial downsizing while being the stereotypical lamb to the slaughter while his boss relaxes in France. A well paid ââ?¬Ë?yes-manââ?¬â?¢ nonetheless though and the way weââ?¬â?¢ve conducted our business this January (and in the past) shows just how out of his depth he is. To avoid any confusion Iââ?¬â?¢m not criticising the club about not spending the ~Ã?£10million from the Hutton/Cousin deals per se. As I wrote the other day, not spending it is understandable to a degree and Iââ?¬â?¢d much rather we were prudent and efficient in our dealings. However, if there was around Ã?£5million to spend, surely the old adage of not keeping all your eggs in one basket applies here? Weââ?¬â?¢re told that the club have scouted Caracciolo for months, yet we leave it to the absolute last minute to try and negotiate our way through the confusing world of the Italian transfer system ââ?¬â?? three clubs involved directly, other clubs interested, translators required and agents hovering with their claws as sharp as ever. Yet, ex-catalogue model Bain is deemed to have the tactical nous to navigate his way through such a tough deal ââ?¬â?? all in a few hours!? I certainly donââ?¬â?¢t pretend to be some sort of finance guru or transfer expert but time was never going to be on our side so instead of wasting time taking last minute flights to Genoa, we should have moved onto our next target. We do have one Ewan Chester, donââ?¬â?¢t we? Or was Willie McLies too busy hawking wee Broon again to furnish us with his usual brand of short-term client information? Certainly Martin Smithers and his merry band of under-achieving assistants are not justifying their inflated wages while the rest of us pay for the privilege of watching them let us down time after time. But, and this is the crux of the article, all the above does not mean we have a convenient get-out clause for not winning the league (or the other competitions weââ?¬â?¢re in). Yes, we should have strengthened while Celtic have done so (to a degree) but we still have more than enough talent at Ibrox to compete on all fronts. Losing Alan Hutton is a big blow and Daniel Cousin (if he does actually leave ââ?¬â?? more crazy dealings by our staff given the obvious FIFA rulings) is a similar loss. However, we have deputies more than capable of taking their place. Steven Whittaker has shown he has the game to develop into a fine player while a fit Darcheville and a determined Boyd would keep out most strikers out of many teams anyway. Christian Dailly and Neil Alexander may not be the most glamorous of signings either but both will provide competition for places and much-needed experience as we proceed towards our goals. As such, despite all the valid criticism aimed at the likes of Bain and despite all the obvious disappointment of not capturing another player or two, itââ?¬â?¢s vital we keep our eyes on the prize. A four point lead is a good one and should be able to defend this over the coming months with the existing squad. Three Old Firm games in two months will be the ultimate decider but we have nothing to fear in that regard either. So, confidence should remain, support for the players and manager should remain and no excuses will be accepted. The SPL is attainable and nothing less will suffice.

Cup Game Is Off RANGERS' Scottish Cup clash with East Stirling has become a victim of the weather and there could be consequences for the rearranged Old Firm game on January 23. Ibrox is waterlogged after torrential rain all night and this morning and a decision was taken to call off the fourth round Cup tie with the Third Division side. Rangers officials are talking with the SPL and SFA right now to find out when the East Stirling match can now be played but January 23 is a Scottish Cup date. We will have more on this story as soon as we can.

Linky Cannae beat a midweek OF game. Hutton won't be suspended for the OF game as we play Gretna and ICT away before we play the dhims on the 23rd.

Rangers face a fixture backlog after last night's rescheduled Clydesdale Bank Premier League match against St Mirren was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch at Love Street. The latest delay exacerbated a pile-up that already includes outstanding away games against Gretna and Celtic. Walter Smith, the Rangers manager, bemoaned the latest incon-venience as officials at the SPL scoured the calendar to find a suitable alternative date. Ian Blair, the SPL's director of administration, will attempt to address the deepening problem first thing this morning. Finding a new date for the St Mirren game will be the priority since the original match, scheduled for November 10 last year, was cancelled to allow Scotland longer preparation time for their ill-fated Euro 2008 qualification decider against Italy. "Rangers have a lot of midweek games and are also involved in the UEFA Cup," said Blair. "Hopefully, they will be involved in more midweek European games, but it poses a problem for us domestically. advertisement "It is already proving difficult to fit in the outstanding games and this is an added complication for us. We are still trying to find a date for the Old Firm game but we will make the latest cancellation a priority." Rangers will play Gretna - a match postponed from Sunday, December 9 to aid the Ibrox club's Champions League pre-parations against Olympique Lyonnais - at Fir Park next Wednesday and may be permitted to play St Mirren the following midweek, but only if both sides negotiate their Scottish Cup ties without the need for a replay. Tuesday January 22 and Wednesday January 23 are designated as cup replay dates, but the SPL may seek special dispensation to play the match then, provided both clubs are free. Another possibility is to play the St Mirren game on the first midweek of March and delay the league split by playing the outstanding Old Firm fixture, cancelled on January 2 as a mark of respect after the death of Phil O'Donnell, on April 8. Smith will leave it to the administrators to alleviate the increasing burden but admitted that it was an unwanted complication. "There is a difficulty fitting in this game now and we've had enough trouble trying to fit in the Celtic game," said Smith. "We will need to sit down and discuss things again and will just have to fit the two games in somehow." Smith and his St Mirren counterpart, Gus MacPherson, agreed that the referee, Stuart Dougal, was right to postpone last night's game after torrential rain. Dougal made his first inspection at 6.15pm and with no sign of the weather abating decided to call off the match 20 minutes later. "The referee's decision was correct," said Smith. "It was not just a problem with the pitch but driving conditions for the fans on the roads. It is the proper decision." The cancellation has cost St Mirren around �£30,000 in lost television revenue, with Setanta Sports set to screen the match live, but Dougal was more concerned with player safety. "It was a bit of a lottery, or even worse," said Dougal. "It was just about playable after my first inspection but it was clear it was only going to get worse. "I had to take into account player and fan safety. In an ideal world, I would have liked another 15 minutes to make up my mind and but in my heart of hearts I knew it would not have made a difference. "I spoke to both sets of players and they came to the same conclusion." Alan Hutton's future, meanwhile, remains at Ibrox for the foreseeable future after the full- back rejected the latest offer from Tottenham Hotspur. The player and his agent were informed of the improved personal terms of the proposed �£9m transfer but the 23-year-old reiterated his intention to stay in Scotland.

Let me start by apologising. If admin are not fussy for this 'rumour' being discussed and lock it down, i'll understand. I heard it from two seperate guys at work, where they got it from i'm not sure. Seemingly, In the summer Walter was interested in bringing KM back to Ibrox, but thought the immediate old firm switch would maybe hit a few raw nerves on both sides. So there's been a deal done with Derby and Billy Davies for him to play down there until the january window and then bring him back up. Part of the deal was for a certain Gers player(not sure who) to go the opposite way. I just wondered if any of the guys had heard anything regarding this? There is every chance of this being a lot of absolute bollocks. So once again my apologies.

Is the January old firm game confirmed as a 12.30pm kick off? I dont know about any of you , but i work for an English company and am back to work that day. Totally gutted ,dont think i've ever worked through an Old Firm game .

Saturday, 8 December 2007 ----------------------------------------------------Time ----------TV Aberdeen v Kilmarnock ---------------------15:00 Celtic v St Mirren -----------------------------15:00 Falkirk v Dundee United -------------------15:00 Hearts v Motherwell ------------------------15:00 Inverness CT v Hibernian ------------------15:00 It will be no news to anyone that the Rangers game against Gretna planned for this weekend, has been cancelled. There are many meanings over the good or bad side of this decision, but the bottom line is, if we are still in the Champions League and hot on Celtics heels next week, then it will be a good decision. If we lose to Lyon and are seven points behind Celtic that decision will be open to criticism. Time will tell! Aberdeen will be bursting with confidence after their win against Hibernian last week. They get a visit from Kilmarnock which brings a clash of heads of two of the managers tipped for the Scotland job. Jimmy Calderwood seems to have pulled Aberdeen out of a rut after they nosedived a few weeks ago. After a decent display in Spain they sparkled against Hibs in a surprising 3-1 win last week. Kilmarnock have lost their last four games and Jim Jefferies will be pulling all the stops to stop the rot, as they free fall down the league. I think Aberdeen will be too strong for Killie who seem to be struggling to find a run of good form this season. Aberdeen win. St Mirren make the short trip from Paisley to Celtic Park,where Celtic will be going all out to pile up the pressure on Rangers at the top of the League. Rangers supporters will be praying for a miracle which Gus McPherson would love to give us, but the Buddies have been struggling of late, and there are no reasons to think Saturday will be any different. Celtic win. Dundee United had a shock defeat at home to Inverness last week, and have another banana skin to avoid this week, when they visit the Falkirk stadium. United funnily enough have been blowing hot and cold since they lost to Gretna, when a win would have seen them top the league. Falkirk on the other hand hit the form last week that made them one of the most attractive footballing teams last term. They thrashed St Mirren at Love street 5-1. On their day Falkirk can give everyone a difficult time and even when rangers beat them 7-2 they were at times the better team. I am going for a Falkirk win but this one could go anyway. Falkirk win. Hearts v Motherwell is another game that is very difficult to predict as both teams can play super one week and crap the next. Motherwell are more consistent but if Hearts hit form then there are not many teams in the SPL that can live with them, and they have beaten both the old firm this season. Motherwell are not a team who will go and defend so this could be the best game for the neutral supporter. All in all my gut feeling is that Hearts will win but i won�t be putting any money on it. Hearts win. Inverness meet a Hibs team who will be trying to kick start their early season form. They have only managed a scrappy win against Gretna in recent weeks and were outplayed against a rejuvenated Aberdeen team at Pittodrie last week. Inverness on the other hand had a poor start to the season but have had a good spell since Craig Brewster took over. Hibs have been playing so bad lately that I think they are due a turn in form. Inverness are the perfect team to try and change things. Hibs win.

RANGERS have asked the SPL for permission to postpone next Sunday's league meeting with Gretna at Fir Park in order to give Walter Smith's squad more time to prepare for the Champions League showdown with Lyon. The Light Blues' recent trip to St Mirren was cancelled, as was Celtic's home game with Falkirk, so that Scotland's Old Firm players would not pick up injuries before the Euro 2008 qualifier with Italy. Although asking for the clash with the Borderers could lead to a fixtures backlog, chief executive Martin Bain hopes the SPL will support Gers' bid to progress to the last 16 of Europe's premier club competition by agreeing to put it off. Rangers must avoid defeat against Alain Perrin's Ligue 1 title holders to go through to the knockout stages of the event with Barcelona. Having the match with last season's First Division champions moved back would give Smith and his players 11 days to get ready for the biggest game of the season so far and improve their chances of reaching the latter rounds. A club spokesman said: "Following media enquiries Rangers can confirm that we have approached the SPL and Gretna Football Club this week to seek the postponement of our fixture at Fir Park on Sunday December 9 in lieu of our Champions League match with Lyon."

Saturday, 1 December 2007 --------------------------------------------Time --------TV Hearts v Celtic -----------------------------12:30--------*** Dundee United v Inverness CT---------------15:00 Motherwell v Gretna -----------------------15:00 Rangers v Kilmarnock-----------------------15:00 St Mirren v Falkirk---------------------------15:00 Sunday, 2 December 2007 ---------------------------------------------Time---------TV Aberdeen v Hibernian----------------------- 14:00---------*** After a European programme midweek we return to SPL action on Saturday. Celtic will be full of confidence after their last minute win against Shaktar, when they visit Tynecastle, to take on Hearts. They will be hoping to avenge the 2-0 defeat when the two teams met in the CIS cup. Celtic won the first SPL meeting 5-0 but I don’t see that happening at Tynecastle. Hearts are a difficult team to predict as to how they will play They are great one week and garbage the next. They have beaten both of the old firm this season but I think Celtic will do as always and grind out a win. Celtic win. Dundee Utd are at home to Inverness, which should see them taking three points. Inverness are a far improved team since their last meeting when Dundee won 3-0, but with home advantage craig Levein should be able to rally his troops to secure victory. United win. Motherwell and Gretna fight it out on Saturday for the home championships. Who will be lord of Fir park. Gretna surprised everyone last week to secure a point against Hearts but Motherwell are far more consistent team than Hearts and as the steel men are the true home team they will take all three points. Motherwell win. Rangers return from our disappointing defeat in Stuttgart, to get a visit from Kilmarnock to Ibrox. Although Killie always put up a good fight against us we always seem to come out on top. Even although we are carrying a few injuries I see no reason to think we will drop points against them. Maybe this is the poison chalice but as I said before, if we drop points in these games we do not deserve to win the league. Rangers win. St mirren against Falkirk is my tip for the draw this week. St Mirren will be trying to get the show on the road again after their undeserved defeat up at Inverness. St Mirren had the most of the play against caley thistle but it was Caley who scored with their first chance of the game, and then held out for the rest of it. Although Falkirk lost 3-1 to rangers last time out but they played some good football and were searching for the draw until Chris Boyd tied the game up for Rangers in the dying minutes. I can definitely see these two teams cancelling each other out, so i will go for the draw. Draw. Sunday 2 December On Sunday Hibs go up to pittodrie to meet the Dons, who are on a three game losing run to, Hearts, Celtic and Atletico Madrid. Hibs have also had a poor November with two draws against Hearts and Dundee United and a struggled win against Gretna. Aberdeen will still have their European game in the legs and Jimmy Calderwood will have a tough job to boost their confidence. They have also lost two of their most experienced players in Jackie McNamara and Jamie Smith. I am going for the result I hope for, in this case and that is a draw as it suits Rangers best. Draw.

With the ongoing debate about Celtic goalkeeping embarrassment Artur Borucââ?¬â?¢s behaviour before, during and after football matches still raging across the footballing community, Gersnet was interested to read the Scottish Parliamentââ?¬â?¢s reply a to a petition from the Scottish Catholic Observer regarding Borucââ?¬â?¢s blessing ritual before games he appears in. One may remember that in early 2006 Artur Boruc was cautioned by Strathclyde Police because of his behaviour at an Old Firm match. Before the start of the second half (in front of the Copland Stand) Boruc accompanied his usual inoffensive genuflection with a series of offensive gestures ââ?¬â?? including the wanking sign, the ââ?¬Ë?Vââ?¬â?¢ sign and the ââ?¬Ë?come-onââ?¬â?¢ gesture. Many people ââ?¬â?? including police officers ââ?¬â?? observed this unacceptable inflammatory behaviour and Boruc was rightly punished (albeit leniently) as a result. Since then many people have attempted to deflect from the issue at hand to suggest that Boruc was somehow being made out to be a criminal because he blesses himself. Nothing could be further from the truth. Several players (at home and abroad - including Rangers players) have performed this respectful religious gesture ââ?¬â?? usually without the childish stuff Boruc tends to accompany his with ââ?¬â?? which is thus largely respected by any decent Rangers fan. As such, the Right Honourable Elish Angioliniââ?¬â?¢s (Lord Advocate for Scotland) reply to one of these mischief-makers really makes for interesting reading. In it, she again reiterates the Procurater Fiscalââ?¬â?¢s decision of the time that: ââ?¬Å?The Procurator Fiscal made it clear in writing to Mr. Boruc that it was the evidence of his alleged gesticulating to Rangers supporters in a provocative manner that was of concern. She did not in any way refer to the act of blessing himself.ââ?¬Â Thus, hopefully the Scottish Catholic Observer and the many Celtic fans (including official singing sections) who continue to peddle the ââ?¬Ë?Blessing Yourself is Not a Crimeââ?¬â?¢ deflection from the issue of Borucââ?¬â?¢s provocative behavior of February 2006 will read the link to the Parliament reply very carefully. While any religious person (controversial sporting figure or not) should have the right to observe their religious beliefs when and where they like; Boruc may well be better advised to follow Cardinal Winningââ?¬â?¢s advice of being careful not to ââ?¬Ë?prostituteââ?¬â?¢ their faith by being overly gratuitous in the act. Certainly Borucââ?¬â?¢s religious thoughts certainly seem a bit different from the norm when he often goes onto be so vocally and visually violent in many games (not always against Rangers either). Certainly, I doubt any decent catholic (or any religious person) would be too proud of Boruc grabbing opposition players by the neck, slapping his own players across the face and constantly making offensive gestures at many different supports. Hardly the behavior of any self-respecting Christian. But then that wouldnââ?¬â?¢t give this attention-seeker the sort of publicity he obviously enjoys. Appealing to the lowest common denominator of Celtic support seems to be his main aim. Thereââ?¬â?¢s no doubt Boruc (like many players in the Scottish game) receives a multitude of unfair and unnecessary abuse. It canââ?¬â?¢t be easy not to react and occasionally one can appreciate the banter that does occur as opposed to people complaining about nothing. Nonetheless, Old Firm players who perform in one of the greatest world matches in one of the greatest atmospheric powderkegs have a duty to act in a manner more befitting of genuine Christians. Blessing yourself is not and should not be a problem. Accompanying such an act (and detracting from it) with other needless gestures is. To conclude, of course ââ?¬Ë?Blessing Yourself is Not a Crimeââ?¬â?¢. 'Breach of the Peace' via several other offensive gestures is. Letââ?¬â?¢s hope we can finally put this whole issue to bed. References a - http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/petitions/petitionsubmissions/sub-07/subIndexForPE1005.htm

Well that was the first old firm game of the season. and what a game it was. Celtic were so off the pace even Lewis Hamilton couldn�t have closed the gap. Well Lewis wasn�t in a gap closing mood at the weekend anyway. What is a tim in an Ibrox derby- Timid Word has it that Scott McDonald had been in touch with Tam McGowan before the game, seemingly he wanted to do a whole series of offside And then there was our big friend Artur Boruc, what a guy. After the game he wouldn�t give a hand to the Rangers players. Well he never got a hand to anything the whole afternoon anyway. Story goes that he was so upset he refused to go on the bus back to Parkhead saying he would catch a taxi. Wee Gordie replied well I hope you have better luck catching that. It is rumored that Celtic have a new transfer policy. They won�t sign a player who has been circumcised, You have to be a complete dick to play for them. There was a wee striker from Spain, For Rangers against Celtic he was play�n, Big Caldwell was slow, and let the ball go, For Nacho to head home again. Our captain had his mind set, a win is what we would get he wouldn�t let O'Day, get in his way, as he toe-poked the ball in the net. Charlie Adam made the tims sick as he mystified Sno with a trick, Evander thought he would shoot, then gave Adam the boot, Nacho stroked home the penalty kick. The Celtic supporters felt so proud, and were trying to sing very loud, but they all ceased their din, when the goals flooded in, now they�re a much quieter crowd. Before the game Boruc is a perpetual crosser, during the game a perpetual dosser, seemingly his god, won�t shake hands with a prod, or is he just a bad losing Tosser. Shunsuke Nakamura had asked Gordon Strachan to go for a drink with him after the game but Gordie had to renege. He was frightened of the Sak-i . Taxi!!!

LOUIS VAN GAAL last night warned Rangers they face mission impossible tomorrow night against Barcelona. The Spanish giants have big injury problems ahead of the Champions League clash with Portuguese ace Deco out for five weeks and fellow midfielders Yaya Toure and Rafael Marquez also on the sidelines. Ronaldinho missed Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Villarreal amid more reports of partying while away on World Cup duty with Brazil while Thierry Henry failed to sparkle at the weekend. But former Barca coach van Gaal has written off Walter Smith's side despite their emphatic Old Firm victory and successive group wins over Stuttgart and Lyon. He said: "Anything can happen in football but it's impossible for Rangers to beat my old club. "Rangers are doing well and have surprised many with the way they've started the group stage of the Champions League but facing Barcelona is something else. "I'm sure they will believe they can do something in Glasgow - but I just don't think it's possible. "Not only do Barca work hard but they also have a great physical strength and I don't think you can stop them at the moment. Rangers can try but I do not think so." Van Gaal knows what it takes to win the Champions League after guiding Ajax to glory in 1995 and the AZ Alkmaar boss believes Rangers' best tactic is to sit in. The man who delivered two La Liga titles during his four-year spell at the Nou Camp knows stars like Ronaldinho, Henry, Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o can pick holes in any defence in the world but reckons Barca are vulnerable to the counter-attack. He said: "People talk a lot about Messi but there isn't just one star at Barca - there are 11 stars. "My advice to Rangers is to reduce the space and look for any opportunity to hit them on the break. "The way Barca play there is always space in behind their defence and Rangers must use their quick players to make the most of this." Meanwhile, one of Henry's old Arsenal team-mates reckons the Frenchman can be stopped at Ibrox. Robert Pires was in the Villarreal side that won on Saturday night and he reckons Barca aren't giving Henry the ball enough Pires said: "Barcelona are not playing as they have to with Henry. "They are not looking for him enough. He hardly touched the ball against us. He is a player who needs to be on the ball. "He has to be involved in the game. At Arsenal when we had the ball we would always look for him but at Barcelona that is just not happening." Henry scored three times for France last week to become his country's all-time record goal scorer but delivered his worst Barcelona display ahead of the trip to Scotland. However, Pires blamed the poor club form on Barcelona's failure to play to Henry's strengths rather than any lethargy from his former team-mate. He said: "They both have to adapt to each other. Barcelona have to adapt and Thierry also but he is a player who is very easy to play with - and I'm not saying this because I played for three years with him." Pires led Villarreal's assault on Barcelona's jittery defence with the Barca back-line breached three times inside the first 35 minutes. And he believes a similar hightempo game can earn Rangers a shock win tomorrow. Pires said: "Rangers have to be aggressive in midfield. If you want to beat Barcelona you have to put them under pressure in the middle of the park. "You have to be on top of Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Deco, although Deco won't be playing after his injury on Saturday. "Those three are the most important players in their team and it is from there that the danger comes so you cannot afford to let them play. "It will be very difficult for Barcelona in Scotland because of the pace Rangers play at. "You would expect Barcelona to win but they always give you chances to score. You have to put them under pressure - that is why we won on Saturday. "We put them under pressure, we defended well, we got hold of the ball and we played with great intensity." Villarreal midfielder Marcos Senna reckons Ibrox' intimidating atmosphere can roar Rangers to victory. The midfielder, who scored two penalties in the surprise weekend win, played at Ibrox two seasons ago for Villarreal in the last 16 of the Champions League. Senna said: "The fans are like an extra player for Rangers. The Ibrox atmosphere is one of the best in the world. "When I played there it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. "I would love it if the fans in Spain were like that. Rangers' supporters are among the best in the world and they can help their team enormously. "When we played there we drew 2-2 - we went ahead and then they came back at us and the fans made anoise I have never heard before. I will never forget that night." Senna agreed with team-mate Pires that Rangers can take the points if they get in among Barca's superstars. He said: "When you play against Barca you can't give them space to play. They have great players in midfield so you have to put them under pressure and play with speed and intensity because if not then they kill you. "I think Rangers can play that way - they are a very strong team, a big team in Scotland - and I think they can play with that intensity and beat Barca. "Of course, they have to play a very complete game because Barcelona are one of the best sides in Europe. "It doesn't get you anywhere to sit back against Barcelona. They will just play the ball around and they will wear you out with their passing game. "We were playing at home and we have a good team so we were not going to just sit back and defend. "We did what we always do - we played our football and tried to get forward whenever it was possible." Barcelona were criticised in the Spanish press following the defeat at Villarreal but Frank Rijkaard's No.2 Johan Neeskens insists his side aren't worried. He said. "Rangers always play the same way - especially at home - so we are not expecting any surprises. We know they had a big win at the weekend but that is good. "It won't change how we approach the game. Always when we go out to play a game we play for the win."

There is talk that the SPL / SFA want to re-schedule Rangers trip to St Mirren and Celtics home game with Falkirk on November 10 in order to protect the Scottish players from potential injury in order they are fit for Scotlands game against Italy. Personally I think this is a good idea and the clubs should aid the national team in such a huge game. We need Ferguson, Hutton, McCulloch, Weir, Brown, McManus and probably Hartley all fully fit and at top of their game for the Italy game. I can see a few fans thinking the games shouldnt be touched and I can kind of see there point of view. But Id rather see Scotland get to the Euro's next summer and for the sake of 1 saturday, if it helps, then I think its a good idea. Thoughts?

on setanta just there interviewer: all these games most be tiring, physically, perhaps not the ideal time for an old firm game? mcculloch: its my first game, so its ideal for me, i just want to play in it. he's been great this season, far better than i honestly expected. hope he does it today.

Celtc And The Art Of Losing Us Rangers fans are no strangers to the petulant and sometimes, bam right frightening way a Celtc player, manager (and most scarily) fans mind works after a defeat and especially an Old Firm defeat. No one can forget Chris Muttons scandalous comments after we defeated DAFC 6-1 to secure our glorious 50th League Title. For a fellow professional to come out on live TV and claim that his fellow professionals had cheated not only Celtc, but the rest of the league, DAFC fans etc left most people with a bitter taste in their mouths. To us Rangers fans who have witnessed such gracious comments in defeat, we just laughed and commented that it was the ‘Celtc Way’. In my lifetime of watching Rangers, I don’t think I have ever, in the aftermath of a title celebration, or an OF victory, picked up a post-match paper and read that Rangers won fair and square and that the game was ‘controversy free’. Today, after such a drubbing, the TWATS are keen to portray a well deserved victory, but you have the undercurrent and undertones that the referee was somehow ‘corrupt’. McCurry booked 9 Celtc players (didn’t send any off) and from my perspective, he got MOST (not all) of those bookings correct. In fact, you could criticise McCurry for not red-carding McDonald for his petulant kick at Alan McGregor and Scott Brown dished out some meaty challenges whilst on a yellow card. I came away from the game thinking that the worst decisions from the officials actually benefited Celtc – we had a very decent shout for 2 penalties that weren’t given and Lee McCulloch’s goal in the final minute WASN’T offside. Yet, listen to post match analysis and all the talk is of Celtc amassing 9 bookings. Now, we can not move on without a word regarding the Holy Goalie. Borat has previous, and not only in OF games. He has gestured to fans at Easter Road, Tynecastle and The Pits (to name a few), and yesterday seemed more interested in stirring up some passion from the gather MOPES than shaking hands with fellow professionals. Even his manager mentioned this in post-match interviews, but GS should take a look in the mirror before slating Borat. During his interview, GS refused to refer to Rangers, by name, once. It was ‘them’ and ‘they’. Compare and contrast this to Barry Ferguson and Walter Smiths post-match interviews. But hey, we are used to this, it’s the ‘Celtc Way’. The game itself developed into a very one-way encounter. We didn’t start the game that well but managed to impose ourselves and won ALL the personal battles. This allowed us to build momentum and establish our game plan. Barry Ferguson once again showed that on his game, he is one of the best midfield players in Britain. He has shown in 4 huge games this season (Stuttgart, Ukraine, Lyon and now the OF game) that he is everything that Scott Brown isn’t (as yet). His maturity shines through and he is a great leader on the pitch – he simply lifts those around him onto his level. We could had should have won by a more emphatic margin but we can be delighted in the 3-0 victory, or third OF victory on the bounce. This should be a platform for us and up next is the small matter of a visit from some team called Barcelona…. Big Jock Knew No matter your feelings on this chant, expression, topic, there is no doubt that Jock Stein was aware of child abuse at Celtc Park and did little / nothing to stop the abuse of children under the care of Celtc Football Club. There has been a subsequent court case concerning the perpetrators and during this case, evidence was given that Jock Stein and the Celtc board ignored warnings and refused to hand over these paedophiles to the Police. They were more interested in the clubs image. Now, at the game yesterday Police were confiscating scarves with the legend ‘Big Jock Knew’ on them. They weren’t giving any reason for this, they were just telling fans to bin the scarves or run the risk of not getting into the game, having their season tickets removed or facing a night in the cells. Surely you cannot be refused access to a football ground for carrying a scarf that is states a factually correct statement that has been proven in a court of law? Well, in Scotland you can. A Rangers fan in the Govan Stand was told to remove his top that had BJK on it. When he refused, he was arrested and was told that his details were being sent to Rangers and to expect a ban from Ibrox. The Police were asking Rangers fans entering the stadium to show them their scarves and Police were examining them. One fan with a ‘We Are The People’ scarf was told that this was offensive and sectarian and the Police confiscated the scarf. I wonder if the travelling supports scarves were under the same scrutiny? I doubt it as I saw a few with ‘FCUK Rangers’, God Bless The Pope (so much for keeping religion and football apart) and Bobby Sands scarves (there is a joke there, but we’ll not go there just now). MOPES Next Campaign I hear that the MOPES are going to lobby UEFA in an attempt to remove the five stars from our badge. According to Timmy (the oracle of world football) you can only display stars on your badge once you have won a European trophy, so we, like them should have only one star. Unknown to Timmy, issuing a star for 10 league titles started in the early 50's when Juventus won their 10th league title and added a star to their badge. This honour was then used in other countries like Germany and Turkey and once we won our 50th title, in started in Scotland. Little do Timmy know is that Rangers actually received permission and 'blessing' (sic) from UEFA to use the five stars as recognition of our world record of 51 titles. Nice try MOPES. Talking of MOPES, anyone hear the idiot on the phone-in last night? Complained that Rangers fans sang sectarian songs yesterday and that he was offended. The panel asked him what sectarian songs were sung. He then stated that he didn't know the titles of said songs. So then panel then asked him what the offending lyrics / lines were. He then said this, and I quote 'Look, I don't know what the songs are called and I don't know the lyrics to them but I do know that they offend me'....... Cammy F – We Are The People….

The old firm kids served up a thriller at Murray Park when they fought out a 3-3 draw. Andrew Shinnie gave the light blues the lead in 33 minutes,but Celtic were level within 60 seconds when Cawley found the net. Rangers went back into the lead three minutes into the second half when Isa Bagci scored but Celtic drew level again in 74 minutes through Santonocito. Billy Kirkwoods' boys thought they had won in 77 minute when John Fleck converted from the penalty spot. However Carey grabbed a third equalising goal for the Parkhead men and in the end a draw was a fair result. Rangers ; Gallacher,Forbes,Kinniburgh,Wilson,Harvey,Ness.Benditksson,Shinnie,Fleck,Efrem.

There's an Old Firm Derby on Saturday

In Pete's absence I'll quickly do this: Saturday, 22 September 2007 Falkirk v Motherwell, 15:00 Gretna v Dundee Utd, 15:00 Inverness CT v Hearts, 15:00 Kilmarnock v St Mirren, 15:00 Sunday, 23 September 2007 Hibernian v Celtic, 14:00 Rangers v Aberdeen, 15:00 Mark McGhee's Motherwell have been impressive so far this season and following their win in Aberdeen last week they make the trip to Falkirk who are conceding goals for fun despite trying to play a bit of football. This game doesnt look attractive on paper but probably wont be a bad match for the viewer. Id say a narrow 2-1 to Motherwell but a draw wouldnt send any shock waves. Gretna are now finding their feet in the SPL and may be getting used to playing at Fir Park. They entertain Dundee Utd who were my tip for a top 5 finish this season. Craig Levein has got something about him with this team and they are IMO back as a top 6 team where they belong. They have a winning streak about them and the chairman is getting on well with the manager and morale is high. I cant see anything other than an away win here. Hearts have finally kicked off there season with 2 good wins at Motherwell then against Rangers. They play a Caley side who are being beaten every week despite Craig Brewster returning to the team. Brewster has been a bit unlucky fixture wise since returning with trips to Hibs and Celtic so will expect better in his first home game in charge. I can see a draw here although Hearts will start as favourites. Kilmarnock v St Mirren - This has to be a banker home win. Killie have started well and have a chance to open up a gap between them and the bottom clubs here. The Saints are a never say die team but they dont have the quality to win every other game. 2-0 to Killie. Easter Road arguably has the game of the weekend on Sunday. Hibs are playing well again this season and are tough to beat at home. They have started well and like always will fancy there chances of getting something when the Old Firm come to the captial. Celtic are coming of the back of another away loss in europe despite a good winning run in the SPL. Should be an entertaining game and a score draw would be my prediction. Finally the other game of the weekend see's rivals Rangers and Aberdeen meet. The home side are on a high after getting their champions league campaign off to a winning start. They lost last time out in the SPL for the first time this season so that will be in the back of there minds and spur them back onto winnings ways. The Dons travel down to Glasgow with a disappointing return to Europe. They only managed a 0-0 with there Ukrainian opponents and now have it all to do in the 2nd leg. They havent won at Ibrox since 1991 and that will remain the same - I cant see anything other than a banker home win by 2 or 3 goals.