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http://sport.stv.tv/football/238344-celtic-chief-executive-peter-lawwell-appointed-to-board-of-scottish-fa/ Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell has been appointed to the board of the Scottish Football Association. The 54-year-old has been nominated as the representative of the Professional Game Board, which contributes to the running of football in Scotland. Lawwell joins the Scottish FA's chief Executive Stewart Regan, president Campbell Ogilvie, Alan McRae, Rod Petrie and Barrie Jackson on the board.

MOST football fans in Scotland do not support Celtic. The majority are not Rangers fans either. MORI and Gallup do not exactly do polls on this sort of stuff so there is no way to be scientific about it, but maybe each of them has about 35-40% of the people who follow a team and the rest are shared around all the other clubs. What those of all allegiances are coming to terms with - whether they rejoice in the fact or resent it - is that Celtic have turned the Scottish game into a one-party state. For most of its history the league title has been an endless tennis rally between Celtic and Rangers, the championship switching from one to the other every year or two. Only now and again has one of them emerged into the clear daylight of a sustained period of dominance. Celtic won six in a row from 1905, Rangers five from 1927. In the late 1960s and early '70s there were times when it looked as if Jock Stein had built a force that would never be caught. When Rangers emulated Stein's nine consecutive titles - latterly buttressed by the bountiful revenue stream of the Champions League - it felt as if Sir David Murray, Graeme Souness and Walter Smith had moved the Ibrox club to a position of power which would obliterate any competition. And what happened? The Lisbon Lions era was built around Stein's individual genius and when his powers waned Celtic were drawn back into the pack. In the late 1990s Rangers grew old and tired, and misspent their resources, to the point a rebuilt Celtic got back among the titles. Currently the record books show only two consecutive league wins for Celtic but that is the equivalent of taking a snapshot of Usain Bolt in the early stages of a 100m race. Everyone can be pretty sure of what is coming next. At Tannadice on Saturday there were the latest renditions of a tune that the Celtic support has been singing for quite a while: "Here we go, 10 in a row." It's part-celebration, part-triumphalism, part-threat to you-know-who. There are 40 clubs which have long grown accustomed to the idea of having no real chance of being Scottish champions any time soon, and one which has a demanding fanbase unused to being denied anything for long. It is common these days to hear people talk about how Celtic have the potential to begin a period of unprecedented domination "if they use their money wisely". What they mean is that if Celtic keep running themselves prudently, employing the right manager and players, staying out of debt and always having money to spend to replenish a winning squad, it is going to take an almighty effort for Rangers to ever catch them. The apocalyptic scenario for Rangers is that Celtic keep getting into the Champions League group every year. They secured £20m in Uefa money alone last season and now they have another £16m this season. That is almost twice as much dough as Rangers raised from a one-off share issue. If Celtic pull off another two qualifications in 2014 and 2015 that would amount to around £80m washing into the club before Rangers even have the chance to take them on in the league. Given that all the fundamentals - season-ticket, commercial and sponsorship income - are otherwise broadly comparable between the Glasgow clubs, the long-term difference between them will be Champions League income. And that means that when a player's agent tries to bring a talent to Glasgow (the same player is often offered to both clubs at the same time), Celtic should be able to pay higher transfer fees and wages every time they both want the same man. All of this is a chilling thought around Ibrox. Horrifying, in fact. The Uefa golden goose that was once Rangers', and then shared, is now exclusively Celtic's. They can thank David Murray and Craig Whyte for that. It used to be the rest of Scottish football that was excluded at one or both of the Old Firm's expense; now Rangers are out in the cold too. Rangers have been in the Champions League group stage 10 times and Celtic are about to play in it for the eighth time. At a very conservative estimate (Champions League income has grown over the past 20 years) that is about £180m of Uefa money the Old Firm have enjoyed, in addition to their already vastly superior regular income. Last season Motherwell made around £195,000 from Uefa, and Hearts and St Johnstone £75,000 each - a tiny fraction of Celtic's £20m. The champions' excellent campaign also meant £100,000 in "solidarity" payments from Uefa for all other top-flight clubs, but that amounts to (welcome) crumbs. The Champions League embodies the concept of a self-perpetuating elite in which the rich get richer. When I spoke to a couple of SPFL Premiership club directors about how they reacted to Celtic generating Uefa income on a scale which makes it impossible for them to be given anything more than the odd bloody nose over the course of a season, one said: "It almost doesn't concern us. We're resigned to them always winning the league now and our competition is to finish second. Most clubs are happy for them to get into the group because it means a bit of Uefa money for us. It's probably very different for Rangers." Every empire falls eventually. The eras of Stein and Souness/Smith came to natural ends. Rosenborg show that even monopolising a country's Champions League access does not guarantee permanent rule. But Celtic's position of strength, and their advantages, are greater than any board of directors have known since Scottish football began. By Michael Grant (Herald)

Has a bit of me. me, me running through it/

Ray Wilkins scored a goal that he, and the Rangers support, will never forget. His stunning volley came in an Old Firm match that saw the Light Blues recover from a goal down to romp to a 5-1 victory at Ibrox. Wilkins was joined on the scoresheet by Kevin Drinkell, Mark Walter and Ally McCoist, who grabbed a double in front of a delighted home support. Fans who witnessed the goal are likely to remind Wilkins of the famous strike any time he is back in Scotland. In an interview with RangersTV he said: "The supporters often mention it when I go back. I’m not overly concerned about who it was against because it was just great to score for Rangers as I didn’t get many. "It came from a long throw, there was a flick on, it was headed out and it‘s either one of those that flies into the back of the net or it goes over the back of the stand. "Fortunately for me, it ended up in the back of the net. It was a wonderful moment and one that I do cherish. "We beat them 4-1 at Ibrox that season as well which was a fabulous day. But that day we played some fabulous football and really did take Celtic to task as well. "The problem with scoring a goal like that is that you can wear yourself out celebrating and you’re no use to the team after it! So from that point of view you have to just calm yourself down and get back on with the game." http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/4899-on-this-day-wilkins-volley Highlights on http://rangerstv.tv/view.php?it=5249&c=Classics&act=view&r=852610557&www=fast&chk=params

An excellent introduction from an American fan on how he grew to love Rangers... http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/159-we-the-going-gets-tough-the-tough-get-going I suspect that my road to becoming a Rangers supporter is quite unlike most of those who pack into Ibrox on any given Saturday. My first shirt wasn’t a wee Rangers strip. Nor I did not grow up with posters of Souness and McCoist on my walls. I’m actually quite positive that until I discovered the club and its history, my father had no idea that one could play football professionally. Growing up “across the pond,” my early years were full of baseball, basketball, and the American version football; which, as most of you know, doesn’t really involve the feet at all. I played football, mostly as a goalkeeper, when I was young, because that was the “cool” thing to do if you grew up in suburban America in the 1990s. Everything changed, however, when I was 14, and our family spent most of the summer living in Ayr. Being a typical American “Scotophile,” my Dad felt it to be a wonderful idea to switch houses, cars, and jobs with a local pastor in the Church of Scotland. And while I was excited to escape the country for a few weeks, I honestly felt the whole trip would be rather boring and an overall waste of time. Then I did some reading. After doing a bit of research, I became relatively well versed - at least for an American teenager - about the history of Scottish football, and of course, the Old Firm. The accessible, white bread version told me I had two choices. One was to support a Catholic side, the other was to support a Protestant side. Positively without malicious intent, I sided with Rangers simply because I knew that I didn’t go to mass on Sunday. This was followed by discarding every piece of green clothing that I was planning on bringing to Scotland, a few deep breaths, and quite a long plane ride. In the ensuing eight weeks, however, I realized that religion was merely one piece of the puzzle. And I went from a casual bystander, to a downright obsessive fan. I quickly learned that there was a Rangers shop conveniently located in the Ayr city center - to which my mother dutifully drove me at least twice a week, and where I bought anything I could afford. We visited Ibrox and took the tour where I got my first glimpse at the well-stocked trophy room, walked through the tunnel and sat in the dugout. I also bought two strips. One in the traditional home blue, and the other in the now infamous shade of neon orange. I’m pretty sure that those were the only two shirts I wore for the remainder of the trip. When we arrived home, my bedroom was quickly decorated with pin up of Barry Ferguson, a bright blue Rangers rug, and about any other image relating to the club that I could print off of the trusty inkjet printer. Yet it wasn’t merely a childhood fascination with something new that drove my fandom so far, so fast. Even at that age, I could sense that there was something about different about both football fans in general, and Rangers supporters in particular. In the U.S., we use the term “pink hat” quite often to describe a fan whose devotion to a team is extremely fickle and shallow. It was originally connoted with fans of the Boston Red Sox, my local baseball team, who preferred donning pink, rhinestone encrusted versions of the typical team t-shirts and hats, rather than the traditional red and blue. They typically knew nothing about the team or their run of form. They just showed up at games, hoped to get on the big screens, and in the process typically acted like complete and utter idiots. I’m sure that many season ticket holders would disagree with me, but at first glance, being a Rangers fan meant so much more than simply attending football matches. Rangers was a culture, a religion if you will. This was not simply what one did every few Saturdays. It wasn’t simply what colour scarf or top you preferred wearing. Rangers was and is a way of life, that’s been passed down through the generations. It’s a fervour that only those on the inside can understand. And across social classes, neighbourhoods, and countries, it’s a moniker that brings thousands, if not millions of people together. When I travelled back to Scotland to study at the University of Edinburgh, all I had to do was reach out to my local RSC, and I was immediately embraced as part of that exquisite Rangers family. No one on the bus to Ibrox glanced uneasily at the lanky kid from America, but allowed me to join in the songs, the banter, and the many, many pints, as a neighbour and friend. We were all brought together by a club we loved, and simply that was enough. While my story may seem rather cliché, and a bit kitschy, it’s extremely pertinent to the situation we as Rangers find ourselves in today. It’s no mistake that as the extent of Craig Whyte’s damage became more and more apparent; one of the first rallying cries the support drummed up was #RangersFamily. When our club was threatened from the outside, we turned inward to tap the collective power of the millions of supporters across the globe, reminding each other that together, as one Rangers family, we’re unbeatable and certainly don’t do walking away. Yet, as the months have lagged on, and our collected friends in the media take their swipes at this proud club, a lot of us have forgotten the reason why Rangers means so much to us. Instead of remembering the true meaning and power of the Rangers Family, we’ve found it more constructive to start splitting hairs, and fighting amongst each other. I for one, can’t see how this serves any type of a constructive purpose. Of course it’s important that we stay informed as a support, weed out misinformation, and ensure that those who will take the reins at Ibrox and Auchenhowie are not only capable, but equally passionate about Rangers and all that it means to each and every one of us. Debate is good when it remains positive and constructive, and I certainly do not propose the stifling of these conversations under the guise of phony unity. But when every single opinion, dutifully researched and written, is immediately attacked for being “against the best interest of the club,” or its author is said to not be a true fan, or worse, a Tim in disguise, then we truly lose sight of what’s important in times such as these. It’s realizing that no matter our different opinions on the road we must take to get there, we all love Rangers immensely, and understand that the club is better when we as the support present a strong, united front. What hooked me on Rangers, and what keeps me excited for its future is that collective spirit and energy that takes a mass of supporters and shapes them into what we know to be the Rangers Family. It was the sense that the club’s history and values would live on through the years, and would eventually triumph despite whatever obstacles would stand in our way. This is what we must remember as the tabloids continue to print stories of shady boardroom tactics, or as we get taken to court by those who pretend to have our best interests at heart. Because when the dust settles, and it will eventually settle, we will all, as Rangers, be better for it. The future will be taxing (no pun intended). But when the going gets tough, the tough get going. That’s why WE are the people.

NACHO NOVO is playing in the league which sees him take on Jose Mourinho on Saturday night. But for the ex-Rangers striker, the SPL will always be the special one. Novo, 32, has been away from Ibrox for 18 months now, since joining La Liga outfit Sporting Gijon. As a born and bred Spaniard he's living the dream facing the likes of Real Madrid, and he's up against Mourinho's men this weekend. But Novo still finds himself thinking back to his time in Scottish football. He told SunSport: "I don't know anyone who wouldn't want to be involved in this kind of game. It's massive. "Real are a really great team and a lot better and stronger than they were last year. "It's going to be hard, but we have done very well when we have played the top teams at home. Hopefully we can get a good result. "I'm looking forward to it. There will be around 35,000 inside our stadium and the atmosphere should be great. "But it won't be like a Rangers and Celtic match. For me that's still the best there is. Nothing I can experience in Spain will come close to it. "That's one of the things I miss about Scotland, the supporters. "It's not just for the Old Firm games. Every week they travel all over the country to watch their team. The weather isn't great and it can be expensive, but still the fans are there. They sing for their team and as a player that is amazing. "We have some great teams in Spain and it's great football. But there are sometimes games where the atmosphere isn't anything like Scotland. The culture is totally different. "What you have in Scotland, you just can't beat it. I miss it. "Scotland for me is my home. It's where I have lots of friends who helped me turn from a boy to a man. "I was always happy there and some day in the future I think I would like to go back. I really love it. "Scotland gave me everything I have now. It made me as a player and made me as a man. "From Raith Rovers to Dundee and then Rangers, I grew up there and cannot forget that. "People forget I was so young when I moved there. It's the place I think of as my home. "That may sound strange because I am from Spain and that's where I live now. But whenever we have time off I fly back to Glasgow to spend a few days with friends. "The problem is we train so much here, mornings and then in the afternoons. "The next time I'll be off is at Christmas time." Even in Spain Novo is glued to his TV watching Ally McCoist's side in action. Rangers' shock 1-0 defeat to Kilmarnock hit him hard last weekend. But his problem now is that his telly is on the blink. Novo added: "I got Sky TV for my house, but it's not been working properly. I'll need to change to another satellite company â?? or move! "I need to watch Rangers whenever I can. They are my team and they always will be. I have feelings for Raith Rovers and Dundee too, but Rangers are the team I support now. "I always check the results and I was disappointed to see they lost to Kilmarnock. "But Coisty and the lads are still at the top of the table and four points ahead of Celtic. That's the important thing." Novo has been in and out of the Sporting Gijon side because of injury this season, making just five appearances. But he scored a last-minute winner against Getafe last week for his first goal of the season. Now he's dreaming of a strike against Madrid this weekend. He said: "We created history for this club last season by beating them. It was fantastic. "All week in training we've been looking forward to this game. It's not a normal week because Madrid is special." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3970718/Id-rather-face-Celts-than-Jose.html#ixzz1fEkESJGh

http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3975613/I-still-laugh-Scott-Brown-was-crying-the-day-we-won-title.html

CELTIC stand-in skipper Beram Kayal believes the Parkhead club are ready to leave their early season woes firmly behind them by going on to win the domestic treble and vindicate his assertion that they are superior to Rangers. The Israeli international midfielder was in bullish mood ahead of tonightâ??s pivotal Europa League Group I fixture against Atletico Madrid at Celtic Park, which he and his team-mates approach on the back of a five-match winning run that has re-energised their campaign. Kayalâ??s comments underlined the fresh confidence in the Celtic squad following the sequence of victories which has put them in contention to reach the last 32 of the Europa League and also seen Rangersâ?? lead over them at the top of the SPL table slashed from 12 to four points. In a thinly-veiled swipe at their Old Firm rivals, Kayal also insisted Celtic were the most accomplished team in Scotland last season, despite missing out on the championship to the Ibrox men by a point. The 23-year-old is hugely optimistic that there will be no repeat of that disappointment this time around, revealing that Neil Lennonâ??s men have their sights firmly fixed on a clean sweep of the domestic trophies as well as an extended run in the Europa League. â??Last season we played the best football in the country and we showed that to everyone,â? said Kayal. â??It has taken time to come together this season, but the gaffer is now doing that very well. We looked to win the league last season but didnâ??t do it. I hope this season everyone can do their best to win everything in this country and do well in Europe. For this moment, we are coming back to the right way. â??I am sure we can play the best football again this season, because we have the best squad and the best players in this country. We havenâ??t played like we did last season, but we are now getting there. â??We have power in the team and the confidence has come back for everyone. This is a good moment to start playing well for the rest of the season. Over the last month, everything has come together. Everyone has worked hard and tried to do the maximum. Everyone feels much better, but we need to continue, not just to do it for one month. At the start of the season, we drew and lost a lot of games. At Celtic you need to win every game.â? Celtic are two points behind Atletico Madrid and Udinese in their Europa League group, with bottom-placed Rennes a further three points adrift. Victory tonight appears imperative if Celtic are to go into their final fixture, away to Udinese on 15 December, with the knockout stage within their grasp. â??I think we need four points from the last two games to qualify,â? added Kayal. â??But this is a good moment for the team. We have played well in the last five or six games and we need to continue that in Europe as well as the league. â??Atletico are a big club and a good team and we need to continue with our good run to beat them. We played well in our last European game here against Rennes, when we beat them 3-1, and we need to do the same job in this one. When we play at Celtic Park the fans give everybody energy and power. We know Atletico are a big team in Europe with a lot of world-class players, but we want to beat them to have a chance of continuing in Europe this season. â??When we lost 2-0 to Atletico in Madrid back in September at the start of the group, a lot of our players were experiencing European football for the first time. Now we have a stronger mentality.â? Kayal is preparing to hand the captainâ??s armband back to Scott Brown soon with the Scotland midfielder now back in full training following his recovery from ankle surgery. Brownâ??s long-term future at Celtic remains uncertain. His current contract expires at the end of this season and no agreement has yet been reached on a new deal. â??Scott is the captain of the team and is an important player,â? said Kayal. â??If he comes back into the team, he will give us more energy and help us to play well. He is a big player, a good man and a good friend but I donâ??t want to speak about his contract. I donâ??t know what the future will bring.â? Brown is unlikely to be pressed into action tonight with his return more likely to come against Dundee United at Tannadice on Sunday. Celtic have no fresh injury concerns for tonight, with defender Kelvin Wilson available for selection for the first time since September. http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spl/celtic_have_the_best_players_in_scotland_says_bullish_beram_kayal_1_1988621

http://leggoland2.blogspot.com/2011/11/nutty-neils-old-firm-blunder.html

FOOTBALL fans who peddle internet hate will still get the red card under tough new anti-bigotry laws â?? but only if their messages are deemed to be THREATENING. The change to the SNP's anti-sectarian Bill came yesterday after Nat chiefs added a clause protecting freedom of expression. It now means that messages containing insults or abusing religious beliefs will NOT be against the law â?? but those considered likely to cause public disorder or threaten people WILL. The clause also doesn't apply to sectarian or threatening behaviour at and around football games â?? which will also be deemed illegal. Last night Community Safety Minister Roseanna Cunningham,tasked with steering the legislation through Parliament, said: "The intention of the amendment is not to prevent legitimate religion discussion and debate. "It aims to prevent the kind of communication we saw last football season when individuals were threatened with serious harm. "It is important that we remember that's what this is about." The clause to the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Bill was backed by MSPs on Holyrood's Justice Committee in a vote yesterday â?? despite Labour members James Kelly and Graeme Pearson REFUSING to take part. It also received a lukewarm response from human rights experts. But last night Shadow Justice Minister Mr Kelly again blasted the Bill â?? and called for it to be scrapped. Earlier he and Mr Pearson abstained from every single vote on almost 40 amendments during the vital second of three stages needed for it to become law. The move infuriated Glasgow MSP Humza Yousaf, who represents the SNP on the Justice Committee. He said: "You cannot simply opt out of debating or discussing the whole of a piece of legislation, especially one as important as this. "This Bill is significant and, whether people are in favour of it or opposed to it, they were let down by their Labour MSPs â?? they may as well have stayed at home." But Mr Kelly defended his actions â?? and repeated his claim that the Bill was not "fit for purpose". He said he abstained in protest after the Government "failed to engage" with critics about issues surrounding the legislation. And he vowed his Labour colleagues would turn out in force to vote against it when it comes back for consideration in front of the whole Scottish Parliament. He said: "The reason we abstained was to give ministers time to reflect on the legislation and call a halt to the Bill. "As it currently stands we do not believe it is fit for purpose and Parliament should not be asked to pass bad law. "We want the SNP to withdraw this Bill and take more time to discuss the problems of sectarian behaviour with all interested parties." Mr Kelly's criticisms were backed by Green MSP Patrick Harvie. He said: "I'm still not convinced that this Bill can be fixed â?? its flaws are too deep. "Ministers are stubbornly determined to force it through in the teeth of consistent and reasoned opposition from all quarters, inside and outside Parliament. Parliament as a whole will have one more chance to address some of the most obvious problems with it. "I hope that colleagues in other parties will be ready to discuss how to achieve that before the legislation's final stage." The plans were first introduced following a series of bust-ups and sectarian incidents last season which shamed Scottish football. A host of Old Firm stars â?? including Celtic boss Neil Lennon â?? were also targeted in online rants by web thugs. But the Bill has since faced huge opposition from football clubs, fans' group, church leaders and legal experts, who have all voiced their concerns. Under it, the SNP propose two new offences. The first targets sectarian and threatening behaviour at and around football matches â?? which is deemed likely to cause public disorder. The second relates to threats or serious harm which are intended to stir up religious hatred on the internet or other communications. Those convicted under the legislation could spend up to five years in prison â?? and be banned from football grounds. Another change made by the committee widens part of the Bill to include people not necessarily travelling to a football match. Last night Mairi Clare Rodgers, director of media relations for human rights campaign group Liberty, still voiced her concerns. She said: "We welcome this admission from the Scottish Government that its Bill is chilling to free speech. But the offences it contains remain dangerously broad and a nightmare for police to enforce. "We look forward to further sensible amendment. It's one thing to incite violence, quite another to cause offence." A Rangers spokesman said: "Rangers welcomes the fact the Scottish Government has recognised legitimate freedom of expression is to be protected in the proposed new bill. "We are also supportive of tackling threatening behaviour on the internet. Our overarching concern about any legislation or effort to tackle anti-social behaviour is that it is applied evenly and fairly and does not stigmatise football supporters unjustly." A spokesman for Celtic said: "We have made our position quite clear and believe that the current legislation is already in place to tackle the issues which the proposed Bill aims to address." myView By COLM DEMPSEY, Defence Lawyer THIS is a positive change to the Bill â?? but concerns remain as to whether it is sufficiently succinct. You could still have cases where one person's freedom of expression is another person's offensive behaviour. For example, songs that one person may think are political or simply an expression of freedom could be considered threatening by someone else. There needs to be more clarification to eliminate any potential ambiguity. These will eventually be matters for the court â?? but the more uncertainty and questions are squared away, the better. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/3953640/New-twist-in-bid-to-tackle-sectarianism.html#ixzz1eW0htd9S

MOTHERWELL chief executive Leeann Dempster fears fans are being driven away from the game by barmy rules. Fir Park's powerbroker spoke out after Well supporters were chucked out of Pittodrie for standing up during Saturday's SPL clash with Aberdeen. The Lanarkshire club have been inundated with complaints from disillusioned supporters in the wake of their 2-1 win. During the match, a number of Well fans were ejected after altercations with stewards. It is understood the problems began due to a small section of the visiting support standing up. Dempster said: "Clubs have guidelines but each club uses its own interpretation. "We are prepared, to an extent, to tolerate some things and we work to engage with the fans. I heard our fans were told not to travel to Aberdeen with any flags or any drums. "A couple of years ago Kilmarnock fans brought a load of inflatables. The stewards waded into the section and took them away and I wondered why. "What is offensive or dangerous about inflatables? It was just a bit of fun and no one else in the ground seemed to mind, yet they were confiscated. "We're asking people to come and pay money. When they've paid we're telling them they can't sing, shout, stand up or dance around. "I fear they might start to ask themselves, Why are we coming? Why am I paying money for this?" Dempster will today investigate the situation with the club's safety officer Alan Marshall and has made it clear she is no way critical of Aberdeen and will not make judgments about the treatment of her team's fans or draw any conclusions about the incidents until she is in possession of all the facts. But she knows the bandwagon for standing areas in SPL stadiums is rolling again and believes that could help the situation. Dempster has discussed the matter with the SPL's Neil Doncaster and understands inconsistency in the upholding of the rules annoys punters. Aberdeen fans contacted radio stations on Saturday night defending the Motherwell fans and claimed Old Firm supporters get away with standing at Pittodrie when others don't. Dempster said: "A couple of years ago, the debate was raised about safe-standing and a few eyes rolled, believing that this situation had already been covered and discussed. "But I think that, as the financial squeeze has come, it's changing again. Fans always ask the question about sitting down and they also get upset by it sometimes. "It's obvious that when you're talking about 4000 or 5000 people it can inflame a situation to wade in there. But that irks the supporters who then ask why they would be put out for standing up. "How are we going to tell our supporters to do something when there are occasions when it doesn't get done by others? "Of course you can't have it happen all round the ground but in certain situations there has to be a judgment call if there is no danger to safety." Dempster is convinced that making the matchday experience as enjoyable as possible for everyone is the way ahead. She said: "We have a great relationship with our supporters. There has been a bit of leeway because we encourage fans to bring their flags and drums and to make some atmosphere. "We have a group of supporters who bring masses of colour to games. "We ask them about how they want to support the team and they say by standing up, by bringing their flags and banners. "There is an understanding that if we tell them to sit down or tell them something is not acceptable they abide by those rules and we work as a group. "We have said that if some of their flags are too big to carry around, we could store them for them. We engage with these guys. "So far nothing untoward has happened and the discussions we're having with them seem to be working. We feel it's the way ahead." Motherwell Supporters Trust board member Joe Smith revealed what he witnessed at Pittodrie. He said: "About 20 of our young fans were targeted by the stewards for standing up after Motherwell scored 10 minutes into the game. "They were told to sit down and I think they did but one of them got up and started singing 'Stand up for the Motherwell' which obviously annoyed the stewards. "Five heavy-handed stewards waded in and dragged the lads out the ground kicking and screaming. It wasn't fair because hundreds of Aberdeen supporters stood up when their team scored and the stewards didn't even blink an eyelid." Daily RHebel

It's a funny old world. There's old Sepp Blooter being kicked from pillar to post for claiming racism in football can be sorted with a handshake at the final whistle. But what's the difference between his attitude and that of the apologists who've spent decades saying the same about Scottish football and sectarianism? For as long as I've been campaigning against this cancer, Celtic and Rangers people have shrugged that it'll never change, that it's just the way things are and, yes, at the end of the day it's all just banter. You know, like everyone goes back to work on Monday morning and no one ever mentions it until the next Old Firm game. Aye, right. And some of Enoch Powell's best friends were black. Blooter is an out-of-touch idiot. No more so, though, than all those who've listened to bigoted bile all their lives but have said and done nothing about it. Or at least, not until it becomes an easy target. At Rangers, that was when UEFA started getting heavy and it was conveniently blamed on The Minority. Now, at Celtic, the spectre of sectarianism also has a name. The Green Brigade. A deeply unpleasant bunch whose craving for attention makes them stick out like a big, poisoned sore thumb. And who make it so much easier for the apologists to finally take a stand, especially when they can cover their a**es by writing that these people are an affront to the rest of the Celtic support. But in the days when there was no Green Brigade, just a following commonly known as The Greatest Fans In The World, some Celtic punters still sang about the IRA and FTQ and the rest of the megamix. Yet the same keyboard heroes who now want to change the world never said a dickybird. Why? Because they make their living off following the Old Firm and wouldn't survive without them. Now, though? What a great out The Green Brigade give them. Pin the whole sectarian thing on one corner of Parkhead while making sure everyone else in the stadium knows you love and respect them like family. Same went for Rangers and The Minority, a tag that allowed pundits to pontificate the sweeping generalisation that "most decent Rangers fans will be outraged by their behaviour" and everyone would be happy, because no one had to face up to the less palatable truth. Which is, as with Celtic right now, that the use of abusive and bigoted language at both clubs is so institutionalised as to almost become as natural as breathing in and out. Let's leave the organised chanting and banner waving aside. And address the fact that not a game goes by at Parkhead without opposing fans, opposing players, referees, linesmen and the media being referred to as Orange B******s. Just as not a game goes by at Ibrox without opposing fans, opposing players, referees, linesmen and the media (often the same people as were at Parkhead the previous week) being routinely referred to as Fenian B******s. Yet what do police and stewards do? Hee-haw. They sling a deafy, because to wade in and haul out everyone who yelled something offensive, not to mention illegal, would mean all leave being cancelled in neighbouring constabularies while they wheeched offenders off to the cells. Sadly, the same goes for 99 per cent of the media. Even if they're the ones being abused, how often do we read any mention of sectarianism in their copy? How often does a radio or TV commentator refer to clearly-audible bile in their coverage? Come to think of it, how often have you sat there as a non-Old Firm fan and shaken your head as The Billy Boys or The Boys Of The Old Brigade strikes up and the guy on the mic tells you that "the fans are in great voice"? No one's wanted to get involved. No one's wanted to put their head above the parapet and get it shot off by some deranged nutjob. So they've heard no evil and reported no evil. And even now, when there's an identifiable enemy, the language from on high used to deal with them is still so wishy-washy it wouldn't frighten a three-year-old into eating their broccoli. Cops "want to hold to talks" with The Green Brigade. Neil Lennon wants "to sit and sort things out" with them. B******s to that. They know who these people are. They know where their seats are. They've got the CCTV and telly footage of them in action. So if the police and Celtic are truly serious about about sorting them out, then just bloody well sort them out. Take their season tickets off them. Ban anyone who buys an away game ticket for them. You don't negotiate with bullies and that's all this mob are, bullies who abuse and harass anyone who doesn't follow their agenda. Ask the Strathclyde Police press officer whose family have been subjected to horrendous abuse since the story broke that Celtic were being investigated. The Green Brigade and their Ibrox counterparts are two sides of the same coin. They are the flea-ridden tail that wags the dog. Just let's not kid ourselves that the dog couldn't use a right could fumigating. I'm with those who say Blooter's position as head of FIFA is still untenable despite an apology for his complacency over racism. Wonder when we'll hear the word sorry from those whose life-long attitude to sectarianism has been just as off-hand? Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/columnists/billleckiesports/3947514/At-last-we-turn-on-the-zealots.html#ixzz1eKcyE4gz

STEVEN NAISMITH has opened his heart for the first time over the horror injury that's left his season in pieces. The stricken Rangers ace faces nine months out after snapping his right cruciate against Aberdeen three weeks ago. He tells SunSport the agony he's felt knowing the big games he'll miss after starring for club and country this season. But he insists he WILL be back after recovering from the same injury to his left knee in 2008. Naismith, 25, said: "I've come back from this once to do that and I can do it again. "I was on the upward climb and playing most weeks for Rangers and Scotland but I've got to turn that into my drive forward. "I DID play two full seasons in the Champions League, I DID play most times for Scotland and I DID start scoring goals again. "Is it worse doing it when I was playing at that level? I'd say it's comforting to know I got to that level from the injury. I can do that again." Naismith is totally gutted he's got no chance of playing a major part in trying to help Gers to four in a row. He said: "The feeling of winning the league, of playing a big part in it on that last day or whenever it is, was fantastic. "If you are on the park going for a trophy or winning one, being involved is a massive thing. I know I won't be there. "If that day comes this season I'll be in my suit. "I won't have my gear on and I won't be dirty and sweaty after playing. "There's still a lot of work and points to play for and it could go to the last day like last season. "But that feeling won't be there for me this season. I know that. "It's not the same but I know I have contributed which will help soften the blow. "It's the club I grew up supporting and you will do anything to win. "I think that's shown in my game since I came back. "The first Old Firm game was a great day for us, personally it was a great day scoring my first Old Firm goals. "Not having the chance to experience that feeling again this season is the gutting part." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3940512/Rangers-ace-on-his-injury-hell.html#ixzz1dwVEaRup

QC Paul McBride has urged Celtic to take sactions against members of its Green Brigade section of fans who continue to glorify the IRA in song. McBride, who has advised Celtic manager Neil Lennon, was reacting to news that Uefa is investigating alleged "illicit chanting" by the club's supporters. "The particular organisation who tend to be involved singing this are called the Green Brigade," said McBride. "Education has not worked and now it is time for sanctions." European football's governing body in April fined Celtic's city rivals, Rangers, £35,000 and banned their fans from their next away European game for sectarian singing in a match against PSV Eindhoven. Now Celtic face an 8 December hearing over chants reported by Strathclyde Police's match commander at their Europa League game against Rennes on 3 November. Continue reading the main story Peter Lawwell will be angry that the club's otherwise excellent reputation is being diminished by this kind of activity and I think we'll see fairly firm action over the next few weeks from the Celtic board Paul McBride QC "To be fair to Celtic, they do have, generally, a very good reputation with their fans in Europe," said McBride about the club he supports. "But we can't ignore the fact that, for a number of years, there have been a small section of the Parkhead crowd who sing songs about the IRA and the provisional IRA and they dress it up by saying that it's political and not religious and it's not sectarian. "But it misses the point entirely. It is offensive. "What do you say to a 10-year-old child who asks his father why people are singing about killers at a football game?" While McBride pointed out that the case against Celtic on this occasion had yet to be proven, he expected that it would result in tougher action from chief executive Peter Lawwell. "Celtic, on the face of it, may have a case to answer and it may well be that, as it is the first time it has been drawn to Uefa's attention, they will be simply given a warning," he said. "But it's a warning shot to Celtic that they will have to deal with it as an issue. "To be fair to Peter Lawwell, he has been doing that for the last couple of seasons. "He has been discussing it with their so-called leaders, I am not sure their leaders are actually in control of all of them, but he has been discussing it with them. "He has been making it clear publicly and privately, he doesn't want this kind of activity and, in a crowd at Celtic Park of say 58,000, we are talking about no more than 500 people. Continue reading the main story The extent of the problem we have seen in Glasgow has been around for years and years, but it's only in the last 12 months that the authorities have really begun to get their heads around it Piara Powar FARE executive director "So it can be done and I think, Peter, he won't be embarrassed, he will be angry that the club's otherwise excellent reputation is being diminished by this kind of activity and I think we'll see fairly firm action over the next few weeks from the Celtic board." Celtic blogger Paul Brennan, though, suggested it was an insignificant problem at Celtic Park and did not know of any such singing at the match against Rennes. "If the police have a matter that they want to act on then it's the police's responsibility to do so," he said. "And it's certainly the police's responsibility to alert the club there and then as to what's going on. "It does the club, it does the fans and our reputation as a nation no good for the police to go behind everyone's back, take no action whatever on the day but raise it with an external body." However, Piara Powar, executive director of the FARE anti-racism network that has previously reported Rangers to Uefa, insists it is right to target sectarian chanting by both sides of the Old Firm. "The extent of the problem we have seen in Glasgow has been around for years and years, but it's only in the last 12 months that the authorities have really begun to get their heads around it," he said. "I think Scottish football had fallen into a place where there was a sense of 'we don't like what happens but the whole city is caught up with it'." http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15730417.stm

There are seminal moments in watching football in childhood that remain vivid as the years gather speed. One remembers sitting on a Glasgow bus before Celtic hosted Rangers in the New Year derby match at Celtic Park in 1988. A man draped in Celtic garb could be viewed waltzing on to the bus with what resembled a carrier bag brimming with bananas. In an era when men sported Graeme Souness moustaches and Frank McAvennie mullets as standard practice, the sight of fruit in Glasgow's East End seemed like an odd occurrence, even before the latest helping of a fractious fixture that has never ceased to throw up large sequences of unplanned mayhem. It later transpired that the bananas - or an 'assortment of fruit' as the television commentator Archie Macpherson later described them that evening - were intended for the black player Mark Walters, a winger who had signed for Rangers from Aston Villa hours before the match. The bananas shamefully lay strewn before a saturated 'Jungle' area of the old Celtic Park, a spot not far from where Celtic's vociferous band of supporters known as the 'Green Brigade' can be found on match days in the revamped ground. This singing section of ultras support the team while also making their political feelings on wider issues, especially relating to the political make-up of Ireland, be known. It has been 23 years since Walters was racially abused at Celtic Park. With a mission statement that describes itself as 'a broad front of anti-fascist, anti-racist and anti-sectarian Celtic supporters', it is perhaps inconceivable that a member of the Green Brigade or the wider Celtic-minded family would racially abuse a player, but old habits die hard in small splinter groups of the Glasgow club's vast support. Celtic have endured problems policing IRA chants away from home, but their emergence on their own doorstep in recent times is something that must be handled with the realisation that while they may be offensive/illicit and unwanted, such chants may not be illegal. In avoiding fraternising with the traditional Scottish media obsession to lump Celtic in with Rangers as part of the Old Firm package, Celtic would be healthier for lancing this festering, historical boil. Celtic Park is private land, and the club should be entitled to ban unruly guests who fail to show the required level of decorum in watching the team, but there is not much else that they can do. UEFA have decided to study footage of Celtic's match with Rennes apparently after Strathclyde Police made the match delegate aware of 'offensive singing'. Celtic will be called before European football's governing body next month to face a charge that songs of an 'unsporting nature' were sung at the Europa League contest. Songs glorifying the IRA may not be filed under the sectarian category, but they remain unsavoury even if they are argued away as political. These songs are unnecessary, irrelevant and damaging to Celtic - who have a body of award-winning supporters on the continent - and Scotland's reputation. More pertinently, they are offensive to many people, some of whom share the same stadium when watching Celtic. Personally, I think they soil the atmosphere of football because they are offensive, but offensive and criminal behaviour are separate strands. "It is offensive," commented the QC and Celtic fan Paul McBride, a figure who has represented manager Neil Lennon in recent times. "What do you say to a 10-year-old child who asks his father why people are singing about killers at a football game? There is no answer to that." In every sense, fans who damage their club's standing by singing IRA songs are a rogue element, almost rebels without a cause. They are hijacking the club crest and the club's Irish background to further an ideal that surely has no place at Celtic Park. Fans are entitled to be in love with Celtic's Irish heritage and the story of the club's beginnings, but there are plenty of other traditional Irish folk songs that can be sung without stinking the place out. That being acknowledged, is it right to demonise such fans? As two enormous clubs in the relative backwater of the Scottish Premier League, it is no coincidence that Rangers and now Celtic have been earmarked for treatment from the authorities, but there is a wider debate to be had on what constitutes 'offensive' singing, and what is punishable. A fine would seem the likely outcome to embarrass Celtic, but it will be interesting to see whether or not Europe's governing body go after the blue-chip names of Barcelona and Real Madrid on similar grounds. How far will UEFA's bid to silence 'illicit' chanting stretch? It is one thing making an example of a club, or making a scapegoat of them. Celtic and Rangers are hardly in splendid isolation in having fans espousing political idealogy, however warped it may seem to others. National anthems from all over the globe could be held up as offensive, political and unsporting on similar grounds. Upon initial inspection, it seems a good human rights lawyer could have a field day with UEFA's criteria for what constitutes 'illicit' chanting in this sphere. Eddie Smith, the former referee turned Strathclyde policeman, who apparently shopped Celtic to UEFA without notifying the club, surely has a duty to encourage similar happenings throughout Scotland. Will East Fife fans be reported for singing 'they are dirty and smelly..and come from near Lochgelly..the Cowden family' or St Mirren's mascot Paisley Panda be banged up for coming out dancing to Cher's 'gypsies, tramps and thieves' when Morton pay a visit? Or will a Scotland fan be fined for wearing a 'we hate Jimmy Hill' t-shirt? What about a Celtic supporter carrying a Palestinian flag? Is this deemed to be offensive? I recall working for an international news organisation in past times, and being told to dispense with using the word 'terrorist' in connection with mentioning paramilitary groups because one man's terrorist group is another man's freedom fighter, however uncomfortably this may sit with some people. On the surface, proposed new laws to tackle sectarianism, bigotry and racism in Scotland are fraught with peril, because they do not appear to make clear what or what is not offensive. In attempting to protect freedom of speech and freedom of expression, it is a dangerous road to go down. Without strict guidelines, the whole legislation drafted by the Scottish National Party could serve to encourage the notion of police harrassment. An Orwellian society is just as unwelcome as one that endorses songs saluting terrorist groups. Celtic and Rangers may be fierce rivals in football, but their fans share a common ground on the subject of freedom of speech. In every respect, ridding Celtic Park of IRA ditties is an initiative that should be welcomed, but the lines quickly become blurred on what else is deemed legitimate. Anti-IRA songs would also have to be outlawed on the same grounds. Unlike the obvious and awful racism Walters suffered in the late 1980s, the issue of 'illicit' singing is far from black and white. http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/football/desmond-kane/article/2603/

THE Old Firm are monitoring sensational plans for a breakaway European league. Barcelona president Sandro Rosell has claimed the new set up will start in 2014/15 unless football's top brass cave in to demands from the big clubs. The massive overhaul would involve cutting La Liga and England's Premier League from 20 to 16 teams. It would also see the expansion of the Champions League and a switch to weekend games in Europe's top tourney. Both Rangers and Celtic are watching developments in a bid to cash in on any changes to the European landscape. Rosell, vice-chairman of the powerful European Club Association, said: "If UEFA and the ECA reach an agreement, we would like to increase the Champions League under the umbrella of UEFA. "If not, the ECA is entitled to organise their own competition." The current peace deal between UEFA and the clubs runs out in 2014. Rosell said the major clubs would not sign a new agreement with UEFA or a similar treaty with FIFA unless the governing bodies gave them what they wanted. The incredible demands include: EXPANDED Champions League with up to eight teams from one country competing and games played at weekends TOTAL revamp of the international calendar, including the reduction or even abolition of friendly matches CLUBS paid to release players to take part in the World Cup, European Championship and other tournaments A BIGGER share of the money generated by football and a greater say in how the game's run. Rosell wants La Liga to be shrunk to let Barca fix up lucrative friendly matches and to free weekends for Champions League clashes which would draw huge worldwide TV audiences. He admits that the other major European leagues would also have to downsize. Rosell, speaking at the Aspire 4 Sport conference in Qatar, said: "We would like to have a Champions League with more teams. "We hope FIFA and UEFA will hear what we want to tell them. The worst case scenario is that we will go away from UEFA." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3937655/Euro-revolt-could-work-for-big-two.html#ixzz1dr0DnT5R

SCOTLAND star James Morrison has revealed his desire to sign for boyhood heroes Rangers. The West Brom ace grew up as a kid in Darlington following the exploits of idols Paul Gascoigne and Brian Laudrup. And the 25-year-old has admitted that when the time is right heâ??d love to emulate his heroes and pull on a light blue shirt. For now heâ??s happy to remain a Premiership player with the Baggies, but confessed to a long-term dream of running out at Ibrox. Morrison said: â??Football can sometimes shoot you down when you start thinking ahead too much. But I could definitely see myself playing in Scotland. I'm a bit of a Rangers man so it would be nice to play there one day. â??The Old Firm games are quality and I try and get up there as much as I can to watch them.The Ibrox lads have sorted me out with tickets a few times. ì I could definitely see myself playing in Scotland. I'm a bit of a Rangers man so it would be nice to play there one day. î James Morrison â??Rangers is just a team I've followed since I was a kid so it would be great to play there in the future.I'm still young and hope to play at the highest level I can. â??No disrespect to the SPL but at he moment it's not where it should be. But one day in the future, who knows.â? Morrison had a chance to join Hibs as a kid, but Middlesbrough blew that idea out of the water so a move to Rangers would be second time lucky for Scottish football. Morrison added : â??When I was 18 Hibs tried to sign me on loan when Tony Mowbray was in charge. Middlesbrough goalkeeping coach Stephen Pears knew Mowbray from their time together and they spoke about it. I was up for it but the club said no.â? Morrison is a key member of Craig Leveinâ??s Scotland set-up and has become a fans favourite with his clever brand of attacking play. The former Middlesbrough player will start tomorrows clash with Cyprus in Larnaca and is itching to get the Euro 2012 failure out of his system. http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/282783/Scotland-star-James-Morrison-wants-to-sign-for-Rangers?

It's not easy being a prophet in the internet age. Obviously, in terms of getting your message out, there are advantages. You can quickly build up a faithful following, and with each disciple comes the potential for word to spread further. Twitter, Facebook (FB), blogs and other social media are the stuff of dreams for your modern day David Koresh. However, with this quick and easy access to rumour and gossip comes a major downside. It's easy to verify whether you are talking rubbish and when your miracles don't come to pass you are open to fast and widespread ridicule. With this in mind, the trick to being a prophet these days is to brainwash your followers to such a degree that even evidence of you getting it consistently and totally wrong is not enough to shake their faith. They will instead condemn the media who have failed to report your prophecy. It must have come true, right? "It's a conspiracy of silence" they will cry. In this respect Philip McGillivan has performed admirably. He's managed to get 99% of his prophecies wrong but still has a faithful and increasingly large following amongst the more eccentric in the Celtic support. These poor unfortunates will cling to anything in the face of their team faltering so badly in the title race. His prophecies are in the very narrow, and some would say unlikely, area of Rangers Football Club. It seems odd that a self confessed supporter of Irish Republicanism, the IRA, Sinn Fein and Celtic would be the recipient of information about Rangers but there we have it. God (and Philip's mind) moves in mysterious ways. Philip, we are told, has a hotline to the legal minds involved in Rangers ongoing struggle with the tax man. These legal minds are "staunch Rangers" men and yet have chosen Philip to disseminate the confidential and highly damaging information which he claims to possess. Now Philip, some of you may recall, was the mastermind behind the "Fakeover" campaign on Twitter and FB. The Craig Whyte takeover was all a sham. It was never going to happen. Craig Whyte was a front and a distraction invented by David Murray. All of this, of course, turned out to be total nonsense. Undeterred however, Philip just moved on to his next prophecy, putting the mistake down to an unreliable 'source'. Who knows, perhaps this voice in his head has now been banished, never to return. Suddenly, Philip had a new 'source' to which he gave credence with the news that this "staunch Rangers" man had actually told him that the "Fakeover" information was incorrect. If only he had listened... So it was with confidence that Philip and his band of brainwashed minions moved on to the next day in the 'Philipian' calendar. The 27/28th of October (it never pays to be too specific when making things up). This, we were told, was going to be a "momentous day in the history of Rangers Football Club". The inference being that the momentous nature of the day was not going to be positive for the club. In fact as the date drew nearer we were informed with increasing certainty, and not a little gloating, that this would be the day that Rangers went out of business for good. I believe the phrase "Game Over" was overused. Well Philip - Aberdeen, Celtic and the SPL league table would disagree. Philip to his credit does not give up. Even at 10pm on the night of the 28th we were told that Craig Whyte was holding a crisis meeting at Ibrox at which his 'source' was present. Rangers had "ceased to trade" he told us. Ibrox seemed like an odd venue for this meeting. Presumably somewhere more cloak and dagger would have been appropriate, had the meeting actually taken place, but this sent Philip's minions on blog sites and Twitter into a frenzy. The "huns" were out of business. Praise be to Philip. Well it turned out to be pish again. This prompted even Graham Spiers, no friend of Rangers and a serial apologist for any unpleasant behaviour at Celtic Park, to label Philip as journalism's "ultimate chancer". Personally I thought this was quite generous since Philip isn't really a journalist at all but Graham did then undermine his point somewhat by making a prophecy of his own - that Rangers would in fact be out of business within 14 days. It's difficult to resist the allure and attention of the prophet's life apparently. Now it seems increasingly likely that Rangers are going to face some form of administration unless they win the tax case or come to some mutually acceptable arrangement with HMRC. This will no doubt be met with cries of "told you so" from Philip and his minions. However, let us not forget that Craig Whyte himself has already acknowledged that administration is a likely outcome if the tax case cannot be resolved in our favour. It's hardly breaking news. Presumably guessing that every week is going to be the week that it happens is now enough for Philip's disciples. If, or when, he eventually get's it right he'll be hailed as a Celtic hero. The man who brought the "huns" to their knees. Well that's not really the truth but truth doesn't play a large part in the minds of these people. If Rangers emerge from this whole affair unscathed then something along these lines will happen. It will be declared a disgrace by Philip. Some shadowy, 'establishment' organisation will have taken matters into it's own hands and will be blamed for rescuing the club. Indeed this conspiracy theory is already being prepared and has been given some major consideration - just in case he's got it wrong again you understand. Disciples have been urged to contact Celtic (and any other SPL clubs they can pretend to be fans of) to ensure that they do not give any support to the idea that a "New Rangers" should be allowed to continue in the SPL. This of course ignores the financial realities of life in the SPL without either of the Old Firm, but reality, like truth, is not the currency in which Philip deals. If it does come to pass that somehow Philip has got it totally wrong again, then his disciples can be assured of one thing. Philip will strive to expose any Rangers related miscarriage of justice - if only his disciples can keep his website alive a bit longer with all their kind donations......

NIKICA JELAVIC is the finest No 9 to ply his trade at Ibrox since Ally McCoist. There, I've said it. Better than Rod Wallace, better than Kenny Miller, better even than Kris Boyd. In many ways, the Croatian is the COMPLETE centre forward. Remember, eyebrows were firmly raised when Walter Smith shelled out £4.1million for his services last summer. Why splash that kind of cash on just one player when many felt my old boss could've been doing with two or three? Well, right now the Jelavic deal is shaping up to be bargain of the century. He's become almost priceless to Gers. And it would be a brave man who'd bet against him producing the goods against Aberdeen once again tomorrow. Twice last season he conjured stunning winners against the Dons at Pittodrie. I fancy him to nick another at least. That sometimes happens with strikers. Against certain clubs they can't miss. Coisty was like that against Celtic. He just had that knack of finding the back of the net in the big Old Firm games. Jelavic seems to have some Indian sign over Aberdeen and there's no doubt their Dons defenders won't be relishing facing him at the weekend. I for one saw enough last Sunday at Tynecastle to convince me Jelavic is almost back to his best. Climbing out of his sick bed he struck a brilliant second goal against Hearts. Most strikers would have been tempted to put their foot through the ball as it dropped out of the Edinburgh sky. A hopeful lash as it dropped over their shoulder. Not Jelavic. After watching Carlos Bocanegra's raking pass all the way, he caressed the ball into the back of the net. It was a stunning finish from a striker I greatly admire. Listen, I don't think anyone will ever again hit the heights of Coisty. My old mucker was a one-off. A goalscoring enigma who could play a bit. Rod Wallace was a fantastic goal scorer while Kenny Miller would run and run all day. Boydy was an out-and-out poacher who you could always bank on for a goal. Jelavic? He's all three rolled into one. He can run, he can hold the ball up, he can bring others into play, and most importantly, he can finish. And here's the worrying thing for the teams choking on Rangers' fumes. If McCoist's men are nine points clear of second-placed Motherwell without Jelavic firing on all cylinders, what will the margin be when the Croat finally rediscovers the sensational form he showed in the second half of last term? It could be all be over by March! But that's the great thing for McCoist. Jelavic hasn't been at his best so far this season yet his team is still miles in front in the race for the SPL title. I don't doubt for a single minute that his head was turned in the summer by all the transfer talk. Everton and Bolton were linked first before Leicester City tabled a £9m bid on transfer deadline day. Fair play to the board. They resisted and Jelavic was to remain a Rangers player. But all the uncertainty at the time unsettled Jelavic, I'm sure. He looked out of sorts at the start of the season â?? sluggish almost â?? in games. Yet I know he has been working extra-hard in training and all that work is beginning to pay off. Let's not forget, Jelavic has had his fair share of injury problems too. Rangers were robbed of his talents for three months of last season after Ian Black's horror tackle at Tynecastle ruled him out for a long spell. A full pre-season helped him but he's had one or two niggling problems since. Yet his desire and will to win has never waned. He is as committed to Rangers as the likes of Allan McGregor and Steven Davis. He's also a winner with a first-class attitude in everything he does. For such a big man his touch is superb, a fact highlighted with his superbly-taken strike against Hearts. And for me he is a man for the big occasions. The bigger the game the better he seems to play. He's someone who revels in the big-match atmosphere. And if you want to win trophies you need guys like that in your team. During the nine-in-a-row era at Ibrox, the home dressing room was absolutely packed out with guys like that. Make no mistake, there is more to come from Jelavic this season â?? much, much more in my opinion. He's playing his football with a real smile on his face again. And last week's stunning goal in the capital will have done his confidence the world of good. Far more goals and many more big performances will come. We're now heading into the Christmas period and, as we all know, it's an important time for the clubs leading the title race. But with Jelavic back in form, I fear the rest don't stand a chance. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3898888/Red-hot-Jela-holds-key-just-like-Coisty.html#ixzz1c3xMTXpO

http://www.newsnetscotland.com/index.php/scottish-opinion/3494-is-the-bbcs-getting-too-big-for-its-boots.html But what of the Rangers â??documentaryâ??? The programme was heavily trailed under the guise of â??newsâ?? on various BBC Scotland TV and radio news programmes, it was clear that BBC Scotland felt that they had a big story. As a result of this I, and probably many others not steeped in matters Old Firm, watched the broadcast. My thoughts after watching the documentary were that it amounted to no more than a hatchet job on Mr Whyte. Iâ??m still trying to work out exactly how some disgruntled ex-Rangers board members managed to persuade the publicly owned broadcaster to use scarce resources in order to smear the clubâ??s new owner. It is worth a read.

PEOPLE used to call Walter Smith defensive. But compared to yer man Craig Whyte, the old silver fox was Jimmy Calderwood going 2-4-4-1. With his goalie up front as the one. There's an old saying that if you've done nothing wrong, you've nothing to hide. And it's run round my head again and again this week in regards to the new Rangers owner. Why IS he so secretive? Why DOES he bristle quite so angrily over any kind of criticism? I mean, he's done one truly impressive thing since taking over at Ibrox and that was to turn up at the first Old Firm game of the season alongside a blonde with a cleavage like Kenny McDowall jumping to head a Mitre. Yet here we are, more than a month on, and her name STILL hasn't come out. And in this day and age of celebrity tittle-tattle, that takes some doing. So if this is how closely he wants to keep his socialising to his chest, what chance is there of him letting his guard down when it comes to his hush-hush business affairs? Some men in his position would have dared the Beeb to come ahead with this week's documentary then gone to war if and when anything iffy was broadcast. Yet Whyte had the wagons in a circle before the apaches even appeared over the hill. He got his retaliation in first by banning Auntie in advance â?? a naïve piece of knee-jerkery, because the first thing his actions did was make far more people far more aware of the show than they might have been otherwise. Plus, it was a clear sign that he's not half as big a player as he wants us to think he is. Put the tackities into a Murray or a Lawwell or the like and they'll cut you out of their gang, spin a story to the opposition as their idea of punishment and make sure you're as unwelcome on their turf as humanly possible. But they take it, because they're strong enough to take it. Because they know that you're only one guy with a laptop while they're running a gigantic institution that's taken blows for 100 years and is still standing. Whyte, though, seems so brittle he makes Celtic's central defence look like Baresi and Maldini. He's actually very like Romanov in the way he deals with the outside world, the Lithuanian's insecurities highlighted once again by a media blackout in the wake of his manager criticising a referee; a blackout that comes by pure coincidence at a time when players are speaking out about unpaid wages. If Romanov thinks people can't see through stunts like this then it's a miracle that he ever made himself into one of his country's most powerful tycoons. And if Whyte thinks shutting out a national broadcaster will stop people asking questions about his ability to bankroll Rangers, he's even more like Tim Nice-But-Dim than he appears. Anyone who's been in debt knows nothing gets better till you stop hiding the final demands and start facing up to your problems. It seems for all the world like Whyte's actions this week are those of a man in denial about the weight of the worries he's taken on. If that's not the case, why is it that RANGERS are refusing to deal with the Beeb and not just the man himself? After all, apart from the fact that their name was in the title of the documentary, there was barely a word of criticism about the club. It was all about Whyte. Yet he felt the need to throw stones at his attackers from behind the red brick of the main stand. As for that criticism itself? Well, I'd love to go through it here with a fine-toothed comb, because some of it was serious stuff indeed. But, true to form, before the opening titles had run, Whyte's lawyers were issuing dire warnings of what they would do should any allegations be repeated in print. So I'll ask again: What's he scared of? If, as he says, it's all a pack of lies, why not face it down and tell us WHY it's a pack of lies; because just saying it is isn't enough. And let me say this. If there's one journalist out there in whom I'd put 100 per cent faith, it's Mark Daly, the man who fronted this investigation. I've known him since he was a kid on the local paper in Clydebank and his track record is there for all to see. He's infiltrated Greater Manchester Police to weed out racist officers, got to the bottom of the Royal Bank of Scotland's collapse and probed the Stephen Lawrence murder. He's a top-drawer, old-school digger who doesn't hang his theories on "insiders" and "sources". The spine of his documentary was an interview with Robert Burns, head of the UK Insolvency Service, the organisation dealing with every company that goes down the pan. It would be hard to imagine Mr Burns going on camera and on the record if he wasn't sure of what he was on about. Yet Whyte calls the documentary and its makers biased, despite it being stated on camera that they asked him more than once to give his side of the story. As he took the decision to refuse, maybe his definition of biased is different to the dictionary's. All in all, he's an odd one, is Craig Whyte. You take a Duncan Bannatyne or an Alan Sugar and they can't wait to tell the world how they made their squillions. Along the way, that means the world finding out stuff they'd probably rather it didn't. But in the end, they shrug and move on, because they know that the good stuff on the CV far outweighs it. You'd think that Whyte would be the same, that if he was big enough to run Rangers, he'd also be big enough to deal with the odd black mark he may have against him in the past. But then, that's the biggest unanswered question of all. Whether he IS big enough. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3888799/Why-do-you-feel-the-need-to-stay-in-shadows.html#ixzz1beY4wsf2

Rangers are celebrating an awards double after Ally McCoist and Steven Davis notched up the SPL manager and player awards for September respectively. McCoist has steered the defending SPL champions to a nine-point lead at the top of the table. Rangers opened the month with an away win against Dundee United and followed it up with a 4-2 Old Firm victory. Davis has also impressed in wins over Dunfermline and Kilmarnock. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15307172.stm

Thankfully Killie didnt take 3 points.... Lennon must stay !! Sponsored by Celtic boss admits he feared for his job at half time By Stephen Halliday Published on Saturday 15 October 2011 19:46 CELTIC manager Neil Lennon has admitted he feared for his job when his team went in at half-time 3-0 down to Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. On an astonishing afternoon in Ayrshire, Celtic looked certain to sustain a fourth SPL defeat of the season as calamitous defending helped an impressive home side race ahead through goals from Dean Shiels, Paul Heffernan and James Fowler. But for the first time in their history in a domestic fixture, Celtic avoided defeat after falling 3-0 behind. A double from Anthony Stokes and a Charlie Mulgrew header, all of the goals coming in a frenzied seven minute spell, completed a salvage operation which perhaps prevented Lennonâ??s position being seriously considered at the club last night. Asked if that had been a concern at half-time, Lennon replied: â??Of course it was. All those sort of thoughts go through your mind. But you have to try to motivate yourself and your players in that situation. â??It was as important a half-time team talk as Iâ??ve ever had to give. Another defeat, in the manner we were playing, would have been very difficult for me to take. It could have been a huge loss for us. â??I was as angry as I could possibly be at half-time. Defensively we were very, very poor. The midfield were poor, the two front boys were poor. As a collective, their performance was nowhere near acceptable. We did have a great chance to go one up, which Anthony Stokes missed, but the goals we conceded were awful. It was long balls over the top which we just were not dealing with. It is something we have to eradicate very quickly. â??I asked the players to find some belief, will and guts, to dig deep in the second half. They did that. Iâ??ve got mixed emotions now. Iâ??m angry, but Iâ??m also proud of how they came back in the second half. â??Overall, though, Iâ??m disappointed. We canâ??t afford to keep dropping points because Rangers have been very consistent so far. We have to make up a lot of ground already.â? Lennon was scathing in his assessment of Celtic after they completed the first round of 11 SPL fixtures. â??We havenâ??t been good enough,â? he said. â??We have lost three games already and thatâ??s far too many. We have also conceded too many goals. We have problems at the back which we need to find a solution for very quickly. It is the same personnel as last season, but there seems to be a nervousness about them. I donâ??t know where it comes from. We have to look at ourselves as well, the backroom staff, but we are not doing anything different from what we did last season.â? Lennon has a fresh injury concern to contend with ahead of Thursdayâ??s Europa League match against Rennes in France. Striker Gary Hooper failed to reappear for the second half yesterday after suffering ankle damage. â??Weâ??ll just have to wait and see how he is,â? said Lennon. â??But we will have Kris Commons available again after suspension and hopefully Georgios Samaras will be fit.â? Kilmarnock manager Kenny Shiels was left to reflect on another match from which he felt his team did not emerge with their just deserts. â??When you are 3-0 up after 72 minutes, you expect to get all three points,â? said Shiels. â??But the Old Firm always have the quality which can get them back in a game. Thatâ??s 11 games in the SPL now and, apart from against Rangers at Ibrox, we could easily have won them all in terms of our performances. â??Even after it went to 3-3 today, we had the best chance to win it through Paul Heffernan. We dominated the ball for long periods and it wasnâ??t as if Celticâ??s goals came as a result of incessant pressure on us.â?

STEVEN THOMPSON ticked every box when he was at Rangers. Hitman Thompson was signed by Alex McLeish from Dundee United in 2003 for £200,000 and won it all domestically. Now he returns to Ibrox on Saturday for the first time since leaving in January 2006 with St Mirren. The 32-year-old is desperate to show Gers fans he still has what it takes. Thompson said: "This will be my first time back at Ibrox and I am really looking forward to it. "I had wonderful times there and they are memories I will treasure for the rest of my life. "I won league titles and cups â?? just the whole experience of playing at Rangers was a brilliant one. "It was a bit surreal at times, but I am very privileged to have played there. "It will be nice to see some old faces at Ibrox like wee Tiny up in the kitchens. It will be nostalgic going back. "I achieved everything I wanted there. I won the SPL, the Scottish Cup and the League Cup. "I scored in an Old Firm game, scored in the Champions League and scored in the UEFA Cup. It isn't until you leave Rangers though, you realise how much you were spoiled. Everything is on a plate for you there. "It is not often you get to go from Rangers to a club with a bigger set up." Thommo was in sizzling form in 2003 and had broken into the Scotland national team the year before. That resulted in Rangers snapping him up with Billy Dodds heading the other way to Tannadice. He added: "Things were going very well for me at United and I had been playing for Scotland as well. "I was on a hot streak at the time with some goals at the start of the season and my contract was up the following summer. "United wanted me to sign a new deal, but I was stalling on it knowing things were quite good for me at the time. "When I heard Rangers had come in, I just wanted to get the deal done. "It was all a bit of a whirlwind, one minute I was playing for United, the next I was getting changed beside Ronald de Boer. We also had the likes of Frank de Boer, Mikel Arteta, Claudio Caniggia, Michael Mols, Shota Arveladze and Arthur Numan. "I can remember it being an incredible dressing room at the time. I can also remember being quite intimidated for the first few weeks, but that quickly went. "It was a wonderful time, but as you get older you look back thinking maybe you didn't appreciate it as much at the time. "Now I can look back at all my memorabilia â?? my strips, newspaper cuttings and videos. "It was great to have been at Rangers, but now I am going there as a St Mirren player and I want to do well." Thommo never got a fair crack of the whip at Gers with a couple of injuries preventing an extended run in the side. The most notable setback was when he tore his knee ligament in September 2003, keeping him on the sidelines for five months. He said: "I was in and out of the team and my knee injury didn't help. "I also had an ankle injury in a game against Celtic which forced me out. "When I came back from doing my knee in, I had a good spell and scored a few goals." When Thompson entered the last year of his contract, boss McLeish told him he could leave and he was quickly snapped up by Cardiff in January 2006. Thommo added: "Alex McLeish told me my contract wasn't getting renewed in August 2005. "He had maybe expected me to stay until the following summer when my contract ran out, but Kris Boyd was on his way and there was already competition for places up front. "I asked my agent to see what was out there and then Cardiff came in. "I was upset to leave Rangers, but at that point in my career it was time to go to another club. I played in the Championship for over five years with Cardiff, then Burnley, and it was a great experience. "It wasn't my best spell in terms of success but I don't look back with any regrets." Saints face a dauunting task against a rampant Gers side who have won their last nine SPL games. Thompson said: "It will be a difficult task. "I can remember going to Ibrox with United and it was always very tough. "Rangers are in terrific form right now, but we will go with an attitude that we have nothing to lose and there is no point just sitting back." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3866799/Thommos-so-fired-up-for-Ibrox-trip.html#ixzz1aYq5H3I3

In all good book stores from today. Product Description Invariably violent, often brutal, frequently funny, sometimes moving but always compelling. Chugg takes us to the beating heart of the ICF, Scotland's most-feared football-hooligan gang. As the ICF rampages from one battle to the next at home and abroad, leaving many casualties in its wake, we meet figures who have become legends in the uncompromising world of football violence: men like Barry Johnston, Harky, Davie Carrick, Big Boris, Warren and James 'Fat' McLeod. This is the most-detailed account yet written about any of Scotland's mobs, with new material on almost every page. The twenty-plus chapters provide a fascinating insight into what really happened during the years when football violence was at its peak and there is even a chapter on the mayhem Rangers fans perpetrated in the 1960s and 1970s, well before the era of the casual. It would be impossible to give a complete list of the fascinating subjects covered by this book, but these are some of the highlights. Belly of the Beast: when fifty ICF took on a thousand Celtic fans before the notorious Old Firm title decider of 1999. Raid on the Gallowgate: the ICF launch a reckless attack on the Gallowgate pubs, Celtic's spiritual home. Price on his Head: why the IRA wanted Chugg shot. The vicious battles for supremacy with Hibs and Aberdeen. Taking on Scotland's other mobs: Dundee Utility, Kilmarnock, Partick Thistle, Motherwell and many more besides. South of the Border: the ICF front up to Sunderland, Everton and Man Utd. Marching through Europe: the ICF exported more football violence than any other British firm and there are breathtaking accounts of encounters with the likes of Juventus, Ajax, PSV, Bruges and Paris St Germain. Then, for the first time in any book, there is the story of the elite Scottish National Firm, including its forays into England, its clashes with the hated Tartan Army and of course the ill-fated trip to the 1998 World Cup in France, the trip that launched a thousand newspaper headlines. About the Author Sandy Chugg, the former leader of the Rangers ICF, has had an incredible three life bans from Ibrox. Born and raised in the tough east end of Glasgow he became a member of one of the city's notorious street gangs before graduating to the Rangers Soccer Babes and then to the ICF. He has been named by the police and by the media as the ringleader of the ICF and he is under constant surveillance by football intelligence whenever he watches his beloved Rangers. A committed Loyalist and Unionist, Chugg was given the nickname Billy Britain by his ICF fellow members, reflecting his dedication to the principle of Britishness. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rangers-Famous-ICF-Most-feared-Football-hooligan/dp/1905769288