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Showing results for tags 'punishment'.
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I said this elsewhere about entire teams being brought back to defend corner kicks: I can see the time coming when the football authorities will feel inclined to amend the laws of the game regarding every player back at a corner kick. This tactic is designed to clog up the area, limit runs, deny space and minimise goalscoring opportunities, and the outcome is often a series of fouls which may or may not be punished. Officials usually favour the defending team and too often a promising moment in the game fizzles out when a free-kick is awarded. It'll take an extensive trial and error period before the cure is found, but if the football authorities want to make the game better, they really need to guard against coaches and managers who are too often negative and safety-first. The general well-being of the sport comes first and eleven players in the box defending corner kicks is not something that should be tolerated indefinitely. In addition, now that we have a fourth official, I see no reason why the game should be stopped to make substitutions. Players on winning teams who are about to be hooked are often told to go to the either side of the pitch before their number is called, and then they make the long, slow walk to the dugout. Let the fourth official take care of this and let the game flow. Managers know that this is an effective time wasting tactic. That's why they do it. On the same subject, let's draw the line at the 75th or 80th minute regarding substitutions. After this point, no matter what happens, no more substitutions should be allowed. If a player has to go off injured, so be it. We really need to end this business of time-wasting substitutions being made deep into injury time purely to upset the game's rhythm and waste more time.
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Richard Wilson has tweeted.
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It may turn out to be an attempted payback for Operation Tango or disappointingly a damp squib but the possibilities behind the statement here are tantalising, to put it mildly: http://www.vanguardbears.co.uk
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I've seen it at Ibrox for a couple of seasons now. I don't think it's appropriate. Please desist.
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It didn't take them very long. Lunney or no Lunney ... http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/7359-mohsni-handed-two-game-ban Monday, 04 August 2014 16:00 Mohsni Handed Two Game Ban Written by Rangers Football Club RANGERS have been informed today that defender Bilel Mohsni will serve a two-match suspension following his red card in the pre-season friendly against Derby on Saturday. The Tunisian defender will now miss the opening two games of the season against Hibernian in the Petrofac Training Cup tomorrow night and the first league match of the campaign against Hearts on Sunday.
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Some thoughts on yesterday's HMRC appeal result: http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/256-rangers-v-hmrc-a-pyrrhic-victory
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The Europa League seems to have slipped by almost unnoticed up to now but an excellent away win for Aberdeen at Gronigen (after an 8-0 agg drubbing of Daugava Rīga) and a penalty shoot out win for St Johnstone at home to Lucern gives Scotland two teams in the 3rd QR. Both Scottish victories came against seeded teams but a disappointing extra-time loss by Motherwell to the unseeded Icelanders, Stjarnan, admittedly second in the Icelandic Premier League in mid season, put a stain on an otherwise good night. Aberdeen and St Johnstone now take the place of their seeded opponents but whilst Gronigen were not seed in the 3rd QR leaving Aberdeen with a difficult hurdle against the 7th seeds Real Sociedad (7th in La Liga last season); St Johnstone theoretically have an "easier" game against Spartak Trnava (3rd in the 12 team Slovak league last season). Adam Rooney is the top scorer in the competition with 6 goals so far. Quality teams like Lyon, Inter Milan, Spurs and Eindhoven await in the 4thQL so a long way to go but it would be nice to have a Scottish team in the group stages. I'll say nothing about the touchy subject of coefficients no doubt I've done enough already!
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[h=2]Club Statement[/h]WRITTEN BY RANGERS FOOTBALL CLUB "RANGERS Football Club Limited (the "Club") notes the findings of Lord Doherty in the HMRC case against Rangers Football Club plc (Oldco) and shares the views of many fans that so much of what later ensued at our Club following the start of that investigation was avoidable. "We are pleased to see the end of this sorry chapter in the history of Rangers FC, yet our greatest sympathy is with those who felt the pain of the last four years the most – our supporters. "In spite of almost unrelenting attacks and setbacks they have never flinched from supporting their football club with all their energy and resolve. "It is a matter for the authorities to explain their actions during this entire period that has seen the good name of Rangers severely damaged. "Our focus is on rebuilding the football club and getting Rangers back to where we belong. That, in itself, will help right some of the wrongs our Club and supporters have suffered over the last four years."
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As title - What is wrong with the guy? Who the f*#k bites people??????? (Dracula excluded obv) -
Rangers has been many things to many people for nearly a century and a half and over much of this time, excellence and aspiration have ranked high in the club's priorities. To be a Rangers supporter was to be a part of a family that had high expectations, an intolerance of mediocrity, an insistence on elite standards and an undying ambition to be the best. The last few years, though, have been a uniquely testing time. Experiencing the team in the lower reaches of Scottish football has been a ghastly experience. After 120 years of winning or coming close to winning the Scottish League, being dumped in the wasteland of the national sport has been more than just humbling: it has been surreal. Finishing top of the third and fourth tiers may have secured promotion, but it went against the grain that these achievements were deemed worthy of celebration. They might be for small clubs, but for a club like Rangers, promotion was a minimum expectation. There's something unsettling about seeing Rangers celebrating the acquisition of minor trophies. Some will argue that every success should be lauded, especially after flirting with finality, but it feels inappropriate: it feels wrong. The nature of the way the team has performed is a sorry tale. Watching Rangers is about as aesthetically pleasing as a long and lingering gaze at the urban monstrosity that is Celtic Park. An uncultured approach to football is now endemic within the club's football department: it knows no other way. Somehow, and it started before Ally McCoist settled in the manager's chair, Rangers has become the epitome of ugly. The vital matter of club ownership is impossible to ignore. Fans have lost trust in the current regime; its plans are vague and unconvincing, it is out of touch with those who fund it and it can't even convince supporters that it genuinely cares. It is in a hole, a very large hole, and it keeps on digging. Rangers is a shadow of what it used to be. In every single area, there are failings, but most worryingly of all, there appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel. The club's financial predicament could mean a slow and painful demise, or perhaps a sudden and quick one. The spectre of doom hovers over Rangers like dark clouds over Arran, and even if the club survives, it may never recover to become a domestic powerhouse again. Fans debate the corporate side endlessly, but expertise in this argument rarely offers hope, a way out or a workable solution. Learned fans offer little more than those who know as much about bean-counting as they do about rocket science. A glaring absence of the means, imagination and knowhow to lead Rangers out of this mess has been the most notable aspect of this entire debacle. The vast Rangers family has been found to be badly wanting. It is staggering that a pillar of the Scottish sporting community could be so easily shaken and undermined, but the collective naivete of the Rangers support never dared to entertain the possibility that the club's existence could one day be threatened. From the fanatical element within the Celtic support to provincial club detestation of Rangers and an ever-open door on Edmiston Drive to rogue ownership, the inevitable consequence was hard times ahead for Rangers, but few saw it coming. In this hostile new era, winning a title or two was only going to be half the battle. There are no heroes in this debacle. From millionaires to ex-players and from ex-directors to ordinary fans, the combined wisdom of the lot of them has amounted to failure after failure and blunder after blunder. The air of immortality that once enveloped Rangers has evaporated. The club has been outed as a zone of incompetence and its cheap talk and soft underbelly have made it an easy target for detractors. There are times, when the mood is dark, when one wonders if Rangers has reached the end of the road. Society has changed, but maybe Rangers has never really changed at all. It gives the appearance of being an anachronism, clinging to a past that it can't let go instead of embracing a future that it never foresaw. Regrettably, there is a hateful and sinister element within the Rangers support. For many years, our press and media told us it was there, but we denied the accusations outright. Now, with many contentious issues to deal with, the vitriol that spews forth from one fan to another is beyond the pale. Anyone trying to lead us out of this mess automatically becomes a hate figure for fundamentalists who believe that they and only they are the true carriers of the Rangers torch. Maybe they are, and maybe that's why the torch is in danger of being extinguished - permanently. Two words have sold a million Scottish newspapers over the years: 'Rangers' and 'crisis'. Finally, we have a crisis worthy of such a dramatic description and we have reacted exactly as our enemies would have wanted. There is too much hate in our hearts to provide constructive solutions to the problems that beset us. Until this is successfully addressed, we will get the club we deserve - if we have a club at all.
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We are currently in the process of gathering together names of individuals and representatives of fans groups, RSCs, websites, etc who are willing to come along and help find a solution to the infighting amongst our fans. If you are interested in attending the meeting could you please email info@thelouden.co.uk (or you could dm/pm us) with your name and any group that you wish to represent or are a part of. To be clear, any individual who wishes to attend to try and help our support is more than welcome but we would appreciate an email so as to know the numbers. Regarding the format of the meeting, we are looking for suggestions on what specifically the meeting should cover. We are not discussing the politics at the club, we are only focusing on the way fans communicate with each other. This is not about which side is right or wrong. We do not need everyone to agree about everything but at all times we should be civil to one another. The meeting will be held in the lounge area of the pub and no alcohol will be served for the duration of the meeting. If anyone wants any other information, please ask. Thanks We Are The People God Bless The Rangers The Louden Tavern: Ibrox Stadium - More than a Pub Official Partner of The Rangers Football Club *We are responsible for The Louden Tavern: Ibrox Stadium, 111 Copland Road, Ibrox, G51 2SL solely and are not involved in the operation of any other premises -
Not exactly Rangers chat but I think most people will enjoy this Chris Graham article which comprehensively destroys Kevin McKenna's Lennon article of last week... http://www.therangersstandard.co.uk/index.php/articles/current-affairs/324-neil-lennon-the-bravest-man-in-scotland
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Neil Lennon is to part company with Celtic after four years as manager following talks about his future. It is understood that the former club captain had been considering his position for some time despite securing a third straight Scottish title. He has been concerned about this playing budget for next season. The 42-year-old Northern Irishman took charge of the Glasgow club in 2010, leading them to three league titles and two Scottish Cups. Lennon, who also previously led Celtic to Champions League last 16, is believed to have been concerned that his present side would be able to negotiate three rounds of qualifying next season.
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I believe it's now a distinct possibility that we'll see an "insolvency event" happen this summer given the state of play with season tickets and potential concerns for the security of Ibrox and Murray Park. There are a number of questions this raises, not least of which is - Would this be the first or second insolvency event in the eyes of the SPFL? Would you accept this happening if it meant the parasitic shareholders and board cut and run? What would be Dave King's entry plan/opportunity should it occur? All very emotive stuff I know but I think we have to be realistic and say that it's at least a possibility.
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CASH gates will be in operation at tonight's Youth Cup final at St Mirren Park. Gordon Durie's under-20 side will face Hearts with the Youth Cup trophy at stake and you can back the side tonight in Paisley. The youths are aiming for success in the first final appearance for the club in three years. Tickets for the match, which kicks off at 7.30pm, and will go to extra-time and penalties if necessary, will be available at turnstiles this evening. Priced are £5 for adults and £2 for over-65s, under-16s and full-time students. http://rangers.co.uk/news/academy-news/item/6954-cash-gates-at-youth-final
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Lorenzo Amoruso urges Rangers supporters to put their trust in Dave King to oust Ibrox board Sunday 11 May 2014, by Stewart Fisher LORENZO Amoruso last night became the latest former Rangers player to call for supporters to back Dave King and Richard Gough's plan to boycott season tickets and place the money in a trust instead as a means of forcing major boardroom change. The Italian has emerged as a fierce critic of the current hierarchy and feels that placing funds in Ibrox 1972 Ltd, the vehicle introduced by King and already being used by supporters groups' the Union Bears and the Blue Order for pooling their funds, is the only mechanism for bringing about change. "Too many people have been touching the heart of the club who don't deserve to be so close," said Amoruso. "They have ripped out the soul of the club. It's so frustrating for people like me who were running, chasing after every ball, spitting blood sometimes and going through so many operations. " I didn't do all that to see this situation develop. We want to see better people control the club, people who really care about Rangers. "I didn't really encounter Dave King much when I was a player because he was in South Africa a lot, but I met him," said Amoruso, who was in Glasgow this week. "He was a director but not involved in the way David Murray was. But he is a Rangers man and he is putting himself out there and he deserves credit and support. He has been there before for the benefit of the club. "This is a crucial period because season ticket holders have a week left before deciding whether to renew and from those I've spoken to I don't think there is a feeling that supporters want to renew and I think that is the best solution. "It's hard to believe I am asking for the stadium to be empty. But if that is what it is going to take to get this board out then that's the way it has to be. There are easier ways to solve this problem but some people don't want to listen. That's why we must take a hardline approach. I'm sorry, this board just has to go." http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/lorenzo-amoruso-urges-rangers-supporters-to-put-their-trust-in-dave-king-to-oust-ibro.24190175 -
A man has been arrested accused of racially insulting Barcelona defender Dani Alves by throwing a banana at him, Spanish police say. Police said 26-year-old David Campayo Lleo was arrested. Spanish media are reporting he has been fired from a role on the coaching staff of one of Villarreal's youth teams after the arrest. But Villarreal would not confirm nor deny reports about Mr Campayo Lleo's role with the club when questioned about their authenticity. He faces from one to three years in prison if found guilty of charges related to racist provocation. Villarreal has already banned Mr Campayo Lleo from the team's El Madrigal Stadium for life. The Spanish league is expected to hand down punishment after the incident was listed in the referee's match report of Barcelona's 3-2 win at Villarreal on Sunday. Alves picked up the banana and took a bite, provoking a social media campaign against racism in support of the Brazilian player, who is black. Barcelona teammate Neymar was the first to post a picture of himself with a banana, leading to a flood of football players and other figures, celebrities and world politicians doing likewise. Alves said if he had his way, he would post Mr Campayo Lleo's picture on the internet to shame him. Villarreal said president Fernando Roig would be meeting supporters' groups to ensure such behaviour was not replicated after Alves called Spain "backward" and said there is "prejudice against foreigners because of race and colour". The player has been subjected to racist taunts before, and black players Marcelo, Samuel Eto'o, and England's black players have also been on the receiving end of well-publicised racist behaviour by Spanish fans. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/u/man-held-over-alves-banana-incident.1398862560
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If the board acquiesce to UOF demands who will then hold first charge/security on the stadium rights to our club ?
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In response to a number of threads which kinda veer into polarised positions, I'd like to set out why I think the running of our club is in the wrong hands at present. I avoid calling them 'the board' because it's hard to remember who is actually on which board at the moment, who is responsible for what and who gets to lock the safe, so to speak. That in itself is a criticism of those at the top & I haven't even started! The two people who are most often seen & heard as our main people are Sandy Easdale & Graham Wallace. To begin with Mr Easdale: he's had a struggle to be accepted, since he came with baggage. I would be the last person to insist that to be a Rangers fan or official you need to sign up to the whole manifesto of beliefs. But when it comes to blazers, I do feel that 'not having been to jail to VAT fraud' is a broadly non-controversial opening qualification. This raises the philosophical debate about whether jail is for punishment or rehabilitation: as a lapsed socialist I see it more as the first than the second, since those who are there tend to have harmed society and, bluntly, society deserves to get a kick back. Even, however, if you lean toward rehabilitation, does Mr Easdale strike you as rehabilitated? The world of West Scotland's bus garages may not sound like the sort of place to find Sonny Corleone tied to a chair, but neither is it a clear, visible symbol of someone having learnt a hard lesson and overtly trying to do better. You could liken it to a pimp who is jailed, does his time and buys a strip club; not criminal, but not much use in persuading folk you are a reformed character. All this is speculation and could - who knows? - be most unfair on Mr Easdale. Nevertheless image counts and his image, which is now tied to our club, is not a good one. Coming with such baggage, he would have had a hard fight to get some fans, maybe puritan ones, onside in any event, but he has decided that steady, unobtrusive work with tangible results is not the way to go and plumped for issuing legal threats to fans, questioning the loyalty of fans, and blaming fans for the club's problems. Whether you agree with the man that he was being impugned unfairly, threatening Rangers fans while ignoring the libelous attacks of fans' of every other team in Scotland is, bluntly, an insane policy if the aim is to promote yourself as a trustworthy figure. The lack of the ability to think a situation through and deal with it is dismaying; when the UoF or Sos were at Murray Park last week for a photo-opportunity it showed how anyone with any sense ought to have dealt with it. His remarkable access to ST sales figures and the financial status of a plc of which he is not a board member could, you might argue, point to a searingly sharp analytical business mind. Graham Wallace certainly made it clear that Mr Easdale was speaking in a personal capacity as shareholder last Thursday; I wonder if every shareholder, should they chap Mr Wallace's door, would receive such detailed information as Mr Easdale apparently gets? Mr Wallace, Mr Wallace. His deflection of Mr Easdale's blatant presence as eminence grise didn't do much for his credibility either, which was a shame because he at least of all the players who have high-kicked their way across our stage in the last two seasons seemed to come without baggage and with, it seemed, the tools to get the job done. He didn't have to lay out his credentials, they were there to see. However, trying to sell the most obvious of nutmegs over Mr Easdale's position did not leave him looking very sharp and counts against him. If it has been disappointing to see him bullshit us over Mr Easdale's interview. It has been doubly disappointing to find out, a day after the event, that far from Rangers credit facility being withdrawn due to the actions of fans or agitators, it was withdrawn because credit companies see us as a bad risk. I'd urge you to consider for a moment that credit firms - the leeches, the parasites, who cause so much suffering by lobbing bales of cash at people in no state to repay them - even these people don't want to touch us. This is not, in my book, an achievement which goes down in Mr Wallace's 'debit' account and, although it cannot be exclusively laid at his door as 'his fault', his dealing with it has been pitiful and serves only to erode both trust and credibility. His legal case seems a little vindictive; frankly there are deals and tranches of missing money more deserving of investigation. I think Mr Wallace dealt well with the media following the 139 Day Fantasy press conference last Friday, and in an ideal world he could probably do the decent job we all hoped he would. But you have to assume he sanctioned or was at least asked about hiring Paul Tyrell a day before he announced job losses; on the one hand we know we have to cut costs, on the other cutting them to pay someone to defend he and the rest of The Keystone Kops seems grotesque. You have to assume he is going to take a bonus unless more pressure is brought to bear, since he declined to answer questions on the subject and that seems grotesque; you have to assume he was aware that it was not fan issues which led to the credit situation described above but decided to blame them anyway. That's a lot of assuming, but since Mr Wallace won't answer the questions what else can I do but assume? So my view of the 'current lot' is one person with a dreadful reputation and image who constantly engages in battle with the people he then asks for money and trust from; and another person who is either massively out of his depth or finds clarity and transparence subtle concepts to be moulded as needed. Neither inspire any confidence in me, not because I desire Dave King and his millions to bail us out, nor because I have a reflex condition which means anyone in office is immediately a crook. There's no doubt we're heading for complete division as a fan base between those who back the board (beyond belief in my view but it's a free country) and those who perceive that the malaise lies at the boardroom door(s) and until they are cleaned out we're going nowhere. As a lonely handwringer these many years I am not especially freaked about splits in the support: but it's going to be sad to see nonetheless. Anyhoo, that's how things look from here.
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.......for spending spree under Uefa Financial Fair Play rules. Title challengers may face heavy fine or transfer embargo for breaking Uefa's Financial Fair Play rules. Manchester City were facing a huge Financial Fair Play sanction on Monday night as Uefa prepared to rule that the spending spree that transformed them into a superpower of the game breached its much-vaunted cost-control regulations. Telegraph Sport has learnt that City, whose billionaire owner, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan, has bankrolled the most successful period in the club’s history, will this week be found guilty of failing to comply with FFP rules – barring an improbable 11th-hour reprieve. Paris St-Germain are also poised to be punished by Uefa’s Club Financial Control Body, which was created to police “greed, reckless spending and financial insanity” in European football and will meet on Tuesday and Wednesday to make its first decisions on which clubs will be prosecuted. City and PSG are understood to be among fewer than 20 teams under threat of a sanction and, unless dramatic new evidence emerges in the next 48 hours to support their claims they have played by the rules, they are on course to be hit hardest of all. The nature and degree of any punishment will be determined in the coming days but it is understood neither team will be faced with expulsion from the Champions League. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/news/10766475/Manchester-City-to-be-made-to-pay-a-high-price-for-spending-spree-under-Uefa-Financial-Fair-Play-rules.html -
Linfield will face "severe punitive sanctions" if its fans sing the song known as 'the Billy Boys' at matches. The Irish FA has warned the Windsor Park club that the singing of all variations of the song could lead to games being played behind closed doors. Linfield said punishment for fans singing the song includes being referred to the PSNI for prosecution. The club added that this applied to "any other song or chant that is undeniably sectarian or offensive". The move comes after Linfield and Cliftonville successfully appealed punishments dealt out out by the Irish FA over sectarian chanting at the County Antrim Shield semi-final at Windsor Park last October. Continue reading the main story “Sectarianism and bigotry are societal problems in Northern Ireland that go way beyond the limited confines of local football” Linfield Football Club The appeals were successful because the IFA's Disciplinary Committee had breached its own procedures. The IFA Appeals Committee also ruled that the evidence against Cliftonville had not been strong enough. In Linfield's case, the Board reported that there was sufficient evidence that supporters had involved themselves in breaches of the Disciplinary Code and that 'only procedural deficiencies had resulted in the Appeals Board's findings in favour of Linfield in this case'. In a statement released on Wednesday, Linfield gave advice to supporters. "All variations of the song popularly known as 'the Billy Boys' and sung to the tune of 'Marching Through Georgia' are now deemed unacceptable and, if aired at Linfield matches, will lead to severe punitive sanctions against the club," they said. "Any supporter found to be singing this song in any of its forms will be subject to serious sanction including ejection from the ground, a lifetime ban from Linfield matches; and being referred to the Police Service of Northern Ireland for prosecution. "This will include other songs sung to the same tune, any use of the tune itself, and will also include those versions using words that may not be seen to be inherently sectarian in their nature." Linfield have described the IFA disciplinary process as "not fit for purpose in what we are constantly being told is a "post-conflict society". "Sectarianism and bigotry are societal problems in Northern Ireland that go way beyond the limited confines of local football," they added "Local football requires political and state guidance that provides us with the legal support framework to remove this problem from our game." http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27054281
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http://www.therangersstandard.co.uk/index.php/articles/current-affairs/321-rangers-hearts-and-the-case-of-wee-thistle
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.....but Stephen Thompson got it wrong. BARRY says the controversy and unnecessary bad blood that has been whipped up because Dundee United didn’t ask for their fair share of tickets is causing an unhelpful and unwanted distraction for McNamara. AT least Stephen Thompson has got something right. His decision to back down in his war of words against the SFA was the first thing the Dundee United chairman has got right since creating this season’s latest back-page controversy. Honestly, sometimes I get the feeling the people at the top of our game could start a fight in an empty room and this latest row about the venue and ticket allocation for United’s semi- final against Rangers just goes to prove my point. If I’m getting this right, Thompson started it all by complaining about having to play the game at Ibrox, even though this had already been decided months ago. Then it escalated when Jackie McNamara complained United should be given a 50-50 split of the tickets – only to find out later his own club had only asked the SFA for 8000. Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not having a go at Jackie for that. If I was in his shoes I would be making the same demands as I see no reason why United couldn’t take 20,000 fans to Glasgow. But clearly his club has mishandled the situation. I can’t understand why they didn’t go for the maximum amount of tickets available (say around 40 per cent) then attempted to sell them to their supporters. If it turned out they couldn’t shift the lot they could easily have handed the excess back and Rangers fans would have snapped them up. I’m sure that’s what Jackie would have expected his bosses to do because he needs all the help he can get to make this playing field as level as possible for his players. What he doesn’t need are the people around him ramping up the bad feeling ahead of this tie and making sure the matchday atmosphere will be red-hot which is exactly what has been going on over the past few days. I’ve seen all kind of talk about United and their fans not feeling safe inside Ibrox. Thompson has even said he won’t be taking his seat in the directors’ box. What is that all about? I’m a bit taken aback by that. I can’t for the life of me work out what they are getting at here. But it seems to me all this controversy and unnecessary bad blood has been whipped up because United didn’t ask for their fair share of tickets in the first place. And none of it helps their manager. For Jackie this will be an unhelpful distraction. Not only is he heading to Ibrox with a very young side and with only 8000 United fans behind them but now, because of all this other stuff, he can expect an even more hostile reception in Glasgow. He needs that like a hole in his head. Some people will tell you the size of the crowd and the atmosphere the fans generate on a big matchday doesn’t really affect the game itself. Trust me, those people are talking garbage. As a Rangers player I always responded to the big occasion. The more fans we had behind us, the more signing and dancing the more I buzzed off it. I knew these fans were in our corner and they could help lift us through difficult moments as much as they could intimidate the opposition. I just need to think back to one of the strangest nights of my career to show the difference supporters can make. In September 2005 we went to the San Siro to take on Inter Milan in the Champions League. UEFA had ordered that the game be played behind closed doors as a punishment for the Italians. It was the most surreal 90 minutes of my life. We walked out to hear the Champions League music rattling around this huge empty stadium. That was as close as it felt to being a proper top-level European night. Because the moment the music stopped and this huge ground fell completely silent it just felt wrong. Normally on nights like this you can’t hear yourself think. But when that game started we could hear our own shouts echoing back off the empty stands. The action itself was as flat as pancake. It felt more like a pre-season kickabout than a Champions League encounter and it must have been the same for Inter’s players because they couldn’t get going either. So don’t tell me fans in the stands make no difference to the players on the pitch. I always believed our supporters could be our 12th man. When you have nothing left in your legs these guys can push you on and make you dig that little bit deeper – and I’m sure that will be the case again when United head to Ibrox next month. It’s definitely a disadvantage for the players to have only a quarter of the seats but Jackie will hope that because some of his boys are so young they might not be all that bothered by it. You often find kids have no fear in these kind of situations – it’s the more experienced players who tend to get a bit more rattled by things like that. But it can work both ways too. Maybe that was the case with Aberdeen last weekend when they struggled to get on top of Inverness, with 40,000 of their own fans inside Celtic Park. By the way, that’s one thing I’ve never fathomed. How come Aberdeen get gates of eight or nine thousand on a normal Saturday at Pittodrie but 40,000 of them turn up for cup finals in Glasgow? Can you imagine what a big club they could be if only some of these punters would go to games more regularly? These are difficult times I know. It’s not easy to find the cash to go the football every week. But even so, Aberdeen will surely be hoping crowds go up now Derek McInnes has put a trophy in the cabinet – especially as there could be a Scottish Cup to come at the end of this season. There’s no doubt that bigger crowds create bigger pressure for the players. But isn’t that why you pull on your boots in the first place? If you can’t cope with a bit of pressure then you’re in the wrong business. Big players don’t buckle under it, they thrive on it. Which is why United’s visit to Ibrox will also provide these Rangers players with a perfect platform to prove they deserve to wear that jersey. They’ve taken a lot of stick and they’ll know they have a lot of doubters out there. People have said they are not good enough to represent the club. Well lads, here’s your big chance to prove them all wrong. If you don’t think you can win this cup don’t bother turning up. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/barry-ferguson-jackie-mcnamara-right-3266401
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Yep Ally, full pre-season this year, good winning momentum at the moment, settled team by the looks of it. Now just 'go for it' in this game. There would be nothing worse going out of this tie at a wimper. If we give all and play fast attacking football but go out I would accept it as it gives a measure as to where we are but going out in poor fashion just turns attention onto Ally's ability to put a good team out again.
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EAST Stirlingshire head coach John Coughlin said last night that he substituted Jordan Tapping in yesterday’s 4-0 defeat by Peterhead at Balmoor after the 17-year-old schoolboy was reduced to tears by a sustained level of racial abuse from a section of the crowd. Coughlin claimed the youngster was subjected to monkey noises and name calling from members of the home support situated behind the goal that Tapping was helping to defend in the second half. Tapping, the cousin of Hearts midfielder Callum Tapping, scored an own goal in the League Two match and was taken off with 15 minutes remaining. Coughlin said: “Firstly I want to say that what went on had no impact on the result of the game but it was a horrible incident. It was so bad that a couple of our players went to the referee to make sure that he was hearing it. “He took no action at the time but he is including it in his match report. Jordan is just a kid who is still at school and was understandably upset and bewildered at what was getting shouted at him. I looked at him with about 20 minutes left and knew I had to get him off the pitch. By the time I did he was in tears. Whilst no one should have to deal with abuse, a more experienced player or person might have been able to handle it differently but in reality it is not Jordan’s problem.” Referee Gavin Duncan is expected to report the matter to the SFA. Coughlin added: “The Peterhead chairman Rodger Morrison came up and apologised to Jordan after the game. Whilst he acknowledged there had been a problem, no one can quite understand why no stewards were asked to go and get the fans doing it to stop, or even more appropriately, throw them out or get them arrested. “Our players were very upset for Jordan and there was a lot of anger in our dressing room afterwards. They are all very much behind raising this incident as far as possible to show their support to their team-mate.” Tapping, pictured, was applauded off the pitch by his team-mates. One supporter who was at the game said: “The ref stopped the game in the second half and spoke to the linesman. Then he seemed to call the head steward or someone like that. It was good couple of minutes he was speaking to the steward. The steward went over and spoke to someone behind the goal. It was just a single guy that they seemed to be speaking to. When [Tapping] went off, all the other East Stirling players were applauding him off the park.” As of last night, the Scottish Professional Football League had received no complaint. http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/latest/east-stirlingshire-s-tapping-racially-abused-1-3325536
