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http://kickoff.blogs.lequipe.fr/les-rangers-religion-decosse/ Someone care to translate?

KAYAL has taken an astonishing swipe at Scottish football and at Rangers skipper Lee McCulloch after admitting he is set to quit Parkhead. BERAM KAYAL was the life and soul of the title party as Celtic celebrated three in a row at Parkhead on Saturday. The Israeli midfielder’s selfies, podium pogoing and scarf waving looked the picture of jubilation from a player who has taken the club to his heart. Behind the beaming smiles, though, lay the painful truth this was his last hurrah in the Hoops. Deep down Kayal realises the relationship has run its course and he expects to be moved on in summer when his contract enters its final year. His love affair with the Scottish game has turned sour and he can trace his troubles back to the Old Firm game of December 2011. A crunching tackle from Rangers’ Lee McCulloch – who Kayal swears deliberately set out to hurt him – wiped out four months of his career and began the series of injuries that have blighted him since. The 25-year-old’s status at Celtic has diminished from midfield mainstay to fringe player and he has made just four Premiership starts this season, failing to last the 90 minutes in any of them. It is a far cry from the stunning impact Kayal made when he arrived from Maccabi Haifa in 2010 and attracted interest from Manchester United and Liverpool. There was talk of a £7million switch with the player claiming Sir Alex Ferguson and Kenny Dalglish were both keen to sign him. However, injuries and loss of form have dropped him well down the pecking order and as he eyes a fresh start Kayal has put the boot into the frenetic style of the Scottish game. He said: “Initially I liked this league but after all the injuries I now no longer like it. “There is a lack of technique. The football is played at breakneck pace with power and intensity and it doesn’t stop for a minute. But I’m not in love with this league.” Kayal’s contract runs until June 2015 but he reckons Celtic will cash in on him this summer rather than risk losing him for nothing next year. He said: “A friend of mine, Joe Ledley, was on the verge of his contract expiring and was sold to Crystal Palace. “Maybe this will happen to me because football is a business at the end of the day. “If someone comes up with an attractive proposition to Celtic and me then I’ll go. “In my first season at Celtic a lot of teams came to watch me and tried to find out my price tag. “Kenny Dalglish, who was manager of Liverpool, and Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United had communications with me. “When a lot of teams were interested Celtic wanted too much money – like £6m or £7m. Now because of my injuries the price is much lower. “But my dream is still alive and well, I am only 26 next month.” Kayal might be on his way out of Scotland but it’s not in his nature to go quietly. The tenacious little midfielder was keen to make sure he had a swipe at Ibrox skipper McCulloch, who he will never forgive for the full-blooded challenge that sidelined him for four months with ankle-ligament damage. He said: “The injury didn’t look that bad but I believe he did it on purpose. That player is not the cleanest in the world. “I have not forgotten that for a moment. I was out for a long time and even when I came back I was not 100 per cent. “He was very rude about it. I suppose it’s part of football but I’m happy that every time I’ve played against him since I have beaten him.” Kayal endured another long spell out after being crocked by Kaka during a Champions League clash this season, although he was more forgiving of the Brazilian. He said: “After a difficult time I came back and was enjoying football like never before and I scored in the Champions League against Ajax. I felt my injury problems were behind me. “Then we played AC Milan and in the first minute Kaka caught me. He said sorry a few minutes later and I told him, ‘You have broken my leg.’ “I actually played on for 30 minutes but I couldn’t change direction. That caused me to miss another three-and-a-half months. “After the game he asked for my forgiveness and we exchanged shirts. He didn’t do it on purpose. “I felt like I should be wearing the Mario Balotelli shirt ‘Why Always Me?’ “Every time I get injured it seems to be another four months out. Touch wood, I am fit again now.” While he is almost resigned to leaving Kayal will miss the buzz of Old Firm matches and the Celtic fans – even if he still struggles to understand them despite living in Glasgow for four years. He added: “For me the league is lacking because Rangers are not there. I miss the derby, the noise of the fans. “I went to see Manchester City v Barcelona and the noise in the stadium was nothing like Celtic Park. Even our Champions League nights are nothing compared to Celtic v Rangers. “People do not understand – it is bigger than any game against Barcelona or AC Milan. “I have a great understanding with the fans but I have been in Scotland four years and sometimes I still don’t understand them.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/celtic-midfielder-beram-kayal-slams-3338953

ALLY McCOIST has launched a staunch defence of Lee McCulloch after Celtic midfielder Beram Kayal accused him of deliberately injuring him in a match more than two years ago. The Israeli has been quoted as saying he believes the current Rangers captain hurt him on purpose during a Glasgow derby at Parkhead in December 2011. Kayal said McCulloch was ‘very rude about it’ and ‘not the cleanest in the world’ as he admitted he expects his time in Scotland to end this summer. He also made the bizarre claim he had beaten the Light Blues skipper every time they have played each other since when in fact they have never been on the same pitch together again. Kayal was injured in the challenge pictured above, which shows McCulloch’s eyes fixed on the ball as he goes into the tackle. McCoist was asked about the comments at his pre-match press conference previewing Sunday’s Ramsdens Cup final with Raith Rovers this morning. And he was adamant McCulloch – inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame at the weekend - simply isn’t that type of player. McCoist said: “I saw the comments very briefly and I saw the headline. Anybody who knows Lee knows he’s not a dirty player at all. “To be honest, I can’t even remember the incident or the tackle. He certainly wouldn’t set out to deliberately injure someone. “It goes without saying I defend my player and skipper against any comments like that because he wouldn’t do that. “With the greatest of respect to Kayal, I think I’d have the Old Firm games down as being quite tame in comparison to some of the previous ones. “I’m not sure he would have enjoyed playing with Bertie Auld and John Greig in some of those matches. “That might be a wee eye-opener for him. I need to defend my player and my player is not a dirty player at all. “In fact, we’re delighted with the skipper and the way he handles himself both on and off the park.” http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/6660-mccoist-i-defend-my-skipper?

BOBBY Madden has been appointed to referee the William Hill Scottish Cup semi-final between Rangers and Dundee United. And the fixture at Ibrox on Saturday week will have a total of six officials. Madden's assistants for the game between the League One champions and the Premiership club will be Graham Chambers and Alastair Mather. The fourth official will be Calum Murray while the additional assistant referees will be John Beaton and Alan Muir. United have sold 10,500 tickets for the semi-final against Rangers. United had previously indicated they would seek up to 20,000 tickets for the encounter. United director Derek Robertson said: "We'll probably have to get back to the SFA in the next couple of days to let them know the numbers. I would urge anyone who has not yet bought their tickets to do so in the next few days." With Hampden Park being redeveloped for the Commonwealth Games, the SFA chose Rangers' stadium to host both semi-finals back in October. Robertson said it would be the biggest support the club had taken to a semi-final. He added: "We're very happy with the numbers so far." United were initially offered 11,063 seats for the match. But the club's representative said that "in order to ensure maximum attendance" United would prefer to only be allocated the 8012-seat Broomloan Road stand. The club had complained about Ibrox being chosen as the venue for the tie. But last weekend SFA chief executive Stewart Regan defended the move. "It was a planning decision," Regan said. "When you're putting a major cup competition together, you spend a lot of time discussing it with your sponsors. "We certainly did that with William Hill. "We needed to take the semi-finals and final to venues that would cope with the demand for tickets." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/six-officials-at-ibrox-semi-final-158049n.23853839

At Hamilton Sheriff Court today, Kevin Regan (DOB 31/07/1982) was fined £500 and had a 9 month Football Banning Order imposed for an incident at a Premier League match on 29 September 2012 at Fir Park Stadium in Motherwell. During the game between Motherwell and Celtic, Regan, from Glasgow, was observed chanting and singing offensive songs in support of a proscribed terrorist organisation. Regan was convicted on 26 February 2014 of a contravention of Section 1(1) of the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012. Speaking following today’s hearing Stephen Ferguson, Football Liaison Prosecutor for the West of Scotland, said: “We will not tolerate individuals or groups using football matches as a platform to show support for proscribed terrorist organisations. “Families and all genuine supporters should be able to attend games and enjoy the spectacle and atmosphere without being subjected to such behaviour. “COPFS will continue to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to football related disorder of any kind and will continue to bring those who perpetrate such crimes to justice.” http://www.copfs.gov.uk/media-site/media-releases/710-man-sentenced-for-offensive-chants-and-singing

Robert Marshall and his son, Greg, have been heavily involved in the formation of Rangers First. Rangers First is a fan-led membership vehicle that aims to buy shares and achieve greater supporter involvement in the running of the Ibrox club. Matthew Lindsay of SportTimes met the lifelong Rangers fans and season ticket holders to speak about the ambitious project and their hopes for the future. How did you get involved in Rangers First? RM: I was invited up to the Supporters' Direct Scotland offices in Stirling. So I went and listened to two lads speak and I liked what they had to say. I thought: "If it can help Rangers I will give it a go." It was just about helping the club. As a fan, I was in. Then we had a meeting here (The Louden Tavern, Ibrox Stadium) to see if the body of the kirk, if you like, wanted to take the idea further. Richard Atkinson, a volunteer with Supporters' Direct who has been involved at quite a few clubs over the years, spoke to us. We had around 50 people here. And not one voice was dissenting. I think it is important to state that this is not anti-board or pro-board. It is pro-Rangers and pro- Rangers fans. At the first meeting we said: "Leave your egos at the door. Leave the politics at the door. Let's just see if we can do this." GM: We have people who attend our meetings who are at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to their attitude to the club board. If it is about individuals then it will fail. It is a vehicle that should be analysed on its own merits. What are the objectives of Rangers First? RM: The first target that Rangers First has is to obtain 5% of shares in the club. GM: That gives you powers in terms of calling a general meeting and getting answers to questions. It is all about getting what is called ACT - authoritative consultative transparency. That basically means the fans having a voice and the club having to listen to and engage with us. This is about the board engaging with the fans so that we know what the situation at the club is and we can all move forward together. It is not about getting a fan on the board. Our members would have to vote on having a representative on the board down the line. It has still to be decided. But, personally speaking, I think we would want a professional representing us. GM: The money the Community Interest Company spends must be to the benefit of the Rangers community. We can't just spend money willy-nilly. Initially, we just want to get shares until we can get the ACT. Once we get that then it will be up to the members to decide what we do with the money after that. We can fund specific projects that are and are to the benefit of the club. BuyRangers already exists. Why is Rangers First necessary? RM: By law we (BuyRangers and Rangers First) have to work together publicly because the schemes have the same principles and the same goals. We want to work together. But I think this vehicle could unite fans. GM: The key point about Rangers First is that it is not partisan. It is trying to unite the small groups into a bigger group. We are saying to them: "You are still allowed to have your differences. This is beyond that." There have been lads at the meetings we have had so far whose personal opinions I do not agree with. But their ethos is right. They genuinely want to put Rangers first. We need to engage with a wider fan base - and especially with fans abroad in countries like Australia and the United States. That is one of the advantages of Rangers First - we can accept payments from abroad. A CIC is to the benefit of the Rangers community and the Rangers community isn't defined by geography. It is what we decide the Rangers community is. And the Rangers community is global. It is basically anybody who considers themselves to be a supporter. They can contribute to it from abroad. The main strength of the CIC is its flexibility. For example, my father and I are going to donate our shares to it. We bought £1,000-worth of shares at the IPO. As well as money you can put shares in. A few of us are going to do that. RM: One of our representatives is going to Hong Kong this week to do a presentation to the Rangers Supporters' Club out there. Richard (Atkinson) also did a presentation with Orsa (Oceania Rangers Supporters Association) recently. We are really trying to engage with the ex-pat fans because it must be really hard for them looking in and not being able to do anything. What has the response to the scheme from Rangers fans been? GM: It is still in the process of being put together. But we have 1,000 members already. That is not bad after two weeks. We are due an update on that any day now. We were at a pub in Lanarkshire a couple of weeks ago at which 10 Rangers Supporters' Clubs were represented. Three of them joined up on the spot and seven took it back to their members. Nobody was against it. When people engage with it they say: "This is a good idea." It genuinely is a good idea. But we do need the support of the fans to make it work. At a small level, we could build up a small shareholding. But if we get larger numbers we will get the transparency the fans want. Has the ongoing financial uncertainty at Ibrox increased the interest in Rangers First? RM: I think it does increase enthusiasm for what we are doing. But I am keen for this not to be seen as a criticism of the board. I am not against them. I know they should not have spent the £22million that was raised at the IPO. But, as far as Rangers First is concerned, we are simply for the club. We are there to help the Rangers support. How many members do you hope to attract? RM: We would like to get to 20,000 to start with. Personally speaking, I think we can get 50,000. Now, I know people may laugh at that. But you had 200,000 at the Uefa Cup final in Manchester in 2008. You also have however many thousand abroad who are all desperate to help the club. I think we can have a worldwide membership of 50,000 within two years. How much does it cost fans to join Rangers First? RM: There are three boxes on the website - http://www.rangersfirst.org - you can join for £5 a month, £10 a month or £18.72 a month. There is also a life membership, Club 1872. That entails a £500 one-off payment. You get nothing out of it other than the satisfaction you have helped Rangers. Plus, as a member you get a vote. GM: If we can get 1,872 signing up for a life membership it will give us enough money to buy circa 5% of the club. Dave King has stated he is prepared to put money into Rangers "along with the fans". Could that funding come from Rangers First? GM: It could. Buying shares as individuals has not given us any dividend so far. Individual fans have roughly 12% of the shares. But we don't have anything to show for that. Buying as a collective, through Rangers First, would. RM: There is also a vehicle you can use. Say, for example, Laxey Partners were prepared to sell their 12% stake in the club, but Rangers First did not, at that time, have the money to buy it. We could say to them: "We will pay you for 4% a year." GM: We could provide them with a dividend and take the proxy for their shares and subsequently buy them a few years down the line. That is not something that necessarily is going to happen. But the CIC is flexible and you can do that. The other thing is we can approach the Rangers fans who currently own 12% of the club and ask them to proxy their votes to us. We would need to collect the signatures of the 4,500 fans who have shares before a general meeting. One of our committees is looking at shareholder engagement. Community ownership failed at St Mirren. How can it work at Rangers? GM: Amongst the clubs where this has been tried it has never been exactly the same. There are technical elements which are similar. St Mirren was a wholly-owned club. They had, for some reason, to buy 52% to make it work. They put in a legitimate bid and Stewart Gilmour, as was his perogative, decided not to accept it. There are successes. Dunfermline got over 1,000 members after they had already been saved. Hearts got over 8,000 fans paying in £15.50 a month. We want to achieve ACT at Rangers. The members will decide where we go from there. How optimistic are you about the future? GM: If this kind of vehicle had been about prior to administration I think it could have had a significant influence on the club. Maybe we wouldn't be in the position we are in now. Having said that, I think it will take off now. It may be a slow burner, but I think it will take off. Whoever puts money in can be assured that it will go towards the betterment of Rangers. I think we are getting there as a result of the meetings. We are starting to unite. Very few people want actual fan ownership. They want fan participation. What we are saying to the club is: "Be accountable to us." That is all we want, accountability. RM: We get nothing other than the satisfaction of helping Rangers and the Rangers community. I am not negative at all. I think Rangers are a sleeping giant. A good analogy would be they are a bear in hibernation. It is time the bear woke up. Get Rangers News Alerts by Email http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/it-is-time-to-unite-the-small-groups-and-waken-the-sleeping-giant-157872n.23841953

@ThomAlexWatt 26m Police Scotland conclude investigation on allegations re: abuse of N.Lennon @ LC semi-final at Tynecastle. Insufficient evidence, no charges. Police Scotland’s Football Co-ordination Unit: “enquiry has concluded. Not sufficient evidence to bring charges”. Full story on stv.tv soon

by Gerry Braiden AN appeal by Rangers supporters to the BBC Trust over comments made by one of the corporation's sports pundits Jim Spence has been thrown out. The BBC Scotland presenter was cleared of a number of complaints made against him after he had provoked the ire of hundreds of fans by making references to Rangers as "the old club that died". Mr Spence, who made the comment while discussing attempts to end a boardroom civil war at Ibrox on the Sportsound programme last September, was provisionally cleared of breaching accuracy guidelines by the BBC's Editorial Complaints Unit (ECU). Many Rangers fans contested the initial ruling by appealing to the BBC Trust's Editorial Standards Committee (ESC). But it has now issued its decision, clearing Mr Spence of any wrongdoing. The ruling states: "The committee did not believe that evidence had been presented that would lead it to conclude that the output had breached the editorial guidelines. "The committee therefore decided that this appeal did not qualify to proceed for consideration." The BBC received over 400 complaints when Mr Spence, while discussing the possible appointment of the ex-Ibrox chairman John McClelland, had declared: "John McClelland who was the chairman of the old club, some people will tell you the club, well, the club that died, possibly coming back in terms of the new chairman." Upholding the previous decision, the senior editorial complaints adviser said she "acknowledged the strength of the complainants' feelings and noted that this was a matter that was highly significant to Rangers fans". But the break-down of the complaints into six separate issues found the appeals "did not have a reasonable prospect of success". She also noted that the editor of sport at BBC Scotland had acknowledged the comments by Mr Spence could have been better phrased within the live piece and had apologised for any offence caused.

Supporting Rangers has never been quite so difficult. Doesn’t matter if it’s new beneficial club owners from one year to the next, executive directors that are replaced quarter by quarter or turgid on-the-field performances which would struggle to excite the most positive of football fans, it’s not easy to find a bear without a sore head nowadays. This headache soon becomes even worse when you try to examine the minefield that forms our supporter group landscape. Let’s go through them for clarity – take a deep breath: a) The Rangers Supporters Association – the oldest group which represent a range of RSCs all over the world. Nowadays, pretty small, perhaps old fashioned and primarily scoped to deal with ticketing issues you’ll nevertheless find their latest secretary Drew Roberton commenting in the media on a regular basis. b) The Rangers Supporters Trust – an independent group formed in 2003 mainly working towards fan ownership via share purchasing; the RST account for up to 2000 members. Their chair Gordon Dinnie is also often credited in the media on their behalf. c) NARSA and ORSA – two foreign associations which look after the interests of the North American and Oceanic RSCs respectively. It’s not often they’ll be quoted in the media but they do have lots of members with a fair amount of clout behind the scenes. NARSA especially have a solid historic relationship with the club. d) The Rangers Supporters Assembly – the original umbrella group which encompasses all of the above (and more) and was setup around ten years ago. Since then they’ve really struggled to capture the imagination of those they insist they represent (including season book holders). President Andy Kerr remains vocal in the media and usually aligned with a) and b) above. The future of the organisation within the club since the 2012 administration is unclear. e) Sons of Struth (SoS) – a more recent phenomenon is two fans that have been at the forefront of various protests against figures at the club. Most controversially, their spokesperson Craig Houston was threatened with legal action by club director Sandy Easdale for defamatory comments on a social network page. This has prompted much comment which we’ll explore further below. f) Union of Fans – even more recent is this new umbrella group which is made up of a), b), d), e) and the two Ibrox singing sections. Again, this group appear most concerned with the short-term future of club and their statements are geared towards this political aim. Spokesman Chris Graham is a keen blogger on the club and is featured regularly on two popular websites. g) Buy Rangers and Rangers First – not to be outdone, we now have two share vehicles specifically interested in achieving fan ownership via the purchase of shares as part of government backed schemes. The former is organised by the RST while the latter is a new development also promoted by Supporters Direct. At first glance both appear attractive to the interested supporter. h) Rangers Fans Fighting Fund (RFFF) – set up in 2012 this fund was put together to raise money for the club post-administration. Despite having Assembly and official club connotations, the Fund has been blighted by a lack of communication and transparency. Indeed, its website is no longer available and uncertainty remains with respect to the £500,000 surplus in its account. i) The Rest – as well as the TEN groups above, there are a variety of other clusters of fans which one may or may not perceive as ‘formal’ groups. These are often backed up with websites/blogs and can be made up of thousands of shared members; though usually these can be concentrated down into smaller lobbies of key opinion formers from group to group. It’s difficult to recognise all such bodies in a formal sense but there’s no doubting their contribution can be worthy. The above really is quite incredible when put down on paper – even with what I’d concede is a very superficial outline of each group. Quite simply, there’s no wonder confusion and division exists when we have so many groups all competing against each other. Despite regular assurances to the contrary (and so-called umbrella groups speaking for all), the chances of genuine fan unity and convincing representation remain as far away as ever. This is confirmed by the most recent issue which has caused further splits in the support. As touched on above, the Sons of Struth has been one of the most prominent groups of late. Despite only being made up of two individual supporters with no formal constitution, their stadium protests and media profile have resulted in much debate over recent months. Undoubtedly in my view their lobbying of Rangers and its support has contributed to the decision-making of the club hierarchy – even if I may also disagree with their methods and words from time to time. This is especially disappointing when using (or allowing) derogatory language to make their point. As someone who has experienced legal contact in such matters previously, there’s a fine line between fair criticism, unfair falsehoods and petty name-calling. Therefore, it was no surprise to see the main SoS figure Craig Houston served with a legal notice by Sandy Easdale to desist from such alleged behaviour or face a £200,000 court action. At this point the debate became polarised with those generally supportive of the SoS eager to source funds from the hitherto inactive RFFF to help Mr Houston in his defence against Mr Easdale. However, this suggestion seemed at best unlikely and at worst flawed given the RFFF monies were primarily setup to be used for the club only (despite some cash being used to pay small oldco debts such as Dunfermline Football Club in 2012). With that in mind, even those who had sympathy with the SoS predicament felt it was best a separate fund was setup should legal action go ahead. Hence, it was a great surprise to many bears when the RFFF subsequently voted to put the decision to a general vote of fans rather than immediately reject the suggestion. Despite this curiosity it could be argued this was perhaps the most reasonable course of action. After all, while many fans didn’t agree with this non-club appropriation of funds, what should happen if another more popular non-club opportunity arose: should it be declined automatically or debated by the fund contributors? Furthermore, the volunteer RFFF committee were put in place to act on our behalf so it’s difficult to argue with the democratic process being followed – even if the lack of clarity surrounding the decision (and RFFF work generally) is of valid concern. In any case, no matter our thoughts, the reaction has been furious from some quarters with one website and NARSA both calling for the resignation of those who voted for the issue to be decided via a ‘general meeting of fans’. Suffice to say the response to that has been equally negative with all sorts of insults permitted in some online communities. Once again the fan-base is split – often based on their website or group of choice rather than actually examining the issue without prejudice. Indeed it’s this kind of division that is now becoming very difficult to ignore when looking at most issues related to the club. Rather than such subjects being analysed with balance and in unison, we have some coming to most debates with a pre-determined opinion already in place. Quite simply if person/site/group A says one thing, you can be sure person/site/group B will say another and vice-versa. Such disagreement may actually be healthy in some respects but when it is increasingly accompanied by the kind of nonsense we usually see for those hostile to our club then such puerile debate just becomes counter-productive. Is it any wonder our club and fan-base have been taken advantage of in recent years when we can’t agree on the most basic of issues? Unfortunately, there’s no easy solution to this ongoing tribal warfare. Existing ‘umbrella’ groups have tried and failed for many years to capture the imagination of the widespread support while those not already interested in such ‘political’ matters won’t be swayed by a long list of fan organisations they may struggle to identify with. In addition, resignations, fall-outs and abuse appear to tarnish any good work such groups do. Meanwhile, a club fighting with itself on a month-to-month basis appears to have neither the will nor the way (not to mention the funds) to put in place a new scheme which can accommodate fans of every possible background. Yet, in my opinion, if such a group is to be successful, from the club it must come. It needs that formal official status, along with the backing of high-profile relevant figures, to take fan representation from social clubs and websites to the boardroom. However the only certainty is that when such a proposal does see the light of day, it may be strangled at birth by a minority of people who will always insist upon throwing out the baby with the bathwater for the most ridiculous of arguments. In the meantime, the moderate (and usually silent) majority can only hope for better. And until we concentrate ten bizarrely disparate groups into one then that day may be a long time coming. What part will you play in achieving that positive change: are you part of the problem or the solution? Will the real Rangers support please stand up?

It would be an interesting debate as there are some parallels with the way that the F word and H words are used in Scotland (although there are obvious differences in both cases). I wonder if they would be interested in having a H word debate but guess that abuse of white Protestants don't feature highly in their priorities. http://www.kickitout.org/join-spurs-legend-garth-crooks-for-free-y-word-debate/

.........with Celtic showdown one win away and a cup final they hope never to contest again. It's time for Rangers to take a break from slogging through the epilogue of League One and face two matches that could change the whole story of their season. On Sunday, Ally McCoist’s side travel to Easter Road to meet Raith Rovers in the final of the Ramsdens Cup, hoping to win a first knockout tournament under their manager. Six days later, they welcome Dundee United to Ibrox in the Scottish Cup last-four. The merits of overcoming United to reach the season showpiece at Celtic Park are undisputed. Should Rangers be able to raise their game against Jackie McNamara’s Premiership high-fliers – and they would have to do so substantially after grimly toiling to victory at Gayfield – it would be their greatest on-field victory since the financial carnage of 2012. What, though, of the Ramsdens Cup? Where does that rank in the overall scheme of things? After all, it’s a competition Rangers would hope never to be involved in again come their planned top-flight return. Any attempt to belittle the importance of the occasion is, however, met with strong resistance from within the squad. Take Cammy Bell, who performed heroics for Kilmarnock when they blanked out Celtic to attain League Cup glory in March 2012. The goalkeeper is adamant that success in Leith this weekend would mean every bit as much to him as that remarkable Hampden day. ‘Definitely,’ he insisted. ‘This is a cup final and it’s for the club I love, Rangers. It’s a massive day for me and all the boys. We’re really excited about it. ‘The manager spoke to us at the semi-final and told us we would never forget being part of a Rangers cup final. We want to go and win it. ‘Raith Rovers are a very good side, so it will be a tough match, but we’ll train hard all week and make sure we’re prepared.’ Whoever watched events in Arbroath on behalf of Raith would have returned an optimistic report to boss Grant Murray. It required an 87th-minute goal from Fraser Aird to maintain Rangers’ 100 per cent away record in the league after Jon Daly’s first-half header was cancelled out by Paul McManus – following a dire back-header from Seb Faure. ‘We do have to raise our game for the matches coming up,’ admitted Bell. ‘We’ll need to be on top of our game. Dundee United will be tough for us but it’s a challenge the boys need to stand up to.’ However, Arbroath goalscorer McManus questioned whether Rangers have what it takes to get the better of his former club Raith - never mind United. Had Alex Keddie not turn a golden injury-time opportunity over the bar from point-blank range, League One’s bottom side would have taken a point. ‘It’ll be close on Sunday,’ said McManus. ‘Raith are taking 3,000 fans and it will be a good experience for their players. But they won’t just be going to cherish the occasion – they’ll want to win the cup. The last couple of weeks, Rangers have been poor. That isn’t just down to them, other teams are putting up a fight. I think Rangers will struggle next week to be honest.’ McManus still harbours a grievance about Arbroath’s 3-2 defeat at Ibrox in January and was similarly miffed at a second narrow loss, sealed when Daly’s shot was diverted in by Aird. ‘The goal they got? Same old Rangers,’ he said. ‘When things aren’t going for them, they get a bit of luck. Not just off the linesmen and referees – it was a ricochet off one of their players and the ball goes in the back of the net. At the end, Rangers were hanging by a thread. ‘I was arguing with Lee McCulloch on the park because I felt he went down too easy. Tough times: Paul McManus expects Raith to test Rangers +5 Tough times: Paul McManus expects Raith to test Rangers ‘We played them off the park at Ibrox and got nothing. They got a late penalty through Jon Daly, who I felt went down easy then. ‘They won that game and decisions like that… we even saw it on Saturday with certain decisions down the side, when the flag never went up. We worked hard and never got anything out the game. It’s typical Rangers.’ Those jibes will not worry McCoist as much as the diagnosis on a hamstring strain that forced Daly’s late removal. Losing him for the forthcoming cup encounters would a huge blow. Ian Black and Nicky Law also missed out with ankle and back problems respectively, while David Templeton and Andy Little are also fighting for fitness. Greater long-term concern surrounds Lewis MacLeod. The Scotland under-21s midfielder will travel to England this week to discuss treatment options after a virus affected the muscles around his heart. While no timescale has been placed on his return, McCoist is optimistic the 19-year-old will make a full recovery. ‘Lewis’ spirits are high and he has the best people looking after him,’ said goalkeeper Bell. ‘He’ll come back, I’m sure he will. He’s a strong lad. He will be round about the lads on Sunday and hopefully he is back involved soon. We support each other no matter what is happening.’ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2593016/Rangers-face-season-defining-week-Celtic-showdown-one-win-away-cup-final-hope-never-contest-again.html#ixzz2xUsyODRf

Genuine question because I think Dave King could get blamed for something he is not totally responsible for. I honestly believe, after speaking to hundreds of other fans, that they have had enough of the complete and utter dross being served up on the park. Nothing to do with boardroom stuff.

http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=2986&newsID=13171&newsCategoryID=1 In response to recent speculation and comments made by Dundee United officials, the Scottish FA is compelled to clarify the club’s ticketing allocation for the forthcoming William Hill Scottish Cup semi-final between Rangers and Dundee United at Ibrox. At the pre-operations meeting held on Tuesday, 11th March, Dundee United were made an initial offering of 11,063 tickets, allocated in the entirety of the Broomloan Road Stand, the Govan West corner and a section of the Govan Stand Front and Rear. The number was offered on the basis of Dundee United’s ticket sales for recent semi-finals. For last year’s semi-final against Celtic at Hampden Park, with a 12.45pm kick-off, Dundee United received an allocation of 10,686 tickets and sold 6783. For the 2010 semi-final against Raith Rovers at Hampden Park, with a 3pm kick-off, Dundee United were allocated 11,806 tickets and sold 9969. The Dundee United official present stated that in order to ensure a maximum attendance, in the first instance the club would not require the additional allocation in the Govan West corner, Front and Rear and, instead, would prefer the Broomloan Road stand, capacity 8012. He was invited to revert to the club for confirmation but declined. Notwithstanding the present allocation of 8012 – as requested by the club – Dundee United retain first option on the Govan West corner, and a section of the Front and Rear, an additional 3051 seats. Should the club a) request that additional allocation and b) sell it, then there remains the opportunity to extend the allocation subject to agreement between the clubs and the relevant police and stewarding advice.

..........gets Rangers fans all fired up to renew Old Firm rivalries. IT was a terrific quote. Nauseating so far as its sentiment was concerned, but a marvellous sound-bite never the less. It was the one Dave King delivered about some Rangers fans who couldn’t, or wouldn’t, put shoes on their children’s feet because they wanted to use the money to buy their season ticket for Ibrox. This was portrayed as evidence of the extraordinary degree of passion some fans have exhibited for the club. It’s nothing of the kind. Putting football before your family’s needs is not and never will be a badge of honour. Indeed it is a source of everlasting shame and there shouldn’t be the slightest hint of dubiety about that. But Dave wasn’t indulging in some emotional flight of fantasy, dreamed up one night while he was lying on a sun lounger as dusk fell on his exotic garden and swimming pool in Johannesburg and thinking about his place of birth. These people really do exist. I was once abroad in the company of an old friend who had a long and illustrious career with Celtic. We had been covering one of the club’s European ties and having a post-match refreshment before turning in when he was accosted by a fan. One who proudly told him his children hadn’t had a holiday in any of the previous three years so that he could travel the continent to support his team. The supporter had managed to turn denial where his family was concerned into some kind of imagined virtue He may have expected the Hoops hero to offer heartfelt words of praise but it was all the ex-player could do to maintain self-restraint after the interloper had invaded his company to spout his ?nonsense. Here’s the thing, though. ?Rangers’ survival as a viable concern is essential to the future well-being of the game in this country. The written media have done their usual first-class job of turning Celtic’s latest title-winning exercise into more column inches than would have been devoted to the Second Coming. But the reality is we need, heaven help us, the return of the rivalry that brings out those whose distorted sense of family values is an affront to decency. That also means unleashing the younger element upon us as they represent another part of the baggage that comes with re-establishing the Old Firm. Rangers and Celtic will play an Under-20 league match at Murray Park on Tuesday afternoon. That’s because the number of police who would’ve been required to enforce security if the game had been played ?in public view would’ve been financially inadvisable in times of austerity. It would have been interesting for normal folk to monitor and contrast the clubs’ youth development set-ups. Particularly at a time when 17-year-old Liam Henderson is scoring in a match against Partick Thistle that confirmed Celtic as league champions. But the youngsters’ match would have been hijacked, as those in authority well know, by the flare throwers, the singers of questionable songs and the rest of the misfits who would leave a family audience in fear of their safety. The match would’ve become an irrelevance to both sets of fans while they hurled sectarian insults at each other. It was the business of using rivalry as a basis for thuggery that put King’s policeman father off football when Dave was growing up. But one day, and it’s not too far off now, we’re going to have to deal with a first-team Old Firm derby that troubles society at large while helping enhance the product known as the SPFL Premiership. King knew exactly the right button to press when he started his propaganda campaign to win control of Rangers by instilling the fear of Celtic winning Ten in a Row in the minds of his club’s fans. And that’ll prey on their minds longer than Rangers’ captain Lee McCulloch’s talk about next Sunday’s Ramsdens Cup Final being a “massive” game. The match with Raith Rovers is a by-product of a club fallen on hard times. Nothing more and nothing less. Only those who would contemplate denying the weans shoes to buy a season ticket will think otherwise. Now the Ibrox board have countered King by saying that fans will threaten Rangers’ viability as a going concern if they decide to withhold season-ticket money The fans are now trapped between two sides, each trading on their innermost fears. And gullibility. I was speaking to a fan on the radio the other night who told me Celtic qualifying for the Champions League group stages next season would be a greater achievement than winning the European Cup in 1967. It was breathtaking nonsense, and a moment to ponder whether some fans actually understand history. Celtic were the first British, not Scottish, winners of the competition. Idolising Neil Lennon's perfectly all right, but distorting the truth while tarnishing Jock Stein's memory isn't. Neil would surely be the first to agree. No-one's dismissing his achievements. But there must be a sense of perspective.

.....for the Premiership title in 2015-16 Ally McCoist last night declared that anything less than Rangers challenging for the Premiership title in season 2015-16 will be unacceptable. The Ibrox club will compete in the Championship next season having won back-to-back titles and are hot favourites to pave their way back to the big time with a third successive crown. However, the source of the club’s long-term financing remains shrouded in uncertainty, with would-be investor Dave King so far being kept at arms’ length by the board. King’s willingness to underwrite the £50million he believes is needed to compete with Celtic has chimed with a fan base who are behind his plan to only release season-ticket money to the board if certain conditions are met. McCoist yesterday expressed his hope that dialogue could yet see all parties arrive at a satisfactory solution. But, come what may, the Rangers manager refutes the notion that the aim of a first season back in the top flight could be consolidation. ‘No, it’s not an option,’ he stated. ‘We know it goes with the territory here, you are expected to win the vast majority of games and you’re expected to get promoted and get back in the top league as quickly as possible. ‘So far, these boxes are getting ticked although there have been one or two hiccups along the way, which we always said there would be.’ Asked if he intended building a team capable of challenging at the first time of asking, McCoist continued: ‘Yes, it’s important. We’ve never made up the numbers at all. No matter what league we’ve played in or where we’ve played, we’ve always believed we’ve had a chance of winning the competition and I don’t see any reason why that should change. ‘In fact, it shouldn’t change and it can’t change.' On Thursday, Rangers chairman David Somers issued a stern warning that the proposed season ticket stand-off could cause untold damage to the club. Speaking after the publication of the interim financial results, Somers said the withholding of money could risk the club’s ability to ‘continue as a going concern.’ McCoist has repeatedly taken a neutral stance in the ongoing spat between the board, King and the fans, but yesterday he admitted to having serious concerns about what Somers had said. ‘Of course that would worry me, as a supporter and as a manager,’ he added. ‘That would be a concern for everybody who has anything to do with the club. If the chairman feels that has to be said, it is probably an unpleasant reminder to everybody involved at the club that we have a long, long way to go.’ Notwithstanding the possible return of King to Ibrox, McCoist believes he and the board are on the same page as far as a shared vision for the future of the club is concerned. ‘I’ve said all along that we need investment to get back, there’s no doubt about that,’ he continued. ‘Graham (Wallace, the chief executive) and the board have said that, too, so it’s good that everybody feels like that and shares that opinion. ‘Where the investment comes from we will have to wait and see. ‘In the meantime, it’s good everybody agrees investment is needed. ‘For us to get back to where we want to eventually be, we will need investment. ‘We lost millions when we lost all those players. To get back to the standard of where we were, investment is needed.’ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2591972/McCoist-sights-set-challenging-Celtic-Premiership-title-2015-16.html

Didn't look good and does not make good reading either ... Sky Sports News ‏@SkySportsNews 32 Min. Hull expect goalkeeper Allan McGregor to miss the rest of the season with a kidney injury #SSN

King: My father was so anti-football he didn't want me to be a Rangers fan Dave King can afford to laugh now. About the round of golf with Arnold Palmer which ended up costing him £20million. His investment in Rangers was never planned. Travelling with Gary Player from South Africa to a pro-am event in Hawaii early in 2000, the intention was to spend some time holing putts. ‘I played with Gary in the pro-am on the Tuesday,’ King recalls. ‘But on the Wednesday he was going to look at a golf course he was designing. So he arranged for me to play with Jack Nicklaus instead. ‘After that round we then had dinner with Alistair Johnston, the future Rangers chairman. He was a good mate of David Murray. ‘He was a big Rangers man like myself and was telling me how the club needed cash and so on. He was trying to sell it to me. Asking what it might take. ‘So I said to him: “You know what would be really nice? I’ve played with Gary on Tuesday, I’ve played with Jack on Wednesday, could you fix it for me to play with Arnold Palmer tomorrow in the pro am?” ‘Alistair could do that. He arranged the pro-am. So I played golf with Gary Player on the Tuesday, Jack Nicklaus on the Wednesday and Arnold Palmer on the Thursday. I might be the only amateur golfer in the world who has ever done that. But golfing with the big three was a costly business. It ended up costing me a £20m investment in Rangers.’ Some still suspect King got most of his money back. Amongst those opposed to his plans for a proposed new Ibrox investment of between £30m and £50m, a report from a South African business journal in November 2008 has now become gospel. Unverified, the report claimed King received £18m in income from Rangers over the 12 years of his previous involvement. It was seized on by the PR man once paid to do the bidding of the current board. Indignant, King tells Sportsmail: ‘Listen, I did not get one penny of that money back. SARS taxed me on my total income. And obviously your income includes what you spent it on. ‘When I invested that £20m I didn’t even have a tax problem. That came later. ‘There was some mischief put out there about me getting £18m back or something. Nonsense. ‘That PR guy Jack Irvine was putting out some stories to discredit me for whatever reason. It was absolute rubbish. The truth is that I put in £20m and lost it all. ‘I didn’t even get my 3p in the pound or whatever I was due back. So when people say I don’t put my money where my mouth is I point to that. ‘I genuinely put in £20m, I genuinely lost it. And I am still coming back for more.’ That first investment finally disappeared down a black hole when Rangers entered administration in February 2012. He threatened afterwards to sue Murray for the loss on the grounds of ‘non disclosure’ over the club’s true financial state. Asked if he is still pursuing the cash, he says: ‘I continue to work on that for myself and for all the fans who lost money.’ Despite it all, he now wants to invest more money in Rangers. This newspaper first broke the news of King’s plans for a fresh investment last April. A year later he is still trying, saying this week the club need up to £50m over the next four seasons and that he would underwrite a new share issue himself if he had to. The sums involved are eye-watering; a world removed from a modest childhood in Castlemilk. One of seven children – four boys and three girls – his policeman father Tom King witnessed the corrosive, disproportionate impact football had on Saturday nights in Glasgow. ‘My father wasn’t at all keen on me becoming a Rangers supporter. He was a Glasgow policeman and because of that he resented the whole football scene in Glasgow. ‘He was actually very anti-football. When we were kids growing up he was very vocal on his dislike of the bigotry in football. The police in Glasgow at that time saw it as a basis for thuggery. ‘He saw what it did from a crime and disorder point of view in Glasgow. And as a family we were taught to reject the whole bigotry aspect surrounding football. That has stayed with me through the years. ‘My father took me to that first game reluctantly, but I clearly remember seeing Ritchie, Shearer and Caldow in the classic Scot Symon team. It would have been 1965 or so and I was 10. ‘Thereafter there were so many players I admired. Greig, McKinnon, Ralph Brand, Jimmy Millar. But it was never about individuals. It was more about the club. ‘If you are a Rangers fan you go beyond players. It’s about the club, the institution – it’s what you are brought up with. It’s just in your blood. It’s in your DNA.” The Kings were amongst the first inhabitants of the new tenement flats in Castlemilk, the south side housing scheme developed by the old Glasgow Corporation to provide affordable overspill housing for the Gorbals. The homes were new, the amenities non existent. ‘I don’t think we ever regarded ourselves as well off in any way. You understand when you are a kid that a lot of kids are better off than you. That becomes a motivation in a way. ‘I wanted to do something different with my life. I didn’t want to feel like that. ‘It would be easy to say growing up in Castlemilk as one of seven in modest circumstances drove me on in life. But it was there within me anyway. ‘Of course, there was a certain sense of growing up and thinking: “I don’t want my kids to live like this.” There certainly was an ambition in me and in everything I did to progress from humble origins, if you want to put it like that.’ Uniquely for a boy growing up in Castlemilk, King attended a private, fee-paying school. ‘I was certainly helped by going to Allan Glen’s,’ he admits. ‘Everyone around me went to the local schools and I suppose I was unusual. ‘The view of my mum at the time was that she would do anything to get me in. ‘But I was lucky because I got a bursary. I sat an exam and after being awarded the bursary I was excused fees. But my parents thought it was so important that even if I hadn’t got a bursary, I would have been sent in any event.’ He left school and started his working life with Glasgow’s Weir Pumps. He was transferred to South Africa with very little cash in 1976. ‘I planned to spend a few years here, make some money and return to Scotland. But one thing led to another.’ He married wife Ladina and the couple had four children. After spells with the Post Office Reserve Bank, King set up a management consultancy and took a golf membership at the Dainfern Country Club. His tax problems began when he established Specialised Outsourcing in 1993/94 to efficiently handle funds on behalf of the government for a share of the profits. He acquired conspicuous wealth and in 2000 – the year he also invested in Rangers – he bought a painting by artist Irma Stern at auction for £100,000. Reading of the purchase, Mr Charles Chipps, a special investigator of the South African Revenue Service, decided to check on King’s tax payments and discovered a declared taxable income of just £4,000. His discovery triggered an infamous 13-year battle between King and SARS. One which placed him on the front pages of South African newspapers and saw his overseas assets frozen. When Rangers entered administration two years ago, he could barely buy a bus pass in the UK, let alone a football club. The damaging dispute finally ended last year with a £39.3m settlement. Shares in King’s company Micromega immediately rose in value by 500 per cent and – on paper at least – he has made all his money back. Regretful he allowed things to drag on so long, he admits the settlement is a weight off his mind. He can now focus his attentions – and cash - back on Rangers. ‘The SARS business was a huge burden - one that has finally been removed. It was onerous. Very onerous given the extended time and the tying up of most of my capital during this period.’ There remains one lingering stain. As part of the plea bargain, King accepted culpability for 41 breaches of section 75 of the South Africa Income Tax Act. Each charge offered the choice of paying a £5,000 fine or spending two years in custody. King opted to pay the total fine of £210,000 rather than spend 82 years in jail and maintains the offences are not serious enough to breach the SFA’s fit and proper person regulations. He remains ‘certain’ he will pass the test, but before he reaches that stage King must find a route back into the Rangers boardroom. He rejects criticism that he has yet to put his money where his mouth is. That he has talked a good game without buying any shares. ‘It’s not unfair to say I haven’t put my money where my mouth is,’ he insists, ‘it’s just plain wrong. ‘I repeat, I’m the man who put £20m in and didn’t get a penny back. ‘I don’t even want to put new money in. If the Rangers board can raise £20m without me than that’s the first prize. ‘I would prefer it and my family would certainly prefer it – because that’s the trust funds for my four kids taken care of. ‘But what I am saying is that if there is a fresh share issue I am willing to do it. ‘It’s quite simple really. Where Rangers are concerned, I am the last resort guy. No more than that.’ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2591251/Dave-King-My-father-anti-football-didnt-want-Rangers-fan.html#ixzz2xDdtF8hl

RANGERS look to be on a collision course with the SFA over their brief allocation for the Scottish Cup semi-final against Dundee United, at Ibrox, on Saturday, April 12. Despite the fixture taking place on the Govan club's own turf it is not a home game for Gers. That means the season ticket holder sale and distribution of briefs are dependent on the allocation agreed with the SFA and the opposing club. The SFA are currently holding the entire Govan stand in reserve until they know the exact demand from Dundee United supporters, who have been allocated the Broomloan Stand. That could ensure the Light Blue season ticket holder sale will not commence until April 3. Rangers are currently allocated the Main Stand and the Copland stand and hoping to land "a significant proportion of the Govan Stand". And the club's website confirmed: "Subject to confirmation from the SFA, Rangers have taken the decision not to go on sale until we have confirmation on the final allocation and position with the Govan Stand, in order to offer our season ticket holders the best choice of seats available at the one time. "We hope season ticket holders understand the reasons behind this decision and we apologise for any inconvenience caused by this delay which is outwith the club's control." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/u/rangers-facing-cup-tie-sfa-ticket-storm.1395920594

One club/stadium noticeably missing when you search Greater Glasgow for Sport>Football on http://www.visitscotland.com/en-us/info/see-do/searchresults?prodtypes=ACTI%2CATTR%2CENTE%2CRETA%2CTOUR&refined=1&refine-place=on&src_area=4651&refine-location=&loc_address=&loc_place=&loc_polygon=&src_location=&loc_placeprox=&src_pcproximity_bands=50%7C20%7C10%7C5%7C2%7C1&src_pcproximity_dist=50&refine-category=on&src_category=cg038&refine-name=on&src_name=football …#RFC@ofvoid

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/qa-rangers-chief-executive-graham-wallace-on-finances-the-review-and-the-clubs-future.1396009021 Can somebody copy and paste.

What's the latest with Lewis?,is he still injured?,what is his injury?,when is he due back?.

http://player.stv.tv/programmes/scotland-tonight/ About 7min 25 seconds in.

Taken from FF The RFFF voted today that in the event of litigation against Craig Houston, arising from content on the Sons Of Struth Facebook page, a proposal to provide financial support will be taken to a general meeting of fans.

Thursday 27th March at 12:38 During the course of last night’s match it became apparent that a number of away fans had obtained tickets in sections designated for home support. We would like to apologise to all Thistle fans and, in particular, to any that felt intimidated or uneasy as the match progressed. Unfortunately, due to the exceptional circumstances of Celtic being able to win the league, interest in the game was higher than usual. We would like to emphasise that every possible effort was made by the club to ensure that any tickets sold for areas of the stadium designated for home support were not knowingly sold to away supporters and, anybody requesting Celtic tickets, were turned away. Obviously last night was not the type of atmosphere we expect or encourage at Firhill. We will be closely reviewing our match day operations and sales procedures to help ensure that a similar situation never happens again. As part of the review process we will be liaising with supporters' groups to gather feedback, as we continue to try and improve the match day experience. http://ptfc.co.uk/news/2013-2014/march_2014/partick_thistle_vs_celtic_-_a_club_statement

It was more, much more than just sheer panic. Panic is fleeting but not this, no, this was a slow, and painful realisation that as the prophets had warned, "all things must come to pass". It was ominous, akin to an approaching thunderstorm, the distant peels of thunder sounding like a gong warning of foreboding. And the air, the air was pungent with a strange aroma invading their senses refusing them any kind of respite, forcing them reluctantly into an acceptance of the inevitable - the more astute amongst them recognised it, but dare not speak its name. It was the smell of fear. Then one of them did the unthinkable, took a journey into land of the forbidden, uttering the three little words which sent waves of anxiety through them all. “Rangers are coming” And indeed we are. The chains which bound us to our Elbaesque exile in Scotland's lower leagues have been shattered and broken, along with the schemes and plots designed to leave us in the wilderness. It was not a thirst for glory nor prestige which broke the yoke that bound us, but an unstinting sense of loyalty and commitment to a football club – it proved to be a characteristic of the Rangers support which our enemies could not overcome. In the years to come the Rangers support of this generation will be recorded as some of the club's greatest servants. Ever. It's not hard to de-cipher that we are on our way back. The inflammatory language has been re-kindled, along with the almost obligatory “conspiracy theories”. Irrational comment has replaced sensible discussion, Rangers are being blamed and held responsible for the decisions made by others . As Dundee United and Aberdeen supporters organise a boycott of Ibrox food stalls for their forthcoming visits, we Rangers fans wait for the media proponents of “Forgive, forget and move on” to lecture others the way they lectured us. I suspect we will be waiting for a long time. I also suspect that being merciful or magnanimous will no longer be part of our make up – we have not forgotten those who swung a kick whilst we were down. Dundee United experienced it with the Tannadice boycott, and as they ran squealing to the SFA about our club refusing tickets a rude awakening awaited them. Football authorities can do nothing about how our support choose to spend the blue pound. Only we control that. It's a fact worthy of more considered thought. It has been a long and arduous journey at times, which of course is not yet completed, but we are well on our way. Along the road there have been fall outs, rifts and unpleasantry. But even these pale into significance at the sense of unity, the sense of purpose in restoring our club. Even that which is less edifying has at it's heart the same passion which drives our support to achieve what others would consider impossible. We should all rejoice in that passion we share - our club exists because of it. For those for whom these 3 little words are unpalatable, I will say them again. “Rangers are coming”. Along with 3 more little words. “Hell mend you”