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  1. Hopefully he gets a chance with Rangers next year as McCulloch is getting too old for the top divisions.
  2. Billy Brown believes the time has come to allow Hearts to add to their meagre squad as injuries and suspensions mount at Tynecastle. With a transfer embargo still attached to the club while they battle to exit administration, Hearts were again unable to name a full quota of seven substitutes in Thursday’s Edinburgh derby defeat to Hibernian. Hearts have 14 fit players to choose from, with further places in the squad having to be handed to youths from the Under-17s. Brown questioned whether the sight of kids just out of school having to be called into the first team could damage the reputation of the game in Scotland and declared that “enough is enough”. He said that the sanctions on the club were punishing the wrong people, with former owner Vladimir Romanov now out of the picture. Brown said: “We’ve taken our punishment on the chin and as far as I’m concerned the punishment should end now. “We should be able to sign players now. Everybody speaks about sporting integrity and it is about time the ban was lifted. “It is not the people here that are at fault for what happened. The man who caused it has gone. “We have about 13 or 14 players to pick from and we can’t fill the bench. Jamie Hamill is suspended on Sunday and Scott Robinson will be suspended [later in the month]. “This isn’t a bluff. Within three or four injuries and suspensions we are having to put 15 and 16-year-olds in. “You tell me if that’s a benefit to Scottish football. “I think the time has now come. Enough is enough and we have to be given a bit of leeway.” http://m.stv.tv/sport/football/clubs/hearts/258929-billy-brown-enough-is-enough-hearts-transfer-ban-must-be-lifted/
  3. You can only hope that things will change if enough people point out the bleedin’ obvious: shiny new Glasgow, city of the Commonwealth Games, needs to take a long hard look at itself and try to come into the 21st century. I refer to Glasgow’s bizarre blindness to racism, bigotry and all manner of criminal activity which would scarcely be tolerated in any other British city outside N Ireland. Yet, in and around Glasgow it’s scarcely noticed. But like I say, if enough people call it out things can change. Nobody around the West Coast seemed to think David Limond’s foul online racist bigotry and intimidation of a woman was odd, or wrong, or unusual. Still less, racist. - See more at: http://blogs.channel4.com/alex-thomsons-view/scotlands-modern-millwall-celtics-toxic-public-image/6921#sthash.FtpXMgQc.ycectwk8.dpuf'>http://blogs.channel4.com/alex-thomsons-view/scotlands-modern-millwall-celtics-toxic-public-image/6921#sthash.FtpXMgQc.ycectwk8.dpuf http://blogs.channel4.com/alex-thomsons-view/scotlands-modern-millwall-celtics-toxic-public-image/6921
  4. From the Insolvency Service. http://www.insolvencydirect.bis.gov.uk/IESdatabase/viewdisqualdetail.asp?courtnumber=05763437 Intriguingly he's still listed as a Director of Sevco 5088 Ltd https://www.duedil.com/company/08011390/sevco-5088-limited/people
  5. "Like many within Scottish football, including supporters and other observers, we are surprised by the parallel conclusion that no competitive advantage was gained from these arrangements. “ (Celtic FC Statement) You curse you're luck. The dice were kind to you and you landed fair square on Park Lane having rolled the required eight, courtesy of a double 4. However at £350 this property is more than you can afford at present. Your next throw sees you roll an eleven where you safely pass go and collect £200 from the bank. You’re opponent meantime rolls a 7 and also lands on Park Lane. You can see from his finances across the table he is unable at present to afford the much coveted property. But to your abject horror he pulls out a Community Chest Card – Glasgow City Council/Celtic FC – and acquires Park Lane for the knock-down price of £175. Furthermore as he passes Go he collects a favourable £600 as opposed to your £200, courtesy again of his “exclusive deal” with Co-op Bank. “Competitive Advantage” ? “Sporting Integrity” ? “Financial Doping” ? “State Aid” ? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/markets/article-2514682/Co-op-Bank-slammed-cheap-loans-Celtic-Football-Club.html I await the social, and moral outrage that Celtic FC, courtesy of their exclusive and extremely favourable banking arrangements, have robbed small firms of credit facilities and overdraft extensions. I await Graham "Selective Amnesia" Spiers tweeting that he is quite comfortable that such arrangements were a form of “cheating” All it needs is for Donald Findlay to be appointed head of the SPFL Investigation into Celtic FC and their financial and land dealings. Whats that term...”what goes around comes around” http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22037966 Of course, should any type of investigation be directed at Celtic it will cause a considerable conflict of interest for one member of UEFA's Financial Fair Play Board – Brian Quinn, former Celtic Chairman. http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/former-celtic-chairman-brian-quinn-s-uefa-financial-role-1-2386596 At least there will be a plethora of advice readily available for Mr Quinn with regard to dealing with potential conflicts of interest. His old friend, and Celtic Board member Eric Riley was a director at the SPL and the SFA for 10 and 13 years respectively. Furthermore Celtic Chief Executive Peter Lawwell currently sits on the SFA's Professional Game Board. Did someone really say “Rangers are the establishment club” ? Conservative MP Mark Garnier is not going to allow this to go away, as he smells blood. So too do a number of Tories. It has been suggested that the revelations surrounding the Co-op Bank will reach right up to the higher echelons of the Labour Party nationally. http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/nov/22/ed-balls-links-to-co-op-bank Of course its perhaps purely co-incidence that the former Lennox Castle Hospital , with its 48 acres of prime real estate, was sold for £493,000 to Celtic Football Club, thus allowing the Scottish Minister to delegate responsibility for it's sale to the CEO of Glasgow Greater Health Board, as it fell below the £500,000 benchmark. Which leaves me 2 questions. (1) Was the sale of Lennoxtown Castle offered or advertised in the public domain ? (2) Does Neil Doncaster have Lord Nimmo Smith on Speed Dial ?
  6. A Rangers fan who posted a threatening message about Celtic manager Neil Lennon on Twitter has been cleared of committing an offence. Christopher Hay, 22, was the first person to be charged under the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communcations Act in 2012, after writing a message on his social networking site the day the act came into force. Chip shop worker Hay, from Kirkintilloch posted "I seriously do wish that someone would kill that ugly ginger c***, I should've planned my parcel bombs better, next time it'll work #w*****". The comment was posted during the high profile parcel bomb trial at the High Court in Glasgow. Hay claimed it was a "throwaway comment" made by him and not intended to be seen by Lennon. He denied intending to cause fear or alarm or being reckless as to whether he did or not, at his trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court and was found not guilty by sheriff Stuart Reid. While the sheriff branded the comment "an offensive and threatening communication" he said that after considering all of the evidence, that there was not the necessary criminal intent needed for Hay to be found guilty. The court heard that during a police operation, the post was spotted using keywords on a search facility of Twitter. A designated officer who had to search for offensive messages during the trial of Trevor Muirhead and Neil McKenzie, spotted the message and traced it to Hay. When interviewed by police Hay admitted posting the comment on his social networking site. Although he posted the message, he claimed it was never intended to be seen by anyone except his 23 friends who "follow" and view his posts on Twitter and that he claimed were "close friends". The court heard that Lennon's name was not mentioned in the comment and it was not directed towards him by copying it on to his official Twitter site but was written about him. Hay, a self-confessed Rangers fan, claimed: "I had no intention to cause fear or alarm to anybody. It was an absolute throwaway comment, I didn't intend it to go futher." Nobody re-posted the message on their web pages or commented on it. Hay told the court: "It was a moment of madness". When asked why he wrote it he said: "I have no reason in particular why I sent it. I can't even think why I would write such a thing." Procurator fiscal depute Stephen Ferguson asked: "If Neil Lennon or someone close to Neil Lennon were to see that how do you think they would feel?" Hay answered: "They wouldn't be very pleased about it. Taken aback by it, it's not very nice, not something you want to see." Muirhead, 44, and McKenzie, 42, from North Ayrshire, sent devices they believed were capable of exploding and causing injury. The men were found guilty in March 2012 of conspiracy to assault Lennon, former MSP Trish Godman and the late Paul McBride QC and were jailed for five years. http://news.stv.tv/west-central/259433-christopher-hay-cleared-over-offensive-post-celtics-about-neil-lennon/
  7. Michael Grant BACK in 2012 when old Charles Green was figuring out which buttons to push to endear himself to a deeply sceptical Rangers support, so that he might clean out their wallets a few months later in a share flotation, he had no qualms about fighting dirty. He'd been in Scotland for about five minutes but that didn't stop the verbal diarrhoea that led to him spouting off about bigotry, about Celtic, about the Scottish football authorities and about the world in general having it in for Rangers. Plenty saw through him and knew his game, but there were enough who bought into it and made the mistake of embracing him as some sort of champion. Perceptions changed and the shares were snapped up. Now, as then, there is a polarised club - board in one camp, most of the supporters in another - which soon will be in need of a life-support machine being switched on again. This time the sale of season tickets will dictate whether Rangers survive financially or collapse again, possibly into another administration, because of unsustainable running costs. A rumbling, low level mood of resistance and unrest exists among the supporters even if the outcome of last month's annual general meeting left them unsure of what to do next. Thousands don't like this board but don't know what they can do about it. There is no consensus for an organised boycott of season tickets but there are plenty of committed, ordinary fans who are just quietly fed up with the way the club has been run and are prepared to stop going next season. If you were Sandy Easdale, or David Somers, or maybe even Graham Wallace, you might have read what Ally McCoist said about the fixture schedule at the weekend and thought "yeah, that's a good line, that'll go down well". McCoist made some pretty unlikely and strange remarks about the Scottish Professional Football League's allocation of fixtures and the fact Rangers had been made to play four times in 11 days, and three in a row away from home over the festive holidays. "Different initials but the same old story with the way our club has been treated," said McCoist. He won't welcome the comparison, but that sounded exactly like Green. On Saturday the Stenhousemuir striker John Gemmell took to Twitter. For all its attractions and advantages, social media encourages a depressing tendency to lapse instantly into personal abuse, especially on Twitter, and Gemmell used the sort of language that would have once led to him having his mouth washed out with soap. Take away the infantile insults, though, and it was easy to agree with Gemmell's underlying point. Since when did playing four games in 11 days, all within an hour's travel, amount to an excessive or unfair demand to place upon any set of footballers? The idea that Rangers have been "singled out" or "treated differently" simply doesn't stand up to scrutiny. A dozen other clubs have played four games in 11 days. Some have played four in 10 days. A team cannot claim to have been picked on for unfair treatment if it turns out loads of others were in exactly the same boat. Four games in 11 days is a busy schedule, no doubt. But no more than that and the festive programme is always busy because it gives a greater number of people the chance to attend games while on holiday. Rangers have successfully requested the postponement of games this season because they had some players away on international duty, postponements which inconvenienced other clubs just as they feel inconvenienced now. McCoist wanted the game at Stenhousemuir to be played in midweek. Stenhousemuir wanted it played yesterday, as it was. Gemmell made a very good point about that in one of his tweets. Part-time players such as him and his team-mates tend to have a free diary for games at weekends. When they play midweek matches they have either to take half-days off work or else put in a full shift then rush to the ground to be ready in time. Why would they put themselves at such a massive disadvantage, and allow Rangers such an advantage, by moving their home game from a weekend to next midweek? Rangers players have no other obligations pulling on their time, of course, hence Gemmell's sarcastic references to their massages, club-prepared healthy meals and £5000-a-week wages. The difference in how the two sets of players are rewarded isn't an accident. The players at Ibrox are better footballers and that is reflected in their treatment, but sympathy lies with Gemmell for drawing the comparison. Rangers will never be able to paint themselves as a victim when they are the League One club which has it all. It's easier to sympathise with the complaint about three consecutive away games but, even so, fans weren't asked to travel to the ends of the earth. All three games were in the central belt. Nor is three consecutive away games anything unusual: later this month Rangers will begin a run of three in a row at home. What can be said for certain is that McCoist wasn't doing the board's bidding when he piped up. That isn't the way things work at Ibrox at the moment. It was his own, personal view. But a lot of people found it hard to take seriously. And Gemmell, a season-ticket holder at Ibrox, wasn't the only Rangers supporter among them. http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/opinion/rangers-have-to-play-the-game-when-it-comes-to-fixture-congestion.23101970
  8. “I wish for you all, each of you, to have your own motive for indignation. This is precious. When something outrages you as I was outraged by Nazism, then people become militant, strong, and involved.” (Stephane Hessel) Much has been made of the comments at the Celtic AGM, particularly the jibes by an SFA board member, who, in his dual role, also officiates over certain matters at Celtic FC. If such comments were seen as an attempt to play to the gallery, Chairman Ian Bankier’s comment that there was “a tremendous romance attached to the club” were perhaps an attempt to detract from a far greater romantic screenplay which is developing over the other side of the city. For this developing screenplay has all the ingredients to be a box office sell out, and in fact, already has sold out time and time again. Furthermore its ability to capture the imagination and attention of those beyond these shores shows no sign of abating. It can neither be stopped nor controlled because it’s driving force, the Rangers support, will forever be beyond the reach and control of even multi-roled individuals with alarming, and questionable influence. Its a loyalty which cannot be bought, is not and will not be offered for sale, no matter the offer on the table. It has the twists of trickery, the depravity of deceit, the unedifying behaviour of the unscrupulous. Unbridled hatred is there for all to see as well Machiavellian plots which would do The Prince justice. Intransigence, incompetence and intent to injure, to destroy an institution are laid bare before all. These factors should set the scene for what would be an overwhelming victory, an annihilation, an extermination. That no such victory was forthcoming is testament to the screenplay’s heroes. Normal men and women whose love for their football club laid to waste the plotters and their schemes. She may have been kicked countless times when she was down, but time and time again the blue legions would pick her up and brace themselves for the next onslaught. Rangers may have been down, battered and bruised, but most certainly not out. And so the march onwards continues. Relentless. When people speak of the romance of Scottish football they think of the institution which would not die – because her fans would not let it be so. They filled stadiums, broke world records, were the cause of games being postponed. You want romance Mr Bankier ? Look no further than Ibrox. Forget “defiance” or even vengeance. The bad news for all the cowards who swung the boot whilst we were down is that it is something much worse than either defiance or vengeance. Righteous Indignation. It will pursue the plotters, the schemers, and the incompetent. The level of hatred and lack of mercy displayed by many, I can assure you, will be duly reciprocated. And then some. Agencies and individuals cannot hide forever behind anonymity, excuses of “whistleblowing” and “sporting integrity”. In the near future a criminal enquiry will reach it’s conclusion and the long arm of the law will finally get to grips with some of the plotters. The time for Government Agencies hiding behind the excuse of “ongoing criminal enquiries” will be over. If some of them think that Police Scotland are the extent of their worries, then they would be well advised to think again. The failings are already within the public domain and no amount of retrospective action will remedy them. All we are really waiting for is to see the extent and the scope of the Police Scotland enquiry. We will be reviewing such an enquiry through eyes filled with righteous indignation – and only the full extent of the application of the law will satisfy. Rangers are indeed coming, on a tidal wind of righteous indignation, perhaps many in Scotland would do well to brace themselves.
  9. I popped into the local supermarket this morning and as usual, on leaving I flipped over a few newspapers to view the fitba headlines. The Record's take on Bilel Mohsni's behaviour last evening was a standout. In two short, two sentence paragraphs, he was described as a 'hothead', 'mad', 'bonkers', and 'mental'. Demonisation? I attended the game last night and thought Mohsni unnecessarily took the bait and deserved to be cautioned. He was being escorted from the pitch by Faure and words were exchanged with both Gary Bollan and Kiegan Parker in turn. Gesticulations too, with the latter. I don't know what occurred in the tunnel, but again not surprised he was further cautioned. Thus, two yellows make a red; fair enough. Mad, bonkers, and hothead are descriptive words applicable to Gregor Stevens or Chopper Harris. I was listening to BBC Radio Scotland last Saturday and Parkers name cropped up, Bollan was being congratulated on securing his services. The usual suspects succumbed to the usual testimony, early talent, early promise, ....... not realised. Alan 'Biscuits' Preston announced he had played with him at St Johnstone in the late 90s and agreed with his undoubted talent line but decreed, "he was a fruitcake". Derek Ferguson cautioned the description, Preston replied with, "he was an absolute fruitcake". Hyperbole appears to be the name of the game, what can we expect when bonkers meets absolute fruitcake? A couple of cautions. Anyways, well done the Daily Record. On the day when the Co-op bank has demanded more security from ra Sellik on their soft loan, dust down the Gregor Stevens thesaurus.
  10. Not because it's not deserved, but because Walter played terrible football too but nobody really seemed to care. It used to annoy me that people had such a short sighted view under Walter. The football he played was never going to get us anywhere in Europe (bar 2 successful seasons over both stints, the second success due to playing 10 defenders in the UEFA Cup) and while it won domestic trophies, it wasn't the type of long term philosophy that was going to see the club prosper, without throwing money at players. In Walter's first stint we hardly developed any youth talent and he left the squad in a mess. Is it the case that the football is so poor now that nobody can ignore it any more? Or is it because we are playing such poor opposition now? The common line under Walter was that winning is all that matters. Well we are still doing that.
  11. ALLY McCOIST has hit out at the SPFL for forcing Rangers fans travel to three away games in just six days. The Ibrox club will take on Stenhousemuir in a rescheduled League One fixture at Ochilview tomorrow afternoon. The game follows meetings with Airdrie at the Excelsior Stadium on Thursday and Dunfermline at East End Park on Monday. And with a trek to Forfar looming a fortnight on Monday McCoist is furious with the governing body. He said: "The game against Stenhousemuir shouldn't have been played this Sunday, it should have been played in midweek. "That's our fourth game in 11 days. The way our club has been treated is not on. And then to make matters worse, they're sending us and our fans up to Forfar after that. So we play four games in 11 days, nothing for nine days and then they send our fans away up to Forfar on a Monday night. "So I just think there's something not right about that." McCoist revealed that pleas from Rangers to the SPFL to rethink the punishing run of matches have fallen on deaf ears. Asked if Rangers had any input into the scheduling of the games, he said: "Yes, but it shows you how much they listen to us. "At this time of the year, when money is scarce for everybody, it is ridiculous to ask our fans to travel a third away game and fourth game in 11 days. "As I say, different initials, same old story." McCoist added: "I understand more than anybody that we have to attract sponsors and attract television audiences, "But I just feel once again our supporters are being asked to go the length and breadth of the country. "That shouldn't be the case all the time. It's just as well our supporters are a strong bunch." McCoist is also concerned about the impact so many games away from home in such a short space of time will have on his players. He said: "Four games in 11 days for any set of players is very difficult. "Lewis Macleod went down against Airdrie and and Ian Black has picked up a couple of kicks against Airdrie too. In an ideal world, they would have longer to recover." Meanwhile, McCoist, who will meet chief executive Graham Wallace next week, has admitted he has targeted players he would like in the January transfer window. He said: "If we get the green light to go, then we certainly have possible targets. "We wouldn't be doing our jobs if we didn't." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/mccoist-spfl-is-driving-us-mad-147205n.23093383
  12. 1) does anyone else think Wallace, Somers and Crichton will all be gone before the end of the season ? 2) at what point will Dave King be approached to invest in and takeover Rangers? When I hear our new CEO talking about cutting costs I genuinely worry if that involves the first team squad. This team needs strengthened not weakened which these costs would ultimately achieve.If he goes ahead with this I genuinely believe we could return to what we were in the early 1980's with a sub-standard team which people won't pay to watch. I'd previously said this new board needs to be given time.Now though I'm not so sure. Some of the insinuations being made give me cause for concern.
  13. Neil Doncaster has defended the implementation of the SPFL model, describing 2013 as a "challenging year" for the Scottish game. The SPFL chief executive covered many topics in an exclusive interview with STV, including the continued lack of a league sponsor, measures taken to prevent rogue owners from buying clubs and even Celtic's dominance of the top flight. Speaking to STV he said: "It’s certainly been a challenging year with all the hard work that went into getting the merger agreed. "That was years of hard work coming together in what was a very successful outcome. "It’s been challenging but ultimately it’s been extremely satisfying that everything we wanted to achieve, and everything Henry McLeish recommended, that fans wanted for so long, we’ve delivered. I think credit for these achievements should go to the 42 clubs. "Change is difficult and it does create concern for the future but the clubs have taken that leap of faith and I hope they’ll be rewarded for it." Looking ahead to 2014 Doncaster outlines his hopes and ambitions, calling for a greater emphasis on the actual football being played in the new set-up. "My hope is that going into 2014 the focus will be less on off-the-field matters that have dominated the agenda for so long and we’ll be far more on the passion, the drama, the excitement for which Scottish football is renowned," he explained. "We’ve got some bright talents coming through and it’s right that we should be focussing on those rather than the off the field matters." Doncaster seemed unconcerned by the lack of a title sponsor for the new league set-up, adding that the new year provides companies with a unique opportunity. He said: "We have a real opportunity coming into the new year with a new league for a sponsor to be the first sponsor of the SPFL. "The league has only been in existence several months and the fact is that companies looking to spend a fairly large amount of money will not do so at the drop of a hat. "There are several ongoing conversations with several large companies, large brands who have an interest in being involved with the league. We’re certainly hopeful that those will generate positive outcomes this year. "In terms of money generally, sponsorship makes up a very small percentage of the overall income of the league. "Most of it is down to broadcasting income and we’ve been very successful with overseas deals this year, which is a relatively big deal for the SPFL." Doncaster refuted the claim that this season's Scottish Premiership is proving uncompetitive, explaining how he seels the league to prospective investors and commercial partners. He said: "Scottish football is so key to society in Scotland. "We are well renowned throughout the world and the fact is that more people attend a top flight game in Scotland per capita than any other country in Europe. "I think the game sells itself but we want to make sure we have the right partner and a good sponsor for the right money." http://sport.stv.tv/football/scottish-premier/258745-neil-doncaster-looks-back-on-2013-as-a-challenging-year/
  14. SEVEN members of the Celtic fans’ group the Green Brigade are set to stand trial next year on charges of singing a song associated with the IRA at a number of Premiership and Champions League games. Paul Duke, 37, and Ross Gallagher, 29, from East Kilbride, Christopher Bateman, 28, from Irvine, David Gallacher, 22, from Glasgow, Sean Cowden, 21, from Rutherglen and Kieran Duffy, 18, from Coatbridge, are accused of singing The Roll of Honour at Celtic’s home Champions League qualifier against Elfsborg on 31 July. Mr Gallagher, Mr Bateman and Greg Robertson, 28, from Glasgow, are accused of singing the song on 3 August at a league game against Ross County, while Mr Robertson and Mr Gallagher are also charged with singing at a home game on 24 August against Inverness Caledonian Thistle. The men stand accused of behaving in a way “likely to incite public disorder”. A trial date has been set for next June, and the seven men pleaded not guilty to all charges, which they deny. http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland/top-stories/seven-green-brigade-members-face-ira-song-trial-1-3236895
  15. by ANDREW SMITH A BUMPER crowd is expected as Celtic bring in the bells at home to Partick Thistle on Wednesday. With free tickets dished out and buses laid on, who knows, the Parkhead ground may even be at least half full. It hasn’t been that way recently. Indeed, the past two league games are the first back-to-back such encounters to have attracted crowds of less than 30,000 while the championship has been a live issue since the stadium became a 60,000-seater arena in 1998. Then, accurate attendances were given out. Now, these require freedom of information requests, with the club aggregating the number of paid-for-seats, which amounted to 46,000 for each of the victories over Hibernian and Hearts this month. If that appears undoubtedly healthy then what is not is that around 20,000 season ticket holders – around half the entire figure, in fact – are electing to think better of occupying seats they have already parted with their money for. It will be pointed out that the weather and time of year led to a dip in attendances throughout the country but that doesn’t explain what is driving down Celtic’s capacity to have punters come out to watch them. In the year-and-a-half the top flight has been devoid of the Rangers brand, Celtic have made great play of the fact that they have a standalone strategy not dependent on rivalry with a club playing out of Ibrox. And, having turned a debt into cash in the bank and posted a near-£10 million profit last year, they are making good on their assertion. Yet the declining interest from Celtic fans in watching a procession to their third championship demonstrates that they would struggle to operate at their current level if there was never again a team called Rangers in the top flight. The last two home games offered a glimpse of what would be the norm if the club operated in an environment in which they had no major – even from a numerical and cultural sense – rival. The 20,000 no-showers among Celtic’s season ticket holder base probably retain their tickets currently for two reasons: they received a £100 reduction on them last summer and it will probably be only 18 months before there is a Rangers to ridicule and lord it over in the Premiership. Without that promise of ding-dong derby days, most of these fans would probably chuck their tickets. In a non-Rangers world, then, Celtic would have a rain-or-shine hardcore of around 25,000. When they won the last of their nine-in-a-row run of titles in 1974, that was roughly their home average, as it was when they hit rock bottom in 1994. To live within the means that a 25,000 season-ticket-holder base generated, there is no way Celtic would operate with the £30m playing budget they have at present, or spend even sums of £2m on a couple of players every summer. Such a reduced season-ticket-holder figure – with child and younger person reductions taken into account – would bring in around £8m. Celtic’s ticket sales for the Champions League last year alone were £10m. In the Martin O’Neill era, season tickets sales coined in £23m. Celtic are too cautious to rely on Champions League income every year to prevent major losses. However much their club’s supporters may want to be in denial about it, then, with no Rangers permanently in their domain, Celtic would undergo serious downsizing and most home games the club’s stadium would be morgue-like. In turn, a lower spend on player wages would inhibit the calibre of individual that could be recruited, which would result in the team being weaker and potentially more vulnerable across the three rounds of Champions League qualifiers they require to negotiate to reach the group stages. It is perhaps surprising just how quickly almost half Celtic’s season ticket holders have canned watching domestic games. Two years ago, their team wasn’t even champions. The apologists would claim that the club’s treatment of the now dispersed Green Brigade and its perceived attempts to “sanitise” the support has helped turn off sections of the support, but few are buying that. In the Glasgow domain, for a great many it is quite clear that hatred of the other side fuels interest more than love of their own club. And without this adversarial outlet, it is noticeable how the stuggles of both Celtic and Rangers have become internalised. When it was put to Celtic manager Neil Lennon that some of his supporters appear to have short memories, he said: “And a self-destrcut button. And it’s not helpful.” The Irishman said he “can’t look at” the possibility that some Celtic fans have turned to navel gazing about their club as a more satisfying pastime than actually attending games. “My objective is to take the team forward,” Lennon said. “I am aware of the point being made because it is almost as if they need something to fight or argue about. But I can’t do anything about that.” In terms of the lowly 25,000 crowd estimated to have turned up for the 12.15 visit of Hearts last Saturday, Lennon pointed to mitigating circumstances beyond climate. “It’s the first time we’ve had a home game televised for a while and it’s Christmas as well which might have had a big effect on the crowd. We are always looking to give fans value for money and we’re always looking to bring a player in who might capture the imagination as well. But we’re 16 games unbeaten and we can’t do much more than that. Our away form has been very good but it’s a little bit different at home where teams camp in for long periods of the game. I know it’s up to us to try and break them down but we try to give the fans value for money at home as well. “I don’t think [what has happened with the Green Brigade] has had any effect. There might have been a Champions League hangover as well. We’re out of that competition now. I would expect over the festive period the crowds will pick up again and we have Partick Thistle on New Year’s Day and I would imagine there will be a decent crowd for that one.” A “decent crowd” these days, is very different from what it was five years ago. http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/latest/poor-attendances-suggest-celtic-need-rangers-1-3249508
  16. Bell; Faure, McCulloch, Mohsni, Wallace; Black; Peralta, Law, Macleod; Clark, Daly
  17. EIGHTEEN months and counting. A year and a half left of this one-horse race before we have a proper championship again. Assuming Ally McCoist gets Rangers back into the top flight on schedule. He had better deliver, an extra year of the current nonsense and we?ll need chloroform. On occasions I?ve found myself at English grounds where everyone in the media centre was glued to the lunchtime Old Firm game. Southern journalists couldn?t get enough of it. Last Thursday at Newcastle, one of them asked me which division Rangers are in right now. That?s the extent of the interest. If the essence of any sporting contest is uncertainty, the wise men of the SPL gave our top flight a lethal injection two summers ago. Under the guise of ?sporting integrity? they sentenced Rangers to three years hard labour and killed their own competition while they were at it. Clever, eh? It was arguably the most idiotic decision in the history of Scottish football. Boycott threats from the anonymous halfwits of cyberspace saw our Premier League chairmen fold, condemning our biggest league to three years of decline. SFA chief executive Stewart Regan was ridiculed for predicting ?Armageddon? in Rangers? absence. He wasn?t far wrong. Why did every club in the league have to pay the price of Craig Whyte?s ransacking of Ibrox? Did Rod Petrie and Co really believe that ?Sell-out Saturday? nonsense? Did they believe the internet eejits who promised they?d turn up every week to fill club coffers? So much for the moral high ground. Sporting integrity has put Scottish football up against the wall. Yeah, Celtic have been insulated from the fallout by reaching the Champions League proper in successive seasons. But as the growing rows of empty seats prove, Hoops punters are bored stiff with the extent of their domestic dominance. Trust me, if it was Neil Lennon?s call Rangers would be back in the top flight next season. Likewise, I?m told Peter Lawwell wanted to keep Rangers in the big league with a points penalty, before he too bowed to the mob. Thanks to Lennon?s European success, Celtic?s balance sheet is in good nick but defeat in next season?s Champions League qualifiers will have accountants reaching for the valium. Elsewhere the rest of the SPFL is suffering. Rangers? demotion saw every budget in the top flight slashed. When costs have to be cut, youth development is the first casualty. At a time Dundee United are producing a special crop of youngsters, who would vote to shut down the production line? Some silly people have suggested Celtic?s recent hammering in Barcelona was no reflection on the standard of Scottish football. Really? Celtic won the league by 16 points last season without breaking sweat, yet they managed just three points from 18 in the Champions League. What does that say for the rest of the league? Our other European representatives? Scottish Cup finalists Hibs got a crack at the Europa League and lost 9-0 on aggregate to Malmo. Motherwell lost 3-0 over two legs to Kuban Krasnodar, currently ninth in the Russian league. Thankfully, St Johnstone flew the flag briefly with a great win over Rosenborg before losing in the third qualifying round to FC Minsk. Putting Rangers in the poorhouse gave a lot of people satisfaction but was the price worth paying? Under the yoke of the Old Firm, attendances were better, sponsors easier to find and the league table was worth looking at every weekend. With the pair at each other?s throats for Champions League cash, both had to spend to stay in front. A lot of that money went to fellow SPL clubs. Dundee were weighed in for Rab Douglas, Nacho Novo and Gavin Rae. Hibs got an Old Firm auction going for Scott Brown and Kevin Thomson. Kilmarnock punted Kris Boyd and Steven Naismith. Dundee United got a million plus for Barry Robson, while Celtic outbid Rangers for Motherwell?s Scott McDonald. That Old Firm arms race kept both clubs on their toes and helped subsidise the rest of the league. Now we?ve got Celtic trying to get through the entire season undefeated while the rest play for second place and a brief skirmish with the Europa League qualifiers. League One is no less of a freak show where you can watch Rangers playing keepie-uppie with their part-time opposition. Eighteen months and counting.
  18. The bright spots of 2013's Scottish Football may not be bright enough to light up 2014 according to Craig Burley, as lack of a competitive top flight darkens our game. THE new year promises more of the same on the domestic front – and it’s boring as hell. So desperate have we become that the upturn of the national team under Gordon Strachan and the splattering of talented kids at ?Dundee United have people clinging to some sort of hope. But there can be no sane person left in the country who actually believes fans are better served with Rangers trawling the lower leagues while Celtic canter to another title. Since their side tumbled out of Europe, Hoops fans have headed for the hills on match days. Talk of an unbeaten league run has failed to stop punters going for a Saturday afternoon supermarket sweep with the missus. Rangers’ winning streak ended at the hands of Stranraer but who was really buying into club records when those wins came against the window cleaner and your postman? Can’t we just be honest with ourselves Scotland’s top league needs a competitive edge back – even if it’s just a two-horse race. Although they are playing in different leagues now, there has been more squabbling between the Old Firm than I care to remember. But while the Glasgow giants continue to bicker there have been some changes for the good and some crumbs of comfort. Once most of us have enjoyed the World Cup in Brazil we can look forward to qualification for France 2016 under Strachan. So far the signs are encouraging so let’s hope that snowballs into the Euro qualifiers. Youngsters are the lifeblood of the national team and Dundee United might provide a few top talents. That will be a testament to the work done by my old team-mate Jackie McNamara and his staff. Jackie and I both played for Scotland under Craig Brown and he decided it was pipe and slippers time earlier this year. Craig didn’t get enough credit but his departure at Aberdeen offered Derek McInnes an avenue back into the game. He has given the Dons some vigour and added a bit of quality to the squad. His side lost to Motherwell on Boxing Day and that left the Steelmen in second spot. Stuart McCall has turned down chances to move on from Fir Park and that looks like a good decision as Well continue to ride high despite losing some key players. Last year Ross County gaffer Derek Adams was the best thing since sliced bread and the next top prospect. But 12 months later the only reason County don’t prop up the league is the 15-point penalty for Hearts. And what a shame it is to see another great institution in Scottish football head for the lower leagues. But however tough it seems for Gary Locke and the Jambos, they will come back stronger. On the other side of Edinburgh, Hibs seem to have finally made a wise choice in appointing Terry Butcher as manager. The stadium and training ground are all in place but now Terry has to get it right on the field. The big man’s departure from Inverness will have been a blow ?and it will be interesting to see how new gaffer John Hughes copes. Kilmarnock’s fans have been in a bun fight with chairman Michael Johnson while League Cup-winning boss Danny Lennon has avoided the axe at St Mirren after a dodgy start to the new campaign. The start to next season will be vital for our game as Celtic bid to reach the Champions League and Scotland start the Euro 2016 campaign. If results go pair shaped for both then we are stuffed once more. Unless you’re still of the persuasion that the ?domestic game is flying high.
  19. Rangers boss Ally McCoist claimed he was not bothered as his team's 100 per cent record in League One was ended with a 1-1 draw against Stranraer. The Ibrox men harboured hopes of winning all their matches in the third-tier this season but were undone with a stoppage-time equaliser from Jamie Longworth. McCoist admitted his team were below par, and felt the visitors could have got more from the game. He said: "I will be 100 per cent honest with you - I actually couldn't give a monkey's about the record. I really couldn't. "I'm not interested in the record, I'm only concerned about the level of performance that we gave and it was extremely disappointing. "It was a really disappointing day for us. Certainly I'm of the opinion that Stranraer more than deserved their point." I can remember a time when we had ambition.
  20. Loyalty - its a funny thing. In its genuine form it can neither be bought nor imitated. The exercise of it can, on occasion, test the very limits of our determination, our mettle; it may subject us to the most sternest of examinations, but such testing can go a long way to defining the type of people we are. On a personal level it separates that which is important in our lives, from the also rans – the wheat from the chaff. Its easy to forget in the midst of our “Scottish tour” that we, the Rangers support , are re-writing an additional chapter in the long history of Rangers legends. In years to come our children and grandchildren will read books and tell stories of forefathers whose loyalty was unquestionable, who in times of considerable adversity helped not only our club, but also each other, overcome the trials and tribulations before us. We are not only a part of, but are actually central to, history in the making. Perhaps, in years to come, with a more favourable and balanced journalistic culture in Scotland we may even see our current exploits examined in the same way as Hugh Taylor did many years ago when speaking of the Rangers support visiting Wolverhampton. (Hugh Taylor – We Will Follow Rangers, 1961) I say "easy to forget" because its a fact which has not really been either acknowledged or recognised within the Scottish media - despite it being covered and investigated in Japan and other countries. In fact it takes the somewhat mesmerised announcement of a Sky Sports presenter, the awe in his voice as he reads our attendance figures, to fully realise that you don't need to be wearing blue tinted spectacles to recognise the magnificence of the achievement and the loyalty factor clearly at work. In fact the Scottish media have been less than charitable towards the Rangers support in this regard. Initially the Rangers support was not loyal but “defiant” (remarkably such “defiance” was in respect of various injustices the Scottish media have also been relatively quiet about. Tick Tock.) That's of course when they see fit to mention it at all, if some of them can drag themselves away from their “Rangers are a new club” arguments, with of course their “unnamed insolvency experts”. Graham Spiers must be the only golfer in Scotland who employs a caddie to lug around his ego rather than is golf clubs. On Boxing day I met up with a fellow Bear, John, with whom Id shared various online discussions over the years. Between us we have almost 100 years of following Rangers. As we enjoyed a pre-match sherry we discovered we both shared the same Rangers baptism – the Arsenal Centenary Game where the “King of Ibrox Park” had lifted our hearts and spirits, only to see them broken again when the Girvan Lighthouse made two dreadful errors in the closing minutes, allowing Charlie George to capitalise (twice). As John and I made our way to G51 2XD, as we have done for nearly a century, to cheer on the Rangers, we crammed into a sardine tin like subway train, full of like minded individuals expressing their loyalty. “Rangers are a new club” ? - don't make me laugh. Notwithstanding the various legal rulings, or those of various footballing authorities, not to be mention the Advertising Standards Agency (Twice) – such a contention should be seen purely for what it is :- (a) The ramblings of hate filled individuals who, in arriving at such a position, have chosen to ignore the expertise and authority of those who have stated otherwise or (b) The ramblings of a troll like journalist, attempting to court controversy and attract attention, in an attempt to compensate for his bland, insipid and uninspired writing. Follow Follow is no longer just a song, it has become our standard. It is not empty rhetoric but an exercise in faith and loyalty to a football club evidenced by attendance figures and the setting of new world records. Perhaps one day other supporters will aspire to our standard. Until then, we welcome the chase.
  21. Kris Boyd will end a three-year international hiatus by joining the Scotland squad on the flight to Norway tomorrow ahead of Tuesday’s International Challenge Match in Molde. Boyd was drafted in to the squad by Gordon Strachan to replace Steven Fletcher, with the Sunderland striker permitted by the national coach to return to his club after playing in Friday night’s 0-0 draw against the USA at Hampden Park. The 30-year-old Kilmarnock striker last appeared for his country in a 2-1 victory against Liechtenstein in the UEFA European Championship qualifier at Hampden Park in September 2010. Boyd, who played under the Scotland national coach at Middlesbrough, has stated his desire to add to his 18 caps and seven goals for his country since returning to the SPFL Premiership and rejoining his home-town team, Kilmarnock, after a spell in Major League Soccer with the Portland Timbers. “I never gave up hope of playing for my country again and I am grateful to Gordon for giving me that chance,” he said en route to the team hotel. “I have always felt I can make a contribution at international level and knew that if I kept working hard my chance would come again. Hopefully I can get involved against Norway and show people what I am still capable of at the highest level.” Gordon explained he had no hesitation in turning to Boyd to supplement his attacking options after losing Fletcher, Matt Phillips and Jordan Rhodes from his original squad. “Kris has always said he was determined to return to the international squad. Now he has that opportunity again and I am delighted for him,” said Gordon. “He is a terrific professional who works hard on his game. Having spoken to a lot of people about him, they are of the same opinion as me – that Kris is an asset to any squad with his goalscoring capabilities. “He is playing regularly again at Kilmarnock and that sharpness made him a natural choice when looking for a striker to replace Steven.” Scotland have allowed Grant Hanley to return to his club after experiencing muscle tightness after his part in Scotland’s draw on Friday night, with Charlie Mulgrew also given leave for the trip to Norway.
  22. THERE are certain gifts we all dread receiving at this time of year ... Eric Caldow played in front of 35,000 fans for Rangers on Christmas Day but Rangers fans got possibly the worst present ever on Christmas Day way back in 1965. Their team were edged out 3-2 by visiting Dunfermline at Ibrox in the league. And that painful reverse allowed their Old Firm rivals Celtic to leapfrog them into top spot in the table. Football matches used to be played as normal on Christmas Day if it happened to fall on a Saturday. And Scot Symon's team found themselves up against a formidable side managed by Willie Cunningham on that date 48 years ago. The Gers, who fielded legends like Eric Caldow, Willie Henderson and Willie Johnston, were leading the race for the Scottish title at the time. So nobody, not the players and not the supporters, minded fulfilling the fixture on December 25 in the slightest. "We opened our Christmas presents in the morning and played football in the afternoon," recalled Caldow. "We didn't think we should stop playing just because it was Christmas Day. It was brilliant, great fun." The fans were certainly happy to forego the turkey and mulled wine to see their heroes play and 35,000 turned up. But Dunfermline - for whom a certain Alex Ferguson played up front - were nobody's fools. They had just missed out on being crowned champions the season before when they finished only a point behind Kilmarnock. The Fife club ended up edging a thrilling encounter in Glasgow thanks to a double from Scotland international Hugh Robertson and a strike by Bert Paton. Goals from Jim Forrest and George McLean ultimately meant nothing for the home team whose supporters trudged back home disappointed. The fact that across the city Celtic had thrashed Morton 8-1 at Parkhead to go top of the league on goal average did not help their mood. Caldow said: "I played for Rangers for 16 years and throughout that time we always had good teams. The team we had at that time was no exception. "But we had lost Jim Baxter the previous summer. Jim was as slow as treacle. But, boy, was he good on the ball. All I had myself was pace. I couldn't tackle a fish supper! If I got in trouble I would pass it to Jim and he would do something with it. "We did miss him. Dunfermline were a very good team at that time, too. They had players like Alex Edwards, Hugh Robertson and Alex Ferguson." Ferguson failed to get on the scoresheet that day despite enjoying what he would later describe was the best season of his playing career. The future Manchester United boss scored 45 goals in 51 games - form that would earn him a move to his boyhood heroes Rangers in 1967. Robert McElroy, the author of several books on the history of Rangers, was standing on the terraces at that Christmas Day match against Dunfermline. "With five goals scored it was a thrilling game," he said. "Dunfermline had a very good side at that time and, what's more, were something of a bogey team for Rangers. "Rangers went a couple of years without beating them. In the 1964/65 season, when Dunfermline finished runners-up, Rangers lost home and away against them. "Fergie didn't score that day. But he had a habit of scoring goals against Rangers. He had scored a couple against them at East End Park the year before. "But it was no disgrace to lose to Dunfermline. They qualified regularly for Europe at that time and had some outstanding results. They knocked Everton out of the Fairs' Cities Cup. "It was quite normal for games to be played on Christmas Day if it fell on a Saturday. New Year was a far bigger occasion in Scotland around that time." McElroy added: "The Rangers team at that time was not in the same class as that of the early 1960s when they could field the likes of Baxter, McMillan, Millar, Brand and Wilson. "They were a decent, hard-working side. But they were missing John Greig that day. Roger Hynd, the nephew of Bill and Bob Shankly, played in defence." McElroy, though, believes the consequences of that Christmas Day defeat to Dunfermline were far- reaching for Rangers. He explained: "Celtic went ahead at the top of the league table on goal average that day. Jock Stein's side would go on and win the league by two points that season. "If Rangers had won the league that season there would have been no Nine-In- A-Row and no European Cup triumph in Lisbon for Celtic. "Rangers badly missed the class and skill of Baxter that season. He wanted to stay at Rangers. But he wanted more money so he left and joined Sunderland. "He was only after £75 a week. Rangers paid a heavy price, then, for refusing to give him what he was looking for." Rangers only ever played one more game on Christmas Day after that and the outcome was far more satisfactory for their followers. In 1971, they took on Hibs through at Easter Road - and won 1-0 thanks to a last-minute winner from striker Colin Stein. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/christmas-day-match-turned-into-a-turkey-for-light-blues-fans-146366n.23028800
  23. http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/aberdeen/257293-fourteen-for-14-our-list-of-young-players-to-watch-out-for-in-2014/ No Rangers players included, I know this type of thing is subjective but Sinclair released THREE of them !!! How much is he on ?
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