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

I originally wrote this over the weekend and didn’t get an opportunity to post it due to the database issues that GersNet unfortunately suffered. Even after the recent developments with Imran Ahmad taking the club to court for the sum of £3.4M I am still going ahead and posting this. There was a time (I am sure some of you may remember) where I would have been all over the recent shenanigans surrounding the power struggle for our club, but a few things have changed in the last few years which have meant that I have taken a step back and no longer having my finger on the pulse of what is going on. This is something that I am not ashamed to admit to, so apologies if anything written here is inaccurate or not up-to-date. Now, that doesn’t mean that I don’t care, I do, passionately, like we all do. However, for the best part of a decade I have typed warnings that we as a club were heading for disaster. Looking back, this ‘campaign’ and losing battle took some of the fun and enjoyment out of following Rangers and it alienated me from the vast majority of Rangers fans who refused to believe that our club was in any danger. The mess we currently find ourselves in can be traced straight back to Sir David Murray’s door. Without his reckless mismanagement of the club, there would not have been Craig Whyte, there would not have been administration, there would not have been liquidation, there would not have been Duff & Phelps and there would not have been Charles Green etc, etc, etc…. Now, this is not going to be a customary Cammy F rant, I am a changed person. For those lucky enough not to remember my inane rantings, I would rant tirelessly about SDM and basically anything related (or otherwise) to our great club. I hope my old Gersent friends forgive me and let me reminisce a little. As a fresh-faced youth growing up in the sticks I had two passions, football and music and my choice in both was hardly ‘en-vogue’ at the time. Rangers, under legend John Greig were going through one of the worst periods of their recent history (until this last year and a half) and the first wave of Punk and come and gone, but this kid passionately followed both. I spent years follow following Rangers and punk bands to all corners of these isles and beyond meeting up with many kindred souls some who I still like to think of as friends. Now, it was on a rare occasion that I found someone who supported Rangers and liked Punk music. To most they appeared mutely exclusive. There was one day that I was chased from Ibrox for wearing a Sex Pistols ‘God Save The Queen’ t-shirt. Ah, the naivety of youth! However as time marched on and times and attitudes changed, you began to see familiar faces at Ibrox and at concerts. In fact, about a decade ago I have the pleasure of seeing the Dead Kennedys at King Tut’s and met many people there whom I would also meet at Rangers games. In fact, I would take this opportunity to say that if you ever get the chance to see the likes of Rancid, Bad Religion, Cockney Rejects or The Angelic Upstarts do so as you won’t be disappointed. To witness The Upstarts blasting out Soldier, Green Fields Of France and Last Night Another Soldier is always a pleasure. So for longer than I care to remember I slowly but surely got totally engrossed in Rangers and Punk music and did so until just over two years ago when we were blessed with our twin boys. The boys were born dangerously premature and were both in hospital for a while. These events changed my perspectives overnight. I still passionately cared about Rangers but I admit that they fell down the pecking order. Our smallest went through an operation in Yorkhill just prior to being released from hospital after a torturous 15 weeks (99 days) on the day that we clinched our 54th title at Kilmarnock. In fact we heard that he was fine and coming back to the ward just as Kyle Lafferty scored the opening goal and we were 3-0 up by the time he was delivered back to the ward. Conveniently you could see the ever impressive structure of Ibrox from the wards window and I spent hours with him telling him endless stories of past glories witnessed at Ibrox and beyond. In fact, we took the bigger of our boys who had been released from hospital by this time to Ibrox to see the return of the victorious players / management team and the wee bugger slept through it all. Apologies, I digress. I decided there and then that my words of warning had fallen on deaf ears and whatever happened with Rangers was out of my control and that there was nothing I could do to change what was becoming inevitability. I stood watching the celebrations and knew that this was the end of Rangers as we knew and loved the club. I understood that all the glories were coming to an end and that soon we would run aground and everything would fall apart. The consequences of administration and liquidation are still being felt and I fear / predict that we will still not fully realise the ramifications for sometime. So the current infighting, power-struggle, call it what you will is frustrating and is in danger of ripping this institution apart, something that our many enemies have failed to do. The rhetoric that is being thrown around is disgusting and it now appears that the vocal element have pinned their colours to the anti-green mast. Now before going any further, I do not believe EITHER camp have demonstrated enough to convince anyone that they DESERVE to be the custodians of this club going forward. I have time for Green simply because he put his (or someone else’s) money where his month was when we needed someone to lead us out of liquidation. He also showed that he was no pushover and stuck up for us and club on more than a few occasions. We also have a situation where even the two most prolific and well known Rangers bloggers are backing different sides and populate their blogs with reasons to support their preferred option. I will give them credit as both have put up stern defences outlining why they are supporting Green or McColl, All the other ‘groups’ that have emerged since those days intrigue me, as they, like Green had the opportunity to purchase Rangers for £5M (in fact they could have gotten Rangers for £1 from SDM), but for whatever reason, they baulked. It would be safe to assume that they baulked due to the uncertainty of the ‘Big Tax Case’. Is it coincidence that once we had ‘won’ the Big Tax case, everyone and their dog wants to own Rangers?. The latest and very public attempt to have Rangers removed from Green’s control is hard for me to support as I don’t see how they plan to fund the takeover and the ongoing costs of running Rangers. So what’s the point of all of the above? Nothing really, other than allowing this oldtimer to reminisce a little, to remind everyone that we as a support were never privy to the truth from the boardroom and that we are in danger of doing what our enemies have failed to do. Also, there are two sides to every story and personally, I will never believe a word written by Rangers hater Keith Jackson and his Rangers hating paper The Daily Record. In conclusion, it is this fans opinion that if we were as vocal and venomous in our mistrust of the SDM regime, we might not be in this current mess. Cammy F – Punks Not Dead and neither are Rangers (just yet).

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

Not really, but he did wear a Rangers shirt at his gig last night, probably in support of all the Americans we have at ourclub. I don't listen to him, or that genre in general, but now I'm tempted to add "the game" to my list of artists on Facebook..

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

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

http://www.sportsdirect.com/adidas-team-gb-icon-anthem-jacket-387163 http://shop.london2012.com/London-2012-official-Team-GB-supporters-Football-shirt/18055311,default,pd.html?cm_mmc=responsys-_-gencat-_-081111_NovemberFootballLaunch-_-London-2012-official-Team-GB-supporters-Football-shirt

CELTIC Charity Fund, the charitable arm of Celtic Football Club today presented a donation of £10,000 to the work of Poppy Scotland. The Clubâ??s donation will be used to support ex-Servicemen and women across Scotland in a variety of ways, including treatment and rehabilitation for those injured while serving. As we look ahead to Remembrance Sunday, Poppy Scotland will this week launch the 2011 Scottish Poppy Appeal. Celtic is pleased to kick-off this fundraising activity with this substantial donation. Celtic Chief Executive Peter Lawwell said: "As we approach Remembrance Sunday next month, we remember the victims on all sides of all conflicts. Many people from all walks of life have entered the Services, and indeed, we all remember the contribution which so many Celtic players made during both World Wars. "We are pleased to make this donation which will hopefully assist many people in Scotland dealing with devastating injuries. "We understand fully the tragedy of conflict and the wider effects which this brings, which is why we are also pleased to support War Child, the global charity which cares for the child victims of war in places such as Afghanistan, Iraq and across Africa." Ian McGregor, Chief Executive of Poppy Scotland said: "We are extremely grateful to Celtic Football Club for their continued support of the Scottish Poppy Appeal. This generous donation will enable us to continue to deliver our life-changing work for Scotlandâ??s Armed Forces community. "As well as continuing to fund therapy, housing and retraining for veterans, we are also hoping to introduce short breaks for the families of Service personnel who are away on active duty. "As we indicated last year we feel that after three very successful years of the poppy shirt initiative with the SPL, we wanted to work with each club individually to develop a range of new activities. Today is just one example of how the clubs are getting behind the Appeal this year and we look forward to building further on the excellent relationship we have with Celtic, and the other 11 clubs, in the coming weeks."

I posted this in TBO/UB statement thread,but thought it deserves a thread of it's own. Admin can delete this thread if they disagree. Hi everyone, ****** has kindly let me post on this, I'm actually the boy who had the water bottle. I had came straight from work still in my shirt, tie and had the water in my bag, My bag was emptied at the turnstiles where the police allowed me to continue into the ground with the water in my bag, The policeman watched over by a steward emptied my bag and said everything that was in it was OK to go in with. At half time i took a drink of the water and 10 or so mins later the stewards and police made there way into the rows throwing there weight around telling me to "get the feck over here" i then tried to make my way to the stewards but as i done this members of the UB started to pull me away as they saw i was about to be arrested! The steward then started pushing people over and even man handled a female sitting in front of me, as this happened i ended up 4 rows up! when i was caught and took to the room the steward was violent and aggressive towards me and a fellow fan claiming we were insulting his intelligence and we should speak when asked to speak, The policeman who took my details was the policeman who searched my bag. My season card was confiscated and i was told i would find out in the next 3 days whats happening, Yesterday whilst i was at work Head of security at Ibrox informed my mum that i would not be getting my season ticket back and i would face a ban under the account of the following " bringing a bottle of water into the ground which led to a breach which could causee a disaster and for then resisting arrest whilst making dirogitry comments about the government and the police" My mum said to him that i was approved entry with the bottle and asked to view the CCTV and the head of security then replied that CCTV would not be available and there will be no further action if i accept my punishment and serve my ban and if i wish to appeal CCTV will not be used as evidence for some reason i do not know? and that I will be charged by the club for breaking the rule of bringing in controlled containers and causing a breach/disturbance/upset whiten the crowed and for also resisting arrest. Just wanted you guys to know the real story!

Doesn't look like it so far. Still to play a game for his new Turkish club and has been given the number 83 shirt. I'll give him 9 months at the most before we see him back in Scotland playing football.

The thing that I find is really lacking and costing us at the moment is a presence and leadership, more so from the management than the playing team. WS had a presence about him in abundance and therefore could get away with his style of play because it brought success. At the moment it still seems like the management team are 3 young boys without their parents. There has been a call by fans over the summer for AM to bring in a experienced assistant like Ray Wilkins to lend that bit of cool advice when needed like ââ?¬Å?its time for a sub Allyââ?¬Â or ââ?¬Å?change this.....ââ?¬Â. I respect AMââ?¬â?¢s decision to stick with his guns and feel his team is the right one but IMO iââ?¬â?¢d have preferred to have seen a Wilkins type guy in there. AMââ?¬â?¢s decision might pay off over the season if he brings home the title. I canââ?¬â?¢t complain about our SPL away form, it is good, but are we papering over the cracks after some dismal home performances so far? On the park Naismith has a bit of presence because he is a mouthy pest to the opposition, but I find this effective especially when he is in his correct position of midfield. What I have noticed about McCoist is a change in style. As assistant he was out there on the touch line every week in his shorts and t-shirt screaming at the players for 90 mins, yet now he has a more reserved place in the dug out and this means the more quiet Kenny McDowall is doing more of the instructions. I personally would still like to see AM being his own man and getting the shorts and t-shirt back on and screaming at the players. His tactics seemed to have changed also. For the last 3 seasons he has been in charge of the team in domestic cup games where we always went out on the attack but he has opted for the more flat defensive 4-4-2 with Edu and McCulloch still being preferred for some bizarre reason, this irritates me as I believe we have some good footballers in the team and capable of much better. We saw towards the end of last season how good Rangers can be when on the attack so why we donââ?¬â?¢t make this our approach all the time is beyond me. Whilst missing out on first choice targets in the transfer market we still have managed to bolster the squad and boast good numbers ââ?¬â?? see below. I canââ?¬â?¢t recall our squad being so good on numbers and options covered for a few years now, this after last season when we couldnââ?¬â?¢t fill the subs bench. However there is still a lack of that extra quality that Davis and Jelavic can offer. But Iââ?¬â?¢ll reserve judgement until the new guys have had 10-15 games plus Bedoya and McKay have settled in to see what they can bring. McKay has been one of the top performers in the Aussie league so I am expected him to be a good signing. So the current squad is like this with a number of players being vertisile. The only position I think needs changing is upfront. Id prefer to get Beattie off the books and bring in a striker. Millerââ?¬â?¢s return would have been perfect but that wasnââ?¬â?¢t to be. Young Hemmings is someone id like to see partner Jelavic. In midfield I still think Davis is the key man when in centre midfield but needs a bit of steel behind him of someone who can break up play and still pass a ball. McGregor / Alexander Broadfoot____Goian___Weir____Papac Whittaker___Bartley___Bocanerga___Wallace McMillan____Perry Bedoya_____Davis____Ness____Wylde Naismith____Edu___McCulloch____Ortiz Hutton___McKay Jelavic___Lafferty Healy___Fleck Hemmings__Beattie

If you cant see the team you need then get help! Slap lets go: McGregor - best keeper in the land!!! Broadfoot - show us that old trafford performance everyweek mate) Bartley - Welcome back son! Have you not an Arsenal shirt to fit? Goian - Well.....lets see big man Papac - You need to raise up mate...ur a good player but show it Ortiz - lets see u Davis - captain..... Ness - Come on my son Wylde - u are bursting at the scens Jelavic - Are u gonna be the new Dado Prso? Healy - Fuckin goal scorers

Big derby tonight, 2nd leg between Malaysia and Singapore. Bit like a Scotland v England game this and no love lost between them at all. Singapore won the first leg last weekend 5-3 which I missed due to watching our poor showing against Hearts. Tonight 2nd leg in Kuala Lumpur, sold out 85,000 stadium. Atmosphere will be more towards the South American style, some malays are nuts! :grin: Just last week in a Liverpool friendly there was 80000 liverpool fans in the ground but some bloke went in amougst them with a Man U shirt with Rooney on the back. I quite like malaysia and spend plenty time in Kuala Lumpur but I'll be cheering on my adopted home tonight.

Rangers v Malmo UEFA Champions League 3rd Qualifying Stage 1st Leg Ibrox Stadium 26th July 2011 19:45 Well, after an underwhelming start at home to Hearts on Saturday, it's straight into the European action with what will, despite the early stage of the season, be one of our most important games. As much as prestige, European glory and the chance to some of the world's best players to Ibrox for a night are bonuses, qualifying for the Champions League group stages means one thing these days - money. It's a sad fact that, for clubs such as ours, it's not about how far you can go, but how much you can earn. Losing at this stage really isn't an option. So Super Ally goes into his first European adventure as manager under pressure to deliver. It will be very interesting to see how Ally sets his team out, if he will look to attack and get the Swedes on the back foot early on or sit back and hit on the counter. Obviously, the players available will help mould his tactics - a couple of poor performances on saturday may see a couple of changes. Starting in goal, McGregor is a sure-fire starter - it seems every time I write a preview, I'm raving on about him, to me it seems he gets to be more of a proper Rangers keeper in the tradition of Woods, Goram and Klos with every season. Honestly, I wasn't convinced by him, but his return from the Boozegate nonsense has been impeccable. Onto the defence, and a flat back four would be my choice. Three of the four that started on Saturday would be in my team, but I would move Broadfoot to right back in place of Whittaker - a poor season last year and a poor start to this at the weekend, I think Broadfoot deserves his chance. Bougherra - assuming he's still there tomorrow, looked up for it against Hearts and I would resist the urge to bring back Davie Weir from suspension, rather shifting Papac inside, giving a debut to Lee Wallace at left back. Onto midfield, and again, three of the four that started. Ortiz, although none too impressive, looked far more comfortable on his right hand side - so that is where I would have him. It seems obvious to everyone that Steven Davis is a centre midfielder, so he would come inside alongside McCulloch - he may come in for a lot of criticism, but I think big Jig is worth a shirt every time. On the left, I would bring in Gregg Wylde - his end of last season shows he's more than ready to be a first team regular and I really like the thought of him and Lee Wallace going at teams down the left - I bet Jelavic does too. Which brings us nicely to the front line. With Lafferty out, we're short of options, I don't see Healy or Beattie really firing us to Euro glory, so it's same again with last years Rangers player of the year, Stevie Naismith alongside Nikica Jelavic. I think that team should get a fairly straightforward result at home. The opponents for the night Malmo FF remain the only Swedish club to have reached the final of the old European Cup and are recognised as the biggest and most successful Swedish club and have brought through players such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Martin Dahlin and the familiar Robert Prytz and Jonas Thern. Currently in 9th spot in the Swedish table and just over halfway through their season, they should prove a capable, but manageable threat. Remember Ally, no pressure, but it's a must win game!! My Line up :kb: :mb: :sp: :jmo: :sd: :lm: :gw: :sn: :nj: Ally's likely team :sw: :mb: :sp: :sd: :me: :lm: :gw: :sn: :nj:

You could palpably sense the collective groaning when the news broke that the venerable David Weir had signed yet another one year contract with Rangers, at the ripe, old, pensionable age of 41. There may not have been any actual disgust considering his well received contribution to the amazing success in the trophy department from an underfunded Rangers team in the closing years of SDM's ownership: but you could feel the dread that this might be one year too far for the, up to now, rock-solid veteran, and the disappointment of not signing a younger replacement lingered as the obvious train of thought pulling out of the station and quickly gaining momentum. However, with the management having fingers in a few pies in the transfer market but taking a frustrating amount of time to bear any well cooked plums; and with the shaky look of the defence with the deputies we already possess; you've got to bet many Bears are looking forward to Weir (in Homer Simpson fashion) settling his bum into the perfectly matching, indented shape in the position he has made his own during an amazing 162 appearances for the Rangers defence, in a mere four and a half seasons. The thinking may now change to warmly welcome him to the team for the start of the season while we hammer out the details of transfer fees and wages, and wait on the decisions of others before someone (anyone?) signs for the centre half position - maybe (hopefully) while Cuellar works on coming back to fitness before possibly donning the Royal blue shirt in a second spell at the club. So if another year could be too far, how about another few months for the guy who only just nine weeks ago, stood on the Ibrox pitch, holding aloft the SPL trophy for the third time in a row, the 54th title - this time as a legendary captain of the world record holding club? With Bougherra still at the club, the familiar, well matched and reliable defensive duo will probably be a welcome sight to the tens of thousands in blue, when the Swedish champions, Malmo, come to grace, and be graced by, the freshly spruced up, five star, Ibrox stadium. It will give the defence a look of solidity it needs until some much needed business is hopefully completed well before the transfer window slams shut. The man dubbed "Sir David" by the fans, seems like an insurance policy that many will hope we won't have to call on too much after a new first choice partnership has gelled at the base of the traditional solid spine of a Rangers team. The prevailing opinion of the fans seems to be that a coaching role role would be the preferred primary task for the popular player who has defied the ravages of time and extended his career in top class football, way beyond what is traditionally considered possible. After that, his presence on the pitch will probably be most appreciated during the traditional, mid-season injury crises as fans await a new era of team rebuilding at the club - using players significantly younger, even if they turn out to be slightly the "wrong side" of thirty. If they can emulate the staying power of player they replace, it would mean they would still have another decade left in the peak of their career and when you consider that, a 31 year old would seem like a relative spring chicken. So let's hope the still current captain can continue his amazingly consistent form for the next couple of months while we try to build a solid start to the championship defence as well as negotiate the tricky qualifying rounds that bar our way to the riches of the Champion's League - a place where if Weir is allowed to play he will be the second oldest ever to grace the blue ribbon competition. At the moment he's like our bridging loan, but many hope he turns into an accruing investment, if he can effectively coach his amazing ability to read the game to our emerging young talent at Murray Park - and don't forget the insurance policy already mentioned. For all that, he seems well worth the premium we've paid for the annual renewal.

Just seen the new t-shirts in respect of Jelavic & Diouf on FF....no bad. http://www.followfollow.com/news/tmnw/jella_and_dioufy_tshirts_682365/index.shtml

Managed to pick it up here last night, first time Ive seen a rangers shirt on sale in Asia. I found it by luck, just browsing a mall and decided to go into a new sport shop as there was loads of footy shirts hanging up (incl the Celtic shirt ) then stuck away in a corner it caught my eye. Needless to say I asked the guy why it was hiding while the ugly green and white was hanging up on display! He said its due to the Nike brand. Anyway purchased 2 (one for a mate) but due to the weak pound it converted into 50 quid. But if i was to get it sent from Uk id have shipping costs. Nice shirt, best we have had for few seasons. Its not a bad fit, and a medium was just nice.

A legend. No ifs, buts or maybes.

who all bought the new shirt and do you think rangers will wear it on sunday Against Kilmarnock I've got mine and I love it

Getting close to having to order a Studio 54 t-shirt in blue... http://www.8ball.co.uk/RetroTees/Studio54t-shirt.html

RANGERS will not face any punishment from Fifa over captain David Weir's Royal Wedding shirt tribute. Weir played against Motherwell on Saturday with his Rangers shirt embroidered on the front with the words: 'Congratulations William & Catherine 29th April 2011'. It was suggested Rangers could face Fifa action because the gesture goes against its Law 4, which states: "The basic compulsory equipment must not contain any religious, political or personal statements." SPL delegate Alan Dick reported the incident, but the SFA have stated they won't be taking it further. Now world football's governing body has said it is also happy to leave things be as is it is an "internal matter". http://sport.scotsman.com/football/Rangers-in-clear-over-David.6761557.jp

Well hello fellow bears. In this time of political correctness, today I have read an article compiled by this particular numpty and laughed my socks off at this pathetic attempt to slag off Rangers Club, their fans, Our Britishness, Our Queen, Prince William and Kate, together with Big bad Davie Weir and our Wicked Kit man.Have a look at this utter tripe, it will make you laugh. The Tims will sink to any level to highlight their resentment of our Royal family. Gerad makes one good suggestion quote by way of a jibe, Quote " why don't Rangers have the Union Flag added to our shirt". Well Gerad thanks what a very good suggestion I for one am all for it! THE FUTURE IS ORANGE.

SPL - Rangers baffled by royal tribute Sat, 30 Apr 16:13:00 2011 Rangers could face FIFA action over a Royal Wedding tribute printed on the shirt of captain David Weir. The defender wore a shirt paying tribute to Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge during Saturday's 5-0 win away to Motherwell in the Scottish Premier League. The embroidered slogan said: 'Congratulations William & Catherine 29th April 2011.' The act is technically in breach of FIFA regulations, which prevent players from making religious, political or personal statements, and it is understood Weir was also unaware of the tribute until kick-off. Rangers manager Walter Smith also claimed he had no knowledge of the message, saying: "I didn't know it was there. Sorry, I can't enlighten you at all. It must have been the kit man." The traditionally Protestant club this week received a UEFA punishment for the singing of sectarian songs during a Europa League fixture against PSV Eindhoven earlier this season. They also came in for criticism for allowing the distribution of thousands of Union Flags at last weekend's match against Celtic. Matches between the Old Firm rivals this season have been marred by crowd trouble and confrontation between players and coaches from both sides.

Matt Dickinson Chief Sports Correspondent 17 minutes ago It was the game of zero tolerance against sectarianism, when police snatch squads would target troublemakers at Ibrox in the aftermath of the bomb sent to Neil Lennon, the Celtic manager. A day when Rangers and Celtic would stand united against any form of bigotry or intolerance and instruct their supporters to focus on the football. Enough was, finally, enough. So what did Rangers do? They allowed a small Union Jack flag to be placed in every seat of a home supporter. There were 40,000 of these flags, supplied by the Rangers Supporters Assembly, and every one approved by the club hierarchy. I rang Rangers yesterday to ask why, exactly? The Union Jack is not an official symbol of Rangers FC. It is not part of the club badge, not on the shirt. It is not to be found on any page of the Rangers website. A shirty spokesman, dismissing the inquiry as a nonsense, said that it was the flag of his country and the British Isles. But there are dozens of British clubs and none of the others ever hand out Union Jacks. If Rangers wanted to give the team a show of support, why not simply hand out regular club flags and scarves? Why endorse a provocative symbol of tribalism, on the very day when both clubs were meant to be going out of their way to calm their fans? The spokesman could not wait to get off the phone, although, before he did so, he pointed out that Rangers had no intention of complaining about the tricolours flown by the Celtic supporters. As if that made everything all right. Apologists will say that the Union Jack is only a flag, a common one, and not an incitement to send parcel bombs to football managers. But it has nothing whatsoever to do with football. In the context of the Old Firm, it has been hijacked as a sign of lasting enmity, of division, entrenching the idea that one club, for now and evermore, will represent the Protestant sector of Glasgow and the other the Catholic. One club handing out Union Jacks cannot possibly take us any closer to the day, however far away it may be, when Rangers against Celtic becomes a ââ?¬Å?normalââ?¬Â sporting rivalry, defined by geography, not historical or religious baggage. A day when the Old Firm becomes like Red against Blue, City against United, Milan against Inter, rather than the poisonous stirring of an ancient religious divide. The bomb intended for Lennon has focused attention on the murderous imbeciles, but there will always be extremists. The battle is surely more importantly won over the centre ground, the reasonable majority. This is the job of driving sense into the ââ?¬Å?90-minute bigotsââ?¬Â as they were described in 2005 by Lawrence Macintyre, the head of safety for Rangers at the time, when he talked of fans with Catholic friends and workmates who became filled with hatred on a Saturday afternoon at Ibrox. ââ?¬Å?If we can get the person that doesnââ?¬â?¢t mean it then weââ?¬â?¢ll isolate the real racists and real bigots in numbers that are manageable to deal with,ââ?¬Â he said. Does anyone seriously believe that the best means of education is for Rangers to hand out Union Jacks? To make such a point to the club yesterday was to be brushed off like an idiot. But then I met the same dismissiveness when I went to my only Old Firm derby at Ibrox a few years ago and expressed amazement that a giant Union Jack was being waved in the centre circle before kick-off. It seemed bizarre then and, given the tensions around Lennon, the ritual seemed even more extraordinary on Sunday. There seems to be an acceptance that these two clubs will always represent a sectarian divide, and the best that can be done is to contain the worst violence and the worst chanting rather than to eradicate the problem altogether. But it has to be asked whether such an approach will ever make sufficient progress. Many well-intentioned campaigns and initiatives have been launched in recent years, only to founder. The charity Nil by Mouth was established after the 1995 murder of a young Celtic fan, Sense Over Sectarianism, a joint-initiative, was launched in 2001, and Jack McConnell, then the First Minister, brought together a summit in 2005 that led to tougher legislation. Alex Salmond, the First Minister says the anti-sectarian laws will be toughened further in the coming months. We can add the Pride over Prejudice campaign launched by Rangers, Bhoys against Bigotry by Celtic and Bigger than Bigotry. No doubt there are others. The treatment of Lennon, the victim of a street attack in Glasgow in the past as well as having the threat made on his life, suggests that this problem is no closer to being resolved and that the clubs have to take a stronger lead. Condemning bombers is the easy part. Rangers will insist that they do plenty, but that has not been the impression given in the past 48 hours, on or off the record. They should pay more attention to their manager, the wise Walter Smith, who talked last week of how the sectarian problem had been tolerated for too long, and his relief that he was retiring. ââ?¬Å?To be quite honest with you, Iââ?¬â?¢m quite glad to be getting out of it,ââ?¬Â Smith said, which was a terribly sad admission from a man steeped in Rangers since he was a lad. So that is one manager driven away and another who might have been killed. And a stupid club who think there is nothing odd, amid all this trouble, in handing out 40,000 Union Jacks.

I'VE never been one to sit on the fence. Even if that means upsetting a mate, I'll tell it straight. I'd like to think I'm pals with both Neil Lennon and Ally McCoist, so this week's events make this column a tricky one to write. That will NEVER stop me being honest. I simply can't understand why the SFA let Coisty off the hook. The SFA reckon there's not a case to answer. Sorry, but that's just miles out. There IS a case to answer. McCoist was the one who initiated the bust-up with Neil Lennon, he sparked it. What he said has nothing to do with anyone else. He'll take that to the grave. Let's not forget HE was the one who whispered something in Lenny's ear. That's why Lenny reacted the way he did. McCoist should have been banned the way Lennon was. He was hit with a four-game ban after being sent to the stand at Tynecastle. Why, therefore, not the same punishment for Coisty? Then there's El Hadji-Diouf. The boy reacted in totally the wrong way having been sent off in that Old Firm game. Why wasn't he down the tunnel having a shower? Rangers had just been dumped out of the Cup, but he decides to take his shirt off and chuck it into the fans. As I said at the time I'd have thrown it back it if I was a Rangers fan. Diouf was on his own at this point, there was no one else in sight. He should have been keeping his head down? Why wasn't he consoling his team-mates after they had just lost a really important game. Diouf shouldn't have been anywhere near those fans after being sent off. Before that he had barged the Celtic physio for no good reason. Then he started a row with Neil Lennon - again for no good reason. To get away with a �£5,000 fine is a disgrace. That won't hurt him. Diouf is a millionaire, he won't exactly miss the money he's been fined by the SFA. The only way to hurt guys like him is suspending him from games. By hurting him, you hurt Rangers. He should have been banned. As for Madjid Bougherra? If you raise your hands to a match official you should be punished. End of. I still have no idea what he was trying to do. His hands were all over the ref. You can't do that. In all my time as a player, I never made contact with a referee of a linesman. You just can't do it. It's totally disrepectful to the ref. The players were behaving like THUGS in a Sunday League game. They were playing in front of millions of people and a full house at Celtic Park. The whole world was watching and they acted like thugs. I bet Walter Smith slated them when they got in the dressing room but that doesn't warrant them getting off so lightly. Yet somehow, both Diouf and Bougherra got off scot free. Once again people will be asking if there's a conspiracy. Once again, I'll say yes there is. Bougherra should have been given a three-game ban, just like Lennon got when he barged towards Stuart Dougal in 2005. Why hasn't he? I will tell you why. It's because this is a particularly tough time of the season for Rangers. They have got a lot of games in a short space of time. It's a massive time in their history. Walter Smith would love to win the title in his last season, leave with three in a row. The SFA have obviously put two and two together and realised suspending these two major players for the run-in would really hamper Rangers. Instead, they have fined the players and let Coisty off the hook. Rangers have got off scot free. That's my opinion. I'm saying all this without my Celtic hat on, trust me. It's got nothing to do with scoring over 100 goals for the Hoops. I just don't know what else people are meant to think. If you punish one side, then surely you also have to punish the other? Believe me, I'd be saying the exact same thing if the tables were turned. Why can't we simply have some consistency? I'll tell you what it is. Rangers are the Manchester United of Scotland. The FA down there are scared stiff of Fergie. Wayne Rooney smashes James McCarthy over the head with a vicious elbow and gets away with it. Then he swears into a camera and they feel they have to act because they are right up against it. If there's no pressure, they won't act and it's exactly the same with Rangers. It would have been really interesting to see what would have happened if it had been a Celtic player. People say these things balance themselves out. From what I can see, that's not the case because the SFA have done it again. Look at the St Johnstone game against Celtic. Referee Iain Brines should be embarrassed with that display. How did he not give a penalty after big Michael Duberry handled TWICE? Imagine St Johnstone went up the park after that and scored? All of a sudden the title would be right back in the balance. Brines was absolutely awful on Tuesday night. If you are a player, you analyse your game. You ask the gaffer for the video and have a look at your performance. Brines has to watch his performance, and he has to be ashamed with it, because he was just completely out of touch. The decisions he got wrong were a disgrace. The penalty, the Scott Brown foul in the first half. How he got off with that I'll never know. Then there was the Duberry two-footed lunge that deserved a red card. That was a potential leg-breaker, yet he escaped. Aside from all that, even in general play he was terrible. All it's done is give people even more reason to believe there is a conspiracy. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3526464/SFA-are-scared-stiff-of-Rangers.html#ixzz1JRt8QVFA