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The big man was at my work last night for his nephews wedding. Was looking good I went up to him after his meal and asked for an autograph on my mates UEFA Cup Final programme and one for my little brother then I patted him on the back and wished him luck for next season. Then at night after the party my mates asked him for a photo, so me and another two of us got a photo with him, was talking away to him. Don't want to sound negative, but at the end of the night when he was blootered I heard him mention Kenny Miller to his mate.

Wants away from Burnley.... Quote from BBCi Rangers boss Walter Smith has already had a bid for Lafferty turned down but it is believed he is ready to increase the offer. Celtic have also had previous offers for the 6ft 4in forward rejected. "I understand Wolves and Rangers want to sign me and I would be thrilled to move to either club," added Lafferty. "I've heard Celtic will also be making a bid but I don't think that move will ever materialise. That last line is what I am talking about. 6ft 4' so big target man. Don't really know as I have seen nothing of him.....

It is a pity he won't stay as back-up but another year camped in our 18 yard box doesn't appeal to me. Best for everyone i think.

Quite long, but well worth a read....... It was forwarded to me but I believe the source is the Times - I'll try and find a link later... ------------------------------------ (Part 1) Reporter Robert Watt has covered Scottish football for close to thirty years but it was as a Rangers fan he attended last week's UEFA Cup Final in Manchester. What had been a day to remember for all associated with the Ibrox club was only marginally marred by the result of the big match but some incidents of disorder in the city, subsequent exaggeration of the trouble and the ongoing 'spin' from Greater Manchester Police has prompted this heartfelt response. MANCHESTER - THE TRUE STORY The mood was sombre in the car on the way home from Manchester last Thursday. Defeat from Zenit St Petersburg in the UEFA Cup Final was being aggravated by a constant flagging up of a few ugly incidents in the city the previous night, everyone was queuing up to stick the boot into Rangers fans, then Manchester City Council, whose enthusiasm for the occasion had never risen above tepid, announced they had consequently abandoned plans for a public screening of Wednesday's Champions League Final between Manchester United and Chelsea. "Surely an over-reaction," said BBC Radio 2's Chris Evans, to rapturous applause from within the car. "C'mon, there were 250,000 Rangers fans in Manchester and only 40 arrests, that's zero point zero zero zero something in percentage terms." The DJ's assessment of the numbers was perhaps slightly excessive but conservative estimates are that no less than 200,000 Rangers supporters had descended on England's third city. And Greater Manchester Police's subsequent announcement that only ELEVEN Ibrox fans were facing charges put all the 'riot, 'rampage' and 'war zone' stories into some perspective. The genie, however, is once more out of the bottle. Subsequent reflections on events have been outrageously hyped up, all the usual suspects - from attention-seeking politicians, journalists with an axe to grind, discredited anti-sectarianism bodies, the butchers, bakers and candlestick-makers who adminster the game and, not least of all, Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Police - have jumped on the holier-than-thou bandwagon and put Rangers F.C. on the back-foot yet again. Let it be made clear right now, no right-thinking person would dream of condoning the actions of those morons whose response to the blanking of the big-screens in one of the fanzones was to hurl bottles at the screens and turn on the police. It is indefensible and nobody would lose any sleep if those responsible were to be locked up and the key conveniently mislaid. It is the reaction to it all which has been so disappointing, yet wholly predictable. For the bulk of the past 25 years, Rangers and their fans have been under attack from many sources and it is a relentless drip-drip-drip process which has eaten into any feelgood factor the fans have enjoyed, with every high being clouded by dubious side-issues, while their traditions have been rubbished and abandoned, songs outlawed and individual fans and supporters groups subjected to harassment or worse. Of course, Manchester was an accident waiting to happen from the moment Nacho Novo slotted home the penalty kick to beat Fiorentina and take Rangers through to the final. As soon as it became clear the Gers were Manchester-bound, the messages coming out of the city were unfriendly in the extreme. If you don't have a ticket, stay away; there will be no big screens and no fanzones; the pubs will be closed, drinking in public is not permitted; the police will stringently enforce the local by-laws. Welcome to Manchester? You must be joking! "It took the intervention of respected politicians like Ian Davidson MP, the Manchester business community and various representative groups from within the Rangers support to force both the council and the police authority to soften their stance," explained Steven Smith, media spokesman for the Rangers Supporters Trust. "Wednesday's brief disorder was disappointing but, had the local authorities had it their way, one shudders to think what might have happened." Realizing that a human tsunami was about to descend on the city regardless, Manchester made a dramatic u-turn. But already their position as reluctant hosts was exposed. Yet in a city which claims to be football-mad, home to one of the most passionately supported clubs in world football, they seemed incapable of interpreting the mood amongst Rangers fans. Put it this way, if United were in a European final at Hampden, how many of their fans would travel to Glasgow, with or without tickets? They would surely come close to matching the numbers who travelled south last week, although it is fairly safe to say Glasgow District Council would have laid out the welcome mat from the outset, unlike their Mancunian counterparts. No Rangers fan will need to be reminded that Greater Manchester Police have a history where their club is concerned. In 2003, when the Light Blues visited Old Trafford on Champions League business, every pub in the city was ordered to close, yet the visits of Celtic prompted no such clampdown, despite their fans' overt support for the terrorist organization which bombed the heart out of the city centre no more than twelve years ago. And in the summer of 2006, in a most abysmal abdication of responsibility, GMP ordered the cancellation of a friendly between Bolton Wanderers and Rangers because they claimed policing the match would stretch their resources. If they can't handle a pre-season kickabout, one wonders why they ever backed their City Council's bid to host a high-octane event like the UEFA Cup Final. When the Cup Final went out to tender, it would have been part of the city's sales pitch that they are experienced in hosting such events, no doubt citing regular glamour games at Old Trafford, the 2002 Commonwealth Games and the Champions League Final of the following year. Clearly they expected two foreign sides to arrive in town, enjoy a cozy get-together, then head off home with the minimum of fuss. In a perfect world, it would all work out that way but, of course, we live in a different world entirely. Walter Smith's men stunned Europe with their progress this season and suddenly Manchester City Council wanted to change the rules. Two things immediately bothered Rangers fans. With the City Stadium holding only 44,500 spectators, tickets would be like gold dust and, inevitably, a flourishing black market sprung up. Was it out of the question to switch the event to Old Trafford, with a capacity of close to 80,000? Whatever the logistical problems with ticketing etc, the increased revenue would surely have made the switch financially viable. And if that was impractical, why not set up Old Trafford for a big-screen showing, taking more than 70,000 ticketless fans off the streets? Furthermore, with the city being so accessible from all parts of the UK and beyond, the volume of incoming fans outstripped all the estimates of the local authority, they constantly disregarded the ever-escalating but wholly realistic figures being quoted by the more informed sources in Scotland.

Hey, We are the CIS cup and Scottish Cup champions....but it still doesn't mask the disappointment of missing out on winning the SPL aswell as the UFEA cup. Who would you have liked to seen used more frequently by Walter smith/Ally McCoist from the Rangers reserve and youth teams? A number of players were on the bench for alot of games such as furman, lennon, fleck etc but werent used by management and I would like to hear the fans' view on these players and on others who are up and coming.

As always, when Rangers are under attack, the critics play the sectarian card, although it is hard to see what part sectarianism played in any disorder last week. But some just can't resist putting Rangers' Protestant traditions in the firing line, their fans' so-called bigotry and the songs they sing are highlighted, as if a different mindset would induce instant sobriety and a more placid response to a frustrating situation. Big-screens have blanked on numerous occasions in the past, most noteably during the screening of World Cup games in various towns in England, and the reaction of those at the venues was almost identical to that of the Rangers fans in Piccadilly Gardens last Wednesday night. Yobs act as yobs because they are yobs, not because they support a certain football team or claim allegiance to any particular religion. If Manchester had occurred twenty years ago, Rangers' enemies would have focused on the club's refusal to sign Catholic players, placed responsibility for the trouble at the door of sectarianism and called on the club to open its doors to all. In 1989 former Celtic favourite Mo Johnston was signed amidst much controversy and the Ibrox dressing-room has long since become a multi-cultural workplace. Rangers have had a Catholic captain, a Catholic chief executive and a Catholic manager (although Paul Le Guen's ill-fated time in charge probably did more for anti-Catholicism than it did for integration!) but sectarianism is still the stick used to beat Rangers. "The signing of Johnston was a very significant point in how our club was portrayed," Steven Smith pointed out. "Rangers had done what so many had been calling out for them to do, the club had deprived the critics of their ace card, yet the attacks have continued incessantly and no less vociferously, perhaps even more so. The motives of our club's critics have been exposed as a sham." The harsh facts of life are that, regardless of the religious make-up of the team, Rangers will remain a Protestant club, just as Celtic will continue to be the flagship for the Catholic population despite the prominence of so many Protestants in their history, because the bulk of the fanbase comes from one community. This may change with the passing of time but, when kids are separated at the impressionable age of five and educated differently, the clever money will always be on the great divide being maintained. Any suggestion that a more ecumenical outlook from Rangers fans would have led to events unfolding differently in Manchester last week is, at best, misguided�or more probably and more sinisterly, further evidence of an ongoing demonization of Rangers and their supporters. As the journey homewards continued with growing exasperation from the within the car, the news that Manchester City Council wouldn't be screening the Champions League showdown at Piccadilly Gardens was nevertheless welcomed from the back seat. "The screens probably wouldn't work anyway, trouble would kick-off�and they'd blame it all on us!" Greater Manchester Police's subsequent denial of a victory parade for United's Champions League winners is confirmation, if ever it was needed, that the force just can't handle big crowds. The F.A. would do well to minimize Manchester's inclusion in any future bid to bring a major football occasion to England.

Reporter Robert Watt has covered Scottish football for close to thirty years but it was as a Rangers fan he attended last week's UEFA Cup Final in Manchester. What had been a day to remember for all associated with the Ibrox club was only marginally marred by the result of the big match but some incidents of disorder in the city, subsequent exaggeration of the trouble and the ongoing 'spin' from Greater Manchester Police has prompted this heartfelt response. MANCHESTER - THE TRUE STORY The mood was sombre in the car on the way home from Manchester last Thursday. Defeat from Zenit St Petersburg in the UEFA Cup Final was being aggravated by a constant flagging up of a few ugly incidents in the city the previous night, everyone was queuing up to stick the boot into Rangers fans, then Manchester City Council, whose enthusiasm for the occasion had never risen above tepid, announced they had consequently abandoned plans for a public screening of Wednesday's Champions League Final between Manchester United and Chelsea. "Surely an over-reaction," said BBC Radio 2's Chris Evans, to rapturous applause from within the car. "C'mon, there were 250,000 Rangers fans in Manchester and only 40 arrests, that's zero point zero zero zero something in percentage terms." The DJ's assessment of the numbers was perhaps slightly excessive but conservative estimates are that no less than 200,000 Rangers supporters had descended on England's third city. And Greater Manchester Police's subsequent announcement that only ELEVEN Ibrox fans were facing charges put all the 'riot, 'rampage' and 'war zone' stories into some perspective. The genie, however, is once more out of the bottle. Subsequent reflections on events have been outrageously hyped up, all the usual suspects - from attention-seeking politicians, journalists with an axe to grind, discredited anti-sectarianism bodies, the butchers, bakers and candlestick-makers who adminster the game and, not least of all, Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Police - have jumped on the holier-than-thou bandwagon and put Rangers F.C. on the back-foot yet again. Let it be made clear right now, no right-thinking person would dream of condoning the actions of those morons whose response to the blanking of the big-screens in one of the fanzones was to hurl bottles at the screens and turn on the police. It is indefensible and nobody would lose any sleep if those responsible were to be locked up and the key conveniently mislaid. It is the reaction to it all which has been so disappointing, yet wholly predictable. For the bulk of the past 25 years, Rangers and their fans have been under attack from many sources and it is a relentless drip-drip-drip process which has eaten into any feelgood factor the fans have enjoyed, with every high being clouded by dubious side-issues, while their traditions have been rubbished and abandoned, songs outlawed and individual fans and supporters groups subjected to harassment or worse. Of course, Manchester was an accident waiting to happen from the moment Nacho Novo slotted home the penalty kick to beat Fiorentina and take Rangers through to the final. As soon as it became clear the Gers were Manchester-bound, the messages coming out of the city were unfriendly in the extreme. If you don't have a ticket, stay away; there will be no big screens and no fanzones; the pubs will be closed, drinking in public is not permitted; the police will stringently enforce the local by-laws. Welcome to Manchester? You must be joking! "It took the intervention of respected politicians like Ian Davidson MP, the Manchester business community and various representative groups from within the Rangers support to force both the council and the police authority to soften their stance," explained Steven Smith, media spokesman for the Rangers Supporters Trust. "Wednesday's brief disorder was disappointing but, had the local authorities had it their way, one shudders to think what might have happened." Realizing that a human tsunami was about to descend on the city regardless, Manchester made a dramatic u-turn. But already their position as reluctant hosts was exposed. Yet in a city which claims to be football-mad, home to one of the most passionately supported clubs in world football, they seemed incapable of interpreting the mood amongst Rangers fans. Put it this way, if United were in a European final at Hampden, how many of their fans would travel to Glasgow, with or without tickets? They would surely come close to matching the numbers who travelled south last week, although it is fairly safe to say Glasgow District Council would have laid out the welcome mat from the outset, unlike their Mancunian counterparts. No Rangers fan will need to be reminded that Greater Manchester Police have a history where their club is concerned. In 2003, when the Light Blues visited Old Trafford on Champions League business, every pub in the city was ordered to close, yet the visits of Celtic prompted no such clampdown, despite their fans' overt support for the terrorist organization which bombed the heart out of the city centre no more than twelve years ago. And in the summer of 2006, in a most abysmal abdication of responsibility, GMP ordered the cancellation of a friendly between Bolton Wanderers and Rangers because they claimed policing the match would stretch their resources. If they can't handle a pre-season kickabout, one wonders why they ever backed their City Council's bid to host a high-octane event like the UEFA Cup Final. When the Cup Final went out to tender, it would have been part of the city's sales pitch that they are experienced in hosting such events, no doubt citing regular glamour games at Old Trafford, the 2002 Commonwealth Games and the Champions League Final of the following year. Clearly they expected two foreign sides to arrive in town, enjoy a cozy get-together, then head off home with the minimum of fuss. In a perfect world, it would all work out that way but, of course, we live in a different world entirely. Walter Smith's men stunned Europe with their progress this season and suddenly Manchester City Council wanted to change the rules. Two things immediately bothered Rangers fans. With the City Stadium holding only 44,500 spectators, tickets would be like gold dust and, inevitably, a flourishing black market sprung up. Was it out of the question to switch the event to Old Trafford, with a capacity of close to 80,000? Whatever the logistical problems with ticketing etc, the increased revenue would surely have made the switch financially viable. And if that was impractical, why not set up Old Trafford for a big-screen showing, taking more than 70,000 ticketless fans off the streets? Furthermore, with the city being so accessible from all parts of the UK and beyond, the volume of incoming fans outstripped all the estimates of the local authority, they constantly disregarded the ever-escalating but wholly realistic figures being quoted by the more informed sources in Scotland. Quite simply, Manchester did not have its finger on the pulse and, even as late as Wednesday afternoon, with the town centre grid-locked with fans, heads were buried in the sand. The volume of humanity in the vicinity and the workload on an inadequately prepared area meant a breakdown in the system was almost inevitable. Part 1

By Andrew Dickson RANGERS' season will begin in July as a result of their failure to win the SPL title tonight in the final round of championship matches. Because they have finished second in the standings, they now face the prospect of going through two qualifying rounds to reach the Champions League group stage. Consequently, that means Walter Smith's players will get less than a calendar month off on holiday as they return for pre-season training on June 23. David WeirGers will be the highest-ranked club in the draw for the second preliminary stage, meaning they'll avoid the likes of Fenerbahce, Panathinaikos, Basel and Anderlecht. Potential opponents do, however, include former Euro foes IFK Gothenburg, Anorthosis Famagusta and FBK Kaunas. First-leg ties at that point in the competition will be played on July 29/30, with return games taking place on August 5/6. Should the Light Blues progress to the third qualifying round, they will again be seeded with only Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Schalke and Juventus ranked above them. That doesn't mean they'll be in for an easy draw though, with a string of tricky teams lying in wait there too. Among them are Sparta Prague, Dynamo Kiev and Galatasaray and those matches will take place on August 12/13 and 26/27. Should Rangers advance again, they'll go into the group phase for the ninth time in the revamped European Cup's 17th year and pool games will start in September.

I am sick to the stomach at last nights outcome after the sheep put in there 2nd goal i had to leave the room as couldnt keep my composure any longer we gave it to the tims on a plate. Who is to blame the SPL who could not afford us 1 measley game off against Dundee Utd in fear of offending the Mopes in the east and the conspiritors. causing us to play an unamaginable amount of games in the shortest period of time , i tell you if the sock was on the other foot and timmy was in the same situation there would be cries from the rooftops too get games postponed. Walter Smith ??? We have heard enough about 4-5-1 but his indesicion on making subs during games drives me up the wall he leaves it far too late bringing them on. His persistance in playing D.Cousin - this guy is not a Ranger and does not deserve to pull on the jersey - get him shipped out asap. Sticking with the same team week in week out and not giving youth a chance. I think Walter and co have done a great job and is the right person for Rangers but he is not without his faults The Players. I cannot really fault our players as the games they have had to play must have been gruelling and energy sapping but not everyone gave 110% all the time chasing lost causes and winning 2nd balls, winning 50-50's apart from a select few Cuellar,Weir,Thomson,Novo,Fergie,JCD i thought the rest could have given more to the cause in the run in. I think it is a mixture of all of these , i will never forgive the SPL for this season they showed their colours well and true, all Rangers fans should boycott every away ground next season and hit them were it hurts IN THE POCKET see how the SPL like it then. Hopefully with a few quality signings this summer we will be back stronger next season and win the Title on our own terms. Bitterly Dissapointed but in a No Surrender frame of mind W.A.T.P

WALTER SMITH insists the SPL's failure to help ease Rangers' fixture congestion sufficiently led to Celtic winning the championship as much as anything. In their 67th game of an extraordinary season, the Light Blues lost the title race as they were beaten 2-0 by Aberdeen at Pittodrie. Ally McCoist, Walter Smith and Kenny McDowallThe match was Gers' third in six days and now they have a gap of just 41 hours in which to prepare for Saturday's Scottish Cup final with Queen of the South. Smith's men have already played eight times since May began and the league's refusal to extend the season further because of Rangers' European commitments has cost them. The Ibrox manager has made his stance on the situation clear already and he feels better handling of the circumstances would have given his side more of a chance. Smith said: "I felt at one stage of the season that we had a good opportunity to win the league and that was more than I'd have expected in our first full season back at the club. "But we're obviously disappointed with the outcome tonight and disappointed we've lost out on the championship. "Having been in a good position previously, our disappointment is even greater because things haven't materialised for us. "I wouldn't say I think there was ever any point when things started to wrong for us as such. "After a run of 20 games unbeaten, I felt at that point we could go on to take the championship because of the levels of consistency we had shown. "But when we realised what fixtures we would have in the last couple of months, I knew we would have a battle on our hands.Ferguson battles with Mackie "Overall, a failure to handle a set of circumstances which were unusual for a team to have to deal with has led to us falling down as much as anything else. "Rangers, like any other club in the situation we were in, tried as hard as we could to get our fixtures spread out. "When it didn't happen, we had to play the games we had. We've done that now and the way things have turned out hasn't helped us." Smith saw substitute Nacho Novo sent off for a reckless tackle on Stuart Duff and had no complaints about the Spaniards dismissal. Rangers must now go into the weekend without the suspended striker, just as they did when they faced Dundee United for the League Cup in March. Smith knows he must also rouse his men one last time before the summer, regardless of the short period they have in which to prepare. He added: "We'll have to play the game and we would like to finish the season on a brighter note than we have done in the last week or so."

Walter Smith getting it in the neck. Walter has came in and has done a maginifecent job on limited resources. At the start of the season, i said we may not win the league but it certainly will be closer. Which is correct, of course i am upset about losing the league but no sour grapes, Celtic won it over the 38 games fair and square. We may not layed attractive football that everyone one wants to see this season, but this season was to balance things up, won us one cup, toke us to a european final and ran Celtic close in the league. Next season is where we start to play some more attractive football. Lets remember where we were just 12 months ago, thank you Walter for what has been a great season bar the trophies, i have every confidence that you will win the league next season. We have a cup final tomorrow as well, we will have to be behind the team, will be a tough game because Queen's have had a few weeks off, while we have played god so many games in that amount of time.

I dont like to jump onto a bandwagon and blame individuals as I think the reason we have possibly thrown the title away is due to the players running out of gas and WS not changing things sooner. Why Kirk Broadfoot is playing RB for Rangers is beyond me. He was bought as a centre half and thats where he should play. Ive yet to see him play in the centre due to Weir and King Carlos, so il reserve judgment on him. However as a RB i really think he is 10 times worse than Gary Bollan ever was. Whittaker is the natural player for this role and seeing him in an attacking midfield role drives me mental. Davie Weir - the 38 year old has done superb to play so many games but you can see how tired he is. There is no way he should have played the number of games he has. Id have liked to have seen Papac play more in the middle with S Smith coming back in LB. Barry Ferguson - 1 good game then 6 bad games but a continual big mouth and he seems to be blameless. Yet when he isnt in the team nobody can stand up and take the mantle away from him. Id seriously consider selling him in the summer and I wouldnt mind if we went and got Scott Brown from Celtic as his replacement. Lee McCulloch - I was delighted we signed him last year and he started off well. But he is another who looks like he doesnt train. He has looked unfit since February. Management - Why has certain players not been used more when they would all have been fresh and fit? The club play them big wages and none of them have barely kicked a ball. I think Gow on the left, Buffel in the gap and Boyd upfront more often would have seen us score much more goals. Board - Giving Alan Hutton 1 million pounds to leave the club was disgusting when he wanted to stay until the summer. He was our best player and best attacking option. Mistake here!!

The Waiting Is Over Finally, the waiting is over, the sense of anticipation that has been with us since we defeated Fiorentina in the UEFA Cup semi-final has almost been extinguished. We are less than 48 hours away from witnessing Rangers in a European cup final for the first time in 36 years. This is the moment that we have all been waiting for. A club like Rangers requires to be regulars in the later stages of Europe and for once, we have an achievement to be proud off. I know you will all be like me, shaking like a leaf, unable to eat or sleep thinking of all the permutations in the climax of this unthinkable, but more than welcome season. For a few short days, we can put the controversy of the SPHELL behind us, we can afford to take our eyes of the domestic ball, and focus on the chance of winning our 2nd European trophy. With the final being in Manchester, it allows easy access for a huge travelling support (not that weââ?¬â?¢d not take a huge support no matter where the final was being held) and I hope that ever last one of us enjoys the game and the occasion no matter where they are watching from. To those going to Manchester, lets show the world that we are ââ?¬Ë?simply the bestââ?¬â?¢. I donââ?¬â?¢t need to reiterate that we should be on our best behaviour. Wednesday will be our 19th European game this season and we havenââ?¬â?¢t had a fan arrested. I wonder if any other club in Europe could boast of this brilliant behaviour? I wonder if the Scottish establishment will push for UEFA to honour us by installing us with the Fair Play Award, the same award that was given to Celtc after Suville. Lets face it, weââ?¬â?¢ve had no planes diverted, no riots at airports, no arrests ââ?¬â?? we must be a shoe in for it. I also wonder if the unbiased and impartial media will regale us with documentaries focussing on our travels to Manchester or if Scottish MPââ?¬â?¢s will raise a motion in Parliament to have Walter Smith Knighted? Anyway, enough of the ââ?¬Ë?tongue in cheekââ?¬â?¢ comments and lets get back to the importance of this game. I would expect, just like Helicopter Sunday, every Rangers fan will have their own unique story to tell come Thursday and hopefully Wednesday will have the same jubilant outcome as that infamous Sunday had. The result of the game could go along way in determining the course of our SPHELL and Scottish Cup campaigns as well. It could also see us have a huge rise in prestige and see our name catapulted to the higher echelons of European Football. This squad has continued to surprise us with its resilience, with its never say die attitude and with its unquenchable will to win. Can this be enough to defeat a very decent Zenit side? Who knows, only time will tell. However, one thing that we have grown to understand about this team, youââ?¬â?¢d be stupid to write them off. In a way, it is a huge disadvantage playing a side managed by an ex-Rangers manager, as heââ?¬â?¢ll know and understand that we are not to be underestimated. I just hope that his players donââ?¬â?¢t heed his warnings. I still canââ?¬â?¢t believe that I am on the verge of witnessing The Rangers in a major European final. I donââ?¬â?¢t think itââ?¬â?¢ll finally sink in until the teams emerge from the tunnel on Wednesday and I hear (and be part off) the all mighty roar that will great the players. This is (but shouldnââ?¬â?¢t be) a once in a lifetime opportunity. I will try to savour every second of the day, but like Barry said in his fantastic article ââ?¬Ë?The Madness & Genius Of Crowdsââ?¬â?¢ - http://www.gersnetonline.net/vb/showthread.php?t=7130 I donââ?¬â?¢t think Iââ?¬â?¢ll fully appreciate the night, the achievement or the importance of this game until I have time to sit and scrutinise the season after the last ball has been kicked. No matter how much you try and absorb every aspect of a momentous occasion, it doesnââ?¬â?¢t really sink in. Again, Helicopter Sunday is a prime example of this. The game went past in a blur and it wasnââ?¬â?¢t until after the event that I realised just how fortunate I was to actually be there, but it took a few days for the realisation of the enormity of what I had witnessed to sink in. I have already stated to family and friends that come Wednesday, I will be an emotional wreck ââ?¬â?? I know I wonââ?¬â?¢t be alone! As I said above, for a few short days we can put the domestic trials and tribulations to one side and hopefully enjoy this fantastic occasion ââ?¬â?? the domestic situation will be back to the forefront before we know it. So once again, no matter where you are watching the game, no matter how you are getting to Manchester (if you are part of the friendliest invasion in history!) ââ?¬â?? fookin enjoy it folks (look out for the gernset banner!) ââ?¬â?? no doubt those travelling to Manchester will meet up with friends (old and new) and make so many new friends in the process ââ?¬â?? So good luck to one and all, good luck to Walter, Ally, Kenny and the backroom staff and all the best to Barry Ferguson and the players - however, if I may, I would like to end this article with a reminder that some of us wonââ?¬â?¢t witness this occasion ââ?¬â?? they will be there in spirit though ââ?¬â?? absent friends ââ?¬â?? Cammy F - We Are The People (as the world is about to witness)

Smith wins Writers award! No surprise. Levein and McGhee have both done well with Dundee Utd and Motherwell respectively this season but Smith has hit a huge height.

Now I'm not into conspiracy theories but does in not seem strange that Motherwell "rested" three first choice players against Celtic, with the kicker being, that all three were former Rangers youth players: Ross McCormack, Stephen Hughs and Graeme Smith. Do you not think that these three would be far more motivated to give Celtic a bloody nose than most players and therefore if he was going to "rest" anyone should he not have chosen three others and given the three former gers, tonight off instead? It all seems a bit too coincidental to me from a man who supports Celtic and has a future eye on the manager's job at CP... The fact that the Celtic minded are into conspiracies only adds to the likelihood that they actually participate in them...

My father-in-law said, as Hemdani coolly slotted his penalty home last night: "I'm surprised he didn't hit it backwards!" I laughed but it was true. He was very poor last night and he doesn't seem to be the player he was last season in Europe, or even earlier this season. The biggest thing seems to be that he is so negative in the way that he plays. Hardly ever a forward pass and several times he thwarted some good attacking opportunities by not looking up. I'm loathe to criticise given the fact we are through but so many times last night I was shouting at the TV because he was frustrating the hell out of me. Perhaps this is the role he is being asked to play by Smith but I'm not so sure that is the case. What's other folks opinion on this?

....do something historic this season?? Firstly, credit has to go to Walter Smith, Ally McCoist and the baldy one (KM) for what they have done to Rangers in the last 14 months. They have turned arguably the worst Rangers team in 20 years round into the frontmen in Scotland again and pushed us into the last 8 of europe. Yes it has not been pretty in certain games but recently the moaning has stopped about performances due to the progression the team in making in the competitons we are in. Thats what it is all about from March onwards - winning football matches. We are coming into the business end of the season with finishing lines in sight and still in a wonderful position. Our Green friends from the other side of Glasgow along with a few of the so called "balanced 4th estate" must really be beginning to panic with what we could achieve this season. However there is still a lot of football to be played and as good as getting to the last 8 of the UEFA cup feels we have to come back down to earth as we have not won anything yet. We still have 3 old firm derbies to play which will no doubt decide if the league flag comes back to home to Ibrox. We are in pole position for these games with the next meeting to be played at Ibrox. We also currently have advantage of 3 point lead with 1 game in hand, thus depending on the farcical situation of Gretna. All attentions can be turned to the league cup final on Sunday where we need the lads to produce yet another solid defensive display and do enough in Dundee Utd's half to take the first trophy home. The Scottish cup will come around again and with all due respect to Partick Thistle we should be looking forward to facing either St Johnstone or St Mirren for another date at Hampden. That leaves the UEFA cup. We fear no team in the here. Bayern are the favourties but we'll see what the draw brings us. One game at a time is what is required at the moment and who knows what we will be celebrating in 2 months time. :cheers:

I firmly believe he deserves a Knighthood. The way he has controlled himself in such adversity is amazing. Sir Walter Smith

In a couple of the papers today, more than likely just paper talk. Can't see it coming off

I hope the big man is correct!! Keeping a clean sheet in the first game could be what wins it for us.

Alexander, Broadfoot, Weir, Dailly, Papac, Novo, Davis, Hemdani, Ferguson ©, Whittaker, Cousin Substitutes: Smith, Boyd, Faye, Darcheville, Lennon, McMillan, Fleck

Traynors' view.I can't stand the cretin,but this is a good read. THEY are still so far away from reach but at least now the glint of the three trophies Rangers seek can be seen by the naked eye. All they have to do is keep following the light. Walter Smith is constantly told his players are running on empty but all he can see is a group of believers still striving to reach beyond human limits. If what fuels some of these players could be siphoned off, the Grangemouth refinery's workers and management could close the place, argue the toss from now until the end of time and our motors would still be running. But this Rangers squad don't even need to keep their legs pumping like pistons for ever. They have only to make sure their limbs function through just a handful of matches, starting tomorrow with the final Old Firm encounter of the season. Celtic won the last one - Gordon Strachan's first Old Firm victory over Walter Smith - which ensured the championship remained a live issue, but the Parkhead side must come out on top in this final meeting also if the pressure is to be piled on their rivals. Anything less than three points would make it virtually impossible for Celtic to hold on to the SPL title even though Rangers have a punishing run-in. If Rangers win, or draw, they would be boosted by a powerful mix of adrenalin and confidence and the effects of a spineless SPL's refusal to sanction a meaningful extension to the league campaign wouldn't be too destructive. Rangers would be almost certain to collect the remaining points necessary without operating at full tilt, but to ensure that luxury they have to be prepared to summon up one more massive effort at Parkhead. Strachan's side are in better shape and the manager has probably been struggling to hold them back in training but just after midday tomorrow he'll let them off the leash. They are likely to attack Rangers at pace and try to dominate the midfield areas just as they did 10 days ago and Smith's side will be willing to soak up pressure, believing they'll also pierce Celtic's defence at times. However, this time Rangers will have to match up, especially in the middle, if they're to take what would be the most important step towards winning the title. The bulk of the evidence, though, suggests Celtic are fairly firm favourites to even the score, at least in terms of matches won against their traditional rivals. Strachan and his players know that if they can win again they will force Rangers to doubt themselves, perhaps for the first time this season. Barry Ferguson and the others won't be able to prevent their minds from wandering up ahead and looking at their packed schedule which is enough to frighten even the most seasoned pros like DavidWeir and Christian Dailly. Celtic, Fiorentina in Florence, Hibs, Motherwell twice, Dundee United, St Mirren and Aberdeen all between now and May 18. That's eight matches in 22 days and don't forget Rangers, who also have a Scottish Cup Final on May 24, could yet have a UEFA Cup Final to play. That's not a match schedule, it's hard labour as a result of criminal negligence on the part of the SPL. Let's make it absolutely clear just one more time that this group of preening lame brains have done nothing to help a Scottish side reach a European final and have failed also to protect the integrity of their own competition. Should Rangers overcome Fiorentina and reach the final in the City of Manchester Stadium, it will be in spite of the people who are supposed to be working for the benefit of the Scottish game. If Rangers claim European glory, Lex Gold and the rest shouldn't dare try to bask in the success. No doubt he'd be tempted but it would be disgraceful if he were to hold up his league structure as the reason for this success. In fact, in finding it impossible to assist Rangers properly in their quest to reach the heights, the SPL might inadvertently have boosted their determination to get the jobs done. Rangers now feel victimised. They believe it's them against an establishment they suspect were afraid to upset Celtic and if this anger is channelled properly it could give the Ibrox club added momentum at the most critical time of the season. Rangers are equipped to go to Parkhead and do just enough to end Celtic's interest in the title pursuit and then do the same to Fiorentina next Thursday. If they are in the final and cruising towards the championship, they would go to Easter Road next Sunday on an incredible high. Fatigue wouldn't come into it and Smith would then find himself trying to subdue his players just as Strachan has been doing in the build-up to tomorrow's match. Although they allowed Celtic to win the psychological and physical battles last time, Rangers know they can kill off their rivals tomorrow but it will take a tremendous effort, remarkable calmness and buckets of belief. They have to put everything out of their minds except this one challenge, simply because the outcome will have such a significant bearing on how many trophies they win. Three points tomorrow would give them vital breathing space in a hectic few weeks and you can be absolutely sure Smith has been using the SPL, as well as Aiden McGeady's comments, to fire up his men. He'll have been telling them to prove they don't need the SPL's help and to show McGeady, who said Rangers shouldn't be allowed an extension to the season, that the balance of power really has switched from one end of Glasgow to the other. McGeady, of course, will be one of the key players along with Shunsuke Nakamura and Barry Robson, but Rangers believe they have been pushed into a corner. They are wounded and there is only one thing they can do now. They'll come out fighting and despite their aches and pains they'll keep going until they drop. They'll be battling for Smith, themselves, and the fans. There are a lot of angry men in Smith's squad and if they really do believe this is their season, all their effort and sacrifices now come down to this one match, they could clamp both hands around the championship. Win tomorrow and they'll be on such a high they wouldn't need an aircraft to get to Florence but lose and they could crash and burn. There is just too much to lose in this one match and the very fear of seeing everything slip away in the wake of defeat could galvanise Rangers just enough to do what is necessary.

The team that stand between Rangers and the UEFA cup final

ALLAN McGREGOR and Lee McCulloch could both be back for Rangers this season. Boss Walter Smith today revealed there is a chance they could be ready for the SPL game against Dundee United at Ibrox on May 10, and the subsequent run-in. Both players were injured a week ago at Parkhead and have had various scans since. And Smith revealed: "There is a chance they could be back for the last two weeks of the season. That is the outcome of the scans, so we obviously hope that can be the case." Chris Burke has delivered the most positive news after injuring his ankle in the Scottish Cup win over St Johnstone. The damage is not serious and he will be back in a week to 10 days. However, Stevie Naismith's badly damaged cruciate ligament will require surgery. "We are looking at maybe five or six months for him and that is clearly a blow for the lad first of all, and also for the squad," Smith said. He also reported American winger DaMarcus Beasley was back in training after five months out with his own knee ligament injury. Smith said: "He is another who could play in the last couple of weeks. But in his situation, given the time he has been out, we have to balance that against whether it's worth taking a risk for just a few games. We'll need to see." Kris Boyd has recovered from the food poisoning that ruled him out of the Saints game. Smith refused to be drawn on the SPL extension plans, saying: "We have the first leg of a Uefa Cup semi-final to play. That is getting my full attention, everything else is in the background for me." Defender David Weir felt that governing body could maybe have done more to aid Rangers with their fixture plans. He said: "Like the manager, I have been focusing on the game tomorrow. Looking at the situation, we had one game put off to help us in Europe and the other ones have been for things outwith our control. "There is a big arguement for the SPL to maybe have helped us out a bit, but they make the decisions. "As players, we just need to try and get over all the obstacles and have as successful a season as we can. STEVEN NAISMITH was today facing up to at least six months on the sidelines after scans confirmed he has damaged his anterior cruciate ligament. The Scotland Under-21 skipper crumpled in agony early on in Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final win over St Johnstone as his left knee buckled under him. Yesterday, after travelling to Bradford to see a specialist, he was given the worst possible news. He will have to rest for a month before undergoing surgery, most likely to take place at the famous Richard Steadman clinic in Colorado. The �£2million signing from Kilmarnock has been left devastated by the news that will see him out until most probably October. Rangers assistant manager Ally McCoist confirmed: "The news from the specialists is a blow for us. But, on a personal basis, clearly it's a real shame for Steven and a huge disappointment for the lad in his first season at the club. "He had made a good start to his career with us and would have played a vital role in the run-in for Rangers. "Now the most important thing is for Steven to get the right kind of medical advice and face up to his rehab programme. I am sure he will come back stronger, and everyone at the club will help him towards that goal." There was better news on Allan McGregor and Chris Burke. The keeper could be back for the last couple of weeks of the season after scans should ankle ligament damage is not as bad as first feared. Burke will return inside 10 days after also injuring his ankle at the weekend. Lee McCulloch, who suffered a foot injury in last week's Old Firm defeat, feels he can play a part in the run-in. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2218253.0.mcgregor_mcculloch_on_the_comeback_trail.php

Rangers fear Allan McGregor may be out for season Apr 22 2008 By Keith Jackson INJURY-RAVAGED Rangers are bracing themselves for the bombshell news today that Allan McGregor's season is over. The keeper will report to hospital this afternoon for a second opinion on the ankle injury he sustained in last week's Old Firm defeat at Parkhead. But while McGregor is praying for good news, manager Walter Smith is all but resigned to losing his keeper for the rest of the campaign. McGregor has damaged ligaments so badly Smith doesn't expect him back in training until July when Rangers begin their pre-season preparations. It means Neil Alexander - the hero in Sunday's penalty shoot-out win over St Johnstone - will be placed in the firing line as Rangers' season goes down to the wire. Smith will be without seven top-team players on Thursday against Fiorentina in the first leg of their UEFA Cup semi-final. Lee McCulloch, Charlie Adam, Steven Naismith and Chris Burke are also injured while Kevin Thomson and Barry Ferguson are suspended. Rangers did receive one piece of good news last night when it was revealed Burke could be back sooner than expected after fears he'd broken his ankle on Sunday in a challenge with Saints skipper Kevin Rutkiewicz. Doctors believe Burke's ligaments would have been severely ruptured had they not already been loosened by previous injuries and he could be back in action in a fortnight. But Smith admits Burke and his other weekend casualty Naismith are definitely out of the mouth-watering clash with the Serie A side. He said: "Naismith and Burke have no chance of playing on Thursday and I think they will miss our next three games at least. "We will wait and see what the specialists say but at this stage they look unlikely to feature in either of the Fiorentina games or against Celtic on Sunday." As I said before, thank God we replaced Roy Carroll.