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No-one likes a thorough examination. It could be a test for English, it could be a check-up at the dentist. God forbid, it could even be the prostate exam from an overweight medico with fingers like fairtrade bananas. This week saw the appointment of that bogeyman figure for many Rangers fans, Peter Lawwell, to the Professional Game Board of the SFA. Leaving aside the hilarious irony of anything connected with the game in our country having the sheer balls to call itself 'professional' - the name of the new league was, for me, the highlight of the summer, an act of self-mockery and criticism not seen since the Red Guards were touring the Chinese countryside in the 1960's - you'd think the raising of another Celtic employee to another administrative role ought to have aroused some examination. As things stand now with the SFL gone, the SPFL Board consists of Steven Thompson of Dundee Utd, Eric Riley of Celtic, Aberdeen’s Duncan Fraser, Les Gray from Hamilton, Mike Mulraney of Cowdenbeath and Bill Darroch of Stenhousemuir plus CEO Neil Doncaster. Even Celtic fans must realise Mssrs Riley and Lawwell's various roles raise some interesting questions. Is it good for the game, or their club? Is it good for them, personally? Can they avoid conflicts of interest, and can they operate best with a work-load of this nature? What does it say about the structures which oversee the much vaunted reconstruction of the game in Scotland? Gersnet poster Brahim Hemdani sums up the bemusement may feel when he said "Quite why the other clubs think that having two represetatives from one club in the top echelons of power is appropriate is beyond my comprehension but that is the state of play that we have to live with." I ask these questions because they will affect us, like every other club, and because the overall coverage of the move has been muted to the point of fearful censorship. Tom English has taken refuge in slating OF fans for being loonballs rather than look at the appointment itself, while no-one else seems to have mentioned it at all. Maybe no-one is a little concerned that one club looms quite so large over the landscape (you may recall Kenny Shiels swift demotion by the ever sensitive Pacific Quay from colourful entertainer to highly suspicious proto-bigot when he touched on this subject), or, more likely, maybe they're worn out by all these saga and don't care anymore. Dangerous attitude, if true. We need to care. My own view is that no-one from either Rangers or celtc should be on any governing body, nor anyone with a connection to them. Rules out a hell of a lot of people, doesn't it? But look at the history! Since the mid-1980's, the Old Firm have more or less run the game. First them then us have been, during that time, complete basket cases. Prior to that, with faceless, anonymous men who enjoyed the benefits, yes, but were primarily upholders of the game as a concept - that is, as a sport - Scotland actually did not too badly, certainly by comparison with its later, hideous self. Of the two potential scenarios - well meaning if possibly bumbling amateurs, or corporate OF types - one would have to be a follower of either side to support the elevation of the latter to the running of the game. If that maybe sounds like accusations of bias toward the media, maybe it is - given the outrage we saw over such issues as contentious capitalist contract practices and internal SFA inquiries, surely they would feel the make up of game boards also need a revolution? No? Happy to carry on as we have for thirty years, are you? Thirty years of continual decline and failure? Quite content to see the setup which has brought the game to the laughable stance of not even having a sponsor - bear in mind, this is a league which reaches both Rangers and celtc fans every week, that's market penetration many a company would give their right arm for; you are looking at well over 2,000,000 potential customers on a more than weekly basis being exposed to your product - and think this is a suitable plan for the future? Well, fair enough. Everyone's entitled to an opinion. But you can hardly be surprised when people raise a quizzical eyebrow, and wonder quite what the reason is for your optimism. celtc's current dominance is the reason put forward, I guess. That ignores their two decades of shambolic behaviour since the early 1980's; no doubt our period of insanity will be as quickly forgotten. It also forgets the wasteland that the rest of the game is; perhaps a momentary lapse in memory by our writers, or again, perhaps they just don't care. The game desperately needs diversity, in terms of cup winners and media coverage. We're unlikely to see the latter, since the media is as self interested as the next man. I can't see how having the people from the top club running the leagues will help create that diversity; the logical outcome will be a set up which favours that leading club. Cravenly avoiding the fairly obvious self interest inherent in this move, and whining about how Old Firm fans are loonies while you pretty much cowardly refuse to actually examine the move, won't impress anyone. Maybe, when this blows up in the face of Scottish football (as OF people running the game always will, in my opinion), those who have airily seen it through on the nod will have the guts to examine their own role in it. I won't be holding my breath, though. As the dire Neil Doncaster happily points out "“The relationship between the SPFL and the SFA is a good one and I think a much better one since the reconstruction’s completion on the 27th June.” This is unsurprising when the same people, two of whom are from the same outfit, sit upon these boards. If blissful happiness and an end to dissent is the aim, I can see the point. If running the game in a progressive and accountable way is the aim, it becomes rather more questionable. But questions are good, in a healthy democracy. We need our media writers to question, to examine. Their current craven obedience will be just something else we will all come to regret.

I'm absolutely delighted that the legend is coming back to Ibrox in a couple of weeks for the St Mirren game. I'll never forget his first goal against Celtic when the San Giro had just been rebuilt, his hat-trick against Aberdeen to win 8IAR or his double against Hearts in the League Cup Final when he had an argument with Ally in the first half. Different class.

With competitive SPL action just a couple of days away, weâ��re happy to announce that our Predictions League is back and ready for you to enter your first set of scores. You can join our League by clicking the link below. As usual please prefix your name with Gersnet and use your user-name here (if available) to join. If that isn't possible, pm an admin with your account details in advance of the competition starting to be in with a chance of winning our own star prize Please pm me the email address you signed to the predictor with so I can invite you into our league. http://www.cbfootball.co.uk/score_selector/Default.aspx'>http://www.cbfootball.co.uk/score_selector/Default.aspx Score Selector will again offer you the opportunity to show off your SPL knowledge by predicting scores for each SPL fixture throughout the 2011/12 campaign. The Gersnet winner at the end of the season will win a Rangers strip of their choice (congratulations to Bluedell who was last year's champion). As well as the Gersnet prize, there is a grand sponsor prize of �£10,000 for the overall winner, we have a weekly prize of an iPod shuffle, and a monthly prize of �£500 for the person who gathers the most points over the month. There is also �£5000 up for grabs for the first person to correctly guess all 6 scores in a fixture group - remember this is a one off, when itâ��s won, itâ��s gone. See the CBFootball website for full details of all the prizes and how you can win. The opening weekend is shaping up to be a cracker with Rangers unfurling the championship flag at home to Hearts, whilst newly promoted Dunfermline welcome a tough St Mirren side to East End Park in what is sure to be a fiery encounter. So log in or sign up now to post your predictions for the first weekend of the season. Accounts and mini leagues from last year are still valid, and you have until the first day of the new season to change your screen name, which you can do in the "My Selector" section. Good luck for the season ahead! http://www.cbfootball.co.uk/score_selector/Default.aspx

ALLY McCOIST may have failed to keep Rangers in Europe for long this season, but his staggering record in the Scottish Premier League since taking over from Walter Smith has firmly focused the continentâ??s attention on Ibrox. Rangersâ?? remarkable unbeaten record in the league has put McCoistâ??s team out in front of just about every European rival and when the Ibrox manager puts his own record next to the work put in by Smith last season, the only club that can boast a better unbeaten record in European league football is FC Porto. The Portuguese champions have amassed a remarkable 49 games without defeat, stretching back to February when they lost 3-0 to Sporting Lisbon, but Rangers are easily the next best top-flight side on the continent with a 21-game unbeaten run. The last time Rangers lost in the SPL was on April 2 when Dundee United won 3-2 at Ibrox and, with a home game tomorrow against St Johnstone â?? who have not won a league match in Govan since the 1970s â?? McCoistâ??s men seem certain to make that 22 games unbeaten against his old team. When Rangers exited the Champions League and the Europa League at the qualifying hurdles to Malmo and Maribor respectively, McCoist was left with the domestic scene to make his mark upon. He has done that emphatically. Rangers can also boast a better record than the best unbeaten sides in the Barclays Premier League, where Newcastle United protect the longest record with just 14 games since they lost at Liverpool in May. Current leaders Manchester City may have dropped fewer points than Rangers this term, with just one draw in their 11 games, but McCoistâ??s men have racked up more wins with 12 victories out of 14 SPL games. The only time the SPL leaders have not won this season was on the opening day of the campaign in a 1-1 draw with Hearts â?? and then another 1-1 draw with St Mirren at Ibrox last month. The closest European top-flight side to Rangers are Serbian leaders FK Radnicki, who have posted a 20-game unbeaten run and, like Rangers, also lost last April. That was the same month that Champions League winners Barcelona last tasted defeat in La Liga, but Pep Guardiolaâ??s men only have a 15-game unbeaten run and have drawn four times already this season, while current Spanish league leaders, Real Madrid, have already lost once this season. In Greece and Italy, the best unbeaten runs are shared by Panathinaikos and Juventus with ten games each while Dynamo Kiev are the best in Ukraine with a 15-game unbeaten run. Even the side with the meanest defence in Europe cannot match Rangers. Bayern Munich have conceded just four goals in the Bundesliga this term, but already the German league leaders have lost twice. Rangers have lost six SPL goals in this campaign â?? better than Real Madrid and Manchester City. They have also dropped fewer points this term than Porto, who have drawn three times. http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/rangers/all-eyes-on-ibrox-as-mccoist-revels-in-domestic-bliss-1.1135588

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/

http://ibroxnoise.blogspot.com/ (thought I'd give this a go - feedback appreciated - if you guys want to put this on the main site, be my guest)

P23 W20 D3 L0 F53 A7 05 Apr: St Johnstone (a) 0-2 10 Apr: Hamilton (a) 0-1 13 Apr: Aberdeen (a) 0-1 16 Apr: St Mirren (h) 2-1 19 Apr: Dundee Utd (a) 0-4 24 Apr: Celtic (h) 0-0 30 Apr: Motherwell (a) 0-5 07 May: Hearts (h) 4-0 10 May: Dundee Utd (h) 2-0 15 May: Kilmarnock (a) 1-5 23 Jul: Hearts (h) 1-1 30 Jul: St Johnstone (a) 0-2 13 Aug: Inverness CT (a) 0-2 21 Aug: Motherwell (a) 0-3 28 Aug: Aberdeen (h) 2-0 10 Sep: Dundee Utd (a) 0-1 18 Sep: Celtic (h) 4-2 24 Sep: Dunfermline (a) 0-4 27 Sep: Kilmarnock (h) 2-0 01 Oct: Hibernian (h) 1-0 15 Oct: St Mirren (h) 1-1 23 Oct: Hearts (a) 0-2 29 Oct: Aberdeen (a) 1-2

Lifted from FF: Celtic have struggled for results but their disciplinary record so far is remarkable. Below is the number of fouls committed per yellow card received in the SPL so far this season. On average a yellow card is recieved every 6.79 fouls, however one club is getting penalised much less than all the others. 1 - Celtic - 13.00 fouls per booking 2 - Dundee Utd - 7.94 fouls per booking 3 - Rangers - 7.28 fouls per booking 4 - Aberdeen - 6.54 fouls per booking 5 - Motherwell - 6.44 fouls per booking 6 - Inverness CT - 6.21 fouls per booking 7 - Dunfermline - 6.05 fouls per booking 8 - Kilmarnock - 5.95 fouls per booking 9 - Hibs - 5.86 fouls per booking 10 - Hearts - 5.70 fouls per booking 11 - St Mirren - 5.29 fouls per booking 12 - St Johnstone - 5.17 fouls per booking If we now look at the average booking per fouls in home games only, one club's average is again significantly more favourable than any other team in the league. 1 - Celtic - 15.67 fouls per booking 2 - Dundee Utd - 8.90 fouls per booking 3 - Rangers - 8.67 fouls per booking 4 - Aberdeen - 7.89 fouls per booking 5 - Kilmarnock - 7.80 fouls per booking 6 - Inverness CT - 6.46 fouls per booking 7 - St Johnstone - 6.45 fouls per booking 8 - Hearts - 6.29 fouls per booking 9 - Hibs - 6.18 fouls per booking 10 - Motherwell - 6.00 fouls per booking 11 - Dunfermline - 5.69 fouls per booking 12 - St Mirren - 5.00 fouls per booking And finally, looking at away games, and again one club's average is much more favourable than anyone elses: 1 - Celtic - 11.86 fouls per booking 2 - Motherwell - 6.89 fouls per booking 3 - Dunfermline - 6.83 fouls per booking 4 - Rangers - 6.58 fouls per booking 5 - Dundee Utd - 6.57 fouls per booking 6 - Inverness CT - 5.91 fouls per booking 7 - Aberdeen - 5.82 fouls per booking 8 - Hibs - 5.65 fouls per booking 9 - St Mirren - 5.54 fouls per booking 10 - Kilmarnock - 5.41 fouls per booking 11 - Hearts - 5.08 fouls per booking 12 - St Johnstone - 4.08 fouls per booking It's silly to draw conclusions at this stage of the season - and also difficult in a general sense as multiple tackles will go unpunished as harmless but one bad foul will lead to a caution - but when one considers that both Glasgow sides finished last season with an average FPB (fouls per booking) of between 6.5 and 6.9 the huge difference so far this term is worthy of comment. Let's see how it develops.

Mowbray W 3-1 Aberdeen (A) W 5-2 St Johnstone (H) W 1-0 Hibs (A) D 1-1 Dundee Utd (H) W 2-1 Hearts (H) W 2-0 St Mirren (A) L 1-2 Rangers (A) D 0-0 Motherwell (H) W 2-1 Hamilton (A) W 3-0 Kilmarnock (H) D 3-3 Falkirk (A) L 1-2 Dundee United (A) P 24/36 GF 24 GA 13 W 7 D 3 L 2 Lennon W 2-0 Hibs (A) W 1-0 Aberdeen (A) W 5-1 Dundee United (H) L 0-1 St Johnstone (H) W 2-0 St Mirren (A) W 4-0 Motherwell (H) L 2-4 Rangers (A) W 2-0 Inverness (H) L 0-2 Hearts (A) D 3-3 Kilmarnock (A) W 2-1 Aberdeen (H) D 0-0 Hibs (H) P 23/36 GF 23 GA 12 W 7 D 2 L 3 Very interesting and even moreso if they drop points against Motherwell as Mowbray won his next game....

Taken unashamedly from a St Mirren site (the appointment clearly has a Kenny McDowall connection), as I thought you might like to know. Saints cult hero Gudmundur Torfason has returned to Scottish football after being appointed as Rangers' Icelandic scout. Interesting though, that - a) we've appointed a scout in an area that might provide some value and b) The media and Celtic fans rantings about us being skint, can't pay any bills and are laying off staff don't stack up against a week in which we've given a trial to a Swedish/Gambian striker, offered improved contracts to two players and are clearly still adding to our staff.

5 players of note to talk about, mostly very positive indeed. 1: Sasa Papac - since the signing of Wallace the Bosnian's game has improved tenfold. His block on the line yesterday was top class and he was involved with a lot of good work at the back. I'm quite happy seeing him in the team these days - it's as if he's been in an easy comfort zone for too long, never extending himself - but now he is and the improvement is drastic. 2: Steven Whittaker. Had a truly awful start to the season, and became a figure of 'dislike' shall we say. But has steadly got his game together over the past 3 or 4 matches and imho was the MOTM against St Mirren. Looking much better, and more worth the wages he's getting. 3: Carlos Bocanegra. What the American lacks in height and strength he makes up for with absolutely superb positional sense and cracking use of the ball. His lob for Jelavic yesterday has barely been mentioned, but was pinpoint. He always seems to be in the right place at the right time and makes timely interventions regularly. He doesn't go sliding in much, and lacks muscle, but has a lot of intelligence and that more than makes up for it. 4: Dorin Goian. Here's another Goian fact for you - he's a bargain. Ally really excelled himself bringing in a high quality Romanian stopper for such a low price. Goian doesn't quite class as a 'bruiser' but he's a strong, fit, and agile CB who is not scared to put his foot in and times his tackles brilliantly. He's also very good in the air. Along with Carlos we have a truly superb central defence. 5: Lee Wallace. Been a little unlucky with injury so far, but shown what he can do in patches. Very dynamic full back - his defensive game isn't imperious by any means but like Hutton in days gone by he gets forward with aplomb and gives us a good balance on the left when he plays. Is this why we've conceded only 4 goals this season? Could well be. It's the best defence we've had for some time. And there's Bartley in reserve! Also think David Weir is well and truly being faded out now. After being used against Liverpool he was axed again from the squad on Sunday.

After the recent disappointment v St Mirren which came about with the loss of an injury time goal to the opposition, I ask should we be concerned about the trend so far affecting our season? Late goals have seen us dumped out of Europe with an injury time concede to mighty Maribor, we then unbelievably got humped out the 'Rangers Cup' against Falkirk again with a goal deep into injury time. This latest loss of a goal with the last kick of the game, although not totally damaging, sees a worrying fault within our current squad....why are we switching off in injury time? Ally and his staff MUST instill in his players to keep playing to the FINAL whistle or this season could well end in disaster. We remain realistically 7 points ahead of timmy, but anymore of these slip-ups could be disastrous in our drive for 4iar.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/15329357.stm

STEVEN THOMPSON ticked every box when he was at Rangers. Hitman Thompson was signed by Alex McLeish from Dundee United in 2003 for £200,000 and won it all domestically. Now he returns to Ibrox on Saturday for the first time since leaving in January 2006 with St Mirren. The 32-year-old is desperate to show Gers fans he still has what it takes. Thompson said: "This will be my first time back at Ibrox and I am really looking forward to it. "I had wonderful times there and they are memories I will treasure for the rest of my life. "I won league titles and cups â?? just the whole experience of playing at Rangers was a brilliant one. "It was a bit surreal at times, but I am very privileged to have played there. "It will be nice to see some old faces at Ibrox like wee Tiny up in the kitchens. It will be nostalgic going back. "I achieved everything I wanted there. I won the SPL, the Scottish Cup and the League Cup. "I scored in an Old Firm game, scored in the Champions League and scored in the UEFA Cup. It isn't until you leave Rangers though, you realise how much you were spoiled. Everything is on a plate for you there. "It is not often you get to go from Rangers to a club with a bigger set up." Thommo was in sizzling form in 2003 and had broken into the Scotland national team the year before. That resulted in Rangers snapping him up with Billy Dodds heading the other way to Tannadice. He added: "Things were going very well for me at United and I had been playing for Scotland as well. "I was on a hot streak at the time with some goals at the start of the season and my contract was up the following summer. "United wanted me to sign a new deal, but I was stalling on it knowing things were quite good for me at the time. "When I heard Rangers had come in, I just wanted to get the deal done. "It was all a bit of a whirlwind, one minute I was playing for United, the next I was getting changed beside Ronald de Boer. We also had the likes of Frank de Boer, Mikel Arteta, Claudio Caniggia, Michael Mols, Shota Arveladze and Arthur Numan. "I can remember it being an incredible dressing room at the time. I can also remember being quite intimidated for the first few weeks, but that quickly went. "It was a wonderful time, but as you get older you look back thinking maybe you didn't appreciate it as much at the time. "Now I can look back at all my memorabilia â?? my strips, newspaper cuttings and videos. "It was great to have been at Rangers, but now I am going there as a St Mirren player and I want to do well." Thommo never got a fair crack of the whip at Gers with a couple of injuries preventing an extended run in the side. The most notable setback was when he tore his knee ligament in September 2003, keeping him on the sidelines for five months. He said: "I was in and out of the team and my knee injury didn't help. "I also had an ankle injury in a game against Celtic which forced me out. "When I came back from doing my knee in, I had a good spell and scored a few goals." When Thompson entered the last year of his contract, boss McLeish told him he could leave and he was quickly snapped up by Cardiff in January 2006. Thommo added: "Alex McLeish told me my contract wasn't getting renewed in August 2005. "He had maybe expected me to stay until the following summer when my contract ran out, but Kris Boyd was on his way and there was already competition for places up front. "I asked my agent to see what was out there and then Cardiff came in. "I was upset to leave Rangers, but at that point in my career it was time to go to another club. I played in the Championship for over five years with Cardiff, then Burnley, and it was a great experience. "It wasn't my best spell in terms of success but I don't look back with any regrets." Saints face a dauunting task against a rampant Gers side who have won their last nine SPL games. Thompson said: "It will be a difficult task. "I can remember going to Ibrox with United and it was always very tough. "Rangers are in terrific form right now, but we will go with an attitude that we have nothing to lose and there is no point just sitting back." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3866799/Thommos-so-fired-up-for-Ibrox-trip.html#ixzz1aYq5H3I3

SCOTLAND football icon Gordon McQueen is to have surgery after being struck down with throat cancer. The former defender â?? now a TV pundit â?? was diagnosed with a growth on the larynx and will be treated in Middlesbrough. The 59-year-old, originally from Kilbirnie, Ayrshire, had suffered discomfort for weeks before being referred to a specialist for tests. McQueen became a Manchester United stalwart after playing in central defence for the clubâ??s bitter rivals, Leeds United. He signed for the Yorkshire club from St Mirren while a teenager, in 1972, and was adored by the Elland Road fans for his no-nonsense tackling and domination in the air. The Scot was part of the famous Leeds side of the Seventies which won the League and reached the final of the European Cup. ì Gordon McQueen has been diagnosed with cancer of the larynx and will *undergo treatment at the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough î He moved to Old Trafford in 1978 for a British record £495,000 fee, playing alongside England skipper Bryan Robson, Scotland international team-mate Gordon Strachan and a string of household names. The centre-back won 30 caps for Scotland and earned his place in Tartan Army folklore by scoring the first goal in the 2-1 win over England at Wembley in 1977. McQueen had earlier scored the goal that took Scotland to the 1974 World Cup finals in the then West Germany but missed out on the Argentina finals four years later after breaking his leg. But, despite being in plaster, he joined the squad after manager Ally MacLeod said he would help boost their morale. He recovered from the injury and played for Scotland until 1981, scoring five goals. After his playing career ended, McQueen was a member of Bryan Robsonâ??s coaching staff at Middlesbrough and until recently was employed by the club as a scout. He is now a TV pundit and summariser with Sky, where his daughter Hayley works as a presenter. A statement released on his *behalf yesterday said: â??Gordon McQueen has been diagnosed with cancer of the larynx and will *undergo treatment at the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.â? In August it emerged McQueenâ??s former Manchester team-mate, Bryan Robson, had beaten life-threatening throat cancer. He was given the good news in a letter from his specialist. The 54-year-old needs a further check-up, but doctors say they are confident the rest of his body is clear of the disease. http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/276245/Scotland-iron-man-McQueen-in-battle-with-throat-cancer Good luck big man.

by Lindsay Herron RANGERS have clinched a deal to bring Kyle Bartley back to Ibrox - and he could face Chelsea on Saturday. The official site can reveal that Arsenal have agreed to let the young defender join Rangers on loan for the season and he will arrive at Murray Park tomorrow. Bartley, of course, had a loan spell with the Light Blues last season when he arrived in the January window and played an important role in the early months of the year, He scored a vital goal at New St Mirren Park when Rangers were struggling with injuries and he also played in the Europa League. Unfortunately he suffered a knee injury against PSV Eindhoven which put him out for the rest of the campaign. However, he fully recovered and took part in Arsenal's pre-season campaign. Ally McCoist made no secret that he was keen to land his man and now the 20-year-old centre back is returning to Ibrox. There is still some paperwork to tie up but all things being equal Bartley will be involved against Chelsea on Saturday. Some good news at last

http://sport.stv.tv/football/scottish-premier/hearts/264580-jim-jefferies-and-billy-brown-sacked-by-hearts/ STV understands Hearts manager Jim Jefferies and his assistant Billy Brown have been removed from their positions, with Jefferies being offered an upstairs role at Tynecastle. It is also understood Gary Locke, the club's current first team coach, has been offered the manager's post on an interim basis. Jefferies has been offered a role as director of football with the club but STV understands the 60-year-old is not interested in the post and will decline. Hearts are currently on a run of 10 games without a win, having picked up their last victory on March 19 against St Mirren in a 3-2 win. In Jefferies' second spell in charge, he has taken control of 61 games, winning 25. Jefferies and Brown have worked permanently together since taking their first job at Berwick Rangers in 1988, followed by moves to Falkirk in 1990 and then Hearts in 1995. Bradford City came calling in 2000 to take the duo to the English Premier League, a job which ended in their sackings, before they were appointed at Kilmarnock in 2002. mad vlad strikes again:surprised:

.... so we may as well start celebrating now :cheers: -- Explain to me how Rangers are going to square their oncoming tax bill and I'll wager you could teach us how to nail jelly to a tree. Frankly I still don't quite comprehend how the Ibrox club's takeover has built a jigsaw puzzle picture of a sunny future. But then why listen to me? I never thought Craig the Whyte knight would get his hands on the club in the first place. So off we jolly well go into another season which has already fired up more questions than answers, with its embarrassing hiccupping start as the Old Firm take their sabbatical before the term has learned to walk. Of course I understand the desire - requirement, maybe - for the big clubs to go big buck hunting, but I still find it humiliating for the SPL that the big kick-off is followed by a couple of weeks of damp squibs as Celtic then Rangers throw the other clubs a deaf one. It's like getting married then bodyswerving your own reception. Rangers fans can't be full of the joys of life. All window shopping in the transfer market, but no real spirit of the shop to drop. Sure, they've been linked with more big names than Piers Morgan�but headlines don't mean signings. Ally McCoist once compared taking the baton from Walter Smith to accepting the microphone from Sinatra and of course he was right. But it strikes me that Nelson Riddle has just taken the orchestra off the stage too. He took the job because ultimately he had no option. But privately he must reflect that somewhere down the line there might have been a better time. Like Neil Lennon timed his run, for example. After the Tony Mowbray shambles, the only way was up. No fence sitting from your old reporter. I'll be stunned if Celtic aren't champions by the time autumn and winter have blown their last and dear spring is in the air once again. Rangers were champions last year because they deserved to be, not because of Celtic's spectacular trip at Inverness as they toddled to the finishing line. A title race is a distance event and it is never won or lost on any given Saturday afternoon or Wednesday night. But this time at Parkhead, I suspect the lesson will have been learned. Mind you, to be fair there hasn't been a run on the ink at Lennoxtown. Signings there too have been a collector's item. But the difference is the depth of squad already on the employment register. Atlantic deep: Rangers meanwhile have to set sail in a puddle. What we need them both to do is progress in Europe in their respective competitions, to ensure a little midweek action in the Champions and Europa Leagues. That would put a little light in our lives. And talking of a little brightness, why do I have a good feeling about St Mirren? It's a worry. This time last year I was insistent that they would be relegated and if not quite gloriously wrong then I looked like being spot-on for a fair few months. Scotland coach Craig Levein faces crucial Euro 2012 qualifiers But the signings of Gary Teale, Nigel Hasselbaink and Stevie Thompson and a general something in the air over Paisley - and maybe the strong drink - has me think better days are coming. And here's a thing as I juggle my feel good factors: Scotland - I think we might make it to Poland and Ukraine although hopefully not Donetsk, quite the dreariest place I have ever been. There, even the birds cough. Certainly the play-offs of the European Championship qualifying group beckon at least, where Lithuania's turning over by Liechtenstein opened the door for Scotland and a straight two-way fight with the Czechs for second prize to World Champions Spain. So let SPL battle commence, earlier than ever but still too late. We should have been back three weeks ago thereby allowing our European representatives some run-up to their ties and freeing up some time for the inevitable winter back-log of postponed games. And maybe even a January shutdown� Hey, but I'm not one to spoil a bright new dawn with a bit of mumping. But watch this space. �SPL champions: Celtic �Second: Rangers �Third: Hearts �Relegated: Kilmarnock �Scottish Cup winners: Hearts �League Cup winners: Dundee United

If Kirk Broadfoot thinks he should be playing every week as a first choice regular, he's dumber than someone who microwaved an egg.

Confirmed on SPL website, the Hearts game is now live on Sky at 12.30 on Saturday July 23. Also, our game at St Johnstone is live on ESPN at 12 noon on Sat July 30th. FYI other live games declared are hibs v scum on sun 24th at 12.30 (ESPN), Dunfermline v St Mirren on Mon July 25th at 745pm (Sky) and Sheep v scum on Sun 7 Aug at 1215pm (Sky)

FIT-AGAIN Ger Kirk Broadfoot has urged new boss Ally McCoist to give him the chance to become central to his Ibrox revolution. The Scotland cap, who missed the title run-in with an ankle injury and then a fractured foot, has started his pre-season four weeks early in a bid to get the new season up and running from the first whistle. McCoist has made a central defender his summer priority, as the futures of captain Davie Weir and Madjid Bougherra still have to be ironed out, and that is a position that is no stranger to Broadfoot. He played there at St Mirren and believes thatââ?¬â?¢s his strongest position and would love to get the chance to fill that void with the Scottish champions. Broadfoot said: ââ?¬Å?Centre half has always been my main position. ââ?¬Å?It is the position I prefer to play. ââ?¬Å?It was only when I came to Rangers that I was moved out to right back. ââ?¬Å?Donââ?¬â?¢t get me wrong ââ?¬â?? I would play anywhere for Rangers, but if I had a choice I would want to play at centre-half. ââ?¬Å?I know Walter Smith put me out to full back so I could learn the position and get more experience. ââ?¬Å?I feel I have done that and I am now a better player because of that, but I see myself in the long-run being a centre half. ââ?¬Å?I feel that is my more natural position, but at the end of the day it will be up to the gaffer. ââ?¬Å?I have the utmost respect for the manager and whatever he decides I will stick by him. ââ?¬Å?He knows that wherever I am asked to play for Rangers, I will go out and give 100 per cent.ââ?¬Â Broadfoot is in no doubt that McCoist will step up and follow in the success-filled footsteps of Smith. He was a big part of Smithââ?¬â?¢s success and Broadfoot is confident the SPL champions will remain on the trophy trail under him. ââ?¬Å?I am in no doubt that the manager will do well,ââ?¬Â he added. ââ?¬Å?He is a born winner and that shines through in everything he does. ââ?¬Å?You see how competitive he is, even in training. ââ?¬Å?He never likes to lose at anything and there is no doubt he will have his team tuned in a similar way. ââ?¬Å?The manager also knows the game inside out. He has played at the top level and he has also worked under a top manager in Walter Smith, so all that experience will also stand him in good stead. ââ?¬Å?He is also a clever and intelligent guy and he will also know what he wants and what he needs to bring future success to Rangers.ââ?¬Â McCoist still has to delve into the transfer market, has lost last termââ?¬â?¢s loan quartet of El Hadji Diouf, Ricky Foster, Vladimir Weiss and Kyle Bartley and decisions still have to be taken on David Healyââ?¬â?¢s future and also Weirââ?¬â?¢s. Broadfoot knows that last seasonââ?¬â?¢s Co-op Insurance Cup and SPL winners need to bolster their squad as Celtic will come back stronger ââ?¬â?? looking to steal their crown. The versatile defender said: ââ?¬Å?There is no doubt the manager needs the financial backing to add to his squad. ââ?¬Å?The new owner has said that will happen and I am sure it will. ââ?¬Å?We definitely need to add a few new faces to our squad. ââ?¬Å?We were a bit short last season and also a couple of new faces also helps to give the whole place a lift.ââ?¬Â The former St Mirren star also canââ?¬â?¢t wait to get started under McCoist, having been forced to write off the business end of last season. Broadfoot said: ââ?¬Å?It was just a nightmare last season. ââ?¬Å?I hurt my ankle back in September and then played on with it until December when I eventually had to go in for an operation. ââ?¬Å?Then everything was fine, I did all my rehabilitation and I ended up fracturing my foot. ââ?¬Å?It was really frustrating ââ?¬â?? you want to play in every game and I missed a lot of football. ââ?¬Å?But hopefully I am now over all my injury problems and I can get an injury-free run. ââ?¬Å?I have been in the gym for the last four weeks just doing strengthening work and making sure that when I do go back for pre-season I am ready to go for the new campaign.ââ?¬Â Read more: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/252817/Kirk-Broadfoot-claims-he-can-fill-Rangers-defensive-gapKirk-Broadfoot-claims-he-can-fill-Rangers-defensive-gap#ixzz1PKiwbJNh

briano Today, 8:23 AM Post #1923 Member Avatar Occasional Substitute Group: Members Favourite all-time player jorge cadette I'd love us to win this title, but conversely if we dont I wont be as upset as i have in the past, The progress thats been made this season has been incredible, to be still in the race on the last day after all that has gone on this season is a phenomenal achievement, if the Huns win it it is TAINTED, and i'll console myself in the knowledge that it will be there last for a long time, God bless you Neil for bringing back the thunder celticchampions Today, 8:26 AM Post #1924 Member Avatar . Group: Snr. Member Was gutted after Inverness. I'm over it now, what will be, will be. If the huns canter it on sunday ICGAF, I'll still be in paradise singing for the bhoys, roll on the Lennon Cup Final. junglebob62 Yesterday, 10:50 PM Post #1901 Member Avatar junglebob62 Group: Members if we win this i dont think i could hold back the tears , for all lenny has gone through this year i :pray: that we can do it for him , id walk out of cp as happy as i was the day we stopped them winning ten Gonga Yesterday, 10:53 PM Post #1902 Member Avatar NIUBI Group: Snr. Member Think this would be the sweetest moment of my Celtic supporting life if we were to win this. In fact, if I had the choice between winning in Seville in 2003, or taking the title tomorrow, I would take the league tomorrow. Whatever the outcome, what a effing man Neil Lennon is. delbhoy88 Yesterday, 11:17 PM Post #1910 Member Avatar Getting noticed in the reserves Group: Members If there is any justice in this world i ( neil lennon ) will be holding the league trophy aloft. caigiebhoys brother Yesterday, 11:25 PM Post #1911 Member Avatar First team training Group: Members I just hope the excitement lasts the whole game on sunday. I dont want us finishing our rendition of YNWA at kick off to hear the huns have just went one up. I think that would kill us all I've had that weird feeling in my gut all week ( maybe visit the doctor) that the huns are going to draw on sunday. I just know that whatever happens, the reception neil lennon will get in the lap of honour will take the roof off KEEP THE FAITH CiaranOG Today, 5:09 AM Post #1918 Member Avatar Hooperman CSC Group: Snr. Member Favourite all-time player Paul McStay Out strikeforce has let us down. Commons isn't too far behind them. If Hooper remained fit it might be different, but Sammy (despite his fantastic performances otherwise) hasn't scored, same regarding Murphy. That has to improve. The Huns have had Miller and Jelavic scoring for fun and we call them anti football? Flawless Yesterday, 9:59 PM Post #1884 Member Avatar Considering retirement Group: Snr. Member They'll piss it on Sunday. And we'll be second again, which is a failure. HaddyBhoy Yesterday, 10:37 PM Post #1893 Member Avatar First team training Group: Members Favourite all-time player Henrik Larsson olivertebilycsc 13 May 2011, 09:01 PM Huns will be sure to get a penalty at some stage. If it any point they are struggling they will be throwing themselves on the deck looking for one. Wailer Yesterday, 6:24 PM Post #1865 Member Avatar Soul Rebel. Group: Snr. Member I'll be happy just to win the cup now. The HUNS bombing campaign has had the effect they wanted it to do. Scum. Flynn Yesterday, 6:31 PM Post #1867 Member Avatar First name on the team-sheet Group: Members Favourite all-time player Willie Wallace Keep believing! Tension and nerves can do funny things to players. If we get our game put to bed by half time, say 2 or 3-0, and the huns are still 0-0 then our chances will improve dramatically. If we are comfortably ahead, and they are either level, or even a goal up with about 5-10 mins to go, then their nerves will be shredded. Remember how we defended deeper and deeper at Fir Park, until it became almost inevitable that Motherwell would score. The same could happen to them. They were rocking under pressure from DU in the second half. Remember 1982, when Aberdeen had to beat Rangers 4-0 and we had to lose to St Mirren at home for the dons to snatch the title? Aberdeen were 4-0 up at HT, we were 0-0, and the tension was almost unbearable. Then, after an hour, George McCluskey scored, and the dam burst. We won 3-0 in the end, but the improbable could have happened! Keep the faith!! If big Marvin Andrews can invoke the Almighty to make it happen, then so can we! olivertebilycsc Yesterday, 9:01 PM Post #1873 Member Avatar First-team starter Group: Members Huns will be sure to get a penalty at some stage. brianlara67 Yesterday, 9:06 PM Post #1876 Member Avatar First name on the team-sheet Group: Members Saw a re-run of the goals on Black Sunday on Sky Sport News. After the first one Butcher is hugging one of his assistants like he'd he just won the SPL/Scottish Cup/Champions League all rolled into one instead of his team scoring an equaliser in a meaningless game for his team. They can't hide it. No way in a million years would he have reacted like that if it were them he'd been playing. TK57 Yesterday, 10:53 AM Post #1801 Member Avatar new season, fresh hope Group: Snr. Member Favourite all-time player Bobby Murdoch Miracles only happen in the bible or in daft movies. The huns will get all the help in the world, even if its in injury time that they need it. Murphy Bhoy Yesterday, 1:24 PM Post #1809 Member Avatar Occasional Substitute Group: Members Favourite all-time player George Best What ever happens on Sunday, I'm proud of this team, it's manager and it's fans. We as a club are not simply measured by the number of trophies, we are worth more than the sum of our parts. We all know, our team plays the best football, and we all know we deserve this title, but Lennon will have more chances to win titles. I'm just glad he's turned us around and we are travelling in the right direction. McCoist will struggle to keep up next season. :grin: AC Pete Yesterday, 2:15 PM Post #1818 Member Avatar Hail Hail Group: Members Favourite all-time player Wullie Faulkner We'll win on Sunday. Support Lenny, the team and the fans. Show we're proud of the performance and we'll be back, in larger numbers and hungrier to take the title home next season. Kilmarnock won't get a point... but then, Utd. weren't going to beat the huns a few weeks ago. I digress. Sunday's about Celtic putting in a performance and the crowd showing appreciation for the bravery of the manager and players' performances (on the whole). Bittersweet Timphony Yesterday, 6:32 AM Post #1781 Member Avatar You did not desert me my brother in arms. Group: Snr. Member Do you think Kenny Shiels will send his team out to try their hardest? He seems to be from the Rangers supporting side of Northern Ireland from what I've read, but it's unclear if he supports them. He's said he likes Lennon in a few recent quotes. paulmck1888 Yesterday, 9:12 AM Post #1790 Member Avatar Celtic first, Celtic last, Celtic overall Group: Snr. Member The Killie manager was on radio this morning making positive noises, talking about winning the game.

Celtic's Neil Lennon has been named Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League manager of the month for April. Lennon's side enjoyed a six-match unbeaten run in April, including back-to-back 4-0 away wins at Aberdeen and Kilmarnock and draw at Rangers. They also enjoyed wins against Hibs, St Mirren and St Johnstone. Celtic's performances have kept the SPL title race alive into the final week of matches with only one point separating them from leaders Rangers. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13344486.stm

Rangers go back to the top of the SPL with hard fought win against St Mirren at Ibrox Stadium. http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=398:rangers-2-1-st-mirren-player-ratings-and-mom-poll&catid=35:analysis&Itemid=67 :nj: for me. Strange game on Saturday. We controlled the game easily enough but never really looked like scoring. We still need more from our midfield and full-backs to help out our attack. Not confident about tomorrow night unless we can change that.

http://www.scotprem.com/content/default.asp?page=s2&newsid=10171