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...........with no insurance and while on his phone. THE 27-year-old defender was spotted by officers on Saracen Street in Glasgow's Possilpark area. RANGERS player Bilel Moshni has been fined more than £400 after he was caught driving with no insurance and while on his phone. The 27-year-old defender was spotted by officers on Saracen Street in Glasgow's Possilpark area. When police did a background check, on October 15, last year it was found that he had no insurance to drive the car. French-born Moshni pled guilty yesterday (mon) at Glasgow's Justice of the Peace Court to driving without insurance and while on is mobile phone. He was fined a total of £405 with 28 days to pay, and handed six penalty points. A plea of not guilty to a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice, by pretending to police that he didn't live in the UK and was visiting the country for a catering course, was accepted by prosecutors. Moshni was not present when the case called at the court but was represented by defence lawyer Martin Black. The court heard that Moshni was seen driving and speaking on a mobile telephone. The car he was caught while carrying out the offences was owned by Kilmarnock Football Club. Mr Black said that Moshni had borrowed the car from Kilmarnock player Ismael Bouzid - who was on trial with Rangers this summer. He said his client thought he was covered to drive the car. Mr Black added: "It was nothing nefarious, it was simply an administrative oversight." Moshni has played for French teams CO Les Ulis, Mende, US Saint-Georges and Sainte-Genevieve Sports. He signed a two-year-deal with Rangers in July last year after a four week trial with the club. Moshni made his debut for Rangers at Ibrox in September last year in a 5-1 win over Arbroath. Last month he was sent off during a match against Derby County for headbutting striker Chris Martin and subsequently given a two match ban from the SFA for the first two competitive fixtures of the season. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/crime/rangers-player-bilel-moshni-fined-4145296?
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With Boyd and Clark working so well together - where will Miller fit in? Will we possibly see a 4-3-3 with Boyd in the middle of a front 3?
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RANGERS have moved to re-sign keeper Lee Robinson – five years after he quit the club. Manager Ally McCoist is in talks to land the 28-year-old, who is a free agent after leaving Raith Rovers at the end of last season. Robinson, who has also had spells at Kilmarnock, Queen of the South and Swedish outfit FK Ostersunds since departing Ibrox in 2009, is mulling over a one-year contract offer to provide cover for first-choice keeper Cammy Bell. Bell will be out for two weeks after fears that he had dislocated his shoulder and needed surgery were allayed. Veteran Steve Simonsen has been deputising but McCoist believes Robinson can eventually push Bell for the No 1 spot. McCoist’s hopes of doing further business this month could hinge on fringe players Sebastien Faure and Arnold Peralta being moved on. http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/501685/EXCLUSIVE-Lee-Robinson-offered-Rangers-return
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(Tom English – The Scotsman 25.11.2012) (Tom English - Twitter 21.08.2014) Its good to know that Tom English has found some sort of journalistic morality of late, however it may present a conflict of interests with his new employer, BBC Scotland. Or does the morality of source over story only apply in certain circumstances ? After all, Tom is now working for an employer who were happy to utilise not just stolen property, but stolen evidence from the Rangers Tax Tribunal, if Lord Nimmo Smith's conclusions are correct. But in his new found morality Tom has excluded himself from the knowledge that Vanguard Bears appear to have successfully cultivated a mole, perhaps within the SFA itself, as previous revelations, including documentary evidence, suggest. And could this latest expose, while perhaps lacking in documentary evidence, be a clear signpost to of a course of unedifying, unprofessional and negligent conduct involving our footballs higher echelons of administration ? Especially when viewed in the context of previous disclosed e-mails and agreements. Nope of course not – nothing to see here – move along please. But should we really be surprised ? After all there seems little excitement in journalistic circles that those in charge of Scottish Football were prepared to find Rangers guilty prior to trial as well as inflict draconian type punishments on a club which had yet to be found guilty. Morality ? Perhaps some of those journalists, and there have been many of late, who remind us of the impoverished state of our game via their daily columns, care to consider if perhaps they have a role to play. After all if the head of our game is more worried about being on time for a dinner date rather than what was probably one of the most critical meetings in the history of our game, is there not something fundamentally wrong ? What is particularly alarming in this whole episode are those gleefully re tweeting Tom English's original tweet. It does not matter that journalists will ignore story over source, it does not matter that it contains allegations of incompetence, of lack of prioritisation, of utter disdain for the game of football in Scotland (ironically affecting their own clubs) – so long as Rangers or Rangers fans get it in the neck - then that makes it okay. But let's not be too harsh on Stewart Regan – I’m told there is a certain restaurant in Leeds which does a succulent lamb to die for. It looks like football in Scotland will be the sacrificial lamb.
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The rumour is that Brighton are in for Wallace and are close to matching our valuation.
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Celtic: Safe-standing proposals not met with approval Celtic are "extremely disappointed" after a proposal to introduce safe-standing failed to receive approval from Glasgow City Council. At a meeting with the Safety Advisory Group, the Scottish champions sought permission to install rail seating. "We do not understand the rationale for today's decision," the club stated. "Spectator-safety at Celtic Park is of paramount importance and we believe the proposals we have made would significantly enhance safety." Glasgow City Council claimed Celtic's plan did not offer enough safety assurances to the group, which includes representatives from the three emergency services. Several Bundesliga clubs use rail seating at their stadiums in Germany. For domestically governed games, the seats are locked in the upright position to allow fans to stand and lean on the rails. Whereas for Uefa governed games, the seats are unlocked to comply with all-seater stadium rules. A council spokesman said: "All agencies represented on the safety advisory group felt that a stewarding plan alone, as proposed by Celtic, was insufficient to ensure spectator safety in the standing area. "It is the view of agencies on the safety advisory group that some form of physical barrier between standing and seating areas is required to ensure that a standing area would be appropriately managed. "However, the group would also have to be satisfied that any such barriers would still allow for the movement of emergency services personnel and spectators in the event of an incident at the stadium." Celtic had hoped to lead the way in the United Kingdom with the creation of new safe-standing areas. The club's statement added: "The club has provided substantial and detailed information in support of this proposal over the past two-and-a-half years and has made every effort to address comprehensively all issues raised by the SAG. "Today's decision has been made despite the club also providing the requested additional information from an independent stadium safety expert, Dr Steve Frosdick. "Surprisingly, we have also today been informed by the Safety Advisory Group, chaired by Glasgow City Council, that this may be a matter for the Scottish Government. "Yet we have previously been told by the Scottish Government that this is a decision which must be taken locally at council level." http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28777621
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I said this elsewhere about entire teams being brought back to defend corner kicks: I can see the time coming when the football authorities will feel inclined to amend the laws of the game regarding every player back at a corner kick. This tactic is designed to clog up the area, limit runs, deny space and minimise goalscoring opportunities, and the outcome is often a series of fouls which may or may not be punished. Officials usually favour the defending team and too often a promising moment in the game fizzles out when a free-kick is awarded. It'll take an extensive trial and error period before the cure is found, but if the football authorities want to make the game better, they really need to guard against coaches and managers who are too often negative and safety-first. The general well-being of the sport comes first and eleven players in the box defending corner kicks is not something that should be tolerated indefinitely. In addition, now that we have a fourth official, I see no reason why the game should be stopped to make substitutions. Players on winning teams who are about to be hooked are often told to go to the either side of the pitch before their number is called, and then they make the long, slow walk to the dugout. Let the fourth official take care of this and let the game flow. Managers know that this is an effective time wasting tactic. That's why they do it. On the same subject, let's draw the line at the 75th or 80th minute regarding substitutions. After this point, no matter what happens, no more substitutions should be allowed. If a player has to go off injured, so be it. We really need to end this business of time-wasting substitutions being made deep into injury time purely to upset the game's rhythm and waste more time.
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Am I alone in wondering where our keeper is? When did you last see Cammy Bell come out and make clean catch? What does our £180k p.a goalkeeping coach think ? I think teams now realise this and deliberately try to put the ball into our six yard box knowing he won't get it
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REPUBLIC of Ireland and Celtic striker Anthony Stokes has been sent forward for trial accused of head-butting a man in a Dublin nightclub. The striker has been charged with assaulting Ballyfermot Elvis impersonator Anthony Bradley, 42, during an alleged row about a spilled drink, at Buck Whaley's, on Leeson Street, on June 8 last year. Today, at Dublin District Court a book of evidence was served on him by arresting Garda Noel Gibbons. Judge Michael Walsh told the footballer that he was now being returned for trial to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court where he is to face his next hearing on October 10 next. He has not yet entered a plea. Stokes, dressed in grey suit and white shirt, was also given the standard warning that if he intended to rely on an alibi in his defence he must, “furnish the particulars to the prosecution within 14 days”. The Celtic star, who was accompanied to court by his father John Stokes, nodded and said “yes” when asked if he understood. advertisement The judge also ordered copies of video evidence to be handed over to the defence. The striker's solicitor Michael Staines said that if his client is unable to attend court on the next date he will notify Det Garda Des Rogers of Pearse Street Garda station. Mr Staines also told Judge Walsh that free legal aid was not required. Stokes, 26, who is from Dublin, is charged with assault causing harm to Mr Bradley. The DPP had originally directed “summary disposal” meaning the district court would be a suitable trial venue, however during a preliminary hearing on May 29 last, Judge Conal Gibbons, then presiding, did not agree. A summary of the allegations and medical reports on the complainant's injuries had been furnished leading to his ruling that the case was too serious to be dealt with at district court level which, on conviction, can impose a maximum sentence of 12 months for the alleged offence. This means Stokes, who lives at Bellhaven Terrace, Glasgow, must faces a trial before a judge and jury at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, which has tougher sentencing powers. In an outline of the evidence, Det Garda Des Rogers had told the district court earlier that it was alleged that on June 8, 2013, at Buck Whaley's nightclub, “another unknown individual spilled a drink on the injured party and it is alleged Mr Stokes intervened and head-butted the injured party”. Two medical reports were then handed into court. Refusing jurisdiction Judge Conal Gibbons had said, “I have to say to you that based on these medical reports I do not think it is a minor offence.” The details of the injuries have not been read out in court but Judge Gibbons had said that if they were such as described in the reports, “to my mind this is not a suitable case for the district court”. “This is a court of summary jurisdiction, I'm going to refuse jurisdiction, I do not think it is an appropriate case,” Judge Gibbons had added. The 26-year-old striker had originally met investigating gardai by appointment in Dublin on March 6 last when the charge was put to him after which he “made no reply to caution”. - See more at: http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/celtic-fc-star-anthony-stokes-sent-forward-for-trial-over-alleged-nightclub-attack-30474587.html#sthash.KAJ0PMhh.dpuf
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He lost the vote but I'm surprised that seems to have been the end of it? I don't think much of him but it seems odd he has gone completely quiet. Am I missing something?
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RANGERS Football Club can this afternoon confirm the signing of Marius Zaliukas on a two-year deal. The Lithuanian defender joined Ally McCoist’s squad in Brora last week and during his second trial spell with the club he impressed both in training and in a 45-minute run-out against Brora Rangers at Dudgeon Park. Having successfully completed his medical he will now travel with the League One champions to North America tomorrow. Zaliukas came close to agreeing a deal with the Light Blues last September but after training at Murray Park he moved to Elland Road instead. Prior to that the 30-year-old centre half spent seven years in Edinburgh with the Jambos and captained the club Rangers will face on the opening day of the Championship season at Ibrox. In total he played 220 times for Hearts following his move from FBK Kaunas in his homeland and scored on 14 occasions. Manager Ally McCoist has already added one central defender to his pool this summer with ex-St Mirren stopper Darren McGregor putting pen-to-paper on a one-year contract on June 11. With Kenny Miller and Kris Boyd also returning to Ibrox last month, Zaliukas’ decision to join Rangers is another boost for the manager and the club as the preparations continue for a massive year in Scottish football’s second tier. http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/7183-zaliukas-joins-gers Hopefully an end to Jig at the back, thank goodness. Zaliukas will surely be the No. 1 choice CB with Faure but more likely Mohsni.
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Rumours in Twitter land and elsewhere that case has been dismissed. Any info?
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According to his mum on the radio this am. "His dad played for Hibernian and the whole family are big Hibs fans." Good luck to the young man - we all have our troubles in life. I only mention this because he was touted as either a bear or a jambo. I always thought he was hertz because he talks posh like Gorgie folk, 'ken?
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RANGERS directors were locked in showdown talks in London yesterday as they attempt to stave off more financial chaos. Record Sport can reveal brothers Sandy and James Easdale travelled to meet with representatives of shareholders groups Blue Pitch Holdings and Margarita Holdings before staging further discussions with the rest of the Ibrox regime yesterday afternoon. Talks will continue at 10.30am today at an official board meeting to be held in the offices of the club’s financial advisers, Daniel Stewart. The Easdales flew out of Glasgow yesterday on a morning flight to the docklands’ City Airport. Coincidentally on the same flight were the club’s shamed former finance director Brian Stockbridge and axed PR guru Jack Irvine. Rangers sources insisted last night that Stockbridge’s presence was ‘purely coincidental’ although all four were spotted chatting together in the departure lounge before boarding. On arrival in London, Stockbridge was seen heading for a train while the Easdales left in a taxi cab. But it’s understood the brothers were then involved in talks with the same mysterious investors who helped fund the £5.5million takeover which saw Charles Green, Stockbridge and Imran Ahmad seize control of the club’s assets two years ago. Blue Pitch and Margarita are now supporting the Easdales and sources claimed last night they will be willing to plough more money into a fresh share issue if, as widely expected, the club requires an urgent injection of cash after a dramatic slump in season-ticket sales. It’s understood chief executive Graham Wallace later met with the Easdales after flying back to Britain from a supporters convention in Canada. Wallace declined to answer fans’ questions when asked how many season tickets have been sold. Sources close to the board insisted last month 20,000 fans had renewed. Meanwhile, generous fan George Letham, who stumped up £1m in emergency cash to keep the club out of trouble in February, has still not had his loan repaid. Under the terms of his loan the money was supposed to be returned as soon as sufficient funds had dropped into the club’s account from season-ticket sales. And with June’s wage bill still to be covered at the end of this month, the regime’s need to secure fresh funds seems increasingly urgent. But before jetting back across the Atlantic for yesterday’s London talks, Wallace insisted on the club’s website that Rangers finances are not a cause for alarm. And he insisted fans can expect to see more new signings soon. Meanwhile, it has been revealed accountants and lawyers have raked in a staggering £2m in 12 months as the bill for winding up oldco Rangers continues to soar. The figures have been detailed in the latest six-month report from insolvency experts BDO who were appointed liquidators of the Rangers Football Club PLC after it failed to emerge from administration following Craig Whyte’s ruinous 10-month reign. And the unfathomable strategy adopted by Whyte is further highlighted by the fact almost half of this latest bill has been covered by the final instalment of the £4.5m deal which saw Nikica Jelavic sold off to Everton just two weeks before the club was plunged into financial chaos in February 2012. The BDO report, which was completed at the end of last month, reveals a cheque for £975k is expected to arrive from the Goodison Park club ‘shortly after 31 May 2014’. But that won’t come close to covering the spiralling costs – as BDO gear up for a potential multi-million pound courtroom battle with Collyer Bristow, the law firm who advised Whyte during his takeover in 2011. In total, more than £1m has been spent on legal fees and outlays with more than £650k of it going to solicitors Stephenson Harwood, who are preparing the case against Collyer Bristow. The report says a trial date is ‘currently set for the beginning of 2015’ but it is anticipated a deal could be negotiated and an out of court settlement agreed. BDO are also carrying out a probe into the conduct of administrators Duff and Phelps, who sold the club’s assets to Green for a knockdown £5.5m. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-directors-hold-showdown-talks-3668192
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Revealed: Lawyers and accountants rake in £2m in one year....
ian1964 posted a topic in Rangers Chat
.....as bill for winding up oldco Rangers continues to soar. Jun 09, 2014 12:26 By Keith Jackson THE staggering figures are revealed in the latest six month report from insolvency experts BDO - which shows more than £1m has been spent on legal fees and outlays ACCOUNTANTS and lawyers have raked in a staggering £2m in 12 months as the bill for winding up oldco Rangers continues to soar. The mind blowing figures have been detailed in the latest six month report from insolvency experts BDO who were appointed as liquidators of the Rangers Football Club PLC after it failed to emerge from administration following Craig Whyte’s ruinous 10 month reign. And the unfathomable strategy adopted by Whyte is further highlighted by the fact that almost half of this latest £2m bill has been covered by the final instalment of the £4.5m deal which saw Nikica Jelavic sold off to Everton just two weeks before the club was plunged into financial chaos in February 2012. The BDO report, which was completed at the end of last month, reveals that a cheque for £975k is expected to arrive from the Goodison Park club ‘shortly after 31 May 2014’. But that windfall won’t come close to covering th.e spiraling costs of the on-going liquidation process - as BDO gear up for a potential multi-million pound courtroom battle with Collyer Bristow, the law firm who advised Whyte during his takeover in 2011. In total, more than £1m has been spent on legal fees and outlays with more than £650,000 of it going to solicitors Stephenson Harwood, who are preparing the case against Collyer Bristow. The report says that a trial date is ‘currently set for the beginning of 2015’ but it is anticipated that a deal could be negotiated and an out of court settlement agreed. BDO are also carrying out a probe into the conduct of administrators Duff and Phelps, who sold the club’s assets to Charles Green for a knock-down £5.5m. But the report stresses: “Due to the highly sensitive nature of certain aspects of these investigations, we consider that it is not appropriate to provide full details in respect of our investigations to date,”. BDO reveal that the creditors pot has been boosted by a payment of £75k ‘in relation to the transfer of Charlie Adam’. But, while they are attempting to claw together as much cash as possible for those who suffered from the Rangers collapse, their own running total for remuneration stands at more than £1m which, the report says, has already been drawn down. BDO expect more money to trickle into the account through from a sell-on clause triggered by Jelavic’s January move from Everton to Hull City, possibly as much £187,500 so long as the Croat helps keep his new club in the Premiership next season. But one creditor who has received this latest update from BDO told Record Sport last night: “The fact that Everton still owe almost £1m from the initial Jalvic deal defies belief. It’s good new for the creditors but it makes you wonder what on earth Whyte was thinking about when he did that deal, just a fortnight before placing the club in administration. “He sold the club’s best player for a snip and yet he didn’t even demand that the money was paid up front. It’s incredible as, for that matter, are the sums of money involved in this on-going process. The collapse of Rangers has made an awful lot of money for an awful lot of people.” But another source said: "BDO are doing a highly professional job in going after as much money as possible for the creditors. The fact they are ploughing so much into the legal cases is an indication of where this thing is headed. "There should be a lot of very worried people out there because BDO are going after them like a dog at a bone." BDO admit, two years into the process, there is no sign of it coming to a conclusion any time soon. Not only is the court action against Collyer Bristow still to be settled but an ongoing dispute with HMRC over the club’s use of the controversial EBT scheme also continues to rumble on. The report says: “If HMRC are successful in the appeal their potential claim in the liquidation could be significant and have a material impact upon any dividend that may ultimately be payable to unsecured creditors,”. And it ends: “Due to the significant issues to be resolved in the liquidation, the joint liquidators do not expect to be in a position to bring this case to a conclusion for some considerable time. Further reports will be circulated to creditors within six weeks of each six month anniversary of the date of liquidation.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/revealed-accountants-lawyers-rake-2m-3665381 -
SEVEN members of the Green Brigade are to stand trial later this year for allegedly singing a song in support of the IRA. Paul Duke, 37, Ross Gallagher, 29, Christopher Bateman, 28, David Gallacher, 22, Sean Cowden, 21, Kieran Duffy, 19 and Greg Robertson, 28, are charged with the offence. The seven men are alleged to have behaved in a way that “is likely or would be likely to incite public disorder” by singing a song - the Roll of Honour - in support of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) at Celtic Park. All of the men maintained their pleas of not guilty when they appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Wednesday for a pre-trial hearing and the trial was adjourned until November. Duke and Gallagher, from East Kilbride, Bateman, from Irvine, Gallacher, from Glasgow, Cowden from Rutherglen and Duffy from Coatbridge, are accused of singing the song at the champions league qualifier match at a Celtic against Elfsborg match on July 31. Gallagher, Bateman and Robertson, from Glasgow, are accused of singing the song on August 3, at the first game of the season against Ross County. Robertson faces a further charge, with Gallacher, of singing at a home game on August 24 against Inverness Caledonian Thistle. http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland/top-stories/green-brigade-members-face-trial-over-ira-song-1-3425725?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed#.U4YbYHbl5sg.twitter
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Talksport programme with big Eck is now available to download. References to Rangers are probably through-out, certainly some at the start (best moment type thing) but the main segment on us kicks in some 62 minutes in https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/my-sporting-life/id777692680 You need to install/have installed itunes as far as I can see
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Have scanned with Malwarebytes recently and every time this BadProxy so and so comes up. It seems to be a virus, but so far it hasn't done much damage. Is there any tool that can remove it, or has it to be done manually ?
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Seems that the bros or one of them are suing for £200K. In tomorrow's Record.
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/scotland/10831983/Scotland-Under-17-coach-Scot-Gemmill-targets-success-as-he-looks-to-escape-from-shadow-of-father-Archie.html By Henry Winter, Football Correspondent 7:36PM BST 14 May 2014 Scot Gemmill is making a name for himself as one of the most promising young coaches around. He is currently the talk of the Uefa Under-17 Championships in Malta after his Scotland team overcame Germany on Monday. Gemmill’s team play Switzerland at Hibernians in Paola on Thursday and could face England in the semi-finals. The 43-year-old is thoughtful, self-deprecating yet ambitious, willingly admitting “I want to win the Champions League”, and is partly driven to make a name for himself as a coach and manager after finding it difficult to live up to the playing pedigree of his father. Most famously, Archie Gemmill dribbled through Holland’s defence to score an iconic Scotland goal in the 1978 World Cup. He also won two titles with Derby County and the league and European Cup at Nottingham Forest. His son enjoyed a decent career, playing mainly for Forest and Everton and for Scotland on 26 occasions. There was particular frustration at sitting on the bench at France 98. This was the World Cup, the stage his father graced. “I grew up idolising my dad, captain of Scotland," said Gemmill. “I wanted to play in the World Cup so badly. Naively, I thought I could play a part and something special could happen. “I never got that opportunity. To be so close to such an occasion and not quite make it was a massive disappointment, even more now looking back. The frustration hasn’t eased. It wasn’t only the Brazil game. I didn’t kick a ball in the whole tournament. I also went to Euro 96 and didn’t kick a ball. “I didn’t quite to get to play the level I wanted. I only scored five goals for Everton. In my first season for Forest, I scored 14 goals from central midfield. Roy Keane scored 15. It was all downhill for me after that! I don’t reflect on my career as successful. That really drives me on to be successful as a coach. “My father was so successful that I judge myself against him but I was never the star player, never the fans’ favourite. I lived a completely normal life even though I was a Premiership footballer. I could walk down the street completely unrecognised. “People ask me what’s it’s like to have a famous father? I don’t know what it’s like not to have a famous father. It’s completely normal to me to have a famous father. But I know it’s affected me. It’s influenced the way I behave as a coach and how I am as a person. It’s all connected to him.’’ So he relishes this chance with Scotland Under-17s. “This particular group at the Euro finals have a defiance and resilience. It’s something that my father tried week after week to ingrain in me, playing as if your life depends on it, playing with that edge. That’s something I try to convey to the players. The players who do end up successful are those for whom discipline and commitment are non-negotiable.’’ Along with the wise counsel of his father, Gemmill has had major influences that have shaped his nascent success as a manager. “Mr Clough had this X factor. Martin O’Neill nailed it when he said you wanted to please him. The top coaches today, Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho, have a similar influence on their players. Their players are convinced those guys can improve them. Those players go out completely inspired and motivated just as Clough’s players did. “At Forest, there was no real coaching but the message was clear in regards of keeping the ball. Most of Clough’s team-talks involved a towel in the middle of the dressing-room floor with the ball on it, the referee banging on the door, demanding the teams go into the tunnel but nobody was allowed to move or speak until Clough said ‘get the ball and when we get it, we keep it and pass it to ‘our Nige’. “At the end of the game, Clough would normally be on his knees, offering to untie Keane’s boots for him, because he idolised Keane. I stole a line that Clough use to say to Keane. I said to one of the young Scotland strikers: ‘run hard on the pitch and if you can’t run any more I’ll come on and carry you off myself’.’’ Basically: give everything. The memory of playing alongside Keane reminds Gemmill of the hunger required for the younger players. “I played in the game when Roy came over from Ireland: Scarborough away in a trial game. Roy and I played in midfield. Roy asked to play on the right and I wouldn’t let him. Whenever I bump into him, that’s the first thing he reminds me of! He struggled to get over that one! Even as a young player he was very demanding, very quick to let you know if standards weren’t being reached.’’ After Forest, Gemmill moved to Everton, eventually playing under David Moyes. “He was very intense. He would have ordered your dinner for you back then if he took the team to a restaurant. That’s how intense he was. I felt he was a really good coach but I didn’t think that he had the balance quite right between coaching and management. He had the potential. He showed how good a coach he was but I didn’t feel that he was maximising himself as a manager. “My best friend in football is David Weir, who worked under him (at Everton). David says he (Moyes) has learned, adapted his managerial style because he’d been made aware that he was a little bit too intense, that he needed to give the players a bit more freedom. That intensity helped get him to get where he got to. It was a big part of what he did. It would be interesting to know if he has adapted.’’ Moyes’ failure at Manchester United “would not damage the reputation of Scottish coaches”, Gemmill added. Gemmill did not stroll into management. “If you spoke to me the year I stopped playing in 2007, I would have said 100 per cent that I’ll not miss football. I was wrong. It’s as big a part of my life as my family are. I needed it way more than I thought. I am here because I want to win the Champions League. “If you spoke to anyone about Scot Gemmill they’ll say ‘he’s too nice a guy to be a top manager, not nasty enough.’ I don’t agree with them but I understand how I’m perceived. My old team-mates would question whether I had the potential to be a top manager or top coach.’’ He gained inspiration by reading “The Chimp Paradox” by Dr Steve Peters, the sports psychiatrist. “The book helped me understand that it’s OK to be uncommon, that I’m not a weirdo. I just needed authority. I need authority to be able influence players. It helped me understand how my brain works. It helps you get to the next level.” His journey to the next level began in Barcelona where he’d moved with his wife Ruth. “Her patience and understanding of my ambition and career are incredible. She will go anywhere with me. It helps that Barcelona is a beautiful place to live. We rented an apartment and every day I’d catch the tram to the Barcelona training ground and watch the youth team and the B team. I looked over the fence and watched Oscar Garcia (recently of Brighton & Hove Albion) taking the sessions, standing at the side of training. “Ramon Planes was sporting director of Espanol. I guessed his email address, emailed him and the next day he invited me in. I went to do my Pro-licence at Espanol with Mauricio Pochettino. I was living in Barcelona when Pochettino became Southampton manager. The first thing he did was take Southampton to Barcelona, and they trained at the Olympic stadium two times a day for five days. I was in that stadium every day watching those sessions. “I knew they would be crucial sessions where the new manager was trying to get his ideas across, and show his team how he wanted them to play, playing out from the back. I sneaked into that twice a day to see. It reassured me for my own development that he wasn’t doing anything I wouldn’t do. That gave me the confidence to kick on.’’ Scotland’s Under-17s have responded strongly to Gemmill. “I’ve tried consciously not to refer to my playing career in team-talks or individual meetings with the players. I don’t want them to see me as an ex-player. I want them to see me as a coach who can help them improve. “A playing career has less than five per cent relevance to management. It gives you an initial foot in the door with the players but you can lose that respect. Players are street-wise. Players today are willing to question you. If I think back to my era, I’d never have questioned a coach’s ideas and philosophy. The players nowadays have questions and you need to know the answers. They will challenge your authority.’’ A fascinating mixture of the diffident and confident, Scotland’s Under-17s coach wants to climb high. “In 10 years’ time I see myself winning the Champions League. It’s embarrassing possibly to say that publicly. It’s time for me to go public with that. That’s what I’m trying to achieve. I understand the chances of it are very, very slim but that’s the plan. At some point I am going to have to try and convince a club chairman to give me an opportunity.’’ He’s also coaching an even younger age-group, his three-year-old son Magnus. “I encourage him every day, every chance we get we are playing football. One of the few people he recognises on TV is Messi. He is completely immersed in it already. Even though I am conscious of how slim the chances of him being a top footballer are, it comes down to pure love of the game.” Like grandfather, like father, like son.
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....... with a pro-IRA singer at a republican pub in Belfast STOKES, fined by Celtic over a similar incident in 2012, appeared at the 'Rebel Sunday' event at a pub on the Falls Road in Belfast. CELTIC striker Anthony Stokes has been caught on stage with a pro-IRA singer at a republican pub in Belfast. Stokes, 25, who has already been warned by boss Neil Lennon over his conduct, was pictured at a notorious bar on the Falls Road with his arm around musician Alan Quinn. A picture taken at the Rock Bar shows a smiling Stokes at the microphone with Quinn, who faces trial over video footage of him leading a crowd in IRA chants last year. Dublin-born Stokes was carpeted by Celtic in 2012 after he attended a memorial for m murdered Real IRA chief Alan Ryan. He was fined, told by Lennon that he had damaged the club’s name and was urged to stay away from similar events. And his appearance at the Rebel Sunday night held by the bar every week is sure to incense the club. A Celtic source said: “A lot of people at the club will be infuriated Stokes has disregarded the manager’s advice and turned up at an event like this. “Why has a Celtic player turned up in Belfast – on the Falls Road of all places – at an event called Rebel Sunday and gone up on stage?” Stokes visited the Rock Bar on April 6, a day after scoring Celtic’s second goal in a 2-0 win over Dundee United. On stage with the footballer and 48-year-old Quinn, from Glasgow, was singer Gerry Og McConnell, whose repertoire includes songs such as Provo’s Lullaby. Two nights earlier, the bar had hosted notorious singer Brendan “Bik” McFarlane, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1976 for murdering five people in a pub bombing. Quinn has been charged with breach of the peace over an incident in the Foggy Dew bar in Gallowgate, Glasgow, last April – just after the death of Margaret Thatcher. Footage of him conducting a pro-IRA chant appeared on YouTube within hours of Thatcher’s death. No date has been set for his trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court. Quinn – whose band are called Shebeen and whose songs include The IRA Will Set Them Free – was so happy with the gig at which Stokes came on stage he tweeted about it. He wrote: ”Absolutely fantastic. Great fun too. Thanks for everything.” Celtic last night declined to comment. There was no answer at Quinn’s home in Glasgow’s east end. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/incoming/celtic-star-anthony-stokes-caught-3480659
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Taken from FF The RFFF voted today that in the event of litigation against Craig Houston, arising from content on the Sons Of Struth Facebook page, a proposal to provide financial support will be taken to a general meeting of fans.
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MARCH 25, 2014 UNION OF FANS STATEMENT 25TH MARCH 2014 by Union of Fans The Union of Fans (UoF) is delighted that Dave King has publicly stated his impressive plans for Rangers via a number of newspaper interviews. His vision for the club is extremely welcome as is the personal financial commitment he is willing to make. Like all Rangers fans, Dave King and UoF want to see the club back operating to high standards on and off the pitch and in the boardroom. We firmly believe that the involvement of Dave King is the best chance of those standards being attained in the short, medium and long term. It was clear from our discussions with him last week that the £30m+ Mr King is willing to invest is crucial to take the club back to a competitive level and improve the infrastructure and facilities. The club has been neglected, that cannot continue. Only once this investment has been made will Rangers be able to live within its means, something we all want for the longer term future. Until then Dave King has made it clear he will do what is necessary to get Rangers back to where we belong and where we can be self-sustainable. It is also important that Dave King chose to make his views public to the widest possible range of Rangers supporters by conducting interviews with four different newspapers with a combined readership of over 2M people. There can no longer be any criticism of him only speaking privately to supporters groups, though he has pledged to continue that important dialogue in order that the Union of Fans can keep people updated on events. We would now ask the board to indicate publicly, as a matter of urgency, whether they are prepared to accept Dave King’s offer of massive investment. The ball is firmly with the Rangers PLC board, in particular with Chief Executive Officer, Graham Wallace and Chairman, David Somers. Dave King has put a figure on what Rangers need and has shown his commitment to, and ambition for, the club he has supported all his life. Do Mr Wallace and Mr Somers agree with his figures and if they do, how do they propose to raise this large sum of money without Dave King? These are extremely serious corporate matters, therefore they are matters for the PLC board and not for any small, minority shareholder who is not a member of that board and who has no such high level corporate experience. The corporate reputations of Mr Wallace and Mr Somers now rest on their next move. We also note with dismay that Rangers director Sandy Easdale is continuing to pursue what we consider to be a confrontational and frivolous course of legal action against Sons of Struth. We would ask him to remember what it means to be a Rangers director and act accordingly if he wishes to enjoy the privileges of that position.