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  1. Keith Jackson on Twitter "Rangers new Nomad i understand will be WH Ireland." PLC website http://wh-ireland.co.uk/wh-ireland ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Green and Whyte Leach Ireland Someone somewhere is taking the p**h If you don't laugh, you'd cry......
  2. Reading on Twitter and other forum that a 9th minute anti Ally protest has been planned. Lots of discussion for and aginst, what I can't find is who is organising it? Any ideas or is it a non event?
  3. http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/299-an-open-letter-to-ally-mccoist Also available in the print edition of the Scottish Daily Mail (5/12/2014)
  4. Ok, so it's silly season again! Post the latest transfer rumours in here please! OUT: Emilson Cribari - Out of contract. Andy Little - Out of contract. Signed for English League One side Preston North End. Chris Hegarty - Contract terminated by mutual consent - signed immediately for Linfield. Charlie Telfer - Contract extension rejected - signed immediately for Dundee Utd. Ross Perry - Contract terminated by mutual consent. Scott Gallacher - Contract terminated by mutual consent - signed for Hearts. IN: Kenny Miller - signed 1 year deal (with optional 1 year extension) on 4 June 2014. Darren McGregor - signed 1 year deal (with optional 1 year extension) on 11 June 2014. Kris Boyd - signed 1 year deal on 27 June 2014. Marius Zaliukas - signed 2 year deal on 11 July 2014 Lee Robinson - signed 1 year deal on 25 August 2014
  5. Noticed this amusing quote in the article by Michael Ballie earlier: Do elaborate Ally .
  6. ... from trolls on social media, says Ally McCoist. Ally McCoist has taken criticism throughout his career and says his five sons help him forget about the flak coming his way and protect him from online trolls. By day, Ally McCoist has to deal with a Rangers squad under fire. At night, he has his very own 
five-a-side team to look after in the shape of his sons, Alexander, Argyll, Mitchell, Arran and Harris. In the wake of fierce criticism, the Ibrox boss finds solitude at home. Sure, McCoist will still mull over 
decisions he has made or his team’s poor results – like last week’s 2-0 defeat to Hearts – but he admits time spent with his boys is the best way to escape any flak that might come his way. He refuses point-blank to engage with social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter – and doesn’t pay any attention to radio phone-ins. But he’s well aware of how difficult it might be for those closest to him to ignore it. In fact, McCoist joked that his kids are now shielding HIM from the critics, rather than the other way around. The Gers gaffer knows he’s under 
pressure but insists he’s used to it and is convinced that even his children 
have adopted the kind of thick skin 
he has needed at times during his 22-year association with the club. After the damaging Championship loss at Tynecastle , his side now face Kilmarnock today in the Scottish Cup where another negative result will prompt another barrage of criticism. McCoist said: “How do I cope? I’m fine, it’s just the disappointment, more than anything. The 
disappointment of losing a game is worse than the criticism after it because you know that’s 
coming. It’s part and parcel of the job here, I accept it. “Defeats are harder to take. I’ve been involved at this club for well over 20 years and I know as well as anybody that when things go well you get a pat on the back. “When they don’t, you get 
criticised. It’s just about getting the balance right and trying to treat the two the same. “I’m very lucky having five boys and, particularly the younger ones, they tend to have other things on their mind apart from dad’s football. “That’s a fantastic bonus. Of course, I’ll be 
sitting watching TV and things will flash through my mind about free-kicks or I’ll think, ‘How did we lose that?’ “I’m no different to any other coach or manager in that respect. “But I’m fortunate to have five boys because they keep my feet on the ground and make me realise that while work is absolutely important and I do my best at it, there are other things as well. “Do I have to shield the boys? The younger ones are fine. With the older ones, it’s harder – they’re big boys and there’s all the social media stuff. “I try but it doesn’t work! They used to tell me when something bad was said about me – but they’ve gone the other way. I think they protect me now! “I do worry about the older kids because they have feelings too but they’re big enough and sensible enough so I’m lucky. And yes, they have a thick skin. That’s a McCoist trait and it will be on all our epitaphs.” Rangers are nine points behind Hearts in the Championship table and some of their performances this season simply haven’t been good enough. McCoist’s players were slated last week by ex-Ibrox hero John Brown but, having gone through tough spells as a Gers player, the gaffer expects them to be man enough to handle it. He said: “They have to brush it 
off. There is one thing guaranteed at Rangers – you’ll get criticised. “So they have to handle it, they have to have broad shoulders. The proof of the pudding is that we went through the whole of last season undefeated in the league – and still got criticism. “So you’re guaranteed to get it after a 2-0 defeat to Hearts. Nobody likes it but it’s part of football. “There has been a lot of flak flying about but if you can’t deal with it, you’re in the wrong profession. “When I got it as a player, it was the best thing to happen to me, in terms of being able to deal with stick. No matter what happens, I don’t think I’ll get it as bad as that. “I’ve grown up to understand that it goes with the territory at Rangers. It’s still not pleasant – but it’s not about me. “It’s about the team getting back to the top, that’s the bigger picture. If the players and me have to take a little criticism, or even a big bit, along the way so be it. We can’t take our eyes off the task of getting the club back to where it belongs.” To do that they will have to hope that Hearts drop points in the Championship and Rangers go on a long winning run. McCoist believes his team can do it but confessed that, post-administration, the Tynecastle club are in better shape off the pitch than the Ibrox outfit. He said: “With Hearts, they seem to have come out of admin, had Ann Budge buy it and – bang – the whole thing has moved on. That hasn’t been the case with us. I don’t know where that leaves us. “But I wouldn’t make comparisons between us and Hearts, that would be unfair. They went into administration and dropped a division. We suffered that and liquidation, went all the way down and lost all our players. “So there are big differences. I do accept that Hearts seem to be in a very good place at this moment in time and good luck to them.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/kids-keep-sane-protect-trolls-4722012
  7. Newcastle and Rangers will not be able to play in Europe together next season because Uefa have confirmed Newcastle United and Rangers will not be allowed to play in Europe together, even if they qualify for different competitions, because of Mike Ashley’s involvement in the running of both clubs. Ashley’s seizure of power at Ibrox means Newcastle may never play in Europe again while he remains the club’s owner, a depressing prospect for supporters who believe the team should be challenging for European qualification every year. Although Ashley responded to a story by Telegraph Sport back in September, that revealed he wanted to take control of Rangers, with a statement denying he intended to sell Newcastle, the billionaire has got himself into a tricky situation by expanding his football interests north of the border. Ashley insisted he will not sell Newcastle for “any price” until the end of next season, which is also, unless they win the Scottish Cup this season, the earliest Rangers can qualify for Europe again. Given Ashley has repeatedly failed to find a buyer for Newcastle, though, it is far from certain he will be able to sever ties at St James’ Park. It is understood Ashley misjudged Uefa’s strict rules ensuring the integrity of their competitions. Although he only holds around nine per cent of Rangers shares, he has appointed his own people, including former Newcastle managing director Derek Llambias, to the Rangers board in return for financial assistance. Uefa have told Telegraph Sport that means Ashley has enough power in the Rangers boardroom to ensure they cannot be allowed to play in Europe at the same time as Newcastle. Should one team qualify for the Champions League, the other would be prevented from playing in the Europa League as they could meet in the knockout phase of the competition. If both teams qualify for the same competition, the one with the higher Uefa co-efficient ranking would be allowed to enter at the expense of the other. As things stand, Newcastle are ranked 65 and Rangers are down at 101. In the short term, it is Rangers who will suffer as they have the lower ranking. In the long term, Rangers have a far greater chance of playing in the Champions League than Newcastle, which would mean the Magpies would not be allowed to compete in the Europa League, even if they won a domestic cup competition or finished fifth or sixth in the Premier League. Newcastle are currently fifth in the Premier League following six successive victories by Alan Pardew’s side and a top-six finish would secure them a place in the Europa League for next season. It could be the last time they play in Europe until Ashley finds a buyer. Given Ashley’s interest in Rangers was largely sparked by the possibility he could, with a relatively small investment, gain access to the Champions League and increase the European exposure for his Sports Direct Retail chain, it means Newcastle face an uncertain future. The billionaire has already been widely accused of paralysing Newcastle with his lack of ambition. Most supporters believe he is only interested in keeping the club in the Premier League in order to access the television money it brings, rather than challenge for silverware. The idea that Newcastle will also be denied access to European competitions once Rangers have regained their former status in Scotland will incense many on Tyneside. Both Rangers and Newcastle responded with a “no comment” when asked by Telegraph Sport for a reaction to Uefa’s stance. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...ke-Ashley.html
  8. STEVEN NAISMITH reckons Rangers fans have been treated 'appallingly' as they have been put through the wringer in recent years. The Light Blue legions have had to contend with a mixture of emotions as their club has fallen from grace, but they have backed Ally McCoist's side in huge numbers throughout their recovery from financial meltdown. Naismith joined the likes of Steven Whittaker, Allan McGregor and Kyle Lafferty in quitting Ibrox two years ago. He has never been forgiven by many supporters for his controversial Ibrox departure. But the Scotland star still has sympathy with the plight of his former club as they look to complete the last stage of their journey back to Scotland's top tier this term. Naismith said: "Looking back, I would definitely have done some things differently. None of us wanted to leave that way. It wasn't nice at all. We did all we could. "It wasn't deferred wages (we had). It was wage cuts, in the hope that we came out of administration and could move on. It didn't happen. "It got to the point where there was not much else the players could do. "People would have liked us to have stayed and transferred over, but it wasn't just as easy as doing that. "In years to come people will understand it a bit more and understand it from the players' point of view a bit more. "The fans always have their opinion and they are right to because they pay good money to come and watch. They are the backbone, especially of a club like Rangers. "Over the last two or three years they have been treated appallingly. "For everyone's sake, hopefully it gets better and they can get back in the division they deserve to be in challenging for trophies." It is almost three years since financial problems hit home at Ibrox during Craig Whyte's disastrous reign, but Rangers remain in the money mire. Cash problems continue to hold the club back and 10 members of staff were last week made redundant as huge losses look to be stemmed once again. Fans are still furious at the state the Light Blues are in and have launched a series of attacks against the under-fire board as attendances have plummeted this term. And Naismith is upset at the devastating series of events at his boyhood heroes. He said: "It is disappointing and sad because it is the club I grew up supporting. I had some of my best memories in football there, but a situation arose that was out of everybody's hands. "I think the fans and the good people at the club are still suffering. I hope they will come out of this situation they are in soon. "It was a horrible decision for everyone involved to make. The biggest thing for us, as players, was that no-one was made redundant and we did that part of it. Over time, I am sure the truth will come out." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/naismith-rangers-fans-have-been-treated-appallingly-189852n.25960234
  9. Whilst woes are patiently queuing to take their turn to overwhelm our club, I thought I would provide my fellow Gersnetters with an observational distraction. BBC Scotland has spent the last year expressing faux concern for the stability of Bears. Often, the usual suspects' conclusion to the latest disaster to befall Rangers is to exclaim, "whatever must the Rangers supporters be thinking"? The perturbed and distressed then proceed to tell us what we are thinking. I am sure there will be a psychological term for such behaviour, 'false empathy syndrome' maybe ; I prefer to think they are ripping the piss. On Saturday evening, after shooting ourselves in both feet and head at Tynecastle, highlighting our ill discipline was not enough. Cosgrove and Cowan were hosting the phone-in and three, four Bears availed themselves of the given opportunity and told the listenership 'what' they were thinking.. One Bear took the conspiracy theory bait, the referee, Craig Thomson is a well known Hearts supporter and everybody knew Rangers would suffer both a red card and a penalty. Cosgrove guffawed and hit back with the ref' over compensating, "he should have red carded three Rangers players". I continued to drive home and was lost in thought about the game, three thirty-something players lost the plot, the bizarre team selection, and irrational substitutions was what I was thinking. Interrupting my chain of thought was Cosgrove announcing the next caller, Gordon the Jambo from Glasgow. Possessing a rather gruff, exaggerated Edinburgh accent, Gordon from Glasgow told of attending the game and already returned was currently watching Queen of the South/Falkirk on BBC Alba. Gordon was anxious to confirm, "the agricultural nature of the team from Ibrox", and, "the brutality on display". The stench of upcoming triumphalism was overpowering. Cosgrove agreed it had been a week of agricultural football and asked Gordon the Jambo for his opinion on the worst example? Gordon hesitated, but offered, "the sight of Eckersley being stretchered round the track was a black mark in Sevco's book". Obviously, Hearts were not Gordon's strong suit, I am positive it was McHattie being carted. Warming to the theme and reading from the same script, big Stu' prompted, "any good chants today, you know wind-ups"? Gordon obliged by singing, "you let your club die, Glasgow Rangers you let your club die". Jum, Big Stu', Tom, Rheinhart, ..... et al can no longer directly crank the snigger-meter, but evoking the medium of proxy tells us what they are continually thinking. As if we didn't know. One question, what was the name of the BBC Scotland Producer that played the part of Gordon the Jambo?
  10. ...after bust-up with Rangers boss. GORDON claimed he wasn’t offered a contract by Gers in the summer – only for McCoist to insist he was given the option of signing. CELTIC keeper Craig Gordon has told Ally McCoist there will be no clear-the-air talks after his bust-up with the Rangers boss. Gordon claimed he wasn’t offered a contract by Gers in the summer – only for McCoist to insist he was given the option of signing. He also claimed Gordon hadn’t bothered calling him back but the Hoops No.1 said: “There’s plenty of things that could come out but won’t. “If he wants to say anything more it’s up to him. But I’m done with it.” Spending two years on the sidelines fearing for his career has given Gordon a great sense of perspective. So it’s not too surprising that a spat with McCoist has left the Celtic keeper unruffled. The 31-year-old spent a long time in the wilderness following his release by Sunderland in 2012, fighting for fitness as a knee injury continued to plague him. Celtic eventually handed Gordon a route back into the game this summer and he has rediscovered the kind of form that made him Scotland’s undisputed No.1. But he trained with Old Firm rivals Rangers before pitching up at Parkhead, although Gordon claims he wasn’t offered a contract by the Ibrox club. That was disputed last week by Gers gaffer McCoist. The fact Celtic then landed Rangers in the draw for the League Cup semi-final added even more spice to the row. But Gordon has already drawn a line under the matter and won’t give McCoist a call to clear the air before that cup clash early next year. He said: “I don’t want to get into a war of words. It’s his prerogative to say what he wants. “Those things should have stayed between us. If he wants to make those make comments that’s entirely up to him. “I know exactly what happened and I’m comfortable with everything that has gone on. “It’s up to him, it makes no difference to me. “I haven’t spoken to him. I don’t know if he wants a phone call or not but now we’ve been paired together in the League Cup, it’s probably unlikely. If he wants to say anything more, it’s up to him. “But it won’t be coming from me. I’m done with it.” Gordon has more important things to worry about and hopes his injury problems are now over after becoming a Hoops regular. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/celtic-keeper-craig-gordon-says-4596752?
  11. I don't use twitter but facebook in particular is hard going. It's not just the fact that the views are so ignorant and misguided (eg one of the main pages has everyone discussing who will be signed with Ashley's 10m ), but the level of intelligence seems very low. People write in illegible English and generally do not represent our support well. Does this say something about our support or is it the platform? There's not a single person here who is incapable of conversing in legible English but on our fan facebook pages you are hard pushed to find anyone making well constructed arguments.
  12. Some words on recent events from yours truly via TRS: http://www.therangersstandard.co.uk/index.php/articles/current-affairs/330-the-fog-on-the-clyde
  13. Just curious as it appears Ashley can only own 10% and does so by just under this, yet he seems to have the power to vote in the way which only benefits him. Thus being Easdale and the "26%". Is it possible Ashley is in someway involved with a Laxey/BPH/Maragrita etc? They all have links to CG.
  14. DARREN McGREGOR has revealed he’s on course for an automatic contract extension after a solid start to his Rangers career. The defender signed a one-year deal with the club in the summer having left St Mirren at the end of his deal there. Ally McCoist had been a huge admirer of the stopper for some time but he was given only 12 months at Ibrox initially because of his injury history. McGregor suffered two cruciate knee ligament injuries during his four-year stay in Paisley but was fit enough to play 38 times for the Buddies last term. When he switched to the Light Blues, he had it written into his terms that he’d earn a second campaign with the club if he was fit enough for at least half of the games in 2014/15. Given he has been both available and involved in all of the 15 fixtures Gers have had to date, the 29-year-old is on track at this stage. McGregor said: “I think what a lot of people don’t know is I’ll get an extension if I’m available for 50 per cent of the first season. “Just because of the injuries I’ve had, the club has wanted me to be available that often but that’s not necessarily to say I have to play in them. “There is something in place whereby if I’m available, I’ll be here for a second year. Fingers crossed that happens because you can’t complain at working at Murray Park every day. “On the face on it, I just wanted to come in, do well and give the gaffer some food for thought. “To have been involved in every game so far, I’m pinching myself. I’m taking every day and every week as it comes though. “I don’t get too high or too low because it can change in an instant. I just need to focus on motoring on. “Getting a contract with Rangers was great but the hard work just started there. I have to keep showing what I’m all about and try to improve the squad. “Hopefully I’m helping the younger guys out and I’ll continue trying to do that as long as I’m here.” http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/7904-on-course-for-deal-extension
  15. Talking to Rangersitis (nice meeting you btw.) on Saturday afternoon we both debated whether it can be stopped via Sandy Easdale's proxy bloc and Ashley's holdings. Few things: 1. Will it be considered a resolution or just a simple loan authorised by the board? 2. Or will Ashley and Easdale bloc this through their voting rights on special resolutions? 3. By blocking the loan if it is seen as a resolution will concert party rights be triggered 4. By calling the EGM it looks to me as though the voting percentages won't matter here and that's why Ashley's calling the EGM in an effort to prevent the vote going through at a typical board meeting Would any of our more informed Gersnetters like to set us right?
  16. The old man shuffled in the large leather chair, one of those traditional ones designed to encourage good seating posture rather than slouching, pushing his steel rimmed glasses onto his forehead he took what he hoped would be another sip of inspiration from the lukewarm tea on the table, just for a brief moment he thought about undoing his top shirt button and loosening his tie to provide relief from the late afternoon sun beaming through the office window and which was taking its toll – but that would just not do, “standards, standards, standards” he muttered to himself, the presentation was tomorrow and the speech had to be finished, so reaching for his trusty pencil and notepad he collected his thoughts and began scribbling… “I have been lucky — lucky in those who were around me from the boardroom to the dressing-room. In time of stress, their unstinted support, unbroken devotion to our club and calmness in adversity eased the task of making Rangers FC the premier club in this country. To be a Ranger is to sense the sacred trust of upholding all that such a name means in this shrine of football. They must be true in their conception of what the Ibrox tradition seeks from them. No true Ranger has ever failed in the tradition set him.” Our very success, gained you will agree by skill, will draw more people than ever to see it. And that will benefit many more clubs than Rangers. Let the others come after us. We welcome the chase. It is healthy for us. We will never hide from it. Never fear, inevitably we shall have our years of failure, and when they arrive, we must reveal tolerance and sanity. No matter the days of anxiety that come our way, we shall emerge stronger because of the trials to be overcome. That has been the philosophy of the Rangers since the days of the gallant pioneers.” I have spent my whole life in awe of that speech. The utter selflessness at the heart of it, the appreciation and acknowledgement of the work and dedication of others, the dismissal of the importance of the individual and the emphasis and focus on the dedication of others around him merely serve to underline why this man has left such an indelible stamp on our club. It speaks of a football club with a sense of direction, where the people at the very heart of it share not only a common vision but realise the necessity of working together with shared values to deliver that vision. We have fallen, fallen a long way from that sacred trust, taken there by men with little concept of what the Ibrox tradition seeks from them, men whose importance of self, of ego, was the very antithesis of everything Mr Struth stood for. It has opened a revolving door of charlatans, of profiteers, with no interest in preserving the shrine other than seeking to exploit the faithful who still come to worship. In these days of anxiety, amidst the clamour of boardroom battles, of money men and PR gurus, of percentage shareholdings and damaging headlines, one group, to the exclusion of all others, has sought to uphold that sacred trust and remain true to the concept of the Ibrox tradition. Disengaged and disempowered from the powers and processes which govern our club, and in the face of considerable, or as some hoped, insurmountable adversity, we have strived and endeavoured to keep the flames of that sacred trust burning. We conquered the insurmountable, breaking attendance records along the way, we laid waste to the false accusations of “glory hunters” at the Gayfields and Station Parks of this world. Borough Briggs and Ochilview had to be postponed as the manifestation of “unstinted support” and “unbroken devotion” descended upon them. Who are these people ? Go look in the mirror you will see them there, staring right back at you – we are the people. We are the people and this is our time. It’s time for those who have proven themselves in the face of adversity to no longer be disempowered or disengaged. We are the rightful sentinels of that sacred trust, do we honestly believe that anyone else could protect it better ? If you do then stop reading now. Rangers First, Buy Rangers and Vanguard Bears all offer a means of achieving that goal via their various fan ownership models. The choices we face are simple but critical nonetheless. Who do we trust most to decide the destiny of our football club, to safeguard all that we cherish and value ? To run the club in a way which upholds the traditions spoken of by Mr Struth all those years ago ? Who would ensure that every single decision which is made, is done so solely in the best interests of Rangers ? Or should we continue to fracture as a support, tearing ourselves apart doing the bidding of masters who offer no guarantees, in the hope of some scraps off the table ? Isn’t it about time we either sat at that table ourselves or had a considerable say in who does and the decisions they make concerning our club ? I am under no illusions – it will not be easy. There will be considerable challenges ahead, without doubt considerable adversity as well, but only a fool would bet against a Rangers support united in purpose and vision – it’s probably what those who wish ill will against our club fear most. Our club is once again in need of “gallant pioneers”, men and women who will remain true to the concept the Ibrox tradition seeks from them, and the reward is ensuring that sacred trust is preserved for generations yet to come. “No true Ranger has ever failed in the tradition set him.”
  17. Wee Eck trying to keep his new recruits, maybe? ... http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/518145/Salmond-slammed-for-tax-dodger-s-charter Salmond slammed for ‘tax dodger’s charter’ over chasing votes ALEX Salmond was last night on a collision course with cash-strapped councils over plans to ban them from chasing poll tax cheats. By: Paul Gilbride Published: Fri, October 3, 2014 New laws will stop officials using the voting records of millions of Scots from the independence referendum to recover debts. His announcement comes after councils began combing through the recently updated electoral roll looking for people in arrears. Opposition MSPs branded the First Minister’s proposals “a tax dodger’s charter” as it was revealed a staggering £425million is still owed. And local government body Cosla said the plans were “one of the oddest decisions ever” to come from the Scottish Government and hit out at the lack of consultation. The controversial Community Charge was introduced north of the Border by Margaret Thatcher in 1989 – a year before England. It was scrapped and replaced by the council tax in 1993 following a mass civil disobedience campaign. Mr Salmond yesterday told MSPs it was misguided for town halls to use current records to chase debts from decades ago. He said: “After 25 years it is about time that the poll tax was finally dead and buried.” Last month’s vote on Scotland’s future saw voter registrations soar to more than 4.2 million. Council chiefs believe some were returning to the electoral roll for the first time in a quarter of a century after dropping off to avoid paying poll tax. Although councils cannot pursue debts that are more than 20 years old, the period is extended by a further two decades if efforts have been made to chase up the payments. Mr Salmond said the total collected in 2013 from poll tax debt in Scotland was £396,000. He added: “It is, of course, within the law for councils to use current information to assess council tax liability and, given the council tax reduction scheme protects 500,000 of our poorest citizens, the tax is being applied in a proper and fair way. "However, the relevance of information from the current electoral register to the position of debts from 25 years ago is difficult to fathom, except through some misguided political intention. “It is the Government’s intention to bring forward legislation to ensure that councils can take forward no further action to recover ancient poll tax debts.” This is a move geared towards winning a few extra votes, and is nothing but a tax dodger’s charter Tory welfare reform spokesman Alex Johnstone Aberdeenshire Council, which covers Mr Salmond’s constituency, is among the authorities which is using the records to go after outstanding tax. Tory welfare reform spokesman Alex Johnstone said many Scots paid the tax in good faith, subsidising those who could afford to pay but chose not to. He said: “Are those hard-working people going to be reimbursed too under this initiative? If this is the Scottish Government’s approach on tax collection, why should anyone bother paying any tax at all? This is a move geared towards winning a few extra votes, and is nothing but a tax dodger’s charter.” Over the four years of the tax’s existence, councils billed Scots households for £3.678billion and it was previously estimated £325million was still to be collected. Cosla president David O’Neill said the arrears now stood at £425million. He said authorities had been under “a very strict obligation to collect every penny of outstanding debt owed”. “Indeed, we’ve been told in the past that until we did this, we should not be asking for any additional money from government. “It seems very odd that now we have an improved tool at our disposal in the form of an expanded electoral register that may help us maximise collection rates, it is the self-same Government that tells us they are going to legislate immediately to prevent us from using it.”
  18. ....we won title by 21 points one season and lost it by 15 the next. BARRY says the next meeting between Rangers and Celtic can't come quickly enough and reckons, should they meet in a cup this season, his beloved Gers will prove they are closer to matching their rivals than people think. THEY might have been kept apart in the League Cup quarter-final draw but there is definitely a feeling an Old Firm collision is getting closer. A clash of the Glasgow giants could yet come in that tournament this season or even in the Scottish Cup with Rangers now getting deeper into knockout competitions. If it doesn’t then few would bet against Rangers winning promotion from the Championship which means we’ll have to wait only until next season for one. Personally, it can’t come quickly enough because it’s been badly missed and that has been the feeling of many Celtic fans in the past two years. But I’m not so sure they’re as eager for a crack at Rangers now. I’ve heard so much talk in the past couple of years about how Celtic are 10 years ahead of my old club. It’s a phrase that seems to have been trotted out whenever Celtic were at their highest or Rangers at their lowest. But there is no doubt the gap is closing. In fact I believe the squads are pretty evenly matched in terms of quality. But regardless of that I don’t think you can ever say one is 10 years ahead of the other. The thing about the Old Firm is that superiority goes in cycles. That’s always been the case and it probably always will be. They simply don’t get so far ahead that the other one can’t quickly catch up. And one of the best examples of that comes from a period when I was playing at Ibrox. Under Dick Advocaat we won the league title by a massive 21 points in his second season charge. It came on the back of a treble in Advocaat’s first season and, having won the final Old Firm game of that season 4-0, many believed the gulf had never been so great. Celtic were seen as being in disarray with Kenny Dalglish in temporary charge after John Barnes had left the club but Martin O’Neill was brought in that summer and things quickly changed. And what happened the following season? Celtic won the league by 15 points. So that was a 36-point swing in the space of just 12 months. If that doesn’t prove how much and how quickly things can change, nothing will. Nothing much at Rangers had changed and Celtic made only two signings, Chris Sutton and Joos Valgaeren, before the opening league game of that campaign (Alan Thompson and Didier Agathe followed in September, Rab Douglas in October and Neil Lennon in December). People have their opinions on the state of Rangers and Celtic just now but for me talk of being 10 years between them is exaggerated. It’s nothing like that. And it would be great to see them going at it for the first time since Celtic won 3-0 at Parkhead in April 2012. For a lot of people the Old Firm fixture is the only thing they associate with Scottish football and it’s been a difficult couple of years for our game without them. That’s a bit disrespectful to the other clubs but it’s the truth. I know Celtic fans would have loved a crack at Rangers at their lowest ebb in the last couple of seasons but it’s changed now. I don’t think Celtic have gone backwards because they still have a very strong squad. The personnel is pretty much the same but they have lost a manager in Neil Lennon who knew the Old Firm derby inside out while Ronny Deila is still learning aspects of our game. But I just feel Ally McCoist, right, has improved his Rangers squad greatly. He’s had a lot of younger boys in the past couple of seasons but now he has guys with Premiership and Old Firm experience. Plus it’s the old cliche of form going out of the window in an Old Firm game. Even those who do feel Celtic are 10 years ahead of Rangers would probably agree that in a one-off game anything can happen in that fixture. Again I can go back to that 2000-01 season for proof of that. Celtic beat us 6-2 at Parkhead in the first Old Firm derby of the season and we went out and beat them 5-1 in the next. Another big swing – this time all in the space of just three months. I feel Kenny Miller, although he’s been injured, and Kris Boyd are two huge signings and their experience is vital. I’m sure any Premiership manager would snap your hand off for those two. I know Boydie has yet to score in the league but it will come. It might just take one to go in off his backside and he’ll be on fire again. A lot of my friends are asking me if there’s anything different or wrong given the fact he hasn’t scored as many as some might have expected. But nothing has changed, apart from the fact he’s a much better all-round player than in his first spell at Ibrox. I don’t have any concerns about him. He’s a confident guy who believes in his own ability. That’s the kind of player you want in there and he’ll soon stick one in the top corner. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/barry-ferguson-you-cant-say-4326012?
  19. “But our leaders didn’t just lie to us. They terrified us with spectres of mushroom clouds: they attacked our patriotism if we questioned them; they insulted our intelligence if we said we doubted them; they mocked our reservations; they withheld information; suppressed facts; invented threats and deceived us into backing an illegal war which has left tens of thousands of Iraqis, Britons and Americans – who should be alive today and with their families – very, very dead indeed.” (Neil Mackay – The War On Truth) Despite the recent experience many Scots will have had for having their patriotism attacked for merely daring to question, Mr Mackay’s book actually deals with the Iraq war, where amongst other things, he explores and displays considerable understanding of the various mechanisms and machinations used by the UK and US governments to sow the seeds of a lie. In explaining how the lies were told Neil Mackay tells it from the perspective of the US/UK governments and asks the question “So how are we going to twist the truth – some would call that a lie – and make it look as if Saddam was up to his sweaty little armpits in illegal weapons” I would ask you to bear that quotation in mind for the remainder of this article. Neil Mackay, author of The War of Truth, is the same Sunday Herald journalist who wrote the following article. http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/referendum-news/george-square-trouble-the-night-our-readers-became-reporters.1411314286 Some of you may recognise some of the phraseology used by Mr Mackay within the article. In fact the “statement on Vanguard Bears website” is not actually a statement at all; it is the re-production of an article I wrote on my blog some days before entitled “2 sides of a coin” – which appeared on some other Rangers forums and was subject of discussion. http://immortalrangers.wordpress.com/2014/09/19/2-sides-of-a-coin-2/ Despite the fact Vanguard Bears followed the caveat I asked of any forums publishing my work i.e. that it is reproduced verbatim, without any additions or deletions, you will notice that Mr Mackay has engaged in some fairly extensive and selective editing . Mr Mackay claims in his article “Yesterday it posted a statement online reading: “Our voice is on the rise, we must by actions, not words or political soundbites, ensure our Union is defended.” There is a particular twist to this however – some may even call it a lie – but allow me to share with you the unedited version which I originally wrote, was reproduced verbatim, and is still displayed on my blog. “Our voice is on the rise, we must by actions, not words or political sound bites, ensure our Union is defended, by attacking the root causes of social injustice and poverty within our society.” Remind me what you wrote in The War on Truth Mr Mackay ? “they withheld information; suppressed facts; invented threats and deceived us” Perhaps the original unedited version doesn’t produce the kind of terrifying spectres Mr Mackay was seeking to portray. I’m sure Scots of whatever political persuasion found the scenes at George Square unedifying, I know I certainly did. Of course the Sunday Herald, and it’s pro-independence stance has been of considerable financial benefit with the newspaper boasting a doubling in circulation figures. It seems the truth certainly can be bought at a price, and that has got to be the most unedifying aspect of all.
  20. Liverpool are one of seven clubs under investigation by Uefa for potential breaches of financial fair play (FFP) regulations, European football’s governing body announced 
yesterday. The Merseyside club were absent from European competition last year and only recently submitted detailed accounts to the governing body, which dictates that losses must be restricted to £35.4 million over a two-year window. Liverpool are one of seven clubs under investigation by Uefa for potential breaches of financial fair play (FFP) regulations, European football’s governing body announced 
yesterday. The Merseyside club were absent from European competition last year and only recently submitted detailed accounts to the governing body, which dictates that losses must be restricted to £35.4 million over a two-year window. Liverpool reported losses of £49.8m for the 2012-13 season, and £40.5m for the ten-month period before that, and join Monaco, Roma, Besiktas, Inter Milan, Krasnodar and Sporting Lisbon in being subjected to investigations relating to “potential break-even breaches”. A Uefa statement read: “The CFCB (club financial control body) has opened formal investigations into seven clubs as they disclosed a break-even deficit on the basis of their financial reporting periods ending in 2012 and 2013. “These clubs will need to submit additional monitoring information during October and November upon the deadlines set by the CFCB, subsequent to which an additional communication shall be made and conservatory measures may be imposed.” Liverpool face no immediate sanction as they prepare to provide further details to Uefa throughout the next two months, though the provisional withholding of Champions League funds lingers as a potential next step. The Reds are thought to be confident they will avoid such penalties by virtue of lucrative new commercial deals and writing off some previous losses. FFP allows certain spending streams, including youth development and stadium expenditure, to exist outside of its strict guidelines and Liverpool will argue that a £35m chunk of their 2011-12 deficit was attached to former co-owner Tom Hicks’ aborted plans for a new stadium on Stanley Park. Manchester City and Paris St Germain were the clubs hit hardest by Uefa last season for breaching FFP rules – they were each fined £49m and handed restrictions on transfer spending and a reduction in Champions League squad size. Uefa has also announced that prize money has been held back from five clubs – Bursaspor, CFR Cluj, Astra Giurgiu, Buducnost Podgorica and Ekranas – as a result of non-payments to other clubs, players and/or tax 
authorities. Reflecting on the recent work of CFCB and the FFP regulations, the Uefa statement continued: “The introduction of the Uefa club licensing and financial fair play regulations has already had a very positive impact on the scale of overdue payables, as they have decreased from 57 million euros in June 2011 to eight million euros in June 2014. In addition, aggregate losses reported by Europe’s first-division clubs in the 2013 financial year have gone down to 800 million euros from a record-reported deficit of 1.7 billion euros in 2011.” Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said the club are comfortable with the Uefa investigations because they support the FFP system. Rodgers said: “It’s obviously something that will be dealt with by the directors. It’s something we’re comfortable with because we’re great advocates of financial fair play. It’s ongoing with the club.” Rodgers is neither surprised nor alarmed by reports linking Real Madrid with a bid for Raheem Sterling. The 19-year-old forward, whose contract at Anfield runs until 2017, is one of the brightest talents in the Premier League and has had an impressive start to the season. “It shows that he’s playing exceptionally well,” said Rodgers. “I think you could probably link Raheem with every club in the world at the moment. He’s a fantastic young talent. I’ve nothing really to add to it. There’s obviously lots of speculation every day about players coming and going here at Liverpool. “He’s a wonderful boy who’s developing very, very well here. I think him and his representatives and the people close to him know how comfortable he is here and I’m sure at some point in the future, whatever contract we’re looking to work with will be sorted, but he’s still got three years left and there’s no rush from my perspective.” Sterling is likely to be a key figure for Liverpool in tomorrow’s Merseyside derby against Everton at Anfield, when both teams will be looking to get back to winning ways in the Premier League. Rodgers has not ruled out having Daniel Sturridge available, with the England striker having been sidelined by a thigh strain suffered on international duty earlier this month. http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/english/uefa-probes-liverpool-over-potential-ffp-breach-1-3553588
  21. .....says Luca Gasparotto. THE Canadian defender is on loan with the Diamonds until January having made just a handful of appearances for the Light Blues. LUCA GASPAROTTO insists Airdrieonians can help him fulfil his Rangers dream. The Canadian defender is on loan with the Diamonds until January. Gasparotto has made a handful of appearances for the Light Blues – but not yet established himself in Ally McCoist’s first-team plans. Now the 19-year-old has promised to use his stint in League One as a launchpad for his Ibrox career. Gasparotto, who was one of seven young Gers farmed out in the closing days of August’s transfer window, said: “I’m enjoying every minute of my time here. “The coaches and the boys have been great to me and I’m looking forward to staying. “Going out on loan is great for me as I’m getting the chance to play against stronger, more experienced players. “This can only help me become a better footballer. “That’s my goal and I’m trying to get as much out of this loan as I possibly can. I’m stepping up to the task at hand. “Some of the boys are on loan at full-time clubs. As a young player, it’s good to get out as it builds up your confidence and experience. “I’m signed to Rangers until the end of next season so I want to kick on after this loan spell.” Gasparotto grabbed his first senior goal against Stranraer on Saturday but was gutted when the visitors forced a 3-3 draw late on. Airdrie will attempt to bounce back from their last-gasp disappointment when they travel to leaders Ayr United this weekend. “I’m delighted to get my first goal but just disappointed we conceded the equaliser so late on,” Gasparotto added. “On a personal note, I thought I played pretty well and to score my first goal is a big moment for me. “I think three at the back went well. I’ve played that with Rangers under-20s so it’s something that I am used to. “It’s better in that you have a bit more cover at the back and it feels safer. “To score three goals at home and only come away with a point is pretty frustrating. “Everyone’s heads were down but we’ve got to pick ourselves up and try and get that first three points next weekend.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/airdrieonians-can-help-become-rangers-4315767
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