Best Wishes Barry

[Rangers Football Club 0]

SMITH says Fergie should be remembered as a great Ranger

 

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[Super_Ally 0]

Quite agree Walter.

[UCF2008 0]

I don't think anyone could ever question his commitment to Rangers. I hope he's remembered for that rather than an unfortunate incident at the end.

 

If that had never occurred then he probably would never have had to move on.

 

The whole boozegate affair was blown out of all proportion and Rangers joined the mob in over-reacting.

 

With the club's finances as they are it was more than convenient for them to bring in some cash and ease the wage bill whilst using that incident as an excuse.

 

Like most fans I'm not angered by the sale of Ferguson. I think it's good that he's getting another chance in the EPL and with our midfield as strong as it currently is, I don't think he'll be badly missed. At the same time though, I wouldn't be so quick to entirely rule out the possibility of him ever playing for Rangers again. Now probably isn't the time for such discussion, but IMO if he does well in his time down south and all other factors (clubs finances, need for experience in side etc.) fit into place, then it wouldn't be the first time we've signed a 34 year old.

 

As a club legend, it would only be fair for him to at the very least have a proper send off at some point in the future in the form of a testimonial.

 

Either way I don't think we've seen the last of Ferguson in a Rangers jersey.

[Gazza_8 233]

When you're Rangers and Scotland captain and sit on the bench while for your country and then stick your finger(s) up at the TV cameras to the watching public you've only got yourself to blame. That's aimed at McGregor too.

[calscot 0]

Can you imagine a kid at school being expelled for the same offence (the two finger thing)? I can't - punished yes, but expelled is a massive over-reaction and the same goes for the players. They should have been fined, dropped and given a last warning.

 

The booze part is also very inconsistent, badly managed and in the end pretty irrelevant. There was 3 and a half days to recover, and if a player can't drink 3 and a half days before a game then when can he? There's a lot of bollocks about how a modern footballer should take care of himself but it's in the same category as "health and safety gone mad".

 

It's over the top and you only have to look at Nottingham Forrest in their heyday and Rangers NIAR team for evidence.

 

It's like the fact that people think carrots make your eyesight better - they don't, but you need enough vitamins to stop your eyes deteriorating. However as long as you have enough your eyes will be fine, taking twice as much as you need isn't going to make them any better.

 

Same with training, living like a monk is not going to make you any better than living adequately healthily.

 

The booze was laid on by the SFA, the timing was due to the flight, no time limit to go to bed was given and there is no evidence that any player was totally trolleyed. Then there's the fact that many more players committed the same crime but went to bed slightly earlier.

 

Seems to me that the whole thing is 100% about the resulting confrontation between Burley, ironically a suspected alcoholic, and the two players. Things must have been said in the heat of the moment, and Burley seems to have that immature, school teacher type attitude.

 

In the end the pair were set up by the press who pretty much fabricated a good part of the story and their fingers were aimed there, not at the public.

[Frankie 8,186]

Spot on Cal...

 

Their behaviour was appallingly childish but, looking back, the bandwagon to criticise them equally crass.

[Gribz 743]

Can you imagine a kid at school being expelled for the same offence (the two finger thing)? I can't - punished yes, but expelled is a massive over-reaction and the same goes for the players. They should have been fined, dropped and given a last warning.

Ferguson wasnt the average school kid. He was club and country Captain and supposedly a mature man who should have known better.

 

The booze part is also very inconsistent, badly managed and in the end pretty irrelevant. There was 3 and a half days to recover, and if a player can't drink 3 and a half days before a game then when can he? There's a lot of bollocks about how a modern footballer should take care of himself but it's in the same category as "health and safety gone mad".

I agree on the booze especially if they have been given the green light from the management (albeit it a FEW drinks). But it comes down to behaviour. Everyone can act the goat with drink but you look at the circumstances of this one - they were in a public hotel at breakfast time for the other guest and despite not getting in trouble they were noisey. They should have moved upstairs to the rooms and carried on the drinking there - although thats easier said than done with the booze inside you.

 

It's over the top and you only have to look at Nottingham Forrest in their heyday and Rangers NIAR team for evidence.

Yes I agree again its over the top the way footballers must now act like angels. Brian Clough forced the non-drinkers in to a bar on a friday night before a match to drink a pint with the rest of the team and it didnt do them harm.

 

In the end the pair were set up by the press who pretty much fabricated a good part of the story and their fingers were aimed there, not at the public

I wouldnt say they were set up by the press - nobody from the press forced them to stick the fingers up. But after this act the press jumped on the bandwagon and accused the 2 of sticking it to the public.

[calscot 0]

Ferguson wasnt the average school kid. He was club and country Captain and supposedly a mature man who should have known better.

 

Yes he should, but he's younger than me, probably about your age and I doubt we both act maturely all the time. I know I don't. Sometimes you do silly things you regret later. These guys are in a goldfish bowl which is something we don't have to contend with, and they are coping far better than many out of control musicians, models and so-called celebrities. Surreptitiously sticking two fingers up to the press is a pretty low level misdemeanor compared to others.

 

And you'd think the public would be mature enough just to laugh it off, wouldn't you?

 

Who is the most immature, some doing the vicks in that way or those who take massive offence at it?

 

I agree on the booze especially if they have been given the green light from the management (albeit it a FEW drinks). But it comes down to behaviour. Everyone can act the goat with drink but you look at the circumstances of this one - they were in a public hotel at breakfast time for the other guest and despite not getting in trouble they were noisey. They should have moved upstairs to the rooms and carried on the drinking there - although thats easier said than done with the booze inside you.

 

I think the behaviour has been exaggerated by the press to make more of a story. There are other reports that they were well enough behaved. I'm a bit loud but not troublesome when I've had a few so can understand it. Maybe they should have taken it to the rooms on hindsight but again it's a small misdemeanor.

 

Yes I agree again its over the top the way footballers must now act like angels. Brian Clough forced the non-drinkers in to a bar on a friday night before a match to drink a pint with the rest of the team and it didnt do them harm.

 

I agree although I think it's more professional to not drink for a couple of nights before. 3 days before should be fine as long as it's not blind drunk.

 

I wouldnt say they were set up by the press - nobody from the press forced them to stick the fingers up. But after this act the press jumped on the bandwagon and accused the 2 of sticking it to the public.

 

The press did a hatchet job on the two players and made most of the story up and neglected to put in relevant information - it was pure spin to make a scandal. They were singled out and hung out to dry.

 

The two's up was in response to the same paper taking photographs of them later. The paper then spun that to say the players were insulting the fans, which just wasn't true.

 

I agree they were a bit out of order for immature behaviour, but a quiet word in their ears and keeping it from escalating in the press would have been the mature thing for the SFA to do. Fergie should also have had his captaincy taken away as that is a privilege of someone who sets a better example.

 

Basically the players didn't actually break any rules, so a warning, probation and stipulation of new rules should have been the way to go.

 

Ironically with Walter, they did break his rules - he told them to take it on the chin, act like professionals, and not bring more controversy which they failed to do.

 

For Barry, it was the last straw at Ibrox as he's got too much previous and is also past his best for the team. I think the club have used it as an excuse to get a lesser performing, high wage earner off the books with a bit of cash coming in at a time when we're pretty skint.

[Gazza_8 233]

Can you imagine a kid at school being expelled for the same offence (the two finger thing)? I can't - punished yes, but expelled is a massive over-reaction and the same goes for the players. They should have been fined, dropped and given a last warning.

 

Bit of a difference. A kid is a kid, childish and immature. Barry Ferguson was on about �£30k per week at Rangers and was club captain and the national captain. He had a responsibility and an example to set.