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The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen mean ......................... false memory syndrome. I schooled with a lad named Peter, we played football for the same Boys' Clubs and indeed our school. He had the sweetest left foot and reveled in our three years at Fir Park Boys Club. He loved the claret and amber, the mighty 'Well, to the extent he believed Jumbo Muir was the future football, in the same way Bruce Springsteen was the future rock'n'roll. We were beneficiaries of being coached by Northern Irish internationalist, Billy Campbell and future manager of Falkirk, Alloa, Partick Thistle, .. etc, Billy Lamont. We watched the sublime Bobby Graham doing extra training, all ball work, and received complimentary tickets for the Enclosure when 'Well took on a succession of top flight English clubs in the Texaco Cup. We are all badly advised at seventeen, tertiary education demanded I study Economics; Peter determined upon unfettered parental control by heading 160 miles north to Aberdeen. English Literature was his poison. Academia paled in our first year, season '74/'75 was seminal for Bears, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. We were sustaining a league challenge, and for the first time in a decade, would culminate in Colin Stein's equalising bullet header at Easter Road. Pomagne corks were popping. Motherwell was bathed in sunshine too, Wullie Pettigrew prompted by Bobby Graham sustained a top four place, and bettered us in the cups. We had an opportunity to meet up with Peter at the end of January'75, the Scottish Cup third round draw paired us with the Dandy Dons. Three of us traveled on the Tannochside RSC Bus, had the purvey at Stonehaven, met the 'Well man at Aberdeen Uni Union. Like all other trips then to Aberdeen, a relaxed affair. The weather was foul, standing atop the open terrace at Pittodrie in those days was an exercise in endurance. Our entertainment arrived in the then manager of Arbroath, Albert Henderson and his brother. They clung to a stanchion for dear life whilst cheering the Rangers. Ally Scott scored the opener after the hour mark, The Dons new wonder kid at Centre forward, Wullie Miller equalised with two minutes remaining on the clock. The replay on the Monday night, saw Rangers run out at the floodlit Ibrox in an all white strip, in front of 55,000. They scored in the first minute, we drew level through Bobby McKean, and the game went into extra-time. Another late goal from Davidson saw the Dons progress. The quarter-finals took the 'Well to Pittodrie and Peter's Dad offered two of us a lift. We sat in sunshine in the Main Stand, and watched Motherwell control the game for a deserved 0-1 victory. We retired to the Uni Union and it began. Peter's auld man, Peter senior was assumed to have a Glaswegian accent, and received a number of faux concerned inquiries as to life in a Glasgow slum? Peter senior spent several minutes confirming their prejudice and then parried with, "what was it like to live in a quarantined city"? A decade before, Aberdeen had suffered an outbreak of Typhoid, in excess of 500 hospitalised because of a rogue tin of Fray Bentos corned beef. The retorts were angry, tinged with denial, and lot's of assertions of being Europe's oil capital. Peter junior being more literate, quoted Lewis Grassic Gibbon's(Aberdeenshire born author of a Scots Quair) comparison of both cities women. A glaswegian women was beyond personification whereas an Aberdonian was a thin lipped peasant who had borne eleven and buried nine, leaving a pinched demeanor. We left the Union to a chorus of, 'in your Glasgow slums'. It was the first time I was aware of their anger and the next season saw their newly appointed manager, Ally McLeod tap into it. It was February and the Rangers treble bandwagon was rolling. The fourth round of the Scottish Cup had paired us with Aberdeen. It was a double header, because the Dandies were due at Ibrox on league business the week before. McLeod had left Ayr United and was determined to install a sense of superiority into the dull Dons left by departing Jimmy Bonthrone. Ally mainlined, the league game would be business as usual, but the Cup would see the Reds represent Europe's oil capital, they would fly first class to Glasgow and new tactics would derail the treble bandwagon. The 7th of the month arrived, 35,000 attended, Rangers quickly notched a couple through Martin Henderson and wee Doddie. Aberdeen scored a late consolation. Valentine's Day was going to be a massacre, ten thousand Dandies were descending, some of the oil oligarchs were accompanying the team on the flight, replete in sheepskins and stetsons. Sixty thousand trapped, and half ra Sellik end was covered in red and white. Ally's new tactics were evident at Kick-off, they took centre and eight of the team crowded the left side of the centre line, poised to sprint forward, ready to crowd the punt. The ball drifted out for a throw-in. Much like their performance, one big drift. Rangers battered them, DJ scored in the fifth minute, Doddie added just after half time, they scored late on, stimulating Rangers to add another couple through Parlane and Henderson. Aberdeen drifted off to catch their flight home. Later, that summer we did what under graduates did in those days, we headed to Greece. A group approaching a dozen agreed to meet up in Paxos for a few days. the conversation came around to angry Dons, and Peter having spent two years among the heavenly dancers contributed most. The Union had banned both halves of the old firm supporters buses from Glasgow Uni'. Apparently, due to our separated brethren wrecking it on a previous visit. The City Police were determined to not allow supporters buses overnight stays. A newly found confidence was abroad. McLeod tapped into it and SAF gave it a particular focus. Numerous incidents down the years on both sides have exacerbated the situation, but my memory is clear when things began to change. Back to the Northern Lights, the lyrics to the song were penned by Mary Webb, born in Leamington Spa, she had never visited Aberdeen. The melody emanates from James S Kerr, a Glaswegian from Berkeley Street, born 1870. Since one of our dreaming four lads, Peter Campbell came from the same street, I like to think James S Kerr was heavily influence by Peter's whistling? Thus, thos Northern Lights mean false memory syndrome. Tomorrow evening, we will be light in the midfield, I suspect Holt and Goss to be the central two. Windass, Murphy, and Candias in front of those two, and behind Morelos. The back four will be Tav', Wilson, Bates, and John. Fod' between the sticks. They have a lot of pace and drive in the wide areas, and I suspect McInnes will play the full width of the pitch. The first goal will be everything, I take us to get it and go on to secure a 2-1 victory.

We mustn't overlook Allen in that, though.

I don't think he was there in his capacity as Chairman of Celtic to be fair. That being said I'm not too sure how much longer the Whisky Shop is for this world. Douglas Park Ltd is a far stronger business. I suspect political leanings are as important to this guest list as business acumen.

FOLLOWING the launch of our unique games programme for our Development Squad this season the Academy are now pleased to confirm the fixture list for the second half of the season. https://rangers.co.uk/news/academy-news/games-programme-fixture-release/

Great idea every professional I have listened to say that playing against bigger stronger opponents in a competitive setup is the best way to improve youngsters. Hopefully we can still arrange the odd game against higher calibre opposition to see where the boys are in terms of development and if this approach will bare fruit.

McArthur and McCarthy have both left Hamilton and became decent EPL players, so it's understandable. Hopefully he does well with us and sticks around for 55.

Standard practice for a young player now.

He is most definitely now our t*t! The arrogance is brilliant, but he needs to do it on the pitch.

Now confirmed live on Sky with kick off time of 7.30pm.

I can't praise 26th enough. If he ever writes a book I will be standing in the queue to buy it and I hardly read books. Thanks for that mate, Fantastic read.

After sticking with and getting him fit , why get rid now

And as has been posted on here previously.... Ian has already been down that route - it took him nigh on a year and included appealing up the hierarchy. End result was still the same. It is fruitless.

Noted an interesting thing posted on FF by BrownBrogues

Part of the problem in this instance is the Club's ridiculously ham fisted approach to PR, it's a self defeating strategy that has been going on for decades and is essentially a tool for defending individuals rather than the Club itself. We need to bite the bullet and employ a real PR company one with the gravitas that when they call the heidyins in the BBC (London as Glasgow is a lost cause) the call is taken and taken seriously at that. David Burnside ticks virtually every box there is in what we need in regards to PR. I have a degree of sympathy in regards to Traynor as his remit is clearly limited but allied to that is the fact that he's way out of his depth on this one. I find it bizarre that those on our board who are clearly intelligent people cannot see the damage being done by the lack of a proper functioning PR set up.

And agreeing to a sell on clause was likely the only way to finally get this over the line. If Morelos goes i'm confident we will insist on one too.

I agree completely and in my mind this is the most important game of the season. This sets the tone for the rest of the season, but more importantly it's a test of the character of Murty and the team. We absolutely must go out and dominate them. A win would be expected of course, but I think this requires more than that. We need to hammer them, not necessarily in scoreline, but in terms of possession, physicality and territorially. This game is our chance to make a real statement of intent and start to build fortress Ibrox again.

The lad is a very exciting prospect.

If this boy is at least half as good as his swagger and confidence suggests, he'll be a sensation for us. I know we've discussed it before, but he's definitely funny if he's our player and the most annoying git if he's competing against us. I think we're going to have plenty of entertainment from him for as long as he's with us.

'' I'm just gonnae be kickin aboot the 6 yard box hoping ehh I can tap aw them in '' LOL.

Fixed that last post for you Gonzo....

Pete, that game is at Ibrox - I am home then too and considering heading along to it - it is the day after the OF game.

FC Utrecht on march the 11th would have been great for me except I will be in Scotland.

I can't even be bothered reading that.

Thank you

If you see a pic online just right click it, select copy and then paste it into your Gersnet editor. After a moment or two the image will appear and you can resize it via clicking on it.

It works in Spain. And, I think, Spain are doing better than Scotland?

As a general rule for all, images already online can simply be cut and pasted into a post using their address (or even just copy the image and paste). These can be resized as well once the editor has displayed them for you. Site contributors can also upload attachments and I don't think that's device dependent. There should be an option in the editor for that.

That doesn't seem right at all so I'm not sure it's an issue from this site but perhaps your device has picked up some adware. No-one else has reported it anyway. What I'd initially suggest is trying a different browser. However, if you'd prefer keeping your usual one, try emptying the cache or reinstalling to clear any conflicts. Let me know if that doesn't work.

It will be, provided Fraserburgh improve the floodlighting.

Hope he has turned acorner at last. Would be like another new player in this productive window.

This is the problem I think we have with our players. If someone isnt playing out their skin we think there is no value to them. Not getting at you personally Stewarty, its a common problem amongst our support and one we need to really work on collectively. We have fans who wanted us to pay £1M for Walker of Hearts, who has done pretty much nothing to date, but are happy to get a full international who still has a few good years in him "off the wage bill". It's madness. Alves might not have been at his career best, but our whole team was a shambles from back to front under Pedro, and we are struggling on with a youth coach in charge. He has had probably 4 or 5 different partners so far (Wilson x 2, McCrorie, Bates, Cardoso) and has been struggling with niggly injuries, so not exactly the best environment to get the best out of him so far. We have to start talking our players up with significant numbers for fees in all the papers and radio/tv, otherwise we will continue to get next to nothing for players who might not be worth much to us, but certainly will be worth a lot to a future club's chances of winning titles/staying up/promotion etc.

JORDAN Rossiter joined in full training with Graeme Murty’s squad this morning as the 20-year-old looks to return to fitness after another long lay-off. https://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/rossiter-back-training/