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The SNP don’t give a shit now. They know they are on the way out at the next election and it’s open season on anyone with political or religious ties with Protestantism or unionism.

For the same reason as the priest?

Hastie plays on a different wing from Middleton who prefers to stay on the left side whilst Hastie is more of an inverted attacker on the right. He will provide more competition for Candeias which is a good thing. I'd expect us to add three players of distinct quality. Probably more if Tav and Morelos leave.

I think it's pretty clear the SNP would already be dust if it wasn't for a core support that's vaguely Scottish, identifiably Irish, emotionally republican and strongly anti-British. They courted it and now cling to it like a life raft. Unfortunately for the SNP, they have no chance of controlling these constituents who will inevitably poison their host like everything else they touch. Never ever trust the SNP. If they say it, they're lying. If they do it, it's deceit.

Albion Rovers once had a midline of Sage, Rice and Currie. I kid you not.

Rangers did everything by the book and contacted Motherwell first and I was told at no time did Rangers pull out of the deal, it was all paper talk and obviously Jake's agent was talking to other clubs as well. I was told by Jake's dad the only club that kept Motherwell out the loop was Celtic and they also did this when they tried to sign him when he was 16 and that was a big reason he didn't go to them.

There’s no limit to the SNP’s squalid covert endorsement of Irish Republicanism

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/hardline-republican-group-linked-new-14447936 Hardline Irish Republican group linked to New IRA coming to Scotland for Easter Rising rally Saoradh are heading to Glasgow after causing outrage in the wake of journalist Lyra McKee's murder in Derry. A hardline militant republican group linked to the New IRA(which is a proscribed group in the UK), who were responsible for the murder of journalist Lyra McKee, are coming to Scotland. Saoradh – Irish for “liberation” – will come to Glasgow this weekend for an event to commemorate the Easter Rising. ... And Saoradh will now join an event at Glasgow’s Lambhill cemetery this Sunday to mark the anniversary of the 1916 rebellion to overthrow British rule in Ireland and set up an Irish republic. ... ... Previously, Saoradh said: “Scotland has been a traditional area of solidarity in the struggle for Irish freedom.” ... No agenda mind you, but just who issued the permit to allow these admitted murderers to attend this?

As a follow up, at St Alphonsus chapel ...

Fair enough. I wasn't hugely convinced but I did find the immediate fall out from a section of pundits and fans to be quite odd. They had made up their mind already - and it didn't matter whether those frailties existed or otherwise. It points to an old boys network prevalant in the SFA - how many would disagree with that? And it also points to a deep rooted prejudice against anyone with a potential Rangers bias. Bottom line though is that Eck is a decent man and hasn't deserved any of this.

From the days when football was full of gentlemen and mainly free from cheats and classless players R.I.P. big man.

I'll be waiting with bated breath to see that in print...

Excellent defender and outstanding captain of his club.

The express says “Rangers kept Motherwell out the loop as they made behind-the-scenes moves for Hastie.” Did Rangers do anything out of the ordinary? Sounds time like they are casting us in a bad light for signing a player on a bosman the same way everyone does. @johnnyk it sounded to me like we did it the right way

Makes sense that he is rated higher than Middleton, otherwise why sign him !?

Voted. Good luck Frankie.

I think it's another few weeks yet. ?

Report on tonight's U16 CAS Cup game against Motherwell. https://rfcyouths.wordpress.com/2019/04/22/16s-progress-after-penalty-shoot-out/

Hastie's physique gives him as a 20 year old, a head start and the potential for a larger sell-on value (logic: good big yin is worth more than a good wee yin) in for example, England. Getting lads like this is the way to go and now it's about improving everything about his game and more. I have high hopes for this lad. Not because of any particular insight, just something in my water !

I think I said a while ago that when Robinson came to Motherwell he told Jake to go on loan right away as he didn't think he was good enough. He told him to get fitter and lose weight, which I'm sure was a motivator for him but they didn't really keep tabs on him while he was out on loan. His dad said there was no contact from Motherwell before he came back from Alloa in January and the only time they got in touch was after he went on his good run scoring goals and when other teams were interested. He said if Jake was offered a decent contract when on loan or even when he first came back he probably would've signed but said Motherwell hedged their bets and it's backfired on them, and now they're not happy! He is a very grounded young guy with a great family who deserve all they get, I hope it works out for him but even his dad said it's now that we'll find out if he's good enough to play at this level but I know he will work as hard as he can and give it his best shot.

I met Jake Hastie's parents today and I'm sure they will be OK for me to say a few things they told me. Firstly they told me Jake had signed before it was on the news (also told me keep quiet until it was out in the news but that didn't last long), they also told me a few stories about when they met with Gerrard and Allen etc last week. They were assured by them that Jake will be in the first team squad and won't be loaned out or put back to the academy team as they had their own reservations about getting game time and how it would affect Jake's progress and seen no point in signing if he wasn't going to be in the first team squad. But they also told me Gerrard told them it's now up to Jake to prove himself in training that deserves a chance but they all rate him very highly, more so than Middleton. Aberdeen guaranteed him first team football but changed their deal at the last minute but he didn't fancy it anyway. The tims again went about trying to get the deal done on the cheap and they were not impressed at all and was never really a goer. He also had offers from England and abroad but like before they want to stay in Scotland for now anyway. He's been told he'll be lucky to get any more game time at Motherwell and was snubbed at the awards last night by virtually everyone there. I'm so pleased for the young man and his family and hope he takes his chance and does very well for us....

I’m sorry but I had to highlight this. I looked at the BBC match report from Brian Mclaughlin to laugh at their greeting however........ “Perhaps that was down to arguably the best two goalkeepers in the league in Ofir Marciano and Scott Bain” What the actual f&£k??? Never mind editorially fair, totally delusional more like!

A chap in an England shirt, standing on a pavement, might antagonise participants on a Republican or Scottish nationalist march. That's life. The priest intentionally left his church at a specific moment. I agree that it is moronic to spit at or abuse him but he could easily have avoided that happening.

From the reports I've read, the priest went out of his way to be very visible when the march walked past. Why would he do that, other than as a deliberate attempt to antagonise those in attendance and further his chances of martyrdom.

There's been other marches and demos in the city where people have been assaulted and the Council don't seem to care. If there were some level of consistency then that would go somewhat to reducing the conspiracy theories. I wonder if I stand with a UJ and Rangers top on in the middle of George Square during the next pro-independence rally and I get assaulted, will the council ban all future pro-independence rallies? I think that we all know the answer to that.

Okay, I live in Glasgow, I also work in Glasgow and my children attend our local school. I feel I'm qualified to comment on this. As someone who still has an involvement in our local Church Of Scotland I can say I don't in any way feel I'm discriminated against by the local council. Firstly let's be very careful about conflating the rerouting of an ABOD march with discrimination against Protestants. Someone spat on a priest in the street, let that sink in. Spitting on someone you don't know and who in this case had clearly hadn't done anything to deserve it is abhorrent. Surely no one disagrees with that? That person was following a 'walk' when he did it. For all the various loyal orders can say they have no control over who 'follows' them on the street they have to take some responsibility for the people they attract. This isn't a new problem for them either. I understand there's a distinction between the OO, the bands they hire and the people who walk alongside them. But for the vast majority of people they see them as one, all connected and only there in the first place because of the 'walk'. So, the 'banning' of this particular march is no surprise and frankly the wise thing to do. I can understand entirely why the council and police made the decision. That's no conspiracy. I lived in Northern Ireland in the 1990s and I watched the Orange Order make exactly the same mistakes then as I'm watching them make now. It's astonishing how resistant to learning they seem to be. In Glasgow today the majority of people have no connection to loyal orders. Most people won't care if they don't see another Orange march in their life. That's the harsh reality. As someone still involved in organised, mainstream Presbyterianism, I can tell you that Glasgow City Council are the least of our concerns. I'm now late for the Easter service.

A list? Facts? Wow! How about Harper Macleod carving up every large scale sporting event that is hosted in the city. Happy accident? I don't think. Swimming pools at secondary schools? I could go on.

Sorry Bluedell, I am a pedant, the three streets ie Janefield Street, Dalriada Street, and Kinloch Street) were sold to ra Sellik for ONE PENNY. That is ONE PENNY, after 300 families received resettlement grants averaging £4k per household, the housing was demolished, and the land cleared.

The Moral Compass. The nation's Jiminey Cricket, Michael Stewart waded into Alex McLeish's sacking last night on BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound. He was speaking on behalf of his constituency, the Tartan Army. Of course, Michael's hoped for constituency was Edinburgh West, he lost the prospective parliamentary candidate race for the SNP, to Michelle Thomson. Since we are getting all moral compass, let's hope Michael did not purchase a property from Michelle? Anyways, on behalf of the Tartan Army, Michael stated a main objection to McLeish was, "he is a recipient of an EBT". The only other two I have heard utilising this reasoning on the same means, are DrStu' and Jum Spence. We have to admire the moral fortitude of the PQ Triumvirate, having to share both studios and broadcast air time with both Billy Dodds and Stephen Thompson. Both are recipients of EBTs. Particularly, Michael sharing that Sportscene studio twice a week with Thommo; we should pray for Michael. Let's hope Thommo's immorality never runs interference with all that exposure Michael is receiving? Talking of DrStu', he failed to trap for yesterday's BBC Radio Scotland's Media Review. His appearance was not necessary, the other regular contributor, Dr Eamonn O'Neill quoted DrStu' twice during the elongated discussion on the Kezia Dugdale/Rev' Stuart Campbell defamation case. DrStu's oft' repeated objection to McLeish's appointment, was his refusal to, "give up his big house in Fulham". DrStu' was consistent, in that he objected to Gordon Strachan refusing to give up his big house in Hampshire. He demanded the national coach lives in Scotland. Both good Doctors were anxious to broadcast their view that the Rev' Stuart Campbell did NOT loose the defamation case, or that Wings Over Scotland was not the loser. Dr Eamonn quoted DrStu', "you must remember, there is Wings Over Scotland and there is the Reverend Stuart Campbell, Stuart can be a bit spikey". We can only assume DrStu' has failed to factor in the Grid Magnetic Angle whilst setting his moral compass, the Rev' Stuart has a big house in Bath. Obviously, residents of Somerset are exempt, you need to live here to manage Scotland, but you can pontificate constantly on every aspect of the nation's administration from the Georgian town these last thirty years. Staying on the moral course and paraphrasing Dr Eamonn, 'there's Trainspotting and there's Irvine Welsh'. DrStu' loves dearest Irvine, continually lionises his literary works. I agree, Trainspotting is a literary triumph. We must state right from the off, Irvine has at least two big houses, one in Chicago and the other in Dublin. Like the Rev', he has been away from Scottish shores for over a quarter of a century. Irvine touched base this week, a fellow Hibee was shot dead outside his home in Chester Street, Edinburgh. Bradley Welsh appears to be a much rehabilitated character, from football casual to boxing gym proprietor to actor? Although, today's press are claiming inability to look after £130,000 of drugs was the reasoning for the shooting. Irvine Welsh issued a heartfelt tribute, indeed he claimed his heart was broken at the news. This is not an attempt to intrude upon private grief, it is an on going query on Irvine Welsh's punk rock band of 1976, 'Stairway 13'? Will DrStu' reveal Irvine's inspiration/stimulation for the name? I would ask Irvine again, but he is unreliable in his claims eg he claims to be sixty years of age, but police records have evidence of another birth certificate stating a 1951 date of birth. I hope Stairway 13 did not play Markinch, that really would be heartbreaking. Finally, Angela Haggerty claimed on BBC Radio Scotland's Shereen Nanjiani show recently, "the IRA are a defunct organisation". I wonder if Angela would care to tell that to the family of fellow Journalist, Lyra McKee? She was shot dead last night in the Creggan area of Londonderry by the IRA. Go on Angela, set your moral compass and, 'Call it Out'.

The fanzone. The work done around Parkhead for the fabled one pound. The under valuing of Westthorn land The redevelopment of the area around Celtic Park, while trying to hide Ibrox behind hideous social housing The development of transport links around Parkhead while refusing a train link to Ibrox

I find it hard to criticise King's assessment. I said a year ago we had no chance of the league this season although I didn't see the Gerrard appointment coming. Now, depending on money being available this summer, it seems entirely realistic to think we could be genuinely competitive next season.