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There is a wonderful sequence in the book, and subsequent film, Fight Club in which those who are members of the never-to-be-named association attempt to get into fights with ordinary and unbruised members of the public. Turns out, that’s not so easy to do. The vast majority of folk have no interest in physical violence, even when hugely provoked. As the author Chuck Palahniuk explained many years after his book was published, while humans are capable of almost anything, it is our base nature to keep out of trouble. This is why most of us have never been in a proper fight. How many times have you been physically threatened? How often is abuse screamed in your face? I have walked the streets of Glasgow after closing time, which some claim is as dangerous as popping out for a pint of milk in war-time Dresden, and perhaps once, at the most twice, did I come across trouble. We know how to behave, you see. Well, most of the time. And then we get into a football ground and, well, anything that happened at Fir Park stays at Fir Park. Except there were no secrets about what happened on Sunday. The television cameras clearly caught the hand signal, the sneering, and the lack of control. This, of course, was the Motherwell supporters, at least the section that houses their (really) young team. They targeted Alfredo Morelos with personal abuse. This is fair(ish) enough. It’s football after all. Fans get to shout and swear. That’s the culture. Always has been. Except, these days, the shouty supporters can’t seem to take it when anything is said back to them. Should Morelos have told the Motherwell support to “get it right up them” complete with rude gesture? No, but I didn’t have a problem with it and I’ll bet you said young team, who were to throw all manner of objects at the Rangers player, weren’t traumatised in the slightest. And yet Morelos is the one punished for reacting to constant abuse. This is a serial victim. He’s been racially abused, coins have hit off him and Aberdeen supporters even wrote a banner in Spanish about his mother. Oh, the Scottish banter. If I were going about my business and a group of strangers shouted obscenities at me regarding my family and ethnicity, followed up by a bottle of Buckfast aimed at my head, I would react. If Palahniuk had wanted all of his characters to get into a fight, he should have sent them to a football match. Morelos was shown a second red card because he did break the rules. He was sent off, and will now miss a big game against Hibernian, for being a human being. The Colombian didn’t hit an opponent, dive, spit or go in late on a defender. After scoring, he gave some back to those who had spent a lot of their Sunday afternoon acting like louts. Steven Gerrard said he didn’t disagree with the second caution. I simply don’t believe that. The Rangers manager was playing the PR game. He would be 100 per cent on the side of his player, as he should be. I don’t see why it’s “acceptable” to shout all sorts of stuff at a football player but, when they react, out come the “he could have caused a riot” mob. If you look up the history of rioting, there aren’t any examples of people taking to the street because of a 50/50 penalty decision. Same with Scott Brown after the Celtic Park Old Firm game towards the end of last season. Arms stretched in front of the Rangers fans with a broad smile on his face. I feel sorry for Morelos. He was brilliant at Motherwell. He’s been brilliant all season. If the votes were taken now I’d have him as my player of the year. He’s cleaned up his act, scored goals for fun – apart from in one fixture – and his all-round play has been raised several levels. Plus, he’s got a personality that is hard to dislike. Morelos isn’t perfect, but nobody is. I’m guessing that he gets it when he walks about Glasgow and he chooses not to respond, which is what happens in a book with the word “fight” in it. Could you put up with that on a daily basis? If I were in charge of Scottish football, which sadly is not the case, I would rescind the red card and force those Motherwell supporters so brave with their actions at the weekend to face up to Morelos. My guess is they wouldn’t fancy it and hide away like the weans they are. Morelos has 27 goals to his name this season. That’s impressive enough but, given he takes more flack on and off the pitch than anyone else in the Scottish game, his feats become all the more impressive. I would be astonished if Rangers aren’t forced to fend off bids for their main man in January. Morelos, still only 23, would be cheap in relative terms. I’m not saying Liverpool would be after him but surely the scouts in England now realise that to dismiss talent north of the border is plain stupid. It would be good if Morelos stayed at least until the end of the season. We need as many good players in the Premiership as we can get. But I wouldn’t blame the lad if he once again turned to the Scottish public to “get it right up us” and go somewhere else. https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/18108790.neil-cameron-scottish-fans-deserve-ultimate-snub-alfredo-morelos/

I supported Scotland in my younger days. After the Duncan Ferguson incident, I lost interest but still preferred Scotland to win. Since we were demoted, I became neutral and more recently, because of the way Rangers are continually treated differently and because of the Tranny Army - which I consider an embarrassment - I, more often than not, hope Scotland lose. I couldn't care less if anyone agrees with my viewpoint but I know quite a few Bears who do (and most of them have season cards for Ibrox).

Flowers in the Rain. Apparently, tomorrow evening on BBC Scotland 2, there is a 25th anniversary show lasting one hour. It is a celebration of BBC Radio Scotland's, 'Off the Ball' presented by both DrStu' and Tam Cowan. It is described as petty and ill-informed and promises the hilarious inside story. I am sure there will be lots of anecdotes from all the usual suspects, the cacophony of thigh slapping will grow to a crescendo, only matched by DrStu's sniggering hypocrisy. Conveniently, no one involved in contributing will remember that Rangers supporters were habitually referred to as, 'H-u-ns' during the first several years of the show? The first year saw Tam Cowan and Gregory Hemphill present the show, it was quite sketch show based, with Greg mostly impersonating the then SFA supremo, Jim Farry. It was a dry stick and DrStu was brought in to provide extra edge. It soon became obvious that the cutting edge was utilised to lacerate 'the H-u-ns'. A conveyor belt of fanzine Editors came into the studios and filled their boots, dehumanising, demonising, and marginalising the H-u-ns. Notably, no Rangers 'zine Editor would trap and in the name of balance they found a Janitor from a Largs Primary School to represent Bears. In true DrStu' scripting, the lad was always presented with the sobriquet, 'the H-u-n with a Heart'! Now, I have no doubt that such conditioning is embarrassing these days, and we will be urged to forget it occurred. DrStu has been quite anxious these last few years that the Rangers Tax Case Blog is forgotten. We are also encouraged to forget DrStu' s usage of sectarian language in print, bellowing, and constant expressive hatred in his dozen year Daily Record column. DrStu' is a father these days, in his 68th year. He has a 7 year old son, and when not waxing lyrical about his unique charm, he is actively fund raising for the lad's school. A 25th anniversary show is about posterity and DrStu' does not want his son to know his bigoted past. It's only three years past, since BBC Scotland decided to update, 'Only a Game' on it's 30th anniversary. DrStu' took over William McIlvanney's role as Narrator to bring everything up to date. Reasonable enough, no one was more actively involved in the RTC Blog, and he was most anxious to be heard on the matter. My one complaint was how DrStu' glossed over the single most significant piece of racism to occur in the Scottish game. Mark Walters debut at Celtic Park was on the 2nd of January'88, only two years into his thirty year remit from '86 to '16. He ignored it, completely. This is surprising form the big soulful soulster who never tires of telling how injustice, particularly racial injustice keeps him awake at night? Well, if he says it did not happen, it did not happen; and it will be the same tomorrow evening, DrStu' does not have a bigoted bone in his body. He is just sitting watching flowers in the rain, watching his garden grow. It's the thing about Off the Ball, it was the in, that lead to the weekly 'Media Review' where DrStu' uses another voice. Similarly, anecdotes reference his young son are often told proving his greater sensitivity than most politicians. Nicola is the exception, "she hasn't put a foot wrong" but DrStu' does not want to be viewed, "as a Bute House sook". Most Rangers supporters are on the same page here, we see you as a self publicising sycophant. These last dozen years, the show has continually lapsed into a constant stream of self publicity. Tam and DrStu' continue because of the exposure on the national broadcaster. Dinner Nights to be hosted, Book launches to be attended, Speaking engagements to be performed, book signings to be conducted, .................. etc DrStu particularly tells story after story where Channel 4 would have fell on it's ar-se, if DrStu' had not stepped in and brought his foresight and penetrative thought to bear. It's all so worthy because it's all for charidee. Ah mean, what is more worthy than fund raising for your son's primary school? Hosting an Edith Piaf tribute concert for the denizens of Dennistoun, or co-hosting, 'an Evening with Stuart and Tam' at St Lukes, launching a press conference at A'Challtainn, ........ all publicised above any other worthy acts. It's worth it, the Chair of St Dennis's PTA praised DrStu', "a valuable member of the St Dennis family". I don't know if this is because the substantial funds raised, or is it the venues of said events are all withing thirty yards of the Squirrel Bar, HQ of the Green Brigade? Tam got his appeat in on Saturday night, asking the Ref' to be aware of Morelos, his diving and wee kick-outs off the ball. You see the power of the national broadcaster/ Anyways, the similarity between all those bright young things on the steps of Broadcasting House in 1967, about to take the reigns of BBC Radio One. If a Gersnetter could post that black and white photo, I would be obliged. There's Pete Murray, Tony Blackburn, David Jacobs, Kenny Everette, Jimmy Saville, John Peel, DLT, Ed Stewart, David Hamilton, Terry Wogan, .................. etc. How quickly it became about opening supermarkets, Disco and Club appearances, plugging their own discs, and their own political pronouncements. It sums up BBC Scotland best these days. It is all about cultivation and making one's garden grow. May I suggest an idea for DrStu's fund raiser for his son's school next year? St Dennis was an early Christian martyr. suffered decapitation. Incredibly, St Denis shook off the shock, picked up his head and walked the several miles back into Paris; all the while preaching a sermon on repentance. If DrStu' replicates, I'll chip in, it will make a change from him constantly talking out his arse?

You're surprised given the way that Rangers players and fans have been treated by the Scotland fans? The treatment of our club by the SFA? Are you really that surprised? FWIW, I do hope Scotland qualify, but I can understand the way that many bears have turned away from Scotland.

It's safe to assume Separate Entity FC will beat the sheep and St Mirren over the course of the next eight days, so a win against Hibs on Friday night is essential. Morelos being unavailable makes it a harder task and Gerrard is yet to win at Easter Road. Kent, Arfield and Aribo need to get into the box and support Defoe, which is something they haven't done enough of.

Which has me worried!!!!

I hope you'll agree that this is relevant to post here, because the government today fired a shot across the bow of the BBC due to its bias. We don't want to get in to a political debate here, but there's no doubt that this government's direction of travel is to remove the licence fee. At the very least they've 'suggested' that no one should be taken to court over not paying it. Isn't that a clear signal that you can choose not to pay without consequence? I believe this could be the end of the BBC as we know it. It might continue to be biased after this, but ta least we are not paying for it. And I'd also imagine this means that organisations like BBC Sport Scotland then have to cater for a wider audience if they want to survive. I wonder if that would change their behaviour or if they would rather die in a ditch rather than giving Rangers a fair and balanced coverage. The end of the road for the BBC and their clique? I really hope so.

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He’s really quite good. Cant think of any other player who can play centre forward and also inside right in the same match.

Doubt it. I'll never be at Tannadice again. Unfortunately I think they will come back up this season

Great article

Been living on the moon ?

Those accounts are a wonderful read. Just wonderful.

Worth it just to piss off the mindless ovine bleaters. Jack obviously is one of their best players of the last decade but their bile wont let them concede that. He gave them good service but that's all to be forgotten simply because he moves on for the financial security of his family. ?

Thank You. Such an inspiration to Roy Wood.

Sometimes carrying their boots and only the better paid ones shared the taxi.

If Lyle Taylor actually is being pursued it's interesting to take note of a comment he made back in October when Aribo scored for Nigeria against Brazil. And incidentally decent scoring record for Charlton this season, 5 goals 1 assist in 9 games while he has apparently been struggling for fitness due to injury.

I meant no other player other than a Rangers player, but I'm sure you knew that ?. We get refereed to a different standard for sure and that is what pisses me off, and when I see/hear Rangers fans saying '' that's the rules he shouldn't have done it'' is quite annoying, we all know the rules!!, but the rules aren't applied fairly across the board. The video clip I posted showing Kris Boyd at HT saying ''if it wasn't Morelos doing it then it wouldn't be highlighted'', for a separate incident in the 1st half proves we are treated differently to the rest of Scottish football.

Personally, I see the SFA XI being as representative of Scotland as the SNP. A big deal for a few but an irritating distraction for the rest of us.

I'm just surprised. Scotland is part of the UK. On the Union flag and all that