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Thin Skinned RAB? Back in the mists of this thread, I did an article on the symbiosis between PQ's litany of ra Sellik and Aberdeen supporters. I used the Hippo and the Oxpecker to highlight the relationship(page 124). An acquaintance working in PQ at the time suggested 'Hippo' was a good nickname for Stuart Cosgrove - increasingly thick skinned. I thought the acronym RAB(Rancid Auld Bigot) was more appropriate because of RAB's long association with and usage of the 'H' term. RAB has never missed an opportunity to explain the derivation of the nickname for Jim Traynor preferred by PQ and Pie and Bovril - 'Jabba'. There is another symbiotic relationship, PQ and Pie and Bovril. Or is it? Just like RAB's thinning skin in his seventieth year, Pie and Bovril has been running threads for a few years on Sportsound, Off the Ball and, recently, 'BBC Scotland's Grovelling Apology'. The last one is already 13 pages and growing. Of course, the apology to Rangers and Rangers supporters being grovelling or otherwise has come about because Big Dick stepped down from Saturdays to the appointment of Kenny(the H-u-n)Macintyre as successor; nothing about providing the same service to Rangers and Rangers supporters that PQ has provided to every other License fee payer. On Saturday, RAB mocked P and B for labelling the apology as grovelling. Saturday's guest was someone with no interest in football, Alan Cumming. I remember Alan when he was a budding talent, attended the Kings Theatre in the late 80s to witness a wonderful performance with Forbes Mason as, 'Victor and Barry'. These days, Alan has joined Irvine Welsh, Martin Compston, Brian Cox, .... etc who live the millionaires life in the States but regularly continue to tell those of us remaining in Scotland how to vote. You feel for them, enduring four years as Trumptonians as opposed to experiencing the joy of existence here in the realm of Queen Nicola. I suppose it is the freedom of expression question? Make a satirical joke reference the First Minister and you will be cancelled whereas if you want to sing the praises of the IRA, do as Martin did, climb upon the Las Vegas stage. So, a guest with no interest in football appearing on a football show, there has to be a reason and a script. Drama graduate RAB obliged, when Cumming asked for the name of the guy doing those historical documentaries, RAB is cued to say, "Neil Oliver". Cumming delivers the punch line, "Aye, he's a fascist". Neil Oliver continues to live in Scotland and his advice on voting differs from RAB and Cumming, thus depicted as totalitarian with no tolerance. The next scripted act demanded Cumming play the 'straight' man. He picked a Yahoo's contribution mocking Rangers as winner of the week's competition and RAB provided the punchline, "ah don't think we're allowed to laugh at Rangers on the BBC anymore". The reason is Cumming's has a new production to sell, 'Burn' - a new take on the life of Rabbie Burns. RAB told of having already purchased his briefs for the Theatre Royal. He added, "looking forward to it immensely" because RAB prefers his politics to be totalitarian and non tolerant of opposing views. Tomorrow belongs to Alan and RAB. Like Neil Oliver, RAB has enjoyed a long term dislike of three Michelin star Chef, Gordon Ramsay. The successful Scot was visiting Auchenhowie last week and RAB hated the coverage. He wondered aloud, "has any newspaper dredged through his historic social media"? Clearly, a reference to RAB's latest protege, Susie McCabe who was revealed a fortnight past as an intolerant bigot in two national blats. It is Angela Haggerty all over again, but do not worry; Susie can pin that wee badge upon her lapel and, Police Scotland will say, "nothing to see here". Why does RAB hate such an internationally successful fellow Scot? I hear his lobster ravioli is quite wonderful. Sincerely, I hope those persistent, avarice sh1t chewing oxpeckers do not visit the sweating, farting Hippo that is RAB. He is becoming too thin skinned. PS I hope Neil Oliver takes BBC Scotland and Cumming all the way.

I feel like it's the wrong way round: They seem to want all the benefits to improve the product. We should be improving the product to reap the benefits.

I don't doubt the hard work done by Greg and his assistant over the last wee while but the customer aspect of many issues at the club remain poor and this just seems like another tick box exercise to me.

Bit early for the Valium, gisabeer?

I don't particularly have an issue with it but rangers just want as much money as possible from each and every fan. Up till now i have been doing my part by buying games on RTV etc as much as possible but my monthly costs are up 600 quid and heading to 1k in the winter and perhaps more next year. will be lots of fans feeling the squeeze.

Sands is starting to grow on me. I like his composure on the ball. I think he will be more of a cover man in the season to come but hes starting to tick all the boxes.

In itself there's nothing wrong with this initiative but few will take it seriously because the club has done so little to address issues that go back many years. The club needs to understand it's not listening that's needed but actually doing something about what they hear.

Yeah I'm cynical about it too. Surely the issues are obvious? Its not like they haven't been told!

If you are underselling your current product, then there is room to improve benefits with same product. Thereafter, yes.

Emotional blind loyalty allows most football clubs to remain distant from cutting edge customer service. One thing social media has shown up is the same or very similar complaints to arise repeatedly, then lip service and promises. They aren't fully addressed and it starts again.

A lot of ground to make up. Scottish provincial clubs in Europe are on a par with those from the likes of Lithuania and Malta. First up this season Motherwell 0 Sligo Rovers 1

You have to wonder why we aren't already.

That's correct.

Delighted with the transfer window. Even better was the players who opted for us instead of the mhanks. Tim's are raging! Weve brought in some very exciting players and have Lowry and McCann coming through, two players I have very high hopes for. It was sad to see big shirley go but his sale along with Aribo has made Rangers a very attractive proposition to any young talent, Lovelace being the latest to jump the border. A few should go, kamara, kelly and sakala topping my list. I think kent should go for his own sake. Scottish football is strangling him, his performances in the europa showed what hes capable of. A more competitive league may be better for him I think.

An American businessman treating the SPL as an organization, with a vision for success. Way too much 'can do' positivity, and forthright speech for north of the Antonine Wall Come on Gordo! You're in Scotland FFS! LOL!

Without substantial investment in staff, systems and processes they're just farting in the wind. IIRC we'll be stuck with the same useless ticketing systems (it's not the staff that's the issue) for at least 2 more seasons.

After many many years of very similar announcements, promises, statements, I’m afraid I read the above piece and think aye right. Put me in the I’ll believe it when I see it category.

We're back!!

Aye, me too, I think he'll grow into the team. Unlike a fair few on here, I reckon big Souttar will be a great signing too. #optimistloyal

Things would get pretty interesting if the American's got a hold of the Edinburgh clubs and put their know how into them. To go off on a bit of a tangent, the MLS clubs are worth hundreds of millions of dollars in some cases yet have absolutely bang average playing squads. So it'll be interesting seeing them operate in the SPL. Although what he's stated in the article is just simple fact, it is all about the Rangers, it always has been.

I think we are underselling it but yes, there are many issues to address. The fundamental is (lack of) leadership at executive level and a business structure that doesn't work.

I keep hearing that we're underselling our product, and that may well be true to an extent, but I don't think it's as much as many think. The football is trash. You made the point above: Sligo Rovers beating Motherwell. The winners of the League of Ireland get 200k, while the Scottish winners get £3.2M (Motherwell received £1.8M). On another level, we are 'competing' with Dortmund and Leipzig, with a fraction of the budget. You can play good football on a budget.

Agreed. For me it starts with refereeing standards. If they were much tougher on the physicality in the game and refereed more to a european standard, we would see more of our technical prospects start to flourish. We get frustrated when promising youngsters don't translate their youth pedigree into first team success, and I think this is one of the main barriers.

The SLO was over at some European SLO event at Frankfurt last week... seems he's come back full of new ideas and energy. Which is good on one hand, but as others have said, the cynic in me wonders why its taken an event like that to put such mechanisms in place?

Thats fine, i can totally get that. But at least provide some good service to go with it. Its not much to ask really

It could be even worse than that. The club might actually act on the advice received from the self selecting minority that engage.

As title, George Taylor has joined the board.

Incorrect, Park, Letham and Taylor were the three bears. King wasn't.

I think most of us would prefer to be drawn against the winners of Dynamo Kiev vs Sturm Graz but let's not take anything for granted - we have to overcome the Belgians before any of that.

Rumours out there suggest that Frankie has negotiated a deal with money up front and that this was 'coincidently' followed by him booking up a trip to Turkey for hair implants (on top).

So basically all the strikes have been specifically planned to coincide with our home games. Smells dodgy. I hope they get F all. If you don’t like the pay and conditions, quit and see if you can find a better job out in the real world of the private sector.

Two sides of PQ. Friends again is the message. The new found camaraderie took a BBC Scotland cameraman and Journalist up the marble staircase and into the Rangers trophy room. David Mason welcomed both, introduced the Walter Tull cup and, told the trials and tribulations of the life of one of the first black players in British football. Walter was raised in a London orphanage alongside his brother, Edward. At the age of 20, Walter began a professional football career that took him to three clubs in England. He had a season at Clapham, three at Spurs and, three at Northampton Town. Meanwhile, Edward had been adopted by a Glasgow family, privately educated, he attended Glasgow Dental School and, became(reputedly) Glasgow's first black Dentist. In 1914, Walter signed for Rangers because he wanted to be closer to his brother. World War One intervened, Walter joined the Middlesex Regiment and, Edward the RAMC. Edward survived the conflict and married a Glasgow girl. Sadly, the now commissioned Walter fell in the Spring of 1918, thus never played for our club. In 2003, the Rangers Supporters Trust put up the Walter Tull Trophy to be contested by Rangers and Spurs each time they played a challenge match. It is a story worth telling and remembering and well done BBC Scotland for helping get the story out there. Susie McCabe? Susie McCabe's name has appeared frequently on this thread, she is a most regular guest on RAB Cosgrove and Tam Cowan's Off the Ball. She ticks RAB's boxes, - hates Rangers and Rangers supporters, Sellik supporter, big supporter of Scottish independence, near Dennistoun neighbour, Lesbian, Stand Up Comedian .............. etc. Susie is under RAB's tutelage, just like Angela Haggerty back in the day. RAB will help make Susie mainstream. She has already appeared on BBC's Question Time. Like Angela, Susie has a social media sectarian past. Of course, Susie can be assured Angela will NOT 'Call it Out'. Susie is addicted to the 'H' term, her Twitter feed was littered with accusations. Her latest is that Murdo Fraser MSP is a member of the Orange Order and celebrates the 17th century. Murdo's crime was to celebrate Tuesday's pre-season win over West Ham. Susie's hatred is her comfort blanket; last year at the Euros, she was booked to do her routine at the Glasgow Green FanZone. It was midweek, a quarter-final not involving England and of 200 tables, only a dozen were occupied. Susie died, came off stage to the sound of her own brogan footsteps and, Tweeted - "hard gig, thanx H-u-ns". Susie does not care for the fourth estate, in justifying her refusal to purchase a newspaper she Tweeted, "the fall of Der H-u-n proves how sh1te the Scottish media are". However, we know BBC Scotland will persevere because Susie's hatred is in the right place. Susie's 50 H-u-n a day habit is no different from RAB, Angela, Chris and Connie, .............. etc; she will continue to get the PQ gigs to allow them to condition her to hate more carefully. If you are unfortunate enough to ever find yourself a victim of Susie's interpretation of entertainment, i suggest you make a determined effort to find something marginally more humorous such as Janey Godley or a burning orphanage.