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During the Battle of Aisne, on the Western Front of WW1, two men were given the unenviable task of capturing an enemy machine gun post. It was a suicide mission, nevertheless the soldiers followed their orders and attacked. One of the men was Private George Wilson of the Highland Light Infantry, the other man’s name hasn’t been recorded for posterity. Private Wilson received the Victoria Cross for most conspicuous gallantry, a medal you can still see today as it’s displayed in the HLI museum in Sauchiehall Street. Wilson survived the mission and the war. His comrade that day was killed before the enemy machine gun post was secured. Writing about the nature of fate and luck Sergeant Thomas Painting, who was present at the battle, retold the story “Private Wilson from the HLI and one our men attacked a machine gun. Our man got killed but Wilson captured the position. Wilson got the Victoria Cross and our man got a wooden cross, that’s the difference.” Luck, fate or whatever you want to call it is that most elusive and valuable of commodities in football too. Sure, you make your own luck. 30 years from now history will record that Cyriel Dessers scored an injury time winner in a classic 4-3 victory. It’s unlikely anyone then will care that he had 10 or so good chances to score before that. He scored the winner, that’s the only stat that counts. Lucky Cyriel. Lucky Rangers to have him. Unlucky Dundee to keep allowing him to get chances. Luck has been on my mind watching Rangers this year. Had James Tavernier not missed a stoppage time penalty against Queens Park we’d probably have gone on and won that cup tie. Lucky Rangers would have been the gist of the headlines. Clement would have hung on for at least another few weeks, almost certainly until the Fenerbace tie. Luck had something else in mind, no VCs for Phillipe. Barry Ferguson might just be a lucky manager. Certainly he’s incredibly lucky to actually be the Rangers manager. He’s not nearly qualified for the job, indeed I’d argue he would have been lucky to ever get another senior managerial job following his stints at Kelty and Clyde. Yet now he’s managing the biggest club in the country. Not only was Ferguson out of work and available, but so were Allan McGregor, Neil McCann and Billy Dodds, who along with Issame Charai have been unable to fix our defensive frailties but have found a bit of steel from somewhere. A lucky find. Incredibly, Ferguson’s Rangers have yet to win a match at Ibrox. The Fenerbace game was actually a horrible performance, lacking in everything we’ve come to expect from Rangers in the Europa League. Yet we’ve all forgotten about that because Jack Butland chose that moment to re-find the form that made him an England international once upon a time. A 2-0 defeat that felt like a win. We left Ibrox relieved and ecstatic, almost forgetting we’d carried a lot of luck that evening. Our support returned to Parkhead and watched Rangers deservedly go in ahead at the break, before succumbing to Celtic’s Japanese footballers once again. We know how this story normally ends, yet this time it didn’t. Celtic’s defenders decided defending wasn’t for them, Igamane got the break of the ball and delivered a finish so beautiful that should also be displayed in a museum in Glasgow for everyone to admire. Ferguson’s Rangers seem to have all the same weaknesses as Clement’s, yet somehow they feel different. I think, and I say this quietly so as not to break the spell, but I think we’re carrying some luck for what feels like the first time in years. The Dundee disallowed goal, their point blank miss in the second half, oh we’re definitely carrying some luck. It’s about time frankly. Napoleon was once criticised for winning battles through luck. He replied that he’d ‘rather have lucky generals than good ones, lucky ones win battles’. Is Barry Ferguson a lucky general? I hope so. Unlike 8,500,000 others Private Wilson VC survived the First World War and returned to Scotland to resume his life. However, Wilson was taken by TB in 1926 without reaching his 40th birthday. Everyone runs out of luck, eventually.

We could always put it on a banner...

I don't think it's right to dish out lifetime bans for something that wasn't actually racist or discriminatory. UEFA didn't like it, so censor and ban those fans forever? At most, a ban from European games would make more sense.

Would it be bitter, twisted, and downright cynical to suggest that this change comes in when Pederasts FC has to play a qualifier in CL for the first time in a few years ??

My info isn't coming from the articles.

Strange that the SFA/SPFL release two stories on the same day BEAST FC are all the headlines for decades of a paedophile ring operating inside that vile club!

You mean non-stun slaughter? It's cruel pal 👍🏻

Strictly on the QT: neither do I.

I don't think luck has anything to do with those stats.

So basically you are saying you don't like Muslims. Call a spade a spade.

https://x.com/SeafarerMichael/status/1907016553318461925 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹 @SeafarerMichaeSoon as Celtic drop out of automatic UCL qualification slot, the SPFL decide to change the rules!

Nah, it'd be honest.

Could be read either way - I read it the other way this morning.

My understanding is that it's individually 7 figures and the 30% still to be settled will be that too.

... not that they shall be our benchmark, but what sort of "punishment" do they deal out to the wrongdoers over at the Scumhut? If it was similarly "draconic", the Green Brigade's stands would be empty, right? That said, if supporters cannot adhere to our (!) standards and guidelines, they shall suffer the consequences. Attempting or causing bodily harm should always be followed by lifetime bans, police and legal action aside. Other things should be dealt with on a case to case basis, so that club officials and fan-coordinators etc. can earn their corn. "Keep woke foreign ideologies out – defend Europe" was racist and/or discriminatory? I'd like to see an explanation for that.

It's an embarrassment that they reported it.

STAUNCH! Well, it has been just over a month since doleful Phil departed the Stadium and the interim management team of Barry, Neil, Billy and, Allan were appointed. There has been six games, four league fixtures against Killie(a), Motherwell(h), Sellik(a) and Dundee(a). A last sixteen Euro tie against Fenerbache was squeezed in between. There has also been a week long international break; thus, an unforgivingly hectic schedule. Time for rumination has been utilised for the higher priority of grabbing breaths. Inhalation over PQ way is more difficult, the collective airways are constantly blocked by bubbling hilarity. Over these last few years, I have provided dozens of examples of why BBC Scotland should be considered a Sellik state of mind. Where the ACSOM podcast leads, Pacific Quay is sure to follow. The kd lang tribute act and ACSOM main presenter, Paul John Dykes told his viewers, "Barry Ferguson does not have a brain, his team is all about spirit, spit and sawdust". An on screen contributor chipped in with, "Barry is being helped by a couple of BBC Scotland's staunchest pundits". STAUNCH became the defining word. Right across their football content, there was a compulsion at PQ to describe the appointments as STAUNCH. We are talking Sportsound, Sportscene, Off the Ball, A View from the Terrace, .............., etc. Wullie Miller, Chris McLaughlin, Tom English, Stephen Thomson, Stephen McGinn, the diversity twins RAB and Tam, Craig Telfer, Craig Fowler, ......... etc all uttered the word. Some mixed in the unappetising relish of jokes that implied 'thick with it too'. To reinforce the message, the mental imagery was related, the brown brogues on the marble staircase and Barry driving through the Auchenhowie gates in an orange Ford Ranger. It was a STAUNCH sniggerfest. We are all products of our conditioning and fifty-sixty years past in both Primary and Secondary school playgrounds, we told Pat and Mick jokes. You know Pat and Mick decide to take up fishing but quickly realise the cost of clothing and equipment could be prohibitive. Thus, Pat tells Mick to hold him over the bridge by his ankles. When he has his hands on a fish he will shout 'haul' and Mick pulls him up. After an hour, Pat hollers 'haul'. Mick asks, you've caught a fish to which Pat replies, 'naw, there's a train coming'. During senior school and University, we were told these jokes were unacceptable. The Irish are an erudite people, relating jokes confirming a lack of education was a device allowing easy and lazy hatred. RAB Cosgrove has an easy and lazy get out when he feels discomfort, he refers to, "cheeky football rivalry". Can he fit in the following jokes told on BBC Scotland in the last month to that three word phrase? Barry enters a restaurant with EBT Team and is presented with a menu. He tells the waiter, 'we will have the Pageone'. The waiter informs him that he is reading Page One of the menu. Barry approaches the counter and orders, 'a fish supper and a can of coke'. Lady behind the counter replies, 'Ah think you've got the wrong place, this is a Library'. Barry thinks and leans in to whisper, 'a fish supper and a can of coke'. Barry appeared on Countdown alongside Ian Ferguson and it was the only time the show concluded in a nil-nil draw. Barry has to be portrayed as both staunch and thick because it makes him easier to hate. The facts are unhelpful, he married his RC childhood sweetheart, their children were baptised in that faith and, initially their children attended denominational schools. The Establishment broadcaster ignores the facts and continues to pump out the staunch and thick line because they want to be seen as strict adherents to the narrative demanded by the Establishment club. Now, that is staunch.

To me it shouldn't be. We used to prioritise killing animals humanely, and ensuring they were well looked after etc. That should remain the case, from a food safety and hygiene standpoint as well - I don't know if you've ever seen meat transported to Halal businesses, vans that aren't refrigerated, meat just stacked on top of each other, no hanging for separation. We made a big change, specifically in the UK decades ago to bring about changes for food practises.

I wonder when Sturgeon, Yousaf, Swinney, McLaren and Aitken will be issuing statements.

I hope you’re right. I was reading the figure as an all claims total. I’ll be glad to be wrong.

A seven figure payout for each of those involved is a lot of money. It's immoral that it's taken this long to settle with (some of) the victims.

Here's luck. Unfortunately, I don 't see any prospect of it running out, any time soon Breakdown of average fouls per booking across the league after 31 games Season 25/26 Aberdeen - 4.7 fouls per yellow Celtic - 10.4 fouls per yellow Dundee - 5.1 fouls per yellow Dundee Utd - 4.9 fouls per yellow Hearts - 5.5 fouls per yellow Hibs - 6.3 fouls per yellow Kilmarnock - 5.9 fouls per yellow Motherwell - 5.4 fouls per yellow Rangers - 5.5 fouls per yellow Ross County - 6.3 fouls per yellow St Johnstone - 6.3 fouls per yellow St Mirren - 5.6 fouls per yellow

Now the compensation case at paradise has been settled let’s see how UEFA deal with Celtic football club will they have the guts to tell our SFA to strip them of trophies because I recall a Celtic director saying that if it was Rangers he’d make sure titles would be stripped.

Police Scotland have confirmed this evening that after looking into an incident at celtic park in which a footballer "skooshed" a supporter, no further action will be taken. Crazy that it even got to such a point, but hey ho 😂

I fully believe now that the 'criminal' investigation has happened, we will see a league investigation likely leading to a suspension..

Because one is misleading and the other isn't. If you don't put any importance on being deliberately misled then fair enough.

That's not really true. It's tolerance, rather than intolerance, that would let a 'foreign ideology' in.

Thankfully there is games back - although there has been a load of disappointing games recently. Not sure there is need for a Thursday fixture - just play 5 and 5 over two nights. Arsenal 2-0 Fulham Wolves 0-1 West Ham Nottingham Forest 1-1 Man Utd Bournemouth 3-1 Ipswich Brighton 1-1 Aston Villa Man City 4-0 Leicester Newcastle 2-2 Brentford Southampton 0-1 Crystal Palace Liverpool 3-0 Everton Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham

Meaningless gibberish from the Record but that’s normal.

That's just people manipulating the situation for their own purposes. As has already been said, they'd probably get at with it at any other game, just not a UEFA one. The club are banning people for getting us into trouble with UEFA, not for wrongthink.

There is a mid-week program this week pick of the bunch might be the game at Anfield when the toffees will be looking for at least a point

https://www.spiked-online.com/2025/03/30/the-shameful-silencing-of-rangers-fans/

100% agree Anyone but Palace for me, preferably the Villa whom failing Forest then City.

I disagree. Home record grim, and he's been praised for changing things in recent games, but that's only cos he got his tactics so wrong in the first place.