andy steel

He's still my hero, even though he bailed out on an interview he'd agreed to do with me. Definition of a professional.

It's a dreadful piece. They must have been desperate for filler, I suppose, which when you consider the positive story of Andy Murray, tells you all you need to know about the paper in question. I may have missed something but I don't remember Collum being especially biased toward 'them.' Given the performance of his colleagues, I suppose he doesn't have to be!

He's right there...top of the league, League Cup semi midweek, still in the Scottish Cup, out of Europe. Fans bleating. Business as usual. I fail to understand why someone would find the long or short term business dealings of the club, about which info is muddled and confusing, and which they cannot have any influence over, to jaundice their view of the team they support and its manager. It isn't very much like 'supporting' the team. Given the assumption that even in a worst case scenario Rangers FC are not going to be wound up, I can't get excited about the ownership other than to wish we could afford better players. But I won't let it stop me cheering on Walter and the players.

Bickering pair of tarts. As an aside, had Walter had enough wonga, he would have signed James McArthur some 18 months ago, so the 'he's still at Hamilton so not good enough' argument isn't really true in this case. That said, I've hardly seen him kick a ball, so he could be a combination of Sebo and Svensson - 'Sebsson' - some kind of mutated genetic disaster, who is shoved into a football shirt and sent our to lumber about the field. Who knows?

Always good to see another Stuart Munro fan on the website!

Even by the standards we have come to expect from our papers, that's stunningly bad. However, it's as much a by-product of the childish obsession some of us bears have with catholicism as it is of a dismally poor media. Get over it, stop giving these leeches and parasites an open goal. Disagree with Rome? Fine, take a course in theology and preach the reformed gospel.

Typo there. They must have meant 'Trust members.' I don't know the guy but his heart certainly seemed in the right place.

I wonder when Robbie Fowler will be spotted going into Murray Park, as we strengthen our striking options?

A good player, but that price is crazy! Good times.

I doubt we could afford a sign, anyway.

I don't fucking blame him.

I'm not one to buy into the media conspiracy thing, but in all truth I actually read that piece and while my eyes saw 'they' when talking about 'their' support, my brain read 'we.' I was wondering why he had come out of the closet! I have no objection to sports writers supporting 'them'. Especially if their work is of that standard! However, it's an interesting point, the insult to the intelligence that is the football writing and broadcasting world hereabouts. In a microcosm of diversity that would have Trevor Phillips organising a march in a millisecond, we have supporters of St Mirren (Chick Young and Michelle Evans), Airdrie (James Traynor), Clydebank (Hugh Keevins), Hibs (Pat Nevin), Hearts (Alan Preston), Aberdeen (Richard Gordon), Dundee Utd (Jim Spence), QoS (some woman on Radio Scotland), as well as one or two candidates whose playing history (Murdo MacLeod) or intelligence (Jim Duffy) makes them unashamed to display their green and grey colours. You could go on. There's only one club which remains unrepresented. You may offer the name of Billy Dodds - his mantra, acceptable if unconvincing, is that he follows every team he played for. Hmmmm. You may offer the name of Derek Johnstone, but only if you haven't been listening to Radio Clyde for the past 2 decades. Rangers - the love that dare not speak its name, in the media. Grow up and grow a set, you broadcasting types! No-one - not a single person - in this country is fooled for a moment by the idea that sportsdesks up and down the country are staffed with a deliberately wide range of affiliated staff. The most ignorant listener or reader is well aware that support for a minor county is a mere smokescreen for OF loyalty, hidden in order to advance career or avoid criticism. Understandable, I for one wouldn't want to suffer abuse in the street simply for expressing my opinion on the football. But then, I never chose a career covering Scottish football - were I to do so in the future, I'd be well aware of what it entails! I would not, however, chose to combat ignorance by lying.

<doubtful? I guess so...was it Efrem, the Cypriot, who went to Dundee last season, scored some goals, set up a lot and was generally considered about their best player - and nothing at all came of it? I know the management see the players daily, and must have their views of them based on stuff we know nothing of, but if we don't consider a successful period out on loan to mean anything, what's the point?

An excellent piece indeed. Well done, Calscot - must be nice for you get praise occassionally!! I know this makes sound like a dick - well, I am a dick I suppose - but 'hoards' should be either 'horde' or 'hordes'. You know, like Genghis Khan.

In English, rather than Doric: Aberdeen are relieved by the news that they can now cash in on Fraser Fyvie when he makes it clear he is no longer willing to remain at a minor Scottish club.

That's the chap!

Forget his name, came from Chelsea under PLG, was supposed to be half decent. I haven't heard a cheep about him for ages.

It reeks of an experienced manager slapping down a sassy player and his agent. Would it kill you to give credit where it is due?

Plainly an African Establishment Plot To Hand The Cup Of Nations To The Team With A Rangers Player In It.

Woo-hooo! Errr...is that GBP1m? I'm not good at arithmetic at all.

I'd welcome any player who is Scottish and makes us better. I'd even welcome McGeady, were it possible.

Hope there's a sell on clause in his Blackpool contract somewhere!

You have to think that Calscot's vision for the future is the only show in town, if you'll excuse the expression. What point a return to another owner who racks up debt that can't be repaid? Far better to live within your means. I still believe Scotland produces more than enough good players every year to offer a decent standard of football - I don't suppose we'll be challenging for the Champions League, but we aren't exactly theatening at the moment, are we?

Long term I suppose it might work out, in that we cease to hire expensive players and struggle to avoid vast losses, and hire cheaper, younger players and hopefully inculcate an Ajax style philosophy. That would be about a decade away, though, and the prospect of 'them' having a clear run for that time does not fill me with weekend cheer.

What is even more interesting, in my eyes anyway, is the apathy that's been shown overall. Is this because the team hit a vein of form? Is it because no-one knows what's going on? Is it because those without 1000GBP to spare feel marginalised? Or is it that although we have a huge fan base, the club is seen as a hobby, a pastime, rather than the integral part of life it's often claimed to be? When this all started I rather assumed that ownership would pass from one rich individual (SDM) to another (Mr X). I was all for pushing fan-owndership, but it's plain to see it has been a nonstarter and would require a regular financial committment from tens of thousands of fans - I can see it is unrealistic to expect this to happen. So I was sanguine, thinking Mr X (I typed Mr C there by mistake!) would buy Rangers and on we would go. Instead there's some rumour, some jockeying, but nothing even approaching anything tangible....meantimes the stadium crumbles, the team weakens (despite our current standing) and the length of time needed to get back onto an even keel increases. Where before I was laid back I'm now concerned. I don't think the future looks promising at all.