Cotter

Anyone fancy tapping me 1500 quid so I can pop home from Bolivia for the CL? Bring on the big guns!!!!:spl:

I must say that in hindsight, with the victory secured, Kev�´s early bath might prove to be a blessing in disguise. Touch wood it�´s only accies at home this week so we should manage without him while he serves his ban. After that it�´s international week so yet more time for him to build his strength and fitness without the higher risk of injury that comes with competitive games. I had the feeling that the hertz game was a little early for KT to start and seemed a bit of a necessary gamble by WS. Hopefully when he returns he will be ready. Edit: early contender for thread title of the season!

F*ckin superb. Let�´s see you dive your way out of this one scumbags.:spl: Bring on the subs Arsene and tear them to peices:box:

If it stays 1-1 pot 2 it is. Drew 2-2 in Lisbon.

2 million Rangers

Dodgy penalty. Brilliant:giruy: Shame Fiorentina are losing 1 nil to Sporting.

Well, 90% of bears have got their wish. All they need now is for Murray to sell his shares and for Walter to be sacked. Then we'll be fine... Not sure how I feel about this yet. Murray has certainly mismanaged the club in recent years, but the last time he took a step back McClelland did f*ck all and we were in such a mess Murray had to come back in. Time will tell. At least this guy is a fan and has a sports background. Anyway Alistair, are we getting a new Centre half or not ffs?

From The Herald: The birth of the blues is a story of remarkable poignancy. Rangers are a solid, substantial club with its roots firmly planted in the soil of world football. Yet the beginnings of the club were truly humble and have been treated with an indifference, even an ignorance. Consider this for a test. Who founded Celtic? Most Scottish football fans would instantly reply: "Brother Walfrid". But who were the originators of Rangers? Some may mumble hesitantly: "Moses McNeil". Others would not hazard a guess. But the question receives its most authoritative answer in Gary Ralston's Rangers 1872: The Gallant Pioneers. This is the dramatic story of the formation of an institution and of the cruel fate that beset the four young boys who set the ball rolling for what soon became the leading club in Scottish football. "It is a sad, heartbreaking story. It adds an extra dimension to the formation of Rangers, just what these young guys went through. advertisement The sadness for me is that they created a club that went on to be known throughout the world yet they themselves led such tragic lives. There is something touching, even romantic, about that," says Ralston. The simple conception of Rangers can be traced to Kelvingrove Park. There were four fathers: Peter McNeil and Moses McNeil, 17 and 16 years of age respectively, and Peter Campbell and William McBeath, both 15. They discussed the possibility of forming a team during their constitutional walk. The club that has won 52 Scottish championships was therefore basically started as a street team by a group of boys who had been smitten by the latest sporting enthusiasm of association football. They were joined in their endeavours by Tom Vallance, later to become a legendary Rangers captain, but who was then barely 16 years old. Their triumph was to be the foundation stones of a Scottish institution. Their tragedy was to die in relative obscurity and have their deeds unremembered by the mass of supporters. Ralston, gloriously, resurrects them. But the sadness remains. The passing of Moses in 1938 did not rate a mention in the press of that week. He was buried at Rosneath which only recently has become a place of pilgrimage for Rangers fans. His brother, Peter, died in his early 40s. He was certified insane and had been sectioned at Hawkhead Asylum in Paisley. The business brain behind Rangers, Peter had been beset by financial problems and the pressure took a toll on his mental and physical health. Peter Campbell had a more sudden demise. At 25, the marine engineer was lost at sea after the steamer he was working on came to grief in the Bay of Biscay. William McBeath, chronically ill and mentally infirm, was certified as "an imbecile". His last days were spent in the Lincoln workhouse, his passing went unremarked in the press when he died in 1917. He was given a pauper's burial and lies in an untended grave. Tom Vallance, however, did have his days in the sun. As a footballer, Vallance was of the highest rank, almost certainly one of the most accomplished players in the 1870s. He never played on the losing side against England and was a commanding captain for Rangers. Yet, in common with his band of brothers who were part of the formation of Rangers, he was struck by misfortune. Vallance embarked on a career in the tea plantations of Assam. But he returned to Scotland suffering from black water fever. Why did Ralston include him in the pantheon of Rangers founders even though Vallance was not at the meeting in Kelvingrove Park then known as West End Park? "Because he was an absolute colossus," said Ralston. "The two people who were absolutely pivotal to Rangers' development were Peter McNeil for his work behind scenes and Vallance. At 6ft 2in, he was a veritable club giant on and off the field." The club these vulnerable human beings created went from strength to strength. Ralston is keen to dispel any misconceptions about the birth of Rangers. "There was no political or religious element in the formation of Rangers," he said. "I am fascinated about just how the sectarian divide came into Scottish football but that happened in the 20th century, probably from about 1910-20." He added: "The birth of Rangers was basically a result of young guys deciding to have a team to play in what was the new craze of football. There was no other agenda, no wealthy benefactors." Ralston, a journalist, spent three years uncovering the story from the debris of passing decades. It was a labour of love. "I wanted to do it because I had read brief accounts of the formation of the club and I wondered just what had happened to those guys. This is a story that has never fully been told before. I was helped by the fact that the internet has meant that it is easier to do the kind of research that it is necessary in pulling the strands of the story together. Basically, it was a fascinating piece of Scottish football history that has been under-researched." He emerged from his studies with a mass of evidence that he has distilled into a story that is fascinating for any observer of Scottish football. "The most important game Rangers have played in their history was the 1877 Scottish Cup final," he claimed. "Rangers took the mighty Vale of Leven to three games. That final was crucial because SFA annals testify to the Glaswegian labour classes rushing from the factory gates to salute their new heroes. These games won them an audience." That audience has endured 137 years on. Rangers sit unmoveable on the South Side. The stadium has been modernised to cope with the changing imperatives of football. More than 50,000 people file into their seats of a Saturday. Hundreds of thousands more follow the Light Blues through internet and television. There are no shortage of stories on Rangers. But the tale of the birth of the club had been allowed to lie in the darkness of the past. Ralston has brought it into the light.

Rangers 2 Hertz 1 Mendes, Fleck.

2-0 Gers. Whittaker, Miller.

Aye I know what you�´re saying, but it�´s common knowledge Smith wants to sign Tonel. I wasn�´t making a general statement about preferring purchases to Bosmans. I�´ve seen Tonel a few times and he�´s solid. Also the only Bosmans left at this stage that would be willing to sign for us are on the wrong side of 30.

Like Cal says, the club have been up front about this. They haven�´t come out and said we will sign someone should Arsenal put sellik out, but that seems to be the consensus among fans. Smith�´s hands are tied here. He has stated publicly he is aware we are short at the back. If the choice is between getting a Bosman in now and waiting til sellik get put out (which they will) to get a 2M player in then I for one would rather wait. I�´d rather Tonel than a 35 year old.

Things are shaping up nicely then. One CB away from a CL winning outfit:giruy:

In an ideal world I'd want rid of Gow, McCulloch, Beasley (can't believe no one would be willing to take him, get your act together Rangers)and Adam. I'd settle for punting McGregor and getting a good CB in. However, I would find it hard to accept the sale of Bougherra. I vote sell (just not Boogie!) and strengthen. Weir for another season? Every game? We need a CB end of story.

Confusing indeed. Perhaps with the freed up wages we have improved Boogie's terms? Either that or a January sale has been agreed should we exit Europe early?

Cuellar never came out and said he wanted to stay. He wanted to go. He also left post Kaunas. Boogie has CL if he stays.

I would agree that some of us, myself included, don't feel the feeds are worth the bother. However I can understand some people's liking for them as they make the forums a one stop shop for all things Rangers related.

Sounds to me like they wouldn't meet our valuation and Boogie is genuinely not unhappy to stay. I am still worried about them coming back with an improved offer, but then again if they do, hopefully we can strengthen.

Cheers Frankie, new sub-forum the perfect solution:)

"If they can progress to the final qualifying round this time, they will not be seeded and will face either Arsenal, Lyon, Stuttgart, Fiorentina or Atletico Madrid." From the ET. It would be a minor miracle if they got to the CL. Thank Christ we won the league!:spl:

I don't know about you guys but I don't really enjoy the boards being clogged up with banal "news" from the official site. I can tolerate the BBC feed; at least Chico's news is actually news. If I want the boring stuff from the official site, I'll log on. I joined gersnet for a reason. So I didn't have to read sterilised, tedious rubbish. Can we have a poll on whether (ahem) Walter Must Go?

I'd rather keep an unhappy player than be ripped off. ââ??¬8m or on yer bike.

Aye cos you canny buy it anywhere else ffs.

Sounds to me like SDM is saying "it'll cost ye more than ââ??¬5m for the big man". He even specifically names Boogie in the statement, along with Davis. If we did get a Cuellar type offer then fine, we could strengthen proportionately. Let's hope we stand firm on this.

Translation: I'm glad they got their c*nts kicked in. Me too:giruy: