26th of foot

It is Angela Haggerty that is the recipient of an HND in Journalism.

Oh, thus far I am unawares of her printed erudition. Which blatt avails us of such strident sagacity?

Despite a full curricular and extra-curricular life, Jinty keeps time spare to fulfill her destiny as Chair of her local Residents Association, leading resistance against subjugation of Springboig by Crown forces. Her day will come.

Reference BBC Scotland's lunchtime news report on Quigley's and Findlay's submissions to the Committee overseeing the possible repeal of the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act, it was Chris McLaughlin voicing ove stock footage of an old firm game at Ibrox. He refers to, "bigotry" as the camera pans out from Rangers football club, then as the camera focuses on the Copland Stand display of red, white, and blue; he says,"hate crime". Thus, you have McLaughlin, an Editor, and a Producer coming together for a choreographed piece. This was the second item on today's lunchtime news bulletin. On STV's lunchtime bulletin, seven items and none of those were a report on Quigley and Findlay, and no mention of today's Scottish Parliament Committee meeting!

I wonder how many hats Jeanette Findlay wears? Here, it is Fans Against Criminalisation, another day it's the Celtic Trust, then there is Cairde na Heireann, or the James Connolly Society, ...................etc. She is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Glasgow, it's a wonder she finds the time?

Pena lacks mobility. Surely Holt's energy is a better bet in the short to medium term? Honestly, I could not see a pattern to our play tonight. We have players content to play on the periphery and not take the necessary responsibility. We need leadership on and off the park.

Obviously, to appeal to their core support, I suspect a commercial arrangement with the Novo Hotel group, thus, 'the Provo Hotel'. A simple statement of fact, 'the Rabid Hostel', or my current favourite, 'Up the Ra-disson'. Of course, every dressing gown and slipper set contains a matching terry-towlling balaclava.

The use of the word, 'forced' in the headline will have Neil and his fellow Sellik supporters in a state of tumescence. Of course, Neil wants to sound reasonable, thus mentions a flare thrower. Here's the thing, on the front page of the Herald this morning, there is another story about L;atvian bank, 'Rietumu Banka'. This is the third front page piece in five months on the bank that is partly owned(a third) and managed by ra Sellik's majority shareholder, Dermot Desmond. Today's revelation is the bank has provided a front for the Russian Government's organisation of crowdfunding the invasion/partition of areas of Ukraine. Previously, the Bank has been accused of aiding tax evasion in France and providing a platform for North Korean money laundering. When Neil does a piece on the morality and legality of dearest Dermot, then I will consider him reasonable. Neil might have to be, 'FORCED'?

Martin Canning's resources will be stretched further, more injuries confirmed reference Georgios Sarris, Michael Devlin, and Grant Gillespie. Further, the applied for work permit, for Antonio Rojano has still not been granted. Of course, the more bleak it appears for Acas, the worse we will play.

Sounds like we are preparing to guard old Delhi's walls?

Has anyone informed Keef Klaxon? I believe Atletico Nacional of Medellin, Columbia are participating. Another article with Morelos to the fore beckons. I bet Keef has evidence of Escobar's devotion to el Siempre Verde? Will we get our Mexicans over the Donald's wall?

You are the poorer for it. Find the adventurous spirit and be reinforced by a hoat pea special. I have discussed this with a few mates and the consensus is, it must be served in a soup plate and devoured with a spoon(County etiquette).

Hamilton, the county town of Deepest, darkest Lanarkshire. Hamilton, the home of crosses. The main two being the top cross and the bottom cross. The stretch in between, Quarry Street was the location of Saturday morning misery for many a primary schoolboy of my generation. Yer Maw indulged in retail therapy whilst we were content to pity our fellow drookit weans being hauled towards a coughing bus, waiting to take them twenty miles doon'n'roon ra county to Lanark, Biggar, and Shotts. Our reward for endurance was at another confluence of roads, Peacock Cross. Specifically Equi's Cafe, purveyor of pie and peas. Now, if we were in France, this delicacy would be a, 'produit regionaux' ; a white peppered mutton filling encased in pastry, accompanied by peas marinated in black peppered malt vinegar. Hamilton, the home of a culinary triumph. Hamilton was the home town of many an international footballer, our own club were often beneficiaries, Bobby Shearer, Davie Cooper, both Derek and Barry Ferguson, ....... etc. Producing footballers that made a living from the game, was a county industry. There was a saying, 'throw a blanket from a window and it will land on four international footballers'. In a town of no Junior clubs, both schools' and amateur football thrummed. It was a pyramid system of organisation, from the bottom up. Schools and Boys' clubs fed the amateurs, and in turn fed both juniors, and seniors. A look at a Hamilton Advertiser from forty years past confirms a dozen amateur divisions of sixteen-eighteen clubs each. Today's Advertiser occasionally depicts three divisions of eight teams each. Genuinely, in the constant discussions conducted in both print and broadcast media reference the paucity of international class footballers in Scotland, why does no one highlight the gossamer thread that our future was dependent upon? Teachers and Janitors giving their time and efforts for no pecuniary reward. In the early eighties, they asked for such extra curricular to be recognised and a peppercorn compensation scheme be instated. The Scottish Education Department refused, and we live with the consequences. Hamilton had, has a senior football club. Back in the day, it was viewed as an extension of the County school, Hamilton Academy. It's an ancient school, founded in 1588 and in my day it's catchment area was the cream of the County Eleven Plus results. The Former Pupils had well organised rugby, athletics, cricket, football, ... etc clubs; all incorporating their own separate social clubs. The common currency is to refer to, 'the Accies', it was always the Acas, derived from Academicals. The County derby was always Motherwell v Airdrie; of course any permutation involving both mentioned and including Albion Rovers and Acas was a Lanarkshire derby, but not the county derby. Even the football ground, Douglas Park was a location for schools and amateur finals. Including playing and attending, I was inside the ground on no more than a couple of dozen occasions. In contrast, I attended both Fir Park and Broomfield on numerously more occasions. Despite living near to the ground, Acas supporters were hen's teeth. They were bottom of whatever division they competed, and their crowds were numbered just in excess of one thousand in the late sixties, early seventies. Simply, Hamilton and the County ignored the Acas. Respite arrived in 1972, a local entrepreneur, Jan Stepek gained control of the club and appointed John Eric Smith as Manager. In those days, the vast majority of Lanarkshire rented both their TVs and radios, and most bought into those agreements at Hamilton's top cross, the home of, 'Stepeks'. Jan was a Polish immigrant viewing opportunity knocks and playing the generational game. Collectively, his customers were the Prisoner on easier terms. Any promising schoolboy footballer was also the recipient of those easier terms, Smith had a habit of offering 'S Form' terms to all and sundry, then filing those forms away in (several) drawers. If any were likely to make it, 'an administrative fee' was necessary to ensure progress. During his six year period as Manager, I think the only young player brought throw the Acas ranks, was promising centre forward, Paul Heggarty? It was Dundee United's Jim McLean who converted him to a central defender. Before real Acas fans lose interest, I should mention their victory over Leeds United in front of several thousand, 4-3 in a friendly. A club viewed as haphazard by those closest, became hapless and homeless. Douglas Park was sold for retail development and the wandering of Maryhill and Cumbernauld began. Acas credibility was further undermined by their celebrity fan, Ian 'Fergie' Russell. His antics were more worthy than the football. It was the nadir. The right people(mostly) arrived and systematically put a plan in place to return the club to an elevated plane, by the correct route. Despite John Lambie's yo-yo interventions, the Manager responsible for implementing the component parts was Billy Reid. Raising their own became the mantra. The Acas youth system is well respected within the game. I know a couple of Dads in the last decade who praise the experience to the highest. The success is measured in Acas maintaining their Premiership position for three seasons in a row. In selling on a number of subsequent internationals, M'Carthy and McArthur. In producing a Manager from the ranks, Alex Neil going on to take Norwich City to the Premiership. In playing a team containing several home grown early to mid-twenties lads, all with in excess of two hundred top team appearances. Basically, the Acas provide young hopefuls with the means to make a living from the game. The Acas are a model cub and a success, Tomorrow evening, Martin Canning has selection problems. One of those toting a couple of hundred appearances, Darian MacKinnon is suspended. David Templeton is injured! Further, their Keeper, Gary Woods is sidelined with a lacerated kidney, his successor, Darren Jamieson was recently in Junior football at Bo'ness. We, are without Lee Wallace and given New Douglas Park is a plastic surface, I suspect Alves will remain on the sidelines. The rest will be carrying severely bruised egos from last Saturday. I hope we have spent the week working on preventing crosses coming into our box and have rectified our unwillingness to start the second half with the same energy we finish the first? My team to relieve the building pressure : Foderingham, Tavernier, McCrorie, Cardoso, Hodson, Candeias, Dorrans, Jack, Windass, Morelos, and Herrera.

Where are we at? Let's break it down into component parts. I'll begin with recruitment. Whether you accept Brendan's figure of £8 million spent in the summer, or BBC Scotland's preferred £11 million. Comparatively, in our league, it was serious money. Morelos - success. Alves - have we received the player we thought we were getting? Cardoso - struggling with the Scottish game. Herrera - appears to be a player that must play every minute of every game to remain match fit and sharp. Pena - 12 weeks at the club and still does not look fit, his mobility(or lack of it) is worrying. Dalcio - a phantom figure. Jack - steady. Dorrans - looks a player, pulls the ball down/takes it in; all in one touch, heads up, moves it on quickly. Question, are we playing him out of position? Candeias - intermittent. The attached comments to each player are my opinions so far. My collective thought on recruitment over the summer is not good enough, so far. I offer it to other Gersnetters to provide further critique on other components of where we are at?

Absolutely. Back in RST days, I remember attending several conferences at Hampden hosted by Supporters' Direct. All Scottish club Trusts would be represented and share experiences/strategies, etc. We, at the RST felt like David taking on Goliath, and as a result had youthful exuberance and a slingshot on our side. The Celtic Trust have had a dozen motions proposed at their AGMs and have lost all by a landslide.It's history(and if you know your history ....) repeating itself. When our separated brethren were founded by six families, they all had earners written into the club eg the Glass Stand, a grandstand structure containing enclosed glass panes across the frontage, built by the Glass family and all monies accrued from attendance in that stand were returned to the family.

Brendan is off message, BBC Scotland's usual suspects have been telling the listenership from the start of the season that Rangers have spent £11million in the close season. Reference ra Sellik's paltry £4.5 million, why does no media outlet, print or media ever mention preferential shares? I believe there are over seven hundred preferential share holders at ra Stydome? A Dividend is guaranteed every year, in good years like last, a lot of money is returned. eg on MON's leaving, he was awarded a considerable block of preferential shares; the point to be made is that lot of folks with no connection/no longer a connection, take monies out of the club each and every year.

Harry Wraggs 1 Rangers 2. FGS : Morelos.

I don't think we managed to match Thistle's energy in the second half. Further, our lack of ability to create chances against ten men is worrying. We appear intent on playing the game in front of Thistle; surely, with 25-30 minutes against ten men, we must find the spare man and get in behind? I am disappointed, we are all disappointed, but we don't seem able to grip a prevailing situation.

I don't think we managed to match Thistle's energy in the second half. Further, our lack of ability to create chances against ten men is worrying. We appear intent on playing the game in front of Thistle; surely, with 25-30 minutes against ten men, we must find the spare man and get in behind? I am disappointed, we are all disappointed, but we don't seem able to grip a prevailing situation.

During my professional life, BBC World Service provided a life line. No matter the time or where you were serving in the world, I could tune into the World Service and be kept abreast of news, current affairs, and all sport. I have wonderful memories, hearing of our '88 5-1 victory over ra green'n'grey whilst in the Jebel(southern Oman), hearing of the appointment of Souness in Borneo, and also dug in atop Sussex mountain in the Falkland Islands on the 23rd May, being informed that Rangers had lost the Scottish Cup final 4-1 against Aberdeen. I did not use that particular short wave radio again, clearly it didn't work properly. At the moment, I am in the south west coast of France, I listened to the culmination of the Test Match on BBC World service, whilst travelling from Galicia. Is there a better commentary on current affairs than Womens Hour? I like and feel comfort when listening to the Afternoon Play. It provides a lot of employment and remains well regarded as an objective source of news around the world. Here's the irony, BBC Radio Scotland is subjective in Sport and current affairs. I believe it is down to both Senior management at Pacific Quay allowing, even encouraging a group of Producers to sit comfortably with their preferred prejudice? It's a standard of life thing too, the same talking heads taking a good wedge(Cosgrove is obsessed with high earners at the BBC, he admits he receives £42,000 for On/Off the Ball. Then, there is his weekly media review, his numerous my life in five books, records, works of art, .... etc). The case of Richard Wilson highlights the scenario, he arrives and is off message. He upsets the usual suspects, he appears three times on Cosgrove's show, takes the ridicule and hands it back, then there's the deliberate isolation. How many of the usual suspects parroted, 'Rangers supporters don't listen to us anymore, unless it's a piece by Richard Wilson' line? We have to build a cross party political base to put pressure on both senior management and particularly the Producers at BBC Scotland, the club and supporters have to be most active in this regard. I do not know if I can sign the petition because of my earlier contribution, but that may be an age thing. Thank for stimulating more debate on the matter by posting the above.

As usual, John Delaney will ride to their rescue, another paltry fine will be levied.

OK, here's the precis : I, Keith Klaxon do solemnly swear to maintain my standard of life. For as long as my paper remains the subservient partner in a commercial relationship with ra Sellik, I will write what my BIG BOSS, Peter tells me to write.

Ah but, Jum Spence has not spoken. Soon, Jum will be blowing the Ragman's trumpet in descant to Tom the Trumpet's trumpet.

It takes us back to Saturday and Tom English on BBC Radio Scotland, "Peter Lawwell's robust language is the bugle rallying the troops". Now Tom, as a chap of some military experience, I admit it is sometimes most difficult to distinguish between the sound of a bugle and the sound of a trumpet. Here's an aide memoir, listen to yourself, the sound of a trumpet. You are Tom the trumpet of Trumpton.

It looks like Peter is destined to walk between the winds. Imagine biggest, bestest Toady, Rod telling Peter to do one!