26th of foot

The Darren Cooney situation is truly shocking. I remember ra Sellik targeting the Daily Record back in the day withe 'Thugs and Thieves' headline. They informed their support by telling them to consider their daily newspaper purchase, and lectured their corporate fans on the wisdom of advertising in the blatt. They put that headline, 'Thugs and Thieves' on their big screens to raise the ire. Now, the Daily Record is a commercial partner of ra Sellik, on Lawwell's terms.

Reference racism. When BBC Scotland did their follow up to 1986's 'Only a Game', it was handed over pretty much to Stuart Cosgrove. It was entitled 'Scotland's Game' and it's remit was to update the original, thirty years since it's release. Their was a huge glaring error in episode one, Mark Walters debut at Sellik Park on the 2nd January'88. The single worse example of racism in UK football. It is deserving of a one-two hour documentary all on it's own. The club should be asking BBC Scotland to explain it's omission.

Back in the day, any criticism of the club and support was ignored, dignified silence was the maim. However, if anyone criticised SDM, there was an all guns blazing reaction. It seems to me, and the article supports my view; nothing has changed. The Board is failing in a number of important areas, including a lack of response to the concerns of the support. Club 1872 may be on the way to proving it is a fire without a chimney?

He originates from Dingwall, and he spouts the narrative of being a life long Ross County supporter. He is a man in his fifties, thus County have been a Highland League club for the majority of his life, all of his formative years. His older colleagues say he was an Aberdeen supporter before he left BBC Scotland for the wealth of Setanta. The Ross County fixation being promoted on his return to PQ. The continuous narrative is Rangers hating. There's another thing, McLean returns to BBC Scotland and receives no grief. Similarly, Charlie Mann and Jum Spence. Cosgrove spent two hours on Saturday berating Daryl Broadfoot reference Level 5. Why such a hard-on for Jim Traynor's company?

Next season, if we are allowed to play Thistle every week, we might land a trophy?

I am beginning to wonder if the Manager has decided to demonstrate the paucity of the squad? A most dangerous game. Further, if I have picked up correctly on Pedro's utterances this week, he intends on informing each member of the squad reference their Rangers' futures, tomorrow. That will augur well for the remaining three games.

I would be happier if Waggy could control a ball in less than three touches. When Thistle are in possession, there is no pressure on the ball, or the space around the ball. I suspect any equaliser in this game will have to be at the expense of a Jags player's mistake. No attempts on target in the first 45 minutes, AGAIN!

Are we playing 4-2-4?

In 2003, we found out that the club was effectively £80million in the red. Five years previously, we had been £20million in the black; a £100million turn around. In those five years, SDM allowed 17 companies to provide services to Rangers. Azure catering, Response Handling, Primus, Premier Property, ............. etc. In all those companies, the 90%-95% majority shareholder was, David E Murray. It was calculated for every £1 put in by SDM, he was receiving £11. Azure was the epitome of Murray's Mo at Rangers during that period. A middle ranking Murray Group associate identified that Rangers state of the art kitchens were lying fallow for 13 days out of 14. Food could be prepared for 2,000 folks every day and dispatched. It was centralised catering. Azure, after three years was turning over £14million, it was extrapolated the growth in the next three years would reach £40million. Azure were in 37 sporting grounds around the UK, from Fir Park to English county criket grounds and rugby league stadiums. The annual profit was projected as rising to £10-12million. As the majority shareholder, that profit was going to SDM, he was paying a peppercorn rate of a couple of hundred thousands pounds per annum for the use of OUR kitchens. The best bit, WE were responsible for kitchen replacement and maintenance. The devil is always in the detail and I would advise Kris read and assimilate the referenced footnotes on the latter half of SDM's tenure. Murray saw the Conrad Black way of doing business, liked it, and proceeded to hollow out OUR club from the inside. Like Conrad, he should have ended in the tin pail.

Harry Wraggs 1 Rangers 2. FGS : Miller.

I am bumping this piece to add a nugget of information gleamed from BBC Radio Scotland on Saturday evening. I am driving to a dinner engagement in Dunblane, it's five hours after the game and the shock of seeing Rangers concede five at Ibrox continues. It's the second half of the Cosgrove/Cowan show, but Stuart's dalliance in Sri Lanka moves into it's third week, and the truly awful Jane Lewis continues to fill in. The guests are Alex Rae and the Daily Mail's John McGarry. Now, as often said, the one mitigating factor in this show's 22 year history is that they ignore Chris McLaughlin completely. I believe he has been invited to appear on several occasions and refused. Chris is to be taken very seriously. However, the show's topic was humiliation and the opprobrium was much deserved. I was surprised when Cowan read out a contribution from BBC Scotland's Chief Football reporter, Chris McLaughlin. He was reminding fellow happy hoopster, John McGarry of the humiliation meted out the day before, as the broadcasters had defeated the print football media, 6-2 in their annual game. Cowan took the in, and turned it into a discussion on Broonaldo's impunity. He asked McGarry to confirm the gossip from the gathering of thirty-odd fitba journos, that the panel judging Brown's lunge had reduced it to a caution, on a unanimous decision? McGarry stuttered but confirmed the word was, 'unanimous'. Rae asked the make up of the panel, McGarry was uncomfortable and pleaded the fifth. Cowan cited a few similar assaults that might find favour retrospectively, and Jane Lewis was disbelieving of the unanimous verdict. I have always felt Cowan to be clever and I think this episode is quite a delicious example. McLaughlin does not want to participate but wants to be seen/heard contributing; no doubt due to his feeling of triumphalism. Cowan utilised his contribution to reveal something that Richard Gordon, Tom English, Chris McLaughlin, Pat Bonner, and Rob McLean had failed to inform the listenership, earlier in the day. It's like the events of a decade past when the UEFA Observer's damning report on Villarreal saw the club hauled over the coals. We were told not to bother about finding out his/her identity, he/she was a genuine neutral and of unimpeachable integrity. Several years later, we find out the objective Observer was Alex O'henley. The Barra born and bred journo was the mainstay of the West Highland Free Press for a dozen years. A newspaper owned by Sellik Board member, Brian Wilson. O'Henley has been BBC Alba's football commentator since it's launch. There are journos in this country who are willing shills for ra Sellik, and other journos are either afraid or unwilling to out them and their actions. Well done Tam Cowan. As stated in the OP, ra Sellik set out to deliberately humiliate Don Robertson, for the attention of others.

In deepest, darkest Lanarkshire, there was an appropriate utterance, 'that boy has blown the rag man's trumpet'.

I have just returned from four days in France, attending the funeral of an old professional colleague. Sitting in the Airport yesterday afternoon, I read online of Broonaldo's deserved red card being reduced to a caution. I was disbelieving, an uncontrolled launch on the blind side of Liam Boyce was only minimised by the Ross County having his foot in the air. I know we will NEVER know the names of the panel that has arrived at such a ridiculous decision, because demands for transparency are always muted when ra Sellik are the beneficiaries. I would like to hear their rationalisation that arrived at such a conclusion. My colleague had been an Officer in the French Foreign Legion, specifically the REP parachute battalion. He was old school St Cyr, a strict adherent of iron discipline. He was proud of the French Army's mechanism for maintaining discipline in WW1 trenches, 'pour l'attention des autres'. A public demonstration to alert others musing on mutiny, sheltering, self inflicted wounds, ..... etc. Simply, the French picked a number of soldiers from the 'offending' unit, and executed them in front of the assembled battalion. Thirty-five years past, I was abhorred by such actions, but put the French belief in an old Roman practice; down to their army then being almost entirely one of national service. Ten years ago, the then objective Host of ra Show on Radio Snyde was, Peter Martin. The self-styled, 'Biggest Tim in Newarthill' was fulminating because Lawwell was preventing ra Sellik moving to the next level in Euro competition. If Peter would release the necessary funds, Bitter was convinced his beloved green'n'grey hoops would become regular quarter/semi-finalists in the CL/Europa cups. Interestingly, today's Objective Host of ra Show, Gerry McFcukwit believes Brendan's Sellik could do a Leicester if Lawwell ........ well, you get the picture. Anyways, Peter had had enough of Bitter Martin's accusations and decided upon, 'pour l'attention des autres' action. Bitter was called in, and informed his planned live commentary on Snyde of the upcoming Sellik/Barca game, was not happening. Snyde's cheque was returned and Bitter had to troop back to Clydebank and explain to his bosses that all that prime time advertising revenue would have to be returned. Bitter was left on the evening, talking to James Grady whilst watching Barca spank his beloveds on the TV. Similarly, Nuremberg Hugh began utilising his Daily Record column to urge Peter to loosen the purse strings. Again, brought in to ra Stydome and told publicly(a full page explanation in ra Sellik View) his press privileges were being withdrawn for two years. Back to the Broonaldo situation, the same action has been undertaken. Peter has decided to publicly humiliate referee, Don Robertson. He told Stuart to select a panel certain to facilitate the demand. Both broadcast and print media will say nothing. You have got to wonder? Only last week, circulation figures for newspapers revealed the Daily Record's demise has continued with a 12% in a calendar year. The commercial arrangement between Sellik and the Record is working well for one party; both club paper and programme printed and distributed for a fraction of the cost, whilst the other party to the deal takes a doing adhering to the message. Often, in the year we worked together, I reminded my colleague that the French army mutinied in 1917. Pour l'attention des autres does not always produce the desired effect. There was an intransigence in French military logic. It's akin to General de Gaulle penning the definitive history of Napoleon's le Grand Armee, several hundred pages and not a single mention of Waterloo. Lawwell's arrogance is on a par with the leader of the fifth republic, and I suspect his decision to use Brown's lunge as an exercise in humiliation of a referee, will become the start of the tipping point in a more objective appreciation of his methods. A steam hammer to crack a nut or breaking a butterfly on a wheel. Resentment will follow.

We allowed Broonaldo to run the midfield for the first hour, after 30 minutes ra Sellik's possession was 81%. On the hour mark trailing 2-zip, we put Kenny Miller into the middle and he began running interference on Broonaldo's free reign. I do not think Halliday and Holt knew their starting positions. Why was Toral dropped to the bench? My highlight of the game was Dembele's hamstring pinging. As alluded to by another poster, BBC Radio Scotland had a breathtakingly objective half time panel. Richard Gordon, Tom English, Pat Bonner, and Chris McLaughlin. After telling us how super ra Sellik were, and how poor we were(all valid); they then spent several minutes wondering why Rangers had NOT been reduced to nine men by half time. Pedro has plenty of food for thought before next Sunday's game. I think he has to accommodate Hodson, to release Tavenier's energy into midfield.

Two decades past, ra Sellik used to hire private detectives to follow referees around for several weeks. The compiled dossiers were released to friends in the media and the fun began. Why can't they go back to those much simpler days?

Rangers played 15 games in European competition to reach the 2008 UEFA Cup final. We had won the League Cup and reached the Scottish Cup final, including three ties going to replays. Throw in 38 League games and you can see there was a considerable fixture crisis. Rangers were due to play nine games in the last 21 days of the season and asked for an extension to the season. The SFA managed to secure Rangers a 3 day season extension. Ra Sellik challenging Rangers for the championship(two old firm games still to be played) objected to any further season extension because Lawwell stated Sellik had a long standing post season tour of Japan booked. Of course, this tour of Japan was lucrative and had penalty clauses. Thus, we had nine games in 24 days. Despite leading ra Sellik by 10 points at the end of March, we succumbed to losing the championship, but defeated Queen of the South 3-2 in the Scottish Cup final. You can imagine the surprise, when no tour of Japan took place and no explanation was forth coming. Peter tells lies.

I was hugely impressed with Holt last season, could not believe Hearts let him go so cheaply. His general contribution, and a dozen goals proved tremendous value for money. This season, I kept expecting Jason to step up, you do not lose that ability to time late runs into the box. It has not happened, and he began to begin games on the bench. It looked like Holt was too lightweight and diminutive to extol in the premiership. However, and it's a pleasant however; he has seamlessly slotted into the DM role, making tackles in and around the box. More importantly, he tracks and matches runs made by opposition players. Sunday coming will be a huge test, Rogic is a handful for an hour.

Peter will tell Stuart to do so after Sunday's game. Unless of course, such a measure should interfere with post season tours of Japan.

Take Kenny Miller's red card several years past against Dundee United on a Wednesday evening at Ibrox. Rangers appealed on the Thursday morning, the appeal panel met on Friday afternoon, and Kenny remained suspended for the Saturday game against ..................... ra Sellik. Schalk's dive was cynical, Sellik's decision to appeal is as cynical. You know, all those principled Journos imbued by the drumming spirit of sporting integrity, will say NOTHING. They will continue to suckle on Peter's cock.

I note the Herald's former Sellik View cub reporter, Alison McConnell is reporting ra Sellik have appealed Brown's red card. Further, due to the SFA being closed tomorrow(public holiday), then no appeal can be heard until the following week. Alison is a ghirl in the know.

That would be as cynical as Schalk's dive.

To be fair to Gordon, and his brother, Bruce(Editor of the Daily Record for three years); he is only continuing in his(their) preferred prejudice. Five short years past, Gordon utilised his column to inform the ever declining readership that, 'as a club, Rangers had a face you would never tire of hitting'. Come on Gordon, put down that brick.

Reference attendances : I remember a discussion between BBC Scotland's Jum Spence and Stuart Cosgrove at the arse end of McCoist's first season. Both Spence and Cosgrove were active participants on the Rangers Tax Case Blog and the language and acceptances of that site became broadcast common currency. We were being cast down and the glee being anticipated by the Tayside duo was palpable. Spence wondered aloud as to what type of crowds could be expected at Ibrox the next season? Cosgrove rattled on about Rangers supporters being addicted to success and would soon disappear to seek glory elsewhere. He concluded, "oh, they'll be back playing in front of seven, eight thousand". Talking of PQ subservience to ra Sellik, I note this morning's BBC Scotland headline on Ceefax and website reference Gerry King being charged, 'Football figure charged over sex abuse'.

A wee update. Liam McLeod was hosting Sportsound again last evening(Wednesday), three-in-a-row and continues to firefight last Sunday's humiliation of his beloved Dandy Dons by Rangers. All guests have to accept it was a mad five minute fall from grace and Aberdeen will deservedly finish second. Joe Dodo's comments had Liam beelin'. The table does not lie and the objective host of the show decided to approach another objective source to deny Dodo's belief that Rangers are better than the Dons. Yep, those paragons of objectivity, 'Red TV', Aberdeen's in-house broadcast service. Steve Tosh labeled Joe as delusional. Further Tosh was spouted on second place finishing. The other objective guest was Hamilton's skipper, Mikey Devlin. Like Rangers, Accies have defeated the mighty Dons twice this season. At the conclusion to the programme, Liam posed Mikey the following : 'who are the better team and who will finish second'? Mikey, ignoring two recent thumpings from the Bears, replied, "Aberdeen and Aberdeen". A clearly elated Liam concluded with word, "sooooooooooooooperbbb"! Now, given Adam Rooney's latest outburst about Aberdeen's run of home wins being good enough to put the club top of the league, I am sure Liam will be tapping the usual objective sources to reinforce the sage that is Adam Rooney? Who will Red TV put up tonight?

The weekend just past provided some peaky-boo opportunities to glimpse behind the Pacific Quay mask. Scheduling is something that is put in place, weeks in advance. Obviously, given the number of Dandy chaps at PQ, sequences of presenters supporting the same club will occur. However, the weekend last began on Friday evening with Rob McLean presenting Sportsound, then on Saturday, Richard Gordon hosted, 'Open all Mikes' from Aberdeen. The more observant might recall, the Dons were playing Rangers on Sunday afternoon. Even Cosgrove inquired as to Big Dick's desire to present from a city with no game? No answer was forth coming. Of course, there was reason for the AmDram Quine to be present at Pittodrie on Palm Sunday, and he was. On Sunday night, we had Jonathon Sutherland on Sportscene, and Monday evening had Liam McLeod presenting Sportsound. Quite a sequence to schedule. I suspect there was a considerable level of anticipation to be sated? Salivation off the Pavlovian scale at the prospect of Aberdeen confirming their dominance had to be controlled. Every aspect of triumphalism had to be broadcast, many knives had been sharpened to stab the beast. Think of all those e-mails and text messages already written by the Producers, just awaiting broadcast. Actually, a clearly crestfallen and emotionally over-wrought Liam McLeod adhered to the script on Monday night. He had Stephen McGowan and Scott McDonald in the studio, and they all agreed Aberdeen had dominated, and had just suffered a mad five minute spell. Several texts and e-mails were read out reinforcing the new line, then there was the fluffing of the comfort blanket that is the league table. Liam finished by reminding the listenership that Thistle are top six and want to flaunt such status at Ibrox on Saturday. Yep, it would appear such scheduling has back fired. On Saturday, after the Morton/Hibs game; Neil Lennon participated in another clusterfcuk of a post match press conference. PQ listened in but offered no damning comment reference Lennon's accusations of cheating by officials. They began to fade out as Neil began to ignore the script. He was arguing there was a a link between opposition players striking the ball off his defenders' arms and the eagerness of refs to award penalties. He supported this point by offering, "I've asked Neil Cameron and the boys to look into this". Strange, Cameron is the Herald's leading football writer and a BIG YAHOO. We all know that Peter gives Rod a helping hand regularly, with emergency loan signings. Is Peter now extending such assistance to those he controls in the press? We should be told. A team of trained counselors are currently soothing Dandy Don angst inside PQ.