26th of foot

How about Jim Steele? A month long loan deal from Southampton in 1976, played five games, booked four times, and Player of the Year for the vast majority of RSCs that year.

Didn't we punt David McFarlane to Killie for £100,000?

I remember Pat Nevin Chairing that three person committee that awarded Koki Mizuno the work permit. He stepped out in front of both print and broadcast media to declare, "he is the best I've ever seen at his age". A season later, Pat announced he and his family were season ticket holders at Easter Road. Seems Pat had a visitation from Jiminey Cricket?

Well done the young colts, truly!

They moved the article to the more relevant section, Basketball.

Only an Excuse is thirty years old, it began on BBC Radio Scotland as a satirical piss-take of BBC Scotland's then seminal documentary on Scottish football, 'Only a Game'. Phil Differ was/remains the main writer, initially he brought on his buddies from the Sellik fanzine, 'Not the View', and the targets and language was established. eg Gerry McNee's Express strap line was, the voice of football; NTV and OAE changed it to, 'the voice of a football'. Archie McPherson, Chick Young, and Richard 'Ibrox' Park were mercilessly lampooned. Last Autumn saw BBC Scotland's follow up to Only a Game, it was called, 'Scotland's Game'. The Journo dominating the four parts was Stuart Cosgrove. It would appear, here was an opportunity to re-establish itself, back to it's roots, and lampoon the main contributors. Like many Bears, I gave up on OAE some dozen years past when they portrayed Rangers supporters as apes playing Lambeg drums. Thus having not seen it, did they lampoon the soon to be pensioner, Cosgrove? Oh, and how about BBC Scotland's Chief Football Reporter, Chris McLaughlin? I take it that Chris was on the end of a good ribbing?

Pete, If it's okay, I would like to volunteer for the Motherwell league fixture at Fir Park on the 28th January?

BBC Scotland have a twenty plus year provenance on such actions. This is akin to the actions they took on Alex Rae, after an incident during the Champions League qualifier against CSKA Moscow. We had lost the away leg 2-1, and an incident where the Russian player falling over attempted to head the ball, coincided with Rae's attempted clearance. A kick to the head ensued, a foul against Rae was awarded. Now, Rangers were the Scottish side attempting to reach the CL group stages, a one goal victory at Ibrox would see progress. BBC Scotland decided Rae had to be suspended for the next leg, and ensuing Sellik game. They brought on a Neurologist to discuss the extent of brain tissue damage of such a kick to the head. The next night, it was Graham Ogg QC to inform the listeners of the length of custodial sentence to be expected, if such an incident had occurred on a Scottish street. The next evening was a vox-pop of 'football supporters' branding Rae as a thug. I remember Rae stating, "if I had intended to kick the CSKA player deliberately, he would not have got up". Jum Spence reported Rae's response on a Sports Desk, handing over to Tom Morton and remarked, "it appears he thought about it". You couldn't make it up? Reference our club and support, BBC Scotland has no hesitation in doing so.

His wife, Susan doesn't care much for him either.

Both result and performance was better than I expected pre-match. Thirty minutes in, we are one up and Broonaldo has been booked and put a couple of passes out of the park. They equalised, and for the next thirty-five minutes, we fell off a cliff. It happened on Wednesday night in Perth, and it happened last season a few times, notably to Falkirk away. It's an oft' recurring theme with this Rangers side, we can quickly deflate. In saying that, we had two great opportunities to draw level, the inside of the post and Forrester's indecision cost us our unbeaten Ibrox run. I should add a huge thanks to our Keeper for ensuring that window of opportunity remained open, going into the last ten minutes. We should fess up to the physical superiority of ra Sellik. Dembele is a big unit with fast feet. In the last five minutes, he took the ball into feet at each corner flag and ragdolled our defenders, two receiving cautions attempting to out muscle him on the bye-lines. Further, he took his goal particularly well. Playing quickly around the more physical side is the way to go, and I thought Barrie McKay showed the way. His turn inside, leading to a pass to Halliday for Miller's equaliser attempt, was quite exquisite. Again,, Brenda showed gamesmanship by ensuring Barrie was passed on, in turn for heavy and hands-on challenges. McKay was a genuine threat today, and I wonder if when Garner went down if our Manager considered O'Halloren's pace on the right when substituting?

Oh please! We move into injury time against Abergreen, the Bears holding a most comfortable 2-zip lead. The Dandy Dons right back floats one up the line to Constadine. He jumps against Wallace and wins the ball by the use of an outstretched arm. It's basketball. a fully up right hand palms the ball down, we await a second yellow for Constadine and subsequent red? Nope, McLean awards a free kick to Abergreen, and irony of ironies, the guy who should be off the pitch heads the ball into the net. Now, BBC Scotland's Sportscene do NOT show the above in it's highlights package, no discussion, no condemnation, McLean's sin is clean.

Mark is on the Board, by proxy.

Dear Scott, Please allow me to inform you of events occurring at Sellik Park on the second of January 1988. Rangers had signed Mark Walters from Aston Villa, probably the first high profile black player in modern Scottish football. His debut in Scottish football was delayed for six minutes, to allow the Sellik ground staff to clear the carpet of bananas from both pitch and track side. Further, the second half was delayed for six minutes too, again the referee had to request the ground staff clear another carpet of bananas, extending 25 yards in front of the Jungle(the charming self given name to ra Sellik ultras). Yahoos in ape suits, the Sun headline reporting east end Greengrocers, 'Yes, we have No Bananas', and no apology from the perpetrators. I do not blame you for NOT knowing about this particularly mass participation episode of racism because no Sellik-minded media type will ever revisit it; but now informed, I await your new definition of, "a gauntlet of hate"? I am sure you will agree, simply the worst incident of sustained racism in British football; maybe Mike Leigh will produce a film of the day?

Wishing all Gersnetters lots of pudding and pie.

Two printed apologies in six months from the Daily Record. Jane Hamilton and Mark McGivern can form a self-help group.

The last time we played at New Douglas Park, we defeated Albion Rovers 2-zip in a Scottish Cup replay. No complaints about the drastic plastic that night. While we're at it, up until a dozen-15 years past, the Accies were always referred to as, 'the Acas'. Is it the club or the school that has demanded the change?

They are tasked with bringing Hard-hattery, bawbaggery, and Bampottery to the Seminar.

The second election of '74 saw the Nationalists secure 11 Westminster seats. Consequently, devolution became the hot topic. Glasgow University hosted a couple of debates on the issue, in the Boyd Orr building. Although attending Strathclyde, we were invited to attend. The line up across the parties was stellar. Donald Dewar, Gordon Brown, and Norman Buchan for Labour. The Tories featured Malcolm Rifkand, George Younger, and Teddy Taylor. The Nats had William Wolfe, George Reid, and Winnie Ewing; whereas, the Liberals fielded David Steel, Ming Campbell, and Jo Grimmond. Undergraduates were hanging from the rafters, we were fully engaged. The level and class of debate could not have been equaled anywhere on these islands at that time. I have never voted Tory, can't see me ever doing it either. However, of all the politicians mentioned above, I was most taken by one aspect of Teddy Taylor, he was a genuine politician of conviction. He had a common touch that Dornan could learn from, Teddy evoked the, 'you don't miss your water until the well runs dry' theme. He spent several minutes talking passionately about the HiHi ie Third Lanark(his club). Career politicians are a curse eg Jim Murphy : began three Degrees, finished none, and never worked outside the Labour Party. This clown held three senior cabinet posts. Our own First Minister, completed her Law degree, then spent half-a-dozen weeks in Drumchapel Law Center, before succumbing to the party machine. Of course, there are more that one out of 129 MSPs that supports Rangers, it's just the party machines reminds them all of their careers, before they answer.

The OP highlights Dornan's claim to be concerned reference the welfare of supporters. I believe Hampden Park to be in Dornan's constituency? On Scottish Cup final day, there was considerable concerns about both supporters' and players' welfare. What did James say? I remember four days of radio silence from the Scottish Government, before Michael Matheson issued a statement. Stuart Cosgrove and Eamon O'Neill applauded the discipline on display. Their weekly media review on BBC Radio Scotland often reinforces the Scottish Government's control of their members participating in social media. Of course, there was the irony of Cosgrove's broadcast behaviour on the same means in the two hour aftermath of the final, "everyone is over reacting". I should acknowledge that Cosgrove has since apologised and now expresses a different view. I suppose nearly a hundred arrests(so far) constitutes enough empirical evidence for his change of mind? Thus, Dornan ignores welfare issues in his own constituency, where he has a legitimate voice. Similarly, he ignores fans' welfare at the ground where he has a season ticket, again a legitimate voice. However, based on the ramblings of a, "man tarred with the sectarian brush" and belief he is the leader-aff of Donegal Mountain Rescue; James is persuaded to broadcast his support for an independent engineer's report. I suspect the SNP might want to have a word with James, before he buys a bag of magic beans from Phil?

Hands up Andy has the necessary equipment up his sleeve to conjure free kicks. Stick to basketball Andy.

Sellik's Main Stand was reconstructed during season 70/71, they played home matches at Hampden that season. There has been rounds of constant litigation akin to to Bleak House's notorious case, 'Jarndyce and Jarndyce' ever since. A civil Engineering report some twenty-odd years past, demanded two wind-in/wind-out steel pillars be placed at either end of the pedal bin roof, as necessary support for the structure. The supports are removed(wound out) an hour before kick-off, and replaced(wound in) an hour after. As for safety certificates, when McCann rebuilt the North Stand, the then Fire Officer would not issue said certificate because of the tunnel created by the stand's considerable over-hang, up and over the 10 foot high graveyard wall, at Janefield Street(one of three streets sold to ra Sellik by the then GDC, for a penny). Another Fire Officer was found, who saw the situation, 'the Sellik Way'.

Correct. Last week, they failed to show the already booked Considine playing basketball in winning a free kick. A second yellow, he's off. Nope, we see the flighted delivery from said free kick and Condidine heads the consolation.

I think he played a couple of friendlies on a club pre-season tour of Germany/Austria. We beat Roma 4-1 in one of the games. Alex Rae played in the Roma game and he upset the BBC Scotland Jambos on Saturday. A pre-match ten minute discussion including Biscuits Preston and Tom English(yep, Tom finds it convenient to let folks know he favours the boys in maroon). Anyways, Rae referred to, "the boy Cathro", and Jambo Tom lost it. Apparently, using such terms as 'boy' marginalises Cathro, and we should refrain. Now, here in deepest, darkest Lanarkshire, the term 'boy' refers to all males from a year old to one hundred. Obviously, to the ears of a privately educated, rugby playing boarding school Jambo like Tom, it is a deeply pernicious term. Well, if you are reading Tom, the boy Cathro mirrored your schooling on Saturday, bent over and the big wooden one popped the maroon keester.

Big Jambo, the greeting faced Michael Stewart, declared the offside decision as, "a shocking decision" on Sportscene last night. Cliches were thrown around without abandon, "goals change games", "the first goal is all important at Ibrox" and, "Rangers didn't let it effect them"! His reddened face got redder, and then Jamie Walker's booking was replayed. Michael declared it, "a shocking decision". I know Michael lost out on a constituency run-off for the SNP in Edinburgh last year. Please Nicola, let Michael into Holyrood where his proclamations of "shocking decisions" will carry more gravitas.