26th of foot

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.

Reference Crewe Alexandra, did Neil Lennon do his 4 year football apprenticeship at said club?

James Dornan MSP was on BBC Radio Scotland for an hour this morning, taking control of the demands for the SFA to conduct an inquiry into child sex abuse in Scottish football. Basically, the SFA should fund the entire inquiry, but the Scottish Government will determine the terms and conditions. Further, the Chair and some members of the inquiry should be people of importance, and the SG should appoint them too. As stated, last week, Dornan was publicly backing a notorious Sellik website's demand for engineers appointed by CFC to conduct a full structural survey of the Broomloan stand at Rangers' expense, before Sellik supporters are assured reference safety. Now, you would think anyone with Govanhill/Cincarthill in their constituency would be tied down with the very real social and economic conditions there in? Not James, a man in his fifties still at home with his auld Maw, is ripe for every passing conspiracy.

A decade past, a couple of cleaners at Sellik Park opened a cupboard in ra Sellik View office and discovered over 300 pornographic photographs of children involved in Celtic Boys Club. Some of the shower scenes were in black and white, other more recent posed images were in colour. The pictures spenned over 20 years. Long term Sellik View photographer, John Cullen took said photos. He was arrested, tried, convicted, and received a nominal sentence. I think six months suspended? The important thing is continuity and mutual support. Cullen was there as part of the Torbet/Cairney ring. The continuing demand in main stream media to preserve the good name of ra Sellik, leads to convenient collective amnesia reference those involved. Mark Daly should be shining a light into a most dark corner, both Torbet and Cullen remain alive today. Expose the ring.

The Yahoos really have a sense of occasion and timing. Twenty years after the Provos bombed Manchester, a 1,500 pound lorry bomb(the biggest detonated in the UK since WW2) on Corporation Street injured in excess of 200 people. Aware of the sensitivities involved, ra Sellik supporters indulged in an evening of IRA karaoke. So charming!

It was a UK wide poll several months past, all clubs had their supporters canvassed. I was not surprised at the results, the Rangers support probably represents the electorate's actual decision more than most. I remember numerous conversations in Uni' refectories/common rooms forty years ago. The Yahoo mindset was/is, we are all Tories and Waffen SS mentalists. There was a complete refusal to believe most Bears voted Labour. They need to position us so, to make their response rational. The broad church that actually represents the Rangers support is unwanted, it is awkward and inconvenient to their perceived wisdom. Our problem is massive under-representation. If the larger share of Bears vote SNP, why does the party not reciprocate? The Scottish Cup final is a case in point, particularly the aftermath. A tweet from the First Minister congratulating Hibs for making her hubby, Peter Murrow(also SNP Chief Executive), "a very happy Hibby". Then, nothing for three full days from anyone in the Scottish Government. The Justice Minister, Michael Matheson and then Lord Advocate, Frank Mullholland said nothing. Nature hates a vacuum, and all the Rangers haters spat their venom. I believe Fraser Wishart's demands for players to be protected at their place of work on the Monday afternoon stimulated the late Tuesday afternoon response from Matheson. Again, the Green Brigade's effigies and banners, Aberdeen supporters scrawling on the team bus reference the Ibrox Disaster, and the Ashley situation sees no political support from the political establishment in Scotland.

Report the Yahoo to the RSPCA. Caught advertising his dog's services to a niche market.

Bringing your own could lead to anarchy.

Will beans be provided?

Fifteen years past, there were a number of articles in Rangers fanzines; drawing a parallel between Rangers future with both broadcast and print media, and that experienced by Espanyol in Catalan Spain. Since the late seventies, the mainstream Catalan media has deliberately ignored Espanyol as they are considered not to fit politically. This has transformed into an accepted cultural denial too. The warning to Rangers supporters was this could occur to our club. I remember the articles claimed Barca as a city was historically a two thirds to one third breakdown on support. The 40 year campaign has increasingly demonised and marginalised Espanyol supporters, some claiming their support had been reduced to just over 10% of the city population. I toured the Nou Camp twenty-five years ago, my first revisit since '72, and there was a heavy narrative proclaiming Barca FC at the fore front of anti-Franco sentiment during the 40 years of his dictatorship. They claimed the Nou Camp was the only place a Catalan could speak Catalan without fear of being put up against a wall by the Guardia Civil. I found a couple of photographs of Rangers triumph against the KGB's team, Moscow Dynamo, they portrayed the very same para-military police dealing with rioting Bears. I pointed out the juxta position in both condemning and lionising the Guardia Civil. Further, it was working class Scots handing out a deserved hiding to a fascist police force. I received a tut, and a walk away. The last time we played Barca(ten years ago), I spent five days in the city. We took thirty thousand and had no arrests. BBC Scotland found fault in our support because of the smell of alcohol around the Placa de Catalunya, the litter in the same square, and two Bears cautioned for public urination. On the south west corner of the square, there was an enormous FC Barca club store, four floors. The northern end of the square was dominated by a huge department store, 'El Corte d'Ingles'. We entered and found the entire fifth floor dedicated to Barca, effectively another club shop. I asked if Espanyol had a presence and was directed to the basement haberdashery, There were three carousels selling key rings, hats, and scarves. The Espanyol experience is in part being mirrored by our own club. Look at the local council facilitating ra Sellik's increased land bank(three streets for a penny), the massive investment put into ra Sellik on the back of the Commonwealth Games, and the current situation reference both local(Radio Snyde) and national(BBC Scotland) media. We are being conveniently positioned like Espanyol ie Real Madrid were Franco's team. Two opinion polls/survey earlier this year found only one MSP(Murdo Fraser) out of 129 supports Rangers, whereas 40% of Rangers supporters vote SNP. Under representation will cost our club.

I wonder how BBC Scotland will handle this game? Big Rheinhart usually employs the, "because of the on going situation between the club and BBC Scotland" line, to inform all those Rangers supporting(and that day's opposition's supporters) license fee payers to expect minimal information. ie You will receive the teams, a half time score, and full time score. Their open all mikes does not apply to Ibrox. No microphone at the Stadium, unless of course there is a hint of sectarian chanting. Then, all mikes at Pacific Quay are pointed towards the ground, in a sinister imitation of Jodrell Bank. Now, Big AmDram Quine, Richard Gordon is a huge Dandy Don, Liam McLeoad similar, then there's Wullie Miller, Geoff Webster, Charlie Mann, ..etc They will be desperate to know how the game's going They have someone they contact inside the stadium because Rheinhart's comment on the last minute Forrest winner against Dundee, "oh, an injury time header in a near empty ground has given Rangers the lead", let that cat out of the bag. Further, Richard was unequivocating on Dodoo's goal on Wednesday, "Clearly, Forrester moved deliberately in front of the Hearts keeper". My favourite quote from the Rangers hater came a dozen years past reference the Simpson/Durrant assault, "people forget there were two victims in that challenge, Neil Simpson suffered terribly". I suspect if Aberdeen break the 25 year Ibrox hoodoo, there will be a Derek McInnes interview and a full match report(from off the wires). Are Aberdeen supporting lincense fee payers more equal than others? We should be told.

We were hounded all around the pitch playing it short, when we played it long it did not stick, and there was no leadership. Losing pivotal league games has become a calendar year habit.

At Ibrox last Saturday, a chap in Bar'72 was wondering aloud, "whatever happened to Ewing Grahame"? I answered, "he's been freelance for a dozen years". Another in the crowd volunteered, "you see his pieces in the Telegraph and Times now and then, usually as a one, two with Phil Gordon". The chorus was, "who hates us the most"? The consensus was wee poison pen Phil; however, I opted for dearest Ewing. I reminded the throng that Rangers got Grahame sacked from the Herald a dozen years past. We were playing Stuttgart in the Gotlieb arena in the Champions League. I was one of 8,000 Bears squeezed mercilessly by German plod into a 3,000 capacity area. It was a poor game on a freezing early December evening, we deservedly lost 1-0. However, Ricksen had an open goal opportunity from six yards, five minutes from time to put us through. Ewing Grahame was dispatched by the Herald on the official Rangers charter to cover the game, he was full of resentment. Ewing hates Rangers, and thought Spiers should have been lumbered with the tedious task of, "H-un reporting". As you can imagine, Spiers was extremely keen to be nowhere near Rangers and Rangers supporters at that point. Ewing was told he was doing it for the paper. Ewing got drunk on the charter on the way out before the game. He continued in the fleshpots of Stuttgart, missed the evening presser and training. Rose late, went back on the batter, arrived at the stadium after kick-off, opened his lap top, and promptly fell asleep in the press box. He was roused after the game and filed his bitter copy, "an overwhelmed Rangers did not create a single opportunity on goal". He fell asleep again, was wakened by a Stuttgart official tidying up the press box, bundled into a taxi to the airport, he boarded the charter to a chorus of boos. The charter had missed it's slot because he was ninety minutes late, and Rangers arrived back into Glasgow at six am. Rangers made an official complaint about his behaviour and conduct. He was sacked, and didn't trap for his subsequent appeal. Whatever became of Ewing Grahame? Clearly, by today's Retard, he continues to do what he has always done. Apparently, even Spiers looks down on him.

If Hearts win tonight, then Neilson will have book ended Rangers. They won at Ibrox in his first game, a 94th minute winner from Sow. I really hope our players are fully motivated?

It's going to be physical, it always is with Hearts, particularly at Tynie. The first twenty, they will attempt to pin us back, stay on the fron foot, and throw balls into and across the box. It will be most testing. Any breaking Rangers players will be hauled/hacked to the ground. Levein/Neilson Hearts teams are most cynical. Their first appearance as a duo at Ibrox two seasons past saw five Jambos booked in the first half. I like the look of their lad, Walker; he has a fair bit of football about him, a mercurial quality that makes him hard to mark. Reference Rangers when in possession, play football, and hopefully the Hat includes O'Halloran. He will keep the Hearts back line honest, they won't want to keep that line too high. The first goal will be hugely important. This calendar year, we have mostly lost pivotal League games; Falkirk, Hibs, ra Sellik, Aberdeen, ...... etc. Hopefully, the law of averages turn in our favour? One last thing, and this is highlighted through years of bitter experience in these matters. The usual suspects know the significance of the next three games in ten days. Both broadcast and print media are after Garner. He deserves the criticism in that he has not done it so far. However, there have been a few pieces by Neil Cameron and Stephen McGowan reference his elbows. Gerry McFcukwit has compared their sharpness to former skipper, Lee McCulloch. Michael Stewart, Preston, and Liam McLeod have flagged the usage. Tonight, the Director and Sutton/Proctor will be on it; don't give them the opportunity to build momentum, start with Dodoo. Tonight's referee has a track record of red carding Rangers players, again particularly at Tynie. Keep the heid, play ra gemme, and thump the horrible 'model club'.