26th of foot

He was like Gregor Stevens, had more charm.

Pending Michael Stewart's decision?

Season 76-77 is best forgotten, it was the season sandwiched between two Trebles. However, something noteworthy occurred. A crisi in central defence saw Jock Wallace contact his old mate and manager of Southampton, Lawrie McMenemy. The Saints had just won the FA Cup and their Scots central defender and BIG Bluenose, Jim Steele was available for short term loan. Clutching his FA Cup winners medal, Jim pitched up at the Albion and kicked everybody. He played five straight games in six weeks, including ra Sellik. He was deservedly booked in all five games and tried extra hard against ra Yahoos to get another booking. He was staunch. You can imagine the end of season discussions at all the RSCs? Jim won six RSC POTY awards, on the strength of those successive cautions. In this vein, I am voting for Nathan Patterson because it will annoy the hell out of the usual suspects.

I was watching last night's game on my lap top and as half time approached, a Google icon appeared in the top right hand corner advertising the Scottish Sun's glee in Nathan Patterson's situation. Obviously, the young player was trending, because BBC Radio Scotland highlighted his absence as Tav' limped off, and talked about it during half time. I note this morning Bill Leckie has utilised his Sun column to hector, taunt, and sympathise with the right back's situation. there are choices and Nathan chose incorrectly. Thus, approaching 50 and the wife and two sons leave the family home, lonely Bill had a choice to make. He decided to place an advert in a Lonely Hearts column. Yep, Bill told us of his love of pina coladas and getting caught in the rain; tell us or some poor unsuspecting woman whatever, in order to get his hole. I think lonely Bill chose incorrectly? Almost as much ridicule there, as admitting you are a St Boo supporter. Thus I have decided Nathan must be rehabilitated, lonely Bill thinks his situation is ripe for condescension.

I attended the game against Wrexham and the lad is an asset, more importantly, he is our asset. It's baby with the bath water, he will be deservedly punished by both club and association. The club also has a duty to rehabilitation.

Reference Sunday's game against Dundee United. I was reading the Twitter feed of the Rectum of Dundee University last night. Now, Jum's BIG team is ra Sellik but he is Rectum to all undergraduates in Clootie City. Such sparkling wit, he pronounced last night's match in Antwerp, "a diamond performance". Jings, crivens, help ma Boab, a carrot top speculating upon carats? You see the benefits of having a Vespa's 50cc engine throbbing between your legs, laugh - I nearly did. Anyways, Jum has been quite forthcoming on the Tangerine Terrors visit to Ibrox. They have won their last two league games and confidence is flowing. Micky Mellon has steered the Arab vessel into calm waters, they are safe from relegation. This allows the Championship champions, "a free hit" at Rangers. It's the incentive offered/promised that had me thinking. Apparently, if the necessary service is provided, "Lawrence Shankland can cause Rangers problems and take a short cut into Steve Clarke's Euro squad". I would have thought Jum would be giving up on predictions for Lent? Earlier this season, on the same means; Jum was garrulously excited when he Tweeted, "having watched Celtic's new signing, Shane Duffy notch at Tannadice, Neil has confirmed ten-in-a-row".

He is saying nothing now. Carrying the Scottish standard in Europe, continually improving the Scottish coefficient single handedly, going ten games undefeated in Euro competition, ........ etc; forget it because as of 22.20hrs, BBC Radio Scotland's finished. Still, quite typically, Richard Gordon's closing line was, "that was Rangers thirteenth penalty of the season".

Royal Antwerp 1 Rangers 2 FGS : Morelos.

The Blarney Lament. Ra Brave Bhoys had just thrashed Aberdeen 1-0 and misty eyed Pat began the Blarney Lament. Surely, Steve Clarke will be interested in David Turnbull. "he's the first name on Neil Lennon's team sheet"? Last night's result had put Pat in a maudlin mood, he eulogised Sellik's February form, five wins in a row and wondered aloud, "why couldn't Neil get this reaction last month"?. Pat explained ra Sellik had dropped nine points in January and introduced ifs, buts, and maybes. If ra Sellik had only dropped three points, but circumstances like Dubai, and maybe pressure could have been put on Rangers. Uninterrupted and unchallenged, Pat concluded, "we know Rangers react badly to the pressure of a challenge, I mean there are still two remaining games against Rangers and if only, well it's a pity Celtic could not find this form earlier". Oh Pat, you're just saying what the Gang Hut are thinking. Sincerely, I hope the hope does not kill you. Herculean Effort? It began on Sunday evening, Rangers issued a Tweet stating awareness of a party involving players and fixed penalties. It ended promising an internal investigation. By Monday morning, BBC Scotland had the party as both their lead news and sports story. Further, the party featured as a news story on the BBC UK news and led the BBC UK sports. Similarly, BBC websites and CeeFax prominently reported the party. I do not know the machinations, but I suspect BBC has a bidding system ie one of the regions pitches a story and extrapolates on the probabilities of the story rapidly expanding to having national consequences. A Senior Editor at PQ went out on a limb to guarantee such UK coverage. By early Monday afternoon, BBC Scotland's Sports Correspondent, Chris McLaughlin was ready to add much needed momentum to the story. He told the Midday News Bulletin, previous transgressions by footballers during lockdown had seen the First Minister issue a yellow card, could a red card be forthcoming? Chris attended the FM's daily Covid briefing and asked the second question. Nicola's dozen second answer was a couple of lines about elite athletes and footballers, delivered by disdainful wave of a hand. All momentum had evaporated. Again, I do not know the machinations, but I suspect David Graham played the game extremely well. The Tweet seized the narrative, then the paucity of information only allowed speculation. We did not know all the names involved until Gerrard's Presser. PQ's Herculean efforts to bump Rangers into a statement failed and I suspect, has queered their relationship somewhat with Salford? Promising something they could not deliver. Out with PQ, hand picked usual suspects willingly lent their shoulders to the wheel. There were Monday morning articles/columns from Ewing Grahame, Alison McConnell, and Catriona Stewart(Gregor Cox). They all speculated(expected) the FM to shut down Scottish football because of Rangers players' actions. Dubai hardly merited a mention. They were sold the pup of false hope and it will be a little harder to convince their Editors of the newsworthyness of the next Rangers Bad story. Such effort should be recognised and acknowledged. We should remember Hercules expired because of acquired poison from Hydra's blood. The Gang Hut's poison pens will write their own demise. The Labours of Hercules. I am sure more than a few Gersnetters had to endure what used to be called, 'a classical education'? I cannot remember 99% of my school timetables, but I do still have the occasional nightmare over my third year, Every Monday morning began with triple Latin. It ruined my football playing weekends. These last several years I feel cheated by BBC Scotland, but also with my education. I was taught their were 12 Labours of Hercules, however it has become apparent that the Greek God(let's call him Chris) had a thirteenth. As well as slaying bulls, boars, lions, hydras, ....... etc, Chris scrupulously adheres to, 'putting the continuous boot into the H-u-ns'. It has been over five years since Chris attended Ibrox or Auchenhowie. In a show of solidarity, no BBC Scotland Journo attends Rangers Pressers. Providing information to Rangers supporters is not even an after thought. Our contract is with PQ, we pay our License Fee, they provide us with a service. Why are BBC Scotland Journos attending Royal Antwerp's Pressers? Not one of them has met and questioned Steven Gerrard, but they hang on every word uttered by Franky Vercauteren. I am sure this was just a bit of foresight in possibly exploiting the party story? I will need to recheck Hercules, what happened when his bird spent a month on the island of Lesbos? Did it end well Chris?

We can barely hear Spiers these days, his last, shallow, rattling breaths continue to roll across the Fenwick Moors. He is reduced to being a Columnist on a newspaper that barely sells 7,000 copies daily, providing 3 or 4 Podcasts for £3.75 per month, and continuing to be ra Sellik's useful idiot. This latest Tweet is under Peter's orders, he is hoping for clickbait? I hope Rangers supporters refrain from engaging the current Sellik season ticket holder. You will be doing him a favour, allow him time to identify and battle his demons. Ra Bhoy in Corduroy is a right Baptist and his demons arrived 21 years ago. It was the culmination of MON's first season and a dozen Journos who had slavishly adhered to ra Sellik party line, were to be rewarded with a slap-up Beano at One Devonshire Gardens. There was Kevin McKenna, Andrew H Smith, Ewing Grahame, Mark Guidi, Hugh Keevins, Glenn Gibbons, ............. and Graham Spiers. The Odious Creep learned to suck cock, realised he liked dairy products, and these last few years has confirmed his status as Ershur's Big Cheese, the Laird of Dunlop. Don't bother looking for any Spiers reference to THE child sex abuse scandal in Scottish football, he didn't get off his knees. He has a couple of indulgences, firstly running interference on Hearts then young player, Craig Thomson who was convicted of internet grooming a 13-14 year old girl. Graham thought the means of communication was the problem, and not the beast operating the keyboard. Then there was Graham Rix, mitigation provided again, without request. Graham himself feels abused by David Murray and today's Tweet is a regurgitation of succulent lamb. Graham has a cover story, he takes his two lads to Parkhead, encouraging their love of football, the way his Dad did, taking him to Ibrox. Peter is going and he wants to cause chaos, he feeds Graham the line that is effectively accusing others, of what you are being accused. It's a line from every Totalitarian regime's Aide Memoire. Graham does this willingly because he is motivated by hatred. Still, hopefully it will earn him a cheese board at the Captain's Table?

Cross Pollination? If anyone is interested, the cutting edge BBC Radio Scotland's 'Off the Ball'; hosted by the recently vaccinated Stuart Cosgrove and Tam Cowan, has as today's guest, Connie McLaughlin. They have moved the show to a new Sunday timing between 14.00hrs and 16.00hrs. However, the show remains the same. Creepy Connie is the newly appointed Host of ra Sellik TV and as DrStu' and Tam keep saying, "we want to hear from Rangers supporters". It's good to see the traditions of PQ continue, that cross pollination between BBC Scotland and ra Sellik. Cross Pollination is important, transferring that hatred and Sellik mindedness from one pistil to another; protects every triffid from pernicious pests. BBC Scotland's Michael Stewart spent 12 weeks at ra Sellik TV earlier in the season, suitably pollinated, he has returned to bite, sting, and venomate all things Rangers(pests). Such invigoration is most necessary. I note referrals to the Compliance Officer has now reached 28, Rangers players amount to 18 of those referrals. As Michael Stewart announced yesterday on Sportsound, "ah but, they've(Rangers) have been getting away with incidents all season". What does Connie have to say? Will she mention this week's publication of the Scottish Government's inquiry into child sexual abuse in football? I don't think so , her brother, Chris did a two minute piece to cameras earlier this week that culminated, "all Scottish football has a responsibility to the victims". Put to bed. Connie is also a Life Coach, she has her own mental health organisation, 'Inner Buzz'. Will Connie extrapolate on the mental health of Neil Francis? Even better, if you remember, we were told early Autumn by said Neil Francis that someone had been hired by the club to strengthen the collective mental health of ra Sellik squad. Since, it's all gone very quiet, maybe Cosgrove can ask Connie how it went, particularly with Leigh Griffiths? Alternatively, Connie could be asked, 'your Sellik TV colleague Gerry McCulloch, is he even creepier than you'? Of course, it will be none of the above, Connie's inner buzz will not be rocked, she will be allowed to wallow in her beloved green'n'grey hooped heroes fantastic victory today in Perth. Cross pollination is important work and Creepy Connie is a hive of activity.

This is becoming a regular half time beef. We have forced the Killie keeper into one save, the Kent strike touched over the bar five minutes before the break. Please Rangers, start the second half hard, get the second and ease the pressure. Start working the keeper. Jack's strike is special, maybe his first touch is better than his second(the strike)?

Today on BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound : Richard Gordon : "Rangers have had three red cards this season, all retrospective" Michael Stewart : "ah but, they've been getting away with incidents all season, here at Tannadice, Morelos got away with throwing an elbow". Richard Gordon : "Morelos was retrospectively red carded for the incident at Tannadice". Michael Stewart :"ah but, they've been getting away with other incidents all season".

Rangers 2 Killie 1 FGS : Hagi.

Will Gerrard play Itten wide right? The last two games against Killie, itten came on as a Sub' at Ibrox and immediately matched up against Killie's left back. Similarly, at Rugby Park, Itten started up front on the right, against the Killie left back. Successfully too, particularly at Rugby Park, the last tenty minutes, it was our out ball and Cedric won the vast majority. I believe Power is suspended but we stll have to deal with the Killie midfield triangle. The diagonal and ball up the line to Itten, appear to bypass said trio. I wonder if the manager will be further tempted?

I seem to remember the Laws of the Game included the line, 'the Referee is the sole arbiter of the game'.

In the spirit of Frankie's post. I played organised football from the age of 8-9 years. It started with the Cubs, then at primary school, and stepped up a level at Uddingston Amateurs. A local pro, played Keeper for Hamilton Acas for a dozen years, Billy Lamont founded Uddy Amateurs with a couple of fellow Pro's to put something back, given the circumstances it was a Sunday club, comprising two teams, under 11s and under 13s. I played at Secondary school and in second year, along with half-a-dozen others, left Uddingston Amateurs for Motherwell's official youth team, Fir Park Boys' Club. I moved through the under 15s, under 17s, and under 18s over three and half years. We were coached by two Motherwell first team players, the then best player to have not received a cap, Joe Wark and two dozen Northern Ireland capped Sammy Campbell. It was a decade of full on organised football, training three times a week in evenings and playing at least twice over the weekends. It was a football life. At Fir Park Boys' Club, we had a good, moderately successful team. The usual gig was surviving all cup competitions until you met Celtic Boys Club, occasionally this happened in a final, where you lost by three a three goal margin. Playing Celtic Boys Club in those days, the early 70s was an experience. We had a team of 13 getting stripped, another couple of lads turned up in expectation. Celtic Boys Club also stripped 13, but had another three dozen standing around the pitch. They all appeared in green blazer, club tie, grey flannels, polished shoes, and with CSC flight bag over their shoulders. The majority of those sidelined lads could have walked into our team. The motivation was desperation to play. Of course, I knew several of the CBC lads, played against them in both schools and amateur games, played alongside them in Lanarkshire Schools selections. There was one, a tremendous talent who signed for Celtic as a 14 year old. He was a genial lad, encouraging and good natured. He had a nickname that derived from his pudding bowl hairstyle. I was shocked at a change in his behaviour in a schools senior game, he was demonstrative and bullying of fellow team mates at the loss of a couple of goals. I won't name him, but he did testify along side Alan Brazil in Torbet's first appearance in courts for abuse(rape) twenty-five years past. His career was abruptly ended by a thrombosis at the age of 17. He was the standout in a Scottish schoolboys international 5-3 victory at Wembley. I moved on the Uni' and represented the Wednesday side in both league and Uni' Shield games. A new manager at St Mirren spotted me and a long term mate in a match against the Agricultural College. We signed part-time year long deals the following Saturday. I did not make a St Mirren first team appearance, never got near it, I played half-a-dozen Reserve matches, mostly I was confined to the third team playing in the Combination league. The lad playing behind me, at right back had been signed from CBC. Further, he was full time tertiary education too, attending Paisley College of Technology. He was a Renfrewshire boy and a truly wonderful player. Again, I won't name him, as it happens he is long gone. I was released at the end of my year, and true to the words you hear about Sir Awex, he found me a club, Shettleston Juniors. I was to replace a player who had left for Rangers, Bobby Russell. I hated Junior football and did not last the year. A name might be familiar to some Gersnetters, Sid Sage? He was a John Cleese lookalike with Roger de Courcey's haircut. A game at Forth Wanderers in the Red Hackle League Cup, he approached me pre-match, asked me to confirm my name, then told me if I ran past him, "ah'll fcuking stab ye". Effectively, I had been bullied, and stayed bullied. Sid had spent two decades playing in the lower reaches of senior football(Albion Rovers, Stenny, East Stirling, ...etc) and some years in the better paying Junior ranks. Back to the Renfrewshire boy, I could never understand why he didn't progress? A decade after sharing the same strip, I ran into a former Uni' mate in an Edinburgh restaurant. I was based at Redford Barracks for a month or so, she was a burgeoning senior civil servant. Further, she had been the Renfrewshire boy's girlfriend for 18 months. I asked about him, his progress. She told me he had been deceased some four years, suicide. He had not recovered from his boys club experiences. Knowing what we know now, you wonder how you negotiated the minefields that was Boys Club/Youth football without serious incident? Another sequence that was prevalent back in the day, was after games, we went to the bus stop to await public transport back home. Most of the opposition lads would be standing beside you and we all witnessed two or three cars passing with several green blazers sitting behind Cairney and Torbet. I could recognise Torbet because he was a weel kent face on the scene; I knew Cairney because he came from Tannochside, a mile and a half up the road. Getting stripped gained you a lift home post-match, and mostly meant a forfeit that would haunt the rest of your life. Rangers involvement with Gordon Neely means our club has questions to answer. Those answers will be beyond dark, meaning some lads lost their dignity, their minds, and their futures. We should do the right thing by lads only desperate to play football.

I read a piece in yesterday's Times saying Police Scotland have agreed to compensate both Whitehouse and Clark to the tune of £150,000. Wrongful arrest and six days of mistreatment amount to £75,000 each. Of course, like all other compensation in this case, it is us, the Taxpayer who is footing the bill.

We are back to that oft-utilised function on stories Rangers, 'AMPLIFICATION'. Back in the day, the Rangers Tax Case Blog was turned up to eleven. BBC Scotland was obsessed with it. The RTC Blog provided a number of functions, a Diary, a Reference, and perpetual stimulation. In reality, you would catch up with the latest allegation/HMRC estimated total owed; to find the RTC Blog had moved the story on, again. Continually, it threw petrol on the flames. The usual suspects in the PQ Gang Hut ensured the volume was permanently turned up and the language of the Blog became common currency. Financial doping, industrial scale, succulent lamb, ..... etc. Our opponents controlled the language and thus, the narrative. The content was bad enough, but the presentation was even snappier, every total of tax owed was accompanied by the number of hospitals, schools, and civil engineering projects being denied to the wider Scottish public. Stuart Cosgrove contributed regularly under the username, 'Sarah Leyden' his Donegal born maternal grandmother. Jum Spence flashed his legal credentials to continually legitimise the provenance of the blog, Spiers was breathless with excitement, Richard Gordon and Liam McLeod were traumatised by each and every revelation, Chris McLaughlin broadcast despite the desire to snigger, ............. etc. The Rangers Tax Case Blog won the Orwell Prize, it was legitimised because of Herculean efforts of the addicted. It dominated the football and news landscape in this country for sixteen months. Then, it disappeared overnight, over a million impressions gone in a heartbeat. The volume was dialled down to barely a whisper, then we, the Rangers support were told, "forget about it" Job done. However, the sound of the blog has echoed these last nine years, and the Scottish courts and Scottish Parliament have been the amplifiers. Forget about it ie the £24 million paid out in compensation and the Parliamentary public apology. Respected Columnists have extrapolated a final cost to Scottish tax payers as £100 million. If the Blog was still active, that figure would already be increased to £150 million. The lack of amplification can best be described by looking at the number of discussions/phone-ins conducted on BBC Scotland. The answer is ZERO. It is considered malicious to broadcast, 'malicious prosecution' and Rangers in the same sentence. A former Lord Advocat can continue to regale his golf club cronies of a Sunday afternoon, with impunity. Perhaps, we should the projected £100 million cost is three primary schools or a hospital wing? It might concentrate some minds, we might discover whose mantlepiece the Orwell Prize sits on; but in reality, forget about it, because the usual suspects have had their fun.

Michael Matheson, season ticket and share holder at the Chamber of Secrets, can do the Hokey Cokey.

Comedic Exaggeration. 'Comedic exaggeration' was the phrase deployed by Stuart Cosgrove to excuse his big mate, Irvine Welsh. The Hibee had gone raj on the David Tanner hosted Hibs TV. Welsh casually utilised a sectarian term, "sticky bun" to describe Alfredo Morelos, then stated, "he should be chopped up with a machete and pieces sent to the corners of the globe to feed the seagulls". Of course, Cosgrove ignored the the awkward usage of, "sticky bun", because only Rangers supporters(or as Cosgrove wrote, "H-u-ns and typical orange wankers") can be seen to indulge in sectarianism. His proclamation of, "comedic exaggeration" is to ensure Hibs are not hit with a charge of bringing the game into disrepute. Further, Cosgrove has laughingly cautioned Hibs, "what do you expect from Irvine Welsh, he's up there with Jerry Sadowitz and Frankie Boyle" Thus Cosgrove's mitigation is initially to ignore, then widen, and finally ameliorate. We know Hibs will not be charged by the SFA as surely as we know, if similar comments were uttered on Rangers TV by a Rangers supporting celebrity, then questions would be aired in the Scottish Parliament, with Cosgrove's full support. Another PQ production, 'A View from the Terrace' addressed Welsh's comments on Friday evening last. I think with a bit more honestly. Unlike Cosgrove and Off the Ball, they played the tape of the Author sitting extremely comfortably with his preferred prejudice. Again, they did not broadcast the "sticky bun" comment, but Robert Borthwick who deals with social media on the show allowed the tape to run without further comment. No mitigation provided, viewers allowed to make up their own minds. Tomorrow, Rangers are set to appeal Keymar Roofe's retrospective red card, issued by a three person panel. The Compliance Officer designation is currently unfilled, Claire Whyte has moved on to a position within the Scottish Government. This in contrast to Morelos, the club have accepted his three match ban, quite correctly for the Columbian's stamp on Ryan Porteous at Easter Road. Being a St Johnstone fan, Cosgrove has provided no mitigation for Roofe, not needed, he is comfortable that these citations are almost exclusively Rangers players. There is a parallel between Cosgrove's demands and Rangers players, particularly Morelos. Remember last season at Fir Park, Alfie had been pelted by coins and scalding hot drinks, he scored the winner and ran to the claret and amber Ultras, running his flat hand across his throat? Cosgrove did not hesitate, such gesticulation was NOT "comedic exaggeration; he wanted Compliance Officer action. Further, Ryan Kent's double handed pistol shooting celebration at Sellik Park, was also an instance when the objective Gang Hutter wanted Compliance Officer action. If you confer with a Thesaurus, "Comedic Exaggeration" can be explained/substituted by the word, 'Amplification'. Cosgrove has a firm hand on the amplification control, up to eleven when accusing Rangers. When Rangers or Rangers supporters are targeted, it's turned down so low, you cannot hear a "sticky bun" comment.

Rangers result today has stimulated Jum Spence. His last mention of Rangers on his Twitter feed is the 17th January, he broadcast the half time score at Fir Park, 'Well 1-Rangers 0. Today, he has the full time result from Hamilton and has posted a form table of the last six league games. We remain top on 14 points, Hibs second on 13 points, and his BIG TEAM, ra Sellik on 11 points. Jum has a scintilla of hope. Remember folks, Jum is Rectum to all Dundee Uni' undergraduates.

At half time. Application, attitude, and awareness? Please Rangers, cut out the walking football, sub' Davis for Zungu, and get someone to satellite Itten. All before Acas get lucky with the increasing number of balls flying into our box.

I think we are waiting until today's match is re-refereed, we will probably have to make a decision on two, or three appeals. I suspect Michael Stewart will be after Greegs tonight?

Hamilton Acas 0 Rangers 3 FGS : Itten.