forlanssister

Bit of debate as to who it actually is. [tweet]744207397191843840[/tweet]

GLASGOW Rangers have completed the signing of central defender Clint Hill and raised questions whether they would still have interest in Plymouth Argyle's Curtis Nelson. The Pilgrims' 23-year-old captain is out of contract at Home Park this summer and after more than 200 appearances for the Green Army may decide now is the right time to depart. Read more: http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/are-rangers-interested-in-curtis-nelson-defensive-signing-might-put-an-end-to-rumours/story-29414574- [tweet]744201347101241344[/tweet]

Motherwell are crying crocodile tears they weren't so concerned about their finances when they taped off half their stand and let it lay empty rather than let Bears watch their team. I imagine that three home games for the Tims versus our one is a step too far even for Lawwell or else he would have tried it before.

I expect Halliday will be cover at LB and will be on the bench more often than starting, also the midfield will provide better protection than we witnessed last season. Think Hardie and Thomson will go out on loan again which will probably be better for them and us than bench warming or the U20's. Doubt we'll see Aird again. O'Halloran needs to hit the ground running this season but I think our style of play with the full backs so far forward means his chances to use his pace are limited and that was a huge part of his game at St Johnstone also doesn't appear to link up with the full backs well at all especially when compared to MacKay. I too expect to win the league and see no reason why we won't be in the top 2 at least. Also think the formation we play will be tweaked more than we've seen.

Why? Half a dozen or so is ample this window. Last seasons start may have been revolutionary but the long term plan was always going to be evolutionary with players coming in incrementally better than those they replace.

Go Pro footage of the Russians attacking the English fans. https://www.youtube.com/embed/vAPodNXjkBU

One of the nastier scenes so far! http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=746_1465766221

https://anoutsideviewwordpresscom.wordpress.com/2016/06/11/the-propaganda-percentage/

It's not a debate he wants it's a platform to pontificate.

Probably why PM and SR left NARSA early.

It was not just myself every disabled Rangers fan in the South Stand was needlessly put in danger because of the bungled stewarding and policing. Although none of the Hibs representatives were present at the AGM they had previously contacted the SDSA to likewise complain about the stewarding and policing as all those Hibs fans entering the pitch from the South Stand had to climb over the top of people in wheelchairs to get onto the pitch.

As far as I'm aware I'm not aware of any of the Patrons who won't be backing the SDSA in the matter. Simple fact is but for the grace of God no one was seriously injured and the outcome could have been so much different. It was the first time since Pamplona that I've had reason to fear for my own safety at a football match. Cowan and Cosgrove (in particular) know they f*&ked but I'm inclined to lean towards their regret being more because once they's seen what actually happened and seen Petrie's SKY interview they realised just how stupid they appeared.

At the second game with Peterhead they announced a record crowd, which was a bit weird considering there were about 1500 more at the first game!

Your dyslexia must be extremely mild given the only word misspelled is protestant, and where do I make any claim re anyone's intelligence? Coming from a background of one side Plymouth Brethren and the other CoS whilst myself being in the main agnostic I'd never be so bold as to claim those who follow any deity have no reasoned defence

Using the label prodestant as opposed to the actual protestant doesn't do your argument any favours.

They are Patrons of the Scottish Disabled Supporters Association. The SDSA are taking up my complaint about the shambolic policing and stewarding and in particular the needless danger we were placed in with the SFA.

Cowan and Cosgrove were guests at the Scottish Disabled Supporters Association AGM at Hampden today. Repeated what they said on the radio namely they were not aware of the facts and they only heard Petrie's radio interview with Chick Young and hadn't seen the SKY interview. They appeared to show genuine regret as they realised last week reflected badly on them.

They could easily have done so had any of them been located behind the Hibs end, begs the question is why weren't any of located there?

There is nothing to prevent him having legal counsel alongside him. Think back to the infamous Maxwell Brothers session where the answered "No comment" to practically every question whilst having George Carmen QC sitting next to them.

So how does that tally with a completely random computer generated fixture list?

Not clear that he does in fact support Rangers. [tweet]735748019115565056[/tweet]

I left the stadium just as the horses were galloping down the tunnel followed by about a dozen or so Police running down. I was parked in the space roped off for wheelchair fans which is the last part of the car park before where the buses park. The steward was refusing to let cars exit but after about 5 minutes 2 other cars edged out and I followed suit, again we were stopped trying to exit the car park again at the exit to KInghorn Drive again the cars in front just drove passed the steward to get out. I drove the fifty or so yards down Kinghorn Drive exited left down Mount Annan Drive along Aitkenhead Road then on to the A728 at the split and from there up the slip road on to the M74. It's actually the quickest I've ever got away from Hampden, however all the way down those streets I saw not one single Police Officer and not one single Police vehicle. Thing is there is direct access from Aitkenhead Road up to the East Stand where the Hibs fans were supposed to be. It's clear the whole Police Operation on Saturday was a shambles from the pre-game planning to the woeful execution. The fact that they utterly failed to plan for any trouble from the Hibs fans and all Police reinforcements were located with only access from the Rangers end gives an insight to the mindset of Police Scotland and that's a dark, bigoted and disturbing place.

On our last visit to Celtic Park, the home fans held aloft two banners, one above the other. It gave the watching Rangers fans a single sentence: ‘Your Grandchildren will be Celtic fans!’ As these things go, it was quite clever. In those strange days, which lasted three more years, it was never certain if it was a cutting jibe or a possible future. We should never forget there was more than one moment when our club’s existence was at stake. Until the current Board took over in 2015, it was still possible Rangers would be sucked dry. There’s only so much the club could take before the remaining husk was thrown away. And no amount of resuscitation could have given life to what was left. It’s this memory which should be used when results don’t go our way in the future. The last year has been a success story – even if the Scottish Cup finds its way to Easter Road. The foundations are at last being built. We have a Board who care, and a management team second-to-none. It’s no exaggeration to suggest we would want no-one else other than Warburton and Weir in charge. As a football team Rangers are ahead of schedule, but too much pressure shouldn’t be put on them just yet. Regardless of the semi-final result at Hampden, Celtic still have the bigger resources. We are competing while having a retail deal which means we are disadvantaged from the start. It’s like two equally matched swimmers going for gold. Both are wearing speedos, but only one has to swim with a backpack. The league isn’t a sprint, and their bigger squad might make a difference until we grow our own. We will win the title soon enough, but we shouldn’t become hysterical if it doesn’t happen in the next few seasons. Other than financial obstacles, Rangers face other off-field issues which need addressed. One is with the media, and protecting ourselves. Over the last decade and more we have been famously terrible in responding to half-truths, lies, stereotypes and outright prejudice. Previous owners may have done well to look after their own reputation, but they allowed the club’s image to become tarnished beyond recognition. It’s pleasing the current Board seem to grasp this to a certain extent, but more needs to be done. No-one wishes the club to comment on every lunatic tweet from strange people obsessed by the Rangers. But as soon as anyone with a semblance of responsibility regurgitate nonsense they find online, or stereotypes the support, then the club should come down hard. ‘But’, you might say, ‘this is exactly what we are doing when removing press privileges’. It’s not. It’s weak and counter-productive. You don’t punish journalists by taking away their press privileges, you only make them look good while Rangers become the big, bad bullies they say we are. It only confirms the stereotype. The goal shouldn’t be to stifle crazy opinions, but expose them. They are often so muddled or dangerous that simply repeating what they say to a wider audience is enough. What was better for Rangers, Chris Graham humiliating Graham Spiers on STV’s ‘Scotland Tonight’ by reminding viewers of the nonsense and inconsistencies he spouts, or removing press privileges which mean nothing since he can still watch Rangers and write about anything he wishes anyway? If the club pointed out Spiers has called some Gers fans a ‘sub-species’, would that not be better than turning him into a martyr? Who is going to defend that? And those that do will be seen for what they are. When Dave King was declared ‘fit and proper’ by the SFA, Radio Scotland’s ‘Sportsound’ programme featured Richard Wilson, Kenny Macintyre, Jim Spence and Tom English. Wilson and Macintyre showed the BBC at its best, giving different viewpoints and holding both Rangers and the BBC to account. Predictably Spence and English seemed to believe they were the prosecution against King. It was the usual stuff from them, but for the first time they were challenged on their views by none other than John ‘Bomber’ Brown. He directly told them they should, “stop keep sticking the knife in, and the boot in, as Jim Spence and yourself Tom [English] have done for the previous years”. Both seemed shocked they were openly called out. It had never happened before. In another ‘Sportsound’ programme, Craig Houston of ‘Sons of Struth’ again showed how to give the Rangers version of events better than the club. Rather unfortunately, although not unexpectedly, it was Tom English having a go at Rangers. He seems to have no understanding his remit is objectivity. When Craig Houston pointed out the majority of BBC Scotland journalists do not care about Rangers either way, except for a small amount who he said are “anti-Rangers” including Tom English. English demanded evidence to back up such an allegation. Houston was prepared. He pointed out only the week before Tom English tweeted to him to say the Rangers fan was “enjoying” Hibs fans threatening Scott Allan. (Remember at that moment Gers fans thought he was going to Ibrox). Houston said he had repeatedly asked for an apology to such a weird claim and a flustered English doubled down to repeat that Craig Houston and other Rangers fans were in “glee” at the death threats. There was no evidence for this “glee”, either with Houston or other supporters, but Tom English seemed to be projecting what he thought Rangers fans believe rather than what they said. Once again, merely challenging and repeating bizarre comments was more enlightening than any removal of press privileges or back-channel discussions. And if former players and supporters can defend Rangers on these minor issues, what would happen if the club finally found its voice? The club must start openly and directly protecting itself and us in clear language. The other main off-field issue, other than finances, which will be raised is sectarian singing. This topic has been covered before, and there’s no point going over old ground except to say the Board and the supporters group need to stop reacting and be proactive. Rangers are an inclusive club. No-one cares about religion, colour, creed or nationality. We pick our heroes by what they do on the park alone. Their personal beliefs or place of birth is of no interest. This is a fact anyone can see. But since a minority of songs and terms shouted from the terraces are from another age, the club and fans are stereotyped as bigots. Even if you don’t accept that argument, eventually the club will face sanctions from the SFA. It’s coming, and the Board and fan representatives cannot say they weren’t warned. The focused effort to dissuade a couple of songs and words will be minimal. The consequences of inaction are not. As for Club 1872, there was a minority opposed to a united supporters group because they worried the fan reps would be too close to the Board and represent them instead of the fans. Our current directors have the Gers at heart, but the argument wasn’t against them. What if ten years from now there are less enlightened characters in the boardroom again? With our recent history that should not be dismissed lightly. But the overwhelming majority have spoken, and those for the unified group have said autonomy is guaranteed. This should be accepted by all, and the new supporters’ body should be given every chance to progress in the way we hope. Mistakes will be made, but errors should not be jumped on and the new organisation must be given the space to grow. Every Gers fan should be behind Club 1872 now. It should not be forgotten that if Club 1872 succeeds, then the Rangers support – and of-course Rangers FC – succeed. We are finally on the right path. The club we dearly love beyond reason was nearly lost, or even worse, functional but with nothing left of what it is to be Rangers. But through effort and a bit of luck (which we deserved) we have our team and its soul back. A complete recovery is still years away, but we know it will be reached. It’s not ‘if’ we can overcome the on and off-field obstacles in our way, but how quickly. We can now look back at the Celtic banner with a smile. Our Grandchildren will not be Celtic fans. Our Grandchildren will be Rangers fans – and even better – happy Rangers fans. Authors Note – I wrote this article the week before the cup final in preparation for the launch of Club 1872 . The first instinct by some in positions of responsibility to downplay the assaults on Rangers players and staff was sickening. It was, however, the perfect example of why I asked Rangers to openly challenge the minority in the media and elsewhere who put their grudges and tribalism before objectivity.

Ah so those horses were from the carousel !!!