The Real PapaBear

cheers for the heads up. Sky +ed

let me see if I understand this. The rule which we are deemed to have breach was designed to prevent irregular payments to players. The payments we made were found not to be irregular and were all legal and above board. For not bringing these legal and regular payments to the attention of the authorities, we are to be fined one quarter of a million pounds despite those payments being entirely legitimate? is that about it? We did nothing wrong, get fined 250,000 and people seem to think we've won?

well, it does if 34,612 are downstairs in the concourses buying cups of tea, which is where they must surely have been. Celtic, after all, have to much sporting integrity to tell lies. What post season trip to Japan?

very good interview - well worth a listen

Aye, that sounds about right, but you have to remember that we need one shirt to wear to a football game once a week; They need shirts for going on holiday, going to the beach, going sightseeing, going to restaurants, going to the gym, going shopping and they always need a spare fresh one in case they have to run home and change before putting money in the collection tin or helping old ladies with their shopping.

"tolerance, forgiveness and nurturing" - protestant virtues? Really? I would have thought that the greatest Protestant virtues would be democracy and the unwillingness to accept hypocrisy and bullshit?

Boyd could have been a legend but now, he's just another failed journeyman, playing in front of 2,100 people against St. Whogivesafuck United. The No.9 shirt you used to wear will be playing in front of 49,000 next week, Kris - but, do let us know how you get on, won't you?

They're not forced into anything. If they take part in illegal wars, it's entirely their decision to do so.

It's a two way street - and for every time we are hauled before the court of public opinion and/or the SFA, we should make sure that every transgression at the Meccanodome, or when they are on their travels, is recorded. That way, if punishments handed out to us are deemed to be one-sided or biased against us, we can present documentary evidence of similar occurrences elsewhere and, how should I put it, 'ask for clarification' as to the action taken, or lack thereof. I have no problem with the club or fans being punished for transgressions -in fact, it seems like that's the only way to reach some muppets- but any punishment must be equally and fairly applied to any club whose fans transgress. Oh, I don't know, if they for example set off flares in the stadium and then attack policemen and stewards trying to go about their duties, or turn Dens Park into a war zone, or engage in chanting in support of the IRA or throw missiles at injured players and medical staff or actively seek to intimidate match officials - you know, the usual.

Does anyone else think that the people behind last Saturday's uproar may actually be working for Rangers? Imagine, if you will, that you've just bought one of the world's potentially biggest football clubs. However, this club comes with a certain baggage; a baggage that prevents us from selling ourselves to a wider market and achieving the exposure that we otherwise could. You would try to get rid of this baggage, wouldn't you? Rangers released a statement before the first strains of TBB had died down - almost as if they were prepared for it. The response of the mhedia has been, even for them, OTT and the discussions on various Rangers sites have been lively- there seems to be a head of steam building up behind this issue. If one was a mental conspiracy theorist, one might think Green and Traynor are embarking on a strategy to finally do something about the unsavoury elements in our support.

Exactly right. And we can only highlight the double standards and ensure that the spotlight is turned on them when we get our own house in order.

Yes there are, but ESPN is not involved in any of them. My point was that inventing an imaginary conspiracy by ESPN instead of focusing on the twats who embarrass the club does no good. A) it lets the FTP brigade off the hook and b) it just serves to weaken any attempt at getting at the real conspiracies being perpetrated against the club.

Here's an idea. It's a bit radical, but bear with me. How about we go to games and sing songs in support of Rangers? How about our songs have nothing to do with "******s" 'kaffliks" or "popes"? How about, instead of pointing fingers at imaginary conspiracies, we point the fingers at the knuckle dragging fuckwits who are so obsessed with their own personal agendas that they behave in a way which damages Rangers in the eyes of the world and destroys all of the hard work everyone has put in since last February? 0he fact is, no matter how some might try to deny it, thanks to decades of brain-dead, sectarian fuckwittery, Rangers became a toxic brand - which was a large part of the reason that everyone wanted to see us dead. Now we have this chance of renaissance, the chance to start afresh and put out a message about what we as a club and as a support stand for. So far this message has reverberated around the world; our loyalty, steadfastness and refusal to bend to injustice has gained admirers from every continent. We have shown that Rangers is truly a world figure in sport. Honestly, how many other clubs do you think would have responded as we have done to the situation we were in. (And by the way, GS, I disagree with you mate. The ten point deduction for administration was fair; for everything else, they have stuck the dagger in whenever and wherever they could. As I have said before, I'm a dyed in the wool Scottish nationalist; but when it comes to football; fuck league football in Scotland. We should go wherever is best for Rangers. ) But now, when we have the chance to redefine the narrative of our club, the 1690 FTP brigade are actively hijacking it and turning us back into the toxic brand we had become. These posturing proddies are actually doing more damage to us than any legion of Timmy reporters or BBC editors could hope to do. These people are, to quote Shakespeare " a fucking disgrace and a fucking embarrassment, and the sooner we get shot of these fifth columnest cunts the better for us all". I think it was from Twelfth Night.

best of luck Dundee. In administration twice, and run by a board of bufoons, sack an excellent young manager in favour of Brown? Maybe it's because they are the rivals for Dundee celtic but I hate to see them make such fools of themselves.

ban booing? who's talking about banning booing? I'm saying that, imho, no fan should ever boo a Rangers player. Not only is it counterproductive, it's not, again imho, the Rangers Way. The answer to your question is that a chant or a banner is the result of like-minded people working in unison to express an opinion; a post on a message board is not.

and yet, you can still say something like that without going to jail?

no contradiction at all. It's quite simple. Any non-football related banner should be prohibited on the grounds that the display of such a banner is likely to divide the support and thus harm the club. no football related banner should be prohibited unless, as in this case perhaps, offensive language is used, in which case it's a matter of changing the vocabulary rather than banning the sentiment sentiment.

Totally agree. Every penny of the debt owed by the old company should be paid. Why? Because it was 'Rangers' that accrued the debt and it is 'Rangers' that should pay it. The name or personnel in charge of the management company doesn't matter, morally. Joe Smith the baker delivered 6 months worth of bread and scones to 'Rangers' because it was Rangers; not to "XYZ company ltd". If we are going to get back what we were, we have to start behaving like we used to and start acting in the Rangers way again. And while we are paying back creditors, we must make sure that we pay back our enemies, too, and make them rue the day they thought it would be a good idea to kick us when we were down. For that, too, is the Rangers Way.

Me again. Simple rule; easy to follow; no exceptions: You never, ever, boo a player in a Rangers Shirt. Boo the manager; fine. Boo the team; not so fine, but understandable. Boo the player; never. The only time to ever boo a player is if he's a lazy waster; and that's the manager's fault for playing him, so boo the manager.

Can't agree amms. The banners against Alex Salmond are party political and seek to align the Rangers support, of which I am one, with a certain political agenda, which I am vehemently opposed to. This serves only to divide the support and, in the worst case, drive away fans of a different political persuasion. This harms the club and such banners have no place at Ibrox. The banner about Ashley is a different matter entirely. This *was* purely club/football related. This was a group of genuine fans who had a point to make. They have the right to make their point and their banner was legitimate. I disagree with their opinion and I think they were wrong to do it; but banners like that shouldn't be banned - because they *are* purely club/football related. It's called "free speech", mate. It used to be popular about 30 years ago. Look it up.

LOL! I'm sure that came across a lot worse than you meant, Kuz. I'm sure you meant to say that Dart's writing skill has outgrown even this estimable site. And I would agree. Dart's work belongs on the Rangers Standard and anywhere of a similar quality. Here? We're just simple guys talking about Charles Green, horses and bombs. He deserves better than us.

Brilliant piece, as always, D'art

First they get a referee sacked, now they get to choose who polices them off the field? Will they get to choose the next Pope as well?

brilliant piece, Thinker - best I've read on the subject. I think you're on to something there. The only possible fly in the ointment would be that Scottish participation in European competitions might cease to happen in some seasons. For example, if Rangers finished 11th in the league and Celtic 12th, would we get a CL or UEFA cup spot for being the highest place Scottish team at the expense of English teams that finished above us?

Close your eyes and you're listening to Neil Lennon .