buster.

Editor must be being told by more than one person that story is kosher but I'd very much doubt he's got more to go on than their word and it's doubtful any footage will be released prior to the commission. I'd be interested to know if Irvine/MH is currently contracted and doing work for the Police Federation.

She may end up being thrown to the wolves with the DR citing here tweeting history as a reason, in an effort to 'stop the bleeding'. ps. Have I used enough cliches to be able to apply for a job as a SMSM hack ?

Good Important to get all the available facts to hand and use them well.

The interests of Rangers and the fans group should be more closely aligned than the comparitive example you give. Neither can fans do much about your comparitive example but can re. fans group if they see something they don't like.

There would seem to be various opportunities opening up but we have to be careful about how we go about taking them and not fall into traps. The club and main supporters group should maybe get together for 'a chat'. As Frankie inferred on Saturday night, boxing clever will be more effective than instintive anger.

It's the obvious starting place from the moment it became clear our players had been attacked.

MW won't be changing the general way we play but may make tweaks for certain matches. It's about improving the quality and mitigating/removing any weak links that he may see. This would mostly be about player recruitment, which he wants done asap. Then in pre-season trying to fit it together, make it work and be ready for the 16th of July. I think it'll suit us having the League Cup group games to get up to speed.

To a degree but I don't think he is blameless for the waste. Good luck to them but we won't miss any of the three.

Spiers at work. 1. No need to go to game. 2. Write line/conclusion about Rangers fans, blame and term 'fenian bastards' 3. Figure out a way to reach this conclusion that loosely fits events and also states a case for both sides of opinion on social media before reaching conclusion. 4. Go over text and stick a couple of 'long words' in. ------------------- His MO in recent years has been to give an impression of taking into account both sides of story before always falling off the fence into the same garden. He has tried to be more controversial at times to get more radio gigs but only comes accross as a pathetic attention seeker with no original thought.

I think it's an opportunity to have it ripped up or heavily ammended. If something isn't working (listen to police, judiciary, football fans, other political opinion) you can either change it or stick your head in the sand, up the stakes and make it worse for yourself.

Spiers seems to have broadened his horizons and has invented his own 'contempt-meter' so as to measure it's ongoing levels and later be able point to the motives behind the actions. It just so happens that this new technology is not so subtley blaming Rangers supporters and is linked to the word 'fenian'. No surprise there....... Spiers is one of the consistent areas of "loathing" within Scottish football and his predictable dribble that helped shape the current cack-handed and unworkable balls-up of reactive legislation is a poor excuse for original thought and real journalism. Legislation, Policing, Governing bodies (SFA/SPFL), Journalism in Scottish football.......... ........... it's all low/poor quality, self-interested, unimaginative and ineffective. We Deserve Better

The current trend seems to be a general increase in 'trouble' or anti-social behaviour at the football (I'd class trouble as violence and A-SB as other) and it wouldn't surprise me greatly if as you say the Scottish Government discussed/try to implement more ineffective legislation that would actually make matters worse. What should be pushed for within or at the edges of the independent commission is getting rid of the current unworkable legislation that has the Polis more interested in song lyrics and videos. Disband the 'Thought Police' Dept., get rid of the police spindoctors, do your job and take responsibility where necessary instead of making up excuses.

It was also too late. Forethought, intelligence gathering and (contingent) planning etc.,should have made '10 minute crisis meeting' unnecessary. On various levels Police Scotland doesn't seem to be doing a reasonable job and too much of their money is allocated towards spindoctors instead of getting their act together. The legislators have failed with their cack-handed and discrimitory laws that the police and judiciary struggle to use.

Some amount of work has gone into this. Very funny in places ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t59qOjN9Pq8

Rooney, a man whose bank account outweighs his talent. At times has been a fantastic player but seemed to peak early, regress and drift in an out of form....never really becoming the player some thought he might.

A one season ban from the SC is I think merited, realistic and as far as I think it will go (might well be a lesser punishment). Stand or stadium closures in the SC might not effect them for several seasons so a simple ban would be served next season and would send a message regards the seriousness of what happened (never known a SC Cup ban in my puff). They won the Cup and the European place that goes with it in the 90 minutes of play. I wouldn't be for touching that given the SFA's share in responsibility. Bear in mind that the draw for European qualifers is on the 20th of June and I wouldn't imagine any commission will be reporting until after that. We'll get fined aswell.

Stubbs probably sees himself working in England and doesn't feel the need to ingratiate himself to the usual suspects so keenly.

Changing ever-more ingrained attitudes is a very difficult task. First step on a long and rocky road is to push general awareness and start a discussion/argument. This statement, for example subtley points to Rod Petrie as a man with an important dual responsibility who is also guilty of difiance and indifference as Rangers players are attacked by Hibs fans under SFA security magmt.

Modern society prefers spin to taking responsibility or at least the former is always tried before the latter is contemplated. You could understand it or 'wear it' in some areas but the Polis isn't one of them.

Re. Salmond On the first page of this thread.

I had presumed without any base in expert knowledge that this type of action might be taken after criminal proceedings dependent on findings. It's Interesting and hopefully good to see it come so soon.

".......It remains my intention to ensure that Sports Direct is legally and financially held accountable for its failures." Dave King October 27th 2015 He meant what he was saying.

Tbh D'art, I don't think the important issue here is security. I'm not saying the attacks on our players aren't important but presuming that the measures put in place and/or the actual reaction from security were simply very poor and inadequate. IMO the important is the underlying issues which you and others have already touched upon over the weekend. The issues that mean these type of incidents on whatever scale will almost certainly happen again. Over and above the usual football rivalry we have had our problems over the past few years which have been jumped upon by our main rivals in a metaphorical call to arms to fans of other clubs so as to focus on and squeeze Rangers out every which way they can.....This has been magnified with creative use of social media. The other main polarizing factor has been political and the lingering legacy of the referendum campaign. Pointing this out is one thing, trying to address the matter in a constructive manner is at this point in time next to impossible.

I don't think the standard statement would have registered. Having players attacked on the pitch and the reaction to it has been sad but fairly predictable. A reaching of a 'line in the sand' of sorts that has been coming. There is an undercurrent of hatred that is now going beyond the normal football rivalry levels, is becoming more widespread and manifests itself with people in roles of responsibility attempting to downplay attacks on players and many general supporters today online trying to deny it even happened.....and when faced with video evidence trying to present mitigating factors. You could argue that parts of the statement further polarizes matters but there comes a time when a stand has to be made and you have to try and change the debate from what is relatively comfortable for the 'other side' into one that starts down a road to get to the underlying problems.