ian1964

He'll learn how to be a champion,something he won't learn at Man City

fuck that cheating cunt,I hope he gets a serious injury that ends his career

Well done Zappa,I did fancy a good few goals today:thup:

Like countless other Canadian-born kids with parents who hail from Europe, Fraser Aird inherited his favourite sports team. Rangers FC was the choice in Airdââ?¬â?¢s Scarborough home, the inevitable byproduct of having both a father and a maternal grandpa who were longtime season ticket holders at Ibrox Stadium, the clubââ?¬â?¢s Glasgow ground. Growing up, it meant regular, early-morning outings to see Scottish Premier League games on satellite. There were live looks too, when the team made pre-season tours to Toronto. Annual conventions were also part of the mix, as his parents belonged to the North American Rangers Supporters Association. But in addition to becoming a diehard Rangers fan, Fraser Aird also developed into a talented soccer player. So good, in fact, that the 16-year-old is off to Scotland Sunday after signing a professional contract with the club. ââ?¬Å?Itââ?¬â?¢s a childhood dream,ââ?¬Â Aird says. ââ?¬Å?Iââ?¬â?¢ve always wanted to do this.ââ?¬Â An attacking midfielder with speed and an eye for goal, Aird will initially join Rangersââ?¬â?¢ Under-17 side. But club officials expect him to move quickly to the Under-19s, which is the third squad behind the first team and reserves. ââ?¬Å?Heââ?¬â?¢s a talented footballer with good technical ability,ââ?¬Â says Jim Sinclair, who as director of the Rangersââ?¬â?¢ Murray Park Academy oversees all club sides but the first team. ââ?¬Å?He has a wee bit of the Scot in him. Heââ?¬â?¢s gritty. Heââ?¬â?¢s direct.ââ?¬Â But in addition to liking Airdââ?¬â?¢s playing style, Sinclair said by phone from Glasgow that the Rangers staff also feels heââ?¬â?¢s the type of person who will ââ?¬Å?relish the challenge and hard work aheadââ?¬Â in adjusting to life as a young pro. ââ?¬Å?Thereââ?¬â?¢s no point in bringing him across such a distance and being unsure how resilient heââ?¬â?¢ll be,ââ?¬Â Sinclair says. Aird, a Grade 10 student at Albert Campbell Collegiate Institute in Scarborough, has already shown a fair measure of resiliency in pursuing an overseas soccer career. Rangers is the third club heââ?¬â?¢s been on trial with. Thanks in part to the connections of Sanford Carabin, his agent and one-time coach, Aird had a trial in 2008 with Celtic FC, whoââ?¬â?¢ve engaged Rangers in a century-old, cross-town rivalry that has sometimes blurred sports with religion (Celtic is known as a Catholic club, while Rangers has Protestant roots). The trial at Celtic, and a first with Rangers last October, were funded by the Aird family. A 2009 trial with second-tier English side Burnley FC and a second trip to Rangers prior to the contract offer were paid for by the clubs. ââ?¬Å?Heââ?¬â?¢s got a chance that a million other kids would love,ââ?¬Â says Bill Aird, 59, a transportation engineer with the City of Toronto. ââ?¬Å?Now, itââ?¬â?¢s up to him to make the most of it.ââ?¬Â Before immigrating to Canada in 1987, Bill Aird spent a half-dozen years attending every Rangers game, home and away, including European competitions. He says the prospect of his son playing for the club is ââ?¬Å?unbelievable, really.ââ?¬Â The elder Aird, a Protestant, insists he would have been thrilled if Fraser signed with any club, including Celtic, as this has always been about sports, not religion. The key is the young man gets to pursue his dream. ââ?¬Å?Iââ?¬â?¢m very proud of what heââ?¬â?¢s achieved,ââ?¬Â says Bill Aird, who rarely misses one of Fraserââ?¬â?¢s games or practices. ââ?¬Å?The fact heââ?¬â?¢s going to Rangers is doubly good for me but as a family, we feel itââ?¬â?¢s an opportunity that he needs to take right now. ââ?¬Å?We donââ?¬â?¢t want to look back a few years from now and say: ââ?¬Ë?What if?ââ?¬â?¢Ã¢â?¬Â After two training stints with Rangers, Fraser Aird knows thatââ?¬â?¢s where he wants to be. In addition to billeting with a family and continuing his high school education, heââ?¬â?¢ll train each day at the same facility as the clubââ?¬â?¢s stars. ââ?¬Å?It pushes you more because thatââ?¬â?¢s what you want to achieve,ââ?¬Â he says of watching the first team train, or lifting weights alongside its players. Aird began playing at age 3 at North Scarborough Soccer Club, suiting up with older brother Cameron and other five-year-olds. He continued to play against older kids until joining the Markham Lightning in the 2008 season. ââ?¬Å?Heââ?¬â?¢s just clearly one step ahead of everybody at all times,ââ?¬Â says Dino Cramarossa, who coached Aird for three seasons from 2008 to 2010, including 2009 when the Lightning won the league, playoff and Ontario Cup Under-14 titles before losing the national final in Nova Scotia on penalties. ââ?¬Å?For most guys, the game speeds up when they get around the 18-yard box. For him, it slows down and thatââ?¬â?¢s a gift.ââ?¬Â Cramarossa says Aird, who is 5-foot-8 and 145 pounds, is tremendously quick with the ball, and thrives on running at opponents and beating them one-on-one. He adds that Aird can not only score with both feet but is also mentally tough, very independent and ââ?¬Å?just hates to loseââ?¬Â. ââ?¬Å?Heââ?¬â?¢s got everything it takes,ââ?¬Â Cramarossa says. Fraser Aird knows thereââ?¬â?¢s still a long way to go ââ?¬â? and a lot of hard work to do ââ?¬â? before heââ?¬â?¢s ready to trot out with the first team at Ibrox. But, in addition to being anxious to get his Rangers career started, heââ?¬â?¢s also looking forward to being a regular at the stadium, indulging his passion for the club as a fan. ââ?¬Å?Itââ?¬â?¢ll be fun. Iââ?¬â?¢ll sit there and watch and think: ââ?¬Ë?One day, that could be me.ââ?¬â?¢Ã¢â?¬Â http://www.thestar.com/sports/soccer/article/936640--scarborough-teen-signed-by-scottish-giant-rangers-fc

KYLE BARTLEY had no part to play as the Old Firm made history last week. Now the Arsenal kid is begging Walter Smith for the chance to create his own Ibrox legacy. Last Sunday's epic encounter in the Scottish Cup left Bartley gasping for breath on the bench. The 2-2 draw also means that for the first time ever Rangers and Celtic will have to meet SEVEN times in one season. Now Bartley - on loan at Gers until the end of the season - hopes he'll be handed a key role in the replay at Parkhead. He confessed: "It was something else last weekend. "I've been looking to get up to an Old Firm game for a number of years now so to actually be involved in it was an unbelievable experience. "It's part of football history. The Old Firm is such a massive game. There aren't many other bigger games in the world. "It's on a whole different level compared to Arsenal and Spurs. "The Old Firm runs a lot deeper than football and you can sense that with the atmosphere. "It's not scary. It's different for me because for a lot of the boys it's in their blood. "I am new to this environment and you have to get your head around it quickly. "Once you find out the reasons behind it it's easier to understand." Bartley has yet to feature for Rangers since sealing his deadline day move to Ibrox. The towering defender had spent the first half of the season on loan at Sheffield United. He jumped at the chance to join Gers after Ibrox gaffer Smith contacted his Emirates counterpart Arsene Wenger. The 19-year-old revealed: "I had a few options in January, there were a couple of clubs in the Championship who were interested. "Given the prestige of Rangers and given the competitions they are in it was a no-brainer in the end. "We obviously play in the Europa League next week and that was also a major factor for me. "I haven't spoken to Arsene Wenger since I made the move but I think he speaks to Walter quite a lot so that is good for me. Advertisement "Of course, the manager here was another plus. "The coaching staff are fantastic and I'm only going to improve as a player by working under someone like Walter Smith. "He has so much experience and he has achieved so much in the game. "Ally McCoist and Ian Durrant have been great too. "If you can't learn off these guys who can you learn from? "I'm thinking short-term at the moment. I want to get out on the pitch and win things with Rangers. "I see my long-term future back at Arsenal, however, and I have never hidden that." Bartley has been catapulted into the race for medals. Gers are gunning for the Treble in Smith's final season in charge while also eyeing Europa League glory. Bartley added: "Rangers are going for a lot of trophies and you get a sense of the feeling of determination straight away. "Second best is never good enough at a club like Rangers and that will bring the best out of me I'm sure. "It will bring me on and develop me as a player." Bartley has had to be patient since joining Gers. He's hoping that he can finally make his debut against Motherwell at Ibrox this afternoon. He stressed: "I'm realistic. When I came to Rangers I knew I wouldn't walk into the team. I just need to keep working hard and hopefully I'll get my chance. "The gaffer has a few problems so who knows, it might come against Motherwell. "I can play in a number of different positions. Right back, centre half, defensive midfield. "I even played up front on a number of occasions for Sheffield United when we were chasing a goal late in the game. "I can certainly give the gaffer some extra options." Bartley admits he'd relish the chance to play alongside veteran Davie Weir in the heart of the Gers defence. There's an astonishing TWENTY YEARS between them and Bartley insists he's already learned so much from just watching Weir in training. He added: "Davie is amazing and I can only learn from him too. "All the boys are in the canteen or getting ready to go home and he's in the gym doing his extra work. "He is a great professional and someone everyone looks up to." Rangers are boosted by the news that striker Kyle Lafferty is set to return to face Motherwell after a bout of tonsilitis. Ex-Well midfielder Lee McCulloch is out as he prepares to undergo knee surgery next week. Defender Kirk Broadfoot is still sidelined with a foot problem. Tickets for Rangers' Europa League tie with Sporting Lisbon are on sale now priced �£27 for adults, �£18 for concessions and �£14 for kids from rangers.co.uk , the ticket hotline 0871 702 1972, and Rangers Ticket Centre. Booking fees apply. Hospitality deals are also available. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3407307/Smile-Bartley.html#ixzz1DhEYsb00

JJB Sports has said it could close up to 95 stores over the next two years. JJB announced plans to enter a company voluntary arrangement (CVA), which would release it from certain liabilities to its landlords. If the deal goes ahead, JJB would close up to 45 of its 246 stores over the next 12 months, with another 50 under review over the next 24 months. "The group's future viability is dependent upon the successful implementation of a CVA," JJB said. It would be Wigan-based JJB's second such deal in two years, after it narrowly avoided going into administration in 2009 by striking a CVA with its landlords and creditors, which allowed it to walk away from leases on 140 stores. Sales at JJB slumped during the recession as it struggled to manage its debts http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12428003

That will suit Davis,he doesn't need to think about getting forward too much

Stephen Craigan, Keith Lasley, Stevie Hammell and Steven Saunders are all out. "I watched the Northern Ireland v Scotland game and saw Steven Davis come off. I was thinking, 'it would be nice if he brought Craggs off too.' "I nearly spilled my tea when he came off with a hamstring injury. In my first game in charge the back four was Saunders, Craigan, Reynolds and Hammell. "None of them will be available on Saturday." McCall admits it's unlikely new boy Francis Jeffers will start the game as he chases match fitness. He said: "He's certainly in the squad although I don't think he'll start." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3404792/Hero-in-Ibrox-return.html#ixzz1Ddu8sK1L :boogie:

http://leggoland2.blogspot.com/

I'm going for a comfortable win for the champions tomorrow. The Champions 4 Jelavic 2,Naismith,Weiss Motherwell 0 :spl:

SPL considers Friday afternoon matches in April The Scottish Premier League is considering scheduling matches on Friday afternoons in April in an attempt to clear the fixture backlog. SPL secretary Iain Blair is trying to prevent some clubs playing four games in eight days to complete 33 fixtures before the 16 April league split. "We've got Bank Holidays in April - the Friday before Easter, the Friday of the Royal wedding," he told BBC Scotland. "The police have never had a problem with Friday afternoon games." Previously, the police have warned against staging matches on Friday evenings. The SPL and the Scottish Football League have been badly affected by the harsh winter weather that has caused pitches to be frozen and flooded and roads leading to stadia made treacherous. In addition, there have been a series of Scottish Cup replays, and Rangers have enjoyed an extended run in Europe: they face Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League on 17 and 24 February. The Ibrox side and Celtic have a Scottish Cup fifth-round replay on Wednesday 2 March and also meet in the final of the Co-operative Insurance Cup on 20 March. Blair hopes all 12 clubs will have fulfilled 33 fixtures by the split in mid-April, although in previous seasons there have been instances of teams playing games in hand after the split. "Dundee United and Hamilton have got a bit of a backlog but most of those games are allocated to various dates," said Blair on BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound programme. "The games that are not allocated are principally the games involving Rangers and that is in part down to waiting to see what happens against Sporting Lisbon and hopefully rounds after that. It is the overall balance that really maintains the integrity of the competition SPL secretary Iain Blair "It will certainly create fixture congestion but if that is caused by the success of a Scottish team in Europe, then I am all for it." The league secretary insists he is not keen for a repeat of Rangers' exertions in 2008, when they faced four matches in eight days, but added that his options are limited. He said: "It is something we try to avoid but we have to get most of the games played up to game 33 so we know who is in the top six and the bottom six so we can produce the fixtures for the next part of the fixtures after the split. "There have been some informal discussions with the clubs affected. There is an appreciation that we will do everything we can to give clubs as much chance as possible in all competitions. "But there is also a realisation that there are only seven days in a week and so many weeks to the split. It is not an ideal situation. "I don't have control over the League Cup or the Scottish Cup or the Europa League. "If there is another way of playing four games in eight days that is the option we will go for." Dundee United, with 20, are the club who have played the fewest games this season while Rangers and Hamilton have each got three rearranged games to play. Asked if the date for the league split could be pushed back from its current slot of Sunday 17 April, Blair added: "The week which contains Wednesday 20 April, immediately after the (Scottish Cup) semi-final, is available. If you push fixture 33 back to the weekend of 23, 24, 25 April it does create a bit of space but it also creates a lot of uncertainty. "We have had some conversations with the police about that possibility. They understand the situation the weather has brought us to and appear willing to work with us." Blair warns against a "knee-jerk reaction" to the problems caused by the winter weather, pointing out that the SPL schedule was rarely disrupted in the eight years prior to the two recent harsh winters that have hit Scotland. And while he describes Scottish Cup replays as "something we could do without", though the decision of member clubs, Blair is keen for clubs affected by fixture congestion to understand that his role is to do what is his best for the league as a whole. He said: "What I have to try to do is to look at it from all 12 clubs point of view at the same time and it may well be that the best overall balance for all 12 actually means that there are one or two or three that, from their perspective, feel as if there has been a disadvantage. "It is the overall balance that really maintains the integrity of the competition."

I would say we have as much chance of beating them this time as we had the last time we played them on the way to the final:boogie:

It is only Rangers that suffer these predicaments as we are the more successfull team

http://leggoland2.blogspot.com/2011/02/spl-and-rangers.html

Don't forget Rangers have said they can't extend the season:boogie:

RANGERSââ?¬â?¢ Europa League opponents Sporting Lisbon are embroiled in a messy civil war following the sacking of the clubââ?¬â?¢s director of football, Costinha. The former Portuguese internationalist was removed from his post after he broke ranks in a TV interview to accuse club directors of lying to supporters. Costinha openly questioned the clubââ?¬â?¢s ambition and claimed he and coach Paulo Sergio were not informed of plans to sell Liedson, the clubââ?¬â?¢s top scorer, to Brazilian side Corinthians on the last day of the January transfer window. He also criticised internal procedures and called for an ambitious regime to be installed at the upcoming presidential elections. ââ?¬Å?The Sporting fans are separated from the club because of the lies ââ?¬â?? things are always unexplained. Nobody has the courage to openly explain a number of situations,ââ?¬Â he said. ââ?¬Å?When that happens, fans tend to move away because you donââ?¬â?¢t know what is truth or lies. We are spending pennies compared to our rivals and it is not easy to manage this situation.ââ?¬Â Sporting travel to Glasgow next Thursday for the first leg of their last-32 meeting with Rangers. http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/rangers/sporting-sack-costinha-ahead-of-rangers-tie-1.1084422

The 57-year-old fell ill yesterday morning and called an ambulance to take him to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, friends said. Johnstone was a popular football pundit on Radio Clyde for 25 years, but announced at the end of last month he was to join former Scotland teammate Alan Rough at arch-rival station Real Radio. A spokesman for his former employers at Clyde, where he anchored the Super Scoreboard show from 1986, last night expressed hopes he would bounce back from the heart problems as soon as possible. He said: ââ?¬Å?On behalf of all at Clyde One, Clyde Two and the Super Scoreboard team we wish Derek a speedy recovery and we wish him and his family well at this time.ââ?¬Â A spokeswoman for Rangers also voiced concerns for the veteran striker, a regular on the Ibrox teamsheet through the 1970s and early 1980s. ââ?¬Å?Everyone at Rangers sends him our very best wishes,ââ?¬Â she said. Friends of the former Scotland player said he felt unwell around 11.30 yesterday morning but managed to call for medical help himself. He is thought to be recovering in the Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley. In December 2005, Johnstone was rushed to hospital after a heart scare. He collapsed at a charity event and was kept in overnight at the Western Infirmaryââ?¬â?¢s coronary care unit. Originally from Dundee, it was with Rangers that Johnstone secured his place in football history during the 1970s. A uniquely versatile player, he racked up appearances for his club and national side in many positions, spanning attack, midfield and defence with ease. In 546 appearances for Rangers he scored 210 goals, including ââ?¬â?? at the age of 16 ââ?¬â?? the winner in the 1970 League Cup Final against Celtic. He made his debut for the national team in 1973, and joined Scotlandââ?¬â?¢s World Cup squad in Argentina in 1978. After 13 professional seasons at Ibrox he was signed by Chelsea, where he played for two years before moving back to Ibrox for a year and then briefly managing Partick Thistle. In 1986 he launched his second career as a pundit for Radio Clyde, and he was a regular on the Super Scoreboard programme for more than two decades. Last week, however, he announced his transfer to Real Radio, where he was to join Rough on the Real Football Phone-in show. ââ?¬Å?One of the major factors is I will be freed up at weekends to go and watch games,ââ?¬Â he said at the time. ââ?¬Å?I have been in the studio for many, many years every weekend at Clyde and not seen a lot of games, which I have really missed.ââ?¬Â He has still to take up his new post at Real Radio, reportedly because of legal issues around his move from Clyde. A Real Radio spokeswoman said: ââ?¬Å?We know Derek was in hospital for tests today and our understanding is he is absolutely fine and we look forward to seeing him soon.ââ?¬Â Station director Jay Crawford said this month he was ââ?¬Å?thrilledââ?¬Â to have Johnstone joining the Real team. Last month, Johnstone joined his former team-mates to mark the 40th anniversary of the Ibrox Stadium Disaster, which claimed 66 lives in 1971. Johnstone was married to his wife Marion for 21 years and the couple had four children together. In December 2006 he announced his engagement to former Miss Scotland June Lake. http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/pundit-johnstone-suffers-suspected-heart-attack-1.1084338

there's plenty other International matches tonight International Match Scotland v Northern Ireland Andorra v Moldova, 14:00 San Marino v Liechtenstein, 14:00 Armenia v Georgia, 15:00 Belarus v Kazakhstan, 15:00 Greece v Canada, 15:00 Iran v Russia, 16:00 Latvia v Bolivia, 16:00 FYR Macedonia v Cameroon, 16:30 Croatia v Czech Republic, 16:45 Azerbaijan v Hungary, 17:00 Egypt v USA, 17:30 Israel v Serbia, 18:00 Turkey v South Korea, 18:00 South Africa OFF Burkina Faso, 18:35 South Africa v Kenya, 18:35 Albania v Slovenia, 19:00 Estonia v Bulgaria, 19:00 Denmark v England, 19:15 Luxembourg v Slovakia, 19:15 Belgium v Finland, 19:30 Malta v Switzerland, 19:30 Netherlands v Austria, 19:30 Poland v Norway, 19:30 Germany v Italy, 19:45 Argentina v Portugal, 20:00 France v Brazil, 20:00 Spain v Colombia, 20:30

I hope so son

When's the next game?:yawn: Time to move on me thinks,bring on the Motherwell:boogie:

Pot................kettle...............black :boogie:

What is concerning is the way he is whipping the BHEASTS up into a frenzy,with the backing of the MHEDIA,it's only a matter of time before they explode and someone is going to get seriously hurt

These incidents don't count,that's what he is coaching his players to do,it's only incidents against his players that he is interested in

The guy is just a liar and cheat himself,only the BHEASTS believe his ramblings,the rest of the football society see him as a hate figure and a joke really

Anyway,the guy is away and I for one am delighted he is progressing the way he is