ian1964

Did I hear correctly when the the commentator said that Cesc Fabregas[sp],has played over 200 games for Arsenal and he is still only 20 years old ?

KEVIN THOMSON is hoping he can play the role of lucky mascot tomorrow when Rangers face their oldest rivals at Parkhead. The midfielder was gutted to miss both meetings between the sides at Celtic Park last season, but sitting out the two defeats has left Thomson with a 100 per cent record from four Old Firm ties. Thomson grabbed the winner in a 1-0 win over Celtic at Ibrox back in March but was helpless as he watched his side slip to defeat twice in the East end of Glasgow in April. But he has tasted victory at Parkhead in a light blue shirt when he played his part in a 1-0 victory there in Walter Smith's first Old Firm game after his return to Rangers. And Thomson now admits he is desperate to continue his record with another victory on Sunday. He said: "I've got a 100 per cent record and I'm quite happy to put that on the line on Sunday and look forward to it and hopefully after the game I'll be able to say I still have the same record. "I got a win there in the first season after I joined when big Ugo scored. I don't know how he did it. Someone suggested it was an overhead kick but I'm not quite sure about that. "The league was dead and buried at that stage, but it opened my eyes to how much it means to the fans and to the players. "The manager said just last week that, no matter how early they come, matches away to Celtic are a big part of the season. They might not be critical to deciding the league but we don't want to give them a lead. "If they were to win it would open a three point gap but we can go there with every confidence and hopefully we'll have an advantage come Sunday night."

TRUST ADVICE TO MEMBERS ATTENDING GAME AT CELTIC PARK, SUNDAY 31 AUGUST Over at least the last five years, many dozens of Trust members have expressed concerns about aspects of both policing and stewarding at Celtic Park. These concerns include: being threatened with arrest or ejection from the stadium for spurious, trivial or unexplained reasons; flags, banners and clothing with no offensive or sectarian connotations confiscated or not allowed into the Stadium; a gratuitously hostile, unfriendly attitude displayed by a handful of police officers and, more worryingly, a large number of stewards; intimidation and threats of arrest or ejection for singing ââ?¬Ë?sectarianââ?¬â?¢ songs, despite said songs having no sectarian content or connotations. These concerns have been aggravated by the obvious double standards on display, where the home support is seemingly at liberty to throw missiles at players and club employees, sing sectarian bile about ââ?¬Ë?Orange b*stardsââ?¬â?¢ and ââ?¬Ë?H*nsââ?¬â?¢ and display offensive and sectarian banners and flags. In advance of the game on Sunday, the Board of the Rangers Supportersââ?¬â?¢ Trust offers the following advice to our members: 1. Letââ?¬â?¢s conduct ourselves as we usually do, in a manner which accurately reflects the best traditions of our support and our Club and our pride in them. 2. The Club, the RST and other supportersââ?¬â?¢ groups are united in opposing racism, prejudice and sectarianism and have recognised the huge strides made by the Rangers support in recent seasons. Regardless of the inevitable provocation, do not hand our enemies any excuses for their behaviour or a propaganda gift by inappropriate singing or chanting. 3. Report any instances of provocative or inappropriate behaviour from opposition supporters to the police. Be polite, sensible and ask what, if any action is being taken. 4. If approached by stewards or police officers be calm, polite and avoid unnecessary confrontation. If asked to do something you believe unreasonable, ask precisely why or under what law or ground regulation this is being requested, and if necessary take note of names, police badge numbers and any witnesses in the vicinity. 5. If necessary use camera phones to record incidents of concern. If you or your fellow supporters are threatened, bullied, harassed or arrested unreasonably, ensure that you have witnesses to hand and note the location and time of any such incidents. The Trust Board will be meeting this week, in advance of the RST AGM next Saturday, and will review the conduct and outcome of Sundayââ?¬â?¢s game. We have had informal discussions with the Club on this and have also previously raised the issues with Strathclyde Police. We remain concerned at the lack of clarity in the responses from the Constabulary and the refusal of a high profile public service to either engage with or explain themselves to the public they profess to serve. The Trust AGM provides a perfect opportunity for the issue of conduct and treatment at Celtic Park to be debated and for Trust members to decide collectively how we take this forward. Stephen Smith RST Chair, on behalf of the Trust Board

Rangers 2 { Mendes,Lafferty} Mhanks 0

ARCHIE CAMPBELL regained his goalscoring touch this afternoon by blasting home a sensational hat-trick as the under-19s beat Aberdeen 3-1 at Balgownie Playing Fields. The pacey hitman helped Billy Kirkwood's side take their unbeaten run to three games out of three in the league but it was a strong and confident performance all-round from the Murray Park kids. Rangers went in at half-time with a two goal advantage in place after Campbell had hit the net on 21 and 44 minutes. His first was a quick turn and shot from the edge of the box and he made no mistake with his second after he was found by Isa Bagci who supplied an excellent through pass before his teammate finished with aplomb. But the home side responded quickly after the restart and caught their Glasgow opponents cold by making the scoreline 2-1 with only a minute of the second-half played. Campbell, however, was in fine form and when the striker had the chance to bag his side's third after good play from Kal Naismith there was only going to be one outcome. Rangers are now the only team in the under-19 league to have a 100 per cent record after recent wins over Falkirk and Hearts and Kirkwood was delighted to see his side pick up all three points. He said: "It was very pleasing to see the boys get another victory and it was a good display although we were a bit erratic at times. "Ross Perry and Jamie Ness, in particular, were excellent on the day as was Archie who took his goals really well. "That will do his confidence a lot of good and, hopefully, he can push on now and enjoy a good season. "But overall I thought it was a decent game between two sides who like to get the ball down and it's always nice to travel back from Aberdeen with three points in the bag. "We had a few players out today such as Danny Wilson, Stephen Stirling, Rhys McCabe and Kane Hemmings but the lads that came in did very well." RANGERS: Vaiculis; Durie, Scott, Perry, Cole (Dick 68); Hutton, Forbes, Ness, Naismith; Campbell, Bagci (Wright 87) Subs Not Used: Adam

RANGERS captain Barry Ferguson, Craig McShea and Tom Miller from the Rangers youth squad teamed up with local MP Ian Davidson today to send a goodwill message from Ibrox to football-crazy schoolchildren in Malawi. Mr Davidson, the MP for Glasgow South West, is leading a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association delegation to the African state next week. During his trip he will visit the Milonde Community Day Secondary School which is 'twinned' with Govan High School in Glasgow. Rangers, through the Rangers Charity Foundation, have donated strips, tracksuits, drinks bottles, and boot bags for the Milonde pupils and they will be taken to the school by Mr Davidson next week. Rangers Charity Champion Barry Ferguson said: "The Charity Foundation has done a tremendous amount of work in terms of giving kit to children in countries around the world and as a club we are delighted to be sending this kit to a school which has got such close links to our local community here." Mr Davidson said: "By all accounts the children at Milonde love their football and I'm sure will be delighted with these gifts from Rangers. "The pupils at Govan High have formed a very close bond with the school and there is a growing link between Hills Trust Primary and the local primary in Milonde as well. This gesture underlines those links." Connal Cochrane, Rangers Charity Foundation Manager, added: "We are delighted to supply children in Africa with some Rangers kit and hope this further helps the good relationship the Milonde School has with this part of Glasgow."

MAURICE Edu has expressed his delight at finally signing for Rangers and is hoping he can quickly play a part in the team with an appearance against Celtic on Sunday. The midfielder jetted in to Glasgow early on Friday and after a short training session, admitted he felt ready to be involved in Walter Smith's squad for the weekend's derby match at Parkhead. Smith will assess the 22-year-old in training on Saturday but Mo's initial reaction to life at Murray Park after a delayed flight from Canada has been positive. He said: "I'm excited to be here, it's what I've been waiting for, for the past couple of weeks. Now everything is finalised so I'm here and I'm happy. "I've managed a jog this morning and got the legs going again, so I'm fine, I'll be ready. I don't know what's been finalised but I hope to be part of the squad and part of the game too." The former Toronto FC man insists he knows what to expect from Sunday's Old Firm meeting if Smith deems him fit enough to play a part. He added: "I've seen a couple of the games on TV and I've spoken to Mo Johnston about them. He explained how great a game it is and how competitive they are. "He just advised me to be prepared, to go out there and play my game, enjoy the atmosphere and really just enjoy the experience." The US international's move from the MLS has been a protracted affair with the club having to secure a work permit before finalising the deal. With that now done and dusted Edu is delighted to have the opportunity to become part of the setup at Murray Park. He said: "I came out here a little while ago when I saw the Hearts game and I had a chance to explore the city and the facilities here. "They are probably the best I've ever seen and now I have the chance to be here and train at this facility and be part of the team so I'm excited to be here." And despite there being no European football to look forward to at Ibrox this term, Edu admits the appeal of regular involvement in the premier club competitions was an added attraction when deciding to trade the MLS for the SPL. He added: "The MLS is definitely improving, but over here this team plays in the Champions League and the UEFA Cup against the best players in the world. "For me it's a step up but I think it's the right choice because I feel I'm going to improve as a player, playing with better players every day. I'll get good coaching and I can develop as a player, which is important to me. "I'm a box to box midfielder. I can make tackles and break up the play but at the same time every now and then I'll get the occasional goal so that's what the fans can expect to see from me. "It's up to the manager how he sees me fitting in, but I think I can bring something that can compliment the team and benefit it in the long run."

WALTER SMITH is hoping that his side can enjoy a successful away day at Parkhead this weekend but is fully aware just how difficult it will be to take three points in Glasgow's East End. The Gers' last victory at the home of their greatest rivals came on March 11, 2007 when Ugo Ehiogu's was the unlikely hero with a stunning overhead kick. A similar result this weekend would do just fine for the gaffer who is looking forward to another explosive encounter. "When you go to Celtic Park at any time you expect an extremely difficult game and that will be no different on Sunday," said Smith. "Historically, Rangers and Celtic don't lose a lot of home games and if you do then your position as manager can be in trouble. "So Celtic have an excellent record not just in the SPL but in Europe over the past five to ten years. "It's a tough place to go, as is Ibrox, but there is no doubt we can get a big psychological lift if we can get a good result on Sunday. "That is what we will set out to achieve." Several Ibrox stars including Perdo Mendes, Madjid Bougherra and Kyle Lafferty are likely to make their Old Firm debuts this weekend but Smith has no fears about throwing them into the world's biggest derby. He said: "Most of our players have a lot of experience, even the new lads, and they will be able to handle a situation like this. "They have been involved in important game throughout their careers including internationals so they will know what to expect. "At the end of the day playing in an Old Firm game is a great experience for any player as it doesn't come much bigger than that." Smith confirmed that Lee McCulloch is out of Sunday's game due to a knee ligament strain.

By Andrew Dickson PEDROS MENDES is desperate to get three points against Celtic on Sunday - so that he can crack open his growing champagne collection. The Portuguese midfielder was given the man-of-the-match award after Saturday's 1-1 draw with Aberdeen at Pittodrie and won a bottle of bubbly as a result. It was his second accolade in a week following the prize he received in his first game for the club after joining from Portsmouth, the 2-0 win over Hearts at Ibrox on August 16. Now he's hoping he can toast a first Old Firm success with a glass or two in the aftermath of this weekend's opening derby of the season. Mendes: "People always tell you about games against Celtic but I think you probably need to play in one to really live it. "They are special fixtures for the supporters and I really hope I get the chance to take part and that my team-mates and I do as well as possible. "I have enjoyed my time in Scotland so far and everything is going well, both on and off the pitch. "The lads in the squad have been fantastic and my family are here so I am happy with life as I'm playing well too. "Now I'm looking for three points against Celtic. If we get them, I'll definitely be opening the champagne I've won. That's a promise." Mendes has played a big part in revitalising a Rangers side which initially struggled to get going when the campaign began. Indeed, his form has led to him being recalled to the Portugal squad more than five and a half years after he won his last cap. Having helped Gers turn in more refined performances over the last couple of weeks, the 29-year-old is out to keep the improvements going at Parkhead. Mendes added: "We were disappointed only to take one point from the Aberdeen game but we are confident of building on the good things we did there. "It is up to us to improve and try to play as well as we did in spells for longer periods of the game. "We will work hard this week and make sure we are ready for Celtic. I can only speak about how we've done since I joined Rangers but I think we have done well. "Based on the last couple of performances, I think the team is improving and we just need to keep looking to do that."

True,but we don't have european football to contend with so I hope that eases the normal strains of '' The modern day footballer ''.

by Lindsay Herron KENNY MILLER will become the first player in over 100 years to cross the great divide twice in Old Firm derbies if he plays for Rangers at Parkhead on Sunday. Tom Dunbar is the only other player to have achieved this feat and that was back in the late 19th century when Rangers and Celtic were quite chummy rather than fierce rivals. It could be a daunting prospect but Rangers boss Walter Smith has no doubts that the Scotland striker will handle it all. He told Rangers World: "I don't think Kenny will be bothered about going back to Parkhead. I'm sure there will be the usual banter between fans, but it is not something that is going to affect him. "He is an experienced enough player to handle it." Smith could have a number of new faces in his line-up on Sunday. Pedro Mendes, Kyle Lafferty, Madjid Bougherra plus the returning Steve Davis and Miller are liable to start with the potential of Maurice Edu and young Spaniard Aaron also taking part. Smith certainly has no qualms about introducing some or all of them to the unique atmosphere. He said: "Old Firm games can inspire you. If you want to be in football then these are the games you want to be involved in. "Any player worth his salt would want to play in this game. "During the match you can't say you enjoy it. If you manage to get a win then you do but if you lose then it's the end of the world, so to speak."

By Andrew Dickson PEDRO MENDES has been handed a massive boost ahead of Sunday's Old Firm derby with a recall to the Portugal squad. The midfielder is one of 18 Rangers players who have been called up on international duty next week. Many of those selected were expected to join up with their national associations for World Cup qualifiers, African Nations matches, youth games and friendlies. But Mendes wasn't anticipating a summons after winning his last cap for his country more than five and a half years ago against Italy. His early form at Ibrox following his move from Portsmouth appears to have found favour with new Portugal manager Carlos Queiroz. And the former Manchester United assistant manager has selected him for matches with Malta and Denmark in the coming days. The staggering tally of players who will be away from Murray Park next week is largely down to the number who will be in Scotland's squad. Allan McGregor, David Weir, Kevin Thomson, Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller have all been picked for meetings with Macedonia and Iceland. Kyle Lafferty and Steven Davis will also be on their travels for Northern Ireland's games against Slovakia and the Czech Republic. DaMarcus Beasley and Maurice Edu will play for the United States of America as they visit Cuba for the very first time. And Madjid Bougherra and Brahim Hemdani will team up for Algeria in their home African Nations Cup preliminary match against Senegal. Sasa Papac is in Bosnia-Herzegovina's squad to face European champions Spain and Estonia. In addition, four Light Blues youngsters have been asked to appear in selected age group matches around Europe. Steven Lennon, currently on loan at Partick Thistle, is in Scotland's under-21 squad for UEFA Championship qualifiers against Slovakia and Denmark. In the same competition, Giorgos Efrem will represent Cyprus against Belgium and Andrew Little will play for Northern Ireland against Germany. Arturs Vaiculis, Rangers' under-19 goalkeeper, completes the jet-setting pack when he joins Latvia for two friendlies with Belarus at that level.

If this is true,it could be a good move for him. Rangers will send midfielder Dean Furman on loan to Bradford City so that the South African can gain more first-team experience. (The Sun)

by Lindsay Herron WALTER SMITH has confirmed that he will include Maurice Edu in his squad for Parkhead - assuming the American star arrives in Glasgow in enough time. Edu was in the process of trying to secure a working visa from the UK Embassy in Toronto after the relevant paperwork on his work permit arrived from the UK. All things being equal, he should be at Murray Park by Wednesday or Thursday and that will give him enough time to get ready for the Celtic game. Smith said: "We have to wait and see if we get him over on time. "The good thing is that he has been playing regularly and travelling around the world regularly with the US national team. "When I first met him he came across as one of these boys who would not be fazed by a great deal. He seems quite a confident lad. "If we can get him over in good time then I have no doubt that he would be involved on Sunday at some stage." The other good news for Rangers is that Kyle Lafferty is winning his fitness battles to face Celtic after suffering a hamstring injury against Hearts. Smith added: "I think he will be fit. He only just missed out on being involved at Aberdeen so after a few days on the training ground we would be hopeful of having him for this weekend."

By Andrew Dickson RANGERS' 100% record in the SPL Reserve League came to an end this afternoon as they drew 0-0 with Hearts at Murray Park. Tommy Wilson's men were the better side, particularly after the interval, but couldn't convert any of the chances that came their way. Failing to break the deadlock means they've now taken four points from their first two matches after the 5-0 win against Falkirk a fortnight ago. The first half was a fairly even affair, with Gers shading it for the extra possession they enjoyed. Things might have been different had William McLachlan seen a red card rather than the yellow he received for a late foul on Hearts' Branimir Kostadinov after just 90 seconds. Indeed, it was a shaky start by the home side and Craig Sives should have headed the Jambos ahead with six minutes gone but somehow nodded wide from two yards. Rangers hit back and Rory Loy, who scored a hat-trick against the Bairns, drove low at goal but saw his effort smothered. John Fleck then skipped past two men as he cut across the 18-yard line and found the target too but also had his shot held. Paul Emslie was proving to be influential for the Light Blues and he had a go himself but his rising drive was always flying over. Hearts responded through Kostadinov and Jordan McMillan had to react sharply to block his teasing pass across goal. Rangers continued to have more of the ball after the break but while Fleck almost struck at one end, Juho Makela should really have broken the deadlock at the other. The best chance so far then fell to Spanish winger Aaron, who had experienced mixed fortunes in the opening period. He showed the class that tempted Walter Smith to bring him to Ibrox on loan from Valencia when he burst in from the left past two men and curled just beyond the far post. It was an opportunity he created from nothing and if he keeps producing like that, it won't be long before he is pushing for a first-team place. Gers were getting closer and it seemed Loy had finally given them a lead with 25 minutes remaining after Fleck and Andrew Shinnie combined to play him in. But just as his shot across Jamie MacDonald was sneaking inside the far post, the keeper stuck out a strong hand to divert the ball wide. Loy saw a similar attempt trundle past the frame and with that, frustration started setting in. Wilson threw on Giorgos Efrem and Andrew Little for Aaron and Loy in a bid to make his team's pressure finally count. But they couldn't get themselves a lead and had to settle for a share of the spoils instead with their capital opponents. RANGERS: Gallacher, Lowing, McLachlan, McMillan, Dailly, Emslie, Shinnie, Adam, Loy (Little 83), Fleck, Aaron (Efrem 68). Substitutes: Robinson, Furman, Craig, Harvey. HEARTS: MacDonald, Kelly (Thomson 67), Armstrong, Park, Sikes, McGowan, Kostadinov, Stewart (Copil 67), Makela, Wallace, Templeton. Substitutes: Bjornsson, Balatoni, Mulrooney, Docherty, Mackie. Referee: Ross Haswell.

Here's a good wee website guys http://splwatch.blogspot.com/

MAURICE EDU is hoping to make a dream Rangers debut by lining up at Parkhead in next Sunday's Old Firm showdown. The 22-year-old US midfielder got work permit clearance on Friday and will fly across the Atlantic to begin his Rangers career once all of the paperwork has been completed. And the former Toronto FC star hopes he can go straight into the squad for the derby with Celtic. He said: "It's something I would love to experience right away. I don't know how my involvement is going to play out but I really look forward to that if that was possible. "I know there is a huge rivalry between Rangers and Celtic. What a potential first game that would be, to play in the biggest derby game in world football. It would be unbelievable. "If it works out like that I would be more than excited. I can't think of a better debut than that. "I'm excited about this new chapter in my career.I will miss Toronto, and the team's amazing supporters and fans. Toronto FC will always have special meaning for me because it's the club that gave me my professional start." Edu will become Walter Smith's eighth summer signing when he joins later this week. Edu told the Mail on Sunday: ""It all happened so quickly for me. I heard a little whisper when I was at the Olympics but at that tim was trying to focus on getting the United States out of the group stages. "We lost and I came back home. I flew into San Francisco on the way to Toronto and I got a phone call from my agent. He said that the league had taken a bid and it was from Rangers. By the time I got to Toronto we heard there had been approval. "I have some things to tie up but hopefully I can be in Glasgow by midweek."

Calm doon Johnny boy...............he only used one arm !!!!!!!

HA!HA!,Quality mate

THE last time a Scotland team represented their country at a major championship, Rangers front man Kris Boyd was just 14 years old. Like so many youngsters watching the action from France 98, he too dreamed of one day pulling on the dark blue shirt to go in to battle with his national team. But a decade later few who watched helplessly as Scotland slipped out of the World Cup on the back of a 3-0 defeat to Morocco in St Etienne now find themselves in Boyd's position. As he prepares to face off against Northern Ireland in a friendly tonight, the Gers No.9 can realistically target a place in South Africa in 22 months' time. And, if he's handed a shirt by Scotland boss George Burley when his side depart Glasgow next month to face Macedonia and Iceland, he can have a say over whether Scotland will return to the global scene after a dozen years on the outside, looking in. Boyd turned 25 earlier this week and on the back of the most remarkable season of his career he admits that joining Scotland in the World Cup in South Africa would be the highlight of his football life. He said: "As a player they are the best moments in football, both the European Championships and the World Cup. "To be part of that would, I think, be the highlight of your career when you look back on it in years to come. "Every player wants to be there and the likes of Davie Weir and Christian Dailly have already tasted it and they say it's the best thing they've done in their career. "I'm sure we'd all be no different. We want to get there and hopefully we can get off to a good start and then finish the job this time." It's a revealing statement that points to the hurt Boyd felt at coming so close to a place in Austria and Switzerland during the summer, before falling at the final hurdle against Italy. The striker had helped to get his country off to a flying start with two goals in their opening qualifier for Euro 2008 as Walter Smith's side chalked up a 6-0 over the Faroe Islands. But he was a dejected figure as he watched from the Hampden touchline as Christian Panucci's header sealed a 2-1 win for the visiting Italians and ended Scotland's dream. He was stripped to come on as a sub with the scores tied at 1-1, but as he replaced Lee McCulloch he knew qualification had slipped away and that experience still lingers. Boyd said: "It was obviously disappointing the way it ended but if we'd been told at the start of the campaign that we'd take it that far we would have been delighted. "But once you get so close you're obviously disappointed that you don't quite make it but that's life, we have to move on from that and we've got another chance to qualify for a World Cup now." The Gers forward will take the first step on that journey in tonight's friendly at a stadium he enjoyed huge success at last season. Putting aside the disappointment of that meeting with Italy, Boyd went on to score doubles for his club in two triumphant Hampden cup finals. He added: "I enjoy playing there. It's a great surface and a great stadium and to play there with your national team is a bonus. "It's good to meet up with the squad and start preparations for the World Cup campaign with the game against Northern Ireland. "There are a good few of us from Rangers in it and it's always a special occasion to go and play with your country so I'm looking forward to the game."

Don't bank on it

I think last season I was defending WS alot for some of his formations,as IMO he didn't have a lot to choose from,this season he doesn't have that excuse,so we improved the squad quite considerably and now he can set out the team to play a more attacking formation,the question is,will he ?..........he better !!!

Frankie,i've no problem with that,the competion might just be what he needs to get back to what we all know he is capable of,I suppose it all depends on how WS sets out his team

Playing beside a forward thinking/flair player may just bring the best out of BF

Played 70 minutes,no match report yet