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WALTER SMITH admits that missed opportunities proved costly for Rangers in tonight's goalless draw at Fir Park. Kenny Miller rues a missed chance against Motherwell at Fir ParkAnd he also voiced his frustration at the Main Stand linesman's decision to rule Kris Boyd offside in the second-half. The Gers' no 9 latched on to a through pass before hammering a shot beyond Graeme Smith but the official raised his flag when Boyd was clearly in line with a Motherwell defender. This capped a disappointing night for the Light Blues who have now slipped four points behind Celtic in the title race. Smith said: "I thought the game was similar to last week against Dundee United in that it was a good match and we had to work hard for our opportunities. "We created enough of them to win the game but didn't manage to take them which is, of course, very disappointing. "We are also annoyed with the decision against Kris Boyd in the second-half. He e got through and scored but was ruled offside when clearly he wasn't. "Apart from that we had to work very hard tonight. "The first half hour was pretty even and we came into it after that and created three or four really good opportunities to score before half-time. Barry Ferguson "We didn't take them and I felt at that stage if we had got in front we could have stepped up from there but it wasn't to be." One positive note from the night was that Barry Ferguson came through the 90 minutes unscathed although Smith insists it was the player's decision to stay on the pitch for the full game. He said: "We did not intend to play Barry for 90 minutes tonight. "We felt if he got an hour that would be good for him but as the game went on he was keen to stay on. "It was a good 90 minutes for him and we are relieved that Sasa is also recovering from his knock towards the end. "He took a nasty one tonight but seems to be ok in the Dressing Room."

Manager Walter Smith warns Rangers they face a stern challenge to end Celtic's run of three titles in a row. More...

Celtic line up a move for Dundee United goalkeeper Lukasz Zaluska in the January transfer window. More...

http://www.newsnow.co.uk/A/311110867?-11344 After another 2 points dropped at Fir Park last night, our team’s dreadful inconsistency has to be examined. Why do we struggle to go on any kind of winning run? Why does our form spike then drop like a Blackpool roller-coaster? Who is and isn’t taking responsibility for our patchy form? Right away, we see the same questions being asked again and again of our club. Let’s try and look at why another title challenge seems to be fading before our eyes. First of all, I’d like to raise the issue of leadership. From the very top of the club right down to the dressing room, there seems to be a complete absence of people capable of standing tall, and leading our club to the SPL title. We have an owner desperate to sell the club as soon as he can while apparently preferring to slag off his own fans instead of looking in the mirror and asking how his contribution is affecting the status quo. Next Sunday will see Sir David Murray’s twentieth anniversary at the club. Twenty years since he bought Rangers FC and started the Murray era. Are we any further forward since then? Should he be judged on his first ten years in charge where he oversaw an ambitious (and largely successful) attempt at dominating Scottish football, or should we concentrate on the second ten years where that dominance and ambition has largely disappeared? No matter our opinion of Murray’s tenure, the fact is we now lack a leader at the top and that immediately affects the whole club’s outlook. Of course the chairman will point to the funds he allocated to the manager during the summer and that brings us neatly to our next problem. Quite simply, as it stands, that money appears to have been gambled on players that have so far had little effect on being able to increase our quality and achieve winning consistency. Madjid Bougherra, Pedro Mendes and Steven Davis have all done reasonably well so far but the latter two especially don’t appear to be the type of player who can lead from the front when the going gets tough. The rest of the money was then spent on Kyle Lafferty and Maurice Edu – two young players with little experience of top quality football and the pressures therein. As such, the manager doesn’t appear to trust them to justify their fee by playing them ahead of injured or off-form players. Indeed, if we look at Smith’s other signings – Lee McCulloch and Kenny Miller to name but two, there has been a lot of money spent on players that one doubts can really change our fortunes. When the going gets tough we simply don’t appear the have the inspiration to change games effectively. That goes for the manager and his selections as well as the players who shirk responsibility when it’s most required. Nonetheless, our form hasn’t been that bad. I’d contend the football is better than it was last year and that we’ve deserved to win most games out with the dreadful losses to Kaunas and St Mirren. A combination of bad luck, good goalkeeping, defensive errors and awful officiating means we shouldn’t be too downbeat about the season so far. Surely the slightly better football will soon be accompanied by more goals, stronger defending and linesmen doing their job? Unfortunately, I don’t think it is as simple as that – and that’s where the article title applies. Too often over the last couple of years there have been false dawns. Several excellent wins – home and away – versus Celtic and passionate defensive displays to deliver a UEFA Cup final contest would have most people thinking our players would be oozing confidence and brushing their SPL opponents aside. But no, as soon as we get a good result, the merest hint of things going against us has shoulders stooping and heads dropping before more points are lost. We also seem to lack motivation at times and the urgency and pride to win games is often missing until it’s too late. Or even worse, it doesn’t appear at all. Who’s to blame for that and who can change it? Well, we all can of course. The fans – as usual – will be unmatched as they follow follow their team all over the country. It’s time the players, manager and chairman acknowledged and matched that commitment in the way they approach their contribution. Let’s make it very clear. Second best is not good enough. Not against Lithuanian teams. Not against provincial Scottish teams. Not against Celtic. And definitely not losing the SPL title four times in a row. I shouldn’t need to quote Bill Struth but it is time a few people at the club were reminded of his words and asked themselves if they are really welcoming the chase or are they hiding from it.

... but a must read : Silence is not Green, White and Golden In December 1915, when I was seventeen and a half, I ran away from home to join the 4th Battalion East Surreys. I was under age so I had to lie to the recruitment sergeant. I said I was eighteen years old and my name was Sydney Harrison. I told the truth later though, because if Iââ?¬â?¢d been killed as Harrison, nobody would ever have known what happened to me. Arras was the first time I went over the top. We played football together as we went over. That was the tradition in the East Surreys. I remember the ball dropping at my feet and I passed it to Captain Maxwell. ââ?¬Ë?That was a good pass you made young Withers!ââ?¬â?¢ he shouted before he thumped it towards the German lines. I got wounded at the end of that battle. I was temporarily blinded in one eye but it could have been worse. At the end of the battle, I lay bleeding in a trench. There was blood coming out of my eye, pouring out all over my face. My head looked blown in. They thought I was dead and they were going to bury me. I was in a half-conscious state and I can remember a soldier getting hold of me and saying ââ?¬Å?Here ââ?¬â?? this blokes alive!ââ?¬â?¢ That man saved my life, by calling that out. Iââ?¬â?¢d have been buried alive in Arras, if it hadnââ?¬â?¢t been for him. Above, the words of Cecil Withers from the book ââ?¬Å?Last Post ââ?¬â?? The Final Word From Our First World War Soldiersââ?¬Â. Cecil recounts his time on the Western Front as a teenager fighting for our country. Last weekend 65 senior football matches were played in Great Britain. Prior to kick-off at 64 of them, fans of opposing clubs put aside their rivalries and stood silent in tribute to those brave men and women who gave their lives in service of our country. In the 65th senior game the mould was broken. Celtic Football Club spat in the face of common decency by instead hosting a minuteââ?¬â?¢s applause in recognition of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Think about it. Applause. For 20 million lives destroyed. Those of a Celtic persuasion couldnââ?¬â?¢t even bring themselves to admit who they were honouring. The Celtic Park Master of Ceremonies told the 55,000 crowd the minuteââ?¬â?¢s applause was to remember ââ?¬Å?the Celtic players who died in both World Warsââ?¬Â. He further stated that the clapping of hands to show respect for the dead is ââ?¬Å?the Celtic wayââ?¬Â. It most certainly is. Of course the increasingly incompetent Lex Gold of the SPL must shoulder part of the blame for the shame that this has heaped upon Scottish football. The option of a minuteââ?¬â?¢s applause as an alternative to the traditional silence should never have entered his distorted mind. In the name of decency it simply shouldnââ?¬â?¢t have been an option. Letââ?¬â?¢s not mince words here. This option was devised to save Celtic Football Club acute embarrassment. In decrying Gold, letââ?¬â?¢s not lose sight of who the real culprits are in this blackest of days for Scottish football. Celtic Football Club. Their directors and Chief Executive could and should have insisted they follow protocol. Their Chairman is a former Secretary for Defence for Godââ?¬â?¢s sake. They could and should have shown they cared and turned their backs on the hate-filled cretins amongst their support who intended disrupting proceedings. They could and should have requested police eject anyone breaking the silence from their stadium or arrest them for breach of the peace. But damage limitation, not decency and decorum, was order of the day and foremost in the minds of John Reid, Peter Lawwell and Co. ââ?¬Å?Keep the name of Celtic clean at all costsââ?¬Â the mantra once again. Thus they opted to shame themselves and their football club in the most contemptible way imaginable. Predictably the Celtic-minded apologists were at their pre and post-match best, deflecting and rewriting as only they can. On Saturday morning the Daily Record told us the minutes applause was introduced in Scotland after Hearts fans disrupted a silence for the Pope. Lies. The first minutes applause in Scotland took place at Ceptic Park in honour of the late great George Best. The reason? Best had made some derogatory remarks about Gerry Adams and the IRA in his Mail on Sunday column a year earlier, propmting outrage in Republican circles. The Celtic heirarchy knew any silence would be disrupted. At pains to propagate the increasingly risible ââ?¬Å?tiny-minorityââ?¬Â line, the media once again did Peter Lawwellââ?¬â?¢s bidding for him. Numbers for those who walked out of Celtic Park in protest against ââ?¬Å?British Imperialismââ?¬Â ranged from a few hundred to Hugh Keevinsââ?¬â?¢ ridiculous 20 figure. Mark Guidi in the Sunday Mail clawed hopelessly as he stated ââ?¬Å?a maximum of 80 Celtic fans left the stadiumââ?¬Â. How bloody desperate. Celtic of course refused to speak out, their work done for them. ââ?¬Å?Not worthy of commentââ?¬Â said a Celtic spokesman, just as 3500 of their fans singing loudly in tribute to their IRA heroes at Tynecastle the previous weekend had similarly been ââ?¬Å?not worthy of commentââ?¬Â. Are we really to believe that these same morons would have respected a silence one week on? The same Celtic supporters who had verbally abused poppy-sellers outside the Hearts stadium? The same Hearts who lost a whole first team in the fields of France during the Great War? Of course they would. We know exactly what would have happened, and Celtic knew too. Thousands of their clubs fans would have been shown up for exactly what they are ââ?¬â?? hate-filled, shameless anti-British fascists and racists. Keevins described the actions of the assembled throng of IRA sympathisers as ââ?¬Å?a serious embarrassment for us as a countryââ?¬Â. Wrong Mr. Keevins. They are a serious embarrassment to Ireland as a country, for these creatures are not Scottish or British, they are Irish. Ask them for yourself. On Saturday night I watched the Festival of Remembrance on BBC1. I sat in awe as Lance Corporal Mathew Croucher of 40 Commando Royal Marines was piped in carrying the Book of Remembrance, by Scottish soldiers. Lance Corporal Croucher had thrown his body across a live hand-grenade to save the lives of two of his comrades. Only his backpack saved him from being blown to pieces. He was awarded the George Cross for his bravery. I was reminded of Sergeant Michael Willets of 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment, husband and father, who threw himself on top of a hand-grenade tossed into Springfield Road Police Station Belfast by the IRA in 1971. Sergeant Willets gave his own life to save the lives of Catholic/Nationalist/Republican women and children sheltering in the station. He was posthumously awarded the George Cross. I continued to watch as British soldiers of all races, creeds and colours paid tribute to fallen comrades. I listened intently as Lt. Col. Joe Oââ?¬â?¢Sullivan 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment lamented the loss of three of his men in Iraq. The Lt. Col. could Iââ?¬â?¢m sure trace his roots back to Ireland should he so choose. This set me thinking. Why are people like Joe Oââ?¬â?¢Sullivan, and thousands of others like him, fully assimilated and proud of the adopted country of their ancestors, yet we in West-Central Scotland have the continual embarrassment and perpetual shame of those of Irish ancestry who despise us? The answer is Celtic Football Club. An organisation diseased to its core. In the beginning we had Marist Brother Walfrid introducing bigotry to football when founding the club ââ?¬Å?prompted by a fear that Protestant soup kitchens might tempt young Catholics into apostasyââ?¬Â and ââ?¬Å?worried about the dangers of young Catholics meeting Protestants in their place of employment or leisureââ?¬Â (Football historian Bill Murray from his book ââ?¬Å?The Old Firmââ?¬Â). Walfrid's co-recruitment agent for Celtic was a ******, Pat Welsh, on the run from Ireland suspected of murder. Choice company for a man of the cloth. This would of course be the same Walfrid that Celtic history books clearly document as leading the singing of Irish rebel songs in St Mary's Parish Hall, Glasgow, in November 1887. On to the opening ceremony for Celtic Park when the convicted ****** gun-runner and ââ?¬Å?embittered Irish Nationalist who was anti-British to the backboneââ?¬Â Michael Davitt laid the first piece of turf. Fast-forward to September 17th 1941, when the SFA closed Parkhead for a month because of Celtic fansââ?¬â?¢ ââ?¬Å?serious misbehaviour and pro-German chantsââ?¬Â. To the Falklands conflict when Ce ltic fans chanted ââ?¬Å?Argentina, Argentinaââ?¬Â and ââ?¬Å?Malvinas, Malvinasââ?¬Â in support of Galtieriââ?¬â?¢s fascist military dictatorship. Not forgetting 30 years of Provisional IRA support and the Celtic Board of Directorsââ?¬â?¢ insistence on P.A. broadcasts of dewy-eyed ballads ââ?¬Å?rebelling against the Crownââ?¬Â and featuring ââ?¬Å?let the people singââ?¬Â Irish Republican lyrics. I could add the Irish Republican vocalist at Jackie MacNamaraââ?¬â?¢s testimonial, the disruption of a minutes silence for a member of the Royal Family, Republican flute bands playing at testimonial matches, Celtic players singing IRA songsââ?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦.. I would also mention the dozens of ââ?¬Å?Celtic pubsââ?¬Â that are little more than meeting places and breeding grounds for terrorist sympathisers and what former Celtic chairman Fergus McCann so deftly described as ââ?¬Å?Celtic-minded Catholic bigotsââ?¬Â. Witness the IRA theme park that the Barrowlands ghetto of Glasgow has become with its Sinn Fein shops and public houses festooned in Irish Republican symbology. Shame on Glasgow City Council who seem happy to allow this area to expand.

TWO of Rangers' SPL fixtures early next year have been moved so that they can be broadcast live by Setanta Sports. The trip to face Aberdeen at Pittodrie will still take place on January 24 but will now start at 12.30pm rather than 3pm. Gers' next away clash with Celtic at Parkhead, originally pencilled in for Valentine's Day, will instead take place on February 15 at 12.30pm.

I was just reading this and thought I would post it. The Rangers-Celtic Old Firm rivalry is one of the oldest and fiercest in world football, dating back to the late 19th century when Celtic were founded in Glasgow's East End. The teams first met at Celtic Park on May 28, 1888 in what was also the Parkhead club's first-ever match. Around 2,000 fans saw the home side win 5-2. The nickname 'The Old Firm' originated during the early year of the 20th century when the clubs began to dominate Scottish football and the term in part referred to the financial benefits associated with their frequent meetings. No two teams have dominated their national championship as much as Rangers and Celtic - between them they have won 90 of the 108 Scottish titles available since 1890. And they have also contested numerous dramatic head-to-head encounters. Here are the stats on how the Light Blues have fared against their old foes. RANGERS' COMPLETE RECORD v CELTIC: P W L D F A League 289 112 94 82 420 381 Scottish Cup 46 16 22 8 59 70 League Cup 45 23 20 2 65 67 All Matches 380 151 136 92 544 518* * as at August 31, 2008 RANGERS v CELTIC - THE COMPLETE LEAGUE RECORD IN THE PREMIER DIVISION/SPL P W L D F A 133 47 50 36 178 176 PREMIER AT IBROX P W L D F A 66 30 18 18 107 73 PREMIER AT CELTIC PARK P W L D F A 67 17 32 18 71 103 ALL LEAGUE GAMES P W L D F A 289 112 94 82 420 381 LEAGUE GAMES AT IBROX P W L D F A 144 70 33 41 236 152 LEAGUE GAMES AT CELTIC PARK P W L D F A 145 43 61 41 184 229 FIVE OLD FIRM FACTS Rangers' biggest league victory Celtic was the 5-0 thrashing of September 1893. Their best Premier triumphs were the 5-1 wins of August Ally challenges Phil O'Donnell during an Old Firm clash1988 and November 2000. The largest crowd ever to watch an Old Firm game was the 132,870 which saw the 1969 Scottish Cup Final at Hampden. The clubs hold the British record attendance for a league match - 118,567 watched their New Year derby at Ibrox on January 2, 1939. The Light Blues' best score in an Old Firm fixture was the 8-1 rout of January 1, 1943. Unfortunately, like all wartime games, the match is classed as unofficial! Ally McCoist is Rangers' top modern-day goalscorer in Old Firm matches with 27 goals between 1983 and 1998. However the famous R.C. Hamilton hit 35 goals against Celtic in various competitions during the late 1890s and early 1900s. Celtic's leading scorer in the fixture is Jimmy McGrory, who ties with McCoist on 27. Alfie Conn is the only player to have won Scottish Cup medals with both Old Firm sides. The midfielder scored for Rangers in the 1973 Old Firm Final and was in the Celtic team which defeated Gers 1-0 in 1977.

And Celtic v Dundee Utd

Celtic enjoy a comfortable victory at home to Kilmarnock, with two goals from Cillian Sheridan and one from Shunsuke Nakamura. More...

SPL leaders Celtic entertain Kilmarnock in one of five league fixtures on Wednesday. More...

By Andrew Dickson BARRY FERGUSON will make his Scotland comeback against Argentina after being picked for this month's friendly with the South Americans. The Light Blues skipper is yet to play under new national manager George Burley and has missed the team's last six games. Barry FergusonBut after recovering from an ankle injury, he is back and likely to start in the meeting with Diego Maradona's side. Ferguson is one of four Ibrox stars included in a 26-man pool for the glamour friendly at Hampden Park. Kirk Broadfoot's rise in prominence continues as he keeps his place, along with Allan McGregor and Kenny Miller. But there is no place for David Weir, who is surprisingly left out of the group. Kris Boyd is also missing after his recent decision to stop playing for Burley. Rory Loy's month to remember keeps gathering pace and after making his Gers debut against Inverness, he is called into Scotland's under-21 squad for the first time. The young striker has scored eight goals in nine reserve outings this season and he could now face Northern Ireland at New Douglas Park next Tuesday. Joining him in the squad for that game is Steven Lennon. The forward, on loan at Partick, could make his sixth Scots appearance against the Province. A SQUAD: Goalkeepers Craig Gordon (Sunderland) ALLAN McGREGOR (RANGERS) David Marshall (Norwich City)Allan McGregor, Scotland Defenders Graham Alexander (Burnley) Darren Barr (Falkirk) Christophe Berra (Heart of Midlothian) KIRK BROADFOOT (RANGERS) Gary Caldwell (Celtic) Alan Hutton (Tottenham Hotspur) Jamie McAllister (Bristol City) Stephen McManus (Celtic) Gary Naysmith (Sheffield United) Midfielders Scott Brown (Celtic) Kris Commons (Derby County) BARRY FERGUSON (RANGERS) Darren Fletcher (Manchester United) Paul Hartley (Celtic) Shaun Maloney (Celtic) James Morrison (West Bromwich Albion) Barry Robson (Celtic) Forwards David Clarkson (Motherwell) Steven Fletcher (Hibernian) Chris Iwelumo (Wolverhampton W.) Ross McCormack (Cardiff City) James McFadden (Birmingham City) KENNY MILLER (RANGERS)

Not a Rangers topic per se but relevant to current affairs: Only two weeks past Peter Lawwell and John Reid prevaricated to their shareholders (and anyone else made aware of their comments) that they only had a ‘tiny, tiny minority’ of fans who sung ‘political’ songs that are only offensive to ‘some’ people. Chairman John Reid also preferred to strangely concentrate on supporters of other clubs instead of addressing the very real issue of sectarianism within large sections of his own fan-base. His prevarication and ignorance has now been highlighted in the strongest terms by Strathclyde Police, the Procurator Fiscal and Scottish judicial system as a Celtic fan is convicted of religiously aggravated crimes. What now for the sectarian song-book of Celtic fans? For those unaware of the latest happenings, Celtic supporter Michael Devlin was convicted after wearing a t-shirt with ‘dirty horrible huns’ scrawled over the back of the clothing while being present near Ibrox on the night of the UEFA Cup Final (more info via ‘The Herald’ report here). Considering that at last count Celtic sing at least four different songs about ‘huns’ – both home and away – it will be fascinating to see how , not only the Celtic administration handle this situation, but the SPL Disciplinary Committee, UEFA and Scottish police forces as the country’s courts system finally join Northern Ireland in declaring the term to be unlawful. Scarves featuring the ‘No Huns in Europe’ slogan have already been banned from stadiums this season so it is clear that behind the scenes work is being done to ensure parity is finally being bestowed upon the Celtic supporters who hypocritically complained about the use of the literally identical word ‘fen!an’. These complaints eventually resulted in similar censures for Rangers FC and their fans. While it is obvious to any sane person that such terms may only be a result of local tribal rivalry as opposed to genuine sectarian hatred, Celtic supporters – led by Graham Spiers and other public figures – have set the temperature in this political climate so it will be interesting to view their reaction to one of their own being subject to the rules they asked for. Going by comments in other articles, it seems as usual, deflect and deny is their usual tactic. Excuses are made about the origins of the term while they forget that it’s not just Rangers fans they sing it to but teams (and people) with perceived religious affiliations. A direct breach of the SPL Rules – not to mention the Criminal Justice Act – hence the earlier conviction. One only needs attend any run of the mill SPL football match and you’ll hear the term being used again and again (“Artur Boruc Hates the Huns”, “Go Home Ya Huns”, ‘No Huns in Europe”, “Mike McCurry is a Hun” are just some songs with this vile word in them) . A cursory visit to any of their internet forums or fanzines also sees the term used frequently. Add in the continuing disgusting and unacceptable ‘political’ songs glorifying the past sectarian activities of the IRA, then at last the offensive songbook of the Celtic bigots may at last be removed from football stadia. Is there really being progress made on this front? Will Celtic fans and Celtic FC be as progressive and as forward thinking as Rangers in their attack on the people who sing these songs of hate? Unfortunately, the denial from Lawwell and the deflection from Reid – as well as the faux defence of this discriminatory word from the less forward thinking of their fans - means there are still obviously more questions than answers at this stage. But, I won’t apologise for saying, we told you so.

RANGERS trip to face Inverness in January has been switched from Saturday January 3 to Sunday January 4 for live TV coverage on Setanta. The kick-off time has yet to be fixed for what will be Walter Smith's side's first fixture in 2009. Gers' trip to Aberdeen in January will also be broadcast by the satellite channel with details of the date at time to be confirmed following Wednesday's draw for the semi finals of the Co-operative Insurance Cup. The Dons clash, currently scheduled for 3pm on Saturday January 24, may move to an earlier slot that day or switch to Sunday January 25. A decision on that trip will be made once fixtures for the League semis are finalised. Smith's side could face Celtic, Falkirk or Dundee United on either Tuesday January 27 or Wednesday January 28. Full details of all matches will be published on rangers.co.uk when fixture dates and times are settled.

Have a read of this, some quality stuff. http://www.redcafe.net/f6/celtic-fans-guide-evening-223976/

Has looked good from what i have seen. A pity he could not have played beside the King.

Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc could be out of action for up a month after knee surgery on Monday. More...

Manager Jim Jefferies thinks Kilmarnock have been unfairly pilloried for harrying Celtic. More...

Given that if Celtic win their next CL game against Aalborg they will ensure they at least go into the UEFA Cup and survive beyond Xmas what does everyone want to happen ? The answer would normally be obvious but if they remain in Europe then the additional games could very well help our cause in the league. Thoughts ?

Man Ure playing in blue. :fish: Mon the blues!!

[ame=http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=LOM2rx-NU-A]YouTube - Fans Charting[/ame]

DEFENDER Madjid Bougherra was part of the Rangers delegation who attended the recent Young Scottish Muslim Awards Dinner at Celtic Park. Bougherra joined Ibrox legend Mark Hateley, Head of Security Kenny Scott and Colin Atkinson from the Club's Community team at the ceremony, which was held last Thursday evening and was hosted by top Scottish comedian Jonathan Watson Madjid and Mark joined high profile guests including First Minister Alex Salmond and SFA Chief Executive Gordon Smith at the dinner and both presented awards on the night.

TOMMY Wilson's reserve side secured a tight 1-0 win over Hamilton to narrow the gap with Celtic at the summit of the SPL reserve league. Andrius Velicka's 33rd minute strike was enough to earn the light blues a victory and move them to within two points of their rivals who were held to a draw earlier on Monday. Wilson made a host of changes from the side that had faced Dundee United at Murray Park last midweek with Christian Dailly, Barry Ferguson, Charlie Adam and Neil Alexander all dropping out of the squad. But the match started in a similar vein as Rangers conceded an early penalty when Lee McCulloch was deemed to have handled in the box. However, just as Danny Swanson had missed an early spot kick for United, so Tony Stevenson fired an effort wide to let the visitors off the hook. Hamilton were then forced to endure some sustained pressure as Chris Burke and Rory Loy forced saves from Sean Murdoch. And the home side cracked under the pressure just after the half hour mark when Burke and Loy combined well to set up Velicka for the only goal of the game. Gers maintained the pressure after the interval with Andrew Shinnie twice coming close in the opening stages of the second half. However two substitutions midway though the second period seemed to disrupt the visitors' rhythm. First teamers Lee McCulloch and Steven Whittaker were the two men to make way as Andy Little and Willie McLachlan were introduced. Hamilton pushed for an equaliser and had the ball in the net with three minutes left, but Sorsa's strike was ruled out for offside from Kirkpatrick's left wing cross. Wilson's side hung on for a crucial three points ahead of a lengthy break from league action. Rangers: G.Smith; Whittaker (McLachlan, 65), McCulloch (Little, 65), McMillan, S.Smith; Burke, Shinnie, Kinniburgh, Aaron; Loy, Velicka. Subs: Robinson, Efrem, Bagci. Hamilton: Murdoch; Stevenson, McQueen, McLaughlin, Gibson; Gillespie, Taylor, Ettien, Videira; Thomas, Carrigan. Subs: Hall, Sorsa, Gow, Kirkpatrick, Collins.

WALTER SMITH today admitted that it's not outwith the bounds of possibility for Kris Boyd to one day overtake Ally McCoist as Rangers greatest scorer. Boyd has a long way to go before he matches the achievements of Super Ally, the current assistant manager, who holds the Rangers record for both league and European goals and netted a staggering 355 goals in his 15 years as a player at Ibrox. However, 81 goals in 114 matches - including a hat-trick at the weekend, shows that Boyd has an impressie strike rate Smith said: "He's got a career to go through but the initial part would indicate that, if he carries on playing at Rangers as long as Ally did, then he has an opportunity to beat that statistically. "Ally had to break a few goalscoring records here to get himself up there and Kris will have to work like that. But that's a long way down the line." Boyd has often been criticised for his lack of work-rate in the past but Smith insists the striker deserves credit for trying to improve his overall game this season. He added: "I've said on many occasions that there are aspects of his game that he had to improve on but his goalscoring was something nobody could complain about. "He's a terrific finisher, one of the best I've been involved with. His overall level of play has improved as well. "He had bits of his game that he had to improve on and he's worked at that since the start of the season. "He's improved that aspect and it's not interfered with his level of goals. Long may that continue." Boyd's partnership with Kenny Miller proved productive against Inverness as Rangers riot with five goals in 45 minutes, with Boyd's three goals sandwiched between strikes from Nacho Novo and Miller. Smith now hopes his front pairing will lead the way after admitting to concerns about Rangers' lack of goals earlier in the campaign. "The partnership is starting to develop," said the Rangers boss. "In quite a number of the games this season we have had a lot of possession of the ball and never quite managed to get the goals at the end of it, so it was nice to do that on Saturday. "It's something we will have to continue to work at and emphasise that good possession of the ball isn't necessarily going to win you the game." Dundee United are the visitors on Tuesday night as Rangers attempt to make the most of their game in hand by moving level with Celtic at the summit of the Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League. Smith said: "Dundee United were a wee bit like ourselves and had a slow start to the season but they've settled down in the last six or seven weeks and are back to the form they showed last season. "We always get a really difficult game from them, they are always well-organised and have a good attitude. "They're well-motivated and have some good players in their team so it will be a good game tomorrow night and one that we're all looking forward to."

Walter Smith’s recent outburst decrying Rangers fans for spouting bile on websites has come as a huge slap in the face for decent majority of Rangers fans who use modern technology to discuss the club they support and allow them the freedom to express opinions and facts to fellow supporters. His words seem clichÃ?©d from other sources, such as those that have a perpetual agenda against Rangers fans, and the press who fuel this as it is easy to sensationalise twisted, negative interpretations of Rangers fans actions to sell newspapers with highly provocative headlines. It seems obvious to some he has been press-ganged into making this statement to give an impression that Rangers are actively fighting what to some self interested quarters is perceived as a great social issue. However, it is also obvious that he is very ignorant of the facts and has not personally experienced any of the forums that he is quick to demonise. He is jumping on a bandwagon he knows nothing about and allowing himself to be influenced by what is clearly a propaganda exercise. The anti-web slant could also be influenced by the fact that the freedom of exchange of knowledge and opinions, had allowed many supporters to be far more informed about the running of the club as well as clearing up many misconceptions. This has subsequently led to a melt-down of his employer’s popularity among the general support, making life for Sir David Murray much more difficult and less enjoyable. The recent pressure on the chairman to answer difficult questions at the AGM is an example, showing a complete contrast to the stage managed, party convention-esque affairs of the past, that used to massage his ego. It’s no wonder the once greatly admired figurehead would like to eradicate his dissidents, and demonising them and their communications medium is a first step. I'm sure there are plenty of bigots on around the forums for all clubs but I'm even more sure from experience, that by far the majority are very decent. To hit out at fans and slander the majority for simply communicating with other is ludicrous and only serves to alienate a huge number of good fans who feel totally insulted. Not only that Walter’s comments also seem to be lacking in any understanding of the medium and what the fans are actually saying, chanting or singing. He should learn this before making ill informed comments and when he does comment, he should word it carefully to be targeted instead of tarring so many with the same brush. He needs to be clear who and what he is talking about and give proper and valid examples. There are countless Celtic fans who seem to take offence at pretty much EVERYTHING Rangers fans do or say, and actively look for ways to interpret everything in an offensive light, and then report them to whatever authorities they can get to listen to them. This is then taken up by the media and blown out of all proportion. What no-one does is stop to think what the words of chants and songs, actually mean - what is the intention and what they are aimed at? No-one even thinks to actually ask Rangers fans these kind of questions: as demonstrated on a BBC news article about what is being labelled the “Famine Song,” where a highly offended leader a Celtic supporters group was interviewed, but no Rangers supporter who actually sang the song was questioned. The reporters were happy to tell the public what the song was about without any inside knowledge of the semantics which, when looked at objectively, are too sparse and ambiguous to interpret without proper understanding of the context. But as they say, “Why let the truth get in the way of a good story.” Unfortunately, it seems that it is this style of reporting that Rangers officials are acquiring all their knowledge of the subject from. The powers at be at Ibrox subsequently seem to have no finger on the pulse and come across as not only a bit dim at times, but totally out of touch as well as lacking any interest or sensitivity to where the fans are coming from. Comments like Walter’s really need to be fully informed and highly qualified, instead of woolly demonising using clichÃ?©d buzz words, presented to him with prejudiced views either designed to harm the reputation of Rangers fans, or to sell sensationalised news stories. I always believe that you cannot criticise anyone unless you have some understanding of what they are actually doing and what their motivations really are. For those who are interested, the Famine song is a satirical reference to the strange way that Scottish Celtic supporters with British passports rebrand themselves as Irish, and falsely claim to be descendents of immigrants that came from Ireland due to the famine. This is despite the fact that immigration from Ireland was very low during that terrible and very sad disaster. Their songs contain irrelevant references to the famine and many other songs attack the United Kingdom as a country. The Famine song reminds them that although they hate the UK, they no-longer need to live here if they don’t want to, as their reason for leaving their beloved homeland no longer applies. Basically the song takes the Mick out of “Plastic Paddies” who claim to hate their own country. How that can be interpreted as sectarian or racist is beyond me - even if “Plastic Paddy” was a bona fide religion or race, effectively saying, “It’s ok now, you can go home,” is about the most gentle of rebukes you will encounter in a football stadium. For those that pick up on the word "famine", and tell us that Rangers fans are sick for mentioning it, are only displaying the same kind of over-sensitivity that had people decrying "Baa Baa Black Sheep" as racist. I used to think WS was a wise and intelligent man, but now he appears like an old sheep or out of touch senior citizen, who believes whatever propaganda is put in front of him. The club should definitely be fighting against real sectarianism, but patronising lip service is never going to work and only going to wind up the decent fans and even have a negative effect on the less enlightened minority who verge on casual 90 minute bigotry. You will never get anyone to change for the better by chastising them when they know they have done nothing wrong. You will only succeed in insulting their intelligence. Proper dialogue is necessary between the club and fans on these issues, as well as an extensive, open-minded, national debate that clarifies the real demarcation between sectarianism and what is just club rivalry.

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