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Is that the first time this has happened, certainly in an OF game, since the pre-O'Wibble days? No cries of foul play emanating from Parkhead.

Celtic goalie Arthur Boric is a disgrace to his team. With his stupid gestures and stuntshe is heightening the already dangerous old firm animosity. And if he spent less time intentionaly stirring up the opposing fans he might not let so many goals in. DEREK FERGUSON ,Glasgow

As usual at the start of the old firm game, the Celtic supporters blasted out you�ll never walk alone. They seemed to forget that when big Venegoor was heading for the tunnel, he looked like a lonely soul to me. The Celtic supporters did stick to their word though, with 12 minutes left. They were leaving in their masses. They never walked alone. Just hours before the game Venegoor was thinking of buying a Harley Davison motor-bike, seemingly he wanted something with a kick-start. Word has it that Celtic are sending Mark Wilson to Kelvingrove park, duck pond, to train. They hope he can learn to catch a frog. During Sunday's old firm game, Stevie Davis treated Aiden McGeady like a snooker ball. He pocketed him at will and didn�t need a rest. Then there was our Holy Goalie Friend. He used be a mail man in Poland but was sacked for not guarding the post. Boruc wanted to emulate Maradona and be hand of god, Unfortunately it backfired and he became the hand of, OOOh God! As has been stated in the papers, Artur has been going heavy on the drink. Rumour has it he only went to chapel because he thought he would get three bloody Marys He used to be partial to a cocktail but kept spilling the Bols. And more recently he has been favouring a Drop shot. Taxi!!!

A Celtic fan phoned up and seriously threatend Euan Cameron live on air saying that he is getting dun in tonight the guy was going ape shit over the Neil Lennon Fight Real Radio are passing the tims details to Strathclydes Finest , was bizzare just shows how much they like the wee ginger tosser get themselves jailed over him :fish:

Andrew H Smith is a former Editor of ra Sellik View, his nickname at the Blatt was, 'Bombscare'. He left ra View and these last few years has regularly made an arse of himself at Scotland on Sunday, normal behaviour for such a strict adherent of Spierism. He mirrors Spiers absolutely in his weekly Diary, 'Stramash'. Here is an example of recent contribution : "Sources close to Frank McGarvey allege that Frank's brilliant and frank autobiography Toatal Frank isn't being stocked in the Celtic shops because it is too political. In the book Frank reveals his support for the SNP. Is republicanism in all it's forms to be avoided in official circles at Parkhead"? The last I looked, the SNP's committment to constitutional monarchy remained firm, they accept the present monarch as Queen of Scots and see an independant Scotland as part of her realm. One can only assume that Andrew H Smith's interpretation of nationalism is completely tainted with his immersion in pejorative Irish nationalism, republicanism being a willing bedfellow. Singing the songs of hate and taking the loyal oath has never been a problem to the established west of Scotland Labour Party apparatchiks before. I suspect the real reason why McGarvey's tome has been disavowed at ra Sellik shops, is because all those former and present cabinet members, either sitting on the Boards or in the Main Stand(John Reid, Des Browne, Brian Wilson, .......etc) are concerned as to their future standard of life. Obviously afraid of a former player with an obsession for the GGs and Bookies providing a ringing endorsement to Alex salmon? Confused? You won't be, well not nearly as much as Andrew H Smith's confusion over the meanings of both nationalism and republicanism.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THEY'RE supposed to stick together. The fabled goalkeeping fraternity is meant to forge ties as thick as any blood ones. But Andy Goram won't be making any effort to put a metaphorical arm around the shoulder of Artur Boruc this week. The Celtic stopper had an excruciating afternoon on Sunday when two mammoth mistakes helped Rangers to their most comprehensive win at Parkhead for 14 years. And Goram loved every minute of it. "I have no sympathy for him," he said. "None at all. If it was Allan McGregor who was in this position, I'm quite sure Artur Boruc wouldn't be feeling anything for him. "It's about what you do for your team. That's it. I enjoyed myself on Sunday. I enjoyed the result and I enjoyed the manner of the victory. It's exactly what Rangers needed and it proved a few points to everyone. "Artur Boruc won't have a good week - but that's of no concern to Rangers." Boruc ought to have stopped the opener on Sunday when Daniel Cousin beat him at his near post, but the biggest howler of the game came when he spilled a Kirk Broadfoot cross at the feet of former team-mate Kenny Miller. Miller, of course, stroked the ball in to the net much to the glee of the visiting support and Boruc's day of misery was complete. He will be sidelined this week as Poland begin their World Cup qualifying campaign as punishment for flouting a curfew when he was last on international duty with Leo Beenhakker's side. Headlines in his homeland of a drunken night out were quickly followed up by revelations that he was fined by Celtic this summer during the Feyenoord tournament for a similar incident and Goram, no stranger to either boozy nights or the wrong kind of headlines, has watched with interest. And the fact that Boruc has become something of a nemesis for the Ibrox support sweetened Sunday's win. "When you want to go down that route of going out and enjoying yourself then you still have to be able to do it on the pitch," said the former Rangers keeper. "When I was at Rangers we all loved a good time. But we could back it up. We knew we had the talent on the pitch to afford to go for a night out and still do the business. "Artur has discovered that he can't. My worst time as a goalkeeper was when I just arrived at Rangers. "I had a hard few months, but the advice I got was that it was all about how I dealt with adversity. "That's what the Celtic people will be telling Artur. It is all about how he reacts to this. He is a decent keeper - but I think he has believed a lot of his own publicity. "If he wants to talk the talk then he has to be able to back it up. He has enjoyed winding the Rangers fans up in the three years he has been at Parkhead, and he has to take it on the chin now that they're enjoying him squirming a bit." The emphatic nature of the win at the weekend will be the biggest disappointment for Celtic to come to terms with, and Goram believes that the result is huge in terms of its psychological significance. When Martin O'Neill's side humbled Rangers 6-2 in the opening Old Firm game of the season back in 2000, it set down a precedent for the season to come. The Ibrox side never really recovered from that defeat, despite hitting back in the next Old Firm game with a 5-1 win. It gave Celtic the belief that they were championship contenders and a shell-shocked Rangers side under Dick Advocaat started to crumble. It's something that Goram can now envisage happening the other way. He said: "There has been all this talk that Celtic are invincible at Parkhead and that is nonsense. "But many Rangers teams recently have been obviously intimidated about playing there. Too many sides in recent seasons have gone into their shells when the time has come to go to Parkhead. That wasn't there on Sunday. "They took the game by the scruff of the neck and could have scored even more. It puts to bed this theory that Celtic are brilliant on their own ground because they're not. "I actually don't think the current team could hold their own against our Rangers team of the 90s - we'd annihilate them. And so would the Celtic team of that time, too. "Tommy Burns' Celtic side were a great footballing team and they'd play the current Celtic side off the park. "But I fancy big things to come from this result. I fancied Rangers at the start of the season for the title and on Sunday they put down a marker to that effect." And Kenny Miller's goals at the weekend were the perfect way to endear himself to a section of the Ibrox support unsure of his credentials. "I was pleased for Kenny because he works his socks off," said Goram. "If Mo Johnston could play for Celtic and then go to Rangers and score plenty goals, why can't Kenny? It's all about what he does for Rangers now. "But the biggest thing for me at the weekend wasn't Kenny, but Walter. He came in for so much criticism last season that was unwarranted. "He knows what he is doing and people have to trust him. I'm sure he'll take the championship back to Ibrox this season and he deserves all the plaudits this week because I'm sure it was a long summer for him."

MOTHERWELL fans are in mourning today following the death of former midfield star Jamie Dolan, who has died aged just 39. It's another blow for the Fir Park fans, coming less than a year after skipper Phil O'Donnell died from a cardiac arrest while playing against Dundee United. The midfielder was given his first team debut by then 'Well boss Tommy McLean after playing in the Youth Cup final against Celtic during the 1986/87 season, and quickly established himself as part of Mothewell's midfield, forming a famous trip alongside Paul Lambert and Billie Davies during the mid 1990s. In January 1997, he moved to Dundee United as part of a swap deal for Owen Coyle, before joining Dunfermline for two years. Spells with Livingston and Forfar followed before his top-flight career came to an end during a final season with Partick Thistle in 2002. After retiring, Dolan retained close links with Motherwell, and was involved with the club's former players' group and charity events, and also managed junior side Broxburn Athletic. A statement on the club's official website said: "Everyone at Motherwell Football Club would like to pass on our sincerest condolences to Jamie's family and friends at this sad time." R.I.P.

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."

Celtic fan in my work today on Mendes and his goal on Sunday "He is just another Bert Konterman" "another Panic Buy" they live on another planet (Official)

I never like going to the Piggery but was very downbeat driving to the game today, even with the tunes on in the car. It was weird walking up Springfield Road as the whole grassy bit has been fenced off and we had to stick to the road. The usual burger vans were not there because of this and therefore I bit the bullet and bought a burger and coke inside the ground. We think Azure is bad? The coke was flat and the bottom of the roll was brick hard and the burger tasteless. I was sitting near the back of the bottom section. Iââ?¬â?¢ve never sat there before. What an atmosphere with the top stand overhead. It still moved up and down when we did the bouncy. Can it be 100% safe? Congratulations for 2 crackers of banners. Firstly to TBO for their Ambulance Chasers ââ?¬Å?since 1888ââ?¬Â and the CDL for their ââ?¬Å?God save our Queen, God save your Queenââ?¬Â one. Both excellent efforts, guys. Well done. To be fair, I thought the Bungle Boys ââ?¬Å?Hereââ?¬â?¢s what you could have wonââ?¬Â with Bully was quite clever, but the one with the priest (presumably Walfrid) and something about ââ?¬Å?inclusionââ?¬Â lost me. And who says Celtic fans donââ?¬â?¢t do irony. Team selection was one that nobody could have predicted with Adam being brought back and Miller and Cousin starting upfront. As it happened Adam gave the team some balance despite not having the best of games, but ideally we could do with more width in the future. Cousin was up for it and gave a great performance, which resulted in a superb goal using his strength and speed to skin Mark Wilson on the right wing and then drive it past the hapless Boruc at his near post from what appeared to be an impossible angle. Despite Rangers starting the brighter, Celtic were slightly the better team at this point in the game. Celticââ?¬â?¢s equaliser two minutes later was a comedy of errors from the Rangers perspective. Firstly Mendes lost the ball in the midfield when he incorrectly assumed Davis was taking it from him, then Broadfoot failed to stop the cross from our right, Weir seemed to miss the ball when it came to his feet which meant that Papac didnââ?¬â?¢t expect the ball to fall to him and he hit it off-balance to Samaras who easily put the ball away. Maloney turned 2 Rangers players and tried to curl the ball into the net early in the second half, but Rangers responded with the much maligned Kenny Miller scoring his first goal on his second spell at the club volleying a cross from Thomson which Boruc was unable to keep out despite his ample size. Remember the fuss that was made when a paper cup was thrown at a Celtic player at Ibrox? I wonder if the same fuss will be made about the beach ball that was thrown at a Rangers player? I doubt it though as the bal was thrown back into the crowd on numerous occasions to allow them to do it again. No action was taken by the stewards, so obviously this sort of action is condoned by the club. Rangers third goal was a peach. A corner was played back to Mendes who was standing 30 yards out and he hit it first time low and hard straight into the bottom corner. Referees have been quite correctly been getting stick for their pro-Celtic decisions and today was no exception, although thankfully it didnââ?¬â?¢t affect the result. Rangers were denied two stonewall penalties with Adam being brought down just before half-time and Cousin being brought down in the lead-up to the second goal. In the second half the ref also seemed to have decided to penalise Cousin for every challenge which resulted in a booking for consistent fouling. Two fouls later and het got his second yellow for a challenge that he actually won. He can be clearly seen concentrating on the ball and went for it so how a foul was given against him is beyond me. Thank fully the ref couldnââ?¬â?¢t avoid sending off JVOH a minute later for his two petulant kicks at Broadfoot. With both teams with 10 men, Rangers scored their 4th from a Boruc blunder as he fumbled a straightforward Broadfoot cross straight to Miller who couldnââ?¬â?¢t miss the open goal that he had been presented with and send the good guys in the stadium into delirium. Celtic scored a consolation second in injury time although most of the Celtic fans had left the ground by that point. McGregor seemed to take this out on Miller for reasons that escape me other than perhaps he has fallen into the trap of some others by blaming Miller for everything. It was a team performance and Smith had everyone pumped up for it. mcGregor looked more assured than some recent performances. Broadfoot struggled a bit with McGeady but, on the whole, did fine. Papac put in some crunching tackles. Bougherra looks sound. The midfield and attack did a power of running, with Mendes shading it for man of the match, despite his part in their first goal. All in all, a great performance and a great day. A great airing of the Pedro Mendes song,and I particularly like the new Edu song. Iââ?¬â?¢m sure Iââ?¬â?¢ve heard the tune somewhere before.....

Andrew Dickson reports from Parkhead WALTER SMITH paid tribute to his Rangers players after their magnificent 4-2 derby win over Celtic at Parkhead. The Light Blues manager raised eyebrows before play began by selecting Daniel Cousin to partner Kenny Miller up front. But his decision paid off when the Gabon hitman fired in the opener - and he was even more ecstatic when Miller then struck a second-half double. Pedro Mendes was the other scorer with a screamer from 25 yards and there's little doubt the visitors deserved to take three points from the first Old Firm clash of the season. While Smith will be acclaimed by many Gers fans for choosing the side he put out, he was keen for the men at his disposal to take the credit instead. He said: "We are obviously pleased to win the game. It was quite open and we were delighted to get the first goal then disappointed at losing one shortly afterwards. "It was a scrappy one from our point of view and 1-1 was probably just about right at half-time. "But whoever gets the first goal of the second half in Old Firm games often goes on to have the have the upper hand. "We managed to score then add another quite quickly and it was always going to be difficult for Celtic to come back after that. "You are always on edge when you come here but in the end, it was a terrific victory at a place where it is very difficult for any team to get a win and our players did very well." There was obvious focus on Miller as he returned to Celtic Park just two years since he joined Gordon Strachan's side after a previous spell with Rangers. He famously scored his first goal for the Parkhead team against the Light Blues but made away fans forget that with a wonderful brace today. His first effort was a brilliant right-footed volley across Artur Boruc's goal and the second was a tap-in after the Pole fumbled the ball. Miller's return to Ibrox has not gone down well with some supporters, who have made their feelings on the matter known over the last few weeks. Smith is hopeful the Scotland hitman's contribution today goes some way towards appeasing them. When asked how much pressure he thought Miller was under ahead of this game, the manager joked: "Not as much as me. "I thought Kenny played well. It seems to be the case quite often in football that people score against their former clubs and that was the case here. "I'm just pleased we managed to get the goals we needed and it doesn't bother me who scores them. "But Kenny played well today and if his performance doesn't win people over, we've got a bit of a problem. I don't know what he would need to do. "He has got his goals now so it is over with and hopefully he can go on to get a few more as the season goes on."

Deserves a wee title!!! Not since Kuznetzov in 1994 struck that sreamer have we scored 4 at Parkhead

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

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.

Our fÃ?®iends from the East End like to portray themselves as the victimised team in Scotland when it comes to officials and governing bodies making ridiculous and incorrect decisions. So much so, they like to regale us with their yawn inducing chant ââ?¬Ë?whoââ?¬â?¢s the Mason in the blackââ?¬â?¢. Given the recent run of decisions against us and benefiting ââ?¬Ë?themââ?¬â?¢, is it time to challenge this with a blast of ââ?¬Ë?Whereââ?¬â?¢s The Masonââ?¬â?¢s In The Blackââ?¬â?¢? It certainly appears that the referees and their assistants have handed in their ââ?¬Ë?pinnies and penniesââ?¬â?¢ and taken to mass as of a Sunday. Now, before going any further, I have to say here and now, I, like the majority of Rangers supporters do not expect favouritism from the referees. All we ask is for parity. When you look at the way Celtic as a club, from the boardroom, via the manager/players etc and finally through their fans, have attacked officials, itââ?¬â?¢s hardly surprising that they get they benefit of some very favourable decisions. In fact, it was dreadful refereeing (coupled with our inability to win away games) at the tail end of last season that enabled them to get back into the SPL race and win the title on the last day of the season. Just ask Hugh Dallas how it feels to be on the receiving end of the wrath of the Tims. The bold Shug had his house (and family) attacked after the Celtc Shame Game, and lets not forget that he was struck on the head with coins during the game and at least 3 Celtc fans attempted to attack Hugh on the field of play. Hughââ?¬â?¢s crime? Officiating a game fairly and evenly. The person (sic) who attacked Hugh Dallasââ?¬â?¢ home after the above game can still be found wandering the corporate lounges at Parkhead. Yes, thatââ?¬â?¢s correct, the guy who was found guilty in a court of law didnââ?¬â?¢t receive a lifetime ban for his crimes. Lets not forget that the fan who injured Fernando Ricksen still hasnââ?¬â?¢t been identified or banned from the Cesspit. So given the Celtcââ?¬â?¢s board (or the SPL / SFA for that matter) reluctance to impose the proper penalties for fans who attack officials, can you really blame the unbalanced Tims for continuing their attacks on officials? Donââ?¬â?¢t forget that these attacks are not consigned to internet chat forums, these attacks are real and the officials and their families are attacked going about their daily business. The rabid Tims are helped in their quest by their lapdogs in the media, more commonly known as ââ?¬Ë?TWATSââ?¬â?¢ (Tims With Typewriters). They play down, or worse, donââ?¬â?¢t report these attacks, the publication of officials home addresses on forums, or deflect the blame to the ââ?¬Ë?Old Firmââ?¬â?¢, rather than laying the blame where is belongs, on the door step of Parkhead. So am I advocating a similar approach? Off course not, but sometimes you have to wonder if this is the only way to achieve parity on the field of play. Lets face facts here, we all know that if there is a controversial decision made on Sunday at Parkhead, itââ?¬â?¢ll favour them as apposed to us. Iââ?¬â?¢ll finish this with 2 quick questions: 1/ When was the last time a Celtc player was red-carded during an OF game at Park head and 2/ When was the last time Rangers were awarded a penalty during an OF game at Parkhead? Cammy F

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."

This weekend threw up another controversy as Rangers were denied a perfectly good goal, through the linesman flagging for offside. Before the game Referee boss Donald McVicar e-mailed a warning for refs to improve. After a spate of dodgy decisions which seem to benifit our friends from the dark side, many football supporters probably think the ref boss�s real name is McPriest and not McVicar. Strangely Refs are fighting for more money. The SFA should put them on performance bonuses as that would save them a fortune. A new sponsor might be a good idea; they should change from Spec-savers to Nikon binoculars. Ebay would make a good sponsor as well as they keep selling us their crap Football is not the only sport that is having problems with the referee's though. What about the girl in the taekwondo, Sarah Stevenson. Three officials failed to see the kick to her Chinese opponents head. After a protest and TV evidence she was at least reinstated as the winner. Her fellow taekwondo colleague Angel Matos wasn�t going to hang about for a TV replay, he just gave the ref a size 9 direct to the chin. Why can�t I get rid of the thought of Billy Baxter wearing, wee Demarcus Beasley�s stud marks on his napper? If the Olympics had been in Portugal Angel Matos might not receive a lifetime ban. You can take a Maddy there and get away with it.(Sorry) Carrying on with the Olympic theme, wee Chesney wants to talk to Chris Hoy to pass on his secret winning formula. Some people believe he has the formula already. Paying referees! Maybe that is what is using up his entire transfer kitty. John Hugh�s has been following the cycling as well, After Referee Brines pulled him out of the Falkirk dressing room, he told Brines to get on his Bike. Our friend Artur Boruc has been hitting the news again. In the past he has been fined by Celtic for boozing. Last week he was thrown out the Polish national team, for skipping out for a wee vodka. Who said he didn�t have any bottle? Now he is waiting to see if Leo Beenhakker will Polish him off, as the Don was a bit brassed off Just a thought, if Artur Boruc�s wife was Pregnant to him. Would that make her a dope carrier? Taxi!!!

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."

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."

http://www.gersnetonline.net/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=668&Itemid=1 Boring old Spiers wannabe Roddy Forsyth certainly showed he's capable of taking up the corduroy mantle with a glaring school-boy error in today's online Telegraph. As Forsyth prevaricated over the pathetic behaviour of the Tartan Army booing the British national anthem (well sung by the ever boisterous away support) he, as usual, felt the need to bring Rangers into his usual poorly-written attempt at a tediously polemic article: “It was a splendidly surreal spectacle to witness the NI fans performing that Rangers speciality, the 'bouncy’, while wearing green and holding up a banner directed at the Ibrox chairman’s anti-sectarian efforts. The message read: 'Thank you, Sir David — our culture is not a crime’.” As expected, with the continual errors of the Scottish Fourth Estate, it was no surprise to find out Forsyth had got it wrong once more. In this context ‘Sir David’ is actually the nickname the away support use for star-striker David Healy. The banner reference was of course to the similarly pathetic and hypocritical moaning from some Celtic fans because he’d indulged in a bit of pre-season banter in Fulham with the more tolerant members of the away Celtic support – after which Healy was forced to apologise for mimicking the playing of a flute. Only in Scotland would the booing of our own country's anthem being excused while the playing of a instrument as a riposte to wind-ups about July 12th be a subject of outrage. Forsyth enjoys being at the forefront of such faux moral comment - just don't ask him to be balanced or accurate in his criticisms, even if, like Spiers, he's supposed to be writing for a quality broadsheet newspaper. Even so, I wouldn’t normally waste valuable bandwidth of the likes of the attention-seeking Forsyth (a place on the Radio Clyde phone-in panel must surely beckon?) but in this instance, I’m sure any decent football supporter will join with me in pointing and laughing at this joke of a journalist. Must try harder, Roddy! :D

UCF2008 posted the above in the other thread. my original rent-a-cause-reactionaries comment was about their general make-everyone-love-us philosophy. their persecution complex and immediate support for anything, no matter how contradictory, to maintain their romantic rebels image. that being said, i do think his point is worth a debate. recent times have seen ranting as never before. its seen protesting. a whole culture of complaining has developed - but i do think that there are also valid societal reasons for this (information culture/credit crunch/anxieties about pluralism) as well as good arguments for the fact that everything is not as well as it could be within ibrox (murray wants out/rangers fans consistently paying their money to be called bigots by all and sundry etc). that said, i think the anti-murray/anti-smith tone has just got rabid in recent times - a kind of rabid that can only happen on the faceless internet and in small groups. when it takes itself to real life (like the reported protest the other week) it falters. but, then, i begin to think it is all justified again - the protests seem to have spurred the new signings, and it took for mass protests etc for celtic to get turned around. so, all in all, have we become bitter tims?

Our fÃ?®iends from the East End like to portray themselves as the victimised team in Scotland when it comes to officials and governing bodies making ridiculous and incorrect decisions. So much so, they like to regale us with their yawn inducing chant ââ?¬Ë?whoââ?¬â?¢s the Mason in the blackââ?¬â?¢. Given the recent run of decisions against us and benefiting ââ?¬Ë?themââ?¬â?¢, is it time to challenge this with a blast of ââ?¬Ë?Whereââ?¬â?¢s The Masonââ?¬â?¢s In The Blackââ?¬â?¢? It certainly appears that the referees and their assistants have handed in their ââ?¬Ë?pinnies and penniesââ?¬â?¢ and taken to mass as of a Sunday. Now, before going any further, I have to say here and now, I, like the majority of Rangers supporters do not expect favouritism from the referees. All we ask is for parity. When you look at the way Celtic as a club, from the boardroom, via the manager/players etc and finally through their fans, have attacked officials, itââ?¬â?¢s hardly surprising that they get they benefit of some very favourable decisions. In fact, it was dreadful refereeing (coupled with our inability to win away games) at the tail end of last season that enabled them to get back into the SPL race and win the title on the last day of the season. Just ask Hugh Dallas how it feels to be on the receiving end of the wrath of the Tims. The bold Shug had his house (and family) attacked after the Celtc Shame Game, and lets not forget that he was struck on the head with coins during the game and at least 3 Celtc fans attempted to attack Hugh on the field of play. Hughââ?¬â?¢s crime? Officiating a game fairly and evenly. The person (sic) who attacked Hugh Dallasââ?¬â?¢ home after the above game can still be found wandering the corporate lounges at Parkhead. Yes, thatââ?¬â?¢s correct, the guy who was found guilty in a court of law didnââ?¬â?¢t receive a lifetime ban for his crimes. Lets not forget that the fan who injured Fernando Ricksen still hasnââ?¬â?¢t been identified or banned from the Cesspit. So given the Celtcââ?¬â?¢s board (or the SPL / SFA for that matter) reluctance to impose the proper penalties for fans who attack officials, can you really blame the unbalanced Tims for continuing their attacks on officials? Donââ?¬â?¢t forget that these attacks are not consigned to internet chat forums, these attacks are real and the officials and their families are attacked going about their daily business. The rabid Tims are helped in their quest by their lapdogs in the media, more commonly known as ââ?¬Ë?TWATSââ?¬â?¢ (Tims With Typewriters). They play down, or worse, donââ?¬â?¢t report these attacks, the publication of officials home addresses on forums, or deflect the blame to the ââ?¬Ë?Old Firmââ?¬â?¢, rather than laying the blame where is belongs, on the door step of Parkhead. So am I advocating a similar approach? Off course not, but sometimes you have to wonder if this is the only way to achieve parity on the field of play. Lets face facts here, we all know that if there is a controversial decision made on Sunday at Parkhead, itââ?¬â?¢ll favour them as apposed to us. Iââ?¬â?¢ll finish this with 2 quick questions: 1/ When was the last time a Celtc player was red-carded during an OF game at Park head and 2/ When was the last time Rangers were awarded a penalty during an OF game at Parkhead? Cammy F

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."

Anyone hear this yesterday? I listened this morning and was wetting myself with laughter at 1 caller. He was an older guy and a bit disabled talking about Bobo Balde - he was a celtic fan and said Balde couldnt know the difference between a football and an Orange. It was just the way he said it, even Traynor had to hold his laugh in. It can be found on bbc web and its 52min 25 secs in.

I didnt know Christophe Berra was scottish. I cant believe Callum Davidson is back in the squad. Not sure if id have Whittaker near the squad. No Maloney or Hutton? McCullochs form has obviously been picked up on. Not at all sure about Barr, Morrison, Commons or Clarkson. Im glad its only a friendly as if this was a qualifier against the Dutch id be panicking.