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Come on Bob F.T.P Malcolm

Every little scummy Celtic fan out there today is hoping we get beat. Lets go out there today and win , to show them this is our season. Even 1 point today will be a good enough result for us 16 points ladies and gents , then the league is ours. We Are The People !

Seems they have taken the bigot onto the coaching staff !! http://www.sportinglife.com/football/scottishpremier/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/08/04/03/SOCCER_Celtic.html Neil Lennon jumped at the chance to return to Celtic and admitted it was a "phenomenal" feeling to be back with the club he loves. The former Hoops captain accepted an invitation from manager Gordon Strachan to join his coaching staff, and Lennon will be on the frontline from the start in his second spell in Glasgow. His place among the coaches on the bench for Saturday's Clydesdale Bank Premier League clash with Motherwell has been confirmed. The man with the enormous passion for the Parkhead outfit, with whom he won five SPL titles until leaving for a fresh challenge in England last summer, has now kicked his last ball in competitive football. The combative midfielder had been playing with Wycombe, bossed by fellow Hoops legend Paul Lambert, in League Two. But there was no stopping Lennon from heading north when the offer to rejoin Celtic came in. The 36-year-old said: "I am overwhelmed at being offered this chance to return to Celtic, a place where everyone knows my heart lies. "Obviously, it was a tremendous honour to play for Celtic and to captain the club. Returning to Celtic and being part of the coaching set-up is simply phenomenal. "I would like to thank Gordon for this opportunity and I look forward to doing all I can to play my part in achieving further success for the club." The former Northern Ireland international joins a coaching staff which includes assistant boss Garry Pendrey and first-team coach Tommy Burns. Burns is currently battling cancer for the second time but still coaches at the club and will continue to do so when his treatment programme allows. Lennon arrives without a coaching pedigree but his leadership and motivational qualities are in no doubt. He first joined Celtic from Leicester in 2000 for �£5.5million, joining former Foxes boss Martin O'Neill in Glasgow. Five years later he was appointed captain by Strachan in 2005, one of the former Southampton manager's first tasks after taking over from O'Neill. Lennon led Celtic to back-to-back championships, and to the last 16 of the Champions League last season, before leaving to join Nottingham Forest, who he left in January. In all, he won five SPL titles, four Scottish Cups and two League Cups with Celtic. As well as the Champions League achievement, Lennon also played a key role in Celtic reaching the 2003 UEFA Cup final. He has no doubt whatsoever the time is right to steer his career towards a potential future in management, and leaving behind his playing career became an easy decision. Lennon said: "It was an opportunity I couldn't refuse. Chances like this only come around once in a lifetime and I'm flattered to have been given the role." Strachan's side trail Rangers by six points in the SPL, and their Old Firm rivals are poised to unseat them as Scottish champions barring a late-season twist in the title race. Second-best was never enough for Lennon, and Strachan is relishing the return of his former skipper, and said: "Neil is someone who I am proud to have worked with previously and is a man who I have great respect for. "Neil has made a huge contribution to Celtic over a number of years and has been a major part of the club's success in recent times. "We were disappointed to lose Neil and he is someone who I was very keen to have back at the club. "With his qualities, Neil will be a very valuable addition to our (coaching) team and we are very much looking forward to working with him."

Wee Chesney on the radio saying Rangers would have to collapse to let Celtic win the league. Well Gordon you have to get six Points and then hope that we collapse. :rfc:

Let's leave aside petty and OTT criticism of the players last night. They didn't play well but we're still in the tie, so let's move on. However, I do have one worry and that is we appear to be over reliant on the same players too often at the moment. Guys like McCulloch, Ferguson, Broadfoot and Novo have all done well in patches this season but seem to have lost a wee bit of form over the piece recently. As such, what worries me is that the management team seem very reluctant to take them off or rest them. Sure, when injuries and extra-time force the issue (see Celtic and CIS Final), we make subs but for the most part we seem to limit them to two maximum. Fair enough, consistency of selection is wanted and I'm a strong advocate of that but sometimes I think we need to be more flexible, no matter the game/opposition. At this stage of the season, I really think we need to play the fringe guys more. Naismith, Boyd, Whittaker, Burke, Buffel and Gow all have their weaknesses and none have really achieved a high quality of consistency so far in their time here. Certainly any of these players can't really lay claim to a first XI slot. No matter, all would bring a freshness to the team in terms of creativity, pace and goals which is definitely lacking from a core first XI that appears to be tiring by the game. As such, I'm really worried that Smith et al are going to push the core XI we seen last night too far. The return of Cousin will definitely help in that regard but I'd like to see the manager utilise his squad more often. Not in terms of unnecessary changes/rotation but just don't be afraid to change things and give others a chance to show what they can do. Finally, I'd like to urge everyone not to lose faith. In the coming weeks and months the players will need our fans more than ever to help them over the finishing line. We've had a good season so far (if unspectacular) but it's far from finished yet. Let's make sure we get behind all the players so maximise their contribution and help them face the challenges ahead.

Just dwelling on a few posters mentioning Davis' worst game for us since he has joined. This is after a few also said he didnt have his best game against Celtic last weekend either. The ulsterman had a great start to his gers career and IMO its no coincidence that the reason for poor performances in the last 2-3 games is a result of a) being shifted out to the right to accompany others and b) the return of K Thomson to fitness. Dont get me wrong Im now a fan of Thomson who won me over after a slow start to his own Ibrox career. But IMO you shouldnt try to fix what is not broken - hence the team was doing fine with a central trio with Davis in there. Id has benefitted bring Thommo back in the OF game for instance but whats happens with the fans now if Davis continues to play well in games now - the support will turn against him and be wanting him out of the team. So this makes me think how fast the support were to praise the guy by shouting for his permanent signature and how easy it is for fans to change opinions. Im not for one minute expecting this to happen - i think Davis will eventually move back into the inside right creative role and play well again. I think Lee McCulloch is another example of this - he was raved about early in the season but is on a very poor run of games. But it got me reversing my thinking about others players and those who are unpopular and given the chance could they reverse the fans thinking and do the team good. Im talking about Faye, Buffel, Sebo, Gow and even Boyd to an extent - all who have been highly talked about. The only way to conclude these arguments is by giving them time on the pitch - so with a few of our players looking very drained at the moment giving these players game time may not be such a bad idea, plus everyone of them has impressed at some point in there footballing careers.

(Before I start, cheers for the title idea Cammy) With all the fixture chaos of this incredible season; caused by the Scotland - Italy game, Europeam runs, the weather and one very mournful passing, Scottish football enetered the business end of the season with Rangers holding a slim lead in the SPL and chasing silverware on four fronts. A succession of games called off meant that there were not as many games over the usually hectic New Year period and it became increasingly difficult for Scotland's governing bodies to fit in all the postponed fixtures. Rangers were to enter an incredibly congested period the press dubbed mad March, with a narrow lead over our city rivals. We contested a massive 9 fixtures in one month, the most in any single month this season. As the manager has pointed out though, this fixture headache is a good one. It's the sign of a succesful team. The self appointed authorities on football in Scotland declared that we would stuggle with a fixture backlog and saw it as ideal opportunity for Celtic to put the pressure on us in the title race. Celtic's defeat to Hearts in the CIS cup meant they were already competing on one less front than us. And us they crashed out of competitions left right and centre during Mad March it meant they had more time to concentrate on the main prize, the SPL. The only fixture any Rangers players got off was the international midweek when some stars carrying knocks took the opportunity to rest up and recover. So how did Mad March shape the run-in for this season. Rangers began the month with a tricky home league tie with Aberdeen. Goals from Adam, Boyd and Dailly's maiden Rangers strike continued our impressive run of league victories since we last dropped points, ironically at Pittodrie. Next up was the home tie against Bundesliga cracks Werder Bremen. Heavy bookies favourites for the tie and the pick for many to lift the trophy. Another first goalscorer from the Bears in Ulsterman Davis, added to Cousin's long range opener, gave us a commanding lead to take to Germany. Domestic duties resumed with the cup replay against Hibs. In what has recently been a troublesome fixture for the Old Firm, Rangers went to Easter Road to claim a hard fought draw, when arguably we had our minds on bigger things. In the replay we made no such mistakes though, progressing to a quarter final with Partick Thistle. The following mid-week saw our only defeat of Mad March and our first since the heart-wrenching loss to Lyon. However Bremen's single strike was not enough as we shocked Europe to progress past the strongly fancied Germans to tonight's quarter final with Sporting Lisbon. A further fixture was postponed as we had our first Hampden appearance to contend with since the Coop final. Neutrals and Arabs alike will be bemused as to how they left with only credit for an impressive performance. However an awesome substitute display by Scotland's deadliest maksman meant that trophy number 108 was decekd in red white and blue. Kris Boyd scored another perfect "hattrick", with a late equaliser, a late extra time equaliser and a thumping winning penalty in the shootout as we sealed our first trophy in 3 years. Bouyed by that success we entertained Partick Thistle in the aforementioned Scottish Cup quarter final. Arguably our only slip up in Mad March, Boyd again came to the rescue as we came from behind to seal a replay. This author was concerned that replays against the "wee" teams, whilst keeping us in the competition, might harm our chances in our hunt for other silverware. So far I have been proved wrong. In the penultimate fixture of the month we entertained Hibs in the 5th meeting of the teams this season. A 2-1 victory, much more comfortable than the scoreline suggests, maintained momentum going into the biggest Old Firm since Celtic "won the league at Ibrox" in the infamous Helicopter Sunday season. At last a midweek off for our "toiling" stars. Whilst Boyd and Davis gained international caps, the likes of Ferguson, McGregor and Weir, who have played almost 50 times this season, rested injuries and aching muscles. Amazingly at the end of Mad March, just the second Old Firm of the season was contested. Rangers fans, players and management went into the tie full of confidence on the back of 3 victories under Smith, with McGregor's goal yet to be breached under the guidance of Smith and McCoist. Celtic had the better of the first half, but Thomson capped an excellent personal display with a suckerpunch of a winner right on the stroke of half-time. Despite Celtic's relative inactivity and our grueling schedule as we mounted an attack on four fronts we showed great physical strength and mental toughness to further extend out lead in the SPL and put one hand on the trophy. So despite warnings of Smith's fledgling team being unable to contend with such a punishing shedule. And protestations that we had no winning pedigree, nor the winning mentality of our East End rivals, we survived Mad March. In fact we positively flourished. Mad it may have been. But not for the fixture chaos. Rangers fans had many a "mad" party in March as we celebrated a CIS cup victory, progression in the UEFA cup and Scottish cup, with continued interest in both, and finally a strengthening of our league position atop of the SPL pile. If that was the worst that Mad March could throw at us, bring on Madder April, with cup quarter finals like tonight's tie with Sporting to be savoured. A further Old Firm on the 16th and the opportunity to put the final nail in the coffin of the Cetlic title challenge.

Daily Record

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/7318430.stm Fecking typical, they get off with it again.

Is the differencce between us and them the team spirit fostered by our management team: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6EIC6l1POs Novo, probably the wee-ist (is that a word) guy on the field comes running in to defend his floored team mate from the Celtic keeper, one of the bigger guys on the field. Gotta love the tenacity and fight of our players.

Anyone else see this before the game started, a green smoke bomb in the Celtic end Police took no action again :uzi:

Are you suicidal? Depressed? Down in the dumps? Then call 0800 10 10 10. That's 0800 won nothing, won nothing, won nothing!

When Kevin Thomson acrimoniously departed Hibs last January many expected his close pal to follow him along the M8 from Easter Road to Ibrox. During the following summer Scot Brown did indeed follow Thomson along the M8, but instead ended up at Celtic Park. The media took great delight in ridiculing Rangers as being the new owners of the biscuit tin as we were seen as being unable to compete with Cetlic's package to take the young Scottish international to Parkhead. Were Rangers unwilling or unable to match the �£4.5 million pound fee plus �£25k per week in wages? The two midifelders complimented each other well in an exciting Hibs team which regularly chalked up victories against both half of the Old Firm, stimulating the bidding war to take the two youngs stars to Glasgow. Brown took many of the plaudits from those who are not quite as appreciative of the nuances of effective midfield play as his all action combative style and marauding runs were more easily noticed. Keener students of the game tried to educate that Thomson was the better of the pair, with a more cultured game. Rangers won round one as Walter convinced Thomson to become one of his first signings as he rang the changes in Govan following the disastrous Le Guen experiment. Round two was given as a resounding victory to Celtic. Many in the media felt it was a knockout blow in the summer transfer duels. Brown was hailed as a "blue chip" signing along with other players such as Donati the former AC Milan player. So Thomson has had an extra half season to settle on the West coast. The Scottish press, and indeed some fans, were underwhelmed by his early contributions. A waste of �£2 million was the consensus. However towards the end of the season and most notably in the 2-0 Old Firm victory Thomson showed promise as Rangers dominated the mdifield contest. His ex partner in the youthful Hibs midfield then made to many the suprising choice of joining the green half of the city. Celtic fans and many journalists revelled in the bloody nose Celtic had dealt Rangers in securing his services. As Thomson said "It's Scot's decision, he'll have to live with it". Prophetic words as Thomson turned in a man-of-the-match performance scoring the only goal of the game after an incisive run and one-two with Darcheville put Rangers on course for victory at Ibrox on Saturday. Whilst in the early part of the season Brown's uninspiring performances had him bizarrely singled out as the best midfielder plying his trade in the SPL, murmurings of discontent about Thomson continued from the stands and on the back pages. It was only really once Thomson was kept out of the side through injury that those with an active interest in Scottish football and particularly Rangers fans appreciated what he brought to the team. Tenacity, aggression, tough tackling and a great engine. Our midfield looks a lot stronger with the young Scot in it. Conversely as the season drags on, the tide of opinion has turned on Scot Brown. A waste of �£4.5 million according to the disgruntled Celtic fans who watched in agony as he wasted several good chances as they succumbed to another crushing defeat to Smith's Rangers. Again failing to find the net. Yesterdays game could prove pivotal in the two player's Old Firm careers. As Thomson goes from strength to strength, Brown increasingly comes udner fire from those of the green and grey persuasion. As Thomson continues to grow into a true Rangers midfielder the fans demand more and more. And Thomson delivers. He has begun to step out of his captain's shadow. Fans now suggest he should be getting forward and providing some kind of goal threat. And what better time for a Rangers player to bag his first goal for the club than against Celtic. How he has yet to join his more illustrious team mate and club and national captain in the Scotland set up is beyond this fan. Before those from the east end cry bias at this peice let me be frank. Brown undoubtedly has the talent to be a top class midfielder. Not many Rangers fans can honestly say they did not want him at Ibrox. However the focus of this peice is to honestly assess the contributions of the two players many thought joined at the hip. Thomson did not move solely for the cash. He came to Ibrox to play beside and learn from the best Scottish player of the last decade, and maybe more, and under the guidance of possiblhy the most dominate coach in Glasgow. In an era in which Celtic have prided themsleves on the fine business conducted both on and off the field, you have to ask yourself how they allowed themselves to pay an inflated fee for Scot Brown when his more effective former team mate was signed for less than half the price and most likely wages. Ask yourself, would you be happier with Kevin Thomson at �£2million pounds or Scott Brown at �£4.5 million and �£25k a week. Yet again the wily Walter Smith appears to have gotten the upper hand on Celtic. And whilst it has taken most of the media the best part of 7 or 8 months to realise this, it is unlikely Smith was ever in any doubt about who was the more prodigious talent. Hopefully Thomson's first goal for the club in this powderkeg fixture will see his somewhat meteoric rise continue and identify himself as potential successor to the current Rangers captain. A role that many fans worried would be impossible to replace when Rangers number 6 hangs up his boots. Edit: Touched up the typos and a few errors to save Frankie a job before he posts it. Hope there's none left.

This is what we have pencilled in: 3rd April - Sporting H 6th April - Dundee Utd A 10th April - Sporting A 13th April - Partick A 16th April - Celtic A Who else do we need to play to make up our games in hand, I thought we had 2 more league matches to fit in?? Is it 33 games before the split and we have played 29?? Crikey - its going to get mad, we could still have another 2 UEFA games after Sporting then St Johnstone in the cup in the likely event we get past Partick. Then 5 more games in the SPL between Mid april and mid may - its nuts!!!

I know the police don't want to allow another one of these after the Celtic Shame game of 99. However with us 6 points clear and a game in hand, is it possible we could win the league at Parkhead again. :devil:

http://www.gersnetonline.net/newsite/index.php?&xt_resultsId=51&Itemid=1&mosmsg=Thanks+for+your+vote%21 Thomson just from Davie Weir for me...

It just doesn't want to go away..... WS would be committing club suicide if we bought him again.

http://www.dailymotion.com/buba3d/video/8210759 here you go http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.myvideos

Pos---Name------P-----W------D---L----F----A----GD-----PTS 1-----Rangers---29-----24-----2---3---70----21---49------74 2-----Celtic-----30-----21-----5---4---69----20---49------68 I would have bitten your hand off for this position at the start of the season.

Scottish Sun - Page 19 We'll see...

Apparently going to dress up as doctors , about our players pulling out the international teams Even though they had players that pulled out too Also wearing womans underwear on their head :fish: something to do with Charlie Boy's sister They really are a thoughtfull bunch aren't they :uzi:

Barry Ferguson should worry about his Scotland slot, warns Craig Brown Mar 27 2008 Scotland skipper Barry Ferguson has been warned his days as an automatic pick are in danger by former boss Craig Brown. The Rangers midfielder missed George Burley's debut game as Scotland boss after withdrawing through injury. And with Stephen McManus standing in as skipper, and the Celtic duo of Scott Brown and Paul Hartley performing well in the Scotland midfield, Brown has warned the 30-year-old he may find his time as a first-choice player under threat. "I said before the match that, of the seven named call-off players, I don't think any more than two would be first-choice players anyway," he said "He will obviously have to consider the reintroduction of the captain Barry Ferguson, but of the others, I think they'll have to fight for their places. "The two central midfield players, Brown and Hartley, did very well, so even Barry might find it difficult to be an automatic selection." Stop talking out your arse Craig Brown!! We might have accepted your comments if there were better players than Paul Hartley or Scott Brown to select. Neither of these two played anything more than OK ,Gavin Rae looked more at home in the midfield i'd say.

Couldnt agree more with bits in bold. Those running the game are inept to do so. I mentioned this in a thread recently about re-vamping the scottish game. Its those who run it who need replaced as much as the league system. To play the Scotland match this week was madness anyway.

Croatia striker claims Gers interest Croatia striker Ivan Klasnic revealed after the draw with Scotland at Hampden Park that Rangers have made an approach to sign him. The 28-year-old came on as a substitue in the friendly on Wednesday night and could make a permanent return to Glasgow in the summer. Klansic has recovered after having to undergo a kidney transplant 11 months ago but so far German giants Werder Bremen have yet to offer him a new deal, meaning he can move for free this summer. Klasnic revealed former Rangers and Croatia striker Dado Prso has been advising him on life in Glasgow and that there has been interest from across the city from Celtic. He told the Evening Times: "I have had contact from a few big teams. Both of the Glasgow clubs, and Rangers have been very keen. "Of course I know all about the club after Rangers played Bremen a few weeks ago in the Uefa Cup, although I didn't play in those games because I was injured. "Dado has spoken to me many times about Rangers and I know what a fantastic club it is - he has been here with us this week at the hotel and you can see how much he loves Scotland. "It's a great club with an excellent stadium and amazing fans. "I will see what happens with my future, as there has also been contact with me from German clubs. "Bremen have said they will talk to me about my future and a new contract, but there has been nothing so far." - Was a fine player a couple of years back but not really sure how his whole injury worries have effected him (interestingly, he underwent 2 kidney transplants, one from each parent). But if he can get back to the form he was in a while back, especially when he's available for free, I'd take him in a second.

DUP MP Gregory Campbell has tabled a parliamentary motion calling for the life of Northern Ireland footballer Sam English to be commemorated. English from Aghadowey, near Coleraine, was one of the up and coming stars of Scottish football when he moved to Rangers in the 1930s. He had marked his arrival at the club with a blistering run of goals. He would go on to set the club record for the most goals scored in one season - a record that stands to this very day. Over at Celtic, John Thompson was making a name for himself. At 22, he was already a star goalkeeper. He had been signed at just 17 years of age, and he was, in the words of football historian Robert McElroy, "graceful, athletic, very brave and courageous". The two men faced each other on the pitch on 5 September 1931 in a match which would end in tragic circumstances. Home turf for Sam English - Celtic travelled to Ibrox for a derby that was as hotly contested then as it is today. Disaster struck just five minutes into the second half. The two men met outside Thompson's goal for what everyone agrees was a 50-50 challenge. "I have seen the grainy black and white film of the incident, which shows a loose ball with the two players going for it," Mr McElroy said. "It's actually John Thompson's forward motion in diving towards the ball that his head struck Sam English's knee". John Thompson was rushed to the Victoria Infirmary in Glasgow, where he died later that day. Celtic's manager at the time, Willie Maley, mourned his young star, writing after his death: "Never was there a keeper who caught and held the fastest shots with such grace and ease. "In all he did there was the balance and beauty of movement wonderful to watch. Among the great Celts who have passed over, he has an honoured place." For Sam English though, things were never the same again. Although he put 44 goals into the net for Rangers that season, he was taunted and jeered by away crowds everywhere he went. An official enquiry cleared him of any blame for John Thompson's death, but still the jeering went on. At the end of 1933, he left Rangers and headed south to Liverpool, where the taunts followed him. He gave up professional football aged 28. But some are determined that 100 years after his birth, he should be remembered for his achievements on the pitch, and not for a brilliant career cut short by tragedy. Mr Campbell, a life-time Rangers fan, has tabled a parliamentary motion calling for the life of Sam English to be commemorated. "He is a person of whom I would have thought people should be proud and his memory should be cherished," he said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7313835.stm