Ally Ally show us your a@s@ !

[SteveC 150]

Thought this worth sharing from FF:

 

"Lifted this from another forum, some things we didn't know about players, training etc!! Training seems like a hoot!

 

http://www.hat-trick.fr/sebastien-fa...st-jimmy-bell/

 

 

 

 

 

You’ve been here for two years now. What does “Rangers” mean to you?

 

 

 

(After a long time spent thinking) Well it’s easy to say this and a bit of a cliché, but it’s a religion. There’s football here which is one thing, but then there’s Rangers, the fans, and everyone else associated with the club, it’s amazing…even after the club was relegated to Division 4, people kept their jobs at Ibrox or at Murray Park. And they are just so proud to work here, and they so proud to say “I work for Rangers”.

 

 

 

When you are a professional player, you tend to move from club to club, it’s part of the job. It’s not easy to really absorb the culture and ethos of a club, apart from those who stay for years and years and really become ingrained in the fabric of the club, like Lee McCulloch. Sometimes, the supporters shout at you or get angry. But you can’t let it get to you, you can only do your talking on the pitch. They’ve had so much good football over the years that I think they sort of have a right to be angered, to be honest.

 

In any case, playing at Ibrox is far from easy. There’s so much pressure. You can be winning 2-0, but if you misplace just one pass you’ll be whistled. I mean I heard a few boos at the Gerland (Lyon stadium), but never like the one’s you get here sometimes! (laughs)

 

 

 

Did it take you long to learn what it meant to play for a club like Rangers? What did you expect when you came over?

 

 

 

No, I didn’t expect it to be honest. I knew Rangers were a massive club, but I didn’t know how they were perceived by the other Scottish clubs. The Glasgow clubs really are hated by the other Scottish clubs. It’s incredible!

 

 

 

 

 

What’s more, you have to understand that I was a but unsure about coming over here in the first place. I said to my agent: “You’re kind, but I’m not sure if I want to be dropping down to play in Division 4 in France” and he said “It’s Division 4 in Scotland”. He said: “Seb, please, just go over for a few days, check out the facilities and the stadium, you’ll soon change your mind.” On the first day of my trial I trained with the reserves, and it went well. That night, I went to see the first team play in the League Cup again East Fife. It was a Tuesday night, we won 4-0 and almost 40, 000 fans were there. It was…mad, just mad.

 

I called up my agent and said: “If you can sort it out for me, I really want to stay here!”

 

 

 

 

 

Everything you do and say is reported on and scrutinised at a club like Rangers. Has the press had an influence on the atmosphere at the club?

 

 

 

 

 

First of all you need to understand that the press and its reporters here are a million times worse than in France! I’m sure I’ve seen the word “crisis” used to describe our club just about every day of the year, even when we win. Taking this into consideration, I do think that it’s had an influence. I must say, not on me personally. To be very honest, I don’t read the papers, apart from when they discuss politics or cover stories from France. But at the level of the club more generally, they have definitely had an influence.

 

 

 

Ten days ago, an old team mate of McCoist’s, John Brown, said to the Sun: “You are a disgrace!” The coach brought us the article and he had an argument with Kenny Miller. After we got beaten by Hearts, apparently Miller had called up a journalist wanting to speak to him to tell him the manager had made some bad decisions, although it turned out that he hadn’t. McCoist got so angry: he threw the paper, he stamped on it, he was shouting and screaming! It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him like that.

 

 

 

Blacky brings the Sun in every morning, and we read it. McCoist reads all the papers every morning in his office at Murray Park, which by the way is enormous (laughs). I think that its mainly at the level of the club staff that the papers have an impact.

 

 

 

 

 

In your eyes, who represents the soul of the club?

 

 

 

Jimmy Bell the kitman. He’s been here since 1972, I think. It’s amazing that he was taking care of McCoist and Durrant when they were players, and now its them who are in charge. It’s an amazing story and an amazing history, one which you wouldn’t get at many clubs at all.

 

 

 

Jimmy’s got his own room in Ibrox where he displays all the Rangers kits and all the Rangers photos that he’s collected over 40 years. In his office at Murray Park, there’s a room, which we are forbidden from entering (laughs), which has all of his souvenirs, his trophies…it’s his very own museum!

 

 

 

When it looked like they might be re-possessing Ibrox, he had to pack up all his stuff because he was scared that it would be taken off him. He is really the soul of the club, its him, its Jimmy. He’s a great guy, even if he’s always sulking. You need to get to know him…I remember when I arrived on trial, I didn’t speak English. “You don’t speak English, ****ing French!?” he said (laughs). But I mean really nasty to me! But nowadays, along with Bilel, he tells us loads of stories, loads of jokes. He’s really a top guy, he’s golden.

 

 

 

 

 

I’m trying to help our readers understand the complete devotion that Rangers inspires in people. To give us more of an insight, is it true that one of the players has got the logo of the club tattooed on his calf?

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah its Danny Stoney! He’s a good lad who we’ve loaned out to Stranraer. He’s got a tattoo that’s blue, with red around it, and five golden stars in the middle. It’s amazing, simply amazing. When I was at Lyon, even though I was also a Lyon fan, I would never have got a Lyon tattoo. It would never have crossed my mind! It’s just a different type of relationship to the club here.

 

At Lyon, if I’d have got a club tattoo while I was at the academy I’d have had the piss taken out of me! “Suck up!” they’d have said. Here, it is praised! But by contrast, at Lyon if you change your hairstyle or your clothes, people will talk about it. Here, no one cares! The outfits people wear here, and I’m talking about the players, are just….Take Lee Wallace for example, I’ve never seen him wearing jeans (laughs)! At Lyon, you dress well to be stylish or whatever, but here, not at all.

[SteveC 150]

part 2:

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are rumours that Ian Black also has a Rangers tattoo, is that true?

 

 

 

 

 

No, Blacky’s got a Scotland flag. But that’s the same. I’ve never seen anyone, let alone a footballer, with a French flag tattooed on them. But to me, it’s really great.

 

 

 

 

 

Anthony Andreu (Hamilton player) told me that he really appreciated the Scottish patriotism, but that it didn’t mean you couldn’t be interested in other cultures too.

 

 

 

You’ve always got to remain patriotic, but by the same token you’ve always got to keep open to other influences. It’s exactly that. I’m a patriot, I’m proud of being French, but I still accept others, whatever their nationality or colour. And I’m not just saying this for the sake of it: I’m getting married this summer to my childhood sweetheart and she’s black (laughs)!

 

 

 

Earlier you were asking me if Glasgow was divided because of Rangers and Celtic, and it made me think how the city was during the referendum. Glasgow voted Yes as it happened, but it made me laugh because it was at that time that you realised some people just don’t have any ideas of their own. You’re a member of staff at Rangers? Well you must vote No then.

 

 

 

I’m certain that some of the guys must have voted Yes though. In fact Richard Foster got involved in arguments with just about everyone at the club because he refused to hide that he was voting Yes. It was mad really (laughs)!

 

 

 

 

 

Returning to Rangers, I’ve been told that the club gives you an enormous amount of freedom in terms of fitness and diet. It must make a change from the incredibly rigorous regime you were used to at Lyon?

 

 

 

 

 

To be honest, I don’t mind it too much! No, in all seriousness, you are right. At lunch after training every day, you’ve got all the sauces you want: mayo, barbeque, whatever. They aren’t going to be policing what you eat here. And what’s more, it’s a buffet! As long as you’re playing well and you’re not eating excessive amounts of unhealthy foods, then you can eat what you like. You can even get second helpings.

 

 

 

I know for me, who has a metabolism that’s prone to putting on weight pretty easily, I really watch what I eat and restrict myself, and I feel really fit at the minute, much sharper. But that’s because I am careful and look after myself. If a French coach came over here they would go absolutely mental at what the players eat (laughs)! At Lyon, we were really restricted, and the coaches watched what you put on your plate, monitoring to see if you hadn’t put even just the slightest bit too much. It’s too strict sometimes, even in the youth teams. And its then that you’re more likely to get frustrated, just because you’re banned from so many things.

 

 

 

I remember at Lyon, with (Claude) Puel and (Remi) Garde (coaches), you couldn’t even approach them to talk to them. Here, on the first day of my trial, McCoist spoke to me in French and said “See you tomorrow my pal!”. I said to myself, “What’s going on! This is Ally McCoist, not just anyone! And he’s talking to me!” Puel and Garde would never come and eat with you, but here, McCoist showers with us (laughs)!

 

 

 

 

 

Not to mention that he finished a training session by putting himself on the goal line, pulling down his shorts, and making you all hit shots at him because he missed a one on one in the training game…

 

 

 

 

 

(Laughs) Me and Bilel fell on the floor with laughter. It was insane. The manager who shows his arse to the whole team is one who really is one of the boys. If the coaches want to work you hard, they do, and the laughter is over. But if you do your job well all year round, then they will basically never shout at you.

 

 

 

In the changing room before the games, there’s laughter and chat, we have a coffee. At half-time, me and Bilel are sometimes amazed because they drink tea! Blacky is the worst for it. He takes tea and some biscuits at half-time (laughs). It’s much different in France, there’s no comparison.

 

 

 

 

 

Attendances at Ibrox have been down this year because of the conflict between fans and the board. Since relegation, lots of fans have been saying that the atmosphere is like a “library”, as the Hearts fans were singing the other day. What are your thoughts on this?

 

 

 

 

 

Well first off, I love the Hearts stadium. Really close to the pitch, lots of echo, great atmosphere. It’s great. Saying that, we don’t have the Union bears anymore. We really miss them.

 

 

 

Sometimes, the atmosphere is a little quiet, but at away games, especially the friendlies against Bristol City and Sheffield Wednesday, it was absolutely incredible. The guys were singing the whole game, and if we could have that at Ibrox, it would be superb.

 

 

 

Otherwise, the best game in terms of atmosphere was the game when we were in Division 3 against Motherwell in the League Cup. There were probably only about 27, 29 thousand fans there. It was a Tuesday night and we won 2-0, we played really well. Motherwell have made a brilliant start to the season and our fans urged us on all the way, for ever move, and every press. There was a real electricity about the ground. The Union Bears did a display at the end of the game, which said “good-bye” to the Motherwell fans in each different language, it was hilarious (laughs)!

 

 

 

There was also the last game of the season in Division 3 against Berwick. Record attendance of 51 thousand fan. When we ran out, the whole stadium was waving the Union Jack. The match was rubbish, but the atmosphere was simply fabulous. When I ran out onto the pitch I had goosebumps, really, it was just amazing.

 

 

 

In the tunnel, Simply the Best sounded a million times louder than usual. After the music had stopped, the fans continued singing it a cappella. The first few passes of the game, wow!! Amazing, amazing. And the party afterwards with the fans was brilliant, great memories.

 

 

 

 

 

What do you make of Boxing Day and the Boxing Day week in general?

 

 

 

For me, it’s all about the week. My parents, my gradparents,and my brother all came for the week during my first season over here. There was ten of them, so I had to get them an apartment in Glasgow. I remember my gran was roasting a turkey when I got up to go to training (laughs). Seriously, it was really weird for me.

 

 

 

In fact, we were due to meet at 9am instead of 10.30am. No one wanted to come to training on that day, but it’s our job. We all arrived at 9am. We had played 4 days previously again Elgin. We did a warm up, piggy-in- middle for 10 minutes, and then that’s us, everyone back home. I got back at 10am!

 

 

 

Do you have a specific fitness programme that you follow during the Christmas period?

 

 

 

It’s a personal one. If you want to do fitness, you do fitness. Otherwise, we don’t. At Rangers, the set-up isn’t like Real Madrid. We have a masseur, two physios. You don’t have five masseurs, five phsyios, five fitness coaches!

 

 

 

To finish off, how do you view your future, knowing that you’ve hardly played this season and your contract is up at the season’s end?

 

It seems like it might be complicated to stay at Ibrox. I’d love to play in the Championship in England, so I’m looking out for opportunities down there. The thing is, I’ve not played badly over the past two seasons. I’ve not had my chance this season, even when the team has been playing poorly. I don’t complain, I get my head down, I play with the youth team and I keep training as hard as I can. This winter, we will see, but because I’m out of contract in the summer the club can’t loan me out.

 

There’s also the Old Firm game on the 1st February. To be honest, it would really piss me off if I wasn’t here for that. I’ve always said that I would at least like to experience it. Playing in it would be an absolute dream: even just being there to experience it would be amazing. Everyone’s been waiting for this for three years. It would be crazy."

 

***

 

Some interesting stuff in there - frightening re Ally as a laugh in training and diet-wise but then we knew that.

[jhunter 0]

just proves what we already knew

 

the training at Rangers is a farce run by total numptys

 

850K a year plus bonus - disgusting.

[TheWee BlueDevil 0]

It's like a Carry On Rangers movie (without Barbara Winsdor of course).

 

Real eye opener.

 

Professionalism???????????????

[pmu 0]

If that's for real then it looks like the start of the dressing room spilling it's guts. About time...

[pmu 0]

It's like a Carry On Rangers movie (without Barbara Windsor of course

 

Real eye opener.

 

Professionalism???????????????

Not so sure . There's more than one pair of oversized tits involved...

Edited December 31, 2014 by pmu

[Bearman 9]

It's like a Carry On Rangers movie (without Barbara Winsdor of course).

 

Real eye opener.

 

Professionalism???????????????

 

You need to lie down...and at pace mate.

[Juancornetto 1]

I wouldn't expect it to be like North Korea but I also would expect a level of professionalism and clear boundaries between players, staff and coaches. No wonder European clubs laugh at us.

[The Real PapaBear 0]

I wouldn't expect it to be like North Korea but I also would expect a level of professionalism and clear boundaries between players, staff and coaches. No wonder European clubs laugh at us.

 

completely. That kind of behaviour may be ok for the assistant manager, but never for the boss. There always has to be a level of separation between the leader and those being lead.

jesus wept - can you imagine Ferguson or Mourinho showing their arses to their players??

[der Berliner 3,744]

completely. That kind of behaviour may be ok for the assistant manager, but never for the boss. There always has to be a level of separation between the leader and those being lead.

jesus wept - can you imagine Ferguson or Mourinho showing their arses to their players??

 

Apart from no-one reall want to see those, manager-quality-wise we are as far away from those two as we were from the Champions' League while playing in SFL 3 (and some may say now).

 

Looks like Seb has his head screwed right in. You'd hope that he'll get his chance at CD with a new manager ... and soon.