Light Blues Fanszene

Light Blues Fanszene

Seasons in the sun pt1
Written by Armanithin
Tuesday, 21 April 2009

A welcome break from the Scottish weather for the ArmaniThin clan meant that my choice of destination allowed my voluntary abstinence of Scottish sports “news” to be very limited, and the only news filtering through was txt updates of Rangers scores. A wise choice it would seem as… plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose.

The first piece of news that I noted was the “TrannyArmyGate” episode of our club captain and current keeper. I don’t intend commenting on the rights and wrongs of their punishment from both the laughable pygmies of the Scottish football authorities, or the naïve nice but dim punishment meted out by our club.

Those will have been more than covered on the boards and commented on all over the please. I was lucky to have been out the country when the whole affair unravelled, and had the benefit of a fresh perspective when presented with the whole sorry affair. The first thing that struck me was that the behaviour of our club captain and our keeper, who lets remember were representing our club was naïve and totally ill-judged.

They will have to live with the sherricking of this incident for the rest of their careers as the Scottish press salivate themselves into yet another of their anti Rangers crusades, point scoring, kidding on that their comments are fair and representative and defendable behind their collective badges of thinly disguised impartiality (my arse) Fair enough, the captain and the keeper have opened the gates to this wholly predictable venomous onslaught.

What concerns me is not the predictably disproportionate reaction of the anti Rangers press in Scotland. Nor is the over the top reaction from the various Rangers haters in the Scotland support, that shouldn’t be a surprise to any real bear. What really worries me is the reaction of both the club AND of some of the Rangers support. Firstly the club.

Now, in a level playing field, where there is respect for the members clubs, no agenda and playing for your country is recognised as an honour by both the club AND the entire country, then the clubs actions in my opinion were correct. But, as the saying goes, if my aunty had spheres she’d be my uncle. The glee that nearly every single newspaper and supporters representative has shown over this gives an insight into the dam of ill-will that was waiting to be unleashed on these Rangers players.

The naïve reaction of the club, based on an honourable premise, gave predictable carte blanche to all sorts of attacks, innuendo and vilification. Let’s look at this hugely over hyped one trick pony of a National manager and his behaviour. (The one trick being that his ONLY claim to managerial fame was having Hearts top of the league after a dozen or so games…. no more no less)

He asks the top scorer in the league (Boyd) who at the time had scored more goals combined than the nearest 3 on the goal-scoring chart to sit on the bench when he was clearly the striker in form. Needing to score a goal in a vital World Cup qualifier, (and lets remember here, that for all Kris Boyd’s faults SCORING GOALS is what he does!) this manager then puts on a replacement who frankly no-one had even heard of rather than play Boyd. Proof positive that he had lost the place a wee bit.

Not content with that, he decides in an act of utterly spineless management, to address Kris Boyd’s hissy fit by making as much mileage as possible out of the incident and abusing his position of power. Not having the guts or moral fibre to call up Boyd, have a private discussion, tell the media he was drawing a line under the incident and moving on like all good managers have done in the past and will do in the future, this rather bumbling underachiever decides to use the full glare of the media to publicly insult Boyd to make himself look good.

He did nothing but prove himself to be the arse we always suspected he was. Remember also, this manager was the same person who decides to select the then Rangers right back Kirk Broadfoot, and then proceeds to tell the assembled and sniggering press that Broadfoot is a “player of limited ability". Can you imagine the Bheasts if he had said that about the lumbering and big mouther Herman Munster look-alike Caldwell? Nah, me neither (more about Herman later).

And what of Lee McCulloch? Sure many Rangers fans see him as an underachiever recently, but he took a decision to quit the National team to try and concentrate his efforts playing for his club, the people who pay his wages. Outcome? Burley claims he knew nothing but still doesn’t back the player or respect his decision. Rangers his club a co-incidence? Unlikely but it doesn’t help Burley.

The whole incident has left me rather deflated from a Rangers perspective. Arguably Ferguson has been pretty poor for all of the season. Arguable McGregor has been culpable for some vital goals, but let’s not get away from two absolute facts here. Firstly, Ferguson in particular, who has played through the pain barrier on many occasions for his country, is booed and subjected to the vilest of taunts up and down the country for YEARS!

Before this even happened, he was vilified because he was the captain of Rangers. The most successful club in Scottish football history. There are few outposts in this scabby parochial land where that doesn’t stick in the craw of the puddle jumpers of the tranny army. Also, remember the press attacks and blatant intrusion on McGregor’s personal life? I am still convinced that if Rangers were run by anyone with any guts they could have got the lawyers involved and shut these stories down.

They didn’t, and as usual, the club’s moral cowardice resulted in a Ranger being the subject of some of the most invasive press attention from the gutter rags. Secondly and most importantly in my opinion is this. Ferguson and McGregor may have acted like stupid immature weans, they may have deserved further punishment, but lets be clear here.

They may be a couple of fannies, but they are OUR couple of fannies and it is our duty, where possible to protect fellow Rangers. Lets not allow an anti Rangers agenda and a lemming like tendency in areas of our support allow OUR players to be hung out to dry. WE decide what happens to them internally and WE fight like tigers with sore heads anyone who tries to damage us, our club or the players themselves.

VGB

Fan's fury after UEFA Cup riot cops mistake him for hooligan in dawn raid

A RANGERS fan has slammed cops who arrested him in a dawn raid after he was wrongly identified as a UEFA Cup rioter.

Police swooped on Paul Miller's home at 5am at a time when his wife Deborah was in hospital after being diagnosed with leukaemia.

He was taken from his home to Manchester where he was grilled for more than an hour about his movements during last May's final.

The scaffolder admitted bearing a close resemblance to a man in CCTV footage of the violence which followed the Ibrox side's 2-0 defeat to Zenit St Petersburg.

But he was at the City of Manchester Stadium while the suspect was running riot in the city centre.

Police arrested Paul more than a month ago at his home in Dalkeith, Midlothian after a tip-off that he had been involved in the violence.

His son, daughter and nine-month-old grand-daughter were sleeping when the cops swooped.

Paul, 42, was finally told this week no further action was being taken after he sent police photos of himself inside the security cordon at the ground on May 14.

But yesterday he demanded an apology and said he would be consulting a lawyer about his ordeal.

He said: "After them dragging me down to Manchester and putting me through all this, it would be nice if they at least said sorry.

"Deborah was only diagnosed with leukaemia 10 weeks ago, so it couldn't have happened at a worse time. I have been off work and struggling to cope.

“I just wonder what would have happened if I had not had my photographs or match ticket.

"I will consult a lawyer to see if I have any grounds for an action."

Paul went to last May's match with Deborah and they stayed in Blackpool.

He managed to avoid the post-match violence after a workmate phoned him and urged him to steer clear of the city centre.

Paul ended up forking out £160 for a taxi back to Blackpool.

He said: "We saw a lot of fans running about but we never actually witnessed any real violence."

But drinking pals and colleagues joked about him looking like a man whose picture later appeared in the gallery of rioting captured on CCTV images published in newspapers and online.

Manchester and Lothian and Borders police, acting on a tip-off, came to his door on March 18.

Around 10 burst in when he opened the door. He was cautioned and driven south.

At a Manchester police station Paul was grilled and shown a video of the man he was mistaken for.

But while the suspect was seen running wild between 9.20 and 10.40pn, Paul and Deborah did not leave the stadium until 10 o'clock.

And his clothes were different from the troublemakers.

Police kept two mobile phones seized from Paul's house and his match tickets but he sensed they believed his story by the time he was released at 7.45pm.

The following day he sent police pictures of himself at the stadium on the night to back up his account.

But he was kept hanging on for five weeks before police finally confirmed he was in the clear.

Paul said: "I have breaches of the peace going back more than a dozen years but I am no football hooligan."

He added: "This whole thing has been totally stressful. Despite the result of the match, I had a brilliant day in Manchester but it has been blighted by all this nonsense."

Manchester Police said: "It is unfortunate this man looked similar to one of the images but as soon as his account was verified, his bail was cancelled and no further action will be taken against him.

"Greater Manchester Police has not received any complaint about this arrest."

DR

Scotsman revisionism
Written by OpportunityKnox

There are many occasions in recent years that the media have pressed my anger button with some inaccurate coverage of The Rangers, some spineless attacks on the club or the support, or some shameless revisionism with regards to our club.

Many bears will remember the Sanjeev Kohi interview in the Sunday Herald, when the irksome bit-part actor and slum landlord made an astonishing claim that he switched allegiances from Rangers to the green’n’grey after a number of unsubstantiated incidents involving the Rangers support, with at least one complete lie. The lie, as I’m sure you all know, was that Rangers fans racially abused our own hero, Mark Walters.

Of all the lies fabricated about our support over the years, this was probably the most far fetched, and possibly the most vile of the lot. Kohi stated "Mark Walters arrived at Ibrox and was showered with exotic fruit by his own team's supporters....".

The lie was repeated 4 years later in the Evening Times in another interview with Kholi, with the quote being "(Kohi) watched as Rangers fans threw exotic fruit' at their own player, Mark Walters.". Even more astonishing, was that Kohi’s revisionism was in reference to a Rangers versus Tottenham friendly, at Ibrox, 18 months after Walters signed for Rangers.

The lie was further compounded when his brother Hardeep made a similar claim some years later in the Scotsman, only to be ridiculed by the Rangers supporters populating it’s comments feature.

http://news.scotsman.com/tackl…-day-for-Scots.3628273.jp

http://news.scotsman.com/harde…ishing-my-girl.3667616.jp

The fact that neither of the Jesuit educated slum landlords could substantiate their claims, seemed not to matter a jot to the Sunday Herald, or, indeed, the Scotsman or Evening Times who have both since repeated the lie. I’m sure many of the Rangers support of the time still have raw memories of Walters’ debut at the Stydome, where hundreds of bananas were thrown at Walters by Celtic fans both before the match, and at half time, in an apparently co-ordinated attack on a man due to his skin colour.

With some of the scum dressed in monkey suits, and many sporting inflatable bananas it really was one of the low points in Scottish football, alongside Celtic’s shameful 20 year cover up over Jim Torbett, and 60,000 Scotland fans in the early 80’s chanting “Sambo Sambo” at the black England players strutting their stuff at Hampden. Rarely have I been stunned by the antics of the Celtic support, no matter how low they go, but this was a new low, even for them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWYpmF1j288

Media representation of this was low key, to say the least, and the radically different approach of the media, when Walters had to endure another torrid day of shameful racism from the Hearts support a fortnight later was an eye opener to the mechanics of the Scottish Media. While the media was rightly on the attack over the events at Tynecastle, it only served to show how quiet they had been on the matter at Parkhead, when the racism on show was on far larger scale.

Possibly the media are under the illusion that we, as a support, would somehow become immune to this agenda of fabrication and revisionism, and allow them to carry on.

Wrong.

We here at Vanguard will counter any lies about the club or the support in the most public manner we can, which brings me to the latest piece of revisionism published about the Old Firm. Last week, the Scotsman ran an article on the events of April 30th 1994, when the Thugs purporting to support Celtic Football club were banned from Ibrox Stadium for the Old Firm game.

The article was quite clearly typed by a journalist looking through green tinted lenses, and, for the most part, is truthful, while plainly being written from a green’n’grey perspective. As happens from time to time though, the septic minded writer just couldn’t help embellishing his or her fawning article with two ridiculous lies in the one sentence:

“The inevitability some – thought to number in the region of 150 – would go "undercover" to gain entry to a game from which they had been barred threatened to make Rangers chairman David Murray's stand against the "wanton vandalism" of destroyed seats in the away end at the previous Ibrox derby give way to other violence. In the end, that was restricted to coins being pelted at several police as they led Celtic fans round the track after the fans had outed themselves at their team's goal.”

http://sport.scotsman.com/foot…silence-Celtic.5206510.jp

Now, I was at this match, as I’m sure many fans on this site were, and I can categorically state that there was absolutely no evidence of there being anywhere close to 150 Celtic fans undercover in the stadium. Such is my obsessive nature towards the game, I am one of those individuals who does not partake of copious amounts of alcohol before a match, as I like to remember every little detail.

With that in mind, I recall that there was one supporter in the main stand who was ejected from the stadium after Collins goal; but the rest of the ground was sitting in eerie silence. Many supporters found themselves looking around the ground (and trying not to look at Collins and his team mates celebrating), and all that could be seen was the usual mixed reaction to a Celtic goal at Ibrox; anger from some, disbelief from others, heads in hands, and various other methods of negative body language.

If there were another 149 Celtic Supporters in the ground, then they did a remarkably good job of hiding their emotions, which is just tad too far fetched. More likely, is that Mr/Ms unnamed journalist has simply raided his or her warped imagination for this, in some misguided attempt to throw some balance in to the event, while implying that some of the Hooped Horrors would go to any length to watch their team, and be successful at doing so.

Let’s put this in to context for the time. Celtic in 1994 were getting crowds of 12,000 for home league matches. With such a “loyal” support, what credibility does this claim have? I’d proffer that it would be very little.
At no stage in the match (and most certainly after the goal) were any “undercover” supporters outed and walked around the track by the Police; meaning that the second statement is also a lie, as Policemen and Celtic supporters were not pelted with coins.

Quite why the journalist felt inclined to fabricate this lie is anyone’s guess. Possibly because he, or she, knew that the article would be published without their name being put to it, and without question from the Editors. Don’t get me wrong, this latest incident is not the first incidence of revisionism over the Old Firm since the Slum Landlord’s interview, but it’s a good example, and serves as a reminder to all Rangers fans across the globe that we collectively have to counter these lies, and I’d expect you join me in writing to the Scotsman to ask that they substantiate their claims, and offer an apology when this cannot be done.

The Editor is Glaswegian John McLellan.

Fill Yer Boots
VGB

Paying Dearly For Our Dignified Silence
By LITTLE BOY BLUE

Didn't you just know it would all come down to do this?

As soon as we got to the nitty-gritty bit of the season, with the Gers and Celtic running neck and neck for the SPL title, there was sure to be no lack of controversy, referees' performances would be under the microscope and it will surprise nobody on here that it is the Rangers who suffer. The 69th minute goalmouth melee at Easter Road, with the linesman and referee waving play-on when the ball was across the goal-line, is symptomatic of what our team has been up against for some considerable time.

Anybody who couldn't see it coming obviously hasn't been paying too much attention lately.

On our bus to Edinburgh, the chief topic of conversation was the ref's lack of action against Loevens when he went in late on Maurice Edu at the weekend. The fact that the same thug later had a sneaky off-the-ball dig at Pedro Mendes which went unpunished, leaving him free to play and score against Dundee Hibernian on Tuesday, merely underlines the point. And of course McDonald then had a bad foul on Wilkie disregarded by the ref in that game, leaving us all to wonder where it would end.

Knowing Eddie Smith was in charge of the Hibs game, I voiced the opinion that things were likely to get worse before they'd get better and I wasn't wrong, was I? Martin Cryans was in a perfect position to see the ball cross the line and, as I understand it, was initially about to sprint back to the halfway line when he had second thoughts. That the Hibs player did well to hook the ball out so quickly probably put a slight doubt in his mind but surely match officials need to be assertive and confident in getting it right at the first time of asking. Would he have been so indecisive if it had been Celtic and their double-glazing trashing fans who claimed a goal?

That is where Scottish football is at this moment in time. While Liewell is constantly haranguing the legislators, the Great Unwashed do what they do best, making sure that Celtic get the benefit of every doubt both on and off the pitch.

Yes, I know we didn't start to play at Easter Road until we went a goal down, I know the manager was far too negative in his thinking, I know we've not shown anything like the true qualities which win titles. But neither have our rivals. Unlike us, they have a safety parachute to call into play and, having worked a treat last season, they have every confidence of finishing on top again this time around, whether by fair means or foul. Even if our men had gone about Wednesday's game in the proper manner (and Walter had picked the right team), there is every likelihood that another controversial call would have us growling all the way towards the weekend.

C'mon guys, the game is all about scoring goals, it is what the players are trained to do and, when they do it, it is not unreasonable to expect that they reap the benefits. But without putting too much stress on my fading memory, I can instantly refer to three crucial incidents (Beasley at Pittodrie, Boyd at Motherwell and this week's incident) in which Rangers were robbed of vital goals, decisions which have cost us six crucial points which would have us needing just a draw this weekend to wrap up the flag.

The less said the better about the five points we threw away against Hearts and Caley Thistle in March and I've always had a sneaking fear we might regret downing tools when 5-0 up at half-time against the Inverness lot last November. Come to think about it, didn't Boydie have a perfectly good goal disallowed that day too? I've not even touched on the decisions which have gone in Septic's favour but can you picture the outcry if they were on the receiving end of such shocking incompetence?

And therein lies the reason why we are again playing catch up when we should be in the driving seat, possibly even having the thing done and dusted already.

Nobody at Ibrox is prepared to face up to those who are consistently sticking the boot into Rangers. Whether it be SPL match delegates with a selective hearing disorder, discredited journalists who have long since abandoned the hidden agenda for a full-frontal assault on our club, the incompetent and corrupt clowns who pass for referees in this country, or opposing players, managers and directors with nothing but contempt for their opposite numbers at Ibrox, they all know they can do their worst without any fear of being held to account by anyone within the Rangers hierarchy.

That is what you get when you roll over meekly over the singing of the Billy Boys, it is what you get when you allow Celtic to grab the moral high ground in the sectarianism debate, clearing the way for their OTT response to the Famine Song, it is what you get when you say nothing in response to the cancellation of an Old Firm game in bogus circumstances, it is what you get when you allow a one-man integrity committee to take control of end-of-season fixture congestion on the pretext that his team is committed to a non-existent tour and it is what you get when disreputable politicians, both local and national, can demonize our great club without fear of reproach.

I'm still hoping we can come out of all this at the top of the heap but anything we achieve will undoubtedly be against the odds. Sure, scoring a few against a piss poor Aberdeen team should be well within our capabilities on Saturday but I just can't imagine the Hibs fans cheering as loudly if their lot manage to get a result on Sunday. And as I expect the Jambos to wrap up third place at the weekend, it wouldn't surprise me to see them putting out a patchwork side on the last day of the season, while Levein will no doubt remind his Arabs of their defeat in last season's League Cup Final, making sure they bite and scratch for everything against us. The circumstances of their exit from the same competition at the semi-final stage (and Septic's swoop for the player who missed the crucial penalty) have long since been forgotten.

Of course, looking for favours from anyone is not the Rangers way. It never has been and it never should be. Motivation to see the Premier League Championship trophy draped in red, white and blue ribbons should be more than enough to see to it that our players approach their remaining games with the proper outlook. If it isn't, they should be looking for a new line of work but they, like me, will surely be wondering if playing well and winning both games fairly will be enough.

Not so very long ago, the Rangers Supporters Trust issued their 'we deserve better' statement and only those who are happy to see our club in decline, gloating over things in their republican slop houses or sneering at our disenfranchised support via newspaper columns or radio rants, can argue with those sentiments. Sadly, while our club is managed at every level by a Hear-no-evil, See-no-evil, Speak-no-evil regime, I have to ask: What chance have we got? When seeing the ball cross the goal-line is not enough to merit a goal, the response has to be: Not a lot!

The Rangers F.C. is not in safe hands.

FF

'Famine Song' conviction appeal

A Rangers fan, who was convicted of breach of the peace after singing part of the 'Famine Song' at an away game, has appealed against his conviction.

William Walls, 20, was found guilty of the offence, aggravated by religious and racial prejudice, at Kilmarnock District Court in December last year.

He was put on probation for 18 months and given a football banning order.

The song refers to a famine which killed an estimated one million people in Ireland during the 1840s.

Rangers FC has asked the team's fans not to sing it.

It includes the line, "The famine's over, why don't you go home?" which Mr Walls was seen to sing at the match.

Although he only sang that one line from the song, the police match commander told the original trial that fans who heard it would know the rest of the words.

'Nothing racial'

Mr Walls' defence counsel for the appeal, Donald Findlay QC, said his client had not committed a crime in singing the line.

"There is nothing at all that could in any way be said to be racist or racially motivated about those words," he said.

In her report to the appeal judges, Sheriff Iona McDonald said Walls was clearly aware of the impact of the song. The song was clearly racist, she said, as it referred to people of Irish descent being told to return "home".

Mr Walls, from Cambuskenneth in Glasgow, was sentenced for singing the song and shouting sectarian remarks during a match at Kilmarnock's Rugby Park last November.

The appeal was heard at the Justiciary Appeal Court in Edinburgh on Friday. Appeal judges said they would give a ruling at a later date.

Mr Findlay said the views expressed in the song were political, rather than religious or racial.

"This is not about whether the political element is logical, rational or justified - that is neither here nor there," he said.

Referring to remarks made by Mr Walls which led to the charges, Mr Findlay said: "The reference to 'fenian' is not a religious remark. It is in fact a political observation.

"Its origin is entirely political and relates to the quest for a non-British, united Ireland."

Mr Findlay compared his client's actions to an English person singing a song to Scots about historic battles their country had lost to England.

"The individual would be perfectly entitled to express that view because it is a historical fact.

He added: "The people who over-reacted might be guilty of a breach of the peace, but not the person singing it."

BBC

Donald Findlay: Singing The Famine Song is free speech

May 16 2009 By Craig McDonald

TOP QC Donald Findlay claimed in court yesterday that a Rangers fan who sang The Famine Song was only guilty of using free speech.

And he insisted the chorus of the song was not racist.

Mr Findlay was acting for William Walls, 20, who was found guilty of singing sectarian songs and shouting racist and sectarian abuse during a Rangers game at Kilmarnock.

Walls is now challenging his conviction for racially and religiously aggravated breach of the peace.

And Mr Findlay, a former Rangers vice-chairman, told the appeal judges: "This is a country noted for its right to free speech."

The QC noted that, according to the sheriff who convicted his client, Walls had sung: "The famine's over, why don't you go home?"

And he said: "There is nothing at all that could in any way be said to be racist or racially motivated about those words."

Mr Findlay said no evidence was presented at Walls's trial that anyone else in the crowd had been upset by his singing.

He also insisted it was not a crime to say something that might offend others and gave the example of a group of protesters saying that migrant workers ought to return home.

Mr Findlay told the court: "It is, in my submission, an expression of political opinion.

"This is not about whether the political element is logical, rational or justified. That is neither here nor there."

Mr Findlay also noted that Scottish rugby fans at Murrayfield sang Flower of Scotland, a song including words which could be considered anti-English.

And he asked what the reaction would be in Scotland if an English nationalist sang a song celebrating his country's victory at the Battle of Flodden.

"The individual would be perfectly entitled to express that view because it is a historical fact," Mr Findlay argued.

"The people who overreacted might be guilty of a breach of the peace but not the person singing it."

As well as conducting other fans singing the chorus of The Famine Song, Walls repeatedly shouted, "Fenian b******s" and "F*** the Pope".

But Mr Findlay told the court: "The reference to 'Fenian' is not a religious remark. It is in fact a political observation.

"The origin of 'Fenian' is entirely political and relates to the quest for a non-British, united Ireland."

Mr Findlay described a football match as "an organised breach of the peace".

And he told the judges that, for many supporters, "an exchange of pleasantries in the form of abuse is part and parcel of going to the game".

The QC added: "In a free country, in a free society, subject always to the operation of the rules of law, we are entitled to express our opinion and to do it forcibly if we wish."

The Crown urged the judges to deny the appeal.

Prosecutor Alan Mackay argued that there had been sufficient evidence at Walls's trial to convict him of breach of the peace, with the racial and religious aggravations.

Walls, of Cambuskenneth, Glasgow, was convicted at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court in December.

The police commander at the match told the court that although Walls sang only the chorus of The Famine Song, fans who heard it would know the rest of the words.

Sheriff Iona McDonald gave Walls 18 months probation and imposed a two-year football banning order.

She said The Famine Song referred to people of Irish descent being asked to return home, which was clearly racist.

And she ruled that Walls was clearly aware of the song's impact on others.

The senior judge in the appeal, Lord Carloway, said the case involved issues of principle.

He added: "We will issue a decision as soon as possible - after the cup final and before the European qualifiers."

Mr Findlay resigned from the Rangers board in 1999 after the Record told how he sang sectarian songs at a Scottish Cup victory party.

He admitted in his resignation letter that his conduct was "not acceptable" and "a serious misjudgment", and apologised "unreservedly" for any offence caused.

The Famine Song has led to complaints from the Irish authorities to ministers in Scotland.

Rangers have warned their fans that they risk arrest if they are caught singing it.

DR

Wohl wahr!!! Das wäre der nötigste Sommertransfer überhaupt!! Mit ihm hätte es diese korrupten Dinger hinter den PRKulissen alle nicht gegeben. Da würde ich gerne mal die Zeit zurückdrehen!

Trophy famine is over

Our four year wait for league success ended at Tannadice on Sunday as Rangers Football Club found itself in its rightful place in Scottish football – once again we are champions; that is 52 times and another world record!

Helicopter Sunday in 2005 was a distant and fading memory for our victory-starved support but the events yesterday culminated in years of pent up frustration being unleashed by not only the thousands of fans who had made the journey to Dundee to cheer the team to success but the many more who packed clubs, pubs and homes throughout this land and further a field.

Victory did not come easy and it is more than fair to say that it was a roller coaster season; no matter what any bitter bheast will tell you - and I include Greasy Arse Samaras in this – we deserved it. The players are to be praised for their resilience especially since suffering the loss of our most influential midfielder early on in the season – make no bones about it; the League would have been over and done by weeks ago if Kevin Thomson hadn’t sustained that horrific injury.

Remember, he and Mendes tore Septic apart in our first encounter with the disciples of darkness at Septic Park - a 4-2 victory was secured, with the ‘goal of the season’ from Mendes one of the outstanding moments of the day, the other being an Artur Borat blunder where he spilled the ball at the feet of Kenny Miller for the fourth.

We were in a commanding position following that game at Parkhead but somehow we contrived to turn a lead into a 7-point deficit. There will be many reasons banded about for this but as far as I’m concerned most of it comes down the tactics employed by Walter Smith.

Counter attacking football against the lesser lights in the league is shameful; we should not be going to places like Pittodrie, Tynecastle and Tannadice to play football that does not suit us – the outcome of these first set of fixtures says everything that needs to be said on the matter – 4 games played (Pittodrie twice) and only 3 points secured out of a possible 12.

That is just not good enough. It is no coincidence that we played two up front against United yesterday and came away with a resounding victory. We now look forward to this weekend’s Homecoming Scottish Cup Final, where we will have the pleasure of it being a bheast free zone. I’m sure there will be plenty of rocks for them to crawl back under.

After what can only be described as a calamitous start to the season, to end it with the “Double” will make up for our sorry exit against Kaunas. Winning the league of course brings its own recognition – being crowned the best team in your country is what we set out to do every year, but this season’s success brings so much more with it; automatic Champions League section qualification and the much needed cash injection – we hope it is spent wisely.
Last season’s CL games are still fresh in the mind:

Smith’s negativity ensuring that we won no friends from the football purists. We can only hope that we have a management team in place that is not afraid to take the game to the opposition – step forward that old adage: it’s better to die on your feet fighting than to surrender on your knees. Let us all savour yesterday’s success but while we do there are some things we should ponder;

We think of the overrated Scott Brown, and we think of all those so-called professional footballers that voted for him as player of the year. How stupid do they all look now?

We think of Gary ‘Herman Munster’ Caldwell, and we think of all those football writers who voted for him as player of the year. How stupid do they all look now?

We think of Kris Boyd and how, once again, he has been overlooked as player of the year despite scoring an amazing 31 goals for his club. It could only happen in Scotland!

We think of Madjid Bougherra, a rock at the heart of the best defence in Scotland, and how he was overlooked not only by his fellow professionals but also by the football writers for player of the year.

It is now that we are the champions – it is so good to say that again – that the biased and bigoted football writers and pro-Sellick professionals are made to look so downright stupid, putting their personal favourites before what should have been an unbiased opinion. They are a part of Ireland’s shame.

We also spare a thought for the undignified at Breezeblock Boulevard, from their now ex manager, Gordon Strachan, right down to their low life anti-British, pro terrorist supporters. As predictable as night follows day, just minutes after the final whistle thousands of these supporters indulged in their very own brand of sectarian behaviour with some particularly nasty and vicious venom aimed at the Hearts supporters that were leaving their cesspit; “Dirty Orange Bastards” and “Go Home Ya Huns” was spewed from the mouths of the serially offended and hypocritical bheasts.

Bottles and other missiles were also thrown in an attempt at maiming or worse those who’s only crime was to follow Hearts – the ferocity of their attack was so volatile and callous that one innocent woman and her small child had to be rescued by a few officers of the massive Police presence that had arrived to quell the trouble which had begun
Enough of the vermin though, this weekend was all about us, The People.

Well done the Rangers.

52 and counting………..

WE WELCOME THE CHASE.

VGB

Was es nicht alles gibt...

Rangers fans in swine flu alert

Rangers fans who travelled on a bus to watch the Ibrox side's league-winning match with Dundee United are suspected cases of swine flu, it has emerged.

The Scottish Government said 11 fans who travelled on the bus were among 18 probable cases in Dunoon, Argyll.

Six of the other cases are family contacts of the fans with one other classed as a work-related contact.

There are currently 19 confirmed cases of swine flu in Scotland and 26 probable cases.

The Scottish Government said that a branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland in Dunoon had closed on Monday as a precaution.

Response unit

The entire third year of Dunoon Grammar School is also being kept at home as a precaution.

About 180 third-year pupils and nine teachers at the school have also been given tamiflu as a precaution.

Speaking at a media briefing, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said the number of cases of swine flu was expected to increase over the next week.

She said the government planned to set up a Flu Response Control Unit to deal with the increase.
BBC

Welch eine Scheisse...

‘Hostile’ bar could be shut

A SOUTH Side bar condemned for sectarianism faces closure.

The Glaswegian Bar, in Bridge Street, lost its licence after allegations of sectarian behaviour, intimidation of licensing standards officers and local residents, and ineffectual management.

The court heard that on one occasion the arrival of the licensing officers was announced by the DJ over the speaker system as The Noise Police'.

This was followed by customers shouting obscenities about the Pope to the tune of Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline while the officers waited to speak to management.

It was claimed that "officers reported the atmosphere to be openly hostile towards them and noted that the management provided little or no assistance, causing officers to report the noise and leave".

Nearby residents complained about the singing of sectarian songs.

The court heard residents had also "been subjected to intimidating and aggressive behaviour from patrons".

One Glasgow councillor who objected to The Glaswegian getting a new licence said he could not speak publicly against the bar through fear of reprisal.

According to the licensing officers, the intimidation meant that no resident would come forward as a witness.

Sources say that licensing officers would only attend the venue - the subject of 40-plus complaints - with police protection and that it is a well-known rendezvous point for Rangers casuals.

Craig Bruce, of Rosemount Taverns, owners of The Glaswegian, said the company was "very disappointed with the outcome" and was considering its position.

It is likely the bar will appeal, leaving it free to operate in the interim.

ET

Unfassbar...

Exclusive: Rangers fan with Huntington's disease blasts cops after being wrongly arrested in UEFA Cup hooligan raid

POLICE burst into the home of an innocent Rangers fan and arrested him for rioting at last year's UEFA Cup final.

They handcuffed Andrew McFadyen, 27 - who suffers from Huntington's disease - threw him into a van and took him to Manchester.

He was questioned there for several hours before being thrown on to the streets and left to make his own way home.

Andrew has now been cleared of any involvement in the trouble.

But the traumatic event has left him nervous and depressed.

It began when nine officers burst into his home at 5am and handcuffed him.

The timid school cleaner had been in Manchester for last May's final but didn't even know there had been trouble until he was on the bus home.

He said: "All these policemen burst into my bedroom, it was terrifying.

"They handcuffed me then threw me in a cage in the back of a prison van and took me to Manchester.

"I was interrogated for hours before they chucked me out on to the streets to make my own way.

"Luckily, my partner Yvonne had driven down to pick me up because she was so worried.

"I still can't believe what happened, I have never been in trouble with police and I certainly wouldn't have been starting in Manchester while supporting the club I love. I think it has made my condition much worse.

"I used to love going to Ibrox for games but I haven't been able to bring myself to do that since all this happened.

"I have now received a letter telling me that I have been cleared but there wasn't even the slightest apology."

Andrew lives in Haddington, East Lothian, with Yvonne Sandie, 41.

Police arrested him in March after receiving a tip-off that he was rioter "No37" from CCTV images.

Huntington's disease is a hereditary disorder of the central nervous system.

It leaves Andrew suffering from involuntary movements, difficulty of speech and depression.

He added: "It doesn't seem right that I was put through this terrible ordeal just because I looked a bit like the guy."

A Manchester Police spokeswoman said: "A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of violent misconduct but he was released without charge."

Five men have been formally charged by police investigating the serious disorder that marred the final.
DR