Barry Ferguson - Uefa Cup Run & Sporting Integrity..

[bombaybadboy08 15,660]

I think the only thing I'd have changed was maybe starting Novo out wide. He was superb against Dundee United and scored an absolute screamer.

But I think that game was all about fine margins, Alexander only had to make 5 saves, which isn't a lot when you think about Bremen and Fiorentina away. I don't like talking about it, but had Novo scored late on who knows what could have happened.

That's it.

We looked dangerous as fuck when we actually had a go at them which left a bitter taste in the mouth.

We could have won, we could have been destroyed if we had been more positive from the off. Struggle to watch the game tbh.

[centenarystand 2,227]

We were punished for being successful tbh. That Scottish cup final we were dead on our feet.

It was also the season phil O'Donnel left them so grief stricken they couldn't play an old firm game but Tommy burns dying left them able to play Dundee utd. Funny that

That gave them a thirst for cheating and foul play. Look where it got them and where they are now. Thats the bheast way.

[Copland bear 7,966]

Why did he fail to mention Lawell and Celtic and their Japanese tour? Now I wonder how they got on in Japan?

Celtic and that cunt Thompson were to blame, Celtic had it all pre booked so it could not possibly be extended as they would be in Japan.

We should be having a pop at them every time we can so well done Barry, was a gruelling schedule the likes you will never see again.

[BLUEDIGNITY 33,647]

Everybody gets the point at the time Wattie gave us no chance of winning the game with his tactics but forgetting that and going on to 'sporting integrity', for quite a numbers of years I have said that 'dignified silence' gets you fcuk awe but fcuked up the arse but our powers that be never took up the cudgel and preferred to sit on their hands and do nothing but handwring whilst the bheggars plotted and schemed and eventually took over. So fair enough Barry coming out with this now, but it is nothing we didn't know already, if only Minty and his merry men had the balls to fight these fcukers at the time instead of surrendering TBB, Donald Findlay and the like to the mhedia sided cabal we wouldn't be in place we are now ! In the last five years they haven't so much as chip chip chipped away at us but came at us with bulldozers to try and bury us off completely and still some will say fighting fire with fire is 'not The Rangers way' ? All the moaning in a Rangers hating rhag won't change a thing Bazza, but thanks for reminding us anyway, only a full scale fightback will get us back to where we belong. Hopefully it's not too late !

[Helicopter Sundae 5,986]

Sporting Integrity actually means

FUCK RANGERS ANY WAY YOU CAN.

Fucking well said Barry.

The puke-inducing garbage that has happened to our club over many years has torn us to shreds.

It will take years to even get back to a quality team on the pitch, God knows when we will need our passports again.

[Helicopter Sundae 5,986]

That's it.

We looked dangerous as fuck when we actually had a go at them which left a bitter taste in the mouth.

We could have won, we could have been destroyed if we had been more positive from the off. Struggle to watch the game tbh.

Before the final, I was in a state ready to go fucking "Helicopter Sunday Mental", but during the game, I watched in virtual silence.

There was nothing to inspire, and at no point did it look like we were going to do it.

Even the crowd seemed unbelievably quiet, and with 80% of them being Bears, it was surreal.

In the end, I just had to accept the inevitable.

Do you know at what point i started to worry............when Zenit smashed Bayern.

At that point, I wondered how we, playing counter attacking football would possibly beat a team who had just used those tactics to destroy European superteam Bayern.

I honestly believe we would have had a better chance against the Germans.

But the antics of the SFA in failing to help us fucked us.

And another fact...did you know that Advocaat arranged a training match with Van Gaal's team at the time, where they were set up to play in our style?

Zenit were well prepped for us.

We were fucked.

[minstral 5,375]

Is this really the first thing you think of? We would have taken an absolute pumping if we went toe to toe with Zenit. Their players were miles ahead of ours.

Like it has been said, that formula worked in Europe and maybe, just maybe if we had extra time to prepare and rest for that game we might have had a chance.

I'll never forget that year, for more ways than one, but the fact our own Footballing Association would rather harm our chances of winning a European Cup, than helping them. Will always be remembered.

No it is not the first thing, but at the time we moaned, which did us no good as they hate our club. We had a board that had no balls to fight the SFA, and they will still keep shafting us, with this new board wanting to be pals with them.

[minstral 5,375]

Everybody gets the point at the time Wattie gave us no chance of winning the game with his tactics but forgetting that and going on to 'sporting integrity', for quite a numbers of years I have said that 'dignified silence' gets you fcuk awe but fcuked up the arse but our powers that be never took up the cudgel and preferred to sit on their hands and do nothing but handwring whilst the bheggars plotted and schemed and eventually took over. So fair enough Barry coming out with this now, but it is nothing we didn't know already, if only Minty and his merry men had the balls to fight these fcukers at the time instead of surrendering TBB, Donald Findlay and the like to the mhedia sided cabal we wouldn't be in place we are now ! In the last five years they haven't so much as chip chip chipped away at us but came at us with bulldozers to try and bury us off completely and still some will say fighting fire with fire is 'not The Rangers way' ? All the moaning in a Rangers hating rhag won't change a thing Bazza, but thanks for reminding us anyway, only a full scale fightback will get us back to where we belong. Hopefully it's not too late !

Good post Blue.

[Clemdog 39,389]

Well to say we had 'no chance' isn't true. We were a bawhair from scoring late on while it was still 1-0.

[bombaybadboy08 15,660]

Before the final, I was in a state ready to go fucking "Helicopter Sunday Mental", but during the game, I watched in virtual silence.

There was nothing to inspire, and at no point did it look like we were going to do it.

Even the crowd seemed unbelievably quiet, and with 80% of them being Bears, it was surreal.

In the end, I just had to accept the inevitable.

Do you know at what point i started to worry............when Zenit smashed Bayern.

At that point, I wondered how we, playing counter attacking football would possibly beat a team who had just used those tactics to destroy European superteam Bayern.

I honestly believe we would have had a better chance against the Germans.

But the antics of the SFA in failing to help us fucked us.

And another fact...did you know that Advocaat arranged a training match with Van Gaal's team at the time, where they were set up to play in our style?

Zenit were well prepped for us.

We were fucked.

Wasn't aware of the highlighted part at all but doesn't surprise me.

Says it all when we're still debating tactics etc over a match from years ago, I know it's a major European final and all that but still.

They bastards will never help us out when it comes to stuff like that, despise them and everything they stand for.

We should have applied for the English conference after newco but that's for another topic

[the goal machine 7,801]

Well said Barry.

[thebluedoo 2,652]

Well said Barry, they should never be allowed to forget the horrendous way in whitch they acted towards a member club in need of common sense. On another point, that is one hell of acheivement for any team, 2 national cup finals, in a title race8 to the wire and a European final ffs. Unbelievable acheivement given the level of finance, talent and governing bodies obstacles Walter and the team faced.

Sore as it was to be denied the title that year, at least Walter and his team would go on to pick up the next 3 titles and have the last laugh. Personally bringing Pedro Mendes to the Rangers was another piece of genuis from him, what a class act he was.

We can only buckle up for this last push by McCall and hope we are but a few seasons away from a return to europe, come on Rangers

We Are The People

[sandyinroyalblue 16,478]

We were victims of our own success at the end of 2008 season to an extent but equally there should be a level playing for all and that wasn't the case for Rangers that season.

The Scottish football authorities could have helped a Scottish team win a European trophy but decided that the beggars title challenge was more important to them and used the sporting integrity line to justify it, for me that decision has forever left the League title they won that season tainted forever in my eyes.

[BLUEDIGNITY 33,647]

No it is not the first thing, but at the time we moaned, which did us no good as they hate our club. We had a board that had no balls to fight the SFA, and they will still keep shafting us, with this new board wanting to be pals with them.

Correct minst, the more our leaders doff their caps to them the more they see it as a weakness and the more they will shovel it on, a lot can't see it but we really need somebody strong at the helm and those there at the moment don't seem to fit the bill as they are making apologetic noises to both the mhedia and the bheggar ridden and Rangers hating controlled Scottish footballing organisations. Don't say they weren't warned ! I posted a warning about Dr death about a year before he left the goverment to take his post at the phiggery that he would cause us hell and he has, and there were those then that didn't believe it would happen. We don't learn Bro. We have a mountain to climb !

[nachothelegend 1,932]

2008 was the most Rangers Hated season ever, as our Rivals cancelled Games due to a death of an ex player ,but another Club the dead Man played against, got non including us.

Remember they set us up badly.

Septic got Games postponed v Us, even though the Player didn't play for them any more. Fine they got cancelled, but during that season we didn't.

[nachothelegend 1,932]

We were victims of our own success at the end of 2008 season to an extent but equally there should be a level playing for all and that wasn't the case for Rangers that season.

The Scottish football authorities could have helped a Scottish team win a European trophy but decided that the beggars title challenge was more important to them and used the sporting integrity line to justify it, for me that decision has forever left the League title they won that season tainted forever in my eyes.

Agree and during an ex players Death too.

[TheBluenose1972 1,405]

We played games on May 4, 7, 10, 14, 17, 19, 22 and 24

Fucking shameful the way we were treated!!! No wonder we have the song No one likes us we dont care! Fuck them horrible scummy bastards!

[King Jela 20,361]

Walter set up not to lose the game instead of trying to win the game.

And yet it worked every other time.

Go figure..

[brazz1972 397]

In my younger days, Rangers were not scared of any team. We always had a go to win the game, as that what football was all about. In my opinion money has ruined the game which is sad.

I'm only 31 mate and I can see how much money and greed has destroyed football as I used to enjoy it. The rich teams are getting richer and massive clubs like ourselves have no chance of competing anymore.

[gazza27 15,283]

Whether we had a week of or not we were not good enough to beat them

[KingKai 439]

Tour of Japan anyone?

[TheBluenose1972 1,405]

Whether we had a week of or not we were not good enough to beat them

We needed 2 weeks off by the amount of games we played. SFA should of been bending over backwards to help us.

[Drunk and disorderly. 14,419]

Well said Barry. They hate us being successful and put every barrier they can in our way. They did it then and are still doing it now.

[Gaz52 11,837]

Also need to factor in extra time & penalties, I'm sure we had 3 games that season that went all the way to penalties

Dundee Utd CIS final

St Johnstone scottish cup semi

AND OF COURSE FLORENCE!

[tannerall 25,935]

I strongly believe the opus die ridden Scotland of then, which continues to the present day, would have been the only country in Europe to be so deliberately obtusive to one of their own trying to gain success.

The cellic loving minorities in the country have single mindedly destroyed any pretence of Rangers Football Club being encouraged or helped in any way, and destroyed all credibility in Scottish football. A travesty of sporting integrity. Why other clubs in Scotland joined in this crusade against us to I still have no idea as it was as obvious then as it is now that only one football team in the east end of Glasgow were going to gain to everyone else's loss.

Most of Europe probably just laugh at our football set-up and our League "Competition" now, with the exception of Legia who actually suffered from cellic minded "sporting integrity" and injustice just like we have.