derekm1975

Sat in the front row of the Hearts end a few years ago for a game when Mols scored a couple of crackers. Thomas Flogel comes over to take a throw in and leans right into the crowd to get as big a run up as possible. Big lassie about 3 rows back leans right forward, taps him on the shoulder. When he looks round she shouts in his face "Thomas, show us yer cock!" Never seen a player take a throw-in as quick in all my life...

John Grieg should be ashamed to hold the honour of Greatest Ever Ranger and doesn't deserve to be taking a wage from Rangers. Me and my brother were having a drink at a hotel in Manchester on the day of the UEFA cup final. Happened to be the same hotel Greig was staying in. Big Derek Johnstone was staying there as well, as was John McLelland (ex-chariman). During the afternoon DJ was great company, happy to sign autographs for anyone who asked and pose for photos. Later in the day when there was only a few people there, Greig and John McLelland appeared for a drink. Asked John McLelland a couple of questions and he was brand new. Seemed like a really decent guy. Spoke to Greig and he blanked us. Then asked him to sign my jersey, same one DJ had signed. Scrawled some mess on it then stormed off, despite only me and my brother asking. This on Rangers biggest day for 35 years. His attitude was shocking and John McLelland was visibly shocked by his behaviour. Guys like that need to realise why they are there and who put them there. Not the behaviour of an ambassador for our club. Big DJ put him to shame and showed him how a legend should behave.

People who are planning on concentrating on this during Saturday's game really need to think about what the hell can be achieved by this? Costing us 3 points and leaving us playing catch up 2 weeks into the season is the most likely outcome. It'll be the same muppets moaning about this next week when they had a part to play in it. There should be one reason and one reason only for being in Ibrox and that's to support the team on the pitch. Doesn't matter what you think about them, they are the reason we are there. It's at times like this they need support. It's easy being a supporter when we're winning 9 in a row or when we're all heading to uefa cup finals but it's at times like this that a real fan shows his true colours. I agree that the current situation needs addressed but with Cuellar we were screwed. He had a clause in his contract, his agent would have been touting this round where possible. Not a lot anyone could do about this. I have it on very good authority that without this clause, Carlos Cuellar would not have signed last year. We are winners in all of this. A cracking player for a year, and a massive profit when he has gone. There are worse situations to be in. I might have missed an announcement somewhere but is the transfer window not still open? Unless I'm mistaken , that means we can sign players. Probably in a mnority of 1 here but this money could be the difference between us winning the league or not. We have one priority this year, the league title. Do we need an £8m defender to do this, or do we need major surgery. It's the second one for me. If the squad is the same on 1st Sept as it is today, then serious questions need to be asked of David Murray but for the time being, a bit of trust needs to be put in Walter Smith. Some disgraceful comments about this man over the last week. Forgetting 9 in a row, this is the man who in 18 months took us from 18 points behind Celtic to the brink of the greatest season in the clubs history. The man who a year ago found Cuellar. The man who less than 3 months ago gave many of us one of our proudest days as a Rangers fan in Manchester. A man who will be hurting as much as every one of us. We're all entitled to and I respect everyone's opinion but most important thing for me is 3 points on Saturday and seeing how the team takes shape over the next 2 weeks. Knee jerk is what Celtic do. Look at 9 in a row, they panicked at every turn and look where it got them? We need to pull together at this time and get behind the team. If protests are to be arranged, inside the ground is NOT the place for them. Let's get right behind Walter, Ally and the team. The SPL destoyed our league challenge last year, let's not do it to ourselves this year.

My brothers mate last weekend bought 4 tix from somewhere but it started to look dodgy so sourced tickets from somewhere else. First set have now turned up (typical) so he's looking to offload them. Problem is he paid plenty so needs to recover the costs. Email me at derekmuir@talktalk.net if you're interested. Tickets are in Edinburgh so can be handed over there, or can organise to meet down in Manchester to hand them over. Cheers

Need to point out that Dortmund have very close links to the tattie-munchers. I was over for the Hansa Rostok game last weekend and Celtic tops everywhere. Got talking to a German guy wearing one and he explained that they are "Friendship Clubs" Apparently bunch of dortmund fans come over and watch them and 'tic fans go over there. Goes back to when Murdo McLeod played or Dortmund and they met each other in the UEFA cup in 1987. This was before the game and it was confirmed when You'll Never Walk Alone was played before the game. Scarves above the head tim style. Apart fom that, a tremendous stadium and an amazing atmosphere. The stand with 25000 in it is all standing and called the Yellow Wall and they make one hell of a racket. Well worth a trip over, especially since Ibrox took a lot of the ideas from the original Westfalstadion and it shows.