Zappa

written by Mr S. Funk I read an excellent article titled "The Rangers Support - Unfit for purpose?" today which was written by one of the widely respected writers and bloggers in the online Rangers community, D'Artagnan. The article tackled some of the issues our support and specifically the online Rangers community is currently facing and it inspired me to write something on the subject too because the following quote from the article says almost everything I've been thinking myself in one powerful sentence: If this online Rangers community is to fulfill its true destiny then it must change, because at the moment the schisms, historical feuds and bitternesses are holding us back from unleashing that potential on the real enemies of our club. That sentence will no doubt ring true with more than just myself because it's something which has been brought up on the various messageboards time and time again. A common factor in the discussions is that we aren't all in agreement as to how serious or difficult to overcome the problems actually are. Some people think the problems are completely blown out of proportion and could ideally be easily swept aside for the greater good, while at the other extreme some think they're so deeply rooted that they can't ever be fixed or even slowly healed. Others like myself believe that the truth lies somewhere in the middle because we know these issues exist, so in theory we should be able to identify what they are and tackle them head on. To do so though, perhaps we need to start with the small things and some of the root causes of the ongoing and seemingly unending warring between sections of our online support. We won't even all agree on what some of the root causes of the problems are, but we don't need to agree about everything, we just need to talk about them respectfully and try to reach some common ground on issues such as our use of language and respect. I've seen a fair number of people mention that the constant 'spiv' references which are being used a lot at the moment to describe people in our club's boardroom are problematic, unnecessary and someone here on the Gersnet forum today even said they are undignified. The use of the word "spiv" to describe certain people who we've had and still have associated with our club and even sit in the boardroom wearing a club tie is very subjective, but depending on your point of view, in some cases it's possibly quite fitting by definition. I do think that the "spiv" references are now becoming overused and even misused at times, but it's absolutely nothing in comparison to the language used by sections of our online support to describe men like Jim McColl & Paul Murray. Recently, I've seen those men regularly being referred to as "cunts", "rhats", "bastards" and all manner of vitriolic abuse and the most astonishing aspect is that's on a Rangers forum, not Kerryfail Strasse or one of the other sites full of hatred for Rangers. They literally get called almost every filthy name under the sun. Is that befitting of Rangers fans? Is it befitting of our support to abuse people who are trying to help get our club to a better and ultimately safer place? Not only that, but this disgusting language has also been getting used to describe fellow Gers fans who've simply shown or voiced support for Jim McColl & Paul Murray. That's the sort of action from people within our own online community which is not only disgusting, but completely unacceptable in my opinion. Sadly, this behaviour goes almost completely unchecked in the name of freedom of speech and that same freedom which allows people to write moronic vitriol about fellow fans is pile driving a permanent wedge between sections of our online community. Despite not being our only issue by any stretch of the imagination, that must be regarded as an issue worth addressing. It would seem that the most obvious way to look at starting to address it is for platforms which allow the disgusting language and behaviour to introduce rules and guidelines to tackle the problem and also to tighten their existing rules. Yes, people who are accustomed to constantly being abusive in their faceless online cocoon will moan about losing their freedom of speech, but frankly, if people can't be trusted to treat others within their own team's fanbase with acceptable levels of respect, then they deserve to have some of their rights reduced. If they don't like it, then tough. Needs must. Please don't get me wrong because I know none of us are perfect or angels. I like having a wee dig, taking the piss and sometimes using colourful language myself just like a lot of us do, but when it's gotten to the stage of sections or pockets of our online community going to obsessive levels to use certain platforms to post abusive vitriol about fellow Rangers fans, then it's blatantly obvious that something needs to be done to help facilitate positive changes and to simply help tackle some of the root causes of the issues. If nothing is done, then these issues will only escalate and the problems our online support face in working together as one will just get worse. It's already so bad, that I actually read things on a daily basis that make me wonder if they were even written by a Rangers fan because the level of obsession and hatred in the drivel being posted seems more like mad tims infiltrating the Rangers communities than anything else. Surely that's when we need to be saying to ourselves "Houston, we have a problem!!"? Ultimately, it may just be as I suggest and that the onus is on the platform providers to alter or introduce the necessary rules and for forum admins, mods and posters to try to help mend these issues by setting standards and an appropriate example for everyone. I'll have to change my own ways too as many people will and the rifts and problems in our online support won't be magically fixed overnight, but for the love of Rangers, we need to at least try to do it. A united Rangers support might yet be a pipe dream, but where there's a will there's a way. We'll never know until we try, so why not start with language and a little respect.

Dear doctor Please send Bill a nurse!

If whoever is posting a blog article includes "Leggo", "Leggoland", "McMurdo" or "Bill McMurdo" etc etc in the thread title, then you know what it is and don't need to read it if you can't be bothered.

It's unbelievable that he's even still playing after such serious ligament problems. Did I hear Neil McCann or someone saying on Sky that Marv has no cruciate ligaments any more?

It is indeed and one of them also appears to have been acting as a mouthpiece for the Easdales & Irvine, no doubt laughing up his sleeve every time he gets asked to peddle another pile of nonsense.

I presume the "Interim Interdict granted" you're referring to is relating to the club's lawyers getting a court order to remove Leggo's fraud claim blog?

Di Canio with Lunny and Mario Conti as his assistants. More Stenny fans in GW2 than the rest of Ibrox combined. Sure fire way to starve out the shysters in the boardroom!

Personally, I think Ally deserves our support & backing until he fails to win a league title and when he does fail to win one I'll then take stock of the situation and consider all of the circumstances. This is what I've said to myself since last summer and I'll stick to it. Got to say though, he's not doing himself any favours whatsoever with some of his team selections and line-ups. By fielding more than 4 defenders at a time, he's using tactics that Walter was using against top half SPL sides and against teams in Europe when we're in the 3 tier league.

I wasn't at the game, but if people are traveling long distances and paying good money to hopefully watch decent football and get served up with 6 defenders on the park against part-time 3rd tier opponents and end up watching 90 mins of crap, then they're entitled to moan as much as they like.

Reading your tit for tat slanging matches is becoming very tiresome Bill and it's extremely hypocritical of you to talk about falling standards while constantly using derogatory nicknames for well-connected Rangers fans trying their best to get our club into safe hands.

On the upside, Cammy Bell did well again today. I feel a lot more comfortable with him between the sticks than I was with Alexander when it comes to corners and free kicks being fired into our box. He commands his area far far better than Alexander did most of the time. The main positive is the 3 points though. Onward and upward!

So what's the script? Is this a load of shite or what?

Thanks for all the comments folks. I didn't write it myself, was just posting it on behalf of the writer, but I've given him the link to here so he can see your comments, so I'm sure he'll appreciate the feedback! The article was published and got almost 4 thousand hits, so maybe the fat bawbag Turnbull Hutton will have read it or have been sent it.

by Dan Teelsy I admit it, you got to me the other day. When my team reached the giddy heights of the Ramsden Cup semi-finals, I expected the usual doom laden chorus of nay-sayers to come floating out of the crypt, issuing dire warnings. probing the entrails of goats and generally bringing everyone down, lest anyone of a Blue persuasion experience anything akin to happiness. And sure enough, there was Hugh Keevins, sternly informing me that to actually be happy at winning a minor pot would be very, very wrong, and possibly raise the wraiths of Struth and Waddell to bring down the walls of Thebes (or Ibrox). He was easy to ignore. He is, after all, no prophet. A Tit, yes. A Tiresias, less so. You, though, were harder to dismiss. An ever popular figure amongst fans and media, your brash denunciation of the Cup Final being held at Ibrox bit to the core. You mentioned integrity and you balanced it against the mere accruing of money. You spoke with feeling about how much more it mean to Raith Rovers to win a pot themselves, rather than merely enrich themselves by a few hundred thousand pounds. A tear was not far away, I confess. And then, as I sat there reflectively stroking a pensive eyebrow, I realised that Rangers had no chance in this fight. For when you, Turnbull Hutton, say something, there is neither man nor beast can stand in your way until thy will be done! Who can forget your tireless efforts to bring about the vote of no confidence in Stewart Regan and Neil Doncaster, first announced by your good self, with the usual gravitas, back in about April of this year. Doubtless the delay is merely administrative. Those slow moving apparatchiks at the SPFL will feel your well fed wrath descend upon them shortly, of that I have no doubt! For when Turnbull Hutton speaketh, the earth trembleth!!! I for one have no doubt that we shall see you at Hampden soon, bringing down the statue of Belial and emerging from the dust like Charlton Heston in a Cecil B DeMille movie...only, you will be the better actor. It is the same with your unquenchable Corinthian spirit. Only a churl amongst us would point out that the man who spent over a year helping to re-arrange the deckchairs on the SPFL steamship Titantic - with the specific aim of bringing more money into division one clubs, of which Raith Rovers just happened to be one - didn't seem to be overflowing with the sporting ethos of the game when he shafted every part time club in the country. It is not for mere mortals such as we to wonder why you have gone from money grabbing backstabber to embodiment of the Olympian Spirit in the space of a few months. I have already slapped down a few coarse, crude types who tried to suggest you were an enormous bag of wind, which the media let open every so often and print the resultant ephemeral, noxious but essentially meaningless gas. Their low minds don't appreciate you the way I do, Lord Turnon of Bullhut. They cannot see how you represent all the aspects of Scottish football in the way I do. They say: he's a bumbling hypocritical oaf, who loves the sound of his own voice but can only just make it out because his head is so far up his own arse. I say: Smite them, when thy has the time. I believe in you, oh Lord Bull! I believe!! Were any sign needed of your great omnipotence, it is the way you gave your people Your Word on the Cup Final location BEFORE THE DRAW WAS MADE!!! Once more, some gutter dwelling people have suggested that the way you anticipated avoiding Rangers in the semi final and getting a fairly easy ride for The Rovers into the final looks like the draw was fixed. If only they could understand that Your Vision is limitless, they would easier come to heel. All kneel before Turnbull Hutton, avatar of morality, principle and integrity!!!

I've just reserved one for someone who isn't on RM Nacho, so I'll need to give you my own number separate.

Sounds about right calio.

It didn't take long for someone to bring the nonsense into this thread too.

He's definitely right about the club lacking professionalism and it's Mather & the senior managements' fault. We've been taking players on trial, pissing them about for weeks and even offering them deals by the sounds of it... all when we're not even in a position to bring in players until some players leave. It's ridiculous and embarrassing.

Not sure how many I want yet Nacho, but will let you know asap!

Mather & Stockbridge are slowly but surely getting found out.

BBC Scotland's article title is "Companies House seeks clarity over Sevco Scotland return" I changed it to "Pacific Quay CSC seeks clarity from Companies House over Sevco Scotland return"

"Pacific Quay CSC seeks clarity from Companies House over Sevco Scotland return"

He's had days and days to think about it and he still hasn't decided? I'd hunt him. Tell him he's missed the opportunity.

On this shareholder list from last Friday (13th of September) James Easdale still only had 357,143 shares or 0.55% which is what was disclosed to the stock market on July 19th after he became a director on the PLC board.

Even if this is true and he does have voting rights over 24% he still only owns a fraction of them. It looks like he and his brother have less than 5% between them. That's like a classic Charles - absent of honesty - Green moonbeam. It reminds of the time he said he had 4 investors lined up who wanted to invest £20 million each. ...or the time Green and Stockbridge told us they were predicting that the club's turnover would rise up to £100 million per year. Lie after lie after lie.... Pot & kettle are two words which spring to mind....