cash1873

Hate manure aswell. smelly mancky bassasssas

15 of us are going down to the city without tickets. Should be interesting

Get well soon. Best player iv ever seen live at a football match. LEGEND

How many season ticket holders is there this year? Is it up or down on last year?

Just back from Hamburg. Was at there home game against Nurenburg last week and the atmosphere was electric it puts Ibrox to shame. Was in the standing section behind the goal Fkin bouncin and they had just been put out the europa league, Ever1 drinkin pints beer goin everywhere when they scored. Everytime a player scores in the Bundesliga the announcer guy shouts his first name then the crowd do his last name 3 times its quality, why the feck can the gers top brass no come oot with something like this. Be the first in Britian to get it started coz it would make the atmosphere much better.

People like him should no better than to spout this pish Agenda springs to mind the prick

Scottish referee in danger of looking biased towards Rangers Graham Spiers Dougie McDonald, one of Scotland's leading referees, has to tread very carefully from now until the end of the season, for the sake of his own reputation. Within the space of two weeks McDonald has given a whole series of contentious decisions to Rangers - two of those against Celtic - and even neutrals have started to worry that it doesn't look too impressive. First, two weeks ago at Ibrox, McDonald sent off Scott Brown of Celtic, when almost everyone now agrees (including Walter Smith) that Brown's heated tussle with Kyle Lafferty at best warranted a yellow card. Indeed, replays of the incident showed that Lafferty was just about as guilty in that handbags tussle, yet McDonald showed red to Brown and nothing at all to Lafferty. The big, lanky, £3.5 million Rangers striker had even performed his old trick of collapsing to the ground, his legs mysteriously giving way beneath him, but even that piece of feigning didn't cause Mr McDonald any duress. By a minor miracle, in the same game, Rangers defender Madjid Bougherra somehow managed to stay on the field for the whole 90 minutes, despite having been booked in the first ten minutes, and, arguably, having fouled Robbie Keane enough thereafter to earn a second yellow. But McDonald, again, demurred on that decision. Then came last Sunday at Ibrox, and two penalties awarded to Rangers against Dundee United in the Active Nation Scottish Cup, from which United had to heroically fight back to earn a 3-3 draw. In the first case, Dusan Pernis, the United goalkeeper, seemed to have got a touch before colliding with Kenny Miller in the box, but McDonald was having none of the debate - penalty. Then, ten minutes later, Sean Dillon collided with Kris Boyd in the box, and once more, in the TV replays of the incident, it looked a 50-50 call by the referee. In the press gantry Craig Paterson, the former Rangers centre-half and now a BBC match analyst, said it wasn't a penalty, though again, McDonald gave Rangers the decision. Now let's be clear about this. I have never argued - indeed, I have repeatedly lampooned the idea - that there is a pro-Rangers leaning among referees in the SPL. And I stand by that. In lovely, Presbyterian Scotland we have many flaws, but football corruption cannot be cited among them. Our referees, in the main, are good guys, Dougie McDonald among them. It's just that, right now, they are going through a terrible slump in form. But having said that, McDonald now stands under a special, self-inflicted scrutiny. If he keeps up this momentous form of giving every 50-50 decision Rangers' way then even neutrals among us are going to feel a certain disquiet. As someone once said, it is not just the act, but the perception, that matters. McDonald, in the near future, could really do with coming upon a 50-50 moment which he somehow decides not to give to Rangers. Light at the end of the tunnel... There are quite a few things to feel dismal about in Scottish football right now - poor crowds, poor pitches, an international slump, and Rangers and Celtic both being unceremoniously thumped in Europe recently - but last Saturday's Active Nation Scottish Cup quarter-finals did produce two uplifting scenes. First, at Easter Road, a marvellous travelling support from tiny Dingwall in the Highlands watched a skilful and brave Ross County of the Irn-Bru first division give Hibernian quite a fright in their 2-2 draw. It was thrilling to see County and their noisy supporters give Hibs such a scare. Meanwhile, an old-fashioned and noisy throng at Dens Park, to where 3000 Raith Rovers fans had decamped, were gripped at seeing the Rovers, currently seventh in the first division, beating Jocky Scott's men 2-1 to reach their first Scottish Cup semi in 47 years. I savoured both occasions, and was reminded again, in the midst of all this misery, why I remain an irredeemable fan of the Scottish game. in Columnists, Graham Spiers, Scotland, TheGame | Permalink Comments I agree with the comments.Nothing has changed in the last 50 years as bias is still common.Dundee United United played well but still papers talked about Rangers Alex Referee retired Posted by: Alex Dickson | 16 Mar 2010 11:56:41 Graham, Its the quarter final of the Scottish Cup. Ibrox was half full, Dens was half full, Easter Road had 9,000 and there was 7,000 at Rugby Park. Those crowds are appalling and another indication of how poorly fans rate the game in Scotland. There is no getting away from anything or jazzing up anything to look good. The Scottish game from SPL to Scottish Cup level is short changing fans and its about time the peeny dropped in the eyes of the people running it. Better atmopshere, standing sections and cheaper entry. Until you do that its going to be poor poor poor. Posted by: Damon | 16 Mar 2010 12:15:59 Suggestion made based upon four decisions? Look, as a United supporter, I'm used to having wild allegations thrown about about refereeing bias, but to make the suggestion with a serious tone is dangerous and, quite frankly, irresponsible. Posted by: HarryB | 16 Mar 2010 12:32:34 "It's just that, right now, they are going through a terrible slump in form." If this was the case surely the decisions would "Even themselves out" instead of one team greatly benefitting from them over the others or does the slump only affect refs playing against Rangers Posted by: Paranoid Moi!!! | 16 Mar 2010 12:43:17 The Spl is boring-why bother playing for 9 months or so just to see if the winner is going to be Rangers or Celtic?Why not play 1 game between these 2 teams at the beginning of the season,and whover wins that game is crowned Champion. No fuss,no endless weeks of games in the rain,no having to watch journeymen who would not even be in any other country's professional league paid large salaries for running around in the mud. That's it,season over,and we can all go do something more useful. Posted by: A.Freed | 16 Mar 2010 13:04:31 In lovely, Presbyterian Scotland we have many flaws ??? I always just called in Scotland, maybe even Bonnie Scotland. What an odd comment to make. Posted by: Barrie | 16 Mar 2010 13:11:34 @HarryB This doesn't relate to just 4 decisions. This was a major talking point before the last old Rangers-Celtic game. Posted by: symptomless | 16 Mar 2010 13:13:27 Of course they are biased. How else can you explain the myriad of decisions that continually go in favour of Rangers, season in and season out? You'll notice that the games at Ibrox that tend to be fair with no contentious decisions going against the away team are European nights when the refs aren't Scottish. Posted by: Nick | 16 Mar 2010 13:15:18 I see, Graham, from the little codicil which came up after my submission that you are the final arbiter on which comments appear and which are excised. This begs the question: did the SFA get its review system idea from you or did you decide to adopt the SFA system? Posted by: Martin Brennan | 16 Mar 2010 13:36:45 For the very future of Scottish Football I would hope this article is not in isolation. Incompetence or bias? A strong case could be made for either, however the bottom line is neither should be tolerated. Scottish Football is already injured, the game is at it‘s lowest ebb and much of what’s bad is beyond our control. However it would be a scandal if the SFA, media, clubs and fans a like continue to allow more self inflicted wounds. By ignoring a huge problem, one that we can actually do something about. I would hope a respected journalist like yourself would not let this lie. An independent review of all league fixtures involving both Celtic and Rangers is required and should be championed (hopefully you will do the championing). Unfortunately it’s been a weekly theme this season and without question the majority of game influencing “honest mistakes” have favoured one side of the divide. I am no means a conspiracy theorist, as I prefer to deal in reality. What’s been visible is a media and SFA reluctance to admit what’s been a clear problem all season. Like an alcoholic you will never get better until you admit to a problem. Much of the media are still in denial. It’s true that we cant cure all the ills which exists within our game. However we should be trying to cure the ones we do have the ability to fix. - A consistent and totaly transparent review panel process. With all incidents of misconduct being brought before an impartial panel. Not what we have currently, which is a closed process with only selected cases being reviewed. As it currently stands the process can't be described as impartial. - Refereeing “Styles” more in line with the rest of Europe need to be implemented, (for example the game in Scotland is too physical and Refs seem to be more lenient) this creates big problems for our clubs when they play in Europe. - Finally an open and transparent media. When a clear mistake is made it must be highlighted. Hiding it from view as some media outlets do or trying to explain away the indefensible, only prolongs the problems further. Many aspects of our game needs to improve, however the above aspects should be top of the list. One things for sure our game is in mortal decline. To improve we need a properly governed, functioning, fair league one that's covered accuratley and transparently by the media. Posted by: EB | 16 Mar 2010 15:43:17 Who decides what is a 50/50 decision? For instance was the decision not to award a penalty to Edu a 50/50 decision? Or just a wrong one? Was the decision not to send of NGuemo for his boot to the groin of a Rangers player a 50/50 decision? Or just a wrong one? Was the decision not to book him for his umpteenth foul a 50/50 decision or just a wrong one? The keeper "seemed to get a touch" did he? And did you decide that with you naked eye in real time or after the sixth re-run of it in slow motion when it still looked a stone waller? When did referee's start to debate their penalty decisions anyway? Then we have "former Rangers centre half" (centre half being operative) saying it wasn't a penalty. Strangely our Graham doesn't mention that in the same gantry "former Rangers striker" (striker this time being operative) said it was a penalty. We can see our Graham can stand on the side lines no longer whilst the Celtic minded have their say on the subject. He can't help himself Posted by: iain | 16 Mar 2010 15:44:05 Mr Spiers, Can you please investigate the number of major calls going to and against both the big Glasgow teams THIS season and stop going on about a non- goal at Fir Park from LAST season as a way of qualifiying the old myth of everything evens itself out over the course of a season. I have heard you state that you think it does, well I am afraid a list of decisions as anomalous as the ones I have compiled and I watch every game live on TV (I live abroad and every game is shown) indicate that an insurmountable amount of big calls are going mostly one way to the benefit of one team against ALL others in the league. Some serious questions need to be asked about the Scottish game and I think that by shying away from the bizarre and unexplainable decisions, you are doing the public a disservice.If you believe there is no bias then please explain the level of the mistakes which are benefitting one team. I think this is a fair question for you to prove your point. I am afraid that there is compelling evidence that suggests if not proves that everything does not even itself out as a 13 point lead with 2 months of the season on the back of these terrible decisions, I would suggest, is insurmountable to even the best team. You should also look into the procedures governing the video review panel. I would like to know who convenes this panel and on what basis are the incidents selected and by whom? I think these are fair questions and should be addressed. Posted by: Richard | 16 Mar 2010 15:58:20 At least, In Scotland people are calling the thing by its name, good on you, folks. In England you can still hear and read pundits and ManU supporters fantasizing about unbiased refs and the great competition that is the EPL - despite all the penalties, overtimes and cards against opponents. I will always remember the Internet gag-picture of Ferguson, holding up the overtime-board which reads "Until we score"... Posted by: Ilja | 16 Mar 2010 16:01:27 A Graeme Spiers article about Rangers with no comment from Mr Understanding yet? This must be some sort of record... Posted by: Miss Understanding | 16 Mar 2010 16:06:21 I'm intrigued... Why is it so difficult for a sports journalist to go through the archives... and genuinely make a thrust at looking through 'contentious' decision making for a season. At the moment most if not all decisions are going with one team. Is it only Chick Young who is able to quip (semi-seriously) during the Dundee United game that Rangers Fans are getting 'REF' put on their shirts and not a players name. Is it only me that is finding it a little tedious that every mistake has to be referred to as 'honest'. Why? You have no better incite as to whether they are honest or not as a tv viewer. All that can be gleaned is that 50-50's and worse are largely going one way. I don't even mean just the biggies - look at the gamewaster when Boruc was called out his box (when he wasn't)... an almost unheard of offence anyway! Or the number of times Keane was being called offside... when proven not to be. Or calling an obstruction on Boyd when hitting someone with his elbows... Little things but just consistent. The cynical would suggest Rangers will suffer in the next few league matches as they are largely over and irrelevant...but those Cup games still count.... anything to balance the books. Will that still be 'honest' if it comes to pass. Or would it be downright dishonest. Why not advocate a review of refereeing by an independent panel of top foreign refs. Lets throw this to the public arena. Get their reports into the public. Refs should be answerable for their mistakes (honest or otherwise). If we are wrong and no bias exists what is the harm in having such a review to monitor and improve refereeing decision making? Posted by: Paul | 16 Mar 2010 16:32:04 Graham, It is unconscionable to me that once again a journalist/pundit in Scotland has decided to reflect back upon the Old Firm game with such a one-sided view, stating that Rangers were the beneficiaries of contentious decisions. I would consider the Scott Brown sending off as harsh and were it to go against either of the Old Firm then their fans would be upset; however, maintaining your position of impartiality can you not accept that the movement of his head in a butting motion represents violent intent, which is a red card? Whether Lafferty deserved a yellow card for simulation is after the fact. As for Bougherra, well if one is going to cite repeated fouling as a reason that he should be sent off, then perhaps we should consider that in the 90 minutes, Bougherra committed 4 fouls. Scott Brown committed 5 prior to be sent off and N'Guemo committed 5 in the 90 minutes, including a particularly high one on Boyd. Should these players also have been sent off? But surely the most glaring omission of all, as an earlier poster commented, was the obvious foul on Edu by Hinkel. This was a clear penalty which, if awarded, would have resulted in a red card for a professional foul and occurred approximately 10 minutes prior to the Brown dismissal. By continuing to reflect back on the Old Firm match with such a one-sided perspective you are merely exacerbating this "conspiracy" nonsense that is causing embarrassment to the Scottish game. Moreover, by writing an article that effectively questions the integrity of a Scottish referee without presenting a balancing argument, your lack of responsibility is doing an injustice to both him and the SPL. Posted by: Craig | 16 Mar 2010 17:12:54 Do not pretend that refereeing in Scotland is undergoing some inexplicable, temporary crisis of "apparent" partiality towards Rangers. 'Twas ever thus. This season it has been so inescapably, eye-poppingly blatant that even referees' supervisor Hugh Dallas has been moved to comment on it, although not to do anything about it. No doubt, when the league trophy is nestling in the Blue Room and next season's Champions League loot is earmarked for the beleaguered Ibrox coffers, we will see a stream of decisions in meaningless fixtures which prove the ridiculous old canard that "these things even themselves out over the course of a season." You could have written an identical article after the game between Rangers and Dundee United in 2008 which was turned decisively in Rangers' favour via the interventions of another "good guy", Mike McCurry. A man of the cloth of such unimpeachable integrity that he was drawn to make an "honest mistake" with a member of his flock half his age. A man who chose to exhort said flock to new heights of religious fervour by waving large comedy red hands in the air and singing Simply The Best, which by a complete coincidence, is a Rangers anthem. Watching Rangers' progress towards the league title this year has been like watching Robert Mugabe secure victory in an election. Posted by: Paul O'Kshields | 16 Mar 2010 17:39:34 scottish football is corrupt , it is rotten to the core ,craig levin was right , teams will never get any decisions at ibrox ,so why turn up ,it would be better for the sfa lodge number one to grant rangers all 3 points for every home game then refs could just need to consentrate on giving dodgy penalties, in there away games that would help get refs out there slump why waste good money going to a cup semi,only to be robbed by the ref, thats why attendances are down , game over baws burst give it to rangers , we have been cheated for years in scotland all the press go on about is rangers and celtic, yet they all say they are supports of smaller clubs yaeh right disgruntled taysider Posted by: g.lamon | 16 Mar 2010 17:45:22 It's been the same since the year dot, the OF get the benefit of the doubt, and more every time. The only difference is that rangers seem to get the decision even where there is massive doubt. How did rangers achieve nien in a row, by massive cheating and bias. It will never change unfortunately and is one of the reasons I stopped going to watch Scottish league football. Posted by: Mike Connon | 16 Mar 2010 18:00:05 'In lovely, Presbyterian Scotland we have many flaws, but football corruption cannot be cited among them.' Curious inclusion of the word Presbyterian - I thought we were One Scotland, Many Cultures now? I think you are implying that Rangers somehow 'represent' the Church of Scotland, perhaps they do. But it is the CoS of the 1920s, not the 2010s. I am puzzled why corruption is dismissed without consideration. There must be a reason for the stream of decisions advantaging Rangers and / or disadvantaging Celtic this season. You don't need a maths degree to understand that the probability of this happening by chance is close to zero. There has not been a level playing field in games refereed by both Dougie MacDonald and Craig Thomson this season - not one game, but all their games involving Celtic or Rangers. The SFA have not taken any action against these referees - in fact they have been awarded with further high profile games. The SFA refuses to detail the referral procedure for their Video Review Panel, the rules of which seem to be inconsistent, working to always allow a referral for a Celtic player but providing loopholes for Rangers players. Something is rotten in the state of Scottish football, whether it is corruption, conspiracy or too many Rangers fans in high places. Posted by: Patsy | 16 Mar 2010 18:01:42 Rangers fans will whine about Celtic putting pressure on referees and eventually McDonald will break and give a 50/50 against Rangers but all Celtic are looking for is a level playing field. And let's be honest, the 'pressure' thus far has reaped zero reward. I don't think anyone is seriously suggesting that referees sit down at the start of a season, this one in particular, and decide that Celtic are getting nothing or, more accurately, Rangers are getting everything. But McDonald's performance in the recent Glasgow derby – accurately described in the article above – was a so-called professional not doing his job correctly. One can only wonder as to the reasons why. Not only did he send off Brown and leave Laugherty, complete with manhandling and simulation offences, on the park but he seemingly could not wait to do so, practically barging his way through a crowd of players, that left him unsighted to the incident, to brandish the red card. No consultation with a far better placed assistant necessary here it seems. The same scenario played out at Easter Road with McGeady being sent off – McDonald looked desperate to show the red. And the Bougherra scenario beggars belief. Here's something to consider though. Is it beyond the realms of possibility for someone like McDonald not to have leanings, or sympathies, towards Rangers? Or is it utterly out of the question to wonder whether certain people in privileged positions have the same feelings towards that club? Really? Are we so arrogant in this country to think that corruption – a strong word, granted – is only possible in Italy or Eastern European? Mr Spiers will be well aware of journalists, who should be impartial, but are not, or cannot be, no matter how hard they try or protest that they are. Is it really so hard to imagine that the same could be said for referees, especially in a season where Rangers desperately need to win the league? I will say it now before Rangers fans say it: Celtic have been poor this season but not so poor as to be this far behind Rangers. Celtic have slipped up on many occasion but Rangers fans turn a collective blind eye to the decisions that have prevented them from doing the same. Posted by: Mr Understanding | 16 Mar 2010 18:24:00 most have scotland witnessed sundays game?? why no replays of pens on bbc scotland news??? dougie mcdonald just summed up scottish football!!! rip other teams apart from rangers/celtic. Posted by: alex the chambo | 16 Mar 2010 18:55:59 In lovely Scotland we have corruption at many levels -have you not been following the various political scandals, spin and downright lies ? We have an honest referee reportedly having sex in a car park behind his wife's back. But our good old referees remain honest and pure ? Graham get real -Scotland might look lovely from London but from where I am in Dundee it's not so pretty. All I ask for in the replay is honest decisions -not instant pointing to the penalty spot ! We were robbed and well said Mr Houston. How ironic that Craig was watching in the stands ! Wonder how hard it was for him to watch the fiasco in front of him. If it wasn't for penalty decisions for Rangers against Hamilton and us the "presbyterian" treble would be well and truly out the window. I admire your optimstic view of society but it is naive - take a closer look Oh and which referee have Rangers requested for the league cup final ? Posted by: 1000 years of Arab Rule | 16 Mar 2010 18:56:04 Why would a Hibs fan - Dougie the Ref - be biased toward Rangers? Posted by: Alan Cumming | 16 Mar 2010 19:04:44 I think the main reason football is failing in scotland right now is all down to the media & referee's & biasness of the SPL/SFA. When United went 1-0 up on Sunday after celebrating I said "Thats it, Rangers will get a penalty now". Sums it up. Truth is refs aren't biased towards Rangers only, watch any game that involves the Old Firm & its easy to see why all neuterals & opposing fans believe the Old Firm play with 14 men. Time to get in officials from abroad for EVERY game involving the Old Firm. Posted by: Willie D The DAB | 16 Mar 2010 19:09:27 Alan Cumming The answer is simple. No Rangers or a significantly weakened Rangers means no SPL , means no interest in the game, means no TV money, means Scotland becomes like the league of Ireland and the possiblity of this loss of revenue is the only thing that the SFA understands. Rangers have been the key beneficiaries of ridiculous decisions this season and for anyone to say it is an Old Firm Problem is kidding themselves. Compare: The Disallowed goal at Motherwell The 2 penalties at the weekend - a joke The penalty Rangers got at Hamilton on the brink of an exit from the cup. The Red card for Nade for kicking the ball away (how often is this enforced?) The Penalty at Tyncastle they got and the foul was outside the box The Penalty Hearts didn't get at 1-1 in the same game The penalty Dundee United didn't get at 0-0 when Papac fouled Daly in the act of shooting The Non - red card for an elbow to the face on Zemama of Hibs justified as obstruction but then the free kick was taken directly - rules anyone? The Miller dive with no contact and the penalty Rangers got vs Hibs in the same game. Whittaker's run off the park with no booking in the same game. The Non- Red card for Weir pulling back a St Mirren Striker in the act of shooting. The free kick that lead to the equaliser against St Mirren. McGregor stamping on the toes of a United player at the weekend How many bad calls can the little clubs claim have gone against them vs Celtic this season? Very few and very few legit ones. Hearts should have had a penalty at Celtic Park (but so should Celtic that day) Dundee United got away with a 1-1 after surviving a disallowed goal and a blatant handball by their defender in the last minute. On United's second visit to celtic park dillon kicked scott Brown behind the refs back in the box - no penalty and no red card or no video review panel (strange) Falkirk benefitted twice from bad refereeing - once when celtic had a disallowed goal in Falkirk which would have won the match and then at Parkhead when they should have conceded a penalty. Hamilton may feel uhappy about a disallowed goal of their own but the replay showed handball. St Johnstone got a man sent off but it was a foul with Fortune clean through on goal. Hearts again will say Loovens handled the ball and Fortune was offside for his in a 2-0 Victory but that is it. Aberdeen should have had an extra penalty but they themselves were foruntate (no pun intended) not to concede one themselves when Diamond kicked Fortune in the chest in the box. By my count that is Rangers 13 major decisions against the smaller teams which alter the course of matches. Celtic - 6 decisions going against the small teams of match altering proportions. So it is safe to say the big calls against the little clubs are not exactly the Old Firm bias you would expect given the size of the 2 Glasgow club and their supposed equal sway over match officals that the wee clubs talk about. One final question: Can any Rangers fan please tell us the last time a major call went against your team in a game this season other than your daydream penalty with Edu and cherished red card for NGuemo? For my money you go back to September when you got a man and manager sent to the stand at Kilmarnock. Long time ago wasn't it? The difference is your claims and whingeing are given credence by the media who will launch a frenzy demanding more of officials. Funny that. You are never paranoid. Posted by: Snake Plissken | 16 Mar 2010 22:17:08 Bougherra committed 7 fouls in the old firm game. everybody is talking about penalty for edu. it was as much of a penalty as the diomansy kamara shout in the first half. celtic fans arent complaining about every decision. just the big ones. 3 pens in first game at ibrox. fortune "goal" in 2nd game aswell as the terrible lafferty tackle on hinkel and then the last old firm game with brown and then bougherra. i dont believe for a minute that referees are anti celtic. i just think they are pro rangers! some of the decisions this season have been utterly ridiculous! Posted by: Pele | 16 Mar 2010 23:20:37 Celtic folk weren't so upset about the review process for referees' decisions when Kenny Miller's attempted appeal against a red card was dismissed in double-quick time just before the Old Firm game in January. Posted by: Marty | 16 Mar 2010 23:25:41 The refs and media (apart from Mt Spiers) are biased and are scared of Walter Smith. This season in the Glasgow derby's rangers have been helped dramatically, 1st derby at ibrox wier brings down any celtic player who is in the box celtic awarded 1 penalty out of a possible 3 lafferty should have been sent off along with wier 2nd derby at celtic park, Fortunes goal wrongly disallowed lafferty should have been sent off again 3rd derby at ibrox, Bougherra should have been sent off 7 fouls on Keane and only gets a yellow, Fortune booked for hand ball 10 minutes later kenny miller handles it and he doesnt recieve a card, brown sent off when McDonald never seen what happened and nothing done to lafferty Celtic vs Dundee united at celtic park, celtic denied 2 penalties in the last 10 mins for hand balls Celtic vs falkirk at Falkirk celtic get a goal wronglyy dissalowed Motherwell vs celtic, celtic should have had 2 penalties we get 1 didnt matter in the end we still won Rangers vs hearts hearts down to 10 men and go 1 up, ref plays on till rangers get there goal to draw Rangers vs hamilton in the cup, a penalty awarded to rangers for hand ball when the accies player was on the deck and could do nothing about it, get a replay they won after extra time Motherwell vs rangers, Motherwell has a goal chopped off wrongfully for offside and the player was onside by 5 yards rangers draw Celtic vs Hibs, celtic should have had a freekick in the last minute ref looks away and hibs break up the park and score the winner Rangers vs Dundee united, They get awarded 2 penalties wrongfully, 1st 1 the kepper gets the ball but give the penalty anyway, 2nd 1 boyd is tapped on the shoulder and goes down as if he has been shot, and if you watch dundee uniteds 3rd goal, the ref looks around to see if there is anyway he can chop it off rangers saved in the scottish cup by refs again This is just decisions off the top of my head, yes celtic have been rubbish this season but we should not be 13 points behind rangers Posted by: CraigyBHOY | 16 Mar 2010 23:38:21 Fortune's "goal" was rightly disallowed because his arm pushed aside McGregor's arm before he put the ball in. Check YouTube. Lafferty on Hinkel? A rash forward's tackle, trying to close down the defender. The referee's always likely to keep such things to a yellow card especially in an Old Firm fixture - see as bad or worse offences in previous Old Firm games by the likes of Hesselink (yellow card for a horrible "challenge" on Faye), Hartley (yellow card for a very similar tackle to Lafferty's which broke McCulloch's foot) and Robson (no card at all for a forearm smash on Dailly). The last Old Firm game? Brown was correctly sent off for using the head on an opponent. N'Guemo repeatedly fouled, then topped it off with a shocking "challenge" on Boyd which could well have been a red card on its own. Posted by: Marty | 16 Mar 2010 23:55:02 Once again this journalist confirms he is only useful for doing Celtics bidding for them. This is a misguided and quite frankly sinister attempt at blackening a referees name. Still bring up decisions from an Old firm game? Brown was correctly sent off for using his head. If you do not understand the rules of the game then you have an absolute cheek to be writing about it. Thankfully most other journalists and publications have ridiculed the theory of bias from referees meaning that the 13 or so people who still read the Times will be the only ones subjected to this drivel. Posted by: David | 17 Mar 2010 01:46:00 "Twas ever thus" "Since the year dot" - right, so the period 80 - 86 when Rangers were miserable was really because the referees decided to become unbiased for a stint? Also the seasons 06 - 08 was due to a similar aberration on the part of the referees. Wise up. Posted by: Colin Young | 17 Mar 2010 02:49:21 These sort of allegations are commonplace in the Premiership too with Man Utd always being portrayed as the beneficiaries......is it any coinsedence that Man Utd are the most successful Club in England and Rangers are the most successful Club in Scotland!?!? get on wae it and stop being such bitter losers!!! You are making excuses for having a poor season and its becoming very embarassing! Re the bigger issue......the SPL needs better marketing and the odd game on terrestrial TV mid week..... Posted by: TB | 17 Mar 2010 06:33:37 A qualified 'well done' to Graham for at least not avoiding what is now clearly the hotest issue in Scottish football. Most of my arguements have already been put forward above, but I would like to add the role of the media in all of this. In 2007-8 when Celtic won an unlikely title, there was a ridiculous level of media scrutiny for any decision, however trivial, that might possibly have favoured Celtic. Freekicks, and most blatantly of all, a corner kick against Motherwell were debated and discussed for weeks. More important 'honest mistakes' favouring Rangers are not scrutinised to anything like the same degree. The reporting of Mike McCurry's disgraceful performance in the Rangers - Dundee Utd match in 2008 is the clincher. Not one journalist identified the real story. Reading the reports, watching television or listening to the radio you would believe that his 'honest mistakes' were random acts of incompetence, completely ignoring the fact that he was already the least trusted referee in the country by some distance after a season full of errors favouring one club and one club only. Graham's (and colleagues') belief that there is no bias or corruption seems based almost entirely on wishful thinking together with a recollection of a decision against Rangers more than 18 months ago. Given Scotland's unique two club dominance and referees' inevitable interest in the sport, it would be a minor miracle if bias could be avoided. Posted by: Bryce Curdy | 17 Mar 2010 08:39:04 Oh, forgot to mention that the OF have yet again been kept apart in the semi finals of the cup. How do thyey do it? Posted by: Mike Connon | 17 Mar 2010 09:44:03 To the people who believe Rangers should have had a penalty for Hinkles challenge on Edu. That particular challenge was two players challenging for a loose ball. Minimal contact was made both players clashed neither was at fault. I tell you what though lets swap, by all mesans you can have that ONE. Just as long as we and all the other clubs can have ALL the other bad decisions rectified. I wonder what the league table would look like if that was possible. Posted by: EB | 17 Mar 2010 13:00:22 have been watching football for almost 30 years, during that time the game has evolved greatly. Although I am of the opinion that other nations have advanced at a far quicker speed than our own. While professional football outside Scotland has focussed on protecting real talent and improving technique. The game in Scotland has hardly moved on from the basic rough an tumble, at least that's my perception. Over those years, I can’t tell you how often I have heard discussions, from media and pundits criticising the standards of our game. Despite the endless debates, I have yet to hear a reasonable argument or doable idea from these self proclaimed experts. Not one manageable solution which could be implemented to help move our game in line with the rest of Europe. We need to invest in grass roots has been usual line taken by the media and pundits. While this is a noble root to take. It’s pointless in my view to start at the bottom, when so many problems exist at the top. Until the governing bodies and the medias attitudes evolve with the rest of world football then as a nation our game will never move forward. We have to ask ourselves why our clubs struggle in Europe? Scottish Footballs governing bodies really need to take a long hard look at our game as a whole. It’s clear that the direction in which we are heading is not forward.. I say that as IMO we are still embracing a physical style of play that should have been left behind in the 80‘s. Perhaps a blind eye is turned in order to help level up the playing field for the smaller teams. As grabbing, pushing, late tackles even in some cases assaults are still all too visible within our game. No other league in the world tolerates this sort of behaviour, perhaps in the 70’s or the 80’s but certainly not in 2010. As long as we continue to embrace what in essence is anti football, then we will never evolve. It seems old habits die hard within Scotland, no matter how detrimental they may be to the growth of football within our country. Until we see the laws of the game implemented in the same manner as the rest of Europe’s leagues, then we can‘t expect to improve. Attitudes from the top levels of our game have to change as it‘s their responsibility to lead by example. Media can also effect the direction of the game by discussing our problems openly. False excuses and apologists in every corner of out press only continue to mask our clear deficiencies. Ignoring your problems doesn’t make it go away, no you have to face them head on if your serious about improving. It seems the SFA doesn’t have the stomach for change, however this season with standards dropping to a new low both on and off the pitch . This may provide an opportunity for the fans to have their voices heard. All fans will at one time or another feel aggrieved at being on the wrong side of a refereeing decisions and all fans must want the game to move forward. For Celtic fans this season although not in isolation has been particularly bad. Poor decisions have no doubt had a direct influence on the current league championship. One or two should be expected but what Celtic have endured has been happening on a weekly basis. Continually being on the wrong side of a wrong decision while our rivals have been on the right side of wrong decisions. Has to at some point make you question the integrity of our officials. However if we are to accept the “honest mistakes” explanation for so many game influencing decisions. Then it’s the responsibility of the SFA to act accordingly to ensure these “honest mistakes” don’t continue to occur. On the face of it this is not happening, in fact quite the opposite it seems. With excuses and even an unprecedented apology being issued but no action visibly taken. Why are we not seeing disciplinary action taken against incompetent refereeing? For example it’s universally accepted that Dougie McDonald made numerous mistakes during the last Old Firm game. However instead of being disciplined he’s awarded, with the Scottish cup quarter final at Ibrox. Whatever the reasons behind the reluctance for change, as fans we cant sit back any longer and except the status quo. Incompetence or bias? A strong case could be made for either, however the bottom line is neither should be tolerated. Scottish Football is already injured, the game is at it‘s lowest ebb and much of what’s bad is beyond our control. However it would be a scandal if the SFA, media, clubs and fans alike continue to allow more self inflicted wounds, by ignoring a huge problem, one that we can actually do something about. - For the good of our football we need to galvanise support from all clubs, fans, sections of the media and ex professionals etc.etc. in an attempt to speak as one voice. As we need a change of direction and a clear vision to how the game should be played and officiated at all levels. - Refereeing “Styles” more in line with the rest of Europe need to be implemented, (for example the game in Scotland is too physical and Refs seem to be more lenient, this creates big problems for our clubs when they play in Europe). - Players must be better protected at all levels of the game. Players can’t possibly develop their skills/technique if referees are going to allow defenders free reign to make persistent and illegal foul’s. Such challenges would never be allowed in any other league in the world so why are they allowed in our own? As what we have currently is ANTI FOOTBALL being nurtured. It’s got so bad that the game in this country on occasion bares a closer resemblance to a wrestling contest rather than a football match. If lesser players are allowed free reign to stop the opposition from playing then they will continue to make illegal challenges. This aspect has been allowed to seep into the fabric of Scottish football and has IMO has been a major factor to why standard of our game has failed to evolve with the rest of Europe. - A consistent and totally transparent review panel process needs formed. All incidents of misconduct and appeal procedures being brought before an impartial panel for review. Perhaps ex players from all teams with no connection to the media or any governing bodies. Not what we have currently, which is a closed process with only selected cases being reviewed by faceless people . As it currently stands the process can't be described as impartial, it’s integrity should be in question . - Finally an open and transparent media. When a clear mistake is made it must be highlighted. Hiding it from view as some media outlets do or trying to explain away the indefensible, only prolongs the problems further. Many aspects of our game needs to improve, however the above aspects should be top of the list. One things for sure our game is in mortal decline. To improve we need a properly governed, functioning fair league one that's covered accurately and transparently by the media and the governing bodies. Posted by: EB | 17 Mar 2010 13:01:25 A lot of nonsense being talked on here. At the start of the season before this one, Celtic benefited from highly dubious decisions in the opening three or four games - soft penalties etc. - while Rangers were on the wrong end of a couple of very dodgy offsides in the same fixture cards. Taken together these questionable decisions gave Celtic a lead going into the first Old Firm game at Parkhead. Funnily enough, those have all been forgotten by these paranoid fools. Posted by: Mr Eugenides | 17 Mar 2010 13:16:39 Mr Eugenides Csn you point to actual incidents and not just speak in general terms? As bI can give you two before the first Old Firm game. Celtic were denied a stonewall penalty at home to Dundee Utd with the scores at 1-1. Even Craig Levein after the game made a joke saying his player caught the ball with just the one hand. Oh and your team benifited from a penalty at Tyncastle, again when the game was level. When the initial contact was made outside the box. Just in those two incidents before the forst Old Firm game, makes a 4 point's swing. Posted by: EB | 17 Mar 2010 13:34:48 I love this 'N'Guemo should have been sent off' mantra. Here's the facts: • you want him sent off for a challenge on Boyd? Let's have Miller off for his potential leg-breaker on O'Dea then. • you want him off for persistent fouling? Good luck on that. Bougherra, and this is the point every Rangers fan is missing, or ignoring, not only repeatedly fouled but fouled, every time, from behind. A yellow card offence, every single one of them. That's over 80 minutes of unpunished, bookable fouling. And again, please, enough with the 'technicality' on Brown being sent off. No one is arguing with that. It was that he was manhandled by Laugherty in the first place. Last I checked, raising your hands to an opponent is a red card offence. Brown would not have made contact with his head had he not been pulled down. The simulation afterwards merely adds insult to the injury, but not more than the fact that this thug Laugherty has got off, again, in a Glasgow derby. Colin Young, your 2 + 2 = 5 way of thinking is astounding. 80-86 Rangers were so bad that it would have taken staggeringly, blatantly obvious referee help – like scoring goals themselves – to help you win anything. 06-08, which saw the demise of both McLeish and Le Guen, saw Rangers not playing for their managers. What more can referees do in that instance? The SPL extended the league in 08 but one extension wasn't enough for you. And we all know how much the SFA tried to help by proposing to move the cup final. You actually sound disappointed that referees didn't do more in these periods. At the moment, Rangers are a functioning side who are doing it all for their manager. Added to this is a Celtic side that is stuttering badly. But as I said earlier, there is not 13 points between these teams on a level playing field. TB – you're being naive if you think these claims are because Rangers are 'successful'. Do you live in the West of Scotland? Do you know what goes on there? And to all those criticising this article, labeling it 'dangerous' or whatever, this is what happens when a journalist writes the truth. It's ok though to be shocked/sickened/outraged as I'm sure many of you will never have witnessed it reading Scottish tabloids. It will take a bit of getting used to but hopefully it just might catch on. Posted by: Mr Understanding | 17 Mar 2010 13:39:47 I was hoping i could have the league season extended because i'm not overrly comfortable with playing a certain amount of games in the allotted timeline. Is this possible...? Posted by: Nick | 17 Mar 2010 19:35:10 Come on Graham, if you're going to seriously examine this issue then why limit the argument to just four decisions by a single referee? Take a look back at your own match reports, are you sure there isn't some kind of pattern here? Graham Spiers, January 5th 2010: It looked an extremely soft decision by [steve] Conroy to give the foul against Fortuné, with such minimal physical contact between the two players, but accusations of “cheating” by the referee are plainly absurd. Scottish football has many bad traits but corrupt match officials cannot be listed among them. Graham Spiers, October 4th 2009: Celtic became embroiled in diving allegations, with both Shaun Maloney and Mark Wilson being booked by the referee, Craig Thomson, for the crime. Mowbray later laughed at the idea that Wilson was a cheat, though the full-back was booked by Thomson after going down in the area after a Papac challenge. In Maloney’s case, he had already been blatantly chopped down by David Weir inside the area, only for the referee to ignore it, whereupon Weir once more clipped the Celtic winger, with Maloney going to ground. On the second occasion Maloney did look as if he sought to take advantage of Weir’s contact, though the Celtic winger might still have been raging from not being given the penalty minutes earlier. Graham Spiers, 12th May 2008: Ibrox on Saturday will be recalled for one thing and one thing only – Craig Levein’s molten attack on the referee, Mike McCurry. No manager of modern times in Scotland has ever delivered so stinging and calculating an attack on a match official as Levein did upon entering the Ibrox press room and carefully weighing his words. McCurry, in fact, is an ordained Baptist minister whose honesty and integrity, even Levein would attest, are beyond dispute. But the Tannadice manager was not questioning any of that. ... Two incidents in particular riled the Dundee United manager. First, David Weir’s challenge on Noel Hunt after 54 minutes, with Rangers leading 2-0 at the time, looked to most neutral onlookers to be a penalty for United. McCurry, however, hurriedly waved the play on, leaving Hunt, in a heap on the ground, looking on in disbelief. Levein was livid about the incident by his dugout, though things were about to get decidedly worse. Eleven minutes later, Danny Swanson’s 25-yard shot took a deflection off Weir and bounced past Neil Alexander into the corner of the Rangers net. United were aghast to see McCurry chalk the goal off, this time, amid some confusion, because David Robertson was deemed to be blocking Alexander’s view, thus interfering with play. Posted by: Jim Farry | 17 Mar 2010 21:16:05 Verify your Comment Previewing your Comment Posted by: | This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted. Your comment could not be posted. Error type: Your comment has been saved. Comments are moderated and will not appear until approved by the author. Post another comment The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again. As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments. Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate. Post a comment. I think Spiers and the mhanks should take this to the european court of human rights. HAHAHAHA

It gives them false hope hahahaha. Even sweeter when they end up crying again