Ger for life

Willie Henderson smokes cigars (or did anyway). There's a famous picture of him walking out of Hampden with a huge cigar and the V sign after we had won a cup final. Andy Goram also liked a fag.

I had the good fortune to see Bobby Shearer play for the Gers. He gave everything he had for the team. And by God he could tackle, a skill which his fellow Lanarkshire man, Tom Forsyth brought to the team in later years.

I was at a sports dinner in East Kilbride on Friday evening and the guests included Bomber Brown and John Hartson. Both of them said more or less the same thing,that you can improve a player's aerial ability, and even his first touch, but you can never give a player heart. If a player's heart is not 100% committed then it becomes a lost cause. I fear some of our players are good with their mouths talking to the press but simply don't have the heart which is required to get us out of where we are and back to the top level where we belong.

It's a very laudable suggestion but unlikely to happen due to league/cup fixture commitments. Perhaps an annual pre-season match between both clubs with alternate venues and the funds raised going to charity might be a more achievable aim. Good on you for the idea though

I am delighted that the Hillsborough families have finally received the news that their lost loved ones have been vindicated. I remember we played St Johnstone in the Cup semi final at Parkhead on that same afternoon. I was in the west end area which was terraced and I remember an almighty crush situation which took place. I managed to get to the back of the terraces and watched as police officers started to lift young people over the wall onto the track and went to move them onto the track only for a couple of senior police officers to arrive and berate the junior officers before attempting to force the fans back to the area from where they had been removed. It was only the derision of the crowd in that part of the ground that eventually persuaded these clowns that we had a potentially serious crush situation ongoing and remedial action then followed. There is coverage via You Tube but I don't know how to post the link. I remember being so relieved to get out of that ground unscathed and when I got to my car and heard about the Hillsborough incident my blood ran cold. I also recall a letter in the following Monday's Herald which was extremely critical of the conduct of the senior police officers' actions.Fortunately because there was no fencing the situation did not end in a catastrophe that afternoon. What happened at Hillsborough that fateful day was a disaster. The cover up which followed was and remains culpable in the extreme. God rest the 66 and the 96.

I can relate to that

At least if that fat chunt Cowan's not attending, it means there will be a good chance of getting a pie in the Broomloan Stand!

Let us simply enjoy the new experiences we are encountering. We really have no need to talk about "pumping" teams or hand gestures towards their support. This is our golden opportunity to make new friends who, in the years to come will be grateful to us and supportive towards us so that we never again will endure the hatred we have experienced in recent months. We are Rangers. We are class. We are dignity personified.

It remains to be seen if Ally will be the success as a football manager that we all hope he will. Ally will always have a role to play at Rangers whether in a football capacity or in PR. One thing is for sure, Ally will know if the time ever comes when the best thing he can do for the club IS walk away. Until then, let's just all keep calm and ride out the storm. As the old saying goes, "we've never died a winter yet!"

I think Charles Green would respond to a sanitised version of this letter, i.e. without the swear words. There is a small part of me which thinks Green is warming to his role at Ibrox and although his original intention was to make a profit from us, he may well be overwhelmed at the size and resolve of the institution that is Rangers F.C. and the loyalty of the supporters. I also think he wants to make sure that those who opposed us get a right good kicking and I believe this has become a bit personal for him. I may be wrong but my instinct tells me otherwise. Incidentally where have TBKs disappeared? Not a peep from them in recent weeks. Anyone else find this strange?

I'll have the number four choice on that menu please waiter!

I love Newcastle very much because I used to work there. I have a soft spot for United and indeed I took a season ticket out with them because I couldn't get up to Glasgow very much. If you ever go to a game you must visit The Strawberry across the road from the ground. Heaving every game, but the best bar staff in the land will serve you in nano seconds. Let's hope both clubs can come to a working arrangement.

Nope! Even more Confused.com now!

Me too. A guy named Joe phones is and speaks about yesterday's game and mentions nothing as quoted in the OP. Confused.com!

Get well soon Gordon

Hear.hear!

Both articles make very salient points. There is without doubt an underbelly of plot and conspiracy intent upon the ultimate destruction of Rangers Football Club. It fuelled unfortunately by fools who have not the foresight to realise both the errors of their ways and that without us, Scottish football as an entity is placed in a perilous state. The level of sustained attacks and punishments meted out so far - and possibly yet to come, is proof positive that we are indeed at the epicentre of "the night of the long knives." When one considers the response of the Football authorities in England vis a vis Portsmouth Football Club,in comparsion to the malignant and culpable treatment which Rangers has endured at the hands of our own footballing bodies, there is a clear body of evidence to support our rightly held suspicions of incompetency at best and corrupt practices at worst. We must stand firm and foresquare in our defence, and we require leadership of substance to guide us through this darkened period and to ensure that true justice prevails. Charles Green appears to be ready for the fight. We need more of his ilk to step up to the mark. Ultimately, I am confident that we shall emerge from this victorious and the true villains of this period in our history shall be brought to book in one form or another.

You know mate you are correct. Don't know where the Fenerbache came from! This is a worry as Alzheimer's is in my family! Always happy to admit when I get it wrong, unlike our football authorities. I would only have been 8 at the time so I couldn't have been at that party though! Or could I? :uk: All praise to you for correcting me¬

Slim Jim used The St Enoch Hotel as his base with food, drink, a direct line to a bookies and allegedly, the odd female or 10!. All charged to Rangers account! He used to have the late trainer Davie Kinnear frantic with apoplexy as he always managed to persuade Scot Symon to let him off training. My favourite Baxter story is when Rangers played Fenerbache in a European tie in the 1960's at Ibrox. Fenerbache featured the legendary Ferenc Puskas and as both teams came off the field at the end of the game, Puskas came running up to Slim, shouting "Baxter, Baxter, whisky, jig-a-jig!" Jim took Puskas to a party in a house in Drumchapel where Puskas got pished and got his hole! Those were the days!

Can't disagree with your views but I think that we have a possible scenario where teams who will raise their game against us coupled with some of our players who either don't want to be in Div 3 or think that they only have to turn up and the other teams will roll over. We need to be on top of our game - every game.

Bright orange away would be brilliant but like Puma do for Ivory Coast Newcastle United's 3rd strip was bright orange last season!

In the two games we've played there have been no prima donnas going down at the drop of a hat trying to con free kicks. Also the referees seem less card happy and not full of their own self importance. They seem happy to allow the game to flow with the odd meaty challenge here and there. Almost getting back to the days when football was for men and played like men.! Another welcome discovery on our journey to recovery!

The DJ/Announcer is Adrian Coll who has been with us for a few seasons after taking over from George Bowie. He's no' a bad wee fitba player himself is Adrian.

But Charles Green has made no secret of the fact he is not here for the long haul and that being the case. he would be in a better position to sell if we were back in the top flight. Again I go back to the "driven by Sky" comment. Sky carries a fair bit of clout and I am sure even Green would acceed to any demand if it was to prove more profitable in the end. I also can't understand why we would be signing SPL standard guys if there was not something going on behind the scenes. I personally am well up for "doing our porridge" in the three divisions. I just don't think that our footballing bodies or sponsors share our enthusiasm!

Watching Goian and Boca tonight I said to my son it's hard to believe a year ago we were watching them playing in the CL qualifiers and anticipating all the new signings the Craig Whyte era would bring. I think if any one of us had been told that a year later we'd be in SFL 3 the guys in the white coats would have been called into action. I can't see either of the aforementioned guys staying as we would be top heavy on defenders and also they would stroll through every game. Unless of course there are plans afoot - probably driven by Sky - that we will be back in the top flight somehow next season. Seems to me Ally is very keen to sign as many SPL level players as he can, given the pending transfer embargo. The season in SFL 3 gives the SPL/SFA a chance to come out with a face saving reconstruction of the game which the SFL will also buy into. And "sporting integrity" will have no part to play.