covenanter

Tom English will leave the Hootsmon with a good pay-off and remain firmly as a pundit on BBC Scotland. Pacific Quay CSC has a policy of only allowing one hack from each publication access to broadcast. Thus, with English going freelance, they can offer Glenn Gibbons, Andrew H Smith, Aidan Smith, ................................. etc a position to vent their hatred.

I saw Alex Harvey at ra Piggery, summer of '75? The ticket was priced £5 and the 12 hour long line up was : Widowmaker, the Streetwalkers, The Outlaws, Little Feat, SAHB, The Who. I admit I trapped to see Little Feat, a truly outstanding band. I was impressed by Harvey and the soulful Steve Ellis, the then lead singer of Widowmaker. Oh, and we buried a catering tin of tangerines a couple of feet under ra Piggery turf. See undergraduate humour, still it keeps mw warm thinking about it.

During WW2, ra Piggery was ordered closed for several months by the authorities, because of constant singing in support of the Nazis.

The comments reference the Barca cathedral. I had never heard any commentary on the cathedral in any of the many years after the final until 15 years or so ago. When Cosgrove was awarded the status of Daily Record columnist, one of his first pieces(it may have been his first) set a marker on how he viewed the Rangers support. He recalled Barca'72, Villa'76, and Old Trafford'74. He included a couple of lines about Rangers supporters wrecking the cathedral in Barcelona. I suspect that piece of deliberate misinformation has been eagerly grasped by the usual suspects and is part of the story.

Yep, Di Canio for Ibrox. I am sure there is room for another cabinet in the trophy room. The goose-step over winger can be placed behind glass with the appropriate plaque attached, 'Ian Ferguson's bitch'.

There is a story often related to that night reference the Guardia Civils attack dogs, I wonder if it's apocryphal? They released 12 Alsatians into the fray and only 3 returned. Apparently, the other 9 dogs returned to Scotland and were to be found in Castlemilk, Kilwinning, Larkhall, ...... only obeying commands in Scottish attempts at Spanish.

The ECWC final in Barcelona in 1972 was an explosive cocktail demanding initiation. Spain was still a fascist country ruled by Il Caudillo, General Franco. He was the victor of the Spanish civil war(1936-39). Spain was/is a loose coalition of warring tribes, Franco subjugated the Basques, Catalans, Galicians, ..... etc. Castilian Spain dominated absolutely for 35 years. Spain had three police forces, local, national, and Guardia Civil. The last mob were a paramilitary force, hopelessly over-armed ie light machine guns, mortars, grenades, and assault rifles. They existed to dominate the civilian population and protect Franco's legacy. Rangers opponents, Moscow Dynamo were the KGB team. The KGB were the Communist Party equivalent of the Guardia Civil. No supporters from Moscow were allowed to travel, Dynamo's supporters that night were Russian embassy and consular staff. Further, a few dozen communist party members from France, Germany, and Italy attended. The game was televised live around Europe, although not in Scotland(the SFA refused permission, only allowing a 2 hour delayed transmission because Scotland were playing Wales at Hampden the same evening). It was the live TV aspect that caused the battle on the pitch. The Spanish authorities were determined to be seen to be in control, given the KGB element in the equation. A minute before the final whistle, the referee blew up and raised his arm. The Rangers support(30,000) invaded the park to celebrate. This was quite normal in those days(Scotland at Wembley, ra Sellik in Lisbon, Chelsea after their FA cup win over Leeds at Old Trafford). It was not the end of the game, the ref was blowing for a free kick. The Bears could not fully return to their seats because of fencing and a moat surrounding the pitch. A further minute and this time the ref's whistle signalled the end, again the Bears rushed on to the playing surface. I should point out I was an eye witness, as a secondary schoolboy, my old man took me to the game and we were seated in the upper tier. Several thousand Rangers supporters celebrated on the pitch, Spanish national TV relayed concerns about how the country's authorities were being portrayed on screen across Europe. The Guardia Civil were ordered in to restore 'order'. Dressed in their ruritanian green uniforms with capes and packing machine pistols, they formed two diagonal extended lines and proceeded to march across the pitch swinging batons. They forced the Bears back into the last third. The TV was continuing to broadcast. The Bears reaction was very Scottish and very working class. They stood toe to toe and battered the fcuk out of the Guardia Civil. The lines broke and paramilitaries were being chased around the field. The live TV plug was ordered to be pulled, transmission went down because the Fascists could not be seen to loose control. The locals in the crowd cheered wildly. It was the first time in four decades that Catalans had seen their oppressors taking a pasting. The Catalans respected the Bears' reaction so much, they extended an invitation to Rangers to come back to the ground three years later(after Franco stood down) to play in their celebratory international tourney, (involving Bilbao, Ajax, Barca, and Rangers) the Jaun Gamper Trophy.

There is significance in this thread for Bears. Reference the 'H' term. We do NOT utilise it to self describe, we do NOT embrace it in self deprecating humour, and it is NOT a term of endearment. There are no RSCs that encorporate the term in their titles ie Hamilton H..s RSC. There are no user names on Rangers supporting forums including the term. We do not include the word in our songs or chants. I have heard Cosgrove on BBC Radio Scotland ranting, and raving about not being allowed to utilise the term. He laments the loss of a word because Channel 4's Director for Diversity knows it is derisory. The term is Cosgrove and the usual suspects preferred comfort blanket.

I have accrued empirical evidence and concluded there is a direct correlation between domestic violence and marriage to SNP MSP, Bill Walker.

Reference Cosgrove. Can you imagine a DIRECTOR FOR DIVERSITY contributing to such a one sided piece?

The real decision reference Jum will be made at the Pacific Quay CSC's next monthly meeting in the Admiral Bar, Waterloo Street. Jum's fate will be a blackboard special. I hope Jum, big Stuarty, Rheinhart, TomBhoy, Michael Grant, Spiersy, ................. et al are awarded Associate membership to the CSC and allowed to attend. It will save everybody time and money as the NUJ have a habit of meeting there too. I wonder if Paul, Phil, Angela, .....etc remove their green'ngrey scarves at the culmination of NUJ business, before conducting Pacific Quay CSC business? We should be told.

I attended said game noted by the OP. We lost 2-3, after being 1-0 to the good at half time. The front trio of John Fletcher, Billy Pirie, and Andy Penman(our 12th man in Barca) played for 25 second half minutes and ripped our defence a new one. Ibrox applauded Arbroath from the park that day. Interestingly, that same season at Gayfield, ra green'n'grey hooped horrors killed one of their fellow supporters. The game was a sell-out and the police ordered the pay-at-the-gate turnstyles closed. The jolly craicsters stormed the main gate, it fell on a wheel chair bound supporter. The Yahoos ran over the large wooden gate, pinned the disabled supporter, and crushed him. Another highlight in the phenomenon that self styles itself as TGFITW.

I believe Jum is a keen participant in water sports. He has a regular arrangement with a mature lady, she provides full flow facial humiliation.

So, Nuremberg Hugh climbs out of the brandy/robust red bottle, felates BIG Peter and hail hails a taxi to continue imbibing at Quins, Bishopbriggs.

I remember reading my way through numerous early match reports in the Mitchell Glasgow Room some 35 years past. There were a number of mentions of the then Rangers support chorusing, 'the Bonnie Wells o'Wearie'. The last time I saw it mentioned was in a few reports on the famous 4-0 thrashing of the unwashed in the 1928 Scottish Cup final.

Is there a collective noun for pantomime villains? There should be, it is most necessary to describe our club's board room. Possibly, 'a Sir Jasper of Pantomime villains'? Children will be in streams of tears come December, all those productions the length and breadth of the country will be unable to survive the first curtain call, as every(it seems that way) Sir Jasper resides atop the marble stair case. It's a situation with a thousand sides. Shout, "behind you" and you'll see what I mean.

No, no, and thrice no. Chris is serviced by his sister, Connie. She straps on the BIG wooden one and satisfies McLaughlin's demands for chutney sniping sans lubrication. Chris is a squealer.

There's real talent in that piece. Nicky Law converts on the one(down beat) of shovel's bass drum. Heather Small wails through both video and stills. Next time, show the love and utilise the Delfonics or the Temptations.

Please allow me to reinforce your point. Five years past, along with two other Bears I attended a meeting with Ian Small and two underlings. BBC Scotland were instructed by London to take the meeting. It lasted just over the hour. A several page list of examples of BBC Scotland's constant demonization and marginalisation of club and fans was presented and Ian Small immediately adopted the denial approach. An interesting piece of discussion near the end of the meeting summed it up for me and fellow Bears in attendance. It was pointed out that several hundred Rangers supporters demonstrating outside Pacifc Quay a few weeks before had been filmed and photographed by BBC Scotland. Small stated it was a news item and of course filming had taken place. It was pointed out that neither film, noe photographs had appeared in any news item broadcast. "Happens a lot", said Small. However, some very specific photographs and film had appeared on Sellik Quick News and Kerrydale Street the same evening. "Oh, we will look into that", stuttered Small. Anyways, on leaving the building I predicted Small would view that incident as a loss of discipline. The hate will continue, it will just be more careful hate. Ian Small did not, does not disappoint.

Reference the collective mindset of BBC Scotland, here is a wee vignette from yesterday. Chic Young is reporting from the Airdrie/Hamilton Acas cup tie and includes, "I see Jim Traynor is here supporting one of his teams". Seriously, this from a guy that has been constantly lampooned by his employers(BBC Scotland) for bias towards Rangers in all his reports. Of course, he never misses an opportunity to proclaim his life long love for St Mirren. Anyways, reaction from his BBC Scotland colleagues on 'Open Mike' was a chorus of sniggers. Both Cosgrove and Cowan had a couple of pops at Traynor too, on their show. Hatred of all things Rangers is a well established comfort blanket at Pacific Quay.

Paul McConville is as much an Albion Rovers fan as Phil McThreefourfivenames is a Team Leader with Donegal Mountain Rescue. Remember, Paul's absolute love for Albion Rovers comes second to his absolute love for the England cricket team; oh, and his absolute love for monies due to miners' families. Both Paul and Phil should spend less time in the leather bars of Wifflet.

Neil D' will decide the venue, after Peter tells him where.

A wee addendum to Nuremberg Hugh's comparison. Several months later, well known Bear, Andy Smillie(along with Wullie Haughey) paid £10,000 at Snyde's 'Cash for Kids' charity auction to appear on Superscoreboard one Saturday afternoon. Andy objected to Keevins assessment of a player's contribution and inclusion in a squad. Smillie said it was an unfair comparison. Petulant Hugh replied by flashing his long term journalistic credentials and ending, "what would I know"? Big Andy immediately countered, "I know this, there were no union flags at a Nuremberg Rally". Keevins proceeded to throw the toys out of the pram, "how long am I expected to be tormented by this"? The objective host of ra show, Bitter Martin cut immediately to a break to protect Hugh. That was 5-6 years past, Radio Snyde have decided to forego tens of thousands of pound donations to their charity because that was the last time they allowed a Rangers supporter live in the studio. Nuremberg is always protected.

That was the second occasion he said it, the first was as described.

The Nuremberg Rallies were utilised by the Nazis to introduce and progress the Race Laws. These laws were used to march 6.5million peoples into the gas chambers, Jews, Masons, Gypsies, both cerebral and physical handicapped, ......... etc. Twice, on successive CL nights at Ibrox, Keevins compared four flags(one union, one saltire, and two club crests) being waved for a minute as three film theme tunes were played over the PA, to a Nuremberg Rally. Spiers loved the comparison and included it in his Herald Sports Diary. A complaint to Snyde saw Keevins suspended from presentation duties for six months, he was still allowed to contribute to shows.