CoopsLaud

His day off is probably the time and place to play computer games tbf.

God no. Please no.

Hes a cracking keeper. Can't understand some of the stick tbh. 

Copied from FF
Fell aff ma chair, Leckie’s putting the boot in.
 
LAST week they refused to utter a peep for half an hour, just when their team needed all the support going.

This week they couldn’t keep their big mouths shut for the one, solitary minute when their club really needed them to.

But then that’s the Green Brigade for you. The most contrary, attention-seeking, self-entitled shower in all of football.

Oh, and don’t forget spoiled. Because when it comes to stamping their feet and getting their own way, this lot make Cartman from South Park look like Winnie The Pooh’s wee pal Piglet.

They’ve been indulged for so long by the people who run Celtic that they genuinely think matchday’s more about them than the guys on the pitch.

If they have something to yell about, if they have an axe to grind — and, let’s be honest, they always do — then the game can just damn well wait until they’re good and done.

A week back on Saturday, they stage-managed a protest against the prospect of police chief Bernard Higgins becoming Parkhead’s new security consultant, unveiling a huge banner describing him as “evil” and then sitting in silence until 3.30pm.

I’m still in no doubt that the lack of atmosphere during those 30 minutes allowed visitors Livingston to settle in and graft their way towards a 0-0 draw.

If those two points dropped end up being the difference between Ange Postecoglou winning the league or not come May . . . well, let’s see who takes the blame

Here’s a clue: It won’t be those fans who decided making a political statement was more important than cheering their heroes to victory.

Which brings us to Dens Park, when they rolled out their next stunt aimed at controlling the board’s employment policy.

Or rather, BOUNCED it out, seeing as they waited until the action had started before hurling hundreds of tennis balls into Joe Hart’s goalmouth.

Then, for anyone who didn’t get why, which was basically everyone, they unfurled a banner reading: “Fans or Higgins — The Ball’s In Your Court”.

Still, it could have been worse. They could have a problem with John Higgins.

Listen, I’m not going to sit here and spout that punters should keep their noses out of club business, because we’ve long since got used to a hardcore in every support believing that having their name on a season ticket gives them the same voting rights as a director.

For this breed of fan, it’s not enough to turn up, back the team and let the people upstairs take care of the business side.

In fact, it’s not even enough for them to be allowed to stick in their ten-bob’s worth.

No, they demand the right to veto decisions, in this case under the clear threat of a boycott if a cop they despise is allowed through Parkhead’s front door.

Which brings us here, to a situation where if the board HAD been considering Bernard Higgins as their new security consultant, they now either have to forget it or plough ahead and risk every fixture turning into a protest.


With those protests inevitably becoming more menacing than the odd sponsored silence or hail-hail of fuzzy balls.

As for the way an element of the 4,000-strong Celtic horde ruined yesterday’s pre-match minute’s silence of Remembrance?

That was more inevitable still. So much so the only surprise would be if anyone was surprised by it, because it’s become an annual tradition: Lest We Forget To Be Morons.

They boo and they chant while everyone else’s head is bowed, the other lot’s fans start to boo them back and it all descends into exactly the embarrassment they want it to be.

I have no issue with the Parkhead club not sporting poppies on their shirts. It’s everyone’s right to wear one or not, and choosing not to doesn’t mean you disrespect those who lost their lives in warfare.

What I find utterly obnoxious, though, is the refusal to respect anyone else’s wish to stand in silence.

What’s unforgivable is the way they then charge on with their IRA chants and their choruses of “stick your f****** poppy up yer a***”.

Do this on a European night and a fine generally follows — their club’s bill from Uefa stands at more than £500,000 and counting — but somehow, in the domestic game, the SFA and SPFL just seem to shrug it off as some sort of banter.

Sectarianism, in whatever flavour it comes, is always regarded this way by those who run the show, right down to Sky falling over themselves to apologise whenever the effects microphone picks up some random swearing but not when the para- military karaoke’s in full swing.

It’s all so depressing, but more miserable still is the thought that this time next year I’ll probably be writing about the same intolerable levels of intolerance yet again.

This time next year, the same numbskulls will be emailing in with their bile and their one-eyed rubbish about how “Ye never slaughter THEYM, dae ye?” and how “If you didnae write it, we I still prefer men dae it”.

And this time next year, chances are the Green Brigade will still be getting away with more than any other fans in the game.

While still whining non-stop that they’re more oppressed than the starving children of Yemen

Hi there
Found old big Alexey Mykhaylychenko interview (2010 year) for Ukrainian media.
Here is part of it about his time in Rangers (my translation): 

- UEFA Euro-1992, last game in the group against Scotland. Oleg Kuznetsov told us: “We couldn't make a deal with Scots, because we didn't speak English very well. But I talked to my Rangers teammates an hour and a half before the game and the verb "help" sounded in the talk".
- I don't know about him, he might asked "help" but I never did it. We arrived at the stadium an hour and a half before the game, went out and talked to Rangers teammates. That is true. Scots have real British character. Even if they need nothing, it doesn't mean they'll not fight. All talks about "help" are nonsense. How could we get a deal an hour and a half before the game? Absurd. This is crazy. If you need something, you try to get in two or three days before the game. Do you know what's the funniest? Some people in Moscow babbled that I sold that game. Can you believe this? But they talked about that very confidentially. And I am sure there were people who believed it.
- Also Oleg Kuznetsov said that Scots spent all night at night club...
- Probably they didn't spend a day before the game very responsibly, but they definitely weren't hangover. Scots are professionals. I played for  Rangers five years and I know their mentality. Yes, they can spend a time in a restaurant with friends, have a drink, but there is a certain lines when they stop to drink. For example, if there is a game on Saturday, the last day you can have a drink is Tuesday.
- So what happened in that game against Scotland?
- It was an accident.
- Was it your idea to leave Sampdoria and go to Glasgow?
- Rangers manager Graeme Souness watched me for two years since Euro-88. But honestly, I met that news without enthusiasm: Scottish championship was modest and didn't look attractive. As well as stereotype about the country: rain and cold all year around.
- What did you feel when moved to Rangers?
- I didn't think a lot about the weather and climate of Britain. Well, this is not sunny Italy, not Genoa with sea, but the atmosphere I got there left unforgettable and best memories. Also I was moving to a big club. At that time Glasgow Rangers was among the best clubs of Europe. It was elite club.
- Was it difficult to get used to life in Scotland after Italy?
- No, because Oleg Kuznetsov was there already. Two families, children - it was way easier. Atmosphere inside the team was friendly. Italians are noisier and more meticulous than Scots.
- Did you speak English?
- Ha-ha, I don't speak English even now... In 1996, when I decided to finish my career, Rangers manager Walter Smith offered me a job as a coach of Rangers second team, but I refused. I didn't speak English good enough to work for Rangers, so I came back to Ukraine...
...
If it's interesting I can translate rest part of interview about his Rangers time.

The original is more fun. Classic video.
 
Supposedly originally an African rallying cry. 

Must be some boy, Beale has met a lot of people in football

2002/03

Alex Neil just mentioned that Rangers have scored more headed goals than any other team in the league.
I don’t know about anyone else but that’s totally surprised me and shows just how influential we’ve been from set pieces and wide areas.
I realise this is hardly a ‘new’ feature to Gerrard’s style of play but it’s something that probably gets overlooked given the height of our team outwith the defence!

There's the team talk right there!
Come on Rangers, for Walter!!
💙💙💙

That about covers me then.

Work was a struggle last night just replaying all the memories over in my head from his 2nd spell, was only 6 years old when we clinched 9IAR so it wasn't my time but I'd grown up listening to stories about that side from my dad, watched all the videos etc so when it was announced that he was returning to Rangers it was like this colossus of a man was coming back to really sort the club out considering the bad spell we were going through at that time. 
Been said many times in this thread already but 07-11 was a really special period in our clubs history imo, for that man to walk through those doors again and achieve what he did considering the strains that were on the club at the time was nothing short of unbelievable, the one game that really summed it all up was the cup final v St Mirren,to drag us through kicking and screaming with 9 men to win it was incredible. 
He'll always be the Rangers manager for me and has earned a special place in our clubs long and illustrious history, thanks for the memories Walter 💙

Class as usual from Gerrard, hopefully seeing this man put the standards back into our club that was missing for way too long was a comfort to Walter 

It makes me well up to hear him speak..
 

Scottish Premiership
IBROX STADIUM
27 OCT 2021 - 7:45 PM
 
Vs.

 
League table: 

 
Form:
Good guys: D W W D W
Baaad guys: L L L L W
 

Just saw this on twitter
 

Thoughts are with Ethel and the wider Smith family at this time .
Walter gave me some of the happiest times of my life as a young man in the 90's , and then returned to give me some more memorable times when taking my 3 young kids to games , The 9 man League Cup Final is a case in point . No other Rangers manager of my lifetime pulls that one off .
Thanks for all the good times Walter . 
Walter Smiths Blue & White Army  Forever  

I think the best testament to Walter Smith should be that he went undefeated against a Champions' League-winning Marseille team absolutely off their tits on performance enhancing drugs, bribing refs left right and centre, and did it with a team of high functioning alcoholics. 

Photo looks like it’s been taken with a Potato but was lucky enough to be staying in the team hotel one away trip against PSV must be 10 years ago now and my Dad and I managed to get a few minutes talking to him in the bar after the game and he was a gentlemen through and through. It was one of those moments where you could feel the aura of somebody, he felt like a giant. 
 
I couldn’t have put it any better than a previous poster, as somebody born in 86 he feels like everything when it comes to Rangers. He was born to be a hero at our club. What an utter legend of a man. 

I’ve lost track so sorry if already posted, Boydy
 

I feel ignorant that I’ve actually not looked out with us until today. I cannot believe how many people he impacted in this game literally from Guardiola to Ronaldo, it’s really amazing to see

Pep Guardiola:
 
'I am so very sad to hear the news of Walter Smith's passing.
I was of course very aware of Walter's impressive management career before I came to the Premier League. Through his role as technical consultant for the LMA, I have had the opportunity over the past five years to get to know him and see what a humble, insightful and very genuine man he was.
I always enjoyed spending time with Walter and we had been planning to have dinner together again.
I feel very fortunate to have had the chance to get to know him and I send my deepest condolences to Walter's wife Ethel, his sons Neil and Steven, his grandchildren and all of his family who have lost a very special man'