Jakes Pal

It go's without saying that I have regretted not going ever since. How many times can any Bear alive apart from the very youngest, can have any hope of seeing us get to the latter stages of a European competition in our lifetime?

Hopefully you know what I mean, a proper, for real, means really something game. ( Not that Rangers v Forfar does not matter or mean any less to the Diehard Bluenose)

I did it once. Balked at the price quoted by Rangers Travel Club for semi at Fiorientina. For the money they wanted I would have expected at least a two day trip, or a fortnights holiday in Teneriffe. Instead I watched the game in The District, and although the atmosphere in there was brilliant, I must admit that I would have given anything to have been in the away section that night as wee Nahco tucked away the penalty that took us to the Final in Manchester.

I know how you feel BNB. Has my pocket dipped in the Fanzone before the game against Sporting during our run to the UEFA Cup Final. Lost my cash, and match ticket, for some reason the Bawbag left my cards as I discovered when I found my wallet lying on the ground a few yards away. The Rangers steward who I approached with my predicament was brand new, handed over a replacement ticket no problem when I to him what had occurred, seems that I was far from being the only one targeted by the Portuguese pocket dippers. At least I was not thieved by a fellow Bear unlike the time I was sold a counterfeit for a game at Pittodrie by a so called Bluenose. I was just a youngster at the time, early teens, how a Bear could do such a thing to a fellow Bluenose, a kid at that , just beggars belief.

Hard as it maybe to do so, remember how you feel tonight, how you felt last Sunday, how you felt during the very worst time of our Clubs existence. Remember how you felt now, remember how you felt today as you watched those Arab B'stards gloat. Difficult as it will be to remember all of the crap we have been subjected to over the last few years, make sure that you do no not forget the despair. When we win our next major honour, when we skelp Dundee United, when we gub The Mhanks, when The Stadium is rocking to the sound of The Champions League theme, when we return to our place at the pinnacle of Scottish football, the memory of today will make our triumph so much the sweeter. I watched as we struggled through the Eighties, I watched us getting beat at The Piggery for 9 years in succession.I watched as we were humbled by the great and not so great of European football. I watched as we gubbed the Mhanks on their own midden, I watched as we won the League at Pittodrie, (Soooouness), I watched as Super scored at Leeds, I watched as we humbled Lyon, PSG, Porto, Juventus(John McDonald) I watched as Big Goughie cried at Tannadice, I watched on Helicopter Sunday,I nearly fell off the top deck of Hampdens main stand when Lovelypants scored in the last minute. We will enjoy the good times again. Maybe not under the current regime, maybe not under the regime that wants to replace the current regime, but given that what we are and who we are, anyone who doubts that we will once again be the undisputed premier footballing institution of Scotland is either the Worlds biggest pessimist or the Wolrds most deluded fool. Although it is not pleasant you have to experience the rough in able to enjoy the smooth. Rangers shall prevail.