Hide your scarf, your ref for the League Cup semi

898

Q. So you were a Rangers season ticket holder, when did you stop?
A. A few years ago.  I work weekends and was seldom getting to games.

Q. How do you feel about how Rangers were treated in 2012?
A. How do any of us feel?  It wasn’t our fault, one guy came in and did all the damage, then sinister forces took advantage.  Every last one of us feel the same way.

Q. How do you feel about the League Cup semi-final, are you looking forward to it?
A. Not really, but we need to do whatever it takes to make sure we don’t get embarrassed.  Years of being subjected to the effects of what Charles Green called “bigotry” means we need to fight with everything we’ve got.  We can’t let Celtic embarrass us, need to stand up to them.

Q.  Thanks, Robert.  One more question, are you available to referee that game?
A.  You know me, aye ready!

The forthcoming League Cup semi-final will be one of the most difficult games to referee and police in the history of Scottish football.  The police will have their most experience Match Commander on duty.  The SFA will not have their most experienced referee on duty, instead they have given the game to former Rangers season ticket holder, Bobby Madden.

The authorities must be independent and be seen to be independent.  Former season ticket holders are acceptable and welcome as referees, but when you face extraordinary circumstances, take extraordinary care in selecting your referee.  I don’t know a single ‘Rangers’ fan who doesn’t have animated views on what happened in recent years.  They want to beat us next month more than at any time in original-Rangers 140-year history.  Why is one of them the referee?

Craig Thomson is widely regarded as unaligned and Scotland’s top official.  There must be a story explaining why he wasn’t given the game.

Our team selection for the League Cup semi-final doesn’t bother me.  We can have Scepovic, Guidetti, Stokes or Griffiths up front, Efe and Charlie at the back, I’d still back us to win.  Can’t say I’m too worried about the other lot either, even if they manage to hold onto all their, ‘stars’.

What does concern me is how the game is refereed.  Before it, CQN will write about how important it will be to keep 11 men on the field, not to dive into tackles inside our penalty area, and not to get drawn into a levelling battle.

You can write the script about how this one is going to play out, we’ll be kicked, elbowed and incited, with liberal dramatic tumbles taken in and around our box.  In a decade writing CQN I’ve only discussed referees around a dozen times but the selection for this one is alarming. Mr Madden will be scrutinised more than at any time in his professional life.  He has an enormous challenge ahead.

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898 Comments

  1. Delaneys Dunky on

    Marspapa

     

     

    Hi bro. You got any local clout in getting Ryan & I tickets for Accies match?

  2. Glorious Balance Sheet …………

     

     

    Didn’t big Pierre have a goal disallowed that day too ?

  3. Celticrollercoaster supporting Shay,our bhoy wonder along the way on

    Marspapa

     

     

    He is a salesman, he sold the green badges for less than cost and saturated the market

     

     

    Whilst the black and gold badges sold well at full value and are now collectors items :-)

     

     

    HH

     

     

    CRC

  4. Delaneys Dunky

     

     

    How are you and Ryan doing ?

     

    I’ll ask about but I don’t think I’ll have much luck

     

     

    The only clout is the one the wife gives me

     

    Anytime I mention going for a pint with the CQN squad lol !!

     

     

    Mind if you and Sips fancy coming upto my gaff pre or après

     

    Ra gem let me know :))

  5. the glorious balance sheet.

     

    I think Dallas called it offside, when Robertson was probably a yard on when he received the pass, if i recall.

     

    That decision is still referred to by huns along with the ’89 cup final ‘throw in’, when referee bias is discussed and how it affected their club.

     

    Goram was immense for the dead club that day, the Pierre save amongst others.

     

    One of my last visits to the oldco’s ground.

  6. CRC

     

     

    It’s all about the money !! (As the song goes )

     

    Who raised the most haha ?

     

    Have you thought about going into politics ?

  7. Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on

    They’re 5 miles high as the crow flies

     

    leavin’ vapour trails against a blood red sky

     

    Movin’ in from the East toward the West

     

    with Balaclava helmets over their heads, yes!

     

     

    But if you think that Jesus Christ is coming

     

    Honey you’ve got another thing coming

     

    If he ever finds out who’s hi-jacked his name

     

    He’ll cut out his heart and turn in his grave

     

     

    Islam is rising

     

    The Christians mobilising

     

    The world is on its elbows and knees

     

    It’s forgotten the message and worships the creeds

     

     

    It’s war, she cried, It’s war, she cried, this is war

     

    Drop your possessions, all you simple folk

     

    You will fight them on the beaches in your underclothes

     

    You will thank the good lord for raising the union jack

     

    You’ll watch the ships sail out of harbour

     

    and the bodies come floating back

     

     

    If the real Jesus Christ were to stand up today

     

    He’d be gunned down cold by the C.I.A.

     

    Oh, the lights that now burn brightest behind stained glass

     

    Will cast the darkest shadows upon the human heart

     

    But God didn’t build himself that throne

     

    God doesn’t live in Israel or Rome

     

    God doesn’t belong to the yankee dollar

     

    God doesn’t plant the bombs for Hezbollah

     

    God doesn’t even go to church

     

    And God won’t send us down to Allah to burn

     

    No, God will remind us what we already know

     

    That the human race is about to reap what it’s sown

     

     

    The world is on its elbows and knees

     

    It’s forgotten the message and worships the creeds

     

    Armageddon days are here again

  8. Gerryfaethebrig on

    Bobby Madden ????

     

    I always remember a caller on SSB back in the day, he was called Sean, Patrick or the likes (from Coatbridge) BFSDJ immediately commented “oh no guesses who you support… Hahaha” the caller then questioned him asking why he jumped to that conclusion, because of your name and where you lived or words to that affect, Bhoy on line said “well should we assume that all the referee’s with Protestant sounding names support Rangers” (they were rangers at that time)…. The Bhoy from the Brig was so correct !!!

  9. Delaneys Dunky on

    Marspapa

     

     

    Hahaha. Thanks bro, will give you a shout when I get tickets for Hamilton.

     

    Yer a gent B.

  10. Celticrollercoaster supporting Shay,our bhoy wonder along the way on

    Marspapa

     

     

    To honest to be involved in politics.

     

     

    Anyway if you can get a clout from the Mrs in advance, a few are out on 17th to watch the Accies game. All welcome.

     

     

    Will email, next day or two.

     

     

    HH

     

     

    CRC

  11. BCW @23:13

     

     

    Yes ma brother never got into the shipmates when he applied

     

     

    But people more academically qualified than me produced the following paper which ProfessorTom Devine referred to in a lecture he gave recently on discrimination in the West of Scotland. Page 8 should be of particular interest to you

     

     

    Ps a wee Catholic police constable ended up knighted and Chief Constable of Strathclyde Sir Patrick Hamill

  12. Delaneys Dunky on

    James

     

     

    I am becoming a lonely smoking sinner in my world. Thankfully. I just love ma puff! :))

  13. the glorious balance sheet on

    moravcik –

     

     

    I vaguely recall van Hooijdonk having a goal disallowed at Ibrox. It might have been in that game. I think he scored a goal that stood as well and Collins scored a penalty.

  14. Clashcitybhoy@18:15

     

     

     

    “SFTB
 Re the Hearts supporting ref
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/the-day-we-put-rangers-to-the-sword-1-1312472”

     

     

     

     

    Thanks for the link.

     

     

    Your link is from 2010 and I found a similar complaint by Clark in the DR from 2012. I can find no record of their outrage in the intervening 24 years between 1986 and 2010. As I said, Hearts players and management left the pitch at H/T and F/T without any protest or sense of grievance. The BBC video report did not even include the tackle by Colin Hendry on Sandy Clark- not like them to miss out a bit of controversial action.

     

     

    This has all the hallmarks of a tale made up in later years to salve their conscience. The same player, Clark, berated and blamed some of the St. Mirren players for giving up against Celtic when they heard the goals going in at Dens Park. But we were 5 up with 55 minutes played. Kidd scored his first goal with 8 minutes to go. If anything, it was Celtic easing up when were 5:0 up, not St. Mirren. If Hearts had scored one with the 8 minutes remaining they would still have taken the league. They lost the title through their own bottle crashing, Celtic playing superbly to do what they could to pressure their bottle and Albert Kidd and Tosh McKinlay being brave at Dens Park. That is the order of the factors concerned. The first factor accounts for 90% of it, the latter two factors for 5% each.The ref contributed nothing but, as you say, he maybe should not have got the game because it gives them a fig leaf of an excuse.

     

     

    I found only one report describing the tackle that Hendry made on Clark. The journo describes it thus:-

     

     

     

    “It would be untruthful to pretend that the first half at Dundee was anything other than ordinary, but interviewed since, Hearts players believe a first minute penalty was justified. Sandy Clark cut into the area having turned Colin Hendry, but Hendry interspersed himself between Clark and the ball to win it, knocking Clark over as he did so. Would they be talking about it if they’d won the match?”

  15. Delaneys Dunky on

    Mickbhoy

     

     

    My sister asked me last week. “Who was grandads friend in the KSC? Chief Constable?

     

    Great man Mr Hamill.

  16. CRC

     

     

    Is it Mcchuills (spelling) yes :)

     

     

    The western brewery not for me :(

     

    I’ll get my brownie points in , so I can go :)

     

     

    Underherthumbcfc ouch !!

  17. delaneys dunky

     

     

    What am I?

     

    Your Confessor?

     

     

    Oh woops, forgot. I am.

     

     

    ;-)

     

     

    HH jamesgang

  18. mickbhoy1888,

     

     

    I’m going to my kip, but will try and get a read at the link you posted tomorrow.

     

     

    To me, why not just ban the walks?

     

     

    Makes sense to me…night mate. HH

  19. Delaneys Dunky on

    James

     

     

    My uncle James Delaney taught me Celtic. James the apostle is coolio like you both. :))

  20. the glorious balance sheet on

    SFTB 2347-

     

     

    Wasn`t Sandy Clark the assistant manager of Dunfermline Athletic on the final day of season 2002/03 when they went to Ibrox to play Rangers who were level on points with Celtic? If I recall rightly the Dunfermline manager, Jimmy Calderwood, announced live on TV in the pre-match interview that he had told his players to “enjoy the party”.

     

     

    Rangers got a soft penalty that day too, but I didn`t hear Sandy Clark moaning about that. Nor did I ever hear him accusing his Dunfermline players of giving up or lying down as they succumbed to a 6-1 defeat to Rangers.

     

     

    Strange that……or maybe not. Clark is just a thick hypocritical hun.

  21. doc

     

     

    Doin’ ma best, buddy. :-))

     

     

    DD

     

     

    Cheers for that kiddo. :-)))

     

     

    Eddie

     

     

    Yer welcome. HH.

     

     

    Dena29

     

     

    Cheers. Hope you are back to yer fighting weight. Lol.

     

     

    Jamesgang.

     

     

    Thanks young yin. :-))))

     

     

    See you all soon. Night. KTF.

     

     

    Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.

  22. Delaneys Dunky

     

     

    You were missed on the blog

     

     

    1) I thought might have a wee filly on the go :)))

     

     

    2) or you were upto some Rebel rousing and were in the clink !!!

     

     

    Glad to see you back on ;))

     

     

    Sipsini

     

    Maybe meet up on the 17th depending on venue .

  23. charliemac

     

     

    22:16 on 7 January, 2015

     

     

    A long with Daryl Murphy, a couple of Guys from Israel, half the dundee Utd team and a wee left back from hamilton, it’s going to be a busy night

  24. the glorious balance sheet

     

     

    23:59 on 7 January, 2015

     

     

    the penalty Stuart Dougal gave the huns v Dunfermline that day ,remains the worst i have seen (up against some very stiff competition btw).I think Calderwood,Nicholl and Clark were in charge of Dunfermline that day.

     

    #suttonwasright