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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Marspapa
1 is closer to the truth. :)
Leicester told £1mil is not enough for Maloney,Burnley interested too.He will get at least double what we would give him,if we are interested,which i doubt .No offence to poster who put it up.HH
It’s the SPFL Illuminati…
The glorious balance sheet,
Correct mate, Pierre had good goal chopped off that day, never offside, just watched it again.
The Robertson goal,looked nothing wrong with it either.
setting free the bears
Not only were Albert Kidd and Tosh McKinley being brave when the minis collapsed at Dens Park, I think Bomber “chuckles has the deeds’ Brown may have been shoring up the Dundee defence !
Its a shame we don’t have anyone who can talk up for us at Hampden…….as the no1 team in Scottish football seems strange…..they expect you to just get on with it and except all their decisions via Ogilvie etc……what we need is someone who can infiltrate the clique and talk up…….not someone who makes snide remarks about Rory Bremner …….I suppose thers still a lot of more decisions to be made favouring thems before this match takes place.
!!bada bing!!
00:06 on 8 January, 2015
Sutton probably was right, probably last time he said anything positive about us, think Martin took the eye of the ball that season and Alan Thompson missing a penalty at Rugby Parlk didn’t help us that day, I was probably in the minority who wanted to win the league that season but realise how great a journey Seville was…. I think that is the one season we shouldn’t blame others
BMCUW
What’s the list of Caledonian visitors to Belfast. Whose going to Aussie Pink Floyd on Sunday 15th. Belfast Waterfront £39 a ticket?? Got mine.
gerryfaethebrig- hindsight is 20/20, but Black Sunday season,i think if Martin took time out to look after his wife,and let JR and SW take team affairs,the support would have galvanised the whole club ,to get us over the line.The Seville season,we came back after a winter break,played DU at CP,we were 2 up after about 20 minutes,it finished 2-0.I was urging us to get the finger out as goal diff was tight at the time…….frustrating stuff at the time HH
ICTM
I grew up with Tosh. He will tell his 86 story one day. ;))
The Glorious Balanace Sheet
22.56
That goal was chalked off by The Linesman.
His name was Kevin Horan from Kirkcaldy.
He was a Celtic supporter.
He drove my car to the Ne’erday fixture at Ibrox in the early 80’s that we won.
Charlie Nicholas scored a wonder goal that day.
He offered to drive in exchange for 2 tickets,the other was for his brother who was serving in Germany at the time with the BA.
He and his brother were big Celtic fans.
I met him a couple of years after the match and he was mortified that I remembered him.
His career died after it.
TT
Mickbhoy1888
Off to bed, will read tomorrow.
Remember your terms of reference, eh, was the 1960’s your starting point?
Yeah that’s right, and your report is produced when????
Worked in Ayrshire for many years with some rabid huns. But the thing was, not many of them actually went to their games.
On the other hand most of the Tims were season ticket holders for Paradise.
Surprisingly some of those “rangers fans” became lifelong friends…they are a very confused bunch.
Hail Hail.
Night bhoys
His first name might have been Derek not Kevin.
TT
!!bada bing!!
00:22 on 8 January, 2015
Agree wholeheartedly, I think the team was running in empty 2003, we can back fae Boavista on the Thursday and beat that defunct mob on the Saturday, think some of the players (& most of us) thought the league was won, I would never stick up for Dunfermline but I am sure there goalie, actually had a good even though Arteta got a 90+ penalty as for the 2005, Craig Bellamy cost us the title at Fir Patk not wee Skippy, as for Martin’s wife, if that’s what cost us that title, good, because football is only football and family comes first Hail Hail & take care
Night all.
HH!!
One fella I worked with for 10 years, Orange, Masonic etc etc…best pal I had in the place. We both helped each other in any way we could.
He shocked me one night in the pub when he told me he never attended his sons wedding because he got married in a Catholic Church.
Ma heid nearly exploded :O(…
His name was Derek Horan.
His last ever match was as referee of the 2005 Scottish Amature cup final.
Incidentally the day before was the last match of Kirkcaldy referee John Rowbothams career.
He was put in charge of the senior Scottish cup final.
Although a died in will RAITH Rovers fan,his wife was ecstatic that her team won the Scottish cup that season,and that she was treated like royalty at Hampden.
You can guess which team she was a big supporter off.
TT
Fred
Had a similar best friend end because of his views. Sad.
itscalledthemalvinas
There were ex and future Celtic and Rangers players in The Dundee ( Hendry, Brown, Duffy & McKinlay), Hearts (Jardine, Clark, K. Black & the manager plus Roddy McDonald, John Colquhoun and Brian Whittaker) and St. Mirren ( McGarvey & was it Peter Mackie?)
All of them played their hearts out for their respective teams but the Hearts boys were nervous and fragile and did not know whether to stick or twist. They made the recipe for their own disaster.
Sondy Clark’s claims are much like Hateley’s claims about the refs decision in their CL “semi”- it’s all on video and can be seen for the nonsense it is.
Delaneys Dunky,
The mental thing was he knew my background and was happy to be a good friend.
Yet his son was disowned for marrying a Catholic…crazy.
Hail Hail.
That 3-3 game
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yWThQSjp6fs
HH
Night Bhoys.
Hail Hail.
TT
While you are on.
Any late thoughts on the Boardroom Struggle at Ibrox? Is Ashley staying or pumping and dumping?
I know you have always predicted they would find a way to get a “clean” club free of debt started at some point. And, as any half decent League One side in England could finish 2nd in the SPFL, it may not be beyond a weak Rangers to achieve it.
Or it could all be about to crash and burn again. Any thoughts?
Brilliant music on BBC4 for those who are interested right now. Sammy Davis jnr singing my funny valentine at the mo. Staying up for Captain Sensible.
HH
Time to read back
St mirren 0 Celtic 5
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3Qywda-v64c
HH
S.F..T.B.
Didn’t realise Roddy McDonald was playing that day for them,I must have mellowed,he’s the only one I feel any sympathy for.
Can’t remember any of the St Mirren team that day. . . . . . bar one. .. . . . . . Jim Stewart !
Can still see his face when he had the ball in his arms and a big roar came from the Caledonia Street end !
Evenin all,
Just reading back and PF Ayr’s post at 21:32,
“If the laws were employed properly …the cluggers would cut it out for fear of being sent off
You never know …football might break out”
Reminds me, for all those who might insist, just pump them, score more goals, it helped make us who we are, I’d suggest considering that point.
No youth player in Scotland from a young age with talent is going to succeed when aggression and hun-like “football” is considered the norm, when a young skillful lad is sidelined because he’s not “tough enough” for the Scottish game, or because he’s out injured for a year in his first under 12 season.
So genuine talent is bullied aside, out of the game, in favour of some of the aholes that were wearing Killmarnock shirts on Monday night.
To argue that we “just need to pump them on the park” is an infuriating expression, yet seems acceptable, despite what Jock said, who I suspect said it in a “well, we’ve no choice” manner than that we should accept it.
So, given the discussions yesterday ( I think) on the performance of the Celtic youth, this is relevant, and just another example of how hunnery is the bain of our lives, and not only did it forever hold Scottish football and Celtic back, not only did it regress the years of progression that Jock Stein had frogleaped in style, it’s still ruining the game.
Not only has hunnery cost us unquantifiable amounts in lost CL money, player injuries, loss of player value due to absurd suspensions and bans, etc etc, but any notion we have of improving football in this country and protecting talented youngsters, is just not going to happen.
None of us can fix this, even by staying away from games.
It’s a PLC issue, but how serious are they about long term improvements to the football in this feckin backwater of a place versus a quick quids-in from another rat infested night of hun mayhem with the blame being placed firmly on us, thanks to the good ole rozzers, the MSM, and the silence of the Celtic Board.
Setting free the bears
Re Ashley
You now have the cold acquisition poker playing specialist against the 4 emotional investors-fans
It will be interesting to see who provides the next bag of blood (loan) to rifc.
When Humpty fell of the wall Challs put them together wrongly.if park etc get control they have a massive job resetting the new club (if they can/possible at all) due to the way their income streams run and onerous contracts.
Tis a pity we do not have transparent and forward thinking governance, not only for us fitba fans but also for fans of the internatuonals too:-)
Hope you and yours had a good festive and ny and all is well.:-)
HH
An Tearman
Things seem to be improving here. I’m off to my kip now.
the long wait is over
22:31 on 7 January, 2015
Small point maybe but I think Paul’s headline should read.
“Hide your scarf – you’re ref for the league cup semi”
so that hiding the scarf refers to Madden and not Celtic fans.
Could be wrong but if I’m right Paul should change it.
—-
TLWIO,
I took that as being deliberately ambiguous – still do. P67 is very subtle in his points.
!!Bada Bing!!
22:31 on 7 January, 2015
Maloney or Commons?
—
In Scottish football, always KC – Kris is deceptively strong which I don’t think he gets credit for, and can shoot from outside the box, which is crucial when versus MIBs. Shaun can sprint a ball into the box and create chances out of nowhere, but it never works versus MIBbery as legitimate fouls are dismissed (nay, he even gets booked for diving) and he ends up injured due to lack of protection.
Gary67
23:01 on 7 January, 2015
Shaun Maloney will be 32 years old this month. He is, and always has been, a sick note. In 11 seasons in the Celtic first team, over two spells, he had one good season then left six months later. Kris Commons has scored as more goals over the last two seasons as Maloney did in his whole career with us. Why would we even consider signing him?
—
Why are some of us so keen to dismiss players injured or suffering recurring injuries under Celtic’s watch as sick-notes? A little known fact was the Maestro playing with a permanent injury gained playing in this aggressive football hellhole. There’s a long list. Phil O’Donnell was another one I believe, who was permanently injured before his untimely death. If we were to quantify the assaults and their aggression SM suffered on his legs and feet here in Scotland versus a similar player elsewhere, then you might reconsider the phrase sick note.
Instead of dismissing them as sick-notes, I’d feel more comfortable if we showed more concern for our players as human beings, regardless of the wages we all pay towards for them. Apols Gary67 for singling you on this, I know you’re not the only one. I enjoy your posts usually. But Shaun Maloney has immense talent, and the only thing that has made his career any less successful is playing in Scotland, for Celtic. I’d give the lhad a feckin medal myself.
BIG-CUP-WINNERS
23:22 on 7 January, 2015
Have we had someone with 3 stints at the club ?
—
Yes, but Charlie couldn’t get away from his zimmer frame quick enough to be injured, or even be accused of offside.
mickbhoy1888
23:45 on
7 January, 2015
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
——————————————————————————————————————–
After his absurd bleatings at the time of the Neverendum – Tom Devine, the opportunist, is now a discredited academic – he changed course because ba’ heid Salmond convinced that the separatists were going to win, and he(Devine) would do well to be on the victorious side.
Both of these balloons were burst!!! So now both of them are now ‘burst balloons’
An tearmann.
Thanks for the links to. 3-3 game vs them and the St Mirren game. Memories eh.
I would take Shaun back in a heartbeat.
HH
Re the game against the tribute act.
I will arrive back in Glasgow on the day of the game from an Italian ski holiday. even if there was a free bus and free tickets, with free beer, Ganga and pies thrown in, I would give it a miss. For those that will attend the game, good luck to you and no condemnation from me, but I personally wouldn’t dignify what is a farce.
HH