Good Friday was anything but, seemed to be quite the opposite for Peace Process Provan if his article in last Friday's Express was anything to go by. Timmy's paranoia isn't all in the mind according to this sorry apology for a journalist. And to try and prove the point he treated us to three or four examples (In his humble opinion) of anti-Celtic bias. These were offered up as proof as to why Timmy shouldn't be stuck in the nearest available padded cell wearing only a coat with 12-foot arms.
As per usual though and in tim(e) honoured fashion, Peace Process could only gave one example (the yahoos coming home late from Kiev in season 65/66 and being ordered to play at Tynecastle) that had any substance and basis in fact. The rest, like trying to imply that the yahoos were somehow hard done by in the 1986 League Cup final to name but one, was so much Timothy-twisted, half-baked lies and innuendo.
The bottom line is, Peace Process and the rest of the reptiles who make a living out of Radio Snide and elsewhere, have been shown up for what they are with this April 27th rammy. They are a bunch of grubby biased, unprofessional yahoo loving swine, full stop. So much so that they would, if they had their way, even have disregarded what Strathclyde Police had to say in terms of public safety.
Another spin-off from Provan's mental incapacity to accept that it was the behaviour of yahoos four years ago that has caused all this bother in the first place is his rather pathetic 'hounding' of that blubbering buffoon up at Dollywood, Keith Wyness. The truth of the matter is, Provan just cant let go of the fact that Wyness had the temerity to vote against the yahoos the week previously. So there he was taking Wyness to task over a statement he had made on Snide the previous week, that Aberdeen were involved in a league decider the weekend after winning the ECWC in 1983.
The facts are these. On the last day of the 1982/83 season with one game left to play, Dundee Utd had 54 points. The yahoos and Aberdeen were on 53, although the yahoos had the much better goal difference. IF the Arabs and the yahoos had slipped up and Aberdeen won (which they did) then Aberdeen would have won the title. I think it is fair to say Aberdeen were involved in a potential league title decider that day. And if you think I'm stretching the point a little, Provan actually says in his column that Celtic could have feasibly won the title that day (at Ibrox at that) IF they had won and Dundee Utd had slipped up. So if it's OK to be hypothetical on Timmy's behalf, then why not Aberdeen? But double standards where the yahoos are concerned are Provan's stock in trade.
I'll be brief and keep it as simple as possible regards last Saturday's performance against Motherwell. I don't want to be negative in the lead up to showdown Sunday, so I'll say nothing.
The Sunday rags brought quite a contrast however as Gerry McNee blasted into Celtic and O'Neill in general but Ian McLeod in particular over the April 27th stushie. And Ally McCoist once again gave it a total bodyswerve. You do have to wonder if McCoist thinks we're entirely stupid altogether? Does he really think that because he's refused to utter a word on the subject thus far, his acquiescence of the yahoos' stance is somehow going to escape closer scrutiny when this whole affair dies down a little?
McNee was right in calling for McLeod to be sacked because of his moronic statements regarding this April 27th fiasco, but why didn't he have the journalistic integrity to call for O'Neill's head on a platter also? The fact of the matter is, O'Neill's words were far more likely to inflame matters and cause ructions between both sides of the Old Firm and more importantly, could also be attributable only to him. Whereas McLeod, creepy crawly that he is, was altogether more cute with his language. But hey, when did Fergie's butt hole surfer ever stick strictly to the facts?
Goodness knows I've never been a fan of our ex Chairman, but even by the lowly standards of what he has allowed to go unchecked in the press in the past, an article by Mark Hateley for the Rhebel last Monday took us onto another level altogether. Before touching on it, I think it only fair to ask at this point what Mark Hateley's actual job is at Ibrox? Now as far as I'm aware he is part of the team employed to help promote Rangers' global image. Yet incredibly there he was on Monday offering up advice to possible Rangers signing target, James McFadden, that it would be in the player's best interests not to go to Rangers. If you don't laugh at the madness of it, then all that is left you is tears.
I'm talking principle here as opposed to scale. There was talk recently of David Beckham going to Real Madrid. Now whether it was all a load of baloney to upset the player in the run up to the CL tie between the two clubs or not the story still excited considerable comment both in Spain and in England. The press was full of it. For example you read alleged statements from some people connected with Madrid saying that Beckham would struggle to get a place in the team. (Not an unreasonable assumption) You saw posters in Madrid saying ŒWelcome to Madrid and don't forget to bring Posh blah, blah, blah.' But nowhere did you read one comment from a Real employee saying that coming to Real Madrid the club would be a bad move for Beckham on a personal level, no matter how he would struggle on the park.
I know that I'm a greetin faced, girnin, wee bachle at the best of times, never mind the worst. But surely I can't be the only Rangers fan out there whose flabber is absolutely gasted at the notion that an employee of Rangers FC, who is paid money to help promote Rangers FC is talking down the club to players in the press. For how much longer are we supposed to tolerate this state of affairs?
There's nothing like unbiased reporting and a commitment to telling it how it is, and unfortunately here in Scotland there is nothing like the above. Put another way, there are times when you do have to wonder what Timmy has to do to get a bad press here in Scotland?
Take for instance the news on Thursday that five yahoos are awaiting a custodial sentence as they lay in wait to attack some Rangers fans (a large percentage being women and children) flocking to Ibrox to see the team arrive home with the Scottish Cup. You won't be surprised to know that just as the Septic shame game of May 1999 was portrayed as the Old Firm shame
game, so these five pieces of human body waste have been painted as Old Firm fans, as opposed to Septic fans. There's been no comment yet from Nil By Mouth. Strange that.
Elsewhere I see David Murray has mopped up another 87,000 shares of the clubs shares, taking his holding to 66.1% in the club. A simple question here, why? This is the custodian who couldn't give a fig about the origins or the history of the club. This is the man who as Chairman branded Rangers fans as not being loyal. So you do have to ask why he is investing once again in Rangers FC? I mean, surely it can't be because he sees the start of The Rangers Supporters Trust as a threat? His view being the more shares he hoovers up just now, the less there is for The Trust to buy when it officially comes into being.
He's a shrewd man that Mr Murray but no matter how clever he is, deep down he must now realise that the club is now inexorably moving away from him and I'd like to try and explain why. Probably the main argument most pro Murray, Rangers fans had down the years was that the man was a financial genius. I do not believe that to be the case anymore. In fact I'd go as far as to say it is only the most blinkered, wishy washy, sycophantic, toadying imbecile that still believes the man to be a financial bonus to the club. As I see it, that particular argument has been well flushed down the u bend of history.
Cast your minds back to just three years ago, when he announced the new deal with shares and Dave King's twenty million investments in the club? Oh how most of you swooned. But do you remember when he slipped in the wee rider that we were £48m in debt? I know I do, and in case you have all forgotten it was in the week after we had walloped the yahoos 4-0 at Ibrox in the March. But most Rangers fans didn't care, the Chairman was a financial genius.
Well, I'd say that at least 99% of the supporters, who didn't care about financial prudence just three years ago, are now muttering dark thoughts about cutting cloth to suit and isn't it a shame Alex McLeish doesn't have money to spend. The bottom line is, we have been led up the garden path, and for what? Keeping ahead of the pack for the most part, in one of the worst leagues in Europe.
So if David Murray's financial allure has gone, what has he got left to give us, what benefits do we still have to gain from the man? Maybe morals and a sense that at least we still have a man who will stick up for the rights of the club? I'm sorry, that one just doesn't wash. The facts are, under this man Murray, our club has jumped into bed with a supposedly anti-Sectarian organisation, Nil By Mouth, that completely disregards the sectarian murders of Rangers fans. It cannot get any worse.
Believe it or not, I don't hate David Murray or dislike the man, in fact in so many ways you can only admire the man for becoming what he is, in the face of the most adverse personal circumstances. But, he is so totally out of touch with the wants and needs of he grass roots Rangers support, and just as importantly, the toadys and yes men he has entrenched around him are moulded in his image, that there is no middle ground left to discuss. The fact that Rangers are quite happy to deal with MGN, while the fans are so totally against dealing with this company in any way, shape or form sums up perfectly how wide the chasm between club and fans actually is.
The behaviour of the Rangers Board in the very week that the Rangers Supporter Trust was launched also tells you all you need to know about the calibre of person running our club and more to the point, the depth of contempt they hold the fans in. To be honest, I don't expect those in charge of the club to relinquish power easily. But in my opinion the gap
between the club and the fans, which is absolutely huge just now has just about become well nigh impossible to bridge after David Murray's latest investment in the club.
So showdown Sunday is almost upon us. To be honest, the mhanks will be flying after their result in Portugal and I don't know who will be more relieved, Timmy who has already booked a few days in Seville or Hugh Dallas? Make no mistake; if that game in Boavista had went against the yahoos then there would have been hell to pay for Rangers. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind our players were in for a torrid time, as the yahoos really would have been drinking in the last chance saloon.
It's a sad old place this Glasgow at times. Now if Rangers were playing any other Scottish club on Sunday and these opponents had just reached a European final, then I'd have expected my side to clap that team onto the park before the game started. Just plain, simple sportsmanship no more no less. Rangers to be fair have already accorded Celtic this respect in my lifetime. I refer of course to a Scottish cup-tie back in March 1964.
Yet for some unfathomable reason it isn't allowed in this day and age. Why, I hear you ask? Well, that all stems back to a game at the munky-hoose almost 27 years ago to the very day of Sunday's game. April 26th 1976 it was, and Rangers took to the field at CP as champions. Now if I remember correctly, Sean Fallon mooted the idea that Celtic should clap Rangers onto the park, but Plod was having none of it. Mustn't upset Timmy was the reasoning behind the Police ban. Some things never change.
You do see a pattern emerging here, don't you? Ibrox 1967 Celtic win league = no trouble. Cesspit 1999 Rangers win league = Septic shame game. Ibrox 1964 = Rangers clap Celtic onto park. Cesspit 1976 = Celtic banned from reciprocating the gesture, because of the threat of trouble from their own fans. But hey, that's Timmy for ya.
But I digress. As per usual we go into the build up of an Old Firm match sweating on the availability of key personnel. We need de Boer to be fit, but I'd rather not take the chance on him if he were not 100%. As to how the game will go. I expect the yahoos to kick everything that moves. I expect Sutton to be involved in every controversial moment. More than that though, I expect our players to treat this as their cup final. Just do it Rangers.
THE GOVANHILL GUB
PS, Does anyone think Hugh Dallas will apply for Ian McLeod's job this time around?