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Man! IF the trend continues the SPL may only be playing Europa League football in the near future. I thought Celtic were gonna take care of Dynamo Moscow. 
Aberdeen got smoked by Sigma in the Europa League too.
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What’s that smell? Aha, it’s Scottish football
Puro- Number of posts : 10679
Registration date : 2006-09-12
Man! IF the trend continues the SPL may only be playing Europa League football in the near future. I thought Celtic were gonna take care of Dynamo Moscow. Aberdeen got smoked by Sigma in the Europa League too.
COTR- Number of posts : 26580
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Registration date : 2006-08-06
Puro wrote:
Aberdeen got smoked by Sigma in the Europa League too.
Motherwell also got smoked Puro
It's up to good old Rangers to save the day and hoof Scotland out of trouble
Puro- Number of posts : 10679
Registration date : 2006-09-12
COTR #1 wrote:
Motherwell also got smoked Puro
It's up to good old Rangers to save the day and hoof Scotland out of trouble
I'll be watching the huns then carrying the SPL flag. Celtic are not out yet, they've got a puncher's chance in Moscow.
Murray- Number of posts : 10245
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Registration date : 2006-08-07
I'm going into hiding after last night's debacle.
Calidad- Number of posts : 7996
Age : 37
Supports : Hibernian FC
Registration date : 2006-08-25
Puro wrote:
Aberdeen got smoked by Sigma in the Europa League too.
Scotland (or Scottish teams) have punched above their weight for years, no shame that this doesn't seem to be the case anymore.
Celtic & Rangers as much as I dislike them are genuine football powerhouses, although they no longer have the money to compete.
As for the rest of the SPL, little to no money, and dwindling fan bases. I don't think there is a great deal of quality in the league.
Murray- Number of posts : 10245
Age : 54
Registration date : 2006-08-07
Hmmmmmmmm
Rangers win with a penalty in the last minute. That's never happened before.
Apparently the penalty was outside the box, it's because of stuff like this that Scottish football is dying.
Rangers win with a penalty in the last minute. That's never happened before.
Apparently the penalty was outside the box, it's because of stuff like this that Scottish football is dying.
COTR- Number of posts : 26580
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Smelling pretty good today
2-1 Rangers after half an hour
2-1 Rangers after half an hour
TheCrazy58- Number of posts : 8151
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- Post n°248
Re: What’s that smell? Aha, it’s Scottish football
by TheCrazy58 Sat Oct 10, 2009 1:34 pm
This should be in the International Forum, but...
Japan - 2 (Berra og, Honda) Scotland -0
Japan had about 15 shots on goal; Scotland - one, which was the own goal by Berra
Japan - 2 (Berra og, Honda) Scotland -0
Japan had about 15 shots on goal; Scotland - one, which was the own goal by Berra
Murray- Number of posts : 10245
Age : 54
Registration date : 2006-08-07
Unsurprisingly we played shit, I'd never even heard of about half our players.
Calidad- Number of posts : 7996
Age : 37
Supports : Hibernian FC
Registration date : 2006-08-25
Burley is a fucking muppet. I only seen the last 25 mintues, but why did he give Riordan only 15 minutes, and to add insult to injury play him LW....He's absolutely clueless.
Murray- Number of posts : 10245
Age : 54
Registration date : 2006-08-07
Archie MacPherson paid by crime 'godfather'
Marc Horne
Archie MacPherson, the veteran football commentator, has revealed
that he was paid to host events organised by Arthur Thompson, one of
Scotland’s most notorious gangsters.
The former BBC Sportscene presenter was given £500 to front a series
of social events after Thompson, nicknamed The Godfather by underworld
cronies, made him “an offer he could not refuse”.
Thompson, an associate of the Krays, was one of Scotland’s most
feared gangsters whose favoured method of dealing with rivals and
debtors was to nail their hands and feet to the floor. His
multi-million-pound criminal empire, based on drugs, loans and
protection rackets, was among the biggest in Britain.
In his autobiography, published this month, MacPherson reveals that
he was approached by an associate of Thompson’s in the early 1980s and
asked to host a prizegiving ceremony for Tommy Burns, the late Celtic
player, at the Blackhill Tavern, then a notorious gangster haunt in
Glasgow’s East End. He tried to decline the invitation but was told
that the gangster would not take no for an answer.
“I clearly remember him telling me that the invite had come from
Arthur himself and that he would be very pleased if I could make it,”
MacPherson told The Sunday Times. “I was intrigued and slightly uneasy,
but the clear implication was that this was an offer I could not
refuse. I was flattered because they recognised me and fascinated
because I wanted to meet Arthur Thompson, so I did it.”
Thompson, who greeted MacPherson at the event, thrust an envelope of
cash into his hand and told him that he wanted him to act as a master
of ceremonies at several other parties.
A reveller who challenged MacPherson over comments he had made during a recent football commentary was firmly put in his place.
“Arthur pointed straight at him and said ‘You, sit down’. He did and I didn’t hear another cheep out of him,” he recalled.
MacPherson says he was feted by the crime lord, transported to
events in chauffeur-driven limousines, offered free drinks all night
and lavished with gifts.
“I suspected that I was becoming a kind of surrogate PR for some of
the hardest men in the city,” he said. “One night I found myself being
taken to Thompson’s house, where he made me stovies.”
When MacPherson’s wife was the subject of unwanted attention at a
BBC ball, the man responsible was dealt some summary justice by
Thompson, MacPherson believes.
“The guy turned up the next day with bruises on his face, flowers,
champagne and an abject apology,” he says. “I have no way of knowing,
but it certainly seemed as if he had been dealt with by Arthur.”
On another occasion, the World Cup commentator accompanied Thompson on a visit to an underworld pub in London.
“It was straight out of a Guy Ritchie movie and was full of cockney
hardmen,” he recalled. “But when I was with Thompson I was safe and I
could have had anything in the pub that I wanted that night.”
MacPherson, who later worked for STV and Eurosport, decided he was
getting in too deep and began to decline invitations, blaming filming
assignments in London.
“Maybe I should have been worried but, at the time, I was intrigued and got drawn into it,” he said. “During my time with them, these individuals were kindness personified, but I wasn’t swayed by them in any way.
“It was an utterly fascinating time and I certainly don’t regret getting involved.”
Thompson, who began his criminal career as a loan shark in the
1950s, is estimated to have been worth £15m when he died of a heart
attack in 1993.
He is believed to have been behind a number of killings and to have
been involved in drug dealing and gun-running for loyalist Northern
Irish paramilitary groups.
Archie MacPherson: A Game of Two Halves will be published by Black & White, £17.99, on Thursday
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article6869495.ece
Marc Horne
Archie MacPherson, the veteran football commentator, has revealed
that he was paid to host events organised by Arthur Thompson, one of
Scotland’s most notorious gangsters.
The former BBC Sportscene presenter was given £500 to front a series
of social events after Thompson, nicknamed The Godfather by underworld
cronies, made him “an offer he could not refuse”.
Thompson, an associate of the Krays, was one of Scotland’s most
feared gangsters whose favoured method of dealing with rivals and
debtors was to nail their hands and feet to the floor. His
multi-million-pound criminal empire, based on drugs, loans and
protection rackets, was among the biggest in Britain.
In his autobiography, published this month, MacPherson reveals that
he was approached by an associate of Thompson’s in the early 1980s and
asked to host a prizegiving ceremony for Tommy Burns, the late Celtic
player, at the Blackhill Tavern, then a notorious gangster haunt in
Glasgow’s East End. He tried to decline the invitation but was told
that the gangster would not take no for an answer.
“I clearly remember him telling me that the invite had come from
Arthur himself and that he would be very pleased if I could make it,”
MacPherson told The Sunday Times. “I was intrigued and slightly uneasy,
but the clear implication was that this was an offer I could not
refuse. I was flattered because they recognised me and fascinated
because I wanted to meet Arthur Thompson, so I did it.”
Thompson, who greeted MacPherson at the event, thrust an envelope of
cash into his hand and told him that he wanted him to act as a master
of ceremonies at several other parties.
A reveller who challenged MacPherson over comments he had made during a recent football commentary was firmly put in his place.
“Arthur pointed straight at him and said ‘You, sit down’. He did and I didn’t hear another cheep out of him,” he recalled.
MacPherson says he was feted by the crime lord, transported to
events in chauffeur-driven limousines, offered free drinks all night
and lavished with gifts.
“I suspected that I was becoming a kind of surrogate PR for some of
the hardest men in the city,” he said. “One night I found myself being
taken to Thompson’s house, where he made me stovies.”
When MacPherson’s wife was the subject of unwanted attention at a
BBC ball, the man responsible was dealt some summary justice by
Thompson, MacPherson believes.
“The guy turned up the next day with bruises on his face, flowers,
champagne and an abject apology,” he says. “I have no way of knowing,
but it certainly seemed as if he had been dealt with by Arthur.”
On another occasion, the World Cup commentator accompanied Thompson on a visit to an underworld pub in London.
“It was straight out of a Guy Ritchie movie and was full of cockney
hardmen,” he recalled. “But when I was with Thompson I was safe and I
could have had anything in the pub that I wanted that night.”
MacPherson, who later worked for STV and Eurosport, decided he was
getting in too deep and began to decline invitations, blaming filming
assignments in London.
“Maybe I should have been worried but, at the time, I was intrigued and got drawn into it,” he said. “During my time with them, these individuals were kindness personified, but I wasn’t swayed by them in any way.
“It was an utterly fascinating time and I certainly don’t regret getting involved.”
Thompson, who began his criminal career as a loan shark in the
1950s, is estimated to have been worth £15m when he died of a heart
attack in 1993.
He is believed to have been behind a number of killings and to have
been involved in drug dealing and gun-running for loyalist Northern
Irish paramilitary groups.
Archie MacPherson: A Game of Two Halves will be published by Black & White, £17.99, on Thursday
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article6869495.ece
Murray- Number of posts : 10245
Age : 54
Registration date : 2006-08-07
Rangers are in spectacularily deep shit, they are being run by Lloyds bank who have threatened to put them into administration
Revealed: banker’s ultimatum to debt-hit Rangers
Published on 26 Oct 2009
Rangers’ banker has threatened to put the football club into administration in a dramatic intervention to tackle its mounting debts.
Lloyds Banking Group issued the ultimatum
to the club’s shocked board as the only alternative after it initially
rejected a “devastating” business plan based on swingeing cuts.
The Herald can today reveal the extent of
the turmoil at Ibrox that has left Rangers under the control of its
banker. Lloyds has placed Donald Muir, who helped rescue Northern Rock,
on to the board as its representative.
It can also be revealed that Dave King, the
Glasgow-born multi-millionaire and former investor in the club, now
based in South Africa, is the leading contender to buy Rangers. He has
opened negotiations but is having difficulties in striking a deal for
the club.
It is believed the price the bank wants for Rangers is £30 million, equal to the club’s total debt.
Sources close to the club told The Herald
last night: “The business plan from the bank will only do one thing –
strangle the club slowly. A new owner is a must or else Rangers will be
in dire straits on and off the pitch.
“The board tried to fight it as much as it
could, but was told it would be placed into administration. The effects
of the business plan will be devastating.
“Dave King wants to buy Rangers, and there are others expressing interest, but the bank wants a premium price of £1 for £1 in terms of the debt so nothing is imminent in terms of a deal.
“Its stance is surprising when, across the country, it is selling off assets at 25p, 30p or 40p to the pound in terms of debt.
“But because this is Rangers, it is
obviously viewing it differently. Maybe it feels wealthy fans will let
their hearts rule their heads, but all the while the club is now
entering dangerous grounds.”
There is also interest from businessmen in
the west of Scotland, who could combine to add their resources to those
of Mr King, or make their own moves to buy Rangers.
Former chairman Sir David Murray, who
remained majority shareholder after he stood down on August 26, is no
longer involved in making key decisions.
Mr Muir, who was placed on the board of Rangers nine days ago at the bank’s insistence, is now effectively running the club.
He has been put in to oversee an immediate
attempt to reduce debts, which would include the sale of star players
over the coming months subject to the bank’s approval, with no
replacements.
The bank’s plan was put to the Rangers
board this month and shocked its members, including new chairman
Alistair Johnston and chief executive Martin Bain, who believe the club
has to be kept as attractive as possible to lure a new owner or
investor.
The board refused to accept the business plan the bank put in front of them.
However, they were told that Rangers would
be put into administration – which would probably allow the bank to
recover its cash – if the plan was not accepted by Friday, October 16.
Later that day, Mr Muir was confirmed as a board member.
In the aftermath of Saturday’s match
against Hibernian, manager Walter Smith admitted the bank – which is
43% owned by the taxpayer and now controls the Bank of Scotland brand –
was effectively in charge.
Lloyds Banking Group said at the weekend:
“The bank continues to be very supportive of both the club and the
board as they manage the business through the more difficult economic
conditions currently prevailing.”
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/revealed-banker-s-ultimatum-to-debt-hit-rangers-1.928574
Exclusive: The Board v The Bank – Rangers’ entire first-team squad face being sold to the highest bidder
Published on 26 Oct 2009
Rangers’ entire first-team squad will be systematically sold and replaced internally from next season, with the consequent dismantling of the coaching staff, if the club’s senior management do not emerge victorious from a cataclysmic behind-the-scenes struggle with Lloyds Banking Group.
The Herald can today reveal the full extent of the internal politics that
have pitted the guardians of the club’s future against the financial
institution that has now assumed day-to-day control over the crippling
financial affairs in an effort to recoup their £30m.
Alastair Johnston, the new chairman, Martin
Bain, the chief executive, and the rest of the Rangers board are
steadfastly resistant to the brutal worst-case scenario outlined by the
bank at the last board meeting. Unless a new owner can be found
imminently – and Dave King, the South Africa-based businessman, has
re-entered negotiations to assume control – the bank will insist on
administering drastic surgery to the ailing club at the end of the
season. Put simply, every first-team asset would be sold to the highest
bidder and no contracts sanctioned unless King, or other potential
investors, can agree a price with Lloyds and stave off the threat of
administration.
Sources at Ibrox have confirmed that only a
takeover within the next six months will prevent a mass exodus. Walter
Smith, whose contract expires in January, will steadfastly refuse to
preside over such a debilitating cull, which would include the
transfers of such established pillars as Madjid Bougherra, Allan
McGregor, Pedro Mendes and Steven Davis.
Ally McCoist and Kenny McDowall, widely
regarded as favourites to succeed the 61-year-old when he leaves –
which could occur as soon as a new owner is ensconced – have serious
misgivings about staying on in such extreme circumstances. It would
mean appointing a new and inevitably cost-effective coaching team on
the proviso there would be no budget for transfer fees or significant
Bosman salaries.
Smith took the extraordinary decision to
put his head above the parapet after Saturday’s 1-1 draw against
Hibernian at Ibrox to reveal the extent of bank interference since Sir
David Murray was instructed to stand down as chairman and effectively
waive the value of his shareholding.
It was a bold strategy, but one the
61-year-old was prepared to take to bring transparency amid the
thickening fog of uncertainty engulfing the stricken club.
He has wearied of the internal politics at
play but will continue to defend the honour and integrity of the club
he has served twice as manager. The board have continually railed
against the bank’s budgeting policy for next season onwards, which – to
the astonishment of the Ibrox hierarchy – was inclusive of sustained
revenue from European football and a continuation of current
season-ticket uptake.
It was pointed out that, with a weakened
team and increasingly complex qualification path, participation in the
Champions League would be improbable and, consequently, supporters
would be disinclined to watch a watered-down team.
Bain, in particular, has fought against a
devastating dilution of the club’s value and credibility, which is why
the club preserved Champions League ticket prices in the midst of a
recession.
Last night, one source confirmed the
severity of Rangers’ plight. “Effectively, if the bank’s plan is
implemented in full, there will be no money available for players in
the next transfer window, in the summer or, frankly, for the
foreseeable future,” he said. “Anybody sold in these windows would
immediately be replaced by inexperienced players from the youth team.
“Moving forward, no contracts that are due to expire will be renewed and no money would be available for strengthening.”
Rangers’ board were stunned by Lloyds’
thinly disguised threat to place Rangers in administration unless they
signed up to a radical overhaul that will be overseen by Donald Muir.
The appointment of the turnaround specialist, or company doctor, as a
non-executive director signalled the most significant decision taken
yet by the bank. While there is an understanding of his new remit at
Rangers, there is also a tacit unwillingness to endorse it.
Lloyds, which is about to embark on a £23bn
fund-raising project to prevent the government lifting its stake from
43% to 60%, are acutely aware of the wider implications of pushing such
an institution towards administration.
None the less, they have intensified their
bid to reclaim their £30m borrowed by Rangers and rectify the wider
financial concerns affecting Murray International.
Their squeeze on Rangers began last
January, when a mandate was submitted to prominent agents alerting
clubs to the availability of all first-team players.
In the end, only a £3m bid from Birmingham City for Kris Boyd was forthcoming and, ultimately, rejected by the player.
In March, the bank conducted an audit of
Rangers’ accounts, undertaken by PricewaterhouseCoopers, that enforced
the £1m sale of Barry Ferguson and the removal of 10 fringe players
from the wage bill.
This, according to many within the club, is
merely the tip of the iceberg. It is understood there was a reluctance
to sanction another one-year, pay-as-you-play contract for David Weir
and, indeed, The Herald can reveal the captain actually started the
season without having signed a contract.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/rangers/exclusive-the-board-v-the-bank-rangers-entire-first-team-squad-face-being-sold-to-the-highest-bidder-1.928477
Murray- Number of posts : 10245
Age : 54
Registration date : 2006-08-07
Bloody hell, 3-0 Wales already. Burley out now.
christmasborocooper- Number of posts : 39348
Age : 36
Registration date : 2006-08-06
- Post n°254
Re: What’s that smell? Aha, it’s Scottish football
by christmasborocooper Sat Nov 14, 2009 3:52 pm
SuperMario- Number of posts : 16866
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Supports : Feyenoord & Arsenal
Favourite Player : Diego Biseswar
Registration date : 2006-11-10
- Post n°255
Re: What’s that smell? Aha, it’s Scottish football
by SuperMario Sat Nov 14, 2009 3:57 pm
Such a pity. The Tartan Army ( & the Irish bunch) are the most popular fan groups in Holland.
TheCrazy58- Number of posts : 8151
Age : 103
Supports : Arsenal
Registration date : 2006-08-07
- Post n°256
Re: What’s that smell? Aha, it’s Scottish football
by TheCrazy58 Sat Nov 14, 2009 3:58 pm
Ramsey 
Murray- Number of posts : 10245
Age : 54
Registration date : 2006-08-07
Hopefully we will lose about 6 or 7 nil, then that useless numpty Burley will have to be fired.
christmasborocooper- Number of posts : 39348
Age : 36
Registration date : 2006-08-06
- Post n°258
Re: What’s that smell? Aha, it’s Scottish football
by christmasborocooper Sat Nov 14, 2009 4:21 pm
Mcfadden off, Kevin Kyle on. There's one to get the fans going.
Calidad- Number of posts : 7996
Age : 37
Supports : Hibernian FC
Registration date : 2006-08-25
borocooper wrote:Mcfadden off, Kevin Kyle on. There's one to get the fans going.
Murray- Number of posts : 10245
Age : 54
Registration date : 2006-08-07
Burley has finally been fired, god knows who we are going to get now, another numpty probably.
Pierre Littbarski- Number of posts : 12424
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- Post n°261
Re: What’s that smell? Aha, it’s Scottish football
by Pierre Littbarski Mon Nov 16, 2009 6:23 pm
Riordan, Cowie, Dorrans and McFadden are all very skillful but there is not much to work with other than that.
McMannus and Caldwell
McMannus and Caldwell
Calidad- Number of posts : 7996
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Supports : Hibernian FC
Registration date : 2006-08-25
Pierre Littbarski wrote:Riordan, Cowie, Dorrans and McFadden are all very skillful but there is not much to work with other than that.
McMannus and Caldwell
-----------Gordon
Hutton--Caldwell--McManus--Wallace
----Whittaker-Fletcher--Thomson
----------------Brown
---------Boyd---------Riordan
Bench: McGregor, Berra , Barr, Arfield, Maloney, McFadden, Naismith
would be a good start. Not sure aobut Cowie or Dorrans as I haven't really seen them play.
Fey- Number of posts : 35349
Supports : Feyenoord and Manchester United
Favourite Player : ??#$ Error, John Guidetti, Jordy Clasie
Registration date : 2006-08-07
Scotland just lack any form of talent at all at the moment.