It was also great to have Steven Davis back in the side versus Hamilton making and scoring goals following the death of his mother. Steven was badly missed but situations like his recent one make a famous Shankly quote sound rather daft in my opinion.
On the way back from the Hamilton game, we made our way down the Broomloan Road towards the car and to our horror we noticed that several cars had their windows done in. This is shocking and prior to the match I noticed a large police presence around the outskirts of the stadium and also one or two of they trucks that lift your car when it's illegally parked. It angers me that you can't even go to the game without fear of your car being damaged and items stolen and wonder if the police are targeting Rangers fans before games a bit more than ensuring the surrounding area is safe to park cars and also want to lift cars more than actually wanting to protect them. Perhaps they should focus more on crime prevention outside the stadium when the game is on?
SOCIAL SCENE
Trust Dinner Within Ibrox - This was an excellent evening in great surroundings and it was great to get back in the trophy room where the Scottish and League cups were left out so you could be photographed with them. The food and company were also good. The Follow Follow shindig was also superb and the entertainment and venue top notch, an event I look forward to each year and this year's did not disappoint as usual.
REFS AND REPITILES
The past couple of years we have seen a steady decline in the standard of refereeing with assistant refs being dreadful too. Last season and the first half of this term have seen many results being affected by the incompetence of officials or is it just that they are cheats? Very recently at Tannadice, Brines and his assistants all had shockers and some of their ineptitude really defied belief at times. Something needs done as our game is fast becoming a laughing stock due to idiots like Brines but I hear he's being demoted in the New Year, good riddance! Whilst we are on the subject of referees, I hear SPL managers have agreed to stop criticising our whistlers in public. I wonder why? Is this to stop highlighting just how bad they are, to protect them or another directive from Peter Lawwell? I believe if referees have a bad game then managers should be allowed to discuss this openly and constructively and freedom of speech should be allowed . What I don't think should happen is managers giving it an all out verbal attack on referees however if there is something to say, say it. I recently read that Strachan has slated Walter Smith for moaning about refereeing decisions. I find that a bit odd coming from the manager of a club who haven't lost a match in Scotland fairly and squarely since 19 canteen, who have had referees followed and photographed, put their addresses on websites and saw their fans pan windows of Hugh Dallas and pelt him with coins. On top of all that there is a growing catalogue of incredible decisions gone Celtic's way so Gordon, you wouldn't really feel the need to complain, would you or is that until your next loss? For What it's worth, Smith and Rangers have not complained enough about the standard of referees and assistants like Murphy, Conroy, Smith, Richmond, Brines, Cryans - the list could fill this page!
HOKEY COKEY NO LEAD TO POKEY
Anyone up for a festive song and dance? Well let's make it the Hokey Cokey - the new sectarian anthem of choice if you believe what the Times, the Sun and a certain Peter Kearney have to say. This has brought instant ridicule from around the country from people of all faiths and from followers of all teams and it's finally made many realise the crap we have to put up with from the likes of Kearney. I wonder if his church has banned this song from all Christmas functions and I'd wager that thousands of wee Declans have enjoyed putting their left leg in, their left leg out at many a Saint something's school disco over the years. The press made out that if Rangers fans sang this at the Old Firm game they'd be liable to get lifted but by many a Tim's admission, they have never heard us sing it or indeed heard so much bollocks in all their days. This would get laughed out of court, even in the current climate where MOPERY has gone mental and those in authority seem more inclined to listen to their inane or should it be insane ramblings?
ON THE PITCH
Sadly it would seem that our chances of the title are slim following our defeat to Celtic in a dire match in which both teams showed little quality. Davis and Boyd both missed great chances for Rangers and one or two refereeing decisions seemed strange at times but that is what we have become used to. The atmosphere was subdued for some reason, perhaps Christmas excesses or just that the football didn't inspire anyone to get exited or could it be that fans are now scared to sing and confused about what is acceptable to Kenny Scott & Co. and don't want chucked out or season ticket confiscated? We can but hope for a turn around in form and fortune in what's left of a somewhat mixed and disappointing season to date and hopefully we can offload some deadwood during the transfer window and perhaps acquire a centre back, right full back, left midfielder and others but unless many are shipped out I won't hold my breath for much reinforcements being brought in.
And finally ………………..
I hear our good friends Nil By Mouth are in serious financial strife. Do I hear cries of sympathy or is that laughter? This shower of charlatans will not be missed and their demise can't come quickly enough and how they were allowed to masquerade as a "charity" for so long, displaying such a biased view on the sectarian issues in our society was remarkable or was it? They had the support of the Cardinal and his friends and Joke McConnell is still trying to save them, pleading for cash but at time of writing his cries appeared to be falling on deaf ears. Their refusal to condemn Celtic or it's fans for anything was farcical and they seemed to be McConnell's plaything and I seriously hope by the time you read this they will be no more. The sectarian issue is not as bad as many would have you believe and it's shamefully been allowed to manifest in to an industry that peddles anti Rangers and anti Protestant garbage whilst turning a blind eye to the real root cause of any remaining issues in the West of Scotland and beyond.
PaisleyProd