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Comment: Red card for SPL as Russians show us how a successful club should be looked after

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Published Date: 04 May 2008
ALL of Scotland should be proud of Rangers' achievement in reaching the final of the UEFA Cup. As well as restoring our reputation as a footballing nation, the Ibrox club's achievement has practical benefits. Our co-efficient rises and other clubs benefit from the preferential seedings that come with a higher ranking.
The SPL was quick to trump this fact after Rangers reached the semi-finals. The league is less keen, however, to help Rangers prepare for the final against Zenit St Petersburg in Manchester on Wednesday week.

Between now and then the Ibrox club wi
ll be forced to play three league games crammed into a seven-day period. By contrast, the Russian League announced yesterday it was postponing all Zenit's matches between now and the final, giving them 13 clear days to prepare for the game.

The SPL's refusal to extend the domestic season by more than a few days smacks of small-mindedness. In a league that is already the most cackhanded in Europe due to the ludicrous split, the organisers have come up with a hamfisted compromise which will see the SPL finish on a Thursday night – two days before the Scottish Cup final, which also involves Rangers.

All this to appease a Celtic side who still complained about the SPL's 'solution'.

It's hard not to escape the conclusion that the Scottish game is once more being hampered by Old Firm rivalry.

Rangers go into the UEFA Cup final as standard bearers for Scottish football. It's just a pity many in this country don't realise it.







The full article contains 276 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 03 May 2008 8:00 PM
  • Source: Scotland On Sunday
  • Location: Scotland
  • Related Topics: Rangers FC , Europa League
 
1

thomas ferguson,

04/05/2008 01:20:47
why did the writer not pen his name to the article,or have i missed it. maybe he likes the windows he has
2

r_mcnish,

04/05/2008 01:40:01
At last - the truth. - "All this to appease a Celtic side who still complained about the SPL's 'solution'" The Celtic minded don't like it, but at last it's in print. The Russian football authorities have done what most footballing authorities would have done. The SPL's fear of further intimidation by Celtic has been shameful. Let's now have an end to the laughable notion that Rangers get all the breaks and poor old Celtic are the victims. The SPL are the laughing stock of Europe and the bitter hordes of the east end have been instrumental in putting them in this position. Celtic's (and their hate filled fans) behaviour this season has been nauseating.
3

alanbearno7,

glasgow 04/05/2008 03:05:32
Why on earth would you for one single second expect an organisation headed by Celtic minded people to allow Rangers to have adequate time to prepare for a final which would lift the profile of Scottish football?.

Ian Brines Steve Conroy Eddie Smith to name but a few outrageous decisions in Celtic Matches. Are we going to be subject to an Italian Job?

The Scottish media should be compiling and looking into this. i haven't even begun on the linesmen?

Surely some journalist out there has the balls to tackle this issue.........Didn't tjhink so
4

,

04/05/2008 04:38:40
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
5

andrewx,

04/05/2008 07:54:46
time for the rangers fans to force the spl's hand.

time to protest outside hampden and to stop taking away tickets.

a bit of financial pressure would show them up.
6

Andrew from Dennistoun,

now in Edinburgh 04/05/2008 08:05:57
OMG I thought it supposed to be us Tims that were the paranoid ones.


Hope you get humped ya shameful shower
7

Father O'Sander,

04/05/2008 11:02:59
6 You are the paranoid ones. Rangers are just being badly treated because the SPL don't have the courage to stand up to Liewell and his Dhignity Brigade.

In almost any other country you would suspend games or move them to allow your country's representative preparation time. Especially in the case of small conutries whose coefficient depends heavily on points won in these competitions. I seem to recall Celtic vs Dundee being moved forward by 3 days to give Celtic a full week's clear run at the UEFA cup.

Narrow minded SPL influenced by the green PR machine.
8

,

04/05/2008 13:02:34
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
9

The Celts Are Here,

04/05/2008 18:10:50
Oh dear, it's wobbler time.

Couple of facts the nameless writer has missed.

- Rangers want the season extended to a date when Celtic would have players unavailable due to the matter of Euro 2008, where Rangers will have no players. The rules have already been changed to accommodate Rangers once.

- Walter Smith insisted nobody at Rangers would ask for an extension or complain. Both of those seem to be false statements.

- Celtic asked the SPL to finish the season on time. The SPL declined so you might use better language than "appeasement". There were also objections from Dundee United and St Mirren with Hibs and Motherwell also concerned. No wonder no writer would put his or her name to such inaccurate, ill-informed claptrap.

- Rangers' problems stem from their request to postpone a match with Gretna to aid their ill-fated Champions League campaign and the club's decision to maintain the third-smallest squad in the SPL. The January transfer window allows an opportunity to bolster the squad for the upcoming requirements of the rest of the season. Rangers chose to cash in on Alan Hutton and devote their energies to trying to sell Daniel Cousin (as well as wasting time on a farcical trip to Italy) rather than properly strengthening their squad.

The result is tired players who have taken 300 minutes of football to dispose of two first division teams in the Scottish Cup. For this negligence, they expect further favours from the SPL.

To your posters, the SPL, SFA and SPFA are all currently headed by former Rangers players. The SPFA notably took no position despite the fact that its members are having their summer holidays arbitrarily cut without consultation. Not other Trade Union in the UK (the SPFA is part of the GMB) would stand for this without comment.

The ease with which Rangers supporters resort to bigoted abuse on this thread is a clear demonstration of the attitudes all-too pervasive amongst Scotland's standard bearers. The standards of yo
10

,

04/05/2008 20:43:19
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
11

buy2let,

derrys bawls 04/05/2008 23:45:38
*10
could you please repeat that statement again as I couldnt understand it,even the people who deciphered the enigma machine at bletchley park would have had there work cut out trying to understand your post
if you do post again could you please use the queens english so that other posters are able to comprehend what you have posted
thanks in advance

Stephen
12

The Celts Are Here,

05/05/2008 01:37:28
STOP PRESS: Rangers fans duck the facts ... resort to lies and bigotry ... refuse to surrender ... club calls them ambassadors ... more soon
13

bluenoseincanada,

05/05/2008 04:38:07
UPSIDE-we win the next 7 games and add 3 more trophies to the CIS Cup.

DOWNSIDE-we have to play these games over the course of the next 19 days.

This situation will not change so there is no point in Gers fans going on about it. Instead, use the hypocrisy of those that would have Rangers fail, to fire our bellies to see us through this difficult period, and it will be difficult if we don't have the right attitude.

Imagine how much sweeter our success will be and how much more our detractors will suffer when we overcome all the hurdles that have been thrown at us.

NO SURRENDER
14

bluenoseincanada,

05/05/2008 04:38:09
UPSIDE-we win the next 7 games and add 3 more trophies to the CIS Cup.

DOWNSIDE-we have to play these games over the course of the next 19 days.

This situation will not change so there is no point in Gers fans going on about it. Instead, use the hypocrisy of those that would have Rangers fail, to fire our bellies to see us through this difficult period, and it will be difficult if we don't have the right attitude.

Imagine how much sweeter our success will be and how much more our detractors will suffer when we overcome all the hurdles that have been thrown at us.

NO SURRENDER
15

tonybonano,

Glasgow 05/05/2008 12:14:47
The hypocrisy, lies and half truths permeated by Rangers FC this season are almost staggering even by previous standards. Less staggering is the way the media have aided and abetted this propaganda drive by publishing every tantrum without even the most token level of analysis.

Rangers are kidding no-one. This dummy spitting act has nothing to do with the UEFA Cup. Please stop the smoke and mirrors now. This has everything to do with being terrified that your bottle is crashing and the Rangers league challenge is going to fail. If Rangers had lost to Fiorentina the whingeing would be just as vociferous as it is now, if not more. The excuse would then be some sort of sporting integrity garbage.

HALF TRUTH: The SPL helped Celtic before the UEFA Cup final in 2003.

Yes Celtic were allowed to bring a fixture FORWARD against Dundee to allow 7 days preparation before the final. This DID NOT INVOLVE EXTENDING THE SEASON IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM. No-one in the media feels the need to point this out strangely enough, whilst at the same time agonising over the apparent "double standard" as if it presents some sort of unexplainable conundrum.

The fact is Celtic prioritised the UEFA Cup over the league so were willing to SACRIFICE 4 days preparation time for the league game with Dundee in order to GAIN 4 days preparation for the UEFA Cup final.

If Rangers want to bring any of their league games FORWARD to give themselves extra preparation time for the UEFA Cup final, no-one at Celtic would have any objections.

But of course Rangers aren't interested in fairness, what they demand is "help", in the form of changing the rules AGAIN, to gain any possible underhand advantage at no cost to themselves. I find it strange that Rangers officials should constantly bemoan the fact that the SPL are doing nothing to "help" them as if in some way, this forms part of the SPL's remit.

This is a recurring theme with Rangers this season. Remember Rangers' pathetic attempts to pers
16

tonybonano,

Glasgow 05/05/2008 12:16:30
Remember Rangers' pathetic attempts to persuade FIFA to change their rules so they could bring in an extra bob or two by flogging Cousin? Arrogance in the extreme. Of course then the media bizarrely claimed that FIFA were hampering Wattie's ability to play Cousin against Panathinaikos by not letting Rangers..em.. sell him. Only the Scottish press could come up with that one!

TRUTH: Rangers asked for their own game against Gretna to be postponed indefinitely which was an UNPRECEDENTED act.
TRUTH: The SPL agreed citing the fact that BOTH CLUBS AGREED.
TRUTH: The SPL denied Aberdeen the same request citing the fact that Motherwell did not agree to the request.
TRUTH: The SPL denied Dundee Utd a postponment of their fixture with Hearts following their players having to witness the death of Phil O'Donnell in their previous game. The SPL REFUSED this request despite BOTH CLUBS AGREEING TO THE REQUEST.

If there are any double standards here, they certainly seems to have favoured Rangers.

As far as unfair fixture scheduling this season goes:

TRUTH: The SPL fixtures "computer" made Celtic play 7 out of 10 games immediately following Champions League ties (including qualifiers) away from home.
TRUTH: The same figure for Rangers was 2 out of 8. Tellingly Rangers lost one of these league games.

HYPOCRISY: "The date is set and that's it. If you look at Man Utd, the play Liverpool then Real Madrid, then Newcastle and Arsenal. They have another game before the play Madrid for the second time and I don't see them complaining. You have to be happy that you are involved in those games. I would love to be in their position" - Ronald De Boer 2003.

The BBC very helpfully titled their reporting on this matter as "CELTIC BRANDED MOANERS"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/2951361.stm

HYPOCRISY: "Rangers would not complain if we found oursleves in similar circumstances. I would love to be in the position they are in." - Alex McLeish 2003

HYPOCRI
17

tonybonano,

Glasgow 05/05/2008 12:17:15
HYPOCRISY: "Rangers would not complain if we found oursleves in similar circumstances. I would love to be in the position they are in." - Alex McLeish 2003

HYPOCRISY AND LIES: "But let me just clarify no-one from Rangers has ever asked the SPL to extend the season and we will not ask them to extend the season" -Walter Smith 2003

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/7328229.stm

Aye dignity right enough.
18

Phil,

Oxford 05/05/2008 12:48:48
I find it hilarious that paranoia is now rampant among the orcs amidst the sound of bottles crashing.

"It's no fair!!!", they shriek, petted lips quivering.

Chief Orc Walter Smith was boasting to the press just a few weeks ago about how Rangers weren't asking for a league postponement, now apparently it's the league's job to "help" Rangers win trophies. (No mention of the Gretna game being delayed to help them win against Lyon, of course)

Cue Orcs almost too inbred to type flooding onto the internet with conspiracy theories about referees with Irish-sounding names.

The Timmy conspiracy's gonna get you! :)
19

heebyJeeby,

05/05/2008 12:57:11
Why dont rangers ask uefa to move the uefa cup final back a few days to help them win it?

They dont seem to have any qualms about asking the spl to rearrange the season to help them try to win the league so why stop there?

The arrogance of these people astounds me. rangers actions have forced decent hardworking professional footballers to cancel holidays and lose a lot of money in the process, they are trying to cheat their way to winning the competition that provides these players livliehoods, and the press wonder why these same players did not vote walter as manager of the year or any of his players as player of the year?

Doesnt take a genius to work it out.
20

bluenoseincanada,

05/05/2008 16:22:05
Of course Rangers want more time to prepare to help them win the EUFA Cup and the SPL. Celtic and their fans don't want them to win either of these competitions. The hypocrisy is in THe'maintain the integrity of the SPL' statement by Celtic's CEO. He doesn't give a s... about the 'integrity' of the competition, only about winning it.

We have already concluded our fixtures against 2 of the top 6 teams, yet still have a game to play against a bottom 6 team, (after the split), and 2 games against M'Well. The SPL, in their wisdom, managed to aqueeze in the postponed fixture against Celtic and schedule the 2nd fixture 10 days later, between the 2 EUFA semi final ties. Shouldn't the game against St. Mirren have takeb precedence to the 1 st. Celtic game, (before the split), to 'maintain the integrity of the SPL'.

Rangers made a rod for their own back by asking for the Gretna postponement. That was 1 game. We have 3 to make up. I know, cup replays against 1st Division opposition. Better a replay than being out on your a...
Isn't it? Besides, them's the rules, you have to replay a tied game.

So back to the ruth. Celtic and their fans want Rangers to play as many games in as short a time as possible. It increases the chances of Rangers slipping up and winning hee haw This will make them happy. The integrity of the SPL means NOTHING>
21

Eddie,

Edinburgh 05/05/2008 17:55:30
Why doesn't Auld Wattie just concede the league game before the UEFA final?
That would help, wouldn't it?
Besides, he says its not about tiredness, or the number of games - its the 'mental attitude'. How many thousands of pounds a week are these guys getting?

 

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