Should rangers be allowed time off to prepare for uefa cup..

[Hail to the Thief]

Well, the fact that several media outlets today are publicising (to quote) "Two people from the SFA were contacted by Celtic" yesterday with regards to the season being extended. What has it to do with them? Was the sporting integrity of the league in question?

It will really hit home next season when rangers reject all allocation of tickets for away games

It would involve Celtic if the season where to be extended again, the same as the rest of the clubs, at least in the top 6. I would hope and imagine that someone from Hibs would have contacted them as well, though wouldn't be surprised if that hadn't been reported in the media. When the season was extended for the first time there was no consultation with the clubs, so if it were proposed again then I'd hope tthere would be some correspondance with the other sides invloved.

And I'd be quite happy for Rangers to reject their allocation.

Stone Cold aka Doags Bs, when would you have played the rearranged fixture? Assuming you are referring to the Dundee Utd/Queen of the South game and not the Gretna game from earlier in the season.

[Ranald]

It will really hit home next season when rangers reject all allocation of tickets for away games

Dream on.

Rangers can throw their toys out the pram all they want about this. Just seems to me that they're scared that all they end up with this season is the CIS Cup and they want to blame everyone else for it instead of Walter owning up to his own incompetence in failing to use his full squad.

I didn't hear many complaints from Middlesborough a couple of years back when they had to play 8 games in 20 days when they got to the UEFA final.

Rangers are victims of their own success but if they're as big a club as they claim to be then they should just stop greeting and get on with it.

[A Horse called Juan Face]

Is everyone forgetting that the SPL probably cant extend the season? Isnt there an official UEFA mandate for when leagues have to finish in a Euro Championship season? Russia is different because they dont play Aug to May. Admittedly no Rangers players will be involved in Euro 08, unless Aragones suddenly learns Cuellar exists, but since when has sense ever stopped UEFA? I could be wrong but i dont think UEFA would sanction a longer season, even if it is by one game.

Also with regard to the two cups thing, Germany and France also have league cup competitions. Not sure of the relevance, just pointing out a fact.

[Stone Cold aka Doags Bs]

Stone Cold aka Doags Bs, when would you have played the rearranged fixture? Assuming you are referring to the Dundee Utd/Queen of the South game and not the Gretna game from earlier in the season.

There has been plenty of time to play that fixture - and yes I was talking the Gretna game that was postponed. Like I said it's not Rangers fault that the SPL made a mess of the season with ground sharing backlogging fixtures. Obviously the untimely death of O'Donnel doesn't help, but I would never use that as an excuse - as a mark of respect I do believe postponing the next immediate fixture after his death was the correct decision. The SPL did not see it as a problem to help Scotland before the Italy game, so I don't see why they can not do it now. Poor weather also has not helped. But if you say the replays are not helping (which they haven't) that is not Rangers fault either.

Sporting integrity my bahoochie! As I heard someone say, how can a a team having to play so many games in such a short space of time uphold sporting integrity?

[Hume]

Why punish a team that has been so successful this season though? Rangers only requested one game to be postponed and have ended up in this predicament, hardly the clubs fault.

But how exactly are Rangers being punished?

They will play the same number of league games as all other SPL clubs and here is some news.....if you win a cup game you get another one until such time you get beaten or win the the competition.

Rangers, results wise anyway, have done brilliantly this season and in my first post on this topic I said they should be allowed the weekend off before a European final but the fact is it is simply not possible without causing problems for other teams.

You're right Stone Cold, it's not Rangers' fault, but equally it's not the fault of the other five teams in the top six and certainly not Queen of the South.

[Stone Cold aka Doags Bs]

That I can agree with, but if it was better organised earlier in the season then the SPL would not be in this predicament.

End of the day league is priority for me and it should be for all Rangers fans. The UEFA cup is icing on the cake, but if we win that and don't win the league the Scottish media will consider Rangers failures.

[Hume]

End of the day league is priority for me and it should be for all Rangers fans.

Clearly I'm not qualified to answer / dispute that but I'll try - with 52 league titles and 1 european trophy in your honours list I'm not so sure all Rangers fans will agree with you.

Would your stance be different if there was no big city rival involved, the fans of whom will take great pleasure in stealing the title and rubbing Rangers' noses in it?

[Stone Cold aka Doags Bs]

Would your stance be different if there was no big city rival involved, the fans of whom will take great pleasure in stealing the title and rubbing Rangers' noses in it?

Obviously it would be different, and so would yours if you were in the same boat.

Won't matter when we win everything anyway

[Walt Jabsco]

Taken from the BBC website 5 years ago.

Interesting thoughts from Celtic then.

I would have more trust in their integrity if they just admiitted that they want Rangers to be knackered so they can win the league and to stop hiding behind " sporting Integrity"

Just do it Rangers, win the lot.







Old Firm date angers Celtic


Angry Celtic have warned of potential crowd trouble after the final Old Firm match of the season was scheduled three days after their Uefa Cup semi-final second leg against Boavista.
Chief executive Ian McLeod claims that his club's fans could be fired up by feelings of bias against them following Thursday's Scottish Premier League decision.

And he plans to take his protests about the Sunday 27 April date, which is likely to decide the destination of the league title, to the police and the Government.

Reigning champions Celtic lie eight points behind Glasgow rivals and league leaders Rangers but with two games in hand.

Celtic fear that the exertions of their Uefa Cup tie will not assist their cause at Ibrox and McLeod said: "We are appalled by this decision.

"There is absolutely no requirement or justification to schedule this crucial fixture for a date only two days after Celtic return from the second leg of the Uefa Cup semi-final in Portugal."

The SPL board appear to have been swayed by the fact that 27 April is the only available date when it was not mathematically possible to be a championship decider.

But McLeod said: "Four alternative dates are available and are far more suitable both from a fair, sporting and public safety perspective.

"Celtic made its concerns extremely clear to the SPL regarding the competitive disadvantage that would result from such deliberate scheduling.
"The SPL's decision will inevitably be regarded amongst Celtic supporters as a biased one, in advance of what is expected to be the most important SPL match of this season."

But McLeod also believes safety issues have been ignored by the SPL board.

"A far more worrying issue is that there will now be genuine and extremely serious safety concerns surrounding this match because of the perceptions of bias and inequality," he said.

"Celtic considers the fact that these concerns have effectively been disregarded by the SPL to be wholly irresponsible on the part of the league.

"The process followed by the SPL in advance of this decision has been flawed, crucially in relation to the lack of comprehensive consultation with Strathclyde Police and both clubs."

The SPL stress that they consulted both clubs and put it to a vote of all 12 clubs after a date agreeable to both could not be found.

But McLeod said: "The steadfast resolve of the SPL executive to sit on the fence on this issue and defer from effective advice or leadership is equally disappointing.
"Neither Celtic nor any fair-minded football supporter can condone this poor decision.

"We will be working hard to have it reversed by registering our concerns with the Scottish Executive, Glasgow City Council, Strathclyde Police and the SFA."

The Scottish Premier League splits into two after this weekend's games and the fixtures will be announced on Monday.

Crowd trouble in 1999 led to an SPL wish, along with the police, to avoid a final-day showdown between the intense city rivals.


Crowd trouble from their own fans was it not?
I think this story from 2003 highlights the double standards from Celtic.

[Glory Blazer]

The SPL couldn't run a bath.

This whole league campaign has been a disaster, culminating in sheer humiliation to the Scottish game.

I for one hope Rangers fans do boycott next seasons away games. I am actually astounded that they claim all this is to maintain "sporting integrity!!!". Nearly fell off my chair when I read that. There is not an ounce of integrity in Lex Gold's body.

Even the national coach George Burley has lambasted the SPL, calling it an utter disgrace, a shambles and totally unfair.

I am just dissapointed that a whole seasons work is getting crammed into 7 games in 17 days. I have every sympathy for the players and staff and my sentiments would be the same if any other SPL club were forced into this situation.

Through adversity we shall rise up and claim what we rightfully deserve. I hope the players use this slap in the face to be more determined than ever and acts like the spur they need.

How and ever - WE WILL FOLLOW ON! C'MON THE GERS!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Stone Cold aka Doags Bs]

Another thing I should say is that some teams in the SPL have backed the postponement of games to help Rengers, while others have plainly said they should not be moved.

Support from: Motherwell, Falkirk and I belive Aberdeen
Denied: Dundee Utd, Celtic

Others will have their say but at the end of the day we have to live with it!

[Trapper]

I find it quite amusing that a lot of people (David Murray included) seem to think that the whole of european football is so intersted in Scottish football. "We're a laughing sock", "It's humiliating","The whole of Europe is laughing at us". Naebody cares! We're not a laughing stock cos we are a small league in a small country that very few people apart from ourselves take an interest in.

As for the whole postponement thing, there is no way the SPL can do it now and Rangers should, and will, get on with it. I think most people might be missing the point. Walter, Murray et al know that the league can't be extended but they have obviously been going to the Siralex school of man management. It's all about building a siege mentality "They're all out to get us" "we'll win despite thay barstewards". You never know It might just work.

Also you can't compare Zenit's situation with Rangers. As someone already pointed out Zenit are midway through thier season so it's a lot easier to accomdate. Plus, they were due to play a game in vladivostock which would have involved flying 7 hours over 9 time zones there and back in 3 days, then heading to manchester (6 hours flight over 7 time zones) 72 hours before playing in the final. That is slightly different to a couple of hours on a bus up the M9 to tannadice!

[Sheik Yir Erse]

Bloody hell when was this?!!!!

John - it was 1972-1973 season (sorry for the inital typo ) - Celtic had to play 4 games in 8 days, but as others have pointed out in relation to Dundee Utd and even Aberdeen it's hardly unprecedented. Trapper may have a point as well about just moaning to create the siege mentality.

Can I add something else into the mix. The decision was made on 22nd April and there was a wee bit of moaning then, and there was a wee bit in the media about it, but mainly everyone was annoyed, but everyone knew where we stood. So my tuppence worth for what has changed between then and now .........

I honestly believe Rangers might have chucked the league! As someone said, you'd probably rather have a UEFA cup to your name than increase the league title by 1 more, therefore I think they might have put out the reserves against Motherwell and Hibs, and if Celtic one the league it would only have been because Rangers 'chose' to hand it to them. So what changed the attitude? In my view the Man Utd v Chelsea Champions League final has altered it since then, as the winners of the SPL are now straight into the group stages, therefore you chuck away a guaranteed £10m can you? So now the league is a priority again. Just my thoughts tho' - as I find it really strange why Gordon Smith / George Peat / Sir Moonbeams / George Burley / James Traynor / Keith Jackson / etc weren't jumping up and down quite so much 2 weeks ago?

[Ranald]

Bloody hell when was this?!!!!

John - it was 1972-1973 season (sorry for the inital typo ) - Celtic had to play 4 games in 8 days, but as others have pointed out in relation to Dundee Utd and even Aberdeen it's hardly unprecedented. Trapper may have a point as well about just moaning to create the siege mentality.

Can I add something else into the mix. The decision was made on 22nd April and there was a wee bit of moaning then, and there was a wee bit in the media about it, but mainly everyone was annoyed, but everyone knew where we stood. So my tuppence worth for what has changed between then and now .........

I honestly believe Rangers might have chucked the league! As someone said, you'd probably rather have a UEFA cup to your name than increase the league title by 1 more, therefore I think they might have put out the reserves against Motherwell and Hibs, and if Celtic one the league it would only have been because Rangers 'chose' to hand it to them. So what changed the attitude? In my view the Man Utd v Chelsea Champions League final has altered it since then, as the winners of the SPL are now straight into the group stages, therefore you chuck away a guaranteed £10m can you? So now the league is a priority again. Just my thoughts tho' - as I find it really strange why Gordon Smith / George Peat / Sir Moonbeams / George Burley / James Traynor / Keith Jackson / etc weren't jumping up and down quite so much 2 weeks ago?

Very interesting theory.

It's also entirely possible that they didn't think they'd get by Fiorentina. Or that they genuinely believed that they had the power to force the SPL and anyone else who gets in their way to bend over and take it any which way Rangers chose to give it to them.

[Stone Cold aka Doags Bs]

1 down, 6 to go.