Scottish Leagues 2001/02

[JAGS]

Doug Christie???

Captain,

Ghod is starting to look more and more like Doug Christie of the Sacramento Kings. Looks like he's in the early days of his "Euro 'Fro".

'Gers 3 v. Jags 0 - I'm sure it had something to do with the field. Partick Thistle have reached the lofty heights of the 1st Div, and the Cup Semi Final with skill, skill and more skill. Very similar to the type of football that Fastshow played while on his free transfer at Peg/Olys.

Old Firm Final should be a classic. Reading in Jinky's favorite paper this week - The Daily Record - they are going to rip up the whole field and re-sod it for the Champions League Final and the Cup Final. The have hired some sonsultant from Mission, BC who has years of experience in grass - mostly in growning it in the basement of his rented home. The SFA was heard saying that "if he can grow grass in his basement, imagine the job he can do outside."

JR

 

[Captain Shamrock]

JAGS,

Doug Christie? How many pints did you consume in your recent trip?

It will be great watching Celtic stuff Rangers in the Cup Final. I wouldn't have it any other way. A proper Double will be a nice achievement after last year's treble.

Captain

 

[Captain Shamrock]

Bucky ,

I will give you a chance to win the $50 back that I will win on April 6th, just becaue I am a nice guy. If you like, we can go double or nothing on the FA Cup final. Unfortunately, the Larsson vs Canniggia/Flo bet is still on, so you will definitely have to pay that. So what do you say, O'Bucky? Otherwise, you can just pay the $50 on April 7th.


Burnsie

 

[Buckfast]

BurnsY

All bets are ON!

Don't talk, walk it......or sumptin' like dat.

BabicY

 

[Guinness]

The stage is set

"Hello, Hello, we are the Billy Boys!!!"

 

[dickens_cider]

Mmmm May 4th

Hendrik Larson (Lisa Bonet) will be shut out and Rangers will be victorious, (sorry Jinky, Captain)



simplythebest...........I love Tina Turner.

 

[Jinky]

Crisis at Castle Greyskull.

FOOTBALL: RANGERS LOST £13M IN SIX MONTHS..IF WE GO ON LIKE THAT THE CLUB WILL GO BUST Mar 29 2002

Keith Jackson Exclusive

DAVID MURRAY last night put a two-year freeze on all spending - and admitted he would risk running Rangers into extinction if he failed to act immediately.

Murray made the shock admission to Sports Record after announcing to the Stock Market yesterday that his club have run up a further £13million loss over the last six months - taking total debts soaring to around the £30m mark.

Murray acted immediately by telling manager Alex McLeish that any money he requires to spend in the transfer market between now and the summer of 2004 will have to be raised by the sale of current first team squad members.

And he revealed McLeish has been instructed to slash £3m off the Ibrox wage bill this summer.

News of the drastic cuts underline the financial crisis which is gripping the game on both sides of the border and Murray admits he is acting now to safeguard the very future of his club.

He has also pledged not to raise season ticket prices for the coming campaign and insists he can raise the cash he needs to balance the books by enforcing a new prudent financial policy.

Murray said: "Over the next couple of years we will not be net spending on players. I have a responsibility to our supporters and shareholders as I must ensure that the club is still here in 30 or 40 years from now.

"We have spent a total of £42m over the last 18 months on players and on our new training complex and if we continue along those lines the club will go bust. It is as simple as that.

"We have suffered a loss of £13m over the last six months and that is what happens when you don't get into the Champions League.

"We simply cannot go on like this and we will not go on like this."

Murray, though, insists he will steady the ship over the course of the next two seasons.

He said: "There are several factors which will be involved in reducing our debt. First of all, we will not spend any more in the transfer market than we raise in the transfer market. What we sell we'll spend - not a penny more. At this stage none of us knows what our income will be from SPL TV.

"But we have taken the initiative of a new sponsorship deal which we will announce soon and our merchandising turnover will double from £9m to £18m next season when we produce and sell our own strips.

"That takes us on to the same level as Manchester United in terms of strip sales.

"We must also reduce our wage bill by £3m over the course of the next 10 months. That is the target I have set Alex and, as we have signed up the likes of Stefan Klos, Barry Ferguson, Craig Moore, Arthur Numan and Lorenzo Amoruso on long-term contracts, we will not have any major contract re-negotiations to finance over the next 12 months.

"I am speaking out here to let our supporters understand the position. I have to be honest with them. They must realise that this does not mean there is a lack of ambition on our part - it is simply a reality check.

"I must act in a responsible manner for the good of Rangers FC.

"I can also tell them that I will not put season ticket prices up.

"We have to look at some of the product we've been giving them and be fair to our supporters."

Murray insists he will dig into his own pocket to help McLeish should Rangers be hit by an injury crisis in the next two seasons saying: "If, for example, we have seven players out at one time I'll find money myself.

"I will not see Rangers go without if we are faced by massive problems on the park but what I am trying to do here is reorganise and restructure our spending levels. We simply cannot sustain the current losses."

And Murray also predicts that football in Britain is about to enter a potentially killer recession.

He said: "Outwith the top three or four clubs in the English Premiership there is great cause for concern.

"The recent problems with digital TV in England means a lot of clubs are now faced with financial disaster. There are clubs in Scotland who will also have to rethink and I will be interested to see if they too will be as honest with their fans as I am trying to be."

Murray stressed that Rangers will now seek to find and develop the best young talent from all over Europe rather than lay out fortunes on big money targets.

He said: "We will now look to sign the likes of Michael Ball and players of the standard of Mikel Arteta.

"The days of us spending £2m-plus on a 30-year-old are gone.

"But it is greatly encouraging to see players such as Stephen Hughes and Maurice Ross already in the Scotland squad and we must look to carry on down this road."

Part of the long-term strategy also seems likely to involve a tie-up with Spanish giants Barcelona - as revealed by Sports Record this week.

Rangers' Director of Football Dick Advocaat is attempting to broker a deal with Barca that will see Rangers being given the pick of the Catalan club's star youngsters.

The move came about after Rangers clinched the imminent £5.8m capture of Spanish Under-21 international Arteta.

And although Murray would not confirm that Arteta's deal is done, he continued: "I'm not denying Dick was in Barcelona last week and we are having discussions but it would be totally wrong to say any more."

The cost-cutting began yesterday when Scott Wilson was allowed to move for free to Portsmouth and will continue this summer when Andre Kanchelskis and Tony Vidmar leave on Bosman deals.

Murray will also stand to rake in around £10m from the departure of captain Barry Ferguson but it would go into McLeish's transfer kitty.

Murray added: "There is no doom and gloom at Ibrox - that is not what this is all about.

"It is simply responsible management and a matter of me doing what is best for the future of Rangers.

"Without these measures there would be no future."

 

[Jinky]

"It is simply responsible management and a matter of me doing what is best for the future of Rangers.

Hillarious stuff Ironsides.

 

[Rangerforever]

Originally posted by Jinky
".....and that is what happens when you don't get into the Champions League.

Bingo.

I have to admit some of the buys have been outright stupid.
The 'Tic have been much more creative and thrifty.
I do believe the new complex at Auchenhowie (sp?) will hopefully encourage young talent to step up and will turn out to be a great investment.

Baz is gone ya figure?
Shitty.

The "Responsible" quote is a bit funny Jinks, but I don't know about the Ironside bit.


CastleGreyskullforever

 

[Captain Shamrock]

Jinky,

I will not be able to view Celtic clinching their second Championship in as many years. My wife will be out of town and I don't think I will be able to find a baby-sitter at that time of the morning. Please have a couple of pints for me and I will make sure that I celebrate with you the next time I see you.....After Celtic beat Rangers in the Cup, we will celebrated with the original $50 that Bucky bet(14 pints of Tenants at the Croatian Center), then we will spend the next $50 at the Beer garden in Kamloops.



Captain

 

[Buckfast]

Typical of your mob. Even drink in segregation.

 

[Jinky]

eazay

peazay!.. you know the rest.

 

[Captain Shamrock]

Celtic wins Scottish title again

April 6, 2002


GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) -- Celtic won the Scottish Premier League title Saturday, the first time in 20 years the team has captured the championship in consecutive years.

Celtic routed Livingston 5-1 on three goals by Henrik Larsson, giving the Scottish power its 38th league championship with four games left.

Bucky,

A double whammy. Larsson with the hat-trick to all but eliminate Flo's chance of catching him(even with his three goal head start) and of course the set up for the double or nothing bet on May 4th. It is a good thing that I am a nice guy or I would be sending my henchmen around to collect the $60 that I could be owed, if I didn't give you the opportunity to get most of the money back.....


To all Rangers' fans around the world, unlucky once again.

 

[Buckfast]

Cambuslang Rangers

Captain Benevolence,

No need for hencemen or whatever you're calling Jinky this week.

I'll be attending the Pak Cup tomorrow afty and could offer up the $60 or let it ride until the Cup Final. Your choice.

Oh yah, congratu...congratula...contragulatio....oh fcuk it, nice one.

Forza SC Rangers.

Buckfast

 

[Rangerforever]

Well done Sellik

 

[Captain Shamrock]

Thanks, RF/Bucky.....

Bank of Scotland Scottish Premier League
Larsson Celtic 29
Flo Rangers 18
Hartson Celtic 17
Winters Aberdeen 11
Sara Dundee 11
Arveladze Rangers 11
McFadden Motherwell 9
Zerouali Aberdeen 8
de Boer Rangers 8
Elliott Motherwell 8


Bucky, maybe we should have picked Hartson against Flo. It would have been more interesting going into the last few games. I guess it is not over yet. Flo just has to score 8 and have Larsson go scoreless in the next 4 games. This would make it a tie, since you have 3 goals to play with........

 

[Jinky]

The Champions beat Leicester City in a friendly today 1-0.

Also and much more importantly, Martin O'Niell has expressed his desire to extend his contract. That's the best news yet.

 

[CDK]

Good luck on winning the double.

 

[Guinness]

Thanks

Rangers will be ready for that Hoop mob come May 4th... Two Cups out of three isn't too shabby for a bad season!!!


Bucky,CDKisreallyagersfan???

 

[Rangerforever]

CDK

Cheers Lad.