Rangers Won - So what?

THIS whole Rangers oldco/newco business is getting boring - the on-line arguments between the 'We Arra Peepul an' we're still here an' 'at' and the 'You're deid, Sevco his nae history' are the 21st century equivalent of the disputes between the flat and round earthers and the Darwenists and the biblical hard liners - neither side will ever admit the others are correct.

 

This morning the on-line forums are going flat-out in the aftermath of last night's Rangers win over Motherwell. Pre-match we were told that Rangers would beat the SPL leaders and somehow demonstrate that they were still a force in Scottish football. We were also assured that Motherwell would be favourites and would demonstrate the superiority of the SPL. We read suggestions that Motherwell would (again) lie down and let Rangers win, and were reminded that the Steelmen simply don't know how to win at Ibrox.

 

I don't buy into that, for the simple reason that I was in the old enclosure at Ibrox on 1 March, 1961, when Motherwell thrashed a Rangers team, a matter of weeks from winning yet another League title, 5-2 in a Scottish Cup replay. So I know that Motherwell can win at Ibrox.

 

They had their chances last night - had Law got round Alexander and scored, the outcome might have been different, but, in the end, a performance of old-fashioned Rangers captaincy, the likes of which I have rarely seen since John Greig retired, from Lee McCulloch, swept Rangers home.

 

To sum-up, a match between two indifferent sides of full-time players was won by the side with home advantage; what's strange about that? In the short-term, by which the period between now and the end of season 2012-13, this result will be of little significance.

 

Motherwell will not win the SPL, in fact, I fully and confidently expect Celtic to travel to Fir Park on Saturday, win and take-over at the head of the table, where they will remain for the remainder of the season. Rangers will not win the League Cup, or the Scottish Cup, but, will win SFL3 at a canter.

 

The performances of such Rangers youngsters as Fraser Aird, Kyle Hutton and Barrie McKay indicated, however, that, if brought along properly, they could be major players by the time their club gets back to the SPL - always assuming we still have an SPL by then.

 

 

 

BY the way, I have seen some comments to the effect that Lee McCulloch ought to have been red-carded for a spot of elbowing last night. Can I just say, I thought Callum Murray got it right, having spotted that McCulloch's elbow, which connected with the Motherwell player's upper chest, rather than his jaw, and being aware that McCulloch had retaliated to a clear foul, decided on a yellow card.

 

I thought that was good refereeing; certainly better than Stevie O'Reilly's reaction to a similar incident, involving Kevin Kyle and Ryan McGuffie in the previous week's Ibrox game against Queen of the South. Then, O'Reilly, correctly, red-carded Kyle, but failed to yellow card McGuffie, whose sneaky foul on Kyle caused the Rangers' man to fell him.

 

I have long felt referees, in both football and rugby, have for far-too long been quick to card players for retaliatory fouls, whilst ignoring the original offence. Murray, I think got it right.

 

 

 

THE relative attendances at Celtic Park and Ibrox over the past two nights have also generated some comment. I was not surprised at the low turn-out of The Greatest Fans In The World, to see the Hoops hammer Raith. The great majority of the Celtic following have a modicum of decency and good taste, and little appetite for a meanginless stroll in the park, particularly at the prices which Peter Lawwell and the Celtic management think they can get away with charging.

 

Not that I am having a go at Celtic here. The fact is, Scottish football is over-priced and at a time when Scotland as a whole is in economic difficulties, perhaps the money men of football should be thinking of using the likes of the League Cup as a loss-leader, to put bums on seats.

 

If I was a Celtic fanatic, perhaps working in a job which, because of the current climate had me working only my basic 35-40 hour week, with household costs rising and with Champions League games with the likes of Barcelona looming on the horizon - I would give genuine consideration to body swerving a routine routing of Raith.

 

The Rangers fans, on the other hand, have little to look forward to this season; but, they are on a crusade to demonstrate that they remain "Ra Peepul", so they will turn-out in numbers. I am not reading too much into the disparity in attendances. I don't think any sensible football commentator is either.

 

 

 

ANENT the League Cup, which has never risen above its Cinderella Cup status, in spite of now being an OAP. I have long felt this competition could be a lot more important than it has become.

 

Back in the dark ages, before Top Tens, the League Cup was the traditional introduction to the season, with the clubs meeting in groups, leading to knock-out stages from quarter-finals on. It worked then, better than it works now.

 

Over the years, Scottish football has somehow lost its way in youth development - although the financial crises of recent years have forced clubs, albeit reluctantly, to throw in the kids.

 

Why not make the League Cup a development comeptition? Perhaps use the Olympic Games' eligibility rules and insist that each side only fields three players who are over-23. The competition doesn't carry European qualification, so it seems to me to be the ideal vehicle for blooding youngsters. I would like to think the chance to see who is coming through the ranks, just might persuade the fans to turn out, more-so if the prices were reduced as further incentive.

 

 

 

A RANGERS XI is travelling to darkest Ayrshire on Sunday, to take-on Muirkirk Juniors in a match to celebrate the local club's 75th anniversary.

 

I really ought to be there, I was born a good free-kick's distance from 'Kirk's Burnside Park; my maternal grand-father was player, captain and president of Muirkirk Athletic, the village's junior team before World War II; my father was one of the original committee-men.

 

However, since this match has had to be re-arranged from July, I have a prior engagement and will miss it, as perhaps also will Muirkirk's greatest player, the living legend that is Eric Caldow.

 

Eric is not in the best of health and his attendance is in doubt. But, Muirkirk's second-greatest player, big Danny Masterton, will surely be there and a good day is guaranteed.