Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor

[rossfourfive]

Pretty easy once you've had a few pints just to stay for a couple more, next thing you know it's 1 am and you're wellied, can happen to anyone. Just give them a ticking off and sack the coaches who should have been there making sure this couldn't have happened. I know they're not 4 year olds but you can take some measures to prevent this kind of thing happening.
Dunno what happens to Ferguson but McGregor becomes poker pro obv.

Comedy. So Burley and Butcher should have stayed up to babysit them - yep definitely sack them.

The drinking thing was bad but if it had finished at that they would've got a talking to and that would have been the end of it. The hand gestures on Wednesday night were a disgrace. Scotland's captain should be setting an example not behaving an immature prick. I despise Ferguson and i hope i never see him in a Scotland shirt ever again, the team will not suffer as he has never been one of Scotland's best players. Fletcher looks a lot better when he doesn't play with Ferguson.

gg Ferguson, plz plz plz quit football forever.

[Newmanseye]

Its in todays Sunday Mail that there will be some sort of reprieve for McShagger.  Would seem that the Sunday Mail has a high ranking source at ibrox.

Not often I agree with Andy Walker, but I thought his piece in todays Sunday Mail was a decent read.


Move to end Barry Ferguson's Rangers career isn't brave, it's suicidal
Apr 5 2009 Andy Walker

I'VE heard it called a brave decision by Rangers.

Suicidal is more apt.

If you ever needed an idea of how desperate the Ibrox club are for cash the events of the last few days have crystallised everything.

In all my years in football I have never known such a gross over-reaction to two footballers guilty of a stupid mistake who followed it up with a display of childish and immature behaviour.

To suspend Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor without pay for two weeks and effectively end their Gers careers is excessive and out of all proportion.

The club are desperate to sell any prize asset and ruthlessly exploited a delicate situation.

Two of the highest earners sold in the summer under a cloud - that'll do for starters.

In January any one of five big names could have been sold to reduce the club's crippling debt.

But nobody took the bait and this is a panic measure.

In a different era Walter Smith would never have agreed to such a ridiculous stance from his chairman.

In successful times how often did Gers fans hear "the team that drinks together wins together"?

How many scrapes did some of the nine-in-a-row side get involved in only for Smith to protect and defend them at every turn?
The bottom line is Rangers' title bid has been weakened by doing without two big-name players who can give inspirational performances.

The SFA have also looked shambolic in all of this. As manager George Burley is in charge of discipline. His choice was to leave them out of the team, a decision approved by chief executive Gordon Smith.

But president George Peat completely undermined them with his determination to have a full inquiry over both incidents.

That led to lifetime bans for the Ibrox pair - another huge over-reaction - and severely compromised Burley's authority.

And amid all the hysteria the real problem will continue to be ignored. There is a drinking culture in the British game that has been evident for years.

Our history is littered with similar exploits. The story of Jimmy Johnstone making his way back to a Largs hotel at 5am after an all-night drinking session then getting lost at sea in a rowing boat has become the stuff of legend.

Remember pictures of England stars in the dentist's chair just before Euro 96? That too resulted in mass hysteria and calls for players to be banned but boss Terry Venables stood by them.

The sad truth is the British attitude to food and drink reflects badly on us all.

Athletes guzzling pints all morning? They probably washed it down with egg and chips.

It's unacceptable. I don't say it with any pride but stories of marathon benders are commonplace at every club I've been at.

Three or four days before losing a Scottish Cup semi-final replay to Motherwell in 1991, there were plenty of Celtic players too drunk to train after an almighty boozing session. I reckon every guy I've played with has seen evidence of a drinking culture that still exists.

When I signed for Sheffield United under Howard Kendall it took my breath away how often he insisted on "bonding sessions".

It was always the same routine. We'd go to a Chinese restaurant, eat and drink as much as possible then - to roars of approval - Kendall would threaten every player with a fine of two weeks' wages if they went home sober.

To my knowledge he never went through with it but that was his way of fostering team spirit.

When I later signed for Hibs I was looking forward to playing alongside Chic Charnley but after my debut against Aberdeen I didn't see him again for four days.

He was on the lash and you can only imagine what he would have achieved in the game had he screwed the nut.

There's simply no excuse for Scotland lads going on a booze session in the middle of a World Cup qualifying campaign, least of all captain Ferguson. And their two-fingered salutes were pathetic.

One problem that could come back to haunt Smith and Burley though is inconsistency of discipline.

Half a dozen players drank heavily until the early hours yet only two were singled out for punishment.

That can't be right. And spare me the tosh about every player being a role model on how to live your life. They're footballers, nothing more.

And whether it is at club or international level, the next episode of drunkenness won't be too far away.

Bandits best post ever!

[cambo]

newjapseye, lol.


as for the coaches,

THIS DRINKING SESSION WAS SANCTIONED.

[GlasgowBandit]

newjapseye, lol.


as for the coaches,

THIS DRINKING SESSION WAS SANCTIONED.

It was agreed that the players could have a few beers once back in the hotel so they could chill.  But Bampot & McShagger started giving big Elvis abuse when he asked them to go to bed.  The other 4 players involved all went to bed obviously Bampot thought he has the same power at Scotland as Sir Minty Moonbeam installed in him at Rangers when he sacked a manager to keep Bampot happy.

[Josedinho]

newjapseye, lol.


as for the coaches,

THIS DRINKING SESSION WAS SANCTIONED.

It was agreed that the players could have a few beers once back in the hotel so they could chill.  But Bampot & McShagger started giving big Elvis abuse when he asked them to go to bed.  The other 4 players involved all went to bed obviously Bampot thought he has the same power at Scotland as Sir Minty Moonbeam installed in him at Rangers when he sacked a manager to keep Bampot happy.

Translation please.

[G1BTW]

lol @ McShagger

[G1BTW]

Pretty easy once you've had a few pints just to stay for a couple more, next thing you know it's 1 am and you're wellied, can happen to anyone. Just give them a ticking off and sack the coaches who should have been there making sure this couldn't have happened. I know they're not 4 year olds but you can take some measures to prevent this kind of thing happening.
Dunno what happens to Ferguson but McGregor becomes poker pro obv.

Comedy. So Burley and Butcher should have stayed up to babysit them - yep definitely sack them.

The drinking thing was bad but if it had finished at that they would've got a talking to and that would have been the end of it. The hand gestures on Wednesday night were a disgrace. Scotland's captain should be setting an example not behaving an immature prick. I despise Ferguson and i hope i never see him in a Scotland shirt ever again, the team will not suffer as he has never been one of Scotland's best players. Fletcher looks a lot better when he doesn't play with Ferguson.

gg Ferguson, plz plz plz quit football forever.

As far as I know Ferguson and McGregor were hired for their football skills not to act as Exemplars of fine gentlemanly behaviour. Walter 'didn't want to take the action he did but had to protect the reputation of the club'. How damaged does your club reputation get by a couple of really mild V signs? And compare it to all the other hijinks you see from some players: assault, sexual assault, drug binges. It's nothing.
Walter Smith told them to keep their heads down after the drinking binge and they defied him, he took this as an affront to his authority and lashed out.

[johnbhoy76]

Andy Walkers article is spot on for me!

People are saying the SFA have been harsh but the SFA punishment came AFTER Rangers had dished out their own punishment.

George Burley was quoted as saying after the game that Ferguson would remain Captain. Gordon Smith (SFA Chief Executive) was quoted on thursday afternoon as saying the matter was now closed, this after the photos of the V signs had been in the morning papers.

So it was rangers themselves who took the most severe action and the SFA then followed suit.

The SFA are a shambles but we all knew that anyway. Basically rangers have pounced on this as a chance to get two big earners off the wage bill.

I mean off the top of my head I can recall Gascoigne beating up his wife, Amorouso clearly caught on camera calling an opponent a 'Black B@stard' during a game. Surely these actions are far worse than a childish two finger salute to the camera

I don't remember what happened in those cases in terms of punishment by rangers but they were both allowed to continue playing for rangers so it seems very strange that rangers now want to take the moral highground when it comes to players stepping out of line. To me it seems obvious that rangers want rid of these two and are taking this action because of financial hardship and not some moral crusade.

On the actual drinking incident itself, the whole thing beggars belief. They arrived back at the hotel at 4AM and asked if it was OK to go for a drink. The fact that so called proffesional sportsman thought it was OK to ask is shocking. The fact that they were told yes is just mind blowing! 4 o'clock in the MORNING!  

Can you imagine any top manager allowing that ?

[GlasgowBandit]

[ ] George Burley does not look like an alcoholic.

[Scottish Dave]

newjapseye, lol.


as for the coaches,

THIS DRINKING SESSION WAS SANCTIONED.

It was agreed that the players could have a few beers once back in the hotel so they could chill.  But Bampot & McShagger started giving big Elvis abuse when he asked them to go to bed.  The other 4 players involved all went to bed obviously Bampot thought he has the same power at Scotland as Sir Minty Moonbeam installed in him at Rangers when he sacked a manager to keep Bampot happy.

lol post of the Fuckin week mate!

and spot on to boot mate!

[rossfourfive]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/8193507.stm

[ ] Barry Ferguson is a classy guy.

Why the fk would you come out with this pish two days before a huge international game? I honestly hope he rots in the reserves at Birmingham and never plays another game of football in his life.

[Maxriddles]

He is spot on when he says the handling of it was a joke by the SFA, however it doesn't need saying now, especially not by him.

[  ]  It will have any impact on the preparation for Wednesday's game
[  ]  He has learned from the experience
[  ]  He comes out of this with credit