A Disability Awareness Week event, this hour-long lecture certainly was worth the effort to come out to listen to. It was especially beneficial if one knew little about how autism and Asperger’s affect a person’s understanding of social skills like expressions or personal space. Indeed, Joshua was a perfect ambassador due to his experience in campaigning for education and awareness to improve an overall acceptance for those who have this disability.

His campaigning has achieved wonders; he has spoken with MPs in the House of Commons and had interviews with not only the BBC, but CNN as well. Being a Psychology student here at St Andrews himself, Joshua’s talk was only the beginning of what looks to be an interesting and illuminating week that students should take the time to take part in.

Disability Awareness Week runs until the Friday 24^th February, for more information visit: http://www.yourunion.net/events/index.php?page=event&event_id=762063

For more information on Joshua and Asperger’s, his book entitled “Raising Martians – From Crash Landing to Leaving Home”, is currently available.

Specifically, the issue revolves around the right of the state to insist that Christian organizations that are recipients of federal funds cover the cost of contraceptives for their female employees. The 1970 law, Title IX, passed comfortably under Nixon, has gone almost unchallenged for decades, and yet Christian organizations have deemed themselves exempt from the equal-opportunity law by refusing to cover a necessary component of health insurance. Santorum has given his full backing to Christian hospitals and shelters that willingly receive federal funds but deem themselves above the law when it comes to equal opportunity in the workplace. The ‘controversy’ is very easily settled with reference to the foundational texts that the far right so revere; the first and fourteenth amendments to the Constitution, as well as the extensive jurisprudence established in numerous Supreme Court decisions all point to a strictly secular system of government.

Santorum remains apparently unaware of the flagrant denial of constitutional law he intends to perpetrate—he has made no secret of the fact that he plans on using his presidency to redress the anti-Christian ways in which Americans have been conducting themselves of late. He appears to have tired of speaking out against gay marriage and abortion, and has simply opted for the strategy that will alienate as many people as possible during his (hopefully short) time on the national stage. His views on contraception are worth quoting at length:

One of the things I will talk about that no President has talked about before is I think the dangers of contraception in this country, the whole sexual libertine idea. Many in the Christian faith have said, “Well, that’s okay. Contraception’s okay.” 

It’s not okay because it’s a license to do things in the sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be. They’re supposed to be within marriage, they are supposed to be for purposes that are, yes, conjugal, but also [inaudible], but also procreative. That’s the perfect way that a sexual union should happen. We take any part of that out, we diminish the act. And if you can take one part out that’s not for purposes of procreation, that’s not one of the reasons, then you diminish this very special bond between men and women, so why can’t you take other parts of that out? And all of a sudden, it becomes deconstructed to the point where it’s simply pleasure. And that’s certainly a part of it — and it’s an important part of it, don’t get me wrong — but there’s a lot of things we do for pleasure, and this is special, and it needs to be seen as special.

In one breath, he manages to demonize the sexual behavior of 99 percent of U.S. women between the ages of 15 and 44 (that have used contraception at some point in their lives), and assert the literal moral preeminence of a bronze-aged book penned by sand people two millennia ago. His fundamental claim, that removing access to contraceptives will discourage non-procreational sex, is akin to outlawing seatbelts to encourage safer driving. The American public, despite having distinct religious leanings as a whole, is overwhelmingly critical of Santorum’s anachronistic social views; by a lopsided margin of 66 to 26 percent, voters support Obama’s policy of requiring coverage of contraception for private employers.

This is a man who genuinely believes that his own faith should be the yardstick for all behavior in the U.S., regardless of religious affiliation. He even had the gall to attack Obama for instituting policies “not based on the bible”, as if the Book was some sort of instructional document meant to guide the hand of the President.

It may therefore come as a surprise that liberals are rejoicing in Santorum’s latest escapades. The man is nationally unelectable, but is prevailing in the primaries because of the propensity of evangelicals and radically right-wing voters to turn out in disproportionate numbers early on. Santorum’s success is less of his own doing but more a manifestation of the general disaffection with Mitt Romney. Obama’s recent uptick in the polls, probably due to a bettering of the economic climate, has somewhat neutralized Romney’s principal point of contention in the election, and forced him onto the sidelines. Romney still holds an overwhelming lead in delegates, fundraising, and support among moderate voters, but is such an unpalatable option that the Republican mainstream is putting up with Santorum, for now. The circus goes on.

Unionists have decried the delay of the referendum; present-day polls suggest an SNP loss. The SNP allege the necessity of a thorough public debate. While these arguments are outwardly pragmatic, they do not reflect the discourse to come. The date of the referendum is ostensibly a publicity stunt; appeals to nationalism have taken round one for the SNP.

A great deal of both campaigns will be fought on such lines. Primarily citing the Claim of Right, the SNP will unleash a brand of idealism in the mould of Wilsonian Self-Determination, with a revanchist bend that is subtle, but present. I can exaggerate neither how many times, The Sovereign Right of the Scottish People to Determine the Form of Government Best Suited to Their Needs will be heard, nor the extent to which I believe the notion to be absurd.

I wonder on what grounds it might be claimed to be true. Because Scotland is a nation with a distinct history and culture? On this basis, ought not Glaswegians to govern themselves? And Edinburghers? Are we to instantiate a modern Delian League: The Caledonian League perhaps? Such an approach would hardly be unwarranted; Fife is as much an ancient kingdom as Scotland.

Perhaps, in general, we might feel that groups of distinct race or culture ought to form their own government. This makes no sense to me. I am neither a xenophobe nor a racist, and so I do not see why persons of a different nationality would, for this reason alone, provide worse government than my own kin.

Perhaps we face an exception, in that Scots are better suited to governing fellow Scots, whose culture they share. We may reference, in particular, that Scotland has independent systems of Law and Education that are best administered by those whose experience and understanding thereof would be beneficial.

This logic too is unclear to me. Electronics are an integral part of my life, our culture, and our government, and yet I do not demand that only fellow Scots deliver such produce. Californians make my computers, much as Australians make my shampoo and I believe an Italian made my guitar.

Are these examples trivial with respect to government? What, then, about Defence and Public Finance? Under the proposed change, these will remain with the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom and the Bank of England, respectively. There will be no Scottish Army and no Scottish Currency (current monopoly money notwithstanding)

But are these not of the most essential functions of government? If anything ought to be in the domain of a sovereign nation, would these not be at the top of the list? It seems that only domestic legislative power is to be contended – the fifth, that is, that does not yet derive from Brussels. If the SNP are to claim a truly nationalistic justification, they have a strange notion of ‘nation’ indeed.

What I am trying to demonstrate is that such a justification is inane in this arena. Its adherence translates practically to self-enforced cultural and economic isolation and mercantilism. Clearly this will not actually happen. In reality we face a question of management: whether or not to convert the United Kingdom from an asymmetric to a symmetric federation. We must ask ourselves, not whether we believe in the Sovereign Right of the Scottish People, but rather whether we believe our government will become more or less effective.

I believe not only that the effectiveness of our government will improve, but also that the entirety of what is currently the United Kingdom will experience a similar change. I am weighing up a defence of federacy for next week, but for now I intend only to forewarn of and dispel the arguments from appeals to nationalist sentiment, Einstein’s “ infantile disease … the measles of Mankind.” In two and a half years’ time, we will be drowning in such meretricious rhetoric.

A vote for Independence is not necessarily a vote for the SNP. Given the ideal of implementing a system of government that will reap the benefits of a trans-national federation, such a vote may be motivated by enmity to the pandering nationalism of the party only currently in power.

Welcome to Amsterdam!

Visiting Amsterdam in January did not go exactly as planned: freezing temperatures and a cancelled train resulted in us arriving a day early. Still, an extra day in this magical Seventeenth Century city is nothing to complain about!

Amsterdam is known to many as the party capital of Europe, with prostitutes at every corner, and drugs to be selected by keen tourists like kids in a candy store. However, when we went it was a marvelous and quite empty place, where the prostitutes are gracefully limited to windows in the Red Light District and most people seem more chilled out than high. Even the cats that wander the city are adorable and relaxed in their environment.

Having only three days to explore, our group of four did not expect to be able to see all of the city, but we quickly came to realize that Amsterdam is ideal for a weekend break. There is really no need to use public transportation as you can walk almost everywhere and a cab after a long night is fairly cheap, especially if split between a few people. Another quality of the small city is that it is much cheaper than European cities such as Paris and London. You can get a quality hostel for around 15 Euros a night and a good meal in a restaurant for 5-10 Euros.

There are many interesting things to see and experience. Ordinarily, Rijksmuseum might be very interesting to see, but at the moment it is going through renovations so it is not worth paying the 14 Euro entrance fee for over 18 year olds, unless you are an Art History student. The Anne Frank House is well worth a visit. As per the wishes of Otto Frank, Anne’s father and the only surviving member of the Frank family, the rooms in their secret annex are devoid of furniture, but extractions from her diary, models and interviews make the experience quite fulfilling. If you are looking for unconventional museums, the Medieval torture museum was voted best museum in Amsterdam 2011. De Wallen, better known as the red light district, can be found by following the crowds from the Dam (town square). There, you will see women displayed in shop windows and sex cinemas all around you. It is a very strange experience but one you cannot leave Amsterdam without having. The coffeehouses, where much of the partying goes on at this time of year, are worth a visit even if drugs aren’t your thing, if only for the unique experience, friendly staff and clientele. If you are interested in vintage and antiques, our group visited Noordermarkt (open on Mondays) which could cater to all of our needs: records, diaries and vintage clothing. There is also great vintage shopping on the ‘Nine Streets’ where you can find virtually anything.

We stayed at Durty Nelly’s, a fantastic Irish hostel in the city centre, with great staff and breakfast included. There is a pub downstairs, so if you are feeling lazy after a long day just pop downstairs for a pint of Guinness.

There are only a few negative things to be said about Amsterdam: there is a distinct lack of student discounts, unlike other major European cities. Also, the bikes and trams everywhere can easily cause an accident if you aren’t paying attention to where you are walking. The Dutch people, however, are incredibly nice and helpful. I strongly recommend Amsterdam for your next break. Whatever your interests, the city is open to anything and you will surely have a wonderful time there!

For preventing the proletarian students of St. Andrews from being a burden on their peers or the university, and for making them beneficial to the public

It is a melancholy object to those who walk through our ancient town, when they see the streets, roads and library carrels crowded with students of the plebeian classes, huddled over out-dated Windows laptops, masticating on Greggs pasties and wearing Topman polo-shirts.

We think it is agreed by all parties that this prodigious number of working class students, is in the present state of our island, beset as we are by economic woe, a very great additional grievance; and therefore, whoever could find out a fair, cheap and easy method of making these students sound, useful members of the university would deserve so well as to certainly receive a Principle’s medal for endeavour. And indeed, should furthermore be granted the freedom to form any such exclusive Principal advisory group as they saw fit without the meddling communist lackies of the Union sticking their unwelcome trot noses in.

As to our own part, having turned out thoughts for many years to the subject of the unwelcome increase of proletarian students amongst our ranks, and having measured the attentions of the university in the matter, we have always found them erring in their computation. The expansion of our own facilities is certainly impossibility, beset as we are by a present economic woe. The logical thinker is thus left to the only remaining option: the diminution our present population. Where present designs have been to stretch the glove to fit the hand, the right thinking gentleman must counter: in these strained times it is instead the hand that must be trimmed to fit the glove.

I am informed by a well knowing Etonian of my acquaintance that a first year student of minimal breeding, if properly prepared, offers a filling and satisfying meal. Framed within our present situation supreme logic of employing the proletarian element of our student body as such is beyond doubt. Indeed, beside relief of the inhumane overcrowding of our libraries and lecture theatres, such action would furthermore ease the current demand for low cost accommodation and provide a reasonable source of sustenance for our student body, while offering a local food supply with a minimal carbon footprint, protected from the vagaries of the international market. Oh glorious isolation!

Furthermore, should there be any excess of flesh, I am assured by an American of our membership, that this will fetch a handsome price on the marketplace. It is little secret that our 600th anniversary fundraising attempts have fallen on lean times. Our Principal, despite her radical feminist leanings, is admirably concerned above all other things with matters of a pecuniary nature. It is inevitable that once meditated upon, the fortitude of this scheme will be evident to her; making as it does a virtue of an economic necessity, in the ancient alchemical style transmuting that which is unclean into gold.

We, @Katekennedyclub, profess in the sincerity of our heart, that we have not the least personal interest in endeavouring to promote this necessary work, beyond the necessary sustenance and promotion of our own ancient academe. We have no proletarian members by which we hope to levy a single penny, the least amongst us at least having attended Charterhouse.

Bejants, Semi-Bejants, Tertians and Magistrands! That the computations of our scheme are beyond doubt is apparent; we as gentlemen call on each and every one of you to lend your support to our very, humble suggestion.

Your servants always,

The honourable gents of @KateKennedyClub

“The Kate Kennedy Club learnt at 10pm on Monday, 20th February that the SRC passed a motion to form an organisation called the Kate Kennedy Fellowship. This was the first time that the Club had heard of such a plan and we are yet to receive any official communication on behalf of the SRC or University to confirm its existence. This Fellowship would be a new and distinct entity and would be separate from the Kate Kennedy Club, which will continue to exist independently.

The Kate Kennedy Club has existed in its current form since 1926 and has long upheld relations between the town and gown through our charitable work, student events and the Spring Procession. For many years the Procession has enjoyed female participation and in 2003 we created the Kate Kennedy Procession Committee which is open to townsfolk and students of both genders. This move was embraced by the University and has worked well in subsequent years.

The two members who regrettably resigned their membership from the Kate Kennedy Club yesterday evening never brought their proposal to the Club until the decision had already been made to establish this Kate Kennedy Fellowship. We have always sought to engage in dialogue with the University and student body, however both the Principal and the SRC have repeatedly refused our attempts in the past. Even tonight, in the midst of these events, we attempted to speak with the Principal but she refused talks with our Committee.

We have always been open to discussing our membership practices and will continue to consider these proposals within the Club in the future. We look forward to welcoming the town and students to the Kate Kennedy Procession on April 14th and the May Ball on May 6th. We hope that the University will not attempt to prevent us from putting on these special events that the townsfolk and students have enjoyed for over eighty-five years.”

At 3pm today (Tuesday 21st February), the Principal released a statement on these events. In it she rejects the Kate Kennedy Club’s claims that they have repeatedly attempted to speak with her and formally endorses the Kate Kennedy Fellowship. This statement was sent to the SaintMail accounts of all students.

An official statement made by Sunny Moodie and Patrick Mathewson, who will head the Kate Kennedy Fellowship on an interim basis, confirmed that they had resigned from the Kate Kennedy Club. They were positive about the future of the Kate Kennedy tradition, hopeful that this was a step towards a ”new era [and] evolution” for all students in St Andrews. Moodie was also hopeful that the members of the old club who had chosen not to join them (i.e. had rejected women membership) would “wake up”, realise they were in the 21st century and join in.

While all students will be members of the Fellowship (unless they opt out), the Fellows – those charged with running events, such as the Kate Kennedy Procession and the Opening and May Balls, and other activities – will be chosen by an interview process, with all students having the opportunity to apply.

Director of Representation Sam Fowles commented: “We should have [great] pride that we have students who are ready to stand up and say, ‘this isn’t right’, or – more importantly – ‘I’m going to work out a way to do it better’… [It has] led to this fantastic and historic occasion.”

Crossing out the Club's past? Photo: www.thecourier.co.uk

Moodie and Mathewsons’ statement came at the end of a long evening for members of the student media in St Andrews, as rumours and reactions swirled around town and online, revealing the great amount of interest and debate generated by the old club.

The SRC met to discuss the matter much earlier in the evening, at 19:00, following an approach by “multiple members” of the Kate Kennedy Club who were unhappy about the restrictions the club placed on admitting members, particularly the non-admittance of women, a motion which was taken up and presented by “senior SRC members”, according to Sam Fowles.

That meeting had finished by 20:30, with some SRC members rapidly – and prematurely – updating the online community on what had taken place. From early reports, it seemed that the SRC had voted to endorse the dissolution or transformation of the Kate Kennedy Club in order to form a ‘town and gown fellowship’.

Whether that be the case or not (the SRC does not have the power to force the Kate Kennedy Club to take any form of action), there was clearly still much to be done. The Kate Kennedy Club itself was holding its AGM, a discussion that began at 19:30 but did not end for several hours.

Alistair Moffat, who is to be officially installed as Rector next month, was present at the meeting as an honorary life member of the club. Yet the AGM was not close to its conclusion when he left after 22:00, with any resolution remaining unclear. Moffat insisted that he was in no position to comment on proceedings while the debate was ongoing. Until the outcome of the meeting was known, it was entirely possible that the SRC motion would become invalid.

The rumours continued until after midnight, when Moodie and Mathewson finally addressed the assembled press, accompanied by Fowles. The transcript of their statement is below.

Clearly this has been a hugely significant 24 hours in the history of the Kate Kennedy legacy, and by implication it will affect institutions and attitudes in the wider St Andrews community. We do not have long to wait (until Saturday) to find out what exactly will be driving those changes.

—

Sunny Moodie, Patrick Mathewson (both Kate Kennedy Fellowship) and Sam Fowles (Director of Representation) to St Andrews student media (Mansefield, 21 February):

Sunny Moodie:

“This evening Pat and myself – members of the Kate Kennedy Club – have moved to form a new body. This will be called the Kate Kennedy Fellowship and every student in St Andrews, woman or man, will automatically be considered a member unless they choose to opt out.

“This is a decision which has come from within the club itself. We believe it is time for change and I would like to pay tribute to the gentlemen who have joined me tonight in seizing this moment. The guardians of the Kate Kennedy tradition should be a unique and beautiful organisation that can breathe life into the traditions and the history of this town and this University. It should be comprised of a group of people who believe in supporting Fife, where we live, the university where we study, the town that we call our home and the students whom we call our friends. They should recognise – not just recognise but celebrate – our wild and varied history and they should carry us, with undiminished ardour, into the future.

“The Kate Kennedy Club was formed in the fires of “Courage”, the Rectorial address given by J.M. Barrie in 1924, with the support of Principal Irvine, to be an organisation dedicated to sincere and objective ideals and principals. Now, in a world of measureless subjectivity, we have to stand up and be counted – to say what we believe in. For too long now we have said we believe that we should be all male and that women cannot be part of these precious traditions. That is no longer true. It should never have been true.

“From now on every student at St Andrews will have equal opportunity to promote our traditions, our history and our future. The Kate Kennedy Procession is our town’s bridge to its past but it also needs to be part of the town and the University today and for the future.

“So, I have this message for my fellow students: If you came to this university and were inspired by this ancient seat of learning, by the romance, by the history; If you believe in supporting the university and the town in a meaningful and, I think, beautiful way then yours is now the Kate Kennedy Fellowship.

“I’d also like to pay tribute to the hard work of the gentlemen of the old Kate Kennedy Club. Their hard work has, at times, gone unrecognised but its value to our community cannot be doubted. I hope that the new Fellowship will empower all students to achieve the very best of their abilities in service to the noble ideals that we hold close to our hearts. I urge all those associated with the old Kate Kennedy Club to accept our invitation to this fellowship; to do something noble for themselves, the town and the university.

“Never before have the stars so aligned to bring about change for the Kate Kennedy Tradition. Together with Lady Catherine Erskine, the chair of the Kate Kennedy Procession Committee, the Lord Rector Alistair Moffat, his Assessor, Kate Andrews, Sam Fowles, the Director of Representation, the Kate Kennedy Trust and leading members of the University have all worked tirelessly, sacrificing other commitments because they believe in making this University a better, fairer place. Without them, our resignation – our stand – would be a cold and lonely one. With them, there’s a new dawn.”

Patrick Mathewson:

“I joined the Kate Kennedy Club because I believed it would be a place where we would hold ourselves to a higher standard and become better men. The Club was founded on beautiful ideas but as it stood it could not live up to its potential, could not bloom into the wonderful thing we all think it can be. I don’t think that all the things we profess to believe in and hold dear belong only to one gender. Without the strengths women bring we do ourselves only a disservice.

“From tomorrow all students will be members of the Kate Kennedy Fellowship. We will also appoint a number of Kate Kennedy Fellows from the student body. They will be tasked with the practical work of organising the Kate Kennedy Procession, the Opening and May balls and the numerous other charity and volunteering opportunities that are such an important part of the Kate Kennedy Tradition. Every student is invited to apply, every one.

“We will confirm further details of the Kate Kennedy Fellowship at a drinks reception this Saturday at 7pm.

“Sunny and I will serve as interim heads of the Fellowship but we will step aside after we have recruited new members. The Fellows will elect a new President and officers at the AGM.

“The new Fellowship will play an integral part in our university life. It will be dedicated to serving the University, to charity and promoting the ancient traditions of the University for the future. I hope it will be a group of men and women who embody these beliefs to their fullest extent and will dedicate their time in St Andrews to the service of the University.

“I see all who can be at this University – everyone in this room, everyone out of it – as incredibly fortunate. We have so much opportunity that we have an incredible responsibility, if not a duty, to do something with it. I hope my fellow students will join me this Saturday.”

Sam Fowles:

“I can confirm that the Kate Kennedy Fellowship will have support from the SRC, which voted to endorse it this evening, from the Rector, from Lady Catherine Erskine, who chairs the Procession Committee, and from the University itself.

“Just to be clear, this move came from within the Club, and we’re delighted to both support and endorse it. It’s also been agreed that there’ll be a ‘grace period’, where members of the old Kate Kennedy Club will be offered Fellowships if they choose to join the new entity. And I want to call for every student to join in and support the people who have endorsed this so far.

“And I say this for myself: I think we should have a huge amount of pride in the traditions of this University, particularly those embodied by the Kate Kennedy Tradition. This should be absolutely dwarfed by the pride that we have in students who are ready to stand up and say, ‘this isn’t right’, or – more importantly – ‘I’m going to work out a way to do it better’. And that’s what we have here tonight and what led to, I think, this fantastic and historic occasion.”

[Does the old Kate Kennedy Club still exist in any form?] Sunny Moodie:

“I don’t know. You’d have to ask the Kate Kennedy Club… We should make it clear that in resigning – one of the core reasons for this – if you propose women you automatically resign from the Kate Kennedy Club.

“So whatever they’re doing, it’s their own thing. But I hope, I really hope, they wake up, they realise we’re in the 21st century, realise we’re part of a public institution with responsibilities to make statements all the time about equality, about the importance of involving people no matter where you’re from, no matter how much money you have or what gender you are, in celebrating all that is great about this institution.

“And I hope that some of them will wake up and join us.”

Sam Fowles:

“The Kate Kennedy Fellowship is now recognised by the University and the Union and the Procession Committee as the guardians of the Kate Kennedy Tradition. All the good things of the Kate Kennedy Club, that’s what they do now. The others are free to associate, but they won’t be part of that tradition any more.”

[Will the May Ball go ahead?] Patrick Mathewson:

“That is undecided, that is what we hope to do and it is very much contingent on the support of our fellow students.”

Sunny Moodie:

“Absolutely. The Fellowship will be throwing a ball open to everybody.”

Despite expecting that Rangers Football Club would eventually be pushed into administration, it still took me aback quite substantially. A week’s tutorial readings were discarded in favour of reading the latest news reports on subjects as diverse as administrators’ statements to Craig Whyte’s flight to London, while lectures were spent trawling the BBC, Scottish TV and the Rangers fan site, ‘Follow, Follow’, which has been excellent in getting the views of the support across in what has been a week only outstripped in the history of the club by the Ibrox disaster of 1971.

The blame game has begun in earnest. David Murray would be ill advised to leave his Charlotte Square offices if certain threats of violence are made real by some fans, however Craig Whyte is now facing the full wrath of the support, for not only exacerbating Murray’s problematic legacy but introducing a thread of criminality to proceedings (a vast amount of RFC’s resources are still unaccounted for).

Whyte was afforded a degree of leeway by a support desperate to see the back of David Murray, despite the sage warnings of previous Ibrox director Alistair Johnston to “remain vigilant”. My suspicions of Whyte were realised when Rangers spent next to nothing in the summer window, eventually to be compounded by the BBC documentary in October which revealed Whyte’s criminal past and frankly disastrous business history.

His subsequent banning of the BBC was not for attacks on Rangers as he made it out to be; it was for attacks on Craig Whyte. I doubt he will ever walk down Edminston Drive again as owner of Rangers. Speaking to a former student at this University, now a heavyweight in Scottish football journalism, he described Whyte, a few weeks before this all began as a “shyster”. Fair comment it would seem.

How much does Craig Whyte have to answer for? Photo: www.theguardian.co.uk

Who will take over? Reports suggest a group containing old directors Paul Murray, Alistair Johnston and Dave King could possibly arrive as ‘Blue Knights’ who would pool together resources from other Scottish businessmen and also introduce supporter membership akin to FC Barcelona’s.

Other groups have been mentioned, including a mystery American owner; nonetheless the ‘Blue Knights’ proposal is the most interesting. Rangers and indeed, football clubs in general, have been at the mercy of one man when it comes to ownership for far too long.

It is of my opinion that the Rangers support is ready to be massed in defence of their club’s future; the sell-out crowd at Ibrox Stadium for the first match after administration was announced is clear proof that there is a receptive public out there willing to “fight till the day is done” to use Light Blue parlance. However, from the business figures at the top, a greater degree of transparency and honesty would be required, and only the fans can command this accountability.

How will Scottish football be impacted? Well, smaller clubs will certainly feel the pinch. A string of clubs voiced concern over monies due from Rangers for transfer fees or ticket money, which only serves to reinforce the dependency theory of Scottish football that those on the periphery do sponge off the big two in the centre.

Without the financial contribution of Rangers, their part in securing the Sky television deal which provides the vast amount of funds for the Scottish game (which hinges upon having four Old Firm derbies being screened) and their contribution to the Scottish coefficient in European competitions, the SPL will only become worse.

No one can seem to talk about one side of the Old Firm without mentioning the other, so I’ll make reference to Celtic, albeit briefly. Celtic have won the championship following Rangers’ ten point deduction, of that everyone is sure. However, it is a hollow championship, and if they are faced without the challenge of Rangers in years to come, any future titles will be of even less significance, unless Dundee United can prolong their title challenge into February.

The Celtic support’s obsession this week with “jelly and ice cream parties” ( a reference to how the IRA celebrated escaping the Maze prison) and having congas to celebrate Rangers “dying” truly shows that they are more obsessed with Rangers than their own club; paranoia is truly a terrible thing.

Will Rangers survive? Of course. If the 51,000 at Ibrox on 18 February have anything to do with it, definitely. It just depends in what form, and that will be the acid test in weeks to come. Yet, the defining quote of the week, from Ally McCoist, that “we don’t do walking away”, shows that the battle is on for the future of this club.

FA Cup weekend, particularly the 3rd Round, has got to be one of my favourite weekends of the sporting calendar. Along with the Grand National and the Boat Race, the FA Cup is a bastion of British sport, and one which warms the cockle of my romantic English heart. Or at least, it used to. I am now obliged to call it the Budweiser FA Cup, and am never surprised when United name a team of unkown 12-year-olds for their tie at Crystal Palace. This year has been particularly disappointing. As a Liverpool fan, beating United is always satisfying, but the shine is taken off it somewhat when it’s in the context of what has become the third competition for the Premier League’s big clubs.

For the smaller clubs, it’s still a big deal of course. Sky Sports News are constantly bombarding us with images of smaller clubs, huddled round a plasma screen, waiting for news of a “big money away tie”, and we are obliged to pretend that it’s a fairytale story. It’s not. Non-league Hereford beating Newcastle United in extra time is a fairytale. Steven Gerrard’s last minute equaliser against West Ham is a fairytale (for a Scouser…), but Exeter City picking up over £600,000 for playing at Old Trafford, thus clearing the club’s huge debt created by two fraudulent directors, is not a fairytale, but merely a bit of good luck. Mick McCarthy, now sadly sacked from his job at Wolves, once fielded a team with 10 changes from the previous week in the FA Cup against another Premier League club. Of course, this happens in the league as well, but not with the same regularity.

Football has always been my first and greatest romance. She is a cruel mistress, who tantalises the appetite and constantly frustrates. A trip to Wembley should be the greatest experience of an English football fan’s life (probably better than getting married), but since they moved the semi-finals there, sold the TV rights to expensive satellite channels, and effectively reduced the prize money available, the FA Cup, for me has lost it’s magic. I don’t get that giddy feeling waking up on a Saturday morning, watching the early kick-off with a cup of tea and the papers, getting down the pub for the three o’clock kick off and then seeing through that late game while tearing up redundant betting slips, usually ruined because Ipswich have grabbed a late equaliser at Rushden and Diamonds. The pipe and slippers well and truly beckon on a January evening like that. I hope that whoever wins the FA Cup this year enjoys, and springboards from it to greater things, but it won’t mean a huge amount to me or my friend over at Youth in Revolt if Liverpool or Chelsea win it. It should. That doesn’t mean I won’t get a 12-game accumulator, a 24-pack of the beer of choice, and spend two weekends in January shouting at John Barnes inane punditry on ESPN.

TV Game of the Week

Cardiff City vs Liverpool – Carling Cup Final – Sunday 26th  February 16:00

One of England’s fading giants look to get back onto the path to glory by claiming their first trophy in 6 years, while Cardiff will have all of Wales behind them in their attempts to win their first in 85…The football might be a little similar to the rugby between the two countries represented the day before.

St Andrews Game of the Week

St Andrews University Women’s Lacrosse Club vs Dundee University – Saturday 25th February 11:00

Lots of angry women with big sticks. Should be entertaining. It’s also against Dundee, and the St Andrews girls went unbeaten in the Scottish league last year.