Rangers helicopter day 1

Who will ever forget Helicopter Sunday.
Last game of the season 2005 the Gers went into the final game at Easter Road against Hibs, two points behind Celtic, but a sensational late fightback by Motherwell against Celtic at Fir Park meant Rangers 1-0 win against Hibs gave them the title .

Celtic went 1-0 up through Chris Sutton in 29th minute, the helicopter with the Scottish League trophy is flying towards Fir Park. Then drama ..... Motherwell equalise with 2 minutes to go - Rangers are now Champions, but Celtic still have time to score, helicopter now in hover mode !
Then unbelievably in injury time Motherwell's Scot McDonald scores a second goal.
Helicopter diverted and sent to Easter Road !!! Rangers are the Champions.
Despair for Celtic and Martin O'Neil, joyous celebrations for Rangers and Alex McLeish.

helicopter diverted from Fir Park ...... tae Easter Rd.

Craig Bellamy
Motherwell 2 - 1 Celtic

Rangers League
Champions 2005

Fernando Rickson & Nacho Novo
Hibs 0 - 1 Rangers

Celtic: Manager Martin O'Neil Douglas, Agathe, Balde, Varga, McNamara, Petrov, Lennon, Sutton, Thompson, Hartson (Beattie 75), Bellamy. Subs Not Used: Valgaeren, Lambert, Laursen, Marshall, Maloney, McGeady. Motherwell: Manager Terry Butcher Marshall, Corrigan, Craigan, Kinniburgh, Fagan, Foran, Kerr, Fitzpatrick (Clarkson 88), Paterson, Scott McDonald, Hamilton (Britton 85). Subs Not Used: Corr, Higgins, Connolly, Keogh, Smith.		Rangers: Manager Alex McLeish Waterreus, Ricksen, Andrews, Kyrgiakos, Ball, Arveladze, Ferguson, Alex Rae, Buffel, Prso, Novo. Subs Not Used: McGregor, Thompson, Malcolm, Burke, McCormack, Steven Smith, Lovenkrands Hibernian: Manager Tony Mowbray Simon Brown, Whittaker, Caldwell, Smith, Ian Murray, Sproule (Shiels 65), Scott Brown, Beuzelin (Antonio Murray 74), Glass, O'Connor (Konte 68), Riordan. Subs Not Used: Alistair Brown, Hogg, Murphy, Morrow
Scott McDonald & manager Terry Butcher		Manager Alex McLeish

HELICOPTER SUNDAY

Let me tell you the tale of a Sunday in May,
We were two points behind Celtic with one game to play.
The tims had been crowing " the title's in the bag,
We've won the league again, fly the flag, fly the flag."
They would be taught a lesson they'll always remember,
Don't write off the Rangers, we never surrender.

We descended on Leith on the 22nd of May,
The waiting was over, it was judgement day.
With hope in our hearts and trannies in our hands,
We packed ourselves into the Easter Road stands.
The ref blew the whistle, the action began,
A wave of excitement swept over the fans.

But half an hour in came the news we were dreading,
Sutton had scored, for 2nd place we were heading.
Soon half-time arrived and the score remained zero,
We looked to the heavens and prayed for a hero.
The teams re-emerged and the second half started,
Not one of our loyal fans had departed.

Then all of a sudden - a promising break,
Buffel to Novo who made no mistake.
1-0 to Rangers, we were off the mark,
Our attentions now turned to events at Fir Park.
Celtic were coasting as the minutes ticked by,
They sang Championees and the Fields of Athenry.

But you and I know there was a sting in the tail,
For theirs is a club which is destined to fail.
Enter Scott MacDonald with an overhead kick,
Douglas is nowhere and Timmy is sick.
Their fans were despondent and looked to the skies,
But there was no solace there for their tear-stained eyes.

For a helicopter was approaching the ground,
But it sure wasn't landing, it was turning around.
Over on the touchline, O'Neill lost the plot,
Astonishingly brilliant, I think bloody not!
Soon word reached Leith and the Rangers fans roared,
The players on the pitch knew that Motherwell had scored.

They kept possession, we awaited more news,
Tension gripped all of the red, white & blues.
Then two minutes later - a heart-warming sound,
Another eruption at our end of the ground.
2-1 to Motherwell and it had to be him,
MacDonald again, not bad for a Tim.

The final whistle sounded and the copter arrived,
This time it was landing with the SPL prize.
Strangers hugged strangers up and down the land,
As the words KEEP BELIEVING appeared in the stand
The singing began - " Cheer up Marty,
Come over to our place, we're having a party. "

And over at Ibrox, though minutes had passed,
A sea of red, white & blue had amassed.
Hundreds of bears lined Edmiston Drive,
The team bus arrived and the place came alive.
The party continued well into the night,
A reward for a season of courage and fight.

And I urge fellow bears to take heed of this rhyme,
As we find ourselves now in more difficult times.
Protest if you must at the current regime,
But unite on a Saturday and get behind the team.
When you're finding it hard to muster belief,
Think back to the day when the sun shone on Leith.
'Cos like the moon landings and JFK,
We'll always remember that Sunday in May.
The odds were against us but we won the race,
Let the others come after us, we welcome the chase.

author unknown

see Page 2 for more Photos