A 30-year Rangers problem and it’s only getting worse…

19
A 30-year Rangers problem and it’s only getting worse…


In a recent entry Ibrox Noise downplayed the significance of ‘naughty’ songs a little, feeling there are more important things to worry about.

And, let’s face it, there are. Celtic singing about hating OBs or glorifying the IRA while Rangers go on about the Billy Boys and ancient religious conflicts, while distasteful, isn’t the end of the world. We don’t want it, but feel far more worried about the alcohol-related deaths or gambling addictions and smoking-based cancer this country is blighted by, to name but three, than by the songs it sings about.

That said, this nation’s government and Uefa don’t agree – in fairness we’re not griping that they’re doing their best to cut out sectarian or racist behaviour among fans, and they’ve punished Rangers for our fans’ behaviour in Gibraltar by closing a stand at Ibrox for the return leg v Legia.

The reality is Rangers have a problem with our away fans – we love the enthusiasm, we love the numbers, but for as long as these songs get sung the authorities will always have a stick to beat us with.

Rangers lose potentially a quarter of the backing of Ibrox thanks to this, and after a difficult first leg in which we were unable to secure a priceless away goal, the fans more than usual are needed to be the 12th man.

And now we don’t have a portion of it – the closed stand (Broomloan? Copland?) will be potentially completely empty with 3000 tickets being withdrawn for sale, and Rangers, understandably, have not held back with criticism of the conduct which led to this.

Let’s be clear – for the most part, while we have our disagreements among each other, when it comes to following the Famous and being football fans, Rangers are among the best around – they follow follow wherever their team is, and didn’t dodge out in the lower division.

So this is no way a slight on the fanbase.

But this stuff, while ultimately not really that important, is to the groups who can hurt us, and by indulging in this behaviour, the club is the one hurt, and then, in turn, the fans.

By engaging in this nonsense, you’re only damaging Rangers.

You might think it’s not really that bad. We might think it isn’t. Even Rangers as an institution has bigger things to worry about. But the SPL, SFA, UEFA and FIFA are the ones who hold the cards, and if they say stop, stop.

But some sections of our mostly excellent fanbase aren’t heeding this, and especially away from Ibrox they’re now damaging the club’s reputation.

Every club has had historic issues with certain aspects of its fanbase – it’s part of the passionate support that is football. But usually these incidents are isolated.

To quote Rangers:

“Our supporters have been asked repeatedly by the Club to refrain from indulging in this, and other forms of unacceptable behaviour. Sadly, the warnings have fallen on deaf ears and the actions of this minority will cause the Club and the majority of good and decent Rangers supporters to pay a heavy penalty.”

It’s the repetition of this stuff over the decades which has been the issue – the same stupid offences caused time and time again. And now the minority singing this stuff has cost the club 3000 tickets, including the lost revenue as well as the lost atmosphere and backing.

If we’re honest, we’ve heard Billy Boys at Ibrox as well this season, and it seems to be a song which is chanted either in defiance, or celebration.

Fans get caught up in the passion of the moment and appear unable to restrain themselves from these songs.

We have no idea what the solution is, because 30+ years of searching for one has yielded no results.

Answers on a postcard.

No posts to display

19 COMMENTS

  1. Sing the songs but change the sectarian words,I'm sure we could think of other words than fenians and other offensive names,any ideas ??…No Surrender..

    • I totally agree. Will drown out anyone that tries to sing the old one. Just need song sheets on every seat or in the program. Will probably mean more people singing and even louder atmosphere.

  2. Only answer I can think of is
    a)Away tickets only to registered fans in Supporters Groups. Any inappropriate singing from anyone in that group, the group and all registered members are no longer eligible for tickets. They self police or they all suffer
    If that doesn't work
    b)We do not take tickets for away matches.

    This hurts well behaved fans. But the club or the away fans need to weed out the people hurting the club.

    As for Ibrox, stewards have to identify these people. First offence, 2 year ban for the person AND the ticket holder, if different
    Second offence, life ban for both

  3. Killie sing Billy Boys but say Killie boys, Hearts sing Billy Boys but sing Gorgie Boys… why not just remove the up to our knees stuff… we are the Ibrox boys? How would they ever determine that the lyrics had been changed during the chant? I'm more worried about the UVF shit that is chanted and the God Save the Queen and Unionist shite that has no place at a football game, who cares what flag we were born under? Stupid stuff…

  4. If you have a look at the UEFA website you will see that they regularly punish clubs with complete closures of stadiums due to fan behaviour including of coarse sectarian/racist signing. Some clubs facing 2/3 matches behind closed doors. Really have to address this however the same songs were being chanted last season during our Europa run so why is it suddenly being dealt with now?

    • RANGERS THE CLUB SHOULD HAVE DEALT WITH THIS YEARS AGO. RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY SHOULD HAVE NO PLACE IN FOOTBALL.

  5. Refuse away allocation of tickets. Ban the miscreants from Ibrox for life. As my father told me over 50 years ago,clean the manure off your own doorstep before pointing the finger at anyone else. For the good of our club this has to be sorted and sorted now! As our chairman stated,behave or you are not welcome!

  6. It all starts at supporter club level and unfortunately families raised in the anti Catholic minority. The supporters bus I travel on to games both ways plays the same CD with it's anti Catholic AND FTP supporters of the UVF. What annoys me is it's ancient history and has no place in football. Our club is important we have a great manager also who deserves better.

  7. Dear Sir's,
    Will total closure be the answer to the solution IN. I certainly hope not,but if we don't come to understand the meaning of the word STOP then I fear behind close doors will happen. I've followed Rangers for a long time approaching my 69th years of age and YES, I HAVE BEEN GUILTY in days of yore but recognised a long time ago it was not required…. sometimes I cringed at the ignorance and that is what it is. Please STOP it and it's one stick less to beat us with. Supporters club chairmen and officials have to take up the baton on this and will be supported strongly one would hope by fans who have had their seats removed from them because of people wanting to sing about the religion of someone in Northern Ireland who refused to eat etc. Just bloody STOP and save our famous club from further embarrassment.

  8. A friend of mine has just told me that the sections that are closed on thursday can be used by under 15s,anyone know if this is true ???.

    • Why has a vile club who has been fined 12 times in the last 6 years not had the same sanctions ranging from "political"banners to a fan running onto the park and try to kick an opposition player? Disgraceful from UEFA, yes we have a bampot element like every other club but to shut down a section of the stadium is a step to far. Hopefully Jim'll fix it.

    • That's the problem. What happens with the manky mob has nothing to do with us.
      Until we stand up and confront the problem nothing will change. This bullsh*t about but they done this or that doesn't mean our fans can do as they please

  9. Hope Legia Warsaw get punished too or is throwing lighters and coins at players and ? burning oppositions flags ok ? And why has it taken till we have the biggest match of the season to ban some of our fans ? Nice timing . One of my best friends supports the other lot , he was at the Cluq match away , he said some fans were singing IRA songs , what's happening there ? Let's see .

  10. No, under 15s wont be allowed , it's a 3000 shutdown minimum , it adverts to a £100 grand loss of earnings for the club not to mention the £30 grand fine we've recieved.

  11. Mostly sensible options being put forward until I read Chuck's. The issue is our club, if another club, in your point Celtic (say the word, dare you) have an issue and they have, they will need to try and deal with it. Perhaps the answer is in how both clubs speak with each other. The songs today are pointless, serve no constructive outcome and I suspect for many are not even understood, both clubs. Will the problem ever go away, not sure, but think how bad things were in Ireland, not sorted by any means but better.

  12. Unfortunately, there is an element of our support who will continue to sing these songs as "it's their right and it's in the traditions of the club" I've heard some of them say. Yes, celtic have their problem element too, but let's stop the "but celtic do it too" crap. The spotlight is on us, uefa have acted and anyone among us who think their bluffing regarding stadium closure and expulsion from the competition need to take a long hard look at themselves – they are damaging the club we all love.

  13. Wake the fuk up.
    This is a full blown attack on our club by fat arse and his FARE placements (sfa & snp included)
    Time King and Co got off their arses and called the fukers out.
    TAKE THEM ALL ON!!

  14. We as Rangers supporters have our part to play as being an institution since our formation who have led the way on and off the park.
    Songs and behaviour (I myself have sung) that were deemed acceptable in the past will no longer be acceptable and we will continue to be severely punished with the majority of fans who behave impeccably losing out and our club punished financially and even losing points and expulsion from leagues and tournaments.
    This is not scare mongering,it WILL happen and our club and fans would have no case to answer.
    We could all go into "WHATABOUTERY" mode as many keyboard warriors are currently doing on social media platforms (and some comments are valid) but this is futile as we have to show the world that we are a leading light on and off the park and never give any commentator or authority an excuse ever,ever again in justifiably berating or punishing our institution.
    Together we are RANGERS so let's prove to the world that we will stand together and truly are SIMPLY THE BEST on and off the park.

  15. Can I ask everyone on here who has taken the morale high ground regarding sectarian singing,do you still participate in follow follow, we are Rangers on match days at ibrox?? Bet you fucking do so stop kidding yourself that because the Billy boys isn't sung that often that we have all of a sudden cut the sectarian elements out of our songs. In an ideal world this wouldn't be acceptable but unfortunately the majority of our songs have a sectarian phrase/element to them, that is fact. Anyone on here who claims not to indulge is a fucking liar who is burying their head in the sand. God knows the answer. Rant over. C'mon the fucking teddy bears. WATP

Comments are closed.