One of the biggest quintessential worries on this Michael Stewart incident is the way they’re reaching implications. However, before we get to those, there is a huge irony in those who have supported what the SFA have done simply because they don’t like Michael Stewart. Indeed, quite a few Rangers fans have backed the SFA’s decision with the relief, suggesting that they are glad that they won’t hear Michael Stewart anymore in commentary. We, of course, have learned that that won’t be the case and that they will still connect to him via a van outside the stadium if he is commentating at Hampden Park. Rangers fans back Stewart but don’t even know.
Hypocrisy Among Fans
No, the bigger problem here is the deep, dark hypocrisy that some Rangers fans are showing over this decision. They are extremely glad to see Michael Stewart getting banned from Hampden, but have overlooked that they agree with Michael Stewart. Michael Stewart was banned from Hampden for criticising referees and the integrity of them.
Contradictions on Referees
Now, while Ibrox Noise doesn’t think that they are dishonest, we do completely agree that their competency is non-existent. We wouldn’t quite go as far as integrity, in fact, we’d probably oppose that strongly. But the fact is, our fellow Rangers fans mostly don’t agree with us. They will discuss corruption, integrity, and you name it.
The Bomber Brown Parallel
John Bomber Brown, of course, has been pretty much axed by Rangers and the SFA for calling out corruption as he saw it. Ibrox Noise didn’t agree with that, but he was allowed his opinion, although he wasn’t, because Rangers and the SFA have axed him completely. Yes, Rangers have axed him completely, not just the SFA.
Silence and Selective Support
Rangers fans, of course, enjoyed the galleries that Brown was playing to that day and backed him up all the way, but have gone very, very silent about the fact that the club has endorsed what Tom Miller replied with, which was to criticise and disagree with Brown at the time. But Rangers fans back Stewart?
Stewart Said the Same
However, back to Michael Stewart, as we said, he did the same thing as Bomber Brown did. He basically called out the refs. He criticised them for their competency and integrity. And this is exactly what Rangers fans have been complaining about, yet are quite happy that Stewart got banned by the SFA for this.
A Two-Faced Situation
This is absolute double-sided, two-facedness. You cannot have one without the other. You can’t go around slagging off the referees, but then be enjoying the fact that someone else who’s done the same has been banned. It is ridiculous to endorse the view that the SFA has, while endorsing the view that he has. It is a non-working situation and a borderline tautology.
Nothing New Said
Consequently, Rangers fans who are backing this decision are clearly not aware of why they are backing this situation. Stewart has said nothing that Rangers fans haven’t already. In fact, he probably put it more gently than Rangers fans did. He didn’t call the referees downright corrupt, but he questioned their integrity and their honesty.
The Collum Incident
And we at Ibrox Noise have also done the same thing. We have questioned Willie Collum regarding his cover-up over that penalty incident some years ago at Parkhead involving Sima and Johnston. Collum covered up the truth, and it was basically outed. Was that a controversy, a cover-up, a conspiracy? Who knows, but it was certainly dishonesty. The real truth is that VAR got it wrong that day and Collum backed them on it. He will back his referees no matter what they do, which in all fairness you would want your boss to do anyway. But it calls into question honesty when a mistake is made but then supported.
Final Thoughts
So at the end of the day, what have we learned from all this? That Rangers fans in places are hypocrites? That we all are? That Michael Stewart shouldn’t have been banned? Rangers fans back Stewart without knowing? It is unclear, but at the end of the day you cannot have both. You cannot have someone being banned for criticising the referees while criticising the referees yourself. So at the end of the day, perhaps Mark Warburton’s invitation for some fans to look themselves in the mirror might not be so brass necked after all.