Thinker

Anyone who supports Rangers is always wanted.

No it's not because Ulster bears asked for it. Why do you always have to project some "unwritten" negative motive onto anyone who disagrees with your statements? I'm pretty sure I've made my point clear but I'll write it again: I don't think we should issue a strip commemorating the political or religious beliefs of any one particular section of fans. That's not "political correctness", it's political neutrality - because politics has no place in football. That's all there is to it.

Nope. This thread shows that some Rangers fans think that no particular section of our support should get special treatment.

Again. Everything that's being said about the Orange Order and Northern Ireland is true. This isn't a pop at anyone It's well worth commemorating. Just, not by a football club.

Upholding your Protestant heritage doesn't make you a bigot. No-one's saying that. It's just irrelevant to football these days. Nobody here is frowning upon Rangers being the qunitessential British Club. It's a statement of fact that Ibrox is in the UK. Our season ticket holders are all citizens of the UK. They're not all Protestant though.

Cringe! And however badly it makes me cringe, I'll bet there are plenty of Dundee Utd fans out there feeling it a hundred times worse. And it serves them right. In an attempt to sock-it-to one of the "bullies" of Scottish football, they've ended up in the back pocket of the other. Wasn't it always clear where Stephen Thompson's main loyalties lay? He's turned that club into one for lick-spittles and toadies.

The media certainly do love an opportunity to snipe. Bringing out an Orange top with no reason such as the Dutch connection would make us sitting ducks.

What a happy day that was. Doesn't seem like 5 years ago, and yet so much water has gone under the bridge since then.

It's a belter of a shirt. Apparantly you can buy a replica of it via this site: http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Scottish_Football_League/Rangers/Rangers-change-kits.html It's a great wee site for reference actually - a trip down memory lane.

What we should do is get a Crown colour chart, blindfold Charlie and get him to throw a dart. Whatever colour it hits is what colour the away strip will be. Jim Bowen himself could commentate. If it randomly lands in orange then no-one can accuse us of anything. If it randomly lands in blue we're fucked cos obviously that would be the same as the home strip. "Nothing in this game for two in a bed." If it randomly lands in green....

If that's taken verbatim from their report then you're right - it's worrying.... :0/

I think you're right, and I'm sure an orange top would sell extremely well today - but there ought to be more to this decision than financial profit.

Hmmmmm. I don't see how that could be anything other than a worst-case figure. Possibly the wishful thinking of an author who wants a worst-case result making it's way onto the page?

This seems to be the latest line of attack. They're concentrating more on the immorality of minimising tax rather than the illegality. There are many, many examples of tax avoidance at other clubs they could look at. The image rights argument in Traynor's article, and direct dodgy "film company" scams perpetrated by some high profile individuals across the city. I suppose that's different somehow...

) I know, I'm sorry. We could go round with these arguments for another 50 pages.

Orange is a perfectly nice colour, but we have club colours. Any change from them would presumably be to commemorate something or other. Why has an orange strip been suggested? It's because some Northern Irish (and some Scottish) fans would like a football shirt that shows their orange order connections. It's not been suggested because the colour orange is aesthetically pleasing. If someone had complained because we got a sponsorship from Irn Bru and had an orange logo on our shirts, that would be different. They'd be petty and wrong. But that's not what's happening. Do I think we should have a shirt commemorating a link with any particular political or religious organisations? No, personally I don't. Football trascends (or it ought to transcend) that shite.

True, but PR has to do with more than just appealling to our own fans. It's also about how the fans of other clubs see us. Now, I'm not all that bothered about how we're thought of by other Scottish fans - they're blinded by jealousy and bitterness. But I think it's important that we have a good reputation South of the border and throughout Europe. If ever a European (or some multi-national regional European) league gets set up it could very possibly be by invitation. We need to make sure we stay on the Christmas card list of the rest of the potential invitees. There are people out there trying to blacken our reputation all the time. Let's not give them ammo.

I don't anyone is scum for for wanting an orange top. I don't think anyone is scum for being in the Orange Order. I just don't think there's any need or long-term benefit from cashing in on our historical connections to the orange order. I'm not denying our history, I'm merely saying that it is history and isn't relevant today. I'm not scared of offending anyone, I just think it undermines any attempt to take politics and religion out of football. And I do strongly feel that that is the way forward for our club. It should be about football. Nothing more.

Post #139 you specifically said that Celtic celebrate their Catholic heritage so we should celebrate our Protestant one. That's what I replied to. I never commented on "waving the Union Jack" being compared to a Nazi rally. What do you want me to say? Clearly, waving the Union Jack is not like a Nazi rally. Anyone who says it is is wrong.

They wave the flag of a foreign country, but no-one praises them for that. They praise themselves perhaps. But that's not celebrating their Catholic heritiage, it's celebrating their Irish heritage. Similarly waving the union jack is not a celebration of a Protesant heritage. There are plenty of British Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists, Muslims, Jews, and even more Atheists.

Are they praised for it? I wouldn't have said so.

My mate at work said it was brought up during Green's meeting with the Vanguard Bears. It wasn't initially brought up in Belfast, but it was brought up by fans who are enthusiastic about all things orange. My reaction then was "Not the best move for the club right now" and it still is. We need to keep it purely about football for the next wee while at least. Personally I'm enjoying the respite from all the baggage of being "half of the Old Firm".

That's the bottom line. But... I think bringing out an Orange strip indicates that CG is interested in short term profit rather than the long term good of the club. He's courting controversy and providing ammo for the anti-Rangers, in order to shift more merchandise. The only reason for bringing out an orange strip is to cash in on our historical connection with the OO. Anyone who says otherwise is kidding themself on. I'm not going to slag off any one else's beliefs, but there's no need to link our club with any political ot religious organisation. It's against FIFA and UEFA's policy and I think we're really going to need them on our side in the near future. Why stir up a hornets nest?

Done! Only took 5 minutes.