Norris Cole 0 Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Yeah great. Good job Rangers haven't been warned of fines & sanctions if our supporters return to singing the Billy Boys eh? Knew that was coming. Perhaps it's the only way this'll get properly thrashed out. Because I don't think anyone's happy with the dubious nature of this UEFA "directive", "ban", whatever you want to call it. And who's to assume "fines & sanctions" aren't a price worth paying to get our club back? If we've "been warned of fines & sanctions", what happened to those at all the games TBB was belted out last season? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
maineflyer 0 Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Yeah great. Good job Rangers haven't been warned of fines & sanctions if our supporters return to singing the Billy Boys eh? Dry yer eyes mate. Some people have been on their knees long enough. It sounded mighty good to me. Now it's been sung openly, we'll see if your theory about punishment is correct. I know what I think. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Spliff 0 Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Knew that was coming. Perhaps it's the only way this'll get properly thrashed out. Because I don't think anyone's happy with the dubious nature of this UEFA "directive", "ban", whatever you want to call it. And who's to assume "fines & sanctions" aren't a price worth paying to get our club back? If we've "been warned of fines & sanctions", what happened to those at all the games TBB was belted out last season? Right, so your 'plan' is to ignore the threats of fines, sanctions and directives and to promote the singing of the Billy Boys as a way of getting our club back? We were set-up in 2006 and 2007 and we walked straight into it - now we're going down the same path. The authorities would rather this just went away imo, they don't want to deal with it. But there'll come a time when the pressure builds on them that they'll feel they have to do something. We have been warned. The pressure will have re-started this afternoon - I wonder how many emails will be in the SPL's inbox on Monday morning from Rangers-haters pretending to be offended? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Spliff 0 Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Dry yer eyes mate. Some people have been on their knees long enough. It sounded mighty good to me. Now it's been sung openly, we'll see if your theory about punishment is correct. I know what I think. Cracking song that was. Prefer the first album myself though. It's creeping back in, we both know it. And some day RFC will get clobbered for it (see above post). 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Cole 0 Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Right, so your 'plan' is to ignore the threats of fines, sanctions and directives and to promote the singing of the Billy Boys as a way of getting our club back? Err, that's about the sum of it. My point re. "fines and sanctions" is simple. We've been singing TBB for months now - where are the "fines and sanctions"? The authorities would rather this just went away imo, they don't want to deal with it. But there'll come a time when the pressure builds on them that they'll feel they have to do something. We have been warned. The pressure will have re-started this afternoon - I wonder how many emails will be in the SPL's inbox on Monday morning from Rangers-haters pretending to be offended? I understand what you're saying, but I simply refer you to the point I made in a previous post. Forget this pseudo-directive nonsense, if the authorities want us to stop singing it quit fannying about and put it through the courts. If they were successful in banning the song by court of law it would never be heard again. But as I've said a hundred times before, banning TBB wouldn't stand up in a court of law. And don't the "Rangers-haters" know it. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Spliff 0 Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Err, that's about the sum of it. My point re. "fines and sanctions" is simple. We've been singing TBB for months now - where are the "fines and sanctions"? I understand what you're saying, but I simply refer you to the point I made in a previous post. Forget this pseudo-directive nonsense, if the authorities want us to stop singing it quit fannying about and put it through the courts. If they were successful in banning the song by court of law it would never be heard again. But as I've said a hundred times before, banning TBB wouldn't stand up in a court of law. And don't the "Rangers-haters" know it. Norris. I'm not really convinced of the merits of your thinking here tbh. The authorities would rather this went away - they will avoid it for as long as possible as its a huge can of worms. But they will only be allowed to ignore it for so long - until those Rangers-haters with access and influence insist that they do something by pointing out that they are doing nothing. That's how they do it. That's how they get things done. That's how they did it before. It's easy for them; it's an open goal. I don't know when it will happen (and I can't guarantee that it will), I am only stating my opinion - and hopefully we never get there anyway. On your other point, do you realise that a Rangers fan was charged with Racial (yes Racial) Breach of the Peace for shouting the few words of "TFS" and the phrase "Feni@n Bastards"? This was not just in a Sherrif Court, but in the Court of Appeal. I also believe others have been charged and convicted of Sectarian BOP for similar. So where exactly is your logic that banning TBB in its current form (as sung today as far as I could hear) would not stand up in a court of law? I'd like to point out btw (in case there's any doubt) that the only reason I'm involved in this discussion is because I don't want to see Rangers FC get into any more bother and I don't see how re-introducing TBB when the context has not changed helps us avoid it. Quite the opposite in fact. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
maineflyer 0 Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 I remembr a long running correspondence with Mark Dingwall, who had come hot foot from his meeting with the club and was so well informed of the UEFA directive that he insisted that not only were sectarian words banned but the TUNE itself was banned as discriminatory. Now I ask you, how is any sentient, thinking person supposed to take seriously the concept of a discriminatory TUNE? Especially when the same tune can be heard at almost every football game in the country. There have always been aspects of this "banning" that stretch both imagination and credibility. I'm not going to pretend that certain words won't likely have to be changed and this could have happened long ago if the club hadn't made such a balls-up of the whole affair in the first place. But since the club won't be open and honest in its methods, the song will return in its original form until we decide ourselves to change it, which we probably will. In the meantime some of us need to take a reality check and stop panicking like wee girls. If they threaten sanctions against the club they will in the process open the door to a sustainable form of the song. If they don't then fukk 'em. Either way, it wasn't sung today by accident - as Norris says, it's been reappearing for months - a lot of people have had enough cringing and apologising. As the boys over on VB have been saying since they set up, the fightback has started and it will be interesting to see how many others agree. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Cole 0 Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 (edited) In the meantime some of us need to take a reality check and stop panicking like wee girls. If they threaten sanctions against the club they will in the process open the door to a sustainable form of the song. If they don't then fukk 'em. Either way, it wasn't sung today by accident - as Norris says, it's been reappearing for months - a lot of people have had enough cringing and apologising. As the boys over on VB have been saying since they set up, the fightback has started and it will be interesting to see how many others agree. Agreed 100%. "If they threaten sanctions against the club they will in the process open the door to a sustainable form of the song." - This is the point I have been trying to get across. Big Spliff - Again I understand what you are saying but, as MF says, I and many other Rangers fans like me are sick and tired of lying down. In my opinion, the "Rangers haters" you speak of are absolutely shit-scared of a level playing field on the TBB issue. They've had their hatchet jobs and kangaroo committees - let's see them defeat us in the real world. Edited September 12, 2009 by Norris Cole 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Spliff 0 Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 OK guys, I get the point. I think we are all agreed about the blatant disparity and the need to fashion a fightback. So it's a question of tactics i.e. how do we get where we need to be? If more and more people are going to continue to ressurect the Billy Boys then I sincerely hope that you chaps have got your tactics right and it all gets cleared up to everyone's satisfaction. If so, I will be the first to appreciate and applaud your efforts. Good luck - don't fuck it up. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
maineflyer 0 Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 OK guys, I get the point. I think we are all agreed about the blatant disparity and the need to fashion a fightback. So it's a question of tactics i.e. how do we get where we need to be? If more and more people are going to continue to ressurect the Billy Boys then I sincerely hope that you chaps have got your tactics right and it all gets cleared up to everyone's satisfaction. If so, I will be the first to appreciate and applaud your efforts. Good luck - don't fuck it up. Why sit on the fence and leave it to others? Decide what you want and take a stance yourself. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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