Superb Rangers fans get behind the club

[ian1964 10,707]

Other than the title race, the most exciting aspect of any league is the relegation battle. At the end of each season, football fans become enthralled with clubs fighting to stay in their respective division.

Sometimes it can be even more exciting than those going for the championship because it often comes down to the last few seconds of the season and the financial aspect - especially to a team in the top flight - can make or break a club for a decade, or worse.

 

It encapsulates the excitement of sport and shows how much football clubs mean to people and their community. And no matter how much you might like or dislike those relegated, you often feel sorry for the support. You can identify with fellow football fans, and an element of comradeship comes into play.

 

That identification and empathy becomes even stronger when a club comes into financial difficulty. When Dundee, Livingston and Motherwell had severe problems, I can remember Rangers' football forums wishing them the best of luck.

 

These clubs are part of the lives of those who support them. It is more than sport or business. It is a strong part of a football supporter’s identity and no-one wants that to disappear.

 

That is why when the Rangers went into financial meltdown, it was shocking how many people in Scotland were openly hoping for the worst.

 

Whether true or not, the Rangers fans feel that little or no solidarity came from other supporters, clubs, media or football authorities. As Ally McCoist said when discussing the perceived lack of help from the SFA:

 

"You don't know if the SFA will see sense. There was nobody prouder than me to represent my country. I was really fortunate to represent my country on a good number of occasions.

 

"But I just feel the governing body is just not doing nearly enough to help the club in the current situation. I am not looking for sympathy, I am looking for fairness.

 

"We are really, really struggling and we are not getting enough help. I look at Portsmouth and the English FA can't do enough for them to try to help them. Indeed, Portsmouth received money from the Football League at a suitable time to try and help - and that's the key. We are not getting enough help."

 

It finally reached a peak over the summer with the 'no to newco' hysteria. It seemed that fans of nearly every Scottish club demanded Rangers in Division Three and told their clubs that if Rangers stayed in the SPL they would never return to football. That was the stick, the carrot dangled in front of the chairmen was that they would return en masse if their demands were met.

 

So it is with some satisfaction, that after all the pain and humiliation of the last eight months that, even in the fourth-tier of Scottish football and with a much diminished football team, the Rangers Football Club are still getting the biggest crowds in Scottish football and the 16th highest league attendances in Europe.

 

I knew the Rangers fans were loyal to the club, but 36,000 season tickets sold and average SFL3 crowd of 46,000 has surprised even me.

 

Astonishingly, some weekends Rangers are getting more fans than the rest of Scottish football put together. Even last week when in the League Cup (which now has much lower crowds than in the league) Rangers were getting a few hundred under 30,000 while even Celtic could only manage under 15,000. Ibrox only had 1,000 people less than all other League Cup matches combined.

 

But why? Some media pundits have bizarrely said that the large crowds are nothing but 'defiance', but this doesn't make sense. Supporters pay to watch their team, not to prove something to an imaginary idea. The 'defiance' chat is merely a way to notice the crowds without having to praise their size.

 

If I may be so bold, I'll tell you why the fans are still going in huge numbers and it's no convoluted theory - it's simply because the fans love The Rangers Football Club. They always have and they always will. And the fact they nearly lost the Rangers completely, has given a joy to simply seeing the Light Blues that beats any great Euro night or last minute goal against Celtic.

 

There is a saying that if you thought you had lost everything you ever had, and then it was given back to you, then you would be the happiest person alive.

 

In football terms, that abstract lesson has now become reality for every Rangers fan. While the fanbase of the 'no to newco' clubs can barely reach 50% capacity in their grounds, the Rangers fans are taking loyalty to a new level.

 

 

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[pete 2,499]

Well done Ally, throw a little swipe, you deserve it.