John DC Gow: It’s time Rangers fans did more to condemn bigot chants

[RabiDuck 89]

I think we have done that yet because the hun/IRA chants continue, some misguided bears think the best reaction is to say what's good for the goose.

 

It all comes down to a lack of balance in the coverage.

 

Frankie, fair comment, certainly we're a lot cleaner than we used to be on that front. The problem is that it seems unless we get to 100% (and I'm not sure we can) then we're always going to be up front and centre when these issues are looked at, hopefully a better, more focused PR from the new board (fingers crossed!) will help highlight the efforts and improvements made. There seems to be an acknowledgement that we're just about there (if not there) with regards to Ibrox, but that we have issues with the travelling fans. Givent he tight regulation of away tickets, should this not be easier to deal with?

[Frankie 8,269]

I understand the lead by example arguement.

But playing devils advocate here, what if we are to clear out the support that sing the banned songs and then the media die down the reporting on it but it continues elsewhere? The songs will soon come back and we will be singled out yet again.

 

It should be a matter for every club and every fan to condemn those who sing the banned songs, Scottish football as a whole should be looking to fix this, not just us.

 

That's exactly what has happened since 2004. Rangers and the fan groups have acted but tolerance elsewhere just sees us resort to a counter-productive reaction.

[Frankie 8,269]

Frankie, fair comment, certainly we're a lot cleaner than we used to be on that front. The problem is that it seems unless we get to 100% (and I'm not sure we can) then we're always going to be up front and centre when these issues are looked at, hopefully a better, more focused PR from the new board (fingers crossed!) will help highlight the efforts and improvements made. There seems to be an acknowledgement that we're just about there (if not there) with regards to Ibrox, but that we have issues with the travelling fans. Givent he tight regulation of away tickets, should this not be easier to deal with?

 

The ticket issue is important in this case.

 

Raith were selling tickets directly to away fans. As such are they equally culpable for said fans' behaviour?

[RANGERRAB 3,390]

Another thing I'd point out is that I think across the city know they've now got the biggest problem in this and will use their chums in the mhedia to highlight every misdemeanour from our support to deflect the spotlight away from themselves.

Edited February 24, 2015 by RANGERRAB

[RabiDuck 89]

The ticket issue is important in this case.

 

Raith were selling tickets directly to away fans. As such are they equally culpable for said fans' behaviour?

 

Interesting, wasn't aware that Raith were doing that. Makes a big difference!

[jhunter 0]

there is so much wrong with that article it doesn't bear discussion.

[der Berliner 3,445]

Neil Doncaster has accused some Rangers fans of dragging the reputation of Scottish football through the mud following recent outbursts of sectarian singing.

 

But, in the same statement, the Scottish Professional Football League chief executive played down the prospect of the club being punished for the latest alleged offence.

 

The SPFL recently announced it was taking no action against Rangers or Celtic following the QTS Scottish League Cup final after 10 people were arrested for sectarian breach of the peace and a significant proportion of Rangers fans sang 'No Pope of Rome' and the 'Billy Boys'.

 

Rangers fans could again be heard chanting "****** b*******" and anti-Catholic songs during their team's 2-1 Scottish Championship victory over Raith Rovers on Friday night and it is understood SPFL match delegate Tom Purdie will mention that in his report.

 

But Doncaster, while condemning the actions, dampened any expectations of official action from the league body.

 

In a statement, he said: "We hope to have sight of the match delegate report from Friday night's Raith Rovers v Rangers SPFL Championship match within the next 24-48 hours.

 

"It remains the SPFL's position that if it can be established that clubs have done everything required in overall management of the event pre-match, during the game and post-match then they have no case to answer.

 

"But setting that aside, the vast majority of decent fans will share a strong degree of anger and despair that the good name of Scottish football is once again being dragged through the mud by the distasteful, shameful and selfish actions of a mindless minority who seem hell bent on indulging in outdated and offensive behaviour.

 

"I know that clubs, players and many others across the game share this frustration.

 

"While we can't comment further until we review the match delegate report, we will work with our clubs and the police to do everything within our powers to act against those involved in such unacceptable conduct and behaviour.

 

"However ultimately we also need the supporters to play their part to help stamp out such behaviour."

 

Eurosport

 

A few comments from FF

 

Doncaster destroys irony

 

The clown has done nothing about the carnage the club he supports at Dundee, Motherwell, Hearts so the clown knows he can't touch us

 

"Dragging Scottish football through the mud.."

 

What? Like...ejecting biggest, best supported club from league before ANY wrong doing was proved? Refusing to assist said club in any way? Trying to steal said club's trophies?

 

A young boy was bottled on a supporters bus and a man beaten half to death at the same game - no condemnation from this clown.

 

From the text ...

 

The SPFL recently announced it was taking no action against Rangers or Celtic following the QTS Scottish League Cup final after 10 people were arrested for sectarian breach of the peace and a significant proportion of Rangers fans sang 'No Pope of Rome' and the 'Billy Boys'

 

... one might think that only Rangers supporters were arrested. Of course, the mhedia was quick to name all Bears they could get info off, with evading even to mention that it was Yahoo supporters savaging that boy and attacking that man after the game, not to mention singing their IRA-oke ... not just at the Cup game, but also against Inter.

 

There is no doubt that sectarian and discriminating songs need to get erased, but this kind of one-sided smear campaign needs to change as well.

[Zappa 0]

dB, I've merged your thread into this one, since we really do not need another thread running about the sectarian songs/chants subject.

[barca72 440]

Here's another point of view from the VB site ...

 

 

The Chattering Classes

 

Written by: kw14ultra

 

Tuesday, 24th February 2015

 

 

A few years back I watched an episode of the BBC TV series "Who do you think you are?" The program takes a celebrity on a journey through his or her past tracing their family history, indicating the events that led to and supported their existence. In this particular episode, David Tennant, the Scottish actor who was playing Doctor Who at the time, was taken to his grandparent’s home in Northern Ireland. David’s grandfather was an Orangeman, and as part of the program he was presented by his grandfather’s sash by his second cousin. By the look on his face it was clear to see his displeasure, and later Tennant is quoted as saying:

 

“When Harry handed me my grandfather's orange sash, I felt that I had been handed a turd. To me, the Orange Order represents everything that is obnoxious in society. I have always associated Orangemen with right wing racism and sectarianism".

 

Also by his own admission Tennant is a hand wringing, Guardian reading liberal. Tennant is not alone, his likes can be found scattered across the chattering classes in Scotland. They are aloof to their history; they take for granted the sacrifices made by others but reap the benefits of their forebears who fought for civil and religious liberty. Their rights and freedoms have been handed to them on a plate now they pour scorn on those whose integrity; ethics, determination and steadfastness placed them in such a privileged position.

 

It has long been the want of a Presbyterian to question, but those born of the presbytery now don’t bother with questioning, they actually pontificate, they tell people they are wrong, well because…. they’re right. They are aloof to their arrogance.

 

Football is all about rivalries. It is a working class game and reflects the social and economic conditions of its surroundings. History, tradition, rivalry and comradeship are the things, which bind the sport together. It is the people’s game and was borne of the people. There are songs sung which are meant to ridicule, rile, embarrass and hurt the opposition; it is the nature of the crowd. Some people understand this, others don’t. It appears that there are some fuelled by social media and their own egos that seek to tell Rangers supporters what they can and cannot sing, what they deem acceptable. One even suggested that supporters could be in trouble for what they think! Now I firmly believe these people are entitled to their opinion, in fact their right to their opinion is enshrined in the very rights and liberties that others provided them, those others they now treat like the turd Tennant thought he had been handed.

 

A recent blogger has suggested that there is no place in today’s society for singing No Pope of Rome, his reasoning, Catholics have played for Rangers and they may be upset. Really? All the misery, abuse and crimes committed by the Roman Catholic Church on its own members, and people are going to be upset by a song, a song sung at a football match, a song sung, as the majority of songs sung at football matches are, to upset, ridicule and goad the opposition.

 

With all the turmoil surrounding Rangers in recent years, we have bloggers who choose to target the very people who are the lifeblood of the club and appease those who would happily see it dead. I truly despair. The handbags and the glad rags that your poor old Granddad had to sweat to buy you.

[T-1000 174]

there is so much wrong with that article it doesn't bear discussion.

I saw the article by Gow as a response to the adverse media attention being given to certain songs coming from the Rangers support in the OF game and Raith game. One of the main points that Gow made was that the adverse publicity was not helpful to Rangers and that the cessation of songs by the supporters that are construed to be sectarian would be a positive step in reducing the criticism. You appear to have an alternative reading of the article but since you did not expand on your pithy comment it is difficult to discern what that reading might be.