This Flag Was Banned From Ibrox

[CammyF 8,003]

I wonder if Scotland fans can continue to refer to England as the Auld Emeny since the word enemy appears to be taboo in football now?

 

Cammy F

[CammyF 8,003]

Dublin Rangers fans find new enemy in row over banner.

Article by Colin Coyle.

 

Supporting Glasgow Rangers in Dublin must fell like living behind enemy lines.

But when 35-strong Dublin Rangers Supporters' Club raised a banner bearing that inscription at a recent match against Falkirk at Ibrox stadium, police ordered them to remove their "sectarian" banner.

The flag, which bears the legend Behind Enemy Lines, along with the Rangers crest and the Scottish and St. George's Cross flags, was confiscated at the match on the instructions of police, for fear of it inticing sectarian hatred.

The 20 travelling Irish supporters, who claim they have fallen foul of political correctness, were warned by stewards not to display the flag at subsequent matches. Steve Clark, co-founder of the supporters' club said the reference is a tongue-in-cheek allusion to supporting the club in a city dominated by fans of Glasgow Celtic, Rangers' greatest rivals.

"Its a cheeky bit of fun, nothing more. It has nothing to do with the troubles or bigotry," he said. "We flew the banner against hearts in December and previously at an away match in Barcelona and had no problems, so we were very disappointed by the police's stance.

"We are hoping to meet with the club before the next match .

we're scheduled to attend on March 22 against Hibernian to convince them to overturn the ban.

"The Rangers Supporters' Trust, which represents fans, backs us, and more than 1,000 fans have signed a petition in support of us."

In a statement, Glasgow Rangers said it fully supported the police's decision to remove the banner. Rangers fans in Dublin already live a surreptitious existence meeting at a private members club to watch matches.

"We have normal working-class Dubliners in the club, with no links to Glasgow, but none of us would wear a Rangers jersey in a Dublin pub, as it's asking for trouble," said Clark. "If we're attending a Rangers-Celtic match, we fly out of Belfast, where wearing a Rangers jersey is more acceptabke and less likely to lead to a confrontation."

The supporters' club was formed in 2001 and has 35 permanant members. "When we forst set up, an Irish journalist interviewed a group of us and said it must be like being behind enemy lines; thats where we got our slogan said Clark.

Richard Benjamin, a director of Nil by mouth, an anti-sectarian organisation based in Glasgow, said he sympathised with the Irish Rangers fans. "The slogan is open to interpretation and it's no surprise to hear it was allowed at one match and not another." he said

"There are too many grey areas. Partisan chanting and slogans are part of the great rivalry and we dont want to lose that."

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Cammy F