Murray hits out again...

[stewarty 2,025]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/5222454.stm

 

Rangers chairman David Murray says the consequences for the club of fans continuing to sing sectarian songs will be grave.

 

The Ibrox club were fined by Uefa last season for "discriminatory chanting" and have been warned that any repeat will be more seriously punished.

 

"The supporters need to show a certain level of integrity and behaviour in the grounds," Murray told Rangers TV.

 

"But, if they don't, be prepared for the consequences."

 

Uefa has asked Rangers to announce the banning of such songs before every home game, one of a number of steps Murray has taken to attempt to eradicate the problem.

 

"We are creating initiatives for match days, we've been meeting supporters' groups, we've been meeting editors of newspapers, we have been pleading with the fans to show respect," Murray added.

 

"There is only so much the club can do. We can only reiterate it before every match.

 

"But, if we have a small group of fans who want to continue to behave in such a manner, they're doing no service to this club whatsoever and I am sorry to say it, but in the modern world we live in, that behaviour is totally unacceptable.

 

"You can only receive so many warnings and we will receive a stiffer penalty (if this goes on) of which every decent ordinary Rangers fan will suffer, so I just ask those people who wish to continue to sing such songs to please stop.

 

"You are jeopardising the future of our club."

[Laudbertz 0]

Was it being sung during the Boro game or something?

 

I never heard anything on that so far. Good that he is coming out and saying that though. Its not about taking a stand, UEFA are gonna throw the book at us if it continues.

[Wija 0]

So again instead of standing up for us when the press dig at us for no reason, he starts to go on about how we will damage his profits - which is basically what he is doing here.

 

I also see no mention of other teams in Scotland singing sectarian songs. Also the singing of songs that glorify the death of football fans in disasters etc.... I know the Man Ure song used to be sung at Ibrox, but again it appears that we were and are the only team that does anything like this.

 

Pure idiocy from Murray again. He has to go as he is totally alienating the clubs fans. Keevins, Speirs et al will all be rubbing there hands with these comments.

[Frankie 8,562]

We can't use other club's support as a defence for our behavior no matter how valid it may be.

 

Now, I don't blame anyone for being frustrated with Murray. He's going about his business the wrong way and by continually taking without giving is adding to the problems not solving them.

 

Arguments like what's happened recently will be commonplace over the next few months. Let's not go down that route. Although debate is welcome, we have to accept the UEFA directive initially (and by association Murray's request). By doing that we can then continue discussions with the club and hopefully have leverage when it comes to the broader issue.

 

Simply retreating into to squabbling camps is not the answer.

 

By continuing to sing the songs we are playing into our enemies hands. Too many people haven't grasped that you can be a Protestant, a Rangers fan and a loyalist without going to a game and acting out the part of bigot/ned.

[calscot 0]

If simply changing words to the likes of "We are RANGERS boys" and "CELTIC blood" is unacceptable to you and you'd rather jeopordise the club, then you really have to ask "What kind of Rangers fan are you?" In my opinion not at all.

 

I'd be proud to call my self a Rangers boy and don't know why I'd want to call myself a Billy boy which seems to be a member of a 60's razor gang.

 

You can spin the bigotry all you like with Alistair Campbell like semantic arguements. But in the reality, if you're truly not bigotted, you would try pretty hard not to sound like one.

 

I don't know why anyone has some strange need to mention the word "fenian" at all never mind every week.

 

The word's meaning is now debatable anyway so even if you want to talk politics, why not use a word that is less ambiguous and that people understand?

 

You may be able to argue some ancient meanings of the word but it still begs the question of why you have to use it.

 

If anyone really wants to argue about semantics, you'd have to include in your discussion why so many Rangers fans want to have sex with the pope...

 

Ah but that's different isn't it?

[CammyF 8,090]

For those who want to continue to sing about fucking the pope and being up to your knees in fenian blood, you can, just not at Ibrox. You can sing it on your RSC bus, you can sing it in the pubs, you can sing it in your house / garden, you can sing it anywhere you want, apart from Ibrox. So, the defence of 'freedom of speach' isn't an issue here.

 

This issue isn't going to go away - if we continue to sing these songs, Rangers Football Club will be punished and punished heavily. The issue of David Murray and the club's stance is now another issue completely.

 

UEFA have fined us and warned us about future behaviour. If we are found guilty again, we are going to suffer. No amount of posturing from us or the club is going to stop this punishment.

 

We really need to wake up and smell the coffee here.

 

As for the issues of other clubs, as Frankie says, we can not use that as a defence. However, what we can do is highlight these to the relevant authorities - just like the enemies of our club have done with our songs.

 

Cammy F

[Super_Ally 0]

Was it being sung during the Boro game or something?

 

I never heard anything on that so far. Good that he is coming out and saying that though. Its not about taking a stand, UEFA are gonna throw the book at us if it continues.

 

The Billy boys was sung quite vociferously in the Broomloan front v Boro. It felt weird not joining in, not because I necessarily believe in the words but because it is possibly the best song to get the atmosphere going at the stadium. Now if we could get the fans singing Rangers boys and something like Celtic blood (would this be acceptable to our detractors?) it would create the same atmosphere an noone could complain.

[Laudbertz 0]

I remember hearing it during the Linfield game.

 

I dont think it will make a difference to UEFA if we were to change such songs to 'the Rangers Boys' or whatever, because there are always going to be people singing the banned versions of the songs no matter what, so its best to do away with these songs altogether for the good of the club and team.

[colshy18 0]

geez a break:rolleyes:

[CammyF 8,090]

geez a break:rolleyes:

 

Thing is Colshy, nobody is going to give us a break - it is quite apparent that if we continue to sing it, we are going to face stiff, harsh punishment. This could be in the form of stand closures, point deductions, relegation and being kicked out of European Cups.

 

Is singing about a razor gang from Glasgow worth seeing Rangers relegated? Is it worth singing this whilst 1 or 2 stands at Ibrox are closed? Is it worth singing it if, after beating Craptic 3-0 at Ibrox we get deducted these points?

 

I think we all really need to acknowledge the severity of the situation - this isn't going away, turning a blind eye, or defying UEFA and Murray ISN'T AN OPTION. This is serious, this could lead to Rangers being RELEGATED (for the first time in OUR HISTORY).

 

If some people have the misguided notion that a song about a street gang is more important than Rangers Fooball Club, I fear for the future of our club.

 

Cammy F