When I saw a clearly emotional Steve Clarke in the post-match presser last night it reminded me of events in 2008.
Eleven years ago I wrote this piece for the Irish Post.
When I heard the Ibrox klanbase belt out their new ditty the “Famine Song” I knew in my heart that the bean-chèile and I had taken the correct decision twelve years earlier.
The choices you make for your young children should be carefully considered.
That is because they have no say in the matter but will have to live with the consequences.
When I told herself what I was writing about she stated that we had made the correct move.
We were both grateful that our three kids had no material lived experience of what passes for normal at Ibrox.
Our brood is now all grown up.
Two are graduates and Baby Doctor is smashing it at medical school.
They’re all culturally confident Gaeilgeoirí with Irish passports.
None of that Brexit shite for them…
In the last few years, I’ve occasionally discussed our relocation to Ireland with them.
The little one was born here, but the Big Fella was a toddler and Number One Daughter was an infant.
They all give a massive thumbs up that they grew up Irish.
Just like Steve Clarke’s kids they had no contact with the Ibrox klan.
Consequently, they haven’t internalised the hatred that spews out of there on every match day.
Therefore, they see them for what they are.
Two years before these articles appeared in the Irish Post, UEFA had opened a disciplinary case against Rangers for “discriminatory chanting”.
It focused on the song “The Billy Boys”.
For the uninitiated, it lauds the memory of a Glasgow street gang.
They were created by their eponymous leader Billy Fullerton.
He was a self-identifying Fascist and KKK member.
The case against Rangers in 2006 was originally thrown out.
The control and disciplinary body of UEFA ruled that the sentiments contained within the song were “tolerated within a social context”.
This ruling was thrown out on appeal and TBB was considered discriminatory chanting by the European body.
The Ibrox klanbase needed a replacement song to give voice to their hatred of Catholics and Irish people.
They doubled down and created the “Famine Song”.
Ironically I had already gone home, as my journalism in the Irish Post clearly stated.
It was the observation on the benefits to my children of growing up free from the stench of Ibrox that seems to have most irked the klan.
Hence another narrative had to be created to smear me.
There had to be a real reason for me leaving Fair Caledonia.
A creative lie then appeared on the Follow Follow website.
Had it appeared in a newspaper then I would be very rich indeed now.
It was a classic libel.
A total fabrication that damaged my reputation.
I dealt with this at length in my book Minority Reporter.
This lie was finally nailed in open court when an Ibrox chap, David Limond, was given six months in prison for threatening journalist Angela Haggerty.
She had figured as “Taig of the day” on the Rangers Chat podcast.
Ms Haggerty’s crime had been to edit my book “Downfall” about the death of Rangers.
The message was clear to anyone working in sports journalism in Scotland:
Criticise the klan and you’re a target.
Therefore, it is safer to write permission slips for the racists of Ibrox.
Deny, deflect, minimise and mitigate.
Read this from 2015 and you can what I mean.
Angela is a founder member of the organisation @Call_It_Out_
The hatred that was hurled at Steve Clarke last night is finally being opposed in a meaningful way.
Meanwhile, the macho men on the sports desks, for the most part, keep their heads down.
Post-match pressers should not be tutorials on how to be a decent human being with a backbone.
However, that is what Steve Clarke did last night.
He’s a good man and that’s something the racists at Ibrox will never be.
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What world is Stevie G living in?
Sectarianism is built into the fabric of Ibrox yet for years their board has ignored it at best and encouraged it when it suits them.
Instead of focussing on their own problem Gerrard is drawn into whataboutery by asking why the Killie manager didn’t call out the abuse aimed at Boyd the previous week end.
Strict liability has to be the answer otherwise nothing will change.
The media use every opportunity to apportion the blame equally between the two Glasgow clubs.
Lets get strict liabilty in and see who handles it best.
My money is on Celtic as the fans don’t have the same level of entitlement as their Ibrox counterparts and have not been brought up in an environment which encourages hatred of another religion or nationality.
I wonder who Fleming is lining up for the Aberdeen/Sevco cup gig.
The candidates are many and if I was McInnes I would be wondering if there was any point in the Dons turning up.
Thomson and Stewart have had their wings clipped by BBC Scotland going by their performance on this morning’s Sportscene.
Both were in agreement that Worral had stopped holding Brophy at exactly the right moment.
Is there a new rule defining how long you can hold on to an opposition player before that action becomes a foul?
I suggest not.
They also made nothing of Kamara throwing himself to the ground as if shot, earning an undeserved penalty and getting the goalie sent off by officials who Clarke has rightly called out.
I suppose it’s a nice, well paid gig to have and there’s no point in upsetting your paymasters.
Looks like the end of Trial By Sportscene where the Ibrox club is concerned.
Of course for the rest of the season now Killie can expect similar treatment from the officials as speaking out against the incompetents is not allowed.
They and John Fleming are a protected species and the more fuss a club makes about their decision making the worse it will be for them.
This season especially we have seen countless decisions, or non decisions, that have been beyond belief.
Has a single official been sacked as a result?
No they have not.
Lets see how many of the brotherhood form Fleming’s team for the upcoming Scottish Cup tie at Pittodrie.
Good piece…….currently the Klan and their apologists make up a significant % of Scotland’s population. They are but a drop in the ocean of the population on this large island known as Britain.
And you want us to be independent, so they make up a significant minority. Added to the inherent proddy population. A majoirty…….
Go figure….
I contend that an independent Scottish Revenue and customs. Would be propping up a an ibrox team by letting them away with x amount of financial penalties and running up tax bills that are forgotten about or at very least.
Tax authorities are known to come and go with people and organisations who owe them money……if they eventually co operate and from up some dough and come to agreeement.
In the case of the dead ibrox club they took the piss far too much and that’s when hector bit down so hard and with the penalties and more, he killed them.
I say here now. A Scottish HMRC would give an ibrox team as much leeway as possible.
Obviously you were deaf to the charges from some of the Klan who were unhappy with the Scottish Government for NOT saving the Ibrox club when it hit the tax buffers in 2012 . These are also some of the most virulent anti-Independence Britnats you could find – bound to the Orange Order by their hatred of the SNP and their Indy agenda .
I don’t see them prospering in an Independent Scotland when they are cut off from their British identity and their Queen – hopefully they will wither and die ( they won’t emigrate as no sane country would accept them )
You’ve clearly never worked for HMRC.
What about the 4th official at last nights game being Barry Cook (an ex-Rangers goalkeeper)…..
Says it all !
One other thing to come out if Steve Clark’s post match comments (beyond the referee bias and abuse) … and which seems to have passed unnoticed….
….. was his disclosure that he had been courted for the Sevco job prior to Sevvie G arriving.
He was clearly a priority target post Pedro/Murty….
He clearly turned them down!
There’s something the iBrokes board clearly didn’t want anybody to know!!!
I reported that at the time.
He was approached by the non-King faction in the Sevco High Command.
This site is searchable.
Thanks. I think I recall this..
Interesting though that he ‘broke cover’ in order to highlight that he’d queried ‘sevco’ regarding sectarianism.
A clever way of confirming both that he’d been ‘sounded out’ AND that he knew there was an issue with sectarianism.
You can be certain that ‘they’ will not be happy about it. Especially if the ‘King Faction’ was not fully aware.
if Brendan decides to seek patures new , we could do a lot worse than appoint a man of steve Clarke,s character and principles. He would take no nonsense from the media and would not tolerate any down playing of sectarianisim that currently exists in this our ,’one nation of many cultures’ sfa already trying to side kick responsibility back on to politicians , a joke of a toothless organisation
I suspect … from his (SC) response last night, that when Kilmarnock comes to an end for him ….
… he will be heading south as quickly as he can manage – with or without a new job!
The Killie manager nailed it. The hatred of all things Catholic and Irish is alive and festering at Ibrox. He laughed out loud when whoever interviewed him for the Ibrox job assured him that there were no sectarian problems at Rangers.
It’s almost impossible to stop an eejit throwing a coin or worse from the terracing but how do you stop thousands belting out songs of hate?
Total liability for the clubs, with points deducted or heavy fines imposed will soon put an end to it.
You make them play matches in an empty stadium until they get the message.
With Neil Lennon not in Scottish football anyone I think Steve clarke will be the new target for the Klan. Hope he has more luck trying to highlight the problem and force change that lennLe had, but I wouldn’t put any money on it. I do think that having a higher profile in England than Lennon, Clarke being a target could really harm sevco
I dearly wish our board of directors had a mm of the backbone that Mr Clarke has. It would be just and worthy if his KILMARNOCK team finished above that stench from ibroakes in the league.
Totally agree with all sentiments Phil,and every day I’m thankful that I too have relocated.Once relocated from the West of Scotland,after some years I looked back and now can see the total waste of energy it is in just living there,putting up with it All on a daily basis!
I honestly couldn’t and wouldn’t return,in fact I don’t think I’ll return to Celtic Park ever again.The Clubs inaction is pathetic and lasts nights events have just reinforced ‘why’ I will never return.Scotland will change but it’ll be a constant struggle that,for me anyway,will never be fully resolved.At present We have a Club not willing to wield their considerable power and forge ahead with the required changes that are way,way overdue.That sickens me,that alone is the reason I’ll not be back.
This institutionalised cheating,sectarianist,bigoted racism isn’t sport,it’s an endurance test that I’m too glad to see in the rear view mirror;and it’ll remain there.
Thanks for your time Phil.🇮🇪