This Thursday there will be a section of Ibrox stadium without any racists in it.
That’s because it will be empty.
At the start of this season, UEFA intimated to all clubs about to take part in European competition that the days of small monetary penalties had come to an end.
Instead, partial ground closures would be the starting point for offending clubs.
So the message from our gallant allies in Europe is very clear.
It is everyone anyone or no one.
Since the sanction was announced last week there has been something of a theological discussion on dignified message boards about how many Bears you could get on the head of a Fenian.
Earlier this year those Churchillian chaps at the Union Bears issued this flier for one of their events.
Here they are being not in any way racist at all.
From the perspective of the Ibrox Klan, it as all about that pesky “F” word and the UEFA chaps just don’t understand.
Just a matter of semantics, a big misunderstanding.
Except that the folks in Nyon are very well briefed about the centrality of anti-Irish racism to the Ibrox experience.
The poor dears at the Union Bears issued this dignified statement at the weekend.
“The use of a supposedly sectarian & racist term”.
That’s damnable “F” word again.
Of course, UEFA has been here before.
In 2006 they ruled that the Ibrox anthem “the Billy Boys” came under the category of “discriminatory chanting”.
The klan was bereft.
They couldn’t sing about being up to their knees in Fenian blood anymore.
What were they going to do?
They clearly needed some musical replacement to espouse their hatred of the Irish community in Scotland.
Therefore, at the start of season 2008-2009 the rest of us were treated to the Famine Song.
If anyone was in any doubt as to the ethnic component at the centre of the hatreds being espoused at Ibrox then that was quickly put to bed.
“Well the famine is over
“Why don’t you go home?”
Go home to where?
Well the famine in question is An Gorta Mór.
Therefore, the homeland being referenced is Ireland.
Anyone ignoring that fact is trying too hard.
The belief system of the Ibrox klan is an echo of a world view that had become fully formed by the start of the 20th century in Scotland.
In my book “Minority Reporter. Modern Scotland’s bad attitude towards her own Irish” I outlined in detail an analysis of the ethnic nature of this hatred.
As an appendix, I included a report to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland dated 29th May 1923.
Therefore, there on the first page of the report it states that these Christian gentlemen have no problem with Scottish Catholics as they are of the same “race”.
Yes, the “R” word is used.
So this so-called “sectarianism” was never anything of the sort.
The Irish who arrived in waves fleeing An Gorta Mór and in subsequent generations as economic migrants to industrial Scotland tended to be of the Catholic faith.
Therefore, being of the Catholic faith was a useful identifier of an Irish person, whether first or second generation.
Anti-Catholic prejudice had a long history in Scotland before we Irish arrived in large numbers into Victorian Scotland.
However, this report was especially about the Irish and our foreign ways.
As late as 1953 the Irish in Scotland were referred to in a Kirk report as “an alien race”.
Now, it would be remiss of me to mention that during the writing of Minority Reporter I was assisted greatly by staff at the Church of Scotland.
I recorded my debt to them in the acknowledgements section.
In 2002 the Rev Alan McDonald convener of the Kirk’s church and nation committee told his colleagues:
“I am ashamed when I read how badly we got it wrong.”
He was referring to the 1923 Report that specifically made it clear that it was not Scottish Catholics who were deemed to be the danger to “the Scottish race”.
The problem they were addressing was the presence of so many Irish people, whether they were first or second generation, in their midst.
Therefore, to excise the ethnic from any analysis of this ancient prejudice in Scotland is to be a friend of nonsense.
Using the term “anti-Irish racism” when discussing the Ibrox klan isn’t missing the point of what is an entirely internal Scottish scenario.
Rather, to focus on the klan’s fixation with Irishness is to get to the heart of the matter.
‘“To name things wrongly is to add to the misfortune of the world,” said my favourite goalie Albert Camus.
Good people everywhere should all out the Ibrox klan for what they are.
Just as UEFA have done.
Anti-Irish racism is what Ibrox is all about and being in denial about it doesn’t make it go away.
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After reading your article and the part were they divide catholics into Irish and Scottish catholics. It made me think. Scotland had its Highland clearances. We hear that many emigrated to America and Canada. I wonder how many of those people were Catholic and emigrated to Ireland? Yes, there were a lot of Irish came to Scotland during the famine, but how many of those were ancestors of those who emigrated during the Highland clearances.
Millsy, please lay off my good friend, Mr Mark Gallagher, there’s a good chap. Rip the pish out of my old mate again, and me and you will be having words. The man is comedy gold…much better than Frankie Boyle for a start. HH
Charger, could it be that our old friend, and fellow poster, Mr Mark Gallacher aka Marky Boy, had a hand in the Walter Smith banner. If so he should be up for a major award in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list. HH
Can you hold the SFA to ACCOUNT for crowds that iNVADED on the pitch. Sevco again celebrate police pat on back for the fans, so if someone gets hurt can you take the SFA to court for not doing anything to stop this each week or the clubs for not being in control of the fans safety, action now not when someone gets hurt, this is getting worse safety first or insurers check your policy , police SFA and the club’s are the one’s
To claim
Any sign of the $444,000 being/ not being paid?
Hey Phil,
I’ve been living down south for almost 30 years, but I was in Coatbridge at the weekend and managed to have a couple of pints with a very old friend prior to heading up to Cliftonville to see the Albion Rovers game (only a marginally less dispiriting experience than the Celtic v Dunfermline game at Celtic Park the week before ).
Anyhoo, he’s a Ran*ers supporter without being a Hun. Much in the same way as I’m a Celtic supporter without being a Tim. Also like me, he describes himself as a Humanist as he hasn’t considered himself a Christian since the mid ‘70s.
He hates the whole Orange thing but confessed that he’d recently started going back to Ibrox. He’s embarrassed by the fascist / sectarian singing and says that there are a lot of like-minded people amongst the Ran*ers support, but conceded that it was they who were the “tiny minority”.
Here’s hoping that the recent UEFA sanction and the news coverage of Steve Clarke’s “sectarian abuse from the dark ages” will act as wake-up call for Ra Pee-Pell, although I very much doubt it. Sadly, it will only fuel their status as the victims of Scottish society.
As for “the supposedly sectarian and racist term”, no one ever calls another a Fenian as a compliment. It’s always an insult.
Keep up the good work by shining a light on the cancer that’s still eating away at Scottish society.
Hail and Hail again !
Johnpaul, this banner is a nod to that ardent defender of the Crown and all-round loyalist bigot…the bold Johnny Adair. ‘His only crime was loyalty’ was the mantra of his ‘supporters’, when he was f*****d back right into the Kesh, or wherever, for ‘directing terrorism’ I believe. Much too late unfortunately for all his Nationalist victims.
That the Huns are honouring this p***k, with a banner, comes as no surprise to me. HH
The window closes at midnight on the 2nd September.
Is it possible that Morelos or Tavernier, or both, will partake in Sunday’s game then leave for pastures new?
With a hefty bill from Sports Direct on the horizon how else is Kingco going to fund any settlement with Ashley?
I suppose he could use the cash he didn’t have to splash to buy out the other shareholders?
The result of the Europa game on Thursday will be critical in the short term with gate monies from 3 group games most welcome.
A reversal, and Celtic progression,will no doubt result in the media pushing the line that Stevie G’s squad will be able to concentrate on the home front having sacrificed European progression to do so.
By midnight on Sunday a much clearer picture will have been painted.
” Their only crime was loyalty”. Sounds like the defence at the Nuremberg trials.
Aye. Only obeying orders.
I assume the banner I mentioned in my previous comment was photographed yesterday. I could be wrong.
Has anyone seen photograph on the back page of the Herald’s Sports Pull Out section today? Absolutely priceless! It shows a banner, which I estimate must be 50′ long, stating, “THEIR ONLY CRIME WAS LOYALTY”. My admittedly rough estimation of the length was calculated by counting the number of people under it.
At least this time the spelling was correct. The last banner of that length that I remember seeing at the debt star was on the day of the Blessed Cardigan’s last game in charge. It proudly proclaimed, “WALTER SMITH IS A RANGERS LEGNED!”. It was only seen by a couple of hundred thousands on SKY before being pulled back in. Word on the street is a guy called Maxwell, or something like that, checked the spelling!!
At least they managed to spell their team’s name correctly. There was a banner at Celtic Park a few years ago where they managed to mis-spell Celtic. D’oh !
No way Maxwell checked the spelling. There would have been more than one error if so.
He must have friends in high places and talents that remain a secret to Scottish football fans.
And still not a murmur from those craven cowards at Hampden on the UEFA charge and punishment.
Is their not one single journalist out there whose all over this demanding an SFA/SPFL response?
joseph if you’re going to question others’ grammar at least get you’re own wright doh doh doh
And still not a word from those clowns at Hampden.
The are supposed to be the guardians of our game.
Where is the leadership? Where are Maxwell and Doncaster?
Are they waiting on Ibrox to approve an SFA/SPFL statement?
The appointment of Maxwell has been a complete disaster, unless of course his remit is to pick up his super monthly salary, keep his head down and only speak when spoken to.
If so he’s doing a splendid job.
We have had Farry, Gordon Smith, Regan, Ogilvie all in the top jobs.
Maxwell’s making them look like super stars……which of course they were not.
It’s all very well Rangers putting out a statement berating the behaviour of a ‘minority’ of their fan base.
However the evolution of the fan base is entirely the work of previous Rangers boards, you know the ones who professed to not signing Catholics because they hadn”t come across one who was good enough.
This went on for decades and only ceased when UEFA started showing an interest in the Ibrox signing policy.
The current board has gone out of it’s way to curry favour with the orange strips and reducing the Celtic away allocation to a few hundred.
It’s a bit late in the day, everyone, anyone, to change the mindset of a support that hates just about everybody who doesn’t confirm with their beliefs and culture.
U should be thankful for rangers because if it wasn’t for rangers what would u write about fs and another if u want to be Irish fuck off to Ireland those people wouldn’t want u aswell
he is “Irish” and he has “Fucked off to Ireland” as you so elegantly put it yo idiot.
Oh dear Mark Gallacher – is there a diagnosis for what ails you ?
Aye. It’s called stupidity. He’s the kind of complete fuckwit that has only committed the crime of LOYALTY………M’lud!
Are you the ‘Mark Gallacher ‘ that was voted the most likely illiterate bigot to be cited by UEFA for ”supposedly sectarian and racist” chanting at the Legia game ?
If so , I found your Union Bears member’s card ( No 1690 – in case Stevie G is reading this , this does not constitute’ an eight figure sum ‘)
I have had it disinfected so you can be sure that it is not tainted with any Irish Catholic DNA – one wouldn’t want you accused by your fellow tolerant ‘Everyone Anyone ‘ Klub members of consorting with the wrong type and bringing the good name of ”the best supporters in the world ” ( copyright Stevie G ) into disrepute .
Haha, what a put down.
This just proves chargers point.
You do realise that there are letters Y and O in the alphabet. I learnt that in Saint Martins primary school
Piece of advice. Go back to school and learn to write in your queen’s English. In fact, is your name a cunning disguise? It really Maxwell?
And also Mr Gallagher, just to bring you up to speed it’s “The Rangers” not “Rangers” as in the context of “Glasgow Rangers” as they don’t exist anymore, as we all know. Just saying…. like.
Phil, could this statement cause trouble for Sevco in any on going defence of any other incidents in other Euro games especially if this section has been identified in any match delegate reports… e.g. “… at no time has the group ever been taken to task…” ?
From my limited understanding to argue in mitigation that you have done all you could to prevent re-occurance could (despite a fortuitously timed diversity awareness drive) be made more difficult if they are seen as not communicating the message directly where possible.
That said they could probably point to previous website statements to all fans and argue that it would be unfair to single out that section/group (unless specifically named in the reports) to communicate with given the chants can be heard throughout the stadium…
I think it would be a great idea for the Union Bears and the Green Brigade to meet up in the District Bar before Sunday’s game for a full and frank exchange of viewpoints. Now, that is one I would definitely watch on PPV. HH
The Huns who wear orange-whether in collarette form or jersey form-are merely showing, once again, that they are severely lacking in historical knowledge. The bold rider of the big white horse-and I don’t mean that in a Dublin sense-came from the town of Orange in southern France. So the poor dears, wearing Orange to honour the great one, are surprise, surprise, showing themselves to be historically illiterate. I ken, I ken, shock horror. They could do worse than contacting their brothers, in that bastion of knowledge, and grand old university town…Kilwinning. HH
All points in this article are accurate and valid. Important to highlight it’s not specifically an anti Irish thing emanating from Ibrox. The Nazi saluting, far- right element at that club is pretty evident. Their Fascist saluting ‘fans’ send out a hateful message to every ethnicity. It’s no surprise that leading figures from BNP/EDL gravitate towards Glasgow’s Deep South.
I just had a look at the Nil by Mouth website to see what ‘Scotland’s Leading Anti-Sectarian Charity’ had to say about the sectarian singing at Ibrox.
Nil.
Think you got it all wrong again, Phil. According to one Sevco fan website it’s those pesky Fenians who are causing the problems. They are sneaking into Ibrox in their thousands and singing the naughty songs. As one reply to this observation put it, “I wouldn’t put it past them!!”
Let that sink in. Thousands of Celtic fans have bought Sevco season tickets to go there and sing about wanting to see themselves up to their knees in their own blood.
No, I didn’t make it up.
Look on the bright side, it lets Chelsea fans off the hook.
….and Linfield.
Anyone who needs a bit of ‘mainstream’ evidence of the denial about how entrenched the culture is in all things Ibrox – have a listen to the BBC Scottish football podcast for Saturday …
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p07lkg4p
Michael Stewart is the lone voice of reason being left to state the obvious truths while 2 ex Rainjurz players staunchly defend the issue of ‘orange shirts’ as a ‘salute ‘ to the great Dutch players who have contributed to their glorious history. (Not a hint of EBT irony never mind the blatant untruths)
If it wasn’t so tragic.. it would be funny!
I actually fear for the safety Michael Stewart. It’s only a matter of time before he gets the, “We know where you live treatment!”