A decade ago the chaps in the Blue Room decided that they didn’t like racism among their own fans.
So much so that they publicly called it out.
Maurice Edu, who played for the original Rangers, was racially abused by some of his own fans and the club was swift with their condemnation.
This was to be applauded.
I wrote this piece about the incident at the time.
The London media reported on this shameful incident.
Note that the abusive fans were condemned for being “moronic” rather than racist.
It is worth recalling that 2009 was the year of the Famine Song.
That racist ditty had been invented because the Billy Boys had been banned by UEFA in 2006.
Unable to give voice to their racist world view the Ibrox klan were bereft and a substitute had to be found.
At the start of season 2008-2009, the Famine Song was heard for the first time.
Any reasonable person would conclude that it was aimed at Scotland’s multi-generational Irish community.
However, that was not the stance of Rangers and Chief Executive Martin Bain put his name to a statement on the club’s website on September 2008.
It included the following:
“Clearly some supporters feel aggrieved that a song they believe to be no more than a tit-for-tat ‘wind up’ of Celtic supporters should be singled out in this way and merit the attention of police, governments and anti-racism organisations,”.
The following year the highest court in Scotland ruled that it was not in the “wind up” category but racist and, therefore, a hate crime.
It was ruled in the Justiciary Appeal Court that the Famine Song was racist.
Therefore, ipso facto, anyone singing it was clearly a racist too.
Maurice Edu should not have been racially abused at his work a decade ago.
Of Course, whether he was at his place of employment or going to the shops he should not have been victimised in this way.
At the time I was not surprised that a fan base that lauded in song a fascist street gang led by a member of the Ku Klux Klan would abuse a person of colour.
However, anti-Irish racism is their main preoccupation.
That multi-generational hatred has survived the original Rangers and is now part of the Sevco matchday experience.
This week the Fitba Fourth Estate has largely been on message and faithfully avoided the use of the “R” word when discussing the UEFA sanctions.
Sadly, they’re thirled to the sectarian narrative which avoids the inconvenient truth about the existence of the multi-generational Irish community in their country.
Unless there has been a massive volte-face among the Ibrox klan that place will again be a place of racism tomorrow.
A decade on from the original Rangers simultaneously defending the Famine Song and Maurice Edu there can be no place for this a la carte condemnation of racism.
After this week the whole of Europe knows that there is a racism problem at Ibrox.
It is now time for those in Scotland who claim to have good values to Call It Out.
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I’m just back fae the Pub…..slightly inebriated….but more than slightly happy.
I’ll start by congratulating referee Bobby Madden on an having excellent game…This guy gets pelters from us…but credit where its due…he handled it brilliantly today.
Now to the game….
What a tactical master class from Lenny…and what a response from the players.
The Liverpool gobshite got his tactics all wrong …but he can sort that out himself.
The only player who didn’t shine today was James Forrest…the rest were outstanding.
The back line gave huge protection to big Forster…who had only one save to make.
I also severely criticised Bolingoli after his last match…and it was justified…but I will praise him today…he had a great game…and I hope its the start of many more for him.
Oh and if you also take into account the re-shuffling of the back line both before and during the game…. it makes the victory all the sweeter.
Our mid-field guys worked their socks off and never let them settle….and Big Eddie was outstanding once again.
I also thought …in the brief time that they had…Ntcham and Hayes were terrific.
All in all…a great day.
We’ve put them back in their place.
Good Morning everyone,
I posted this a month or so ago but it didn’t pass moderation ( unless i missed it) but
It was off topic on the thread I posted .
The point I made, I know controversial, I’d like to make again today prior to the lunchtime kick off. I hope Phil passes it and I end up with egg on my face.
The SFA/ SPFL wouldn’t entertain VAR because of the hefty costs involved and not every club would be able to afford it.
I wanted Celtic to use a part of their bank balance to offer to pay for it even if it meant losing out on a new player or two.
Why?
Both Celtic’s defeats at Ibrox would/ should have been different if VAR was being used. Morelos sent off at Ibrox after approx 1 min at 0-0 in the first game and Flanagan off at 1-0 in the second game. Potentially a 12 point swing in just those 2 games.
VAR would have paid for itself assuming the man watching from the control booth watched the same incident as everyone else.
Forgive me if I’m wrong, but I can’t recall Celtic earning a single point that would have been altered by VAR.
On the other, the team across the water had a numerous number of penalties at critical moments of games including a new European record of 4 penalties against St Mirren all awarded by the son of a former referee who believes making jokes about the pope being a paedophile funny.
The point I originally tried to make was that referees and honest mistakes were the biggest threat to 9 and 10 in a row.
Income generated through merchandise
of making these achievements would pay for VAR.
I still think the SFA/ SPFl would refuse our kind offer but UEFA would surely take notice. Why would one club offer to pay for every other club’s slice of VAR? Perhaps they might question the authorities refusal to take it up?
Then, if I’m right, when the honest mistakes start occurring they MIGHT just see what goes on in this corrupt little country of ours.
Have you met a Rangers supporter or read a National paper calling for the introduction for VAR? I haven’t and I suspect I know the reason why?
A well known Rangers supporter and season ticket holder until forced to give it up getting the first key game of the season. What a shock.
The only referee known not to be a rangers supporter went 17 games last year without refereeing his club as Stevie G claimed he had something against his club.
He eventually got their last game
Of the season v Killie when all was done.
I hope I’m wrong but this season, starting today, will see some of the more contentious and in my opinion blatantly wrong decisions in the history of Scottish football awarded.
So far this season Stevie G’s team have yet to be awarded a penalty in Scotland. I don’t think they ever went such a long period last year without an award. This will change today if needed.
I hope Phil posts this and you can all laugh at me when I’m proven wrong at the end of the season.
The Bhoyo.
The Scottish government could kill all this crap by banning all sectarian marches on both sides. People ask why big Peter and Celtic aren’t doing anything to defend the club, they can’t because Celtic supporters are doing the same. I live in Australia and it makes me cringe when I hear Celtic fans singing IRA chants. Time to move on we have plenty songs to sing without the IRA being mentioned. We are not them and we don’t want to be dragged down to their level
But those songs and chants are neither ‘Racist’ or ‘Sectarian’. Let’s remain on subject here. Your political views are for another story thanks!
Wee prediction…
The good guys go 2 up before half time.
The 2angers players lose the rag Morelos and Gerrard are sent off and the atmosphere becomes toxic.
Unable to contain themselves the Billy Boys and Famine Song are belted out as the 3rd goal goes in.
Full time with the score at 7-1 Artur Boruc emerges from the 300 runs the full length of the field with a 10 foot Tricolour dressed as Pope John Paul singling Roamin in the Gloamin
* UAFA * put to shame by only giving
sevco two penalties.
Loyalty ref , and part time fan,
said i only support when I get the chance these days ,
Today’s referee
tells union bears ,
expect new penalty AWARD Record today.
Prodistant rules running all in Scotland.
The DRILL is the blue room ear tells the story about shite ,
and the rest follow, the media loyalty prod is not just keeping quiet, but the rest of SCOTTISH football fans are.
Penalty for the Klan tomorrow is a good bet,
Defoe is a diver for the best bet
No point complaining about the Klan nothing will happen cause they are prodistant running
The prodistant.
Our fans keep safety alert on ,
camera phones in hand Remember safety first,
Celtic should have sent the tickets back and told the glib king to fuck right off
We don’t need our fans there to win,
Wee are (Glasgow Celtic) HH
We really need to wise up here guys. We`re in a cesspit of a country .Absolutely corrupt from top to bottom. Thank God I`m getting on and won`t need to put up with it for too much longer.HH.
With that attitude you are no loss , Ianbhoy . Some of us see it a little differently !
HH
millsy,i think you live in a different country as ianbhoy said WE do now live a a cesspit of a country with no rights and police Scotland/orange order running the country
Well you see it wrong!!!!!!!!
The distance between sectarianism and racism is exactly the same distance between the cheeks of my arse the last time I was in Barlinnie, tighter than two coats of paint!!!
I have written to the SPFL asking if they will have any say on Rankers recent bans and whether they will acquiesce or defend their God given right to slander anyone in Scottish football, I doubt they will answer.
The Broomloan Road Stand holds about 8,000 fans. Having seen the photos from the game on Thursday, there is no way on earth that there were 3,000 empty seats. Less than a quarter of that stand was empty. I hope UEFA check these things, but I suspect they don’t.
Since all this has come up over the last week. The SFA have hidden themselves in the corner. They even got the Scotland manager to go out and face the crowd with an obedient hack that was quick to include Celtic in his questioning we find Sevco in. For some reason I’m reminded of Dave king’s warning to every club that go after the stripping the titles some time ago. His bullish move at that time is like someone who was holding something over the SFA/SPFL. He was letting it be known that he was not afraid to ‘spill the beans’ as it were.
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/rangers/in-full/dave-king-threat-to-opponents-who-question-rangers-history-1-3946846
If Peter Lawwell came out with the same kind of statement, stating the he felt aggrieved by the lost of revenue for Celtic over the years of tax cheating by Rangers and he was going after the titles and the lost money and he would deal with any club that stood in his way. Would the SPL/SPFL Scottish media have shrugged their shoulders and said nothing? I think he would be up for bringing the game into disrepute a few hours after making such a statement.
Just a small ask sevco state that the orange strip is a show of respect for the duch players that played for them I think there was about six of them does that mean we will see the green strip soon for the Irish players about twenty of them
I would absolutely love it if Celtc played at Ibrox…
with every Celtic player;
– wearing orange boots, as a tribute to our own Dutch players
or possibly even better,
– wearing blue boots, as a tribute to erm, Scottish players?
All the Hoops wearing either orange or blue boots would show we are above it all.
…but a fair few heads might explode amongst the bear’s support: simply unable to compute the ‘inclusive’ colour scheme on show!
I’d just be happy if we played there in one of our away strips, to show them how insignificant they are to us.
Phil,
I’m intrigued by what the ‘Klan’ songbook will contain come Sunday, my hunch is that there may be small minority’s defiance of this clean up campaign although this may change significantly depending on how the game pans out.
I also think there will be a bit of self policing by some of the less knuckle dragging element. They now know what’s at stake and the Scottish authorities will face unprecedented pressure to fall in line with modern Europe’s take on things and punish them accordingly if they belt out the odious songbook.
Regarding the despicable ‘famine’ song can you imagine an away support at Tottenham singing something along the lines of ‘ The holocausts over, why don’t you go home’
The FA would throw the book at them.
Good old modern Scotland????
I don’t think that klan members will be able to hold it in tomorrow, especially when they’re getting beat. It’ll be sing out time or just go home time for those who surrender. HH