This site started in July 2008, and almost immediately, it was reporting on a new addition to the repertoire for the Rangers support.
What quickly became known as the Famine Song was immediately recognisable as having a racist content and intention.
Sadly, the Fitba Fourth estate appeared to write a permission slip to the genocide choir at Ibrox with the banter defence.
Here is a pice on here from October 2008 indicating official inaction on the subject.
Thankfully the criminal justice system in Scotland demonstrated that they knew racism when it was presented to them in 2009.
The Famine Song was a replacement for the Billy Boys.
For the uninitiated, the latter musical offering was and is the preferred anthem of the Ibrox klanbase.
The Billy Boys had been belted out at games involving Rangers for generations.
The fascist street gang led by their eponymous founder Billy Fullerton terrorised the Irish community in Glasgow in the inter-war years.
However, in 2006 UEFA had banned the song.
The idea that the home crowd at Ibrox did not have some ditty to espouse their hatred of Irish Catholics was an appalling vista for the poor dears.
Consequently, a musical replacement was required.
Dear reader, I cannot think of another football support in Britain who, at the start of the 21st century, was lauding the memory of a member of the Ku Klux Klan.
However, it happened at every match that the Rangers played, and it somehow was not pointed out by the heroic chaps on the sports desks.
The campaign by Colin Kaepernick and the murder of George Floyd has ensured that “taking the knee” is now part of world football.
It was always going to be a difficult message to sell to the Ibrox klanbase, as Conor Goldson himself found out.
You do not have to look too far to find overt racism and fascism at Ibrox.
Indeed, it is what defines the Ibrox klanbase.
Now Sevco’s captain has issued a plea to the Ibrox klanbase that they should be supportive when he and his teammates take a knee tomorrow.
If you have even a cursory knowledge of the Ibrox matchday ambience, then you will understand how Pythonseque this all sounds.
The uncomfortable truth is that if you excise racism from the Ibrox klanbase, all that would be left is a husk.
Indeed, I suspect that a lot of them would simply Do Walking Away.
Many of The People appeared to discover that racial abuse was actually a bad thing when their own player Glenn Kamara was on the receiving end of it during a European match.
I was never convinced that anti-racism would thrive amongst the Ibrox klanbase for the reasons I have outlined.
For the avoidance of doubt, I wish young James Henry Tavernier well in his efforts to promote an anti-racist message to a self-selecting group who mainly cohere through anti-Irish racism.
I suspect that he has most of his work in front of him.
Ibrox and its support simply will not evolve: “Everyone Anyone” PR campaigns are just that.
And as always, the blame ultimately sits squarely with the idiots at the SFA.
The governing body is tasked with protecting and developing the game – and for future generations.
Will there even be a professional ‘SPL’ league in Scotland in say, 30 years…?
Hi Phil, I take it you have heard the replacement song called ‘4 Lads had a dream’. Sung to sloop John B and still affords the racists to chant their favourite bits of the old song. Police know about it. Rangers know about it and probably a lot of others know about it but as always nothing is done and the silence is seen as acceptance.
Rangers don’t just know about this song which provides an opportunity for racists.By playing the tune “Sloop John B” over their public address system at Ibrox before matches, they are positively encouraging it.