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I'm pretty sure you can be okay with diversity and inclusivity without being a Marxist...

As a Rangers supporter of colour , who has been attending Ibrox since I was 14 , I can honestly say that I have never experienced or felt threatened or been racially abused due to my skin colour . I have though heard plenty of derogatory terms being used at opposing players , mainly in the 80,s and early 90,s , now it is so rare that if it did happen I would remember . In all the times attending games , and I was a season ticket holder from 86 until approx 2003 the only time I can remember seeing anything remotely racist was a 2 game period when the NF had a type of stall set up on the Copland road , but again this was a blip and they were never seen again . The whole BLM debate gets confusing because to every single person it means something different , the aims of the BLM movement are not what players and normal people are protesting about , it really is a sad indictment of society in 2020 when basic human decency has be be protested for .

I disagree with those who think this is just posturing and won’t make any difference. It might not make any difference to a 45 year old who supports Britain First and thinks Tommy Robinson should be the PM but it might make a 16 year old who perhaps hasn’t really thought about these issues properly give it some consideration. Modern day footballers have a platform, they do have influence. I went to see Rangers play West Brom at Ibrox in a pre-season friendly, Google tells me it was almost exactly 37 years ago. West Brom had a number of black players and it was the first time I’d seen a black footballer live and I suspect that was the case for many in attendance that day. West Brom’s black players were subjected to boos, jeers and abuse throughout the match. All around me people made jokes about them, shouted to our players to be ‘careful in case they had spears’ that type of thing. The abuse was actually quite good humoured, people thought they were being funny, indeed lots of people were laughing so they were being funny. This wasn’t a naked display of white power, it was an example of what was still socially acceptable in Glasgow at the time. Mocking an opposition player because of the colour of his skin was largely okay in 1983, nobody thought they were really doing anything wrong. I certainly didn’t, I laughed along like everyone else. I know if West Brom were to play us today there wouldn’t be much abuse of their black players, at least not for the colour of their skin. That’s not just a change in our crowd, that’s a societal change, something that’s gradually brought us to this point. Black Lives Matter is the next step along that road. We now have black players, we didn’t then. Some of those players are heroes to our support, they are revered by us, there is no question they are accepted whole-heartedly by our support. When we see them the only colour we see is blue. So when they decide to tell us something we might find uncomfortable or think doesn’t apply to us, perhaps we should pay them the courtesy of listening and trying to understand. I don’t think that’s a big ask. I’ve never voted for a political party where I agree with everything they stand for or hope to achieve. I look at who I think most closely mirrors my views, or I feel will do the best job. There’s always something I won’t agree with though, sometimes it can be a fairly fundamental thing too. But good is better than perfect. That’s the case with most things in life I’ve found. A level of compromise is required to move forward. I lived in Belfast when the Good Friday Agreement was negotiated and agreed. That was a very hard pill for many, many people to swallow but it brought about a serious reduction in murder and terror that had become a way of life for decades. People are alive today who wouldn’t have been otherwise. Northern Ireland is not perfect, or even fixed, but it’s a hell of a lot better today than it was when I first went there and it is slowly, in its way, making progress. I really don’t think it’s hard to accept the message that black lives matter and differentiate it from other things that some wrap up in it. I don’t understand how anyone can function if they’re unable to make compromises, particularly for something that doesn’t really have any impact on them or their lives.

See, IMO, you're taking this too far. Our black players (and our white ones it seems), along with the manager and many, many fans want our black people treated equally. Not to the detriment of anyone else or as some sort of silver bullet in terms of the perfect society, just a realisation that racism exists and we should all play our part to remove it. It's not a perfect analogy but let's take the poppy. I love seeing our club wear that symbol every year. But I don't see it as solely remembrance of our war dead but of everyone killed or affected by such, i.e it should be seen as a symbol of peace for the future, not just remembering what happened historically. The same goes for our actions of the weekend. As Goldson explained it, it was about equality for everyone - not cherry picking some Marxist ideology but just a better, more educated outlook where people aren't singled out for maltreatment because of their colour or creed.

We should be holding Connor Goldson up as an example of how BLM should be represented. He's stated his intentions quite clearly - he wants to convey a simple message against racism; That there should be equality of opportunity for everyone, regardless of their ethnicity. I support Connor in this, just as I support Alfredo in his charitable work in Columbia. I'm glad the club does too. Yes, there are those trying to hijack BLM, and piggy-back their own agenda onto the demonstrations (anti-capitalist, anti-Zionist, and revisionist villification of historical figures using modern social mores). We can not allow these people to dictate what "Black Lives Matters" means. We can't allow them to detract from what ought to be a clear and unconvtroversial statement about how we want our society to be: One where everyone gets a fair go, and success is down to individual merit. That's the British way, if you ask me.

With respect BD neither you nor I are black (you're not, are you? I'm going to look pretty stupid if you are) so we're not affected in anyway by this. Let's be honest, there's no chance at all of Marxism making any kind of political inroads here, (and it's laughable to suggest it could happen in America) and by supporting the club and the players I don't think anyone is going to mistake either of us for Leninist agitators. This whole Marxism thing is bewildering, we're not living in a 1960s Le Carre novel, our way of life is not threatened by Conor Goldson protesting. The Israel/Palestine thing is nonsense too. Over 70 years of superpower intervention, terrorism, war, mediation and global attention hasn't been able to resolve that part of the world, you and me accepting James Tavernier kneeling before kick-off in a friendly isn't going to bring down the Likud Party or harden the resolve of Hezbollah. But Conor Goldson is a young black man. I don't know what he's experienced in his life due to the colour of his skin, perhaps nothing, only he knows. But as a white man I feel really uncomfortable telling him his choice of protest; one that's peaceful and largely symbolic, isn't appropriate. He's not looting or rioting, he's not closing down streets or marching. He's simply using his profile and platform to maybe make people like you and I, white men who've not had to give this much thought before (well I've not, apologies if you have been involved in this in the past or present) pause to consider whether our society provides the same opportunities to everyone regardless of their ethnicity. I'm not unable to accept it means something else to others, I'm simply challenging why that is. I don't understand why it's provoking so much debate, it's largely symbolic, and I know symbolism is important, but it's unlikely to lead to wholesale change (and it's not going to lead to Marxism, I'm positive about that). I wear a poppy every year. Both my grandfathers and my father served in the forces, I was brought up with it. I learned about the horrors of WW1 at school, attended the Armistice Day service at our local war memorial with the BB every year. It's something I grew up with, culturally it's important to me. I suspect a number of people on here had a similar upbringing. When I moved to Belfast I continued to wear a poppy around that time of year. For me it was a way of honouring ordinary and extraordinary people who'd made a sacrifice I'm not sure I'd be willing to make. But for the first time I met people who'd a very different view of the poppy. Who saw it as a symbol of the British military and they'd a very dim view of the British military. So I considered it but decided to keep wearing it. I'm happy to explain to anyone concerned that I don't wear it because I supported the invasion of Iraq (I didn't), or Afghanistan, or to make some kind of political point or prove how patriotic I am (I'm not patriotic in the slightest). I wear it to remember the millions of people who died either through government misadventure, idiotic orders or trying to achieve something truly noble and necessary that has made the world a safer and better place. I'm not honouring governments or politicians, far from it. That's what it means to me, thats why I wear it. I'm confident Conor Goldson doesn't want to bring down the government in this country or in the middle east, he bends his knee and raises his arm so you and me will see him and think. That's all.

Where was the club's support of Morelos when the reaction of him reporting racism at Celtic Park was Celtic to deny it and issue a statement attacking him? Where was the support on the other occasions when he was racially abused within football grounds? Are they only going to do it when another football club isn't involved?

A Rangers statement on this matter has now been released: https://www.rangers.co.uk/Article/a-message-from-managing-director-stewart-robertson/2MGSMxIi2GWuSGXXsePlHA

You cannot promote equality by advocating for just one ethnic group to the exclusion of others. Marxists understand this perfectly, for their design is not to solve problems but to foment division. It takes a particular kind of genius to foment division by promoting equality. This they have succeeded in doing. Every knee that bows is another brick in the wall of division as it births another radicalised white person who previously had no real sense of racial division. The whole thing has been brilliantly conceived and executed. All Marxism requires to prosper are enough useful idiots to advance the cause without understanding that they are being played. Evidently, we have enough of those. BLM is the antithesis of What Rangers are committed to achieving. That the club can’t see that is regrettable.

It seems the opposite to me. There are those who are trying to say that BLM is only a nice anti-racism message whereas it's been a lot more than that pretty much from the start. Surely it's the BLM organisation who get to say what the BLM organisation stands for, and not a footballer or you or me?

So where and when have any of them said that all lives don't matter? I think you'll find they'll believe, like most, that all lives do matter. However, there is undeniable racism faced by people of colour. They are right to call this out and right to highlight it now and to continue to highlight it until it stops. Yesterday, Alfredo was called a black bastard on Instigram. Undeniable racism that is received less uproar from Rangers fans than CG taking to his knee. Utterly baffling. Let's go after the racists and not those seeking to eliminate racism.

I wonder if Charloch was present at the Mo Johnston signing. He probably would have said, " We're inclusive but not THAT inclusive"!

The knee protest or whatever is past the novelty stage and is more or less understood by everybody and IMO should be done before the first game we play at Ibrox and after that no more. Once the novelty of something wears off it becomes boring and can make people indifferent to the original idea. As an example I can point to the numerous times we have done a minutes applause but I know that I am lost regarding the reason most times so rarely join in.

From the Rangers Supporters Association. “ Right away, you have a better chance of securing a ticket for all the big occasion matches”. ?

Seen this piece done on Alfredo and his charity work back home thought it might be of interest.

If you want an analogy just think how public attitudes to homosexuality have changed. Most people now just don't get agitated by it yet in my young days you could hardly discuss it.

Timely and welcome statement from the club. Supports our player who has been a serial victim of racial abuse in this country and supports our players stance against racism. It is now clear it is a stance against racism and not any political statement or gesture. Also supports and pushed the EA platform.

You know I'd already written that game off, based on our home defeat and the fact that Bayer are well into their season. But I'm now starting to hope. Would be the greatest result ever in Europe should we turn this round.

I said elswehere that 'Everyone Anyone' should be broadcast more widely (maybe on the jersey) than just on flash screens at Central Station. It could become synonymous with our club.

No problem, go after the racists, I hope they all go to prison. In the meantime can everyone climb down off the BLM knee-bending bandwagon and leave the rest of us to get on with our non-racist lives? Or do you really think seeing sportsmen taking a knee to is going to have the slightest effect on someone who calls people “black bastards”? Can we be honest and admit that knee bending and fist raising by prominent people is designed only to show the world how virtuous they are. Nothing has changed for actual racists. If anything, the righteous posturing and grandstanding by some in the media has only had a divisive and negative effect.

I am on this forum and FF and enjoy most of the banter but do no media platforms like facebook/twitter etc.where it seems easy to incite rebellion towards anything or get away with slanderous/libelous actions without fear of litigation. With the current BLM crusade it seems to me that prominent figures are trying to push/promote their ideals and possibly have the right to do so,but personally I am sick to the teeth of having these "ideals" rammed down my throat at every opportunity. Like the majority on here I have watched "the kneel" being shown at every live event and on highlights of the same.If their message has not been conveyed by now it never will so let's get back to what we want most is seeing any sport that we love to watch without the political undertones.

Lazio may be a temptation for Morelos, and if they offered £20 million I expect the club would take it in the current environment. But I always suspected England was the preference of Morelos. But even if that were the case if it were me no way I would turn down Lazio and the CL for a mid or lower end premiership side. If he could go there and prove himself in the CL the upper echelons in England would then be convinced. And he's still young enough to do all that.

I'd give that crystal ball a clean

I don't particularly want to get dragged into this thread. Everyone has strong opinions. However, I've just hidden a few posts that had unacceptable quotes from "Rangers fans". I aint here to debate over why when and where, i don't particularly want them on Gersnet. I'm sure @Frankie will put them back if he disagrees. (Not a dig Cammy, because you did put a sidenote to delete if found inappropriate) Take things you read on forums/social media with a pinch of salt sometimes.

Jings! What do you want them to say? That black lives do not matter? So much misinformation on here that I know not where to begin: Every Communist revolution has been fomented by an academic/social elite and then that elite has ruled with an iron fist over the population. The Paris Commune? It was ordinary working people. The 1917 Bolshevik Revolution (bolshevik means majority)? Read 'Animal Farm' and 'Revolution Betrayed' (the clue is in the title) by L. Trotsky. When you have a revolution you first have to protect and defend it, otherwise you get a counter-revolution. "Rangers advancing a Marxist agenda" - oh my, if only!

Or, as I posted in another thread, maybe this: https://blacklivesmatteruk.com/about/

Have a look on-line, have a look at the replies to CG, have a look at the replies to the club's statement, read Rangers message boards. Club have made a statement, and a clear one at that. I'll leave it at that.

So given our Manager has taken to his knee and used the fist salute, are we to believe him to be an anti-white, black supremacist, Marxist, statue destroying, Pailistinian supporter, anti-nucular weapon, rioting agitator / supporter?

Even when the “some” is the BLM organisation itself. ? You couldn’t make this up. Only the reality is they did make it up. Everyone I’ve ever seen comment on the issue believes that black lives matter. All lives in fact. The problem many have is using knee-taking and clenched fists that are inextricably associated with a self- confessed Marxist protest organisation. Are we really saying that football players cannot find the wit to protest against perceived discrimination without getting down on their knees? Seriously?

I posted it a few days ago:

You're probably right (if indeed our species even still exists) but I think we do progress as a society, it just takes time and considered discussion.

Wrong. Your understanding of marxism is based on the Sun and Daily Mail. Marxism is a method, a science of dialectics.

I got banned many years ago - and the ban is still in force - from 'Follow Follow' for having the temerity to suggest that Jean-Claude Darcheville should not be picked for a tie in the Balkans because he might face racist abuse. In turn I was accused of being racist in sugggesting that we rest one of our players for racial reasons. I was only thinking of the player's well-being. I was not able to protest that I was stepfather to two mixed race children. Certainly my stepson has many tales to tell of racism faced. He is at least able to defend himself with his tongue but many aren't.

I think Rangers has made great strides forward wrt discrimination and as a club should focus on the appropriateness of our existing initiatives in discouraging all forms of discrimination. There’s a danger of Campaigns like Everyone Anyone being lost or diluted in the rush to join an increasingly tarnished bandwagon. It’s understandable that players and staff should want to show support but from now on I feel it should be on the platform of our own excellent initiatives.

I think a lot of that is fair comment and I'm glad that this forum allows open discussion from all sides. With regard to the events of the weekend, and our club's EA campaign, I think an open forum between the players and fans would be a more constructive way of discussing the matter. Taking the knee or raising the fist are all well and good but context is also important so the message doesn't get confused and detracted from. It may well be the players and management have now said their piece and made their statement though which is fine by me as well. We just have to be careful not to lecture to people or demand a,b and c but to have a conversation and have a debate that we can all learn from. That would be progress.

Heres 2 spares I have, if you are selling rfcsa annuals for the project and they are of any use, you are welcome to them.

I've seen Goldson's comments that it's "about equality, not politics" but he's making a gesture that supports a political movement. He claims that there's ignorance but perhaps it's him that's being ignorant of (some of) the concerns (although not denying that there are other reasons for some people's opposition to it). and what many think the gesture means. I'd guess that peer pressure/social media have forced some players into following the herd, and that's not very "democratic". I understand Goldson's reasons for doing it but perhaps he should make a greater effort to understand the views of those who are against the BLM organisation. Likewise, do the club have a realistic option not to support BLM? I've got no idea what the board think about it, but they don't have an option but to support it, and I'm uncomfortable with that and again it's no really how a "democratic society" should function. It was interesting to see the F1 drivers wearing anti-racism t-shirts but only Hamilton wore a BLM one and most appeared not to take the knee.

Hefty designations, hefty egos, hefty ambitions ......and hefty salaries, I have no doubt.

To get things slightly back on topic I notice the management and players of both sides 'took a knee' prior to both the Lyon and Nice matches. As far as I can tell cultural Marxism hasn't managed a full coup on Edmiston Drive quite yet, but no doubt it's only a matter of time now. The defunding of the police on the other hand is well underway. Funding is down over 16% in the last decade. Those arch-Marxists David Cameron, Teresa May and Boris Johnston need watched I tell you, soon you won't even be able to say you're English anymore. For what it's worth, as is their democratic right, quite a number of people on social media, who certainly seem to be Rangers supporters at first glance, posted their disagreement with the club's official Twitter and Instagram accounts posting pictures and accompanying hashtag. It's worth noting though that the post on Instagram attracted 29,860 'Likes' and on Twitter over 7,500, the highest of any posts from the club during the tournament, including goals and interviews with players. Maurice Edu, our former player and an African American, felt moved to comment on the club's original post and then replied to some of those criticising the club or taking issue with the 'black lives matter' message. Conor Goldson has also felt the need to address some of the posts and comments left by supporters on this subject from his personal account. Both are worth reading. As I said earlier in this thread if this is important to a number of our players I've no problem with our club supporting it. It doesn't threaten my identity or my understanding on how a democratic society should function. Being serious for a moment I was saddened to read Forlan's Sisters post about his recent health. Sepsis is a horrible and very dangerous condition and I hope you are feeling better now and receiving the correct treatment. Clearly Gaffer and FS have experienced challenges during the last few months and I know they aren't alone. I hope we are all able to enjoy better times very soon.

I know pre-season matches shouldn't be taken seriously but Gerrard's overall record against non-domestic opponents really is quite incredible. Good performance today and a deserved victory against a decent side.

It was a Wrexham reserve side we played, eleven changes from their previous game against Bromely and none started in their next game against Yeovil. There were five teenagers in Wrexham's starting lineup that played at Ibrox.