Leaderboard

Dick was on Dutch TV just now with two members of his Curaçao coaching team. They talked about Curaçao and how if you were new, you had to sing a song or do a dance. It showed a video of Dick singing Simply the best. When it came back live, Dick had tears running down his face and couldn't speak. When he was asked why he was so emotional, his assistant answered that the song came from Glasgow Rangers, and Dick considers that the best time of his life. He loved the people and his time there.

I find the situation really strange. When the TIFO was unfurled, I thought it was quite strong - the wording especially - but also very funny given the date, the Star Wars association and the banners at the Celtic Park fixture recently. For the club to react like they did is nothing short of farcical. Yes, we need not and should not be defined by other clubs but there was no reason to release any statement with the sort of urgency they showed. Hopefully it's a lesson learned for a few people.

Should the SPFL not be asking other clubs too about their supporters banners?

As soon as I saw the banner my heart leapt with joy but my head took over instantly: Souness: devil incarnate. Shotgun: troubles, violence peace process (remember that last one?) Take aim: incitement to violence. Rebel scum: oh no; what a bead-clutcher. The media, SPFL/SFA, Scottish government firestorm would be immediate and immense and never ending. Luckily the Board saw it coming and got in first and shot the fox. In a perfect world no one would be offended and if anyone had been offended it wouldn’t have mattered. But the world is not perfect. The world is tilted against Rangers. So, in an uneven firefight do not give ammunition to the enemy.

Whilst I agree with his in principle, the biggest complaint is the way that we're treated compared to Celtic. Their banners didn't make front page news. Their board don't allow their club to be attacked. It seems like an excuse for inaction because they don't have the stones to deal with this issue and take the easy way out by attacking a banner that most don't have an issue with.

Credit to the FAB for putting the points forward to the board, covering most of the main points. The response from the club is verging on pathetic. They still haven't stated what was wrong with the display other than in the most general of terms. To try and put the blame onto the police who "seized the banner at half time" (the photos show it was seized the following day) which nobody knew about is crazy. It's the board's statement that caused the front page headlines and to try and shift the blame is cowardly. they then contradict themselves by saying that we have to protect the identity and traditions that define us, whereas they have done the exact opposite. Patrick Stewart has done a huge amount of damage to himself with the support. I'm not sure he will survive long term. Politically he may benefited from saying that we may have been hasty in issuing the statement but to double down has completely lost any support he had from a large section of the support, and that's not good for anyone.

Dear SPFL, Picture of Graeme Souness and a Star Wars reference. Sincerely, Rangers FC.

The fact the banner is still being discussed at length shows how weak we have become as a club and a support. They had a banner celebrating a convicted terrorist murderer a few weeks ago. They hate us and will always find something to get offended about. Stop caring what they think. The banner should've said paedo scum instead of rebel scum but other than that it was terrific and everything football rivalry is about.

Edwards led Forest Green Rovers to promotion. Some pedigree. O’Neill got his jotters from Wolves who have soared to respectable safety since he left. Gerrard we know about and what’s likely to happen. Martin we know about as a player. Sacked by Swansea. Carry on with the search.

Freedom of expression does not equate to freedom from consequence. Every £ of a fine received, is money that can't be invested in the club. IMO, its only natural that this is the line that many draw. I personally don't get worked up about what other fans say/do, but whataboutery is fierce when it comes to this stuff, and a natural consequence when there appears to be different sets of expectations depending on who you support. Our support are easy to 'manage' as you say, because our response is predictable. Personally I would just resort to taking the utter piss out of them. Imagine a giant tifo of Cerny skooshing their bench/fans... we'd dine out on that for ages!

That's easier said than done. For example, they could have swapped out the unfurled banner at the last moment when the club had agreed something that didn't include the "rebel scum" wording. However as a principle, the club should have the say on what's allowed, and I'm surprised that they didn't. I'm sure that the UB's and their ultra "code" won't see it that way, and it would be such a shame if it resulted in the tifos ending. Many of them have been great over the years.

My take is that the club was simply waiting for the next banner that was even a little bit edgy in order to ensure they have approval over future tifos and banners. The minutes seem to back this up.

The response to the email I sent. Thanks for your email. Appreciate your concerns about the possible takeover. As its something thats still in the possibility stakes its not something that is being freely discussed. We do as a group have similar concerns stated and will address them. We hope to discuss them with the people involved and have requested to the club this happens when the time is right. Thanks again, Rangers FAB

Minutes from the FAB's discussion with the board on the tifo and the subsequent statement. https://t.co/iJkbw9WL8p

'Paedo scum' would have destroyed the pun that was used. (We all know the subliminal meaning). And we would need to be careful because Graeme Dott (Rangers celebrity fan) was recently charged so..those who cast the first stone and all that.

Nor is the World unfortunately. It’s pretty much died down as far as our enemies are concerned. Stewart’s intervention saw to that. No doubt those among us who disapprove will decline to renew season tickets.

I know a lot of Geordie fans and they won’t be happy

The lifeblood of the club are often described as supporters. The nature of the relationship is quite clear. As I said there is no benefit. This does not alienate the supporters in any significant way. The ticket, and merchandise, revenue will continue to flow in.

Soon to be no more Glorious Goodison

So they shouldn't support the lifeblood of the club? Hmmm. There is no squabble with the police or the SPFL. The benefit would have been not alienating their customer base...the basis of any business.

This. Who needs enemies when the board are prepared to come out and slaughter the supporters and push us to national news? It is farcical that they've doubled down on it, even going as far as lying to say the banner was seized at half time etc, when we know that not to be the case. FTB.

The board are not a collection of moral philosophers agonising over banners. Neither are they there to support the fans. There is no rational argument for squabbling with the S.P.F.L. and the police about banners. It's all cost and no benefit. The bean counters on the board, and maybe even elsewhere, should understand this.

I' don't agree with that but if the board don't see anything wrong with the banner then they shouldn't be condemning it. If their first instinct is to run away from potential trouble, even if that trouble might not exist, rather than taking a rational view on it, or looking to support the fans as their first instinct, then they shouldn't be in their positions.

Result is more control over UB messaging (TIFO) within the stadium and if UB don't comply then we'll see what happens. I don't think the new owners would think twice about getting rid of the UB section. They would probably welcome it. Lip service to traditions. Actions will be more financially orientated. So unless fans vote with their feet, I think that this only continues in one direction.

I labour the point because it seems memories are short and selective for some. Real Madrid are establishment in a fundamentally corrupt country where football plays an important part.

Rangers got what ultimately they deserved. The point I make is that Real Madrid for example have massive debt but no one seems to want to do much about it. There was arm waving about ten/twelve years ago but everything seemed to settle down and carry on.

What's particularly disappointing is none of the 2019 Alkas Cup winning side have made the step up to our first team. There were boys in that side that really looked like they could make it, yet none of them have. Nathan Young-Coombes is currently without a club. Kai Kennedy was named player of the tournament, he plays for Queen Of The South now, Aaron Lyall at Morton, Ciaran Dickson is in prison, captain Kyle McClelland was released by Rangers and played for Coleraine this season. Adam Devine is still with us but for how much longer, and Lewis Budinauckas but as he can't get into the Thistle team on loan currently, I'm not confident he's displacing Kelly or Butland anytime soon. Alex Lowry was the one who probably had the best opportunity but he's currently not troubling the Wycombe Wanderers first team very often. It's not too much to think that at least a couple of those players could have become decent squad players by now at least. You wonder if winning that tournament, and the adulation and expectation that followed it, was the worst thing that could happen to them. If Birmingham want to keep our players I can't imagine we'll be making that difficult for them.

... nor have we.

I'm not so sure: after all we have had no less than Zwei Fliegende Holländer...

Not another. We’ve already had one.

Thanks, Frankie will take note of it for your next pay review.

Exactly ,their presence alone was far more offensive than any banner.

Simpler solution, no more yahoos.