UEFA charge is an opportunity for Rangers

[pete 2,499]

Is ââ?¬Ë?The Billy Boysââ?¬â?¢ Poisoning Glasgow Rangers?

 

Rangers Fans Are Famous For Creating An Intense Atmosphere

Up-and-Coming Scottish Comedian of the Year winner, Teddy Craig, takes a long hard look at the club he loves and asks whether UEFA are right launch an investigation into sectarian singing in Rangers� Europa League clash with PSV Eindhoven�

 

Iââ?¬â?¢ve been through an evolution as a Rangers fan. When I first got my season ticket for Ibrox around the age of 13, ââ?¬Å?The Billy Boysââ?¬Â was still the most popular song sung at Ibrox and there was something undeniably stirring about it. Certainly, no song since its banning seems to have created the same fervent atmosphere on European nights. When I first started attending Ibrox and hearing that song ââ?¬â?? it didnââ?¬â?¢t offend me. It was so much a part of the fabric of watching Rangers that it didnââ?¬â?¢t jar with me in the same way as now.

 

The strange thing is that a song containing the line ââ?¬Å?Weââ?¬â?¢re up to our knees infenian blood, surrender or youââ?¬â?¢ll dieââ?¬Â didnââ?¬â?¢t leap out at me as inappropriate for a football match. Some songs did ââ?¬â?? anything that mentioned the UVF for instance. To me that glorified a brand of sectarian violence that was still real, relevant, and claiming lives just across the water from Scotland.

 

The two are intertwined though, as many Rangers fans will tell you that the eponymous ââ?¬Å?Billyââ?¬Â is King William of Orange. The events of 300 years ago that he had a role in are at the root of the violence that we sadly still see to this day in Northern Ireland. The truth behind The Billy Boys song is perhaps even more depressing though. You donââ?¬â?¢t even need to get into the argument over whether a football match is the appropriate setting for a song about Irish history as The Billy Boys doesnââ?¬â?¢t refer to King William of Orange. The Billy Boys (ââ?¬Å?ââ?¬Â¦the Bridgeton Derry boysââ?¬Â) of the title were a 1920s Protestant gang in Glasgow led by Billy Fullerton. ââ?¬Å?Up to our knees in fenian bloodââ?¬Â? A reference to their use of razors for purposes other than shaving. Should that be sung at a football match? No. A flat, resounding no.

 

 

How about if we do treat it as being ââ?¬Ë?an affirmation of Protestant culture and heritageââ?¬â?¢? Well, if itââ?¬â?¢s about Protestantism then we should probably look to Scotlandââ?¬â?¢s Protestant churches. The Church of Scotland condemns the singing of such songs and Iââ?¬â?¢m not aware of any Protestant religious grouping that doesnââ?¬â?¢t. How about if we leave aside the religious aspect and see it as an affirmation of ââ?¬Ë?British culture or heritageââ?¬â?¢? The UK government, the Scottish government, and the police all condemn it. So if you sing that song, donââ?¬â?¢t pretend that youââ?¬â?¢re doing it to show that youââ?¬â?¢re Protestant and donââ?¬â?¢t pretend that youââ?¬â?¢re doing it to show that youââ?¬â?¢re British.

 

How about singing it to show that youââ?¬â?¢re a Rangers fan? The club condemns the singing of that song. Singing that song damages Rangers, hence you canââ?¬â?¢t use your support of the club as any kind of justification for it. How does it damage Rangers? It damages them in the eyes of European footballââ?¬â?¢s governing body. It damages them in the eyes of the media. More importantly though ââ?¬â?? it damages them in the eyes of people. No, I donââ?¬â?¢t just mean football fans, I mean people.

 

I was in Manchester for the Uefa Cup Final. I was inside the stadium so I didn�t see all of the behaviour that disgraced the legacy of Struth, Symon, and Waddell. On the train to and from Manchester I was able to witness the faces of normal commuters as a bunch of drunks caterwauled about being up to their knees in fenian blood. I don�t think too many of them came away from the experience having adopted Rangers as their second club.

 

 

 

What was the evolution that I spoke about going through at the start of this article? I grew up. I realised that my words have an impact. I realised that watching the Catholic Neil McCann tear apart Celtic to win the league for Rangers then serenading him with a song about a gang committing GBH on his ancestors wasn�t really appropriate.

 

How many Rangers fans do I speak for? I donââ?¬â?¢t know. There are different levels.There are the committed and unashamed bigots. There are those who simply havenââ?¬â?¢t yet had the life experience to know any better. There are those who stillthink there is such a thing as a ââ?¬Å?90 minute bigotââ?¬Â. You might like to try that one incourt ââ?¬â?? ââ?¬Å?Your honour, Iââ?¬â?¢m really more of a part-time rapist.ââ?¬Â

 

There are also some like me. Those who think that you can be a football fan aswell as a Rangers fan. People who go misty-eyed over the footage of Cooper scoring that Dryburgh Cup Final goal against Celtic, watched in awe as the Norse God Laudrup seemed to glide across the pitch, and admire the quiet stoicism of the dependable Sasa Papac as much as the fist-pumping battling qualities of Lee McCulloch. Those who think the history of Rangers means names like Alan Morton, not names like John Knox.

 

Usually Iââ?¬â?¢m impressed by Martin Bainââ?¬â?¢s words but this time I canââ?¬â?¢t agree with him. He says that Rangers have been treated unfairly as other supporters across Europe engage in offensive singing without the same level of scrutiny as Rangers fans. Thatââ?¬â?¢s true ââ?¬â?? racism in Russia, anti-semitism in Dutch footballââ?¬Â¦theyââ?¬â?¢re huge problems. Iââ?¬â?¢m a Rangers fan though and Martin Bainââ?¬â?¢s a Rangers employee. We canââ?¬â?¢t sort out the problems of other clubs in other countries. We can try to sort out the problem at Rangers. If that means closed door matches at Ibrox then Iââ?¬â?¢d accept that. Iââ?¬â?¢d rather a season of punishment than continued shaming of the name of one of Scotlandââ?¬â?¢s greatest institutions.

 

I grew up. Other people can too.

 

I must admit this is about the same as my sentiments. We must stop singing it for the good of our club and it is just a song.

 

I would also say the biggest kick in the teeth we could give Celtic would be to start singing walk on before the players come out at the next OF game. We would have to get in before their rendering of course.