Statement On Fans - Kilmarnock game

[Rangers Football Club 0]

SECURITY chief David Martin comments on Kilmarnock game

 

More...

[Zappa 0]

FOLLOWING reports that the SPL is investigating the Club regarding the behaviour of some fans at the Rangers v Kilmarnock match at Ibrox on Saturday and subsequent representation to the SPL by the Rangers Fans Working Group, David Martin, Head of Safety and Security at Rangers Football Club said:

 

"We are disappointed the Club is now the subject of an investigation by the SPL regarding the behaviour of some fans at the match against Kilmarnock on Saturday.

 

"Our fans have made tremendous progress in eradicating offensive singing over the last few seasons and this has been widely acknowledged by members of the Joint Action Group set up by the Scottish Government last year, politicians and the police, to name a few.

 

"Last Saturday's match was one of high emotion following an extremely difficult week for the Club and the fans representatives themselves approached the Club prior to Saturday's match highlighting the raw emotion anticipated at the game on Saturday, the variety of protests being considered and their concern that many people attending may not have been to Ibrox for some time.

 

"The Club held a number of meetings and conversations with the football authorities, police and administrators prior to the match and everyone agreed that the priority on Saturday was to ensure there was no disorder around the match due to the highly charged atmosphere that was anticipated.

 

"This was achieved before, during and after the match with 50,000 fans safely attending the game.

 

"To be clear, I am not saying there was an excuse for any offensive behaviour but, overall, the fans gave very positive support to the team and this should not be overlooked.

 

"The Club has been consistent in its condemnation of such behaviour over many years and we are working with Strathclyde Police to identify individuals whom we know were engaged in offensive behaviour around the ground and we will take swift action against them, as we always do.

 

"No one is more disappointed than the fans themselves that some people's behaviour seems to have marred the tremendous support of the fans last Saturday."

[theboyharley 5]

Good statement from the club I think.

[der Berliner 3,246]

IMHO, it is beyond sanity that a handful or even a hundred of people amongst 50,000 shouting TBB or the like are highlighted as having commited a cardinal sin that needs all the attention of the SPL and media, whereas for weeks and weeks those across the city can spout their sectarian terrorist-adoring bile in their thousands without any word of it appearing in the press.

 

Time to address some higher authorities, methinks.

[forlanssister 3,050]

IMHO, it is beyond sanity that a handful or even a hundred of people amongst 50,000 shouting TBB or the like are highlighted as having commited a cardinal sin that needs all the attention of the SPL and media, whereas for weeks and weeks those across the city can spout their sectarian terrorist-adoring bile in their thousands without any word of it appearing in the press.

 

Time to address some higher authorities, methinks.

 

Don't think it's about the Billy Boys, I certainly never heard it being sung. Ignorant journalists probably confused it with the Killie Boys.

 

However the 'F' word was sung loud and clear on numerous occasions.

 

We simply gave our enemies a stick to beat us with.

[der Berliner 3,246]

As I pointed out already, "Fenian" has been re-defined in the West of Scotland ... and it is pretty clear by whom. There is a clear agenda behind this and the sooner this movement is being tackled the better. What next? Look up a nicer meaning for Al-Qaida or Taliban and warp reality to that?

 

 

I gave a definition of that term from an independent book over on our German website:

 

+ + +

 

... the definition of the word in one of the worldâ??s leading publications on the matter: James MacKillopâ??s - Oxford Dictionary of Celtic Mythology.

 

Fenian - Neologism (DB, i.e., a new meaning for an older word) coined in 1804 by charlatan scholar Col. Charles Vallancey. Although apparently derived from Féni, a name for early, landed freeholders, Vallancey used it as an anglicization for fianna (DB, i.e., "warrior band"). In many 19th century writers, e.g. Sir Walter Scott, Fenian pertains to stories of Fionn mac Cumhaill. The ambiguous reference to both fianna and Fionn persists in the naming of the Fenian Cycle. In 1858 "Fenian" was adopted as an alternate name for the Irish Republican Brotherhood, a secret revolutionary society dedicated to the overthrow of English authority in Ireland. Never fully quashed, Fenian activity in the British Isles and North Amercia peaked in 1866-7. In the 20th century "Fenian" popularly denotes Republican anti-British activity, especially in the six counties of Ulster, still part of the United Kingdom.

(ODoCM, p.210)

 

When a Rangers supporter uses this term, s/he does not refer to anything else but the terrorist group mentioned above or their supporters. No anti-Irish sentiments or the like, as modern day press- and media folk like to impart into anything the Bluenoses sing or utter.

The Bears usually denominate the Celtic support as Fenians (much like the latter call themselves too (sic!)), as well as anyone connected to the I.R.A., which essentially is nothing but a successor of these â??Feniansâ?. The term as such is not religious or sectarian, unless used in the context of Roman Catholics of Irish descent. Other than common opinion, the latter is not the pre-eminent notion when common Rangers supporters address those of Celtic as Fenians. For the Celtic support revels in the traditions of the "Fenian" I.R.A. terrorists, glorifying their personnel and deeds in many a song. People who are responsible for the deaths of more than 1,800 British citizens.

 

+ + +

 

As long as we do not make a stand against the

to make their ends meet, we'll lose out.

[GovanAllan 0]

Actually pretty poor no mention of the inconsistent treatment or Celtics weekly Huns go home we need to start putting the boot into them in these statements. The Rangers fans working group statement was much better, but can't find it anywhere.

[forlanssister 3,050]

I'm well aware what Fenian actually means, it's not a word I'm shy to use myself at the right time and in the right place.

 

Singing it at a Rangers game isn't an act of defiance any-more it's a self inflicted injury.

 

We have enough troubles at the moment without seeking them out.

 

I'd like nothing more than to attend a game where the Billy Boys is belted out at full voice for 90 minutes but sadly those days are f*&ked and no matter how much we want they're not coming back.

[forlanssister 3,050]

Actually pretty poor no mention of the inconsistent treatment or Celtics weekly Huns go home we need to start putting the boot into them in these statements. The Rangers fans working group statement was much better, but can't find it anywhere.

 

Agree re the lack of mentioning 'Huns'.

 

We must play them at their own game re 'Huns' till it is afforded the same level of (alleged ?) offensiveness .

[der Berliner 3,246]

While I'm no friend of sectarian (a term that needs a definition much more than "fenian" or "hun", btw) songs, I clearly see a difference between calling someone with a title like "Hun" (which is IMHO just a cynical sort of football banter), or using the title Fenian in full knowledge that it refers to a terrorist group that is responsible of thousands of deaths. And here I refer to the Hooped Horrors using this word to denote themselves, not us. They bath in this anti-British tradition, this faux-Irishness and sure wet themselves - as we write this - that it is in fact those who oppose their terrorist-mindedness who have come under the scrutinity. It is essentially like the Spanish government castigating those who voice anti-ETA songs at the ones who praise these terrorists.