Rangers must dump sectarian baggage - Ally McCoist

[ian1964 10,411]

IF, AS they say, there is no such thing as bad publicity, Rangers have been on to a good thing these last 12 months. While it would be stretching a point to describe their crisis as a global marketing campaign, the worldwide fascination with its every twist and turn has certainly raised the clubâ??s international profile.

 

After an independent commission effectively declared last week that Rangersâ?? use of EBTs did not amount to cheating, the club hope that they can at last draw a line under the whole sorry debacle and somehow glean from it enough positives to approach the new era with confidence.

 

The process began with the announcement on Friday of a five-year kit deal with Puma, as well as a one-year sponsorship arrangement with Blackthorn, the cider manufacturer. As far as Ally McCoist, their manager, is concerned, the new partnerships show that Rangers have lost none of their commercial appeal.

 

In fact, he goes so far as to say that Puma and Blackthorn have more to gain from the agreement than Rangers. â??As much as we are absolutely delighted to have them, I think itâ??s good business for them,â? he says.

 

â??What a story it is. Weâ??ve had press guys from South America, Argentina, Spain, all over the place. Itâ??s a global story now. We are, and will be, a top brand again.

 

â??If I was sitting in Uruguay and the Rangers story came on Trans World Sport, Iâ??d love it. Iâ??d want to follow it. If I was in Australia, Iâ??d follow it. Thatâ??s what anyone who loves sport would do. So, in that respect, the crisis has given us a PR opportunity and exposure that weâ??ve never had before and would probably have found difficult to get.â?

 

Rangers, though, still have work to do if they are to clean up their tarnished image. Celtic already have questioned the commissionâ??s conclusion that the Ibrox club did not seek to gain an unfair advantage by issuing £47 million in non-disclosed payments to players and staff.

 

If, as McCoist suggests, Rangers are to become an international force again, they will need to exploit foreign markets. In all probability, that will mean leaving Scotland, as they fully intend to do, but it will also mean persuading the world that they are a different club now, a new and progressive organisation that has dumped its sectarian baggage. Only last Saturday, two of their supporters were arrested for sectarian chanting in a Third Division match against Berwick Rangers. Not only is the practice morally reprehensible, it threatens to limit the clubâ??s potential.

 

â??In terms of a fresh start and sponsorship deals, itâ??s vital that incidents like the one at Berwick are now stamped out,â? says McCoist. â??We all know, as managers, fans and players, that we have a responsibility to behave and do the right thing. Thereâ??s no way any of our sponsors want to be tarnished with that kind of image.

 

â??We have made giant strides to try and eradicate the problem. Thereâ??s an argument that it might take centuries until itâ??s totally gone, but I believe weâ??ve come a long way in educating people in what is right and wrong. The incident at Berwick was a big negative and a step back but, without ignoring it, I wouldnâ??t want it to overshadow the good work thatâ??s been done.

 

â??We want to become a global brand and it would be easier to do it without that element. There is no room for prejudice or bigotry in life, never mind sport.â?

 

If Rangers do emerge from the rubble to become a powerhouse again, they will not be the first club to do so.

 

Juventus, who play Celtic in the knockout stage of the Champions League on Wednesday night, were relegated to Serie B in 2006 for their part in Italyâ??s match-fixing scandal. Not only are they back where they belong, they are better equipped than ever to deal with the harsh financial climate.

 

â??Juventus have shown that you can come back and be as strong as you were before,â? says McCoist. â??I donâ??t think for a minute weâ??ll come back as quickly as Juve. But hopefully weâ??ll be back as strong as them because theyâ??re now as powerful as theyâ??ve ever been. It will take us a little bit longer. Juve went to Serie B so were only out of the top flight for one year â?? but our long-term goal is the same as theirs.â?

 

In truth, the knockout stage of the Champions League is light years away from Rangers, who arenâ??t even out of Scotlandâ??s bottom tier yet. Neither will they be if league reconstruction turns 12-10-10-10 into 12-12-18 this summer.

 

McCoist, whose team are running away with the Third Division, thinks that it would be unfair to deny them promotion. If another form of reconstruction â?? such as 12-12-10-10 â?? cannot be agreed upon, he wonders if Rangers should be entitled to a place in the First Division. After all, a similar thing happened to Stranraer in 1994, when the move from 12-12-14 to four leagues of ten saw the Second Division champions move from the old bottom tier to the new second.

 

â??Thereâ??s a precedent,â? says McCoist.

 

â??I donâ??t want you to think Iâ??m looking for favours, but I would have to say it would be strange if a precedent has been set and you donâ??t go back and do it again. Why would you do it with Stranraer and not do it this time? Maybe there is a reason for it, and if there is, I look forward to hearing it, but I believe that, if we win the league, we are due promotion.â?

 

 

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/sfl-division-three/rangers-must-dump-sectarian-baggage-ally-mccoist-1-2819037

[EDGE 0]

But it's tradishun tae sing hings aboot ra pope ind tha ira

[Bluedell 5,329]

Aye singing about the the IRA is pure sectarian.

[Bluedell 5,329]

It's difficult enough to get rid of the sectarian stuff without people trying to confuse things by lumping other issues into it.

[EDGE 0]

At Ibrox, the Blue Brigade sing about the IRA more the the Green Order do at Darkhead.

 

Itsch tradishun so it iz.

[EDGE 0]

It's difficult enough to get rid of the sectarian stuff without people trying to confuse things by lumping other issues into it.

 

No, it's really very very simple.

 

Sing traditional Rangers related songs without changing words.

 

Job done.

[der Berliner 3,245]

Aye singing about the the IRA is pure sectarian.

 

Which always defies belief when they whip up the "sectarian" stuff. How can a pro-British and anti-terrorist chant be deemed "sectarian", but songs clearly and solely revolving about that terrorist gang be disregarded? Even if it is deemed "political", it is still sectarian as well as illegal.

 

There's been a massive re-definition and usage of the term and once this is settled for good, we may have a field were debate is actually possible. I for one have no problem keeping TBB and anything FTP out of any songbook. One is undesirable (walking in someone's blood), the other is discriminatory (against Catholics all over the world), both have been banned by UEFA. Still, before someone starts telling us which songs are fine, WE - club and support - should get together and settle for a songlist that is accepted by both. What most held up against our songs was that we are often sing "against" something/-one, whereas e.g. the Scum usually sings songs of "praise" and "ancient glory". Once we shed the "against" attribute and turn it into an e.g. "pro-British" one in our songbook, the "fight" will be much easier.

 

What's pro-British then? The Sash, There lies a soldier, Build my gallows are, Derry's Walls as are Rule Britannia and GSTQ. There is actually a Loyalist song that very much mirrors the Bears resilience of these last 12 months, one that solely revolves around loyalty ...

(<- click)

 

AND there is no doubt that our support should by default sing more Rangers (i.e. football-related) songs too, which they do, of course. One really rousing song is IMHO badly missing, one that could be made into a stadium hymn as well

(<- click)

[Max Rebo's Big Blue Nose 0]

It's simple. Just sing songs about football please

[kuznetsov 0]

most hypocritical of him. i remember a young ally very well sashing it up, giving it big licks with all the war tunes.

[GovanAllan 0]

Only football, so no Penny Arcade then.

 

I see we're back to the oh love us please please just love us like you love that club Celtic, bloody sickening.