Ibrox: Jurassic Park?

[andy steel 0]

I remember Jim Duffy lying on the pitch at Ibrox in agony, having suffered one of his many knee injuries. When we sang 'to die a ****** bastard' at him I can't believe there was one person singing it who wasn't digging his celtc/Catholic identity.

 

I'm happy to hold my hands up to the indiscretions of the past and see no point in pretending it was anything other than what it was.

[Tumshie RFC 0]

I think we have to learn to box clever when it comes to our songbook. No-one loved belting out The Billy Boys more than me but if the song, and others like it, damage the club then we have to stop it. As long we don't mention anything that relates to FTP, paramilitary organisations and ****** B's then no-one can touch us.

 

We can still retain our British identity without getting into trouble with the authorities.

[Frankie 8,454]

Maybe I do take it too seriously.

 

But when I see teams half our size sponsored by global brands such as Toyota or Pepsi, and the OF get some cider, it suggests that we have something wrong with us, or at least our image, which sends marketing men for real companies - the ones our size as a club ought to be attracting - running a mile.

 

And the prevention of Rangers growth into what it could be, with the fanbase it has, frustrates me enormously.

 

Afraid we'll have to disagree on the songbook. I can't see how we can sing eg 'Rule Brittania' & not be aware of its political ramifications. While 'No Surrender' has, imo, transcended its origins and become a song of rock solid support for the team when losing, some of the other songs most certainly have not, esp. in the current political climate of Scotland.

 

Disagree. These huge brands aren't interested in Scottish clubs - we're small fry; simple as that.

 

I honestly don't know why anyone finds Rule Britannia offensive. Is it stale and out of date? Absolutely but that's all the more reason for it not to be taken seriously other than a football battle hymn.

[Frankie 8,454]

After is was banned by UEFA and the club - if you had been pro-active, you'd still be singing it with a couple of different words. Massive own goal which is nothing to give anyone credit for.

 

 

 

I agree but I also think the same of many words that people take mock offence to - like the one Green used without malice. However, if you're even half clever you can avoid the very obvious faux pas that life can present.

 

If you don't mean it then why is it important to keep singing it when it should be interchangeable with a word that is not misconstrued? You seem to be arguing against yourself.

 

 

 

Like F T P and F*enian Bastards? What is the good reason for it?

 

You can't be pro-active when a problem suddenly appears about a song that had been sung for decades. UEFA, or more accurately Scottish media and politicians used the issue to beat us with a stick. It was and is a nonsense when other songs are not banned in the same way.

 

By the way, I'm not arguing about TBB - it probably had to go , or be changed at least, but merely the argument about such songs is completely subjective and only works if everyone is treated the same. Rangers were and arguably still are not treated the same as others. So it's no surprise when some fans say what's good for the goose...

 

Nevertheless, I'm comfortable that by and large FTP and fen!an have all but disappeared from our songs. Do people still use them? Sure, but that's more to do with the individual as opposed to a problem our support have.

[Frankie 8,454]

I remember Jim Duffy lying on the pitch at Ibrox in agony, having suffered one of his many knee injuries. When we sang 'to die a ****** bastard' at him I can't believe there was one person singing it who wasn't digging his celtc/Catholic identity.

 

I'm happy to hold my hands up to the indiscretions of the past and see no point in pretending it was anything other than what it was.

 

But see you're still not sure. Did the fans mean die a Celtic bastard or die a Catholic bastard?

 

You don't know. I don't know. And the media, politicians and UEFA don't know either.

 

No-one is denying any faults our fans have. That would be foolhardy and I don't see many fools on this forum. However, the context, the reasons and the balance is always up for debate.

[Bluedell 5,539]

Numbers aren't really what I mean - even if it could be proven to me that in a crowd of 43,000, 42,998 agreed on one thing and only me & my son differed, I'd still think that as fellow Bears we'd be worthy of consideration.

 

Pot and kettle. Seems like you don't consider others' rights and you're trying to impose your views and values on everyone else.

 

If people sing songs that you don't like and they aren't in the banned "list" then what's the problem? Sing your own songs. There's songs sung at Ibrox that I don't like but I don't feel the need to try and get folk to stop singing them just because I personally have an issue with them.

[The Real PapaBear 0]

Pot and kettle. Seems like you don't consider others' rights and you're trying to impose your views and values on everyone else.

 

 

really? in what way has he tried to impose his views and values on anyone?

[calscot 0]

You can't be pro-active when a problem suddenly appears about a song that had been sung for decades. UEFA, or more accurately Scottish media and politicians used the issue to beat us with a stick. It was and is a nonsense when other songs are not banned in the same way.

 

I think there was a window of opportunity but agree it was short. Although, thinking about it, many of the media were complaining about it for years (esp Spiers) with impotence to do anything. When they seen the legislation that gave them some power, we should have taken heed too.

 

By the way, I'm not arguing about TBB - it probably had to go , or be changed at least, but merely the argument about such songs is completely subjective and only works if everyone is treated the same. Rangers were and arguably still are not treated the same as others. So it's no surprise when some fans say what's good for the goose...

 

I agree with you but definitely think we could have been clever about the words but we were arrogant and stupid - and still are, especially as the song is still sung in its most damnable form.

 

Nevertheless, I'm comfortable that by and large FTP and fen!an have all but disappeared from our songs.

 

So why do I keep hearing them? You only have to listen to the Bristol and Sheffield footage to hear a lot of the old song book from TBB to Follow Follow to Super Rangers with all the add-ons.

 

Do people still use them? Sure, but that's more to do with the individual as opposed to a problem our support have.

 

There seems to me to be enough individuals to cause the support a problem - and I think there is a large belligerent section of the support who don't need much of an excuse to join in.

 

I don't get to many games and so don't know all the ins and outs of what happens but there is enough continual footage on TV and YouTube to damn us. It doesn't seem to correspond with the lightness of your treatment of it.

 

To me it's a bit like drinking and driving - it used to be everyone against the police, now the public condemn it and it's really not cool any more. Everyone used to use their mobiles while driving too, now it's a big no-no. To me it's time to just get the gravity of it and show some maturity.

 

There is the bonus that if we really clean up our act, eventually people will bore of our detractors wailings and fingers will be pointed elsewhere. If nothing else we could do with acquiring a proper, modern sense of humour. Our act is just way last century.

[Waltersgotstyle 300]

TBB made an appearance in the South Stand on Sunday too.

 

As did the FTP add on's and a large rendition of you only "Sing in the Chapel"

 

Songs like these make for uncomfortable listening.

[Frankie 8,454]

You'll still hear some of the more controversial stuff in friendlies but in formal games - especially in Scotland or Europe - then TBB, FTP and/or anything about fen!ans has all but disappeared.

 

There's no doubt you'll get a very small section of people chancing their (and the club's) arm but they're definitely the exception to the rule. Ergo, in that sense, bigotry at Ibrox has all but gone but it's merely been driven elsewhere as opposed to it being eradicated completely.

 

It's a real shame the same sense of social responsibility isn't applied to other teams as that's the main reason these songs still come back from time to time IMO. Quite simply as long as songs about the IRA or huns are not removed then our fans, quite understandably it must be said, will act in a belligerent fashion.