Keevins in Sunday Mail

[The Real PapaBear 0]

That's fair-do's. You will, I hope, accept that to some fans the Loyalist songs are as preferential to them as the traditional Rangers' songs are to you. We are indeed a broad church and as such can accomodate a wide variety for all.

 

Does that include people who glorify terrorists?

[The Real PapaBear 0]

 

 

You're right of course, I guess I have to accept your precept. I have seen many things in my lifetime change, which in the beginning were completely beyond conception. The world truly is becoming a global village.

The concern for Rangers is that without that central Protestant core, what is there for a global support to latch on to. We can never compete with the EPL from a financial standpoint, over here that is by far the biggest market followed by the various European leagues. We are only a suffix to them from a programming standpoint.

Rangers and Celtic have played on the religious divide to make the "old firm" derby into a worlwide phenomenon. If you take that religious element out of it, it is just another local derby. By the standard we seen from the Scottish champions last night, it is not very high. Where will the passion come from?

This new board have a challenge on their hands to generate the revenue required to keep us in the top level.

 

If you think that Rangers has a "Global" following, with or without the protestant/unionist baggage, you are deluding yourself, mate. Man Utd, Bayern, Real Madrid, Juventus and Milan have global followings. What we have is a couple of thousand expats and their families and the odd masochist like dB or Shane from CRO.

 

The protestant / unionist baggage is nothing more than an albatros around our necks and there is almost nothing that could make us less attractive to a global audience.

 

We are actually in the middle of the very process which, if we play it right, could define our club and how we are perceived all over the world for generations to come. That word is loyalty - not loyalism.

I can tell you for a fact that the wider football family in Europe and further afield has noticed the reaction of Rangers fans to our catastophe . We have an opportunity now and for the next season to capitalise on that and brand ourselves as truly the greatest fans in the world - all we have to do is drop the - sorry Andy - knuckledraggers and the poisonous baggage they bring.

 

We took at a very minimum 150,000 people to the final in Manchester; the biggest movement of people in Europe since the end of WW2. Do people remember that expresson of love and the stunning display of loyalty to the club? No, what they remember is a couple of hundred neds, tanked up and causing trouble. 99.5% undone by 0.5%

 

We are the 12th most supported club in Europe - and that's while we are in the lower divisions of a joke league. We have higher attendances than any team in France or Italy; only the big two in Spain have higher numbers than we do and outside of Germany only one other club has more - Ajax.

 

But who knows this? Nobody. And why not? Because it suits the agenda of too many people, most of all celtic, to have us seen as an orange/unionist/loyalist dinosaur. Once again, we are allowing others to set the agenda which only serves to damage the club.

[barca72 440]

Does that include people who glorify terrorists?

 

I don't know, you would have to identify and ask those people who glorify terrorists.

[barca72 440]

 

If you think that Rangers has a "Global" following, with or without the protestant/unionist baggage, you are deluding yourself, mate. Man Utd, Bayern, Real Madrid, Juventus and Milan have global followings. What we have is a couple of thousand expats and their families and the odd masochist like dB or Shane from CRO.

 

The protestant / unionist baggage is nothing more than an albatros around our necks and there is almost nothing that could make us less attractive to a global audience.

 

We are actually in the middle of the very process which, if we play it right, could define our club and how we are perceived all over the world for generations to come. That word is loyalty - not loyalism.

I can tell you for a fact that the wider football family in Europe and further afield has noticed the reaction of Rangers fans to our catastophe . We have an opportunity now and for the next season to capitalise on that and brand ourselves as truly the greatest fans in the world - all we have to do is drop the - sorry Andy - knuckledraggers and the poisonous baggage they bring.

 

We took at a very minimum 150,000 people to the final in Manchester; the biggest movement of people in Europe since the end of WW2. Do people remember that expresson of love and the stunning display of loyalty to the club? No, what they remember is a couple of hundred neds, tanked up and causing trouble. 99.5% undone by 0.5%

 

We are the 12th most supported club in Europe - and that's while we are in the lower divisions of a joke league. We have higher attendances than any team in France or Italy; only the big two in Spain have higher numbers than we do and outside of Germany only one other club has more - Ajax.

 

But who knows this? Nobody. And why not? Because it suits the agenda of too many people, most of all celtic, to have us seen as an orange/unionist/loyalist dinosaur. Once again, we are allowing others to set the agenda which only serves to damage the club.

 

 

Boy, you like to spit venom, eh? Anybody that don't fit neatly into your little box is fair game.

It's nice to know that I am not part of Rangers' Global support, but instead just an insignificant ex-pat who is a member of NARSA, as are our fellow bears in ORSA.

As far as this process you speak of is concerned, did you ever ask yourself ' How many of the "loyal" supporters are P/U/L inclined but are not "knuckledraggers"'? Are you honestly trying to tell us that there is a club with a large support anywhere that does not have a percentage of numpties?

Of the 150,000 in Manchester, how many of them were P/U/L inclined. You say that only 200 neds caused the trouble in Manchester, how many of them were of P/U/L inclination? You have no way of answering that do you? You are so angry at these neds for besmirching the good name of Rangers that you have to label them as "knuckledraggers with poisonous baggage". This allows you to fit them into a nice little box. How do you think you are coming across?

I have heard a lot of paranoid theories in the last couple of years, but to say that the world sees us as " an orange/unionist/loyalist dinosaur" because of an agenda driven by Celtic, is to me astounding. In my crescent there are ex-pats from eight different nationalities and they have very little respect for Celtic or their supporters because of what they, and their supporters, have been doing in the last few years. Do you think that they can't see and think for themselves as to what is happening?

Rangers and its support have made favourable impressions for many years in many areas. It seems to me that the only people who try to score points from the numpties within the support are Celtic-minded critics and unhappy Rangers followers who are also bigots. Do you think that you have the right to tell anyone how to conduct themselves? The club, the authorities and the supporter self-policing will eventually weed out these numpties.

Take a step back man, the world shall unfold as it should.

[Steve1872 4]

Knuckledragger loyal and proud

[RyanGers193 0]

You *do* know that any changes you make are visibile only to you, Ryan? You *do* know that, right?

 

Of course I do.

[RyanGers193 0]

Yes, I attend matches., thanks for asking. I share a season ticket with two other family members. How about yourself? Just weekends I'd imagine. it'll be tough getting to games on a school night.

 

Now, back to the CD that you "know" Rangers released with loyalist songs "a while back"- any further develoments on that? A name? Catalogue number? Even the label would do. Christ, I'd be happy if you could pin it down to a decade.

You can google if it helps. Run a check on Spotify, see if they've got anything.

 

I've got a full time job, not that it's any of your business. I do yes, I've missed one game in the last year, Tannadice. Do you attend away games?

 

Nah, I've been told be older bears about it, if you chose not to believe it that's your choice.

[Chibmark 15]

Enlightened, savvy and proud.

 

Come with us, it's a bright new dawn here.

[RyanGers193 0]

Knuckledragger loyal and proud

 

This. Looking forward to a good sash bash in Stenny tomorrow

[amms 0]

 

 

You're right of course, I guess I have to accept your precept. I have seen many things in my lifetime change, which in the beginning were completely beyond conception. The world truly is becoming a global village.

The concern for Rangers is that without that central Protestant core, what is there for a global support to latch on to. We can never compete with the EPL from a financial standpoint, over here that is by far the biggest market followed by the various European leagues. We are only a suffix to them from a programming standpoint.

Rangers and Celtic have played on the religious divide to make the "old firm" derby into a worlwide phenomenon. If you take that religious element out of it, it is just another local derby. By the standard we seen from the Scottish champions last night, it is not very high. Where will the passion come from?

This new board have a challenge on their hands to generate the revenue required to keep us in the top level.

 

 

That's an interesting take on it. The overwhelming majority of Rangers 'global' support is made up of ex-pats, there are exceptions but they are just that. That's the case for all clubs outside of Real, Barca, Juve, Milan, Man U, Liverpool and Bayern. In recent times you might be able to add Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal to that list but not many more. Our 'global support is diaspora based, not kids in China playing FIFA and thinking 'I like the sound of this YCV those guys sing about, coupled with Ian Black and they're the side for me'.

 

I also feel you are conflating 'removing the religious element' with singing songs glorifying murder gangs. I think Rangers will remain the 'Protestant' club in Glasgow, mainly by default because Celtic will retain the 'Catholic' support. I've no issue with that, AC Milan remain the 'left wing' club in Milan despite being owned by right wing Berlusconi. My main problem is this belief that only by singing about Northern Ireland and in particular murderers there are we able to display this. Where's your pride in the enlightenment or the covenanters? I see no display of 'Protestantism' at Ibrox, rather a narrow, angry display of what's broadly called 'Loyalism' of the Northern Irish kind.

 

I've a number of issues with 'loyalism'; it is outdated, it's not progressive in anyway, it makes no sense (who is this loyalty too exactly and more importantly why?) and its out of step with the world around it. That we'd choose it of all 'isms' to cling too makes no sense to me.

 

Playing up this 'loyalist team' thing won't garner us anymore supporters worldwide, producing world class footballers will though. Success is what grows your fanbase, nothing else.

 

You clearly no longer live here, you've made another part of the world your home. I'm curious, what is about loyalism that you like, you've seen the world for it is, you know that decency, loyalty, kindness, common-sense aren't limited to one race or religion. Why do you still see it as a virtue?