John DC Gow: It’s time Rangers fans did more to condemn bigot chants

[Frankie 8,185]

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/john-dc-gow-its-time-5217516

 

IT’S about time Rangers and supporters groups took the lead in eradicating sectarian singing amongst the minority.

 

The majority of fans are increasingly stereotyped as far-right fascists when they are guilty of nothing more than following their football club.

 

Although not an issue before or after, Rangers did not knowingly sign Catholics between the 1920s and 1980s.

 

That was wrong, but here is the key point which is not getting through to wider society: Gers fans believe it was wrong too and would never want to go back.

 

Players such as Nacho Novo and Lorenzo Amoruso are worshipped more than most – something a 1965 Rangers fan might be surprised at.

 

But it shouldn't be a surprise to us since societal attitudes to race, religion and gender have changed dramatically since the 1990s never mind the 1960s.

 

Fifty years ago Scottish society was bigoted and that was reflected in its football – not the reverse. The religious aspect and the troubles in Northern Ireland created the bizarre mixture of religion, nationalism and football acted out in Old Firm games.

 

The rump of Rangers and Celtic fans who dearly hold on to their songs about ******s and the IRA are an embarrassment because Scotland (including the majority of Old Firm fans) no longer see religion or Irish nationalism as a main factor in their football. Rangers FC will sign anyone regardless of religion and no one cares.

 

In reality, sectarianism at the club is not a factor which even the most fervent critic of Rangers would be able to deny. The sectarian singing is also much less, and is usually left to away games.

 

But when Rangers need normal behaviour the most, a minority take a perverse pleasure in hurting the club.

 

Whether it is a form of neddish defiance or real sectarian hatred depends on the individual, but it is unacceptable by every standard.

 

The excuse given to chants about ******s is that the ****** Brotherhood was a political movement and hence the songs are political.

 

This is an excuse some Celtic fans make for their use of the word and it it is equally bogus. I was born and bred in the east end of Glasgow and when someone was called a ****** the finer points of political history were not at the forefront of minds.

 

It meant Catholic and we all knew it.

 

In any case, adults singing they are up to their knees in the blood of anyone is not a political statement.

 

While The Billy Boys is widely seen as the worst, the recent outing of 'No Pope of Rome' is almost unbelievable in the 21st century.

 

A song which literally chants against the Pope, priests, nuns, chapels and rosary beads is the epitome of anti-Catholicism.

 

I don't believe (and the yearly sectarian statistics back this up) that the vast majority of people who sing this vile rubbish want to discriminate or physically hurt Catholics, but how can you honestly blame anyone for thinking they would?

 

And so the whole support gets tarred with beliefs they do not hold.

 

If basic decency doesn't stop the minority, then understanding that we live in the internet age where videos and social media (including plenty of lies, fudges and half-truths) will see Rangers and extremism linked if they continue.

 

On the surface Stan Collymore is correct in saying sectarian singing has to stop, but when he tweets about Rangers with the hashtags #NF #BNP #C18 (which are all far-right, ultra-violent groups) we can see the dangerous road some are travelling.

 

Collymore also said he has been 'vindicated' in saying that one of the Chelsea fans who were allegedly racist to a man in Paris, also likes Rangers .

 

But as the singer Amy MacDonald correctly pointed out to him, what does vindicated mean?

 

Sure there are racist Rangers fans, but there are racists who support all teams, so that doesn't make sense.

 

If he means vindicated in the general sense that Rangers fans are racist, then he is hardly fighting bigotry since you cannot end stereotypes with more stereotypes.

 

While many in Scottish football are rightly disgusted by the use of ******, there is a strange tolerance to calling Rangers fans 'huns' even though it used in the same bigoted way.

 

The recent 'Public Attitudes to Sectarianism in Scotland' report showed that only 14 per cent of people had never heard 'hun' being used to describe a Protestant, and 58 per cent found it unacceptable.

 

When they changed ****** for hun and Protestant for Catholic, the report gave identical figures.

 

There are also objections from many Gers fans that songs supporting Provisional IRA members, like 'Roll of Honour', are also tolerated by many people who would (quite rightly) never defend a song about the loyalist terror group the UVF.

 

These are valid points, but it still doesn't make singing anti-Catholic songs any less reprehensible and supporters have to openly say it.

 

Football fans have a normal tribalism which sees criticism of some as condemnation of all, but those who bring the club down do not represent Rangers and they shouldn't be given cover.

 

When I go to Ibrox I see ordinary people, because they are ordinary.

 

They like the game and support their team just like football fans everywhere, yet Scotland has a different picture because they believe the minority speak for all.

 

Unlike most, I believe bigoted songs can be stopped overnight – but it has to be hammered by the club and made taboo by the main supporters' groups so the majority have a collective way of showing their disgust.

 

Since most Rangers fans, like most Scots, despise sectarianism there is nothing to fear and everything to gain in expressing this as loudly and clearly as possible.

 

If they don't, others will continue to shout their bile loudly and clearly, and then we all lose.

[Frankie 8,185]

Well argued piece from John (and I'm glad to see his points in the mainstream press) but as long as other clubs' fans' behaviour is tolerated/ignored then we'll never remove these songs.

[Laudbertz 0]

Agreed. Ill pay more attention to articles like this when some parity is in place. Wouldnt have been too hard a push to say 'It’s time Scottish football fans did more to condemn bigot chants'.

[RANGERRAB 3,300]

FWIW I believe it's far easier for us to eradicate these songs than for across the city & we should do so.

Across the city they will find it almost impossible to get rid off their miltant Irish Republicanism and actually seem to encourage it by virtue of their GB.It is evident wherever they play but seldom reported in the media as might be expected.

As a result a few in our support will think if they're not prepared to ditch their songs & chants why should we ? And so-called anti-sectrarian legislation brought in by McConnell's Lhabour government was seen as targetting Rangers whilst the other side were free to do as they were. Totally counter-productive.

Edited February 24, 2015 by RANGERRAB

[26th of foot 5,859]

Well argued piece from John (and I'm glad to see his points in the mainstream press) but as long as other clubs' fans' behaviour is tolerated/ignored then we'll never remove these songs.

 

The latest stick fashioned to beat Rangers, includes some foresight and penetrative thought. I listened to Cosgrove on BBC Radio Scotland on Saturday and he levelled the accusatory finger of 'WHATABOUTERY'. Rangers supporters must own up to the problem and deal with it, without reference to what supporters of other teams are singing/chanting. Cause and effect has no relevance, Rangers operate in a vacuum. He added that the footballing authorities will do nothing as usual, hinting those in charge are predetermined to ensure calm waters for the good ship, Rangers. Further, Rangers supporters organisations like the RST should NOT issue statements reference Stan Collymore, they should stick to achieving club ownership.

 

Michael Grant was a guest and he penned an article in Monday's Herald reinforcing Cosgrove's musings on 'whataboutery'. The Observer's Daniel Taylor weight in too, sectarianism is a peculiar Rangers problem and he could not help himself with a wee zombie reference. Delahunt and Keevins demand Friday night's events be treated in isolation, without added reference.

 

The parameters of the debate have been determined before it takes place.

[RANGERRAB 3,300]

Well argued piece from John (and I'm glad to see his points in the mainstream press) but as long as other clubs' fans' behaviour is tolerated/ignored then we'll never remove these songs.

 

The nonsensical arguement I've heard in the mhedia from time to time is that we've got the biggest problem. That is not true. Celt#*c have got the biggest problem with their brand of miltant Irish Republicanism which largely seems to go unreported. And I'd like to know how their support manages to get some of their offensive banners into stadiums. Do the police turn a blind eye to this ?

Whilst we should endeavour to eradicate offensive songs & chants ourselves it cannot go unchecked elsewhere

Edited February 24, 2015 by RANGERRAB

[Frankie 8,185]

Some good points Rab - I completely agree.

 

For me this crap only arises now from us when we're reacting to something else - usually imbalance in the media or something topical. For the most part, you don't hear TBB or NPOR. However, you continually hear songs about the IRA and that won't change until they're given the same media attention.

[RabiDuck 89]

Perhaps the solution is to clean up our own house, get the songs eradicated so there's nothing to report on and then as a collective support we can push for others to do the same. Complaints about the offensive banners seen on TV, chanting about Irish Republicanism heard over the pitch side microphones. If we've cleared our own bases before doing so, we can hopefully drive the agenda in a direction of our choosing and hold others to our impeccably high standards. Until we clean up our own act, we'll continue to be the focus of attention.

[Frankie 8,185]

Perhaps the solution is to clean up our own house, get the songs eradicated so there's nothing to report on and then as a collective support we can push for others to do the same. Complaints about the offensive banners seen on TV, chanting about Irish Republicanism heard over the pitch side microphones. If we've cleared our own bases before doing so, we can hopefully drive the agenda in a direction of our choosing and hold others to our impeccably high standards. Until we clean up our own act, we'll continue to be the focus of attention.

 

I think we have done that yet because the hun/IRA chants continue, some misguided bears think the best reaction is to say what's good for the goose.

 

It all comes down to a lack of balance in the coverage.

[Laudbertz 0]

I understand the lead by example arguement.

But playing devils advocate here, what if we are to clear out the support that sing the banned songs and then the media die down the reporting on it but it continues elsewhere? The songs will soon come back and we will be singled out yet again.

 

It should be a matter for every club and every fan to condemn those who sing the banned songs, Scottish football as a whole should be looking to fix this, not just us.