How Rangers became Espanyol fans’ second team

[BEARGER 1,829]

Does he live in Spain?

 

And some fell on stoney ground.

[pete 2,499]

Maybe if you contact the Record they may have some information on him BH.

[26th of foot 5,835]

Fifteen years past, there were a number of articles in Rangers fanzines; drawing a parallel between Rangers future with both broadcast and print media, and that experienced by Espanyol in Catalan Spain. Since the late seventies, the mainstream Catalan media has deliberately ignored Espanyol as they are considered not to fit politically. This has transformed into an accepted cultural denial too. The warning to Rangers supporters was this could occur to our club. I remember the articles claimed Barca as a city was historically a two thirds to one third breakdown on support. The 40 year campaign has increasingly demonised and marginalised Espanyol supporters, some claiming their support had been reduced to just over 10% of the city population.

 

I toured the Nou Camp twenty-five years ago, my first revisit since '72, and there was a heavy narrative proclaiming Barca FC at the fore front of anti-Franco sentiment during the 40 years of his dictatorship. They claimed the Nou Camp was the only place a Catalan could speak Catalan without fear of being put up against a wall by the Guardia Civil. I found a couple of photographs of Rangers triumph against the KGB's team, Moscow Dynamo, they portrayed the very same para-military police dealing with rioting Bears. I pointed out the juxta position in both condemning and lionising the Guardia Civil. Further, it was working class Scots handing out a deserved hiding to a fascist police force. I received a tut, and a walk away.

 

The last time we played Barca(ten years ago), I spent five days in the city. We took thirty thousand and had no arrests. BBC Scotland found fault in our support because of the smell of alcohol around the Placa de Catalunya, the litter in the same square, and two Bears cautioned for public urination. On the south west corner of the square, there was an enormous FC Barca club store, four floors. The northern end of the square was dominated by a huge department store, 'El Corte d'Ingles'. We entered and found the entire fifth floor dedicated to Barca, effectively another club shop. I asked if Espanyol had a presence and was directed to the basement haberdashery, There were three carousels selling key rings, hats, and scarves.

 

The Espanyol experience is in part being mirrored by our own club. Look at the local council facilitating ra Sellik's increased land bank(three streets for a penny), the massive investment put into ra Sellik on the back of the Commonwealth Games, and the current situation reference both local(Radio Snyde) and national(BBC Scotland) media. We are being conveniently positioned like Espanyol ie Real Madrid were Franco's team. Two opinion polls/survey earlier this year found only one MSP(Murdo Fraser) out of 129 supports Rangers, whereas 40% of Rangers supporters vote SNP. Under representation will cost our club.

[Tannochsidebear 2,314]

I remember vividly the articles you mention, the "Espanyolification of Rangers" which I still speak to my mates about to this day as it becomes more and more apparent this is working brilliantly for those of a green'n'grey persuasion.

 

I dont want this to side-step the main thrust of your post, but "40% of Rangers supporters vote SNP"? Is that educated guesswork based on electoral results or a real poll?

[BEARGER 1,829]

I remember vividly the articles you mention, the "Espanyolification of Rangers" which I still speak to my mates about to this day as it becomes more and more apparent this is working brilliantly for those of a green'n'grey persuasion.

 

I dont want this to side-step the main thrust of your post, but "40% of Rangers supporters vote SNP"? Is that educated guesswork based on electoral results or a real poll?

 

Would be interested in the answer myself. Going by my own experience of our fans I would think that the 40% is likely to be not far away from the truth. Rangers have a broad church when it comes to our support, we should not just go by UB or those others who attend games.

[pete 2,499]

Of course the Record had to follow this up wit h the tims relationship with St Pauli making it into the second part of a series.

[JohnMc 2,473]

Fifteen years past, there were a number of articles in Rangers fanzines; drawing a parallel between Rangers future with both broadcast and print media, and that experienced by Espanyol in Catalan Spain. Since the late seventies, the mainstream Catalan media has deliberately ignored Espanyol as they are considered not to fit politically. This has transformed into an accepted cultural denial too. The warning to Rangers supporters was this could occur to our club. I remember the articles claimed Barca as a city was historically a two thirds to one third breakdown on support. The 40 year campaign has increasingly demonised and marginalised Espanyol supporters, some claiming their support had been reduced to just over 10% of the city population.

 

I toured the Nou Camp twenty-five years ago, my first revisit since '72, and there was a heavy narrative proclaiming Barca FC at the fore front of anti-Franco sentiment during the 40 years of his dictatorship. They claimed the Nou Camp was the only place a Catalan could speak Catalan without fear of being put up against a wall by the Guardia Civil. I found a couple of photographs of Rangers triumph against the KGB's team, Moscow Dynamo, they portrayed the very same para-military police dealing with rioting Bears. I pointed out the juxta position in both condemning and lionising the Guardia Civil. Further, it was working class Scots handing out a deserved hiding to a fascist police force. I received a tut, and a walk away.

 

The last time we played Barca(ten years ago), I spent five days in the city. We took thirty thousand and had no arrests. BBC Scotland found fault in our support because of the smell of alcohol around the Placa de Catalunya, the litter in the same square, and two Bears cautioned for public urination. On the south west corner of the square, there was an enormous FC Barca club store, four floors. The northern end of the square was dominated by a huge department store, 'El Corte d'Ingles'. We entered and found the entire fifth floor dedicated to Barca, effectively another club shop. I asked if Espanyol had a presence and was directed to the basement haberdashery, There were three carousels selling key rings, hats, and scarves.

 

The Espanyol experience is in part being mirrored by our own club. Look at the local council facilitating ra Sellik's increased land bank(three streets for a penny), the massive investment put into ra Sellik on the back of the Commonwealth Games, and the current situation reference both local(Radio Snyde) and national(BBC Scotland) media. We are being conveniently positioned like Espanyol ie Real Madrid were Franco's team. Two opinion polls/survey earlier this year found only one MSP(Murdo Fraser) out of 129 supports Rangers, whereas 40% of Rangers supporters vote SNP. Under representation will cost our club.

 

The thing that always needs factored into this equation though is on-field success. Put frankly Barcelona's local, national and international profile has been heightened far more by the presence of Cruyff, Schuster, Laudrup, Stoichkov, Hagi, Maradona, Ronaldhino, Romario, Figo, Eto'o, Xavi, Iniesta and of course Messi, whose value to Barcelona is almost unmeasurable, than by the rise in Catalan nationalism. The Catalan identity really only plays out locally, your average 10 year old in small town northern Europe couldn't care less, they care about Messi and winning the Champions League.

 

If Espanyol could put together a competitive side their profile would rise, in the same way that Valencia and Athletico Madrid have seen their profile rise as their fortunes on the field did. The increased commercialisation of football in general since the creation of the Champions League has coincided with Barca, and Spanish football, enjoying a golden period. In the 80s it was Italian sides that ruled the world and AC Milan merchandise that dominated shelf space. Today it's Barca and Real Madrid that's more to do with the cyclical nature of football than political demographics.

 

As for the lack of politicians willing to self-identify as Rangers supporters that is a problem. However it's our problem and for us to fix. The issue isn't Celtic supporters undermining us, it's Ranger supporters undermining us.

[JohnMc 2,473]

Double post.

Edited December 6, 2016 by JohnMc
Double post

[Uilleam 5,429]

Of course the Record had to follow this up wit h the tims relationship with St Pauli making it into the second part of a series.

 

Nothing on "Welcome to Protestant Hamburg" to come?

[boabie 230]

Of course the Record had to follow this up wit h the tims relationship with St Pauli making it into the second part of a series.

 

I was in a local bar a few days ago and noticed a dog with a St Pauli tag on its collar. I remarked, "That's a gorgeous wee dug. It's just a pity about the tag it's wearing." A half drunk non-entity sitting nearby said, "How, whit's up wae St Pauli ?" I replied, "Well, St Pauli is the red light area of Hamburg."

The halfwit obviously thought he was ready to reel one in and ended up making a clown of himself.

Edited December 6, 2016 by boabie