ââ?¬Å?Rangers Deducted 3 Points and Fined Ã?£250,000ââ?¬Â� ââ?¬â?? Itââ?¬â?¢s Getting Closer...

[Frankie 8,148]

http://www.gersnetonline.net/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=464&Itemid=2

 

Quite incredible, isnâ��t it? Two difficult matches played; one decent CL Qualifier win at Ibrox and one solid away win against a physical side we couldnâ��t beat last season. Celtic also only draw at home after spending nearly �£8million and we get a decent CL draw while they get a stinker! A great week surely?!

 

Nope, instead of being able to gloat about being above Celtic for the first time in about a year (possibly longer), we�re once again having to fire-fight the stories of sectarianism from small sections of our away support. Despite being fined by UEFA twice and despite knowing that the SFA were keen to cement those censures with their own; the mindless minority continue to tarnish our club�s reputation again.

 

What are they trying to achieve with this stuff? Do they even have any answers to that question? They think they do but none can satisfy the concerns of the good, honest majority of bears who do realise that all these yobs are succeeding in doing is silencing our fans and suffocating our club. Take away our vocal support at games and remove the 12th man. Take away our points and second place may even be beyond us. Take away our money and, well, take away our very existence.

 

Of course we get the usual replies from the type of person who wants to defend the ââ?¬Ë?F.T.P.ââ?¬â?¢ nonsense. ââ?¬Å?Iââ?¬â?¢ll sing what I want, where I wantââ?¬Â; ââ?¬Å?Weââ?¬â?¢re being persecuted anyway so who cares if we get sanctionedââ?¬Â; ââ?¬Å?Other teams get away with itââ?¬Â and that old chestnut, ââ?¬Å?Youââ?¬â?¢re not a real bearââ?¬Â if you want to remove the moronic add-ons to our favourite songs.

 

One can understand some fansââ?¬â?¢ frustrations when it comes to certain aspects of the overall debate. Yes, there is nothing wrong with ââ?¬Ë?The Sashââ?¬â?¢ and ââ?¬Ë?Derryââ?¬â?¢s Wallsââ?¬â?¢ per se. Yes, we do appear to be the only club being pursued for this kind of offensive behaviour. Sure, some fans are too quick to castigate their own for being proud of the kind of ideals that they may not share.

 

However, continuing to chant ââ?¬Ë?F.T.P.ââ?¬â?¢ at the end of a culturally expressive song has no relevance to any of these valid questions. Neither does it answer them. Indeed, it only makes our side of the argument weaker. I find it incredible that any Rangers fan cannot see that.

 

Now, there is no doubt the whole sectarianism, discrimination and offence issue (or is it charade?) must be questioned. The fact the SFA have still not clarified what is defined by these terms and what kind of punishments will be issued is extremely disappointing. The same questions exist about who will be censured, what for and exactly what will the censures be. Even so, it would be astounding if Rangers continued to be the only support highlighted for their indiscretions. As such, fans of other clubs shouldn�t poke too much fun this week.

 

Nevertheless, the Rangers support cannot afford to waste energy on our feelings of persecution ââ?¬â?? no matter how valid. Quite simply, we must isolate the idiots and remove them from our club. Pride, loyalty and dignity are all virtues of our club and the support. We should use those positives to modernise and ensure our club takes precedence. Rangers First indeed!

 

Do the yobs who shout about ââ?¬Ë?F.T.P.ââ?¬â?¢ and ââ?¬Ë?fen!ansââ?¬â?¢ do so for the good of Rangers? I sincerely doubt it. After all, we (rightly) complain when fans of other clubs sing about the Ibrox disaster, the IRA and injuries to our players while referring to us as ââ?¬Ë?hunsââ?¬â?¢ and ââ?¬Ë?DOBsââ?¬â?¢. These issues are all worthy of complaint and they will surely tick the SFA Observerââ?¬â?¢s ââ?¬Ë?Thesaurus of Offenceââ?¬â?¢ in the coming season.

 

As such, the best way to turn the attention away from us isnââ?¬â?¢t to deny our problems exist nor to blame others, but to face our challenges and win our own battles. In the last year weââ?¬â?¢ve been doing that and we can rightly be proud of the strides already made. However, the hardest part is still to come. Sometimes the last step can be the most difficult to make. But we can make it. And, as usual, we can make it together ââ?¬â?? united, proud, loyal and dignified.

 

After all, at least we�re prepared to admit our problems. At least we�re prepared to make the changes asked of us. At least we�ll have the strength of character to improve while others deflect and deny.

 

And weââ?¬â?¢ll emerge from this test to be stronger than ever. Weââ?¬â?¢ve never failed in the challenges placed upon us ââ?¬â?? not in over 135 years of success and prestige. Weââ?¬â?¢re not going to start now. We wonââ?¬â?¢t let the minority pull us down.

 

We are the Rangers. We are the people. This particular opponent may not be green, red or maroon but it can be beaten. And it will.

 

Ready.

[andrew_2010 0]

Great post usual!

 

We may not like or agree with the situation we find ourselves in, but as the true lyrics of follow follow say "we'll give anything to see our team at ibrox or away" and if this means having to stand up to fans who bastardise our songs then so be it. It wont be easy but is something we all must start doing at gers games and outlaw the vocal minority threatening to destroy our club.

 

If its a choice between Rangers and (god forbid) no Rangers, I know where I stand.

[ascender 352]

Should the stewards and police not be doing more Frankie? I understand that before it just wasn't practical due to the numbers involved, but at Caley, it was clearly a minority in an already small section of our fans who were singing the add-ons. So would it not have been possible for them to identify at least some of the ones singing the add-ons and kick them out?

 

Or do we go the more extreme route and refuse away tickets for a few weeks?

 

I think we also need strong comments from the top of our club on this and also a message to all fans, either a mailing to all ST holders or something on the seats at the next home game to explain how things stand at the moment in as simple language as possible so everyone can understand.

 

I was watching the game on Saturday and genuinely couldn't believe what I was hearing. After all that's been said about it recently I can't understand why some people continue to do it.

 

Oh, and is it maybe time again for some song-sheets to be handed out with the proper lyrics for all our songs. Whether the club or some fans organisation do this, I think it would be a worthwhile exercise.

[Frankie 8,148]

ascender:

 

1. Yes, the stewards should be doing more. But trying to prove who was and wasn't singing would be difficult and trying to remove people en masse (even upwards of 5-10 people) could cause a riot IMO.

 

2. I completely disagree with refusing away allocations but we may have no choice should the minority continue to let down the vast majority.

 

3. The club and fans groups have tried to fix this problem. Everyone knows F T P and fen!an are outlawed and as long as we remove them all our songs (outwith the Billy Boys) are fine.

 

4. Sheets were handed out twice last season (away to Hibs and another game). Most fans heeded the warnings. A few didn't and won't. We have to continue to isolate those few asap.

 

:cheers:

[Davy 0]

Great post Frankie...It is about time we took the moral high ground and let the other side fall on their sword.

[Guest davierfc]

its about time we erradicated this from our away support NOW!!! these people know what damage this is doing but still the imbeciles continue to chant obcenities nothing but bloody ignorance IMHO we need we stop these guys from ruining our great club

[BC2 0]

I'll come clean immediately and state that I am a Celtic fan.

 

A good article and there's little I disagree with. This whole 'offensive' issue is an utter nonsense and will prove impossibe to police. When does banter end and offence start? Are Aberdeen fans, for example, seriously traumatised by bestiality taunts?

 

I would like to make one point. I accept there is nothing inherently wrong with singing The Sash and Derry's Walls (without add-ons), but are rebel songs then also acceptable by the same arguement? Let me state categorically that I personally find them offensive (and utterly irrelevant to football) but it is inevitable they will be heard on Saturday at Falkirk and equally inevitable that people connected with your club will pounce on this.

 

We need far greater clarity around all of this but I doubt we'll get it.

[calscot 0]

Good post BC2, I totally agree with you. I think there would be no need for any debate if both sides sang about football.

 

Surely we have enough sense of humour to slag each other off with football related songs, than having to wind each other up with the same old boring and irrelevant nonsense.

 

The trouble with those who sing these songs, is that they don't know what a wind up actually is, and don't know when to draw the line. It seems the same mentality to me to those boys who think, "Wouldn't it be funny if we pissed in the bowsers?"

 

The answer is: no it's not, it's just the twisted mentality of a moron.

[ascender 352]

I now think that we've reached a new point for us, where I bet the vast majority of our support would agree that we should not be singing ***. I bet there's still people who think they should be allowed to sing it if they want to, but I think they now realise what harm they could do to the club by continuing.

 

However, if we go past this and on to the folk & rebel songs, that's a whole other can of worms. This week I've already seen fans finger-pointing at Celtic in particular and saying that they shouldn't be allowed to sing songs x,y & z as they are offensive. If we end up having any of our current folk songs banned, then that will open the floodgates and there will be a massive tit for tat going on between us and other clubs trying to get songs banned and complaints about every little thing.

 

A little common sense and intelligence is needed now. Especially from those who are complaining that Follow Follow and The Sash might be banned while not realising that their future really is in our hands. Drop *** and they can't touch them.

 

I also find it a bit patronising and actually really offensive when fellow Bears suggest that because I'd be happy for us to sing other songs totally, that I'm not a real fan.

[calscot 0]

Assender, it's those that continue to sing songs that harm Rangers that are showing they don't and never have supported Rangers. They support what they sing about and are using Rangers as a vehicle.

 

I think it's pretty obvious logic that people who sing Rangers songs are Rangers fans, people who sing Sash songs are OO fans, people who sing *** are fans of bashing catholics.

 

The latter, even if they sing Rangers songs, do not have Rangers interests at heart, and are bigger enemies of Rangers than any Celtic fan.