As I’ve mentioned a few times on this blog, I’m in the language business. In that business, words matter, and yesterday we saw a significant moment in the ongoing Ibrox crisis. During the game against St Mirren, the Union Brats – and yes, that’s what I’ll call them from now on – unveiled a new banner.
It’s not their first, but it might be their most telling.
The banner read, “Ineptitude is destroying our club. Time for fans to force change.”
“Ineptitude” is quite a word choice for them; I’m impressed they could spell it.
Yet, they’ve nailed it here because, from top to bottom, ineptitude defines that club’s current state. But it’s the second part of that banner – the call to “force change” – that’s truly intriguing and should unnerve those in charge.
Let’s take a moment to break down what they’re saying. This isn’t a polite “demand” for change; it’s a rallying cry to “force” it, and “force” is a highly charged word you wouldn’t toss around lightly without understanding its implications.
The Oxford Dictionary offers four definitions for “force,” two as nouns and two as verbs. The first noun refers to “strength or energy as an attribute of physical action or movement.” So, it implies something physical – a shove, a push – but that’s not quite what they’re aiming for here. That noun has no relevance to this debate although it’s a troubling thing to consider.
The first verb definition also hints at the physical: to “make a way through or into by physical strength” – like forcing a door open. Again, aggressive, but not entirely relevant to this scenario.
It’s the second noun meaning that takes us closer to what we’re dealing with here. It defines “force” as “coercion or compulsion, especially with the use or threat of violence.” It’s here that we hit the heart of the matter.
This isn’t the language of negotiation; this is aggressive highly negative language.
Then there’s the second verb, which carries a similar tone: to “make someone do something against their will.” And as we all know, the usual method for getting someone to do something against their will involves threats of some sort. This word choice isn’t about diplomacy; it’s about making demands through intimidation.
So how do they plan to go about it?
These aren’t ordinary fans we’re talking about – they’re the club’s most unruly faction, infamous for street fights with our fans and others. If I were an executive over there, I’d be deeply concerned about the intent behind that banner and the kind of action it implies.
If their board can find any cold comfort here, it’s in this: these fans have proven themselves far less capable of meaningful action than even the blundering board.
Let’s look at their track record.
Their greatest recent “achievement” as fans was to undermine another group of supporters at another club who were trying, valiantly, to save it.
The Union Brats and their allies are the same people who, when their original club crumbled, barely put up a fight to save it. In the aftermath, when the second club emerged, they failed even to secure as many shares as possible.
This allowed a cast of opportunists, including the likes of Green and King, to waltz in and grab control. Over and over, these fans sat back as this current board diluted share value, issuing new shares like confetti, all to fund salaries for a stream of failed players.
If these Union Brats are serious about forcing change, they’ve got one staggering obstacle ahead: themselves. Their history of inaction, misplaced loyalty, and ineptitude at grasping their own best interests isn’t going to shift overnight.
Club 1872 was formed with a mission: to prevent a small group of individuals from taking control of the club. It was meant to be the bulwark against those who would exploit it. They managed to build their shareholding up to about 11%, but subsequent share reallocations slashed that number to less than 5% – and they let it happen. That’s how effective they’ve been in fighting for their own interests and keeping out the crooks, spivs, and chancers.
If I wanted something safeguarded, Ibrox fans would be the last people I’d turn to. Their ineffectiveness has been consistent, and the notion that they’ll somehow lead a revolution should be amusing to the board – as long as things don’t turn violent. In a non-violent scenario, the board likely feels little threat to their control from morons like these.
Still, when the “lunatics” running the asylum start talking about forcing change, it’s a worrying sign. But what change? Who, realistically, wants to take over? The answer is stark: there’s no one. No one wants the job, leaving the board with little competition for control.
At the start, I said ineptitude was a big word for this fanbase, but it isn’t inaccurate. The people running that club have shown ineptitude in spades. Their chaotic summer and continued backing of Clement, even with an extended contract, only underscore this. The biggest proof? The astronomical spending that has plagued Ibrox for years.
The reality is simple, though their fans struggle to accept it: the club spends far too much and has done so for too long. To even dream of catching Celtic, they’d need to spend amounts that are simply out of reach. Financially, they’re maxed out. The latest figures show they can’t allocate more than 70% of their revenue next season to wages and transfers – that’s about £58 million based on 2022/23 earnings. Anything beyond that would breach financial regulations. Celtic, on the other hand, can comfortably spend over £80 million on the same items.
And there lies the harsh truth. Without the financial headroom to compete, these fans are demanding a vision that’s out of reach, no matter how many banners they wave.
So the Union Brats and the other rebels can stamp their feet, wave flags, and make demands until they’re blue in the face. They can shout their grievances, trash a few cars, hurl insults at board members, and maybe even swing a few punches at their own if that’s where they see it going.
But none of it will alter the harsh, unavoidable truths they face, and what’s more; even if a buyer were interested in this club, these lunatic antics would only scare them off.
No amount of fan rage will change the numbers.
No matter how inept the board may be in other areas, they at least seem to grasp one thing: those financial figures are immovable. The fans simply don’t want to accept the reality that their club has limits. But the board knows they have to answer to UEFA, not the stands. They must operate within strict parameters, and there’s no room for manoeuvre.
Let’s not paint the Ibrox board as paragons of professionalism or stability—they’re anything but. They’ve fostered instability for years. However, even they can read the writing on the wall. This summer’s cost-cutting measures weren’t merely down to a collective desire to stop pouring good money after bad; they were essential to keep the club within the regulatory boundaries, and even more cuts may be necessary in the future.
Try explaining that to a fan base that has relied on other people’s money for decades and seems content to do so indefinitely. Try telling that to supporters who, for 30 years, have supported clubs that lived beyond their means and who fully expect that fantasy to continue without consequence. The board, as disastrous as they may be in many respects, at least understands that financial austerity is their only viable path forward.
This might be one of the most ill-fated groups of directors ever to lead a so-called “major” club, yet on this issue, they’re correct. The club’s fiscal policy isn’t just sound; it’s necessity. Their very survival hinges on precisely the sort of restraint those fans are angry about.
In the end, the club’s future lies not with a mob demanding unsustainable spending but with a financial policy based on reality. Austerity is here to stay, and no amount of fan rebellion is going to change that.
And so, let the disaffected scream, wail, and stomp their feet. Let them talk about force all they like. UEFA’s regulatory powers are far greater than any protest or petty act of vandalism.
If it comes down to it, UEFA will be more than willing to remind the club, and these Union Brats, who holds the real power.
They’ll show them what force really means.
With the financial dominance we have, Celtic should go on to rack up title after title. However that’s assuming that the board don’t decide to hire a ‘project’ or cheap option manager when BR moves on.
The current board is the only potential obstacle I can see in the way of domestic dominance for years to come. One poor choice for manager could completely undo everything good that’s happening with the club right now. We as a fan base must be aware that Therangers don’t have a monopoly on ineptitude.
A logic and fact driven narrative but will this hold sway ?. One can hope so but The Forces Of Darkness have previous in this area where pressure and malevolent influence were brought to bear and outcomes changed. Not a direct influence within UEFA but within a pliant intermediary at Hampden in the shape of the SFA. What safeguards and audits are in place to ensure that Justice is Blind and not subject to interpretation and undue influence.
The next phase of ensuring such influence continues to hold sway is already in play with the SFA ventriloquist dummy being worked from the back denying any need for an independent regulator to oversee football compliance.
Maybe the net is closing
This drum beating fan group are infantile and impotent, they will do nothing, just produce the odd banner to let everyone know they are not entirely happy, and then afterwards they will just go through the motions all over again. As long as their board give them orange branded regalia to satisfy their staunch cravings, they will be like putty in their hands as the shit show continues. No surrender, move along, and nothing to see here.
Always felt Club 1872 should now be called Club 1872 to 2012