GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - JANUARY 12: Fans of Rangers FC display a tifo which reads 'our loyalty is not a free pass for failure', prior to the William Hill Premiership match between Rangers FC and St. Johnstone FC at Ibrox Stadium on January 12, 2025 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
I’ve talked a few times on this blog about my love for The Godfather, perhaps the greatest movie ever made. And I realised recently that I’ve never actually come on here and talked about the genius and greatness of The Godfather Part II.
It’s a masterpiece in its own right. It’s not just the best sequel ever made—it’s a strong contender for knocking the first film off its pedestal as the best of all time.
One of my favourite scenes in the trilogy comes in the second film, when Frank Pentangeli gets a visit from Tom Hagen. This happens after Frank has appeared in court, ready to testify against Michael, only to change his mind at the last moment when his brother walks into the courtroom, and they share a look.
I’ve always loved that moment. There’s no implied threat. The look isn’t one of fear but of disappointment. In that instant, Frank regains his dignity, and Michael walks out a free man.
But, of course, the Corleone family can’t leave it there. Frank has become a liability—a dangerous renegade. He has to be dealt with. So, Michael sends Tom to visit him at the compound where he’s being held, for a brief conversation to remind Frank of history.
Frank and Tom share an interest in the Roman Empire. Frankie recalls how the Corleone family was modelled on that system. Tom, with deliberate calmness, reminds him of an old tradition:
“When a plot against the Emperor failed, the plotters were always given a chance to let their families keep their fortunes. Right?” Tom asks.
“Yeah, but only the rich guys, Tom. The little guys got knocked off, and all their estates went to the Emperor. Unless they went home and killed themselves—then nothing happened. And the families… the families were taken care of,” Frankie replies, fully understanding what Tom is asking of him.
“That was a good break. A nice deal,” Tom says. And when Frankie signals his agreement, telling a story about how the plotters would sometimes open their wrists in the bath, Tom shakes his hand and says, “Don’t worry about anything, Frankie Five Angels.”
The beauty and brutality of that scene never fail to strike me. So much is said without words, as Frankie understands exactly what he’s being asked to do and accepts it. I couldn’t help but think of that moment when considering the Union Brats’ ongoing campaign against the Ibrox board.
Let’s just say, someone better have their bath ready and the razor blades sharpened and they better hope that when the dust settles that the victors are feeling magnanimous rather than vengeful.
I said on the podcast recently that the eventual winners, when the war ends, will be the mad skulls in the stands and on the forums. They always win. No Ibrox board has ever had the guts to stand up to them. This one will hold out for a bit, but when the crunch comes, they’ll either step aside or bow the knee.
Either way, the clown-car brigade will get their victory.
They won’t enjoy it, though. That victory will come at a tremendous cost, with blood spilled along the way. And in the initial skirmishes, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Union Brats find themselves as early casualties, lined up against the wall and shot as dissidents and wannabe revolutionaries have been throughout history.
The Ibrox board now knows something crucial: their primary opponents are weak. They can’t rally the rest of the crowd. A significant portion of the fanbase doesn’t follow them, and many would be happy to see them gone—just as some Celtic fans would celebrate the Green Brigade being sidelined.
The Union Brats’ first attempt to challenge the board ended in humiliation. They understand how weak their position is, which is why they haven’t outlined any details about their next move. All they’ve said is that they’ll continue.
But they’re not going to ask the crowd to back them again. That support won’t come. It doesn’t matter how much the fans want change; they don’t believe these schoolyard bullies can deliver it. The smarter ones recognise that this is just noise and foot-stamping with no plan behind it.
Perhaps the Union Brats don’t realise the trap they’ve set for themselves. The SPFL is cracking down on flares, smoke bombs, and other nonsense at games. After the incident at Dens Park last night—one I won’t even dignify by going into—it’s clear that selfish idiots who don’t care about our club are hell-bent on causing problems. There are times I wish the SPFL had more teeth.
But the point is, the Brats are picking a fight with the board at the worst possible time. If the board acts against them, most fans will back it, especially if they believe the Brats’ antics are harming the club itself.
The board can point to SPFL statements or penalties as justification.
Fans often underestimate the power their boards wield. I’ve said this to Celtic supporters and will say it here: in a showdown between a board and a fan group, the board wins. They can cancel season tickets and ban people from the stadium at a stroke. The Green Brigade knows this, which is why their disputes with Celtic are always limited to manageable skirmishes.
No one at Celtic Park wants a full-scale war where the fan group has to be utterly defeated. It’s a disastrous course of action. The Green Brigade would lose, sure, but Celtic would be damaged in the winning.
It would be the textbook Pyrrhic victory, and nobody wants it.
The Union Brats, in their arrogance, either don’t realise that or don’t care, and they have turned this into a do-or-die scenario, a zero-sum game.
What’s a zero-sum game?
It’s when one side takes everything, leaving the other with nothing. It’s the ultimate showdown, one where there is one complete victor and one utter loser, with the victor stronger than ever and the loser essentially crushed.
It’s like going all-in at poker; you do that, and you better be sure of what you hold in your hand because if you lose, you’re cleaned out and going home.
The Brats, incredibly, made their move without knowing the size or strength of their own support. It’s like a Roman senator conspiring to kill the emperor without knowing who’s loyal to him and who isn’t.
Their attempted coup was idiotic from the start—poorly conceived, aimless, and doomed to fail. They had no objectives, no strategy, no thought of what comes after. Just noise and chaos for its own sake.
Let me remind you of some ancient history.
When the plotters killed Caesar, they succeeded—he died on the Senate floor. But they failed to secure his family or allies. Within weeks, Antony had rallied the population, and the assassins fled. Within years, they were hunted down and killed. If that can happen after a successful coup, imagine the fallout when you fail.
The Union Brats should consider this. They’ve made their intentions clear—they want the board out and the manager gone—but they have no plan and no support. As far as this front in the wider war goes, they’ve already lost.
The fight is over before it’s begun.
They’ve decided to make a stand; if this is “the hill you want to die on” then so be it.
If they’re smart, they’ll walk away now, humbled.
They might keep their place in the ground and some dignity, albeit everyone will know, and everyone will remember, how utterly they were embarrassed here. But if they keep pushing, the board will push back, and the board – indeed, any board – has far more in its arsenal than just words.
Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
I could talk endlessly about The Godfather 1 & 2. A work of art on the big screen. The Union Bears? Will be as prevalent as white dog shit soon.
Think quite a lot of their ‘own’ disown them…
Not good for them as no one else obviously likes them either –
But they don’t care !
Time they were all banned. Our own green brats were at it again last night, just yards away from the police control point and in full view of stewards who did nothing, despite complaints from fans with disabilities and respiratory problems. The stewards shut the gates locking fans out until the smoke cleared as the fire alarms would have been activated and the stadium would then have to be cleared. I take it the game would then be abandoned. The sooner the Scottish Gov take action and give the clubs the excuse to ban the pyromaniacs the better.
Their Nothing, these self destructive halfwits on both sides think their more important than the club they follow, both are delusional self destructive halfwit individuals that think their opinions matter , no one gives a fk about your feeble agendas, you embaress the club you follow with your empty , hollow actions, the clubs have survived except sevco without your recent additions to our clubs , your a fkn embarrassment with your self centred moral
self centred unrealistic highground, real fans go to watch football not to watch a bunch of self centred cunts ruining it it for the rest of us
both sets have cost us insurmountable fines due to their own selfish actions , your meant to be enjoying the game , not your own self of importance, real fans couldn’t give a fuck about your pathetic agendas.