Earlier this week, our wonderful new contributor Paulina did an excellent piece on the shocking behaviour of the Ibrox fans.
From her place in a foreign land, she looked across to this little island and wondered why nothing has been done about it.
She looked back into the recent history of the fixture, found some of the incidents, and to say she’s appalled — and a bit baffled — would be putting it mildly.
I find it’s often instructive to get the views of someone outside the bubble, looking in. They can see things that those of us who live within it have grown numb to. When UEFA looked at this little country back in the early 2000s — as a result of another Ibrox club’s supporters being “up to their knees in Fenian blood” and bile — they were every bit as shocked.
When they asked the club to explain itself — and the behaviour of its fans — they got a familiar answer. The same one the SFA gave them. “This is just how it is here. This is cultural. This is a problem peculiar to this place.” Everyone here had long since gotten used to it. So why, the thinking went, were UEFA even bothering? To get involved, you have to understand it. And to understand it, you have to live here.
But UEFA weren’t accepting that bullshit — not for two seconds. They understood exactly what they were being asked to tolerate: hatred and bigotry that has become normalised in Scotland. But not under their flag. Not in their house.
They weren’t going to pretend otherwise, not even for a moment. Whatever peculiar local “understandings” there might be about this sort of thing, they weren’t prepared to indulge them. They weren’t willing to tolerate it at all.
It took them a moment to grasp the full picture — but once they did, they acted. Swiftly. They did what our own governing bodies had refused to do for years. They faced up to it, tackled it, sanctioned it. Why is it that outsiders can see this clearly — that even at first exposure to it, they get the point immediately? The emotional connection is made. The intellectual connection is made. And action follows.
Paulina understands where the disbelief begins. It starts with the question. It starts with someone from outside looking in and saying, “What exactly are they singing?” or “What are they doing?” And once they find out, the reaction is always the same: horror. And the horror only lasts as long as it takes for the next question to arrive, and this is the only one that matters anymore; “Why is that allowed?”
And that’s the question many of us have been asking for decades. When UEFA acted, some of us thought Scottish football might finally get its house in order.
That was our chance. The world was watching — and the world didn’t like what it saw when it peeked into the grubby corners of our game.
That was the moment. And we blew it.
All these years later, we’re still asking the same thing. When will something be done? Why does our game continue to shy away from tackling this head-on? It’s become so commonplace, so ingrained, that even people who know better struggle to get animated about it. They wonder why the rest of us don’t just “get a life” and move on. And I always say the same thing to those people: it would be different if it were your blood they were up to their knees in. You’d find it a little harder to dismiss.
Look at the tifo in the picture; that’s not from this season. That’s from a game against Celtic at that ground of theirs in 2019. That’s six years ago.
You see that bloodstained sword? You see that Celtic fan lying on the ground? Where do you think the blood came from? Whose do you think it is?
As I said previously, if the Union Brats are a bit mystified as to the level of outcry over this one I can easily understand why.
This is nothing they’ve not been doing for a long, long time. This is just the first time it’s been called out by the people at their own club. No-one else would have mentioned it if the club hadn’t done so first.
We’re not experiencing a new phenomenon here.
This has long been tolerated.
Even Graham Spiers – one of the few journalists in the business who has called this out again and again – sometimes drop the ball.
Not because he can’t understand, but because he doesn’t feel it in his bones the way we do. Spiers referred to the recent tifo as “just Ultras being Ultras.” But it’s not as simple as that, and he should know it. He does know it — intellectually. But he doesn’t feel it. Because we are the targets of that hatred.
This wasn’t Ultras doing what Ultras do.
This was hateful bastards indulging in their favourite pastime — hating. And their number one target is us. Which isn’t to say they don’t lash out at “woke ideology” or immigrants now and again. But we’re the obsession. We’ve been up to our necks in this bile for too many years to count.
A complete outsider like Paulina sees it for the first time and instantly recognises it as totally, morally repugnant. She sees it as unacceptable.
A guy like Spiers, who broke with the club over this stuff, still sees it through the prism of someone who has been conditioned to normalise it. And that’s the problem. Too many people in Scotland think this way.
Let me put it like this: back in 1960s America, certain southern states practised segregation. They were proud to tell the world, “This is how it’s always been here, and this is how it will always be.” It didn’t matter how many white citizens agreed that black citizens were being treated abhorrently — the governments of those states still allowed it to continue, although everyone knew it was wrong.
It took Lyndon Johnson to say “no more.”
He passed federal legislation to shut it down, taking on enormous vested interests, even within his own party, because it was the right thing to do. And Nixon, who had the opportunity to roll some of it back, refused. That’s what broke the back of segregation. When those in charge decided the country needed to be better.
In the last article I wrote on this, I did something dramatic; I openly supported strict liability. I broke with my former opposition, because I no longer fear it. I fear carrying on like this. I fear waiting until someone is seriously injured. As our goalkeeper said yesterday, this wasn’t just one object they threw at him last weekend — it was dozens. That was not one person. It was an entire section.
That banner was not the work of one person. It took dozens of them to make that, to craft it, to get it into the ground and then to unfurl it.
There are people walking around with their fingers in their ears and blindfolds over their eyes, denying the full scale of what is happening. Denying that it’s serious. Denying that it makes our game look wretched. But it’s time they were called what they are — moral cowards. This stuff isn’t tolerable. And yet we tolerate it. So we have to ask: are there people — aside from the perpetrators — who find this kind of behaviour acceptable? There must be. Or we wouldn’t still be tolerating it.
Last night, the SPFL asked the Ibrox club for an explanation — as though there isn’t decades’ worth of this, all of it on their watch, all of it under the eyes of their directors and managers. They want an explanation? Here it is: large sections of that fanbase are motivated solely by bigotry and hatred. It’s their worldview. It’s their ideology. That’s why it happens. It has been allowed to happen for too long.
The club only commented because it’s in the interests of directors who want out — and the Americans are watching. But for the presence of those Americans — outsiders themselves, seeing this for the first time — this Ibrox board would do what every previous one has done: nothing. The condemnation is only newsworthy because it’s new. Usually, there’s not a word said.
What the Americans have done is hold up a mirror. So has my good friend Paulina. They’ve held it up and reminded us all of how ugly this is. How ugly this game is. How ugly the community that tolerates this truly is. And still, people are asking for explanations — as though the truth isn’t staring them right in the face.
It’s the SPFL itself that should be questioned. They’re the ones who have something to answer for. The Ibrox club won’t answer — because it knows what it is. Half the board are in sympathy with those singing about being up to their knees in Fenian blood. Ask Graham Spiers — he’ll confirm it. That’s the story his paper asked him to retract. He resigned rather than change a single word.
It’s easy to read Paulina’s piece as someone recognising the problem and expressing shock — to focus on the people doing and saying these things.
But that’s not her larger point. They aren’t the big target she’s aimed for. Her real question isn’t just “Why do they feel this way?” but “Why do we allow it?”
That’s the question we’re struggling with. That’s the one our political class has been dodging for too long. It’s time they got their backsides in gear and started thinking about a legislative route — because football has shown zero interest in policing itself. Not here. Not anywhere. Even in England — where these problems don’t exist in the same way — they’re bringing in a football regulator to deal with their problems.
If our governing bodies won’t govern, then governance must be taken out of their hands. It’s that simple. And I say that as someone who has always feared political interference in football — more than I feared what clubs might conjure up under strict liability.
But this can’t go on. It mustn’t go on.
Are we really going to let another generation grow up with this? To normalise it? To accept that “this is just how it is here”? Sooner or later, you’ve got to stop it dead. Sooner or later, you’ve got to say: “Whatever these people want to do in their cultural spare time, the rest of us shouldn’t have to be afflicted with it.”
I don’t want this stuff on our streets — and I don’t want it in our football grounds. But the grounds would be a good starting point. That’s where we draw the line. That’s where we make it socially unacceptable. And when the governing bodies and the clubs are finally forced to act, we’ll have proved one thing: the problem isn’t insurmountable. If we can tackle it there, we can tackle it elsewhere.
This stuff is poisonous. It is toxic. It toxifies this fixture. It toxifies this league. It toxifies this country. And we’ve tolerated it for far too long. So the question remains: When the hell is something going to be done? And who’s going to do it?
Whoever it is will be doing us all a tremendous service.
For God’s sake — somebody step up.
The problem with sanctioning Rangers is the culture of whataboutery and false equivalence in this country which would make it almost obligatory to find something to sanction Celtic for if they were going to sanction Rangers. The clamour from the press would be almost unbearable. I think it is this more than anything which stops the spl from taking action.
That said I think Celtic child do more
to discourage the chucking of objects by our own free eejits. We all know that when Tavernier goes to take a corner at Celtic park is a fair bet something gets chucked. I’ve often thought drones would be a very cheap and effective way of picking out offenders.
What a free eejit?
I’ve never seen Tavernier getting any objects lobbed at him at Celtic Park and I always wonder at posters, who never post on here, making dubious comments like this one, I wonder what their agenda is?
Seriously?
The Ibrox side were chasing an equaliser with 10-men when Tavernier went to take a corner in front of the Hoops’ standing section. As he went to take the set-piece, a number of objects rained down on the Rangers’ skipper and he alerted referee Willie Collum to the behaviour. He would go on to hand a large object to the man in the middle before he returned to the corner to take the kick a number of other missiles were thrown and could seen on the cameras.
Speaking about the incident after the game, former Celtic boss Neil Lennon was left furious. He told Sky Sports: “It is totally wrong. It’s unnecessary, it’s awful. Player safety on the football field is paramount for me. To see scenes like this angers me. He doesn’t deserve it, he is a football and is just doing his job. Just leave him and let him get on with it.
That is not the only incident involving our fans. If anyone wants to deal with this stuff properly it needs to start with an acceptance that we have plenty of fuds in our own support who do not behave correctly.
Do we have the same size of issue as them? I don’t think so, but to suggest we don’t have any issue is ridiculous.
I’m getting auld and forgetful, I don’t remember seeing that.
A couple of eejits around the standing area at Celtic Park threw a couple of paper cups and vapes when The Rangers player was taking a corner in March. The odd eejit within our support leaves it wide open for the SPFL to sanction us, as a sop to those who would bring up the whataboutery, although we all know that the comparison doesn’t stand up.
The question for Cavanagh, Marathe and the board of the 49’rs is, do they accept the hateful culture of their acquisition for business reasons or take them on and try to change the culture, which won’t be easy. The nightmare scenario for the Ibrox mob is that the Yanks want no part of it and walk away.
There is no problem with sanctioning ‘Rangers’ Jonty as ‘Rangers’ are dead as the disanours…
And one thing that you canny sanction is the DECEASED !!!
For God’s sake – someone step up ?
Well the answer may be in plain sight and you suggested it James days ago.
I made the following point too in comments ie a cleaned up Ibrox may be just around the corner
SF 49er Representatives were recently seen touring Ibrox …so there is definitely a decision about to be made by them one way or the other and this subject matter will be a consideration
Either the Investment Board or the main Corporate Board of the SF 49ers which as we know is chaired by its owner who is without question a major RC benefactor will decide the financial /Investment opportunity and related risk isn’t worth it AND/OR the reputational damage and risk ( by being associated to a bunch of effectively white supremacist racists) to the Corporate Brand is too great . and they will walk away leaving Kavanagh on his own
OR if they are convinced of the investment return opportunity they will only proceed on the grounds that the offensive behaviour is permanently eradicated and the minute it ever returns they walk away .
The TRFC board and management will have no choice but to agree . There is no other show in town other than Park putting in more money to stave off Administration at some point .
As Jontyc above points out the SFA/government will only do something that captures CFC also and it would not be of any great substance .
NO the Scottish establishment won’t fix the Incontinent behaviour over there . It will need to come from outside …and UEFA I don’t think we can trust .
A new no nonsense owner ( whoever it may be ) with both strong business ethics and a moral imperative is the only hope .
The clowns over there have themselves created a perfect storm / no win situation ….They have either killed the deal they are relying heavily on or they have killed their own footballing lifestyle and culture ..abhorrent as it may be !
Obviously some folks allowed that tifo in through the gates, first action? Sack em. 2nd no more tifo or alternative scatter the section up deallocate the tickets.
Failing all that and if the leverage BO fails let it fall again never to rise sell the land burn and lime the soil and build a hospital and comnunity housing.
Great piece! The SFA, SPFL should have done something many years ago. Our board’s silence is as bad. They love the cash this hatred generates. The sky money for the derbies and the increased ticket prices. When the missiles start getting thrown or the Billy Boys and others like it are sung, our manager should take our players off the field. Drastic action is the only thing that will change this and I can only imagine the huge turmoil that our team walking off would create, not only in Scotland but in other countries and EUFA would certainly take notice
Whilst the media and football authorities are flooded with Ibrox fans, apologists and fellow travellers, nothing will get done about this, barring the intervention of outside agencies like UEFA and perhaps any interested investors in the dead club.
The board at Ibrox still condone and encourage these neanderthals, and they are not one bit serious about stamping it out. When their players walk out onto the park at the start of every game with ORANGE track suit tops on they are encouraging the bigots in their support and they know it. Their club colours are red, whit and blue, so what is their fascination with the colour orange? When they play ‘the Sloop John B’ over the tannoy systen before every home game they are encouraging their hateful fanbase to join in with the ‘Famine Song’, they are poisonous scum with suits on and there is no posturing or lip service they can perform that will convince me otherwise.
Do we think, the new owners will dismiss the idea of throwing their racist fans under a bus. This is a source of income, they want to make money whether they be Catholic or not it doesn’t matter. This organization and I mean sevco are dripped dried in this anti Irish racist ideology. It would take forever/never to rid football of this scum. If the authorities allow it on the streets of Scotland, their oo stroll through the streets, with the hatred on full. Then this will continue. I’m Irish, so I’m hated not for religious reasons, or for the football club I support that’s there as well but for my identity my country. One more point Kneecap the band were vilified in the press for what they had to say about Tory mps, it was wrong went way to far, they know doubt lost money, but we as Irish are supposed to put up with this racist vile support, where is the free press.
Sean m
Almost all of us are of ,or have , Irish background to some degree and have had to endure frankly depraved behaviour and attitudes over the years in the West of Scotland in particular …so you are exactly right . it is criminal that nothing is done in this day and age about anti Irish Catholic racism …particularly at that stadium and at away grounds they visit .
My point above is that a Global Brand will not tolerate this stuff if they own it .
Maybe a bunch of individuals/chancers who become investor owners won’t bother so you are right these types may not take action ..BUT major players no chance …they will be hyper sensitive to their Corporate image
I lived in the USA ….If what we saw last week was replicated even up in the bleachers in a baseball stadium or College football ,NFL Or NHL the state troopers would wade in and clean the place out ..and depending on the particular state the troopers would beat the living daylights out of the bigots . ..This crap will not be tolerated by any credible big brand . May not happen on day 1 but they will get rid of them IMHO
Incidentally, my commiserations to Scott Brown and his Ayr United players who lost their play of tie last night to Partick Thistle who thoroughly deserved their victory. Ayr were rank rotten and half their players looked as if they hadn’t seen a ball before, if the ball had currants in it they would have ate it, and that goes as well for the Celtic loanee Agbaire, I hope they keep him, he’s murder polis. Ayr united are not near good enough to step up to the SPL, so another year for them to improve is definitely called for and I hope Broonie gets there eventually.
While the SFA foot tap and hum along to their favourite klubs sectarian chanting nothing will happen, they are the hand that fits the glove.
The klanbase support are nothing more than racist bigoted supremacists using a football game as a rally for means to justify what their old dead klub stood for.
Any other Race , Creed or Colour that would not be tolerated , nor should it .
The combined media whether it’s TV, or radio are also a disgrace for not highlighting or reporting this as most of them they are of the same ilk , deluded fans of this demented klub.
Why someone would invest in that klub is extremely puzzling.
There is HUGE amounts of money to be made from anti Irish and anti Catholic racism in Scotland Jim…
That’s the reason someone will be happy to ‘invest’ in ze klub !
So Celtic take the moral high ground and ban a Green Brigade Tifo – Fair enough then as it’s clearly overstepped the mark…
So one up for The Onion Bears then with that one, they’ll enjoy their big day in the sun no doubt –
But I like ma rebel songs and I fuckin well like them big time at that…
And while I won’t sing them in Parkhead as I’ve stopped going I’ll be The LOUDEST Fucker on the floor in any Rebel Bar as long as I’ve breath in ma body !
Heard it all before and after the club is purchased I’ll be hearing it all again.
The only solution is to run them down to their death; concrete over their grave and build a retail park full of supermarkets and a car by park. Hallelujah
Nothing will be done same old story from the toxic anti Irish/anti Celtic SFA . The ranckers fc can do what they want to us and get a pretend slap on the wrist. As for UEFA they haven’t guts to tackle it.
Brilliant article James, unfortunately the hateful basterts will never ever change, on the terraces or in the boardroom !!! Absolute fucking bawbags, one and all !!!