The Rangers Standard

Excellent article and one I completely agree with. I have wondered for a long time now what exactly an old man working in Rome, who has never played for or managed a football club, has to do with a Scottish football club. The answer I keep coming back to is one of identitiy. Somewhere along the way Rangers lost it's sense of identitiy and started defining itself as "not being Celtic". This is why the debates about our culture and heritage are so important because only once these issues are resolved can we state with conviction that religion has no part to play in our club.

I'm glad to see such singing condemned although I defend the right to sing most of those songs. Freedom of expression is the freedom to express stupid opinions.

I do question the notion of putting any football team first though. There are many more important things than any allegiance to a sports team, and if that allegiance put me in a position of common interest with people and behaviour I despised it would make me want to change something.

If a crime is being commited by the singing of certain songs then surely the club should demand that the police take action . The club pay a tidy sum for policing so they should start making arrests and prosecuting these idiots . Rangers first .

no excuses for yesterday and what a slap in the face to everyone who has contributed to keep our club alive to have to put up with this behaviour,if you cant support your team and be civilised then stay away we dont need you

Night Terror

I think you may have misinterpreted the meaning of 'Rangers first'

It is not about being ahead of your family or life style or anything else.

Its about supporting Rangers and when you do you should put them first. You put the good of the club ahead of what other attitudes you may have in relation (perceived) to being a Rangers fan.

We all have beliefs but if expressing them can damage the club the they must be left at home.
You can still believe what you want just dont associate or attach them to the club.

Rangers First.

Great article John.

Well written article - hit the nail on the head. I was standing just to the left of the bunch of numpties in the 'Ducket' at Shielfield who shamed our club. Felt like several months of image-building with the SFL clubs just went down the drain. Northumbria police were in good spirits with the vast majority of our supporters and sensibly held a watching (and filming) brief rather than wading in.

Have to take issue with one of the earlier posters re the BBC pundits; I know Richard Gordon's a Dons man, but I believe he's generally well-balanced in his views. The others mentioned - well, they all have their own murky agendas.