Rangers Fans At It Again

[Balboa]

Rangers on rack as sectarian chanting mars win
ANDREW SMITH
CALEDONIAN STADIUM
SECTARIAN chanting by Rangers fans at yesterday's SPL opener in Inverness threatens to derail the club's season before it has even started after the introduction of new rules banning the singing of offensive songs in Scotland.

The Ibrox club are facing a possible fine or even being stripped of points after supporters spouted a series of hate-filled songs and slogans throughout the televised game at the Caledonian Stadium.

Fans shouted "F**k the Pope" at the end of a rendition of the The Sash and openly used the phrase "Fenian bastards" in another chant as their team strolled to a 3-0 victory. The words are clearly audible on television footage.

SPL delegate Alan Dick will refer to the sectarian singing in his first report to the league on Tuesday, the tone of which will determine what action will be taken against the club.

Under new legislation introduced by the SPL last month to clamp down on the unacceptable behaviour of certain fans, clubs have been warned to expect severe sanctions if their followers step out of line. Depending on the nature of the breach, clubs face a warning, a fine and the possible deduction of points.

If Dick's report hammers the Glasgow side's supporters for singing songs that are offensive on the basis of amounting to religious insults, the matter will be referred to an independent commission chaired by senior lawyers.

It is the latest incident involving Rangers fans singing sectarian songs, which on two previous occasions has seen the club fined more than £20,000 by UEFA for inflammatory chanting. The fines were imposed after encounters with Villarreal in March 2006 and in Pamplona five months ago.

"The club is wholly committed to continuing its effort to eradicate inappropriate behaviour," said a Rangers spokesman. "We will look into the circumstances surrounding today's game."

Yesterday's developments will also come as a huge embarrassment to the Ibrox club, which launched its own anti-bigotry campaign just ten days ago after it was hit with a fine of £13,000 by Uefa and warned about its fans' future conduct after sectarian chanting was heard during a game against Villarreal in the Uefa Cup.

Rangers' assistant manager Ally McCoist said he was terrified the team would also be docked SPL points.

He said: "Everyone at Ibrox is committed to showing Rangers in the best possible light on and off the field and that's why we're launching Follow With Pride," he said. "The club is constantly under the spotlight and our fans, more than anyone else, realise the importance of setting high standards of behaviour. We want to get that message across and show what a fantastic club this is."

[ExiledGael]

Guarantee they get off with a warning.
No way can they use the one or two idiots argument, thousands could be heard chanting the shit

[MW]

Sectarianism should be treated as seriously as racist abuse. And with penalties getting more serious for each offence. Sadly these songs appear pretty much endemic at Rangers matches.

[Square Ball]

it was Celtic fans wearing Rangers tops who were to blame for the chanting, wonder if someone will try this one.

[MW]

it was Celtic fans wearing Rangers tops who were to blame for the chanting, wonder if someone will try this one.

[mannix]

Crap league.
2 guesses who will be scottish champions.

[ExiledGael]

Crap league.
2 guesses who will be scottish champions.

Jst the one guess will do I think the Gers are due one, Celtic looking really poor recently and today again

[Awec]

I'm a rangers fan, and to speak honestly, the guys who sing them songs are complete assholes. And to tell the truth, there are people in the stands who give off when such songs are sung, but, theres not much you can do.

Perhaps if we did get fined it would help us a bit. 

[Main Street]

I'd say that it's more of a problem at away games.

Rangers should get some advice from the FFA, they seem to know how it's done.

[clarshack]

Crap league.
2 guesses who will be scottish champions.

1 guess who will win the premiership.

[Rois]

Now that I see a thread on Rangers...
I was arguing with a guy who works with me who said that he was down at a semi final in Croke Park a while ago, and thought the atmosphere was "crap" and couldn't compare to Ibrox.  His argument was based on the fact that the crowds are all mixed up in Croke Park, which I argued was the beauty of it.
Now not having been to Ibrox, I couldn't really comment on the comparison, but to imagine that an 83k crowd wouldn't have as good an atmosphere as that place, well it seems really stupid.

Anyone here been to both? 

[Rossfan]

Most GAA crowds are so enthralled in the amount of action on the pitch they done have to be singing silly songs or chants to keep themselves amused.
That's what gives Soccer games "atmosphere" - not forgetting of course gallons of porter beforehand and in the case of Rangers  plenty of bigotted songs.

[The Real Laoislad]

Im sure Celtic fans are no angels either

[stew]

Now that I see a thread on Rangers...
I was arguing with a guy who works with me who said that he was down at a semi final in Croke Park a while ago, and thought the atmosphere was "crap" and couldn't compare to Ibrox.  His argument was based on the fact that the crowds are all mixed up in Croke Park, which I argued was the beauty of it.
Now not having been to Ibrox, I couldn't really comment on the comparison, but to imagine that an 83k crowd wouldn't have as good an atmosphere as that place, well it seems really stupid.

Anyone here been to both? 

I have and there is no comparison at all................. the atmosphere at croker is far superior in every way. I have also been at Celtic Park and that pales in comparison as well although in fairness i am comparing Scottish League games with Ulster fianal or AI QF's and above so maybe that is unfair.
There is way too much singing and carrying on at Ibrox/OT etc, i found myself distracted, the same thing applies at the norths games, they are bouncing all over the place doing the conga atc and a lot of them dont bother to watch much of the game. at gaelic matches we tend to watch every second as if our lives depend on it and the beautiful thing is we stand shoulder with the enemy of the day with no bother at all at all.

[SuperSub]

In fairness lads Croke Park isn't the best for atmosphere at times.IMHO Semple Stadium is as good as it gets.Anyone who has been there on a Munster Hurling Final day will know exactly what i am talking about