Initially, I was encouraged by some of the hand-picked quotes lifted from Rangers’ official club statement regarding their embarrassing behavior at Celtic Park and in Europe over the past week. But when I read the whole thing, it soon became clear, they still haven’t learned a damned thing.
Selective Memory
While the statement rightly condemns and calls out the “racist and discriminatory banner” displayed at last week’s Europa League match with Fenerbahce, what they say next completely negates any credibility they may gain for saying so.
No Laughing at the Back
The next paragraph reads: “Rangers is a modern, progressive football club, and we are fiercely proud of our diverse playing squads, workforce and support.”
First, I laughed, then I realized they were being serious.
So, let’s tackle the “modern” aspect first. Would that be the same modern club who do nothing while their fans sing about wars that took place in 1690, or Irish political figures who died in the early 1980s?
Is it modern to encourage an already rabid fan base to engage further in a siege mentality by pretending the entire world is against you every time things don’t go exactly 100% the way you want them to?
Is it modern to whip up those same fans into a frenzy of aggressive nationalism with an “Armed Forces Day” every year, when most of them are barely old enough to have had grandparents who fought in the last great war?
Progressive? My A*se!
The progressive part is where things get truly laughable though.
Last Thursday was hardly the first time the Union Bears have engaged in openly prejudicial behavior.
And when the club tried the, admittedly admirable step of displaying a pride flag at Ibrox recently, the social media response was every bit as toxic, venomous, and overtly homophobic as we all knew it would be.
A Good Idea, Rejected Overwhelmingly by the “Ibrox Loyal”
Then there was Rangers latest attempt at progressivism and inclusion this week with an Iftar event to mark the end of Ramadan for any Muslim Rangers fans out there.
Again, the intention here was good, and clearly somebody inside Rangers realizes that the club has a massive image problem and is trying to address it.
Inevitably though, the response to the club posting about it on social media was an absolute sh*tshow of toxicity, hatred and overt racism.
“Poles Apart”
I think my friend and fellow ACSOM Contributor Asim Rabbani summed it best with his own take on the fallout from the Ibrox Iftar. Referring to the fallout from Rangers Iftar event, he said: “So thankful I was raised to support Celtic. Absolute Poles Apart in almost every aspect from this lot.”
He continued: “Anyone who thinks it’s a minority online is deluded. It’s lived experience.”
Statement Denies the Root of the Problem
And therein lies the root of the problem, it isn’t a minority. The statement claims with reference to last week’s racist banner: “the disdain for those responsible will be shared by the overwhelming majority of our supporters.”
I honestly wish that was true. But the more their fans embarrass themselves, and by association, Scottish football with their continued hatred and intolerance, the harder I find it to convince myself that it’s a minority. Certainly, it’s not a minority who sing about Bobby Sands and “Building Gallows” every time there’s a game at Ibrox.
Whataboutery Kicks In
Of course, even with someone with some kind of savvy writing their press releases, it still seems beyond Rangers to go an entire statement without trying to shift the blame elsewhere.
Referring to UEFA charges for their fans throwing missiles at the Fenerbahce goalkeeper last week, they couldn’t help but get a jab in at Celtic.
The statement went on: Further, the club has also been charged by UEFA for the throwing of objects at the home match with Fenerbahce.
This is becoming a regular occurrence, not just at Rangers matches, but across stadia in Scotland. Indeed, our players and staff were targeted with missiles at Parkhead on Sunday.”
A Quick Reminder
For the avoidance of doubt, I don’t care what team you support or what is happening on the field. If you throw objects at players or other fans, you’re a moron and you have no place at Celtic Park. Indeed, some Celtic fans did throw objects at Rangers players on Sunday.
That is unacceptable under any circumstances.
However, Rangers’ statement completely glossed over the events that led to their players having items thrown at them. First, there was the act of assault committed by Vaclav Cerny. Yes, it is assault, that’s a matter of definition, not opinion. I don’t want to hear, “it was only water.”
If I throw a pint in someone’s face in the pub, or if I run up to some random stranger in the street and throw liquid in their face, that’s an unprovoked attack, an assault, by definition.
Whether or not it causes any lasting physical harm is irrelevant.
At the End of the Day, They’ve Still Learned Nothing
Those who refuse to learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them, the old saying goes.
For all this latest statement is worded in more composed manner, and does admit fault on their part, until Rangers fully acknowledge and confront the bitter, twisted, and racist element in their support, whom seem to overwhelmingly reject modernity, progressiveness or inclusivity, then nothing will change.
Credit Where it is Due
I will close by repeating what I said earlier. Whoever wrote this Rangers statement clearly knows there is a huge problem there. Parts of the statement show contrition and even a little humility. That should be acknowledged and praised.
Likewise, Rangers also deserve praise for their recent attempts at engagement with both the LGBT community and Glasgow’s Muslim population.
However, I cannot believe that they are sincere in these efforts while they continue to do nothing to address the underlying issue: the ingrained bigotry, racism and right-wing extremism that poisons much of their support.
This statement is, in some ways, a start, but they still have a long, long way to go.