Post by WestprogPost by allan connochieMore importantly as a Celtic fan I have problems
understanding why the Bears are happy for their team to play so
defensively.
I saw them earlier in the competition and I was surprised at the fluency of
their play. If they'd gone for it maybe it would have ended differently.
I think the knee-jerk "Rangers are bigots" view says a lot more about the
people following it than the team or supporters. Mind you, any football fan
has the right to hate any other football team. I think it's in the Nicene
Creed and the American Constitution.
I think that there is a lot of misunderstanding from people living abroad
too. Undoubtedly there is a sectarian problem from both sides in especially
west central Scotland, but at the same time the idea that everyone at Ibrox
who sings the Sash or everyone at Celtic Park who sings Athenry are bigots
is daft. They are in this context as much football chants as anything else.
Likewise the suggestions that the Rangers fans use of unionist colours is
necessarily a political statement is way off too. They are principally
football colours despite the history. I remember the days when the Scotland
team still used God Save The Queen as the anthem. Rangers fans would wave
the Union Flag and sing GSTQ on the terraces one week when supporting the
club - then the following week they would boo down the anthem prior to a
Scotland international just like everyone else. I remember during the World
Cup in 82 one South African guy arrived in Torremolinos to support Scotland
decked in the Union Flag. He'd always supported Rangers from afar and
thought the same colours would do for supporting Scotland. It was all good
natured leg pulling but he ended up with about 100 guys round him, many of
them Gers fans, singing "spot spot spot spot the lunatic". Basically it has
changed now as England have discovered the Cross of St George again but at
that time the British flag as far as international football goes was
confined to the England fans.
Allan