The Billy Boys (Reprise)

[D'Artagnan 13,319]

It’s probably a good time to check the moral compass. Let’s be honest when a song about Glasgow gang culture from the 30’s is deemed more headline grabbing than chants celebrating an active and proscribed terrorist organisation responsible for the deaths of thousands ‘“ then quite simply you know the game is a bogey. And knowing the game is a bogey is the important benchmark for us as Rangers supporters.

If sectarianism is the Scottish government’s equivalent of a lucrative sex trade then quite simply Graham Spiers is its biggest whore. His lack of integrity was exposed on National Television by my fellow blogger Chris Graham, in a manner which was not only scrumptious but also unequivocal. Well’¦. to the best of my knowledge it was.

So we as Rangers will not be taking morality lessons from the morally bereft Spiers. Is that too ‘complicated’ for you Graham? If not ‘“ then quite simply ‘“ do one, you absolute weasel and charlatan.

If you find yourself continually moved to apologise for what we are and what we believe in and cherish ‘“ then perhaps you ought to seek another club.

I don’t intend to spend time arguing over the linguistic history of the word ‘fenian’ ‘“ suffice to say its inclusion as a sectarian term is an utterly ridiculous notion proposed and championed by people with an utter hatred of our club, unfortunately aided by those who follow our club and are less than careful, lazy even, with their choice of language and its entailment and consequences.

But the loaded dice have been rolled and it’s in such an environment we now operate. Those on message forums who boldly tell you to sing the Billy Boys in its original form ‘“ will they pay your fine if you are arrested? Will they explain to your children why daddy has lost his job or is going to jail?

Time to box clever bears. The words need to be altered so that we can belt out one of our most enigmatic anthems without fear, without compromise and without damage to our beloved club. I’ll leave the revised version to the better qualified songsmiths out there.

A revised and revamped Billy Boys delivers a message to the world – we will adapt and change as circumstances suit, but we will never, ever, go away.

[Ferris Bueller 1,569]

Time for the club to get behind the last sentence being implemented.

[Loyal-Bear 229]

Agree with all of that D'Art very well put once again!

[Big Al 55 9,241]

Change the words, sing the song, let the burden of proving racism or sectarianism fall to the PF.

I never was one for singing the banned words anyway, but it's our anthem and shouldn't be banned for the sake of a couple of words.

[cruixranger 72]

Well said young chap. I doth my cap once again.

[tannerall 25,935]

There is a kind of precedent.

Our beloved National Anthem's second verse with the archaic line "rebellious Scot's to crush" (whilst not altered) is no longer sung.

Whilst this is unfortunate in my opinion in the current political climate, I agree (as is mostly usual ) with D'Art.

Time to move on, upward and onward, there's a big world out there to impress with our football and support and our loyalty, and we don't need outdated social reminders of glasgow's old gangland culture to endorse it.

[BEE 4,880]

Best poster on here ever.

[siddiqi_drinker 14,635]

Good D'art. Football fans seem to be treated apart from the rest of society. Quite a well reasoned article in the New Statesman. Does not relate to Rangers but to all football fans.

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2014/02/everyones-equal-eyes-law-unless-you-are-football-fan

[Guest]

Best poster on here ever.

brown noser

[tannerall 25,935]

Best poster on here ever.

Mine's was the post above yours, Thanks mate.

I think D'Art may have the edge though.

[pcbear 10,913]

ebts , big trophies , I've even heard candle grease.

One must be agreed on then stuck to,what's your thoughts d'art?

[BEE 4,880]

brown noser

/ stealth tarrier

Seriously though D'Art is probably the best at what he does - who hasn't fucked off from here to write his own 'exclusive' blog etc.

Sold him a ticket too so know he's not one of these whoppers that can't socially interact.

[D'Artagnan 13,319]

/ stealth tarrier

Seriously though D'Art is probably the best at what he does - who hasn't fucked off from here to write his own 'exclusive' blog etc.

Sold him a ticket too so know he's not one of these whoppers that can't socially interact.

Gayfield away ?

[NetherburnBear 173]

Best poster on here ever.

Sooooook. ...?

[BridgeIsBlue 66,595]

Big trophies

EBT's

Chips n Cheese

Rebel

C*lt*c

Any others?

[Jonok 1,245]

D'Art at his scathing best. Brilliant!

[TheMotor 2,208]

A very good post D'Art.

The political battle over the sectarian nature of either the word Fenian or of the nature of the original Billy Boys should not be allowed to cloud the motivation behind the original drive to get the song banned and our determination to get it back: their fear of it as the most rousing anthem in football.

There are a ridiculous number of manipulations of the meaning and use of language used to justify that fear but it is the full-throated intensity of a Rangers crowd in full voice that is the primary driver. Get the song back, even if that means going against honestly held principles for many of our fans in this instance.

Separate the battles and I think the team benefits first and foremost. We saw last Monday what it does for both the fans and the players.

[TheBEST-Simples 5]

Hello Hello we are the Rangers boys

Hello hello you'll know us by our noise

We're up to our knees in EBT's

Or so the c##t#c(smellys,mongoes,add your own!) cry

For we are the Glasgow Rangers boys.

[BEE 4,880]

Gayfield away ?

Before the name change!

[smitzer007 198]

I don't care what words are substituted,for me it's the HELLO,HELLO that's the important bit. That's the part that intimidates the fuck out of everyone!

[Blue Avenger 22,567]

It’s probably a good time to check the moral compass. Let’s be honest when a song about Glasgow gang culture from the 30’s is deemed more headline grabbing than chants celebrating an active and proscribed terrorist organisation responsible for the deaths of thousands ‘“ then quite simply you know the game is a bogey. And knowing the game is a bogey is the important benchmark for us as Rangers supporters.

If sectarianism is the Scottish government’s equivalent of a lucrative sex trade then quite simply Graham Spiers is its biggest whore. His lack of integrity was exposed on National Television by my fellow blogger Chris Graham, in a manner which was not only scrumptious but also unequivocal. Well’¦. to the best of my knowledge it was.

So we as Rangers will not be taking morality lessons from the morally bereft Spiers. Is that too ‘complicated’ for you Graham? If not ‘“ then quite simply ‘“ do one, you absolute weasel and charlatan.

If you find yourself continually moved to apologise for what we are and what we believe in and cherish ‘“ then perhaps you ought to seek another club.

I don’t intend to spend time arguing over the linguistic history of the word ‘fenian’ ‘“ suffice to say its inclusion as a sectarian term is an utterly ridiculous notion proposed and championed by people with an utter hatred of our club, unfortunately aided by those who follow our club and are less than careful, lazy even, with their choice of language and its entailment and consequences.

But the loaded dice have been rolled and it’s in such an environment we now operate. Those on message forums who boldly tell you to sing the Billy Boys in its original form ‘“ will they pay your fine if you are arrested? Will they explain to your children why daddy has lost his job or is going to jail?

Time to box clever bears. The words need to be altered so that we can belt out one of our most enigmatic anthems without fear, without compromise and without damage to our beloved club. I’ll leave the revised version to the better qualified songsmiths out there.

A revised and revamped Billy Boys delivers a message to the world – we will adapt and change as circumstances suit, but we will never, ever, go away.

I get what you are saying but no apologies, because in bowing to their bigotry and hatred is wrong in principle. A thin edge of the wedge as we have been witnessing over the years. Haven't came across one article in the mhedia where one of our support has actually plead not guilty, if indeed it was for the use of the word fenian.

I will continue to use it and if arrested for using it I will plead Not Guilty and go all the way and I won't lose my job through it either.

I would happily financially back any fan who pleads not guilty to this injustice as we all should.

Just a shame consecutive boards are filled with appeasers, more interested in feeding from the trough than protecting the people who provide them with most of the cash for the privilege.

Laws are there to be challenge and this particular one is a total ass contrived by assholes!.

[ForeverAndEver 71,364]

Hello Hello we are the Rangers boys

Hello hello you'll know us by our noise

We're up to our knees in EBT's

Or so the c##t#c(smellys,mongoes,add your own!) cry

For we are the Glasgow Rangers boys.

[GOAT 30,449]

There is a kind of precedent.

Our beloved National Anthem's second verse with the archaic line "rebellious Scot's to crush" (whilst not altered) is no longer sung.

Whilst this is unfortunate in my opinion in the current political climate, I agree (as is mostly usual ) with D'Art.

Time to move on, upward and onward, there's a big world out there to impress with our football and support and our loyalty, and we don't need outdated social reminders of glasgow's old gangland culture to endorse it.

That verse has never been part of our national anthem. Even if it was, who cares Jacobites were the past terrorists.

[sonofbear 398]

The solution really is quite simple and it should IMO be led by the current custodians of our club. Instead of putting out weak arse covering statements about assisting police enquiries, they should show some leadership and turn this whole issue on its head once and for all by advising the use of a sanitised version that absolutely no one can have any possible issue with. Something like this would do me fine - it's all about us and that's the way it should be,

Hello, Hello we are the Rangers boys,

Hello, Hello you'll know us by our noise,

We'll sing The Sash and Derry's Walls,

Surrender or you'll die,

For we are the Glasgow Rangers boys.

​

[Dunny_01 2,007]

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