Similar to many Scottish based Bears, in the last number of years I’ve found myself disillusioned by events in Scotland pertaining to my beloved football club, how it was perceived and how it was such an easy target for its enemies. After reading a few articles on-line from Vanguard Bears I decided to apply to their web based forum at http://www.vanguardbears.co.uk/ to join them in the hope of redressing the balance. The 20th of October 2012 was a defining day for the group of Rangers fans known as the Vanguard Bears, and I’ve penned this article because I believe the work that VB do should be available for the wider support to view. It brought the group into the public eye for many supporters of our club, and many within the media pack for the very first time. On a day when Rangers football club set a new world record of 49,486 for an attendance in a fourth tier football match, many Vanguard Bears were in the crowd. Many thousands of people would have opened their match day programme and seen that the young Rangers first team player Robbie Crawford has been sponsored by the Vanguard Bears for the season. At half time a highly respected and prominent member of Vanguard Bears and member of the supporters group RTID NI presented two cheques with a combined total of £46,050 to our club. This amazing donation was raised by Rangers fans in Northern Ireland to support our club in its time of need. Half time also saw the unveiling of a new banner, from the Vanguard Bears. The flag was a reward to the group, by the group, for all the hard work done by members past and present. It’s size, its message and its beauty drew many remarks from supporters who were quite rightly impressed by this fantastic banner, created by and for a supporters group who many of them had never heard of. Many supporters, so impressed by this banner, asked the people around them who the Vanguard Bears were. So who exactly are the Vanguard Bears? If you would believe the ramblings of the mentally-ill wannabe Irish, but definitely Scottish, blogger Phil - The Failed Journalist, we, as Rangers supporters are an underclass, a Klan, bigots and hooligans. Rich indeed, when you consider that those words have been written by a discredited journalist who has been described by the mainstream media as being “tarred with the sectarian brush”. - The Failed Journalist isn’t the only one to have expressed an opinion on the group though; an on-line forum "FollowFollow.com" run by someone who purports to be a Rangers supporter, Mark Dingwall, but which allows supporters of not just Rangers, but of Celtic and other Scottish clubs to post, has used his forum to launch attack after attack upon the Vanguard Bears. He describes members of the group as bullies, hooligans, terrorist sympathisers, bigots and self proclaimed Uber-fans. He has put in place a filter which will not even allow the name of the group to be published within his forum (example below).
Aided and abetted by his small group of moderators, they censure posts and remove all reference to the group. On his forum, Vanguard Bears are a group not to be spoken of, and his reasons for this? The Vanguard Bears dared to challenge him when he proclaimed himself as the voice of the Rangers Supporters. They highlighted his rather shady financial dealings in the past, and questioned whether he was a fit and proper person to be entrusted with funds raised by loyal Rangers supporters during our clubs darkest hour. This was particularly relevant due to the very nature of Rangers off field problems, and the much highlighted issues surrounding our last owner in this regard. So, if you would believe the mentally ill, sectarian pseudo-Irish blogger, or the self proclaimed voice of the Rangers support, you could be forgiven for thinking that the Vanguard Bears are some sort of extremist group. You would be very wrong. Vanguard Bears are not terrorist sympathisers, bigots, self-seeking publicity junkies, hooligans or bullies. They are not some kind of Klan, nor do they consider themselves some kind of Uber-fans group. Vanguard Bears, are a group whose members come from all walks of life. Its membership includes professional people and also includes some of the most talented bloggers and writers in the United Kingdom. They are predominantly members of the Protestant Unionist Loyalist community, and as their banner proudly proclaims their primary aim is to “Defend our Traditions”. Being a Vanguard Bear carries with it a great deal of responsibility. Vanguard Bears defend our traditions, defend our football club, and defend our way of life. They are armed with a formidable weapon, a weapon which those who would kill our club, our traditions and our way of life truly fear above anything else. The Truth! While our enemies rely on unsubstantiated propaganda and biased media reporting from their carefully orchestrated sympathisers within the media, the truth is far mightier. To them, the truth truly hurts. When they call for trophy stripping and accuse our club of committing the greatest sporting scandal in Scottish football history, we remind them that there can be no greater sporting scandal in any countries history than that which saw a club in Scotland deliberately conceal child abuse. We live in a time where being proud to be a Protestant is almost considered a crime, and to openly proclaim it, may see you cautioned by the police. In Northern Ireland, many politicians sold out the members of the PUL community in their rush for power within the Assembly. Protestants have become more and more marginalised, the Orange Order have been under almost constant attack by the Parades Commission and IRA supporters and former members, who have gained positions within the corridors of power. The vast sums of money raised by the Orange Order and the flute bands, and the positive impact the bands and Orange Orders have within the communities is ignored. A propaganda war is being waged by the media and pro IRA groups, against the PUL and the Loyal Orders. At the same time, Republican groups are able to incite violence, promote terrorist groups and openly display firearms in public. Biased media censorship ensures that the Republican groups attract no negative publicity. Vanguard Bears made a stand where others would not. Members of the group highlighted the disparity between how the Orange Orders, flute bands and the PUL community in Northern Ireland were being treated in comparison to the Republican element within the community. Those members compiled a detailed portfolio of hard evidence which supported this and published it. I suspect many people out-with the group were unaware that it was Vanguard Bears who led the way. In Scotland, the PUL have been under constant attack for a number of years. The Scottish Assembly is run by a party determined to bring about a break up of the Union. It has sought and been granted a referendum vote, to decide on the fate of the Union, and it will use any means at its disposal to try to ensure they get the decision they are desperate for. The ruling Scottish Nationalist Party, assisted by a concentrated and biased media campaign, were able to push through their parliament; sectarian laws which were not only unnecessary, but cleverly designed to suppress and isolate the PUL community in Scotland. Vanguard Bears have actively highlighted the disparities in the way the law is being applied within Scotland, they have challenged the powers that be, and provided hard evidence to support their claims. Again I suspect that few out-with the group itself, actually realise that it was Vanguard Bears who were at the forefront in exposing this. Although Vanguard Bears are primarily a Rangers supporters group; supporters of the biggest and best supported club in Scotland, a club who have won more domestic championship titles than any other club in the world, as you have read, they are more, much more. Despite all that our club has endured in recent times, Vanguard Bears have supported the new owners, the management team, the playing squad, and the many support staff at the club, ranging from the people in the ticket office to the people who serve the food on match days. They have bought the plot and headstone of Rangers founder William McBeath, who rests in peace in Lincoln. The Vanguard Bears have donated money to the club, they have supported their fellow Rangers fans by donating money to allow them to attend games, they have challenged biased media reporting against the club, they have challenged heavy handed policing of our supporters on numerous occasions this season, they have taken the fight to those who would destroy our famous club. They have protested against the biased BBC, and will no doubt do so again as the attacks on our cub continue. They have promoted unity amongst a sometimes divided support, and have demanded answers from those who put the very existence of our club into doubt. Of course; if you are a Vanguard Bear, you already know this. If you are not, then I suspect you were unaware of exactly how much this supporters group has done for our club and the PUL community in Northern Ireland and Scotland. Vanguard Bears do not openly seek any recognition, nor do they class themselves as better than any other supporters group. They would much rather work away, for the benefit of our club, our traditions and our way of life behind the scenes. It is only those who know nothing about the group who denigrate and attack it. Vanguard Bears, Defending our Traditions? Most definitely! Hated but Rated? Hated by those who know nothing about us, but rated by all! The Ref A Proud Vanguard Bear http://www.vanguardbears.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=298:vanguard-bears-just-who-are-they
He is one lucky lucky man - he's only still with the team because of all the shit we've been through - ordinarily he would have been shipped out this season. He's very good at kissing the badge and tapping his temple in a 'I'm-the-wise-head-on-old-shoulders' way though
Ally can only take so much of the blame as he can only do so much - those players need to embrace the responsibility that comes with playing for one of the worlds great clubs. That said, I would be really keen to see our supporters become more positive and push the team onto better things. The situation is that we are stuck with these players (some who are kids) for at least a couple of years so lets accept that we're finding the adjustment to lower league football difficult, that we have a lot of new players who aren't used to this type of football and above all that we are facing a situation that no manager or group of players has had to deal with. Ever. And let's get behind the team, good results or bad - its still so early in the season Bears, we will get better and we will win this league and that's all that matters for now. Isn't it?
gogzy, on 10 September 2012 - 12:16 PM, said: wow. Huge post of fail. Calling people mungo and spastic is very dated. You're an angry wee man aren't you? :lol: :lol:
And this: I'm trying to look at this calmly so you could well be right. It just makes Rangers transfer ban from 'after the window' a complete joke. Even from the 3rd division they can dismantle the rest of Scottish football. I think i might take up golf again.
And this: I'm trying to look at this calmly so you could well be right. It just makes Rangers transfer ban from 'after the window' a complete joke. Even from the 3rd division they can dismantle the rest of Scottish football. I think i might take up golf again.
36th Ulster Division my fellow ulster men charged threw bullets and threw bombs . with there brothers and friends dying beside them . they kept charging with our red hand flying high for the freedom of every citizen in the UK. they done the single most bravest act ever seen in ww1 or 2. im proud that they where my country men. and i still get goose bumps thinking about the sacrifice those men made. every single house in ulster was affected by how many men where lost...... but at the same time we hold our head high and say the ulster men never surrenderd. and btw englishmen welshmen and scots had to go to war...... ulstermen didnt have to those men volunteered to fight in that war for the crown and for ulster. keep singing the songs about the old UVF bears. and always be proud singing about those men. HOW DARE ANYONE TELL ME TO BE ASHAMED FOR SINGING ABOUT THE BRAVE ULSTERMEN. no surrender old ulsters battle cry . :ulster: :ulster: :ulster: :ulster: :ulster:
The fact is the majority of Rangers supporters find the so called loyalist support embarrassing!!! Some of the songs you sing are cringe worthy! More Rangers supporters are required to be critical of you and what you stand for! Personally I couldn’t care less what you think of me or the majority of others who share my views as I have no respect for you!
Good post and a true post. Apart from a few on here agreeing with you ....all you'll see here are wee boys with little or no thought for the club and our reputation and all you'll get is slagged off big time with them calling you a taig etc.... me too now that I've backed you....sad times within our Own fan base. We COULD be beltin out the billy boys every-week sung with the proper Rangers wording but 'they'll' tell you it's not on ...given that the even More thick among the supporters cannot even think straight and chant without using the outlawed wording sad indeed.
I have never posted before, but felt i had to after the first couple of away games this season. I cant get my head round why some fans are still singing about the UVF at Gers games. Dont get me wrong, most fans, including myself have sung these types of songs in the past but there is no place for them anymore. This is the start of a new adventure for all Gers fans and we should take this opportunity to rid ourselves of certain songs that do us no favours and have nothing to do with Rangers in the 21st Century. Quite simply, dont complain about what the media and certain journalists write about Rangers fans when some fans refuse to let go the stuff that is now simply irrelevant and you know they will pick up on. We should be reading about the amazing suppport given to a team in the fourth tier of scottish football and fans who do themselves proud in the way they support their team and not about a small group who refuse to let go of the past.
I find it amazing how many people on here want to stop Rangers fans singing songs on the basis we are being sectarian. We are THE most policed club on this very subject, yet that doesn’t seem to be enough for some people. It amazes me how these same people would dare say anything to anyone face to face at the game, but love to do their criticising from behind a key board. I really worry for the fans going forward, we are already experiencing a lack of atmosphere due to fans not knowing what to sing. Our clubs history is steeped in links to all sorts of protestant organisations, links to these exist in various forms throughout our fan base and are reflected in our club colours, the songs we sing and the organisations where they come from. Some may wish to change this and to a greater extent the club has indeed cleaned up its image and yet remains to be the most policed club. To my mind this reflects the bias shown against this club and the reason our fan base has rallied behind the club once more.
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