Vanguard Bears - just who are they?

[charlotte1008 211]

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

[OLE SUPER WILBERT 2,475]

This thread should be fun

[govanblue 16,847]

TWB's online - I'm sure he'll be along in a minute

oh and also - OP, do you really think we're gonna read all that? You could at least have put a few line breaks in?

[minstral 5,375]

Fantastic post, and as you say, fans willing to defend our Traditions and Culture, and who are willing to take on all the haters of our club, and fight back against them.

[gogzy 31,195]

10 more pages of bears fighting with eachother is about to commence

Kidding aside, i'll have a better read of the article a little later, skimmed over it and it seems decent, seperating some of those paragraphs might make it a bit easier to read charlotte

[PRW. 5,631]

This thread should be fun

It shouldn't.

Great aricle.

[El Carpintero 546]

Lock it, quick. Lock it.

[mongolikecandy 418]

Superb stuff VB

[Blue and True 311]

Well Im a fan of the VB

More power to them

[Bertent 2,081]

So they are not security for commercial vehicles then.

[govanblue 16,847]

So they are not security for commercial vehicles then.

Are you an ursine canvas dwelling?

[simon 1,743]

Bit long winded, but I get the point. VB good, others bad. I'm not going to move it, but I do think it's a bit too political for the Bears Den, which should be for the football side of things only.

Anyway, point taken.

[smartypants 4,432]

Think of The A-Team only set in central scotland.

[cstamomusa 3,809]

That's good Charlotte.

[rumours-bar-watp 8]

46 thousand pounds is fantastic. Well done to all involved. Mentioning dingwall with phil tho? I mean come onto fuck. Mark may be alot of things but thats a low blow.

[govanblue 16,847]

46 thousand pounds is fantastic. Well done to all involved. Mentioning dingwall with phil tho? I mean come onto fuck. Mark may be alot of things but thats a low blow.

Careful - stick up for Dingwall and you'll have Edmiston Drive in here as well - that'll really set the heather alight!

[Chef 436]

Think of The A-Team only set in central scotland.

is this where they formed, based etc?

[CanadaGers 52]

Good article and well done Vanguard Bears.

[WVB 2,560]

Bit long winded, but I get the point. VB good, others bad. I'm not going to move it, but I do think it's a bit too political for the Bears Den, which should be for the football side of things only.

Anyway, point taken.

You quite clearly don't get the point, judging by your snidey condescending reply.

[Bertent 2,081]

Are you an ursine canvas dwelling?

No a spelling mistake, but I like your explanation better.

[BLUEDIGNITY 33,647]

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.vanguardb...st-who-are-they

Right travellin dangleberry whit hiv ye goat tae say tae this ya tadge !

[smartypants 4,432]

is this where they formed, based etc?

"Ten years ago, in 2002, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they did not commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the East Kilbride underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortunes. If you had a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire ... The VB"

[cstamomusa 3,809]

Right travellin dangleberry whit hiv ye goat tae say tae this ya tadge !

Sounds a bit like entrapment BD!

[Getstiffed 8,863]

In-fighting is replacing "dignified silence" as the number one reason we are taking a pounding.

[gogzy 31,195]

decent bio.

The work you do against people who attack us is great, and the dirt you guys dig up on the darkside too.

I don't really get involved much in the political and religous side of things