Steve Clarke say we didn't sign Catholics until after 1984

[j1mgg 3,766]

For a man that has already been caught out tellings fibs, can anyone trust what he says with regards to our club, and suprise, suprise, he was never actually offered the job, but everyone will just remember his crap from the other day.

 

RELIGION was the reason why Steve Clarke didn’t join Graeme Souness’ 1980s Ibrox revolution.

Tracked by Rangers, then St Mirren full-back Clarke was advised his Catholic background made the proposed switch a non-starter.

A few years on, Souness signed ex-Celt Mo Johnston and broke down barriers in the process.

Fast forward to 2019, and Clarke thought the dark days of sectarianism in Scottish football were long gone.

But events at Ibrox and Rugby Park in the last week showed the Killie boss that bigotry sadly still remains.

Clarke said: “In society in Scotland there have been advances. I was brought up in an age where the first part of any conversation was: ‘What school did you go to, son?’ Hopefully we’re past that.

“When I was a player going back to 1984 or 1985 Rangers didn’t sign Catholic players. When I was at St Mirren there was an enquiry when Graeme Souness took over about me going to Rangers.

“I remember at the time the manager Alex Smith said: ‘No, you couldn’t do that son.’ It wasn’t because there was any racism or sectarianism from Alex, he was just protecting me as a person.

“Not long afterwards Mo Johnston went there as the first headline Catholic to sign for Rangers.

“So there’s been massive advances. Now they do sign Catholic players. It’s not an issue.

“When Rangers approached me to ask if I would be interested in the job last year, they assured me as a club it was no longer an issue.

“One of the issues we discussed was me being from the west coast.

“I sensed that would be one of the issues and Rangers assured me that they as a club had addressed it, were trying to address it, and it wasn’t an issue any more.

“But you will see what’s happened to myself the other night, what happened to Kris Boyd in last Sunday’s celtic game — it’s still an issue.

“The other night showed to me that: ‘Yeah, there is still something there.’

“There is still that undercurrent that unfortunately blights the west coast of Scotland, or the country as a whole . . . I don’t know.”

Clarke insists religion or sectarianism WASN’T the reason he didn’t become Rangers boss before Steven Gerrard, after being linked with the job last summer.

He was also at pains to stress he was never actually offered the Ibrox job.

Clarke added: “No, it wasn’t a factor. We never got close to anything.

“I came back here and I said very quickly and clearly it’s not my intention to leave Kilmarnock for any other Scottish club. At the time, the speculation was going on and on.

“The story was just going to build and build. I chose to tell some small lies to make the story go away because I didn’t need it, and Kilmarnock didn’t need it.

“The only way I could think to achieve that was to say there was nothing in it, and that was the end of the story.

“Sorry, but sometimes we just have to tell little lies to make life a bit easier.

“I felt a little bit frustrated for Steven Gerrard when he was asked about me being offered the job before him.

“That’s a load of nonsense. I wasn’t offered the job. Steven Gerrard must sit in his office and think: ‘Oh jeez, not Steve Clarke again’!”

Clarke’s work at Killie hasn’t gone unnoticed and he would be in the running for the celtic job, should boss Brendan Rodgers leave any time soon.

But Clarke insists events of the last week haven’t changed his career plans, as he expects to go back to England when he moves on.

Clarke said: “I came back to Scotland to work for Kilmarnock.

“I will continue to do that. The club have been good for me.

“What happened this week is hopefully one isolated incident that will now lead to better things in the future.

“In terms of football it’s just carry on with the job and try and get back to winning ways. I came up here for a reason. Those are my reasons and will stay my reasons.

“But at some stage I will go back to my family in England.”

Clarke has had no direct contact with Rangers since the abuse he suffered on Wednesday night, but appreciates the condemnation from Gerrard and the club.

He added: “I’ve not spoken to Rangers directly, but there have been people in touch with the club. I’m grateful for the response from Rangers, and all the other people who have spoken out in support.

“I got a lot of messages from Scotland and England, and one from the Far East.

“My friends who are Rangers fans have been phoning and texting to apologise.

“I said: ‘Come on guys . . . you are my friends, you don’t have to say sorry.’

“I have had wide-ranging support and it’s been fantastic, but it’s just disappointing the issue rears its head. I’ve had a fantastic reaction to what I said after the game at Ibrox.

“I’ve had great support from everybody, a lot of good people, a lot of good messages, and all very supportive.

“There has been a good message from Rangers, a good message from the SFA, a good message from the Scottish Government, so everybody is speaking well.”

[tam57 698]

Who advised clarke? Would it be someone with an anti Rangers agenda?

[beararse 6,374]

Maybe someone should point out to Clark and the media that Rangers signed Catholics well before Mo Johnston.

Here's a wee list of them....

Pat Lafferty (1886), Tom Dunbar (1891–1892), J Tutty (1899–1900), Archie Kyle (1904–1908), Willie Kivlichan (1906–1907), Colin Mainds (1906–1907), Tom Murray (1907–1908), William Brown (1912), Joe Donnachie (circa.1914–1918) and John Jackson (1917). Thereafter, Catholic players prior to Mo Johnston's signing include: Laurie Blyth (1951–1952), Don Kitchenbrand (1955–1956), Hugh O'Neill (1976), John Spencer (1985–1992)

[LiverpoolBlue 1,395]

You’d think he’d been shot by the way the twat is carrying on 

And as for returning to England to work!  As what?  CertInly not a top flight manager 

[Scottywellhousetb 50,466]

It's unbelievable how we have been once again highlighted as being the big bad bigots who shame all of Scotland with our dark ages beliefs and songs etc, barely a mention of the shite that comes out of the  east end or the many problems that comes from most of the club's across the country, I was trying to not get too caught up in the conspiracy and everybody's against us stuff but it's impossible now, we truly are hated and alone in this fucking arsehole of a country, I'm getting angrier by the day tbh, it's very hard not to, time for the club to stop pissing about trying to not upset anybody and come out with a decent statement that is strong and to the point, we are the majority and are currently being bitch slapped all over the shop, it's fucking shocking what we allow them to get away with. 

[G.E.C. 18,756]

He’s a sad bastard.

[rfc_watp 1,503]

We know what you are, we know what you are....Steve Clarke we know what you are!

Get this sung at him anytime we play them from now on the greeting faced, shitebag bastard.

Couldn't take his team getting gubbed 5-0 so resorts to the victim mentality and the SMSM more than happy to come comply and blow this whole thing out of proportion. Almost as if they didn't want to write about Morelos scoring 4 goals. Wouldn't hear the end of it if it was a tarrier striker.

[rbt1548 1,839]

Another obsessed with The Rangers?, he seems to know that much about our club that he knows the religion of every player signed by us over the years.

He states, "So there’s been massive advances. Now they do sign Catholic players. It’s not an issue."  Steve, just to inform you, we always have done , so it's "never" been an issue, do you think the religion of every player signed is, or should be, automatically released to the wider world?, if so why?

In listening to him and reading his various statements  over the past wee while, he then later contradicts himself or spins it to imply he may not have meant what he first stated. 

Steve, put your shovel down, the hole you are digging is getting deeper and there is only one person going to fall into it! 

 

 

 

[sRcFoCt 7,661]

Steve going full throttle next he'll being saying the refs all go to the lodge on Thursday's to conspire against Catholic managers and players.

Don't think the bookies need to put up the odds of him taking over at the when the tranny shagger leaves.

[Leeds_Bear 8,110]

What a fucking bell end. 

[Escobar 13,676]

He’s losing the fucking plot. We better abuse him absolute stinking on March 16th.

[Escobar 13,676]

Or at least tell him to cheer up.

[Essandoh 21,207]

Nobody phoned you to apologise ya cretin

 

[theblueoysterbar 19,592]

Why the fuck is the manager of Kilmarnock getting all this attention?

Absolute no-mark.

[Bears r us 30,791]

40 minutes ago, Scottywellhousetb said:

It's unbelievable how we have been once again highlighted as being the big bad bigots who shame all of Scotland with our dark ages beliefs and songs etc, barely a mention of the shite that comes out of the  east end or the many problems that comes from most of the club's across the country, I was trying to not get too caught up in the conspiracy and everybody's against us stuff but it's impossible now, we truly are hated and alone in this fucking arsehole of a country, I'm getting angrier by the day tbh, it's very hard not to, time for the club to stop pissing about trying to not upset anybody and come out with a decent statement that is strong and to the point, we are the majority and are currently being bitch slapped all over the shop, it's fucking shocking what we allow them to get away with. 

It has taken us all different lengths of time to get to the point where we can no longer laugh it off Scotty it is now gone too far and you start to wonder where it will end.

Considering our board do not seem to be taking people on. If we had some decent PR this nonsense about not signing Catholics would be confronted and put right. 

[BlearyEyedBear 4,148]

The ramblings of a man whose team have slipped to fourth place in the league and been papped out the cup.

Plays the sectarian card to deflect attention away from his team’s recent results. (No wins in their last six games)

[HuistraHairDo 12,490]

Self confessed LYING bead rattling grass.

his comments are desperate he knows fine we’ll what he was doing post match to deflect the horsing his team received. It’s now blew up so much he is like a spider trapped in a bath scrambling to get out the mess he has created.

I hope we sing the same song and change fenian to lying. Sad wee lying cunt.

[Bears r us 30,791]

Surely people in the media must know what he has said about signing Catholics is wrong, are they so controlled that they are banned from pointing that out?? 

[GWR1979 1,964]

Steve Clarke is a bitter no mark and has taken this too far but has told so many lies he doesn't know when to stop.

The media giving him this platform and not questioning his lies.

He has now positioned himself for the tarrier job, victim status achieved.

[Sparkle 53,557]

Can’t believe he’s still going on about this. Talk about milking it. Just shut up and f*ck off back to England if it’s too tough for you , greetin faced muppet. 

[pcbear 10,913]

Tell me lies tell me Steve little lies.

[plumbGER 24,518]

Clarke's a raging alky mess, I have been genuinely flabbergasted at the reaction from a meekly sang song.

[heathen fish boy 8,579]

To sum up his pish in four words

 

Gary Stevens was better

[thehost 11,061]

Steve Clarke appears to be a fine specimen of a West of Scotland bigot.

[HuistraHairDo 12,490]

We didn’t sign catholic’s but we made an approach for you Stevie? a catholic.

 

first of the melt downs, who had Clarke in the sweepstakes?

Rangers please please please win every game we have left and watch Scotland fold in on its self and hate itself to death.