Divided Support

[minstral 5,375]

its sad to see because at one time we stood as one without the pc brigade, we were a community a way of life with a strong identity. we watched each others backs, and looked out for our own, we sang our hearts out, and all suffered together when not winning a title for 9 years. i remember when you could walk in with your drink and stand on the terracing, with a flute band belting out the songs behind you. but now rangers are a shell of a institution, discoloured by the pc brigade led by murray and bain, and there is a lot of our fans who would rather surrender that fight instead of sticking together.

[Steely 58]

its sad to see because at one time we stood as one without the pc brigade, we were a community a way of life with a strong identity. we watched each others backs, and looked out for our own, we sang our hearts out, and all suffered together when not winning a title for 9 years. i remember when you could walk in with your drink and stand on the terracing, with a flute band belting out the songs behind you. but now rangers are a shell of a institution, discoloured by the pc brigade led by murray and bain, and there is a lot of our fans who would rather surrender that fight instead of sticking together.

You have to move with the times mate

I don't think it is so much of what fans would rather do than them just accepting that this is the way it's going to be no matter how much we shout about it

[minstral 5,375]

its sad to see because at one time we stood as one without the pc brigade, we were a community a way of life with a strong identity. we watched each others backs, and looked out for our own, we sang our hearts out, and all suffered together when not winning a title for 9 years. i remember when you could walk in with your drink and stand on the terracing, with a flute band belting out the songs behind you. but now rangers are a shell of a institution, discoloured by the pc brigade led by murray and bain, and there is a lot of our fans who would rather surrender that fight instead of sticking together.

You have to move with the times mate

i cant steely its all i know and just cant move forward when i see what is happening to our club.

[BLUEDIGNITY 33,647]

We should have gave up fcuk all Billy Boys etc, etc. Watched a follow up to Edge Of The Union tonight and realised how these rhepublican murderers have prospered by giving up nothing and bombed their way to the ballot box. We really need to stand together and fight back and find leaders with bottle and stop this excuse 'we need to move with the times'. That shower of scum have moved with the times but have taken their traditions with them whilst ours have to be buried and forgotten, not for this Bear I'm up for the battle!

[Steely 58]

its sad to see because at one time we stood as one without the pc brigade, we were a community a way of life with a strong identity. we watched each others backs, and looked out for our own, we sang our hearts out, and all suffered together when not winning a title for 9 years. i remember when you could walk in with your drink and stand on the terracing, with a flute band belting out the songs behind you. but now rangers are a shell of a institution, discoloured by the pc brigade led by murray and bain, and there is a lot of our fans who would rather surrender that fight instead of sticking together.

You have to move with the times mate

i cant steely its all i know and just cant move forward when i see what is happening to our club.

I can accept that mate. I can see how some people can find it hard to move on. It is difficult. Hopefully we al pull through it.

I personally would love to have our old anthems back, but I am accepting that it just wont happen now

[Steely 58]

We should have gave up fcuk all Billy Boys etc, etc. Watched a follow up to Edge Of The Union tonight and realised how these rhepublican murderers have prospered by giving up nothing and bombed their way to the ballot box. We really need to stand together and fight back and find leaders with bottle and stop this excuse 'we need to move with the times'. That shower of scum have moved with the times but have taken their traditions with them whilst ours have to be buried and forgotten, not for this Bear I'm up for the battle!

OK who are you gonna fight BD???

[J_RFC87 761]

There are still some of us younger bears who want to fight on. I've been brought up with the traditions and the history of Rangers and I'm also saddened to see where we are going with Kenny Miller signing, SDM's focus on money, selling players on when they've hit peack value etc.

How I wish I could be in the stands that my dad and grandfather once stood in.

[docspiderman 1,228]

It hurts, Minstral, when we went through the long suffering late sixties and early seventies, the support did not waver, although unlike the last few years we played good football and had good players.

In the dark times of the seventies and early 80,s a lot of the soul left the support during the reconstruction of the stadium and the introduction of too many mediocre players.

In the worst time just before David Holmes and Souness arrived the club had lost its way and a lot of the core support were disillusioned. I cannot describe how I felt watching a team in disarray and without purpose, sick to my stomach and a grown man almost in tears seeing what had become of my team in that period.

In the first couple of years of the Souness era I felt swept aside by the influx of new "supporters" and as we gained success I was forced to for the first time in 20 years of going to games to get a season ticket to guarantee getting to games.

The support changed at that time to what it is today and as time has gone on the club and the attitude of the club has changed even more especially towards the supporters.Token gestures, seemingly generous concessions mask the callous indifference that the management have towards its fans.

It is a different era, a different culture in football, and a different fanbase. More influentially, communication has made criticism easier and more open and disagreements more widely discussed and lack of unity is a natural result.

[J_RFC87 761]

We should have gave up fcuk all Billy Boys etc, etc. Watched a follow up to Edge Of The Union tonight and realised how these rhepublican murderers have prospered by giving up nothing and bombed their way to the ballot box. We really need to stand together and fight back and find leaders with bottle and stop this excuse 'we need to move with the times'. That shower of scum have moved with the times but have taken their traditions with them whilst ours have to be buried and forgotten, not for this Bear I'm up for the battle!

OK who are you gonna fight BD???

It's a metaphor for fighting against the wrongs that should be righted with anythnig regarding Rangers.

[minstral 5,375]

It hurts, Minstral, when we went through the long suffering late sixties and early seventies, the support did not waver, although unlike the last few years we played good football and had good players.

In the dark times of the seventies and early 80,s a lot of the soul left the support during the reconstruction of the stadium and the introduction of too many mediocre players.

In the worst time just before David Holmes and Souness arrived the club had lost its way and a lot of the core support were disillusioned. I cannot describe how I felt watching a team in disarray and without purpose, sick to my stomach and a grown man almost in tears seeing what had become of my team in that period.

In the first couple of years of the Souness era I felt swept aside by the influx of new "supporters" and as we gained success I was forced to for the first time in 20 years of going to games to get a season ticket to guarantee getting to games.

The support changed at that time to what it is today and as time has gone on the club and the attitude of the club has changed even more especially towards the supporters.Token gestures, seemingly generous concessions mask the callous indifference that the management have towards its fans.

It is a different era, a different culture in football, and a different fanbase. More influentially, communication has made criticism easier and more open and disagreements more widely discussed and lack of unity is a natural result.

great post mate.

[Steely 58]

We should have gave up fcuk all Billy Boys etc, etc. Watched a follow up to Edge Of The Union tonight and realised how these rhepublican murderers have prospered by giving up nothing and bombed their way to the ballot box. We really need to stand together and fight back and find leaders with bottle and stop this excuse 'we need to move with the times'. That shower of scum have moved with the times but have taken their traditions with them whilst ours have to be buried and forgotten, not for this Bear I'm up for the battle!

OK who are you gonna fight BD???

It's a metaphor for fighting against the wrongs that should be righted with anythnig regarding Rangers.

I know Jadams. But what can be done about it?? That's what I meant by fight. I didn't mean who is he going to meet in the street for a scrap

[*Manticore* 1,893]

its sad to see because at one time we stood as one without the pc brigade, we were a community a way of life with a strong identity. we watched each others backs, and looked out for our own, we sang our hearts out, and all suffered together when not winning a title for 9 years. i remember when you could walk in with your drink and stand on the terracing, with a flute band belting out the songs behind you. but now rangers are a shell of a institution, discoloured by the pc brigade led by murray and bain, and there is a lot of our fans who would rather surrender that fight instead of sticking together.

You have to move with the times mate

I don't think it is so much of what fans would rather do than them just accepting that this is the way it's going to be no matter how much we shout about it

Moving with the times is one thing.

We must do that.

Problem is 'moving with the times' for our enemies means 'losing our identity/ culture', ie we should be scared of having a Protestant/ Unionist culture.

That's not to say that you either have to be Protestant or Unionist to support Rangers.

We must never, ever become 'The Rangers of Glasgow', the ones in blue.

We are more than a Football Club.

[J_RFC87 761]

It hurts, Minstral, when we went through the long suffering late sixties and early seventies, the support did not waver, although unlike the last few years we played good football and had good players.

In the dark times of the seventies and early 80,s a lot of the soul left the support during the reconstruction of the stadium and the introduction of too many mediocre players.

In the worst time just before David Holmes and Souness arrived the club had lost its way and a lot of the core support were disillusioned. I cannot describe how I felt watching a team in disarray and without purpose, sick to my stomach and a grown man almost in tears seeing what had become of my team in that period.

In the first couple of years of the Souness era I felt swept aside by the influx of new "supporters" and as we gained success I was forced to for the first time in 20 years of going to games to get a season ticket to guarantee getting to games.

The support changed at that time to what it is today and as time has gone on the club and the attitude of the club has changed even more especially towards the supporters.Token gestures, seemingly generous concessions mask the callous indifference that the management have towards its fans.

It is a different era, a different culture in football, and a different fanbase. More influentially, communication has made criticism easier and more open and disagreements more widely discussed and lack of unity is a natural result.

great post

[Thermopylae 15,286]

I think UEFA respected the old Rangers because I'm sure they could have really went for us pre-mojo but didn't ... and their wariness to take us on said it all. I for one feel ashamed at the way the people at the top in our club now just cave in whenever challenged, and meekly accept whatever punishment comes our way

[OlegKuznetsov 10,816]

We should have gave up fcuk all Billy Boys etc, etc. Watched a follow up to Edge Of The Union tonight and realised how these rhepublican murderers have prospered by giving up nothing and bombed their way to the ballot box. We really need to stand together and fight back and find leaders with bottle and stop this excuse 'we need to move with the times'. That shower of scum have moved with the times but have taken their traditions with them whilst ours have to be buried and forgotten, not for this Bear I'm up for the battle!

OK who are you gonna fight BD???

Ghostbusters!

[Steely 58]

its sad to see because at one time we stood as one without the pc brigade, we were a community a way of life with a strong identity. we watched each others backs, and looked out for our own, we sang our hearts out, and all suffered together when not winning a title for 9 years. i remember when you could walk in with your drink and stand on the terracing, with a flute band belting out the songs behind you. but now rangers are a shell of a institution, discoloured by the pc brigade led by murray and bain, and there is a lot of our fans who would rather surrender that fight instead of sticking together.

You have to move with the times mate

I don't think it is so much of what fans would rather do than them just accepting that this is the way it's going to be no matter how much we shout about it

Moving with the times is one thing.

We must do that.

Problem is 'moving with the times' for our enemies means 'losing our identity/ culture', ie we should be scared of having a Protestant/ Unionist culture.

That's not to say that you either have to be Protestant or Unionist to support Rangers.

We must never, ever become 'The Rangers of Glasgow', the ones in blue.

We are more than a Football Club.

I agree mant. I am not picking at the post minstral made. I am simply asking what can be done.

We do have to move with the times. And everyone should do it, not just us.

But there is nothing we can do about it. We carry on singing, we get kicked out ibrox and rangers get fined. We voice our anger and opinion and no one listens. We raise flags and banners and the police take them away. So what can we do??

[*Manticore* 1,893]

It hurts, Minstral, when we went through the long suffering late sixties and early seventies, the support did not waver, although unlike the last few years we played good football and had good players.

In the dark times of the seventies and early 80,s a lot of the soul left the support during the reconstruction of the stadium and the introduction of too many mediocre players.

In the worst time just before David Holmes and Souness arrived the club had lost its way and a lot of the core support were disillusioned. I cannot describe how I felt watching a team in disarray and without purpose, sick to my stomach and a grown man almost in tears seeing what had become of my team in that period.

In the first couple of years of the Souness era I felt swept aside by the influx of new "supporters" and as we gained success I was forced to for the first time in 20 years of going to games to get a season ticket to guarantee getting to games.

The support changed at that time to what it is today and as time has gone on the club and the attitude of the club has changed even more especially towards the supporters.Token gestures, seemingly generous concessions mask the callous indifference that the management have towards its fans.

It is a different era, a different culture in football, and a different fanbase. More influentially, communication has made criticism easier and more open and disagreements more widely discussed and lack of unity is a natural result.

Excellent post doc.

[minstral 5,375]

i can mind in the sixties whe people who could not afford to go to the games waited outside for the gates to open, with 20 minutes to go, then were over the moon to be able to watch the last 20 minutes, and the love for our club was unreal.

[docspiderman 1,228]

i can mind in the sixties whe people who could not afford to go to the games waited outside for the gates to open, with 20 minutes to go, then were over the moon to be able to watch the last 20 minutes, and the love for our club was unreal.

It was always said that the crowd at Love Street doubled in the last 20 minutes. Nowadays at Ibrox you would be trampled underfoot by the subway loyal.

[nvager 498]

We can move with the times. We can take our heritage with us. We just leave out the FTP and the other obviously sectarian chants. We still have many many acceptable songs. We still have a link with Ulster. We still are basically a Protestant support if not totally and should be open to ALL religions.

As for drinking, having seen how many bears could not hold the stuff and all the urine in beer cans and running down terracing steps, I am against it. It led to too much trouble. I have seen idiots throw full cans and bottles of beer from way up the terracing only to injure other bears below. They had no hope of reaching their "target". If you let these "fans" into a seated stadium drunk or on their way to drunkeness, it will cause all sorts of problems.

Rangers fans are very capable of carrying on the traditions of the club, but let's be honest there were some that are better left behind.

[MosesMcNeil 1,664]

its sad to see because at one time we stood as one without the pc brigade, we were a community a way of life with a strong identity. we watched each others backs, and looked out for our own, we sang our hearts out, and all suffered together when not winning a title for 9 years. i remember when you could walk in with your drink and stand on the terracing, with a flute band belting out the songs behind you. but now rangers are a shell of a institution, discoloured by the pc brigade led by murray and bain, and there is a lot of our fans who would rather surrender that fight instead of sticking together.

Sounds like we've followed The Rangers through the same times, same glories and same miseries.

I remember the drink being allowed in the grounds too - and how it let morons throw bottles and cans around when the drink overcame their already limited sensibilities. I used to call it the Eldorado rain. Fighting on the terraces at Ibrox amongst bears was a feature I don't miss - so much for that watching each others backs.

I can't stand flute band music - never could.

I don't see Rangers as a shell of an institution. I see the club as an evolving reflection of it's support. So I'm full of admiration for the guys charged with dragging bigotry out of this 'culture' of the bygone days of yore. The determined path to a more inclusive outlook is something I feel pride in. Something that has to be achieved and certainly something to continue to strive for.

It's little to do with PC and much more about a club evolving. Something The Rangers have always done and always will. Thankfully.

[OlegKuznetsov 10,816]

We can move with the times. We can take our heritage with us. We just leave out the FTP and the other obviously sectarian chants. We still have many many acceptable songs. We still have a link with Ulster. We still are basically a Protestant support if not totally and should be open to ALL religions.

As for drinking, having seen how many bears could not hold the stuff and all the urine in beer cans and running down terracing steps, I am against it. It led to too much trouble. I have seen idiots throw full cans and bottles of beer from way up the terracing only to injure other bears below. They had no hope of reaching their "target". If you let these "fans" into a seated stadium drunk or on their way to drunkeness, it will cause all sorts of problems.

Rangers fans are very capable of carrying on the traditions of the club, but let's be honest there were some that are better left behind.

its sad to see because at one time we stood as one without the pc brigade, we were a community a way of life with a strong identity. we watched each others backs, and looked out for our own, we sang our hearts out, and all suffered together when not winning a title for 9 years. i remember when you could walk in with your drink and stand on the terracing, with a flute band belting out the songs behind you. but now rangers are a shell of a institution, discoloured by the pc brigade led by murray and bain, and there is a lot of our fans who would rather surrender that fight instead of sticking together.

Sounds like we've followed The Rangers through the same times, same glories and same miseries.

I remember the drink being allowed in the grounds too - and how it let morons throw bottles and cans around when the drink overcame their already limited sensibilities. I used to call it the Eldorado rain. Fighting on the terraces at Ibrox amongst bears was a feature I don't miss - so much for that watching each others backs.

I can't stand flute band music - never could.

I don't see Rangers as a shell of an institution. I see the club a san evolving reflection of it's support. So I'm full of admiration for the guys charged with dragging bigotry out of this 'culture' of the bygone days of yore. The determined path to a more inclusive outlook is something I feel pride in. Something that has to be achieved and certainly something to continue to strive for.

It's little to do with PC and much more about a club evolving. Something The Rangers have always done and always will. Thankfully.

Two excellent posts!

[Batman 0]

Life changes, people change, fans change....to expect the Rangers of the 60's to be the same as the Rangers of 2008 is ridiculous. Life moves on...people and cultures evolve and change...sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse...but nothing ever ever lasts forever...that's life i'm afraid!

The Rangers of 2048 will also be a very different one to the Rangers of today..as will Britain, Germany, Europe and life in general. You have to adapt to change even if you don't like those changes as if you don't then you will just get left behind. All you can do is try and influence those changes for the better. If you just sit there stuck in your old ways, thinking about the good old days then you will live and die a very bitter person, stuck in a world where you don't want to belong.

[OlegKuznetsov 10,816]

Life changes, people change, fans change....to expect the Rangers of the 60's to be the same as the Rangers of 2008 is ridiculous. Life moves on...people and cultures evolve and change...sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse...but nothing ever ever lasts forever...that's life i'm afraid!

The Rangers of 2048 will also be a very different one to the Rangers of today..as will Britain, Germany, Europe and life in general. You have to adapt to change even if you don't like those changes as if you don't then you will just get left behind. All you can do is try and influence those changes for the better. If you just sit there stuck in your old ways, thinking about the good old days then you will live and die a very bitter person, stuck in a world where you don't want to belong.

Very well said!

[minstral 5,375]

Life changes, people change, fans change....to expect the Rangers of the 60's to be the same as the Rangers of 2008 is ridiculous. Life moves on...people and cultures evolve and change...sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse...but nothing ever ever lasts forever...that's life i'm afraid!

The Rangers of 2048 will also be a very different one to the Rangers of today..as will Britain, Germany, Europe and life in general. You have to adapt to change even if you don't like those changes as if you don't then you will just get left behind. All you can do is try and influence those changes for the better. If you just sit there stuck in your old ways, thinking about the good old days then you will live and die a very bitter person, stuck in a world where you don't want to belong.

Very well said!

thank god i dont mix with some of you fans that would sell the club and its fans down the river,plus i was not talking about taking drink in nowadays, i was only telling you how it was. i just wish myself and other guy plus the youngers fans who know what we are all about could go back in time just for 1 game to see the good times, plus to get away from some of the imposters among our support who just go for a day out and dont care less about our club.