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oldbear

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    Rangers 3/1 to win the league

    in Jimmy Bell's Kitroom

    Posted

    18 hours ago, montana100 said:

    I won't touch it, as I don't want to jinks us. Don't believe the scum are 1/4 better than us. Thought they might have came in at 1/2 or 2/5 most 1/3 but happy with 1/4 for the over rated scum, no value there, delighted to see scum fans not make money.

    Unless they put  a wager on the team they obsess over   ;)

    Rangers and Scotland: How they turned our own nation against us

    in Jimmy Bell's Kitroom

    Posted

    4 hours ago, StaunchLondonGer said:

    [Apologies for the length of this. If you can indulge me, I'm new to the forum, had a wee drink in the sun today and wanted to say this.]

    During the whole independence debacle a couple of years ago, I was quite surprised by the number of Bears favouring a “yes” vote. Whilst it was by far the minority of our support, it appeared to be a more significant minority than I for one had anticipated. And, of course, Glasgow itself voted yes.

    Personally, I was brought up by a working class Glaswegian mother (south side) to be proudly Scottish but always in the wider context of being British. Respect for our monarchy was de rigueur and the SNP were – on the rare occasions they were even noticed – dismissed as extremist loonies.

    Without dissecting all the socio-political reasons for the huge rise in support for the SNP and the concept of full Scottish independence (which is a behemoth of a topic in itself), what I find interesting is how this rise has gone hand-in-hand with a growing movement (stealth-like, menacing) across large swathes of the Scottish media and local government infrastructure to marginalise and vilify Rangers FC and its fans. Whether it has been loosely co-ordinated by “like-minded” individuals or whether it has grown momentum organically under its own steam hardly matters. The fact is that it has happened, and is still happening.

    Worryingly, it would not be an exaggeration to say that this movement has achieved noticeable success in influencing the public consciousness and therefore in determining how Rangers FC is viewed by the Scottish people (or rather, Scots who aren’t Bears or Bearettes).

    But let’s rewind for a moment…

    As we all know, Rangers FC was once regarded by all as a great institution, an embodiment of much of what was admirable about Scotland. For decades we were seen as a fantastic advertisement to Europe (and beyond) of Scotland’s passion, skill, commitment and sportsmanship. That was the era of greats like Waddell, Caldow, Millar, Wilson, Brand, Shearer, Baxter, Henderson….and into the 70’s with Greig, Jackson, Jardine, Stein et al). We consistently competed at the highest level in Europe and gave exhibitions around the world with tens of thousands of fans in tow at a time when many of today’s “massive” clubs were barely out of their nappies. We were at the heart of a great Establishment. [My mum told me about her dad taking her to Ibrox after the war for the annual Police Sports Day when she was a lassie – and some of the Polis sang Rule Britannia no less.]

    [Obviously these days, with the Sky money in the EPL etc, we are at a massive financial disadvantage in comparison to other big clubs, and so our star is much more hard-pressed to shine on the European stage. But let’s forget about that for the moment as it really isn’t the salient point here.]

    What I want to address is how, within only maybe three decades, the pendulum has swung so dramatically against us in terms of public perception.

    The Establishment that Rangers embodied - the strong, proud values of honest hard work, decency, courage and discipline (as typified by the words of Bill Struth) - has been infiltrated and is no longer the same animal. The new Establishment doesn’t like Rangers much. In fact, it actively dislikes us.

    It tries to depict us at every turn as thuggish, arrogant, disrespectful and filled with sectarian prejudice. And not only has it shaped opinion in Scotland; there are plenty of willingly gullible mouthpieces further afield to take up its twisted cause (Stan Collymore springs to mind as do the journalists of certain “left-of-centre” broadsheets and even the FIFA/UEFA officials so receptive to the mass bleatings of the “strangers to soap” every time TBB gets an airing in Europe).

    Of course, we’ve come to expect no less. After all, “No one likes us, we don’t care” Right???   Well, whilst I’m happy to subscribe to that battle-cry on match days, I actually think that by adopting that attitude we are helping to marginalise ourselves and play into their hands. We have to be smart.

    We are Rangers. RANGERS! The pride o’ the toon. Scotland’s finest. And WE should NOT be the ones feeling confused about our identity. We are not the ones waving another country’s flag and hankering after some vague nostalgic concept of the brave deeds of a terrorist organisation.

    We have always KNOWN who we are.

    Our forefathers BUILT the modern infrastructure of Scotland: on the docks of the Clyde and in the factories of the Industrial Revolution. They established the values of equality and freedom for all and PROTECTED those values by taking arms against Nazi tyranny. Let us not forget that whilst many a brave Scottish soldier fell in battle against The Third Reich, there were many Scottish residents singing support for the Nazis at a certain football ground in the East End. And the honourable Prime Minister of the country whose flags they so vigorously like to wave was one of the first to sign the book of condolence upon Hitler’s death (at a time when the atrocities of the Holocaust were all over the papers).    

    And yet history is being rewritten.

    We are the ones who are being vilified as “Scotland’s Shame” or whatever other vile tag they choose to favour. We are under attack from the incessant machinations of the “like-minded” men of this sinister, bitter movement that we all know exists. The movement that walks hand-in-hand with the SNP.

    Four years ago the new Establishment did everything in its power to see us exterminated. The SFA, the SNP, most of the media and many with influence beyond….all have shown that they either actively WANT or are happy to turn a blind eye to the destruction of Rangers.

    The fact it didn’t happen is down to one thing and one thing only: the Rangers fanbase. We, the people, stood up to be counted and filled Ibrox when the Piggery was half empty. Other than Arsenal and Man Utd (whose grounds are, take it from me, a third full of fair-weather or corporate 'soccer' types) no one in the UK could surpass our attendance.

    It’s easy to take the chant “We Are The People” for granted due to its familiarity. But we must never forget: We ARE the people. We are the people who built Scotland. We built a successful democracy, free national healthcare for all. We gladly – through basic decency and Christian values – provided a new home and new hope to many a desperate immigrant (as we still do today).

    We are under attack from an enemy who has considerable influence and occupies a position of power where it’s easy to claim the moral high-ground. There is no one to protect us, so we must protect ourselves. We must pull rank and unite behind our core traditional values as Rangers FC. We must REFUSE to allow them to recast us as a prejudiced and thuggish minority. We are not the ones demanding a faith-orientated educational structure that by its very existence creates division.

    Our board under Dave King has shown its backbone following the unforgiveable scenes at Hampden the other week. Hopefully it is a sign that the era of Rangers FC apologising for its very existence is dead and buried. We are passionate people. Passionate about football and passionate about our values. We are also good people. We welcome EVERYONE. We need to remind the rest of Scotland what made us great. We need to play to our considerable strengths, stand firm against our detractors and reclaim our rightful position as a great Scottish institution.

    I am not political in any way. Yet in my view (and naturally I respect everyone’s right to a different opinion) I honestly cannot see how any true Rangers fan can support the SNP, given that it is an organisation that has now proven itself beyond any doubt to be fundamentally infused with an unspoken yet powerful anti-Rangers doctrine to which the majority of its members and supporters gladly subscribe.

    [Incidentally, I reside in the South East corner of England where I am happy to report that, banter aside, there is much warmth and well-wishing towards our club from many quarters.]

    That was an excellent read.

    **Assaults on our players - evidence thread**

    in Jimmy Bell's Kitroom

    Posted

    2 hours ago, Fabric said:

    Vote snp?? Aye that's right vote them and watch that very party slaughter us. Don't think so I actually hate snp its policies and especially the cunts that vote for them. IMHO if u vote snpish then no way are u a true rangers supporter. Only my opinion of course. Anyway fuck hibs we will get to the final and win it again, hibs won't. 

    We will have 10 stars on our shirts by the time they win that again.

    Wallace assault

    in Jimmy Bell's Kitroom

    Posted

    3 hours ago, Sonnybear1972 said:

    Fuckin animals them, Aberdeen and the bead rattlers are all the same disgusting behaviour, let's see what the punishment is for this as usual unless it's rangers at fault it'll be brushed under the carpet !!!

    If its the same punishment to Motherwell for their pitch invasion ,it will be the square root of fuck all.

    SFA Action On The Violent Attacks On Our Staff Today.....

    in Jimmy Bell's Kitroom

    Posted

    1 minute ago, tannerall said:

    should be postponed until the correct authorities, i'e the police and the Crown Prosecution service deal with them legally. 

    In my opinion assaults after the final whistle today by members of the public fall solely under the jurisdiction of the police and the prosecuting authorities. Proper investigation and justice must take place with legal integrity, and I do not consider the SFA to have any legal authority (or even the professional integrity) to be involved in any actions on these matters until the police and prosecution services have concluded their enquiries and suitably punished the law breakers. 

    Quite simply the SFA can fuck right off until the legal authorities have done their job in  investigating and charging those members of the public responsible.

    And hopefully the charge of inciting a riot will be prominent in those investigations into members of the public who assaulted our staff.

     

     

     

    The perfect end to a great season....

    in Jimmy Bell's Kitroom

    Posted

    19 hours ago, Terry Hurlock Loyal said:

    He should have been signing on the dotted line asap if he was serious, not taking a holiday and thinking it over. Sounds like he is playing a long game and seeing if he can increase his terms at Burnley. MW should have told him to bolt after that.

    Or,if as reported his wife is not as keen as him,and he has taken her away to try and convince her.

    A question regarding potential European Football

    in Jimmy Bell's Kitroom

    Posted

    1 hour ago, BF2 said:

    Just depends on how teams treat them really.  West Ham totally chucked the qualifiers this season.  An English team should be winning it every year when you look at their budgets compared to the rest of the teams in the EL but they never seem to take the competition seriously.

    It"s taken a lot more seriously by the bigger teams now there is a Champions League spot for the winners.

     

    SNP MSPs back anti-sectarian football law amid calls to scrap it

    in Jimmy Bell's Kitroom

    Posted

    Taken from the Evening Times............please read last 2 paragraphs/quotes carefully   

     

    Labour and the other opposition parties have been challenged to come forward with proposals if they think they can improve the controversial anti-sectarian law on behaviour at football matches.

    Glasgow SNP MSPs have defended the law and said to abolish it would send out a message that sectarianism is acceptable.

    James Kelly, Glasgow Labour MSP, has said he will bring forward a bill to scrap the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act and is meeting parliament officials this week for discussions.

    READ MORE: Tories to lead opposition to Offensive Behaviour at Football Act

    He argues the law no longer has majority support in Parliament as the Tories, Greens and LibDems also want to see the act scrapped.

    Mr Kelly said: “No other party supported the law but the SNP used their majority to bulldoze it through anyway.

    “The SNP are now a minority government and that means Parliament can repeal the SNP Football Act.”

    However, James Dornan SNP Cathcart MSP, said the act was necessary and was helping to tackle sectarianism in a wider sense.

    Mr Dornan said: “The record shows it’s already working. The number of sectarian offences has dropped steadily (28% drop) in the couple of years since it’s been put in place.

    “A very important part of this was the message it sends out, that we take combating sectarianism very, very seriously here in Scotland.”

    READ MORE: Rangers fans cleared as sheriff criticises ‘flawed’ sectarianism law

    He told the BBC: “I’d be more than happy, I’ve no doubts the government would be more than happy, if the opposition parties were getting together to put forward some amendments to strengthen it if they think it needs strengthened.

    “What I do not believe is this knee jerk reaction that they seem to be thrashing around looking for something to beat the government with, instead of combatting the problem we have with sectarianism in this country and I think that’s pretty disappointing.”

    John Mason said a majority of the public and football fans including Celtic and Rangers fans backed the Act and to scrap it was sending the wrong signal about religious and racial prejudice.

    He said: “People want sectarianism dealt with.

    “If this act was repealed what we are saying is sectarianism is acceptable, anti-Catholicism is acceptable and anti-Irish racism is acceptable. As far as I’m concerned none of these are acceptable.”

    “If they want to improve it let’s talk about it.”

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