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Ewen Cameron


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Let’s get one thing straight here before I go any further. There is NO DEFENCE for what happened in Manchester in 2008. Those CCTV pictures were shocking and those involved are despicable human beings. With that out the way, I’m now going to put up the defence for 99.9% of the Rangers support. The reason for this is because Man Utd v Rangers is fast approaching in the Champions League and the problems of 2008 are resurfacing along with other high profile issues involving Rangers?

Certain media were quick to write about the ‘rioting Rangers support’ as soon as Rangers drew Man Utd; scaremongering at its worst. Some of the things that have been said and written about the Rangers travelling fans have been unfair. Is there a media agenda against the club? In my opinion the answer to that question is an overwhelming YES. I won’t name names, but there are a few who are obsessed with all things Rangers and are just waiting for an excuse to put the boot in; is that fair? NO. Does the club do enough to defend itself and its real fans; I don’t think so. Much of the time the Rangers support find themselves spitting into a gale force wind in their battle against unfair treatment, as the club sits back and says or does very little.

When you look back at the highly publicised incidents involving Rangers over the past four years, you really do have to worry about some of the reporting. I think you have to feel deep sympathy for the supporters who are being dragged down by a MINORITY.

May 2006: Rangers were fined £13,300 for the conduct of their supporters during the Champions League tie with Villarreal. Rangers issued a statement saying: "Rangers Football Club is disappointed by the decision by Uefa's appeals body not to uphold the original verdict of the control and disciplinary body.

“The appeals body concluded that Rangers fans were guilty of discriminatory chanting at both legs of the Champions League matches against Villarreal. The decision by Uefa should be seen as a strong warning to the MINORITY of supporters whose inappropriate behaviour brings the club into serious disrepute.”

May 2007: Rangers were fined £8,280 by Uefa for the behaviour of their fans during their match against Osasuna - but the Spanish club was ordered to pay £31,000. The control and disciplinary section of European football's governing body said there were “serious deficiencies in the organisation of the game,” by Osasuna.

Uefa's website stated: "Osasuna have been fined 45,000 Euros for serious deficiencies in the organisation of the game on 14 March, as well as for the improper conduct of their supporters. Rangers, meanwhile, have been ordered to pay 12,000 Euros for the latter offence involving visiting fans of the Scottish team’’.

As you can see, UEFA believed that Osasuna were ultimately responsible for those ugly scenes in the stands. The riot police were indiscriminately hitting Rangers fans with their batons. I'm not suggesting that all the Rangers fans that night were angels; again, a MINORITY didn't help the situation but the majority didn't deserve what came their way. The day after the game we had many fans turn up at the Real Radio studio to show us their injuries. Men, women, young and old were covered in cuts and bruises. It was a shocking sight and yet despite the overwhelming evidence of police brutality against Scottish football fans, very little was said about it; why?

May 2008 Uefa Cup final: Communications Director William Gallard, confirmed Uefa is not planning to take any action against Rangers. "The overwhelming majority of fans behaved in the proper way. A very small MINORITY caused some trouble. In terms of disciplinary procedures we can only deal with what happens at the stadium or within the perimeter of the stadium."

Walter Smith said: "I absolutely condemn this mindless MINORITY who have so shamed our country with their actions. Tens of thousands of people went to Manchester and behaved impeccably and were wonderful ambassadors for Rangers and Scotland."

A SENIOR police figure has blamed Manchester council for the Uefa Cup final riot. Chris Burrows, Chairman of the Greater Manchester Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file bobbies, said the big screen showing the match in Piccadilly Gardens was deliberately switched off. Mr Burrows made his comments at the Federation's annual open meeting in the V&A hotel in Manchester. Asked by one officer who had been to blame for the Uefa cup 'fiasco', Mr Burrows said: "It was the local authority. I was listening to the (police) radio that night. That screen was switched off." No-one on the panel rebutted Mr Burrows' comments.

August 2009: Sir Alex Ferguson, a former Rangers player, insists that the mass invasion of Rangers fans for the Uefa Cup final - which saw almost 200,000 head south of the border - will not be repeated; however, he is confident the game will not be marred by trouble. He said: "There were circumstances that day (Uefa Cup final) and I don’t think it was well organised."

I was there in 2008 and I think Manchester City Council made a pig’s ear of it. To put it politely, in my opinion, the organisation of the Uefa Cup final was shambolic. Two weeks before the final I was on a Manchester radio station and happened to say that “you can expect anything from 150,000 to 250,000 fans to descend on the city centre.” Manchester City Council and the police were given enough warning of what to expect, so I don’t buy their excuse that they didn’t see it coming.

Serious questions have never been asked or answered by those responsible for the inadequate organisation of that night. For example; why was Heaton Park not used as a fan zone? In June 2009 the park welcomed 70,000 through the gates to see Oasis in concert. Why was Old Trafford not even considered? They could have charged a fiver and the fans would have been in a safe and controlled environment. The influx of people to Manchester resulted in there being no vacant hotel rooms in a 20 mile radius of the city centre and the total amount of money that was ploughed into the local economy was estimated to be more than £25 million. Could that be the answer to the above questions?

The consequent media coverage of the ‘riot’ was a real slap in the face to the tens of thousands of supporters who followed their team to Manchester from all over the globe. A tiny fraction spoiled a great day and certain media used it as a weapon to hammer the club and 99.9% of its supporters. Was that fair? I don’t think so. As I said, the CCTV pictures were horrific, disgraceful and shameful. You can’t defend those animals, but is it right to lump them in with everyone else; of course not. There are far too many people out there who were quick to condemn the Rangers support and the club. These same fans travelled all over Europe to watch their club in the Champions League and then the Uefa Cup. How many were arrested on the road in the 2007/2008 season before Manchester? I’ll tell you… NONE. ZILCH. ZERO.

Yet some in our media failed to recognise this or look at the bigger picture of what actually happened that evening in Manchester. Some hoped Uefa would throw the book at the club; why? Send me your answers by email.

November 2009: Rangers have been fined 20,000 Euros (£17,988) and been ordered to pay the cost of damage to the Steaua Stadium as a result of the improper conduct of their fans during the Champions League match against Unirea Urziceni in Romania last week. Television pictures from last Wednesday night's 1-1 Group G draw in Bucharest showed a number of visiting supporters clashing with Romanian police in the stands, while one fan was seen to rip out a seat.

Unirea Urziceni have been fined 8,000 Euros (£7,195) for lack of organisation at the same match. Rangers Chief Executive Martin Bain had claimed the trouble was triggered by poor organisation at the Steaua Stadium and over-zealous policing. Bain's explanation for the crowd trouble was also backed by Superintendent Mike Dean of Strathclyde Police, who was helping to coordinate security at the ground.

"We appreciate the fact that the Uefa match delegate said in his report that, apart from this incident, the behaviour of the majority of Rangers supporters in Bucharest was satisfactory. The club made strong representations to UEFA regarding the wholly unsatisfactory crowd management prior to the match and UEFA has addressed this. As we have made clear, this in no way excuses the violent behaviour a MINORITY of fans.”

There is one constant throughout all of the above incidents and you can clearly see it for yourselves in bold. I will finish by saying that I’m no lover of Rangers or Celtic but that is purely down to me being a Hearts fan. I want to see them get beat every week in the SPL. That is all part and parcel of the football rivalry and banter that I love. Last season I found myself stuck on a train from Falkirk to Edinburgh with my son. We were heading to Tynecastle to watch Hearts play Rangers. I was surrounded by Rangers fans; the banter was top notch. They also tried to persuade my 8-year-old boy to swap his Hearts scarf for a Rangers scarf, it didn’t work… thankfully. We then ended up walking from Haymarket to Gorgie with thousands of Rangers fans. At no point did I feel threatened or intimidated. They were a credit to the club. It’s about time we all recognise and defend the good supporters. We should not allow a MINORITY of bampots to ruin the good name of any club or its support.

At the end of the day they’re Scottish football supporters and when those good men, women and children are getting dragged through the gutter, then it’s only right and proper to stand up for them. I’ve defended Celtic supporters and their club when they found themselves in hot water with Uefa in recent years. It’s the right thing to do. It’s time we started to stand up for the real supporters, the good supporters, the life blood of our game because without them, the game I love is dead.

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Gotta admit. I like listening to him and Roughie at night. The banter is class and there's no doubt both are big football men

I used to mate, but it's turned into too much of a fun time show. Too many daft competitions, adverts and daft music.

Which is good if you like that sort of thing, but since the seasons started I've found myself listening to Clyde One instead. I know what people on here think of that show, but I think the football debate is a bit more serious and worth listening to.

Different strokes for different folks, though.

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I used to mate, but it's turned into too much of a fun time show. Too many daft competitions, adverts and daft music.

Which is good if you like that sort of thing, but since the seasons started I've found myself listening to Clyde One instead. I know what people on here think of that show, but I think the football debate is a bit more serious and worth listening to.

Different strokes for different folks, though.

I like the light hearted approach to it. I grew up listening to McNee and all that shit on Clyde so i have an intense hate of that station.

But as you say different strokes and all that

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Media is support of Rangers - shocking (Dont tell Frankie and the other Mhedia Conspirirists (not sure thats a word :lol: ) - I am sure he will soon be sacked.

But decent article non-the-less!

Did you miss the part where he said there is a clear media agenda against Rangers? <cr>

Well researched and well written Ewan.

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I especially liked this bit ;

Last season I found myself stuck on a train from Falkirk to Edinburgh with my son. We were heading to Tynecastle to watch Hearts play Rangers. I was surrounded by Rangers fans; the banter was top notch. They also tried to persuade my 8-year-old boy to swap his Hearts scarf for a Rangers scarf, it didn’t work… thankfully. We then ended up walking from Haymarket to Gorgie with thousands of Rangers fans. At no point did I feel threatened or intimidated. They were a credit to the club. It’s about time we all recognise and defend the good supporters. We should not allow a MINORITY of bampots to ruin the good name of any club or its support.

:clap:

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