TEFTONG 61,316 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 2 minutes ago, Bronzy said: You've been at it for at least 8 fucking years mate, gie it a rest! He is like an auld rhabid dug wae a bone... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moobs 9,162 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 1 minute ago, TEFTONG said: He is like an auld rhabid dug wae a bone... Never mind that. He's causing us to agree with a Bronzy post fuxake!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEFTONG 61,316 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 Just now, Moobs said: Never mind that. He's causing us to agree with a Bronzy post fuxake!! Aye but I still never gave Bronzy a "like"... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moobs 9,162 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 Just now, TEFTONG said: Aye but I still never gave Bronzy a "like"... Me neither mate. Fuck that!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottywellhousetb 52,531 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 23 minutes ago, Bluepeter9 said: The sun and drink seems to have mad you paranoid and verbose. Please desist from both. I have tried to stay away from any negative comments against anybody on this forum as we all have a right to our opinion but you leave me no alternative but to call you an arse , look at me everyone I'm so controversial, you're not one of the people sir Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy Vandenbroucke 27,012 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 1 minute ago, Moobs said: Me neither mate. Fuck that!! Fuck you too Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moobs 9,162 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 Just now, Bronzy said: Fuck you too Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
markem 7,407 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 1 hour 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.] Take a bow fella - great post Stunned anyone would think otherwise tbh. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eejay the dj 31,964 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 11 minutes ago, TEFTONG said: Aye but I still never gave Bronzy a "like"... Love all these guys that rep their mates .I love giving them to good posts .Even if I think they are a dick sometimes .And that's not you Bronzy Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy Vandenbroucke 27,012 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 2 minutes ago, eejay the dj said: Love all these guys that rep their mates .I love giving them to good posts .Even if I think they are a dick sometimes .And that's not you Bronzy I'm everyone's mate though, surely Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courtyard Bear 41,357 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 excellent post Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazy bob swollenbaws 1,927 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 You answered ur own question to a large extent honest hard work, decency, courage and discipline are no longer values of a large chuck of scotland. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaunchLondonGer 1,651 Posted June 5, 2016 Author Share Posted June 5, 2016 3 minutes ago, Courtyard Bear said: excellent post Thanks bud. And thanks for support from anyone else who liked it. My first ever topic on a forum tbh and it was a bit of rant due to being very pissed! I usually just waffle away to my pals and the wife (when she'll tolerate it!) And totally understand if people disagree too. Just my views and no offence intended. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
K.A.I 36,183 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 Great OP/article and I only just skim read - post more please Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
downviewbear 152 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 1 hour 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.] Excellent post .Totally agree with everything written. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
delamonty 992 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 Great post OP Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Avenger 22,569 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 1 hour ago, NixonRFC said: I read it, i tried my best to keep on it, I too have had cocktails in the sun today, here's my belief... Non Rangers fans within Scottish Football hold us responsible for the fact that we totally shook up Scottish Football in 1986, until then Scottish Football was very competitive, Rangers and them were always the beheamouths of our game but Dundee Utd, Aberdeen and Hearts were very strong too, what they saw was Rangers just swing our baws about. From that moment we totally dominated the rest of the Century, other clubs had their moments as you'd expect but from 1986 to 2000 it was almost total domination, fans that had grown accustomed to winning or realistically challenging suddenly had to deal with the realisation the game was up, David Murray didn't help, he was a very smug winner, add all that together and you see why almost every non Rangers fan has a problem with us. I see the exact same thing happen in the San Giro...I see them lord it over what is essentially no competition and I see Lawwell smugly Lord it over everyone, there's major resentment there too, if and when other clubs smell blood with celtic then you'll see all them jump on them too. Back to the point, I believe the reason fans are against us is because they inaccuately believe we killed competition in Scotland. If it were only the fans! We just got on with the business of winning and had a good gloat with it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courtyard Bear 41,357 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 16 minutes ago, StaunchLondonGer said: Thanks bud. And thanks for support from anyone else who liked it. My first ever topic on a forum tbh and it was a bit of rant due to being very pissed! I usually just waffle away to my pals and the wife (when she'll tolerate it!) And totally understand if people disagree too. Just my views and no offence intended. My wife just rolls her eyes these days when I go off on one If your post offended anyone on here that's their problem not yours. Just ignore the resident handwringing SNP loving troll. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harlands plater 17,169 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 Some good points there, look forward to reading what you post when you're sober Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Avenger 22,569 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 1 hour 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.] Top post. The million dollar question is, do the club and the fans have the will, the guile and the sustenance to turn it around, as none of it is going away anytime soon. This board have yet to prove themselves in this. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 2 hours ago, Bluepeter9 said: The sun and drink seems to have mad you paranoid and verbose. Please desist from both. Why don't you fuck off you rank fenian bastard. You do nothing to benefit this forum. You've spent years trolling hiding behind the fact you claim you were in the army. You are a sad bitter cunt, worse than the taigs. Sad sad wanker. Away and fucking hang yourself Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncaneiligh 28 Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 deary me Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ritchieshearercaldow 22,404 Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 10 minutes ago, duncaneiligh said: deary me Bit cryptic.... Who, what ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 And before anyone says that's a bad way for me to speak to a "fellow fan" - he isn't. He's against everything that I and the majority of bears believe in and does nothing but antagonise and cause arguments between bears. Just because you claim to be a bear doesn't mean you're not also a fucking tarrier arsehole and that's exactly what he is, or at the very least he does a great job of acting like it Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbear 104 Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 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. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.