D'Artagnan 13,319 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I have thought about nothing else since the sheep victory. It is back on. However, not being interested in Unionism, Her majesty, Loyalists, Orange walks etc does NOT make you any less of a bear than someone who does . In fact the latter tend to care more about thier right to hate fenains than have love for thier own club. Its the Blue Blue, sea of Ibrox.. Its the greatest site that ive ever seen... Right.... How the hell can you justify such a statement ? And who are you specifically referring to when you say they care more about hating fenians than they care about out club ? Tell me.... who the hell are you to make broad and sweeping generalisations about people you dont even know ? If you cant justify that statement then quite simply YOU are as bad as any racist - stereotyping people without reason or justification. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brissybear 50 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I have thought about nothing else since the sheep victory. It is back on. However, not being interested in Unionism, Her majesty, Loyalists, Orange walks etc does NOT make you any less of a bear than someone who does . In fact the latter tend to care more about thier right to hate fenains than have love for thier own club. Its the Blue Blue, sea of Ibrox.. Its the greatest site that ive ever seen... Right.... How the hell can you justify such a statement ? And who are you specifically referring to when you say they care more about hating fenians than they care about out club ? Tell me.... who the hell are you to make broad and sweeping generalisations about people you dont even know ? If you cant justify that statement then quite simply YOU are as bad as any racist - stereotyping people without reason or justification. Its not difficult to understand. For example is a bear who votes snp and has been going to games week in week out, any less a bear than you? Your sig propells me to make such a "general sweeping statement". Politics and Rangers are not set in stone. We are a broad church are we not? As for some fans making thier right to publicly decry fenians, papes etc more important, again its quite obvious. there are some songs rightly or wrongly, deemed offensive and innapropriate and have the potential to harm the club. Go to any away game and there is still an element who voice thier ftp's at the ned of the sash etc even though they know this could potentially harm the club. You have been on gers messageboards far far too long I reckon to not know the bear I am talking about. The ones with the "fuck them" attitude without any thought given to the consequences. Ones that decry the middle ground as handwringers, pc brigade when in reality all they are there for is the team, nothing more, nothing less. I have a mate back home who is a socialist, beleives Scotland should be a republic. The guy has had a ST since John Griegs darkest days. Okay his politics are not my cup a tea, but he is a bluenose through and through and has every right to be as much as anyone. You seem to have missed the fact that I used the word "tend", which doesnt mean everyone, so is in fact not a sweeping generalisation as you believe. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaffbear 4,095 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 You will need to define modern and traditional bears for me Traditional bears stood at games,sang what they wanted,drank at games,had loads in common with the players who played the game.Stayed along the road from them,drank in the same pubs as them,could speak to them about Rangers.Had a management team who believed in what the fans believed in and a chairman who knew what it meant to be a Ranger.We protested when we were let down until it changed Modern fans have nothing in common with £40k a week preemadonnas,who don't know the meaning of Rangers,who wouldn't spit on us if we were alight.who accept inflated prices to see overpaid mediocre players.Who can't sing or say what they want,who are threatened with arrest by their own chairman,who get no back up from their club,who sit at games and say nothing,who don't complain when it goes wrong or they have the piss taken out them,who only moan when someone stands up in front of them or their fuckin burger or hot dog isn't hot enough or too hot. Give me the traditionalists every day Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brissyger 8 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I got Setanta specifically so I could finally watch my beloved Rangers again. Before that I frequently stayed up until ungodly hours of the night watching the text updates on the BBC website just so I could see how they were playing. I'm pretty sure my neighbours hate me for yelling at referees and players at 1 or 2 in the morning. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brissybear 50 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I got Setanta specifically so I could finally watch my beloved Rangers again. Before that I frequently stayed up until ungodly hours of the night watching the text updates on the BBC website just so I could see how they were playing. I'm pretty sure my neighbours hate me for yelling at referees and players at 1 or 2 in the morning. Where are you in Brissy? The old setantas a life saver, ive had too many complaints now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosesMcNeil 1,664 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 As for some fans making thier right to publicly decry fenians, papes etc more important, again its quite obvious. Peoples right to protest against elements of society they disagree with is important. And if some consider their rights to freedom of expression as more important to than a fitba match then so be it. It is their right to do so. You make full use of your rights to freedom of expression - whilst using it to attack others for doing the self same thing. Fly your double standards high! And just in case you misunderstand the nature of the protest let's run with some facts. The catholic church presides over immense power and influence on a worldwide basis - it's fundamentally important that it is subject to scrutiny, criticism and protest. They were recently fined $660m in California for sex crimes for example, and having been told by the courts to sell some of their obscenely large property portfolio to pay the settlements to those abused, the fun loving japesters (that you insist remain above insult) chose to make nuns homeless in adhering to the court rulings. Lets be clear about this - they did this because they were legally forced to after protest. Not because they volunteered or came clean about their sordid, organised crimes. And, just like you, the Catholic Church would much rather protest against them was silenced - feel free to search out the case of the Polish satirist Jerzy Urban. I could go on, but most will understand my point. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralCartmanLee 313 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 You will need to define modern and traditional bears for me Traditional bears stood at games,sang what they wanted,drank at games,had loads in common with the players who played the game.Stayed along the road from them,drank in the same pubs as them,could speak to them about Rangers.Had a management team who believed in what the fans believed in and a chairman who knew what it meant to be a Ranger.We protested when we were let down until it changed Modern fans have nothing in common with £40k a week preemadonnas,who don't know the meaning of Rangers,who wouldn't spit on us if we were alight.who accept inflated prices to see overpaid mediocre players.Who can't sing or say what they want,who are threatened with arrest by their own chairman,who get no back up from their club,who sit at games and say nothing,who don't complain when it goes wrong or they have the piss taken out them,who only moan when someone stands up in front of them or their fuckin burger or hot dog isn't hot enough or too hot. Give me the traditionalists every day So what you are saying is these traditionalists have now become modern fans ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brissybear 50 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 As for some fans making thier right to publicly decry fenians, papes etc more important, again its quite obvious. Peoples right to protest against elements of society they disagree with is important. And if some consider their rights to freedom of expression as more important to than a fitba match then so be it. It is their right to do so. You make full use of your rights to freedom of expression - whilst using it to attack others for doing the self same thing. Fly your double standards high! And just in case you misunderstand the nature of the protest let's run with some facts. The catholic church presides over immense power and influence on a worldwide basis - it's fundamentally important that it is subject to scrutiny, criticism and protest. They were recently fined $660m in California for sex crimes for example, and having been told by the courts to sell some of their obscenely large property portfolio to pay the settlements to those abused, the fun loving japesters (that you insist remain above insult) chose to make nuns homeless in adhering to the court rulings. Lets be clear about this - they did this because they were legally forced to after protest. Not because they volunteered or came clean about their sordid, organised crimes. And, just like you, the Catholic Church would much rather protest against them was silenced - feel free to search out the case of the Polish satirist Jerzy Urban. I could go on, but most will understand my point. Who's defending the catholic church? Of course the fundamental right to protest is absolute. But buckied up neds snarling about Barcelona, Villareal and Manchester FTP'ing is NOT a dignified protest and IMO, has FUCK ALL to do with my club. Like it or lump it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Manticore* 1,893 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 But buckied up neds snarling about Barcelona, Villareal and Manchester FTP'ing is NOT a dignified protest and IMO, has FUCK ALL to do with my club. Too true. Certainly in Barcelona and Villareal, local wines are much better. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooper1989 0 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 The problem with the original question is that it assumes -- or even asserts -- that there is only one way to be a 'Bear'. Many posts seem to define it as: Watch the match on the telly -- screaming at it, Listening to the match in the radio - -screaming at the radio, The missus doesn't understand - but I don't give a f*ck. I'm in a bad mood for a week if we lose or drop any points at all. etc. You get the picture? Well.. while I can understand this -- as I too have been like this -- to a degree, this is not the only defnition of a Rangers supporter who 'understands'. We are not all the same. We do not all think alike. There must be room for supporters who care deeply about Rangers but don't feel the need to alienate themselves from their families, or scream profanties at a television. That doesn't mean you're a Rangers supporter. That simply means that you are probably a wee bit unbalanced. Newsflash -- The world changes. The shipyards have gone; +100,000 supporters at Hampden are gone. Rangers as you knew it are gone -- but are still strong. So... leave room in your head and your heart for those of us that choose to pay attention to our wives and kids WHILE the match is on. The narrow view posted by some on here simply isn't right. There's room for all that support Rangers -- and that doesn't mean you have to slit your wrists every time we drop points. There are mortgages to pay, food to buy, and kids to look after. The point is: Rangers and normal life can peacufully co-exist. Now.. do you understand? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
minstral 5,375 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 You will need to define modern and traditional bears for me Traditional bears stood at games,sang what they wanted,drank at games,had loads in common with the players who played the game.Stayed along the road from them,drank in the same pubs as them,could speak to them about Rangers.Had a management team who believed in what the fans believed in and a chairman who knew what it meant to be a Ranger.We protested when we were let down until it changed Modern fans have nothing in common with £40k a week preemadonnas,who don't know the meaning of Rangers,who wouldn't spit on us if we were alight.who accept inflated prices to see overpaid mediocre players.Who can't sing or say what they want,who are threatened with arrest by their own chairman,who get no back up from their club,who sit at games and say nothing,who don't complain when it goes wrong or they have the piss taken out them,who only moan when someone stands up in front of them or their fuckin burger or hot dog isn't hot enough or too hot. Give me the traditionalists every day good post gaffbear and i agree wih very word of it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
delparlane 5,639 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I have seen and also written a lot on the 'modern' bear, but do you have the same passion as Minstral, Manticore et al tell ius please because all we read is that the 'traditional bears' have got it wrong. I no longer go to the games in any regular way, but believe me that I have had numerous fights with the missus because I am cursing at the radio or at the telly when The Rangers are on and she can't understand where it comes from... all i can say is you ain't a bear you'll never understand. My question to you is... Do you understand? Good God m8 do I hear you - got into a row with the misssus last Saturday when I was cursing a blue streak at Willie Collum. She starts into it "it makes us all tense, why can't you calm down" &c &c. I said (between clenched teeth) "It's a game of passion, and if you're gonnae sit there disinterested you may as well be dead - you know what I'm like by now (after 20 years married!) when the match is on and you're free to leave the house if it bothers you that much." She gets pissed and my day is essentially ruined from there on in, but I don't care as we got the 3 points. It's even worse here as my wife's a Yank and just cannae fathom any of it (ditto my daughters). A Stranger in a Strange Land... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'Artagnan 13,319 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 I have thought about nothing else since the sheep victory. It is back on. However, not being interested in Unionism, Her majesty, Loyalists, Orange walks etc does NOT make you any less of a bear than someone who does . In fact the latter tend to care more about thier right to hate fenains than have love for thier own club. Its the Blue Blue, sea of Ibrox.. Its the greatest site that ive ever seen... Right.... How the hell can you justify such a statement ? And who are you specifically referring to when you say they care more about hating fenians than they care about out club ? Tell me.... who the hell are you to make broad and sweeping generalisations about people you dont even know ? If you cant justify that statement then quite simply YOU are as bad as any racist - stereotyping people without reason or justification. Its not difficult to understand. For example is a bear who votes snp and has been going to games week in week out, any less a bear than you? Your sig propells me to make such a "general sweeping statement". Politics and Rangers are not set in stone. We are a broad church are we not? As for some fans making thier right to publicly decry fenians, papes etc more important, again its quite obvious. there are some songs rightly or wrongly, deemed offensive and innapropriate and have the potential to harm the club. Go to any away game and there is still an element who voice thier ftp's at the ned of the sash etc even though they know this could potentially harm the club. You have been on gers messageboards far far too long I reckon to not know the bear I am talking about. The ones with the "fuck them" attitude without any thought given to the consequences. Ones that decry the middle ground as handwringers, pc brigade when in reality all they are there for is the team, nothing more, nothing less. I have a mate back home who is a socialist, beleives Scotland should be a republic. The guy has had a ST since John Griegs darkest days. Okay his politics are not my cup a tea, but he is a bluenose through and through and has every right to be as much as anyone. You seem to have missed the fact that I used the word "tend", which doesnt mean everyone, so is in fact not a sweeping generalisation as you believe. So what you are saying then is that you have no evidence whatsoever to back up the point I asked you about ? Cos you have certainly not answered the question I asked of you. Do you think its right and proper that you, by definition of their actions.....which you have failed to substantiate by the way.....libel a whole groups of Rangers supporters as bigots ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brissyger 8 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 I have thought about nothing else since the sheep victory. It is back on. However, not being interested in Unionism, Her majesty, Loyalists, Orange walks etc does NOT make you any less of a bear than someone who does . In fact the latter tend to care more about thier right to hate fenains than have love for thier own club. Its the Blue Blue, sea of Ibrox.. Its the greatest site that ive ever seen... Right.... How the hell can you justify such a statement ? And who are you specifically referring to when you say they care more about hating fenians than they care about out club ? Tell me.... who the hell are you to make broad and sweeping generalisations about people you dont even know ? If you cant justify that statement then quite simply YOU are as bad as any racist - stereotyping people without reason or justification. Its not difficult to understand. For example is a bear who votes snp and has been going to games week in week out, any less a bear than you? Your sig propells me to make such a "general sweeping statement". Politics and Rangers are not set in stone. We are a broad church are we not? As for some fans making thier right to publicly decry fenians, papes etc more important, again its quite obvious. there are some songs rightly or wrongly, deemed offensive and innapropriate and have the potential to harm the club. Go to any away game and there is still an element who voice thier ftp's at the ned of the sash etc even though they know this could potentially harm the club. You have been on gers messageboards far far too long I reckon to not know the bear I am talking about. The ones with the "fuck them" attitude without any thought given to the consequences. Ones that decry the middle ground as handwringers, pc brigade when in reality all they are there for is the team, nothing more, nothing less. I have a mate back home who is a socialist, beleives Scotland should be a republic. The guy has had a ST since John Griegs darkest days. Okay his politics are not my cup a tea, but he is a bluenose through and through and has every right to be as much as anyone. You seem to have missed the fact that I used the word "tend", which doesnt mean everyone, so is in fact not a sweeping generalisation as you believe. I was at the Pig n Whistle in Brisbane city on the weekend watching the game against Falkirk and this guy kept calling half the members of the Falkirk team f*&nian c&%ts. I used to think the songs were harmless and for the most part they are but a lot of folk seem to use them and Rangers as a platform to voice their deep seated bigotry. I have no problem with people being proud of our clubs roots or even hating the roots of Celtic but acting like a drunk twat in a bar hurling vitriolic abuse every couple of minutes doesn't exactly give our club a positive image overseas. Btw in response to your earlier question I live in Taringa out near Indooroopilly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brissybear 50 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 I have thought about nothing else since the sheep victory. It is back on. However, not being interested in Unionism, Her majesty, Loyalists, Orange walks etc does NOT make you any less of a bear than someone who does . In fact the latter tend to care more about thier right to hate fenains than have love for thier own club. Its the Blue Blue, sea of Ibrox.. Its the greatest site that ive ever seen... Right.... How the hell can you justify such a statement ? And who are you specifically referring to when you say they care more about hating fenians than they care about out club ? Tell me.... who the hell are you to make broad and sweeping generalisations about people you dont even know ? If you cant justify that statement then quite simply YOU are as bad as any racist - stereotyping people without reason or justification. Its not difficult to understand. For example is a bear who votes snp and has been going to games week in week out, any less a bear than you? Your sig propells me to make such a "general sweeping statement". Politics and Rangers are not set in stone. We are a broad church are we not? As for some fans making thier right to publicly decry fenians, papes etc more important, again its quite obvious. there are some songs rightly or wrongly, deemed offensive and innapropriate and have the potential to harm the club. Go to any away game and there is still an element who voice thier ftp's at the ned of the sash etc even though they know this could potentially harm the club. You have been on gers messageboards far far too long I reckon to not know the bear I am talking about. The ones with the "fuck them" attitude without any thought given to the consequences. Ones that decry the middle ground as handwringers, pc brigade when in reality all they are there for is the team, nothing more, nothing less. I have a mate back home who is a socialist, beleives Scotland should be a republic. The guy has had a ST since John Griegs darkest days. Okay his politics are not my cup a tea, but he is a bluenose through and through and has every right to be as much as anyone. You seem to have missed the fact that I used the word "tend", which doesnt mean everyone, so is in fact not a sweeping generalisation as you believe. So what you are saying then is that you have no evidence whatsoever to back up the point I asked you about ? Cos you have certainly not answered the question I asked of you. Do you think its right and proper that you, by definition of their actions.....which you have failed to substantiate by the way.....libel a whole groups of Rangers supporters as bigots ? What question?? Ive been going to games now for 22 years. Been to Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Bucharest, Turin, Villareal, Barcelona amongst other places. Yes, calling an Italian fan a "fenian Bastard" reeks of a bigot to me. Calling a Villareal fan a "fenian bastard" reeks of bigot to me. Calling Mark McGhee a "fenian bastard" reeks of bigot to me. Are any of the above, Irish rebel fighters?? Answers on a postcard. These are not whole sweeps of Rangers fans, but a bigoted element that only a fool would dismiss as ordinary bears. I have witnessed all of the above and so have you to maybye a more or lesser extent. Rangers first. Always. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brissybear 50 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 I have thought about nothing else since the sheep victory. It is back on. However, not being interested in Unionism, Her majesty, Loyalists, Orange walks etc does NOT make you any less of a bear than someone who does . In fact the latter tend to care more about thier right to hate fenains than have love for thier own club. Its the Blue Blue, sea of Ibrox.. Its the greatest site that ive ever seen... Right.... How the hell can you justify such a statement ? And who are you specifically referring to when you say they care more about hating fenians than they care about out club ? Tell me.... who the hell are you to make broad and sweeping generalisations about people you dont even know ? If you cant justify that statement then quite simply YOU are as bad as any racist - stereotyping people without reason or justification. Its not difficult to understand. For example is a bear who votes snp and has been going to games week in week out, any less a bear than you? Your sig propells me to make such a "general sweeping statement". Politics and Rangers are not set in stone. We are a broad church are we not? As for some fans making thier right to publicly decry fenians, papes etc more important, again its quite obvious. there are some songs rightly or wrongly, deemed offensive and innapropriate and have the potential to harm the club. Go to any away game and there is still an element who voice thier ftp's at the ned of the sash etc even though they know this could potentially harm the club. You have been on gers messageboards far far too long I reckon to not know the bear I am talking about. The ones with the "fuck them" attitude without any thought given to the consequences. Ones that decry the middle ground as handwringers, pc brigade when in reality all they are there for is the team, nothing more, nothing less. I have a mate back home who is a socialist, beleives Scotland should be a republic. The guy has had a ST since John Griegs darkest days. Okay his politics are not my cup a tea, but he is a bluenose through and through and has every right to be as much as anyone. You seem to have missed the fact that I used the word "tend", which doesnt mean everyone, so is in fact not a sweeping generalisation as you believe. I was at the Pig n Whistle in Brisbane city on the weekend watching the game against Falkirk and this guy kept calling half the members of the Falkirk team f*&nian c&%ts. I used to think the songs were harmless and for the most part they are but a lot of folk seem to use them and Rangers as a platform to voice their deep seated bigotry. I have no problem with people being proud of our clubs roots or even hating the roots of Celtic but acting like a drunk twat in a bar hurling vitriolic abuse every couple of minutes doesn't exactly give our club a positive image overseas. Btw in response to your earlier question I live in Taringa out near Indooroopilly. Brissyger after the Aberdeen game thisseason, dmb's dissalowed goal, I went to the bar. Everyone was in full swing of TBB. The guy behin the bar, an aussie, says to me, "can you not leave that shit at home?". I felt embarressed. The place is full of all nationalities. Ive met very few who actually enjoy our games there because of this. Dont get me wrong plenty of good lads there, but it seems as if because they are in Oz its a licence to give it the full reportie of party songs. It makes us look moronic in the eyes of ordinary football fans, something I sussed a long time ago. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brissyger 8 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Brissyger after the Aberdeen game thisseason, dmb's dissalowed goal, I went to the bar. Everyone was in full swing of TBB. The guy behin the bar, an aussie, says to me, "can you not leave that shit at home?". I felt embarressed. The place is full of all nationalities. Ive met very few who actually enjoy our games there because of this. Dont get me wrong plenty of good lads there, but it seems as if because they are in Oz its a licence to give it the full reportie of party songs. It makes us look moronic in the eyes of ordinary football fans, something I sussed a long time ago. Some of the behaviour there is disgraceful This one guy wasn't even singing a proper song he just kept singing "go home you f&%nian bastards" over and over. This from a guy who is an immigrant himself to a country that embraces all cultures and religions (for the most part). Don't get me wrong, a lot of "traditionalists" are great guys but some (a small minority) use the clubs Protestant roots as an excuse to disparage Irish Catholics who are well integrated in Australia and cause no problems. There's plenty of songs like Follow Follow, Famous Glasgow Rangers, Every Other Saturday, or if they want to touch on Ulster, Build my Gallows and the Sash which are great tunes and don't embarrass us as a club. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Manticore* 1,893 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 That Australia sounds like a terrible place. It's the only country with tennis hooliganism. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralCartmanLee 313 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Brissyger after the Aberdeen game thisseason, dmb's dissalowed goal, I went to the bar. Everyone was in full swing of TBB. The guy behin the bar, an aussie, says to me, "can you not leave that shit at home?". I felt embarressed. The place is full of all nationalities. Ive met very few who actually enjoy our games there because of this. Dont get me wrong plenty of good lads there, but it seems as if because they are in Oz its a licence to give it the full reportie of party songs. It makes us look moronic in the eyes of ordinary football fans, something I sussed a long time ago. An aussie who knows the meaning of the Billy boys.......interesting........ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLUEDIGNITY 33,638 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 That Australia sounds like a terrible place. It's the only country with tennis hooliganism. It is Manti it's full of this an exported from dear old oirland ! : http://brokenrites.alphalink.com.au/nlette...anbrothers.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Manticore* 1,893 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 BD you could bring rcs and sex abuse into any thread, whatever the topic Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoltonLoyal 2 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 That Australia sounds like a terrible place. It's the only country with tennis hooliganism. It is Manti it's full of this an exported from dear old oirland ! : http://brokenrites.alphalink.com.au/nlette...anbrothers.html That is heartbreaking to read BD. Much of my work deals with kids from abusive backgrounds and in my experience, sexual abuse does the most irriversible damage to children. As the article says, "those who have been able to retain some semblance of Faith, believe he is soon to face a sterner Judge" Let's hope so. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLUEDIGNITY 33,638 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 BD you could bring rcs and sex abuse into any thread, whatever the topic It's a labour of love, lest they forget. They keep on telling us how civilized they are and they completely forget they are blighted (good old famine word that) with the abuse gene. Now that reminds me that cuchluain needs some of this ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
delparlane 5,639 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 The problem with the original question is that it assumes -- or even asserts -- that there is only one way to be a 'Bear'. Many posts seem to define it as: Watch the match on the telly -- screaming at it, Listening to the match in the radio - -screaming at the radio, The missus doesn't understand - but I don't give a f*ck. I'm in a bad mood for a week if we lose or drop any points at all. etc. You get the picture? Well.. while I can understand this -- as I too have been like this -- to a degree, this is not the only defnition of a Rangers supporter who 'understands'. We are not all the same. We do not all think alike. There must be room for supporters who care deeply about Rangers but don't feel the need to alienate themselves from their families, or scream profanties at a television. That doesn't mean you're a Rangers supporter. That simply means that you are probably a wee bit unbalanced. Newsflash -- The world changes. The shipyards have gone; +100,000 supporters at Hampden are gone. Rangers as you knew it are gone -- but are still strong. So... leave room in your head and your heart for those of us that choose to pay attention to our wives and kids WHILE the match is on. The narrow view posted by some on here simply isn't right. There's room for all that support Rangers -- and that doesn't mean you have to slit your wrists every time we drop points. There are mortgages to pay, food to buy, and kids to look after. The point is: Rangers and normal life can peacufully co-exist. Now.. do you understand? I agree with this, and I am one who admittedly does take it too far sometimes when I'm watching the team, as I have stated above. As far as being "unbalanced" when watching matches, I hold up two guilty hands. But I do realise also that there is life outside of football; I will not take my views so far as to tar all Celtic supporters (Dons, supporters, &c) with the same brush, though it is sometimes is all too easy to do so if you convince yourself that that is what a of fan of this team should be (and this works the same for other team's supporters and their mindsets as well). Not trying to be pedantic or offensive to other Bears here, but speaking personally, I got a much clearer view when I left Scotland; stepping out of the fishbowl opened my eyes a good deal and helped me to get a clearer picture of the fish inside (in regards to how the OF rivalry appears to the outside world). I have mates who support Celtic over here, and we can disagree about our teams but for the vast majority of the time we keep it civil (except maybe during the 90 minutes when passions are running high); I'm not naive, though - I also am well aware that it's a lot easier for me now to think this way because I removed from the heart of the conflict. I think what is hard to keep constant in your thoughts once you get too carried away with supporting the team is that not everyone of the opposition is a bomb-throwing terrorist supporter of the 'RA, just like not everyone who operates within the Catholic church is inherently evil. Celtic extremists make the equivalent over-generalisations regarding our support; reducing it down to such stark Black and White viewpoints only stunts the mental growth of the people holding said views and perpetuates bigotry on both sides. This paragraph was particularly telling for me in the article that BD pointed out: "Not all the Brothers were like this. There were others, mainly at the senior college in North Melbourne, who were entirely admirable. They were distinguished by an ability to relate to young men with respect and as individuals in their own right. But their decency could not undo the depravity and heartlessness of their confreres." Sadly, it's the rotten ones who spoil it for the normal folk, as evil always shouts a lot louder than good. This will always be the case in any institution or within any set of football supporters. There has by necessity to be plenty of room for people who don't toe the "traditional" line within the Gers support, if we want this club to survive and grow; times change and we have to move with them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigSlim 0 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 I have seen and also written a lot on the 'modern' bear, but do you have the same passion as Minstral, Manticore et al tell ius please because all we read is that the 'traditional bears' have got it wrong. I no longer go to the games in any regular way, but believe me that I have had numerous fights with the missus because I am cursing at the radio or at the telly when The Rangers are on and she can't understand where it comes from... all i can say is you ain't a bear you'll never understand. My question to you is... Do you understand? Ive not read that trad bears have it all wrong, where is that coming from dont even agree that them yuo mention are full of passion i mustve missed that but aye i know where your comin from Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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