Rangers Fans Warned By UEFA Over Sectarian Chants

Chris Wright

24th, November 2010

6 Comments

By Chris Wright

Glasgow Rangers have issued a warning to their fans that any sectarian chanting during tonight’s Champions League tie with Manchester United will subject the club to punishment from UEFA.

The Scottish club have a fairly poor recent record in terms of UEFA disciplinary action (due to crowd trouble during several Champions League games over the past few years), and have been forewarned by Platini and co. that any sectarian incitement of any kind will not be tolerated.

A statement posted on the club’s official site reads:

“The Light Blues have been informed by a number of sources that sectarian behaviour will put the club at serious risk of punishment from Uefa and other footballing authorities. This includes the singing of songs such as the ‘Billy Boys’ (a loyalist anthem) which is banned by UEFA.”

Rangers chief executive Martin Bain also made a pre-emptive strike, adding:

“The majority of our supporters agree that sectarian singing has no place at Rangers and, working together, the fans and the club have made great strides in recent years to address this behaviour.

“Unfortunately, there are still those who ignore the club and their fellow fans, with no regard for the consequences of their actions. It [puts] the club at serious risk of punishment and also puts supporters at risk of arrest.

“We condemn all forms of sectarian behaviour and we are united with our supporters groups in trying to eradicate it. Fans who engage in such behaviour only let themselves, other supporters and the club down.”

Whereas I can’t really begin to moralise (not being the foremost authority on sectarian relations in Glasgow), I’d wager that the chances of Rangers’ impassioned plea has of making even one iota of difference to the minority of fans that continue to bring their personal politics and vendettas on to the terraces with them are pretty slim at best.

Posted in Champions League, Man Utd

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6 Comments

  1. Tinez says:

    I’m glad this article has been written, and though you haven’t done it for this reason, it might make the fans who (bizzarely, in my opinion) think this is a pro-rangers website think before they start ranting.

  2. Chris says:

    @Tinez: Absolutely no bias either way on my part, though I am staunchly anti-twat.

  3. Brendan says:

    Lol @ “minority of fans”.

    Rangers spew their sectarian bile at every football game, home and away, in the league and ofcourse the incompetent and biased football establishment embodied by the SFA turn a blind eye repeatedly.

    Hopefully they show themselves up again on the European stage and Platini and co. hammer them for it.

    Scotland’s shame.

  4. Brendan says:

    And ofcourse throughout 90 minutes of anti-football from Rangers, in which the ultimately failed to even try for a win, as per, sectarian anthems such as The Billy Boys and The Famine Song are spewed from the biggoted mouths of the Ibrox loyal.

    Are you listening Mnsr. Platini? You turned a “deaf ear” when you attended Celtic Park when Rangers crossed the City last month because it was a league game and so “a domestic issue”. This is Europe, Rnagers had been warned pre-match about their sick chants, UEFA simply must take action.

    Singing and revelling about Famines and Fenians blood has no place in football.

    Scotland’s Shame show their true colours on the world stage once again. Embarassing. And that’s not even mentioning the football on show.

  5. Anthony says:

    minority? as if! speaking as an irish person Im very familar with celtic supporters and theyre no better than rangers, except possibly might have a bit more humor and less inclination to smash up manchester.
    they sing about the famine, oh no its far too soon for that. let em have their hate filled songs, its not as if theres anything to entertain them on the pitch

  6. Brendan says:

    So being Irish automatically makes you an authority on Celtic fans? Lol.

    Tarring Celtic fans with the same brush as Rangers fans is ridiculous but all too common amongst the ill-informed. Let use a few examples to illustrate this point.

    UEFA Cup final 2003. Celtic travel in droves, Seville is like one big friendly party, the mayor commends Celtic fans, and despite losing heartbreakingly in the final, Celtic fans receive TWO fairplay awards from UEFA and FIFA for their fans.

    UEFA Cup Final 2008. Manchester. Enough said. They have also been terrorising mainland Europe, tearing up seats in Romaina, pissing on Catholic churchs in Valencia (as well as their fans literally),being fanned for singing sectarian songs against Villareal and being describes by the mayor as “pigs”.

    Please educate youself and don’t lump Celtic in with Scotland’s Shame as 2 sides to the one story. Celtic are widely recognised by those in the football world to be amongst the best fans in the world. Rangers, let’s just say, are not.

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