‘HOME TRUTHS! CELTIC FANS ARE MILES AHEAD OF US,’ ADMIT BEARS
“We need to admit that Celtic FC, their team and dare I say it, their support, are in a different stratosphere to us just now.
“Their long term planning has to recognised and admired, they have boxed clever and now find themselves toying with us like a cat with a mouse, pains me to say this but it really is depressing as hell.
“The Green Brigade might not be everyone’s cup of tea and I even know Celtic fans who dislike their non-football related displays and chanting but they have organised their support to such a fashion, that Saturday was really just a party for them. I really don’t give a Donald Duck if they sing IRA chants or not (let them make fools of themselves if they want), but their Sinclair song is catchy, Rodgers songs, COYBIG chanting etc put them miles in front of us, where all we seem to sing about is Derry’s Walls, Bobby Sands or p****s.
“I’ve spoken to lots of Rangers (sic) fans in the past few weeks and to a man, we are sick of the constant referral to them, Northern Ireland, Bobby Sands, UVF etc. We have guys on here moaning about the atmosphere at Ibrox but I’d be willing to bet that 80%+ of Ibrox attendees only support Rangers because of footballing reasons so any songs about Catholicism, Fenians or Dead Irishmen really don’t strike a chord with anyone other than a minority of fans.
“Celtic FC and their fans are obsessed with promoting their Club wherever they can. I play a few games of football at the Pitz at Townhead and there is a group of 13 asylum seekers and one guy play before us and they are all wearing Celtic strips… including the white guy. You know that these guys will likely be living here forever and they will be Celtic fans and in 30 years when they’ve had kids… and the kids have kids…etc then the 13 Celtic fans become 100 possibly more…
“This coupled with strategic placement of a few non-European faces in their crowds help promote them to a different demographic of people who don’t belong to their core support. I know we have plenty of coloured faces at Ibrox but the Club should be getting in touch with these guys and getting them to promote our multi-culturism too. I know Catholics who support us, I know Jews, Muslims, Sikhs etc but again it is Celtic who are “open to all” as long as you buy into their ‘values’.
“The latest “anti Celtic” song (which is what it is in reality) is just plainly embarrassing and the anti-Rangers placemen and Scotland’s media will be promoting this video and sharing this video, not because they are offended but to paint us as intolerant and backwards when 99% of us know that this isn’t the case.
“It doesn’t sit easy praising any aspect of Celtic but feel it’s time to recognise where they are ahead of us and for our fans to stand toe to toe with them and our Board to replicate what their Board are doing to promote our Brand.
I blame Murray for everything that is wrong with us just now but we need to put the past behind us because at this rate, they’ll be winning 55 titles before we ever do.”
MAYBE THIS IS WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT…
(A video diary of @Ginty1888 trip to Ibrox for the last Glasgow derby of the 16/17 season)
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So how did the fellow Bears respond to this statement that their fans are miles behind the Celtic support?
Let’s find out shall we…
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“You can’t praise the GB songbook and then on the same post criticise the ‘traditional’ Rangers songs.
“Having said that, you make some very good and some very pertinent points.
We are what they were in the 90’s.”
(Note: we are sure if it is the 1990s or 1690s he is referring to!)
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“We have no leadership. Stewart Robertson is a joke and, like those that have gone before him, doesnt have a clue how to bring back the atmosphere and sort out our songbook.
“I raised most of these issues over 10 years ago with one of our former legends. What a waste of time that was. I dont want to criticise the individual involved or say too much more about it but I new then that we were going no where.
“I hate to say it but I dont think we will see any changes until fans start drifting away in their thousands.”
(A bit like the game at Ibrox when Oldco played Patrick Thistle in May 1979 just days after the 4-2 game. What the the crowd at that Ghost Game? 2000?)
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“You are absoutelty correct and the sooner our fans accept this the better. We have great songs like 4 Men Had a Dream and the 9 in a row song but i’ve never heard a full Ibrox sing them and it’s a shame.”
(Don’t they know the words to their own songs?)
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“It was only last season that Ibrox was bouncin’ to a man to a song about a Magic Hat and a few month since away ground was rocking to a song about Garner albeit for only a game or two.”
(These are your heroes?)
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“As much as it pains me to say it – you’re right. It almost hurts me more that they’re so far ahead as a fanbase as well as on the park. The problem is that they have players who their fans want to sing songs about – Sinclair, Dembele etc. Who can seriously get excited singing about the pile of p**h that we have playing for us?”
(Celtic fans sang the Garner song when he came on in the second half on Saturday. Anyone watching on TV could have been forgiven for thinking it was THEM. It wasn’t.)
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“Don’t blame our fans or our players. It isnt their fault that Ibrox is shit with no atmosphere and only a handful of ‘acceptable’ songs. The blames lies with the board. They should have got together with fans and sorted out safe standing in the GF and/or CF and come up with a songbook of acceptable songs. They are so out of touch its unbelievable.”
(You need Dave King to tell you what to sing? When about EMF’s UNBELIEVABLE then?
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“I’m not praising all their songbook, they have as many silly songs as we do and I get that it’s easy to sing good songs when good things are happening on the pitch, just hurting I guess that we are so far away from them.”
(We feel your pain, we really do.)
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“We fight amongst ourselves, have nonexistent leadership, no allies in the media and nobody with the savvy to fix any of it. I really wish the board had stuck with Chris Graham. His appearances on Scotland Tonight showed that he could argue our case and do so in a way that wasn’t overly aggressive and likely to turn off the neutral.”
(Wasn’t he the racist tweeter who got kicked off your board in less than 24 hours?)
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“Elements of our support are our own worst enemies. For the love of God can we leave all the stuff about ****** and anything relating to Catholics behind us please. Long term it’s going to damage the club a great deal when we have a much smaller supporter base.
“I had some fight with my wife about my kids going to Ibrox to support Rangers (sic). She knows nothing about football and opinions about Rangers (sic) are based entirely on what she is fed through fake news media.
“I’ve spent years debunking the stereotype of Rangers (sic) supporters hating Catholics to the point she realised that her prior viewpoint was ignorant.
“And then BOOM in one social media post I’m back to square one having to stave off accusations of us hating Catholics and the argument about our kids going to Ibrox is now back on the table.
“I’m sick of this p**h.”
(Your grandchildren will be Celtic supporters you know.)
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“Agree with this, especially on the songs, there are literally very few songs that get sung at Ibrox or away that I will sing along to because they are tasteless and just sh**e. Hope we can improve this.
(Just watch the video posted above, we’re here to help!)
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“My girlfriend is Norwegian she has a passing interest in football. All she knew about Rangers (sic) was that she had heard that we were anti-Catholic bigots. I have obviously pointed out that while there are bigots around they are very much a minority and you find bigots at every club. The latest song doesn’t exactly help with any attempt to recruit new fans or investors.
“We have to move on or we’ll end up an increasingly small bunch singing daft songs to each other while we become more and more irrelevant as a football club.”
(You can become MORE irrelevant as a football club than now. It can actually get WORSE? Haven’t you suffered enough?)
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“There’s no doubt they’re well ahead financially and on the park at the moment and it will be difficult to catch up with them.
“But as for their fans supposedly being “in a different stratosphere” I don’t think so.
“These are the fans who hang effigies from stands and have banners and songs about “Huns”, “Orange b******s”, the IRA, etc. We have a lot of good Rangers (sic) songs and often sing quite a few of them. But some of our fans shoot ourselves in the foot and give ammunition to our enemies.”
(Don’t suppose you spent a penny at Celtic Park last September?)
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“Right away when the board didn’t back Chris Graham, I had the gut feeling the direction we were headed , which is the same as the Murray era head in the sand and it will go away dignified silence nonsense .
“It was a moment to stand by our own and to tell others we wouldn’t be pushed around by what others thought anymore – and as usual caved in without even a whimper.”
(Yes, you could have said you are Proudly Racist! No Surender! and could have written a song up being up to your knees…?)
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“I’m afraid our current approach and ongoing plight is not going to appeal to many new fans when it’s party central on the other side of city.
“We however are characterised as the knuckledraggers from Trainspotting and, make no mistake, that is how society views our support. Our current fall outs with all Scotland’s opinion formers is of no benefit in the long term either. The club, club 1872 and we as fans need to do better.”
(Can’t really do much worse I suppose.)
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Their IRA banner at Hampden last week kinda dispels that myth , not that you would have read about it anywhere though.
(This was an IRA banner? I thought it was a fashion ad for Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct!)
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“It’s really easy to make nice catchy tunes when you haven’t been beaten all season and on course for a treble while destroying your arch rivals at their place.
“Do you think they would be singing songs to 90s dance tunes if they were getting humped every week?”
(Ah you know Scooter! Did you know that I once took him to a Celtic match at Motherwell? It was a rubbish 0-0, indeed both sides were lucky to get 0. But he was in Scotland and he wanted to go see the famous Glasgow Celtic!)
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“We lose the traditional songs – we lose our identity it’s what makes us different, special, without it we are just another club.
“It’s why we’re hated and personally I couldn’t give s flying **** if nobody Luvs us – who cares – in fact if I was good enough or lucky enough to play for our team, knowing everybody was against us I’d try that bit harder to be the best! Ok everything is not rosey in the garden just now, but be sure we will be back at the top and the wailing and gnashing of teeth will be clearly audible from your friends from the east end.
“Praising that shower…I’ve heard it all now !!!”
(Surely you are good enough to play for them?)
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“The Sinclair song is catchy? What the **** is the Sinclair song??
“The other one bitching about his wife not letting his kids go to ibrox!
“Embarrassing!!!”
(It’s this one, it’s good isn’t it? You will have heard it on Saturday!)
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“The hanging effigies and ‘Huns know you place’ banners were months rather than years ago, so let’s not pretend they have any claim to the moral high ground.
“This time last year, just after we beat them in the semi final, they had huge banners protesting about Lawwell and Desmond and pointing out the empty stands they had been playing in front of all season. They have upped their game this season and now it’s party time all of a sudden. Lawwell has got us where he wanted us 5 years ago – in the Premier League, but totally uncompetitive. Unless the board have a hidden warchest of millions, I can’t see that changing any time soon.
“It’s very easy to be singing happy clappy songs when you’re strolling the league, but when your being pumped 5-1 at home, toward the end of the season from hell and there is barely a player you’d keep let along celebrate in song, it’s just human nature to revert to the defiant tunes of old.”
(Nothing to do with Lawwell, it was Liewell who’s done it mate!)
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“It shouldn’t come down to tit for tat. We as fans need to up our game, yes it has been a hard season but lets move away from the dross of Bobby Sands, p****s, f*nians etc and get songs you’d be proud of your own kids singing.
“Our club needs a lot of work but lets help with what we can.”
(Even the Sevco Statements are rubbish these days, we long for a return to the crackers of May 2016 after the Cup Final. That certainly told them so it did!)
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“I know this is slightly of track but how many RC do you know that actually go regularly to ibrox ,I saw my first Rangers game in 58 and I have only known one and sadly he passed as a young man, serious question.”
(Pedro? O’Hallaran? That’s about it, oh that wonder kid…do we get an extra point for naming 3?)
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“In terms of the noise and passion they show this is exactly right. We are an embarrassment on and off the pitch in every sense and anyone saying otherwise is kidding themselves on. Yes they’re bigoted b******s, but we are just as bad.
“I don’t hate Catholics! I hate Celtic.
“We need to move on from all this anti-Catholic stuff imo. I’ve no problems with traditional songs at all. Just don’t see the need to sing about Bobby Sands or The Pope at a Rangers (sic) game especially when we aren’t even playing them.
(Agreed! You are an embarrassment!)
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“I think you mistook this forum for Kerrydale St…”
(Mad Tims on there mate!)
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“Singing sections are so important these days to clubs.
“Look at the way we treat ours compared to the way Liewell treats the GB. He built them a standing section in the corner of their staduim while we stick ours in BF1 out of the way.
“What other club in world football does that?
“I also think having a prominent loud singing section will help get rid of the unwanted add-ons and songs.”
(Knew it, Lowell is to blame!)
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“You’re forgetting a few seasons ago Liewell tried to ban the GB and the vast majority of their fans had a dislike for them.”
(Did he really? You fell for that one?)
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“Lawwell was never going to ban the GB. They had been getting bad press and that was them trying to save face.
“Twelve months later he moved them into a standing section and they are still waving offensive banners”
(Rumbled!)
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“I’m also sick of the mindless singing, but why on earth would you let you wife’s utter sheep like ignorance dictate where you can take your own kids?
“You are either sellic fan trolling or one seriously sad puppy. Give you the benefit of the doubt just for a second and tell you to man the *** up.
“Educate your wife FFS if that don’t work, I’m afraid you would not be missed bud.”
(You forgot to say No Surrender! WATP! etc)
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“I can’t stand all this isolationist “no-one likes us, we don’t care” p**h. Look, we are stuck in Scottish football and we’ve been the pariahs of Scottish football for decades, yet we keep harming our (poor) reputation even further by indulging in pathetic sing-songs that have hee-haw to do with us and all to do with p****s, the IRA, Catholics.
“We have to show some sort of humility and lose the constant bitterness that’s eating away at our Club/fans. It’s just self-perpetuating stuff: people have a go at the support then the support double down and it continues on and on.”
(Amen)
