GLASGOW DERBY FALLOUT: IBROX STATEMENT AS EMPTY AS THE BOTTLES THROWN ON THE PITCH
- BY LIAM CARRIGAN
- 25 minutes ago
- 2 min read
I guess I should give some credit to the Rangers board.
Since they started courting these American investors, their frequent statements have become more legible, less anger-driven and a fair bit more coherent.
However, they still clearly have no interest in actually dealing with the problems at the core of their club. That’s the problem with these kinds of statements.
When they are so transparently motivated by financial imperative rather than just basic human decency, they ring hollow.
Glasgow Derby Statement Downplays Some Issues, Totally Ignores Others
The same is true of the latest statement to come out of Ibrox in the wake of the utter car crash of embarrassment that was the conduct of the Rangers support at yesterday’s match.
They acknowledge that the disgraceful tifo on display at the stadium yesterday “crossed a line and was unacceptable”.
However, what follows this is corporate double-talk of the worst kind.
The statement continued: “Our approach to supporter displays has always been built on trust, with the responsibility placed on groups to exercise good judgement.”
So, in other words, you either didn’t bother checking the contents of the display, or you saw it and thought it was fine. Which is it?
Gross incompetence, extreme negligence or a little bit of both?
There is of course a third option, that being that Rangers board knew fine and well what the tifo was all about in advance and simply hoped they wouldn’t be called out on it.
Like previous statements of recent months calling out racist chants, racist banners and other unsavory elements at Ibrox, this statement reads like something they were compelled to write rather than something they actually chose to do of their own volition.
It gets better though. The statement went on: “We condemn the actions of the individual who threw a bottle during today’s match.”
The individual, you say. OK. So, all the other missiles were fine then? Is it just that one Bucky bottle that was caught directly on camera that you take issue with?
There is no mention of either the Racist “Billy Boys” anthem being belted out across the stadium, or the numerous disgusting chants about child abuse towards the end of yesterday's Glasgow Derby.
Once again, this statement is obviously just covering the bare minimum the Rangers board think is needed to appease their potential investors.
Incidentally, I note that none of the parties supposedly leading the takeover charge were spotted at Ibrox yesterday. Unlike the Daily Record, I won’t start making assumptions as to what it means when certain individuals do or don’t attend Ibrox.
I just think it’s an interesting sideline to this story. It’s almost as if someone inside Ibrox knew what an absolute horror show yesterday’s hate-fest was going to be, and politely discouraged the Americans from attending.
I’m merely speculating, but it does give one some food for thought.