The Rangers – Hearts game may have been a whitewash and deemed farcical after being postponed 24 minutes in, but as fans protested outside against the current regime things turned decidedly ugly.
Whatever the reasons for violence ensuing outside Ibrox on Friday night – be it the game being postponed, be it Hearts fans mocking Rangers supporters about their ongoing troubles, whether it was booze fuelled neds looking for trouble or merely passions running high as some mainstream journalists have claimed – the thuggery on show at Ibrox shames not only the decent number of Rangers supporters who simply want to support their club but also shames Scottish football as a whole.
We all get that the Rangers supporters are sick and fed up of being treated like dirt by their club owners. They don’t want Mike Ashley to have security over Ibrox and they want good Rangers men in charge of the club rather than the Easdales brothers. But their passion for Rangers and hatred for so-called spivs does not give them an excuse to act like thugs.
@jamb0skickback pic.twitter.com/0EcoGbTB7D
— David (@david_laidler1) January 16, 2015
There are numerous allegations, along with picture evidence, of Hearts supporters buses being vandalised by brick wielding Rangers fans. The photos may be real but at this moment in time the claims have not been verified. There are also a few Rangers fans claiming they were attacked not only by Hearts fans but also by protesting Rangers fans who saw them as scabs as they left Bar 71 after the game was postponed.
Police reinforcements had to be called in to control the protesting mob outside the entrance on Edmiston Drive, while private security and a small number of police officers had to hold back determined and hate filled Rangers fans trying to get into the corporate section of the stadium to get at the Easdales and other directors.
With the likes of the Union of Fans and Sons of Struth fanning the flames of hate with their aggressive commentary directed towards the board and Mike Ashley they are not helping the situation in the slightest.
These so-called fan reps are quick to target and quick to condemn opposition clubs and supporters, but they are silent on matters when it involves their fellow Rangers supporters.
They need to look at what is going on around them rather than continuing to fuel their egos and call time on such protests before a much more serious incident takes place. What will they say then?
Let the Rangers shareholders take it from here – given the news of King calling for an EGM – it is in their court now rather than the horde at the gates foaming at the mouth baying for blood.
And after all that a game still needs to be played! If this is what happens before, during and after a game against Hearts – what will the League Cup semi final game against Celtic be like?
