As mentioned in our earlier article on the brief statement released by the Scottish FA this evening regarding the disgraceful scenes at Ibrox on Sunday after Celtic’s Scottish Cup quarter-final win over Rangers, the Ibrox club has also issued a statement following the disturbances at their stadium.
This Rangers statement is shown below, but before that it’s appropriate to highlight their reference to the Ibrox Disaster on 2nd January 1971. The Celtic Star always pays our respects on the anniversary of the Ibrox disaster and shares the Ibrox club’s disgust at any derogatory references to the 66 football supporters who attended a football match but did not make it home.
The graffiti that has reportedly been found in the Broomloan Road stand – disgraceful as it is – played no role in the scenes after Celtic’s penalty shoot-out victory over Rangers. It was clearly only discovered after the Celtic fans had left the stadium.
We should also note that the Rangers support continually insults the memory of former Celtic manager Jock Stein, who aided the victims of the Ibrox Disaster, and in doing so provokes the reaction that has become more prominent in recent times.
On Sunday, Rangers fans chanted about being up to their knees in the blood of others. They continually chant about child abuse – an issue that their own club directed victims towards the previous Ibrox club’s liquidators as they sought compensation. Child abuse also occurred at Ibrox. Indeed, Rangers FC formally apologised for it back in 2021.
These Rangers fans also chanted on Sunday: ‘The Famine is Over Why Don’t you go home?’ – where over a million people died in what some historians describe as genocide. Is that worthy of comment from Rangers?
This evening, The Scottish Sun is presenting evidence that Rangers ultras were armed on Sunday with some dangerous weapons, although strangely the newspaper mentions both sets of ultras to draw the Green Brigade into this.
There is no evidence of any Celtic supporter, Green Brigade or otherwise, assaulting anyone. Rangers, and The Sun newspaper, may demonstrate that this was not the case, and if so, Celtic support or supporters should be condemned and potentially banned.
It works both ways, and if Rangers want meaningful change, they truly have to put their own house in order. That, incidentally, applies to Celtic just as much as to the Ibrox club.
Here is the Rangers FC statement in full as posted on their official website:
Rangers Support Independent Review:
“Following the events of Sunday’s Scottish Cup fixture at Ibrox, we have spent the past few days in discussions with our staff, supporter groups and the relevant authorities, and we will continue to work closely with Police Scotland, Glasgow City Council, the Scottish FA and the Safety Advisory Group in the weeks ahead.
The disorder that occurred on Sunday was unacceptable and we condemn it unequivocally. Safety must always come first in football, for supporters, players and everyone working in and around the game. We also want to recognise the efforts of the many staff, stewards and emergency services who operated in extremely difficult circumstances on the day.
There are now a number of serious issues which require proper review. For that reason, we agree that there should be a fully independent investigation into the events surrounding the match.
That review must be thorough and wide-ranging, examining the decisions and actions of all relevant parties. Its scope must include the broader context around this fixture, from the initial decisions on ticket allocations through to the sequence of incidents that followed the match. All parties must be prepared to have their actions and decision-making subjected to proper scrutiny.
Where individuals are identified and convicted of offences connected to the match, the club will take action and impose appropriate sanctions, including the potential withdrawal of ticketing privileges and stadium bans.
We will approach all regulatory engagement responsibly and cooperate fully with the authorities as the facts are established. At the same time, we will represent the club and our supporters robustly. We recognise that many fans want the club to say more at this stage, and supporters should be assured that we are across the details of the issues being discussed and the questions being raised. However, it is important that we respect any ongoing investigative or judicial processes and do nothing that could prejudice them. There will be an appropriate time to address those matters fully.
What we can say now is that issues of stadium safety and the legacy of the Ibrox Disaster are deeply personal to this club. We were appalled to discover graffiti within the stadium referencing that tragedy. The memory of the 66 supporters who lost their lives in January 1971 deserves dignity and respect. To desecrate their memory is vile. It is cowardly. It is shameful. This is not football rivalry and it is not banter. It is the abuse of a tragedy that claimed 66 lives.
Finally, it is important that the reputation of Rangers supporters is treated fairly in this discussion. Tens of thousands of people attended Ibrox on Sunday simply to support their team with pride and to watch a football match. We will not accept a narrative that ignores the full context of what happened.
For now, it would not be appropriate to comment further.”
END OF STATEMENT.