Our 2x best supported clubs and why they irritate us?

[Apache Don]

Exactly! Both of them are the oppressed minority.

[AdamMcIntosh]

The thing I can't stand about them is the "whataboutery" and complete inability to admit they each have problems within their own support. McCoist yesterday was a prime example - happy enough to present the bus-fire as an attack on the Rangers coach and play the victim while completely ignoring the hundreds of people in Rangers strips throwing petrol bombs at the police in Belfast last week.

I appreciate that newspapers need to sell and OF fans are the greatest audience, but the coverage given to the never ending Glasgow pantomime is obscene.

McCoist has never said it was Celtic fans that burnt our bus but only an aimed attack, that could be for any reason even outwith football. And as for the petrol bombings, well anyone can wear a Rangers shirt I dont see why Rangers Football Club have anything to do with this issue.

[Apache Don]

McCoist has never said it was Celtic fans that burnt our bus but only an aimed attack, that could be for any reason even outwith football. And as for the petrol bombings, well anyone can wear a Rangers shirt I dont see why Rangers Football Club have anything to do with this issue.

Well I Fkg couldn't.

Seriously though, I would bet every one of those guys would certainly claim to be Rangers fans and McCoist has history for 'stoking the flames' so to speak.

[energyzone]

McCoist has never said it was Celtic fans that burnt our bus but only an aimed attack, that could be for any reason even outwith football. And as for the petrol bombings, well anyone can wear a Rangers shirt I dont see why Rangers Football Club have anything to do with this issue.

Because people wearing Rangers strips are representing the club. If a mob wearing Rangers strips attack the PSNI with petrol bombs can you not see how that affects people's view of that club?

[The_Kincardine]

Because people wearing Rangers strips are representing the club. If a mob wearing Rangers strips attack the PSNI with petrol bombs can you not see how that affects people's view of that club?

Well they are not 'representing the club', any more than they are representing say, BP, as a quality supplier of flammable liquid if you want to chuck molotov cocktails at police motors.

I do agree with the second part - it does indicate how 'some' Rangers fans can behave and shame on them, the bunch of cretinous b*****ds.

In future I suggest they all go out and buy Killie strips before chucking petrol bombs

[RandomGuy.]

I've no doubt a lot of its' down to the success the Old Firm have had over such a period of time. While some is also down to seeing your old football buddies reject your club to follow one of them and then bragging about it

It's starts at school now with the majority of children seeming to support one of the Old Firm as all the media exposure is about them and they win everything, this starts them bragging about their club at a young age and igniting a hatred in the hearts of the young pupils who support non-Old Firm teams. It certainly did with me, I got years of abuse for supporting St Johnstone, from people who have never ever been to a match. I simply couldn't understand why someone who loves football would support a team they've never watched, still kind of baffles me today. Surely part of the joy of being a supporter is joining in the occasion? Being a part of it all?

[Apache Don]

I've no doubt a lot of its' down to the success the Old Firm have had over such a period of time. While some is also down to seeing your old football buddies reject your club to follow one of them and then bragging about it

It's starts at school now with the majority of children seeming to support one of the Old Firm as all the media exposure is about them and they win everything, this starts them bragging about their club at a young age and igniting a hatred in the hearts of the young pupils who support non-Old Firm teams. It certainly did with me, I got years of abuse for supporting St Johnstone, from people who have never ever been to a match. I simply couldn't understand why someone who loves football would support a team they've never watched, still kind of baffles me today. Surely part of the joy of being a supporter is joining in the occasion? Being a part of it all?

Aye, I remember that stuff at school too. I also had the misfortune to have a rangers supporting father, grandfather and a couple of Uncles.

[effeffsee_the2nd]

for as long as ive been watching football they have opened the cheque book and signed any decent player from any of the other 10 clubs in the top flight, and in many ocasions not even played them on the bench, diluting their own competetion and dragging down the standard of our league. i know big clubs will always atract top players but man utd didnt sign fellani so he couldnt play against them

[Broken Algorithms]

Partially down to elitism, partially down to frustration and partially down to stupidity.

On the first point, I started going to the football with my mates regularly when I was 15. I started to get more seriously involved when I was 17 going on away days with a couple of mates and buying my first season ticket. None of my family members go to games, and its very difficult to explain to people who have been raised on the typical "12pm-5pm game on Sky" view. I guess this point goes out more to fans who follow football on the telly.

Supporting your local club becomes a brilliant habit. Theres a certain thrill in walking up the stadium and not knowing that your team is unlikely to skelp the opposition. Sure, you might get a big win once a season, but more often than not a win will be ahrd fought. Its just as likely that you'll be left gutted in some shape or form. However, that's all part of the package of being a fan at the ground. The best part is when things do go right. You remember the magic moments, both for and against you're team. Seeing Gary Wales score a thirty yard belter on a freezing cold November afternoon against Peterhead is just as vivid as seeing Rovers walk out at Hampden or being ruined by Martin fucking Hardie's free kick (admittedly, it wasn't too long ago, but I still hold all these as important moments to me that I'll remember for a long time).

Fans from the sky generation don't really understand it. Last Sunday I was watching the North London derby with "fans" of Spurs and Arsenal. There was a wee GIRUY but there was absolutely no passion or commitment. Just a brief "yaas, we won" and its all forgotten about. Part of the fun of winning a derby is walking out of the stadium and having a bit of banter outside or at the pub a few weeks later. Usually you'll rip the piss out of each other before agreeing "I don't like your team, but it could be worse, you could be old firm fans".

I don't mind some old firm fans. You'll get a few decent ones who know their stuff and are commited to their team. But I'll not deny it grates that you get people picking them using the notion of supporting who my family supported, when in reality its because they can't accept the lottery that is football. In some ways, it's their own misfortune. If you look through the clubs in the first division Championship, the majority have gone through some upheaval and faced difficult times, or have spent time in the bottom league. But you need to go through these times to really enjoy football.

So on top of all the usual reasons like bigotry, the stupidity of their fans and the gloryhunters questioning "why do you follow x", I'd have to add in the fact that it is people taking the easy route out.

[Apache Don]

Well they are not 'representing the club', any more than they are representing say, BP, as a quality supplier of flammable liquid if you want to chuck molotov cocktails at police motors.

I do agree with the second part - it does indicate how 'some' Rangers fans can behave and shame on them, the bunch of cretinous b*****ds.

In future I suggest they all go out and buy Killie strips before chucking petrol bombs

Is he? I wouldn't have imagined him as being so useful. I'll bear in mind, should I need any. Cheers K

[hellbhoy]

Well they are not 'representing the club', any more than they are representing say, BP, as a quality supplier of flammable liquid if you want to chuck molotov cocktails at police motors.

I do agree with the second part - it does indicate how 'some' Rangers fans can behave and shame on them, the bunch of cretinous b*****ds.

In future I suggest they all go out and buy Killie strips before chucking petrol bombs

Anyone in a replica strip of any club is a representative of the club by association or wanting to support said club period.

The big two because they are so big attract the worst kind of support !,the glory hunting fuckwits who have probably never been to a game or will ever likely to other than buy a cup final ticket so they can be glory hunting arseholes.

Supporters of any club wouldn't dream of wearing another competitive domestic clubs strip purely because they associate themselves to one club alone,although a huge amount tend to buy foreign clubs replica top because ?,that club also is big and successful and feeds their glory hunting addiction also .

[ForeverSinging]

The Rangers fans who peddle the myth that the top flight is ruined because they're not in it really piss me off. Why don't they just admit that we're better off without them?

The fact that the football authorities in this country seem to encourage that view really grates with me. "Football Armageddon" what a fucking joke. An utter load of pish spouted by people who are paid to report on something they know literally nothing about.

Seriously, next time you're having a particularly mundane day at work just think to yourself "How much did Craig Burley et al. get paid for those shite articles in rags like the sun and the record that could've been knocked up in about 5 seconds?". Fucking thousands and they were all a load of pish.

Anyone here could've knocked them up in about 5 minutes and yet they weren't even questioned by many people.

The Glasgow centric press panders to the Old Firm's belief that it is all important and certain Old Firm fans have their egos inflated further and further.

What's really worrying is that people at the top of the game seem to buy into this view at times. The recent redistribution of prize money is certainly a good thing and a step in the right direction but there's still a worrying Old Firm centric tendency at the top.

Hopefully a huge cultural change happens in Scottish football whereby the people in charge and people at fan level realise that generally the last 20 or so years haven't been of any real benefit to anyone apart from Celtic and the old Rangers.

To a degree I think that this is happening with even some Celtic and Rangers fans accepting that something needs to change and some sections of the press arguing that more needs to be done over and above the recent changes.

[Apache Don]

The Rangers fans who peddle the myth that the top flight is ruined because they're not in it really piss me off. Why don't they just admit that we're better off without them?

The fact that the football authorities in this country seem to encourage that view really grates with me. "Football Armageddon" what a fucking joke. An utter load of pish spouted by people who are paid to report on something they know literally nothing about.

Seriously, next time you're having a particularly mundane day at work just think to yourself "How much did Craig Burley et al. get paid for those shite articles in rags like the sun and the record that could've been knocked up in about 5 seconds?". Fucking thousands and they were all a load of pish.

Anyone here could've knocked them up in about 5 minutes and yet they weren't even questioned by many people.

The Glasgow centric press panders to the Old Firm's belief that it is all important and certain Old Firm fans have their egos inflated further and further.

What's really worrying is that people at the top of the game seem to buy into this view at times. The recent redistribution of prize money is certainly a good thing and a step in the right direction but there's still a worrying Old Firm centric tendency at the top.

Hopefully a huge cultural change happens in Scottish football whereby the people in charge and people at fan level realise that generally the last 20 or so years haven't been of any real benefit to anyone apart from Celtic and the old Rangers.

To a degree I think that this is happening with even some Celtic and Rangers fans accepting that something needs to change and some sections of the press arguing that more needs to be done over and above the recent changes.

Good post. Unfortunately The SFA seem to believe Celtic & Rangers International are Scottish football. It's us fans who have to keep reminding them otherwise.

[cyderspaceman]

I've no doubt a lot of its' down to the success the Old Firm have had over such a period of time. While some is also down to seeing your old football buddies reject your club to follow one of them and then bragging about it

It's starts at school now with the majority of children seeming to support one of the Old Firm as all the media exposure is about them and they win everything, this starts them bragging about their club at a young age and igniting a hatred in the hearts of the young pupils who support non-Old Firm teams. It certainly did with me, I got years of abuse for supporting St Johnstone, from people who have never ever been to a match. I simply couldn't understand why someone who loves football would support a team they've never watched, still kind of baffles me today. Surely part of the joy of being a supporter is joining in the occasion? Being a part of it all?

These fuds do not seem to realise that if EVERYONE did indeed change allegiance to their team, then they would have no-one to play against.

[WeeHectorPar]

for as long as ive been watching football they have opened the cheque book and signed any decent player from any of the other 10 clubs in the top flight, and in many ocasions not even played them on the bench, diluting their own competetion and dragging down the standard of our league. i know big clubs will always atract top players but man utd didnt sign fellani so he couldnt play against them

This was especially true in the days when players were on long-term contracts.Players could put in transfer requests but they didn't get a % of the transfer fee. The OF signed up the best players just to nobble the opposition. The SFA and Scotland management were also to blame for a lot of it as many good players never played for the Scotland team unless they signed for the OF.

[jock001]

Probably the breath taking arrogance and victim mentality they seem to exhibit. They act is if everyone is against them. Despite the fact the media and football authorities give them highly favourable treatment. For example why was Neil Lennon's outbursts about not having a one of his players being nominated for POTY given more column inches than the actual players who were nominated? Likewise, why was a rather trivial story about The Rangers team bus been torched spread across the front page, with McCoist given a platform to play to the lowest common denominator. When it could have been buried somewhere on page 18? Same in relation to both managers getting favourable and convenient punishments when it comes to touch line bans.

The reason the OF feature so prominently in the press is because people want to know about them. Including you.

[jock001]

This was especially true in the days when players were on long-term contracts.Players could put in transfer requests but they didn't get a % of the transfer fee. The OF signed up the best players just to nobble the opposition. The SFA and Scotland management were also to blame for a lot of it as many good players never played for the Scotland team unless they signed for the OF.

I must have heard this argument 1000 times.

The old firm operate in the same transfer market as everyone else. If they buy a player from your club, it's because your club accepted the offer. If they accepted the offer, it's probably because no other team on the planet was willing to pay as much for one of your players.

As for the second part of your post, I'd suggest that there were a lot of good players who didn't get to play for Scotland because they signed for the OF and couldn't get a game. E.g Derek riordan or Steven Pressley. Had Pressley left Rangers earlier or Riordan not signed for Celtic, I think both of them would have had a much better Scotland career.

On the other hand if you were good enough to be a starter for one of the OF, you were almost certainly going to be good enough for the Scotland Squad.

The top teams in any country tend to have more internationals and more of that country's internationals than other teams. Why should Scotland be different?

[BloodRed]

The b*****disation of the poppy is the worst thing these clubs have done. To use something as symbolic as the poppy to get one-up on each other is completely unacceptable.

For Celtic to not have one minute silences and The Rangers to try and adopt it as their own is as abhorent as it is predictable of these two clubs.

Scotlands shame.

P.s. Hi to all xx

[ShawfieldAggro]

Football as a whole has 'b*****dised' the whole thing every bit as much....how many shirts had poppies ironed on them ten years ago??? Watching the English Premier fortnight ago very nearly every club had servicemen carry 5ft poppies on the pitch. Fair to say that games in the northwest would have a fair share of Oirish fans present to witness this, who apparently seemed to observe whatever was being, er, observed. There's obviously reason those at Timothy felt they couldnt..... Tbh on the subject matter, neither of the OF irritate me all that much, if im honest. You get the usual idiot wth their 'better aff swimmin in the Clyde, guffaw guffaw', but these dildos are fairly transparent and any lack of savvy to give them a wide berth, and subsequent offence taken would be yer ain fault. The reason iv found a fair few lower league fans give for supporting (insert crap team here.......) is to avoid the hassle the OF attract/give out, which imho is a total cop out. I support mine because they are numero uno, only and always, and dislike/distaste of/with any other club has never had any bearing on it. Nor do i sleep any easier because i'm one of the mythical 'real supporters' a lot of non OF fans feel so great about........after all, my team unfortunately IS shite and iv'e no wish to revel in it.....

[Fife Saint]

I dislike the way they have commercialised bigotry for their own ends. The losers from Perth, Dundee etc. who support them are largely dormant in the economy of our game but the decades of pandering has left little competitive edge to take them on.

The whole Rangers saga has shown how utterly inept our governing body is. There is no long term desire to improve the competition in the league from the guys at the top and many of the chairmen are so hamstrung by the financial divide that they go along with it.