The three reasons Rangers fans have fallen out of love with the Scotland national team

Yes, but having to stand up and openly challenge grown adults at a game is a ridiculous place to be. There is a lot of anti-englishness and nationalism, be it the SNP, Donald Trump’s or the English version will always breed division. I, like you, will support Scotland and want us to do well, but the core values of many of the TA are way, way off attracting the lost generation of Scotland fans back to the games.

I agree it is ridiculous mate, but I can't help myself when anyone abuses our players, or even ex players, at Scotland games.

The fxxk wits who do this are not real football fans imo and deserve to be called out.

I do take heart that I get back up from other fans.
 
Come on Scotland.
I was born and bred in Scotland and no-one or nothing will stop me supporting Scotland.
I genuinely feel sorry for the folks who are missing out on supporting Scotland during the Euros.
Clarke is doing a pretty good job he’s fashioned a defence out of very little and is introducing young players too.
I’m delighted for Patterson what an incredible opportunity for the lad. Fully deserved too.
Steve Clarke acted like an absolute c@nt not so long ago and you can bet it was deliberately designed to cause the reaction it did and VOILA the agenda driven filth merchants get to paint Rangers fans again as the bad guys. This is the shitty little country we live in now so it’s impossible to ignore the fact the team manager despises Rangers fans as do a fair amount of the TA foot and mouth soldiers, the SFA the mhedia and the nationalist rabble SNP. I can understand lots of people are excited Scotland’s in a big tournament again after a 23 year absence but it’s equally understandable why a large number of Rangers fans are a mixture of people who have no passion for the national team anymore, have no interest in it whatsoever and there’s some even wanting them to fail. Myself it’s the passion that’s gone and I really won’t be up or down whatever the team’s results, I can’t stand the manager and I have nothing in common with many of the so called TA as it now is and I find it a bit crap they are having to rely on players who aren’t even Scottish!
 
Yes, but having to stand up and openly challenge grown adults at a game is a ridiculous place to be. There is a lot of anti-englishness and nationalism, be it the SNP, Donald Trump’s or the English version will always breed division. I, like you, will support Scotland and want us to do well, but the core values of many of the TA are way, way off attracting the lost generation of Scotland fans back to the games.
It's bloody obvious even down here in Brighton that the Nats have got it in for Rangers and its fans. And that the Tartan Army is becoming evermore Nationalist and intolerant with it. It's pretty clear too from this thread you're just as weary of all this crap as us English.

I f*cking hate how politics has got its grip in the game. England national team and fans are well and truly caught up in it. Not so bad at club level, Brighton's a small club, we all tend to know each other or if not we've mutual friends we've chatted to at games. I've happily chanted anti-Palace songs with a Marxist Brighton fan and I've lost it celebrating a last minute winner with blokes from EDL. For those 90 minutes we're all just Brighton fans.

Shane Duffy had a similar relationship with us fans. Said he was here for the football, Republicanism was a big part of his life but respected he was playing in England, he wouldn't do politics & never made a fuss about wearing a poppy. I'm a staunch Unionist but I respected him for that. I know he and his brother have messed things up since though.

I can't wait til the day Sturgeon loses a 2nd Ref, they lose their raison d'etre, and we can go back to a mainly sporting rivalry. I never want the ferocity of that rivalry to diminish, mind.

True story: My Grandad born in Helensburgh, moved to Paisley. His best mate's dad took them to their 1st ever match at St Mirren. My Grandad was hooked. Every sister (he had 10), cousins, uncles, aunts were Rangers. Worst mistake he ever made becoming a St Mirren fan, my Grandad used to say. He loved and hated them equally.

We used to watch the Home Internationals together, I'd cheer on Scotland with him except when Scots played England and likewise he'd cheer on England when not playing Scotland. When you beat us in 1977, he was celebrating so much & rubbing my nose in it, I was in floods of tears. (I was 8) Grandad didn't care, he needed someone English to flick Vs at. He died a week to the day after that with bragging rights over the English.
 
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Well that game was at Pittodrie so a majority of the crowd were likely Aberdeen fans. Even if a bunch of Rangers fans were at that game they can't do much to stop a stadium full of Aberdeen fans booing.
I’ve waited on a post like this one for a long time. Makes sense to say most would have been sheep still doesn’t make it right if he’s wearing a Scotland shirt. Now Ian black got pelters at Easter road playing for Scotland. at the time the media said it was because he was a ex hearts player again that makes sense right?. Berra ( ex hearts) was playing centre half that night and didn’t get booed once how do you explain that? I’ll wait......
 
I have never once supported England. Do I hate them? No. Do I like them? No I'm totally indifferent the same as I am with Wales and Northern Ireland.
I guess I lose staunch points on here.
 
I agree but it's also true we were hungry for success nah make that starving we had watched some real dross..Butcher and Woods were giants of the type we hadn't seen in a generation or longer at the club-so the affection and elation was huge and we would defend these guys to the hilt. It coincided as I said as well with pretty much a Rangers free Scotland (Cooper aside). Also it's not logical to want your key players to perform badly for their country as a fair chance it would impact on club form.

You are right it didn't turn us into England fans but it's also true that was the start of a change in the fabric of things. My grandfather who would tell me tales of Alan Morton was also incredibly anti-English in footballing terms but also paradoxically wasn't always a fan of non-Rangers Scotland players-he was probably typical of that generation. I suspect your background was similar.........we've traveled a strange road since then and became strangers to some extent in our own land.
As far as team sports go I've never wanted England to win, that's rugby,cricket,football or tiddlywinks. For me, it was down to the superior attitude, the sneering disregard they displayed toward Scotland and other countries.
As you say the Souness revolution that brought Butcher,Woods etc north had its effect. I loved those guys, but not enough to want them to win in the white of England, while at the same time my enthusiasm for our own national side had been on the wane since the appointment of Jock Stein in 1978, it has continued to wane year on year since then for a myriad of different reasons.

As far as this particular tournament goes I'm completely ambivalent, I hope to see some good football. I hope to see our own Rangers players do themselves proud.
 
The Scotland national team support was once heavily made-up of Rangers fans but that relationship has deteriorated over the past 30 years.


By
Jeff Holmes
  • 08:49, 8 JUN 2021
  • UPDATED09:20, 8 JUN 2021

'One man scores four; four men score one!’

The headline stuck out like a sore thumb; those big black letters grabbing my attention.

Scotland had thumped Cyprus 8-0 at Hampden in a World Cup qualifying match. It was May, 1969, and Colin Stein, who had recently joined Rangers for a record-breaking fee of £100,000, had bagged four.

He was already my hero, but now I had to share him with everyone else. Stein’s team-mates, John Greig and Willie Henderson were also on the score sheet.

I was almost nine, and it was my first international. The crowd was 40,000 strong, but I was among friends. My dad and older brother might have supported Patrick Thistle, but I was an apprentice bluenose, and the majority of the Hampden crowd that day were time-served Rangers fans.

The thought of a Rangers player in dark blue being booed, or the majority of Gers’ supporters turning their back on the national team would’ve been unthinkable back then; sacrilege, almost.

But that’s what I, and thousands more like me, have done. I still look forward to all the major tournaments, like the Euros, but I won’t be cheering on any country in particular this time.

So how did we get to this point? Perhaps we can rewind to the mid-1980s, when Graeme Souness lured England internationals like Terry Butcher and Chris Woods to Ibrox. Whenever these guys represented their country there was a whole host of Bears tuning in. But the majority of Rangers supporters still followed Scotland.


When the Geordie genius Gazza joined Rangers in 1995, a few more made the switch from the dark blue of Scotland to the iconic white top of England. It didn’t help when Mr Gascoigne made a complete fool of Colin Hendry and Andy Goram at Euro 96.

In 1994, the SFA had done something similar to Rangers striker Duncan Ferguson when they whacked him with an unprecedented 12-game ban for a ‘phantom’ headbutt on Raith Rovers player John McStay. It was a disgraceful punishment and Big Dunc refused to play for Scotland after that.

For me, though, the dam burst in 2012. The SFA put the boot into Rangers when the club was on its knees; when we needed help from our governing body, and that help was nowhere to be seen.

Our club was a mess. We’re the first to admit it, but the way we were treated was appalling.

Throughout my life I’ve always tried to follow examples set by those who conduct themselves in a dignified and respectful manner.

One man I had the utmost respect for was the late Sandy Jardine. He talked, we listened. He was the constant who stood up to those who wanted to beat our club with a stick – and, believe me, there were many.

We expected the canned vitriol from the other member clubs, even though Rangers – more than any other club in the history of Scottish football - has been there at the drop of a hat to bail out those who had fallen on hard times.

But that benevolence was nowhere to be seen when we needed it. When Sandy Jardine threatened to hand back his SFA Hall of Fame award due to the crippling sanctions imposed by the governing body, the gulf in relations between my club and the SFA was as wide as the River Clyde. Anti-SFA chants at Ibrox became the norm.

The 2014 Scottish referendum polarised our beautiful country even further. It was like those old school dances, with boys on one side of the hall and girls on the other. It was time to choose your side.

We’ve had Lee Wallace, Ian Black and Ryan Jack all barracked by Scotland supporters while on international duty for what one can only assume was due to their allegiance with Rangers.

Back in the day, when I was a regular at Scotland games, as far as I can remember there was little club tribalism on show.

We really all were united by a common cause, and that was to see Scotland come out on top, but I’ve a strong feeling those days are gone now, and in the past they shall remain.
Pretty much spot on but it should be added that the footballing authorities in this country go out of their way to help Celtic and hinder us at every turn. Corruption which is thrown in our face.
 
Rangers fans who support Scotland passionately are usually over 45 with misty eye memories of how it used to be.

I just don’t get it, I’ve never been patriotic when it comes to the National team but each to their own.

See that team that started against Netherlands coupled with the manager, I just can’t imagine as a Rangers fan sitting down and actively supporting that shower of wankers.
 
I must admit I have a soft spot for anyone playing England at football.
Can't help it. Just love to see them get beat.
Nothing against the English people though so probably just petty jealousy on my part :)
That’s one thing.

Chanting for a country we had just been at war with and hated (fair amount still do) our guts is something else.
 
Rangers fans who support Scotland passionately are usually over 45 with misty eye memories of how it used to be.

I just don’t get it, I’ve never been patriotic when it comes to the National team but each to their own.

See that team that started against Netherlands coupled with the manager, I just can’t imagine as a Rangers fan sitting down and actively supporting that shower of wankers.
The easy answer is that I am Scottish so I will always follow my country no matter what.
Anyone who pulls on the dark blue shirt will get my support during the 90 minutes. Some not so much outwith this to be fair though :)
 
The easy answer is that I am Scottish so I will always follow my country no matter what.
Anyone who pulls on the dark blue shirt will get my support during the 90 minutes. Some not so much outwith this to be fair though :)

As per my previous post I’m willing to bet you are over 45 years of age and that’s the point I’m making.
 
I have never once supported England. Do I hate them? No. Do I like them? No I'm totally indifferent the same as I am with Wales and Northern Ireland.
I guess I lose staunch points on here.
I use to just use England as a bandwagon when ever Gers where out of Europe......

different atmosphere by very far ..... only done 3 England games right enough
 
I’ve waited on a post like this one for a long time. Makes sense to say most would have been sheep still doesn’t make it right if he’s wearing a Scotland shirt. Now Ian black got pelters at Easter road playing for Scotland. at the time the media said it was because he was a ex hearts player again that makes sense right?. Berra ( ex hearts) was playing centre half that night and didn’t get booed once how do you explain that? I’ll wait......
Because he's a pretty unlikeable person generally?
 
I can't get motivated at all about the national team, all I feel towards them is indifference. I'll admit tho it's great to see Patterson, Gilmour, McLaughlin involved. I just know though that Clarke will stick with the usual sh1te, odonnell, Christie, mcgregor etc.
 
In addition to the many sound reasons put before, my appetite for supporting the Scottish football team has long since disappeared. I did used to support them as a kid but cannot bring myself to do so nowadays.
Also I cannot support Scotland in any sport unless they sing the National Anthem beforehand and I don't mean that racist dirge Flower of Scotland. Northern Ireland still sing God save the Queen, so why don't we?
 
I was in Turin when Scotland couldn't be bothered crossing the half way line in 1990 v Brasil, however I still support them, not love them.
 
I don't give Rangers haters the time of day I haven't bought one single Scottish team top supported them in person, souvenirs, monetary or anything since 2012.
They are an embarrassment with their hatred of our team and anything British so I give them fu@kall but ridicule back in return. I wish our players well for their personal contributions but that's it.
 
Agree mate - it is response like his that are defeatist and allow others walk all over us.

I have been to Scotland games and stood up and challenged anyone who has a pop at our players. Believe it or not, when I do so there are others who back me up.

I will still attend Scotland games but I will not sit quietly in Hampden and listen to scum have a go at any one of our players.
Good on you Daven but I went the other way.

Ryan Jack being booed onto the park was the final nail in the coffin for me. I am just sick of the whole attitude towards our players be it SFA, SPFL, referees, disciplinary panels, media and players and fans of other clubs.

It's good to know our lads have people defending them at matches but it is pissing in the wind imo.
If the 8.75 season wasn't enough to convince the country that they were backing the wrong side then nothing will. It is a fully ingrained disposition now.
 
The easy answer is that I am Scottish so I will always follow my country no matter what.
Anyone who pulls on the dark blue shirt will get my support during the 90 minutes. Some not so much outwith this to be fair though :)

I was 10 when Scotland last played in an international tournament, providing me with my favourite World Cup memory of Tom Boyd scoring an own goal against Brazil. Loved seeing how hurt and dejected he was. A tramp in a dark blue jersey is still a tramp.
 
Good on you Daven but I went the other way.

Ryan Jack being booed onto the park was the final nail in the coffin for me. I am just sick of the whole attitude towards our players be it SFA, SPFL, referees, disciplinary panels, media and players and fans of other clubs.

It's good to know our lads have people defending them at matches but it is pissing in the wind imo.
If the 8.75 season wasn't enough to convince the country that they were backing the wrong side then nothing will. It is a fully ingrained disposition now.
Completely understandable mate.

One reason I stuck at it is because my mate is an Aberdeen fan and he stood by me when I was shouting pricks down - he is a football fan and has no time for kiddy on fans with agendas.

It was also heartening to hear other fans in the crowd back me up.

The biggest two fingers we gave the scum you mention above is winning the league this year. Nobody will ever take that away from us.
 
Nationalism has ruined this experience for me. I'm completely torn down the middle truth be told. I will never ever give our union up. Never will I surrender to the seperatists.

I find myself sitting here actually wanting Scotland to do well because after all as much as I'm British I'm also so proud to be Scottish I just have nothing in common with the support or the powers that be, it's really quite sad actually.
 
I was 10 when Scotland last played in an international tournament, providing me with my favourite World Cup memory of Tom Boyd scoring an own goal against Brazil. Loved seeing how hurt and dejected he was. A tramp in a dark blue jersey is still a tramp.
I find that pretty pathetic to be that bitter at 10 years old but each to their own.
 
As per my previous post I’m willing to bet you are over 45 years of age and that’s the point I’m making.
I dont agree with your thinking here. Me and all my mates are over 45 and have lost interest in the national team.

In fact, it's worse for us as we've watched the whole thing deteriorate through the years. This isnt or wasnt an overnight thing.

People go on about us when we signed english players, but I remember down our pub which was a rangers boozer, playing Sweden in the wc in 1990, a great night with the pub full of bears. Even in 96 when we played england at wembley. Full of us supporting scotland.

The Duncan fergusson disgrace started the ball rolling for a lot of people, then the TA started to think they were bigger than the team. The rise of nationalism and 2012 speaks for itself.

No misty eyes here mate, but I can tell you, there are no plans for a get together for us all, even the Scotland, England game. That would be unthinkable 20 years ago. It shouldn't be like this, but that's how its turned out.

I'm not an england fan, but it would be a right laugh seeing some of the rage up here if they were to win it
 
I dont agree with your thinking here. Me and all my mates are over 45 and have lost interest in the national team.

You’ve totally misinterpreted my point entirely.

I didn’t say all Rangers fans over 45 support Scotland. I said the ones that do support our club and Scotland are normally aged 45 and older.

Read it again.
 
Nationalism has ruined this experience for me. I'm completely torn down the middle truth be told. I will never ever give our union up. Never will I surrender to the seperatists.

I find myself sitting here actually wanting Scotland to do well because after all as much as I'm British I'm also so proud to be Scottish I just have nothing in common with the support or the powers that be, it's really quite sad actually.
You could have wrote that for me mate. Spot on.
 
You could have wrote that for me mate. Spot on.
It's just sad mate a can imagine there's many of us feeling a bit like this as me at 30 have never really had the chance to see us in a major final so should be excited but I just find myself struggling even wanting to be part of anything these loonball Nats hijack. Then on the other hand I think why should I disown my country due to the wanks that follow them at this moment.
 
The blazers don't own the Scotland team and the tartan army/arseholes don't own the Scotland team. If they put you off supporting Scotland (even on the telly) you need to man up.
 
The blazers don't own the Scotland team and the tartan army/arseholes don't own the Scotland team. If they put you off supporting Scotland (even on the telly) you need to man up.
Wits the alternative just going to these games rising to the shite yed get then more than likely start rolling about with fucking idiots?

Edit. No one I prefer men tell me wit to watch on tele lol a was talking about actually trying to actively support them I find there's no place amongst the majority of them for proud unionists like me. I'd boo fos but never ever gstq but then under no circumstances would I actively support England to beat Scotland either in any sport. Work that out.
 
It's just sad mate a can imagine there's many of us feeling a bit like this as me at 30 have never really had the chance to see us in a major final so should be excited but I just find myself struggling even wanting to be part of anything these loonball Nats hijack. Then on the other hand I think why should I disown my country due to the wanks that follow them at this moment.
Being a Rangers fan, I feel like an outsider looking in. It shouldn't be this way.

Most guys I know would end up having a fight with our so called own fans if we went to a game now. I dont mind one of our players getting it, if he's f**ked up, that's part of the game, but just for being a Rangers player is unacceptable.
 
Wits the alternative just going to these games rising to the shite yed get then more than likely start rolling about with fucking idiots?
Why would you get shite? And if there was an anti Rangers comment you're allowed to tell him to STFU without rolling about with him.
 
The blazers don't own the Scotland team and the tartan army/arseholes don't own the Scotland team. If they put you off supporting Scotland (even on the telly) you need to man up.
Man up? I take it you've had a few run ins at the scotland games then.
 
This is 2021. No Rangers players play for England now.

So why would a Scottish person support them?

It's no different to a Scottish Celtic supporter choosing to support the Republic of Ireland over Scotland. That is also tragic.
We've had filth directors in the past in the sellik end at Hampden supporting the roi against Scotland.

You might think it's tragic.

I reckon it's reality.

Now in the present day, what's tragic is that the SFA is full of like minded ne'erdowells, running Scottish football into the ground.

Other than a 'shettleston' why would any Scottish person support them.
 
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We've had filth directors in the past in the sellik end at Hampden supporting the roi against Scotland.

You might think it's tragic.

I reckon it's reality.

Now in the present day, what's tragic is that the SFA is full of like minded ne'erdowells, running Scottish football into the ground.

Other than a 'shettlesston' why would any Scottish person support them.
Erm, because they don't own the Scotland team and they never will? And I'd imagine very few Tims go to watch Scotland these days.
 
Naw, I've not been to a Scotland game in years. But a few twats in kilts won't stop me hoping that they win.
I hope they win too, its just that years ago, I would have been on a downer if they lost.

They broke my heart many a time, when we were knocked out of tournaments. That's the difference for me these days though, I'm neither up nor down about it.
 
It was likely to do with the penalty miss v England. Regardless, it was moronic.
He was never forgiven for that penalty miss and I was at the game he was booed. He was neither up nor down performance wise that game but received a horrendous hospital pass which he couldn’t control and the booing took off from there.
 
I kinda half read the first post. I'm half NI and half English. Despite everything the SNP, SFA and others do....its your country....reclaim it from the divs. Support your country. Rangers fans are British and proud. Scumtic play in Oirish colours. Don't let them stop your patriotism. Be Scottish, British and proud
 
It never ceases to amaze me how many defend Scotland fans with the “there’s lots of Rangers fans among them”

so how come no one can answer the question about Ryan Jack being booed by the tranny army? Or was that one of the days Rangers fans didn’t make it to a Scotland game?
Do you stop supporting Rangers if people are booing at Ibrox ?
 
Ronald Watterus.
Did we boo him for the team he played for? Or because he had a shite game?

again no one can explain why Ryan Jack among several Rangers players have been booed and especially when they have barely been on the pitch or even having their name read out
 
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