This week's UEFA sanctions and all the fall out has really done ma heid, and I'm really wanting to dwell on it. But theres just this nagging thing that I couldn't really understand, cause I found myself in both the 'supporters are fully to blame' plus 'the clubs let us down' camps but wasnt sure why. Now I think I know; It's the processes that has got to me.
To be clear, I'm no looking for posts breaking it down to what others rightly feel is the basic premise - that as long as we dont sing sectarian songs then well be okay. Because I agree. I am fully in agreement. At the end of the day, no songs and no add ons means no problems. But I do wonder about other stuff.
I dont particulary agree with the chastising of the UBs. Not because they're not to blame, but I feel they're to blame for being part of the Rangers support, and we win, lose and share blame together.
But, for as much as I totally accept, as above, the faults with the fans, theres still this nagging sense of feeling let down by the club that I think can still be a legitimate point to raise.
For it's not what's got us here - again to clarify, that's the fans bad - but how we get out of here that genuinely concerns me. And for that, the fans must lead....but the club must support, and it's not good enough to say theres nothing they can do.
Lots of reference, time and typing in various threads explains about the charges Rangers faced from the St Joseph's match, for which we were found guilt and sanctioned- with the next step being stadium closure. Well, from a transparency and procedural view, I'd be interested in the club explaining when we were charged, when the matter was heard and what representation was offered.
Not that I think we could or should have defended the indefensible, it just strikes me that all the comments thus far are that we were charged, BF1 specifically mentioned, and now the seats will be empty.
In any parallel process, no matter how heinous the crime, you are entitled surely to answer for your conduct. So did the club, and if so who and when?
Because it's going forward that really highlights the concern. If we are reported, charged and punished - as seems to have been the case so far - without representation, then there must be an inevitability that we may play very soon to an empty Ibrox, and then if the process reoccurs, run the risk of being chucked out of Europe.
So, Rangers. It's the way you now represent us going forward that matters. If we as fans take full blame, support us in weeding out the problems. I'm not suggesting this will be either difficult nor hard, so back off those tempted to interject with the "how difficult can it be" comments. I get it.
But let's be honest. Come 2130hrs Thursday night, if not before, our haters will be reporting what they consider inappropriate conduct to UEFA. The narrative has begun, the report probably already written in pent up anticipation,
So at this point Rangers, if the criteria for a charge is simply receipt of a complaint, then you must be better placed to defend the fans. God forbid, if the support let us down then again I wont seek to defend the indefensible, but if anything else occurs and we are tasked to answer spurious or mischievous reports, defend us.
And in doing so, its legitimate to talk of stated cases, precedence, concerns over legitimacy of sources....and I'm not being naive to think UEFA will shut down Ibrox cause of an email from an unfamiliar email address and the like, but bear in mind the fans legitimate concerns over the conflict if interest at FARE, yet they still sit as arbiter of our conduct. Somehow.
So yes, the fans must absorb the blame and fix it. But this laizzez faire approach thus far to charge followed by punishment I can swallow (cause I can't think of any real mitigation nor excuse) but the line in the sand is drawn and the stakes set. Today was a barometer, and the fans passed. Fingers crossed, they will again o Thurs and going forward. And if they do, and you dont stand up to any unfair charges which will still be reported simply cause haters hate and wont care actually what we sing cause their agenda is set, you will rightly as a board lose me and others like me