Commentator
Well-Known Member
The club needs to manage this, the UBs need to implement it.
Prior to 2007 who sang the Billy Boys at IbroxI read the first few paragraphs and stopped.
The UB are being blamed for this I see? Utterly laughable and for me it’s shameful seeing some determined to throw the only bit of atmosphere under the bus.
If it wasn’t for these lads then Ibrox would be horrendous on matchdays. We seen that for ourselves during their silent protests
The club are making them an easy scapegoat by shutting them down and not letting them relocate.
Next Sunday the full stadium will be singing the billy boys, you can take that as a 99% certainty. Will the UB get the blame for it?
It's also a sad day when the club throws the fans under a bus as they did after the Hibs fiasco.Much of the problem comes at away games. We could stop selling tickets for these but they can bought elsewhere anyway. The club should state that part of the stadium will be closed for two home games if these problems continue and hit the club with fines etc.
If the singers and those who run on the park at a goal realise the club have had enough perhaps they will finally show support and sing what is acceptable.
I think in the end it will take some drastic action which will cost our club cash and points before we start to identify and clear out those who no longer support our club but just have their own views on why they go to games.
Its a sad day when it is our own fans that are against the wishes of our club.
If you actually had a ST in the Broomloan Front you would realise the UB sing countless Rangers songs but no one else joins in until it’s Super Rangers, the Billy Boys etc.
Prior to 2007 who sang the Billy Boys at Ibrox
if the UB didn’t exist?
Your post makes no sense, are you saying only the UB sing Rangers songs but no one else can hear them because they don't sit in the same stand?
Away with your "if you were BF like me" pish, sitting in a certain part of the stadium does not mean you are better than anyone else.
So how do you ban them when UEFA regard them as the ultimate authority on fan behaviour?
How long would that take?
And meantime, how do we protect our club from more damage from them?
The UB will have been told in no uncertain terms by the club - sort yourselves out or the BF1 singing section is finished.
Btw, I don’t blame the UB for this at all. It’s been part of the fans repertoire since I’ve been a supporter.
We have to change - all of us.
The club need to ask about their agenda based on numerous pieces of evidence i and many other posters sent them in 2011 on this very board. At that time we where high fived and congratulated for taking alot of time out to challenge them
Via emails and correspondence etc.
Whats changed ?how many incidents have the filth across the city been involved in with alot more video evidence available? We have been out of Europe during the years in the lower leagues and after going after out songs then , its now our fan group who spur the team on home and away.
People need to waken up and remember this is still the same piara powers FARE from 2011 . “ They havent gone away you know “.
And they really haven't got an agenda?
Last home game, the copland were singing one song and the main stand joined in, UB’s started up a completely different song instead of joining in. Almost child like.UB sing Rangers songs no one outwith the BF joins in unless Super Rangers, TBB or No surrender starts.
It's very much like the Hong Kong protesters, when China marches in they will have 2 choices, surrender of jail, China doesn't do democracy and UEFA/SPFL don't do British/Ulster pride.UB vs the club is much like the club vs UEFA - they're going to need to play by their rules since any fight would be a mismatch.
Well a few hundred people in a corner isn’t going to be heard all the way in the Copland Front when hardly anyone is singing Rangers songs is it?Your post makes no sense, are you saying only the UB sing Rangers songs but no one else can hear them because they don't sit in the same stand?
Away with your "if you were BF like me" pish, sitting in a certain part of the stadium does not mean you are better than anyone else.
Well a few hundred folk in a corner isn’t going to be heard all the way in the Copland Front when hardly anyone is singing Rangers songs is it?
It seems that way considering folk have this mindset that the UB somehow only sing TBB and Super Rangers.
That I can agree on and seems to happen quite often instead of us all singing the same songLast home game, the copland were singing one song and the main stand joined in, UB’s started up a completely different song instead of joining in. Almost child like.
I love the UB - however there are some massive flaws that need to be overcome if they want to try and represent us as a whole.
The UBs should not be the fall guys for this.
The vast majority of what they do is good and positive.
I wouldn't call throwing big roll onto a pitch at one point only for our players to pick it up as mature.They staged a protest, as is their right, but you describe it as a "huff". That's disrespectful and, dare I say it, immature.
Dont forget the UB are fans like you and me. They work hard to create an atmosphere while others do nothing. If they walk away Ibrox will be dead. That might suit some.
I think it's more to do with the fact that they are the lead group atmosphere wise at Ibrox. It's very rare for singing at Ibrox to start anywhere else in the stadium.Why are everybody blaming the union bears and putting it all on them to sort out the song list.when I have been at Ibrox or watching the games on rtv tbb or super ranges is started by the other parts of the stadium.70% of what the ub’s sing is about rangers or the players.they have brought back some old rangers songs.i have even heard them singing rangers easy ok.
I read the first few paragraphs and stopped.
Two way street, isn’t it?
The club have always treated the UB like an inconvenience, and lets be honest the board would rather the noisy bunch weren’t around.
Not the type of folk who care about fans or the atmosphere.
If the board want change, they should be pro active in it. Not daft wee PR videos. Speak to fans. But that would be too hard, wouldn’t it?
FARE reported TBB as coming from BF1.
Is it even a fight they could hope to win?Rightly or wrongly surely the club could have them disbanded tomorrow by reallocating seats not to mention a few thousand people on waiting list for anyone not happy at being reallocated.For those, predictably, saying it's wrong to single out the Union Bears, I can't be any clearer in my OP about what I want to happen going forwards:
I want the Union Bears to work with the club to achieve the end result of a packed and atmospheric Ibrox with the fans' group leading the way and showcasing their many admirable qualities.
The Union Bears are not immune from criticism, however – and certainly not over this current issue with UEFA.
Actually, I don't know why I'm spelling this out, it's all there in the OP.
I'm just not sure some posters are actually reading what I've said.
I am probably in the same boat as you when it comes to ftp and the billy boys I have put rebel instead of 19th Century Terrorist but in all honest as much as it hurts we’ll have to drop tbb.we have lost that battleI think it's more to do with the fact that they are the lead group atmosphere wise at Ibrox. It's very rare for singing at Ibrox to start anywhere else in the stadium.
Now being in my fifties I love TBB and Super Rangers songs, Ive personally stopped the FTP stuff as it does hurt our club and to be honest he is an irrelevance.
As SL has said, the UBs have an opportunity to lead us into a new era, will Ross and the boys take it...I really hope so as some of the stuff these young ones do is brilliant.
Time to focus on our club, football has changed, the world is one big easily offended bubble , we, as a support need to ensure no more damage is done to Rangers.
We never started itI am probably in the same boat as you when it comes to ftp and the billy boys I have put rebel instead of 19th Century Terrorist but in all honest as much as it hurts we’ll have to drop tbb.we have lost that battle
True we lost the battle in 2006We never started it
As things stand, I'm of the opinion that the Union Bears are finished as a fans' group.
I think that the only way back for them would be if they were to work hand in hand with the club and lead the efforts to promote non-offensive songs at Ibrox and at away games.
Now, it's not for me to tell this group what to do as I'm not and never have been a member – but, if I was, I'd be approaching the club in an apologetic manner and asking what the group can do to work with the club in an effort to help educate our wider support – and safeguard the future of the Union Bears.
Just like they do with the offensive songs the Union Bears start, the rest of the ground would follow the Union Bears' lead if they started singing only acceptable songs.
I actually wouldn't be surprised if the club didn't just disband the Union Bears anyway – that's why it is, for me, imperative that the fans' group seize the initiative here to 1) lead the efforts to promote acceptable singing and 2) safeguard the future of their group and improve their relationship with the club.
Sadly, however, I think the Union Bears will take the huff again and have their silent protests etc, particularly with their section being singled out by the club over recent events with the UEFA charges.
So, instead of the fans' group – and the club – being proactive, I think that, one way or another, the Union Bears are finished.
I truly hope it doesn't come to this because there is much to admire about the Union Bears, but they need to accept criticism when it's merited – which it most definitely is in this case.
Are they collectively mature enough to recognise this, though?
I'd like to think we all – the club, the Union Bears, and the wider support – want the same thing: an
Ibrox with the world-renowned atmosphere that we're known for across the globe, but an Ibrox with a support who no longer sings the songs that will eventually lead us to being banned from Europe completely.
And, make no mistake, we will be banned from Europe if this continues.
Steven Gerrard will walk if that happens.
There's no way our manager will want to be at a Rangers who are banned from Europe – and there's no way he'll want his brand associated with a club who are banned from Europe because of what is deemed to be racist behaviour.
This would give Celtic a free run at the Champions League and effectively render us unable to meaningfully compete.
Doomsday scenario?
No, it's not.
It is a stark fact that we will be kicked out of Europe if we don't change as a support.
I'd be interested to know the thoughts of posters on this board who are members of the Union Bears, and, of course, also hear from posters who aren't members of the group.
Indeed they do. They want to see us 'nailed to the floor'. Their agenda isn't going to change and they have the ear of UEFA so if you think continuing with the songs is a responsible and constructive response please explain why.FARE have an agenda