Funny, I’ve had that same experience on at least 4 occasions. Was actually partly why I asked the question to start with.
Nice feeling when you’re abroad (Netherlands for me) and you mention Glasgow and the person says “Glasgow Rangers”.
I’ve had this experience many a time in Europe.
Frankly, and I know things are so much different from years ago in respect of what I’m going to say next, we’re more popular than the scum and in the most “unlikely” of places.
Take Rome.
Working with a number of locals over there a few years back and the preference for us was easily 75/25.
Two brothers even said that di Canio was their hero but they still wanted Rangers to win.
I asked why and even gave them the history.
They just thought, and they knew the history, Rangers had so much more appeal.
By the way, they hated the septic strip!
In London and it was a couple of Juventus fans I came across.
“We like Ran-gers much more than Celtic.
Remember del Pierro? I said.
Yes, but we had a great team then.
Then I was asked the question that typifies the septic support.
“Are they still moaning about a penalty to us when it was a dive?
“Yes” says I, “and they will be for a hundred years hence, they’re never defeated, always cheated” I continued.
