JABBA THE AGNIVORE

SINGING THE BLUES

Strangely the furore over the 'inappropriate' singing at Berwick at the weekend is being stoked by Rangers supporters rather than the media. Many Rangers supporters have condemned the singing, albeit still blaming the media and, strangely, the Catholic Church, for the whole thing. Practically nobody has condemned the songs per se, only being concerned that Rangers' 'enemies' are being given ammunition. 

So how did the media report these shenanigans? The Daily Record briefly mentioned it in its match report. The Sun had a separate article on Ray Stubbs, the ESPN commentator, condemning the singing and insisting on the police being called. The Herald and The Scotsman were more interested in the rugby and briefly mentioned the singing and chanting in their match reports. I haven't heard it mentioned on the TV at all. So where is this great conspiracy of Rangers being singled out for opprobrium? Apparently these songs have been belted out all season with ne'er a mention in the press. This is first time it's been mentioned and then only because Ray Stubbs brought it to everybody's attention. The way it is being told on blogs you would think that every front page in the land carried the story every Sunday and Monday!

Conversely, when some drunks were allowed into Dens Park a few weeks ago and made some trouble, it was reported as if it had been a full-scale riot involving thousands. The story was overblown so much that many now believe that there was a riot, that people were seriously injured and that huge sections of the stadium were practically destroyed! And yet, we are supposed to believe that the papers are condemning Rangers constantly while playing down any incidents involving Celtic!

Last year, while things were looking bleak for Old Rangers, Kilmarnock came to Ibrox. The singing of 'The Billy Boys' almost drowned out the TV commentator. Nothing, however, was said about it in any of our media and Mr Lunny obviously heard nothing. A short while later Mr Lunny made sure that he had his hearing aid in when attending a European match involving Celtic. He could not wait to report the singing. He inadvertantly lost his hearing aid again, however, when 'The Billy Boys' was belted out at Hampden. 

This is what the problem actually is for Rangers fans; they are now being scrutinised in the same way as everyone else and they don't like it! Any mention at all of misbehaviour by Rangers fans is seen as an 'anti-Rangers agenda.' Green and his Goebels, Big Jabba himself, reinforce this paranoia on a frequent basis. All we hear from this quarter is that everybody is out to bash Rangers, with no evidence whatsoever to corroborate this claim. 

This paranoia has been taken to the extreme by some people that see our football authorities, our media and even our government as having been taken over by 'Popish' elements. To their fevered minds every order coming out of the Vatican has but one purpose: to destroy Rangers. You think I'm exaggerating? Have a look on some of the forums. Even Bill McMurdo's blog has one or two of thes bams posting on it! According to these folk the TV and radio companies turn off the volume when Celtic fans are singing, but turn it up full blast when it's Rangers. Some even suggest that microphones are deliberately put into sections where the singing will come from. One maniac is convinced that the Green Brigade are infiltrating the Rangers support!

So what of the songs themselves; what's wrong with them? According to many Rangers supporters, nothing at all. To a lot of Celtic supporters, everything. To the world at large, however, the Rangers song book is totally unacceptable. Some Rangers supporters point to other football fans singing offensive songs. One pointed to Aberdeen fans singing about the Ibrox Disaster. I agree that such songs are sick and offensive but, really, they are directed at Rangers and only at Rangers. The songs sung by Rangers fans, however, express hatred not for other football teams but for a religion and a nation. They hate Ireland and they hate the Catholic Church. 

'But what aboot theym?' is the usual reply. Well, what about them? Yes, there is a minority, and it is a minority, who sing songs supporting the IRA at Celtic matches. Mostly, however, the big complaint from Rangers supporters is about the 'Soldier Song' and the 'Fields of Athenry.' One of these songs is a national anthem, while the other is a folk song about the Potato Famine. Hardly songs of hate, are they? 

Rangers fans, on the other hand, have songs that are filled with hatred: 'No Pope of Rome,' 'The Famine Song,' and the old favourite, 'The Billy Boys.' These are not songs against terrorists or anything; they are songs about hatred for Ireland and the Catholic Church and nothing more. And yet, they still try to support the singing of such songs! Some might tell you that the word 'Fenian' refers to Irish Republicans alone. That might have been true in the 19th Century but it hasn't been true for about a hundred years! When Billy Fullerton was running about with his Fascists there was no such thing as the Fenians anymore. We all know what Fullerton meant by 'Fenian' and we all know what the singers mean today by the term.

Even songs about Rangers have to have sectarian and racist undertones. 'Super Rangers' has to have the 'F' word yet again. The seemingly inoccuous song, 'Follow Follow' even stoops to such depths. The song celebrates following your team everywhere, even to Hell and back; only it's not Hell they mention, it's Dublin! The song 'Penny Arcade' is perceived by some as being sectarian. I personally can't see how it is but the question needs to be asked: would the Rangers supporters still sing it if it wasn't perceived as sectarian and offensive? After all, some Catholic bishop once erroneously claimed that the 'Hokey-Cokey' was lampooning the Catholic mass. Almost straight away the song could be heard from the Rangers faithful! If somebody claimed that 'Agadoo' was against Catholics I guarantee you would hear it at Ibrox the following week!

So instead of blaming the media and Catholic conspiracies it's about time the Rangers support realised that this is the Twentieth Century, not the Sixteenth! Nobody cares about what religion you are anymore. Nobody cares if you think another religion is wrong. And nobody wants to hear your bigoted opinions! We'll wait and hear what Traynor has to say about it; not a lot, I predict. Green will keep a low profile on the issue; he knows where his support lies! Ally, meanwhile, heard nothing. Maybe he should borrow Lunny's hearing aid!

Ray Stubbs...er...Wait a minute here...