There was a meeting held on Sunday 1st May at Ibrox of over 150 supporters representing over 80 Rangers Supporters Clubs from all over the world, plus board members of The Rangers Assembly, The Rangers Supporters Trust, and The Rangers Supporters Association, and also representatives of The Blue Order, several fans forums, and the Rangers fans liaison officer Jim Hannah.
There were discussions regarding the sectarian singing problem amongst a minority of supporters at our games and how we can try to eradicate this by more stringent self-policing and making the offending supporters know that this is unacceptable at our club, and that we want to promote a more positive image and atmosphere at our matches.
It was agreed that any songs with references to Sectarian chanting as outlined by the Police and the Courts must go now and remain gone. We accepted that there is still a problem amongst a minority of our support, and while we are certainly not the only club with an offensive singing problem, we are the only ones being highlighted at present and whilst we need to clean up our own act we insist all supports must be treated the same.
It was also discussed and agreed that we need to be far more resourceful in presenting a fairer portrayal of Rangers and Rangers fans in the media, and while it is clear that there is an agenda against us and us alone, but we have not done anything about it for far too long. To this regard we have already had meetings with prominent officials from Strathclyde Police and experts in professional fields relevant to us to assist us with our intentions to create a more level playing field within the law for Rangers supporters. The time for this sleeping giant of a support to sit idly by while our enemies politicise everything we do without fear of being challenged or reciprocal action being taken is over.
The message from the representatives at the meeting was unanimously supportive, and we are confident that these messages can be taken back to the Supporters Clubs worldwide, and amongst the Supporters groups and forums, and that we can unite as one to try to eradicate the minority who persist in sectarian and offensive singing, but also challenge and expect all other club’s supporters to do the same, and we will ask the Police and the Procurator Fiscal to be vigilant with Sectarian and offensive singing from all clubs to help us to help them create an atmosphere and society where we can all freely enjoy going to the football without prejudice.