Only in the dark days of English 1980s hooliganism did the Tartan Army decide to distance itself in foreign eyes from their neighbours to the south.
That Rangers yobs ran amok in Manchester is thus a black mark on Scottish football culture in general, after so many years of good PR.
One can only wonder if the boneheads charging after a policeman before bringing him down and kicking him mercilessly, as so horrifically captured on CCTV in Manchester, could care less what others think of their neanderthal comportment.
Rangers fans have a repuation in the rest of the soccer world for being headcases – belligerently sporting the Union Jack and satta king Ulster flags instead of Scotland’s while chanting of being ‘up to our knees in Fenian blood – surrender or you’ll die!’
Doubtless, those in the know will recall city rivals Celtic invading Seville in vast numbers for the 2003 UEFA Cup Final but without such excruciating scenes in the streets.
I felt ashamed to see the UK’s being sported so prominently on the backs of those hoodlums, knowing the pictures would go around Europe and many viewers would mistakenly think it was England’s flag instead. You can bet half of them are Scottish nationalists too and don’t understand it is silly to be flying the Union flag at the same time.
To the good Rangers fans who obeyed the law, thank you and I regret you lost the final. To the yobs who caused so much misery in Manchester, thank you for dragging all British football fans’ reputations internationally into the mire once again.a bit rich however, when one recalls the yearly violence of the Scotland v England clash in the 1970s and ’80s, most famously encapsulated by Scottish fans tearing up the turf and breaking the crossbar at Wembley in 1977.
indiasatta 