22 May 2016 19:16:47
LATEST FROM RANGERS
Rangers finds it incomprehensible that no one, either from within the Scottish FA or Hibernian Football Club, has condemned Hibernian’s supporters following the violent scenes at the end of yesterday’s Scottish Cup final when Rangers players and members of our backroom staff were physically and verbally assaulted. We have not even had the courtesy of any contact whatsoever from Hibernian to ask after the wellbeing of those who were attacked by their club’s supporters.
There must be a full independent investigation into the shameful scenes at Hampden. Rangers is also at a complete loss to understand why certain individuals have hastily attempted to gloss over the appalling events which unfolded at the end of Saturday’s final.
No matter how many times Hibernian’s chairman and Scottish FA vice-chairman, Rod Petrie, and certain other biased commentators wish to play down Saturday’s mayhem and violence, the truth must not be distorted. What unfolded on Saturday cannot and must not be put down to exuberance. That is a complete insult to Rangers, our supporters, and those individuals who were intimidated and attacked.
It was clear to most of those who watched in horror that the Scottish FA’s security procedures failed when Hibernian’s fans went over the top in their thousands. It is to be hoped that all of Scottish football will share Rangers’ disgust and any attempts to attach blame to our supporters for the disgraceful and violent behaviour, which led to our players and fans fearing for their safety, will not be accepted or tolerated by this Club.
We acknowledge that a tiny minority of Rangers fans also encroached on the pitch but only after having been faced with prolonged and severe provocation and in order to protect our players and officials who were being visibly attacked in front of them. Any club’s supporters would have done the same. This distressing and deeply disturbing episode would never have happened had Hibs fans behaved properly but as they swarmed across the pitch it became immediately obvious that the security procedures were inadequate and had failed.
These fans were allowed to rush, unchecked, towards Rangers supporters at the opposite end of the stadium – all the while goading and threatening them. This makes it preposterous to suggest Rangers fans were somehow to blame as some commentators appear anxious to do. This thuggish behaviour must be investigated and as many culprits as possible brought to book and formally charged. This is the second time in a year that Rangers fans have had to endure attacks by another club’s supporters.
It must also be said that it was not at all helpful to see leading members of the Scottish Government, including the First Minister whose parish is Govan, passing comment on social media without any attempt to condemn the behaviour of Hibernian’s fans. These failures are unbecoming of our elected representatives.
Certain media outlets have also attempted to distort reality. In the case of the BBC this is, of course, not news. BBC employees, in particular Stuart Cosgrove, believe Rod Petrie’s comments to be ‘balanced’ and others speak of a ‘minority’ of Hibernian supporters. Another, Tom English, who was not even at the match, would prefer the authorities to focus on Rangers fans’ reaction. We will not endure this insult.
So, let everyone be clear on one thing – Rangers demands that players, staff and fans be protected from the violence and hatred of supporters of other clubs. Rangers fully expects the Scottish FA and Police Scotland to take action to provide our people with a safe environment. When players are unable to accept medals at the end of a final because of fears for their safety and our supporters are alarmed and extremely concerned for the women and children among them, then surely every step must be taken to ensure that this is never repeated.
22 May 2016 19:55:05
Glad to see our board are correctly addressing this issue!
I have seen some shocking videos today with players being attacked but the strangest one I have watched was two of our own grabbing a wee boy? Wtf is the goal in that plan?!
Seeing pictures and footage of this angers me and reading some of the abusive comments after them enraged me further! What is wrong with the rest of Scotlands football fans?
22 May 2016 20:09:20
At the end of the day there was an element within both sets of fans who exhibited moronic behaviours yesterday. You could easily argue that Hibs fans were the more moronic of the two but it does not excuse the actions of some Rangers fans.
This statement totally ignores the moronic behaviour of that element within our own fans and makes out that we only ran on the pitch to protect the players and the woman and children, which is totally not the case for the majority of the people who ran on.
The cynic in me thinks that the statement yesterday and this one are attempts to deflect away from the fact we were rank rotten and got done over by a team we should be pumping. Not only that they want to deflect the anger because we now don't have European football next year.
22 May 2016 20:15:41
Rafbob various pics are emerging which don't show either sets of fans in a good light . There are pics of Wallace walking off the park fine . 90 mins of sectarian abuse ( some could use an excuse to provoke hibs fans? ) . I in a balanced view recon if you's had won? Your fans would have been on the pitch .
I don't condone the actions, but after the last week of play offs n stuff around Europe all fans have peacefully came onto the pitch
My gripe is with the latest statement . Sounds like 1 a would get fae ma girlfriend drunk . Have they not seen the bbc condem, rod Petrie apologies on tv?
Hibs from top to bottom have condemned and apologised for their fans . Your club has made excuses for yours.
22 May 2016 20:21:41
bosshogg you hit it on the nail both sets of fans were on the pitch it should have been left to the police and stewards to deal with then we may have had a gripe about
players being attacked so if hibs get fined we should expect
a similar fate our management should more concerned with
the crime we committed on the field
any one who has watch any of the play offs in England
will have seen there were pitch invasion after each game.
22 May 2016 20:49:35
Delbhoy, I mentioned the two idiots grabbing the wee lad because I find it strange that our clubs statement makes no reference to our element of scum.
Going onto the pitch in those games you mentioned elsewhere in Europe is acceptable, but you will know as well as I do that in Scotland some people see that as an opportunity to show their colours and not in a family friendly manner!
I will ask you now to be honest when you answer this; how would you react if it was your team in the situation witnessed yesterday?
I also don't think our support would have piled onto the pitch like that, if that was the case we'd have done so at the semi-final as well.
22 May 2016 20:50:08
Braga win taca de portugal for the first time since the sixties. no fans on the pitch and no players assaulted.
22 May 2016 20:50:28
And they give the runners up porto a guard of honour and clap them when they go. up to receive their runners up medals.
22 May 2016 21:21:53
Delbhoy 1888 the SFA have a legal jurisdiction when staging an event that all players and staff including members of the media, public and Security staff have a safe working conditions and systems should be in place for any incidents that may occur.
They have failed in this and their response to condemn Hibs or Rangers fans is atrocious.
If their is not a formal condemnation of the Hibs fans or the resignation of Petrie due to his supportive comments on the Hibs fans actions, then as a club it is only right that we should take legal action.
If no fans are identified our any punishment issued to Hibs, RFC should make a stance and bar all away fans from Ibrox as it appears that the SFA condone this type of behaviour.
The may have shit on us in 2012 but we will not accept this anymore.
22 May 2016 22:45:03
Rafbob, I can see you are sensible in the debate . The hibs fans, although they were delighted in ending a 100 odd year hoodo with an injury time winner, were bang out of order! I do not condone this .
Too be perfectly honest? I am happy as a pig in shit that it was their fans and not Celtic fans .
I dare to think what the head lines would be if this happened during the semi .
The past weeks I refers to include millwAll fans, not just Europe .
My only gripe is the " it was all their fault claims . yes hibs fans were mainly to blame, but the statement from Rangers saying their fans only done it to protect their players and staff?
Let he without sin cast the first stone!
23 May 2016 07:36:04
Unfortunately the statement is flawed praising our fans. Throughout the match u could clearly hear sectarian songs mainly aimed at Stubbs. Smoke bombs were lit off and some of our fans entered the park only too willing to fight. Yes Hibs fans were much worse however it's delusional to say our fans were innocent.
23 May 2016 10:11:02
Biffo, a tiny amount of Rangers fans were on the pitch, what don't use people understand, rangers players and staff were attacked, see if rangers or Celtic fans behaved the way hibs done, well let's just say we would never hear the end of it, yes theirs been plenty pitch invasions but how many times clubs players been attacked in the process, I'm so angry by the media response to Saturday and now I'm dreading the next time rangers play hibs.
23 May 2016 06:49:15
You seem trying really hard to ignore the fact it was Rangers players and staff who were being attacked, the hibs supporters ran as far towards the Rangers end as they could.