Rangers fined by UEFA for fans running onto Ibrox pitch
Rangers have been fined by UEFA after young fans ran onto the pitch at Ibrox following the draw with Borussia Dortmund last month, reports The Scottish Sun.
The club have been found guilty of “invasions of the field of play” and ordered to pay £4,168 for the events after the final whistle of the match, which ended 2-2 and saw Gers knock out the Europa League favourites.
It was one of a number of examples of children running onto the pitch after Bears games, in a trend that has grown generally across football recently, and has led to warnings that parents will be held responsible in future.
The Light Blues had previously issued a statement on the subject saying, via the Scottish Sun: “We have a zero-tolerance approach to those invading the pitch. In particular, any parent found to assist their child in entering the pitch area will be subject to club disciplinary policy.
“Our players have been advised that they should not provide a shirt to any spectator entering the pitch area.”
Fun over
Considering the size of the punishment compared to the joy of the occasion, the club probably won’t mind too much in this instance.
But they have had to move to specifically outlaw this practice as it appears to have developed from an innocent expression of emotion from young supporters, to a deliberate attempt to acquire match shirts for sale.
Rangers aren’t the only side to put out statements on the issue, with the likes of Leeds and Chelsea in the English Premier League doing so in January.
Something which wasn’t really an issue when it happened every now and then involving a genuinely excited child has had to be addressed.
The view that increasing numbers of adults are using their kids to get hold of shirts that can be resold for thousands of pounds has put a stop to that.
With Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side having advanced further in the competition since then, and in with a good chance of getting past Braga in the quarterfinals, it might be something that comes up again before the season is out.
In other Rangers news, one first team member hasn’t ruled out leaving the club in the summer.