Executives surely red-faced by Rangers fans chanting v Aberdeen in ViaPlay Cup win
Ewan Murray believes Scottish football’s main executives will be embarrassed after sectarian chanting from a small section of Rangers fans at Hampden Park on Sunday (15 January).
The unsavoury chanting put a dampener on what was an otherwise brilliant day for Michael Beale’s side as they battled from behind to win 2-1 against Aberdeen and extend their unbeaten run under the new manager to seven games.
And with the Scottish League Cup final awaiting between Rangers and Celtic at Hampden Park (26 February), journalist Murray, reporting for The Guardian, believes there could be more trouble yet to come.
He wrote: “A day after Celtic’s support indulged in sectarian chanting during their win over Kilmarnock, the song book from the Rangers following was no better.
“And this, at the national stadium with the game’s main executives watching.
“There should have been red faces among that group, whose scandalous inaction over sectarian verse only allows it to continue. More of the same is, depressingly, an absolute certainty when the Old Firm face off on 26 February. Welcome to 2023.”
Bad look
However you look at it, the two semi-finals painted a bad image on Scottish football thanks to a small section of Celtic and Gers supporters.
Chanting such as that heard at Hampden Park just isn’t needed in this day and age and ruins the spectacle for so many travelling to support their beloved team at the national team’s stadium. Action needs to be taken by such executives, as the longer these fans go unpunished, the longer these chants will go on.
The story of the day should be about the battle of Beale’s Gers side, who came from a goal down once again to force extra time, where Kemar Roofe netted the winner.
The dogged victory was another final example of the remarkable turnaround the Englishman has overseen since taking to the Ibrox dugout following the sacking of Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
A chance of silverware awaits the Gers against fierce rivals Celtic in February, but they will definitely be made to fight for it.
In other Rangers news, one Sky Sports pundit has hit back at Ange Postecoglou and Chris Sutton over Old Firm derby complaints.