Rangers: Heart and Hand reacts as Hibs slam ‘abhorrent’ supporter behaviour at Easter Road
Heart & Hand reacted to Hibs condemnation of supporter behaviour after defeat to Rangers by referring to “people in glass houses”.
The Gers sponsor reacted via Twitter on 11 March after the Hibees announced they were to cut their allocation to away supporters after “abhorrent” actions and chanting from travelling fans at Easter Road.
Although Rangers were not named in the Hibs statement it came the day after a dramatic 2-0 Light Blues victory in the Scottish Cup, after which fans of the Edinburgh side wrote to the club demanding a response over “sectarianism” from the Gers support, amid upset at singing as the injured Martin Boyle was stretchered off [Scottish Sun, 11 March].
Heart & Hand wrote in reaction to the official move: “People in glass houses shouldn’t throw vapes.”
Rangers and Hibs fans actions cause controversy
Hibs’ statement also referred to “objects being thrown onto the field of play”, with the statement coming less than a fortnight after Hearts boss Steven Naismith warned that travelling supporters could be banned from the Edinburgh derby after missiles were thrown at Lawrence Shankland from the away end at Tynecastle.
On that occasion the star striker and possible Rangers target made light of the situation by catching a pie and eating it, but also had to dodge a bottle opener among other things more dangerous objects [Daily Mail, 29 February].
While it is easy to simply get into a never-ending whataboutery back-and-forth, where all teams point the finger elsewhere, that ultimately won’t lead to any solutions.
Football as a whole has an issue with supporter behaviour even if it is a minority, which Leon Balogun recently claimed has got worse and more “violent” in his role as part of FIFPRO’s Global Player Council.
Sectarianism or racism against any group is absolutely unacceptable, as is violence or missiles thrown at players and staff of any team, while if songs were directed at a player being stretchered off with a head injury that can’t be excused.
The Light Blues have had enough issues with these sorts of issues, and recent events prove that Hibs do too, but unfortunately it is becoming a tough ask to find any club that doesn’t.
All of it collectively contributes to a situation within the game in which there is no winner so it all needs to be stamped out, with pointed reactions between individual clubs ultimately only make things worse, so clubs either have to look inwards or work together to actually make progress.
In other Rangers news, Michael Stewart was outraged with Bobby Madden in a live clash over controversy at Ibrox.
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