Rangers make appearance at Leeds v Norwich as local journalist shares image
Leeds United’s Elland Road featured a Rangers flag in a “staunch” gesture from one supporter during their game in midweek, according to Graham Smyth.
Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Smyth shared to his X account (23 January) an image of what appears to be a Leeds supporter displaying a Rangers flag in the Kop End of Elland Road during their win over Norwich City on Wednesday night (22 January).
Some English supporters are known to offer the Light Blues their backing, many of whom have links to Scotland or hold unionist family values, like many in and around the blue half of Glasgow.
Smyth made an ironic quip claiming the flag to be “staunch”, with a Gers badge adorning a Great Britain flag background.
The post read: “Anyone know the story behind this? Didn’t have the Kop down as being so staunch.”
Philippe Clement’s side are in action in England on Thursday night, taking on Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Europa League (23 January).
Rangers popularity among some English fans
Rangers have a huge and loyal fanbase who are not shy to make their feelings known, which stretches far and wide around the world and not just in the UK.
Leeds are not the first and will not be the last club to host supporters at their stadiums with Rangers allegiances – many Scottish supporters also follow an English club through family links.
This tends to be the background behind the adulation for the Ibrox club despite primarily supporting a Premier League or EFL side as an English fan, too, with flags seen previously of the Light Blues’ badge even alongside that of a club south of the border.
Across the Old Firm, this is also popular with Celtic – although this tends historically to be the case with many supporters with Irish links.
The matter does inevitably divide opinion among fanbases, many of whom are of the view that one club should be the sole focus of an individual’s support, and anything more is obsolete.
Some take other factors into account such as political backgrounds, believing there is a case for an exception when it comes to the two Glasgow titans.
One wonders what reactions the Leeds fan in question has had since their decision to unfurl the Gers flag in West Yorkshire.
In other Rangers news, Ian Ladyman blasts the fixture at Manchester United as having become “second-rate”.
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