Union Bears face Rangers action after ‘bizarre’ development amid 49ers takeover
Union Bears have landed themselves in hot water at Rangers ahead of the takeover by 49ers Enterprises.
While Rangers have three more games left to play, they have nothing to play for this season, meaning all eyes are on the impending takeover by the US consortium led by Andrew Cavenagh and Paraag Marathe.
However, the Light Blues continue to face problems on and off the pitch, with the 1-1 draw with Celtic at Ibrox on Sunday (4 May) grabbing headlines for the wrong reasons.
Several missiles, including a glass bottle, were notably launched onto the pitch, forcing Neraysho Kasanwirjo to briefly abandon his warm-up to remove the said object.
Meanwhile, fans in the Copland Stand unfurled a tifo that featured an image of Graeme Souness holding a shotgun, seemingly aiming directly at the section housed the away supporters.
Rangers to change Union Bears stance
Rangers were quick to address the matter, as a spokesperson admitted that the tifo at Ibrox ‘crossed a line’, while the process to identify the person responsible for throwing a glass bottle onto the pitch was also underway.
However, Graeme McGarry has expressed concerns over the narrative that the Gers had no knowledge of the banner and its contents beforehand.
The journalist believes it would have been ‘incredibly naive’ of the Glasgow giants if they did not know, and a ‘major misjudgement’ if they knew.
| Rangers | Stat | Celtic |
| 13 | Shots | 7 |
| 4 | Shots on target | 3 |
| 39% | Possession | 61% |
| 319 | Passes | 486 |
| 78% | Pass accuracy | 85% |
Nevertheless, he expects Rangers to curb the freedom and leeway they have been offering the Union Bears in the wake of Sunday’s events.
McGarry, who described the sight of police officers seizing the controversial tifo with evidence gloves as ‘bizarre’, pointed out how the Ibrox outfit’s reputation is at stake amid an imminent takeover.
“It is hard to believe, incidentally, that Rangers had no prior knowledge of the contents of the banner”, McGarry wrote in a column on The Herald website (7 May).
“If they didn’t, it was incredibly naive, and if they did, well, it was a major misjudgment.
“If we take the club at their word, though, then the Union Bears have only ensured they won’t be allowed such leeway from Rangers in the future, not when their reputation is at stake and a potentially transformative takeover from 49ers Enterprises is almost at completion.
“You only have to witness the slightly bizarre spectacle of 40-odd police officers seizing the banner with evidence gloves on after the game, or have been on London Road prior to the last Old Firm game where fans were kettled and denied access to Celtic Park, to see that the authorities are watching these groups and all fans closer than ever.”
Ibrox tifo may land Gers in trouble
Rangers have had a nightmare of a season and are just waiting to finish their last three games so that they can turn their attention towards the summer.
Therefore, such controversial incidents do not do them any favours, particularly considering they are in the middle of a much-awaited takeover.
Everyone in Govan will now be hoping that the tifo and the glass bottle incident do not land them in more trouble.