Rangers F.C. Supporters

Rangers Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the city of Glasgow.

Numerous fan magazines, blogs and supporters' websites are dedicated to the club and the fans have a famous long-standing rivalry with Celtic, the two Glasgow giants collectively known as "The Old Firm".

Rangers supporters have traditionally been identified with the Protestant and Unionist community in Scotland, as well as in Northern Ireland. The club has a global fan-base, with a worldwide spread of over 600 supporters clubs ranging from North America, Australasia and the Middle East to those closer to home in the United Kingdom. In season 2012–13, Rangers recorded the 18th highest average league attendance in Europe. In 2006, Rangers was one of the best-supported clubs in the UK with an estimated 1.4 million supporters. Rangers have an estimated worldwide fanbase in excess of 9 million supporters.

Fanbase and attendances

Rangers, along with Old Firm rivals Celtic, have the largest support base of all the clubs in Scotland. The club's average attendance is consistently one of the highest in Europe, the figure of 45,750 for the domestic league Season 2012–13 being the 18th highest across the continent. A study of stadium attendance figures from 2013 to 2018 by the '' CIES Football Observatory'' ranked Rangers at 18th in the world during that period, even though they had been playing at lower levels for three of those five seasons. Rangers' proportion of the distribution of spectators in Scotland was 27.4%, 8th overall for national audience share across the 51 leagues studied (Celtic's figures were even higher, mainly due to their stadium holding approximately 9,000 more seats).

Record attendances

Rangers fans have contributed to a number of records for massive attendances, most notably the highest home attendance for a domestic league fixture in the United Kingdom: 118,567 on 2 January 1939. Ibrox hosted numerous crowds of over 100,000 during the 1950s and 1960s, prior to reconstruction following the Ibrox disaster. Rangers supporters also hold records for the highest attendance at a friendly fixture, 104,679, set at Hampden Park in 1961 vs Eintracht Frankfurt, as well as the largest crowd to watch a non-Cup final fixture, 143,570 for a Scottish Cup during the 2012–13 season.

List of Rangers supporters groups

2008 UEFA Cup final

In 2008, up to 200,000 Rangers supporters traveled to Manchester for the UEFA Cup final, with some issues of disturbance and disorder. The match between Rangers and Zenit Saint Petersburg was preceded by scuffles between fans.

However, serious disorder was allegedly sparked by the technical failure of a big screen erected in Piccadilly Gardens to transmit the match to thousands of Rangers fans who had traveled to the city without tickets. In addition to property damage, fifteen police officers were injured and ambulance crews attended 52 cases of assault.

2021 George Square disorder

After winning the 2020–21 Scottish Premiership title in March 2021, Rangers fans were criticised for gathering at Ibrox Stadium and at George Square in central Glasgow, despite public gatherings being prohibited due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland. Instances of violence and disorder were observed, multiple police officers were assaulted, several memorial benches were destroyed during celebrations and one Rangers fan was filmed performing a sex act on himself. In all, police made 28 arrests and handed out fixed penalty notices for a variety of offences including assaulting police officers and sectarian-related breaches of the peace. Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon described the scenes as "infuriating and disgraceful".

Having received the Scottish Premiership trophy on 15 May 2021, thousands of Rangers fans gathered at Ibrox in the morning and walked the to George Square to celebrate the team's title success, although this was still not permitted under pandemic regulations and authorities had requested the supporters to stay in their local area. During the alcohol-fuelled celebrations, a minority of supporters became 'unruly' leading to 'violent clashes' with each other, and then with the police after a decision was made to forcibly disperse the group at 9pm, during which several people were violently assaulted, property was vandalised and missiles and flares were thrown at officers. In all, police made 20 arrests on the day with more expected to follow on review of the incidents. Sturgeon condemned these fans for behaving in "a thuggish, sectarian and selfish manner" and for displays of "vile anti-Catholic prejudice".

Songs and chants

Anthems

Rangers fans' song of choice and most commonly sung is a rendition of "Follow Follow". This is also the club's official anthem and is played before every home match at Ibrox. Other anthems played at home matches include "Penny Arcade" by Roy Orbison and " Simply the Best" by Tina Turner, which is played as the teams enter the stadium. Rangers adopted this anthem after the club won nine titles in a row in the 1990s and Rangers supporters started a campaign that got the song into the top 10 of the UK singles chart in 2010 to commemorate the club's 53rd title win.

Fans songs and chants

Songs frequently chanted by Rangers fans include "The Bouncy", which involves bouncing up and down on the spot chanting the word "bouncy" or "let's all do the bouncy" over and over again; " Derry's Walls", a song commemorating the siege of Derry in 1689; and "Every Other Saturday", a song written in the 1960s and originating from an era when Rangers supporters finished work on a Saturday morning, a lot from the River Clyde shipyards, and headed to Ibrox for the afternoon fixture.

Rivalries

Old Firm derby

The club's most distinct rivalry is with Glasgow neighbours Celtic; the two clubs are collectively known as the Old Firm. Rangers' traditional support is largely drawn from the Protestant Unionist community, whilst Celtic's traditional support is largely drawn from the Catholic Irish community. The first Old Firm match was won by Celtic and there have been over four hundred matches played to date. The Old Firm rivalry has fuelled many assaults, sometimes leading to deaths, on Old Firm derby days; an activist group that monitors sectarian activity in Glasgow has reported that on Old Firm weekends, admissions to hospital emergency rooms have increased over normal levels and journalist Franklin Foer noted that in the period from 1996 to 2003, eight deaths in Glasgow were directly linked to Old Firm matches, as well as hundreds of assaults.

Aberdeen

The rivalry with Aberdeen began in the late 1970s when the two clubs were among the strongest in Scotland. Relations between fans were further soured during a league match on 8 October 1988, when Aberdeen player Neil Simpson's tackle on Rangers' Ian Durrant resulted in Durrant being injured for two years. Resentment continued and in 1998 an article in Rangers pre-match programme branded Aberdeen fans "scum". Rangers stated that they had "issued a full and unreserved apology" to Aberdeen and their supporters, and this was accepted by Aberdeen. In another incident, then Rangers captain Richard Gough accused Aberdeen of only playing when it was against Rangers. This further increased the hostility between supporters of both clubs, which has continued.

Issues with sectarianism and racism

Sectarian chanting by supporters has incurred criticism and sanctions upon the club. In 1999, the vice-chairman of The Rangers Football Club Plc, Donald Findlay, resigned after being filmed singing songs regarded as sectarian during a supporters club event. UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body have punished Rangers for incidents during European ties, most notably against Villarreal in 2006, Osasuna in 2007 and PSV Eindhoven in 2011.

UEFA ordered Rangers to close a section of their stadium in 2019 due to racist and sectarian singing during a Europa League qualifier against Gibraltar based team St Joseph's.

Some Rangers fans have been accused of making Nazi salutes, most notably at a UEFA Cup game in Israel in 2007. Multiple flags featuring the Nazi SS Tokenkopf have been flown by Rangers fans in both 2023 and 2024, with the club launching an investigation after one of the flags was flown at Ibrox Stadium.

Rangers partnered with Celtic to form the 'Old Firm Alliance', an initiative aimed at educating children from across Glasgow about issues like healthy eating and fitness, as well as awareness of anti-social behaviour, sectarianism and racism. The club's 'Follow With Pride' campaign was launched in 2007 to improve the club's image and build on previous anti-racist, anti-sectarian campaigns. William Gallard, UEFA's Director of Communications, commended the SFA and Scottish clubs, including Rangers, for their actions in fighting discrimination. In September 2007, UEFA praised Rangers for the measures the club has taken against sectarianism.

In 2003, Rangers chairman John McClelland vowed to 'weed out' those who among the Rangers support who 'indulge in racist behaviour.' after Celtic players Bobo Balde and Momo Sylla were subjected to racist abuse. In March 2015, Rangers director Chris Graham resigned his position after posting derogatory comments about Muslims on social media. In April 2017, some Rangers fans were seen on TV making racist 'monkey gestures' towards Celtic winger Scott Sinclair. In August 2019, UEFA ordered Rangers to close a part of their stadium after their fans were found guilty of 'racist chanting.'. In July 2020, Rangers defender Connor Goldson was criticized by Rangers fans for supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, he described the fans' reaction as 'hate' and 'ignorance', he was supported by ex-Rangers player Maurice Edu, who also expressed his "embarrassment" and "disappointment" with some Rangers fans' reaction to the Black Lives Matter movement. These events led Rangers CEO Stewart Robertson to condemn the racial abuse of Rangers players by stating "if you are unable to support our players, regardless of their background, you are not welcome at Ibrox".

Politics

Rangers have historically embodied a stark Protestant, Unionist and Monarchist identity, deeply intertwined with British Loyalism in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Academics argue that the club has long served as a symbolic expression of Britishness in Scotland, often associated with the political right and the Conservative Party. Until 1989, Rangers informally refused to sign Catholic players, reinforcing its image as a bastion of Protestant identity. Supporters frequently express their unionist and Orange affiliations through songs, emblems and banners, with many fans attending sectarian Orange Order events and adopting symbols such as the Union Jack and slogans like "We are the people." In the 2000s, Rangers fanzines like ''Follow Follow'' openly promoted a loyalist and right-wing agenda. Surveys from 1990 and 2001 showed Rangers fans to be the most likely in Scotland to support the Conservative Party, oppose a British withdrawal from Northern Ireland and oppose the Scottish National Party.

In contrast to Celtic supporters, who are known to support Palestinian Nationalism and wave Palestinian flags at games, Rangers supporters support Israel and wave Israeli flags.

Notable fans

* Clive Anderson, English television and radio presenter
* Alastair Burnet, British journalist and broadcaster
* Andy Cameron, Scottish comedian
* Sean Connery, Scottish actor
* Grado, Scottish professional wrestler
* Robbie Fowler, English football manager
* Brian Kerr, Irish football manager
* Kenny Logan, Scottish rugby union player
* Lulu, Scottish singer
* Amy Macdonald, Scottish singer
* Drew McIntyre, Scottish professional wrestler
* Colin Montgomerie, Scottish professional golfer
* Marti Pellow, Scottish singer
* Gordon Ramsay, British chef
* Tom Stoltman, Scottish strongman and current champion of the World's Strongest Man
* Angus Young, Australian musician

References

External links

Union Bears
on Facebook
The Blue Order
on Facebook
Sons of Struth
on Facebook

{{Rangers F.C.

Rangers F.C.
Association football supporters' associations
Right-wing politics in sports