Rangers v Celtic tifo fallout: ‘Monumental’ questions asked amid 49ers takeover
Rangers’ controversial tifo displayed ahead of their match against Celtic has left the club scrambling to make amends ahead of their “multi-million pound” takeover.
The two historic rivals went into Sunday’s clash knowing the result would have no bearing on the Premiership’s final standings, with Celtic already crowned champions of Scotland.
However, titles and positions often fall by the wayside when the Bears and the Hoops meet, and a tifo displayed by Rangers‘ fans pre-match once again highlighted the animosity between the two.
The tifo displayed ex-Ger player and manager Graeme Souness aiming down the barrel of a shotgun with a statement reading: “Take aim against the rebel scum”.
The match was also marred by Rangers fans throwing objects, including a glass bottle, onto the pitch in a feisty affair between the two sides that finished 1-1, with an equaliser from Adam Idah cancelling out the exit-linked Cyriel Dessers‘ opener.
Rangers concerned tifo may put off new owners
Speaking on PLZ Soccer on Monday (5 May, 7.00mins), journalist Stephen McGowan reacted to Rangers’ statement regarding the tifo and other incidents.
The Herald Scotland’s writer questioned how the giant tifo even made it into the stadium in the first place, whilst also suggesting the statement made by the club was more to do with the prospective owners than anything else: “That’s what people can’t understand. It’s all very well Rangers making a statement, and they’re right to make a statement, and I understand why.
“This is a club who are trying to get through with a multi-million pound takeover, and it’s very likely that the values of the potential new owners in San Francisco don’t necessarily marry with the traditional values, inverted commas, of some of the supporters.
“But, the fact is, how does that tifo, something that monumental, get into the stadium without the club knowing about it?
“They’re talking about ‘always being built on trust’, well, I think if we know anything about Union Bears and the Green Brigade, you can’t necessarily trust them to toe the line all the time. Ultras will be ultras.
“I think there have to be a lot more checks and balances going on when it comes to these things.”
Rangers and Celtic must take stricter approach to fan behaviour
Football Insider Verdict
Whilst many will look at the tifo displayed on Sunday as merely a crude jab at Celtic fans, the effect it had on proceedings evidenced why it was not acceptable.
Hoops shot-stopper Viljami Sinisalo was hit with multiple objects, and there was also the aforementioned glass bottle thrown onto the pitch.
The pre-match message’s violent suggestions clearly had the intended effect, riling up fans to behave in an unacceptable manner, endangering the safety of the players on the pitch.
| Match stats | Rangers | Celtic |
| Possession | 40% | 60% |
| Shots (on target) | 13 (4) | 7 (3) |
| Expected goals | 1.06 xG | 1.06 xG |
| Big chances (missed) | 3 (2) | 1 (1) |
| Corners | 5 | 6 |
It comes as no great surprise that there was fan trouble between the two sides, but the respective clubs’ inability to get a grip on the Old Firm derby is an ongoing concern.
Both sides meet multiple times a year with incidents occurring on both sides, and it’s shocking that Scottish authorities are not taking more measures to make the event safer for all involved.