Simon Jordan blasts Union Bears’ ‘hysterical reaction’ to Russell Martin as Rangers woes grow
Simon Jordan has snapped back at Rangers fan group the Union Bears for their statement against Russell Martin and chief executive Patrick Stewart.
The horrendous start to the 2025-26 campaign has seen the Gers come under immense pressure from Rangers fans who chanted for Martin to be sacked in the 2-0 defeat to Hearts on 13 September.
In a bid to turn around their poor form the former Southampton boss took the Rangers players to Loch Lomond as Martin pursued team bonding methods to boost morale.
Ex-Crystal Palace chairman Jordan has urged the Rangers owners to ignore the fans’ desire for sacking Martin as he responded to supporters group Union Bears.
Rangers fans should learn to ‘pack it in’ says Simon Jordan
As the horrific tenure of Martin ensues, the Union Bears have released a statement which voices their concerns over the running of the club.
This included placing blame on CEO Stewart for appointing the current Gers manager and requesting that both resign, calling on the ownership to take action.
Additionally, protests are planned for the League Cup tie against Hibernian on 20 September as the fan group stand firm in their beliefs over the future of their club.
The former Palace chairman lashed out on talkSPORT (16 September) at the Union Bears and the wider fanbase claiming they have gotten too carried away with their discontent.
Jordan backed the ownership, saying: “Russell Martin gets off a bus to see ‘this man’s got to be gotten out of our football club’.
“He hasn’t shown that he’s not capable of running Rangers in the long-term. He’s shown that he’s not capable of running Rangers in the short-term.
“This hysterical reaction, this over-the-top reaction to the ‘they didn’t want him in the first place’.
“I don’t care whether Russell Martin stays at Rangers or he doesn’t, right? I just don’t like the idea that people can shout people out of jobs without giving people enough.
“People get to 10-11 games and it has to be that the owners of Rangers that walk through the door, they didn’t just allow their chief executive to make a decision because I would be amazed if they did.
“These are guys that know their way around football. These are guys that are not wet behind the ears that don’t understand the scale of the football club. [They] do understand the ramifications of making decisions.
“And it looks like Russell [Martin] is struggling and it looks like there may well be an argument to suggest that he isn’t capable of doing the Rangers job.
“I’m not making that argument. I’m making the argument that football fans have got a right to express their views, but they got to pack it in when they get carried away with themselves.
“And that they can dictate and determine what people don’t do and they’re not informed of everything.”
Rangers fans protest to pile more pressure on Russell Martin
In a team’s darkest hours, the 12th man of the fans can be a vital tool to get back to winning ways.
However, with the Gers faithful turning their backs on the club, the leadership and the players, Martin will be further up against it in their League Cup quarter-final tie against Hibernian.
Planned protests for the match will create a pressurising atmosphere which could negatively impact the team on the pitch.
| Rangers next four matches | Competition |
| Rangers vs Hibernian (H) | Scottish League Cup |
| Rangers vs Genk (H) | Europa League |
| Livingston vs Rangers (A) | Scottish Premiership |
| Sturm vs Rangers (A) | Europa League |
Hibs will be right up for the contest with the Ibrox increasingly becoming less and less daunting with every game the ex-Saints manager loses.
It does feel like a defeat in the cup clash could be the nail in the coffin for Martin’s short-lived career in Glasgow.
Who the board would bring in to replace the Englishman is beyond me but the Teddy Bears supporters are certainly not in the mood to be disappointed anymore.