36 responses so far ↓

• Lonelybhoy // Nov 8, 2007 at 21:58

  it seems that they travel near and far,
  and make more enemies than friends as they do
  Celtic travel the world,and are praised by all for the fans behaviour.
  how can 2 groups of people from the same city behave and be perceived so differently?
  i have no idea, but im just glad to be born on the green side;-)
  Well Done Barca!
  Hail Hail from Celtic Fans around the world;-)

• yan // Nov 8, 2007 at 21:59

  nice photo, what has it to do with rangers fans?

• Not completely mad // Nov 8, 2007 at 22:05

  I was just wondering during the game who gave the Barca hinchas their IRA flags?

  Do you know who it was?

  One other thing: Barca truly is ‘la cuidad del los ladrones’.

  Both myself and my friend were pickpocketed in the space of an hour.

  Don’t think this would happen in the clean side of Glasgow

• Iain Mac // Nov 8, 2007 at 22:06

  Get that draconian chip off your shoulder! Most Scottish Rangers fans are Scotland fans through and through and most countries ‘wax-lyrical’ about how it is great for the Tartan Army to be in town “Drunk, pissing, spewing etc, etc, etc). Don’t see the difference. It’s like me saying well the locals are pick-pockets and thieves/touts. Not good to generalise. Oh I was there with my kids and they were more intimidated by the Barca fans/locals on their way to and at the game than they have been even at an Old Firm game. Yours in sport.

• Iain Mac // Nov 8, 2007 at 22:19

  LovelyBhoy, take your head out your Hoop. Bet the Manchester public really respected your outward display of republicanism when you were down there. ‘Keep saying it enough and you start believing it’, we wanna be loved so much!!!!

• davie // Nov 8, 2007 at 23:49

  i agree ian mac - the celtic fans are obsessed about being the ‘best fans in the world’. bottom line is, we took 25000 gers fans over to spain and no trouble. barca were top class last night - gave us a bit of a footballing lesson - but the fans still sung their hearts out again. the bears support was fantastic last night. simple as that.

• Ger4life // Nov 9, 2007 at 0:49

  Typical of the Celtic fans to jump on the bandwagon what did our game have to do with them absolutely fu*k all,always quick enough to criticise Rangers while trying to gloss over their own fans flaws ie pro ira chants at every away game home and abroad,also they call themselves best supporters in the world 23,000 at CIS cup quarter final and only 50,000 at their game against Benfica true fans egh NOT, as for the minority of so called Rangers fans who tarnish our name stay at home next time,saying that iam pretty sure the people of Barcelona didnt mind the millions added to their economy from the 20,000 +away support and dare i say over inflated prices Rangers fans were charged in the city.

• Nic // Nov 9, 2007 at 11:41

  Some interesting feedback once again. First I’ll ignore the Celtic/Rangers thing, I think it just demonstrates how strong the rivalry is. Similar to Barça/Madrid but without the geographical distance between them.
  For those that don’t know the photo is of a group of Rangers fans urinating on a monument dedicated to Francesc Macia who is a Catalan national hero. This was obviously taken as an enormous insult by the locals, whether it was intentional or not I have no idea. It also seems clear that some Barça Catalan radicals identify with the Irish struggle and therefore with Celtic. For me football and politics make a bad mix but Barça and Rangers unfortunately have a lot of politics/religion in their history. Don’t you all think it’s time we got over it? Let’s just enjoy the beautiful game. Football rivalries are fine, but when politics is involved it becomes ugly. Perhaps I am being a hypocrite here after posting that photo.
  On the subject of pickpockets, there are many in Barcelona and unfortunately they see British football fans as a big payday. It’s logical, you are bound to be carrying a fair amount of money and a lot of you will be drinking a lot and therefore you become an easy target. I have lived in the city for more than eighteen years and have had my pocket picked twice. Once a couple of weeks after arriving when I was still naive about how they work, and another time when I was extremely drunk. I’m sorry if it spoilt your trip.

• LOCUTUS // Nov 9, 2007 at 12:39

  I have to say that the biggest disappointment regarding the Barcelona game is the way “fans” from other clubs feel the need to take the opportunity to have a dig .While I know there is a strong rivalry between the two Glasgow clubs you have to ask how does one clubs supporters gain by trying to rubbish the other team . Are old firm supporters so insecure that they get some sort of perverted pleasure out of seeing their rivals, and probably neighbours and workmates, in trouble? These people come on and condemn sectarianism and bigotry in others, then feel they must give examples from some time in the past to strengthen their case. Everyone has parts of their history that they are not proud of , but the thing is to learn from it and not make the same mistakes again , not try and cover it up by pointing the finger at others as if them being worse makes you ok . As Nic has said we have come a long way in the last 20 years but we still have along way to go.

  With regard to the drunken fans urinating on the statue, I doubt many would have know it’s history and it is merely a case of bad manners and loutish behaviour (not exclusive to football fans) rather than a deliberate slur on a local hero .I am sorry to say that you just need to look at the behaviour of tourists on the coast to see that it is a sad sign of the times we live in. On behalf of ALL the people of Glasgow and Scotland though I apologise for any offence this may have caused.

  To the majority of the 23,000 fans (local police estimate) who where there and behaved themselves, well done!

  Finally I would like to wish your club good luck in the competition……………… and we hope to see you in the final!

• gaixa // Nov 9, 2007 at 12:51

  Do you not know the history of our club?????????

  Catalonia is not spain, do you not see this banner at every game?????????

  Do you know nothing of “el avi” ????????

  Barca is entwined with the political history of the catalan people, it is to say that Barca would not be more than a club without its political history.

  Do you even know why we had no sponsor on our top???????

  el avi was inspired by the fight for irish freedom from the british empire and unlike you, most catalans have strong feelings for ireland and its political struggle.

  celtic have a large people of irish fans and that is liked by us.

  we share a lot of beliefs and views as the celtic fans.

  as for the rangers, not much different from the thugs of 72

• Nic // Nov 9, 2007 at 13:29

  Gaixa, I know a fair bit of the history of the club and its connection with Catalunya’s political history. I also know the Barça hymn and not being Catalan myself I prefer to remember the words “tant se val d’on venim si del sud o del nord ara estem d’acord estem d’acord una bandera ens agermana”

  (Rough translation: It’s not important where you are from, whether from the south or the north, now we are all in agreement, one flag brings us together”)

• Nic // Nov 9, 2007 at 13:35

  I also know that the club’s founder Joan Gamper was a Swiss protestant, and the original team was made up predominately of foreigners, mainly English, including a goalkeeper called Brown and the brothers Arthur and Ernest Witty.

• Spaniardo // Nov 10, 2007 at 6:07

  Very well said Nic,at least someone is talking some sense here.Lonelybhoy,i’m guessing you must be a bit of a loner saying as you are one of the sad act Celtic fans who insist on trying to tarnish the name of Rangers over articles related to our opponents.You’re not the only one,i’ll give you that as i have seen it countless times from both Celtic and Rangers fans.

  My younger brother travelled to Barcelona for the game and from what i’ve heard the Barça fans he has met have been very welcoming and kind.One fan actually took him and his friend to the Real Betis game at Camp Nou last weekend.They were walking around the stadium having a look when this fan asked them if they were looking for tickets to which they replied “no,we’re here for the Rangers game.So,he then told them to go with him as he has a family season ticket and his 2 grand daughters couldn’t make the game.He didn’t want anything for it,but my brother and his friend insisted on giving him 50 Euros each for his magnificent gesture.

  If only fans throughout the world were like this.I’m half Spanish myself,i’ve followed Rangers all my life and chose Barça as my second team in 1989.I’m catholic and i don’t condone bigotry in any form.Point i’m trying to make is that us Rangers fans are not all the same,yes we do have our scum element as do Celtic,as does any team in the world for that matter.Please do not judge the entire Rangers support on the actions of a minority.

  Sempre Rangers y Barça.

• gaixa // Nov 10, 2007 at 10:35

  You should know his name was Hans-Max Gamper was what he was born at and took the Catalan name after falling in love with the Catalan people and its culture.

  It is sad that you pick and choose what you want of our club, i know ‘esport i ciutadania’ will mean nothing to you, but as you point, we are open to all.

  més que un club

• Nic // Nov 10, 2007 at 12:00

  Gaixa, if you are going to be so patronising please at least get your facts right. He was born Kamper, not Gamper. How do you know what I know and what ‘esport i ciutadania’ means to me, or indeed what I feel about the Irish struggle for freedom from the British? Please do not make such assumptions. I was expecting the Rangers fans to wind me up but in the end it’s a Barça fan who has annoyed me most.

• STEVE // Nov 11, 2007 at 16:37

  brittish embassy had to say sorry for the actions of rangersfc fans,the point is they see them selves as we are the people,and to hell with anyone else ,there actions were an embarresment to scotland,they are not wanted anywere even in britain the english clubs want nothing to do with them ie testemonials and the likes ,there violent and sickening vile chants of F..the pope in a catholic country ,i mean weres there intelligence ,whats that got to do with a champions league game,a cesspit of fascit nazi salutes ,burning celtic tops effigy like in spain ,God help the people of stutgart who are next to recieve this shower of neandathralls

• Speeka // Nov 11, 2007 at 20:09

  The picture says it all really.

• GRDT // Nov 11, 2007 at 20:34

  Sure does Speeka. The city of Barcelona failed spectacularly to prepare for twenty thousand bears arriving in their city. Rangers F.C have set up fan zones for Stuttgart and Barcelona fans who came to Glasgow and will do the same for the Lyon fans. You have at least ten thousand gers in Placa Catalunya who are nearly all drinking alcohol but yet there is a distinct lack of any toilets for them! The local media then slam these Rangers supporters for desecrating their beautiful city. The mayor whines about the 4 tonnes of rubbish left in the square when there was a sever shortage in bins. Take a leaf from Glasgows book and make an effort to prepare for thousands of football fans descending upon your city.

• Spaniardo // Nov 12, 2007 at 20:15

  Vile chants of f…the pope Steve? Care to back up those claims?

  I’d really love to know where you’re getting this information from.You are lowering yourself to the same deluded state as lonelybhoy.I’m Spanish myself,therefore i am catholic,but i support Rangers.

  Tell me,does this make me a bigot? because of which team i chose to follow?

  The phrase narrow minded springs to mind.Some sections of the travelling Rangers support are low life scum intent on causing trouble,that is fair enough,but as i pointed out earlier every club has their fair share of morons who are unfortunately among their ranks.Now i could drag up plenty of instances where Celtic fans have caused trouble but i wont lower myself to your sorry state.

  Don’t make claims you can’t back up mate,just makes you look delusional

• gaixa // Nov 13, 2007 at 22:10

  nic, i am sorry my english is as bad as your knowledge of my club and history !!!!!!!!

  Spaniardo, you are as spanish as portugal !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  you tube is free to all, your hate of all things catholic is well known to everyone. you are the worse fans to ever play here.

  you are not welcome back, on this, nic and i share.

  nic i do not wish to offend, but you can not separate my club from catalan politics because you do not like.

  i am sorry to offend you, please accept me faults.

  my club and country is dear to me.

  !Visca Catalunya!

• STEVE // Nov 14, 2007 at 1:40

  spainardo ,you and i know f…the pope is regurlarly sung at rfc matches ,rangers had a discrimanation policiy of not signing catholics for over 100yrs,ther inbred hatred of all things catholic ,celtic and ireland is well known,you can chose any team you like to support,but i would have second thoughts of supporting a team ,that gives nazi salutes anti-catholic fascist and like a resembling a nuremberg rally,just shows how low these people can sink to desecrate not only catalan hereos but the millions who perished in the holocaust,and the late great scottish manager jock stein
  So spsaniardio keep supporting this team ,and you will be culpable for the horrors that will happen ,if this lots agenda gains ground in a politacal climate that could turn the scottish catholic fraternity into the quagmire resembling the killing fields of cambodia ,with rangers as the kymer rouge

• Spaniardo // Nov 14, 2007 at 21:06

  So what you are trying to say is that supporting Rangers will brainwash me into thinking like the scum element that we have? Mate i am 26 years old and have supported them my entire life,i have always had the same beliefs that what the scum element come out with is plain disgusting and wrong,but basically what you’re saying is that we are all the same which is far from the truth.I don’t know who you support but what do you make of the pro IRA chants that we hear from Celtics scum minority? and i’d like to emphasize that word “minority”.

  You are tarring every Rangers fan in existence with the same brush,yet we have fans throughout the world of all creeds/religions,not just Protestant.I’m not a very religious person myself but i will happily state that i am Catholic,my friends who follow Rangers and Celtic don’t see a problem with this.The signing policy of many moons ago was despicable,but times have changed and we have moved on.We still have problems with our away support but at home the attitude has been vastly improved.I was at Ibrox for the game against Barça and i witnessed 1 moron a few rows in front of me singing some of the banned songs,that’s right,1.Needless to say the response he got from fans round about him were not good,he was basically being told to sit down and shut up,which he did (eventually).

  Celtic haven’t always covered theirselves in glory either throughout their years.The Tartan Army get praised to the heavens when they travel yet they get up to the same sort of thing (urinating in the street,making a mess) when they travel.What’s so different about Rangers??

  I’m not meaning to be rude mate but you do come across as a deluded Celtic fan playing a sorry game of one upmanship.Just remember,we are not all the same.

  And gaixa,our hate of all things Catholic???

  Half our playing staff is made up of Catholics you idiot.I’m sorry you had a bad experience of our fans but it’s in the past now.You must know me very well also if you can claim i’m not Spanish.I’ll correct that however,half Spanish i meant to say,born to a Spanish father.I am much more proud of my Spanish heritage than i am of my British.

  All in all,despite all the cheap digs at my team,i still love Barça as my 2nd team and nothing will ever change that.Sempre Rangers y Barça

• STEVE // Nov 14, 2007 at 23:43

  spainordo you are a complete fool,yes ,rangers play catholics ,but isnt it ironic that the vast majority of fans and officials (remember the san siro wen the official party of 200 hundred were heard singing anti-catholic sons)can you not get it round that thick skull of yours that rangers fc are a bunch of anti-catholic hating ,f.the pope fascist scum ,best behaviour now inside ibrox ,my arse the songs are still the same why abuse jock stein ,why outside the stadium ,you have your orange order marches ,still singing and banging away ther ant-catholic ,abuse come and live in scotland ,were the town council gave the staff a half day of work ,just because a catholic got a job in a bank,I know i was at the recieving end of this abuse at my place of work were the manager after friendly banter about fitbaw ,he found out i was a catholic ,much to his disgust ,throwing down his car keys with uda attached to prove his point ,guess how long i lasted in that job
  Once again Spaniardo ,support the team of your choice,thats your peragative ,but dont say rfc are an all encompassing ,football club ,they are definetly not ,next time your at ibrox ,wear your murry s orange top ,and enjoy your £16.90 dinner of bile

• Spaniardo // Nov 15, 2007 at 1:35

  For the last god damn time i do not condone bigotry.You are the “fool” my friend who can’t see without your green tinted specs.Point out to me in any of my posts where exactly i said Rangers are an all encompassing football club???

  I simply stated that they are making progress,that’s all,progress.Slowly,yes but progress none the less.Christ if all Celtic fans were like you i’d hate the club even more.Thankfully they do have decent supporters in amongst them.

  You are digging yourself ever deeper into a hole with your bigoted and biased perception of Rangers.I bet you are one of those people who post replies of “dirty orange so and so” in the comments section of youtube.Seriously mate,grow up.Oh,for your information also,i do live in Scotland,and have done my entire life.It’s clear to me that you have bigotry stamped into your brain so this is going nowhere.

  Also you state that i am thick?

  Now look at the wordage and punctuation in your posts,then compare that to mine.You can’t even spell,bit hypocritical to brand me thick no?

  I have tried to have a sensible and polite debate with you but it seems your anti Rangers/Protestant (whichever it may be) views will always stay the same.You probably don’t have many friends.I guess because i support Rangers that must make me “orange proddy scum” aye?

• Dee // Nov 15, 2007 at 1:54

  Just stumbled across this “debate”. First and foremost it is clear that Spaniardo is not condoning the behaviour of a certain element of Rangers fans. He is merely saying that fans like him do exist and it is not full of anti-Irish, anti-Catholic sectarian filth.

  They do have an element within their fanbase that are the things I mentioned above, but you can’t tar EVERY Rangers fan with this brush. It is obvious that the decent fans want the scum to disappear and if they keep supporting their club in the proper manner then hopefully the scum element will decrease further.

  The behaviour of CERTAIN Rangers fans in Barcelona was disgusting. I am sure there were many decent fans who travelled to support Rangers who are saddened by the behaviour of the scum.

  No club support is perfect. There are plenty of scumbags amongst my own clubs support, and by that I mean chav/neds who want to cause hassle and get drunk and don’t know their history. When you have large amounts of “fans” then you are always going to attract some idiots.

  So the moral of the story is simple. Yes, there are plenty of scum among the Rangers support but some of their fans are trying to move on and don’t deserve to be branded the same as the sick, disgusting cretins that can pollute your every day street, never mind a working class football support.

• STEVE // Nov 15, 2007 at 12:55

  spaniardo ok ,if you want to be a smart ass fine you can punctuate big deal,want im trying to tell you is the ma jority of rangers supporters are bigots all this tosh about wee blue books ,with the correct songs to sing is a farce ,and is just to show uefa the media that rfc are tackling bigotry
  As soon as the fan leave the stadium ,the wee blue book is dumped ,and out comes the real rangers the anti catholic hating f….the pope no surrender ,up to our knees in fenian(catholic)blood,typical rangers fan,there iare approximately 400,000 catholics in scotland ,with 5 ,000,000 protestants what are you afraid of ,you act like the big bully in the playground,you want our heritage erased our schools closed,i was once in a group of people talking about this ,and an rfc fan ,actually said hitler gassed the wrong people ,now these are the tpye of remarks we catholics in scotland ,have to put up with,from the church of scotland ,who wanted to deport all irish immigrants especially the poor ones,to rangers fc and there sectatrian policies ,the orange order see kkk and the establisment,have all conspired to keep the catholics in ther”Place” long live celtic fc bastion of all things good and charitable and dignity

• Spaniardo // Nov 15, 2007 at 19:14

  You’re completely missing the point still mate.Forgive me if i’m wrong but it feels like you are directly accusing me of being one of these so called “fans”.Do you consider me to be protestant because i chose to follow Rangers? If so then that makes you no better than the said “fans” that you are slating.I’m truly sorry for the experiences that you have had but that doesn’t mean to say you would get the same reception from everyone who follows them.

  Have a read through that post by Dee above,he reiterates the point i’m trying to make to you yet you keep falling back on this belief that everything and everyone involved with Rangers Football Club are bigotted.There was a certain member of Celtics staff who commended the real Rangers fans who applauded Steven McManus as he was carried off the field during the first old firm game of the season(i think it was Tommy Burns,who i have always had the utmost respect for).Is this the action of anti-catholic/bigotted fans?

  There was a large body of the home support that chose to boo as he was stretchered off and they can hang their heads in shame for the lack of sportsmanship.Ideally i’d like to see them kicked out of Ibrox for good.Sectarianism will always be a problem in our country sadly but you must admit that it’s not as rife as it was.If there is any truth in these claims you make then i sincerely hope that those involved are taken to task for it,they are nothing other than bottom of the barrel scum and there is no place for them in humanity.

• Derek // Nov 16, 2007 at 22:36

  Steve: My Granda was a right bigot but that was just the times he was brought up in, my father was in the OO but you would never hear a bigoted word from his mouth. Never.I was married in Carfin Grotto, my wife and kids are catholic and recieve a catholic education. Times are changing mate, yes there are bigots amoungst Rangers fans but untill you realise and admit to yourself that they also excist amoung the Celtic support then your a very sad individual indeed.
  As for the fans behaviour in Barcelona, again yes there was some who shouldn’t be aloud to mix with decent society but the vast majority were impecable. You seem to be forgetting that countless fans were robbed, many at force yet we again seem to be the villians for a few dozen fans urinating at the Square

• STEVE // Nov 18, 2007 at 1:44

  until rfc mangement ,from the chairman down make a public apology ,for the sectarianism and bigotry of a very large majority of there fans,and that they have colluded with the establisment in scotland,to degenerate catholics ,which has been seriously detrimental to the harmonisation of scottish society as a whole
  The whole episode chapter and verse has to be ackowledged the men who led this campaign,which has gone on unchecked for over 100yrs ,that it is an effrontery to democratic ideals,ignored by the media ,sureley one must repent ,and acknowledge there misdeeds,before they can move forward.I have seen no apology by rfc ,the print media ,the establishment ,or anyother part of society which were complicit in this ,vocifferous ,vicious and unnerving display of hatred agaisnt a minority
  Until that apol.ogy is forthcoming ,i will not stop speaking out against the injustice ,and that those responsible admit ,as in the truth and reconcillation hearings in South Africa,there practice of religous apartheid fortwith

• barcabear92 // Feb 19, 2008 at 13:24

  Just like to say thank you mate for the kind words that you have said.

  Since coming to Barca I have lost my love for them, we where treated shamefully but at least some people aren’t so annoyed with us. After all it isn’t every day you play Barca so when it is time it should reach a party fever and by god we had a party.

  Forca Barca

  barcabear92

• Jordi-FCB // Feb 23, 2008 at 2:11

  Dirty Huns learn something off Celtic and then you might be respected

• Spaniardo // Feb 24, 2008 at 23:39

  Learn what? How to embrace sectarianism?

  I couldn’t care less if Rangers are not respected,I only care if they achieve results week in week out.If Celtic and their fans want to be loved then that’s their prerogative.Fair play to them,but ultimately I don’t think any Rangers fans really care.

• gaixa // Feb 29, 2008 at 15:05

  I am forward looking to the Celtic coming to Barcelona, i have had great tales of the atmosphere at Celtic, Eto`o states it is the greatest atmosphere in the world, i hope we have some at home.

• Mark // Mar 4, 2008 at 11:32

  You must have tinted glasses mate. The only problem in barca was the lack of council planning,they knew 25,000 gers were coming provided no extra refuse collections ,bins,toilet facilities,fan zones nothing.They realise there mistakes and therefore are providing a fan zone,not cos they love celtic but cos its the logical thing to do,i have lived here 27 years and the locals think no more of celtic than rangers.The good news is the issue of the green bin liners but most of those will be used as sleeping bags.

• O'Flaherty // Mar 4, 2008 at 19:12

  Rangers fans in Barcelona merely showed the wider world what we in Scotland, especially the magnificent Celtic support, already know.

  Prediction for tonight : Barcelona 1-3 Celtic

  C’mon The Hoops !

• Spaniardo // Mar 6, 2008 at 4:02

  Unlucky Bhoyos,but the best team won

  No disgrace losing to Barça though,maybe if you reach the knockout phase again next year you’ll have a more favourable draw.Barça were probably the worst draw you could have got and unfortunately for yourselves it happened.

  Was glad to hear of the decent Celtic fans putting their foot down when the scum minority were belting out pro ira chants,pity not all Old Firm fans don’t behave in this manner.

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