Our Songbook should change: but we don't have to be an ordinary Club.

29 March 2011 14:25
I believe our songbook is imbalanced. Not enough Rangers songs, too many non-football songs. Now there’s nothing wrong with non-football songs which are either fun or a positive expression of a culture. That’s why no one seriously takes on the Sash or Derry’s Walls. Nor should they. But no one with influence, whether in the media, politics or football (including Rangers) will defend the 'Famine' song, TBB or No Pope of Rome. This isn't surprising. No doubt there have been many words written over the last week, months hey decade about these songs. We can examine them to the nth degree but they are relatively aggressive somewhat yobbish songs such that no one dare defend them. And this is why we have such an Achilles heel when we argue for others to be brought to account. Now given that we have welcomed and worshipped many a RC player over the years we can hardly be classed as an anti-RC organisation. But we do hate Celtic – of course we do, they are an obnoxious bunch off the field and on the field are our undisputed main rivals. And they wallow in a hokey cokey oppressed mystique that gives us plenty to ridicule them for. Unfortunately we have to face an irritating truth - we are the only club in Britain who cannot berate our main rivals without real fear of it being classed a hate crime. Let’s briefly look at the three main songs. TBB – all the stooshie revolves around the 'f' word. A word enjoyed by unrepentant Celtic supporters and Paddy McCourt's army of fans. The duplicity of those who most wail about it is breath-taking and of course it is annoying. But its a song from the past and perhaps it's best kept in the past. Marching Through Georgia is a thumpingly good terracing tune and no one could belt it out with as much rhythm and gusto as we could. Surely we can keep the tune but tweak the words. After all Billy Fullarton didn’t score a goal for us, unlike Billy Simpson ‘Billy’ Waddell and ‘Billy’ Thornton. We are the Billy Boys....but we were never up to our knees in blood. NPOR - the song is an old dirge...but the sentiment may not be as immediately ‘offensive’ as we are led to believe. The BBC held an ‘Intelligence Squared’ debate in London in 2009 and invited Ann Widdecombe and Archbishop John Onaiyekan to represent the interests of the Catholic church on a motion that ‘The Catholic Church is a force for good in the world’. Stephen Fry and Christopher Hitchens completed the bill in this riveting debate which can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kuzYwzGoXw Now this is in front of an dispassionate English audience who listened to arguments. For those short on time here’s the result. Startling isn’t it. When the arguments for this organisation are put before the public they don’t stand up. Yet we do not have a single politician in Scotland or indeed throughout Britain willing to stand up and challenge the disproportionate political influence, educational sectarianism, sexism and confused homophobia of this organisation. It is apparent that the terracing is not the place to ‘question’ this organisation. So on behalf of the 94% silent majority in this country I only ask – where, without fear of arrest, is?! A Tim Minchin concert perhaps? Drop the chant as I actually believe it makes the institution stronger. The 'Famine Song'. If ever there was a case of missed satire this was it. The origin of this chant was contemptuous mocking of a new trend for Celtic minded individuals, most notably Aiden McGeady, to declare for Ireland as opposed to the country of their birth. An opponent had chosen not to play for our country so he got it ‘in the neck’. Of course he did. This was football after all. A man’s game where skin rather than skulls must be thick, customers are partisan and the rewards are astronomical. It really is that simple. But this song used the word ‘Famine’. As Tim McGarry in his Irish History Lession so bluntly put it ‘there’s nothing funny about the famine’. That’s true (as it happens, irrespective of your particular taste in religion) but satire is meant to cut as well as amuse. So as is the bane of modern life the usual sanctimonious rabble of po-faced opportunists, naive puppets and plain Rangers haters tucked in. Anti-Irish racism is the new buzz phrase in town. ‘Sinister’ so said the Times Tony Evans. But this is simply absurd, there are no right wing movements in Scotland hell bent on creating one way Ryanair traffic. They wouldn’t stand a chance – after all, many a Rangers fan might lose some of their best drinking buddies. I am for the songbook changing I have been for many a moon and used to spend many hours on here arguing so. But not because I am willing to take lessons in morality from chancers, idiots and people who hate my existence. I am for changing it for much better reasons - We are the world’s most successful club and we represent the story of a powerful and wonderful people – the Scots and the Scots-Irish. We have much to celebrate – let’s start doing this in song more and more and more and more and at the expense of worrying about F-word Yahoos . It's a personal choice Bears. I have made it and I’d love it if you joined me.

Source: FOOTYMAD