BY chance, one of the contributors to this column ran into a former Hibs player on Monday – and his face told a story that every single fan who invaded the pitch on Saturday should take to heart.
He hadn’t even gone to the trophy parade on Sunday, even though he had a special invitation and lives not far from Edinburgh. His heart just wasn’t in it because his great day at Hampden had been ruined by those Hibs fans who charged on to the pitch.
Sure, he could understand the exuberance, especially given that Hibs won it so late, but the “clowns”, as he called them, who ran towards the Rangers end and those who wrecked the posts and dug up the turf had spoiled everything.
He felt most for the players, the Rangers squad having to get their medals in the dressing room and the victorious Hibs team denied even a half-lap of honour, which is all you get in these days of segregated supporters.
Those Hibs fans who raced upfield let down him, their players and manager, their fellow supporters, the good name of the club and themselves – no question.
Most people agree that the vast majority of the Rangers support on Saturday conducted themselves well in face of a heartbreaking defeat.
Some broke the law by coming onto the pitch and fighting, and the law will deal with them and the Hibs fans in due course.
It’s the law which concerns one reader, who was aghast at the self-serving club statement put out by Rangers on Sunday.
The lawyer in him knew that what he was reading was dynamite.
Apart from the defamation of BBC sportswriter Tom English and SFA vice-president Rod Petrie, the statement was a blatant attempt to influence Rangers supporters to take a very strong club view.
“That statement has just handed the guilty a real let-off,” he argued. “All any defence lawyer for a Hibs fan needs to do is say that his client cannot possibly get a fair trial because that is the official position of the club and will have influenced potential jurors.
“Any sheriff who has ever supported Rangers will need to recuse (temporarily stand down from the bench) or be accused of following the club line. The damage is done and it’s too late now. Whoever approved that statement has probably ensured that justice will never be done.”
The club statement also contained condemnation of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for failing to tweet her disapproval of Hibs fans.
The Kicker therefore invites Rangers FC to give their views on the lady in this photograph. She was pictured the day after the final, enjoying the trophy parade in Leith and wearing her Hibs scarf.
On her Twitter account is the message “One Happy Hibbie” – and not one word about the after-match scenes.
In the interests of political fairness, will Rangers now condemn Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale for being “unbecoming of our elected representatives”?
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