An Australian newspaper has completely missed the point with regards a controversial Rangers Board statement that comes amid the Sydney Cup fallout.
Rangers supporters cannot be clearer that they do not want the club to attend the tournament, which contains an Old Firm friendly with rivals Celtic.
At the crux of this is the long-standing rivalry between the two clubs but also because of a sentiment that Rangers were used by Celtic to deflect from other, more serious news at Parkhead.
Not only this, but Rangers fans feel they haven’t been listened to in this regard as protests continued over the weekend in the clash with Dundee.
Things took a new twist this morning when Club 1872 appeared to jump on the current malcontent between the club’s fans and the board to attack Rangers directors on a range of issues.
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Included in this was the Sydney Super Cup but it relates from everything from the club’s PR, the ignoring of major fan issues, the behaviour of directors and the breakdown in relationship with the fan-led shareholder group.
Rangers then bit back at the statement – without directly mentioning Club 1872 – lambasting supporters “intent on causing damage to our club” [Rangers].
Making mention of the timing, Rangers have called for unity amid a tough April run but the aggressive tone of the statement has not won any prizes.
Aussie newspaper pits Rangers Board against own fans amid Sydney Cup fall-out
Aussie newspaper The West has taken a rather different approach to the story by pitting the Rangers Board against their own fans amid the Sydney Cup fall out.
Describing the official Rangers statement as “withering”, the newspaper appears to position Rangers’ statement against supporters amid the Sydney Cup protests.
The individuals Rangers are speaking about are Club 1872 and the club’s PR must take some responsibility for the ambiguity.
But it is incorrect to suggest that Rangers are taking aim at their own supporters, as established here by the 4th Official and outlined in the Herald.
In an even stranger turn of events the Australian newspaper appears to hope this emboldens the cause for the friendly, with the story focusing on pot shots at the Rangers board.
These are the people who sanctioned and support the game.
The West insist match tickets are “selling well despite continued reports that Rangers may bow to fan pressure and withdraw.”
We hate to break it to you Down Under, but there’s no way this friendly goes ahead with the blessing of Rangers fans and all the sounds suggest it’s likely to get binned.
Let’s just hope the club do so before the international break is over.
Rangers fans are the ones left red-faced in all of this as infighting threatens to mar the club’s 150th anniversary celebrations.