As Rangers fans group the Union Bears sent Christmas care packages to British troops currently serving in Afghanistan, it was warmly received by the Ibrox support.
Rangers fans everywhere praised this boost to our boys in the Middle East – some of whom are teenagers – as they prepare to spend Christmas away from their families.
But politics is a nasty game and rather predictably, and tragically, the usual suspects were out bemoaning the group’s charity and saying some pretty disgusting things in the process.
With news of the Union Bears’ care package delivery going viral in football circles, take a look at just about any post on the subject and you’ll see swathes of rival fans spouting disgraceful abuse at the very soldiers who represent the country we live in.
How do we know they’re rival fans? Because in every username or display name there is generally the number 67, 88, or via their profile some other inclination that they support Celtic, which suggests they are.
Normally, this kind of disgusting behaviour doesn’t merit further deliberation but such is the sensitivity of the issue – and the nature of the abuse – it fully deserves to be called out.
Rangers fan soldiers taking abuse for thanking the Rangers fans group isn’t just sad because it happened, it’s sad because so many won’t bring those to task for the comments.
In contrast Rangers’ association with the armed forces is regularly jibed about with any of the club’s traditions the subject of much commentary in Scotland.
Some of it can be fair, a lot of it can be completely out of sync.
But when the response to soldiers donning the club’s top is that our rivals hope they get PTSD or return in a box there’s near radio silence on the issue?
Those “woke” Celtic fans partaking in this shouldn’t just be ashamed of themselves for scraping the barrel with the abuse, but because plenty of their own supporters currently serve in the military.
Whatever your view on foreign engagements or the politics of the armed forces, these are just young men trying to do the right thing for themselves and for their country.
That said, this predictable response to the Union Bears campaign won’t overshadow what’s been a hugely positive move by the fans group who deserve every credit for supporting the soldiers.
It’s just a shame that given the Rangers connection the ignorant amongst us in Scotland would sooner wish the very worst on their own rather than appreciate the sentiment.
Here’s our story on the Union Bears Christmas care packages as they spread some festive cheer to those currently on deployment on foreign shores.
