Some Rangers fans are threatening to boycott leading sports retailer JD Sports for a Tweet supporting Celtic in the run up to the Old Firm derby.
The Manchester-based retailer is Celtic’s official retail partner and had taken to the social media platform to communicate their support for our rivals prior to the match, which Rangers won 2-0.
https://twitter.com/JDFootball/status/1317408362875801600
Taking to Twitter, JD Sports said:
“It’s derby day. Come on Celtic.”
With the retailer obviously a popular option across the country many Rangers fans haven’t taken too kindly to the tweet and threatened to boycott the store as a result.
For some – and despite the fact JD are a partner of Celtic’s – this has alienated almost half their customer base in Scotland and its something they could live to regret.
https://twitter.com/ClareL1872/status/1317410329496850432
https://twitter.com/little_bluenose/status/1317771399814107138
https://twitter.com/minicoo_master/status/1317847452632965122
https://twitter.com/milger72/status/1317592530511450112
https://twitter.com/Mecloy55/status/1317808688896331778
https://twitter.com/Rangers_316/status/1317751989816692738
https://twitter.com/danimitch82/status/1317821200190636034
Whilst the impact of any proposed Rangers fan boycott of JD Sports wouldn’t be felt quite as harshly around the UK, it would almost certainly be felt in Scotland.
The partisan nature of footballing politics north of the border must be respected and there’s a feeling here that this Tweet was a bit of an own goal on the part of JD Sports.
Rangers fans certainly have plenty of experience with retail boycotts, having done so with Sports Direct for years due to a poorly weighted retail deal signed under the old regime.
The Ibrox side now have a new retail partner in the shape of Liverpool-based sportswear brand Castore with whom the club have signed a deal worth a reported £25m [Scotsman].
