This past Friday, there was a joy of some sorts to be found by Rangers fans. After weeks of embarrassing leaks and downright disgraceful behaviour from those who have been supposedly running the club over the past year, there was finally some positive press as a trio of players were unveiled to the support.
Nicky Law, Cammy Bell and Jon Daly all signed up for “Stage Two” of the journey back to the top. The first two passed by with barely a word, but the third one is signed following months of discussion, forced controversy and anger. The proposed move of Daly, a football whose roots are based in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, was surrounded by page after page of tabloid coverage, with as much Internet squabbling to match. There was the Scotsman article that was forced into an apology over unsubstantiated claims about Rangers from the 1930’s. There has since been the Morning Star article that stated that Daly was “brave” for his move to Rangers. Just about everyone has been queuing up to give their opinion on the matter, just waiting for the cracks of issues with the signing to appear.
It has been a shame that there has been a very small minority that have shown themselves and the club up in expressing an issue with the signing of Daly for reasons other than footballing talents. This small minority is backdated many years; their stone-age opinions based on religion and nationality are nothing but a small blemish on the vast majority who see no issue with the signing. And why should they have an issue? Why should pre-determined, non-adaptable traits of Jon Daly in anyway affect the way he is treated by fans of Rangers? Daly should be welcomed in the same way any other player who walks up the marble staircase of Ibrox is treated. Nicky Law has been inundated with messages of welcome through Twitter, and if Daly was on the same site, I have no doubt he would be warmly greeted with the same gusto. When thousands upon thousands of fans claim to have an allegiance to Rangers Football Club, it is inevitable that there will always be an element willing to drag down the majority with their actions, and these actions will always be highlighted ahead of the majority. It is what the media and those with deep-rooted issues with the club thrive upon, and it most certainly is a shame that they give them the opportunity to take aim.
However, as is the case with most stories in life, there is another side to it. Over these past few months, a worrying trend has emerged; fans of opposition teams have expressed an issue with Jon Daly signing for Rangers. They have stated the historic links of an “Anti-Catholic” vibe, problems embedded into society that date back hundreds of years. Many have viewed and described Daly as a “turncoat”; some seemingly opposed to Daly’s free will to sign for whoever he wishes. Daly’s complimentary comments on his reasons for signing for Rangers and on the way he has been treated have also went down like a lead balloon in some quarters; the afore-mentioned Morning Star article felt it knew better than Daly over his move to Rangers. The player himself described it as a “no-brainer”, yet someone posing as a journalist was happy to say that it wasn’t; how dare Jon Daly have his own opinion?!
The majority of these discussions by those opposed to Daly’s signing seem stuck somewhere in the early twentieth century. There are the Rangers fans that have an issue with the signing, and there are the largely overlooked section of fans that cannot allow this signing. They talk of Scotland being trapped in a vacuum of bigotry stemming back many decades ago, but what they do not seem to realise, is in opposing this signing, they are the ones holding back society. Catholics have come and went from the Rangers setup for many years; not one has had an issue as far as I am aware. Why should Daly be any different to this? Because of his nationality to match? In a civilised society, this should matter little, and those willing to drag up the conversation and relate it to the Daly situation are showing bitterness in droves. Those willing to tar the name of Rangers by opposing Daly’s signing based on religion or nationality are well-publicised, but those opposing the signing from the opposite spectrum are just as much of a strain on society. If those who bark about Rangers having issues with Irish Catholics continue this trend in relation to Daly, how can the club be expected to move on? By the time September 1st comes, Rangers will have as many players from the Republic of Ireland as Celtic do. I couldn’t tell you the figures now, but at times in the past, Rangers had more Catholics in their team than Celtic have had. Yet the discussion and the outrage still carry on? In reality, those who wish to have a problem always will have a problem. Bigotry blinds the minority, and it would appear that some are simply unwilling to want it to change. Those wrapped up in hatred are certainly tightly wrapped in it, and don’t appear to want to let go anytime soon.
Jon Daly; welcome to Rangers Football Club, and welcome to the West of Scotland. Buckle up for the ride.
garrycarmody 