Rangers fans flag protest

[Nor]

In the next round of SPL matches Rangers are playing at Hearts.

There has been abit of a fuss created because of the chairmain of Hearts long standing decision to ban the Union Flag from Tyncastle (hearts ground). Its got to the stage where the BNP are now involved and there is a plan to have a 'union jack flag protest day' which will no doubt be on the news.

Originally Posted by BNP Website

The Edinburgh based Heart of Midlothian Football Club, through Chief Executive Chris Robinson, have banned the Union Flag from Tynecastle Stadium during those games played against Glasgow Rangers or Celtic, the two Old Firm teams. A spokesman for Hearts told our investigator that it was for security reasons but refused to say what these security reasons were. Previous statements from the Club say such a move is designed to stamp out bigotry and sectarianism.

The BNP wish to see an end to bigotry and sectarianism too but banning the national flag of Great Britain in Britain is not going to achieve these aims. Indeed it is likely to further inflame the indigenous people who are already feeling second-class in our own country. Robinson's outrageous fascist actions are an insult to all the heroes who have sacrificed their lives for Britain under the Union Flag.

1914 Squad

The players who made up the legendary 1914 Hearts squad, who signed up to serve their country and flag, paid a heavy price for our freedom. Seven lost their lives and eleven others were wounded or gassed defending democracy and yet Robinson sees fit to mock their sacrifice by banning the flag they fought under with such pride and heroism.


A crowd of over 15,000 witnessed the unveiling of the Hearts Great War Memorial near Haymarket Station in Edinburgh.

In World War Two 350,000 servicemen and women lost their lives defending Britain and the Union Flag. Now Chris Robinson has done what Hitler could not! He is trampling on the flag of our nation in our own land and unjustly outlawing our right to fly the flag.

Defend Free Speech… Fly the Flag!

Robinson says the Union Flag is bigoted and sectarian, despite the fact that it is the flag of our family of nations. The Union Flag is for all the British people and should not be outlawed in our own land.

If you belief in free speech and democracy you must make your voice heard and also send a clear message to the fascists who would deny you your rights. Tell Chris Robinson and Heart of Midlothian Plc that their stance is an insult to all British citizens and all those who fought and died for Britain in two world wars and more.

Tell Heart of Midlothian FC how you feel and demand they reverse their attack on the Union Flag. Call or e-mail the following: 0131 200 7200 hearts@homplc.co.uk

Show Hearts and Robinson that there are no no-go places in Britain for the flag of our family of nations. Attend the following: Union Flag Day -12 th September 2004

On Sunday the 12th of September Hearts host Rangers at Tynecastle Park in Edinburgh. Bring a Union Flag and show your discontent in a peaceful protest for your rights and in defence of democracy and the Union Flag.

If you are in the stadium and the Police try to confiscate your flag, ask for a receipt and the number of the officer, so you can reclaim it afterward.

As you protest, consider also that no other political party or politician has spoken out against this outrage. Jack McConnell chants the mantra “One Nation, Many Cultures,” but when it comes to defending the rights of the indigenous people his silence is deafening. Only the BNP will defend free speech and the democratic rights of the British people!

Few interesting discussions on it on the Hearts forums here and here

The long and short of it is that Rangers fans fly the Union Flag for sectarian reasons. Many say they fly it because they are British (why is it important to show that you are British at an SPL match you may wonder) but the truth is they fly it to annoy the Celtic fans with the whole British rule over Northern Ireland. Catholic v protestant crap.

I don't see what place any of this has in Scottish football personally. Celtic do have strong Irish roots (club was actually started to help the Irish immigrants in Glasgow) and many Irish support the club. Its a Scottish club though and I'd rather people didn'y fly the Irish tricolour either. There are definately many Irish who travel over to the games, but don't see the need to fly flags in Scotland to tell everyone you're Irish. In saying that however, if I supported say Man Utd (which I don't) and I travelled down to Manchester every other week, I'd probably bring a Saltire and fly it, cos I want everyone to know I'm Scottish personally

[Eja Cool8]

There's a minority of muppets who support Hearts, mostly from the likes of West Lothian, who are very wrapped up in the sectarian side of things, and would like nothing better than to see Tynecastle turned into a "mini Ibrox" for Celtic's visits, and probably Hibs' as well for that matter.

Well, they're not getting a mini Ibrox at Tyncastle, because they're moving to a 4/5ths empty Murrayfield Rugby Stadium for home games


Oh, how we laughed

[madjock]

who gives a fig about flags, someone break martin o'neill's legs.
please.

[D.Celt]

You can't break the legs of a God.

[madjock]

[Smoo]

Fair enough, but does it say anything about the Irish flags. Otherwise it does more harm this way.

edit: read the first forum, and I have to say I love how those who said "keep sectarianism out of football" not only didn't say "out of Britiain" but they also called Rangers fans "huns"....Smart move...

[Eja Cool8]

Oh, and let's not forget the Nazi contingent at Tynecastle, raised arm salutes an all.

F*cking BNP s*ites.

[Gadget]

it is likely to further inflame the indigenous people

Indigenous people? Eh? I bet half of these so called indigenous people are probably half French, part German and have ancestors who were given a right good seeing too by at least one burly norseman.

I'd love to know who the BNP actually think has the 'right' to live in this country. Do we all need to take up genealogy in order to trace our family tree back x generations?

Tbh I'm fed up to the back teeth with nationalism of any flavour - let alone the outright bigotry of the BNP.

The english with their 'we ruled the world and stuffed the krauts' rubbish
The scots with their 'braveheart' attitude
The welsh and their 'ok so we're not quite as hardcore as the scots but at least we're not english'
The irish with their bloody 'craik'

Where does it get us except into conflicts, arguments and ill feeling? The bit of muddy turf that you got born onto doesn't matter two shakes of a lambs willy - it's about time people started to identify themselves with ideals and morals rather than some outdated pride in their nation when you wouldn't want to have a drink with half the loonies who live there.

[Mr Carrot]

The nation state is the embodiment of a breed of morality in civic institutions. You cant have modern society without a state the only change your ever going to have is anarachy (bad) or supranational rule.

Tribalism is natural in humans a nation is the end result of that.

[de_duck]

Nor's already suggested it in his post but its worth saying again. Who cares, why does anyone feel its important to wave flags at football games (except maybe waving your flag at an internationl, theirs at least logic behind that). It just seems like every other situation when these things happen;

Someone makes a reasonable decision based on fact (banning the union flag because its used to encourage racial hatred)
A very vocal minority stirs up a huge fuss and gives the impression they have massive support when they don't
The press gives the minority the time of day, I wouldn't but I suppose the media is supposed to be balanced
The BNP once again goes for its usual tactics of complete and utter oppurtunism, theyre fucked and they will get absolutely fucked in the election and maybe then the racist fuckwits will go back to whatever shithole they crawled out from.