Rangers jumped gun with fan bans

RANGERS are right to crack down on unacceptable conduct from supporters. But the Ibrox club have jumped the gun in doling out blanket bans to fans in the dock for violence at the Scottish Cup Final. Some accused of criminal behaviour on the Hampden pitch are now facing trial. One was convicted yesterday. Others await their day in court. Meanwhile, Ibrox head of safety and security David Martin has acted swiftly. A little too swiftly, some feel. Letters have gone out to arrested fans telling them to stay away from games. Their season tickets are kaput. So is the cash used to pay for them. ‘We would inform you that your alleged criminal conduct will result in your season ticket being forfeited without compensation,’ states Martin. There are two sides to this. Any supporter who reacted to the goading of Hibs yobs by racing on to the pitch for a square go deserves all he gets. In the immediate aftermath of the Hampden violence, Rangers issued a scattergun statement claiming fans only took to the pitch to ‘protect’ their own. The club are now readjusting their moral compass to send out a message to the football vigilantes now and that’s no bad thing. Justifying violence in any form is a terrible idea. But the worry here is not so much the sentiment. It’s the timing. Because, reading Martin’s letter, the word which leaps off the page is ‘alleged’. Some of those facing charges have been placed on bail. And police bail for football hooligans routinely bans them from football grounds until their case is heard. But it’s perfectly possible some will be found not guilty. What happens then? Amongst football fans at large, there is widespread mistrust of Police Scotland. In the mayhem of Hampden, the national police force didn’t exactly cover themselves in glory. Make no mistake. What happened at Hampden in May was shameful. Punches were thrown. Kicks exchanged. And professional footballers assaulted at their place of work. There are yobs out there with a case to answer. But the ultimate arbiters of what constitutes criminal behaviour in a football ground are the courts. And until they reach a final verdict on those charged, it might have made more sense for Rangers to hold fire on acting judge and jury.