Fans’ group rage at club for making them ‘scapegoats’ in UEFA charge

SUPPORTERS group the Union Bears have accused Rangers of making them ‘scapegoats’ after the club was punished by UEFA. The Ibrox side have been forced to close off 3,000 seats for Thursday’s Europa League visit of Legia Warsaw because of sectarian singing in an earlier round. The sections selected by Rangers include the area where the Union Bears are housed in the Broomloan Front, as well as two areas of the Club Deck. Fans who sit in there will be relocated elsewhere, but the Union Bears and others who sit in their section have been banned. Insisting that is unfair, they said in a statement: ‘Following UEFA’s decision to disproportionately punish Rangers as a result of the use of a supposedly sectarian and racist term, and the subsequent decision by Rangers to scapegoat the Unions Bears and those within BF1 for this, we would like to clarify our position. ‘The Union Bears are completely aware of our unique position as being the voice of Ibrox and the responsibilities that come with that. We have always liaised with the club in a positive manner and at no time has the group ever been taken to task for the nature of singing within BF1, nor the content of our material. ‘Chasing appeasement from two dubious organisations in UEFA and FARE, it appears the club are happy to relinquish all responsibility to the Union Bears, to tarnish our name within the support. ‘This brings us to the incredible decision of Rangers to ban only supporters from BF1, whilst relocating all other supporters in the Broomloan Front. The supporters were notified in two hugely contrasting emails. ‘One apologised for the inconvenience and asked for cooperation on this matter, whereas the other, reserved strictly for fans in BF1, was abrupt and unceremonious. This action itself displays the basic level of contempt shown to not only members of our group but other supporters within BF1.’