Show Racism The Red Card (Scotland) campaigner Derek Ferguson claimed on live radio that he can’t see any link between releasing an orange third strip and racism.
On Friday the club from Ibrox were informed that 3,000 seats would have to be closed off as a result of racist actions by their supporters.
Ferguson is a regular whenever a red card needs to be held aloft or a new T-shirt campaign is being launched but after a lifetime in the west of Scotland can’t see any connection between a club that provides supporters with an orange strip and the UEFA charge.
Mention of the hastily arranged Everyone Anyone campaign seems to be the message for the apologists to repeat while highlighting educational initiatives
STEWART: WHAT HAS AN ORANGE STRIP GOT TO DO WITH RANGERS?
Speaking to Radio Scotland (Go to 24 minutes) Ferguson said: “That is just in respect of the Dutch boys. In my day, when I was at Rangers, we didn’t have orange tops. That influence came from the Dutch boys that came over and played. That’s the sole reason. That’s in respect to those guys”
Michael Stewart saw through that claim responding with: “To not recognise the connotations that has when there’s not a single Dutch player at the club. When you talk about what more the club could do…well if you’re not going to put out orange strips I don’t think anybody’s going to say, ‘Why are we not respecting the Dutch players that were here a generation ago?’ Yet the connotation that has now clearly doesn’t help the situation.”
Ferguson responded by saying that Stewart’s reasoning was petty before Billy Dodds added his insight to the discussion.
Getting back into the excuses Ferguson added: “What Rangers is is a family. We don’t forget , as you know I’m involved with the Legends games and I absolutely love getting together with the Dutch boys. Fantastic, they were at Rangers at a time, a special time, they were winning that nine-in-a-row, they were on that journey.”
When Walter Smith’s side won their ninth successive title at Tannadice in 1997 there was one Dutch player in the squad, Pieter Huistra.
CLICK HERE to listen to the programme in full.