Gauntlet of Hate- Bill Leckie’s eye witness account of Ibrox Lap of Honour
Soccer Football - Scottish Premiership - Rangers v Celtic - Ibrox, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - September 3, 2023 Rangers' Connor Goldson, James Tavernier and Nicolas Raskin applauds fans after the match REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
Bill Leckie has given an eye-witness account of the Ibrox Lap of Honour that turned into a toxic, gauntlet of hate according to the veteran Sun reporter.
Decision making has never really been a strength of James Tavernier, yesterday he failed to read the room spectacularly when Don Robertson blew the final whistle to mark Celtic’s defeat.
Living in the sort of bubble that presents a serial loser with a Hall of Fame place, Tav thought that the 15,000 fans that had stayed to the bitter end wanted to salute the efforts of him and his team-mates. How wrong could you get?
Rangers fans at full time today @RangersFC pic.twitter.com/IQi1GJPxXv
— Fitba Culture ??????? (@fitbaculture) September 3, 2023
While most of the fans were on their way back home to Larkhall, Bridgeton, Bearsden and Kilwinning some very angry bears stayed behind to share their views with Micky Beale’s losers.
A quick clap or wave from the centre circle would have been fine but Tav opted to lead his team-mates around the ground which allowed the summer signings to learn some very Scottish phrases and gestures. Meanwhile Beale was hiding.
Covering the comical scenes after the final whistle for The Sun, Leckie reports:
As for the players themselves, the sheer toxicity of the abuse that greeted the final whistle told them loud and clear that the fans absolutely aren’t having them.
What started as an apologetic lap of dishonour turned into a gauntlet of hate, the anger on the faces of those who’d hung around to the bitter end telling its own story.
And maybe I’m reading too much into it, but the fact that Beale himself was already bolting up the tunnel while the players faced the music told an even more revealing tale.
As ever the players will outlast the manager, Beale will be sacked the minute that the gap goes beyond four points, back to England with the consolation of his pay off.
The coming months will be educational for the new arrivals, at least with a leader like Tavernier they have someone that knows the script and drill when you welcome in a new manager and coaching team.
Will Micky Beale still be manager at Ibrox on Christmas Day?
Yes, he is the Brains Behind Gerrard, don't underestimate him
He hasn't a hope, badly out of his depth. Next please
