'Til Death Do Us Part

(Insert Team Name) ‘til I die!
(Insert Team Name) ‘til I die!
I know I am, I’m sure I am
Insert Team Name) ‘til I die!

If you’ve ever been to a soccer game, or perhaps seen one on TV you likely will have heard this chant, or at least one very much like it. But how true is this, do we support our teams ‘til we die no matter what? Are there no limits to our support, can we ever be swayed from our undying devotion to our club?

For me this issue has been particularly relevant over the last six months. If you’re not familiar with the financial crisis surrounding Rangers I won’t go into detail here, the information’s easy enough to find online, but in short the Rangers company is being liquidated and a new company formed in it’s place. There have been shady backroom deals, sickening hatred from supporters and rivals alike, players are abandoning ship right and left, and now no one knows what league, if any, Rangers will be in this season.

So this begs the question; is this even the same club I began following 15 years ago? A saying that I’ve seen show up on Twitter and Facebook a lot lately is; “The Plc is gone, but the club form by four men with a dream will live on forever”.

But what is that club now? The players I followed are gone and the name and crest are owned by a man I cannot trust. So what is left? The fans of course. It is the fans who will carry on the legacy is it not? Together we will stand side by side and never surrender our club.

But....

Then I read things like the thinly veiled threats of violence against Green made by David Leggat. While I know there are many reasonable and rational Rangers fans out there too often I have seen Mr Leggat's sentiments echoed by supporters on forums and twitter. And it leaves me to question If I can in fact stand side by side with these people I would have considered brothers and sisters just a year ago.

And if the only remnant of the club I fell in love with, the fans, is not a group I can consider myself proud to be a part of can I truly say I still support Rangers?

In all honesty I do not know the answer to this question. As an American who has never had the opportunity to be in the stands of Ibrox I certainly will have different views than those born and bread into the blue.

July 4th is the American independence day, it is also the day the SPL will vote on the future of Rangers. I pray that this independence day I will be able to celebrate, not only a victory for Rangers but that we as fans can proudly stand together and follow on.

My fellow Rangers supporters I urge you to convince me my perceptions are wrong and I should be proud to stand by you. Talk me back from the ledge.