Rangers Supporters Trust join the Old Firm debate

The Rangers Supporters Trust today issues a statement expressing their support for Martin Bain's attempt to bring back "sanity and balance" to the Old Firm debate.

The trust statement supports Bain's efforts to "bring some sanity and balance to hysterical nonsense around the Scottish Cup tie on 2 March at Celtic Park." While at the same time questioning the behaviour of Celtic Manager Neil Lennon.

The Trust believe Lennon's behaviour in the first half of the Cup game gave them serious concern and they can't believe the SFA have taken no action against the Celtic Manager for leaving his own tachincial area, for intruding into Rangers Technical area and deliberate provocation.

The statement goes on to say, "We consider that the management team at Celtic FC are out of control and in our view this is evidenced by Mr Lennon’s previous behaviour at Tannadice and at Tynecastle, for which he received a four match ban. What we consider to be premeditated provocation and incitement of Rangers players and staff was continued last Wednesday evening in the tunnel in Celtic Park after the half time whistle in scenes captured on Sky television."

They also believe they have evidence of provocative gestures made to the crowd during the original game at Ibrox. These were noted by the police but nothing was done by the referee or the SFA, this tied with the provocation of Diouf, Naismith and Weiss in the tunnel led to the events of last Wednesday.

They conclude the incidents they have raised "are at the very least cause for concern and we therefore call on the SFA to conduct a meaningful and thorough investigation into these issues as soon as practicable."

As usual with the RST the tone of the statement is hardly concilitary and rather than help the situation is more likely to fan the flames even further.

I know they represent Rangers supporters but in typical Old Firm there is no mention of the role of their players, and management team, last Wednesday. This all appears to be the fault of the Celtic management team who appeat to be the cause of all of the World's ills!

This statement doesn't appear too helpful given there is another Rangers v Celtic game in two weeks time, wich means there is still a lot of work to be done to smooth the waters of this interminable saga.