Banner outrage just a smokescreen to deflect from Ibrox’s main problem | OneFootball

Their Sectarian Banner and other incidents are just being used as a smokescreen to deflect from the reality of Ibrox thuggery…

Their offensive tifo at Ibrox. Photo social media. theRangers v Celtic, 4 May 2025.

Viljami Sinisalo spoke of his experience in last Sunday’s Glasgow Derby at Ibrox and unfortunately for the Finnish shot stopper it was events off the park that were his main takeaways from the game.

Viljami was as witnessed by millions of viewers the target of a missile in the form of a glass bottle in the aftermath of Adam Idah’s equaliser at the home of our bitter rivals. But yesterday he also spoke of many other objects that were aimed in his direction throughout the 90 minutes of last Sundays stalemate.

‘It wasn’t just a bottle. There was lighters, vapes, coins, mugs,” Viljami Sinisalo

The young keeper spoke in detail of how objects such as lighters, vapes, coins and even mugs were hurled onto the park intent on maiming him. He quite rightly pointed out that an object such as a bottle could seriously hurt a player and put their career in jeopardy, and what then?

He also spoke of past incidents at the same venue and said it’s up to the others to put an end to the thuggish behaviour, and quite rightly so, but history tells us it will most likely fall on deaf ears.

Incidentally in the same game the authorities were able to pin point a solitary Celtic supporter who was guilty of hurling disgraceful comments at the Rangers supporters about the Ibrox Disaster in 1971 and he was quite rightly dealt with, but what about the numerous Ibrox supporters who targeted our players?

Sectarian banner is a convenient smokescreen to deflect from yet more acts of thuggery by the Rangers supporters.

Total silence in that aspect, although there has been plenty of reporting on the ‘controversial’ banner and other incidents, which is no more than a convenient smokescreen to deflect from yet more acts of thuggery by the Rangers supporters.

Their offensive tifo at Ibrox. Photo social media. theRangers v Celtic, 4 May 2025.

Banners and insults don’t physically hurt anyone but missiles do and that should be the main focal point.

Here’s what Sinisalo had to say about Scotland’s Shame at his media conference yesterday. Conor Spence reckons he should replace Michael Nicolson as CEO as at least is prepared to come out and support his teammates, the Celtic backroom staff and Celtic supporters who have all been assaulted at Ibrox in recent years.

“Listen, when you think of it, and you say let’s say that glass bottle that was on the pitch hits me or hits someone else, what happens then? What if it hits you in the eye and you can’t play football after that? What happens then? So that’s the question that we need answers for.

Arne Engels hit by coins at Ibrox

“I know it’s not the first time it’s happened, I know I was there when Arne (Engels) was hit with something, Greg’s (Taylor) been hit, Joe Hart’s been hit, staff members have been hit, so it’s not the first time this happened, so you’re probably hoping that they stop it eventually, and trying to not give them anything back I suppose, it’s one of them, it doesn’t really affect you, it’s not nice but you try and focus on the game.

Arne Engels hit by coins at Ibrox

“It’s such an important game, there’s so much at stake every time you play a game like that, so you can’t really let that affect you because that’s what people want at the end of the day, they want that to affect you, which I’m glad to say that it didn’t.

“I’m just trying to do my job, there aren’t many jobs in the world that you get bottles thrown at you,” Viljami Sinisalo

“I’m just trying to do my job, there aren’t many jobs in the world that you get bottles thrown at you, I don’t know how people identify who it is because there are a lot of people. I’m talking 30-40 objects here, that was on the pitch, so it’s not just one individual, so to identify the individual is probably hard in itself, I don’t know, it’s up to them, I can’t say what needs to be done and what should be done, it’s up to the authorities and the club there.

A Celtic supporter’s head split open after being struck by a buckfast bottle at Ibrox in January 2023

A Celtic supporter’s head split open after being struck by a buckfast bottle at Ibrox in January 2023

“I don’t know what hit me. My bottle was right by their fans, and I went to have a drink, and I was not facing them because I didn’t know what was happening, what was getting thrown at me. So I don’t know.

“It wasn’t something big because it wasn’t a big impact or anything like that. I expect it to probably be a vape or something. Listen, that’s how it is. It wasn’t just the bottle, there were quite a few things thrown at us.

“No, it doesn’t affect my concentration because you’re very much in the zone. You don’t think that when you’re on the pitch, but when you see the pictures of the bottle and you kind of go back in the changing room and think, what if it did hit me? I’m glad it didn’t because it could have been bad. Listen, it’s not nice. No one wants it.

A member of Celtic’s coaching staff hit by a glass at Ibrox in April 2022

“I’m just trying to do my job. There aren’t many jobs in the world where you get a bottle thrown at you. So it’s tough for me to say what needs to be done. I’d like to think that something should be done. But that’s not for me to say what it is, but yes, it’s not nice.”

Joe Hart’s goalmouth had broken glass thrown on it at the interval at Ibrox in April 2022

Joe Hart’s goalmouth had broken glass thrown on it at the interval at Ibrox in April 2022

Just an Ordinary Bhoy

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