Police Scotland are investigating a tifo displayed by Rangers fans ahead of Sunday’s Glasgow derby, after seizing the banner that featured an image of Graeme Souness holding a shotgun and a slogan aimed at Celtic supporters.
The large display was unveiled in the Broomloan Stand, which houses the Union Bears, as both teams emerged from the tunnel at Ibrox. It showed Souness holding a shotgun with the caption “Take aim against the rebel scum” underneath. The visual layout of the banner appeared to direct the weapon toward the Celtic support housed in the opposite corner of the ground.
The banner immediately drew criticism for its tone and imagery.
Later in the match, missiles were thrown towards Vini Sinisalo’s goal, which appeared to have come from the same stand.
In a statement addressing both incidents, Rangers admitted the tifo had “crossed a line” and pledged to review their approach to fan-led displays. “We also acknowledge that the tifo displayed prior to kick-off crossed a line and was unacceptable,” the club said.
Police Scotland are now in possession of the banner and have launched a formal probe. The investigation will seek to determine whether the tifo breached public order laws or constituted incitement. [SunSport]
The incident has further intensified scrutiny around supporter conduct during Glasgow Derby fixtures, particularly in light of the ongoing issue of objects being thrown at players and staff.
