Rangers fan initiative to move Celtic supporters reaches funding goal

The page on Go Fund Me, started by user Gary The Bear, was looking for £770 to pay for details behind a 5000-strong survey carried out among Rangers supporters and to print over 10,000 leaflets to distribute at home matches.

The ultimate goal is to lobby the club into cutting the number of Celtic supporters which attend Old Firm games at Ibrox, while moving them into the same corner of the ground occupied by fans of other clubs.

Gary The Bear hailed the completion of the first step after the £770 mark was bypassed in two days, with someone also making an “offline” donation.

He wrote on the page: “Thanks to the fantastic support from all rangers fans. It didn’t take long, but the target has been reached. (Some was donated off line)

“This is a massively important issue to many, and I believe the vast majority of supporters.

“I know the board are fighting many fires at the moment and are doing a great job at rebuilding the club from what has happened in the last number of years. However, the importance of issues close to the hearts of the fans should be heard, understood and acted upon.

“With the great support from the fans, both financially and with advice, we are now in position to progress this initiative to collate as much information as we need to develop the strong case for the board to consider.”

Many Rangers fans have backed the calls, wishing for their crosstown rivals to be moved into a different area of the stadium.

Ally Paterson wrote on the crowdfunder page: “Congratulations to Gary the Bear for taking this initiative. Get that lot tucked away in the corner the same as they do to us. Superb effort, bears.”

While Andrew Johnston added: “Keep up the good work, mate. Let’s give the stand back to the fans who pay to be there.”

However, some had reservations, with Brian Baird saying: “I hate them as much as any other true Rangers fan, but this is utterly ridiculous! We will gain a few more thousand of our own fans at the game... however these are the part time supporters who have no intention of going to any games apart from ones against Celtic and other big games!

"Who does it then effect most? Us fans who want to go to the game at Parkhead when they then cut our allocation as a result!”