RANGERS chairman Sir David Murray used yesterday's agm to attack the "bile" that appears on fans' websites and called on the club's supporters to unite together against sectarianism.
Addressing shareholders at yesterday's meeting, Murray praised the efforts that have already been made to combat bigotry, and said he would be lobbying the First Minister Alex Salmond to ensure that Rangers do not become the "whipping boys" in the fi
ght against sectarianism.
Murray went on to say that a minority of supporters were not helping by posting controversial comments on the internet, while chief executive Martin Bain condemned those who give the club's critics "a big stick to batter us with".
Murray said: "I've repeatedly said that Scotland's shame is not sectarianism – it's drugs and obesity. We have people involved with this club who put bile – that's the word for it – on websites every day. All we are doing is playing into the hands of the media.
"In the 20 years I've been at this club, there has been a vast, vast improvement on the behaviour of sectarianism at the club. Then we don't help ourselves by giving people stuff on a daily basis. I don't think within our club we help ourselves. We give our head on a salver sometimes. Half of our problems I believe are self-inflicted.
"But all the problems with Scottish sectarianism should not be just put at the feet of Rangers Football Club. I intend to take that up with the First Minister again when I see him in the next week."
The full article contains 266 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
