Rangers Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the city of Glasgow.

The club has a global fan-base, with over 600 supporters clubs ranging from North America, Australasia and the Middle East to those closer to home in the United Kingdom. In 2006, Rangers was one of the best-supported clubs in the UK with an estimated 1.4 million supporters. In season 2012–13, Rangers recorded the 18th highest average league attendance in Europe.

Rangers and their supporters have traditionally been identified with the Protestantism and Unionism.

Fanbase and attendances + Recent average league attendances Season Stadium capacity Average attendance % of capacity 2003–04 50,411 48,992 97.2% 2004–05 50,411 48,676 96.6% 2005–06 50,411 49,245 97.8% 2006–07 51,082 49,955 97.9% 2007–08 51,082 49,143 96.2% 2008–09 51,082 49,534 97.0% 2009–10 51,082 47,564 93.1% 2010–11 51,082 45,305 88.7% 2011–12 51,082 46,324 90.7% 2012–13 50,987 45,744 89.6% 2013–14 50,987 42,938 84.2% 2014–15 50,947 32,798 64.3% 2015–16 50,947 45,029 88.4% 2016–17 50,947 48,893 95.9% 2017–18 50,817 49,174 96.8% 2018–19 50,817 49,564 97.5%

Rangers, along with Old Firm rivals Celtic, have the largest support base of all the clubs in Scotland. The club's average attendance is consistently one of the highest in Europe, the figure of 45,750 for the domestic league Season 2012–13 being the 18th highest across the continent. A study of stadium attendance figures from 2013 to 2018 by the CIES Football Observatory ranked Rangers at 18th in the world during that period, even though they had been playing at lower levels for three of those five seasons. Rangers' proportion of the distribution of spectators in Scotland was 27.4%, 8th overall for national audience share across the 51 leagues studied (Celtic's figures were even higher, mainly due to their stadium holding approximately 9,000 more seats).

Notable fans

David MacMillan, Nobel prize winning chemist Alex Ferguson, football manager Angus Young, AC/DC Australian musician Malcolm Young, AC/DC Australian musician William Reid, musician - Jesus & Mary Chain Van Morrison, musician Eddie Irvine, F1 Racing driver Ian McCallum, Punk Musician, Stiff Little Fingers Simon Neil, musician, Biffy Clyro Gordon Ramsay, British chef Archibald Leitch, famous football stadium Architect Denis Law, Footballer, Ballon d'Or winner Colin Hay, Scottish, Australian musician - Men at Work Isla Fisher, Actress Shay Mitchell, Canadian actress Maya Jama, TV presenter Louise Linton, Actress Archie Gemmill, Footballer Bradley Wiggins, Olympic cyclist Alan McGee, Founding Manager of Oasis Sean Connery, Scottish actor Kenneth Branagh, Filmmaker and actor Carl Frampton, Boxing champion Laura Anderson, TV personality Patrick Dempsey, Actor Jean Johansson, TV presenter & journalist, Midge Ure, Musician and Live Aid charity founder Luke Littler, Darts champion, Dougie Payne, musician Travis Derek Forbes, musician Simple Minds Cameron Norrie, British tennis player Nell McAndrew, Model Gregor Townsend, Scotland Rugby Head Coach Danni Menzies, Model and TV Presenter Lulu, Scottish singer Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Architect Hugh Grant, Actor, Tinchy Stryder, musician Amy Macdonald, Scottish singer Drew McIntyre, Scottish professional wrestler James Arthur, musician Jamie Bigg, TV Star, Gladiators Colin Montgomerie, Scottish professional golfer Willie Thorne, Snooker player Clive Anderson, English television and radio presenter Alastair Burnet, British journalist and broadcaster Andy Cameron, Scottish comedian Catriona Shearer, News broadcaster Grado, Scottish professional wrestler Robbie Fowler, English football manager Brian Kerr, Irish football manager Kenny Logan, Scottish rugby union player Tinie Tempah, musician Marti Pellow, Scottish singer Tom Stoltman, Scottish strongman Jack Bruce, musician, Cream Paul Craig, Mixed Martial Artist

Record attendances Rangers fans have contributed to a number of records for massive attendances, most notably the highest home attendance for a domestic league fixture in the United Kingdom: 118,567 on 2 January 1939. Ibrox hosted numerous crowds of over 100,000 during the 1950s and 1960s, prior to reconstruction following the Ibrox disaster. Rangers supporters also hold records for the highest attendance at a friendly fixture, 104,679, set at Hampden Park in 1961 vs Eintracht Frankfurt, as well as the largest crowd to watch a non-Cup final fixture, 143,570 for a Scottish Cup semi-final vs. Hibernian in 1948. Rangers hold the world record for a fourth tier match with an attendance of 50,048 against Berwick Rangers during the 2012–13 season.

List of Rangers supporters groups Name Tenure Notes Rangers First 2014–2016 Merged to form Club 1872 Rangers Supporters' Trust 2003–2016 Merged to form Club 1872 Club 1872 2016– Currently the 2nd largest Rangers FC shareholder Rangers Supporters Assembly 2004–2016 Dissolved as part of Club 1872 formation Rangers Supporters Association 1946– Rangers Fan Board 2014–2016 Dissolved as part of Club 1872 formation

Disorderly Behaviour 2008 UEFA Cup final

In 2008, up to 200,000 Rangers supporters traveled to Manchester for the UEFA Cup final, with major issues of disturbance and disorder. The match between Rangers and Zenit Saint Petersburg was preceded by mass civil disturbance and vandalism by Rangers supporters and fights between fans.

Rangers chief executive Martin Bain later criticized the protestors, stating: "Those scenes obviously are dreadful and I've seen them myself and we have been informed...that those scenes were caused by supporters that don't normally attach themselves to our support. Rangers security chief Kenny Scott said the club would take "appropriate action" against those responsible.

2021 George Square disorder After winning the 2020–21 Scottish Premiership title in March 2021, Rangers fans were criticised for gathering at Ibrox Stadium and at George Square in central Glasgow, despite public gatherings being prohibited due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland. Instances of violence and disorder were observed, multiple police officers were assaulted, several memorial benches were destroyed during celebrations. In all, police made 28 arrests and handed out fixed penalty notices for a variety of offences including assaulting police officers and sectarian-related breaches of the peace. Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon described the scenes as "infuriating and disgraceful".

Having received the Scottish Premiership trophy on 15 May 2021, thousands of Rangers fans gathered at Ibrox in the morning and walked the to George Square to celebrate the team's title success, although this was still not permitted under pandemic regulations and authorities had requested the supporters to stay in their local area. During the alcohol-fuelled celebrations, some supporters became 'unruly' leading to 'violent clashes' with each other, and then with the police after a decision was made to forcibly disperse the group at 9pm, during which several people were violently assaulted, property was vandalised and missiles and flares were thrown at officers. In all, police made 20 arrests on the day with more expected to follow on review of the incidents. Sturgeon condemned these fans for behaving in "a thuggish, sectarian and selfish manner" and for displays of "vile anti-Catholic prejudice".

Songs and chants

Rangers fans' song of choice and most commonly sung is "Follow Follow". This is also the club's official anthem and is played before every home match at Ibrox. Other anthems played at home matches include "Penny Arcade" by Roy Orbison and "Simply the Best" by Tina Turner, which is played as the teams enter the stadium. Rangers adopted this anthem after the club won nine titles in a row in the 1990s and Rangers supporters started a campaign that got the song into the top 10 of the UK singles chart in 2010 to commemorate the club's 53rd title win.

Other songs frequently chanted by Rangers fans include "The Bouncy", which involves bouncing up and down on the spot chanting the word "bouncy" or "let's all do the bouncy" over and over again; "Derry's Walls", a song commemorating the siege of Derry in 1689; and "Every Other Saturday", a song written in the 1960s and originating from an era when Rangers supporters finished work on a Saturday morning, a lot from the River Clyde shipyards, and headed to Ibrox for the afternoon fixture.

Sectarian singing Rangers fans have been criticised for singing anti-Catholic songs. The Billy Boys, including the lyrics "We're up to our knees in Fenian blood ... Surrender or you'll die", was included in songs banned by the Scottish government in 2011, but has continued to be sung by fans. Similarly The Famine Song, referring to the 1840s' Great Famine in Ireland, and including the lyric "The famine is over, why don't you go home?", has been sung by Rangers supporters since the 2000s, leading to criticism and legal action.

Rivalries

Celtic: Old Firm derby

The club's most distinct rivalry is with Glasgow neighbours Celtic; the two clubs are collectively known as the Old Firm. Rangers' traditional support is largely drawn from the Protestant Unionist community, whilst Celtic's traditional support is largely drawn from the Catholic Irish community. The first Old Firm match was won by Celtic and there have been over four hundred matches played to date. The Old Firm rivalry has fuelled many assaults, sometimes leading to deaths, on Old Firm derby days; an activist group that monitors sectarian activity in Glasgow has reported that on Old Firm weekends, admissions to hospital emergency rooms have increased over normal levels and journalist Franklin Foer noted that in the period from 1996 to 2003, eight deaths in Glasgow were directly linked to Old Firm matches, as well as hundreds of assaults.

Aberdeen

The rivalry with Aberdeen began in the late 1970s when the two clubs were among the strongest in Scotland. Relations between fans were further soured during a league match on 8 October 1988, when Aberdeen player Neil Simpson's tackle on Rangers' Ian Durrant resulted in Durrant being injured for two years. Resentment continued and in 1998 an article in Rangers pre-match programme branded Aberdeen fans "scum". Rangers stated that they had "issued a full and unreserved apology" to Aberdeen and their supporters, and this was accepted by Aberdeen. In another incident, then Rangers captain Richard Gough accused Aberdeen of only playing when it was against Rangers. This further increased the hostility between supporters of both clubs, which has continued.

Sectarianism

Until 1989, Rangers informally refused to sign Catholic players, reinforcing its image as a bastion of Protestant identity. In 1989 Mo Johnston, who had previously played for Celtic, signed for Rangers, becoming the first high-profile Catholic player at the club since the First World War. Some Rangers supporters protested at the signing of a Catholic, burning their scarves and saying they would give up their season tickets.

Rangers partnered with Celtic to form the 'Old Firm Alliance', an initiative aimed at educating children from across Glasgow about issues like healthy eating and fitness, as well as awareness of anti-social behaviour, sectarianism and racism. The club's 'Follow With Pride' campaign was launched in 2007 to improve the club's image and build on previous anti-racist, anti-sectarian campaigns. William Gallard, UEFA's Director of Communications, commended the SFA and Scottish clubs, including Rangers, for their actions in fighting discrimination. In September 2007, UEFA praised Rangers for the measures the club has taken against sectarianism.