The SFA are set to intervene after Rangers chief executive Charles Green officially called for fans to boycott their Scottish Cup match against Dundee United.
What had until then been a campaign from various supporters’ groups to give the fifth round tie at Tannadice in February a miss became club policy when Green released his statement, saying the Light Blues will not be taking any tickets for the game.
In a remarkable step surely unprecedented in Scottish football history, Green urged Rangers fans to turn their back on the country’s pre-eminent knockout tournament due to a grievance at what they perceive to be the Tangerines’ leading role in not allowing his newco into the SPL in the summer.
Among other things, he claimed that there was anger at ”certain SPL clubs, which were actively engaged in trying to harm Rangers when we were in a perilous situation.”
This hostile move by an official of one of their member clubs regarding a cup tie in what is, after all, the SFA’s own tournament will come as a huge embarrassment to the governing body and they will be unable to ignore it.
Green’s statement read: ”Rangers Football Club will not be taking its allocation of tickets for the forthcoming Scottish Cup match against Dundee United at Tannadice. This is a unanimous decision by the board, senior management and staff at Ibrox.
”Everyone at this club is dismayed at the actions of certain SPL clubs, which were actively engaged in trying to harm Rangers when we were in a perilous situation and we are acutely aware of their attitude to us.”
The statement continued: ”Not all clubs who voted against Rangers returning to the SPL fall into that category and indeed we made Motherwell very welcome when we played them at Ibrox in the League Cup competition recently.
”However, feelings remain very raw and it should be no surprise that we as a club feel this way. It is unsurprising too that there has been a reaction from our supporters to this particular fixture.
”The last thing we as a club want to do is to compromise security arrangements for any match. I therefore appeal to all fans not to travel to this match and to Dundee United not to sell tickets to Rangers supporters.
”Our only regret is that this turn of events will not assist Ally McCoist and the team in what will be a very difficult fixture. We should make clear that the club, the manager and the players all look forward to a situation where Rangers fans attend every match to support the team. The fans are our greatest asset.”
United for their part kept a dignified silence but there is a board meeting at Tannadice today and how to handle what has become a potential powderkeg of a cup-tie will top the agenda.