WARNINGS that Scotland faces social unrest if Rangers cease playing football have been branded by the country's leading historian as inflammatory, apocalyptic and an invitation to disorder.
Professor Tom Devine said Scottish Football Association chief executive Stewart Regan had misjudged the tone of his comments, casting doubt over the extinction of Rangers and the desire for large-scale violent protest among its fan base.
Supporters of both Rangers and Celtic have added to the condemnation of Mr Regan's comments, along with the former head of Scotland's leading crime-fighting agency, Labour MSP Graeme Pearson.
Asked about the consequences of newco Rangers not playing at all next season after Tuesday's decision to reject the club from the SPL, Mr Regan said that "without Rangers there is social unrest and a big problem for Scottish society". He added that a huge fanbase with no team could lead to "severe consequences", referred to the importance of tribalism in football and added that if Rangers were not to exist it could have dire consequences.
Mr Devine, history professor at Edinburgh University, said: "I would regard Mr Regan's 'social unrest' intervention as ever-so-slightly inflammatory. He seems unaware there are some individuals who may take this as an invitation to behave as such. The tone he should have adopted was to point out the serious distress and anguish Rangers going out of business would have, particularly in working-class areas of the west of Scotland which have suffered tremendously in recent years and where such an apocalyptic decision would remove a key source of identity.
"Such an inarticulate protest as would fall under 'social unrest' would also require the intervention of the forces of law and order and remove any sympathy for Rangers' plight."
Chris Graham, of the online Rangers Standard, said Mr Regan was increasingly prone to "misunderstandings" and that his unrest comments had no basis. He added: "Regan's tenure has been littered with this type of incompetence. He should resign and allow someone else to get on with the task of fixing the mess he has created."
Paul Brennan, who runs the Celtic Quick News website, added: "Regan should be protecting the game from this rubbish not fanning the flames."
Mr Pearson, who was director-general of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency before becoming a member of the Scottish Parliament, said: "The future of Rangers is a serious issue and you have got to be responsible in the kind of comments you make."
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