RANGERS ultras have hit back at their Celtic counterparts after they paid tribute to a convicted IRA killer.
Hoops ultras the Green Brigade displayed a massive tifo to convicted bomber Brendan ‘Bik’ McFarlane, who died at the age of 74 on Friday, during a pre-arranged club tribute to former European Cup final goalkeeper Evan Williams before their clash with Aberdeen.
The Rangers fans banner[/caption]
That sparked fury on social media and elsewhere – with DUP Northern Assembly member Philip Brett writing to Celtic, SFA and Uefa on the matter and urging Police Scotland to act under the Terrorism Act.
And Rangers fans at last night’s Scottish Premiership clash against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park were determined to get their point across too.
Fans standing directly behind a flag denoting ultras group the Union Bears, displayed a banner which read: “He was a coward then and he’s a coward now.
“Rot in hell Brendan McFarlane.”
That mirrored the wording in the Green Brigade’s banner a night previously which read: “They said he was a rebel then. He’s a hero now.”
Another line in Gaelic Irish wrote: “May his soul be seated on God’s right hand.”
Former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams was among those who attended the funeral of the Belfast man on Monday.
McFarlane was sent to the Maze Prison after being convicted of a deadly bomb and gun attack on a the Bayardo Bar in the Protestant Shankill Road area.
Aged 23, he and two others carried out a bomb and gun attack on the pub they suspected of being used by UVF members.
Two civilians were machine-gunned to death outside the pub while three more died in the subsequent explosion which also injured dozens of people.
The youngest victim, Linda Boyle, was just 17 years old.
McFarlane was then the officer in command of the H-Block prisoners during the 1981 hunger strike over conditions in the Maze – although he was not chosen to hunger strike himself.
The SPFL were waiting on Wednesday night to see if the banner was mentioned in the delegate’s report while a Police Scotland spokesperson said last night: “No complaints have been received at this time.”
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