ARMED Forces Day tomorrow at Ibrox, home of Rangers FC, will see the usual militaristic celebrations, which in the past have included British soldiers abseiling from the stand with the match ball, parade drilling on the pitch and gun salutes being fired from the centre circle. But as another round of unionist fury erupts in the local media – this time over a Bik McFarlane tribute at Celtic Park and an abusive Rangers’ fans banner response presented as ‘hitting back’ – Robin Livingstone has questions. Will SS banners paying tribute to the Nazi elite force that slaughtered captive British soldiers be displayed by Rangers fans again? Or will they be kept diplomatically folded? Will tributes to Catholic-slashers from history be displayed on banners again, or just merely sung? And, perhaps most intriguingly, if there are any such displays, will the Loyal Ulster media’s new-found indignation about Scottish football banners be extended to Ibrox...? BANNERS at Celtic Park on Tuesday evening paying tribute to the late republican Bik McFarlane, who was buried earlier that day, provoked a predictable round of fury among unionist politicians and commentators.
