SMALL-MINDED AND PETTY

When, during an international a couple of years back, a member of the Tartan Army streaked across Hampden and was duly pursued by a posse of police and stewards, a colleague dryly observed, “What a lot of fuss about very little.”

The old ones are the best, and his words have come back to me in the last couple of weeks or so as fans in the City of Discovery have gone ballistic about the opening of an official Rangers shop in the Wellgate Centre.

Until Christmas, at least, the Ibrox outfit will be punting all the usual merchandise to their locally-based faithful — and this “invasion” has not gone down well with some United and Dundee fans.

Football-following web surfers — and they call me a computer illiterate — will know that various fans’ sites have erupted in fury, and there has even been a petition launched against this unwanted arrival.

Now, don’t get me wrong, because a bit like that Hampden streaker, I have absolutely no interest in seeing what this shop has to offer.

Again, it is only one hack’s opinion, but I’d far rather such outlets were confined to the west of the country.

Regular watchers of this space must be well aware by now that, other than on European nights, I am no great lover of either half of the Old Firm.

On top of that, you will get nothing but contempt from this quarter for those who use their allegiance to Rangers, or Celtic for that matter, to promote outdated and offensive bigotry.

And, in advance of heading west on Sunday praying that United will end their own bad run of results by upsetting the odds at Ibrox, I can testify from many visits to Govan over recent years that, professionally-speaking, the Gers are not always a particularly nice club to visit.

That said, on the playing side from this corner of Tayside, there is nothing but respect for the way manager Alex McLeish conducts himself and good memories of dealings with the likes of Gavin Rae, Nacho Novo, Zura Khizanishvili and Steven Thompson during their time in Tannadice Street.

However, there would be no tears shed here if the big two were to realise their dream of heading off to places in the English Premiership.

Despite all that, to those who say Rangers should not have been allowed to open up their Wellgate shop, the message is plain — stop being stupid and grow up.

Love them or loathe them, what is undeniable is that Rangers are a sizeable business with customers not just the country over but worldwide.

If they can make money out of opening shops in the sticks, then no one should want to deny them the opportunity — and suggestions that we do so locally are as small-minded and petty as so many of their fans.

And, on the subject of those fans who turn their back on local clubs to travel hundreds of miles each week in search of Old Firm glory, we might not like them for doing that, but, like everyone else, they pays their money and, therefore, should be allowed to make their choice.

To finish off, it is worth pointing out that less than a mile from that blot on the Wellgate landscape are two excellent sports shops in the same street.

Both are well worth a visit, particularly if dark blue or tangerine is more to your liking than light blue.

Predictions

Aberdeen v. Motherwell — home.

Dundee v. Dunfermline — home.

Kilmarnock v. Inverness CT — home.

Hearts v. Hibs — AWAY.

Livingston v. Celtic — AWAY.

Rangers v. Dundee United — home.