To be fair, you can understand the frustration. We've been poor, and that makes every decision feel bigger than it is. But there's a growing feeling among plenty of supporters that the SFA, refs, VAR teams and the SPFL are looking at Rangers differently because of what Derek said last season. That's the thread I'm trying to pull on here — is it paranoia or a pattern?
Why fans think there's bias
People cite specific moments and they stick in the mind. In recent games folk point to a red card that should've happened, a penalty that didn't look right and another decision that felt harsh because of what led up to it. When you've lost two games and you spot those episodes, it's easy to see a narrative forming — especially when those moments seemed to go against us.
How much of it is real?
Truth is, football is messy. Officials make calls, VAR intervenes and sometimes it goes our way, sometimes it doesn't. That won't change. What’s different here is the belief that the establishment is actively punishing Derek for speaking up. On places like Rangers News Views you'll see that theory floated a lot. That doesn't make it true, but it explains why fans feel aggrieved and why every decision now gets extra scrutiny.
What would a protest achieve?
The idea of a walk-off at the Old Firm is bold and dramatic — I get why someone would suggest it. It would create chaos, force headlines and make broadcasters furious. But it would also risk heavy sanctions, damage the club's image and hand the narrative to those same critics. There are other ways to push back: measured public statements, asking for clarity on decisions, and making sure complaints are logged properly. That might be less sexy than a mass walk-off, but it avoids giving the establishment the exact reaction they'd love.
At the end of the day I'm frustrated and I think a lot of fans are. Keep calling out poor refereeing when it happens, be loud but smart about it, and let performances on the pitch do the loudest talking. If Derek's being unfairly singled out, we'll see it in the long run — and if not, then the focus has to be on getting our standards up and stopping these discussions before they start.
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Rangers News Views offers daily Glasgow Rangers coverage including match reaction, transfer analysis, SPFL context, tactical breakdowns and opinion-led articles written by supporters for supporters.
