Rangers ultras group Union Bears have only been active for around 17 years having been originally formed in 2007.
The notorious group, who are one of the most active current ultras groups at the club, have always had their say on current political issues in the country and have a long-standing feud with the Scottish Nationalist Party which ahs led to some controversial moments.
But who are the Union Bears and what do they stand for? This article will serve as your full guide to the Rangers Ultras group.
A guide to Rangers Ultras group Union Bears
Contents
Who are the Union Bears?
The Union Bears are a self-funded ultras group at Rangers who are responsible for a large portion of the incredible tifos we regularly see displayed at the Ibrox. While popular among the fanbase, they are a divisive group that can sometimes get themselves into trouble.
A vocal group, this is also not the first time the Union Bears have made clear their political stance, having previously taken aim at another member of the Scottish Parliament – Nicola Sturgeon.
Core ideology of the Union Bears
Famous across the country and indeed across Europe, the Union Bears concern themselves with far more than merely just supporting the club. Whereas many ultras groups will actively avoid any involvement in political debates, the Union Bears frequently brandish banners and make statements regarding contemporary issues.
They are predominantly of a Protestant Unionist ideology and have spoken out about Catholicism on multiple occasions.
From a political standpoint, the Union Bears tend to take a fairly right-wing position in most cases and have made public (as you will see below) their dislike for the Scottish Nationalist Party.
Being a Rangers Ultras group, it also goes without saying that the Union Bears have a long-standing hatred of Celtic.
Key Union Bears incidents
Union Bears mock Scottish Ministers
During Rangers's match earlier today, Union Bears mock the former Scottish First Minister and 'anti white' Humza Yousaf, who resigned a few days ago. ๐ฌ๐ง๐ https://t.co/yu56OjSMBm pic.twitter.com/toCloALzNF
— ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ฅ (@thecasualultra) May 5, 2024
The Union Bears are one of the most active and popular ultras group at the Scottish club. The reason for that is, whether it be rightly or wrongly, they are not afraid to make their voices heard. During the side's 4-1 comeback victory against Kilmarnock, they struck once more.
In the stands at the Ibrox, a multi-tiered banner was displayed, taking aim at various Ministers supposedly working for the Scottish Nationalist Party. The banner described several different politicians as “s****” before concluding with a short message saying “F*** the SNP”.
Fan reaction to the banner
While many fans were in support of the banner, there was also a substantial number of fans who criticised the group online.
Via a Rangers forum chat, one fan said “The criticism is deserved. Past banners have been great. Today the banners are not. Full focus should be on backing the team, not making petty digs at politicians, however godawful they are.”
While another echoed a similar sentiment, suggesting that all supporters should be “focused on our team when weโre trying to chase a title.”
Union Bears attack Celtic pub
Union Bears attacked the Bhoys Celtic pub earlier tonight ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ๐ pic.twitter.com/5qrT7DpeMC
โ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ฅ (@thecasualultra) May 24, 2024
Given the deep-rooted hatred that has existed between the two sides since what feels like the dawn of time, it may not be all that surprising to learn that tensions have occasionally spilt over between the Union Bears and Celtic supporters.
Perhaps the most recent example of this occurred in May 2024, when the pair were due to meet in the Scottish Cup Final.
On the night before the game, a group of Union Bears members reportedly attacked the Bhoys Celtic Pub, which, as the name suggests, is well-known for being a regular meeting place for Celtic fans.