Steve Clarke has told Rangers that he is not sick after they unveiled a banner telling the Kilmarnock manager to “get well soon” in the 5-0 win against Hamilton on Sunday.
Clarke had hit out at the Gers supporters for alleged sectarian abuse that was aimed at him in Killie’s 5-0 defeat at Ibrox last week in the Scottish Cup.
The former West Brom boss’ comments, on what is a massive issue in Scottish football, have clearly been ignored by some Rangers fans, who thought it was a good idea to take aim at him instead on Sunday.
Clarke was asked about the banner in a press conference on Tuesday.
“I appreciate their concern. But it is not me that’s sick. I’m not sick,” he said, as quoted by Press Association journalist Ronnie Esplin via his personal Twitter account on Tuesday.
Steve Clarke's message at this morning's presser to the @RangersFC fans who held up the 'get well soon Steve Clarke' banner at Hamilton – "I appreciate their concern. But it is not me that's sick. I'm not sick."
— Ronnie Esplin (@RonnieEsplin) February 26, 2019
OPINION
Clarke’s comments should be taken very seriously, not treated as a joke like the Rangers fans who unfurled that banner at Hamilton over the weekend. Sectarianism is a massive issue in Scottish football and needs to be confronted head-on, so when a manager brings the issue to light, why is he being ridiculed? Yes, you’ll have Rangers saying ‘what about this’, ‘what about that’, but there is actually a chance to make things better here if they all just took Clarke seriously and tried to fight something that has tarnished the name of Scottish football for decades. Rangers themselves need to act, as do Celtic, and as do every single club in Scotland if there is any kind of sectarian abuse at games. The Scottish FA and the Scottish government should also be stepping up their efforts, but unfortunately, we all know that nothing is going to change, especially not in the immediate future.