AN influential group of Rangers fans has thrown its support behind plans for a new memorial to victims of the Irish Potato Famine.
The Rangers Supporters Assembly (RSA) said it would also be making a donation towards the cost of the project, adding any memorial had "the chance to represent the entire Irish community in Glasgow".
The move was welcomed yesterday, especially given the rivalry between the Old Firm and the traditional perception of Celtic as the team of the Irish diaspora in the west of Scotland.
One source said the RSA move was a significant step in "uniting communities in a shared history", adding its importance would not be lost in Scotland or Northern Ireland.
A decision on who will sit on the working group to decide on the most appropriate memorial and setting is to be taken in the next few days, with work due to begin in November.
The memorial has been driven by the SNP but has Labour support.
RSA president Andy Kerr said: "The Irish Famine was a terrible tragedy for the whole of that island and also had an effect in the north of Scotland. It did not discriminate on the grounds of gender, age or religion and we think it is fitting that a memorial remembers those who suffered.
"Rangers have a large following from Northern Ireland and many of their ancestors were affected by the famine. Irish migration to the city has helped to shape it and we hope the memorial will serve not only as a reminder of the migration caused by the famine but also as recognition of wider Irish migration to the city."
Glasgow SNP councillor Feargal Dalton said: "I'm delighted that the Rangers Supporters Assembly has issued this statement backing a memorial to this tragedy which knew no national or sectarian boundaries. I hope that rapid progress will now be made."
A spokesman for the ruling Labour Group on Glasgow City Council said: "We welcome this support, and will work constructively to establish a memorial."
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