STEWART ROBERTSON can understand why some Rangers fans feel ‘vilified’ over their treatment in Scottish football in recent years.

Club 1872, the newly formed supporter organisation which brings together several Gers groups, claimed last night that the Light Blue legions and their club are seen as ‘fair game by an unpleasant and active minority who attach themselves to several Scottish football clubs’ as the fall-out from Saturday’s Scottish Cup final continues.

Thousands of Hibernian fans stormed onto the park at the final whistle and Rangers players and staff were allegedly assaulted before a series of fights broke out across Hampden.

Rangers issued a hard-hitting statement on Sunday evening as they blasted the SFA, Hibernian and the Government for their reaction to the post-match disorder.

The shocking scenes came just a year after Gers followers were goaded during another pitch invasion from opposition supporters at the end of the play-off final defeat to Motherwell and Managing Director Robertson insists Rangers fans’ voice must be heard.

He said: “I can see why Rangers fans feel they have been given a hard time over the last four or five years.

“Part of the rationale behind Club 1872 is to give the Rangers fans a voice and stand up for the Rangers fans. Rangers fans, some of them feel vilified over the last four or five years.

“Hopefully, we are back on an even keel, the club is back in the Premiership, so let’s get back to focusing on football. Get back to playing football and moving Scottish football forward.

“Let’s be positive about Scottish football and get away from all the nonsense in the background.

“Will we ever do it? I doubt it because we live in Scotland and Glasgow. But we need to get back to just focusing on football.”

Both Police Scotland and the Scottish FA have launched probes into the Hampden riot that shamed our game on Saturday.

And Robertson insists Rangers will take stern action against any of their supporters who are found to have behaved inappropriately after the 3-2 defeat to Alan Stubbs’ side.

He said: “We don’t condone any act of violence in football and some of our fans ended up on the pitch, but I think you have to go back to the provocation, the taunting and the goading.

“I’ve seen some of the footage from close up and they felt threatened. They saw players being attacked by the Hibs fans. Let’s not forget that the Hibs fans came over the top.

“The Hibs fans initiated everything that happened. The Hibs fans ran towards them.

“But the investigations will inevitably lead to some of those fans who were on the pitch being punished and we will take appropriate action against those fans and do the right thing.”