I'd also like to support those who've said the "full" version of the song is a total fabrication and has never been sung in in public place or recorded PRIOR to the complaints lodged after the Celtic - Rangers match on 31/8. As this forum is a great place for tracing the origins of songs, we similarly have to do a better job of debunking myths which are planted for 'political' reasons and to support media witch hunts (the media like the idea that there's a nasty full version, else the story is pretty weak about someone not liking a chant).

The four verse version has been around for about a year and there are a few You Tube videos which have it in. I remember one from the UEFA Cup Final in May 2008 where a modest group of Rangers fans in a Manchester pub sings the 4 verse version to some Zenit fans (obviously beofre the game!). Given that the Rangers fans pretty much had free reign of Manchester that day and say full versions of many bigoted/banned sectarian songs the "full" version of this song was not heard and there is no evidence for it.

The chances of a four line chant/song being expanded and fully adopted as the "true" multi-verse song with quite strong sectarian references in just a couple of short months wether by mobile phones or other technology is extremely remote. Folk songs bed in over time and this would be totally against the grain. Look at the adoption time for "Flower of Scotland" to become a cultural norm and popular folk ballad from time of writing... its in the decades!

So in short, there is nothing to suggest the "full" version is in any way authentic. The short four line chant is clearly authenticated and has a clear logical basis as a responsive taunt to a Celtic fans' song about the Irish Famine. There is nothing bigoted or sectraian in there... childish and purile maybe. I think the interesting bit here would be to dig around and see if other teams have used the taunt in response to the Celtic song... that'd make sense and is a pretty common trait, no?

The media is very good at adopting their own "truths" and I think the discussion on this site with all it's time-stamps etc. will serve as a good record of the popular disagreement around the songs origins. For now though, it's froth and hysteria. Thank you for this site.

Not a Rangers or Celtic fan but a Scot who follows football from afar.