All eyes were on Ibrox on Wednesday night as Rangers pressed ahead with plans to defy UEFA.
The club had a request to play the national anthem ahead of their Champions League clash with Napoli rejected by European football bosses before it emerged they were ready to hold the tribute to Queen Elizabeth regardless. Rangers announced their plans pre-match and fan group the Union Bears organised a display involving a Union Jack covering the Broomloan Stand, underneath a silhouette of the Queen following her death aged 96 last week.
The decision attracted national attention as the 50,000 inside Ibrox united to sing the national anthem. It's also prompted plenty of reaction from politicians to TV personalities. Among them was Piers Morgan, who insisted the club had made the correct decision in ignoring UEFA 's stance. He said on his Piers Morgan Uncensored TV show: "I want to move on to the national anthem.
"I had a problem with all the football being cancelled last weekend I thought it was wrong. If you are going to do it, do it this weekend. Now there are a few games back on. Interestingly they have announced now that at every league game in the Premier League, there will be a minute's silence, they will play the national anthem and then on the 70th minute there will be applause.
"I think this is a great thing for football fans to have their chance to pay tribute. But interestingly, UEFA who run the Champions League, they have said you cannot play the national anthem. People have decided to take on Uefa. Tonight, Rangers were playing Napoli and this happened. Now that is the correct response to UEFA."
Morgan's stance was backed by Nigel Farage. The former UKIP leader wrote "we love Rangers!" on Twitter after sharing a video of the anthem being sung before kick-off. TalkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan believes Rangers took the correct course of action but admits he's intrigued to see if UEFA "have the balls" to reprimand them. He said: "It'll be interesting to see if UEFA have got the balls to do it because the climate and the relationship they have with British clubs is not an insignificant part of the relationships they have and want to have with the league, and how it will form and change over the years. It'll be interesting."
Rangers legend Ally McCoist was in the press gantry when the tribute took place and described it as "fantastic". He also reckons UEFA risk "embarrassing" themselves if they choose to take action against the clubs.
He said: "If that's breaking the rules, I would actively encourage it. It was fantastic. It wasn't even good, it wasn't even brilliant, what a show of unity for the country - it was amazing. The Rangers supporters, a group of lads called the Union Bears, put on a Union Jack, honestly...
"I've got to say, the Napoli players were fantastic round the centre circle and the national anthem was sung by everybody in the stadium. It was actually heartwarming, honestly, to see all the unity from supporters and players alike.
"I don't know if there's going to be any action taken. How would I find it? I would find it a little bit embarrassing if UEFA punished a team for singing their national anthem.
"You'd have to say, as well, if that's not special circumstances, I don't know what is. Maybe UEFA have misread the audience to a certain degree.
"On an occasion like that, you're maybe better saying 'of course' and, to a certain degree, let the club do what they want to do. I mean, they've sang the national anthem four or five days after the loss of the monarch who reigned for 70 years.
"I certainly don't have a problem with it. It was a privilege to be there, honestly. It was fantastic. It was a great show of unity for people who wanted to pay their respects to the Queen and those who wanted to show support to the new King."
