By Ben Banks

Copyright scotsman

Hibs could bear witness to chaos at Rangers this weekend – as their Premier Sports Cup tie could be dominated by protests. Hearts inflicted a 2-0 defeat on the Light Blues at the weekend to pile the pressure on head coach Russell Martin. The former Southampton and Swansea City boss has won three of his 12 games as manager so far, none of which have been in the Premiership after five games, and large sections of the fanbase have had enough. Ahead of this weekend’s quarter-final tie with Hibs, The Union Bears have demanded that Martin and CEO Patrick Stewart are sacked by new owners 49ers Enterprises plus Andrew Cavenagh. If they are not, the ultras group have said that protests can be expected during the Hibs game. A statement from the group reads: “The Union Bears stand with fellow fan groups and the wider support in demanding the immediate removal of the Rangers management team and CEO. Russell Martin has shown beyond doubt that he is not capable of leading Rangers Football Club. “The performances under his management are a disgrace to the standards this club was built on. Rangers cannot afford constant upheaval, but in Martin’s case there can be no debate. His failure is absolute, and he must be removed from his duties immediately.
Patrick Stewart has been quick to criticise supporters, yet has refused to take responsibility for his own catastrophic decision. “As CEO, the appointment of Russell Martin lies entirely with him. This failure proves he is unfit to lead Rangers. His position is untenable, and he must be held accountable. The new owners must act quickly and decisively. If they do not, they will leave the support with no option but to act. “Rangers must have a management team and a squad capable of delivering success worthy of our history and our support. A series of protest actions have already been planned, beginning with Saturday’s match. Unless changes are made before then, these actions will be made known to the wider support. “ A brutal press conference probed Martin on his Rangers position at the weekend. He said: “I haven’t been told to have talks with them (the owners). Will the support remain? I don’t know. We’ll see, won’t we? They’ve been great up until now. All of them. So we’ll see. “I don’t think many of them wanted me here in the first place. They’re entitled to their opinion, so I can’t come out here and criticise that. The fans are always entitled to their opinion. It is what it is. It doesn’t affect me personally. Professionally it’s difficult because we need the team to play in a certain way that requires certain things. It’s really difficult when the atmosphere is how it is. It’s aimed towards me, not towards them. I’m trying to say that to them. It should hopefully take a bit off them at some point. But it is what it is.”