Over the last couple of years it’s become increasingly clear that the lunatic fringe of the Sevco support has gotten its people into principle leadership positions amongst the fan organisations. I have commented on this several times; I believe it’s a troubling development, and one which affects our club. This is why I continue to keep my eyes on these people and to write about what they are getting up to.
Club 1872 has released a brand new statement, and it’s one that should be read by every Celtic supporter, because it is vicious and demented and deranged and I believe is openly threatening in tone. Which is incredible when one considers much of it is directed at the police.
It is written in a tone which suggests that the writer was hanging onto his restraint by a thread. It is hysterical. It opens with a condemnation of Police Scotland for not taking action over the “hanging effigies” at Celtic Park. I must have hallucinated the response to that, because to my knowledge at least four people have been arrested in connection with that incident.
But this is simply typical of the people who run Club 1872. Facts can’t be allowed to get in the way of their pursuit of whatever twisted agendas they have these days.
It gets worse from there though.
The next part of the statement “emphatically emphasised” the importance of the planned minute’s silence over the Ibrox disaster. I’m not entirely sure why they thought this was necessary. Celtic fans have always respected the silences held for that – I defy anyone to offer definitive proof otherwise; coughing doesn’t count, it’s a ludicrous suggestion – and always will.
But even if there was an element of the Celtic support which decided not to, I am confused as to what role Club 1872 thinks Police Scotland has in that regard. I haven’t checked the Scottish Parliament website for a while, but enforcing respectful silences wasn’t part of their job description – or interupting one against the law – the last time I did.
Which leads me to wonder exactly what the purpose of this was. A straightforward reading of the statement could lead someone to believe that the “emphasis” was based on what the Sevco support might do if they felt the silence was being disrespected; an attempt to tell the police, in short, that either they forced the issue or the fans would.
Is this where we are now, for God’s sake? With a fan organisation behaving like Ulster Loyalists telling the police “you sort this out or we will”?
The statement then demands that anyone arrested at the game be held until after the New Year court recess. They better be careful what they wish for; if they got what they wanted a lot of Sevco households would be empty come the Bells and Police Scotland would be outsourcing their housing requirements beyond the Greater Glasgow Area.
How dare these people attempt to lecture anyone on “sectarianism” and offensive behaviour? They disgrace themselves and the country on a weekly basis.
And just in case anyone suggests that I have over-estimated the threatening nature of the statement, it goes on to accentuate that point in pretty blunt terms.
“Police Scotland are now fully aware of the residual anger amongst our support …” it says, before going on to say they are lobbying their own club to limit the number of tickets we get for their ground. I hope they succeed; at £50 a ticket a lot of our fans are furious, and at our own club too. Maybe if only home fans were allowed at these games those who want to attend wouldn’t be subjected to such an obvious using.
The statement ends with a further veiled threat. After stating that the organisation exists to “protect and defend” the fans, it adds “and in that regard let no one be in any doubt we will pursue those aims without fear or compromise.”
These people talk like they’re on one side of a war.
It is sheer nonsense, idiotic confrontational nonsense.
But I expected nothing less from idiotic, confrontational morons like those who are in leadership positions now amongst the Sevco support, with full backing from a maniacal board which knows the full value of focussing on outside “enemies” as things rot inside the walls.