Civic Scotland Must Be Clear About Who Yesterday’s Racists Are And What They Represent.

Amidst all the anger which exploded after yesterday’s disgusting footage of racists marching through Glasgow streets singing a racist song, criticism has turned on those who still can’t bring themselves to admit what it was that we all watched in that video.

This was not “Old Firm fans.”

This was not “football supporters.”

This was not a “racist demonstration” or a “far right march.”

In spite of The Record’s attempt to obfuscate, this was Ibrox’s fans going to the game.

This was “Rangers” since the media loves to call them that, and you know what?

For this article the word Sevco doesn’t apply.

Let’s call them, for now, the name they want the world to call them by, all be the better to make sure that the world looks right at the target, all the better to make sure they don’t escape the scrutiny and the condemnation they deserve.

This was “Rangers” fans, and until that is said and admitted and accepted we’re nowhere.

Here’s something else.

There is no equivalent of these Peepul at Celtic Park, nor anywhere else in Scottish football.

Those who point their fingers at the Green Brigade would do well to get themselves an education. No matter what anyone thinks of Irish Republicanism, it has no roots in sectarianism or racism.

Republican politics was never religious nor rooted in colour or creed.

It is possible to dislike the Republican ethos without conflating it with bigotry and raw hate.

Republican ideology is political, not ethnocentric.

A United Ireland will be a cosmopolitan place, not a whites only homeland.

Those who can’t understand that aren’t trying hard enough.

Let me repeat the central point; there is no equivalent of this lot at any other club.

Anyone trying to make this Celtic’s problem is a clown.

Anyone trying to make this an “Old Firm” issue is a brazen liar.

Anyone pretending this is a Scottish cultural issue is at it.

Anyone who says that this is the dark side of Scottish football is trashing the game to spare one club.

This is about Ibrox.

It is about “Rangers”, and that is the hard truth of it.

Hard, it seems, for others to actually say but not hard for those of us who simply refuse to cowed by these Peepul and are not afraid to tell it true.

Why are so many scared to do that?

What hold does the club across the city have over them?

It is time Civic Scotland came off the fence.

This city has seen racially motivated violence.

It has seen racist chanting against a new immigrant with a public profile.

It has now seen racists march down a public street singing a racist song.

These things have one common denominator.

It is readily apparent where the problem lies.

No more Whatabouttery.

No more false equivalence.

This will go on and on and on until the Peepul responsible for it are properly acknowledged.

This problem will be resolved when people stop misidentifying it.

Fortunately, it wears a distinct uniform.

A football strip.

Everyone knows which strip that it is; it’s the “Rangers” jersey, the uniform of Ibrox.

And it’s about time everybody said that out loud.