The Queen’s death yesterday has some people in a frenzy over cancelling football. I wonder if some of those in Scotland who are clamouring for it would be quite so keen if we were struggling and they were on a high. Their Whatabouttery over this is boring.
They think we should have played on when Phil O’Donnell died on the pitch, although much of Scottish football was in mourning and in shock. They forget that Hibs and Motherwell cancelled their fixture, and that when Celtic asked for a postponement that their club – which could have refused it – wholeheartedly agreed to it.
They bring up COVID, and how we called for football to be suspended. Yeah, we did. To keep people alive. Their idol no longer has to worry about that. That was life and death, and bear in mind that although fans weren’t allowed in grounds across the country that football itself eventually went on, and we played an entire season behind closed doors.
She was a national figure. And what? National figures die all the time. I wouldn’t have minded a minute’s silence for Alan Rickman; there was no football reason to give him one. When Diana died there was pressure put on the SFA because they wanted to schedule a Scotland game on the day of the funeral. As usual, Ibrox howled at the moon.
Three of their players were allegedly going to refuse to play. Ally McCoist freely admits that he told the national coach not to select him if the game went ahead. It’s as if they knew her personally. I found the frenzy surrounding her death crazy at the time; I am glad that a number of prominent writers and broadcasters have said since that it was hysterical and nonsensical in equal measure.
I also find it amazing that a lot of people thought that Jim Farry should have lost his job over the initial decision to play that match. Odd that none of those people thought that he should resign when he very wilfully cheated our club by delaying the Jorge Cadete registration, the offence for which McCann took him and the SFA to court.
We have a different set of standards up here.
Everyone accepts, I think, the idea of a “national day of mourning.”
Fair enough, we can go with that, because a lot of people did feel some bizarre emotional attachment to this person who made not one bit of difference to their lives and played no role in it whatsoever.
So let that national day of mourning be today. But the idea that the entire nation should cease all activity, that nothing should go on for the next 10 days of ceremony and pageantry and assorted nonsense … that’s not going to happen is it?
If football wants to pay its respects it can do so with silences and armbands and the other stuff we do in the game. On the day of the funeral, fair enough … by all means pause things for 24 hours and then, for the love of God, let us get on with real life.
We can’t afford a week long postponement of all fixtures. In case the moon-howlers haven’t noticed we’re in a somewhat unusual campaign here, with a World Cup being held at the most ungodly time imaginable. There is no room for the re-arranged games on the calendar and I am quite certain that contrary to some of the nonsense last night that UEFA will not allow clubs to cancel fixtures in their competition because some people here feel sad at an old lady passing away.
This whole forelock tugging, monarchist clap-trap infantilises large parts of this country. I have never understood how grown up men and women can be content to see themselves as “loyal subjects” to a bunch of distant weird freaks living in a real life version of Downtown Abbey whilst the rest of this country deals with serious business and serious issues.
If they want to mourn this like it was a family tragedy, if they want to live in their bubble for the next ten days (and maybe beyond) then I have no problem with that and nobody else should either, but I do draw the line at forcing the rest of us to endure it with them.
Time to be big boys and girls. Suck it up and move on. She’s dead, her worries are over. They are playing games in the Ukraine as their country fights a war. Football continued in some form the last time this country was. It didn’t stop for a deadly virus, it merely went behind closed doors. There is no way that it should be stopping now, for this.
The SFA and UEFA need to play the damn games. It will help drag some of this country into the real world at last, and based on some of what I read last night that can’t come a moment too soon.
Were such a compliant,subservient nation,games will be off I’m convinced
Hopefully just the one game.
A home game against Livi and an almost guaranteed 3 points put on ice isn’t too terrible.
Well said James, one day of mourning is plenty and I am not even all that happy with being forced into that. In fact I am bored already with the whole media over reaction to her passing. She had a good life, an easy life without the stress that the rest of us face, Her family don’t have to worry about funeral costs and I’m sure they will be well looked after in her will. Let’s move on…..as quickly as possible with no disturbances to the lives of the general populace,
Yeah and her passing should be the end of the monarchy! In a country of mostly working class people and it is! Well its atrocious! Pathetic to where people use food banks!! We have these lot in mansions and castles funded by us!! This privilege should ended decades ago!! The old excuse is ” tourisn”! Ha ha yeah we still have it and the building be museums for the people!! What a pathetic subservient society this is very sad indeed ” bunnet wringers” right enough but at its core is mostly people with no belief system that cling to this nonsense! Hence ( the hordes of mordor)!
Thank god some common sense
Well said mate, its always sad when a family member dies, but she wasn’t my family member, dont recall anyone being upset out with our family when my dad died, and he fought in WW2,
Whether it’s us or them top of the league is irrelevant. If they were in front and thought it might slow their momentum they would still call for postponements as their staunchness would not allow for anything else. Imagine how it would look to the Hordes of Staunchness if their royalist totem of a klub tried to disrespect the memory of Hurr Majussteh Ra Kween in any way shape or form???
Park et al would be dragged into the streets outside their midden and Mussolini’d from the first pished-on lamp-post they could find….
I agree the golf and horse racing is cancelled today she was a lover of horse racing ffs.
Ooooft! It’s off to the Tower for you James. 🙂
Yes, those who want to mourn can choose to mourn: forcing the whole poulation to observe a period of mourning is simply abhorrent.
But it’s nothing to do with her passing, it’s a 10 day PR offensive to try to boost the monarchy brand – when it is wholly irrelevant in modern society.
And God help us with the PR offensive around the Coronation… 🙁
I think the games should be put off, as mark of respect. Football isn’t the be all and end all in this world. I am not a royalist, but I did like the queen, and I admired her. World figures, like the queen, and the pope etc, there should be marks of respect, and people should be allowed to mourn.
As far as I’m concerned respect for people is an individual choice you make – in this case it is being foisted upon the whole country. All you are hearing in the media is that we are all devastated and in shock – utter bollocks from sycophants, cronies and people wanting their 15 minutes of fame. I served in the army for 10 years and the Royals meant nothing to me then nor now. I have never known our country to be so weak minded and pathetic.
Fine piece of journalism
Total nonsense. You’ve let us down badly this time James.
Tony
Are you a professional mourner?
Great writing and I completely agree with every word. Keep up the good work
Totally agree. Not interested in any of the freeloaders. Republic now. I hope SNP MP’s don’t swear an oath of allegiance to bigears!
All football fixtures over the next two weeks should go ahead as planned.
The proposed ‘ten days of national mourning ‘ is totally inappropriate !
Instead, we should be celebrating ‘ a life well-lived ‘…
Good Grief, she was 96years old, and has enjoyed extraordinarily good health until fairly recently.
Instead of two minutes of silence at sporting fixtures, there should be two minutes of applause ,
(Augmented by recordings of generic applause from the venue P.A. systems, if required. )
The Irksome Green Brigade Section can be closed down for ‘urgent repairs’..
Additionally, it is totally inappropriate for the Government to impose such authoritarian measures on the British Public, for a Royal Funeral in these times.
This same Goverment that placed such harsh restrictions on the funeral arrangements of bereaved families during this ongoing Plandemic.
And what of the additional damage to the economy ,where we will struggle to keep warm and feed ourselves this winter ?
We can expect swarms of gas-guzzling private jets heading to these shores, bringing Brandon, Bill Gates and his WEF buddies…
Wee Greta will be inconsolable !!!!
Lastly, can never forgive HRH for not granting Irn Bru the Royal Seal of Approval.
If it’s good enough for our Japanese Superstars…..
It’s good enough for the Royals..!!!!
https://youtu.be_RWfHxbtCdS4
The Queen and Prince Phillip Visit Irn-Bru Factory in Scotland
Respect for the death of a family member and time to mourn their loss I get however royalty and royalist fantasists are not the be all and end all in this world. Some people in this country are in extreme poverty, counting the beans they put on their children’s dinner so they are getting roughly the same. This show of wealth id disrespectful.
Maybe as a mark of respect british business and this hypocrite government will stop ripping the piss out of citizens and they’ll have a 10 day freeze on electricity and gas charges. Maybe the Truss will stop taking all the extra VAT from the increase in oil, gas, electricity prices. Don’t forget the millions in extra VAT for fuel at the petrol pumps. As Jim Royal said “Out of respect, my arse”
We all know that this period of doing f.ck all means exactly that
I get everything that is being said here. I am 100% Republican and, as such, beleive that inherited titles are an anachronism. They should be abolished immediately. However, they never will be as long as Scotland remains part of the UK.
To all you left leaning Labour voters who are complaining, this is what you voted for. Labour is, by definition, a unionist party. So thanks for, effectively, voting in the Tories to ride roughshod over us.
To all those who hate “wee Nippy” and, as such, choose to vote for a unionist party … Firstly I hate you and your misogyny. If you are a Celtic fan then shame on you. Secondly, the SNP is a means to an end. Once we attain our independence, we can dispense of them. No more Tories! Only token bowing and scraping to a pointless monarchy. Isn’t that goal worth swallowing your pride for?
Please don’t give me yourr faux anger at the utter shite we will have to endure for the next 10 days and do not blame the huns alone. I know plenty so called Celtic fans who are just as much to blame. And I would be quite happy to say that to their face.
I’m not even British (American, LOL), and I wholeheartedly agree that 10 days of mourning is a bit of nonsense. Why 10 and not some other number? Serious question. One day or even the entire weekend I could understand, but 10 days is just ridiculous. Life goes on. People have jobs to do, school to attend, and lives to live. Unless you’re a footballer or work for a football club – then you’re expected to show some damn respect by, erm…, sitting on your arse for 10 days!
One last thought apropos of nothing: I was remembering yesterday when the news broke about the queen of when Gerrard was given the tour around Ibrox and the look on his face when he went into the home dressing room and saw the portrait of the queen. Comedy gold that!
Fair play to the Truss government (I never thought I’d be writing that) who have said that it is up to the sports governing bodies whether or not cancellations are made. Nobody has suggested closing the cinemas or theatres. Art Galleries and museums will be open as usual. The golfers and the cricketers are back in action, (if you can call cricket action) so why shouldn’t the footie, the rugby and other sports go ahead?
People are free to mourn (or otherwise) as they wish. Please don’t let them impose their views on everyone else.
well said….
i just cannot understand the kind of people who readily tug their forelock to the windsors and the the like…..
that family’s forces have caused the death of millions down through the ages…i have no problem with some of the present personalities, including the late queen, but fuq me…the outpouring of grief is boke inducing….
the hun forums are boke inducing…1 dick announced “we are no longer the queen’s eleven…we are now the king’s eleven”….FFS !!!!
never mind not being able to see the ‘tic…..can’t even watch the fugn telly…..i almost wish she hadn’t died……
Well said johnny green none of them have had to go through any hardship.
As a Celtic fan I’m glad the game on Saturday is off think it of the outcry when a minority of our support boo a minutes silence