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Where Was Sky’s Apology To Viewers During The Weekend’s Sectarian Sing-A-Thon?

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A couple of weeks ago, Sky Sports turned down the microphones lest a group of people exercising their freedom of speech offend its audience.

It was a Celtic game, so forgive me if I assume that a lot of the viewers they were worried about offending were tuning it specifically so that they could be offended.

Sky robbed them of that, but apologised to them anyway.

I found the apology itself lamentable. What exactly was the concern? Scotland is a country that is deeply divided on constitutional issues, and a suggestion that people who hate the monarchy should express that by clapping is one of the nicer ways to express that view. An estimated 50% of the audience agreed, and not just Celtic fans.

So we apologise to half of the country because the other half of it doesn’t share their opinion? It made you wonder what else Sky Sports might apologise for.

Well we got our answer on Saturday, as a stream of bigoted bile poured out of our television speakers without anyone thinking of turning it down. There was no apology for those of us who had to listen to this pure poison.

The Ibrox fan’s sectarian song-book is not only morally indefensible, it’s illegal.

All that “up to their knees in fenian blood” stuff is against the law.

It’s racist. It’s hate-speech. This is not protected in any way, shape or form.

Let’s not sugar coat this; Sky sought to protect people from opinions they might not a fortnight ago whilst at the weekend subjecting all of us to fascistic chants preaching ethnic cleansing.

They clearly have their priorities, and will not say sorry for that.

In a week where they’ve signed a new contract to cover Scottish football, we are once against reminded of their penchant for double standards. Anti-Catholic bigotry is what it’s always been; the last “acceptable” form of hatred.

The media which lambasted our fans for wholly legitimate protest against the monarchy has been stone silent on the atrocious singing of the Ibrox choir of hate.

It is not only Sky who refuse to take seriously Scottish football “unacceptable face.”

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  • Pan says:

    Anyone who subscribes to Sky is clearly part of this. Stop subscribing.

    • Scouse bhoy says:

      If we did have another tv station theres no doubt the same cheerleaders would be on it . Scotlands sevco media shame.

  • S Thomas says:

    Well I can’t believe I’m going to say this but I will. The hun directors had mentioned about seeing what’s better out there, with regards the market, and I am actually going to agree with them. Why did Celtic just agree to the sky deal, why didn’t they pitch to the market, like the hun directors said. They had mentioned dazn, which I agree with. Anthony Joshua was with sky for years, but Eddie Hearn his promoter pitched him to dazn, and he now on a far more lucrative contract. Why didn’t Celtic do this, why didn’t we sell our global name, global fanbase to the market. The hun directors were right to want to see what was better out there. James you should be writing a peace about that.

    • Johnny Green says:

      Hi Sean, I see you have stopped using the double ‘n’, well done it was a dead giveaway.

    • SFATHENADIROFCHIFTINESS says:

      If you had been following events you would have been aware that the SPFL had carried out a market survey of at least 5 alternative broadcasters and Doncaster specifically named them when asked about this question by the SMSM.
      True to form the next day the Ibroke mouthpiece started bumping their gums about testing the market and cited the same broadcasters that Doncaster had quoted in print the previous day.

      Keep up to speed.

  • John Copeland says:

    Sky television refusing to condemn anti Irish Catholic bigotry on one side! The other we have the BBC ,our national broadcaster ,during the coverage of the Queen’s funeral ,discussing John Knox and his removal of Catholics from Scotland and whose studio panel including the coverage presenter ‘laughing ‘ at the ‘hilarious ‘ description . All part of the subscription fee and licence tax ,sorry ,fee !

  • Kevan McKeown says:

    Aye refusin tae applaude an outdated, racist, sectarian institution like the monarchy is apparently a disgrace. While singin anti-catholic bile and hatred is perfectly acceptable. It’s the same old ‘ nothin tae see (or hear) here, let’s move on’ attitude. Southwest Scotland, a bitter twisted wee place where this is tolerated and even encouraged by the powers that be. Don’t know what these people would dae without their ‘hate’ right enough. Cease tae exist probably.

    • Roonsa says:

      Southwest Scotland? Who are you trying to kid mate? This is UK wide. Here’s a wee suggestion for you:

      https://www.royal.uk/succession – check that out.

      “Parliament, under the Bill of Rights and the Act of Settlement, also laid down various conditions which the Sovereign must meet. A Roman Catholic is specifically excluded from succession to the throne”.

      There you go. It’s nothing to do with Scotland. This is an English thing that the toadies up here go along with. We are supposed to applaud that? Why? They specifically exclude us from their little club.

      • Thomas M Daley says:

        Not just monarch, also prime minister.
        Tony Blair waited until he were no longer PM before converting to Catholicism.
        Doing so beforehand would have had him removed under the “Act of Setement”

        • Roonsa says:

          No mention of Jews or Muslims or any other major religion. Just no Catholics. So anyone who thinks Celtic fans anti monarchist stance is a football issue, they are wrong. It’s a societal issue and the aggressors, sure as fuck, are not Celtic fans.

      • Kevan McKeown says:

        @ Roonsa. We know what the royal families ‘obligations’ regardin religion are. Of course there’s areas outwith Scotland where you’ll find bigotry in the uk. My point bein tho, although there’s still a high percentage of pro-monarchy in England and aye, there are some instances, or areas, where bigotry’s present, there’s naewhere near the level of anti-catholic vitreol and hateful intolerance that ye’ll get here in SW Scotland. In fact, the only place thats worse are in parts of Northern Ireland, but the similarities are there.

  • Eamonn Little says:

    Last acceptable form of hate”Nailed it there.As far back as 2005 I walked out of a diversity course I was obliged to attend,due to work commitments.This was in social care,and was mandatory.I went back to my office and said until anti Catholic bigotry and anti Irish racism is seriously addressed in this country,I will be attending no diversity course.

  • Roonsa says:

    I am 100% behind this sentiment. The hypocrisy is incredible. But not surprsing. All we can do is highlight it. Nobdy on the other side cares. It just goes on and always will.

  • SSMPM says:

    Surely sky isn’t lying, they advertise that they have a strong anti-discriminatory stance with their partner agencies. Is there not a standards commission overseeing and checking that they stick to such things?

  • George McMillan says:

    One rule for them and one for us nice one sky show racist the red card or is it just us you tell. Shocking

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