Last night came what might well end up being the breaking story of the week. Hibs released a furious statement in the aftermath of their Scottish Cup tie with the club from Ibrox. I read that statement late last night, and I was gobsmacked.
It seemed to echo previous threats to restrict tickets for our club. Nowhere in the statement did it mention any club by name, and so the media was able to tell the story it wanted. But dig deep – and you didn’t have to go too deep – and you see that it was, in part, a response to an open letter from their own fans. Their fans did, in fact, specify a club.
And of course, that club wasn’t Celtic. It was the one they’d just played. The one whose fans had sung a song during the match wishing death to their prone footballer Martin Boyle. The media barely blinked over that loathsome, degenerate song although Jim Delahunt condemned it on Twitter in the strongest possible terms.
I’ve heard some ghastly stuff from their fans in my time, but my God that was a terrible place I never thought we’d reach. Imagine the mindset that has people chant that when the guy is lying unconscious on the pitch? It’s beyond disgusting and the whole of the media should have been united in calling it that, and it doesn’t matter who the player on the ground was.
This stuff only happens because our media is too cowardly to do something about it, and call it out properly. That means that those responsible are put under no pressure, not by the governing body, not by their own club and even not by civic Scotland who should be outraged at this depressing new low, but which never manages to find its voice when it comes to this kind of thing, leaving it instead to lone individuals, like the writer Kevin Williamson, whose disgust radiated off the tweet that he sent out. He and Delahunt are amongst the courageous few.
The fans on the website Hibs.net were pretty courageous as well. They probably have their issues with our supporters, and I know that a section of our fan base has not covered itself in glory with its behaviour at away grounds, and I don’t need to tell any regular readers here what my own views are on pyro; the sooner it’s removed from grounds for good the better.
But they knew who they were furious at when they sent their open letter to the club. Its members put their own names on it, those who have season tickets recorded their numbers. Their circular spoke of long-term issues with the Ibrox support and expressed the wish that their club would do what no other club in the country has – including Celtic – and finally put a debate about the scourge of anti-Irish racism on the table.
The Ibrox fans were up to their knees in fenian blood at their Champions League game the other night. UEFA hasn’t stirred and the Scottish media hasn’t been in any great rush to bring their attention to it. They sing it almost every week here at home, so of course that’s not going to be mentioned either. Nobody cares. Nobody wants the discussion.
Not only was I pleased to see Hibs.net and their members putting that issue at the heart of their message to the club, but I was grateful for it, grateful that we’re not the only people in the country who take this seriously, not the only people who wonder why officialdom continues to tolerate it, why the media continues to ignore.
I cannot express enough my thanks to them for that. I’ve always had a soft spot for their club as most regular readers are aware, counting a good number of Hibs fans amongst my friends, and I knew they would be furious about what happened on Sunday but I never expected them to put it in such plain, no compromise language and to make it clear that this was part of a long-running issue, but especially not to push their club towards confronting that larger problem.
They should be proud of themselves for that statement.
Their club, on the other hand, bottled it. They refused to specifically name the Ibrox club and now are leaking to the media their intent to inflict a collective punishment on Celtic fans as well. I know we’re not angels, but this decision is gutless in that refuses to acknowledge the points their fans have raised and clearly separate the issues at play here.
Why don’t they just call out what happened on Sunday clearly, and unequivocally, as their supporters have done? They condemned the behaviour but almost went out of their way not to name and shame the club whose fans were responsible, and the club itself has not uttered a word, not one, about the behaviour of its own fans … and naming them might actually have forced them to take the matter more seriously than they appear to be doing.
Hibs fans urged them to take a lead, and all we’ve got from them instead is a long line painted yellow. They have urged other clubs to take responsibility and tackle the problems inside their own house, apparently without realising that unless they and others put the pressure on those clubs by calling them out directly that they can hide in the herd and do nothing.
Martin Boyle is on the mend, and all good people in Scottish football will be relieved and gladdened by that. But if he hadn’t been, it’s not impossible that the last thing he had heard would have been the Ibrox fans wishing him to die … why in God’s name is their club content to bury that terrible fact in a wider statement and media briefings about banning our fans too?
It might be the most shameful act of cowardice I’ve seen from any club in the country in a long time, and Hibs fans must be immensely frustrated at it, even those who believe in the stupidity of the “two heads of the same coin” lie and that we are just as bad.
This wasn’t us. Our fans would never have behaved that way and everyone who follows football in Scotland knows that full damn well.
It’s astonishing that Hibs have ducked out of their responsibility to challenge that behaviour properly, and as far as I’m concerned they will have no credibility in trying to take a moral lead until they actually are willing to do it … they get no points for this, for obfuscating, for dancing around the matter, for failing to echo the very clear and very welcome sentiments of their own fans.
Once again, thank you to the team behind Hibs.net. You tried, and that’s more than most people in Scottish football have done or will ever do and please don’t stop. Please don’t give up. Because that debate does need to be had, and I am just frustrated that my own club isn’t prepared to have it, or to start some of the others that this game is crying out for.
Credit to Hibs.net but like our board I’m concerned that this is as a direct fear of the consequences of the SFA/SPFL and an inward focus on themselves and the rewards consequence first and foremost.
Talking about fear, I have to disagree with you on the motivation of the press and media not to call the huns club and or it’s fans. I don’t think it’s cowardice at all moreover it’s a reflection of their own bigoted stance and feelings as rankers and lodge supporters. HH
I met a few Hibs fans in Holland last summer, both genders and had a great time on a night out with them. They detest the huns almost as much as us. They’re a wee bit more detached because they live in Edinburgh and hate Hearts probably more.
Change of tack. I was pleased to get Aberdeen in the semi that I think we’ll win of course and it gives us a bit more time to get those important injured players back and game time. Fingers crossed. HH
I am 55 years old (soon). I’ve been going to see Celtic since 1974. In all that time fans who follow a team from Ibrox have sung the most digusting and bigoted songs. That is never going to change. Not in my lifetime anyway.
I wasn’t aware of what happened re: Martin Boyle (as I only pay attention after they get beat which doesn’t happen as often as I would like). But I am not sure what your article is supposed to highlight. Is there anything here we weren’t already aware of or can act on accordingly?
These peepul can’t be educated. They don’t want to be educated, they don’t feel there is any need to be educated. Their hate is inherent. How are you going to stop that? What have Nil By Mouth achieved in the 25 years or so they’ve been in existence? I don’t want to criticise that organisation as I’m sure they do a very good job. However, do we have any empirical evidence that what they do is improving things in Scotland?
In my view the only thing Celtic fans can do is attempt to control what we can control. We hold ourselves to the standard that we judge other fans on. It’s not like we don’t have problems of our own in the Celtic support. Leave that lot to revel in their own hate. We have no control over that.
Back on the 70s and 80s that song was common. From the Jungle too with a tweak to the last word.
I seriously cannot understand why everyone in Scottish football fears speaking out on this behaviour by bigoted sevco “fans” , it’s as if their terrified of upsetting them by complaining.
BBC, newspapers, pundits, all choose to ignore this continually, maybe if good girl is mentioned then they’ll come out talking about it for days, media meltdown, on multiple TV news channels , manager continually being asked about it , to explain about it .
Apparently singing sectarian chanting and songs are OK by everyone in the media , utter shitebags .
Even Hibs board don’t mention the club even though everyone knows who they mean.
Again I can’t understand why everyone is terrified of upsetting sevco and the bigotry from their supporters.
I wait to hear what the SFA comments are regarding this , or are they continually permitting sevco to walk all over Scottish football again as they have allowed them to get away with everything from EBT , sponsorship deals, Collum , and no sanctions or “penalties ” for their ongoing behaviour.
It’s utterly scandalous.
And Graham Souness said, that we where the shameful face of Scottish football.
That club are the three wise monkeys right enough, only , if you listen to our press and media
No one will go for this. Not you, not anyone. The real problem here is why is this not a problem? Think for a moment. Such treatment of minorities across the world is unacceptable. Yet here??? Our whole society in Scotland is so far anti Irish catholic it’s embedded and shit scared of the orange fall out even if they ain’t. But how come no other outsiders from other countries don’t highlight nor call this out??? When every other bias or bigotry or hate has been called out online why has this not???? Maybe no just Scotland’s problem??? I really don’t understand how this isn’t called out in modern times. I don’t get why not audible every week.Can anyone explain?
Simple Neil. The top cops and politicians have a lot of members in the Orange and Masonic orders. that’s your answer.
This,II be the same club who unfurled a banner @ the the start of the 83/84 season after our esteemed Chairman passed away while on holiday in Greece
Desmond White Sucks C…cks in Hell !
I don’t remember any condemnation @ the time.nor since
That’s a petty and snide post if ever there was one.
For God’s sake. Forty fucking years ago? What’s wrong with you that you’ve so COLOSSALLY missed the point?
We really need to get our own house in order before going on about other clubs. The argument seems to be we are are bad but who cares that lot are worse.
I remember a discussion on a Celtic podcast about how Kilmarnock were mad for not letting more Celtic fans in when there were large empty spaces. No one could understand the logic. Well how about the fact that our fans sang several times about Derek McInnes being a sad orange b******d. If I was a dad or mum I wouldn’t want to take my boy or girl to that sort of atmosphere.
Never mind all the boring IRA chants.
What’s the saying about those in glass houses?
Your post smells suspect to me. If you’ve been here before you’ll know that this blog DOES write about our fans and their behaviour and that a lot of the comments are in agreement with that.
I have been a Celtic season ticket holder since 1976 when my father bought one after a pre season friendly against Derby. Edvaldssson’s first game.
My father first went to see Celtic in the 1920’s so my post can smell all you like but I won’t take lessons from you thank you very much!!!
Well it’s published so we can see what the rest of the guys and gals think.
I wonder what Boyle`s family thought of it. I don`t think he is a Catholic or a Fenian, as he was referred to. On BBC Scotland news, Chris McLaughlan soon moved away from the story to show Hibs fans being naughty themselves by throwing a knife at Shankland and, of course, had to mention the broken seats at Motherwell. That`s why these morons that follow Celtic and pretend they are wee hard men should be throttled by fellow fans when they start their posturing. They have diluted the seriousness of the behaviour of the Old Firm Sevco mob by their childish antics.
You must have misunderstood Devlin’s point, James. I remember that banner. It aligns perfectly with the poit you are making about the hun mindset and why they are so hated. And the point I made that they’ve always been like that and will never change.
Has anyone seen the challenge between Martin Boyle and John Souter? It’s as if it never happened. TV didn’t show it and I’m wondering if VAR should have had a look.
I also noticed the Hibs boss having a word with Souter at the side of the pitch, whilst Martin was having treatment on the pitch.
I understand that the pictures may be upsetting to see but I’d like to know what happened.
Nothins done because the media, sfa, officials and even the police, are rife wi bias and bigotry. Especially in the southwest of Scotland. Although ye would be hard pressed tae find a club wi a larger and more ugly minded element in its support than at ibrox. Just the sad reality of it.
Celtic and Rangers are 2 cheeks of the same putrid arse.
Hibs should ban both of them.
Utter stupidity. If you believe that you’re an absolute moron.
@ stevie. You obviously have nae fuckin idea whit your talkin about. Celtic definitely have their morons. Far as hate, sheer vitriol and sectarian bile goes, Celtic don’t even come close tae the element within that institution. Talkin through decades of experience.
They absolutely are NOT two cheeks of the same arse Stevie…
Celtic are alive and well and in their 136th year of existence –
Rangers died in 2012…
Sevco are 11 years and 229 days old as of today buddy !
Agree with much of the article. However, while the majority of the Celtic support do not want anything to do with the old firm, there is a group stuck in the past who clearly do. The militaristic nonsense from another century in another country as a counter to the r2ngers nonsense and sectarian bile makes it easy for mssm and other clubs and their fans to adopt the ‘2 cheeks’ approach.
It is a real pity that Hibs didn’t take the opportunity to call them out specifically, as it just gave the BBC Scotland news the opportunity to show the damaged seats at Motherwell and make out that we’re as bad as that mob.
Hibs are just like everyone else DixidD – Totally shit scared and petrified of Sevco…
Scotland truly is one helluva, helluva, strange, strange country at times !
The minister at John Thompson’s funeral said it was a terrible indictment on our society that the last thing he heard was the same as Martin Boyle was subjected to on Sunday. Nothing has changed.