Tom English thinks he’s a crusader. He thinks he is some sort of spokesperson for the picked on and the downtrodden of Scotland. At the weekend he had a pop at the Celtic fans, and in the aftermath, in response to criticism over it, he spoke like some Reaganite on the pulpit, calling on the moral majority to rise up, with him as their champion. He wanted to speak up for a Scotland that does not wish to be mired in division and hatred.
Or so he says anyway.
But as a political geek, I know full well how many of the so-called “moral majority” who Reagan roused with his rhetoric were amongst the most amoral and hypocritical people ever to enter public life. The damage they did because of the bigotry they spread was enormous, and lasting. We’re still living with some of the consequences of that today; the evangelical right now embraces Trump, a serial adulterer who paid off porn stars and who knows what else.
Tom English wandered into the culture wars at the weekend by launching an attack on Celtic fans for singing Republican songs. At Easter no less.
Well, If he wants to do this country a favour, if he’s not just a snivelling hypocrite taking a cheap shot, he can get front and centre today and really make a stand. And it’s an easy one to make, it’s an open goal. He can be one of the first broadcast journalists not only to report on the appalling, bigoted garbage that came out of Ally McCoist’s mouth this morning but to condemn it as well.
I’ll be writing more fully on McCoist’s remarks later today, but for the moment I think it would be nice if the Catholic community in Scotland, and the Irish Catholic community in particular, were given some high-profile support after the former Ibrox manager suggested that intolerant scum who sing vile, hateful dirge every weekend might be the true victims now that Scotland has a law which explicitly criminalises those sentiments.
I am flabbergasted that McCoist got away with that, and even more so that the media has so far simply reproduced his remarks without pointing out how shocking and even dangerous they are and what an embarrassment to Scotland. That’s the mindset of a bigot right there, that’s like some redneck south of the Mason-Dixon line ranting about the federal government not having the right to tell him that his children have to go to school with the black and brown kids.
McCoist’s comments are nothing less than an argument that sectarians and racists should be allowed to continue promoting their views and that he should be allowed to do so as well. He said it, that’s not me inventing a context, his words are in the public domain and they are clear.
“I can guarantee you,” he said, “next Sunday at Ibrox, I, along with 48,000 will be committing a breach of that hate bill in the particular (Ibrox) vs Celtic game we are all going to.”
It does not get clearer than that.
He’s just said that the problem is the law, not the thousands of people who think anthems of ethnic cleansing are perfectly okay, and since Tom English has set himself up as a paragon or virtue, I await his denunciation of those remarks, that sentiment and the condemnation of the man who uttered those words.
Republican singing might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but McCoist has just declared that he wants to be able to sing about being up to his knees in the blood of myself and thousands of other citizens of this country … and I want to know that Tom English has our back.
Great piece James, unfortunately no one wants to talk about anti Catholic anti Irish singing in the media or in politics for that matter. This issue has become too commonplace within the highest echelons of society and government in Scotland. This is acceptable as normal behaviour in this country and that’s why the people who act in this manner will never be held accountable for their actions. Who actually decides what a hate crime is, the police. Well we all know how that worked out when the green brigade were criminalised and yet they were still up to their knees in fenian blood with no action taken against them and that’s not to mention the bigotfest that is marching season in Scotland. I think cases of hate crime will be very carefully selected and you can bet your bottom dollar there won’t be any case to answer for the scum at the bigot dome or the orange order for that matter.
I’m a season ticket holder at Celtic park I’m a catholic I agree with everything said but let’s not turn a blind eye to some of the garbage our own fans sing I believe our fans are much better behaved than the vast majority of Rangers fans but we need to educate our own fans too.
I was embarrassed to hear the very audible chants directed towards Chris Boyd at Almondvale at the weekend , it might sound quite funny calling him a fat orange bastard and ok he is but do we need to let the world hear it on tv !?
Exceptional Journalism as always James !
Well at least he has been open and honest about his plans – That much must be credited to him…
My take on it is that the club that’s as of today 11 years and 248 days old (How I truly love to never let them forget that and constantly remind them of the facts of their short history) will quietly and privately reign him in regarding this and his many, many chums in the media will of course close ranks to protect him at all ends and all costs…
But as you said in an earlier article James – They are gonna suffer (or should but won’t) more than us regards this new law…
And McCoist and his ramblings are the proof in the pudding !
Under the new law, should mccoist not be arrested for incitement?
Almost 50,000 unborn babies wern`t allowed to enter Ireland over the past 5 years after
thousands of Irish ENGLISHs who claim to be Catholic voted for it, so I don`t think we will hear much of a condemnation from him about one of his pals regarding sectarian comments. He is a horrible, horrible piece of equipment.
And the worst part of Super Swally’ s disgusting language is that there will be plenty of people and media outlets frantically trying to come up with something that favours MC Coist’s words while at the same time praising him in some kind of sick way . We also know the entire truth now as a consequence ?In the past when on the odd occasion there has been criticism of bigoted singing from the Rangers fans , sympathisers have defended it by saying ‘ it was a small minority ‘ of fans ! Well McCoist just let the cat out of the bag when he said 48.000 thousand and he shall break the law on Sunday …that’s the entire stadium ? You see ,the truth will always out .
Given that the capacity at that sectarian bastion of bigotry called Liebrox John is supposed to be almost 51,000 and he says that he himself and 48,000 other bigots are at risk of the law, I am perplexed as to why he is suggesting that almost 3,000 are not going to be in danger of prosecution…
Who are these peepil then Ally ?
Because I don’t see 3,000 Sevco fans not belting out their hymns of hate…
So Who are these peepil Swally !
Wit the same Ally who asked the Peepul no to sing ” Billy Boys ” after EUFA fined them ?
Tom English is a native Clown and McCoist has Scored a Own Goal?? Metaphorical Speaking…
They continue to sing the Sectarian billy boys and the racist famine song with impunity, I doubt the new legislation will make a dent in their bigotry and hate.
He wisnae slow in condemnin the Celtic support, he was ontae it right away. So far not a word about this tho. Maybe the thought of fallin foul of ‘cheeky chappie’ ally might be too much for him. He’s opened the door for himself here. Let’s see if he’s too much of a hypocritical coward tae walk through it. We’ll see whit happens.
I wonder if Sally was thinking that a no Surrender or singing the sash would get him into trouble or is he just playing to the masses. Either way he is a thikdik.
I am hoping the capacity will be 5k by half time. HH
“I can guarantee you,” he said, “next Sunday at Ibrox, I, along with 48,000 will be committing a breach of that hate bill in the particular (Ibrox) vs Celtic game we are all going to.”
Is that what he said? And you equate that to what Tom Souptaker was complaining about at the weekend?
You are, in my opinion, comparing apples with oranges (pardon the pun). If you were to ask McCoist, on air, to clarify his point I’m sure he’d be bemoaning the subjective nature of the legislation which is, in my opinion, fair enough. i.e. You don’t need to be singing about being up to your knees in Fenian blood to be in breech of the reles. In my opinion, singing about being up to your knees in Fenian blood is, in itself, subjectively hateful if you take the word Fenian literally in terms of them being a predecssor to the IRA. The IRA being a political movement which is what Celtic fans say to justify their pro IRA chanting. So if it is OK (in our eyes) to sing about a poltical movement, it should also be OK to sing about your disdain of that movement.
Am I missing something here? Why are we going down the whatboutery route instead of actually challenging the stupidity of the bill in the first place. Which is, in my view, what McCoist was probably doing anyway. I don’t like the guy but I genuinely don’t think he was trying to justify singing about being up to his knees in Fenian blood. Unless, as I said earlier, I am missing something.
The bill is stupid. McCoist has made the case for why it is necessary better than the most vocal SNP activist ever could.
So, cheeky chappy McCoist publicly declares he’ll be breaking the new hate crime law on Sunday. My understanding is that those reporting such hate crimes can remain anonymous.
So, in the event of multiple accusations against McCoist on Sunday, will he admit to having done what he boasted he would do? Maybe we’ll find out.
Think you’ll have a long wait for that James
Tom English is shit scared to offend anything sevco related, he’s had years to comment on the vile bigoted garbage that resonates regularly at ibrokes but the silence is deafening.
James, if any posters on your site are judged by authorities to have breached the new law are you obliged to hand over their details ?
Tom English is like so many UK and Irish so called journalists, they steal a living by climbing up onto their high horse like some crazed evangelical preacher, ranting and raving about subjects he isn’t qualified to write about knowing full well he won’t be questioned by his employers or peers and fully convinced that he’s right and the people he’s preaching to a thick an are being educated, he is an unctuous f**kwit and as an Irishman myself I’m embarrassed that he is too.
McCoist’s comments have got me thinking back to what it was that he actually said to Neil Lennon on the touchline…I’ve never been taken by the cheeky chappie shtick – never judge a book by its cover is what my old English teacher taught me.
What a crazy law this is nobody will get arrested when they start the marching season