The media really makes me sick. Right now, I am angrier with their coverage of Scottish football than I have been for years, in part because of their reaction – their non-reaction rather – to the McCoist thing, and in part because they refuse to take seriously the need for SFA reform.
But they find a reason to piss me off every day now.
Yesterday was no exception. A handful of them really got under my skin. They were all writing a variation on the same story, after some lawyer chipped in at their request and suggested that there will be an inundation of Celtic fans calling The Hate Line (that’s my name for it, I’m calling it that all the way from here on in) and grassing up the Ibrox supporters.
And what made me angry, and still does, is the inference that this will be some childish exploitation of the law, that it will be a bit of one-upmanship.
But let’s get this straight; if that happens it will not be the fault of the Celtic fans. None of us will be there in the ground. If the hate is so loud and audible than we can hear it through our televisions then, yes, perhaps a lot of people will feel that they should report that. But that will be the fault of the only one group … those in the stadium singing the bile.
This law might be a piece of junk, but why should any us feel bad for some bigoted toe-rag who gets a pull for being up to his knees in fenian blood?
I’ll shed no tears for a single one of them; let them all share a cell as far as I’m concerned. Better yet, build jails for these people, I’ll pay the extra tax to save us having to run up a deficit.
The lawyer pointed out that some of this stuff was already criminal, but this law is a much sharper instrument for dealing with it. As Scottish society has given us nothing else to work with, some of us are going to use whatever we have at our disposal.
Had civic Scotland gotten its act together sooner this problem might have largely been eradicated. If this is an opportunity to do so why should some people not think that’s worth pursuing?
I refuse to accept the premise of their argument, that this will be nothing more than a bit of local football rivalry taken too far.
As I said in the first piece on McCoist, if you think your behaviour puts you at risk of being charged under this then you’re already way over the line and you deserve everything you get.
I do expect there to be a flood of reports to The Hate Line, of course there will. It’ll be because there will be plenty of hate to highlight to those in charge of it. If the police have to work double-overtime in the aftermath and if the courts have to work on 18-hour shifts that might be a price worth paying if in the initial effort we break the back of this thing.
But you know what? I don’t believe for one minute that any of that will happen. The response to this will be absolutely pathetic.
The media response to it is the surest sign of that, they’ve already turned this into an “Old Firm” thing … and no doubt if there is a rash of reports and even arrests, they’ll do what they are most famous for at times like these; asking “when will you go after Celtic?”
We better start getting our own house in order.
As I said last night, we have a different sort of problem but there is a tiny minority amongst our support who might very easily find themselves on the wrong side of this law.
They better wise up fast.
The *Rangers fans have a double edged issue with the game on Sunday which will bite them in the arse. First off they see their bigoted assault on all things Irish, Catholic, Celtic or a combination of all 3 as their divine right and duty under the dignity banner. The second point is they at the same time despise all things SNP on the back of their desire for Independence from the UK and the Crown.
You can bet they are going to sing whatever they want on Sunday and defy anyone to challenge them. You can also bet that Celtic will be dragged into it and that the SFA will do nothing.
Thank goodness we won’t have any fans inside ibrox on Sunday.
ANY criminal behaviour – whatsoever – will be on the sevco supporters.
In addition, what new safety measures are in place to protect CFC staff?
The staff member who was bottled was siiting behind the CFC dugout.
Is there now an ‘exclusion zone’ around the CFC dugout?
Is there netting behind the CFC dugout to block projectiles from the
sevco supporters?
I’d be more concerned about the physical safety of players and staff.
The bears will do – and sing / chant – as they always have.
A ‘Hate Crime & Public Order Act’ has no place in a ‘WATP’ mindset.
Everyone will know on Monday whether or not this Act is for the bin.
Perhaps if being found guilty of breaking this law, and it is linked to the “old firm thing” then the crime should be laddered with a football banning order. Im sure we would soon see a Green Broomloan twice a season when they run out of punters to sell to.
I dont know much about this law, to be honest I am passed caring. Its much like VAR, in that if those who are enforcing the laws are as hate filled as those breaking them, I think this will probably end up like the Offensive Behaviour waste of time they had. Sometimes I think this is just the Scottish Government having an “Anyone Everyone” policy, its all for show. I hope to be proven otherwise, but wont be holding my breath.
I am sick of the hatred towards us and sick of society’s response. If you turn a blind eye, or dismiss it as football banter, then to me you are complicit. If this had been colour or gender plenty would be up in arms defending us, instead we are left to defend ourselves. You cant call for equal rights for one group and not for all groups, the clue is in the name.
Billy and his klan brothers will be using any charges that come their way as a badge of honour not as a hate crime , you only have to look at the time they smashed up george square i read the papers and some of the stuff that they got charged with you would have thought they are going away for a long time , am not talking about being pissed in the street am talking major stuff , no some got a small fine or a not proven but most where happy with the badge of honour .
Or the fannies in our support can not wise up and end up in court along wae the scum from ipox, I’ll have the same amount of sympathy for both that being none whatsoever
If Glasgow District Council allow the Orange walk to proceed in July should they be arrested for a hate crime?
There was a hearty rendition of “roamin’ in the gloamin’” at Livingston. I cringe whenever I hear it. I’ll be gobsmacked if arrests increase at Ibrox on the back of this new legislation.
Hate the song with a passion mate. Absolute horror of a chant.
We all know that anything sung on Sunday will result in the square root of hee haw action taken by the Police – Sky and BBC will no doubt mask the chants to assist with a cover up, and the media will keep schtum as per.
If a group asked GCC for a licence to march based on being white and therefore racially and genetically superior they would get short shrift and Police action would be a certainty….but marching as Orangemen who are superior? On you go, nothing to see here.
If UEFA can charge Celtic so easily for so-called political banners then surely the Scottish Football bodies can charge Old Firm Sevco for allowing this new law to be broken within
their jurisdiction. They were quick enough to throw the rule book at Rodgers despite him quoting provable facts. As for the OF. I saw one of their pubs the other day advertising the
OLD FIRM game, complete with crests, on a stand outside the pub. I will give them credit though, they at least know how to brainwash, they know that referring to the game in this way will ensure what Old Firm means to everybody. The Celtic fans lament and do nothing about it.
Even the nickname (a thing I abhor as being nothing more than childish) the Mooch, was starting to spread so, once again, OLD FIRM SEVCO, and again, OLD FIRM SEVCO, OLD FIRM SEVCO, OLD FIRM SEVCO. Keep repeating it until it sticks fast to THEM. Otherwise,
keep silent about it.
Great point Effarr ! – I’m like yourself in that I simply always I always (truthfully an correctly) call them Sevco and remind them and any Scummy Scottish Football Media that might be lurking that as of today they are 11years and 250 days old…
In fact I wouldn’t even give them the credit of using the words O#D F¥RM as to me it’s not been relevant since June 2012…
However as Celtic as a club used it officially prior to Rangers (as they were as football club until then) dying, then if I’m commenting on something regarding them prior to that date (June 2012) I’ll generally use it but only prior to Rangers dying…
I’ve had to obviously ‘correct’ an odd Celtic supporter in the pub about using that deceased term and educate them as to exactly why I’ve had to resort to this course of action –
I’m glad that in yourself that I’ve got someone with a similar mindset !!!
This law will give a few teams now the chance to make their players stop making the sign of the cross. OF Sevco will benefit here in the same way they did with VAR.
It is even more important than ever, that the lunatic fringe within our own support, learn to behave. Perhaps this is asking too much of the wee gobshites.
As an aside, I look forward to the banning of all Orange walks in Scotland…now that this act has been introduced. Councillors in Grampian recently banned a planned OO walk in the town of Stonehaven. The problem in Glasgow, and even more so in Lanarkshire, is that many councillors are members of the OO.
Hail Hail.
That’ll never happen Magua. Wishful thinking on your part.
BB
I may have been a tad sarcastic with the previous post. ?
“As an aside I look forward to the banning of all orange walks in Scotland… now that this act has been introduced”
I certainly hope that you see it Mauga but I think it’ll be a good while until it happens for sure…
Of course it would in an independent, free from Brit tyranny Scotland but we utterly blew our chance of that happening any time soon…
Sadly – no actually tragically – more than a few Celtic supporters voted to bow to The Old Woman whose corpse was decanted all around The UK and independence went up in a puff of smoke like her…
Aye… Certainly The Daily Record (and probably the rest of that broken media family) won and won big time on that occasion for sure !
Cheers for the reply, Clach.
Hail Hail.