The other day, my old man mentioned an interesting piece about OFCOM—not an organisation that usually gets discussed on these pages. It related to a number of complaints made about Sky’s coverage of one of the games involving the Ibrox club, during which sectarian singing and bigotry could be heard pouring from the stands.
I suspect the complainants were unhappy about thousands of people belting out chants about being “up to their knees in Fenian blood,” while commentators and panellists cooed about how wonderful the atmosphere was.
The complaints were not upheld. OFCOM handwaved them away, their excuse apparently being that the words weren’t audible. But who are they trying to kid? Who on earth wrote that statement in reply to the complainants?
Not only were those words audible, but every single one of us knows exactly what those songs are the minute they are started up by the Ibrox bigot brigade. The Ibrox fan base is notorious for its outpouring of noxious filth.
We’ve seen time and again how people make allowances and excuses for this. Some simply refuse to acknowledge what pours out of those stands. Sky has the option of muting or turning down the volume on that bile, yet on this occasion, they clearly didn’t bother. As a result, tens of thousands of viewers were subjected to songs that decried their religious faith and preached ethnic cleansing against it.
As I often say, name me another group in society against whom those songs would be allowed even once, far less week after week after week.
And yet, I will admit to being conflicted here, as I always am.
Part of me wants those songs muted so we never have to hear them. But the reality is, those songs exist whether we hear them or not.
This isn’t the old philosophical question about whether a tree makes a sound when it falls in the forest with no one around. We know those songs are happening, and we’d know it even if the volume were turned off.
Every single media commentator in this country knows this. Only a handful have ever opened their mouths to condemn it.
Part of me wonders if it wouldn’t be better if Sky’s commentary team didn’t bother muting the volume. What if they turned it up instead? What if they confronted the reality of those songs and made the audience confront it as well?
What if they stated openly and clearly what those songs are, what they represent, and demanded that the authorities act?
But can you even imagine the outcry that would cause?
The people singing those songs, and some of their media acolytes, would lose the plot. We would, of course, also get the moral equivalence crap slung at Celtic and our fans, the default defence mechanism for those in the media who just don’t want to discuss this subject at all.
I think if most of the football world truly understood what the so-called “Ibrox atmosphere” actually is, they’d be appalled. And yet I know for a fact that some do know and aren’t appalled, though they absolutely should be.
Undoubtedly, there are others who’ve praised the Ibrox atmosphere without really understanding it. If they were forced to confront the cold, hard facts, I doubt they’d be so quick to lend their support or expend so many positive emotions on it. Would these people praise the atmosphere at a lynching? Listen to the words of some of those damned songs. That’s what they’re about.
So yes, OFCOM’s comments were a cop-out. There was a legitimate case to be made against Sky for not turning down the volume on those songs of hate. If the commentary team had at least acknowledged and condemned those songs, that would be one thing. But to allow them to be sung without any commentary at all? That’s a stain on their organisation.
I understand why people complained to OFCOM, but I think the complaints should have been directed at Sky instead—and there should have been many, many more of them. Not that it would have made much of a difference. I’ve heard Sky commentators who clearly know what those songs are still praising the Ibrox atmosphere when it’s nothing but bile pouring out of the stands.
You grow tired of this if you live here, surrounded by it every single day. It grates on me every time I hear someone like Alan Shearer praising the Ibrox atmosphere in that clueless, casual way so many do—whether through colossal ignorance or sheer indifference.
The media has a responsibility to act on this stuff, and yet none of them wants to. If local broadcasters won’t challenge it, you can bet Sky won’t either. Not unless they’re forced to. OFCOM had a chance to. They’d rather not.
Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images
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Whoever complained to Ofcom could consider appealing the decision or escalating a complaint about Ofcom’s decision. The details of how to do that will be on their website. Might also be worth providing the words of the songs.
OFCOM – THE SFA – BBC SCOTLAND – POLIEAS ALBA – STV – THE SPFL – SKY SPORTS SCOTLAND – THE YELLOW BOARD IN THE GREEN AND WHITE STADIUM – THE SCUMMYS OF THE SCOTTISH FOOTBALL MEDIA – EVERY CHEAT WITH A WHISTLE FLAG AND MONITOR – EVERY MSP – EVERY MP –
The whole fuckin Scottish universe is TERRIFIED of Sevco…
We all know it and we know that the scardie’s know it…
But unfortunately Sevco knows it and rules with their red white and blue iron rod !
James, you could have lead this title as “Unsurprisingly”, nothing will ever get done, Sky would lose customers. The fact they turn down the volume shows they can hear and know what is on show here.
Celtic get the shooting boots on tonight lads. I feel a comfortable win coming this evening.