Celtic V Scottish Executive
Last week when Justice Minster Cathy Jamieson launched the football banning orders against Football Hooligans in Scotland she wasn’t kidding anyone. We all knew what these orders were for and how they will be used. The banner behind her proclaimed “Straight Red Card” and the 1st bullet point was Sectarianism.
Now why this was launched under the pretence that it was only to catch Hooligans was laughable, and another example of the Scottish Executive trying to cover up what they call Scotland’s secret shame. They are trying to pin a social problem on football and in doing this saying that only people who partake in sectarianism are Stone Island wearing thugs.
Nice bit of media manipulation getting an ex hooligan to launch the campaign and for him to talk about the inconvenience his banning order has caused him. Yeah, stopped him bashing other hooligans in chain pubs up and down the country. What a bugger.
By using an Ex Hooligan they are portraying, also creating a myth, to the public that these orders will only affect hooligans and us the normal fan won’t be affected.
Bolloxs. A wee look at the remit of these orders and the scary fact is that the polis can enforce a civil banning order on you even if they don’t have enough evidence to convict you. Guilty by association.
So there you are standing in a section at Aberdeen on Saturday, the guys behind you are giving the BOTOB the full monty, and the polis decide this is offensive. They steam into the section and grab the nearest ones to the singing and one of them is you.
Monday morning your found not guilty, no evidence, but the polis ban you anyway and your £450 pound season book is up the swaney. 10-year ban all for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Now, I think the Scottish executive is trying to paper over the cracks here by targeting football. If sectarianism disappears from our most public sport then they can go it’s no longer a problem. What they don’t understand is the ”problem” was improving; it was no longer as big a factor as it was in the 70’s or 80’s.
By highlighting it and bringing in these orders they are giving a platform to the “90 min bigot” and the wannabes who will see this as an opportunity to make a name for themselves. They now have a platform on, which they can become infamous.
The problem the executive have is that they have not defined sectarianism. What they and unfortunately UEFA have highlighted is a word that I for one don’t find being called offensive and many don’t find offensive when used in a football context.
The word fienan for me is not offensive in this way and like h*n, orange, Tim, fat and bald is part of football banter and abuse. Even outside of football I struggle to find being called a fienan b*st*rd offensive, maybe the fact I’m not a catholic dilutes the word, and in fact a lot of Celtic fans are quite happy / proud to be called fienans.
Right I know that sometimes when these words are spoke it is with so much vemon then it is hatred, as I have been on the end of it myself, but I actually don’t find the words offensive. What I find offensive is the way it is said or sung.
And in Scotland it is sung with hate.
The Scottish executive wants to be seen to eradicate this problem but instead they have got the wrong end of the stick completely. They are hiding from the fact that Scotland is basically a racist country, unable to accept anyone that is different or from an immigrant background.
It happened with the Irish and it is now happening with Asylum seekers and Eastern Europeans. Maybe it’s because we are an island some can’t accept that people are different.
What sums up Scotland’s problem is the Arthur Boruc affair. No matter what the CPS says the only complaint was because he blessed himself. And that offends people in this country.
The constant booing of Neil Lennon and Aiden McGeady sums up Scotland’s problem.
The executive will try and hide this as tourism will be hit as how many practising Catholics spend their money each year in Scotland? Also how many practising eastern European Catholics are now working in this country contributing taxes?
What about Celtic? Celtic are been targeted and will be punished due to their Irish background. Nothing more nothing less. They can’t play on the, enforced by them, public perception of sectarianism with us because it’s not black and white. So what they do is invent that political songs are sectarian. That singing about our Irish heritage is sectarian.
That basically being a Celtic fan of Irish catholic descent is sectarian. That Celtic is basically the cause of all sectarian ills in Scottish Football. If Celtic weren’t formed they wouldn’t need to be doing this.
Right I know some songs have no place at football. But do the executive really think that if we stop singing the BOTOB at away games then problem solved? Do they really think that the words orange and finen won’t be used on a daily basis in the work place? Do they really think that the Wolftones will not sell out the Barrowlands anymore because of this?
This is a window dressing exercise, which innocent fans will be banned for. It will probably re-stoke the flames even more as they were dimming as the years rolled by. The executive should be tackling socially accepted bigotry instead of this. Instead they are attacking our right to free speech.
Once again Football is carrying the can for societies ills. Football has always been a place where political views and different opinions have been expressed. Football has always been weapon of choice to show your support of your area, town or heritage
The way the executive are going with this and the way our board are pandering to their views, investigating the singing at Inverness, Brian Quinn statements, the team card, lack of comment about Arthur Boruc, makes me even stronger in my belief that us, Celtic, and the Celtic spirit and Celtic Way is only alive in the fans. And it’s up to us to make sure that continues.
Let The People Sing
Now why this was launched under the pretence that it was only to catch Hooligans was laughable, and another example of the Scottish Executive trying to cover up what they call Scotland’s secret shame. They are trying to pin a social problem on football and in doing this saying that only people who partake in sectarianism are Stone Island wearing thugs.
Nice bit of media manipulation getting an ex hooligan to launch the campaign and for him to talk about the inconvenience his banning order has caused him. Yeah, stopped him bashing other hooligans in chain pubs up and down the country. What a bugger.
By using an Ex Hooligan they are portraying, also creating a myth, to the public that these orders will only affect hooligans and us the normal fan won’t be affected.
Bolloxs. A wee look at the remit of these orders and the scary fact is that the polis can enforce a civil banning order on you even if they don’t have enough evidence to convict you. Guilty by association.
So there you are standing in a section at Aberdeen on Saturday, the guys behind you are giving the BOTOB the full monty, and the polis decide this is offensive. They steam into the section and grab the nearest ones to the singing and one of them is you.
Monday morning your found not guilty, no evidence, but the polis ban you anyway and your £450 pound season book is up the swaney. 10-year ban all for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Now, I think the Scottish executive is trying to paper over the cracks here by targeting football. If sectarianism disappears from our most public sport then they can go it’s no longer a problem. What they don’t understand is the ”problem” was improving; it was no longer as big a factor as it was in the 70’s or 80’s.
By highlighting it and bringing in these orders they are giving a platform to the “90 min bigot” and the wannabes who will see this as an opportunity to make a name for themselves. They now have a platform on, which they can become infamous.
The problem the executive have is that they have not defined sectarianism. What they and unfortunately UEFA have highlighted is a word that I for one don’t find being called offensive and many don’t find offensive when used in a football context.
The word fienan for me is not offensive in this way and like h*n, orange, Tim, fat and bald is part of football banter and abuse. Even outside of football I struggle to find being called a fienan b*st*rd offensive, maybe the fact I’m not a catholic dilutes the word, and in fact a lot of Celtic fans are quite happy / proud to be called fienans.
Right I know that sometimes when these words are spoke it is with so much vemon then it is hatred, as I have been on the end of it myself, but I actually don’t find the words offensive. What I find offensive is the way it is said or sung.
And in Scotland it is sung with hate.
The Scottish executive wants to be seen to eradicate this problem but instead they have got the wrong end of the stick completely. They are hiding from the fact that Scotland is basically a racist country, unable to accept anyone that is different or from an immigrant background.
It happened with the Irish and it is now happening with Asylum seekers and Eastern Europeans. Maybe it’s because we are an island some can’t accept that people are different.
What sums up Scotland’s problem is the Arthur Boruc affair. No matter what the CPS says the only complaint was because he blessed himself. And that offends people in this country.
The constant booing of Neil Lennon and Aiden McGeady sums up Scotland’s problem.
The executive will try and hide this as tourism will be hit as how many practising Catholics spend their money each year in Scotland? Also how many practising eastern European Catholics are now working in this country contributing taxes?
What about Celtic? Celtic are been targeted and will be punished due to their Irish background. Nothing more nothing less. They can’t play on the, enforced by them, public perception of sectarianism with us because it’s not black and white. So what they do is invent that political songs are sectarian. That singing about our Irish heritage is sectarian.
That basically being a Celtic fan of Irish catholic descent is sectarian. That Celtic is basically the cause of all sectarian ills in Scottish Football. If Celtic weren’t formed they wouldn’t need to be doing this.
Right I know some songs have no place at football. But do the executive really think that if we stop singing the BOTOB at away games then problem solved? Do they really think that the words orange and finen won’t be used on a daily basis in the work place? Do they really think that the Wolftones will not sell out the Barrowlands anymore because of this?
This is a window dressing exercise, which innocent fans will be banned for. It will probably re-stoke the flames even more as they were dimming as the years rolled by. The executive should be tackling socially accepted bigotry instead of this. Instead they are attacking our right to free speech.
Once again Football is carrying the can for societies ills. Football has always been a place where political views and different opinions have been expressed. Football has always been weapon of choice to show your support of your area, town or heritage
The way the executive are going with this and the way our board are pandering to their views, investigating the singing at Inverness, Brian Quinn statements, the team card, lack of comment about Arthur Boruc, makes me even stronger in my belief that us, Celtic, and the Celtic spirit and Celtic Way is only alive in the fans. And it’s up to us to make sure that continues.
Let The People Sing
posted by Keving at Thursday, September 07, 2006
3 Comments:
My wife was giving me a lift to the station this morning and it was announced that Kenny Miller would miss the next match. "Good" was all she said.
Celtic through and through!:-)
I agree that football does carry the can for a frustrated society. Listen to the language used on the radio. `Shouldn`t play for us again/ should be banned for 3 games/ take his wages away etc etc`
Punishment is dealt out without appeal or even social background reports.
As for the importance of a few songs, we should all back off!
Next week things will go well at Old Trafford until the Man U fans start their version of "while we were marching through Georgia" (billy boys) while we serenade them with YNWA. It`ll happen, why can`t both sides live with it? Don`t act outraged and don`t be surprised!!!
Rereading your post reminds me of a work colleague who thought Bhoys against Bigotry was absurd because being a `Bhoy` was offensive to him. An educated man who now flies planes for a major airline, he could not be convinced that Bhoys was an acceptable nickname for Celtic. You are right that some are offended by the existance of people who are different.
Listening to the radio last night, I was aware that I have no real interest in the so called `National team` I honestly don`t care, I just want our players back safely. If being patriotic is all about acting like a typical Tartan army member then I`m not a patriot. I have a Hampden debenture and have applied for tickets for the France game but I`m getting very fed up with kilted drunks and the rubbish that they come out with at games. Does wearing a Scotland top and a kilt make them invisible to stewards because the behaviour at Hampden wouldn`t be tolerated at Celtic Park. So there is the exception when it comes to football crowds.
Signed Mr Happy :-)
Come on the Bhoys!
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