Anti-Celtic story parcelled up by Police spokesman

1077

The Daily Record won credit for scooping the off-field story of the week, multiple investigations into singing by Celtic fans, but others are beginning to ask who gave the newspaper details of a police investigation.

The stories broke in an unusual manner, with SFA referee and policeman, Eddie Smith, named as the person who reported Celtic fans to Uefa and the SPL.  The officer made what looks like an inexplicable decision after some confrontations inside Celtic Park, without mentioning a word of his concerns to the Celtic security people during the game – the normal procedure for such incidents.

Smith, who has Celtic supporting credentials, was named, providing the perfect foil to deflect accusations that this was some sort of Masonic conspiracy, which it was not.  The entire episode is a classic internecine dispute among Celtic supporters, but with the comments made to Uefa, the story was parcelled up for the Record by a Strathclyde Police spokesman.

The Daily Record reported, “A spokesman for Strathclyde Police said: “For Eddie [Smith] to speak to the delegate after the match is nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, it is standard practice””. This is completely irrelevant.

Celtic’s retort in the same article got to the heart of the issue – why the police are speaking to Uefa and the media but not speaking to the club: “This is quite unprecedented as no issues were raised to the club during the match and the police didn’t inform us directly about their concerns.”

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Control over media communications from Strathclyde Police falls to Director of Communications, Rob Shorthouse, (pictured on the left).  Shorthouse, whose own favourite team have taken a reputational battering from Uefa in recent seasons, despite silence from the police, should be concerned that the force have given newspapers material for three days of screaming headlines instead of addressing the key concern about departure from established procedure.  This has only inflamed a volatile situation between Celtic fans and officers on the ground. Shorthouse, who held a similar position at the SFA until two years ago, will be familiar with the sensitivities of football issues.

Perhaps a Freedom of Information request will reveal who leaked a story that laid out details which reflected so badly on Celtic.  All we want is equal treatment, as a former chairman once commented.

Click Here for Comments >
Share.

About Author

1,077 Comments
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. ...
  4. 6
  5. 7
  6. 8
  7. 9
  8. 10
  9. 11
  10. 12
  11. ...
  12. 28

  1. lower than expected transfer monies. = Huns haven´t paid up for Wallace

     

     

    The club also unfortunately failed to reach agreement with HMRC which would have allowed it time to pay a tax bill in excess of £1million, that was settled in full yesterday.= taxman is not taking prisoners

     

     

    This coupled with the fact that the SPL will have no sponsor next year and the SC will still be sponsored by the government

     

     

    It aint looking good is it …. who cares though as long as the huns win the league .. that´s the main thing that´s what I say.

     

     

    Hail hail

  2. Grandmaster Suck —— ? used to sell clothes for bigots on Ebay

     

     

    I know I shouldn’t have but I laughed out loud when —–

     

     

    Watching a US tele news item about a visit to the White House by the President of [ corrupt hell hole ] Gabon – President Ali Bongo. ——-.

     

     

    The talk over added to my childish pleasure when he bigged up President Ali Bongo by stating that President Ali Bongo was also Grandmaster of The Grand Lodge of Gabon–

     

     

    Grandmaster Ali Bongo ! –

     

     

    It fitted so well ——-

  3. Jist hid a Horrible Reminder..

     

     

    Is this THE Season, in which.. there shall be only

     

     

    WAN.. Representitive,from the S.P.L..who wull be allowed take pert in the Euro Competitions??

     

     

    Hiv Ah Erred, in accepting this reminder as being ,in Fact.. A FACT???

     

     

    Howevahhhhhh.. should Ah, hiv NO Erred, in believing that Acceptance…

     

     

    Is the Celtic Management Team, Cognizant of this perilous state of Affairs??

     

     

    Kojo

  4. Barrach Obampot on

    Oops! second attempt

     

     

    Does anyone know what line of work Rob Shorthouse’s wife is in?

  5. The Token Tim says:

     

    16 November, 2011 at 16:02

     

     

    Tell me that’s a wind up

     

     

    Bournesoup

     

     

    Sorry ,just filling in a quiet spell on blog.

  6. Plymouth Raiders have been fined for not controlling their mascot during a BBL Trophy match against Guildford Heat last month.

     

     

    Foxy was accused of pulling down the shorts of Heat player Martelle McLemore during Raiders’s 87-83 victory.

     

     

    The BBL were made aware of the incident by Police Officer Eddie Smith.

     

     

    “The club has received a small fine from the BBL for not controlling Foxy and allowing him to enter the court,” chief executive Dave Briggs said.

     

     

    “We accept our share of responsibility for the issue occurring.”

     

     

    The BBL also gave five penalty points to McLemore for pushing the mascot.

     

     

    “We have drawn up a code of conduct for Foxy, and this will govern what he is and isn’t permitted to do in future games,” said Briggs.

     

     

    “As far as the Raiders are concerned, this matter has now been concluded and we are keen to get the BBL Championship season underway.”

     

     

    He later added, “We would also like to know who the f*** this Eddie Smith is…”

     

     

    HH

  7. Nob Shrthouse on facebook well looks like he has a soft spot for the rankers

     

     

     

    To connect with Rob, sign up for Facebook today.

     

    Sign Up

     

    It’s free and anyone can join. Already a member? Log in.

     

    Wrong Rob Shorthouse? Try Again

     

     

    Others named Rob Shorthouse

     

     

    Rob Shorthouse

     

    Others with a similar name

     

     

    Rob Henningham

     

    More

     

    Activities and interests

     

    Activities

     

     

    Castlemilk

     

     

    University of Stirling

     

    Other

     

     

    Scotland National Team, Scottish Premier League, Overheard in the Newsroom, PlayStation, Total Holiday Experience, ticketSOUP.com, The Onion, BlackBerry UK & Ireland, Heads Down, Thumbs Up,

     

     

    Aleksandr Orlov – Founder of Compare the Meerkat, Barack Obama, The X Factor, LAUGHING, The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice, Orbit Communications, University of Stirling, Tents and Events, You go on holiday and leave Nick Clegg in charge for five minutes. . ., Let’s NOT start a riot in Glasgow, Strathclyde Police, Saying ‘awkward’ during awkward moments to make it even more awkward., Social Media Week Glasgow, ShiteShirts, Hi, I’m Troy McLure. You’re reading this in my voice, aren’t you?, Yearbook Yourself,

     

     

    Dunoon Grammar School,

     

    The last page on the Internet, Park Circuits, Delicate Essence / Party Pieces,

     

     

    The Scottish Cup, Get well Brian Laudrup! You have our thoughts as you battle Lymphoma,

     

     

    Belle and Sebastian, Dunoon, Malcolm Tucker, The Dept Of Fashion Corrections, Ken Smith’s Diary, BBC: Profile picture experiment, Bill Speirs, Stavros Flatley, Maurice Edu, Unagi, Derren Brown, Jack Bauer, President Bill Clinton, Battleaxe – Gladiators, Limmy, Addicted to Scrubs,

     

     

    Make Davie Graham Labour Leader and PM now!, Ally McCoist

     

    Arts and entertainment

  8. TTT

     

     

    I’m gonnae have a wild stab in the dark here and say that I’m guessing that payment for items on that site are in US dollars…

  9. Hamiltontim/Che

     

     

    I could not tell you if CT is a wee liar or not,could not get into ht’s clique.

     

    Though the high heid yin and myself had a nice chat ,so there.

  10. Oooooh it’s all unraveling nicely re: strathclyde police and their PR man. Rangers fan, member of FF, wife’s a Daily Record reporter.

  11. VP,

     

     

    no it is 100% real. Brilliant eh? :-)

     

     

    As HT says though, somewhat unsurprisingly all items are priced in US Dollars……..

     

     

    Its a carazeee ole world.

     

     

    HAIL! HAIL!

     

    Token

  12. Campbell Corrigan says in today’s DR: “I have DVD recordings to show we are dealing with this in an almost identical manner with Rangers and Celtic. It’s only the words of songs that change.”

     

     

    After sitting at Hampden to watch the CIS Cup Final this year and listening for over two hours to anti-Irish and anti-RC, songs and chants by tens of thousands of Rangers’ fans he was quoted in the press as saying “the atmosphere at the ground was excellent and the match was a great advert for our football”

     

     

    The hapless Corrigan now says that he is concerned for his match commander Eddie Smith who has come in for much criticism for reporting Celtic to Uefa and the SPL for singing or chants that no one seems to have heard and are not reported anywhere by a Scottish media who simply love to report such things.

     

     

    Corrigan says “It is the fault of supporters who are engaged in sectarian or hate-filled singing – or in this case pro-IRA chanting.”

     

    Apparently two young members of the Green Brigade singing Ooh Aah Up the Ra for about a second or holding a banner with the work “Hun” on are equal to the continuous outpouring of bile from 20,000 bigots.

     

     

    Evidently Corrigan treats the bigot army much differently than the two bhoys.

     

     

    In the case of the former he praises them, then when challenged explained that he didn’t like what they were doing, but there are practical difficulties when so many break the law.

     

     

    With the two bhoys he tries to charge into the crowd and arrest. Then when that fails he sends his troops mob handed to burst their doors in on a dawn raid. Then he opposes bail and has the suspects locked up. Then when he sees he has gone too far he says……….. we need to talk.

     

     

    It doesn’t take somebody with super-human intelligence (a famous quote of Corrigan’s from his YouTube comedy classic “police typing fail”) that he is going about this thing in reverse.

     

     

    He should have talked with the GB:

     

     

    before he pressed the government for Draconian new laws to even things up,

     

     

    before he set up his surveillance camera teams to film and harass Celtic fans,

     

     

    before filming and harassing–with helicopter support–a peaceful demonstration in George Square,

     

     

    before or at least at the same time, as he met the Rangers fans to tell them that singing “The Sash” was O’K under the proposed new laws.

     

     

    Anyone who thinks this is just about a few fans singing IRA stuff needs to take a step back and think again, before our club is fatally damaged by those with an agenda.

     

     

    As someone posted on here this is a bigger attack on us than when the police charged down Janefield Street in 1985.

  13. Serge (10) Tommy Burns on

    Dream Scenario

     

     

    Celtic in a European League with the big boys. Fulfilling our potential. Playing to a packed stadium with the club united & a great team on the park.

     

     

    ….At the same time the other lot are on their knees, stuck in scottish football struggling to survive with no way back to the big time.

     

     

    too much to ask for??? hope not. maybe celtic putting in their notice to the spl can transform european football as we know it.

     

     

    Please get us out of this bigoted, corrupt, boring SPL before it kills us.

  14. seems Rob Shorthouse has deleted his twitter and facebook accounts all of a sudden; not very good at PR for a PR man is he? something to hide perhaps?

     

     

    I suspect Paul67 has more than just a picture of him with his hero though ;)

     

     

    If Celtic have any sense they should be hounding Strathclyde Police for this quite blatant institutional bias; will the media dare report what Paul has today?

  15. Be still my bankrupt hearts

     

    It would be better to be cool

     

    It’s not time to be open just yet

     

    A lesson once learned is so hard to forget

     

    Be still my bankrupt hearts

     

     

    Or I’ll be taken for a fool

     

    It’s not healthy to run at this pace

     

    The blood runs so red to my face

     

    I’ve been to every single book I know

     

    To soothe the thoughts that excite me so

     

     

    You sink like a stone that’s been thrown in the ocean

     

    My logic has drowned in a sea of emotion

     

    Stop before you start

     

    Be still my bankrupt hearts

     

     

    Restore my broken dreams

     

    Shattered like a falling glass

     

    I’m not ready to laugh just yet

     

    A lesson once learned is so hard to forget

     

     

    Be still my bankrupt hearts

     

    You must learn to stand your ground

     

    It’s not healthy to run at this pace

     

    The blood runs so red to my face

     

    I’ve been to every single book I know

     

    To soothe the thoughts that excite me so

     

     

    Stop before you start

     

    Be still my bankrupt hearts

     

     

    Never to be wrong

     

    Never to make promises that break

     

    It’s like singing in the wind

     

    Or writing on the surface of a lake

     

    And I giggle like a fish caught on dry land

     

    And you´ll struggle to avoid any help at hand

     

     

    You sink like a stone that’s been thrown in the ocean

     

    My logic has drowned in a sea of emotion

     

    Stop before you start

     

    Be still my bankrupt hearts

     

     

    Hail Hail

  16. truth4767 or can I call you Rob?

     

     

    Go back to FF and blame the Kafflik Skools for the current world economic crisis… :)

  17. obonfanti1888 says:

     

    16 November, 2011 at 16:19

     

    seems Rob Shorthouse has deleted his twitter and facebook accounts all of a sudden; not very good at PR for a PR man is he? something to hide perhaps?

     

     

    I suspect Paul67 has more than just a picture of him with his hero though ;)

     

     

    If Celtic have any sense they should be hounding Strathclyde Police for this quite blatant institutional bias; will the media dare report what Paul has today?

     

     

    ———————————————————————————————————————-

     

     

    My god, that is a giant leap.

     

     

    Might he not just be a Rangers supporter who does his job in a professional manner?

     

     

    Where is the proof of him using his blatant instituitonal bias?

     

     

    The loonies are taking over the asylum.

     

     

    Poor poor show from this site.

  18. truth4767

     

     

    Is your carer not due in soon, to make the tea and run a bath for you before ‘I’m a Celebrity…’ starts?

  19. Mmm —–

     

     

    Note that the stuff on Rob Shorthouse’s Facebook page includes a wee mention of –

     

     

    Orbit Communications ——who they – ?

     

     

    An Edinburgh PR company who do work for the Scottish Government.

  20. Fold now the Hearts

     

    just hold on to that feeling

     

    we both know we’ve been here before

     

    we both know what can happen

     

     

    Fold now the Hearts

     

    cos I’m looking over your shoulder

     

    ooh please do rush in this time

     

    don’t show us how you feel

     

     

    Fold now the Hearts

     

    throw me no lifeline

     

    I’ll keep a place for you

     

    somewhere deep inside

     

     

    So fold now the Hearts

     

    please dont be patient

     

    cos there has never been a time

     

    that I wanted something more

     

     

    If I can recall this feeling

     

    and I know there’s a chance

     

    oh I’ll still be there

     

    yes I’ll still be there

     

    be here to watch you

     

    whenever you want me to

     

    whenever you call oh I will be here

     

    Yes I will be here

     

     

    Fold now the Hearts

     

    don’t let us see you crying

     

    no matter when you go

     

    I’ll always be here

     

     

    So fold now the Hearts

     

    just fold on to that feeling

     

    we both know we’ve been here before

     

    we both know what can happen

     

    So fold now the Hearts…

  21. so you dont think it’s just a little suspect that the man apparently feeding anti celtic stories to the tabloids is a rangers fan with an axe to grind? the same police force who have okayed rangers fans to sing their “political” songs?

     

     

    if he was doing his job professionally he wouldn’t be driving a smear campaign against just the celtic support would he?

  22. South of Tunis

     

     

    you think Rob Shorthouse´s presence at the football summit top table a few months after Murray (Mc bride take note) had switched from the tories to the SNP is a coincidence ?

     

     

    Shorthouse is lining his pockets nicely with; kick backs from The Record, A lot of work within Commonwealth games and of course the polis.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. ...
  4. 6
  5. 7
  6. 8
  7. 9
  8. 10
  9. 11
  10. 12
  11. ...
  12. 28