All it took was one man, Eddie Smith, who joined the referees strike a year ago as their body became embroiled in allegations of lying, bullying and sectarianism, to make it his business to report Celtic fans to Uefa and the SPL, and the support are besieged on two fronts.
After decades of the police turning a deaf ear to illegal and offensive chanting elsewhere this might appear opportunistic, but Smith’s motivations are irrelevant. We have endured ‘the songs debate’ here for years, the only thing universally agreed upon is that as long as a single Celtic fan sings political songs at a game, this day would come.
I sincerely doubt that Celtic fans sing anything illegal, which perhaps explains why the police encourage observers to ‘police’ the stands, but no one denies many people, including a number of Celtic fans, find such singing offensive. There is, therefore, scope to mount an attempt to discipline the club, and an easy route to inflict reputational damage on each and every Celtic supporter.
The Debating societies will be exercised on the freedom of some to sing racially-hostile God Save the Queen, or the militaristic, Flower of Scotland, and wait for the reaction to what is euphemistically known as ‘the marching season’. In this vein I would encourage the Celtic delegation who meet Uefa next month read aloud a transcript of La Marseillaise, which becomes a logical target if Uefa prosecute our club.
I predict Uefa and the SPL will reprimand Celtic with a cease and desist-type warning which will include specific instructions to remove and ban ‘offenders’. Efforts will be made to prosecute ‘offenders’, which I expect will fail, but not before a few individuals are brought before the court.
Neil Lennon, Jock Stein and since Fergus McCann, the club, have asked fans not to sing political songs. Many agreed but some will not waver, so it would be an act of vanity for lesser mortals to suggest restraint. The slow train-wreck will happen.
Don’t take the notion that attempts to prosecute are likely to fail as legal advice. In my experience, lawyers become a lot less certain once proceedings are underway.
On a separate note, I was pleased to read Iain Blair of the SPL differentiate pro-IRA chanting from sectarian chanting. Lazy jounos everywhere take note.
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bankiebhoy, I know what you are saying and obviously am not comparing like for like.
What I am saying is, lets deflect this sham and show it for what it is. Point the finger on this running sore, expose them and bring them into the light. How hypocritical of the SNP, Mcbride etc to legislate on Irish songs while turning a complicit blind eye to the Orange Order.
I think we are giving ground to easily here. I sense a smell around the board as well. The silence is deafening.
Shameless repost from earlier today,with a few more added;
I have nothing to add to the debate about offensive/illicit/nawlikedbythems songs so i thought i’d just list some things i find offensive and hope they all meet a murky end.
Huns
Huns managers
Racists
Duran Duran
People having loud conversations on their mobiles on trains,buses etc.
Americanisms
More huns
Journalists
Monarchies
Cowboy boots
Cherry Cola
All reality tv programmes
Phill Collins
Union Jacks/flags
New Romantics
People with no manners
Even more huns
Chick flicks
Go Compare adverts
Keys and Gray
Self-righteous people
Deep fried pizza
Ian Paisley
Gourock
Nazis
People who leave their inheritance to a cat/dog/sea cucumbers etc.
Cliff Richard
Huns,again
Charlton Heston
Food critics
(most) Politicians
Fat girls in leggings
Bankers
Religious zealots
Michael Jackson fanatics
Leather trousers
Oxtail soup
Stretch limos
Not getting a ticket for the Stone Roses reunion gigs
And again,huns
;-)
LIFESTOOSERIOUScsc
bankiebhoy1
No one is EQUATING our songs issue with the OO. Quite the opposite in fact. One is a huge, offensive and sectarian organisation and the other is an almost irrelevant matter of a few blokes allegedly shouting ‘up the ra’ at a football ground. No comparison – yet one is headline news and the other doesn’t even get a mention.
The Battered Bunnet says:
15 November, 2011 at 19:54
That picture is so horrible,sent shivers all over.
Is it possible Eddie Smith was on duty around July 12th?
He must have gone into Stephen King mode and writing novels for reports those days – wonder when they will reach its boss?
BABASONICOS71 says:
15 November, 2011 at 19:55
What’s up with Cowboy Boots?
The sectarian Irish supporters are at it now . The already sung “the Soldiers Song -The Fields – and now the GB illicit favourite “I Just Cant Get Enough”!!!
Wheres Eddie!
bournesouprecipe says:
15 November, 2011 at 19:58
BABASONICOS71 says:
15 November, 2011 at 19:55
What’s up with Cowboy Boots?
——————————–
Check, next walk back from paradise ,look out for cowbhoy dude
climbing in to car at tesco.
That Sweden strip is mingin.
Paul 67
I find some of these posts offensive! Any advice as to which blog commannder I can make my complaint or indeed take it to UEFA
Great attendance at the Aviva Stadium.
The Battered Bunnet,
That picture is horrific but should be used to expose these atrocities more often.
Have a look at this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiWlvBro9eI
These guys are real good at what they do.You should check out their DVD,’Yes Men Fix The World.’
Headtheball says:
15 November, 2011 at 19:56
Spot on and the authorities are using a pile-driver to crack a walnut in our case!!!
Headtheball.
Good.
Lets focus on the issue directly facing us and then we can prioritise the other associated issues.
Tesco Farme Cross – The Perfect Doormat
bournesouprecipe says:
15 November, 2011 at 19:58
BABASONICOS71 says:
15 November, 2011 at 19:55
What’s up with Cowboy Boots?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They are the fashion equivalent of Marmite,pardner! ;-)
Good evening all,
The reporting on BBC Scotland’s news programme at 6:30pm was a disgrace.
For a start they did not read or understand the statement made by Mr Blair of the SPL. The report satrted with the suggestion that Celtic had been charged– which they have not– with pro Ira chants, yet within seconds Dougie Vipond asked what would happen if Celtic were found guilty of sectarian singing– something Blair clearly made separate from what is being investigated in connection with the Celtic-Hibs game.
Further, do any of these jokers understand what he is saying when he says he is in the course of an investigation? That means that there is an investigation and at the end of that investigation someone at the SPL will decide whether or not there is anything at all for Celtic to answer. Of course what that answer is cannot possibly be known until somebody somewhere decides what the charge is. Then it will be intimated to Celtic who will stop and consider it. They could maybe hire Paul McBride but it would appear that he has charged,tried,convicted and sentenced a section of the Celtic support without anyone reporting a complaint to him– so better find someone else eh?
Why am I reminded of Brendan Behan who was informed that he was to be executed for treason in the eyes of the IRA strangely enough. Behan’s response was to send a note saying, well you have charged me in my absence, tried me in my absence, convicted me in my absence so you can F…ing well hang me in my absence too!
On other matters, can I address the issue of the young man who is held in custody for some reason. Can I point out that bail should normally be granted automatically unless the crown can prove that there are grounds showing why bail should not be granted.
These grounds can include the seriousness of the charge though I would not have thought that was the case here.
As can be seen from comments above people charged with far more serious offences are granted bail.
Other grounds for refusing bail can be that the accused was already on bail and that by being arrested again, or by allegedly conducting themselves in a certain way or being in a certain place, then they are in breach of a previous bail order.
Further grounds would be that the accused is of no fixed abode or if information comes to light that the accused is no longer welcome in their home for some reason– such as if they are accused of assaulting a spouse or child who lives in that home.
A series of previous convictions for similar acts may be a ground for refusing bail, as may any reasonable suspicion that the accused may well offend again if allowed their liberty or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the accused will flee the jurisdiction in an attempt to avoid justice.
So Bail is only refused– or should only be refused under certain circumstances.
However, in the absence of any other knowledge and any other explanation, one has to ask why bail was refused. Is there any possibility that Bail was opposed on the orders of the Lord Advocate– himself a Celtic man? Seems unlikely but not impossible. However if that is the case then we are seeing a degree of political handling or manipulating the whole system.
I should also point out that it is rather unusual for someone to be detained over the weekend for an alleged crime such as offensive chanting.Remember that at this point there is no such crime per statute and so if this boy has been charged with something it will be under the law that is apparently inadequate in the eyes of Parliament. Perhaps there is more to this than meets the eye and certainly one senior member of the fiscals service thinks that such detention on a chanting charge or something of that ilk alone is wholly unjustified and the opposition and refusal of bail is inexplicable unless there is something else to it.
bournesouprecipe says:
15 November, 2011 at 20:08
Tesco Farme Cross – The Perfect Doormat
And possibly the only excuse to look for doggy doo in street.
BABASONICOS71
Tomorrow night.
10 O’Clock.
The woods.
Be there. ;-)
CELTIC PLC – GROW SOME BALLS OR FACE A REVOLUTION
All this “We are talking in the background does not cut it anymore
STAND UP AND BACK THE SUPPORT OR FACE THE SUPPORT
MWD
Evening pop-pickers
Received this picture from ‘Houl yer wheesht’ today.
Read the small print at the bottom of it.
Are your eyes deceiving you?
Hail Hail
Estadio
BRTH
Have you read the present Cowboy Boot aspersions?
If yes, I think you may want to comment.
Estadio says:
15 November, 2011 at 20:14
That gave me a chuckle….
BRT&H
VELLY INTERESTING.
Re the 17 year old in custody
As I understand it bail can only be refused for the following 3 reasons.
1. Liable to abscond before trial
2. Commit further offences
3. Interfere with witnesess
Does this apply in this case or has the boy a numpty lawyer?
Big Dan’s playing well,baw hizny went near him.
bamboo- Good stuff, but is there any sign of “ooh aah up the ra” at the Aviva tonight??
I think we can guess the answer to that.
Re Guidi’s comments, Stevie O’Reilly is the President of the Glasgow Referee’s Association. I know who my money’s is on when Guidi outs the Grade 1 official.
Been away and but just catching up, was mein host on the radio/tv, are there any links?
I heard the story last night of the troubles of Lyn Oslo- one of Norway’s largest- which may be of interest, here is a quick excerpt from Wikipedia-
“Fotballklubben Lyn is a Norwegian professional association football club and a department of the sports club Ski- og Fotballklubben Lyn, whose members also participate in Nordic skiing and orienteering. They were based in the city of Oslo and played their home games until 2009 at Ullevaal Stadion.
Lyn played started the 2010 season in the Adeccoligaen, having been relegated from the Norwegian Premier League after finishing in last place in 2009, but resigned from the league on 30 June 2010 after declaring bankruptcy after several years of financial difficulty.[1] The team was coached by Gunnar Halle, who took over in July 2009, following the resignation of Kent Bergersen. Bergersen had held the post since October 2008. In 2010, they played in the 6. Divisjon, being promoted to the 4. divisjon. In 2011, Lyn had a perfect season, winning all their games and are promoted to the Norwegian Third Division for the upcoming 2012 season”.
Not that this would happen here to one of our bigger clubs!!!
Big Dan near baw,1-0 England.
Estadio
Brilliant! Why is Gary Barlow in the background though :0
voguepunter says:
15 November, 2011 at 20:19
Big Dan’s playing well,baw hizny went near him.
=====================================================================================
Famous last words, mate.
You must have known that he wouldn’t let you down.
voguepunter says:
15 November, 2011 at 20:22
:-)
Just wondering…do any groups of Irish fans sing in support of the IRA at football, rugby or GAA games ?
If they do will they be in trouble ? If they don’t, why do some of our lads do it ?
Bourne,
Sorry,i’ll have to decline your offer,i’m not into line dancing.Even if it is in the woods at night……………….hold on a minute,have you seen Brokeback Mountain?
Wee joke,
2 gay cowboys,one goes “Yup”,other cowboy replies “Yup.” :-)
I’m here all week.
It’s a statement of intent from the Germany team so far, 2-0 up on Holland and the Dutch reduced to some unpleasant tackling. I can only see a Spain-Germany final next year.
An og, FFS!
Big Dan Scores for …. England
Not been on much lately and I’ve just read the article and the first few posts, but given weeminger’s post at 12.53, might it be worth pursuing a line that if there is any team unlikely to be provoked by any references to the Irish national/freedom/liberation struggle, it would be Rennes, a team from Brittany, which still has a reasonable nationalist/independence movement, and whose fans had a ‘Celtic unity’ banner of some sorts at their ground for our game (can’t remember the slogan, but that was the gist of it)? Just a thought – regardless of the rights/wrongs/advisability of any alleged singing/chanting.
Hail! Hail!
Just back on to see Kojo put me in my place. He DID talk to Celtic men at the convention(s) in Vegas. My info from this blog is that no-one here ever met or saw him. Incognito? Now, I like CSI, the Vegas episodes are my favourite, so maybe he was undercover from the CSI team?I’ve heard of hunguffery, but this is the new one–Celtguffery. I don’t dislike Kojo’s posts, they’re inane for the most part, and I don’t dispute he’s a Celt, but incognito? But hey, the avuncular sub-Runyonesque style goes down well here. There’s bigger fish to fry. I’m gonna go incognito at Easter Road and get them IRA supporting Hibs bassas.