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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BACK OUR BHOYS
BACK THE GREEN BRIGADE
MWD
England 1-0 big Dan Playing like Big Dan none to clever at Englands Goal
Enough of this, I’m away back to the Ireland game.
socrates mulligan says:
15 November, 2011 at 20:23
GAA – No. Although they do sing the national anthem before games; Considered Sectarian in Scotland.
Rugby – No. Its a 32 county sport for those who drive jags and bentleys – never the ilk who carried much support; too much to lose.
Soccer – in the north Yes. They sing the same tripe the huns do. In the south No. They dont live in a bigoted country and no one within the 26 counties is generally disgusted at the mere slightest sight of anything irish.
That Ibrahimovic is a lazy bassa.
JCGE
Beltin’ out at the Aviva……….
Br\o/gan R\o/gan Trevin\o/ and H\o/gan says:
15 November, 2011 at 20:11
This, depending on the full facts, could have COMPENSATION written al over it. If that is no longer you bag you might have acquaintences prepared to get involved in a no win no pay basis?
Kojo from earlier
Don’t recall reading Wolf At The Door but thoroughly enjoyed the follow up The Judas Gate.
BABASONICOS71
Howdy,
That’ll one of those two that rode into town and shot up the Sherrif.
Mods Delete If Illicit CSC
Is the page width screwed up again?
Can I just make a suggestion The GB complain that they are being filmed constantly…. Why don’t they wear Guy Fawkes masks as in V for vendetta. A catholic rebel if ever I saw one. BTW this is not a trap for anyone so nobody needs to reply.
goldstar10 says:
15 November, 2011 at 20:20
Without knowing any background I sent a wee story about Glasgow referees in the 70s and referees now to Celtic Underground.
It might have a serendipty connection.
It would never have happened with the refs I know from then.
Sir Kojo.
Will we sign Rhodes ?
Well we certainly need to sign someone like him.
Anthony Stokes has been a joy to behold ,leading the line in the past couple of matches,chasing and harrying the opposition.
However if he were to get inured,we’d be forced to rely on semi-fit,out-of-sorts Hooper,now we’ve finally decided that Georgios is an attacking midfielder.
Still,Bangura might surprise us yet,if Paddy McCourt’s wife gives him the recipe for that Special Mallum Porridge, which so galvanised her beloved last New Year.
Meantime,I would like to see Tony Watt start matches the next few matches,alongside Stokes,with Hooper substituting at around 60 minutes.
Yer pal,who thinks you’re swell !
Dunno if this has already been posted, but Green Brigade statement from earlier today …….
On the 29th of October, 2000 Celtic fans came together in Glasgow’s George Square to hold a very successful and peaceful rally against the SNP’s anti-Football Bill. They listened to speakers from the Fans Against Criminalisation campaign detail how the Bill criminalises football fans and the Celtic support, and how dangerous it would be to extend the law to give even more powers to the police.
After the rally, fans then proceeded on to Celtic Park. Along the way they picked up a heavily-manned police escort, complete with helicopter. Inside the stadium there was a further show of opposition against the Offensive Behaviour at Football Bill, with over 100 supporters clubs displaying banners against the Bill and in support of Fans Against Criminalisation.
While the campaign could call on the overwhelming support of Celtic fans, Strathclyde Police clearly were not on message. Fans arriving at the stadium after the protest were greeted with a warning from a senior police officer: ‘you aren’t above the law, we are the law’. During the following 90 minutes and the fortnight since, the police have tried to prove their point. Although we are used to petty harassment from police and constantly being under video surveillance at matches, we were surprised to see a far larger than usual police presence in 111 – there were reportedly 20 officers in and around the stairwell in front of our section.
The match was pretty uneventful – goalless on the park and nothing out of the ordinary off it until the last 7 or 8 minutes of the game. Then, Strathclyde Police made their move. Hand-held cameras in place, they attempted to arrest someone within the section but many fans did not take kindly to their attempts to charge into a crowd and held off police who were pushing and shoving them. The police retreated empty-handed but after the match they again tried to apprehend someone as fans were walking out of the stadium. This time their (again, unsuccessful) attempts saw a young girl barged over and a crush was only narrowly avoided. The operation was clearly pre-planned: it was the first time in two seasons that the police have entered the rows of our section, it happened on the same day as Celtic fans held a successful demonstration against the criminalisation of our support and as we later found out, preceded a police complaint to the SPL delegate about ‘offensive chanting’. It seems that Strathclyde Police are Alex Salmond’s boot boys.
A few days after the Hibs match, reps from the Celtic Supporters Association and Celtic Trust met with Ronnie Hawthorn, Celtic’s Operations Manager, to discuss their concerns about the behaviour of the police. They requested a meeting with Eddie Smith, the match commander who had directed the police’s operation. At previous meetings with Smith (ironically enough, about safety issues), Smith told both the CSA and Trust that he welcomed dialogue with fans. Not this time, however, as Smith refused to meet the fan representatives. The CSA and Trust then wrote to his boss, Chief Superintendent Wayne Mawson, asking for a meeting. Unlike Smith, Mawson said he would be happy to meet but that he would not be willing to discuss the events of the 29th. Unsurprisingly, his offer was turned down.
Since then, Eddie Smith has made official complaints to SPL and UEFA match delegates about ‘offensive chanting’ by the Celtic support at the Hibs game and the subsequent match at home to Rennes. Smith is also the Crown’s main witness in a case against two of our members, both charged with a sectarian breach of the peace for unfurling a banner containing the word ‘huns’ (the only other witness is a member of Celtic’s security staff, himself a former police officer). The SPL and UEFA investigations prompted by his complaints will be conducted while the Scottish Parliament debates and votes on the anti-Football Bill, and will no doubt be covered at length by the media. We doubt this is a coincidence. Already, the propaganda war has begun – today the back page of Glasgow’s local rag carries, under a lurid headline, comments from a publicity-hungry QC close to the Celtic board who calls on us to be banned. It seems he has joined the ranks of the legal establishment who are determined to take a boot at our group and the wider Celtic support.
At 7 am on Friday morning, a 17 year-old fan was arrested on suspicion of a sectarian breach of the peace, and for evading arrest at the Hibs match. He spent the weekend in police cells and yesterday appeared at the Sheriff Court. After the Procurator Fiscal appealed the judge’s decision to grant bail, the young fan was remanded in custody in Polmont Young Offenders Institute until December 23rd. You haven’t misread that – that’s a 17-year-old Celtic fan locked up for allegedly singing a song that Eddie Smith finds offensive.
Celtic fans, and ourselves in particular, are under attack from the government and the police, who are determined to criminalise us for their own ends. We really appreciate the support we have had already, and we will be considering our next actions carefully over the coming days and weeks. In the meantime, we call on all Celtic fans to oppose the criminalisation of our support and to unite behind the Fans Against Criminalisation campaign.
Bourne,
My last words on the cowboy matter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke5Mr5eCF2U
Raymac @ 20.24.
And AnIther thing..pal..
There are Three Guys who Subcribe tae this Sainted Blog..
WHO KNOW WHO AH AM..
Again..ye are wrang.. wrang.. wrang…when ye write that “My info from this Blog is that no one has ever met or saw him(Kojo)….”
And Those Three Lucky Guys… hiv met me.. in Person..
So there ur Folks oan the Blog, who have met me..and Know who Ah am!
Surprised?
You May Be..
But…
Ah am No Surprised that ye ur..well…… Surprised.
Fur ye really don’t know much aboot Kojo.. after awe.. Dae ye?
some good stuff on here tonight, very interesting times.
A quick summary of where I am at , until proved otherwise. I do not want to hear IRA chanting at any football matches,I love some of teh songs but at the right time and place. I do not find them offensive but somebody will , the fact that that person will not be amongst the Celtic support is neither here nor there.
I also listened to QC McBride on RS last night, he was full of himslef, a default option for him I believe, he is in love with this proposed legislation and it has all the hallmarks of his control freak personality all over it.I imagine he was a very lonely wee boy with few if any mates and listening to him it is easy to see that. He sees no reason to fear this bill because the PF , Police and judges will only be targeting the ringleaders, I cannot believe that, your ordinary plod will always lift the easy option.
This legislation ,to me , is like so many things that come out of our parish council at Holyrood, a good idea ( and I do believe that) but poorly executed and thought out. A breach of the peace offence offence under current rules would cover most of the offences at football matches. The absolute subjectivity of “offensive” should ensure a good income stream for many lawyers , a logjam at our courts and not a lot more.
If they go ahead with this, where will it stop? Will they now target our historical songs, will they be offended at our passion for out heritage ? It seesm likely it will be passed, so we better get our defences and our plan of attack ready. What chance of offensive OO parades being banned, what about the psuedo Nurnberg rally played out at Ipox pre kick off?
This is sad but we are on a slippery slope, the Steven Craven row will also cast a shadow..wonder who will be next to get a “top European refereeing role” like our Shug?
Dan near baw again… England hit the post…
Despite all the debate on here about which songs we should, or possibly shouldnt be singing- we still dont know what songs Eddie is so offended by- is he doing it this way so he can keep reporting us every week right up until the EUFA hearing?
Is this the same Eddie who coordinated the shambolic show of police strength after the Fac meeting where 15 of the biggest screws raided the GB section causing mayhem including a young boy breaking 2 fingers, before a red faced retreat as the support around the section started giving them a taste of their own medicine by filming the fiasco- is this why he did it?
I think the 17 year old was remanded for flying a f*ck the huns banner- obviously far more intimidating than shouting at passers by in Glasgow city centre
Good evening bhoys….
Great crowd at the aviva tonight…
Auld Neil Lennon heid says:
15 November, 2011 at 20:33
Interesting!
I have a wee snippet or 2 myself but not for on here!
I hope Mark Guidi and Steven Craven go to town on this, sounds like it could be in this week’s Sunday Mail.
A total disgrace from the SFA and Glasgow Referees Association, hell mend them.
UTLR. I emailed you via Paul67 about the police harassment, in fact that’s the email title. Hopefully it might be of help.
HH
Kojo
If you`re ever in Oz,I`d like to make it 4.
Keep well.
Things ticking along nicely at the Aviva.
Bonus for us. Stokes will be busting a gut until the end of the season, trying to catch Trapp’s eye. Not the glass one!
goldstar
c’mon man…let’s have it :-)
Make that Four,Kojo !!
I have tirelessly gone through the archives of that long-running American chat show,where you once appeared as a guest….and struck paygold (episode 47*,198*).
But bigger than Sidney Devine ??
Ah think you’re both just swell..
<a target="_blank" href="<img src=\"http://i617.photobucket.com/albums/tt258/adides67/DSCN0304.jpg\" border=\"0\"
BABASONICOS71
Ha Ha – made me laugh in a depressing week.
I Get No Kicks From Champagne CSC
I contacted Scotsman about their sectarianism claim yesterday- their response
Thank you for your email.
You are correct to point out that Celtic were charged yesterday by Uefa
with “illicit chanting” rather than sectarian singing. The word
‘sectarian’ was used in Monday’s headline in error, and this will be
corrected.
Regards
Donald Walker
Sports Editor
The Scotsman
Is this enough or should we push for more from them?
Kojo,
Have three people from this blog met you or one person met each of Kojo, Mabel and Collie?
Only kidding, couldn’t resist.
easy for me to say!
Kojo, why are you shouting?
I prefer Kojo to be enigmatic he cheers me up on all sorts of levels
The Ghood will prevail says:
15 November, 2011 at 19:54
” Guys, before you think I’m taking the establishment line – believe me – the outcome the “huns LEAST want is for us to stop singing the reb songs.”
I think the last things the huns want is us to park our hearts and use our heads. They cannot outhink us so they invite us on to their field of play, the emotional battleground where they can win.
I would defend the rights that those arguing in favour of our traditional songs make, but we do not have a right to be stupid in the face of stupidity. God gave us brains and its about time we started using them.
If the words IRA are bullets of our own making to be fired at us – stop making them. Seemples, a statement by the GB defending our rights but recognising the club is being harmed by the real enemies of Celtic (and we are surrounded) would give us the initiative.
If the CSA/CST and GB could come out with something that recognises the club is under attack and in the long term interests they will encourage the support not to give our enemies bullets by naming the bullets, and AT THE SAME TIME suggest/demand/propse that the Rangers support come out with a similar message naming the songs of similar ilk (and we all know what they are) they would say should not be sung, who could not be happy with that solution?
This puts the GB (and all Celtic supporters )on the higher ground, and puts the focus back on the Rangers support where it belongs.
We need to take the initiative back,I suggest this is one way.
Stairheedrammy says:
15 November, 2011 at 20:52
well done
get them to print the correction with the same prominence as the original ‘error’
instead of bottom left corner page 22, font size 3.5
good luck btw
saltires en sevilla- naw! :-), waiting for a better offer from the SM!
Off topic
That Stephen Ward’s got some size of hooter has he not!!
My dear,dear,dear,dear,friend.. The Singing Detective..
The Youngster Rhodes is a Very “Good” Prospect.. In the Fitba’ Sense.. ..
Noo… Morally?
Ah hiv nae idea.. but collie says that Rhodes is a Scorer of Goals.. and that is
good enuff fur me.
Mebbe,we hiv bin savin oor Pennies with him in mind..
Although,it wid be a Pick Me Up.. if..
We could Unload .. a Player or Three in January.. and be able tae Rustle up some Dough
tae buy this Youngster.. fur he wull coast a Pretty penny..
Like ye say.. we dae need anither Striker.. we ur doon tae oor “Dooners’, in oor Striking Pool…which is
a Loat Woise..than oor.. “Uppers”!
The Resident Residents There .. at this time.. ur….Let me see..
Stokesy, Gary, .. and Nae buddy.. fur Sammi ,even in the loosest Sense of the Woid..couldnae be classed
as A Striker!
By, Jingo.. We UR doon tae oor.. “Dooners” in the Striking Pool.. After Awe!
Sure, Youn Tony.. wid be an asset that we could Promote fae the Under Nineteens.. but
he is still .. A Green Kid..which in another Meaning of th ewoid.. wid be no a Drawback at awe~~
but,in anither Meaning o the woid.. which Ah mean.. is that Tony is No quite ready fur Prime Time..
Ah Think… mebbe he is.. shucks.
We are getting so desperate… We are clutching at straws.
Noo, Ah hivnae mentioned Boom Boom.,, if ye may have noticed..
and there is a very Guid Reason fur that….
and it is .. this..
AH COMPLETELY FURGOAT.. ABOOT HIM!
Mebbe, Boom Boom wull Pan oot.. so let’s no write aff the Lauddie.. jist .. Yet..
collie, still maintains that Boom Boom wull.. Pan oot, that is.
Nice chatting,palomine..
Kojo
yer pal. who thinks ye.. Swellegent