Doncaster wriggling with rules

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SPFL chief executive, Neil Doncaster, is clear on the subject of offensive singing at football games: “It remains the SPFL’s position that if it can be established that clubs have done everything required in overall management of the event pre-match, during the game and post-match then they have no case to answer”.

This may be the case, but if clubs fail to communicate appropriate instructions to fans after one transgression, which is quickly followed by a second transgression, Doncaster’s defence is moot.  The club has failed to do “everything required” pre-match and post-match, and is guilty under the rules, if applied.

Doncaster has employed a rhetorical technique.  When faced with a difficult scenario, make a statement which is in itself true, but the parameters of which do not match the scenario.

The chief executive of the Scottish Professional Football League’s comments this morning appear like an attempt to protect a member club from the League’s own rules.  He is paid to ensure rules are applied, not negated.

It is no business of his to defer responsibility to the police, or the Justice Ministry, which concocted this inept Offensive Behaviour Act in order to “equalise” criminality, where it didn’t exist, but will not lift a finger on this issue.

What do you know about Andy McAtee?  He signed for Celtic from Mossend Hibs in 1910 and left in 1924, having played 438 games on the right wing, scoring 75 goals.  He won six league titles and four Scottish Cups and was one of the earliest Celtic heroes.  During the Great War he fought in the Alps, and in Haig’s bloody field in the Somme.

When he, and other members of our first genuinely great team, retired, Celtic found it impossible to replace them.  We didn’t win another six titles until Inter manager, Helenio Herrera, watched our title win in May 1967.

The Celtic Graves Society mark his final resting place at Kilsyth Cemetery (G5 0TA) at 12:00 on Saturday 28 February.  After a graveside blessing, there will be a Q&A with Jim Craig, Tom Boyd and Pat McCluskey, at The Curling Stone pub, High Craigends, Kilsyth.  If you can make it along and support the great work of the Society, get there.

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846 Comments

  1. I’m wi’Alfie on this one. I think there is at least another twist in the tail (tale??) down in Govan. Ashley is no mug. A wee administration wouldn’t go amiss. Peut etre a second liquidation? Naw, that’s no possible, I know but there again with undead you never can tell.

     

     

    As with our Scottish Government: shouldn’t they be forcing our beloved polis’ hand in enforcing their own unnecessary legislation?

  2. Weeminger @ 11:36,

     

     

    Well that could be the way forward….

     

     

    A couple of things though.

     

     

    Do the Police have the authority to do this?

     

     

    What grounds do they have to ensure they take action against us first?

     

     

    Would like to see it though.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  3. Ard Macha

     

    Will do my best mo chara.

     

    12.45 here mmmm. Think I’ll have a beer. Lent suspended til Friday.

  4. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    GEAROID1998

     

     

    Just off the phone wi our Italian correspondent,TALLYBHOY

     

     

    He has a ticket for tomorrow too. In Inter end,brave Bhoy…

     

     

    I’ll mail you his details,you can mibbe meet up for a Peroni.

  5. Morning Ghuys and Ghals,

     

     

    NORTHEAST ALERT,

     

     

    My Bhoy has moved to Aberdeen and is staying close to the city centre. He is

     

    looking for a tic friendly pub to watch to watch the game tomorrow, any advice greatly received.

     

    Cultsbhoy you may want to tell your bhoy to look out for the new PE teacher at Cults Acadamy and tell him my Dads a CQNer haha.

     

    Finally on Friday he signed a contract with Buckie Thistle till the end of the season.

     

    On more money than he was getting at Albion Rovers.

     

    I always knew that one day my Bhoy would wear the green and white hoops.

     

     

    Well the yellow goalie Jersey anyway. A new team for everybody to keep their eye on

     

     

    HH Paddybhoy1888

  6. Could Liverpool’s revival be down to divine inspiration? The Reds have not lost a Premier League game since a fan turned up dressed as Jesus for the 2-2 draw with Arsenal on 22 December. Since then they have risen from the bottom half of the table to sixth. (Daily Star)

     

     

    That guy would be emptied and charged up here.

     

     

    LB

  7. Boaby

     

    Any friend of yours……..on 2nd thoughts.

     

    Txt me his mobi. Email not accessible at min.

     

    HH

  8. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    EMERALDBEE

     

     

    No,just flaunting our qualifications!

     

     

    Well-his,actually. I didnae do Geography.

  9. Got to agree with Alfie noakes on this one . Like him I can’t understand why Ashley and his troops are getting involved with that sham of a football club . Nearly Everyone who has been involved with that club up to now ,has a dicey record . Why in the name of God ,is Ashley keeping them afloat , does he not see the big picture , does he not see what he his getting into bed with . Strange indeed , and as I said on here before , I would rather he wasn’t in the picture down govan way . What do they have , that guys who have major money , want to attach themselves to that club . What directs mega wealthy guys to a regime with a background like they have . What attracts the mc calls and Ashley’s to a vile hate filled atmosphere that lingers around that club . Unless they are cut from the same cloth , which I cannot see being the case with Ashley . Still sorry he got involved with them Though, he has the wealth to raise them up .

  10. Celtic fined….ah smell Dallas…the same Dallas who was allowed to ‘walk’ out of his SFA job when he should have been sacked and banned from ‘all’ levels of football and, know what?….Dallas ‘walked’ out the front door of the SFA as a compliant/collusive Celtic ‘bored’…looked the other way….thats why Celtic FC will be ‘forever’ establishment punchbags…whilst their sheepish supporters keep voting in such a collection of charlatans to run ‘their’ club and yet…you’ve the cheek to laugh at the huns fans for being dullards!!!

     

    No rebellious Celtic fans on the board = Punchbags FC…your call.

     

    Ghood luck…bye.

  11. Surely there is a case for a different approach to the idiots why constantly sully the Celtic name on European away nights.

     

     

    It is infuriating – at Celtic Park we are praised by almost every European club that came calling – last week was joy to behold. The Green Brigade illustrated what a force for good they can be at Celtic Park – their contribution was immense.

     

     

    It seems now, and I exclude the Amsterdam debacle, that every time we go abroad on CL/EL business we end up on the UEFA ‘naughty step’ with a fine.

     

     

    Can’t we find and banned these ‘children’ – why not deputise some of our more robust supporters as stewards on these trips, with a mandate to ‘chastise’ these weans, when they get out of hand.

     

     

    The deputies could be provided free travel and accommodation, match tickets and a THICK LEATHER BELT, which could be used as, and when, needed.

  12. Reacting to the news, Celtic assistant manager John Collins stressed that it is “vitally important” that travelling supporters match what he suggested was the good behaviour displayed by home fans during the 3-3 first-leg draw in Glasgow.

     

     

    Above from the BBC report on our latest firework fine. What struck me was that while the whole of Europe has been praising the atmosphere in Celtic Park last Thursday the BBC have to put an element of doubt into whether our fans behaviour was good. The use of ‘he suggested’ is out of order.

  13. Chairbhoy – with regards to their authority- I would say it’s totally within their right to refuse to police part of all of a ground.

     

     

    Would the clubs challenge them on the basis that the club themselves have broken (as far as I know) no laws? I think that’s unlikely. Would you admit that your own fans were beyond your control? That’s what they be doing – saying you’re punishing us for the behaviour of the fans, who we have done everything we can to control but are unable to do so.

  14. Kev J Your puzzle me what is it with the inverted commas? ‘walk’ walk ‘bored’ board ‘their’ their what difference in the meaning? why not do it with every word. Maybe it is me that’s wrong, help me out here. H H Hebcelt

  15. Craigellachie10

     

    12:10 on

     

    25 February, 2015

     

     

    Strictly speaking to imply the meaning you have the ‘what he suggested’ would need to be wrapped in commas..

  16. Negative stories about Celtic in a week where we have two huge games, well blow me down with a feather Constable I didn’t see that coming.

     

     

    Ask yourself this how many people in Scotland can’t wait for us to fail.

     

     

    In fact I think one of our football experts even said, one day that Celtic team is going to get beat.

     

     

    Nothing get up the peoples noses more than a successful Celtic team.

     

     

    Go on Celtic make us proud and to hell with those who would do us down…

     

     

    Bring on The Inter…

  17. jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/ on

    A friend of mine was at a Benfica game a few weeks ago and he lost count of how many flares were set off.

     

     

     

    Our numpties need to know they just cant do it!!!

  18. hebcelt

     

     

    12:21 on 25 February, 2015

     

    _______________________

     

    There is ‘none’ and, shouldn’t you be operating ‘within’ clique-guidelines?

  19. LiviBhoy

     

     

    12:22 on 25 February, 2015

     

    ______________________

     

    He was moved to some wee obscure ‘country’ to be the ‘top’ referee guy.

     

    Still under Uefa’s jurisdiction.

     

    He’s still a snake in the bed….imho

     

    HH

  20. hebcelt

     

     

    He got a job with Greek or Cypriot FA and then quit that I believe. Could be wrong tho.

     

     

    LB

  21. even if Dallas still works for uefa, its besides the point as it wasn’t him that set off the feckin’ flare

     

     

    surely it can’t be that difficult to identify who is doing this and ban them

  22. The key to tomorrow must again be the first goal – let’s hope we can get it.

     

     

    If they get it, we’ll need two and will have to ‘chase the game’

     

     

    Ronny may go for the bold approach and attack them from the start – surely ‘lightning won’t strike twice’ with them hitting us early.

     

     

    Inter are now moving into a challenging position for a CL place and are playing Fiorentina on Sunday, who are in fifth spot, four points ahead of them.

     

     

    They will be keeping one eye on this fixture.

     

     

    So much for Delahunty, McManaman and co, who ridiculed Inter as mid-table has-beens and not a quality team, last week.

     

     

    A good performance, regardless of the overall outcome, coupled with the Celtic Park leg, will stand the confidence of the squad in good stead and give us the impetus to ‘kick on’ for the treble – which if Ronny achieves in his first season will be remarkable.

  23. KevJ enlighten me oh wise one what are these guidelines I am not operating within. ‘H’ ‘H’ ‘Hebcelt’