I see “football fans” is the latest euphemism to describe right-wing hordes causing intimidation to anyone who is not of a similar mind-set across our cities. They may well be, football is a popular interest, but the game, for them and the rest of us, is the cultural touchstone we find most available.
At first pass, the dark recesses of the game these types congregate in probably look no different to any other stadium. At all clubs, fans are mostly white, mostly male (though increasingly less so) and share many of the socio-economic problems that make the susceptible to abhorrent ideologies.
For decades, football complained that hooliganism was a societal problem, but no one really paid attention. Now there is no football the picture should be clearer. The disaffected and easily influenced find companionship wherever possible, for many that happens to be in football, and for some of those, a culture war would define their lives more than anything else possibly could.
Despite the gloom, the direction of travel is positive. In the 70s and 80s, racism was at home in the game. Peer pressure brought isolated idiots to heel and it flourishes in fewer places than imaginable a few decades ago. You might never give it a thought, but you are involved in the great culture war. It will live longer than any of us, but the outcome is assured.
SPFL clubs know how to destroy interest in their product at a time when they should be doing just the opposite. Another week, another attempt to save Hearts from relegation. It is tedious. Just make a decision and stick to it, credibility is draining with each fresh episode.
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Plenty of it on display yesterday in George Square.
Even the individual posts on CQN are socially distancing ;-)
The racists and hooligans yesterday in George Square were called ‘activists’.
The racists and hooligans on saturday in London were called ‘anti-antiracists’.
How we use language is an important part of the culture war. How we use the word sectarianism (thus whataboutery) and not the word racism is another example.
Destroy the MSM. They are part of the problem.
Paul67
The Scottish media used to call them Chelsea fans, when those lies were exposed, and the original club died, the new club inherited a new name of ‘football fans’ or sometimes more bizarrely just away fans.
At every single flash point and regular football matches we all know who is responsible and Scotlands shame turn up, like they did on the Indy vote to cause mayhem.
Until Scotland confronts it demons things can only get worse, than the locked down hoardes that frontline violence against everyone and anyone.
Agree that the scenes yesterday were abhorrent.
Nothing to do with football.
As such, I would hope there is no organisation of Celtic fans involved in any such demonstration or counter demonstration.
This would merely allow other hooligans to legitimise their actions to themselves.
Demonstrate as you wish, though important to do so in your own name – or as a suitable anti racist organisation.
SPFL confirms no reconstruction of leagues for next season. Current structure retained.
People like Stan Collymore on twitter pointing out the tendency for right wing nuts to wear Sevco tops will do them harm.
No company wants associated with racists. It will hurt them commercially until they tackle the problem.
The Police statement about yesterday states “Both factions included known football risk groups.”
I have no problem with people from our side of the debate wanting to raise the awareness of racism in our country’s past history , but any attempt to target or desecrate a War Memorial or Cenotaph, would be a massively stupid move.
I really hope that this was not on the agenda.
In the scheme of things, here in Scotland, they are an irrelevance, they had ample time to arrange the meeting at George Square and what you seen is what they can muster with plenty of time to inform those who wanted to attend. As usual the media, TV Papers etc. give it more space than it deserves and it is then seen as something worthy of reporting, it’s not, por cierto
Why not ‘kettle’ that mob yesterday?
A club that promotes itself as ‘We are the People’ in 2020 deserves to attract the right wing nutters who do it harm.
So caught up in surviving hand to mouth it can’t have a sensible internal conversation about what and who they are. Orange tops sell more than one emblazoned with Black Lives Matter over there.
Nerd alert! But worth using when you’re next on a phone-in about refereeing in Scotland.
‘CIES, the International Centre for Sports Studies, is an independent research and education organsation located in Neuchatel, Switxerland.
It has a research group, CIES Football Observatory, focusing on statistical studies of football-related issues.’
‘The 300th edition of the CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post compares 35 European leagues according to the number of penalties per game whistled by referees since the 2017/18 season’
Now read on:
Number of minutes to get a penalty, by club
Scottish Premier League
Rangers 411
Hamilton Academical 477
Kilmarnock 502
Aberdeen 530
Hibernian 561
St Jonstone 591
Heart of Midlothian 681
Celtic 681
Motherwell 734
Some things speak for themselves.
Incidentally, we are third-worst at converting penalties.
Here’s the link:
https://football-observatory.com/IMG/sites/b5wp/2019/wp300/en/
Doon ye go wee huns.
DELIASMITH
So most attacking team in the league is it eighth in penalty count?
Something not right there :O)
See hearts are taking legal action over their relegation – might get an Edinburgh jury.
DELIASMITH on 15TH JUNE 2020 1:28 PM
So it takes us 65% more playing time to get a penalty than “Rangers”. It is great to have statistics to back up what we all know.
It would be to see the other side of the coin – penalties against which i expect would be even more weighted against us.
Hearts call for “Beltrami”, no that’ll no work, por cierto.
Sevco get more penalties than Celtic, DOH!!! :)) por cierto
Pingback: “Football fans” and the culture war Paul67 - Celtic FC News Aggregation
A 14 team league would have been better.
“Advance SPFL payments could have been made on the basis of the minimum position each team could achieve.”
I would think that that would be very difficult to work out. Too many potential permutations.
.
Bada!
As you requested `no laughing at the back`, I sat up at the front to read this bit:
” The Grand Orange Lodge is planning a ‘virtual 12th’ that will see supporters gathering in cyberspace rather than on the streets for the annual Boyne parade in July.
Its online event will show highlights of previous parades as well as speeches and bible readings.
In Belfast, some marchers are reportedly expected to use treadmills to make the experience more realistic.”
`Speeches and Bible readings` :-))) .Any religiously minded person reading that might be encouraged to have a look at previous Marches. A sever shock awaits.
Treadmills? Have these people no consideration at all of the stress the HNS is under without having to deal with a sudden increase in myocariadl infarctions?
NHS, of course.
Finally, when did the Media start referring to this event as a “Boyne Parade`?
HS- A real shower of clowns.
Bada ,HS
Reply online….VR the peepil !
DELIASMITH on 15TH JUNE 2020 1:28 PM
Nerd alert! But worth using when you’re next on a phone-in about refereeing in Scotland.
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Thanks for that, I didn’t click into the full report (I’m supposed to be working you know) but does it also mention the number of claims for a penalty versus the number awarded? That would also add to the ‘honest mistakes’ tally. There’s no surprise that Sevco are top of the minutes to penalties awarded league (it’s the only league they’ll top any time soon!) but I also think off the top of my head of Celtic games seen where either we had to have one or two blatant penalty claims ignored before finally getting one or a very soft penalty awarded to us in the dying minutes when we’re 4 or 5 up, you see these things all even themselves up over a season you know; it turns out they don’t.
So, HMFC are going to take legal action against the SPL/SPFL?
For voting unanimously to end the season for the SPL
And voting against a proposal for SPFL reconstruction favoured by, among others, Hearts themselves, Stranraer and Partick Thistle a club who managed to get themselves relegated twice in a row. On a hat trick now.
I just listened to John’s Barnes interview on BBC Radio Scotland. It is a shame that John feels he was not given enough support from the Board at Celtic because he was Black.
Who are we to tell a man how to feel?
Interesting that Umbro have apologised over their recent uvf training gear / linfield away strip.
Wonder how sevcos new provider will deal with the obligatory orange strip requirement.
Garngad to croy
It’s usually the fans that get managers sacked – the board pull the trigger
It’s the results that get managers fired. Barnes like Mowbray, can have no complaints.
I’d go further to say that John Barnes does black managers no favours by bringing race into the conversation regarding his wholly justified sacking.
UNCLE JIMMY
I suspect Linfield will be on the look out for another kit manufacturer when their current contract expires.
Tony Mowbray was subjected to the most blatant cheating by the mibs
Just take it on the chin
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-53051410
Umbro statement on Linfield, been duped or DUP’d…
Gene- agree,I thought that the Board should have spoken out and helped the guy at times.