Industrial performances, Ignorance of causality

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Going by the looks of the photographs coming out of Romania today Ronny Deila and his players will be going a culture shock; the Stadionul Marin Anastasovici isn’t the Camp Nou, our more familiar European haunt.

The industrial surroundings should set a tone for the players, though, and industrial performance is required tonight, where the attributes of effort, attention to detail and strength of character are required.

Astra surprised many of us at Celtic Park last month.  After their capitulation to Dinamo Zagreb they were supposed to be the whipping boys of the group, but they can play and extended Celtic more than any domestic challenger would be able to.

A victory would be an enormous boost to our season, and to the development of Ronny’s first Celtic squad.  Question is, are we ready yet?

Ignorance of causality

Sometime between when the link between tobacco and cancer was suggested, and when it was proven, cigarette manufacturers mocked the research by pointing to a study which linked dental hygiene with cancer.

A perfectly valid piece of research found that – in their sample – the group who brushed their teeth daily had less cancers.  In any research you would expect random links, which is why the medical industry requires many studies before concluding on a linkage or treatment.

Yesterday Community Safety Minister, Roseanna Cunningham, told the Scottish Parliament that recent years has seen decreases in religious hatred crimes at football, which she attributes to the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act., which she informed us we spend £3m per year enforcing.  That’s a lot of police overtime to pluck fans out of their beds at 4am.

I respectfully disagree.  Ms Cunningham is blind to causality.  Top flight football in Scotland these past few years is a completely different place than it was previously.    The change had nothing to do with her government’s “horribly drafted” [Sherriff Richard Davidson] legislation.

She knows this, of course, but the landscape has changed over the last year.  The Scottish Government received an independent report on the Act in December last year but refused to debate it in Parliament or at committee.  This is unsurprising as the issue could have been toxic at a sensitive time.

Jim Murphy yesterday pledged to scrap the Act “right away”, adding “Sectarianism is a deep rooted and hate filled long-term problem in Scotland. It was allowed to fester and grow over many decades. Shamefully it was celebrated by a minority and silently tolerated by far too many”.

No other political party supported the Act, so it will not survive a change of government, but going by the polls that day could be a long way off.  That £3m per year is lubricating a lot of wheels, but the real cost is the politically motivated criminalisation of the non-intolerant innocent in order to “equalise” them with the absolutely intolerant.

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383 Comments

  1. DVD joined a reformed Bucks Fizz some years later,but it kept the same history and European title…..

  2. A fiver for your thoughts on

    TD67 12.36 on 06 November

     

     

    Tony, I normally lurk but logged in to say that your post was quality 

  3. NatKnow

     

    14:42 on

     

    6 November, 2014

     

     

    I don’t think it will be repealed under any Govt. Unless it become unpopular with the public at large, and given the reason that it was devised and voted in was as a populist movement to placate the public at large I don’t see that happening.

     

     

    The wider view on this particular bill is the old “you’ve nothing to fear if you’re not doing anything wrong”. Even if every football go-er in Scotland was against it I suggest it’ll stay.

     

     

    I think what is more likely to happen is that it’ll stay on the statute books but stop getting used.

  4. Melbourne Mick on

    Neil canalamar

     

    Just like yourself i had to find work away from home

     

    but he was well looked after although he was always

     

    getting a yellow card and a wait till Mick gets home.

     

    H.H Mick

  5. Jim Murphy yesterday pledged to scrap the Act “right away”, adding “Sectarianism is a deep rooted and hate filled long-term problem in Scotland. It was allowed to fester and grow over many decades. Shamefully it was celebrated by a minority and silently tolerated by far too many”.

     

     

     

    —————————–

     

     

    The denim jaskit MP who stood at the front of the main stand in the League cup final as a minority of 20,000 huns belted out their songs of bile, and choose to remain silent on it.

     

     

     

    is that the same Jim Murphy.

  6. My mate just of the phone from Bucharest game is in doubt decision to be made by 3:30 Celtic Park time. Just got back to me ,games off to be played tomorrow morning early Hail Hail Hebcelt

  7. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on

    Mick,

     

    No need to explain yourself to me, I was joking, of course you’ll worry about him it meant to be like that.

     

    Hail Hail

  8. FFS

     

     

    Dollar and Bucks FIZZ

     

     

    jc2 shakes his head in a disapproving way

     

     

    Though thinking about it the short skirts were nice

  9. Som mes que un club on

    Apparently if there is fog later in Giurgiu they will burn tyres. Fire apparently helps clear fog. #notjoking

  10. Som mes que un club

     

    14:50 on

     

    6 November, 2014

     

     

    CelticResearch retweeted

     

    Saltmarket CSC ‏@SaltmarketCSC 4m4 minutes ago

     

    We are across the road from Astra’s ground. The weather is absolutely fine. Anyone saying otherwise is a shit-stirring p***k.

  11. If game is postponed they will play it tomorrow morning!!

     

     

    If that happens will the SPFL allow Sunday’s game at Pittodrie to be postponed??

  12. Tim Malone Will Tell on

    I have a very simple but serious question with regards “buying history” as Charlie Green confessed.

     

     

    If we all accept that history could be bought, would everyone accept that Celtic could have bought Rangers title wins if we had chosen to do so?

     

     

    As an adjunct, had we done this, we would be looking at our 100th league title this season I believe…

  13. I’ll thank you on his behalf Neil canamalar!

     

     

    He already loves the Hoops and wants to be a goalie – at least he has his dad’s and his Papa’s big hands – that’s a good start.

     

     

    I should also say that those were two brilliant experiences you shared with us TonyDonnelly67 and Melbourne Mick!

  14. Stairheedrammy on

    Gary67, the SFA will likely bring the KO forward to Saturday at 11am if we need to play Astra on Friday.

  15. SS-That will be him,to be laughed at.He knows his Westminster career (and expenses gravy train) is over.Sent home to try and breathe life into a dead entity…….oh wait…..HH

  16. weeminger

     

     

     

    14:46 on 6 November, 2014

     

     

     

    NatKnow

     

    14:42 on

     

    6 November, 2014

     

     

    I don’t think it will be repealed under any Govt. Unless it become unpopular with the public at large, and given the reason that it was devised and voted in was as a populist movement to placate the public at large I don’t see that happening.

     

     

    The wider view on this particular bill is the old “you’ve nothing to fear if you’re not doing anything wrong”. Even if every football go-er in Scotland was against it I suggest it’ll stay.

     

     

    I think what is more likely to happen is that it’ll stay on the statute books but stop getting used.

     

    ———————————————————–

     

    You’re probably right. But the public at large didn’t ask for it to be brought in – the SNP did it onthe bakc of the “Shame Game” using their majority in the parliament. A different government with majority could still repeal it The SNP certainly won;t admit they got it wrong. There are kids being lifted and charged over nothing. Meanwhile the actual problem of sectarian and racist attitudes in Scotland goes on unchallanged.

  17. Canamalar he indicated 7am tomorrow CP time TBC Hell of a time to play (9pm local time Hail Hail Hebcelt At 80p a vodka I don’t think he cares

  18. Celtic game off.

     

     

     

    The development game v dunfermline is postponed tonight due to a waterlogged pitch.

  19. South Of Tunis on

    the battered bunnet.

     

     

    David Van Day ended up with a burger van in Brighton.A mate of mine occasionally bought a burger from the man purely for the sadistic pleasure of requesting- “Coke too, if you have any left “

  20. Sandman

     

    12:50 on

     

    6 November, 2014

     

    Roseanna Cunningham, told the Scottish Parliament that recent years has seen decreases in religious hatred crimes at football, which she attributes to the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act., which she informed us we spend £3m per year enforcing.

     

     

    =====================================

     

     

    Good grief, and just a short couple of months ago, many on here were prepared to give utter and absolute power over us to her party.

     

     

    What were we thinking about…

     

     

    Not to her party.The people who votedYes,did not vote for the SNP,they were not up for election.The people voted to be independent or not.Going by your post,even a couple of months later you still did not have a clue what all the fuss was.

  21. MWD just the messenger he is with the official party and that’s what they have been told. Oh ye of little faith!!!! Hail Hail Hebcelt

  22. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on

    I expect the OBB to be repealed after a European court decision shows it up for the stupidity it is.

  23. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on

    Turkey…,

     

    Who was in charge of putting the constitution together ?

  24. Som mes que un club

     

    15:03 on

     

    6 November, 2014

     

     

    I’ve just realised how that could have come across.

     

     

    I was of course reiterating that the ET (and now BBC) are the holders of poo-stained man members. Not your good self.

  25. Winning Captains

     

     

    Have an alternative to golf club analogy that is rules based.

     

     

    Had transfer of SFA membership meant RFC and TRFC were the same club because they hold the same membership, then their membership of national association would not have been interrupted. They would therefore be eligible to play in UEFA competition (subject to meeting other criteria and qualifying on sporting merit) rather than having to wait three years to accrue the necessary membership time as required by UEFA Article 12 before they will be considered as eligible by UEFA.

  26. Paul,as another poster stated,the £3 million was not spent on the OB act ,it was spent on anti sectarianism.Funny some people are against that.The same people who have voted a Labour Party all their lives who,far from trying to do something about it,turned a blind eye to everything that was going on.Selective memories .