England defender Tyrone Mings was a credit to his country after their game in Bulgaria last night. He explained how he dealt with racist abuse during the game, brought it to the officials’ attention before the game was twice stopped, and demonstrated that an important night would be remembered by him for his football achievements. He even showed sympathy for those whose limited minds permitted them to make Nazi salutes and monkey chants.
Only a few years ago columnists argued that this issue was a societal problem, not a football one. Those were simpler times when politics everywhere was not plagued by a misplaced insistence of local exceptionalism, if not downright hostility to ‘the other’.
Attitudes change slowly in some places but the reaction after the game in Sofia, specifically the Bulgarian prime minister calling for his FA chief to be sacked, help. Some of us have seen it all, from that infamous banana 30 years ago, to less publicised moments against Sporting 7 years before that. England is currently caught in a peculiar 1930s re-run, so reaction there will be measured. No one should raise their head proudly on this issue.
Tyrone Mings is typical of the modern England I know. Last night he encapsulated its future. You can trace racism from the 30s, to the terraces of the 70s and 80s, to today’s local exceptionalism – wherever local is to you. It never went away in 1939 but I doubt it has had so many vocal opponents.
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Coulda been a contender.
And well said Paul.
Good article P67- what about the elephant in the room in Scotland?
The Bulgarian manager should be sacked, said he didn’t hear any abuse, and was smirking at the ITV interviewer with the interpreter, when asked about it.If guys in his position don’t make a stand,these idiots will never change. At least the Bulgarian captain tried to do something.
I wonder if last night, will affect the UEFA Lazio ruling?
Liked the bit about the Bulgarian Prime minister . Perhaps wee Nicola could be persuaded to come down heavy on the SFA re racist and sectarian abuse which pours down on us weekly?
!!BADA BING!! on 15TH OCTOBER 2019 12:43 PM
Good article P67- what about the elephant in the room in Scotland?
Bada, you referring to the Banter 😂 In Scottish football
Or
The noise no one can hear 👂 cause they wear cans in the sportdesks
Mind you Rob McLean and Pat Nevis heard Celtic fans singing something which offended them
Right the ☀️ oot
Watching football racism debate in Parliament, Douglas Red Card Ross been sitting on his hands so far…
Stephen Kerr MP ,just raised the sectarian problem in Scotland….
Fix Fitba’ Empty Hampden.
EUFA have done nothing, nothing. Fine clubs /countries a few quid, ridiculous.,
A really harsh sentence is need ed, starting with a ban on Bulgaria from the next world cup and Euro competition, end of. Clubs too, should be heavily penalised, it’s only when it hits their respective pockets that thing will happen.
KINGLuBO
Meanwhile scoddland plays the pyro card……………………
Scotland’s Shame.
This time last year Steve Clarke was subject to non stop sectarian abuse at Ibrox. It was a seven day wonder and neither he nor the media or the SFA have said a thing about it since. In the meantime many- if not all – Celtic players, management and fans have been subject to sectarian or racist abuse at a number of grounds across Scotland.
Until Scotland faces up to its anti Catholic and Anti Irish obsession then we are stuck were we are. We need civic Scotland to begin by banning anti catholic marches and senior politicians calling it out at every turn. Time to shine a light on those people and organisations that have used sectarianism to further their own cause and keep Scotland where they want it.
Bulgarian FA chief resigns…hopefully the manager is next
Is this the moment to shine a real light on Scotland’s Shame?
Is there any politician in any party brave enough to raise it. How about thon supposedly Orange friendly cove, Gove? Any CQNERs a constituent of his?
The UK is having an issue with nativism, nationalism & racism.
The Bulgarian fans’ behavior was beyond the pale. But don’t lose sight of what goes on in our own country.
SEE when you are down in the dumps.no drink for 2 weeks 2 days 5 hours 38 mins.a sore back for over a week and you got to listen to ENGLISH people complaining about racist chants AND TURKEY INVADING ANOTHER COUNTRY, WHO WOULD DARE DO SUCH A THING N having to watch d.u.p woman attempting a smile in downing street…………………………..then PATRICA ANN arrives with a dozen mortons rolls and a full lorne from MORRISONS BISHOPBRIGGS DANCER.
SO i’m off on the school run and will be back at 3.30pm for a wee taster. keep you all updated.
Bulgarian pois
Oops,Bulgarian polis raid their FA HQ…..
BADA
Bulgarian Pois. What d’ye serve them with? 😃
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SANLUIS @1.58
Well said that man. This after all, is the 21st Century, not the middle ages.
If I were in charge I’d ban all these fekkin marches, after all , what do they prove.??
Scotland establishment is rotten to the core.
KINGLubO
Kinglubo
Pretty sure I saw the cost of each march to police @ 175k. That should get it banned on cost alone
O’Connor starts for Ireland U21s
A very limited number of single match tickets available for home match v. Lazio. online only.
https://eticketing.co.uk/celtic/?utm_source=celticfc&utm_medium=ticketsa&utm_campaign=tktpage
£175k to police a bigoted March/walk
You havin a feckin Giraffe??
Did I not read that Scotland has more Orange walks than Norn Irealand???
If so how many and at what cost?
Thinking about it, does my feckin council tax pay for these knuckle daggers to walk?
HH
D. :)
Daggers is obviously Draggers or is it??
D. :)
David66
Think it’s worse than that, think Glesga has more on it’s Jack Jones😱😵
O’Connor red card last minute
PP – ffs
D. :)
Is this the real reason why Farage and Rees-Mogg want a speedy Brexit?
The EU’s forthcoming anti-tax avoidance rules could be a big boost for our public services but, as Chevan Ilangaratne and Dami Olatuyi explain, they will be binned if Farage and Rees-Mogg get their way.
In all honesty, tax and law are an unattractive couple. Even specialists in the field will admit as much. That said – few doubt the necessity of tax. It pays for new hospitals and schools. It builds new houses. It keeps us safe on the streets. It helps us care for children and the elderly.
Thus the value of taxpayers’ money cannot be understated – however discouraging it is to see chunks of your earnings go to tax collectors. The same applies to businesses – big or small – who pay corporation tax… well, that’s when they pay it.
In recent years, the likes of Google, Amazon, Apple and Starbucks have come under the spotlight for large-scale tax avoidance. This means they’ve arranged their finances rather cleverly – albeit within the law – to dodge tax obligations they would otherwise have to fulfil. Less tax paid by these huge companies means less money to invest in our public services – we all lose out!
Well the EU have had enough.
As from the start of 2019, yes coincidentally just as the Brexit deadline looms, all EU member states will have to apply the Anti Tax Avoidance Directive (ATAD). It’s an EU law designed to tackle businesses shirking their tax-paying responsibilities.
The likes of Nigel Farage, Jacob Rees-Mogg and a host of wealthy Brexit donors are unlikely to warm to ATAD. It fact, it might be one of reasons why some Brexiteers are hell-bent on pushing for the hardest Brexit possible.
How will ATAD work?
The directive seeks to tackle the thriving culture of corporate tax avoidance. For example, consider the scenario in which an EU company shifts profits to a related company in a low-tax country reducing the tax paid on these profits: under ATAD, a company could still do this, but the profits will be taxable at EU rates.
Another situation is where EU businesses developing a new product move it to a low tax country to avoid paying larger taxes on the profits once it is developed. Thanks to ATAD this tactic won’t work as member states can levy tax on the product before it is moved.
Even with ATAD, you might argue companies – through their nifty lawyers – will find new loopholes to avoid tax, right? The EU thought of that: ATAD provides a general anti-abuse rule to counteract these regimes where national laws have failed to address them.
There are many other measures in ATAD which you will no doubt be inspired to research. But before you do that, you will hear people air grievances that this Directive is another example of how the EU hates business or that it is another instance of Brussels encroaching on our sovereignty.
Dealing with the first allegation, anti-tax avoidance laws are not developed to harm businesses. Their objective is to ensure companies play ball in a competitive market which means paying their fair share of tax. Flowing from this, in a globalised market, agreeing a set of rules to encourage fair trade is hardly an encroachment upon sovereignty. It is an acceptance that the world today sometimes requires countries to come together and agree on things for mutual benefit.
Vital for our schools and hospitals
Britain becoming a low-tax haven economy on the shores of Europe is a Brexiteer fantasy – and ATAD compliance poses a direct threat to that. But a low-tax haven for the rich will thrash the public services upon which the vast majority of us rely on and deepen inequalities in modern day Britain.
Most of us can agree tax is far from ideal but a means to very vital end. If the likes of Google or Amazon were going to be put out of business by following the ATAD one could see the logic in rallying against it. But we know these major corporations will be just fine; meanwhile our schools and hospitals are left in crisis.
• Chevan Ilangaratne and Dami Olatuyi are members of the organisation Lawyers Against Brexit.
The eu need to to have rules within their own parliament to stop excessive expenses – members expenses – millions tax free.
Fkin jokers
Republic game on Sky 145,think it’s a free channel…
Ajer plays for Norway. Madhun is the ref.
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HENRIK1967 on 15TH OCTOBER 2019 6:37 PM
Thanks for that reminder of the reasons the likes of JRM have for being Brexit.
ADI_DASSLER on 15TH OCTOBER 2019 6:59 PM
I agree, the EU is by no way perfect and could do with reform. However, leaving will cost us all financially and in terms of our rights (unless of course you are the top 1%).
From @francisbuchan
SFA play a blinder. Clancy missed 2 clear penalties for Celtic against Hibs. He gets slatted on all sides. SFA put him in charge of Hearts v Sevco. Now if anyone trips over their boot lace for Sevco he will point to the spot after his last shocking performance.
Then be vindicated by the SMSM if he doesn’t give then he’s wrong if he gives them he’s wrong. Just coincide that the one not giving are for Celtic and the one giving are for we all know who.
had to drive from top of port there, the view acroos to the moon riding over the rock was quite stunnimg.
have a swatch up to the sky.
moon rising ffs,
late dinner, reading this,
On account of the meeting summed up the chaos, violence and fear of the night: “One stout Highlander, named Angus Johnstone, resisted with such pith that they had to handcuff him before he could be mastered, but in consequence of the priests’ interference his manacles were taken off and (he was) marched between four officers on board the emigrant vessel.”
The man who rid the Hebrides of thousands of men, women and children
https://www.scotsman.com/regions/inverness-highlands-islands/the-man-who-rid-the-hebrides-of-thousands-of-men-women-and-children-1-4192914