The incident at Tannadice on Saturday, when an Aberdeen fan threw part of a plastic seat in the direction of celebrating Dundee United fans, but struck Aberdeen player Jack MacKenzie on the head, was prophesied by Viljami Sinisalo earlier this month.
Vapes, batteries, food and drink, coins, bottles and seats are now thrown by football fans of all colours on a regular basis. Aberdeen get to carry the shame for this incident, but no club has yet been able to stop complete idiots from buying a match ticket.
What’s going on? These incidents have a few things in common. It is a male thing. Men throw objects at other men on a football field; I doubt as many as 1% of these incidents are by women. This is a male problem.
They hide in the crowd. The headline grabber always hides, he wants to create a notable incident, without it carrying his name or face. Unless the thrower identifies himself in the act (which never happens), he is a coward, leaving others (in this case Aberdeen FC and other Aberdeen fans) to carry the consequences of his actions.
Throwing an object at someone is a violent act. The person might not be violent outside of a football stadium, when that violence could have consequences for him, but a taste for violence without consequences is still quite disturbing.
The object is aimed at an opponent, “the other type”. We have our own thing going in Glasgow, but Aberdeen and Dundee United? When it comes to mindless acts of fan behaviour, the evidence does not support the hypothesis that fans of Glasgow clubs are any different from others.
The thrower almost always walks away from the ground uninhibited by those around him. Most of us go to the football with family and friends, with no appetite to confront a violent (sometimes coked up) idiot, so it is not really the crowds fault. But the thrower will not be alone. He has an audience of a few “friends”, he is almost always showing off. He is needy, with low self-esteem. The act gives him a hit. News reports will cause a fear of being identified mixed with a notoriety arousal.
So we know lots about the person who threw the seat. They are no different from anyone else who has thrown something onto a football field. It is a man with a propensity for violence, who avoids the consequences of his action and has low self-esteem.
All we need to do is “fix” the men with those problems and football will be safe from them. This is not the core competency of football clubs, the SFA, or even the police. Social attitudes are powerful. Fans, clubs, the SFA and the media should address the debate head on. Start talking about them as needy, avoidant men with low self-esteem and violent tendencies, and we would soon shrink that notoriety arousal they crave. Pity them. They could not advertise their vulnerabilities more if they wore a t-shirt with the words “I feel inadequate as a man” blazoned on the front.
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Anybody home?
Wednesday eve it says.
Croatian League
Currently Zagreb is one goal better off than Rijeka (27 to 26) but Burnley is correct that Rijeka can go ahead on Sunday if they take the same points as Zagreb no matter if the goal difference ends up in Zagreb’s favour.
The regulations of the Croatian 🇭🇷 league state that the tie breaker in first 35 rounds is goal difference.
But then after final round 36 the tie breaker becomes H2H.
That’s why Dinamo 🇭🇷 is currently leading the league, but will drop to 2nd place if they stay on same points as Rijeka 🇭🇷 after next round.
Yes, that’s the same league that hasn’t abolished the away goals rule until this season, and still implements a 2-legged Cup final.
Still not as weird as Denmark were Teams lose half their points after the break – that is really off the wall.
Coked up, notoriety arousal individuals.
We got the Buckie bottle throwing clown yet?
A bit weird with the 404 error, earlier.
Amazing stats, in an article on Celtic News Now.
With an average of 74.5% possession, in league games, we gave away 257 fouls and our opponents conceded 252.
Tells you all you need to know about Scottish referees.
On a related note to your post Paul, I am surprised there has been little said on here about the reports in the media the other day about the former head of the Ibrox Ultras (Union Bears) Ross McGill being the hood orchestrating a series of firebomb and gun attacks across Edinburgh and Glasgow.
If that is how he is behaving now, I would guess he was inciting his fellow UBs to commit violence on a regular basis too. Yet he was regularly in contact with the Ibrox leaders, players and managers and praised for his work.
Clubs know about the toxic underbelly in their support. They know where the coin and bottle throwing come from. It is time jail sentences rather than stadium bans were the norm.
Well said Paul67,
As someone in social care, I may have couched it in different language but a safe evident truth is a self evident truth no matter how it is expressed.
My feeling is alcohol and drugs must be a key factor, these are of course societal issues, that cause most damage amongst the same demographic as you average football fan comes from.
Of course, the same demographic in this country also produces, true family men, great friends and “salt of the earth” geezers…
…yet whose really interested in them.
Hail Hail
Paul67:
An outstanding, insightful and important article.
Well said man.
Vale Bhoy
I think there is a degree to which our fast aggressive counter press plays its part in a higher than average ratio of fouls against us but often it is our opponents falling down very easily in that phase which exaggerates the numbers. Saturday was such a good example of both.
Most other teams are passive once possession is lost in Scotland and so give away less fouls.
I saw Notoriety Arousal at the Ole Burns Howff, they were on just before Stiff Little Fingers.
Glad you got your goal at the weekend mate.
No, wait.
Hvartski Tim
The interesting thing would be if Zagreb and Rijeka drew and Hadjuk won their game. Who would win the head to head to head ? Would Rijeka actually still win ?
Saint Stivs on 20th May 2025 10:43 am
leeds owners to raise 120m via new shares issue .
this is then wrongly reported as partly to boost transfer spending.
and the model for a rangers futre
ignoring that the money cannot be used to buy players .
———
If you have £20 million set aside for “stadium infrastructure ” and you raise £50 Mill in a share issue, is there anything in place to stop you using the share issue money for infrastructure and shifting the other money to a transfer chest?
Celtic App to be released late summer presumably for public sale or HCT going towards full digital. Away tickets unlikely – as per
£25 verse Newcastle because we had to pay them a lot to come up – as per
Qualifier not a ST freebie – full price as per
ST price increase – inflation as per
TIFO on Saturday organised by Celtic, wasn’t a TIFO – as such
Open to meet Green Brigade – Green Brigade said they’re not.
Fans Forum CSC
Very sobering article, pun intended
Burnley78
I agree with all you said about the fouls.
Like you, I’m sure, I’m sick of these big hammer throwers who collapse at the merest hint of a touch by a Celtic player.
They do so because they know they have a compliant ref.
Agreed Paul67. I think social media doesnt help – theres a ready-made easily-accessed community of people who will be accepting of all manner of anti-social behaviour. Influence comes much more from their phones than from family and immediate environment.
Anyone with teenage kids talks about how difficult it is to get them off their phones and back into the real world with their parents
Good afternoon all from the Brazen Head. A lovely sunny day in tropical Gorbals.
If all stadiums were able to capture every area of the stadium within a HD CCTV screenshot, this behaviour would end overnight.
I recall Ibrox saying two years ago they had no CCtV available to capture the glass being thrown at Hart’s goal. We haven’t moved on.
Burnley78 on 20th May 2025 12:33 pm
Hvartski Tim
The interesting thing would be if Zagreb and Rijeka drew and Hadjuk won their game. Who would win the head to head to head ? Would Rijeka actually still win ?
——
Not even AI can work this one out but here goes:
Points and goals from Fixtures between the teams.
Rijeka 5 DZ 5 Goals Rijeka 5 DZ 2
Rijeka 5 HS 5 Goals Rijeka 6 HS 4
HS 7 DZ 5 Goals HS 5 DZ 5
Total points – Rijeka 10, Hajduk 12, DZ 10
It looks to me that Hajduk would win that mini-league if it is based on results between the sides but could be wrong
The media, as you would expect, are in a frenzy trying to guess who will be the new manager at Ibrox. At the moment Gerard seems to have edged back into pole position with Davis as assistant As he has pulled out of a 5–a-side tourney next week, that means he’s clearing his calendar 😆
Over on FF, the jury is out. Plenty of them not happy with having him back. A typical post is:
“Sadly I think it’s going to be Gerrard.
For me that would be hugely disappointing given the way his managerial career has went since 55.
It also means we’d be stuck with the the same shit formation we have stuck with for years.
I’d have been hoping for something new to take us forward under new ownership.”
Don’t think Brendan will be losing any sleep.
It used to be worse
I remember as a kid wearing a workers safety helmet down the front in the jungle
BIGBHOY on 20TH MAY 2025 1:42 PM
It used to be worse I remember as a kid wearing a workers safety helmet down the front in the jungle
*aye in green white and gold
I don’t see the Huns changing their style or recruiting profile regardless of manager. They need European money and they’re only competitive in Europe because of how they set up. A more open style will result in losses.
Technically talented footballers will also cost more than their usual 6 footers with good engines.
I’ve still got mine 👍
Add Cerny to the mix.
Lower level offence, lower impact.
Same root cause.
I hope the authorities hammer him.
… er ….
Paul,
Well said and well written!!!Sadly, I don’t think it will bring an end to this. Players and fans should be able to come to an event, a game, whatever, and know that their safety is paramount. How many times did we, as young Celtic fans, duck on the floor of the supporters bus going through parts of Glasgow as the bottles and cans ( not coins, as folks weren’t that rich) smacked, shattered, cracked the windows protecting us. How many of us dove over fences and walls when the horses charged at us after the midweek game in 85, coming out onto Janefield St. Or the crush running up the stairs at Hampden in 88, everyone thinking that they were getting in for free but they had changed the layout of the gates. I’m sure many of you have similar stories to tell. Remember when wee Gordon Strachan got attacked from someone in the jungle??? As Paul implies, what makes people think that this is normal behavior and acceptable to attack someone else, no matter our allegiances or differences! We used to get our windows tanned in at least twice or three times a year when I was a kid. I lived in a Rangers supporting neighborhood, but we all mostly got on well with each other, except for the summer time when we became the enemy. We would call the Police, they did nowt. We would call the cooncil glazers, and they would come up and put the boards in our windaes for the next 2-3 weeks, but if you were of the other persuasion, your windaes were fixed within a day. I was given a lift home one time by Benny Rooney after a reserve game, as I had hurt my ankle, and I purposely got him to drop me off at another street so he didn’t have to see the damage to our house. I don’t know how, but when I went to training on the Monday, the gaffer, Mr. McNeill , knew and asked me all about it. As Paul states, part of the big problem is that this guys friends and acquaintances , know he did it, but are either afraid of him or afraid of the repercussions it may bring. Someone who does this is affecting not only their lives but the lives of their loved ones, You lose your job, you lose your freedom, it affects more than just you, so why take that risk. It might be the drugs, might be the drink. I deal with teenagers everyday in my job, and I have seen many a kid make the wrong choice, or a friend know who committed the deed but not willing to “snitch” on their friends, or even parents proud of their kids for not snitching. I am sorry for the long post but as Paul and others have said, it is going to have to take something much more tragic for organizations to suddenly realize they have to put their foot down.
Sean
Celtic full back Ian Young bottled on the running track after Celtic victory in 1965. The last time the lap of honour was allowed at Hampden.
Good luck CSC 👍
How about clubs and police using state of the art cctv and facial recognition to identify culprits.
At match on Saturday, a Green Brigade idiot was clearly identifiable, from the seats above, with a smoking green flare in his hand, for at least a minute.
Where is the will and resources to deal with this nonsense?
Thought-provoking piece Paulo, especially when you write:
‘Start talking about them as needy, avoidant men with low self-esteem and violent tendencies, and we would soon shrink that notoriety arousal they crave.’
Downunder, the media used to describe assaults by men on (mostly) other unsuspecting men as a ‘king hit’ – thet language was replaced by ‘coward punch’ and while not eradicating the issue 100% I seem to be reading less about such kinds of sleekit attacks.
On another topic tho, who’d win a bout between an object thrower and a mud-slinger ??
And make wearing a face covering within a football ground illegal, and an arrest able offence.
A 31 year old man will appear in court tomorrow, in Dundee, charged with reckless conduct.
No suspect in the Buckfast bottle attack.
Surprise, surprise.
yorkbhoy
fsr rules.
only 70percent of football revenues can be spent on transfers.
a share issue is not generated by football games.
I agree with a lot of what you say Paul, about all the incidents and all Celtic should do is to keep speaking to fan groups at the club and encourage their spokespeople to have dialogues with fan groups at other clubs to lower the tension and establish some red lines not to cross. This of course is Hans Christian Andersen stuff in Scotland but it’s actually in our interests that there be a family atmosphere around the game. Only Celtic, maybe Hibs, among the big clubs have a genuine family atmosphere where there are more women in the stadium but as Paul says there is still a great male blight! I don’t know though about giving the animal that threw the chair a course in psychology, more like 10 years labour on a tottie farm
An excellent article, Paul. Well done.
The hun should never be allowed to enter Celtic Park again. Their scum followers cannot behave and we should not accept any tickets for the edmiston mausoleum. Won’t stop the attacks on our staff though.
“Fans, clubs, the SFA and the media should address the debate head on….”.
Hmmm…….l listened to Micheal Stewart and Willie Miller debate the incident on Shortie.
I kid you not, Micheal Stewart asked out loud if it constituted a criminal offence.
How can you hope to change anything when you have morons like this covering the game (and I consider Stewart to be one of the better pundits).
ValeBhoy – Another way to look at those numbers is that the very good teams always stop their opponents playing as quickly as they can. They hold possession for long periods, then when they lose the ball they immediately foul to stop the other team building anything. Man City are the worst team for it and it’s unfortunately the way the beautiful game is played these days.
Good posts.
Am I right in thinking that in both the Joe Hart and Vil Sinisalo cases no arrests have been made?