With an understatement of historic proportions, Scottish Government minister Annabelle Ewing said should would “respect the will of [the Scottish]parliament” and set in motion the process to repeal the discredited Offensive Behaviour at Football Act. This is a new approach from a government which has ignored the will of the Scottish Parliament on each occasion on this very issue – despite acting like wounded fawns when others do the same.
The Act was the brainchild of Alex Salmond, who exploited a Celtic-Rangers match which saw two Rangers players ordered off and a brief but angry shouting match between Neil Lennon and Ally McCoist. The game, however, was remarkably free from crowd trouble.
For years Rangers fans were being arrested for offenses of a sectarian nature. Celtic fans had rid themselves of ‘offensive chanting’ but things changed when SNP Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill sat through a Celtic-Rangers cup final deafened by chanting of ‘The Billy Boys’, he congratulated spectators on their behaviour. This saw the return of political chanting from the Celtic support.
SNP minister Christine Grahame made clear the intentions of Salmond’s Bill when she told Justice Committee meeting this Act would allow police to “equalise” arrest figures between Celtic fans and Rangers fans.
It was an appalling piece of governance and sectarian in nature.
61 SNP MSPs voted to retain the act yesterday, as Holyrood heard the most ridiculous nonsense in attempts to justify its place, citing sectarian comments made well away from the football environment. The SNP seem to know there is a sectarian problem, but are blind to any of their own shortcomings.
Credit for this reversal goes in considerable volume to the Fans Against Criminalisation action group, and to James Kelly MSP (Lab), who sponsored yesterday’s vote. Ordinary men and women defeated a wilfully blind, Peronist, government.
We can only be grateful that government does not enjoy a majority in parliament. Its authoritarian tendencies are clear, they did not look at the evidence and reverse their view, they simply didn’t have the votes necessary to continue to ignore all the evidence.
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I was expecting an article about cats.
Maeoooooooow
:)
Well done to everyone who fought this
At last an article I wholeheartedly agree with.
Paul67
Well done to the Celtic activists.
Hail Hail
p.s. don’t forget you can still get arrested meantime.
NEGANON2 on 26TH JANUARY 2018 10:47 AM
At last an article I wholeheartedly agree with.
Get over yourself
Hats of to everyone involved in this fight to have the bill repealed:)
PC Mason will try to get as many arrests as they can before it is repealed…
just like soldiers in first world war kept fighting before the official time to stop fighting was reached..
Some astounding comments in the aftermath of the Brechin game and the Glasgow Derby. Who would be Celtic Manager? We did actually win both games.
It really is impossible to please the ever more entitled Celtic support. A few examples of how one course of action, would automatically invite, and realise, a different thread of criticism. In the following “Actual” and “Alternative” examples, the choices are completely interchangeable.
Actual
“Why are we playing Odsonne? Griff or Dembélé are better strikers”
Alternative
“Why didn’t we play Odsonne in some low key games. We have had the boy for an entire season and still haven’t seen if he is good enough to make the transfer permanent. The Brechin and Thistle games would have been the perfect opportunity to try him out.”
Actual
“Ayer is never a Celtic Central defender. Just not good enough.”
Alternative
“We should have given Ayer a run in the team, to see if he is good enough.”
Actual
“We have to mix it up a bit, get the ball forward more quickly.
Alternative
“What’s the point of Boyata lumping hopeful long balls upfield, when both of their central defenders tower above Griffiths. We are just needlessly surrendering possession”
Etc. Etc. Etc…… ad nauseum.
HH
Happy Australia Day to all Oz Tims. Having a wee Oz Day party over here in Brunei.
Hail! Hail! PMTYH
Bob Marley Unites Humanity in World’s Biggest Sing-Along…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt3oRA6hySY
HH
” Dzeko is a Roma player ..If we want him to play this weekend ,he’ll play . Have we signed Balotelli yet”
A Roma suit responding to a Journo’s question re Dzeko 26 1 18
AULDHEID 1058,previous
I largely agree with the point you made,but if I can beg your indulgence for my favourite habits of pedantry and facetiousness…
“You no more that to be a fact than I do, but in the absence of knowing I choose…”
That is like a red rag to a bull for me,as a pun is to DAVIDOPOULOS!
Hope yer smashing,bud. Keep fighting,never give up,suck the marrow out that bone!!!
PAUL67
Quite correct.
And,further,we should boycott Peroni!
Except for VOGUEPUNTER who can drink what he likes,a fine fella even at this very moment(!)
Today’s lunchtime choon -way down south –
The Way It Is !
https://youtu.be/XQfNq0jSY9I
Paul 67.
Totally agree with your article. 100%.
Nobody defends sectarianism behaviour, but there is existing legislation already in place . I have read that 73% of cases have been thrown out. ( don’t know how true that is ) but if true, it just demonstrates how flawed this illiberal act is.
It is frightening and in fact dangerous to note that all 61 SNP members voted in favour of retaining the act. Do hey all really think it is worth retaining,or are they blindly following instructions?
We all know the answer to that question and the implications in general are very clear.
HH.
Just been on Roamaquicknews,
Negannoni Due in meltdown over proposed signing of Dembele, says he’s not Roma class, sticka yar Hotela in cuolo and sacka da boarda!!
SOUTH OF TUNIS
Wow that’s a top tune, new one on me:))
Sooooperb vibes!
PS have we signed anybody yet? Or have we given up on Europa league?
From @Nowoldandgrumpy
So according to the Herald, stand alone Celtic have made a joint bid with Sevco to hold internationals and cup finals. If true then silence over cheating makes sense now. It will be bye bye ST for me now.
GREENPINATA
Loyalty to the party is just the way of the world,been so for nearly a century.
Strangely,the most successful parties in democracies have been those which allow and encourage internal dissent and discussion. This allows policies to evolve,or to simply be altered.
Dogma is the enemy of democracy. Political cowardice in its second and third tier representatives will do for the SNP. Follow the party line,or be ostracised.
Btw,I’m not too happy about the current deselection process in the Labour Party either.
This is well worth a read,from CQN magazine.
Old quiz question,there are 12,not 11,Lisbon Lions.
Seems not,and it’s fucking theft and fraud. I can’t be any more polite,sorry. The medal should be tracked down and returned to its rightful owner.
https://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/bob-kelly-got-my-lisbon-medal-the-original-holy-goalie/
Given the increase in the number of qualifiers (at a bad time of the season for us) and the concomitant increased difficulty in qualifying for the CL Group stage at the start of next season, our best chance of qualifying may be this seasons Europa League.
Drain the swamp Jeremy!
HaHaHaHalololololololololHehHehHeh
:):):):);):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
GIRUT…cos they urny gittin any lol
Anywye,………oot.
STARRY PLOUGH @ 11 50 .
Yes — a top choon .
Typical Jamaican business . . Very small press .An original will cost you @ £ 100 .A good quality bootleg will cost you a fiver .
Off oot to buy a John Dory .
Stuff Mama -it will be eaten with rice n peas –
https://youtu.be/iIGw4vk7Tsg
celticbynumberscom.ipage.com/dembele-dilema/
The Dembele saga rumbles on. It has been a stop-start
season for him, but he remains vital to the squad. Whatever the future holds,
now doesn’t seem the time to go.
I am looking forward to the Hibs game tomorrow, especially as i missed the earlier league game at Celtic Park as I was on holiday. It is imperative that we hit top gear or we will be in trouble. Time to put out our best team and shake out any complacency.
Could be a good, open game.
—————————
Onto my second favourite sports topic. Tennis.
As the sun is descending on the Andy Murray era, we could have a new hope for the future. Aiden McHugh of Glasgow reached the Australian Open Boys semi-final but was narrowly beaten today in Melbourne. He lost 2 sets to 1 (6-3 5-7 6-4 ) to a Chinese Taipei player. Still, it is a good achievement to get to a semi.
He is profiled here:
https://www.staloysius.org/green-blazer/aidan-mchugh-59
Hunderbirds…
Small matter of this team to get past. When I read this it doesnt fill me with hope.
https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/stories/index.html#/iv/match/2022163/stories/2526756
From parcelorogues twitter.
find it odd that no one has mentioned that Docherty’s family were key in setting up Rangers First, now Club 1872 – the 2nd biggest shareholder in Rangers. Is it newsworthy? https://twitter.com/BBCSportScot/status/956652373434347533
Any signings to day,nope thought so,all spin,Time Brendan Rodgers came out and told us straight ,that there will be no new players in this window, instead of the usual guff,were looking but the Quality we are after ,won’t come to Celtic,
So when Neganon wholeheartedly agrees with the article and I don’t, I truly have become a reb!
But I’ll be true to myself.
‘Offensive chanting’ disappeared but returned in the form of ‘political chanting’ because the FOD continue to sing about up to their knees in our blood.
Really? Did those songs that are now proscribed (at a football ground) ever go away?
Perhaps a still braver explanation would be that this was a human rights issue, namely the removal of Freedom of Speech for those who choose to remember their martyrs of freedom. And despite the unease and anger that this may cause to some in Scotland, such songs have equal validity to Flower of Scotland for example.
I salute HT and all those involved through FAC for their sterling efforts and feel such anger for our youth who have been dragged through the courts as a result of this injustice.
HH jamesgang
HENR1K
It would be newsworthy anywhere else,but not here. What would also be newsworthy is how fans’ funds are being (ab)used.
But not here.
I seem to recall he was at one time considering changing his allegiance to ROI. Probably not now.
JAMESGANG
From Day One,I said it wouldn’t survive under European law.
No-one ever took it that far.
National Socialists, National Front, British National Party, Front National.
Can anyone think of other parties with National in their name that also have parochial, jingoistic, bigoted and authoritarian tendencies?
DBHOY on 26TH JANUARY 2018 11:23 AM
Bob Marley Unites Humanity in World’s Biggest Sing-Along…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt3oRA6hySY
HH
——-
That made my day mhate
Thank you
IrieCSC
HH jamesgang
JIMBOB on 26TH JANUARY 2018 12:39 PM
Any signings to day,nope thought so,all spin,Time Brendan Rodgers came out and told us straight ,that there will be no new players in this window, instead of the usual guff,were looking but the Quality we are after ,won’t come to Celtic,
That right.Aye.