I know and respect Canon Tom White, who was attacked and spat upon after Mass as an Orange Walk passed St Alphonsus at the Barras. Fr Tom is parish priest at St Marys’s, Calton, the church were Br Walfrid decided to form a football club in 1887. He minsters to an overwhelmingly underprivileged part of the city, just as it was when Celtic were formed. When you speak to the man, you appreciate the drive to use our great football club for the reasons it was first conceived – to help those in need.
Police Scotland initially described what happened, not as a crime, but as a “minor incident” until the Archdiocese drew attention to the matter, at which point they realised this could not be swept under the brogues. It is now recorded as a hate crime.
Tweets of support from politicians are useless if they do not address the key question: what level of assault is required on a priest before Police Scotland are prepared, under their own measures, to consider a crime has been committed?
Today we know that level is higher than it should be, and that is the issue politicians should address.
On Friday, lawyers for Sports Direct went to court to assert their rights to match “some or all” of a third party’s offer to sell Newco merchandise. These rights were acquired under a contract, signed by Newco under Dave King’s regime.
The court issued an interim injunction, stopping any Newco branded merchandise from being sold (including replica strips).
The initial contract Dave King agreed with Sports Direct, allowed the retailer to match whatever offer Newco could get from a third party. Sports Direct are, therefore, entitled to the retail profits from Newco merchandise for a period which has not been confirmed yet. These profits will be significant.
This clause should have been cash neutral for Newco. They simply needed to get a competitive bids from other retailers, then allow Sports Direct to pass or take whatever they wanted – on the same terms.
Now we are in a different space. Any contracts made with other retailers are legally enforceable by the retailer, but impossible for Newco to deliver without satisfying Sports Direct. Or, I suppose, committing Contempt of Court – you know Dave!
I suspect they simply forgot about the Sports Direct contract, which speaks of a competency you and I can scarcely comprehend. Rushing out a blabbering statement about the SPFL chairman on Saturday has to be the most transparent attempt to pull wool over their own supporters’ eye yet.
The worst (best) possible person campaigned to get control of Newco. He chased one of Europe’s richest men away. Each year he re-invents the same old garbage about having everything in place, while the only achievement he manages to record is the compliance of pet journalists and media organisations.
The entire club has reached an utterly brilliant level of dysfunction. You know how this ends.
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CALTONTONGUES on 9TH JULY 2018 1:42 PM
There you have it! Abandon the Church and leave it vulnerable!
KTF
Nothing on BBC Scotland lunchtime news, shameful but not surprising
I blame heated driveways
Who needs a heated driveway in tropical Scotland?
?
Canon Tom has been in my thoughts and prayers since the news started to filter out.
I always get enraged by the (i)moral equivalence argument that one side is as bad as the other. Still more so at a time like this.
I know how baseless this is. As someone who was brought up in the Church of Scotland and chose to follow celtic from childhood, my religion has never led me to fear or danger.
But my assumed religion as a Celtic fan often has.
I hope you can express to Canon Tom the enormous support and love that exists for him here and far beyond.
HH jamesgang
Just Win Every game in Scotland Celtic.
Dinnae take any tickets for bigotdome.
Have another plane saying Hail Hail The Celts are here.
Keep winning and winning. Sicken them.
JAMESGANG on 9TH JULY 2018 1:57 PM
I will certainly pass your support!
KTF
Petition signed and shared. HH
Word of The Day
Minor [mahy-ner]
adjective
1. not serious, important, etc.
2. lesser, as in size, extent, or importance, or being or noting the lesser of two
3. having low rank, status, position, etc.
noun
4. a person or thing that is lesser or secondary
5. a person below the age of legal majority
6. music a minor key, chord, mode, or scale
7. logic a minor term or premise
Word Origin and History for minor
C13: from Latin: less, smaller; related to Old High German minniro smaller, Gothic minniza least, Latin minuere to diminish, Greek meiōn less
KTF
The Battered Bunnet at 1.26
Good point, well made, I’m with you on that one.
In other news LG was at home in Edinburgh on Saturday, for those wondering why he wasn’t in Dublin.
https://chn.ge/2J5fVYz
Petition Bhoys and Ghirls
Petition signed,
________________________________________
? on 9TH JULY 2018 2:04 PM
Word of The day – appropriate word indeed, pass on my regards to Canon White and your fellow parishioners who experienced the attack and abuse, they are in my prayers.
HH
ONEMALLOY on 9TH JULY 2018 2:14 PM
Will do!
KTF
I have signed the petition, but I fear sometimes that these can easily be ignored by the politicians. So I have written to the Secretary for Justice and to my local MSP. I have informed both about the various incidents that all of us, in one way or another, have been subjected to through sectarianism. I further informed the Secretary for Justice, that like himself, I am of another race than Scottish and that I am sure, he more than most, would understand what it is to be subjected to racism because our families were from another nation.
Hi Paul67,
My information on the attack on Canon White may be a wee bit patchy as I live in England – so apologies if I have got something wrong.
Having read about it on my Scots Catholic feed I’m appalled at so many aspects of this incident.
Firstly the fact that someone people’s world view is so twisted and bitter they are prepared to make an unprovoked attack on a Religious Minister, secondly the vile and venomous nature of the verbal and physical attack and thirdly the initial lack of understanding the significance of this hate crime by the authorities.
It points to the entrenched racism in Scottish society. An attack on a Parish Priest and community elder due to his beliefs and convictions is an attack on all of us Scottish Catholics and it is abhorrent to all reasoned individuals.
Now it seems like there’s a bit of sloping soldiers and finger pointing going on, as often occurs after these incidents.
My point would simply be this one, if the Orange Order is correct and it wasn’t one of their members this is confirmation that the Orange walks sparks race hate.
Would any other civilised country in the world allow a march that stirs up race hate to go ahead? No not one.
Only in Scotland. The reason why is the exact same reason as the Police’s initial reaction and a failure to see the gravitas of this situation.
After Stephen Lawrence was murdered in London 25 years ago it was discovered that were many elements to the crime, investigation and aftermath that were intrinsically racial not least institutional racism in the Metropolitan Police.
it led to a radical reappraisal of inherent racist views in England and a huge shake up of the Met Police.
Scotland has to realise they need to stamp out anti-Catholic racism in Scottish institutions and society as whole.
Hiding behind “small minorities” and “sectarianism” isn’t going to cut it. It’s a huge problem, it’s racism and the poison must be eradicated.
My best wishes, thoughts and prayers are with Canon White and his flock.
Hail Hail
If the Sectarian thug had spat on a police officer would it have been classed as a ‘minor incident’?
I guess it would have been, following an exchange of ‘handshakes’ between the two brothers…
I hope the church pursue this to the end.
ERNIE LYNCH -yesterday.
Yes -The Mark Mazower book is a fine read.As is this (-IMO)
Madeleine Albright -Fascism:A Warning
Petition signed and shared!
Also, want to share an experience I had in Scotland some years ago. I applied for a position within a company on the East coast. Technical interview went very well, in fact the manager I would report to welcomed me to the team! Sat down with HR to discuss the usual and then was asked about my high school, as it wasn’t on my CV! Mentioned this (St. Stephen’s in PG) and the HR response was shocking “You’ve no f###### chance working here!”!! He got up and walked out! I sat for a few minutes stunned, then I left. I received a call from the interview manager (an Englishman) about 20mins later. I explained what had happened and his comment was “yeah, I heard that about here! You’re not the first”!
As you can see from the moniker, I no longer live in Scotland; returning only for weddings, funerals and the odd Celtic game! Sad really, as Scotland does have a lot to offer…….just not to a particular Faith and community!
Drone shot
looking good CSC
DRESDENCSC on 9TH JULY 2018 2:36 PM
the old school is emptied now and ready for demolishing, a perfectly adequate football pitch lies abandoned. its being rezoned now for housing.
What I’m wondering is what the heck were Chelsea fans doing at the Barras … ?
Regarding the PMcG article I fear the PS caller is trying to build a defence case to keep the charge as plain / non-description as possible.
Try to keep it at common assault as the priest did not retreat to safety as he could have and therefore all the elements of the second half of the incident are then down to him.
Please remember we have had the NL incident at Tyncastle.
And we have had the bomb making case where his uselessness was used as a defence to reduce the charge.
There is an element in all of this that knows what it is doing.
Just like the transfer of the assault case to the Dutch police.
As everyone knows they are far too busy with tulip thefts to worry about attempted murder.
just signed the petition, god bless canon tom white.
Less flippantly, I dearly hope someone close to this incident had the nouse to get their phone out and record what happened …
Over 15,000 people have signed the petition thus far. How many signatures are required before the Scots Government take an interest (if any)?
From the first word to the last, today’s blog pretty much sums up the State of Scotland in 2018.
Unfortunately I have sad news for most of you: it’s not going to change.
Unless you live in a constituency where the MP/MSP requires the votes of a Catholic/Irish diaspora, no other politician will take a stand against the OO or the Peepul.
Sign petitions until your hand falls off. I hope it makes you feel better, but it will make no difference.
Scottish politicians (of all parties) will portray an image of this country as a quaint, open and welcoming place. Of lochs, glens, tartan and fictitious monsters. In truth it is a backward, parochial little place with little relevance in the modern world.
As with most things, the only way to change things is to hit them where hurts: the pocket. This story and Scotland’s real culture has to known to a wider audience. It has to be commented on in France, Germany, the US, China.
Nothing will change until our politicians hear folks from overseas saying ‘yeah the scenery is lovely, but are’nt a lot of the people narrow minded racists?’
Brexit breaks my heart, but to think many who are up in arms about this support the SNP completely defies belief.
Petition signed HH
COATBRIDGE……………if they are made welcome there with open arms………..yet in ABERDEEN………..they were run of town….told never to return…….shurely not a vote catching thing…..more of a head scratcher thing ???????? something not right !!!!!!!!!
I had to break the news to my Dad about Canon Tom this morning. My Dad and Tom’s late grandfather Allan attended Celtic matches home and away together for the best part of 40 years. All he could do was shake his head and say “Terrible, terrible. These people are the lowest of the low. They bring shame on Glasgow”.
If you’re reading this, Thomas, Phil sends you his prayers and good wishes.
The only way the SNP will ever win my acceptance, let alone my trust, is to make the first item of business their preparedness to tackle sectarian hatred face on and own Scotland’s Shame. Law (or its lack of implementation by Police Scotland) must be enforced.
Imo, they have shown no true interest in this. Fear? Lack of interest? I am not interested in hearing mere words from them. Action, as they say, speaks louder than words.
North Cyprus (Baku no more) Bhoy @ 1:31 pm,
Well, I hadn’t read Phil Mac’s piece before I posted.
This is exactly what I mean by institutional racism.
Couldn’t Rosa Parks just got up and went to sit in the back of the bus?
They don’t get the point as they’re racist – they might quite not share the level of hate but they certainly understand the motivation and mindset of the assailants. They fail to understand the nature of this hate crime as they can’t empathise with he assailant and not the victim.
Now I’m not in anyway shape or form suggesting that that Canon White, should’ve or was trying to “stand his ground”.
The whole point is irrelevant…
There seems nothing different to me that the Parish Priest did that thousands of Priests the length and breadth of the country do after mass.
The Parish Priest was just “being”, if that “being” enrages an unreasonable hate filled response in some people it doesn’t fall incumbent on him into “being” less.
Hail Hail
Dumbstruck
https://en-gb.facebook.com/Cloughfern-junior-williamites-Jlol58-1582612172068653/
apologies – can empathise with the assailant and not the victim.
GM
You may be right and probably are – however we sit on here and criticise Celtic board for their inaction over the dead club – well it might only be a petition but it’s a start.
Would be easy for me living in England to suggest other actions but I’m not there to carry them out. All I can do is spread the news of the incident down here and offer prayers.
In a day when you do despair of the pervading mindset in Scotland the news that the buffoon B Johnson has resigned cheered me up.
Not because he is a Tory or favours Brexit but because he is a buffoon who should be no where near Government.
Auldheid- Baw Jaws might be next PM, obviously a move from him and Davis to get her out, that lickspittle Gove will be lurking as well…HH
THE BLOGGER FORMERLY KNOWN AS GM on 9TH JULY 2018 3:26 PM
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I agree with what you say. Remember when the news that Artur Boruc was facing prosecution for making the sign of the cross reached beyond these shores. Scotland looked like a complete backwater of intolerance and the upshot was that the authorities could no longer deem this simple religious gesture as an offence punishable by law. The Scottish Government may have to change their tune if some European countries start asking them why they permit such a level of anti-Catholic intolerance to take to the streets every year.