I’m not taking the SPFL- face recognition plan too seriously but that’s not to say the politics behind the suggestion should be ignored. Scottish football has no hooligan problems, compared England or the Continent our game is orderly and sedate. Until recent years there was no such thing as a flare problem, and offensive signing was a thing of the past.
All that changed when the SNP government got involved in 2011. Two managers shouted at each other after a game, three Rangers players were ordered off, and First Minister, Alex Salmond decided a summit was necessary to reign in the game’s wilder elements. What utter tosh.
Three weeks later, Justice Minister, Kenny MacAskill congratulated fans on creating a great atmosphere at the League Cup Final, which was notable for the re-emergence of the previously eradicated Billy Boys song. At an instant MacAskill rebased what was acceptable behaviour at Scottish football.
Since then the game has been trying to put the genie back in the bottle. The arguments were rehearsed in the CQN comments pages and elsewhere, “They are congratulated by the Government for singing The Billy Boys and we can’t sing about nationalist politics”, or words to that effect. Songs which had disappeared from the Celtic support lexicon were soon back and remain. Incalculable damage done by two incompetent clowns.
Since then the Scottish Government and a very small number (very small indeed) of senior officers at Police Scotland decided to subject football fans to the kind of surveillance that would make a military junta of a banana republic blush.
It’s a mess. Officers on the ground readily complain in private, all other political parties pledge to repeal the Offensive Behaviour’ Act, while sheriffs line up to mock cases arising from the Act. Football has been left to pick up the pieces left from a Scottish Government created problem. The Government refuse to accept any liability, will not repeal the Act and having celebrated a new, low, standard for spectator behaviour, seem quite happy with the situation.
Scottish football was doing very well before the Government decided to rebase what is acceptable behaviour. No football authority will succeed in any endeavour if the government is working against it. What the SPFL did was make a clear, if clumsy, attempt to return the problem to sender – the newly disinterested in football Scottish Government.
When one becomes six
I’ve scoured the internet today but cannot see any complaints about Celtic’s alleged “one up front” tactics. This season hasn’t gone to plan, but we’re making an incredible number of chances and scoring a remarkable number of goals.
One up front leaves space for, what is in effect, two wingers on each flank, and an attacking mid able to work inside the box.
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Sips
Just me being me ;-)
Oldtim has convinced me it’s time for a wee drink as we didn’t get much to drink in 2nd Jan
Usual place and suspects after 4 Friday
And as usual open to all
Another wee bump
Minx 1.25
https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/e15fhf/tw/b5Qs69
twittered that :-)
Excellent news
HH
£2 million to gather evidence we already have? No thanks. Let’s invest in 5 stewards with iPhones who can record known troublemakers and gie the rest of the 99.999% normal supporters a break
AN TEARMANN,
Cheers for the link to the goals, first I’ve seen them all. HH
Celtic should refuse to sell/handle tickets for away games – if the home team decide to sell to travelling fans, then Celtic cannot be held responsible.
I know that this course of action will be seen as unfair on the majority of the law-abiding travelling support, however short of this what else can be done?
These idiots, who carry flares/smoke bombs to matches, know that as soon as they throw them, the Celtic name is all too willingly ‘dragged through the mud’
Where do these flares come from? – who sells them?- how much do they cost?
Why is the supply side not being clamped down on? – surely they are not being purchased over the internet and being delivered through the post, or, by couriers.
QUONNO on 20TH JANUARY 2016 3:43 PM
‘Nowhere in it do I defend Salmond, McAskill or the SNP. I simply state, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, they simply act under the circumstances as any politician would have done.’
####
The SNP are more intolerant, more centralist and more authoritarian than any other political party in Scotland.
That description applies not only to their external policies but also to the way they run their party, where no dissent is allowed.
That they acted as they did in this matter was entirely in character for them.
No other political party would have enacted this legislation.
https://youtu.be/DgBEt6YNR18
Worth watching
TBJ…
Back in the days, probably some posters on here might remember :) there used to be spikes protruding from the walls so you couldn’t sit back.
If the wee hatchet in there now had his way, they would be reintroduced.
TBJ @ 3 40.
Italian law requires that anybody wishing to attend a Serie A / Serie B / Lega Pro games has to be in possession of a ‘Supporters Card ‘. – name / address / d.o.b, photo and team supported.
Being Italy – many supporters simply ignore to ignore the law and many clubs simply choose not to enforce the law.It is also easy to buy a high quality counterfeit card..Just like driving licences !
BT
The all seeing 3rd eye? Think you need to check your flies!
Pretty anodyne article Paul. I am confident we would not have this ACT, if Dermot Desmond/Peter Lawwell had told Salmond, ‘we aint turning up at any summit, we don’t have a problem.’ However, the late Paul McBride WAS for the OB ACT. I truly believe Paul had been ‘tapped’ up by the SNP and promised the position of Lord Advocate and a safe seat as an SNP candidate. Quid Pro Quo. Celtic self-harmed by attending that summit.
tonydonnelly67 on 20th January 2016 2:23 pm – See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/return-to-snp-sender-when-one-becomes-six/comment-page-3/#comments
who and what is an arse whisperer, serious question
I don’t think anyone would have an issue, if the police had actually done their job at Stranraer,i.e go in to the crowd and lift the bawbags with the flares/smoke bombs? Is that not what they are supposed to do ?
Sipsini@ 4.05.
Student me once spent 4 months on a Ford Dagenham nightshift assembly line..A coloured disc on your boilersuit indicated when you were allowed to use the toilet.If nature called outwith the relevant time period you simply used a passing car .Cars marked as being destined for UK plod were very popular.
Knowing what we know now about Stephen House I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the one that was really behind the push for the OBFA or similar. That’s not to create an excuse for SG, they should have been stronger and they certainly shouldn’t be rejecting calls for it to be removed but I’ve always felt the whole genesis of it was a little odd.
I wonder what wee Fergus would have told Salmond,if he was asked to go to a summit?
AULD_BERTIE
Spot on !!!
HH
South Of Tunis…
:))) it’s all going back that way , I feel for the young of today.
If they had cameras focussing on me years ago, I’d have a criminal record that would have been a barrier to most jobs I’ve had.
I wasn’t bad but nieve and stupid at times, like some of our youth of today.
From all divides.
Ljuban Crepulja is in Glasgow for talks with Scottish champions Celtic, according to the Croatian midfielder’s club.
eddieinkirkmichael
I thought it meant a `fart`. I have never heard anyone else use the expression.
JJ
ernie lynch on 20th January 2016 4:01 pm
I would suggest that we are both expressing divergent matters of opinion.
As for Labour or anyone else repealing the Act, we can only wait and see.
My own view is at best, it will be cosmetically amended.
I have absolutely no idea of SNP internal discipline. However, perhaps at a Scottish level, Labour would not be in its current mess if it had some discipline.
So it was Stephen House’s fault – the SNP cult will not take any responsibility – wonder why they are not blaming the English/Westminster/Labour/Tories, or even Trump.
I was going to write “do they think our heads button-up the back” , however it appears now that a million voters have exactly that affliction.
Their 500k long-standing Tartan Tory hard-core would vote and support anything wrapped in a Saltire, even bankruptcy, but just what in God’s name do the ‘new converts’ think they are getting, or, will ever get, from a bunch of one-issue zealots, who have never done anything for the working class, or our ‘kind’, in their ‘puff’.
SOUTH OF TUNIS on 20TH JANUARY 2016 4:15 PM
Sipsini@ 4.05.
Student me once spent 4 months on a Ford Dagenham nightshift assembly line..A coloured disc on your boilersuit indicated when you were allowed to use the toilet.If nature called outwith the relevant time period you simply used a passing car .Cars marked as being destined for UK plod were very popular.
Ford must have moved on a bit at that time.
Knew an old guy who claimed that when he worked for them in Detroit in the 1930s, they supplied rubber bags for peeing in.
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/return-to-snp-sender-when-one-becomes-six/comment-page-5/#comment-2758159
FRED QUIMBY on 20TH JANUARY 2016 4:34 PM
So it was Stephen House’s fault – the SNP cult will not take any responsibility – wonder why they are not blaming the English/Westminster/Labour/Tories, or even Trump.
Fred, as know one else seems able to, can you name any politician, of any party, who would have acted differently in the post McCoist/ennon media storm?
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/return-to-snp-sender-when-one-becomes-six/comment-page-5/#comment-2758161
12 goals in the last two matches, if Celtic keep playing like this Scott Brown may find it hard to get back in the team.
Fred Quimby on 20th January 2016 4:34 pm
Quick question before I filter you out.
What’s your understanding of the following:
“That’s not to create an excuse for SG, they should have been stronger and they certainly shouldn’t be rejecting calls for it to be removed”
My understanding is that is states that any suggestion that House was heavily involved is not an excuse for the SNP, if it was the case he was forcing the issue, they should have stood up to him (if they wanted to, they may not have). They should not be rejecting calls for it to be removed.
I summarise – the SNP are in the wrong regardless of the circumstances.
Are you reading it differently?
EDDIEINKIRKMICHAEL on 20TH JANUARY 2016 4:11 PM
McCoist.
Hmmmmmmm
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/celtic/croatian-midfielder-ljuban-crepulja-in-glasgow-for-celtic-talks-1-4006615
minx1888 praying to Wee Oscar.
I tried to post a comment on the site you posted but I don’t do Facebook. (Daughter barred me)
Is the sketch that is shown going to be along the lines of the memorial?
Nice if it was, all my past family made the journey, only to be browbeating by a secular establishment.
We rised above it and continue to exalt.
Are you from the drum Fanendoooooooo
http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/01/20/clint-dempsey-looks-forward-jordan-morris-link-celtic-eye-fanendo-adi-new-revs-dp
TONYDONNELLY67 on 20TH JANUARY 2016 4:48 PM
Are you from the drum Fanendoooooooo
Fanendo Adi ?
If we signed this guy I would worry about how our supporters might shorten his first name:))
laughing here at feral capitilisty/socialisty/unionisty types calling a party the majority of scots(not me btw)
a cult!
disingeneous and shows true lack of introspection into how all parties nibbled at our human rights.
The way i look at it football fans all over are gettin grief as its the last big mass movement of people on a regular basis, and as Iraq proved,on a political level even that meant nothing.
These laws combined with terrorism laws impair our freedom in the years to come with all party support.
fight it.
have a good night Celts,
have a wee listen to that Radio scotland prog i posted earlier
HH
Hope we don’t sign him.
The thought of the green brigade singing “can you hear the drum fennando” is more than I can bear.
Forget Stephen House – the OBA was dreamed up and forced through by the SNP and ONLY the SNP, just like Megrahi – to think otherwise is to be either an apologist and/or deluded – nothing worse than an SNP deluded apologist.
QUONNO on 20TH JANUARY 2016 4:32 PM
Every SNP MSP voted in favour of the Bill.
Every other MSP voted against the Bill.
I think most sane people would be inclined to believe that the legislation would be repealed if the SNP weren’t in power.
Served my time in British leylands albion motors plant in Scotstoun
Tradition was we all jumped the yellow sub to yoker at lunch time on a Friday for a swally
Folklore in the company was that tradition existed in all of their car plants too. It was said that most defective morris and Austin cars were assembled on Fridays
I personally witnessed some shocking ” engineering practices “
Great performance last night.
Hamilton may not be best in the league. We have often struggled against lower teams at home on a wet cold night.
AN TEARMANN on 20TH JANUARY 2016 4:55 PM
laughing here at feral capitilisty/socialisty/unionisty types calling a party the majority of scots(not me btw)
a cult!
####
The fact that not one single SNP elected politician or official has breathed a word of criticism of the legislation suggests the SNP are more like a cult than a political party.