It was as though large parts of Scotland’s media, and many Rangers fans, had decided enough was enough after Saturday’s game. Sectarian singing was reported and roundly condemned, although, inexplicably, BBC Sportscene flippantly suggested disagreeable refereeing could be a cause. It was, however, Nil By Mouth from the government on tackling this peculiar fabric of society.
A Scottish government spokesman was unable to even acknowledge Saturday’s events, giving the Sunday Herald a completely neutral comment: “We deplore sectarian or bigoted chanting at any grounds or from any fans in Scotland.”
By his own admission, Alex Salmond is busy “arguing” with HMRC and campaigning to secure Rangers’ unique place in the fabric of Scottish society – despite openly being in breach of Fifa rules which could see Celtic kicked out of the Champions League and Scotland unable to compete in the World Cup qualifiers. It would have cost him nothing to fall in line with everyone else and make it clear this behaviour is not what he is fighting for.
Issues like this are why we need a First Minister, Alex. If you have decided to go Nil By Mouth, you’re betraying the very fabric you should be cultivating. No one wants to live in a Scotland that looks like this.
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218 Comments- Pages:
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jock steins celtic says:
20 February, 2012 at 10:43
has anyone ever experienced ‘other’ fans in our end ?
——————
I remember we took our mate a Hibee into the jungle for a game in the late 80’s – we were pumped by Hibs my mate, Donald who was totally pissed, was jumping up and down. We thought we were going to get in a wee bit of trouble but nothing but a few wise ups and strange looks.
Rangers could win the tax case? They could also win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Craig Whyte could win Businessman Of The Year.
Chick Young could win a Pulitzer Prize.
I could win the Olympics 100m gold medal.
Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon says:
20 February, 2012 at 10:52
……I could win the Olympics 100m gold medal.
I’m rooting for ye Gordon!
jock steins celtic at 10:43
has anyone ever experienced ‘other’ fans in our end ?
Yeah, sat behind 3 or 4 liverpool fans at CP during our run to Seville. Despite being seriously outnumbered they were still shouting and roaring at the Celtic players. Were told to shut up on a couple of occassions but apart from that, they were really just left to their own devices.
That was the night Diouf spat at Celtic fans. We were on opposite end and couldn’t really see what happened but the Liverpool fans roared their appreciation for him at that time, I’m sure they couldn’t see either what he had done.
Mort
TBB
‘corporate cryostorage’
Outstanding!
Separately, TBB, can you explain (in laymans terms) what now happens to Bain’s claim for constructive dismissal: in particular, what are his odds of seeing any of the cash which the courts put into cryostorage some weeks ago … ?
FF
A Falkirk fan went with his in-laws (who sit behind me) to quite a few games at CP, but only one game against Falkirk. It was the 8-0 slaughter in the LC a few years ago. He took it in good part though.
Jock Steins Celtic. I remember back in the early 80’s two Aberdeen fans going into the Jungle, waiting until they got to the very back in the middle of the Jungle and then they pulled their scarves out. To say they received a hot reception was putting it mildly. They were evetaully escorted / rescued by Strathclydes finest and marched round the track before being thrown into their own fans.
kevinlasvegas (10:01), I don’t understand why people keep suggesting that the death of Rangers will put an end to all the bigoted bile that taints Scottish society.
Even if the favoured club of the majority of Scottish bigots ceases to exist, the people who follow it will continue to do so. Their attitudes will not change, and may indeed be magnified by feelings of resentment and betrayal against those who they perceive have allowed their club’s demise.
Glasgow Rangers Football Club PLC (in administration) (and prior to administration) is no more than a mechanism for bringing them together en masse with their ilk. They and their attitudes will still exist, festering within the very fabric of Scottish society, and fom time to time they will out.
Eventually their centrepiece (club) will be resurrected in some guise or other, and they will revert to where they have been for the best part of 140 years. And even if their club did not reappear, they would simply find other outlets for their offensive intolerances, to the detriment of clubs like Hearts, Kilmarnock, Dunfermline and others.
It will take more than the death of a football club to end this particular cancer.
Twists’n’turns (10:09), are you still with her?
Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon says:
20 February, 2012 at 10:52
I could win the Olympics 100m gold medal.
Are you sure, that’s a lot of ale mate.
police being a public body are subject to freedom of information request or have we covered this, is the match report exempt
to answer my own question I forget that segregation is a fairly new thing. my first game against Rangers (in administration) was in the front stand at CP 1980 and it was mixed. also the east terracing was mixed until the early/mid 80s.
LiviBhoy says:
20 February, 2012 at 10:49
I think I must have been 11 or 12 when my uncle took me to Firfill to watch my other uncle play for Albion Rovers and we were in the Thistle end.
My uncle got sent off and AR lost 9-1 in the end. I think it was about 6 or 7 when AR scored. Funnily enough our celebration for the AR goal was not met with any hostility and my uncle spent the rest of the game chatting away to the Thistle fans.
i was in the copeland rd end when petit merde scored in the last min. I didnt even have a ticket i got in after about 10mins or so by handing 20quid to the guy on turnstyle.
Was hard work but as there were no goals i was never suspected.
When mo scored around me when mental but no one seem to notice i didnt celebrate. The guy behind glasses fell off and landed at my feet so i stood on them then handed the pieces back to him before heading off
Paul67
Headline is so good I would have been tempted to have written
Salmond up to his knees in silence ………………..
and nothing else!
VertWolf
Kevin MacKenna Guardian
I remember a lot of huns (about 150-200) in the Celtic end, under the flood-light pylon on the south-west corner. They came to see the huns win the league. The huns scored, they went ape, as is their style, and then they were escorted out. Honestly can’t remember the result or the year, but if memory serves, they won both the game and the league. I was in the Celtic end that day but I was over by the Jungle. 70 something.
Rangers administration: Mass job losses are not inevitable – McCoist
By TRISTAN STEWART-ROBERTSON The Scotsman
Published on Monday 20 February 2012 00:00
RANGERS manager Ally McCoist remains hopeful job losses will be kept to a minimum as the club’s administrators continue to carry out a review of staff.
Joint administrators Paul Clark and David Whitehouse did not make any immediate cuts after their company Duff and Phelps took control of the Scottish champions on Tuesday.
McCoist has so far been able to retain all the players at his disposal, players that were unable to avoid a 1-0 defeat to Kilmarnock in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League on Saturday.
And the Rangers boss hopes his personnel will not be too drastically affected by the club’s precarious financial situation as dialogue remains ongoing with the administrators.
McCoist said: “One of the things the administrators have said is that cuts, people losing their jobs, isn’t inevitable.
“They have said it’s a possibility but it’s not inevitable. That in itself I would find encouraging.
“That’s not to say that it won’t happen but I think it gives everybody hope. In the grand scheme of things that is one of, if not the, most important things.”
Reports yesterday that the club could be given many years to repay its tax bill were dealt a blow last night as sources said such a deal could not be reached.
Experts told The Scotsman such a deal would be impossible while an ongoing tax tribunal has yet to rule on what the final bill might be.
HMRC took legal action at the Court of Session in Edinburgh over an alleged £9 million in unpaid PAYE and VAT.
Rangers could also face a £49m tax bill once the tax tribunal decision is made. Club chairman Craig Whyte has warned the liability could be as high as £75m.
Only once the tribunal reaches a ruling could a repayment scheme be worked out.
Meanwhile, politicians have called for Rangers’ current and former owners to face a parliamentary scrutiny.
Allegations of fraud have been submitted to Strathclyde Police and the Scottish Football Association have launched their own investigations.
Now Brian Donohoe, Labour MP for Central Ayrshire and secretary of the Westminster Rangers Supporters Club, wants the Treasury Select Committee to question Mr Whyte and potentially his predecessor, Sir David Murray.
He also wanted the inquiry broadened out to include other teams, several English football clubs facing tax investigations.
Mr Donohoe said: “There has to be some form of parliamentary inquiry into football finances. A number of clubs appear to have used tax avoidance devices.
“In the case of Rangers, there’s a tremendous amount that went on before Craig Whyte bought the club that nobody knows about. On that basis any inquiry needs to look into both Sir David Murray and Craig Whyte’s running of it.”
Tory MP Pauline Latham agreed: “I strongly believe that once the investigations are completed by HMRC into football clubs and their use of Employee Benefit Trusts this is definitely an issue that needs to be looked at by a Select Committee.”
And Labour MSP Graeme Pearson said: “The people who pay their money at the turnstiles need to know exactly what happened to it. Football needs to get its house in order.”
Celtic went 17 points clear of Rangers yesterday with a 5-0 win against Hibernian at Easter Road, capping a disastrous week for the Ibrox side’s supporters.
There was little sympathy from Celtic fans as they unfurled a banner depicting their strip with the sponsor HMRC.
Mr Clark said on Saturday the administrators had received information related to money and transactions related to Rangers and expected to provide further details in the coming week. They described the failure to hand over £9 million in PAYE and VAT to the taxman as potentially illegal.
“The simplest way of looking at it is that these taxes would ordinarily be paid one month after the deductions. It’s more complex than that. But some of these taxes go back many, many months,” Mr Clark said.
“We have received some information overnight in relation to various monies and various transactions in relation to Rangers FC. We’re going to be looking at all of that information over the coming days and we expect to give some form of announcement during the course of next week.
“We have been receiving information from many channels, but we have received some information overnight from solicitors who have previously been connected with the football club.
“It’s in relation to several transactions in relation to the takeover and other issues in relation to the financial affairs of the club over the past few months.
“We remain confident there will be a successful outcome for the football club. Exactly what shape that will take remains uncertain.”
Ibrox witnessed its biggest crowd of the season on Saturday as 50,268 fans flocked to the match to demonstrate their backing for the manager and players. A seat was left empty for Mr Whyte but fans made it clear they wanted him to stay away.
McCoist said of the fans: “The support was unbelievable. I was sitting upstairs in the office at 1.30pm and the noise outside was incredible.
“The fans were everything we expected them to be. I’m just gutted we couldn’t get them the win.
St Martin’s Bhoy, kitalba,
I’m in training, but people keep telling me about some guy called Bolt. Sounds a bit made up to me – wonder if he is any good?
KJamBhoy says:
20 February, 2012 at 11:00
I guess you are more likely to get accepted when your team is getting hammered. I think they should bring back the mixed sections for families. There must be families out there with kids who support different teams. It would also be nice for two mates to go to the game with their kids in the same section. They want to do something to fix atmospehere’s and entice people back? This would be a start.
LB
Jock Steins Celtic 10.43
Yes.
Celtic v Manu
When McDonald scored ,and we ended up drawing 1-1.
I was in the business class section.A couple of Man U fans were actually removed because a fight was about to ensue because of heated exchanges between the fans.
Celtic fans had the stewards evict them.
TT
Folly Folly
Technically, Bain becomes a ‘Preferred Creditor’ if he wins his court case. That puts him into the same group as the employees, but after the Secured creds.
Unfortunately, given timing and cash, he’s kippered. My understanding is that the Adminstrator can ask the Courts to release the arrested funds meantime. By the time Bain gets a judgement, it’ll be gone.
That said, the Adminstrators will need to decide here and now if they are prepared to continue to legal incur fees in defending the action. My guess is not as it adds no value to their function. Bain’s people should be hitting the Court shortly to push Rangers on this.
In any event, as I say, there won’t be very much leftover for poor Martin. Even if he wins the case, at best he’s looking at a pennies in the pound return on the judgment, which on balance, won’t pay the Counsel fees he’s run up so far.
Another cooked goose.
Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon says:
20 February, 2012 at 11:04
St Martin’s Bhoy, kitalba,
I’m in training, but people keep telling me about some guy called Bolt. Sounds a bit made up to me – wonder if he is any good?
…………….
Didier could take him
What is the Stars says:
20 February, 2012 at 10:11.
I’d just like to echo your point about Pat Fenlon. How on earth can we move forward or expect others to move forward when people who have the courage to cross the divide are called huns by their own?
Hunnish attitudes prevail on both sides it seems.
jock steins celtic says:
20 February, 2012 at 10:43
has anyone ever experienced ‘other’ fans in our end ?
At the time of the Soooones revolution,Glasgow derby ,Celtic end,about 15-20 huns all standing together
just in front us ,they had no colours on but they were ugly.
before the fight ensued ,we noticed one them was a friend of ours,we shouted Ally “come over here”
why ? says he “cause that lot are going to get done in”
Don’t remember a fight as such ,but they all scarpered very quickly.
St Martin De Porres says:
20 February, 2012 at 11:03
Noo that wiz funny
Hector-MurdochauldandHay
Bunch of hurting huns hacks.
It’s my party and I’ll gloat if I want to!
:-)
HH
My first old firm game was at parkhead 85 finished 1-1. My father took me along with his 2 future son in laws at the time of which one is a hun. We were sat in main stand and when rangers scored my brother in law jumped up to celebrate but cant recall any issue or anyone shouting at him.
Thanks, TBB.
Theoretically, therefore, Bain could have a million reasons to seek recompense by other means (e.g. as a paid ‘source’ or advisor for media chums) …
FF
twists n turns says:
20 February, 2012 at 10:34
Livibhoy
again, very interesting read.
——————–
back in the 70’s and 80’s my Uncle Dunky would take us into the away end at nearly every ground as a “quick way to get in” and then we would walk round to closest to the celtic end as we could get. Often you would quickly find many other tims doing the same. In the days before fixed segregation , this often led to scuffles. And like your dad and uncles, mines wouldnt back down to anyone.
I had several scary meomories of things getting out of hand , and in them days of carry outs and bottles, and allround mentalness it wasnt nice.
Famously , at Easter Road, we entered at the Hibs end of the big terrace and waled over to the end. This was the day we got beat 4-1, Conroy getting a severe kick to the stomach by the goalkeeper, and all hell breaking loose on the big terrace.
I think Dunky might have been a wee bit of a starter for the riot.
them were the days.
A thread on a Rangers site has quite a number of fans saying that any Catholics (and muslims) employed by Rangers should be the first to be made redundant if there have to be job losses.
And still there are Celtic fans who want these bigoted people to survive.
Mort
So no party at Ibrox then?
Chris McLaughlin @BBCchrismclaug
Police tell me they will seek a fixture meeting with #SPL if #Celtic remain on course to lift title at Ibrox. #Rangers
Mort
Kitalba.
The night we beat Rangers 4-2 in 1979 to win the league.
Rangers had a small section in The jungle.
Only a splattering of fans next to the Rangers end.
Divided by a no mans land,and heavily guarded by the police.
I sneaked past a copper to stand at the back of them because i could get a clear view of the match.
Near the end of the first half Roy Aitken crashed a header against the bar,with The Darnel winning 0-1.
I will never forget the noise they made singing No Pope of Rome during half-time.
It was vomit inducing.
Because of it we forced our way back through the jungle and stood ant the very front of the Celtic end.
That was the most packed that i have ever seen the Celtic end and Jungle,including the Dundee match in our centenary season.
53,000 ma bahookey.
TT
Does anyone remember in the 90’s that Rangers fans used to brazenly sit in home ends up and down the country with their colours on and nothing was done?
There were some grounds they couldn’t do it at but most of them they did. I remember sitting watching Sportscene or Scotsport and saying to my dad. Does that guy have a Rangers scarf on? Looked like he did. Anyone else remember this?
LB
LiviBhoy says:
20 February, 2012 at 11:04
Yes getting gubbed certainly helps increase the amount good will you receive, especially when my uncle explained we were here to see my other uncle, the sweeper sent off on 32mins!
Mixed families areas is an interesting concept. In my opinion would be more realistic with the demise of Rangers. If it does happen the football authorities in Scotland have the opportunity to really shake things up, if they are brave enough to do so. Unfortunately I think they are more concerned with the status quo and keeping our toxic dying game chundering along.
Mort says: 20 February, 2012 at 11:13
A thread on a Rangers site has quite a number of fans saying that any Catholics (and muslims) employed by Rangers should be the first to be made redundant if there have to be job losses.
And still there are Celtic fans who want these bigoted people to survive.
This sums up perfectly the mentality of so many of their fans. The sooner liquidation hits the better.
Mort says:
20 February, 2012 at 11:13
Ethnic cleansing…what lovely people they truely are!!
I wont name the company but a very reputable services company in scotland that my mate works for once went thru a similar program of cleansing a few years during MON first season because they felt there were too many catholics getting employed. The feeling at the time was its fine to employee catholics when were are on top so we can look down on them, ridicule and kick them. “We were almost tolerated because we were crap” was my mates actual phrase
He left the company soon after as did several others forced or otherwise
true story
Mort,
No surprise, there will be shenanigans to shuffle the fixture list, we will not be allowed to go their to win it, no way! I had a discussion with a mate on the way home yesterday, the potential for major disorder is their big time.
They simply cant take it……..
It would surprise me if we dont get an away allocation or a vastly reduced one.
gebhoy
Och! Lighten up Bhoys and Ghirls.
It was only the legendary small minority whose conduct appalled the vastly greater decent element of the SCOTTISH INSTITUTION’s suppoerters.
KJamBhoy says:
20 February, 2012 at 11:18
It may not work for certain games but it would increase kids understanding of other supporters and the parents would be responsible for educating their kids in getting behind their team rather than hating the opposition. These are proposals that all clubs should look at. It would mean that football teams could attend a match and bring a whole load of boys who could support both teams. Some kids may not have a parent who likes football or who can afford the journey to games. A home match maybe where ever they live. How do they get tickets? It’s hard as it is at the moment. Mixed family sections would fix this. It should be top of the SFA’s plans.
LB