Today our parliament will go through the motions of debating how to criminalise football fans in innovative new ways, not related to prejudice, with the outcome preordained; the Bill will become law. The lines have been drawn on this debate and the country is set for a long and messy campaign.
The various calls for clarification are unlikely to be satisfied as consistency on this subject will be impossible to find. At Celtic, direct or indirect references to the IRA, already deemed unacceptable by the club, manager and most of the support, are likely to lead to prosecution. I would like to see political references removed from football but not at the cost of random criminalisation. It remains to be seen how successful attempts to prosecute fans for transgressing on this subject before the law has been passed will be.
Singing Flower of Scotland will (correctly) never be criminalised but you can expect charges to be brought for expressing similar sentiment. Legally, this sounds like a reach by the SNP government, but it’s likely to be a few young football fans who carry the responsibility of establishing how the judiciary view this matter.
While Celtic will never condone IRA chanting (or, apparently, try to mitigate it as inconsequential, as others did before them with illegal and prejudicial chanting) they have a responsibility to ensure positive parts of our Irish tradition, including the national anthem, the flag and other symbols of the club’s rich and diverse culture are defended.
Football is going to get messy in the months ahead as positions are so entrenched in ‘the songs debate’ there is simply no possibility of agreement. While it may only be a small minority who want to continue political chanting at Celtic, they remain Celtic fans and as entitled to establish their rights as anyone else, including Neil Lennon or Jock Stein. All we can do, as a club and support, is look for common ground amid the turmoil that lies ahead.
Today is your last chance to buy Paul Larkin’s new book, Wim’s Tims-The best thing to hit Scottish football in 10 years, with a 25% discount. Enter code: COUNTDOWN to qualify.
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Estadio this is a fair collection you have up here in your loft – send us up a cup of tea if poss ta.
Re David Villa
Was it an accident or was he “done”?
Hate to hear of any footballer getting serious injuries , but for some they come back stronger , it seems to give them an inner strength ala Henrik.
Oh!!!
My PC has had a shockwave crash
whit the bejesus is that?
Ohits
When do you reach Glasgow?
Philbhoy
The report I read said he was chasing a long ball with two defenders in close attendance, but that it was accidental and largely down to something that he did himself rather than any contact with the Qatari players.
rodow et al. “Prile” or any other spelling, is itself a contraction of Pair Royal which denotes 3 cards of the same denomination.
Kittoch
You using Chrome? Happening regularly for the last couple of days.
Hail Hail
Estadio
maxibhoy,
Mrs Token and I stayed in a very nice hotel couple mins walk from the circus maximus – bout another 5 mins beyond to the Colosseum. Just across the Tiber is Trastevere with loads of nice restaurants too.
Situated on a main road, but sound-proofed windows means you wouldnt know it.
Additionally bus stop is practically right outside the hotel entrance and they are regular, cheap and take you to any of the other main tourist areas.
I can recommend this one. Not too cheap, but then nowhere in room is!
have a look and decide yourself:
47 Hotel
Alternatively if you money is no issue and you want class I can recommend here:
Boscolo – Piazza Della Republica
HAIL! HAIL!
Token
Serge
I am home on the 23rd , will be in Glasgow at lunchtime on the 28th.
HH
Does anyone happen to know when Peterhead cup tickets will be available?
79caps. Cheers I’ll have a look at that hotel and have a browse on tripadvisor.
fritzagrandold
Interesting article on Wilson. Doubt we’ll see in action tonight – surely a gamble too far to re-introduce him in Udinese? – but he partnered up well with Majstorovic (although the Ross County game was a bit of a culture shock for him) and Mulgrew.
Still think our defence needs Dan’s experience and organising ability, so if Kelvin is to come back it would be alongside the Swede.
Celtic_First
The pictures on FIFA.com suggest a bit more skullduggery than at first glance. Mind you they are ‘stills’ so it probably was an accident. Hope so.
Hail Hail
Estadio
in room = in Rome!
Ohits
How long are you staying for?
Estadio
Yes on Chrome, seems to have just gone away, seems ok now.
Get the beers in
Udinese 0-4 Celtic
Hail Hail
maxibhoy
http://www.tablethotels.co.uk/Rome-Hotels-Italy/234?ftl=
http://www.parlafood.com/
Rome Hotels
Even
new article posted.
Serge
Will only be an overnighter , going on holiday on the 30th , the misses is panicking in case the weather is like last year.Told her I will be at the game regardless of the travel conditions.
Off oot.
May God Bless ‘Every’ Celtic Fan
Udinese 1-2 Celtic
Kittoch
It will come back! There is a programme exception being triggered by some of the CQN videos.
Don’t know the cause yet but will update you as and when my technical brain kicks in and I find the source of the evil black and white jigsaw face.
Hail hail
Estadio
Paul67 et al
I have stated before that one of the dangers of accepting a guilty verdict from a UEFA committee is that it opens up both the club and the support to accusations of “illicit” behaviour from all and sundry. Am I expected to believe that our reputation as a support was “tarnished” on a night when our players got their boots on, dug deep and defeated Rennes? Our whole reputation? Seems so. And yet the Board, far from insulating the club, has left us with a situation in which, one the supporters are guilty based on the opinion of the Match Commander, and two the club itself is linked by word and deed to the IRA. And that is a far more serious position to be in than to be accused of actually singing the lyrics, as written, of the Celtic Symphony. I hope you all get the point when I say I caught the back page of the Daily Record this morning, (en passant I hope you understand) to be greeted with the headline ‘Last Chants Saloon’. That, from a paper not hoping for a Celtic victory tonight, but praying that the club faces more sanctions from UEFA. That verdict is not going away you know.