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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Salmond wants a national police force, so do the police. Much easier to control those pesky gits who don’t look as if they’re going to agree with the government. Local forces are accountable, a national force is not.
Many thousands of Scots come to Lansdowne Rd to cheer on the rugby team every two years.
They are welcomed with open arms and have a ball of a weekend in Ireland and that is as it should be.
At the present time there are more Irish players than ever earning a good living playing their football for SPL clubs and there are two Irish managers of two of two of the highest profile clubs in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Maybe the authorities will succeed in eventually in cleaning the game up in Scotland, but it must be done with an even hand.
Watched the news earlier,and those long suffering Cliftonville fans were provoked by one or two Rankers fans whom play for a club called Coleraine.
Unfortunately some of the Cliftonville fans reacted to the provocation with violence.
If that was our fans,the SNP would close Celtic Park down in a heartbeat.
We need to be careful,and not react to their provocation.That is what they want.They are trying to trap us.
Peace.
Ernie
Never heard it before – thanks
BelfastCityCelt
Indeed, – as the man said maybe they’d just shoot us like soldiers and not hang us like dogs.
Evening guys ,
The Kano Foundation has a ticket for the game on the 28th December
North stand upper
Area 406, Row w, Seat 25
We are going to raffle the ticket £3 per go
if you are interested you can go to our web page http://www.thekanofoundation.com
and hit the donate button
or text kano11 £3 to 70070
If donating online , can you tag your donation -ticket raffle
THANK YOU TO GRA123 FOR DONATING THE TICKET
HH
Sanna
If available would this be our best team ?
FF
Matthews Victor Mulgrew Izzie
ledley kayal
Brown Sammi
Stokes Hooper
(Forrest? had to include brown)
Sabre67 says:
14 December, 2011 at 19:46
I will vote Conservative before I vote SNP
===================================================================================================================I’d vote DUP before I’d vote for the SNP at least you know what you are getting with the DUP – unbridled bigotry as opposed to the SNPs sleekit variety
Evening lads,
youtube are normaly good when deleting offensive material from there sight, or putting a certificates on them i.e. you have to be over 18 to watch.
I cant believe my eyes and ears to see so called ‘offensive’ songs easily viewable from their site.
Someone should go to jail, surely? (especially if their from Scotland)
Evening all
You know that thing about ducks, calm on the surface but paddling away furiously underneath… That has been me for the past few days… Have I missed much (apart, I expect, from some song debating)?
Onywey, my prediction for tomorrow: if we wear the hoops, we’ll win; if we wear a stupid away strip, we won’t.
hamiltontim says:
14 December, 2011 at 19:36
sorry for delay, boss
yes indeed
this weekend…
Saturday 1pm at Murray Park
5-0 today v Dunf in cup at Lennoxtown
play Dons next round away
dunno when
What ever the rights and wrongs about this legislation being passed,at least the problem is being discussed, on both sides, it is out in the open, people know they cross a line, they could be charged, even lose their employment, in short there are consequences.
That to me is good thing.
Get rid of the baggage, both clubs can do without it, it will take time, but this is a different world we live in, let the football do the talking.
Celtic have had a good run in Europe this season despite bedding in so many new players and I must say the games have been entertaining.
We are still there with a slim chance going into the last game against the the current second best team in Italy. Although a lot of the Celtic squad are experienced Internationals they seemed to have revelled playing on the European stage. Although I can’t see a victory on Thursday night, let’s hope we get a good performance. Come on the HOOPS.
A rallying call for the Bhoys against the Scottish Nazi Parties new law. Written by a Scots man so the SNP should approve.
Perhaps a little too OTT but the sentiment is there.
If you strike at, imprison, or kill us, out of our prisons or graves we will still evoke a spirit that will thwart you, and perhaps, raise a force that will destroy you! We defy you! Do your worst!
Jame Connolly
Auldheid
I asked “Maybe you could enlighten me. And what other songs/chants may cause problems for us in the future.”
and you say, “I have no idea what other songs might cause problems in the future but we now know one addon that will.”
So, we are expected to obey a law without having prior knowledge of its specifics?
Why don’t the club spell out what is and what isn’t allowed?
No amount of published song lists will give any guarantee of defence, unless it is one that is endorsed as legit by the Celtic Board.
hamiltontim
here’s some more re the u19s v rfc this weekend
http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/?p=7240&cpage=15#comment-1217553
fanadpatriot says:
14 December, 2011 at 19:35
You were correct about Fianna. It was fantastic meeting you and your family last Saturday night. Thanks for the Guiness, we thought you forgot… Good job Mrs Fanadpatriot was there ;)
Hail Hail
“What ever the rights and wrongs about this legislation being passed,………..
That to me is good thing.”
Ladies and gentlemen, the above quote encapsulates the logical fallacy in all its glory.
Whether it is good or bad, it is good.
I am beginning to revise my views on the merits of universal suffrage.
Oh dear,
TC
Cheers mate think I’ll try and make it on Saturday
Sabre67
Im not interested in arguing about this but
‘A cowardly government passing a cowardly law simply because they failed to take action on the sectarian cancer which has disfigured our country for decades. Not only did they fail to act, the Justice minister openly praised thousands of supporters who had indulged in a full two hours of sectarian hostility at our national stadium. If McAskill did not resign after the Lokerbie fiasco, he should have been sacked after those comments.’
How long were SNP in govt for ?
Just a thought
Stringer Bell @ 16:16
Love that, great line, from a great song, good eye as the baseball fans say, or should I say ear?
Anyway, wee bit about that song. It was co written with an important American playwright, Sam Shepherd. I have the Dylan CD signed by Sam, well gave it to my dad as a gift last year.
When I first came to US I worked in an Irish bar in Kentucky. Sam being a horse mn would ride into town on occasion and stop into the bar during Keeneland or the sales. My first claim to fame over here was he’d come in and ask for me by name. He toured with Dylan during the Rolling thunder days after bob asked him along to write a diary of the tour. Had a few good chats with him, quiet, unassuming man, liked him a lot. Thinks he still knocks around with Jessica Lang.
HH all and keep singing together.
Liar
We are unrepentant, unbowed and undefeated.
Our only baggage is the monkey that is scum fc on our backs.
The people will sing…
As much to blame as the singers of the illicit songs are the composers of lengthy letters to UEFA complaining about the Hun support and their repertoire I dare say that someone has said at UEFA let’s look at them both then
However if firing off letters to UEFA makes the author feel important who am I to question their motives
Oh I’m sorry have I offended you…
The Legend Johnny Doyle.
Logged on yesterday,to say it was a pleasure to meet you and your mate.Nearly got away with it,see these wifes!Hail Hail,Slan
ASonOfDan says:
14 December, 2011 at 16:46
First they came for the communists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me…
———–
Pastor niemoller, yeah? Have the postcard on my fridge.
I can sing many a tune over here in my back garden. Top one for the neighbours this year was The Fenian Record Player. Neighbours thought it cute.
HH
HT
don’t engage with hunfiltrators….
I have read from page one and it pains me that cqn has become a place for them to engage with Celtic supporters..
I am out of here
mickbhoy1888
Was it not one of your bosses that fired of a letter to UEFA, whilst being paid to carry out police duties?
You are an ex or current (sic) polis, are you not?
Adi-Dasler,
Long enough to do three things.
1. Drop Labour’s ant-sectarian initiatives (read Jack McConnell’s views on the SNP abandonment of said initiatives)
2. Drive through an unworkable law which is not aimed at sectarianism
3. Oversee the “deletion” of sectarian crime statistics
There isn’t an argument to be had, so no need for us to have it.
truth4767 says:
14 December, 2011 at 19:58
What ever the rights and wrongs about this legislation being passed,at least the problem is being discussed, on both sides, it is out in the open, people know they cross a line, they could be charged, even lose their employment, in short there are consequences.
It’s a pity that they won’t tell anyone where the line is. In fact, they let police officers decide where the line is. The line will shift to suit. The result will be a criminal record for young people (mostly) who would not come into contact with the criminal justice system otherwise.
Shambolic embarassment for our country.
BT
Point taken mate
Sitting down to two glasses of wine to put me to sleep before tomorrows early departure to Glasow airport. Can’t find this season’s hoops top so will have to use last year’s, no doubt it will be somewhere in Miss Prestonpans room!
Nice of Udinese to put up a tent which is 100% more effort than Hamburg did, wonder why :)
Prestonpans
Enjoy your trip ya lucky sod :)
prestonpans bhoys says:
14 December, 2011 at 20:29
hope you have a great time
what route you taking ?
(1-0 fulham)
I have posted on here before, my view, that the only way out for the hun (is that still legal ?) is to drag the whole scottish game down with them. Otherwise we and others enjoy the fruits of European football whilst they (and hertz by the looks of things) take their medicine, and the return to ‘normality‘ would be years away and hard. Politics has no place in football (the feckin irony)
I had assumed that the board realised that the last desperate act would be to shame the whole scottish game and put it in a ’lets all start again from scratch’ mode.
This is just the beginning.
TITO
fanadpatriot says:
14 December, 2011 at 20:23
Sorry I mist your post. Anytime any Celts are coming to Guildford let me know, you are always welcome here.
JD
did anyone listen to Paul McBride on short bread tonight refer to fans who post on Web sites as Knuckle draggers? Mouth open time- even Chick seemed lost for words. There you are We are Knuckle draggers its officical
Sabre
Agree on 2 & 3
There could have been more done by previous encumbents
before SNP and it will be interesting to see
if this is indeed the downfall, how the Labour
party will change their approach.
Anyway , not in here for an argument
Thanks for your response
The Legend Johnny Doyle says:
14 December, 2011 at 19:32
Their usage, not mine.