The sectarian crime stats they forgot to destroy

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I’ve just caught Joe O’Rourke’s article on the Association site about the long-awaited released of statistics on sectarian crime in Scotland.  Joe suggests that the data from 2003 – 2010 was has been destroyed by the Crown Office.  I also hear that the Scottish Government will release entirely irrelevant ‘information’ today, specifically, where offences took place, not which groups were responsible or which groups were targeted by the offenders.

It takes a lot of effort to make sure you destroy data these days, you need to ensure not only that prosecutors permanently delete backups (which I really doubt they do) but also that the police similarly comply.

Fortunately all is not lost.  While it’s just about believable that regional police forces across Scotland and the Crown Office have acted in symmetry on this issue, I could have helped the First Minister, Alex Salmond’s, search for clarity by pointing him in the direction of British Transport Police (BTP).  The Transport Police are a separate force who operate across Britain and are run by the Home Office in London.  They are also a lot less proficient at destroying data.

They previously gave me detailed statistics on all incidents they record in connection with Scottish football for season 2007-08.  One of the most pleasing aspects of the information is the complete eradication of sectarian offences from all but one Scottish club, so the First Minister will be delighted to learn he has a smaller problem on his hands than he perhaps knew.  According to BTP, 11 arrests were made for sectarian offences in total, 10 Rangers fans and one Northern Ireland fan.

You can see the detail figures for all recorded incidents here (the majority of which are for non-sectarian issues).  From a total of 99 incidents (not all of which resulted in arrest), there were six involving Celtic fans, six for Dundee United, seven for Motherwell, four for Hibernian and five each for Aberdeen and Hearts.  Rangers fans were involved in a total of 48 incidents.

The BPT figures also make it clear that most incidents occur when fans travel to away venues.  The Force also confirmed that incidents surrounding the 2008 Uefa Cup final in Manchester were not included in these statistics.

To further aid Mr Salmond in his search for clarity on this issue, he can contact British Transport Police with a Freedom of Information request here, where they will be able to provide him (or you) with up to date stats.

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  1. Sir Paul

     

     

    See Whit Ah Mean?

     

     

    This Ba’ that ye hiv Set Arolling..

     

     

    Wull Scatter the Establishments Skittles..

     

     

    Like.. well.. Nine Pins!

     

     

    Who knows where it wull end…???

     

     

    Pity ye couldna take oot a Full Page Ad.. in wan o the Newsies..

     

     

    And Ask awe these Questions.. right oot there in the Public Eye.

     

     

    Kojo.

  2. Imatim and so is Neil Lennon says:

     

    18 November, 2011 at 16:14

     

     

    Absolutely correct

     

    the non Catholic Hoops wearing individual obviously offended the easily offended by his provocative wearing of the hooped attire,

     

    thatll teach him to be offensively wearing anything

  3. Right , we shuold all by now have had our fill of reading the papers from the front to the back, if we still pick them up at all. I was using the analogy to illiustrate that tomorrow , the fitba`s back! Well the SPL anyway,and for our sins that is where we play.

     

    Am I reading right that we have lost Rogne , Cha, Mulgrew for tomorrow, ( Loovens absence doesn`t really matter) ? We also have another Uncle Tim in charge tomorrrow also, It `s going to be a day for stout hearts and big baws tomorrow lunchtime.

     

    I predict we will do allright and win 3-1…there we go,easy.

  4. blantyretim says:

     

    18 November, 2011 at 16:18

     

     

     

    I’ll maybe pop in on way to bookies .

     

    You off work?

  5. After the “game of shame” as the press have dubbed it, there were 16 arrests at Celtic Park relating to the stats published today. We know from Celtic after the game that 3 were Celtic supporters so the other 13 were Rangers supporters. Assuming (and its a big assumption) that these were the only Rangers supporters arrested at Celtic Park all season then out of 24,000 Rangers supporters at Celtic Park (8,000 per game, if wrong please correct me) then that equates to 1 for every 1846 Rangers supporter getting arrested at CP.

     

     

    Compare with the stats showing 1 out of every 71,000 Celtic supporters was arrested.

     

     

    The defence rests.

     

     

    Mort

  6. The Token Tim says:

     

    18 November, 2011 at 16:19

     

    VP,

     

     

    you see my post earlier re the Predictor?

     

     

    HAIL! HAIL!

     

    Token

     

    ________________________________________

     

     

    I did mate,I don’t care what anyone says,you have my full support.

     

     

    Hail hail

  7. VP

     

     

    no half day,, home alone Mrs and mini away to watch that vampire film rubbish..

     

     

     

    funeral yesterday so delicate today…

  8. Imatim and so is Neil Lennon on

    2010 Never Again

     

     

    Celtic do the business at Inverness and it’s time to get your money on MIB 5 from 3 giving the huns another penalty.

     

     

    That along with a red card or 2 and it will be business as usual for hundom.

  9. blantyretim says:

     

    18 November, 2011 at 16:23

     

     

     

    ‘no half day,, home alone Mrs and mini away to watch that vampire film rubbish..’

     

     

     

    Sounds more like your in a huff.

  10. Up_Over_Goal

     

     

    Too optimistic… The best negative you can get. Probably. I really do see more quality in our squad that is ever likely to actually emerge on the park consistently. However, there’s quality there, and one or two of them will go a lot further in their careers.

  11. The stats from today have to be brought to the public’s

     

    attention.

     

    Celtic should chin any snooze paper or tv news programme who give their

     

    biased view.

     

    Worth spending some of our ticket money on chasing

     

    these lying bassas.

  12. Mort – your magnificent work with the figures fails to take into account the amount of Chelsea supporters pretending to be huns.

  13. Imatim and so is Neil Lennon says:

     

     

    18 November, 2011 at 16:06

     

     

    !!Bada Bing!! says:

     

    18 November, 2011 at 15:56

     

    Morts stats should be handed to Salmond, along with his arse on a plate.

     

    ________________________________________

     

    They don’t make plates that size any more.

  14. blantyretim says:

     

    18 November, 2011 at 16:23

     

     

    Are we supposed to feel sorry for you?cause you got bladdered

     

    yesterday,

     

     

    Here’s a new one try and go to a funeral without having a drink

     

    afterwards………………………………………………..scrap that,

     

    bliddy stupid idea.

  15. Imatim and so is Neil Lennon says:

     

    18 November, 2011 at 16:29

     

    2010 Never Again

     

     

    Question

     

     

    Has the SNP now lost the Catholic vote?

     

     

    —————————————————

     

     

    never had mine….

  16. Imatim and so is Neil Lennon on

    fritzsong says:

     

    18 November, 2011 at 16:28

     

    Imatim and so is Neil Lennon says:

     

     

    18 November, 2011 at 16:06

     

     

    !!Bada Bing!! says:

     

    18 November, 2011 at 15:56

     

    Morts stats should be handed to Salmond, along with his arse on a plate.

     

    ________________________________________

     

    They don’t make plates that size any more.

     

     

    ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

     

     

    2010 Never Again

     

     

    I’m not buying in to this one <:-))

  17. Imatim and so is Neil Lennon on

    2010 Never Again

     

     

    Secondary question

     

     

    Will you try and encourage everyone you know to ditch the SNP at the next election?

  18. voguepunter says:

     

    18 November, 2011 at 16:08

     

    hamiltontim says:

     

    18 November, 2011 at 15:51

     

    Liar1690

     

     

    In modern Scotland you’re 4.5 times more likely to be the victim of sectarianism if you’re a Catholic. Unequivocal and shameful.

     

    _________________________________________________

     

    I feel safer since I turned Jedi .

     

     

    _________________________________________________

     

     

    :) LMFAO

     

     

    HAIL HAIL

  19. VP

     

     

    naw coz I’ll be back in pv at 11.45 tomorrow again…

     

     

    might just need to make do with port, red wine, cider and lager this evening….

  20. A non Catholic wearing the hoops could still be the victim of a sectarian attack. There are those who assume that everyone connected with the club must be a Catholic.

     

     

    Six or seven years back now my car was trashed during a Glasgow derby, presumably because I was seen leaving it wearing a Celtic scarf. The paintwork had all of the usual FTP/ UVF/ UDA stuff carved into it. I made sure it was recorded as a sectarian crime – so even an atheist can be a victim.

  21. kelvinbhoy says:

     

    18 November, 2011 at 16:31

     

     

    How can anyone this handsome ,not be a Tim ?

     

     

    Getagrip

  22. re Michael Kelly

     

     

    I get that he’s an articulate Celtic fan and he’s not the ogre I might once have thought of him as. However, that idea that he should ever represent Celtic in any formal capacity again still appals me. I was young at the time, so maybe the detail is wrong, but in my mind he was a man who put self-interest ahead of Celtic’s best interests and who stood obstinantly in the way of McCann for reasons that simply didn’t make sense.

     

     

    I’m sure there is a new version of events that will be offered, but, I still get a chill when I hear his name.

  23. blantyretim says:

     

    18 November, 2011 at 16:33

     

     

    I admire your………………………….drinks cabinet :O)

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