You will note the most right-winged, left-wing government in history was yesterday resisting attempts to repeal the Offensive Behaviour Act. The Act was sheer populist electioneering by Alex Salmond, who decided after watching several Rangers players dismissed at the end of a game at Celtic Park that something should be done about the 60,000 spectators who attended the game, and its aftermath, left the stadium in an orderly manner.
Football was well covered by policing and the existing legal framework, but Christine Graham MSP hoped to “equalise” non-criminal behaviour at football, specifically by Celtic fans, with criminal behaviour. It was the most uber-right-winged, thought-police, actual-police-backed policy on these shores in decades. Political capital was poured into policing this law, as was significant financial capital.
All other political parties in the Scottish Parliament oppose the Act, due to its fundamental flaws, so on the face of it, yesterday’s initiative by James Kelly MSP, to repeal the Act has a chance, but no more than that.
The Scottish Greens, who have historically opposed the Act, are prevaricating. They are in a position to vote through SNP policy, so hold leverage over the government.
Meanwhile, police numbers in Scotland have dropped to their lowest levels since 2010 and Police Scotland can no longer afford to man traffic signals when tens of thousands of fans leave football grounds. In 2016, we can’t afford a police officer to oversee traffic signals to allow vast volumes of traffic to proceed in the same direction. In Scotland!
We must be the only country in the developed world who can’t afford traffic-signal policing for major events (if you hear someone yelling this on London Road post-game it’ll probably be me, I’ve been known to go on about it).
You are being taken for granted. Don’t be. You can participate in the Proposed Football Act (Repeal) (Scotland) Bill by letting your views be known here.
Scott Brown did well to acknowledge that Aberdeen and Hearts are our most likely challengers this season. The notion that a newly promoted team will come close to Celtic next season is a fantasy.
The Telegraph today run an article on pressure from Spain and Italy to revamp the Champions League. There is a real danger that the already wealthy large leagues will look to further secure their positions by tipping Europe’s top competition in their numerical favour. We should be OK while the current TV deal is in place but all bets are off next time.
The root cause of the demand for change is the pre-eminence of the English and Welsh Premier League cartel, which is slowly colonising not just Scotland, but Spain, Italy and elsewhere too.
The football model is broken pretty much everywhere. Change will happen; let’s hope it’s benign when it comes, as it threatens to finish the game outside of the “top five leagues”. Your clubs will be impoverished and irrelevant, your infrastructure will be denied investment, even the trickle-down of resources to kids football will mean your children are disadvantaged.
Bear that in mind when you cheer Barca and Real Madrid.
I think we’re going to have fun with this Shitov character tomorrow, who thinks there’s nothing new to see about Celtic Park, but needs to dry his eyes because Leigh DIDN’T punch him!
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Timoloy
Factual Political contrast my friend.and only that,and in context Of Pauls opening line too.No purity on my part as contrasting the two gives me the boak.
Hope yir good:-)
HH
Big Bones, From last thread. God Bless Kieran Doherty & his brave comrades on this the 35th Anniversary of his death.
He died after 73 days of Hunger Strike at the age of 25.
He will never be forgotten.
Hope you are keeping well.
Access in and out of the stadium is one of the key reasons I consider when going to a game or not.
It takes 4 hours to travel to and from Celtic Park for a 105 minute game. The travel should take 2 hours max.
I’m considering buying a Segway to get me from the car to Celtic Park but Police Scotland would probably find something offensive in that.
BB
Shhhhh…you know that would lead to a new act preventing fans from sitting with engines running, hence multiple on the spot fines at £80 a pop for failure to comply…nice earner for the 12th parties…especially in winter…
Timaloy29
Apologies for misspelling yir name
:-)
Hh
Repost from yesterday..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MINX1888 PRAYING TO WEE OSCAR on 1ST AUGUST 2016 1:30 PM
Campaign News
01/08/16 First step in the process to repeal the Offensive Behaviour Act announced today!
Proposals to repeal the Offensive Behaviour Act have been lodged today by James Kelly MSP. This is the first step in the process to get rid of the expensive, anti-democratic mess that this ill-thought-out and badly worded legislation has created. There will be a public consultation on the Act, the details of which are on the Parliament website and also can be linked to from here http://www.scraptheact.com , which will run from today till 23rd October 2016. It is imperative that everyone who has concerns about this Act: its impact on, particularly, young people; its cost; its illiberal nature and the effect it has had on the relations between the Police Service of Scotland and young, law-abiding citizens who happen to be football fans, should respond to the consultation. We will update on the responses as we move through the next twelve weeks. Please make sure you fill in the consultation survey and if you have any problems please let us know so we can sort them out. Please also contact your MSP to find out if they will be supporting this move and encourage them to do so.
We understand that the responses will be analysed and that a Bill will go before Parliament early in 2017 which will call for the repeal of the Act. We will keep you informed of all developments over that period.
We are in the final stages of our five year battle against the Act and victory is now within our sights. Please make sure you spread the word on a daily basis and let the Scottish Government know that the Offensive Behaviour Act must go!
Have a good day cqn
HH
Could try parking a little bit further away. Or move to the east end and walk , it is the new west end after all.
mullet and co 2 on 2nd August 2016 1:36 pm
Access in and out of the stadium is one of the key reasons I consider when going to a game or not.
It takes 4 hours to travel to and from Celtic Park for a 105 minute game. The travel should take 2 hours max.
______________________________________________________________
I solved that problem by moving to Dennistoun. 20 minute walk now. :>)
Any likelihood of over 50000 going tomorrow.
I see lots excited s out watching on TV.
My sense is we want the energy in the stadium.
Maybe Celtic should have relocated to Cambuslang, getting away from Celtic park on match days,especially London Rd,a nightmare,but I still think the bizzy’s could manage the traffic a lot better,but I think being a policeman,they can be a bit work shy,
Hoopy birthday JAMESGANG…that’s you a teenager now :))
Have a good one. HH
Football will grow in a global sense, never mind European leagues it will be global leagues with competitors from Europe the Americas and Asia and , global clubs with global appeal how many of them are they ?
Once the Chinese and Asians cotton on to supporting their own teams and not Man U Liverpool R Madrid Barcelona this will happen , TV and broadband paying top dollar for access I dont know where Celtic will be positioned but we have more global appeal/support than all but two of the EPL teams, I dont know if we have the business brains to get us there
Re the consultation for the Repeal of the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act : I have just completed the survey and took 10 minutes to do it.
I am thinking that perhaps it might be an idea of one or more of the good people involved in promoting the repeal could, perhaps, give a steer to the most appropriate answers.
I do not want this to come across as teaching anyone to suck eggs and it s important that we do not have 100s of the same word-for-word responses but perhaps a selection of pointers to include for each response might be helpful.
Well done to all those who have compaigned tor this oppportunity to have the botch up repealed and hopefully there is a wide response. HH
.@fca_kz midfielder Nemanja Maksimović has been ruled out of Wednesday’s crunch #UCL tie with Celtic due to illness. https://t.co/iPPFZObEm7
An Terarmann
Only you could get away with wishing the wee Yin in big Jamesgang a Hooopy birthday :-))
Hail Hail Big Fhella
Oh and welcome back to Vhman, and the Minx 1888 yesterday
Minx give that HT fhella a dig in the ribs to get back :-)
Celtic time – Brendan hopefully you’ve seen enough now of Calum McGregor, so no need for his constant loss of possession ( lack of football intelligence as someone posted yesterday) for tomorrow’s game
See Efe getting a wee break – :-))))
No Efe either though
Hail Hail
Oh another thing Paul67
Is the lack of police at traffic lights, not also something to do with Police Scotland wanting paid extra for this duty ( extra hours for their officers) and Celtic reducing Police numbers through increased stewarding at stadium ?
Changes in way Police Operated, with changes to Stewarding impacting on what they got from Celtic
Hail Hail
Maksimovic is their top player who is subject to interest from Lyon.
Is Sviachencko available for tomorrow? Brendan hadn’t completely ruled him out of the second leg last week.
Saint Stivs says SACK THE BOARD on 1st August 2016 11:29 pm
just had a brilliant 4 days close to home, Scotland in the sun, it’s wonderful. Lochgoilhead, Inverarary, Luss, Balloch, and Balmaha, quite spectacular.
*as Jinky said tae big ham and egg “are you trying tae intimidate me”, I’ve done a bit of travelling in my life but the latter 3 are my favourite places on this planet.
!!BADA BING!!
The good news keeps on coming, we need to spank this team for the snidey behaviour
Maybe people should car share or offer others a lift to games then there would be less traffic, radical eh!
Bada
Is Maksimovic in Scotland? If he travelled, I would expect him to play and this is a bluff by Astana. Indulging in gamesmanship seems to be their policy.
JJ
Tactics for tomorrow Bhoys?
They have to score so do we sit back and wait to hit them on the break or just get right intae them from the off?
Thoughts?
This mob certainly are stiring it, im sure BR will have everyone focused on what Celtic need to do and ignore the bluster and deception coming from them, win the game Celtic, we are more than capable.
Minceyheidman on 2nd August 2016 2:24 pm
We should go at them the same way we went at red imps in the 1st half. Get 3 quick goals then ease up 2nd half again, IMHO.
MINCEYHEIDMAN
I would love us to score early and take control of the game but I have a feeling it will be edgy and we’ll all being going through the blood pressure roof:))
Emmanuel Adebayor is available on a free transfer.
TONYDONNELLY67:
This one is for you :) Hehe.
http://thecelticblog.com/2016/08/blogs/ignore-the-media-david-moyes-did-not-snub-celtic/
bournesouprecipe on 2nd August 2016 2:31 pm
One EA is more than enough.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE
That would be abridge to far for MM…
TT,
Balmaha in the sunshine was very good.
The Oak Tree Inn development is very well done, and the wee Tom Weir statue adds a something.
Lots of posh english around staying in the big lodges, and loads of foreign walkers, I enjoyed it all a lot.
Apologies if posted already…
Heard some chat about London Road being closed tomorrow, can anyone confirm?
Thanks
Let’s hope BR gets the right combination tomorrow and we can go 2 up to ease a few nerves.
Going at them right from the first whistle with a bumper crowd could work but only if we are smart and avoid giving set pieces away.
Giving away corners and throw ins in our third should be avoided as they did have that long throw last week and I hate those.
I have every confidence that the Kazacs will crumble if the crowd get into their rhythm early on.
I know it is a bit cliche but fans have a big part to play tomorrow even if we are struggling, no booing please.
Couldn’t agree more about the London Road car park. Said to the kids last week that they should just turn the traffic lights off.
Celtic have been at their current location for long enough for cops to have perfected traffic management around games. i have my own theory about why they haven’t despite the improved road network around the ground. It’s only partly to do with resourcing and competence.
Personally, when I’m over for games I use the train to dalmarnock. It’s much less hassle
Talking of the Janefield cemetery, or Eastern Necropolis, did you know that there is goalkeeper buried there, who died in his early 20s playing football in the early 1930s?
Not John Thomson of course who is buried in Fife. Alexander Cruicksanks, who died 9 months after John, playing for Strathclyde FC against Rutherglen Glencairn at Barrowfield. Alexander apparently only playing in goal as the team had not managed to get a goalie.
RIP
The necropolis was originally simply a large plot bought by Robert McNair in the mid 19th century, a wealthy grocer. He married Jean Holmes and called it Jean’s field, later shortened to ‘Janefield’, hence Janefield Street. The lodge they built themselves at the entrance at the Forge end has currently been restored.
Much of the graveyard is long since disused and over-run. So in terms of the modern day (and Celtic Park) local authorities generally control use (and potential re-use/build on disused cemeteries. As you’d imagine there’s a lot of interest groups and all would have a right to their say and objection. As far as I can gather after 75 years of the last burial it is accepted that a next of kin or immediate family member would not be immediately traceable and a 12 month notice period of intended re-use could be issued to invite consultation.
However as far as I can see there were family plot burials right up ti the 1980s, although the specific Jewish section has been unused for over a century and is no longer maintained.
I wonder therefore if there are obvious sections to the graveyard and time frames. I guess this was all thrashed out in 1995 with Fergus (and clearly a no go hence the poles on the north stand upper) and I wonder if there is a timeline that’s been mapped out since then. Certainly allowing stilts and a wider platform on the top tier concourse would be welcome, and possibly spiralled egress like the San Siro or Nou Camp to emerge clear of the stadium and the narrow Janefiled Street would be a massive boost to the stadium itself.
Also if you ever get a chance to go in through the main gates across from the Forge you will see the guy who invented crosswords is buried there. He’s 4 down, 3 across.
The works to remove and install the new gantries are scheduled to begin on the following dates: • M74 – northbound and southbound between Junction 2A, Fullarton and Junction 6, Hamilton from August 8, 2016 for approximately three months.
• M73 – northbound and southbound between Junction 1, Maryville to Junction 2, Baillieston, from mid –September for approximately six weeks.
• M8 – north and southbound from Junction 10, Easterhouse to Junction 8, Baillieston, from mid-August for approximately four months.
Read more at http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/months-delays-expected-m74-work-8544483#izBARuJtbpD0vzv5.99