SPAIN has become the latest country to be caught up in an Old Firm storm — this time over death threats to Rangers star Nacho Novo. Diplomats with the Spanish Consul General in Edinburgh last night confirmed they have launched their own probe into the sick stunt by internet bigots.

It comes just days after Irish officials contacted the Scottish Government over Gers fans taunting Celtic rivals with the controversial Famine Song.

Last night Spanish consular spokesman Federico Palomera said: "We have made it known to the relevant authorities."

They are acting on complaints they received against yobs who posted Spaniard Novo's home address on a Hoops supporters' website.

The posting on the popular Huddleboard followed suggestions on some internet chatrooms that Rangers players should be seen as targets for attack.

It came amid the backlash to an assualt on Celtic coach Neil Lennon in Glasgow's West End, just hours after his side's 4-2 defeat in the last Old Firm match.

Furious Ibrox security chiefs contacted Strathclyde Police bosses, demanding an investigation into the Novo web threat.

They also ordered security staff to patrol outside the 29-year-old's Glasgow home amid fears for the footballer and his family.

Yesterday a source revealed: "It appears the Consul General was contacted after they felt the authorities were failing to act on the Novo situation.

"Not only did Novo have his address posted on a website, rival fans also sing a song which features lyrics praying he will be murdered in his sleep."

The Ibrox ace has been targeted by opposing fans since turning down a move to Celtic to join Rangers from Dundee in 2004.

Months later, he complained to cops after thugs sprayed "Novo RIP" near his home after an Old Firm victory against the Hoops.


Bile
Earlier this week, The Scottish Sun told how Irish diplomats raised concerns over Rangers fans chanting a song about the 19th century potato famine.

Last night, the Rangers Supporters Trust welcomed the Novo probe.

Spokesman Stephen Smith said: "This move is a logical response to a dishonest campaign motivated by sectarian bile and a sick desire to score points regardless of the truth."

Rangers declined to comment on the matter.


http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/ho...icle1702847.ece

Spokesman Stephen Smith said: “This move is a logical response to a dishonest campaign motivated by sectarian bile and a sick desire to score points regardless of the truth.”

You missed out the Darryl King/Darryl Broadfoot by-line for added authenticity

It's genuine, surprisingly:

http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/ho...icle1702847.ece

When did The Sun call the Famine Song just a bit of fun?

When did The Sun call the Famine Song just a bit of fun?

Well the quote Bain as sayig it was just a bit of 'tit for tat wind up'

When did The Sun call the Famine Song just a bit of fun?

When did The Sun call the Famine Song just a bit of fun?

Jitters leave Hoops in the brown stuff

From BILL LECKIE at Celtic Park

Published: Today
rigTeaserImage
LOOKS like the wrong team wore brown shorts.

It was the Danes who were meant to come here and get transfixed in Parkhead’s headlights.

They were the rookies who’d be ploughed cartoon-flat by the green-and-white juggernaut before they’d realised what hit them.

That was the script — or at least that’s what it HAD to be if Celtic were to come across as credible challengers to the group’s big two.

This morning, that script looks as plausible as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre re-written by Disney.

Because, instead, it was Gordon Strachan’s men who got the wobbles.

They were the ones who gave away the daft fouls, left the gaping holes at the back, missed the gift of a penalty.

They were the ones who couldn’t break down ten men.

Last 16 material?

More like something Remnant Kings would chuck in a bargain bin.

Aalborg defended more securely, passed the ball more crisply, made better runs and looked all-round sharper than the Scottish champions.

And the longer it went, the more it was Celtic who were juddered and jolted by an attack of the jitters.

Stephen McManus had them from the off, Barry Robson got them from the spot.

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But no one epitomised their collective collywobbles more than Andreas Hinkel, a man who looked more and more like he fancied being anywhere but out there in the glare.

You could feel the relief every time the German got the ball and didn’t give it away again.

It’s a toss-up who felt it more — the player, the crowd or a manager whose own judgement looks more flawed the longer he sticks by him.

Though picking out who was worse than who in Hoops is a bit like arguing over whether Aalborg’s strip was chocolate, teak or simply jobby-coloured.

It makes no odds. It was horrible no matter what you plumped for.

By 20 minutes from time, the 300 Danish fans tucked into Restricted View Land were mocking the 50,000-odd around them with a chorus of “You Only Sing When You’re Winning . . . ”

That must have stung a support who’ve grown used to seeing off the Milans, the Man Us, the Juves and anyone else who thinks they’re hard enough to have a go.

A support who stifled their boos at half-time and to be fair, they still held back when it was all over and a massive opportunity had slipped away.

But inside, they were raging.

Though for me, they should think themselves lucky it wasn’t a damn sight worse.

The Danes played with relative freedom right up until they had Michael Beauchamp sent off in one of the clearest cases of mistaken

identity you’ll ever see.

They broke in decent numbers, linked up simply, forced Celtic to flood jerseys behind the ball.

When Michael Jakobsen — the man who SHOULD have walked for hauling down Georgios Samaras — whistled a blistering 13th-minute free-kick just past Artur Boruc’s right-hand post, it was a fright.

Jeppe Curth’s miss when put clean through behind a sleeping McManus 90 seconds later was a major escape.

The buzz phrase for moments like these is ‘a wake-up call’.

But what do most of us do when we get that in the morning?

We hit snooze and roll over again.

And so it was with Celtic. Not even the barrage of noise their supporters kept whipping up could wake them.

McManus put himself under pressure with a booking for a silly foul. Robson gave away another free-kick in the same area Jakobsen had struck one from earlier.

Saturday’s four-goal first-half romp against Motherwell at Fir Park started looking like a blip on an otherwise ordinary start to the season.

Then Shaun Maloney did that thing he does, going inside his man then drawing the ball back to switch direction and draw the foul.

Steve Olfers bought it and tripped him. The ref had no doubt.

Robson plainly had plenty. He slammed the kick straight at Aalborg keeper Zaza.

And this time there was no cavalry charge following in like the one he himself had led in Iceland last week when Faddy missed from the spot.

Maybe it was justice, though — because Maloney seemed to handle the ball as he controlled and raced into the box.

Later, Shunsuke Nakamura would curl a free-kick that Zaza did brilliantly to leap and touch over at his left-hand postage stamp.

And that was it. Two dead-ball close things, the only nail-biter from open play the Scott Brown tap-in disallowed for offside when Nakamura looked to be on.

Yet even if they HAD sneaked one in the end, so what?

Sure, a win would have been a win, three points the same whether through a sclaff or a five-goal stroll.

But if a last-gasp, heart-stopping win over a team described as the sixth-best in their country is the yardstick for what’s to come, maybe even the safety net of a UEFA Cup place is beyond them.

With away form as horrendous as this club’s has been down the years, home has to be where the heart of any campaign is.

Last night, there was only a hole where that heart should have been.

Oh, and one final thought in the light of this week’s off-field nonsense.

As the Celtic supporters sang No Huns In Europe, will Hinkel be firing off a complaint to the German Embassy

just as only an idiot believes the myth that Celtic fans in Seville were all helping old senoritas across the road. I saw the sick in the street there too. Heard the bigotry. Heard the smash of glass in among the sardine -packed hordes......difference was the authorities there controlled the situation......Plus our amigos in Seville didn't buy their big screens for a tenner off some geezer in a pub''.

Maybe it's just me that this reads as if it's just a bit of tit-for-tat.

Anyway, if the Spanish consul feel that Novo is in danger then fair play to them for acting on it. Hopefully the situation will be resolved.

You know the more and more I think about it I'm stunned by that report on our game That was written and published by a national newspaper the SUN, how could that happen, does anybody read this toads words before they publish them

HAW SWAMPY....should we allow this guy into Celtic park free because he's a journalist?

You would think it was written by David Edgar.

I've never read a report like that, I don't read newspapers, how far have they fallen if that's the standard We should not be allowing the SUN anywhere near Celtic park without paying

I am going to E-mail the Sun Consulate

I am going to E-mail the Sun Consulate

Make sure you do, The Sun 'newspaper' is an absolute disgraceful publication, just stop buying the rag.

While I was looking for this I read Leckies report on last nights game

All that anger. From a St Mirren fan as well who would have thunk that?

The whole article is dripping, I was seriously shocked, I don't read newspapers

I see tha sun have turned up the heat on Celtic as expected Carson at it too

Famine song = bit of fun
Novo song = need to have a VIP protection teams from the civil guard flown over


Every time, it's like a P&B type media

You know the more and more I think about it I'm stunned by that report on our game That was written and published by a national newspaper the SUN, how could that happen, does anybody read this toads words before they publish them

HAW SWAMPY....should we allow this guy into Celtic park free because he's a journalist?

What are you asking me for? I'm not a press secretary for Celtic.

My objection to your rantings about the press in the past were that you seemed to want Celtic to go after journalists legally for writing unflattering things (not incorrect things - just unflattering ones) about Celtic PLC. You later retracted that, and I said fair enough, so I thought we'd put the whole worry issue to bed now

Incidentally I didn't read the Leckie report there so I don't know what's wrong with it. I don't doubt it sucks for one second, though.

Looking for an opinion, we had media discussion before

Not a rant
I'm not stupid enough to think we should go after people who write unflattering things about Celtic...we'd run out of money, I never retracted, I clarified, the papers can lie all they want, as soon as it's actionable then action it.

In regards to consistantly negative comment like Leckie then by all means ban the fuckker, we have no responsibilty for his employment and living especially when he write negative stories

It's above, still looking for an opinion if your willing to give it

Right, it's far from a classic report, and bear in mind that I didn't see the game (I watched Madrid vs BATE Borisov instead) but until the last, ridiculous sentence I don't see anything wrong with it. I think a side with such a great legacy of winning at home in Europe would have to have a pretty serious off-day not to get one past AaB, so to a guy like me who reads the match report without having seen the game, I'd probabky think it was a bit hackneyed and over the top but the gist of it I wouldn't argue with.

The last sentence, as I say, is just stupid.

Fine thanks.

My view? I was hunting through Celticminded site for Leckie stories and I was genuinely shockd by the bile directed towards Celtic and Catholics in the stories Celtic fans had flagged by him.

I thought his slant and language in certain areas of his match report were very poor and even partisan, Maloney penalty for instance.

Sorry, but when you're trawling through "Celtic minded" sites and then complaining that other "journalism" might be partisan...

Leckie in talkig shite shocker!!


HawHaw... did you see the bit where he was talking about "keyboard heroes" and how they write a load of pish for their own gain etc.
The Irony of that article was obviously lost on Leckie

Fine thanks.

My view? I was hunting through Celticminded site for Leckie stories and I was genuinely shockd by the bile directed towards Celtic and Catholics in the stories Celtic fans had flagged by him.

I thought his slant and language in certain areas of his match report were very poor and even partisan, Maloney penalty for instance.

I thought it was April the 1st when I read this in the paper Im sure the Spanish polis will tell the consul how tolerant and cuturally aware the Hun is after Ossasuna,Villarael and Barcelona.

The orangers trust have made themselves look more stupid if that was possible.

Aye I seen that, seriously amazed that he gets away with being so one sided IMO

What kind of anti-Catholic stuff has he written?

I'm genuinely curious. I don't buy The Sun so I don't know.

The thing is I actually quite liked Leckie as far as the diddy teams are concerned as he seems to genuinely care about SFL sides, but he turns into a right weirdo when he writes about the SPL (or society in general, in fact.)

And Celtic in Barcelona shortly after eh?

just as only an idiot believes the myth that Celtic fans in Seville were all helping old senoritas across the road. I saw the sick in the street there too. Heard the bigotry. Heard the smash of glass in among the sardine -packed hordes......difference was the authorities there controlled the situation......Plus our amigos in Seville didn't buy their big screens for a tenner off some geezer in a pub''.

My God you lot are easily offended. Leckie is a Tit!! I have heard a few stories about him cowering away in a corner of the press box at Ibrox being ignored by all the other Journos.

He wants to be controversial and provoke a reaction....who does he catch? LHH

Fine thanks.

My view? I was hunting through Celticminded site for Leckie stories and I was genuinely shockd by the bile directed towards Celtic and Catholics in the stories Celtic fans had flagged by him.

I thought his slant and language in certain areas of his match report were very poor and even partisan, Maloney penalty for instance.

You really need to re-read the dosage insrtuctions on your medication......no, seriously your becoming a parody.

Celtic fail to beat the whipping boys of the group at home, with the help of a penalty. I watched the game myself and you didn't deserve more than a point out of it.

You get pelters in the Sun ( the Sun for fucks sake) and you're on here claiming "bile towards Celtic and Catholics".

Get a grip man.

How long have you posted here? Read the St Mirren supporters posts. They are hardly the most rational of people when it comes to the OF with a few notable exceptions.

Leckie gives it out to Rangers as much as Celtic but Celticminded wouldn't print those stories as it doesn't fit their agenda. I remember The Suns back page headline Duds Army after Rangers had lost in Europe. The time they slated Rangers for losing to Auxerre but praised the Gallant Celtic for narrowly losing out to the mighty Liverpool. Of course Auxerre drew Liverpool in the next round and hammered them!!

Why get upset about such a cheap rag...It is the equivalent of getting upset by that daft Jambo Urine Cameron. They are not worth worrying about.

I'm not that interested if Leckie slags rangers stupid, I'd actually like that

A parody right enough

Who's arguing about the result or how poorly we played, not me.