Offensive Behaviour at Football Act cave in.

[G51]

It's highly amusing to see SNP and Scottish Green elected representatives and party members calling for Rangers to take responsibility for this. Even funnier was seeing Patrick Harvie saying that he needed an "assurance" that identifiable people in the crowd would face charges.

You're the fucking government, Patrick. You're part of the organization that is supposed to give the assurances. It's your job to tackle sectarianism in Scottish society, because you have the power to do it. Rangers FC or it's supporters (or indeed, Celtic FC or it's supporters) do not have that power. All the clubs can do is promote diversity and ban offenders, both of which Rangers have done/have confirmed they will do.

If this is the serious priority for Green and SNP members, what is stopping them from tackling it? You have all the power, and are taking none of the responsibility.

[parsforlife]

2 minutes ago, G51 said:

. All the clubs can do is promote diversity and ban offenders, both of which Rangers have done/have confirmed they will do.

[invergowrie arab]

14 minutes ago, G51 said:

It's highly amusing to see SNP and Scottish Green elected representatives and party members calling for Rangers to take responsibility for this. Even funnier was seeing Patrick Harvie saying that he needed an "assurance" that identifiable people in the crowd would face charges.

You're the fucking government, Patrick. You're part of the organization that is supposed to give the assurances. It's your job to tackle sectarianism in Scottish society, because you have the power to do it. Rangers FC or it's supporters (or indeed, Celtic FC or it's supporters) do not have that power. All the clubs can do is promote diversity and ban offenders, both of which Rangers have done/have confirmed they will do.

If this is the serious priority for Green and SNP members, what is stopping them from tackling it? You have all the power, and are taking none of the responsibility.

The Scottish Government don't give direct orders to Police Scotland. Its entirely appropriate for Harvie to say he wants assurances about what they are going to do.

You have a brass neck to whine about what other people should be doing. You support an institution that stokes anti Irish and anti Catholic sentiment because it makes them money.

Anti Irish racism in Scotland would have died decades ago without Rangers and everyone knows it. 

The Kirk, the unions and OO are all moribund. It's only Rangers that keeps it going.

Edited August 30, 2021 by invergowrie arab

[D Angelo Barksdale]

It were just working class lads letting off a bit steam. They don't know any better guv.

[Jimi Shandrix]

Points deduction every time it happens. Both clubs would be playing against their own B sides in the Lowland League before they knew it.

[G51]

5 minutes ago, invergowrie arab said:

The Scottish Government don't give direct orders to Police Scotland. Its entirely appropriate for Harvie to say he wants assurances about what they are going to do.

You have a brass neck to whine about what other people should be doing. You support an institution that stokes anti Irish and anti Catholic sentiment because it makes them money.

Anti Irish racism in Scotland would have died decades ago without Rangers and everyone knows it. 

The Kirk, the unions and OO are all moribund. It's only Rangers that keeps it going.

Police Scotland answer to the Scottish Government that Patrick Harvie is a part of. If Harvie and his government believe that Police Scotland are not bringing charges against suspects for some reason, then they have the authority and the ability to enact the required changes to ensure that justice is done.

The buck for failing to tackle sectarianism in Scotland stops with the Scottish Government, and with the Scottish Government alone. The only attempt they've ever made was a half-arsed attempt to turn this into a football problem through the OBFA. It's unsurprising that such a derisory attempt did not work.

The responsibility for resolving sectarianism in Scotland (what little of it actually still exists) does not lie with me, other Rangers fans or the club itself. If you consider this a serious issue, take it up with your MSP. They're the people who can actually do something about it.

The idea that Rangers stoke anti-Irish or anti-Catholic sentiment among their supporters, in order to generate profit, is frankly laughable. Conspiracy theories should at least have some element of logic underpinning them.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

It's highly amusing to see SNP and Scottish Green elected representatives and party members calling for Rangers to take responsibility for this. Even funnier was seeing Patrick Harvie saying that he needed an "assurance" that identifiable people in the crowd would face charges.
You're the fucking government, Patrick. You're part of the organization that is supposed to give the assurances. It's your job to tackle sectarianism in Scottish society, because you have the power to do it. Rangers FC or it's supporters (or indeed, Celtic FC or it's supporters) do not have that power. All the clubs can do is promote diversity and ban offenders, both of which Rangers have done/have confirmed they will do.
If this is the serious priority for Green and SNP members, what is stopping them from tackling it? You have all the power, and are taking none of the responsibility.

Jesus fucking wept.

[Clown Job]

44 minutes ago, G51 said:

All the clubs can do is promote diversity and ban offenders, both of which Rangers have done/have confirmed they will do.

To be fair,

I don’t think RFC done themselves any favours when they decided to hire a bigot as PR chief recently

Or bringing out an orange kit in recent years, since we all know exactly who that’s meant to panda to.

[G51]

1 minute ago, Clown Job said:

To be fair,

I don’t think RFC done themselves any favours when they decided

Or bringing out an orange kit in recent years, since we all know exactly who that’s meant to panda to.

I absolutely despise David Graham, but I don't think the background of the PR director is really going to move the needle much for most people. I'd wager 95%+ of Rangers fans have no idea who David Graham is, and the only people who do know are the VL's like me that follow the ins and outs of the executive team.

The orange kit, as far as I'm aware, made the club absolutely no money because Hummel & Elite Sports kept the profits. If it was an attempt to drive profit for Rangers then it wasn't a very good one.

I'm not naive enough to think that a corporation wouldn't sell out it's principles in order to make money. Of course they would - that's capitalism for you. But stoking anti-Irish racism to drive profits wouldn't be a very good business move in the 21st Century. The club has made significant strides in promoting diversity in recent years, and the songbook is a million times cleaner than was even ten years ago.

That's because being an all inclusive club is significantly more profitable than going back to the pre-Mo Johnston days. It's why the club are pledging to ban the fans in the video, and why they're so aggrieved by the "reputational damage" caused by it. Football clubs are businesses that are mostly owned by ruthless capitalists who will do whatever they need to do to make money.

 

[tamthebam]

Closed door Old Firm game and no coverage of any sort except the scoreline. Which will never happen of course.

Or a ban on selling tickets to anyone not a resident of Glasgow. Wouldn't work I think as there would be ways around it but I wonder if the main driver are Gers fans coming from outwith Scotland (you know where I mean).

[Buddie Holly]

did a rangers player not get racially abused on the pitch recently?f**k sake govan was flooded with tears and snotters as they played the victim card

every other week there are 50000 fans uniting in sectarianism inside ibrox and the club stand by and watch

shut part of a stand for every incident and it won’t be long til they’re playing in an empty stadium

[coprolite]

1 hour ago, Clown Job said:

 

Or bringing out an orange kit in recent years, since we all know exactly who that’s meant to panda to.

It's  a black and white issue

[KingRocketman II]

8 hours ago, Clown Job said:

To be fair,

I don’t think RFC done themselves any favours when they decided to hire a bigot as PR chief recently

Or bringing out an orange kit in recent years, since we all know exactly who that’s meant to panda to.

 

[welshbairn]

Jim Traynor addressed exactly this issue a few years back.

Quote

Somehow I cannot see why this line should offend. And don't start sloshing in that bilge about how big a race crime it would be if people were singing our immigrant communities should go home because the troubles have subsided in their own countries.

There are some who believe they shouldn't be here in the first place and that we should never allow in asylum seekers but these people are probably racist.

However, if any of these groups took to gathering regularly in sporting arenas to sing and long for their homelands and the old ways they, too, might be mocked.

But it wouldn't necessarily be racist. It's called freedom of speech. It is a fundamental right that must be protected.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/isnt-there-enough-to-worry-about-without-beating-991268

[LongTimeLurker]

Nothing happening in any of this that couldn't always easily have been handled under the pre-existing breach of the peace legislation.

Edited August 31, 2021 by LongTimeLurker

[Suspect Device]

6 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

Nothing happening in any of this that couldn't always easily have been handled ignored by the police as usual under the pre-existing breach of the peace legislation.

Very true. We didn't need extra laws for the police to do f**k all about the OF being scummy b*****ds. 

[Dunfermline Don]

I don’t think points deduction will work as we know the football authorities up here don’t have the balls to take action against certain clubs.

I feel teams or players walking off the pitch if certain offensive songs (which have nothing to do with football) are sung may start to make the SPFL/SFA have to act on the issue.

With Glasgow due to host a major international event in a few months it doesn’t exactly portray the welcoming image of the city and nation that we like to think the world has of us.

I can’t imagine the the current POTUS would be very impressed by it all given his Irish heritage.

[Halbeath Raith Rover]

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/bigotry-bill-fans-told-the-songs-1089573

I lost faith in the bill back in 2011 when the papers reportedl, in your weegie slums, and sheep shagging b*****ds, were banned songs.

 

[Suspect Device]

44 minutes ago, Halbeath Raith Rover said:

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/bigotry-bill-fans-told-the-songs-1089573

I lost faith in the bill back in 2011 when the papers reportedl, in your weegie slums, and sheep shagging b*****ds, were banned songs.

 

Offence is in the ear of the beholder. Obviously if I was actually interested in ovine bestiality and didn't like people making fun of my sexual habits, then I could take offence with being called a sheep shagger.

 

We also have the fact that both sides of the OF then decide that they are utterly offended by whatever it is the other side are singing. Yet at the same time want to be able to sing their own songs which they think are inoffensive or 'political' so should be allowed.

 

Edit: There are many other reasons to have no faith in a bill in particular one which discriminates against me for being a football fan. Completely ridiculous that a rugby fan could in theory say the same thing but not be prosecuted.

Edited August 31, 2021 by Suspect Device

[101]

You don't need the OBFA to act in the courts. 

I agree if the SPFL or SFA were serious about tackling discrimination in the game there would be clear financial penalities and points deductions for doing so. As it stands fielding an ineligible player is a greater crime in Scottish football than any form of discrimination and I'm afraid that is a frankly shameful position for a governing body to hold.