Scottish Football Discussion Thread 2010/11

[Reznor]

i've heard second hand from colleagues saying folk(s) have been punted from the club deck for singing certain songs after other Rangers fans complained to steward and police

Yeah, they were caught singing "Aberdeen and back again" during follow follow

 

[BiffingtonClyro]

i've heard second hand from colleagues saying folk(s) have been punted from the club deck for singing certain songs after other Rangers fans complained to steward and police

Yeah, they were caught singing "Aberdeen and back again" during follow follow

 

 

Cheeky bugger.

[David]

Here's a fact for you Kenny, WE live in a PROTESTANT country, looked over by a Queen.

Maybe in the distant past we did, but not anymore. This country is made up of different faiths & races now Ally.

 

Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, and an ever-growing number of Atheists all have equal rights in Scotland, and rightfully so. As for the Queen? Nothing more than a burden on the taxpayer and a novelty act for tourists these days.

 

I'm sick to death of it. I'm sick of people saying that both sides are as bad as each other. I'm sick of Rangers saying they're doing everything they can to stamp it out. It's bullshit.

 

Most of the Rangers end was singing The Billy Boys at least five times during the afternoon. That's not on. The very worst I heard was from a handful of Celtic fans singing "he's like me and you, he's a Provo too" about Lennon. I hope they got what they deserved too, but it was a minority. I was in amongst it, and it took me a while to even work out what they were singing. There's no mistaking your lot.

You didn't hear the hearty signing of the 'Boys Of The Old Brigade' or the timeless classic 'ooh ah up the Ra' then Kenny?

[Dazz]

Here's a fact for you Kenny, WE live in a PROTESTANT country, looked over by a Queen.

Maybe in the distant past we did, but not anymore. This country is made up of different faiths & races now Ally.

 

Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, and an ever-growing number of Atheists all have equal rights in Scotland, and rightfully so. As for the Queen? Nothing more than a burden on the taxpayer and a novelty act for tourists these days.

 

I'm sick to death of it. I'm sick of people saying that both sides are as bad as each other. I'm sick of Rangers saying they're doing everything they can to stamp it out. It's bullshit.

 

Most of the Rangers end was singing The Billy Boys at least five times during the afternoon. That's not on. The very worst I heard was from a handful of Celtic fans singing "he's like me and you, he's a Provo too" about Lennon. I hope they got what they deserved too, but it was a minority. I was in amongst it, and it took me a while to even work out what they were singing. There's no mistaking your lot.

You didn't hear the hearty signing of the 'Boys Of The Old Brigade' or the timeless classic 'ooh ah up the Ra' then Kenny?

 

He probably didn't, David, they're the "Greatest fans in the world" after all, and, in the SPL/SFA celtic are ALWAYS the victim. Never the perpetrator.

[InvertedSmiley]

We were terrible and deserved nothing from the game. Hooper looks unfit and is clearly carrying an injury; he should be rested for a few games. It is distressing when the best antidote for Thomas Rogne having a mare is considered to be Glenn Loovens.

Hooper definitely hasn't been the same since Bougherra's assault in the Scottish Cup game. I was amazed - not to mention very frustrated - that he played the full 120 minutes on Sunday. It seems that people are quick to make a scapegoat of Samaras after these types of games, but the Greek put about ten times more into Sunday's game than Hooper did.

 

I guess there really isn't a whole lot more to be added than what's already been said in this thread. Rangers wanted to win this game more than we did and they thoroughly deserved the victory. Craig Thomson had a really good game, called all of the major decisions correctly. I was screaming for a penalty at the game when Mark Wilson was brought down in the box, but having seen it back it would have been a very soft penalty to give.

 

The cup was won and lost, for me, in the experience of both managers. Heading towards the end of 90 minutes, Rangers were clearly tiring, they'd jost lost Bougherra and we had them on the back foot. Walter Smith made a clever change in bringing Weiss on for Lafferty (who I was delighted to see in the starting eleven, but he gave our defence a torrid time). I don't rate Weiss all that highly as a player. In fact, he's been quite over-rated by the media since his arrival here, but he energised Rangers and his ability to win free-kicks caused us all sorts of problems. We couldn't handle his fresh legs. Meanwhile, Neil Lennon did nothing. Paddy McCourt was left on the bench until after Rangers scored, and worse - because I think he'd have been a greater threat - James Forrest didn't see any action at all. In a scene very reminiscent of Fir Park a few weeks ago, 4-4-2 was clearly not working. That much was obvious after around half an hour. Rangers were bypassing our midfield and we seriously needed an extra body in there to take control. But Lennon stubbornly persisted with it and was rewarded as such with the loss.

 

I'm not sure how, if at all, this will effect the SPL title. But I'm pretty concerned about Lennon's refusal to change tactics during a match when they are clearly not working, and the defence has become a major concern. We've got lucky with Mulgrew at centre-back in recent weeks, and I think that was largely down to the influence of Daniel Majstorovic. Rogne looked awful in there next to Mulgrew on Sunday, and Loovens - although better - scares the life out of me.

 

A couple of weeks to re-group and we'll see how the dust settles at Inverness a week on Saturday.

[bAzTNM Fan]

I hope we learn some important lessons from this game to be taken into the rest of the lead up to the end of the season. In all honesty, I was somewhat expecting a Rangers victory on Sunday. I felt that we were due a loss against them and I didn't think they would allow us to dominate them yet again.

 

Unfortunately, my fears were correct. I think a large part of the problem is the predictability of Lennon's team selection. Look at Ibrox on the 2nd January - Samaras was played up front on his own for the first time in ages, McCourt was in the hole, Kayal was back from a long-term injury and Mulgrew being thrown back in at probably the deepest end possible for him really took everyone (especially Rangers) off guard. Recently, we have been playing the same team with little or no room for expansions of ideas. It's just taken for granted that Sammy will play in Old Firms, Hooper will partner him and so forth. I think most Celtic supporters could quite easily guess what the team was going to be for the final, and this allowed Rangers the opportunity to think of ways to beat us whereas we would just be resting on the laurels of thinking what has worked in the past will undoubtedly work again.

 

I still think we have been by far the better team in derby games this season as a whole, but I hope we develop a bit of an edge or fresh ideas for the next.

[neil]

Anyone who continues the stupid religion stuff in this thread will be getting suspended. Just talk about FOOTIE for fucks sake.

[Kenny McBride]

Here's a fact for you Kenny, WE live in a PROTESTANT country, looked over by a Queen.

Maybe in the distant past we did, but not anymore. This country is made up of different faiths & races now Ally.

 

Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, and an ever-growing number of Atheists all have equal rights in Scotland, and rightfully so. As for the Queen? Nothing more than a burden on the taxpayer and a novelty act for tourists these days.

 

I'm sick to death of it. I'm sick of people saying that both sides are as bad as each other. I'm sick of Rangers saying they're doing everything they can to stamp it out. It's bullshit.

 

Most of the Rangers end was singing The Billy Boys at least five times during the afternoon. That's not on. The very worst I heard was from a handful of Celtic fans singing "he's like me and you, he's a Provo too" about Lennon. I hope they got what they deserved too, but it was a minority. I was in amongst it, and it took me a while to even work out what they were singing. There's no mistaking your lot.

You didn't hear the hearty signing of the 'Boys Of The Old Brigade' or the timeless classic 'ooh ah up the Ra' then Kenny?

 

He probably didn't, David, they're the "Greatest fans in the world" after all, and, in the SPL/SFA celtic are ALWAYS the victim. Never the perpetrator.

 

Hand on heart, no-one in my section was singing either song, and I couldn't hear it from any other section. I know you won't believe a word I say, but I'd be the first to bitch about it if I had heard it. That's why I made the point in the first place. After the last game, I assumed firstly that we could expect more serious action to be taken about this shite and that when the songs did get an airing, the media would have the guts to comment on it. But I also got infuriated by the "both sides are as bad as each other" after the last game, when Rangers were clearly lacking discipline while Celtic kept the head remarkably well. On Sunday, I heard songs baying for the death of Catholics (good old honest to God BRITISH Catholics, Ally) and I honestly only heard one thing that I thought wasn't on from our side, which I already mentioned (and which was really pretty half-hearted, with only three or four people anywhere near me singing it).

[bAzTNM Fan]

Anyone who continues the stupid religion stuff in this thread will be getting suspended. Just talk about FOOTIE for fucks sake.

 

You've never bothered to police this thread in the past. Rick has made it abundantly clear that any attempts to go over the line will be punished by him; somebody who regularly follows and contributes to the thread. Unfortunately, "the stupid religion stuff" is at the tip of the tongue in every medium of football reportage for us. It's talked about in phone-ins, summits held by the police to curb out Old Firm violence and in other assorted areas of journalism. To censure it completely is part of the problem and part of the reason why sections of supporters think it is okay to shout about killing Catholics from the rooftops.

[David]

Anyone who continues the stupid religion stuff in this thread will be getting suspended. Just talk about FOOTIE for fucks sake.

What about those who talk about it in a reasonable manner, with no inflammatory remarks? As a non-Scot you'll find it hard to understand that a lot of Old Firm chit-chat centres around some religious subjects. It's how they're approached that can make all the difference.

 

Hand on heart, no-one in my section was singing either song, and I couldn't hear it from any other section. I know you won't believe a word I say, but I'd be the first to bitch about it if I had heard it. That's why I made the point in the first place.

No, I do believe you Kenny. I'm just saying that I could make out those songs during the television broadcast of the game.

[Dazz]

Here's a fact for you Kenny, WE live in a PROTESTANT country, looked over by a Queen.

Maybe in the distant past we did, but not anymore. This country is made up of different faiths & races now Ally.

 

Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, and an ever-growing number of Atheists all have equal rights in Scotland, and rightfully so. As for the Queen? Nothing more than a burden on the taxpayer and a novelty act for tourists these days.

 

I'm sick to death of it. I'm sick of people saying that both sides are as bad as each other. I'm sick of Rangers saying they're doing everything they can to stamp it out. It's bullshit.

 

Most of the Rangers end was singing The Billy Boys at least five times during the afternoon. That's not on. The very worst I heard was from a handful of Celtic fans singing "he's like me and you, he's a Provo too" about Lennon. I hope they got what they deserved too, but it was a minority. I was in amongst it, and it took me a while to even work out what they were singing. There's no mistaking your lot.

You didn't hear the hearty signing of the 'Boys Of The Old Brigade' or the timeless classic 'ooh ah up the Ra' then Kenny?

 

He probably didn't, David, they're the "Greatest fans in the world" after all, and, in the SPL/SFA celtic are ALWAYS the victim. Never the perpetrator.

 

Hand on heart, no-one in my section was singing either song, and I couldn't hear it from any other section. I know you won't believe a word I say, but I'd be the first to bitch about it if I had heard it. That's why I made the point in the first place. After the last game, I assumed firstly that we could expect more serious action to be taken about this shite and that when the songs did get an airing, the media would have the guts to comment on it. But I also got infuriated by the "both sides are as bad as each other" after the last game, when Rangers were clearly lacking discipline while Celtic kept the head remarkably well. On Sunday, I heard songs baying for the death of Catholics (good old honest to God BRITISH Catholics, Ally) and I honestly only heard one thing that I thought wasn't on from our side, which I already mentioned (and which was really pretty half-hearted, with only three or four people anywhere near me singing it).

 

There was quite a bit more than that. I will confess, it wasn't whole stand stuff, but, certainly certain CSCs were getting involved in belting out their "forbidden" song book. I am being honest here.

 

Our support were certainly more vocal in their singing, but, I stand by my " as bad as each other comment ". I am a Rangers supporter, but I am regularly in Parkhead and Ibrox, and see both sides acting just as bad as each other.

 

I will re-iterate though, On Sunday, the police/Stewards were very proactive in identifying instigators. Not to mention taking screen grabs of CCTV of people that were responsible.

 

There's more that goes on in stadium control rooms than people give credit for.

[Kenny McBride]

That's good to hear. Unfortunately - and this does go absolutely for both sides - until serious punitive action is taken on the clubs, it will never stop. You can't arrest 50,000 people. You have to make the behaviour of the fans something that the clubs can be punished for, in the most brutal way possible. You can do it for violence in the stands, so if the SFA or the SPL or whoever wants to make a genuine stand on the issue, I think point deductions and suspension from cup competitions is the way to go. The majority of fans surely aren't stupid enough to let anyone near them sing if they think it's going to cost them a trophy. And if they do, well it gives the other teams a fantastic shot at getting some silverware out of OF stupidity.

[Dazz]

That's good to hear. Unfortunately - and this does go absolutely for both sides - until serious punitive action is taken on the clubs, it will never stop. You can't arrest 50,000 people. You have to make the behaviour of the fans something that the clubs can be punished for, in the most brutal way possible. You can do it for violence in the stands, so if the SFA or the SPL or whoever wants to make a genuine stand on the issue, I think point deductions and suspension from cup competitions is the way to go. The majority of fans surely aren't stupid enough to let anyone near them sing if they think it's going to cost them a trophy. And if they do, well it gives the other teams a fantastic shot at getting some silverware out of OF stupidity.

 

I say kicking teams out of competitions would not be a good move, because, it could only end badly. However, point deductions could be a good move, because, it could further encourage (as it DOES happen already) people to report those who are taking it too far.

 

But, it has to go both ways. Both sides of the OF need to be outwardly pro-active, and proove they are doing stuff. Because, if not, it'll just come out as the usual "Celtic are the victim" or "Rangers are the victim".

 

Don't get me wrong, I love a great atmosphere and a good sing along with my fellow supporters, but, until something is done, the focus won't be the football.

[neil]

You've never bothered to police this thread in the past. Rick has made it abundantly clear that any attempts to go over the line will be punished by him; somebody who regularly follows and contributes to the thread. Unfortunately, "the stupid religion stuff" is at the tip of the tongue in every medium of football reportage for us. It's talked about in phone-ins, summits held by the police to curb out Old Firm violence and in other assorted areas of journalism. To censure it completely is part of the problem and part of the reason why sections of supporters think it is okay to shout about killing Catholics from the rooftops.

When the moderator forum gets filled with reports season after season from this thread, then it becomes a problem. I've had to police this thread year after year so I have no idea what you're getting at.

 

I'm not convinced that you can have civilised discussions about the religious connections in Scottish football, but to give you the benefit of the doubt I'll just say that any inflammatory religion posts in this thread from now on will get you suspended.

[Kenny McBride]

It all comes back to the clubs taking a stand. I remember Fergus McCann making a big deal of telling the fans to drown out anyone singing anything inappropriate. That sort of thing would be a very good start. If the clubs are throwing people out then they should make a bigger deal of that too, though. How good would it look for Rangers if they put out a wee report every fortnight saying "as part of the club's anti-bigotry efforts, 15 fans were ejected for the stadium and had their season books revoked after stewards spotted them starting a chorus of 'The Billy Boys'. Rangers fans were reminded once again that bigotry will not be tolerated at Ibrox and instigators will be removed and barred from the entering the stadium for the rest of the season." It would also send a message to the rest of the crowd that they could be next, so button it.