Daaaaaad! Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 All diverting from the point (but mentioned because some people have taken offence at the reporting of the boy with the Long Kesh t-shirt),which is this: the Rangers fans do not like Celtic. The reason they do not like it is that it is a Catholic, Irish club, but an open club. It always has been and it always will be. Rangers are the philosophical opposite. Utter bollocks. I don't like Celtic because they're my favourite team's rivals. Simple as. Besides, don't come it with your nonsense about 'open-ness'; Mark Walters says hello, especially after he was racially abused during Old Firm games. Not very open if you ask me, although I'm sure you'll throw in the fact that Rangers had to ban some of their own moronic season ticket holders as an excuse. Â If he can realise it, why can't Rangers (who have never signed anyone from the Republic of Ireland in relevant memory) or Rangers fans (who like to appropriate traditional Irish tunes for their anthems of hate)? Is this not perhaps more to do with how Celtic are deeply linked with the Republic? I seriously doubt many (if any) Irish players would actually be willing to play for Rangers, whether they attempted to sign them or not. James McCarthy is the logical example here, who Rangers attempted to sign but were rejected - his decision, not ours. Â While the world has changed and Rangers have had to adapt (to comply with the law, and also to present a dignified face to a more worldly audience, who can see a local story across the globe as it happens) the fanbase still has intolerance in its DNA. The club can tackle it by admitting they have been, and still are, institutionally racist. But they won't because they are terrified of the broad base of support that stand openly belting out songs about being up to their knees in Fenian blood... feck the Pope and Vatican, no chapels to sadden my eyes, no nuns and no priests, no rosary beads... Â The 'small minority' of fans are not those who are a disgrace to Scotland and Scottish football. That is the overwhelming majority. The 'small minority' are those who do not join in. So, fantastic - I'm only not a disgrace to Scottish football because I don't "join in"? Never mind if I find the whole issue of religion within football (or outwith for that matter) completely wasteful and useless on either side, or if I actively support the club banning sectarian supporters - it's not that I'm a reasonable Rangers fan, I'm just someone who's not joining in? Â Football is a pantomime and if people are offended by ribaldry they should find another pastime. However, it should not be the vehicle for a growing groundswell of hate and bigotry. No race, creed or colour would be expected to listen to such a litany of bile in European football. Why do the same laws and morals not apply in Scotland? The answer lies not just in the football grounds, or in Scotland's summers, where a tuneless festival of hate marches through its streets, but in Parliament, where a bunch of media-savvy politicians play a game of equitable blame, only to turn a blind eye to the ugly truth. David's post from a couple pages back proves that, whilst the Celtic-minded media would like to pretend it's Scotland vs. Them, this sort of awful behaviour is not uncommon around the world and goes virtually unpunished. It's not just Scotland, and Celtic aren't the only club in the world. Does that make it any better? No, but it's better than living in the 'la la la I'm not listening' bubble that so many Celtic fans create. Â I enjoyed both the articles David quoted two posts up. It's especially poignant when one considers that in the rare time I found away from work and educational commitments, myself and my Dad made the four hour trip up to Glasgow for the Rangers vs. Sporting CP game to support the team, yet 'fans' in Scotland often cannot be arsed; something I absolutely cannot fathom. If I was living in Scotland again I'd be going to every game I could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaka Demus Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 It's interesting how Soapy continually posts stuff from the discredited Graham Spiers, a man sacked from every paper he's ever written for down to his insistence on writing absolute fabrication week on week. Â As for this "open-ness", if you're talking about racial abuse (Mark Walters, Claudio Reyna after 9/11), Child abuse (Jim Torbett *sweep sweep*) then your club is most definitely "open". Not to mention the most prominent Celtic forum on the Internet posting addresses of Rangers players and encouraging members to do something. Â I'm sure Soapy has conveniently forgotten that day in 1999 when no fewer than 3 fans ran onto the park to attack the referee, another hit him with a coin leading to him bleeding from the head. Then the guy trying to fly off the top tier. Â Celtic fans must carry around the biggest fuck off brush in the world because they are brilliant at sweeping their own clubs misdeeds under the carpet when it gets in the way of bringing up Rangers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bAzTNM Fan Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Woah. Loads of misconstrued points here. For a start, Ally: I didn't post anything from Graham Spiers. That was David. Â Benoit's Missing Tooth and Dingbat: again, I didn't write the article I posted (however, it will be retconned in future arguments that I am indeed responsible for penning every word of it), and I am sorry you feel that way about certain sentiments expressed in the piece, but I can't change your mind. Benoit's Missing Tooth, you seem to have went on a rather lengthy diatribe about nothing because you are directing your rage towards me instead of someone who actually deserves your ire. Â The bottom line is this: I think after we have wasted the time of both clubs, the police, the parliament and several hours of football coverage in Scotland having an "Old Firm summit" in which they ostensibly tried to sort out some of the most major issues affecting the tie: we are entitled to expect some degree of change. Obviously, matters such as alcohol consumption/domestic abuse/scrapping in the street cannot be dealt with overnight and require a bit more endeavour to sort out. However, I think the problem of singing can and should be sorted out. Â Like I have said before, I am not saying this is everyone. It is NOT a minority at Ibrox, though, and I believe it IS a minority at Parkhead. This is my point. I am not trying to get dragged into a to-and-fro discussion about who is worse. YOUS PYOOR SING ABOOT THE IRA! BOBBY SANDS AN AW' THAT! WHIT'S THAT GOT TO DO WITH FOOTBALL?!" Like Kenny said, I would rather not have The Boys of the Old Brigade, add-ons during the Fields of Athenry (though to bin it altogether is a ludicrous idea) and whatnot. I think it's important that we curb out songs that are directly intended to cause significant harm or offence (the Billy Boys being the greatest example of this). I don't care about God Save The Queen, Rule Britannia etc. I just think heavier penalties need to be applied for the more serious songs - ON BOTH SIDES. I would happily see people who sing what a fair, regulated authority would consider to be sectarian banned from Parkhead, Ibrox, Hampden - you name it. Â Oh, and on the point of other clubs hating Celtic and Rangers: well, duh? We are the two biggest club's in the country. Ally, no matter what slant you or I or Dingbat or InvertedSmiley or GIB puts on anything: it's stone cold fact that the Scottish Cup Final in 1980 is the blackest day in Scottish football history (tragedy and deaths etc aside). Both sides giving a complete showing up of ourselves on the grandest stage, and a day that is the defining nail in the coffin of a drink ever seeing the light of day in a Scottish ground again (thank fuck). It's easy to cast up past transgressions (even though history will evidently show you that Rangers' catalogue is much, much more vast), but this is not what we are trying to argue today: even if you feel like you must use it as a platform to get in your spots about child abuse in between your cosying up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InvertedSmiley Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 It's interesting how Soapy continually posts stuff from the discredited Graham Spiers, a man sacked from every paper he's ever written for down to his insistence on writing absolute fabrication week on week. Did Graham Spiers fabricate the singing of the UEFA-banned Billy Boys and The Famine Song by Rangers supporters on Sunday? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stylin_and_Profilin Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Then the guy trying to fly off the top tier. Â Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaka Demus Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 It's interesting how Soapy continually posts stuff from the discredited Graham Spiers, a man sacked from every paper he's ever written for down to his insistence on writing absolute fabrication week on week. Did Graham Spiers fabricate the singing of the UEFA-banned Billy Boys and The Famine Song by Rangers supporters on Sunday? Â LOL "The UEFA banned". UEFA banned standing at games, yet countless clubs still do it. Should we dock them points? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Freddie Ljungberg wants to win a new contract from Celtic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members bAzTNM#1 Posted March 23, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted March 23, 2011 Totally forgot all about him. What ruled him out of the Cup Final? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny McBride Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Totally forgot all about him. What ruled him out of the Cup Final? Â Being old and out of shape and not as good as Izzaguirre any more? Â It's interesting how Soapy continually posts stuff from the discredited Graham Spiers, a man sacked from every paper he's ever written for down to his insistence on writing absolute fabrication week on week. Did Graham Spiers fabricate the singing of the UEFA-banned Billy Boys and The Famine Song by Rangers supporters on Sunday? Â LOL "The UEFA banned". UEFA banned standing at games, yet countless clubs still do it. Should we dock them points? Â That depends. Are politicians referring to standing up at games as "EUROPE'S SECRET SHAME"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InvertedSmiley Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 It's interesting how Soapy continually posts stuff from the discredited Graham Spiers, a man sacked from every paper he's ever written for down to his insistence on writing absolute fabrication week on week. Did Graham Spiers fabricate the singing of the UEFA-banned Billy Boys and The Famine Song by Rangers supporters on Sunday? Â LOL "The UEFA banned". UEFA banned standing at games, yet countless clubs still do it. Should we dock them points? Graham Spiers's article wasn't about standing at games. It was about the sectarian singing of Rangers supporters at the CIS Cup final, which you apparently think was fabricated. Â The Billy Boys has been banned by UEFA. I don't believe that Rangers should be docked points for their fans continued insistence on singing the song. But I do think that the club should be more pro-active in rooting out such songs. Their current stance of occassionally pleading with fans not to sing songs such as The Billy Boys because it might get them in trouble isn't working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jobberinho Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 If Graham Spiers was 'sacked' from the Glasgow Herald like every other job he's had and just managed to land a better paying gig at The Times and reports to the London office he's done OK or there's some uncharacteristically lax recruitment/editiorial processes going down on Fleet Street. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaka Demus Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 It's interesting how Soapy continually posts stuff from the discredited Graham Spiers, a man sacked from every paper he's ever written for down to his insistence on writing absolute fabrication week on week. Did Graham Spiers fabricate the singing of the UEFA-banned Billy Boys and The Famine Song by Rangers supporters on Sunday? Â LOL "The UEFA banned". UEFA banned standing at games, yet countless clubs still do it. Should we dock them points? Graham Spiers's article wasn't about standing at games. It was about the sectarian singing of Rangers supporters at the CIS Cup final, which you apparently think was fabricated. Â The Billy Boys has been banned by UEFA. I don't believe that Rangers should be docked points for their fans continued insistence on singing the song. But I do think that the club should be more pro-active in rooting out such songs. Their current stance of occassionally pleading with fans not to sing songs such as The Billy Boys because it might get them in trouble isn't working. Â What else can they do other than ask people not to sing it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaka Demus Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 That depends. Are politicians referring to standing up at games as "EUROPE'S SECRET SHAME"? Â Politicians seem to pop up all over Scottish football in the run up to an election. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgmilne Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Edit - I replied to something without reading the previous posts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daaaaaad! Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/t...ers/9434291.stm  Looks like Blackburn won't be after a transfer fee for Diouf... which is bad news, as I was hoping we couldn't afford him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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