The Song Remains The Same

[andy steel 0]

When an ill advised Rangers supporter, watching a dull game between his side and Kilmarnock last season, rose to his feet and began a chant of 'The famine's over, why don't you go home?', he had little idea the weight of the law was about to fall upon him.

 

Pointed out by a steward (apparently employed by Rangers, incidentally), arrested by the police, ejected from the stadium, charged with aggravated breach of the peace, conviction confirmed on appeal. One of the lines from a policeman's testimony has stuck with me, that the man was 'acting in a manner likely to alarm others.'

 

Leaving aside the weak legal grounds and general pointlessness of the whole affair, it nontheless shows us where we stand as football supporters attending games, and what we can and can't do.

 

Contrast this with some 40 Celtic fans, standing outside Falkirk's ground last Sunday, waiting until the start of a minute's silence on Remembrance Sunday and then carolling the assembed throng with a Republican anthem, which BBC Scotland report was in praise of an IRA terrorist killed by the British Army.

 

No arrests.

 

Are we to assume that the officers of the law who were there refused to carry out their duties during this emotional moment? Or that they considered singing through the silence not to be a breach of the peace? Or that their behaviour would neither alarm nor outrage anyone else?

 

I wouldn't like to see people arrested for singing, no matter how offensively. It actually beggars, if you'll pardon the pun, belief that one can be arrested in Scotland for singing, no matter how badly. If one is about to smash someone on the head with a bottle while chanting I can see the point but not for mere words. Whatever happened to sticks and stones?

 

The point here is that when Rangers fans sing some (offensive to some) songs, they are slammed. When their fans, as a group or individually, sing something which one group doesn't like, they are slammed. When another group sings, nothing is done.

 

The legal system in this country has a choice to make, and make it it must. Either singing is sometimes unsavoury but hardly worthy of legal proceedings, or everyone comes under the same laws and they must be applied equally. This seems straightforward common sense to me - my worry is that the law in this country has been drawn to the siren song of The Great Oppressed and can't see the wood for the trees.

Edited November 10, 2009 by andy steel

[bmck 117]

this is the crux of it for me. either our sensibilities are too fragile for offensive singing or they aren't. no middle ground, or some strands of offense being worse than others.

[Bluedell 5,356]

Elish Angiolini doesn't seem too bothered about one half of the city.

[Frankie 8,186]

An excellent post which sums up the situation perfectly. One can't be outraged one minute then amused the next. Not at work today so will post this on the main site tomorrow.

[gisabeer 409]

its certainly flavour of the month to anyone who is anti british, especially in the mhedia

[Wija 0]

Having just watched the Soldiers hearse's going through Wootton Bassett it leaves an even more bitter taste in the mouth.

 

I have a Timmy friend who on FB has stated that they didn't know and the fans were outside, unfortunately a friend who supports Falkirk was also at the game and states quite clearly they were in the ground and knew exactly what was going on. He (Timmy friend) is anything but bitter, but he has clearly started to believe the lies told by the Green Brigade and Liewell. Shame really, he's a smart lad.

 

Whilts it is clear that there were Irish fighting in both Wars, and indeed the only Scottish Footballer to get a VC was a Celtic player the irony of it all heeps more shame on them. They hate us more than they support their team, and they even hate their own.. Animals, scum and the lowest of the low.

[Frankie 8,186]

Now on main site and Newsnow...

 

http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=147:

 

[andy steel 0]

I wish I could think of a better concluding paragraph.

[Frankie 8,186]

Ends pretty well IMO mate...

 

Getting a nice headline and closing comment is always the hardest part about writing stuff for the wires. Good fun all the same! Thanks for your efforts!