Assembly statement on TBB

[chilledbear 16]

With 'Friends' like these:confused: Lets highlight Rangers Supporters, and ignore everyone else.

[Bluedell 5,348]

You are correct in presuming, but not in fact. Nowhere in the overturning of the original ruling is anything mentioned as being banned, the usual UEFA fudge was put in place "unacceptable" was the favoured expression, as in the original ruling UEFA would be in breach of their own rules Article 6 (1) to attempt to implement any further sanctions, many things in life are seen as unacceptable, but are not banned.

I didn't say anything about it being banned.

 

 

I do know that a rather irate legal eagle of Rangers tradition is intending to use some words from "God Save The Queen", as a rebuttal of scurrilous allegations ascribed to TBB. Namely,..

 

Lord grant that Marshal Wade

May by thy mighty aid

Victory bring

May he sedition hush

And like a torrent rush

Rebellious Scots to crush

God save the Queen.

 

Don't quite see the connection. It's not a verse that is used or was ever adopted, although I do agree with the sentiments. Rebellious Scots should be crushed.

 

 

There are also implications to a High court ruling with regard to "feenians" as being all encompassing to people of Irish descent and the famine song.

 

A ruling that brings embarrassment on the Scottish legal system.

[wabashcannonball 0]

I didn't say anything about it being banned.

 

 

 

 

Don't quite see the connection. It's not a verse that is used or was ever adopted, although I do agree with the sentiments. Rebellious Scots should be crushed.

 

 

 

 

A ruling that brings embarrassment on the Scottish legal system.

 

 

I didn't say you said it was banned, for a very good reason it has not been banned.

[ian1964 10,428]

Famine Song

Assembly - UEFA Directive

 

On the 19th June 2009, the Appeal Court of the High Court of Judiciary upheld a conviction against William Walls who had previously been found guilty of breach of the peace, aggravated by religious and racial prejudice, at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court in December – for singing/chanting ‘fuck the Pope’, ‘****** bastards’ and the Famine Song.

 

The Appeal Court ruled that the term ‘****** Bastards’ was ‘either an expression of religious prejudice or racial bigotry or both’. Walls had also been signing the refrain from the Famine Song.

 

In their written judgement the judges said: “The song calls upon persons of Irish descent, who are living in Scotland, to go back to the land of their ancestors, namely Ireland. The Court does not consider that the lyrics of this refrain bear any reasonable comparison to those of "Flower of Scotland" or indeed "God Save the Queen". Rather they are racist in calling upon people native to Scotland to leave the country because of their racial origins. This is a sentiment which, once more, many persons will find offensive.”

 

The judges went on: “The Court also has no difficulty in accepting the Sheriff's conclusion that singing the refrain from the "Famine Song" and referring to persons as "****** Bastards" displays malice and ill-will towards people of Irish descent living in Scotland. In the context of a football fanatic, such as the appellant, who has presumably attended other Rangers' matches where this song has been sung, even if he did not know all the words to all the verses, he would be well acquainted with their general import and sentiment.”

 

The Appeal Court supported the sheriff’s ruling that Walls was guilty of a racially aggravated breach of the peace.

 

SFA/SPL

SFA / SPL regulations starting season 2007/2008. The SFA and SPL introduced Guidance for Clubs designed to prevent incidents which involve unacceptable conduct at stadia in Scotland. Clubs must ensure that relevant policies have been adopted to prevent such behaviour and that where such incidents do occur they are dealt with effectively. Each club has a responsibility for the conduct of players, officials and supporters as well as other persons connected with the club.

 

The Police control the stadium operation however to achieve compliance with the new guidance the club must conform with a lengthy checklist of conditions indicating that the club will not tolerate any form of unacceptable behaviour. It must also proactively raise awareness of the campaign to eliminate unacceptable conduct and take action against those who engage in such behaviour.

 

The SPL considered taking action against the Club in regard to sectarian singing by supporters at Inverness at the opening game of the 2008-09 season. The club successfully challenged proposed sanctions after proving that the club had taken all reasonable steps to ensure appropriate behaviour, not that the offensive singing and chanting did not take place. Again, the Club was warned about potential consequences of inappropriate behaviour by fans in the future.

 

UEFA Directive

Assembly - UEFA Directive

 

CLARIFICATION

 

UEFA DIRECTIVES.

Villareal

Following the two UEFA Champions League fixtures against Villareal in February and March 2006, UEFA charged Rangers FC for being responsible for discriminatory chants sung by sections of their supporters at both matches, in particular, the ‘Billy Boys’ and ‘Fuck the Pope’.

 

Rangers challenged the charges and the UEFA Control & Disciplinary Body cleared the Club in April 2006.

 

UEFA appealed that decision and the Disciplinary Inspector called for the closure of parts of Ibrox stadium, as well as a CHF 35,000 fine. UEFA rules also allowed the consideration of forcing Rangers to play matches behind closed doors, as well as a stadium ban.

 

The UEFA Appeals Body investigated the case and again Rangers FC challenged all charges. The club was fined CHF 30,000 and the closure or partial closure of Ibrox stadium, as originally sought, was prevented. However, the Club was severely warned about its responsibility for the future conduct of supporters and a directive was issued which stated (in conjunction with the Judgment from the Appeals Body):

 

• ‘Fuck the Pope’ is discriminatory under UEFA rules

• The ‘Billy Boys’ is associated “with an attitude that is strongly sectarian and thus discriminatory”.

• The directive also instructed to the Club to implement a range of measures to demonstrate its continuing efforts to eradicate sectarianism, including the banning of supporters indulging in such behaviour, communication of anti-sectarian messages etc.

• UEFA made it clear that the singing of the Billy Boys was prohibited. Songs and chants that referred to ‘fuck the Pope’ and ‘******s’ were also condemned. The UEFA directive referred to the ‘ethos’ of its decision and said that a club such as Rangers should be in a position to encourage behaviour that would not jeopardise the club at domestic and international fixtures.

Osasuna

Following the UEFA Cup tie against Osasuna in March 2007, Rangers were fined 20,000 Swiss francs for “discriminatory singing” by its supporters. Osasuna was fined far more heavily due to the lack of security arrangements on the night.

 

UEFA specifically mentioned “No Pope in Rome”, “Fuck the Pope” and the Billy Boys as discriminatory singing and concluded the following:

 

“UEFA has to send a strong message that sectarianism is unacceptable within football, especially within UEFA competitions. If Rangers FC wishes to compete in UEFA competitions, they must combat this behaviour not only on the occasion of home matches but also on the occasion of away matches. These incidents are ascribable to Rangers FC in accordance with Article 6(1) RD and must be punished accordingly.”

 

Since that time, the Club has continued with informal liaison with UEFA and the Scottish football authorities and it is clear that the Club and its supporters are unlikely to be given the benefit of the doubt in the future should there be further incidents.

 

http://www.thebluenose.co.uk/assembly/uefa-directive/

[wabashcannonball 0]

So , there is no evidence that TBB has been banned or prohibited anywhere on the UEFA website, or in any official UEFA statement, merely deemed unacceptable.

[Totti 0]

So , there is no evidence that TBB has been banned or prohibited anywhere on the UEFA website, or in any official UEFA statement, merely deemed unacceptable.

Yeah, they're just threatening us with being thrown out the tournament .

 

Let's not get embroiled in a pedantic argument. Fact is they don't want us signing the song and have made that crystal clear. Removal from the champions league for a few seasons would destroy us financially.

[wabashcannonball 0]

Yeah, they're just threatening us with being thrown out the tournament .

 

Let's not get embroiled in a pedantic argument. Fact is they don't want us signing the song and have made that crystal clear. Removal from the champions league for a few seasons would destroy us financially.

 

Pedantic? it has not been banned, nothing pedantic about that. Now if you can produce this mythical letter apparently seen by the hand wringers, which UEFA allegedly sent to Rangers, allegedly banning this allegedly sectarian song, let someone produce it and publish it. Perhaps it has been banned secretly, so that no one knows about it, except of course the alleged nod and a wink in the know important people.

[Bluedell 5,348]

So , there is no evidence that TBB has been banned or prohibited anywhere on the UEFA website, or in any official UEFA statement, merely deemed unacceptable.

 

If we are to take the quote as genuine, then it's not just that it's unacceptable but it's unacceptable and Rangers will get punished.

[Bluedell 5,348]

Pedantic? it has not been banned, nothing pedantic about that. Now if you can produce this mythical letter apparently seen by the hand wringers, which UEFA allegedly sent to Rangers, allegedly banning this allegedly sectarian song, let someone produce it and publish it. Perhaps it has been banned secretly, so that no one knows about it, except of course the alleged nod and a wink in the know important people.

 

I don't have any doubt that there is a letter. Not sure why the sight of the letter makes you a handwringer though.

 

It's probably more relevant to ask whether the letter was genuine.

[wabashcannonball 0]

Now how could UEFA punish Rangers, and what for, let us see how many of the Billy Boys choir are arrested or charged after the tattiedome encounter, I will bet you a coos shite to a gold bar that no one is arrested or charged for singing a traditional Rangers song, where do UEFA, who we are told by everyone except them that it is banned go then, that's right with their tals between their legs.