ian1964 10,459 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 The Scottish Police Federation has called for an end to Old Firm "madness" after trouble flared once again at last night's match. Thirty-four arrests were made as Celtic beat Rangers 1-0 in the Scottish Cup fifth-round replay. An SPL match at Celtic Park last month led to 16 arrests within the ground and more than 200 in the Strathclyde force area. SPF chairman Les Gray said police no longer had the budget to deal with match-related unrest, and he called for the derby to be played behind closed doors or banned altogether. Mr Gray said: "We simply don't have the money and resources to do this. "Everyone involved needs to sit down and look at this. Something has to give. This madness cannot go on." Strathclyde Police said last night's arrests were for a variety of sectarian, racial and breach of the peace offences. Police had warned they would crack down on drink-fuelled violence linked to the match after trouble flared in the wake of the last Old Firm game. On February 20, more than 229 people were arrested in the force area and in some cases prisoners were said to have been driven 50 miles as police cells filled up. Mr Gray said consideration should be given to playing the matches behind closed doors or restricting the television coverage. Speaking after the latest clash, which saw Rangers assistant manager Ally McCoist and Celtic manager Neil Lennon involved in angry scenes, he said: "What happens on the pitch is reproduced throughout Scotland, on the streets, in pubs, in homes. "You cannot justify it. It can't keep on going." Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said the violence has more to do with alcohol and is less about football. He said yesterday: "There is a deep-rooted and unacceptable social issue involved - which has a great deal to do with Scotland's damaging relationship with alcohol, and little to do with football. "The issue is far wider than clubs and the game. It is about a culture of violence fuelled by alcohol. "By all means drink responsibly and safely but do not get drunk, get violent, assault your partner or anyone else - the message is that any such conduct is utterly shameful and unacceptable." What a fucking joke. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew_2010 0 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 At least someone has gone on the record and pointed out it is a scottish society/drink problem and not just "big bad Rangers". 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankie 8,186 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 The police and SFA are now actively heightening tensions rather than alleviating them. Talk about passing the buck! 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazza_8 233 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Beating up your wife/husband or assaulting anyone for that matter is a joke? Fans of both clubs need to take a long hard look at themselves. It's only a game of football FFS. People seem to forget this!! OF Games should be played with a 9pm kick off on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday night. All pubs should close at 6pm on the day of the match until opening the next day. When the supporters buses return from the game the licensed premises are shut so they'll be forced to go home sober! Supermarkets ie Asda and Tesco etc should not be allowed to seel alcohol to anyone after 6pm on an OF matchday until 10am the next day. By all means drink in the house there's not an issue with that but keep the shit behind closed doors. There was zero trouble in Coatbridge last night because the game was midweek with an evening kick off. The majority of people had work the next day so went home at FT. Swap that for a weekend OF game where people are out drinking all day and night. Honestly, it would work. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1964 10,459 Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 Social problem but lets blame football. The Police will want all night clubs/pubs shut down as well,pathetic,just do what we pay you for 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazza_8 233 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 The police and SFA are now actively heightening tensions rather than alleviating them. Talk about passing the buck! The fans, players and management of the OF clubs don't help matters either. They all pass the buck like everyone else. The players and management are role models for the younger fans. The performance of the players and management last night didn't help. Everyone should take a long hard look at themselves. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazza_8 233 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 (edited) Social problem but lets blame football. The Police will want all night clubs/pubs shut down as well,pathetic,just do what we pay you for They do. They answer calls from drunk morons beating up their wife/husband because they couldn't take it that their team got beaten by their rival. If the idiots out there behaved themselves the police wouldn't need to make statements in the press and they could do what the tax payer pay them for (that old chestnut). Unbelievable. Edited March 3, 2011 by Gazza_8 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
calscot 0 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Does anyone actually think that even gong further and banning football completely in Scotland, would mean that people would no longer drink alcohol and violence would be a thing of the past? Football may be one of the chosen focal points, but it is not the trigger. Funnily enough, there are opinions that the violence on the field of play from Rugby, Grid Iron and Ice Hockey reduces the violence in the crowd as they have vicariously had their fill. The same is said of Gladiators in Roman times. The answer may be to make OF MORE violent on the pitch... It would be interesting to know how many people were arrested for singing silly songs... That's definitely a complete waste of police time. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1964 10,459 Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 According to SSN, 34 in total. 20 for "sectarian singing" 1 for "racial singing" 1 for breaking banning order 11 for folk being pissed 1 for physical assault. Old Firm mayhem indeed 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyk 158 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 (edited) If this ever went ahead then Scottish football would die!! Fans and clubs need to do more but so do the bloody police. Police lift random fans at games yet let others off for exactly the same offence which I find weird. Do fans singing a few lines of a song they find unacceptable (do they actually know what songs are labelled as unacceptable) need to be lifted? Do some fans who won't sit down really need to be lifted? They create a lot of bad situations and make things much worse by their actions but they can do what they want can't they it's never really their fault. Fans are scared to approach them at football games in case they get lifted themselves for any little thing. Why is there so much police at other games when they are clearly not needed, surely this would save them money and resources? Edited March 3, 2011 by johnnyk 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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