Football fans face sectarian case

[ian1964 10,874]

Last updated 26 Sep 2011 - 11:50 am

Three football fans are due in court over sectarianism

 

Three football fans are due in court in connection with allegations of sectarianism at a match.

 

The men were arrested at Dunfermline's ground, East End Park, as the home team took on Rangers on Saturday.

 

The Glasgow club won 4-0.

 

The men, aged 19, 20 and 31, were arrested as part of an ongoing operation by Fife Constabulary to tackle football-related hate crime.

 

All three men were arrested in the East Stand of the stadium occupied by Rangers supporters.

 

They are expected to appear at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

 

A spokesman for Dunfermline Athletic said: "If they are convicted, we will name and shame them on our website. We are a family-friendly football club and there is no place for anyone at Dunfermline who breaks the law."

 

The Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Bill is currently making its way through Holyrood.

 

The Bill is designed to cover offensive behaviour in and around football stadia, or involving fans travelling to and from the match.

 

It was sparked by several incidents last season, with high profile footballing figures including Celtic boss Neil Lennon and fans threatened with bombs and bullets amid growing tension on and off the pitch.

 

http://breakingnews.heraldscotland.com/breaking-news/?mode=article&site=hs&id=N0585551317003264110A

[Gazza_8 233]

Wonder what they said.

[GovanAllan 0]

Mate at the game thinks it was FTP add on. But he went on to say that FTQ and Go Home Ya Huns was coming from the Dunfermline fans right in front of the ninja sectarian police.

[Guest Dutchy]

It's unfortunate they can't use that as a defense in court, but on the whole, we have to very, very careful, especially at away games, so I'm afraid that these guys, if found guilty will be made an example off. They could get a couple of month in prison, but maybe they'll get a good lawyer wanting to make a name for himself.

 

Then again, if they got off, there would be an outcry. And we all know where from.

[calscot 0]

I don't think people need to be careful, they just have start controlling whatever strange urge they have to shout, sing or chant those words. It really shouldn't be hard for any reasonable person...

[craig 5,199]

It is the double standards that are annoying.

 

Arrested for signing FTP... whilst others have carte blanche, at the same game, to sing FTQ. So it is more offensive to chant about the leader of a religion that it is about the head of state in the country in which these people presumably reside.

 

This is a mess that will only get worse.

[metlika 0]

Wasn't the Dunfermline fans heard singing we aren't sectarian and then show their shear hypocrisy like most clubs. There only was focus on us though diddy clubs don't matter....

[chilledbear 16]

I don't think people need to be careful, they just have start controlling whatever strange urge they have to shout, sing or chant those words. It really shouldn't be hard for any reasonable person...

 

This.

 

Surely not difficult.

[calscot 0]

It is the double standards that are annoying.

 

Arrested for signing FTP... whilst others have carte blanche, at the same game, to sing FTQ. So it is more offensive to chant about the leader of a religion that it is about the head of state in the country in which these people presumably reside.

 

This is a mess that will only get worse.

 

I completely agree with that aspect too.

[Guest Dutchy]

I agree that it's no hard job to keep your feelings under control, but I was only saying we should be more careful than others, because we're being watched a lot more than anyone else, which seems unfair to me, as well as some bad double standards are being shown.

 

This is especially annoying as football chanting is there in the mainn to wind up your opponent, so if others will get away with it, we need to be very careful of our responses to it. Unfortunately, it's the court, no matter how much anyone thinks that it's a justified response as that will not stand up in court. As I was trying to suggest in my OP of it being a pity that it couldn't be used as a defence.

 

My new bloody laptop went kaput today, so I'm a bit pissed off.