Rangers keeper Adam on bigot rap

[Ergatrude 0]

He should be punished by way of maybe missing the next few games he would have featured or a fine, but I really don't think this should be enough to lose his job. He is young & he has done wrong but I think we have to remember that, according to reports, all he said was "Fuck the Pope". He didn't threaten anyone, he wasn't violent & he didn't mock any religious or political bodies.

 

I believe instances like this is where our country may be going wrong, it seems to me that it's all about making an example of people. How many examples is it going to take? I think we need to educate people more about why it's wrong to say these things instead of just telling them that they can't.

 

If this is enough for him to be removed from Rangers then the same should be said for comments like "Fuck the Queen", "Fuck David Cameron", "Fuck Allah", "Fuck your dah, am harder". Yes, I went too far there but the point is where would it end?

[BrahimHemdani 1]

I agree BH he's been stupid and someone at the club should have a word with him. But at a time when everybody and their granny is lining up to have a pop, it's the ideal time for Rangers to stand up for its own. You have to ask yourself if this had Been anybody else would the authorities have been so quick to act I think not.

 

The remark about the RC Church relates to the fact that in this country even the least little critical comment against them results in a furious backlash and screams of bigotry. All church's should be held to a high standard and if pointing out that they have been falling short of that standard for centuries ends with someone being publicly branded a bigot then this country is finished.

 

I am glad we have found a measure of agreement GA but I am saddened that you still think that the Club should stand up for someone who has been so stupid and thoughtless (if proven). I think anyone who (allegedly) walks up to a policeman and shouts FTP or the like is going to get arrested, don't you?

 

I agree that all churches should be held to a high standard and I have no problem whatsoever with you or anyone else pointing to the misdeeds of any church but I still don't see the connection far less justifcation for Grant Adam to behave that way (if he did).

Edited November 9, 2011 by BrahimHemdani
typo

[BrahimHemdani 1]

I think we need to educate people more about why it's wrong to say these things instead of just telling them that they can't.

 

If this is enough for him to be removed from Rangers then the same should be said for comments like "Fuck the Queen", "Fuck David Cameron", "Fuck Allah", "Fuck your dah, am harder". Yes, I went too far there but the point is where would it end?

 

Intersting thoughts, sir.

 

Undoubtedly there is an education job to be done that might take a generation; I think you may well see Government pushing that very hard in the near future, segregated schools notwithstanding.

 

On your second point, the answer, at least in terms of the OBB is that for a conviction to be secured the offence has to be in respect of a regulated football match the behaviour has to be offensive AND likely to incite public disorder. Offensive behaviour is defined inter alia as behaviour that expresses hatred of a group of persons or an individual based on their membership of a religious group, social or cultural group with perceived religious affiliation

or other behaviour that a reasonable person would be likely to consider offensive.

 

Government Ministers argue that a reasonable person is well defined in the law but if I was a lawyer (which I am not) defending someone charged with such an offense I might think about starting by arguing that the old definition of the man on the Clapham omnibus hardly applies in Scotland!

 

So whilst the man on the Clapham omnibus might regard your comment about the Prime Minister as offensive that might not be true in this part of the world!

[Ergatrude 0]

So whilst the man on the Clapham omnibus might regard your comment about the Prime Minister as offensive that might not be true in this part of the world!

 

This is the part I can't get my head around mate, it seems to just be certain things that are deemed as offensive enough for action. In my personal opinion saying "fuck the" in front of the word Pope, Queen should not be deemed offensive as you aren't actually saying anything other than you dislike this person. I do, however, see the point about inciting public disorder.

[BrahimHemdani 1]

This is the part I can't get my head around mate, it seems to just be certain things that are deemed as offensive enough for action. In my personal opinion saying "fuck the" in front of the word Pope, Queen should not be deemed offensive as you aren't actually saying anything other than you dislike this person. I do, however, see the point about inciting public disorder.

 

What makes it even worse is that ultimately it's going to be down to the polis in the first instance to decide what constitutes offensive behaviour in the eyes of this mythical reasonable person and if that's not a recipe for inconsistency I don't know what is.

[GovanAllan 0]

I am glad we have found a measure of agreement GA but I am saddened that you still think that the Club should stand up for someone who has been so stupid and thoughtless (if proven). I think anyone who (allegedly) walks up to a policeman and shouts FTP or the like is going to get arrested, don't you?

 

I agree that all churches should be held to a high standard and I have no problem whatsoever with you or anyone else pointing to the misdeeds of any church but I still don't see the connection far less justifcation for Grant Adam to behave that way (if he did).

 

Starting to find common ground I think BH I agree he was stupid, if I think back to some of the things I've done at that age I cringe. But ruining his career over this is to far no one was hurt. I'm sure he feels a right prick but that's all he's been.

 

There are plenty of Rangers players in the past who have fallen way below the high standards the club asks of them. Very few were shown the door.

 

One simple question if this had been McGregor do think the clamour for him to be sacked would be so loud? I think not.

[Darthter 542]

One simple question if this had been McGregor do think the clamour for him to be sacked would be so loud? I think not.

 

IF it had been McGregor, I think the media attention would have increased 10-fold, and the pressure for "positive" action ie. Sack him, would be massive.

 

Grant Adam is an unknown - mostly known to the masses as Charlie's brother, yet he still made front page news......imagine the full page spreads there would have been if it was Greegs???? Remember the coverage Boozegate got in the press!!!!

 

Rangers need to make the "right" decision once a verdict is passed - this is not necessarily the best decision for the team, but in the eyes of the wider public.

[der Berliner 3,307]

On a sidenote, has there been any info on what he actually / really did?

[GovanAllan 0]

The pressure will be coming from the usual suspects. The same usual suspects who suddenly find themselves deaf and dumb when it comes to anything not Rangers related.

 

I find it sad that so many of the Rangers support have been so quick to jump on the bandwagon. Will we as a support and the club just stand by and let the perma offended hordes ruin a boys career for shouting what 90% of us think.

 

Fined his wages made to make a grovelling apology ( if found guilty ) yes but sacking is a step too far. We already let them hound one Rangers man out the door for singing a song at a private function in like minded company. While other perpetrators of the same crime are hailed hailed as legends. We live in a very one sided society at the moment where everything we say or believe is being attacked don't let them ruin a boys life because of it.

[Zappa 0]

What makes it even worse is that ultimately it's going to be down to the polis in the first instance to decide what constitutes offensive behaviour in the eyes of this mythical reasonable person and if that's not a recipe for inconsistency I don't know what is.

 

And then there's G4S stewards. Can they be trusted to make decisions on what constitutes offensive behaviour? I think not when they're already known for often making poor decisions.