ian1964 10,416 Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 The Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications ( Scotland) Act 2012 become law today, 1st March 2012. On Monday 27th February at 7pm RST board members Derek Johnston and Mark Dingwall attended a FOCUS (Football Co-ordination Unit for Scotland) fan organisations forum on behalf of the Rangers Supporters Trust. The meeting had various representatives from Celtic, Partick Thistle, St Mirren, Kilmarnock and Queen of the South as well as three police officers from FOCUS. Only Inspector Marian MacLean, the deputy head of FOCUS, identified herself. During the meeting the following outline for what is seen as the â??guideâ?? on Offensive Behaviour at Football (2012) was given. Any songs/ lyrics which refer in an offensive manner to heritage, religion, race, sex or mock the death/ injury of others as well as any songs/ lyrics which show support of any terrorist organisations. The same â??guideâ?? is also given in terms of any flags or banners supporters might produce at a regulated football match in Scotland (Junior football is not deemed as regulated.) The police regard the Act a simplifying things and giving them a legal â??one stop shopâ? in terms of powers to charge people with football-related behaviour. They claimed that fans shouldnâ??t see a difference in policing at games and that no new tactics would be employed. Inspector MacLean said that she would consider no increase in arrests as a result of the legislation and said that she felt no pressure to justify the existence of FOCUS by upping the level of arrests at games. HOWEVER, one of the two male police representatives announced that the song Build My Gallows is now â??likely to be deemed chargeableâ? by police and shall be under scrutiny as of Thursday 1st March when this Bill comes into effect. The Rangers reps pointed out the song referred to a regiment in the British Army in no way connected to present day clandestine organisations and that this had been accepted recently after lengthy legal argument by UEFA. Subsequent enquiries have led us to believe that the â??offendingâ? part of the song is a reference to â??fought the IRAâ?. Itâ??s incredulous that someone might be arrested and charged for opposing rather than supporting a terrorist organisation. The Lord Advocateâ??s Guidelines for the operation of the Act will shortly be published but we are told they involve exemptions. For instance, it will not be an offence to make a â??religious signâ?? in a football ground unless there are aggravating factors. This somewhat runs contrary to the mantra the police repeated throughout the meeting that fans should refrain from anything that has â??nothing to do with football.â?? Similarly, the singing of national anthems is excluded from arrestable behaviour even if they are in fact racist, sectarian or otherwise offensive. The police repeatedly stated that bad taste and banter would be allowed but repeatedly stressed they would challenge songs or â??banterâ?? that they consider to be â??not appropriate,â?? â??not relevantâ?? or â??not to do with football.â?? Several reps asked if their vision of the future was the complete remove of rivalry, colour and wit and the replacement with nursery rhymes or complete silence. All three police officers present said that there are some songs and chants not previously chargeable that now are but they declined to offer examples or explain the rationale they would be applying. It was pointed out that if they were having discussions about jailing people for Build My Gallows then they must have had other internal discussions and why would they not share that information with us and save people from being arrested. The Trust would like to ask all fans to continue in vocally backing our team at matches but also make sure that you take care in the stands in terms of what you may sing/chant at a match. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ergatrude 0 Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 The police repeatedly stated that bad taste and banter would be allowed but repeatedly stressed they would challenge songs or ‘banter’ that they consider to be ‘not appropriate,’ ‘not relevant’ or ‘not to do with football.’ Does that mean the end of that annoying song "just cant get enough"? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
capstans 0 Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 This is what happens when you take your boot off of the taigs necks, why don't they go home. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew_2010 0 Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I can't see why a rangers fan would want to sing this song at a game in support of the rangers. Totally unconnected. I want to make clear that I have no problem with you playing/singing it in the pub, car or supporters bus before the game and can't see how it could be deemed legal, but it has nothing to do with rangers the football club! 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
der Berliner 3,249 Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 (edited) Many songs that are being sung at football grounds have nothing do to with the club. Whether you are "blowing bubbles" or "walk through a storm" or "sing a soldier's song" ... or indeed have your gallow build or wearing "the sash your father wore". Add "simply the best" song to get people started before a game of late, Penny Arcade. What these songs do is create atmosphere and a feeling of togetherness, these days much less so in terms of what is actually being sung, but by actually singing a song together. If we'd find great football songs that has the same rousing effect as The Sash or BMG has, or TBB and Here lies a Soldier had, all the better. The problem is that unless it is done by the tannoy folk at each home game, you will hardly get it started by the masses. would be one simple song that could be easily brought in. Another one would be Proud Legions ... and that is around since three decades now, but hasn't made it onto the terraces. Proud Legions (Tune: ) Proud Legions of Rangers, on us you can rely, To grounds all over Europe we'll fly the blue flag high. We'll follow as our fathers had, in bygone days of yore, on every field that Rangers play you'll hear the legions roar: Glasgow Rangers, Glasgow Rangers, on us you can rely! We follow Rangers, Glasgow Rangers until the day we die! Young men in light blue jerseys, of how we wear the crest, the badge of Glasgow Rangers, stands high upon their chest. We'll beat the cream of Europe, just as we did before, To bring the cup to Ibrox and hear the legions roar: Glasgow Rangers, Glasgow Rangers, on us you can rely! We follow Rangers, Glasgow Rangers until the day we die! Ready - Sporting Lisbon, Italia's Torino, Famed Germany's Bayern Munich, then Moscow Dynamo, unclassed by skills of Rangers, we'd followed thousand strong, to cheer the Glasgow Rangers on and then to sing our song: Glasgow Rangers, Glasgow Rangers, we'll keep the blue flag high, We follow Rangers, Glasgow Rangers until the day we die! We follow Rangers as our fathers had, In bygone days of yore, We follow Rangers, we follow Rangers, You'll hear the legions roar. Glasgow Rangers, Glasgow Rangers, On us you can rely! Glasgow Rangers, Glasgow Rangers, We'll follow till we die, We'll follow till we die ...! Edited March 3, 2012 by der Berliner 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueMazza 0 Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 All three police officers present said that there are some songs and chants not previously chargeable that now are but they declined to offer examples or explain the rationale they would be applying. How is this helpful? So what, it's pot luck? You might think a song is O.K after previously being allowed and suddenly you get huckled? What the actual fuck is the point? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
der Berliner 3,249 Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 (edited) They have yet to define what they think is sectarian, or bigotted or whatnot. The beaks simply hid and hide behind the UEFA judgement and as long as there is none against the Hooped Horrors or any other club, they shirk away from harrassing them openly. Very shameful indeed. As it is now, the police officer and steward has a) a tough job to do (since he has no tangible guideline) and b) the freedom of choice (he could be a mhank after all) what he deems to be chargeable. That is the status quo since 2007 and exactly nothing has changed. As I said time and again, WE (the club) should have gone out and tell the support what songs are allowed and which are not. At least inside Ibrox. As it is now, others decide about the songbook and what "we mean" by singing certain chants and words. As long as this continues, we will lose out. BTW, I am not advocating the singing of sectarian (whatever that is) or bigotted (whatever that is) chants, just stating the status quo. They have the UEFA club to beat us with and do it cheerfully. They have no such club for the rest and shirk away to get one. Edited March 5, 2012 by der Berliner 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
calscot 0 Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 It all smacks of entrapment. However, why people want to sing these dreadful, anachronistic songs that have nothing to with Rangers, football or even Scotland, is way beyond my understanding. I still thing the biggest way to beat Celtic on this would be to forget all the religious and Irish baggage and concentrate on football. The spotlight would then be completely on them and I could see them implode with the indignation. However, our support seem to be great at seeing the minor flaws of legendary managers like Walter Smith and yet are blind to their own idiocy and incompetence of biblical proportions. Mote and beam springs to mind but I fear many of the so called prods in our support will most likely be clueless to that bible reference. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluedell 5,341 Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 As I said time and again, WE (the club) should have gone out and tell the support what songs are allowed and which are not. At least inside Ibrox. They have done that unofficially. Basically no mention of fenian, pope and the WDYGH chant, and we are basically OK. Whether the club takes a different view now the new act is in place is unknown, but given that there's nobody with any knowledge to drive these decisions we may have to wait a while before there is more unofficial guidance. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bears 0 Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 There's a real simple way around this. Don't sing it. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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