Losing Our Religion

[Bluedell 5,365]

Nobody is trying to take anybodies religion away from them in Scotland in 2012.

I'd disagreee with that, although it's not something I'm going to get into today.

[Juancornetto 1]

I'd disagreee with that, although it's not something I'm going to get into today.

 

If I had my way I'd outlaw supernatural voodoo worship tomorrow, so maybe you're right.

[amms 0]

Bill McMurdo is hitting the nail on the head in this article with regards to the new legislation and the reverse psychology involved.

 

They've been printing "THESE WILL FUCKING KILL YOU" and variations of that on cigarette and tobacco packaging for a long, long time now and it doesn't stop people buying the killer product. Anti-drugs campaigns have been around since well before any of us were even born, but they generally have the opposite from desired effect.

 

It's quite widely accepted that telling a child or young teenager not to do something will result in them doing it, so I don't really understand the point of the new legislation considering the amount of youngsters getting into the footy every year.

 

I think that's maybe where Bill McMurdo stops short a bit in the article because it's possible that the actual idea of the new legislation is to create MORE hate and MORE divide in our society.

 

It doesn't always cross our minds to think about this sort of thing, but there might actually be people in very high places who specifically want our society divided. The idea of everyone getting along famously and all being friends would be repulsive to such people.

 

Well, according to the Tobacco Manufacturers Association the consumption of cigarettes in the UK was 102.5 billion in 1990 and is 58.5 billion in 2009. The implementation of the smoking ban in bars and restaurants saw a drop in sales of nearly 7% across the country. To suggest legislating against something doesn't work is simply not correct.

[der Berliner 3,310]

... only that there probably will not be any legislation against any sort of faith.

[amms 0]

... only that there probably will not be any legislation against any sort of faith.

 

BTW are you actually German then? I'd just assumed you were a Scottish guy living there but your post on this thread suggested you grew up in East Germany?

[der Berliner 3,310]

BTW are you actually German then? I'd just assumed you were a Scottish guy living there but your post on this thread suggested you grew up in East Germany?

 

German born and bred, 20odd years East Germany, the rest, well ... Germany. Been to Britain during my studies* (Keele University, Newcastle-under-Lyme), but Glasgow was sadly not on the agenda.

 

*Still fond memories of my pet-Hooped Horror next door on the campus (that, BTW, was the year when Walter decided to go for the first time ... so the memories of that season were not so fond).

[amms 0]

German born and bred, 20odd years East Germany, the rest, well ... Germany. Been to Britain during my studies* (Keele University, Newcastle-under-Lyme), but Glasgow was sadly not on the agenda.

 

*Still fond memories of my pet-Hooped Horror next door on the campus (that, BTW, was the year when Walter decided to go for the first time ... so the memories of that season were not so fond).

 

Apologies if this is old ground for many of the posters on here, I suppose I'm still relatively new. So I've got to ask, why Rangers? The Bundesliga is hardly lacking in clubs with historical significance and strong fan culture, not to mention great players and successful teams, and the Oberliga had some decent teams once too.

I read 'Tor!' a few years ago and it completely changed my view not only of German football but also German society, I'm full of admiration for how the sport is governed there. Please don't get me wrong, I think it's great you follow the Bears, I'm just a bit puzzled.

 

PS Your English is spectacular, for what it's worth.

[der Berliner 3,310]

As I use to say in these circumstances: you should have asked me roundabout 1983/84! Probably a bit sentimental, you see, Scotland has (or rather had) that mystical touch: castles, lochs, bagpipes, kilts, you name it. British teams had cool names too (I was actually a bit of a Nottingham Forest fan at the time too, if I remember correcly), names not only with a ring to it, but a long standing in football tradition and history. Probably an extra edge when looking ... or rather listening from behind the Iron Curtain. From 1985 onwards I regularly checked the results of the Gers though - via the BBC's World Service (German still), ere I noticed that they actually had Saturday afternoon sports shows with live commentary too (first BBC2, then BBC 5 and Five Live). Add to that sports programmes of the BFBS, who were obviously present in West Berlin. What probably hooked me for good was a live screening of our home game against Borussia Mönchengladbach in the UEFA Cup on West German TV ... still hear the We are Rangers ringing around Ibrox.

 

So no fatherly/family stuff, but a story of its own. As with many of our German Bears over on the German equivalent of Gersnet.

[amms 0]

As I use to say in these circumstances: you should have asked me roundabout 1983/84! Probably a bit sentimental, you see, Scotland has (or rather had) that mystical touch: castles, lochs, bagpipes, kilts, you name it. British teams had cool names too (I was actually a bit of a Nottingham Forest fan at the time too, if I remember correcly), names not only with a ring to it, but a long standing in football tradition and history. Probably an extra edge when looking ... or rather listening from behind the Iron Curtain. From 1985 onwards I regularly checked the results of the Gers though - via the BBC's World Service (German still), ere I noticed that they actually had Saturday afternoon sports shows with live commentary too (first BBC2, then BBC 5 and Five Live). Add to that sports programmes of the BFBS, who were obviously present in West Berlin. What probably hooked me for good was a live screening of our home game against Borussia Mönchengladbach in the UEFA Cup on West German TV ... still hear the We are Rangers ringing around Ibrox.

 

So no fatherly/family stuff, but a story of its own. As with many of our German Bears over on the German equivalent of Gersnet.

 

It's funny you mention bagpipes and lochs. I've a programme from a European match away at Valletta of Malta in the early 80s. The programme is a belter, a huge thing, it was clearly a big match for them, but in the introduction they describe Rangers as 'the famous Rangers from the Highlands of Scotland' and throughout there are references to lochs and castles and so forth. It made me laugh at the time but I suppose to those who have never been here that's the impression of Scotland they have.

Great story, thanks for sharing it.

 

So growing up in East Germany didn't you see 'us' as the 'enemy'?

 

I love hearing how people found Rangers, particularly the stories that are more unusual like yours.

[der Berliner 3,310]

So growing up in East Germany didn't you see 'us' as the 'enemy'?

 

As with many things, there are probably 500 shades of grey. Other than what might be expected, many people in Berlin were pretty open-eyed on things on either side of the wall and it is at times quite "funny" to see how former West Germans try to tell "us" how we lived back then, what we thought and how "communism" (which we never had) worked - or rather "not worked". And, of course, it is equally "interesting" to see the ideas that swirl about on "communism" even on here on occasion. For, again, there is not just one form of "communism".

Anyhow, politically ... and not least during the days of my three-year service in the East German marines ... YOU were the enemy! (And I still remember that Tuesday when I got my East German football newspaper telling me of our 5-1 demolition of the Hooped Horrors, the game Wilkins scored that wonderful goal ...) On the day, it more likely would have ended up like the video I linked above though.