Borrowed From Another Forum

[ian1964 10,409]

TRUST ADVICE TO MEMBERS ATTENDING GAME AT CELTIC PARK, SUNDAY 31 AUGUST

 

Over at least the last five years, many dozens of Trust members have

expressed concerns about aspects of both policing and stewarding at Celtic

Park. These concerns include:

 

being threatened with arrest or ejection from the stadium for spurious,

trivial or unexplained reasons;

 

flags, banners and clothing with no offensive or sectarian connotations

confiscated or not allowed into the Stadium;

 

a gratuitously hostile, unfriendly attitude displayed by a handful of police

officers and, more worryingly, a large number of stewards;

 

intimidation and threats of arrest or ejection for singing ââ?¬Ë?sectarianââ?¬â?¢

songs, despite said songs having no sectarian content or connotations.

 

These concerns have been aggravated by the obvious double standards on

display, where the home support is seemingly at liberty to throw missiles at

players and club employees, sing sectarian bile about ââ?¬Ë?Orange b*stardsââ?¬â?¢ and

ââ?¬Ë?H*nsââ?¬â?¢ and display offensive and sectarian banners and flags.

 

In advance of the game on Sunday, the Board of the Rangers Supporters� Trust

offers the following advice to our members:

 

1. Let�s conduct ourselves as we usually do, in a manner which accurately

reflects the best traditions of our support and our Club and our pride in

them.

2. The Club, the RST and other supporters� groups are united in opposing

racism, prejudice and sectarianism and have recognised the huge strides made

by the Rangers support in recent seasons. Regardless of the inevitable

provocation, do not hand our enemies any excuses for their behaviour or a

propaganda gift by inappropriate singing or chanting.

3. Report any instances of provocative or inappropriate behaviour from

opposition supporters to the police. Be polite, sensible and ask what, if

any action is being taken.

4. If approached by stewards or police officers be calm, polite and avoid

unnecessary confrontation. If asked to do something you believe

unreasonable, ask precisely why or under what law or ground regulation this

is being requested, and if necessary take note of names, police badge

numbers and any witnesses in the vicinity.

5. If necessary use camera phones to record incidents of concern. If you

or your fellow supporters are threatened, bullied, harassed or arrested

unreasonably, ensure that you have witnesses to hand and note the location

and time of any such incidents.

 

The Trust Board will be meeting this week, in advance of the RST AGM next

Saturday, and will review the conduct and outcome of Sunday�s game. We have

had informal discussions with the Club on this and have also previously

raised the issues with Strathclyde Police. We remain concerned at the lack

of clarity in the responses from the Constabulary and the refusal of a high

profile public service to either engage with or explain themselves to the

public they profess to serve. The Trust AGM provides a perfect opportunity

for the issue of conduct and treatment at Celtic Park to be debated and for

Trust members to decide collectively how we take this forward.

 

Stephen Smith

 

RST Chair, on behalf of the Trust Board

[Guest dirtybill]

I hear they are going to be arresting folks if they sing "the famines over, why dont you go home" according to strathclyde polis.