Yesterday at the Scottish Cup semi final between Aberdeen and Celtic the stain of sectarianism again tarnished Scotland.
This season has seen a huge rise in sectarianism at football matches. We have also seen items being thrown at players, flares being let off inside of stadiums and fighting and stabbings after the last Old Firm game between Celtic and Rangers. Enough is enough.
It’s also not a coincidence that this escalation happens the season that the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act was stupidly repealed as a result of James Kelly Labour MSP (the really thick MSP of the Scottish Parliament) and against the wishes of most people in Scotland.
I appreciate there have been many blogs on this subject by far better bloggers than I but it has to end now. This behaviour is a stain on Scotland and makes us look like apes to the rest of the world. It’s bad enough that Brexit has unleashed the rascists and bigots all over the U.K. but enough is enough. The SFA and the football clubs won’t act, they tinker around the edges with bans and closing parts of stadiums, well it’s not enough. If they won’t act then it’s time the Scottish Government did and brought in a law around strict liability. Stadiums should be closed at the offending grounds until people get the message, no less.
grumpyscottishman.wordpress.com 
Hi Bruce,
James Dorman MSP is bringing a bill for strict liability to the parliament next month. We’ll see how serious the other parties are about tackling the problem when it goes to a vote.
smac1314
I think I saw that but is it going to be debated? I hope so as this issue is a real stain on us all and the main reason I never go to any DFC games if they are playing Cetic or Rangers, but Hearts and Hibs both have a problem to a lesser extent also. Time to close stadiums when fans of any team are shown to be doing this crap, plus I would also deduct points or even refuse to allow teams to take part in Europe, it’s time to stop mucking about with this issue.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
It’s an embarassment. The footballing authorities have done absolutely nothing to stop it in a hundred years. How many grounds or even stands have been closed in that time? One club even went as far as adopting a policy of not signing catholic players and persisted with it for a period of 70 years and received no sanction at all during that period from the SFA. Now there is a stain on Scottish football enabled by the SFA.
It is the footballing authorities responsibility. It alwatys was their responsibility. The old boys network at the SFA might be desperate to pass the buck but its their responsibility. If you don’t agree with that fine but could you imagine UEFA putting up with it? UEFA are corrupt as fook yet even they would have nailed it early doors.
Gordie
You’re spot on. The SFA have sat on their hands for years to the extent our national Male team is an embarrassment and the stain of sectarianism is now publicised world wide again. If they won’t act then the Scottish Government have to and if that means shutting grounds then fine. It’s the same culprits time and again and they should be getting hammered with fines and point deductions until it stops.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
your blog is a stain
Anon
You’re not wrong so don’t read it.
Bruce
Think about things slightly different , right now we are what 10 years into austerity , we have an incompetent government who won’t listen to anybody , we have the poor getting poorer , homelessness on the rise , food banks commonplace , wages below where they should be and hope disappearing at a rate not seen since ……. The Tories of the 80’s . And what was the state of football then , much the same as it is now . The reasons can be argued as to why , but the British state always plays the same game , divide and conquer , here its East against West , rich against poor , catholic against protestant and next its UK against EU . The problems in football can’t be solved until we get rid of the British state , we can plaster over the top as usual , dock points , close stands , ban people from grounds , fine and jail them , relegate the clubs to the bottom tier until the fans learn , introduce strict liability . The unionist parties in Holyrood really have to be given a pat on the back getting the OBA offensive behaviour act removed , it seem fans think they can behave as they wish without consequences .
Ricky
Never thought about that angle but you could be onto something but wherever people come from in their views this is just wrong and enough is enough. I admit I just don’t attend games now as much as I used to. If DFC go down, which seems likely, I might go back to a season ticket as most of the games will be a Saturday at 3pm and I have always preferred the Championship as it’s competitive and doesn’t come with the rest of the nonsense that any league with the old firm involved seems to but yes it’s all a British thing and Indy will help base don what you have said but we do also have to do something now.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
just to say, if the pro-yes green party didn’t support repeal as well, it would still be in law.