Glad to see the 3 young lads up in court this week have been cleared.

This whole think stank from the start and, IMO, they were being made scapegoats and the whole thing looked to have been set up with the intention of making an example of the lads as opposed to any serious attempts at bringing justice.

Courier Story Here

Thankfully the lads look to have had a decent defence acting for them and they've torn the evidence apart....particularly that of a (then) trainee officer, Ross MacDonald, who couldn't even tell them what it was he found offensive in the alleged songs being sung by those charged!!!

Not denying we've ever had these songs sung by some of our fans....we all know it's happened, but we also know it's not a large problem and it would not be accpeted by the majority of fans. I think there's an important lesson to be learned here in regards to "Fly with the Crows, Get shot with the Crows", just glad to see justice done.

I hope that the damage done by this case, and it's long drawn out nature, hasn't done permanent damage to the futures of the lads involved at a time when they will be making big life decisions...some of which will have been closed to them whilst all this was going on.

Is there not a poster on here that fits the description of the PC in that story?

That thought went through my mind as well. A policeman, ultra reactionary, person named Ross. Hmm who could that be?

Is this the same chap that posts stories about players signing for clubs that never come to fruition ie Duff and McBain ?

Nope , I said I was the victim of an unprovoked assault by 2 women not beaten up by them .

:019:

Still, those women were girls.

And ?

OK people, enough of the fishing on usernames. If the officer in question does have an account registered on this site and he doesn't want to reveal himself then it's not up to others to do so and we will intervene to prevent this turning in to some kind of witch hunt.

Interesting...

Nope , I said I was the victim of an unprovoked assault by 2 women not beaten up by them .

:019:

Still, those women were girls.

And ?

Well, is it not a bit rich for someone like you, a burds punch bag, to be laughing at someone for crying in court? You must be able to understand what I mean?

Wrong again , I was struck by an object in an unprovoked assault and no tears were shed .

You guys want to continue that conversation in private so this thread can get back on topic? Thanks.

He started it.

:019:

Are these fans allowed back at ICT games now? I seem to recall they were banned but could be mistaken.

Are these fans allowed back at ICT games now? I seem to recall they were banned but could be mistaken.

Pretty sure they werent banned

Are these fans allowed back at ICT games now?

Well i've seen them at a few games this season so far

Makes you wonder what all the fuss was about. From what I've read, the song/s was sung, obviously by people who aren't the sharpest tools in the toolshed, but what was going through the policeman in questions mind? He hears people singing and thinks "Hey there's some people singing." {listens to lyrics} "What's that, something about famine! That's offensive to some people! How? I don't know!" And he goes on to say that he'd never heard of the potato famine. Come on, I find that hard to believe. And anyway, it reminds me of something that would probably happen to Officer Barbrady in South Park!

Edited February 13, 201016 yr by Renegade

I wouldn't be making a scapegoat out of the young policeman, he made an error of judgement, as many do without the hindsight of 10 20 or 30 years that most of us have on him.

The actual investigating officers and procurator fiscal need to be looked at much more closely. A 19 year old did not take this to court, there were numerous adults who should have known better but didn't. Don't just go for the easy target eh?

A large section of Celtic and Rangers supporters bring politics into football every week. Why on earth are there ultra irish-nationalist fanatics attending Scottish football matches and singing belligerent songs about Irish politics across the terraces to Inverness / Kilmarnock / Motherwell etc fans every week? I don't get it. :026:

It's only natural that opposition fans should attempt to wind these lunatics up. The young boys singing the famine song were probably attempting to do just that, wind them up by singing a rangers song. In all likelyhood none of them could care less about Irish politics, rather they were merely imitating the nonsense of the old firm fans.

Nobody deserves to be mocked and wound up more than old firm fans, lets just hope the supporters who attracted the wrath of the powers that be learn from this and go about it in a more sensible (and less misinterpretable) way next time.

Edited February 13, 201016 yr by dead_ball_specialist

I am very happy that this has come to a conslusion and in my oppinion it was the only possible outcome.

I believe there was A complaint about the singing and therefore had to be acted upon. I think that picking 3 boys out of the crowd quite randomly and trying to pinpoint it all on them was quite wrong. I was involved in this immediatedly after it happened and the selection of the individuals who were in court was a bit like sticking the tail on the donkey.

These boys were not banned for life, but for a few weeks, so they are all free to attend games as they wish.

It beggars belief that this even made it into the court room, but the powers that be were obviously keen to be seen to be acting upon something deemed to be sectarian and tried to make an example of these boys.

I think that nearly 18 months of waiting for a decision has already potentially had quite an effect on the futures for these boys.

Glad common sense prevailed in the end, or was it that there wasn't actually any evidence to convict these boys. A complete waste of police and court time.

It's a disgrace these boys were taken to court, when thousands of old firm fans sing these songs week in, week out in the SPL. Why don't they take Celtic and Rangers to court

It's a disgrace these boys were taken to court, when thousands of old firm fans sing these songs week in, week out in the SPL. Why don't they take Celtic and Rangers to court

because it would be an even bigger waste of public money

It's a disgrace these boys were taken to court, when thousands of old firm fans sing these songs week in, week out in the SPL. Why don't they take Celtic and Rangers to court

To be fair it doesn't really work that way. It is illegal, there is no defence in the fact that others do it.

As I've said I'm pleased with the outcome as I think they were unfairly targeted. Doesn't mean I support any form of sectarian behaviour. If you commit a crime and are caught red handed, you have no defence in the fact many others have done it before you and not got caught or prosecuted.

I wouldn't be making a scapegoat out of the young policeman, he made an error of judgement, as many do without the hindsight of 10 20 or 30 years that most of us have on him.

The actual investigating officers and procurator fiscal need to be looked at much more closely. A 19 year old did not take this to court, there were numerous adults who should have known better but didn't. Don't just go for the easy target eh?

I would agree with all that K but............we have a young off duty police trainee in the stand watching the game. He has heard a song he thinks may be construed as being illegal. He actually knows some of the lads in the singing group. In fact he knows at least one of the accused well enough to have his mobile number.............

.................somebody reports the incident to the police. Somebody points out the three lads as being the culprits even though there were at least twenty in the singing group.

Yes the older, experienced people should have chucked this one out but somebody made the initial complaint.

We, the taxpayers of this land, are entitled to request justification for the actions of those we pay. We are also entitled to be able to trust the people who uphold the laws of the land to do so in a sensible, professional manner and with credibility.

Finally, we are entitled to expect that the Chief Constable of Northern Constabulary hold an enquiry into why members of his force, and the Prosecution service, have been able to bring court action against three young football fans without credible evidence.

Is there not a poster on here that fits the description of the PC in that story?

That thought went through my mind as well. A policeman, ultra reactionary, person named Ross. Hmm who could that be?

I am reliably informed that it was PC Ross County and renegade is a WPC.

As an ex police dog the Depute Fiscal should have known better.

Quote from the courier :

The verdict followed a two-day trial and prompted Boag to burst into tears,

Mark had a lot riding on this verdict, and this has been hanging over him for well over a year now... Remember as well, all this for something he didn't do, as the court have confirmed. All you've ever done is been against us DC, and I have no doubt that you would have been far happier with a guilty verdict regardless of the fact that the lads were innocent.

:017:

Remember as well, all this for something he didn't do, as the court have confirmed.

Sure?

Just coz the verdict was not guilty doesn't mean he never did anything wrong.

Just coz the verdict was not guilty doesn't mean he never did anything wrong.

In the eyes of the law, he did not.