Hi folks,

Sorry if this isn't the correct place to start this thread, please move it if so.

There is a growing feeling in Scotland that the OBFA has failed and is criminalising chiefly working class football fans. Campaigns are being put together up and down the country and some of us believe it is time that we have a campaign against it up here in the Highlands.

If anyone is interested in taking part in this campaign please get in contact with me - [email protected]

Edited May 10, 201610 yr by FansAgainstOBFA

I'm with your main thrust but can't quite grasp the need to make the class distinction. If a law applies to everyone, then I don't see how the "working classes" (stupid term anyway since almost everyone apart from those living on benefits works) are specifically discriminated against. My main issue with this law is that it discriminates against football. Meanwhile the likes of the Orange Order - whose raison d'etre is aggressive anti-Catholicism - strut the streets with their umbrellas and bowler hats and with total impunity.

On the other hand, if this legislation is merely a means of getting the Old Firm to behave themselves, then maybe it's got something to commend it. And if the claim is that this is discrimination against the OF - well let's just look on that as a a quid pro quo for the preferential treatment they get elsewhere!

While you are right to an extent re' simply criminalising all football fans, in my experience campaigning against this Act there have been instances where guys have been arrested for shouting "**** Hamilton" yet little more happened as they paid a fine on the spot.

However, on many occasions young fans who cannot afford to do that havery been kept in the cells over the whole weekend with a court case looming over them for some time.

It's nothing to do with the OF. This is about football fans being criminalised for something which is completely legal outside the football ground.

Fans from Motherwell, Hibs, Hamilton, Partick, Hearts to name a few have all suffered from this.

But even if it was simply to keep the OF fans in their place, it's still outrageous. I will take you back to Boxing Day two years ago. A 17 year old Celtic fan had his door kicked down at 4:30 in the morning with his Mum and young siblings in the house. He was taken to the Police Station and kept in their for 4 days. Why? Because he shouted "We hate ******* Rangers" at a football match 5 months previously.

That young lad had to worry for a long time about his life being ruined due to this. Fortunately when the court case finally did come up, it was thrown out by the judge. 

So no, it's not ok to simply keep OF fans in check.

I don't think there will be much support here as we are a usually quiet bunch (sweetie rustlers) and don't normally shout abuse apart from this season where it is mainly been at John Hughes

On Wednesday, May 11, 2016 at 10:31 AM, FansAgainstOBFA said:

While you are right to an extent re' simply criminalising all football fans, in my experience campaigning against this Act there have been instances where guys have been arrested for shouting "**** Hamilton" yet little more happened as they paid a fine on the spot.

However, on many occasions young fans who cannot afford to do that havery been kept in the cells over the whole weekend with a court case looming over them for some time.

It's nothing to do with the OF. This is about football fans being criminalised for something which is completely legal outside the football ground.

Fans from Motherwell, Hibs, Hamilton, Partick, Hearts to name a few have all suffered from this.

But even if it was simply to keep the OF fans in their place, it's still outrageous. I will take you back to Boxing Day two years ago. A 17 year old Celtic fan had his door kicked down at 4:30 in the morning with his Mum and young siblings in the house. He was taken to the Police Station and kept in their for 4 days. Why? Because he shouted "We hate ******* Rangers" at a football match 5 months previously.

That young lad had to worry for a long time about his life being ruined due to this. Fortunately when the court case finally did come up, it was thrown out by the judge. 

So no, it's not ok to simply keep OF fans in check.

Someone said fuc*ing Rangers and has their door kicked in 5 months later and spent 4 days in jail.

That story sounds like a complete load of rubbish!

Edited May 12, 201610 yr by Joe DiMaggio

A few seasons back a Celtic fan when walking past said f**k the queen.

If he had said that to a Rangers fan a big slagging match would have kicked off.

I think the problems have been introduced to football by a bunch of numpties who bring their bigotry to the match.

Apart from a minority of the old firm I would say supporters of football are all mutch and such the same.

You should be free to express any opinion you want about the Queen or Religion in a free country without fear of imprisonment. No exceptions. Football Clubs as private institutions should be able to set house rules and kick you out for breaking them. But the Police and Courts should have absolutely nothing to do with it.

10 hours ago, AlexJones said:

You should be free to express any opinion you want about the Queen or Religion in a free country without fear of imprisonment. No exceptions. Football Clubs as private institutions should be able to set house rules and kick you out for breaking them. But the Police and Courts should have absolutely nothing to do with it.

100% agree. 

12 hours ago, AlexJones said:

You should be free to express any opinion you want about the Queen or Religion in a free country without fear of imprisonment. No exceptions. Football Clubs as private institutions should be able to set house rules and kick you out for breaking them. But the Police and Courts should have absolutely nothing to do with it.

You could argue that certain clubs do b****r all about such behaviour. That in itself is shameful.

Unfortunately football is simply yet another collateral casualty of the fact that, almost five centuries on, Scotland still hasn't managed to come to terms with the Reformation.

59 minutes ago, Charles Bannerman said:

Unfortunately football is simply yet another collateral casualty of the fact that, almost five centuries on, Scotland still hasn't managed to come to terms with the Reformation.

There's been a Reformation?

Never mind 500 years, some in Govan are struggling with a reformation that took place nearly 4 years ago. 

26 minutes ago, HawkeyeTheGnu said:

There's been a Reformation?

Never mind 500 years, some in Govan are struggling with a reformation that took place nearly 4 years ago. 

Definite green dot material!