Anti bigotry bill

[PaderbornCaley]

So the Scottish Government has passed the bill. I am all for it, but I reckon it will cause a wee scene on Saturday. The Blue Brigade will have their pathetic banners claiming their innocence. They will be outraged that they are not allowed to sing songs of hatred. I'd imagine there will be an increased police presence. Earlier in the season one fan handed out masking tape so they could have a 'silent protest'. I hope they do that again, that quite literally will shut them up!

But what does this bill mean for us? On Saturday for example, with a heightened police presence, there is a very high chance that if anyone sings the 'Who put the O and the Y in County song' they will be arrested. A small section of our support now and again sing 'Jonny Tuffey no surrender' when he is warming up during the games. This, i'd imagine would be an absolute no no! Although I would never sing that anyway due to the conotations.

When we go to Edinburgh, another song that is a no no is the 'HIV Capital' song - if the police do their jobs properly then with the new legislation, it is difficult to argue if an arrest is made. Another example is at Parkhead earlier this season, a Caley Thistle fan around the age of 20, walked up to the barrer between the Celtic and ICT fans and shouted about a Celtic player being "poof". This was literally right in front of a police officer. The PC said to him that he could arrest him. I'd imagine if the guy shouts it at the next match, he will be arrested.

The main complaints about this bill is it's too confusing. What is offensive and what is not? For me it's very simple. If you think something is offensive, then it probably is, i.e. don't say it.

Edited December 15, 2011 by CapitalCaley

[Heilandee]

The main complaints about this bill is it's too confusing. What is offensive and what is not? For me it's very simple. If you think something is offensive, then it probably is, i.e. don't say it.

Therein lies the problem, one mans banter is another mans offended to the core.Therefore, sit down shut up,all interaction between opposing fans is forbidden,nae *teuchters,sheep, gypsy,tinks,gadgies,farmers,arabs,huns,tattiemunchers,bnb's or anyother referance can be used as someone WILL be offended, The whole think is unenforceable and it,s the supporters of "diddly" teams that will be pulled up and used as scapegoats to highlight the "zero tolerance " I guess i must be pretty thick skinned and i can't think that I've ever been offended by supporters at football singing anything but don't dare let me hear anyone refer to Scumdee again or yer getting reported!

*The above terms as used purely for the purpose of debate and in no way represent the views of the author

[dougiedanger]

Football is virtually dead with this bill, it's like going for a night at the opera FFS.

[robbylad]

Football is virtually dead with this bill, it's like going for a night at the opera FFS.

A Night At The Opera? Marx Brothers? They'd run the country properly!!!!

[+Gringo]

That will just about kill off all the banter and fun. Not really much point in going any more...is it?

[SMEE]

Im in total agreence with "Dee". I too must be pretty thick skinned....as i have never been offended by any sort of songs at a game of football. Its only words. I take it singing the National anthems of Scotland and England will be banned coz of its content. I think its yet another MASSIVE step in the wrong direction. Its getting to the point where freedom of speech will be a thing of the past. To anyone who does get offended by such things...build a bridge......

[Charles Bannerman]

The entire bill is an absurdity which shows that the Scottish Executive either simply don't understand the real problem or don't want to acknowledge what it is.

Football is merely a symptom of this problem and not the problem itself. It strikes me as nonsensical that football is being made almost the sole target here while the Orange Lodge - a body which exists for the purpose of religious intolerance - remain free to peddle their bile on the streets of Scotland.

Fortunately all we really see in Inverness is the bunch of comedians who turn up for the annual stroll to the Portland Club but elsewhere it's a case of bigotry on the hoof for days on end.

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

Looks to me like the SNP are out to kill the beautiful game in Scotland .

[Yngwie]

i have never been offended by any sort of songs at a game of football. Its only words.

Spot on. If people want to sing things that make themselves look ignorant, that's fine by me, and it shouldn't be a crime.

[krakatoa]

The world has gone mad. The definition of "offensive behaviour" in the bill has been made so wide that you could conceivably be arrested, fined and banned from matches for complaining too loudly about the quality of the pies. The question is whether the boys in blue will exercise commonsense in enforcing bad law. Lets hope so! A bill that set out with the laudable aim of tackling sectarianism has the potential to ruin our game.

[Bridge_Ender]

Don't rely on the boys in blue (or fluorescent yellow...) to exercise commonsense.

This is a bill written in crayon by people who have no idea what goes on. A cracking way to alienate the football supporters votes when it comes to referendum time though, it's almost as if Salmond didn't want to win...

However, if it should stand up in court (big IF) then I look forward to the silence during the anthems the next time England come to play at Hampden - although not at Murrayfield, obviously, as this only applies to football matches.

[Heilandee]

Sweetie the panda is the latest victim of the bill and is to be shipped back to China with immediate effect,Alex Salmond is reported to be furious with the bigot bear caught on film by a vigilant tourist who said, "i was appalled to see Sweetie mimicking Gazza and his outrageous behaviour

[Sorted]

Can't understand the clamour to support the fans of 'the twins of evil' on here.

I see the bill as a clear attempt to deal with vile sectarian chanting and abuse. Surely this has to be welcomed? I am perfectly capable of enjoying myself at a match without the need to resort to such abuse and get surprised at how many seem unable to do so.

The day when you get evicted or arrested for singing good natured banter is not upon us. This is being promoted by fans of the OF to try to garner support and legitimise their own unacceptable behaviour. I find it quite ironic that they are now in a joint crusade (probably an offensive word to some but doubt I'll get arrested for using it!) to normalise such crass bile and appear to be winning friends from other supports who supposedly hate everything the stand for. Confusing?

100% behind the bill and anyone that is bold enough to try to address this hideous cancer.

[Oddquine]

The entire bill is an absurdity which shows that the Scottish Executive either simply don't understand the real problem or don't want to acknowledge what it is.

Football is merely a symptom of this problem and not the problem itself. It strikes me as nonsensical that football is being made almost the sole target here while the Orange Lodge - a body which exists for the purpose of religious intolerance - remain free to peddle their bile on the streets of Scotland.

Fortunately all we really see in Inverness is the bunch of comedians who turn up for the annual stroll to the Portland Club but elsewhere it's a case of bigotry on the hoof for days on end.

Totally agree.... A start has been made by changing the crass UK Settlement Laws which legally allowed members of the royal family to marry or adopt any religion but Catholicism......and if I were in the Scottish Government, my immediate reaction to that change would have been to ban all Orange and Hibernian Parades as constituting incitement to hatred....and waited to see the effect of that before making life difficult for the ordinary football fan, with the usual political wooliness when it comes to crafting bills. Never quite understood, not just the Scottish penchant, but the UK penchant for allowing marches which will by their very nature, produce a reaction from those who disagree with them....usually violent. ..and many of which are intended to do just that.

When does freedom of speech, assembly and the right to be a complete dick get subsumed by the majority, who can cope with life without hating anyone, right to go about their daily business without having to avoid flailing fists and being kettled for being in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Why call it a Bigotry bill anyway..isn't bigotry covered to the last dotted i and crossed t in lots of other laws. Why not call a shovel a shovel and call it a Bill "to outlaw Protestant/Catholic sectarianism which has no business existing in Scotland anyway.and a lot less business existing in the beautiful game"........but that wouldn't be PC, would it..even when we all know what triggered it?

The racist, homophobic, and (whisper it) anti-gypsy etc remarks/chants have already been addressed umpteen times elsewhere....both via the EU and UK wide laws ...and can, could have been, and probably were, prosecuted when complaints were made. Imo.no complaint....no hurt feelings and the recognition that it is good natured banter fan to fan....but that would be too commonsensical.....to look at time, place, context and level of offence caused. That is, imo, the one drawback of the internet..it does allow the completely irrational PC individual to spend their lives trawling the internet to find something which offends them...and when you add PC lip readers and Youtube to the mix......the complaints by people who were not actually there grow exponentially.

Shades of Mary Whitehouse and her compaining to the Beeb about stuff she had never heard/seen .and the Beeb actually taking notice of her.

Fan to individual player bigotry is a different matter altogether..but again the sectarian issue only applies to the numpties who support the Big 2..most of whom outside Glasgow don't do it because they know anything about the background, or even what they are celebrating/denigrating..but because it is part of the whole Rangers/Celtic rivalry and a learned behaviour. I guarantee that vast swathes of Celtic fans in the North are not Catholic....and while vast swathes of Rangers Fans may be theoretically Protestant....I'd guess most of both sets might put Church of Scotland on census forms, but never have entered any kind of church outside School end of term church services.

I have always had Celtic as my second team after my home Highland League one, until ICT got into the Premier...and Celtic have now been relegated to third in my Saturday checking of scores, and ICT elevated to first...and my sister is a rabid Rangers supporter..and as far as I am aware supports no other team. Neither of us are religious, though technically brought up C of S..but we did, in our younger days do rivalry to the nth degree...she liked the Beatles, I liked the Stones, for example....and our choices of teams to support had less to do with the backgrounds of the teams and a lot more to do with hacking the other off..and going along with our friends.

I do think that many clubs have the facility to police their own fans......I should think that ICT would be aware of those fans who buy tickets as ICT supporters and go to games against the Old Firm wearing Celtic/Rangers scarves, and I know there are some who do.......even if they support ICT all the rest of the time. Not easy to change attitudes......even when those who have the attitudes haven't a clue where they came from....but I think you should start locally to change attitudes...and if enough clubs do that then maybe, eventually , attitudes will start to change.

Little point in Rangers and Celtic trying to remove the bile of sectarianism, when other clubs do not do the same.