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Sectarianism


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(**Moderator Edit - This is a sub-thread taken from a disscussion started in the "Shetland Times" thread**)

 

Aside from the front page story, the thing that made me laugh most in the Times this week was Stan Semple's letter about why some of Rangers song are not sectarian.

 

I don't have the paper to hand, and the letters aren't published on the website (as far as I can see) but the line about people "searching for a reason to find fenian offensive" (or words to that effect) made me laugh alot.

 

 

Stan's a decent guy but I had to cringe when I read his defence o da indefensible.

 

His glasses must be tinted a deep blue.

 

Sectarian singing is not some inexplicable aspect of Scottish culture. The reason songs like 'Billy Boys' - and the Celtic fans' equivalents, which tend to be about the IRA - have been tolerated for so long in Scottish football is that they are of no consequence beyond the games at which they are sung.

Rangers chairman David Murray has coined the term '90-minute bigots' to describe those fans who sing offensive songs during a match and then return to a normal life, working and socialising with Catholics.

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If Stan's glasses are tinted blue, yours' must have something of a rose coloured tint.

 

I can believe in '90 minute bigots' but living in central scotland I an assure you that there are a fair amount of 24 hour bigots forbye. I won't attempt to provide endless lists of examples but it percolates every level and aspect of life on the West Coast, The singing of sectarian songs at football matches is only a public manifestation of a much deeper rooted malaise.

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If Stan's glasses are tinted blue, yours' must have something of a rose coloured tint.

 

I can believe in '90 minute bigots' but living in central scotland I an assure you that there are a fair amount of 24 hour bigots forbye. I won't attempt to provide endless lists of examples but it percolates every level and aspect of life on the West Coast, The singing of sectarian songs at football matches is only a public manifestation of a much deeper rooted malaise.

 

I believe that is why Rangers were found not guilty of sectarianism by UEFA.

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When I moved from Shetland to Glasgow experiencing sectarianism for the first time was a real eye opener for me and to be honest a bit of a learning curve, having never come across it at home. I still can't believe in this day and age that the narrow mindedness and judgemental attitudes that go with it are still as prevalent as they are in West Central Scotland. I'm sure things are better than they used to be right enough and I know the Scottish Executive and others are doing their best to stamp it out. I don't envy their task though when attitudes are as deep rooted as they are.

 

Glasgow has done really well to reinvent itself over the last decade or so but I can't help but think that problems associated with sectarianism still drag it down. Its one of the things I hated about Glasgow (along with the obsession with football) and that I'm quite honestly glad to be away from now.

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I believe that is why Rangers were found not guilty of sectarianism by UEFA.

 

True: UEFA can't sit in judgement on the entirety of West Coast Society - and it would take more than McLeish et al to dismantle a couple of hundred years worth of witless bigotry - but its wrong to assume that its limited to 90 minutes a week at Ibrox or Parkhead.

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I believe that is why Rangers were found not guilty of sectarianism by UEFA.

 

True: UEFA can't sit in judgement on the entirety of West Coast Society - and it would take more than McLeish et al to dismantle a couple of hundred years worth of witless bigotry - but its wrong to assume that its limited to 90 minutes a week at Ibrox or Parkhead.

 

There are no bigoted / sectarian songs sung by the home support at Celtic Park. It stopped years ago, about the same time as all-seated stadiums became the law.

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I believe that is why Rangers were found not guilty of sectarianism by UEFA.

 

True: UEFA can't sit in judgement on the entirety of West Coast Society - and it would take more than McLeish et al to dismantle a couple of hundred years worth of witless bigotry - but its wrong to assume that its limited to 90 minutes a week at Ibrox or Parkhead.

 

There are no bigoted / sectarian songs sung by the home support at Celtic Park. It stopped years ago, about the same time as all-seated stadiums became the law.

 

How many years ago ?

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I've never set foot in Parkhead so I couldn't possibly comment - my remarks are more about greater Glasgow/West coast society generally.

 

Still plenty of pubs/street corners, etc around here where you can hear 'No Queen on the Throne' or 'I'd rather wear a turban than a sash' as well as 'The fields of Athenrye' or 'the merry ploughboy' on a match night.

 

In my experience one side's as bad as the other.

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I had a season ticket for Parkhead from 1997-2000 and sectarian songs would be sung at old firm games at that time. Rangers fans have the largest away ticket allocation for Parkhead and my seat came to be about 15 along from the start of the Rangers end. It was an unbelievable atmosphere and a complete eyeopener - absolute hatred being shown by both sets of fans.

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[quote name="Frankie The reason songs like 'Billy Boys' - and the Celtic fans' equivalents' date=' which tend to be about the IRA

 

 

There is no Celtic fans' song comparable to the Billy Boys.

 

End of.[/quote]

 

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

Has all that water gone to your brain dB ?

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