1 in 10 Scots 'think sectarianism in football is acceptable'

I used to think that too. But it's wrong. It doesn't matter if it only lasts 90 minutes or it only takes place within a football stadium, bigotry in any form is just wrong.

Surely we are capable of having footballing rivalries without resorting to bigotry?

 

Spot on.

You can't surmise that you are only being a bigot for 90 minutes as this would indeed still make you a bigot all the same.

 

Yes i agree they are worse....and no i never read the red tops.
I dont think i am naive to criticise those that are sceptical.As i have pointed out, only 3% of the population actually go to football matches every week......what you are saying is that the sectarianism you regularly hear in and around football matches is representative of the general population.....i dont think that is fair.Even among Rangers and Hearts fans, you will find a lot of good football fans that only support their club...same as us.If they were as bigoted en masse as we love to portray them, then why are their crowds as big as they are when their teams are full of Catholics?Why no non attendance in protest?Why nothing at all?I will tell you why....because most of them couldnt give a * about someones religion.Do Poles and Italians get any abuse for being Catholics?Maybe, but i would guess the first port of call for them with regard to any abusive situation is their nationality.They are "outsiders"....and people in a gang culture,(which football is) will always try and alienate an "outsider".Someone who is different.I will absolutely guarantee you that Rangers fans would reserve their hatred for Japanese/Shinto followers, if that was who supported Celtic, and their present apathy towards Japanese/Shinto followers would be extended to Irish/Catholics if they had no interest in football.

 

Bigotry is not reserved for Irish/Catholic alone. Their hatred for Japanese/Shinto would be just as abhorrent. Also the apathy of their so called majority support is indefensible.

 

you should maybe try telling that to artur boruc, or the catholic rangers players who are advised not to bless themselves at ibrox, because that's not fooling me.

 

I don't think any Celtic supporter would "approve" of that song.

There are some though who don't bother if it's sung or not, I'm one of them.

 

Come on man....Boruc played for us and did his blessing in the 6 yard box facing the Copland Rd stand.Thats why we loved him!Even i as an atheist loved him doing that, because it was like a big "* you" to them.Even the non religious among them hated Boruc because they knew what he was doing.
You say Rangers players were advised not to bless themselves....is that it?Yes there are tossers at Ibrox, but they still never boycotted the team because of Catholics did they?I mean they dont really care that much if they still cheer the Catholic players do they?
The Celtic/Rangers thing is based on religion.It is a "them and us" situation.We would not be as big as we are without it.It created the Old Firm and maintains it.Boruc knew exactly what he was doing.He got flak for when and where he blessed himself, not because he was a Catholic.

 

I think we need to be careful with pop polls such as this one.

A big issue often ignored, and a pet hate of mine, is that people always fail to define what "sectarianism" actually is. People seem to pick and choose when to take offence at certain things and also use the "sectarian" badge to attack things they dont like. In the past I have heard the "sectarian" charge aimed at Union jacks, red hand flags, * save the queen and build my gallows as well as the tri-colour, blessing oneself, numerous Irish rebel songs, as well as nasty songs regarding David Cooper and Jock Stein. None of these are sectarian! You may not agree with some of these things. Some of these things may be horrible and have no place in society. But they arent sectarian. Genuine hatred of another person because of their religion or nationality is of course horrible but I do get the feeling most of the indignation people have regarding "sectarianism" is a bit misguided and confused to say the least.

 

They turned on Shota Averladze for blessing himself.

I don't think he kicked a ball for them after it.

 

You dont mind vile sectarian filth being belted out at football yet you have an a cross through an orange man as your avatar?

Bit strange.

 

I totally accept he had every right to do it...completely accept it....but tempering it a bit for common sense would not have gone amiss.He didnt have to do it facing them...on the six yard line!He could have done it running out or facing away from their fans.He DID know what he was doing.

 

It should not matter where you do it or who you do it in front of.

If someone is offended by a religious gesture then the problem lies with them.

To hide it away would be just adhering to their attempts of intimidation.

 

I agree. Fans from both sides also like to get a bit silly as regards when they choose to feel offended. When Gazza played the invisible flute I thought it was very funny, but many Celtic fans decided to take huge offence at this. And yet these people didnt strike me as the easily offended type when they "hun" this and "orange" that. When rangers fans opened a sign to Boruc after the blessing of himself that said "Voodoo no worky" I thought it was brilliant! But again many decided to take offence - typically the same type who spend old firm games blessing themselves in the direction of the opposing fans. Many rangers fans suddenly feel disgusted to hear the mention of a certain irish army yet dont seem to take quite as much offence when they tell foreigners to go home or sing songs about the pope.

Most of it is point scoring in my opinion. As I said earlier, the genuine hatrad of another person based on religion or nationality is awful and of course should be condemned by every sane person. But in the context of the old firm the charge of "sectarianism" doesnt mean much to me at all.

 

He did the exact same thing before EVERY game. Why should he have to change his ritual because Rangers fans have neanderthal views about Catholics?

The problem never lay with Artur Boruc it lay with the knuckledragging scum that infest the stands at Ibrox.

 

Unfortunately I suspect the percentage who actually engage in sectarianism is likely considerably higher than the percentage who say they find it acceptable.

It's all in how you conjugate the verb innit?

I am proud of my traditions.
You are controversial.
He is a sectarian bigot.

 

True.

And then there are those who practice it obliviously.

 

Do not speak on my behalf.

There wasn’t an iota of disappointment in my post, rather a tone of ridicule. Perhaps you were hoping for expressions of disappointment so you could get an elevated feeling of sanctity.

I give no credence to a poll which suggests only 10% of people in Scottish football abhor sectarianism; when a national Cup Final in March was blighted by an overwhelming majority of people indulging in songs about the Pope, * blood and the Famine.

And it’s not just the West of Scotland.

In May, we were subject to the most poisonous chanting I’ve heard from an opposition support in years, and it was almost to a man.

The decision to legitimise attacks on Neil Lennon this week has only underlined my belief that sectarianism is a seemingly incurable problem in Scotland.



10%! LOL!

 

I'm not one to be offended by stuff I hear at the football. Obviously I don't agree with their abhorrent views one single but it still doesn't offend me when they sing their *, just makes me more determined to out sing the *