Celtic contradict Salmond over European threat to fans
The Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Bill has been roundly condemned from all sides of the political spectrum with Celtic’s Green Brigade highlighting the issue during last Saturday’s win over Inverness Caley Thistle.
Ever since the so-called shame game in February when three Rangers players were sent off against Celtic Salmond and his cronies have been on a cruscade to be seen to be doing something.
Rangers have been punished three times by UEFA for offensive behavior but in a desperate bid to regain some support for his ill thought out legislation Salmond claimed that Scottish football could be wiped out if his bill isn’t implemented.
Under questioning from Tory leader Annabel Goldie the first minister claimed: “Unless we face down what has happened in our football grounds, we won’t have a football game in Scotland. We have European authorities who will take action against sectarianism if we don’t.”
Applying legislation that across the country when UEFA have only sanctioned one club seems a heavy handed approach to an isolated problem with Celtic concerned by the approach that Salmond is taking.
He said: “We consider the existing legal framework, with the more consistent and comprehensive approach to football banning orders and the new Football Policing Unit proposed by the Joint Action Group, should first be applied and the effectiveness of those measures then reviewed, before additional legislation is considered.
“Clearly we do recognise this is a very complex issue. However, it is also important that all society’s ills are not laid at the door of football.”
CLICK HERE for Neil Lennon and players praise the Green Brigade
CLICK HERE for Carlos Tevez incident in the Bayern Munich dug out
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