Former referee Eddie Smith has been confirmed as the policeman responsible for reporting ‘offensive’ songs by Celtic supporters during the Europa League match with Rennes to UEFA.
Celtic are already preparing their defence which is likely to bring further spotlight on to the SNP’s ludicrous attempt to bring in a law about offensive behaviour without giving any guidelines as to what defines offensive behaviour.
The fact that a former Grade 1 referee found the singing of the Celtic supporters offensive won’t surprise any hoops fan, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that Celtic’s very existence is offensive to a number of referees.
With Rangers being repeatedly charged with various offences by UEFA it was only a matter of time before Celtic found themselves dragged into the same debate after various campaigns aimed against the clubs’ Irish roots.
It appears that no arrests were made during the match with Rennes despite Smith reporting offensive behaviour to the UEFA match delegate.
A spokesman for Strathclyde Police told the Daily Record: “For Eddie to speak to the delegate after the match is nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, it is standard practice.
“We can confirm there were a number of instances during the game of singing offensive songs and inquiries are ongoing to detect the offenders.”
Smith’s refereeing career is best remembered for the infamous ‘free-kick-gate’ incident at Love Street in the 2007/08 season.
Many St Mirren supporters have never forgotten how Smith awarded Celtic a free kick THIRTY yards from goal in the closing minutes of the match..
Despite Shunsuke Nakamura having to send the ball round a six man defensive wall and a goalkeeper many believe that this decision effectively handed the title to Gordon Strachan’s Celtic team.
A few weeks later Celtic also scored from a disputed corner kick against Motherwell!
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I welcome the debate.
Offensive songs or chants ain’t a crime, how many supporters around Europe would be arrested if singing offensive songs or chants were a crime. Personally I find Scottish referees offensive with their honest mistakes and their anti Celtic stance.
So if this is usual practice why have decades of illegal sectarian and racist chants by other clubs been ignored? Reminds me of the BBC labelling celtic songs sectarian live on air whilst ignoring decades of open and proven racist and sectarian chants from other clubs.
At first I was well p’d off with this Smith twerp, thinking that perhaps he was doing this reporting off his own steam BUT he was probably only following the new guidelines set out by this devolved government which is determined to prove that one side is as bad as the other. A party whose own press officer said “We need to arrest more Catholics to even things up!” and who have ‘lost’ the official statistics of sectarian assaults and offences of the l;ast few years.
No-one should be surprised by any of this. As soon as the hunniez were taken to task for their racist and bigoted chanting, the SFA and Scottish sports meeja were doing everything in their power to drag us into the quagmire as well.
On a personal point of view, I am sick of the brainless wee buckie-fuelled muppets who delight in singing ‘Up The Ra’ type chanting at Celtic games whilst at the same time without having the slightest clue on the complex beastie that is Irish history. I know a few of these folk and believe me they have never even set foot on the Emerald Isle!
However, what they are singing ISN’T illegal. Sure, it is offensive to some but UEFA, SFA, the polis, etc. will be up to their necks in paperwork if they have to act on all offensive, never mind illegal or racist, chants at footbal grounds.
Expect the Jimmy Hill vs The Tartan Army cse coming to a court near you any day now!