Strathclyde Police Assistant Chief Constable Campbell Corrigan has waded into UEFA’s probe into chants heard at the Celtic-Rennes match and accused hoops supporters of singing sectarian songs.
Former referee and current police commander Eddie Smith reported chants to the UEFA delegate with Celtic asked to respond to a charge of illicit chanting during the Rennes match.
While the BBC and others struggle with or won’t accept the definition of sectarian the UEFA charge against Celtic does not relate to sectarian chanting or singing.
Unperturbed by the definition Corrigan chose the Daily Record to wade into the Celtic support after the role of Smith was highlighted by the same newspaper.
“This is absurd, Eddie was simply doing his job,” Corrigan told Scotland’s second most popular daily newspaper. “Far from being unprecedented, Eddie’s actions were in accordance with our normal procedure.
“It is his duty to conduct a debrief with the match delegate after every match, whether it’s an SPL or European game.
“I’m really concerned, primarily for my officer. I can understand emotions are running high among the Celtic support but let’s be clear – this is not Eddie’s fault.
“It is the fault of supporters who are engaged in sectarian or hate-filled singing – or in this case pro-IRA chanting.
“This is a priority for the country to sort out. It’s a priority for the Scottish government, the police and the courts. It’s not Eddie who sets the agenda.
“It shouldn’t be pinned on one individual who is merely carrying out his orders.”
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Joe, this time I need to disagree with you. He is not accusing Hoops fans of of singing sectarian songs as you state.
What he actually says is “It is the fault of supporters who are engaged in sectarian or hate-filled singing – OR IN THIS CASE pro-IRA chanting.”
The emphasis has to be placed on OR IN THIS CASE.
We don’t need sensationalist headlines but proper debate.
That’s a fair point Alfie, but he should not have mentioned “sectarian or hate-filled” whilst commenting about Celtic’s charge of “illicit”.
As we all know, if supporters sing sectarian or hate-filled songs, the cops can’t hear it.
“It shouldn’t be pinned on one individual who is merely carrying out his orders.”
Okay, its your orders that are wrong then rather than the individual carrying them out. That doesn’t change the fact that the home team were not informed as to what the home support had done wrong, therefore removing even the possibility of being able to self-police.
I fail to see how that is possible for the good of Scottish football or even Scottish society.
Mind you, the pedant in me would also suggest that this assistant chief look up “unprecedented” in the dictionary. I’d suggest that since no match commander has ever reported a football team for the singing of supporters prior to this, that’s precisely the word that should be used.
Again until we know the exact words or songs the POLICE (not UEFA, not the other teams or their fans) have taken exception to we can’t really debate this.
I’m interested in the description “hate-filled” songs. BOTOB seems to be about love – love of a country, love of comradeship. The reference to the RA Celtic Symphony, whilst curious in its context, isn’t about hatred either. What rebel songs that WE SING are “hate-filled”?
And as has been said before, the Queen honoured the dead in Dublin’s Garden of Remembrance this year, yet to sing about them is an offence? Personally I don’t sing or add-on the bits that Celtic FC asked me not to but its the inconsitency here that is the issue.
Final point: “It’s a priority for the Scottish government, the police and the courts. It’s not Eddie who sets the agenda.”
By not acting on what he clearly perceived as a breach of the existing law relating to conduct inside a stadium and what might be perceived as sectarian singing, ‘Eddie’ clearly has set his own agenda. Passing the buck to a supranational sporting body but taking no action himself is surely a dereliction of his duty as the match commander?
Excellent points that were well made. Couldn’t agree with you more jocky bhoy!
Surely, if Eddie Smiths job remit as Match Commander had been adhered to, he would have organized officers to remove those who were conducting this ‘illicit chanting’? Surely by reporting this to the UEFA match delegate and no one else, he has by-passed protocol in his duties to report this to the host club?
Something seriously stinks around this… Behavior that was applauded by UEFA around 8 years ago, is now being investigated by the same body? What has changed?
A lot of bad publicity in recent years for the manky mob, a nationalist party trying to make a name for themselves and the media trying so desperately to keep its circulation figures in the black… All factors in my view.
There is not one sectarian line in any song that is sung at Celtic Park. Some people may find some lines ‘offensive’, but some others will not. Some people may find songs that are sang at some music gigs ‘offensive’, some others may not. Can you see where I am going with this?
If you start to criminalize someone for voicing something that someone else may find ‘offensive’ then where does it stop? Will there be a hotline/email address where I can make a complaint if I come across something that I find offensive?
0800 NO 2 CRIMINALIZATION anyone?
Joe I agree with Alfie Conn. Leave the sensationalism to the guys with the crayons in the laptop loyal. It’s bad enough fighting those bar stewards, without making a rod for our own back. We have enough genuine instances of unfair treatment past and present without the need to invent some.
Well to be honest he never really done his job if he thought a crime was being commited shouldn’t he have arrested the person instead of telling tales
Has he ever been to a rangers game ?
the point that gets me about this is, why are they police so suddenly offended by these chants? if they have been sung then fair enough, i do not condone them!!
BUT…..
1) rangers fans continually sing hate filled sectarian songs, do the police not hear this? or more likely are they tapping they’re feet along to them!!
2) i do not remember the police commenting in the papers on the numerous occassions the huns have been charged with sectarian singing?
3) hearts fans? that another deaf ear by the police?
4) concerted campaign to even the score?
paranoid? me?
Is this hate filled lyrics against the English:
That fought and died for,
Your wee bit Hill and Glen,
And stood against him,
Proud Edward’s Army,
And sent him homeward,
Tae think again.
Or is this hatred against Scottish people:
May he sedition hush
And like a torrent rush
Rebellious Scots to crush
God save the King
Where does this end? It’s a farce!
Probably when that pesky King dies! 😉
Caught cutting and pasting again! 🙁
Sure, the Police have missed the point, the SPL and SFA are at their usual games, and the media are in heaven, but we can’t be blind either. These idiots are bringing the name of our club to the level the media have wanted for years. that of the guttersnipes from accross the city. Everyone looking from the outside in sees the bigotry in Scotland is in all the higher places, not at Celtic. But those in power are too much to beat and we know they are bigoted biased, and racist, but we had guys calluing themselves Celtic fans bring the name down by their actions. The only way to beat that is to shut them up, out them and we can once again stand proud. Out the isiiots, stop turning a blind eye. They are right there.
Still the main issue is not the singing of pro IRA songs at Celtic park which there is very little of now, but the way in which this was reported. Now let’s take one game from last season that was heavily policed the League cup Final, this game for me was a standout for sectarian and racist singing from the Rangers support and what does Goverment and Police say about this game nothing but compliments for the Rangers fans. Scotland 2011.