Soccer Football - Europa League - Fans gather in Glasgow for the Europa League Final - Eintracht Frankfurt v Rangers - Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - May 18, 2022 Rangers fans react outside the Ibrox Stadium after Eintracht Frankfurt's Rafael Santos Borre scored the last penalty Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith
Chris McLaughlin has managed to mention Rangers, sectarian chants and Scotland’s shame in the one article but has kept each phrase well apart.
On Tuesday it emerged that the SFA were to revisit the issue of ‘abhorrent behaviour and chanting made by some supporters’ which was widely reported on social media during Sevco’s visit to Hibs in Sunday’s Scottish Cup tie.
Viaplay Sport provided television commentary, like BBC Scotland with their radio commentary they made no mention to the Anti-Irish and Anti-Catholic chanting heard throughout the match with one especially sick chant heard when Martin Boyle received seven minutes of treatment late in the first half.
As usual the SFA turned a deaf ear to the issues associated with the club formed by Charles Green in 2012.
Monday night’s ‘enough is enough’ statement from Hibs has changed the landscape, covering the issue this morning on the BBC website McLaughlin writes:
Their statement calling on everyone to act was borne of home fans’ frustration at some of the sectarian chants heard during their Scottish Cup match with Rangers.
In calling that and other issues out, Hibs were also quick to admit they have problems of their own.
Anyone who saw the chilling image of the freshly thrown bottle opener, lying in the grass beside Hearts forward Lawrence Shankland during the recent Edinburgh derby, would agree.
In state of the art stadiums packed with CCTV, the coins and pies of the past have been joined by lighters, vapes and bottle openers. There are some arrests but the problem persists.
It’s a similar story with pyrotechnics.
Warnings have been issued, sniffer dogs deployed but the flares and smoke bombs persist.
As for the issue once described as Scotland’s shame – few would argue that sectarianism isn’t alive and kicking inside Scottish football grounds in 2024.
Songs that many thought were confined to the 1970s and ’80s are back and being chanted, seemingly unchallenged.
Unchallenged- especially by BBC Scotland who provided live commentary from Easter Road as they shared the songs of hate far and wide.
The BBC Scotland commentator praised the fans for maintaining an atmosphere as Martin Boyle was receiving treatment from two doctors on the pitch.
While the state broadcaster refuses to report what is actually happening and calling it out social media has no such shackles about Scotland’s shame and the chief source.
Have said it for a while now, any club playing Rangers and having to endure the racist and sectarian chanting, should be taking their players off the park.
Martin Boyle was getting treatment for a serious injury and supporters are chanting ‘to die a f*nian bastard’. https://t.co/AfthvJUIRv pic.twitter.com/K2coF8G0GB— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) March 11, 2024
The Daily Record has quickly categorised Sunday’s events as an O** F*** problem, it is their solution to everything.
After a seven year stand off triggered by McLaughlin reporting Sevco fans being removed from Easter Road in 2015 for sectarian singing it is clear that the last thing that the state broadcaster wants is to return to that awkward issue.
BBC Scotland will have access to a media conference with Philippe Clement today, it is unlikely that he will be asked about the chants from his supporters at the match against Hibs.
Twice in 2019 UEFA closed sections of Ibrox as punishment for the anti-Catholic songs and chants heard by supporters, a repeat on Thursday against Benfica will bring further UEFA sanctions.
Lip service.
So the fat greedy money grabbing politician Douglas Toss will there again as an official at the sevco game this weekend,travelling expenses from the North of Scotland put up on a hotel overnight,you ain’t telling me there was nobody closer to Glasgiw to be those official in the day,another old pals act with the SFA helping a fellow brother out.
A brother whose political party took £10 million in donations from a racist wanting a black politician shot dead,Toss will blend right in there with the others.
It is right and proper that Bloggers, like yourself Joe, call out and report the issues of sectarian singing and hatred from the Sevco support…BUT….Until Scottish Clubs in general and OURS in particular make OFFICIAL complaints…Then nowt will happen..and Sevco, the BBC / STV and newspapers all know it.
Editor: I think it is fairly well known from this blog that the biggest backers of the status quo and propping up the toxic O** F*** brand are the old men of the Celtic boardroom.
Says it all…sadly.
Do you notice how Inaction Jackson and Billy Leckie never, ever ,have their dwindling reader columns in the Record and Sun , absolutely rebuke and severely criticise the perpetual bigoted singing and chanting …fully ? Oh sure , there is the occasional low rent lip service from the scoops , but nowhere near the complete condemnation and denunciation,that one of Scotland’s shame secret’s deserves ? It’s almost as if they don’t want to upset the apple cart for certain readers on the disgraceful behaviour ….silence generates money ! One of these scoops calls himself ‘ Scotland’s’ most influential journalist ‘ …isn’t it about time he attempted to emulate the billing ?
Now correct me if I’m wrong. Who was playing on Sunday evening. What set of fans were singing sectarian chants all the way through the match. I guess you all know the answer. Now it about both.
Athe SFA will do fck all so its upto the government to call this out. If it was against Muslim,Jewish etc it would be a different story. Time to grow a pair.
The Billy Boys was clearly being sung at Benfica, should UEFA not be taking action against that? Does it have to be a home game?
Editor: The ban applies to any UEFA match.
Chants from the 70s & 80s ? And 90s and all this century.