Thirteen minutes is how long Rangers fans took at New Douglas Park this lunchtime before breaking into another one of their sectarian songs. Apparently the fact that James McCarthy plays for the Republic of Ireland is justification to be racist and bigoted. Aren't you chaps big and clever?
I'm sick of this, I really am. Scottish football has a million and one problems to begin with. But with the increasing drop in playing standards amongst the Old Firm in the last few seasons, the SPL brand is becoming increasingly associated with sectarianism and little else.
I'm trying to find some way of attributing this to both halves of the Glasgow divide. But, if you do some research, it turns out Fields Of Athenry is not a sectarian song, and no-one can remember the last time the Celtic support belted out a pro-IRA anthem. Equally, you would be hard pressed to argue that displaying the Irish Tricolor could be considered offensive (by that argument, I'm happy to say the Union Jack must be taken in the same way).
So, to be blunt, it is Rangers, Rangers and Rangers. And the rest of the footballing community moans about it, the politicians moan about it, and all decent minded people moan about it. But what is being done about it? Sweet Fanny Adams, that's what.
Rangers know perfectly well who they are selling tickets to for home and away games - it would be easier to track them down and ban them (and report them to the cops) than it would be to play West Bromwich Albion at home. But they won't do it. And the SPL and the SFA keep muttering threats of obscene fines and points deductions. But they won't do it. And so the problem keeps rumbling on.
Considering how close the title race is going to be, imagine the message that would be put across if Rangers were docked a couple of points? It's got to that point. A big problem needs a big solution. And if Rangers won't embrace it, then the rest of us have to force it on them for the greater good.
L.
I'm sick of this, I really am. Scottish football has a million and one problems to begin with. But with the increasing drop in playing standards amongst the Old Firm in the last few seasons, the SPL brand is becoming increasingly associated with sectarianism and little else.
I'm trying to find some way of attributing this to both halves of the Glasgow divide. But, if you do some research, it turns out Fields Of Athenry is not a sectarian song, and no-one can remember the last time the Celtic support belted out a pro-IRA anthem. Equally, you would be hard pressed to argue that displaying the Irish Tricolor could be considered offensive (by that argument, I'm happy to say the Union Jack must be taken in the same way).
So, to be blunt, it is Rangers, Rangers and Rangers. And the rest of the footballing community moans about it, the politicians moan about it, and all decent minded people moan about it. But what is being done about it? Sweet Fanny Adams, that's what.
Rangers know perfectly well who they are selling tickets to for home and away games - it would be easier to track them down and ban them (and report them to the cops) than it would be to play West Bromwich Albion at home. But they won't do it. And the SPL and the SFA keep muttering threats of obscene fines and points deductions. But they won't do it. And so the problem keeps rumbling on.
Considering how close the title race is going to be, imagine the message that would be put across if Rangers were docked a couple of points? It's got to that point. A big problem needs a big solution. And if Rangers won't embrace it, then the rest of us have to force it on them for the greater good.
L.
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