Home > Football > Death, violence, bigotry and hatred: How long must Scotland suffer this Celtic-Rangers disgrace?
Death, violence, bigotry and hatred: How long must Scotland suffer this Celtic-Rangers disgrace?
It's a sad state of affairs when religion, race and ugly behaviour dominate a game of football between two teams from the same city.
by gerald mclaughlin on 30 April 2008
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Scottish football is an absolute nightmare. After a classic Old Firm game on Sunday most of the talk has not centred on what a fantastic game it was but on the fact that Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc removed his top to reveal a T-shirt with the words "God Bless The Pope" on it.Now Boruc did not walk towards the Rangers fans with this on. Surely one is allowed to express one's beliefs whenever they please? Obviously not, as this was reported to the local constabulary almost immediately by fans who you would imagine, after being beaten, would be trying to get home as quickly as possible.These are the same fans who repeatedly sang "God Save The Queen" throughout the match. Not a problem. It’s not a crime. If Rangers supporters want God to save the Queen, that’s great. I think she should be saved too. Everyone should be saved.So what’s wrong with wanting God to bless the Pope? Well, apparently it "incites" the Rangers fans to violence. Why? Now Boruc is a proud Catholic and should know better than to wind people up. It’s sad but this is what happens. Players have to tread carefully as an Old Firm game is fuelled by utter hatred. On another website one particular fan was critical of Boruc wearing a T-shirt praising a German Pope, being Polish and all. If this fan was into so much detail he would have noticed it was actually the late Pope John Paul II. A hero to Polish people who was, in fact, born in the same village as Boruc.Celtic manager Gordon Strachan probably put it best when he said: "He’s not a bad lad (the Pope) to be fair. If it was 'God bless Myra Hindley' I might have a problem.” Indeed. Does Kaka receive abuse or is he accused of inciting violence when after scoring a goal for AC Milan he reveals a T-shirt with the words "Jesus loves you" on it? No!Precisely why are Rangers fans incited to violence by such actions? If they truly are, there would have been a riot every week when Lorenzo Amoruso was club captain. He blessed himself running on to the pitch every week. Once again, because of the fragile state of Scotland’s religious balance I must state that Boruc was not clever or smart for doing this, yet the only bigotry on show on Sunday was the response and not the action.A small minority of Rangers fans released balloons with "I Knew" written on them, a reference to Jock Stein and the Celtic Boys Club abuse scandal of the '60s and '70s. Stein, of course, is no longer here to defend himself so it is the families of victims who suffer the most.A small minority of Rangers fans were responsible, but the majority are sane, rational people. There are Celtic fans, some of whom were close friends of mine, who I will never socialise with again. The blame lies on both sides in a country that is so small that the bristling and bubbling undercurrent of hatred is despicable.Yet the tabloids are, in general, biased towards a certain area in Scotland. You would have to be blind, deaf and dumb not to see this. It’s sad. In a previous article I wrote on Sportingo the headline contained the word "chink" in it. This referred to Celtic's 2-1 Old Firm victory recently. Translated, it means "a narrow opening or slit", which is exactly what Celtic gave themselves in the race for the title by defeating Rangers.I was dumbfounded to view a response accusing me of being racist for using such a word when Shunsuke Nakamura was included in the article. Nakamura is Japanese. The response was from a person with the Rangers crest next to the name. Incredible!Even more upsetting was the fact that Aiden McGeady was subjected to taunts of "If you hate Aiden McGeady, clap your hands" on Sunday night/Monday morning after leaving a nightclub celebrating the victory. He was surrounded. Does this really happen anywhere else in Britain? Does a player really have to go into hiding, denying himself from celebrating winning a game of football? It seems so.On an even more shocking note - frightening really - a 51-year-old Celtic fan died on Sunday night after being attacked by a bunch of youths in the Govan area of Glasgow. He suffered a fatal heart attack.This insular little world in Scotland is getting worse. God help us - or am I allowed to say that?
Comments (90)
by Nelster followfollow.com on April 30, 2008
Gerald, when will you learn. -- Artur Boruc - Grade A Idiot, top boy in that respect, can't think of a person with a more serious brain disorder in football. You think Paul Gascoigne is a wreck just now, wait til Artur hits 40. -- Don't ever compare that moron to fine upstanding footballers such as Kaka, Andrews and Sara. All men of substance. -- Aiden McGeady is a ned who thinks he is Irish, just like the majority of the idiots rolling out of the said nightclub with him. In his own words "His time will come"..... -- The guy attacked in Govan, try being a Rangers fan walking through Govan after a home game and duck and dive to avoid the Celtic Trackies attacking you / or throwing bottles off the top of flats at your car. NON STORY, not even football related - whatever next "Irishman loses dog, Celtic call off next match to arrange search party..."
by Stu Man on April 30, 2008
"In a previous article I wrote on Sportingo the headline contained the word "chink" in it. This referred to Celtic's 2-1 Old Firm victory recently. Translated, it means "a narrow opening or slit", which is exactly what Celtic gave themselves in the race for the title by defeating Rangers. I was dumbfounded to view a response accusing me of being racist for using such a word when Shunsuke Nakamura was included in the article. Nakamura is Japanese. The response was from a person with the Rangers crest next to the name. Incredible! " I made that comment in a successful attempt to wind up someone who is clearly an idiot. I obviously succeeded. As you can see there is no Rangers crest next to my name. Click the link: http://tinyurl.com/6jmrsa I also like how you removed/edited your comment to me where you called me a prick etc... Your faux concern at bigotry and lies only highlight your own prejudices.
by Jim Kerr on April 30, 2008
As regards Artur Boruc's choice of Underwear :- There's not much that needs to BE said, except, the ONLY People Whom "THE FINGER" SHOULD be pointed at, are the Mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging, sub-human, walking shit, Who feign being offended by a T-Shirt worn by a Sporting Genius !!!! But the ONLY thing that the pathetic Scottish-Media (AKA Laughing-stock) have printed, are ill-advised lies which imply that Artur Boruc is the epitome of "inciteful" evil, etc, ad nauseam .... These utterances are both mindlessly "predictable" & Transparently hypocritical, ie PERVERSE !!!! To "pander" to bigots & to "choose" to attack a Decent, fine, upstanding CHAMPION for"no reason" instead, is to ADMIT to being singularly without Concept of Taste, Humanity,Decency or Intelligence & is to underline that You "worship" the dregs of the brain-drain, in Promoting Their "disgusting" agenda .... Sadly the complicit, lick-spittle, spineless,deranged, talentless pseudo-journalists "encourage" yet more bitterly, jealousy-fuelled, "ill" behaviour, from those Clearly suffering from an inferiority-complex & manic-paranoia, towards what, in so doing, They're ADMITTING are Their SUPERIORS !!!! ie Celtic fans !!!! rangers fans Are "undoubtedly" the scum of the Earth, forcing Chelsea into a close 2nd .... After singing anti-Catholic, anti-Irish, anti-Polish, anti-Japanese & anti-INTELLIGENT ditties, They CAN'T pretend to be "easily" offended by "Anything," let alone a Young Polish Goal-Keeper Who was simply "declaring" His Love for another Polish Goalkeeper, Who also happened to be a Pope .... Only someone with the IQ of an orange, ie Orange-men, could be offended by Catholicism to the point where They're murderously foaming at the mouth, at the drop of a hat, or the donning of a T-shirt .... To conclude, racism & bigotry etc, are just fancy words for "IDIOT" .... Scotland is sadly rotten to the core, with imbeciles Whom the Media pander to, by "follow-following" The Finger which They're hypocritically "unselfaware" enough to Point at GOOD PEOPLE, to detract ATTENTION "away" from the "Fact" that THEY are the epitome of shallow "inhumanity" !!!! ranger football club is a gathering of the lowest IQ's ever shat into creation, it's the result of centuries of Tasteless inbreeding & it turns the Stomach of Any Right Thinking Person Who possesses Taste, Intelligence, Decency or Humanity .... At some juncture, a pig with foot & mouth disease, found it's way into the already suspect ancestral gene-pool of rangers fans .... As it's NOT HUMAN to "SO CONSISTANTLY" Exhibit a fundamental lack of Taste or shred of Humanity or Self awareness without Alternative .... Which underlines The Fact that They're not Human !!!! .... God Bless Them .... As Billy Connolly Says, "They're More to be pitied than scolded ...." And as regards the Scottish media, They're "predictable" apologists, revisionists & sadly incapable of doing anything-other than picking the "peanuts" out of dodgy-dave-the-utterly-inconsequential's bowl movements & assembling them into a spine .... Here's to "3 in a row," against the "mindless" permanently-raging, criminally deranged forces of darkness .... "The product" of protestant primary schools, ie GUILTY perpetrators of Over 75% of sectarian crime against "Innocent Catholics" !!!! CHAMPIONEES CHAMPIONEES !!!!
by James Jack on April 30, 2008
How many other SPL players who are also Catholics, come under the microscope? answer none. Artur Boruc is an idiot, everybody realised this, after the Rangers win at Ibrox when Boruc refused too shake hands with David Weir, one of the most likeable figures Scottish football has ever had, Boruc has one thing and one thing only on his mind too baite Rangers fans and players, but then you would never admit that would you gerald, as you´re obviously a ´tic fhan, it is easy too see, What about the "Up the ´ra" I suppose you´re all for it, eh?
on April 30, 2008 on April 30, 2008
Well done, someone speaking some sense on the Boruc 'incident' at last!
by Jim Bloggs on April 30, 2008
Fact of the matter with Celtic is that there's one rule for them and another rule for the rest. What about all the objects that get thrown at the opposition, intimidation of refs and constant attacks on opposing players?
Who assume that someone had a heart attack because of bigotry.
by t shirt on April 30, 2008
Artur Boruc is an idiot, everybody realised this, after the Rangers win at Ibrox when Boruc refused too shake hands with David Weir, one of the most likeable figures Scottish football has ever had
by Kevim D on April 30, 2008
Irishman loses dog, Celtic call off next match to arrange search party..." Rangers cancel game against Gretna and still get put out of Champions League :-)
by Al Yeah on April 30, 2008
3. THE PLAYER’S EQUIPMENT (Submitted by FIFA) Decisions of the International FA Board Decision 1 Present Law • Players must not reveal undershirts that contain slogans or advertising. • A player removing his jersey to reveal slogans or advertising will be sanctioned by the competition organiser. • Jerseys must have sleeves. New Law • Players must not reveal undershirts that contain slogans or advertising. The basic compulsory equipment must not contain any political, religious or personal statements. • A player removing his jersey to reveal slogans or advertising will be sanctioned by the competition organiser. The team of a player whose basic compulsory equipment contains political, religious or personal slogans or statements will be sanctioned by the competition organiser or by FIFA. ============= So stop trying to make this out as bigotry, it's the laws of the game, unless of course you are now accusing Fifa of bigotry? Knowing what you mhuppets are like, I wouldn't put it past you. GIRUY
by paul mccullough on April 30, 2008
to answer your question Does this really happen anywhere else in Britain? Yes it does in N.Ireland RUC fired plastic bullets into the crowd during Cliftonville v Celtic Friendly , Loyalists throw a bomb into crowd at Windsor park / Neil Lennon retires from International football after death threats he recieved ,not while playing for Leicester, that was ok, but after he had joined Celtic , Brendan Tully attacked on pitch playing for Donegal Celtic V Linfield police again attack DC supporters with plastic bullets, Belfast Celtic forced to withdraw from the Irish league after players attack by Linfield supporters.. all not in the name of football but because all these players , supporters and teams where deemed catholic and those who carried out all of these acts Linfield/Rangers supporters so in my opinion and what i have seen and felt and been subject to most of my life is this is naked sectarianism , bigotry and racism and god bless Boruc for the wearing of this shirt, for the response has shown the Scottish Media and Scottish society for the anti - Catholic/Irish/ Polish / - bigoted country that it is God bless you all
by Seamus O'Flatterty on April 30, 2008
Well done Gerald, another balanced article by yourself, telling the facts about the Old Firm rivalry. My only problem may have been a couple of inaccurate statements of "fact." First, I don't think the Rangers support were incited to violence by Boruc's t-shirt. It was widely reported that their was very little response, since most of them couldn't see what was on the shirt. You said yourself, he didn't approach the Rangers end, so I doubt they could read it. Second, I'd have to say that blaming the response as opposed to the action, may be inaccurate. If Boruc had kept his shirt-on, nobody in the media would have been discussing it. How many times in the past has any player in Scotland removed his jersey to show a t-shirt, intended to "wind-up" the oppostion? The only incitement I've seen in the last two Celtc-Rangers games were Nacho Novo inciting a Celtc supporter to throw a mobile phone at him by scoring and the Rangers club doctor inciting Celtc supporters to throw coins at him, by tending to an injured player. Novo has since incited Celtc supporters to sing a song suggesting he die in his sleep via an IRA bullet. (check You tube) Thirdly, having seen a few games that Lorenzo Amoruso played for Rangers, I don't remember him blessing himself when he entered the field of play. The fact there was no response from Rangers support if he did, tells its own story. You may have been incorrect on that one too. Next, you have correctly stated that the few ruin it for the many. I'm not sure why you've chosen to include in your article that a poster with a Rangers crest next to his name claimed you were racist for using the word "chink". The selection of crests is clearly open to the poster. If I made racist statements and chose the Celtc crest, would you mention the racist element in the Celtc support in your next article? Next, If Aiden McGeady played for Boca Juniors, was born in Buenos Airies to an Argentinian mother and father, but chose to play for Brazil because his grandmother lived there, how would he be looked upon in Argentina by the River Plate support? I think you would, for once, be accurate in suggesting that Rangers supporters have a bigger problem with the Anti-Britain (the country you live in) approach by Celtc supporters, rather than the pro-Ireland (your heritage). Your reporting of a 51 year-old being attacked by pack of youths may or may not be accurate. Based on the rest of the article, I have a feeling.... At minimum it's irresponsible and biased. I read nowhere else of this attack, so you may have a scoop on your hands. The mention that it may have occured in Govan suggests that the youths were wrapped in Rangers shirts, scarfs and hats and the guy was identified as a Celtc supporter. I'm not saying some louts attacked a guy on Sunday, I'm just saying, you've painted a sectarian picture to suit yourself. I appreciate your efforts to present a balanced report here. Unfortunately , you've done exactly what you criticized in your own "story", completely by-passed a game of football, to present a steaming pile of your usual quality penmanship. PS Look, I must be a Celtc supporter.
by Robert on April 30, 2008
Jim Kerr; I suggest medication my friend because you are obviously aff yer heid! I've never read so much tripe in my life.
by trueblue on April 30, 2008
mclaughlin your totally missing the point here as usual do u ever think before you speak ..ther was absolutly no reason for boruc to have the t shirt on in the first place but to cause trouble as usual hes needing slapped down, third world mentality shines through it also says in the bible ..and im no bible thumper but hey i take things in .....it say and jesus said go pratice your religion, pray to your own god in your own home ..get it now numptie not in public ..IN YOUR OWN HOME ... keep religion in your chappel or home its not for place of work sport or anything thing eles where theres a mixed public its simple ignorent to do so but then again you would know anybetter would you
by Disgusted And Appalled on April 30, 2008
For all those out there who think that Boruc was perfectly entitled to wear this t-shirt, ask yourself this - Has he ever worn a similar t-shirt at any other matches? For those who have offered the excuse that PJP II was a hero in the eyes of the polish people, ask yourself this - Would it then be acceptable for a Dutch Rangers player (OK there aren't any at the moment but there have been many over the years) to wear a t-shirt with GOD BLESS KING WILLIAM OF ORANGE on it?? Somehow I doubt it. What we ALL have to acknowledge is that FIFA rules state the "competition organiser" should apply sanctions to the player involved in the event of a "political, religious or personal statement" being exposed on an undershirt. The rules also state the player's club should face action, which could come from world football's governing body or the SPL. In the case of Marvin Andrews etc., I could accept that this was a fair comparison if he was playing against a team who's support was predominantly Muslim or Jewish, but that was not the case and the fact that the guy did it on a regular basis whilst playing against many different teams tends to suggest that he, unlike Boruc, was NOT doing just to wind up opposition fans. Boruc is an immature halfwit but the Celtic hierarchy should know better - dont try to tell me that no-one knew he had this shirt on. This makes the whole club culpable. Both they and Rangers have worked extremely hard to rid themselves of the bigots who have for years used their stadiums as pulpits for their bile so why do they now allow this to stoke the embers?