My thoughts exactly, if Rangers were the worst then it would be getting shouted from the rooftops of Holyrood.
SNP government in secrecy row over football sectarianism report
- Thread starter The Matador
- Start date
Calico Jack
Well-Known Member
Hums a' corruption is an absolute disgrace to his position, he should be thrown out of politics for his part in covering up the truth.
Boak inducing levels of corruption.
Justice Minister? What a joke
Boak inducing levels of corruption.
Justice Minister? What a joke
wontoofree
Well-Known Member
This occurred to me also.
Why?
Tend to agree with this. SNP just want the public to think nothing bad goes on anymore and crime is being reduced. Report probably contradicts this and they won’t want anybody thinking it’s on the rise. Look at the amount of stabbings etc that are happening which don’t seem to be getting reported in the press
Grigo Yossarian
Well-Known Member
That’s my worry Porto Loyal. NBM are basically anti Rangers yet are pushing for this. I’m not as sure as others are.
thewullster71
Active Member
Pretty sure we didnt need a report for everyone to see and hear the views of the hordes on Scottish cup final day. Another day of shame from the darkside.
tacneb21
Active Member
So that tells me the reason of the "secrecy" is that it paints them in bad light, but, what jumped out is this :
In February, the then Kilmarnock manager Steve Clarke, responding to chants of “sad 19th Century Terrorist b******” that echoed around Ibrox, said it was reminiscent of the “Dark Ages”.
Derek McInnes, the Aberdeen manager, also hit out after he said Celtic fans had branded him a “sad Orange b******” during a Scottish Cup semi-final.
The above explains what is all wrong in our own country when it comes to our own mhedia.
In February, the then Kilmarnock manager Steve Clarke, responding to chants of “sad 19th Century Terrorist b******” that echoed around Ibrox, said it was reminiscent of the “Dark Ages”.
Derek McInnes, the Aberdeen manager, also hit out after he said Celtic fans had branded him a “sad Orange b******” during a Scottish Cup semi-final.
The above explains what is all wrong in our own country when it comes to our own mhedia.
Mexi
Well-Known Member
They commissioned a report into child abuse that ignored religious and sporting institutions. There is no way they, or the SFA, would write a report that implicates them, especially since they've been indulging the scum's every demand the past few years
SNP Government in secrecy row over football sectarianism report
Exclusive by Paul HutcheonPolitics and Investigations Editor, Herald on Sunday
EXCLUSIVE
Humza Yousaf. Pic Gordon Terris/The Herald
The Scottish Government is at the centre of a secrecy row over a dossier which lays bare the scale of sectarianism at football matches.
Ministers are refusing to publish nearly two years of data on “unacceptable conduct” in football grounds by claiming it is confidential.
The SNP administration believes the public interest is served by withholding data that was provided by the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL).
Nil By Mouth, an anti-sectarianism charity, has now lodged an appeal with the Scottish Information Commissioner to have the figures released.
READ MORE: Hiding sectarianism statistics makes football fans less safe
They have accused the SPFL of 'going to any lengths' to ensure there isn't the necessary transparency and said it was a law unto itself.
Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur said: “Sectarianism is poisoning Scottish football. Secrecy isn’t the answer. This data needs to be released immediately.”
Football clubs are being urged to take firm action against sectarian abuse that has been directed against fans, players and managers.
In February, the then Kilmarnock manager Steve Clarke, responding to chants of “sad 19th Century Terrorist b******” that echoed around Ibrox, said it was reminiscent of the “Dark Ages”.
Derek McInnes, the Aberdeen manager, also hit out after he said Celtic fans had branded him a “sad Orange b******” during a Scottish Cup semi-final.
He said: "They'll keep continuing to sing their songs because we don't have the leadership in this country to deal with it.”
However, the spotlight has now shifted to the records of bad behaviour collated by the SPFL, which runs the top four leagues in Scotland, and shared with the Government.
In 2017, academic Dr Duncan Morrow recommended a monitoring system in his progress report for the Government on tackling sectarianism.
“The outcomes of robust monitoring and evaluation on this basis should be published annually to allow for a genuine debate about the extent of sectarian behaviour and attitudes in football, its impact on culture and the effectiveness of measures to reduce it, and to help further reviews,” he wrote.
Paul Hutcheon: the Smith Commission has been bad for Scotland
In May, the Government informed McArthur that the football authorities had collected the data on “unacceptable conduct”, which is wider than sectarianism, from the start of the 2017/18 season.
Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf wrote that the “baseline” information was shared with the Government and Police Scotland “in confidence”, at the request of the football authorities.
After Nil By Mouth, one of the country’s top anti-discrimination charities, tabled requests under freedom of information legislation, the charity was refused the figures by the SNP Government.
Officials said releasing the data would be an “actionable breach of confidence” because the information was obtained from the SPFL.
They added that the information was provided in circumstances which “imposed an obligation” on the Government to “maintain that confidentiality”.
Civil servants also claimed that releasing it would undermine the SPFL’s trust in the Government, adding that the “public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption”.
Dave Scott, the campaigns director at Nil By Mouth, pointed the finger at the SPFL for the secrecy conditions.
“Scottish football thinks it is a law unto itself and despite the investment of millions of pounds of public money into the game over recent years the SPFL seems to feel it doesn’t have to be publicly accountable. Duncan Morrow’s report called for football to be transparent in its dealings on this issue and it’s clear that the SPFL will go to any lengths to ensure this isn’t the case.
“Government and Parliament can’t allow the SPFL to call the shots and if the commissioner finds in our favour we will be contacting Holyrood’s Health and SportCommittee asking it to undertake an investigation into the report’s findings allowing a cross party group of MSPs to fully question the SPFL in public session.”
He added: “For too long the SPFL has operated its own system of ‘self-regulation’ where no one is ever held to account and the issue of bigotry is swept under the carpet. As a direct result the problem of sectarianism within the game festers with a third of all Scottish Premier League
Managers speaking out in recent months about repeated instances of sectarian abuse toward them, at games.
“The SPFL cannot be allowed to dodge, deflect and deny its way out of its responsibilities the problem and we are confident the Commissioner will rule publication to be firmly in the public interest.”
READ MORE: Groups tackling ‘toxic bigotry’ of sectarianism to share £530,000
Labour MSP James Kelly said: "The SPFL and the Scottish Government should be up front and open when it comes to the levels of unacceptable conduct being recorded in football stadiums.
"Without this transparency not only are we unable to view a clear picture of the scale of the problem, but we have little idea of what individual incidents are being classed as such.”
Scottish Tory MSP Donald Cameron said: “There’s no point in having Freedom of Information laws if data like this is kept secret. It’s yet another example of the SNP trying to do government behind closed doors.
“What’s also concerning is that such secrecy and obstruction just serves to heighten suspicion about what’s being kept under wraps.
“In fact, Scottish football fans are among the best behaved in the world, and the authorities should therefore have nothing to fear from releasing this information.”
The BBC reported earlier this year that a number of match delegates – employed by the SPFL – had spoken of their frustration that no action was being taken about sectarian incidents.
"It was so frustrating," said one former delegate. "It seems like the Scottish Professional Football League is content to sweep the issue under the carpet."
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Our strong preference was, and remains, that SPFL should make the data publicly available. However, the information has been provided to us on the condition that it was in confidence.
“That followed discussions between the Scottish Government, Scottish FA, SPFL, Police Scotland and other stakeholders, where the football authorities agreed to collate data on unacceptable conduct in Scottish football for the first time from the start of the 2017-18 season – but on the condition that it remained confidential.”
This newspaper asked the SPFL whether they would agree to publish the information. An SPFL spokesman responded: “We absolutely condemn all forms of unacceptable conduct at SPFL matches. Our focus is on supporting the extensive work that our clubs and the police do to identify and punish the small minority of individuals who engage in this type of dangerous behaviour. “
That individual has a dangerous look about him.
Garrioch Bear
Well-Known Member
Yeah, and Gumsy Clarke got a lot more media coverage.
vinnie
Well-Known Member
He was damaged before hand. That’s called alcohol abuse.
bilkobear
Well-Known Member
Steven Gerrard has been subjected to this more than anyone.
As a man, he shrugged it off without a mention, placing it exactly where it should be in the bigger picture, mostly out of sight or from adult consideration.
I don't condone such chants, they are an anachronism from years gone by, but like Steven Gerrard I can put them in perspective.
Possibly the worst eruption of blatant sectarian behaviour in a football ground during the last few years was the hanging of Protestant effigies at The Jimmy Savile Dome.
It aroused so much condemnation disgust and anger, that the authorities under the SNP and Hamza Yousef managed to lose all of the evidence surrounding the prosecution of the matter.
I will take these clowns seriously when they become serious people, until then, this is just another laughing matter produced by the comedians in Scotland called the Scottish National Party.
SecondBestIsNothing
Well-Known Member
I think the report will say it’s not that much of an issue which the SNP don’t want as they prefer to have it as a stick to beat us with
If we were top of that list it would be in the front page of all lawlells puppets papers taking the heat off the worlds biggest sports scandal.
In saying that I wish we would get our brains in check and stop singing about that fucking wino Scotland manager and you can guarantee we’ll do the same with Lennon.
19th Century Terrorist bastard isn’t a insult to these people.
In saying that I wish we would get our brains in check and stop singing about that fucking wino Scotland manager and you can guarantee we’ll do the same with Lennon.
19th Century Terrorist bastard isn’t a insult to these people.
Biscuit
Member
Not going to work... Any party with any sort of 'green' credentials will form a coallition with the nats and we'll be back to square one. A strong Unionist party is the only way forward.
Bazoo
Well-Known Member
If we were top of that list it would have been leaked
Grigo Yossarian
Well-Known Member
Isn’t it funny how Steven Gerrard didn’t raise it so they just assume it didn’t happen ?
Copland85
Well-Known Member
This is a Justice Minister in charge of the CPS that managed to lose the evidence of what could arguably seen as the most disgusting act of sectarianism ever witnessed in a football ground .
gersfan2
Active Member
The Catholic Church has been doing it all over the world for years.
Le Big Bear Bum
Well-Known Member
The word 'sectarianism' should be banned in Scotland. Singing and chanting ffs.
Grigo Yossarian
Well-Known Member
This MUST be why these fookers in the east end somehow think that covering this abuse up is acceptable. It’s been indoctrinated into them that they can do this, say a wee prayer, and things are OK.
tacneb21
Active Member
Exactly, but these two paragraphs tells you everything about our media, 1st paragraph implying that it was the whole stadium singing it, yet, in the 2nd its saying that it was DMcI was saying that.
All in all it condemns us as a support, yet, on the other hand, their support don't get the same treatment, implying that its only McInnes's opinion that this may have happened, they're hypocrites with an agenda, which we all know what that is.
Who also didn’t have car insurance.
Ricksen
Well-Known Member
This is probably far fetched but the thought occurred nonetheless.
The same way the Catholic Church threaten people with excommunication if they don’t vote their way, I wonder if celtic have threatened people in the government with bans from the cesspit if they bring this scandal up.
Grigo Yossarian
Well-Known Member
100% agree mate. Horrible agenda across the Government, the SFA & the SMSM.
We as a community need to stick together & continue to fight our corner.
Renfrew@UKGB&NI
Well-Known Member
Agreed. Had a look at murder rates in uk for 2018 and the largest percentage population wise was renfrewshire and inverclyde. The comments from the top cop in inverclyde was astonishing. Told the public not to be too alarmed by this as some murders took place in a home,not like gang wars in London. So that makes it alright then.
BrunoseAlves
Well-Known Member
Could this story be planted as a distraction from more serious issues the SFA and SNP are keen to airbrush?
Stanley Yelnats
Well-Known Member
Are they not obliged to release the documents under a freedom of information request?
Big D
Well-Known Member
At least until the SNP are no longer in power.
Blues and Royals
Well-Known Member
The findings of this report were probably supposed to work the same way as the Offensive Bill act. It was supposed to be a one way street regarding sectarianism, but the reality turns out to mean something a bit different which of course is unacceptable to the catholic mafia and their puppets.
Covenanter1
Well-Known Member
me same same
JorgAlbertz
Well-Known Member
I disagree with that. I have a feeling the report will more likely show that (despite inflated press coverage of negative stories about football) the instances of 'sectarian' singing/chanting are falling and in most games are zero.
Certainly arrests at football matches where it is most likely are going to be at a low as hardly ever are there any arrests at OF games any more.
If the report was commissioned by the football authorities and shows reduced instances of unacceptable behaviour and ties in with a reduction in football (sectarian) crime figures which are on their way, the Scottish Government could laud that as some kind of success - but doing so would not tie in with their assault on the Loyalist Parades and it wouldn't tie in with maintaining the perrenial victim status RC/Celtic/Nationalist/Republican vote.
Won't be saying what they want it to say.
Southernlion
Well-Known Member
And that is why we should get rid of any reference to the Pope. And reinstate that song that contains "19th Century Terrorist".
Southernlion
Well-Known Member
And what is to stop a member of the SPFL from leaking the report, or leaving it in a taxi, or etc
tazzabear
Well-Known Member
I’m thinking that it’s more like the problem is actually quite minuscule.
The report is a waste of money and qunts like NBM and the rest of those on the sectarian gravy train aren’t deserving of a single penny.
wee bud's pit boots
Well-Known Member
I think this is a legitimate question.
Given, what we've went through, should our directors not be on the case of anything that concerns the hypocrisy that consumed us?
Given, what we've went through, should our directors not be on the case of anything that concerns the hypocrisy that consumed us?
stein and johnston
Well-Known Member
Hope this doesn’t sound petty.... But why no mention of our manager of been subjected to this also.??
Or is it selective hearing.??
Or is it selective hearing.??
