Hope this doesn’t sound petty.... But why no mention of our manager of been subjected to this also.??
Or is it selective hearing.??
So they mention McInnes getting the sad Orange B treatment from the tramps but don't talk about Stevie G's sectarianSNP 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. “
Same thing as they do with big bad Westminster.The whole sectarianism issue exists simply to provide incompetent politicians with an opportunity to offer cheap sound bites and a deflection tool when the need arises.
Subliminal messages trying to reflect us as Big bad the same way the report suggested the kitmans was not a beast bet the cant down south wasSo they mention McInnes getting the sad Orange B treatment from the tramps but don't talk about Stevie G's sectarian
abuse from the tramps or the abuse to Jimmy Bell.
They mention us and Clarke giving the impression we dish it out but our fans /management aren't subjected to sectarian abuse at football matches.
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.
What's the makeup of the Nil By Mouth organisation in terms of numbers and religion, and any members who are known to support specific clubs.
There are very few genuine neutrals in Scotland so would help if we had information showing that Nil By Mouth are just an anti-Rangers quango.
Bang on the money. The SNP are unfit to govern.No doubt celtic are the biggest culprits in the report hence why they dont want it published.
More secret reports to try minimalize any bad press they might get.
Nothing is being done about this club even though the bad stuff keeps piling on.
How long we got to wait till justice is served on them.
What's the makeup of the Nil By Mouth organisation in terms of numbers and religion, and any members who are known to support specific clubs.
There are very few genuine neutrals in Scotland so would help if we had information showing that Nil By Mouth are just an anti-Rangers quango.
We have to be wary of how stories like this emerge. The Herald is basically giving NBM free publicity.
It isn't a 'report', but a dossier listing 'unacceptable conduct' at Scottish football matches. This covers a much wider area than sectarianism.
It would be naïve to assume that groups like NBM haven't been told the headline figures, given the Scottish government knows.
Any increase in misconduct will be pounced on as another reason to introduce 'strict liability' and maintain funding to NBM.
We simply boycott all away games and let it be the survival of the fittest.
They need us more than we need them.
Let’s see how strict their financial diligence is and how big a liability that creates for them.
We have no friends in the game. We don’t need any
When it happens to Lennon he is always the victim, they don't miss any opportunity to pass comment on it and neither should we.Where are all the do gooders who love to support Lennon in his perpetual victim status when it cones to our Club that's Gerrard, Jimmy Bell all being subject to sectarian abuse ,did NBM comment or was it that old chestnut they weren't asked .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?
I would bet that this report clearly highlights the paedo chants and mentions the Celtic child sex abuse cases. If that is so then its released by Government then it would put pressure on Humza useless to comment on it.
The report probably also goes into detail about the pro IRA chants and the offence created by Celtic FC.
Neither of these issues will be allowed to go public with a government stamp on them.
The SNP like to present themselves as being progressive and open, but the reality is far more sinister and dark.
My thoughts exactly !No doubt celtic are the biggest culprits in the report hence why they dont want it published.
More secret reports to try minimalize any bad press they might get.
Nothing is being done about this club even though the bad stuff keeps piling on.
How long we got to wait till justice is served on them.
There would be a national enquiry about it.My thoughts exactly, if Rangers were the worst then it would be getting shouted from the rooftops of Holyrood.
Humza Yousless, is in his job purely to stop reports just like this and stonewall any independent inquiry in his beloved Celtic. What's the guessing this report mentions his club exuberantly.
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.
Actually, he's in the job to be a high profile ethnic minority face, first and foremost. His competence is irrelevant, by any objective ability measure he would have been sacked long ago.
This comment will probably get some boos, but it is the truth, and we all know it. Another lie we have to live and indulge in modern Scotland.
Legasov Loyal.
Nations mean nothing now there is no homogeneity, family then tribe is all that matters. BTW, all the rest have been doing this for centuries, time we cottoned on.
They need the Catholic vote yet in the meantime the rest of the Country can go f#ck itself,SNP rely on their anti Protestant stance as being seen as Anti Rangers so know one gives a damn but that's far from what's happening here .I would bet that this report clearly highlights the paedo chants and mentions the Celtic child sex abuse cases. If that is so then its released by Government then it would put pressure on Humza useless to comment on it.
The report probably also goes into detail about the pro IRA chants and the offence created by Celtic FC.
Neither of these issues will be allowed to go public with a government stamp on them.
The SNP like to present themselves as being progressive and open, but the reality is far more sinister and dark.
I’m thinking maybe a bit of the opposite from you and others in here. If it is a damning report on the tramps then I’d doubt NBM would be pushing for it to be published. Or am I wrong in this assertion?1st thing i thought.must be damaging to the manky mob.I guarantee if it was us.it would already be out there
I’m thinking maybe a bit of the opposite from you and others in here. If it is a damning report on the tramps then I’d doubt NBM would be pushing for it to be published. Or am I wrong in this assertion?
His ethnicity without doubt got doors opened for him, he was Transport Ministers and fecked that up. But his transfer to Justice Minister was a particularly contrived choice, who better than an avid Tim covering them and their back's.Actually, he's in the job to be a high profile ethnic minority face, first and foremost. His competence is irrelevant, by any objective ability measure he would have been sacked long ago.
This comment will probably get some boos, but it is the truth, and we all know it. Another lie we have to live and indulge in modern Scotland.
Legasov Loyal.
What's the makeup of the Nil By Mouth organisation in terms of numbers and religion, and any members who are known to support specific clubs.
There are very few genuine neutrals in Scotland so would help if we had information showing that Nil By Mouth are just an anti-Rangers quango.
And online petitions to have our stadium shut down.There would be a national enquiry about it.
They need the Catholic vote yet in the meantime the rest of the Country can go f#ck itself,SNP rely on their anti Protestant stance as being seen as Anti Rangers so know one gives a damn but that's far from what's happening here .
Or they could be pushing it to justify the funding the useless b’stards receive by showing sectarian behaviour is still very relevant in this country.That’s my worry Porto Loyal. NBM are basically anti Rangers yet are pushing for this. I’m not as sure as others are.
Or they could be pushing it to justify the funding the useless b’stards receive by showing sectarian behaviour is still very relevant in this country.
Again as someone pointed out it’s doubtful NBM have even seen this report and simply want it published to keep them relevant.Yes but the bar stewards always seem to do that in one consistent direction PB
Again as someone pointed out it’s doubtful NBM have even seen this report and simply want it published to keep them relevant.