Strictly Sevco.
These last few weeks, the entertainment for Rangers supporters is in watching BBC Scotland framing the strict liability debate. It was easy at the start, Killie's Steve Clarke had been subjected to sectarian chanting at Ibrox, and Michael Stewart, DrStu', and Tom English demanded the Scottish Government step in and take appropriate action. Across both radio and TV, the big stick battering Sevco was presented as the only action. Truly, it is quite amazing how attracted a lot of Scottish football supporters and PQ journos are to such imagery. The Scottish Justice Minister, Humza Yousef liked the thought even more and began making noises. He was looking for answers as opposed to searching for lost evidence.
Three days before Steve Clarke suffering vile sectarian abuse, Kris Boyd had been the recipient from Sellik supporters. Then, Steven Gerrard was the target of sectarian chanting by Aberdeen fans, in between a few songs about the Ibrox Disaster. The PQ Gang Hut retreated and decided to stay schtum, the imagery of fellow Dandies and Yahoos indulging in sectarian chanting is awkward for strict liability going forward. Bravely, DrStu' kept the charge going; he was prepared to compartmentalise any sectarian abuse of Boyd and Gerrard as, 'tribalism', Steve Clarke was the real victim of sectarianism. Cosgrove's concerns were both Boyd and Gerrard being abused was running interference on the real issue of Clarke.
We arrive at last weekend's old firm game at Sellik Park, both Jimmy Bell and Gerrard are recipients of sectarian chanting from the jolly craicsters amid the Green Brigade. This can be conveniently ignored because there is too much fun to be had at PQ, getting after Morelos, Kent, and Halliday. In fact, Big Dick and Michael Stewart go out on a limb to clear Scott Brown of any wrongdoing. Of course, on Wednesday night der Broony stands on an opposition player and Michael Stewart tells the Sportscene audience, "where else could he put his foot"? There is dissension amid PQ ranks, both the commentator, Paul Mitchell and 'Thommo' decree Brown's actions as worthy of a red card.
The strict liability issue arriving from the Yahoos visit to Paisley, is the detonation of a Thunderflash. Like any other pyrotechnic, it is initiated by a detonator and the minimum safety distance is thirty meters. On Sportsound, Big Dick read out a text from a Gang Hut staffer, assuring us that the pyrotechnic did not strike the St Mirren keeper, it had landed five yards away. Pat Bonner was allowed to talk about young teenagers and lack of responsibility. On Sportscene, Michael Stewart did not mention strict liability, and by the time we reached Thursday evening, PQ were talking about, "a firework". No one mentions minimum safety distance or that a thunderflash landing at such close proximity to the Buddies Keeper, could have blown his eardrums.
Now, you would think Chief Sports Correspondent, Chris McLaughlin would step in and bring full gravity to this discussion point? No, we receive old buffer, Reevel Alderson. A safe pair of hands, an Old Aloysian can be relied to chair a debate between Jeanette Findlay and James Dornan MSP. Reevel was scrupulously fair in ensuring all sides of Irish Republican opinion were heard, reading out a statement from the Green Brigade at the conclusion.
There you go, over a period of 4 weeks; Strict Liability equates to Strictly Sevco. Peter has announced this morning, "this stops now". It reminds me of fifteen years past when Peter also proclaimed, "no stone will remain unturned util the lighter thrower is found". Fernando Ricksen continues to await the identity of whoever struck him with a lighter at Sellik Park, obviously stones remain to be unturned. Perhaps, Humza Yousef could lend a hand, get out his comfy green leather seat in the north stand and search for lost evidence?