Pat nevin sickened by â??bigotedâ?? fans

[ian1964 10,626]

LIFELONG Celtic fan and TV pundit Pat Nevin yesterday told MSPs he has turned his back on the club because of sectarian songs sung during matches.

 

Pat Nevin, who played for Scotland, Motherwell, and Chelsea in the Eighties and Nineties, was sickened when he took his son to Parkhead and Celtic supports burst into IRA songs during the match.

 

He was giving evidence to the Scottish Parliamentâ??s Justice Committee, which is scrutinising plans to tackle bigotry at games.

 

If passed, Holyroodâ??s Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Bill could mean up to five years in prison for those convicted, as well as a ban from football grounds.

 

Nevin told MSPs he hoped â??good legislation would go throughâ? and added: â??Whatever we do, I want to make sectarianism culturally *unacceptable and legislation may be needed to do that.â?

 

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Whatever we do, I want to make sectarianism culturally *unacceptable

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Pat Nevin

 

Opponents of the proposed new laws warn they could â??escalateâ? the problems because of their catch-all nature. Dr Stuart Waiton, lecturer in sociology and criminology at the University of Abertay, Dundee, told the committee the bill risks creating an â??authoritarian and illiberal societyâ?.

 

He said later: â??If the media, politicians and the police didnâ??t make such a big deal about sectarianism, we wouldnâ??t be discussing it. All we would be talking about is Celtic and Rangers football fans who hate each other in a tribal rivalry that exists in football.â?

 

SNP Glasgow MSP Humza Yousaf raised the terminology sung at Old Firm games. He asked Jeanette Findlay, chairwoman of the Celtic Trust supporters organisation: â??When I hear thousands of people singing, â??Go home you huns, go home,â?? if itâ??s not on the grounds of nationality or religion, then on what grounds is that sung?â?

 

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/269714/Pat-Nevin-sickened-by-bigoted-fans

[GovanAllan 0]

Sure it's just the craic so it is everybody loves us so they do, only Protestant rangers fans can be bigots has the first minister not gave you the memo.

[Guest Dutchy]

Good question by Humza. What was the answer? lol

[Danny 0]

How do we know Nevin is a Celtic fan?

[Frankie 8,372]

How do we know Nevin is a Celtic fan?

 

He said so himself on Tuesday. However, he doesn't consider himself one now because of his recent experiences at their games.

[Zappa 0]

I don't believe him Frankie. He knows that Celtic fans have been open supporters of the IRA in very large numbers for decades. He's older than me, so he's old enough to know that much. He's clearly towing the Celtic party line by trying to make out that it's a minority in their support.

[Frankie 8,372]

I don't believe him Frankie. He knows that Celtic fans have been open supporters of the IRA in very large numbers for decades. He's older than me, so he's old enough to know that much. He's clearly towing the Celtic party line by trying to make out that it's a minority in their support.

 

Not sure if he mentioned a minority or not but he was certainly scathing of both the club and its actions so I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

 

Yes, one can ask the question 'why now?' but perhaps it took him having to personally experience the hate (after his comments on the BBC) to decide enough is enough.

[Zappa 0]

Not sure if he mentioned a minority or not but he was certainly scathing of both the club and its actions so I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

 

Yes, one can ask the question 'why now?' but perhaps it took him having to personally experience the hate (after his comments on the BBC) to decide enough is enough.

 

He grew up supporting Celtic as a boy and played for them at youth level because he wanted to play for Celtic, so asking the 'why now?' question is the most important factor. When he retired as a player and went into doing media work he deliberately tried to distance himself from supporting Celtic by saying he had become a Hibs fan. Aye, righty ho Pat! Now, all of a sudden, out of the blue, he's just noticed there's a problem with sectarianism in the Celtic support? I'm not buying it. Last season Celtic released various statements about it being a very small minority they had a problem with and basically played it all down big time. Now wee Pat, the boyhood Celtic fan and big name in the football media is trotted out making out as if he's only just noticed any significant problem. Something doesn't smell right if you ask me.

[Danny 0]

It beats the technique of most of their fans - pretending there's no problem at all. Or not caring.

[Bluedell 5,482]

He grew up supporting Celtic as a boy and played for them at youth level because he wanted to play for Celtic, so asking the 'why now?' question is the most important factor. When he retired as a player and went into doing media work he deliberately tried to distance himself from supporting Celtic by saying he had become a Hibs fan. Aye, righty ho Pat! Now, all of a sudden, out of the blue, he's just noticed there's a problem with sectarianism in the Celtic support? I'm not buying it. Last season Celtic released various statements about it being a very small minority they had a problem with and basically played it all down big time. Now wee Pat, the boyhood Celtic fan and big name in the football media is trotted out making out as if he's only just noticed any significant problem. Something doesn't smell right if you ask me.

 

He's one of the few who is willing to go public with the issue. What other journalist or pundit has EVER mentioned it at half time in a TV studio during a match, because I can't think of any?

 

It's a major embarrassment to Celtic as it goes against the party line that they don't have a problem of any sort.

 

As for him not doing it in the past, people change. I would guess many bears' views on what is and is not acceptable have changed in the past 25 years.