Old Firm fans to be watched online by cops

[pete 2,499]

Old Firm fans to be watched online by cops ahead of first match between Celtic and Rangers in more than a year

Chief Superintendent Brian McInulty

 

Chief Superintendent Brian McInulty

Evening Times: Photograph of the Author

 

55 mins ago

Peter Swindon, Group Investigations Writer @PeterSwindon

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Police will be watching Old Firm fans online in the run up to the Scottish Cup semi-final as part of a plan to root out potential troublemakers.

 

The first match between Celtic and Rangers in more than a year will go ahead at Hampden Park on April 17.

 

There were 37 arrests the last time the two Glasgow clubs clashed on February 1 2015, when Celtic eased to a 2-0 win in the Scottish League Cup Semi-final.

 

It is understood online fans’ forums, Facebook groups and Twitter accounts will be watched by officers ahead of the match.

 

Glasgow’s top cop, Chief Superintendent Brian McInulty, said: “You would reasonably expect we would be monitoring anything that’s available to us. We look at any opportunities there are.

 

“The majority of people going to that game who are well-intentioned would expect we would do everything that is reasonable to make it a safe environment for them.

 

“They can have that reassurance that we will do anything we reasonably can. We’ve become far more professional. We’re more focussed on where the threat is.”

 

Ch Supt McInulty took over from Andy Bates as Area Commander for Greater Glasgow on March 7, the day after Celtic and Rangers were drawn together.

 

“There’s nothing like settling in gently to your new role,” he said. “I’m now absolutely focussed on that operation and Andy Bates was absolutely right when he said recently that we are ready for it.

 

 

“The vast majority of people want to go and enjoy a festival of football. It’s a fantastic sporting event.

 

“The majority want to go along in a safe, family-friendly environment, enjoy the football and go home safely. We’re there to facilitate that.

 

“If that means we need to focus our attention on the small minority of people who have other intentions we will absolutely do that. It will be intelligence-led and proportionate.

 

“We have seen significant success and less disruption at these events. That’s something which will continue.”

 

Rangers are on course to win the Scottish Championship and return to the Scottish Premiership, which means there could be at least three Old Firm matches next season.

 

Ch Supt McInulty added: “It’s looking likely that we will have regular fixtures because Rangers are top of their league.

 

“I’m sure football supporters are looking forward to that. We’ll be ready to ensure it’s a safe environment.

 

“I think it’s important to give people the reassurance that it is absolutely going to be a focus of mine.

 

“As for the people who are not going to those events – people who are still living in local communities and relying on us to deliver a quality service – that’s still my focus too.

 

“It’s about the whole thing. We’re not blinkered.”

 

Better off at Kerrydale street

[trublusince1982 243]

Not blinkered!! So two cops standings amongst Kilmarnock fans filming Rangers fans who fail to turn the cameras onto those around them as they sung the banned billy boys are not blinkered and not only focused on one set of fans? Yeah neither they are. Same goes for yesterday on aikenhead road when the hubs fans were all fighting and flinging bottles at the vehicles and attacking those two girls in their own susport!? You made arrests of course? Or did you just dust them down close the pub and put them on their buses home?

Edited March 14, 2016 by trublusince1982

[Frankie 8,313]

I'm sure Gav will enjoy the over-time perusing this place...

[aweebluesoandso 290]

Will they feck, they'll be watching porn online,

[limeburner 0]

Its more fun than attending fatal road accidents i suppose.

[der Berliner 3,480]

Wonder if Chief Hate Preacher and Yahoo Supporters Trust CiC "Mad Joe" O'Rorke will be quaking in his boots. Oh wait, he's got a club license to write whatever filters from his bigotted brain to his fingertips.

 

 

Celtic Fans rep Joe O’Rourke makes Protestant Titanic slur

 

April 1, 2012

 

O’Rourke, the general secretary of the Celtic Supporters Association, replied to a comment posted to him via twitter which stated: “aye while the prods were building the Titanic all the Catholics were building an iceberg.”

 

O’Rourke then stated: “brilliant, the only problem is, the ones that built it didn’t sail on it.”

 

His comment sparked a volley of abuse and outrage aimed at the fans representative, before he apologised and deleted his twitter account.

 

O’Rourke has been an outspoken critic of the Scottish government’s Offensive Behaviour in Football bill, which was made legal at the start of March this year. But rather falling foul of the same law that he is against, the Port Glasgow resident was given a warning by Strathclyde Police over his online slur.

 

A spokesperson for Strathclyde Police said: “He has been given advice in relation to his use of social networking sites.”

 

It is too soon to know if O’Rourke’s position as General Secretary of the Celtic Supporters Association is under threat, however his position as a fans spokesperson is certainly untenable now.

 

http://www.scotzine.com/2012/04/celtic-fans-rep-joe-orourke-makes-protestant-titanic-slur/

 

That was 2012 and even his friends over at Celtzine asked whether he should go on. Well, we know that the Yahoos have a knack of finding new lows as they go along, and of course Mad Joe is striving and giving us all his hate ever since in his old role as Yahoo fan representative.

Edited March 14, 2016 by der Berliner

[colinstein 294]

wish they would spell "focused" correctly.

[MacK1950 2,278]

Our good old Polis might need hearing tests or maybe I do but I was sure I heard the Billy Boys being sung against Morton with the dreaded F****n word but it seemed to come from the Morton fans.Any one confirm this as the good old Polis seemed to take no action?

[Frankie 8,313]

Our good old Polis might need hearing tests or maybe I do but I was sure I heard the Billy Boys being sung against Morton with the dreaded F****n word but it seemed to come from the Morton fans.Any one confirm this as the good old Polis seemed to take no action?

 

They did sing their version of TBB but no idea what the words were.

[cooponthewing 1,139]

Yes m8! I thought it was just me, as I sit broomie rear and can hear every word. The were singing up to our knees in f****n blood. I took it as trying to get us in the shit, and yes, plod heard it but done fuck all! We sing up to our knees in big trophies and they try and jail us! It's a disgrace, and any covert member of police Scotland reading this should be thouraghly ashamed of there conduct and lack of constructive policing. Btw, it's not the first time, other away fans have done it too.