Celtic: Football Act has increased 'inappropriate songs'

[ian1964 10,613]

The club's top security official has told the SNP the legislation is not working.

 

Celtic's top security official claimed the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act increased the singing of "inappropriate songs".

 

Ronnie Hawthorn, who is head of security at the Parkhead club, warned then-community safety minister Paul Wheelhouse at a meeting in 2015 that the law was having the opposite effect of what the SNP hoped to achieve.

 

The legislation was passed in 2011 when the party had a majority of MSPs.

 

Since its passing, however, the SNP have lost their parliamentary majority and most MSPs are now in favour of the law being scrapped.

 

Minutes of the talks, and all correspondence between Celtic and the government over the legislation, have been published by the Scottish Government in response to a freedom of information request.

 

According to official minutes of the meeting, taken by a civil servant, Hawthorn said: "He felt the number of inappropriate songs being sung had increased since the act was introduced- as an act of defiance [against the law]."

 

Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell was also present in the meeting.

 

Lawwell told those in attendance the club receives a "minimum number of complaints"about behaviour at Celtic Park but supporters feel there is "excessive filming [by police officers] and people were being arrested"."Who is actually being offended?" he asked.

 

When asked if the club still held such views, a spokesman said: "We maintain the position we have held for some time.""From the outset, we have consistently opposed this legislation as it has been used to create a general presumption that different laws should apply to football supporters as distinct from society as a whole.

 

"We encourage and promote positive behaviour within football at all times and welcome any other attempts to do likewise - recent measures taken at Celtic Park demonstrate our commitment to achieving a safe and positive environment".

 

Full article here: https://stv.tv/news/politics/1395156-celtic-football-act-has-increased-inappropriate-songs/

[barca72 440]

 

What Liewell said in 2011.

It's always someone else's fault, sir.

[StuGers 477]

"Who is actually being offended?" he asked (Lawwell).

 

I know Peter, who is offended by the having effigies of Protestants and the continual signing and visuals supporting the death of hundreds of our countrymen?

[Bluedell 5,471]

"He felt the number of inappropriate songs being sung had increased since the act was introduced- as an act of defiance [against the law].".

 

So it's the fault of the law that the IRA songs are being sung.

 

Great excuse. I was driving at 90mph as an act of defiance of the law. I broke into someone's house as an act of defiance of the law.....

 

That's not forgetting that the songs have always been sung. What they really mean is that more attention is being drawn to them.

[StuGers 477]

So it's the fault of the law that the IRA songs are being sung.

 

Great excuse. I was driving at 90mph as an act of defiance of the law. I broke into someone's house as an act of defiance of the law.....

 

That's not forgetting that the songs have always been sung. What they really mean is that more attention is being drawn to them.

 

Surely you're not suggesting that Celtic are trying to spin this!?

[der Berliner 3,554]

Our German Board's admin was a few hundred metres away from the IRA bomb when it went off in Manchester. Needless to say what he feels about the IRAokes at the Scumhut. Yet, he was - and still is to this point - equally disgusted about the utter lack of activity shown by Scottish but also British authorities towards the club and all their scum support.

[der Berliner 3,554]

Slowly but surely the pendulum starts swinging back ... and you really have to be witless as f*ck to think this would not happen.Then again, your average Hooped Horror ain't that bright.

 

From last week:

 

ONE of Scotland’s most senior police officers has warned Celtic’s Green Brigade to leave their politics outside football grounds.

 

Assistant Chief Constable Bernie Higgins said his officers will not hesitate to take action against those who promote distasteful political agendas at football games.

 

The group of “ultras” were absent from Parkhead for Celtic’s 4-1 win against Hearts on Saturday after being handed a two-game ban by the club for a pro-IRA display in their Champions League second qualifying round against Linfield.

 

Celtic bosses have shunned the minority of supporters, telling them to clean their act up before they return to the ground.

 

The display against Linfield showed several large banners peddling paramilitary sentiments. Slogans such as “Rodgers at work” and “Brendan’s Undefeated Army” were embossed on large signs deliberately mimicking IRA slogans from Armagh in the 1990s.

 

ACC Higgins said: “The Green Brigade brings a certain atmosphere to Celtic Park. But sometimes they cross the line – and they sometimes jump over the line. I don’t think anybody would say their paramilitary banner were anything other than distasteful – and criminal”.

 

Celtic was fined £20,000 by UEFA for the fans’ behaviour. Twelve arrests were made among the Celtic support at the game of men ranging from ages 18 to 49.

 

The Green Brigade will return to Celtic Park for their next game against Kilmarnock tomorrow.

 

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15457165.Celtic___s_Green_Brigade_warned_to_keep_their_politics_away_from_the_pitch/

[Big Jaws 570]

It was a great idea when they thought it wouldn't apply to them.