Old Firm fans cry foul in display of playground politics
You must feel for the receptionist at the Spanish Embassy, who probably spent at least one day canada goose coat 1000 bulbs coupons this week asking “Sorry, Nacho who?” to more info a series of indignant callers. That receptionist, after all, is merely the latest pawn in Old Firm fans’ game of playground politics.
It hasn’t been a good spell for those who believe the rest of Europe looks upon Glasgow as a city which personifies everything which is good about the continent’s football, or those of us who hoped rivalries had moved beyond the “they did it first, sir” stage.
Rangers’ victory at Celtic Park on August 31 was notable for Pedro Mendes’ brilliant display in the visiting midfield, can you wash a canada goose jacket in the washer Kenny Miller’s two-goal haul, and a memorable goodbye from Daniel Cousin. What headlines followed in the next 72 hours? Neil Lennon attacked as he walked home from a West End bar hours after the match, and Nacho Novo’s address given out on a Celtic fans’ messageboard, considered a suitable form of revenge by some finely-honed intellects.
The buy canada goose coat uk most disturbing response to the Lennon incident came from those who were adamant the former authenitc canada goose outlet store in gta with discount price Celtic captain and current coach was way out of line for daring to leave his home, let alone enter a public house, after such a fixture. So violence is apparently acceptable in such circumstances? And this is in a supposed civilised society?
Threats issued against Novo were similarly disturbing, with Rangers forced to install a security guard in the vicinity of best mens canada goose jacket their striker’s house for fear of a revenge attack. Just to repeat, this is Glasgow, 2008 AD.
Just when the nonsense seemed over, one of the more bizarre stories to emanate from a football fixture did so this week. In her regular meeting with the Scottish government, the Irish Consul General raised concerns over what has been dubbed The Famine Song. “The famine is over, why don’t you go home?” ask Rangers supporters on a regular basis, referring to the Irish potato famine of the 1840’s.
That the ditty was aired on August 31 prompted at least one Celtic best place buy canada goose jacket toronto supporter to complain to the Irish Embassy, an odd reaction, but one employed all the same. Rangers, to their credit, acknowledged the song causes them a problem and the club are seeking police advice on the matter.
Its seriousness, meanwhile, is a matter for much debate. Those who argue fans asking Jews to “go home” because the holocaust “is over” would not be tolerated are correct, even if the scale of death during the potato famine is hardly akin to the methodical slaughter of the holocaust. And, closer to the present, opposition fans who threw bananas from the terracing at Mark Walters as he can i wash my canada goose jacket started his Rangers career would seem to be more guilty of blatant racism. We have, thankfully, moved on from there. Arguably a rendition of Three Cheers For The Red, White and Blue, “the army, the navy and the UVF” at the same Old Firm fixture was more noteworthy.
The ridiculous can you wash a canada goose parka aspect of the verse in question is that if those Rangers fans, apparently so concerned with the ancestry of their neighbours, delved properly into their own family histories, a fair number would doubtless discover links to the hundreds of thousands of Irish people who migrated to Scotland to escape the famine.
Yet whatever the rights and wrongs of the song, or any song, the most disturbing fall-out concerns the point-scoring. Rangers fans cry foul, claim victimisation because Celtic supporters apparently get away with naughty songs of their own. Celtic supporters are outraged, squealing that the authorities must clamp down in the firmest way possible when, in reality, their deep concern goes no further than wanting to see their oldest rivals embarrassed in the most high-profile way possible. There are, of course, thousands of decent Rangers and Celtic followers out there; it is the increasingly vocal zealots who have more of an obsession with their neighbours than their own club.
Celtic fans have even complained that the term ‘Old Firm’ has been used in newspaper headlines in canada goose coat 1000 calorie relation to the story. This implicates their proud club and impeccable behaviour, so they say, while seemingly unaware that the matter arose from complaints in the aftermath of a game between buy canada goose jacket online cheap Rangers and Celtic; ie an “Old Firm game”. They are happy to be quoted widely on the “disgusting” nature of this song, but very touchy when the fact it was sung during a derby is mentioned. Odd.
A more legitimate subject for those supporters to concern themselves with would be, as an example, the rendition of the Boys of The Old Brigade during last weekend’s victory at Motherwell.
While blue-clad punters chant about a famine from 160 years ago, their oldest rivals hail an army which has been disbanded. You couldn’t make it up. And just to put the tin lid on it, Rangers fans thought they had the ultimate comeback plan. Let’s get in touch with the Spanish Embassy, they said, and inform them that one of their citizens – Novo – is being victimised while in Britain.
This would be fodder for comedy script writers, if the undertones weren’t so serious. Just like those indulging in that playground blame culture, it is high time so many others grew up; otherwise the rest of society will continue to shake their heads in disbelief.