Post by Admin on Nov 24, 2011 0:05:53 GMT
Just home from a long shift at Celtic park,working in amongst the travelling fans.
First up lets get the football side of this article out of the way first. A decent performance again at times,which saw celtic take a comfortable first half lead. A couple of good goals scored and some decent play and possession. Second half got a bit ropey, with a missed penalty, which seemed to unsettle the team a little as the away side picked up a bit and scored in the latter part of the second half,leaving a number of fans to question if Celtic would leave with 3 points. In the end they did and we now have just a 7 point gap,almost half of what it was just a few days ago.
It’s not looking too badly now it has to be said. But one game at a time.
Now on to the real talking point for me. It starts around 7:20pm,after what had been up until then a fairly routine shift. This changed instantly when a group of travelling fans decided it would be fun to walk through the turnstile areas outside the ground, shouting derogatories and making the usual obscenities towards Celtic fans,all while carrying union jacks and rangers scarfs etc.
So approaching kick off,I returned to inside the arena,taking up my usual position in amongst the away fans,and was immediately battered with the usual foul mouthed comments etc.
It has to be said out of the 250 that travelled,it was a specific group of around 40 of them that caused no end of bother. They were constantly hurling abuse at the fans closest to the segregated area,but the Celtic fans down that end didn’t do themselves any favours by getting involved.
The usual banter occurred but the vast majority of these young males,around 16 years old,admitted that they were indeed of the blue persuasion and didn’t even support the pars. They questioned why they were being targeted by stewards and police and that the paddy McCourt chants etc were left unchallenged.
I am aware that the dunfermline fans made several complaints regarding “offensive chanting” by Celtic supporters,a few of who claim that several Celtic fans closest to them in area 118 and 119 were chanting IRA slogans…..this I can confirm to my knowledge,I did NOT hear anything of the sort.
These guys were only doing this to cause trouble,and that was evidenced even before they set foot into the ground. Some of the insults and chanting they did was far far worse than anything I have heard at Celtic park in a very long time.
It’s seriously about high time that this sort of thing is booted well out of football. Yob culture is creeping steadily into the football stadia in this country. Yes, it’s always been there but its getting worse. I asked 3 police officers to assist in the removal of a couple of away fans who broke the laws of conduct within the ground,yet police did nothing.
Football in scotland is fast becoming a joke,and it seems as though,young teenagers can travel around the country and make vile comments to other fans and its ok, because they are young and just being,as one policeman said…”silly”.
That’s not being silly,it’s thuggish,it’s disgusting and it serves no purpose in football. Banter is fine,but come on,why does every chant have to be about insults and hatred?
I heard the chant dozens of times, ” parkhead is a sh!7ehole,I want to go home”, well why didn’t they leave.
After the game there were a few pars fans who gave statements to police regarding what they believed they heard. Can state right now,that they are just looking for trouble,nothing more,nothing less,just out to wind up others and cause problems.
It’s time the rules changed regarding chant etc. The stadia codes of conduct legislation obviously doesn’t work,as this problem is only getting worse,and the policing of such things is only getting worse also.
Maybe its time that they looked a new structures regarding ticket policy,names and a Address of each travelling fan,take it to a new level,make it so theres no hiding place for any fan,of any club,including our own,that if you act in an unsociable manner,and cause problems,you will be dealt with.
Time to change the game.wipe out the thug culture,which to be fair is in the minority not majority,but when the minority start their trouble,there is no question that it’s hard for others on the outsides of these things,not to get involved.
Fans need to chill and leave the trouble out of the games,it’s doesn’t serve up an attractive advertisement for Scottish football.
On another note, the Celtic fan that launched the cigarette lighter into the away fans after the game,will be wishing he hadn’t, looks like a ban may be on it’s way my friend.
And that’s something we all so not what to see or hear, let’s clean the game up and make it about the football….,that IS why we are here….is it not?
First up lets get the football side of this article out of the way first. A decent performance again at times,which saw celtic take a comfortable first half lead. A couple of good goals scored and some decent play and possession. Second half got a bit ropey, with a missed penalty, which seemed to unsettle the team a little as the away side picked up a bit and scored in the latter part of the second half,leaving a number of fans to question if Celtic would leave with 3 points. In the end they did and we now have just a 7 point gap,almost half of what it was just a few days ago.
It’s not looking too badly now it has to be said. But one game at a time.
Now on to the real talking point for me. It starts around 7:20pm,after what had been up until then a fairly routine shift. This changed instantly when a group of travelling fans decided it would be fun to walk through the turnstile areas outside the ground, shouting derogatories and making the usual obscenities towards Celtic fans,all while carrying union jacks and rangers scarfs etc.
So approaching kick off,I returned to inside the arena,taking up my usual position in amongst the away fans,and was immediately battered with the usual foul mouthed comments etc.
It has to be said out of the 250 that travelled,it was a specific group of around 40 of them that caused no end of bother. They were constantly hurling abuse at the fans closest to the segregated area,but the Celtic fans down that end didn’t do themselves any favours by getting involved.
The usual banter occurred but the vast majority of these young males,around 16 years old,admitted that they were indeed of the blue persuasion and didn’t even support the pars. They questioned why they were being targeted by stewards and police and that the paddy McCourt chants etc were left unchallenged.
I am aware that the dunfermline fans made several complaints regarding “offensive chanting” by Celtic supporters,a few of who claim that several Celtic fans closest to them in area 118 and 119 were chanting IRA slogans…..this I can confirm to my knowledge,I did NOT hear anything of the sort.
These guys were only doing this to cause trouble,and that was evidenced even before they set foot into the ground. Some of the insults and chanting they did was far far worse than anything I have heard at Celtic park in a very long time.
It’s seriously about high time that this sort of thing is booted well out of football. Yob culture is creeping steadily into the football stadia in this country. Yes, it’s always been there but its getting worse. I asked 3 police officers to assist in the removal of a couple of away fans who broke the laws of conduct within the ground,yet police did nothing.
Football in scotland is fast becoming a joke,and it seems as though,young teenagers can travel around the country and make vile comments to other fans and its ok, because they are young and just being,as one policeman said…”silly”.
That’s not being silly,it’s thuggish,it’s disgusting and it serves no purpose in football. Banter is fine,but come on,why does every chant have to be about insults and hatred?
I heard the chant dozens of times, ” parkhead is a sh!7ehole,I want to go home”, well why didn’t they leave.
After the game there were a few pars fans who gave statements to police regarding what they believed they heard. Can state right now,that they are just looking for trouble,nothing more,nothing less,just out to wind up others and cause problems.
It’s time the rules changed regarding chant etc. The stadia codes of conduct legislation obviously doesn’t work,as this problem is only getting worse,and the policing of such things is only getting worse also.
Maybe its time that they looked a new structures regarding ticket policy,names and a Address of each travelling fan,take it to a new level,make it so theres no hiding place for any fan,of any club,including our own,that if you act in an unsociable manner,and cause problems,you will be dealt with.
Time to change the game.wipe out the thug culture,which to be fair is in the minority not majority,but when the minority start their trouble,there is no question that it’s hard for others on the outsides of these things,not to get involved.
Fans need to chill and leave the trouble out of the games,it’s doesn’t serve up an attractive advertisement for Scottish football.
On another note, the Celtic fan that launched the cigarette lighter into the away fans after the game,will be wishing he hadn’t, looks like a ban may be on it’s way my friend.
And that’s something we all so not what to see or hear, let’s clean the game up and make it about the football….,that IS why we are here….is it not?