Self-appointed moral crusaders like Graham Spiers (the discredited journalist) may churn out the same old guff at staggeringly predictable intervals; his own inherent bias rendering everything he writes as reliable as a babysitter named Mulgrew, but he does have a point. I’m not sure he knows he has a point given his agenda is very much to rattle the cages of Rangers fans in any way he can, but take it from me, under the faux posh-speak and metaphorical reach-arounds he administers to his pal Lennon, the point remains. By repeatedly including the word ‘fenian’ in our songbook, we’re risking censure. That’s not my viewpoint, or that of Spiers’ leaking spongebag of a brain, its fact. Take a few vox pops on Buchanan Street and ask them what ‘fenian’ means – how do we reckon the responses will go? Like it or not, a considerable majority of the general public will take it to mean Roman Catholic and this is the demographic which the Courts are compelled to consider. By repeatedly using this term, we’re tapping the ball into our own net and simply lubricating Spiers’ dildo of hate. Even the itchy boil-on-the-arse that is Nil By Mouth confirm that this is a sectarian slur and yet, despite constant yelping about the ‘illegal’ use of ‘fenian’, Spiers and his cadre of forehead-heavy minions will not acknowledge this is the case. Indeed, a quick examination of Spiers’ Twitter account displays his chummy conversations with undesirable (and unemployed) individuals who use this term on a daily basis. He’s simply not offended by it, despite his supposed dedication to exterminating the sectarian problem and the unequivocal fact that it is indeed, a sectarian slur. The threat of sanction saw The Billy Boys disappear from our repertoire overnight (an admirable feat for which we got no credit, typically) but it’s now starting to creep back in because we, rightly, can see that this new law is only being directed at ourselves. Despite the pretend viewpoint held by the Celtic laptop loyal, Scottish football’s sectarian problem isn’t solely down to Rangers and Rangers fans. Sanctions could and should have been imposed on Celtic fans for their constant references to ‘huns’, ‘orange bastards’ and the ethnic-cleansing ideal of there soon being “… no protestants at all”. You can’t get much more outwardly sectarian that that, but again, Spiers has absolutely no interest in raising the issue. He has in the past skirted over the repellent IRA dirge spouted by their fans (and endorsed by their club) but is always quick to point out that, as a political hot potato (no spud-based offence intended to our Irish friends, don’t phone UEFA. Again) he’s not really able to comment. It’s an absolute fudge of the issue but he has not the brains, nor the inclination to tackle it. Despite our misdemeanours, his argument goes nowhere as he refuses to acknowledge the wider problem and instead takes the line trotted out by maniacs like Peter Kearney; “it’s aw ra Hunz fault n’at”. The stark refusal to acknowledge problems on both sides of the divide is a very maniacal RC approach to take. Cardinal O’Brien famously disgraced himself and his Church during a live TV interview when he refused all suggestions that a Catholic has ever done anything wrong, ever; instead blaming all of Scotland’s ills on everyone else. So long as folk aren’t being maimed on the streets or attacked in the stands then can we not just chalk it up to tribal blowhards trying to get a rise out of each other and let the football do the talking? Isn’t that what the ‘summit’ yearned for? The fact that he lays the blame solely at the door of one football club, simply highlights his campaign as the limp vanity project it so truly is.
Trot down your local High Street crowing about ‘fenians’ and you’ll be arrested and charged with sectarian breach of the peace. That’s how the law in Scotland is (currently). There may well be a valid argument regarding the dictionary definition of the word and the fact certain sections of the Celtic support use the term to refer to themselves, but that is not a test which the Courts will apply. If ANY term can be held to be potentially offensive to the masses, regardless of de facto definition, it can be held to be sectarian.
Of course, where rival football teams are concerned there’s two sides to every story and it is here that Spiers and his ilk flounder, fail, and ultimately highlight their own lack of understanding. Just as ‘fenian’ was, understandably, ruled offensive by a Sheriff, so too was the term ‘Hun’. One charming Celtic fan was charged with religiously-aggravated breach of the peace for wearing a t-shirt carrying the slogan ‘horrible huns’; the reason being that once again, the masses will likely take the term ‘hun’ to mean ‘Protestant’.
His oft-repeated get-out is that the ‘they are worse’ argument isn’t a defence, and he’s right. It would be good to clean up our songbook and give the dribblers no cause to bang angrily on their sodden laptops, but he spectacularly misses the point. Basic legal theory suggests any law must be applied uniformly and if it isn’t, then nobody should feel compelled to abide by it.
An argument exits that the one-sided claptrap shat out by Spiers and his ilk should be ignored, but I don’t agree with that. If you let the mutt off the leash you can hardly complain when some 4x4 splatters it all over the pavement. Likewise, Spiers’ attacks and one-sided campaigns cannot go unchecked. He’s boasted in the past of helping UEFA ingather ‘evidence’ to ensure we were fined following dodgy songs in Osasuna so it’s important that his bias is highlighted, ripped apart and cast into the bin.
In these politically-mad times we must recognise that squealing pansies like Spiers will claim ‘offense’ at every turn when in actual fact, this is simply a façade designed to get Rangers FC into trouble. The agenda is transparent and cannot and should not be taken seriously until there is a genuine attempt to rid Scottish football of the antiquated ills formed by loons on either side. Personally, I couldn’t give a rat’s ass what RFC or CFC fans sing; as far as I’m concerned nobody ever died as a result of a song and if you’re not ready for it then stay home and watch Strictly Ice Dancing. It may not be nice but you don’t go to football to do your knitting do you?
There’s no empirical evidence that suggests one side is more or less likely to be a victim of violence than the other. Neds will be neds whatever their religion. Shitholes will be shitholes no matter what colour strip hangs on the washing line. A stabbing one average Saturday night is chalked up to ‘Scotland’s Knife Culture’; the same incident on Old Firm day attributed to ‘Scotland’s Sectarian Shame’. It’s boring, it’s tiresome and it’s exacerbated by the likes of Spiers who uses society’s ills to further his own career.