There seems to be a causal link between success on the field for Sevco and expressions of ethno-religious hatred from their customers.
However, I would be surprised if any sports journalist made that connection today.
The unexpected victory at Pittodrie was applauded by the visiting fans with chants about Catholics and Fenians.
Last week I was contacted by an Austrian filmmaker and journalist.
His name is Martin Leidenfrost.
He gave me permission this morning to use his name.
This is rare for me as most of my sources prefer to remain anonymous because they live and work in close proximity to The People.
Martin had read “Minority Reporter” and was interested in the subject of anti-Irish racism in Scotland.
However, he wanted to witness this phenomenon for himself.
Last weekend he was in Glasgow.
We had several conversations about where best to witness the klan in the wild.
I suggested several hostelries in Glasgow that are renowned for their unsurpassed dignity.
It was important that I explained to him the central tenets of the subculture that he wanted to examine.
Consequently, he knew what to listen for and the significance of songs like “The Billy Boys”.
He did a double take when I explained just who Billy Fullerton was and that he was still being fondly remembered in the city of his Birth in 2017.
I’m happy with “Minority Reporter” as a piece of work.
However, for someone like Martin, who wished to write about this sub-culture, it was important for him to experience it for himself, up close and personal.
So he decided to go all Trainspotting 2 on the issue.
This morning I received this email:
“Dear Phil,
just a short notice that I survived the Louden tavern on Duke Street last night. I happened to be invited by the drunken owner of the neighboring Rangers bar (Bristol). The first hour in Louden was quite difficult, with people suspiciously looking at me, and at once singing a chant “Everybody hates … Catholics”. I wondered, if they were testing me. I sticked to my legend and pretended to be amused. In the end they trusted me and played and before midnight one young supporter called Scot sang played and sang lots of Rangers songs for me, including the Billy song. Indeed an astonishing subculture. 21st century, with an echo from the Thirty Years War…
Wish you the best.
Martin”
In a follow-up email he then added:
“It was a very important hint of you not to mention that I am Catholic. I wouldn´t have worked that way…”
The obedient stenographers in Glasgow know the rules about calling out the klan.
However, there is a real professional on his way back to his native Austria and he saw the reality for himself.
“Indeed an astonishing subculture. 21st century, with an echo from the Thirty Years War…”
For the avoidance of doubt, the conflict to which Martin refers took place in Europe in the years 1618-1648.
The Peace of Westphalia was meant to put such things to bed in our continent.
Sadly, The People did not get the memo.
Martin’s work will be published in June in a German language publication.
He has promised to send me a translation and I will reproduce it here.
In other news, Sevco won a game of football, but all that their supporters could think of as the goals were scored was wading in the blood of the Irish-Catholic Untermenschen.
This is 2017.
