When a sportsperson is subjected to discriminatory chanting the response must never be “ah just get used to it!”
In the first instance, it is a matter for those entrusted with governing the beautiful game within any given jurisdiction.
Yesterday the FA in England stepped up when they ordered Barnsley to implement an action plan and fined £20,000 by the FA.
Fair play for that.
The Irish winger is from Derry.
His reason for not wearing the Royal British Legion Poppy has been eloquently articulated by him.
For the avoidance of doubt, this is an entirely appropriate course of action by the FA in England against Barnsley FC.
Of course, it is highly unlikely that the chaps at Hampden would act in a similar fashion.
On Planet Fitba there is a hierarchy of hate and some hatreds are less unacceptable than others.
At the bottom of the pile is probably the most prevalent prejudice in Fair Caledonia:
Anti-Irish racism.
Indeed, this site went live in the summer of 2008 when I was reporting on the Famine Song
At the time it was a new addition to the Ibrox song sheet.
UEFA had ruled against their favourite anthem the “Billy Boys” in 2006.
For the uninitiated, it is a song that fondly remembers a vicious street gang that was led by Mr Billy Fullerton.
He was a self-identifying fascist and a member of the Ku Klux Klan.
I think it is fair to say that he isn’t exactly a poster child for the “Everyone Anyone” marketing campaign…
The UEFA ruling in 2006 meant that the poor dears at Ibrox had to find another cultural product to express their hatred of Irish people and Irish Catholics in particular.
A dozen years later that racist ditty can still be heard in the stadium that John Brown played for.
When it first appeared in 2008 there were some in the Fitba Fourth Estate who rushed to defend it.
Thankfully the criminal justice system in Scotland correctly nailed it as hate speech.
Sadly, I think we are a long way from the day when the football authorities in Scotland will protect a player in the way that their counterparts in England have done for James McClean.
One of the reasons for that is that the local media cannot even bring themselves to use the term “anti-Irish racism” when the Ibrox klanbase are in full voice.
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why do you periodically post the Billy Fullerton photo…no need to see him, gives air to a bygone era
Dear God! What a troubling flashback!
He looks like a camp lifer in Barlinnie sharing your cell. Shivers!!!!
That horrible photo of SCOTLAND’s biggest twisted ego. Who could possibly print that image next to ‘SCOTLAND’S VOICE OF AUTHORITY’?
What fucking authority?
MS is entirely correct, this guy IS dangerous. Dangerous to society with his twisted ideas.
For decades he has tried to casually dismiss racism as a ditty. He has consistently promoted a view to Scottish society that racism is ok. That it’s no biggie. Don’t worry blue noses, I’ve got your back in the press.
The SFA should find him not fit and proper to be a Director of a football club nor to be involved in the game in Scotland in any capacity. Punishing any clubs who employ him.
TheFA certainly would.
Ah James Traynor, often to be seen on a Phil Cole’s bus leaving Coatbridge in the late 60’s early 70’s having left his Airdrie FC scarf at home in his glory hunter days watching the Hoops on big European nights.
Actually it makes me wonder why no photos of Stevie G in his Celtic replica strip in Seville have ever been published.
Perhaps a private collector has bought them up and decided that only he/she should have the privelige of viewing them?
Great article Phil and to think the Klan ram it down peoples throats about Morelos being an immigrant .and being racially abused you could nit make it uo .
Well, you do have to give Traynor some credit – for his consistency.
Since that 2008 article, (and presumably since long before that), Traynor has steadfastly refused to learn and develop as a human being – nevermind as a ‘journalist’ or as a ‘PR expert’.
In hindsight, it’s quite incredible that someone like that was given access to make social comment in a (then) high selling, national newspaper.
I learned in the past week, my Grandparents suffered this racism badly when they came to this country (Scotland) from Donegal and Cavan. I only learned about it, because my Mother passed away on the 8th Feb, We discovered from her birth certificate, that her parents had changed their surname and were told the change was due to the racism, they suffered. My Mother was 88 when she died, her parents arrived in this country 120 + years ago and racism towards Irish people is still here. How sad!