Sectarianism in Scotland

[Chil1234]

Parcel bombs to Celtic connections today & a Scottish link with the murder of a N. Ireland policeman a few weeks ago. Religious sectarianism has always bubbled under the surface in Glasgow but what's caused the current escalation? Miserable lot.

But it's not just football that's the thing, I would buy my son a Sunderland top no problem if he wanted one, I would not buy him a Celtic or Rangers top.

Boys have been stabbed for wearing the wrong football top in the wrong area or just having "Fenian bastard" or other abuse shouted at them.

Absolutely sweetkitty. Ds has a Barcelona strip but there's no way on god's green earth that he'd get an Old Firm top.

Dh is as staunch a Rangers fan as they come but he doesn't have a top either. As far as he's concerned you might as well write Orange March following, Buckfast swilling bigot on your forehead - that's the image the strip has nowadays.

He's got a scarf but if he was going to a match he'd only take it out of his pocket when he was in sight of the ground. No point in asking for trouble. It's sad.

I'm from the north of Scotland originally where sectarianism is barely heard of, although it's the kind of place where you're not considered local if you can't trace your family tree back at least three generations in the area.

I've lived in Glasgow and Edinburgh since my late teens (we left Glasgow last year to move to the country) and the sectarianism shocked me. The Orange marches in Glasgow especially - being woken up in Partick by a troop of drunk men screaming anti-Catholic slogans was an experience, as was going into the city to get the train to find the station full of people wearing Rangers strips and Union Jacks, drinking Buckfast and singing the Sash.

Both sides are to blame, no doubt about it. The victim-blaming focused at Neil Lennon is ridiculous - yes, he's a grumpy bugger managing one of the biggest teams in Scotland but does that mean he "deserves" what he's getting, that he's "bringing it on himself"? Bullets and letter bombs, death threats to him and his family. GET A FUCKING GRIP, PEOPLE. Football isn't worth this level of violence.

You can get abuse here/ beaten up/ stabbed for wearing a Sunderland top, believe me. But that's a whole other story.
Can't see if you are a staunch fan that wearing colours makes a difference. It still means you stand for the values of that club.

Macdog Wed 27-Apr-11 14:01:42
stressedHEmum and Xbellesx
I'm in the main town of Kilwinning. We should do meet-up

(probably know you both, but not as MNers)

Will have a jump over to the North Ayrshire thingy. Yeh we will probably all know each other, by sight anyway, Kilwinning is still a small town at heart......off topic (sorry)........ Have you tried the new Chinese resturant (upstairs) in the main Street? went there yesterday after the royal wedding on TV with my husband and 2 daughters, had a lovely meal........