Here we go again with the Rangers fans.

[forfucksakenett]

So irresponsible. Here we go again. Will Glasgow ever be out of lockdown?

That's shocking @ArnoldBoo*
Hope your little one is ok.

I just had to get a taxi this morning and the driver was talking about how the govt supported ‘the Muslims’ last week so can’t condemn rangers fans. I was there with my toddler and so torn about whether to challenge him and disagree, felt like I should but actually felt a bit fearful. He made it clear he was a rangers supporter and that he would be loved to have been there. I managed to say that Im not a football fan so don’t get it, but would have been frightened to be amongst it, and that I’d heard of children amongst others having been injured. He was quiet after that at least but I’m now feeling like a feartie for not standing up on the racist undertones.

ParkheadParadise she's totaly fine now thanks but It wasn't a great moment.

There is something seriously wrong with anybody who wants to act like that though. Am I wrong to think that if I went outside now, climbed on a bin and started shouting a racist chant I would be arrested pretty quick?

Oh @undersnatch I've been there too. Horrible. Once I got out of a taxi early because the drive was giving it some racist chat. But most of the time I just bite my lip and say nothing.
Arseholes. They know you're at their mercy almost and they can say what they like.

Well done for saying something to him tho!!

I think that part of the issue, of course if anyone went out today and started swinging from lampposts or shouting hate speech something would be done, so why is this different.

Also if I decided to go out with a gang of friends and fly flags from every lamppost/st corner in a major city street you can bet that we would be stopped but this was allowed all along Paisley Rd West. It's absolute madness!

@Morgan12

The stuff coming out on Twitter today is just awful. Police injured etc. Why was this riot allowed? Especially after last time when the Rangers fans did the exact same thing. This shouldn't have been allowed in normal times when covid didn't exist either.

Also the chant 'I'd rather be a p.a.k.i than a Tim' is just a whole new low for these animals. Scotlands shame indeed.

It's hardly new given that they shouted that at me pretty much daily all through the eighties as a primary school child.

Amazing to hear the SNP acknowledge that it's happening, for once.

Why is it that Rangers fans who have clearly behaved disgracefully can't be criticised without "whatabout, whatabout whatabout"?

The trashed memorial benches, set of flares and fireworks in the city centre, assaulted passers by, each other and police, pissed and shit in the street, sang about murdering Catholics and for a select few here their response to that is "celtic would have done the same", not to mention weaponizing child abuse. Why can't some Rangers supporters just put their hands up and admit this is a disgrace?

I'm not a Celtic fan, Celtic fans have in the past behaved badly and been criticised for it. Celtic fans didn't trash the city centre yesterday so this isn't about them.

@Wakeupin2022

But surely you need to tackle this from childhood - not sticking plasters after the damage is done.

Add to that the damage the political environment in Scotland is doing. This is a powder keg that is beginning to go off.

I don't excuse anything that happened over the weekend. It's appalling and these people are scum but it's clear from the polarised and sectarianism views that are allowed and acceptable ( very obvious here) because they are not the blue half of Glasgow that this is a problem are only going to get worse. Yes Rangers fans will be the bad guys, but it doesn't help anyone in Glasgow or anywhere else in Scotland.

The SNP do have a lot to answer for with their divisive politics.

Also don't recall the SNP being the dominant force in early eighties politics when I was subjected to this growing up.

Grell I would have hoped we would have moved on from the 80's.

And I think progress had been made.

But the political climate in Scotland is reigniting old tensions.

'All the what about Celtic, what about this what about that - doesn't matter. Football ACROSS SCOTLAND and across the UK in general attracts these sort of tribal idiots who in Scotland divide across sectarian lines.'

I think this is bollocks. I'm a St Johnstone fan and very happily take my 7 year old DD to games, home and away. We won the Scottish Cup 7 years ago today and are in the final next weekend.
I'm fairly sure that even if we win, there will be no trashing of memorial benches or anti social behaviour.

@Wakeupin2022

Grell I would have hoped we would have moved on from the 80's.

And I think progress had been made.

But the political climate in Scotland is reigniting old tensions.

If we are going to bring in politics, shouldn't Brexit be mentioned? Hardly a Scottish policy.

But the political climate in Scotland is reigniting old tensions.

These aren't old tensions that have gone away and come back. They've been here throughout, it's pure sectarianism, nothing to do with independence.

But I agree that it is not really anything to do with politics in Scotland....

I am no SNP fan and even I can’t pin this and the constant scourge of sectarianism on them- these attitudes largely exist in the west of Scotland and not in other areas that also have SNP representation.

But as they are in power hopefully they try to do something about it.

It's not about pinning it on the SNP.

Its also not excusing the inexcusable.

I am no longer here in West Coast and I am so glad my kids don't have to grow up with this crap.

But I am scared this is only the tip of the iceberg. Its been brewing over the last few years and iam worried that it's just going to get worse.

Yes the issues with sectarianism has never went away, but I think its getting worse again. And they need to investigate and understand why that is. I can't see them trying to do that.

Politics may provide a bit of fuel or a new angle for abusing the other side, but this stuff never went away. It's tribalism at its very worst and outright thuggery.

It was repealed because the opposition parties said it unfairly targeted football fans. One of those MSPs (Murdo Fraser) was actually re- tweeting '55', and other Rangers nonsense on the day of the carnage. He also got the excuses in early and essentially justified the Union Bears event with whay happened in Kenmore Street. I've had children repeat this in class this morning and several were in George Square on Saturday. Some said they hated being there.

The problem is the men carrying out the violence and making the centre of our biggest city a no go area for everyone else feel fully entitled to do so. They felt able to do this with no fear of repercussions. It happened in March and last year and around the referendum. Everyone else changes their behaviour because it's not safe to be in the centre or use public transport.

Due to my where I work, I've worked with Nil By Mouth who are a great charity that was founded on the back of a terrible murder. The old firm violence of multiple stabbings on old firm day has, thankfully, become something of the past or at least rarer than it was.

This entitlement of Rangers fans to take over George Square as and when they feel like it needs to be stopped. End of. We can make excuses and say 'it's a celebration, it's one day' etc. It's not a celebration. It's accepted violence and fear and the media, certain MSPs and those making strategic decisions at Police Scotland all need to shoulder some blame.

I think there are a significant number of people in positions of power (police, council etc.) who are also involved with their local orange lodge. They don't particularly want to see any change.

@Serpenta

I think there are a significant number of people in positions of power (police, council etc.) who are also involved with their local orange lodge. They don't particularly want to see any change.

Quite.

@ArnoldBoo

We are a mixed family- supporters of both teams in the family, except me who hates football. I took our DD to her dance class in town. Shed missed so much due to lockdown and she pleaded with me. She was terrified on the drive home, guys standing on bins stamping and shouting, screaming horrible things, blasting horns, letting off flairs. A drunk man came right up to her window and screamed something we couldn't even understand. She's a 5 year old girl in a pink ballet outfit for fucks sake. Anyone who thinks this is remotely OK needs get some standards. And yes, I have blamed myself for taking her but shouldn't she be able to go to her paid for Ballet class regardless of who wins a sporting competition?

I'm so sorry this happened to you and your little girl. You weren't to know so please don't blame yourself.

@weebarra

'All the what about Celtic, what about this what about that - doesn't matter. Football ACROSS SCOTLAND and across the UK in general attracts these sort of tribal idiots who in Scotland divide across sectarian lines.'

I think this is bollocks. I'm a St Johnstone fan and very happily take my 7 year old DD to games, home and away. We won the Scottish Cup 7 years ago today and are in the final next weekend.
I'm fairly sure that even if we win, there will be no trashing of memorial benches or anti social behaviour.

Exactly. It makes me so angry when people try and pretend this happens in other cities. It doesn’t. This isn't even really about football.

I am probably ignorant here but why was the league allowed to go ahead? Money I assume.
Covid cancelled everything.. but not football. After the demonstrations at Celtic Park, after Rangers destroyed George Sq the first time, after countless players were caught ignoring covid rules... time and time again lockdown after lockdown the decision was made to allow the league to continue.

It’s like telling your maw you’re gonna have a massive house party and invite the worst of city’s neds, thugs and criminals... and your maw saying aye nae bother just make sure you tell them to behave!

It shocks nobody that this happened. Several obvious warnings and it was arranged in public on social media. They’ve been locked up for a year clearly thug mentality worse than ever. It was entirely avoidable, for MSPs to feign outrage when they could have made decisions to prevent the whole thing stinks IMO.

One thing I've noticed with football crowds is few BAME people.
Correct me if I'm wrong but generally the crowds on the tv look white male. So you could say these aggressive crowds (of any football team supporters) are racist as the BAME don't want to/risk joining in.

No, not all football supporters are racist. You're right in that some from Saturday will have been involved in last summer's far right violence in George Square ( when the BLM group were asked to leave for their own safety and a reporter of Chinese decent was set upon and told to leave the area when he ran to the police for support).