Having read The Celtic Star’s article ‘Unfit to wear the scarf-Racists have no place in Paradise’ I’d like to add my own tuppence worth to the debate. It was a brave and honest article and it’s the sort of writing that can open up the subject to balanced discussion.
Racism is abhorrent yet that minority who write, type, scream or shout it, be it from the streets of the villages, towns and cities you live your life in or on the social media or websites you frequent, have become emboldened. It is also seeping back into Scottish football.
Three years of nationalism verging on xenophobia when a Brexit debate was hijacked. As the process to leave became messy, endangered and desperate on both sides, we saw the creation of just the right environment where someone can abuse someone for the colour of skin or cultural characteristics and feel that others may feel the same as them.
Validation.
Both sides of the traditional political spectrums stood accused of Islamophobia or anti-Semitism. The language on both sides, the lack of responsibility and finger pointing was embarrassing.
These views were always there, it’s just they lay a little more dormant and possibly less in number, certainly less public. Now that legitimacy from the acts of those who hold power in ministerial posts or positions of responsibility in the media has given the green light to those on the outskirts of acceptability looking in, to find kindred spirits.
When they find them so their confidence grows. They find strength in numbers.
It gives a creepy form of legitimacy to it all. Fascism always seems to arrive invited in times of economic vulnerability and concern, often received with welcoming smiles and voices of dissent drowned out until the reality sets in. What the people had been railing against wasn’t as bad as the monster they’d invited into their home. When you realise the error and ask them to vacate your environment it can be too late.
Th Prime Minister’s willingness to engage with the Jacob Rhees Moggs of the world and his far right ERG hard Brexit lobby group showed when things get desperate and the rhetoric has become palatable to the masses, that those with agenda’s start to not only influence but control political debate and direction. Once those feet are under the table they set about making themselves at home.
Scotland and indeed Scottish football is just as open to that abuse. Where does society gather in public more than football grounds? We are passionate about the Beautiful Game in Scotland, per head of population those attending football games is higher than all other European nations. We are also open to that infiltration.
Shay Logan, Alfredo Morelos and Scotty Sinclair, have all in recent times had to endure racism. Three of the biggest club’s in our country had or have players all feeling they have been abused due to the colour of their skin and culture.
Neil Lennon our own manager has possibly had it even more severe and enduring than anyone else during his time in Scotland. Threats turned to direct action, he was assaulted and even knocked unconscious on the streets of Glasgow.
Scottish football is not immune, no club is immune to it. We can however challenge it. We can face up to it when we see it and support each other in a common goal. No racism will be tolerated in or around any Scottish football grounds. We can self police, educate in our own ways or we can simply report it and force the authorities to investigate and with genuine evidence take action.
As The Celtic Star summed up perfectly in this morning’s article. ‘Zero tolerance-Consequences’.
Bans need not be life-time but they should be indefinite. If people want to address their issues they should be encouraged to do so and educational opportunities made available. Education can be a stitch in time that saves nine. Todays under-educated viewpoints needn’t be forever. These supporters can return.
You need to understand an ideology to challenge it. We need to listen to how people arrived at such beliefs and meet that with a counter and more persuasive argument. One that shows them they may well, given that opportunity to reflect through education change their minds. That realisation will benefit the here and now and future generations to come. Scottish football can arrange that support alongside any punishment handed down.
There is no place for whataboutery or denial, just the common ground of driving out this stain on the game wherever we come across it. This becomes more than club allegiances, more than the other guy did it first, there is more of them, they did it louder, longer and more often. It is not how often it happens or how many do it, it is just that when it does happen it is addressed, educated and eradicated.
All the players named have been reported as having received racist abuse from supporters in the stands and/or on social media and there are many more in Scotland, England and beyond.
The move to leave the European Union, from the campaign leading up to the vote centred around immigration. The narrative particularly here in England where I live was cloaked in apparent legitimacy of taking back our laws and control of our own affairs was far from welcoming for those not born here, those that had made it their home.
Many of our own support can relate to that.
To make other people feel unwelcome in their homes, society, workplaces and schools. As they shop, eat or go to football games and support their local teams isn’t acceptable.
To hear language like we’ve seen from the ordinary Joes to the elected leader of the country using such hostile and derogatory language is depressing. But a line has been drawn. Brexit has happened and people down here now have the time to take stock and wonder if the means they used on their journey was worth the price they paid to reach their destination. Politics and the media are now making noises towards admittance to a problem and trying to resolve it.
Football can do the same if we all take responsibility and don’t just revert to blaming someone else.
It may be an idea that the language can be toned down and reconciliation sought in the political sphere. If politics and the media can hold their hands up, tone down the inflammatory language that was pandering to division and instead focus on a way forward, with all in tow that will permeate through society. Positivity replacing negativity and division being replaced with togetherness that can flow to the stands at football matches and make a better, safer environment for families and the next generation of football supporters.
I don’t want Celtic ever saying they don’t have an issue with racism and shrug our shoulders and not get involved in the solution. It is all through society. It is far too much of a stretch to say we would be entirely without sin. Admitting that problem is halfway to fixing it.
I also don’t want it said that we have less of a problem because other support’s racist tendencies are more vocal or bigger than ours. If one has 500 and one has 10 it makes a negligible difference. All have an issue that needs addressing. We can all work together to get our houses in order, From Aberdeen to Edinburgh, from Dundee to Glasgow and all the footballing outposts in between.
Let’s not leave this as a problem for Shay Logan, Alfred Morelos or Scotty Sinclair. This is not a Celtic, the ‘Rangers’ or Aberdeen issue.
Let’s look at this as a problem in Scottish football. Let’s have consensus in the Scottish game to come together, move forward and educate. We can meet this before it develops any further. We only need to look to Italian or Turkish football of late to see what happens when racism is ignored.
Niall J
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