The day in August 2005 when Artur Boruc was cautioned by the Police for blessing himself was an embarrassment for our game and also for Scottish society…
Does anyone really believe Scotland has moved on since then? Almost twenty years ago Artur Boruc received a police caution for committing the serious offence of blessing himself during a football match at Ibrox.
Artur was a wind up merchant
Yes, Artur was a wind up merchant and most likely knew that it annoy the bigots in the Rangers support, but it was an action that is neither ‘inflammatory’ or illegal and is a simple personal act that he and tens of millions of others do on a regular basis. Footballers the world over are seen doing it just about every match but it’s only deemed offensive and controversial in one country* and in particular at one stadium.
The folk who should be ashamed are the ones who found it offensive in the first place. How can anyone be offended by someone simply blessing themselves? Indeed many of the Ibrox players in recent years do it on the park even if they have been advised by the club to undertake such ‘controversial’ gestures inside the tunnel or dressing room.
Eventually after a stir being rightly caused the official reason given for Artur getting cautioned was not for the act of blessing ones self, but for ‘inflammatory gestures’ which was just the system saving themselves from embarrassment, nothing less.
All you need is a simple on google search to gauge the reaction of several Rangers supporters groups at the time who were all calling for Boruc to be punished for a simple religious act. Even some of the SMSM were equal in their call for punishment. It’s all there in black and white.
That was only twenty years ago, are we to believe that this sort of thinking has simply disappeared?
No would be the right answer. There is still sectarianism alive and kicking in the same football stands and corridor of power in this country. Anyone who thinks otherwise is fooling themselves.
Years later Artur Boruc, speaking to the official Legia Warsaw FC website, gave his side of the story, explaining why he blessed himself at Ibrox ahead of kick-off.
“I’ve always done it before every match and I still do it. It wasn’t like I came up with it specifically for the Rangers match. However, I knew that the fans of this team are very annoyed.
“As far as I know, there was no warning from the prosecutor’s office. Yes, proceedings against me may have been initiated, even a parliamentary meeting on this matter was held. But I didn’t have any major troubles because of my behaviour.
“It’s definitely something more than the usual. When you get out on to the pitch, you feel that the opposing supporters hate you, but the match day itself was relatively calm. It is known that there was a bit more adrenaline due to the fact that there are a lot of fans in Glasgow.
“You could see the middle finger pointing towards me or hear some vulgar cries. It made you want to live, that life became more colourful. To be honest, such great tension is felt only two or three days before the match. It is known, however, that every day you have to live side by side and it does not cause major problems.
“I have the impression that the times when it was really dangerous are over, but for sure the fans sometimes bite each other.”
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
* Occupied six counties isn’t really a country.
Without question, the biggest embarrassment belongs to the system in Scotland which not only allowed and condoned this reaction to Artur, (or anyone else for that matter), blessings himself, but a system that actually encourages such reaction!
Contrary to that they would like to put a false front on, the fact is that Scotland is still very much generally a very small-minded, anti-catholic, bigoted, country. It is promoted this way and has been for many many years!