SENTINELCELTS

There was only one friendly played in Glasgow over the weekend. 

The famous Glasgow Celtic put on a show, enhancing the clubs name with a winning performance, enhancing Ange’s reputation with some silky football, and showing the home fans in a positive light for their large attendance plus passionate support.

It was a good day for the club, to wrap up a good week.

There was another football match scheduled in the same city, on the same day, with the same kickoff time.

It was a friendly fixture on paper, but calling it friendly does not necessarily make it so. 

As we all know by now, there was more than just an onfield clash. 

And the season hasn’t even truly started yet. It’s July for goodness sake, nothing on the line, yet unsavoury scenes surface.

The fact both teams were entertaining at home simultaneously was lost on me until the actual day, usually the fuzz won’t give the nod for this, claiming resources could be stretched too thinly. They’ve a bloody cheek, the Tims need bare minimum stewarding, even less policing, while our rivals on the other hand require riot squads to be on full alert with paramedics on standby not to mention the very expensive ‘eyes in the skies’ helping coordinate the response to violence.

This was no Johnny Foreigner either but fellow butchers apron flag wavers. The rationale for the violence remains beyond me at this stage, but many locals were masked while the first picture shows dozens sporting a very similar look, presumably all part of some Ultra group or other. Both suggest this was no unintended event, no accident on the way to enjoying the game.

A scrap was on the agenda.

Having segregated both sets of supporters, the local police once again were forced to face down the mob, to bear the brunt of their ire.

I type this some 24hrs after the ugly scenes, and ‘Rangers’ are still trending on Twitter, casting a negative light on the national sport to millions. Again.

And the season hasn’t even started.

The good news is that the camera doesn’t lie. Videos of bad behavior cross the globe instantly, and once it’s out there it can’t be recalled.

The cellphone in everyone’s pocket can’t but help expose scenes that don’t belong in a normal society, football in most countries has moved on for the better.

The bad news is this won’t become a watershed moment, just like the last time, and the time before that, and the time before that. The racist violent undercurrent that pervades the nations second biggest fanbase will not be dissected in detail by the once talented Scottish mainstream media,,those with their beaks in the trough cannot or will not raise their head above the parapet and call out such scenes as unacceptable. Ministers wont risk alienating a sizeable section of the public by ‘attacking’ the culture that surrounds that certain club. The upholders of the law could take a much harder stance, but that’s fanciful. Fuzz can hardly state they are too much for us, the overtime is probably welcome and many members would have some affiliation with the club.

Hampden stays schtum, always.

There’s no knight in shining armour, no strong collective to demand an end to the unsavoury scenes that all too often emerge. The cycle looks set to continue.

Which leaves only victims,,,

taxpayers

public servants

rank and file football supporters

businesses in public spaces

emergency unit workers

the occasional innocent bystander

the national sports image

to name but a few victims.

Notice how Celtic get mentioned. Another victim.

The comments on this webpage say more than enough

Turning a blind eye hasn’t worked, appeasement never does.

Acknowledging there’s a problem would be a start, until then get ready for more of the same. 

By Mahe