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Mr Whyte and Mr Salmond to meet soon


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Jun 3 2011 Euan Mclean

Alex Salmond will meet new Rangers owner Craig Whyte next week to underline the Old Firm's duty to help stamp out sectarianism.

The First Minister wants to push on with the Scottish Government's quest to beat the bigots by rushing through tough new laws that could see supporters convicted of sectarian-related offences jailed for up to five years.

In March, Salmond was part of a Holyrood summit that summoned Celtic and Rangers to discuss the problem - but he is aware a new board has since taken charge at Ibrox.

So he wants to meet Whyte to reinforce the club's duty to support the Government's drive before the new season starts next month.

Salmond said: "I will speak with the new owner at Rangers. As First Minister, I will be having informal meetings with both Celtic and Rangers shortly.

"I'm encouraged we have both clubs in the tent in terms of dealing with this problem. That's essential. I'm very encouraged we have all the football authorities in the tent working with the Government.

"I didn't invite myself into this, that was done by the Chief Constable of Strathclyde in response to a very serious situation. But now we are in it, this is going to happen.

"Don't under-rate this. Any meeting is a talking shop by definition but this is a talking action shop. You will see the action following the talk.

"But there are also more informal relationships which are important as well and I'm incredibly encouraged the clubs are working together.

"We will sort it out together - not by blaming folk and saying they should have done this, that or the next thing 10 years ago, five years ago or even one year ago. This is where we are now and where we are going to go."

Salmond is convinced the new Offensive Behaviour in Football and Threatening Communications Bill will be the first big step towards eradicating sectarianism.

He added: "If the legislation is passed we will face down sectarian displays at matches and they will be finished, over, done with.

"That's the determination we have and we are supported by 99.9 per cent of people in Scottish society who are fed up with it.

"And that includes of course the vast majority of fans not just of Celtic and Rangers but other clubs as well, who recognise it's high time we stamped this out as a sort of parasite on our great game of football."

Salmond was speaking after making the draw for the first round of the Scottish Communities League Cup, sponsored by £1million of money seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

http://www.<No links to this website>/football/spl/rangers/2011/06/03/rangers-chief-craig-whyte-set-for-sectarianism-talks-with-alex-salmond-86908-23176087/

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Guest Andypendek
"We will sort it out together - not by blaming folk and saying they should have done this, that or the next thing 10 years ago, five years ago or even one year ago. This is where we are now and where we are going to go."

Just imagine a Lhabour FM coming out with something like that!

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Just imagine a Lhabour FM coming out with something like that!

All very well with such public comments yet I don't see many fans being consulted at the moment nor any forums whatsoever.

Despite clear requests from some.

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So you don't think Sir David deserved his gong for services to Scottish business.... :lol:

Aye, it was just give, give, give where Davie boy was concerned. :rolleyes: He got it when he did for signing up to Jack's 'win the RC vote' initiative. If you believe different, fine.

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Aye, it was just give, give, give where Davie boy was concerned. :rolleyes: He got it when he did for signing up to Jack's 'win the RC vote' initiative. If you believe different, fine.

So over the years he's not employed a few people or put one or two pounds into the scottish economy.....don't pretend you're this daft....

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Guest Andypendek

All very well with such public comments yet I don't see many fans being consulted at the moment nor any forums whatsoever.

Despite clear requests from some.

There's no question of forums being consulted...we've made our beds on that one and now we'll have to lie in them.

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There's no question of forums being consulted...we've made our beds on that one and now we'll have to lie in them.

So his quote is utter nonsense then: i.e no working together and people will be blamed for past stuff?

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Frankie i don't how guys like yourself have the energy to go over this stuff again...this aint going to be solved at talking shops with government....

It sure isn't. All the more reason to point out the shambolic nature of this process.

It is fascinating that out of all this, policing costs for our clubs are set to rise dramatically from next season. That should help the SNP's ability to budget and perhaps explains why they're so keen to make political hay out of blaming football and the internet for a 100+ year old social problem. :D

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So over the years he's not employed a few people or put one or two pounds into the scottish economy.....don't pretend you're this daft....

Of course he has, but you don't find the timing of it more than just a coincidence? Never heard of honours being given out for cash/favours?

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I will quote you what was said from an erudite poster on VB

Craig Whyte is no doubt a clever man. He should sit down and say:

"Okay Alex, we are committed to eradicating sectarianism. But sectarianism is not confined to football clubs and the pubs their supporters frequent. The United Nations have declared, quite clearly, that seperating children in education, based on religion, causes division. It is categorical. So any discussions and initiatives MUST include the question of the continuation of state-funded Roman Catholic education".

When Salmond stutters and stammers and declares the schools are not on the agenda, Whyte should declare "you are clearly not serious about looking at all aspects of the problem and eradicating them Mr. Salmond. Until you are, Rangers Football Club feel that any formal discussions with your administration are futile".

He should then walk out the door.

Let Salmond know the "vote-winning" game is up.

And then when the inevitable "bigots" headlines appear he should sue those involved and take them all the way.

If Salmond continues to keep this subject off the agenda then it is nothing more than a sham to win votes and i would hope Whyte is savvy enough to realise this.

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Sorry GCL but it's not a case of not wanting this solved but i would say the overwhleming majority just want to go to the football and sing what the hell they want.(Within reason)

Sectarianism is not a major problem in Scotland and hasn't been for decades.

It suited certain individuals to make it out to be something it wasn't and it is they who have stirred up a hornets nest with their one sided persecutions and archaic laws.

Pre O'Neill and Lennon this issue was hardly even commented on.

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Some don't want this solved though; I’m not saying a majority on both sides i am saying some.

The ship has sailed as far as singing what you want at the football, that's not going to change. People pushed their luck in Europe this season and after assuring us we wouldn't get punished and the Billy boys was fine we were punished again and our name was dragged through the mud again.

I totally agree Sectarianism isn't a big problem in Scotland. Religion isn't even an important part of Scottish life anymore, church attendances are so low it must be in danger of all but disappearing in the next 50 years.

No doubt this issue is being driven by certain individuals in the media, from celtic MB's and politicians and no doubt it's being used as a stick to beat us with but in the long run i believe this will impact both teams. I hope these guys are proud of the atmosphere they are going to create in years to come.….

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fuck alex salmond!!!!

fuck the pope and the eye ar ay!!!!

the singing of some songs doesnt mean there is a secterian problem in scotland. this is a myth created to win votes and gain publicity.

its time some1 collected the facts and took this bastard salmond to school on secterianism.

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I will quote you what was said from an erudite poster on VB

Craig Whyte is no doubt a clever man. He should sit down and say:

"Okay Alex, we are committed to eradicating sectarianism. But sectarianism is not confined to football clubs and the pubs their supporters frequent. The United Nations have declared, quite clearly, that seperating children in education, based on religion, causes division. It is categorical. So any discussions and initiatives MUST include the question of the continuation of state-funded Roman Catholic education".

When Salmond stutters and stammers and declares the schools are not on the agenda, Whyte should declare "you are clearly not serious about looking at all aspects of the problem and eradicating them Mr. Salmond. Until you are, Rangers Football Club feel that any formal discussions with your administration are futile".

He should then walk out the door.

Let Salmond know the "vote-winning" game is up.

And then when the inevitable "bigots" headlines appear he should sue those involved and take them all the way.

If Salmond continues to keep this subject off the agenda then it is nothing more than a sham to win votes and i would hope Whyte is savvy enough to realise this.

100% agree.Salmond is passing the buck and pretending this is a football problem when everyone knows its a social problem. He is never going to address it properly and neither are those in the opposition who should be confronting him with reality every time he opens his mouth.So they will continue to address the symptoms instead of the cause and fans will be jailed and villified for shouting abuse at each other.

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Guest Andypendek

So his quote is utter nonsense then: i.e no working together and people will be blamed for past stuff?

Yes, forums will be blamed for allowing things like death threats and religious abuse to go unchecked. No, they won't be asked to help solve a problem they have made worse. I took the quote you highlighted to mean no finger pointing at the Orange Lodge or the Catholic Church, saying 'what about them?' His point is that is has to stop and will stop - in the football.

Salmond, like most folk, doesn't view this as a real issue in the streets of Scotland. He's trying to choke its last avenue of publicity, ie the football. Doing this ought to see us return to the movement toward the death of this crap since there won't actually BE any discrimination to moan about. To the best of my knowledge, his quotes have specifically referred to this parasite on the football, not on Scottish society. So since we're all agreed that the problem doesn't exist to any great extent outwith the singing, what need is there for the VB stance?

We have a society that can cope quite well with segregated education. It's a poor thing and I hope to see the day our kids are educated together, but expecting the First Minister to solve a problem that most on this thread agree doesn't exist is perverse, to say the least.

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