GeneralCartmanLee 313 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 http://sport.scotsman.com/rangersfc/He39s-...nose.5481260.jp AT first sight, Scotland's most prominent QC and an African Grey parrot named Rio appear to have little in common. But Rio has just followed in the footsteps of high-profile lawyer Donald Findlay by landing himself in hot water by performing sectarian football anthems. While Mr Findlay's renditions of The Sash and Follow, Follow led to him standing down as vice-chairman of Rangers, the parrot's versions have sparked official investigations by West Lothian Council. Rio's owner and Rangers fan Linda Gillies taught the bird to whistle The Sash and Follow, Follow – both favourites among the Ibrox faithful. The parrot's whistling in the back garden of her home prompted a neighbour to complain it was sectarian and should be stopped. That led to visits by officials from the council and her landlords, the Horizon Housing Association, to monitor her pet's conduct. Both agencies have decided to take no further action, although Ms Gillies has decided to stop taking the bird into her back garden where other residents could hear it. The 45-year-old mother and full-time carer said: "It's not a sectarian parrot. When my friends visited, they taught Rio how to sing Glory to the Hibees so he does that now. I've got Protestants and Catholics in my family and don't consider myself sectarian. "Rio listens to songs I whistle round the house and copies the ones he likes. He does songs from The King and I, The Addams Family tune, Magic Moments, Hey Baby and loads more. "When I heard there had been a complaint about sectarian singing, I thought it was a joke. A man from the council came to the door and told me about it. "He said he thought it was funny and couldn't believe there had been a complaint. "A few weeks later, someone from Horizon contacted me too. They didn't say anything would happen but I decided to keep Rio inside to stop any complaints. "We used to put him out in the back garden in his cage to get some fresh air but not any more." Ms Gillies, who lives in Loch Linnhe Court in Whitburn, with her daughter Lauren, 17, and cousin Mary Smillie, 57, bought Rio ten years ago. Ms Smillie, who is disabled and cared for by Ms Gillies, said: "We support Rangers and he sings those songs, but he does other football songs like The Great Escape, which the England supporters use. "He just picks up things from us. He says 'Hiya son', 'I love you' and 'Cheerio' when any of us leaves the house." Next-door neighbour Bill Torrance, 82, a retired bus driver, said: "You can hear the parrot whistling the songs when he's outside in the garden. He's amazingly good. "I can't understand the complaint because it's just a bit of fun really." Neighbour Stewart Heggie, 34, a part-time DJ and Rangers fan, added: "It's a highlight of the summer when the sun is out and Rio's in the back garden singing. "The kids round here love him so I can't see why anyone is complaining." A West Lothian Council spokeswoman confirmed a complaint had been received about the parrot's whistling but declined to comment further. Jim Watt, from Horizon Housing Association, said: "We received a complaint from one of our tenants. "We spoke to the tenant with the pet, as well as other neighbouring tenants, and we took the view that there had not been antisocial behaviour, which would include sectarian behaviour." feck me...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BouncingBear 23 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Get it to join TBO band Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussieranger 52 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 i've heard it all now, and you think we pay these bastards wages!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott-RFC 308 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Sectarian? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluedell 14 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Let's tell the lie that the Sash is bigoted again. Chip, chip, chip.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
laudrupforever 17 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Those cunts have more chips on their shoulders than McDonalds. Fucking sectarian parrot. I've heard it all now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jardy 0 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Rio sounds like a right laugh Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankie 505 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 I thought The Scotsman was supposed to be a quality broadsheet newspaper? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimenez 1 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Let's tell the lie that the Sash is bigoted again. Chip, chip, chip.... Exactly! The amount of times journalists automatically print that is shocking. It would be no different if the mhedia constantly referred to 'Flower of Scotland' as racist. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hammer 11 2,580 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 they make themselves look more fucking ludicrous by the day it's over go home timmy wan't a tattie? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaffbear 4,096 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Jesus christ!! And that is one of our most respected newspapers......we have plunged new depths. That's it i'm off out wi ma chalk to draw a big line from Largs on the west to South Queensferry and if you want all this republican shite go to the north and if you don't step to the south ..It's times like this that Murray should use his clout and step up to the plate and declare Follow Follow and the Sash as non sectarian and if you want to start making false claims then get your lawyers out to defned yourself as the law suits should start in earnest... If it wasn't the height of stupidity it would be funny. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForeverBlue_Since91 2,895 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Ha Ha And another Tim shows him self up,by complaining about A Parrot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
radlord 24 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Well, this is it. The nadir of the bigotry 'debate'. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilRFC 10 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 these tims are all wee bitter pricks, how the fuck can a parrot be secterian? the two songs aren't even secterian fuck sake man, why don't they go home? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowcross 5 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Both agencies have decided to take no further action, after Ms Gillies claimed her parrot had died of a broken heart. She said the parrot no longer wished to live in a banana republic like Scotland anymore. Death, it seemed, was preferable to existence in this bad joke of a backward country... Holding the dead parrot - which was clad in a mini Rangers top - the 45-year-old mother and full-time carer said: “He's not singing, he's passed on. This sectarian parrot is no more. He has ceased to be. He's expired and gone to meet his maker. He's a stiff, bereft of life, he rests in peace. If I hadn't have nailed him to the perch he'd be pushing up the daisies. He's rung down the orange sash and joined the lodge invisible. This is an ex sectarian parrot!” Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSCGMBHMMBW 0 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 I thought The Scotsman was supposed to be a quality broadsheet newspaper? Embra Evening News .....mate! http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/to...ose.5481260.jp Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpRFC1 3 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 OMG!!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingKai 439 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Now if all season ticket holders bought a parrot..that COULD be a way to bring back TBB...!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
J_RFC87 761 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 West Lothian Council have launched an official investigation into this. For what use..? Another nothing story. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
papaguy51 912 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 What an orange, blue, green and yellow bastard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
westendblue 3 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 we let these clowns get away with their poor impoverished victimised crap for too long and look at it now, the problem with actually being british is we don't complain about silly nonsense, however our kiddie raping neighbours fookin love it and appear to have no compunction about spurious complaints cos if it's not dealt with by the authorities then they can complain about that as well and play the poor me card and their barely literate journo mates lap that bollocks up and front page it all the time. aaargh! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamd1986 8 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 What an orange, blue, green and yellow bastard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbyst 570 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 disgraceful journalism!! everything rangers fans sing is considered 'sectarian'!!!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
superkai 54 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 disgraceful journalism!! everything rangers fans sing is considered 'sectarian'!!!!! Got it in one. Just being a Rangers fan is sectarian in this god forsaken wee sh1tey country these days. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithgersbear 3,225 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 What an orange, blue, green and yellow bastard lol Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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