Finally!!!! Well done Bill Leckie

[scottyc06 6,915]

 

A kick up the 1980s: Hibs leave grail of destruction
 
Fans proudly parade pitch souvenirs
By BILL LECKIE
12:35, 22 May 2016
 
YOU hate to say it after all the pain they’ve been through.
But if that’s the way Hibs fans celebrate winning the Scottish Cup, here’s hoping it’s another 114 years before they do it again.
The thousands among them who didn’t behave like savages at time up might think that’s unfair.
Truth is, though, their moment of moments is forever tarnished — and all sympathy any neutral had with their desperate hunt for the silver grail has utterly vanished.
Opposing players punched. Goalposts destroyed. Huge chunks of turf torn up.
On a day of sunshine on Mount Florida, the black clouds of hooliganism swept back over Scottish football and rained on everyone’s parade.
And don’t give me the old nonsense about high spirits and celebrations getting out of hand, because this terrible return to the game’s bad old days was one more drunken swing of a boot away from turning into a full-scale riot.
 
That it didn’t is in huge part down to the restraint of the Rangers support. Yes, a few hundred dafties came over the side and tried to have a square go — but the majority stayed put, as shocked and sickened by the unfolding scenes as those watching on TV all around the world.
When I mention those watching, by the way, that includes the police and stewards who let it happen.
For all they did to stem the green tide from the east end of the stadium, they might as well have been traffic cones.
Hibs punters made it to the Rangers penalty box before any kind of plan kicked into action. By which time, more than one invader had been kicked into a sobbing ball of regret.
Suddenly, we were back in 1980, when battling Old Firm fans clashed in a hail of bottles and cans and the Government were forced to step in and ban bevvy from the terraces and stands.
 
Fans ran onto the pitch after Hibs won Cup for first time in 114 years
There were genuine fears of full-scale bloodshed. All leave was being cancelled in every A&E department and cop shop from Aikenhead Road to Arthur’s Seat.
Slowly — eventually — yellow-jacketed lines, bolstered by mounted officers, pushed the factions apart and the prospect of mass violence subsided.
Yet still thousands of Hibs fans refused to heed tannoy pleas to go back to the stands, seemingly oblivious of the chaos they’d caused. Still they danced and hugged, still they tried to get through the security cordon to get at the Rangers stands.
Eventually, it got so ridiculous even their fellow fans booed.
 
Incredibly, several of Alan Stubbs’ players — Jason Cummings, Lewis Stevenson, Darren McGregor, the dyed-in-the-wool troops — were still in amongst it all, occasionally bobbing up on the shoulders of a fan.
Goodness knows what might have happened to them had it really kicked off with the rival support, as several Rangers players had already taken a slap on their way to the dressing rooms.
Stubbs described it as “exuberance”. He either didn’t get it or was trying to sweep the full seriousness of it all under the rug; either way he did his club no credit at all.
As for chairman, Rod Petrie? The man’s a buffoon whose shoulder-shrugging reaction should — whatever sanctions come down upon his club — lead to his instant resignation.
 
 
To refuse to accept that the behaviour of the fans was disgraceful shows how out of touch with reality the man is.
No wonder Rangers refused to come back out to collect their runners-up medals. No wonder Mark Warburton just wanted to get his men changed, on the bus and away from it all before the Hibs end emptied onto the streets. Yes, they’ve had their own dark days of fan violence but yesterday was not their doing.
This as all about Hibs. It was a terrible, sad and a frightening end to what had been one of the best cup finals for many, many years. A game packed so much of what’s best about football, only for it all to end up relegated to a sideshow.
Most of us writing about the match had just about finished praising Stubbs and Co to the skies.
We were ready to sit back and listen to Sunshine On Leith. We were thinking that here we were, a tiny part of history.
I had a line in my head about how for 114 long years, Hibs had been Wile E Coyote and the Scottish Cup their Roadrunner. How every season they’d convinced themselves they’d get the better of that pesky silverware; yet every year, it found a new way to push them off the edge of a cliff.
 
Shocked Rangers players drop to the ground
Just when victory always seemed within their grasp, down came the giant Acme anvil and off the cliff they went, legs motoring for a spit-second as they defied reality. I was going to write about how unplayable two-goal Anthony Stokes had been, how resiliently they coped with injuries, how brilliantly Liam Henderson delivered the corners that turned a 2-1 deficit into an incredible triumph.
There was going to be a bit about how the only Rangers player to truly shine was Kenny Miller, who defied his age to score a marvellous hea-der and hit the bar.
There was, ironically, going to be criticism for the Rangers support’s never-ending bile of singing, even hailing their second by bawling that Andy Halliday hates the Pope and IRA.
After what was to come, though, that seemed small fry.
Everything that had gone before seemed almost irrelevant. Those Hibs hordes had made sure of that. They’d spoiled a wonderful spectacle for all of us. Worse than that, they’d spoiled it for themselves.
In the end, they got to see the cup handed over and sang their victory anthem. Never, though, has its strains left the watching nation quite so cold.

[DESGER 241]

Hibs attack Rangers players but I can't forget to have a go at Rangers for big bad words!! He's still a prick!!

[scottyc06 6,915]

4 minutes ago, DESGER said:

Hibs attack Rangers players but I can't forget to have a go at Rangers for big bad words!! He's still a prick!!

He may be a prick but he's about the only journalist to come out and say that there was no fault on Rangers & that the singing of songs is clearly insignificant considering the aftermath!

[1690tamRFC 5,001]

Never ending bile of singing ? Fuck off you absolute cunt . 

And why would anyone take exception to hating the IRA ffs 

[TEFTONG 60,267]

He starts off well..But his hatred of US comes out in the end..He can't fucking help himself..He is and always will be a CUNT...

[DESGER 241]

2 minutes ago, scottyc06 said:

He may be a prick but he's about the only journalist to come out and say that there was no fault on Rangers & that the singing of songs is clearly insignificant considering the aftermath!

Shite he can't help but have a go even after all that happened!! Do you agree with the "never ending bike"??

[mearns loyal 2,721]

Aye apart from the bit that he has deemed small fry but still mentions our never ending bile of singing! an absolute bell-end...

[BridgeIsBlue 66,614]

3 minutes ago, 1690tamRFC said:

Never ending bile of singing ? Fuck off you absolute cunt . 

And why would anyone take exception to hating the IRA ffs 

The Pope is the head of a cult that rapes children,you're not allowed to hate him or else you're bigoted  

[jintybear 8,536]

It's a crime now to hate the IRA? I despair!

I'm sure the pope is used to being hated as well so I'm sure his feelings won't be hurt that Andy Halliday hates him! Maybe one of the scum supporters looking in can ask him next time they see him.

Mostly a good article but can't help himself by adding about our "bile singing"

[1690tamRFC 5,001]

Just now, BridgeIsBlue said:

The Pope is the head of a cult that rapes children,you're not allowed to hate him or else you're bigoted  

Exactly mate, how dare anycunt hate the beasty bastard. 

[scottyc06 6,915]

Just now, DESGER said:

Shite he can't help but have a go even after all that happened!! Do you agree with the "never ending bike"??

Not at all, I'm sure you've heard many have a go about us singing yesterday & using that as an excuse to detract from what really happened! At least Leckie has said it was insignificant compared to what else happened yesterday! 

You wire in though, pick out the small bits that are against us rather than the bigger story of the article where he actually clears us of any blame! Something Iv yet to see from anybody out with our own say!

[Corky True Legend 2,682]

So we just ignore his comments about the restraint of the Rangers' support? Whether we agree or not, some of our songbook is deemed unacceptable.

[RFC Eagle 4,888]

Just now, Corky True Legend said:

So we just ignore his comments about the restraint of the Rangers' support? Whether we agree or not, some of our songbook is deemed unacceptable.

He has said pretty much what everyone on here has been saying. He doesn't even make a massive criticism of the songbook just mentions how ironic the criticism was and that it was 'small fry' and almost irrelevant. He even calls for Rod Petries immediate resignation for that pathetic performance when interviewed.

Leckie is, in general, a complete arsepiece but on this one occasion he has pretty much hit the nail on the head.

[.Williamson. 82,697]

That was going well until that pish about bigotry at the end 

[1690tamRFC 5,001]

11 minutes ago, scottyc06 said:

Not at all, I'm sure you've heard many have a go about us singing yesterday & using that as an excuse to detract from what really happened! At least Leckie has said it was insignificant compared to what else happened yesterday! 

You wire in though, pick out the small bits that are against us rather than the bigger story of the article where he actually clears us of any blame! Something Iv yet to see from anybody out with our own say!

Why bring it up at all ? There is plenty to say about what the hibs fans done yesterday without mentioning anything about songs in the first place. 

[Bluepeter9 5,167]

'Rod Petrie is a Buffon ' no one on here is going to disagree with that! 

[RFC Eagle 4,888]

Just now, 1690tamRFC said:

Why bring it up at all ? There is plenty to say about what the hibs fans done yesterday without mentioning anything about songs in the first place. 

Because he said 'there was' going to be criticism of the song book but what took place made it irrelevant. He was making a point that those who try to use it to deflect from the shameful scenes are as irrelevant as a few words sung. He was removing that as a reason for what happened not trying to have a dig.

[1690tamRFC 5,001]

1 minute ago, RFC Eagle said:

Because he said 'there was' going to be criticism of the song book but what took place made it irrelevant. He was making a point that those who try to use it to deflect from the shameful scenes are as irrelevant as a few words sung. He was removing that as a reason for what happened not trying to have a dig.

I do get what your saying but I honestly believe he had no reason to bring it up at al. Just my opinion. 

[RFC Eagle 4,888]

Just now, Bluepeter9 said:

'Rod Petrie is a Buffon ' no one on here is going to disagree with that! 

He is no Gianluigi thats for sure! 

[Sparkle 53,685]

That's about the best, most honest piece of writing we could ever hope to read in this country.  Compare and contrast with what you would get from speccy or English on the BBC or what has already come from Richard Wilson and the scum Sun.  Of course he mentioned the songbook, he has to or he would definitely be accused of biased reporting, but he tried to put it in context.  Look, we all know if it's sung it will be reported - no point in moaning about it after the fact.

[scottyc06 6,915]

Quoted the wrong quote

[Helicopter Sundae 6,066]

In the dark days of football thuggery, Hibs had one of , if not the worst hooligan gang in the whole of Scotland. Not sure if it was Danny Dyer who did a TV series on football gangs, but someone came up and met some of the Hibs mob, and in their heyday, they were a vicious bunch of cunts. Must be bred into them in the shitiest parts of Edinburgh.

 

 

[RFC Eagle 4,888]

Just now, 1690tamRFC said:

I do get what your saying but I honestly believe he had no reason to bring it up at al. Just my opinion. 

Fair enough but it is Bill Leckie he is never going to please everyone. He is far more right than wrong in this article though.

 

[Helicopter Sundae 6,066]

6 minutes ago, Bluepeter9 said:

'Rod Petrie is a Buffon ' no one on here is going to disagree with that! 

He is no fucking Buffon..

 

[RFC Eagle 4,888]

Just now, scottyc06 said:

Out of that full article why pick that bit out? He barely mentions it!

I was agreeing with you just highlighting what he actually said, it was hardly a condemnation of Rangers fans. Maybe see my following posts as to why I think he mentioned it.