Utterly shambolic article from Leckie

[WCPRANGERS1 2,997]

SCOTTISH football is heading for a disaster.

Not the kind that means missing out on the World Cup for another 30 years, running out of money to pay players the average worker’s annual salary in a week or Brexit causing a Bovril shortage.

No, I’m talking about the kind of disaster where people die.

The kind that was never again meant to happen after 66 souls lost their lives at Ibrox in 1971 but which wasn’t taken seriously until 96 didn’t make it home from Hillsborough 18 years later.

The kind that was supposed to be taken out of the equation by all-seater stadia and high-tech turnstiles that would, in time, educate us to enjoy watching football in comfort and safety.

 

Trouble is, that equation doesn’t add up once you factor in the kind of halfwit who lacks the basic sense not to trample over their own mates in the name of celebration.

Because without that, all the computerised entry systems and carefully-calculated capacity levels in the world won’t save us from the day or night when horror strikes.

And as Sunday at Rubgy Park in Kilmarnock proves only too well, that horror is looming unless drastic action is taken right now.

An exit gate forced open by visiting Rangers fans “impatient” at the length of time it was taking to search them. Every aisle in the away stand jammed with punters. A last-gasp winning goal marked by the kind of pitch invasion that has crept back into fashion.

Then, most worryingly of all, morons dancing on the roof of an enclosure for disabled supporters — their own fellow Rangers supporters, by the way — before crashing through and landing on a helpless guy in a wheelchair.

If these had been scenes that shocked the nation, that came from nowhere, then maybe we could write them off as a blip. First day of the season, bit over-excited, won’t happen again.

They weren’t, though. Sadly — frighteningly — they’re not only familiar but almost inevitable, especially when our two biggest clubs are involved.

Remember the chaos when celtic scored in a home Old Firm game back in March, when fans came over the barriers to dance and gloat and goad? Remember the lame-brain leaping about with a toddler under his arm?

All it needed that day was someone to trip and a domino effect might have crushed that little kiddie. All it needed was for the away section to take the bait, jump the hoardings and all bets would have been off.

That section of celtic fans, ǝpɐbıɹq uǝǝɹb ǝɥʇ, delight in hurling fireworks and smoke bombs without caring who they land on. They’ll tell you it’s all just a laugh, part of the game.

They’ll even tell you that without them, there would be no atmosphere at matches, because they lead the singing.

As the saying goes, though, it’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye. And the way things are going, one lost eye might well be a result.

We came close to full-on carnage at the end of the 2016 Scottish Cup Final, below, when thousands of Hibs fans came on the Hampden pitch for what started out as a joyous release of relief and happiness only to morph into a level of vandalism and violence which was about one decent uppercut away from a riot.

 

They’ll even tell you that without them, there would be no atmosphere at matches, because they lead the singing.

 

3

Hibs fans raided the pitch after the 2016 Scottish Cup final

That was the day Scottish football, Police Scotland and the Scottish Government should have realised there was a problem to be dealt with.

But because we just about got away with it, they waited for the fuss to die down then swept it all under the carpet.

This, sadly, has been the policy of both Rangers and celtic for more than a century about the behaviour of an angry, obsessive and downright obnixious element of their respective supports.

My column in Monday’s sports pages centred on the contempt the Rangers end at Kilmarnock had shown for their own club’s much-publicised Anyone Everyone campaign — to make the club open to supporters of all faiths, colours and blahdy blah — by bawling a non-stop megamix of anti-Catholic anthems.

The club have said not one word 

about these anthems. They never do. Neither did they publicly criticise their own players for openly encouraging fans who came on the park.

Yet they were double-quick to accuse Kilmarnock of having crappy turnstiles, hopeless stewarding and even caned the flimsiness of that disabled enclosure, which really should have been tested for its roof’s ability to support a celebrating mob

Then, brass neck on brass neck, they deflected even further by sighing about how celtic fans at a women’s match between the clubs on the same day had made sexist and sectarian comments to their team — their gall only matched by those celtic fans issuing a statement about how they “take pride in our efforts to support access to football for all, irrespective of race, religion or sex”.

You know, apart from all those chants supporting the IRA and hating “Orange b*stards”.

Rangers fans, meanwhile, were giving me it tight on social media for not having mentioned some banner celtic fans had flown the previous day, because that’s how their tiny minds work.

This kind of rubbish, this He-Said-She-Said whataboutery, is what holds back any progress on this issue. Rather than addressing their own behaviour, each club instantly points at the other and reminds us of something THEY did.

And you what’s most insulting of all? That if and when some game somewhere does end in disaster, they’ll unite in grief — green-and-white and red, white and blue scarves entwined at the scene, fans of one side making sure they’re seen being all respectful at the other’s gates.

But the lawlessness of too many angers me. The hypocrisy of too many sickens me.

And the failure of those in power to do anything about either terrifies me.

[SeparateEntityMyArse 53,715]

Tell a lie often enough....

Rangers Board letting cunts be cunts.

[Brian Fantana 28,894]

First game of the season and they come out with this pish ....

Imagine the meltdown when we win the league. Fuck them, keep doing a job on the park and let them implode.

[Courtyard Bear 41,357]

Dry your tears ya fat mess. 

 

[BLUEDIGNITY 33,647]

So much hatred for a winning goal in the 90th minute. 

[scottyscott1963 18,293]

Thought that fuckin tosser was pan breed.
Roll on the real celebration when 25,000 take to the park in sheer exuberance,withou the assault of opposition players.

[WCPRANGERS1 2,997]

When we get backing to winning trophies, let alone 55 it's really sending a shit load of cunts over the edge...which is nice!

[ritchieshearercaldow 22,137]

You can see he’s trying to be even handed through gritted teeth.

Never mind the mess that is power behind Scottish football, what about the journos 

 

[dee9 3,972]

It's bill leckie......I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[sRcFoCt 7,662]

I really do hope scoring 90min goals is our thing this season fucking scottish press is imploding after 1 game 

[mrmojorisin 13,613]

No wonder your wife fucked off and left you and now your reduced to Internet dating ya fat mess 

Fuck off Leckie

[TMB 14,167]

26 minutes ago, WCPRANGERS1 said:

Hibs fans raided the pitch after the 2016 Scottish Cup final

That was the day Scottish football, Police Scotland and the Scottish Government should have realised there was a problem to be dealt with.

Something should have been done in the aftermath of that match but it wasn't.  The media quickly fashioned a narrative of jubilant Hibs fans taking to the field in "over exuberance" as they ripped down the Hampden goals and attacked the Rangers team.  

Similarly, when celtic fans were dancing on the roof of that Kilmarnock disabled shelter it was labelled "incredible passion" by their fans:

 

[Vanoli 4,625]

Is there really that little to talk about this week? Can’t remember such a collective,  national heads gone reaction to fans celebrating a last minute winner. Embarrassing, and sums this country up. 

[WCPRANGERS1 2,997]

Just now, TMB said:

Something should have been done in the aftermath of that match but it wasn't.  The media quickly fashioned a narrative of jubilant Hibs fans taking to the field in "over exuberance" as they ripped down the Hampden goals and attacked the Rangers team.  

Similarly, when celtic fans were dancing on the roof of that Kilmarnock disabled shelter it was labelled "incredible passion" by their fans:

 

Exuberance and craic...

[mrmojorisin 13,613]

Bwaaahaaahaaa

[slimjim1690 4,534]

Come back to me when you have a look in the mirror and decide to do a piece on the biggest scandal in world sport, maybe that's when I will give a fuck about any coward in the Scottish MSM trying to moralize to me on how we should behave.

You and your fellow "journalists" are actually  worse than the bastards who are doing the covering up because you and your fellow reprobate colleagues have a platform to do some real good but choose instead to print nothing stories, just fuck off and die.

[B1872 20,700]

Must be taking a break from ‘walking in the rain’ and ‘looking at the stars’ or some pish!

[NeoGeo7 10,502]

40 minutes ago, Brian Fantana said:

First game of the season and they come out with this pish ....

Imagine the meltdown when we win the league. Fuck them, keep doing a job on the park and let them implode.

Absolutely this, focus on winning games and putting them back in the place in spite of all the shite they are flinging our way and they won’t be able to take it.

[hammer93 15,057]

34 minutes ago, TMB said:

Something should have been done in the aftermath of that match but it wasn't.  The media quickly fashioned a narrative of jubilant Hibs fans taking to the field in "over exuberance" as they ripped down the Hampden goals and attacked the Rangers team.  

Similarly, when celtic fans were dancing on the roof of that Kilmarnock disabled shelter it was labelled "incredible passion" by their fans:

 

That is Pittodrie 

[Terry Hurlock Loyal 12,133]

10 hours ago, Vanoli said:

Is there really that little to talk about this week? Can’t remember such a collective,  national heads gone reaction to fans celebrating a last minute winner. Embarrassing, and sums this country up. 

It's no coincidence, remember the campaign for strict liability being peddled by certain "journalists" and clubs last season? This is simply a continuation , sadly the episodes at this game fuelled those elements in the media and their pals right up again.

[72barca 1,788]

If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, does it make a noise? viz ...
If no one reacts to their inane ramblings then what does it matter? Only we can give them status, or not.

[GeeSS 512]

5 hours ago, SeparateEntityMyArse said:

Tell a lie often enough....

Rangers Board letting cunts be cunts.

Can you point out one just one lie  please because I can’t find one! 

Lest look in the mirror here and clean up our act   Rise above  all others and lead from the front like we always do. Let’s  support the club  in a safe manner no need to invade pitches. We don’t do it at Ibrox !!! 

[siddiqi_drinker 14,635]

14 minutes ago, GeeSS said:

Can you point out one just one lie  please because I can’t find one! 

Lest look in the mirror here and clean up our act   Rise above  all others and lead from the front like we always do. Let’s  support the club  in a safe manner no need to invade pitches. We don’t do it at Ibrox !!! 

An exit gate forced open by visiting Rangers fans “impatient” at the length of time it was taking to search them. 

LIE  -- fans were not being impatient -- fans opened the gates and actually relieved a pressure point where young fans were being crushed against a wall   - not the first occasion where fans have been crushed at the entrance.  Now being investigated by the local authorities. 

[middli 1,579]

The 'whatabouterry' thing always annoys me. We only have to get involved in that in order to point out the bias and hypocrisy with which Rangers are treated. 

[heathen fish boy 8,579]

He's not got his hole yet then