Strict Liability For OFBA - But Will The Blazers Be Prepared To Grasp The Nettle?

I HAVE long thought, he may be sitting over there in Donegal, and he most-certainly is obsessed with his subject, but, when it comes to events at Ibrox, Phil Mac Giolla Bhain is more-often on the money than the guys he terms “stenographers”, who take as gospel any old Level Five pish.

Yesterday, the bold Phil posted an “Exclusive”, to the effect the Scottish Government is thinking of forcing the SFA to apply “strict liability” to the clubs, and, the belief is, in return, OBFA, the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act, might be removed from the statue book/toned-down/seriously modifed, whatever.

Now, this blog has long believed this is the only way to rid Scottish football of this continuing stain on its reputation, but, as to it happening – Ah continue tae hae ma doots.

I do not for a minute believe the worst excesses of anti-social behaviour in Scottish football only happen because of the game. No, a sober, sensible, upright member of the community does not suddenly turn into a screaming sectarian bigot, shouting and swearing at the opposition the minute be passes through the turnstyle, only to turn back into a model of decorum 90-odd minutes later when he leaves the ground.

Similarly, I support the abolition of segregated schools, not on the grounds of any role in eliminating bigotry and sectarian behaviour – which is all too often taught and encouraged at home, but, on the grounds of cost. If any religion wants to ram its theology down the throats of the young – then encourage their parents to send them to Sabbath School, or to religious schools AFTER they have done their due time in compulsory general education. I don't see why those of us who have little time for education should be promoting it out of our taxes.

Also, while, because they have more fans, and therefore, it stands to reason, more bams – I do not believe that ObatF is the sole domain of the Bigot Brothers. You get offensive behaviour at Ayr United v Kilmarnock, St Mirren v Morton, Motherwell v Hamilton, Hearts v Hibs, Dunfermline v Raith Rovers, Dundee v Dundee United and, most-certainly at Auchinleck Talbot v Cumnock games.

But, the worst excesses happen when a certain couple of Glasgow teams get together, we have to face that. I also believe, the football authorities are scared stiff to make an example of these two teams.

Just imagine if strict liability was brought in. The first chorus of the Billy Boys or that chant in support of the IRA and strict liability would kick-in. Perhaps a warning for the first such outburst, followed quickly by the deduction of points. It would not be long before the clubs would be forced to take action, bans would have to be imposed, making going to football a much-more-pleasurable experience for us all.

For instance, and here I am not picking-on the Rangers fans, merely pointing out, as: “a continuing embarrassment and occasional disgrace”, they, arguably, are the worst mass offenders. We all know the accompanying sound-track to any Rangers away game is a 90-minute singalongabigot rendition of the old Party Song Book. We also know, such is the depth of that club's fan base that the great majority of their ticket allocation for away games is distributed via their strong network of supporters clubs.

So, the club knows which supporters clubs are in which sections of their allocated seating. The technology exists to record the offensive singing, and to separate accurately where it is coming from.

Thus, we have a hypothetical scenario whereby – we assume strict liability has been brought in. At an Aberdeen v Rangers game at Pittodrie, the strains of the Billy Boys, up to yer knees etc and all is coming from the seats where the Rangers fans are congregated. The singing is pin-pointed at say Section D of that part of the ground. The tickets in Section D were allocated to the members of The Kilwinning True Blues and the Larkhall Loyal (apologies if such clubs exist, I am using these names as stereotypes and no offence is meant).

So, Rangers can drop a quick note to the secretaries of these two clubs, pointing-out: we have you bang to rights – any more singing of offensive songs and you don't get a ticket allocation. Pretty soon, the neanderthals would be flung out of the clubs and, perhaps over a season, the offensive singing would stop.

Same thing on the other side – any bad behaviour which could be shown to emanate from the seats occupied by (again stereotypical names here) – The Carfin Sons of Erin or the Croy Sean South Memorial CSC and the same sanctions would apply.

BUT, and it is a shame there has to be a but. For the SFA to clamp down on the bigots, and their copy-cat wannabees from the other clubs, would require a desire within the Hampden corridors of power, to see things change. And, I honestly do not see the will being there to make the changes.

The blazers know there are at least a couple of really unsightly plooks on the face of Scottish football, but, they are quite happy to parade these before the world. And, that is sad.

WOE, WOE and thrice woe – you can already hear the wailing and gnashing of teeth from Hampden, with the suggestion that those European leagues with huge TV audiences might be about to hijack the Champions League, and make it a closed shop.

It could well happen that the CL becomes a closed shop, with entry limited to the top four clubs in England, Italy, Germany and Spain, but, not least because it would be only a matter of time before the English fell-out with everyone else, I don't see this happening.

And even if it did, it might not be the end of the world. Some see this proposal as the start of a European NFL. What they forget is, the NFL is an amalgamation of two separate American Football bodies – the NFC and the AFC, just as baseball is an amalgamation of two leagues – the National League and the American League.

If you know your American sports history, you will know, baseball's World Series is so-named, because the newspaper, the New York World, put up the cash which caused the two league winners to meet to decide what was the best team in the USA.

So, suppose the big five European leagues do succeed in getting their closed shop past UEFA – which is not guaranteed, in fact, I would say downright unlikely – can you see the other 49 individual European leagues simply stepping back and telling the big five: “OK guys, go ahead and do your thing”. A compromise will be reached.

But, in the unlikely event of this not happening, and the big five breaking away – what is to stop the medium and smaller leagues starting a rival competition. Celtic v Ajax, or PSG v Red Star Belgrade could surely provide football as good as anywhere else.

If a rival league was started, in time, I am sure, we would have a genuine European NFL, but, it would not be limited to a mere five nations.

Mind you, at least one of these big five leagues – the English Premiership, has bigger problems looming. If “Brexit means Brexit”, and it becomes more-difficult for European immigrants to enter the UK, once the present batch of continental players finish, it will become a damned sight harder for the top English club to attract top European talent.

There will be a lot of squealing if a top Polish plumber cannot come to England to work, but, a top Polish centre forward can. FIFA and UEFA have protocols in place for player movement, which would cut across any efforts by a non-EU England to bring in players from mainland Europe.

Mind you, one possible good thing about this, would be, the English clubs would again, hopefully, start recruiting top Scots. Aye, these are indeed interesting times.