Wildlife on SPL

THE warm-ups are almost over: the clock is ticking and it will soon be Saturday and the big kick-off, happy days - or are they?

I try to steer clear of Old Firm politics, it is a shameful swamp, an oozing plook on the admttedly less than wholesome countenance of Scottish football. But, needs must, so here goes.

Defending the habit of a section of the Rangers' support - of singing "unsuitable" songs may be a case of defending the indefinsible. Certainly any right-thinking person would rather they didn't sing their old battle anthems, but, one man's sectarian ditty is another's traditional folk song. As I have argued before in mixed company - ie catholic/protestant - The Fields of Athenry and The Sash are both Irish folk songs, so how come one is apparently ok but not the other - and in any case, what has either song got to do with Scottish football? Ditto Derry's Walls or The Boys of the Old Brigade or perhaps a couple of dozen more staples of the Old Firm's combined song book.

The fact that, in the 11th year of the third millennium, in a supposedly civilised and advanced country in Europe, the religious and political battles of two or three hundred years ago are still being sung-of as a means of winding-up opponents speaks volumes on how little we have advanced in that time.

Rangers are now paying the price for someone's decision almost 100 years ago, to pander to the sectarianism of a section of the populace of West-Central Scotland, while Celtic's pandering to similar sectarianism on the other side of the religious divide for even longer continues to deny them the respect that club deserves from its achievements on the field.

Let there be no doubt, sectarianism sells - for both clubs and any whitabootery or tit-for-tat dredging-up of past indiscretions merely demonstrates the backwardness of those doing the dragging-up.

Celtic have apparently siezed the moral high ground - more sinned-against than sinning; a situation which perhaps owes more to having better-placed friends in the media and politics than Rangers. To be fair to Rangers, like many a long-lasting "establishment institution", there is perhaps an element of: "Never apologise - never explain" about their pr and media stance and I would suggest to new owner Craig Whyte that a review of his club's approach to public relations and news management might pay dividends.

That club ought to be more pro-active in weeding-out the cancerous core who, regardless of the fines, bans and other impositions placed on the club by UEFA or others, seem hell-bent on taking the Briton's right of free speech to extremes. I despair of their constant add-ons to their songs, regarding the Pope, but, nobody can deny - they do have a right to express these sentiments.

Similarly, I despair of those Celtic fans who voice their support for a terrorist organisation, or who on a weekly basis slander HM the Queen, but, as with their similarly-thick cousins on the other side of the city - they do have a right to express these sentiments.

The Scottish Government and the Police are on the case - I might suggest the government ought to be looking at sectarianism and bigotry in the wider community, beyond football - perhaps, on one hand telling the Orange Order: "You can no longer walk the Queen's highway" and on the other telling the Roman Catholic Church: "We will run the schools and if you want to have your own ones - then pay for them yourself". It might take a century or ten, but, eventually, religious tolerance and free speech will abound in Scotland.

By the way I am not advocating the closure of "Catholic" schools. We have too-many schools in Scotland for today's population and I can see no case for what happens in the Ayrshire village where I live, whereby Roman Catholic children are, on a daily basis, bussed out of their home village - six miles to the next big town for their Primary education (passing four non-denominational schools) and then 22 miles, past four large comprehensives to the even bigger town which has the nearest RC secondary school. Better they be educated alongside the other children in the village from age five to 16 or 18.

But, to get back to football. Both Old Firm clubs MUST become pro-active in cutting-out the cancer. Start with the official supporters clubs; tell them, you self-police - or else. Then, when that body of fans has been sorted, you can more-easily sort-out the freelancers.

Be heavy with the season ticket holders, adopt a three strikes and you are out policy. If someone has coughed-up several hundred £ sterling for a season ticket and by singing the wrong song at the wrong time, has to forfeit that ticket and investment for perhaps a period which includes a European game - he will surely not be so-happy to try it a second time. If he does, he gets a longer ban, and if he still will not come to heel - he gets banned for life. It will work, I am sure.

And, while the clubs are at it - they ought to publish the banned lists in their club publications. I am certain the combination of naming and shaming, plus the financial hit, will work.