Neutering your fan. I’m pissed!
Without getting too political here, the world has become way to PC (politically correct) for anyone.
Gone are the days where you could say something on television, in the papers, and appearing in public that is controversial. We are too busy nowadays trying to be everyone’s friend while cutting their income or benefits, because we’re the unwashed masses.
As you have figured out by now, I’m a fan of Celtic in Scotland, and as a guy with a European History degree I’m trying to tread lightly on this one too. What’s going on Glasgow, is bigger than the sport, and someone could write many books on this. But at the same point we need to address something here.
I don’t agree with censorship, we shouldn’t have to shield the eyes or ears because someone said something that you don’t agree with. Fans have the power, not the players, fans buy the tickets, watch the matches, and buy the stuff. Thus creating the money for the team. We should be able to say what we want, as long as it’s not racist or homophobic. That’s the only LINE. And as reference, when I was sixteen I was tear gassed at a football match in Florence, Italy.
It didn’t harm me, turn me into anything bad, unless you count writing on a sport like football for the next ten years.
The fact that fans, fan groups, or people on club run sites get their message, banners, sections, taken down or closed is bad business folks. Do you want your support to be like Miami or Los Angeles here in the States? I know, those are two huge, glamorous cities, but when you think of fandom, you think of other cities. For the most part American fans sit on their hands, and this is what the big wigs in Europe, and the UK want.
Folks, the point of football matches is to chant, to be rowdy, to cheer your team on. If you want to attend matches to just sit on your hands, and then berate the players afterwards, become a pundit. The atmosphere is the key reason for the American’s to attend football matches.
Singling out groups because they don’t conform to the new way of thought in life, is a dangerous thing to do.
Okay, I’ll admit there are fans who go to matches to create drama, and get thrown out. We know of the “firms” out there. They’ve been prevalent in the game for years and probably will be for years. But what the company behind Celtic is doing to the whole supporter group (Green Brigade) over just some malcontents is just wrong.
I know the preconceived notion of innocent until proven guilty has never really been true, unless your poor. Enough of the pitty on life.
The Celtic board don’t want anyone to chant or have displays about Ireland, rebels, or have anyone as a fan who has a thought. You get shouted down, and mocked if you don’t tow the company line. Or now you get banned. It’s the typical, if you aren’t a follower of the money, then you aren’t worth it. And that’s the problem, that’s behind the PC’ing of the sport. Money ruined the sport, that’s more than obvious. Gone are the days we’ll see the likes of Crystal Palace beat Liverpool in a cup.
Now gone are the days where you can say something to someone without them getting mad. And this is coming from me, one of the most sensitive people alive.
This is outrageous, you want to hurt the atmosphere of the game’s because there’s some bad apples. Talk about overreaction. If one person is bad, the whole lot is bad, so just cut everyone off from having fun, so we can be the top, the dictators. I saw this once, it was in black and white and in a language I couldn’t understand. If a group of people have done things wrong once, then they are always wrong?
The problem is that companies are trying to make you fit into a tiny box, and not letting you think or expand.
Now the fundamental problem is the Scottish Law called Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications, really to stamp out religious hatred in the sport. Now, I’m not going to get political on this, but its created a boring atmosphere in the matches now.
All you really can say or do is a “Clap, Clap _____________ FC” and that’s an MLS chant.
Either way, this is a very bad thing for the sport, and if it goes further, to other countries it could kill the sport. PC sucks.
Article written by Stephen Brandt
