Matthew Lindsay Football cannot allow itself to be a scapegoat for politicians again
RANGERS could have given their supporters free Champions League tickets for the 2021/22 season, offered them the chance to win a candlelit dinner with Steven
Gerrard and promised to splash out on Erling Haaland this summer and it would have made no difference.
Many of the fans who left their homes in large numbers and took to the streets to celebrate their Premiership victory – showing a complete disregard for coronavirus lockdown restrictions in the process – would still have been unable to contain their joy.
The scenes in Glasgow before, during and after the league game with St Mirren at Ibrox nine days ago and then the following afternoon after Celtic had been held to a draw by Dundee United at Tannadice and finally lost their grip on the Scottish title, were shocking.
But they were also no great surprise. Not for 10 long years had the Govan club been crowned champions. Their loyal followers have endured so much pain, disappointment and humiliation during that time. It was always going to prove impossible for the less sensible ones to remain indoors.
Rangers have hundreds of thousands of followers across the country and further afield. They cannot be held responsible for their actions. Anyone with £10 in their pocket can buy a red, white and blue scarf.
Yet, the fact their appeals to their supporters – Gerrard had urged them to observe Covid-19 protocols in both his pre-match and postmatch press conferences – were deemed to be insufficient by both the Scottish Government and
Police Scotland resulting in some scathing criticism.
“It would have been the duty of Rangers to say clearly and simply to fans that they shouldn’t have come out to celebrate and when they did they should have gone home,” said Deputy First Minister John Swinney last Monday. “The silence from Rangers was deafening.”
His sentiments were echoed by Deputy Chief Constable Malcolm
Graham the same day. “It was very clear through the lack of messaging that Rangers did not take seriously their responsibilities in terms of seeking to persuade their fans to celebrate safely and responsibly,” said Graham.
Putting up strongly-worded statements urging calm on their official website – like the one from Gerrard on Saturday evening ahead of the third Old Firm game of the season on Sunday – would have spared them from the savaging they received even if it wouldn’t have prevented the mass outbreak of Covidiocy.
WOULD it have meant the Premiership match at Parkhead this weekend didn’t come under threat of postponement? Not really. Fears there will be unrest are entirely justified because of the reckless revelry that marred Rangers’ first top-flight title win in a decade. The authorities are right to ask for assurances there will be no repeat and correct to demand stringent safeguards.
Can the away team say with complete confidence that none of their fans will head to Celtic Park to drape a Union Jack over the perimeter fencing and gloat about their title triumph? Can their city rivals altogether dismiss the prospect of hordes of their supporters turning up at their stadium to stop them?
Every precaution has to be taken to ensure, as children start to return to school and the country slowly but surely edges towards some kind of normality again, it passes off without incident. If it is called off in the days ahead they won’t really be able to bemoan the unfairness of it all.
Still, football, as we have seen on numerous occasions in the past 12 months, can be an easy target for our politicians. There have been myriad rebukes issued by prominent elected representatives whenever there have been breaches. Matches have been cancelled and further action both threatened and taken. But the transgressions have, while highprofile, been few and far between.
When Celtic jetted off to Dubai for a warm-weather training break amid rising infection rates and increased restrictions in January they were lambasted for it. Only Olympic and Paralympic athletes now receive elite travel exemptions for overseas camps. But the quadruple treble winners had requested and received permission from Holyrood.
It must, too, have stuck in the throats of senior officials at Aberdeen, Celtic and Rangers to have been chastised so publicly given some of the sorry affairs our MSPs have presided over or are currently embroiled in.
Swinney was forced to perform a U-turn over exam results back in August after an outcry over no fewer than 75,000 pupils being downgraded. There were accusations of a “postcode lottery” that unfairly affected those from deprived backgrounds. He faced a vote of no confidence and was in danger of losing his job before he backtracked.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon this month apologised to two women who had made sexual harassment allegations against her predecessor Alex Salmond and the wider public for the failings of her government. James Hamilton QC is currently examining whether she lied to parliament over the saga. They have had no qualms passing judgment on others. It must be something of a relief to be able to turn the scrutiny elsewhere.
Scottish football must strive to attain the highest standards in the battle against coronavirus and not allow themselves to become convenient whipping boys.