Time to drive out sectarianism in Scotland

Madam, – Scottish society is indebted to Kilmarnock football manager Steve Clarke and his forward Kris Boyd for going where football authorities won’t and daring to speak out against sectarianism.

For far too long now, those who govern Scottish football and who own Scottish clubs have shirked their responsibilities to get their own houses in order by deeming football ground sectarianism a societal problem.

Clarke expressed relief that by coaching Chelsea for years and laying roots in west London, his children and grandchildren are hundreds of miles from what he described as a “Scottish west coast stuck in the dark age of sectarianism”.

And isn’t it sad that Boyd, struck by a coin when warming up during a Celtic match, revealed he and other players are forced to regard derogatory comments as “banter which comes with the turf and the pay grade”.

Surely, regardless of pay and nature of work, having hordes snarling sectarian abuse should not be seen as an occupational hazard?

If a person is quite rightly charged for a hate crime for using racist or homophobic language, then how on earth can this be acceptable?

I recall some years ago, when working in media in London, some colleagues travelling north to cover an Old Firm match. They would always comment on the passion but also on the poison and hatred. They were bemused and these were hard-bitten hacks who were rarely lost for words or opinions.

Before sectarianism brings Scottish society and particularly the west coast into even more disrepute, it’s high time the Scottish Government stepped in.

Ban Orange and Republican marches from town and city centres and disrupting people from going about their normal business; if they must march, then let them do so around some corner of a country field well away from those who want nothing to do with what happened in Ireland hundreds of years ago.

Make sectarian chants and singing as taboo as racist and homophobic abuse.

And if football club owners and directors claim they are powerless to act then encourage them with sanctions.

I’m sure if teams were docked points, had their public entertainment licences withdrawn and lost television and admission revenue by being forced to play home matches behind closed doors, then it wouldn’t be long before clubs found the power to tackle sectarianism, and started driving out the bigots.

Jamie Buchan. Grove Road, Dundee.