Accepting Responsibility
The Nil by Mouth campaign group has called for the introduction of 'strict liability' to help to stamp out sectarianism and bigotry in Scottish football.
The Daily Record explained the background to the story in some detail, but essentially strict liability would make clubs responsible for the behaviour of their fans, as they are now under current UEFA rules when Scottish clubs play in Europe.
Now the only good argument against strict liability is that it represents a collective punishment and the innocent are punished as well as the guilty, but if you ask me that's a price worth paying as a means of isolating and removing the bigots from the beautiful game.
Because if a club is punished for the unacceptable behaviour of a minority of its supporters, then the majority of decent fans will quickly turn against those who are causing the trouble by giving them up to the footballing and other authorities such as the police.
Clubs that are facing big and increasing fines or the prospect of losing points will be quick to devise new ways of ejecting these morons and banning them from attending future games, and if the law needs to be strengthened to help tackle the problem that's why we have a Scottish Parliament.
The policy has clearly not brought European football to its knees and the game in Scotland will benefit hugely if and when the bigots are driven out.
Nil by Mouth tells SPFL: Never mind bringing booze back to football and start stamping out the bigotry
By Michael Gannon - The Daily Record
ANTI-SECTARIAN charity wants clubs to start acting against yobs and bring UEFA's liabilty rules on unacceptable conduct into force.
Photo - Johnny Green/PA Wire
THE SPFL have been told to lay off the booze and focus on stamping out bigotry in Scottish football.
Anti-sectarianism campaigners Nil By Mouth have written to every club in the country in a bid to implement UEFA’s strict liability rules on unacceptable conduct applied in Scotland.
The charity are attempting to rush the issue on to the agenda at the SFA agm on June 8 after discovering proposals have to be lodged by the end of this month.
Nil By Mouth are demanding a more serious stance on sectarianism but accused the SPFL of being more interested in bringing back alcohol to grounds.
They wants Scottish clubs to adopt UEFA rules which can clobber offending clubs with fines, points deductions or forcing sides to play behind closed doors.
SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster - Photo Craig Williamson/SNS Group
SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster last night hit out at Rangers fans for offensive chants at Raith Rovers last week - but admitted the governing body was powerless to dish out any punishment.
Campaign director Dave Scott said: “The clubs are quick to discuss bringing alcohol back to football but that is because it suits their agenda.
“We had a meeting last week about sectarianism but there were two empty seats Hampden where the SFA and SPFL were meant to be because they were away talking about booze.
“We want them to show they are serious about stamping out sectarian behaviour. I am not saying it’s a good or a bad thing bringing back alcohol, but where are the priorities.
“Scottish football doesn't have a sponsor at the moment. It is as unappealing a product as it has ever been and who is going to sponsor the game when they are not dealing with this type of behaviour.
“Stan Collymore has raised the issue recently and although I have my own thoughts on some of the language he has used, a broken clock is right twice a day.
“The point he has tried to make about attracting sponsors is valid.
“People are walking away from Scottish football and failure to deal with this matter is only driving more folk away.”
Scott is looking for Scotland to follow England’s lead and bring in UEFA legislation on offensive behaviour.
Several sides – including Rangers and Celtic – have been fined for various misdemeanours involving their fans over the years but have escaped any kind of punishment on home soil.
Scott said: “If you look at the UEFA strict liability rules, they work. They have handed out fines and shut parts of stadiums, even forced sides to play behind closed doors.
“Celtic and Rangers have fallen foul of the legislation through the years and they can’t get statements out quick enough condemning fans on their websites.
“It proves the rules do have an impact.
“The current SPFL rules are not sufficient. As it stands clubs just need to show they did everything in their reasonable power to prevent sectarian behaviour.
SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster last night hit out at Rangers fans for offensive chants at Raith Rovers last week - but admitted the governing body was powerless to dish out any punishment.
Campaign director Dave Scott said: “The clubs are quick to discuss bringing alcohol back to football but that is because it suits their agenda.
“We had a meeting last week about sectarianism but there were two empty seats Hampden where the SFA and SPFL were meant to be because they were away talking about booze.
“We want them to show they are serious about stamping out sectarian behaviour. I am not saying it’s a good or a bad thing bringing back alcohol, but where are the priorities.
“Scottish football doesn't have a sponsor at the moment. It is as unappealing a product as it has ever been and who is going to sponsor the game when they are not dealing with this type of behaviour.
“Stan Collymore has raised the issue recently and although I have my own thoughts on some of the language he has used, a broken clock is right twice a day.
“The point he has tried to make about attracting sponsors is valid.
“People are walking away from Scottish football and failure to deal with this matter is only driving more folk away.”
Scott is looking for Scotland to follow England’s lead and bring in UEFA legislation on offensive behaviour.
Several sides – including Rangers and Celtic – have been fined for various misdemeanours involving their fans over the years but have escaped any kind of punishment on home soil.
Scott said: “If you look at the UEFA strict liability rules, they work. They have handed out fines and shut parts of stadiums, even forced sides to play behind closed doors.
“Celtic and Rangers have fallen foul of the legislation through the years and they can’t get statements out quick enough condemning fans on their websites.
“It proves the rules do have an impact.
“The current SPFL rules are not sufficient. As it stands clubs just need to show they did everything in their reasonable power to prevent sectarian behaviour.
All fans should demand an end to the bile
“It’s like a thief standing up in court saying they did their best not to burgle a house. It doesn't cut it.
“This has been a problem in Scottish football for a century yet there has not been £1 collected or one point deducted as punishment.
“Fans are quick to criticise players who are on a bad run of games they believe are costing their side points - how would they react when people alongside of them are behaving in a way that could see their side deducted points?
“It would be a different story as decent fans would not put up with it.
“There has to be sanctions in the SPFL rulebook and that is why we are writing to all of the clubs and various associations under the SFA banner to bring in strict liability.”
“It’s like a thief standing up in court saying they did their best not to burgle a house. It doesn't cut it.
“This has been a problem in Scottish football for a century yet there has not been £1 collected or one point deducted as punishment.
“Fans are quick to criticise players who are on a bad run of games they believe are costing their side points - how would they react when people alongside of them are behaving in a way that could see their side deducted points?
“It would be a different story as decent fans would not put up with it.
“There has to be sanctions in the SPFL rulebook and that is why we are writing to all of the clubs and various associations under the SFA banner to bring in strict liability.”
