Behaviour of Celtic fans, should it be tolerated?

When we lived in Ayrshire, we had to sell our home. Once he found out we were Catholics, our neighbour made our life hell.
I won't go into details, but it got so bad, I had a breakdown. To this day, I cannot bear to think about it.
Yet having been brought up in Glasgow, I had never experienced anything like that.

Unless you have experienced it, you can have no conception of how bad it is.

I remember my mother telling me when she was growing up in London in the 20s and 30s people could be somewhat "sniffy" about Catholics, but I don't think it was an issue in my earlier years. Whilst I went to Catholic schools there was never an expectation to not mix with people from other denominations. People who harbour prejudices towards others they haven't got to know based on historical prejudices are utterly ridiculous.

Marydoll

ViceVersa

LovelyLady

Perhaps if you lived their lives you’d understand. Living as a secondhand being in a country that’s not given equal status is difficult to understand when you live South of the border. Some who live in Scotland also dont understand. Try being a RC who has been refused many many jobs due only to their religious affiliation. Not through lack of qualifications, only due to religion. Many are not equal in Scotland today.

What complete and utter nonsense!

It is not nonsense. My husband experienced this more than fifty years ago.
What school you went to, RC or non denominational, did make a difference in the West of Scotland.

Fifty years ago yes, and in the west of Scotland, yes - but it's certainly not the case in many other parts of Scotland, so please don't tar us all with the same sectarian brush!

Ii is still prevalent today.

However, I have not tarred everyone with the same brush. Every religion has bigots, however we rarely hear about the majority, who are decent people.

After twenty years of marriage, my DIL, without any influence from us, decided to convert to Catholicism. Her father refused to speak to her or us for months.
People learn from their parents. I hope that my DH and I have taught our children to respect all faiths, without any discrimination.

I think it's possible to respect people without necessarily respecting their beliefs, especially as one generally doesn't know what other people's beliefs are except rather vaguely.

Anniebach

Words can feed violent actions and surly a spoken threat to kill
is violent

Good point Anniebach.

People are quick to condemn violent hooliganism - but, where does it start?

Some of these chants are little more than battle-hymns.

But, in the interests of free-speech we're expected to accept and tolerate it.

Football is sport - it's a game - not a damned war.

In 1960 my cousin was engaged to a Catholic and took instructions to convert to faith. Then she changed her mind. Husband to be didnt mind but priest was annoyed and marriage service was over in 5 minutes!

Galaxy

My family have attended football matches for twenty years with no problems. I dont really think if you hate the royal family clap your hands should be met with punishment.

It’s disrespectful, but could equally apply to posters on a social media site if you read some of the posts.

Husband is a season ticket holder for a premier league team. When we’re away he passes it on to our 30 yo son. Son has said that he has never experienced such foul mouthed, nasty behaviour in all his years of going to rugby. A lot of it is coming from women, and not young women, and worst of all there are young children sitting in the seats around them. One woman screaming racist comments at a player was humiliated when told that the player she was naming wasn’t even on the pitch!

Yes but I dont want people being punished because of perceived disrespect.

But, in the interests of free-speech we're expected to accept and tolerate it

I think this is an incorrect interpretation. If certain behaviour, including 'violent' speech, leads to physical violence, we are not asked to tolerate it at all.

Freedom of speech is about tolerating differences of opinion, people simply expressing their views about things even when you may 'violently' disagree with them as often happens in, say, politics.

The chant about the royal family is uncouth but did it lead to any violence (other than "the usual" between thuggish football fans - who are the minority by a long way?

Galaxy

Yes but I dont want people being punished because of perceived disrespect.

Hear, hear.

nandad

Husband is a season ticket holder for a premier league team. When we’re away he passes it on to our 30 yo son. Son has said that he has never experienced such foul mouthed, nasty behaviour in all his years of going to rugby. A lot of it is coming from women, and not young women, and worst of all there are young children sitting in the seats around them. One woman screaming racist comments at a player was humiliated when told that the player she was naming wasn’t even on the pitch!

I was at a league match this afternoon, plenty of women there within shouting distance of me, and I didn't hear one obscenity from any of them. As for racism, I haven't heard any racist comments in 20 years that wasn't immediately shouted down by those around the person concerned, but then I haven't heard any racist shouts in years. Yes, there were 2 boys (maybe 9 or 10) making lewd gestures to pretty much anyone - not sure dad was quite on the ball.