GB keeps an eye on the bigots....
Bigot Watch
Since we were last out we have had a trip to Celtic Park and were subjected to the usual nonsense from what is meant to be the most enlightened half of the Bigot Twosome. There is little to add from that point of view that I can add. What I would like to reflect upon is the comments of the Northern Ireland Secretary, John Reid when he was interviewed on a Radio programme in the province. What I believe he said was that Celtic and Rangers need to move from Scotland as they are playing UNKNOWN TEAMS every other week, and that they should tap into the Ulster Protestant and Irish Catholic who have relocated throughout the world.
For me this type of language and debate coming from one of our local MPs is unbelievable. I'll forgive him being a Celtic supporter I am sure he can't help that, but maybe he should have taken into consideration the feelings of his constituents who are followers of these unknown teams, five of which are in Lanarkshire alone (four in North Lanarkshire). Surely as a local MP he should be trying to promote sport and, what are in effect, small businesses in the area. His point suggests that those people who support and run these clubs (businesses) shouldn't bother. Well I'm sorry Mr Reid I'd rather be involved with my local club which carrries no other baggage at all. I can also attend games with my family without them being subjected to the poison I hear every time the Bigot twosome come to town.
That brings me to my second point about the description of the Ulster protestant and Irish catholic markets. If we look at this on a simplistic level, what have these people got to do with two Scottish football clubs in the first place. Also is this not what the problem actually is as both sets of supporters continue hark back to these roots that Reid has dragged up. These are also the kind of terms that both clubs are trying publicly to move away from as they try to make the club more politically correct.
Even when he was challenged on Jim Traynor's 'Your Call' programme he couldn't see what was wrong with his use of language. He remained unrepentant and couldn't see what he had done wrong, when the least he had done was stoke up old fires that he should have been trying to dampen down. It truly is concerning that one of our top politicians can't see the dangers that this subject has every time you try to discuss, maybe he would have been better saying nothing!
As a postscript to this, both the MP and MSP who represent the Motherwell constituency are well known Celtic supporters (both travelled to Porto earlier in the season) but they seem to have the good sense not to flaunt it too much in public and certainly not by undermining the local sides - let's hope it stays this way!!
Graham Barnstaple