On the 31st March 2012 Joe O’Rourke, head of the Official Celtic Supporters Association, tweeted the following: “brilliant. The only problem is, the ones who built it didn’t sail on it”. This was in response to a Tweet from an Ian James Wilson that stated that while the prods were building the Titanic, the Catholics were building an iceberg. Now you would have thought that in a Scotland that has just passed The Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threating Communications (Scotland) Act 2012, this story would have made waves, no pun intended. Surely these comments are hugely offensive and there is legislation to deal with this kind of crime, so people in Scotland must be asking themselves why is this legislation not used in this instance? And why is this is not a major headline story in Scotland?
Why has the media not used this story?
With the high profile in Scotland of action against sectarian and threatening behaviour, I would have expected this story to have made waves instead of being torpedoed and sunk. However, I am not really surprised that the media in Scotland chose to ignore this crime. Organisations such as the BBC are, in my opinion, biased. This accusation against the BBC is nothing new and will slip like water off a duck’s back at Pacific Quay. But when the press in Ireland are reporting more on a story that happened in Scotland than the domestic media, that tells you all you need to know about our press.
Why?
Rangers’ fans keep asking why? Why it is that Celtic bigotry is tolerated? Perhaps the reason we don’t have the answer is that we have yet to ask the right questions. Perhaps it is now time for Rangers supporters to start asking questions and demanding answers as to why there seems to be one law for one section of society and another for others.
What did Joe O’Rourke really mean?
When Joe O’Rourke spoke about drowning Protestant shipbuilders at sea wasn’t this a euphemism for the Protestant work ethic, and getting rid of all Protestants? Had Joe been the head of any other supporters club other than Celtic, he would have been history by now. But this is Scotland, where it is not what is said, but who said it that is the real crime. Where is the Church of Scotland in all of this? Silent: afraid to offend. Where is FARE, Nil by Mouth in all this? Pretty quiet when it’s one of their own.
his reply is nothing if you compair it with the 1 from the rst about child abuse that rangers fans seem to find pleasure in talking about to try and score points look at the surface before trying to dig anything that you possible can to blacken Celtics name, after all we pay our way??
Shut up you boring cunt. This is just an old joke that’s been doing the rounds for 100 years.
Getting your digs in before the final curtain falls? Desperation. Bye bye. The day anyone would listen to claims of bigotry from the most bigotted club in world football will be a cold day in hell. Pots and kettles.
I condemned and will do so anyone who speaks in such a manner of another christian faith,especially the prodestant culture which Celtic have enjoyed such great success with a we will continue to do.However we are as a club and instition more representative of other creeds and faiths than any clubs in scotland ,so I am not going to take a row from anyone from the club that you represent.
Creatures like you make me even more so glad to be a Tim…..
are you actually trying to say that the media are biased towards celtic? rangers have more friends in the media than anyone else and they have done ever since david murray took over rangers. the reason they’re being careful about this is because it was a celtic FAN that posted it. not someone that works and represents the club. it was a shameful thing to say i dont agree with it at all, but you cant put the spotlight on the whole club just for one or two fans’ idiocy, its not as if the club asked him to do it or condoned it. you lot and your media have a habit for trying to shame the club for just individual fan’s actions, it doesnt quite work like that. whereas your fans have a tendancy to let themselves down in much greater numbers, which is a big problem for you. even if you get away with it 50% of the time
plus the guy already apologised after receiving very threatening replies and he deleted his twitter acount. its done and dusted, no reason to take it further.
What a desperate attempt.
Is this the same Scottish media that is being taken to task by the English media for its complete bias towards Rangers?
Ans the fella who tweeted that Catholics were building the iceberg should he not be in trouble for implying that Catholics wanted to murder protestants? Because if you are taking Joes tweets literally then you should the other guys.
Celtic support has a large Protestant following and our greatest manager and player were Protestant.
We may have an issue with singing Irish rebel songs but Sectarianism? No chance.
A poorly written article with no factual or plausible evidence of Celtic sectarianism.
Liquidation.
I notice you pick up on this but not the rangers supporters trust rant about child abuse last week how strange
Begs the question, are actions louder than words? If that’s the case then Andy Kerr (erm.. President of the Rangers Supporters Assembly) is also guilty of a Blunder of Epic proportions… Your man thinks is fine and dandy to have a good drink at a match then present himself behind the wheel of his car. I didnt see anyone calling for his head, disgraceful as it is…..
How about you your own house in order before worrying about others?
Laughable. Is there anything more productive you could do with your time rather than this? How about two decades of cheating?
In 2005 david murray stood on the steps of ayebrokes and announced to the Scottish press that there would be a ‘full and thorough investigation’ into the behaviour of the OFFICIAL rangers parties disgusting behaviour during a closed door game at the San Siro against Inter Milan.
The disgusting behaviour from the OFFICIAL rangers party included chanting about being ‘up to their knees in Fenian blood’ and there being ‘no Pope of Rome’, amongst other cultural ditties.
These peepel were ex-players, board members, shareholders, backroom staff and of course a few invited guests from murrays chums in the laptop loyal (or as murray himself would say’his ‘backpocket’).
The question also must be raised, that with it being a Champions League game, just how many reps from the SPL and the SFA were present and where exactly was their ‘full and thorough investigation’ into this foul, ILLEGAL, disgusting behaviour?
The volume of the chanting would suggest that the majority of The OFFICIAL rangers party were infact involved in this vile ILLEGAL racist sectarian bigoted chanting.
I’ve never seen the reasults of murrays, promised on the steps of ayebrokes, ‘full and thorough investigation’.
Maybe you could direct me to the media outlet that published it or the journalist that hounded murray for the results of the ‘full and thorough investigation’??!!
I would actually settle with you informing us when it was ever mentioned in the press again after murray made his heart felt promise on the steps of ayebrokes!!
Maybe they discovered, in the absence of Chelsea supporters to blame, it was infact the Inter Milan official party that were chanting these vile, illegal, racist, sectarian songs, quite frankly nothing that comes out of ayebrokes would surprise me.
Max, in the interest of fairness,I feel I have to point out,David Murray never stood on the stairs at Ibrox,…………………. He was leaning!!!!
Ps. I understand that these offences now carry a fives year sentence in the best wee country in the world.
“Celtic are guilty of a blunder of Titanic proportions”….is that so; Have Celtic FC been responsible for the death of 1514 people as a result of this comment? Has anyone even received so much as a scratch?
One person makes a silly comment and you think its worth making a song and dance about? Your whataboutery knows no bounds’; what about he livelihoods and businesses that will die as a result of RFC(IA) not paying its debts you beggars? How many heroes could your dodged taxes have helped?
That’s the real scandal.
People have taken notice I believe the police have spoken to Mr O’Rourke and decided not to take it any further. When I saw this maybe a week ago ? I was sickened because its a sick joke not in any sort of good taste. (shrugs)
I have been a Celtic supporter for over 30 years it took until 4 or 5 years ago for me to hear a song being sung with sectarian lyrics I was in a pub and quite a few people left when this song was sung others commented on how they didnt like that song there was no need it wasnt the celtic way. I can count the number of times i have heard celtic fans talk about proddy this proddy that i dont need to use my toes.
I however know lots of lyrics to rangers songs “hail hail the popes in jail dirt fenian bastards hanging from the rafters” “up to our knees in fenian blood”
I’ve heard all this and worse people talking about Catholics in very derogatory terms in a general sense no necessarily football setting.
I’m not religious I don’t really give a stuff about the pope or the queen but this stuff saddens me.
Rangers fans should really be looking to their own behaviour and thinking do I really need to sing these songs, or treat any other people as 2nd class citizens. Is there a need to HATE anyone ? Joe O’Rourke should be doing similar.
What is “Celtic bigotry” ?
They have made this new law to try to even up arrests of celtic and rangers fans.
So this bias you claim this perception of persecution really dosent wash you’re in cloud cookie land.
Joe O’Rourke did not speak about drowning protestants to my best knowledge he replied to a tweet(joke!) in bad taste and his response equally in bad taste. To suggest anything of greater meaning is quite pitiful.
And your whole article contains nothing positive you seem to only use this incident to try and stir ill feeling and hatred.
I would hope you put as much effort to try and save your club which I do hope survive and in an ideal world would be be owned and run by its supporters true football fans not just those than follow and use it as a vehicle for hatred.
“…demanding answers as to why there seems to be one law for one section of society and another for others.”
Coming from a Rangers fan?! thats rich. You lot who sing ‘up to our knees…’ on a weekly basis which is tolerated. You lot which rioted Manchester?! The guy who sent bombs in the post to Lennon’s family getting off extremely lightly.
Your saying the bbc is bias against celtic? The same bbc during a broadcast of a celtic cup final a year ago at half time Rob McLean accused a large number of celtic fans singing sectarian songs behind him and then passed it to the panel to discuss! It was later found there was nothing substanciating that statement, it was complete fabrication and the bbc later had to apologise.
Sorry cyberted but your article is a desperate attempt to detract from the problems at your club and the 10years or so of not abiding by the rules by the footballing authorities.
usually celtic fans are better at hiding their ‘celtic-mindedness’.mr o’rourke is a celtic fan like the one who wrote f**k uefa,threatened gazza,nearly put dallas’s eye out,attacked a goalie,sung i.r.a songs etc etc wasp
Oh dear Cyberted, have you thrown all of your toys out of the pram yet?
The police have investigated this, and decided no further action was warranted. Do you wish Joe O’Rourke to be jailed without charge because of a poorly judged tweet? I think you should stop trying to stir up trouble over an issue that is closed and go and investigate bigotry at rfc (IA), which, unlike the club, is very much alive and kicking. I’m sure Mark Dingwall can help you out as a starting point for your investigation.
Now jog on son, there’s a good ted.
Let’s face it, Rankers are bitter because Celtic are CHAMPIONS!
Yawn, this was so last week or was it the week before!