Hun - The Sectarian Myth.

A new campaign has been brought to my attention via twitter to make the use of the word "Hun" illegal. This campaign is based wholly on the myth that the use of this term is "sectarian" in their words "term of religious hatred, a derogatory and sectarian term for a protestant or those perceived to be protestant by supporters of other football teams".

This is in its basic form a lie and they know it. The campaign is a desperate grasp at a few remaining straws by an organisation trying desperately and failing to distance itself from a so called "small minority" of the Ibrox fan base who engage genuine sectarian behaviour, by throwing mud in the direction of other fans and hoping enough sticks that they can use to deflect from their in house problems by pointing in any direction and exclaiming 'look, they dae it tae' in the most petty and childish way.

The term Hun being used as a term for Rangers(1872 & 2012) fans and players has nothing to do with religion.

This is not however the first time this tactic has been deployed. In 2008 after Celtic played Aalborg a letter of complaint was sent to UEFA from a concerned person at the use of the chant 'NO HUNS IN EUROPE!' by Celtic fans. However UEFA responded: "With all respect to your personal feelings and impression, the terms you object to do not appear to be connected with racial abuse or discrimination." 

There are differing versions of the origin of the term Hun being used to describe this groups of people. The one which holds the most weight is that they were described by an English journalist in the early 1960's as "coming across the border like marauding huns." due to the destruction they had caused in the local area. This nor any other version I have seen of the term could be construed as religious in my opinion.

The best way to illustrate that religion is not a factor in who is and is not a Hun is to look at some of the most high profile players, players anyone who uses the term would tell youis one, for example Maurice Johnston: the first Roman Catholic to sign for Rangers is most definitely a hun. Novo, Mccann, Amoruso, Albertz, Andrews and more recently Mohsni and Jon Daly are all "Non Protestants" for want of a better term who are all without a shadow of a doubt Huns.

This campaign is a nonsense at base level and should be viewed as such but this being Scotland it will be used by lazy sports journalists to fill column inches and to create punchy attention grabbing headlines.

We expect nothing less, all we can do is stand our ground with the truth on our side.

Sack The Board?

It amazes me that in this year, the 20th anniversary of Fergus McCann rescuing Celtic from the brink, two decades since he had to prise the Club from the selfish hands of the Kelly regime that we have Celtic fans(albeit a minority) calling once more for the board to be sacked.

I am well aware that our current playing squad is in need of investment , this was proven by our recent games in qualifying for the Champions League against Legia Warsaw, if not in out 3-0 victory in the second leg (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) but if one thing can be learned from the demise of our former rivals it is surely that throwing countless millions at a playing squad in Scotland is just not sustainable. 

Surely then we should be grateful for the investment and prudent leadership at our club, not only during the McCann era but to the current day.

Peter Lawwell is currently a love/hate figure among our fans but as fans we must realise that in his job, being head of non-footballing activities at Celtic he has done a stellar job and to call for him to be sacked is nothing short of foolish when we look across at the comedy cavalcade of characters across Ibrox way in the last throws of the old club(1872) or in the 2 year struggles of the new club (2012) we need to be thankful for the people we have in charge of our club.

I'm sure the signings will arrive in the coming days and I'm sure our scouting team will unearth another gem or two as they have for the last few seasons.

And us, well we will continue to support the team. We will continue to be as fickle as all football fans and find someone to curse after every result but we will always be back, faithful through and through.

The Newco Debacle

In the last week or so I have come across several fans of a blue persuasion, for arguments sake we'll call them Rangers fans describe Celtic as a "Newco".

I know the vast majority of them are willing to believe that only because it is convenient and they aren't actually interested in the truth but for any who actually want to learn something here is why that isn't true: "Screen Grabs" provided are from Companies House, the Governments website which can be found easily through Google,

http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/ > Find Information >WebCHeck

CELTIC PLC
Incorporated: 12/04/1897
(Despite a name change: 15/12/1994 from The Celtic Football & Athletic Company Limited)
Company Number:SC003487

RFC 2012 P.L.C
Incorporated: 27/05/1899
(Despite a name change: 21/07/2012 from The Rangers Football Club PLC)
Company Number: SC004276
*COMPANY LIQUIDATED & THEREFORE CEASES TO EXIST*

THE RANGERS FOOTBALL CLUB LIMITED
 Incorporated: 29/05/2012
(Despite a name change: 31/07/2012 from Sevco Scotland Limited)
 Company Number: SC425159

The Company which incorporated in 1899 Liquidated and therefore no longer exists, The NEW COMPANY formed in 2012 runs things hence "NEWCO"

The Company which runs things at Celtic Park was incorporated in 1897, no liquidation, no new company, NO NEWCO.

Obsessed is spelled S-C-H-A-D-E-N-F-R-E-U-D-E

Schadenfreude, a loanword from the German language with the literal translation "harm-joy" or to be more specific pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others.  

Schadenfreude in a word sums up my interest in The Rangers International Football Club 2012. 

Who cares about them? Call them Rangers, Sevco, Newco whatever you will but to answer the question, I do. I should clarify that by care I don't mean I worry for their well-being but I am interested.

As I say new club or not the people who follow the team that currently play out of Ibrox stadium are the same people who followed the team who were our rivals or as I saw it elegantly put the other day, "same flies different sh*te". As a Celtic Fan growing up in the 90's I took my fair share of stick from them and it is now their misery from which I now derive pleasure.

So if I see a story about the "imminent demise" of this club or that they have been beaten by part-timers or spent almost £7million on footballing costs to win only third tier in Scottish football (a feat which cost Queen of the South only £650, 000 and they also won the Challenge cup) Yes, I will laugh and most likely share this story with other people who I think will laugh.

If this qualifies me as obsessed then guilty I am but to be honest I don't think it does and for me these stories are of interest to anyone who cares about Scottish football or who cares for the well being of any other club in Scotland because like it or not these people have a huge say in our game and will continue to do say while they last. Although that may not be long if they keep employing crooks and financial crack-pots as board members.

For people to comment on social media (mainly Facebook pages) "Who Cares?" on any post just because it is involves them is somewhat shallow and to be honest if I don't care about something I keep scrolling I don't take time out of my day to register my non-interest but I digress.

Regardless of this blog they will still call me obsessed, people will still ponder "Who cares?" on my posts and I, well I might have to stop and take a look at what I post but that of course would require that I stop laughing for long enough to notice.