By Phil Mac Giolla Bhain
Last week Alan Shatter TD submitted a Dail question to Foreign Minister Micheal Martin about the Famine Song controversy in Scotland.
The Minister stated, ” in common with the vast majority of people in Britain and Ireland, I condemn the singing of songs or other actions which promote or encourage racism, sectarianism or xenophobia of any kind. “.
I spoke with Deputy Shatter last week and he confirmed to me that he had also written directly to Rangers Football club to express his concern for this “anti-Irish chanting” indulged in by thousands of Rangers’ fans regularly.
He had taken this action after being contacted by a constituent who had attended the Celtic Rangers match on August 31st.
Shatter’s written question was answered on October 9th the day of Rangers football club’s AGM in Glasgow. Sir David Murray, the owner of Rangers, called on Rangers supporters who engage in “sectarian bile” to cease their activity. He also stated that he would be meeting with First Minister Alex Salmond to defend the club’s good name.
Coinciding with the AGM the Scottish Football association held a high level press conference about their continued attempts to stamp out anti-social behaviour, sectarianism and racism at Scottish soccer stadia. Smith stated that it would be inappropriate to punish clubs for the behaviour of their fans. “The clubs are doing everything they can, it would be unfair to punish them”.
A Scottish Premier League spokesperson told me that the SPL had a series of sanctions in place against clubs if their fans behaved in a racist manner.
Neither David Murray nor ex-Rangers player Gordon Smith mentioned the famine song.
The main organisation in Scotland dedicated to eliminating racism in football is Show Racism the Red Card (SRTRC) .
Last week on it’s website SRTRC, partly funded by the SFA, stated for the first time that the “Famine Song” was, in their opinion, racist.
Alasdair Allan the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (western Isles) stated that:
“The sentiments in this song are unquestionably anti-Irish and racist. The overwhelming majority of people here would say that there is no room in Scotland for this song.”
BLF
The thing about the famine song, is that its just plain wrong. Its easy to discuss is it racist isnt it racist, well is it xenophobic then? ad nausium, but surely the majority of rangers fans understand that it is (at very least) in poor taste and on dubious grounds.
October 28, 2008 at 5:20 am
william
Phil chooses not to allow some of my posts because I expose him for what he really is, So I will keep this one simple, Rangers Fans have never uttered any of the bastardised verses of TFS, They have only ever sang the 2 line chorus, shame on you Phil for trying to trick people into thinking Rangers Fans sing the verses of this song
October 22, 2008 at 5:14 pm
max
And I suppose the vile filth in the verses of the song, including a line about raping children is just a bit of football banter??
October 20, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Spuds
Jake
I don\’t think I\’ve seen or heard ANY Celtic fan (Irish or not) try and equate the Holocaust, Apartheid or anything else. EVER. All I\’ve ever seen and heard is the comparison between chanting \”The Famine\’s over, why don\’t you go home\” with \”The Holocaust\’s over why don\’t you go home\” and why the sentiments between the songs are exactly the same. And you could apply it to any ethnic minority in any country People born in Scotland whose family descended from Ireland have an Irish heritage, making them an ethnic group. Basically you\’re telling people \”A tragic event in a country has ceased so now you can return to this country\”.
Paul – Racism comes in all forms, and doesn\’t just apply to skin colour.
Blue Cyclops
As Ryan said, totally agree. Sick of ranting about this. But do you not agree that there is no place in civilised society for ANY form of racism?
October 17, 2008 at 6:59 am
Ryan
Well UEFA have shown that they ain’t afraid to broach the subject, with the (albeit pitiful) fine given to the Croatian FA and the whopping punishment handed to Athletico Madrid. Rangers beware!
No matter how many reasons or excuses are given for the singing of TFS it cannot be denied that a large section of Rangers fans have an extreme problem with all things Irish (and not just IRA), as is evident in the stick given to ANY (not just Celtic) Irish player who graces the hallowed turf of Ibrox. I suppose slinging potatoes at Aiden McGeady is banter as well.
Blue Cyclops,
Despite some of my ranting I couldn’t agree more. There is a big wide world full of interesting stuff out there that affects us all. Time to move on. No-one gets anywhere living in the past.
October 15, 2008 at 10:15 am
Paul Williamson
Anyone who feels the need to express their anguish caused by a rendition of TFS ought to ask E.Heskey. S.Campbell, A.Cole et al what racism is really like!!!
October 15, 2008 at 9:28 am
BLUE CYCLOPS
Yesterday the two largest Scottish banks were,in essence, nationalised and the CEO,s were forced to resign.
The Irish government announced that their economy was in the red for the 3rd. month in a row.
Do you not think that its time that you people grew up and joined the real world.
October 15, 2008 at 8:50 am
Auldyin
Its an ILLEGAL football chant. That is the difference between this and the other “offensive” stuff. It is what makes TFS different from all other chants and why there is no point trying to include them in the same category.
Its illegal because the words in the song have been designated RACIST by those officially appointed to tackle racism.
That does not mean anyone singing it is racist (daft more like), but it does mean it has to stop if we want a society that obeys the law.
October 15, 2008 at 8:49 am
Ignacio
Seems to me the real bigots in all of this are folk like the webmaster who are motivated by their hatred of all things British / Rangers.
Dry your eyes, its a football chant.
October 15, 2008 at 8:06 am
Ignacio
On the one hand I\’m happy that the plastic paddy (the real target of TFS) who wrote this article has taken the advice and \’gone home\’. On the other I wish he\’d keep his nose out of UK affairs.
A bloody hypocrite and a crap writer to boot.
October 15, 2008 at 7:48 am
Ryan
And another thing,
What would you say (or sing) to those people who are ‘natives, have no connection to Celtic or football whatsoever, no Irish / Fenian background and who still have no time (or hate) the monarchy, successive governments and are deeply embarrassed and ashamed of some of the darker periods of Britain’s colourful and sometimes great history? Where would you advise these people to go?
October 15, 2008 at 7:37 am
Ryan
Here we go again,
‘Typical mopery. This song is squarely aimed at the most oppressed people on earthâ„¢ (celtic fans) who hate the country they live in, hate Britain, it\’s culture, politics,monarchy etc. These fans equate their position to the jews during nazi Germany, the African Americans during the 50\’s America and the South Africans during Apartheid. You could not make this up!’
Erm, I think you just did make this up. Show me one quote or one fan who has made these assertions
As for ALL Celtic fans hating the country they live in? Eh? How do you know that for a fact? Have you carried out a survey recently?
The question is, Is the famine song right or wrong? The song, and any with the word ‘Fenian’, is aimed at ALL Celtic fans regardless of whether they have an Irish background or not, and a fairly substantial proportion of Celtic fans have absolutely no ancestry whatsoever to Ireland and are NOT (whisper it) Catholic.
Please refrain for a second from ‘whataboutery’. Is it right or wrong?
October 15, 2008 at 7:32 am
Jake
Typical mopery. This song is squarely aimed at the most oppressed people on earthâ„¢ (celtic fans) who hate the country they live in, hate Britain, it\’s culture, politics,monarchy etc. These fans equate their position to the jews during nazi Germany, the African Americans during the 50\’s America and the South Africans during Apartheid. You could not make this up!
The question, and the two lines of the famine song that are directed at these MOPES, is quite simple. If you\’re truely not happy here and hate the country you loive in and idolise another country, why are you still here? The question to them is, why don\’t you go to this heaven on earth?
What would you call a jew who had the choice to leave Germany with his family during the the hell inflicted on them but chose to stay and moan about it? Stupid springs to mind.
Typically the celtic support are offended en mass yet fail to be offended when songs are sung about the IRA, dirty orange b@stards, huns etc.
Pots and kettles springs to mind.
October 15, 2008 at 6:25 am
Ryan
The Queen could come out herself and condemn the song. So could Paisley, Gregory Campbell, Johnny Adair, David Murray, Mark Edgar, etc., but it would still not be enough for some people who are just so unutterably blinkered when it comes to the subject.
Why can\’t the main protagonists on here admit the song is wrong, vile and it IS racist. It is not a sign of weakness to admit shortcomings. In fact, this gesture would win a lot of goodwill and repair a hell of a lot of the damage done. Let\’s get on with the, ahem, football!
But sadly I am living in a fantasy world. The supremacists willjust be out again with there \”What about them\” spiel.
\”I\’m only a bigot because they exist\”!
October 15, 2008 at 5:14 am