Its an issue that’s been soiling our game for hundreds of years. Sectarianism. Anyone who knows anything about football will know of the Old Firm. They will also know the rivalry between Glasgow’s big two isn’t just about football. The rivalry and pure hatred stems from a religious background with Celtic seen as the Catholics and Rangers as the Protestants. Deaths and assaults have been directly linked to sectarianism in Glasgow and the issue doesn’t seem to be getting resolved any time soon with both Orange and Republican marches still a regular occurrence in the city with many arrests recorded during the marches.
In truth, the majority of football fans are bored of it. Religion and football are two completely different topics and there is no correlation between the two. Off field issues regarding sectarianism are starting to take up column inches every week and chants containing vulgar sectarian slurs are still being sung from the stands.
Now it looks like Sectarianism is damaging into the Edinburgh derby. A chant favoured by the Rangers faithful “hullo, hullo” has been adopted by Hearts fans. The sickening chant, which includes the line “up to our knees in fenian blood” is a blatant and obvious example of sectarianism.
The question that the SFA and UEFA can’t seem to answer however is, how can we stop it? The reality is you can’t. People will always say whatever they feel like at the football our only hope as a nation is to educate those who don’t see it as an issue. It’s often the younger generation seeing their elders coming out with such language so in order to stop that we have to target the school systems. Frank talks and discussions should be held across the country showing Scotland’s youth the severity of these slurs and what they actually mean.
If we do not educate people and actively attempt to put an end to it then sectarianism will continue to be rife in Scottish football for decades to come.
Salt & Sauce Soccer 