At that time, St Mirren chairman Stewart Gilmour responded: "The comments were definitely off his own back but I thought it was fair comment. We certainly did not ask for it to be said. I have no problem with what [the announcer] said and I am glad to say this is not a problem we have at St Mirren."
Well, Mr Gilmour, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander and anyone who witnessed the behaviour of St Mirren fans at their ground in the 5-1 thrashing by Celtic should be asking the club and the SPL to take a stance against the conduct of their own supporters.
The recent standards of unacceptable conduct as set out by the football authorities, specifically prohibit fans from abusing players by raising doubts about their sexuality. Yet Paul Hartley was continually abused by St Mirren fans with the chant “Paul Hartley is GAY”.
Therefore, unless the SPL match observer was deaf or only paying attention to Celtic fans, the rules in place now clearly demand an investigation into St Mirren.
It is amazing that the fans of Scotland’s other clubs continually sneer at the conduct of Celtic and Rangers fans when they are often rife with bigots of their own. But St Mirren chose to make themselves part of this story and now is the time to insist that they take their own responsibilities seriously.
A person present at or in the immediate environs of an Official Match engages in Unacceptable Conduct where their conduct is violent and/or disorderly.
Disorderly conduct includes (i) conduct which stirs up or sustains or is likely or designed to stir up or sustain, hatred or ill will against or towards a group of persons based on their membership or presumed membership of a group defined by reference to a category mentioned below or against an individual who is or is presumed to be a member of such group; (ii) using threatening, abusive or insulting words or conduct; or (iii) displaying any writing or other thing which is threatening, abusive or insulting.
“Presumed” means presumed by the person or persons engaged in the conduct.
The categories referred to above are:-
- female or male gender;
- colour, race, nationality (including citizenship) or ethnic or national origin;
- membership of a religious group or of a social or cultural group with a perceived religious affiliation;
- sexual orientation;
- transgender identity; and disability.
1 comment:
I thought the same whilst enjoying the thrasing of St Mirren, but is calling someone gay, bad? they didnt say it was bad to be gay only that he was gay, would be difficult to prove that the intentions of the st mirren fans were abusive rather than highlighting a fact (if it is a fact). Akin to someone calling Barry a, fat or b, a fud.
It does however go against the rules and does create a stigma around homosexuatlity within football, so therefore the SFA should highlight it and act accordingly, as it was a large proportion of the crowd not a few in isolation.
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