CELTIC, ABERDEEN, PARTICK THISTLE SANCTIONED: A DECLARATION OF WAR AGAINST ULTRAS?
- BY LIAM CARRIGAN
- Aug 7
- 4 min read
Pyrotechnics are illegal, as the law presently stands, in Scottish stadiums. We can debate whether or not that’s fair (personally it’s not something I feel particularly strongly about either way). But, it’s the law and there is no disputing that.
So, the announcement of sanctions against three clubs for offences related to the use of pyro in stadiums at the end of last season is understandable, but also, I think, not very helpful.
Also, the wording of the ruling is, as far as I am aware, unenforceable, from a legal standpoint.
Celtic, Aberdeen, Partick Thistle: All Driving Forces Behind New Fan Movement, Now Sanctioned. Coincidence?
The irony is, my gripe with the Scottish football authorities is, on the surface anyway, very similar to the gripe I have with the current Celtic Board. They always talk at people or talk past them, instead of talking to them. The stern headmaster routine doesn’t work, and it is especially ineffective when talking to “ultra” fan groups, who are already very outspoken in their politics and their desire to express themselves.
The Scottish Supporters Collective, in their open letter to the SFA last month asked for open and honest dialogue on a number of issues with decision makers at Hampden. One of the subjects in question was the use of pyro, and ways to make it safer.
As far as I am aware, and by all means let me know if I am wrong, the SFA didn’t even acknowledge receipt of this letter, let alone address any of the issues therein.
They remained silent until today, when they served sanctions upon three of the biggest clubs who have fans actively involved in the Scottish Supporters Collective.
This may well just be a coincidence, but it isn’t a good look for The SFA. We live in times when Scottish football needs fans, they need money. A significant grouping of these fans, covering a swathe of clubs across all levels of the SPFL, asked for dialogue.
Today’s announcement is a slap in the face to those who made that attempted outreach. It shows a complete insensitivity to fans, and from a commercial point of view, to your customers.
The groups that form the Scottish Supporters Collective certainly do not speak for all Scottish football fans. But they represent a significant portion of the most passionate and most engaged customers the SFA has.
In any other industry, if senior management chose not only to ignore such a large group of customers, but to then actively antagonize them with sanctions, even if those sanctions are justified, it would probably lead to heads rolling at the executive level. It’s a PR disaster of the SFA’s own making.
As I’ve said before, a good friend once taught me “never put down to malice, what you can more easily put down to incompetence.”.
I want to believe this is merely bureaucratic ineptitude, but The SFA aren’t doing themselves any favors here, either with the timing or the nature of these sanctions.
Let’s also look at the issue of the “200 seat suspended ban”. How exactly would the Scottish Football authorities enforce this?
Do they know the specific 200 fans (and no justification is given for how that extremely specific number was reached) who committed the offences in question?
How are clubs supposed to select who would face this one game ban, if, as is almost inevitable, there is more pyro use this season?
It’s a lawsuit waiting to happen. You can’t charge someone for a season ticket and then just arbitrarily refuse them entry to a game they have paid for, without just cause.
This is why, for example, when UEFA threatened Rangers with a similar sanction, they spoke of a stand closure. Rangers were told, the entire Copland Road End would be shut for a future European tie if their fans continued with their racist behavior.
Whether you think this is fair or not, it’s legally watertight. UEFA games are independent of season books. So, Rangers, if they were subjected to such a ban would simply not sell tickets for that part of the ground. A whole lot of decent Rangers supporters who probably aren’t racist or bigoted, would miss out on seeing their team. But it’s a game they haven’t paid for already, so they would have no legal recourse.
This isn’t the case with Celtic, Aberdeen, Partick Thistle. Aberdeen even admitted this in their statement on the issue today.
The Dons said as part of a lengthy statement: “We would plead for everyone’s cooperation in ensuring there are no further incidents similar to the Celtic match on May 14.
“This will ensure there is no risk of any spectator safety and no prospect of stand closures and potentially innocent Dons fans having to miss the match because of it.”
So, they admit to the possibility that innocent fans will miss out on seeing the game as a result of this sanction. If I was one of those fans, I’d be on the phone to the Citizens Advice Bureau about this. There are laws on the provision of goods and services that have already been paid for in good faith.
This is embarrassing for all concerned, The SFA and the clubs. As usual, the silence from Celtic up until now is deafening.
Pyro is illegal, and that’s fine. But if we’re going to go ahead and try to lock fans out of games they’ve already paid for, I expect a similarly robust and “zero tolerance” approach from The SFA on other illegal activities, like the aforementioned racism and hate speech.
Fair’s fair after all...
