Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Bill

[mizer]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-16138683

 

New laws to tackle religious hatred and bigotry related to football are to be passed by the Scottish Parliament, despite a lack of opposition support.

 

A government bill aims to help tackle the issue with jail terms of up to five years for behaviour which could cause public disorder in and around matches.

 

But Labour, the Tories, Lib Dems and Greens said the case for new legislation had not been made.

 

They want the problem addressed through greater use of existing law.

 

The parties have also called on the government to work more closely with the Scottish football authorities, schools and communities.

 

Despite opposition, there are enough votes to see the majority SNP government's Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Bill passed.

 

The legislation, which has won backing from police and prosecutors, aims to stamp out abusive behaviour, whether fans are watching matches in a stadium, in the pub or commenting online.

 

It will create two new offences relating to behaviour deemed to "incite religious, racial or other forms of hatred".

 

The legislation aims to take into account "expressing or inciting religious, racial or other forms of hatred" and "threatening behaviour or behaviour which would be offensive to any reasonable person"

 

In my eyes this covers all football fans and we will see the police abuse this bill to victimise football fans including ourselves.

 

For instance - this common song clearly falls into the 'other' category of hatred.

 

We hate Glasgow rangers, we hate celtic too (they're shite), we hate Dundee Utd but Aberdeen we love you.

 

The second part "behaviour which would be offensive to any reasonable person" - fuck me what is a reasonable person, and more importantly why cant I offend them?

[Penfold]

Another worrying part is where the bill is applicable - It's not just inside or immediatley outside grounds. The police only have to "believe" you are intending on going to, or are coming from a match (including to and from a pub or friends house to watch it). They do not have to prove you are.

[mizer]

Another worrying part is where the bill is applicable - It's not just inside or immediatley outside grounds. The police only have to "believe" you are intending on going to, or are coming from a match (including to and from a pub or friends house to watch it). They do not have to prove you are.

 

Apparently the SNP think this will only cause an additional 150 coat appearances per year......they must think everyone will roll over and pay the on the spot fee.

 

---

101 ways to offend people

 

1. Sing the Batman theme incessantly.

 

2. In the memo field of all your checks, write "for sensual massage."

 

3. Specify that your drive-through order is "to go."

 

4. Learn Morse code, and have conversations with friends in public consisting entirely of "Beeeep Bip Bip Beeep Bip..."

 

5. If you have a glass eye, tap on it occasionally with your pen while talking to others.

 

6. Amuse yourself for endless hours by hooking a camcorder to your TV and then pointing it at the screen.

 

7. Speak only in a "robot" voice.

 

8. Push all the flat Lego pieces together tightly.

 

9. Start each meal by conspicuously licking all your food, and announce that this is so no one will "swipe your grub".

 

10. Leave the copy machine set to reduce 200%, extra dark, 17 inch paper, 98 copies.

 

11. Stomp on little plastic ketchup packets.

 

12. Sniffle incessantly.

 

13. Leave your turn signal on for fifty miles.

 

14. Name your dog "Dog."

 

15. Insist on keeping your car windshield wipers running in all weather conditions "to keep them tuned up."

 

16. Reply to everything someone says with "that's what YOU think."

 

17. Claim that you must always wear a bicycle helmet as part of your "astronaut training."

 

18. Declare your apartment an independent nation, and sue your neighbors upstairs for "violating your airspace".

 

19. Forget the punchline to a long joke, but assure the listener it was a "real hoot."

 

20. Follow a few paces behind someone, spraying everything they touch with Lysol.

 

21. Practice making fax and modem noises.

 

22. Highlight irrelevant information in scientific papers and "cc:" them to your boss.

 

23. Make beeping noises when a large person backs up.

 

24. Invent nonsense computer jargon in conversations, and see if people play along to avoid the appearance of ignorance.

 

25. Erect an elaborate network of ropes in your backyard, and tell the neighbors you are a "spider person."

 

26. Finish all your sentences with the words "in accordance with the prophesy."

 

27. Wear a special hip holster for your remote control.

 

28. Do not add any inflection to the end of your sentences, producing awkward silences with the impression that you'll be saying more any moment.

 

29. Signal that a conversation is over by clamping your hands over your ears.

 

30. Disassemble your pen and "accidentally" flip the ink cartridge across the room.

 

31. Give a play-by-play account of a persons every action in a nasal Howard Cosell voice.

 

32. Holler random numbers while someone is counting.

 

33. Adjust the tint on your TV so that all the people are green, and insist to others that you "like it that way."

 

34. Drum on every available surface.

 

35. Staple papers in the middle of the page.

 

36. Ask 1-800 operators for dates.

 

37. Produce a rental video consisting entirely of dire FBI copyright warnings.

 

38. Sew anti-theft detector strips into peoples backpacks.

 

39. Hide dairy products in inaccessible places.

 

40. Write the surprise ending to a novel on its first page.

 

41. Set alarms for random times.

 

42. Order a side of pork rinds with your filet mignon.

 

43. Instead of Gallo, serve Night Train next Thanksgiving.

 

44. Publicly investigate just how slowly you can make a "croaking" noise.

 

45. Honk and wave to strangers.

 

46. Dress only in clothes colored Hunters Orange.

 

47. Change channels five minutes before the end of every show.

 

48. Tape pieces of "Sweating to the Oldies" over climactic parts of rental movies.

 

49. Wear your pants backwards.

 

50. Decline to be seated at a restaurant, and simply eat their complimentary mints

by the cash register.

 

51. Begin all your sentences with "ooh la la!"

 

52. ONLY TYPE IN UPPERCASE.

 

53. only type in lowercase.

 

54. dont use any punctuation either

 

55. Buy a large quantity of orange traffic cones and reroute whole streets.

 

56. Pay for your dinner with pennies.

 

57. Tie jingle bells to all your clothes.

 

58. Repeat everything someone says, as a question.

 

59. Write "X - BURIED TREASURE" in random spots on all of someone's roadmaps.

 

60. Inform everyone you meet of your personal Kennedy assassination/UFO/ O.J Simpson conspiracy theories.

 

61. Repeat the following conversation a dozen times: "Do you hear that?" "What?" "Never mind, its gone now."

 

62. Light road flares on a birthday cake.

 

63. Wander around a restaurant, asking other diners for their parsley.

 

64. Leave tips in Bolivian currency.

 

65. Demand that everyone address you as "Conquistador."

 

66. At the laundromat, use one dryer for each of your socks.

 

67. When Christmas caroling, sing "Jingle Bells, Batman smells" until physically restrained.

 

68. Wear a cape that says "Magnificent One."

 

69. As much as possible, skip rather than walk.

 

70. Stand over someone's shoulder, mumbling, as they read.

 

71. Pretend your computer's mouse is a CB radio, and talk to it.

 

72. Try playing the William Tell Overture by tapping on the bottom of your chin.

When nearly done, announce "no, wait, I messed it up," and repeat.

 

73. Drive half a block.

 

74. Inform others that they exist only in your imagination.

 

75. Ask people what gender they are.

 

76. Lick the filling out of all the Oreos, and place the cookie parts back.

 

77. Cultivate a Norwegian accent. If Norwegian, affect a Southern drawl.

 

78. Routinely handcuff yourself to furniture, informing the curious that you don't want to fall off "in case the big one comes".

 

79. Deliberately hum songs that will remain lodged in co-workers brains, such as "Feliz Navidad", the Archies "Sugar" or the Mr. Rogers theme song.

 

80. While making presentations, occasionally bob your head. like a parakeet.

 

81. Lie obviously about trivial things such as the time of day.

 

82. Leave your Christmas lights up and lit until September.

 

83. Change your name to "AaJohn Aaaaasmith" for the great glory of being first in the phone book. Claim it's a Hawaiian name, and demand that people pronounce

each "a."

 

84. Sit in your front yard pointing a hair dryer at passing cars to see if they slow down.

 

85. Chew on pens that you've borrowed.

 

86. Wear a LOT of cologne.

 

87. Listen to 33rpm records at 45rpm speed, and claim the faster speed is necessary because of your "superior mental processing."

 

88. Sing along at the opera.

 

89. Mow your lawn with scissors.

 

90. At a golf tournament, chant "swing-batabatabata-suhWING-batter!"

 

91. Ask the waitress for an extra seat for your "imaginary friend."

 

92. Go to a poetry recital and ask why each poem doesn't rhyme.

 

93. Ask your co-workers mysterious questions, and then scribble their answers in a notebook. Mutter something about "psychological profiles."

 

94. Stare at static on the TV and claim you can see a "magic picture."

 

95. Select the same song on the jukebox fifty times.

 

96. Never make eye contact.

 

97. Never break eye contact..

 

98. Construct elaborate "crop circles" in your front lawn.

 

99. Construct your own pretend "tricorder," and "scan" people with it, announcing the results.

 

100. Make appointments for the 31st of September.

 

101. Invite lots of people to other people's parties.

[Harcus]

Apparently the SNP think this will only cause an additional 150 coat appearances per year......they must think everyone will roll over and pay the on the spot fee.

 

 

 

Is there a direct correlation between offensive behaviour at the football and the wearing of a jacket?

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

They have missed the point of a lot of chanting at the fitba, the point being it's largely intended to offend in some way. Sanitising every fucking thing. Where's the fucking point? Presumably this applies just to fitba fans, because they aren't remotely criminalised enough, how would a Jerry Sadowitz or Frankie Boyle gig manage with this legislation? Fuck sake.

[Superstar Tradesman]

More dumbing down of society.

 

Targeting football fans is the easy option of course.  These football fans will no doubt have had a decade or more of 'religious hatred' brewed up before they even entered a football ground and started chanting about Fenians and Blue Noses.

 

How about tackling the problem at the source.  Knock Catholic/Protestant only clubs, schools and organisations on the head and they'll have nothing to chant about at the football other than the football.

 

Then they can concoct some other half-baked law about not being allowed to sing in public without a licence.

[glasgow sheep]

More dumbing down of society.

 

Targeting football fans is the easy option of course.  These football fans will no doubt have had a decade or more of 'religious hatred' brewed up before they even entered a football ground and started chanting about Fenians and Blue Noses.

 

How about tackling the problem at the source.  Knock Catholic/Protestant only clubs, schools and organisations on the head and they'll have nothing to chant about at the football other than the football.

 

Then they can concoct some other half-baked law about not being allowed to sing in public without a licence.

 

This

[dave_min]

How about tackling the problem at the source.  Knock Catholic/Protestant only clubs, schools and organisations on the head and they'll have nothing to chant about at the football other than the football.

 

True.

 

Theres still no doubt in my mind that this bill will be used to get a few Dumfermline/St. Mirren/etc fans lifted while both sets of bigots still give it all 110%

[Kowalski]

Will the bill be applicable if you are diabetic and have had a couple of drinks?

[manc_don]

Will the bill be applicable if you are diabetic and have had a couple of drinks?

 

[mizer]

The Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012

 

This weekend is the first round of fixtures to take place following the introduction of the new legislation regarding offensive behaviour at football.

 

I know that there has been a lot of debate about this legislation and, as a result, a lot of concerns have been expressed about the impact that it might have on people who regularly attend games here in Scotland.

 

My message is a very simple one. For the overwhelming majority of people who go to games, this legislation will have no impact. That is because the majority of supporters who go to games are only interested in following their team and being a part of our national sport.

 

Sadly, though, for some people, football is an opportunity to sing songs or wave banners and flags that are offensive and get themselves involved in things that have nothing to do with sport and everything to do with hatred.

 

I believe that football should be about football and nothing else. There is so much that is good about the game, so much for us to celebrate and I hope that this is what we can concentrate on in future. The Scottish FA is asking every fan to Focus on Football and this is a campaign that I am sure every supporter in Scotland can and will get behind.

 

Fan behaviour has changed in recent months and I believe that the problems that brought about this legislation are beginning to lessen. However, this legislation sends out a clear signal to those who still cannot drag themselves into the 21st Century. It says that songs of hatred and actions that cause offence must not be a part of our game in Scotland.

 

Wherever you are and whoever you support, enjoy the match.

 

Campbell Corrigan

 

Deputy Chief Constable

[glasgow sheep]

hmmmmmmm

Still to be convinced this isn't just an excuse to further criminalise all football fans for being football fans.

[Madbadteacher]

hmmmmmmm

Still to be convinced this isn't just an excuse to further criminalise all football fans for being football fans.

 

No. It's an attempt to tar us all with the same brush as the of bigots so they dinna look quite so bad

[Tyrant]

No. It's an attempt to tar us all with the same brush as the of bigots so they dinna look quite so bad

 

This.

 

An attempt to dilute the vileness of the Old Firm by targetting fans that aren't bigots.