Scotland’s Shameful Supporters – The New Order Tartan Army

I don’t get embarrassed often. Then again I am pretty much unshockable.  I am shocked and embarrassed today though. Its not by a single incident though its more the accumulation of events. Sadly though these feelings I have and the history make me have real concerns.

Those who read my blog on team busses will know I already have concerns about the quality of sports fan and society in Scotland today (not John Mckay). Events at Wembley last night take these concerns further.

The seemingly acceptable behaviour of booing national anthems has not just grown arms and legs in the last decade but is now so “Scottish” that this practice sports a Tartan Tammy, ginger wig and a cheap kilt! It has developed into quite frankly racism.  Gone are the days of a welcoming band of alcohol fuelled freindly party lads. You know the photos of tartan clad, Sun burnt Jocks kissing Policewoman has gone.  It’s been replaced by the spectacle of national anthems being drowned out by fans.  Now before I get comments saying this lyric or that verse the same uneducated Scottish fans booed the Liechtenstein national anthem because it shared a musical score with God Save The Queen, so to be honest the pseudo-nationalists taking the hump at certain lyrics has been “sent homeward to think again”.

Its only football fans I hear you say. Yes at the moment but football fans are part of society too. This cultural force walks beside us day in day out. Now in less than a year the same citizens will be taking their families to Commonwealth Games events and whisper it ENGLAND will be represented and stand a good chance of winning some medals. Cue the boo boys passing on their ideals to a new generation and embarrassing a nation live on tv around the world.

It’s not national pride and surely does not reflect Scotland.  It’s just the loud mouthed self appointed cultural ambassadors Scotland has developed over the last few years have let the side down.  In the last year a agenda of anti anything not Scottish has infected sport.  Rangers hired out amazing facilities to a few European teams visiting to play Celtic in European competitions, they were accused of disloyalty to Scottish Sport. Let’s not get into the extra political agendas that were attached to this, just deal with the facts.  Rangers as a business are entitled to rent out their facilities to anyone who asks.  Also on the run up to the Commonwealth Games Rangers promoted the superb sporting facilities around Scotland to the.world.

I do have a theory the Tartan Army has lost a large section of fans and been high jacked by a new breed.  The West of Scotland branch of the tartan army has lost members, they have been replaced by members from the Provences. The members of the tartan army from the main cities Glasgow and Edinburgh has reduced and these places have been filled by provincial fans.  I have travelled around Scotland been to many games at many stadia. In my experience the worse examples of offensive behaviour are outwith Glasgow and Edinburgh. Incidentally and sorry buddies but I include Paisley in with Glasgow.  In my experience you want to experience the mindset of the 1970s complete with its sexist, racist any ist then go visit Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, Tayside or Grampian.  I am not proud of this but I have heard words on a bus in Aberdeen recently that could of came from the script of “Love Thy Neighbour” in 1970s. 

Why is this the case simple the jingoistic nationalist racist disease is infecting society shocking it. As long as the Tartan Army are getting away Scot free (no pun intended) then its only natural that this behaviour is seen as allowable, god forbid normal in the rest of society.

So its time the authorities stopped seeing booing national anthems as examples of the jolly japes of the Jocks and started seeing it as an example of the behaviour we all want to rid society of.