Deputy leader of the Scottish Tories - and Rangers supporter - Murdo Fraser had initially accused the police of "inflaming" the situation and that deploying riot police was an "over-reaction". I've often associated the Scottish Tories as the party of law and order, on the side of the law enforcement authorities. Obviously not.
Although Fraser "tempered" his comments after seeing the CCTV footage of 15 Rangers supporters kicking a policeman on the ground, I'm disappointed that he would have made such a statement in the first place without any knowledge of the incident in the first place. Not only were the police not in riot gear at the height of the violence, but Fraser has still not apologised.
"I thought there was an over-reaction in terms of deploying riot police which possibly enflamed the situation and I think there has to be an inquiry here looking at how ready were the police for so many fans to come and visit the city. The attacks on police officers and paramedics are deplorable and have to be condemned without reservation"Yes... and? No apology? I would hope that Ms Goldie gives him a rap across the knuckles. Mr Fraser still wants some answers to his "serious questions", but he may get more than he bargained for.
4 comments:
I watched the run-up to the game in Manchester with growing apprehension.
Rangers fans do not have a good reputation away from home. Add to that the thousands upon thousands, mostly ticketless, who poured into Manchester from afar (some estimates at over 100,000)to spend the entire hot day and evening drinking the likes of Buckfast wine (ironically a lucrative product of the monks at Buckfast Abbey and which is the choice substance of abuse throughout Scotland's deprived communities - nice turn from the religious order on Corporate Social Responsibility that).
Final confirmation of inevitable trouble for me was the early evening pre-match sight of idiotic unknowing UK television pundits broadcasting live from Piccadily Square in Manchester, telling us about the lovable Rangers fans partying away. The pundits were uncomprehending of the Rangers fans' 'flute bands' behind them playing notorious sectarian ditties such as 'The Sash' and 'I'd Rather Be A Billy Than A Tim'
A disgrace and affront by the Rangers fans to their English hosts, to their fellow Scots and to Scottish and British football and the Tartan Army. Meanwhile, it's back to Scotland to ask what is it about us that produces such affronts?
Well, I agreed with Murdo initially... then I seen the footage, and I was angry with him, and now I've gone full circle and back him again.
You see, reading personal accounts of journos who were there in several newspapers over the past few days, I have learned that innocent people were battered with batons - the female journo who wrote the 8 page pull-out in the NoTW today was almost hit before the policeman aborted a split second before raining down the blow.
Not only that, but many of those who did attack the police were English casuals, and also Ulstermen, rather than Scottish Gers fans.
It's still an embarassing sight, and Murdo admitting himself that he's a Rangers fan doesn't help matters much. This is not the 1950's - the Tories cannot beat their Unionist chest to round up working-class Proddy votes.
In his defence, he was the first to praise the team for getting there in the first place - fair play to him - and he wasn't in pull possession of the facts when he made his first comment. He did not need prompting to quickly qualify what he originally said, and he was the first to ask for an inquiry.
I am sorry Andrew, but I disagree with you entirely.
Just because an injured journalist form the NOTW gets injured does not mean that Murdo Fraser is at all vindicated. At all!
If you have a group of thugs running riot, is it at all surprising that innocent people get injured in the process? Your excuse that "those who did attack" were Ulstermen or English is also radiculous. Where is your evidence for this?
I'm also somewhat perplexed by your final paragraph:
"In his defence, he was the first to praise the team for getting there in the first place - fair play to him - and he wasn't in pull possession of the facts when he made his first comment. He did not need prompting to quickly qualify what he originally said, and he was the first to ask for an inquiry."
In his defence? So you're defending his remarks about the police merely because he congratulated Rangers for getting to the UEFA Cup final? Does this mean that all those MPs and MSPs who signed EDMs congratulating Rangers are now exempt from future criticism? I think not. Congratulating a Scottish side goes with the job of being a Scottish politican. The fact that he wasn't in full possession of the fact also questions his fitness to be deputy leader of a Scottish political party.
As I've said, he should be ashamed, and should apologise rather "qualifying" his statement.
Whether you like it or not, those thugs were Rangers supporters. All of my mates who support Rangers have taken part in the odd scuffle, but were ashamed of what they saw on Wednesday. This was by no means the fault of the authorities who acted as best as they could with limited resources. This was the fault of animals who came down to Manchester.
I challenge you to tell me otherwise.
I totally agree. The comments from the Scottish Conservative Party was populist crap designed to win favour with all those waving a union jack at the game.
Such a comment made me ashamed of my membership card.
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