boruc investigated for blessing himself

parkhead_rfb · boruc investigated for blessing himself

celtic keeper being investigated for daring to bless himself on the pitch. also think that scotland is the only place in the world where a person has been booked for blessing themself on a football pitch. Scotland eh 'whaes like us'

azzuri

moved to footy forum - don't know what a refereeing decision has to do with the section you posted it in?

Rinty · t

Very much a political rather than a football issue.

For a significant group of people to be offended by a commonplace relgious symbol and for that to be treated as a crime because these people are offended is an embarrassment.

I could see the point if it was a Peter Grant type full blown down on the knees at the Copeland Road kind of thing, but this guy is polish, one of the most devoutly catholic countries in the world and he will be astounded that this has happened.

This is the worst I have heard since Rangers insisted that Amaruso and Negri and others kept their blessings indoors in the changing rooms, so that the fans wouldnt see them doing it.

What an embarrassment. Its a bit like making someone take off their turban in case they offend the BNP!

azzuri

Do we even know the background situation on this? Until then, I think it should be deemed a 'football' thread and not a political one. This is something which has probably resulted by the actions of one man (the referee) and therefore I highly doubt it was politically motivated.

Was he wasting time perhaps? Until we know the full background information then speculating is pretty pointless..

SLG

Have you got a link? Sounds crazy though. I very much doubt he was trying to be provocative. Not that anyone should find it provocative anyway. But I think it mostly tells us about the lack of quality in our football officials that a referee (or fourth official or whoever) would take this action.

Reluctant Hero

Rinty · t

I read it on teletext and according to the report I read it was a complaint from rangers fans to the police, not a referee.

Irrespective, even the fact that such a thing can be considered inflammatory tells us a lot about the people who made the complaint.

Im not a member of any religion yet none of their symbols or customs offend me!

SLG

So what have we learnt from this incident - that some Rangers fans are religious bigots. No s**t Rolling Eyes

parkhead_rfb

it was a report made to the procurator fiscal due to complaints over a catholic daring to bless himself in public (the cheek of it eh) thats why it was posted in the other section as this is very much a scottish society problem. The fact that this should even reach the procurator fiscal is an embarrassment to scotland and if it does result in charges i hope boruc would take that fight to the european courts.

i have also pointed out that its most defenitely not only rangers fans who are so vehemently opposed to the rc church so i wouldnt automatically assume it was them.

SLG

Have you got a link to any article on the story?

parkhead_rfb

it was in the sun, al try and get an online link.

azzuri

....don't the police have a duty to investigate ALL complaints regardless of whether a law is broken or not?

SLG

If some Rangers fans went to the polis and said Boruc just blessed himself, and they went to investigate, then something's wrong. If the Rangers fans said Boruc was being offensive to the Rangers fans, they have to investigate. If the result of that investigation was that all Boruc had done was bless himself, then the Rangers fans should be charged with wasting police time.

parkhead_rfb

happychappy

it is almost as stupid as reporting football players to the police for pretending to play the flute. will these silly people never learn?

parkhead_rfb

KEEPER FACES BLESSING CASE
6-month probe into Boruc in hands of fiscal
By Mark Mcgivern
CELTIC star Artur Boruc is facing possible court action over claims he incited violence by blessing himself during an Old Firm game.

The goalkeeper is the subject of a report to the procurator fiscal amid allegations he crossed himself in front of the Rangers support.

Police received a number of complaints about Boruc's apparent conduct after the Rangers-Celtic SPL match at Ibrox in February.

Officers questioned the Polish player as part of their six-month investigation into the alleged incident.

Now, they have sent a dossier on their findings to the fiscal's office in Glasgow.

Last night, a spokesman for Strathclyde Police confirmed the report had been made. He added: "It is under consideration."

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Boruc is alleged to have angered a section of Gers supporters in the Copland Road Stand by making the religious gesture as he took his place in goal at the start of the second half.

Some fans claimed to police he had deliberately antagonised them and Boruc was booed by the home support for the rest of the match.

One Rangers fan who was in that section of the ground said: "He was limbering up and doing some stretching. Suddenly there was a lot of noise and angry shouting.

"People were saying Boruc had blessed himself in view of the fans."

Celtic won 1-0 after a goal by Boruc's Polish team-mate Maciej Zurawski.

More than 49,000 fans - includingManchester United star Wayne Rooney - had packed Ibrox that day to watch the game, which was outgoing Rangers manager Alex McLeish's last Old Firm derby.

Last night, a Crown Office spokeswoman said: "We can confirm we have received a report from Strathclyde Police. That report is being considered

This is from the Record

SLG

Doesn't seem much in it. You'd think that it would have taken them 90 minutes to watch a replay of the game rather than 6 months to compile the report though. I wonder what the report said.

parkhead_rfb

SLG

If you said to the police that some Sikh person had been using religous gestures to cause offence, then I would expect them to follow it up. If it was then recognised that all the Sikh in question had been doing was wearing a turban, then I'd expect the police to charge you with wasting their time.

I'd hope the same would apply in the case of Boruc is all is as it seems.

happychappy

[quote="parkhead_rfb"][quote="happychappy"]it is almost as stupid as reporting football players to the police for pretending to play the flute. will these silly people never learn?[/quote]

I dont think these two are directly comparable to be honest. gazza was at the wind up when he did that but then i wouldnt go reporting him to the police either first of all because i wouldnt waste my time and second it just showed how stupid he is. i wouldnt get myself worked up over it.

boruc though was making a symbol of the rc faith which is used all over the world, the fact that sections of scotland cant tolerate this and that the police actually took the complaints seriously show that scotland has a problem here.

what would the police say to me if i went in and complained about a guy wearing a turban as it offended me?[/quote]

one could also argue that gazza was making a symbol of solidarity with the unionism/orange comminity that is used all over the world. what i'm actually saying that old frim fans who indulge in such reporting are numpties.

scotland does indeed have big problems here, the mad bigots at ibrox are intolerant of the mad bigots at parkhead and they will NEVER get on. what was interstingly reported was the fact that at ibrox on saturday the 'billy boys' was not sung at all and no vile rfernces were made to the pope etc. it seems that at ibrox lessons are being learned at after their uefa punishment.

unfortunately the same cannot be said of the conduct of hearts and celtic fans at swinecastle yesterday, varoius ira and no protestants at all chanting was ongoing as was hearts own brand of vile secterian singing. time for uefa to step in with these 2 sets of fans/bigots and maybe, just maybe we'll get rid of this blight. it was even repotred that paul li guen wa spat on by celtic supporters after the game.

parkhead_rfb

in all my time following celtic your lucky if i have heard the line 'no protestants at all' more than five times and thats in all honesty. its also totally contrary to the song its self so that says it all about those who sing that.

I also dont have a problem with republican songs being sung by the celtic support, these songs are not bigoted and are usually only labelled as such by those who do not understand what the songs are actually about or those loooking for an easy label to attach to those who support republicanism.

Congal

Was the old adage not... to keep religion out of sport. Its about football,nothing at all to do with religion. It should'nt come into it.

happychappy

the line 'no protestants at all' is regulary sung at parkhead along with ft queen and orange b's. these phraes are not acceptable and neithr are overtly political/rascist views. the hearts fans should have points docked for thier bigotry as well.

parkhead_rfb

no it most certainly is not sung anywhere near regularly at celtic park that claims a nonsense and any season ticket holder will tell you that. i have attended practically every home game for around six years and have barely ever heard that song sung. your claims are blatantly untrue.

happychappy

fair enough, iwas referiing to the more boisterous away support where you will always hear the 'no prods at all' line as well as the unsavoury ftq, orange b's and p p pira. most unpleasant. please notwe i'am responding to you here but my views on all bigotry are there for all to read. i'm not singling out one club.

has any more been heard about the hearts/celtic fans spitting at pollygwen?

SLG

I've never heard them sing that at Easter Rd. I've also never heard them sing it as other stadia when I've watched them on the tv or listened to them on the radio. I've no doubt some of them do sing anti-proddy songs, but they aren't sung by the thousands like the Billy Boys is done by Rangers fans.

parkhead_rfb

Reluctant Hero

The political debate of this post has been moved to UK and Ireland Politics