Heavy Hands Empty Stands Campaign

[Spiderpig]

Instead of whining about stopping powers that the police and courts already have why not go to football, support your team , act like a sensible human being, dont shout abuse or make racist, sectarian comments etc, and generally enjoy the match....then the police or stewards will have no need to bother you...simples

[fatcalf]

You sersiouly believe that? Jeez

 

In one you just proved it. Cheers

[steelboy]

This is what he said.

 

"Once its passed, the government will expect it to be used against its intended target, or senior police will be taken to task"

 

I take that to mean taken to task for not applying the law properly.

 

Do you actually believe that would ever conceivably happen?

 

you can't apply a law properly or improperly you can only apply it or not apply it.

 

and that situation may not arise but why pass a law that means it is possible? seems a bit stupid to me.

[john_M_F_C]

The fact that our fans need to shout offensive slogans is the point really...WHY..?? Thats what gets me...I have shouted the refs an arse, their height, weight etc and other minor crap but found absolutely no need to scream abuse about someone's colour, creed, sexual orientation because some on here think thats fair game at a football game. If anyone as some have suggested called me that in the street and I wouldn't bat an eyelid are living on another planet.

In no way am I a lefty, or human rights activist or politically correct in any way but I still don't see the need to shout sectarian or any other type of abuse. I for one know that working at a game that common sense prevails and the majority of police are the same (yes there are a minority like every profession who abuse their powers). I have also seen OUR fans giving some terrible abuse to the families of our own players as they are the target of the boo boys.

So don't get on your high horses as a lot of our fans are pretty much guilty of a lot of the bile this law is targetted at. I don't personally support it without much more debate especially from fans but I will support anything that gets rid of some of the sick chants at ours and other grounds.

 

You could get done for shouting any of those things at a ref now. Read the bill.

 

Instead of whining about stopping powers that the police and courts already have why not go to football, support your team , act like a sensible human being, dont shout abuse or make racist, sectarian comments etc, and generally enjoy the match....then the police or stewards will have no need to bother you...simples

 

As stated you could make any remotely offensive jibe and be lifted, read the bill and see why we're against it.

[stoney]

You think this campaign, and others like it, are point scoring exercises against the SNP? What would be the basis for such actions? Are we all Labour Party members?

 

 

 

do you not think that some nu liebore activists have jumped on this as a way to try and return the central belt to them ( along with the opposition to any restraint on booze sales) ?

 

just like the politicians that were invited to speak at teh celtic rally the other week in their attempt to kill the bill ?

 

 

At least, after many years of neglect someone is trying to do something about teh cancer that is the OF. Unfortunately it is being written by non-football supporters for non football supporters and as such may be a bit heavy handed resulting in stupid examples that many can bring up that could, hypothetically if the bill was taken to extreme measures, kill all atmosphere at all grounds.

 

However the heavy handedness is actually happening NOW, without this new bill.

That , imo, is what people should be concentrating on.

 

I simply find it strange that after a few years of laughing at teh orcs of ibrox, while a lot of us knew that something had to follow to be able to cover the "political" and "offensive" cr@p from the other @rse cheek, that we would all be hit.

 

teh timing of this new campiagn is a few years late, imo, and is being used by some as a way to hit out at teh present govt rather than to bring to the attention, as if they dont already know, that heavy handed stewarding using teh existing legislation is CURRENTLY chasing fans from our game

[David]

Instead of whining about stopping powers that the police and courts already have why not go to football, support your team , act like a sensible human being, dont shout abuse or make racist, sectarian comments etc, and generally enjoy the match....then the police or stewards will have no need to bother you...simples

I may have missed something here, but isn't this campaign about opposing the new legislation that the SNP Government are trying to force through? I never knew it was a campaign against laws that are currently in place (and perfectly adequate in my opinion)?

 

No one is complaining about the powers that the police currently have to combat sectarianism, they're complaining about a draconian piece of legislation that will see football fans up & down the country hit with ridiculous charges for next to nothing.

[sbcmfc]

It's not naughty songs or slogans that fill a&e wards on an old firm day. It's boozed up idiots.

 

The media aided by the lack of competition in Scottish football, and old firm rivalry, whip up a storm around the old firm game. They create an event, which many use as an excuse to go on an all day bender, and then fight, beat up their wifes....

 

How is this bill going to address that issue? Alcohol, and the attitudes towards it in Scotland are a far bigger problem.

[stoney]

You think this campaign, and others like it, are point scoring exercises against the SNP? What would be the basis for such actions?

 

 

I may have missed something here, but isn't this campaign about opposing the new legislation that the SNP Government are trying to force through?

 

 

there is much more need for a campaign to stop heavy handed stewards ruining our atmosphers imo

[David]

That may be true, but this campaign is specifically addressing the proposed bill by the SNP.

[Easy Target]

do you not think that some nu liebore activists have jumped on this as a way to try and return the central belt to them ( along with the opposition to any restraint on booze sales) ?

 

just like the politicians that were invited to speak at teh celtic rally the other week in their attempt to kill the bill ?

 

 

At least, after many years of neglect someone is trying to do something about teh cancer that is the OF. Unfortunately it is being written by non-football supporters for non football supporters and as such may be a bit heavy handed resulting in stupid examples that many can bring up that could, hypothetically if the bill was taken to extreme measures, kill all atmosphere at all grounds.

 

However the heavy handedness is actually happening NOW, without this new bill.

That , imo, is what people should be concentrating on.

 

I simply find it strange that after a few years of laughing at teh orcs of ibrox, while a lot of us knew that something had to follow to be able to cover the "political" and "offensive" cr@p from the other @rse cheek, that we would all be hit.

 

teh timing of this new campiagn is a few years late, imo, and is being used by some as a way to hit out at teh present govt rather than to bring to the attention, as if they dont already know, that heavy handed stewarding using teh existing legislation is CURRENTLY chasing fans from our game

 

You do know that it's actually spelled "the"?

[stoney]

You do know that it's actually spelled "the"?

 

 

and some people say that debate nowadays is dead :wank:

[Dr.Pangloss]

and some people say that debate nowadays is dead :wank:

 

If you don't have the intelligence to counter, hunt and hunt for a typo.

Although I'm impressed he knows how to spell "the".

[HeavyHandsEmptyStands]

Just under a week since the campaign was brought online and the response has been absolutely fantastic. We have recieved a great deal of emails from supporters of clubs throughout the UK showing their support and expressing their views on the proposed bill. The facebook page is up to over 300 members and is growing by the day.

 

Again if you want to check it out: http://www.facebook....andsemptystands

 

Like stated before the Motherwell Supporters Trust are backing the campaign, chairman David Crichton gives his word:

 

"The Supporters' Trust have entered dialogue with relevant groups to coordinate a response against the imposition of this meaningless piece of bureaucracy.

 

Fans up and down the country need to make their voices heard on this matter and oppose this "singling out" of the Scottish football fan. As always, it is the minority that wastes things for the rest, but this far reaching legislation potentially places the true fan at risk.

 

The Trust will seek to oppose this legislation and seek better understanding as to why the Scottish government have taken this stance, other than for political posturing."

 

The Heavy Hands Empty Stands campaign will also feature in this weekends One Step Beyond, editor Matt Johnstone explains:"One Step Beyond will always support efforts by Motherwell fans to improve the lot of their fellow supporters. This bill is potentially a real threat to ordinary fans and until the authorites can guarantee existing laws will be applied fairly I fail to see how rushed laws like this one can improve matters. Everyone knows sectarianism is a cancer within our game which needs to be addressed but the powers to do so are already to hand, they just aren't applied by those with the power to carry them out. Better to sort that out than rush through a flawed piece of legislation which will inevitably suffer a similar fate."

 

Another article which may be of interest to those behind this campaign can be found here by lecturer Stuart Waiton who has openly supported Heavy Hands Empty Stands: http://www.scotsman....cians_1_1979352

Stuart can also be heard live on Radio 4 tonight.

[ONeils40yarder]

You do know that it's actually spelled "the"?

 

 

you have made a right tit of yourself

[santheman]

Try again

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUl5dlpxHBs

[Dee]

The lads over in Alesund backing the campaign at the last league game tonight. Unlike in Scotland, the pyrotechnics in this photo are OK'd by the club and local fire department:

 

 

 

[David]

Is that one of those rare instances caught on camera? A steward actually doing his job! He appears to be watching the crowd, keeping an eye on things in case anyone needs help!

 

I see people standing! Yet he remains in his position!

[Rocky']

The boys in aalesund have a really good relationship with the club and security over there, every time they wig to use flares etc they apply fo a permit from the local fire station and the club. If memory serves me right they have a situation where they were allowed to take out the seats in their section for normall league games but for games here all seating is ie Europa league games the group themselves install seats for that game.

[john_M_F_C]

The boys in aalesund have a really good relationship with the club and security over there, every time they wig to use flares etc they apply fo a permit from the local fire station and the club. If memory serves me right they have a situation where they were allowed to take out the seats in their section for normall league games but for games here all seating is ie Europa league games the group themselves install seats for that game.

 

They move section in Europe, the moving seats thing was the terrace was the lower tier but they wanted the upper, the club let them do it on the condition they took the seats out themselves I'm sure. They don't have stewards though, it's fans that volunteer to keep things in order works well tbh.

[HeavyHandsEmptyStands]

Heavy Hands Empty Stands are today delighted to confirm the backing from the Supporters Advisory Committee, see statement from the SAC here:

 

 

"We support any move to remove any sectarian, racist or other unacceptable behaviour not only from football, but from our wider society as a whole. However we cannot support the proposed legislation due to the lack of clarity surrounding its implementation and ongoing operation"

 

 

We have also heard from Dr Stuart Waiton that the final debate in parliament is likely to be 14th December. Again we urge all supporters to contact your MSPs and oppose the bill.