Parliamentary meetings on the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (OBFTC) Bill

Justice Committee (21st June 2011)


Opening statement by the proposer of the Bill Community Safety Minister Roseanna Cunningham. Expert witness statements and questioning involving Campbell Corrigan (Assistant Chief Constable), Les Gray (Scottish Police Federation Chairman), Dr David McArdle (Stirling Law School) and Bill McVicar and Alan McCreadie (Law Society of Scotland).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/scotland/newsid_9517000/9517358.stm


Justice Committee (22nd June 2011)


Presentations and questioning of expert witnesses Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland, Chloe Clemmons (Scottish Churches Parliamentary Officer), Tim Hopkins (Equality Network), Stewart Regan (Scottish Football Association), David Martin(Rangers Football Club),  Ronnie Hawthorn (Celtic Football Club), Neil Doncaster (Scottish Premier League) and Robert Howat (Celtic Football Club).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/scotland/newsid_9517000/9517359.stm


Scottish Parliament ( June 2011) 


Parliamentary debate on the Bill
http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/scotland/newsid_9517000/9517361.stm




Justice Committee (6th September 2011) 


Presentations and questioning of expert witnesses (Pat Nevin, the broadcaster and former professional footballer; Graham Spiers from The Times; Dr Stuart Waiton, a lecturer in sociology and criminology from the University of Abertay Dundee and Graham Walker, a professor of political history from Queen's University Belfast) and input from a range of football supporters organisations (Mark Dingwall from the Rangers Supporters Trust; Jeanette Findlay from the Celtic Trust; Dr Neil Havis, from the ERIN Hibernian Supporters Trust; Greig Ingram from the Aberdeen FC Trust; Martin Riddell from the Association of Tartan Army Clubs; Derek Robertson from the ArabTRUST (The Dundee United Supporters Society) and Derek Watson from the Heart of Midlothian Supporters Trust) (scroll down for part 1, input from football groups): 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/scotland/newsid_9582000/9582406.stm

Relevant items from my blog

This page contains links to items from my blog that are relevant to the topic of sectarianism in Scotland. I will update it as new material is added to the site:

Campaign against Offensive Behaviour at Football Bill:
http://chrisgilligan.blogspot.com/2011/08/campaign-against-authoritarian-anti.html

Reviews/comments on materials on sectarianism in Scotland:
http://chrisgilligan.blogspot.com/2011/09/bigotry-bombs-and-football-bbc.html

Links to videos of the discussions in the Scottish Parliament:
http://chrisgilligan.blogspot.com/2011/09/parliamentary-meetings-on-offensive.html

Items on sectarianism in Scotland:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/may/18/scotland-hate-crime-figures-rise
http://www.sconews.co.uk/news/9418/church-concern-at-rise-in-religious-hate-crimes/

Useful sites:

Bigotry, bombs and football - BBC programme from 2011

Bigotry, bombs and football made by the BBC in response to events in the 2010-11 football season. The programme examines the roots and extent of sectarianism surrounding Old Firm (Celtic/Rangers) matches. This is not in the tradition of investigative journalism, it is typical of the new campaigning journalism which commonly fill the slots in the schedule that used to be filled by serious investigations. It is typical of the kind of depoliticised politics that Gerry Stoker refers to when he talks about campaigners treating the public as 'a passive audience to be talked to about particular campaigns... [but] are offered little in terms of depth of analysis or understanding of the issues at stake' (Stoker, 2010, p. 57). The whole starting assumption of the programme is that sectarianism is a problem and is not being taken seriously by the football clubs, the police or the Scottish Governmen (in two parts).