This is a serious blight on Scottish society that always rears it’s ugly head at some time or another and more often than not, we see it at football grounds around the country as well.
Sectarianism is a cancer in our game and all too often we see it being ignored by not only the Scottish authorities, but also the Scottish media.
All too often we hear anti Catholic chants and sectarian singing from the Ibrox supporters and now and again, even our own support indulge in some songs that simply shouldn’t be anywhere near the stands at Celtic Park.
But as we know, there seems to be no appetite from any quarters in the Scottish game to try and tackle it. From the SFA and the SPFL, the silence on this issue is just as shocking as the sectarianism itself.
And why is this? Michael Stewart believes he has the answer on BBC Sportsound.
After listening to England manager Gareth Southgate speak about the issues of racism in the English game, Stewart said, “You know, it was good to hear Gareth Southgate on these issues that play outwith football circles.
“He talks about it well. He’s goes to lengths to explain that he hears [racism] it back in England as well.
“And in Scotland, we have a big problem here as well. You talk about learned behaviour. Sectarianism is exactly the same thing. Exactly the same.
“Kids hear it and they see it from parents, relatives, social circles, and that’s what happens. Learned behaviour.
“There’s so many young people, and Gareth Southgate said it, they get involved in these things, that they don’t understand why. They don’t know why they’re doing it. And it happens here in Scotland. All the time.
“And to go back to the point of it, what can you do about it? We’ve got to get authorities here who are willing and capable of sanctioning the people and the clubs that perpetrate these issues.
“Because unfortunately, we don’t have that. To take it full circle, UEFA have the power.
“I’m not sure that domestically, here in Scotland, our authorities are strong enough to face up to the clubs that need to be faced up to.”
This makes uncomfortable reading for the beaks that run our game but if they are so unwilling to tackle this issue then it is left up to people like Michael Stewart to do it for them.
