The Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act (20

Stats for 2012-13

• In the period 2012-13 there were 268 charges of ‘offensive behaviour at regulated football matches’ reported by the police to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS). For the full period of the first 13 months of the act, there were 87 convictions from 128 concluded charges which is an overall conviction rate of 68%.

• Hateful behaviour was most common, in 46.6% of charges, threatening behaviour was second most common, in 44.4% of charges and other behaviour that a reasonable person would be likely to consider offensive was the category for 17.2% of charges. Some charges contained reference to more than one category.

All 46 charges for other offensive behaviour related to behaviour which referenced support to terrorist organisations.

Sixty-two percent of charges occurred in a football stadium. Of these, 24.2% were at Celtic Park, 20.0% at Ibrox and 8.5% at Hampden. Twenty two percent of charges occurred on a main street in a town or city centre and 8.9% at a railway station or on public transport.


The football affiliation of the accused was recorded by the police in 96% of the charges. Within the charges noted, 31.7% were described as having Rangers affiliations, 25.4% Celtic affiliations and 10.4% Hibernian affiliations.
Charges were connected to 80 football fixtures. Four fixtures accounted for almost 25% of all charges (Celtic v Rangers on 29 April 2012; Hibernian v Hearts on 19 May 2012; Hamilton v Falkirk on 5 January 2013; and St Mirren v Hibernian on 16 February 2013).

In 45.9% of charges the general community were the target of the abuse, specific members of the public were the target in 38.4% of charges and the police in 13.1%.

Sex/Age of the Accused
Within the 268 charges, which relate to 259 separate people, there were 256 male accused, and 3 female. 37.7% of charges related to accused who were aged between 21-30, 33.2% referred to those aged between 16 and 20. Fewer than 1% related to those over 60 and 2.6% to those under 16.

The majority of charges (61.6%) took place at a football stadium, 22.4% occurred on a main street in a town or city centre and 6.3% were on public transport.

Football Affiliations of the Accused

• The analysis included looking at the football affiliations of the accused, from information recorded by the police. The affiliation of the accused was noted in 258 of 268 case files (96%). The affiliation may have been apparent from the accused having a match ticket, or from their clothing (i.e. wearing a strip or scarf). Within the charges noted, 31.7% of the accused were described as having Rangers affiliations, 25.4% Celtic affiliations and 10.4% Hibernian affiliations.

• The fixture with the highest number of charges was the Hamilton versus Falkirk game on 5 January 2013, where there were 23 charges, making up 8.6% of the total. These charges were the result of a police operation around the fixture where there was fighting on the streets of Hamilton prior to the game. Other fixtures with a relatively high number of charges were the Celtic versus Rangers match on 29th April 2012 at Celtic Park, St Mirren versus Hibs on 16 February 2013 at St Mirren Park, and Hibernian versus Hearts on 19th May 2012 at Hampden Park in the Scottish Cup Final.

• As explained in COPFS Hate Crime in Scotland 2012-13, court proceedings were commenced in 219 (82%) of charges. 3.27 The COPFS case management database provides information about convictions for concluded charges. This is provisional information and subject to change as charges are dealt with in the system. It shows that in 2012-13 there were 62 convictions from 95 concluded charges (43% of charges had been concluded at the time of this analysis). This is a conviction rate (ie the proportion of concluded charges that resulted in convictions) of 65%. In 2011-12 there were 25 convictions from 33 concluded charges, a conviction rate of 76%. For the full period of the first 13 months of the act, there were therefore 87 convictions from 128 concluded charges which is an overall conviction rate of 68%.

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4_JusticeCommittee/Inquiries/Charges_reported_under_OBFTC_Act.pdf

 

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I'm not attempting to open the debate up again, i'm just showing that the assertion that sherrifs up and down the land are laughing charges out of court is nonsense. Likewise the stats show that Rangers fans are more likely to be charged than Celtic fans.

 

As a matter of interest, the conviction rate for Rape in Scotland is betwen 3% and 33% depending on who you want to believe.

 

Depends on your definition of rape

 

3%?!?!? I'm off oot, I may be a while

 

Aye but its pyoor anti celtic legislation so it is.

 

Which ****? Actual Statistics which show that FAC's assertions are laughably naive at best or simple lies/propaganda at worst?

 

Yeah but if you shout up the ra you will be convicted. How many of those convictions are for singing roll of honour?

 

As I said, I had no intent to open up the debate, Route 1 it is. Good luck with that

 

31.7% were said to have an affiliation with Rangers, 25.4% Celtic. Seems pretty straight forward to me.

Almost everyone at the Hamilton v Falkirk game was nicked

 

Musta been a lot of Celtic fans at the Accies game.

 

This is a lively debate ...

Much has been written on these long and winding threads around this subject, so , I definately dont want to put words in your mouth here Reb - so tell me where I may have interpreted your viewpoint wrongly - in summary it seems to me, broadly speaking, your position is that ;

the Act was brought into being for the purpose of criminalising elements of the Celtic support for some of the content of their songs and/or banners.

The Act was needed to both make these items a criminal offence and to create powers which allowed a balance or parity between charges against the celtic support and the rangers support in terms of sectarian behaviour, essentially for a political purpose such as appearing even handed.

Have I understood your point of view so far ?

 

Yes, that is what I meant - in relation to your point of view - and when reading it back realised that could have been clearer

 

Benjamin Disraeli or Mark Twain might have coined an apt phrase.

 

"Gies ****in peace"...