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Scottish giants Celtic back social media boycott

Scottish giants Celtic back social media boycott
© Reuters
Scottish football has made a collective decision to switch off all social media use from 3pm on Friday until midnight on Monday.

Celtic have highlighted "racial and sectarian attacks and horrendous personal abuse" against their players, staff and fans as they backed a social media boycott.

Scottish football has made a collective decision to switch off all social media use from 3pm on Friday until midnight on Monday.

The move mirrors English football's planned action in protest at abuse towards players with a number of other sports following suit.

Celtic v Rangers
Celtic and Rangers recently took a joint stand against racism (Andrew Milligan/PA)

A Celtic statement read: "As a club who has welcomed all since 1888, we are pleased to support this collective campaign.

"Sadly, through various social media platforms Celtic players, staff and supporters for some time have been subjected to racial and sectarian attacks and horrendous personal abuse – this is something which simply has to stop.

"Abusing someone because of the colour of their skin, abusing an individual due to their religion, unacceptable personal attacks or pathetically mocking the death of a loved one – our players, staff and supporters have, tragically, experienced it all through social media.

"We must all make a stand and together defeat this negative, damaging behaviour which inflicts so much harm.

"Social media can be an important, powerful tool. Let's use it properly."

Scottish football authorities announced their collective action on Wednesday evening.

A joint statement announced that the game had united to support a boycott of social media in response to "continuing racist and discriminatory abuse online aimed at players, staff, supporters and others associated with the game".

Scottish Professional Football League chief executive Neil Doncaster said: "Discrimination of any kind has absolutely no place in Scottish football and the online abuse received by some of those involved in our national game is absolutely abhorrent.

"Social media provides a wonderful platform for clubs of all sizes to communicate with their fans. It's a platform that our clubs have used to great effect in recent years but it is also a medium that is being abused by a vile and mindless minority.

"These cowards often hide behind anonymous accounts and it is incumbent upon social media companies to actively and aggressively combat this problem.

Scottish Football Association chief executive Ian Maxwell added: "At our recent summit meeting involving clubs and representatives of the game we witnessed a groundswell of people motivated to tackle inequality in all its forms.

"We are also in dialogue with social media companies to ensure adequate preventative measures are put in place to tackle the specific issue of online abuse via those channels."

Vivienne MacLaren, Scottish Women's Football chair, noted an increase in "abusive and discriminatory language targeted at those involved in our game".

"This has been particularly prevalent on social media and we have made it very clear we will not tolerate this," she added.

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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
Championship Group
1Celtic220085275884
2RangersRangers220078255381
3Hearts20114637963
4Kilmarnock20114438652
5St Mirren21014246-446
6Dundee20024659-1341
Relegation Group
1Hibernian21014854-642
2Aberdeen22003749-1241
3Motherwell21015053-340
4Ross County21013459-2533
5St Johnstone20022550-2531
RLivingston21012563-3821
 
First Phase
1Celtic33246380265478
2RangersRangers33243672234975
3Hearts33195946341262
4Kilmarnock33131284334951
5St Mirren33127143843-543
6Dundee331011124454-1041
7Hibernian33912124451-739
8Motherwell33813124651-537
9Aberdeen33811143549-1435
10St Johnstone33710162446-2231
11Ross County3379173256-2430
RLivingston3339212259-3718


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