Sectarian hatred still rings out at football stadiums across Scotland.
Despite concerted efforts over years, poisonous slurs are passed off as banter week in, week out.
Sheriff Allan McKay has clearly had enough.
He’s a football-loving judge who has seen the sharp end of sectarianism from his court room.
So when he was faced with Hearts fan Barrie Rendall, he wanted the message to reach much further.
He sentenced the 34-year-old with a plea to decent fans to stand up and be counted.
He called for an end to the disgraceful conduct blighting the Scottish game.
He wants other fans to grow up and set an example.
Rendall, who has a previous conviction for football-related disorder, denied singing sectarian bile.
Even in court, he was refusing to face up to the accusations.
He even felt annoyed at being “singled out” instead of taking responsibility for his actions.
Rendall was rightly fined and ordered to carry out unpaid work.
Police are stretched thinly enough as it is. Officers cannot arrest everyone they see hurling abuse around stadiums.
The call to turn away from hateful chants cannot fall on deaf ears.
Sensitive issue
Having an abortion is a difficult, emotional decision that no woman takes lightly.
It is also an issue that can cause sleepless nights for political leaders charged with making the law.
When control over abortion was devolved to Holyrood there were fears it could lead to a restriction of abortion rights.
Now SNP MSP John Mason has recommended just such an outcome in a Parliamentary motion.
His provocatively worded statement sparked outrage across the parliament – including from the SNP leadership.
Abortion laws are well established in this country and discussion of any changes need to be handled sensibly and responsibly.
It is certainly an issue that requires better than the intervention of blundering politicians like John Mason.
Sounding good
A TV boss told Lorraine Kelly she’d never make it on the box because of her Scottish accent.
She reacted in the best possible way by going on to carve out a stellar career as queen of daytime TV.
Although at the time, she probably wanted to tell the boss: “Away and bile yer heid.”
