BBCNI has yet again refused to say whether it will cut the sound if Linfield fans sing anti-Catholic songs during its live coverage of a Euro tie at Windsor Park tonight.
The Irish League champions take on League of Ireland champions Shelbourne in the second leg of a Europa Conference League play-off. Shelbourne go into the game leading three goals to one.
In an impassioned plea ahead of the game, Linfield FC has called on its fans not to repeat the behaviours which have incurred the wrath of the European football governing body UEFA.
The display of pyrotechnics and racist and anti-Catholic chants at a Champions League qualifier at Windsor Park saw Linfield fined €12,000 last month. That game was also against Shelbourne, who went on to win the tie over two legs. The subsequent elimination of Shelbourne from the Champions League has seen the two champions of Irish soccer thrown together again, this time in a battle for entry to the group stage of Europe’s third-tier competition.
BBCNI showed the Linfield-Shelbourne game game at Windsor live in July and the violently anti-Catholic loyalist song The Billy Boys was clearly heard ringing around the stadium during the broadcast. That came just two months after BBCNI said it regretted any offence caused when a live BBC broadcast of a Linfield-Glentoran Irish League match at Windsor again featured a loud and clearly audible rendition of The Billy Boys. The song, which is also popular with loyalist bands, includes the line ‘We’re up to our knees in Fenian blood/Surrender or you’ll die.’
BBCNI’s failure – or refusal – to learn lessons from earlier broadcasts has led to concern that viewers may again be subjected to anti-Catholic chanting during tonight’s live broadcast. The hiring of extra security by Linfield to combat racist and sectarian singing and pyrotechnics illustrates the depth of the club’s concern about the behaviour of its fans. But BBCNI has again refused to say whether it will cut the live feed in the event of racist and sectarian chanting.
In June, the BBC accompanied a Glastonbury set by punk rappers Bob Vylan with on-screen warnings. After the band's singer chanted 'Death to the IDF', the Corporation described the language as "offensive and deplorable" and axed the performance from its on-demand service. Linfield fans have twice sung violently anti-Catholics songs on live broadcasts by BBCNI in recent months, with no concurrent action taken on either occasion. A repeat tonight will leave BBCNI with more questions to answer.
After we asked if it had plans to deal with any offensive singing at tonight’s game, BBCNI told us: “We aren’t responsible for crowd behaviours at external events, but seek to manage any editorial risks associated with our coverage of them.”
That BBCNI statement is almost a carbon-copy of a statement the Corporation gave us after its broadcasting of anti-Catholic singing at the April Linfield-Glentoran clash. Then BBCNI again said “We aren’t responsible for people’s behaviour at football matches” and added “We work hard to mitigate editorial risks.”
But despite its claim to be working to deal with the risk of anti-Catholic singing, and despite the high probability of The Billy Boys being sung at July's Linfield-Shelbourne match, no attempt was made by BBCNI to cut the audio when The Billy Boys was sung and no apology was made to viewers during the action or at half-time or full-time.
In its plea to fans ahead of tonight's crunch encounter, Linfield said: “Linfield Football Club wishes to appeal to its loyal supporters to back the club loudly and proudly on Thursday night at our crucial UEFA Conference League play-off game against Shelbourne.
“It is imperative, however, that no actions are taken which would further tarnish the name and reputation of this great club and bring further damaging financial sanctions against us.
“A robust security operation has been put in place for this game and anyone who attempts to bring pyrotechnics into the stadium or is engaged in any form of sectarian chanting will face investigation, likely prosecution and a ban from Linfield games.
“Let us all play our part and make it a truly memorable night at Windsor Park."
