Irvine Welsh blasts ‘establishment’ treatment of ‘privileged’ rugby fans

Edinburgh author Irvine Welsh has waded into the football v rugby row on social media in the wake of Scotland’s loss to Ireland.

The lifelong Hibs fan backed a post from another Twitter user which complained about the perceived double standards between the way football and rugby fans are treated in Scotland.

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Alcohol has been banned at all Scottish football grounds since the early 80s, though rugby fans are still allowed to enjoy a drink at both club and international matches.

There’s also a perception among football fans that they’re treated harshly by the authorities on their way to matches compared with their rugby-supporting contemporaries.

Irvine Welsh is a big Hibs supporter. Picture: Neil HannaIrvine Welsh is a big Hibs supporter. Picture: Neil Hanna
Irvine Welsh is a big Hibs supporter. Picture: Neil Hanna

The original tweet, from @hibeesfamily, read: “Rugby fan’s p****** & spewing all over Edinburgh tonight, giving free cans of lager before the game (that’s nice of Tennent’s) lifting up kilts exposing themselves to men, women and children... nothing to see it’s just a laugh says the bizzies [police] these folk are privileged now move on.”

Welsh then backed it up with: “It football fans behaved like that they would be arrested, jailed and put on the sex offenders list. Time the establishment stopped being chin stroking sociologists for the privileged and viscous social controllers for the working classes.”

The tweet has been retweeted 1,313 times and liked 4,808 times.