Who are football’s thought police to tell anyone what they should believe?

Writer Graeme McGarry argues that football fandom is increasingly dominated by gatekeepers seeking to police political viewpoints among players and supporters. The column notes that some Celtic fans threatened that defender Liam Scales would be unwelcome at Celtic Park if he played for the Republic of Ireland against Israel. Scales reportedly backed goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu's decision to make himself unavailable for the match.

McGarry argues that neither players nor supporters should face exclusion from clubs due to their political opinions or personal beliefs. While acknowledging that some view clubs as vehicles for political expression, the writer concludes that clubs should remain open to all and not enforce ideological conformity in the stands.