Donald Findlay - Controversies

Controversies

Findlay is an atheist, but is mostly noted in Scotland for his support of Rangers, a historically Protestant football club, and for engaging in controversial behaviour that has been widely interpreted as being anti-Catholic in nature.

In May 1999 he was accused of sectarianism, after being filmed singing The Sash at a private party organised by a Rangers Supporters Club, following the Scottish Cup Final in which Rangers beat Celtic 1-0. For his role in this event, Findlay was forced to resign from the Board of Rangers FC. After this incident Findlay admitted to feeling so pursued by the media portrayal of him that he had considered suicide.

In May 2005, shortly after the death of Pope John Paul II, while speaking at Larne Rangers Social Club in Northern Ireland he said "It's very smoky in here tonight - has another fucking Pope died?" The Scotsman reported that he went on to tell a vulgar joke about a nun, while The Herald reported that his routine was "alleged to have been littered with obscenities and jokes about Catholics" although Findlay has stated that he also made jokes about Protestantism and about the Protestant clergyman and politician Ian Paisley. It is believed that the Faculty of Advocates passed a vote of no confidence on him following the controversy over his comments. He was also fined £3,500 by the Faculty of Advocates.

Findlay was cleared of an allegation of misconduct before the Faculty of Advocates in 2007 following a complaint regarding his conduct at the Rangers Supporters Club in Larne and contribution to a book entitled How Soccer Explains The World - An Unlikely Theory Of Globalisation