FOOTBALL writers in Scotland are regularly asked across various mediums why in their match report no mention was made of what could be heard inside the ground that day.

You know how it goes. The same songs, sung by the same people in order to get the same reaction.

It’s the anti-Irish stuff, Provo ditties, all the many, many songs about Ireland, north and south, from both points of view and going all the way back to the 17th century, the famine, overt racism against black people and the general conduct of people who seemingly have not real interest in behaving themselves.

There are times when ignoring this, and it happens mostly when Celtic and Rangers are on their travels, is bad journalism. However, to bring attention to these songs every single time would be unimaginably boring because it’s not what the vast majority of folk want to read about in the sports pages.

So, before I go on, allow me make a prediction.

At just about every away game this season, and some home, there will be songs and chants from the green and blue which others won’t like. They will be either sectarian or those offended will believe them to be sectarian. The two are not always the same thing.

Some of this is faux outrage, other times the complainers are shameless hypocrites given what their own lot make them listen to – those words of hate seem to bounce off their heads - and there are occasions when they absolutely have a point.

There are times when a line is crossed; however, mostly it is just ugly background noise even if it’s a ballad about killing your own sweet granny because of her religion.

The songs, chants and banners which were heard and seen at Celtic Park on Wednesday night did not overshadow the actual game. They were worth mentioning, as I’m doing here, but if Celtic’s win over Linfield is the beginning of a long and lucrative run in the Champions League, what happened on Wednesday night will soon be forgotten by most.

But there were spells at the game when the atmosphere was poison. It wasn’t a classic European night at the famous old ground.

The behaviour at Windsor Park of what Linfield manager David Healy called “a few idiots” was never not going to be an issue five days later.

The visitors from Northern Ireland got inside the stadium early and didn’t waste any time singing about Jimmy Saville and paedophiles. The orange songs quickly followed, complete with FTP, which depressingly was to be expected.

The Celtic supporters in response belted out some well-known and well-worn rebel tunes but when it became clear the game was to be a non-event, everything calmed down to an extent.

It was during the second-half when things took a nasty turn. Two banners, which up until then hadn’t been seen, were held aloft in the terracing area.

One was of an IRA fighter complete with beret and dark glasses and alongside that a picture of Brendan Rodgers mocked up in a sign which was common place in republican towns at the height of the Troubles.

It read “Rodgers at work” rather than “Sniper at work.”

Rodgers always speaks well and carefully about growing up in Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles. After Wednesday's game he went into the Linfield dressing room to shake hands with every player. Just last week he was eulogising about the new Northern Ireland.

Do you really think the man wants to be associated with that?

The Linfield fans reacted by telling Scottish people to go home to Ireland, which they themselves are from, and this provoked some of the home fans to sing “Brits out” to people from Ireland who were in Britain.

Now you could argue, and I sort of will, that they were only banners and songs. I’d much rather someone was derogatory about me in rhyme than pelt my head with bottles and coins. Sticks and stones and all that.

Also, a lot of it could be classed as pantomime. There is a huge difference between singing about the IRA, UVF or whatever and actually being an active paramilitary planting bombs in pubs. If you can’t see that then please go to a library and educate yourself.

As a lifeline atheist with no affiliation to any religion, much of this goes over my head. I’ve been abroad with both sides of the great Glasgow divide and seen and heard some horrible stuff, and came through it unscathed.

People scream outrage when they don’t actually feel any but that doesn’t mean a lot of this isn't plain wrong.

Celtic have won. They are going to dominate Scottish football forever as things stand. They have a great manager, an exciting team, and could be about to embark on another tour of European football’s greatest hits and Rangers, as so many will tell you, are deid.

So when you are this far ahead and having such a good time, why drag so much baggage around.

Oh, and to those Rangers fans with Twitter monikers such as 1690, FTP, WATP and whose history on social media is littered with sectarian comments; you don’t have a high (white) horse to stand on when it comes of all of this.

Speaking recently with two Irish journalists from either side of the border, who grew up in the 1980s, they told me they have no problem with what could be called the traditional old songs, on both sides, but felt it plain weird that anyone, be the protestant or catholic, would celebrate the Troubles.

“There wasn’t much to celebrate then or now,” said one of the lads. Quite.

This is 2017. It’s 19 years since the Good Friday agreement. You have to go a few fair decades further back for the Battle of the Boyne.

Some moving on wouldn’t go amiss in a modern Scotland.