This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Say No to Sectarianism Football Festival
21/01/2003
School pupils were reminded today that religious intolerance has no place in a modern Scotland.
At the Say No To Sectarianism Football Festival in Falkirk, Deputy Sport Minister Elaine Murray stressed that everyone must continue to work to ensure that more young people, regardless of their cultural, ethnic and religious background, have more opportunities to play more sport.
Dr Murray said:
"The Scottish Executive is working together with sportscotland so that young people can have opportunities to play sport, regardless of their backgrounds.
"Intolerance towards other people, whatever their faith or race, has no place in the Scotland of today.
"Events like the ones you are engaged in here, are a good example to us all. Sport should bring people together, not drive them apart".
sportscotland is currently developing a comprehensive equity strategy for sport in Scotland to encourage governing bodies to address issues such as race, ethnicity and sport; women and sport; sexuality and sport; ageism in sport; faith, religion and sport; and disability sport.
The Say No To Sectarianism Football Festival was organised by Year 2 HND Sport Coaching students from Falkirk College of Further and Higher Education for pupils from each Primary school in Falkirk.
The event has received approximately £5,000 from the Sense Over Sectarianism project which has brought together the Old Firm clubs, Glasgow City Council, Nil by Mouth, and the Catholic Church and Church of Scotland, in a concerted effort to tackle sectarianism.