Scum Managers from last century

I know a nurse who like me is a fanatical Celtic supporter who works in a busy emergency department in a hospital in the West of Scotland. When Celtic play 'Rangers' (sic) there is a dichotomy in that if Celtic win then the workload that night will double due to the battered and bruised wives that present but if Rangers win it will be business as usual.
 
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When I was a final year medical student in 1979 I was working late one night when a man came into casualty at Stobhill hospital. He was wearing a Rangers top and scarf and staggering obviously quite intoxicated. He had fallen onto his carry out after leaving the pub and managed to gash his forehead deeply and widely on the broken beer bottles within. His facial wound needed stitching. I stepped forward and explained this to him. He took one look at my namebadge which is as Irish Catholic a name as possible and said that he did not want me to stitch it up. Blood was still pouring down his face. I staunched the blood flow with a large swab ( whilst privately wondering about the merits of applying a more appropriate neck tourniquet instead). I asked "Why Not?"
"Cause yer a Kafflick! A want anither docter."
I replied 'There's two others on duty. Doctors Murphy and O'Reilly."
He moaned and said 'Fuck sake!!! Aw Tims?"
" Look pal. That's a nasty wound you've got and I need to put in some local even though you're probably fairly anaesthetised already and stitch it up OK?"
" Will ye make a bad job of it?"
I was utterly confused "Of course not. I'll do my absolute best to minimise the scar."
He sighed . "That's the real fucking problem. Look ye can probably tell that am a Rangers fan (no Shit Sherlock looking at his regalia) and cos yer a Kafflick you'll probably dae a shit job and leave me scarred tae fuck."
I was mystified 'No I won't. I'll do a great job on it."
He sighed '"That's fucking worse. Much worse. Then I'd have to be grateful tae a Kafflick every time a look in the mirror fer the rest o ma life."
People in New Zealand do not believe me when I tell them that true story. They cannot imagine a society where such attitudes exist. It's one of the main reasons I choose to live here where such intolerance and bigotry would not be tolerated. Sadly the same story could well be told next Saturday night 40 years later. (It would help if the word Scum was replaced with Rival - we are better than that.)
 
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