Given Celtic’s Irish heritage, it is perhaps no surprise that anti-Board protests would eventually result in calls for a boycott. This is the case for tomorrow’s Scottish Cup match against Dundee at Celtic Park…
The origin of the word ‘Boycott’ can be traced back to the Irish Land Wars of the 1800s, which influenced Irish emigration and Celtic’s establishment. The word is named after Charles Boycott who was a land agent in Ireland. If he evicted any farmer, local people would refuse to engage with him or work on his land. This gave rise to the term ‘Boycott’, and it soon became used elsewhere too.
Using boycotts in football is a long-established practice. Particularly in Scottish football’s earlier days this often happened in relation to the cost of attending games. However, there was one strange example of this in 1936.
In October of that year, Germany came to Glasgow to face Scotland, playing at Ibrox. Infamously, the Swastika overflew the ground as it was then the official German flag. Some Scotland fans threatened to not attend due to this although still 50,000 turned up.
The only boycott involved the Scottish FA. Just before the match there was a civic reception in Glasgow City Chambers for the city’s Charity Cup. Some SFA representatives refused to attend as there was not a similar event to welcome the Nazi Germany team!
Over the years there have been numerous times that Celtic fans have also engaged in these protests – or at least threatened this. Perhaps the earliest example goes back to the 1890s. The club and supporters became embroiled in arguments about the prices and allocation of tickets, which led to warnings that some fan groups would refuse to attend.
In the time since then, there have been other occasions when Celtic and boycotts have connected. Sometimes this is due to fans being unhappy with those running the club whilst others have been about arguments with different sides.
For instance, in 1949, Celtic made the shock announcement of asking for the postponement of future matches with Rangers. The Bhoys believed that violence on the terraces and unfair treatment from referees meant this needed to happen.
Celtic’s request was rejected and the next game – played in September at Ibrox – went ahead as normal. In advance of this, official Celtic fan groups announced they would not be attending and there were vast open spaces in the Celtic end.
Similar arguments arose in the 1950s. Some Celtic supporters’ clubs said they would no longer go to places such as Falkirk owing to the way tickets were distributed. In recent years, some Celtic fans have called for similar action over increasingly smaller away allocations.
Ultimately, the most notable boycott involving Celtic – and the one most relevant to tomorrow’s action – goes back to 1994 when Celtic were in the midst of a takeover battle. This would eventually see Fergus McCann take control of the club.
On that occasion, numerous fans refused to attend games over a prolonged period, acting in an unofficial capacity. Many still turned up at the ground to show their displeasure.
An official fans’ boycott took place when Celtic when Celtic played Kilmarnock in March. The match – which had been postponed from its original date – had an official crowd of 10,882. But Celts for Change said there was only 8225, which helped bring down the old Board.
The 1994 action had a much greater impact on Celtic than will be the case tomorrow. In the early-1990s, there were far fewer season ticket holders, and more people paid at the gate. Therefore, not attending had a significant impact on Celtic’s income.
This is not the case nowadays. Most people have paid in advance for games owing to the high number of season tickets. Furthermore, the Home Cup Ticket Scheme ensures that games like tomorrow’s will already be largely sold out, regardless of the numbers that will actually turn up.
Regardless of your opinion on today’s boycott, it is abundantly clear that Celtic cannot continue on down the same road. There is now such a fracturing of the relationship between fans and Board that some sort of major change is needed to fix this.
New Chairman Brian Wilson gave a Thursday night interview which appeared more conciliatory, hopefully showing an understanding of this need. If not, things are going to get much worse.
In that case – and reflecting the way that Charles Boycott’s name has gone down in infamy – what might Desmond, Nicholson, Lawwell or Wilson come to mean in future years?
Matthew Marr
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Wilson is engaging in ‘divide and rule’ tactics, and we might wonder why the first invitation to talk was extended to the Green Brigade, which Nicholson recently dismissed as a bunch of Trotskyists. Does Wilson have a different opinion? Is Wilson setting the ‘discussions’ up to fail? Let’s not forget his role in the Tony Blair era, when the likes of Peter Mandelson courted the ‘filthy rich’ and those who aspired to be rich – at the expense of the rest of us. There weren’t many Labour politicians – then or now – with principles. If any of the current board told me that Celtic Park is near Parkhead Cross I’d be suspicious. Let’s all beware!
Joe get some treatment you are really demented.
How sad and infantile the collective have become!
Their stubbornness this season which like it or not, was very slyly stirred up initially by a man they almost to a man, did not want back, yet they let get inside their heads; Brendan Rodgers!
The scumbag himself lied about so much as he set about his primary task of dismantling the board, hoping for a place on the throne for himself one day!
Yet here we are, the most gullible fans on God’s earth have been made fools of and now are so deep in the mire that they can’t see reality!
They can’t see that reason could possibly mean that while they may indeed have a few good points, they don’t have to wider vision of the board, and they aren’t prepared to listen, as they proved time after time by acting like little kids every time the board speak at meetings and at the AGM.
This attitude, this infantile behaviour is not on the board! This is 100% on the collective!
It is the most damaging thing that has happened to our great club in our existence.
The board are right to stand their ground! Because the collective show no indication of being respectful, or what they claim to be; Celtic Supporters!
If there is one thing this collective is NOT, it’s SUPPORT FOR OUR CLUB!
Time to listen as well as expect to be heard. Show respect to the men who got us where we are!
Is there a bigger fanny online that the above arsehole Joe?
Fuck off Joe you absolute prick
What an absolute clown! Aye our club! The supporters and we have every right to say whatever we want to the board its our money that put them where they are you fool, most people spend every spare penny supporting the club but the big point is that they have no right to bad any fan group we stand as one always! Thats who we are!
This board have got to go end of. They deflect and blame everyone else but themselves 50 odd thousand hardcore fans stood up to get rid its got to happen they are killing our club in every way