Invective, 1924 style – A perfect description of Scotland’s Shame
There is nothing new or surprising about Celtic supporters criticising Rangers and their supporters. One doubts however whether anyone could have put it quite so well as The Glasgow Observer does on November 1 1924.
Rarely can one have read such a sustained piece of invective written in such a brilliant style as this journalist does. He was perhaps hurt and upset because Rangers had been rather lucky to beat Celtic 1-0 at Parkhead the previous Saturday ( 25 October, there’s no report or any details at all about this match on The Celtic Wiki which is most unusual).
That was bad enough but it was what he saw and heard from the Rangers end of the ground which really upset him…
“Rangers have probably the biggest club following in Britain, and the number doubtless contains many respectable, fair minded and well conducted people. But there are others. On the terracing at the Dalmarnock end on Saturday there was congregated a gang, thousands strong, including the dregs and scouring of filthy slumdom, unwashed yahoos, jailbirds, night hawks, won’t works, buroo barnacles and pavement pirates, all, or nearly all, in the scarecrow stage of verminous trampdom.
“This ragged army of insanitary pests was lavishly provided with orange and blue remnants, and these were flaunted in challenge as the football tide flowed this way or that. Practically without cessation for ninety minutes or more, the vagabond scum kept up a strident howl of the Boyne Water chorus.
“Nothing so designedly provoking, so maliciously insulting or so bestially ignorant has ever been witnessed even in the wildest exhibitions of Glasgow Orange bigotry. Blatantly filthy language of the lowest criminal type assailed the shocked ears of decent onlookers.
“There was no getting away from it, chanted as it was by thousands of voices in bedlamite yells. The stentorian use of filthy language is a crime against the law of the land. Policemen lined the track and listened to the hooligan uproar, yet nothing was done to stop it.
“The scandal was renewed with increased violence in London Road after the match. Is it possible the blue mob can do just anything and get away with it?”
Aye, they certainly did not pull any punches in 1924, did they?
David Potter
Here are a photograph of their support who transferred over to the new club in July 2012, at their most recent visit to Celtic Park in May this year…Scotland’s Shame indeed.
READ THIS…Forgotten photographs from Celtic Park and Barrowfields (Photos 1-50)
As a Celtic fan of 68 yrs I too have bad memories of watching my beloved Scotland. I was in the Rangers end when we lost 1-0 to Northern Ireland in the 70’s. You would have thought we were in Ibrox. It was my first and last game watching “our” national team. Luckily we don’t get that here in Oz and if the truth is known, I’m glad Rangers withdrew from the games down here.
The good thing is they don’t follow Scotland anymore so most NORMAL supporters r backing the team again. The troops from the north/ east silenced them ,thank goodness because there isn’t a more vile obnoxious group of people on this earth
In 1966, I was at Hampden with my Dad to watch Scotland lose 3-4 to Ingerlund. Despite scoring twice, Wee Jinky was booed and denigrated by many of the Scotland “supporters”, as were other Catholic players. The entire Mount Florida end hoatched with bigots, but there were many elsewhere in the stadium (” stadium”? I meant to say “cowp”). I’ve been to two or three Scotland matches since, and none since Judas scored against France: I don’t even listen to the radio commentaries.
When John Herbert McLaughlin died, over a century ago, the English sporting papers commented on his great abilities and noted that the SFA had failed to use his talents, by discriminating against him, and against the community whence he came. If the Scotland football team was playing on my lawn I wouldn’t look out of the window.
It is impossible to hate Rangers. That club no longer exist in any form. There is a tribute act playing out of Ibrox, but it’s a whole different club.
Hail Hail.