Having had an intrigued response to my recent article about the ban that was imposed on displaying the tricolour in part of Ireland, I have decided to write about Celtic’s own flag controversy of that period. The inspiration for this piece came from contributors on the excellent Celtic Noise forum, where discussion around the issue took place.
READ: Flying The Flag At Paradise: The Story Behind The Tricolour Ban Imposed On Part Of Ireland
Issues surrounding the Irish flag being waved at Celtic Park were actually first muted during WWII.
Daily Record, Thursday 5 September 1940… The flag controversy before the famous flag controversy in the 1950s. How wrong they were as “still the tri colour flies over Paradise, where proudly its admired and loved by Irish exiles eyes” pic.twitter.com/aGQLDCwgXC
— Liam Kelly (@cfcliamk96) January 22, 2021
Matters then really came to a head during the following decade.
It may have been the post-war years, but Celtic were locked into a battle of their own. Season 1951/1952 had seen the club loitering four points above the relegation zone by the time that Rangers came to Parkhead for the traditional New Year’s Day derby. Despite the Hogmanay festivities, many in Glasgow had little cause for celebration, at least until the match had passed and the city could breathe a sigh of relief. This unease stemmed from a decade of high profile incidents whenever Scotland’s two biggest clubs had met. In a bid to minimise violence, the match was made an all ticket affair and newspapers across the city urged Celtic fans to avoid bringing bottles, banners or ill-mannered tongues with them.
The match proceeded like many Glasgow derbies of the time – frantic, frenetic and with Rangers controlling the game. Aside from the customary vehement atmosphere in those days, the game had passed with little trouble until the 70th minute, when fighting broke out in the North enclosure. Bottles were thrown, a sight that had become such a common backdrop in these games that the objects were like derby day confetti. 11 spectators were arrested, two of which were sent to prison, whilst others were fined for their part in a number of incidents that took place outside of Celtic Park at full time.
Enough was enough and the Glasgow Magistrates invited representatives of the Scottish Football Association and the Scottish League to consider the following proposals:
1: The Rangers and Celtic clubs should not again be paired on New Year’s Day, when passions are likely to be inflamed by drink and more bottles are likely to be carried than on any other day.
2: On every occasion when the clubs meet admission should be by ticket only and the attendance limited to a number consistent with public safety, the number to be decided by the chief constable.
3: In the interests of safety of the public Celtic F.C. should be asked to construct numbered passage-ways in the terracing at each end of Celtic Park.
4: The two clubs should avoid displaying flags which might incite feeling among the spectators.
The final point was the one that was taken forth by the SFA, courting immeasurable controversy with its vague wording and likely reference to the tricolour. The old Irish flag with a golden harp on a green background had flown at Celtic Park from the opening of the stadium until Ireland became a Free State in 1922. The new emblem of Eire was then flown on the roof of the Jungle thereafter.
The national flag of Ireland was, and still is, an essential symbol of the club’s Irish heritage. The particular flag flown at the stadium at the time had been handed to Celtic Football Club by the first Taoiseach of Ireland, Eamon De Valera. It was not a gift that would be readily removed.
Knowing the value of Irish identity to Celtic Football Club, many fans were concerned that some within the SFA would seize the opportunity to use the recommendations against the club. Those fears were realised when, after consideration, the Referee Committee of the SFA ruled that ‘Celtic be asked to refrain from displaying in its park any flag or emblem that had no association with the country or the sport on match days.’ While expressing dissatisfaction that other recommendations had not been adopted, the Glasgow Magistrates endorsed the decision of the Referee Committee, as did the SFA council, by 26 votes to 7. However, Mr. John F Wilson, Chairman of Rangers, told the council: “The emblem has never been of any annoyance to Rangers. Don’t delude yourselves.” Wilson’s stern contention that the flag of Ireland should be permitted to ripple in the wind above Celtic Park should not come as any surprise. Indeed, for Rangers to prosper they needed that badge of Irishness across the city: a representation of the very thing that their club had become the antithesis of in order to manufacture an identity and attract support.
Bob Kelly defended Celtic’s traditions in less than phlegmatic fashion. He claimed that he would rather remove Celtic from Scottish football and start playing Gaelic games at Celtic Park than comply with the order. Kelly felt that to ignore the historical significance of the club would render its existence meaningless. This was not a mere matter of a flag. It was the surface of a wider battle against anti-Irish racism and institutionalised bigotry. Kelly’s abrasive resistance ultimately led to the flag issue being voted on by all teams in the league.
Hibernian voted in support of the SFA, a disappointing move from a so called ‘fellow Irish club’. Amid incredible irony, the deciding vote lay in the hands of Rangers. As previously alluded, Rangers had the foresight to consider the financial implications of the situation and determined that they wished for the tricolour to stay at Paradise.
The SFA Council convened a meeting to discuss the outcome of the vote, which had favoured Celtic’s stance. Despite, the Hoops having a mandate from the rest of Scottish football, the council decided to hold a vote of their own, as to whether they should reverse their ruling on the flag issue. It was a disgraceful mark of the organisation’s bigotry that their internal vote rejected the democratic voice of Scottish football.
The battle lines were well and truly drawn. If Celtic continued to fly the Irish flag in defiance of the SFA ruling, and any misconduct by their supporters took place, then the club would face a fine, closure of the ground, or suspension from the league. As ever, the Celtic board would not give in. Desmond White (Celtic Chairman in the late 70s) commented to The Evening Times: “It is indeed a sad commentary on the bigotry which still exists in the West of Scotland that this flag should be looked upon as an act of provocation. Eire is after all, a friendly country. Many of our supporters are wholly or part of Irish origin and naturally are proud of their Irish ancestry and would have every right to feel slighted if the tricolour was singled out for removal.”
The genuine threat of expulsion hung over the club for the remainder of the 1951/1952 season. George Graham (SFA Secretary and Grandmason) led attempts to punish Celtic further, a move which Desmond White later said: “Will see him roast in hell.” The bitter clique led by Graham continued to press for Celtic to take down the flag and submit to the SFA’s demands. Celtic had taken legal advice on the matter and were confident about the outcome. However, Graham was not an easy man to tackle with his masonic connections. Surprisingly, Hibernian were the club that publicly backed the SFA Secretary at this time. The Hibees’ position was largely held because their Chairman, Harry Swan, was an acting SFA President at a meeting on the issue. Swan was also rumoured to be a Freemason, which may have provided additional motivation for the direction of his vote. Either way, it appears that he was acting to further his personal ambitions and strengthen his relationship with the top brass of the game’s governing body in Scotland.
No matter what was thrown at the club, Bob Kelly stood up to pressure from his colleagues on the SFA council and remained staunch in his quest to uphold the roots of Celtic Football Club. His persistence finally paid off when clubs and authorities alike, realised that Celtic were not going to budge, and their expulsion would have huge financial repercussions for Scottish football. Speaking to a lay Catholic organisation years later, Bob Kelly stated: “We had no need to be ashamed of our fathers, nor had we any cause to be ashamed that those founders (of Celtic) came from that country that has provided protagonists for liberty wherever they have settled.”
Bob Kelly’s defence of the flag is immortalised in a fantastic song named The Flag That Flies on High. The song was performed by Derek Warfield in 2005 for his Songs for the Bhoys collection. It documents the flag controversy and celebrates the fact that Celtic ‘overcame all obstacles and kept their flag on high’.
MORE: There can surely be no other football club in the world whose history is devoured, cherished then handed down through family…
Great read Liam I well remember those days, what was even better was when Bob Kelly was elected onto SFA committee he got revenge on Graham and Swan, another story that bastard Graham got booted out
Thanks John, glad you enjoyed it. Not too long before you started playing under that tricolour!