On and off the field Celtic received some much deserved and positive headlines this morning. The team took care of a Scottish Cup tie – one I’ll freely admit to having had more than a few pre-match nerves about – with a professional and convincing performance, meanwhile off it both sets of supporters supplied a proper cup-tie atmosphere.
And whilst the noise from Dundee United support perhaps understandably waned as Celtic took control of the game, the Celtic support before, during and after the game, were in fine voice. Yet a few seem bent on impinging on that reputation.
As true then as it is now . pic.twitter.com/3HIieLr990
— Highland__Paddy (@Highland__paddy) March 15, 2022
Post-match, the highly respected Dundonian journalist Jim Spence took to social media to question the sectarian nature of songs sung by a minority within the support, including the line ‘soon there’ll be no Protestants at all ‘ and ‘Roamin in the gloamin’ both of which received a throaty airing at Tannadice last night.
I heard the old line ‘soon there’ll be no Protestants at all ‘ sung by a small section of Celtic support last night. they need to knock that right on the head. One thing which always marked the club out was it’s openness to all and a significant number of non catholic supporters
— Jim Spence (@JimSpenceDundee) March 15, 2022
“I heard the old line ‘soon there’ll be no Protestants at all ‘ sung by a small section of Celtic support last night. they need to knock that right on the head. One thing which always marked the club out was it’s openness to all and a significant number of non catholic supporters,” Jim Spence
And former SPL Chief executive Roger Mitchell also weighed into the debate, pointing out, quite rightly that this amounts to a level of intolerance to others coming from some of the support that is not aligned to the ethos of the club.
I keep saying it Jim, there is a clear direction of travel with the celtic fans in recent years. Its called "intolerance". I watch it all from afar with deep sadness and increasing detachment.
— RPM (@RPMComo) March 15, 2022
“I keep saying it Jim, there is a clear direction of travel with the celtic fans in recent years. Its called “intolerance”. I watch it all from afar with deep sadness and increasing detachment,” Roger Mitchell
Whilst I appreciate much of the politics within the Celtic song book may not be palatable to some, in truth I don’t much care – perhaps I’m wrong in that. After all the world has differing political opinions, and when it comes to standing up to a colonial power and being borne of the immigrant population who fled their brutality, I’d happily defend anyone’s rights to sing about it and ensure it is not forgotten nor history rewritten.
U know what separates us from Rangers .. just ‘us’. We don’t sing songs of hate, a club open to all for 134 years. Our songbook at times may offend but it’s not bigoted or full of hate. This ‘soon there wont be’ … I’m embarrassed to finish the line, just needs to stop It’s awful
— ‘Quadruple Treble’ TP (@tonyphillips67) March 15, 2022
However, sectarianism -and that’s what it is – alongside some idea of religious superiority over anyone else, has no place in this day and age and never has at Celtic, a club open to all since the very beginning.
Indeed, religious intolerance is something many within the Celtic support and beyond have to endure from the other side of the city, who appear to revel in it. As such to retreat to their level, and of some form of perceived superiority, seems evidently at odds with challenging that behaviour. Instead, it gives fresh ammunition to fire for those who would wish to lump the sectarian debate into a convenient two cheeks of the same backside argument. In short it sets us back years and plays into the hands of those, who without it, would be standing alone and ostracised in their outdated sectarian position.
“Soon there’ll be no Protestants at all” has to be up there with the stupidest thing any Celtic supporter can utter. Pretty astonishing levels of cognitive dissonance given our history.
— TimothyGreen🍀🏴 (@CelticFickle) March 15, 2022
Yet perhaps there is a debate to be had, perhaps I’m wrong. Are there those amongst our support who genuinely feel the way to challenge anti-Catholicism and anti-Irish bigotry is to meet fire with fire? Are there some who perhaps even feel the songs of politics and the add-ons around Irish Republicanism are just as outdated and irrelevant in modern society as anything sectarian being sung by a minority of the support last night? Perhaps that is a debate worth having, after all many will have their reasons for singing what they did last night, and those who tried to drown them out will also wish to share their own, as such feel free to open that debate in the comment sections below.
They then go on to proudly sing some Wolfe Tones songs not realising that Wolfe Tone was a Protestant Irish republican freedom fighter.
They made Celtic fans look and sound as stupid as Rangers fans. Well done guys! Bravo!!! 👏👏👏— Scottsman78 🍀 (@Scottsman1978) March 15, 2022
My own position is simple, much of our support is drawn from all spectrums of any perceived religious divide. Differing political opinions are what makes the world go round, however religious intolerance at Celtic means pitting Celtic supporter against Celtic supporter, even if that is not the intended target. And that simply cannot be palatable for a support who knows how it feels to bear the brunt of such intolerance and if we ever hope to challenge it.
Niall J
With our new exciting team developing a great winning mentality in what we thought was going to be a transitional season, it’s really disappointing to hear a few songs reappearing that should have been left back in the 80s along with footballs racism, sexism and violence.
— RhebelRhebel (@RhebelRhebel) March 15, 2022
As Rhebel Rhebel says, songs like this should be left back in the 80’s when the political map was very different from today. However, although you rightly stated that it’s a minority, let’s not kid ourselves that we don’t know who they are. The GB & NC do a lot of good, but they are the ones belting out IRA and Wolfetone songs throughout and subsequently bringing down the great name of Celtic & it’s true supporters. We can’t stand on the moral high ground against the racist across the city, when we have our own idiots who’s supplying them with ample ammo. Everyone expects it from them, but not from us, and this is why it’s being highlighted so much. Good people are sick of it and it’s time these idiots should shut up and choose from the plethora of Celtic songs to sing. Leave the IRA & hymns for other concerts & Mass, and support Celtic as a football club only. It needs self policing, but everyone knows it’s the GB & NC. #Stop the Shame
Depressing, and simply unnecessary. What do the alternative lyrics add, except to sully our reputation?
W e are supposed to be better than this. The idea that we could sink, towards the level of the Ibrox support, by any degree, hurts my heart, but this is about us and what we represent as a support, and that’s what hurts even more.
If we care about our club and the world we want to live in, the Celtic support’s self-policing should take effect now. It should be called out and stopped
I have supported Celtic since I was 5 years old when they won the European cup on my 5th birthday, I am now 59. My Father let me support them as he was happy for me to find a club of my own. His was Third Lanark. My 2 brothers followed me in to supporting Celtic as is my brothers son. We were all brought up as Protestants even though any faith has long since lapsed. Some of the songs sung have always been a bit of a grind with me, I know many Irish friends who lived through some of the nonsense and can feel their pain and understand them wanting to sing Rebel songs. The younger ones who are singing this stuff will hopefully grow up and realize how polarizing that stuff is, but unfortunately I don’t hold out much hope for that with the whole Ultra’s gang mentality.
It’s so disappointing to hear that stuff being belted out with gusto. I’m originally from Ayrshire and in our mid to late teens a group of us would follow Celtic home and away. We were all “protestants”.
When I was even younger I was confused about that catholic narrative so asked my dad why he took me and my brothers to see Celtic. He replied “Because I love football and Celtic are the best team”.
I have no truck with religion but have respect for those who’s faith is important to them. Bigotry and sectarianism though, is a stain on those Celtic fans who project it, and on wider society.
Hail Hail.
They make me sick and disgusted every time I here those awful songs. Maybe they should sing one of the Wolf Tones other songs about the brave Protestant men who gave their lives for Irish freedom.
The Republican movement started with Thee Wolfe Tone.
As they say “if you know your history” obviously these morons just spout anything out without actually knowing any history at all .
Jock Stein would be turning in his grave last night listening to that garbage .
Sadly…very sadly there’s an element of our support with a very different view of what’s acceptable than the vast majority. These songs have re-surfaced in recent weeks however that attitude has been festering for a while now. We had issues of unacceptable & threatening behavior away in Germany with some attached to the Ultra section of support. Celtic fans up until now have self policed brilliantly however for whatever reason this section of support seems unwilling to do likewise. Needs sorting!!
Do they not realise Wolfe Tone was a Protestant? They confuse Protestant with Loyalist. There are many Church of Ireland Protestants living in the Republic. Are they less Irish?
Watch James English and his interview with former IRA blanket man Sam Millar. He explains sectarianism from a republican viewpoint. He said he would defend the Protestant people of the North if they were victimised because of their religion or political views. He said he hates sectarianism in all its forms.
How do the people singing republican songs justify the sectarian nature of other songs?
According to Millar you can’t be republican and hold sectarian views.
Watch the show though Millar has an incredible story to tell.
We have to cut this out. Thickness, stupidity and the failure of the Scottish educational system will simply not do as any sort of excuse.
“No protestants at all?” About half the support are non-Catholic these days! And OK, Celtic would manage without me…but it would have been a struggle without Jock Stein and Henrik Larsson!
Cut it out! It reduces us to the level of others whom we rightly despise.
I would like to echo all the points made before this one. I wonder how many of those bright young things who were singing that stuff were practising Catholics? And if you don’t go to Mass on Sunday, then you are not a Catholic
Most of these eejits weren’t even born at the time of the Good Friday agreement, and even fewer everdarken the inside of a church.