Celtic Discussion

[Macy]

FFS - Threads like this turn me into more of an anti-celtic than I was.... People's minds aren't going to be changed, so can we please drop this sh!te?

[Colm]

Originally posted by Conor74
The anti-Rovers vibe transferring to other teams in hoops, including Celtic and Sporting Lisbon?

You could be onto something there Conor!

[Mayo_Bhoy]

Phew! Finally got to the end os this thread and want to make a few points.

1. i'm a Irish Celtic supporter but the Irish team comes first always and as such am disgusted withe recent incidents of booing Rangers or even worse ex rangers palyers. At an OF game, fine anything goes but what it's got to do with an Irish game is beyond me.
I can understand the frustration that non Celtic fans feel about this. Some of these morons are a disgrace not only to Ireland but also to Celtic.

2. Started following QPR when i was about 6 or 7 for a reason that i can still not fathom. About the same time as me and my mates became interested in English football (via MOTD and Big Match) we for whatever reason latched onto Celtic as well. (Maybe cos the older lads would be taliking about them?) Though we rarely got to see any actual coberage of the scottish game we'fd always look out for their result. Growing up in Mayo in a strong GAA house there was little or no mention of the domestic league. We had heard of Sligo and Shamrock Rovers but they might as well have been in Greece for all they meant to us. Though my Dad did take me to the Showgrounds when i was about 8 to see Rovers play the hoops in a a cup game (had the pleasure (?) of seeing Dunphy play) we had or felt no connection with any LoI teams. That i feel was mainly the fault of the soccer authorities as there was little or no media coverage of the league and no attempt whatsoever at marketing of the league. Whatever it was about Celtic - the colours, Irish connection, songs etc. they have always been close to my heart and i cannot or will not apologise for that.

3. Someone mentioned about The Boys of the Old Brigade been sung before Packies testimonial. Well so what it's an Irish song and i've often heard it on away trips. Even saw Denis Irwin and David Kelly belt it out standing on a bar i Orlando the night after Holland knockked us out in '94.

4. The point about Celtic jerseys at Irish games is ridiculous. Don't you also see Offaly, Limerick, Fermanagh GAA shirts and those old Liverpool away shirts. I have also seen Sporting Lisbon, Hibs and Real Betis jerseys worn. It's the colour stupid. If Man U had a green away jersey i'd see no problem in some one wearing one. I do not see Celtic and Ireland as two halves of the one coin but count myself lucky to be a fan of both. That the songs, colours and travelling supporters sometimes overlap all the better.

[belfastduncer]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Tom Peppers
[B]
You cant change a leopards spots and no matter what you say nothing s gonna change that fact. And the majority of so called anti celtic fans are just envious. And for the record i do support an eircom league and go to games regularly. But blaming celtic fans for being celtic fans is just not fair.

I don't think Gary was blaming Celtic fans for being Celtic fans, he was questioning the appropriateness of sectarian behaviour. If by saying that a leopard can't change it spots are you admitting that Celtic fans are institutionally sectarian? I doubt it as I know many, many Celtic fans here in Scotland who I am proud to have as very good friends but that doesn't diminish the morons who disgrace both sides of the OF.
I'm a Rangers fan who cringes at some of the sh*t that our fans come out with, but at Norn' Iron games we have almost wiped out the "SuperProd", mentality previously displayed by too many numbskulls wearing Rangers tops. I totally agree with GSpain that International games, north or south, are no place for the excesses of Glasgow's 'finest'. Quite what this second hand allegiance has to do with supporting your country defeats me, and there are way too many of these people on both sides of the border.
Nothing against Rangers tops, I have many myself, but they belong at Ibrox, not Windsor Park.
I must say I was enjoying Scotsman's comntribution until he ruined it all by claiming that Airdrie have a large following. No Scottish club outside the big two has a following above English First Divsion standard, and without the big two some SPL sides would be Irish League sized in crowds.

[Gary]

I was working in the offy there last week and this feen of around 50 walks in. He was wearing an FAI t Shirt. On closer inspection, i noticed a Celtic crest there as well, with the slogan beneath

For club and for country

I was shocked and sickened. I had heard of these t shirts but i thought it was a joke.


Galsgow is not in Irealnd. Celtic are not an Irish club.

END OF STORY

[Bosco]

He was shocked that it was an fai t-shirt.I say these on sale in galway and i've e-mailed the fai about it and about them selling celtic jerseys in the fai shop in lansdowne but I havn't got a reply and i doubht i will

[Scotsman]

Hi people this arguement could go on for years and years and years.

Why waste time and energy.

Celtic does have a large Irish following as well as a large Scottish following.

That is matter of fact.

You are questioning things that cannot be changed - It is good to question though and not accept just anything.

We Scots question things like this - Why all the tri-colours and few Saltires? - Why Rangers fans wear England tops and wave Ulster flags?

We all know why and this is the society unfortunately we live in.

People can wave flags, sing the songs at the games and be completely different outside of these by having friends from both sides of the divide.

Example - My Brother-In Law had his baby's christening in an Orange Hall.

Me being a Catholic and a Celtic fan went with no probs - He held his Son beside a picture of King Billy (I didn't like that right enough as get the youngsters away from that crap) but nearly ALL his best friends are Catholics and Celtic fans - His best man was a Catholic.

He held his Son up at King Billy's picture to feel more of a Rangers fan I feel - Just like some people have an affiliation with Ireland so they feel closer to Celtic.

Mental but that's the way it is.

Que Sera.

About my comment of Airdrie having a large support - I didn't mean excessive amount of fans but the fans they have a large for a team of Airdrie and are fanatical fans.

I know I'm originally from Airdrie.

On a non-football note I watched Gangs Of New York the other night and I have to say I was disgusted the way the Irish were treated from these so-called Natives.

Anyway don't want to drag it on too much - Everyone on here has a valid point and good luck to you all and take care.

Robert

[Gary]

To be fair rab, i dont think anyone here questions ur support of Celtic, what the point is, is why do irish ppl blindly support them?

poor ol Peter Madsen.

[karl67]

If your interested in the Irish national team check out www.thepeoplesflag.com there's a few pics from the Scotland Ireland friendy from earlier in the year there aswell......
Slan
karl@thepeoplesflag.com

[Gary]

Originally posted by Silvio Dante
Where are you getting the blind support thing from? I'm fourth generation Celt. I will hand it down to the next generation aswell.

HAIL HAIL ! ! !

What a fool you are. Fourth Generation?????

[Scotsman]

The point is being missed here.

If Irish folk want to support Celtic then let them do so.

If Scottish folk want to support and Irish team then let them do so.

If Scottish and Irish folk want to support English then let them do so.

People have the right to support who they choose.

Live and let live.

Thanks

Robert

[gspain]

Originally posted by Scotsman
The point is being missed here.

If Irish folk want to support Celtic then let them do so.

If Scottish folk want to support and Irish team then let them do so.

If Scottish and Irish folk want to support English then let them do so.

People have the right to support who they choose.

Live and let live.

Thanks

Robert

I personally have no problem with Irish people supporting sides
from other countries although I'd prefer if they supported an Irish side. Personally I've gone to watch football in numerous countries and that includes 2 Scottish premier division games last season. I call myself a supporter of a premiership club although my last home game was 3.5 years ago and I'd always support an Irish side against them in Europe.

Robert the issue most people here have with Celtic is that some Celtic fans hurl sectarian abuse and boo Rangers or ex Rangers players at Irish games.

Hence the dislike and anti Celtic feelings among Irish fans.

I've no doubt that there are equally boneheaded Rangers fans and they come to Lansdowne Road pretend to be Irish fans and abuse ex Celtic players then they'll feel our wrath as well.

[Jam]

Support who you like. Couldn't care less.

There is a difference in Irish fans supporting Celtic than those that support an English team in that some people think Celtic is Irish or Ireland .

Celtic is a Scottish club from Glasgow. They play in the SPL, they represent Scotland in Europe. When they get to the final of the UEFA it is the Scottish coefficient that benefits not the Irish one.

Many of their fans may wave Irish flags but there are reasons for this - pre-war in Northern Ireland and the rise of the IRA this wasn't as popular. It is in a huge part the sectarianism of western Scotland and Northern Ireland. The other side of all this is the British/unionist/loyalist mirror of Rangers. Scotland, and I mean Scotland as the nation and the, hopefully to be independent nation state, is virtually invisible in this divide. But both are still Scottish even though in many aspects they are part of Scotland's shame.

I think some of the Irish fans think it is Celtic fans that boo Rangers players at Irish games. I'm in the Tartan Army and I can vouch for that although I wouldn't know if it's Irish people or east end of Glasgow guys that follow Ireland, some of whom aren't any more Irish than me (I'm 3rd generation Irish but consider myself to be Scottish not Irish - why should I when I'm so clearly not? ).

I've said before some in the Tartan Army are hostile to Rangers and Celtic fans because of their lack of Scottish identity even to the extent of taking the pish ootae the ones that follow Scotland - which seems a bit counter-productive as they seem to be the good guys in my opinion.

Similarly, the guys that follow Celtic here at least follow Ireland. So that is surely a good thing?

I suppose if I was Irish I would instinctively lean towards my home team (yer hame team is yer ain team ) rather than Celtic and I do find it a bit peculiar. However, it's a great ground, a fantastic atmosphere, it has historical links to the Irish who came to Scotland and I'd imagine Scotland doesn't seem that foreign to Irish people anyway (Ireland seems similar to Scotland to me in a lot ways) so I can uinderstand why they feel a kind of belonging there.

[Scotsman]

Excellent post Jam.

I applaud you.

Rangers fans who used to go the Scotland games booed their own players because they played for Celtic.

This I think has died off but I was at the Belguim V Scotland game and a section of Rangers fans gave Joos Valgaren more grief than anyone on the pitch and that was before a ball was even kicked.

Swing and roundabouts.

Scotland and Ireland do have some similarities and unfortunatley bigotry is one of them.

Alot of Celtic fans support Ireland and alot Rangers fans suport England.

Also bear in mind alot of Celtic fans are patriotic Scots like myself and suport Scotland and not Ireland.

I like to see Ireland do well though, but in a Scotland V Ireland game I'd support Scotland.

We can change this by showing these people the benefits but not putting them down.

Thanks

Robert

[gspain]

Quite a few Scottish Celtic fans in both ends at the Feb friendly at Hampden.

My own view is that many Old Firm fans do not really follow any national side. When Rangers play the like sof Dundee and Killie they ar emet with Saltires and "Flower of Scotland" and the response is normally England shirts, Rule Britanna & union jacks. Interesting article in the latest Four Four Two on this.

I can't recall too many if any Scots travelling to watch Ireland - apart from 20 Celtic fans at the Niall Quinn testimonial (presumably en route back from Tony Adams test the previous night). We have a large travelling group of English based fans and a number from Northyern Ireland in recent years although the English tend to be 2nd or 1st generation Irish rather than further back as in Scotland where the emigration happened 100+ years ago.

Never a problem between the scots and the Irish.

Celtic's support in the Republic is very much a new thing even growing considerably this year with tv coverage of league games and the UEFA Cup run. However it has also attracted the sectarian element of RoI society which typically would not have followed football.

[nlgbbbblth]

Interesting thread
I never had any time for Celtic or Rangers and the bigotry that goes with it

The explosion in Celtic jersies is really sickening though. What a scummy bunch of p r i c k s.
The whole expectancy Irish : therefore must support the Beggars is complete rubbish

Someone bring a banner to Lansdowne for the Australia match and make it say "THIS IS DUBLIN NOT GLASGOW YOU BIGOTED ARSEHOLES"

expect any Aussie with a Rangers connection ie Moore to be booed.

Saw a great retort at the work canteen before the UEFA.
Mr A: I presume you'll be supporting the Bhoys tonight? It would be great if they won. what with the Irish connection and all
Mr B: I don't support Celtic. I don't support the armed struggle.

[Scotsman]

This shouldn't be but hey what can we do??

Celtic got absolutely hammered by Man utd last nigt!!

[joe]

Originally posted by Silvio Dante
I officially nominate this as Bullsh*t post of the year so far....

just in case you don't know, you're allowed nominate yourself for such awards too

[Jam]

thought I'd post a link to the 4-4-2 article about the changing faces of the tartan army (a guy on the TA website scanned it in)

http://www.t-army.com/cgi-bin/ikonbo...=12&topic=5315

the interest here is how the TA changed from having an OF fan base (particularly Rangers) to a small club fan base which is more nationalist (patriotic and with their vote) and is sometimes anti-OF (seen as anti-Scottish by some - particularly anti-Rangers).

Seems to me that the anti-Celtic thing here has some links in that supporters of Eircom sides see their sides as Irish and Celtic as not (which is fact basically) but more importantly don't like the links being made between Celtic and Ireland (which is a matter of opinion..

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it..

Robert - I follow Scotland home and away at every game and that stuff died out over 20 yrs ago.. At the big games i.e. belgium away you get the odd idiot but I wouldn't say they come from particularly clubs - they're just a*seholes. The hardcore of the TA is outward looking, friendly and wouldn't be seen dead indulging in that kind of behaviour.

Apologies - I know this is an Irish board..

[Scotsman]

Hi Jam so are you saying that the TA does not give Celtic players any grief now and that in actual fact are more Anti-Rangers??