To you Celtic Football Club, I say: Never!

Occasional Ostrich

Thanks, Rob, for drawing this one to my attention.

Richard Calhoun

They should not be allowed in the Premiership because they have nothing to offer!!
The other problem would be the increase in crowd violence if they should become part of the ENGLISH premiership.
The Irish football scene sounds a great idea.

Lupus Lungfish

Another good reason to kick the Scots out of the Union then.

Pam Nash

Even Celtic must have supporters who serve/have served/ or who have relatives who serve/have served in the armed forces. Wonder what they thought - and will they raise it with the club's hierarch?

The whole thing is a disgrace.

Mr Eugenides

Hoho, just you wait, Rod; a great horde of faux-Hibernian outrage is about to be unleashed in this comments section...

hiro

Both of 'em love it though, don't they. It gives them some sort of weird identity kick. They love the violence, the bigotry, the myths, the symbols, the macho nonsense. I bet a little part of them dies when they see peace come bit by bit in NI. I bet they secretly think, "Bugger - I wish it would get worse again."

Sean R

Let the people sing their stories and their songs, just what the brave men who fought in WW1 and WW2 fought for and for which all Celtic supporters are thankful for..
This poppy day was not just about these wars though, unfortunately we are now being TOLD to wear a poppy for ALL conflicts, this includes the war in the six counties of Ulster when many innocent people lost their lives, including family and friends of many Celtic supporters, they were killed by the British army, they were killed by collusion between the British government, forces and loyalist paramilitary groups, yet we are told to wear a poppy and stand silent for the very people who killed our family and friends, would you?
And to Mr Liddle - the day you assaulted your pregnant girfriend is the day you lost the right to comment on anyone else's faults.

SSM

Well done Rod. Unbelievably the Scottish media have barely commented on this - in fact Times' journalist Graham Speirs turned Celtic's disgrace into yet another pop at Rangers - see his bewildering comments today on the web. It seems even when Celtic misbehave, its Rangers fault!!!

Tiberius

Well with England apparently on a collision course with oblivion, why not let its top flight of football join in the fun.

But let's not be bigoted over this; if we let Celtic in, it would be racist not to allow Sporting Jihadi and Lisbon-Treaty United in too, although I'm sure there will always be a sound reason to exclude Zionist Wanderers into anything requiring fair play.

Andrew Quinn

A bit rich coming from a Milwall fan. And a Geordie one to boot. Talk about the worst of both worlds.

butcherboy

Mr Lungfish

I'm at a loss why the disgusting behaviour of a bunch of "plastic" paddies should see the Scots removed from the Union.

The Scots had no problem observing the sacrafice made by their fellow countrymen.....and yes I do mean the British.

John McAnespie

Is a song about an unarmed young boy murdered by British soldiers for no reason other than a spot of fun is a "rebel" song......then god bless the rebels. The mass Irish support within the Celtic fanbase should not be made to honour the folk who slaughtered Aiden McAnespie.

Jez

Did you get that text as well?

Clydebank Gerry

You are entitled to your opinion Rod. I don't suppose it matters if some of your facts are wrong ie the main ones. Celtic FC has many problems but bigotry and sectarian hatred are not their problem. You won't hear songs of bigotry or sectarianism among its support very often because for the last 15 years the club has actively tried to make it stop. They have not been eradicated completely but are non existent at Celtic Park and are a rare occurence at away grounds despite sometimes severe racist and bigoted provocation. You will hear it among the Rangers supporters because that club has not yet attempted to take on its fans in this regard. That's why Rangers will be punished by UEFA again and again. The Celtic and Rangers "two sides of the same coin" defence presented by you is of no help to Rangers and is not borne out by the facts. Once the denial is ended Rangers might be in a position to do something about their terrible problem.

The Govanhill Gub

I am truly mockraged at this article!

Astronaut

Ach at least get your facts right before publishing rubbish. Yawn.

Henrik's Tongue

Was this article about Celtic's 'sectarian' fans written by the same Rod Liddle who wrote in The Sunday Times on May 18, 2008, following the Rangers v Zenit UEFA Cup Final: "For good sectarian reasons (I don’t like Celtic) I was cheering on Rangers at first"?
I think we should be told.

Baron Pipin II

Does one detect a crumb of envy here? The moronic bigots of Celtic in the Premiership, whilst the MFC plods in League One.

Long live and prosper Arsenal, the only club that deserves the 'beautiful game' badge.

Mark H.

I wish Celtic and its fans were only as well behaved and respectful as those of your beloved Milwall. Scum.

kat Starsky

Well, I am a celtic fan through and through, and two of my younger cousins are over in Afghanistan right now. And my boyfriend, also a celtic fan has recently returned having taken a bullet in the leg!

I pray for the day there is peace in northern Ireland, as does every celtic AND rangers fan I know. My fathers side of the family are die hard Rangers fans and my newphew has been a mascot at Ibrox.

These bigots are by far a minority from either side of the old firm, the majority of us take the whole 'divide' no more seriously than we would any other mocking insult... its 'banter'!

the media report on these situations and rightly so! but then certain people feel its there place to tar us all with the same brush. As if there are not mindless idiots supporting EVERY club! Especially those clubs in ENGLAND!

was it not only a few weeks ago london came to a stand still because of West Ham and Millwall fans??? and what about the mindless ENGLAND 'supprters' who thinks its a great idea to travel the world just to trash whatever city their country happens to be playing in! just the other day i watched as a pub full of Arsenal fans sang and abused at the 'Yido Scum' of tottenham!

my point is this, dont just jump on band wagons, people in glass houses shouldnt throw stones!

Nikki

Mr Liddle you obviously have leanings towards Rangers, Scotland's True Shame who have tarnished our great country for over 100 years. May I suggest you look up the difference between politics and sectarianism as your lack of educational and your simple blind bigotness knows nothing.

Glasgow Celtic have been highly commended the World over for their friendliness whereas Rangers wreak havok and hatred wherever they go.

Now I have presented you with facts not defection of blame like your brethren.

Nikki

Stuart Davidson

@Lupus Lungfish, The problem with a large section of the Celtic support is that they do not think of themselves as Scots. They will tell you that they are Irish or Scots-Irish, whatever that's supposed to be.

The supporters of the 41 other Scottish league clubs managed to remain silent so don't tar us all with the same brush.

Theobolde Wolfe Tone

I believe the song that was sung by Celtic fans referred to a young man called Aidan McAnespie. Mr McAnespie had no links to Republicans in N.Ireland but was mysteriously shot by the British Army whilst crossing at a border checkpoint. It may not please Rod but, a large minority of Celtic fans are from the nationalist community, and therefore would have nothing but contempt for the army after their inglorious stay in the Province. Rod also forgets to state that he himself is a follower of Glasgow Rangers for purely 'sectarian reasons,.

Patrick De Valera

Rod, was writing that more fun even better than pulling your rod? A truly dignified piece of writing. I particularly like the picture of the fatuous hate filled bigot to the side.

Hi Munless

Oh dear Rob you are hurting at the moment. First the Times and then this.
Given your previous musings that you support Rangers for "sectarian reasons" then your rant makes sense.
Oh and there was no reported singing inside the stadium and the silence was respected. But why bother about facts Rob.

Johnny

rod liddle the avid MILWALL supporter a team supported by the most disgusting of racist bile spewing hooligans... the irony is unbelievable. you are a hypocryte and a fool liddle look closer to home before having a go at other team fans you muppet.

kevin

while singing during a minutes silence is always going to be a disrespectful act.

the song in question ,Aidan McAnespie is not an ira song .it is a song about a man murdered in cold blood by the british army while going about his business

Carson1912

Lupus Lungfish : Most of the Celtic support do not consider themselves British,

Others within Scotland are very unionist and patriotic, Please do not tar us with the same brush as these mundless moronic lowlife scum who support Celtic

J

Dear oh dear Rodney, where do I start with this one.

Okay, yes, there was some singing from outside the ground, and yes it was an embarassment to most Celtic fans, but how about a wee bit of perspective?

The singing was a protest from about two dozen politically motivated youngsters outside the ground who felt (misguidedly IMO) that they were making their protest against the glorification of militarism and imperialism that has hijacked Remeberance Day. You fail to mention that they were massively outnumbered by the 2 thousand or more Celtic fans inside the ground who observed the silence impeccably.
Secondly the so called "rebel song" you accuse them of singing does not in fact offer support for the IRA or incite violence against against anyone - it was in fact a lament about a young lad who was shot dead by the British Army while crossing a checkpoint and the subsequent alleged cover-up that wrote it off as an accident.

But hey, why let details and truth get in the way of a bit of good old fashioned hatemongering. Keep up the good work Rodders, as long as there are rabid right-wingers like yourself ranting away it's a piece of cake for us lefties to shoot holes in your arguments for fun.

Paul

Few points:
1 - "Celtic supporters sung Irish “rebel” songs during the one minute’s Remembrance Day silence before the kick off of their game at Falkirk". Aiden McAnespie isnt a rebel song, its a song about an innocent civilian shot dead by the British Army.

2- "bigoted and filled with sectarian hatred." To what religion do Celtic as a club discriminate ? Protestants ? 25% of the fan base is from a Protestant background.

3- "Incidentally, Celtic could only draw with the bottom club, Falkirk. Mr De Valera, your bhoys are useless" Yes, and clubs like Liverpool overcome top class oppostion like Brum and Sunderland.

The fact is, you are scared of 2 giant clubs like celtic and rangers moving to the premiership, we would be on a level playing field financially and would attract bigger crowds and big players. We have already proved ourselves against the top english teams and thats with a major financial difference

Graham Scott

Because of the actions of a small minority at the ground, doesn't mean to say the whole club feels the same about the way these idiots acted. because thats all it was a minority. "bigoted and filled with sectarian hatred" how can this be when since the day the club opened its doors its been open to one and all no matter race, origin or religion and still remains. i'm on the celtic forums a lot, and 99% of the people on there feel disgusted by these mindless peoples actions. so before you start shaming the supporters as a whole, also do you forget that a lot of these people are catholics and/or irish/irish ansestry and choose not to remember? celtic fans are NOT violent why do you always cut us and rangers fans from the same cloth when we're cleary not. we're the only club in the world to be awarded by fifa and uefa of the behaviour of fans, so think again mate.

A proud Scot

you sir are a bigot

drew roberton

how refreshing to know that there are journalists out there prepared to tell it as it is.

Frank

Nothing "bigoted" about not wanting to endorse professional murderers, you hypocrit.

fairplaycsc

Mr Liddle
Unfortunately you have again let your own prejudices cloud reality.
Did you not publish in your Sunday Times column in aftermath of the UEFA Cup Final riots in Manchester that you did not like Celtic ‘...for good sectarian reasons’? Your words, not mine.
Can any sectarian reason be good?
Sadly a very small section of so called ‘Celtic fans’ – by all accounts approximately 30 in total – did protest outside the stadium on Sunday. These individuals are not representative of the vast, vast majority of real Celtic fans – thousands of whom did honour the minutes silence - ’impeccably’ – as reported by BBC Scotland.
Celtic have always been a club for all – regardless of creed, race or belief.
Tragically you appear to be driven by your own self confessed ‘sectarianism’ in targeting Celtic and trying to tarnish the reputation of this club – a club with a world renowned reputation for having one of the best sets of fans in the world (UEFA and FIFA have both awarded Celtic fans with this title in recent years).

Peter Carmichael

Can you tell me when FIFA said that Rangers fans (quite rightly) were racist hate filled fans for sing songs about the Battle of the Boyne? Is that not in Ireland? Why don't Rangers go and play there? No money to get across?

'MonTheHoops

1. For A Start. The Rebel Singing Was outside The Ground.

2. I, and many more of the Celtic support, Don't Condone Any Interruptions of any kind during a minutes silence. Nor any pro IRA Singing.

3. You Call Celtic Scotland's Shame, Fair Enough We Have A Section Of Support That Support The IRA/PIRA etc., but apart from the singing, where is there evidence of US being Scotlands Shame?
Rangers deserve that title. Rioting In Manchester, Near-Rioting In Bucharest (To Name 1 or 2), Racist Singing/Chants Against Irish, Asain and African immagrints Including Their Own team (Edu) and the most pathetic and ironic of all, nazi salutes.
If they are the 'British' club then why disgrace your club and nation by showing Nazi salutes aswell as the racist, fascist attitudes?

My Point Is, Rangers Are Worse Than Us Yet You Seem To See It The Other Way Around. Although It Is Bad That Some Of Our Support Disrupted The Commemoration, We Still Aren't As Bad.

Joe Strummer

I'm surprised at you, Rod, for thinking Celtic and Celtic fans hatred for anything English / British / Protestant is something new. Michael Davitt, of the Irish Fenian terrorist group ( proto IRA ), was given the honour by Celtic FC of laying the centre-turf of their pitch the day the club was formed. The club's Parkhead ground was itself closed down by the SFA in mid-war 1941 after their supporters waved Swastikas in support of Hitler. Poppy-sellers are also barred from Parkhead and servicemen have been attacked near the ground whilst in British Army uniform. Celtic fans made it a point of "honour" to wear Argentina football shirts during The Falklands War. Ex-IRA terrorists are also frequent visitors to Parkhead where racist anti-British songs and anti-Protestant chants are the norm.

We've put with their mindless bigoted hatred for more than a hundred years in Scotland.

Old Flashy

Now it is obvious that you are an English writer Rod, as the press up here are either too shit scared to write about Celtic and their antics or are too busy joining in the rebel songs to care.

And to think that they carry on 'honouring' the IRA week in week out with impunity while my team, the Rangers are hammered for singing what I thought was a witty response in 'the famine's over, why don't you go home?' That made the Scottish front pages and the six o'clock news with karaoke style lyrics along the bottom of the screen so even the deaf could be offended. Meanwhile the Scottish hacks rush to castigate Rangers fans for having the temerity to be outraged at Celtics behaviour at Falkirk.

Tom Kelly

First of all the song which was sung is called "Aidan Mcanespie", a young man who was shot dead while walking to a game of gaelic football. He had no involvment with the IRA, however he was a Celtic fan. The soldier than carried out this deed left the army unpunished and the investigation reports have never been allowed to be released. Clearly this "writer" has a deep hatred for the club, which is obviously conveyed in this pretty poor article. The fact that you also have an anti-catholic bigot as your display picture shows how unbalanced your argument is. I never saw these articles when Hearts and rangers supporters booed the death of Pope John Paul II. The poppy symbol has now been hijacked by the government to be used as a tool to gain support for the recent illegal conflicts in which men and women have chosen to be part of, chosen being the key word. The minute silence should have been respected however i was against having the poppy forced upon the celtic strip due to it being a symbol of Imperialism and murder. Over 1 million Iraqis have dies in the Iraq war and countless civilians have been murdered, yet these people are called heroes for carrying out the atrocities. The same institution that shot Twenty-seven civil rights protesters, 14 of whom died. They have occupied these countries under the cover of "democracy" and "protecting british peoples rights", this could not be further from the truth. I for one have always remembered the men and women who lost there lives in world war one and two, however, i will not show respect or gratitude to those in recent conflicts.

Paddy McNeil

rod, just have a think to yourself next time you decide to publish an article. It seems that you have once again got your facts wrong and maybe you should write from experience of attending the match instead of what you have heard! The silence was observed by everyone inside the stadium and it was only a small margin of fans who protested outside. Whilst everyone involved is ashamed, your attempts to drag the club through the mud will not work. This is NOT a regular theme at celtic park unlike the fortnightly chants at ibrox stadium, which indulge in vile abuse regularly.

Fraser Campbell

Well well, preached to by a Millwall fan? A Millwall fan who (self-confessed) supports Rangers for quote: "sectarian reasons"?

The stench of hypocrisy.

Well Mr Liddle if you had bothered to properly investigate the situation, as any decent journalist should, you would be aware that the MAJORITY of Celtic fans were INSIDE the ground and observed the silence impeccably, as has been stated by just about every other journalist in Scotland. And that the singing came from a small group of protestors from outside Falkirks stadium. Moreover it wan't even a pro-IRA song. It was a song about an Irishman, not involved with the IRA, who was killed on his way to a Gaelic football game by the British Army (Google - Adian McAnespie).

But hey, dont let facts get in the way.

Ross

Well said Rod. This point was not picked up by anyone in the Scottish media. It appears so called journalists north of the border have no backbone on this issue.

Stephen

I would like to point out to Mr Liddle,that his facts are wrong,the minutes silence inside Falkirks game was observed immpeccably ,there were bo "rebel songs sung" there were about 30 people outside the ground singing Celtic songs

Apology please mr Liddle to celtic fc and there fans is the least you can do

Wilhelm

In the same week that Nick Griffin, president of the BNP was invited onto Question Time.

Alex Massie went Cecil B Demented and squeeled from the roof tops.

But nothing much was said when IRA man who planted the Brighton bomb , who wasnt sorry about it, was invited to westminster.

Not a cheep out of the Spectator, Fraser Nelson probably couldnt tear himself away from his mirror.

john coltrane

why can every other irishman who was at games through out england keep quiet for one little minute, but the more irish than the irish celtic fans cant?...very strange indeed.
still if they were quiet it would have been breaking the habit of a lifetime, they didnt intruduce the minute applause at celtic for the good of there health.

G Souness

Well done Rod for having the courage to write an insightful, witty and scornful but, more importantly, truthful article about the shameful behaviour of the Celtic supporters.

However, I hope you have good double-glazing as the Celtic fans are not known for taking such criticism lightly!

Also, be prepared for an influx of them to your Comments section telling us (or rather, boring us) about how "those pyoor Rangers orange bigots are much worser than us an 'at no! They're pure racist an sectarian so they ur! We're pyoor oppressed an 'at no! It was jist fur the craic! It was only wan guy!"

Albu Gu Brath

The majority of fans are embarassed by the minority who sing these "folk" songs. That aside Mr Liddle loves to try and wind us up.

The question to ask is why would we care what the opresser has to say?

P.s Lupus, were working on it!

Concerned

Liddle,
Do you know the meaning of sectarian?
Furthermore, the song being sung(the only one I could make out on TV) was that commemorating Aiden McAnespie, an innocent man shot dead while walking in his hometown, a rebel song? No.
Please, if you are going to commentate on Celtic FC, please do a little research, although I doubt that is necsessary for you as your last line proves and that your only reason for writing this nonsense is to take a swipe at Celtic and to score points with people caught up in the emotion of the remembrance circus.

bigpaul

Bandwagon jumper Mr Liddle? at least get your facts right. The minutes silence was observed perfectly by all Celtic fans inside the stadium. The singing of "Aiden McAnespie" was picked up from fans outside the ground. This song is that of an innocent boy killed by British troops in NI. Please feel free to research the incident.
In keeping with the recent bout of Poppy Facism and the hi-jacking of this charity and remembrance by right wing neo facist groups including followers of a certain football team from Glasgow who wear blue, we are subjected to the type of bullying and facism that the real people whom the poppy appeal was meant to help fought against. Now in Scotland at least it is being used as a point scoring episode by the Scottish Media and right wing propagandists.

jj

thank you for taking the courage to write about this,the media in Scottland wont.

Robert McIlkenny

You are correct Rod, some Celtic fans stayed outside Falkirk's stadium on Sunday because they did not want to take part in the minute's silence. And yes, in a very roundabout way you are also correct about why they did not take part in the silence - they were outside because they did not want to pay their respects to the murderers of many Irishmen during the most recent phase of the conflict in 'Northern Ireland' (not to mention the scores of innocent Aghans murdered on a weekly basis by 'our boys'). And yes, a very small minority sung a song. And yes, it was about 'The Troubles' in Ireland. The song they sang is called Aiden McAnespie and tells the story of an innocent young man who was shot dead while walking to meet his friends at a football match. He was murdered by a British soldier from an Army watch-tower. It is certainly not a song about 'how good the IRA were' (though it may point to some of the grievances that drove thousands of young Irishmen into that organisation); in fact, it's a song about a young man being murdered by one of 'our boys' - you know, those ones we are all supposed to stand in silence for (as much anyway, as my grandfathers who fought in World War Two).

You're also correct that Celtic - in the words of Celtic plc - are 'proud of their Irish heritage', and many Celtic fans are drawn from Ireland or the wider Irish diaspora. I would have thought such an able mind as yours and such an insightful publication as The Spectator could have at least understood why some in the Celtic support would be opposed to a minute's silence, or the poppy being incorporated onto the Celtic shirt. Instead you have resorted to the most base and hate-filled of commentaries - you may as well have said 'f**k off to Ireland'. Like every other Celtic fan I know, I'm more than happy to stand in silence for those who fought totalitarianism. I, like many within the Celtic support (and outwith it too) would however, rather not stand and participate in any silence for the murderers of countless innocent Irish men, woman and children or the torturers of Baha Mousa and those who terrorise at the point of a gun in Afghanistan.

If you are going to write articles on football fans who oppose the poppyification of society then at least be a little better informed in future.

WEE MOOSE

tell me why was the celtic support singing aiden mcanespie
during the 1 min silence he was irish celtic are supposetly scots (aye righ)other songs sung that day a good traditional footy song go on home british soldiers, boys of the old brigade, a wolfe tone classic paradise, with the line oh a up the ra! ....celtic support are bigoted just need to go down the gallowgate or royston rd to kno that.....
GLASGOW RANGERS QUINTESSENTIAL BRITISH CLUB...PROUD TO SUPPORT OUR BRITISH HEROES

VB Bear

Well said Rod, Celtic FC, BRitain's Shame should move to Ireland since they proclaim it so much. Their bitterness has no place in Scotland or England. BTW why is it that articles such as this only come out of England, in Scotland Celtic FC get away with murder so much so that a certain journalist turned Sunday's disgraceful events into an attack on Rangers supporters, apparently blaming their superiority complex on the reason why the fans of Celtic FC, Britains Shame do what they do. Bizarre. Anyway keep up the good work and say it like it is

Patrick McGoldrick

The fact is that Celtic supporters behaved impeccably during the minute's silence. On the Sky broadcast, not a sound could be heard save one solitary voice, that of a 'Falkirk' fan roaring at the Celtic fans to 'eff off back to Ireland'.

Some Celtic fans outside WERE singing Celtic songs as they queued up to get in through the too few turnstiles that were open. The previous week, Rangers fans, when confronted with a similar situation in Bucharest attacked Romanian stewards. Rangers is the club that Mr Liddle says he supports 'for good sectarian reasons'.

Tit-for-tat whataboutery is tedious at best but The Spectator does itself no service by affording this anti-Catholic, anti-Irish bigot a platform to spout his increasingly extreme views. It makes it difficult for those of us who regularly read the magazine to insist to our disbelieving friends that it is indeed worth reading.

Epic fail, Liddle.

rod seacole liddle

I did not assault my pregnant girlfriend, Sean, you thick idiot. You believe everything you read on Wiki its no wonder you sign up to a deluded version of history. If you want to take this further, I'm more than happy. If not, then fuck off.

And re those Millwall references: yes, another club which gets clobbered for political reasons. Better than Celtic, too.

Timmaloy

Twas on a Sunday evening the sun was in the sky
As he walked his way to the Gaelic pitch never thinking he was going to die
But as he crossed the checkpoint the sound of gunfire came
The news spread through the border town Aiden McAnespie was slain

For years he was harassed by the forces of the crown
As he went to his work every day he left his native town
The soldiers swore they´d get him the reason no one can say
And sure enough they murdered him in cold blood that sunny day

Oh why did you do it?
Have you not the guts to say
You say it was an accident or even a ricochet
But like Loughgall and Gibraltar you´re lies are well renowned
You murdered Aiden McAnespie on his way to the Gaelic ground

The people heard the gunfire they came from miles around
They saw that young man lying there dying on the ground
His flow of life was ebbing fast and people they tried their best
That bullet wound it was far to deep it went right through his chest

Oh why did you do it?
Have you not the guts to say
You say it was an accident or even a ricochet
But like Loughgall and Gibraltar you´re lies are well renowned
You murdered Aiden McAnespie on his way to the Gaelic ground

Aidens life had ended it was time for judgement day
The soldier he jumped down from the tower and the coward he slipped away
God´s curse on you Britannia for this cruel deed you´ve done
But God will have his final say when your judgement day it comes

Oh why did you do it?
Have you not the guts to say
You say it was an accident or even a ricochet
But like Loughgall and Gibraltar you´re lies are well renowned
You murdered Aiden McAnespie on his way to the Gaelic ground

To say it was an accident is the greatest crime of all
To his heart-broken family the worst had `er befalled
A cross it marks the lonely spot where Aiden was gunned down
As he strolled on that sunny evening on his way to the Gaelic ground

Oh why did you do it?
Have you not the guts to say
You say it was an accident or even a ricochet
But like Loughgall and Gibraltar you´re lies are well renowned
You murdered Aiden McAnespie on his way to the Gaelic ground

where does that state about the IRA... u have the cheek to cll s bigots but u support millwall the biggest scum in europe

Willhelm

Well said Rod. These vermin have been getting a free ride from the media up here for so long now, they implode when someone has the decency to show them for what they are - murdering animals.

Did you know it was all the fault of Rangers fans according to Britney Spiers from the Times?

Watch your windows mate, this lot attack and destroy anything that's British and tells the truth about their monsterous support for terrorism.

Cap doffed to you Sir!

PS Look at the bile from these cretins in every post.

Chris

Rod 'no surrender' Liddle.

Celtic fans: UEFA Fair Play award
Rangers fans: smashing up a city near you.

the voice of truth

clydebank gerry-'You won't hear songs of bigotry or sectarianism among its support ' oh no?hope you die in your sleep nacho novo with a bullit from the ira and new york, dublin donegall soon there will be no Protestants at all (cleaned up version)It's just the craich though boys isn't it ?

Cameron M

Well said Rod! Finally a journalist with the baws to tell the truth.

Baron Pipin II

Serves you right, Rod Seacole, that should have been the last subject to touch.

The thread only re-enforces my deeply held view that every football club, and certainly Celtic and Rangers, should be kicked out, but ARSENAL. The only football club that deserves the ‘beautiful game’ label. They have enough star players to field two excellent teams easily. A pleasure to watch, and none of the bigotry.

begorah

Right boys, before we all pile over to Rod Liddle's piece in The Spectator, let's get our story straight:
1. Remember to repeat "the silence was impeccably observed inside the stadium"
2. tell them about the sweet song sung by a "few supporters outside" regarding a wee little lad on his way to a gaelic football match, murdered by the oppressors.
3. remember to accuse Briddish troops of murdering innocent Afghan civilians
4. keep mentioning that article we told you about where Liddle joked about supporting Rangers
All clear? Let's go

DB1967

Well, first off there was no singing from Celtic fans inside the stadium.

Secondly, the singing was of Aiden McAnespie, a song which does not mention the IRA or anything of the sort, it merely laments an innocent victim shot down for no reason.

But then again, a man who supports Rangers for "sectarian reasons" shouldn't let the facts get in the way of journalism.

The truth is that, after a week of Rangers fans rioting and disgracing their club (only 3 weeks ago they racially abused their own player Maurice Edu), you have decided to try and shift some blame onto Celtic.

Why not Man Utd? Did they have a minute's silence? But you won't criticise them because the crux of your whole argument is to portray Celtic in a bad way.

As for Joe Strummer who said Poppy sellers are banned from Celtic Park. They are not.

Michael Davitt renounced violence after leaving prison, ironically enough so did Nelson Mandela but I bet you wouldn't call him a terrorist.

Servicemen have NEVER been attacked near Celtic Park, to claim they have is a complete and utter lie.

As for the Swastika claim, that is laughable. There is not one bit of evidence for that wild accusation. There are clear pictures of Rangers fans doing nazi salutes though.

Kieran

As an avid Spectator reader and Celtic fan i am exceptionally disheartened by why can only be described as an outrageous post from Mr. Liddle. His personal agenda is clear in every word. Excellent idea to write an article that is critcial or a group of supporters who are probably the best in the world. A club who has never had a sectarian signing policy in its history as opposed to that of Rangers. You should feel ashamed Mr. Liddle.

ferdinand

well , done rod, stir the pot, plenty more of that and watch the comments roll in

billy llyods

ewww ewww ewww backakkk ewwww ewwww urpgh fenian ewwrfdd aRKKK timmy aawwrff arrapeepil aRRukk

Jinty

A truthful journalist at last. You would never be employed in Scotland,. Bye the way, we have media censorship here in Scotland, never anything untoward about Celtic, complete saints all of them.

hadrian

As someone who actually does take his faith seriously ( a Calvinist Presbyterian) I have never had any time for either 'side'- Rangers or Celtic- in the ridiculous football fantasy world and its rank idolatry.
However the sheer disrespect to dead fellow countrymen killed in the line of defence of us ALL beggars belief. We may utterly deplore this war- I do- but that does not mean I thereby have a right to vent unutterably ignorant bigotry at the very moment we should be expressing compassion for lost loved ones. The excuses offered by Celtic supporters simply stink. Whatever the perceived injustices none of it justifies the murderous campaigns of terror, be they IRA, UDA or whatever twisted movements there are in between. These people are mere gangsters who do not hesitate to terrorise even their 'own people'.
By the way, ignorant 'Protestants' who desecrate the Sabbath for the trivialities of football will be as answerable before God as any Roman Catholic. And 'booing the Pope' from sheer visceral ignorance will not save one either from the wrath of Almighty God.

Tiberius

Steady on, Rod, you have to remain above it all.

Bud White

Rod seems a bit touchy. It's a shame though. A once promising career reduced to this.

Still I'm sure the Viagra "research" pays well.

Keith Mitchell

Well said Rod-pity the spineless press pack in Scotland could not put it as accurately or succinctly as your good self!

Big Grizzly

Well Rod. You will now be deemed a bigot. This is what you get by slagging off the self proclaimed "best supporters in the world"
CFC cannot operate without those twisted individuals who glorify terrorism and exacerbate religious differences for their own ends. By using seige mentality they have managed to alienate everyone in Scotland portraying it as a nasty biggoted country by their mock outrage at everything non celtic/catholic.

Michael

Joe Strummer said: "The club's Parkhead ground was itself closed down by the SFA in mid-war 1941 after their supporters waved Swastikas in support of Hitler........."

Lol, are you the head of Ibrox propaganda Joe? Not even the thickest of your support are going to believe that drivel.

Tell us the one about the Celtic Park floodlights guiding the German bombers into Glasgow - the floodlights that were installed 14 years after the war ended - that one always makes me laugh, lol,

Always remember Joe that while players from every other club were dodging bullets the Rangers Shipyard Loyal were dodging rivets....

Denis Richmond

My knowledge of Scottish football is limited. Thanks for publishing this, I am horrified. Firstly that it happened but also by the apologist drivel that has been written in the comments section.
I am now a fan of Glasgow Rangers, where do I buy a scarf?
I am also a (lapsed)Roman Catholic, will that be a problem?

Tom Walalce

What a load of ill informed bigoted nonsense.Please demonstrate ONE sectarian act Celtic have committed in thier entire history.Please look up "sectarian" before answering.

Lazy journalism at its best

Sean

Liddle lost all moral authority to ever criticise anyone quite some time ago. Treat him & his vitriolic bigotry with the contempt it deserves,a joke of a 'man'.

Saul Singleton

To the delude idiots in this column who claim Celtic fans are not racist or bigoted-why do they refer in song to thos of a Rangers ilk as animals(racist), huns(bigoted/racist-take your pick). Mark Walter's debut-say no more! Welcome throughout Europe-try telling that to the people of Blackburn, those who witnessed a shooting in a bar in Amsterdam, the folk at Vogo airport, staff on flight diverted with fighter escort to Cardiff airport, barman glassed in Barcelona etc etc! Ho about opposing players and officials struck by missiles directed by the greatest fans in the world!?

Gazza

In the rebel song posted it says Loughgall and Gibraltar??? These were IRA missions to carry out attacks on british soil fact, they were took out by the SAS so i think we can all see past that excuse of nothing about the IRA.

Max Clifford

I've been watching with interest and I'd appreciate it if you could give me a ring Rodders.

I think you're just the kind of thing we are looking for.

Kris

"Well, I am a celtic fan through and through, and two of my younger cousins are over in Afghanistan right now. And my boyfriend, also a celtic fan has recently returned having taken a bullet in the leg"

Was he tying his shoe at the time?

Alex Galloway

Absolutely spot on. They are Scotlands shame but the cowards in the Scottish media will never report this extensively but would rather supress it.

Non spectator

True, a song about someone shot by British forces was sung (by 'fans' outside the ground) during the minute' silence. It showed little respect to the fans inside the ground who follow Celtic & Falkirk observing the silence. Distasteful though they are, 'IRA songs' are neither sectarian in their nature or their content. There are a few 'fans' who travel to away games and indulge in these ditties to no one's credit.
Celtic are an inclusive club and always have been. Google 'Bertie Peacock' Rodney, then come back to us about being 'Mr De Valera's Bhoys'. Please educate yourself with the FACTS before making a complete eedjit of yourself.

Tom Sellick

Ah Rodney, Bless...

I remember when you were a journalist. The glory years, eh?

David Murray

Mr Liddle,
Celtic fans sang Irish rebel songs duriing the Remembrance Days minute silence. When? Where? Show me the money and I'll believe it. Until you come up with the goods. Some pictorial evidenve maybe? Until then - give the creative writing a bye.

Raymac

You are an idiot.20 or 30 so-called supporters were OUTSIDE the Falkirk ground.The minutes silence inside the ground was impeccable from the Celtic fans.The song was NOT a republican song but about someone "Accidently"killed by a soldier at a border crossing.Still,don't let the facts get in the way of a bitter rant eh?

Jimmy

Oh dear Mr Liddle,I fear you will now become bait for the Most Offended People Ever.

Only tonight BBC Scotland have removed a picture of a race-hate murderer wearing a Celtic top and replaced it with another image which suggests MOPE-ry reaches high places

However,I wish you every success.You are one of the few who has the 'nads to comment on such things.

ed hall

Light blue-nosed touchpaper then retire...

You fool Liddle. Whereof one cannot speak...

52 league titles

Great article Rod, it is most refreshing to see a journalist willing to tell the truth about the poisonous, insidious institution that is Celtic Football Club.

Concerned

Denis? It probably will be a problem

Highland Park

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

One publication NOT to be silenced.

strapworld

Well said Mr Liddle. By the way who is the Chairman of this charming football club? Oh, a former Secretary of State for so many departments! Will he resign now?
Do labour people EVER resign?

U2

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Rod Liddles Nightmare

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha! Rod Little brain, that is some of the funniest stand up routine I have ever read.

Dominic

It was not an Irish Rebel song get your facts right. The song was Aiden Mcanespie, a song about an ordinary person shot in the back by a British soldier as he walked through an Army check point on his way to play football. No one has ever been brought to book for this. So if you are going to write about this story try and get it factually correct Mr self appointed Spokesperson for English football.

Michael Reilly

"The trouble with atheism" Nick Griffin is entitled to his opinion.
The Celtic support always has and ever will be political I am proud to be in their ranks and i defend their right to spend their Sunday afternoon in which ever way they see right and fitting in their hearts and minds. i wear the Poppy and respect the silence that is my right, i respect every other right. Hail Hail!

Joey

What a pile of ill-informed, sensationalist and narrow-minded bullshit! There was a very small protest outside the ground while the silence was held impeccably by everyone inside the ground. You sir, are an idiot.

adam

what a load of tosh!

Frank Johnstone

Unfortuntely I expected Rod to at least get his facts right and he failed.
The silence was held in the ground impeccably by those present, the small, albeit vocal band of isiots outside did sing but were not indulging in sectarian singing, though in most of those present's opinion that made little difference.
Yes, Rod, you are entitled to have a go at that moronic element but do not include all in your invective. Celtic Football Club honoured the day with a poppy on their shirt, unlike some who ply their trade a little closer to your home.

Brucebhoy

Oh, and I forgot, those nuggets who claim the Scottish media ignored it, there was a big piece about it on Reporting Scotland and the only red top I glanced at had the silence on the front page.

And on the subject of Scotland's shame, which support was rioting abroad for the umpteenth time last week?

cork pat

poor journalism - look to issues with turnstiles, silence inside the ground according to Falkirk supporters and the lack of "sectarian" songs sung ie distinguish between a political view you disagree with and something that is Anti someone because of their background or beliefs.
poor comparison - look at Rangers in Europe including ingerland, find a single song they actually sing about their football club as opposed to "fenians" ie catholics and sending Irish people home and the activities of Glasgow street gangs.
poor taste - picture of Paisley - does this reveal where your political sympathies lie?
poor history - fighting against totalitarianism - the British Empire was of course model of democratic pluralism - why does it still annoy you tht some people - Irish, Indian or Israeli chose to fight for their freedom?
And why do you decide to mock League of Ireland clubs? Do you get a kick out their names? Perhaps your club shouldn't go on pre-season there if they are so abject? Do you know how many Irishmen VOLUNTEERED to fight against the Nazis in WW2?
One team in Scotland raises a straight arm salute in support of **tler [or is it *lster] and it is not Celtic. Come to think of it - seen that among some ingerlish supporters too.
Mr deValera! Look that up on Wikipedia did we? Not sure what your agenda is pal but you seem to lack a certain amount of intellectaul authority to speak on

Irish History

Scottish culture

This incident

Football

ps remembrance day is on Wednesday - should you wish to commemorate those who have died in conflicts you have every right to do so in whatever way you wish. Unfortunately there appears to be many different interests who wish to use this occasion for their own selfish ends. Poor journalists included.

the voice of truth

to all the sellick minded contributors - off to bed now ,it's a school night!

Brian mccaffery

I am not apologising for the cretins who ruined the silence but at least get your facts right. There was a small minority of around 30-40 people who stayed outside the ground and sung their republican songs during the minute. The silence was observed by all fans inside the ground.
The reason why so many fans were not in the ground prior to kick off was due to traffic problems and not as some sort of protest, in fact many of these fans were disgusted by the behaviour of these morons.

JAMIE BROWN

pathetic article. how old is the kid who wrote this? why let the truth get in the way huh? im a falkirk fan and was at the game, the silence in the stadium was impeccable. there was noise outside but im as far as i know minute silences at football grounds dont extend to outside. PATHETIC ARTICLE.

Jesus said

Ah,football,religon and politics a heady mix.Come the rapture all debts shall be squared.

John

Who is Rod Little?

Paul

And why does he not know the definition of sectarian?

Ringo

Or think that Aidan McAnespie is a rebel song?

George

Or know the difference between the inside and outside of a stadium?

Eli John

Mr Liddle,

While I will never condone a small element within the Celtic support in disrupting the remembrance of our fallen, I must point out the hypocrisy in your article.

You are guilty of tarnishing 99% of the support with the same brush. Surely a distinguished journalist such as yourself, must realise the imbalanced tone in your piece.

Where the hypocrisy lies is in the very fact you yourself have been a life long supporter of Milwall FC. Now your not telling me the followers of your team are all angels?

Perhaps you are like all Millwall fans intent in causing trouble?

Oh my I'm jumping to conclusions now, see what you've done it's spreading.

By all means discuss a problematic element but don’t talk in the collective. When you have no evidence to make such a sweeping statement.

Your just a thug who follows Millwall and should be banned from football ground up and down the country. See how I followed your lead and tarred you with a disruptive element within the club you support?

Pretty poor of me to do so, don’t you think?

jb

Liddle - a typical uninformed unintelligent hunoid, so this nonsense is not unexpected.

MICHAEL GILLEN

A disgraceful article written by someone who cannot be bothered to do some basic research. You really have found your level;it's a pity this respected magazine allows you to sully it's reputation with your bigoted,slanted bile. Go back to writing for Forum.

radiotab

Absoloutely disgusting. How can a club that hates Brits want to join the Premier League.
This must never be allowed to happen.
deflect, deny, sweep sweep

SFTB

Rod seacole

Did you seriously threaten one poster with taking this matter further?

Were you offering to take him to court or offering violence?

Having seen you once on the telly, I would suggest you pursue the legal route.

BTW, I was outside the Falkirk ground on Sunday and I have nothing of which to be ashamed. There was no protest just a measly 2 slow electronic turnstiles trying to service over 600 fans.

That's the kind of thing that cause riots in Bucharest!

Journalism?? You could not spell the word

Anger Management

Rod,at least your taking it out in your "look at me ,Look at me" column you inane pillock

Mark Fulton

Mr Liddle,if you are confident in your argument,please leave a post adressing the following points:

The minutes silence was held inside the ground;the people singing were outside

They were not singing rebel songs;they were singing a ballad about an innocent civilian who was murdered by the British army.

You say the club is"bigoted and filled with sectarian hatred".I suggest you research(that's an activity some journalists sometimes do before they write articles)a guy called Willie Maley,Celtic's first manager,and the owner of the quote"- “It's not his creed nor his nationality which counts. It's the man himself.”Compare and contrast with Rangers policy of not employing Catholics in the first 116 years of their history.If you want examples of Protestants and/or Rangers fans being accepted into our club,look up people like Jock Stein,Danny McGrain,Kenny Dalglish,you might have heard of them.

Perhaps you would like to tell us what 13 clubs in the EPL you think would outperform us in a situation whereby we would have access to the same resources?Hull?Bolton?Birmingham?West Ham?

si vis amari ama

Rod, whenever I saw you on TV I always thought there was something of the self-important bore about you, so imagine my delight to discover that you are also raging hun - how wonderfully apt! And a Millwall fan, to boot - beautiful! Any other skeletons you'd care to share?

Sumo Sumatra

Ive never heard heard of Rod Lidl.
He does'nt seem very bright does he?

Dan Robinson

waow! Ringside seats for a career suicide.

Play on, Mr Liddle, play on......

The Athlone Ranger

Well obviously all you have to do to bump up your ratings is say something to rile the dullards who follow the yawn-fest that is football.
Find more interesting topics, please, Rod.

Kerr Strachan

SPOT ON!!!!

Graeme Nelson

I am a Motherwell fan and i for one am heartily sick of the IRA chants from the majority of Celtic supporters at every ground they visit and i therefore commend the author of this piece for having the courage to tell the truth about these cretins who are quite simply the enemy within.
As for the imbeciles who claim that the particular song that was sung on Sunday (by a great deal more than 30 fans) had nothing to do with a terrorist organisation i assume the three IRA terrorists were on a sightseeing jaunt when they were rightfully executed in "British" Gibraltar by the highly skilled brave men of the SAS.

rod seacole liddle

Not much craic out tonight, lads? Nice to have you here, anyway.

RFC

PLEASE! do not label these vermin with the rest of Scotland. There were services all over Scotland and the silence was held respectfully at every single football ground except the one which included these scum.

big mc

i am a 48 year old catholic born and reared on the falls road my parents raised me to respect the dead and as such i would condem those who disrupted the minutes silence last weekend. i grew up through the worst of the troubles i have seen friends killed, and freinds who would in any normal society not seen the inside of a police station let alone a prision jailed for involvement in certian organisations. however while i might not agree with the conflicts in Afganistan and Iraq i still observe the rememberance silence for those who died in the 2 world wars. as a father and a grandfather my heart and my prayers are offered up for the souls of those who die in all sides of these conflicts
.

bored of the poppy facism

since when was a minute's silence a necessary effort of "respect" *outside* a football ground?
Should I happen to be walking along the next street, or indeed just outside the ground... maybe even waiting to enter said arena, am I to know automatically there is a minute's silence at that particular moment raging within the confines? And stop dead in my tracks and observe it? The big sign says stop, so I will? Regardless of where?

Am I to stop dead in the street at 11am tomorrow, regardless of when or what I am doing? I'm sure the black cabbies on Charing X Rd would love that. "Nah, mayte. Ahm jist honouring our 'eeeeeeroes, innit! Gawd bless 'er"

beep beep

Football fans, as we all know- and particularly the "wan mair pint" brigade- will regularly sing at the turnstiles- and last Sunday is no different. Maybe Mr. Liddle doesn't realise this as outside his regular kennel, full-scale riots ensue. And I know: I lived close to The Den/pit for long enough

Kejaan

What is this nonsense about the silence being impeccably observed inside the ground and all the singing coming from outside..?

If the singing was outside then why were the Falkirk fans looking daggers at the Celtic supporters..? Are we to suppose that the Falkirk fans are blessed with x-ray eyes..??

For those relying on the SKY coverage to back your assertion that the whole incident didn't occur, I suggest you pop along to youtube where the unedited version is there in all it's ghastly entirety.

Bill

I put a fair bit, most actually, of the blame on the game itself.

I mean, running up and down, up and down for ninety minutes and the result determined by a fluke shot that ricochets in off a bewildered defender. Or some frustrated gymnast takes a dive in the penalty area and earns his side a free shot.

Soccer's a game played by nancy boys, spivs and con artists. All that falling down and writhing about as if shot by a sniper then miraculously springing to life on the sideline. No wonder people who follow this charade of a game turn into bitter, twisted, angry bigots. Who wouldn't resort to a bit of mayhem after being subjected to more than ten minutes of this nonsense.

If British people switched to truly British forms of football — rugby union or, better, rugby league — they'd become a far more tolerant and inclusive people, like Australians and New Zealanders.

Ross

The Celtic supporters on this thread appear to be contradicting each other, with half of them claiming that only a tiny minority of people were involved in the chanting and the others insisting that it was entirely justified because of the great suffering of the Oirish at the hands of the British Army.

And both sets are insisting that singing songs about the IRA is not sectarian.

noddy67

After reading some of the hatred for "The British/English" from some celtic fans I'm at a loss to understand why they would wish to take part in the ENGLISH Premier League.

Kejaan

Amusing how virtually every Celtic supporter on here accuses who Rangers fans of being sectarian goes on to refer to Rangers fans as "Huns" - a sectarian term as defined by Nil By Mouth. Celtic fans just don't do irony do they..?

Kejaan

@DB1967 "Why not Man Utd? Did they have a minute's silence?"

Errr - yes they did. In fact they also formed a guard of honour with Chelsea to welcome serving soldiers and war veterans, including Chelsea Pensioners, onto the pitch at Stamford Bridge before the silence was held.

Kejaan

By the way - If the Aiden McAnespie song isn't an IRA song, as many posters have claimed, why does it refer to IRA service units killed in Gibraltar and Loughall..?

If it walks like a Duck and quacks like a Duck then generally speaking you'll find it is, in fact, a Duck..

Fergus Pickering

What happened to my innocent little post that suggested you can hear protestant anti-Catholic songs if you want to, sine there are avilable recordings of such. I also drew attention, in the cause of literature, to 'The Ballad of William Bloat' which may be googled by anyone, though you must make sure you have the true, uncensored version. All in the cause of free speech, don't you know. I also drew attention to the fact that Celtic once won the European Cup and possessed in those days a fine and very short footballer called.. Good God, I've forgotten what he was called. Jimmy Johnstone, would that be it?

John O'Brien

Get your facts right for a start. The minutes silence inside the ground was impeccible, thousands of silent Celtic fans. Outside , around 20 - 30 protesters. I don't expect scum like rod liddle to ever publish those sorts of details.

jimbo

what a pile of pish from a no mark journalist. dont let the lies get in the way of the true facts senor

Paul

Yet again Rod, you get it spectacularly wrong. The 2 minutes silence was impeccably observed at Falkirk Stadium, with the exception of the shout from the Falirk support asking " Why don't you go home?". Don't let the truth get in the way of denial, and continue trying to deflect attention away from your club, who's links to bigotry, racism and domestic abuse are unavoidable and blatant.

GeoffM

I am no football fan - in fact I think the game is a ridiculous channel for tribal feelings of all kinds - most useful for a Government that wants to distract people away from what really matters.

But lets look at Celtic.

We have all the big ho-ha about racism and homophobia in football. It's a big issue and people have life bans etc for breaking the rules.

And yet we have Celtic fans behaving like animals, disrespecting the lives of fallen soldiers, singing songs of racial/religious hatred.

And nothing is done.

I suggest that had these been Muslim fans behaving the same way, again, nothing would happen.

We see here, as in so many other areas, that certain groups are exempt from rules on racism, religious hatred, homophobia and extremism.

Such cowardice on the part of the authorities fuels the resentment of the wider population. In the case you give it would encourage Rangers fans behaving in a similarly disgusting manner, though they would be punished for it.

By the way - I am a Catholic and am disgusted by those Celtic scum..

Lungfish

You seem to have opened a very large can of worms here Rod!

S. Goldie

You Sir are a moronic excuse for a journalist! You have done little or no research into the merits or otherwise of this 'news story' and have simply re-gurgitated the half truths and inaccuracies printed and broadcast by a less than sympathetic media in Scotland.

If you had taken the basic pre-caution to look into the 'news story' you would find that the minutes silence was impeccably observed inside the stadium and indeed the only indiscretion was one commited by a supporter of the home team.

As for those outside the ground who in fact perpetrated the 'offence' why do you a once great advocate the freedom of speech allow yourself to be dragged into a mire of which you know little or nothing, something which is clearly demonstrated in your article?

Celtic as a football club and institution have made many and great strides to eradicate the 'rebel' songs and it it a very unusual occurence to hear this at home games however as with most supports they do have a hardcore minority (and a dwindling one at that) who persist with the singing of 'rebel' songs at away games.

Your ignorant article will give succour to those individuals all decent Celtic supporter want to see the back off!

Paul Devlin

What an ignoramus. Check your facts which your opinion piece is sorely lacking. The song sung by 10 - 20 people outside the ground, waiting in a queue to get in,due to not enough gates manned, is not reason for your ill-informed rant. look up your dictionary, if you own one and look up sectarian and political. Then, give me one of those 'sectarian' Celtic songs of which you ooze hatred of. In fact, tell me the difference between 'Flower of Scotland' and the rebel songs you accuse the entire multi-racial Celtic support of singing. You reek of being a member of 'Scotland's shame' trying to spread the odious racial 'we are the people' message to all Britain. Leave the 1690s my friend and come to the 21st century.

John Frum

The blog section is now on a slippery slope.

Massie is an unreadable monomaniac and Liddle has just jumped the shark. If Melanie Phillips hosts elsewhere - as she should have done months ago - then the site traffic will drop like a stone.

Ethel Cardew

I find it helps to have a wee lucozade when posting bile Rod. Cheers!

The Snowman

Lupus Lungfish
November 10th, 2009 4:40pm
Another good reason to kick the Scots out of the Union then.
This has nothing whatsoever to do with Scots.These people hate everything British and Scottish. Proper vermin to the core.

bigjockcanoe

http://www.ifyouknowtheirhistory.blogspot.com/

all you need to know about the greatest fans in the world.

TS

Aiden McAnespie is not a rebel song. It's a ballad in memorial of a young man brutally gunned down by Her Majesty's forces. Can you tell me which songs the Celtic support sing that are "fatuous hate filled tales about how good the IRA are" I bet you can't.

One can't help wonder how long your piece would have been had you actually bothered to research your subject matter.

TS

Charles Whitton

I think it has been commented on already but I feel the need to also contribute to this. As someone who does not support any football team I find it hard to swallow the comments on the behaviour of others from a man who himself has been cautioned by police for an assault on his then pregnant girfriend. Shame on you Spectator for even allowing this man a column in your magazine.

Andrew Swingler

well said Mr Liddle,Scotland the UK and Europe have all ignored and accepted the behaviour of the odious celtic fans while persecuting fans of Rangers..

Michael

A very inaccurate account. Celtic supporters inside the ground respected the silence as reported on the Falkirk sites. Due to turnstile problem many Celtic fans were delayed entry to the ground and didnt decide to wait outside. Yes they were singing outside the ground, this goes on at most football grounds. Lazy Journalism!

Ciaran

Rod, a little basic fact-checking wouldn't go astray here. All supporters in the ground on Sunday observed the silence impeccably. The singing, which I disagree with, came from outside the ground.

As a Celtic supporter, I'd like to know how you classify the club as 'unspeakably foul, bigoted and filled with sectarian hatred'? I attend games at Celtic Park a fair bit and do not hear chants about the IRA or protestants. A section of the away support do sing in support of the IRA. To brand the entire club and support as 'unspeakably foul' over this is throwing out the baby with the bath water.

Presumably, nobody in the EPL sings about the Munich air disaster, Tottenham's Jewish support, etc etc.

As for the Mr De Valera thing - deary me.

Craig Airdrie

Rod,

Thanks for this article.
You should write an article about the sectatian shame which is state funded sectarian schooling that is the cancer of Scotland and has been personified by some of the moronic ramblings by some on here. I keep hearing McAnespie this and that, I don't hear the sorry about Warrington, Manchester, London and Omagh bombings on the innocent. Just like today's random bombings in Glasgow, London and New York by Al-Queda, the IRA were their equivilent in the 1970's to 1990's. And today we have their sporting wing (Celtic FC) who keep there fire burning, truly pathetic.

Seamus

What a stupid waste of print. Does somebody actually pay this idiot for spouting such bile?

Little Bex

I don't know why you are all so upset about this article, orange is only a colour.

tim malloy

Get your facts right matey, there was no singing inside the Falkirk stadium during the minutes silence, it was outside, another fact which may have escaped you is that there was a disturbance inside the stadium from a FALKIRK supporter, we are not whiter than white but spare me your rantings, Rangers sing songs glorifying the deaths of catholics, about being up to their knees in blood, and f**k the pope, no matter what the pro Rangers journos say we are not 2 sides of the same coin, come to Celtic Park and tell me if you hear any sectarian or bigoted singing, the emphatic answer will be a firm NO!!!! Of course the English know all about hooligans as it is another invention from John Bull's boys, people in glass houses. Celtic and their fans are welcome all over the world unlike the fans of Rangers or most English club and national sides, so spare me your rhetoric and whitewash.

brogan

haha, once a hun, always a...yer all right Liddle, of course you can never be "one of us".One wonders if you would adopt such a position were it your country to have been invaded.

Ciaran

"And yet we have Celtic fans behaving like animals, disrespecting the lives of fallen soldiers, singing songs of racial/religious hatred"

GeoffM,

Can you tell me one of these Celtic songs about racial/religious hatred? Seriously. I actually don't know what you're talking about.

Tell us the words, please. Air these disgraceful lyrics.

You can't, can you?

bob deavy

bang on the money

Mr. Spectator

Is it true, Rod, that you trudge up to uour local Tesco's then shuffle down the magazine aisle every fortnight and painstakingly scour "Private Eye" for the slightest mention of yourself?

The vile, illegal-war condoning Celtic support would like to know!

Harry Seacole Flashman

Having now taken the time to wade through only a few intelligent posts among all the rantings of the insane Celtic supporters turning up at the Spectator to be offended (the usual Liddle posters seem to have given this one a body swerve and no wonder), it's time to put a few myths to bed.

It seems to be the party line that the silence was 'impeccably observed inside the ground', well it would be since most of the Celtic fans were outside singing about the IRA. Even Sky Sports were too embarrassed to allow their cameras to show the empty stand where the Celtic contingent should have been standing in silence, Sky having since admitted that they turned off the volume during this minute to save Celtic blushes.

The song they sang was 'not a rebel song' but just happened to be about a well known terrorist sympathiser shot by accident (if it wasn't an accident then it was the most fancy piece of shooting I've ever seen, it being a ricochet), a tragic accident which didn't stop republicans from writing a dirge about it which name drops a couple of IRA active service units (scratch that, active service unit makes them sound like a professional army rather than just a sectarian murder gang).

'Show me anything sectarian about Celtic, a club 'open to all''. Where do we start? At the beginning perhaps when Celtic were formed by an Irish catholic priest in order to keep his flock from mingling with indigenous protestants in soup kitchens or sporting clubs? Granted they didn't have a sectarian signing policy (then again, neither did Rangers if you ignore the hysteria and look to their history) but this is probably because once they'd plundered players from the Edinburgh Hibernians, they realised they didn't have enough catholics to sustain their club and resorted to signing up de uppressor.

It saddens me to have such a dynamic city as Glasgow represented by these morons on your pages and am glad to report that my own Celtic supporting friends are the type who shrugged off the chip on the shoulder teachings at their tax payer funded denominational schools and can stand in silence, love their country and shed a manly tear at the end of Zulu with the best of 'em.

Rex Barker

A hate-filled tale about a battle that helped preserve parliamentary democracy and religious liberty not least in areas that Rangers fans forebears hail from, ending the killing times in the covenanting heartlands of Scotland and the persecution of Protestants in Ulster.

v

A folk-song about a group of people who blew up babies, children and even horses in an attempt to reinstate a situaton at least in Ulster that prevailed prior to King William and the Glorious Revolution's deliverance.

Spot on. Although there can be no equivalence drawn between their songs and ours.

Drummer Bhoy

Well as a Celtic fan I was absolutely disgusted by the behvaiour of my fellow "supporters". For too long we are pandering to these lunatics proposing a minutes applause so as not to embarass ourselves and our club that we have this element that consider themselves not British. I am born and bred in Scotland, as are my parents, and my Grand parents, and not until my Great grand parents do I reach my Irish ancestry. I have a cousin who died in the Falklands war, another cousin serving in Iraq and my Borther in Law is in Afgahnistan. My grand parents fought through WWI and WWII and I lost my Grandfather during WWII, a great man I never had the pleasure of meeting. To all of those supporters of MY club who choose to disrespect MY family with some aspirations of being Irish please examine your own conscious. I was thoroughly disgusted on Sunday to the point it brought a tear to my eye. I am not Irish, I am Scottish first then British second, but I am a Celtic supporter. We cannot sit here and defend this action and our other actions whilst at the same time accuse Rangers fans of exactly the same thing. We need to get real about this, there is a section in the Celtic support that are disgusting examples of the human race.

Ian Curtis

Denis, of course it won't be a problem. My father is a Rangers supporting catholic. Rangers have had catholic captains and a catholic manager. The Rangers 'hatred' isn't towards catholics, it's more of an irish-terrorist issue. You can't really say the same for Celtic, a club who have never ever had a non-Catholic on their board. An impressive feat for a club in a country where sucha religion is not the majority.

This isn't the first time Celtic have ruined a minute's silence. The one for the Queen Mother had to be cut short after 18 seconds due to their ignorance. Likewise, it's interesting to find footage of Celtic's 9/11 pause for thought.

Congratulations Rod on raising this. I was beginning to lose faith in even the English media. There are enough examples above this as to why the Scottish press is completely obhorrent. Another issue which has been completely ignored for decades is the fact Celtic seem to have some sort of no poppy rule. Tony Mowbray was one of only two managers in the UK to not wear a poppy at the weekend (Martin O'Niell was the other..); however, the bold Tony wore one last year at WBA? Maybe the reason behind this can be seen on last week's Soccer AM. Celtic fans were that week's guests, and whereby poppies were scattered infrequently amongst them all.

Steelman

Dear oh dear! Celtic FC exposed at last!

IMHO, this is celtic's chickens coming home to roost. As a Motherwell fan I have noted with interest Parkhead being increasingly turned into the biggest Irish theme park in the world over the last few years. When you do this, you attract extremists and they are not difficult to find amongst the celtic support.

At the end of the day, Sunday was an organised remembrence on BRITISH soil, by BRITISH people primaily to to commemorate the sacrifice made by BRITISH forces. If celtic fans can't respect that they should probably go back to Ireland and do whatever they do there.

We are sick of these scum.

Celtic67

Very one sided Mr Liddle. I had 2 great uncles who died in France 1917 - 17 and 18 respectively. Proud Celtic and Irishmen who fought on the side of the Bruddush as you put it.

Get your facts right you fool.

You also forgot to mention the facist salutess our friends from the Ibrox do every week. Do these idiots see the irony in their behaviours. I thought not.

johnmac

yet you follow the other team whose goalkeeper for a decade openly admits in his latest autobiography cavorting with convicted UVF terrorist murderers.. a club whose respected barrister director was only forsed to resign after being filmed signing vile songs about murdering catholics. you need to do some fact checking before you write this stuff you fool. not condoning some of the behaviour of celtic fans... at least be balanced.

Rods_Fan_Club

In reply to Mr_Spectator, no, Rod (or JC as he's known to us)has no need to do that as we email all links to articles about himself everyday.
I must say, he has caused a stir with this one. Anyway, back to my flute lessons.

R Mitchum

There is no need to tarnish our Premiership by allowing Celtic to join just to show how poor that club is. One of the English lower divisions should easily be able to do the job.

Fergus Pickering

brogan, what country are you talking about and who has invaded it? There are more Scots in England (me for a start) and more Irish in England than there are English people in these Celtic hinterlands I would have thought.

Lupus Lungfish

Snowman- Fair enough but I'm getting a bit sick of being ruled by dour Scots- they have been bleating for years about being governed from Westminster. We English have suffered the most appalling period of incompetent Scottish rule for twelve years now. Their ridiculous brand of socialism has left our economy in tatters. I say cast them adrift for good. Apart from the steam engine, flush toilet, the bicycle, the television, the telephone, penicillin, electromagnetics, radar and insulin what have they ever done for us?.

Celtic for ever

Why the pic of the hate filled bigot Paisley ?

Baron Pipin II

Has it occurred to anyone of you that you are making Rod’s point?

Will you, please, go away.

Michelle Crerar

Well said Rod. It was disgusting behaviour and they should be ashamed of themselves.

Chris

You see Rod, the soldiers being remembered who fought in the great war gave us, the British people, the right to choose. As a result of their actions, we can choose who to vote for, how to think, which football team to follow, whether or not to observe a silence.

Ergo, as a direct result of these brave men's actions, those attending football matches have this right to choose also, and to have them do otherwise would essentially render all this loss of life as meaningless.

Furthermore, we have a democratic right to choose which politics we wish to support (if any) and if an individual was to choose to support the Irish Republican movement, surely it would be double standards to show support for the body which has stod in the way of this very movement since Ireland was plundered from its natives all those years ago.

If your example above is to be followed, Celtic should indeed stay put, as from the very beginning they have been known as 'a Scottish club with proud Irish roots'. That said, Celtic has much more appeal to the men who run football in England (BSkyB) than the eternal also-rans of Wigan, Hull, Stoke City, Blackburn et al.

William

you are a bigoted human being , you are complete scum no wonder there's a target on your back

Zeus Jonson

Well said Rod, well said.

As Celtic Billy McNeil said "Celtic are an Irish club playing in Glasgow" so if that is the case then let them join the Irish league.

James Traynor

Dear od dear...Mr Liddle, get the facts right. The singing took place outside the ground. You are supposed to be a journalist for crying out loud. Don't you investigate a story for the proper facts first before you enter into print?

Oh and by they way, see a dentist. your breath is awful and your bad teeth worse.

Mark Moran

Rod, dont let the truth interfere with a good story. The minute silence was observed impeccably by both Celtic and Falkirk fans who were in the stadium at kick off time. Some small minded idiots stayed outside the ground and did sing what you call "rebel" songs but they were in the minority. So dont tar us all with the same brush. Dont forget that while most Celtic fans did have family who died in WW1 and WW2 and who were properly respected on Sunday, many more of irish descent suffered at the hands of the British Army. It is naive to think that they would celebrate the achievements of an occupying army dont you think?

Danny

this is the most biased piece of writing read, atleast celtic wore the poppy on the shirt dont condem Celtic FC because some fans wouldnt respect the cause, also it is ok for welsh clubs to be part of the ENGLISH football league yet scottish clubs arent?

Mark Moran

Rod, dont let the truth interfere with a good story. The minute silence was observed impeccably by both Celtic and Falkirk fans who were in the stadium at kick off time. Some small minded idiots stayed outside the ground and did sing what you call "rebel" songs but they were in the minority. So dont tar us all with the same brush. Dont forget that while most Celtic fans did have family who died in WW1 and WW2 and who were properly respected on Sunday, many more of irish descent suffered at the hands of the British Army. It is naive to think that they would celebrate the achievements of an occupying army dont you think?

Grumpy

My favourite 'Liddlism' was when he commented on the eejit who tapped the AC Milan goalkeeper on the cheek, when filled with stupid drunken elation.

Liddle had to comment, of course, but he couldn't say tapped. Instead he went with 'clomped' - a hybrid of clouted and thumped - neither of which he could say, because neither was even remotely correct. So, he sought to convey his message with a falsehood. What puzzles me is that even right-wing blatts will publish such incompetent rants.

A Concerned Fan

It was only Juan Ghuy singing.
You'll be telling us next that Parkhead was closed during WW2 for pro nazi chanting.
It is also not true about the
Malvinas.
So I suggest you get your facts correct & stop showing your bias.

John Lambie

Good article Rod.

What is it with all these Irish people supporting a GLASWEGIAN football team? You think its bad in England with all the gloryseekers supporting Man United, its 10 times worse up here.

BTW, trophyless Hibs were the original Irish team in Scotland, so why don't you support them?

England, please take the 2 of them.

A Glaswegian Partick Thistle supporter. FTOF

max

You would think rangers were up infront of a UEFA diseplinary hearing for violent RACIST behaviour or something......................eh! Hold on a min..........

Mark

Maybe you should try reporting facts in future, this story is pure fiction making the reader wonder as to your motives

Harry Seacole Flashman

Lungfish,

You're lucky, you'll be shot of them come the next election! Meanwhile Scotland as usual will blindly vote for these Stalinist monsters (who incidentally, are right at home with the minutes silence dishonouring Celtic fans - jeez, they hold most of their meetings at Celtic Park with John 'I know the whole rebel songbook' Reid).
I despair for our country and truth be told, if I were English, I'd want shot of us too.

Shug Delaney

All I can say about this article is please pass the butter.

Rod, I can feel your Permarage from here.

Joe C

The problem with the minute silence is that it covers all of the British Armed Services since the First Great War, I and many supporters like me cannot and will not dignify the murderers that colluded with the RUC, Special Branch and the Loyalist Parlamilitaries in the deaths of many innocent catholics. If Rememberance Day was around the First and Second World War, there would be no issue in paying tribute to the brave men and women who fought against fascism. In simple terms ROD, the minutes silence is like asking a black man in Los Angeles to hold a minutes silence for ALL of the LAPD - can you understand why he might have a problem with this? We as a people (Irish - Scots) in Scotland are subjected to rascism, sectarianism and bigotry on a daily basis and are not helped by a single - minded, right wing bigot who wants to take a moral stand against our club while aligning himself to the other side of Glasgow who are known xenophobic bigots who judge a man on the colour of his skin or his creed.

Bored Of This Tripe

This comments section contains some of the most ludicrous posts I have ever read.

Joe Strummer - how you have the brass neck to even type such blatant nonsense is beyond me. The most fantasy filled thing I have read seen since the Wizard Of Oz.

Ian Curtis - what the hell are you talking about? Poppy ban at Celtic? I presume you also enjoy making things up.

Here's a puzzle for you both - I am a Scottish Catholic Celtic fan who is proudly wearing his poppy today. Think about it but watch your tiny excuses for brains don't shut down as a result.

Pathetic.

Harry Seacole Flashman

It saddens me to have such a dynamic city as Glasgow represented by these morons on your pages and am glad to report that my own Celtic supporting friends are the type who shrugged off the chip on the shoulder teachings at their tax payer funded denominational schools and can stand in silence, love their country and shed a manly tear at the end of Zulu with the best of 'em.

E.I. Addio

Rod,

If Millwall agreed to play in the SPL do you think that it might help heal the sectarian divide? Would the bitter prospect of an English club winning their title every year take their minds off stabbing each other for religious and/or historical reasons?

Until they learn to love each other, and the English, then surely all the Scottish Government's propaganda about Scotland being a welcoming, tolerant, diverse, multicultural utopia is just an expensive pile of meaningless socialist claptrap.

Engage Brain

Mr.Liddle, having taken the time to read your article before commenting, it is apparently obvious that the same opportunity, in regards to research, has not been undertaken.

I would offer you further opportunity to undertake this research and come back with a more detailed and, hopefully, supported and substantiated report.......I await with baited breath.gasp...gasp...

Your flawed article purports on the following;

1 - Supporters "sung Irish "rebel" songs.
Q - And this "rebel" songs title would be?
2 - Even more fans "waited" outside the turnstiles so they would not have to take part in the "commemoration".
Q. And your evidence to support this statement being what exactly?

3 - "unspeakably foul club it is, bigoted and filled with sectarian hatred"

Q - Can you advise the basis of your assertion please...and in the context of your statement, what is "unspeakably foul"

4 - "And yet the only Glasgow club which ever gets punished for fueling sectarian hatred is its rival, Rangers"

Q - Are you seriously alluding that the powers that be are turning a "blind eye" to any (using your own words here)"bigoted and filled with sectarian hatred" being espoused by the "unspeakably foul club" and that Celtic FC and its supporters are held in such high esteem by the Scottish "Establishment" that they can escape ANY punishment... or perhaps there is no case to answer.....let the readers decide.......show us your evidence?

5- You have now moved along to FIFA (perhaps this should have been UEFA)and the action taken against the other Glasgow team for their conduct at European games, and have made a futile attempt to attach Celtic FC in the same vernacular.

Q - Can you confirm the charges brought by UEFA(FIFA) against the respective clubs and can you point to the ones addressing "bigotry / sectarianism"..

6 - The relevance of your diatribe with reference to Celtic FC ability and finishing position in the EPL is of no consequence, but, can you expland on your quote in regards to "Let them have the courage of their convictions and join the League of Ireland". My reason for asking for an explanation being the familiarity and similarity of a song sung by your Brothers, which incidently is considered "sectarian" by Scottish legislation.

Q - What "courage" would you consider suitable for the vast majority of the worldwide Celtic support? Are you even aware of the magnitude of this support? Can you inform us of the geographical percentage split of season books? Your research may come up with some very interesting figures!!!!

7 - Only draw with bottom club Falkirk.

Q - A little patronising there Mr. Liddle. I'm sure that the supporters of Falkirk FC will be a little perturbed by that. Can you let us know at the end of the season, when all the trophies are presented, if we have been successful or not?

8 - If Mr De Valera was alive, I'm sure he would have posted a comment, as I understand from good authority ( a taxi driver) that he was an avid supporter of all things Celtic (most possible the Boston Celtic)

Look forward to your offering of a response "rod seacole liddle" but, rather than espousing more drivel, threats or obscenities (as per your previous)would you please make use of the volumes of readily available information.

To all neutrals, please accept my apology for expressing an opinion adverse to that of the "paid" scibe.

To all the antagonistic "Honeys" Seyi

K. Smith

Rod,

Well it would seem you did assault your girlfriend, you admitted as much when you accepted a police caution for it.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article519825.ece

Jim

Dont you just the love the good old Celt#c supporter who is non racist non sectarian and loves everyone.
This is the same group of supporters who boycotted a charity match for children because Maurice Johnston was involved.
You could not make them up

Steve

Wow. That is an article full of some serious knee jerk conclusions and mis information. The majority of both Celtic & Rangers fans are embarassed by such incidents. Rod Liddle = Cowardly idiot.

Helen

"Impeccably", a word used 13 times by various commentators regarding this blog. Anyone would think that someone had told these people what to say.

Southsider1972

Its this kind of lazy, agenda driven drivel that is bringing down the proud reputation of journalism in this country.

Here is another example...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/oh-dear-the-telephone-puts-poor-rod-on-the-hook-again-489914.html

Nevyn_666

Eh? Really? Not bigotted at all are you :) - FIRSTLY - no Celtic supporter sang or evn talked during the minute's silence INSIDE the ground - 1 Falkirk "supporter" shouted "Why don't you go the F*CK home? where was the rant about that) I do not condone that what 10 yougsters did outside the ground, but really don't let facts get in the ay of a rant huh? - as for loads of Celtic supporters being outside - actually they were TRYING to get in - lol - as for Rangers being subjected to unfair abuse by UEFA and/or FIFA - Seville - attacked the Villereal team bus, Manchester - riotted in the city centre for a TV not working (for which NOTHING as done), Bucharest - calling the local team GYPSIES??? , the list goes on, - and there is a DIFFERENCE between sectarian racism and nationaism btw - as an educated person, for which we can only assume you are NOT.

Celtic on their travels Seville (even when a TV failed!) - FIFA and UEFA Fair Play award (notice the difference here) - Hamburg under a litany of abuse and provacation were given praise by Hamburg police AND the local Strathclyde Police - and this list goes on!!

I would be a hell of a lot more worried if Rangers joined the EPL than I would Celtic my friend.

Mark Fulton

Steelman

If you're so offended by the Celtic fans, you must have absolutely outraged and embarrased when your own supporters were singing about Alan Stubbs' testicular cancer, or racially abusing Jason Scotland. Care to address these points?

Carl

Let's cut to the chase here: Celtic cannot possibly be allowed to play in the Premier League, I mean look at their strip, it's ridiculous, like something out of Roy of the Rovers.

Plus they would get relegated anyway.

Jack Ross

Thankfully some people are not afraid to speak the truth.

Marc

Who are you, you silly little man. you are a digrace. your picture of Piasley on your "article" what is that all about?

A rant. No wonder radio 4 sacked you!

James Trayonr

When I hear Rangers fans claiming that Celtic FC harbour criminals and invite terrorsits to games I merely point out this article from another leading London Newspaper.

"The murder of UDA boss John Gregg was set up by other Glasgow Rangers supporters.

Fans belonging to the rival UDA faction were on their way home in the same ferry as Gregg when they tipped off associates who organised an ambush.

Only minutes after Gregg was picked up by a taxi, he was attacked and shot dead in the docks area of Belfast.

Loyalist sources said people close to Johnny "Mad Dog" Adair's "C" Company were among dozens of paramilitaries who attended yesterday's Rangers match at Ibrox.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-158026/Rangers-fans-set-UDA-boss-murder.html#ixzz0WYeeneOW

Liddle, as someone who attacked his pregnant girlfriend, I think you least have the right to mention anything regarding Celtic.

Look to you fellow Rangers fans who are Scotlands shame for solace.

steven morrison

your article about celtic fc. as a rangers fan i read your story with great interest, someone has the guts to say the truth about this anti brittish club. not one paper in scotland has the guts to tell it like it is. the rangers fans are no angels but it is one rule for us and another for them , they want the brittish money but sing about the ira murdering out troops. nothing but scum.

Lupus Lungfish

Condolences Harry, I don't know which is worse, being ruled by this Labour government or Queen Ranavalona of Madagasca.

James Walker

You don't get that kind of comment in the Scottish press about Glasgow Celtic. The Media are far to biased towards the Celtic point of view to print any alternative ideas, that may dare to criticise the Scottish Hacks beloved team. How refreshing to read a story that expels the myth that only Rangers have the bigoted fans that follow them. I agree why should a Club that is so obviously Southern Irish minded, with their traditional hatred of anything English, be allowed to compete in the EPL is beyond me.

germane

the only comment this deserves is "shut it, fatty"

Shug Delaney

Got to say, reading some of the comments on this blog has had me in stitches.

The offended bus has definately changed direction.

Shug Delaney

Re James Walker, your right, we have taken your mantle of the 'Establishments Club' from you.

By the way, there is no such country as Southern Ireland. You could call it Ireland, The Republic or even Erin, thats its Sunday name by the way.

Hail Hail

Soody Num

I have to say that being both a Celtic fan and also a proud Scot, i found the behaviour of the so called "Celtic fans" at Falkirk Stadium unacceptable. They do not speak for the majority of the fair minded and just people that follow this great and historic institution. We are a club founded on the ideals of charity and giving and the FIFA Fair Play Award given to the fams for the impecable behaviour during the 2003 UEFA Cup final in Sevilla only serves to show that we can self police and deliver on our promise to be the best fans in the world. Every club in the land has its idiots and Celtic are no different. A message to the people outside of our club, please do not tar us all with the same brush and a message to those moronic individuals who sang and demonstrated, if you dont like it and dont agree - DO NOT GO AND MOST OF ALL DO NOT FOULD THE GOOD NAME OF CELTIC FOOTBALL CLUB.

Scott Bremner

Bravo Rod, bravo!

At last, someone with the backbone (unlike the Scottish-based media) who tells it just exactly how it is.

The replies from the Celtic support have been frankly, well, just hilarious. We have saw the numbers vary from between 10 - 50 (and these are numbers which have been reported from Celtic supporters who supposedly were there!) and their age group vary from "youngsters" to "grown men"! The Celtic-Minded spin doctors are working overtime to deal with this display of treachery.

I wouldn't blame any of the chairmen from the EPL clubs for not wanting a club steeped in such anti-British behaviour anywhere near their grounds.

Instead, why don't they appease their majority of supporters who revel in their historic association with the struggles of the Republicas across the water and apply to play in the L.O.I?

"Deflectors to maximum Doc" "Aye, aye Chairman L"

Once again Rob, my cap is doffed in your direction for having the backbone to expose the myth which others in Scotland fear doing.

Jim_Bowen's Bullseye.

Dress it up however you like, slag off whoever you like, fact is a sizeable amount of Celtic fans bought disgrace on their club by willfully disrubting the silence, not for the time either.
"bored of the poppy facism" should be castrated to stop him breeding for his outrageous comments that it was just normal noise made up and down the ground at turnstyles every week, Celtic fans knew exactly what they were doing as did Rod when writing his blog. To paraphrase the Sex Pistols. "Ever had the feeling you've been had"

Shug Delaney

Re Scott Bremner, Hasn't stopped these EPL chairmen inviting Celtic anytime one of their own is having his testamonial.

John Lambie

"our promise to be the best fans in the world"

Are there any fans anywhere else in the world so up their own arse's as Celtic fans? At least Rangers fans know they are scum.

Are these same racist fans that threw bananas at the first high profile black player that played in Scotland and hit referees with coins?

What do the worst fans get up to?

As Ian Archer of the Glasgow Herald once wrote about Rangers, it can be applied equally to their friends from the East side of our fine city.

"They are a permanent embarrassment and an occasional disgrace. This country would be a better place if they did not exist!".

If they played in England I would love to see the reaction of 70,000 Man United fans at Old Trafford to what they did at Falkirk on Sunday, they would have to draft in the army to protect them.

One Star Means More

I'm sure the fallen would have been glad to know that their sacrifice allowed (partial) freedom of speech to all – even the ill-informed, the dishonest and unintelligent can be journalists in Britain.

Normally, I would ignore the smaller points such as use of grammar but any writer who starts a diatribe with “Celtic supporters sung Irish “rebel” songs” should surely acquaint himself with English Grammar for Dummies before spewing forth in a publication that is notionally targeted at the literate.

As to the points made – no rebel songs were sung inside or outside the ground and the silence was impeccably observed in the stadium, as confirmed by journalists who were actually there.

Methinks that the wanna-be Chris Moyles of the British Right has been the victim of disinformation or, more likely, the worst effects of ignorance combined with laziness.

No doubt the irony of Rangers fans teaming up with German neo-Nazis in Hamburg just prior to Remembrance Day was lost on the patriot Mr Liddle.

However, odious and oafish as Rod is, his natural constituency is certainly not amongst the supporters of the Scottish club he prefers. Fear not – this rant will be translated into monosyllabics and circulated among the more extreme elements of the Rangers support the next time the BNP hold one of their many fruitful recruitment drives at Ibrox.

Well done, Rod. Like the child in the corner who wets his pants for attention, you will be talked about. You naughty boy, you.

Tall and Ginger

Mr Liddle you really are a jumped-up has been who doesn't understand exactly how victimised and persecuted we feel by you bad English people. Isn't is about time you got your hair cut? Growler.

Bored Of This Tripe

FAO Rod Seacole Liddle; could you please explain to the readers what relevance Ian Paisley dressed in a sash has to your little rant?

I don't see any reference to that individual in the text.

Am I missing something?

Please enlighten me Rod.

I look forward to your response. Please avoid swearing if possible.

One Star Means More

Oh dear, Rod: do you see what you've done?

You've used ignorance of – well, just about everything – to expose the myths circulating amongst Rangers bigots about Celtic. Take Joe Strummer down there, for example Will you tell him that Michael Davitt was not a terrorist but a campaigner against unjust evictions of the poor, who regularly travelled to Scotland in support of the Highlanders being evicted in the clearances, or shall I?

Tell me this is you being clever, not just being Jeff Winter.

Scott Bremner

Just as predicted, the Celtic-Minded switch the deflector shields to maximum.

How truly pathetic and predictable.

bhoy wonder

why a picture of ian paisley in a rant about celtic? idiot!!

mark nicholas

Celtic fans observed the silence inside the ground it was outside the ground the singing was heard.Last season at Celtic Park we had a minutes applause which was observed by everyone bar about 30 who walked out and were roundly by booed the other Celtic fans.If we were going to judge clubs by their hardcore fans there wouldn't be any clubs in the E.P.L.

Harry Seacole Flashman

Lungfish,

If Ranavalona didn't get me then this comments section might. These Celtic fans are deranged! I don't know how they managed to claim a Fair Play Award in 2003 but they did, this in spite of their riots at Vigo, diverting an entire plane to poor old Cardiff and various other outrages one of which featured the republican son of a prominent Labour MP, ahem. Still, I'm sure if you have loads of MPs and the press clamouring for you to be given an award, it should be no problem.

This could well turn into a record breaker.

Wullie Broon

Disgusting article short on facts that tars every old firm fan with one brush.That would be the same as me saying all English football fans are hooligans which would also not be true.
I for one do not wish Celtic to join the EPL it will soon be a busted flush full of debt ridden clubs.

Dave W

Well done Rod, for once a journalist shows testicular fortitude and takes to task the bile that flows from the Most Oppressed People Ever who follow Glasgow Celtic. If only the Scots media had such cojones, then maybe, maybe this problem could have been tackled years ago.

As for those bigoted nitwits who claim 'Aidan McAnespie' is not a rebel song, why does it include this?
'But like Loughgall and Gibraltar you´re lies are well renowned'

Hoisted by their own rank evil, bigoted petard. Shame on them.

Daven

Rod, you should go the whole road and complain about their shocking history. I've seen comments here about Rangers fans causing havoc.

Let's not forget celtic fans are responsible for the single most racist incident in Scottish football when their fans flung 1000s of bananas at Rangers black star Mark Walters.

Good article.

T Glasgow

Song was'nt an irish rebel song. It's about a young man walking along the road & being shot in the back by a member of the british army for no reason. He wasn't a volunteer & he was'nt carrying a weapon.

Marcus

Whats sectarian about rebel songs Rod?
Do you even know what sectarian means?

Get yourself a job for the Sun, your brand of fact avoiding, bandwagon-jumping hysteria would fit right in there.

Its sad when an obviously educated man dips into the gutter for column inches.

jon ryan

OK. That's 200 comments. Half time. Can you all change ends and start insulting the other way now.

Fraser Campbell

Joe Strummer said: "The club's Parkhead ground was itself closed down by the SFA in mid-war 1941 after their supporters waved Swastikas in support of Hitler........."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Irony?

The only Scottish club to have officialy flown the swastika from their stadium is Rangers FC during a friendly between Scotland and Germany in the late 1930's.

Oh you have really cracked me up there!!!

Lungfish

Flashman- I'm staying out of the football/religious/violent fanatical political stuff- I'd rather watch darts than a load of uneducated prima donnas kicking a pigs bladder around a field- never been to a football match, never want to thanks very much.

John Fearon

Mr Liddle,
Get your facts straight. Around 40 Celtic supporters sang the song 'Aiden McAnespie' OUTSIDE Falkirk stadium on Sunday last. The song is not a 'rebel' song it is about the unlawful killing of a young irish nationalist going about his business. And before you go on about IRA apologists etc, you should know that I served in the British Army for nearly 30 years (9 of them in Ireland) and lost good friends there (and elsewhere). I wholeheartedly condemn the failure to respect the minute's silence but also respect others' rights to not to observe it if they so wish. After all, isn't that why the men and women who were commemorated fought and died?

Dave W

If the 'song' in question (chanted during a moment of remembrance for those who died fighting the Nazi allies of Irish Republicanism) isnt a rebel song what do Gibraltar and Loughgall have to do with it? Are they hitherto unknown GAA hotbeds where more poor brave sons of Erin were struck down by the jackboot of perfidous Albion?

Max

Ps. I will be making a complaint about the outragios incitement to racist and religious hatred made on this 'blog'.
Good luck, coming your way soon.

Harry Seacole Flashman

Fraser Campbell,

I'm not sure I've heard that one before but if it was a friendly during peacetime then I'm sure it doesn't mean Rangers supported the Nazis... (here it comes), unlike..... (wait for it), the Republic of Ireland. Oh dear, you fell into that one, didn't you? If you know your history right enough. Although I don't think it was for flying swastikas that Celtic Park was closed down during WWII, rather it was for pro-nazi chanting and your old favourite, throwing missiles onto the pitch.

You see, it you're going to claim the moral high ground with such vigour then you must make sure you are whiter than white. Which you are not. Not even close. Now be off with you back to your SWP comics and leave these good people alone.

William

Oh god, i had a great laugh finding out you support Millwall. The scummiest, most vile, racist, dirty bunch of people civilisation has known. For you to talk about Celtic in this way is absolutely hilarious. Hypocracy is an extreme understatement. As for assaulting your girlfriend, that offence should result in you having your testicles sawn off. You have no right to spout this sh*te about Celtic given you support Millwall, AND hit your girlfriend. Lastly, Celtic moving to England has no relevance what so ever to Millwall, a small, crap team who will have no say whether or not Celtic move to England. :D

Lungfish

Mr Eugenides- Any chance you could give us next weeks racing results?

Joe Strummer

Fraser Campbell

Check the SFA archives or even better the files of then then Glasgow Constabulary for Celtic supporters Nazi shame in wartime 1941. Better out than in, as they say.

Robert Keeper

What a wholly misleading, poorly-researched article. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Firstly, there is no evidence that any "singing" took place inside the stadium, where the official remembrance took place - in fact, Falkirk released a statement on Monday praising the impeccably-held silence by all fans inside the stadium.

The "singing" happened outside the stadium. No-one complained, no laws were broken. The people protesting about the silence outside the stadium were doing so based on a right to do so earned for them by the men and women being honoured inside the stadium.

Secondly, the song being sung by the fans was not a "rebel song" about "how good the IRA are". It was a song about Aidan McAnespie, a gaelic football player who was shot in the back by the British Army and killed on his way to a match in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland after walking through an army checkpoint. The army claim the gun was discharged accidentally. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Shaun Woodward expressed "deep regret" at the incident in a statement made in July 2009.

McAnespie had no links to the IRA - he was a Sinn Fein election working.

Maybe it's you who needs to be silent Rod - if you have nothing constructive to say, you would be as well keeping your mouth shut.

Jock McKnew

Thank you for saying the truth on this matter. Unfortunately in Scotland this in not reported like this as Rangers are to be the bogey man of football. The press in Scotland are celtic minded in the extreme therefore to speak out about the club would mean harming their team and harming their career. Celtic F.C. are a vile organisation who are an absolute disgrace to this island. They are however a very powerfull organisation in the political and media world in Scotland and beyond. Rangers are hated both on political and media front in Scotland for our proud Scottish and British heritage. Thanks again for raising this matter. Sky TV are equally shameful for muting their IRA songs during the silence. When the Media lies to the public and defend the defenceless this is a very poor day for a democratic nation in 2009.

k

lets get this FACT in first,

the rainjurs fans only wave the union flag because CELTIC FC has strong links with ireland. if there was no british involvement in ireland the rainjurs fans wont wave the unioun flag (FACT) so its just point scoring up here in scotland.

rod dead mcanespie liddle

Good for you Max, you little victimised bore.

Well, I must write about the bhoys more often.

micheallynch

Mr Liddle, you are one big idiot!!!

BB

Who is Rod Liddle?

Kittler

The sad thing here is the volume of response from the spectating footie obsessives.
It is only a game and unless you play it, inconsequential.

alan

congratulations Rod for having the guts (other writers and the media in general are afraid to speak out)to say what the vast majority of British and Scottish football fans think of this terrorist loving Football club.
The Famine is over, why dont they go home !!!

From a Falkirk Fan

bemused

watch your back rod it seems you have offended the most offended fans in europe
referees in scotland have been threatened houses attacked,opposition players have been attacked including there ex manager gordon strachan when he played for aberdeen ally maxwell,fernando ricksen,dida,rapid vienna players the list goes on this club has previous so good luck rod telling the truth about that mob usually comes at a cost

PW-belfast

Eaamon mcanespie is not a repulican song, this is just a laxy post, from urself a lazy wee fat man !!

kevin carroll,dublin.

fans were not singing a rebel song.it was a song about Aiden Macanespie who was murdered by the very british army who the fans were meant 2 stay silent for...

Foxcelt

lazy, anti-Irish, Cromwellian and downright ignorant journalism. Unlike your good self, I actually live in Ireland (Co. Down) and although disgusted by the chanting during the minute silence, I am very proud of our sons who also died needlessly, at he hands of your government

Cato

I understand you support Millwall. By your logic, an unspeakably foul club, bigoted and filled with racial hatred. You are the biggest fool creation ever shat into existence.

Stanley MacFarlane

Finally someone with sense

but Celtic and Rangers would eventually take over if we let them in I reckon.

Rudi

I'm not British but isn't Remembrance Day meant to honor those fallen in World War I? I don't believe they were fighting totalitarianism, as Mr. Liddle suggests.

Premier_League

What on earth could teams ranked 46th and 92nd in Europe bring to the EPL? The pair of you can both rot away in your own bigoted worlds.
At best you'd be mid-table League One teams anyway.

He'll Always Be My Chief!

What about all the stair-trippers, Rodney? If it wasn't for them all wearing brown brogues, Colin Stein wouldn't have blood on his hands!!!

Aye, you never mentioned that did you. Altogether now, "We all agree,....."

Damien McKee

I totally agree with you and I come from an Irish Catholic background myself but I would like to tell you that my mum is a Celtic supporter herself and she is disgusted at the antics of a small minority of Celtic fans but then again a small m inority of Rangers fans would do the same if there was a silence for the Pope. They(both sets of fans but in particular some Celtic ones)will preach about social justice but don't always practice it and you can bet your boots half of them if MP'S at Westminster would have voted against Ghurka rights.Well at least the Ghurkas are more loyal to Britain than they are! Oh and by theway I don't like football.

penlan

Celtic and Rangers are unlikely to join the Premiership as they will be barred from playing in European competitions even if they won it.Whilst a Premiership side,neither could they qualify by winning the Scottish Cup as they won't then play in a domestic league .This is why neither Cardiff nor Swansea can play in Europe .When Portsmouth played Cardiff in the FA Cup final,their European place was already guaranteed.Wales is represented by semi-pro teams when it possesses two teams in the top half of the Championship.I can't see either Scottish team deserting Europe.

Mike Gore

Great work Rod.

Steve

All this tripe...from a Millwall/Rangers fan...

You really couldn't make it up.

Sir Arnold Robinson

All those having a pop at Rod because he supports "racist, violent etc." Millwall are misguided. Do you think that when he was 6 or 7 years old and first chose to support them it was because of his underlying hooligan tendencies? I shouldn't think so. It is possible to support a team with a dodgy reputation (I'm a Leeds fan) whilst being free to criticise those knuckle-dragging morons who tarnish both your and other clubs reputations. Would Rod's criticisms suddenly become valid if he supported a "nice" club like Yeovil?

Elliot Taylor

About time the world learned the truth.

Rory the Deplorable

Gosh! More than double the comments for Civil Disobedience. Hope nobody mentions Scotland's segregated education system then.

Shug Delaney

I'm finding this hilarious, being called racists from a group of fans who only a few weeks ago where abusing one Maurice Edu.

Honestly you couldn't make it up. Anyways debt increased to £31m (and the rest), £12m operating loss and hopefully a European ban coming their way this afternoon.

Happy days

Hail Hail

petetheblue

Can't wait till the Celtic fans start singing their IRA songs at St Andrew's myself. The scamps!
(try googling "Birmingham pub bombs")

Faugh A Ballagh

FoxCelt, if you live in Co Down, You Live in Northern Ireland....

And God Bless the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards (Grenadier Guards)for giving those Celtic fans that we Republican ditty to sing on Sunday....

Shug Delaney

Rory, with Rangers track record on Civil Disobedience you'd have thought that blog would be right up their street.

Hail Hail

Shug Delaney

Rory, dont they have Catholic schools in Engerlandshire?

Ian Fulton

Another good reason to kick the Scots out of the Union then.
........
Read the article and try and understand it this time...they are not patriotic Scots let alone patriotic Brits. You're attitude against the many Proud Scots Unionists is offensive. Also on a matter of grammer you cannot kick England or Scotland out of the Union. The withdrawel of either (God Forbid) would mean that the Union ceases to exist. Please remeber the thousands of Scots who abhor the thought of the Union failing! British by birth, Scots by the Grace of God! No Surrender! God save OUR Queen!

Tom

Mr Liddle - Celtic Football Club has fans from all over the world. Not every one on planet earth observes the minutes silence. The ones outside Falkirk on Sunday who did not participate in the minutes silence were from all over the world Ireland/Japan/Germany and the UK. I am dissapointed they did not observe the Minutes Silence, they are football suporters who have various view on the British Army - it is probable that some of their relatives were killed by the British Army?
For the record I did observe the minutes silence - I hate the IRA and everything they stand for - I support the Royal Family (even if they refuse to marry a Catholic)and I support with all my heart the British Army - OH BY THE WAY I AM A CELTIC SUPPORTING CATHOLIC
Dont blame my club for the actions of a few - cheap shot Mr Liddle - nothing else to write about today?

The Beefeater

When you say Celtic supporters 'sung' Irish rebel songs, were you (a) confused about the past tense of the verb to sing or (b) writing in an Ulster Protestant accent?

V for Vienetta

@Shug

You're right you couldn't make it up.

The riots in Vigo, the forgeries in Blackburn, the stabbing in Seville, the ira songs in Manchester and lets of course not forget the treatement of Mark Walters yet who is laughably trying to claim the moral high ground?

I'm surprised the lonely Spaniard hasn't got the blame again.

Deluded I think sums it up nicely

John Law

Rod

The irony is that we are also remembering the sacrifice of 10's of thousands of Irishmen, of all denominations (who also fought in both world Wars).

Celtic should never be allowed anywhere near the Premier League.
Their bigotry has no place in the modern world.

A Liverpool Fan

goggsy bear

Staggering stupidity from all the "it wasn't an Irish rebel song being sung .blah,blah,blah," posters.If they'd belted out "twinkle twinkle little star" it wouldn't have been any less offensive.Morons.

Ciaran

Ok, own up, who invented Harry Seacole Flashman? The guy's a comic genius.

Boring Boring Boring

To all the Rangers fans casting up Vigo and Blackburn - could you tell us what punishment Celtic received from UEFA for these dreadful crimes? That would of course be the same UEFA Cup campaign where they were awarded the UEFA Fair Play award. Or maybe the UEFA heirarchy are all died in the wool Celtic fans with a vendetta against Rangers?

As for the Mark Walters incident, it's pathetic you should bring something up that happened 20 years ago and has never been repeated by the Celtic fans. Tell me, when was the last time they racially abused a player?

At least try to be relevant eh?

John Smith

This is obvioulsy an unbiased and objective article, from a well respected journo in a well thought of publication.

Fat Bloke on Tour

Rod the Rogerer

Are you that desperate for attention that you have to publish this pile if crap?

You really are a nasty piece of work to skim over the issues with mistake riddled piece of mock outrage.

You betray your middle class, Tory unionist, attention grabbing persona with a diatribe that says more about your inadequacies than it does about the subject matter.

But why change a losing formula, at this rate you will soon be Semen Staines next intern over at "Spunky Spunky".

The only surprise is that you did it yourself and didn't get Andrew Gillagan to do the dirty work for you.

Consequently away and throw shite at yersel ya muppet.

Harry Seacole Flashman

Incoming!
You've just been outed by the fenien sympathising gutter press up here Rod (strangely enough, more upset that you had the audacity to write it than about your subject). Helmets on for another deluge from the Most Offended People Ever.

John D.

I came to know Rod Liddle's work because any time I read a piece in the Sunday Times which struck me as particularly ill-informed or poorly written it invariably carried Rod Liddle's byline.

While I diagree with the Celtic fans who did not observe the minute's silence, the song they sang is not sectarian - rather it refers to an Irish youth named Aidan McAnespie who was shot in cold blood by the British Army.

Yet again Liddle fails to checks the facts and just spouts lazy nonsense. Shame on the Spectator for publishing it.

tony p

Ah we finallly get to the bottom of it,various attempt to cover up the fact that you and many of you posters are racists,and you try to highlight the fact that THE Celtic supporter sung these songs,this is wrong,it was a minority.To be honest most celtic fans arent interested in the premier League,and as for some poster stating the old firm would cause trouble,don't make me laugh,england are known world over as the biggest trooublemakers when it comes to football.

JJW

The Irish PM was the only world leader to offer official condolences when Hitler died. Yes, there are certainly some weirdoes in that country. But let's not forget the thousands of Irishmen who chose to fight (and die) for Britain in both world wars.

Paul

What a load of absolute rubbish. I take it you were at the Falkirk Stadium on Sunday? I take it you know about the history of Celtic FC and its Irish heritage? Its people like you and your vile remarks about things you know little about that drags a great club like Celtic and its fans who are widely regarded as the most passionate and well behaved fans across the globe.

Russell Heaton

Delighted to read your piece. Unfortunately the Jocko hack pack are under "Celtic minded" control and either too scared or hate filled bigots themselves so won't write a piece criticising the vileness that is Celtic Football Club and its support.

What more do you expect from a club formed purely to keep Irish Roman Catholics from integrating when benefitting from Church of Scotland and Salvation Army run charities and soup kitchens?

I'm not sure what the Latin is but the motto of Celtic FC and friends is "Deflect, Deny, Lie"

Chris H

Rod you mention bigots but your knowledge of Scottish Football and particularly Celtic.

Celtic is a club open to all and is not filled with the "bile" that you speak of.

If anyone is a biased bigot here it is you Liddle and frankly the fact that you're article has made it into The Spectator publication is embarrassing.

Please, please do some more research before you write something like this again. Your lack of knowledge is apparent throughout

Home Rule for England

In football grounds throughout England he silence was observed. We don't want Celtic or Rangers bigots in the English Premiership and we English don't want t be 'unite' with Scotland any longer (nor Wales and N.Ireland)
Home Rule for England!

Christopher Main

I agree wholeheartedly with Rod Liddle, there will be no football clubs in scotland in 20 years anyway.The appalling behaviour of players, players pay, and fan behaviour cannot be sustained.

Jim

Reading these posts has been really educational! Thanks, Celtic fans, I now know that singing IRA songs is not deemded to be sectarian!

Well done, Rod, for daring to expose the truth about Celtic

Kenny Boy

Why don't these old firm people just grow up and try and be somewhat civilised? I mean don't many of them treat each other decently through the week as they work side by side?

roddy

I just want to point out that Aiden Mc Anespie,whom the song was about was a British citizen.Those killed during Bloody Sunday were also British.There are Celtic supporters who's relatives are Irish and don't view the British Army as we do,this is their prerogative.However,there are plenty of us who don't agree with there views or the bigotry that you clearly produce.As for De Valera,I'm more a Michael Collins man myself.

eric tait

Isnt it a tad ironic wearing a poppy for the HAIG foundation the same HAIG that sent 100's of 1000's to theyre death i bet most of these young men wouldve turned in there graves when they heard this.

Baron Pipin II

and Obama still believes he can bring peace between the two religiously divided communities in the Middle East.

Dirty Euro

Celtic and rangers should create a european super league with all the big sides from the smaller nations.

Big John Knox

An excellent article Mr Liddle, the sporting wing of the IRA finally being exposed in the media, wonders will never cease.

They really are a vile football club with morons for fans.

Big John Knox

Celtic fans racially abused their own black players Ian Wright, Regi Blinker and Black Manager John Barnes.

Its not only Protestants that they hate.

Le BBB

Interesting to note how many Celtic fans have commented about what this 'Aiden McAnespie' song is about.

Strange that such a politically sensitive song is so well known amongst a self-proclaimed 'all inclusive' support.

Begs the question - why is it so well known?

Perhaps the 25% Protestant support is yet another Celtic myth? When was the last census at Parkhead conducted anyway?

Same old Celtic. Deny and deflect, and if all else fails, just make it up.

Rotten to the core.

Gary Welch

Lupus Lungfish

You are a complete moron and total bigot. Celtic fans are NOT Scottish for a start and there would not be the union without Scotland you total idiot. Look uo the history of your country and see how the union was founded. It was not by an English king anyway.

Conor O'Byrne

Pot Kettle Black Rod. Every club has fans they are not proud of so is it right to tarnish them all with articles like this. If you were at the game or spoke to anyone informed you would have realised that everyone in the ground respected the minute. Looking forward to your article on the shameful yobs from Milwall that cause mayhem every week. Your a disgrace.

Michael

Rod, you have failed to address the fact that thousands of Celtic fans "inside" the stadium observed the minutes silence immpecibaly. A few outside the stadium chose not to. I am a Celtic supporter, and also very proud of my grandfather's army record. His SAS and commando patches and LRDG and royal Scots medals are on display on my office wall. Dont judge everyone by the actions of a few. My reasons for following my team are based purely on football, the history, the traditions of charity being the reason Celtic were formed, and all the great european ties over the decades. Some followers have memories of the british army's presence in Ireland over the last 40 years, and chose not do take part in the silence. Whilst i understand why they felt this way, i do not condone it. The lads on the front line are facing the worst kind of hell right now and i, as a Celtic supporter give them all of my support.

Hippiepooter

Credit where its due, if memory serves right, half of the Celtic team who won the '67 European Cup were Protestants. Rangers only allowed Catholics to play for them quite recently, and few and far between have those Catholics been.

Still, one would have to say a huge YUK! to the behaviour of these Celtic fans.

Harry Calder

Mr Liddle's column is obviously written with an intention to provoke and to anger: it hardly invites rational discourse. Any expression of disagreement with it, no matter how level-headed or well-reasoned, will meet with some facile response such as "I see the Offended Brigade are out in force today", or "Truth hurts, doesn't it?" - or some other similar riposte that refuses to engage with the issues raised.

But the facts, as I understand them, do not seem to support Mr Liddle's conclusions. That thousands of Celtic fans within the ground all observed the silence is hardly evidence of disrespect. That a mere 50 or so supporters, outside the ground, sang a song that is in the context disrespectful is hardly sufficient evidence that Celtic are an "unspeakably foul club it is, bigoted and filled with sectarian hatred". Celtic may well be all of these things, but the evidence cited doesn't really point at such a conclusion. Indeed, this whole incident is barely even a newsworthy story: "Fifty people sing in the streets" - hold the front page!

Those of us who live in Scotland know how very serious an issue football-related sectarianism is. And the more sensible amongst us, on both sides of the divide, know better than to add fuel to the fire with half-truths, downright lies, and hate-filled abuse. Sadly, Mr Liddle's article seems filled with the very hatred and bigotry he claims to deplore. He may no doubt think it's very funny to get a rise out of the Celtic fans he obviously hates so much, but it is deeply irresponsible, to say the least.

Forbes M

Hi Rod !

Is it true you violently assulted your pregnant girlfriend ? No wonder you count yourself among those peace-loving Rangers fans...you revolting cretin.

bill40

Excellent piece of trolling from Mr Liddle. Nothing quite like a good bit of cross border sniping to fan rhe flames

Rangersonlineloyal

Clydebank gerry what a lying tit you really are,

you sing songs for the ira you plastic paddy chunt.

raffaelo

Hilarious!!!!
What an ignorant clown!!

Lupus Lungfish

Gary Welch- moronic sometimes I suppose, bigoted occasionally when the mood takes me-yourself?

Michael

This is getting a bit silly now, both clubs have nutjobs within their support . FACT. Does this small minority reflect or speak for the majority ? no.

Rangers have been dragged through the mud again by the actions of a few. My friends who are rangers supporters and good, honest decent people despair at this. I as a Scotsman and a Celtic supporter despair at the actions of a few "fans", but you know what, - this whole "my da is bigger than your da" is at best pathetic.

some of the cheap point scoring on this blog is actually turning some of the posters into racicsts and bigots ironically ! or were they already like this before they started typing i wonder ?

Rod - i am sorry but what the fu#$!were you thinking ? your piece is tragic, are you really a journo? it is like that game chinese whispers - half a story and even then most of it inacurate. And for good measure a picture of the reverand Ian Paisley. No seriously well done and the next time why dont you just have the headline " This story happened a few hundred miles up the road so i will just wing it with the FACTS"

Rob Sweeney

You only think we are useless as you are scared to play against us...as for the songs , well thats the fans that sing them...not the the players...so grow some balls and let us show you what we can do...i.e. man utd...shunsuke nakamura free kick top drawer eat your heart out...silence you........

rob sweeney

.....also we where awarded FIFA fair play award and 80,000 fans travelled to SEVILLE for a cup final and no bother at all....say you ENGLISH fans who start trouble no matter where you GO....

rod liddle

Unlucky deflection off St Ledger, bhoys. Ah well, never mind.

lorne campbell

Sean R You forget Innocent catholics were alao killed by the indiscriminate IRA bombing's in public places punishment beating's that went to far because they would not allow there houses to be used for training meeting's or did not put in the hat for the cause when they guy came round with it well u blame who you will just remember to balance out all the facts

Derek Smith

Celtic fans have also spat on young children for wearing a poppy to football games in previous years. The only difference this year is thast the game was live on television.

John Lea

The most disappointing thing about this article is that it deals with a very serious matter yet is written in a blythe, off-the-cuff manner. I would suggest that Mr Liddle (whose writing I admire) come up to Glasgow and meet the victims of sectarian violence (on both sides of the divide) and repeat (face to face) what he has written here.
Oh, and he may wish to extend that courtesy to the policemen who were beaten senseless by Rangers fans in Manchester.

Graham Rhodie

Dear sir,

thank you for being perhaps the only commentator south of the border who notices the Glasgow Celtic can do no wrong

FP

Glasgow Celtic playing in Ireland? No thanks. They'd be as welcome as the other crew, the pair being of a piece.

And League of Ireland fans generally don't sing IRA songs. This is inextricably linked to the fact that we live here, and the IRA has no purpose other than to wind up brain-dead football thugs and give columnists an opportunity for retro rants.

Anyway, why don't you give us a blast of one of your lovely Milwall ditties. All we ever hear are Manu and Chelsea ones.