The Offical Glasgow Celtic thread

[armagho9]

While clearly a problem in both Scotland in general and Glasgow in particular, just how strong is sectarianism on a day to day basis when you take footballing rivalry out of the equation?

I have lived and worked all over Scotland for many years, and I can say that the Scottish people are every bit as friendly & hospitable as the Irish. The craic we would have at work & socialising between Rangers, Celtic, Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen, Dunfermine etc supporters was great. Plenty of p*ss taking, snide remarks etc but all in good spirits

All in all, in large parts of the society I have never known it to be a problem and would not have been as wary of saying something that could be construed as being sectarian, as I would be at home.

Shamed as I am to say it, large parts of the trouble at games involving Rangers & Celtic tend to have an Irish undertone to it. Be it 1st/2nd/3rd generation lads or "supporters" in town for a boozy weekend. Other teams have a particulary nasty element to their support, but these are basic scumbags who would fight with their shadow, and football is a convienant excuse to be a thug at every opportunity i.e. hearts/celtic game

Due to Rangers/Celtic having such large fanbases it is dragged out as "Scotlands Shame" but in reality its a small hardcore of idiots, which unfortunately a lot of these migrate to the old firm (or the bigot brothers as they are regulary called here) to seek out there kicks

For all the stories and tales I hear at home about rangers fans, I have personally seen with my own eyes Celtic fans doing just as bad. For every fan of rangers that is critised, there is one equally as bad supporting Celtic in my experience. For every salt of the earth Celtic fan, there is a Rangers equivalent.

Most fans of other teams would love Rangers and Celtic to join the English league so they can get away from the circus of everything being about them, and every decision being brought back to some random historical context.

Its every bit as much our shame as theirs

Not talking about the sectarian issue but compare these, Celtic get to Uefa cup final.  50,000 fans go to Seville, no trouble of any kind (even though the mood amongst many would have been anger after the actions of the Porto players).  Celtic get award for best supporters in Europe.

Few years later, Rangers get to the final.  Their fans cause havoc in Manchester City centre before and after the match, in one incident caught on camers a large group give two police a hiding (one a woman cop).

I met a few Rangers fans myself when i was over in Glasgow for a weekend and they were sound but i am convinced that the bitterness and hatred is far worse from their side.  In many cases it is not even sectarianism it is just pure thuggery like in Manchester

[dillinger]

Reading the report from George Galloway. I like George as a broadcaster, we would share the same socialist views but he in my opinion is a bigot. He is a die hard Celtic surportor so his views are always going to be Celtic minded. George says Celtic fans sing songs about their heritage? Is singing songs about the IRA any better than Fenian blood?

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Is singing songs about the IRA any better than Fenian blood?

dillinger, I fully appreciate that perspective.

You must, however, remember (or maybe you'll choose not to  ) that I would much rather the Rangers crowd sang songs in veneration of the UDA or UVF of yesterday or year, as opposed to songs about wading through my bodily fluid of life, of today.

[Evil Genius]

Edit: EG will be along shortly with the perfectly rational explanation that Catholics are six times more likely to report it than Protestants.

Er, any reason for dragging me into this? 

[bennydorano]

Good luck to the dirty fenians tomorrow, given what's been going on it would be very very sweet, heres hoping.

[sammymaguire]

Well... will Lenny's men be fortunate enough to pick up the SPL (replica) trophy at Parkhead today?

[ONeill]

The octopus is dead.

[clarshack]

and they were criticising neil lennon for saying teams lie down to rangers 

disgraceful stuff by kilmarnock - 3 goals down after 7 mins, they didnt even try and pretend to have a go ffs. would this happen in any other league in world football?

[gallsman]

and they were criticising neil lennon for saying teams lie down to rangers 

disgraceful stuff by kilmarnock - 3 goals down after 7 mins, they didnt even try and pretend to have a go ffs. would this happen in any other league in world football?

Yes, yes, that's the reason.

[tyroneman]

If we had even drawn with ICT this would not be an issue.

Only ourselves to blame.

[Milltown Row2]

and they were criticising neil lennon for saying teams lie down to rangers 

disgraceful stuff by kilmarnock - 3 goals down after 7 mins, they didnt even try and pretend to have a go ffs. would this happen in any other league in world football?

What are you talking about? Why do teams lie down to Rangers? have teams been lying down to Man Utd for the past 20 years? and before that to Liverpool?

[Minder]

Rangers, over 40 points ahead of opponents Kilmarnock, are beating them easily. Who knew?

[clarshack]

and they were criticising neil lennon for saying teams lie down to rangers 

disgraceful stuff by kilmarnock - 3 goals down after 7 mins, they didnt even try and pretend to have a go ffs. would this happen in any other league in world football?

What are you talking about? Why do teams lie down to Rangers? have teams been lying down to Man Utd for the past 20 years? and before that to Liverpool?

would you like to take a guess?

[gallsman]

and they were criticising neil lennon for saying teams lie down to rangers 

disgraceful stuff by kilmarnock - 3 goals down after 7 mins, they didnt even try and pretend to have a go ffs. would this happen in any other league in world football?

What are you talking about? Why do teams lie down to Rangers? have teams been lying down to Man Utd for the past 20 years? and before that to Liverpool?

would you like to take a guess?

Celtic are hardly facing the sternest of tests today, are they?

[omagh_gael]

Celtic lost the league when Samaras missed the penalty in Ibrox and lost against ICT. Their own fault, no one else.