Hail Hail!

[shaunbhoy]

How come Rangers didn't win it? The best team in Scotland should have at least been in the final Shirley?

They used up all their "Ref-Help" tokens in the League.

HTH

[Incognito]

How come Rangers didn't win it? The best team in Scotland should have at least been in the final Shirley?

We've already won the League and League cup, thought we'd leave a Mickey Mouse cup for those less unfortunate. Call it charity.

[shaunbhoy]

A fairly enlightening post that I spotted on another website I frequent.

Presenter Rob MacLean and pundit Pat Nevin, condemned the Celtic fans for singing sectarian songs. Rob MacLean seemed to indicate that he had been instructed to do this by producers.

The song in question (singular) was The Bhoys of the Old Brigade, which is an Irish ballad about an old soldier remembering his fallen comrades in the Irish War of Independence and Easter Uprising. You can read the lyrics and a little background to the song here:

The Boys of the Old Brigade - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I further direct you to the following BBC news stories which cover a case of alleged sectarian breach of the peace. The sheriff deleted the "aggravated by religious prejudice" element as the songs were in favour of militant republicanism rather than prejudicial to a particular race / religion / sect.

BBC News - Strathclyde Pc charged over pro-IRA chanting

BBC News - Strathclyde Police officer guilty breach of the peace

Furthermore, the equality campaigning organisation, "Celeberate Identity, Challenge Intolerance" has specifically identified Boys of the Old Brigade as a song that breaches no equality legislation.

Celtic FC supporters - Equality and Diversity training - Summary

I also find it somewhat ironic that the national broadcaster should choose to brand as sectarian a song commemorating the dead of the Irish struggle for independence in the week where the Monarch and Head of State laid a wreath in a garden to commemorate exactly those same fallen:

BBC News - Queen lays wreath on Republic of Ireland state visit

Of course, it is the duty of the national broadcaster - which it has shamefully ignored in the past - to highlight unacceptable behaviour at sporting events. Whether it is racist, sexist, homophoblic, sectarian or just plain offensive, this should be highlighted and the perpetrators condemned. It is incumbent on your presenters and commentators to identify this behaviour and label it correctly. If they cannot - as MacLean, Nevin and some anonymous producer demonstrated - I would suggest you contact Celebrate Identity, Challenge Intolerance and avail yourself of their offer to provide equality training to organisations that require it.

Celtic this very week, through the manager Neil Lennon, asked fans not to sing offensive songs. This was not labeling songs sectarian and may or may not have included the Boys of the Old Brigade. It's certainly open to debate about whether such songs are offensive and whether they are appropriate at a football match, they are not sectarian however. You should make this clear in your programming. Educating viewers is part of the mission of the BBC, though, as indicated above, perhaps you need educated presenters and commentators to do this.

Now I am one of a large number of Celtic fans who do not see any reason to sing Republican Songs at matches. However, one thing these songs are NOT, is sectarian. Overtly political YES, but then again so is Flower of Scotland.
A little fact that the "impartial" Beeb in Scotland seem very keen to avoid pointing out.

[Sysman]

Hail! Hail! Your prediction came true!

It's frigging bucketing down with hail at the moment.

Second time this afternoon too.

Can you start a Sun! Sun! thread please?

[TykeMerc]

We've already won the League and League cup, thought we'd leave a Mickey Mouse cup for those less unfortunate. Call it charity.

Well done, I didn't know that a Rangers 1st team player or team official posted on CUK or are you just a major shareholder?

[shaunbhoy]

for those less unfortunate

Indeed!

[Incognito]

Well done, I didn't know that a Rangers 1st team player or team official posted on CUK or are you just a major shareholder?

I do hold shares in the club actually, so what's your point caller?

[Incognito]

Now I am one of a large number of Celtic fans who do not see any reason to sing Republican Songs at matches. However, one thing these songs are NOT, is sectarian. Overtly political YES, but then again so is Flower of Scotland.

It's Anti-British and Anti-Protestant, the songs they sing are nothing to do with the Easter rising, it's to do with the current thugs, hence the balaclava thing.

Try getting your head out of the sand.

Are you trying to deny you've never heard these songs (with the add ons)

And they gave us james mcgrory and paul mcstay( AND THE IRA !) they gave us johnstone, tully , murdoch, auld and hay(**** THE QUEEN AND THE UDA!) most of the football greats have passed through parkheads gates , all to play football , the glasgow celtic way.

We're on the one road , sharing the one load , we're on the road to god knows where, we're on the one road , it maybe the wrong road , but we're together now who cares , northman southman comrades all , dublin belfast cork and donegal/soon there'll be no protestants at all, we're on the one road , swinging along , singing a soldiers song.

Oh father why , are you so sad , on this bright easter morn, when irishmen are proud and glad of the land , where they were born , oh son i see in memories view , of far off distant days , when being just , a lad like you , i joined the IRA. where are the lads who stood with me , when history was made , oh gra mo cree i long to see , the Boys Of the Old Brigade.

This is as much a problem to Scottish society as the 'up to our knees in Fenian blood...' style of songs. You're not going to eradicate one without removing the other and screaming "oor songs are political......" will not help. Your manager recognises that, why can't the fans.

Neil Lennon urges Celtic fans to stop 'unacceptable' chants | Football | guardian.co.uk

The Celtic manager, Neil Lennon, has urged supporters to stop unacceptable chanting after noting a re-emergence in recent matches. Irish republican chants were heard at Tynecastle last week when some Celtic fans clashed with stewards following an incident on the touchline which saw a fan charged with assaulting Lennon.

The Northern Irish manager again praised the supporters for their "magnificent" response to him and the team on Sunday as Celtic lost out to Rangers in the Premier League title race despite victory over Motherwell.

But he urged a minority of fans not to tarnish the club's reputation. In a statement on the club's official website, Lennon said: "Celtic is rightly proud of its unique history and also of its open, inclusive and welcoming spirit. It is this which we hold dear.

"While we are delighted with the support we have received throughout the season, it is very important that we ensure that Celtic is always a positive club for all. We all know it has been a very difficult season for Celtic and we all know what has gone on. However, we must ensure that we do all we can to uphold the club's reputation.

"In recent times, unfortunately there has been a re-emergence, from a small minority, of some of the singing and chanting which is simply not acceptable around our club. This has no place at Celtic Park or at any of our matches and it must be tackled. All this does is tarnish the great name of Celtic and embarrasses the club.

"As we move towards next season it is vitally important that we ensure we do so positively. However small the minority of people involved, this behaviour has no place at Celtic and I am sure as we move towards a new season and new beginning, everyone associated with the club will recognise this."

[Zippy]

Still, if Scotland does secede from the union they'll have one hell of an army. Or a halfway decent band anyway.

[stek]

Why is it Celtic with a soft initial 'C' for the footy Club - ie Seltik? Yet all other variants are Hard 'K' - Keltik Cross, Keltik Music, etc...

The Kelts?

I'm genuinely interested if anyone knows...