Monday, April 02, 2018

Open To ALL - Neither the Green Brigade nor FAC have a right to divide Celtic Park on party-political grounds

I have always had mixed feelings about the Green Brigade.

I love many of their displays and acknowledge the atmosphere that they have generated at times when it has been badly needed.

I also give them huge credit for the food bank collections, which accentuate the solidarity of Celtic fans with the poor for whom our club was founded, especially as so few other clubs' fans ever come close to matching it.

I have similar values to many of those that the GB express – left, Irish Republican, and for a just solution for the Palestinian people.

FAC 1- 0 SNP, ACAB banner

On the latter issue, I have no problem saying that, overall, I was wrong about the Palestinian flag protest for the match with Hapoel Be'er Sheva and the subsequent "Match the Fine for Palestine" was a very proud moment for Celtic that I had not anticipated. Fair play.

But while the GB was proved right about the previous Palestinian action (and this weekend certainly warranted one), many of their political activities have given me cause for concern.

Not necessarily because I disagree with the message but because claiming Celtic for a narrow political viewpoint is divisive and inappropriate to a club with Celtic's "open to all" identity and values.

Okay, we're not really open to all – not to neo-Nazis, Fascists, racists, Antisemites, Islamophobes, anti-Catholic bigots or anyone who discriminates on the basis of any religious discrimination.

Generally, anyone who advocates discrimination against minorities is not welcome to express their views at Celtic Park (though some minorities would not have been welcomed at any club, including Celtic, in previous decades).

That's just my opinion, of course. This is my personal forum for expressing it and I have to acknowledge that I don't speak for Celtic or Celtic fans.

But this is one area in which I feel that the Green Brigade can often lack an appreciation of nuance and the true value of diversity.

Frankly, I think that they often act like a bunch of overgrown kids (though many are, in fact, just  kids).

I have sung many a song in honour of the Irish rebels, who people like me remember, particularly at Easter time.

The Foggy Dew, Come Out Ye Black-'N'-Tans, The Boys of the Ould Brigade, The Merry Ploughboy, Rock on Rockall and more. But I have never sung any of them at Celtic Park.

Because, they are not necessarily understood and, if they are, not necessarily accepted amongst the Celtic support.
Danny McGrain MBE
Excuse the nuance, folks, but Willie Maley – a far greater Celt than I or (I humbly submit) any Green Brigade member – urged young men to fight for the British Empire. And that's when it was a real piece of work!

That would be the same empire from which many great Celts accepted bestowed honours – Sir Bob Kelly; Jock Stein, Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire; Bobby Lennox, Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire; Paul McStay, Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, and more.

All, immeasurably greater Celts than I could ever wish to be.

And that necessarily implies to me that Celtic supporters can't exclude even those who have fought for that empire from our midst, never mind those fans who currently support Scotland's place in the United Kingdom and vote for it.

And, logically, neither could we or should we seek to exclude people who support Scottish independence.

I've lived through the last throes of Labour in Scotland and I didn't like what I saw. I don't much like the Scottish National Party, either.

Personally, I'm a left-leaning supporter of Scottish independence, with no support for the British union, and would be politically closest to the Scottish Socialist Party had that entity not gone up in a puff of hubris, testosterone and farce.

So, what are we going to say? You can't be a Celtic supporter and vote for a British Unionist party like Labour, the Conservatives or the LibDems?

You can't be a Celtic supporter who, like me, vociferously opposed the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act and vote SNP?
"Radical" Celtic fans say Yes to Scottish independence

If you think, “Yes”, to either question, I would ask who exactly you think you are to make Celtic Park the battleground for your narrow view of politics.

And who the hell you think you are to use Celtic or Fans Against Criminalisation to make party-political points at Celtic Park, as the Green Brigade did on Saturday during the match against Ross County.

"FAC 1 – 0 SNP", the banner went, with the Green Brigade “Ultras” skull logo, despite FAC having gone to great lengths to say that they represented a broad range of opinions and football loyalties.

The banner also had the tag – ACAB (All Coppers Are Bastards).

The OBFA, admittedly, caused tremendous damage to relations between Scottish football supporters and Police Scotland (and Celtic fans have long had an at best guarded relationship with the police as an institution).

But, to be kind, this is just another example of the rebel wannabe kids spewing forth on banners without thinking of nuance at all. "All coppers are bastards"? Doesn't that sound discriminatory? Have you envisaged a state that can exist in the absence of a police force?

(As I have always said, if you want to say, “ACAB”, then never lower yourself to call the cops so that one of those bastards has to risk his or her safety to get you or a loved-one out of a hole.)

So, according to one banner, you can't be an SNP-supporter or a police officer and be a Celtic fan.

Only if you believe that the Green Brigade's big banner – thankfully not recently with their “pyro” bonfire-night displays – speaks for Celtic, rather than a bunch of kids, who can grow up in their own time, not on Celtic's.

As with most divisive issues, I see stridently diverse opinions on the issue of Scottish independence.

Some see those who sing against British imperialism in Ireland but support British-Unionist Labour to be the most risible of hypocrites.

Others see the SNP, the primary party of Scottish independence, as an untrustworthy shower with no regard for Scotland's Irish Catholic community or football supporters as a group.
William Wallace and Bobby Sands banners at Celtic Park

Both positions have their arguable merits.

But, like it or not, members of both camps have a place at Celtic.And many thousands of SNP supporters and voters also support Celtic.

Just as Green and LibDem supporters, capitalists and – yes – even Tories. (We've had plenty in the past, though I find the party particularly offensive - which is not illegal).

Our club has embraced them all – imperialists, republicans, Catholics, Protestants, “Mohammedans” (as Maley referred to our first Muslim player), Jews, Gay people and many (though fewer now) homophobes.

Let no one or any group try to dictate that the Celtic family or club, open to all, should be divided according to their own narrow views or use the platform of Celtic to seek to exclude people from our club.

Our unity and diversity has enabled us to stand strong against every outside force that sought to divide us - one club since 1888.

There is a place for us all – even the Green Brigade.

And, always, especially the kids.

17 comments:

Charlie McGinley said...

If you look closely at the banner you will see that ACAB stands for All Celts Against the Bill, you know, like the chant.

Unknown said...

I support Celtic, in fact live Celtic but would welcome living in a nation of Scots run by Scots for the betterment of one nation Scotland & all Scots whether Celtic or Rangers minded. You make good points but The GB also make many good points & most I agree with & some don't go far enough such as a lack of support for Catholic, anti-imperialist Catalunya & the oppression there but a rock is thrown in Muslim Palestine & we have an outbreak of pomposity & self righteousness.......good article & well written but allow all Celtic fans their own views & live & let live. Viva La Independencia y Hasta LA Victoria Siempre! We don't need to fight every cause just the ones relevant to our beliefs as a Celtic Family.

Seppington said...

Couldn't agree more. There's some right backwards, narrow-minded thought permeating a lot of tims but it shouldn't be brought to the game. Don't let the media tar us all with the same brush, thank you very much.
Though there was absolutely no need for it in the first place I in all honesty would have had no problem with the "OBFA" if it had been more clearly defined and was just the "OBA". If something is offensive enough to be a crime at a football match it's offensive enough to be a crime anywhere. Don't single out football fans, especially when we've seen the scummy behaviour of some posh rugger chaps not long ago (Have they been done yet?).

Anonymous said...

While u do ur research on british politics, why not research the GB properly. ALL COPPERS ARE BASTARDS?
You just made that up. U know thats not what it means. Trouble maker, ur a bad man.

Bernie said...

If we can all things to all men oh and women, trans, gender neutral etc.... what do values do you suppose, unite us?

Bernie said...

Oh Yes and Willie Maley was wrong to convince young men to go to their slaughter! That goes for anyone who accepts titles from an oppressive institution like the British empire!

Bernie said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Know what your talking about before writing an article, such an outsider point of view on a group you seem to know so much about.

Laughable.

Bernie said...

It would be if it wasn't so tragic! I wish these daily record reading Celtic supporters would read the writing on the wall, blinkered!

Unknown said...

ACAB has historically meant as “all coppers are basterds. However as this was used in the 70’s & 80’s, you are probably too young to remember it.

I remember asking a guy i worked with in the early 90’s why he had a blue dot tatooed on each knuckle. “It’s ACAB mate, what youve never heard of ACAB?”

I said sorry mate, ive never been in prison.

It’s like the huns using the nazi salute and pretending it means something else. If it means something else, why the copy.

Annonymous - your argument here is just as bad as the huns.

TheCeltsAreHere said...

I appreciate all your comments. However, please spare us all the nonsense that ACAB – used by football ultras across Europe for decades – is not intended to denote the commonly-understood expression in the article.

That sort of attempt at cleverness belongs in the same category as “red hand salutes”.

TheCeltsAreHere said...

fitzybhoy78 - I had written and posted my answer before I read yours. Thanks.

TheCeltsAreHere said...

Mark Barrett – I also support Catalonia and think that much more should be done in Scotland in defence of those fighting peacefully for democracy.

I would also be happy to see Celtic fans expressing their solidarity with the Catalan independence supporters.

My issues are when people use protest either as a way of excluding other Celtic fans who may hold differing views or to try to dictate an (increasingly narrow in definition) set of views and ascribe them to the Celtic support in general.

That's my major criticism of the banner from Saturday.
(And thanks for your kind remarks on the article).

TheCeltsAreHere said...

Bernie - A fair flurry of invective there, most of it delusional.

I'm sorry that you don't know the shared values of the Celtic support. Maybe you could widen your reading.

I don't read the Daily Record.

I DO delete abusive comments.

Later, kid!

TheCeltsAreHere said...

Seppington DeStamina - I think the problems with the OBFA went further than that but the fact that it made football supporters and other citizens unequal before the law made it indefensible.

Seppington said...

Bernie: you prove my point about backwards thinking. Not all tims are Catholics. Though I might have been raised in the faith I renounced it as soon as I was old enough. I couldn't give a rats ass for religion, and even though I'm descended from Irish immigrants I don't give a shit for any of the Irish republican bollocks either.

I personally find it distasteful that anyone accepts any "honour" from the British establishment. That's just my view but I'm not going to scream "TRAITOR" at Paul McStay if I pass him on the street FFS! Nor do I feel the need to castigate him on the bloody internet.

The men in my family never cared for football so I came to it by myself and was attracted to Celtic by their style of play. That's how it should be, nothing else should matter at a football game. By bringing this shit to the game the GB and others are giving those that call us all "fenians" yet another weapon to use against us. I know they do nothing to stop bigotry against catholics, of course they fucking don't they love a bit of it the hun cunts! But they twist anything to make Celtic look bad and sometimes the GB's political shit just needlessly hands them ammunition. That was my point.

I'm not apologising for anything. Eat all of the dicks you dumb narrow-minded fuckwitt.

Seppington said...

Celts are Here: Yeah I know I was simplifying it a bit but you get my point. The very notion that someone could be charged because someone somewhere felt offended by them in some way was ridiculous. How do you qualify what is deemed offensive? It was too vague and ill-defined. But then technically so is breach of the peace when that is decided by the arresting police officer. Maybe there does need to be a law like it but it has to apply to everyone, and it should be subject to public consultation and a good period of rumination and debate. Not the knee-jerk nonsense the SNP came up with. Of course, I'm one of those people who aren't blinded by a single issue and will still vote for them until we get an independent Scotland. I couldn't care less if the GB don't want me at CP. They are not Celtic. The jersey doesn't shrink to fit inferior players and neither should the club shrink to fit narrow-minded fans.

(My apologies for the invective used against Bernie, but sometimes you gotta give it back)