by Gordon Waddell, Sunday Mail 31/3/08
Are Celtic's chickens coming home to roost at long last?
For too long their self-aggrandising 'Greatest Fans In The World' tag has obscured the incessant IRA love-in among sizeable chunks of their away support.
Maybe, like Rangers, some UEFA involvement and the treat of some serious action will get them to pay more than lip service to a problem they looked like trying to fix then conveniently forgot about.
Chief executive Peter Lawwell can posture all he likes for the benefit of the supporters.
But having looked at some of the footage concerned, if that's his definition of a minority, then the majority must be hell of a size.
It appears their "Seville Calculator" works in both directions when it suits the powers-that-be at Celtic.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Celtic fans riot at Ibrox 1962
http://ssa.nls.uk/film.cfm?fid=T0673
Ibrox pitch invasion during the second half of the 1962 Scottish Cup Final semi-final match between Celtic and St Mirren, match abandoned and mounted police arrive. [Celtic were losing 3 - 0 to St. Mirren at the time].
Ibrox pitch invasion during the second half of the 1962 Scottish Cup Final semi-final match between Celtic and St Mirren, match abandoned and mounted police arrive. [Celtic were losing 3 - 0 to St. Mirren at the time].
Friday, March 28, 2008
BBC report sectarian chanting
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/7318430.stm
Uefa is examining videos appearing to show Celtic supporters involved in sectarian chanting in Barcelona.
A Uefa spokesman confirmed the footage included singing outside and inside the Nou Camp for the Champions League last-16 match on 4 March.
"We have received some footage showing Celtic supporters singing some alleged anti-Queen and pro-IRA songs - sectarian songs," he said.
"If the investigation is conclusive, a disciplinary case would be opened."
Several videos have been brought to Uefa's attention, including film of supporters at the 'fan-zone' designated for travelling supporters.
"We take care of all manifestations of sectarian singing," the Uefa spokesman added.
"The only condition is that it must be in the immediate surrounding area of the stadium. There was alleged sectarian singing inside the stadium.
"It will depend on the easiness of having these songs understood and the quest of finding other evidence."
Uefa is examining videos appearing to show Celtic supporters involved in sectarian chanting in Barcelona.
A Uefa spokesman confirmed the footage included singing outside and inside the Nou Camp for the Champions League last-16 match on 4 March.
"We have received some footage showing Celtic supporters singing some alleged anti-Queen and pro-IRA songs - sectarian songs," he said.
"If the investigation is conclusive, a disciplinary case would be opened."
Several videos have been brought to Uefa's attention, including film of supporters at the 'fan-zone' designated for travelling supporters.
"We take care of all manifestations of sectarian singing," the Uefa spokesman added.
"The only condition is that it must be in the immediate surrounding area of the stadium. There was alleged sectarian singing inside the stadium.
"It will depend on the easiness of having these songs understood and the quest of finding other evidence."
Celtic fan/journalist attacks late footballer
A Scottish journalist is believed to have used his editorial friend at the Sun newspaper to print a story attempting to blacken the name of late Rangers legend Sam English. For reasons unknown to anyone but himself freelance journalist Paul Drury decided to pen the damning story which when read you are lead to believe that Sam was at fault for the sad death of Celtic goalkeeper John Thomson.
The story written by Drury was touted around all the newspapers in Scotland. None of them thought the story was worthy of printing except his friend at the Sun.
In case you are unaware of the history behind the article Mr Thomson died tragically during a Glasgow derby on September 5th 1931. In a brave attempt to win possession Mr Thomson collided head first with Mr Sam English’s knee with fatal consequences.
Once familiar with the incident it is clear that the death of Mr Thomson was a most tragic accident. We should not allow Mr Thomson’s memory to be degraded or used as a pawn in the minds of those who wish to see hatred or intent to harm when it was not there.
Anyone with a basic knowledge of the facts surrounding the untimely death of Mr John Thomson should be able to tell that Mr Drury’s article is imbalanced and essentially misleading.
Till the day Sam died in Vale of Leven Hospital of motor neurone disease on April 12th 1967 aged 58 English was haunted by the accidental death of Mr Thomson.
I have enclosed a copy of the article to judge for yourself.
------------------------------------------------------
If your are in any doubt where Drury's allegiances below is an extract taken own website, www.medianow.co.uk
"Paul Drury's connections with Celtic Football Club earned him a place on the Testimonial Committee for club captain, Tom Boyd. Tom's year culminated in a money-spinning tie with Manchester United at Celtic Park, a game televised live on Channel 5 yet still attended by 58,000 supporters. To ensure maximum exposure, Paul promoted the match using exclusive interviews with Sir Alex Ferguson, top striker Henrik Larsson and club manager, Martin O'Neill."
------------------------------------------------------
To show that all Celtic fans don't have a deep rooted hate of their greater rivals below is a honest well written piece by Celtic supporter known as Kevtic who posted the below on Celtic fansite Kerrydale Street on 12 Apr 2007.
John Thomson - Sam English (A haunted man)
"I’m not usually one to start a thread about Rangers but given the number of attempts by the darkside to slander and smear the good name of our heroes and legends in some kind of bizarre point scoring exercise I thought I’d redress the balance and show that we do not need to stoop to their level and can rise above their deep rooted hatred of all things Celtic and set straight a story and a lie that is over 70 years old.
All of us should know and recognise the name Sam English, a name that will forever be entwined with the history of Celtic and of course John Thomson. Recently I finally got round to reading one of my xmas presents, Tom Greig’s excellent book ‘My Search for Celtic’s John’ (a book I can highly recommend) and I was surprised to discover as he described that fateful day and the aftermath that some people were under the impression that John Thomson’s injury was caused by a ‘deliberate’ kick to the head. I don’t know if it was just me but from the first time I had heard about the tragedy I’d always been told that it was just a tragic accident and no one was to blame. This was the first time I’d heard a conflicting story and after some further research into the subject found out this alternative story was completely untrue but that some regarded this version of events as the truth.
There is a reason that this untruth may have slipped into the realm of fact though. When Thomson was admitted to the Victoria Infirmary the patient’s notes included the phrase ‘the patient was admitted having received, it was stated, a kick on the head’. There was no name attached to this statement and may have been a result of no one knowing the exact truth at the time of the notes being written. However it appears that this was enough for a lie to take root and to this day some still regard it as fact. In addition Willie Maley made a rather ambiguous statement at the fatal accident enquiry when asked ‘In your opinion, was it an accident?’ and his reply was ‘I hope it was an accident. I cannot form an opinion as to what happened as I did not actually see the accident’. Some saw this as a serious aspersion on the character of Sam English but many regard this statement as coming from a grief stricken man whose words were not intended to be interpreted as they were. Many felt this added credence to the ‘deliberate kick’ assumption.
The evidence to back up the fact that the whole incident was nothing but a tragic accident though is overwhelming not least that the fact that the fatal accident enquiry returned a verdict of accidental death. Not one of the players on the park that day or any member of Thomson’s family held English responsible for the accident. Indeed English met Thomson’s parents twice and the Thomson family also published a letter in the Lochgelly Times on the day of Thomson’s funeral publicly exonerated English of any responsibility for the accident. It was a sign of the Thomson’s strength of character that despite losing their son at such a young age they still found time to give comfort to English and realised the burden he was to carry for the rest of his life.
Sadly this wasn’t enough to stop English being taunted by supporters and players throughout the rest of his career. English was only 23 when the accident happened and only a few months older than Thomson. He only signed for Rangers in the summer of 1931 after his goal scoring exploits for Yoker Athletic had alerted them to his talents. It seemed a long and successful career lay before him and the game against Celtic was his first derby in only his 7th competitive game for Rangers. There are many accounts of what happened that day but all eyewitness accounts surrounding the incident itself state that English got a shot at goal as Thomson came out to block and Thomson deflected the ball away for what should have been a corner but his momentum carried him into English where his temple comes into contact with English’s knee and thus his fate was sealed. At no point did English’s foot make any contact with Thomson’s head. This scenario is also supported by photographic evidence.
The Rangers manager of the time Bill Struth, not often held in high regard by Celtic fans, has to be commended during this time as he took the responsibility to send a car for Thomson’s parents in Fife once the seriousness of the situation became clear and he along with Rangers captain Meiklejohn and English visited Thomson’s parents a few weeks later. It was also Struth who decided to play English in the game immediately after Thomson’s funeral adopting the ‘best to get back on the horse’ approach and by the end of the season English had scored 44 goals (still a record for a Rangers player) and he had also won a couple of Northern Ireland caps but despite his exploits he could not forget that fateful moment and his play began to suffer as his heart was not in it. A move to Liverpool was hoped might give him a fresh start but limited success saw him return to play for Queen of the South before finishing his career at Hartlepool at the age of 28.
All through the remainder of his football career English found he could not escape the tragedy. Almost every team he played against used the death of Thomson to their advantage and he was constantly taunted about it and it didn’t stop after he left the pitch both he and his wife were victims of shameful accusations and later this was turned against his children and his grandchildren. Of course there were also many hundreds and thousands of people who absolved him of any responsibility and supported him through difficult times. These of course included many decent Celtic fans.
Having played football myself for over 20 years the worst injury I can ever remember inflicting on an opponent was a broken nose and I felt really bad about that even though it was accidental. I can’t even begin to understand what English must have felt throughout his life and the ignorance of those who sought to gain an advantage or to inflict more misery on him and his family by continually taunting and reminding him of the tragedy. There are many, including Celtic fans, who should feel ashamed at the treatment English received after Thomson’s death.
Sam English died in Vale of Leven Hospital of motor neurone disease on April 12th 1967 aged 58.
I decided I’d wait until the 40th anniversary of his death to post this story and if what I’ve written above changes the opinions of just one person then it will have been a worthwhile exercise.
On that fateful day on September 5th 1931 not one but two men were victims of a terrible tragedy.
Sam English RIP"
The story written by Drury was touted around all the newspapers in Scotland. None of them thought the story was worthy of printing except his friend at the Sun.
In case you are unaware of the history behind the article Mr Thomson died tragically during a Glasgow derby on September 5th 1931. In a brave attempt to win possession Mr Thomson collided head first with Mr Sam English’s knee with fatal consequences.
Once familiar with the incident it is clear that the death of Mr Thomson was a most tragic accident. We should not allow Mr Thomson’s memory to be degraded or used as a pawn in the minds of those who wish to see hatred or intent to harm when it was not there.
Anyone with a basic knowledge of the facts surrounding the untimely death of Mr John Thomson should be able to tell that Mr Drury’s article is imbalanced and essentially misleading.
Till the day Sam died in Vale of Leven Hospital of motor neurone disease on April 12th 1967 aged 58 English was haunted by the accidental death of Mr Thomson.
I have enclosed a copy of the article to judge for yourself.
------------------------------------------------------
If your are in any doubt where Drury's allegiances below is an extract taken own website, www.medianow.co.uk
"Paul Drury's connections with Celtic Football Club earned him a place on the Testimonial Committee for club captain, Tom Boyd. Tom's year culminated in a money-spinning tie with Manchester United at Celtic Park, a game televised live on Channel 5 yet still attended by 58,000 supporters. To ensure maximum exposure, Paul promoted the match using exclusive interviews with Sir Alex Ferguson, top striker Henrik Larsson and club manager, Martin O'Neill."
------------------------------------------------------
To show that all Celtic fans don't have a deep rooted hate of their greater rivals below is a honest well written piece by Celtic supporter known as Kevtic who posted the below on Celtic fansite Kerrydale Street on 12 Apr 2007.
John Thomson - Sam English (A haunted man)
"I’m not usually one to start a thread about Rangers but given the number of attempts by the darkside to slander and smear the good name of our heroes and legends in some kind of bizarre point scoring exercise I thought I’d redress the balance and show that we do not need to stoop to their level and can rise above their deep rooted hatred of all things Celtic and set straight a story and a lie that is over 70 years old.
All of us should know and recognise the name Sam English, a name that will forever be entwined with the history of Celtic and of course John Thomson. Recently I finally got round to reading one of my xmas presents, Tom Greig’s excellent book ‘My Search for Celtic’s John’ (a book I can highly recommend) and I was surprised to discover as he described that fateful day and the aftermath that some people were under the impression that John Thomson’s injury was caused by a ‘deliberate’ kick to the head. I don’t know if it was just me but from the first time I had heard about the tragedy I’d always been told that it was just a tragic accident and no one was to blame. This was the first time I’d heard a conflicting story and after some further research into the subject found out this alternative story was completely untrue but that some regarded this version of events as the truth.
There is a reason that this untruth may have slipped into the realm of fact though. When Thomson was admitted to the Victoria Infirmary the patient’s notes included the phrase ‘the patient was admitted having received, it was stated, a kick on the head’. There was no name attached to this statement and may have been a result of no one knowing the exact truth at the time of the notes being written. However it appears that this was enough for a lie to take root and to this day some still regard it as fact. In addition Willie Maley made a rather ambiguous statement at the fatal accident enquiry when asked ‘In your opinion, was it an accident?’ and his reply was ‘I hope it was an accident. I cannot form an opinion as to what happened as I did not actually see the accident’. Some saw this as a serious aspersion on the character of Sam English but many regard this statement as coming from a grief stricken man whose words were not intended to be interpreted as they were. Many felt this added credence to the ‘deliberate kick’ assumption.
The evidence to back up the fact that the whole incident was nothing but a tragic accident though is overwhelming not least that the fact that the fatal accident enquiry returned a verdict of accidental death. Not one of the players on the park that day or any member of Thomson’s family held English responsible for the accident. Indeed English met Thomson’s parents twice and the Thomson family also published a letter in the Lochgelly Times on the day of Thomson’s funeral publicly exonerated English of any responsibility for the accident. It was a sign of the Thomson’s strength of character that despite losing their son at such a young age they still found time to give comfort to English and realised the burden he was to carry for the rest of his life.
Sadly this wasn’t enough to stop English being taunted by supporters and players throughout the rest of his career. English was only 23 when the accident happened and only a few months older than Thomson. He only signed for Rangers in the summer of 1931 after his goal scoring exploits for Yoker Athletic had alerted them to his talents. It seemed a long and successful career lay before him and the game against Celtic was his first derby in only his 7th competitive game for Rangers. There are many accounts of what happened that day but all eyewitness accounts surrounding the incident itself state that English got a shot at goal as Thomson came out to block and Thomson deflected the ball away for what should have been a corner but his momentum carried him into English where his temple comes into contact with English’s knee and thus his fate was sealed. At no point did English’s foot make any contact with Thomson’s head. This scenario is also supported by photographic evidence.
The Rangers manager of the time Bill Struth, not often held in high regard by Celtic fans, has to be commended during this time as he took the responsibility to send a car for Thomson’s parents in Fife once the seriousness of the situation became clear and he along with Rangers captain Meiklejohn and English visited Thomson’s parents a few weeks later. It was also Struth who decided to play English in the game immediately after Thomson’s funeral adopting the ‘best to get back on the horse’ approach and by the end of the season English had scored 44 goals (still a record for a Rangers player) and he had also won a couple of Northern Ireland caps but despite his exploits he could not forget that fateful moment and his play began to suffer as his heart was not in it. A move to Liverpool was hoped might give him a fresh start but limited success saw him return to play for Queen of the South before finishing his career at Hartlepool at the age of 28.
All through the remainder of his football career English found he could not escape the tragedy. Almost every team he played against used the death of Thomson to their advantage and he was constantly taunted about it and it didn’t stop after he left the pitch both he and his wife were victims of shameful accusations and later this was turned against his children and his grandchildren. Of course there were also many hundreds and thousands of people who absolved him of any responsibility and supported him through difficult times. These of course included many decent Celtic fans.
Having played football myself for over 20 years the worst injury I can ever remember inflicting on an opponent was a broken nose and I felt really bad about that even though it was accidental. I can’t even begin to understand what English must have felt throughout his life and the ignorance of those who sought to gain an advantage or to inflict more misery on him and his family by continually taunting and reminding him of the tragedy. There are many, including Celtic fans, who should feel ashamed at the treatment English received after Thomson’s death.
Sam English died in Vale of Leven Hospital of motor neurone disease on April 12th 1967 aged 58.
I decided I’d wait until the 40th anniversary of his death to post this story and if what I’ve written above changes the opinions of just one person then it will have been a worthwhile exercise.
On that fateful day on September 5th 1931 not one but two men were victims of a terrible tragedy.
Sam English RIP"
Celtic facing a UEFA rap
Fron the Scottish Sun 28/3/08
"Celtic are facing a UEFA rap after sick fans were filmed belting out bigoted chants in Barcelona
Scores of boozy morons were caught screaming f*** the Queen and pro-IRA slogans during a giant outdoor bash thrown for the recent Champions League clash.
A string of the hate-filled mobile phone clips quickly sprang up on the internet. And now the Parkhead club could be hauled before Euro football chiefs to explain the shameful scenes.
Last night a UEFA spokesman said "The disciplinary department has opened an investigation following their watching and assessment of the footage."
Around 10,000 Hoops fans invaded Barcelona earlier this month for the match,which the Spanish side won 1-0, but a minority of yobs trashed the reputation of decent supporters.
Several vile videos were even shot at the official Celtic Meeting Point fans' zone - as well as various bars.
A UEFA source said "If the investigation is conclusive, it will turn into a disciplinary case"
"Celtic are facing a UEFA rap after sick fans were filmed belting out bigoted chants in Barcelona
Scores of boozy morons were caught screaming f*** the Queen and pro-IRA slogans during a giant outdoor bash thrown for the recent Champions League clash.
A string of the hate-filled mobile phone clips quickly sprang up on the internet. And now the Parkhead club could be hauled before Euro football chiefs to explain the shameful scenes.
Last night a UEFA spokesman said "The disciplinary department has opened an investigation following their watching and assessment of the footage."
Around 10,000 Hoops fans invaded Barcelona earlier this month for the match,which the Spanish side won 1-0, but a minority of yobs trashed the reputation of decent supporters.
Several vile videos were even shot at the official Celtic Meeting Point fans' zone - as well as various bars.
A UEFA source said "If the investigation is conclusive, it will turn into a disciplinary case"
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Celtic fans taunt Gretna players
Celtic supporters once again show the world just why they call themselves "The Greatest Fans In The World"
They sing about being "faithful through and through" yet only sell 2500 tickets from a possible 7000 for an important League game against a team who needs financial support. They then wave money at these players.............no class, no dignity.
We hope Gretna players and Gretna fans NEVER forget what Celtic FC supporters are all about.
d
They sing about being "faithful through and through" yet only sell 2500 tickets from a possible 7000 for an important League game against a team who needs financial support. They then wave money at these players.............no class, no dignity.
We hope Gretna players and Gretna fans NEVER forget what Celtic FC supporters are all about.
d
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Andy Walker exposes Celtic Supporters Club involvement in theft
as written by Celtic Legend Andy Walker - March 2008
"I went to a Celtic supporters' dance with Tommy Burns and our wives one Saturday night and it's something Carol and I still laugh about today.
Tommy picked us up in his new Audi and it was just another Saturday night for him, a supporters' bash, this time in Springburn.
We happily spent time chatting to the Celtic fans and heard about what they thought of the team and how much they craved success.
A good time was had by all but when we left around midnight we quickly discovered Tam's car had been broken into and his stereo ripped out and stolen.
The committee men were informed and were obviously apologetic.
"Just come in for one last quick drink and we'll see what we can do," was the strange offer.
Within 15 minutes the stereo was back in Tommy's car, the culprit had been identified and given a slap for damaging a Celtic star's motor!
These days players at the top level tend to have an inflated idea of their own celebrity.
A bit of time spent with people who make sacrifices every week to support their team might make them realise how lucky they are.'"
"I went to a Celtic supporters' dance with Tommy Burns and our wives one Saturday night and it's something Carol and I still laugh about today.
Tommy picked us up in his new Audi and it was just another Saturday night for him, a supporters' bash, this time in Springburn.
We happily spent time chatting to the Celtic fans and heard about what they thought of the team and how much they craved success.
A good time was had by all but when we left around midnight we quickly discovered Tam's car had been broken into and his stereo ripped out and stolen.
The committee men were informed and were obviously apologetic.
"Just come in for one last quick drink and we'll see what we can do," was the strange offer.
Within 15 minutes the stereo was back in Tommy's car, the culprit had been identified and given a slap for damaging a Celtic star's motor!
These days players at the top level tend to have an inflated idea of their own celebrity.
A bit of time spent with people who make sacrifices every week to support their team might make them realise how lucky they are.'"
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Barcelona TV get their own back at shameful Celtic fans
After yet another shameful show on the road a Spanish TV show broadcast how they now view Celtic fans after their visit to Barcelona.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
More reports of IRA chanting in Barcelona
from 4-4-2 Wednesday 05 March 2008 14:43
"Celtic fans loudly eulogised the IRA in those same bars months later – not that the Catalans, who view noisy inebriation as weakness and not a virtue, were aware of the nuances of fan culture."
"Celtic fans loudly eulogised the IRA in those same bars months later – not that the Catalans, who view noisy inebriation as weakness and not a virtue, were aware of the nuances of fan culture."
Monday, March 3, 2008
Celtic Fans organise IRA bash in Barcelona
Celtic Fans organise pro IRA bash in Barcelona.Also below is a picture taken from the website of a Celtic fan band mimicking a gun - "greatest fans in the world" indeed.
See more disturbing images here http://www.celticineurope.com/shebeen2.html
http://www.celticineurope.com/
Celtic Fans Chant IRA bile in Barcelona
by Alan Carson, 3rd March 2007 The Sun
Locals in Barcelona were disgusted to hear chants of "I.R.A" in one of their local establishments.
Locals in Barcelona were disgusted to hear chants of "I.R.A" in one of their local establishments.
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