http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/Celtic-fans-accused-of-pizza.5081563.jp
Published Date: 18 March 2009
SPORTS Minister Gregory Campbell is to write to his counterpart in the Scottish administration to make a joint call for firm action against sectarianism at Rangers v Celtic matches.
The DUP MP spoke out after he heard allegations that Celtic fans were waving empty pizza boxes at Rangers fans in places including Larne in a reference to the Masserene Army barrack murder of two soldiers who were going out to collect pizzas.
Final
The incident was said to have happened before the Cooperative Insurance Cup Final on Sunday.
Celtic Football Club, Bally-mena Shamrock Celtic Supporters Club, the PSNI, and an SDLP councillor from Larne all said they were unaware of any such taunts.
The game finished 2-0 to Celtic.
Last night Mr Campbell said he had been contacted by a number of people about "pizza box incidents".
"It appears a number of people saw Celtic fans waving pizza boxes at the actual game and a number saw them doing the same at the ferry and at the airport.
"Given the widespread and universal condemnation of the murders it seems a lot of these fans have a lot to learn. I think it is imperative for the club to condemn the incidents and distance themselves from them. Celtic also need to call for anyone with information about the incidents to pass that onto the PSNI."
Reports
Last night a statement from Celtic FC said they had received "absolutely no report or evidence of this incident whatsoever".
"However, as a club open to all since its formation in 1888, Celtic stands firmly against all forms of bigotry and sectarianism".
Mr Campbell said he planned to write to his Scottish counterpart to agree plans to eliminate sectarianism from Rangers v Celtic matches.
"Given the context of what has happened in the last few days, and the sensitivity of the issue, I think it needs to be done."
A PSNI spokesman said no incidents involving pizza boxes had been reported to them.
Rangers fan Robert Purdy contacted the News Letter to give details about his experience of "sectarian Celtic fans waving pizza boxes".
The 25-year-old from Newtownabbey said he was leaving his friends to the boat in Larne on Sunday morning when "a crowd of more than 10 Celtic fans carrying pizza boxes started waving them blatantly in our faces and mocking the death of the two soldiers in Antrim".
"They were shouting things like, 'who ordered the pizza'."
Confrontation
Robert, who was also wearing a Rangers top in preparation for catching a plane to Glasgow for the game, said he was minded to get out of his car and confront the Celtic fans, "only there were too many of them".
"There were around 10, possibly more, in the group. But one of the fellas in our group, who was not wearing any colours, approached the men with pizza boxes to see what they were doing.
"They thought he was a Celtic fan and started talking to him.
They told him they were from Ballymena.”
SDLP councillor Martin Wilson, who attended the game, said he saw no instances of sectarianism on either the ferry or during the game.
A spokesman for Ballymena Shamrocks Supporters Club contacted the BBC to say their members were not involved in any sectarian incident at Larne.
In a message read out on the Stephen Nolan show the spokesman added that their members had travelled on the Stena HSS from Belfast.