Another live game at the weekend and another week where the viewers were subjected to audible bile directed at the Roman Catholic and the Irish immigrant community in Scotland.
Is it any wonder that the majority of those not from Glasgow view Glaswegians as Neanderthals when they’re subjected to that on their television set on a Sunday?
Last night, I paid the subscription fee to watch Celtic’s trip to Tannadice, knowing that it would be a truly classic cup clash and I wasn’t disappointed.
But shortly after the elation of the second goal I was disgusted to hear the known anti-Protestant dirge ‘Roamin In The Gloamin’.
This is a song that triggers me just as much as The Famine Song or the Billy Boys, not because I am a Protestant (I’m not by the way) but because I am proud of the fact that Celtic FC were ALWAYS a club open to all.
We never operated a nakedly sectarian signing policy. We didn’t have fans who baulked at the signing of a member of the Church of Scotland. We don’t have fans who have openly abused an Irish Catholic who had the temerity to play for and manage Celtic and be openly proud of his identity.
There’s a lyric in this ‘song’ that states “f**k King Billy and John Knox”
This is outwardly, obviously, sectarian.
I am sick to my teeth of supposed Celtic fans indulging in tit for twat idiocy when it comes to dealing with Sevco. They have gutter dwelling sewer rats who glorify in the most disgusting acts. No Celtic fan belongs anywhere near those cretins. You would not laugh at a domestic abuse victim, or a cancer fighter or someone with a disability. Why indulge in this shit?
There is a section of our support which is every bit as bad as them.
Let me state this point crystal clear.
There are more Church of Scotland members who are not fans of Sevco then there are who are who would self-define that way.
I socialise and work with many of them.
They have the same revulsion for the sectarian and racist bile which has occasionally been directed at me from the Ibrox supporters than I do. They are decent, hardworking, left-leaning patriotic Scots. But when you insult the founder of their church you insult them.
Your fellow Scots. Your brothers and sisters in the fight for independence. The future of a better and brighter Scotland. And you insult me. You insult the 100,000s of Irish Protestants who fled the famine seeking a better life in Scotland. You insult the decent Scots.
Take this shit out of the game … and get it a million miles away from our club.
Wipe the shit of guilt by association off our shoes.
I have to accept that Civic Scotland does not have the energy or temerity to tackle bigots attaching themselves to organisations that deny my right to live in Scotland, and merely exist, but I simply will not – I refuse to – accept that from my brothers and sisters in the hoops.
Wise up and boot it out, fellow Celtic fans, before it does our club real harm.
Ross Taylor is a Celtic fan and occasionally contributor to the site.
F**K King Billy and John Knox is anti-Protestant? That’s a new one on me. Infantile, yes, Misguided, probably. But anti-Protestant it is not. It’s not as bad as the cringe worthy line “Oh it’s good to be a Roman Catholic” – I don’t know what’s so good about it in the first place. I hated going to mass and I’m glad I haven’t set foot in a RC church (except for weddings or funerals) for nearly 40 years.
I do, however, agree with the sentiment of this post. It is time to clean up the act. It’s never going to happen though. Too many dolts who think it’s “uber” to sing the “rebs”. Clowns.
So you don’t think eff John Knox is anti Protestant ? Unbelievable !
You think it is? Hunbelievable!!!!!
By your logic FTP isn’t anti-catholic.
Oh please. Are you equating John Knox as a figurehead for ALL Protestants in the same way the Pope is for Catholics?
John Knox died hunners a years ago. He was a vindictive zealot and a prick. Fuck him indeed. If you think that is anti Protestant then you have just proven you don’t know what you are talking about.
Do some research before taking on the big boys. At least I know what logic is.
Exactly
So why are they saying it? Do you think Knox can hear them? You know fine well who that is aimed at and no amount of sophistry can change it.
Big boys? Aye okay, you’ve proven yourself an intellectual giant with this one…
Well said mate .I come from a mixed family my sister is a die hard one of them lol . But seriously you put your point very well
Agree – this has been something that has been raising its ugly head for a while now. T needs to be stopped.
Wolfe Tone. 1798 rising. Enough said. HH
Or Roddy McCorley or umpteen othe Protestants that fought for Irish freedom !
Well said but bigots no matter where they are only have eyes and ears for what they want to see hear and believe in
Agree with most, and certainly the sentiments which you’re trying to put across. Turned off *the Raijurs vs Dundee game because of the famine song and others were getting belted out. However, we can’t take the high moral ground when you have these delinquents in the GB & NC singing songs about the IRA & even hymns now, which are insulting to every decent Celtic supporter and public in general. Celtic has a songbook which is the envy of clubs up & down the country, to which many are copied.
STOP the IRA shit & hymns, and get the Celtic songs going. You’ll also find that the supporters in the rest of e stadium will join in and make the atmosphere even more electric. Don’t drag down the great name & reputation of Celtic because you’re trying to offend *the Raijurs, when you’re not even playing them. Just stop them altogether.
HAIL HAIL
KEEP THE FAITH??
The thing that strikes me about these morons, on both sides, is that none of them are even practicing Christians of any denomination. They can’t be. They’ve probably never been near a place of worship in their lives. They sing of religious hatred wthout having any idea about Christian values. If they did, they certainly wouldn’t be treating others the way they do. Jesus would not approve.
Indeed !
For my entire life most of my closest friends have been protestant, though they’ve all been as staunch about their faith as I am about Catholicism, i.e. not even remotely. There is a big difference between protestantism and hunnery, these GB/NC children need to realise that and STFU with the sectarian pish. If they keep it up then the club will have what it wants and they’ll be permabanned. If that’s what has to happen to put an end to this kind of thing then so be it. That they help bring a great atmosphere does not mean they should be allowed to do whatever they want and let’s face it they’re likely on shaky ground after incidents such as that Hertz hun getting hit with bottles…
When will it get through the heads of most that these vile songs of both persuasions are being brought over and sung by the support from Ireland.
For goodness sake ibrox is in the hands of the dup!!
This sort of vile singing has been creeping in for a while now.Not heard it so much at Celtic Park but mostly from the away support.The morons that sing that crap do us as a people and a club no favours whatsoever.
Surely the club must know what supporter clubs they have allocated tickets to for away fixtures and can surely remove them from the list.This type of singing must be stopped now as it doesn’t represent us a club.Shame on them all.
Well said, and I agree with all points raised, I have been guilty in the very distant past of joining in with this. Now though, I’m that bit older and wiser and can see this type of thing has no place in the Celtic support.
We will always be tied to sectarianism as long as we have this type of thing in our support.
Furthermore, we cannot call them out whilst this is still being belted out from the stands.
So, for all we know that they’ve faults aplenty, it would be hypocritical whilst this behaviour goes on in our own support.
agree 100%. No place for it at our club!
I couldn’t agree more with this. I cringe everygime I hear this drivel and to me, we are as bad as Sevco. Why should they stop singing their filth when we would carry on doing the same thing.
Celtic are known for opening our doors to all faiths. We are Scottish/Irish club and although most of our fans come from a Catholic family( me included) we also have thousands of non Catholic fans and players.
Lead by example. I’m happy to talk and sing Rebel songs celebrating our Irish history away from football, but hate songs against other faiths? NO WAY
Agreed
As a Celtic fan born of a Catholic mother and Protestant father I commend you sir ! We are better than this !
My mother brought up 8 children in the Catholic Faith..and she was a Protestant…My wife of nearly 60 years…is a Protestant…and this article has my full backing…Oh and the wee add on to The Soldier’s Song of ” Soon there’ll be no Prostestants at all “….Is another piece of filth which needs called out…Like you I am both embarrassed and angry at this crap….BIN IT NOW….Hail hail…
Spot on.. I don’t count myself as a Protestant but grew up in an area of Ayr full of prods and went to a prod school.. I hate sevco and their bitter fans as much as any catholic but I hate them because their bigots not because their prods. Celtic fans who indulge in this sh*te are an embarrassment but are in a small minority compared to the 70-80% of sevco knockledraggers. It is this small minority however who give sevco and the media an open goal of an excuse to sweep the bile of the 70-80% vermin under the carpet.. but they are to thick to understand what I have just said.
Ps.. I know more Protestant Celtic fans than I do catholic.. I bet at least 15,000 of a full Celtic park are protestants
I totally agree with you, it’s not necessary and only gives credence to the two sides of the coin argument, plenty in the song sheet to put this one in the bin. HH
I hate this song too
Couldn’t agree more. Absolutely embarrassing stuff from our supporters
Well said. You are absolutely correct.