There comes a times when every community, no matter whether it’s one based on religion, race, sexual orientation, political leaning or social standing, takes ownership of the debates being had around it and asserts its right to control the language others use in relation to them. Language is important. It can be used to create empathy, acceptance, tolerance or it can be used to sew division and hate. It can used to inspire. It can also be used to offend.
What am I about to write is going to sound ridiculous to some people.
But it isn’t, and in the end the view that I am about to express is going to have its day. There is no doubt about that in my mind. Because it’s the way of the way of the world.
We, as Celtic fans, have the right to choose our own term of reference. Our club has a distinct identity. We are not wrong to want to be treated in a way that reflects that. We are, in fact, entirely right to insist on it.
For years now, we have rejected the term “Old Firm.”
There are very few of us who use the expression, and I genuinely cannot understand those who do. The vast majority of our fans utterly abhor the term. The club itself pointedly refuses to use it.
There are those who will claim that we are just another half of Old Firm Inc.
That’s doing the work of the enemy because it’s simply not true. Even if you believe, as many do, that our club is content to stay a step ahead of them and no more, and that at Celtic there is a widely held belief that we “need” them, that’s not the same as viewing ourselves as the other head of the same coin, which is precisely what the expression “Old Firm” does.
We are not one half of anything. Even in the scenario outlined above, we are a separate thing, a club standing alone.
Even if we believe that our general health depends on some version of Rangers existing, that does not automatically make us “part” of them or them “part” of us. The “Old Firm” label links us together. No such link exists, whatever the internal policies and general mindset of those who run our club might be.
And without dispute, our club knows this full well and acts accordingly. Not only do we not use the term, but we’ve taken ownership of the term to make sure that nobody else can legitimately use it. We have opposed measures designed to market the term. Our club recognises that all it does is chains us to a basket case organisation which drags us down.
Furthermore, our club’s refusal to use the term, and the Celtic fan’s refusal to accept it, dates back before 2012. The liquidation of Rangers rendered it null and void, but we had stopped using it way before that.
The first Ibrox club was an utter embarrassment. It presented itself as the staunch defender of Britishness and narrow patriotism. Their fans were frequently in trouble in Europe for sectarian and racist singing and even, in Tel Aviv, Nazi salutes.
Our board recognised the utter toxicity of being seen as a mirror image of them, and so when the fans stopped using the term the club stopped using it too. The liquidation of Rangers consigned it to the grave permanently. Or at least it should have.
But the term is still in circulation, and this is no small part because their club fraudulently claims it and uses it and tries to goad us into doing it too, and Celtic won’t. The current Ibrox club is, if anything, even more abhorrent than the previous one, and the risks of being tied too tight to them are surely obvious to every single person at Parkhead.
Our fans have the right not be referred to as part of the odious twosome. Our club has the right not to be referred to as part of it. Yet every mainstream journalist in the country continues to do it. Former players continue to do it. The governing bodies have even done it on occasion, and they aren’t paying a blind bit of notice to our intense dislike of the phrase.
So, it’s time to drive the point home. From now on, whenever I hear the term used, I intend to complain. To do so vigorously, and I would urge that other people join me. The term is not only redundant, it is abhorrent. We all want nothing to do with it, but until we insist on it in a way that matters, we’re going to have to keep on hearing it.
I am going to write to the national broadcasters and media outlets on this issue whenever the use the term, and every single one of us should. Consign it to the bin once and for all. Insist – don’t just scorn the phrase but insist that we find it offensive, cheapening, demeaning and at its heart a complete misrepresentation. We are not two sides of anything.
Watch and see what progress we get by aggressively challenging the phrase.
Maybe we’ll get none. For now.
But if we keep it up and more of us do it, what choice are they going to have but to stop? Our complete repudiation of the term will send a clear message. That message should have been sent a long time ago. We’ve been passive on this.
It is high time we stopped messing about and drew this line in the sand.
Hello James. Our mantra should be: ‘We are not part of anything, we are Celtic.’
Post liquidation, the term The Old Firm is a scam to make Sevco relevant. The gullibillies repeat it as their lives depend on it. Literally, they know it does.
The SMSM use it because their livelihood depends on it. Profile driven media outlets do not care about sporting integrity.
Having said that I think the pressure should be put on the faceless BBC Scotland for peddling a lie and employing the half wits associated to the stadium John Brown played for.
I remember the past 2 seasons or so when they had the brass neck to have signs up saying old firm as the players entered the field but we see any game against them as a GLASGOW DERBY. This is the mob who don’t want our fans celebrating at their stadium as they cut our allocation but we still go there and WIN anyway without any fans so they can stick their tickets
Too many Celtic supporters, not the board members but Celtic supporters, still call them and us the OF so the cleansing needs to start at home first and foremost.
Given that they can’t stop us referring to them as the huns, something they detest, and that pretty much all the positions of discussion in the media are taken up with ex and current huns. They refer to it so often, I’m certain as a noise up, I would argue that you’ve got a hell of a task ahead. Get yourself an unending supply of plasters for all that head banging ahead but good luck fella. HH
Well written and would agree wi that. And If ever there was a blatant reminder (tho we get them every other day), why we should be totally disassociated with that institution, for me was their recent ‘whole end’ banner, glorifyin anti-Irish, anti-immigrant, anti- Catholic and racist American Bill Poole (portrayed in Gangs of New york). Ye could clock the ‘comparisons’ they were puttin across straight away. Still wrankles wi me, how that openly suggestive, sectarian, racist, offensive banner, was allowed tae pass without any problem (apart from these blogs) is an utter disgrace. That said it all for me. And btw, was equally disgusted that our own board decided tae ‘ignore’ it. Should hang their heads.
Whilst I agree with the sentiment James, won’t they just use the fact that we are protesting about its use to try and wind us up and therefore use it even more?
The ‘Old Firm’ was first used to highlight the fact that there were suspicions amongst both sets of supporters that their boards were using the rivalry to make more money?
The first Hampden riot took place when both sets of supporters invaded the pitch and burnt the grandstand down at because they refused to play extra time after the final was drawn. Fans were furious about having to fork out for the replay.
Anyway that was long before Oldco became the sectarian outfit of choice after Harland and Wolf opened a shipyard in Glasgow. They then became the Scottish Protestant establishment club. Their liquidation in 2012 saw many a decent fitba fan beyond Celtic celebrate their demise.
Newco had a choice to make and could have ditched their sectarian image. Of course they embraced it as that was the only way to keep them coming to games and ergo coining it in. In fact they used the sectafian pressure to bend the rules and allow them to apply to join the league even though they didn’t have three years of accounts.
It’s clear Newco/Sevco are struggling on a number of fronts and have been for a while.
I’m not so sure it helps to exacerbate their struggles by complaining so much about a tagline that is clearly well past its sell by date.
Anyway good luck.
Whilst I agree with the sentiment James, won’t they just use the fact that we are protesting about its use to try and wind us up and therefore use it even more?
The ‘Old Firm’ was first used to highlight the fact that there were suspicions amongst both sets of supporters that their boards were using the rivalry to make more money?
The first Hampden riot took place when both sets of supporters invaded the pitch and burnt the grandstand down because they refused to play extra time after the final was drawn. Fans were furious about having to fork out for the replay.
Anyway that was long before Oldco became the sectarian outfit of choice after Harland and Wolf opened a shipyard in Glasgow. They then became the Scottish Protestant establishment club. Their liquidation in 2012 saw many a decent fitba fan beyond Celtic celebrate their demise.
Newco had a choice to make and could have ditched their sectarian image. Of course they embraced it as that was the only way to keep them coming to games and ergo coining it in. In fact they used the sectarian pressure to bend the rules and allow them to apply to join the league even though they didn’t have three years of accounts.
It’s clear Newco/Sevco are struggling on a number of fronts and have been for a while.
I’m not so sure it helps to exacerbate their struggles by complaining so much about a tagline that is clearly well past its sell by date.
Anyway good luck.
In a perfect world, the PLC would send a note to all journalists and broadcasters, that the use of the term has to stop. Those that continue to use that term, should be no longer welcome at Celtic Park. Of course, the enemy within, those members of the board who are Masons, will not countenance such a thing. They certainly would not wish to affront their fellow brethren at Ibrox.
Hail Hail.
Yes. 10,000 signatures for a response from Parliament, 100,000 and they have to debate it. Think big my friend.