I am ever amazed at people who try to comment on stuff that they genuinely don’t understand.
The worst are people who live so far away from a subject, and possess such limited knowledge of it that it would make Hugh Keevins blush and yet still believe that they should jump right in there.
One of them is an Israeli “journalist” who thinks he understands Celtic.
I am not going to dignify his comments by publishing his name or a single biographical detail about him.
You have to bear in mind, every country has its Keith Jackson’s.
The site which calls itself Football Scotland – but which in this case has allowed someone who doesn’t live here, doesn’t know the local scene and who is talking the most abject bollocks, to criticise the biggest club in the country – has already given him far more publicity than his idiotic and ignorant comments deserve.
So too, of course, has The Daily Record, which is what we expect from that rag.
I will, however, highlight the comments themselves.
He states that Liel Abada needs to leave Celtic.
Not an original thought.
I wrote about an Israeli player with those opinions just the other day.
There is so much wrong with his comments on this … but let’s start at the beginning and we’ll work our way through it, because I find that’s the best way to tackle this stuff.
“It is not easy to get out of a long-term contract, which you signed a month ago, which gives you a high salary and supports an entire family. But one thing I do know: neither side is going to give up on this story.”
I am amazed that anyone can write the words “one thing I do know” in a paragraph after which every single word demonstrates the totality of what he does not know at all.
It takes a special kind of arrogance – he could certainly work in our media – to claim to know something and then offer such clear cut proof that you actually know damn all.
I find it amazing that he’s talking about Abada getting out of a contract he’s just signed; nobody has suggested that he wants to, or that he’s unhappy in Scotland.
And who are these two side who are not going to “give up”?
And what is the ”story” that they are not going to give up on?
“Abada will not fold, and it’s a good thing, and the Celtic crowd will probably continue to wave Palestinian flags and protest against Israel. It is absolutely clear that it will also lead to boos towards Abada, every time he plays. Abada will make his own decisions. But one thing must be appreciated – and that is the willingness to stand up for oneself.”
What is this garbage?
Who is the guy that he presumes to understand the Celtic crowd?
People, some people, might continue to wave Palestinian flags but that section has been doing that from the minute Abada signed here and a long time before and nobody ever suggested that he should not commit himself to Celtic.
He has, as this halfwit points out, just signed a long term deal here, and he did that knowing full well that those fans fly those flags.
Furthermore, Abada has never been booed by our fans.
Not for poor performances. Not for his political views. Not for being Israeli.
Neither was Bitton or Kayal before him.
Whoever this clown is, his opinions are wholly ignorant about our club and our support.
Whilst I generally don’t mind that some halfwit halfway across the world has a distorted perception of Celtic, I do mind that two Scottish media outlets are running this rancid, stupid, dishonest portrait of our fans in the full knowledge that that’s exactly what it is. The articles in which his comments appear are completely biased.
The idea that Abada will be booed by our supporters is an utter falsehood.
Any fan inside Celtic Park who boos Abada when Abada has done nothing to deserve that is a bigoted arsehole with more in common with the club across the city, and I cannot put it more bluntly than that.
Abada is a Celtic player.
He is part of this family and anybody who attempts to make him feel less than that will find themselves outcast and I can say with complete confidence that I speak for the vast, vast, vast, vast majority when I write those words.
“I don’t judge the situation in terms of value, it seems that Liel Abada has finished his role at Celtic. It’s hard to imagine him playing for fans who don’t want him. Even if the financial situation seems complex, in the end – in all the cases that we know of – it is decided in the player’s favour. And the player’s best interest is to find his place elsewhere.”
If a player was genuinely a hate-figure in the eyes of the fans I would agree with the last part of that statement, but there is no suggestion whatsoever that any of the first part of it is in any way accurate or true.
The idea that Celtic fans “don’t want him” is so absurd that I am astonished that any sentient individual with the least knowledge of these matters would ever have written such a stupid statement.
But it’s the decision that Scottish mainstream titles have made to give that statement credibility which is, as far as I’m concerned, the greater offence.
I keep hearing that we can’t say with any certainty what the allegiances of certain journalists are, but I’ll tell you right now I couldn’t give a toss what club Mark McDougall or his pal at The Record Mark Pirie follow.
They chose to write this garbage and highlight this Israeli moron’s opinion, so all they’ve done here is produce stuff which is designed to get clicks no matter if it causes problems for this club and for the player or at worst spreads disinformation and complete lies about our support. And they both know these are lies.
These articles are contemptible trash and as far as I’m concerned, have given credence to statements about our fan-base which the writers know are manifestly untrue.
And there was a time when that would have got folk banned from Celtic Park.
I have written here before about the need for our club to adopt a media “code of conduct.” I think articles like this, which knowingly do us harm, wholly justify its adoption.
I really wish our club would take your advice and ban these bampots, or charge them money like castle greyscull as they are shit scared to write anything negative about them, I know we don’t want to go down the money route but I don’t see any other way to muzzle these mongrels. Everything negative that is going on across the city and still they would rather make up stories about us, what a sad bunch of individuals .
When Abada is fit to play his first game back will be from the bench. Then we hear what the Celtic fans think of him.
James, two points on your article.
1. Typical Scottish media trying to unsettle our player and
2. The Israeli journalist send a message from his homeland, pressurising Abada to leave.
As you rightly said Israeli players have been welcome at CP and they knew our fans stance on Palestine before they signed.
Aye they know we’re not all anti Israel
i think you will find its pro Palestine, not anti Israel, anti Zionist perhaps, anti the genocidal politics of a facist regime, not anti Israeli people.
And so it goes on and will go on and on and on – The Scottish Football Media trashing the good name of Celtic…
And so it also goes on and on and on – The yellow coloured skin men in grey suits in charge of Celtic facilitating these Scottish Football Media tramps that sully the good name of Celtic…
And to a lesser extent but it still does happen from time to time – an ‘odd’ Celtic supporter buys these publications that trash and sully the good name of Celtic…
Boardroom members that facilitate and fans that purchase and thereby facilitate The Scottish Football Media are undoubtedly the type that would probably take and fully pay for a pub crawl for the guy that had just booted the living daylights outta their daughter or sister the night before –
And on and on and on the circus will continue…
I don’t know whose to be pitied or scorned the most – Those troublemaker type writers or those who facilitate them on a Daily (Record) basis !
Why haven’t these so called journalists written similar stories on ranjurz players of Catholic backgrounds about not been wanted when they belt out the Billy boys or when the Irish centre forward who played for them about 10 years ago and the frequently sang the famine song ?? just asking for a friend
They wer always going to push that narittive,,,as fan boys&girls of a different team they only wish that the 9 incumbents they signed would listen to the boos raining down from the stand would listen and leave,,
Our history as a football club, and continues to this day, where attacks upon our club for any reason whatsoever is deemed as justified within the Scottish media, and even ventured outside of Scotland if the agenda suits themselves also.
One thing that has never been broken, and should never be allowed to do so either, has been the unity within the Celtic family of support.
Never can I recall, that such an eye is upon us, especially after the events over the past week?
So many in waiting, to justify such attacks upon our club, with already trying to use abada as a target?
What next? Will CCV be used as the next target, with American support towards Israel?
That’s the sort of unwanted nonsense that politics can be bought into a football club, that trys to run a political agenda imo?
It’s where I strongly believe that the club can’t and should never have a political stance within our stadium, when so many willing to attack the likes, and the defending required in doing so, especially upon issues far closer to home.
The eyes of European football and beyond will be upon ourselves in our next home game, the CL match against Madrid.
The actions of our support will be under a very watchful eye now, so our response as a support remains crucial to what a watchful eye can or will see?
I got no idea what will happen between now and then, and hardly a happy outcome awaits.
Haven’t a clue what this militant GB could be either, nor that of the club, upon the CL night either.
What I do know is the unity within the Celtic support could be under threat and that can never be allowed to happen.
We are a football club, and our unity is the envy of many a football club worldwide, and that can’t be allowed to ever be scrutinised with bringing a political agenda to ourselves, that’s unwanted and not needed also.
I will always continue to support abada as a Celtic player, like I would with any who represent our jersey in the right manner, and abada certainly has done so to date.
Yet I could also understand if he felt he could no longer do so as well?
Is that the sort of support we potentially want to start becoming?
Where players have to consider weather they can play for ourselves, due to there background upon where they came from and what there belief upon world affairs are?
Are we going to put our “Club open to all” mantra under threat, for all to see?
This needs to be resolved as a football club, and everybody in attendance for the Madrid game, will possibly have to take stock and show what being a Celtic football supporter really means to themselves and showing the world in the right manner, as we have done so long within our history imo.
The sad thing is I think Liel will be considering his future, and that will be damaging to our club and it’s good name if that’s the case. I was brought up to think that Celtic were a great club and a club for all people from every walk of life, and I was very proud to be part of that. The custodians of our club have a duty to protect our good and sacred name, I am hoping they will be considering what to do with the green brigade, I would ban them for life but it’s not my decision to make. Celtic also have a duty of care to Liel through employment law, and it’s the moral thing to do as well. The green brigade have said they are doing something for the Atletico game, Celtic have to react to this. We can’t be letting people from all over the world think we are anti semites, because we are certainly not that. The eyes of the world will be watching that game, to see how the clowns in the north curve section react. I am actually dreading the match, because a feel they will embaress the club. Celtic need to act before that happens. I would invite the Jewish community of Scotland to the match for a show of solidarity, that would send an important message, that we despise terrorism.
For this ignoramus tae come out and say the Celtic support will boo Liel Abada is nothin short of speculative, insulting, garbage. Ah don’t see ANY Celtic fan actin like that towards him when he comes back. The ‘journalist’ who wrote that is a shitmogerin disgrace.
Yes, but how is Abada will feel with green brigade supporting slaughter of his country men, women and children. Abada reads The writer of the article writes about Liel being part of the Celtic family. I would feel very let down by the club and it’s fans not standing up to the green brigade.
The stadium at Celtic Park is being hijacked by the GB for political purposes instead of football purposes. Whether you agree or disagree with their message, they are stealing a platform that does not solely belong to them. I would like them to concentrate on supporting the team with Celtic flags and banners only. I don’t mind the Irish tricolour as it is part of our heritage. Politics can be supported at legal marches and demonstrations, but not inside Paradise. I’m embarrassed that people think we all share the same views as th GB and I’m embarrassed for our Israeli footballers. Peace and Love to all.