Enough is enough. Ibrox Club fans—stop throwing glass and sharp objects at Celtic players and supporters. Once again, we watched in disbelief as they launched bottles, coins, and broken glass at our players, while singing songs full of bile, hatred and sectarian filth.
And I just have to ask: why are they still being allowed to do it?
I have a few questions, and they’re for the authorities, the police, and the politicians: when are you going to act? How long can you keep turning a blind eye to this? Because that’s what this feels like now—passive complicity. We’re allowing criminal acts, bigotry, violence and hatred to go unpunished. That’s what I don’t understand; why nothing meaningful is ever done to stop it?
During the final Glasgow Derby of the season, Ibrox was once again a theatre of hate. Once again, it was a hostile, dangerous environment. Once again, the fans of the home side disgraced themselves. They brought their banners, as vulgar and offensive as ever—targeting Celtic players and Celtic fans alike. The insults were relentless. And I just have to ask again: when does this end?
Even Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, condemned the banner displayed at Ibrox, after the police opened an investigation into a giant image of Graeme Souness holding a shotgun alongside the words “Take aim against the rebel scum.”
That kind of language—accompanied by violent imagery—is dangerous.
It’s the same vile mindset that leads to songs like “Up to our knees in fenian blood.” That kind of thing isn’t just disrespectful—it’s hateful, it’s sectarian, and it’s rooted in a long and ugly history. It insults our culture, our values, our faith and our rights as human beings. And it’s not acceptable.
Why should Celtic fans be the ones who have to suffer through this? Why should we be the ones constantly on the receiving end of threats, abuse and dangerous behaviour? What we need from the government and the police is action—not vague promises, not statements after the fact.
Let’s talk about the latest incidents.
Just last Sunday, multiple sharp objects were thrown into Viljami Sinisalo’s penalty area in the second half. The police offered the usual platitudes: “inquiries are being made,” and “strong action will be taken once the individual is identified.” Come off it—we’ve heard this song and dance before.
The odd arrest is made … but it’s time for a wider range of actions.
We should not just accept this. Ibrox fans have been allowed to get away with too much for too long. In my view, anyone caught doing this should be detained or banned outright—either from Celtic Park or Ibrox. Enough with the slaps on the wrist.
That Buckfast bottle aimed at Sinisalo on Sunday? That could have seriously hurt him. And it isn’t the first time. When Joe Hart was Celtic’s goalkeeper, someone threw broken glass into his penalty area. We were told it was a “one-off.” Lies. Ibrox has long been a place where objects are thrown and players are targeted—and every time the police and politicians look the other way.
Here’s the truth: no player or staff member should have to put up with abuse, intimidation or violence in their place of work. That’s not up for debate. But the club, the league and the authorities don’t seem to care.
Let’s not forget what happened in January—Celtic were well beaten 3-0, but Arne Engels was wounded by a coin thrown from the stands. And in the aftermath I actually read one abysmal comment online that it should’ve hit Brendan Rodgers instead. Can you believe that? That’s the level of discourse we’re dealing with here. This is how casual and callous the hate has become.
Another Ibrox fan who threw a bottle at Matt O’Riley last season—after he scored a goal—got off with a minor fine. Not jail. Not even a proper ban. Just a token punishment. Where’s the justice in that? What kind of message does that send?
And what really sickens me is how some in the Ibrox boardroom have described the atmosphere as “brilliant.”
Really? Singing sectarian songs, threatening opposition players, launching missiles onto the pitch—that’s your idea of a good day out? That’s not brilliance. That’s barbarism. And if they won’t condemn it, then they’re complicit in it.
Let me remind people of one more incident—because it’s important.
At Ibrox, during a past derby, Celtic physio Daniel Friel was scarred for life after being struck by a sharp piece of glass thrown from the stands. It could’ve blinded him. It could’ve ended his career. And yet—what happened? Nothing. Just more of the same: silence, then excuses, then nothing.
So again—why are they allowed to continue like this? Why aren’t they being stopped? These people are dangerous, and they are out of control. They’ve built a fantasy world for themselves where they’re untouchable—where “We Are The People” means “we can do whatever we like without consequence.” It’s delusion, and it’s poison.
The club’s board, the SFA, the police—they’ve all failed to properly condemn what happened this week and what has happened many times before. And I can’t help but feel that their sudden interest in “doing the right thing” has more to do with protecting financial investments than any real concern for public safety or decency.
To sum it up? This hatred, this sectarianism, this violence—it has to stop. Celtic Football Club must take a stand and release a public statement on this issue. We cannot—and must not—stay silent, and we must push for the kind of action that should have happened years ago. No more. No more of this.
The reason very little or nothin gets done is because we still have an anti – catholic, institutionalised, deep rooted, hateful, bigoted culture, still ingrained intae the SW Scotland society and ye’ll find it in just about every department. It would be an insult tae anybody with true ‘christian’ beliefs tae call it christian. Its far more of a social bigotry than an actual spiritual one. Most if these bigots, couldnae hold a real theological discussion if their lives depended on it, or very rarely know what the inside of a church looks like.
It amazes me that our politicians, police, SFA do nothing about this bile. What an atrocious spectacle to broadcast to other parts of the world. What an advert for Scotland. Nothing will ever be done, it would have been fixed by now if there was any will to do so. Only thing left to do is when the Billy boys is sung, bottles thrown etc, our manager takes his players off the field. That would force action
Paulinha, I truly admire your passion on this issue. I’m in my 70’s and can recall the same
poisonous bile being cast in our direction since my first game at 15 and it wasn’t even against them across the city. According to my father and uncles this was the norm back then.
Clubs from the Ayrshire, Lanarkshire Regions and the Central Belt had their support based on the predominantly Protestant workforces of the old heavy industries of Coal mining, Steel Manufacturing and Fabrication. Kafflicks in those industries were rare and usually in minor unqualified semi skilled roles if they were employed at all.
I’m sure you’ve been here long enough or at least people like James Forrest have clued you into the backdrop of the ultra Protestantism espoused by the follow, follow brigades. Most of these people have never been in a Church in their life except for the usual Births, Deaths and Marriages.
However by adopting a religious patina to cover their irreligious mindset and behaviour they believe their conduct to be legitimised and Culturally the ‘norm’ and Socially acceptable. It all ties in with their fetish like love- in with Monarchy and Unionism. This belief is tolerated by Unionist Politicians and members of the ‘Scottish Establishment’ as long as it’s confined to these shores and our Border with England. The UK Unionist Politicians and Monarchists view them as useful dumb foot soldiers there to quell Scottish Independence and resist the abolition of the Monarchy.
Because of their Religious (sic) upbringing, Cultural Heritage ( the Orange and Masonic Lodges and their personal / collective, unbelievably erroneous knowledge of 17th Century Political History and the ambitions of the Great European Imperial Houses) all of this background has given them an unmerited Supremacist mindset that’s never been challenged in over 300 years.
Their ‘Faith’ such as it was ( formally) aligned with the Old Rangers club in the early 20th Century when Harland & Wolfe Shipbuilders from Norn Arne opened up yards on the Clyde, employed only Protestant workers and took an interest in Rangers. They Famously, or rather infamously made a multimillion pound loan, a helluva figure way back then, with the condition that the Club never employed a Kafflick Player. At this point Ibrox became their place of worship supplanting the Kirk or Church and it has remained that way up to and beyond the Liquidation of OldCo.They really must have felt Special as a ‘people’.
The upshot of this Supremacy and entitlement is that they are untouchable. The Powers that be are either powerless, afraid or complicit. Our Police Force and Legal system is replete with huns. Progression in those occupations beyond minor posts, relies heavily on allegiance to Associations and Lodges.
Our Politicians, Local and National are no different, they follow the fault lines in our demographics and ride the currents. Complicit and afraid to upset the ‘Peepo’.
The Media, local, National, Print & Broadcasting is a can of Ultra Right Wing Unionist pro Monarchy churnalists, few if any deserve the description of Journalist.
This media is stuffed full of ex Rangers (LIQ) players. Poorly educated, viz a vis Baaawwee, Krish Boyd, the idiot’s village village idiot. Rabidly biased, Cheeky Chappey Sally McMoist, Neil EBT McCann, Alan Button it. The personnel register at BBC Scotlandshire could field a first X1 of ex Rangers (liq) / Sevco players not counting the in House Paddy at Pacific Quay or the pro union News and Current Affairs anti SNP/ScotGov, anti Celtic (too Oirishey) / anti Kafflik Dept. Those in the Media Ecosystem not associated with or complicit in enabling Ibrox and it’s follow, followers are afraid.Very afraid.
Nope things won’t change anytime soon.
My personal dream for before I die is a Scottish / EU Passport and the EU’s, UEFA’s and the Republic of Ireland’s collective will in dismantling Ibrox and all associated with it brick by brick.
Absolutely magnificent post there SFATHENADIROFCHIFTINESS !
There seems to be a media cartel decision not to print images of the disgusting Ibrox tifo and I think there’s a sinister reason for this. From the few images I’ve seen of it I’m pretty sure that it’s not Souness at all. I’m convinced it’s an image of Michael Stone and amazingly any image of it that IS making it into print seems to be inexplicably blurred! Are the Scottish media making a conscious decision to play down the significance of this foul image in order to shield the Ibrox hierarchy from the actions of their reprehensible fan base?
The tifo was of graeme souness, just a quick google of Graeme Souness Shotgun & you’ll see the photos used as inspiration for the tifo.
Tbh I don’t really care about the tifo. It’s words & an image. The green brigade have done similar tifos, the green brigade sing rebel songs, hell I sing rebel songs.
Bottle throwing & other objects injuring our staff is unacceptable & should be weeded out of the game as soon as possible with the utmost urgency but for me I couldn’t care about the tifo, we should be making a full end tifo in similar fashion for the next derby day.
Nothing will change until the cowards known as the Celtic Board refuse to go citing the fact that it isn’t safe.Think of the headlines that would create worldwide.
Why don’t the players refuse to go also saying it’s not safe?.Why doesn’t someone grow a pair of cajones.
This was the time to do it J.K. – Walk off after the bottle incident, take the three point hit, still 14 ahead…
It would be hard for The Scummy’s to not report it although they’d just turn round and say it was petty from Celtic…
As for our cowardly and yellow bastard of a board, they are the most spineless fuckers on the global sphere regarding Sevco Hun Hoard behaviour…
I shouldn’t really but I’ve far more respect for Sevco directors they excellent way that they stick up for their 12 year and 283 day old club !
Spot on sfathenadirofchiftiness, 100% correct, I am not a catholic( no religion ,just try to do the right things as a human being)but understand and agree with everything you wrote.
Thank you for that post sfathenadirofchiftiness. I wasn’t aware of the H&W loan and its conditions but I’m not surprised. Growing up in north Lanarkshire our place in society was marked out for us. I’ll never forget the look in my father’s eyes (who left the west of Ireland as a 15 year old child to start an apprenticeship on the Clyde) when my mother (with great pride) told us he had been promoted at work. He worked for a European company and had an English boss who promoted the best man for the job. The problem was that his workmates from north Lanarkshire made it quite clear that they thought it a disgrace that they should work to an Irishman. Kudos to the English boss who told the bigots they had two options and one was the door. But my father was always saddened by the reality he uncovered (know your place Paddy).
And that’s the dark place they want us to return to.
This is one of the reasons OldCo had to survive death/ Liquidation
Der hun had to have a focal point in Scottish Society to maintain the illusion of Proddistant Supremacy, to garner Political support for the Union and subservience to a Monarchy that laughs at thum.
The ridiculous spectacle of working class workers ‘wae thur erses hingin oot thur troosers’ voting Tory to maintain the Union and derail Labour when it was capable of attracting a large Catholic vote.
Now that’s turned full circle, the Tories are dead as a Political Party and their voters are flocking to Reform or Labour who are now, especially in Scotland exposed as Right of Centre, Unionist, Monarchist and Status Quo enablers with not a Socialist Policy in their arsenal despite their massive majority on roughly 20% of the votes cast, curtesy of our iniquitous FPTP Electoral system masquerading as a Democracy.
Sir Kid Starver leader of the UK Labour Party, Anas Sarwar, millionaire, knows deep down he is still just a Colonial message boy. UK Labour Party FFS, Kier Hardie must be burlin in his grave.
The UK is fucked, out of Europe, out of ideas and out of hope. A situation deliberately manufactured to enable the Ultra Right to take over…Authoritarian Rule takeover almost complete. When it happens the Huns will still be fucked if the chaps from the good old U.S. of A haven’t already ravaged it for every cents worth of it’s assets, sold Auchenhowie to house builders and the ground at Ibrox to Lidl or Aldi for their next Super, Supermarket.
It’d be a Super SUPREMACIST Supermarket if it was built on Liebrox SFATHENADIROFCHIFTINESS !!!
I complain and write about this topic regularly as many do and yet the truth is I know it’s more of a sounding off exercise than a belief that there’s going to be a civilised response in this Scottish society.
We all know it’s be going on since before our births and that it’s going to go on probably beyond our deaths. I know that talking about it, writing about it or expecting some other body such as the Celtic board or manager to complain repeatedly about it isn’t going to make the slightest bit of difference. Hasn’t before and won’t now.
Any pretence that Celtic representatives don’t complain or haven’t or that they have some kind of power in their grasp to change it is simply that. A pretence.
None of you nor representatives of this great club can do anything to change the minds of our institutions, authorities or our government.
When we were young the only response was to fight, in truth it only helped me in that I got my punch and kick in. Sometimes there were serious consequences.
This as we all know amounts to state approved bullying and state approved oppression against us and our kind.
What anyone expects from our club refusing to play there or our players walking off the pitch I really don’t know other than we get fined and have points deducted and told to play there next time. Maybe the end outcome might be that we get suspended, lose the league or get thrown out of it.
Now wouldn’t they love that.
That’s the sacrifice. Truth is we have to determine if it’s worth taking that massive risk in the hope that it might actually go the opposite way and produce positive change.
It’s a pitiful situation this country, this society inflicts on us
wotakuhn, your last sentence says it all…pitiful.
@ SFAAND….. Apart from your earlier post, which is one of the best I’ve ever read on here, the point you made about ‘working class with the arse hangin out their trousers’, is one of these things ah have never been able tae get get my head round. Why would anyone, who is working class and of a working class background, vote for a tory party that wants to tread the working class into the ground in any way they can. Especially with the state this whole uk’s been in since the thatcher years. Taking ‘religion’ and ‘monarchy’ before whats best for you and your families present and future welfare beggars belief. Thats why the OO vote tory. This is the indoctrinated and frankly, fucked up mindset of them.
Kevcelt59
Voting Tory was just one part of their belief system, handed down from Father to Son like the Lodges, Unionism and the Monarchy. This came from their Supremacist mindset and was largely due to the privileged Employment status they experienced in the Traditional Heavy Industries. They were fearful of the growth of the Labour Party who tried to democratise the workplace which they perceived to a challenge to their own status and ultimately equated the Labour Party’s Socialist ideals as nothing less than Communism and a threat to the Monarchy and the established order. Conservatism protected their jobs and way of life. When Thatcher took an axe to the Industrial landscape of the UK there was nothing they could do. Labour could offer them nothing so they continued to vote Tory even as their own prospects nosedived. As long as Timmy was getting it tight, well they would soldier on voting Tory till the good times rolled around again. Pound to a penny there will be unemployed Proddisint folk still voting Tory.