Should rebel songs be sung at games?

Very good first post mate.

 

These songs only alienate those who have no connection to the political struggles of Ireland. As an American Celtic supporter of both Scots and Irish decent, I want my football to be about football. As someone else said, let the Ibrox hooligans worry about politics and religion and let Celtic be a great football club. I get stick even here in the US about wearing my Celtic gear. I'm not catholic or pro-IRA, but I'm pro-Celtic... isn't that what it should be about? The longer things go the more the old bigotry fades away from the club I love, and nothing makes me prouder. Hail, hail!

 

How are they part of our history. We are a sports club but the songs are about politics and history. The fact is that rebel songs always existed but until the late 60s they were rarely sung.

 

This is my big gripe. Far too many Celtic fans focuss their Irish identity on the blood and guts part of Irishness. Of all the aspects of Ireland and the Irish people its the worst thing to dwell on. Its the sad and bad part of their history. Dress it up all you like but it was a lot of lives lost for a stalemate and gains that could have been got through peaceful means so it iwas a waste. I think far far too much of Scots Irish identity has nothing to do with what their Irish ancesters passed down the family and has everything to do with copy-cating troubles Northern Irish stuff from the 1970s to 1990s. That stuff was specific to one part of history in one part of Ireland. I think a lot of fans Irish identity is kind of copy-catting off the next guy. Its not real heritage.

 

I dont know a lot about it but the Club probably wouldn't be around if it wasn't for the Irish people that started it and supported it from the beginning. I dont know a lot about it as I said but the backgrounds are all linked together.

 

About the Rebel songs, I don't care at the end of the day it's only singing, it doesn't harm anybody either way and people should have better things to worry about or talk about than what people are singing at Football matches - same with songs the huns sing, I dont believe anyone really does get upset or offended by the singing of any kind of songs or flags or whatever.

 

Thats true but Irishness is not all about politics. In fact when most people left Ireland in the famine and a little after republican politics was not common at all and was a very small movement without popular support. It only really took off big time in the early 20th century. I think people of Irish descent tend to grab on to the politics because its easy and obvious and other aspects of Irish identity are unobtainable, subtler etc. I actually love Irish history, music and the humour of the people but avoid the politics like the plague. Living there for years made me appreciate the other stuff and made me realise how many Irish people really actually hate the troubles style tribal politics. A very large amount of the Irish people have absolutely no regard for the modern IRA. Even among northern Irish catholics the Sinn Fheinn vote was low when the IRA were still using violence and far more voted for the preaceful nationalist SDLP.

 

But it would be nice if the 2 tribes mentality dissapeared where people pretend they are different species when in fact most are of mixed blood and live in the same street. People often find this hard to believe but that mentality that is so strong in west-central Scotland is almost unheard of in the north and north-east of Scotland. So, it doesn have to be like that and its not something that is inate in the Scottish charachter or something. A lot of this seems to be down to mutual antagonism over many generations, unfortunately something some people enjoy.

 

No, you don't have to be a republican to support Celtic, and I know many fans that have no interest in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Ireland</st1lace></st1:country-region> or Irish Republicanism therefore they can divide the support, we need songs that unite all supporters.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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If I want to hear Republican music I'll go to a pub that caters for that before/after the game or I'll go to NGA fundraiser or something similar.<o></o>
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Although the songs aren't sectarian they are not relevant to Celtic as an all inclusive club, we have plenty football songs, sing them instead.

 

I agree with you about that aswell. Us and Rangers fans are the same, we come from the same places, live in the same streets, work in the same places, are married to each other, in the same families etc

But how boring would it be if we got along with each other Scottish football is bad enough and would be worse if we never had our own wee hatred of each other to talk about and keep us sane.

 

I'm very interested in politics and I believe politics and sport should be kept separate. Politics has a habit of causing divisions, sport is a means of creating unity. Someone shouldn't feel intimidated or unwelcome just because they have different political beliefs.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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Like it or not these songs do make people feel unwelcome, it's as though if you don't know and agree with the songs then you're not really a supporter. I don't think that but my best friend told me that's how she felt when she started going at first so i imagine others are likely to feel the same.<o></o>

 

no.....this type of subject bugs me...it has nothing to do with celtic fc ...and the players mostly dont have a clue what the songs are about id say.

 

I would say it's the opposite way about in my case woodlandsbhoy. I dont care about politics and I dont care if politics are involved with football.

People should just think that you dont need to care about something that doesnt involve you. Like people saying you shouldn't sing Rebel songs at Football matches, why not if people are doing it they like doing it, if your not - you dont and that should be it. No-ones breaking the law or doing anything that affects anyone else.

 

nothin wrong with 90 minute bigotry imho. im married to an ibrox season ticket holder but still go home to my wife after a win , lose or draw and we dont treat each other any different. i do think however , the powers that be are going to start deducting points or banning us from competitions if were not carefull. lately i started thinking that there are lots of films around now about football violence ( the casual scene) and lots of our fans would love to be a part of that . this could come in the not too distant future because soon the way our club is performing , we wont be in european competitions so we wont be kicked out if we aren't in. fans wont care anymore there is no excitement anymore and some folk are looking for a new avenue and violence can be quite a romantic looking one. sad to think but i think the way things are going , its on the cards.

 

No. I dont care about politics but I do care about Celtic FC. Bringing politics into Celtic Park wether it be singing or protesting, it's giving us a bad name.

 

was pretty obvious last night too!

 

YES, Am know political expert,far from it,i dont think anything is wrong with these songs, what ever way you look at it, the songs are about history.
they are sung at most away grounds by our fans,so why not at celtic park
if your in a pub before the match with the rebels on,the place is bouncing most of the time.
if the IRA became a political power of Ireland,it would'nt be a issue and one post above someone mentioned that the modern world does not accept terrorists,i can understand that,but it worked in South Africa. the ANC where classed as terrorists
and used bombs and killed and so on. now they are the main political party in S.A
they got what they were fighting for.
Was Bobby Sands not voted as an MP? forget what the IRA did and focus on what they were trying to achieve.

let the people sing free and proud i say and anywhere at that!

 

What was obvious last night? I thought the STUC "protest" was a complete failure.

 

the pro IRA singing...

 

Get you now, I haven't woken up yet

Was the same on Saturday, even when songs are about the original IRA which were a legitimate army they still had to add in the provisional stuff which negates the point that songs about the original IRA are fine (the added the line "the Provisional wing" into BOTOB.)