Lennon Calls For An End To Offensive Chanting

You honesty think Celtic would boot out about 20,000 paying customers? :bbpd:

 

Not that simple though. Its not like something private. It impacts on others. I think the worse aspect is singing these songs gets all Celts labelled as ira supporters and that gets us all labelled and can actually puts you in physical danger for being considered to hold views you dont even hold.

Look its simple really. The history of British-Irish conflict is too bitter to be sung openly about in Britain except exclusively among like-minded people. To be honest it would be better if they were sung at home games and not away ones instead of the weird situation we have now of home game singing being santitised while way games are a rebel-fest.

 

Yeah the executions turned a lot of people against the British. especially the execution of James Connolly.

Here's some history for people who don't know.

 

If we werent assocaited so much with Irish repubicanism we would also potentially gain a lot of new Scottish customers. In the eyes of the neutrals I know we are seen as a lot better supporters and generally football team than Rangers. I think there is a lot of potential support in the east of Scotland that we lose because of the full-on Irish republican image. If we made ourselves more attractive to Scots without Irish roots that opens up about 80% of the population. From polls it does seem that we still are about 75-80% a catholic support. Catholics are only 15%??? of the population of Scotland. So, its clear there are things that are putting off protestants. Its pretty clear that missing our on this huge market is down to the Irish republican violence stuff of the past and present and also the dwarfing of aspects of Scottishness in the songs and symbols at Celtic. IMO the club needs to drive a change here because too many fans have that tendency to want things to remain as they were in the time of their dads, grandads etc.

 

Hardly anyone sings at home games mate. There's nothing wrong with a immigrant Irish club supporting the IRA.

 

I'm happy this is our only problem. Other clubs have massive hooligan and violence problems. We don't. It's only about a couple of songs.

Unless the huns, who sing illegal, racist and sectarian songs, our ones are just political and perhaps offensive. I can see your point, Scottish and British people not wanting to sing about the IRA, an organisation, they might even have fought against back in the day.

Also a football game ain't just a battle for 90 min on the pitch, it also takes place on the stands. fans vs fans. each group tries to wind up the opponents. that's banter.

You will always hear offensive stuff at football grounds. Like I said in a different thread, I like going to football games all across Europe and can assure you, I have heard some really primitive, bad and tasteless stuff - rebel songs are nothing compared to that.

Also everyone with a brain won't say each and every Celtic supporter is an IRA supporter too. Everyone with a half brain will differ and not tar everyone with the same brush. There might be a few guys singing these songs, but also a big deal won't. Not everyone does it. No need to feel embarrassed for your fellow fans. Why should you? You ain't doing it. Do you get my point mate?

Scottish media will always try to find something negative to write about Celtic, it doesn't really bother me. Foreign fans have nothing but praise for our club. Our rep abroad is second to none.

Untill the SFA decides to punish us I don't really care what people sing or shout, as long as it's no racist crap. If they want to yell IRA stuff, let them, no matter if I like it or not. If I like it, I join in, if not, I remain silent or start a different song.

 

* forbid we ever become what you just said.

It would be like Barca just became another Spanish club and they took out all of their catalan traditions. They wouldn't though because they are more than a club. Are Celtic? Some people on here don't think so.

 

Scottish football is already in a terrible state never mind trying to win more fans from the East coast.

That would kill the Scottish game off.

 

The club don't want certain songs sung so don't sing them. If you do then you're obviously not that much of a fan.

The list will be out sOOn.

http://www.scotzine.com/2011/04/list-of-banned-songs-to-be-handed-out-in-sectarian-crackdown/

 

Why do people say that we are like the huns when we sing IRA songs?. The huns aren't stuck in the past as sectarianism has never been acceptable. So using the argument that we're stuck in the past and just as bad as them is flawed.

 

get your story straight - you just said hardly anyone sings at home games, lol!

 

However it is wrong when the impression is given that Irish roots=ira support. Even in Ireland ira support has for most of the time been low. Even in northern Ireland Sinn Fheinn did not do well in the elections until the ira ceasefires. That is because a lot of people do not believe in violence. What does my head in is the way Scots with Irish roots tend to focus their Irish identity so heavily on the 20th century republican stuff. Ireland is an ancient country with loads of very interesting history, music etc that is far older than all that stuff. I think the take on Irish heritage that Celtic fans have bought into draws far too much on one thing.

 

My *.

Lets just take the green out of our strips, change the name and take down the Irish tri-colour that flies over Parkhead, as I'm sure that these will put off plenty of Scots from joining the club

 

Pappin' the IRA nonsense doesn't mean getting rid of the Irish in Celtic.

Ireland and the IRA aren't the same thing!

 

Well said. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing...

 

We can retain nods to the Irish roots without obsessing about the ira. They are not the same thing. Personally I dont feel the ira are anything to do with my Irish roots. My family was gone from Ireland before they existed and when repubicanism was a very small movement without popular support. Members of my family knew sentimental old fashioned irish songs but none were political at all. In fact if you get a big Dubliners CD compilation only a very small percentage of the Irish folk songs are political in any way. There are some but they tend to be subtle. Celtic fans for some reason have particularly picked out the political ones, the very ones that are most likely to cause division.

 

The things putting off most Protestants is the fact that the media portray us as a Catholic club and Rangers as a Protestants club. Which is true, but the media blow it out of proportion

 

Don't talk *. Just because I don't sing rebels im not much of a fan. I have missed 4 games home and away this season. Yet im not much of a fan?Some of these posts are hilarious.

 

No keep the strip, name etc. Not sure about any national flags though. Keep national flags and anthems for international games and maybe European fixtures. Its a f*kin football club not a substitute international team.

 

We have more than 20,000 thousands away and cup game attendants a season.