ian1964 10,626 Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 September 26 2011 12:01AM It was quite an amazing scene at Celtic Park on Saturday. This loud, boisterous, sometimes militant group of the club's support known as the Green Brigade were in full flow. Neil Lennon, the Celtic manager, later referred to this chanting, drum-beating mob as "fantastic" and "brilliant". You almost forgot they were there because, for the opening 45 minutes, hardly a cheep came out of this singing section. Instead, a series of banners were unfurled, in a carefully-planned ploy that could hardly have been executed better. As each protesting banner was made visible the whole of Celtic Park rose and applauded, causing quite a commotion. Suddenly, at the beginning of the second half, their singing started again, and what an atmosphere it created. Great, booming, tribal chants were flung from one end of the stadium to the other, as otherwise dormant supporters were roused by the occasion. It gave the Celtic-Caley Thistle match a theatrical backdrop, prompting Lennon's later comments. The Green Brigade were protesting about the proposed new legislation being created for the Offensive Behaviour at Football Bill. Their perception, in many ways correct, is that it will curb their rightful freedom of speech. This is a complicated area, mired as it has become in a trashy Old Firm game of moral ping-pong, but it is still worth exploring. For instance, it is true that the Green Brigade's songs about Ireland and Irish identity, which are at the core of Celtic's foundation as a football club, are to be outlawed. One of their banners said: "Police State - Don't Criminalise Us". Another said: "Our Songs Are Not Sectarian". Further points were made about a collection of chants that the Green Brigade enjoy - one of them even being Ireland's national anthem - but which the Scottish Parliament might be blundering its way towards outlawing. The most contentious of the chants found among the Celtic support - as well as that of Rangers - is about the IRA. This is where it comes right down to the nub, and where, in truth, a zero tolerance policy probably needs to be deployed. It doesn't sound very convincing these days to argue that, when Celtic fans chant about the IRA, they are in fact referring to an Irish liberation movement of nearly 100 years ago, rather than the terror group of recent times. This is a semantic we can do without. The very same line of argument was tried a few years ago by some Rangers hardliners over their use of the word "Fenian". Anyone steeped in west of Scotland society knows that the word is a pejorative term for a Catholic, but some Rangers fans tried to get round this, saying: "No, no ... in fact we are merely referring to the 19th century political movement in Ireland." That argument disintegrated somewhat when thousands of fans at Ibrox would refer to Martin O'Neill, then the Celtic manager, as a "sad Fenian b*****d", when plainly O'Neill was alive in the here and now, and not in the 19th century. In fact, on Saturday at Celtic Park, there wasn't a single IRA chant to be heard from the Green Brigade, despite some of their critics fervently praying that there would be. It is the one refrain in their repertoire they need to junk, however fleeting it might be at Celtic Park. (Some Celtic fans on the road, just like those of Rangers, are a different breed to sort out.) The Green Brigade, like the Blue Order at Ibrox, is to be encouraged. They are loud and brash and they provide Celtic games with a vivid percussion. There is also an argument that, all across the world, many football clubs' supporters express a cultural or political stance that should not be deemed to be illegal. If these were outlawed then, never mind Celtic, the supporters of Real Madrid and Barcelona would be in deep trouble. Where most decent people want to draw a line, and be less libertarian, is where it comes to outright prejudice, principally involving race or religion. Where a football crowd starts to hurl bile in either of these spheres, I'm all for supporters being carted off and fined. But over a club's cultural roots - which many Celtic fans feel strongly - I don't see how it can be muzzled. The Scottish Government needs to be very careful as it meanders towards drawing up this Bill. The Green Brigade may have a point: Celtic and Rangers fans could face court charges over offences that are laughable. If I were Roseanna Cunningham, the Government's minister for community safety, I would tred very warily indeed. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig 5,199 Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 He is at pains to make Celtic's repertoire "political" rather than sectarian. Not for one minute do I believe that there was no IRA-oke at the mecchano-dome on Saturday. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GovanAllan 0 Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 The way he lumps the green brigade and the blue order into the same hat what a tosser, you don't need 12 months of political brainwashing to join the BO the man is a sad wee wank stain on Liewells pants. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dutchy Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 There's so many things you can say about what's wrong with this tit's analysis of words. What I don't like about him is slef-proclaimed abilituy to know what people are thinking, then take his arguement on from there, while not affording the other sides the same courtesy. One point in the psudeo intellectual world of Speirs is, if a word has two meanings, why can he be so precise in his claim that Rangers fans are only using the negative term? I for one would say that most Rangers fans consider both versions as bastards, but he's actually not writing for the sake of discussion, he writes to influence people, using this fart born intellectuality, and he certainly hates the Rangers. As a parting shot, he could at least attempt to get the facts right as well. I'm sure it's UEFA that has bans against racism, sectsrian and political chanting within football. Isn't that what Platini said about the septic supports songs??? It could just be that he wants to slog off the Scottish Parliment because he made an arse of himself at the committe meetings, or his realisation that no-one thinks he has anything of importance to say, me being one of them. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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