Leggat - Lawwell, Celtic And Remembrance

[ian1964 10,625]

UNTIL such time as Peter Lawwell allows those members of the Armed Forces who are Celtic supporters to parade at Parkhead in their uniforms, Celtic will never been seen as a British club.

 

And, despite any hush-hush talks chief executive Peter Lawwell may have been having with anybody who he believes can pave the way to the Premiership for Celtic, his chances of success are slim to zero.

 

And slim is out of town.

 

Lawwell must be dreading Sundayâ??s game against St Johnstone at Parkhead on Sunday, which is of course November 11th, Remembrance Sunday.

 

And the benchmark for that Remembrance, as far as football is concerned, will have been set twenty four hours earlier when Rangers pay their annual tribute in what I believe is set to be a moving, spectacular and poignant afternoon, during which Rangers will seek to strike the same sort of balance as that which will be achieved in the presence of the Queen at the Royal British Legionâ??s Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday night.

 

It is an evening which every year both informs and entertains, before stopping us in silence leaving us lost in pensive thought as the poppies and the silence descends.

 

Perhaps the Celtic crowd will surprise us on Sunday and join in a perfectly observed minuteâ??s silence, with no intrusion of any Blood Stained Poppy banner from the IRA backing Green Brigade.

 

Of course there are always those who actually criticise Rangers for their adherence to the tradition of the poppy and their awareness of how special this time of the year is.

 

They are the sort of folk who you could call the anti poppy brigade or even worse, the white poppy brigade. The anti poppy lot have already had their say in â?? youâ??ve guessed it â?? the Herald, where their rugby writer, Alasdair Reid wrote just the sort of smart alec piece about the symbolism of the poppy you would expect to find in that fast sinking rag.

 

But even worse is the white poppy brigade, led by that poseur in chief at Channel Four, Jon Snow, who even manages to out-prance and out-preen his junior colleague, Alex Thomson.

 

Not that the appalling white poppy â?? a symbol, they say, of peace, as though the red poppy is a symbol of anything other than peace â?? is confined to the London luvvies.

 

The Scotsman and Scotland on Sundayâ??s Andrew Smith, a former Celtic View editor, parades himself wearing this symbol of gawd knows what. And his point is?

 

All over England this weekend, crowds will stand, heads bowed in silence, with a military presence at most grounds, and all top flight teams wearing the poppy woven into their jerseys.

 

But up here in the Celtic Republic of the Scottish Premier League, the football authorities have said they will leave it up to clubs to decide whether or not they wear the poppy on their strip.

 

Rangers have already announced their players will wear the poppy, while Celtic, according to a report in the Herald, are refusing to comment on what they will, or will not do.

 

Surely they will at least hold a minuteâ??s silence? And not that horrible foreign malignant applause which they have already said, on their tannoy, is the Celtic way?

 

It may very well be. But it is not the Scottish way. It is not the British way.

 

After the kerfuffle of the Celtic zealots and fanatics disrupting the minuteâ??s silence with their Blood Stained Poppy banner two years ago, a story which appalled Middle England when it appeared in the Daily Mail, English eyes and ears will be on Parkhead on Sunday.

 

And if the Green Brigade, so recklessly and dangerously indulged by Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell, shame Remembrance with their hatred again, then never mind the Government of this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Peter Lawwell could beg Her Britannic Majesty for help in gate crashing the big bucks of the English Premiership to no avail.

 

For the loyal subjects of the Crown in England will have the last word on that matter.

 

And Rangers, despite their current and temporary status as a Third Division side, remain the quintesential British club, with the way Remembrance is marked at Ibrox on Saturday more in tune with what happens in the English Premiership.

 

There will be nobody wearing a white poppy at Ibrox on Saturday. Unless Scotsman Publications decide to send former Celtic View editor Andrew Smith along to cover the match.

[Max Rebo's Big Blue Nose 0]

TBH I wish the Poppy tribute had never been introduced to the madness of football. Not because of what THEY choose not to do but I just feel that this is something that shouldn't be kicked around like a political football to score points. I choose to wear my poppy as a personel tribute to my grandad and other fallen soldiers that fought for our liberty. That's my choice but I get the feeling that certain peeps want to bring this to the forefront only to show THEM up and IMO that means their doing it for the wrong reasons.

[Guest bluezulu]

gies peace ffs .We are trying to get our club back onto an even keel.We have enough enemies without having a go at any other club who don't fall in line with "our" way of thinking. Ignore them and just concentrate on Rangers. How I celebrate the fallen on Nov 11 is my business .What other people do is their business. Its got nothing to do with Rangers.

[Max Rebo's Big Blue Nose 0]

gies peace ffs .We are trying to get our club back onto an even keel.We have enough enemies without having a go at any other club who don't fall in line with "our" way of thinking. Ignore them and just concentrate on Rangers. How I celebrate the fallen on Nov 11 is my business .What other people do is their business. Its got nothing to do with Rangers.

 

That's what I was trying to get at TBH but I don't think I artciulated it all, so cheers

[GovanAllan 0]

TBH I wish the Poppy tribute had never been introduced to the madness of football. Not because of what THEY choose not to do but I just feel that this is something that shouldn't be kicked around like a political football to score points. I choose to wear my poppy as a personel tribute to my grandad and other fallen soldiers that fought for our liberty. That's my choice but I get the feeling that certain peeps want to bring this to the forefront only to show THEM up and IMO that means their doing it for the wrong reasons.

 

It's not about point scoring Max, its about expecting people to show just a glimmer of human decency towards his fellow human being for their sacrifice. They are the ones who brought politics into the one day when there shouldn't be any politics just rememberance, by their chanting and blood stained poppy banner.

 

Is to much to ask those who don't want to wear the poppy, to just stand quietly and let us who do remember those who aren't coming home?

[GovanAllan 0]

gies peace ffs .We are trying to get our club back onto an even keel.We have enough enemies without having a go at any other club who don't fall in line with "our" way of thinking. Ignore them and just concentrate on Rangers. How I celebrate the fallen on Nov 11 is my business .What other people do is their business. Its got nothing to do with Rangers.

 

So that shower at Savco shouldn't be brought to task for their disgraceful behaviour over the years when it comes to Rememberance Day.

 

Give me peace FFS.

[Max Rebo's Big Blue Nose 0]

It's not about point scoring Max, its about expecting people to show just a glimmer of human decency towards his fellow human being for their sacrifice. They are the ones who brought politics into the one day when there shouldn't be any politics just rememberance, by their chanting and blood stained poppy banner.

 

Is to much to ask those who don't want to wear the poppy, to just stand quietly and let us who do remember those who aren't coming home?

 

Fair doos but i just wish it hadn't been introduced to the football arena at all.

[TheWeeBlueDevil 0]

I get the feeling that certain peeps want to bring this to the forefront only to show THEM up and IMO that means their doing it for the wrong reasons.

 

I will be at Ibrox on Saturday showing my respects, what they scumbags from across the city do is of no concern to me. I find that comment from you insulting.

 

What certain people are you talking about ?

[GovanAllan 0]

Fair doos but i just wish it hadn't been introduced to the football arena at all.

 

No worries mate, I can see your point.

[Max Rebo's Big Blue Nose 0]

I will be at Ibrox on Saturday showing my respects, what they scumbags from across the city do is of no concern to me. I find that comment from you insulting.

 

What certain people are you talking about ?

 

C'mon mate. You know that are people that are queueing up to score points against THEM with this. Like you I don't give a flying f**k what they do. I just wish this hadn't been introduced to football that's all