Imatim
Well-known member
I thought this remembrance of past historical events in our Clubs history may resonate with some. It did for me. Let the people sing.
From irish voice
The battle for the club’s soul
Throughout Celtic’s history there have been numerous battles for the soul of the club. The first example of this was in the 1890s, when professionalism, becoming a limited company and re-analysing the prominence of charity all became major topics of debate. In the 1950s the infamous flag controversy saw Bob Kelly take on the SFA in order to preserve the Irish identity of the club. The 1990s saw a fight to avoid liquidation and then the launch of the Bhoys Against Bigotry campaign, which many felt was an attempt to dilute the Irishness of Celtic and deny our political heritage. The latter point even went as far as preventing tickets being given to supporters clubs named after Irish Republican patriots.
Now, the attempts to airbrush our political past and rewrite history have resurfaced in a remarkably hypocritical way. Indeed, the same board which had its players standing behind a ‘together for peace’ political placard against Shaktar Donetsk last season, have claimed that Celtic Football Club has absolutely nothing to do with politics and that political expression is not welcome at Celtic Park. The board also hosted several hundred Ukrainian refugees at matches last season, they opt not to have the poppy printed on the Celtic shirt during remembrance weekend, and play political songs in the stadium.
While Bobby Sands’ ‘Back Home In Derry’ is played in the Kerrydale Suite, the PA system blasts out Bella Ciao, Grace, Let The People Sing, The Fields of Athenry; songs rooted in anti imperial history and struggle.
Politics and football. Politics and Celtic. How dare they mix when the people being killed are Palestinian rather than the NATO backed Ukrainians! How dare they mix when the political topic can’t be commercialised!
The banning of the Green Brigade, unambiguously connected to the recent Palestine flag displays, is the latest example of a battle for the soul of Celtic as our anti colonial political identity is once more under threat.
So what is Celtic’s historic relationship with politics? Here’s the indisputable facts:
Dr John Conway, one of the founding fathers of the club, spoke at St Mary’s Church Hall after Hibernian won the Scottish Cup in 1887. He addressed the audience with the following words:
“Glasgow Irishmen,we can emulate the Hibernians example not only in social but in political matters as well, so that the goal of every Irishman’s ambition – legislative independence of his country – will soon be attained.”
Wanted Fenian (on the run after the 1867 Fenian Uprising), Pat Welsh, became a Celtic founding father and was responsible for the club signing the Maleys.
Convicted Irish Republican (gun running for IRB) and Nationalist / Socialist politician Michael Davitt was named Club Patron by the founding committee and was invited to lay the centre sod of shamrock smothered turf at the opening of Celtic Park. God Save Ireland, a rebel song about a then recent event (execution of the three Manchester Martyrs after an IRB operation resulted in the death of an English policeman), was performed on the pitch at the same ceremony.
Another founding father, William McKillop, was an Irish Parliamentary Party MP for North Sligo and South Armagh, despite being born in Scotland and living in Glasgow.
Michael Davitt fiercely opposed landlordism and Celtic played matches to raise funds for evicted tenants in Ireland, in the early years of the club.
Celtic sent an official delegation to Dublin for the Irish Race Convention of 1896. The event was designed to plot a route towards Irish Home Rule. The Hoops were the only sporting delegation represented and key figures in the club’s history were present.
The club introduced the notion of a boycott to football – a political tactic adopted by Michael Davitt, in Ireland.
Brake club members carried trade union and Irish patriot banners and sung Nationalist songs. Founding father, Dan Molloy, played the fiddle at Celtic gatherings after matches, whilst fellow founder John H McLaughlin would play the piano, and the legendary Neil McCallum (first man to score a goal for Celtic) would sing Irish political songs.
On the international political scene, the issue of the Anglo Boer war caused a fall out among the board. Most directors opposed British involvement in the conflict, but many also supported British soldiers simultaneously.
In WW1, Celtic hosted exhibitions of trench warfare and other military events to support recruitment for the war effort.
In 1968, Celtic refused to play against Ferencvaros in the European Cup due to the soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. Bob Kelly said “there are things for Celtic more important than money.”
There are countless other examples.
I am not naive enough to expect directors to act as fans. The PLC not wishing to publicly state a position on Palestine is one thing, that is standard practise in modern business and football. However, banning supporters, especially those who have been involved in the founding of Aida Celtic (team set up in Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem), for doing so is an unnecessary step.
Are we ‘a club open to all’ … except people with a pro-Palestinian position? Will we continue to stand up for the invaded and oppressed, in keeping with our political roots and our own founding story as a club born of famine and oppression? Or are we happy to let the board amend the slogan to ‘no more than a club’.
As long as the core support remains then I believe the Celtic soul is safe, no matter what men in suits would like to achieve. It is important that we keep our political, cultural and charitable identity alive.
For it is the fans who truly make Celtic.
From irish voice
The battle for the club’s soul
Throughout Celtic’s history there have been numerous battles for the soul of the club. The first example of this was in the 1890s, when professionalism, becoming a limited company and re-analysing the prominence of charity all became major topics of debate. In the 1950s the infamous flag controversy saw Bob Kelly take on the SFA in order to preserve the Irish identity of the club. The 1990s saw a fight to avoid liquidation and then the launch of the Bhoys Against Bigotry campaign, which many felt was an attempt to dilute the Irishness of Celtic and deny our political heritage. The latter point even went as far as preventing tickets being given to supporters clubs named after Irish Republican patriots.
Now, the attempts to airbrush our political past and rewrite history have resurfaced in a remarkably hypocritical way. Indeed, the same board which had its players standing behind a ‘together for peace’ political placard against Shaktar Donetsk last season, have claimed that Celtic Football Club has absolutely nothing to do with politics and that political expression is not welcome at Celtic Park. The board also hosted several hundred Ukrainian refugees at matches last season, they opt not to have the poppy printed on the Celtic shirt during remembrance weekend, and play political songs in the stadium.
While Bobby Sands’ ‘Back Home In Derry’ is played in the Kerrydale Suite, the PA system blasts out Bella Ciao, Grace, Let The People Sing, The Fields of Athenry; songs rooted in anti imperial history and struggle.
Politics and football. Politics and Celtic. How dare they mix when the people being killed are Palestinian rather than the NATO backed Ukrainians! How dare they mix when the political topic can’t be commercialised!
The banning of the Green Brigade, unambiguously connected to the recent Palestine flag displays, is the latest example of a battle for the soul of Celtic as our anti colonial political identity is once more under threat.
So what is Celtic’s historic relationship with politics? Here’s the indisputable facts:
Dr John Conway, one of the founding fathers of the club, spoke at St Mary’s Church Hall after Hibernian won the Scottish Cup in 1887. He addressed the audience with the following words:
“Glasgow Irishmen,we can emulate the Hibernians example not only in social but in political matters as well, so that the goal of every Irishman’s ambition – legislative independence of his country – will soon be attained.”
Wanted Fenian (on the run after the 1867 Fenian Uprising), Pat Welsh, became a Celtic founding father and was responsible for the club signing the Maleys.
Convicted Irish Republican (gun running for IRB) and Nationalist / Socialist politician Michael Davitt was named Club Patron by the founding committee and was invited to lay the centre sod of shamrock smothered turf at the opening of Celtic Park. God Save Ireland, a rebel song about a then recent event (execution of the three Manchester Martyrs after an IRB operation resulted in the death of an English policeman), was performed on the pitch at the same ceremony.
Another founding father, William McKillop, was an Irish Parliamentary Party MP for North Sligo and South Armagh, despite being born in Scotland and living in Glasgow.
Michael Davitt fiercely opposed landlordism and Celtic played matches to raise funds for evicted tenants in Ireland, in the early years of the club.
Celtic sent an official delegation to Dublin for the Irish Race Convention of 1896. The event was designed to plot a route towards Irish Home Rule. The Hoops were the only sporting delegation represented and key figures in the club’s history were present.
The club introduced the notion of a boycott to football – a political tactic adopted by Michael Davitt, in Ireland.
Brake club members carried trade union and Irish patriot banners and sung Nationalist songs. Founding father, Dan Molloy, played the fiddle at Celtic gatherings after matches, whilst fellow founder John H McLaughlin would play the piano, and the legendary Neil McCallum (first man to score a goal for Celtic) would sing Irish political songs.
On the international political scene, the issue of the Anglo Boer war caused a fall out among the board. Most directors opposed British involvement in the conflict, but many also supported British soldiers simultaneously.
In WW1, Celtic hosted exhibitions of trench warfare and other military events to support recruitment for the war effort.
In 1968, Celtic refused to play against Ferencvaros in the European Cup due to the soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. Bob Kelly said “there are things for Celtic more important than money.”
There are countless other examples.
I am not naive enough to expect directors to act as fans. The PLC not wishing to publicly state a position on Palestine is one thing, that is standard practise in modern business and football. However, banning supporters, especially those who have been involved in the founding of Aida Celtic (team set up in Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem), for doing so is an unnecessary step.
Are we ‘a club open to all’ … except people with a pro-Palestinian position? Will we continue to stand up for the invaded and oppressed, in keeping with our political roots and our own founding story as a club born of famine and oppression? Or are we happy to let the board amend the slogan to ‘no more than a club’.
As long as the core support remains then I believe the Celtic soul is safe, no matter what men in suits would like to achieve. It is important that we keep our political, cultural and charitable identity alive.
For it is the fans who truly make Celtic.
