26+6=1
Well-known member
Now that the huns are finally seeing some censure for their vile output there is increased speculation that every effort of their allies will be focused on whataboutery in the hope of damaging Celtic.
Any possibility of success offered them is a serious strategic vulnerability. I am Irish and I consider myself a Republican so I don't consider songs like 'The Broad Black Brimmer' to be 'sectarian' but I accept it could be considered provocative. If Celtic were to be censured for fans singing it I would consider that an injustice as it's unlikely any British team's fans would ever be censured for singing 'rule Britannia' which is an ode to imperial domination and all that entailed. These 2 songs represent conflicting views of history and as such are divisive.
As Celtic fans we sing 'if you know your history' and certain songs are an expression of that but are they being used to educate? In some cases yes. Celtic fans started singing 'Grace' in 2016 causing Rod Stewart to record it and raise global awareness of Irish history. 'The Fields Of Athenry' tells a story closely associated with the circumstances in which the club was founded. Both tragic love songs set against historical events.
But some songs are more militant and could be perceived as intimidatory. Outdated propaganda like 'The Sam Song' has no place at a football match. Anything advocating political violence should be avoided imo. It could easily be argued that 'rule Britannia' above advocates political violence; which it does as imperialism is inherently violent but 'whatever Sevco gets away with' should not be our benchmark. I believe Celtic fans should take complete control of the moral high ground and eliminate anything that could be perceived as intimidating from the song book. And to this I would heretically add 'The Celtic Symphony'; which is nothing more than a Wolfe Tones cash in. If they could charge the club royalties for every time it is sung at CP they would. 'The Ra' can be perceived to mean many things; the IRA of Kevin Barry, the IRA of Bobby Sands or the IRA which shot Lyra McKee this year. As such there is too much ambiguity in the lyric imo.
There are other improvements to the songbook which could be made imo. The Irish National Anthem is 'Amhrán na bhFiann'; yes it was originally written in English but the only place you will ever hear it sung in English is at Celtic games. If you want to sing it, sing it properly and learn the Irish version. I also believe that 'God Bless The Pope' is an unnecessary addition. If you want to show your support for The Pope go to mass and put your money where your mouth is; i.e on the collection plate. Many Celtic fans are not Catholic or not religious at all so this is not relevant to them.
Relevancy should be the watchword when considering what is appropriate for the song book. What is relevant to the greatest number of Celtic fans and what will resonate most with them and also what will resonate most with the players on the field and spur them on to greater heights.
Any possibility of success offered them is a serious strategic vulnerability. I am Irish and I consider myself a Republican so I don't consider songs like 'The Broad Black Brimmer' to be 'sectarian' but I accept it could be considered provocative. If Celtic were to be censured for fans singing it I would consider that an injustice as it's unlikely any British team's fans would ever be censured for singing 'rule Britannia' which is an ode to imperial domination and all that entailed. These 2 songs represent conflicting views of history and as such are divisive.
As Celtic fans we sing 'if you know your history' and certain songs are an expression of that but are they being used to educate? In some cases yes. Celtic fans started singing 'Grace' in 2016 causing Rod Stewart to record it and raise global awareness of Irish history. 'The Fields Of Athenry' tells a story closely associated with the circumstances in which the club was founded. Both tragic love songs set against historical events.
But some songs are more militant and could be perceived as intimidatory. Outdated propaganda like 'The Sam Song' has no place at a football match. Anything advocating political violence should be avoided imo. It could easily be argued that 'rule Britannia' above advocates political violence; which it does as imperialism is inherently violent but 'whatever Sevco gets away with' should not be our benchmark. I believe Celtic fans should take complete control of the moral high ground and eliminate anything that could be perceived as intimidating from the song book. And to this I would heretically add 'The Celtic Symphony'; which is nothing more than a Wolfe Tones cash in. If they could charge the club royalties for every time it is sung at CP they would. 'The Ra' can be perceived to mean many things; the IRA of Kevin Barry, the IRA of Bobby Sands or the IRA which shot Lyra McKee this year. As such there is too much ambiguity in the lyric imo.
There are other improvements to the songbook which could be made imo. The Irish National Anthem is 'Amhrán na bhFiann'; yes it was originally written in English but the only place you will ever hear it sung in English is at Celtic games. If you want to sing it, sing it properly and learn the Irish version. I also believe that 'God Bless The Pope' is an unnecessary addition. If you want to show your support for The Pope go to mass and put your money where your mouth is; i.e on the collection plate. Many Celtic fans are not Catholic or not religious at all so this is not relevant to them.
Relevancy should be the watchword when considering what is appropriate for the song book. What is relevant to the greatest number of Celtic fans and what will resonate most with them and also what will resonate most with the players on the field and spur them on to greater heights.