Dhim-witted protest

[Father Tiresias]

If you can bear with me on this. It might turn out to be a bit long-winded.

 

I recently took up an assignement in Ireland. And on occasion I have trooped out of the hotel to local hostelries to watch midweek football matches (including Man Utd - Celtic).

 

First off I have been really surprised at the lack of "Sellick taps" on view. Apart from one teenage shell-suited ned one lunchtime, I haven't seen any. True in the sports shops round here the only Scottish top you'll see on sale is Celtic. But they are consigned to the general rack, in amongst Real Madrid, Milan, Blackburn Rovers, and so on. Whole sections of the sports shops are dominated by EPL shirts, in particular Liverpool, who are massively popular over here.

 

When Celtic played Man Utd this week I was in a bar and when Celtic scored only one person cheered. And that was a Scot, whom I discovered had lumped on Celtic to win at 9/2. and was not actually a Celtic supporter. Most people in this part of Ireland don't really care about Celtic. The Irish guys I work with who are keen on football - one supports Liverpool, the other actually supports Spurs. To Irish football fans, the SPL means absolutely nothing. Registers on the scale as about the same level as the Eircom Premier does to us.

 

The other interesting thing is that really staunch Irish nationalists (older generation) will not even watch football. They will have been interested exclusively in Gaelic games (GAA). Football was seen as a "foreign" game, and in most GAA stadiums it is banned under what is known as Rule 42. It was only recently that Irish Rugby and football could play in the Croke Park GAA stadium in Dublin while Lansdowne Road is renovated. If I was some kind of rampant Scottish born Irish nationalist and really hated symbols of the British Imperialist regime I'd actually not go to Parkhead, I'd set up a Glasgow GAA club. I suppose that's just one luxury of the "political" Celtic fans' hypocrisy. They can choose which symbols of British imperialism are OK (association football) and those that are bad (Remembrance Day). Just like they can choose "good" murderers over "bad" murderers, I suppose.

 

Going back to Croke Park for a second. In 1920 Auxiliaries shot and killed 13 spectators and 1 player (Michael Hogan). That Croke Park was opened to Rugby and Football shows how far the Irish people and the GAA in particular have come. The first "foreign" game was even a rugby international against England. A very significant fixture and a sign of moving on, or "closure".

 

The warped section of the Celtic support are like dinosaurs. In the Republic, Celtic are seen as no more of an "Irish" team as the Boston Celtics' NBA team. In Northern Ireland of course, the wounds are still raw, and while "peace has broken out" in the aftermath of the Good Friday agreement, communities are still very much polarised, and the Old Firm still have massive enclaves of support on each side of the divide. But if the people of Northern Ireland can move on, isn't it time for Celtic to call foul on more extreme elements of their support? This is the 21st Century after all. I am not saying that Celtic abandon their Irish traditions (just as much as I don't suggest Rangers should necessarily abandon their own traditions). But for once, Celtic have an opportunity to distance themselves from this Scottish based sectarian loony element they attract. And as usual, they do nothing.

 

I've often heard the comment that if Celtic fans don't like it in Scotland, they should go and live in Ireland. Take it from me. They wouldn't like it over here either. It's way too civilised for their hatred. The locals have a sense of their history, and what that entails. But the events of 90 years ago do not consume their lives with hatred. Never mind the Sellick fans not liking it over here in Ireland. The locals wouldn't want them either.

 

What a cracking post boaby!!

 

I've worked in Ireland too and can confirm that the GAA, Liverpool and Manchester United are much more important to the sport lovers of that land than the Glasgow Celtic

[DETTY29]

If you can bear with me on this. It might turn out to be a bit long-winded.

 

I recently took up an assignement in Ireland. And on occasion I have trooped out of the hotel to local hostelries to watch midweek football matches (including Man Utd - Celtic).

 

First off I have been really surprised at the lack of "Sellick taps" on view. Apart from one teenage shell-suited ned one lunchtime, I haven't seen any. True in the sports shops round here the only Scottish top you'll see on sale is Celtic. But they are consigned to the general rack, in amongst Real Madrid, Milan, Blackburn Rovers, and so on. Whole sections of the sports shops are dominated by EPL shirts, in particular Liverpool, who are massively popular over here.

 

When Celtic played Man Utd this week I was in a bar and when Celtic scored only one person cheered. And that was a Scot, whom I discovered had lumped on Celtic to win at 9/2. and was not actually a Celtic supporter. Most people in this part of Ireland don't really care about Celtic. The Irish guys I work with who are keen on football - one supports Liverpool, the other actually supports Spurs. To Irish football fans, the SPL means absolutely nothing. Registers on the scale as about the same level as the Eircom Premier does to us.

 

The other interesting thing is that really staunch Irish nationalists (older generation) will not even watch football. They will have been interested exclusively in Gaelic games (GAA). Football was seen as a "foreign" game, and in most GAA stadiums it is banned under what is known as Rule 42. It was only recently that Irish Rugby and football could play in the Croke Park GAA stadium in Dublin while Lansdowne Road is renovated. If I was some kind of rampant Scottish born Irish nationalist and really hated symbols of the British Imperialist regime I'd actually not go to Parkhead, I'd set up a Glasgow GAA club. I suppose that's just one luxury of the "political" Celtic fans' hypocrisy. They can choose which symbols of British imperialism are OK (association football) and those that are bad (Remembrance Day). Just like they can choose "good" murderers over "bad" murderers, I suppose.

 

Going back to Croke Park for a second. In 1920 Auxiliaries shot and killed 13 spectators and 1 player (Michael Hogan). That Croke Park was opened to Rugby and Football shows how far the Irish people and the GAA in particular have come. The first "foreign" game was even a rugby international against England. A very significant fixture and a sign of moving on, or "closure".

 

The warped section of the Celtic support are like dinosaurs. In the Republic, Celtic are seen as no more of an "Irish" team as the Boston Celtics' NBA team. In Northern Ireland of course, the wounds are still raw, and while "peace has broken out" in the aftermath of the Good Friday agreement, communities are still very much polarised, and the Old Firm still have massive enclaves of support on each side of the divide. But if the people of Northern Ireland can move on, isn't it time for Celtic to call foul on more extreme elements of their support? This is the 21st Century after all. I am not saying that Celtic abandon their Irish traditions (just as much as I don't suggest Rangers should necessarily abandon their own traditions). But for once, Celtic have an opportunity to distance themselves from this Scottish based sectarian loony element they attract. And as usual, they do nothing.

 

I've often heard the comment that if Celtic fans don't like it in Scotland, they should go and live in Ireland. Take it from me. They wouldn't like it over here either. It's way too civilised for their hatred. The locals have a sense of their history, and what that entails. But the events of 90 years ago do not consume their lives with hatred. Never mind the Sellick fans not liking it over here in Ireland. The locals wouldn't want them either.

 

Boaby,

 

I was in Ireland a few years ago when it was Old Firn derby day. It took me and my mates a good hour to find a pub showing the game. (Admittedly it was in the BBc live days - but satellite?) Again, I don't recall anyone cheering the 2 Celtic goals. By chr!st though when Liverpool played and then Arsenal/Man U the place was heaving.

 

My girlfriend is Irish, her best pals hubbies are Liverpool, Newacastle and Man U fans. Damn it, her brother supports Chelsea.

 

This is a Northern Irish/Border thing. As I stated on another thread we should be pushing towards the gruesome twosome moving to and building stadiums either side of the 'Peace Wall' along the Shankhill and Falls Roads.

[ericb]

Silence @ Love St, confirmed on the HMFC blog.