Outsiders can be highly useful to any culture.
By their very being, they ask important questions that locals rarely consider.
When I watched this video of an English lad doing the stadium tours in Glasgow I was reminded of a question put to me over two years ago in Portugal.
I remember the exact date of the interaction.
It was May 25th 2017 and I was in the back of a taxi in Lisbon.
We were heading to Stadio Nacional to mark the 50th anniversary of the greatest moment in Celtic’s long unbroken history.
The chap beside me, Martin, was from Sweden.
He was there because of his long friendship with his next-door neighbour.
A guy called Henrik Larsson.
I told my fellow passenger that his friend was one of the few Celtic players since that immortal day in May who would have been picked by the Big Man to replace one of his Lisbon Lions.
That is praise indeed.
I was blessed to see Stein’s men in their prime and I took my son to his first game to watch the taciturn goal machine from Scandinavia in the Hoops score the winner against St Johnstone at the start of the millennium.
Martin asked me “how is it possible for two clubs in one city to have such different supporters?”
It was the question that only an outsider would ask and it was all the more valuable for that.
I thought for a moment and referred him to the creative work of another Larsson.
Steig.
His character Harald Vanger in the psychological thriller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was a reminder of Sweden’s dark past.
Harald is an unrepentant fascist.
With that literary reference point, I then told Martin about the history of the Billy Boys street gang that is remembered in song by the Ibrox klanbase.
When I told him about the eponymous leader, a member of the Ku Klux Klan my fellow passenger was genuinely shocked.
He spoke to his colleague Stig, who was in the passenger seat if he was getting all of this from the foreigner in the back seat.
In true Alastair Johnston fashion, we got a nod of the head.
By the time we alighted at Stadio Nacional we said our goodbyes.
If I had provided my fellow passengers with some historical reference points from Sweden’s fascist past to contemporary Ibrox then it was job done.
The title of this piece is a known concept within sociology.
Another cognate term from the same discipline is “participant observation”.
The young lad doing the stadium tours stumbled onto a basic truth.
One place was full of angst and hostility the other stadium was a theatre of craic.
For the avoidance of doubt, the champions play at their home games at the latter.
I have written here before that any outsider visiting both stadia in Glasgow would soon see the difference.
It’s not just the buildings that are different
it is in the very ambience.
Quite frankly, it comes down to the folk at Parkhead not needing to believe that they are The People.
Winning friends on the journey is something that the Celtic family can do without trying.
That is something that outsiders can discern quite easily…
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Sounds like the Res12 petition has been well and truly spiked before the possible awkward questions at next Wednesdays AGM…
I just hope that come the end of May… that Celtic have not contrived with assistance from the SFA to throw away a historic 9th consecutive league title and hand the Champions League initiative to Sevco.
If they get the opportunity (and their usual luck in draws) they may – along with some tactical player sakes – just turn their fortunes around…
Celtic (as in Peter Lawwell) have the power to fire a potentially fatal blow at both Sevco and the SFA. Not doing so could be something that might be regretted forever. If the worst scenario plays out.. then Celtic Plc will have betrayed not just critic supporters … but Scottish football itself.
Winning the league cup and December derby fixture are far more important than just in terms of trophies and points. For me, the whole integrity of the game is at stake. The money men aren’t prepared to do the right thing off-field …. so the players must kill off this club on it.
What Res12 petition?
The only thing I’m aware of is the Agenda item for next week’s AGM, which I’ve voted in favour of and, hopefully, so will other supporter shareholders.
I’m sure the corporate and unemotional big shareholders will vote against to ensure it doesn’t pass but hopefully enough will vote in favour for this to register.
It was a metaphorical reference to the point in the agenda…
It sounds like the majority will have weighed in with Lawwell & DD …
I hope there are enough like yourself to at least create some ‘awkwardness’ and highlight the issue more widely.
Anyone got the link to the funny Ayebroke ‘Trophy room’ tour?
Try: https://www.mordorsemptydungeon.com/wewonthepetrofaccup.hamlet
😂😂😂😂😂
.html it meant to read.The sevvies will be wondering if that’s why they couldn’t access that site. 😂😂😂😂😂
A million and one ice cream 🍨 and jellied thanks, watch this at work tomorrow morning 👍🏻😂👏🏻👏🏻
Can’t get the link to work, even with the html, thanks for the consideration
Level 5 and their media lapdogs can promote the sale of Morelos all they want.
The consequences of not selling Morelos are there for everyone to see.
Sell him and the SPFL title race is all but over.
What option will Kingco be forced into.
Not selling him brings into question as to where the cash will come from to see out the season, especially with Close Bros to be repaid and Sports Direct knocking on the door.
I’m sure that the Ibrox club are already aware of the SD quantum and that the auditors have made suitable provision in the last financial year’s balance sheet.
Selling him will see a backlash from fans with a knock on effectbon ST sales for next season. Who wants to see their big rival march to a record breaking 10 IAR?
Kingco are tapped out, Club 1872 ditto. New investors roll up, roll up, Rangers need you.
Thanks for posting the video Phil. Very illuminating indeed, for outsiders that is. The Man Utd guy is one ballsy wee bastard. I thought the Huns on Edminston Drive were gonna give him the severe malky. Naivete can be a blessing as well as a curse.
What about that Hun’s trophy room, though. Wow. They could have run an episode of Antiques’ Road Show from there back in the day. Such a pity-snigger snigger-that they have nothing new to polish, in the trophy dept. So sad. Poor Huns. Oh how I weep for them. I really do.
One trophy I would have liked to have seen though, is in the following category awarded by Eufa: ‘The team whose supporters have rioted at the most European Finals’. Now that is one trophy that I would gladly climb the Marble Staircase to see. Sans Celtic top of course…I’m not that f*****g daft, despite prevailing opinion. Hail Hail
I remember the ” look at the lovely porcelain we have…” priceless and worthless in equal measure!
I seem to recall a similar type of thing a few years ago when a blogger from England attended home games at both grounds as part of a visit every ground in the UK type of exercise (both games were against mid table teams both results were processions for Rangers/Celtic) He couldn’t believe the contrast in atmospheres…. one hostile and full of hatred and the other friendly and welcoming. They leave their mark on everyone that comes into contact with them. The only difference is that in the billy boy days that mark was physical as well as psychological.
I know sponsorship brings in cash bit how absolutely stunning and clean do the Lions look in that iconic strip above. Different class in every aspect.
The late Michael Jackson done a similar experiment in the early/mid 80’s, when he asked the rangers fans to appear as extras when he filmed the “Thriller” video on Edmiston Drive. True to form, they all appeared as zombies – long before their club actually died in 2012.
English Test:
Use the following phrases and make up a story about interest in Morelos” and when finished forward it to the Daily Ranger
reportedly conceded…highly unlikely…have been linked…will not sell…are believed…is keen…have framed this as…summer approach more likely…sparked rumours…aware of his talent but unwilling to discuss other team’s players…understands there is no interest in Morelos…
Sorry, too slow, someone has beaten you to it.
In passing. One little known fact about Billy Fullerton – unearthed by Denise Mina from court transcripts in research for her book The Big Drop – is that in later life he was called by the prosecution as a witness at the trial of Glasgow’s notorious psychopathic serial killer Peter Manuel, confirming that he supplied one of the guns used in the murders.
What’s that saying about the company you keep?
What was more telling about the fella’s video was that DAVID, the celtic tour guide was given rave reviews by him – however, I cannot recall the sevco tour guide being mentioned by name.
Such a simple – but illuminating – social experiment, wearing rival’s strips on stadium tours in different cities.
And in this day and age of “PC gone mad”, the vast majority of the population are very self-aware of their speech and actions, and generally very tolerant and accommodating of the diversity in out population. Generally.
…and then we have the anachronistic TRFC and Ibrox.
Bears with a conscience, I would expect, watch the games from afar.
Those without a conscience carry on as before, and attend Ibrox – and stadium tours.
And then there are the intelligent bears – who are wilfully ignorant – and blame everyone else on the Ibrox problems.
As a follow up and for validation: mibbees this brave chap could buy a single share of RIFC and CFC – and then attend their AGM’s in opposing tops to gauge the reaction?
🙂
It was an easy mistake for the klub to make. They thought his name was Hector and he’d come for a peek at the accounts. HH
I got in contact with the chap that made the video and pointed him to the huns response to him on twitter where someone had also posted the video. Just incase he might have thought it was a one off the way the bottom feeders treated him that day. With the names that he was being called on social media he could be in no doubt they are the scum of Glasgow.
Possibly the best description of the difference between the fans I’ve ever heard.
Fergus McCann and the boys against bigotry was a campaign but more than that it was the mission to join a brave new world. Nevermind the on and offield positions of the the Champions against the new and old rangers never mind the Culture, the history, the sense of ethos and the day to day wellbeing.
The contrast is beyond black and white, it’s in technicolour! When they talk about the Gap closing etc, they are lost in a canyon so big it will take a DNA generational shift or two, to close it. The Rangers2 PR won’t be boasting about you tube views this month.
It is just sad, it took this brave guy, to shine a light on things. BUT Their culture is dying, and it will be left behind the more technology and humans develop. Fortunately enough, we were founded by an Irish Marist Brother, with charitable and welcoming values, which thankfully never go out of date.
Celtic, always Anyone and everyone, truly – A Club Like No Other
£10k donation to the Celtic Foundation from a Club with over £30m sat in the Bank.
Fans like no other that’s for sure but a “Club” like no other?
Which brand of Club does Dermot use On the Course.
Celtic of course.
That’s one £10k donation Cyan. The club make many more like the £10k to Erskine Home for Soldiers, the Tuloy Foundation, Walfrid’s Wish, Clare’s Kitchens…
Wonder what Walfrid himself would make of the situation?
They are paying lip service to the ethos of Celtic nothing more.
How much Interest does £30m make in a month?
Pathetic.
Can’t you remember RFC foundation organising a charity game against A’C Milan. They gave the money to RFC. Joke of a club , no wonder they died
Im not remotely interested in what that shower do with their money I’m more concerned about our aboard hoarding tens of millions and dishing out scraps by comparison in order to keep up the pretence that we are still geared towards Charity as our primary objective.
They keep playing the Walfrid card year in year out whilst simultaneously taking millions out in Bonuses etc.
At some point you are going take your gaze away from the Ayebrokes sideshow and actually see what is being passed of as “A Club like no other”.
Would £100k have impacted the finances this Christmas?
We got £9m for BRexit and a further £25m for Tierney.
“You might not get back out “. What a disgusting bunch of reprobates.