There are times when I think that it is part of the Celtic board’s secret business plan to totally alienate the support.
If that is, in fact, the case, then they’re playing an absolute blinder today.
At this moment, the global Village is looking on in horror at the treatment of Palestinians by the Israeli Apartheid state.
Every day it breaks international law on air, land and sea as it attacks the defenceless Palestinian people.
Today, as many of ye will already know, the Green Brigade put up their own show of solidarity in the North Curve for the match tonight.
However, it didn’t last long.
Here is the club statement.
Good grief.
This own goal by the Celtic Board has not gone unnoticed here in Ireland.
The consistently brilliant Waterford Whispers called out the media for being Orwellian shills for Israel.
I doubt that they would appreciate the satire in the Celtic Boardroom.
The plight of the Palestinian people at the hands of the Zionist ethnostate is the anti-Apartheid struggle for this generation.
This Māori woman in New Zealand instinctively knows what she is looking at when she saw at the footage from Gaza.
Now, remind me, who butchered her ancestors?
Was it those Mexicans?
Ah no, it was the delightful Brits.
Of course, state violence against oppressed communities is not unknown on this island either.
Yesterday, the families of the Ballymurphy Massacre finally heard what they always knew, that their loved words were entirely innocent.
This Joan Connolly, a mother of eight.
Murdered as she was out looking for her children.
Entirely innocent as they all were during those awful days in Béal Feirste fifty years ago.
Yet, their grieving families had to wait for half a century to hear that basic truth officially stated:
“Innocent”.
SAS
Slaughter
And
Slander
It’s almost as if the Brits are the bad guys in all of this.
Did I mention which major power in the early 20th century envisaged and created the state of Israel?
Did I?
Yeah, it’s those good guys, the Brits again!
Every day the armed forces of the Zionist state create more bereaved families like those in Ballymurphy.
Dear reader, every day, the Israeli Army behave with impunity as they murder Palestinians for their sport.
The featured image is of six-year-old Rahaf Al Masry.
She will not grow into adulthood.
The Israeli military saw to that.
Language is crucial in all of this, and the “friends of Israel” will deny the human reality of these crimes.
The euphemism of the apologists for this crime is “collateral damage”.
For the avoidance of doubt, I could have used much more graphic images of the ongoing slaughter in Gaza.
Over the past few days, Palestinian comrades that I know through the International Federation of Journalists have been furnishing me with images that have left me weeping with rage.
In recent years it has become a trope to label any criticism of the Israeli state as a manifestation of anti-Semitism.
Well, these guys would disagree.
So when the global village is mobilising like never before to support the Palestinian people in any way that they can, the Celtic board do not, it would appear, want to offend the fascist Zionist state.
My football club was formed to feed hungry children when the Irish of Glasgow were being racialized and othered by the Victorian Scots.
It is stating the obvious that collective action to help the oppressed is in the DNA of Celtic.
Sadly, that basic truth appears to be completely alien to the suits in the boardroom.
They should be sick with shame.
Discover more from Phil Mac Giolla Bháin
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Celtic was founded for alleviating poverty in the immigrant Irish community of Glasgow in 1887, not for political purposes.
Anyone who thinks Celtic is the same club with the same ethics as they were 134 years ago is dreaming. Celtic are a global business, that’s right, a business, it is run for shareholders, this is the way of the world, they can’t be seen to take sides in conflicts happening thousands of miles away and quite honestly I wouldn’t want them to. What is happening in Gaza is appalling but has nothing to do with a football club in Scotland. Celtic do and seek to do business with global corporations, owned and run by people who are of different nationalities and most definitely cannot be seen to be taking sides in world politics. A big change is coming in European football and Celtic quite rightly want to be involved, taking sides in conflicts thousands of miles away is not the way to do. it. It’s time a section of our support give it a break with the misty eyed nostalgia nonsense, we are not a club like no other, we are the same as most football clubs and businesses, in the words of Frank Zappa “We’re Only In It For The Money”.
I stand with the Palestinian people like most Celtic fans I know and the vast majority of comments on social media.
Sure, there will be dissenting voices who support this horrific ethnic cleansing by this monotheistic terrorist Apartheid state but these are the West Brit/Blueshirts who don’t have a problem with crimes against humanity.
With regard to the caption of the Ballymurphy Massacre victims, I don’t know if its just me but the names of the victims appear to be incomplete.
I found the names and details of all the victims at https://ballymurphymassacre.blogspot.com/2011/04/victims.html
That picture of Joan Connolly reminds me of the one of Jean McConville. Same large family left behind. Same brutal ending by forces taking the law into their own hands. No doubt Mrs McConville suffered other unpleasantness prior to her death in an attempt to extract a confession true or otherwise. No mother deserves to die like those two and no children deserve to lose a parent like that.
I watched the Channel 4 documentary on the Ballymurphy murders last night and it was a truly shocking story of the gung-ho lawlessness of the SAS.
Regarding the Green Brigade and their self designated role as speakers for Celtic fans. I too am appalled at the way Palestinians are treated by Israel which I consider a state that blights the world taking land based on their religious beliefs. I have no truck with any religious beliefs. Feel free to practice yours but don’t do it to the detriment of other people. I often wonder what happens to the souls of those non-believers or those of the religions that are not correct. Are we all damned? However, the Green Brigade were offered an opportunity to put banners up thanking our long serving Captain on his years of service to the club and they chose to use that opportunity for their own political ends. Whether I agree with them or not on this subject they do not speak for me and Celtic were quite entitled to remove their banners. Much like the Celtic fans who berate Conservative supporters. Not my party of choice but their supporters those of any other colour and creed are welcome at Celtic Park so long as they do not tarnish the name of Celtic.
JS.
In 2016 the CFC support raised c.£180K for Palestinian charities in response to the UEFA fine for displaying Palestinian flags during a tie against an Israeli club.
I was living in the States at the time, where Scottish ‘soccer’ doesn’t typically register – but I witnessed first hand just how much global coverage – and goodwill – this gesture generated for the club…and for the ‘plc’.
I was immensely proud of my club then and eagerly made my own contribution to the fund.
Priceless publicity for the Celtic brand…
I don’t remember the ‘plc’ complaining at the time.
I also don’t remember the ‘plc’ offering to match the fund total raised for the charities either.
Did the ‘plc’ even make a donation…?
The ‘plc’ has totally @@@@@@ up this season: both on and off the pitch.
This latest embarrassment is consistent with the Board’s tone deaf, out of touch attitude towards its paying customers.
🙁
The Football Club we all want is no longer around,it hasn’t been for a long time.
Like Football in general it has been sold down the River to men in sharp suits who only use the heritage of the Clubs as and when it suits them.
Celtic is no different in that regard except for one thing and one thing only.
It still to this day pays tribute to its charitable roots.
It could be argued (very easily) however that a lot more could be done in that regard by Celtic PLC.
The bulk of the money raised is raised by its Support.
Vast sums of money come into Celtic and indeed go back out of Celtic and in recent years vast sums have sat in the “Club” bank accounts.
Meanwhile every year slogans like “Believe” and “More Than Just a Club” are trotted out in order to appeal to the genuine loyalty within the paying Support to dig deep once more for another years Tilt at being humbled in Europe.
The men In sharp suits have absolutely no interest in promoting a Political message at Celtic and it could be argued that they are correct about that but the issue is a great many within Celtics fanbase are and do.
So it would seem we have a serious disconnect between both at Celtic.
There is only one solution to this situation and that is for Celtic to be returned to a fan oriented Club rather than a money making enterprise controlled by a select few who have Invested money in to get more money out.
Until Celtic Supporters wake up to the reality that nothing changes until you change the setup at it will unfortunately mean more of the same and the chasm between Boards and Supporters getting wider and wider as it is elsewhere in Football.
We are no longer a Club like no other.
Though with a combined effort by all who follow Celtic we certainly could be.
The German model of 50+1 is I believe the perfect answer to everything that is clearly wrong at Celtic.
That’s Celtic Fc not PLC.
Does anyone here reading this seriously think that the past few years would have unfolded the way it has with a Fan Controlled Celtic Fc?
Phil, you seem to have missed the point. The tributes are for a faithful loyal employee who put his heart and soul into Celtic football club. To side track this with an agenda that has nothing to do with football, was rightly removed. Protest by all means, but keep religion and politics out of sport.
Give Brown his rightful praise and appreciation as a dedicated player without soiling that image with a political banner.
I was born in the year of Al Naqba. Seventy Three years later, in the year of Broonie’s farewell ( and crucially coinciding with recent days of ‘unrest’ ), the Green Brigade exploit an opportunity to remind people that occupation, violent and non-violent oppression, dispossession, displacement, ethnic cleansing, expulsion and mass atrocities, still represents the living experience of Palestinian people. When God and the British State combine to draw lines on a map, the outcome is the Zionist colony known as Israel. Our board are offended by the duplicitous activity of a ‘small group’ of supporters and issue a brief explanatory statement of disassociation, notably failing to identify the nature and purpose of the display. It rankles many of our supporters ( and our board ) that public displays of support and solidarity for an oppressed people should be regarded as out of place at Celtic Park. That’s fine with me, as long as they acknowledge and accept that the only reason they are able to be inside Celtic Park in the first place, and feel offended by such displays, is due to the actions of a small number of people, many years ago, who were offended by the consequences of occupation, violent and non-violent oppression, dispossession, displacement, ethnic cleansing, expulsion and mass atrocities.
So it seems that it is ok to knee and give the black power salute is that not po,Utica,? However I agree with the Celtic board on this anyone also care to mention a out the rockets fired into the Isreal capital to kill and destroy innocent lives all very quiet about that Phil
Mention rockets? Sure, the zionist entity has been firing rockets on Palestinian civillians for 73 years. Or if you want to get a more up to date timeline then you’ll find that the zionist entity has been firing rockets into Gaza since April (not that it ever stops) . Btw your spelling of Israel gives you away as a zionist.
Makes you wonder what was going through the minds of the likes of a Martin O’Neill or a Neil F. Lennon as they represented “Northern Ireland” whilst their fellow Irishmen were being harassed, discriminated against, beaten up, shot at and murdered.
Two unborn twins,two 1 year olds ,an 8 year old and three 12 year olds died in Omagh.
Lest we forget.
Murder is murder no matter the cause and everyone involved will have to face their maker in the end.
Rip sweet child and may God bless you.
🙏🏼
I support a football team…believe it or not it has nothing to do with politics…
People need to stop being afraid that stating the obvious truth that Palestinian lives matter is not the same as saying Israeli lives don’t or that Israel shouldn’t exist. Yesterday was an amazing chance for celtic to show solidarity. They were right to make a statement but the statement was a disgrace.
“Celtic football club is aware some fans have placed Palestinian flags in the stadium as a show of solidarity with the people of Palestine. Celtic football club supports the rights of all members of the human race to live peacefully and without fear, regardless of their race, creed or colour. One club, open to all”
There, Lawwell. That’s the statement you put out. Acknowledge the flags exist, make a statement that nobody in the world can justifiably disagree with and leave it at that. Seriously, how much training do these idiots get?
If it has nothing to do with politics,why did the Board have the display dismantled? Surely that is also a political statement?
Good on you, Phil. Expect a visit from the thought police. Unbelievable! You can be pro Palestinian and you are a racist and Anti zionist. You support Israel, you are not a racist or anti Palestinian. How does that work? Imagine the Labour party, the Labour party for god’s sake, having a purge of members that can think for themselves.
Oh dear as phil would say
The amount of Zionist-Nazi sympathisers in our support is disgusting. Westport? More like WestBrit!. These are the type of ‘celtic supporters’ that would have participated in the RIC commemorations in Ireland. It’s a humanitarian issue you absolute parasites.
Yes Phil, very well said, they 100% should be ashamed.
I thought I’d entered the ‘twilight zone’ when reading firstly that the GB had permission and had taken the opportunity to show their support for the oppressed people in Palestine 🇵🇸 and Broonie.
Then scrolled down to read the gestures of support had been removed by the club.
I honestly don’t think Celtic mean to offend the support, they are just 🤬 miles away from what their supporters think and in this case do. Of course, they have to be aware of their public image but they are deluded on this one.
Most right thinking folks are in support of the Palestinians cause and strongly condemn the nazi state of israel, making that statement isn’t high on the ignorant board’s priorities.
I think this could cost the club in ST money…
You are way of beam. Very few people support the Islamic jihadists and regard your support of a fascistical anti feminist regime as offensive.
Actually think back when was a Palestinian nation even mentioned. Try 1975.
Nazi state of Israel??? You haven’t idea. Think about the the nazi ideas of Hamas and other Arab states. You are deluded. There is no Palestinian nation. The idea comes from the 1970s
Clown. Without even trying i’ll point you in the direction of the mandate for PALESTINE or the PALESTINE nationality law..so on and so forth. If you think your zionist bovine excrement is gonna work around these parts you’re much thicker than your comments would suggest.
Cracking retort, I did try to reply but was cut by the editor-in-chief; it just wasn’t up to scratch.
I even went the trouble of translating it into his ‘probable’ mother tongue for him, because as you pointed out, his grammar gives his ‘probable’ ID/nationality away.
‘Trumps hairdo’ your comment was funnier than mine anyway
Thanks Phil, regarding your blog, we have now got somewhere near back to what we had before COVID-19, I hope you’ve now finished your manuscript, as I’m sure it’ll be another cracker.☮️
Anyone with knowledge of the conditions and oppressions of the Palestinian people cannot be but moved to protest and demand the respect that all human life, including Israeli civilians, demands. The Green brigade have many avenues and options to show solidarity with the Palestinian people. Not respecting the opportunity, they were given by the Club to pay tribute to our Captain is bad faith and reflects badly on the individuals concerned.
Colin this both side are as bad stuff is poor try losing your house by zionists walking in and throwing you out or living in an open prison with electricity cut off because your oppressor decided that what should happen living in constant fear and oppression and horrendous medical conditions then if it was happening to you I think you might have a different opinion.
The thing is it’s not your or anyone else’s club , it’s belongs to all it’s fans from many faiths and backgrounds.
The club should stay out of politics .
Both sides are killing each other and the people of Palestine are being used by Iran.
That’s my view I don’t expect Celtic to side with me just because it’s my view.
So a club that was formed for political reasons should stay out of politics? Both sides are killing each other? Are you aware of the casualty statistics for both sides? Seriously Colin, get a grip!
Maybe you are bang on colin ,we will end up helping to feed the poor by using football if this kind of carry on keeps up