Amid all the debate about oil, currency, pensions and a million other items, I’m surprised higher questions have not been asked about our cultural identity. I’ve never said I’m British in my life, I’m Scottish, but the full story is more subtle than that.
Despite being a football fan, a Scot and a Gordon Strachan fan, I watched another channel when Germany-Scotland was on. My sense of personal identity, the anthems I cherish, the emblems I’ve always worn, my ‘national’ community, is the one I share with you.
I know we have a large number of England-supporting, English-Celtic fans here, just as there are Ireland-supporting, Irish, and Scotland-supporting Scots, but some of us feel our strongest affinity among our urban, west of Scotland-based, Celtic community. This community will only ever march behind a green flag. There is nothing wrong or unpatriotic about this, finding your own identity is what multiculturalism is all about.
There are a thousand more national identities than actual nations, but why do many of us feel more like sons of Jock Stein, than Jock Tamson, or (cough) John Bull?
I don’t think there is a single British, or Scottish, cultural institution I feel an attachment to. I was really caught up with the whole Mo Farah/Jessica Ennis-inspired Super Saturday at the Olympics – delighted at the success of British athletes, but later that day, when Ki stepped forward to take the decisive kick for South Korea against GB, I punched the air with joy. The whole Burns Night thing feels like someone else’s party.
In fact, it’s worse than not having an affinity with a British cultural institution, our Celtic community is marginalised by competitors in the south. If Scotland, which is perhaps more bound-up in tribal football culture than anywhere on the planet, had EQUAL access to the UK’s cultural markets, would we feel so excluded?
I know there are many who are happy with the way sentiment is going right now, but if those intent on saving the union want to get busy on some urgent nation-building, they should set about removing the two-tier cultural divide which keeps our club, our community, from the top table. We pay an obligatory BBC tax to subsidise an England and Wales league, our non-tax-based pay TV money goes the same way. This is a distorted market, with Scotland obscured by an England-Wales cartel. As a result we’ve been drained of talent and financial muscle for a century.
Football is not controlled by politicians, but it can be, and is, influenced by them. Westminster is speaking with a more unified voice than I’ve ever known right now. Its voice should be clear: Scotland needs equal access to the UK’s cultural markets, including football.
Our exclusion is intolerable, unfair, has fermented disaffection and must end, irrespective of what happens next week. Why would Westminster politicians be unable to say this?
Let’s hear you.
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Hello all Celtic boys and girls
Hola
Larry is a happy bhoy.
B-)
Hot off the press: Cameron, Milliband and Clegg to miss PM’s questions in the Commons tomorrow. They will all be in Scotland chasing the Labour vote. They are well and truly on the run. The very nadir of desperation.
First team?
A thought provoking and (dare I say) long overdue post, Paul.
Looking forward to some interesting replies …
FF
Ernie
From previous –
Are you categorically denying you did not make such a statement to me regarding where reside?
MWD says AYE
Debate is always to be encouraged…however, some really selfish, attention seekers have brought this blog way, way down recently…hopefully it is temporary but shame on you guys anyway…achievingnothingcsc…
Paul67
Could I just draw your attention to the fact that I didn’t post the following, which appears under my name
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ernie lynch
12:09 on 9 September, 2014
I like taking 3 action men in the bath with a plastic shark and recreating Jaws, The one difference is that Hooper and Brody become lovers in the end, embracing each other on Mount Hairy (which is my leg).
It’s a moving and powerful bathtime which leaves me sobbing every time.
#########
Is it possible you could find our who did post it and deal with it as you consider appropriate?
GerryBhoy
12:10 on
9 September, 2014
Hot off the press: Cameron, Milliband and Clegg to miss PM’s questions in the Commons tomorrow. They will all be in Scotland chasing the Labour vote. They are well and truly on the run. The very nadir of desperation.
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I think it only fair that Farage should be invited along.
He seems to get a say on everything these days, anyway.
Paul67
Nail on head. Brilliant article.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Re-post……
An Tearmann
00:56 on 9 September, 2014
____________
Missed your message last night. Us geriatrics need our sleep !
Hope you enjoyed your time at the top of Muckish.
You are indeed now in God’s country.
Strange to relate, my grandfather ( my father’s father) was born right where you are now in Carrownasaul in 1843,… before the Great Hunger **
Even I find that hard to take on board.
Best of luck with the rest of your pilgrimage.
** Strange, but true, as the 1901 & 1911 censuses will confirm.
Paul
If you can engineer celtic’s entry into the EPL and a decent crack at BBC resources on the edge of a Yes vote…..then even by your standards you will have surpassed yourself!!!
NobelPrizeCSC
HH jamesgang
Ok, I think I’ve just “laughed out loud” at this blog for the first time ever.
Paul67
You are no askin for much >}
HH
Iki, I would guess that the Nige will be there too. Let’s face it, he would be a sore miss from that wax cabinet :-))
Mount hairy Haha ernie got frapped
Surely in an independent Scotland we would see Alex Salmond’s best pal Rupert pay billions for the rights to show Scottish football. No?
Paul 67 – is that a Yes or a No ??
67ECW
Is this guys opinion worthy or does he require a Sir prefixed on his name like Ian Woods by a unified Westminster voice advising her Royal Highness to tap his shoulders with some metal weaponary?
http://www.yesscotland.net/news/top-energy-and-defence-figure-why-ive-switched-no-yes
MWD says AYE
a ceiler gonof rust
Happy anniversary to you and Mrs ACGR
I had no idea there were so many Welsh people in Girvan!
Ernie
not to worry. paul67 will be able to confirm via IP’s.
Now can you answer my question.
MWD says AYE
ernie lynch
12:15 on
9 September, 2014
Pity Ernie. I thought it was one of the better things you’re written.
Interesting article.
I wonder how many on here would put their nationalism before their love for Celtic?
An Independent Scotland v Celtic in the EPL.
Simon Jenkins – the Guardian – would vote YES. Direct quote on Daily Politics.
In other words, Paul, you are as confused as the rest of us about your identity.
Throw in US citizenship to the mix and my own cultural DNA gets shaken and stirred.
Celtic of Glasgow is the only stable and fixed compass I have.
So I would vote YES, 7 times over, if the question were do you want Celtic to be independent and free to play football in a bigger marketplace.
Gordon_J
You stooping to the Alex Salmond propaganda. Wow! labour are really bricking it now.
I will state it once again.
this is not about wee Eck or the SNP. It’s about real Social Justice.
You know. that thing Labour used to believe in!!!
Held held in hands shaking vigerously.
MWD says AYE
Really good post Paul, I think that will resonate with a large chunk of us.
For those reading CQN on a desktop, there are various arrows around the magazine graphic below Paul’s blog. The one in the bottom right corner will open the magazine on full screen. At the top left, there are a number of buttons – all doing useful things but the one with the arrow pointing down will download the mag for you so you have your own PDF copy.
There is also a Magcloud logo on the cover and on the contents page. You can order a print version of the mag using this function but it is a little pricey. However you can also sign in there and order a free download which many people on here prefer.
Hope you all enjoy this new 116 page edition – the next mag will be out in December so if anyone wants to write for the magazine please get in touch. Email address is david@cqnmagazine.com
How many on here would answer a simple question of them?
MWD says AYE
Might be wrong here but here goes..
The chance for social equality and economic reform is all well and good but if we can shoehorn Celtic into the money trough that would be better? Also, sticking ‘cultural’ before ‘market’ a few times could be made a bit clearer to dafties like me??.
Suppose it is as valid an opinion as any, I must be a lesser make of Celtic fan. I would put the Political system as it stands out to pasture before joining the elite/corrupt high table.
my bad.
Moonbeams WD. Wee Oscar’s our Bhoy and Kano’s our mhan,
What has my view on Sky and Scottish football got to do with Labour Party policy on social justice?
All that head shaking seems to have had an effect …
Ernie
I’d plump for a country with a fairer social responsibility for as many of it’s people as possible over Celtic playing in a corrupt over blown balloon of a game down South any day. If i had the choice of taking the two i would accept both.
thank you very much for asking.
MWD says AYE
Moonbeams WD. Wee Oscar’s our Bhoy and Kano’s our mhan.
12:29 on
9 September, 2014
========================
As the man said, where are these brilliant politicians coming from that will take us to your land of milk and honey?
It’s not wee eck?
Is it Nicola?
Let us in on the big cunning plan?
Gordon_J
so that was not a dig at Wee Eck, the SNP and Independence masked?
MWD says AYE
Simon Jenkins “Why should Scotland not be as rich as Denmark?”
Lord Baker “The No campaign is on the back foot because it has exagerated the difficulties”.
Yes indeed gentlemen, you both have that right.
THEY are on the run!!!