Celtic should decline tickets for Belfast

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Last week I was in Belfast for the first time in 20 years. The city centre was flooded with tourists, adding a cosmopolitan flavour. It’s clean and without litter or graffiti. I also didn’t see a single football top on the street in two days, which has to be exceptional for any European city. It was a proper tourist destination.

The whole city is small and just a few minutes’ walk from the centre are demarcation zones where normal rules of law and order, or even planning permission, do not apply. There are places where inappropriate bravado would be punished without appropriate limit.

Many people live in besieged areas. Bombay St is pretty and well-kept, but the residents, are not even protected by a roof-high peace line (below). Their gardens are now completely caged in, a necessary step to protect life and property.20170613_120751

One phrase you will have heard all your life about Belfast in July is “tensions run high”. Communities spend months preparing enormous bonfires, while ancient observances are carried out.

It is not possible for Celtic to play against Linfield under normal conditions without jeopardising the welfare of our travelling support. Too many people would be vulnerable in too many places. We should decline tickets for the away game and politely inform Linfield they should do likewise – don’t think for a second it would be only Linfield fans who would pitch up at Celtic Park for the return game. Their presence would be a beacon for all that we don’t want to see or listen to for 90 minutes.

Belfast has so much to teach Glasgow, from tourism, to reconciliation, but conflict remains part of its infrastructure. This is a tie to get out of the way without cost to life or limb.

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385 Comments

  1. Margaret McGill on

    Anyone who thinks Celtic PLC care for anything other than money like for example the welfare of its “customers” is a

  2. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    CHAIRBHOY on 20TH JUNE 2017 12:04 AM

     

    Mags McGill…

     

     

     

    Believe you are right… The Board is, in general of a Right Wing Catholic bent…

     

    ===================================================

     

     

    Your deleted post where the mod apparently made a reference to ” macjay and mats nilloc ” would tend to go against that hypothesis.

     

    Well , the right wing bit.

     

    Not that I am. :-)

  3. GuyFawkesaforeverhero on

    Meanwhile, the Tory Livingstone bailed out wnich left an empty chair on the audit committee. Sharon Brown is now that chair.

     

     

    She hasn’t addressed one sentence to Celtic fans and now casts the deciding vote on executive renumeration. Stinks to heaven.

  4. MACJAY1 @ 12:17 AM,

     

     

    “Your deleted post where the mod apparently made a reference to ” macjay and mats nilloc ” would tend to go against that hypothesis.

     

     

    Well , the right wing bit.

     

     

    Not that I am. :-)

     

     

    Well, my Thots on that one… Those posts would not necessarily offend Right Wingers, which I accept your not, but they certainly would offend Catholics.

     

     

    Maybe it is worth pointing out the Irish hue on the Board… You often don’t adhere yourself to our fellow Geals.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  5. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    CHAIRBHOY on 20TH JUNE 2017 12:29 AM

     

    MACJAY1 @ 12:17 AM,

     

     

     

    Maybe it is worth pointing out the Irish hue on the Board… You often don’t adhere yourself to our fellow Geals.

     

     

    ============================================================

     

     

    Mate.

     

     

    Irelands best friends are those who are not afraid of the truth.

     

    Or afraid to tell it.

  6. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    PETEC on 20TH JUNE 2017 12:22 AM

     

    macjay1,

     

     

     

    Kitalba dropped one of the best ever.

     

     

     

    The Breakfast.

     

    ====================================

     

     

    You`ve lost me , Pete.

  7. Margaret McGill on

    Petec

     

    Can I suggest that you give us a clue when you indulge in your catholic self flagellation mode? If not just for me so that I can log back in the following day?

  8. Listen up and Luistig Good.

     

     

     

    Breakbeat back in the 90s.

     

     

    I hope we have good Celts beside us, dudes that support team…. No matter what.

  9. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    Margaret McGill

     

     

    Finnegans Wake

     

    Absorbed subliminally

     

     

    HH

  10. Margaret McGill on

    For example in think it outrageous that paul67 supports winning Captains scamming CQN bloggers into believing they are having a one on one with the late great Tommy Gemmel in a Q&A but still has the temerity to censor.

     

    What would the Huns say?

     

    What would Hesus say?

     

    Money it’s a gas

     

    Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash

  11. Margaret McGill on

    P.s.

     

    It actually happened when the late great tommy was still alive.

     

    Absolutely reprehensible

  12. Margaret McGill on

    PETEC on 20TH JUNE 2017 1:03 AM

     

    Apologies MM

     

     

    I didn’t mean it.

     

     

    ########

     

    You are not sorry and of course you meant it

  13. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    Margaret McGill

     

     

    Yeah…few orders been given out today.

     

    Seemingly, we shouldnt be allowed to go to Belfast to see Celtic, and we are to be censored for swearing at trolls.

     

    Only 8 commandments to go?

     

     

    P.S. Fakery noted.

     

     

    HH

  14. JUNGLISM

     

     

    Pete Tong kidded on he knew Danny. That annoys me.

     

     

    LTJ really made Junglism. Pete Tong lied. Pete Tong is a jerk,

  15. Moderators

     

     

    May I suggest if a post is deleted then post/moniker/time deleted is posted by your team.note I do not ask for reason.

     

    I ask this as I read 8 pages and the blog appears disjointed and has no flow as posters react to a post which is not there.

     

    Up your game mods.its an online discussion forum.

     

    Nurture its vibrancy and dynamism as to myself this is what id does indeed mean to be Celtic.

     

    Yours

     

    1.35 An Tearmann 1.36 :-)

     

     

    HH

  16. Margaret McGill

     

     

    How you been? Not seen your bro bout the twittersphere.

     

    Lisbon recovery mode :-)

     

     

    HH