Earlier this year I wrote that the pyrotechnics problem was one of the free rider. There are reputational and Uefa fine costs to Celtic, but the perpetrators hide among a crowd, so encounter no costs. Celtic pay the fines, Celtic fans, as a group, carry the reputational damage, those who create the problem act with impunity.
Two who set flares in Istanbul have been identified and banned by the club. This ban will prevent them attending away fixtures in Europe for a considerable time, but it will not prevent them walking through turnstiles at Celtic Park, or some other Scottish grounds. Celtic have announced that they are considering their position and may raise a civil action to recover fines imposed –aligning consequences with actions.
Whenever I hear someone ‘considering their position’ I don’t expect them to act. Those who act tend to only provide advanced notice when legally obliged to do so. There is a flip side to this, however. If Celtic raise an action the issue is dead – it will not happen again. If Celtic don’t raise an action it may well happen again. Steps to hide identities will be improved, perhaps making it impossible to identify another offender. The stock defence of football clubs, “We’ve done everything we could”, will not wash.
It’s only 12 years since 80,000 Celtic fans went to Seville and didn’t so much as spill a drink. What chance that now?
When they were at their peak, 1.2million miners went down the pits in Britain. Before the pits, the population of Lanarkshire was a fraction of what it is now. They build railways in the late 19th century, allowing coal to be taken to the cities and ports, and people were drawn to places like Bellshill, Motherwell, Coatbridge and Wishaw.
This subsequent years saw the greatest migration from Ireland to Scotland, and an enormous migration from rural to urban Scotland. People came to Lanarkshire to work in the coal industry, and to Glasgow and other surrounding towns to work related industries, like shipping and heavy engineering.
The work was almost always dirty, often dangerous and inevitably poorly paid. Poverty and its associated diseases, including social diseases, were difficult to escape. Even today, the twin towns of Hamilton (a market town established for centuries) and Motherwell (a 19th century town established by the coal and steel industries) are separated by a significant gap in employment opportunities, property values and wealth. Physically they are only two miles apart, you can walk between them in minutes.
Football was the real opium of the masses. They worked five and a half days a week, on their half day they went to a game. Entrance was cheap, even the poor could attend, all boys could play, all men could talk a good game (it remained a predominantly male pastime for decades).
Coal, and its by-products: railways and heavy industry, shaped the industrial towns of Scotland, Wales and much of England. Without it, cricket would be our national game (it was once popular even in Scotland). You wouldn’t have Celtic.
Today the last miner will emerge from a British pit, in Kellingley, North Yorkshire. The pits around Lanarkshire are long gone, and there are few bings left. Jobs now are cleaner and safer, but we’ve lost a link to something Celtic fans value more than most, our heritage.
Speaking of which, get to Celtic Park before 13:00 tomorrow. Wallow in the abundant heritage that is Billy McNeill!
We’re shipping same day from CQN Bookstore, but there’s not long left before Christmas!
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Hail Hail our Cesar!!!!!!
Finally, The Statue looks great, Can’t wait to see it.
KLV
Sectarian singing ,eh?
Where’s wee Pat when you need him.
Davidopoulos very thoughtful post I agree with it but I feel the support is too fragmented at the moment. We need an injection of new blood and ideas throughout the club and support. So many questions so few answers. Hail Hail Caesar enjoy your day. H H Hebcelt
RWE on 19th December 2015 1:49 pm
Sectarian singing from the away fans at Falkirk very clearly heard on live coverage.
*Christmas week tae. Peace and goodwill tae all men unless yer a taig.
Falkirk knackered now.
Celtic v @MotherwellFC Gordon; Lustig, Boyata, Simunovic, Tierney; Bitton, McGregor; Commons, Rogic, Forrest; Ciftci
Dignity at the Celtic Way..
Disgrace is the sevco way
hebcelt
It’s that fragmentation that makes change a must. I agree there are far more questions than answers but I think we need to start trying consider what some of those answers are. Even if they are just musings, they may well build a platform for greater unity within the support.
In terms of new blood, what do you have in mind? A refresh of the board? A new CEO? Fan representation?
Just interested in what everyone’s view of the future looks like. No doubt there will be a million different versions, but we need to start the conversation somewhere.
Celtic subs: Fasan, Ambrose, Izaguirre, Johansen, Armstrong, Allan, Cole
Yup there’s their penalty
Collum to the rescue.
Ha!
Ya dancer
penalty to them in 2 nd minute added time
Great save
Penalty saved via the post
for sale –
used not in working order
a magic hat
A wee bit of justice there.
Wee Willie the star of the show yet again
It’s a slump yes I think that’s the word, yes a slump..
They’re right. Christmas is for the Bairns!
Fight in the tunnel !
Surely the authority’s will hammer those involved ?
My weekends off to a flyer. Pass the lager !
LIVE UPDATES UP
Don’t do a Hibs . . . . . . . . . Hibs !
i watched that whole match, Falkirk had 10 minute spell where they scored and created 3 other scoring chances, after than 2nd rangers pressed amade the keeper pull off several saves,
but all the time it looked like the bairns could break , only fitness letting them down.
that rangers team will not win the league, they are collectively going backwards,
all the premier league, even united would beat them,
quite a funny watch,
russ about on the touchline is as clueless as sally, mccall, and that other baldy diddy whos name escapes me.
peterheid would have had a good chance at a proper neutral venue in that upcoming euro final.
Fantastic statue.
Unveiled as the Huns get pumped.
And miss their free penalty. And start a (dignified and respectful, respecting the respect…) fight in the tunnel
Perfect syzygy.
Even eyes in the back of his heid couldnae save them.
This all conquering side will get humped weekly in spl even with 12th man.
Lol. Falkirk goalie getting interviewed and what an accent. . . . . Irish to the core