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.
The fantastic new edition of CQN Magazine is out today. You can read it, for free, here, at it’s dedicated site (don’t try to read on the graphic below).
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tictaewin:
You calling me a gog?
Its shwd mae out west, none of your sut mae nasal nonsense.
:-)
Ernie
You just made a statement of fact without backing it up with evidence
I could just as easily state that “Ernie IS a six foot Rastafarian from Jamaica with rather odd ablutionary habits”
Should people just accept what I say without offering up any evidence?
What will be the score for Celtic on Saturday? Go on have wee duke into that crystal ball.
I have a plan…
Scotland first, then Wales, then the west declares UDI.
If only it weren’t forthose darn Ernies ‘n Philvi types I’d get away with it too…
micktt
18:44 on 9 September, 2014
They’re certainly ‘gubbed’ …… No-one with any brain at all is going to hand those spivs any more money …… reality is creeping up the marble staircase…… :)
Maybe have a referendum on whetheror not THEY are deid.
Blantyretim
I’m a fair kinda guy, if your not quite up to it , i’ll happily go on holiday wae yur missus , just saying like ;))
KICKINTHENAKAS.
word from MADRID.tickets for game v BARCA will be available shortly.
underground is superb and so most hotels are no more than 20 mins from park.
.hope that helps.
Celtic Good News
Bishop Crosas CSC @BishopCrosasCSC
2 spares for Saturday’s game versus Aberdeen. Both seated together in 112. Not needed since GB back in 111. £40 for both (face value £58).
The Glorious Balance Sheet.
Their not clamouring for any change is not a reason for not having the choice to change.
Introduce that choice and who knows what clubs will decide?
A Scottish league without Celtic might be very attractive to the remaining clubs.
On the other hand they might fancy taking an opportunity to grow that they are currently denied.
The point is not having the choice.
micktt
19:27 on 9 September, 2014
They really are pathetic fuds
Cheers marspapa…. 8)
Blindlemonchitlin 17:24 on 9 September, 2014
It should be ‘foments disaffection’ not ‘ferments’.
You ‘ferment’ spuds to make hooch.
You ‘ foment’ when you want to stir things up.
I blame Catholic education
…………………
Great spot, gold star for you.
But will you still be able to apportion that blame post 9/18?
:o)
Has Ernie categorically denied that he commented to me previously that he resided close to London or thereabouts?
If not should I take his silence as a yes and therefor his assertion this very morning he resides in bonny Scotland and is able to vote as a big blooming lie?
MWD says AYE
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/08/england-love-bombing-scotland-no-vote-westminster
http://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2014/09/09/a-yes-vote-for-independence-is-the-only-thing-that-makes-social-and-economic-sense-for-the-scottish-people-says-dublin-scumbag-wearing-a-celtic-jersey/
MickTT
What are you like? Organise a dayoot then pull oot? ;))
philvisreturns,
Congratulations and welcome back…Same goes to the Green Brigade.
Not a bad day at all :O))).
Hail Hail.
Jings……has wales got regional accents?
Well it was 1987 I can’t remember much….
Think I might have been in Mold too
Was good
Rwe
There’s fair a bit of fomenting as well as fermenting when making hooch:-)
IGC
Lhurking from Vienna
67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon ….The angels are with Wee Oscar in Heaven.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors
You need to get with the programme.
Sevco only require a few million quid from Mike Ashley and they’ll be challenging Celtic for the CL spot next season…
I’ve always thought that the English Premier League including the Welsh clubs were not very friendly towards both Rangers (whichever one) and Celtic when it came to our “enquiries” about the possibility of participating with the “big boys” down south.
Very basically we were told to “get lost”.
Well now. I believe that come the 18th of September an opportunity to tell them “GET LOST” may arrive.
Best post of the day….philvis’s return
2nd best………………….ernie’s ‘hairy mountain’
IGC
19:39 on
9 September, 2014
IGC
Lhurking from Vienna
Lot worse places to lurk from.
IGC
19:39 on
9 September, 2014
When you get to Transylvania only then can you put on a dracula accent ;-)
HH
Snyde tonight could be the worse ever for the we miss sevco live in. Guidi is a bully, the one caller who tried to push his point, it was quite clear that the host was complicit , I will tweet him to that effect.
I get the sniff that the broon stuff is going to be spread wide and far shortly and will all be the fault of anyone else apart from the guilty.
Am away back to purdah CSC
Is Buffon the only guy that can sing in that Italy team, tone deaf or what…………
IGC
This means nothing to me.
Can I Have Raspberry On That Champions League Ice Cream
19:42 on
9 September, 2014
Snyde tonight could be the worse ever for the we miss sevco live in. Guidi is a bully, the one caller who tried to push his point, it was quite clear that the host was complicit , I will tweet him to that effect.
I get the sniff that the broon stuff is going to be spread wide and far shortly and will all be the fault of anyone else apart from the guilty.
Am away back to purdah CSC
When are Celtic folk going to catch themselves on a completely ignore people like Snyde?
favourite uncle
19:34 on 9 September, 2014
KICKINTHENAKAS.
word from MADRID.tickets for game v BARCA will be available shortly.
underground is superb and so most hotels are no more than 20 mins from park.
.hope that helps.
Been trying no Barca tickets available….but we are looking at websites and pog is looking for me in Dortmund…nae difference!
Thanks for ur help
Kikinthenakas
Weeminger,
Sorry for late reply, caught up in domestic duties. Don’t know the location name, looking from Bishopbriggs it’s North East if that helps.
Acgr
Congrats mate what a milestone ,
She must be a one helluva understanding wummin
Could anybody stick up the Andrew Gold song
Never let her slip away !!!
Philvis – welcome home.
U2 now live…..
ACGR
Many congrats to Y’all ;-)
Itv4 has Czech Republic v Holland . now
DD@1943
Well played sir :)
That’s 2 nights in a row, that Snyde have put in callers that have switched support mid call, guys get ready for full on making a case for a 16team league…..
WedontmisssevcoCSC
Quonno: it’s fab, especially on the work’s expenses
Awe-naw: mwah-ha-ha
Dunky: A wee tip, the Viennese don’t take too kindly to the hurriedly grown tache and trench coat look
Ohhhhhhh Viennaaaaaa