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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ryecatcher
21:32 on
9 September, 2014
Keeping the faith …
At first I thought it sounded like wee Gordon Strachan humouring the brain dead Jambo in the clip, but can’t ever remember WGS doing a radio phone in.
Deffo not Brazil…..Was it maybe Arthur Albiston?
Comedy gold anyway
It was definitely Brazil, remember it well
Bob O’ Baldy – 20:58
“the NHS scare is not bogus.”
Did the SNP play any part in the creation of the NHS in Scotland? And if not, why not?
sorry – political
I wonder how Paul McBride would vote ? God we’ve missed him.
blantyretim is praying for the knox family
21:51 on 9 September, 2014
Croppybhoy
Good luck to you being able to retire after 35 years, like I have worked for 30 years and paid into civil service pension for of that.
ill be working for another 20 years I would imagine.
——
Another 20 years???
You retiring at 95? :-) x
Rye
I think SJ gives teammates bad passes. A pass the buck to a player in a worse position type player. Would strangle him if I played with him. :))
BT
I presume your on the mend, hopefully, and how long have you worked???? A civil servant??? Hahaha only joking kiddo, you get back to full fitness asap so we can have another great day at CP. Tell the ghirls I was asking for them. KTF.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
HT
when I add on my sick leave maybe…..
HT
You 85? Hahaha.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Pensions? Worried about what might happen to them in an independent Scotland?
At least it’s clear in the UK. It has already been robbed. More robbery to follow.
#system justification
HT
Without sick leave. :-))
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Blooter It
Destroying things that are not theirs is one thing in the past 100 years that the UK has excelled at, Iraq to point to a recent example.
The SNP is interested in preservation, self-interested, perhaps, but have the right answer for the wrong reasons is a lot better than the wrong answer for the wrong reasons.
Weefra
passed on your regards mate.
supplementary benefits andnow full circle via esa/jsa to universal credit..
when I started in 1984 we had to start paying money direct to local authorities as tenants where gettingtheir rent with their benefit, quess what, they never paid their rent..
under UC money will be paid monthly in arrears andpaid to the tenant,
no change there then
Coneybhoy
21:17 on
9 September, 2014
My input on indy debate
In Ireland we pay (in euro);
60 to see GP
100 to be admitted to A&E
90 for a steroid inhaler
200 per child for school books(600 if using ipads and then but books online)
55% tax
Water charges coming in
House tax in already
Only the skint get free med, only well paid get private med from employer, middle earners pay for private(you need it)
No child care breaks like in the UK
Oil found on West coast but we can’t afford to extract it so Shell have it for a song
No ability to vary interest rates to suppress a boom
Worth thinking about
===
Oil found in North sea and Scots Atlantic coast decades ago. Unfortunately auctioned off for a pittance to the highest bidder. At present the Oil companies own the right to exploit oil reserves in Scottish waters. Unless there is a radical left wing government ,post indy, that is prepared to nationalise the Oil industry and battle the all powerful oil companies and their respective governments absolutely nothing will change. Can’t see Alex,or anyone else for that matter, wanting to assume the mantel of a European Hugo Chávez to ensure that oil production and distribution are controlled by the state.
A election pledge of a nationalised Scottish oil industry within 7 years of independence would have secured an Aye from me. However we live in hope.
Despite Coneybhoys statistics I have to say Ireland is a wonderful place to live
Well Dublin is,you Brits can have the rest back
Smiley Face Smiley Face (just in case)
Weefra
I imagine you as Eric Cantona in the Kronenburg ad.
French lady- “Excuse me, are you a farmer?”
Weefra- “Mais oui, madame.” :)))
BT
Ma Hieds nippin wi that one. The ole vinos restricting what brain cell I have. :-)))
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
DD
Ya nutter ye. See ye saturday kiddo. Lol.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Weefra
try working it out…..8))
BT
I feel 85 these days!!! Didn’t know you were up for visitors?!
WeeFra
I have so many holidays I don’t need sick leave :-)
Does anyone on here actually believe that if Scotland had no Oil, Gas and Whiskey, the WM mob would be falling over themselves, like they are now, to keep us in the union. If you do, you are deluded. They would wipe their feet on us. Currency??? Go it alone with our own pound, their mega loss and hell mend them. KTF.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
HT
Don’t start another debate. :-)))) See ye saturday if your going, and of course, the Minx. KTF.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
HT
aye, but marspapa overstayed his welcome as usual….8))
what is the stars
22:03 on 9 September, 2014
Despite Coneybhoys statistics I have to say Ireland is a wonderful place to live
Well Dublin is,you Brits can have the rest back
Smiley Face Smiley Face (just in case)
——–
Pretty much like 1921?
Smiley face.
Sorry Magnificentseven, Ryecatcher was spot on, it was Arthur Albiston.
Weefra
See you Saturday n canny wait for the Celtic debutants tae shine.
Bring your French click n I’ll kid on am a farmer tae impress her. ;))
WeeFra
We’ll be there on Saturday and hopefully get in early enough for a wee chat pal!!
BT
At least TBJ brings his own sausage :-)
HT
Never been there. I mean the ROI. Or the north for that matter. KTF.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Jobo Baldie
21:02 on
9 September, 2014
Well done, you are now part of the golfing elite.
You can now claim to be part of the 5% of golfers that have broken 90 on a par 71-72 course, now for your next goal, to join the 1% who have broken 80 >}
Nice one.
HH
Weefrathe Tim
You dont know what your missing pal
weefrathetim
You forgot keeping weapons of mass destruction a nuclear explosion away from Glasgow.
Wonder if they’ll be housed a nuclear explosion away from a major English settlement post 2020. Plymouth with a population of 250,000 is expendable, it’s also tucked away in the SW, miles away…
DD
Looking forward sooooo much to seeing our newbies. Yer even more of a nutter than I suggested earlier. Lol. See ya saturday kiddo. :-)))) KTF.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Looking forward to game on Saturday.
I will be good to see new signings .
Also good to see green brigade back, although let’s not forget CP was famous for its atmosphere long before they came on scene, and will be famous long after they go.
http://www.redcafe.net/threads/stupid-things-said-by-footballers.331729/page-2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGjh4ahB3cM
Dont know why Im even bothered, it means nothing to meeeeeeee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DuCIGvsbMA
Snake Plissken – 21:45
“Alex Salmond is mortal, the country is immortal.”
That’s what they said about the First Minister of Atlantis too.
Don’t listen to the political rhetoric and scaremongering, it’s all lies, deception and self interest.
look at the evidance: your standard of living, your pension, the poorest in society, taxes, the pay rises awarded to themselves whilst enforcing austerity on you and I.
Look at the evidence folks.
WeeFra
If you want to experience the real Ireland I’d suggest staying away from Dublin.
Don’t get me wrong it’s a great place but it’s a city and consequently I don’t think it captures the heart of the country.
Hamiltontim
You dont want to get on the wrong side of me now do you
Dublin is fantastic
clashcitybhoy
22:18 on 9 September, 2014
Also worth remembering that they were Celtic supporters before the creation of the GB and they’ll be Celtic supporters once the GB have gone.