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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Bawsman
No think so? You are in for a surprise post independence.
philvisreturns,
Get yourself back on, on Friday night.
Bring the wee man :O).
Hail Hail.
WeeFrathe Tim
Thanks.
Night all. Night wee Oscar my hero God bless x x
ryecatcher, no disrespect but you no jack shit about golf.
Handicapping is in four categories, not three. I’m in category 2, the cut off for that is 12.3, above which you are then in cat 3.
Category 1 has the fewest as these are the best players. the higher the handicap of the player the less they affect the competition standard scratch on the day,
This is one sport that have got it absolutely spot on in terms of the level of the playing field.
Jobo, well done sir, a fine achievement.
HH
Auldheid
The champions of Scotland in an aye world would still have access to the CL
Of course any EPL aspirations would be dead in the water
No bad thing if you believe access was a pipe dream
Still a yes vote would not diminish Celtic as a club
We will always be Celtic supporters aye or nay
Delaneys Dunky
23:48 on
9 September, 2014
Auldheid
They can stick their effin Trident up the Thames!
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Is that the basis for a Yes?
Hate?
Do we become what we wish to change?
How is that going to work?
MurdochauldandHay & Wee Oscar, oops. What a great wee story.
Hope you’re well bud.
auldheid
00:39 on 10 September, 2014
Delaneys Dunky
23:48 on
9 September, 2014
Auldheid
They can stick their effin Trident up the Thames!
==================
Is that the basis for a Yes?
Hate?
Do we become what we wish to change?
How is that going to work?
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Auld- don’t think there’s any mention of hate there.
I hate trident- doesn’t mean I hate the English
Jude let me know if you need info on Qatar as I’ve just finished working 5 years there…
Hail Hail,
KevinBhoy.
Thindimebhoy
00:33 on
10 September, 2014
We would adjust not diminish as a club, but probably not as a PLC, perhaps on the Malmo membership model?
They have just qualified for the CL for the first time in years and that is probably our football level as things currently stand,
Auldheid
Naw, Mr Uptight, was just a wee song we are singin at the Faslane CND peace camp. Is that awright wi you?????
Dexter
00:43 on
10 September, 2014
Good. Removing trident fine, not landing it in central London also fine but it looked like positioning it there is what you were saying.
Glad you clarified.
surprised at the enthusiasm for SNP governance some of us well remember the Monklands by-election
DD, are you on for some beerienteering after the game on sat?
What time celts play on saturday ?
And anyone know where in new york is good to watch it.. Staying in brooklyn but will venture out
Panic on the streets of London!
Welcome trio of a long line of Fannys. Dave Ed Nick hahahahahaha
Auldheid, is res 12 likely to be on the agenda for the upcoming agm?
Got some info on here about san fran.. Had very little wifi when i was tere but got to johns grill that was recommened .. Think was tully57
Very nice meal.
Great city .. Alcatraz tour was excellant, esp the views of san fran from the boat.
monteblanco
23:28 on
9 September, 2014
Auldheid
Better Together missed a trick by under estimating/undervaluing us, so we have to settle for Europa League and various other downsizing?
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No. That will be the most likely outcome of a Yes vote for a number of years if by general consensus things will get worse before they get better. (The YES argument not mine).
The two are only related because Scottish football is one area where we are not better together and I’m surprised Yes never made the point unless they realised that Scottish football had been operating as an independent industry independently governed for years beside a bigger market and in a very poor state because of reckless lending from Edinburgh and as such was a bad advert for independence. In that respect they were smarter than BT.
However regardless of any of that, by the Yes argument that things will get worse before they get better until Lucy ;) will benefit, the downturn in the economy will cause further downsizing at Celtic as they balance the books.
=========================
Both interesting facts that are maybe true but shoehorning them together in a ‘look at what you could have one’ style makes no apparent sense.
Had it been done from the outset it would not have been shoehorning but a recognition that things could be made better and that ATTITUDE – not the actual suggestion – might have made a difference to the BT campaign
It’s also borderline offensive to some folk to think Celtic should or would be used as leverage in such a manner
That is only because they misunderstand what was actually meant. Now if I have misunderstood the Yes point and that things will not deteriorate for a while and it will be Brigadoon from the 19th, I’ll be happy to admit Celtic have nothing to be concerned about as a business from a Yes vote.
Proudbhoy, 12.30 kick off. Can’t help with your second query. Sorry.
HB
ACGR
Aye aye man. Gonny get mad wi it post match. :)))
Murdochauldandhay..
Well spotted.. Yes, the white flag is ready to be unfurled again..
They had the opportunity to take the road Hearts took when in similar position.. but their obsession with, ‘Unbroken’, ‘140 years”’ ‘Still the same Club’ has been their down fall. Can they get back up off the floor a second time?? remains to be seen. Meanwhile, Hearts have a goal now and look likely to succeed in returning to the top flight in Scotland. Oh how sevco’s followers must be regretting their ‘No surrender’ tack.
proudbhoy
01:04 on 10 September, 2014
07:45 ko NYC time
Try the Parlour 86th (?) & Broadway – very welcoming
There is a deli round corner where you can get breakfast
A Ceiler Gonof Rust
01:06 on
10 September, 2014
Auldheid, is res 12 likely to be on the agenda for the upcoming agm?
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My understanding is that a new resolution will not be required and Res12 will be carried over from the last AGM.
Its an understanding that needs to be confirmed but given that no vote was taken then one will either have to be or a reason given for not doing so.
What I can say at this point in time (because things change as new info comes out) it will be difficult to justify voting against it as unnecessary or make no reference to it.
http://www.theparlour.com/uptown/home.php
Thindimebhoy..
Liked your point bout the EPL v a Euro League. Yes, I agree, despite the money that exists for the top sides in the EPL.. the consequences of failure are drastic.. lose 3 on a trot, sack the manager!!. A Euro League with Teams from size comparable countries or leagues, would much better suit us. I would rather live in a competitive league than a cut throat one. Let them keep it !
a ceiler gonof rust
01:08 on 10 September, 2014
—
Cheers buddy
Auldheid, I’m just thinking ahead and trying to plan. Ha Ha, I don’t even know when it is so I can’t plan. However, if the resolution isn’t on the agenda I doubt I’ll take the day off and come down.
Tell the cave man to get a feckin haircut when you see him. He’s an auld happy bassa. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Fanx
squire danaher
01:13 on 10 September, 2014
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Was thinking there, last time i was here thats where i watched barca game.. One where marshall and kennedy had great games.
Cheers for that
andyR53
01:17 on
10 September, 2014
Thindimebhoy..
Liked your point bout the EPL v a Euro League. Yes, I agree, despite the money that exists for the top sides in the EPL.. the consequences of failure are drastic.. lose 3 on a trot, sack the manager!!. A Euro League with Teams from size comparable countries or leagues, would much better suit us. I would rather live in a competitive league than a cut throat one. Let them keep it !
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I have no problem with that at all myself, but it will not stop some folk saying we should be a CL club and sack the Board. Look at the consternation from failing to qualify this year.
A Ceiler Gonof Rust
01:23 on
10 September, 2014
Maybe my wife will take her scissors with her. She is a retired hairdresser.
If you are going to the AGM just for Res12 I would sincerely hope that you would be much more informed by then in the report Celtic give out with the Annual Accounts where they state their position on the various resolutions.
DD, and where is this “mad wi it” taking place?
The west?
I’m hoping to meet jungle Jim for a couple pre match then again post match in the ids before heading to the west.
Neganon will be joining us. I,ll be emailing him the plan tomorrow. Looking forward to it prior to my trip back to the 14th century on Sunday.
Haven’t read back …..
Anything topical?
squire danaher
01:13 on 10 September, 2014
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Just realised thats 6.30am here .. No good.
4weeks off work and wont see 1 celtic game. Not a happy bhoy. Always miss the games when im working so was hoping id catch a few, didnt realise there was international break .
Hail Hail – been a long time since that I last logged in to make a comment – however a long time (daily) reader! Feel an immense sense of pride today – over visiting from the USA (been resident there for over 7 years) and had a great day visiting the homeland today. Visited the West end today, in the glorious sunshine, and then on to Paradise. First time that my two kids had visited the holy ground and to make it even better my American wife sneaked into the superstore and ordered two tops with San Jose Bhoy #7 on the back of their tops – cant wait to take them to ‘daddy and me soccer’ in a few weeks – hard to beat a day like to day! How phenomenal does the front of paradise look?! My local NFL team just built a $1.3B stadium – however I know where I would rather be every week!!
Auldheid…
Yes, no one was more disappointed at our failure in the qualifiers than me, I was in despair at Murrayfield and again at Celtic Park.. but, we would have been out our depth in the CL group we would have been placed in. The EPL is cut throat, with managers being sacrificed by foreign owners at their whim. We expect a standard from our ‘custodians’, and whilst we very often question their judgements, we are stable and solvent and still in Europe. At this point in our history, we are in the right place. I know we hunger for the ‘Barca’ nights, but, realistically, they are fantasy’s for us right now.. So, Lets KTF and support our Club !! Hail Hail.
Auldheid, of course. Last year was a bit of an anti-climax, as in the event itself. Totally understood the outcome on the day though. I also came down for the Billy Newell gig in the phoenix………. and the subsequent pishup.
It will all depend on the timing. I might not be here anyway:_((