Celtic: the best supporters in the world?

In the aftermath of Seville and the end of that arduous season, one of the few bright spots that emerged was the intention of UEFA and FIFA to award the Celtic support their respective fair play awards.

Such was the Celtic supports lasting impression at the UEFA cup final of 2003 was that the world governing bodies for the game held up the Celtic supports conduct and nature as an example for the rest of the world to take note of.

Since this wonderful episode though, the Celtic support has become complacent. Rather than maintain its reputation, certain sections of the home, and away, support have seriously undermined the club and damaged its reputation.

What prompted me to write this particular piece was yesterdays’ home game against Dundee United and the conduct of the Celtic support. It became obvious to me that the Celtic support now resembles a spoilt child who has the inability to give any benefit of the doubt to the teams’ efforts and to help raise the team in times of strife when there are difficult times being experienced.

The conduct of some so-called supporters has made me question whether we can justifiably keep the mantle of best support in the world. Any group of supporters that refuses to back the team when it is needed the most cannot accept this title in all good conscience.

What was the first reaction of the MAJORITY of ‘supporters’ around me to the teams’ difficulties yesterday? Barrack, abuse, criticise, insult and, at times even ignore (a guy in front of me read the club fanzine for 70% of the match!). This is consumerism NOT support.

Can we also realistically claim also to be well-behaved? Granted we have not reached the level of disdain that Rangers supporters have had reserved for them (particularly after Manchester) but to say we are ‘whiter than white’ is not totally accurate either.

The recently created ditties about Nacho Novo negate any criticism we level at other supports for their own song lists for example. Also, in the last ten years Celtic supporters have been involved in: throwing objects at referees and players, pitch invasions at champions league games, posting addresses of opposition players on the internet, indulged in racist chants (Rudi Skacel is a f’in refugee for example), disrupted a minutes silence for the victims of 9-11 at Motherwell, and also worn IRA-style masks at a match against Motherwell in 2002.

And this doesn’t even take into account how our support (and I use that term loosely) acts on a match-day. At home, we badger players into being nervous wrecks (for example Lee Naylor hasn’t received any significant support for a long time now at home) and, at times, in matches we have become the twelfth man for the opposition! Let’s not forget the wonderful amount of fans that disappear on the 80 minute mark also. 90 minutes with Victor Meldrew types every fortnight is not my idea of a good time. Away from home, of-course things are different.

The support actually gets behind the team, at least most of the time, in a manner that shames the home support. However, the anything goes attitude also creeps into the song list and includes songs that should have been removed. Every supporter knows that any song that includes I, R, and A will hurt us but the away support have ignored this reality and allowed our club to become embroiled in a ‘tit-for-tat’ argument.

We have reached a point as a support where we have become so pre-occupied with other things – Rangers, anti-Celtic media, the English premiership, adopting a staggeringly hypocritical and arrogant attitude to SPL opposition at home - that we have taken our eye off the ball and neglected the one major thing that our support actually became famous for – providing fantastic support for our team and club. We knew how to support and behave with dignity in the bad old days so how come we cant do this now? Why can we also not accept criticism when it is levelled at us? We now what sources of the media to ignore yet we refuse to acknowledge any home truths.

The Celtic support must address its own persona before we can criticise others. Im all for the opinion nowadays of letting Rangers and their buddies in the media give themselves enough rope to hang themselves with. What we need to do is refocus all our energies on making sure that the Celtic support re-establishes itself as the number one support and I hope every supporter starts to do their bit. Support and encourage rather than criticise, lift players rather than deflate them. Sort it out bhoys and ghirls.

Comments

[Lindsay]

As a child growing up in Paisley, the support for Celtic was almost exclusively composed of Roman Catholics for whom the Celts were the natural team to support.Most folk supported the local team just as a matter of course. Nowadays Celtic have taken a very large slice of the local support here mainly based on their continued success and ability to outspend any other team.I can understand why the atmosphere at Celtic has changed as success breeds short temperedness when the occasional failure comes along.
I would just like to add that my earliest memories of the Celtic support are that my father would never take me to a game when they visited my own team as bottles would invariably be hurled by their fans.They were NEVER known as the best fans in the world !!

[Sandy McLaughlin]

Interesting article and comments. I support Sunderland and the once famous Roker Roar is now a whimper at most home matches. I put this down to a) all seater stadiums b) more female and young children at matches - they are usually very quiet c) more middle class supporters d) poor quality of football being played. Of course, the lack of passion makes football more "civilised" but boy is it dull!! The venom that Rangers and Celtic retain for each other is mirrored in the Sunderland/Newcastle relationship and to a lesser extent by the fact that most clubs in England seem to refer to their local rivals as "the scum". All very predictable and boring.

Of course Celtic's Irishness is an integral part of their identity and they are rightly proud of it. However the songs and chanting that have gone with it for at least the last 40 years have made them very unpopular with the fans of virtually every Scottish club. And by the way, Rangers are generally disliked as well for the threat of violence their support often bring to town.

[Steve Thomson]

No Barrow have the best fans

[johnd]

the original post is flawed on so many counts and seems rather confused and contradictory.
yes, the support at home games has been patchy for a number of years now and, for some games been like a library its been so quiet. now, there are many reasons for that which include seating, over zealous stewarding which came in with the bunnet and his anti irish/catholic pogrom and also the changing fan base. now we have less fans with real everyday connection with celtic-ness and more fans who are consumers of the celtic 'brand' i.e they like the idea or cache of being a celtic fan but are the ones who see the club as no more than another lifestyle choice. these are the ones who are to blame for the death of atmosphere at celtic park and these are the ones that bleat on and on about 'no politics in football', 'we'r not irish we'r scottish' and so on.
now, for these people i'd just like to remind them that the few really GREAT clubs in the world are those that are, in the words of Barca - 'more than a club'... so, barcelona and the catalan culture and history that resists much that is madrid/castillian, boca juniors, at.bilbao and its roots in basque idfentity... what these clubs have is an unapologetic connection to a history and culture that separates them from others, celtic is/was one of those few clubs.
now, the fact is that there are many, now, who seek to deny that culture/history that made the club and its support so special. in recent years we'v had the banning of many 'irish' songs and the removal of banners... what the over sensitive types are missing is the fact that that is where the 'real' support came from. anyone that thinks celtics global support derives from the fact that it is a scottish team is deluded... celtics global appeal comes directly from its irish-ness, and that includes and irish ness whos culture is expressed in certain songs and iconography that is celebrated the world over from new york to boston and sydney too.
so lets not kid ourselves, the 'greatest supporters in the world' tag is no longer ours, but part of the reason for that comes with the gentrification of the support and the mis placed denial and attempt to re write our history and culture.
the death of celtic park is down to those pie munchers and celtic tourists that have sanitised the club to such an extent that the fans that gave celtic park such a feared reputation now feel out of place, its no longer our home, its the home of 4x4 drivers from the suburbs and day trippers to the superstore...you know who you are, and you've now got what you want... a celtic park that is a ghost of the place it once was, where all the energy and noise has been expelled as 'too rowdy', 'living in the past' and on you bleat... i know this wont be a popular post, but dont shoot the messenger... iv'e been thru the bad years and the good and the boring ( first game 1967)and the craic was always mighty... now we just have seats full of quiet, smug consumers... ah well you lot when it finally becomes completely silent at paradise then just remember the reasons why.oh aye, and the fitba at the minute is pish!!! john d

[Thomas]

The self proclaimed best supporters in the wold perhaps, big fish in a small pool in reality.

[Dan Schwartz in NJ]

"Celtic: do we have the best fans in the world?"

No: NASCAR fans are the best. They are so loyal, they'll have their wives switch laundry detergents if their favorite driver changes teams or sponsors... Even if it gives them a rash! :)

[Iljas Baker]

Support or consumerism? I doubt if there's a difference between these two concepts in the minds of the Celtic board members. Prices are high, fans constantly urged to buy Celtic things. Fans therefore do now react like angry consumers - angry because they paid their money but didn't receive what was advertised. Criticizing the players is unfortunate, but it is really criticism of the board for not spending, not bringing in better players.

On a different note, in the old days people went to the match and stood besides people they knew usually in the same supporters clubs. It was easy to sing along together. Now they sit often beside strangers, it does affect the atmosphere adversely.

[Mike Gow]

Actually, this is unfair.

Although Celtic must be aware of and proactive in delaing with any sectarian behaviour (singing included), the fans have a right to express there disapproval.

Sure, we have won 3 titles in a row, and Strachan deserves some credit, but the nature of the performances have largely been poor. I certainly don't enjoy watching Celtic anymore. Also, Rangers have been so atrocious in recent years, that winning the title in a two-horse league (with one of them lame) would have been unnacceptable.

It's a far cry from the O'Neill years, where we had Sutton, Larsson, Agathe, Hartson, Petrov, Moravcik, and (on one notable occasion) Petta, terrorizing defences and battering all-comers. It was EXCITING.

What we get today is only acceptable because it is marginally better than the utter rubbish served up by Rangers.

As a Celtic fan, I am upset. Why am I not a real fan if refuse to accept the fall in standards and stop going to games? The modern game is a business. If it was £5 a ticket, maybe not, but its a lot more than that. I would pay £30 to go and see a different **** film every week, although I often spend £5 watching total nonsense.

Mike

[paul lynch]

Totally agree with the comments on the poor home atmosphere. I hate to see fans leave with 10-15 minutes left of a game.
Also, I attend most away games and believe most songs sung would have a negative affect on the image of our club.
Hail Hail

[Bridgeton Bhoy]

Most of the criticisms in the article, and in some of the comments that support it, could quite easily have been written by rangers fans. They are almost word-for-word the kind of comments, based on perception and misconception rather than facts and evidence, that you will read from them on the Follow Follow message board. I smell poo...

[kc dublin]

i have never heard any songs about the ibrox disaster at celtic park,most of these posts are from rangers fans,i bet....

[natykegs]

i was at the game on Dundee utd on saturday but i dont get to see many games so the only other game i have been to this season was the 3-0 win at home to Falkirk. I thought the atmospher at the Dundee utd game was far better than at the Falkirk match.Was in the Jock Stein stand for Falkirk and Lisbon Lions for Dundee utd dont know if it makes a differance. But although the writer says we need to get behind the teams weaker players why doenst the manager just play the better players. E.G Crossas not Hartley and put McGeady on the beanch, Strachans reasons were crap for leaving him out.

[Rastabhoy]

I agree with almost all your points. The atmosphere at Celtic Park has been poor for a number of seasons and attempts to enliven it by e.g. the Jungle Bhoys have seen other groups with agendas harmful to the club attempt to hijack (recent invasion of the singing section). However we've got to get behind the team on amtch day and not only let the people sing but let them be heard. Hail hail and KTF!

[Paul (Inverness)]

Some of the points made in the article are valid but some are not. It is a poor arguement to use old historic data to argue the "now" position. I have been a Celtic fan all my life and season ticket holder for many years. There has never been a time when the idiots at our club, or other clubs for that matter, have not spoiled the atmosphere. We all have a duty to be passionate in our support but be respectful in doing so. Sadly, those that are not get under the skin of we who are, causing embarrassment. It has always been thus. Maybe as we get older our tolerance levels become fraid. To all true Celtic fans and football fans around our country have a good New Year.

[Andy]

I gave up a my season ticket this year after 17 years of ownership. During that time I watched some of the least successful teams Celtic have fielded in their history, yet the atmosphere in the stands was electric I believe this was because we knew that the managers and playing staff were giving their all for the club and trying to play attacking, passing and most of all exciting attractive football.

As a support we are being short changed, after watching 3 years of inept football in a row with no sign of improvement I could not stand to pay for another year of viewing the same infuriating garbage.

When we were unsuccessful we were doing the best with what we had... now we are lead to believe that we are on sound financial footing and on that score going from strength to strength, so why is it that we are being served with the cheap option on the park?!

For the first couple of games of the season I was gutted not to be going to Celtic Park to watch the games as usual, however as yet, I have not regretted not forking out for another Season Ticket as I'd much rather get raging watching the game from home than traveling through to the game just to shout myself coarse at sub standard fayre.

[p8ddy]

The Skacel chant was by an ex Celtic player - Derek Riorden, not the Celtic support! Moreover, the incident happened when he wasn't a Celtic player.
The disruption of a minutes silence for 9/11? Another invention. The noise that could be heard over the silence wasn't fans breaking the silence, it was fans outside theground arriving late and not realising there was a minutes silence. The remedy, if you remember was to mark the beginning of the silence with the Police claxon allowing fans inside AND out to pay their respects.
Perhaps also you could include a link to any reports of the "masks" incident? I recall Airdrie fans indulging in such behaviour, the report regarding Celtic seems to have escaped me.

Frankly, the article seems somewhat like a stitch up. Poorly researched, petty complaints that could at best be levelled at a handful of supporters. It also suggests that distasteful behaviour is the sole domain of Celtic and Rangers fans.

Can you show me a football support that a complaint cannot be leveled against? Surely it's the paucity of complaints that marks Celtic fans out as excellent rather than the lack of complaints? No?

Finally, the rather tiresome "greatest fans in the world" stick that is used to beat us as a support anytime someone fancies having a sly dig at the Celtic support. The moniker refers more, I think to our behaviour toward other fans and our appreciation of other peoples cultures. Maybe it's to do with our being, largely and "immigrant" support, where we try and integrate with others rather than having some preassumed supremacy. I guess that years of being told to "go home" might have lent the Celtic support some humilty that is lacking in other supports.

I agree with you that for run of the mill games the support can be quiet and, in common with other supports we do have our whipping boys, but as a follower of many years it's not a new phenomenon, or one that has gotten noticably worse. The Celtic support is at times petulant in regard to games it's assumed we should, however, when the chips are down the Celtic support are nothing if not vocal and at times humerous - for example, "Always look on the bright side of life" being the common chant during Celtic's fallow period in the 90's where Rangers were romping to 9 in a row and Celtic were struggling to come in 3rd.

A poor, poor article.

[Davie]

I took my ten year old to her first Celtic game on Saturday, and couldn't believe the lack of atmosphere, from what appeared to be a pretty big crowd. She kept asking when the singing was going to start? We were outsung for most of the match by the few hundred fans from Dundee wh seemed to keep up the noise for most of the game. I think complacency is the issue. It was only when the team lost a goal that the noise levels started to rise.

[Andy]

Guess what I was meaning by my previous post is why on earth should Celtic deserve the best support in the world? All they do is fleece us.. once they remember that first and foremost they are meant to be our Football Club and not a business the better... there needs to be a balance between playing attractive football with quality personnel and keeping the balance in check. Rather than boosting the back account at the detriment of the squad. Don't hear many songs made up about bean counters or balance sheets!

[Declan]

Great article! I fully agree with your comments mate.

For the longest time I have became increasingly disillusioned with my fellow 'supporters'. TGFITW? Who are we kidding? Support for Terrorist Organisations, a paranoid/hate-filled mentality, a constant anti-British agenda, a songbook which is at best a dirge and our away matches are often nothing more than glorified IRA-oke sessions.

Last weekend at Mordor summed it up when our support gleefully engaged in a rendition of, to the tune of TFS which so many of our fans have decreed as racist, 'We know where you stay, we know where you stay, Nacho Novo, we know where you stay.' Disgusting. And we have the nerve to complain about the Hokey-Cokey!!

We need to get back to the way we used to be. Get some passion back and drop the sectarian muck some of our fans have been only to keen to wade in. On the park the new millenium has been an incredibly successful time for the hoops but off it sadly it's a case of FAIL, FAIL.

We can do better bhoys. 4IAR, here we go!!

YNWA

[ND88]

Whilst I agree with much of the points raised I have to take exception to some. I attend every home and away match.

To me the Celtic support is open to anyone irrespective of what type of clothing they wear or what they drink. I've seen the prawn sandwich brigade embarass our club more than a few times. These guys tend to be bandwagon jumpers who have mainly appeared when success became frequent with Celtic over the past decade or so.

Some of the "shell suit Buckie Brigade" as quoted by another poster, may embarass the club also but people of the same ilk probably make up part of the hard core of our support and back the team to the hilt at every occasion. the political singing debate aside. The majority of songs sung at away matches are Celtic songs and I would challenge anyone to prove me wrong.

Would this poster prefer all Celtic fans to be the same and wear shirts and ties with their packed lunch tucked into their duffle coats voicing no opposition to what our beloved board decide to do to OUR club or what they tell us to do.

Aberdeen fans??? What????

I have been sectarianly abused, spat at and been struck by a spark plug inside this great supports hallowed hill of dung by these upstanding members of the football community!!!

Not to mention having our bus attacked on more than one occasion. Marvellous "humility and a sense of humour" there then.

Some posters should actually try attending some away games instaed of slating the support because of what the media in Scotland CHOOSE to emphasise regarding Celtic.

We aren't whiter than white and I would never even think about claiming that. But we are Celtic supporters and it's about time "we all stand as one" for the common cause of supporting Celtic.

[Patrick]

I've sadly given up my season ticket thanks to a rather large majority of people round about my seat who think singing about the ibrox disaster is "funny".

That or chants about Rudi Skacel, or the IRA.

Lets get back to the important thing, the football.

[left ruggiero]

maybe you were missing the point that the football on display from celtic wasnt exactly "breathtaking" and edge of our seats stuff.The players and the manager have to get the FANS motivated by playing attractive football,sadly,we dont see a lot of that these days at Celtic Park.i feel its a matter of "hurry up and win so we can get to the next Rangers game"but i dont believe we are spoiled fans,i dont expect a win EVERY time we take the park,but we all expect 100% effort from a team thats in bad need of a few fresh faces.

[Nick]

When was that chant about Skacel sung? I go to Celtic games home and away and have NEVER heard that. Figment of your imagination maybe anonymous person?

[jjm]

So the reason the team is so poor and can't string two passes together is that the celtic support are kids and terrorists.

What a load of rubbish I expect better when i read a broadsheet website. Why let this so called celtic fan on here writing this rubbish.

The bit about naylor was priceless.

Are you peter lawell any more lies about investing in the worst celtic team for years.

Thats whay the fans are restless the team is devoid of talent, leadership or skill.

[Michael]

While I agree with just about every point in your article (I have stopped going to Celtic Park because I get extremely angry with everything that happens around me), it is also up to the team to entertain. And the football played by this current Celtic team is often diabolical.

Strachan's side play boring, pedantic football. There's very little that is exciting. Take away our flair players like Naka and McGeady and we're left with a team of workshorses no better than a Hearts or an Aberdeen or, indeed, Dundee Utd.