Jewish Celtic Supporter Speaks Out

[faceless]

"One Scotland – Many Cultures (An alternative perspective)
by LiviCelt - CelticMinded.com

I am writing this article in somewhat surreal circumstances: it is currently 3.26 am. I am lying in bed. I am unable to sleep. I’m depressed. My football team has just been beaten 4-2 by their greatest rivals. At home.

Today, whilst at this game at the home of my beloved Celtic Football Club, I had the misfortune of sitting right beside the Rangers fans. For those of you who are unaware I shall try to give a very brief overview of the two clubs as this is central to understanding the point of my article. Celtic traditionally drew their support from the Catholic minority in Glasgow and from the Irish diaspora across the world, whilst Rangers are traditionally followed by the Presbyterian (Church of Scotland Protestant) majority. Celtic have, however, always been a club open to all – as our greatest ever manager’s faith, and the faith of many in our support testifies. Rangers, on the other hand, have remained exclusive for much of their existence – for example, they had a de facto policy of not signing Catholic players until quite recently. Also, the Celtic fans have tended to vote for left of centre political parties, and have often shown their support for various ‘oppressed’ peoples across the world. Conversely, Rangers fans are generally more conservative and can be characterised as both Monarchist and Unionist (with regard to Britain). The derby game between the two is often referred to as one of the most heated derby games in the world, often acting as a microcosm of the Catholic/Protestant sectarian divide that exists in the West of Scotland and the North of Ireland. The atmosphere can be poisonous.

Young Jewish football followers who grow up in Glasgow are one of the few groups that actually have a choice over what team to follow, rather than having the team picked for them by the context of their social, political or religious beliefs. When I grew up in the 90s, the Jewish support generally tended to be for Rangers as they were in the middle of the most successful period in their history (and the Jews I knew were glory hunters!). What I actually want to examine in this article is whether it is at all appropriate for Jews to support Rangers, an argument borne out my experiences at the games today.

It might come as a shock to some people that I would even propose this – after all it is fairly well known in Jewish circles that Celtic fans fly the Palestinian flag and Rangers fans fly the Israeli flag. Well this is first point that I shall deal with. As mentioned previously the Celtic fans have a history of showing support for peoples in the world seen as ‘oppressed’. Whether some of us like it or not, the Palestinians are a people that are seen as oppressed in the world today. Consequently, there have been some instances where Celtic fans have flown the Palestinian flag at matches. However, this is by no means a regular occurrence – it only takes one fan with a flag, and the flag to be picked up on TV for a label to stick. There is no comparison here with the number or Irish flags or even Basque flags that are flown on a regular basis.

The Rangers fans decision to fly the Israeli flag is an altogether more complicated issue. One school of thought suggests that it is merely a reaction to the Palestinian flags from the Celtic fans. However, in my opinion there is something deeper to it than that – sadly, these Rangers fans actually see Israel as being right wing and extreme, and therefore something they can identify with.

You see the event that pushed me over the edge today was having to sit beside 8000 fans doing Nazi salutes towards me for 90 minutes. I’m sorry but I didn’t come to the football for that. My family didn’t flee persecution in Europe for me to have to sit and put up with that in Glasgow in 2008. So my brother complained to the police. “I’m sorry sir, I understand your concerns but this is beyond my remit.” It is a sad indictment of Scottish society that this behaviour is ignored and, by extension, condoned.

The Rangers fans usual response to the accusation of Nazi salutes is that it is a ‘red hand of Ulster’ salute that has been mistakenly identified as Nazi; however according to the website of Loyalist FM, a pro Rangers, pro Unionist radio station in Northern Ireland, this is a complete fabrication:

“The red hand salute is merely a symbol which fans embarrassingly hid behind to condone the support of Neo-Nazis within Britain’s shores. It's time to educate the uneducated, make it clear to the idiots that this mythical Red Hand Salute does not exist and it has no place amongst a Rangers support that we are extremely proud of.”

Unfortunately this warning does not seem to have been heeded as the picture above confirms.

The general mindset of the Rangers fans can be summed up by one simple song that they sing: “We Are The People.” They see themselves as white Protestants who are superior to any minority. It is the sort of mindset which led to the despicable scenes in Manchester in May 2008, when the fans rioted during the Uefa cup final – they see themselves as untouchables who can do whatever they like. When the Celtic goalkeeper blessed himself in front of them at a game last season (something that players do the length and breadth of Britain every weekend) he was cautioned by police as it “could cause offence.” Well, I’m sorry, but in my opinion this says more about the offended than the perpetrator. The fact that they are unable to deal with someone who is different from them speaks volume. This, after all, is a club who went 115 years without signing a Catholic player (very similar in fact Beitar Jerusalem’s policy today on Arab players).

At the game today they sang a horrendously racist song which suggested that descendents of the Irish potato famine should go home. One could only imagine the reaction at a Spurs game if descendents of Holocaust survivors were told to ‘go home’.

I feel it is time I spoke about my feelings. I don’t understand how anyone with any sense of Jewish identity can bring themselves to support a team that finds itself tied up in such bigotry and sectarianism. The line often trotted out is that both teams are as bad as each other – well I challenge anyone to point to anything that comes from Celtic fans which is discriminatory.

Maybe next time somebody thinks about having some sympathy for the mighty Glasgow Rangers as they wave Israel flags they should look a little deeper before making their decision. Jewish people should have a duty to speak up when others around them are being discriminated against. The salutes seen above are really just the tip of the iceberg.

This article was written for the ideological journal for the largest Jewish Youth Movement in the UK.

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I wasn't sure where to post this article as it covers so many areas... sports, bigotry, Palestine, Nazis and oppression - and all in 90 minutes on a Sunday afternoon.

[luke]

interesting article - i'd never really understood the celtic/rangers thing

i bet he's a supporter of israel, the line 'Whether some of us like it or not, the Palestinians are a people that are seen as oppressed in the world today' - they're not seen as oppressed, they are oppressed!

[seshme]

[faceless]

Livingston's only 20 miles away - and if he's been a fan for years then that is completely reasonable. I agree that people should support a local team though.

The daft Jew-gag isn't welcome btw... cheeky or not.

While we're on the subject - how do you confuse a skint atheist? Tell them they only think they've got nothing.

[seshme]

What do you get if you cross a Jehovahs Witness with an atheist?

Someone that knocks your door for no reason.

[faceless]

this was the main headline news on BBC Scotland this evening...

[cobweb]

...and as usual fuck all will happen.

[faceless]

'Famine song' campaign taken to Parliament

A campaign to stop Rangers fans from singing an offensive song about Scotland's Irish Catholic community reached Parliament on Tuesday. Respect MP George Galloway tabled a question asking Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy if he would hold discussions with Holyrood ministers on "instances of anti-Irish racism at football matches involving Scottish clubs".

Galloway was referring specifically to a chant known as 'The Famine Song' which has gained increasing popularity among Rangers fans this season and even prompted the club to warn its supporters they could be arrested for singing it. It refers to the Irish famine of the 1840s which killed an estimated one million people and sparked mass migration to Scotland, and contains the line: "The famine is over, why don't you go home?"

Junior Scotland minister Ann McKechin said she and Murphy had not discussed anti-Irish racism at football matches involving Scottish clubs with the Scottish Government. She added: "Tackling such issues falls to the Scottish Football Association and Scottish football clubs, in conjunction with the police. Sport and policing are devolved matters."

Rangers received a number of complaints about the song following the Old Firm derby with Celtic in August, prompting them to warn their fans against singing it. But the chant has provoked a wider campaign against it, with Irish diplomats contacting the Scottish government following complaints about the behaviour of Rangers supporters.

Outside the Commons, Galloway - a Celtic fan - said the song was the latest instalment in a long-standing anti-Irish campaign among Rangers fans. "To be fair to the club, they have tried to clamp down on their fans for behaviour like this, but the fans use a lot of illusion and symbolism," he said. "As a former Glasgow MP, I have had a lot of complaints from former constituents about it since the start of the season, and bringing it to Parliament is an attempt to get the Scottish Football Association and Rangers football club to come out to have the song banned."

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nice one

[seshme]

I think that song is borderline.

Is it offensive or just a funny chant in response to the endless dirges about the potato famine?

Knowing Rangers fans it's probably meant to be offensive but I can't be bothered with this thin skinned nonsense on both sides of the Old Firm.

I remember when we had an English player who crossed himself at a home game against Rangers coming out the tunnel and he was booked for inciting the crowd after a bunch of them complained to the police.

For such big teams a section of their fans can be very precious.

[faceless]

'Why don't you go home' isn't borderline.

[seshme]

Do the majority of Celtic fans find it offensive then?

It was raised on the phone-in show on Radio Scotland and it seemed mixed. The host himself didn't think it was offensive.

It's where the line is drawn is the problem. Songs about sheep shagging bastards for Aberdeen fans, should that be a matter for the parliament. I remember when there was the ban on away fans at Old Firm matches both sides complained about the lack of atmosphere...

[faceless]

Have you ever been the victim of bigotry?

[seshme]

I've dunno I've been screamed at, called Fenian scum by a bunch of Rangers fans once when I was alone and it was very scary.

I guess I'm belittling this song to a degree because to me it's under the category of not a credible threat unlike the above. By making a fuss it's giving it a power it doesn't deserve when it should be laughed off.

Also I don't really view Scots Irish as a minority. I know technically its a minority but it's such a big minority in the West of Scotland it's not the same as say singing that Turkish should go home or whatever.

[faceless]

The problem with this type of song is that it empowers those who sing it and who genuinely believe in that kind of idiotic division.

Some of these cunts aren't jolly little people who vent their nonsense at the game and then go home happy, and that's why it's important. The same can be said for Celtic 'fans' who pollute the away games with their shite too.

[seshme]

It's got better though during my lifetime, a lot better. Each generation is improving.

My granny used to ask any girlfriend I had what school she went to.

A couple of years ago I was out with a couple of girls from Glasgow in Belfast and that was the first question asked by guys on the dance floor, like traveling back in time.

Get rid of state funding for faith schools and the whole nonsense would be gone in a generation or so.