The Celtic Supporters Association have pulled out of a meeting with Strathclyde Police after Assistant Chief Constable Campbell Corrigan used the Daily Record to condemn the Celtic support.
Relationships between the police and the Celtic support have nosedived in recent weeks as the Scottish Government step up their bid to criminalise the Celtic support with ill thought out legislation brought in on the back of a football match in which three Rangers players were sent off.
Over the last month there have been various incidents between the police and the Celtic support with former referee Eddie Smith reporting supporters to UEFA after the Rennes-Celtic match with the club now facing a charge of illicit chanting.
This week Strathclyde Police have used the Daily Record to put the Celtic support under public pressure with Joe O’Rourke of the Celtic Supporters Association pulling out of a meeting with Corrigan after negative media coverage throughout the week.
O’Rourke stated: “We, as part of the FAC (Fans Against Criminalisation) group were asked to attend a meeting tomorrow morning with Assistant Chief Constable Campbell Corrigan; but following his comments in the Daily Record; the groups representing the Celtic Supporters felt it was inappropriate for us to attend the meeting.
“Mr Corrigan was reported to be summoning us for a slap on the wrist, well he obviously doesn’t know who he is dealing with; it was us who asked for a meeting with the Police over their heavy handed policing of the Green brigade in the match against Hibs on October 29th.
“This occurred after a well-attended and well behaved demonstration in George Square, we were then subjected to behaviour by the Police which might have been more appropriate for China or North Korea.
“Let us say this, we have always been happy in the past to have dialogue with the Police; but we will not be criminalised for doing nothing more than supporting our team, we will not be bullied by the Goverment, the Police, or anyone else.”
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I am totally behind Fans Against Criminalisation, and if the authorities think they can abuse Celtic through the Scottish Chip wrappers well there wrong, we won’t be spoken down to we are not second class citizens and refuse to be treated a such.
All we have to do is stop singing a few add-ons and chants, and we make all of these Celtic-hating clowns look like the arseholes they are.
It’s not difficult people. Use your heads and stick to the proper song lyrics. We will come out of this smelling of roses, then.
Alternatively, if we’re stupid enough to keep on with the add-ons, we’re handing our enemies a great victory. Parkhead will never be the same again.
Win this fight or destroy our own support ? It’s up to everyone of us to decide.
Totally agree.
Lose the add-on,s keep the atmosphere.
the original lyrics of the Celtic Symphony include the phrase “oh ah up the RA”
it isnt an add-on. I personally dont want it sung but they arguement its idiots with add-ons is flawed
Then the lyrics of the Celtic Symphony need to change. We can do that easily enough. Things change, we’re clever enough to adapt without losing what makes Celtic special.
I agree that the song just stopping at that point might be a bit optimistic and a few people singing in the silence would be too easy to hear.
In the short term, if the lyrics were changed, people clapped/cheered/stamped to drown out the minority or another song was started at that point, it might stop this escalation.
Up the celts? Simple.
Pulling out of the meeting with keyboard fail corrigan is a mistake. Makes CSA look like huffy weans!
Withdrawing allows him to set the agenda.
Far better to meet the guy head on, he is far from impressive.
I watched him give evidence at the kangarooo court in edinburgh presided over by she who wants equalisation of arrest rather than equal treatment at law.
His comment that ‘if this law stops one song being sung’ howler, equates to banning driving in case of accidents, golf in case of injuries and boling a kettle to save scalding.
We have nothing to fear from debating with him.
alist of things to help sort this out please add
no marches for republican or orange order in scotland make them illegal
honesty from government councils and all public services
sfa,sfl,spl scapped 1 body rules all this should cut out unfair decisions all treated the same
these things are only some of the things that have to be addresed even before we talk about indapendance scotland dont want a dictatorship we want a country where everybody is equal and treated the same if this and some otherthings change scotland could be a gr8t country but not the way it is at present
I’ve suggested dropping add-ons on other forums, most fans seem to agree but a small minority wouldn’t even consider the idea. They won’t stop so the majority will need to drown them out.
its silly isn’t it. even though singing about the IRA isn’t at all sectarian, it is still offensive to most people in this country, and it is clearly nothing to do with celtic. celtic have never been involved with the IRA, and to be singing about them is just giving the bigots a hand in their argument.
i would love it if the green brigade just changed the lyrics a bit. keep the songs, but just change the lyrics. i can imagine us singing the start of the celtic symphony and the media and the biggots going “boooo you’re ‘sectarian'” and then we have the last laugh when they realise we’ve changed the last bit to “oo aa up the hoops” or somethin like that.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4283444.stm
I think if you all have a read at the announcement on the celtic supporters trust website you,ll find out the truth on the meeting with Mr Corrigan.
Shock horror the Mankie Scottish media ain’t telling the truth again.
Well said Joe. Don’t let the laptopl loyal lickspittles in the media, strathclyde’s “finest”, Salmond and his merry band of halfwits destroy the heart of our great club