SFA go Back to the Future as they crack down on Flying The Flag
Back in the early fifties the SFA almost brought Scottish football to its knees when they tried to ban the Irish tri-colour from flying above the enclosure at Celtic Park.
Crowd trouble at a Glasgow derby had put the football authorities under pressure with one possible solution being to ban the flying of a flag of green, white and orange for a member of the United Nations.
Acknowledging and celebrating the founder fathers of their club, Celtic stood firm against the ban before the SFA realised that this was no bluff and called off the ban. Less than a decade earlier Belfast Celtic were lost to the game, no-one could have anticipated Celtic chairman Bob Kelly backing down on a matter of principle.
After refusing tifo access for Sunday, Hampden have advised that they will now enforce strict conditions on entry of flags. This will include 1 flag per person as well as size and material restrictions.
We call on all fans to ignore these restrictions and proudly fly our flag. pic.twitter.com/cZM1S9Ma72
— North Curve Celtic (@NCCeltic) April 14, 2022
As the football authorities prepare for Sunday’s Glasgow Derby they seem to be going down a very puzzling path.
After banning a Tifo proposed by the Green Brigade they appear to be seeking some sort of confrontation over the Irish tricolour, 70 years on from a previous, ill-judged challenge.
Social media provides instant access to news, whoever is having an issue with a flag should realise that later this year the SFA will be hosting Ireland in the Nations League on September 23 at Hampden.