Well where do you start with this then? Well first and foremost I cannot even begin to deem the actions of those who decided to sing songs during yesterday afternoon’s silence outside the Falkirk Stadium acceptable. However we live in a Country where freedom of speech is considered to be just and therefore I defend their right to do it, I just cannot agree with it.
I suppose the Irony of this is that this freedom of speech was won for them by the very persons whose memory they chose to besmirch, and regardless of everything else that the Poppy campaign has become and all the pointless and unjust wars that have ensued since the last ‘great’ campaign, the minutes silence is in memory of the fallen in the two world wars, it does not glorify any other aspect of the British Army, nor does it seek to do so.
Whether or not it is appropriate for this to be carried into Football or not I suppose is another debate, I suppose the more liberal minded would say that the old tradition of visiting the Cenotaph has to be updated in the modern world, and as such any large gathering is a choice occasion. However there is a more sinister aspect to this, with the utilisation of all things heroic from battles of old being used to justify the less than moral campaigns of the present.
And of course, one such exponent of this is Rangers Football Club, which attaches itself onto anything to do with the Armed Forces in an attempt to take their rampant jingoism to another level. Whilst on the face of it their actions are laudable, one wonders just how much money will those organisations who care for ex service men be getting from all these scarves and strips with a poppy on them?
That being said though this article is not about Rangers, it is about the actions of those Celtic fans outside the ground who deliberately set out to disrupt the silence. Yes, by not entering the ground they did not break the silence as such, however they disrupted it and this is not acceptable.
I can totally understand why some persons find it hard to reconcile themselves with any aspect of the British Army due to many atrocities perpetrated by members of this organisation. My question is why go all the way to the Falkirk Stadium to stand outside and pass comment on it? Why just not go to the game at all if you are so offended by this? Possibly It is easier for me to separate the great crusade of the Second World War from some of the atrocities that have occurred since (or indeed before) than it is for someone who has lived with these issues.
Many excuses for this action revolve around the clubs actions, with these fans feeling that the Club should have done more to protect the opinions and stance of many of the fans that they represent. Unfortunately the club was in an untenable position – if they had refused to get involved in the ‘poppies on the shirt’ scenario then the Club would have been roundly discredited by its peers and society.
So instead the Club elected to request a minutes applause rather than a silence. This however is a wholly inappropriate manner in which to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice and this appeal was quite rightly declined and we encountered the inevitable outcome that was the singing of songs during the silence.
So what next? Well this situation will blow over sooner rather than later, with any perceived moral superiority gained disappearing quicker than a Rangers fan at a dawn raid, however the Club must be careful how they approach this situation when it comes around again next year.
What about the supporters involved? Well they will be quite rightly rounded on by those of the opinion that they were out of order but possibly the time has come for the Club to openly engage with these elements of the support to try and find some common ground in this divisive issue.
Yours in Celtic
Clydebuilt