September 11, 2011
Celtic fans’ militant drift ‘damaging club’ Comments Off
James MacMillan, the celebrated classical composer, said he is worried about the “militant drift” some followers of the Glasgow club have taken and suggested its founder would be “turning in his grave” at the development.
He added that while the fans’ celebration of Irish nationalism is a “good thing”, it is time to rid the matchday repertoire of “pro-violent” songs linked to fringes of the nationalist movement.
His views are aired in a new book being published this week which charts the experiences of well-known Celtic supporters in Scotland and abroad. In We Are Celtic Supporters, written by journalist Richard Purden, the Kilwinning-born composer adds to the debate surrounding sectarian songs at football matches by suggesting Celtic fans should refrain from certain lyrics.
He warns that the sentiments expressed recently by some fans go against the principles espoused by Brother Walfrid, the Irish Marist brother who founded the side after coming to Scotland in the 1870s.
MacMillan states: “I sometimes worry about the militant drift that some Celtic fans have taken. Obviously the support for Irish nationalism is a given, and that has been a good and defining thing in many ways, but a tiny minority have held on to the support for violent republicanism and that has done untold damage to Celtic’s reputation and still does today.
“Those people are now drifting to support other extreme nationalists in the Catalan district, Basque country and, God forbid, the extremists of Hamas and Hezbollah. Brother Walfrid (the founder of Celtic] will be turning in his grave.”
• Full story at Scotland on Sunday.
