Is it time fans listened to the club over pyrotechnics?

Once again Celtic are in the headlines for the wrong reasons and it’s from our wrongdoing. Everyone is well aware by now that the club doesn’t want this constantly hanging over their heads and have banned those previously involved.

So for a club everyone loves and adores, why do we ignore those who run it and allow others to drag the club’s name through the mud?

Ronny Deila condemned those who let off the smoke bombs at yesterday’s game and rightly so because they have never been a part of the club. It’s a new revelation in football that poses a health risk to fans and when they go onto the pitch like yesterday, it affects the players. It might look good, but when a family member can’t breathe as a result of the fumes or is injured by a flare it’s no laughing matter.

While fans of other clubs have done the exact same, we know by now our club makes other people money and they take advantage of that. Dundee United fans set off smoke bombs a year ago against Stranraer and Ross County let off several flares against Dunfermline on Saturday but there wasn’t a front page headline or even a whisper of criticism from the media.

In fact, here’s the difference in two match reports from the same media outlet when both sets of fans let off smoke bombs. This brings into question the professionalism of journalists to remain impartial.

https://twitter.com/paulthetim/status/686545350723813376

It actually represents a sad state of affairs in Scottish football that no one genuinely cares about any club outside of Celtic and Rangers. Everyone trips over each other to criticise both clubs but more so Celtic, which isn’t a surprise from a pro-British media. We also know some in the media have a dislike towards our club, so when they get their chance they don’t hold back and will do everything to tarnish our club.

I also won’t ignore what happened at the game yesterday and I won’t deny that the some chants at the game yesterday were silly and outdated for the 21st century. The chanting certainly wasn’t sectarian but it also wasn’t necessary. It referred to Ireland, and island still looking to end its ties with British oppression but instead everyone lapped at the opportunity to call every Celtic fan a sectarian bigot. There’s nothing wrong or offensive about Republicanism and showing your support for it. After all, it only exists to this day because Irish people are still oppressed, although some people are born to be offended which we can’t help.

I also found it all quite ironic as the Scottish Professional Football League officials will discuss the signing of a banned song, the Billy Boys when they meet on January 19th. What comes of those meetings will be key for Scottish football fans. Celtic’s fans actions against Stranraer will also be discussed at the meeting.

We are at a stage in society where everyone is becoming more tolerant and less divided, well almost. There is still some way to go and bigots from all sides must realise they are holding the rest of us back. You can’t moan about chanting and then goad about it in the next breath when it annoys someone else. Unless you’re a bigot of course.

If we are all going to be 90-minute bigots then let’s do it. Sing all the songs of the day about the past, spout abuse at opposing fans then step back into the real world. However, we all know it won’t end when the final whistle blows, and when it spills onto the streets families can be wrecked.

Football is a place for everyone, from the 80-year-old whose had a season ticket since he was 10 or the young Bhoy going to his very first Celtic game. Therefore, it has to be made to accommodate every Celtic fan from every walk of life. That’s the reaility we live in, which is why the extreme elements and hooligansim must go.

Celtic fans are at a crossroads with pyrotechnics and certain songs because the club doesn’t want to be associated with them and those involved have, and will continue to be banned. We know the club want it brought to an end, so it’s up to fans to take heed, or get banned. It’s really that simple.