Celt fans who sing pro-IRA songs to be banned

GLASGOW CELTIC fans who chant pro-IRA slogans and sing republican songs will be asked leave the famous soccer club ground and…

GLASGOW CELTIC fans who chant pro-IRA slogans and sing republican songs will be asked leave the famous soccer club ground and will have their tickets withdrawn, club officials have said.

This is part of a campaign its chairman, Mr Fergus McCann to get rid of the sectarianism which has particularly characterised clashes with Celtic's rivals Glasgow Rangers, traditionally a Protestants-only club.

The campaign will face a test this Saturday when the so-called "Old Firm" meeting between two teams, the first of the season takes place, although Saturday match will be at Rangers' Park.

The campaign, called "Bhoys against Bigotry", was started January. It aims to combat sectarianism and bigotry in any form", said Celtic's public relations manager, Mr Peter yesterday. According to a poll conducted by the club's "fanzine", it has the overwhelming backing of the club's supporters.

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Last week, Celtic and the Glasgow education authorities joined to launch a related initiative - a booklet on friendship, teamwork and how to combat bigotry is being distributed to 6,000 teachers in the city's primary and secondary schools.

The most popular IRA song among Celtic supporters has been The Boys of the Old Brigade. Ms Mairi Damer, a longtime supporter and season-ticket holder, said yesterday that when Mr McCann had first appealed, towards the end of last season, for no more such songs, some fans sung them with even greater gusto.

However she believed that republican songs were becoming less popular, being replaced by new songs to honour Celtic's growing band of overseas players.

The fans' favourite Irish song in recent years has been The Fields of Athenry, although even this has been criticised by some media commentators as sectarian.

Mr McLean emphasised that the Irish National Anthem, whose English version, The Soldier's Song, is sung by the fans, is not on the banned list.

Since its formation in 1888 by a Marist brother from Co Sligo, Celtic has always been strongly identified with Glasgow's Irish and Catholic community. In 1951, the football authorities even threatened to expel the club from the Scottish league because of its tradition of flying the Irish Tricolour above its ground.

Mr McLean stressed that the Irish flag is flown alongside the Union Jack and the Scottish flag [to emphasise the club's "joint Scottish-Irish identity of which its is justly proud".

Since he took over as chairman two years ago, Mr McCann has been trying to modernise the club, both by getting rid of its sectarian image and by encouraging more families to come to matches.

In an interview in Scotland on Sunday this week, he insisted Celtic had never been a Catholic club. "It might originally have been formed to raise money for mostly Irish charities but Catholics and Protestants together have always played for the club and I think the club developed a broader character than people realise."