Aiden McAnespie one of many reasons Celtic fans booed on Sunday

With the poppy season having been concluded in the footballing world, we can sit back and breathe a huge sigh of relief for another year at least.

Celtic Park on Sunday afternoon was the focal point once again with a large number of supporters showing their displeasure at the enforced minutes silence, and naturally it’s achieved nothing but let the SMSM take a pop at the club and supporters.

Look, I don’t agree with the hijacking of a plastic flower all in the aid of some right wing propaganda, but I think keeping your mouth shut for 60 seconds isn’t that hard, even if you disagree with something, or even do what many other supporters, including the entire Green Brigade did and stayed outside until the ‘silence’ was concluded.

Maybe those who can’t help themselves could keep silent for the Celtic players who were killed defending their country in the first two world wars, and their families, or your fellow supporters who had family who gave their lives in the battlefields.

It would also hurt the mainstream media who wouldn’t have anything negative to report on the Celtic supporters such is their ‘poppy fascism’ agenda.

On the other hand as much as I don’t like supporters getting our good name dragged through the mud, those who don’t wish to stay silent and air their displeasure have a point, and more importantly they have the right to do so. Which ironically enough is what those who fought in the two wars gave their lives for.

The main reason Celtic supporters, and a lot of other folk in society including war veterans themselves have a problem with the poppy charade, is that it lost its true meaning a long time ago.

Once upon a time it was all about remembering the fallen from the two world wars who gave the ultimate sacrifice in stopping a brutal murderous regime. Derry born James McLean last week was explaining that he would have had no problem at all wearing a poppy during his time in English football had it remained as a commemoration of the fallen in both World Wars and most if not all Celtic supporters would think the same.

Now it’s about recognising all other ‘wars’ or ‘conflicts’ as they are now known, so that means the invasion of the six counties across the water, as well as the Falkland’, Iraq and Afghanistan are included in the remembrance charade.

Celtic have a big supporter base in the six counties, and many of our supporters have descendants from that part of the world, so why would they bow their heads to a regime who committed acts of murder against innocent people that they have an emotional connection to?

When the Green Brigade entered the stadium after staying away from the silence on Sunday this is the song that they sang and the story of what happened to Aiden McAnespie is in the second video for those looking in who don’t quite understand the reaction of Celtic supporters on Sunday.

Our rival supporters across the city get regularly back patted for their ‘support’ of the armed forces (when they are not nicking their collection money) but it’s all nothing but a political statement by a group of nedish supporters who know very little or nothing at all about the true meaning of the two ‘big’ wars.

The Ibrox support has a history of displaying fascist flags and making fascist salutes but they like nothing better than jumping on the inevitable reaction from Celtic supporters at this time of year to try to sell their hatred of our club to a wider audience. It’s pathetic.

Indeed the very same supporter base are often publicly airing their displeasure against those in society who are perceived as ‘different’ an attitude that the men and woman they often profess to worship gave the ultimate sacrifice in a bid to eradicate.

I’m not saying that all the Ibrox supporters are the same, but the majority of them use the poppy and the remembrance period as nothing more than a political statement whilst caring not a jot about the real reasoning behind it.

This is something that has been brought over from the north of Ireland over the past few decades. Before that many Celtic supporters would wear poppies at this time of year. On Sunday I saw absolutely none in or around the stadium, which in turn denies many Celtic supporters who have family members who made the ultimate sacrifice fighting fascism to pause for a moment to remember.

Next November it will all happen again, Celtic will probably be away from home and we’ll have to endure the pantomime season which for us happens a month before everyone else. Celtic FC meanwhile quietly for decades has made a significant annual donation to the Poppy Appeal, unlike our noisy neighbours.

Just an Ordinary Bhoy

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