The Green and Red of Amedspor!
For the most obvious of reasons Glasgow has long been framed as being the fabled ‘tale of two cities’ when it comes to its fitba’.
The tale of Glasgow’s two opposites is best defined by what our clubs represent, chiefly, I am talking about the notion of identity and ethnocultural symbolism which is attached to Celtic and Rangers. One, representing a politically conservative and unionist outlook which, historically, has been intertwined with Orangeism, Britishness and anti-Catholicism. The other represents a symbol of Irishness, migration and is sympathetic to republican ideals in its political outlook with a heritage of Catholicism.
Glasgow, it seems, is the defining arena which proves that, yes, football, politics and cultural identity really do and perhaps always should mix. Sociologists and social historians alike have long since written about this – see the back catalogue of the likes of Joe Bradley or John Kelly of Edinburgh University for some great reading on this.
Football clubs and their fans have long been a vehicle for expression one way or another. That is, of course, if the state - in our case the Scottish Government and state agents such as Police Scotland - are willing to allow freedom of expression and cultural or ethnic symbolism to be on display at football games.
The State Says ‘No!’
Many within the Celtic support know exactly what happens when the state decides against such symbolism however. The Flags and Banners Act, many of its derivatives, intrusive surveillance and hastily written legislation or BIlls (OBFB etc.) have perhaps never been more ruthlessly employed in Scotland than when in relation to the display of Ireland, Palestine and even Cuba / Che Guevara flags. All of which have been victims of a delegitimising process witnessed at Celtic Park over the decades. Indeed, the first debate about the ‘legitimacy’ of Celtic flying the Irish tricolour over Celtic Park is now over a century old.