TAL FANZINE

Tiocfaidh Ár La- For Celtic & Ireland Issue 43 £2/€3

 Inside This Issue
Editorial
Friends & Brave Comrades
Letters
Team Talk
50 Years Since 7 Past Niven
PLC Watch Special - John Reid
Let The People Sing
TAL Goes To Bilbao
HNT - 25 YEARS ON
The Big Blue Lie
Ultras Sankt Pauli
Green Brigade
Seanchai Interview
Celtic Minded - Book Review
TÁL’s Team FOR THIS ISSUE
Talman, Bertibhoy, Holloway Gael, Fidel, Karl,
Marxman, MacIlhatton, CFCEddie, GCSC, Spuds,
brummie bhoy, REBEL ARTS, MATTY-BHOY

With thanks to: CHRIS BYRNE, Green brigade,

USP & All the bhoys who sell the fanzine
TAL Issue 44 DEC/JAN will have all the regular features plus
articles on: Celtic & The Tricolour; Freedom For Catalonia;
Basque Anti-Fascists; St Pauli & The Celts - A History;
 ISSUE 43 - OCT/NOV 2007
*The appointment of John Reid as chair-
man of the Celtic board is probably the
biggest challenge in some years that we
have faced as left republican Celts. It is
a further indication of the complete dis-
regard that the PLC have for the true
wishes of Celtic fans and shows their
own lack of feeling for the political cul-
ture of our supporters. If ever there was
a time to fight to preserve the heart and
soul of our great club, that time is NOW!
*Something very sick eats away at the
dark hearts of some of the ‘follow fol-
lowers’ of the club from Govan. The
campaign to denigrate and assassinate
the character of the late great Jock
Stein is plumbing new depths, even for
them. Fair play to George Galloway, the
Respect Party MP, who was brave
enough to confront “The Big Lie” head
on in his radio show and through his
column in the daily record. The silence
from the mainstream Scottish sports
media on this subject has been deafen-
ing. Even more embarrassing, however,
has been the silence from our own club
who have failed to defend the honour of
our greatest ever manager.
Write to:
TAL BOOKS
BM BOX 266
LONDON
WC1N 3XX
Friends & Brave Comrades
Two great anti-fascist fighters for freedom
and socialism died in the intervening period
between issues of TÁL. One of them was
Commandante Giovanni Pesce, the former
commander of the anti-fascist Partisans in
northern Italy and a veteran of the Spanish
Civil War, who spoke at the commemora-
tion in Milan that TÁL held earlier this year.
The other was
James Maley, re-
publican, commu-
nist and anti-fascist
veteran of the Battle
of Jarama. Mr Ma-
ley was a patron of
AFA when it was set up in Glasgow in the
early 90’s. He spoke at the organisation’s
inaugural public meeting and alwaysmade
himself available to offer encouragement
and advice to younger anti-fascists. It was
a privilege to have met such men. We shall
not see their likes again.
It is now up to a new generation to continue
the struggle against racism, fascism and
injustice that fighters like Pesce and Maley
devoted their lives to.
NO PASARAN!
WEBSITE
www.talfanzine.com
FORUM
talfanzine.galacforums.com
EMAIL
talfanzine@googlemail.com
3
 Keep On Keepin’ On
Dia Duit TÁL,
Your Jan 07 issue was a very good read
which gave me an insight into a lot of
things I wasn;t aware of, as well as a lot
of stuff that I was. I first read a copy of
TÁL somewhere around 2002 and I founf
it a very positive and vibrant read. In
your fanzine you offer knowledge, por-
tray truth and encourage Celtic support-
ers to embrace solidarity, to have a voice
of their own and know the real meaning
of ‘when Saturday comes’ in Scottish
football.
As Ultras for Celtic FC I like the Green
Brigade’s stance, having the necessary
philosophy to support our football club.
Things that you try to achieve, from
singing, displaying of banners, to let
your feelings be known is great.
In Issue 41 you mentioned the MBNA
Celtic Credit Cards. My view is as fol-
lows… The MBNA Celtic Credit Card is an
utter scutter and they are using our
team to exploit us supporters. Anyone
who has one is a clown in my opinion
and needs to get a grip. It’s up to us the
supporters to say no to this exploitation.
Little by little, we can do this. ‘Buichas le
dia’
Many Celtic supporters that I know re-
fused to buy the last Umbro Celticx shirt
before Nike stepped in because they felt
that the board was poutting the squeeze
on them, exploiting our success during
the 03/04 season. THAT’S real support.
I n times like these when so many clubs
around the world are exploiting their
fans, I feel that it’s more necessary than
ever to have left-wing supporters groups
like TÁL, Green Brigade and others to let
the teams know that the heroes and
memories of the past will not be tram-
pled on, or forgotten.
Please keep producing TÁL.
Go raibh maith agat,
Ian, Co. Ros comáin
4
Good to see you back!
Dear TÁL,
It was with great happiness that I stumbled
upon one of your sellers on the way into
the ground recently. I say stumbled on him
because I had a few pints before the game
so I hope I didnae talk too much shite to
the guy!
It’s good to see TÁL back again although I
thought that the last issue lacked the bite
of previous years. I like the anti-fascist
articles and interviews with ultras groups,
but I think you should stick to interviewing
political football fans like you did in the
past. I couldn’t understand the part of the
interview with the Standard Liege Ultras
where they said that they were anti-fascist
and anti-racist, but also non-political –
surely that is a contradiction in terms? It
looks to me like these guys are either con-
fused about their politics or just don’t have
clue because surely to be an anti-fascist
means that you are political? That’s what I
always picked up from TÁL in the past. I
think you should have challenged them on
that and was disappointed that you didn’t.
That aside, I still think that TÁL pishes all
over the opposition, it is still the only fan-
zine that takes more than 5 minutes to
read from cover to cover, and the only one
that I go back to and read articles over
again. The Che article was really good, by
the way, as was the Frank Ryan stuff in the
previous issue. Please keep it coming and
keep it political and strong.
For Celtic & Ireland, JY, Glasgow
GET REID OUT!
A Chairde,
I hope that TÁL is going to be at the front
of the queue to get John Reid out of our
club. It’s an embarrassment to everything
that Celtic stands for to have Reid as our
Chairman. What are the board playing at?
If this is the way that Celtic is going I for
one will be seriously reviewing my commit-
ment to the club by refusing to renew my
season book next year. Please TAL, get the
fight against Reid going.
Is mise, SMcE, Greenock
TEAM TAlK
As we go to press the team will hopefully
have notched up a victory over the
forces of darkness at The Reichstag.
Whilst tyere’s no doubting that rangers
will present us with more problems and
greater competition for the
championship this season,
there’s also no denying that
Celtic play the better football of
the two big Glasgow clubs, with
Gordon Strachan’s preferred
style of play now beginning to
finally show through.
The hiccup against Hibs at
Easter Road was a worrying
departuire from our run of victo-
ries, but it is inevitable that teams like
Hibs and Hertz will raise their games
against us and we will have to fight for
every point against them.
In Europe our fortunes are looking up
after the early defeat to Shakhtar with
the stunning home victory over AC Milan
in the Champions League. Even the
numpty running on to the pitch to nomi-
nate Dida for an Academy Award
couldn’t spoil the feelgood factor of that
victory. The best player on the night,
however, was the Parkhead crowd. Once
again we proved our worth as Celtic’s
‘12th man’.
It will still not be easy to qualify from this
group because both Shakhtar and Ben-
fica will provide us with stiff opposition.
Shakhtar have already taken the group
by storm with victories over us on their
home patch and away to Benfica. They
are likely to be as difficult a proposition
at Celtic Park as they were in Donetsk.
Once again it is we the supporters who
will have to play our part to overcome a
formidable opponent.
In terms of form players, you have to
hand all the praise to Scott MacDonald
who is fast proving himself to be a class
act and a favourite with the fans. Scott is
absolutely tireless, never switches off or
stops working for the team as a whole.
He looks set to become a Celtic legend if
he isn’t careful!
Scott Brown is a player who is
showing that his £4.4m transfer
fee might prove to be the bar-
gain of the decade. Another
player who never stops working
for the team.
Big Artur has not been looking
too great in some of the match-
es, especially against Hibs
where his blunders effectively
cost us the match. There
maybe an element of complacency
creeping into his game, however, it’s
hard to fault a player who at times has
saved us many a match. I am confident
that Boruc will come good again. The big
stage is where he is at his best and I am
looking forward to some great perform-
ances from him in the Champions
League.
Aiden McGreedy still flatters to deceive
at times... If only Aiden could master the
art of looking up and making the simple
pass, rather than trying to take on a
whole defence, his overall game would
vastly improve.
Our biggest problem area is in the two
full-back positions. With both Doumbe
and Wilson injured and Naylor proving to
be a total dumpling this season the signs
are not good. It has been obvious for at
least a season that we were short of
depth and quality in this department. If
we are to retain the league title this sea-
son we are going to have to find a couple
of quality players to fill these positions.
Watch out for fresh faces when the
transfer window re-opens, especially if
we are still competing in European com-
petition. Article by Talman
5
 50 Years AGO
Beattie, Donnelly, Fallon, Fernie, Evans,
Peacock, Tully, Collins, McPhail, Wilson
and Mochan.
Maybe not the greatest eleven in the story of
the Celtic but without doubt a team that
achieved one of its most famous results,
namely the 7-1 destruction of the Rangers on
the 19th of October 1957. In fact it’s probably
fair to say that only the names of the Lisbon
Lions are more often recited than the above.
It was a remarkable score made all the more
so when you consider that this was a particu-
larly barren period in the clubs history. The
league championship success of 1954 was the
only title between 1938 and 1966 and although
league football was suspended during the
course of the Second World War that is still a
depressing statistic. Even the occasional cup
success could not conceal the fact that the
Club were going nowhere and wouldn’t find the
direction it was in desperate need of until a
certain Jock Stein returned to the club to in-
herit the role of manager from Jimmy McGrory.
Of course 1957 was also the year that IRA vol-
unteers Sean South and Fergal O’Hanlon were
killed on active service in the early hours of
New Years Day in an attack on a police station
in Brookeborough, Co Fermanagh, these were
the first fatalities suffered by the IRA during the
border campaign which began the previous
November. All in all it was a difficult time for
Celtic supporters and Irish Republicans but
events at Hampden on that unforgettable day
in the winter sun would at last give an embit-
tered community an opportunity to once again with a glorious hat-trick, a second goal from
6
hold their heads up high.
McGrory’s team had reached the final having
overcome Hibernian, East Fife and Airdrieoni-
ans in their section losing only once, to Hibs at
Easter Rd. They then beat Third Lanark home
and away before defeating Clyde in the semi
final to set up the first Celtic-Rangers decider
since the inception of the competition some
seventeen years earlier, under the guise of the
Southern League Cup.
Despite Celtic going into the game as current
holders it was Rangers who were overwhelm-
ing favourites to wrestle the league cup away
from their rivals grasp. Had they done so by a
similar winning margin it might not have made
the same headlines as Celtics stunning victory
such was the perceived supremacy of the light
blues at that time. Remember this was a
Rangers side that contained Ibrox legends
such as Shearer, Caldow, Niven Hubbard and
McColl.
But on the day Celtic showed little regard for
the reputation of their opponents and set about
destroying their old adversaries with a per-
formance of strength, skill and attacking foot-
ball that was as good as anything that Puskas,
Di Stefano and that unstoppable Real Madrid
team of the late 50's and early 60's would
serve up just a few years later at the self same
famous old stadium.
Right from the first whistle the Hoops signalled
their intent by laying siege to the Rangers goal
and the biggest surprise was that it took until
just after the first quarter of the game for them
to break the deadlock such was the unrelent-
ing pressure they put their opponents under. It
was Sammy Wilson who broke the deadlock
before Neily Mochan notched another just be-
fore half time. But even the most partial of
Celtic supporters could not have predicted
what was to take place after the interval.
Five more goals for the Hoops and just a sin-
gle, solitary consolation strike for the old en-
emy meant that Celtic and their support were
in seventh heaven. Billy McPhail led the rout
Mochan and a penalty from Willie Fernie in
the last minute sent the faithful wild whilst at
the other end it was all too much for the Huns
to swallow.
Firstly they fought to get onto the pitch in the
hope of having the game abandoned and
when they were prevented from doing so
they fought among themselves... The area
behind the goal was littered with broken
glass as beer bottles rained down from the
terracing, thrown by Huns as they streamed
out of the ground in shock and disgust. All of
this took place long before Bobby Eveans
climbed the steps to accept the cup in ack-
owledgement of one of the most celebrated
days in the clubs fabled history.
Those Celtic supporters who gathered on the
grassy Hampden slopes would have gladly
accepted any kind of victory on the day such
was the distinct lack of success during that
era but what took place was much, much
more than a mere derby win. Not only did
those eleven players write their names in
Celtic folklore and Scottish football history
such was the manner of the victory but they
also provided supporters with the memory of
an event which would be celebrated and
handed down from generation to generation
of Hoops fans for time immemorial.
Many songs have been written about this
particular game including Hampden in the
Sun --a parody of Harry Bellefonte’s hit of the
time, 'Island in the Sun'-- and ‘Piling On The
Agony’ which is sung to the tune of ‘Putting
on the Ritz’. All are fitting tributes to a mo-
mentous occasion but it is the chorus of an-
other, sung to the air of Kevin Barry, which
perhaps best highlights the link between the
deaths of Volunteers South and O’Hanlon
early in 1957 and the 7-1 victory some ten
months later both of which took place exactly
half a century ago this year. Sing it and see
for yourselves...
Another goal for Glasgow Celtic,
Another victory for the cause,
Another reason to be giving,
Another cheer just for the Bhoys.
And if I live to be a hundred,
I’ll never, ever have such fun,
As the day that Glasgow Celtic
Beat the Rangers Seven One.
Article by Holloway Gael
7
 PLC WATCH SPECIAL By Berti Bhoy
The recent an- ous ways and the Mail on Sunday recently
nouncement revealed that he systematically sexually
that John Reid harassed fellow Labour MP Dawn Prima-
will step down rolo over a period of years. This matter
from Parliament was reported to Labour’;s parliamentary
at the next elec- whips office and he was carpeted by the
tion has re-ig- then Labour leader John Smith who
nited warned him that unless he stopped trying
speculation that to force his unwanted sexual attentions
the former Cabinet Minister will become on Ms Primarolo and ceased his heavy
the next chairman of Celtic. So what of drinking, his parliamentary career would
the man most likely to replace Brian be over.
Quinn?
Reid’s aggression, however, was not only
John Reid was born in the mining village confined to sexual harassment. He first
of Cardowan in May 1947, the son of a came to public attention by drunkenly
postman and a factory worker, humble attacking an attendant in Parliament. His
roots which he makes much capital of. He political fortunes improved after beating
left school at 16 to become an insurance the bottle but his reputation as a bully
clerk and married his childhood sweet- was enhanced. It was no surprise that
heart, before attending Stirling University after New Labour’s landslide election vic-
as a mature student. tory in 1997 Reid was rewarded for his
loyalty to new leader Tony Blair by his
At that time Reid was well-known for his
appointment as Armed Forces Minister.
disposition to sing Irish rebel songs in the
Reid happily posed as Action Man on a
students’ bar, but he became more prom-
British Army tank.
inent when elected as president of the
students’ union. It was during these elec- By 1999 Reid was in Blair’s Cabinet, given
tions that Reid’s reputation as a careerist the job of Secretary of State for Scotland.
was born, standing as the communist And here it gets very interesting. Investi-
candidate despite the reservations of the gating the lobbyists who try to influence
party on campus. Jim White, secretary of our elected representatives The Observer
the Young Communist League now re- newspaper filmed John Reid’s 24 year-old
flects that Reid was an “opportunist” while son Kevin boasting to potential clients “I
Ken Ferguson, another former student know the Secretary of State very, very
comrade, says that “he wasn’t political”. well, because he’s my father”. Once the
Reid won, but soon switched sides. The story broke Kevin Reid’s usefulness to his
Guardian’s Tom Bower says that “financial employer, Beattie Media, was outlived
imperatives had persuaded him to aban- and his short career as a lobbyist was
don the communists for Labour”. Such over just a few months after it had begun.
ruthless ambition and an absence of any His father had more of a direct influence
real conviction became the hallmark of in his previous job, though this too was
Reid’s career. mired in controversy. Elizabeth Filkin, the
Parliamentary Commissioner for Stand-
He made the switch from student politics
ards, severely censured Reid for abusing
to the real thing, making his name as a
his privileged position after it was re-
researcher and speech-writer for Neil Kin-
vealed that Reid’s son and two others had
nock. Reid was also known for his lecher-
8
worked for Labour during
the inaugural election for
the Scottish Parliament,
but had been paid as
‘researchers’ for Scottish
Labour MP’s (Reid was one
of them). In the course of
the investigation Reid was
taped intimidating party
colleagues to get their sto-
ries straight and Filkin
found that he was guilty of
“threats of a particularly
disturbing kind”.
Reid later took on the role
of Health Secretary and
was responsible for hand-
ing Labour donor Paul
Drayson’s pharmaceutical
company a £32m govern-
ment contract. Despite re-
quests under the Freedom
of Information Act to dis-
close information on how
the contract was awarded,
Reid’s department refused
to do so. The Parliamen-
tary Ombudsman quite un-
derstandably viewed this
as a “matter of great con-
cern”.
And so we come to Dermot
Desmond, the power be-
hind the chairman’s
throne. Desmond’s
“vehicle management solu-
tions” company Venson is
a generous donor to New
Labour, giving £34, 375
earlier this year. This prob-
ably comes as no surprise,
since they’ve benefited
from the government’s Pri-
vate Finance Initiative pol-
icy to the tune of lucrative
contracts with Nottingham
Police, Merseyside Fire
Service and the East Anglia
Ambulance Fund. Accord-
ing to the register of MPs’
interests Desmond’s gen-
erosity also stretched to
flying John Reid to the
2007 Scottish Cup Final.
Reid also reports that he
was taken, all-expenses-
paid, to the Uefa Cup semi-
final second leg away to
Boavista, and the final in
Seville itself, as a guest of
the Club.
Dermot Desmond, of
course, didn’t get rich by
giving his money away and
John Reid wasn’t the first
politician to be showered
with gifts by the billionaire.
Desmond is known to have
made secret payment to
the off-shore account of
Charlie Haughey, the dis-
graced former Taoiseach,
and spent £75,000 on a
lavish refit of Haughey’s
private yacht. The Moriarty
Tribunal into Haughey’s
conduct said it was a
“reasonable inference that
Mr Desmond’s motive for
making these payments
was connected with the
public office of Taoiseach”.
Desmond’s business inter-
ests extend to financing
biometrics company Daon,
who are in the business of
airport security and have
recently linked up with the
American Association of
Airport Executives to de-
velop tamperproof ID
cards. John Reid, whose
last brief in Blair’s Cabinet
was as a Home Secretary
responsible for security is-
sues, is co-incidently the
foremost champion of ID
cards in Britain. When
Dean Nelson, the editor of
the Scottish edition of the
Sunday Times commented
that Reid’s ethos is “not
about making life better for
the working class … [but]
… about looking after your-
self and your mates and
not being accountable to
anyone” it didn’t come as
too much of a shock to
those who’ve followed
Reid’s career. When the
story broke linking Reid to
the chairman’s job at Celtic
Park its tone was just as
unsurprising. The Daily
Telegraph report "The ap-
pointment of Mr Reid, 60,
has been pushed for by
Dermot Desmond, the Irish
entrepreneur who is the
largest shareholder in the
club. Mr Reid might also
become involved in the air-
port security company,
Daon, which is backed by
Mr Desmond. Sources said
the financier is keen to get
access to Mr Reid's formi-
dable contacts book, which
includes people such as
America's head of Home-
land Security, Michael
Chertoff."
Desmond’s attraction to
appointing Reid is fairly
evident. But the unsuitabil-
ity of Reid for the post
extends even beyond the
likelihood that his appoint-
ment would render our
club nothing but a conven-
ient pawn in a billionaire’s
business plan.
After being moved from his
position as Scottish Secre-
tary in the wake of Lobbyg-
ate Reid took on the role of
Secretary of State for
14
‘Northern Ireland’. Upon his appointment
he declared himself “a Catholic, a Brit, a
Celtic supporter and a unionist". This
Catholic, Celtic-supporting Brit certainly
nailed his colours to the unionist mast,
suspending the power-sharing Stormont
Executive when an alleged “IRA spy-ring”
was uncovered in October 2002. Reid,
who was ultimately responsible for intelli-
gence gathering in the north of Ireland,
watched on as 200 RUC/PSNI officers
raided homes across nationalist west Bel-
fast. Despite several arrests in a blaze of
publicity, all charges laid were later
dropped and it later became clear that the
principle “suspect” was Denis Donaldson,
an RUC Special Branch informer. Sinn
Fein’s Martin McGuinness rather astutely
observed that “what we are seeing is John
Reid effectively taking up the demands of
the unionist political leadership who have
already very clearly stated they are op-
posed to the Good Friday Agreement”.
Into the power vacuum created by Reid,
stepped Ian “A Protestant Parliament for a
Protestant people” Paisley’s Democratic
Unionist Party and the power-sharing in-
stitutions have only recently been re-
stored. Reid became the British direct
ruler in Ireland and befriended Ronnie
Flanagan, the then Chief Constable of the
RUC/PSNI. Under Flanagan’s watch the
RUC colluded with loyalist paramilitaries in
the murders of republicans and national-
ists, whilst those unionists who opposed
the loyalist’s reign of terror were also seen
as fair game. Mark Thompson, spokesman
for the campaigning Relatives for Justice
group says that responsibility for state
murder lies “squarely with the British gov-
ernment”.
Reid later commissioned Flanagan to re-
view the capabilities of the Iraqi police in
2005. Flanagan would, no doubt, feel
quite at ease in this role - after all compar-
isons could be drawn with his old stomp-
ing ground in the Six Counties, as Iraq too
is occupied by an Imperial power and the
police ranks are swelled by sectarian big-
ots. While Flanagan’s hands were already
bloodstained as a result of the collusion
with loyalist death squads by his police
force, John Reid’s bloody imprint is all
over the occupation of Iraq. When the late
Robin Cook took a principled stand against
the proposed war and resigned from gov-
ernment, there was only one man Tony
Blair was going to call to replace him as
Leader of the House of Commons, John
Reid, the “attack dog” of New Labour.
Reid’s main task was to make sure MPs
were ‘on message’ and voted for the ille-
gal, immoral war. Tragically he was suc-
cessful.
After a brief spell as Health Secretary,
where he displayed his financial acumen
by striking a deal over consultants pay
that many feel is responsible for NHS
deficits and job cuts (Paul Miller, the Brit-
ish Medical Association’s negotiator during
talks with Reid says that he “under-esti-
mated the huge amounts consultants
would earn in overtime”), he became di-
rectly responsible for the war crimes com-
mitted by the invasion and occupation of
Iraq as Defence Secretary. In Reid’s short
spell in the role he urged people to be
“slow to condemn” troops who were
caught on videotape abusing Iraqi cap-
tives and even the previously compliant
Basra Council broke off ties with their
British occupiers over the mistreatment of
Iraqi civilians, with the city governor de-
nouncing the “barbaric aggression” of the
occupying force. While he was Defence
Secretary two cases of war crimes, under
the banner of the International Criminal
Court, were held before British court mar-
tial. Seven soldiers were brought before
the court martial on charges relating to
the horrific murder of Basra hotel worker
Baha Mousa, who had 93 separate injuries
inflicted on him. All were acquitted,
though Cpl Donald Payne admitted inhu-
mane treatment of detainees, the first
British soldier to be convicted of a war
crime. The second related to the deliber-
ate drowning of 15 year-old Ahmed Jabber
Kareem Ali. While the military trials were
ongoing the Tory MP Ben Wallace quite
pertinently remarked that “if we are
charging these men with neglect we must
recognise that the chain of command does
not stop with commanding officers”. Not
that Iraq was Reid’s first brush with war
crimes. In the early 1990s he built up a
friendship with Radovan Karadzic. Karad-
zic led the Bosnian Serbs during the Bal-
kan conflict and at its height in 1993 he
entertained Reid at a luxury lakeside hotel
in Geneva. Perhaps it was during his 3
days holidaying with the mastermind of
the Srebrenica massacre that the boy from
Cardowan’s appetite for war was whetted?
When asked in a recent interview with The
Independent about his links to Karadzic
Reid could only tersely reply that “These
are matters for the International Criminal
Court”. So too, should John Reid’s crimes
in Iraq.
Reid, escaping justice, saw
out his Cabinet career with
the Home Office portfolio,
and it was here his conver-
sion from student lefty was
complete as his reaction-
ary policies moved the
Sunday Herald’s widely-re-
spected commentator Ian
MacWhirter to call him “an
authoritarian of the popu-
list right”. Not content with the vain search
for ‘weapons of mass destruction’ in war-
torn Iraq Reid appealed to the “bombralot
of them” sentiments of the Sun’s more
excitable readership, arguing for the right
of pre-emptive strike (i.e. going to war
without being attacked) and refusing to
condemn the US’s appalling detention and
torture in Guantanamo Bay and its
‘extradordinary rendition’ flights, which
pass through British airports.
His credentials as a reactionary were fur-
ther strengthened by his irrational immi-
gration policy. When asylum seekers at
Harmondsworth detention centre set fire
to the camp in protest at the horrendous
conditions Reid furiously called it an
“attempt to sabotage the enforcement of
our immigration law”. This immigration
law was shown to be morally redundant
when Reid ordered the forced removal of
32 failed Iraqi asylum seekers, despite
their appeals having not been heard. The
Iraqis, of course, were returned to a war-
zone created by Reid and his colleagues.
They were more-than-likely picked up in a
‘dawn raid’, torn from the communities
they called home in the middle of the
night. While mainstream Scottish society
recoils in horror at dawn raids and the
dreadful Dungavel detention centre,
where those fleeing persecution and their
children are locked up, our working-class
hero does not. The then Home Secretary
saw political opportunity and happily
smiled for the cameras, accompanying
police on a 5am raid to drag families from
their homes. His ire was not reserved only
for asylum seekers, but legal migrants
too. In a further sop to the
right-wing papers he was to
whip up yet more anger, rant-
ing that “It is unfair that for-
eigners come to this country
and steal our benefits, steal
our services and undermine
the minimum wage by work-
ing”. The only thing under-
mining the minimum wage,
benefits and services, howev-
er, was Reid’s illogical capping
of migrants from the newly-acceded EU
states of Romania and Bulgaria. This meant
that while Romanians and Bulgarians were,
as EU citizens, allowed to live here, they
weren’t allowed to legally work – meaning
less taxes and a pool of illegal workers for
unscrupulous employers to exploit, eroding
the minimum wage for all. John Reid didn’t
care though, for pandering to the anti-im-
migrant sentiments of the media and creat-
ing a climate of fear and hatred was just a
good career move.
The supreme irony in all of this is that Reid,
the anti-immigrant, war criminal and war-
monger, and a former British direct ruler in
the north of Ireland, is now to become the
next chairman of Celtic, a club founded by
(and largely for) the poor Irish immigrant
community in Glasgow, driven from their
homeland by the effects of British rule and
conflict in Ireland.
11
 LET THE PEOPLE SING
It was Tommy Burns who
once proclaimed that “when
you play for Celtic you are
playing for a cause and a
people”. He was of course
referring to the history,
identity and origins of
the team that he played for,
managed and now coach-
es. Tommy understands
that Celtic beats with an
Irish heart because he is
first and foremost a sup-
porter who like the Club
itself, was born in the Cal-
ton.
But here we are now faced
with a Board of Directors
who are determined to tear
out that heart by forbidding
any outward expression of
our heritage by
declaring the singing of
songs that tell the story of
Ireland as ‘unacceptable
conduct’. The intention of
the PLC is to transform
Celtic from a Football
Club with a tradition of con-
fronting social and political
injustice, into an interna-
tional sporting franchise
bereft of any moral or ethi-
cal responsibility, and a
desire to once and for all
break the chains that bind it
to a chapter in the
club’s past from which they
are desperate to escape.
In their attempts to do so
the Board are happy to em-
ploy distasteful tactics such
12
as threats, intimidation and
manipulation whilst hiding
behind the governing bod-
ies (both national and
international) warning
of sanctions being imposed
on the club as a result of
the actions of its support-
ers. This, the
Directors would rather
do than offer guidance and
leadership or negotiate a
way forward that is agreea-
ble to all parties.
So why is it that the PLC
has reneged on its respon-
sibility whilst maintaining
their stance that there is a
real risk of the club being
penalised? Surely the onus
is on them to outline what
is and isn’t acceptable as a
means of preventing any
possible breach
and subsequent punishme
nt. Any failure to do so
should be interpreted by a
disciplinary panel as not
being pro-active in ad-
dressing the issue, there-
fore identifying the Club
and not its supporters, as
the guilty party.
Of course the reason why
the Board are unwilling to
conduct this debate
is because they above
all, know that the majority
of songs sung by our sup-
port whether Irish or
otherwise could not in any
way be deemed sectarian,
bigoted, or for that matter
offensive. And once that
fact has been established it
blows a hole in the case for
the PLC and puts
in jeopardy their cosy
little arrangement with the
real bigots from across the
City.
And so the support are left
in a state of limbo, on the
one hand it is seemingly
OK for ‘Michael to rebel
against the famine and the
Crown’ and acceptable to
‘let the people sing their
lullabies and battle cries…’
but then if you do you run
the risk of being suspended
indefinitely or banned com-
pletely from matches in-
volving Celtic anywhere, as
has already happened.
Despite those contradic-
tions there is a realisation
among Celtic fans that
songs which explicitly in-
voke the IRA may be
deemed offensive to some,
though certainly not sectari-
an. However there is no
shortage of
alternatives that have been
sung at Celtic Park in the
past and could be once
more revived allowing us to
preserve our traditions
without compromising our
principles as well as setting
the agenda for the battles
ahead.
God save Ireland and The
Wearing of the Green are
two that immediately
spring to mind and
A Nation Once Again is
another. On a more perti-
nent note wouldn’t it be
great to hear the
WolfeTones’ Protestant
Men reverberating
around Celtic Park? Could
the Board really justify
prohibiting a song which
honours the contribution
of Protestants to the
cause of uniting
Ireland and its
people irrespective of their
religious persuasion? But
if the PLC is not prepared
to display flexibility and a
willingness to negotiate
around the issue then we
must call their bluff and
challenge their stance.
Almost inevitably they will
accuse us of standing in
the way of progress but
nothing could be further
from the truth. All we ask
is that in building for the
future we continue to re-
member and celebrate our
past. After all, what is the
point of supporters erect-
ing a statue of Brother
Walfrid in front of the main
entrance to Celtic Park if
we are not going to hon-
our his memory and cher-
ish the ideals upon which
the club was founded?
Now is the time...
Let The People Sing.
Article by Holloway Gael
Remembering Martin
Friend, Comrade & ‘Top Bhoy’
It’s difficult and sad to write these words
about my friend Martin McCamley, even a
year after the tragedy, because Martin was
one of the nicest young lads I ever met on
the football casual scene. To give a proper
perspective of Martin we have to go back to
the old terraces at Celtic Park, before the
middle-class ‘sit down and don’t sing bri-
gade’ of new Celtic fans took over.
The Celtic casuals used to congregate near
the pie stall at the back of the old Celtic
end. At one of the home games a young lad
of about 16 bounced over asking ‘how do I
join the CSC mate?’ This was our first encounter with Martin. Well, to
say that we made it easy for him would be lying. He got the piss ripped
out him; telling him that there were fees to pay and contracts he’d have
to sign and, of course, the customary tattoo that he would need to get
done. After keeping this up for a bit, we took him out for a beer and
from then on Martin was one of the lads. Believe it or not, he did go and
get the tattoo done not long after!
Martin was sound, always there for a laugh when times were bad, or
the game was shit. On the long journeys back home we could always
count on Martin doing something daft that would have us in a state.
I personally got to know Martin better when Celtic played Airdrie in the
early 90’s. Martin was still only about 17 at the time and going to that
match proved to be a costly experience for him. He was arrested and,
despite our predictions that he would most likely only get a fine with it
being his first offence, he ended up getting a 3 month jail sentence for a
football ‘breach’. We didn’t realise back then that this was a taste of
what was to come in terms of prison sentences being used as a first
resort rather than as the ultimate sanction for football hooligans. Unfor-
tunately, Martin became one of the earliest casualties of the new crack-
down. Just shows how much we knew!
Any roads, lots of the lads kept in touch with him during his sentence
and to show his commitment and appreciation to the lads, he straight
back into the fray at the first game after his release, which showed his
character to most of us.
Over the years, as the casual scene died down, Martin grew up and
had his own family to support, with a house and mortgage to maintain.
However, he could still always be counted upon to come out for the big
occasions.
On Saturday 12th August last year Martin tragically passed away. To
say that this was another sad loss is an understatement, as Martin was
still young and had a full life ahead of him. He left behind his father, sis-
ter and his 2 sons.
Martin, or ‘Top Bhoy’, as he was always telling us, will be missed, not
just by the football lads, but by many beyond. From his friends around
the Gallowgate bars to everybody who knew or ever met Martin could
have had nothing but kind words about him.
Rest in peace Mucker,
Eastender C.S.C
13
 After a night in London and eventually meeting
up at Celtic Lhad’s house in the very early
hours of the Saturday via a train from Man-
chester, a visit tae Camden Town Odeon (rip-
off),a tin of sardines…!,missed trains and
tubes, getting stranded (honest!) in a late-night
multi-musical Turkish restaurant, and an even
later night mercy mission from Mrs Celtic Lhad
(many thanks Mrs CL), we eventually arrive in
Bilbao.
We are met at Bilbao airport by one of Athletic
Bilbao’s anti-fascist Ultras organisers (Herri
Norte Taldea) and by our friend, comrade and
hostess, Madelene. At this point the TAL dele-
gation go our separate ways and arrange to
meet up at the H.N.T. place in Bilbao in the af-
ternoon for the big meal that they have laid on
as part of a week-end of food, music, football,
and political discussion to mark the 25th Anni-
versary of the H.N.T.
It’s a short drive of about 20 minutes to the out-
skirts of Bilbao and the rural village of Amorebi-
eta in Madelen’s car. The village is surrounded
by forests and foothills and on the way there
we are brought up to speed with what’s been
happening. Inaki de Juana Chaos - a key mem-
ber of ETA and an integral person to the
Basque peace talks - has gone back on hunger
strike. Batasuna have been made illegal again,
the Spanish government have imposed a seri-
ous of repressive measures aimed at the
Basque people and in particular the Basque
youth movements, who face daily intimidation
for political activities.
Batasuna’s supporters
are basically without
representation and
are being represented
by proxy via the
Basque Communist
Party in the parlia-
ment. There are dem-
onstrations planned for the week-end as the
Basque people are very unhappy at the current
log-jam in the Peace talks and the failure of the
Spanish government to consider an amnesty
for P.O.W.s. Oh aye, and Athletic Club of Bil-
bao are having a very poor season sitting as
they are as we go to press a lowly 15th in La
14
Liga, and in her own words are ‘playing shite ’ !
We arrive at Madelen’s home, a wee farm-
house in the hills. You can see the mountains
in the distance, it’s an awesome sight, real pic-
ture postcard material. As they don’t get many
visitors from other countries, some friends and
neighbours arrive to check us out.
We are made very welcome by M’s partner
Matjaxo who has a belter of a barbeque on the
go which he has made with chopped up logs-
it’s very smoky. He says something in Euskara
(Basque) which Madelene translates for us:”
He says you will be going home smelling like
Gypsies !” We are then introduced to ‘Ernesto’
who has recently been released from prison for
alleged E.T.A. activities. Ernesto is in great
shape mentally and physically despite 15 years
in jail(10 in solitary).He says the hardest part
was that he kept being moved from prison to
prison in the Basque country and in Spain
which made it hard to escape, and very difficult
for him to keep in contact with friends, com-
rades and family. He is well chuffed when Blue
gives him a present of a Bobby Sands t-shirt.
He puts it on right away and raises his arm and
makes a clenched fist salute and says: “Bobby
Sands, Bobby Sands, Bobby Sands, my broth-
er”. Matjaxo brings out some Basque home
made wine which Blue accepts gladly and
which I - being off the drink - politely decline.
He cannae believe it that a Scotsman will
refuse a bevvy! But no offence is taken and I
settle for a soft drink instead – all that smoke
makes ye thirsty! The smell of the cooking
langoustines on the barbeque is making us re-
ally hungry by now but we can’t hang about for
it, as time is marching on
so we head for the H.N.T. Do. The venue is a
semi-derelict youth centre, which sits by an old
canal in Bilbao and there are a couple of hun-
dred people here. Mostly Athletic anti-fascist
skinheads and some punks, some Bohemians
Prague anti-Fascists, and
a sizeable St Pauli contin-
gent as well as the TAL
Celtic anti fascist delega-
tion ,now featuring Marx-
man and Chelsea Jim who
arrived the night before.

There is an anti fascist merchandise stall with
some cracking gear on display. The Basque lad
doing the stall has a TIOCFAIDH AR LA tattoo
on his arm. The Underground CSC Banner is
soon hoisted up alongside featuring the flags of
the 4 provinces, the revolutionary marigold and
the dove from above ‘,coo-coo coo!!
Bluebhoy seems to have disappeared at this
point, but he turns
up having gone
outside to spew up
in the canal-that’s
what drinking whis-
key the nite before
and no’ having any
dinner does tae ye!
He gets it the gither
though, and we all
go outside for a
Group photo.
There’s a few hours to kill before the HNT Gig
tonight so we head on the metro for the old
town. It’s a rabbit warren of tightly packed
streets, with Ikurrana’s flying from various win-
dows and some mini-murals and political slo-
gans here and there.
We head for a Herriko Bar which raises funds
for P.O.W.s, Marxman and CJ were in there the
night before, but this time it seems that ‘siesta’
is one thing that the Basques and Spanish do
agree on, and unfortunately the bar is closed.
Marxman leaves a CFAF sticker to let them
know we have paid a wee visit, and we set off
across the river and find another Bar with ETA
and Batasuna stuff all over the shop. DFG and
later Guiseppe from the FJR Juve turn up here,
and the place is soon hearing the delights of
choirmaster Celtic
Lhad as he begins
the singing and we
trade songs with the
Basque folk in the
Bar. I get talking to a
guy who is a dead
ringer for Bob Marley
and who happens to
have family in the
Saltmarket in Glas-
gow-small world
indeed. Talman and
Chelsea Jim are
seemingly re-enacting a scene from the Fast
Show, which is funny as feck!
Blue is awol again, he turns up after going
walkabout and is deep in a pished up discus-
sion with Bilbao’s answer to Rab C Nesbitt. Karl
Marx is doing the translating (which he excels
at ).KM says tae me that we could be in a Pub
in the Gallowgate! and looking around at the
general bedlam unfolding its kinda hard to disa-
gree with that. Danny has disappeared as well,
DelBhoy tells us he was last seen heading to
get some salami and said he may be some
time….
It may by now have a Gallowgate atmosphere,
but it’s Bilbao not Glasgow we are in and again
time is taking no prisoners so we set off for the
Santana Club, the venue for the H.N.T. /
Blaggers I.T.A. Gig.
There’s about 700 folk in attendance; a good
mix of folk, consisiting mostly of Punks, Skins
and the odd fitbaw casual here and there. It
doesnae matter what ye look like we are all an-
ti-fascists here. There’s a few folk up on the
stage as well. In fact they are a Band from
France. Los Tres Puntos! They pick up their
instruments and begin to get the show on the
road. They remind me of Madness, or maybes
Bad Manners on a good day. They are a big
band with a big big ska /punk sound. The folk at
the front are going mental. Pogoing, stomping
and dancing all over the shop. I must say I was
well impressed with the energy and sound of
this band, so here’s a wee plug for their web-
site:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseactio
n=user.viewprofile&friendid=64978106
The place is well warmed up by now, in fact its
roasting. People are sweating buckets and the
atmosphere is spot-on as the band go through
their set at rapid pace.
 All of this is
brought to an
abrupt halt when
one of the organiz-
ers takes to the
stage to announce
that the Gig is off.
The police are in
the hall and we are all made to leave due to a
bomb scare. We all congregate outside in the
street and the HNT lads are chanting in the
style that’s is their hallmark and is common to a
lot of European teams in the Champions
League, its an impressive noise. They seem to
get it from their toes. We are kept outside for
about 45 minutes then the place is given the all
clear and we head inside as the police head
outside ,no doubt to find their patrol cars’ wind-
screen now has a CFAF sticker on it….As we
head back into the hall, there is a massive
chant of Espanoles ,, Hijos de puta",,
"Spanish, sons of the bitch/whore"
The Blaggers then take to the stage and put
in a powerful shift considering their set was
chopped down a bit due to the bomb scare.
Before we know it, as is so often the case
when a great time is being had by all ,the lights
go on and it’s time to go.
On the Sunday me and bluebhoy head into
Amorebieta as its market day in the morning.
We tour a few bars, the bars in this town are
not sponsored by Tennents Lager but by the
political parties. We opt for a Batasuna one,
which has a Damien Dempsey poster on the
wall as he played here not so long ago. There
are arts and crafts, which the P.O.W.s have
made in the jails, and a massive portrait of Jon
18
Idogoras who passed away in 2005 and was a
Batasuna leader for many years from this very
town. Outside the bar there are some cracking
Batasuna murals and slogans
We head back to our hosts for Sunday dinner
all traditional Basque fare, and its lovely. Mat-
jaxo then takes us into Bilbao for to meet the
rest of the Talsters and go to the Athletic v Vil-
lareal match. In a combination of sign language
and pidgin English he tells us that Athletic are
playing really poorly and that his Supporters
Club have voted to change the La Cantera
signing policy which may see the Basque team
dispense with only fielding Basque players in
future.
We head to the H.N.T. Bar and meet up with
the folk from last night and the rest of the TAL
delgation. Our match tickets are secured and
we head into the Norte end in the San Mames
Stadium for the match. What a difference fae
Celtic Park!
The stewards are friendly to us, some of them
are smoking fags, you can sit or stand pretty
much wherever ye want and there is a lot more
generic enthusiasm shown by their fans in an-
ticipation of the game. The programme is free
and the tickets are round about the 20 euro
mark. The game itself was not a great specta-
cle to be honest. Villareal although missing
Riquelme went 1-0 up through Diego Forlan,
and Athletic never really got going. They did
get a penalty with the last kick of the ball, but
missed it. There was a bit of a commotion at
half time when the Beltzas – the hated riot cops
- sent in a snatch squad to lift one of the HNT
lads, but were beaten back with a bit of assist-
 ance from their contin- guage. The Basque children are taught Basque
gent of overseas visitors. as their first language, English second and
then Spanish, if they desire.
When we head outside
there are scooters kicked
On the Monday as it’s the last day, we head off
over lying on the deck,
to Guernika on the train. The scenery along the
broken glass all over the
way is awesome. At some points it’s about
shop, there’s a smell of burning and the atmos-
1000 feet to the deck as ye look down. I won-
phere is electric - industrial wheelie bins had
der if aul Jimmy G my Granda’ saw such sights
been set on fire and used as barricades to
when he left Anderston in Glasgow and came
block the tram lines and police approach roads,
here over 70 years ago to fight for the Interna-
and the Beltzas had cordoned off the area fur-
tional Brigades against Franco’s fascists.
ther back. I swapped my Celtic Centenary
Gernika, like most of the Basque country, is
Hoops for a Centenary
fiercely anti-fascist. It suffered heavily during
Bilbao jersey with one
the war against Fascism in the 1930’s and was
of the Bilbao fans, and
almost obliterated by German bombers of the
then when the road-
Luftwaffe Condor squadrons who aided
blocks had been re-
Franco’s army. The Biskai region saw its fair
moved ,we met up with
share of fighting during the war, particularly in
Matjaxo and set off
and around Bilbao and in Santander also.
back to Amorebieta.
The people here are traditional old school
Supper is there when we get back and this
Basques. Many of them are elderly, flashing
time it’s a traditional Basque dish made with
toothless grins as we nod greetings to them.
lentils and beans with bits of meat
The broad black wide brimmed berets of the
(Sacramentos) floating in it. They are consid-
Basque country can be seen sitting proudly on
ered sacred and are a constant reminder of
many ahead. It’s a shame we cant spend
when times were even harder for the Basque
more time here as there are so many more
people under Franco, than what they are now.
places of interest to see, so many people to
Madelen’s daughters entertain us with a wee
talk to, and this whole region is steeped in po-
song. ’Sarri Sarri Sarri Sarri up with you too!’.
litical history and present day struggle. Howev-
Its a song about Joseba Sarrionandia (aka
er, the flights have been booked and we head
‘Sarri).He hails from the Biskai region and was
for the airport to meet up with the rest of the
one of the founders of the Pott Banda, a multi-
TAL delegation who are heading back as well.
media group of people such as musicians and
It was great trip, it had a bit of everything - well
writers. Every revolutionary movement has its
almost everything!
‘cause celebres’. None more than escapees.
Whether it’s Angelo Fusco shooting his way I’d like to
out of the Dublin courthouse, the great Escap- thank all who
ers from the Long Kesh in 1983,or the Crumlin made it hap-
Kangaroos. The prisons are used by the op- pen and to
pressors as another weapon in their armoury to Madelen and
try and beat the revolutionary. Like the afore- her family who
mentioned, Sarri would not be held. In 1980 he showed such
was arrested and accused of ETA member- warm hospital-
ship, he was condemned for a hugely long sen- ity to Blue and
tence, and on the 7th July 1985 he myself.
escaped from the jail of Martutene in San Se-
bastian, by hiding inside a loudspeaker which a The Basque Country is a wonderful place with
band playing in the jail had brought with them. great people whose struggle we share.
He has been on the run ever since and he
As the E.T.A. motto puts it:
writes a book per year; usually launched at the
Durango book and Music festival. He is consid-
”Bietan Jarria “ (Both Together) .
ered the best living writer in the Basque lan-
Article by Macilhatton.
19
 HNT - 25 YEARS ON
In early 2007 members of TAL were in-
vited to a special event to celebrate the
25th anniversary of the Antifascist sup-
porters group of Athletic Bilbao called the
Herri Norte Taldea. The group was
founded in 1982 when San Mames was
being rebuilt and groups of Basque youth
would congregate in the newly built Herri
Norte stand behind the goal. The creation
of a new stadium mirrored the creation of
what was to be one of the greatest teams
in European football managed by the
legendary Javier Clemente, who led Ath-
letic to 4th place in La Liga in his first
season. Athletic under Clemente went
onto win the league in 1983 and a league
and cup double in 1984. Off the pitch the
political situation was rather turbulent, so
in the climate of political struggle off the
pitch and success on it Herri Norte Taldea
were formed.
The Group describe themselves as
“Antifascista and Abertazale”, i.e. Anti-
fascist and Patriotic. They have the same
objectives as other fan groups - to help
improve the atmosphere and inspire the
players (especially more so just now as
Athletic have been struggling over the
last few years in the league) in contrast
to other fans who vent their anger at the
poor results by whistling and booing the
players when things don’t turn out quite
how they wanted. However, the group
are much more than a singing section
and are involved in political activity and
shows solidarity with Basque Political
prisoners, as was mirrored in the last
game of last season when a gigantic POW
solidarity banner was unfurled. They also
take an active interest in other themes
such as the struggle for Basque self de-
termination and the legalisation of out-
lawed political party Batasuna.
To celebrate the group’s 25th anniver-
sary a serious of concerts, meals and
discussions were arranged with group-
ings from other teams around Europe
20
who share the same ideology as HNT,
mainly from St Pauli, Düsseldorf, Frank-
furt, Celta Vigo and Bohemians from the
Czech Republic. For the TAL contingent
the festivities commenced early on the
Saturday afternoon where we went to a
squat used by the HNT where we were
served a delicious meal consisting of a
traditional Basque hot pot. At this meal
we had the chance to chat with Basque
antifascists from the group Sare Antifax-
ista and some members of HNT chatting
about our respective clubs histories, the
pressures on the fans from the security
services and away games etc.
Later that night we were treated to a
concert bringing the best of anti-fascist
music from over Europe including groups
such as Atarassiagrop from Italy, Los
Tres Puntos from France and the legen-
dary Blaggers ITA. Most the Groups were
generally of a SKA or Oi! Variety and had
us all dancing until the early hours of the
morning. Sadly the event was interrupted
by the police, who claimed that there was
a bomb threat at the event. Everyone
knew, though, that it was the police up to
their usual dirty tricks and once we were
give the all clear the party went onto the
early hours.
Alongside the festivities and parties there
was a discussion on football named
“Yesterday and Today football in Euskal
Herria, Euskal Selection and Athletic Bil-
bao”. The event outlined the History of
the Euskal Selection, mainly its formation
in January 3 1915 winning against a Cat-
alan selection 6-1. The meeting then out-
lined the interesting history during the
Spanish Civil War where the then Presi-
dent of the Basque Country and former
Athletic Bilbao player Jose Antonio
Aguirre came up with the idea that the
Basque side should tour to raise funds for
the Republican Cause as he knew the
future of Basque independence was also
tied to the cause of a Republican Victory
in the Spanish Civil War. The team played
around Europe and even in Mexico (the
Spanish Republic’s sole ally outwith the
Soviet Union), and for a period during the
war played in the Mexican league. After
Franco’s victory the team was then forced
into exile until 1979 were they have re-
grouped regularly usually playing around
Christmas with the last game being
against Javier Clemente’s Serbia, with the
Basque team winning 4-0 and last au-
tumn played a historic match against a
Catalan selection.
The following day we met up with HNT
members at their local meeting point out-
side a gallery of Herriko Bars that raise
money for POWs, near to San Mames
Stadium. Here we chatted not only with
HNT lads but also other lads from groups
who were invited to the events where the
Celtic Fans Against Fascism stickers went
down a treat.
In the Herri Norte Stand it’s still possible
to stand up even though the stadium is
all seated which makes a real difference
to the atmosphere and reminded me of
my younger days at Parkhead when we
all stood as one together without the has-
sle that we get nowadays from the PLC’s
Gestapo Stewards. Although in Bilbao the
threat comes not from the stewards but
from the Beltzas, a special riot police in
the Basque Country named so due to
there black uniform (Beltza means black
in Euskera). This specially trained force is
armed with batons, helmet and shields
akin to riot police and they often provoke
the fans into action. One incident oc-
curred during the game where they
wouldn’t let a lad into the stadium so a
large group of HNT went to the gate and
summoned the head of security and after
a few heated words the Beltzas showed
off their diplomatic skills, lashing out with
batons at those protesting. Although un-
like in the past a major riot would have
followed, as a result of CCTV cameras
introduced into the stadium fans are now
worried to take action against these pro-
voked attacks on them due to the heavy
fines involved when being caught on
camera standing up for themselves.
The game itself was not the greatest with
Villarreal winning 1-0. Before the end of
the match a group of HNT lads had de-
cided to take revenge on the Beltzas, so
we came out to find a smashed up police
car and overturned bins on fire in a street
with far less surveillance for the prying
eyes of the security forces. Three lads
were detained in this skirmish.
Later that night the TAL group headed
out to the ‘old town’ to experience some
traditional Basque Tabernas and Herriko
bars where we spoke with locals about
the Basque struggle and the current polit-
ical stalemate in the Basque country re-
garding the legalisation of Batasuna and
the subsequent local elections that will
take place this year. We even came
across one lad that had an Ikurriña flag
of the Basque Country with Tiocfaidh Ar
La inscribed on it. Just when we thought
the night was coming to a close we en-
countered a bar that was full of fans from
Frankfurt and a few HNT. After a couple
of pints we were in fine voice. From being
on the verge of kicking the Germans out
and closing for the night, the bar’s own-
ers came to life again on hearing us sing-
ing Irish rebel songs. As a result, the bar
stayed open late, even donating free
beer. As elsewhere, the Underground
CSC’s ‘Tiocfaidh Ár Lá -Spirit of Freedom’
banner was received warmly. The whole
bar were united in Chants of “Go on
Home British Soldiers”.
Over the weekend we learned lots from
our comrades in the Herri Norte Taldea
who remain an inspiration. After 25 years
they are still going strong, fighting
against what stands in there way on and
off the pitch, home and away. We wish
our Basque comrades all the very best
and hope that, after 25 successful years
in the game, they will still be around in
another 25 years overcoming whatever
problems and enemies may come their
way. As long as HNT exists the spirit of
militant anti fascism will remain alive and
well. Article By Karl Marx
* Basque Anti-Fascists Interview in next issue.
21
 THE BIG BLUE LIE
‘Big Blue Lie’ Scarves
for sale at Ibrox
Are there no limits to the depths to which some
people are prepared to sink in order to indulge
in acts of self righteous condemnation, even
when they know an allegation to be spurious by
nature, factually incorrect and morally wrong?
For many months now a sizable section of the
rangers support have been plumbing those
depths in an attempt to sully the name of the
late, great Jock Stein, and by default Celtic
Football Club with their despicable ‘Big Jock
Knew’ campaign.
The campaign relates to the sexual abuse that
was inflicted upon members of Celtic Boys
Club by Jim Torbet who worked at Celtic Park
in the late sixties and early seventies, during
Steins reign as manager. However, to suggest
that Stein was somehow aware of the abuse
and turned a blind eye to it is as vile as it is ab-
surd. Jock didn’t know but he did find out and
Torbet carried the marks of the manager’s dis-
gust for some time afterwards.
One has to wonder why this defamation of
Steins character has gone unchallenged for so
22
long. The BJK acronym has been daubed on
prominent locations throughout Glasgow and
the wider Strathclyde region including motor-
way bridges and busy intersections, housing
schemes, municipal buildings, business
premises and in particular the immediate area
around Celtic Park itself, all places that would
have a high level of CCTV surveillance camer-
as. With no record of arrest or prosecution of
anyone in relation to these acts of graffiti it
would appear that those responsible are free to
continue with absolute impunity.
Equally disappointing has been Celtic’s appar-
ent reluctance to defend the integrity of Stein’s
name and to prevent further suffering of those
involved, as well as upholding the reputation of
the Club. Who could blame the wider Celtic
family for suspecting that the PLC would rather
make an example of its own supporters than
address the sickening abuse directed at the
greatest manager in Hoops history?
But it is no
longer just
about the
graffiti, the
zeal and fe-
rocity with
which ‘the
animals’ have
embraced this
distasteful
‘Big Blue Lie’ T-shirts
episode, and
the apparent
on sale at The Reichstag
indifference of the authorities towards it, has
allowed this rubbish to flourish into a mini in-
dustry. Hawkers openly operate outside Ibrox
on match-days selling T-shirts, scarves and
other merchandise emblazoned with BJK and
there have also been reports of said items be-
ing punted on internet auction sites. Even so
called radio presenters have alluded to it in
their feeble attempts at humour during live
broadcasts.
Whilst the motives of this innuendo are fairly
obvious what is less clear for many is where it
originated from and who is the driving force
behind it? It will come as no great surprise then
that a well known Hunzine and website are
most prominent in propagating this slander, led
by its 'Grandmaster' whose identity is well
known to all at Tiocfaidh Ar La, and this by the
way, is where it gets really interesting....
It is somewhat
ironic that 'The
Grandmaster' provi
des a platform for this
urban myth
suggesting that Jock
Stein was guilty by
association given his
own previous sinister
acquaintances and
William Beggs
political
affiliations. Wouldn't
it be interesting to The ‘Limbs in the loch killer’
know how much his
collaborators in producing the hunzine, and
maintaining the website of the same name,
actually knew of a former political associate of
'The Grandmaster' called William ‘Ian’ Beggs?
Beggs, for those of you who don’t know, is the
infamous ‘limbs in the loch’ killer who, in 1999,
raped, murdered and dismembered a
young man that he met in a nightclub, before
disposing of the remains in Loch Lomond, north
of Glasgow. He also has previous convictions
for murder and razor attacks on gay and
straight men from as far back as 1987. A
former leader of the UUP youth wing and loyal-
ist supporter he moved to Scotland to study at
Paisley University in the mid eighties and joined
the Federation of Conservative students, an
organization so right-wing that Thatcher ex-
pelled them from the Tory Party! Beggs quickly
rose in the FCS ranks to become part of its na-
tional leadership.
Given his own indisputable links to unionism,
and despite his condemnation of 'all violence' in
'Northern Ireland', it is perhaps no coincidence
that 'The Grandmaster' was also part of the
FCS national leadership around the same time
as Beggs. Not only was he a leading member
of the FCS, he also edited its magazine ‘The
Unionist’ before moving on to set up the
aforementioned hunzine. So, would
his undoubted knowledge of Beggs’ sexual
preferences and violent tendencies be any less
circumstantial than their allegation that ‘Big
Jock Knew’?
Of course, the difference between 'The
Grandmaster' and Jock Stein is that 'The
Grandmaster' is in the privileged position of be-
ing able to defend himself from such finger
pointing. Sadly, the great Jock Stein isn’t. But
when have you ever known a hun to pick a fair
fight?
Needless to say, those who regularly contribute
to 'The Grandmaster’s' forums will be more
affronted that their glorious leader has
been mentioned in passing in a hard left, pro-
Irish Republican, anti-fascist, anti-sectarian
Celtic fanzine than they will by his familiarity
and political relationship with a psychopathic,
murderous, sexual predator. But let’s not forget
that these are the same people who think it
is acceptable to exploit the victims of child
abuse as a means of attacking
thestature of someone whose achievements
they could never hope to equal let alone
surpass.
Big Jock Knew alright, he knew that Celtic were
the Champions of Europe, no less and no
more.
Article by Holloway Gael
Ship of Shame
Bigot
abused by
Bigots!
A small minded man from Derry
Was abused on an Irish Ferry
Said Greg I don’t mind
Cos I’m of the same kind
But it made my poor wife spill her sherry
Celtic FC (aka Brian Quisling) would like to extend in
advance its deepest apologies and a free ticket to
any old unionist bigot who cares to write to them
with regard to the outrageous behaviour of two men
wearing the colour green. Said Mr Quidd, “The bank,
er I mean, the club is deeply embarrassed by the
antics of such people who bring shame on the good
name of the Bank of Desmond by dressing in such
provocative colours and calling a spade a shovel, or
in this case, a bigot by his proper name....”
(continued on page 1690)
23
 ULTRAs SANKT POLITICALY CORRECT
The following
is an inter-
view given to
TALMAN by
the Ultras
Sankt Pauli
(USP). It
should be
noted that the USP do not represent
the political views of all FC St Pauli
fans, although they are increasingly
influential within the club. We at TÁL
have many disagreements with, and
criticisms of, the answers given to
some of the questions we posed to
the USP in this interview. In the in-
terests of space, however, we have
decided to allow the interview to
stand on its own merits. We will,
however, be putting our own view of
the politics that are being promoted
at St Pauli by the USP in the next
edition of TÁL, as well as our per-
spective and account of the history
of the relationship and links between
TÁL and St Pauli fans in general.
TÁL: Please give some information
about your club; history, the league
it plays in, and the type of support-
ers (working class, young and old,
how fanatical etc)
USP: FC Sankt Pauli was founded in
1910. They have been playing in the 3rd
division for three years now. The 4th
year of 3rd division football is about to
begin. The last time they played in the
Bundesliga was in the 2001/2002 sea-
son. After that they were relegated two
consecutive times.
On the contrary to the 1980's when
Sankt Pauli's supporters had a much
more alternative and political attitude
24
towards life and football, by now the
club's supporters are basically the one's
you could find in any other German sta-
dium. There is a slight difference made
by the agreement of anti-racism, but
there are only few who are politically
active and are actively fighting nazis.
TÁL: When and why did your Ultras
group start?
USP: When Ultrà Sankt Pauli was
founded in 2002 the support of the team
inside the stadium had reached an all-
time low. It was our goal to improve the
support by two things: a form of support
which was new for Sankt Pauli (the ultrà
support) and a group structure where
everyone who wanted to contribute to
the support was able to bring
him/herself in.
TÁL: How many members do you
have?
USP: We are a group of about 170 peo-
ple plus another ~200-300 who are not
members but are in our sector in the
stadium and sing with us - at least on
home games.
TÁL: Is your Ultras group a hooligan
group, or just a collective of fans
that likes to make big displays at
the stadium?
USP: To us ultrà is more than big dis-
plays in the stadium or violence (which
we only apply against fascists or to de-
fend ourselves). Much more important
are personal bondings between the
members. Inside and outside the stadi-
um, during weekdays and weekends.
TÁL: What attitude do you have to-
wards football hooligans?
USP: We do not care about hooliganism.
In Germany hooliganism has basically
vanished out of the stadiums and shifted
towards appointed fights on fields or in
forests.
 meeting of the network of Italian left-
TÁL: Do you have any political atti-
wing supporters Resistenza Ultras,
tudes?
hosted by our friends Freak Brothers
USP: We are left-wing! We, as a group,
Ternana.
are not involved in any party politics
Also several members are involved in
though. Of course there are several dif-
politically active left-wing groups outside
ferent left-wing policies represented in-
of USP and most of the time there are
side our group, but we can all agree on
numerous members participating in anti-
antifascism, antisexism and antiracism.
fascist demonstrations in Hamburg and
TÁL: What political actions at foot- northern-Germany.
ball and outside of football (if any)
TÁL: How do you raise funds to sup-
have you been involved in?
port your group - is it only from
USP: We have been involved in several
members donations and fundraising
political projects inside and outside the
schemes, or do you receive financial
stadium lately. One of our biggest
support from your club and/or local
projects so far is our refugees-project.
and national government funding
In the course of which we invited refu-
bodies?
gees into the stadium to try to make
USP: We finance the group through sev-
them forget about the racist refugee-
eral projects. There is an annual mem-
bureaucracy of the German state, at
ber contribution of 30€, but we also
least for ninety minutes. And to show
count on donations by other supporters.
them that there are people who care.
Other financing sources are group mer-
We started this project in the 04/05 sea-
chandising, USP-held parties every 3-4
son and are looking forward to continue
months, and we also receive monetary
it.
aid from a marihuana-growshop called
Another project we were involved to-
Hanfburg located close to the stadium.
gether with several left-wing groups in
We want to stay financially independent
last season was the campaign against a
in order to be able to stay politically in-
nazi-store selling nazi-clothes in the Tal-
dependent.
strasse, close to our stadium and the
Reeperbahn. Last season we organized a
demonstration against it with about
2000 participants. Now the store is
about to close up and we think our in-
volvement played at least a small part in
it.
Since 2004 we have also been organiz-
ing a four-day-long anti-racist tourna-
ment together with the Fanladen every
year. Last time there were 44 teams and
several hundred participants from all
over Europe playing football, getting to
know each other, discussing and danc-
ing. Establishing connections between
left-wing groups is important to us. TÁL: What is your attitude to na-
But we're not only hosting an own tour- tional flags? (we heard that no na-
nament, we are also participating in oth- tional flags are allowed on display at
ers. Like the Mondiali Antirazzisti in your anti-racist football tourna-
Montecchio which we have been visiting ment)
for the last four years, or the Raduno USP: Our agreement inside the group is:
Antirazzista Internationale which is a no national flags in our sector! Nations
25
 are instruments to exclude triotic hype caused by the flags, shouted nazi-chants
and degrade others. Your World Cup to an end. and tried to attack the
nationality is given to main stands. After the
you by birth which game about 1000
excludes everyone who Sankt Pauli supporters
is not born in the same waited for them. They
country as you. Even were only able to leave
with the best inten- the city under heavy
tions we cannot imag- police protection.
ine a positive Other teams we dislike
nation/state. For us are the ones with fan-
the idea of nations scenes dominated by
clashes with the idea fascist groups. Of
of all humans being course we dislike Ham-
equal. burg's other team,
hamburger sv. But there
TÁL: Don’t you agree TÁL: Many progressive
hasn't been a real derby in
that the national flags football fans believe in
recent years.
of Ireland, Palestine, the slogan 'Reclaim The
Cuba, Euskadi and of Game', would you TÁL: Which other fans
the Celtic nations rep- therefore subscribe to and Ultras do you have
resent progressive the idea that you friendships with?
movements against the should 'reclaim the USP: We have contacts to
political status quo, and German national team' various people and to
indeed in cases like Ire- from the hooligans and many different fan scenes
land, Palestine and the far-right? in Europe, mostly defined
Euskadi they are flags USP: No. Supporting a by common opinions on
associated with revolu- national team would be politics. Some of us for
tionary struggle? USP: contradictory to the politi- example founded the
No. To us establishing new cal beliefs of most of the St.Pauli CSC. Others visit
states or countries with members. Also the people the Freak Brothers Terna-
citizenship on the basis of who see the world cup na, Filmstadtinferno Ba-
birthplace is no improve- and the German team's belsberg, Schickeria
ment. Also the countries games as an event and a Munich or other groups
Cuba and Palestine are reason to display the Ger- and clubs.
topics of critical and con- man flag and the typical
TÁL: Is there anything
troversial discussions in- way of German football
else that you want to
side the German left. But support causes us severe
say about your club,
explaining this conflict stomach ache.
your city, country, poli-
would go far beyond the
TÁL: Who are your big- tics?
scope of this interview.
gest rivals?? which USP: Contradicting recent
TÁL: Which country's other clubs and fans do rumours we are very
team did you support in you most dislike and happy about Celts visiting
the last World Cup? why? us and our fan scene as
USP: USP as a group does USP: In recent seasons it long as he/she is able to
not support any national was Chemnitz supporters find some appreciation
team. Though most of the who were the most hated. towards our way of living
group members hoped for At their last away game in football. If you are inter-
an early defeat of the Ger- our stadium about 200 of ested in our way of sup-
man team to put the pa- them collectively dis- port check out:
played modified swastika- www.ultra-stpauli.com
26
As was mentioned in the last issue of the fan-
zine, pre-season was a great time for the
group. The trips to Newcastle and Peterbor-
ough won't be forgotten any time soon, but
one trip we haven't mentioned is the short jour-
ney along the M8 to see a Celtix XI take on
Airdrie. For a club like Airdrie where racism is
still very much a feature of their support, it was
agreed that we had to have some sort of a
presence at the match. A good number of the
group traveled through to this match, singing
throughout and arranging a small flag display.
Perhaps most importantly, we
displayed our anti-racist 'Fist
smashing swastika' banner. In
reply to this, a group of the
home fans lived up to their vile
reputation by displaying a ban-
ner glorifying child abuse and
attempting to disgrace the
great name of Jock Stein.
The season got started for us
with a small display on 'Flag
Day' consisting of 9 flags spell-
ing out the word 'Champions'
along with a banner with the
image of the SPL trophy. How-
ever, we once more encoun-
tered some unwanted attention with Celtic
sending their luminous lackeys in to remove
our group banner.
This was then followed by a trip to the away
match at Aberdeen. The group was able to
take a full bus to the match and had big plans
made for a colourful display. These plans
were sadly unable to happen with the security
there refusing any sorts of flags, banners or
canes into the stadium. As was mentioned in
the last issue, Grampian Police again contin-
ued their harassment of Celtic fans with even
stricter security in operation this time
around. On this occasion, however, they were
assisted by a busload of Rock Steady stew-
ards supplied by Celtic’s own security team. A
number of these Celtic stewards took an inor-
dinate amount of interest in the activities of the
Green Brigade, something that we acknowl-
edged after the game as they boarded their
bus, which unluckily for them was parked
alongside ours.
The colourful display planned for the Aberdeen
match instead took place at the home match
against Spartak Moscow, albeit on a smaller
scale simply to avoid any further harassment
by stewards or police. Green and white
hooped strips of material were arranged, with
a Champions League logo ban-
ner being the centre-piece of
our display, hoping to inspire
the Bhoys onto victory and the
group stages.
As time goes on I feel groups
like the Green Brigade and TAL
are going to become even more
important to remind people
what the club is really about
and to campaign against the
club going down the route it
does seem to be going. While
some great successes are be-
ing achieved on the pitch, the
soul of the club does seem to
be disappearing with any form of the club's
identity seemingly being pushed out in favour
of a new corporate image. The announcement
of John Reid as Brian Quinn's replacement as
Celtic chairman is another nail in the
coffin. The PLC are on the verge of appointing
as Chairman of Celtic (a club founded by Irish
immigrants) a British unionist warmonger with
Iraqi blood on his hands who, whilst serving as
Home Secretary in the Blair government,
adopted an openly anti-immigrant stance!
Where's the sense in that?
In protest at this decision we have decided to
display our group banner upside down in the
style adopted by Ultras groups in Europe until
after the PLC holds its AGM in November.
Article by CFCEddie
27
 Interview by Matty Bhoy
A critical period in the devel-
opment of political music is
now upon us. We are at a
time when politicians have
criminalised the music and
people associated with it are
quickly branded as sectarian,
when nothing could be further
from the truth. The Celtic
board have apparently
deemed the singing of some
songs as unacceptable…One
wonders what Michael Davit
would be thinking!
TÁL fanzine has identified the
importance of raising and
maintaining the profile of like
minded artists. Each issue in
the foreseeable future will
contain an interview or story
with a band member or solo
artist. It’s a chance for read-
ers to gain an insight into the
thoughts and opinions of the
modern day bards… Let the
People Sing!
In the first instalment of this
column, TÁL managed to
catch up with the front man of
Seanchai and the Unity
Squad, and founding member
of Black 47, Chris Byrne.
Seanchai’s music is so diverse
that it is impossible to pigeon
hole. From the in your face
hip-hop of “Fenians” to the
hauntingly tender “Ballad of
Mairead Farrell,” each track
keeps the listener glued.
Similarly, you can’t pigeon
hole Chris Byrne. The singer,
songwriter, uilleann piper,
rapper, activist, former cop,
bar owner and Professor took
time out to speak to TÁL …
28
TÁL: Chris, we might start
off by getting you to tell us
about your band. When did
Seanchai and the Unity Squad
form?
CB: We started up ten years
ago, initially it was a side
project apart from Black 47
but we went full time five
years ago.
TÁL: For readers who per-
haps haven't heard your mu-
sic, how would you describe
the style of Seanchai? I've
heard it explained as music
that has no boundaries.
CB: I think our music is fairly
original, like us or hate us we
don't sound like anybody I'm
aware of, which might explain
our lack of commercial suc-
cess.
TÁL: Tell us about yourself,
Chris. Where did you grow
up? What sort of influences
did you experience that per-
haps shaped you as a person?
CB: I grew up in New York
City in the seventies, it was a
lively place then, due to the
abundance of drugs and ran-
dom violence the place felt
out of control. It was great.
The energy of the place gave
the world hip-hop and the
Ramones.
The summers were particu-
larly crazy but I missed out
because I was shipped off by
my parents to stay with rela-
tives on a farm in the west of
Ireland every year. That's
where I learned traditional
Irish music. There was only
one or two TV stations so peo-
ple actually had conversa-
tions, there were people
coming around to the house
every night and some of the
stories told was like being at a
concert. There wasn't any
money around but nobody
seemed to care. My kids go
over there now and they
watch The Simpsons 24 hours
a day and most of the conver-
sations seem to be concerning
the price of property, that's
progress I guess.
TÁL: I understand that you
were a member of the “thin
blue line” in the NYPD?
CB: I went into the cops aged
20 and did eleven years, I left
when Black 47 got a record
deal. I worked in Times
Square the whole time, before
Disney moved in. I think the
movie Taxi Driver captures it's
ambience at the time. I've
heard the job described as
having a front row seat for the
greatest show on earth. The
crime rate soared during my
career, probably due to the
emergence of crack cocaine
and then the crime rate plum-
meted when I left, maybe I
was doing something wrong!
TÁL: One only has to listen
to a handful of Seanchai
tracks to get the feeling that
your Irish-American heritage
is something that is of upmost
importance to you...
CB: Well I play the uilleann
pipes so no matter what we
record it's going to sound
Irish, that's what I like about
the pipes, they sound like Ire-
land. I guess the heritage
thing is important, I mean it's
who I am, and I would rate
my limbs as being of utmost
importance as well.
TÁL: What does Seanchai
and the Unity Squad stand for
politically? Your music has
some strong nationalist
themes.
CB: Our music has been de-
scribed as being political, I
would argue that every artist
is political, it's just that a lot
of bands have decided to ig-
nore the fact that most of the
people in this world are get-
ting fucked over every time
they get out of bed in the
morning.
I wouldn't necessarily de-
scribe myself as a nationalist;
I'm an Unrepentant Fenian
Bastard, thank you very
much!
TÁL: Who are your influenc-
es, both musically and politi-
cally?
CB: In terms of musical influ-
ences there are far too many
to mention and they change
all the time, although I would
have to mention Josie McDer-
mott - he taught me how to
play Irish music. In terms of
politics I would say The Sing-
ing Flame by Ernie O'Malley
has shaped a lot of my think-
ing as have the writings of
Gustavo Gutiérrez on libera-
tion theology. I also think
Bobby Kennedy would have
put the United States in a
better direction than it went.
TÁL: What's your personal
take on the Bush Government
and the involvement of the
United States in Iraq and Af-
ghanistan?
CB: It's an absolute disaster,
the worst President ever, and
that's saying quite a lot.
TÁL: It's been 6 years since
the September 11 attacks in
New York. How has the city
rebounded since 2001?
CB: In the months following
September 11th most people
I know were walking around
in a daze, and while they
were walking around in a daze
opportunists moved in and
bought the place up. So yes I
suppose New York has re-
bounded after September
11th but it hasn't benefited
any of the working class peo-
ple I know.
TÁL: How was Seanchai's
latest tour of Ireland? I've
read nothing but good reviews
and have heard that yet again
you guys were very well re-
ceived.
CB: Ireland was great, I
hadn't been there for a couple
of years and I enjoyed meet-
ing up with old friends. We'll
be back at Easter.
TÁL: I'm having a guess that
there were a few crazy
nights...
CB: What happens in Kin-
negad stays in Kinnegad!
TÁL: Tell us about your lat-
est album, Irish Catholic Boy.
What are some of the themes
running through it?
CB: Irish Catholic Boy is an
Irish Catholic record. It
dawned on me that a lot of
the songwriters on the Irish
scene acknowledge the influ-
ence of ethnicity in their lives
and ignore the role of Catholi-
cism but for better or quite
often worse, it’s there, it's the
elephant in the room. This is
particularly true of celtic rock
bands - was St. Patrick's Day
really a bigger deal when you
were a kid than your first
communion? Every major
event in life and especially in
death, it's there. I'm not say-
ing it's a good thing or it's a
bad thing, I'm just saying it's
there.
TÁL: Time for a plug! Tell us
about your bar, Rocky Sulli-
van's. I've heard it described
by The Exiles bass guitarist,
Coach, as the best bar in the
world!
CB: Rocky Sullivan's has re-
cently moved to Red Hook in
Brooklyn, we were forced out
of Manhattan by insane rent.
So far Red Hook has been
cool and I can't say I miss the
yuppies. I think it will meet
Coach's standards when Gary
Óg, Sean Lyons and Coach
play there this St. Patrick's
Day.
TÁL: Is it true that you have
a Celtic Supporters Club
there?
CB: There is a Brooklyn sup-
porters club in the planning
stages.
TÁL: In your eyes, what
does Celtic Football Club rep-
resent?
CB: Celtic has always been
very important to me, I think
the Diaspora have a special
affinity to the club, there is
more of an identification with
it than there was with Jackie’s
Army, you're allowed to be a
part of it without some snob
from Dublin 4 informing you
that you are a plastic paddy.
Seville was one of the best
weeks of my life. It was per-
fect… well almost perfect.
TÁL: Finally, Chris anything
you'd like to add?
CB: I would like to ask peo-
ple to support live music if
you want to keep live music
around.
TÁL: Chris, thanks for taking
the time to speak to TÁL, it's
much appreciated.
CB: My pleasure, see you on
the message board.
Check out
www.seanchai.com,
www.myspace.com/seanc
hai and
www.rockysullivans.com
29
 Celtic Minded
These celebrated two volumes of Celtic
Minded, edited by Joseph Bradley, are an
important contribution to the debate around
the culture and identity of Celtic Football
Club and its supporters. Not only do they
take on board the Irish and Catholic nature of
the club, they also tackle the thorny question
of ‘sectarianism’ in Scotland and place it in
the proper context of race hate. Sectarian-
ism. As this fanzine has argued since it’s in-
ception 16 years ago is merely a cover name
for anti-Irish racism. It is an invention, a
sleight of hand designed to divert attention
from the perpetrators of anti-Irish racism and
apportion an equal share of the blame to its
victims. As TÁL has asserted many times in
the past, ‘sectarianism’ seeks to make the
victim a willing party to his own oppression.
Indeed it is much more than that.
‘Sectarianism’ has become an abbreviation
for what TÁL has euphemistically referred to
as the OSABATO (‘One Side’s As Bad As
The Other’) syndrome that afflicts every layer
of Scottish society at the mere suggestion
that the Irish Catholic community in Scotland
is or ever was the victim of oppression.
The new book “It’s rangers for me”, edited by
academic rangers fan Graham Walker seeks
to go further by turning the tables from the
usual equalization of victim and oppressor to
actually turning the oppressor into victim with
claims of ‘anti-rangers agendas’ and ‘denial
of Protestant identity’. As if!
But back to Celtic Minded 1 & 2: The books’
strength is not in the academics or ‘the great
and the good’ who have contributed their
tuppence worth of chapters, but is actually in
the voice that is given to ordinary supporters
of our club. People like Patricia Ferns, a folk
singer who does the rounds of Celtic Sup-
porters Clubs functions makes a tremendous
contribution in volume 1 that confronts the
cowardice of our own PLC board over their
attitude to songs, slogans and maybe even
30
to this fanzine (although from the way the
books are edited you would never know that
this fanzine, which has championed the Irish
cultural and political identity of our club, even
existed) when she says:
“The words ‘Tiocfaidh Ár Lá’ seem often
to cause tremors to run through the Park-
head edifice – ‘Our day will come’, What
is offensive there? Sure it has a political
resonance but it seems to me that the
phrase also encapsulates something that
any football team might aspire to; namely
‘success’. Celtic has experienced a
number of troughs during its history. This
phrase was born among the Celtic sup-
port (in a football sense) when we were
experiencing a downturn in fortunes in
the early 1990’s. At the time it reflected
our hope and anticipation for the future. If
it has a further Irish political connotation
then so be it. Maybe it becomes even
more appropriate in that context.”
Celtic Minded 2 continues along the same
lines as the first book, addressing itself to the
controversy over Aiden McGeady’s selection
for the Irish national squad, which was
roundly condemned by the Scottish sporting
press and within the football community.
McGeady’s Irish identity is still denied by
many who insist that his family background
and the cultural identity of his forebears
should be of secondary importance to the
land of his birth. Joseph Bradley himself very
ably argues that no other ethnic community
in Britain is subjected to the same rigours as
the Irish in Scotland when it comes to mat-
ters of nationality and identity.
We will revisit this subject again and make a
more in-depth and critical review in the next
issue of TÁL. In the meantime I would rec-
ommend that Celtic Minded 1 & 2 should be
on the bookshelf of every Celtic supporter.
Celtic Minded 1 & 2 (Argyll Publishing)
£10.99 each from all good bookshops.
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