The latest clamp-down from the Celtic board is the outlawing of the"atmospheric" singing on the terraces. It's the latest in the bid to have Celtic Park a Stadium of silence and boredom. Imagine a match-day in Paradise and no sing-song (suppose it has got that way of late anyway). A few ballads among the usual banter of songs add to the occasion and make it a unique experience.
Let's face it when ‘Fergus' was in control he tried to stop all the singing of ‘Irish' influenced songs. The ‘Soldier's Song' and ‘Sean South of Garryowen' being the prime targets. Even the ‘Field's of Athenry' ("just makes the grade") was called into question. Now we have the situation with Mr Quinn having his hands tied behind his back by the knights of the Uefa top table.
Since the Huns went on the rampage last season, the Scottish FA has had to answer lots of questions. Now the Celts are the targets of their frustrations. With so much corruption in the game at the moment i.e., match fixing, violence and hooliganism it's a wonder that the upper echelons of Uefa have time to check clubs on ‘a oul sing-song'
It seems to be that with English being the European language it's easier for the governing body to understand it! What is going on in Croatia, Turkey, Macedonia and other countries just doesn't seem to concern Uefa, they don't understand them. What with the Croatians making Nazi shapes in the guise of their fans, Turkey beating the crap out of the opposition both on and off the field for at least 20 years. Macedonia and even Slovakia have a serious rascist problem that has yet to be addressed. Then we have yet to mention the Italians, the whole thing is starting to smell very sour.
Recently it was revealed who the Uefa disciplinary board were and to my amazement, Ireland's finest accountant, Mr John Delaney, was among them. This is the guy who was drafted in by the FAI when the "civil war" (KEANE V McCarthy) was ongoing. He was then involved in picking both Brian Kerr and Steve ‘Stan' Staunton as International managers. Now he is involved in disciplining clubs. Not too bad for an accountant! It's a pity he can't stick to one job i.e. getting Ireland back into a stadium they can call their own, if that will ever happen is a puzzler!
Celtic sings a few songs and is made to stop because the SFA couldn't deal with it! Maybe if we went back to the old days at Paradise when ‘Faith of our Fathers' was the choice song. I wonder what reaction would the huns have to this, especially when the sight of somebody blessing themselves sends them into a blue fury.