aliceb wrote:

a team that regularly wins there domestic league? sounds succesfull to me.

great time to be a glory hunter
just as rangers start their 9 in a row

tortim wrote:

aliceb wrote: a team that regularly wins there domestic league? sounds succesfull to me. great time to be a glory hunter just as rangers start their 9 in a row

I know mate. Sorry just cant see a German football fan thinking to himself "Now I want to do a bit of glory hunting and support a team that regularly wins the league now who should I pick? Man U? Nah, Barca? Nah, Juve or Milan? Nah. I will go for a team in the SPL!!!"

StPauliNZ wrote:

Unlike those of us who have 'moved-on' from World War Two (refer opening statement above) instead they want to drag-up 'the potao famine' and chant "death to the Queen". Paul

Sorry to be so late, but I'm not letting this by without comment.

Celtic football club were founded 42 years after the famine by the Irish immigrants to Glasgow. It had a direct effect on the people who set up the club and is part of the ethos of the club. By commemorating the famine nothing is being 'dragged up.' And if you think that by remembering the 1 million dead or the two million that had to leave Ireland we are being stuck in the dark ages then you fail to understand anything about Celtic or the effect that immigration has had on Irish people.

To sum up why there is a special link and to sum up the above post I'll quote the Green Brigade banner 'founded by Immigrants - Refugees welcome here'

so if celtic were as (un)successful as, say Partick Thistle or East Fife or whoever, they'd still have as many German and St Pauli supporting fans?

I don't buy it.

I also think this Celtic/St Pauli friendship alienates those of us who are British and do not support Celtic.

I am glad this board was set up by Pompey fans, for example.

I could go on at great length aboot this....but I won't.

aliceb wrote:

so if celtic were as (un)successful as, say Partick Thistle or East Fife or whoever, they'd still have as many German and St Pauli supporting fans? I don't buy it. I also think this Celtic/St Pauli friendship alienates those of us who are British and do not support Celtic. I am glad this board was set up by Pompey fans, for example.

So then you have to ask yourself why do so many Celtic fans support St Pauli considering they are a lower league team? They could quite easily support Bayern for example. Why do some Chelsea fans carry Rangers banners and support them? Why do some Chelsea supporters have links with Northern Irish teams? Do you seriously think political outlook has nothing to do with it?

And again, why would German fans pick a Scottish premier league team to 'glory hunt'? It just makes absolutely no sense.

It would be like hundreds of MK Dons fans suddenly supporting say the Champions of the Belgium league for no other reason than they want a bit of 'glory' You talk about Supporters in England supporting the national team or one of the 'big 4' So if it was for no other reason than 'glory hunting' then why wouldn't St Pauli fans support the German national team (Far more successful than England or Celtic) or one of the big teams in Germany?

How does the Celtic/St Pauli friendship alienate 'British' people (Even though Scotland and Celtic are in Britain)? Maybe you need to clarify that one.

JudasLundy wrote:

Sectarian singing in Barcelona....another lie. UEFA didn't even open an enquiry. But let's not let facts get in the way.

This would seem, on the surface, extremely unlikely. I mean, I stand to be corrected, but surely the majority of the population of Catalonia (and therefore by extension most Barcelona supporters) are Catholics. Just who were the chants supposed to have been directed at?

Shakers wrote:

This would seem, on the surface, extremely unlikely. I mean, I stand to be corrected, but surely the majority of the population of Catalonia (and therefore by extension most Barcelona supporters) are Catholics. Just who were the chants supposed to have been directed at?

1) I bet those who called for sanctions considered republican songs "sectarian"
2) when among Celtic supporters, I never felt that religion was an issue in any way, so I don't think that it is a big factor whether an area as Catalonia is rather catholic or protestant
3) most of the chants are not directed at any outsider but are just a tool to form a group, identify likeminded people etc. - I don't believe that singing "the rangers are shite" in a Celtic pub is really directed at any Rangers fan ;) The idea of Celtic supporters trying to "attack" their opponents in Barcelona by singing offensive chants is completely ridiculous

aliceb wrote:

so if celtic were as (un)successful as, say Partick Thistle or East Fife or whoever, they'd still have as many German and St Pauli supporting fans? I don't buy it. I also think this Celtic/St Pauli friendship alienates those of us who are British and do not support Celtic. I am glad this board was set up by Pompey fans, for example.

I believe (and I could stand corrected) but St Pauli fans support and have a link with more teams then Celtic. In fact any team that could be described as having an anti fascist support have St Pauli fans visiting them. Some of these, like Celtic, are successful some, like Breda, less so. Celtic is probably the biggest link don't know why it should be that way, but it is. Would it alienate you if a different, 'unsuccessful' Scottish, English or Welsh club had a big St Pauli connection instead of Celtic?

What ultimately would you like Celtic fans to do, stop going to St Pauli, stop being successful, stop having a large anti fascist support? Why should it alienate you, your a St Pauli fan if you don't support Celtic, so what, its not an exclusive club and it shouldn't make anyone feel alienated.

Pat O' Banton wrote:

aliceb wrote: so if celtic were as (un)successful as, say Partick Thistle or East Fife or whoever, they'd still have as many German and St Pauli supporting fans? I don't buy it. I also think this Celtic/St Pauli friendship alienates those of us who are British and do not support Celtic. I am glad this board was set up by Pompey fans, for example. I believe (and I could stand corrected) but St Pauli fans support and have a link with more teams then Celtic. In fact any team that could be described as having an anti fascist support have St Pauli fans visiting them. Some of these, like Celtic, are successful some, like Breda, less so.

I agree. I'm not a Celtic fan but it doesn't bother me a bit. Although BTW NAC Breda are doing very well this season! Unlike Cadiz, another club with links with St Pauli (see elsewhere on this board) who are floundering in mid table in the Segunda (very like St Pauli in fact).

GeordieLes wrote:

I agree. I'm not a Celtic fan but it doesn't bother me a bit. Although BTW NAC Breda are doing very well this season! Unlike Cadiz, another club with links with St Pauli (see elsewhere on this board) who are floundering in mid table in the Segunda (very like St Pauli in fact).

Sorry Les, third in the league this year. Should be alright for Europe next season, although I believe the Dutch have some form of play off for one of their Champions League spots.

Agree 100% with the above comments. There is quite an obvious connection with most people on the board who support St Pauli and those who support Celtic, that being a left wing policitcal point of view.

I personally think its great that these clubs have a large left wing support especially after the media pre-conception that football fans are right wing and racist. I really cant understand why supporting Celtic should be a problem to supporters of other teams and really cant understand why it should especially be a problem to anyone who is non Scotish.

Pat O' Banton wrote:

GeordieLes wrote: I agree. I'm not a Celtic fan but it doesn't bother me a bit. Although BTW NAC Breda are doing very well this season! Unlike Cadiz, another club with links with St Pauli (see elsewhere on this board) who are floundering in mid table in the Segunda (very like St Pauli in fact). Sorry Les, third in the league this year. Should be alright for Europe next season, although I believe the Dutch have some form of play off for one of their Champions League spots.

The Breda Rats started a tradition of supporting Newcastle when we were in Europe at the likes of Alkmaar, Feyenoord, PSV and Herenveen and at Zulte-Waregem in Belgium so it would be great if we could support them in England or Scotland (or Wales) next season. They are fecking brilliant supporters and top lads on the drink! It started when we played them in the UEFA cup a few years ago and their support was the noisiest I've ever heard at SJP from home or away supporters. A lot of beer was supped together in the aftermath.
I believe that there is a jointly organised supporters group and I have the link somewhere. If I can find the fecker I'll post it in the 'Links' section.

I'm not a Celtic fan either and it's never been a problem to me. In fact, I've found that the St Pauli fans in Hamburg who I personally have met and chatted to have rarely been that much into the Celtic connection anyway.

Then again, I've yet to take my bow in the Jolly Roger!

Honestly folks, it's not a big deal. It exists, get on with it. Don't let it feel alienating. I don't.

Just on your point though Lermontov, I think you're being a tad naive. I think some of the more crass songs which revel in the actions of the Provisional IRA are going to put a lot of people off Celtic. Especially English people who would meet your definition of non-Scottish. I think that is clear. To be absolutely crystal on where I'm coming from on this, I'm not talking about the traditional Republican ditties like Boys of the Old Brigade, Athenry, Soldier's Song etc... here by the way.

I don't think IRA songs are sectarian in themselves as I don't think the Republican movement as a whole has ever actually been sectarian in its aims. That's not to say that its members never committed grotesque sectarian acts. I would have to argue though that it is fair to question how appropiate some of the match day 'symphony' is.

I've said all this before on here and I haven't changed my mind. That opinion though does not lessen my respect for Celtic Football Club's roots, traditions and the clear left-wing, anti-racist scene that prevails at Celtic Park.

Kowalski wrote:

I'm not a Celtic fan either and it's never been a problem to me. In fact, I've found that the St Pauli fans in Hamburg who I personally have met and chatted to have rarely been that much into the Celtic connection anyway. Then again, I've yet to take my bow in the Jolly Roger! Honestly folks, it's not a big deal. It exists, get on with it. Don't let it feel alienating. I don't. Just on your point though Lermontov, I think you're being a tad naive. I think some of the more crass songs which revel in the actions of the Provisional IRA are going to put a lot of people off Celtic. Especially English people who would meet your definition of non-Scottish. I think that is clear. To be absolutely crystal on where I'm coming from on this, I'm not talking about the traditional Republican ditties like Boys of the Old Brigade, Athenry, Soldier's Song etc... here by the way. I don't think IRA songs are sectarian in themselves as I don't think the Republican movement as a whole has ever actually been sectarian in its aims. That's not to say that its members never committed grotesque sectarian acts. I would have to argue though that it is fair to question how appropiate some of the match day 'symphony' is. I've said all this before on here and I haven't changed my mind. That opinion though does not lessen my respect for Celtic Football Club's roots, traditions and the clear left-wing, anti-racist scene that prevails at Celtic Park.

I am English myself and some of the chants of certain Celtic fans doesnt make me all too comfortable and I may disagree with some of the political opinions of some on the board but I do feel that the vast majority share a certain political outlook (to one degree or another) I mention non Scotish because the original post is not entirely clear on how Celtic makes him/her uncomfortable.

My point was that the connections between the 2 clubs has more to do with politics than glory hunting and that it would proably be more constructive to share ideas rather than dismiss them (After all, we are all on the same side are we not?)