Protest is controversial by its very nature, as Celtic fans know.
There’s often a fair amount of pearl-clutching, especially in the UK, when people say they’re angry about something. The social norms dictate that if we’re outraged, the official protocol is to tweet passive-aggressively. Or, write a letter, never send it, and develop a stomach ulcer.
Perhaps Scotland has a better culture of protest, but if we do, it’s not by much. And in the Covid-19 era, our protests made massive headlines worldwide. In December, after an unacceptable loss to Ross County, there were scenes outside Celtic Park that had part-time moralists twitching. “Nobody likes to see this”, people wrote, just like when a scuffle breaks out during a football match.
In France and Italy, two nations with massive footballing cultures, there are protests all the time. Yes, they can go too far – Marseille supporters probably didn’t need to burn down parts of their training facility [Guardian]. In Italy, we’ve seen a number of protests against those running the club [ESPN]. There probably weren’t long, drawn-out debates over whether this was socially acceptable.
Now, though, there’s a “righteous” cause down south. Outside Anfield, Stamford Bridge and Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium, fans are congregating en masse to protest against their owners. Because that’s quite normal, really, isn’t it? When an institution does something supporters don’t like, they protest.
Celtic fans don’t need vindication, but it’s there anyway
Whether you agree with the cause of the protests in December, there’s a weird aura of tutting about even the act of protesting in itself. Fine, the Covid protocol bit is a real danger in itself, and it’s the most compelling reason against demonstrating en masse.
That’s not what this is about, though. In Westminster, there’s a bill being debated that could ban unsanctioned demonstrations [BBC]. That’s utterly totalitarian, and while it won’t affect Scotland, it’s a warning of a culture that’s becoming normalised.
Where Celtic fans are concerned though, is that there’s an irony to the squeamishness over Bhoys fans protesting this board. We were called spoiled and entitled when we did it, but when gargantuan clubs in England are protesting the greed and mismanagement perpetrated by their owners, there’s little opposition.
In fact, Boris Johnson goes so far as to agree with the sentiments. We got a Conservative Prime Minister arguing on behalf of football fans [Guardian]. That’s as bizarre as this year has become.
So what does all this mean? Well, there won’t be any apologies from the countless critics who may now concede that protesters had a point. None of hand-wringers in the commentariat will do an about turn and say “actually, football fans really ought to protest against their boards when it’s right to do so”.
Maybe, in a wider sense, we’ve already got a culture of “unapproved protests”, with Celtic fans in December acting against a Moralistic Court. That’s maybe an argument for further down the line.
But at the very least, it’s interesting, all of this. Isn’t it?
READ MORE: Former Celtic man lifts lid on relationship with Gordon Strachan
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
