University lecturer refuses to apologise

RTE
No apology from Celtic fans' chief
A Celtic supporters' chief has refused to apologise for defending the singing of IRA songs.
University lecturer Jeanette Findlay, chair of the Celtic Trust, sparked fury when she said in a BBC interview that chants about terrorists had a historical basis.

Politicians and football supporters in Scotland and Ireland were quick to condemn her views. But Dr Findlay refused to back down yesterday.
She told the Daily Record newspaper: 'Why would I want to apologise? I made some relatively mild remarks on the radio and have no interest in co-operating with you.
'I am well aware of the effects that comments can have outside of football stadiums. In fact, I'm probably more aware than you are of the issues surrounding this subject.'

She would not confirm whether she had been in contact with Celtic Trust members since the interview.
She said that the trust has its own channels of communication and that she would not be issuing any statement through the newspaper.
The row erupted after Dr Findlay spoke on BBC Radio 5 Live's breakfast programme on Tuesday.
She told the programme: 'The club was founded to help the poor of the Irish immigrants to Scotland.
'Many of the supporters are descendants of these people. They may take a particular view of history, what happened in Ireland, which is different to many other people. So I don't call those pro-terrorist songs.'
She said that the chants were 'songs from a war of independence going back over a hundred years'.

She made the comments on the day that the latest football anti-bigotry initiative was launched at Hampden Park.
The club has distanced itself from her comments, saying they were 'totally unrepresentative of the Celtic support'.
And the Scottish Government said her views were 'repugnant'.
Yesterday an Irish Government minister joined in the condemnation during a visit to the north of Ireland.
Foreign minister Dermot Ahern said he was opposed to the singing of such songs at football matches.
Speaking in Ballymena, Co Antrim, he said: 'From what I know Scotland has been very - and a lot of its clubs have been very - forthcoming in trying to root out sectarianism.'
The Fianna Fail minister added: 'Any singing of those type of songs I wouldn't encourage at all.'

An umbrella group representing around 100 Celtic supporters clubs north and south of the border also backed the condemnation.
The Association of Irish Celtic Supporters Clubs represents clubs based in each of Ireland's four provinces, and said it was opposed to sectarianism, while continuing to celebrate Celtic's Irish roots.
A spokesman said: 'The Association of Irish Celtic Supporters Clubs have been engaged with Celtic and the Scottish Executive to eradicate sectarianism from Scottish football, and will continue to support this initiative.'

the north of Ireland MP Gregory Campbell described her comments as 'a massive step back in time' for the club.
The East Derry Democratic Unionist member urged new Celtic chairman John Reid to speak out against Ms Findlay.
Accepting the club had already said Ms Findlay did not speak for the bulk of fans, he said: 'Hopefully John Reid can go further saying not only does this not represent the attitude of the club but that it is the antithesis of what the club thinks and stands for.
'These are the sort of comments that cause major problems in the north of Ireland where there are many Celtic supporters.'
He said Ms Findlay should consider her position.

A spokesman for the Association of Celtic Supporters' Clubs declined to discuss Ms Findlay's remarks.
Ms Findlay is a lecturer in the Department of Economics at the University of Glasgow and co-director of the Glasgow University Football Research Centre.
The Celtic Trust is a supporters' trust and was established to represent the interests of small shareholders and supporters at Celtic.

How the story is reported in Scotland
Outrage after Celtic fans' champion defends pro-IRA chants at matches
Craig Brown of the Scotsman
The head of a Celtic supporters' trust has provoked outrage by defending the singing of pro-IRA songs by the club's fans during matches.
Dr Jeanette Findlay, who chairs the Celtic Trust, which represents supporters and small shareholders, claimed chants about the IRA were "songs from a war of independence".
She was speaking during an interview on BBC Radio Five Live's breakfast programme. Her comments prompted a furious response from listeners.
Dr Findlay, who is a research fellow and economics lecturer at Glasgow University, had been replying to questions by presenter Nicky Campbell about the trust's opposition to the appointment as club chairman of the former home secretary, John Reid, who was a cabinet minister at the time of the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Dr Findlay said the trust's opposition was to do with Mr Reid's "leading role in relation to what many believe is an illegal and immoral war".
Mr Campbell then asked her if she was more uncomfortable with the singing of pro-terrorist songs or the appointment of Mr Reid.
Dr Findlay responded: "I have tried to explain about the nature of Celtic as a club. It was founded to help the poor Irish immigrants to Scotland.
"They may take a particular view of the history, of what happened in Ireland, which is different from many other people, so I don't call those pro-terrorist songs. What history tells us is that it is facile to say that politics and sport will ever be separated."
Mr Campbell said he was not referring to songs such as The Fields of Athenry, but to "actually chanting: 'The IRA'."
She replied: "Many of those songs are songs from what was essentially a war of independence going back over a hundred years."

Celtic fans bombarded the show with angry texts and e-mails and some members of the trust said they would quit.
One said: "I listened to her on my way to work. I was actually shouting at the radio for her to please shut up."
Another fan, Sean from Derry, texted: "Her one-eyed hypocritical views... are disturbing and a ludicrously perverted take on history. She doesn't represent the majority of opinion of Irish nationalist Celtic fans."

A Celtic FC spokeswoman distanced the club from Dr Findlay's words: "These comments are unrepresentative of the Celtic support... and we are delighted with the way in which our fans currently support the team."

Richard Benjamin, director of the anti-sectarian group Nil By Mouth, said: "While I defend Dr Findlay's right to express her personal beliefs, context is important. Expressing religious and political views in football can be damaging, not just to the sport, but to the wider community, too. I think most football supporters would not be exposed to chants about the IRA at matches."

Dr Findlay was unavailable for comment last night. The controversy came on the day the Scottish Government launched its Kick Out Bigotry campaign.
Dr Jeanette Findlay is widely acknowledged as one of Scotland's top experts on football economics.
Beyond her main role as a lecturer in Glasgow University's department of economics, she has been closely involved in a campaign to establish a Scottish national unit dedicated to helping football supporters become more involved in the running of their clubs.
The Celtic Trust, which aims to promote the interests of small shareholder fans and is thought to have about 200 members, is one of the first registered trusts in Scotland.

Dr Findlay is also the co-director of the Glasgow University Football Research Centre and is currently involved in setting up a postgraduate course in sport and public policy.
She is also carrying out a project to study the local economic effects of stadium development.

Comments from BBC Celtic fans forum

why is it that the media in scotland roundly condemns the singing of songs about violent struggles in ireland (from whichever side) but celebrates the passages in Flower of Scotland which refer to past violent struggles against english imperial forces? I'm sure the English forces of the day would have seen those Scottish rebels as 'terrorists' acting against the state.

I have to say that i dont have any particluar axe to grind here as, although i am a firm supporter of celtic, i have no Irish connections of either a family or political nature. It just seems hypocritical to me that the media decides which historical violence is Ok and which isn't.

why are scotish struggles against english imperialism OK but irish ones aren't?

-------------------------

I've just finished reading Peter Taylor's book:

"Provos: The IRA and Sinn Fein"

Excellent read ans I plan to pick up his others: "Brits" and "Loyalists".

Worthwhile reading for those who simply and ignorantly dismiss people as 'murdering terrorist scum' with background gleaned from a tabloid gutter press that is normally slated for it's bias and sensationalism on here and a government that issued a press ban on one side telling their story.
------------------------

The difference is that The English came to clear the highlands not simply rule it.
And God save the Queen is even more racist.
Much celebrated dambusters and rule britannia are all war mongering songs so if youre up for them then anythings fair game.
On the subject of how it goes hand in hand with football, I'm still a little torn on the matter. I hate people telling me how Celtic is for socialists etc. Plus my main irk is those who sing these songs with absolutely no idea of the background except that it antagonises the other side, and it's usually 17 year old p-ed up neds from Maryhill that belittle any sort of 'noble history' in the songs.
-----------------------------
An interesting point in the original article, and possibly the one that Dr Findlay attempted to make before she let her own prejudices colour her reply to Nicky Campbell.
Still she should be banned from Parkhead for posing as an academic winkeye

All things considered these songs are just songs; and Irish "rebel songs" are no different to any other song that derives from political conflict.

Remember the most famous "terrorist" anthem is still "The Battle Hymn of The Republic"; don't see anyone complaining about that!

That said, in the interests of peace, harmony and above all respect; many of the traditional Repertoire of the Celtic/ Rangers support need to be phased out.
If we don't want prejudice and division in the streets, we can't allow it at the footy.

Irish Forums Message Discussion :: University lecturer refuses to apologise

University lecturer refuses to apologise