How come a football team in a small country like Scotland has one of the largest support bases of any team in the world? Why is it that teams in England with much more money through television deals cannot match the glamour and world acclaim of this team starved of TV money and playing in an obscure league in Scotland?
If you try to understand Celtic by looking at football only you are missing the point. The Celtic story is one of immigrants trying to find a foothold in a racist environment. Presbyterian Scotland has never been able to accept Celtic, a club set up to provide charity to starving victims of poverty in late 19th century Glasgow. The problem was that many/most of the poor were Irish Catholics. While Celtic was set up to help all poor people regardless of religion and even the name was consciously chosen to represent all the Celtic nations (Scotland Ireland Wales etc)the institutional racism in Scotland against Irish Catholics has meant that even today Celtic remains 'home' for the Irish ethnic community. (Interestingly more recently the large influx of Polish people has also swelled the ranks of Celtic fans).
This book explores the Celtic mindset that has meant that even today the 3rd and even 4th generation Irish in Scotland hold on to Celtic as a key institution of their lives. For many of the near million Irish community in Scotland supporting 'Celtic' is a better reflection of their nationality than being Scottish. This strength of attachment is why Celtic fans are everywhere and only too willing to let others know. Its not a team its an identity.
Celtic minded 2 continues the exploration with well constructed essays from a number of writers. If you don't know already, read this, and begin to understand that the Celtic - Rangers issues are not to do with rivalry but racism; ie Scotland's (Rangers) inherrant hatred of Irish Catholics (For them Celtic). And when you read of this Celtic - Rangers rivalry try to colour code it a bit. Imagine the Irish immigrants as being black and being refused work or homes or jobs becasue of their background. If they objected to this would you still see it as some form of rivalry? Thats what the press in Scotland and the UK has done for a hundred years.
Anti Irish Catholic racism is Scotland's shame. By exposing it so lucidly this book starts the cure. Read it and understand Scotland that bit better.
