letters 104

political broadcast

Dear NTV,

Off to bonnie Dundee where the only sectarian songs will be from the visiting fans. Aye right!

I Listened to Traynor's radio programme yesterday and an Arab called to say he was at Swinecastle and couldn't understand why the media is so quiet about the sectarian singing from the Hearts fans. The Head of Hearts security came on and said there is a small group of fans about 20-30 that they have been keeping tabs on that are causing the problems. Asked about the Old Firm he said "My counterpart at Rangers is tackling the problem and I suppose my counterpart at Celtic is also doing it."

On the subject of visiting fans he said, "How can we throw out 3,500 Celtic fans singing IRA songs?". He made no mention of the Huns and gave the impression that the whole Celtic end is singing Ra songs, which we all know is shite.

It's no surprise to me that Celtic highlighting the problem of singing political songs and been changed by the media to sectarian songs. Even Westlife corrected the Radio Clyde DJ who was asking about Celtic fans singing sectarian songs.

Yours etc.
THE BHOY BHANDER
by e-mail

baggage reclaim

Dear NTV,

It's about time celtic did something about the sectarian baggage that has been attached to us for years and I applaud Ian McLeod for addressing the situation.

Basically I'm fed up with so called fans chanting and singing songs about organisations that have nothing to do with Celtic FC and I urge the fans who sing these songs to stop now. However the recent plea from McLeod seems to have fallen on deaf ears. At the recent Dundee v Celtic game the chant was "Stick your letter up your arse".

These people must be weeded out because in my view they are just as bad as the sectarian element which inhabit Ibrox week in week out. We should be proud of our irish roots but must remember that the terraces are for football songs and not the bile that is sung at most away games.

MR ANGRY
via e-mail

pravda

Dear NTV,

I recently tried to put a "supporters comment" on Celtic's 'supporters comments' page on the official website but, typical Celtic FC they don't like the truth. I'm only just reading ntv 102, and wholeheartedly agree with the Celtic Trust's concers regarding this 'Huddle Club' scam. I recently flew up as in my letter below. Where's the loyalty when I can't use my shareholder card AND 'huddle club' voucher TOGETHER?

I hope you print all my letter in your next issue, as I'm sure there are many fans like myself who pre-book flights, ferries and all the rest of it, only to be let down like I will be, along with the wife and son.

Regarding the game on Nov 16th now 17th, I cannot afford to pay the difference for the three of us to go up for this game, so that's three flights down the toilet. Cheers! Another game not used on my season book, next game possibly will be boxing day. This was what I sent. I received no reply and it was not put on 'supporters comments'. What is the point having a 'supporters comments' page when they will not publish it? is it rude? offensive? I don't think it is.

Subject: Fans outwith Glasgow Well what an amazing few days. After attending the 'blood & thunder' game on Sunday, I was pleased that we got the draw in the end. Sure I think we deserved to win, but with 15 minutes on the clock and 2:3 down I was happy in the end. I had to leave 10 minutes before the final whistle, seconds after Sutton scored, as I had booked my flight up way in advance, guessing wrongly the kick off time. How unthoughtfull of me!

I rang Celtic a few times to get any idea of kick off, as I presumed like recent games these kicked off at noon or 1pm. Celtic kindly could not give me a definite time, but like me they presumed it would be as stated, so I booked my flight up. Then I got confirmation the game would kick off at 2.15pm, meaning I would have to get away before the mad rush, to get to the airport for 5pm. I was gutted, but hey I'm only a working class fan, who cares?

Now on to the Wycombe friendly only 25 miles from my home. What POOR publicity this received. Only 5,000 odd turned up and I hope the ticket office make note of who went to this game. What about offering all Celtic fans with a brief for the away leg v Blackburn, for there loyalty going to this match??

Another point related to the game just mentioned is that a couple of months ago I booked up flights for Partick game Nov 16th, for me my Wife and young Son, to travel up on Saturday morning, returning home Sunday morning. Guess what? again NO notification on Celtic website (only fixture list adjusted) I also read it in the Record on Thursday this week. The game has now been changed to the Sunday, so I have paid for and lost three flights Why can't this game v Blackburn be played on a Wednesday and leave fixtures alone for the Saturday. I'm sure permission would be granted by UEFA. I read last week that Souness condemmed playing on a Thursday so I'm sure Blackburn would not object. What about all the supporters like myself in Ireland, England, Wales who have coaches, ferries, flights booked. WE LOOSE OUT. No refunds and another game I will miss not using my season book. It is not fair on us Celtic 'working class' supporters, and something should be done to show loyalty to US.

I am a Shareholder & Season book holder, so why are we descriminated against when buying out of the Celtic Megastore? On Sunday I bought £60 worth of merchandise, so why can't I use my shareholder discount card AND 'huddle club vouchers' together? I was entitled using £10 off voucher, but not a further 10% using my shareholder card. WHY? we put our money up front, we should be allowed. It's the same in the past buying 'sale' items we are not allowed further Shareholder discounts, so why are we discriminated against?

Come on Celtic fc PLC, treat us fans honestly and fairly.

JOHN DORAN
OXFORD.

debt's the way to do it

Dear NTV,

Recently, my husband (Professor A.N.O'Rhaq, Unseen University) and I vacationed in San Francisco. After the usual tourist trips - The Blarney Stone, The Chieftain, An Bhodrain, Martin Mack's, Johnny Foley's - we imbibed some culture.

Our stay was much improved by not seeing the Daily Rectum anywhere in the city. However, I did have a dream in which some Lanliq-swilling bampot claimed that 'Celtic and Rangers are equally indebted'. Maybe it was jetlag, but today's rasswipe said that the Death Star was £52 million in the brown - excuse me, the red.

My crystal says that as shareholders we can hold our own destiny in our hands by buying more shares and items from the Celtic official merchandise catalogue.

I was particularly impressed by this publication, especially pages 54 and 56. I will be ordering copies for my dear friends in Bhagdad-By-The-Bay. I think the pink Celtic caps on page 56 will be a big hit over there.

Yours in the Hoops Forever,
MADAME SOSOSTRIS
London.

wailing Cat

Dear NTV,

Cast your minds back less than a year to the last exit the Huns made from Europe. As you'll recall, Feyenoord were the opposition and the plucky Gers went out thanks in part to a brace of free kicks from big Pierre. The fact that they stayed in the competition after Santa had been was good enough reason to hail the latest incarnation of the Huns as potential UEFA Cup winners and McLeish was quite explicit after the match about the reason why they went out.

To put it simply, the ref was a homer and he should have awarded the Huns at least one other penalty.

Fast forward a few months lto the latest fiasco. After losing that late goal to Viktoria Zizkov, the manager who got Hibs relegated, Motherwell relegated and the Huns crashing out of Europe by Hallowe'en is quite explicit about the reason why his team went out. The referee wasn't a homer and he should have awarded the Huns at least one penalty.

How original! If he's not careful he might find himself branded as a hopeless paranoiac.

Yours from the padded cell,
HALF BLIND PUGH
by e-mail