[Teddy Bear]

What he did was no different to Alfie Conn.

Sure there are fans who won't have forgiven him for playing for Celtic but the majority don't seem too bothered anymore - they might not like what he did but they don't hate him much and Conn has since been back at Ibrox and paraded on the pitch with the rest of the ECWC winners and indeed works (or worked?) behind the bar in probably the most well known Rangers pub in Glasgow.

With Mo Johnston while the football rivalry element has played an important part in the hatred towards him the "treachery" has a religious element too. Basically there are some bigots amongst the Celtic support who hate the thought of Scottish Catholics playing for Rangers every bit as much as some bigots did/do in the Rangers support. It's seen as a sell out or whatever and that is why the level of hatred towards him is still so high IMO. Plus the fact that he represents the removal of the signing policy means the hatred towards him is extra bad.

 

[Teddy Bear]

As i said, fans of any club around the world would have hated Johnstone for his actions. It's a football-related issue to Celtic fans, and it always will be. Those who supposedly hate him for sectarian issues are doing so for no particular reason, because the anti-Catholic songs are still as prevalent among the Rangers support today as they were before Judas joined them.

I agree it's not exactly unique for fans to hate players for such a thing but generally the level of hatred would dissipate over time if it was just a "football-related issue". Michael Laudrup, Bernd Schuster, Christian Panucci, Giuseppe Meazza, Roberto Baggio etc etc....There are many players who have played for both sides of a heated rivalry and who haven't had to put up with the levels of hatred that Johnston has had to for nearly 15 years since he left Rangers.

(btw I don't expect Celtic fans to like him or respect him - i wouldn't if it was an ex-Rangers player who did a similiar thing - i'm talking about the level of dislike and hate that he still attracts, which is out of proportion to what he did if it was just a "football related issue")

 

[Teddy Bear]

The burning of season tickets in front of TV cameras? Didn't happen - It was actually a picture of a couple of guys burning "their" season tickets taken by a Daily Record photographer (btw some say the guys in the pics were guys who the Record paid but i don't know if that's true or not)

I'm not denying that there were some people really pissed off with the signing, and no doubt some of these bigots stopped going to see the team (good riddance to them btw). However season ticket sales increased after Johnston signed so any "protest" that happened was totally insignificant and unimportant....

 

[Teddy Bear]

I have to ask, if it's not a "purely football issue" then what is it? I've seen people in the papers using the tired old "bigotry" crap, failing to realise it cannot possibly be bigotry. There is nothing sectarian in this situation, there is no way this COULD be bigotry.

Unless Celtic fans have taken on the quality of being bigoted towards whites/catholics? :googly: :googly:

For some Celtic fans the signing of Johnston and what he represented as the symbol of the signing policy being broken was the worse thing that could have happened. Not only did they lose out on Johnston but it also took away a plank to beat Rangers with, which for some, was of more importance than the ending of the policy.

Some of them single out Scottish Catholics for abuse if they play for Rangers. Members on here have attempted to justify this in the past for whatever reason, but the fact remains is that players like Neil McCann or Chris Burke have been singled out for extra abuse solely for religious reasons.

 

[Teddy Bear]

So you're saying that Celtic fans are all anti-Roman Catholic bigots then?

I'm afraid there's only one club who have the dishonour of that particular mantle in Scotland.

No.

I said some Celtic fans single out Scottish Catholics who play (or have played) for Rangers players for extra abuse. Are you saying that Neil McCann or Chris Burke have not been not singled out because of what religious background they are perceived to come from (or "belong" to)?

 

[Teddy Bear]

I'd have thought that 50,000 of their own supporters singing about being up to their knees in their blood because they happen to be Catholics would be a lot more offensive to the Rangers players in question personally.

That doesn't really answer my question:

Have Neil McCann or Chris Burke been singled out by Celtic fans because of what religious background they are perceived to belong to?

I think this question can be answered without a "youse are worser" sort of response

 

[Teddy Bear]

yeah pretty sad.

although i don't particularly blame people for not wanting to go, as i didn't want to go either. would have been better to have had the game during the summer on a saturday afternoon rather than a wednesday night in march. i might have gone along then and i'm sure others would have too that were not there last night....

 

[Teddy Bear]

i think the indoor thing is the european masters football which is 5 a-sides

rangers, chelsea, bayern munich and ajax

not sure though....