Why do some Celtic fans boo Remembrance Sunday?

Celtic supporters forced a minute’s silence to be aborted on Remembrance Sunday

Remembrance Sunday commemorations were aborted at Kilmarnock this weekend as a portion of Celtic fans booed and sang pro-IRA songs.

Away supporters booed as Kilmarnock captain Kyle Vassell laid a wreath in the centre circle. They then drowned out an attempted minute’s silence with a song about the death of Aidan McAnespie, who was killed by a British soldier at an army checkpoint in Northern Ireland in 1988.

Sky Sports commentator Ian Crocker apologised, saying: “Sorry if you were offended with the disturbance to the silence.”

Historical links

The team’s green and white colors and moniker both allude to Celtic’s longstanding historical ties to Ireland and Irish Republicanism. Brother Walfrid, an Irish Catholic Marist, formed the team, and many of the original players were of Irish ancestry who had fled political instability and starvation to the east of Glasgow.

Rangers, who came to represent Glasgow’s long-standing Protestant Unionist community, have long taken aim at Celtic’s traditionally Catholic background. Throughout the years, the city’s football clubs have served as the most striking example of its sectarian division, which is a complicated fusion of religion, history, sport, and politics that was fueled by the Troubles violence in Northern Ireland in the latter half of the 20th century.

Celtic’s association with Irish Republicanism underpins some fans’ rejection and disapproval of Remembrance Sunday, which commemorates the contribution of British and Commonwealth military personnel and is marked around the anniversary of the end of World War I.

The annual period of remembrance in Britain has been criticised for “glorifying war ”, while football’s relationship with the poppy symbol has been labelled “an obsession”, although the British Royal Legion insists: “Remembrance does not glorify war and its symbol, the red poppy, is a sign of both Remembrance and hope for a peaceful future. Wearing a poppy is is never compulsory but is greatly appreciated by those who it is intended to support.”

Wrexham midfielder James McClean, who is from Creggan in Derry, which was the scene of Bloody Sunday, when British soldiers shot 26 unarmed civilians during a rally in 1972, killing 14 people, recently shown that hatred is not limited to Celtic supporters. Despite hate from supporters, he has consistently refused to wear a poppies. Over the weekend, he made his sentiments known by standing apart from his teammates during a minute of silence.

A group of Celtic supporters also raised a number of placards that said, “From Balfour to Starmer, the crimes of the empire live on, Britain is committing genocide in Gaza,” and waved Irish and Palestinian flags before to the match at Kilmarnock.

A supporters’ group, North Curve Celtic, wrote on X: “Today, on Armistice Day, we highlight the hypocrisy and shame of the British establishment and others who selectively mourn the loss of life and fail to support an armistice to the ongoing genocide in Palestine.”

Both managers criticised the fans’s behaviour and the decision to stop the minute’s silence early, with Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes including the latter latter complaint amid wider frustration with the referee not giving his side any decision during the 2-0 loss.