Jim Murphy MP, Old Firm history & sectarianism

[The Beast 9,226]

See no matter your opinion of him or his opinions, he is one of the few getting out there and defending the union so he has my respect for that. What's going to happen on the 18th September is bigger than what religion he is, what football team he supports. As things stand I don't care he has my backing. Come 19th September and IF Scotland has voted No. I'll get back to hating him for being a tim.

This 100%

Battles make for strange bedfellows sometimes. Let's defeat the Jacobites then worry about our temporary allies.

[72barca 1,788]

Posted Yesterday, 12:46 PM

D, on 01 September 2014 - 09:59 AM, said:

Its an interesting concept Oleg.

There were Catholic players who would not sign - Celtic from inception had a particularly strong not only Catholic/Irish identity but one of their early directors (cant remember his name but there is a whole chapter on it in Bill Murray's The Old Firm & Sectarianism) was particularly prominent doing public meetings etc.

I think the reaction to the signings of Mojo & Neil McCann, and the abuse their families had to endure, demonstrate there is still a belief amongst elements of the Celtic support that Catholics signing for Rangers are "traitors"

Was the director that you refer to Pat Welsh , a known terrorist and criminal, who made his escape from justice with the aid of Willie Maley's father? I read that some time ago and verified the information just there, using one of their sites, which actually describes him as a "fenian activist". The other name that comes to mind for such a role is John Glass. (Further Googling reveals that Glass is the likelier candidate.)

I have often felt that we have been the naive party in planned propaganda war using the dirtiest of tactics. They're like the kid in the playground that starts a fight, then complains to teacher when the other kid starts to retaliate. The use of the terms "fenian" and "orange" are just two battlefields in a dirty war, in which we were naive enough to play the gullible fool hung out to dry.

As an aside, I discovered a Spiers article from last year in which he castigates us for a century long policy, in which a few Catholics slipped through the net, without any evidence whatsoever of an actual policy. Yet several years previous to this, he had an article published in The Herald commemorating Bill Struth, in which he reported Mr Struths unsuccessful (rejected) attempts to sign several Catholic players. Was it merely a negligent oversight when writing the later, far more scathing, article? Or could it be that Mr Spiers has an agenda and is without integrity?

Can you give us any links, Oleg?

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[scouseblue 145]

Thanks to the OP for this informative & interesting thread

[daviec1953 147]

Jim Murphy is thoroughly decent guy who I have met on a few occasions.

He has my respect for everything he is doing for the NO Campaign , and right now that's all that matters.

SAVE THE UNION VOTE NO

[Thermopylae 15,286]

This 100%

Battles make for strange bedfellows sometimes. Let's defeat the Jacobites then worry about our temporary allies.

To be honest it shows just how much sense a NO vote makes that I am on the same side as george galloway

[The Beast 9,226]

To be honest it shows just how much sense a NO vote makes that I am on the same side as george galloway

Strange days indeed.