Home from home for Celtic
What a marvellous gesture from the supporters of Hamburg. When the Celtic fans arrived for their Europa Cup game last week they discovered that the Germans had gone to the most extraordinary lengths to make them feel at home. First, in a terrific feat of choreography, the supporters in one stand used coloured cards to depict a giant Union flag facing the travelling fans.
How reassuring it must have been to arrive in a strange, foreign land and then suddenly to see your beloved nation’s flag. And as if that wasn’t enough, the Germans had brought with them a huge banner with a stirring message written in perfect English: “No Surrender!” It would have been even better if several thousand of them had mastered a simple tune — perhaps one commemorating the followers of a former British monarch with Dutch connections — on the tin whistle in time for the game, but it seems churlish to complain when they went to so much effort. Even the local vandals got in on the act, spray painting a wall near the away end turnstiles with the legend: “Welcome to Protestant Hamburg!” I think that was a nice touch. Very thoughtful.
I have to say, Rangers must feel a bit worried this morning. You don’t expect them to actually win the Champions League, or even progress out of the group stage, but to be given a lesson in bigotry on the terraces by the real Huns, and with such style! Hamburg’s affection for sectarian hatred, incidentally, is largely a reaction to their city rivals, FC St Pauli, whose fans have been known to wave pro-IRA flags and a delegation of whom attended the previous fixture in Glasgow, which Celtic also failed to win.
probably already been posted but thats genius, nothing like a bit of bigotry thrown back in their faces...by bigots.
@ you