CELTIC manager Ange Postecoglou has urged the Parkhead club’s supporters to show their respect for The Queen during the minute’s applause before the cinch Premiership match against St Mirren in Paisley tomorrow.
Callum McGregor and his team mates wore black armbands during their Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk in Poland on Wednesday night to honour the late monarch.
However, the Scottish champions are facing disciplinary action from UEFA for the “F*** The Crown” banner which a group of their fans displayed in the Wojska Polskiego Stadium.
Postecoglou, whose team are five points clear of Rangers in the league table, stressed that he is fully focused on on-field matters ahead of a game at a ground where Celtic were held to a 0-0 draw last season.
However, he asked the travelling supporters to show their respects to The Queen before the match, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, gets underway.
“I have the same message to our fans that we always have,” he told Sky Sports. “As I said before the game (against Shakhtar), we will abide by the protocols. We wore black armbands on Wednesday night. I know it was kind of lost on people.
"I think there's a minute's applause. We will abide by whatever obligations and responsibilities we have as a football club. We will do that in a respectful manner because that is the football club we are and we want to be.
“From that perspective, nothing really changes. We always take the same approach. What we want to do and what we always try to do is portray ourselves as a club that is respectful and understands its obligations.
We want our supporters to do the same. I am not going to speak on behalf of anyone else, the supporters. We will do whatever is required as we have so far in a fairly respectful way as a football club.”
Asked if he felt the furore over the Celtic fans’ banner had overshadowed his team’s display against Shakhtar, Postecoglou said: “It depends on what you are reading and what you are listening to.
“My focus is on us as a football club and the performance was really strong at the highest level of competition. We have still got some growth to do as a football team in terms of playing at that level on a consistent basis.
“I was encouraged by our progress, but also know we need to keep improving in those areas. As I said, we will keep representing our football club in the best possible way.
“They (UEFA) are opening an investigation. I am not really sure what you expect me to say. If there’s an investigation there’s an investigation and then we will wait for what the investigation unfolds.”
Postecoglou added: “With all these things, there are regulations and authorities in charge. If it’s proven we’ve done the wrong thing and there are ramifications then we have got to accept those ramifications. We have those responsibilities as a football club.
“We represent a large supporter base worldwide and we want to do things in the most respectful way that portrays our football club in the right light. If something is wrong that is for the authorities to do that.
“My own thing is that in everything you do you should be allowed to express whatever opinion or feeling you have. My preference is you do that in a respectful way and I think that is what our football club has done.”
