Scottish football club Celtic FC faces backlash after rowdy fans disrupted a minute’s applause in memory of the Queen with an anti-royal chant.
The ugly show of defiance came as Celtic players, coaches and manager Ange Postecoglou stood for a pre-match tribute to the late monarch before playing St Mirren in Paisley on Sunday (local time).
Match organisers had planned a minute of applause to mark the monarch’s death.
But the commemoration soured when members of the ‘Green Brigade’ began an unsavoury chant. Deafening chants quickly emerged, with fans of the Glasgow club shouting “if you hate the royal family, clap your hands”.
The rendition appeared to be a highly coordinated effort, with fans also displaying matching banners.
Sky Sports commentator Ian Crocker apologised on behalf of the broadcaster, saying: “Apologies if you were offended by anything you might have heard. Most people showed respect, some did not.”
The behaviour was widely panned on social media, with onlookers slamming them for the “disgraceful” display.
“Is there a worse set of football fans than Celtic?” one asked.
“Potential sponsors won’t want to be associated with such bigotry and hatred and the English Premiership won’t want them. Ever,” said another.
“A club I once supported as a kid … Thankfully now football astute not to ever support them again … A disgrace to Scotland and the UK.”
Celtic FC already faces disciplinary action after similar anti-royal behaviour from its fans just last week.
The Union of European Football Associations is pursuing disciplinary action against the club after fans displayed crude banners during a game in Warsaw last week.
One banner read ‘f–k the crown’. It was unfurled minutes before a match last week when the Celtics played Shakhtar Donetsk on September 14.
Another read ‘Sorry for your loss Michael Fagan’ – a reference to the intruder who broke into the Queen’s Buckingham Palace bedroom in 1982.
UEFA, European football’s governing body, is yet to comment on the latest incident.
The protest followed the Scottish Football Association postponing all matches the previous weekend, following the Queen’s death. Clubs then had the option of choosing how respects to the monarch would be paid, once games resumed.
Celtic’s Australian manager Ange Postecoglou refused to address the behaviour in a post-match press conference.
“I get why the interest is there, but I’m a manager at a football club, and I sit at press conferences wanting to talk about football.
“We addressed that matter, we did everything we needed to do, it’s time we moved on.”
Postecoglou previously expressed the club’s wish that fans be “respectful” during any tributes to the late monarch.
“I have the same message to our fans that we always have,” he said ahead of the St Mirren match. “As I said before the game [against Shakhtar], we will abide by the protocols.
Celtic FC isn’t the only football club in hot water over fans’ anti-royal behaviour.
Soon after the death of the Queen, supporters of Irish football club Shamrock Rovers were filmed chanting “Lizzie’s in a box” to the tune of Give It Up by KC and the Sunshine Band.
A clip of the chanting has been viewed more than 9.2 million times on Twitter.
Tweet from @dublincelticfan
The club released a statement soon after the clip went viral, condemning the incident.
“Shamrock Rovers Football Club does not condone hostile abuse of individual players, spectators, or officials based on ethnic or cultural background, nationality, or religious affiliation,” the statement read.
“Those found to be involved in any such behaviour will face ejection from the ground and will be reported to the Gardaí.”
