Former Celtic director Michael Kelly has called on Parkhead chiefs to distance themselves from the banners mocking the Queen’s death as he claimed “the club has always supported the monarchy”. Kelly, former Lord Provost of Glasgow, was on the board at the Hoops during the 1990s before Fergus McCann’s takeover brought an end to the Kelly-White family dynasty.
And he appeared on Jeremy Kyle’s TalkTV show to try to explain the reasons for the “F*** the Crown” banner which appeared during Celtic’s 1-1 Champions League draw against Shakhtar Donetsk in Poland. Kyle slammed the away fans and Kelly agreed, saying: "It was disgraceful and completely inappropriate. The club is silent on this but they should come out and make it absolutely clear that this has no part of Celtic or Scottish football.
"The club has always supported the monarchy. Jock Stein accepted a CBE from the queen, my uncle Robert Kelly accepted a knighthood. The club must distance itself from these fans who are a minority but they make a significant noise. They are entitled to their political principles, but they should be making those points elsewhere.
"It is down to the club not down to Uefa or the Poles. Sanctions should be taken against them. It is no use appealing to them. I understand that turning a blind eye, hoping it would go away. But there's a game coming up on Sunday and the club must make its position clear.
"The Scottish police and the Scottish stewards must make sure that no such banners appear at the game You would say it is a provocation, a breach of the peace.”
But he added: “If you want the background of it, there's many Celtic fans who are of Irish origin and who are Republicans. That banner was against the institution of the monarchy, it condemned the crown, it wasn't a direct insult to the queen, it was against the institution but it should never have happened.
"Celtic is a football club, a sporting organisation, it is not a political institution and these people should be told this quite clearly by the club.”
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