There is only one flag which Celtic fans want to see flying above Parkhead – the one which was unfurled before their opening William Hill Premiership match against Dundee last month and signifies they are once again Scottish champions.
But there were a couple of standards which were raised at the Glasgow ground nearly 30 years ago which brought great joy to many members of their worldwide support as well as countless followers of other clubs around the globe too.
Way back in the opening month of their 1996/97 season, a senior executive took a telephone call from a season ticket holder who had a slightly unusual request.
The gentleman on the other end of the line explained that he was a Scot of Indian heritage who attended all of the home games with his Irish wife and their two children.
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He told the official that it would mean a great deal to him, his family and lot of other people with the same background if Celtic would fly the flags of India and Pakistan above Parkhead to celebrate the 50th anniversary of those countries gaining independence from British colonial rule.
It was put to the then chairman and managing director Fergus McCann and the Scottish-Canadian businessman instantly loved the idea. “What a really nice proposal and excellent suggestion,” he said. “This shows the diversity of our support. Let’s do it.”
A photocall on the pitch was promptly arranged with McCann, first team goalkeeper Stewart Kerr and Kashmir Taank, a good friend of the club who worked hard to promote participation in sport among the Asian communities who lived in the city and combat racism.
The story generated positive headlines and publicity for Celtic. Not just in the United Kingdom either. It was covered by major media outlets over in India and Pakistan as well. It even led to them picking up a few supporters.
Not long after the pictures had appeared, a letter that was co-signed by two Wolves fans arrived at Parkhead from England. They revealed they were of Indian descent and had been so impressed with what they described as a “magnificent and meaningful gesture” that they had gone straight out and bought strips.
Did The Bunnet, a hard-nosed customer whose thoughts never strayed very far from the bottom line, have half an eye on the Pakistani pound? Was he just cynically trying to generate some Indian income? Not at all. He simply knew deep down it was the right thing to do.
The Glasgow club, founded by a Marist priest in 1887 to raise funds to feed impoverished Irish-Catholic immigrants in the East End, have always had a strong social conscience, a charitable ethos, an eagerness to support marginalised and oppressed groups. So the leftfield move was entirely in keeping with their core values.
Still, it sent out a strong message to the general public during a less enlightened era when those of Indian and Pakistani heritage were the victims of sickening slurs, intimidation, vandalism and violence on a regular basis. It also highlighted that football clubs have the power to be a major force for good in the world.
At a time of heightened racial tensions across Scotland – official figures show that hate crimes on these shores reached a record high of 7,115, an increase of 17 per cent, in 2025/26 – that is more important than ever.
There is nothing wrong, nothing whatsoever, with expressing legitimate concerns about the negative impact of an immigration policy. We live, after all, in a democracy.
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Those who sneer contemptuously at far right protestors, too, would do well to examine the political failures and economic pressures which have directly resulted in the sudden emergence of this large and disenfranchised subsection of the population.
Yet, much of what has been witnessed in the streets of towns and cities across Scotland this summer stretches the bounds of the freedom of assembly and a great deal of what is posted online is nothing less than dangerous misinformed bile.
The BBC Scotland documentary Disclosure: Welcome to Glasgow has caused an almighty rumpus since being first aired last month. But the poor woman who was interviewed anonymously by reporter Myles Bonnar about the sexual assault she was subjected to by a foreign man on a bus absolutely nailed the “stop the boats” mob.
“They say what they do is about protecting women and children,” she said. “But it’s not. It’s about being racist, aggressive and violent. They don’t actually care about the safety of women. They don’t care if it’s a white man.”
Regular readers of these pages will be well aware that this correspondent does not have an awful lot of love for either the Green Brigade ultras group or the North Curve Celtic account on X.
Their regular “Pig Watch” posts – photographs of police officers on duty on match days at Parkhead – are abhorrent and irresponsible. But their latest missive on the social networking website this week was to be warmly applauded.
They put up a picture of the leaflet which was distributed at the stadium last Saturday and which asked fans to be vigilant of those who “hijack sex crimes” and “push dangerous misinformation funded by the mega-rich who profit from the division and chaos they seek to cause”. It was eloquent, accurate, timely, vital and inspiring.
After reading the flyer, tens of thousands of people of all nationalities, classes, religions and ethnicities sat together as one, held up banners which read “Refugees Welcome”, lauded heroes past and present with songs and cheered on a side which comprised players from the four corners of the planet. It was much the same story from Galabank to Gayfield.
Scottish football has a lot of problems. The words and deeds of many of those who file through turnstiles can often leave a great deal to be desired. There will be no away fans at SPFL games between Celtic and Rangers this season for good reason.
Traditionally, too, terraces have been a gathering place for those who hold extremist views. That still exists, albeit to a lesser extent than in the past, in some dark corners. But the game here can fly the flag for the anti-racism movement and help to quell the disturbing rise of the far right.
