| About Celtic | Honours |
Details
Date: 24 Oct 2017
Ref: Best FIFA Football Awards, FIFA Best Football Awards
Summary
In October 2017, FIFA were running a shortlist competition for the best fans in football competition for their ‘Best FIFA Football Awards’ ceremony to be held in London.
The shortlist was Celtic, Copenhagen and Dortmund, with the winner being announced at the annual prestigious awards alongside player of the year and the other back slapping awards.
To the pleasant surprise of everyone, the winner was the Celtic support.
An amazing achievement well deserved. The atmosphere generated by Celtic fans was legendary. We had regenerated terracing culture in British football, huge amounts had been raised for charities and the club was finally amongst the big players again in the Champions League.
The cracking array of banners by the Green Brigade as well as the incredible tifos had made Celtic a special place to come to.
This award was primilary awarded for the incredible Lisbon Lions TIFO to mark the 50th anniversary of the achievement but also for the support having reinvigorated terracing support, and for that the Green Brigade, who have been pivotal in this, should be highly commended.
Ironically the award came on the same day that Celtic were fined by UEFA due to an idiot from the stands running onto the pitch and mis-kicking an opposition PSG player. Many were concerned that after countless fines, a stand would now be partially closed. The support were exasperated at the minority who were spoiling it for everyone else, but as the FIFA award highlights, the majority are what counts and Celtic fans are special.
The reaction from abroad was excellent, and well received including by the runners up for the award.
The reaction at home was unsurprisingly ambivalent, with the inevitable hurting hun journalists comments on twitter which are best to be laughed at. You actually had to dig around across UK media to discover that we’d actually won it! Quite a disgrace.
Regardless, the support had again proven its worth, but as always complacency should be avoided. In the modern age where the atmosphere across other clubs is most often quite artificial and orchestrated, the Celtic support is a throw back to a ground roots and authentic emotional appeal.
A wonderful support and an award well deserved.
The Display that won the hearts of everyone….
Match 21 May 2017 Celtic 2-0 Hearts
Tribute to the Lisbon Lions 50th Anniversary.http://www.thecelticwiki.com/2017-05-21%3a-celtic-2-0-hearts%2c-sp
Articles
FIFA.com
http://www.fifa.com/the-best-fifa-football-awards/fan-award/index.html
Football fans from around the world have chosen Celtic supporters as winners of the second FIFA Fan Award, after the remarkable display by their fans at their final league match of the season. The final match of their domestic league campaign coincided with the 50th anniversary of the side winning the European Cup in 1967. Fans of the Scottish side organised a stunning 360-degree card display around Celtic Park to honour the “Lisbon Lions”. The Hoops went on to win the match, in the process completing an undefeated league season – part one of their ‘invincible treble’.
Celtic win FIFA’s ‘Best Fans of the Year’ award
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/celtic/celtic-win-fifa-s-best-fans-of-the-year-award-1-4594599
Celtic fans were honoured for this display to mark the 50th anniversary of the Lisbon Lions. Picture: SNS Group
CRAIG FORBES
Published: 20:28 Updated: 21:43 Monday 23 October 2017
Celtic supporters have been named the best in world football at the Best FIFA Football Awards 2017 in London.
The Hoops fought off competition from Borussia Dortmund and FC Copenhagen to pick up the prestigious award for their 50th anniversary tribute to the 1967 European Cup winning Lisbon Lions.
In a ceremony attended by the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Kenny Dalglish, fans took part in a card display which showed an image of the European Cup, accompanied by the words ‘Lisbon Lions’ at their final game of last season at Parkhead in tribute to Celtic’s 1967 triumph over Inter Milan in the Portuguese capital.
Celtic chairman Ian Bankier said: “This is an incredible honour. I want to thank FIFA and all the fans who voted for us.
“The display that was at the centre of that award was for a team of players that all grew up within a few miles of Celtic Football Club in Glasgow.
“They were coached by a man who was a legend, born in the east of Scotland, who started his career going down mines for coal. He said, ‘a club is nothing without his fans’.
“That philosophy we take to heart and that drives everything we do. On behalf of our fans and across the world, I accept this honour with gratitude and humility.”
Dortmund fans were praised for their campaign to offer shelter to Monaco supporters after a bomb attack on the French team’s bus delayed the Champions League match between the two sides in April.
Supporters of Copenhagen were acknowledged for ensuring a wheelchair-bound fan got to lift the Danish Cup after victory in the final over rivals Brondby.
Celtic win FIFA fans award for Lisbon Lions display before ‘unsafe’ flares controversy in match against Hearts
(HURTING HUNS headline!)
CELTIC have won the FIFA Fan Award for 2017 for a 360-degree display in honour of the Lisbon Lions at an end of season match against Hearts that put the club’s safety certificate in doubt.
The Hoops were nominated alongside Borussia Dortmund and FC Copenhagen for their full-stadium tifo display celebrating the Lisbon Lions’ historic European Cup triumph fifty years ago.