Celtic Supporters Association

Legends & Supporters

Details

Full title: Celtic Supporters Association
aka: CSA
Started: September 1944
Founder: Willie Fanning

Background

The Celtic Supporters Association was the idea of Willie Fanning whose dream became a reality back in September 1944.

These were dark days on and off the pitch with the Second World War still raging and in comparison to those horrors rather more trivially Celtic were not providing much joy to its supporters and defeat was a regular experience. Indeed, the idea of a supporters association came to 27-year-old Willie Fanning while watching the Bhoys get thrashed 6-2 at Hamilton.

Willie Fanning decided to write to the Daily Record calling on fellow Celtic fans interested in establishing a supporters club to get in touch. A total of 14 people replied. Consequently, a meeting was arranged at St Mark’s and St Paul’s Hall, Chester Street in Shettleston. The meeting proved to be a success – a provisional committee was installed and Willie was elected as President.

By the time of the second meeting at the A.O.H. Hall in Alexandria Parade in Townhead the word had spread. The hall was packed and car loads of supporters from across Glasgow and beyond eager to attend created a traffic jam along the parade.

A constitution was drawn up which allowed the new organisation to become an amalgamation of supporters clubs. Within 12 months membership had rocketed to 700 and the association had won the official endorsement of Celtic FC who handed over the responsibility of distributing match tickets to affiliated branches of the CSA.

The CSA remains a strong and influential body. Apart from following Celtic in massive numbers it has two social clubs in Glasgow and its annual Supporters Rally is a highlight in the Celtic calendar.

True to the traditions of Celtic FC the CSA also has a proud and continued ethos of raising funds for charity.

It has not always been plain sailing. They were seen as too sympathetic to the old Board management during the Celtic Takeover era in the early 1990s, and were not reflecting the frustrations of the general support. Supporters groups like Celts for Change needed their support but got short-shrift for too long, with backing only given late on. Notably, rebel investor David Low remarked on them:

“In early 1990s we were told by the CSA and the Affiliation of CSCs that we were malcontents and not real Celtic supporters for criticising the Board. Neither organisation lifted a finger. Needed folk like Brendan Sweeney [of Celts for Change] to light the touch fire.”

In light of that, there was much change needed, and relationships across the support had to be repaired as well as the credibility of the CSA.

The CSA is an important arm of the general support. It has a long history, and we hope it builds & evolves over the coming generations to continue to support the Celtic supporters across the globe.

Below is a list of the earliest Celtic Supporters Clubs set up around the same era:

Greenock Shamrock CSC 1935
Celtic Association 1944
Bridgeton CSC 1948 (started in an Orange Lodge!)
Bellshill & District CSC 1944
Greenock Branch CSC 1945
Kirkintilloch CSC 1945
Port Glasgow CSC 1945
Johnstone No1 CSC 1945
Bathgate CSC 1946
Clydebank & Old Kilpatrick CSC 1946
Holytown CSC 1946
Peter Scarff CSC 1947
Shotts 1946
CSC Carfin 1948

Quotes

“In early 1990s were told by the CSA and the Affiliation of CSCs that we were malcontents and not real Celtic supporters for criticising the Board. Neither organisation lifted a finger. Needed folk like Brendan Sweeney to light the touch fire.”
David Low (2019)

Articles

How the Celtic Supporters Association started. Willie Fanning wrote to Waverley in the Daily Record in September 1944.

(below via @jamiebhoy2009)

Might be the earliest Celtic Supporters handbooks. Courtesy of the collection of @brotherwalfrid. President Willie Fanning is the guy credited with starting the Association.