“Glasgow Star & Examiner – March 3rd 1906
GLASGOW PRESS & CELTS
BIGOTRY & MISREPRESENTATION
(To the Editor of “The Glasgow Star.”)
Celtic Park.
Glasgow 1st March 1906.
Sir,-The bigotry and anti-Celtic feelings of the alleged fair-minded athletic Press of Glasgow got full vent last week, on the occasion of the Hearts lucky victory. Since this club was formed the aforesaid scribes have at all times taken every little chance they could to belittle the club and its followers, and to gloat over its defeats. This week one alleged critic pays a tribute to the fair-mindedness of the Glasgow public in cheering a Hearts’ success, but of course has no explanation of the lack of local patriotism in the silence which greeted the Celtic’s goal. This spirit of anti-Celtic feeling has been so drummed into the Glasgow public by these Saturday afternoon reporters that the public cannot see any good in the Celtic at any time. This, however does not concern the club or its following. Criticisms are only to be valued by the standard of character of those who write them, and a recent law case gave us a sample of what our football reporting has descended to.
What does concern us, however, are the gross misstatements regarding the club’s management and the security of Celtic Park. We are told that Celtic Park has not sufficient turnstiles. Strange to say, it possesses more entrance gates than any ground in Scotland, and possibly England. Ibrox has 26 and Hampden, I believe, up till now 24. Celtic had 30 in operation on Saturday. Anyone who used his eyes on Saturday would have seen that the crowd did not come up till 2.30, and in the 1 ¼ hours till 3.45 to pass through 48,000 people deserved credit instead of abuse from these wonderful critics. The public had no patience on Saturday, and, as the police have proved, would not keep to the queue formation, which is of great assistance on such occasions.
The other point is the widely-spread statement of a barricade having given way at Celtic Park and three men being thrown down 10 or 15 feet and seriously injured. My Board considered it their duty to at once ask the Master of Works authorities to examine the field, and report on the alleged broken barricade. The authorities did examine the field, and found that no part of the structure for spectators had given way. The accident to the three spectators was caused by these persons climbing over the back of a barricade topped with spiked iron (where, of course, they had no right to be) and slipping, cut their hands on the iron spiking.
The explanation afforded by this letter is, of course, unnecessary, in view of the facts stated, but will be helpful to our loyal supporters in combating the fairy tales spread all round by malicious foes as to the safety of Celtic Park. The opinion of the critics previously referred to of course does not worry the club in the least. We have lived against it (and I think done fairly well) for 18 years, and feel quite easy in mind as to their ability to harm us or even worry us.
Yours faithfully.
W. MALEY”
