In a new book, Its Rangers for me, he argues a number of facts and incidents relating to Celtic Fans and Irish culture are not adequately taken on board when presenting violence, sectarianism, racism and homophobia as mainly Protestant traits;-

* Upset Celtic fans have previously attacked the homes of referees, opposition players and even chairmen such as Hugh Dallas, Jorg Albertz, Nacho Novo, John Yorkston.


* Voluntary Scottish immigration to Ireland began long before the Plantation and many Scots suffered just as much under English Penal Laws as the Irish did. Celtic Minded author Des Dillon wrongly oversimplifies the matter by stating "Protestants were sent from Scotland over to Ireland causing segregation and bigotry".


* He reminds pro-Celtic authors that Celtic fans in 1988 "staged Scottish football's worst display of racist bigotry" when they threw bananas at black Rangers player Mark Walters.


* One Celtic FC writer accused Scottish Protestants of being homophobic but Walker points out the Protestant Church of Scotland takes a quite liberal view of the matter while Roman Catholic Cardinal Winning labelled homosexuals as "perverted".


* Pro-Celtic author Patricia Ferns expressed anger at being asked not to sing pro-IRA songs such as 'The Boys of the Old Brigade by Celtic officials.


* Irish nationalism has strong ties with Nazism, racism and anti-Semitism; The IRA collaborated with the Nazis in the Second World War; Sinn Fein founder Arthur Griffith wrote in 1913 that "no Irish Nationalist should regard a negro as his equal" and pro-Celtic authors should also read up on the history of anti-Semitism in Ireland.


* The Irish media "widely reported" how the crowds who attacked a parade of IRA victims in Dublin in February 2006 frequently sported Celtic shirts, prompting Irish popular music magazine, Hot Press, to refer to the Celtic fans as "deeply prejudiced and sectarian" and "as close as we have to... the British National Party".


* He accuses Celtic FC apolgist-writers of ignoring research of academics like Steve Bruce who finds extensive Protestant-Catholic integration, with almost half the marriages involving Catholics under 35 which take place in Scotland being mixed.


*He asks why pro-Celtic FC authors do not mention that a high profile Celtic player was reported for spitting on a Rangers supporters' scarf during an Old Firm game which ended with a "gratuitous and inflammatory display of defiance" on the part of the player and his manager?


* Celtic fans reserve their worst abuse for Catholic players who go to play for Rangers, namely Mo Johnston, Neil McCann and Chris Burke. "The Celtic fans condemnation of the so-called 'treachery' of these players betrays their own profound sectarianism."


* In contrast, he notes that Scottish Catholic have players been readily accepted by Rangers fans, and asks if this really supports the stereotype of Rangers as bigoted and racist?

ENDS