Celtic fans mocked the Queen’s death with a banner that read ‘F*** The Crown’ and chants of ‘if you hate the royal family, clap your hands’ last night – while Rangers defied Uefa’s ban on British teams playing the national anthem.
Scottish football is divided. Rangers supporters identify themselves with sectarianism, and Celtic fans are Catholics and Irish republicans.
Celtic fans revealed the offensive banner shortly before last night’s Champions League clash against Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine. BT Sport was forced to apologise because they had been snooping on the matter at the Warsaw match.
As a gesture of respect, all UK teams were permitted to observe a minute silence at home and away. After a meeting with Uefa and Shakhtar, Celtic decided that there would not be silence prior to kick-off. In Her Majesty’s honour, both sides wore black armbands.
A part of the Celtic travelling support clearly didn’t agree with the sentiment. Just before kick-off a banner was unveiled that read: ‘F*** The Crown.’ Another banner mocking the Queen was also unfurled as the Champions League anthem was played. The banner read, “Sorry Michael Fagan.”
Fagan, who was then a painter and decorator at Buckingham Palace, scaled the walls to enter Her Majesty’s bed room in 1982. Fagan, a former painter and decorator, spent approximately 10 minutes speaking to the monarch about his family. Fagan thought the queen was drunk and was ultimately tackled in his place by a servant footman.
Celtic fans mock the Queen’s death with a banner at their Champions League tie with Shakhtar Donetsk in Warsaw last night
Celtic fans raised a banner expressing their sorrow for Michael Fagan’s loss as they played the Champions League anthem.
At the Champions League tie at Warsaw yesterday night, Celtic fans made fun of the Queen’s demise with offensive banners
The Rangers defied Uefa’s ban as they blast ‘God Save the King!’ from their speakers at Ibrox yesterday night
Rangers’ fans sing “God Save The King” after paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Ibrox last night.
Rangers chose not to follow the Uefa decision on playing the National Anthem, and they played it anyway before the match
Because of the conflict in Ukraine that Russia is currently waging, the Celtic game was held in Warsaw. Supporters from thousands of countries travelled to Poland for the second Champions League match.
Rangers ignored Uefa’s ban for British teams to play the national anthem prior to Champions League matches. Instead, the Scottish team played “God Save The King” through Ibrox speakers.
The Broomloan Road fans also used cards to make a huge mosaic featuring the queen’s face on the Union Flag background. A banner with the text ‘1926 Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II 2022’ was displayed above the Union Flag.
According to a Rangers post, “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I was honored at Ibrox tonight with a minute of silence, a Union Bears display, and an rendition the National Anthem.”
There was a sense that Chelsea and Rangers, who were encouraged to ‘belt it out’ by a fan club before the match against Red Bull Salzburg, would disregard the UEFA anthem ruling.
Because of policing shortages the Rangers-only crowd was unable to welcome Napoli fans, so they observed a minute silence. After the national anthem played, it was overheard by the PA system.
Chelsea was full of Queen tributes. There was also an impassioned rendition of the British National Anthem that supporters sang before kickoff, even though it was not instructed.
Exclusively, Sportsmail reported earlier this week by Uefa that British clubs had declined to allow them to play the national song before European matches.
Manchester City, Chelsea, and Rangers made appeals for God Save The King before their home matches.
Uefa declined to participate ‘on account of Uefa’s commitment to maintaining a regular pre-match ceremony in a calm atmosphere with no celebratory activity across any UK venues.
European football’s governing body decided not to play the Champions League Anthem before kickoff. Teams and staff wore black armbands, but it was prohibited.
Rangers made a decision to ignore the Uefa ruling, and before silence the PA announcer stated that the British national song would be performed.
Manchester City made an appeal to Uefa. However, Rangers denied them that right and they followed protocol.
Chelsea did not perform it through the stadium speakers. However, the crowd rallied and sang the anthem just before the silence.
Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund, opponents, observed a minute of silence to remember the Queen.
Rangers fans came in thousands, armed with tribute flags to the Queen. Union Jack flags decorated the stadium’s exterior ahead of Rangers Champions League homecoming.
Chelsea fans created their own tribute banner at the Shed End, with the message: “RIP Your Majesty” before they committed to the national anthem when players emerged from their tunnel.
Yesterday morning, a Chelsea fan group urged their supporters to belt out’ the anthem in protest of UEFA’s ban. A Twitter image showed supporters setting up on Stamford Bridge, holding Union flags in preparation for the match.
This photo showed the Union flags on one side of the ground. In the post that accompanied it, the picture encouraged other fans to wear Union flags when they came to see the game.
You were instructed to prepare for tomorrow. If you’re able to, bring your Union Jack flags. RIP Your Majesty’.
Red Bull Salzburg fans paid tribute to their fallen heroes by silently walking up Stamford Bridge. The Austrian club shared a video on Twitter that shows fans silently walking up to Stamford Bridge.
While Chelsea was unable to play the national anthem from the stadium’s speakers, the fans rallied and sang it before the silence.
Chelsea fans raised a banner of tribute to Queen Elizabeth before they sang the National Anthem in the lead-up against Red Bull Salzburg
Before the Manchester City v Borussia Borussia match, last night there was a minute of silence for Queen Elizabeth.
Before the Manchester City vs Borussia Dortmund match, last night’s minute of silence is when a flag is displayed
Tweet: “In respect of the Queen, our supporters walked silently from Earl’s Court up to the stadium,” “We are united in our grief with the UK people.”
Uefa stated that no anthems would be played to preserve a “consistent prematch ceremony with an understated atmosphere and without celebrating activities across all UK venues in respect of what we did last Thursday.”
Also, before matches at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge or Manchester’s Etihad Stadium were played, there was a moment of silence. There were banners in honour of the monarch on those grounds.
Britain is currently in mourning for Elizabeth II. She was the reigning monarch for seven centuries until she died at Balmoral, Scotland on Thursday. Next Monday will be her state funeral
God Save the King was the first song to be sung at Saturday’s test match between England and South Africa. It will also be used this weekend at Premier League matches as part of tributes to The Queen.
On Thursday last week, exactly an hour after the death of Queen Elizabeth II was announced, scenes similar to those at previous matches were seen. West Ham supporters broke out into an emotional rendition “God Save the Queen” by thousands.