Im a big fan of Donegal Celtic! They've triumphed in adversity. Most importantly they've selected the appropriate strip and badge. The strip and badge are extremely attractive. This is especially the case with the badge(Keltic Cross on background of green shamrocks) the designer of which should immediately be given a huge prize! I wonder who he was?
Not only are the DC strip and badge very attractive they are entirely fitting for the project in hand namely the reinstatement of "The Grand Old Team"! The one and only Belfast Celtic! This has been a pet project of mine for some time. My g/grandaddy, a life long BC fan used to tell me stories of the Celts before I could barely speak. A poor working man, he contented himself with collecting cuttings about the team which he kept in an old tobacco tin. I still have the tin today. Before some of you get too sentimental I should point out he was also a rather notorious member of the original UVF, 1912 vintage. Once again, before some of you stop reading, I should also inform you that he was a leading labour activist, who actually met Larkin, and fiercely regarded himself as a "Proud Irishman" until his dying day!
Anyway, back to the project, DC have done a splendid job in establishing the strip and badge(What a beauty!), but I think they secretly know what we all know, namely that what the public really yearn for is a return of BC! What a shot in the arm it would be for the local game!
I believe land could soon be coming available in West Belfast. A new purpose built stadium of 30,000(lets be realistic!) could be built there. If it was carefully sited equidistant from Lower Falls, The Shankill and The Village, it could lay fair claim to being equally accessible to both major communities and could thus become the new National Soccer Stadium. It could be built with a track so that greyhounds, athletics, speedway, etc. could also be held there.
DC could quietly change their name to BC and become the nominal tenants of the stadium. The Grand Old Team would be back in business! Im not saying the time is right just now. In fact, I DO NOT THINK NOW IS THE RIGHT TIME! I think DC are showing great intelligence in biding their time. However, if we can get some movement regarding community relations, then maybe after a few years or so. Whatever, but I would like to think that it would be part of some group's plans for the future and DC are nicely positioned. Apart from anything else, it could be a worthwhile business venture, what with govt. backing and all. Most importantly, we better hurry up and do something with this Soccer/National Stadium money before whats her name gives it all away to the NI Tiddley Winks Association!
D.C. and "The Grand Old Team"
posted on 26/10/11
Shen,
Thats 2 essays in a row.
Are you doing a thesis for University ?
Pity it hasnt a wider audience, only about 3 people come on here to read any articles now.
Hadn't got you down as a DC supporter
You and Mick could meet up and double their support
posted on 26/10/11
Good article Shen I don't think too many people would complain if DC changed to BC............
posted on 27/10/11
EARL:
Not really a DC supporter more of an admirer. I like their strip/badge. I think they could help local football by acting as a pilot probe for the return of BC.
To be fair, I think theres more than 3 regulars, but they are readers rather than posters. Number of posters seems relatively small, but we still seem to be bigger than most other boards, eg ROI, Scot, Wales. We appear to tick over at a regular 8 pages. Of course when we have a skirmish, usually with political undertones, it increases dramatically!
Im done with thesis of all kinds. More to the point and probably to your somewhat relief, Im all essayed out! Time to pass the baton. HERE YOU ARE.................
posted on 27/10/11
Shen ,I congratulate you Sir.
We get about 80 at home games and about 2/3 times that for Blues/Gurns/Reds (not counting away support in those figures)
Support would be bigger but for the gloryhunters (?) than support the Reds.
Better dead than a Red
posted on 29/10/11
MAJESTY:
Surely you are joking! Only 80 home supporters! There must be more football mad buckaroos with a sense of local loyalty in West Belfast than that! The strip and badge alone must be worth a few hundred! I bet if they changed their name to Belfast Celtic they'd up their support right away with quite a few Prods coming over the Bog Meadows for a wee look at Elisha Scott's new boys!
As always, your humble & obedient servant, The Earl of Bushmills.........
posted on 30/10/11
Locals had a bit of an issue with DC as when we returned to the IPL we wouldnt let the tricolor be openly flown at Suffolk Road (to ease tensions with visiting supporters) -it didnt go down well. But hey ho thats the way it goes and why we dont get more than 100 usually.
posted on 30/10/11
MAJ:
Interesting. Maybe we should have a rule that the only flags allowed to be flown over grounds should be club flags, thus removing any potential alienating factors for respective supporters. Are national flags flown over club grounds in the rest of the UK? I cant remember seeing any.
posted on 30/10/11
This next statement is very profound (in relation to all flags etc)
"Its all a load of ole ballacks"
posted on 1/11/11
MAJ:
How right you are Maj! How right you are!
The trouble with a lot of these bxggers is they've never truly lived in any shape or form. A lot of them could be cured of their various prejudices and hang ups by an energetic series of rolls with a bevy of beautiful mulatto girls in the incoming surf as the evening sun sinks down behind the old island fort at Salvador de Bahia. Then they wouldnt be able to tell you if its black or brown let alone orange or green!
Mind you, you've got to be fair, when you look at the kind of upbringing a lot of them have had, being carefully tutored in hate from an early age and then having a further draconian overlay from an education system which just basically remphasises all the earlier guff and throws in a few sexual hang ups for flavouring -- Well, what chance did a lot of the poor bxstards have anyway! -- baby turtles swarming torwards the morning tide with most being picked off by one gaudy ould flag waving bird or another.
posted on 1/11/11
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I was just about to say that.