Celtic Remembrance Day minute of silence disruption, Digi Mart USA News (Glasgow, Scotland): A minute of silence is meant to last a full minute, not a few seconds, but according to a Bild report that message did not reach all Celtic Glasgow supporters. Before the Scottish Premiership match against Kilmarnock, part of the crowd booed so loudly during the Remembrance Day tribute that referee John Beaton, 44, ended the commemoration after only twelve seconds.
Remembrance Day is observed in the United Kingdom on November 11, when the nation pauses for two minutes at 11 a.m. to remember soldiers and civilians killed in the two World Wars and later conflicts.
The tradition dates to November 11, 1918, when the armistice agreements ending World War I took effect. Football clubs traditionally hold a minute of silence on the matchday before Remembrance Day, as Celtic did before facing Kilmarnock.
Bild reports that this is not the first time Celtic supporters have objected to the Remembrance Day observance. The club was founded by Irish immigrants, and fans have pointed to the role of the British Army in the Northern Ireland conflict from 1969 to 1998 as a reason for their protest.
In previous years, Celtic supporters have turned away from the pitch during the silence, made offensive gestures, or thrown tennis balls onto the grass.
Celtic’s club-owned television channel, Celtic TV, reportedly muted its broadcast audio during the disrupted silence. The report also notes that Celtic’s green-and-white home shirts lacked the traditional red poppy worn across the United Kingdom around Remembrance Day, while Kilmarnock player Michael-John Kamson-Kamara wore one on his shirt.
The match went ahead, and Liam Scales scored the only goal in a 1-0 Celtic win that keeps the club at the top of the table.
