Former Celtic boss Martin O’Neill has said the club’s fans should not have disrupted a minute’s silence on Remembrance Day.
Some supporters booed and sang songs during the silence ahead of last Sunday’s game at Kilmarnock.
Suspected Green Brigade members at the fixture waved Irish and Palestinian flags, and let off fireworks.
Referee Nick Walsh called time on the minute’s silence after just nine seconds.
Supporters also sang a song about the death of Aidan McAnespie, who was shot and killed by a soldier at an Army checkpoint in Aughnacloy, Co Tyrone, in 1988.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers later condemned the disruption, saying fans should have respected the minute’s silence.
“Yes, they should. If it’s a minute’s silence, it’s a minute’s silence,” he said.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers acknowledges his side’s fans at the final whistle after their victory at The BBSP Stadium Rugby Park, Kilmarnock. Photo: Robert Perry/PA
Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes also hit out at the ‘awful’ section of away supporters who jeered and chanted.
The matter was discussed by O’Neill and ex-Watford striker Troy Deeney on their Talksport radio show on Friday.
O’Neill, a former Northern Ireland captain from Kilrea, Co Londonderry, managed Celtic from 2000 to 2005.
He said others need to consider the historical reasons why some Celtic fans are uncomfortable about Remembrance events, but agreed the minute’s silence should have been observed.
Asked whether the same section of fans should be banned from travelling to certain games in the future, O’Neill said: “This is historical. Derek McInnes might have a point because I think there is an idea of having respect for a moment, and because it’s Kilmarnock’s home game.
“But this is historical. We’ve gone through this here before.. for a lot of Irish republicans and nationalists, the poppy does represent a bit of oppression.
“Way back, just after the First World War; in terms of the British Army; a group called the Black and Tans coming in and just running amok – these type of things have happened.
“And so that is historical, and that has had an effect.
“Young James McClean has taken a stance there, because of where he lives, and where he was brought up, and that’s completely understandable.”
James McClean of Wrexham stood away from his team-mates during Saturday’s minute silence before the game against Mansfield Town. Pic: Gary Oakley/PA Wire.
Asked should the section of fans have just remained silent, O’Neill added: “You should have respect for the moment… yes, just being silent. And I would go with that. But in terms of the wearing of the poppy, in terms of all of those particular things during it, there is that historical point.”
Deeney also discussed the matter, and was asked about McClean’s decision not to wear a poppy, while standing away from Wrexham team mates while they observed a minute’s silence in their League One game last weekend.
Host Jim White said McClean made his point, without disrupting the silence.
Deeney said: “Everyone’s different. Those sections of people feel that they’re entitled to do what they wanted to do because of the arguments that Martin has just laid out.
“I feel that wherever I go in the world, I try and respect their religion or their ways of living.
“For literally one minute, I think you could hold your composure, but I can’t begrudge somebody because they think differently to me.
“I could just try and educate myself and understand why they think like that, and see if you can move to some form of resolution.
“But I’m 36 years old, these things are way before my time. I don’t know everything about it.
“I could speak to James McClean, because he gets dogs’ abuse for years now, and he still stands by what he believes in.
“He still, I think, shows a level of respect in terms of he doesn’t make any noise during the minute’s silence, and he does it in a way that I would consider is fair, but not everyone will believe that as well.
“So it’s difficult. It’s a difficult argument to have.”
McClean and O’Neill were together at Sunderland, where McClean’s decision not to wear a poppy angered some of the club’s fans.
O’Neill added: “James took the stance some years ago, realising that he was putting his career in jeopardy in the sense that he not only was going to be booed by away fans, but he was going to be booed by his home fans at Sunderland.
“And he went from, you know, from being a hero, where he did brilliantly, absolutely brilliantly, in his first season there to being booed at home. That’s very, very difficult to take, but he took that stance.
“I commend James for it. He’s a brave lad. He’s not only brave on the pitch, he’s brave off the pitch as well.”