And I'm talking about the national team. I mean Celtic are more connected with Ireland. Rangers with England, yet their anthem celebrates beating England's army. So are the crowds at Hampden more like the Aberdeen, Dundee, type fans? Just curious.

How are Rangers linked with England. I don't know one person who supports Rangers and is from England, we have our own set of leagues.

I mean their fans are always sporting the Union Jack, 'loyal' to the crown, etc. That's why I can't understand why they would celebrate an anthem that sings about beating England in a war.

I'll try my best to explain as its a complicated subject but I'm no expert either.....

Celtic...A Scottish club from Glasgow who are backed mostly by Catholics who are pro Ireland...

Rangers..A Scottish club from Glasgow who are backed mostly by Protestants who are pro British

You will also find that in Northen Ireland the population is also divided along religious lines.......

Catholics...Most want a untied Ireland and are anti British and the royal family......

Protestants..Most want to remain British and are in favour of the royal family and the union.

Some people say N'Ireland's protestants and Scotland's Rangers fans are more British than the
English but were seen as being racist for waving our union jacks by left wing politicans like the
former mayor of London Ken Livingstone and we arent allowed to celebrate our history or culture....

I hope you understand now that Rangers are not conected with England and are a Scottish club...

The UK at the moment consists of England,Wales,Scotland and Northern Ireland...I hope my post helped!

Well put Hams

Joe, it's probably difficult for us outsiders to really understand, but let's leave it at this. Scotland's a pretty complicated place, but what you are talking about - think of it in symbolic terms and maybe you can see that there's not necessarily a contradiction, different symbols are adopted for different circumstances. But also remember that the Union Jack isn't an English flag, it's British, so there's no problem there. Politically, it's simply a statement of general support for the Union as Hams mentioned also. It doesn't make them less supportive of Scotland or less Scottish (though I guess that people argue about that a lot elsewhere). They can still identify with Scotland as an entity in historical, social and cultural terms while supporting the Union and monarchy in political terms.

A few people have had a go at answering your thread so ill give you my answer being a scots man and a dundee fan.

Hams brought up religion which to be honest these days in scotland this is alot of b@lls. People who grow up look at celtic and rangers and go these teams are the best ill support them or they will support whoever there parents or grandparents support.

You get these people who have these brittish flags who go to ibrox, we call these fans idiots. They sing bigot songs and make themselfs to not liking scotland.

People who support scotland usually support scotland and scotland only. Alot dont support club football. They support the men who wear the scotland top in pride and what you said about lower league fans supporting scotland, they will support scotland if they do well like many fans who support they country when they only do well.
It happens in every country. If they do bad scotland or whoever then some "fans" dont want to know but as soon as there winning they will want to be known as supporting scotland

Its good to have a Scottish reply but what is wrong with them bringing British flags? they are British afteral. It is childish how you scots what nothing to do with our country.

How the f#ck is it childish? You have got no idea how much bullsh#t we scots have to put up with.

You have got no idea what its like to put up with Rangers and Celtc and there bigotry

Thanks for the response. It just seems hard to believe fans who support scotland go to the games don't follow club football. But I guess that's possible.

Would it be accurate to say that rangers fans tend to support scotland more than celtic fans? Seems they would given celtic's affinity for ireland.

Why the need to support a club? Im not sure to be honest both i think would support ireland and england over scotland, but you do get some celtic fans and rangers fans who would want scotland to do well

G_Man your constant rubbish on this forum really puts me off it! Most Celtic fans would rather support Ireland than Scotland?!? Irish Celtic fans follow Celtic whereas Scottish Celtic fans follow Scotland. I don't know a single Scot who would rather see Ireland do well than Scotland. To be honest, it's quite the opposite. Alot of the Scottish Celtic follower's hate to see Ireland do well due to the fact that the FAI scounge the home nations for eligible player (a la Aiden McGeady). Rangers fans don't classify themsleves as English either. They are proud to be british but hate the English as much as the rest of the UK.

You also single out Celtic & Rangers for their biggotry. Is that because they get all the media coverage? Every club in Scotland has a gruge against Celtic/Irish/Catholicism due to the fact that it is the most biggoted, sectarian and petty country in the world. I'm pretty sure the word Fenian rolls off your tongue quite regulary. The country is full of people who are quick to point the finger at Celtic & Rangers, blame them for all the hatred in the country as they are the ones that go unoticed. Don't sit and say pish like the 'bullsh#t we scots have to put up with'...Secterianism has long gone from Celtic games yet we travel to places like Hearts & Motherwell where they sing sectarian/racist songs towards our support.

The smoke screen fools no-one, your as biggoted (if not more) than any Celtic or Rangers fan I have ever met

I would have said that the Scottish football fans make up the fanbase.

The bigoted and idiot supporters will majorly support Scotland anyway, if they are Scottish and even if they do hail the Queen and are pro-British in their Rangers colours.

Any Irish Celtic fans will be likely to support the Republic of Ireland. Any British Rangers fans from Northern Ireland will be very likely to support Northern Ireland. So I'd definitely say that the Scottish Celtic and Rangers fans will support Scotland. Anybody who decides to support a Country that they aren't from, is maybe confused or ignorant, unless they do have personal relations with that Nation.

CFCBhoy pointed out well how most of the Scottish Celts will not be pro-Republic of Ireland.

It's unfair to marginalise a fanbase because of a certain bunch of bigoted scumbags - I know there are a lot of these fools amongst these fanbases, but you can't judge the entire base on a smaller portion.

Also, classing the two as Catholic or Protestant is unfair on both religions as well. Most of these guys know absolutely nothing about religion. Nationalists and Loyalists are better descriptions for the divided communities over this part of the World. In Scotland, religion itself doesn't determine who you support - but as CFCBhoy said, relative influence or community influence. Classing it as a religious thing is wrong, in my view.

Good ane, Support a team in your own country. See if people supported a team where they are from there clubs would do alot better. See every club dosnt give a sh#t about catholics or any religion. Its you glasgow clubs. How would you know what its like in scotland when your not from here?
My contast rubbish on this forum yet you came to me asking for help in the scottish section. Sorry i rest my case.
We have 8 busses who go to glasgow "celtic fans" every second week. See if they were not glory hunter and supported there home team, dundee teams might be better off. Its like anything else people wanna be glory hunters.
Thats the problem with scottish football, get rangers and celtic out of scottish football and we wouldnt here again about bigotry and sectarian bullsh#t.

2 irish men giving there view. Yet why care about scottish football?

Its got f#ck all to do with celtic and rangers getting all the media coverage. See when you went to seville, where were your scottish flags, your a scottish team afterall. Every time celtic come to dundeee or anywhere there covered in irish flags yet there a "SCOTTISH" club.

Sectarasim will always be about if rangers and celtic are about.

When celtic and rangers go to play in england the better scottish football will be.

To many glory hunters here in scotland. Very sad

No one in 21st century Britain gives the slightest [beep!] about religion aside from the anti Islam brigade and a very small minority of sectarian idiots.

How dare you say fenian rolls off my mouth, what a [beep!] you are for saying that. Who the hell are you to even come out with that to me? You dont even no me. Motherwell give you racist songs? Please prove this.

If you prove this i shall appologise and will say how celtic never be racist.

We fans outside dont classify them as catholic and protestant. Glasgow do themselfs. But hey walk through govan shouting im a catholic and see where it gets you. Then come back and tell me relgion is not in football.

Please keep the debate respectful and refrain from personal insults in here guys - Cheers

Speak to Cfcbhoy. No need for it. Meant to be a mod

I was speaking to everyone - Back on topic please