No ifs, ands or buts.
Celtic were back on the road for the Champions League and some of their travelling support wanted to make their feelings clear on a topical subject.
The Scottish champions travelled to Warsaw, Poland for their group stage game against Shakhtar Donetsk and they dominated the opening 30 minutes, only to be pegged back by a fine equaliser.
In lieu of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, last Thursday, there had no playing of the pre-match Champions League anthem in Anfield when, on Tuesday, they hosted Ajax. The same is expected when Manchester City and Rangers host Champions League games, this evening.
As this game was played in Poland, there was no minute’s silence and the Champions League anthem was played over the sound system. Some of the Celtic supporters had already been displaying a banner that read ‘F**k the Crown’ and, as the anthem played out, others unfurled a banner that read ‘Sorry for Your Loss Michael Fagan’.
The BT Sport cameras had panned to the away end but quickly apologised after their cameras picked up the banner on the broadcast.
Michael Fagan was a London native who, in 1982, gained unauthorised entry to Buckingham Palace to get an audience with the Queen. He was arrested for the palace break-in and spent three months in a psychiatric facility.
Tell us how you really feel lads pic.twitter.com/5pKAs32LyD
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) September 14, 2022
The game itself saw Celtic grab an early lead when they stormed forward on a counter-attack. Winger Sead Haksabanovic teed up Reio Hatate and his scuffed shot took a deflection and evaded Shakhtar goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin.
The Scots were the dominant side in that opening 30 minutes, but failed to add to their early lead. They were made to rue the profligacy when Mykhaylo Mudryk burst through the Celtic defence, took a touch with his right foot and roofed the ball past Joe Hart with his left.
Celtic lost their opening Champions League game to Real Madrid at Parkhead, last week.
