Scottish football sticks with tributes to the Queen despite protests

The Scottish FA are standing firm on plans to honour the life of Queen Elizabeth II as they confirmed they will hold a minute’s applause before they face Ukraine on Wednesday. 

Attitudes in Scotland towards the monarchy have been brought into sharp focus since the Queen died earlier in the month.

Dundee United fans sparked outrage after sections of their supporters sang a vile chant about the death of the Queen during a minute’s silence before their Scottish Premiership match against Rangers at Ibrox. 

Celtic fans followed that up by interrupting a minute’s applause in memory of the Queen before their game against St Mirren on Sunday, singing anti-Royal chants which have been condemned. 

Tributes to the Queen, who died at the age of 96, were vandalised in Glasgow on Monday on the day of her state funeral.

But the Scottish FA have bullishly decided to press on with their plans for a tribute at Hampden Park before the game against Ukraine. 

Clubs across the United Kingdom have paid tribute to the Queen during the 10 day period of mourning and heading into the international break, national teams are following suit. 

The decision has divided Scotland fans are there are fears that another embarrassing hijacking of the applause could transpire. 

The Queen passed away at the age of 96 earlier this month and football has paid tribute to her

At St Mirren over the weekend chants could be heard over the top of the applause from the Celtic end, as fans sang: ‘If you hate the Royal Family, clap your hands.’

Supporters also held up a banner with the same message, while there were audible boos before the minute’s applause had even got underway.

Dundee United’s fans at Rangers were heard chanting ‘Lizzie’s in a box’ and jeers were audible from the away end.

Rangers defied UEFA rules to play the national anthem ahead of their Champions League tie with Ajax and their support, coupled with Celtic fans’ resistance, brought a dilemma to the SFA.

An SFA on Tuesday read: ‘Following discussions with UEFA, we can confirm that there will be a minute’s applause ahead of our match against Ukraine, in memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.’ 

Celtic fans held up a banner which read: ‘If you hate the Royal Family, clap your hands’

Sections of Dundee United fans interrupted a minute’s silence before game against Rangers

The issues caused by fans of Dundee United and Celtic will mean that how the applause is observed before Steve Clarke’s team face Ukraine is difficult to determine. 

Dundee United did not go so far as to condemn their fans for offensive chants but did say they had ‘reached out to advise’ fans.  

Their statement read: ‘Dundee United are aware of the actions of a small section of the crowd who chose to not respect the minute’s silence before this afternoon’s match at Ibrox.

‘As a club, ahead of the game we reached out to advise our supporters of the pre-match arrangements with the expectation that the minute silence would be observed.’ 

Celtic fans held up offensive banners during their Champions League game last Wednesday

Flags and banners paying tribute to the Queen have been visible outside Rangers’ ground

Celtic’s hijacking of the applause at St Mirren arrived just four days after they also voiced their displeasure at the monarchy during their side’s Champions League draw with Shakhtar Donetsk.

Fans held a banner in the stands that read ‘f*** the crown’, while another message stated ‘sorry for your loss Michael Fagan’. Fagan famously managed to scale the Buckingham Palace walls before creeping into Her Majesty’s bedroom while she slept in 1982.  

The then painter and decorator, who has schizophrenia, spent around 10 minutes talking to the monarch about his family. The late monarch thought Fagan was just a drunk member of staff, who was eventually tackled by a duty footman.