Just Back From Anfield - My Proudest Moment As A Celtic Supporter And Also Of My Life

[Tosh7]

Just back from Anfield.
Words fail at the present moment.
Believe me!

I cannot exaggerate enough quite what that experience we experienced down there was like enough in words just now.
I'll put together a story toegether with some pictures from the Hillsborough memorial today just as soon as I actually settle down here in my seat and begin to digest what that was like today.

Incredible, surreal are words that don't come anywhere near close.
We went down to pay our respects today and be amongst our Liverpudlian friends and fellow football fans in a basic show of solidarity and friendship from Celtic fan to Liverpool fan, football fan to football fan, human to human.

Our Justice For The 96 Banner together with our You'll Never Walk Alone banner were layed on the ground outside the stadium for a short period.
Astonished onlookers overcome with a mixture of thanks and grief could not have been more appreciative of what we Celtic supporters had done.
In an impromptu action we were ushered onto the pitch of Liverpool football clubs Anfield stadium and directly to infront of the Kop carrying these banners to be met with the breathtaking and awesome and spine tingling standing ovation from the entire Kop and rest of the stadium.
[B:065602cd]Just try and imagine for one moment what that must have felt like![/B:065602cd]

This feeling of pride wasn't about me or any one of us JungleBhoys. Nothing of the sorts.

It was the pride of being representative of Celtic football club and what being a Celtic supporter is all about and if that isn't what being a Celtic supporter is all about in extending a hand of friendship, solidarity and support in sport, I don't know what is!

A very humbling experience compounded by the amount of people who came to us afterwards to thank us for our gesture.
People shook our hands, hugged and embraced us, car horn after car horn tooted, people hanging out the wondows shouting thanks and God Bless - I kid you not!

We then made our way round to the Hillsborough memorial where the names of the 96 are displayed beside the eternal flame and laid floral wreaths kindly donated by the Celtic Supporters Association to be met with more rapturous applause and thanks.

The most humbling experience I have ever had and easily my proudest moment as a Celtic supporter and also of my life.

I'm not sure if what I have written is appropriate or makes any sense. At the moment I am still completely awestruck and my mind is all over the place.
Once i've managed to settle down and come to terms with what that experience was like paying respects to the 96 of Hillsborough in an incredibly emotional ceremony among many, many very emotional people I'll write a more detailed story with some pictures to accompany it but nothing I can possibly do or write will be able to adequately describe what that was like today.

So until then,

Hail Hail and God Bless
JFT96 - YNWA!!!

[Joe O'Rourke]

Well done to yourself, Brendan and the rest of the Junglebhoys, you are a credit to our football club and its fans, you can feel the raw emotion in your words, i'm sure it was well appreciated by our brothers in football in Liverpool.
To be extened the hand of friendship by the Celtic fans is indeed a wonderful feeling, it is extended to many, and refused by few, i'm sure the memory of your attendance will long be remembered on Merseyside.
Well done, and Hil Hail.
" We Will Never Walk Alone "

[John Andrews]

Great article tosh, i have a lump in my throat just reading it.well done to all the junglebhoy's.
John andrews

[max]

Well done!
I'm sure I can say we are all extremely proud of what you and the rest of the Bhoys done on our behalf.
A proud moment in the history of our glorious club.
Thak you, and You'll never walk alone.

[shanklys best]

To Tosh and all the Jungle Bhoys,
It is the friendship, understanding and compassion that you and all the Bhoys have shown us, that helps us every day to keep fighting for justice.
As a Liverpool fan, your words brought tears to my eyes (again) as we LFC fans really know that it is only you Celtic fans that really feel our pain and want to help us all the time.
You are amazing people, you have helped us so much, above and far beyond any expectations.. You have done it out of friendship, some people will say love, you have done it because you care, and you have given your time and efforts freely.
As you say you found it hard to describe yesterday, I am finding it hard to show my true appreciation to all of you.
You just being there representing your fantastic club and supporters meant the world to us.
I know that if Celtic FC and all the Bhoys ever needed LFC and its fans, we would be there for you..
As has been said before, thanks to Celtic, We NEVER Walked Alone.!!

YNWA 96 - THE FIGHT FOR JUSTICE WILL GO ON..!

[williebhoy]

Just joined the forum tonight and i just wanted to say this sums up what Celtic fans and the club are all about. This is why I am proud to support the club and what makes us so different from supporters of most football clubs. we can see beyond ourselves.
The game we played against Liverpool 20 years ago was the most emotional game i have ever been to. The whole ground was covered in Green red & white as we all sang Walk On.
We are more than a football club and there aren't many like us, Liverpool are.

[jimbob]

This has been a difficult week for a lot of Celtic supporters. There is so much negativity in the air, due to our bad away record and our worries over the destination of the title. At times like this, it is worth remembering that there is a world out there where more important things are going on, and worth remembering that their are bigger concerns than football.

The courage of the Hillsborough familes is humbling in this regard, and it brings home to me just how small our own concerns are. Their fight for justice has been going on 20 years, and it takes real fortitude to soldier on for such a long period of time, facing discouragement at every turn.

Their strength should inspire us; more than that, it should feed our own strength and sense of unity. We have done ourselves proud in the last few days in showing solidarity with our friends in Liverpool. Now we need to show solidarity with each other in our quest to win this fourth title. Regardless of our views on individual players, the manager, the policies of the board, we are Celtic fans first ........ and in a week where we've again shown ourselves to be The Best Fans in the World, we should not fall below that standard. Lets all get behind this team for the last six games. We can make the difference in the quest for 4IAR.

Justice for the 96. YNWA.

[Ballingrybhoy]

Spot on Jimbob - nows the time to show solidarity with each other in our quest to win this forth title.

Hail Hail

[scousecelt]

i logged on 2nite hoping to find some of the bhoys who came down to anfield on wednesday,i'm a liverpool fan and saw u lads outside the ground and stood and appaulled you inside,ur jesture was beautiful it brought a lump to my throat you did urselves and ur great club enormous credit just to take the time to come down to that for us was incredable!,it gives us so much strength knowin ur behind us,the bond our 2 clubs share is very important to us,thankyou from the bottom of my heart,you'll never walk alone

[DebiDM]

My first post is to say a huge THANK YOU to all Celtic supporters.

I attended the game on Saturday against Aberdeen along with Ste Wright, and had the pleasure of meeting Joe O'Rourke.

I've been involved with the inception and displays of the "Celtic Justice" banner the JungleBhoys made, and Celtic supporters from around the world contributed to.

From it's first showing during a fundraiser night in Coatbridge to the official unveiling at Paradise the following day. Bringing it down to Anfield and walking it across the pitch (an unbelievable moment and one that I'll never forget) to present to the Kop in April 2007. Dragging it in a postal bag through the streets of Athens and watching as it was laid out with the other banners during our Champions League Final. Putting the banner in the boot of my car and driving from Liverpool to deliver it back to Glasgow. Bringing it out again during our game against Blackburn on 11th April this year and floating it in the Kop again. Displaying the banner outside Anfield on the day of the 20th anniverary memorial service, then getting it inside the stadium to a standing ovation from the Kop....that banner is now to me an old friend. It's been everywhere, and it will stay between the two clubs, shining as a beacon to justice, solidarity and friendship.

I wasn't at Hillsborough (I should have been, but by the Grace of God intervening, but that's another story...) but I too live with this every day.

The "what ifs", the images, the helplessness. I wear the Justice flame every day, I remember every day. Little things will set me off - seeing 96 on a bus, on a shopping receipt...just little things like that. Every day I hope and pray for justice and the families and everyone affected by this to be given the peace they so long for, and until justice is done I'll give to this cause wholeheartedly.

Saturday was another experience for me. I was not only representing my football team, Liverpool, but the Hillsborough Justice Campaign.

I managed to get the half time tribute on my phone video, whilst holding aloft my half/half scarf and tears streaming down my face - a beautiful piece of film and received so well by the entire stadium.

I'd said to my husband Paul on the way up that the memorial game back in '89 was like Celtic slapping this huge green and white plaster on our very open wounds. "here ye are lads...it's not gonna heal it, but it's protection, a bit of tlc, and it's a start...". Saturday was very similar to this in my mind.

I'd had a very tough week - all Liverpool supporters had. The word "emotional rollercoaster" doesn't even begin to cover it. I went back to work Friday and just couldn't seem to snap back into the old Debi, I was miserable and lost in my own world, and everyone could see it. I needed this weekend to snap me out of this and get me smiling again, and it definitely did that.

Thanks to Joe, thanks to the good people of Glasgow for putting their hands in their pockets and buying badges - we sold the entire bag of 100 20th Anniversary badges in one pub alone!
But most of all thanks to YOU, my friends. You've slapped that plaster right back on and I'll never forget this weekend.

Here's to the Tommy Tribute Game....I hope to meet a few of you to say thank you in person!