THIS is the moment Celtic fans sparked fury by honouring former senior IRA man Brendan ‘Bik’ McFarlane as the club staged a minute’s applause for former star Evan Williams.
A portrait of Williams – who got man of the match honours as the Hoops went down to Feyenoord in the 1970 European Cup – was displayed on the big screens around Parkhead before kick off against Aberdeen last night.
Brendan ‘Bik’ McFarlane’s[/caption]
Celtic ultras unveiled the display during the tribute to Evan Williams[/caption]
There was a massive turnout for McFarlane’s funeral[/caption]
But ultras group the Green Brigade also used the moment to pay tribute to convicted bomber McFarlane, died at the age of 74 after a short illness on Friday – an image which sparked outrage on social media.
Former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams was among those who attended the funeral of the Belfast man yesterday.
McFarlane sent to Maze Prison after being convicted of a deadly bomb attack on a pub in the Protestant Shankill Road area.
On August 13th, 1975, he was involved in the Bayardo Bar massacre.
Aged 23, he and two others carried out a bomb and gun attack on the pub they suspected of being used by UVF members.
Two civilians were machine-gunned to death outside the pub while three more died in the subsequent explosion which also injured dozens of people.
McFarlane was then the officer in command of the H-Block prisoners during the 1981 hunger strike over conditions in the Maze – although he was not chosen to hunger strike himself.
He then took part in the biggest escape in UK prison history – one of 38 IRA inmates who fled the Maze in Co Antrim in September 1983 – before later being recaptured in the Netherlands.
And Celtic ultras the Green Brigade paid their own tribute with a large tifo which read: “They said he was a rebel then. He’s a hero now.”
Another line in Gaelic Irish wrote: “May his soul be seated on God’s right hand.”
When Celtic took on Feyenoord in 1970, Williams won man of the match on a night when the Glasgow side lost 2-0 but it could have been a lot worse if not for the man between the sticks pulling off a string of impressive saves.
Williams was the first choice ‘keeper in three league title-winning seasons from 1970 through to 1972 and had the unenviable task of taking over from Lisbon Lion hero Ronnie Simpson.
He held onto the No 1 jersey after signing from Wolves despite the attentions of John Fallon and Denis Connaghan.
Williams made 148 appearances for Celtic before leaving to join Kilmarnock, taking with him four league winners’ medals and two Scottish Cup winners’ medals.
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