Simon Jordan has branded the Celtic fans chants aimed at Prince William “disrespectful” as he slammed their songs about Queen Elizabeth’s death during the clash with Aston Villa.
It was a Battle of Britain blockbuster in the Champions League on Wednesday night but the Hoops supporters have sparked controversy with their actions from the stands. According to the Telegraph, the Prince of Wales – who supports Villa – was subject to chants of “Lizzie’s in a box” and “If you hate the Royal family, clap your hands” during the showdown with the Scottish Premiership giants club. Some Celtic fans also said to have held a banner in the stands in praise of intruder Michael Fagan who once found his way into Queen Elizabeth’s Buckingham Palace bedroom, days after Prince William was born.
And while former Crystal Palace owner Jordan defended the Celtic fans for their right to have “freedom of speech”, he took issue with the taunts over the death of the monarch. He told talkSPORT: “It’s freedom of speech, isn’t it? I think they are an irrelevance, but they are entitled to their opinion. If you want to sing about the death of a monarch then there is something wrong with you, but Prince William is privy to other people’s opinions on him – is it treason?
“Of course it’s not. Is it disrespectful? Yeah. Are the things they say disrespectful, yeah, but it’s their view. I think it’s distasteful to say those sorts of things. You can be anti-royal, you can not believe in the monarchy – and lot’s of people do. I’m moderately middle of the road about it.
“I understand the value of the monarchy, but constitutionally it has very little merit now. That has been the case for hundreds of years.
“But I don’t sit there and listen to the Celtic fans and think you have anything to say that is of any relevance. You can disagree with something fundamentally without having to be disrespectful, and to talk about the death of a monarch and the challenges of that family in the way they do – I think it indicates a certain mindset.”