By Mark Duell for MailOnline
Published: 03:39 EDT, 15 September 2022 | Updated: 07:20 EDT, 15 September 2022
Celtic fans mocked the Queen's death with a banner that read 'F*** The Crown' and chants of 'if you hate the royal family, clap your hands' last night – while Rangers defied Uefa's ban on British teams playing the national anthem.
Scottish football is divided by sectarianism and many fans who follow Rangers identify themselves as Protestant and unionist, while many who support Celtic identify themselves as Catholic and Irish republicans.
Celtic fans unveiled the offensive banner just before their Champions League clash with Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk last night, with BT Sport forced to apologise after honing in on it at the game played in Warsaw.
All UK teams playing home or away were allowed to hold a one-minute silence as a mark of respect for the Queen, who died last week. But following a pre-match meeting between Celtic, Shakhtar and Uefa, it was decided there would be no silence before kick-off. Players from both teams did wear black armbands in Her Majesty's memory.
However, the sentiment clearly wasn't shared by an element of the travelling Celtic support. Just before kick-off a banner was unveiled that read: 'F*** The Crown.' As the Champions League anthem was being played another banner was unfurled that also mocked the death of the Queen. It read: '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 spent around 10 minutes talking to the monarch about his family. The Queen thought Fagan was just a drunk member of staff, who was eventually tackled by a duty footman.
Celtic fans mock the Queen's death with a banner at their Champions League tie with Shakhtar Donetsk in Warsaw last night
As the Champions League anthem was played, Celtic fans unfurled a banner saying 'Sorry for your loss Michael Fagan'
Celtic fans mocked the Queen's death with offensive banners at the Champions League tie in Warsaw yesterday evening
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Rangers defied a ban from Uefa as they blasted 'God Save the King' out of their speakers at Ibrox yesterday evening
Fans of Rangers sing 'God Save The King' after a minute's silence tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Ibrox yesterday evening
Rangers elected to ignore the ruling by Uefa on not playing the National Anthem - and played it regardless before the match
The Celtic game took place in Warsaw due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine at the hands of Russia. Thousands of supporters had trekked to Poland in support of Celtic in their second Champions League match of the season.
Meanwhile Rangers defied Uefa's ban on British teams playing the national anthem before Champions League matches last night as the Scottish side played 'God Save The King' through speakers at Ibrox.
Arsenal's Europa League tie against PSV Eindhoven has been rescheduled for October 20 after the game - which was due to be played tonight - was postponed amid police resourcing issues related to the Queen's death.
There were concerns Arsenal may have had to forfeit the match if an alternative date could not be found, but the Premier League has agreed to postpone the Gunners' match against Manchester City which had been scheduled for October 19. The match will now kick off at 6pm on October 20, Uefa said in a statement.
The Premier League said that a new date for the Arsenal v City match would be announced in due course.
The league already faces a challenge to rearrange all of last weekend's matches, which were postponed as a mark of respect to the Queen, plus three games due to be played this weekend - Brighton v Crystal Palace, Manchester United v Leeds and Chelsea v Liverpool.
Those games have been postponed due to police resourcing issues, as the authorities prepare for the Queen's state funeral on Monday. Brighton v Palace had already been postponed prior to the Queen's death due to a planned rail strike. Even though the industrial action has now been called off, the game remains postponed for policing reasons.
Finding available slots in the calendar for all these matches is especially challenging this season because of the staging of the World Cup in Qatar in November and December.
Senior sources within the game have said that one option which may have to be looked at is to scrap FA Cup third and fourth-round replays for the third season in a row to free up two midweek slots in January and February to alleviate the congestion, but it is recognised that these matches can be of enormous financial and sporting benefit, particularly to lower-league clubs.
The Premier League confirmed its plans to pay tribute to the Queen at this weekend's matches which are still going ahead.
Fans will be asked to join a minute's silence, which will be followed by the national anthem. Big screens and perimeter boards will pay tribute to the Queen and flags at stadia will fly at half-mast.
Fans will also be invited to applaud at the 70-minute mark, in recognition of the Queen's 70-year reign.
The start of the new Barclays Women's Super League season was called off last weekend after all English football fixtures were postponed as a mark of respect following the Queen's death.
Arsenal will now open the campaign at home to Brighton on Friday evening, having originally been set to be away at Manchester City for their first game. The dates for all of the rescheduled fixtures is yet to be announced.
Fans in the Broomloan Road stand also held up cards to create a vast mosaic of the queen's profile on the background of the Union Flag above a banner reading '1926 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2022'.
A post on the Rangers official website said: 'Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was honoured at Ibrox this evening with a minute's silence, a display created by the Union Bears, and a rendition of the national anthem.'
There was a growing sense throughout the day that Rangers and Chelsea, who saw supporters encouraged by a fan group to 'belt out' the anthem before their match with Red Bull Salzburg, would both disregard the anthem ruling from UEFA.
With no visiting Napoli fans in tow, due to policing shortages, the Rangers-only crowd first observed a minute's silence impeccably before the national anthem was then played out over the PA system.
Uefa said today that it is yet to decide whether to investigate Rangers' decision to play the national anthem, saying that action will only be considered once it has received the necessary information from its match delegate.
At Chelsea there were plenty of tributes to the Queen and there was an impromptu version of the British national anthem sung by supporters before kick-off, despite guidance not to do so.
Sportsmail exclusively revealed earlier this week that Uefa turned down requests from British clubs to play the national anthem before European matches following the Queen's death.
Manchester City, Chelsea and Rangers all made pleas to be given licence to play God Save The King ahead of their home fixtures.
Uefa refused 'on the basis of maintaining a consistent pre-match ceremony with a subdued atmosphere and without any celebratory activities across all UK venues to show respect'.
European football's governing body elected not to play the Champions League anthem before kick-off and black armbands were worn by teams and staff where requested but the anthem was not permitted.
But Rangers chose to completely disregard the Uefa ruling and the PA announcer confirmed before the silence that the British national anthem would follow.
Manchester City made a plea to Uefa but, having been denied that right, they followed protocol and did not play the anthem out, as Rangers did.
Chelsea did not play it through the stadium speakers but fans rallied for a rendition of the anthem prior to the silence.
In Manchester, both City and opponents Borussia Dortmund did, however, observe a minute's silence in memory of the Queen.
Thousands of Rangers fans arrived armed with flags in tribute to the Queen, while Union Jack flags adorned the outskirts of the stadium ahead of Rangers' Champions League homecoming.
Chelsea fans produced their own banner tribute at their Shed End with a message reading: 'RIP Your Majesty before committing to a version of the national anthem as players emerged from the tunnel.
Earlier this week a Chelsea fan group urged supporters to 'belt out' the anthem that evening in defiance to UEFA's ban. An image to Twitter showed some supporters setting up at Stamford Bridge with Union flags ahead of the game.
The picture showed one end of the ground decked out in Union flags, and in the accompanying post it encouraged fans coming to the game to do the same.
It stated: 'Setting up for tomorrow. Bring your Union Jack flags tomorrow if you have them. RIP Your Majesty'.
Red Bull Salzburg's fans paid their own tribute by walking to Stamford Bridge in silence. In a video shared from the Austrian club's Twitter page, fans can be seen solemnly walking to the stadium in silence.
Chelsea did not play the national anthem through the stadium speakers but fans rallied for a rendition prior to the silence
Chelsea fans hung a tribute banner to the Queen before singing the national anthem before their tie against Red Bull Salzburg
A minute's silence for the Queen prior to the Manchester City v Borussia Dortmund match in Manchester last night
A flag is held during the minute's silence for prior to the Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund match last night
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'Out of respect for the Queen, our fans walked in silence from Earl's Court to the stadium,' a tweet read. 'We remain united with the people of the UK in this time of grief.'
Uefa said no anthems were being played in order to maintain a 'consistent pre-match ceremony with a subdued atmosphere and without any celebratory activities across all UK venues to show respect as we did last Thursday.'
A minute's silence was also observed before the matches at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge and at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, with banners honouring the late monarch also on display at those grounds.
Britain is in the midst of a period of mourning for Elizabeth II, who reigned for seven decades until her death at Balmoral in Scotland last Thursday. Her state funeral will take place next Monday
God Save The King was first sung before Saturday's third test between England South Africa at the Oval and is set to used at Premier League games this weekend as part of the tributes being paid to the passing of The Queen.
Last Thursday, just hour after the Queen's death was announced, there were similarly moving scenes at other matches. Thousands of West Ham fans broke into an emotional rendition of 'God Save the Queen'.
Good Old celtic, you can always rely on their fans...
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