Irish folk singer Liam McGrandles has pulled out of performing at Celtic Park ahead of tonight’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich, citing a barrage of toxic social media abuse as the reason for his decision.
McGrandles, a familiar presence at Parkhead, regularly leads the crowd with stirring renditions of songs such as Grace, Let The People Sing, and You’ll Never Walk Alone before key matches.
However, after Celtic’s Supporter Liaison Officer confirmed his scheduled performance, online trolls flooded social media with criticism, accusing him of dampening the pre-match atmosphere.
Just hours before the 8 pm kickoff, McGrandles took to X to confirm he had decided to withdraw, saying:
“Just a wee post to address the mad hate that came my way yesterday. I decided to pull the gig this morning myself, as it’s just not worth the grief I was receiving. I understand that the pre-match gig isn’t everybody’s thing, but some of the stuff was nasty and personal.”
The musician, who regularly performs in the Kerrydale Suite on matchdays, admitted that the abuse hit hard, particularly coming from fellow Celtic supporters.
“To get it from fellow Celtic fans was a punch in the gut, to be honest. I’ve worked extremely hard for nearly 20 years to get into the position of being offered a gig like that. A gig I was never gonnae knock back.”
McGrandles, who entertains supporters at pubs and clubs across Scotland and beyond, and also someone who kept our spirits high with lockdown gigs that CeltsAreHere sometimes hosted, was met with an outpouring of support following his statement. Many fans condemned the abuse and voiced their appreciation for his contributions to the matchday experience.
While debates over pre-match entertainment are nothing new, targeting a lifelong Celtic fan and performer with personal attacks crosses the line. Regardless of opinions on the build-up, there’s no place for online abuse within the Celtic support.
For those who haven’t seen him get Celtic Park rocking, here he is a great clip!
