Celtic have leaked details of their escalating dispute with The Green Brigade to their friends at the Daily Record.
Print sales of the ailing Glasgow publication are comfortably under the 60,000 capacity of Celtic Park but they remain firmly on message to the Celtic board to break news to fans outwith the official club channels.
Very few Celtic fans would dream of handing cash over to purchase the Record with the online edition racking up the clicks but barely bringing in the advertising revenue to justify the massive overheads, mainly through the wage bill.
The row between Celtic and the Green Brigade has been more than simmering over the last fortnight with the club fearing heavy UEFA sanctions over an expected show of support in front of the UEFA camera tomorrow night.
Tonight the Record reports:
Celtic have hit the Green Brigade with more restrictions for bad behaviour – including members of the controversial fan group BREAKING into Celtic Park.
Hoops chiefs are running out of patience with the North Curve section of the support and have now refused pre-match entry for Wednesday night’s Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid. The Green Brigade issued a statement insisting club bosses were determined to curtail their plans for a pro-Palestine display following warnings to leave political messages away from the games.
But Record Sport understands the escalation in the row between the club and the fan group has come after a number of recent flashpoints. This includes supporters from the section breaking into Parkhead through fire doors in the recent Euro clash with Lazio, and threatening behaviour to club employees. There are also huge concerns about pictures being taken of match day Police officers – and being shared online and branded ‘pig watch’.
Celtic have already banned the Green Brigade from away matches after incidents at Fir Park and Tynecastle, and against Feyenoord in Rotterdam. Parkhead chiefs have been hit by UEFA fines for flares in Holland and are expecting further punishment for political banners in the Lazio match.
Last week The Sun was handed the news that The Green Brigade would no longer be getting allocated away tickets, the next development is likely to be found on the Daily Mail website.
The Green Brigade occupy the front section of one corner of Celtic Park, judging by the number of Palestine flags at Tynecastle on Sunday there is likely to be thousands in almost every section of the stadium for the Atletico match.
EXCLUSIVE! Celtic fire back at Green Brigade as club share break-in and threats revelations as they deny pre-match accesshttps://t.co/FmnxMHzoP9 pic.twitter.com/1CdUB1GcPd
— Daily Record Sport (@Record_Sport) October 24, 2023
