The Herald certainly created a stir last night with a claim that Glasgow City Council were about to close Parkhead over actions from the Green Brigade.
Unfortunately the accompanying article makes virtually no reference to pending action from the Council.
Absolutely nothing to do with Glasgow City Council
— Cllr Ruairi Kelly (@RuairiKelly_) October 31, 2023
In the third last paragraph the report briefly touches on ‘stands being closed down again’ with minimal conviction.
This is not the only time they have come down hard on the occupants of Section 111 hard. They moved them to other areas of their arena after damage totalling £10,000 was caused at Fir Park in 2013. They were locked out for two games in 2017 for illicit banners in a match against Linfield and igniting flares underneath banners at a Hearts match.
That led to the safety advisory group of Glasgow City Council – the body which issues Celtic with the certificate which it needs to open Parkhead on match days – to hold an emergency meeting and express its serious concerns to directors. There are fears once again that stands could be closed down.
Once again? No stand has ever been closed down at Celtic Park, perhaps readers should be reminded of the previous closures.
Twice in 2019 UEFA closed sections of Ibrox due to the racist actions of home fans.
As print circulation and advertising falls off a cliff digital is the be all and end all for Newsquest with some folk just too anxious to hit targets with sensationalism that doesn’t stand up to basic scrutiny.
Claiming that ‘Parkhead’ could be closed certainly generated clicks but at the cost of credibility for the publication that was once central to Glasgow sporting, political and social commentary.
Author Matthew Lindsay is certainly no friend of the Celtic support but all that his article contains is a chronological list of incidents that have put the Green Brigade into the spotlight. He then adds the ‘fears once again’ which appears to be wishful thinking added to the detail released by Celtic.
The Herald and Glasgow Times are effectively one and the same, sharing content between both titles which apparently attract different demographics. The Herald story appears behind a paywall while it is free on the Glasgow Times site which sort of sums up the lack of joined up thinking at Newsquest.
Reminded me why I stopped buying this once great newspaper. Now nothing but a unionist rag, no better than The S*N or Daily.Mail
— Indy Ref NOW (@bluelooscene) October 31, 2023
Nowhere in the article does it come up with any concrete evidence that a stadium closure by Glasgow City Council was being planned. An article penned by a Rangers cheerleader no less. How this newspaper has fallen. No wonder circulation is collapsing.
— MM (@mbm_1965) October 31, 2023
Lies ..complete lies. GCC have not once raised concerns
— Sloany PRC 🍀 (@Sloany2022) October 31, 2023
