Celtic Board has been sitting on Police report

The Celtic board have finally admitted to withholding vital information from the club’s fans.

But in true Celtic board style, they attempted to use that information for their own benefit, to try to divide the newly formed Celtic Fans Collective.

In a strongly worded rebuttal of this barefaced attempt at divide and conquer, the Celtic Fans Collective said “Supporters demand change – until it comes, business as usual is not an option.”

KETTLING

The club invited specific supporters groups to discuss the disgraceful actions of Police Scotland in March this year when completely innocent fans, including members of the Green Brigade, were kettled upon leaving the Celtic Social Club to attend the Glasgow derby.

Despite having a club employee attend the kettling, Celtic have yet to say one word about the events of that day.

Not a single word of condemnation for innocent fans being prevented from attending the match due to the over zealous and disgusting actions of Police Scotland.

Rather than defend their own supporters, the club chose to appoint a third party to investigate.

CELTIC COLLECTIVE

The results of that investigation have been kept secret, possibly with a post-it note attached to them, until the recent formation of the Celtic Fans Collective.

The Collective is made up of the three Celtic Supporters Associations, the Celtic Trust, Fans Against Criminalisation, the Celtic Disabled Supporters Association, the Green Brigade, Bhoys Celtic, North Curve Celtic, various fan media as well as individual supporters clubs.

Rather than address all of the supporters and finally speak up for the fans, the club invited individual groups to attend a meeting to discuss the inquiry conducted by Fairhurst.

Had the Celtic board had their way, Bernard Higgins would have been sending out the invites.

No individual meetings will be held.

And Bernard Higgins was scared off the premises years ago.

POLICE SCOTLAND

The treatment of around 200 Celtic fans before the Glasgow derby marked a new low in Police Scotland’s attempts to disrupt and destroy the Green Brigade.

Fans were initially told they were only being delayed until the visiting fans had entered the stadium.

They were then informed that they were being detained under Section 60 of the public order act because those brave boys in Blue were concerned about fans wearing hats, hoods, snoods and sunglasses.

Real crime must have been at an all time low in Glasgow that day.

In order to leave the kettle, fans were told two police officers would have to hold them by their arms, be taken into another police cordon, submit to a full body search (including a refusal to privacy for females) and give over their full personal details.

They would then be required to show ID to verify the personal details, have all hats, sunglasses, scarves and snoods confiscated – all the while being filmed including their id documents and clothing.

The kettling went on for five hours, with fans given no access to drinking water or toilet facilities.

SILENT ‘STRATEGY’

‘It is to the clubs shame that they have yet to speak up for the fans that were kettled that day, not to mention the many thousands who were forced to leave their buses and walk to the stadium due to London Road being blocked off by the Police Scotland ‘exercise’.

That they chose to appoint a third party to investigate, instead of listening directly to their own supporters, speaks volumes.

To now use that third party investigation to try to divide supporters just adds insult to injury.

The fan groups that were invited to meet with the club deserve great credit for refusing to attend and demonstrating their commitment to all the Celtic fans represented by the Collective.

COLLECTIVE AT CELTIC PARK

Saturday sees the first home match since the end of the disastrous summer transfer window and the formation of the Celtic Fans Collective.

Notice has been served on Peter Lawwell, Michael Nicholson and Chris McKay with the fan actions at Rugby Park and Firhill.

The Hibs game will give the entire match day support the opportunity to let the board know what we think about them.

Every move they have made so far has failed to quell the demands of the fans.

Staring at phones, leaking to the Sun, thousand word AI statements, splitting the support – no longer an option.

It’s time for them to face the fans that pay their wages to run our club, remember there are six other questions to be answered- and more than a few since the September 3 open letter.

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