North Curve Celtic have released details of two former police officers who are now employed by Celtic. Brought in by Michael Nicholson.
The new head of Safety, Security and Operations at the club is Mark Hargreaves, a former Chief Superintendent at Police Scotland.
His appointment in the summer coincides with a three match suspended banning order being issued to the Green Brigade.
The suspended banning order was issued to the group for showing support for Palestinian genocide victims in Gaza.
STADIUM CRACKDOWN
Hargreaves’ appointment also preceded the security lock down imposed on the north curve area of the stadium involving hundreds of stewards forming human barriers and constant “ticket checks” to move anywhere around the north curve.
The appointment was never announced by the club, nor was the suspended three match ban.
Given that the club supposedly appointed Hargreaves to safeguard fans safety, there is no logical reason to have kept his appointment secret.
And there is also no reason why fans shouldn’t be told what actions, such as the three match suspended ban, are being taken supposedly to keep the stadium safe.
SILENT, SECRET CEO
Michael Nicholson’s tenure as club CEO has been characterised by a culture of secrecy and silence, even when it comes to vital matters that impact all fans such as safety and security.
Nicholson has employed staff and allowed them to take draconian actions against fans, all done entirely in secret, without communicating with the wider support.
Why the secrecy?
Shouldn’t the club be proud to announce who they have hired and what action they are taking to ensure the supporters safety at the ground?
Another new recruit to the club is retired Police Scotland football intelligence officer Bryan Kelly.
RECRUITMENT CENTRED ON POLICE SCOTLAND
It seems the hiring of former Police Scotland officers is a much bigger priority for Michael Nicholson than first team ready strikers or right wingers.
Unsurprisingly, the relationship between Celtic fans and the club has nosedived since these appointments.
Police Scotland have not been trusted at Celtic Park since the disastrous Offensive Behaviour at Football Act was introduced in 2012.
Going back further, some fans will still remember the Janefield Street riot in 1985 when Police horses were sent into a street crowded with Celtic fans leaving a match.
There is absolutely no need for the club to be taking such a confrontational approach to fan relations.
Hiring security staff from an organisation such as Police Scotland, with a track record of outright hostility towards Celtic fans, is entirely the wrong approach.
FAN PIONEERS
Back in 2016 the club were recognised as being pioneers when they introduced rail seating at the north curve.
The first UK club to do, it’s took courage to face the questions rail seating raised about safety.
This was the first time fans in the UK were allowed to stand at a football match since new safety laws were introduced in the wake of the Hillsborough disaster.
All seater stadiums were enforced by law after Hillsborough when 97 innocent Liverpool fans were unlawfully killed due to the gross negligence of the police and ambulance services.
Fast forward to 2021 and the appointment of Dom McKay as CEO marked a further improvement in fans relations with the club.
Fan media were welcomed by McKay who could chat easily to ordinary supporters and the club picked up the tab for the Kano Foundation season tickets under his leadership.
And then Dom McKay left, and was replaced by Michael Nicholson.
NICHOLSON’S CHANGE OF POLICY
The change in attitude towards supporters was immediate.
Within months of Nicholson’s appointment in September 2021 rumours started to circulate that the club were looking to employ Bernard Higgins.
The former Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable is almost universally loathed amongst Celtic fans for his role in the disgraceful Offensive Behaviour Act.
Thankfully his appointment was stopped by fan protests but the proposed appointment marked a shift in the clubs attitude towards fans under Nicholson.
Four years of silence and confrontation have followed, leading to the sorry state we now have.
COLLECIVE ACTIONS
The vast majority of Celtic fans are signed up to the Fans Collective and are actively boycotting all club merchandise.
The Green Brigade are currently banned from the stadium.
Fans are being accused of being violent criminals by the club without evidence.
The clubs official social media accounts are scared to promote the latest diatribe against the fans knowing full well how badly received it will be.
Under Michael Nicholson’s leadership, the club have embarked on a path of provoking and punishing fans then retreating in silence.
This can’t continue.
Celtic365 stands firmly behind the Green Brigade who the club have shamefully accused, convicted and punished without being afforded the opportunity to defend themselves.
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