Among the fallout from their disastrous performance at Friday’s AGM, the Celtic board released an interesting statement. Another appointment from Police Scotland, a low key summer swoop.
For the first time Michael Nicholson confirmed that former Police Scotland officer Mark Hargreaves has joined the club.
The club chose not to announce his appointment in the summer, perhaps mindful of fan protests back in 2021 that halted the appointment of former Police Scotland officer Bernard Higgins into the same role.
FAIRHURST & HARGREAVES
Under pressure from the Celtic Fans Collective to release the findings of the Fairhurst Inquiry, the club finally relented in September.
Along with the report, the club issued strong denials that they had colluded with Police Scotland to kettle Celtic fans for more than five hours at the Glasgow derby in May.
But still no announcement that former Police Scotland officer Hargreaves had been employed by the club.
The club have yet to criticise Police Scotland over the kettling incident in May this year but in the past month they have levelled serious criminal allegations against Celtic fans over a different alleged incident involving Police Scotland.
In September 2016 the Herald reported that Hargreaves was the match commander at the Celtic v Manchester City Champions League tie, so we know his ties to the club go back at least nine years.
LUCKY TO HAVE HIM
According to Michael Nicholson, Celtic are lucky to have Mark Hargreaves on the payroll. Strange then that the club never told us fans he was onboard.
The club CEO also went on to say that Hargreaves had “a successful career over 25 years in the police.”
25 years of service in the police including as match commander at a Champions League tie at Celtic Park back in 2016.
“It is necessary to correct any suggestion that Mark Hargreaves or the Club is coordinating any campaign in conjunction with the police ‘to target Celtic fans and their families” Fridays’ club statement went on to say.
Glad they cleared that up as you can see why fans might get confused.
Indeed the Fairhurst Inquiry detailed concerns of collusion between the club and Police Scotland, raised by the supporters who were kettled outside the Celtic Social Club by Police Scotland.
Twice in less than two months now Celtic have felt the need to issue statements denying that they collude with Police Scotland to target Celtic fans.
It is not known if Mark Hargreaves, former Police Scotland match commander at Celtic Park and current Celtic employee, was involved in drafting either statements denying collusion between Celtic and Police Scotland.
REPEAT KETTLING
In March 2016 around 200 police officers kettled Celtic fans on the Gallowgate as they attempted to make their way to Celtic Park.
This operation was carried out six months before Hargreaves was the match commander at Celtic Park for the Manchester City game.
Journalist Angela Haggerty described the scene on the Gallowgate: “Surrounded by 200 police officers – around one for every marcher there – almost 20 riot vans, a line of police horses, a helicopter and 13 arrests, this was the scene at a peaceful support march in Glasgow city centre in 2013”
She went on to quote a legal observer and civil rights advisor as saying “I’ve never seen anything like that.
“I have never seen batons used on kids before, and I witnessed the Piccadilly and London riots. I’ve seen violent demonstrations, this was not that, they weren’t even throwing anything, nothing.”
INSTITUTIONALLY RACIST
In May 2023 the then Chief Constable of Police Scotland Sir Iain Livingstone admitted “Police Scotland is institutionally racist and discriminatory.”
Michael Nicholson may well claim that Celtic are lucky to have Mark Hargreaves.
But Celtic fans would be entitled to wonder why the club have recruited Hargreaves from an institutionally racist and discriminatory organisation like Police Scotland with a track record of kettling Celtic fans in controversial circumstances.
Former Police Scotland football intelligence officer Bryan Kelly is also believed to be employed by Celtic but no announcement has been made.
